The Washington herald., 1916-11-23
The Crimson Stain Mystery
COPYRIGHT. lss. b. Consolidated Film Cooperation.
Noveii.ed by ALBERT PAYsoN TERHUNE.
From the Consolidated Motion Picture Triumph.

He nodded toward the electric ap-
paratus as he spoke. And his man
ner all at once became that OF a
master addressing a slave.
You will none Of you get more OF
the drug from me-" he declared with
an iron firmness that impressed even
Pierre La Rue. mot one more treat
ment shall any of you have. You,
least Of all. That L. the truth, upon
my OATH"
"You would not dare" began
La Rue, uneasily. but Montrose
went on:
"You have lurked about here at all
hours like evil spirits; coming for
the accursed treatment that Is so
needful to you and such q blight on
society at large. The end has come.
refuse to give you more treatments.
XIII me II you will. You have heard
my decision. And that decision shall
never be changed. swear it. Now
goi"
Pierre's face, as he listened, grew
livid. The dread of losing the drug
that made him the master-crook of
the century. was too much for his
self-control.
His eyes fiaring suddenly with the
Crimson Stain, he whipped out a
knife. With a wild beast snarl, he
leaped at the doctor.
Montrose, with an agility remark
able in a man of his age, sprang back
ward from the aperture, slamming
shut the secret panel behind him.
The whizzing knife blade drove deep
into the wood Of the panel and stuck
there La Rue hurled himself against
the closed portal like a rabid wolf.
But the stout wood resisted his fu-
rious charge. Then through the panel
Montrose heard him yell:
You'll rob US Of the drug that Is
life itself to us?" Very good! Then
we shall rob you Of the daughter who
is more than life to you. She shall
die within twenty-four hours. And
no power can save her"
His retreating footsteps died away.
Montrose stood. eyes ablaze with
righteous indignation, listening to the
receding steps.
His ears rang with La Rue's threat
against Florence. But 1t only stirred
the father to fiercer wrath. At last,
lifting one hand solemnly heaven
WarQ, ne SAID aloud:
II make a solemn vow that the
Crimson Stain shall be wiped out, and
that its vile power shall be once and
forever annihilated!"
His own words seemed to galvanize
him to strange activity.
Going to a desk he drew forth a
pistol and thrust 1t into his pocket.
From a cupboard he produced a
broad-brimmed soft hat which he
tammed down well over his eyes, and
great coat which concealed the
lines Of his figure.
Then. opening the secret panel
again, he crawled through It, closed
1t behind MIN and hurried along the
passageway in Pierre La Rue's wake.
Several times in the next half
hour the doctor caught sight of La
Rue, though he could never quite
catch up with him.
Yet by his own knowledge Of the
mans habits he was able to trail
Pierre to Tanners apartment.
There, crouching In an alleyway
below the open windows Of the
ground-floor fiat, he heard the mutter
of voices, and from time to time he
was able to get the drift Of a sentence
or two.
Night had fallen before Montrose
left his post. And then he deserted
1t only to follow Pierre La Rue, who
emerged from the house, accompanied
by Tanner and Kiel.
The three hailed q taxicab. DR..
Montrose was lucky enough to en-
counter another taxi returning to its
distant stand from leaving a passen-
ger somewhere in the neighborhood
of Tanners apartment.
He boarded it and gave chase. Just
as the day before, the taxi containing
the man whom Montrose was trailing
drew up in front of Alisar's dance
hall. La Rue and Tanner and KieI
got out and went into the place. A
moment or 50 later Montrose stealth
lily followed.
He was Just In time to see the three
pass into private room at one end
of the hall. The doctor made his way
to table that stood close to the door
OF this room. His hat pulled low over
his brow, he sat down, ordered a drink
(Which he did not taste) and waited.
He could hear nothing in the private
room.
ouI VI PIcoouIly d WdlI6r went In1tnof.
apparently In response to q touch of
the bell. In the second the door was
open Montrose could see the three
men grouped at the table.
The waiter departed. Soon he re-
turned, carrying two glasses of
whisky on tray. He tried the door.
1t was locked. Setting down the tray
on the corner Of the doctors table.
the waiter knocked at the door.
While the walters back was turned
Montrose. with a lightning gesture,
empied his tiny flask of hydrcyanio
acid into the two half-filled whisky
glasses.
He was barely In time, for the wait
or at once picked up the tray as Tan
ner opened the door to him, and car
ried it into the private room.
The doctor would have felt less tri-
umph had he known Of a telephone
conversation La Rue had Just held in
that room.
Calling up the Montrose House he
had asked anxiously If the doctor
were at home.
Clayton, who was calling on Flor
erce, replied that DR.. Montrose was
out To which, La Rue had an
swered:
Tn sorry. I'm the father Of that
boy the doctors daughter ran over.