Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-09-17

! only-it's only that you've made me
| care 80 much-I-I-"
| Her sclf-control gave way. She
broke into n mt of hystcrical weeping.
Her outtiunE arms claspcd themselves
! spasmodically around the astonished
Clayton's neck. holding him movclcss
| by the straining intensity of their
4 clinging grasp.
And before the dumfounded man
could speak or STIR Tanner was upon
| him.
Darling into tho studio behind Van
/ va. the Crimson Stain hcnchman wait
| cd only until the girl had securely
seized Clayton in her strong. willowy
arms Then, carefully aiming his blow
Tanner brought down his revolver butt
with all the trained force of his arm
muscles upon the artists left temple
Clayton slumped To the polished floor
| without n word or cry. his senses clean
gone. and without having seen or heard
his aSsailant.
| Before Clayton's inert body had fairly
struck the floor Tanner and Vanya
| were leaning above him deftl:. binding
| and gaBsing the scnSclcSS man. This
achieved, they lifted the body bore il
| across to divan. thrust the divan for
| ward foot or two and dropped Clay
| ton into the space between the divan
| back and the wall.
! We've no time to WASTE" said La
| Rue. coming into the studio from the
! hall. The Montrose chauffeur didn't
| get my message. Hes coming down
| the block now with Florence in the
car quarter of an hour ahead of
time. l saw him from the hall win
dow"
[ What are we to do with her." ex-
claimed Vanya in panic. "Stanlcy's not
here yet. We can't treat her as we've
| treated Clayton. At least" she hest
tated, looking questionably at La Rue,
Il suppose we can't.
No" he decreed with no hesitation
at all. Our strongest hold over Mont
| rose Is his daughter. But for her he'd
| turn desperate, instead of giving it to
US. He might even kill himself And
! there where would we be without the
drug? There is a safer, easier way
| to take care of her
a quick. soft footstep sounded i'll
the hall outside. Tanner. at a gesture
| from Pierre. slipped out into the hall.
| and with the air of a departing visitor
| strolled past Florence Montrose and
on toward tho head Of the stairs. There
he paused and looked out Of the window
! In the street below stood DR.. Mont
roses black car. Drawing up to the
| curb behind il was a gray roadster
| from which Harold Stanley was just
! descending.
Vanya, in obedience to ward of
ing-room. Florence. at the same mo-
ment. tapped at the studio door
Come in" called La Rue
She entered, and taking step or
two into the room, glanced around her
| The door was shut and locked as she
did SO. Standing with his back against
it. Pierre La Rue faced her. smiling
slightly. his arms folded
Al sight of him, Florence gasped in
unbelicving horror. Again she was
looking into the eyes which for weeks
had haunted her in nightmares. the
eyes which had then been sunuscd by
the Crimson stain
Now as she looked she saw La Rue's
eyes gradually redden. until they
CLEANED like hot Goals.
II came to see Mr. Clayton" she
forced herself to stammer. "As he is
not here, / wont wait"
Miss Montrose," he said suavely. as,
after the first step. she paused ir-
resolute and trembling. you and 1
Rave met once before. think, in your
fathers very beautiful old home at
riverside. On the night when Jerome
Stanley had the misfortune Toto
To be murdered by YOU" she flashed
back. her dread of the man overcome
Tor the moment by n gust of loathinE.
Il saw you with your fingers about his
throat-with your eyes as red as
rabid beasts"
Il thought So he replied: Il was
almost certain of it, hut there was
some slight doubt. You see all women
Especially in moments of fright-are
not so observant as you. There was n
chance YOU did not see my face long
enough that night to remember Tha t
Is why ! waited to-day to see il YOU
would know me. I saw YOU did the
moment YOU looked at me as YOU came
IN just now. am sorry. but YOU leave
ME no alternative"
''What--what do Won rneanc'' che
faltered, her throat sanded with ter
ror. her lips dry
Il mean this. Miss Montrose." he re-
turned, speaking very slowly. almost
solemnlv You are the only person
III the outer world who has looked into
the face of rhe man they call The
Crimson Stain and lived. But it is
not safe to let YOU go free with such
dangerous knowledge. i"
She screamed aloud in stark horror
as he moved toward her.
Her scream penetrated the heavy
outer door and into the hall. 1t reach
ed the ears OF Tanner. who crouched
listening ut the keyhole. 1t reached
Harold Stanley, who was hurrying
along the hallway.
Stanley broke into run as he rec
ognized Florence'S voice. and as he
ran he called out reassurngly to her
Out of the hallway shadows as he
ran forward figure launched itself
upon niIn
Tanner. realizing that hut for him.
self Harold must presently burst into
the room and confront both Pierre
and Florence, had taken matters into
his own hands.
He knew that by daylight and in
fair combat, Pierre La Rue would be
no physical match for so renowned an
athlete as Stanley. 1t had hccn their
intent 10 attack Harold together from
behind while he should be in talk
with Vanya. and Nanya. if possible
was to have aided them by twining
her arms around Stanley as she had
about Clayton.
Thus handicapped, Harold would have
been an easy victim for the finger
necklace" supplemented If need he by
tap from Tanners pistol butt
Tanner, and Tanner alone could
save the day by holding him off until
La Rue could dispose Of Florence and
come out TO finish the killing of the
man he had doomed to death.
Tanner seized Harold by the throat
from behind as he sprang. But If