The evening world., 1916-09-14

81 came I o see Mr.. Clayton she
forced herself TO staInmer. A he Ia
not hero. l won't walt"
Miss Montrose," he said suavely
a., after tho first step. she paused
lrresolute and trembling. you and I
have met once before. I think. In
your fathers very beautiful old home
At Riverside. On the night whom
Jerome Stanley had tho misfortune
ITO BE- murdered by you'll" she
flashed back. her dread OF tho man
overcome for the moment by q gust
OF loathing. II saw o with your
fingers about his throat-with your
eyes "a red as q rabid beast's!"
Il thought So" he replied: II wa
almost certain OF II. But there was
sone slight doubt. You 500, all wom-
en-ospecislly In moments Of fright
are not so o~bservant as you. There
was . chance you did not see my face
long enough that night TO remember.
That II why ! waited to-day to SEQ
II you would know me. you
did the moment you looked at me as
you came In Just now. l am sorry.
"What-what do you mean7" she
faltered. her throat sanded with ter
ror. her lips dry.
II mean this. Miss Montrose," he
returned. speaking very slowly. al
o solemnly. you are tho only
person In tho outer world who has
looked into the face of the man they
call The Crimson Stain and lived.
But 1t Is not safe to let you 20 free
with such dangerous knowledge.
p
She screamed aloud In stark horror
as he moved toward her.
Her scream penetrated tho heavy
outer door and into tho hall. 1t
reached the carl Of Tanner. who
crouched listening At the keyhole. 1t
reached Harold Stanley, who was
h%urrying along the hallway.
Stanley broke into a run as he roo
ognized Florence's voice, and as he
ran he called out reassuringly to her.
Out of the hallway shadows az he
ran forward = figure launched itself
upon him.
Tanner. realixing that but for him
salt 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 o renowned an
athlete as Stanley. II had been their
intent to attack Harold together from
behind while he should be in talk
with Vanya. and Vanya, II possible,
was to have aided them by twining
her arms around Stanley AZ she had
about Clayton.
Thus Handicapped. Harold would
have been al easy victim for the
"hnger-necklace," supplemented. n
need be. by u tap from Tanners pis-
tol butt.
Tanner alone could save tho day
by holding him OF until La Rue could
dispose OF Florence and come out to
finish the killing of the man he had
ooom-d 10 ce,t1.
Wherefore, Tanner sprang to the
attack. not be.Guse he craved n se,-
ond encounter with the man who had
once dislocated his shoulder blade.
but because there seemed no other
way TO prevent La Rue's plans and
his own from going to pieces.
Tanne seized Harold by the throat
from behind rs he spranR. But II
he sought to duplicate La Rue's sue
cess In such manoeuvres he was
speedily undeceived.
Here was no fabby. middle-aged
mum iiko most OF Inc ms stain
victims. Nor Was Tanner. strong as
he was, a second Ia Rue In dexterity
and strength OF grip. Moreover. the
light was had and Harold was In
swift motion.
For these very good reasons the
throat grip Was n lamentah,e failure.
Harold, feeling Turner's stubhy
fingers encircllng his neck from the
rear. adopted a very simple and very
effective trick known 10 all wrestlers
and to most ~all-around athletes.
Throwing back his own arms, with
out turning his body, he caught his
assailant by the throat and shoulder
and with a mighty heave of the arms
and a doubling Of the body sent Tan
ner hurting forward and to the floor
In front Of him.
Tanner, shooting through space as
n from n catanult fol- with a crash
that shook the very walls.
Jared breathloss. hut SIN flll of
hght, Tanner rushed In to grapple
his opponent.
Harold met the rush with an upper
cut that missed Tanners Jaw by
barely nm inch and landed heavily on
his cheekbone, H~a'f-dazed and with