The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1916-07-07
ssTHE BLUE TIGHTS"

Il
tense with excitement. The man
had gone for moment beyond
the line of her vision.
The sound was the voice of a
child, clear and distinct. Il want
to go home!s 1t said. II want to
see my mammal"
The man answered roughly.
"You can't go now. Come eat
your breakfast. Hurry up! I've
got to go out"
Grace strained her face against
the opening, striving in vain to
see. She heard the boy begging
to go out and play. His captor,
however, silenced him with a
sharp word, accompanied by a
blow. Get In there, and keep
| quiet" Grace heard him say a
moment later.
Then the man reappeared, put
on his hat, and, going out, locked
the door behind him.
Grace waited until she heard
the front door close, then quickly
went to the side of the room to
which the man had gone for the
child. There appeared no place
where the latter could have hid
den. She examined the walls and
floor, but found no traces of a
hiding place.
A sound of footsteps on the
stairs sent her scurrying back into
the closet. The man who CAME
| in, however, was not the one who
had left a short time before, but
an older man, more heavily built,
and with heavy black beard. 1t
was the kidnaper himself-the
man she had seen at Mr.. Staple
tons house the night before!
An hour passed, and the air in
the closet became close and hot.
Grace felt so nervous that she
could have screamed, when the
door of the room suddenly opened
and Durand appeared.
The two greeted each other
| with a nod.
"Is the boy here?"
Eyes"
Good. Now listen to your in
structions. At eight o'clock |
shall go to the bankers and get
the money. At eight fifteen, or
a little before, Francois will get
his signal and repeat to you. If
he flashes the blue light, lock the
door, and go to the Place du Troc-
ahnrn ENrnna tho fnhopnn Chnn
you will telephone the address of
this place-No. AZ, isn't TITO
Monsieur Stapleton. That will be
about half past eight. Do not
telephone before that. Then wait
for me in front of the shop"
And If l get the red signal?"
In that event do not release
the boy. but come to the tobacco
shop. l will communicate with
you there. But / do not think
there will be any trouble. You
will get the blue light"
Nevertheless, if anything goes
wrong, what shall we do them"
"If you get the red signal, and
l do not meet you at Martelle's at
half past eight, come back here
and take the boy to Lavillac. Be-
fore you do so, cut off his left
hand, and send it to Stapleton
with letter telling him that il l
am not set free at once, you will
send his head. That will bring
them to terms"
AS he spoke the man rose, went
to small mirror, and carefully
removed the black beard.
pretty hot, this thing" he an
nounced, as he threw 1t on the
table. Got anything to drink?
I'm thirsty"
Along toward noon the older
man readjusted his disguise and
left the house. The other was
soon snoring loudly.
The long hot afternoon wore
itself on. After q time, the low
complaining of the child began
again, at first faint and seeming
ly far off, then growing in vol
ume. At last 1t awoke the sleep
ing man. Soon after shutdown
the man took a short black cylin-
der, which Grace saw was an cleo
trio searchlight, and sat in the
sill of the large double window
which faced the north. The win
dow was directly opposite the
closet, and Grace could see the
figure of the watcher, silhouetted
against the night sky.
Presently she heard the man
utter a quick oath, and saw him
peer out of the window, a pair of
field glasses to his eyes. He had
dropped the glasses, picked up his
searchlight, and flashed signal
into the darkness, then rushed to
the door, turned the key in the
lock and clattered down the
stairs.
| Grace crept swiftly to the win
dow, seized the field glasses and
swept the horizon. Far off toward
the Avenue Kleber there CLEANED
a light, high in the upper room
of house.