The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1916-09-24

/ was about to go to the telephone ana
summon the police when the girl
whom Bronson had. placed In chair,
was recognized by Margaret.
Probably the latter's startled OFT
MALTA, can It possibly be your
brought back to semiconsciousne$s Q
mind weakened by hypnotic susses-
ton and strung almost TO frenzy by
the fight on the steps. Be that A. It
may, Malta gazed around wildly ana
contrived to gasp;
"That letter - the poisoned motel
Where Is it7 Thank GOD. was IN
timel"
With a tigerish gnarl, Hong Kong
Harry ducked under the buffers arm
and sprang at Malta. Manning and
Bronson were too quick for him. how.
ever, and flung him back into the coz.
ner, while the butler was sternly no
minded Of his duty. Then Manning
gave his attention to the girls uncan-
ny words.
"What note is this you are speaking
aboutr he cried, his thoughts instant
ly reverting to that curious blank and
scented sheet Of paper found on SEN
ator Johnston's table.
The butler overheard.
"It's q letter for you, SIR" he broke
in. This young lady brought It near
ly two hours ago. She said there was
no answer. / noticed that she seemed
very upset, but could get nothing out
of her."
Again a peculiar coincidence flashed
into Manning's brain. A woman who
said there was mo answer had also
left a note at Senator Johnston's
house.
where is It nowr' he demanded
sternly.
1T gave It to Miss May, sir" said the
butler. "She put 1t In a book and
took 1t to her room"
Evidently the half fainting girl On
the chair understood the mans words.
"Oh, be quick. be quickr' she
screamed. go at once or you viii
be too latew
Aware only of some deadly and i'm
palpable evil that threatened danger
to his sister Manning raced upstairs.
the butler, the last named faithful
servant being much more concerned az
to the safeguarding Of his young mis-
tress than the maintenance of watch
and ward over his prisoner.
May Manning screamed In quick
alarm when her brother tore into the
room and switched on the electric
} light.
"Oh, what is ST." she shrieked, lay
ing down the book she was reading
and staring at him and the others In
wide eyed Amusement
Bronson was the first to notice Z
most disagreeable looking spider crawl
ing slowly across the table on which
the girl had placed reading lamp at
the side of her bed. Without q mo-
ments hesitation he seized q hand
mirror and battered the noxious life
out of the insect. At the same mo-
ment Manning saw that a hidden silk
en- thread attached to one Of its legs
stretched across the room and through
the open window. Willard, knowing
that his friend had given his revolver
|
the blind aside and fred at dark
form which he detected in the act Of
scuttling across the lawn toward q
shrubbery in tho rear Of the house
The man, whoever he might Be, stum-
bled, but uttered no cry and, recover
ing his feet again, plunged into fAs
bushes before Willard could flrs asssc-
ond time
Manning had now noticed the hut.
.. ler's presence and promptly ordered
, him back to his deserted post In that
respect, however, the mans concern
for Miss Mays well being proved dis
astrous, because both Malta and Hong
king Harry had vanished, and Man
ming himself, running into the street
In quest Of the escaped pflsousrA
heard the hum Of high power car
dying away in the distance.
By the time Police Captain Kemp
arrived 1t was possible to form q faixly
lucid and connected idea Of . mon
strous outrage, which began with een-
5 ator Johnston's death and might have
. ended with the staying Of girl wAolly
: ignorant Of those high questions q
state policy in which All Singh pre.
! fessed himself so deeply interested
. Cause and effect now stood revealed
: An inhuman wretch, stopping shose q
t no means, howsosver malsvolsnt 10
a achieve his aims, had devised some
scent which attracted TO IT. victim Z
, peculiarly deadly. species Of tarautnla
{ found only In the deserts Of Nsneh6.
I ria. One Of these terrible insects had
! stung Senator Johnston. Another
!, would have bitten May Manning with
in very few seconds Of the uaomsnt
her brother burst into her bedroora.
But the poison was not meant for
= her. It was Intended for the man
I whom All Singh recognized - . foe
9 man worthy Of his steel. In q word,
0 1t was only the unaccountable hesitan-
cy to obey brutal will shown by that
unhappy creature. Mile. Malta, which
g saved May Manning's life or perhaps
: that of her brother.
), And yet the strong arm Of the law
e was palsied. The Menace stfll spread
Q its dark shadow across America. New.
+ York, blithely unconscious Of the doom
e decreed by a foul intelligence, Awoko
8 to a new day of activity and pleaSet@
/ seeking. All unaware, the citizens -
an empire city were picknichng on Che