The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-11-26

the one person in the world for whost benefit 1 would like to see a revival 0, the old time sentence, when malefac tor could be not only hanged, bu drawn and quartered.'
 Naj1a had entered while he wal speaking. A flicker of fear showed 1T her eyes when she heard the name o1 Ali Singh.
 What has happened now she ask ed timorously.
 Though Manning reposed the utmost confidence in the girl, he would have been better pleased had she not ap peared at that inopportune moment He was exceedingly anxious not tc offend her delicate susceptibilities, for the very reason that she was all the more likely to imagine herself an ob- ject of suspicion because of her reta- tionship to the arch enemy of her friends and her adopted nation. Yet there could be no denying that her presence in the house was a source of weakness, and it was not quite fitting that she should become a repository of official secrets. So he fenced with the question.
 'There is nothing very definite this time," he said, affecting a nonchalance he was far from feeling. "All I want you girls to do Is to remain home and keep out of mischief. While you are in this house you are perfectly safe. Ali Singh cannot attack you here un- less he hires small army. I'm just going downtown now to make some in- quiries. You can expect me back for luncheon"
 He went out with an airy handshake of farewell, and the others were quick to take his cue, so no further refer ence was made to the Washington message. But Najla's eastern intelli- gence was far too alert to be deceived so easily. She scented some mystery. Manning's haphazard words, no less than the momentary constraint shown by Margaret and May, puzzled and distressed her.
 Her friends recovered their poise in- stantly and endeavored to distract her attention by some light hearted chat ter, but, try as they might, they could not remove the girls sense of isolation. For an hour or more she brooded mis- erably and, by curious trick of fate, placed herself in receptive mood at the very time that Ali Singh had re- solved once more to bring her within the spell of his hypnotic powers.
 The outcome was wholly unforeseen and quite extraordinary. Police Cap tain Kemp called, and Bronson was telling him about the telegram, pur- posely speaking in an undertone while they lounged over veranda rail, when startled exclamation from his sister caused the young banker to turn sharp ly and gaze into the sitting room.
 Najla was staring into space with an uncanny fixity. The girls addressed her, but she either paid no heed or ex- hibited a repulsion which was so op- posed to her usual gentle and friendly attitude that they were astounded, and Margaret uttered the cry which had reached her brothers ears. Bronson and the police captain hurried in, and the former spoke to the girl with his Wonted cheeriness.
 "Why, what's the matter, Najla?" he cried Are you seeing things this morning?"
 She gave him swift look of marked hatred, as though he were some bitter enemy who was forcing his presence upon her. Then, apparently making up her mind, she rose, angrily swept aside the hands which would have detained her and hurried to a stand in the hall on which she had placed hat and jacket. Putting on these outdoor gar ments, without any effort to adjust them neatly, she walked rapidly through the front porch and made in the direction of the street.
 Margaret Bronson was the first to realize the dread infiuesce which had changed Najla's nature so unaccount- ably.
 "Oh," she walled, with a fearful break in her voice, "she is hypnotized again. Ali Singh can exert very mar vicious mesmeric power, and he is will Ing now that NaJla shall return. Oh, save her, save her! She will die when the trance passes and she finds herself in that mans hands once more.''
 Bronson and Kemp could not refuse the evidence which thus materialized before their very eyes. They raced after Najla, overlook her at a street corner and, each seizing an arm. com pelled her to come back with them. She fought furiously, screaming pro- tests in some strange eastern tongue and a number of detectives had to in tervene and restrain the crowd which had gathered around, since a good many people believed that the two mer were ill treating this pretty woman and an attempt at rescue was immi nent.
 | It was a distressing scene. Ever when the girl was seated again in tht sitting room she refused the kindly ministrations of her friends and strug gled frantically to free herself Man ning's foresight had warned them Ion, ago that some such uncanny manifes
 tation was possible, and skilled alien
 ist had given him hypodermic syring,
 containing powerful sedative. Bron
 son applied this now. After awhil.
 Najla subsided into a death-like coma
 from which she revived fully twent,
 minutes later. She was then in he
 right senses, and her agitation was pit
 iful on hearing of her narrow escape. ] rCI,i.. axzaifnxaaoa hal Lr l<.