The evening world., 1916-12-01

mana 70 the reCeivor INC Dell po8en
TO ring. Clayton put the receiver 70
delayed his own purpose.
"Helloi" he said brusQueiy. Oct
OF the wire, pleased p
He said no more. but stood mouth
agape, listening to the vofoe that
hailed him by name at the far end
Of tho wire.
At the rivers edge, three miles
above, the automobile hat Montrose
had 20 vainly pursued drew up along
side Q disused and tumbledown boat
house. Tanner and Morrison lifted
the struggling girl from the and
half led. half carried her into the
house Tho cripple followed moro
slowly. hobbling painfully along. The
a was driven away.
Nov then" ordered Tanner from
the doorway. step lively and get that
motor boat. You'll find II moored
where I told you, tust beyond tho
point over yoDder. Jump"
The cripple did not Jump" But
he hobbled away on his errand at Q
oreditable pace. And when a Juttng
hulock hid him from the boat house
he put on a burst Of speed that would
have amazed his now associates.
He raced at a hundred yard dash
gait for a solitary waterside provts-
ION shop a quarter mile below. q shop
from whose front he had seen the jut-
ting sign Of q dark blue bell on Q
white ground.
Into the shops telephone booth he
slipped and called UP DR.. Montrose's
house. At once Bob Clayton replied,
ordering him to leave the wire clear.
Florence Montrose," broke in the
cripple painting from his record
breaking run. Florence Montrose 10
In the old Harding boat house at the
foot OF Spuyten Lane. She's to be
taken UP the Harlem IN q motor boat
and dropped overheard with a stone
at her feet. Quick!"
out Of the booth and sprinted to the
tiny COW where Tanners motor boat
was moored. Boarding the boat, he
cast loose and set the engine going.
Crouching at the wheel In the bow.
he deity steered the craft around Q
point Of land and toward the boat
house. As he neared the boathouse
he seemed to lose his athletic energy
and to slump back once more into his
former awkward and feeble condition
Tanner and Morrison. the girl be-
end Of the house. The cripple noted
that the girl was now tied hand and
foot and gagged.
As the motor boat came In sight
around the point Tanner stepped out
on h landing stage. signalling the
cripple TO bring the craft alongside.
You took long enough time about
III" he called as soon a. the man
came within sound Of his voice.
'Where've you been all this while7"
The engine was cranky In start
ing" answered tho cripple. and I
He broke OF, as the engine sud
denly ceased its chugging and tho
boat began to drift helpless on the
crawling tide.
Seer" explained the cripple. IT'S
"You said you know how to a
motor boat, you clumsy-fingercd
boob!" snarled Tanner. Get her
started again and bring her along
side or I'll hurry you up with a IS
slug of hot lead. Get busyi"
The cripple looked once al Tanners
m%enacing pistol: then got the engine
into motion, and with exasperattngly
awkward slowness laid tho boat
alongside the rickety old landing
stage. Tanner and Morrison lifted
Florence aboard bodily. and set her
down in the stern.
Keep guard over her there. you!"
Tanner ordered the cripple. You're
J no use at tho steering wheel. Morri-
son, take the whesl. will your You
know where TO 60"
Morrison obeyed. Tanner seated
himself In the bow beside the steers
man. The cripple slumped into n seat
alongside the fettered and gagged girl.
As he did no his eyes swept the bank
and the road beyond It for the tenth
time.
But now his bieared glance bright
ened at what he saw. An automobile
was racing down the lane toward tho
b~oathouse. In its tonneau. urging
the Montrose chauffeur to greater
speed. sat DR.. Montrose and Robert
Clayton.
The cripple looked ahead. Morrison
and Tanner were talking together.
Neither saw the approaching car.
But Clayton had seen the boat and
Its occupants. He also saw that the
car was thirty seconds toe late. For
already the motor boat was leaving
the landing stage and moving down.
stream. Bob gave the chauffeur a
quick order. and at the same time
began to siope for something In the
tool boz beneath the automobiles rear
scat.
Tho chauffeur swiftly turned his
car and sped II along tho river bank
road toward a bridge that epanned
the stream a mile below. The cripple.
at the Same time. saw Clayton fsh
a coil Of strong. light rope but from
the tool box. Next moment the car
was shut of from sight by . row of
waterside trees.
The cripple once again looked fur-
lively at Tanner and Morrison. Both
still sat with their backs to him. Nor
rlson at the wheel. The cripple
caught Florence's eyes and he raised
a dirty finger 10 his lips to enjoin
caution.
Then. steaithily. he drew . gold
penkntfe from one of his ragged
pockets. Again making certain that
the others were not looking back. he
slashed the cords that bound the
girls ankles and wrists. lie also
united the gags knot. Then. laying
tho cords back in place, as X they
still bound her. he relapsed into his
former attitude OF feeble inertia.
Florence, dumfounded at the &C.
ton of the cripple, nevertheless took
her cue from him. She made no
movement and forebore TO cry out.
Yet she looked at her crippled ally
in wondering inquisitiveness. As she
looked. she saw him glance ~intently
at something far In front, and al
most lm"perceptIbly point with one