The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1916-10-15

small window. and made his way I'M
needed to the gas meter.
He turned off the gas, waited a
moment, and turned it on again, by
which effective eXpedient he had un-
questionably doomed Manning to
death, because the unlighted lamp
was now pouring forth mephitic
vapor which would not only assist
the drowsiness already overcoming
him, but ere long must poison his
lungs and paralyZe his brain.
1t was only a matter of a few min
utes before the poison would do its
work. Manning's life literally hung
on a thread, when the telephone
Jared the silence of the night and
awoke the sleeping butler. The man
listened for moment, but failed to
hear, as he expected, his master
going to the instrument, so he ran
hastily downstairs and picked up the
receiver, to be astounded by strange
foreign voice saying excitedly:
Tell Mr.. Manning to come at once
with a big posse of police to the de-
serted house in the New Jersey
marsh which he visited yesterday
The women are here. Never
mind who I am. I'm giving
you a straight story. Tell Mr. Man
ming that he must force open the
fireplace in the back parlor. He will
find u passage leading to Ali Singh's
secret headquarters. What
ever you do, don't fail to let him
know! More than one life depends
on this!"
The astounded butler heard the
distant receiver bang down on it's
hook, and realized that his informant.
whoever he might be, dared say no
more. He left the instrument and
turned to enter the library, a flood
of moonlight rendering hall and
stairway sufficiently visible.
He had his hand on the door when
he became aware of sinister shad-
ow stealing swiftly upon him, and
having bitter reason to dread such
apparitions in the house ever since
Ali Singh intruded his blighting per-
sonality into New York, grappled in
stantly with one whom he suspected
as an assailant. Unfortunately, the
butler, valiant-souled fellow, was
taken at a disadvantage. Ere he
could close with the threatening
specter he was stabbed twice and
fell In the hallway, uttering a yell of
agony.
Now. Bronson. too. was Weakened by
the telephone. and hoping such a late
summons meant news from the po-
lice, came to the door of his room and
listened. Thus. he was aware of tho
struggle, and snatching a revolver
from a bedroom table. raced down.
stairs.
Osald, the Japanese murderer,
dared not tackle the newcomer, but
tore madly at the lock of the outer
door, which he succeeded in opening.
The action led to his undoing, since
his body was outlined against the
brilliant moonlight. and Bronson had
no hesitation in firing. The shot took
effect and the Japanese spun round
twice ere his knees yielded and he
tumbled headlong down the steps.
bronson tried to raise the dying
butler. but the man could only gasp
brckenly:
I'm done for. sir. Some guy phoned
q call for Mr.. Manning. l was going
to tell him when"
The mans voice failed, yet, ere the
mlsts of death clouded his brain for
ever, he understood the vital imnpor-
lance of passing on the message he
had received. Thus, In faltering ac-
cents. ever becoming more weak. he
recited Hong Kong Harry's words.
Bronson, of course, grasped their
true significance. He, with the others,
had examined that very fireplace;
even in the horror of the moment he