Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-12-30
caush, in 1t. There they lay. h;

| caught in It. There they lay. half
stunned. attackcr aud attacked.
DoriS'S pretty houdoir was almost
completely demolished. The force Of
! the explosion shattered the ceiling
| above. tearing Il great holo through IL,
up into the floor OF Ncrda's room. And
as IL did so. through tho hole in the
ceiling clattcrcJ down the scaling lad
der which tho Hidden Hand had left In
/ tho room above.
Al the moment OF the explosion
! Ramsay with an almost superhuman
strength crashed through the door OF
the library and leapcd up the stairs
: two at n time.
/ Out in the hall Doris and the Hid
/ den Hand recovered quickly from tho
! effect of the explosion, which had been
! NJ some distance from them. She
screamed wildly, as in the darkness
/ she could sec. only Il few feet from her,
the same hidcous figure, the Same men
acinE face. the same terrifying gaunt-
let which had threatened her the night
! before
/ There was no escape except back
/ through the room where the explosion
had taken place. Doris staggered
! through the broken and unhinSod door.
/ the Hidden Hand scarcely ten feet be-
! hind her.
| Doris looked wildly about her as she
D II Is.
! There was no way out except through
/ the hole that the explosion had blown
} in the wall. Through the hole in the
wall she could see the huge tree which
I stood :. few fee; from what had once
} been her window.
Back Of her came the Hidden Hand.
/ There was scarcely time TO think She
acted mechanically, spurrcJ by fear
Z ON tho floor now lay the scaling lad
der which had fallen from above. Doris
seized II as she ran. then, coming TO
/ the edge OF the hole that had been
blown TO the wall, pokcd the hooked
end Of he ladder out until il caught
OH liffb OF The tree.
Wild Lcnp.
7 The Hidden hand shricked at her
waving the terrible gauntlet with its
death gas. Doris did not even turn.
out through the hole in tho wall, using
tho ladder She made giant swing, like
u human pendulum, describing "a swift
arc and landing with a thud on the
ground, almost stunned. but safe,
WHAT'S the matter? Did you hear
So" cried NerGa. as she met Ramsay
running through the hall and chung 10
him in mock fear.
Ramsay ground out something
through his teeth. as he lung off her
arms. He did not care Tor this Girl.
anyhow
~ utiSS was guSl Sullc!cnt NOW
ever 10 sive the Hidden Hand chance
10 retrca, from the hole in the wall.
through which he could not go him
self. and dash down the stairs.
Quickly though II was that Doris re-
covered, the false whitney chauffeur.
VINO had BEEN waiting outside. was
there in moment.
"ph. James" she cried "ouicil get me
away, quick
He helped her 20 her feet looking
about amx ious!y for his master.
Suddenly Doris realized that there
was something wrong. |, was not
James at all. She screamed. The false
chauffeur seized her. trying % stife
her cries. and at that morncn, the Hid
den Hand gained the outside o! The
whitney house and ran toward them
Into the wrecked room Ramsay
dashed jus; in time TO hear In. scream
below. He ran over to the hole In The
wall and pecrcd out To his utter con-
sternation below lie could see Doris
struggling and almost overcome by III.
chauffeur and the Hidden Hand lie
too. turned and dashed back for tn.
stairs. hoping TO get there In ;ime.
The attack OF TWO men was too much
FOR Doris. The poor girl crumplei. al
most IN faint. and. SIN resisting
weakly. was carried swiftly by them
over tho grounds.
Matter OF Seconds
II was only 4 matter OF seconds be-
fore they had carried her 10 a closed
car which was waiting showed her in
side. while the chauffeur sr.adch II up
An instant and they were tea-in. along
a. a fearful speed IN" Hidden Hand in
IN" car with Doris. smiling malignant
~ At her.
lie muttc-cd 20 himself but Doris
was sill! uncon sc!ous. About her neck.
as he threw back her dressing gown.
he saw tho precious locket with a
jerk he tore III. locket. chain and all
from her. on the k!dnaoers sped
through the night
again as lie dashed back. Ramsay
almost toppled over vcrda. There was
no ti'H> Tor explanations 10 her, but
She would not leave him in her terror.
following him on out IS he ran from
th" house. Over the lawn he had
cauGh, jus, a glimpse Of the closed car
as j; pulled apay. lie fred at II, but I,
was too far without a moments hest
'aii"n he turned 10 the whitney
garage Upstairs the real James was
tumblnc out Of bod. sleepily, reused bv
the shot. 1t was only a moment and
Ramsay had started a roadster. lam
med her into high, and was off over the
road
ON he sped regardless Of DANCER and
corner. Which way had the closed car
gone: lie jumped out and tried 10 make
out from the tire tracks which fork
the first car had taken
Already The closed car had pulled ND
with jerk before the den Of The Hid
den Hand. Together the criminal and
his counterfeit James carried the al
mos, scnseiesS Girl swiftly from the
car into the den
recovering and almost speechless
with fright. Doris looked about She
caught sight OF the counterfeit Ram
say in the strange surroundings and.
even as Ncrda had done, realized tina,
there vas some trick
iioid her in that chair" sloated the
ii'dden Hand. drawing the locket from
MS nockeu as the three hustled the un
resisting girl into the inner den. Now
We shall see have the packet in tho
sAic. when 1t is opened. we shall com
pare nor Northumberland if"
Ills threat was lost as he bent over
the SAFE. rocking IL. TO worL, Tho co,,,