Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-12-30

perhaps you arc right" she replied.
"Ncrda has already been hero and said
the Same thing. She has gone up
stairs. and think | will follow her
Good night"
Ramsay watched her leave tho con-
scrNhtory. rather pleased. ~ hc had
made no progress on the case during
hostility of Doris. 4 few hours be-
fore any suggestion from him would
have been rejected merely because he
made H.
Hamsay's satisfaction would have
considerably weakened IT, a. he had
been talking 10 DORIS. he had been
abb" 10 see Ncrda upstairs stcalthiiy
entering Doriss room few moments
before.
Carrying out the instructions of tho
hidden Hand. although she had no idea
OF their purpose, Ncrda had gonc over
To tho radiator and had turned MP the
wheel nearest tho riser that ran to
tho ceiling, then had closed down ths
wheel at the other end. She fancied
that she heard Doris COMING and a
moment later tiptocd out OF tho room
When she gained her own room she
closed the door and stood for Il moment
by her own radiator. over tina, OF
D"ris. What did it nil mcan?
The Hidden Hand.
Thoroughly worn out. Doris was no.,
long in retiring. There they were tho
tw" girls, who only Il few hours be-
fore had been almost rs sisters. No
one. ha"as~cd and surrounded by
enemies. slept. The other paced rest
lcsSly w and down. hcr mind in =
whirl. For a possible fortune she had
sold her soul Would ina, fortune
bring her the young secretary whom
She loved?
1t was far in TIL" night that Nnrda
heard a sligh, noise down in the shrub
h"ry beneath her window. Quietly
she raised tho sash. Sure enouh. il
was az She had expected. In the dim
light she could just make out the
mcnacing and STOPPING form OF the
Hidden Hand. and with him tho man
whom the great ecicntiiic impersonator
had made up 20 resemble the Whitney
chauffeur. The Hidden Hand was
carryin. what looked like Il violin ca Sc
while the chauffeur carried huge
flask su"h as She had already seen in
the laboratory den.
Even os she watched. the Hidden
Hand opened the violin ease and took
from II a rccrlirr jciuted arrangement
which he SLOWLY CNtcndcd unit! II re-
scmbicd the Ssmeee ladders which
iremcn use in scaling the windows Of
burning buildings /, was his tele-
ScoDinS ladder, made OF light aluminium
tubing.
From the ground TO the sec ond moor
tie Hidden Hand extended this ladder
mounting 10 a window below. Then
poisinr himself in the window. he drew
up the ladder and hooked IL upon tn.
sill of Ncrda'e own window on UP he
came. tho flask s!ung carefully over his
shoulder. without a word he cru~lcd
in through her open window, pulling
! Nd, IL O.
extended. on tie floor.
YOU turned me valves as told
YOU" he asked softly.
Ncrda nodded ,hat she had. and with
oGt anothe. word the Hidden Hand
began unJoirtinS part OF her radia-
tor. into which he quickly poured the
boiling and steamin. liquid air from
the flask
Find Ramsay" he whispered. II
he is In tho library. loci; him in mere.
w must keep MIN away.
ComrIctiu: the Plot.
obcdiently Verdi slipped out down
;hc hall.
Eagerly working, tho Hidlcr Hand
closed up the joint in tho pipe which
lie had opened. thcn screwed down the
radiator valves.
Below. in the room. o. Doris, al
ready there was conC~a!iny on the
radiator thin film OF water rapor
from the air as the tremendous cold
of the liquid air which had run down
condensed II.
The Hidden Hand smiled TO himself
In authorization OF his hideous plot.
silently through the halls. Nerds
stole until She gained the porticrcs
Of the library. She pulled them apart
just a ;riAe and inside. a. sh. had
she could SO" Ramsay. Quiet
" and without even moving the por-
there's by a breath or air. She closed
the folding doors hac}; OF them and
carefully turned The key in the lock
Then she turned down the hallway and
waited anXiously.
.Ns the moonlight streamed in
through Doris's window. the wat-r
vapor was now conGcalinS more and
NOR" rapidly upon tn. soils Of tn.
radir;or. Tho tremendous cold OF the
lqut! AR did not allow the water to
remain water long. 1t was frozen al
mos, as it condensed, and soon the
coils ""r" covered with ice. growing
into vcritablc i-icleS
At tho same time the air in the room
began 20 show tn" effects Of tho cold
in fear Of another attack. Doris. when
S %" went 10 bed. had locked both her
windows and doors. Frost now began
to appear unon the window pancs in
fantaSti" figures.
'h uti Sit'D DORIS moved reStlcSSlv
- he air cooled. She pulled the cover
lets over her. shiverins.
The Ice Forms.
FINALLY, as the ice began {" form in
greater Quantities on the radiator. the
radiator itself began to vihrate under
the terrific pressure OF liquid air con-
tanned in il. IT began pounding on
the floor. and at the first sound Of
the vibration Doris stirred. startled
she Looked about aud shivcrcd. now
in the Intense cold 81 the room. She
scarcely could believe her eyes as she
saw tho radiator. Though she did not
know what was going on, mere
glance WAS enough TO tell her that
she vas in some grave peril. She
lcnDed ont Of bed and threw about her
self dressing gown. only for an
instant did she stand looking at the
icc-coNcr"d radiator.
DOVE iu The library Ramsay sud-
denly looked up from tho papers he
was examining bcfo:r tho fireplace.
what was that peculiar metallic nuis"
which h" could hear. MS though there
was something With ;nc