The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1917-05-10


celsior from the cases. He made
pile OF the stuff half as high as the
ceiling, carrying armful Sfter arnlful
from the boxes.
Then he looked at Leontine. She
was regaining consciousness. Her hips
moved. Struck with a sudden curl
osity, Sebastian went toward her. She
uttered one word:
."Ravengarw
Furiously he struck match and ap-
piled IL to the piled up straw and wood
shavings. The place was ablaze in an
instant.
Sebastian strobe from the room,
locked the door on the outside, and
put the key in his pocket. Wrapped
in his invisible mantle, he descended
the stairs.
Ravengar, lying bound within the
garage, hardly felt the savage kick
that Sebastian gave him. He was not
thinking at all of his own danger, but
of Leontine. She must have witnessed
his mysterious disappearance at the
hospital; she would be searching for
him; she would go back to the labora-
| tory and meet her husband there.
He must save her. And, as soon as
Sebastian had taken his departure, he
fought desperately to free himself
from his bonds. But it was in vain.
Suddenly he stopped struggling and
looked about him. Somehow there
must be a means of escape. He had
been in worse positions than this, and
had got out of them.
On one side of the room he per-
ceived two wires, evidently those of an
electric bell connected with the house
OF the estate on which the garage
stood.
Ravengar began working his way,
wormlille. along the floor. He had to
use his back and body muscles as a
medium for self-propulsion. In time
he reached the wires, sore and dusty.
He raised his feet in the air, reclining
on his back upon the floor.
His feet, tied together, were thus ex-
actly opposite the two wires. With
about three inches of freedom at the
ankles Ravengar began TO move them
up and down alternately, pressing back
the wires against the wooden beam be-
hind them. He worked in this way for
ten minutes.
Now an observer might have de-
tected what he was doing. He was
trying to rub Off the protective cover
ing of the wires. At last the strands
of copper wire were visible. Then
with last effort Ravengar pressed
his feet together, bringing the two
wires into direct contact and making
short circuit.
He kept them thus for perhaps
half minute before falling back ex
hausted. And a half-minute peal OF
an electric bell would throw consterna
ton or anger into the heart of the
most independent janitor or watchmar
anywhere.
1t worked in this case. Half mile
distant Sebastian's chauffeur was seat
ed beside his wife. smoking, when the
bell rang.
"Them boys have gotten into the ga
rage again." exclaimed the good won
an. I'D give 'em taste of the stick
Henry"
Henry put down his paper, thrus
on his cap, and sailed forth to wreal
Justice upon the youthful malefactors
BY the time he reached the garag'
he was hot with indignation. Their
was nobody below. He rushed up
stairs, to encounter Ravengar lynn
upon the floor, bound.
"What-T he began.
"Your mistress is in danger" sal,
Ravengar. II have been attacked am
bound here. Don't wait TO ask an
questions, but unfasten me and &c
the car at once"
The chauffeur took out his knife an
cut Ravengar's bonds. Ravengar strue
gled painfully to his feet.
"Who-?" the chauffeur began.
"Get the car out. I'll take 20
there" answered Ravengar.
e They hurried down the stairs t
d gether. In few minutes the car star
ed. 1t whirled out of the estate an
e began to thread the city streets.
It eco faster" cried Ravengar in tn
n chauffeur's ear. ''Her life is in peri
I'll give you five hundred dollars If W
are there in time to save her. And
any cop tries to stop you, drive owe
e him ~
y
!, Leontine awoke to find the labori
e tory filed with smoke. At first 81
y did not know where she was.
e Then, in a fash, she remembers
/ She was in Ravengar's workshop, an
,e Sebastian had come and seized II
n precious journal. But how long ago.
If Dizzlly she tried to find the doc
but the place was filed with whir
lie ing, choking smoke clouds, and in Il
d center was broad tongue of fam
e already spreading along beneath Il
is ceiling, catching at the rafters, ar
a sending out shower of sparks. U
der the window she heard excite
C. cries.