East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1917-02-12

their heads on In h stable IL viii
be a real charity to ride them. VIII
You rda with me this afternoon
Harold2"
YES" he answered after another
brief pause.
mi be ready" she promised.
Cant you put on your riding clothes
and come back here for lunch?"
I'm afraid not" he said. You
see, I've a terribly busy day ahead of
me. I've had no right to stay as long
as I have. I must go f.
lis it the Crimson Stain cases that
are to keep you busy today?" she
asked.
TITS always the Crimson STAIN"
he answered. And today's plan of
campaign ought to
She interrupted him by getting up
and going over to the curtain that
hung in the library doorway. She
fancied she saw the curtain move.
When she pulled It quickly aside NJ
one was there. But Vanya Tosea
was twenty feet away and moving in
leisurely fashion toward the front
door.
At sound Of F1orence's step Vanya
turned. With a cordially outstretched
hand she retraced her steps.
Good morning, Miss Montrose,"
she said effusively. I've just been
upstairs to see your father. I'm one
of his patients, you know"
Florence barely touched the gloved
hand Vanya offered her and merely
inclined her head IN reply to the 9TH
ers salutation. But Vanya, not at
all offended by her coldness. turned
with equal efusiveness to greet Har-
old Stanley, who had followed Flor
mt out into the hallway.
IF you're on your way downtown,
Miss Tosca. can't we go together, az
far as your homer" said Stanley.
Vanya gladly acquiesced, and, with
a word Of good-by to her frigidiy
unresponsive hostess, moved forward
to the front door. Stanley, as he
turned to make his adieux to Flor
ence, was cut to the soul by the look
Of grieved wonder in his little sweet
hearts eyes.
Impulsively he stopped down and
whispered a few rapidly breathed
sentences into her ear. AS IL by magic
the orrow fed from Forence's face,
leaving a glow of happy pride. She
even sent a glance OF friendly inter-
est in Vanya's direction.
Pierre La Rue sat in the place OF
honor in the low-ceiled back room of
Tanners upper East Side apartment.
Tanner himself and a man in a black
mask and a third member Of the gang
were listening to the chiefs curt
words.
+
"Vanya phoned me, just now" La
Rue was saying, that Stanley and
the Montrose girl are going to ride in
Van CORTLAND Park this afternoon
I'm going to give you your instruc-
tions. you three. And If you dom
bungle things again we ought to gel
them both. It's a better chance tc
put the girl out of the way than we're
likely to get again. For they never
let, her go out of doors alone any
more Vanya ought to be here any
minute now. By the way, she is
bringing along a man she vouches
for. She says she's known him all
her life and that he's the real thing;
the sort we need. He's a street beg
CARA cripple-and-"
we need husky men," objected
Tanner, mot crippled ones"
SOP" Sneered La Rue, glancinR in
amused contempt at his henchman,
We'll, when / remember the blum
ders some OF you strong-armed men
have been making-you for example.
Tanner-it seems to me a cripple
couldn't do much worse. Besides,
who'd suspect a cripple-a street pam
handler?"
"Oh, il Vanya wear he's all right,
] suppose he is" grunted Tanner.
You know best the kind Of men you
want. Only, i"
Vanya Tosca entered. At her heels
dumped along a ragged figure of par
ticularly disreputable aspect.
The new recruit was an unshayen.
blear-eyed tramp. who trailed one
ill-shod foot behind him as he moved
Robert Clayton. a little later. set
forth from his studio to call on
Nanya. As he neared the apartment-
house where she lived he saw a man
mount the front steps and enter. A
little to his surprise Bob recognized
the visitor as Layton Parrish. IdIv
wondering what new business could
call the detective thither. he was
about to continue his own progress
when he saw a d~isheveled looking
cripple approach the house cautiously
and disappear through its doorway.
Bob lighted a cigaret anI crossed
to the opposite side Of the street to
wait After less than half an hour
he saw Parrish emerge from the
house and peer cautiously up and
down the street.
Bob had slipped into a vestibule
and the detective did not see him.
Yet Parrish's oddly furtive mi
reused the watchers curiosity. And.
coming out from his place Of con-
cealment. Clayton followed him down
the street, instead OF going TO
Vanyafs apartment.
For several blocks Parrish went
straight ahead. not once looking back
Clayton was barely ten yards behind
him. Presently the detective entered
an ONCE building. which Bob recoc-
nized as that in which Parrish's own
once was located.
So near was Bob to the man he
followed that Parrish entered the Of
fee a bare six feet ahead Of him and
shut the gr~ound-gIass door.
There was no response. He opened
the door.
The room in front Sf him was
empty.
Clayton stared about him in utter
amazement.
An odd fancy occurred to the puz-
zled man. Could It be possible that
haA Ar,.Taa H-a. ~. a--n-