The Elk Mountain pilot., 1918-07-18

How Dramatic that would be-" sAfd
Pat. aseeulpanyinG her Fsnark With
one Of her mustcal little laughs.
This IL . good time to laugh, Miss
Pat" the Sphinx remarked. as he turn
ed from the girl and abruptly ended
the conversation.
"He is just as rude as ever" Pat
said to herself as she stood where Kel-
ly had SO ungallantly left her.
Pats eyes flashed with resolution.
She went to low French window that
looked out upon the Crosby grounds
and signaled to see If the Apaches
were assembled and ready to take or
ders. The response quickly assured
her.
The Crosby guests were assembling
round a monster punch bowl, on ta-
BILE In the center Of the drawing room.
when Pat turned from the window.
As she started toward the table there
was an ominous crash, Of bursting
bomb, as 1t fell in the grounds near
the mansion.
Women screamed with terror, and
the male guests rushed out upon the
lawn, with excited shouts that an air
raid upon Paris was In progress. The
guests surged in and out of doors,
rushing from one room to the other
while Pat waited patiently behind the
window portieres for her chance to
act.
The Jewels had just been brought In
to the drawing room to be admired by
the guests when the crashing of the
bomb turned the scene into bedlam
and everyone began to rush aimlessly
about. Even Kelly, usually cool and
unexcitable. was thrown of his guard.
He rushed out Of doors with the other
men and gazed wonderingly upward.
Far above them an airplane circled
over head, the whirr of its engine be-
ing plainly heard.
The time Kelly had consumed upon
the lawn was enough for Pat to ac-
complish, by quick action. what the
Sphinx had been hired to prevent. She
fed from her cover behind the por-
there's, ran to the punch bowl table at a
moment the drawing room was desert
ed and there, where she had but to
reach out her hand and take them.
cleaned the Crosby gems in plain
view.
Pat snatched the Jewels from the
box containing them, and quickly dis
appeared from the scene. She had
gone to another room, when the men
returned from watching the airplane.
Kelly ran straight to the table-and
found only the empty Jewel box. Az
he turned for a moment to hastily sur
vey the room. the Sphinx saw \ trim
slight figure. dressed in Apache COS
tune, disappear through the. low
French window.
Pat had gone into an adjoining
room and hurriedly dlvested hersef Of
the evening gown she had put on over
her Apache costume. Watching her
opportunity. she slipped through the
window and was fleeing toward her
entcmobile when Kelly bounded from
the Crosby mansion in hot pursuit.
Straight to the airplane hangar Pat
was driven BY her faithful chauffeur.
AZ close behind as he could speed his
machine came Kelly in eager chase.
II was going to give this package to
hangar and was met by De Saint, 'but
1 am too closely pursued to get away
myself. So you'll have to take me
with you In the air and land me at a
safe place-then i can make my way
home"
In the brief moment Pat had taken
to explain, Kelly had reached the
hangar and was hurrying into the
yard. De Saint signaled to the Apaches
who were there to protect their lead
er and the Sphinx was surprised by
the opposition that confronted and
quickly started to overpOwer him while
he dashed toward Pat and De Saint
as they were preparing to 60 alOft in
the airplane.
There was sharp stiff fight, with
Kelly out-matched In strength by the
numbers who assailed him. Just as
the airplane. began Its short run on
the ground in preparation to ascend.
one Of the Apaches landed stunning
blow on Kelly's chin, and he fell un-
conscious into the machines structure.
De Saint and his fair passenger
started to rise from the ground. The
machine was acting queer and De
Saint shouted to Pat that there was
something wrong. The girl turned in
her seat, by partly unloosenlng the
straps that bound her. and beheld a
sight that unnerved her for the mo-
ment, and fully explained the cause
of the trouble.
The limp form of a man rested on
one Of the airplane's wings, and put
the machine out of balance.
Half dazed by terror. and almost
paralyzed by the surprise Of her dis
covery, Pat managed to shout to De
Saint that the cause of his trouble