Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-01-20
him and Doris, had fed into the living. {,


ncy. came back u strange voice.
Verda glanced about swiftly. The,.
was no one listening. Through her
mind ran the promise OF the Hidden
Hand to prove that Il was she, not
Doris, who was the daughter of Judson
Whitney. She would find out what this
new call was about. She smiled craftilJ
and disguised her voice swcctly.
| Yes" she replied. II am tho daugh-
| ter of JuGson whitney"
| We must sec you Immediately, and
arrange for an opportunity to open
packet which may contain something
OF interest to you"
F%rda looked about startled. She
knew that tho packet had been blown
UP and it's contents destroyed. Her
quick mind pieced tho facts together
| There was another packet-and the
consul had it!
Il will meet you out here on the
shore road at o'clock" she replied
quickly.
An appointment Nude.
THANK you" came back the answer,
we shall be there"
AT tho consulate the consul turned
from the telephone TO tho secret agent.
| as he pressed a button on his desk ann
a guard entered.
! rms Is my own bodyEuard," no
said. Take him with you-and think
you had better start soon"
The agent bowed and with the
! bodysuard left TO prepare for the trip
to whitney Island.
VeTda. fun OF vengefulncss toward
Doris and Ramsay hurried quietly out
| ~ the house, and Il few moments later
burst into the den Of tho Hidden Hand
Just as nc was again filling the gauntlet
OF death with g. fresh supply of the
poison gas which made IT such deadly
wea pop
"I'vo just intercepted Il telephone
! message for Doris" she blurted out
excitedly. What do you think? There
, is secret agent of the Emperor here
with another packet. | have promised
to meet him on the shore road at S
! o'clock"
! The Hidden Hand lcored. Hc caught
the idea. and was n man OF few words.
Il will DC there and get it, he nodded.
You go back TO the house before they
, suspect." he added. bowling her 10 The,
| ton.
NO sooner had Ncrda gone. than he
| turned TO his einissaries. This place
~ watched now" he EroSled. "If we
arc not careful we may all be cap
tured. How is the emergency exit?"
Tho cmissary nodded: ".l right.
sir"
1
Hand. lie moved over to a huge steel
door In the back OF the cavern where
I tho cavern ran out under tho hill. no
| longer subtcrrarcan. as in its entrance.
nut extending here down under tho
! very bottom of the harbor some feet
overhead. lie examined the valves and
! gauges Oh the door
| ITS all right" pursued the cmis-
/ sar!'. Plenty OF air pressure in the
| tank"
40 Ingenious Invention.
! The Hidden Hand, however. tool;
/ nothing for granted. lie made sure
! himself that tho air lock- was in per.
! feet working order for it was his pc,
! invention. II. sometime. he were
forced 20 Ncc into the den. and pur.
sued even there. h. might run into this
air!och, bang the door shut which
automatically turned the air on, until
inc pressure was great enough to shoe,
hin up through the roof, through thc
! bottom OF the bay. and so to the sur.
face Of the water. and safety.
Very good" lac growled, as he wen;
out. see that you let it alone
! Nothing further happened as the ar.
ternoon wore along. until o'cloci
| Ta3 approaching. AS the time passed
the Hidden Hand might have been seen
crouchinE with several OF his men in
| the thick shrubbcry at bend OF tho
shore road where he could command {.
view in both directions lie smiled
oYiliy TO himself as he thought of his
plan TO get another packet. capture
Doris Mt into the packet the locke, he
possessed and 80 learn hcr secret.
As she lowered about. Verda saw the
gauntlet through the bushes bcclioninc :.
to her. She hurried over.
Get Doris here first" Whispered the
Hidden Hand. 81 saw her up the road
just now in her spcedster"
Ferda nodded and FASTENED back to
ward the house, eager to carry out her
commission.
few miments later she caught sight
OF Doris. who was trying out a new
car. and she waved across the lawn
to her.
would you like to try it?' smiled
Doris.
Yes" agreed Verda, climbing in a.
Doris shot the gears. and they rolled
off swiftly. Let's try It down the shore
drive"
As they spun along, vcrda suggested
that Doris show tho PAGES of the car.
making 1t creep along in high. as slow
~ as she could. 1t was wonderful
what the new car would do. but that
was not Ferda's purpose.
As 1t labored along. suddenly q man
bobbcd out from the roadside as though
trying TO run across in front Of them
The machine struck him, apparently.
although he was an artist at that sort
OF taking. and actually had seized the
front bumper. saving himself even a
scratch.
Advice From the Hidden HIND.
Doris jammed on tho emergency,
jumped out and ran around, expecting
to see mangled body. Instead. as
tho man picked himself up. engaging
her attention. from the shrubbcry be-
hind her there came sudden. rush. in
which the man himself joined. Doris
was quickly overpowered, while Verda
screamed for help. ct the sight of the
Hidden Hand and his gang. Before she
realized what had happened. Doris was
quickly carried Off. leaving Vcrda
alone.
Get back-Eive an alarm" directed
the Hidden Hand. Anything TO cover
yourself"
lie followed his emissaries and
caught up with them. Take her to
the dem he growlcd. I'll follow later
when l get the packet"
Bound and gagged. Doris was car
ried off by two emissar;cs while Verd,