Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1918-12-17
been Interrupted.

sou "i' so'iiS W 20 ana DTlnS tdSStttd
back here
NO, am not" | interrupted even
" You forget that my interest in
this matter is as deep as yours
deeper. in fact; for my success means
more TO me than money. | am as des-
pefate as you are now, Lacey There
isn't a threat that you can make that
VIII force me TO fly that BIeriot ex-
ceRt on my own conditions
And am in Il position to dictate
Terms, BECAUSE. if you Kill me now, it
VIII leave you all prisoners here, and
IN the morning my friends, knowing
that something has happened to me,
viii fly over here to hunt me, and they
viii he more than ready to cope with
you, for they know all about you"
Lacey sneered his unbeief
THAT sounds all right" he said;
but I'm afraid it's little thin"
Thin asked you forget
that your little angel whatever
that Spoke to Linderman, and that
he was killed right before the eyes OF
q hundred people. Do you suppose
that | should have started over here
without leaving instructions at least
with my mechanician?
And do you suppose that have
been both idle and silent since the
morning landed here and had nv
talk with Miss Proyan? My dear
Lacey, please credit me with little
common sense. At this very moment
the police probably have both Sanojas
and Inez Ogden"
At the mention of that last name |
saw Lacey 20 white. He looked like
man who had received a staggering
blow and whose senses We're reeling
in 4 desperate effort to conquer the
yertigo At last had found his vul-
nerable point
"What--What-" he gasped, and
then stood there gazing at me blank
", paipaoy stunned. | smiled at his
perturhation even as he had smiled at
nine in the hut.
Slowly, but Enthusiastically, | felt the
concerted sense of leadership hit
from him to me; and when looked
at sam, at Manoel at the other two,
their eyes met mine respectfully and
then ~aVered and dropped. They
were beginning ito be afraid,
Trey had seen their leader quail
and, nstinctively, they flinched from
The man who had gained the ascend
! ency over him,
But Lacey's perplexity did not last
! long. His was a mind more wonder
fully recuperatiye than any that
have ever know n, and that one short,
unexpected disarmament stands alone
! IN my recollection of him. He pulled
himself together with supreme eff
fort.
Granting for the sake of a thor
oush understanding. he said slowly,
that we accept your statements,
what sort OF Il proposition did YOU
| have in mind"
That's it, said Sam. Lets cit
| down to business. How much of the
t,4. DO you want"
"Not--onc--ce cent"
mshasized each word and, at each
emphasis, saw the surprise on their
faces grow greater.
Not one cent" | repeated. IL
wouldn't touch your dirty money I'm.
der any consideration. | am not in
your line Of business, There is only
one thing that | demand.
THAT is a safe return to my hangar
for Miss Provan, her father, and N.Y.
self. | do not demand that you all
clear out and never let any of US set
eyes ION you again. 1t is not neces-
sary for me to demand that II you
know what is good for you you will
do it anyway"
Il stood there, looking from one to
the other, striving hard to hide the
semipanlc into which my forced bra
yado had thrown me. was thor
oughly frightened. and the slightest
sign of miscarriage OF my plans
would, am now free to confess. have
betrayed my almost unconquerable
trepidation.
Lacey, a sure, would have seen
through me had it not been for my
most fortunate reference 10 Inez
Ogden. But there, it was easy to see,
had hit him hard, nor could | Won
der that the cold, flashing, brilliant
Beauty OF this woman had gained such
an aseendency over him.
She was his type mentally, physic-
ally and, | suppose, morally.
As waited for their answer to my
proposition, ! saw them, one by one,
lower their eyes before mine and
turn their glances instinctively toward
Lacey. He Was their natural leader
and spokesman.
Finally, feeling that the entire re-
sponsibility had shifted to him, he
broke the tense silence.
"'rhat's pretty hard, Cairigan," ne
said. THE uniettered liberty Of you
three would be unspoakably danger
Gus TO us for years TO come eould
feel some confidence in YOU ana Miss
provan, perhaps; but the old man has
become fanatic since we brought
him here, and nothing on earth car