Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-01-06

moor. had seen the body OF tho whitney
lawyer.
The party on the lawn rose and ran
Whats the matterr they demanded
of Flat In the hail.
That lawyer - Trask - nurdersdT
Easped Fiat.
Doris screamed and olune 70 yeYds.
as tho mon hurried into tho library
with Flat.
Dropped 10 His K.ees.
scarley. his medical training up
pernos.. dropped to his knees beside
the body examining 1t.
Dead. all right" hs remarked as
tho others inquired anxiously.
Ramsay glanced at Flat, thinking
quickly. Outside In tho hall he GOULD
hear tho two girla. This was no place
loss.
you will take up tho case horc."
he ordered F'fstt, as he strode into the
hali. muttering TO himself. "IIe cannot
do any harm"
There were Doris and Verda. terror
stricken. Vctda was almost hyeterical.
But Ramsey paid no attention.
Hero, Seariey." he ordered. quiet
her. Don't go in there. Miss Whitney
please. You must SO to whitney
Island as quickly as possible"
Doris no longer Argued With this
man. Right or wrong, the terror OF
this house was too much for her. She
hurried now TO get ready.
Whitney Island, TO which tho real
butler had by this time como, was ono
OF cluster of islets. some beautifully
kept, others Inhabited only by squat.
| ters until such time as tho owners
might get tho high prices for them
that tho wealthy were willing to pay.
Ono in particular was inhabited by
a rough fisherman who lived in a
shack just a little way from the beach
IN cove. He was now starting in
his grimy old motorboat for his daily
trip to the mainland.
TO tho same dock from which James
mad departed In ono OF. the Whitney
mosorboata there wae s,iil moored an
other of the family's fast boats, wait.
inS for Doris.
-Four Evii-Lsokinx Men.
Suddenly there nosed out from under
the spilinC a rowboat with four evil.
looking fellows in II. 1t was tho hid.
den Hand, the fake Ramsay, tho fake
butler and another. The row boat pulled
up silently under the cover OF the dock
to the Whitney boat. The Hidden Hand
smiled as he read the name Doris"
on the stern OF the boat. Into tho
water he reached far down with a
monkey wrech and began twisting at
the nut which locked tho propeller to
the SHAFT loosening II. Then. as silent
~, with his evil companions, no rowed
back under the dock and disappeared.
Down to this dock. alone and in .
hurry. came Ramsay and Doris. Ram.
say leaped into the pretty speed boat,
handing Doris in, and depositinS her
grip on tho seat. He whirled the on
zine, cast of, threw in the clutch and
shot away in q cloud OF spray. just
as the old fisherman chus -chueEtd up
to the Goat
Neither Ramsay nor the fsherma n
saw under the slime covered spiles tho
four evil faces peerins out OF tho semi
| darkness. the Hidden Hand leering as
tho Doris sped away.
II was a cloudy day and the water
was little rough already. The wind
was freshening every minute.
Ramsay and Doris had not gone half
| milo across tho sound In the dircc-
| ton OF Whitney Island. before the boat
! began to slow down and the engine to
race
Something wrong" muttered Ram
| say. Tho engine secmx to have the
power, but it isn't being delivered any
where. We're slowing up as the en-
! CINE turns faster-by George-it mus,
he tho propeller that has worked
! loose"
lie had not time even to stop tho
engine before the propeller, Its key
| shifting gradually. ncw off and sank
to the bottom. They were adritt.
There" pouted Doris. Il thought
! you said we'd be safer at Whitney
Island! Now, sec what you've got us
! into
The Propeller Is on.
( Ramsay leaned over the stern and
! pcercd into the green water Sure
| enough. the propeller was off the shaft.
The boat drifted into the trough OF
the sea. Every moment. now, it was
getting rougher.
! Ramsay looked about They were
! helpless. Oft in the distance he could
/ see the old motor boat that had come
up to the float as they left.
| Alloy" he cried. waving his arms.
Doris also shouted. waving her scarf
But there was no answer from the
other boat.
Had they known il. they would have
! realized that II was quite as well. For
no sooner had they put OFF from the
float than the Hidden Hand and his
ganssters crcpt out from the spilinE
and. waiting only to disappear. seized
his ancient craft and were away in II
| following the Doris" to make sure
that the plan worked; and they knew
In which direction wind and tide were
taking Ramsay and Doris.
The stolen boat of the fisherman
seemed to he making q wide circle a:
II slowly swept over the sound.
There they are" shouted one of tn
emissaries of the Hidden Hand. a. tina
unworthy crouchcd in the cockpit o
the boat. peering over the Eunwale, 90
that he might not he recognized even a
the distance. They're drifting befor
this nor easter TO the deserted island
over there"
Good muttered the Hidden Hand
Keep away"
1t was growing more and NOR
threatening and even the Hidden Han,
could not venture out in the whitecap
on the now gray-Erccn waters. In
stead. he ordered his helmsman to max
a wider circle that would bring then
In the lee Of the shore where it wa
safer.
IF they sink" he gloated. good. 7
not. We know where to find them. n
, one will pick them up now"
They don't see U.S. cried Doris
"See--they're swinging further an
further away
: No Use Calling for Help.
;. There was no use calling now. TIL
] stern OF the other boat was pointed a
them and it was getting smaller an
] smaller. Yet the figures OF Doris an
E Ramsey doomed large enough to tn
y Hidden Hand as nc watched ther
tt,rnt .r~l, L, r;,,o ~to- - fcI