Evening star., 1919-04-13

son-all publicly notorious characters
and know l amt offending any OF
them when l say that II there's any
such thing as morals, they ann
never troubled any one OF the tnree
o. them. There's big car outside-
It's got speed, believe me-and t Snm
two minutes Nan and Hilton and Slim
and you start off on Joy ride-and
you'll be fixed so you won't 90 any
ob1ecting."
automatic with steely tenseness.
"And waiting In the harbor OF
Greenport, out at the end OF Long Is
land, is a swell little motor yacht.
The crew has all been fixed. In two
or three hours-Slim here can make
of you go aboard and begin a Joy
cruise among those islands and bays
out there where nobody Is ever goin
to bother you. In about ten days the
police will be tipped off as to VINO
stole the necklace and where you're
this crowd here, and the necklace
found in the bottom Of your bag.
This bunch will swear that you came
along voluntarily-that you really
helped get up the party. And the
crew will testify how you and the
others behaved-and the bunch here
will admit 1t. Booze all the time
Slim. here, your special guy-the lid
off everything. A guess you get me"
If she did not. Clifford did. He
drew deep breath. 1t was all
devilishly cunning. But tense and
excited though he was. CLIFFORD
recognized that the situation was far
which he looked; that in limited
way 1t was typical. Many woman.
in this world where he had been
working these many months. had been
the victim Of kindred daring enter
prises when necessary for the safety
or the projects of these subtle entire
preneurs of Big Pleasure. And these
women had never dared tell what
had happened to them.
Bradley drove on at her. And
your being pinched on joy-cruise
with this bunch. which will stamp
you as being the same sort of char
acter-and that necklace being found
on you-this. with what the police
already know about you. will fix you
good and proper! Squeal all you want
to on me or LOveman. or anybody you
like-you'll be so smeared your word
won't count for damn with judge
or anybody e.ie"
Terrible as it was. Clifford almost ad-
mirtd the plan, so ghastly was 1t In Its
completeness. its convincingness. He
saw that Mary's face was now drawn,
her eyes wide-saw that she was per-
ceiving as unacceptable the cunning
fate that had been planned for her
saw that she was seeing 1t as
thing beyond her ever to explain
away.
Taut as a violin string, Clifford di-
rected his senses to the front of the
house for an misunderstanding. Why
were not Jimmie Kelly and the others
on hand to reinforce him? He was not
conscious that this scene. which had
seemed so long to him, was In reality
only a few minutes in the acting.
When he peered back into the
dining room. Jack was lurching to-
ward Bradley. He halted swayingly
and pointed finger at the detective.
once more to rise.
"See here. Bradley" he said thick
ly. "Tha's no go! 1 no stan fr raw
business like tha'!
Shut up, you booze pup! Bradley
snapped at him. what w're doing,
we're doing as much for you as any
body else. She's always played you
rotten, amt she, Well. We're just
fixing her so she'll be showed up in
public for what she really is-and so
she can't squeeze any dough-out Of
you and SOS you have 1t easy getting
a divorce. So back up, you boob"
He glanced at the group at the
table. Get your things on, Burdette
and Hilton" he ordered. He turned
again to Mary and her keeper: "All
ready, Slim" he announced sharply.
His slow taunting of his prisoner
row changed to swifest action. He
drew from a pocket a heavy strap.
which he threw In loop over Mary's
head and with his huge strength
buckled tightly at her elbows. In the
same instant Slim seized her head
from behind, and with fierce, prac-
ticed grip forced a gag into her mouth.
which the next instant he tied.
where's that cloak?" Bradley de-
manded. Nan Burdette handed 1t to
him. and he flung it about Mary.
slim. got your car all ready?"
"Yes"
Then gimme that motor-veil.
Slim" 1t was handed over. And
you keep out of this. Morton-remem-
her we're doing 1t to help you. Just
hold her, Loveman."
Nan Burdette and Hilton stepped
forward and held apart the curtains
while Jack, his face still wine-fiushed.
looked on waveringly, Nina holding his
arm.
Bradley threw the veil over
Mary's head and began to knot 1t
her outw he ordered SHARPLY.
why doesn't Jimmie Kelly Gomez
Clinord's wild SUSPENSE cried within.
CHAPTER XXI.