The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1919-02-28
+ + r r

After disposing OF Kimball the:e
was heard the grating of the brakes
OF high-powered machine as it stop
ped near the scene OF the encounte-,
and as the door was opened and Made
line placed therein the first thing she
saw, seated in all his Oriental trap
pings, was the form and figure OF
WI Tsang. While Madeline was being
lifted in the car WI did not move, and
there was no change in the features -
his face.
Two drivers in luxurious livery sat
on the front seat Of the car, and, no.-
withstanding the front side lights hal
been extinguished, Madeline caught
sight of their faces as they passed up
Executive avenue. between the White
House, and the Treasury, and to her
establishment they were the faces af
Fuller and Snyder.
The curtains of the Limousine had
been closely drawn. but by the dim
seat light Madeline could see the
ghost-like face Of WI Tsang. She
noticed around his neck and shining
in the dimness of the light an ela5-
crate amulet made in the shape Of a
flat silver hook with some. perhaps
fortunate, but to her unintclligible,
Oriental inscription upon it.
She wondered what deep sign!h-
canoe attached to this charm and
what influence the belief of it's virtue
exercised over the wearer. She really
wondered if it were that charm which
seemed to make him so powerful, so
evanescent, and so cunning. In
fact, she gave place to the inquirips
thought if some charm or talisman
or diyination would he able TO sep
srate her from, the precious secret
eonfided to. her keeping by her honest
father. John Stanton Conner.
Such thoughts only lasted for a
moment for she realized that she was
again a prisoner being carried to a
place she did not know but hoping
It would not be to the House Of
Mystery.
Passing events had been such that
WI decided to change his tactics and
to relax some Of the harshness of
his efforts 10 extract from Madeline
Conner the innermost secret of her
bosom. In reaching this conclusion
he did not relax in his determination
to win, and he had selected for this
occasion the evening Of day recog-
nized for good luck among his peo-
pie. All of the previous escapes of
Madeline from his most carefully laid
plots and plans had taken place on
had wisely timed this capture of the
fair Madeline TO a day which, accord
ing to all popular Chinese belief. he
could offer vows TO Heaven, put on
full Oriental dress and splendid vari-
colored attire. and at noontide sit
with his face to the south"
Part of his success in mysticism
was no doubt due to the mirror and
listen" for it was his custom to wrap
sn old mirror in an Oriental hand
kerchief and then with no one pres
ent to bow seven times toward a
certain friendly spirit; after which
the first words he heard spoken by
any one always gave him a clcw to
the matter in hand. He would. when
alone, frequently close his almond
eyes, take seven steps, open his eyes
at the seventh, and get a hint from
the first object seen in the mirror
held in his hand, which linked to-
gether with the first word spoken in
his. hearing was. an unfailing cIew
on which he could confidently rely.
This mirror he always carried with
him, but never used it when any one
was around.
When the machine reached its des-
tination and came to a stop, Madeline
noticed that, instead OF alighting from
il. she felt it was being lowered down
wards, slowly and quietly from the
surface of the driveway, and this re-
yivcd in her mind thoughts OF the
dungeon and her captivity in the
House of Mystery. When the car
reached the bottom OF, the shaft the
lights were turned on, and she could
see the inside of it; which was richly
upholstered and which, apparently, OF
its. own accord moved in a side direc-
ton without any change being made
in her seat or posture.
Realizing that this was q new ex-
perience, she looked for the liveried
and WI Tsang, but they
were nowhere TO be seen. The next
instant the elevator began to ascend
and stopped at the top floor. The lift
came up even with the floor. of which
it formed a part. Msdeline, still
seated as when she was in the car,
looked around TO find that she was
again in the House Of Mystery.
How different things seem from
heretofore. On the walls richly
she could see phospho-
resent dragons and reptiles, and up
near the gabled caves looking at her
she could see quaint little Chinese
men, neither young nor old. These
looked at her mockingly with reddish