The Leader, enterprise and press. (Fitzgerald, Ga.) 1915-1921, 1920-09-15
Air Messengers
By VIRGINIA A. TERHUNE

married sister of the wealthy owner of
the place, pretty, graceful Gladys Todd.
He had fiuttering hope that she
might be in the roomy garden and OBJ
serve him, but as his eager eye
scanned the grounds he saw only the
baby carriage of the infant son and
heir of the family just beyond the
hedge.
AT some distance, coquettishly con-
versing with the gardener, the nurse
was temporarily forgetful of her
charge. An automobile stood at the
curb. Gordon had known Gladys for
only few weeks. A young man Of
clean, clear reputation and promising
! prospects in the legal profession, he
had been accepted as worthy guest
by the Todds, and Gladys had made
him feel at home whenever he had
called. He now continued his walk,
with no reasonable excuse for ventur-
ing late afternoon call. He had not
| proceeded 20 feet when sharp kissing
word startled and halted him.
! "Now -
1t proceeded from some high bushes,
ana following it two men arose. They
were swarthy, f1ashing-eyed fellows,
suggesting the Italian type. One of
them made dash toward the baby
buggy. He snatched up the sleeping
| infant, wraps and all. His compan-
| ion, plunging through the fibrous
growth of the hedge and held it aside
so that 1t formed free avenue of
passage for the other. Both men ran
to the waiting automobile. One sprang
to the front seat and seized the wheel.
The other almost threw the babe up
on the rear seat for his arm had been
seized by Gordon who, in a flash dis
corning an act of kidnapping, had run
after him to the machine.
"You villain, what are you up to!"
he shouted, and grappled with the
man. He at the wheel reached down
for heavy wrench lying at his feet,
swung it with savage whirl and Cor
don fell partly within the car, help
less and stunned. The other man did
not stop to push Gordon out of the
machine.
60" he ordered sharply to his con-
frere, and pulled Gordon clear into
| the machine, slamming shut the door.
| 1t was an hour or more later when
| Gordon aroused to consciousness. 1t
was still daylight, the apartment in
which he found himself had but one
small aperture up near the ceiling that
admitted light and air. His head felt
heavy and bruised. The room had
door to which he staggered, but found
no knob on it's inside and it was made
of heavy timber. There was a queer
gaseous faint in the air, and this Cor
don traced to a mass of pipes and
steel reservoir. Attached to hooks in
the wall were dozen clusters Of toy
balloons, as many as twenty in a bunch
and fully inflated. 1t was easy to sur
mise that the den in which he, and
little Marjorie, too, probably, were cap
tives, belonged to men who made a
business of manufacturing or selling
the red and blue globes.
From beyond a partition he could
catch the strident tones of the two
men who had brought him hither in
termingled with the low wailing cry
of an infant. This latter aroused him
as if by magic. Gordon thought Of the
| deSOlateG father and mother Of
| Gladys, who fairly worshiped the little
child. 1t seemed that escape from his
prison place was impossible, but he
could not be inert. He discovered a
stepladder, placed it under the high
window, and ascending it could look
four stories down into a noisy busy
street. A protruding roof extended
from the second story, but the window
was too small for him to crowd
through. The building at one corner
Of the interesting streets Gordon at
once recognized, and was able to de-
eide that the one he was in was 301
Broad avenue.
A sudden Inspiration came to him.
with bits Of pasteboard. Fastening
to take advantage of the waning day
light he wrote upon half q hundred Of
these:
1.-THE kidnapped child Of Mr.. Arnold
Brill, and Gordon Meath are held pris-
eners, fourth story, 3O1 Broad avenue.
Notify the. police"
To each card he fitted a piece of
string, tied it to the thread of each
Of the grouped balloons, and severing
these as SOON as dark came let loose
through the window over so of these
little messengers.
Gordon did not expect any return
from his experiment until morning,
as those which finally Debated might
not be discovered amid the darkness
of night. He lay down on the floor to
rest, to be aroused at midnight by an
attack on the door. 1t was burst open.
Accompanied by three officers, and ca
ressingly carrying the little infant in
his arms, Lemuel Todd came into the
room. He showered blessings and graf
itude upon Gordon. He discovered his
wounds and instantly ordered taxi