The Bridgeport times and evening farmer. (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1918-1924, 1922-04-21
THE SECRET PANEL

RhOda Gray nurr1ed onward, pack
| toward the garnet, her mind in riot
and disnay. 1t was not only the be-
ginning of the end; it was very near
the end! What was she to do? The
Silver Sphinx-at II! That was the
end-after 11-wasn't it? She could
| mpersonate Gypsy Nan; she could
not, if she would, impersonate the
woman who was dead! And then,
too, there were the stolen jewels at
old Jake Luertzs! She could not
turn to the police for heIp there, pe-
cause then the Pug might fall into
their hands, and-and the Pug was
was the Adventurer.
And then a sort of fatalistic calm
fell upon her. If the masquerade
was over, if the end had come, there
remained only one thing for her to
do. There were no risks too deSper
ate to take now. 1t was she who
must strike first. Those jewels in old
Luertz's bedroom became suddenly
vital to her. They were tangible evil
dence With those jewels in her pos
session she should be able to force
Danglar to his knees. She could
get them-before Pink1e Bonn and
the Pug-if she hurried. Afterward
she would know where to find Dang
lar-at the silver Sphinx. Nothing
would happen to Cloran, because,
plan would be abortive; but, yelled,
as the White MOL, she could pick up
Danglar's trail again there. Yes, it
would be the end-one way or the
other-between II o'clock and day
light!
She quickened her steps. OId Luertz
was to be inveigled away frim his
home about 10 O'Clock. At a guess,
she made it only q little after 8 now.
or lyax in
order to get into old Luertz's place.
and, yes. she would need a fash-light.
too. Well, she would have time
enough to get them. and time enough,
then, to run to the deserted shed in
the lane behind the garnet and change
| her clothes.
Rhoda Gray. as Gypsy Nan, went
| on as speedily as she dared without
| inviting undue attention to herself,
reached the garnet, secured the arti-
cIes she sought. hurried out again,
and went down the lane in the rear to
| the deserted shed. She remained
! longer here than N the attic, perhaps
10 minutes. working mostly in the
darkness, risking the f1ashhght only
when it was imperative; and then
the metamo rphosis complete, veilec
figure, in her own person, as Rhods
Gray, the White Moll, she was out OF
n the same general direction from
which she had just come.
She knew old Jake Luertz's place
and she knew the man himself yer.
intimately by reputation There wer'
few such men and such places tina
| she could have escaped knowing II
the years of se1f-appointed servlc'
that she had given to the worst, ant
perhaps therefore the m ost needy. ell
enent in New York. The man os
tensibly conducted little second
hand store; in reality he probaol
| showed" more stolen goods Tor Ill
clientele, which at one time or an
other undoubtedly embraced nearl
every crook in the underworld tina
any other ''fench' in New DIRK Sh
knew him for an oily. cunning old 10
who lived alone in the two rooms owe
his miserable store-unless. OF Iate
his young henchman, the Gran, ma
taken to living with him; though,
far as that was concerned, II mat
tered little tonight, since the Graf
: for the moment, thanks to the gans
, was eliminated from consideration
She reached the secondhand stor
' and walked on past it There wa
D a light upstairs in the front window
I Old Luertz therefore had not yet gon
e out in response to the gangs lax
: | message She knew old Luertzs ref
r utation far too well for that; the ma
e would never go out and leave a ga
q jet burning-Whicfl he would nave
e pay for,
II (Contsnued Tomorrow