The Bridgeport times and evening farmer. (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1918-1924, 1922-04-25
''THE WHITE MOLL"
FRANK L. PACKARD
Appearing every day in serial form in the
Magazine Section of The Times
CONTINUED From Yesterday


age That would be Cloran, Of course
the man who was to have been
Iured to his death. And Danglar was
nervous and uneasy, she could see.
His fingers were drumming a tattoo
on the table; his eyes were rowing
furtively about the room; and he did
not seem to be paying any but the
most distract attention to hic COM
panion, who was talking to him.
Rhoda Gray sank quickly into a
vacant chair. Three men, linked arm
in arm, and decidedly more than a
little drunk, were approaching her.
She turned her head away to avoid
attracting their attention. It was
too free and easy here tonight, and
she began to regret her temerity at
having ventured inside; she would
better, perhaps, have waited until
Danglar came out-only Ethere were
two exits, and she might have missed
him-and-
A cold fear upon her, she shrank
back in her chair. The three men
had halted at the table, and were
clustered around her. They began a
as to who should dance with her. Her
heart was pounding. She stood up,
and pushed them away.
"Oh, no, you don't!' hiccoughed
one of the three. Gotta see your
hic!-pretty face. anyhow"
She put up her hands frantically
and clutched at her veil-but just an
instant too late to save 1t from being
wrenched aside. Wildly her eyes
flew to Danglar. His attention had
been attracted by the scene. She saw
him rise from his seat; she saw his
eyes widen-and then. stumbling over
IT. 1T Ia 20
ward her. Danglar had recognized
the White Moll! a.
She turned and ran. Fear, horror,
desperation, lent her strength. 1t
was not like this that she had count
ed on her reckoning with Danglar!
She brushed the roisterers aside, and
darted for the door. Over her Shout
der she glimpsed Danglar followed
her She reached the door. burst
through a knot of people there, and,
her torn veil c1utched in her hand,
dashed down the steps. She could
only run-run, and pray that in some
way she might escape.
And then a mad exultatton came
upon her. She saw the man in the
chauffeur's seat of the first car in the
line lean out and swing the door
open. And in a flash she grasped the
situation. The man was waiting for
just IlllS-iOT d WOLIfdtl ~ SOAhO
ming for her life down the steps of
up to her face, hiding it with the torn
VEIL raced for the car, and flung her
self into the tonneau.
The door slammed The car leap
ed from the curb. Danglar was COM
ing down the steps She heard him
shout. The chauffeur, in a startled
way, leaned out, as he evidently rec
ognized Danglar's voice-but Rhoda
Gray was mistress of herself now. The
tonneau of the car was not separated
from the drivers seat, and bending
forward, she wrenched her revolver
from her pocket, and pressed the
rnuzzle of her weapon to the back of
the mans neck.
Don't stop." she gasped. strug-
Cling for her breath. go on!
Quicki'
The man, with a frightened OATH
obeyed. The car gained speed. A
glance through the window behind
showed Danglar climbing into the
other car.
And then for a moment Rhoda
Gray sat there fighting for her self
control, with the certain knowledge
in her soul that upon her wits, and
her wits alone, her life depended now
She studied the cars mechanism
over the chauffeur's shoulder, even as
she continued to hold her revolver
pressed steadily ,againsct the back of
the mans neck She could drive a
car-she could drive this one. The
present of this chauffeur, one of the
gang. was an added menace; there
were too many tricks he might play
before she could forestall them, any
one of which would deliver her into
the hands of Danglar behind there
an apparently inadvertent stoppage
due to traffic, for instance, that would
bring the pursuing car alongside
that, or a dozen other things which
would achieve the same end.
open the door on your side" she
commanded abruptly. And get out
without slowing the car! Do you
understand ?"
He turned his head for a half in
credulous, half frightened look at her.
She met his eyes steadily-the torn
veil quite discarded now, was in her
pocket. She did not know the man;
but it was quite evident from the al
most ludicrous dismay which spread
over his face that he knew her.
'"The-the White Molli" he stan-
mered. ITS the White Mor!"
Jump" she ordered imperatively
and her revolver pressed still more
significantly against the mans flesh.
He seemed in even frantic haste to
obey her. He whipped the door open,
and, before she could reach to the
wheel he had leaped to the street.
The car swerved sharply She f1ung
herself over into the vacated seat and
snatched at the wheel barely in time
to prevent the machine from mount
ingg the curb.
She looked around again through
the window of the hood. The man
had swung aboard Danglar's car,
which was only a few yards behind
Rhoda Gray drove steadily Here in
the city streets her one aim must be
never to let the other car come
abreast of her; but she could preyent
that easily enough by watching Dang
lars movements, and cutting across
in front of him if he attempted any
thing of the sort But ultimately
what was she to do? How was she
to escape? Her hands gripped and
cienched in a sudden. almost panic
like desperation at the wheel Turn