The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-03-10
Euening Story
Modern Methods.
BY RUBY DOUGLAS.

been passing Bayville Beach in his
little roadster, and the waves called
] to him to come in and cool off.
He had parked his car far off the
road, locked its motor and donned a
bathing suit in the convenient pavil
ion. Now, instead of returning. he
was lured to further truancy from his
salesman's duty in these suburban
parts. He wanted to lie on the sand
and dream in the SUM- He flung him
Overhead. he could hear the chug-
chug of a hydroplane motor, but the
sound and sight had become so ordi-
nary since he had been located on
Long Island that he did not even look
Suddenly something whizzed thru
the air and imbedded itself in the
sand not six feet from him.
He sat up. He looked up. The
hydroplane was going on its way to-
ward the entrance to the harbor. He
looked at the sand where the missile
had struck. The bottom of a bottle
was visible.
Literally hurled at my head" he
gasped.
He unearthed a bottle which seemed
to be stuffed full Of newspaper. THE
proverbial message in a bottle-from
a sentimental adventurer."
He began to dig out the crushed
paper, and as he did SO he discovered
a tiny folded note. As he Strengthened
it out to read it he felt like the hero
in a play. lie looked about; he did
not wish to be caught at such a trick
Am being kidnapped. Here is the
key to my house. Kidnapers expect
motor boat to meet them at Hunting
ton, then motor to-God knows
where!"
George searched in the crumpIed
paper for the key. He found it.
THE handwriting is the fashionable
He looked up at the disappearing by
droplane.
He did not know what TO do. Should
he jump into his car and go to Hunt
ington? Should he ignore the note
and perhaps see from the papers that
been kidnapped?
IT'S the end Of a perfect day for
me, all right-all right he muttered
Il stop for rest and to cool off and
look at me-"
Eventually he got into his clothes
and, note and key in hand, started
along the shore road toward Oyster
Bay and Huntington. might as we'll
be the key to her heart" he said
How do know where her house is?''
Excitement and the sensation of
seeking adventure soon had him step
ping on the exhilarator and forcing
such soeed out of his little car as he
had never before known was in her.
The Huntington harbor was as he
had pictured it-full of craft of every
variety. There were houseboats with
Tapping cretonne cushions; rowboats,
motor boats, canoes and sailing boats
He slowed up as he approached the
harbor and observed more than one
hydroplane rocking at her moorings.
1.-The needle in the haystack for
mine,'' he decided as he scanned the
water.
He stopped his car in the shade of
some weeping willows that overhung
the road near landing dock. Per
haps he could detect a car that looked |
as If 1t were waiting for passengers
from motor boat. /
He could hardly believe his own |
eyes when he saw, coming toward him, I
touring car in which the man who |
sat beside the chauffeur Seemed to be |
rive off the water. He marveied at /
his own excitement. He had never |
been an adventurer, and here he found |
himself in the midst of a veritable |
moving picture scene.
Honk!" blew the touring car horn.
foot. loot! loot! loot! TootT' !
answered the motor boat whistle. i
quietly in the shade, unobserved and
pretending to read. Some kid
nappers to get away with this"
The motor boat made a landing at !
the second pier, but George thought |
it wise not to move his car closer. He
would wait
Presently a girl in a bathing suit
with a beach cape thrown about her
and a tight rubber cap on her head |
emerged from the boat. A man held !
her arm in what seemed to be friend
", protective manner.
The door of the big touring car was
open and it stood at the end of the
pier. The girl was assisted quickly
into the tonneau, the maSn in the fly
ing suit got in beside her and off they
went down the shore drive.
Three to one" hastily computed
George. t'An I can do is to follow"
He followed at a discreet distance
He read the note again-''then motor
knows where!"
"Well-I'm on my way laughed
George. Where she goes. I go. AS
long as my gas holds out!'
The two cars wendell their way at
an even thirty-mile speed along the
shore road, thru Cold Spring Harbor,
past the state fisheries and on up the
big hill overlooking the water again.
In the course of time the big car
turned into a dirt road that was moth
ing but a fill across a tiny bay that let
itself in from the main harbor
IF trail them across that road
they'll know I'm following
He knew the road led up a steep
stony hill to an old Quaker settle
ment in which there were several
abandoned farms. In any one of these
places a girl might be hidden without
suspicion.
George turned his car off into a lane
that he believed Joined the stony hill
road. He put on all speed, for the
roundabout route was much longer
than the hill.
When he came to the other end of
the stony hill road. a. street known TO
natives as Tommy's Gut, he thought
he heard the sound of a motor going
down hill on compression. It was
possible that the men had left the
girl and were going back. He stopped
his car.
After all was quiet again he crept
slowly along the road and was OBJ