Evening star., 1923-02-24

nor this woman here would have LETT
this place alive. But Miss Warbur-
ton appears to be suffering from ex-
haustion. There is no reason why
down."
STOPPING, the brotherhood chief
picked up and placed for the young
woman the chair which had been
overturned by the falling Kerfoot-
Miriam sank on It weakly.
There is nothing that may be done
for them?" Rennison asked. glanc-
ing at the three still. outstretched
figures on the floor.
.,%Nothing;. seafaieon falcon. answered: Tos ed
poison that was in their liquor no
antidote Is known. It was some OF
this that was in the end OF that cigar
| into which your friend Storrow bit
while he was waiting for you to join
| him in his limousine, outside the de-
partment building-a cigar he was so
illadvised as to accept from q mere
acquaintance at the Guilford recep-
ton"
Gripping one of Rennison's hands
Miriam looked up at him fearfully.
"Is-is-Hayden- she faltered.
Avoiding her glance, Rennison nod
| ded.
with a little gasp. Miriam turned
! from him, and, trembling, hid her
| face In her hands.
But there is no time now to think
| or speak of them" Seafalcon. frown-
ing. said impatiently. LAS l have
said. you win. Five minutes before
! you entered that door / had indis-
putable evidence OF the fact that
was so completely trapped that es-
cape was impossible. But, before
your friends--'
the direction OF his gaze. Rennison
saw a slight shaking Of the ladder
! that rose through the open trap.
Speaking crisply. Seafalcon went on:
Your friends are here. The guard
I had on the float below had orders
| came up. The way Is open to me. as
you BEE. But, for ten minutes. per-
haps. you and 1 must talk without
interruption from others. What l
have to say is rather more in your
| interest, now, than my own. Keep
your men out Of here. I will not be
| taken alive. Of course"
He had not finished speaking when
| the head and shoulders of u man
| wearing the uniform and insignia of
| through the trap. Moving delib-
| erately. he completed the ascent of
the ladder and stepped to the floor.
| II he carried a weapon 1t was not
| in view. Behind him the head and
shoulders of another naval officer ap-
peared on the ladder.
The gaze Of the newcomer moved
from Rennison to Seafalcon. thence
to Miriam Warburton, then back to
| the army officer. His glance interro-
gated. but he neither spoke nor
saluted.
Rennison was about to speak when
the opening OF the door at the end
| of the room caused him to turn
| quickly. The man who entered was
Towndrow.
Seated on the table and lingering
| the pistol with which. a few minutes
before. he had threatened the actress,
| Seafalcon looked over one of his
shoulders at first one intruder and
then the other. His glance was coldly
| curious.
The smile that came to Rennsion's
] lips was forced.
ibid 1 not know. gentlemen. that
your arrival simultaneously must be
| regarded as accidental. I would con-
| which you have harmonized your
plans" he said. For the time being.
however. there is nothing that will
require your presence In here. The
chief and I are having n little talk.
and would prefer not to be disturbed.
He will make no attempt to escape
| nor to do me injury. Meantime,
Towndrow, / will ask you to take a
position outside the door and see that
| no one enters 1t. And, Catherwood.
somewhere near the foot of the lad
The naval officer saluted. turned,
and once more set foot on the lad
from one to another Of the lifeless
figures on the floor. But Towndrow
hesitated. With a hand still grasp
ing the knob of the door, he. too.
looked at the PROSTATE forms, and,
for several moments. the brooding
81 70 of n In hA
pistol, held his gaze. Then he turned
to Rennison, and Miriam, despite
her agitation, wondered why that
strange expression OF awe stole over
the face Of the secret service man
why Rennison's features grew sud-
denly paler and sterner. as. frown-
ing, he turned aside. Even had she
heard she would not have understood
the significance Of the words NUT
tered by Towndrow. as. with bowed
closed the door behind him.
The Rennison way again!" he
faltered. THE DEVILS In 1t and him.
It's aiways-always the Rennison
way"
When the intruders were gone Sea-
falcon, leaving the table, dropped the
pistol into one Of the outer pockets
OF his coat.
I'm not going to keep you long.
Rennison." he began abruptly. but
i
will designate hereafter as my con-
fession. am going to ask a few
words of explanation from you. You
and your federal friends mixed In a
lot OF new stun in that game you
played on me today. Some OF 1t Is
has me guessing. How did you fell
lows spot my submarine In the har-
Dor? 1t entered at night. and, lying
on the bottom all day. it's machinery
was still. No airplane few over it.
and no vessel was seen In its vicinity.
and yet. less than a quarter of an
hour before your arrival here, 1t was
deStroyed-by either a mine or tor
pedo. Naturally. I'm little curious.
How did you manage itT'
nothing to do" Rennison replied
Until now I did not know the efYort
to discover and destroy your boat
had been successful. The credit for
that accomplishment belongs to the
signal service and the dead Chan.
ming"
"Ahr' exclaimed Seafalcon, half
comprehendingly.
"As you know. the aauaphone was
his invention. The secret Of this de-
vice--which enabled vessels to ex-
change telephone messages under the
WATERWAYS stolen by you. But there
was an auxiliary device that eluded
you. This was known as the locator.
By means Of this, communication be-
tween your vessel and the receiving
and transmitting drum, which YOU
sank under this pier. was Identified
and the source traced with accuracy.
The scientific principles embodied in
veloped and utilized by Channine in
the device which he employed for
the detection OF the position Of sub