Evening star., 1923-02-19
CONTINUED from Yesterdays Start


figure became inert as he guided her
head to the pillow. The lids closed
over her eyes, and her pallid features
ments, alarmed by the change that
had come over her, Rennison feared
she had tainted. Perhaps this was So
but he soon saw that, though she ap-
Ing was regular and she was Sleep
Ing.
Rennison again drew the counter
pane over the young woman's shoui-
ders and stepped back. AS he picked
up his tobacco pouch from the table
wonder and resentment. Once more
he stepped over to the window. This
time, however. he did not thrust the
curtain aside as he looked out.
to see clearly persons and objects In
the street and on the pavement op-
posite. His first glance outside re-
vealed something that Immediately
held his attention.
Directly across the street stood a
large. black bodied touring car that
looked rather the worse for wear. On
the chaufYeur's seat sat a slouchy-
looking man, with his legs crossed
and an arm over the steering wheel:
cap and long, gray coat OF light
material that was torn in several
places. He had an oddly hooked nose,
small mustache and two days
growth of beard on his face He was
putting languidly at short, black
pipe as he talked with a seedy, gray
haired man who stood on the pave
ment.
Rennison stepped back quickly. and
ano an expression Pre- Of pleased s,s i.aa surprise
Good old Carriek" he unused.
Back from Charleston, eh-just in
time to get into the big end Of the
game. And you have Wilmer with
you, too. Well. major, you at least
must not be kept guessing"
He was about to extend hand to
thrust the window curtain aside when
new thought came to him. Again
he glanced at the sleeping woman on
the couch.
Once more the pallid face of the
beautiful, actress unnerved him. She
was breathing regularly, and ii SEEM
ed to him that her features were
softer and less mask-like than they
them last. Then there suddenly came
to him realization of the fact that
he. not Seafalcon, was the arbiter OF
her destiny now. Around him the
federal government already. had as
to effect her rescue. A word from
him would bring them into action.
Within half an hour 1t would be pos
sible for those agencies to snatch
| Miriam Warburton. unharmed, from
the grasp. Of the secret forces which
menaced her.
But with the knowledge of this
fact there came the recognition of
another. The rescue of the actress
would be followed by the utter COL
lapse OF the plan of campaign that
| was being designed to effect the cap
| ture of Seafalcon within the next
| twenty-four hours. The success of
| this campaign depended wholly on
| the enemy's belief that Miriam was
! working in the interest of the broth
erhood and was causing the govern
! ments most powerful agent to do her
will.
| A thrill passed through Rennison
as sound came to him through the
open window. Only family percepti-
Bile at first. It gradually grew louder.
With drops of perspiration gathering
| on his forehead. the listening man
| quickly identified it. 1t was the drone
| Of an approaching airplane.
| The sound gave to Rennison no
cause for speculation. It's Significance
was clear to him. Maj. Carrick. now
sitting at the wheel of the touring
car opposite, was one Of the most ex-
| pert signal men in the Army. The
car in which he was awaiting devel-
| opments was. despite its weather
! worn appearance. as speedy and de-
| pendable as the art of man could
/ make II. buL, IN auQltlOn 10 speed
and the perfection of its running gear,
| this car was provided with certain
| equipment that made it one of the
most priced possessions of the bureau
of military intelligence.
! Projecting from tho side OF the car
on the left Of the driver was an ap-
pliance that could have been regarded
as nothing else than the usual form
of mirror designed to enable the
driver to see a reflection Of the road
behind him. 1t W moH than this.
limited to scar " more than a
| score of the lost trusted secret
agents OF the government The sup
posed mirror was a protector of the
"Comus ray" the result of an acci-
dental discovery made by an obscure
! scientist. Before the nature Of the
discovery obtained publicity, chance
led to its revelation to a well known
millionaire who during the world
war had been attached to the bureau
of military intelligence. By him vhe
! secret was acquired from the dis
coverer and presented to the govern
ment.
Invisible to the naked eye. this
mysterious ray. Of q greenish yellow
several miles. was plainly discernible
during the period Of daylight through
lenses Of a certain color. At night,
however. it was indistinguishabie.
Manipulated in the manner Of hello
graphic rays, 1t served the same pur-
pose for signaling.
Generated by apparatus concealed
in the car, the invisible ray could be
flashed at will by Carrick as he sat
on the drivers seat. A lever under
the angle of the supposed mirror. A
button on the wheel made 1t possible
for him to make the beam yield code
dots and dashes. Equipped with SINH
lar apparatus, an aviator In an air.
manner to the car, the position of
which always could be determined by
the direction OF its ray.
In a few moments the drone of the
airplane became fainter. 1t was NOV
purpose had been accomplished. Its
sound had conveyed to Carrick the
assurance that it was within the com
pass of his signals and awaited his
commands.
Seafalcon. was in Baltimore. and
the federal machinery which was de-
signed to effect his capture already
was in motion-on land, in the air and
on the waters OF the Patapsco and the
Chesapeake. Was 1t not possible that
the end might be attained without
the sacrifice Of this woman's life? To
yield her to the agents of Seafalcon
4 would mean almost certain death. The
decision lay with George Rennison,
captain in the United States Army
He had merely to signal to the man
in the touring car opposite and the
rescue of Miriam Warburton would
be effected in less than ten minutes
But
The door had not been opened, but
now there seemed to be q third per-
son in the room-the one who had
entered Miiriam's troubled dream
Addressing the disordered fancy OF
the Army officer, he said:
Last night was a man. Today
am something less-and more. You
George Rennison, bade me choose