Evening star., 1927-04-05

Of the entrances to the coffee house,
the driver was leaning from his seat.
as if looking for some one.
OF a sudden a hoarse cry rose IN
the Phantom's throat. Forgetting
Lunn. he sprang from the doorway.
A face had appeared at the window
Of the cara white, rigid face with
staring eyes and the look Of death
spread over its features.
The face was Helen HardwickS.
She looked as though her whole be-
ing had frozen into rigidity. and the
glacial stare OF her eyes sent chill
through the Phantom's veins. In q
moment he was on the running board
wrenching the door open. He did not
notice that the car gathered speed
just as he tumbled in.
Helen" he cried, throwing him
self into the seat beside her. What's
the matter? What has happened!
Can't you speak?"
Her body swayed slightly with the
motions Of the car, but otherwise she
did not stir. She sat erect and i'm
mobile, with her face turned stonily
to the window, as If neither hearing
nor seeing. He took one Of her hands.
1t was cold. clamny and limp. A
groan broke from his lips.
Then. from a corner Of the car, two
shadows Ieaped upon him with q sud
denness that dazed him. The pistol
was still in his hand, but a stinging
blow over the lSnuckles made him drop
it to the floor. Helen Hardwick's
face, terribly still, held him under
speIl while his arms were twisted be-
hind him and his wrists secured with
a stout cord that Dit into his flesh.
Not until his legs had also been man
acled did a glimmering Of the truth
force itself through his numbed
senses; but even then he could think of
nothing but the woman at his side.
''Is she--dead?' he asked.
Some one laughed. "Oh, no. She
win come out Of IL presently. We
needed a decoy, and she refused 10
accommodate us, so we gave her q
hypodermie injection. 1t worked fine
He braced his muscles as a vivid
realization Of what had happened
flashed upon him, but the cords about
his wrists and ankles held his limbs.
Again he had walked into a trap, but
for once he did not blame himself for
his lack OF caution. With eyes open
he would have rushed into thousand
traps If Helen Hardwick was the bait.
EIe glanced out of the windows, no
ticing that the car was gliding swiftly
through dark and deserted streets.
A hand reached out and pulled down
the blind, cutting of the view. The
car was making numerous turns. and
he soon lost all sense of direction.
The mans explanation Of Helen Hard
wick's condition had removed a crush
ing weight of horror from his mind.
and once more his head was function.
ing clearly.
Another Of the Dukes tricks. I
Suppose?" he remarked.
you suppose correctly" was the
answer. you have slipped out Of our
hands often enough, but this time we
have you. You haven't a chance in
the world.
The Phantom was silent for time,
realizing that his captors had turned
the trick neatly and with dispatch.
Evidently they were men Of much
finer mental caliber than Matt Lunn
and Dan the Dope. 1t had been
clever ruse, and they had set the trap
very deftly.
What's the program?" he inquired.
'You will see soon enough"
The Phantom asked no more ques-
tions. Suddenly he remembered Gran
ger, and he wondered whether the re-
porter had been able to follow the
speeding car. 1t was doubtful. he
thought, unless Granger had been
lucky enough to find a taxi cab in a
hurry. Yet the fellow was resource
full and keen-witted and it was pos
sible---
His thoughts were rudely interrupt.
ed. The car slowed down, ard almost
in the same instant a hand gripped
him around the throat and showed
him back against the cushion. Ana
other hand put cloth over his
mouth, and he became conscious Of
a cIoying, sickeningIy sweetish odor.
Gradually his sensations drifted into
chaos as his head grew heavier ard
heavier. He heard voices. but they
sounded as II coming from a great
distance. and he had an odd feeling
that the car was sliding down bot
tomless abyss. Then a great void
seemed to swallow him up, and re
knew nothing more.
Continued in Tomorrow's Star.)