New Britain herald., 1928-02-08
CHAPTER I


 "'Every Jack has his Jill or st I've heard old ladies say If that: true, then every Jill must have hel Jack Maybe I've one waiting fol me tonight. Uhm, yeh. maybe."
 Something of dubious, If moi coleful shrug followed this brief so- hloquy, as Jillian (JilD Justin paus. cd for an instant on the stair land. ing of her old home.
 It was the night of the big August festival in the West Virginia glass town. and Peter Justin, meeting his lovely daughter at the foot of the stairs. looked her over with adoring eyea
 You are very charming, my dear," he said smiling. His glancu strayed to the handsome youth standing near the door, and again Peter marveled that he should hays fathered two such wonderful chill dren.
 Both were of the brunette type, with the sparkling beauty of their Spanish grandmother and the grace and boise of their French ancestry apparent in their every movement. Jill was 20. her brother IS.
 The two were in party dress. Jill's gown, a rich wine-colored silk with sheer silk stockings to match, lent | finishing touch to her lambent beauty. Tony wore a Tuxedo, a white silk waitscoat, a wing collar and . white lawn tie.
 sT wonder, Tony, how many poor Iaddies are due for heart break to- night?' went on Peter. musingly. his handsome brown eyes twinkling as they turned again to the glowing girl in the wine-dyed gown.
 Not so many as there might be, If Our Lady of hot colors would get a move on herself now at last that she's all set to go." grumbled the impatient brother, who had been kept waiting a full three min- utes.
 Our Lady tossed her boyishiy bobbed head of glossy raven hue and essayed a lady-like sniff.
 T wasn't aware" she said, with fine sisterly sarcasm. that tn occa- sion called for any tremendous burst of speed. It's just q jazz party = and at tn Palace, so why the rush? However, now that l am at last all set to go-' She laid a tentative hand on her brothers slee"e = s'please lead on MacDuff'!"
 'MacDuff' led on and out across m old fashioned porch to a short stretch of brick wall, at the foot Of which stood a roadster just built for two. ..,..
 "What a glorious night!" breathed the girl, rapturously. as she settied herself in the low cushioned seat and looked up at the star-lit hea- yens. where the big full moon rode in majestic splendor There was vibrant note in the music-box tones that sang in Youths ecstasy of love and joy and romance.
 The motor responded with a roar. Then. ike a wild thing gone sud- denly mad, the car plunged for"ara' sthrob with life and action, down the straight-away drive, ana out onto the main highway. Jill was on her way at 40 miles an hour, 10 meet Romance and her Fate.
 If was just around the bend at the fooe of the mountain that. Jill ana Tony heard the two pistol shots and ~ot their first glimpse of a bona fida hold up. Here it was, too, that the roadster came to an abrupt s1oP' tt. running board parallel with that of a big black car drawn up on the left side and facing them. On 1he h;e cars running board stood two men. Looking past them '1ll $ gaze rasted fof flaedng instant on the form of man lying on the side ol the road. .,
 Then things began to happen win lighting rapidity; such things as Til. in her widest imaginlngs' hau never considered.
 "sap tn bloke an cop tn mol!
 These strange words shot from tha big man behind on the running hoard. Before she had grasped the meaning the man in front, with 1he visor of his cap pulled down to con- ceal his features, had stepped over on their running board, reachea across in front of her. and brought down a. black. jack on Tony's head.
 Everything happened so swlftlS that neither Jill nor Tony had the least chance to defend themselves.
 Horror stricken, the girl heard the gickening thud of the blackjack aeainst her brothers head. The next Instant she felt herself lifted bodily from Ter seat, swung across ana damned down on the seat of the big roadster.
 She tried to scream, but the mus cles of her throat seemed paralyzed. and at the second attempt a vile Bmelling hand was clamped over her mouth. While she struggled help lessly in the big mans arms the other got the car under way. A mo-