Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1929-05-14
BYFJ.JErFERsoN FARJEoN

matters ialleu 10 20 quite as smooth
~ IS ! liked. that a little etxra as
sistance would be useful. So I i'm
ported that extra aSsistance-and IL
Is at hand. Mr.. Cunningham. Make
a note Of that. please. You. your
self. were weakening-I have seen
afford to take chanceS-if you serve
me. | serve someone higher than
either of uS-and so / secured the
necessary help I might need. and
kept 1t ready. I did not trouble to
tell you all this before. Why
should ~"
do you mean-you got these peo-
pie to come here. for the special
purpose OF kidnapping my daughter?"
demanded the professor.
That was one object. There were
others. You remember. n caretaker
appeared here a little while ago
and ran away again" interposed
the professor. Yes, what about
him?"
Just this. 1t was necessary for
him to run away. You understand?
He was growing a bit to curious.
And today another caretaker has
come upon the scene. / have had TO
cause him 10 run away. too. He ran
away. I imagine. Just before you and
I came along. Which explains. ]
think. the overturned furniture"
Then he'll communicate with the
police!" exclaimed the professor. ex-
citedly.
Il don't think he will be allowed
to do that" responded Brill. dryly.
"If. by i'll chance. he does-well. il
will be unfortunate for me. I admit
and for you--and for your daugh-
ter. So you see. the sooner you
descend and get 10 business. the
better for all of us"
The professor groaned.
You've got me where YOU want
me-" he mumbled, but m day
therell be a reckoning, Brill"
One day we shall all die. Cum
bingham. And then the whole farce
will be over. But meanwhile-we
play our parts. And now, please, play
yours"
"All right. Open the damned
door Are you coming down with
me?'
Il am certainly coming down with
you. Do you think I am going 10
miss the most interesting moments
Of our whole association? Now. then
we've talked enoughi"
1T was not the heat OF the cup
board that caused Charlie to per-
spire. The conversation he had just
overheard confirmed his worst
doubts. Celia had been kidnapped,
and was In the hands OF Simon Brill.
And. III Brill we're thwarted. Celia
| herself would be the first victiml
In the space of the five seconds
that followed the cessation OF the
voices and the resumption Of their
footsteps along the passage. Charlie
strove to get through an hours
thinking. I~nstinctively. and also
through policy. he tried to clarity
his buzzing mind by concentrating
on point. and letting all the rest
go hang. That one point vas Celia.
His sole object must now be TO res
cue her.
Joscelyn and Rupert confined in
the darkness below-Brown flying
through lonely lanes from merci-
less revolvers-the poor laborer be-
yond help in the ditch-and the
professors own troubles-these must
be deliberately wiped out Of his
mind If he was to be of any use at
ell. The situation was too big for
him. its various needs too great. But
perhaps his inefficient powers might
be marshaled into some sort Of util-
ity that could be dedicated to the
| saving Of an innocent girl, who had
already looked to him for aid. from
| the horrible fate that hung over her.
Where was she2 That was the
question Charlie tried 10 solve in
| those desperate five seconds Brill
had implied that she was in the
keeping OF the extra" help he had
imported-of the two people who
were nov chasing Brown. III SO
would they both have left her7
Possibly they might. Celia might be
locked In N room In the e~vil-looking
III near bv. or In some other hovel
| lust as Charlie. himself. had been
locked In the room upstairs. On the
other hand. she might be close at
hand. Yes-might be down those
very stairs the professor raj about
10 descend ri would be like the
| sardonic Brill to keep her close and