The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1936-08-19

helm you any because you re COW
J ered four ways. Come on out of
that corner and keep clear of that
girl with you. The games up.
You've pulled your last bank
jobw
Molly, staring at her compan-
lion, saw the moeking light in his
eyes replaced, :, by q ,beWilderment
and then by stark terror. =.
/ CHOSE dirty, double crossing"
I he began.I In a split second two
guns roared simultaneously.
Molly's mortified eyes regis
tered the scene. The dark head
of Nelson Whitaker falling for
ward on the table, hands grotes-
quely outflung, the white cloth
turning crimson. 49,,
Then the room went dark.
There were excited cries, the COM
mands of the police. Someone
caught her roughly by the arm.
A hand was clapped across her
mouth.
Someone is trying to get me
out of this terrible thing" Molly
was thinking. zone Of the mu-
sicians, probably. He needn't have
covered my mouth, because l
wouldn't have screamed"
She felt weak and faint, and
her feet seemed to be crumpllng
under her. Then everything went
blank.
When Molly awakened, she felt
the sense of motion. Memory came
and she wanted to cry weakly,
pitifully. Wanted more than that
10 awake to a reality which would
assure her that the dark happen
ings of the night were nothing
more than a fantastic nightmare.
But she could not cry out be,
cause her lips were bound. AND
all too real, she knew, were the
tragic incidents through which she
had lust passed. Now came an
other reafization-her eyes were
bandaged.
How long she had been uncon-
scious, she could not tell. she
was in a car which was travelling
at great speed. The person who
had seized her in the darkness
was evidently the one who was
driving the car.
Although her hands were
bound, the rest of her body was
free She shifted her position,
straining to hear the conversation
between the two men on the seat
in front of her
"They are taking me back
home" Molly told herself, trying
desperately to believe it.
But almost instantly came the
conviction: "No, they are not.
They are taking me far away
I've been kidnapped. 1t was a plot,
from the beginning =. the lights
going out at The Red Poppy were
part of the plot. 1t was planned
for the lights to go out tonight so
this man could grab me"
. But why had Nelson Whitaker
been shot when he was in on the
nlot? Those must have been real
policemen OF they wouldn't have
killed him.
The tortured questioning was
getting her no where. 1t would
he so easy to break under the
strain and become hysterical. All
Molly's hope now lay in trying. to
put dreadful memories behind
her, keeping calm and fighting
for time. Surely, it was only q
question of time when she would
be found. Brent-the thought OF
him brought an ache to her throat
would receive her message ana
dash to "Frenehy's" piloted by the
Young musician. The police might
still be there and they would be-
gin at once the search which
would eventually lead to her. She
must believe that or she would go
mad.
For some time she had been
jolted about on the seat, which
indicated they were on a rough,
little-traveled road. Then the car
stopped suddenly and the door
was opened.
A harsh voice said, "Now, girl,
don't give US any trouble and
you'll be all right. You won't
find things as swell as you're used
to, but make believe you're
roughin' it a while, and things
won't be so bad. If your old man
comes across, you'll be back in
YOUR fine house in no time. II
he's stubborn or puts the police
on us-why, use your imagination,
grille.
"We're going to unite your
hands," the same voice continued,
,"and take the tape off your
mouth. You can sleep nice and
peaceful tonight, but tomorrow
we're going to have you write a
little letter asking your dad for
a half million after you're
good and rested, grille"
Molly shuddered under the
touch of the mans hand on her
arm.
"Cold? Scared maybe" the
man chuckled. Don't worry. No
body's going to harm you while