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Show Written by Hereward Carrington, The Distinguished Authority on Psychic Phenomena. Phe-nomena. Dramatized by Charles W. Goddard, The Well Known Author of "The Perils of Pauline;" "The Exploits of Elaine;" "The Goddess;" God-dess;" "The Misleading Lady;" "The Ghost Breaker;" "The Man From the Sea." Everything You Read Here Today You Can See This Week at the Leading Motion Picture Theatres in Vivid Motion Pictures Produced by the Famous Wharton Studio for This Newspaper. With Mr. HOWARD ESTABROOK as Dr. Alden, Miss JEAN SOTHERN as the Charming Myra Maynard. Next Sunday Another Chapter of "The Mysteries of Myra" and New Pictures. Copyright Star Company, 1916. All foreign rights reservsd, SYNOPSIS OF PREVIOUS CHAPTERS. Myra Maynard, a beautiful hp I rent, Is pcraucd by a band of criminal, known mm the Black Order, under the direction of a strange mystic, whose object la to kill the girl by occult means. In order that the legacy of her father, a secret member of the Devil "Worshippers, "Wor-shippers, may full to the evil order. Arthur Varney. a wealthy club niun. is the favored auitor of the Klrl in reality be Is the tool of the High Master of the Black Order and aecretly aaslata In the evil plot. Dr. Piiyson Alden, a brilliant young physician, has given np his practice to devote his time to studies In the occult, in spiritualism, hypnotism, and the mysteries of the unseen. He discovers the conspiracy uninst the girl, and saves ber from committing suicide while in a somnambulistic trance. Thwarted, the Devil Worshippers attempt to murder the Sfirl by means of a poison powder concealed In the blossom of a strange plant. Alden persuades Myra to allow him to keep the plant In his room over night, 'ilie art of crystal garing enables Myra to save the doctor from denth by asphyxiation. The Devil Worshippers embark on n new and sinister campaign with the unsuspected Varney as the go-between. By means of a aelentlilcally constructed hypnotising hyp-notising machine, Alden releases the astral body of Myra, which poes in search of her persecutors. The Crand Mnslcr Is informed of this, aud In a terrific mental struggle for the control of Myrn's spirit, Alden Is all but defeated by the Master. Alden determines to break Into the Order and put an end to the nefarious work. He Is captured and nearly loses his life, escaping in time to apraln rescue Myra. Dr. Alden now attempts a second time to raid the Order. Myra Is greatly troubled as to his safe return, and sends her astral body In search of him. The Grand Master hypnotizes himself, and in the mental fight which follows, Mvra awakes with the spirit of the Grand Master, while the Master now possesses the Innocent soul of the girl. The Grand Master next returns Myrn's spirit, and receives his proper individuality In return, under circumstances which place Myra In his power. But for the timely Interference of Dr. Alden, Myra would have been killed, pr, Alden now calls on a new assistant In his efforts to save the girl he loves. EPISODE SEVEN CHAPTER XXXIII. Mistaken Intervention. NEXT morning: the determined physician was the earliest visitor at Myra's home. "We have come closer and closer to the my story," he declared, "and now I am prepared to end this whole horrible affair as It should be ended." Myra nodded, but her mother interrupted. "Dr. Alden. at first I was indignant at your intercession, then sceptical, but now I realize that you have been right," she said. "Vet every time you have tried to fight these unknown people you have involved Myra in greater danger. Wouldn't it be wiper to call a truce with them?" "My dear lady, a truce with snakes means nothing but death in the end!" he exclaimed. "This wicked man is determined on one thing alone the destruction of your daughter!" Myra shuddered Instinctively and Alden noticed it with apprehension. It was this bare suggestion of the terror which was underlying the girl's spiritual bravery which prompted him to make the first ser-ous ser-ous error of his campaign. Myra's mother persisted. "It Is Just this way. Dr. Alden. Whatever, What-ever, whoever these forces may be It seems to me that they must be thoroughly frightened fright-ened and alarmed for their own existence after! the battle you have made against them. Would It not be possible to come to some sort of flcreement with them?" "But why?" persisted Alden. The mother looked at him earnestly and pointed toward the wan face of the girl. "Can't you see that every day of this terrible strain is eating away Myra's strength and life. Dr. Alden?" she demanded, with a gesture of despair. "Mother, I am not at all afraid, and I agree with Dr. Aden in every particular," jaid Myra. "Well, perhaps, with woman's intuition jrou are right," he said, reluctantly. "Of course I am right," declared the older woman, with confidence. "These people are only flesh and blood after all. The first law of nature Is self-preservation." Alden nodded. "Well. It Is my duty to run these scoundrels scoun-drels to earth. Tet if they will spare Miss Myra I might agree. Still I do not know bow to reach them." Mrs. Maynard cast a triumphant glance at him. while Myra hesitated. Her mother walked to the library table. "Hero," she announced proudly, "is the name and address of the most wonderful clairvoyant In the world. I wont to ask the advice of a very dear friend of mine. And she told me about Mr. Bert Reese, whom we can visit right this very morning. My friend says that he can get in touch with the Jiving or tho dead simply by mental rower, I can hardly beltevo her and yet for my little Myra I would believe almost anything and try even more. This terrible i affair has already taught me that the most believable things were what I used to re- j ;ard as absolutely preposterous. I hardly know whom to trust." I Alden had taken from her hand the slip I of paper which she had drawn from the table A rawer. i "I have beard of Mr. Bert Reese, but never mvi mm. n o is cant uo a. nvnucnui psychic. It is a good Idea to see him. at Jiy rate," he admitted. "Well, I'll do whatever you advise, doctor," doc-tor," said Myra. "but I hate to see your life work all go for naught." I Alden sprang to his feet, nervously. ' "WTe might as well hurry over to see him then." he suggested. . 4. Willis, the butler, obediently brought the wraps, unfortunately overhearing the con-1 con-1 versation. In a few minutes they were l speeding in the family automobile toward 1 the home of the psychic specialist. And even as they were ascending the steps of Reese's home Arthur Varney was repeating that operation before Myra's residence. As Willis answered the door he appeared distraught, keen with some mixture of , eagerness and fear, "Is Miss Mvra at home?" asked the club-j club-j tnan, entering with his customary assur-i assur-i ance. "No, sir. She and her mother have gone ' put. sir." J "Where did they go?" 1 -Out with Dr. Alden," was tha grudglne 'varney looked startled, but quietly per-i per-i plsted in his interrogation. . "Where did they go?" I Willis hesitated, but Varney smiled condescendingly. "You know, as Miss Myra's flanoe. I have the right to inquire, Willis. She would be Tery angry with you if you did not tell me where I could find her." Willis stammered and then became the obedient servant once more as he answered ' formally: , , "I am not sure, sir, hut I understood them to say that they were going to see a clair-vovont clair-vovont or some such person. A Mr. Reese, I think it was, sir. but I could not tell you the address, sir, as they did not instruct '' Eiie." ,T . ... "A clairvovant? Bert Reese? Huh! Then catching the sharp and questioning Jook which shone in the servant's eyes, he covered himself. . "What a ridiculous thing! Well, I don t know where they may be. and I suppose I liad better wait here. They will be back eoon. I am sure, as Myra had an appotnt- i "h. tosYedmhls hat and stick to the butler and ensconced himself In a comfortable li- tr",niath?sr'all. Willis." he announced with aa Irritating attitude of pmonet" -i 1 tny aTo now." Willi bowed and left him alone, apparently appar-ently reading a magazine. But no sooner was "Varney alone than he sprang to the telephone. A quick, low-toned call for a certain number and with eager watchfulness watchful-ness against possible eavesdropping, he began be-gan to talk as soon as a familiar voica greeted him. "Yes, yes, master." There was a silence, in which the confident attitude was replaced by a certain timidity. "Yes, master, I will do as you instructed me. But I wish to warn you against a new tack. Alden has taken them to Bert Reese, the clairvoyant. Be on your guard, for this man is determined even as much as you and I are." There was an apparently curt command, for Varney's face registered a new shade of fear as he added: "Yes, master, your commands com-mands are life and death it shall be done! As he hung up the receiver he ran noiselessly noise-lessly to the library doors to examine the tapestries and all other possible hiding Ills astral body materia lined, Varney proceeds to foil err the Master's coaimcnd. places of a possible auditor. But on realizing real-izing that his message had been safe he lighted a cigarette and resumed an abstracted ab-stracted perusal of the magazine to bide his time. He had waited for fully ten minutes with no news from Myra when the butler entered. "Is there anything I can do for you, sir?" Varney regarded the man with scepticism. Willis seemed too bright-eyed in his solicitude. solici-tude. It were well to dispense with this watch-dog's attention for a brief opinion, he told himself. Pie drew a banknote from his pocket. "You are very thoughtful, Willis. Vou can favor me greatly if you will. I want some cigars and you can obtain them at the tobacco shop down the street. Hrcre is a bill just keep the change I want three Havana Marios. Willis. And hurry right back with them." The butler nodded and left the room with a perceptible glance of suspicion at the visitor. visi-tor. Varney did not mistake it. "I'll be inclined to attend to you, my faithful flunky," he muttered, with a threatening threat-ening smile, as he watched the butler dis appear down the driveway. However, i think your developing cleverness will be too late." Sure that his way was clear, with the other servants busy in the kitchen. Varney slipped noiselessly up the broad stairway to the floor on which were the family bedrooms. bed-rooms. He hurried into Myra's boudoir and cautiously opened the door. He entered, looked about and examined the room carefully. care-fully. "Ah." he smiled, "I was afraid there were no electric lights up here because the house is old-fashioned. But there are both electric elec-tric and gas. This is good!" He examined the lighting fixtures, ascertaining as-certaining that both the current and the illuminating vapor were in working condition. condi-tion. Then he went to the closet. Opening the doorwav of this he searched within and found an electric light arranged so that the garments, so neatly hung within, were of easv access. "Verv convenient," exclaimed the plotter. "Wei!.' hre goes for the red rays. The Mas?"' - -i f" ultra-violet rays of lieht but that red would be the easiest. I will leave the light lit for future reference." He unscrewed the ordinary incandescent bulb from the wardrobe socket. From an inside pocket of his coat he drew forth a peculiarly shaped red globe which he substituted sub-stituted for the other. Then, turning on the current, he closed the door and left the room with the same feline caution with which he had entered. As he peered out of the window of the hall he beheld the figure of Willis hurrying up the driveway. Varney managed to reach the library just in time to assume a nonchalant non-chalant attitude of absorption in the magazine maga-zine when the butler quietly let himself in the front doorway. "Well, Willis, you made a very quick trip. I thought the cigar shop was about two blocks away?" "Yes, sir," answered Willis, with a cough of deprecation. "Well, did you get tho cigars?" "No. sir. The man had none left, sir. I'm o sorry, air." "Did you get any others, Willis? You know I would have taken a substitute." "Oh, sir. I thought you would be too ? articular to do that, sir," he replied. "Shall send the gardener for some others, sir?" "No, let it go, Willis, I will go down and get them myself, now," and he walked toward the hallway to look for his coat and hat. , , As he turned back on the driveway to look at the mansion he chuckled. "That old hypocrite never went there. He thought he fooled me. Well, he Is guessing, but it will do no good. The Master told me that she would be mine forever and forever in all the ages if we win out. Well, we will win out with the arts and mysteries of the centuries to help us. I wonder what they're doing at that clairvoyant's place?" He walked on, satisfied. CHAPTER XXXIV, The Mental Messenger. Dr. Alden and Myra had followed her mother into the study of the famous clairvoyant. clair-voyant. Alden, after the preliminary introduction, made an explanation of the case which interested in-terested the psychic profoundly. The doctor doc-tor reserved many of the details, but his story was complete enough to win the vital interest of the other man. "Well, I'll start right away," declared Reese. "Write your message on a piece or paper and I think I can convey it to the leader of this Black Order, no matter where hCAlden sat down at a table while the others waited He used a memorandum pad and with his fountain pen had rapidly limned this simple offer of peace: "If you will stop your attacks on Miss Myra and others I will agree to leave yoa in peace. PAYSON ALDEN." "Now while I relax in this big chair, just fold it up and hold it against my forehead. You do not need to show it to me now, m-. m-. structed the . clairvoyant, who had already drawn down the shades, leaving the room In a soothing darkness. Alden obeved. The clairvoyant closed his eyes and the trio about him were very silent. ,, , Minutes passed, without avail. Hts race became drawn with the inward struggle which he seemed to be making. He breathed in gasps and even in the dim light of the room Myra saw that he was tensely clutching clutch-ing the leather arm of the big chair with clawing fingers. "I can't reach him," he muttered, in a half moan. "I can't project It there is some obstruction." The minutes seemed to drag into hours, yet there was still failure. Par away, with thumbs upturned against a sin-seamed Jowl, sat the mysterious leader of the devil-worshippers in his characteristic attitude. Strangely enough he was ensconced in a leaden walled chamber, the door of which was barred. The only ventilation came from a small, slit window In tho side of tho compartment. com-partment. On the sill of this lay a small, shiny crystal, different from that of Myra's In that it was of some transparent material entirely black! The Master gazed fixedly Into this sphere and suddenly chuckled with satisfaction. Within the crystal a tiny fleck of white appeared ap-peared and a note seemed to be unfolding. "The message!" muttered the black magician. magi-cian. "I am receiving it now, protected against all outside influences." He read it, repeating the words in an undertone. It was the message from Alden. He hesitated and gritted his teeth in silent fury as he paused for thought. Then he snarled in that sernent-like hisslnsr voice which was so expressive of the cunning of the mystery workers: "There can be no truce between the black powers and the white!" was the message which Bert Reese suddenly received and registered on a white pad of paper with his trembling pencil. "It is from the Black Order!" cried Alden, catching up the paper as Reese opened his eyes. He read the ominous words and turned to the others with a grave tone in his voice as he added: "Well, there Is the reply. It is to be a battle to the finish from now on. I can see that. Well, so be it. It is better thus. Evil is never conquered by retreat nor scampering away In fright. White magic must win!" Mrs. Maynard began to weep. "Oh, doctor. I am so discouraged. I had hoped that my suggestion would bring us all peace at such t a time. Why should they be so implacable?" "Take this message." declared the doctor. He scribbled another note, tout the mea-. mea-. - a v. t -"mi ' fie ethereal channels again, although the clairvoyant strov for half an hour. It was the query: "What is your price?" And the reason for the silence in reply was that the Black Master had immolated himself within the protecting walls of the leaden chamber by closing the slit and withdrawing with-drawing the dark crystal. He had stretched out in a recumbent position in an easy chair before his small duplicate of Alden's hypnotizing hyp-notizing machine. Where that crooked, evil soul was Journeying now, with the malevolent malev-olent eyes closed, hands clenched tightly and hawk-like lips drawn over the fanglike fang-like teeth, only that individual spirit could tell. Myra. her mother and Dr. Alden returned dejectedly to the house, where the physician bade them good-by. "I'm going home to make some important experiments," he said as he parted. "I believe be-lieve in preparedness. I'm assembling a little lit-tle battery of soul artillery which will give the gentleman with the ubiquitous thumbs a new thrill." "What do you mean?" asked Myra. "I'll tell you that in due time," he said. "But now we've no time to lose." They were standing in the corridor, near the big doorway. Mrs. Maynard had hurried hur-ried upstairs to her room, a victim of renewed re-newed nerves, so that the couple supposed themselves to be alone. But, unknown to them, Arthur Varney had returned to complete his call. He was standing- now, ears alert, behind the portiers of the music room. He strained every nerve to catch the doctor's words. Alden was holding Myra's little hand in his longer than he realized. He looked up suddenly and saw the sweet confusion of her warm glance. "Miss Myra Myra, it is always hard to say good-by to you because " "Why?" she queried softly. "Because I love you!" he blurted out in a subdued but vibrant voice which carried the confession to the tingling ears of the eavesdropper. eaves-dropper. Varney's eyes flashed with jealous fury. The girl gently withdrew her hand from the ardent clasp of the physician and removed re-moved her glove. She held out the white fingers of the left hand and exposed the sparkling solitaire. "Although it was all a mistake, which I cannot understand now, doctor, it is wrong for us to talk so while I am wearing Arthur Varney's ring." "You are right, Miss Myra," answered the physician. "Good-by, we will talk of it later." "Not if I know it!" muttered the secreted listener as he turned away with murderous determination on his dark face. The doctor turned and after a deep look Into Myra's smiling eyes, lit with a new hope now, he departed, his mind busied strangely enough with mingled plans for love and a tight to the death. Myra paused on the doorsill, then, turned into the music room. "Oh!" she exclaimed, startled at the sight of Varney. "I didn't know you were here, Arthur." "I've been sitting in this corner all the while, my dear Myra,". answered the other from the far end of the room to which he had discreetly retreated. He pretended to have heard nothing, and Myra was relieved. Varney sat down to the piano, began to play with a splendid touch. Myra turned in dismay as he began to sing, in a far from unpleasant baritone voice, the old song: ''.Myra, my own love Myra, my true love "Say you'll be mine through the long; years to come!" - -Xi. - - i L; - -' s - t J , V - J i -: r " 'M i t 1 'Y " T A 'v J'" f 4." f S o J - . y M '. ' , I r '""-- i . . .r Ttn. i. nwmwiiinrt! tt. .4 iV ...Wft . 1 1 iYi iWfr i vi ....X.... rt ...i.J Myra nervously ran to the piano, drawing his hand from the ivory keyboard with her own fingers. "Arthur," she gasped. "I cannot marry you, Arthur. I am so sorry, dear friend, but T was not myself when we became engaged." en-gaged." "You don't know what you are saying," he began. ''Yes. I do, Arthur. Now T know only too well. But before I did not realize. I cannot marry you. Arthur, and you must accept your ring back again." He protested at first with a deep show of injured pride, thon with that ingratiating eloquence and flattering consideration which had made the earlier impression upon the young girl he begged her to reconsider. Oently she shook her head, and then to ease the pain which he declared was rending his soul Kho solaced him with: "Well, Arthur, Ar-thur, I will think it over until Monday, if you insist." Her manner was firm and Varney grudgingly grudg-ingly ended his entreaties. He abruptly made his departure and stormily walked ,riown the driveway, flecking with his cane at the pebbles. "I must get the Master to let me" project my own astral this time," he muttered. "Then I'll play a hand that is worth while." He took' a taxicab at the nearest stand and made devious detours through the semi-suburban semi-suburban streets. Twice he changed vehicles, vehi-cles, looking behind to observe if he were followed. Apparently satisfied after more sinuous doubling upon his trail he disappeared through the doorway of an old building in a tumbledown section of the city. A few minutes later he was addressing the secret leader of the "Blank Order" within the thought-proof shelter of the leaden chamber. cham-ber. "Master, will you allow me to materialize my astral under the red light? Please do this, for I want revenge. My love has turned to hate!" The Master scrutinized him with a look fairly biting in its piercing intensity. "I had not planned it, Varney," he said with a smile, "but perhaps It Is a good varia tion. Yet I fear to trust this important work to anyone other than myself." He beckoned toward the chair and drew the hypnotizing machine toward his subject. sub-ject. Varney fixed his eyes upon the revolving re-volving mirrors as they showered the glittering glit-tering rays. Gradually he became tense and silent. Then the Mastor muttered a strange incantation. The body sank back stiffly Into the chair and the black pontiff laughed exultantly. ex-ultantly. "Kill her!" he commanded. "Kill her! Kill her! Kill her!" He sat down then to await developments from the unseen. A wraith-like figure seemed to shadow itself for an instant in the corner of the room. It bore a bare resemblance re-semblance to a human figure as it passed through the half-opened slit window of the lead chamber. , Back in Myra Maynard's bedroom the girl' had stretched out to relax her throbbing nerves. Her head ached and her eyes burned with unbidden" tears. "Oh, it seems so wicked, so wrong that poor mother and I should suffer' thin wav. for no fault of our own. And poor Payson!" The girl had closed the window, 'for a bitter Spring wind was blowing. She lay on the bed, unconscious of a gray shadow which had entered through the solid walls of the room. This wraith passed quickly into the closet, through the closed doorway. Myra dropped off into a troubled dream. No soul within the residence had sensed the danger lurking within for the girl except ex-cept one faithful servitor; Myra's pet collie, which stirred uneasily in its sleep in the lower hall. The dog had sniffed, its hair rising Stiffly along the scruff of its neck and it had backed into a corner with a low growl. Then it had curled up again, looking about the dim corridor with watchful eyes. CHAPTER XXXV. The Materialization. Within the wardrobe a strange thing was taking place. The gray spirit, which seemed of no more substance than the shadow of smoke, was becoming more solidified. Now lumps seemed twisting and forming in a queer kaleidoscopic manner, whirling about madly. Gradually it assumed a definite shape-legs shape-legs and arms appeared, likewise a crooked, gnarled neck, unti finally a crude head with twisted features. It seemed barely human, this brutish figure crowding the silken gowns of the narrow wardrobe. Yet gradually grad-ually it was pulled by some unseen creative power, from a shape resembling a rough-hewn rough-hewn clay figure into the figure of a man. The door of the wardrobe opened and the figure, walking clumsily, passed out through the portal into the girl's bedroom. There was merely the vestige of resemblance between be-tween this mottled, hideous monster and the swarthy, handsome Arthur Varney. Yet as it passed the mirror its smudgy eyes turned toward the fearsome reflection. The figure started back in terror; the block-like fingers went up in a gesture of dismay. The materialized astral walked toward the bed, leaning over the sleeping girl. The figure walked toward the dressing-table and lifted up Myra's shears. It returned to the bedside and raising them up, dagger-like, was about to plunge them into the bosom. Again the strange love of Varney for his hounded victim prevented, even in the spell of the Master's hypnotism. It paused, this evil incarnation of all that was evil in the man's spirit, drawing back as though in fear. Then, dropping the scissors on the counterpane counter-pane by the girl's head, the spectre walked toward the electric-gas fixture. In the centre of the room. It reached upward, turned on the jet valve and the gas began to escape. .The. fiKtrat walkwl Intn the urarmhn nirain to close the door as secretly as it had been opened. Myra lay sleeping now, unconscious of the doom which was seeping through the opened jet. In the glow of the red light, crushing her garments against the wall, the weird figure began to disintegrate as mysteriously as it had been carnated. Soon there was no trace of ft except the faint shadow of grayness which now once more, in the ethereal ether-eal state, passed easily through the panels of the shut door, into the room, where it gazed for an instant at the girl, then through the wall and down the stairs. Once more it passed the collie. This time the animal sprang to its feet, backing away into the corner and barking In fright and rage. The astral passed through the walls and crossed the intervening space In Its own odd manner until once more the eyelids of Arthur Varriey's body fluttered with returning return-ing consciousness. . "Well!" cried the Master, eagerly "I turned on the gas," replied ' Varney Oh, how my arms hurt and my feet and my head! Help me, do something for me'' I feel horrible!" The Master soothed him with hypnotic gestures, ges-tures, his face relaxing into a smile of triumph long delayed. The collie, down in the hall, had sniffed the air and then answering some subtle call of that brute instinct of which we know so little, trotted up the stairway. Still sniffing, it ran to Myra's room. There it scratched at the doorway. There was no answer. Again it scratched and now began to bark. Its frantic howls increasing in their desperate message, brought Willis and Mrs. Maynard from their rooms. . . i "What is the matter with the dog?" cried Myra's mother. "T think he's crazy, madam," began Willis. "What's that queer smell?" cried the mother. "It's gas!" cried Willis, and Mrs. Maynard pushed upon the door, to be met by a sickening sick-ening sweep of the choking vapor. With a cough and an exclamation of alarm . Willis ran to the bed to lift the girl and carry her unconscious form from the room Myra's mother opened the window and gasped for air. She reached up to turn off the stop-cock. "She has tried to kill herself again!" the miserable mother murmured. plied her with questions. She could not understand. She entered the room weakly and saw. the scissors on the bed. "Mother, I did not put those there. And I certainly did not turn on the gas." Mrs. Maynard was astounded, while Willis blinked in polite perplexity. "Mother! mother! It Is more of the work of the Black Order we must send for Dr Alden at once. Don't let a thing in this room be touched!" CHAPTER XXXVI. A Trap lor the Master, Dr. Alden lost not a minute in racing for Myras home. The girl told him little over the telephone, but he guessed much. When he was led to her bedroom, he walked about with half-closed eyes and tightly compressed lips. He studied the position of the shears and examined the little handle of the gas Jet with a reading glass. There were apparently ap-parently no tell-tale finger prints. Mrs Maynard and Myra waited silently aB he continued his investigation of the door jamb the threshold and even the window sills At last he opened the door of her wardrobe ward-robe closet. There was the red glow of the Incandescent bulb. "Whv. it's nn fl r crla ima -r ping forward excitedly. "No, it's not." asserted the physician, whose hand had shot toward the electric light bulb. "It's worse than fire!" He unscrewed the light from its socket and carried it to the window. "Did you have a red lamp in your closet, Miss Myra?" he queried sharply. "No, it was white. I never saw that before." be-fore." "Um ah !" and the doctor examined the object carefully. "This was made in France. I have only seen one like it before. It gives more crimson raj's than any other light. I wonder how It came there?" "I certainly don't know," and Myra regarded re-garded him with helpless bewilderment. "It was a white light this morning when I took out the gown I wore." Alden studied the tiny filaments of the bulb. "You know, Miss Maynard, the peculiar thing arfout this lamp is that red light rays are conducive to psychic work. Here Is a little stimulant for black magic. There was no way to enter your home at this time of day, except through the unseen. Here has been some materialization of which we know nothing. But I have the antidote for tha red rays!" "What is that, doctor?" "Ultra-violet! And with your permission I will set up a little trap for these worthies which will bo as scientific as their own methods." meth-ods." declared the physician, with the first suggestion of amusement in his eyes. "How do you mean, doctor?" and Mrs. Maynard May-nard shook her head in discouragement. "Things have been steadily going from bail to worse each day of this miserable business busi-ness brings additional danger to Myra, not to mention myself." Mother instinct was thoroughly aroused; but Alden had conquered these objections before. be-fore. He was too near success now to give In weakly. "Just see how this turns out, Mrs. Maynard!" May-nard!" he pleaded. "You saw how near thoy camo to their purpose to-day. I wish they would try the litLle gas arrangement again. This time we will je prepared for them. "You don't mean you want my daughter to run this risk of asphyxiation again?" "Exactly !" He had started toward the lower floor. "With Miss Myra's permission I will telephone tele-phone to my assistants to brtng my apparatus appara-tus over here at once. Can I have it?" The girl smiled bravely, and nodded, da-spite da-spite her mother's remonstrance. "Mvra, I forbid!" "Mother, dear, run right Into the musla room and have some tea served for the doctor doc-tor and me and your dear, sweet, obstinate self!" was the imperious counter-objection. Mrs. Maynard walked away apprehensively. "No good will come of all these curious machines!" she muttered to Willis, who tacitly agreed with her. "Now," said Dr. Pay son Alden, "I want you to tell a wl 'M fib If Arthur Varney calls up. I have left orders for my machines to come so, It is better to let him think that you have gone out some place, or better still, that you and your mother are both 111. and will retire very early. We do not want any outside advice on this matter." "You do not trust Arthur, do you. Doctor?" Doc-tor?" "I trust only you and myself, Myra," was the answer. "Let us not bring anyone else into the matter. There has been treachery somewhere about your home already; I am unable to say . exactly where. If Varney makes any inquiries Just keep him wondering wonder-ing to-night." As he spoke the telephone tinkled and Myra ran to the instrument. "Yes, Arthur. It is I Oh, T feel dreadfully dread-fully tired, but not really ill. What is that? Oh, It Is impossible. Mother Is not herself at all to-night and she has already retired. No, I really couldn't see you at all until to-morrow. I'm going to be myself within an hour. Yes, good-by." Alden smiled as she finished. "There, now, I feel that we can work out our plans without sarcastic comments." There was a crunching on the gravel within the half hour, as a motor drew up before the door. Alden hurried to the door, expectantly. "What can that be?" asked Mrs. Maynard. "My lamps. Right this way, Jones," directed di-rected the physician. Two workmen carried out some curious-looking glass tubes, set in heavy "metal frames, from which dangled coiled cables which resembled black garden hose. Under his guidance they carried them up the stairs to Myra's room. There the two assistants, expert electricians, busied them-selves them-selves with the connections of the tubular lamps, attaching them to the electric lights at the side of the bedroom. Mrs. Maynard watched these preparations with growing disappr-oval. i am nair a mma 10 leiepnone to Aruiur Varney and ask his advice about this, Myra," she declared. "You will do nothing of the sort," was tha girl's determined answer. "Dr. Alden is working on something to end all this business busi-ness to-night." "That's it exactly," and the physician was now engaged in making a delicate connection connec-tion between the gas-jet and some delicate wire. "Now I'll, show you ladies a pretty little sight. Are' you ready, men?" "Yep, boss. Turn on the juice. We've got it fixed just like it was in your joint." The twilight had darkened outside and suddenly, to Mrs. Maynard's alarm, a crackling, crack-ling, shooting radiation of violet flames seemed to spring up about them from the tubes which had been ranged around the room in rectangular position. "There! These are ultra-violet rays and they will destroy all occult forces. No psychic psy-chic action can go on In these defensive lights, and when some one endeavors to turn on the gas he will turn on the electricity instead. Now let the Master do his worst!" Alden carefully removed all pins, scissors and sharp instruments from the room. With a few more adjustments the doctor was satisfied. He replaced the red Incandescent Incandes-cent in the wardrobe, gave Myra a detailed explanation of the wiring and left the room. "Do you mind if I perch downstairs In the library for a few hours to-night, Mrs. Maynard?" he asked. "I have been working pretty hard on my psychic trap and I would like to be handy when it is worked." The mother agreed grudgingly; this "nonsense" "non-sense" was getting more and more on her nerves. It was a dreary wait for her until early bedtime, for she was obsessed with a hundred new fears of the Great Unseen. But the physician's confidence, Mvra's growing cheerfulness, both served to reconcile her. At last the girl bade the doctor a soft-eyed soft-eyed good night and followed her mother up the stairs. Alden, with a cigarette and half a dozen of the father's old musty volumes vol-umes of mediaeval lore, was left to hfs own thoughts in the darkened library. He had, with foresight, drawn down the window shades so that his presence could not be observed ob-served from the outside. An hour, two hours passed, without undua occurrence. Suddenly he heard a scream and rushed upstairs. Myra's door was locked. He heard her sobbing within. ijtu. !MD mi. j win neip you; - ne cried. Oh, it is too late now to do anything," he heard her faint voice. His heart leaped into his throat. He banged at the door and Mrs. Maynard came running into the hall. "What Is It?" she cried. But the door was opening now and Myra's delicate figure, clad In her dressing-gown, slipped through the door to cower behind the stalwart young; physician. "Where is he? What was ItT' cried Alden "Ah, the violet rays were lit!" "Yes. He came from the closet. I pre- i tended to be asleep. He was horrible looking. look-ing. But I recognized him." Myra was burying her face in her trembling trem-bling fingers. "What happened then?" Alden advanced into the room with drawn revolver. It was entirely empty. "He leaned over m'e. He looked around the room for some weapon, I believe. He tried to lift a chair to hit me, but it was .apparently too heavy. I could see it all by the moonlight through the window, and then he went to the gas-jet. Then I hoard his voice." "What did he say?" " 'Nothing is right unless I do it myself. He turned on the gas-jet and the violet iiKiii-s sjiiaiij; up ttn auoui me room. "Yes, yes!" "He seemed to scream silently. His arms twirled, hts legs jumped up and down like a child's toy. He ran for tho closet, but the tube of light on the floor was seeming to block the way. Then I saw his body, gradually melting away In this awful agony, actually fade and disappear before my eyes as it sank to the floor." Alden's voice rang triumphantly. "We got him that time!" "But." interrupted poor bewildered Mrs. Maynard, "who was it, my child?" The girl looked at her mother, made tha thumbs-up sign of the devil-worshippers and, with her blue eyes staring wide, answered:- "That horrible beast, the Master!" "That's the last of him," declared the doctor, doc-tor, as he held out his hand to the girl. "No materialized astral can live in the violet rays." "I'm not so sure." she said, with vague ln tuition. "Not so sure." ; (To be Continued Next Sunday.) |