Show D UP p By Byl c a l MR WIL ON WOODROW I m B Bill By ill CW 8 lQ RIDGWAY aK BEGIN BEItE TODAY In m ft R. Stop nOPe Hanger Is made prisoner sanitarium conducted by A n. group roP of oC f criminals called the Combine A le letter let letter let let- ter la Is written to Loring Ranger Hope Slope a s father Cather telling him where a a. hundred hundred hun hun- dred id dollars worth of ot bonds lIe He acts according t to Juarez Juares Ch ChrLie rUe adventurer and i friend na of ot Loring follows follow a clew leading to t the e sanitarium hops and Dr Kelsey another another another an an- other prisoner escape In a 8 machine belonging be be- Be Belonging longing to Dr Bristow the tho he de dent follows fellows th theTa them to an abandoned house Hope hears voice Inthe inthe In Inthe the yard and while Kelsey sleeps she surrenders and swears that Kelsey has bas abandoned her Alderman Higgins head of ot the Combine tells Bristow that the girl must be killed NOW GO CO OX ON WITT T I TIm THE STORY Then Im I'm to be her escort T BristoW asked bitterly H Ho He knew that thai he was defeated HiggIns looked at nun with a smile of wintry derision out No I guess well we'll leave you of ot this tills Doc boo Doc We cant can't afford to have no mistakes made Ill I'll go along with the little lady myself Kind o 0 bad for tor my rheumatism to 1 have to lay there In the tho road when the car goes off oft t ie e bridge e but I dont don't see no other way The superintendent straightened up as if it to defy this show of author author- I ity For a long minute he and Higgins lug lug- gins faced each other Then overturning over over- over over-I j I turning a chair as he went he left heft I the room I As he flung out of the tt-e door he collided with Morton who was I crouching at the keyhole F I With ono hand he caught the house physician by the throat throaty chokIng choking choking chok chok- ing off oft even a sound from him I With the other hand he ho closed the thedoor thedoor I door behind him CHAPTER Pushed backward from th the door still with that constraining clutch I Ion on his throat Mortons Morton's POp popping g eyes I were fixed on Bristow's face His amazement was even greater than his hi'S fright I But there was a quality In this I summary and violent capture which II prevented him from followIng his primitive Impulse to struggle and i iI kick The hand that choked him i seemed also to hold him up Bristow Bristow Bris- Bris I tow was pale and certainly detern determined determined deter deter- I Bris-I n mined ned but there was nothing of the I hot anger that his action would In Indicate In- In I On the contrary he conveyed to Morton by some electric telepathy telepathy i thy that his assault was necessary I and entirely friendly I At the head of the stairs stain he hs re released released re- re leased eased his victim with a low Sh Shi his finger laid against his lips and giving the house housa physician a moment to gain hi his breath threw throw an arm about his shoulder r and led him himI I stumbling and still stihi purple and gaspIng gasp gasp- Ing down the steps to his office Bristow stood on the hearth rug straightening out his cuffs and surveyed surveyed surveyed sur sur- Morton reflectively You needn't be afraid of me Morton he said earnestly Im only too to yop you too utterly grateful A shattered faith Is not easily re re- re stored Still Morton remembered Bristow had fought to save the girl atho altho although gh his merit Was Vas In his mind by Miss Copley's accusations How much of at the conversation up there did you overhear Bristow Bristow Bris- Bris tow asked without betraying too much Interest A A a good deal of ot It Morton stammered Enough to know that you were against them Bristow rubbed his hands Suppose he said before we go deeply into this his matter you tell me just what you were doing up there listening of course But why I Morton twiddled t his lila thumbs and looked confused I have felt for some days there was something wrong in the tho matter at of this girl I I-I I I read the papers I suspected Dont go on trying to Invent Youre You're not adroit enough You'd be helping that girl f far r more moore by telling me the facts now Time Dime Is flying and and and- Morton Jumped Time That's It h he said saidI I I must go Dont Don't try to keep me here i Doctor I must go before they they they- He stopped looking apprehensively at the door No need of haste Bristow re returned returned returned re- re nothing turned equably Therell be done for two or three hours yet He lie raised his eyes to Indicate that he was referring to the two on the floor above to You must have heard enough realize that I stand with the tho person or persons who are trying to rescue Miss Ranger Who are aro these people that you were In conference with during the two hours that you were away this noon Morton scrunched up in his chair yielding half to Bristow's influence and yet mindful of his promise to Kelsey Kelse shook his head My fy dear deat Doctor Bristow threw all the weight of his powerful personality personality personality per per- into the words this Is nOtime no notime notime time to keep up an unjustifiable si si- si lence hence You are taking a responsibility ity upon yourself in doing so that you will bitterly regret later He spoke slowly choosing his hs words Morton as God is my Judge I knew nothing of ot this terrIble terrible terri tern ble affair until last night after atter I failed to find Kelsey Then hen Higgins and Miss Copley thought It best hOst to take me Into their confidence It was a thunderclap to me Up to that time I never questioned but that the girl was Miss Copley's sis sis- sis sis- ter Therefore I went to the meeting this afternoon n in complete confidence dence Well with a shrug shrugS you know the r result You must with affected sheepishness have thought me quite melodramatic But in dealIng dealIng dealing deal- deal Ing with Higgins I have learned one ono has to talk his language He thinks in plots lots and suspects any motive mothe that is not selfish and mercenary mer nier- cenary So in order to get his ear at all I had to present a crafty scheme of worming myself Into Rangers Ranger's good graces All bunk of course Morton was wa more than ever r e Bristow's story Impressed him The people I saw toda today some some force stronger than himself seemed to be bo drawing the from him r t. t 5 5 j were Dr r Kelsey Kesey and a a. man who called himself Juarez Charlie Bristow scraped his chair back on the polished floor Where are the they 1 At the old Rose house house Morton had told everything now th t he had sworn not to reve reveal l ail and he te wa was agonizingly wondering wh whether ther ho he had been wise or merely treacherous A slow crestfallen n flush spread over Bristow's face higgins was vine right he had muddled He lie nodded at Morton When do you get in touch with them again 1 I I ought to be doing It now Bristow ignored the hint of restlessness rest rest- How tIow did Juarez Charlie CharIle happen to ibe there He wanted all the links in the chain I dont don't know that but he was And they have havo plenty of ot money Oh come to think of it he said that herode herode he ho rode down here last lost night There was something about a hat hat hat-a a hat that had been bought by Mr Ranger and then exchanged by Miss Copley for one that was to be sent here That gave him the clue h Ah Bristow leaned back gloating with restored complacency The responsibility for the muddle was shifted from his shoulders to Anitas Anita's He paced back and forth across the hearthrug in deep thought Rapidly he mapped out a plan of ot otI action Higgins would probably not I start on his drive until after dark dank That disposed of him Kelsey and andI I Charlie would wait walt at the old house I to hear from Morton But Anita How eliminate her He lie looked down at Morton Doctor we must get Miss Ranger away at once We will drive by the theRose theRose theRose Rose place and pick up Kelsey and his friend on our way to town What we have to meet now Is the chance of at Interference by Miss Cop Cop- ley Is there any anyone one of the patients patients patients pa pa- in a particularly bad bod way to today today today to- to day Yes replied Morton had to go twice to quiet quiet s Miss Susy Doane Then call up Higgins Higgins' apartment and ask asIt Miss Copley to relieve the nurse in charge until 6 Make It a request from yourself I Tell ell her you have tried to reach me but couldn't find me mo Morton complied She said she would take charge at once he re reported reported reported re- re ported as a'S he replaced the instrument Instrument Instrument ment on the table Bristow Then lets let's be moving motioned him toward th the door They were ere In a small inner room of the superintendents superintendent's suite There were no windows only a skylight A As Morton turned his back Bristow was was on him pinning his arms down and pushing him toward a closet Morton struggled frantically to free himself but Bristow had all aU the advantage He shoved him roughly into the closet and closed the door locking It CHAPTER Ten minutes later Bristow unlocked unlocked unlocked un un- un- un locked the door of ot Hopes room knocked and without waiting for tor foran foran toran an answer came in quickly S She e was standing In the middle of the floor and as she saw MW him she smiled a smiled a smile which he Interpreted Interpret interpret- ed as a welcome It wa In a measure measure meas meas- ure uro any anyone one was better than Anita Copley Then her eyes fell on the tho bundle he was carrying and she ehe looked at him questioningly He tossed It on a a. chair For you he said and coming nearer took both her cold hands In his There was something new in his manner an absence of pose a gravity gravity grav gray ity and forcefulness which she was quick to feel teel Dont keep up u-p any pretenses with me Miss Ranger It isn't necessary now I I- I INo No dont don't take It that way as she dragged her hands from his and looked at him with dilating eyes Walt Wait Im I'm your friend Your only one here Until last night he went on I believed ved truly believed that you were Miss 1 Copley's sister After you escaped she and Higgins confessed the wh whole le damnable plot to me But ButI I did not understand then nor do they now that you are and have been perfectly sane I only discovered discovered ered cred that this afternoon How did you learn this Her voice was a thread Through Kelsey he answered ans Where Is George Kelsey Continued tomorrow |