Show THE NET By REX BEACH REX Copyright BEACH 1912 by CHAPTER Xin Continued As As God is is' my judge o I am innocent J I hoard heard tho the shooting I 1 looked out into the ni night ht and anil sa saw men moving t about I was fn frightened so I went to bed That is all Norvin Norrin undertook to StaTe stare him down Yon You will hang bang for this Larubio he lie said saia Tho The fierce gray cray eyes mot rapt his bs I unflinchingly lr You had a hand nand in in tho the killing for I saw you rou But you acted our will Am I right f Still the patriarch flung nn back his glanco lanco defiantly de You were ordered to kill kiJl and I you ou dared dued not Where is Beli Bell Cardi f The old man Into his eves eyes for the bric est instant there leaped Do a alook look of terror then it was goneI goneI gone I do not know what you yon arc aro talking about ho he answered Come The Tho man with the rubber coat has bas confessed Larubio's Larubio IS gaze aze roved un uncertainly about his bis squalid quarters but he shoo shook his bis bead mumbling U God God will protect the innocent I r know nothing J your excellency They drag dragged ed him still protesting from This his is den as does doga dra drag an animal from his bis burrow But orvin Norvin bad had I learned something That momentary wavering wa glance glanco lanco that flitting ittin light ht of ot doubt and arid fear had told him that to To the cobbler be ae of ot Cardi meant S something fl rca rea and anti terrible 7 k Bade at IlCa headquarter 0 O Neil ONcil eil had furher furtHer fur- fur thor her information for hima him a Wove Weve g got Larubio's law brother rdo Cressi It was as his son no doubt bt whom you jou OU saw waiting at the r corner rn r 1 Have Ha you found tho the boyNo boy boyo No o he's hes gone goue oue Then make haste baste before they ther have lime v me to spirit him awa away These men wont won't t talk bu but we wc m might i squeeze something something some some- thing thin out of t tt bo boy Tics lies tho weakest weakest weak weak- est link ink in tho the chain so y you u must find tind him The mornin morning papers were on the street when Norvin went home New Orleans had bad awakened 3 to to tho the outrage e ea I a against her good od name namo Men were grouped about corners women were gossiping from house to house the air lr was wag surcharged with a great excitement It was Yas as if a public enemy had bad been discovered at tho the gates as if an alien foo bad had struck while tho the oit city slept That unformed foreign prejudice which had been slowly growing had bad Urea in a lIiri single le night To sin Nor the popular clamor which rose hi high h during tho the next few days had bad a a sickening familiarity At the time of or Martel Savi Savigno's murder he hel bad had looked upon justice as a thing In Inevitable Inevitable In In- I evitable ho he had felt that the public wrath aroused was an irresistible We ble force y yet t he ho had seen soon bow how ineffectually such cuch a a force fone could spend And the New Orleans police seemed likely to accomplish little more than tho the Italian soldiers Although h more than a hundred hunched arrests wore made it was doubtful if with the exception of Larubio and any of the rea real culprits enl cul its ps-its had been caught Ho He turned tunie the matter over in his mind incessantly consulted with ONeil O'Neil as to ways wars a and d means conferred with the tho mayor sounded his friends Then one morning ha ho awoke woke t to find hims himself at the head bend of ofa a committee of just justice composed of fifty leading cadi business men of the tho city armed with powers somewhat vaguely defined but in m reality extremely wide Ho set let et himself diligently to his bis task Thore There followed through the newspapers pers an appeal to the tIle Italian population population tion for assistance and offers of tremendous tre tree rewards This resulted In a Co flood of letters some sonic signed but mostly anonymous a multitude of shadowy clues of wild accusations But Bu no was a i promising t trail aH unco uncovered I than the witness disappeared iod or became I inspired with a Jl terror which pealed his lips tips It be began an to appear that there was really no evidence to be had beyond wb what t Norvin Norvin's 8 eyes ces had photo photographed And id this thia ho be knew was va not enough to convict even r Larubio and his brother brother- in la While thus baffled and groping for forthe forthe the tho faintest clue ho bo received a letter which brou brought him at least a n ray rny of ot sun sun- shine Rhine He lIe Ic bad opened perhaps half of h hi his mornings morning's B mail one day when he lie came camo upon a truly remarkable missive sive It was headed with an amateurish drawing drawing draw raw in ing of a skull at tho the bottom of tho the sheet heet was as a da dagger dager er and over all in bright rod red was the sizo size life imprint of ci cia ofa u. u a- a small timan ii plump hand I In round ground schoolgirl ir characters h he read as 5 Ie B H QU are area a traitor and ind l' l a ai i iS S i deserter therefore you aro are doomed doome E Escape is impossible unless yon you heed this warning Meet me at Dot the old oldhouse oldhouse house on St. St Charles street and brin bring your our ransom THE AVENGER At tho lower left hand corner in micros microscopic characters was written I I love lovo chocolate nou nougat at b best best st Norvin la laughed as ho bo read rad this san- san epistle for ho had to admit that it had bad given ven him a slight start I Being a n man of action ho bo walked to the I telephone and called a number which had bad lon long sinco inco become familiar Is this the Creole Candy Cand Kitchen S Send nd ten pounds pound of or your our best chocolate choco late lato no nougat at to Miss Myra Nell Warren at nt once This is Blake speaking Wait I havo o enough h on m my conscience without with out nut addin adding another sin StD Perhaps you'd better make it five 11 pounds now and five younds a week hereafter Put it in hi your our fanciest basket with ith lots of blue I ribbon and label it Ransom Next eXt he be called caned the tho girl irl herself and after an interminable wait heard a abre bre breathless ol voice o ea say eay Hello Hollo Norvin Ive I've been out inthe in n tho the kitchen making cake so I couldn't t get et away awny Its It's in the oven now no cookIn cooking cooking cook cook- In ing like mad Ive Ive I've just lust received a threatening letter ho he told her ho bo in the world could have sent seat it t P Evidently E some sonjo blackmailing wretch I l t demands a ransom Heavens You wont won't bo cowardly yield iel 1 enough nough b to Certainly I refuse He heard hear her bur laughing softly Why dont don't you on tell telI the police Indeed Theres There's an army of men besieging in the place now no Then you ou must expect to catch the writ writer cd 1 I Ive Ive I've been trying to for a long time Im I dont don't know what sure suro you OU are talking about bho said inno Could I have sent the ransom to Ho lIe to tobe tobe toe the wron address pretended be e seized with doubt whereupon Myra MyraNell MyraNell Nell NelI exclaimed qui quickly kly Oh not necessarily Then after a pause puse Norvin how does doos a person get get- et red Ted ink off her ller hands f Use Uso Use a cotton broker Let him bim hold it this e evening Id I d love to but Bernie wouldn't allow It It was his ink you von u know and I spilled it all over his desk Norvin Nor vin is vin-is is it really nou nougat at f fIt It i is the roost mot unhealthy the tho most indigestible indigestible- You You duck I You You may mav mM hold hoM my gory or hand for for for- Walt Waltz Waitt Blake heard beard a n faint taint Dont Don't ring off Somo- Somo omo think terrible terrible- Then the tho wiro wire was dead Hello Hello he hc called What He lIe rattled tho the thore wron wrong Myra Nell re receiver eiver viole violently and nud ottin no response re roo applied to central After some somo moments he heard her explaining in n a relieved tone Oh Oh such a fri fright ht as ao I had bad hadl What W was S it itt For heavens heaven's 5 The cake cuke I You Yon fri frightened me mt I thought thought- Its I It Ef four stories hi high h and pasted past with caramel J. J You should houd never neer leave a phone In that t way without without- Bernie detests caramel but Im I'm ex ex- a certain party to call on m me tonight Norrin Norvin do you OU think red ink would hurt a cake Myra MyraNell Nell Noll f ho he said severely you yon wash our han hands s before mixing that dOll dough t Of course course r I have my mv doubts Will m you really be at liberty lbert- lbert this evening e That depends entirely upon you If 1 am an am I shall shaH exact another ransom flowers t p. p I Ill 1 send them anyhow Oh you 0 are a a- a aWaitI aWalt Wait Walt For a 3 second time tim Miss Warren arren heard her broke off of but now Norvin Norin cry out gladly to some one ono He le held beld the receiver patiently until his hi arm cramped then rang rans rans up again Ob Oh I for forget nil all al about you vou Norvin lear dear she bo chattered Vittoria has ha lust just t come so o I cant can't talk to you 0 any an- mor morn Wont ont you VOI run out and meet know ehe's she's to te-be te hc hed her I 8 ju just dying says SS he be isn't either Oh Ob Youre You're not so SQ as all al that Very well 1 well we'll probably rat oat tho the cake ake oure our- our selves e pod po b h by I Avenger er he Jal laughed bt A As hp J away n 1 smiling he found Bernie Dr Dreux comfortable ensconced ns in iu an office ottice chair char and regarding him be be- bIb Hollo Berio Bornio Berniol I I didn't hoar hor you ou come in that Myra Myra Nell talking inquired the tho little little- man man Yes Yc You lied called cled her Avenger What has hu she been up to now no Blake Blako handed him hm the red hand lot lot- Jot Jot- tor To o his surprise Bernie burst Out out ut an angrily iy How dare shot hof What What Its Is most unladylike unladylike begging begging a gentleman for gifts ifs Ill I'll 11 see that she apologizes If do Ill I'll head punch our I you vou U O 11 your She couldn't do anything athin unladylike if i sho tried I dont don't Nonsense 4 Ill Il see that she sho gets get et her chocolate chocolate choco choco- I late ate late Oh Ob Ive I've sent sont em em a e a a deadly consignment con con- Ivo enough to o destroy both of you And I Ive I've o left a standing order I week for o fi pounds a I But But that letter letter its its it's blackmail Bern Bernie o groaned She holds me nie up In Inthe I IBern tho the samo same samoa a way sho ho feels like liko Iko it She's getting cotting suspicious of or me mc I lately and I t tell tel her hor Im I'm a de de- de The other day sho she set R emus fl-emus mus our gardener on my m- trail trai and and he ho shadowed shad owed me mc all aJ over town thinks theres there's something wrong ron too to and she she's sho's 5 taken to following mo me Between her hor herand herand horand and Remus nemus I haven't a moments moment's privacy It Its s tough touch for a detective to bedo be bo do dogged ed bv by his gardener and ani his sweetheart sweetheart sweet sweet- heart beart Norvin sympathized Ho lie becan be be- can gnu to run through hi his mail while hi his visitor talked on 01 in his amusing amusin irrelevant Vf vant n t fashion Im Ini rather ofen offended ed that r I wasn't named ou on that committee committed of fifty ff fifty Bernie confessed after a time i lou Oti ou know snow how bow the chief chiet relied on mo me rD I Exactly I 11 Well WeB Vell Im I'm fit full I f of Italian mysteries now What I J haven't discovered b by my ny o own m invest investigations Vit Vittoria ri Fabrizi has ims told me For Per Instance I know what became of othe the boy bov Gino Creasi tressi resi You do do Blake looked up curiously curl curi curo from a letter he had bad been ea eagerly erly perusing Hes lies in Mobile Are you sure Certainly I think youre you're wron wrong Why Why am a I wrong Read ad this My mall mail mal is full tul of anonymous communications Ho ITo Ie passed over the tho letter leter in his hi hand ant and Mr Droux Dreux read as follows Norvin Blake New Orleans Louisiana Louisiana The Cre Cressi si bo boy is hidden at St St St. Phillip street GO personally andin and andin andin in police secret for tor there are spies the One One Who Wo Knows Knows Good Lord Do you Ou believe it it I shall know in an hour In I renJi reality he had bad no doubt that his his' informant in informant in in- formant toll told the truth On t tho o contrary contrary con con- ho he found that he had been boen waiting wait wait- jug ing for a hint from this thi mysterious but reliable source and now 00 that it had come ho he felt fel confident and elated elate A leak in tho the department would e explain in the tho maddening series of checkmates up to t date After a moments moments moment's mo mo- mo ments ment's hesitation he lie continued 4 If I Gino Cressi proves prove to be bo the bo bojI boy boj- I I saw that night we e will il put the rope around d his fathers father's aud and his uncles uncle's necks for ho lie is little more than n n a child and they thoy evidently know knew he would confess con con- fees fess jf If accused otherwise they wouldn't have been so careful I to hi hide e him He lie le roso rose and eyeing in ini Wilf ill you go o along and help me take him f Bernie fell feI into a sudden panic of excitement His face fae paled aIrd he be hInk blinked d I with wih incredible rapidity his lp lips I twitched hitched and be he clasped his thin I bloodless hands nervously o Why Why are aro you you really ou goin really going a and nd alon alone alone- 1 Norvin nodded If the have c I they spies amoD among our own ow men the IC least st indiscretion indiscretion indis indis- croton may give the alarm Besides there is no time Jve to lose it would be he bema ma madness to go o there after dark darl Will Wi nes I you come come You You b b b bet Mr h. h Dreux teed ACer After a painful effort to control himself hisel hn he inquired with with rolling eyes eye S S say Norvin Norvl will wJ thero them he be any fighting fighting any nn any d dd d dan d danger erf Blako's Blakos own imagination had already presented that aspect of or the matter all al I too vividly Yes there thero may be dan danger or he con Con- Leased Wo We may have h c to take tko the thc boy by bv force torce His Hie nerves nen-cs be began t to dance dancea a and quiver a ai IW always S 'S before every new adventure c Perhaps a after ter all 1 you'd better not so go o I un I-un I understand how you feel Tho The little tUle man burst bust out omit in a forceful e expletive e. lct I Pudding I J want ant to fi fight ht D D- D dont don't you see BOO No I dont Ive Ive never nO been in a run row T Ive I've never lon lone done anything aD brave or desperate desper desper- ate atc like like like-like liko you ou 1 Im I'm m aching bint for trouble night I r go fo o looking for it every Really Blake looked his hi in in- credulity Sure Suro Suro thing J Last night I Insulted a perfectly nice nico gentleman just to t pro pro- oke a n quarrel I Id I'd d never seen seon him before before be be- fore foro and ordinarily I hesitate to accost strangers strang-or strang but I J felt as 38 If Id I'd havo have hysterics bye hys if i I couldn't lick lck somebody some BO so soI T I walked waked up to this person and told him hm his necktie was in rotten taste as roten What did ho say lay IIo Ho offered to go o 0 homo borne an and change e eit it it I r was so cha chagrined that 1 cursed I cursed him fearfully I Bernie I r Droux Dreux nodded with wih an expression ston of the keenest R satisfaction I I could have ha cried I called him n a 1 worm a ax hug bug a abo bo boll weevil i but he ho said Baid he had L a 4 family and didn't intend to be shot up b by some |