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B GEORGE BRONSON """ BBI HOWARD MHiMiiMlilMHHMIMHI H Each Episode Suggested by a Prominent Author H Serialization by HUGH WEIR and JOE BRANDT H Produced by the Universal Film Manufacturing Company B Copyright, 1015, by tho Unlvcrn.il Film Manufacturing Company. H THIRD EPISODE H The Traction Trust BBBJ Suggested by BBBJ GEORGE BRONSON HOWARD, H Author of "Snobs." "God's Nan," Etc, H ,$? SYNOPSIS. H Dudley Iiarnigan, dlstrlot attornoy H of Now York, attacks tho liquor and H vioo trusts, Ho la killed by an ngont H of a Boorot sooloty, tho commlttoo of H flfteon. His son, Bruco Iiarnigan, Is H elootod dlstrlot attornoy and takos H up tho fight. Bruoa is in lovo with H Dorothy Maxwell, whoso fathor is BBB hoad of tho Insuranoo trust H Bruoo Iiarnigan, is doooyod to an H , evil rosort in an effort to iramo him H up. Ho boats tho conspirators by H having tho polico oommlsslonor pros H ent A flro starts in a tonomont BBpl across tho way. Iiarnigan savos the H - ohlldronof Dow, onoof thooonsplra- H ' tors. This man agroos to oxposo tho H trust. Ho is murdorod by tho gang. H A. BRUCE LARNIGAN'S crushing defeat of tho tcncmciit houso 1 trust, resulting In tho murder VI by tho grnft syndlcato itself of H Anton Dow, who was about to glvo H llruco evidence against tho llftccn, H served to show Stanford Stone mid the H rcmalnlug members of tlio grnft Byn- H dlcnto that In llruco they faced u foo H far more dangerous to them tlinn his H murdered father liml ever been. H Stanford Stone, tlio secret licnd of H tho powerful graft syndicate, had do- H' splscd llruco in tlio beginning. Now ho H wns beginning to fear blni. And the H fact that he was in lovo with Dorothy H Mnxwcll, the girl who was Brucu's H fiancee, only increased his dutermlnn- H tlon to get rid of llrucc. H It was Impossible for Stanford Stone BBJ to work In the open. It seemed to lilm H vitally ImiHirtant to hold secret his H own connection with tho graft syndl- H cate. Even llruco Larulgan was so far H from suspecting It that after the death BBpJ of Anton Dow he coullded many of his H plans for tlio future to Stone. BBJ "Dow's death Is unfortunate," ho BBJ told Stone, "lie was n villain, but ho H was about to turn over a new leaf. H Ho would have been n useful witness BH too. However, I have other Irons In BBpJ the tire. I am more and mole con- H vlnccd that all the graft In this city H runs ultimately to ti mitral siot; that BBl one niuu dominates nil the lomipt ele- H incuts. I can't iitrlko at any purlieu- H lnr form of graft, no matter what It H may be, without weakening (hat great H central power." H "That sounds reasonable," said Stone P sympathetically. BBB "Now, for lustimtv." said llruco. "I B urn planning to look Into the opern- BBH BBBs- trF 2 "tsifBBBBi H Dorothy Puked Up ths Dlctaphono BBbM Receiver, BBflj tloim of the traction tru.st. I am con- BBJj vlnccd tluit whole organization Is rid- died with grnft and tliut the city Is jH being looted right and left In coniiee- BBB Hon with thy new subways. I haven't BBB got all my evidence yet, but I'm going C utter It. And I may need your. help." j "I inn at your service," said Stone. BBB "As I've told you before, I feel, as a BBB public spirited citizen, that it Is my auty to upliold you In tho light you BBfl havo undcrtaUcn." B Rut no sooner was Stouo alono than BBH his faco was transformed and twisted BBH by hato and innlico. Without delay ho PP sent for Amos Ulaek, ono of his con- lldcntlal ngcuts. Ho told Black that PpH Iiarnigan must bo killed. PPB", Ulack was ono of a number of char- B! actors of tho underworld through L& "7hom Stona worked at times, HiMbW BBBBBb, i ApBBBBBBBk BbAbABAi BBBBBBBBBk'-. BBBBBBBt.BmBBBBBBBBiUw---- Tlirough men nml women known to him ho got Into touch with llruco Lnr-nlgnu's Lnr-nlgnu's chaulTcur. This man, seemingly seeming-ly respectable nnd actually faithful enough to Bruce, had n dark spot In Ills life. Ulack managed to learn of this and so got tho ninii lloiincr Into his grip. Ho arranged to have Don-ner Don-ner drlvo Lurnlgau through tho pari: whllo gunmen wero planted there. Stanford Stone by menus of n die-taphouo die-taphouo was ublo to keep In closo touch with Black's movements, since ho never for n moment trusted Bind;. On tho day nfter his conversation with Bruce, however, Stone, listening over tho dictaphone, nodded with approval. Bruce he knew wa3 coming to sco him. Afterward Bonner should bo nblo to tnko him through tho park. And then the grnft syndicate's most dangerous enemy would bo removed! Bruco arrived whllo Black was still discussing his plans. With him was Dorothy Maxwell. "We're not really together. Mr. Stone," she said gayly. "I'm looking for papa. I thought lie might bo here." "I'm sorry lie Hn't. .Miss Dorothy," said Stone "But If you'll call up Boyd I'cliiwo's olllce I think you'll gel liltu. I'll take I.nrnlgnu outside while you telephone," Dorothy smiled her thanks. She was loft alone and by pure accident picked up the dictaphone receiver. To her horror nnd amazement she heard Black giving the llnal orders for Bruce's murder. Her heart almost stop ped. but she managed to control herself her-self and heard enough to put her In possession of all tho details of the plot Then, schooling her fciturcs, she went out and Joined Bruce nnd Stone. "I think I'll go straight home. I can't reach papa." she said. "Coming, Bruco?" Ho nodded n fnrcwell to Stcno. nnd went down with her. At the curb she seized his arm. "Bruce, whero arc you going?" she nsked tensely. , "To see an old friend ,11m Stevens," ho snld. "He's n newspaper man, nnd wo'ro going to pull off n stunt together." "Lot mo 'take you there," she urged. "Blease. Brueel Send Bonner homo alone. I want to show you how my new enr runs." He thought nothing of her request nnd wns glad to yield. Bonner, startled star-tled nnd dismayed, saw what had happened, hap-pened, and nt once. Instead of going homo ns ho was told to do, ho hurried to Blade "Damn!" said Black. "Well, we'll havo to get those fellows and plant them near Uirnlgan's houso. Como on; take mo through tho park. It's riskier, but that can't bo helped." Bonner obeyed. They hurried Into the park, nnd at tho fatal spot, as Black stood up, a volley rang out. The gun men had mistaken their employer for their victim. Black fell dead! Meanwhile Dorothy had waited for Bruco during his talk with Stevens nnd had then driven hhn home. They found Mrs. I.iirnlgan hi tears. The holder of tho mortgage on her house had arbitrarily refused to give her more time, and her lawyer had told her that ho had found no one willing to take It up. good iib was the becurlty. Bruce haw In this a plot on the. part of the fifteen to punsli lilm. But Dorothy, Doro-thy, without telling lilm of her Inteu tlons. determined to save lilm. "everything will come out till right," Dorothy assured Bruce. She had some property of her own. mid she went straight to her father and as.l;ed lilm to advance her a large sum on lerinlu securities. He laughed as ho did so. giving her the money In cash. "What do you want It for?" he asked, Shu told lilm, and. though slio saw the startled look thnt came Into Ills eyes, she did not know the reason nor that it was Roger Maxwell's lusurunee company that had threatened to foreclose fore-close on Mrs. Larulgau's house. Yet It was true sho had unwittingly defeated de-feated a plan concocted by her father and Stanford Stone. Maxwell said nothing to Dorothy of tho truth. Pcrhups ho dared not. Per-haps Per-haps It was because Just uftcr ho learned learn-ed what sho meant to do Kurd Penrose, Pen-rose, Ids old friend, and his daughter.. .Mabel, ouo of Dorothy's best girl friends, wero announced. Penroso was head of the traction trust. He and Maxwell had many interests lu common. And In tho courso of the talk tho incident of tho tuortgago seemed seem-ed to bo forgotten. It wan tlio next day that Bmco and his friend, Jim Stevens, tho roporter, went to work on the now subway, having hav-ing decided that this wns the best chance they had to secure first linnd evidence of an Incontrovertible sort against the trust Nor were thev wrong. In it very short time they ills covered tho truth of whnt they had suspected that a city Inspector was being bribed to pass mi Inferior grade of cement lu tho construction work. "Tho graft in that might run to mil-lions!'' mil-lions!'' itald Jim, appalled. "And the danger my Cod! Tho wbolo thing might collnpso nt nny minute!" "Get tho fncts down and print them." said Bruce. "I'll stay heie to get more evidence if I can. I don't think they suspect us yet." Stevens obeyed. But at the oUItc of his paper Instead of being praised for his enterprise In securing n wonderful wonder-ful story he was bitterly attacked by ills managing editor. Stevens had not known It hitherto, but his paper wus a tool of the graft syndicate and wus preparing nt that moment to launch a bitter attack upon Bruce I.nrulgiiu. Tho story Stevens turned In wus toru up. He himself was summarily discharged. dis-charged. But that, ns It turned out, wns a fnlso move, for it only aroused the fighting blood of Stevens. He went from newspaper to newspaper, until finally lu tlm odlco of the Independent ho found an editor with courage enough lo face the consequcuces of defying the trust. "They may smash us," ho said, "but uarnlgau Is lu the right, mid we'll back lilm up. Wo'll begin by printing your story and putting you on our staff. Go out nnd get ns much mora stuff of this sort ns you can." A new dnngcr threatened, however, for Stanford Stouo had been lu the of-flco of-flco of Slovens' paper talking to tho managing editor when the reporter made his report Unseen by Stevens, ho had heard everything nnd so knew that Bruce, in disguise, was working ns a laborer In the subwny. At once ho saw a chance to crush his enemy. IIo went to Penrose, nnd tho two concocted con-cocted n new scheme for Bruce's destruction. de-struction. Bruce, suspecting nothing, was pleased pleas-ed by the prniso that Kelly, ostensibly l?w. LrT?wMB BBB lui Li&'BBuSiBvS'BBIArtfBBB'll Wvt BSBBMflSiBBBBl?BBE 1 tlflfc O' 9BSHHHKSSHSBkSh m w i:'BBfarBarirBBrBBBBfrBBBBBBBBBBBfiwrBBBa.i jb vLMjBlKBHHBBETBlflBB "Everything will come out all right," said Dorothy. tho foreman of tho work, but actually the personal representative nnd graft collector of Penrose, gave him for his work. "Sure, nn' you do well for a greenhorn." green-horn." said Kelly. "I'll bo afther raisin' rais-in' j'otir pay nnd glvln' yo better worrk to do." Bruce grinned his thanks. lie wns disposed to like Kelly and to bcllevo thnt tho man did not understand the rottenness of tho work that was being done. Kelly, ns wns afterward to appear, ap-pear, was a good nctor wustcd on tho Job ho held. He refused, in spite of Penrose's urgency, to be hurried. "You'd be wnntln' him to smell a rnt," ho said. "Ho's no fool, thnt lad. Ho takes curcful handlln' such as ho gets from me. Lavo It to me. MIstlier Penrose. I'll seo thnt ho goes to kingdom king-dom come. I.nvo It to Kelly!" Day by day Kelly saw to It that Bruco got better work nnd more important im-portant to do. He praised him. en-:ourugC(l en-:ourugC(l htm. And ho did lull Bruco's suspicions, so thnt when nt Inst ho wns ready to strike Bruco tmsted him. "It's tolmo yez learned the blnstln. That's the worrk that pays!" said Kelly. Kel-ly. "Tnke this dynnmlte cartridge, now, and carry It Into the tunnel. Tho place to set it is marrked wld a red :rross. The hole tho driller left is there. Yo see, ye carry tho wire along. Then when yez como back yo report and inako tho contact nnd bid! Alsy does It seo! Don't be droppln" that stick!" Bruco obeyed, working his way into tho tunnel. But ubove. when Kelly enmo out, Penroso wns waiting by the electric switch. "Alsy does it sorr!" said Kelly. "Glvo him time to got the end and stnrrt bnck. Then I'll'touch tho switch nnd good night Lnrnlganl" "Splendid!" said Penrose "ncrc, I must get my girls out They're inspecting in-specting tho work. I don't want them to take nny chances." Dorothy nnd Mnbcl. indeed, wero near by. And Dorothy hnd recognized Bruco. Sho hnd an accomplishment thnt few of her friends suspected sho could read lips. And so, though out of hearing, she knew what Kelly nnd Penroso had said. At once sho slipped Into the tunnel after Bruce. "Como quickly! There's n plot to kill you!" sho screamed. "Drop that stick and run! Don't ask mo how 1 know!" Bruco obeyed. Together they ran for tho street And Just ns'they got out of tho tunnel thero wns n dull roar bo hind them. Bruco had escaped. But the blast hod unforeseen consequences, conse-quences, for the rotten cemcut guvo way. the street fell In. nnd Bard Penrose, Pen-rose, sitting In hU automobile, wns swept to his death. To Be Continued '--y1! v j&.'l |
