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Show mviN s. cobb lr H Iff. ln f Each Episode Suggested by a Prominent Author Serialization by HUGH WEIR and JOE BRANDT Produced by the Universal Film Manufacturing Company Copyright, 1015, by the Universal Film Manufacturing Company. FIRST EPISODE Liquor and the Law Sugfieited by IRVIN S. COBB. Author of "Back Homo" And "Judge Prleit Storiei DUDLEY LARNIQAN, district attoruey of Now York, was a uiun wUo would never bo suspected sus-pected of hystcrleul fear. Ills word was good. When he Bald a tliluc it wns taken for gratid ttint lie Knew exactly what he was tllcin about and that ho had the facts to back up bis statements. And yei bo was ut this time almost tho lausliluKstock of the city that had swept hlin Into odlco ut tho last election by un unprecedented majority. The newspapers, -while they did not actually attack him. made fun of him. His own friends looked at him nsknnce. Even his own son. Uruce IirulKun. nn unpaid and volunteer assistant as-sistant lu the district attorney's office, shared tho prevailing opinion, at least to n certain exteuL Father und son wcro talking. "I've no doubt that there's a Rood deal of Kraft We all know there Is. In fact." said Uruce. "It's not so very Ioiik since 1 was admitted to the bar. and. of course. 1 haven't been In this otllco Iouk. but I've seen a few things Still, to say that there Is n symlleato mado up uf respectable men. big business busi-ness men. that practically makes a business of crime I think you went pretty far. dad." Dudley Ijirulcan slaked. Ho wasn't at all nncry. He looked at his son pa. tleutly and n llttlo. wearily "You think I went pretty far." he said. "Ilulf tho elly thinks I'm Insane. In-sane. I believe. And yet I shall prove. If I live, every eharRo 1 havo made. I shall prove that the most powerful organization this country has ever seen has Its center rlcht hero In New York an organization founded on tho determination to secure unfair advantages graft for Us members. I shall prove thnt this organization will not stop and has not stopped at murder!" Ilruco laughed uncomfortably. "Can't you tell mo more. then7" ho nsked. "Why. there must bo men In this organization that I know men who are supposed to be respectable!" "Supposed to bo respectable!" said his father bitterly. "Why. they're- tho leading men of tho city of the wholo country. They f.re business men who f35' v?l f!(B IXirVH M.I3KHHBMiiS ? It Wa a Ytllow, Grinning Skull. ore tho leaders of our greatest industries. indus-tries. They control tho business of tho country as It Is, but they want to pet everything into tbclr owu hands, l'hey WaDt to stldo ull competition. They aro .not coutent with tho fair, legitimate proflts. They want to get graft in every line and so Ooubl their protlts. if tlicy are not cbeckd they will get a stranglo hold on tho notion They will control elections every, where; they will name one of them-selves them-selves as president, and this country will cease to be n republic." Ilruco hesltatinl to unswer. Ho saw tho wild light In his father's eyes. lie know his father better than tho men outside who laughed nt him. who had Jeered tho speech that tad starteiVall tho trouble. Never had Dudley Larnl-gnn Larnl-gnn Klnee his Mm could remember failed to make good any statement, any promise. Yet tills u. bellevo what he heard now called for more l faith than Ilruco could muster, no was about to say something of tho sort when there was an Interruption. There wns n knock nt the door, nnd an office boy appeared, bearing n parcel, par-cel, which ho handed to the district attorney. "This camo by special messenger, sir," ho said. "The boy said there was no answer, nnd he wouldn't say where It camo from." Ilruco took the package nnd took out bis pockctknlfc, making to cut the string, but his father checked him. "Let mo xec that a moment," he said. He studied the writing of the address carefully, and then, with .a gesturo of dislike nnd distrust, he shrugged his shoulders. "I thought so." ho said "It's from them." Bruce laughed nloud. "What do you mean, dad?" he asked. "Aro yon nfrnld they're sending you n bomb?" "No; 1 don't think so." s;ild Lamlgnn iiilte seriously Mlitl.lieo.llessof his son's Jesting tone. "I don't believe the time has I'orao for that yet. Open It. Bruce. We tnluht as well see what's In It." Bruro rut the strings, tore off tho papers, pa-pers, nnd then, as the contents of the package were revealed, he started back, tilled for the moment with horror. It "I (hall enforce the law." wns n yellow", grinning skull that be revealed, nnd on Its forehead some words were written. "Let the llijuor trust alone," Bruce rami "Wi. will nltfinn tnw vntit- nn. swer." Dudley Lnrnlgan looked at him. "You sec, Bruce," he said, "there nro somo who take this business moro seriously se-riously tlinn you do." "But why this Is n Joke a silly, senseless, prnctlcal Joko!" exclaimed Bruce. "Surely they wouldn't try seriously seri-ously to frighten you with a stagy old trick like this?" "Whether they tried seriously or not they succeeded." said his fnthcr, "for 1 inn certainly frightened, Bruce." Bmco stared at him Incredulously. "You are frightened by this?" said Bruce, looking from his father to tho grinning skull. "Dad, you need a rest. Your nerves uro upset You've been overworking. You'd better take a vacation va-cation and get back Into shape." Dudley Larulgnn bhook his bead sadly. "I shall take no vacation until 1 havo beaten tho grafters or until they linvo beaten me," ho said. "I have been waiting for the time to come. Bruce, when I could tako you into my coulldeuco regarding this. I bee that nothing I can say will convince you that this Is u real and deadly danger that I face. But tho proof will come soon enough. It will bo unmistakable when It docs como. I know that 1 can count on you, ray boy thut If they succeed in getting mo out of the way they will still havo to rcckou with you." In splto of himself Bruce was beginning begin-ning to bo affected. His father wus so serious, was so evidently In deadly fear, that Bruco could not help being moved. It was Impossible for him to bellevo when ho tried to thluk things out that there was any basis for his father'u fear, but it wns equally Impossible Im-possible for him to bellovo that a man like Dudley Larnlgau would give way to panic without the very grarout reasons. rea-sons. "You needn't wait Bruce," sold his father finally. "I haro a good deal of work to do, and I stan't need you." Bnuco'got up nnd moved hesitatingly toward the door. Just then the telephone tele-phone un his father's desk riuig out sbnrplT. Dudley Lomlgnn beforu he nn swered pointed to another Instrument, nnd Bruco, understanding) lifted Its receiver re-ceiver to listen to tho conversation. A strange voice, ovldeutly disguised, camo thinly to his car: "Hello! Hollo! Is this District Attorney At-torney Larnlcnn?'' "Yes." "Lnrnlgan. you know who is apenk-Ing. apenk-Ing. If you nro In doubt look at tho skull wo sent you." Well, you como down to my place tonight, to-night, nnd I'll see that you get It You've got to como to the house." Bruco laughed nt her. "Do I look as easy ns all that?" he said. "Do you suppose I can't recognize recog-nize as obvious n trap as that?" "Aw, I knew it wasn't any uscl" Bho said. "I told them you wouldn't como. But I'll get the devil tho ranln guy's goln' to bo there" "What?" said Bruco sharply. "He is, eh? Well, that might make a difference" differ-ence" He hesitated, questioned her sharp ly. But In the end ho decided to go-taking go-taking certain precautions. The tlmo came, and Bruce, still hesitating hesi-tating a little but determined to fnce the risk thnt ho saw could not be avoided, went with the woman to her house. Tho whole thing filled him with disgust; tho woman herself and the girls ho saw In her house revolted him. "You t.ee, you can And out what's going on here." said the woman. "It's plain enough my God, what's that?" There was n thunderous knocking nt the door. Heavy blows fell against It, and It camo crashing In. A squad of police followed. "They double crossed me tho Joint's pinched!" screamed the woman. Abruptly Bruco saw what had been planned and went white. But Just as a policeman stepped up to him another innu In plain clothes appeared. "Officer, leave Mr. Lnrnlgan nlonc," he said. "He's hero to get evidence. Arrest the woman no one else." "Yes, Sir. Commissioner." said the man, saluting. Tills wns Brucc's counterstroke. Ho had arranged for the police cointnls- " vw;'i'WIMW8WN81lMWp"JWAiWeHifWBpW y-Ofapwyr nirtfinriii)f ftnfl n fl IJuMWii !B?V?u&MaMAMMiHMIMMe B8?fitj ? 9FaBLDl IrMWfurTtjeBeBeEIBIFV lFO T7- WUrdoT BTaaleBwaTaFPWM "There's one of your houses burning up!" ho criod. sloucr to accompany any raiding party and had told him his plans In advance. Ills reputation wns safe. But now n new factor camo into sight- Anton Dow, furious at the frustration frus-tration of his plans, suddenly appeared. "Arrept both those men!" ho cried. "I demand It!" "Anton Dow!" cried Bruce. "So you nre 'tho miifn guy' here! You are ono of the Fifteen one of my father's murderers!" mur-derers!" Dow realized his mistake. But he tried desperately to secure Bruce's nr-rest. nr-rest. Only a sudden commotion out side the house checked him. "I'lre!" yelled home mic at a window. win-dow. "In the house across the street!" Bruco tore over to look. Flames were pouring from tho door nnd the lower windows of the house, which had no flro escapes! Ho understood tho full horror of It in n moment Dorothy was there! Ho turned frantically to Dow. "There's ono of your houses burning up!" he cried. "No fire escapes! Dorothy Dor-othy Maxwell Is there, trying to help the children you oppress! And with her are your own chlldreu!" Dow. stricken, never doubtlug, collapsed. col-lapsed. Bruco raced to tho street. The policemen followed. Firemen were arriving. ar-riving. Ladders wero going up. Bruce knew tho window whcie Dorothy must be. Ho wns up tho first ladder and found her with tho two Dow children. He brought them to safety and then bellied lu the work of rescue. Dow. stammering. Incoherent, camo to Bruce. "I've been wrong I've been n sinful maul" he said. "But I see my wickedness. wicked-ness. I will reforni every building I own. And tomorrow morning I will give you the evidence against tho rest!" "Como to my otllco at 0 o'clock." said Bruce. Neither saw that Black, lurking near by, heard. Neither knew that Black got word to Stanford Stone. Bruce was up all night On Christmas Christ-mas morning, when he had dono all ho could for the flro sufferers, ho went to his oflleo to wait for Dow. Ho looked at tho clock 8:30. Ills mother called him up. She begged him to como to her at onct said that she must sec him. He hesitated, then scribbled u note. "Dow," It read, "I will bo back ut!):30. Walt" Outside his office ho met Dorothy. "I was nfrnld," sho said. "I wanted you to como Iwme." "Como with mo," he said with a laugh. "I must hurry buck, but I'll have breakfast at homo with you and mother." Dow came, found the noto nnd sat down to wait He had gono to pieces. The eseapo of his children had un-nerved un-nerved him. Ho glaucd nt tho clock. Nino o'clock. In his own oflleo Stanford Stono, too, looked nt Ids clock. Ho wntctwd the mlnntes pm,s slowly till flvo had gone. And at tho fifth inlliiite, when, as Stono supposed, Dow would Just be beginning his revelations to Bruce, an explosion shuttered Brueo'a room. A bomb connected with tho clock wns set off, nnd Dow wns instantly killed. Only nn accident had saved Bruce from sharing his fate. |