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Show ONsof Witless ' Iff AftjHUR, B. Continued From Our Last Issue. i HAPTKR IX THE DIRECTION FINDER. "Curtis you werp up to something I devilish I knew it!" repeated Ynrlo' as he faced Jack over the table at the i Binnacle. 1 When you saw me drive up. (here you suddenly changed your tune. You ran to cover to cover yourself!" your-self!" The waiter, Herman, sniveled His face was livid He bowed and almost . fauned on Varlo, took hold of him, . for all the world like a drowning man catching a straw. "Furthermore. I believe, you slipped I that vial in ihis man's pocket perhaps per-haps ou palmed it did s little sleight hi hand. You inhuman cad! I could; cane you!" Ruth was speechless She leaned over iho table, ball standing, an alluring allur-ing little figure in blue. Her excitement excite-ment had sent, a blaze of color to her cheeks Hex golden hair framed hei face in a mass of gold that shed a i brightness over her whole counte-n;mc counte-n;mc Ruth Was ;i very desirable little lit-tle girl and her chief charm was thai she did not seem to be thinking of it all the time. Jack had been working himself into an almost apoplectic rage as Yario burled the accusal ion at him. He took a step forward In furlOUS de? fense, then shot out his forefinger pointing at the leacup thai bad been before him ' Yould I poison myself'" he menaced. men-aced. ' We'll settle that," came back Vario sharply. "I'll undertake to label tin.-, all and seal it in the presence of you as witness Then I'll send it to some reputable ihcmic.il laboratory I for analysis. I could do it myself j but well, in other words, we'll Im UUUU 11113 - HUril.l' Ulllll .-M.iu.uii. i ls- detm mini s what, it is " The waller scurried about getting flasks. Yario turned to Rutl. With excessive ex-cessive courtesy. "Miss Walden 1 must insist for your own safety I'll drive you back to the club. I'll telephone tele-phone and postpone the appointment I had at the Seavillfl station. No . it can easily go over until tomorrow. Your mother cannot stand much mon-She mon-She needs you . . Ruth. She has been through so much anguish in the last two days." Ruth looked from Yario at Jack, still sputtering impotently. Was 11 (rue? The quickest way to get out ol danger Is often the most obvious. "Thank you, Professor. It's very kind of you to take such an interest." The left Curtis standing, still boil ing wiih rage, beside his motor. As Varlo's car disappeared, Jack sprang into his own and shot down the South Shore road toward a short cut to the cross island highway Nita Walden's surprise was great when she saw Yario Wtlh Ruth. "Whero's Jack Curtis?" she exclaimed. ex-claimed. The mommi p( sijem i that followed fol-lowed was eloquent "h, R.nU dear, any more trouble" Ruth was out of the car, eager to give hei mother more confidence "No. Mummsy, nothing much . . . Jack was a little off in the head . but Professor Yario came along . . . and . . ." Mrs. VYalden beamed her apprecls lion of Varlo's help Yario exchanged a keen glance with Ruth and understood under-stood (hat she chose to wail until there were more facta before she made an open accusation. He nodded and acquiesced. "You'll let me know the the result re-sult 0" Ruth asked Yario promised and with a forced i l-lieu 1 IBU rOUIBIB .mill ui 111-11 uuu ran up the stairs to her room to dress for diuner Meanwhile, on the opposite porch of the club which was ot hei wise deserted. desert-ed. Ylra. only a few moments before, bad tucked her arm nervously under Garrlck's and drawn blm into i lie pri-vaC pri-vaC ol the glaaaed In, winter solar lum. "You may come, too, Dick," she nodded back to him "There please shut (he door "She glanced at Oar rick, half confidingly, half fearful of him. "I've been bo afraid ever Bince I found out how Lbe walls uiifcht have ears ! " Dick closed It and Carrlck placed a chair for Ylra who sank Into it rigid ly. turning and looking up at his face as he stood with his hands still on (he back of the Chair. There was something1 seething In her mind and Garrlck was just about to make some reassuring remark that would relieve the tension and open the floodgates of her heart Ira, all animation, now thai She had taken (his step, did not wait to give him a chance. "It's about Glenn," she cried tensely, bringing her two hands fo-cether. fo-cether. "You know all about the Inner In-ner Circle . . . and Ceorges. Well, ;ienn was our treasurer when we first started Ib yet, in a way I suppose Oh, it may have been all right when we started. It was fun and all that It was unique It was smart. But . . . one thing led to another . . . and . . . Guy, Oh, get him out of It all . . . get him out of it . . . clean ! " Vira, flushed, had risen from the chair and was standing with hands extended, pleadingly before Garrlck As she finished there was a little tremble in her voice and she turned quickly to dab away B tear that had gathered in each eye Garrlck took her arms and gently forced her back into the chair Vira pressed the tips of fingers of both hands on her flush ed forehead. "But who's (he head of it all this Velvet Gang, as the police call it?" Garrlck exaggerated a bit for effect. Ylra looked up quickly, a frightened staro on her face But she said nothing noth-ing "I don't want to drag all you foolish fool-ish young folks Into anything I want to keep you out of It. I'm not half so much interested even in catching these bootlegging proflte-s higher up as I am in getting you out of your foolishness clean." "I'm sick of it all. So are Glenn and Ruth only they're too proud to admit it Someone must make the break. I felt that I could swallow my pride. Guy." Garrlck patted the litlle KlH's shoul der. Vira smiled up ai him crate fully and with confidence. "Whose was that gruff voice, a man, , lhat I heard this morning over tho die tagraph In the Pink room-' Brock"'' j Garrlck had risnred on betrayal bs surprise He in turn was not sur-1 prised at the naive stare In return nor i b Hie nrm silence. He had seen too man) women on (ho witness stand, i Vira had made up her mind to talk j but not too much He decided It was host in kt It go at that, not to try anyi social third degree. She would corned around They agreed not for the pros , in to be seen together It was not thre minutes later when Imk received another shock Mrs.j Walden ii.nj hastened to pour out the news of the Binnacle episode, as far as she knew it. to Garrlck. "I'm going (o call up Ruth on the, house phone.'' exclaimed Dick violent-! Ij as he and Qarrick paced down rhe ( porch alone ' "No don't It won't do a bit of j good. You'll do harm, in your present; mood. Don't be bo worried over Ruth, Dick. Take it from me. she'll come OUl all right. I think that Utile girl knows very well what she Is doing." She does eh0 The deuce she does'"; Qarrick was not disposed to argue "This thing has gone Just about far! enough, Dick," he considered energet-j irally. Now is the moment to act in I "THE SEA VAMP HAS GONE," HE SAID, AS THEY LOOKED OUT OVER THE EMPTY HARBOR. earnest. Take these robberies, rirai Why . . . an by whom? Whatever What-ever lor foolishness and love of adventure, ad-venture, Ruth just simply could not have been concerned In them. Now. stari at the beginning There's that girl's hat used In the Gerard robin rob-in ry, the one I've not in the club safe. Whose is that? 1 know what you're going to say. Rae Larue's. Maybe. Bui can ou prove it? And if you can, that's s Ions way from connecting her with i be hold up." That devil. Jack .Curtis'" ground OUl Dick "They're two of a kind. I'll be! ii we could raid his room at the hotel, we'd get something maybe a picture of Rae with the hat. I think that was his camera after all that you pinched ' Garrlck swung on his heel. "Curtis. Just what I was thinking. Let's jump over there get him right, quick." At the hotel they learned that Curtis Cur-tis had clfeaned ofat everything that forenoqn, had checked out, and had disappeared. Over the telephone Garrlck called the Page place. Beth was not at home but her mother. With considei -ible relief, replied Ml"s Larue7 .Mis. Larue left rather hurriedly for the city this afternoon. I believe she expects her mother from the coast." .... , , , ..u ,!.. r',,r-H Inl .Mrs waiucn uiu iuik Started down the South Shore road When Varlo left. Ruth looked back and saw him." Garrlck was rlimblng In under tho Wheel when a blue streak shot along Main stieet regardless of local law. He Jabbed at his screecher of a horn. "It s (ilenn ' He waved and si-naled. si-naled. c.lenn bore over to the curb a couple of hundred yards ahead "Jump In Dick." "Where's the fire?" Joked Garrlck. "JuM going up to see Vira with Ruth." "8aj Glenn-" confidentially 'there's no use keeping this under covei I he. nil you say. In the IMnk , ,M1iii. j ou 'I taken I hnt Parr stuff to your own garage to protect Vira. the only one that has a key to that place ' Nov.. play straight. Glenn "This Is tor your own good i ltd I ever do you a dirty trick or Dick f What do popl at tho club think of me Do they trust me"" (,lenn threw away an almost fresh i igarette lighted another, threw it away and stood fooliHhly with tne burnt match in bis hand. 'That's the way, I am. Guy." he scowled. "As nervous as hell. Half the time I don't know what I'm doing Sjy you'll be on the level, Guy. It's a cinch no one else will. I might as well make a clean breast of it . . no, Just give mo tonight to think It over . . Well, anyway yes, I gave a key to Rae Larue once. Sher Kocfrtwi it rf tnrt oni'H to nut her car up . and then ' All right, Hqnn I II give you tonight to-night doing to see Ruth? Well, tell her not to do a Ihlng without seeing me first." Glenn departed a bit relieved at postponing the evil day of confession ' Well, If rtae Larue had it, Ihey all had it, anyone who wanted It." hastily reasoned Garrlck. "That pla.ee Is a cache for their etuff. I didn't want to ask for the key. I don't need It. We'll go there anyway. I'll get In Come on to the city." Garrlck and Dick were whirling down the turhipke, Pick with his eyes glued t th" road back of them for motorcycle cops. Locks were no impediment to Gar-rlek. Gar-rlek. He had taken a course with his friend Houdlnl While he couldn't get out of everything, he could get Into nearly anything. Glenn's enrage was easy. As they closed the door they looked about In amazement. It was Indeed an "unbonded "un-bonded warehouse." There were cases enough to have meant a tidy little fortune. In one corner where ihey had been hastily dumped lay the product of the looting of the Parr cellar. "Undisturbed. Too bulky." muttered mutter-ed Garrlck. "But someone haa been hero " "How do you know?" Garrlck pointed toward a crack of light. On one side of the garage was an auto rdt for working on the under side of cars.. A board covering was Imperfectly pulled over it. Through the edge shone a light Garrlck wrenched the covering aside. "Their hiding pine. Whoever was here must have been in a nervous hurry . , . forgot to. -switch off thit garage light on the flexible cable " He jumped down In the pit. A moment mo-ment later he hoisted himself up. Without a word ho handed Dick a little jewel case. Engraved on it were the words. "Antoinetto Parr " It was empty. ' Everything's gone all tho small portable property." ' What Hhall we do? Hand It over to t he police "' "Not yet. I must g t Glenn and the others some port of lmmunlt for what they didn't do They don't de-servo de-servo It but they're just wise young fools" Garrlck thought a moment "You see, the net result of some of our new commandment haa been to make various phases of lawbrcaklng fashionable, fmart. Only this Is a bit extreme." He moved over to the telephone. It was working and ho called tho Astra Agency of private detectives to furnish a guard until tho ringleader was caught and he was ready to make final disposition of the case. I'lck's alert eyes. as they were uung, discovered a wireless set on B work table in the rear Out of the back window he could see the antenna an-tenna from the garage to the houae. Mechanically he started tuning up. The agency men were a long time In coming. Holy JudSJ priest'" Dick was so startlod ho waj pale Someone's broadcasting what they rail newa It ... It can't be. It must be som I crazy amateur. Ruth Walden, the helfeae, has eloped with John Cur- Garriclf seized the phones. "Amateur "Ama-teur perhaps, crazy, no'" Garrlck listened and continued "Did you ever stop to consider the radio as a means for slander? Talk about your poison ! pen writers' Sc-lence has pui into the hands of blackmailers the most dangerous dan-gerous of weapons. Your story Is spread to a million fans And there's not a chance of tracing it to your slanderer!" 'There isn't The de1l there isn't. I can. I will!" exclaimed Dick. "If bS Keeps It up ." Everything he needed seemed to be there on the work hench. It was comparatively simple, a "loop" as It In known, copper wire wound eight limes around a frame four feet sutiare. Ho hung it from the celling free. He could turn It In any direction. direc-tion. He connected up the receiving set. Then he began turning the loop slowly. "A directional receiver." explained Dick. It must be orienated toward tho hidden sender Really, It's a radio ra-dio compass " By the time the Aafra men arrived. Dick had it pointed Every few minutes min-utes a new message came. They le't I the men in charge and climbed Into the car. The direction had been east by a little south I Across the bridge Dick set up his I 1 finder again This time Is was e a little north. uver well I S8 roads tlv-v - nrn.-l. now and tf" evory few m.ks .vetting up th d 5 and moilifymg tiulr our.-r. Wh the hid'' .1 in l i ' r . ir nlandi It 1 "Looks as If it i.'ii-ht be s Cb' Duck Harbor way " excUimeJ tit finally, aghaat ' Garrlck took It as a matt I course. It was merely conflrmll ii" rapid deductions . At Duck Harbor, abruptly," j ! rectlon of tho messages chana t the northeast sharply. I believe you traced On I sender." cried (Jarrick. as they-! fc i out over the empty harbor "Bill ft too late. The Sea Vamp' has ;j The birds are flown'" From a ot: down the . & Garrick called Nita Walden S Nonowantuo club. "Where is Ruth?" he asked qil jj "3ho went out with Glenn and e 1 She left a note for you, Guy. m I '.Mr. Garrick. Personal.' Hello? H : : 1 1 1 n then Hi re ' Yo me m-N . c.Mne.c again ' ju out letting you know. I've g H the 'Sea Vamp' to destroy the J Ki so they can't move it atay u ntl f morrow. Ruth ' " "But the 'Sea Vamp' has gonsXaj Mta Walden screamed her ftti tion. j.,." "Ruth has lie' ii niTlul off oaL ! 'Sea Vamp " f. (Continued In mr Next IssJ-j |