Newspaper Page Text
TWO
April no Dais
14
PROLOGUE.
“It breaks the speed limit to
smithereens."
That's a candid opinion about
this story. There may have
been swifter talcs, but not re
ccntly. It's an aeroplane of a
yarn, moving so fast that you
lose your breath while you fol
low it. But you don’t need any
breath, anyway, because you
forget about respiration with
yonr eyes on reading of this
kind.
Every man has his day of
days. Yours may have come
and you may be swimming in
the full tide of fortune. If so,
read how P. Sybarite found
his. If your own ship is still
in the offing, you will enjoy
learning how the little spunky
red headed bookkeeper won a
fortune and an heiress, foiled
all his enemies and had some
of the most amazing adven
tures ever penned—all in less
time than it takes the hour
hand to round the clock dial
twice.
(Continued from Yesterday)
From llii* li- nil of thr innrnudrr mi
other tongue of flume Ili Ued out to (lie
Bound of tile aittne (lull. brourlilal
rough, mid n liiiltet thuin|ied heavily
Into the wn'l hostile [' Sybarite.
Enraged tu-yond measure, lip drew
back hi* worthless tvenjiou mid threw
It with nil hi* might And kismet
winged the missile to the tiring nrui of
the assassin With n cry of pain nhd
linger Involnntili lly lie relaxed III*
grasp ii|hiii hi- op n pistol, and. drop
ping It. ho .nr.ihled nnil hnlf fell, half
threw liliiim d nvn to tiie next floor.
A* he did this o white nrm was lev
eled over I Intttlder of P. Sybarite.
The worn n tool; deliherste nlra, flred
—and uifs 11|.
CHAPTER VII.
The Lady of the House.
MT mi <•, like a <l. lunii us exoop
flmi.il in.lk ;v. i trilltllliHii
and overp rt "eriug ruge pos
sessed I* Sybarite Wit limit
the least hesitation In- stretched foilti
■ hand. snatched the pistol from tin*
•rasp of the woiuiiii • who seemed to
relinquish It more through surprise
than willingly tli row himself half
way down llie stair* nnd took a hasty
pot shot nt Hie marauder almost Inrlit
til* In tile darkness ns lie rounded the
turn of tin* mp'.t flight
Mission ttic little man flmifr on reek
Jeaslr. A» lie gained the next floor
down ttie hull lights Unshed up. swlteti
on from the upper landing by the
woman of the house Thua aided, he
raiifrht Another glimpse of Ills prey
midway donn the ne*t flight. nnd
cheeked to Hike n soeoiid shot at 11111 l
Afftln lie missed With but one thought
he hurried on, swung round to the head
of tiie atnlrs. *nw his innn at the tmt
torn, pulled tip to him and—
Beneath him a small rug slipped on
pollahed parquetry of th* landing. P.
Sybarite's heels went up and bla bend
down with a alekenlng thump, lie
heard hit pistol explode ones more
Then, bounding up with unrsminon
resiliency he snw tbs street door of the
house does behind the fugitive and
beard the heavy slaw of IL
Above turn on the atnlrs tbs lady of
tbs house appealed.
“Com* back!" she called In a guarded
tons. "He's mads a clean getaway.
Cot to baud him that No use trying
to follow. Tou wouldn't catch up lu a
thousand years. Com# back—d'you
bear?—and give me tny gun!”
A trifle dashed, P. Sybarite obeyed.
“Now then"—eh* addressed tbs little
man. with a brilliant smile—"now we
can powwow. Come Into the den." and
led the way toward the rear of the
bouse. Me trotted anbmlaelvely tn her
wnke.
Turning Into a dark doorway, tb*
woman switched light into an electric
dome. Illuminating an Interior apart
ment transformed by a wildly original
taste In eccentric decoration Into a
lounging room of auch distressful
unlqulty that It would have bred un
rest In the soul of a lotus safer
Black, red and gsld—luaterleaa Mack
of coke, lurid crimson of fresh blood,
bright, gin ring yellow of gold, new
minted—were the predominant notes In
a color scheme at ones somber and
violent
“Coxy little bole.” P. Sybarite
couldn't forbear to comment with ■
shudder as he dropped Into a chair In
compliance to fbe woman's gesture.
Offering cigarettes In a golden cas
ket, she selected ami lighted one for
herself. “My servants are nil abed."
■be said, "or I would offer you a drink."
Me DAY OF
DAYS
By I OHS JOSEPH VANCE
Copyright, I*ll. kv the Praafc A. M#a*«y Co
"Tou hu* m nervanta la tho house
then?"
"Do I look like a woman who dope
her own houaework?”
"Ton do not," he a (Armed politely
“But can you hlamo me for wouderlne
whore your servants 've Inreu through
all thla racket P
"They sleep on tha top floor Itehlml
aornid proof doora," hi* hostess ex
plained coiuplai'enlly. "and have or
dera to answer only when I tin*, even
If they abould happen to boar any
thing "
“But there «m a burglar." P. Sybn
rite contended brightly. "Tou saw
him yourself,"
"No."
“Bnt—but yon did aee him—later on
the atalra."
Smiling, the woman ahook ber head
"1 aaw no burglar, merely a dem
friend In abort If It Intereata yon t*
know, I aaw my husband."
“Madam!" I*. Sybarite aat op. with
a shocked expression.
"Oh." aald the woman lightly, "we're
good enough for one another—be and
I! lie deaiTied what he got when be
married me. Hut that'* not aayltig
I'm content to aee him duck whnt'"
coming to him for tonight’s deviltry
Iu fact I mean to get him before In
got* me. Are you game to lend mu n
hand?"
"Really— I'd rather be excused "
“Really," *he mocked pleasantly
“you won't he. I'm a gentle creature
but determined. Perhaps you've heard
of me-klni. Jeffcraon Incha?”
Decidedly he had. aud ao bad nine
tenths of New York's newspaper rend
Ing population heard of the most dm
garoiia woman In town.
"Hut -ah—Mr. Incha, I understand
died aouie year* ago."
"Bo he did.”
“Yet you speak of your htiaband”—
"Of my present huaband. whose
name I don’t wear for reasons of real
astute. I took the rotter on becauac
he's rich aud will be rteber when his
father dies. If our marriage comes
out prematurely be'll be disinherited
ao we’ve agreed to a aub rose arrange
ment, which lenves him ostensibly a
marketable bachelor.
"Now. 1 happen to know a marriage
has recently been offered him, through
which lie would Immediately came Into
control of ,-t big pot of money, and
naturally he's strong for tt But 1 re
fused his offer of n cool $000,001) to
play the lleno circuit, and ao ho con
eluded to am- fur n divorce with a re
volver. n Muxlm silencer aud a perfect
alibi. Do you follow roeT”
"As far us the alibi."
"Ob. that* ipille simple! \X» don't
live together, and he'* in sure enough
society, and I'm not. Tonight tho an
nuiil Hadlov Owen post l-enten nuts
querade's In full swing just around the
comer, and Friend Husband's then
with the rest of the haughty hunch
Can't you see how easy It would be sot
him to drop round here between
dances, murder his 'awful wedded wlft
and heat It hack without hi- it licence
lielnc noticed? Itut t rc ognlxed him
I saw id* tiiouilt li'* musk wottldn't
bide that mill I:new him Instantly"
P. Rylmiite v is silent lie. too linen
that mouth: Its wearer h-nl somethin:*
to do with Molly I,<>*«tng
"Now that von know the lay of tln
land. how about helping me oflt?"
Now. the trail of the man with Un
twisted month promised fair to lend to
Molly T.eaalng P. Sybarite didn't
Unger on his decision.
"Short of trying a 'prentice hand at
aaaassl nation"—
“Dou't be an as*! I only want to
protect myself, besides, you can't re
fuse. Consider how lenient Pve been
with you. If I wanted to be nasty
you'd be on your way now to a cell lu
the Kuat Flfty-flrnt atr-eet station. But
I waa grateful."
“The saints bs praised for that!"
exclaimed the little man fervently
"What's It forr
"Per waking me op In time to pre
vent my murder In my sleep," she re
turned coolly, "aud also for being the
spunky little devil yon are aud ebaslug
off that hound of a husband of mine
If It wasn't for you he'd 've got me
aura, or else," abe amended. “I'd 've
got hint, which would have been al
most a* unpleasant—what with being
pinched and tried and having Juris*
disagree and getting off at last only on
the plea of Insanity andkll that Who
era you?"
"Michael Monahan, madam.” This
waa tb* first alliteratlv* combination
to pop Into his optimistic mind.
“Oun that,” retorted the lady serene
ly. "Come, what’s your real name?"
Taking thought, be aaw no great
danger in being truthful for once.
“P. unfortunately —8) barite," he
said. "bookkeef>er fer Whig bam A
Wlxaper*. leather merchant*. Frank
fort street."
"And how did you come by that coat
and bat?"
"Borrowed tt from a drunken cop In
Penfleld’a a little while ago. They
were raiding the place, and 1 kind of
wanted to get away-w Strange to aay,
my disguise didn't take, aud 1 bad to
leave by way of the back fences."
"T don't know why." said Mr* Iwhe
reflectively, ''but I believe everything
you aay Now, what'll you take to do
ms a service?"
“My service*, madam, are youre to
command. My reward-ah. your amlle!"
“Hunk!" observed the Indy elegantly
“How would a hundred look to you?
Good, eh?'*
“You misjudge me." the little man
tnalated. "Money la really no object"
"Htlll," she frowned In puar.leiuenL
“I should think a clerk In the lestber
business''--
"Pin afraid I've misled you. I should
have said that 1 was a Clark In the
leather hnslueaa until today. Now I
hapfien to he Independently wealthy,
a clerk no longer."
"I think.” announced tha lady
thought fully, "that you nra one of the
allckeat young liars I ever listened to.
On tha other hand, you're unquestion
ably a perfect little gantlernsn. Aud.
anyhow. I'm going to take you at your
word and truat yon. Von'ra willing to
go a bit out of your way to do wu a
favor tonight?"
“Or any other night"
"Very wall." Mra, Incha roaa. "Walt
here a moment"
Wrapping her negligee round her.
aha swept magnificently out of the den.
and a moment latar again crossed P
Hybnrlta’* range of vision as aho aa
vended the atatra Then she disappear
ad, and hla reverie waa presently Inter
rnplcd by the sound of tha womnn'a
high, clear vole#.
“Hallo. Columbus, seven four hun
dred, please! Hello. Mason! Taxicab
please—Mra. Jefferson Incite! Yes
charge. Y’es—lmmediately. Thank
you P
A moment later she reappeared on
the stair*, carrying a wrap of aome
sort over her arm. When abe again
entered the den it proved Pi ha a man’s
coat and aoft hut that alia had found
for him.
"Get up.” ahe ordered Imperiously,
“anil change to these before you get
pinched for Imfiersoiiatlug an officer.
I'vo called a taxi for you, and thla la
what I want you to do—go to Dntrb
House That’s a dive. Fortieth street”
“I’ve heard of It." nodded P. Syba
rite. "Any sober man who stay* away
from It la iitmoat perfectly aufe."
“I'll trust you to take care of your
self," aaid tho Indy. “Ask for Jted
November Von know who he la?"
“The gangster? Yes.”
“If be Isn't In wait for him If yon
wait till daylight. '*
"Important a* ull that, eh?"
"It's life or death for me,” said Mr*.
Incite serenely. "I’ve got to have pro
tection You’ve seen yourself how had
I need it And the police are not for
the llkea of me besides,” ehe added,
with engaging candor, ‘if I squeal and
IPi 1
fljflg
MJ«r $
G r% - s«*K>
"Tall him, 'Nells wants you.'"
tell the truth then Friend Husband
will t>«> disinherited for sure, and I'll
have had all my trouble for nothing.”
"Yon make It perfectly clear, Mrs.
Inch*. And wbeu 1 see Mr. Had No
vember!"
“Say to him three words—‘Nella
warns you.' Mo'll understand. Then
you can go home."
“If 1 get out alive."
“You're safe If you don't drink any
thing there."
“Doubtless, but I’ll feel safer If yon'll
lend me the loan of this neat little
toy,” said P. Sybarite, weighing iu one
band her autemutlc pistol.
"He yours.”
“Anything In It?"
“Three shots left, I believe. No mat
ter. I'll get you a handful of car
tridges, and you can reload the dtp In
the taxicab—uot that yoo're likely to
need It."
When It came to viscid second
thought, alone In the gloom, of an uu
sympathetic taxicab, P. Sybarite In
clined to concede himself more ass
than hero.
Dutch Mouse, to which he was
bound, bore tho reputation of being as
sinister a dive as ever stood cheek by
Jowl with Broadway and braxenly
flaunted an all night liquor license In
the face of law abiding New York, of
which It was said that no sober man
ever went there, other thau those who
went to prey, and that no drankard
ever escaped from It nnfleeced; haunt
of the most deadly riffraff to be fonud
In town
And to this place P, Sybarite was
traveling to deliver a message from n
notorious woman to a ping lender,
with only a 2o caliber automatic aud
his native wit and audacity to guard
the moderate fortune that he carried
with him In cash
(To Be Continued Tomorrow.)
“I SAW IT IN THE HERALD”
THE AUGUSTA HERALD. AUGUSTA, GA.
/*vr * vTrrti ti f
Every day man “lets things slide,” or “takes things easy,” habit is weaving its invisible threads into an unbreak
able net about him. ... ... .
THE SPECTACLE
THE THREADS OF BONDAGE
SUNDAY. MARCH 22.