The Black Menace
By ARTHUR B. REEVE
There came over me a sense of
(liter helplessness.
Just then I felt Kennedy rise
In the crazily swaying car as
jft bumped from furrow to fur
jrow.
I heard another report. This
time it was from the peculiar
jpun which Craig carried,
f ITOie figuro stumbled but did
Dot fall as though wounded. In
stead it seemed to be groping
Wildly about in the field, no long
er trying to find the girl, but
rather to get away.
Somehow Kennedy had been
able to succeed where Clare and
the rest of us had failed.
s The car careened and came to
• stop in the deep soil. The rear
Wheels spun, digging deeper and
deeper, but wo no longer moved
ahead. Craig jumped out and
We followed.
, A New Bullet.
* "What did yon dot” I asked
thickly as Speed and I caught up
with him running.
"Bullets are no good against
that bullet-proof cloth,” he pant
ed as we ran, “I used a new tear
bullet—benzyl bromide— Chlor
ccetone vapor—produces temp
orary blindness.”
i As he spoke wo were getting
Closer in the heavy going through
the field to the wildly groping
figure.
Squarely at it again Craig dis
charged another tear bullet.
t He was taking no chances.
This timo the thing fell, and as
It fell, I saw that it was indeed
clad in a reinforced cloth of pe
culiar cut—perhaps steel lined,
with leg and arm guards.
Above was a sort of triangular
headpiece or helmet with slits
for the eyes—a thing that, was
.medieval except that it lmd been
designed to resist shrapnel splin
'ters and even the high velocity
modern bullet.
, "I couldn't let you come out
hire along, ” cried Clare as Speed
Igwa up to her.
| Kennedy bent over and un
easqued the head of the pros
; We stared trying to recognize
him, as Kennedy flashed a bull’s
eye on him.
It was Werner, the lounge liz
ard I
CHAPTER 9.
The Chorus Man.
Werner was almost speechless
from the stupefying and blind
ing tear gas as we bent over him.
He ooukl not see us, and to our
questions he could only mumble
answers.
“What were you doin£ here”
demanded Kennedy, pulling him
to his feet.
Werner mumbled an answer,
but there seemed to be no coher
ence to it. However, as he came
out from the effect of the drugs
he was able to stand alone, look- [
ing about at us and realizing that
at 'last Kennedy had trapped
him.
Clare was finishing telling
why she had taken a notion to go
out about the country on her own
resources, fearing that Jack
might run into some peril and
" wishing to be nearby if he did.
Again Kennedy began his
quizzing of Werner. But it was
• without result. There was noth
ing in him but defiant silence.
“What shall we do with himT”
asked Speed. “Wo don’t want
to take him back to the city.”
Kennedy’s Scheme.
Kennedy shook his head nega
tively. “No; and besides, I
doubt whether we have the au
thority. I think we’ll just about
drive over to the country seat
at Areola and have him put un
der custody.”
We made ready to get back
into our cars, Speed joining
Olare, while I took charge of
Werner in the back of our own.
I understood perfectly what
-Kennedy’s scheme was. By to
morrow the sullen lounge lizard
might think better of it, perhaps
realize that the simplest way out
for himself was to turn state’s
evidence. Even if that did not
happen, at least then Kennedy
might have a chance to adminis
ter one of his well known scien
tific third degrees. There must
be some way to get the truth out
of this fellow.
Accordingly we drove to the
county court house and succeed
ed in leaving our charge well pro
vided for in the county jail. Back
to the city we trailed, both Speed
and Kennedy chiding Clare for
her daring, though Speed was se
cretly very proud of her.
7
We left Clare at her apartment
and Speed drove her car around
to the garage while we took his.
It was late and we lost no time
in turning in.
It was early in the morning
that there was a sudden call for
Kennedy on the telephone, and
as he answered.it I gathered that
it was not favorable.
“What’s the matter f” I asked
as he turned from teh received
“Matter enough,” he respond
ed. “Werner committed suicide
in jail after we left him last
night.”
It was an astounding piece of
news and there was no conceal
ing the disappointment that it
caused Kennedy, lie had evi
dently counted on getting some
thing from Werner. Now his
lips were sealed.
We dressed hurriedly, and af
ter a hasty breakfast were on our
way by train to the little county
seat where we had left our pris
oner the night before.
Also at sea.
The warden of the jail was as
much at sea about the affair as
we were. There could be no ques
tion that the prisoner had been
searched properly the night be
fore. Nor had there been a
chance for anybody to have ob
tained access to him. Kennedy
examined the body as it lay in
the morgue at the jail. There
Avas no doubt that the man had
been poisoned, and a closer exam
ination might have shown what
the poison was, although it was
unlikely to do any good in this
case.
Kennedy was examining the
man's clothes, when we heard
him utter a slight exclamation.
In the inside lining of Werner’s
coat was a little rip. Kennedy
felt inside it and drew out one
remaining little white pellet He
broke off just a fragment and
tried it on his tongue, making a
wry face as he did so.
“Evidently strychnine,” he
rem&rked. * * Someone must have
provided him with it against just
many questions in my mind.
Why had he made away with
himself f What was the hold the
Black Menace had on him! I
could but reflect upon the power
of the blackmailer and his gang.
The day passed without any
thing of importance happening.
Evidently the Black Menace was
content to rest while Ave made the
moves, for the present.
Suspicious of Breshkay, Ken
nedy had instituted a searching
inquiry into her life and career,
but with little result. It was
known that she had come to
America at the time of the Rus
sian revolution, but Avhy, unless
it were for American dollars, no
one could say. Even since she
had been here little Avas definite
ly known.
A certain rather sporty class
of society had taken her up, and
whenever she found her popular
ity waning she had but to appear
in some Broadway production or
in some exotic screen play to win
back the notice she Avas losing.
Just now, we found she had tak
en it into her pretty head to ac
cept an engagement, to do a
number at the revue at the Crys
tal Palace.
Another Visit.
Accordingly, that evening,
Kennedy determined to visit the
Crystal Palace again, in the hope
of meeting her or, at least dis
covering something.
We postponed our visit until
quite late in the evening, know
ing that it would be of no use
to go early, and when we ar
rived, the life of the famous cab
aret was in full swing.
We had not long to visit.
Breskkaya gave an exhibition
dance and with her was her
dancing partner, whom we
learned to be Brian Thorne,
a former chorus man in several
popular shows.
I watched them with interest,
and particularly Thome. For
it really seemed as though Bresh
kaya was more than ordinarily
fired by his dancing with her.
In fact, she threw herself into
the dance with an abandon that
was quite remarkable.
After her dance was over she
joined a gay party of young men
and girls at a table in a corner
and it was then that I noticed
that Thorne, on his part, was
very jealous of her. The more
I watched Thorne the more in
teresting and mysterious the
chorus man seeme^
Kennedy maneuvered so that
we were finally introduced to
Breshkaya and the party as
“Mr. Harper” and “Mr. Gray.”
I watched at first to make sure
that she did not recollect the
night when we had stood in the
doorway of her private dining
room, questioning her about the
disappearance of Clare. At any
rate she did not betray it.
There was no doubt that
Breshkaya was a live one” and
Kennedy was not backward, for
he had a purpose in mind as I
soon saw. Almost before I knew
it she had invited us to join her
party in a ride that night out on
Long Island to a very quiet and *
select place, where there was al
ways a “sociable game”, a cold
bottle and some entertaining
quests—the inflection betraying
that some ladies would be pres
ent.
The House of Mystery.
Kennedy accepted and, of
course, I followed suit, for I saw
that he was determined to in
vestigate the House of Mystery
at first hand. Thorne, who was
at the table, seemed to be bit ill
at ease and we finally discov
ered why it was. His engage
ment at the Crystal Palace in
volved staying later than the
time that Breshkaya planned to
go, although he promised to mo
tor out, as soon as he could get
away.
The trip was uneventful, ex
cept for its gayety and the fre
quent stops at fashhionable road
houses, but at last, at a very late
hour, our car pulled up at the
door of the House of Mystery, as
we had come to call it.
The butler whom we had noted
the previous night admitted us
without question and it was evi
dent that Breshkaya was a fre
quent and welcome visitor.
As we entered, I saw at a
glance that it was a perfectly
wonderful place, both in its
planning as well as fitjngs. Down
the center ran a wide hall,
flanked by richly furnished
rooms in either side. Flitting
through the heavy portieres
which closed off the rooms one
cs*igh glimpses of exquisitely
gowned ladies and many men in
the more somber evening clothes.
Breshkaya lost no time in
seeking out the hostess who pre
sided over this palace of chance. •
Madame Rene a finely gowned
woman, past middle age, but re
markably vivacious and still
handsome. As she moved about,
I could but wonder how 'she con
trived, in spite of high living, to
mould her rather stout figure
along the slim lines of the exist
ing styles. However, she did
contrive it, and made a striking
figure into the bargain.
There was also Monsieur Jac
ques. He was a heavy-set man,
rather handsome, with dark
eyes, a small, dark, close-curling
mustache and a general foreign
appearance, as indeed had
Madame Rene.
They were both excessively
glad to see us, especially as we
came apparently so well intro
duced by Breshkaya, whom
everybody here seemed to know
intimately and called by her first
name, Celia. Nor did they or
anyone else ask any inconveni
ent questions, probably tactily,
lest someone else might ask the
same.
A Poker Game Going On.
We strolled into one of the
rooms in which the game was
poker. Play was going on, fast
and furious, with much laughter
and conviviality, although it was
evident that all could not win.
The game was at its height, with
huge stacks of chips upon the
tables, and the players all excit
ed and chatting gayly.
As I looked about it did not
appear that there was any large
crowd here, but it was quite a
comfortable gathering, and
everyone seemed to be upon the
most intimate terms with the
others.
As I noted the gossip I gath
ered that in another room quite ,
a stiff game of bridge was in
progress with another party.
This room was very interesting.
Men and women seemed about
equally divided at the little
green tables.
We passed to another room,
where we could hear the click
of a roulette ball. This was by
far the most interesting, and we
lingered. All the women were
richly gowned, as if they might
have come from families of
wealth. We were introduced to
several. But it was evident that i
all were passing under assumed j
names. I studied the faces care- j
fully. This was no ordinary ;
casino. j
It did not take long to find j
out that excise laws were held j
I in scant respect here, apparent
ly. Refreshments flowed and
were ordered*at our own or
someone's else expense, with ut- I
ter disregard of money. It was
no place for a piker. Altogether
there was a luxurious atmos
phere.
As I looked about I recalled
having heard before of such tem
ples of chance, but never on a
scale that approached this.
Stories had cropped out of so
ciety, girls caught in the toils of
such life, matrons afraid to ad
mit losses to their husbands, men
who had become mixed up in
liasions from which they could
not escape.
Studying the Faces.
Bad as.it was beneath the gay
veneer, I knew that gambling
such as this could lead only to
worse evils. As I studied the
faces I wondered what tragedies
might be concealed behind the
sleek exteriors, for it is never in
the bright light of such places
that the tragedies are revealed.
They serpentine their slimy way
into the decent places. It is in
the homes that the ruined lives
broken family ties and lost honor
wreak their worst.
<• It seemed all very risque to
me, although I tried to appear at
ease and to think it was quite
the usual thing.
Now, and then, as Breshkaya
flitted in and out she would stop
and talk to us, as we chatted
with whomever happened to be
nearest. We had joined the
group about the roulette table
and were now and then staking
something, more in a spirit of
raillery than anything else, los
ing or winning with equal grace
and careful not to get in very
deeply, as befitted strange moths
for the first time buzzing near
the candle.
Suddenly, I caught sight of
Brian Thorne who had evidently
just arrived and made his way
first of all to Breshkaya. I noted
also that she was visibly pleased
to see him. He joined the group
and soon it was evident that both
Thorne and Breshkaya, if noth
ing else, were the life of any
party they might consent to fa
vor. I wondered whether that
was the purpose of their being
there, or whether they might be
principals in this venture.
Thorne had not been with the
group five minutes before the
stiffly silent butler moved up
And informed Kira in. a low voice
chat there was a call on the tele
phone for him. He excused him
self from us with just a trace of
annoyance.
It was only a few moments
when he returned, but not to the
group. He caught the watchful
eye of Breshkaya and motioned
for her to meet him. What was
said I could not gather, but there
was a look of annoyance on her
face also.
An Inaudible Reply.
“It seems that I have scarcely
got out here when I must tear
myself away,” I overhead as he
moved out into the hall where
the butler had brought his coat,
hat and stick, which he had
called for already.
Breshkaya’s answer was in-*
audible though she plainly did
not want him to go.
As they talked, Thorne seemed
to be trying to reassure her, to
promise her something. Almost
it seemed as if there were some
bond between them as near akin
to love as two such sophisticated
persons might feel.
Still, there was something
strange about her solicitude. The
message, too, was mysterious. *
Thorne left quickly in his car
and Breshkaya was not the same
gay person after that. There was
something forced about even her
smile.
CHAPTER 10.
The Kidnapping.
Breslikaya approached us with
a very beautiful woman whom
she wanted us to meet. “Mrs.
James,” she introduced, al
though I knew that it was a false
name, and 1 am .sure that she
knew the same of “Mr. Harper”
and “Mr. Gray.”
Who was she! I wondered. At
once she seemed to be very inter
ested in Kennedy, but Breshkaya
was alert on the instant, and con
trived that Mrs. James should
fall to my escort as we sauntered
in toward a beautifully paneled
lounge and dining room. I do
not think I was quite as atten.
tive to Mrs. James as I might
have been, for I had seen just
enough to convince me that
Brashkaya, now that Thorne was
gone, was actually “vamping”
Craig.
RUSSIANS BRANCH OUT
MOSCOW,—The Petrograd For
est Trust has opened bureaus in
London, Berlin, Amsterdam an<
Brussels.
MINNESOTA
VOTE LIGHT
IN PRIMARY
Governor Confident of Victory.
Johnson Probable Farmer
Labor Winner, With Carley
Likely Democratic Choice.
St. Paul, Minn., June 18.—Au
thentic figures in Monday’s pri
mary will not be available until
Tuesday. The first 100 precincts
tabulated gave Governor Preus a
substantial lead for the republi
can nomination, with Justice
Hallam a close second. The farm
er-labor result is close, with
Magnus Johnson and Mayor
Fritsche leading. Carley is lead
ing on the democratic ticket.
Minneapolis, Minn., June 18.—Min
nesota apparently %ires less about
her senatorial election than the rest
o fthe nation. \Vith official Wash
ington watching developments in the
Gopher state intently, only casual
interest was manifested by Minneso
tans at the primary election Monday
which eliminated all but three of the
14 candidates for party nominations
on republican, farmer-labor and dem
ocrtic tickets.
It is expecte dthat the vote in the
primary will be about $350,000. Last
fall 700,000 voters cast ballots in the
general election. Reports from Min
nesota towns Monday indicated that
there was a general feeling of indif
ference. Election officials said that
less than half the total voting
strength was expected to go to the
polss.
With a light vote Governor Preus
finds himself in clover. His political
organization is a twin-six affair com
pared to the other candidates and
only a sudden landslide for one of
his competitors could cause him wor
ry. In fact he left Minneapolis for
Chicago Monday night to open the
conference of the northwest wheat
growers, feeling confident that he
would be nominated.
Judge O’Hare Hallam who made
political capital out of resigning from
the supreme court bench to make
the race, will be Preus’ closest op
ponent. The Hellam machine di
minutive and skeletonized in com
parison to the Preus model, has
been hitting on all six since the cam
paign opened a month ago and the
Judge’s backers declare that friends
In every county worked strong for
him.
In the farmer-labor ranks there
was a merry fight. Mangus Johnson
remained the favorite, although
Charles A Lindbergh and Dr. L. A.
Fritsche, his opponents, managed to
tell the state that Johnson’s rustic
manner would not reflect credit upon
Minnesota if he went to the Senate.
The democrats can’t even get ex
cited. State Senator Carley got most
of the democratic votes, it wts said,
and is expected to hold first place
over Francis C. Carey, his lawyer op
ponent, of Minneapolis.
U. S. RECEIVES
BER1PR0TEST
French Blamed for Continued
Ruhr Outbreaks in Mess
age Presented State
Department.
Washington,, June 18.—Acts of the
French in / the Ruhr valley,
valley, “render illusory all efforts of
“rendej illusory all efforts of
ize the population”, it is charged in
a note of protest presented to the
state department by German Ambas
sador Wiedfeldt Monday evening.
“The responsibility for any conse
quences rests alone with the French
government”, the not® concludes.
The note parallels similar protests
presented to European governments
other than those of France and Bel
' gium, the two nations participating
in the seizure of the Ruhr. It recites
‘the steps taken by the German gov
ernment in the spirit of sincere de
sire to come to negotiations by their
offer °* May 2 and the memorandum
of June 7”, and points out that these
offers “have not prevented the
French government from continuing
the reign of terror against the popu
lation in the most stringent forms.”
SOLF COmYnG TO U. S.
Berlin, June 18.—Dr. Wilhelm Solf,
the German ambassador at Tokio, is
tentatively slated to succeed Ambas
sador Wledfeldt at Washington, ac
cording to the nresent plans of the
foreign office, it was learned Mon
day.
Dr. Wledfeldt will return to Berlin
in July and it is pretty positively
stated that he will not return to his
post in Washington.
Leslie Coalter, 10 years old, ot
Randolph, Neb, swallowed a tack
about a week ag. He died Mon
day In a Sioux City hospital,
where he wa's taken three daj s
ago. The tack punctured his
windpipe. The boy is survived l>y
his parents. The body is at West
cott’s undertaking parlors pending
funeral arrangements.
BRITISH SEIZE TURK SHIP
Constantinople, June 18.—The Bri
tish destroyer Splendid has seized in
the sea of Marmora a Turkish trans
port carrying a cargo of guns from
Thrace. The capture Ik the result of
plans of the British authorities, who
had received information that the
Turks were endeavoring to remove
from Thrace, guns and troops clan
destinely sent there in vRation of
the Mudania armistice when, the re
sumption of hostilities with jOreec*
waa threatened.
(
WISE AGAIN ON
JOB FEELING FINE
Gives Tanlao Full Credit for Re*
storing Health After 28
Days in Bed.
"The Tanlac treatment has me feel*
Ing like a man made over, and I can’t
help humming and whistling these
days over my new healUi and energy,”
says A. 0. Wise, 3320 Manderson
St., Omaha, Ncbr.
"I was laid up twenty-eight daya
from the effects of the flu. The lid
was clamped down tight on my appe
tite, and the sight of food actually
nauseated me. The little I ate caused
Indigestion, gas pains and palpitation
that were simply awful. I was so
nervous I couldn’t sleep right, and so
weak and dizzy I could hardly drag
from one chair to another.
"Well, sir, all my ailments disap
peared when I took Tanlac, and I went
right up ten pounds in weight, and
was soon able to return to work and
stay on the job. I feel fine all the
time now. Tanlac Is fine.”
Tanlac Is for sale Ijy all good drug
gists. Accept no substitute. Over 87
million bottles sold.
Tanlac Vegetable Pills are nature’s
own remedy for constipation. Sold
everywhere.—Ad v ertlsement.
GOOD OLD WATCH WAS RIGHT
Smivers Might Better Have Trusted
It Than K^ve Put Faith In
New Alarm Clock.
The wrist watch which Smivers
wears is a relic of his days as a sec
ond looey overseas. He has a senti
mental attachment for It and will not
discard it, although Its usefulness as
a timepiece has long since/departed.
Smivers recently receded a tele
phone call from a wealthy uncle.
Smivers has hopes that some day—
and so when uncle made an appoint
ment with him for the following morn
ing Smivers, pocketing his pride In
his watch, and being determined to be
on time, bought a new alarm clock.
The next day he was awakened by
the new clock. Its handle said eight.
The old unreliable watch said eight
thirty. Smivers was late for his ap
pointment and uncle won’t speak to
him any more. For once the wrist
watch, was correct. Tho new alarm
had ySst half an hour In the night.—
NfeV York Sun.
___
Cutlcura for Pimply Faces.
To remove pimples and blackheads
smear them with Cutlcura Ointment.
Wash off in five minutes with Cutl
cura Soap and hot water. Once clear
keep your skin clear by using them for
daily toilet purposes. Don’t fail to In
clude Cutlcura Talcum. Advertisement.
He Hugs Wrong Mother.
Mother had been residing In the
country and I went down to the train
to meet her. When* the train unloaded
Its passengers I spied her standing
with her black traveling bag on the
platform. She had on the same blue
suit and red hat as when she left.
I went up behind her, put my arms
around her, and was about to kiss her
when a surprised voice said: “Well,
sah, I think you-all’s made a big mis
take.” It was a colored woman. All
the people on the platform laughed. 1
finally found mother wearing a silk
dress and hastily led her away to our
auto.—Chicago Tribune.
Like Most Women.
I shall never forget the agony of it,
I was looking at ribbons in a depart
ment store. Like most women, I have
a habit of putting my purse on the
counter in front of me while examin
ing merchandise. Not finding what 1
wanted, I picked up what I thought
was my leather handbag and walked
a few steps away when I became
aware that my own bag was swinging
on my arm. Fearfully I looked to see
what It was that I had picked up, and,
to my horror, discovered I had picked
up another woman’s purse.—Exchange.
Billy Knew.
"Petrarch,” said the history teacher
at an Indianapolis school, "was a mao
of letters. Now, who can tell me what
Is meant by ‘a man of letters’?”
Billy raised his hand.
“It means he went to college and
graduated, and got a whole lot of let*
ters after his name,” he said.
A Counter Attraction.
Geraldine—“You can’t look me in the
eye.” Gerard—“I could if you didn’t
wear such short skirts.”