By LINTON WELLS and NELS LEROY JORGENSEN
J
The thick carpets had muf
fled the footsteps of each.
{They came together. Each was
■ilont. with surprise. In the
next second, drawing off, even
the mask of Jimmy’s features
was dissipated, and, in the
•nme second, he was conscious
a gasp of recognition from
she other.
It was the secretary to the
•ommi.s-ar I
• “Monsieur Brandon! You!”
Tt was not, as Jimmy assured
himself, a moment for the ob
servance of the conventionali
ties. Particularly not when,
blending with the high-piched
tone of the secretary's sur
prised voice, there issued from
the far end of the corridor, in
the direction from which Jim
my had just come, a cry of
•warning that aroused every
dull, deadened echo of the old
palace. One of the guards had
summoned sufficient courage
t<- sound the alarm.
“This is too charming!”
breathed Jimmy, his eyes nar
rowing fiercely and his fea
tures freezing. ,
His right foot went out and
lucked forward the left leg of
the young secretary. AVith the
same motion, his forearm bore
tlie man backward, tumbling
against, the wall and into the
corridor from which he had
emerged, helpless except for a
cry of rage and chagrin.
Blended again with his voice
was commotion from farther
down the hallway. Jimmy cast
one swift look about him. gave
h swift salute to the befuddled
secretary; and then, seeing a
man emerge from tiie room in
which he had lately been pris
oner, made for the outer door
vvjiv.
The guard there had just
been aroused. Jimmy hurried
up to him and the fellow
stared wildly.
“fiet the commissar quick!”
y.he American gasped.
The sentry transfixed him
'with a stare of astonishment.
Hi* did not understand the
English words, of course, hut
be knew the title of his chief.
Jimmy’s air of swift command,
however, held him for the
moment. Without another
word, the latter hurried down
the steps, aware that, behind
him, confusion was growing.
Decidedly, he told himself,
be hnd upset soviet officialdom
in Viatkal Tt meant that now
he must play his mad game
through to its ultimate finish
To be recaptured would spell
complete disaster.
Tbo deep shadows of the
poorly lighted street swal
lowed him mercifully, as soon
as be reached the sidewalk. Tt
was but a matter of moments,
however, before hot pursuit
would lie on his trail.
JTe was not, lie observed
gratefully, anywhere near the
populated district. The dark
Ftreel was practically deserted.
His head bent, he walked on,
content not to run until it be
came necessary. After all. it
would not. be a matter of dis
tance covered, at this stage: it
was purely a ease of eluding
bis pursuers.
TT* re was hut one course
for b in to pursue, one way to
nnk*-* an exit from the eitv. lie
bad decided on it beforehand,
aw*re of the extreme danger
■of t’ie attempt, the innumera
ble chances against success. Tt
was r.ot even a wild hope
, which carried him on: simply
si grim determination not. to
surrender in the face of adver
sity So long «s he was able,
be was in tin* long race to win;
ho long as there was a ehanee,
it was .Timmy Brandon's na
tuer to take it.
There was little to guide
him ''•f by, except an infallible
sen*** of direction and a gener
al id" i as to the spot where he
bail i.een the airplane descend
ing lo the ground.
\ Old Age Pension ,
‘nans Oht i State Journal.
V M_.n will be heard during the
nru j'w weeks tn the various
n*atr on the sub) ct of old age
< Arrsngmecnts have been
nonipktcii for Ut* intioductlon of
tkitti providing these pensions tn
carii uf the 44 legislatures in sw
at on tfvs winter. Ttvre is an or
.gaeuDd force ready to give support
and a ipplv argument why these
gpDa «iamkt be sanctioned That or
gwn i ui ia prv«pared to raise the
san e vtmUon In congress U op
poriiuuty la provided.
Mar.* people pass through theli
■rod irttve rear* without accumii
(aJtn* funds to ausUPu U»em Ui
•
As he hurried on, however,
he was aware that the casual
quiet of the streets was be
coming disturbed. Far behind
I him, borne on the faintest ol
brpezes, there wore shouts and
i cries, and once lie heard a
rifle discharge. A moment
Inter, the night was startled by
the raucous bellow of a deep
lunged siren, and the sound,
like the baying of blood
hounds. sent a chill through
his entire being.
From somewhere, a bronze
bell, made for mellow chiming,
1 sounded in the grotesque
clang-clang of an alarm. It
i blended with bis quickening
! pulse bents. It was a new sen
sation, this of being hunted
j down by men, and far from a
1 pleasant one. The knowledge
! that he would he dealt with
j sternly if recaptured only
made it worse. .Timmy had n
profound respeet for the meth
ods used by the new rulers of
Russia. They were swift and
sure, and he had given grave
aff ront.
It seemed that lie bad been
walking for an hour, bis pace
gradually quickening, though
the watch on bis wrist told him
that it was barely a few min
utes past eight-thirty. He dove
into a darkened street, at the
end of which a single ycl'ow
gaslight gleamed. This, lie
reasoned, must lead to some
spot near the flying field, if
bis memory had served him
faithfully.
Out of the darkness, as lie
approached the end of the
street, a harsh voice hailed
him. Jimmy thought rapidly.
Behind him, the eelioes of pur
suit were growing more defin
ite with eaeh passing second.
Before lie halted, lie took a
few slow steps forward, until
the yellow light gleamed with
a sullen radiance along the
length of a rifle barrel, and
fell lightly on the regimental
ornament of a man's cap.
Then lie held his breath, lie
bad not understood tbe bail,
but it had been Russian for
“Who goes there?” be bad no
doubt. Comprehension of this
came in the same second: for,
as lie reached tbe end of the
street and got a view beyond,
the darkness fell away before
a score of gleaming lights
placed in a wide circle. One
of the lights let its rays rest
with a shimmering wave of in
vitation on the outspread
aluminum wings of an air
plane.
The cry of “Halt!” came.
Jimmy hesitated. He was very
close to the soldier: evidently
the flying field was being
guarded. Had the man, lie
wondered, been informed of a
prisoner’s escape!
He waa not left long in
doubt. The sentry stepped for
ward, and Jimmy saw that the
rifle was now pointed at his
breast. Longingly he looked
again at the field beyond, and
the silver wings under the
lights. A mechanic passed by,
whistling at bis duties, and
tbe sight gave Jimmy a little
pang that was quite akin to
homesickness.
He bad hoped to gain tbe
field and bribe one of tbe pi
lots, at no matter what price,
to take him to Moscow that
! night. There was, be hoped,
more than one plane, possibly
some rickety machine cash
iered at tbe end of tbe recent
hostilities. He would have
taken a chance with anything.
But now . . . Tbe sentry
was peering at him; be was
very close. Jimmy saw daw
like fingers curved about the
I trigger of tbe rifle, beard, in
i the same moment, cries behind
him, shouts, commands. Tbe
fellow was staring at bis face;
Jimmy’s fingers crept to the
pistol be bail taken and stuck
; in bis belt.
It was a elm nee. But—lie
I their years of dependence. There
will be no disagreement on that
jiolnt. But there are oth:r questions
that should be raised and studied
with care before any state embarks
on an old age pension experiment,
tf there Is any disposition to rush
such a measure through to pn-vsag
it should be stopped until the facts
are known, ft would be worse than
folly to undertake a haphazard ex*
lienment The utter collapse of the
bank guarantee deposit laws in a
I numb" r of state* proves the folly
of trying Name thing before the .date
i Is in readiness and understands the
nature and method of directing the
' new task In the bank guarantee
shook his head. No shooting.
He had never shot a man yet,
exeeDt in self-detense, lo be
gin now would be madness.
Even his friends in Mocow
could never save him ; he could
never get out of Russia alive.
The soldier’s breath sucked in
ward avidly and he gave a
short little exclamation.
“Amerikauets?”
“Parlez-vous Franca is?”
Jimmy thought of his money
belt. Bribery was infinitely
better than shooting.
The man shook his head,
slaring and repeating some
guttural phrase, all the while
that his eyes devoured his cap
tive. Jimmy motioned with
his fingers to indicate cash.
The fellow's eyes gleamed. His
heart leapt. Perhaps there
was still a chance.
But rudcl}'’—suddenly and
without warning—this last
hope was snatched away. From
behind him there came a loud
erv to the sentry. The man’s
face, greedy a moment since,
froze without transition: his
rifle was at the American’s
throat. Another call came,
which he answered with a
growling hail. Then the run
ning feet were hurrying down
the street.
Jimmy took a last look at
the flying field and cast a
swift glace around him. But
there was no escape. The
muzzle of the rifle touched his
throat just under the chin.
The least move would doom
him. ITis last, chance had
gone.
Tie heard another erv—this
time couched in a voice lie
knew, and turned with a grin
that he could not dispel, to
meet the youthful lender who
had captured him that after
noon.
“This is too touching, mon
ami!” he grinned. The sol
dier’s face was white and an
gry. His former suavity of
manner vanished as lie gazed
at the man who had once elud
ed him.
“So. Monsieur Brandon!
This time the gallant gentle
man shall have more careful
hospitality!”
He turned, grim-faced, and
two more soldiers came run
ning up. Jimmy saw manacles
gleam under the lamplight, and
his face hardened. The smile
was gone. He was face to
face with the grimmest kind of
reality. Even thought of the
race he had lost was dispelled.
From this moment on. he was
fighting for life and freedom.
The leader spoke a quick
word of commendation to the
guard who had made the ar
rest, jerked the pistol from
his captive’s belt, and then
turned hack to his men. Four
of them ranged themselves
about the captive.
“March!” ordered the offi
cer. in French. Jimmy Bran
don. his hands manacled be
hind his back, obeyed. Back
up the street they nroeeeded,
toward the office of the com
missar from which Jimmy had
so recently taken his uncere
monious dpnar! lire.
CHAPTER XVTTI
Jimmy had had visions of
the Viatka Bastille; but he did
not reach it at once. Instead,
he was made reasonably com
fortable for a time, with space
to think over his predicament,
in the same room from which
he had escaped scarcely an
hour before. Dark stains on
the floor, where the samovar
had upset, gave him a moment
of grim amusement; but that
was all.
i wo guards paced outside
now; he had discovered that
they must have received or
ders not to communicate with
him, for his every attempt to
talk with them through the
barred doorway proved use
less. He had been at first
mildly flattered at this atten
tion.
The results of the investiga
tion, which had taken place
with swift precision immedi
ately upon his return, had
been ns surprising to Jimmy as
to any one else—more so.
probably, he reflected. He had
ample time to go over them,
and to speculate on the cause
, cane Rome eager enthusiasts rushed
the 111 considered plans through and
the failure has been complete and
costlv to the people the law was
supposed to protect.
Economists have warned the pub
lic many times there Is no economic
Santa Claus to supply funds for
new plans and adventure* Every
dollar that might be gathered into
the old age pension fund would
lint have to be taken by law from
fcOtne other person.
Ohio, for instance, has pension
* fluid* for police and fire depart
ment* in an the larger citie*. but
there I* trouble with these fund*
They were net given a solid funds
behind hi* present predica
ment. Someone had taken
pains to have him put definite
ly out of the way.
The commissar had not been
present when the young sol
dier returned with his prison- j
er. .Jimmy, his hands man
acled behind him, had entered
the office and surveyed the
oldish-voung man behind the
desk with supercilious eyes.
IIis first reaction of despair
w: > gone. II*1 knew well the
value of an aggressive front,
and before he had reached the
palace, lie had summoned all
of his courage and coolness.
They must never know lie was
afraid; to the very end he
must keep them in fear of his
influence. After all, lie was
possessed of influence in Mos
cow. though how far it would
enrrv him. he could only hope.
The man behind the commis
sar’s desk, he was informed in
clipped Fr<'""li '-■"llables, was
assistant to the chief. lie liad
the face of a scholar, the lips
of a dreamer, and the oold
eves of an executioner. These
eves surveyed Jimmy with the
aloof gaze of a professor in
anatomies.
“Monsieur Brandon is
pleased to • impetuous.” Be
hind the grim words there
lurked an ironic admiration.
Jimmy nodded. “I haven’t
been treated with any partic
ular courtesy.” he said ooollv.
“and T’m not quite in a rmsi
tion to light a eigaret. AYi 11
you have our young friend
hero
The young man bad started
with surprise, but Jimmv’s ore- |
pression never altered, and
the assistant commissar, with
a grim smile, beckoned to his
subordinate to fulfill the re
quest. Jimmy drew a long
inhalation.
“I have asked.” lie sehl. “to
communicate with Moscow,
and my friends there. I took
leave of your charming hos
pitality a short time ago be j
cause that request was not
granted. T am in a great bur
ry. monsieur, and T must in
sist upon attention.”
The officer studied him in
tently. Jimmy could have no
knowledge of what was gome
on behind those stonv blue
eyes. Finally lie nodded.
“That we will consider,
monsieur,” lie said quietly.
“At the present moment. 1
must remind you. you are un
der grave suspicion. Your
possessions must be searched
at once.” ,
Jimmy shrugged and
watched, with an indifference
which was not entirely as
sumed. while two soldiers
rifled his single bag. Certain
ly they would find nothing
there. He was beginning to re
gain bis confidence. He had
already impressed this officer
as lie had the others; if they
found nothing, there was still
a chance. He began to bp less
perturbed about his ultimate
safety. Two things occupied
his thoughts while the soldiers
went on with their work and
the assistant commissar sat in
an icy silence.
The first was: TTnw could lie
make up for the time lie was
losing, provided he could bully
the officials here into doing
wliat lie wanted? By the time
he would he able to oommuni
eatc with Moscow and his
friends there could return a
statement of his character, it
would he too late to do any
thing. At seven in the morn
ing. the passenger ship hooped
off for Konigsberg. and it
i wnnhl carry Austin Rogers!
The seeond question was.
now that he had time to think:
What was the cause of his pre
dicament?
Both seemed equally insolu
ble. Tn bis wild dash for free
dom, lie bad hoped to buy the
use of a olane; but be bnd
seen, in his one glimpse of the
small field, that the*e was only
n government ship there.
(TO Ft* POVTIVT’Fim
ALL GONE TO W iSTFi
Nor'h Carolina has 1.500 000 ac’es
of Idle farm land and about 4 000.000
acres of cutover burned fore't and
waste land, according to R W.
Graeber. extension 'orester at North
Carolina State college.
tion senMnrnt gnd frtendshtn were
user! in olannire. when there should
have been actuarial e?;n,*rtn*,,s
Sentimental olans to not stand the
test of the years
Before any state la Justified In
giving serious attenti:n to nnv of
the new social pension legislation
there should be an Insurance sur
vey of the field made, that th«
state mav know the natur* and lm
t*ortanr« of its new task. Anv other
course would be folly and would In
sure disaster.
•*— • • #• — —
The custom of a woman wear
ing a wedding ring originated in
Egy?!
_ .. - ^
Ten Rules for Prerperity.
By Char’.E3 M. Schwab in Com
merce and Finance.
1. Pay labor the highest pos
sible wages. Prosperity is inti
mately related to a liberal wage
scale.
2 Treat labor as a business
partner. Successful industry d
par.ds more on human relations
than upon the organization of
money and machines.
3. Conduct business in the full
light of day. Public confidence
and public susRclon may be sep
arated only by a door.
4. Rrmember that the law of
supply and demand is inexorable.
And it would also be well to re
member that there is no neces
sity for producing an excess.
5. Live and help live. Even
prosperous industries cannot af
ford to have the backward in
dustries too lar behind the pro
cession—prosperity to be perma
nent must be equably distributed
6. Welcome new ideas. To es
tablish permanent institutions
we must always be prepared for
change.
7. Never be satisfied that
what has been achieved is suffi
cient. Smugness and complac
ency do not promote progress.
8. Operate business on the
most economical basis. Pricc
eutting, over-expansion, uneco
nomical methods of distribution
are just as harmful to business
and to the public as price-fixing
mor.onolies and rebates.
9. Look ahead and think
ahead. It is easier to avoid de
pressions than it is to cure th n
10. Smile, be cheerful, and
work upon the basis that the
fundamental purpose of business
is to promote the happiness of
huma nbeings.
The Day's Work
Terre Haute Tribune
There lungs over tne desk o* tl: q
manager of a Terr” Haute industry
a lithe frame in which is the fol
lowing legend'
"Another cu y isiv.* re Help us to
meet thr rug, ed renuiremenls with
cheerful iuoea. Give us the patience
to serve faithfully and well; and at
night lean to us so'wid and undis
turbed sleep, that we may serve
to:ter tomorrow"
it sounds like a prayer, and it is.
But not 10 the goon God alone; it
strike's ’n? eya of the beholder, it
touches n r.-.w note in his os’ng. it
gives .Tm a otw nng.c on tne man
ager riul thi establishment .r>r
wind' hi has charge It puts the
nn.i on the: cuns de of the disk rail
into a mood to c!o business cri.ekly,
generously end fuiriy. It is, also a
constant r: minder 10 the manager
himself thaf ne si •, there not so
much to b? served, as to serv*. It i«
a text that both customer and em
ploye cm tike to n. art It is r. tr.c
lest anah.sis tbc platform upon
widen that linn dots business.
And it is a giC'd prayer, anri a
b*-' d platform, for service is me
keynote of modern business.
He profits mos: who serves
best,’' wrote Pau! Haris, of Chi.-ugc,
some 17 years ago and men in
every country the world ov-r ere at
t’.'.is tin e i limed by the thousanv)
under ihe burner which bea vs that
legU’.d.
To be sure every business man
strives to make a profit Pra. s :s
'he badge of service. Dolars ire the
I insignia of ruccess They, in this
I day' and generation, are garnered
by those whe give to the public the
bes service. "Cav°at empter,' the
onetime slogan cf the trtde world,
has become so obsolete that m:l
lions do not even know what it
means. Kvtvj where industries have
rone to ihe unders'. nding that fair
play means better business, and as
a general ride they are living 113
to Ih. text.
The men who sits behind the
manager's desk ha.' these things
constantly before him. He kno\V3
that fee ween men, as between
classes of men. anurer works mad
ness in the oraln and puts poison
en the trrigtf He know* that b 1
terncss of tnought f i.d action are a
weak man’s argument. The weapoi
cl the fver.gtr has no place :n his
life. He siiivis to be a constructive
force in the community. He must
be a c'cer rs well as a thinker.
A mere desire to serve gets him
nowhere. He actually must serve.
Carnegie Schwab, Ec’ison, Wana
iraker— all their names suggest ac
tion The demand cf business is
to keep ahead cf competition—to
do something End do it first and
profitably. After a'l. this is only
another form of service—giving the
public something better than the
other fellow is offering and at a
smaller price, where possible.
. ■ ■ --—— - ..
Plant Doctors Gather
At New York Meeting
New York. —The plant doc
tors of the United States will be
called into consultation here De
cember 28-31 to consider the new
diseases of plants and new meth
ods of controlling old ones. 1
Nearly 100 papers bearing cn
these problems which literally
reach the rests of the nation’s food
supply will be read before the
American Phytopathological society
during the annual meeting of the
American Association for the Ad
vancement cf Science.
Cereal, fruit and vegetable dis
eases will receive the greatest
amount of attention. Considera
tion also will be given to the prob
lem of piant quarantines, and the
ailments cf ornamental plants and
tobacco, eolton, pineapple and other
miscellaneous crops.
Organised 20 years ago by a
small group cf plant pathologic’.*
the society now has 750 members,
including Investigators In every
country in the world.
• *
Pellagra itt human beings and
black toneur In clogs are funda
mentally the same disease.
Well Said. George.
Prom Tit-Bits.
“Well. George.'* raid a country
elsrg'mRn to an old man who sat
by ths wayside breaking stones,
“that pile doesn't seem to get any
smaller’*
“No. vicar “ reolled the old man
"them stonea is like the Ten Com
marchrmta: you can go on break
in' fin. but you can't get rid of
'em."
• •
Q Hon' long has the Marcel wave
b^cn ur?3 In dre&drg women* hair?
3 C
A. The Mareel wave was devel
oped m Prance some 53 or 54 years
ago
S or T *dr op
Sweeter
Too much to eat—too rich a diet—
or too much smoking. Lots of things
cause sour stomach, but one thing can
correct It quickly. Phillips Milk of
Magnesia will alkalinlze the acid.
Take a spoonful of this pleasant
preparation, and the system is soon
sweetened.
Phillips Is always ready to relies*
distress from over-eating; to check all
acidity; or neutralize nicotine. Re
member this for your own comfort;
for the sake of those around yon.
Endorsed by physicians, but they al
ways any Phillips. Don’t buy some
thing else and expect the same re.
suits!
Phillips
I Milk .
of Magnesia
This new powder
kills rats and mice
but nothing else
5 Get rid of rata without danger to your chil
dren, livestock, pets or poultry.
Think what this means to you!
K-R-O may be us»d freely In the home, bam
or poultry house with absolute safety. Actual
tests have proved that it kills rats and mica
every time but other animals and poultry am
not injured by the largest doses.
Not a Poison
K-R-O does not contain arsenic, phosphorus
or barium carbonate. Made of squill bulbs—the
new safe way urged by government experts. A»
your druggist, 7Sc. Large size (4 times as
much) $2.00. Or sent direct from us for $1 00
if he cannot supply you. Sattifaction guaran*
teed. K-R-O Company, Springfield, Ohio.
Optics and Romance
“Do you believe In love at first
sight?”
“Yes,” answered Miss Cayenne. "I
also believe In permitting your af
fection to look off once In a while,
to avoid getting near-sighted.”—
Washington Star.
Girl at the Top
in Health Test
Millions of boys and
girls all over the
world, thousands of
them right here In
the West are being
restored to health
and strength by the
purely vegetable ton
ic and laxative known
as California Fig Syrup and endorsed
by physicians for over 50 years.
Children need no urging to take it
They love its rich, fruity flavor.
Nothing can compete with it as a gen
tle, but certain laxative, amt It goes
further than this. It gives tone and
strength to the stomach and bowels
so these organs continue to act nor
mally, of their own accord. It stimu
lates the appetite, helps digestion.
A Kansas mother, Mrs. Dana All
glre, CIO Monroe St., Topeka, says:
“Bonnie B. is absolutely the picture
of health, now, with her ruddy cheeks,
bright eyes and plump but graceful
little body and she stands at the top
Id every health test.
Much of the credit for her perfect
condition is due to California Fig
Syrup. We have used it since baby
hood to keep her bowels active (lur
ing colds or any children’s ailments
and she has always had an easy time
with them. She nlw;%s resounds to
Its gentle urging and is quickly back
to normal.”
As’c your druggist for California
Fig Syrup and look for the word
“California’' on the carton so you’ll
always get the geuuiae.
feel Bisiy?
Headachy, bilious. cons'.Hr.txi? Taka
M7 —Nature's Remedy — tjuurht. This
mild. sifo. vegetable remedy will hk*« yen*
feeling fine by tncmin*. You'll oi.joy free,
thorough bowel action without a sign of
griping or diacutufart.
Make the test tonight —
C ffette/f A piuunt. effective 5
\ evrw*»— JS< end oOe mti. And ee. 1
Am tnrmmHr, ure PISO'S Throat uui £
■I Cheer Salve. Me, «J