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ftfE iM YSTERIES OF M YRA
AN INSPIRING NOVEL AND MOTION PICTURE DRAMA
WW iti
H'i1'!'i!i'i.li'nLlijjir I . ' ' A ! Pnlthl. lft..bK. the 8Ur Company. .,
WrltttA?ftJ5ijH4?Jd pnrrington. . ., J t-J,,, BMervid. .
Dramatized by' Charles W. Goddard.
STARS OF THE PHOTOPLAY
f- e-
t
D
rSnAPTF.n 1.XIU
w,SplritHall8Hc Phenomena.
l.MPAY60N ALDEN has discov
ered, to hi great joy, a woman
medlum'-who 'anawc'red all the
'.... I -.. i - .... !.!-- ,...-
vA,, miuii yiiums ur i'i lucm bcii.
Hive' medium. " For 'yean he had
ought ..vainly for Mich an one. .. Hun
dred bad applied to him, with varying
claim's, but mwt- of them Jiad been
fraudulent, and his keen perceptions
had shattered their, trickeries. The
woman now In, his psychic laboratory,
howoveK woi .unique. ,And' .'$V was
revBai,'n,hls professional wayjln the
eerie' phenomena which 'tfho had nli-endy
nowh nlft.' . ." ,V
Bhe'sat hi a comfortable cr-flr with
the 'lights turned fdw,,rea'thsuc paper
sha'det ' covering them to mtkp tho
"ethsric atmosphere" the more conduc
ive To' occult work. Tho shades of tho
room were drawn, and' tho physician
prepaMffto put her to the most severe
teafsoJ all." - .
"ratn. setting tired,", she said plnln
tlveiy, e she crossed- her arms ner
vously. "I will not be receptive very
rauclt ipngej-, .So you .had best hurry."
""l' do not Wieh to ''bo unreasonable,
Mrs.- PalmciJ' gontly 'answered tho
pbyslclan.i .''But If you knew whit
viUt;h)a"tters I am eugcr to Investigate
you would, understand my Insistence.
Llfo and .death nro concerned In a very
tragic cane which Ihavo been investi
gating, I feel that those In this. Jlfo
may.'Tie helped by thilr loved ones bc
yond.the grave, if you can throw1 yqur
selt 'Into a rcul splrUuallBtlc trurice.
We shall not Joe Intel rupted, at. I liavo
given,, my servants otrict orders, to "
BuU, even an he spoke, thu telphono
Jangle,d. and ho. Impatiently walked to
wrtt,lhe instrument.
Once before he hat! Ignored tho sll
vermunynons, with the result that
Myrouhad nearly lost her llfo tjiropgh
hls.ahatrActlon In. his studies.
"Tea..yes' HelloI'V ho jcallcd, Irritably.
Then ,hii i voice softened.
"Oh, it ,ls you. Myra,' welt, of
couwe I,iam glad to hear from you,
but I am In. the midst of Bonn very
Interesting experiments Well, 1.
tninK it' nest ror you to seo a. later trim.'
ns you migat aisturn tno meuium, no
confirmed. . '
There seemed', pleading argument
at the other end of tho wire. Aldcn
shook his head as he responded in tho
negative. ,
Finally, he relented.
"All right:, you may come. But hurry
right-on over, for Mrs. Palmer is grit
ting; tired. We will wait for you," and
he Auntr urv the received.
"We an.rest for a taw mlnutemV hn
told, tho .medium. "That-Is tho young
lady who has heen ln-sueh danger .of
late. Perhaps 'it is Just as well that
she is coming, for her -presence in tho
room may perfect, the spiritual', con
nection which wo desire.',
Then he recounted to tho Woman a
feof. the harrowing Incidents uchlch
had 'beclouded Myra .Maynard' young
life. At first tho medium was timor
ous, but as Alden .explained tho lm
thirsty Brack Order- nad persccutqd f XV&.J7& wor"7 crlM
she answered. ".I am disturbed, and not
able to concentrate as well as before."
Alden turned oft the switch of the
electrto lights, and the room was in
utter darkness, save ror a dim light,
MVArarf with a TnlAflr aTnartA urhlfh
cast Its rays upon the' school slate on
the tablo.
"Now, 'ploaso do not utter a sound,"
he Instructed his little audience, and
ho sat dbn to await developments.
There seemed a century-long delay.
In which was audible only the sound of
their breathing, Suddenly the table on
which was placed the slate began to
tilt, as though, lifted by Invisible fin
gers'. Mrs. Maynard .gasped in fright, and
her fingers tightened, About Myra's
arm; as sho'drcw cldser'to the -girl. -
varneya WorvdUsftcsft' increased, for-
tllnntnlv fnrv hint hlrirtftn hv thA flitr.
pess of the room. t . t,i, i
ituw niu ihuio rono.cpmpici.eiy irom
tho door, ajid theA 'bc'sarr to move
about tho room, with- little bumns
against the other furniture.
.Not fa sound came, from the medium,
who was apparently unconscious. Alden
stepped softly up to examine tho scales
more than onco, and" touching his An
gers to the. balance seemed satisfied.
Suddenly ithero was a tinkle of mu
sical chords. It seemed as though an
eerie, hand had been drawn across the
strings of tho banjo.
Airs. Maynara groaned, as she cow
ered still nearer to Myra. Unafraid,
the girl watched the movement of the
table, under tho dull glow of the little
ngni. ai last it came to rest, many reoi
away from Its original position.
Now there cama a startling blast from
tho trumpet, which was In utter, dark
ness. It seemed to bo' carried about the
rdbm. above their heads, as the brazen
sounds camo-from varying dlrooMonsj ,
Varney gavfi Vent to a terrified grunt,
and backed against the wall. 'Dan Al
den'a. assistant, followed suit, whtlo Al
den knelt on the floor io the endeavor
to detect any trickeries of the surpris
ing medium.
The pandemonium of sounds In
creased. There woro knocks on the
table, stampings on the floor and wall,
from all directions. It seemed as
though a, company of spirits must be
participating In this gruesome festival.
I The' banjo' twanged discordantly, as it
uuucrcu uopui ineir ncaas; mo trump
et emitted more blasts than ever. Airs.
Maynard now covered, her face with
her hands, fearing some still more
blood-curdling demonstration.
Suddenly the racket subsided.
Aden i and his guests turned their
eyes toward the 'slate, whlchsnow ap
peared floating from the tablo into
the air!
There was a slight grating sound!
"I heard 'the pencil writlmr inside."
exclaimed Myra, excltcly.
"Good!' Btiltl Alden, in a whisper,
"but "don't disturb It!"
lie leaned torward to look at tho
scales again, as best l)e could in the
faint luminosity. As' ho did so Arthur
varney stepped forward, snatched, tho
slate and broke tho seals. Ho opened
U and held.lt beneath tho dim rays of
tno covered lamp.
I To 'read a 'startling message:
"Varney Is a member of the Black
Order, Beware! , Your Father,"
With a qulc'k 'mpvcrosnt, just as Al
den faced about, he rubbed .tho. mes
sage .from it nn,cl' laid) it down upon
me iiiuic wiin a nervous,' laugn.
"What do you mean b
the Master their sank to the floor, sit- ly. more like- a human voice than the
Vhen for man minutes ,tn"y chinted whisper of tree tops nouoing in tn
the unholv mantra of the brotherhood, breeso of a still nignu "i warn you that
"lu2, concentrating on the mysterious Arthur vamy u a member ot tne iliac
worus, inoir minas were nimn ". ,"X
ruling torce of the High Master. Now
he spoke. In a voice oaVcrnous in its
ponderous, overwhelming vibration:
"Horn of the wills of ntteen men, he
will strike with the power of ten I"
Now wero these words taken up as the
chant, while the Master led them in the
slow swinging of their bodies. Hours
seemed to pass, although It was a com
paratively short lapso of time. Unaliy.
the Master rose slowly to his feet, ana
at a gesture of command the mon want
ed slowly across tho room, to stand be
nind him.
The Master extended his left hand,
pointing It toward the empty cabinet.
Suddenly a spark, and tnon more,
shot from his bony nngers-rthe ac
cumulated power of creative evil!
As tho man nearest him placed his lett
hand upon tho Master;, shoulder, tne
How ot the daxsllng flashes increased In
brilliancy and luminosity.
Ono after another tho breathrcn join
ed this curious human chain, adding
each tlmo to the malevolent strength or
magnetism which vwas discharged in the
direction of their ruler.
And ah they stood there atlli chant
ing the words of creation, a figure be
rnn to nnnenr within 'the shelter of the
cabinet. At first it boro little semblance
to anytning numan. ,
But nl their titanic efforts 'continued
I with moro Intense effort, and a rising
.. . .. .,... Ik.I .., 1, aaltMA,
1'OWCr UI lllUir WCIIU .ii;d ii una.i.vu
thegirl.her-BympathIcs .overcame her
zear. c -
"Something tells me thaM may b'e of
greater help, than I had supposed,"
she told, him , , ., , .
The Wad-tftbt long to wait -before
the Maynard automobile drew .tip be
fore the' physician's homo to allow
Myra .and ''her mother hasten up' the
steps, -."The ladles were shown, at once
to the" laboratory, by tho raald, who
peeped' fearfully .Into tho room, and
thenlost no tlmo In rctr.catlng .from
this queer sanctuary, wljlcb .was re
gained by the, servants as. a genoral
meethik place for "ha'nta.' and "ban
shees." iii.
Alden Introduced the newcomers, and
then prepared for tho final tests of
medlumistlc pqwer. " " .
Mrs. MayYiard , was 'visibly fright
ened, aa Aldem afrnnirpil thn neMinc
for Mrs. Palmer's supremo efforts In I
auon a way as to prevent any tricker
ies. She had objected strenuously to
attending any more of these terrify
ing demonstrations, but Myra's eager
curiosity overrode her determination.
Now, her usually placid face won
twitching; nervously, and she sat on
the edge of her chair as though in
tuitively expecting some torrlblo thine
to happen.
Alden had arranged a "cabinet" In
a corner of the room, by stretching a
black curtain across a horizontal sup
port, reaching from one side wall tb
another. In such a way as -to preclude
all possibility of any assistance from
outside the room. The cablet extend
ed to a helgtit of abaut'seven feet, so
that they could see over tho top of It.
"Now, Dan," he directed his assist
ant, "bring out the large scales and
place them here before the cabinet."
Dan .obeyed Instructions, and tho
cales,' with their balanrlhc; platform
large enouBh to hold a chair, wero set
accordlmr to his (tho physician's) ln
tatructieta A large' net Whs theh
placed aipund the chair, and tho me
dium stepped upon the scale", and
Alden raised the net, completely en
circling her Jn its firm meshes. He
fastened the top qf tho net to tho sup
port 'above.
"Why all these curious preparations?!'
asked Myra. , .
"BecaUi this is t"ho only way In
which which tQ.abRolutcii'-mnka certain
that there Is no legerdermaln or trick
manipulation lri a Seance. The scales
will indicate anv departure .of tho me
dium from them, or any added weight
in ease she should use apparatus to help
her In the manifestations. Ami tho
net precludes any use. of her hands or
feet -"about tho' room, explained the
physician. "These are the scientific pre
cautions which have betrayed hun
dreds of pretended mediums."
He hurried to the other side of the
laboratory, and carried a small tablo to
the'nldo'of the room near, but "beyond
arrfereaoh of the medium.
upon this ho placed n common
ecHoor'slatc. within wh'ortj 'folded sides
he h art .placed a pinto nenrll. lie tied
the sides of the Blato flrmlvand sealed'
It, bflioro tiding satlslled. 'Then fiom a
cabinet he.brouclit forth damhourlnn
and a mandolin. These he, placed on
tholBTge table,- fully twelve-teeta way
from Mrs. Palmer's temporary platform
on the scales.
As he lodkod about with satisfaction,
anothei timid knock came from the
aoorway.
"Confound it! I must not be dis
turbed again." ho muttered, angrily.
"There will be a new maid In this house
tomorrow!"
He strode imnatlentlv to the door.
unbolted It, and was startled to seo
the'suave smile of Arthur Vurnev.
''I Just took tho liberty to como right
up itairs," explained tho Intruder,
blandly. "I told ynur maid It would be
nil Eight. I called to take My rn mptor
Ing. and butlei tdld mo she had come
over here to see. a spook performance.
I novec believed In them, and jto I knew
you wouldn't mind letting me have a
rtafrVefl seat, as well.''
Alden raged Inwardly.
There was a certain shlftlnenu which
he dotected in Varrfcy's 'shrewd etes
which b-tMlod tho surface calm. But,
after many hqurs of .study of -.the man.
Alden determined now to put him to
the test. Perhaps, he thought, here was
a blessing In disguise,
Without mpro ado, he Instructed pan
to bring rfriotber chair, and wllh formal
courtesy he waved varney 'to a s6at.
Then "he turrtqd. to Mrs. Palmer ex
pectantiy.
bi' Interfering
the physician
stridently.,
"'It was Just silly, stuff. ,1 wanted
to seo It done again," stammered Var
ney Jn confpsion.
Aldcn sprang toward him, his fist
clenched. - tHf , . .
"Veu confounded .Idiot!" he cried,
with a terrible tbne in his usually placid
'volco. "I've had enough of your Inter
ruptions.. I didn't Invito you here, and
this Is not the first time you havo de
liberately 4ritru"dfcd."
Myra sprang to his side and caught
tho muscular arm. Just as It was drawn
back for a, vengeful thrust.
"PaysanJj Paysonl" she cautioned.
"Don't forgot y.oursclft Arthur Is your
guest'' -.
Varney tcpped,back. Ho realized the
awkwardness of tho situation, and, .act
ing unuer oraers iram nis evil ruier as
ho was, he knw that, this, was no tlmo
for a crippling of tho secret machina
tions or tho master.
"Guest or no. guest. If he doesn't get
out of my house, I'll throw him out of a
window!" cried the physician. He turn
ed toward his Assistant. '.'Dan, take this
fellow downstairs and kick him out If
he doesn't hustle.-"
Varney muttered nn Imprecation under
his breath, but. gladly grasped tho oppor
tunity which ho had been waiting.
"Myra, I hope that you- " he began,
an he caught up his hat and walking
stick.
But the girl Jpdlgnantly Interrupted.
"Arthur Varney, your hopes have
nothing to do with mo any more," and
she turned away.' to lay' a soothing hand
upon the furious physician's arm.
Varney taughe1 scornfully, as he walk
ed through the door, held open by Dan.
whose twitching fltgers longed to Inclose
the neatlv collared throat.
Dan followed him downstairs with nn
concealed Irascibility, and, as ho slam
med the door behind the unwelcome
guest he saw 'through the curtains tho
malevolent sneer with which the depart
ing one turned to face the house for an
Instant. ,
"Dat guy alnt after no good for de
guvnor." he. muttered. "I'd enlov croak-
In' him mvsolf." which remark evidenced
an understanding of human nature much
more correct; than his grammar.
w;
CHAPTER liXlII.
'T"- Hirlh of a Frankenstein.
ITHIN tho somber shades of
Blnck Order council room
unusual ceremonies wero bo
Ing conducted by the hl-rh
master and a picked group of his satel
lites.
It was seldojn that the evil pontiff min
gled wlth'fila'unaerllng's, hu't great plans
were now afoot.
"Tills, Is the -supreme effort of our
order," he told the assembled brethren.
"All 'your wills and wicked souls must
be concentrated upon our task, for to
day we ascohd to the supreme step of oc
cult power."
Fourteen of the members, wearing
their flowing black gowns, and the va
V16us hoods, -from which dangled the tri
angular discs over the. crlme-seame.d
foreheads, now waited fits every com
mand with rapt attention.
Their numbers had been sadly deci
mated of lato by the Intrepid campaign
ing of Alden. Realizing the need for ab
solute secrecy and trust, the master had
forbidden the Initiation of new members,
to avoid a repetition of the "spying"
work of HaJI, Alden's ill-fated Hindu
friend.
And so It. was that they realized that
their fates hung upon the toll of this
momentous hour. Never before had
their obedience been so implicit,, their
wills so subjugated to the Aupremlty
of the criminal genius who presided.
And never beforo had the High-Master
himself realized that In the handsome
and debonair man of science had ho
tound a supreme antagonist "worth ot
his steel! ' '
Ho led them Into the sanctity of his
throne room now, and arranged them in
a triangular position, of which ht?, tho
apex, was lacing a cloth-covered cum
net In a corner of the room.
At a signal, and an Incantation from
wa sthe deity of the Devil Worshipers.
ting crossicgsen, as moy oawea in
the shape of a gigantic man
More and more dense It grow, until in
the rdVcate light of tno, swjnging
braziers suspended from the stono cell
ing above. It moved and raised its
head a hbrrlbte Physiognomy combin
ing In tho gnarled and monstrous fea
tures an expression or inaomitabio
power, supreme bestiality, and absolute
emptiness of feeling or thought!
"It Is tho Thought Monster! I have
created him well!" cMed the Master,
dropping his arm now.
His satollltes did tho same, and re
garded the hubo beast In growing ter
ror. There was a grewsome menace In
that great hulk of concentrated evil,
which even these uncanny devotees re
alized with shudders of fear.
The members swayed wearily, as
though they had given forth tho vital
ity of their souls, while the High Mas
ter spoke to the monster within.
"Come forth! Born of the strength
of fifteen men. your strength Is the
strength of ten!" was his raucous cry.'
And the Monster garbed In a long
gray robe, felt of his huge arms, of
his rugged face, and stepped toward
his creator.
An expression of childish. If bestial.
delight overspread the hideous features,
as he advanced, stretching out the
great stubb fingers of his hand toward
tho nearest member.
The black robed brother gavo a cry
of pain and sprang backward, tripping
over a fold of his gown as he c'd so.
With the agility of an orang-outang
the monster sprang forward fully ten
feet, catching the screaming member
with a vicc-ltkc grip. '
He was lifted In the air as easily as
a babe, and before the Master could
ralso the whip which had been con
cealed within his girdle, .tho great
beast was punching, twisting and pinch
ing the hapless brother with squeals of
hideous glee.
The Master rushed forward now, lash
ing the face of the brute with well-directed
blows of the .cutting lash.
The monster dropped tho victim and
with a gnashing of the great tusks,
turned .toward tho ruler of the "Black
Order with outstretched arms.
"You must obey, for I created you!"
crien the .Master, wltn another diow.
Tho monster paused, and his furv dis
solved Into childish gratitude as ho
knelt before tho Master to kiss his
hands, stroke the silken robe and gurglo
in puerile gleo.
Just thep tho scintillation of light
from the shiny metal triangle on tho
hood of a brother's garb attracted his
attention. The great man-beast, ephem
eral 'In his moods and half thoughts,
now roso and curiosly examined the
gllttorlng object.
At this Juncture Arthur Varney sud
deny entered the outer chamber
through tho revolving trap door, aided
b an outpost left to guard the portal.
Without the usual ritual, e rushed
excitedly Into the throne room, cry
ing: "Muster! Master! All Is lost! Tho
spirit of Myra Maynard's father Is at
tho seance In Alliens laboratory,
Myra and Mrs. Maynard are there, too.'
He hurriedly explained his close es-
capo irom Dcirayai ana then, with a
few keen questions, the Master raised
hand for silence. He remained lost In
cleen thought, while the monster snt
squatted on the floor, tossing his head
from side to side like an imprisoned
Den.it ot tne jungle.
Varney, his excitement momentarily
calmed, now turned to a fellow In the
order to ask about the curious beast.
And, as a whispered .explanation fol
lowed, the High Master's face writhed
Into a leer of triumphant confidence.
"It is well. Wo must hypnotize the
thought monster and let him material
ize nt the seance. Then he shall de
stroy Myra and Alden. We havo vic
tory In our hands at last. There is no
checkmate now!" he exclaimed.
He called to the monster, who looked
up Into the commanding stare of tho
fixed black eyes. The Master's hands
described curious circles In the air, as
he began the task of throwing the great
beast Into a cataleptic state. It wan
more difficult than he had supposed,
for the monster was so supreme In evil,
so lacking In intellect, that his task was
slower than It would havo been with
a human being!
I 1,-llA,.
vauv,, . ,
un, father. It can't be true i" gaspeu
Myra but tne spirit nodded In uoiumn
umrmation, as us hand rested upon the
girl's golden nead. , .. i .
Aiuen was Kneeling on tno iioor ucmua
(hn urnloa In irnl u rimer, analytical
view of thu medium during tnls. astound
ing performance. Nothing missed ills
scientific eyes. He would navo voiced a
query, whun the spirit adui eased Myra
oncetnore.
' mll.l ffftjmn nna 1A III COITI ml'
beware 1 beware!" It -said as ItTotreated
toward the curtains and raaea irom
view. Mrs. Maynard had lost conscious
ness Irf this soul-racking moment, and
Myra was sobbing hysterically now.
Alden sprang to his feet, and for somo
Inoxpllcable reason, backed to tho table,
where he drew his revolver from tho
drAWAf
A new figure appeared before them
now. It was the same great monster, in
human form, which had left Jn "tral
ways the throno room of the Black Or
der a few seconds before.
Myra was speechless and spellbound,
as tho tears coursed down her face. The
dead weight of her senseless mother bore
her down, and yet she could not move
a muscle from that terrorized embrace.
"Who are you?" gasped Alden his lips
parched and his voice cracking, as ho
spoko. .
The monster spread Its great arms and
n nawniia In Vttinltilnf InflPl!
"Born of the wills of fifteen men. I
strlko with the strength of ten I
Before Aldcn could grasp the meaning
of'lt all. the monster seized tho table,
and raised It high In air. It was thrown
down with an ear splitting crash. The
beast caught up a chair and ""shed t
between the great fingers ns though it
had been made or straw. Now It turned
Its baleful eyes.towarn myra. aim .us
flrnlly understood the fenrful portent.
Here was a Frankenstein of the Mas
ter's creation, sent to deatroy them. lie
drew his revolver and aimed for the
great chest of tne gray-rourii -
The monster winced, as tho bullet was
spent, but It rushed at him with In
creased fury, . . .
Alden dodged tho ponderous reach of
the swinging arm, and ran trough the
door of tho laboratory Into the other
chamber. , .
Dan. who had returned to tho labor
atory, had presence of mind enough to
slam the door and bolt It. as. the mon
ster sped one rthe adroit Aldcn. Then
he turned to assist Myra In bringing
r.er mother to consciousness.
A Man tnnri annt turn mOTO bUlletS into
tho .hulk which pursued him. but to no
avail. They seemed to give pain, but
to Interfere with ho beast's progress
not In tho least. , ,
Suddenly a curious diversion saved
him, as he had retreated Into a corner
of tho ante-chamber. The monster
spied a mirror, and the flashing of Its
reflected light caught his childish fancy.
The monster stopped, picked It up and
gurgled with delight at the reflection
or his nrutisn iac. , ,
An Idea struck Alden, whoso mind
was working with lightning speed, in
this tho supreme climax of his fight.
Ho ran for the door which led to the
black-walled room which contained his
hypnotizing machine. As he entered
this he sent a bullet which shattered
the mirror In the hands of the giant,
and another into the brute's face. A
great hand was clapped upward In
pain and an agonized howl emitted
from tho thick lips. Tho monster
charged at him. but Alden had-slammed
the door and bolted It inside.
He knew that a few seconds only were
left to him, for the evil Titan was In
vincible' , ,
Inside the room he switched off nil
the lights, except those connecting with
the great, wneel or mirror-pianen. mc
hear da crash of woodwork behind him.
The light from the otnr room nnoi
through a broken panel, accompanying
a protruding fist. Alden shot at the flst!
There as another crash, and the
monster broke through tho door. The
physlclnn sprang back Into n dark cor
ner and awaited developments, hoping
against hoep on the great beast dashed
furiously Into the room!
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STIELOW GIVEN STAY
UNTIL NEX
T
MONTH
District Attorney Ordered to
Show Cause Why He Should
Be Executed.
uyfs
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I
"Are. you rcarfy now" he Inquired, rhythmic uhlsQn.
rfco- drew' drfwn the ourtolns of-tho I 'Ihe-Moster gave, first the-sign of
tnrinum. :!.' I nreaa oraer, ciencnea nsis, pr
"Yes. but with so many people In the-ngoinst theeks, withv thumbs upturned.'
lom, I must havo absoluto darkness," In semblance of the horned one who-
room
CHAPTER LXIV.
The Father Returns.
N the qulto of the laboratory, Alden
and his guests had recovered their
poise, after tho disturbing exit
Varney. The physician refrained
from exprcslng the consluMon at which
he had finally arrived. Had it not been
for his bellof that somo supreme result
was to come, from this surprising se
ance, he would have followed the other
man, and notified the police. For at
last his suspicions had been Justified.
"I'wlll get him later, for he will como
into a trap again!" ho told himself.
And so ho addressed himself to the
medium, Who was still In the strange
Icy stupor of the transported sensitive.
Alden knew that despite her catalepsy,
shre was subjected to externals, to a
certfiln icxtent. iHe' feared that the
unpleasant diversion might havo broken
the flow of her connection with the
Unseen Universe.
Yet he persevered. Now. he snnkn i
iter sen 117.
"Please brine back a messa fmm
Myra's father,'7 he begged, his lips close
to her ear. .
There was no reply but suddenly the
curtains ot the protected cabinet ewayed
and a cool wind blew them out toward
him. Myra 'and Mrs. Maynard gripped
each other's hands nervously. Then,
without .warning, tho curtains parted
anq a uguio appeureu, visioie to them
all I
The meaium was now writhing In a
spasm of agony.
Tne snauo warned lonn rrom the canopy
and dimly glowing as though composed
of some phosphorescent material it .
came more visible to them.
It was Myra Maynard a father!
Mrs. Maynard gave a low groan, and
toppled f. forward, her face pressing
agalhst Myra's arm, which trembled as
In n ague while she endeavored to
support the sobbing woman,
'Myra, I am your father's spirit!"
came the words, audible and yet scarce-
CHAPTER LXV.
Checkmate!
tTFIN the Inner sanctuary of
the Black Order roomn the
Master was giving ainey
nurried Instructions. Ho held
two curious conts, looking mora than
anything eUo, like coats of mall, such
as the mediaeval swordsmen used. They
were tunics, covered with sparkling
prisms of glass, nnd the ruler of the
Blnck Order hurriedly donned hlsown.
On the floor lay two shields, marto of
mirrors, itr.ngcly wrought. Ono of
these he lifted, and ud J us ted over his
left arm. Then ho raised a large black
tube, In one end of which was adjusted
o lens. Ho pressed a button and a
great ray of green tight shot forth.
Varney picked up tho mate of ths
bulb light and looked Into tho lens
curiously.
"Be careful, Varney! Tho ray.4 of
that light nro fatal to mortal and spirit!
It is the deadly luminosity of science.
Do not point It at mo or at yourself.
The monster will soon return from Its'
mission, and we must destroy It. Put
on your coat, as I havo done, take the
mlrrorshlelds, and go in tho outer room.
When the monster returns call to me
and come In hore. Then we will kill It
nnd wo nre victorious In our long task!"
The Master chuckled, hopefully. But
Vnrney was not so certain, as ho awk
warlly adjusted tho uncouth and gilt
terinft garmtnt. Hn retired to tho outer
council chamber, to awnlt tho ;rcat
combat, with fear tearing at hla evil
heart.
Alden's plan had worked'
The thought moniter, its eyes caught
by tho bewildering facets of light which
shot from the revolving mirrors of the
Illuminated wheel, paused beforo It In
dumb nmozement. Gradually the hyp-
no(lo power of the scientific machine
attserted ItBolf, nnd the monster became
rluld. The nhvslclan ran forward, not
a moment to lose. A few swift passes
of his hand", and lio knew that ho had
conquered the beast of ovll.
"Go back and destroy tho evil men
who made you1" commanded the physi
cian, 'me mor.sior. uazen una sun
seml-rlgld. obeyed, walking back
through tho shattered door. Down tho
Bteps at the physician's guidance It
went, and men arawn on oy mq nirange
power of hvpnosls It sped down tho
street, across tho Intervening stretch of
tho country, unheeding the strange ter
ror of people who beheld It nnd shrank
away.
Through Ihe devious paths, to the
deep woods of the suburban strnlch of
uncultivated woodland under which the
subterranean chambers of the Black
Order were built, the monster went.
At It approached tho culvert, through
which the members made their first en
trance to the council chamber. It splod
a member of the Order climbing out.
A crunch of bones and nn agonized
scream and tho member had gone to his
etnrnnl nunlahmentl
Thrnueh the dark passage, led bv Its
supernatural Instinct, the thought mon
stnr TAPed. to thn small chamber be-
beneath tho revolving platform. With
out warning It was suddenly Jerked
downward by tho Inhuman strength of
the great brute. The meniber on guard
above It fell fairly into tho arms of tho
murderous creature. A quick hug. and
another victim had paid the penalty!
Tho monster now raised Its hugo head
through the opening nnd sprang Into
the room abqve. The mpnster peered
about tho emntv room, and then In Its
vestige of furniture in the chamber. It
stopped suddenly and hid behind tho
altar, Just as Arthur Varney came
through the curtains irpm anomer
room to Investigate the rtblse.
Thero was no one in sight, and taken
off his guard, Varney dropped the ray
of the destructive light to the ground.
The monster reached over the altar,
drew his body qulcklv ftehlnd It. There
wan on agonized shriek, as the scoun
drel breathed hist last, and the hideous
brute stood up. to Ming his lifeless body
across thj room. It ran toward him
then, to study with interest the be
spangled coat and tho mirror.
As a gorilla might have done, it cu
riously drew off the coat and placed It
about its own hugo shoulder-, picked up
tho mirror shield, and lifted tho bulb
light, with curiosity. ,,
There came the clang cf a brazen
gong from within. The Master could
not understand the failure of his min
ions to reply. Ho had expected the
thought monster to reincarnate in tno
throne room frpm which he had been
m-riiM-tnt. But. ns he suddenly looked
toward the door, he beheld the great
beast, attired In the morror coat, armed
with the shield and bearlnc the fatal
The Master, with a curse of rage,
sprang toward a switch and the room
was in darkness. Then suddenly the
freen ray of murderous light shot
rom the holder, and tho monster imi
tated him. The two strange gladia
tors. In the tense darkness, howling
with rage, battled each other for
inanv minutes, covering their faces
with the shields. But the rays had
done their work. In tho swift flashes
of the struggle, and the monster sank
to the stone lloor with a groan.
"I am dylngl" muttered the High
Master, as ho staggered toward the
doorway. Ho had barely strength
then to strike the gong, weaker and
weaker with each movement.
This time his summons was an
swered, and from an inner chamber
several of the brethren came ""'"
forth. They were terror-stricken, as
i;... '-... ,t. iim incR of the Mas-
te tie. h" the. rays of the lights
which no una o' .-"", -;: -,"-ini
"Open the door behind that curtain.
ho ordered weakly, "and bear m
i 1.1 .ft
They obeyed him in surprise. It was
evident that they had never ..
big room, furnished In .S1mll'f:
nlflcence. which lay on tho other side
of that unsuspeciea I"1 -". .
They placed his weak body upon a
divan. He pointed a trembling finger
at another tapestry, and called once
"'Open the door behind there!" he
ordered, as his hnnd sank back on a
cushion. They obeyed again .
A barred door met their gaze and.
as they swung It back, the figure ot a
woman, '.watched itin.
nVr hofr TfS?.sChVCwromei,f.tetr.mi,de,ymSS:
teTh1 'wUarcaught up a polnlart
from Its scabbard where it was hung
upon the wall, as a .drn,t'n'7,inf
stealthily approached the recumbent
?;!:! : i-io mtriri flashing from
the black eyes. Ho looked up. as she
ncarcd him. his gtrzo restlntf upon
""I am dying. I who have wronged
. aH "2iV..T'm hufnre I ko to my
punishment." and there was a faint
?m"lo on his dravn face. The woman
dropped the dagger and knelt before
him as the members looked on In
urprfaV The Master turned toward
th'immna0k' this woman heir to all my
power" lie sold weakly. "To hear her
Ps tS obey! Now each of you shall
avenge my death, or die In the nt-
tT.Pth,FmeTkn.Ufc before Mm. return
ing the thumb ilymbot of the order, he
struggled to rise. His limbs jitlffened.
therwas a hollow i.ttle In hfi throat
nnd he stiffened out n death, as his
body sank tothe floor! ...
. mj..'. uhnminrv. Mrs. Maynard
had been T restored to consciousness, and
the doctor was calming her nerves with
a llttlo medicine. Tho place i wm a
wreck, but there was a triumphant
smile on the physician s face.
Ho walked to Myra. who was trying
to bring herself to command of her own
vi,i fniinirs by gazing out of the
CONSIDERED EVASIVE
British Reply Limits Boycott,
But Ignores Question of
Right Raised by U. S.
NOW YOItK, July 30. -Three time
made ready for death In Sing fling"!
cloctrlc chair, Charles Sticlow, con
victed of murdering a farmer and his
housekeeper in Orleans county, hae
been given at, least three more weeks
or nte. i
Supreme Court Justice Ouy ordered)
the district attorney of Orleans county
to show cause on August 23 why fltlelow
should be electrocuted. I
The long stay of execution came after
nearly two days and a night of ceasef
less effort by flvo men and ono vromah
to save the mnn whn CrMiv nlvht
kissed his wlfo and thrco kiddles good-
uy lur Ull limo. I
Those responsible for Justice Ouyf
ruuiiK nre .uisna AppicDaum, nead
tho Humanitarian Lea-rue- James '
naKAtsnn FAtrtA aI a .a.
vruv..., iuiiiki unniBiaiii aisinci ai
torney here; David White, of Medina;
Stewart M. Kohn, attorney for the
Mutual Welfaro League; Henry W.
Merchant, Warden Osborne's attorney,
and Inez Mllholland Bolcsevaln.
The flvo based their day and night
arguments to Justice Ouy on tho ground
that Btlelow's so-called confession con
tained a hundred or more words that
he had never heard and that the stolid,
ncavy-joiea uorman, oven it guilty,
ohould not be killed, since his men
tality is that of a mere stripling youth.
The fight to save "Big" BtlcloWs life
has been one of the "most dramatic in
Bing Sing's1 death house history. After
the first two stays ho was scheduled to
die "somo time during the week begin
ning July 24."
Such an edict generally sends a death
coll occupant off through "the llttlo
green door" to the next world about
daylight Monday morning. But, It be
ing optional with prison officials,
whether a man dies Monday, Tuesday,
pr Wednesday, and everyono in Blng
Blng being convinced of Btlelow's In
nocence, his "taking off" was post
poned until A yesterday morning.
Dry-cyed. he told his wife and three
babies good-by about midnight Friday,
and tho little woman went "outside" to
await tho husband's body.
Less than two hours before the time
set for tho electrocution Justice Ouy
called It off.
EXPERT SAYS CANAL
MAY BE DOOMED
... j . . v.n Annttw'm trArilen.
"It's all over now. I ant " J,f;lB,JLli
'nut. stonI havo an Idea!" He picked
England's preliminary reply today to
President Wilson's protest against her
blacklisting of certain American Arms,
doesn't hit the mark, In the opinion of
officials here.
The preliminary reply, to be followed
shortly by a detailed explanation of the
British position, was in tne torrn ot
formal assurances handed the State De
partment yesterday by Ambassador
bprlng-Blcc. , ,
Although these assurances definitely
limit the blacklist to the published
firms, the memorandum Ignores the
question of right, moral or otherwise,
to blacklist American tlrnu, regardless
ot their trade connections or financial
control.
The British position, as the memo
randum declares, is that the blacklist In
Its limited operation will not harm
American traae as a whole.
Itegardlng the principle and President
Wilson's position that American firms
can trade wherever they please. Great
Britain claims that Is a matter to bo
threshed out by diplomatic negotiations.
once the danger of actual financial loss
Is removed.
In proof ot the guarantees given, the
memorandum cites several cases of the
treatment accorded blacklisted firms al
lowed to llll standing contracts and col
lect standing credit.
On this point, however, and tho fate of
neutrals dealing with blacklisted firms,
England reserves the right to determine
her course of actjon, guided by her own
decision on whether or not such neu
trals are of service to enemy countries.
The reply given the State Department
by Spring-Rice Is as follows:
"There Is no Idea of blacklisting a neu
tral firm merely because it continues to
do buslnes with a firm that Is black
listed, but it a neutral firm habitually
and systematically acted as a cover for
a blacklisted firm and so caused Indirect
trading between Brjtlsh firms and
blacklisted firms, the case would be dif
ferent.
"Regarding payment to blacklisted
firms, our action does not affect pay
ment to neutrals and we habitually
grant licenses to British firms to pay
current debts to blacklisted firms, un
less It Is clear beyond doubt that such
payment would be passed on to or
create credit for enemies In enemy ter
ritory." King George's Footmen
Die in the "Big Push".
LONDON", July 30. Among the names
In the casualty list resulting from the
"blg push" by tho British on tho west
ern front appear two of King George's
footmen, who at the outbreak of the
war Joined the colors with a number of
others at Buckingham Palace.
Sergeant Kennedy and Sergeant
Church nre reported ns "killed In ac
tion." Both quickly became efficient In
their military duties and were soon pro
moted to the rank of sergeant. A largo
number of the King's servants from his
Sandrlngham estato wero killed In ac
tion at Galllpoll.
Worked for Chicago Since
1852 Gets First Pension
CHICAGO, July 30. John Agnew.
eighty-five years old, who until July 1
this year had been a city cmplovo since
1R52, received yesterday a check which
was the first payment by tho municipal
pension board under the pension act
"If Cut Is On Gigantic Bog,
Nothing Can Be Done."
LONDON'. July :0-Col. Norton Grif
fiths. M. P., a widely known engineer,
snyH in a Wiekly Dlipatch Interview re
garding the Panama Canal:
"We await further developments with
sympathetic Interest bofoio accepting
ominous reports that tho present canul
Is doomed. .
"If the subsoil underlying Gnlllard
Cut Is a gleuntlc bog, as nomo ularmlst
rtatcments assert, tl'en this particular
route seems hopeless. No dredging In
the works would relievo the situation
for always, as now, there will bo mora
earth to remove, and It will be a case
of dredging forever with no positive
"ITn'tll wo know whether are not the
report ar ttue. It would be premature
IU pUA JIIIIB' ..
up a crystal ball f rom a shelf which
had not ben demolished by the mon
ster. "Look here, and see It you can
nt a vision of no-. to us.
Myra concentniveu "k"" .-'? -;-; j-
globe, nd -suddenly cried out. In
I "IMS the Master face! The eyes are
closed-the cheeks sunk-ho seems
dead!"
Alden, nodded. , . ,fc
"If the Master is dead there Is noth
ing moro to fear nothing more to
fear!" he said softly. , .
But Mj'ra saw , now face In the mir
ror depths of the 'crystal. It was that
ofra woman. Nvlth Oriental . -"athlw
about her face anlJier thumbs up
turned from clenched flsts on either side
.'iv,i" .,' ,.rMm(d. but Alden heed
ed her not. He put his strong arms
aboiit her shoulder and drew the sweet
face upward to nis own.
Myra. little Myra! Do you seo any
thing In the crystal of my eyes 'he
She &'"& at him for a wondeul
aecond-a sweet Ktornity of Pamdlse
and then dropped rhe burning glance, as
thO golden CUriS ? yrcoouu U6"iui
his broad shouldflrs.
"I only seo," sho murmured, "I 5nly
see the reflection of what Is In my own
Tnd what Is that?"
"My love for you, dear. My love for
youl" 1HE KND.
See thin episode todar at Hippo
drome, Oth anil w. , Tcr-Aiivt,
passed five years ago,
The presentation was made by Mayor
Thompson. Mr. Agnew's sixty-four
years of municipal aervlco began with
membership In the volunteer fire department.
Third Episode Today. Georgia
maniacal fury, began to smash every Theater, 3423 Ga, Ave. S. W Advu
1 Architects'
Specialties
Artists'
Colorman
SCHMIDT
719-721 13tb St. N.W."
Builders Exchange Bldg.
Cirrlaor Entrance).
e arc at your
" service.
ITS EITHER
DANDRUFF
OR HAIR
You Can't Have Both
For Long
Look at your coat collar. If It
shows evidence of dandruff you
can take it as a sure sign of com
ing baldness unless you take steps
to prevent it.
When the hair threatens to leave
you can't afford to take any
chances. Go to O'Donnell's Drug
Store, 904 F Street, and ask for a
50c bottle of Speiser's Scalp Tonic.
Use it according to directions, and
in a reasonable time dandruff, fall
ing hair, and irritations of the
scalp and skin will disappear and
the growth of the hair will be pro
moted. Mr. O'Donnell is so cer
tain of the merits of Speiser's
Scalp Tonic that he'll gladly re
fund your money if it fails.
Avoid preparations containing
alkalis (the presence of alkali is
made known by the foaming of the
liquid) or cocoanut oil. Be on the
safe side use Speiser's Scalp
Tonic only. Advt.
Modern Chiropody
Affords Instant and satisfying
foot comfort. Once you know the
value of our service you will
never again tolerate painful feet.
Consult
GEORGES & SON, Inc.
ciiiitoronisTS,
1214 F St. N. W.
LOANS
HORNING
nelec.Va (routh end of Highway Brldfi).
Fn sutomobll from th and D sts. nff.