The evening world. Newspaper, November 1, 1915, Page 21

] By Edgar pt.Velvet’s F Who Tried to Ren « Whole Republic Franklin ee, The Pek A Meee ey c (a5 Bieckguards Three. iT POLLARD, James Bvane (elles the neko) on4 Wiltem Viyan ialias the panied Brute), that worthy ue of New Tork creche, having ignominiously felled te thelr letest attempt te “re evldier of fortune whe was one end they bad offended at the other ter the eteamer was dis- to be on Gre, and after « fight the three crooks escaped in the deaving only a fiimey life rest of the crew, They when blew up, throwing them their boat. their Giemay that their rescuer was Capt Veivet himecif, they having on knowingly come to the coast of Banta Changa. Op their promise to bebave and go to work honestly, Velvet turned them Jooee in the capital city, Relampasa, with @ warning that If they should try amy crooked business they would die, They, however, had no intention of coin straight, and being niless and sary set out look- ing for victims, The police hud their eyen on them, however, and they were desperate when they chanced to meet ur op the wharf stranger, who mye- teriously bade t follow him if they wanted money 4d hated Capt. Velvet, While the three cro dozed ‘at the odd offer, the moved off through the twuigbt. In the dusky wharf Mr. Vollerd 1d a hand belore his eyes, aad ked about again as be said “[ think that we'll foliow btm.” “We don’t have to, Robby,” the Snake said brightly. “I couldn't get bis wateh because be was wearing but one of these new patent fastens! 44 hia pin. Pipe! Lt isn't so bi displayed a cluster of diamo' and rubies, The Spanish Hrute start~ ed violently and cried aloud in bis giee, but Mr. Pollard merely glanced at the thing without a trace of pro- fessional interest. The Guiding Mind waid impatiently: “Get that out of sight, Jim. We'll follow bim fast enough. There's 80! hing bebind this freak happen- ing. That man hates Velvet; it stuck out of his eyes when he was talking.” “Well any guy that hat that guy’—— the Spanish Brute began heartily. “Come on!" enapped their leader, “We'll lose him in another minut He stepped swiftly into the brilliant street, and his keen eyes shot up and down. On the far corner, and merci- fully not the corner of the street, the little gentleman was standing, staring back impatiently. He nodded and inoved on. The three followed. On they passed, and finally out of the city and into what looked like a cheap suburban sect! hat had died ni jouses here and there, mostly empty, and several little fac- tories; on the next square were ram- shackle-stores tn buildings of various heights, and before one of these, with ® rapid giance in all directions, the stranger stopped short, He removed his hat, With elabo- rate unconcern he placed one hand on the back of his neck and held {t there for several seconds; then with a spec- tacular dive he vanished through the open doorway of the shop. “That's the place,” muttered Mr, Pollard, He chuckled as ho followed. S!- lently but with some little interest wakening, his two friends kept to hia sides; and thus they, too, entered the shop and looked about, It appeared to be the manufactory and sales headquarters of a (tenth-rate native tobacconint. There was a counter, with some rs and brown cigarettes in aight, and at the rear a broad table with @ plump and wleepy, eyed native witting behind; but of the strang there was no sign at al Slowly the rotund gentleman rose and waddied behind his counter; slowly, and studying them the while, he produced several boxes of cigars and shoved them at the trio, mum- bling Spauisi. eulogies of his wares. Yet, eVen before the Snake could palm a handful under pretense of ex- amining them, a knock sounded from the rear wall, Three times it came sharply—then four times—then once—then twice; and before the final pair of taps the tobacconist, having started violently, nanged man, Vanished as he hurried to the street door and looked up aad down the way. Satisfied, apparently he turned and fuirly gilded to the back of the shop; and there, with a hand on the knob of @ Yttle door, he beckoned and o di “Past, senores!" They burried to him. The door opened and the stout gentleman fairly pushed them through and siammed it onve more--and they were standing in & neglected littie courtyara, with weeds running riot through the cracked stones, the crumbling wall of ap empty factory building a dozen fest ay, and the mysterious gentieman LB the wharf at their side, “Pleasure glowed from him now. He snatched Mr, Pollard's hand and wrung It fervently as he cried: ou have come, senores, to save "To do what?” rasped the Snake, “and here is the way,” effervesced the stranger, dragging the guiding mind of the trio across the courtyard, “Move quickly, for even here there may be spies.” With catlike tread he moved upon the ancient building at the rear, Ho produced @ key and stealthily fitted it to the door; and when tho thing had creaked open they saw only the dusky interior of the ground floor, ilttered with broken odds and ends, and the sbadow of a ladder at the far side, At was not @ reassuring place for ther long-time enemy, bearding house ordered thew to ge # situation there came to get a crew, and that Rugton was really « new sort of “erimp.” Capt. Velvet, the od American the “power behind the throne” in the American Repubiic of henta Chates chanced to Bnd themeeives cor. im & room of & cheap sailors’ bosrding house in New York, with the of the street and « gang of gunmen Te #4d to their (rouble the lendioré ut . thee @ benevolent 014 gentie- ied them out « back way * on Which, thanks to the ae seamen that Owing to her Cargo she had gentiomen of « suspicious nature; they hunk back @ Lite as the o\renger, muttering deighiedly, locked the door behind (hem ané danced scross lo the ladder, 4 him parrowly some one peered through; and the; bt ine mysterious gentioman's: is Mendes!” them, too, as the Me was veckunin, trap rose bodily, They followed him and looked up; and really there was woth, fearsome about (he two faces which ivoKed down at (bem, Hoth new ere strangers Were littie men, both of the Mendes type, intelligent prosperous." Having inspected t Mr, Loliard qrunted and led the upward—and (hen paused, asto: and glanced quickly about tl it might have been # library or @ business oltice of the better sort. There was 4 broad bie tre, with five chair was a really eaxcelient rug and @ pic- ture or (Wo; there Wea a wicker couch and two or three wicker armehairs— and all of it in what seemed to be a) long-deserted factory. | Little time was given for exam- ination of the scene, however, Their pilot, having slammed the trep and! missed the Spanish Brute’s feet so) narrowly t that gentieman spoke his mind frankly, stood upon it and threw out his arms. More, he threw out bis cheat and opened his lungs; he was delivering a speech in fluent, rolling Spanish, aaa While the trio bad po means of kKaow~- ing just what it might be about, it was certainly producing an effect. The blue-eyed little man, whose name appeared to be Ferra, started at, one stage, looked hard at the Snake, and then, with a stifled cry of joy, caugat bis band and pumped violeatly at it And even as the pumping process was under way, Senor Men-| dez seemed to make another point! for the extremely dark little man atl his left clasped his hands for an in- nt and then, diwng, threw his arms about the neck of the Spanish Brute, chattering incoherent Joy. It was an tli-judged thing, for it startied Willian Ryan badly, He snatched away the clinging arms with one hand, and doubling the other, placed it upon the dark man’s solar plexus with such vim and preci- wion that he hurtled through the air and landed, 4 shrieking heap, beside the wicker couch, The speech of Senor Mendes ceased “No guy gels a strangle-hold on me, thundered the Spanish Brute, “No guy can spill enough of that dago talk into my ear to"—~ “In the name of Heaven, quiet!" cried their pilot, “This, senor, is @ z JOHN WHERE © ARE YOu 2 HE WAS HERE A FEW MINUTES AGO CAN YOu Pi My HOME 2 MY WIP 'S A SUFFRAGIST ANTI HEADQUARTERS SEND Goon aT CTURE DAY oF Rest A AND MY MOTHER: IN- ily Magazine. Monday. November 1. 1915 TauceRs A _SUFF AND 1A past all bearing. The better element of our countr which means, of course, the country itself, have risen cretly to cast off the yoke of (he oppressor—Veivet, We, the five, are the beginning of the greatest’ up- heaval Santa Chanza has ever known, We, senor, the five, will free the land of the thing cal Velvet.” “Yes? How?" asked Mr. with considerable Interest. five will gather bere in this room. You will be prompt Mr. Pollard drew a long breath as the collection of money found the bottom of the damp pocket, It was perfectly real money; twenty people, even in the little city, would exchange = "You wish"—— it for United States currency, And it ‘1 dunno’s I downright wish it" had come without # struggle, without muttered the captain. ‘But I don't even a suggestion, from native gentle- want you to get excited, Mike,’ men who did not even wince at the “About what?” laughed the repub- “The explosion this morning. There were killed—how many?" Pacato in- quired comfortably, “Nobody was killed, so far as heard. 1 wish there bad been, sighed Captain Velvet. Pollara ‘ Lal Mendez cleared his throut parting. e's Presiden! wice. Unies Mr. Pollard's eye was fail- ©; Velv de rMWel,that, senor, has not yet been ing, there was Nearly ‘Ave hundred and hated at the ornate ehandel have been decided and executed, and S24 ¥, now he came to think of were raving about last night, Mike?! it, the Mendez man at least must be tremendously wealthy, for he had not yet missed the diamond-and-ruby in, and the loss of that would have een felt by most men in two minutes “Yes.” “They're here in our midst again,” said the captain, “They blew ta on that explosion,” our beloved country will be free! And that is why, seeing you this morning, the great inspiration came to me and | brought Pad here,” secret meeting, The Perito was but “Ee aot etany in Menor Men- @84 sent them into a ft of hysteria, of TEeia Chanter ohaske. cH ons ssing his Joy.” dew cried. “It may be that Heaven , “Were you wearing a pin in your fade; they paled to @ lighter brown, jet the good Perito hus appointed you three to do this te, when we met yout” escaped alc er palod to a sickly yellow. distance and express It In thing, “En? Senor Mendez's hand went He gripped the aides of his official s Mr. Ryan said warmly. “l ''“And then, again, it may not," said t2,M# neck: only for an instant his gesk and strained forward. dunno what this is, but I won't stand Willlam Ryan, “We've gone up face, clouded, ahd he was smiling hey are—in this city?” he choked, for him kissing me, whatever it | a against that old guy before and “fal PAN! Geumnaee thidan. pod p. And"—~ But"— Senor Mendes paused and bounced back hard, and I wanter #4y, senor, “The great work of big wen i Pacato rose uneteadily from hi dabbed at bis brow with a fine hand- go far as I'm concerned”. . af ig men 18 chair, His complexion was just kerchief as he studied the good Perito, “Let him go on, Bill," sald Mr, “Pog ii And ~~ shade Ughter than corn-meal, and he who had arisen with a terrific effort and, smiling vaguely, was accepting the glass of ice water which Ferra held to his lips. ‘It ls better, per- haps, to speak the English, all of us lard agreed impatiently. might give us an idea of why we're here, you know, and"—~ “It shall be done, senor, and upon the instant!" Mendes assured bim quickly. "See then, senor! You do not know this place?” “It is the meeting room of—the five!” their pilot said impressively. “Five what?" “The five haters of tyranny—the five aposties of freedom—the five great, undagsled minds, senor, that stand apart, in all this jumble of trumpery, for perfect liberty!” Senor Mendes cried. Tt was not at all lucid, Ey Mr. Pollard could not grasp the signifi- cance, “Well, are you three of this here five?” the Spanish Brute asked heav- 1h ‘erra—Perito—my humble self— yes, senor.” “Where's the other two?" “Absent at the moment; you shall m in good time,” Mendez said . “But come, let us be seated. us begin the great work even I shall speak English, Let this instant! senores.”” He himself remained standing and beamed upon them; and his two Santa Changan friends beamed back, however weakly as concerned Perito. “I plunge at once to the point, senores, and you will understand,” he went on, "Your name—it was Pol- till is," the gulding mind con- You know, then, the ten thousand times accursed fiend of rower known here as Capt. Velvet? You know, senores, how he has op- pressed our poor country? You know, do you not, how all things here are subserved to his wretehed will?” oyes." ‘And you, too, are friends of free- dom?" “How much is there in it?” asked ‘Good! Mr. Pollard, “Infinite money, senor, — al though"—— "Yes, we are” the gulding mind seid readily, "Go ont" "L continue,” stated Senor Mendez. “Kecently, senor, burdens bave gone Pollard, “Well, iv cost # lot of money— had gripped himself so violently that al ay money!" Mr. Pollard said, ‘Jenores, at the moment I speak “= . he trembled, yet he held up a reason- but briefly, This, however, [ will tell ust a tiousand or two, pat “ly diknitied hand as he eried: you. You, all three, are clever and as much as we nevd,” pursued the , “Hnough, Velvet! I—1 shall not daring. You have done what no man guiding mind, and his voice thick- fai! my country in the hour of ite has ever done before, and that is, to ened, need, They have been here but a few cause this Velvet real worry, if only “It shall be at your disposal, senor,” hours, it, and they can have for one 4 What, senores, I ask the wonder sald readil ‘At noon done little harm as yet.” you, hating him as you do, could you He lost himself for a moment and not have accomplished with plenty then, and knock as I have knocked— wrung hie hands. And four times, thrice, once, twice,” of capital behind t! deep ling overcame Senor _ “Oh, Velvet!” he went on, almost "Well, thi is that has oc. Mendez, and he waved his hat as he in tears, “Perhaps this is @ sud curred to me @ thousand times,” said cried: “Ah, senor! A grand, new ment for the utter peace and o day has dawned!" Mr, Pollard's ft closed bungri- arent the Lat ied pockes, “Yes, I guess as,” he agreed buskily, and there was deep feeling tentment our poor republic has ¢ Joyed thie year, Perhaps this thing has been visited upon us be- cause” — ‘Mikel’ @aid the captain wearily. “It is better than I hoped!" cried Mendez, “We, senor, have the capi- ly tal—we, all of the five, if not vastly wealthy, are still of the wealthy class, We". in his own voice, be eg Ferre ‘ “T shall not fail Santa Chanza,” its wae aie Meee ag in Spanish. He official business of Santa Chansa President sald firmly again. “Our country ghall see that in me It leana upon no broken reed. I go to mobilize ye army, Velvet, and attack them be- ore" — quietly, and Mendez nodded. he had quite finished speaking, the self-appointed chairman of the meet- roceeds without, undue haste. ‘The When Piiwhich’ President Miguel, Pacato was reading now, tor mple, was ing beamed his satisfaction, Qh ebergency masgure when head “at shall be as Ferra, suggests, Been panees oevere aye ete. Fire “Mike, will sit down there?” snapped Captaln Velvet. ‘They're only three men, They're the worst three on earth to handle, | admit; but there's only three of em’, after all, Where’ tino t “The—chief of our secret police?” senor,” he assured Mr, Pollard. “He says ‘that planning were better left until all the five are in session, He says that it were better just now to give you money, if you will accept it, and ask most humbly that you pur- meaning each time to affix his signa- tue; something had always occurred to stay his hand. Something occurred now, for Cap- tain Velvet sauntered into the Pre: dent's big office just as the pen w chase clothing such as is worn by our dipped, and President Pacato sprang |\Y°%" own, better citizens. You will do up to greet him. Pran® pacato bent uncertainly and this?” pressed @ button. Also, meeting There was potting partioulenly bril Nant about the good captain's sm this morning; a weight appeared to rest upon his mind, and there was a distinctly sober light in his ey: he drew a chair to the side of the desk and smoked tn silence. id three voices as one, Ww quite a grand gesture Senor Mendez whipped a black leather wal- let from his pocket and carelessly ex- tracted a little sheaf of Santa Ch. zan banknotes, He glanced chal- lengingly at Senor Ferra, and that gentleman tossed Mr. Pollard the roll of money he had brought from his pocket, He glanced at Genor Perito, too, and for 2 moment Perito glanead at the Spanish Brute and gritted his teeth and felt of his side! but he ended with a strained smile and, find- Capt. Velvet’s cold and steadying eye, he subsided into his official ir; and there he muttered and bit bis lips, and presently his nalils—until quick heels rapped down the corrl- dor and the amall chief of Santa YOU < MANY THOUSAND PEOPLE WHO ARE READING THE EVENING WORLD’S ONE OF in’ haif'and added nis quota io the Complete Novel Each Week? bag) . If not, reelf of the richest fiction treat a is enough, senores?” Mendez waa FP yor A we ba ip Bsneaidl Ly reat ever The Evening World, every week, prints a nevel by seme famous author. These novels are iseued complete in six large daily inetalments. They are selected with a view te quiting the tastes of all readers. And the tremendous eucoees of the has long been demonstrated. In The Evening World's “COMPLETE NOVEL EACH WEEK” ve adjourn, for it 1s well to be cau- | series, le the foremest work of euch piectcenllae! avinere ee Reners W. tlous. Our meetings, as a rule, are at|{ Chambers, nif | inehert, Rupert Hughes, James Oliver Cur: noon and at midnight, sharply upon wood, Morgan Robertson, Margaret Widdemer, George Randolph Chee- the hour, although mornings, now and| | ter, Loule Joseph Vance, Edgar Rice Burroughs and many others of then, we confer upon ininor matters, 1 rity. as at present, But at noon to-day the Mr. Pollard’s fingers shook a@ little as he guthered in the wealth, “Enough for this purpose — yes. Well?” “For the moment nothing more, ar friend,” Mendez said quickly, Chanza’s detective force stood before them. said the captain, “ho many detectives have you on hand “Four bundred, senor,” the ohief responded proudly. “Well, how many good detectives?” the captain snapped, Bentino started, “Er—seven, senor,” be sald prompt- ly, art Velvet scratched his bearded chin, oo they brave men, Renny? ‘Braver than the bravest—more tried aod true than finest steesi! Swifter than the lightning are th®3e seven, senor, and astute to @ fault!” declaimed the chief of secret police. “Persistent even as the”—- “Weill, I'd ‘a’ liked io have three aploc but I guess this seven‘ll bi ‘em here, Bentino; and e quick!" And as the chief vanished he turned sharply to Santa Chanza’s President and drilled him through and through with the penetrating eyes, “Mike,” said the captain, @ good feller in a lot of wi there's some things you're too much of a native to undertake. No three men, and no three thousand men, ever lived on this earth that { couldn't handle; but I can't have you falling over yourself and throwing fits while I'm doing it. “IT dunno what these three are up to, or if they're up to anything; but if I (can't handle ‘em to @ fare-ye-woll, it’s time I tied @ couple of cannon balls around my neck apa atepped into the harbor! And they'll got no pub- lietty this time, I guarantee,” con- gluded the Captain, breathing rather heavily. “Only—you keep out of itl e the whole thing to me!” He pounded so violently upon the desk that @ little spurt of tale Gansee from the inkwell and spattered gayly over the bill Pacato had been upon the verge of signing, Santa Changa’s President nodded weakly, but with considerable enthusiasm; and there was a sudden light of hope in hia eye, and some color flowed back to his cheeks as he cried gratefully: “I shall indeed leave it all to y my dear old friend! Indeed, it seems to me that it were better that I ap- point you President pro tem of the public. Yes! And my own Inconvenient and clumsy presence I shall take im- mediately from our beloved city, starting at once for”— Capt. Velvet laughed outright. “You etay right where you are and just look natural, Mike—that's all you have to do,” he said. “Y’ know, it's plumb outrageous to get all worked up like that over three men. You're all right while I'm here, Why—good Lord, Mike, I've licked whole regi- ments of men—armed men!~just me alone! Why, once the British Govern- ment sent a Goorkha regiment to get me, and when the scrap was over I was there and the regiment wasn't!" He slapped his chest quite modest- ly, but Pacato's mind was on the im- mediate present. “They were called elsewher Velvet?” he murmured absentl “They were buried!" thundered the good Captain, And then, considering mental calibre of the hearer, he tolerantly, and @ soft, rem~- t smile came to his bearded was away back In the lemme see, what summer mused Capt, Velvet; and having stretched his legs and bitten the end from a fresh cigar, he stepped happily back into the glorious past! “Say, gimme them matches, Mike,” to do. t ‘em my ," muttered the good captain, ¢ with furtive giinte im the ore, and fonr im the hearte, b entered te shop of the palive tobacconiat, ero- freer ta the bedraggied sailor-eulte | that bung miserabiy to them three amart-walking men @ard (hat seemed almost trim by fea. mer, too, Whose eyes giistened and The Devil’s Admir son of the springy limbs beneath | ta ten, eat the tpennee Bates =| dosed looked about feariesaty, who slouched ana no longer; but with shoulders squared, headed down the street and toward the better part of Kelampago With business written on every line, ‘The Hnake whistled blithely, vary- back, to ing snatches of musiosl comedy with imitations of the canary and the lark, William Ryan, though, was too Milled with emotion to whistle; times he looked dumb admiration at chief before he murmured: Hobby, we gotter hand it to you! We gotter hand it to you for getting the money!" Mr, Pollard glanced at bim with « ighuly supertor smile, “Oh, | think #0," he sald. “Mow much ts in the roll, Robby? “And this pin stuck on the inside o° t's worth Ofteen hundred!” he wo thousand bucks to that Ly 2 was buraing Spanish Hrute. MtNobody, Bil nned their guid- an “Les hustle no ing intelligence. w fas He 6 got the price of all the break~ in town.” quickened bis pace, and the trotting on beside him, ne Hither we'll hit the trail for Rio and look up Reddy and see what's | good in the town, or we might take a shot at Cuba,” the Snake presumed happily. “I've hei @ lot about Havana, and I'v: plead say thei \e: “Well, there's a lot of money in Rio Janeiro, and Reddy can right with the police,” sald tr Ryan. “The @ lot in that, ain't there, Rol bby t” poked orbits paren Med ribs and Mr, Pollard, coming out o! brief meditation of his own, stared at m. wi hhere may be," he conceded; “but neither of you are going to see Ha- a or Rio Just yet. What?" “Hardly, you chump!” snapped Rob- ert Pollard, “Do you think I'm going to leave a town where people stop u in the street and call you into & Back room and hand you money with- out even being asked for it?” “But “We'll leave here when we're done with thelr pretty city,” smiled the gulding mind, “We haven't begun to work on it yet.” Thunderstruck, the Snake and Willlam Ryan looked at one another, “Well, Robby, 1 guess you one: ‘sin this Lown?” the sted. ‘And thi three Httle chaps with the brainstorm think they‘re going to gt something over on him,’ i yan urged earnestly. “And I'm going to help them!" “But—for the love of Mtk Robby,” gasped the Spanish Brute, “don't you know better now than 4 to put sayining over on Velvet Can‘t you never learn that we could inch a pollée station or sell gold Bricks to the mint easier"—— Mr. Pollard tapped his shoulder sharply. wouldn't shout like that,” he . “Bome one around here might understand English. And just get it out of your head that I t trim Velvet, because I can! No man ever lived that I couldn't trim, and when I think of all the hard luck we've had with that one it makes my fingers itch to get his throat and"-— Mr. Pollard cried passionately and controlled himself. ‘The Snake shut bis teeth with a M. frightened click, “Well, we'll stop in a drug store and t something simple for that itch,’ @ said; “and then we'll run right down to the docks and find out what's sailing for where this morning, Must likely we can get breakfast aboard just as well as in the town here.” “Snake,” sald Mr. Pollard harshly, “T want that talk cut out. We're here and here we stay till we're through. I don't know what that crowd wants to do to Velvet, but I'm the bright- eyed little chap that's going to boss the job. And when I get that old friend where I want him"——~ He laughed hideously and fell silent as they burried on, The Sna and Willlam Ryan, at his feet, loo! at ne another again, “"tHe's eragy!” the Brute sald hoarsely The Snake, whose sidelong glance had just caught Robert Pollard’s fin- gers pleasantly busy in sorting and bundling the collection of cash as he walked along, turned @ face torn with conflicting emotions upon William Ryan. He's vraay, BI," ho muttered. “And still he might be right. He has been right before, hundreds of times, thousands of times, dunno!” Luxury, however aloof when the pauper is about, seems to rush forth to meet the man with the means of footing the bills. ‘The criminal trio, having passed back to Kelampago's better section, fairly stumbled upon the rather fashionable restaurant be- side the leading jewelry store. A bland man, who had been rubbing his hands and smiling at the hot skies from the doorway as they came abreast, ceased trailing’ abruptly they rushed in and crashed down around the first table, Without approval he looked carefully; and then: , dees establishment”—~ ut us sv tiem And then pit on m, ot many * Mr. Pollard, oipas coo woveral af! ond before bit that Mr. Pollard grated “so more * "Going to read your ce) idiot?” (rtune agate, “Tm going to find out just what's rm tld. with 'wuaden erevity. an ‘ “Maybe I'm going to stay To “At least five hundred, Billi" said ind maybe I'm chiet of the trio, lone.” going for James Evang stopped short for an softly over 2Ol-f a and clutched Mr, Pollard’s © shuftit es rranging ¢ y a card here and lastas fe over theret and with the faintest of interest Mr. Pollard noted that he was amil! wonderingly at them before he Kod up and muttered: “T haven't fy Bob! ake this layout In five “Good!” aneered “Good!” chord tl po just that Mr. Ryan a ‘Why, look and stared. itt Lana ‘eudten year since I've seen card trying to come up, and this te I've mossed it five dit t and it comes up every time! ina over hi gi ° see these Well, coming tke that, Kea fcaa tan” aan ean’ either!” Mr, Evans ended a “Wall, we'll go out and get some of’ © fg e008 Spal ‘chuckled Aan. we Bi 0 id Tas eee tx lo, Soe Brute, yawned and poses (itt> y. “All thn clothes We bead and * 6 cl we fire mi nee evil thetr er sa: lefly. “That looks pretty rellable | 7 It proved to beet that San in the way of ready-made spared nothing on the Pollard pald little he bought and urged buy; and having cought some more, At last there was a pundles waiting an very, and the velo curvature of the! pine » conduc’ them dressing rooms in the rear apd are Saar discuss the scions of who ob viously had dese ipoognite D Sonta Shanza that bie Capes in i melita tn thelr new and ra. {i ent they set forth in pointed meeting places sas te Ace ba ge Fye9 wavered, oe i might trap, r Mayo" we better" q 6 loader laid thing hand . Mr. Ryan's arm aS "stalled Soba + jonately, i “Bill,” this te no trap,” be sald, “And if it was all’ kinds ofS so what of It? Those three little ir thing,” said brightly, it there morning tae this funny business, they're all oarry-;ewr ing money. We can beat ‘em up aad oa, (hat anwar “Tt had ocour: to Jim," Mr, Pollard, as the bac! oor _— under the tobacconist’s touch it they passed through to the sf “Let me remember that famey knock now.” Remembering %t was * un- necessary, The door of the em warehouse opened before them, dez's animated countenance ap- peared to welcome them; looking up- Ward, toc, they meted thar the tab yawning hospitality, with four volves chatterin, ° The five were tn session, and about the remaining two members there was something rether startling, Tf the original three had been small, the last pair compensated fully and brought the average weight of the five well up to the mark, The diabolical person with the pointed beard, the clearette, and the flashing eves, Mr. Pollard . could hardly be less than atx feet three in his stockings: while the vast, smooth shaven individual, who wore the calm, grim expression of an exe- cutloner, was never more than fn * inch helow him. Mend ine at them, too, and erving: “See, senorest Here tn the sechi- sion of our meeting chamber I hove yw the great honor to present you! ‘The } Senor Pollard! ‘The senores—T b pardon? Rvan and Fvana, of cow He waved one hand at the beai se man “Senor Aripo, our chief, ae * nores! And Senor Damha!” ‘The massive man nodded politetm * He of the pointed beard glided for- ward and gripped Mr, Pollard startled finmers. ‘ ‘You have come to rend the un- speakable Velvet limb from limb feed his accu’ bones to the dogs of the street!" he stated pleasantly, & oan “Senores, we bid you welcome!” nad “And now to the sacred work!’ cried little Senor Mendes, dancing to" the table, beside which three new!{!” chaira had been placed, “You see, senores, we lose little time tn get bpd. to our’ vengeance. Aripo, you Jag speak to this Intrepid thrae who have! © come ao happily.” br (To Be Continued.) _ Me