TTIE SUNDAY OREGONIAJf, PORTLAND, NOVEMBER 25, 1917.
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acCP U t3EWyi7& ?p.O Z By Anna Katharine Green.
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Copyright Reserved. Paramount Pic
tures Corporation.)
BALLS OF HAZARD.
TTTHEN Tommy Hale plunged over-
JI board from the J-6 Just before
I T
her. She could Bee him now, his face
Inflamed and bestial. She had only
one thing that might be used as a
weapon; the leg ehe had broken from
the chair that was part of the scanty
furniture of the room. That she held,
- the torpedo fired by the mis- I poised and ready.
creants who had stolen his father's I She did not scream; ehe was not the
Submarine, the Sea Crawler, shattered I sort of girl to waste breath and
the Navv vessel, ho tried to stav bv sirengtn m so mine an enon as iui
Aimee Villon, his father's ward. He
But she waited with a cold horror grip-
ninff her- Atrminpd t n Aaint. tn use
hand, should It be every trick and artifice at her command,
since her strength, wiry though ehe
was, could not serve her In this crisis.
The doom, gave way completely. But
the barricade, with Almee reinforcing
it with all the strength of her elender
body, served her a little better; checked
Green's advance for a few moments.
But he was through at last, advancing
toward her. She retreated; dodged, sud-
meant to lend her
necessary, while they were all swim
ming about, waiting to be picked up.
But the suction of the sinking craft
dragged him down; for the second time
that day he was drawn far beneath the
surface. And when he struggled up
again, he scanned the tossing waters in
Vain for some trace of Aimee.
T4 had yi r f cn r f cr Yi r ' Vi at wa m si.
most sure that she had been far enough jdenly and tried to reach the door. But
from the'sinking submarine to escape 1 he caught her; his arms close about
the whirlDool caused bv her founderintr. I her.
in which he had himself been caught I Desperately ehe swung the chair leg
She was, he knew, a strong and fear- I he started back, with a cry of pain, at
less swimmer. And so many shiDs were I a blow on the head. But sne nao not
In plain sight of the disaster that there the brute strength to stun him with so
could be no doubt of rescue for all who I light a weapon; he renewed his attack.
would keen afloat for half an hour, stung to a new fury by her resistance
That was a task presenting no great "You would, would you, you little
difficulty to anyone who could swim at wildcat?" he cried, furiously. "I didn't
all. The sea was comnaratlvelv calm: 1 mean to hurt you out tnere s no teii-
there was no wind to make it chODov. ing what'll happen to you now!1
And the water was warm, for ocean I He closed upon her again, and now
water: the numbing cold which oara- Aimee had a new blow from fortune.
lyzes the best of swimmers and is re- I She slipped; as ehe tried to recover her-
eponsibl as a rule for the. appalling self, her one weapon, frail as it was,
toll of lives in most marine disasters slipped from her grasp. Most girls
was not to be feared. I would have given up the fight. But
The true danger did not. until it was I not Aimee. She freed herself by a des
too late, occur to him. He heard a perate effort; as he lunged toward her,
shout, after he had been swimming in she flung herself straight at his knees.
circles for a few minutes. It came from soeking to tackle him, as ehe had seen
Lieutenant Ferguson, the commander I football players do. He was surprised
of the lost submarine. I by her attack, by her sudden enatchlng
"Over this way. Hale!" The cheery I of the offensive. For Just a moment he
call came to him. - clear and distinct. 1 checked his hull like rush, and ner lm
"Your father's over here we'd better pact, slight as it was, brought him
try to keeD together. I shouted to Miss I down. And now fate, which had been
Villon, but she didn't hear me." I fighting against Almee, turned to her
Tommy changed his direction and aid. As Green went down his head
found himself soon in the company of struck heavily against the corner of
nil who had leaped from the submarine I the bureau that had formed part of
sxceDt Aimee. It was Ferguson who 1 tne barricade, ana ne crumpled up ana
epied her first and saw, too, the Sea lay still, only his stertorous breathing
Crawler bearing down upon her. I proving that he was still auve.
"They're going to take her aboard!" I Aimee rose and shrank away from
lie said. By Jove-1-! don't like that "
Tommy was desperate with rage and
Tear.
"Is there nothing we can. do?" he
cried.
But there was no need of an answer.
The men on the submarine drew Aimee
the man she had felled. She was in
credulous; she though he might be
shamming, seeking to play a trick upon
her. But he lay still; he made no move
when, timidly, more frightened, now.
than she had been while in the heat
of her struggle with him. she slipped
aboard; a minute later the Sea Crawler I past the wrecked barricade and over
the shattered fragments of the smashed
door. Her one thought was to get away
from him; to escape from the room.
Even if his companions caught her she
would be safe from him,' at least.
But in the hall she saw a cnance to
escape. A scuttle led to the roof
there was a ladder. It was all she
could do, it took all her waning
strength, to get the ladder into place.
But the hope of freedom gave her a
new energy; Just as footsteps sounded
on the stairs below she succeeded. She
reached the roof as a burst of shouts
below warned her that she had been
detected and that her flight was
known. But she was on ' the roof
the clean, free air was all about her!
She raced toward the edge of the
roof; hesitated no more than a second
over a 10-foot drop to the roof of the
next building. The hue and cry rose
behind her; she risked a backward
look, and saw two men scrambling
over the parapet of the roof of the
building she had Just left.
On she ran, then, sometimes drop
ping from one roof to the next, some
times scramDiing madly up to one
higher. She did not gain ground, but
neither did her pursuers. Then, at
last, she came to what looked like an
impasse. A gap too wide to step across
dived and was lost to their sight. They
were utterly helpless Tommy had to
reconcile himself to seeing the girl
carried down, the prisoner of The
Twisted Thread, that mysterious and
maleficient organization which for
years had hounded his father with
vague and obscure threats and had now
be(iun to put them into execution.
Uraham Hale, Tommy's father,
groaned as Tommy turned toward him.
"They were striking at me through
her!" he said. "They have marked you,
and Aimee. and everyone, I suppose,
who is connected with me. If they would
only kill me and have done with their
devilish work!"
"They'll be caught!" said Tommy,
bracing himself when he saw how
deeply his father was affected, and
overcoming his own fear for the safety
of the girl. "They can't get away with
anything like this. The whole power
of the government will be after them
lor what they've done today!
But he was, in his heart, desperately
afraid. His own peril had left him al
most unmoved; the danger of the girl
was a vastly different matter. For he
was beginning to understand his feel
Ing toward her, beginning to realize
that he was in love with her. He had
had little to do with girls; Almee was
the first one who had touched him.
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And now, to see hw carried off before yawned between her and the next
bis eyes, while he was powerless to
belp her, even to plan her rescu
Help was near for the men who were
left in the water after the Sea Crawl
r's dive. A coasting steamer was com
ing up fast; they had been seen, and
her boats were already being swung
out to come to the rescue. Within half
e.n hour of the torpedoing of the J-5
her company was aboard the rescue
chip, and its commander, obeying the
house. Despair gripped her for a mo
ment; behind her an exultant shout
told her that her pursuers had seen
her plight and counted now upon re
capturing her.
That shout nerved her to a mighty
effort. Better to be hurt, better, al
most, to be killed, than to fall again
into their hands. She leaped: desper
ately she caught at the iron railing of
rire escape and drew herself to
insistent orders of Lieutenant Fergu- af?ty Behind her ner two Pursuers
I broke Into amazed imprecations. But
JHale's promise to pay liberally for what I ey did not follow they dared not.
lie wanted, was heading back for port. WBS Bale was iree.
instead of keeping on his course for xieeaiess 01 ner torn ciotnes, ner wiia
bis destination, a port far to the north, ana unkempt appearance, she made her
Once ashore every possible wheel waB I wa' 10 tno eireei. one nauea tne first
Bet in motion to aid in bringing the automobile that passed begged its
pirates of The Twisted Thread to jus- driver to take her to Graham Hale's
lice. The police, the agents of the I home in the suburbs. Amazed, he con
United States Secret Service, private 1 sented.
detectives In the employment of the one ran up tne steps when the car
agencies used by Graham Hale, were stopped before Graham Hale's home, a
all Instructed to concentrate upon the wild, ragged little figure. She brushed
search for Almee "Villon. Graham Hale past the amazed and delighted servant
considered the punishment of the men who opened the1 door, flinging him
who had robbed him to be secondary only a word by. way of greeting. In
to the search for his ward; her return the library, through the open doors,
nafe and unhurt was the one thing that she could see Graham Hale, sitting at
counted in his eyes. tne taoie. bne went in quiatly, smiling
Tommy, mprs and more frightened at the thought of how surprised he
every moment, could not keep still, would be. He was looking at some-
And there was nothing for him to do thing a letter, she thought. She was
nothing that he could do to help in the'lable to steal up behind him without
far-flung search for Aimee. He could I attracting his attention. And as she
only stay at home, starting every time I looked over his shoulder, she saw that
the telephone rang, staring down the I it was a photograph, not a letter, that
road for some sign of a telegraph mes- I he was regarding so earnestly.
eenger. His imagination had a free I The photograph was that of & beau-
rein: he thought of every evil thing I tlful woman, dressed In a fuhinn of
that might befall Almee. She was in many years out of date. Across it w
the hands of men he knew to De utterly I writeen, in a bold hand, the inscription
.unscrupulous; biio iiiubl, ii &ucw, 1 w nn jove, uamuie.
wholly at their mercy. The thought Aimee started in surprise as she saw
was like the refinement of torture; it the photograph. For a moment she
.would not let him rest. I gave ground, stepped back as if she had
And, while Tommy waited, despair- had a shock. Graham Hal slu-hed l.iH
lngly, for the word that did not come, the picture down. And then, with a
Aimee turned from the window of the rush, Aimee fluns her arms about his
garret in wuicn sne was imprisuneu ai 1 neck.
tne souna 01 me lureaiening voice 01 "Aimee!" he cried. Joyfully. "You're
tne man nis ienows caiiea naipnureen. safe you got away from them? Thank
She had eluded his attempt upon her I God!"
an hour before by a trick; while she Yes rm all rie-ht!" !,. tt,.
passing us, empty, and Mr.
jumped Into it and went on. He told
me to come back after I'd changed the
tires; said he couldnt wait for me to
do it."
"Oh, I eee," said Hale.
"But there was something queer
about them tires, sir, said Thompson.
"They wasnt punctured nor blown out,
sir. They was cut. See! I brought
them up to show you how it was done."
He laid the deflated tire before them.
And the cut was plainly visible. It
was the triple T of The Twisted
Thread. Almee and Hale stared at one
another. And thj girl stood, a moment,
wringing her hands.
"It was a trick. They knew he d be
going; perhaps the taxlcab was eent
by them, because they knew he'd take
it," she said. "
"I shall start at once and go to the
house where you were,"" eald Graham
Hale.
"I'm coming, too," said Almee. "I'd
go mad if I waited here. Will you wait
for me for Just a minute. Just while. I
change my clothes?"
Tommy Hale, half mad wltn rear ana
anxiety, acted at once upon the mes
sage that came to him from police
Tommy headquarters after the polloeman
Almee had seen had, at last, found her
note.
"We're sending two detectives around
at once," the official who telephoned
to him said. "And more will follow.
If you want to go to the address given
in the note you will find out whatever
our men discover. Report to Captain
Price." ....
Tommy's car was ready and waiting
and be started Immediately. But, as
Thompson had told Almee and Graham
Hale, the flat tires caused him to aban
don his own machine and hall the taxi
cab which was so opportunely at hand.
He stepped Into it, unsuspiciously and
found himself at once engaged In a des
perate struggle with a man who had
been crouching down, so that Tommy
did not see him until ha was in the
car.
Too late Tommy saw how he had
been tricked. The driver of the cab,
only too obviously, was one of the
gang; Tommy's glimpse of his satiric
grin as he turned to watch the strug
gle going on behind him was ample
proof of that.
Tommy fought well, but he was no
match for the man who had been lying
In wait for him within the cab who
was, moreover, aided by the surprise.
Struggle as he might. Tommy was
forced to yield at last; fierce hands,
choking him, subdued him. He was
bound, hand and foot, long before the
car reached the thickly settled district
where a fight in a passing car might
have attracted the attention of police
or citizens. And so, trussed like a low
with a handkerchief stuffed in his
mouth to keep him quiet. Tommy was
borne to the house from which Aimee
had so recently escaped. He had not
even the knowledge that she was safe
to comfort him; for all he knew, she
was still a prisoner.
He could offer no resistance when
he was taken from the cab and hurried
into the old warehouse. The street was
for the moment deserted: no one saw
what was, going on. And Tommy heard,
with a sinking heart, the shout of de
light that came from the gangsters
as he was brought in.
"You got him?" cried the leader.
"Good work! Kalph messed things up
with the girl she got away."
Tommy's heart leaped then. If she
were safe it didn't matter what became
of him!
"She got away?" said the man who
SPOKANE PUBLISHER FAVORS
UNIVERSAL MILITARY SERVICE
W. H. Cowles Gives Four Arguments, Emphasizing Individual Benefit to
Be Obtained as Well as Duty Rendered to-Body Politic
bad waited for his return and his in
evitable assault upon the feeble barrl
cade she had built up before her bolted
door, she had seen her one hope of res
cue fade out and die.
She had managed to write, upon a
piece of linen torn from the sleeve of
the shirt she wore with her riding habit,
a wild appeal to Graham Hale. This
message she had tossed from her win
dow, hoping that eome passer-by would
pick it up, read it, and eee that it
reached its destination. She knew
where The Twisted Thread had taken
her; although she had been blindfolded,
ehe had managed to get a glimpse of
did you and Tommy escape? And where
m ner
"He's gone to rescue vou at Variclr
street!" said Hale. "The police found
a note you must have dropped from the
window!" He stODDed. Fear shnweri
in his eyes. "It was from you? It
wasn't another trap set by The Twisted
Thread?" .
"No, it was from me." eaid Alms
"But Id give up hope that anyone
would ever find it who would know
what to do with it."
Swiftly she told him what ehe hud
seen from her windows her despair
ho ctroct RiE-tm nnd tVin numher of the when the child had picked ud her note
bouse to which she had been taken from .i,"861 11 to clothe her dolL
the yacht to which the gang had been The policeman you saw must have
transferred from the Sea Crawler by found it later." said Hale. "And he
which trtck the cordon Lieutenant Fer- recognized your name; a general alarm
eruson had caused to be flung about the " oeen out for you. and every Dollce
coast had been eluded. I man in the city has tried to find you.
But fate had played a scurvy trick I Tommy has gone now to loin the de-
upon her. A ecore of passers-by. in I tectives and police in a raid on that
plain sight of her, had walked past and I nous
over her precious message, as it lay I "Oh!" said Almee, uncertainly. "They
on the pavement. xneir leet naa they're in great etreng" They had
spurned It. At last a child had picked the men from the Sea Crawler Imnri..
it up but had seen in it nothing but oned there, too down in the cellar, I
a petticoat for her ragged doll! think. I'm fearfully afraid oh, I hope
And now, with that hope gone, Aimee Tommy will be all right! He's so im-
jiau lu lurn 1 vi lvx iu aituuA ul 2&1l'u j pulSi Ve !
r 1 ee 11 , wiiii xiib utLuieicss yuivvsc, uyvu
her door.
"Open!" he snarled. "Let me tn or
you'll be eorry
"He ought to he all right." aald his
rather, nervously. "The police tele
pnonea to nim 1 was out at the time.
She was silent. .She crouched by her WeQVTn Li-Un,d. DOt
.rricade. every nerve tense, waiting. J,al?inw? n!:?e
his own chauffeur."
"Look, there's his car coming up the
drive, but he isn't In it! said Aimee.
They ran out together. Thompson.
barricad
"All right!" he enarled again. "Til
get in. Just the eame and I'll make you
pay for the extra trouble you've given
me:
A crashing blow shook the door. It
was old and flimsv: it would not lonirlthe chauffeur, explained his return.
resist his assault, she knew. Indeed, "We'd gone about a mile, sir." he
a panel splintered at once. Others fol- aid to Graham Hale, "when both rear
lowed it, The bolts would not save tires went flat. There waa a taxi just
BY WILLIAM H. COWLES.
Publisher of Spokane Bpokesman-Revlew.
THE suggestion by General S. B. M.
Young, president of the National
Association for Universal Military
Training, that the present conscription
law be amended so as to provide for the
military training of all young men
when they reach the age of 19. should
receive the support of every thought
ful, patriotic citizen. This is the time
for a great effort to establish universal
compulsory military training similar to
the Swiss system, because the Ameri
can people, owing to the tremendous
events in the war are now giving their
attention to the question of National
safety and can be induced to listen to
arguments In favor of an enduring and
effective military policy. Soon after
the close of this war, our people will
lose their interest in military affairs,
and will again be devoting their atten
tion to making a living and enjoying
themselves, thoughtless of the danger
of being unprepared to defend them
selves against possible invasion.
There are four reasons why the
United States should adopt universal
compulsory military training as a per
manent policy:
First, it would In a few years make
us a Nation trainea to aeiena our
selves, and therefore make it hopeless
for any other country to attack us.
This would be the best guarantee of
peace.
Professional Soldiery Opposed.
Seaond. we could accomplish this se
curity by means of universal military
training without building up a large
standing Army of professional soldiers,
and would, therefore, avoid the danger
of militarism such as exists in, Ger
many, to which the present ingnuui
world war is due.
Third, the physical training secured
by our young men through a system or
universal military training similar to
the Swiss system, and the discipline
civen them would make them stronger
and better able to carry on wnaiever
work they chose to do.
Fourth, our citizenship would be im
proved by impressing on every man
early in life that he owes a service to
his country and fellow citizens in re
turn for the protection and education
given him while he was growing up.
It is apparent that before the war
those who had had no military train
ing paid little attention to the news
reports of the discussions of Army and
Navy matters in Congress. Under uni
versal training we should have ap
proximately 600,000 young men start
ing their military training each year.
In a few years we should have several
million trained men who would take an
active interest in all questions of Na
tional defense, including the adequacy
of the Navy, coast fortifications, mu
nition supplies and transportation
problems.
Comprehensive System Fostered.
It seems safe to state that Congress
men with a truly patriotic desire to
provide an adequate system of defense,
could get. in such an immense audience
of interested voters, sufficient support
to enable them to put through Congress
all necessary military and naval legis
lation. In other words, universal mili
tary training would be the broad, solid
and permanent foundation on which a
perfected preparedness structure would
be set up and maintained.
Under the Swiss system it is pointed
out that military training is merely
a part of the young man's general edu
cation, that his regular occupation is
still his first consideration. and that
his work as a soldier is entirely sec
ondary and merely intended to make a
better man of him and to fit him to do
his share with all the other young men
of the country in case it is necessary
to defend his country against an army
of invasion.
Personal Touch Approved.
The average citizen is immensely in
terested when it is pointed out to him
that universal military training means
a benefit to every young man in the land.
whether he be rich or poor, that It is
an ideally democratio plan, that it puts
all young men shoulder to shoulder on
an equality in the training camp, that
it gives the son of the laborer and the
son of the banker an opportunity to
get acquainted with each other, to learn
each other s point or view and to ae
velop a common interest In the welfare
of their country. Every citizen is at
traded by the argument that universal
military training means the develop
ment of patriotism in our young men,
that it teaches young men to think of
their obligations to their fellow cm
zens and to their country; that it build:
them up physically, that it teaches them
to take care of themselves physically
and to obey orders promptly. But the
force of these arguments is completely
lost as soon as we omit the require
ment that all young men, without ex
ception, shall be trained.
When the Spokesman-Review, after
a number of months of discussion or
universal military training took a pop
ular vote, we not only printed the bal
lot. but we also distributed these bal
lots with the boxes in which they could
be placed, among dozens of stores,
banks, hotels and workshops through
out Spokane where large numbers of
voters could easily cast thejr votes. We
received more than 10.000 votes, and
we positively urged those who were
opposed to universal training to vote
and published all letters received in
opposition. More than 85 per cent voted
in favor of universal training.
Our argument was based on three
points:
First That universal salutary train
ing would keep the United States out of
war, either aggressive or defensive.
Second That it would Insure our
National existence.
Third That it would make our young
men better and more efficient citizens.
In the first point we endeavored to
bring out clearly the fact that with
several million trained men which we
would have after the law had been in
force five or six years, no foreign coun
try would think It worth while to at
tempt to invade the United States. Par
ticularly would this be true considering
the Interest that these trained men
would take in seeing that the country
maintained an adequate Navy and ef
fective coast fortifications, with ample
munition supply.
With all our young men under train
ing, or having had military training,
each family would be interested in a
son or relative liable to be called to
serve immediately in case of war, and
therefore every citizen would take a
live personal interest immediately in
any suggestion of a war of aggression
had captured Tommy, wltV an impre
cation. "How did that happen?"
The leader shrugged his shoulders.
'I suppose Ralph was the same sort
of fool he always has been," he said.
He thinks he s a lady-killer the mutt!
She put one over on htm. anyway
knocked htm out. somehow tripped
htm. he said, so that his head struck
something when he went down. Then
she got to the roof Just ahead of Bill
and Harry and got away from them
finally by Jumping across to a fire es
cape. They wouldn't follow her. Some
nerve, that girl's got! You've got to
hand It to her. But she's got to be put
out of the way. I shall send word to
Number One that she's more dangerous
to the success of our plans than any of
them."
Tommy's captor nodded.
"Right." he said. "Well Number One
ought to be pleased with the work
we v done! We got the gold we got
the Sea Crawler, and now we've got
young Hale back. How aro we going
to get rid of him?"
"Time enough for that," said the
leader. Impatiently. "He won't get
away again I'll guarantee that. Here
you chaps take him down cellar
with the other prisoners. -
Even as he spoke there came a thun
derous, ominous knocking at the door
that opened Into the street. And harsh
voices demanded entrance.
Tommy's heart leaped. The police! He
was sure of it. But the gangsters did
not seem greatly concerned.
"There are the cops, I guess," he said.
"Number Three had the wire tapped
when they told Graham Hale they'd
found the girl's note. Well we're ready
for them! Get the kid down with the
others!"
Tommy was carried down'a flight of
steps Into a dark, damp cellar. He was
carried through a room in which he
saw the crew of the Sea Crawler,
trussed and helpless like himself, and
then, seemingly as an afterthought.
back into another small room.
"We'll keep him," said one of those
who carried him. "They might fool us
and find those other birds but they
don't know young Hale's here. And
here's the one we want, chiefly, any-
ho
So he was put away by himself. He
lay still, staring up at the roof of the
cavernous room in which he had been
placed. Moisture dripped from it;
damp, foul smell was in the air. And
the fumes of blasting powder were in
the air, too. making it hard to breathe.
Ever and again a blast from the sub
way work outside shook Tommy and
the whole building; it seemed to htm
once or twice that the whole place was
about to come crashing down about
him.
Above there was a good deal of noise,
Heavy voices were heard, and the tramp
of men In heavy boots. The detectives,
he guessed, were making a search. In
the spot where he lay he could see the
steps tnat lea down to tne ceiiar irum
the street floor. And now two men
came down them, silently, craftily. They
stood at either side of the foot of the
stairs, waiting; in their hands they
carried slung shots. He guessed their
purpose, but he could do nothing. Fasci
nated, he listened and watched. He
saw two feet appear on the topmost
step: in a moment two strangers, plain
ly the detectives, were in plain sight.
Behind them came members of the
gang.
Swiftly and surely the two men who
lay In ambush launched their attack.
The detectives, taken utterly by sur
prise, never had a chance. Swift blows
stunned them: they were borne down
by the overwhelming rush of the men
behind. They had trustea too iar 10
the protection of their office; to that
usually well Justified confidence of a
member of the New York police force
in the awe inspired by Its authority. A
New York policeman will face any sort
of a mob unafraid, proudly sure of the
power of his uniform and shield. He
points to them in the manner of an
ancient Roman, drawing himself up and
saying: "Civis Romanus sum!'
But the men of The Twisted Thread
were not afraid of the sure vengeance
of the fellows of these men whom they
had attacked and overpowered. They
bound them, as they had Tommy and
the men of the Sea Crawler's crew, and
dragged them into the next room, to
lay them down beside the other cap
tives. Tommy, as he lay, could Just see
into this next room but he knew that
he himself could scarcely be seen by
anyone in there.
LauKhlng. the gangsters, flushed with
their triumph, went back. One stopped
to sneer at Tommy, and to touch nis
ribs with his foot.
"Swell chance youve got this time,
my buck!" he said. "ve ve got you
where we want you now:
Meanwhile Graham Hale and Aimee
were racing toward the house In Varick
street as swiftly as Graham Hale's
most powerful limousine could carry
them. They were a prey to the keen
est anxletv. but they were supported by
the thought that at least The Twisted
Thread was cornered now tnat tne po
lice, with power and force enough to
take care of any organization of crimi
nals, no matter how powerful it might
be. was at work.
No outward sign of disorder greeted
them when they reached the house. If
police re-enforcements were coming,
they had not yet arrived. A single
nnllreman. the one Aimee had seen
from her wnldow. was on post, fat,
O'Brien stood, listening; a sound up
stairs made him cry out.
"Is there a way out by the roof,
miss?" he asked.
"Yes oh, yes!" she cried.
"Then it's there they are, boys I
hear them!" he said. "Come on!"
He leaped up the etalrs. Already,
outside, the clang of an arriving patrol
wagon could be heard. There was a
rush up the stairs. But Almee, guided
by a sure Instinct, went down. As she
descended the cellar stairs a man
rushed past her. almost knocking her
down. She recognized him as one of
the gangsters, and. though he saw her
he did not stop to molest her. Blind
terror seemed to be driving him. And
he was gone before Aimee could turn
to fire at him.
She went on. And suddenly she was
thrown down by a shock that shook the
house. Plaster was flying all about
her; ehe guessed that a blast in the
subway, more violent than usual, was
the explanation. She picked herself
up and went on. And before her she
saw Tommy. He lay still; blood flowed
from a cut on his forehead. She ran
to him and knelt down. At once she
saw what had happened. A piece of
tne celling, loosened by the blast, had
struck htm. She took his head In her
lap, and stanched the blood with her
handkerchief. Desperately she worked
to loosen his bonds, and all the time
she called his name.
"Tommy! Tommy, dear It's Aimeel
Speak to me!" she cried.
He stirred, faintly.
And then. Just as she thought he was)
about to answer, there came a new
shock, a new explosion infinitely great
er and more terrifying than the first.
The floor rose below them; the walls
collapsed: plaster, bits of wood, heavy
objects of aU sorts flew all about them.
Aimee ecreamed, and tried to cover
Tommy's helpless, inert body with her
own. Something struck her shoulder;
she felt a fearful pressure upon her
feet. Then for a moment she fainted.
When she recovered her senses ehe
could not move. She was pinned down
by some heavy object a beam, ehe
thought that had fallen across her
feet. The air was clearer now, tho
dust and debris of the explosion were
settling. Above the ceiling was gone;
through the wreckage the light from
outside came in.
And then ehe ecreamed, in sudden
horror. Above them a beam, a huge,
massive beam, was tottering it was
about to fall. It must crush them if It
did. And she couid not move. Her
scream seemed to rouse- Tommy. His
eyes opened, and he looked up, to see
the wavering beam, slipping, the eingle
crosspiece that supported it being
pushed out of place
(Another episode next Sunday.)
ORANGE COLOR DECIDED
California Commissioner Rules Full
Ripe Glow Isn't Needed.
SACRAMENTO. Cal.. Nov. 16. The
new state fruit standardization law re
quiring that an orange must be "sub
stantially colored on the tree has been
Interpreted by George H. Hecke. state
horticultural commissioner, and his
deputies, as meaning the fruit must be
practically colored." This. Commis
sioner Hecke said, will allow leeway
in standardization so that If there are
slight green spots at the stem or on
the navel end of a few oranges In a bos
the fruit will not be condemned.
The new law. which became effective :
July 27, requires oranges must either
reach the elght-to-one sugar test or b
substantially colored" on the tree.
Representatives of the horticultural
commissioner recently completed a
series of conferences with orange
growers in the San Joaquin Valley, at
which the question of color require
ments was discussed.
bv the United States. Instead of the
rather detached attitude taken by most
of our people in the past, every voter placid KOOd natured. He stood over a
grating, ana just as naie ana Aimee
would scan most critically the reasons
advanced by the Administration for a
proposed aggressive movement by the
United States, and unless such action
was so necessary as to appeal to the
great mass of the voters to such an ex
tent as to make them willing to have
their young men enter the fight, no ad
ministration would dare undertake such
a war of aggression.
Protection Held First Law.
As to the proposition that universal
training would insure National exist
ence, it is useful to point out that no
other legislation is worth considering
until this- point has been adequately
taken care of. Of what value is It to
build up the wealth of the country if
we are not able to preserve that wealth
against some unscrupulous and avari
cious foreign nation? Of what use is it
to pass legislation intended to Insure
an equitable distribution of our Na
tional wealth among our own people if
we are to leave . the bars down and
permit some other people to come in
and take our property away from us?
Of what value are laws for the lim
itation of the working hours of men,
or the prohibition of child labor, or the
compensation of injured workmen, or
the pensioning of widows and elderly
people. If a cruel and selfish foreign
Nation can at any time by invading us
upset all of our beneficent work, de
port our young people, maltreat our old
people, and compel all of our people to
live under a foreign rule in the setting
up of which we have nothing to say?
We found practically unanimous as
sent to the proposition, that all young
men if they had two or three months
of military training for three years,
after the fashion of the Swiss system,
would be much more able to take care
of themselves in after life and much
more efficient in any occupation which
they might choose to follow.
Orderly life, power to concentrate at
tention on. an order when once given.
and to carry it out in full and correctly,
is of Inestimable value to every man.
This very ability to obey renders men
better able to direct other men when
placed in positions of responsibility in
civil 11x0.
PINEAPPLES GO TO FRONT
38,000 Cases From Hawaii's Fields
Shipped In Pay.
SAN FRANCISCO. Nov. 18. There Is
a thin, constantly moving line of pine
apples, somewhat broken, of course,
stretching from the heart of the Ha
waiian Islands to the fighting front In
France, shipping men here declare. The
line will be maintained until Hawaii's
bumper crop of pineapples has been
disposed of.
The line Is made up of a string of
boats bringing the pineapples here,
countless freight trains conveying them
across the country, another string of
boats taking them across the submarine-studded
Atlantic and lines of trains
and motor conveyances rushing them
to the front.
On a recent day here 38.000 cases oC
canned pineapples were loaded on
trains for shipment East. Piers here
are loaded high and shipments are con
stantly arriving and departing.
puzzled, uncertain, got out of their car
and went toward him, he startea, ana
stared down at the grating. Then h
bent down and tu creed at it. and, as h
got it loose, the head and shoulders of
a man who had evidently een in a
fight appeared. The policeman helped
him up, and cried out in surprise.
Mike OBrien!" he cried. "Glory,
Mike who's been after beattn' you up
the way you're pertshln', entirely?"
Those murderers in tnai nouso:
said O'Brien. "Here's Driscoll behina
me! They trapped us for ratr trussea
us up like pigs ready for the butcher,
and left us. Steve worked my hands
loose with his teeth I loosed him and
we loosed some other lads that'll be
up in a minute to Join us spoilln' for
a fight they are, too, by the looks of
them!"
Graham Hale got an explanation in
a moment. O'Brien and Driscoll were
the detectives who had been caught by
The Twisted Thread. But. for once,
the gang had been too sure. Already
O'Brien was telephoning for more men;
the crew of the Sea Crawler, freed by
the officers, and guided through an en
trance that had been opened into the
new subway ditch, came up to help.
"My son must be in there!" cried Gra
ham Hale. "Can't you save him?"
"We'll be tryin" in a Jiffy, sir," said
O'Brien. "Driscoll and me have a score
to settle with them lads in there our
selves, too, for that matter!"
There was no delay. O'Brien and
Driscoll, their guns out, backed by the
men from, the Sea Crawler, who. weak
as they were from hunger and from
long confinement in a cramped po
sition, were eager to get back at their
captors, began an immediate assault
upon the door. And Aimee, despite
Graham Hale's plea that she should go
back to the limousine and wait, was
ready, automatic pistol in hand, to fol
low them and do her part.
The door gave way before the assault
that was made upon it with a beam
requisitioned from the subway work.
But, though the officers were careful
this time, no stream of bullets poured
from the darkness within, as they had
half expected. Silence, emptiness,
greeted them, when they went In.
Sugar Increase) Is Dented.
LONDON, Nov. 19. Replying to aa
inquiry of a householder as to whether
or not he was entitled to an extra al
lowance of sugar when entertaining .
visitors, the Ministry of Food advised
that "temporary guests should bring
their suirar with thein."
HOW TO JUDGE A WOM
AN BY HER HAIR
There is real common sense In Just
noticing whether the hair is well kept
to Judge of a woman's neatness, or good
taste. If you are one of the few who
try to make the most of your hair, re
member that it is not advisable to wash
the hair with any cleanser made for
all purposes, but always use some good'
preparation made expressly for sham
pooing. You can enjoy the very best
by getting some canthrox from your
druggist, dissolve a teaspoonful in a
cup of hot water. This makes a full
cup of shampoo liquid, enough so it is
easy to apply it to all the hair instead
of just the top of the head. Dandruff,
excess oil, and dirt are dissolved and
entirely- disappear. Your hair will be
so fluffy that It will look much heavier
than it is. Its lustre and softness will
also delight you, while the stimulated
scalp gains the health which insures
hair growth. Adv.
To Avoid Rough, Coarse
Chapped, Blotchy Shin
Most skins require constant grooming at
this season to keep them from becoming
unduly red. blotchy, coarse, rough or harsh,
or. It such condition has developed, to over
come it. In such cases it is particularly
Inadvisable to keep plllns; on cosmetics
which cloir the pores aud make the com
plexion worse than ever.
It's a lot mora sensible to use erdlnar
mercollzed wax, which literally absorbs a
spoiled complexion. Apply the. wax. Mice
cold cream, before retiring". Next mornlnif.
in washing- It off. you'll wash away fine,
flour-like particles of the unslgrhtly cuticle.
Repeat for a week or more and you'll have
an entirely new skin soft, white, spotless
and beautiful as a child's. One ounce of
mercollzed wax. procurable at anr drug- .
I gist's, is all you'll seed. Adv.
k