“You see, Miss Dodge,” began Mary, “we’re getting up this movement to help the Belgians and we have splendid backing.  Just let me show you some of the names on our committee.”

She handed Elaine a list which read: 

BELGIAN RELIEF COMMITTEE

Mrs. Warburton Fish Mrs. Hamilton Beekman Mrs. C. August Iselm Mrs. Belmont Rivington Mrs. Rupert Solvay.

“I’ve just been sent to see if I cannot persuade you to join the committee and attend a meeting at Mrs. Rivington’s,” she went on.

“Why, er,” considered Elaine thoughtfully, “er—­yes.  It must be all right with such people in it.”

“Can you go with me now?”

“Just as well as later,” agreed Elaine.

They went out together, and, as they were leaving the house a man who had been loitering outside looked at Elaine, then fixedly at her companion.

No sooner had they gone than he sped off to a car waiting around the corner.  In the dark depths was a sinister figure, the master criminal himself.  The watcher had been an emissary of the Clutching Hand.

“Chief,” he whispered eagerly, “You know Adventuress Mary?  Well, she’s got Elaine Dodge in tow!”

“The deuce!” cried Clutching Hand.  “Then we must teach Mary Carson, or whoever she is working for, a lesson.  No one shall interfere with our affairs.  Follow them!”

Elaine and Mary had gone downtown, talking animatedly, and walked down the avenue toward Mrs. Rivington’s apartment.

Meanwhile, Long Sin, still in his Chinese costume, was explaining to the servant just what he wished done, pointing out the dagger on the wall and replacing the bladder under his jacket.  A box of opium was on the table, and he was giving most explicit directions.  It was into such a web that Elaine was being unwittingly led by Mary.

Entering the hallway of the apartment, Mary rang the bell.

Long heard it.  “Answer it,” he directed the servant who hastened to do so, while Long glided like a serpent into a back room.

The servant opened the door and Elaine and Mary entered.  He closed the door and almost before they knew locked it and was gone into the back room.

Elaine gazed about in trepidation.  But before she could say anything, Mary, with a great show of surprise, exclaimed, “Why, I must have made a mistake.  This isn’t Mrs. Rivington’s apartment.  How stupid of me.”

They looked at each other a moment.  Then each laughed nervously, as together they started to go out of the door.  It was locked!

Quickly they ran to another door.  It was locked, also.

Then they went to the windows.  Behind the curtains they were barred and looked out on a blank brick wall in a little court.

“Oh,” cried Mary wringing her hands, stricken in mock panic, “oh, I’m so frightened.  This may be the den of Chinese white slavers!”