The next
moment he burst into 509, followed closely by me.
With a scream, Elaine was on her feet in an instant.
There was no time for explanations, however.
He rushed to the door to go out, but it was locked--somehow, on
the outside. The skeleton key would not work, at any rate.
He shot the lock, and dashed out, calling back, "Walter, stay
there--with Elaine."
Mary had just succeeded in getting on the elevator as Kennedy
hurried down the hall. The door was closed and the car descended.
He rang the push bell furiously, but there was no answer.
Had he got so far in the chase, only to be outwitted?
He dashed back to the room, with us, and jerked down the telephone
receiver.
"Hello--hello--hello!" he called.
No answer.
There seemed to be no way to get a connection. What was the
matter?
He hurried down the hall again.
No sooner had Elaine and Mary actually gone into the room, than
Long and his servant stole out of 540, across the hall. Somewhere
they had obtained a strong but thin rope.
Quickly and silently Long tied the handle of the door 511 in which
we were to the handle of 540 which he was vacating. As both doors
opened inward and were opposite, they were virtually locked.
Then Long and his servant hurried down the hallway to the
elevator.
Down in the hotel lobby, with his followers, the Chinaman paused
before the telephone switchboard where two girls were at work.
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