"Don't be alarmed, Senorita," he cried. "This is Kennedy talking.
Look under the bookcase by the window. You will find a cedar box.
It is a detective vocaphone through which I can hear you and which
is talking out to you. I have heard something just there just now-
-"
"Yes, yes. Go on!"
"You are threatened. Shout! Shout!"
Just then there came a sound of a scuffle and a muffled cry which
was not much above a whisper, as though a strong hand was clapped
over her mouth.
What could we do?
"Juanita--Juanita--help!--police!" shouted Craig himself through
the vocaphone.
An instant later we could hear other screams as Juanita heard and
spread the alarm, not a second too soon.
"Come on, Walter," shouted Kennedy dashing out of the room, now
that he was assured the alarm had been given.
We hurried around the corner, and into the apartment. One of the
elevators was up, and no one was running the other, but we opened
the gates and Kennedy ran it up by himself.
In the Mendoza apartment all was a babel of voices, every one
talking at once.
"Did you get them?" Craig asked, looking about.
"No, sir, replied the elevator boy. "One of them came in from the
ambulance and told me Miss Mendoza was suddenly taken sick.
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