, Alice dear," said Ruth gently, at
this point.

"Yes," sighed the other, "though I'd love to be there at the finish!"

"Alice!" gasped her sister.

"Well, I would," she said, defiantly.

"Maybe it wouldn't be best," suggested Russ. "I'll get a friend of
mine, though. Now shall I take you home?"

"No, indeed!" cried Ruth. "That will delay you. You go right on after
them. Alice and I can get home all right. It isn't late."

"It will give me pleasure if the young ladies will allow me to send
them home in one of our cabs," put in the manager. "I am sorry that
any of our men was used in a criminal manner."

"It wasn't your fault," spoke Russ. "But I guess the girls will be
glad to be sent home. I'll keep on. I haven't any time to lose."

And while he sped off in his taxi, in pursuit of the men who were
trying to cheat him out of his patent, Ruth and Alice took their
places in another cab, and were driven back to the Fenmore Apartment.

CHAPTER XXV

THE CAPTURE

Mr. DeVere was rather worried when he reached home, and found his
daughters' note. He puzzled over what could have taken them out with
Russ, and went across the hall to inquire. By this time Mrs. Dalwood
had returned, and found the note her son had left.

There was not much information in it--Russ had not had time for
that--and the mystery seemed all the deeper.

"I wonder what I had better do?" asked Mr. DeVere of Mrs. Dalwood.

"Just don't do anything--and don't worry," she advised. "I know your
daughters are able to take care of themselves--especially Miss
Alice."

"Yes, she seems very capable--of late," he agreed, remembering how
she had worked to get him into the moving picture business.

"And with Russ no harm will come to them," went on Mrs. Dalwood.
"He's a good boy."

"Indeed he is! But I wish I knew what it was all about."

There was the honk of an auto horn in the street below, and as they
looked out, they saw, in the gleam of a street lamp, Ruth and Alice
alighting.

"There they are now!" exclaimed Mr. DeVere, with a note of relief in
his voice.

"But Russ isn't with them!" said Mrs. Dalwood, in surprise. "I wonder
what can have happened to him?"

Anxiously the two parents waited until the girls came up.

"Oh, such a time!" cried Alice, breathlessly.

"Where's Russ?" demanded his mother.

"After the men--Simp Wolley and Bud Brisket!"

"Oh, those horrid men!"

"He's all right," said Ruth, gently. "He is going to g