Show a AT ell c c Novel Noyel from row f e the Play Flay IT H Ho Fl HoE E B BiT iT iTc IT ITell I B- B 1 rf 9 L Jk By MARY ROBERTS Ei i RINEHART ART wt a ao and o AVERY A E V HOPWOOD M p r 17 T I To rho Tk Bo Dat Copyright n ht lilt 1120 7 fry Rk BoO Robert ni m Rinehart and Avery Arery An U- U UW U w W w Be J CHAPTER Continued IX-Continued IX Continued 14 14 Oh Oh no not I I can cant t stand It I f III 11 tell Ion tou ou c er she cried frenziedly He sot Jot to the foot toot of ot the staircase staircase- case tali-case RIchard Fleming I 1 mean she ons ns facing the detective e now nos and he bad the blue blueprint print you ve e teen talking about I had told him Jack Bailey Dalley was here BS as the gardener pardoner and he said cald It if I screamed he would tell toll that I 1 Iwas wila Ras desperate I threatened him with the revolver re ol er but he took It from me Then when hen I 1 tore tor the blue print from him him-he he was sl FI from ot-from ot from the stairs stairs- stairs D Dv By Dalley Batley I Interjected Beresford angrily I I t c even cn n know he was In the house 1 l Balle s answer was Ras as nc instant In stant tant as ns It was as hot Meanwhile the doctor had enterer entered the room hardly noticed In the middle of Dale Dales s con and ond now v stood watching the scene Intently from a post by the thedoor thedoor thedoor J door hat hat did you do with the I Inc print The Tir detectives e s solve olee Ice teat I cat at at t Dale like me a whip I I put rut It first In the neck nel of ot m my dress dress- she faltered Then when z I found you were we're watching me I 1 hid It it ere cre else elce Did Old you give gl It to Bailey nalley so I o I hid It and It and then I told where here It to was was to the doctor doctor- doctor Dale d on her feet All turned turnell toward the doctor Miss lIss Cornelia Cornella rose roce from her chair The doctor bore the battery Lattery of ot eyes eres unflinchingly That s rather Inaccurate he lie said with a tight little smile You Tou You told me where you had placed It but when hen henI I went to look 1001 for tor It It was wai gone cone Are Are you ou quite sure cure of ot that queried Miss lIss Cornelia Cornella acridly The doctors doctor g s voice olee pained gained strength Absolutely he said lIe He Ignored the rest of ot the lie party ad nd himself directly to Anderson She said she had hn hidden It inside one of ot tl tI e a rolls that were on the trey on the table taLle he continued In tones If t easy explanation e the table as ns he lie dl di I 1 so and tapping It Ith the box hox of ot sleeping po powders ders t to e hail bad brought for tor Miss Cornelia Comella She She was ns In such cuch distress that I 1 finally went to look for It It It wasn wasu t there thre Do you iou ou realise the lie significance ot of this paper raper Anderson boomed at oncE tolling 1 beyond the fact that Miss lIss Ogden was afraid It linked her hr with the crime TI Tie e doctors doctor s voice olce was sery ery clear an I J firm Anderson pondered an instant Then Then- I d like to have hare a n few mInutes Ith the doctor alone he said sow som I 1 erly The Tir group roup about him ell at nce flee Cornelia 1 1 I er arm around her niece nieces s wilst w led the latter gently to the door As the t two trio 0 lovers ers passed each other a glance between a them a glance elance i f brief ot of longing and love lore D Diles tle s finger tips brushed Ball Balle Bailee s hand band gently In passing Iere Cord commanded the delec th t tile l e a to the library and see Eee that he stays s there thre Beresford j his r rocket with witha Ith Itha a f gesture and motioned Bailey Dalley to the door they t tco 0 left lett the room The door closed The doctor and tl c e detective were wre alone The detective e spoke poLe at once once-ind once surprisingly Doctor I Il II hi hive e a that I Hue lue print 1 he be said sternly his e eves ees es the color ot of steel The doctor gave gase him a n wary wao war little glance nut But I 1 vc ye just made the statement that I 1 didn t hind find U tl e c blue print he flatly I I heard you Anderson Andorson s 8 voice olce was as ver very dry ow ti is situation f n nIs Is between you ou and me ells Doctor Doctor ells Ills forefinger f sought the lie doctors doctor s chest It has lias nothing to do with that r fool of oC a cashier lie t got either those securities or tilt money from them then and you ou know now It ItIl Its Ils In this house and you know now that too I 1 Tonight when you claimed to tob tobe tobe b be making a n professional proCessional call you ou were ere In Ibis UIs house and house and I 1 think thin you OU were re on that staircase when ird Fleming was as killed l 1 I ho 0 o III swear ear I was as not I the he doctor tie t l Ie e Jut tut ut It Ie le was u It wis ls acting 11 ilc e a terror In t Hi is olce seemed too real to be I Hut But Anders n nas was as I III II tell 11 y u till this I Ie e continued lIss Miss an an Corder very sery cleverly cle got gota ot n a thumb I rint of ot yours your tonight that mean nn thing to your you t tIlls bored bond Into the doctor tie doctor e ec Ills eyes e cs es oher player ln on a c eyes lS l'S of ot a n r roker hidden card But the doctor did l not IlIn ninth h tiling he sal sail I firmly I have e Jot i of been Leen upstairs In 10 n this hou house bouse e In 10 three months of ot truth In his hI olee 11 He e a accent that even en unmistakable t t o co 0 Anderson a s shrewd tl brain was puzzled pu by it It taut nut I 1 1 e c persisted P 11 In ID his hb nt at attempt attempt from rom this tills wring a tempt t to lust busiest p ort Flemin Fleming died died- died OU anything abut U a hit did he tell Sou 10 den deo room lu Ip this house bouse he queried cannily You You ha t been tr trying tring Ing to these won en n out of ot here anonymous letters so you could get In ho 0 o Certainly not nut But again the doctors doctor s air II had ad that odd mixture ot of truth and t In It It The detective e paused for Cor an Instant I I let et me see ce your our Ie key ring he ordered The doctor passed It over oler silently The detective glanced at the then keys then suddenly his re oh er I In his oilier other hand The doctor watched him an anxiously t puff of ot wind Ind rattled the panes pans ot of the French windows The storm qui quieted quieted eted for a hll while was gathering Catherine Its strength for a n fresh frech unleashing of ot Its dos dogs of ot thunder The detective e stepped to the lie terrace door opened 11 It and an nn I then quietly pro proceeded to try the doctor doctors a s keys In the lock Thus located he was as out ot of Isun range ranee and ells llIs took ad adman nn tage of ot It at once lie He moved mo q swiftly toward the fireplace extracting the missing piece of ot blue print from an Inside pocket as ns he did so The se se- sa- sa secret secret cret crt the blue blueprint print guarded was as nl al already already ready isen gr-isen n on his mind milid In Indelible now characters now he lie would destroy nil all evidence that It had ever er been Len In his pos n end 2nd blurt bluff through the rest ot of the as ns best he might lie threw the paper toward the lames flames with a nervous gesture of ot re- re re- re relief re relief lief lIet But Hut for once his cunning failed the throw v wic wi too hurried to bt be sure and the light scrap of ot piper per end a en d and settled to the floor just outside tl tI e a fireplace The doctor doctors s swore sore ore nol noiselessly el ly and stooped to pick It up and make sure of ot Its destruction But he as w as not quick h Through the window the detective e had seen the incident and antl the nest next moment the doctor heard his olce solve hark bark behind him He turned and stared at nt the thele le muzzle of ot on s revolver re Hands up and stand bac back he commanded s he lie did so on picked up the paper and a smile ero crossed cd lis 1 I Is face as ns his eves cIes tool In Inthe inthe Inthe the of ot the print He tie laid lis I Is revolver re down don on the table where here v he could snatch It up again acain at a 8 moment s notice I 1 1 a fireplace eh he rout mut terell hat fireplace In what v hat room I ou wont t tell tall you youl I The doctors doctor s solve olce was sullen Ut Inched gingerly cautiously toward towar The he other side 01 the table taLle All right I right Ill II find It you know Inow The detectives e s eyes e es turned swiftly back to the lie blue blueprint prInt For tor 1 or a moment ns as he bent over oser 0 er the paper again he be hewig hew is wig off 01 guard 11 lie Ile e doctor seized the lie moment with witha Ith Itha a kavage lIge promptitude and aull sprang I here follo followed ell a t silent furious ble between et eteen een the 1 two 10 0 Under normal Anderson would have hae been tl tI e a stronger and quicker but the doctor within with an added Ill strength ot of despair and his leap kap had l halI p I J the OI b arms behind l him how Isow the lie detective e shook one hand fire fi-ec and snatched at the re- re reoh re revolver in volver oh ID f-ID in aID for the doctor witha t a groin of ot del desi struck at his laud l as Its hugus rs were about to close on the smooth butt and the fl oh er skidded ll hum flum the table taLle to the floor floor th a sudden terrible mO eill movement nt he lieI both Loth the detectives s arms trillS Le be behind hind him again and reached for Cor the telephone Its heavy y base Luse descended on the back of ot the detective e head licad with stunning force and force and tile the next nest mo went mint the battle was ended and the doctor panting i with exhaustion 11 laid the limp form Conn of un on unconscious mau manIn In lIb his hl urns lie Ile 10 the detective e to the loot and brut swiftly b IHly user over 0 er son us lis to his Ills heart LIe Good Good Hie mea still loathed loathed-hc x li lie had enough on ou his cun conscience thou uddin tin till tl dar ut ot u a detective to U tI e c black bluck wel lit lit-Isow Ion 1 he tic pocketed the rl revolver uh r and Ile blue I lint rapidly a I nod inid pro I to wrap Hap his bis 0 own n around the detectives baud hlad as au an nil additional silencer Anderson base ia a faint sigh 1 llie hl dueler r rui ral l idl l Soon or late the detective would return to ll JU jui I lb with ass with Ith his Ills I 1 ls all flee fice tee I I I uld hr te ir out tile the keg bolg ag lie Ill looked wildly about tI tic e a room fur for a 0 arul rul l a-a i d ah curtain curtain all lie Ill hIll li Ii id the It-the It ell s own 0 n han handcuffs I lIe Ile snap 1 ped the lie cuffs cufr on Anderson AndersonS sf s f wrists then th realized that hint In his Ills hurry ho he had bud bound tI ll lie e a detectives s hands In fn fre ut nt ulof ot of him of ot behind him himell ell II t It It w uld do for the lie he mo moment he be did not need much time lime to cary out lis I is plans lIe He dragged tI tie e limp bi bt I li 13 Its bend l If h I lung Into tl tI tic e a I room where here he lie del o ll d It on the in 10 tl tI tlc tIl e l corner furthest from the dour door So fur far so now good good now to lock locI the thedoor thedoor door of ot tl tI I c e billiard room 1 ly Iy the lie icy kei was v tl tI ere cre on the Inside lt of dour He tIe quickly transferred It looked 1001 11 the lie loom door from the outside and pock pocketed ted the ke key Then Ie 1 I e croS crossed cautiously Into the lie alcove e and started to sad I rad all up the alcove stairs stain his face white an nn I 1 d It with II excitement and hope And It was wal then that there lisp one of ot the tile roost must dramatic events ent ot of the night It was as preceded by a desperate hammering on the tho door of ot tl tI e a terrace It halted hailed the doctor on his way upstairs drew P on ona ona ona a run Into the living room and even elen reached the lie bedrooms of ot the women up abo above abose e My y Go J 11 I t that Beres Beresford ford panted The doctor Indicated tl tI c e door It a too late now Already I Ie le e could hear Miss Cornelias Cornelas S voice olce above abose e It was only a que question lIon of ot a short time until Anderson In the billiard room re relived l and would try to make maLe his plight hl known And In the brief mo moment moment ment of ot that resume of ot his position the lie knocking came come a again aln But Iut feebler as though the suppliant outside had exhausted his strength As Beresford drew hIs Ills re oh revolver er and mos mo moed ed to the door Miss S Cornelia came In Collo followed Ed II b hi Lizzie It Its s the Hat Bat I lizzie announced mournfully Good by Miss hell 1 I ell elb c cI i ci I Jm Rouse Rous Yourself Mani He Said Good by everybody e I saw his Ills hand hond handall nil covered CO erell with blood lies Ill Ilc It had a 0 good night for Cor sure surel I But Out they Ignored her nd ind Beres Beresford ford torel flung open the door I Just what they bad had expected what of ot horror or of ot fear Cear they waited for no one can con say But there was as asno no horror and no fe feir ir on only I unutterable unutterable unutterable able amazement as an nn unknown man manIn manIn lu In torn and muddled garments witha with a streak of ot dried blood seaming his forehead like a scar fell through he open door doorway dooray ay Into II arms Good God muttered Beresford dropping his re reoh revolver oh er to catch the strange burden For lor or a moment the Unknown n lay In his arms like lI a n corpse Then he straightened dizzily stag staggered gored gued Into futo the room took tool a few Cew steers to toward arll the table and fell prostrate upon his Ills face at the lie end of ot his strength Doctor gasped aped Mss Miss Cornelia dazedly and and tI tie le e doctor er built bull lay on his Ills conscience res rest I on untied lied at once to the lie call of oC his Ills profession lIe He bent over oser the Unknown Man Man- Mantl Mantle Man Mantie tie tle tl e ph physician once morl- morl more and more and lIll made madeu u brief examination lie He a s fainted I 1 Ie e said rising Struck on the lie head licad too 1 I ut 1 0 Is III he faltered Miss Lor or uelia nella I never neer saw sa him before fore said the he doctor It was as obvious ob lous that lint he spoke the truth Dies Des anyone recognize him t All crowded ded nut aLl nb ut the Unknown trying to read the liddle of ot his Idea tit Miss Cornelia Cornelius rapidly rc Ibl I her first re loos of ot the lie stranger sti anger anger h n he had hall 0 j t et l f fillen through the thedoor door doorway oy Into i I s arms she had not known wi lut ut to think how ow howIn In the brighter r light ll ht of ot the living room she saw fa that lint the still face Cuce beneath Its mask mal of ot dirt arid and dried blood lood was strung trong and C CIrl Irl youthful It If If the man were Cre a n criminal he like pike the to tl tI e a upper fringes of ot the world orl l ot of crime SI Sl e a noted mechanically that lint Ills his bands handa red ond md feet had I 1 1 ecu een tied tlell ends nd endi of fra frayed ell rope still from his Ills wrists wrests and ankles And that terrible Injury on Ills his she head licad slie spud derell dered and closed t her ter er e eyes cs I roes anone anyone r reco nl e him re reI reI I l tl tI Ile e doctor but Lut one h by one the others slit uk ui their I leida e ids Croo Crook casual tramp or honest laborer une unc I caught In the lie sinister tolls of the lips hll lils Identity a n mystery 01 to one and all rho fhe Ural no sown non n stirred d m feebly I tie Jl un an effort to sit up UI l Beresford and tl tI e doctor caught him under the lie arms nn on I 1 Ibell hell bell ed cd him to his feet fat He lIe stood there swa Ino aLlan a blank c ei on hI hb Puce Cace t chair chain I said tI ll lie e a doctor quid 1 th- th h He pie helped tl tI c e strung to sit down and bunt bent over oser him agin ag os oure loure ou ra all nil rl lit now my friend he said In |