Show awe 1 1 M LOCK tl B X cr 17 1 7 edmond A author A r of of me r blade fhe etc SYNOPSIS It ludolph udolph van vechten ten a young man of lebau Te lur Is astonished to see ea a man enter no 10 1311 31 3 a house across the street from the iho powhatan club ion long unoccupied and spoken of a as the house 0 of mystery Mya tery sev bev aral t ral parsons at regular intervals Inter vala enter no ho 1113 3 van vechten exar ases e concern to 0 o ills friend rl onil toni tom phinney regarding the tha whereabouts hereabouts of 0 his cousin and fl ancee rika carew A man in forcibly ejected roin tho he house homo van vechten yee liten and tom I 1 bollow the man and and him dead in the street van vechten 1 in attracted by the fice face of a girl in the crowd ot of onlookers onlooker the body I ater lie he dincov tra rg the lift girl razing gazing achim with ith a look ot of scorn corn front rom the windows of the myrteil us ua house detective flint calls call on van vechten to get his m version of the trant trag tom phinney K goes alone on a yachting trip ile ha recognizes among some peron bons tn in A motor boat two nion men whom he h 0 entitling had d eon en enter the alouse of mystery ito I 1 to seen one of them riem it mr air calno calan on shore later inter and follows him tom Is t seli anlie teil il blindfolded blind 0 and taken to n souse lie he anra x a girl named diina ii ina jessle evl evi the he dau daughter ahter or 0 the man in ili author sty question estion his captors captora A tweet sweet voiced fuestion stirl lu later ter protests kalnit ual nit the tha roUKh ne of lili ills captors van bechte n calls calla on his aclo theodoro theodora van lochten ten big man isri hi wall street and known an aa tho the man afan of arnn in search or of information regarding iron he whereabouts of carew deteo detec lve live flint shows howg van vee liten a scold ipuh found in the alioune of mys my ery van it na an belonging belon xing to I 1 irr alie carew the tweet girl helps tain ro rn min ney p protective talla le A van vec lit ea n eli he e hita ha a theory that illiard ban ins been kidnap od IMM Aten sages aro are ten nt to hurosa in an effort to tract trace balge efm belliv europe ann n vechten he ha la Is in n love and rolater his adventure venture nd BOOK 11 II i in CHAPTER V continued lie ile took them with trembling hands the first farst proved to bo be from hobby bobby Sl who made mad it a point to pro lose inae to every time lie mot her why did you not tell me ino that miss carow carew was in n england complained bobby regardless ot of tho the number at 0 orda do not know tier her present ad tress hut but will find it without tall fall belore night 1 I hope so BO sighed van vechten tastily tearing open tho the other en an aalop ek nut hut hla his spirits steadily fell as he road read no use lisa if she bho was now or had bad teen icon at nuy any of the places I 1 have in gaind same one 0 of those persons per Bons tapping the messages would be sure cure to isnow inow it I 1 shall chall try a cable to her bar tarts address and see aeo it if it to la forward vet td and I 1 shall also instruct mr air flint lo 10 got busy I 1 believe lie ho will want to tako take a run over to rocky cove what la Is Alexandcr lt tho abe pago page had bad approached during the speakers ip eakers concluding words holding in hla his hand a fsr beg bed pardon mr van vechten Vech ton inid aid alexander but I 1 saw you tem leading lIng a paper this morning have loa soon boon sphere the name startle him 1 too the sphere T no let me have it ile he flung the ehnot open and there dh i glaring headlines extending clear cross across the rout front page was a question that struck him liko a blow between 00 eyes ts IS PAIGE CAREW TAI VIOLINIST mysteriously asi asiNO and below this was wan a n smudged two volumn ca lunan halftone half balf tone portrait which may astre been made from rom a photograph ol of wis ua cousin CHAPTER va alf A reward when rudolph van vechten rallied tram tho the blow of at the brutal caro scar hoad ohead he contrived by a mighty I 1 q aa where in 1 paige cartey darew Vl effort to bocus focus his attention upon the sensational news story that lay below and which shrieked as loud AS a lav ach ise at black ink and red ink and double laabs could make it there were smaller ani allec headlines but violable enough beavan knows which bore isla ba un cless ns n ni s and ilia his own ova aud sly 0 of all doubtless a 0 holdis tha 1 tl important vactor acl oi rs re 6 lu III il h lie e first place tt it wais made mada un ehg everybody who knew n Wa should bould have known ahem paige adlaw wat was would bouldi not toll tell or att didt dad not know and it was waa olvi was waa iaci conclusive evidence that she ebo had encountered some untoward fate every possible chanie change was rung upon the excited query in the hectic headline where la Is paige carew rudolph van Vech ton prominent clubman and well known society favorite the missing girls flance fiance had bad been signally evasive in his replies the interview with him was quoted la in full and the allusive comments made it appear as it if he were at the time distressed to tho the verge ot of insanity A recent celebrated abduction case casa was waa zed and certain simi lart ties between it and miss carels evant aliment were played up strong the deliberate intention of course being to insinuate that the girl had bad met with a like outrage in ili short so BO adroitly was waa the whole thing worded that tho the sphere in no way committed itself and however alss carew might reappear and whatever the subsequent explanation it would be good for another front page story and the sphere would have nothing to retract van vechten Vec hlen white with rage gnas grashed gnashed lied his teeth glancing up to ascertain whether ho he was the target of too many curious eyes and discovering that lie he andton and tom were once moro more alone he gave v vent ent to a hushed but heated expression of his feelings that gritter gritted ile he mutilating tho the ehnot with a jab of hla his fist la is damnable it that meddling little reporter wore were hero here id thrash him within tin an inch 0 at his life lord wont undo uncle theodore rage and tear his hair when he sees itt believe me old chap therell be something doing now alexan alexander adert whore where did that boy goll go alexander was wad upon the scene almost ap ae it by magic hla his mien one 0 of childlike innocence van vechten instructed telephone tho the kenmore garage and I 1 hava L ave bantley fetch my touring car hero immediately the largest one ensconced in one of the clubs cluba booths alexander soon got tho the garage and next whom he thus thua addressed say you hick your boss bosa wants lits bl biggest buzz wagon at the tha Pow powhatan batan C Q D nget it wats that who me met well id rather be a fresh kid than a pickled mutt beat it youse and dont get pinched on tho way else housell yo usell al be ba chasan anneder job whereupon ho be forestalled further re parted by speedily hanging up and resuming his occupation ot at lurking unobserved but strictly vigilant in the offing that not only got the import of alexanders but appreciated prec precia ted its urgency as well was proved by hla his prompt appearance tula this beats hunting taxis every minute or so van Vec liten explained to tom and might as well be earning his hie wages ill just juet keep him at hand tor for emergencies let kamlay go id rather run the machine than listen to you talk anyhow returned tom candidly A fellow ellow might have a chance to think tho the offer was considered seriously and to toms toma satisfaction favorably perhaps van vechten returned it might be as a well not to have too many witnesses in ease case anything very private occurs even the best beat of servants including barnicle of course con can ba ba mado made to talk it cleverly manipulated alexander went to fetch etch toms motoring gear from rona the cloakroom locker and was dismissed under wants toms expert guidance tho the huge machine glided silently over to fourth avenue across union square to broadway Dro adway mid dad down that busy channel as aa it it were hold held within tho the speed limits only tho mo utmost dim calv Arr fui tit sit ta tats now street or of tom remained viita iab the motor while van vechten hastened to hla his uncle the man alan ot at iron it was quickly lo arned had already seen tho the spheres erea article and something was already doing too outwardly entirely unmoved tron like inflexible nothing of at the annoyance that stirred beneath hla his trust crust lie cad bad pulled this wire wife and that one with the result that the spheres Sp berea entire local staff from the tha city editor on an down to the tha newest cub were peculating upon the chances of 0 land I 1 ing new jobs in tho the extremely likely event that their present ones would terminate next pay da A striking tribute this to the man ilan of Q irons iron is far reaching t power tor for in all the abe wido world no othar authority could so BO have hare shaken the tha apparently ippie antly impregnable strength of at this great journal moreover uncle theodore theodora had ad ready very explicitly cabled hla his principal paris anil and I re presenta who haj had means of gathering in beyond the scope either of polled or bureaus bare Aus alt 1 of which he and laid before his bis nephew 1 I am beslu beginning to fear he terse berta ly ir concluded that something very varr I 1 herlous le rious has baa happened toP to alga alge and J jo what I 1 cant imaging imagine but bat no more can lie be done dona than we are doing I 1 am a busy man I 1 can not afford to have my plans upset or interfered with I 1 must delegate this matter to you until active interference by me I 1 will accomplish some definite result then I 1 shall act promptly lly draw on me tor for necessary funds but dont fall to keep an accurate account of every cent spent both exact amount and specific purpose for or which expended rudolph drew a long face ace illow how can you expect me to do that protested he be when where my own expenditures are concerned I 1 am unable even to arrive at an estimate 1 then dryly you need not draw on me at all for once you may direct your money to some useful and profitable end dut but I 1 must be kept fully informed of every step at 0 progress made send me typewritten bulletins containing all facts but pared to the bone now get out dut but if 1 the afan lan of iron iran believed that he ha had bad succeeded in muzzling the press for once in his life at least he was blameworthy of an error of judgment the story atory was become public property and the early afternoon editions instead ot of observing restraint ran to license in their amplification of its possibilities rudolph Rudolp ll during the ride back to the club winced more than ahan once onca when some newsboys shrilly shouted slogan assaulted ills his hearing where ld Is paige carew carent torn tom asked himself under his breath the answer be pulling gags from that on the root roof gar N A send me typewritten bulletins containing all facts but pared to the bone now get out dens dena tonight its the catchword already poor old they stopped at a telegraph office where var vaa Voc vechten liten filed a cab cablegram legra m to baiges last known paris address addres s when lie he returned to them car let us ue hurry back to the club said he 1 I mean mean to phone flint and lie he paused and looked questioningly up at tom 1 I suppose yda mind taking us over to rocky covet cove he asked tom instantly brightened all over apparently but nevertheless he opposed nn an objection Woul dat look right ruddy cant you yoli see no I 1 tant cant bluntly why id be a er a sort of what you call em am accomplice dash it nil aill I 1 id lolly jolly well like to go though tho the decisive way in which van vechten climbed into the tha andl bated that thle this halfhearted half hearted protest was accepted for joyous acquiescence lets find flint he ha said bald speed up easier sald bald than done however for or on their arrival at the powhatan the most moist diligent use usa of tho the telephone tete failed to elicit the slightest trace ot of the detectives whereabouts rudolph and tom were in the act of at leaving the club to enter the automobile when a messenger boy entered under alexanders alexander cautious guidance and handed to van vechten a cable gram before tearing open the cover he was a bit puzzled to observe that it was waa addressed add eased both to his bis undo uncle and himself which meant that a duplicate would I 1 tin delivered to tho the man alan of iron tt if indeed ho he had bad not already received one the message was dated at london and this la Is what van vechten read i two ladles ladies answering description mrs D and miss C two weeks in in Withy withypool pool somerset july two ladies same description booked passage a ge on america august 8 as airs irs and miss schuyler new york hare po ed reward ave hundred pounds pound CHAPTER VII deeper waters water this mea met aage so BO condensed that tot tat a moment van vechten bel bellevo tevA tt it to be in code contained more than one incomprehensible but none the loss less pregnant item the line of 0 perplexity between his brows deepened as aa be continued to stare ac it while tom looked on and fidgeted with curiosity Withy withypool pool van vechten voiced ills his mystification seems to me die I 1 ive va heard that name ariante before im sure I 1 have but hanged if I 1 can caa associate it with anything definite and who the deuce Is ile he handed banded the slip of paper over to tom the items began to appear slowly by degrees Withy withypool pool Withy withypool pool he ha repeated in an effort to spur his memory where and when did I 1 ever hear that name its not one that paige men tinned must be some town in somerset and two ladles ladies supplemented tom in mock admiration answering to the description ot of your cousin and sirs mrs devereaux were there some time in july what a ripping sherlock you arell are van vechten surveyed him with unseeing eyes after a r say he began with considerable energy tom it if they were paige and jo why should it bo be so difficult to determine their identities positively wore were they trying to hide and it so from whom you can search me tom offered dispiritedly van vechten the he m message and pored over it again five hundred pounds reward he be groaned after a minute great areat scott tonal ilow how luridly the papers will bloxom now for the blessed puzzle Is fair game at last for them who has authorized anyone to offer a reward id like to know and what two weeks in july were w ere these two wo mysterious ladles ladies at Withy withypool pool am I 1 to infer inter that they and mrs and miss schuyler are ara the same that paige and joe sailed home the eighth ot of last month what it says replied tom in a way yes but this sheet of at deformed intelligence Is more remark able abla for what it does not say than tor for what it says schuyler you know was mrs devereauxh Devereau xa maiden name toms eyes opened dy georgel george he exclaimed wonderingly so it was I 1 I 1 well tartly does the circumstance suggest anything to you but tom merely stood silent a second secand wagging his head no its only a little more muddling to is all I 1 can make of it here it Is the fifth of september van Vech tens summarizing went on where in heavens name have they been all this time where are they now 7 moses and green spectacles ruddy burst forth tom in desperation give yourself a headache it if you keep ah asking questions that nobody can answerl answer here lets sit down at this table and havo have something to drink maybe help you can think things over anyhow van all ot of a sudden a letdown let down from the high tension under which he bad liken been laboring ever since the cablegrams |