Show I 1 M F ghorley r aishor T e 1799 oder W out SYNOPSIS van vechten a young roan man of 0 litls faure uru in 1 h d t to 0 see a man enter no 1313 a house across the street from t tho he Puw powhaten hatan club long lone unoccupied and spoken of as the house of 0 Alys mystery tery several persons ot at regular intervals enter no 1313 van V Vec e lilen expresses concern to his friend frit nil tom 11 hinney regarding tile the whereabouts ot of tits his cousin anil and fiancee ll fl ancee pidge carew A man la is forcibly ejected from tile tho house van vechten Vec liten and tom follow the tha man and find him dead in the street van vechten Vec liten to Is attracted by the face of it a girl in the crowd of onlookers g the tha body detective flint flin t calls on V van a n to get fret h his I 1 a vie version ot if the tha tragedy iran edy torn phinney goes alono alone on a yachting trip lie HB recognizes among amon some ome persons persona in it a passing motor boat two men choln lie he hail had seen oven enter the house of mystery ile ha sees seen one of them a mr callis on later and follows him toni tom is 1 seized blindfolded and taken to a louse A A sweet voiced girl later protests the ems of 0 hla his captors vin vechten calls on oil tits his uncle theodoro theodore vechten MK big man in wall street anc known as the nian man of iron in of 0 regarding tile tv hereabouts of police carew detective blint chown van Vee liten a 0 kold gold mesh brae puree found in the I 1 louse llouise of mystery van an r z es i it t a s belonging to balgo balge carew the sweet voiced girl helps tom 1111 y escape escapa A from london reports that two ladica resembling miss carew and her companion mrs Dov devereaux ereaux mailed for new york homo time lime previously it d develops ev that the indies the english h homo of tm T m we pla donner lion ncr owner of if the house of mystery it Is recoiled d that temple donner was wag in to lovo ve with it a daughter of f compton Coin Schuyler who married max wallard wa Wll lard the other daughter married a man named devereaux flenner and wit lard were wera in ornate friends A search Is started for willard van vechten enters the house nt Alys mystery tery by the back door in time t to henr hear joh john n callis threaten a girl ile ha ino in herfi res and helps the girl e H PC but Is rendered unconscious in t tho hau struggle w with ith caalim tom Il hinneY sets gets s ets it a job is im master of yacht IC Kohl h I 1 nur wh ac 1 aham liati been chartered for somo some mys ter in miss Blon 1 oil I 1 the max wil wll lard inard A and id his h 1 friends board the yacht at night and T torn 0 rn in hears T are the tha voice of tile the unknown narl WI wallard ilard assures T tom m that his mission la honorable find and intimates ahat a great wrong aront li is about to be righted ile he given orders no one I 1 Is to leave ar r board the yacht without his permission with willards consent della delia goes ashore to telephone and returns to the yacht in fit irrean agitation ael it develops that tha willard has recently invented a powerful fui explosive BOOK ill III CHAPTER VII continued the girl gave not tho the slightest heed beed to ills departure to tell the truth it ft seemed moro more than likely that with at boot beat only a hazy impression of him in her ber memory he had passed utterly from her mind and from tho the room at ino no and tho the samo same time her left hand band lay palm down upon her throat as it 1 something hurt her there the right was half raised the flat fist tightly lenchek ilen len ched in an excess of tumultuous feeling the sleeper stirred and with a sud un movement whipped the bandage from his eyes lie ile stared blankly up tt at tho the girl she gasped and recoiled from roni the sight eight of him it war vaa patent that van vechten jousted tho the evidence of hla his senses or elso else ho he concluded that his dreams had taken a pleasanter plea santer bent at any rate lie he lay motionless staring at the vision st her who had occupied so much of 0 his thoughts of late until it dawned upon him that she was crying then with an inarticulate exclamation that 1 I X vil d I 1 suppose you tell me who you art are ended in a groan ho he tried to rise instantly itly she extended her right hand and gently pressed him back no not nol she aho protested chokingly dont move god forbid that I 1 should cause you another second of suffer log in a lush flash bo be was wholly awake all his faculties alert but my dear young ladal he be ex postulated what to la the iha meaning of his ala how did you got get hero here where li Is barnicle again ho he tried to rise this time deterring her attempt to stop him it was vas a blow and painful operation for him to assume a sitting posture with an n impulsive movement she passed on ODD 0 arm around his shoulders then rhen I 1 can help you she said bald thank you said van vechten at last rather breathlessly for movement was still torture for him lie ha was quick to perceive that her visit was a matter of no light portent and in relation to it hla big appearance was of slight alight moment and any excuses he ha might make would bo be banal so he utter cl noua none it Is doubtless un necessary to add that he be was waa both amazed and profoundly curious the girl rose roae to her teet feet and moved a bit away from him will you yon not be seated 7 he invited she shook her head lie he went on I 1 1 I realize that some eoma curious purpose has brought you to see me and that you are agitated take your time I 1 am now as always at your service dont Don tl 1 tho the sudden protest might have been a cry of physical pain mr air van vali lochten ten I 1 am wholly unworthy of any gent lemans forbearance and courtesy the most ordin ordinarily arly civility from you but heaps humiliation upon humiliation I 1 deserve nothing from you but scorn and contumely that I 1 can endure but kindness 7 she was unable to proceed at last van vechten was beginning to comprehend the motive behind this visit it if you dont compose yourself he said pleasantly wo we are not likely to arrive at any sort of understanding please drag a chair over close to me I 1 cant see you very well you know nor can I 1 observe all the niceties ot of behavior with which I 1 would like to celebrate this event and make you welcome for believe me nobody ever crossed my threshold who was more welcome ile iio could see well enough however to note that any reference to his present incapacity hurt tho the girl she did not stir if you dont he supplemented 1 I shall be obliged to make the effort anyhow at once she brought a chair over close to him and sat eat down ing her chin with one hand she sha rested the elbow upon an arm of the chair she was waa so winsome ano anc pretty and albeit so distressed that yan van Vec vernton liten wanted more than anything elso else to make her see a ludicrous side of the whole affair dut but as yet he had bad no aln hint of how vitally serious it was to her ter at present he hev intense nature was much too earnest to be swayed by any attempt at levity or any play of his humor pretty sect she gained her self celt con arol and began speaking alth a degree t calmness alp mr van vechten it if somebody had lold bold me the story of what happened tuesday afternoon about some woman other than myself I 1 would have believed it too monstrous to be true but you did nothing van vechten objected you were in deadly peril the fellow was irresponsible 1 I 1 could have brought you assistance and I 1 did not deliberately I 1 ven even kept the affair to myself not mentioning mentioning it to a living soul foul except that I 1 took measures to protect myself from future similar annoyance by that thai dreadful creature in IX sudden pas paa outburst sho she sat upright my aly godl he might have murdered youl but he did not you see nor did he injure you so bo why talk about it itt I 1 can think of a thousand plea pleasanter santer topics yourself for example suppose you tall me who you are the dar dari eyes were regarding him tragically my 1 v namo name does doea not in the least matter slid demurred 1 I am a despicable creaturo creature who had the effrontery to hate hata you just because your name happens a to bo be van Vach vechten ten that young gentleman pricked up his enra cars at this ile he quickly interposed that being the case I 1 seem to be more mora concerned than you are willing to adib why should you hato hate tho the namo name van vechten Vec hlen I 1 must confess that I 1 have added nothing to its luster yet neither have I 1 besmirched it nor allowed the clane clana gonfalon gon falon to trail in th oust dust you see that my feelings toward you are anything but harsh and vindictive so why not tell me about yourself nt ni no 1 I am too full of shame and sho she cried bitterly 1 I owed it 0 to o my own mean selfish heartless pride to humble and abase myself before you I 1 hated you dut but you are a courageous noble high minded gentleman ir if you knew everything ery thing i again she was unable to go on why not tell rite he gently urged you would hate and despise me more than ever lie he took one of her hands in his it la Is impossible that I 1 should hate or despise you there la is the very best of reasons why I 1 could not my it appearance pe arance is all against any cause causa I 1 might plead but you aro are trembling 1 hat ha abruptly broke off 1 I am utterly wretched wretch edl I 1 the she moaned for once in his bis life at least V van an vechten was at ft a loss the girl was so determined to humble herself the idea was waa so BO repugnant to his nice sense ot of fitness and hla his attempts to In nuance hor her were so ao ineffective that lie ho despaired ta relieving tho she seemed unconscious f f the tac fac that he still hold held hr h horid ad and sat cat with head bowed ed indubitably v atry ry miserable and unhappy listen to me ho he resumed after a pause 1 I can show you that your whole conception of the matter to Is morbid false inexcusable this 1 I his to Is not the time and place to make this con fenselon not the occasion I 1 should have chosen but are you listening there has not been one minute since last sunday afternoon that you have been out of my thoughts she looked at him in wonder Sun sunday dayl 1 she echoed what do you mean that I 1 love you she tried to withdraw her hand band but his closed upon it tightly ouch I 1 that hurts 1 he exclaimed she immediately desisted resisted des isted while a rich tide of color suffused her cheeks mr van vechten she said nervously this Is absurd still it if it la Is your method of revenge it Is not for me to show resentment you do not even know my name 1 I do he quietly contradicted it Is 15 jessie she uttered a surprised little cry why walt wait please he checked her 1 I want to add that it you believe the pure high attributes you ascribe to me you must know that I 1 could not take such a method of revenge assuming that I 1 am seeking revenge or even that any grounds exist to justify revenge which I 1 deny it remains therefore that I 1 must be sincere you surely know jessie that love laughs at conventionalities as well as at obdurate parents and locksmiths lock smiths it la is incredible that such a thing could happen ill even admit that but the fact remains that it has happened I 1 love you and if you continue in the belief that you owe me some amends why we can square matters by you promising to marry me I 1 shall accept your culpability upon that basis and no other for a long timo time she sat looking into his bis eyes then do you mean that she asked very soberly 1 I was never more earnest in my life he assured her then she said rising and g gently disengaging her hand band 1 I shall promise this one week from today it if your feelings have not changed in the meantime it if you yon can make the request with as much sincerity as you do now 1 I will marry you any time you say goodby good by she moved toward the reception hall and his feelings were too overpowering tor for speech it all seemed like a joyous dream coming true or per hape he was still dreaming if so the afis dream was about to end and he found utterance jessie he said she paused come back here a moment please there give me your hand again both of them now look it at me she complied compiled with each request its as quickly as it was made tell me lie he went on Is that promise a part of your poor misguided self im posed penance dont ask me what urges it she replied in a shaking voice 1 I shant accept it in any such warp warped ed and distorted spirit of self sacrifice he pursue still speaking very gently but none the less earnestly it la is too much to expect that you can entertain a sentiment toward me that anywhere near approaches mine not now dut but I 1 can teach you girl I 1 can teach youl you I 1 I 1 give you as genuine a love as any man can offer a woman cant you acknowledge some soma kindly feeling tor for me in return let mo me go she eha begged in an agitated abed whisper god knows I 1 anticipated nothing like this thial Is the idea so repugnant to you yon you are killing me with kind kindness I 1 the tha quivering rise and fall of her bosom betrayed how profoundly she was disturbed and the light in her handsome dark eyes signified a melting mood even the bruises on van Vech tens face could not disguise the fond fondness with which he regarded her at least you do not deny it godl he broke off in an accession of irritation it Is intolerable to be at ea 00 a 40 0 such euch a tremendous disadvantage a ac this supreme moment what a sorry figure ot of a lover I 1 ami will you not seal the bargain T 1 I do not understand she ahe murmured kiss me without a seconds hesitation I 1 she bent down and pressed her lips upon hla his ills ilia heart leaped up to meet it then a chill fell upon him there was a total lack of warmth in the salute 1 I see he said humbly that the foolish notion of requital la Is not at yet banished from your poor head how seriously you are taking from your viewpoint I 1 roust must seem a beast but jessie jesale this hour has been the most genuine and sincere of my life I 1 wish I 1 could make you believe that 1 I believe you she said please let me goi can bear no more he released her hands and she returned to the door where she stopped and faced him again all at once she was trans transfigured figured the lovely face was glorified by a shy halt half timid light inexpressibly alluring that wrung a groan from the man at his bis inability to rush over and gather her in his arms how am I 1 to find you again 1 he be asked anxiously 1 I shall not hide from you she replied you hy fly from me he lamented leaving me more wretched than I 1 was before although you have promised to marry me there are conditions dont forget she reminded him 1 I would have imposed them myself and gladly ho retorted the dark eyes met hla his in a long maddening look while the color rose in her cheeks 1 I could learn to love you very easily she said and was gone r fully ten minutes van vechten sat eat like a man in a trance then rousing abruptly he called barnicle get me a cigar he commanded barnicle tried to oppose an objection mr aft rudolph your nerves you know doctor damn doctor t fetch me a cigars barneclo Bar nicie tied fled CHAPTER VIII the coffin shaped box after capt tom phinney rejoined the two girls he was not long in comprehending pre that his and their moods had become reversed in some unaccountable way during the few hours of their separation where he had bad been weighted down by no very pressing anxiety and they unmistakably haft W been he was now taciturn under stress of an acute and growing mental perturbation while his companions apparently were mere carefree care free and happy the change was most noticeable in jessie willard Wll lard for beneath delias gay humor there still ran an undercurrent of gravity however even jessie remained |