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Show JH13 SALT IjAKK .TRIBUNE, 'SUNDAY MORNING, MARCH 14, 1020. WHICH? the hotel to meet you, to get this money from at (.30 that evening she was In your apartment. Now, why did you give bar that a clot door I THE rrORT THUS FAIt-One- nlnr her hotel room, Bolty U Barm, a brtd of thre dam U bomfiod at diaeorennc th body of a beautiful younr woman with a hnife throuab bar Betty'a bua-banTo malta matter woraa. Bob rafuaoa to explain hit moeemenia Jut befor the diacoTary of ibe crime and la arretted oo Several people loUtrett thetnaelvee Id be of La rate; among them John Hu a, ao old fnDd Barooa aow employed aa aecretary to Harrlaoo woman Hardy, a capital iai, and Anne Blur, a young woo Uvea in the hotel. Wbeo Huah tell bia emaa ployer that the murdered girl baa been identified Uardy Kuaaian a of general. Ordinofi, daughter tllga Wa Then Uicy've got toe eaciaima; not a eili be tbouib appear greatly ditiurbi, of plain wby, and aenua Kuafi to eng a a tbt aerate huutn. alter a Hwgh huulh. a private oetective. teal investigation, turns tne crime on a a at ter, n hereupon lue latter couicssea and ante tumaeif. Uhia aerve to free Le Psrou, but doca not sauIy Aiine Blair, who tnsiate there u moiwto tha afiate than appear no the euriace. boa aottrounee to IumI out whet Baruy knows and to atro tne aig tuhcaoua el ntue hiut crow ane aa on to ciwset Ooor woeu she happened into the La Pa roue Itua cross, Buso room just beiur me poace cauie. ' umvmieft, maappeared mysteriously alter ue uad ecUi the hotel s icsd waiter slauoiog hear the door sou iuUiuuhg wito a naouacfcind. ytuauainie Auua hovotnes mteieeiou m tuiuuii iruahane, au heiress, turn managos to iscoVcr lol Uef suhio ictteis w atwU Caspar Kin, a luiiuu aiueoof vl her iaiucr , Uaa as a Uasis lor piacauail. Bush teia has Upou Aicwr, lue ocaa wailej, proaoug sooul Im Um u aparliueut, auo ts Juituer ktuu ue Urus tue mail has tell a ouue idter in amen wue Vi Baruo s asuUls appeals to tw lepurtillg OU " t.a luooey aniuh Vanished aileT Uio uiuiut. lh Kdti aiy Unmiy pei'susove hie uipioer to eali va auss mad iau ms tier wust sue has reamed a Pout the case. tniioie i ten you snytuing.' is Anne a 1 ve gut to hrve you tell a hat esmudtdiig rtpiy. arise Oluiuud was doing aU your iwouis tue evening ane has UiUidcid.M hLYlH l.S STALLMU-- o N I I listened In amazement, )n ail his long career of baltl had hs a similar situation. Always In the stormy crises N had weathered, hia foes and challengers uai been strong men. ruthless money machines like himself. Willi them he kr.ew how to dea' He could bully . them, crush them into submission, make them do things Ins way. But here he was facing a Never faced keep me in tuspenst. . selected for Ihe first Installment of funds to be sent over was this Olga Ordinofi. Her family always have been loyal imperialists. Her father, a general, was murdered by the tevolutionlrts. For two years she bad been Hvln quietly In a subi rb of Philadelphia, taking no part In Russian affairs. In s very respect she seemed to be an Ideal messenger. I met her personally only twice. Several weeks ago she was Introduced to ms at a secret rendezvous in Philadelphia. At this meeting there were present only my Philadelphia partner and myself. She accepted the mission ws offered her and it was discussed In all Its details. Sbs made all the The-carrl- ths conduct of Important ef. Tell me bow I can t be- "In reality." explained the g.rl. "It was The hotel records show that very simple. lliss Ordinofi arrived from Philadelphia at It was 7:13 before she asked for a waiter to be sent to her apartment. That leaves an hour and a half to be accounted for. What was she doing In that Interval? Non, who are the persons who we know are In some way concerned in the case? They are Hr. and Mrs. Lo Baron, in whose rooms the body was found; Mr. Rush, who was with them when the tragedy vvaa discovered; tha waiter who killed her, and you." There's nothing, absolutely nothing, no evidence of any sort to connect me with her." protested Hardy, endeavoring to speak calm-ly- . et in sp.te of himself showing great agitation. "Tou forgot," said Anne, that the next morning when Mr. Rush told you about Miss Ordinofi. you at once exclaimed 'Olga , indicating that you had previous knowledge of her. Also In Mr. Rushs hearing you muttered something about two millions having vanished." Ordi-neff- Bo youve been gossiping about my private affairs." cried Hardy, turning viciously cn Bis secretary. Only with me," Interrupted the girl, and think you will find that It has been to your advantage. Shall I go on?" Ills curiosity to learn her story overcame hia wrath and he subsided, although the effort It cost him was manifest In his clenched bands. "Now then." Anne continued, what were the various persons involved doing from 3.43 to 7 J5T The waiter was not summoned until that hour, ao we can leave him out of it. Mrs. Le Baron was dressing for dinner. Mr. Le Baron was down in the lobby and he met Mr. Rush there and they chatted together. There waa Just one other person In the hotel concerned with Olga Ordinofi. That person waa yourself If Olga Ordinofi had two millions when aha waa killed, from whom would aha obtain It? la it not a perfectly reasonable deduction that qhe came to - which hotel?" " No." said Mr. Hardy. " absolutely non. There seems to be little doubt that th waiter who killed himself was the actual murderer. a Presumably he stole th Jewelry aa a blind, but what ha did with that little black handbag la a mystery. No oo saw him taking it out of th hotel." bag could have entered th elevator and walked out of the hotel without attracting at j attention whatever." "Isnt , Nothing, said Anne Blair calmly, nothing yet I want to think It over. Perhaps tomorrow Will Vou dine with me tomorrow evening? " asked Harrison Hardy quickly, and to Rush's jealou ears It sounded as If there was unwonted eagerness In bla tones. Anne's answer "Yes, gladly," cam promptly, much to bis annoyance, even though her next words brought baltn to his feelings, "but why not make it a dinner party? Let us get together all the people who know any of th details of the murder and match up their stories. Perhaps w learn something mors that way." An excellent idea," said Mr. Hardy ap- in panic at tha You mustn't do that. I didn't kid Her murder was a terrible blow to thdught. the girl. me. It upset all my plana. Im as eagef aa to learn who planned her murder. are jou " 1'dJ tell you he said quietly. Since you Know so much, perhaps wheu I have told my story you can tell me where my two millions have gone and who got them. everything. " Perhaps, " said the girl, "perhaps ths three of us together and Rush threw her a quick glance of gratitude for lnclud;ng him "may le able to find the solution. " Like most American financiers," began llarrisun Hardy. w hen the great w?ar began 1 turned my attention to Russia, laying extensive plans there for development after the war. With (lie severance of trade relations with Germany. Russia's vast resources teemed ready to drop into America's lap. My plana were well under way and much capital bad been already Invcstel there when the collapse cf the Imperial Russian government vvoi ked havoc with our plans. The rise to power of these accursed bolshevlkl spelled ruin and absolute loss for all our 1 vestments. only salvation for American capital invested In Russia lay, and still lies, In my opinion. In the overthrow of this mob rule "The and the prompt reestablishment of a strong centralized government with whlJh business. we can do "After the armistice, with the aid of the French government, which sought lo protect the Russian bonds held extensively In France, having some allied troops scut to Russia. The popular clamor against this move, together with the unsettled condition of Europe, loft only one other hope a serious attempt to finance a movement to overthrow tho bolshevlkl and rVestabhsh an Imperialistic government. "How to get money to Russia was the problem that confronted us. All the available funds there weie in the nai'ds o J Lenin and Trotzky. International banking had been so demualizcd that no exchange was procurable. We finally decided to send to Russia the actual cosh, gold notes of the FnlleJ Elate government." wo succeeded In Anne Blair, listening to his plain avowal. (bowed her disapproval In her free. An American fur leu generations, it seemed ta ter grossly wrong and un American, almost traitorous, for an American plotting to r.fcstablisli a fallen tonaichy. but liairlsoq to-b- It possible, Interjected Rush excitedly, "that Miss Ordinofi might have checked the bag downstairs after aha' left your apartment? " She might bava," said Mr. Hardy, although tbat.was not tha plan. Still, we know she didn't. Now, Miss BLair, what have you to tell met ha cried " Very well. aid Anna, aa If she waa ha waa only a tooL Tb Of course," to another man waiting In tha corridor. A a well dressed man carrying a hand- " Then, said Anne calmly, answer my questions. Ills features relaxed and he made a quick gesture of resignation, defeat, submission which It waa Rush found It hard to ' man "Of course." she said, if you will not admit It. there is nothing for me to do but to ted the police whre the girl waa that " My God." tha money was removed from the, J " For Cods sake" Hardy troi don't keif me in aynS. arrangement for the Journey herielf, pr curing her own passport. In accordance with our aecret arrangement. he cam here to tha hotel the day before he sailed to receive final Instructions and to receive from me the fund she waa to take with her to Russia. Not more than six persons in the whole United States knew any part of th arrangement. No one but myself, absolutely no one, knew the detail of her Intended departure. At (.30 that evening, in accordance with our carefully made arrangement, she came to my apartment, making sure that her entrance was unobserved. I was alone there. In her presence I placed in the false bottom of a black traveling bag two million dollars In United States gold certificates, some of It of the five thousand dollar denomination, some In one thousand dollar bills. There were no witnesses of the transaction. I am certain that no one saw her enter or leave my apartment, yet within two hours she had been murdered and (he bag containing the money had van Is bed." "Where did you obtain the bag?" asked Anne thoughtfully. It waa In her mind that the placing of an order for a traveling bag with a false bottom by Harrison Hardy would in itself be apt to cause comment "It Is one that I have had for tenyears. a bag that was prepared for another emergency," said Mr. Hardy. Lo you suppose" suggested Rush, "'that the drawing of such a large um in gold certificates might have attracted attention? "Certainly it would have, but the money was gathered together several years ago. I myself procured it from a vault to which I alone have access." ( It came to Rush and to Anne Blair both i this money must have been part of a btutt hoard Mr. Hardy had laid away at tho very beginning of the great war, when all Wall street was panic stricken, when the excliange bad closed. It was rumored that many of the leaders of finance, always fear-tu- l for their hoarded wealth, and unable to read the future, had hidden away In secret vaults large sums In cash and gold, that they might be prepared for any emergency. But close aa John Rush was to his employer's private affairs, this was the first intimation Rush had had of Mr. I lardy 's action, uiai it y provingly. are trusted Investigator In my employ. Grundy has been doing my work for many years and for the last two years I frequently have been using Smith. He Is an exceedingly clever detective and absolutely trusts worthy. As soon as I learned of Mias death I put them both on the track of Treptlkoff. My natural suspicion was that he had learned of our plans and had seized the money." Ordl-noff'- "And youre sure It was not he?"' "It couldn't have been- - Grundy has learned that for many days Treptlkoff and his gang have been under the closest surveillance by government employe. Ever since Washington learned of their connection, every move they made day or night has been watched and recorded. Furthermore, Grundy has learned that the newspaper accounts of Miss Ordinofi murder greatly excited the Trep.l-kof- f crowd and seemed to puzzle them completely." say there were not more than six persons knew of your plan who weie the You six? " Hardy closed his lips tightly and swallowed hard. Replying to this question of Miss Blair evidently was distasteful. l was difficult for him always to make a confidant of any one, yet there was constantly recurring to his mind the .thought that this girl knew something about the case that he did not. If be had adjudged her correctly he must live He must tell her everyup to his bargain. thing If he expected to get anything from her. " Cotesbury, my Philadelphia partner, knew more about the plan than any one else. Dean of the trust company. Graham, my Office manager, a certain high cfhclal In Washington each knew a small part of the plau, and Hugh Bmitli made certain Investi- gations for me In connection with It, but only Cotesbury and myself knew who the messenger was or when she was to start- She was a social acquaintance of C'otesbury's daughter. He met her once or twice at dinner months ago and from her conversation decided that she was trustworthy In any effort to ovei throw the revolutionists. Ills meeting with her after that were secret. So far as we know no one ever saw either Cotes-bur- y or myself even talking to Miss "Well ask Mr. and Mrs. Le Baron theyll come, won't they. Mr. Rush? Ill answer for them," be said without hesitation. He knew from experience that practically uo one ever refused a dinner in- vltatiou from the celebrated Harrison Hardy. Then there's yourself, and Mr. Rush, and tue that makes five." And Hugh Smith," added Mr. Hardy. That makes six.-Of He course," the girl assented. lot about the case, and only Rush detected the subtle sarcasm In her tone. He knew, that she had small opinion of Smith's ability, having heard her express distrust fur the solution he had advanced o promptly for the mysterious murder. knows a I'll have dinner served in tny rooms at 7.30," announced Mr. Hardy decisively. What about Miss Dusliane? Should V7 ask her? suggested Kush. She knows nothing about Miss OrdlnolTs murder. said Anne. We can leave her out. Why, exclaimed Rush, with a meaning glance at Anne, you told me you felt aur there was some connection between the two cases. " . C "What's that? exclaimed liardy. much my stifled. "There undoubtedly is," announced Ann Whoever planned these two crimes calmly. must be some ohe closely in touch with Mr. Hardy's financial affairs. Miss Dushane's money, the hundred thousand they were after, was on deposit In Mr. Ilardys trust company. Mr. Dean of the trust company knew something of this Russian business. "My God, cried Hardy Indignantly. You don t suspect Dean, do you? Why, I'd as soon suspect myself. " No, said Anne, " I don't suspect Mr. nor you, nor Mr. Ruslq I merely pointed jut the fact to show there Is a connection between the two crimes; but wait until tomorrow." Dean, So manifest was her desire to have them go that they reluctantly made their adieu and returned to Mr. Hardy's apartment. Rush was hoping that his employer would continue the discussion of the mystery, but he seemed to have put it resolutely out 'of his mind and to be encased once more in his armor. As soon they had reached the apartment he was his nightly custom, dictating as bcan, y will taka that letter over to tha Grand Central." he said to Rush, as he looked at hia watch, "you can get It on the 1J:3 and lta delivery tomorrow morning will be assured." , you any theory," asked Anne, after a moments thought, "as to tho method by thinking aloud. Bhe mistook hia hesitation In answering her for an effoit on his part to thwart her pans. She knew the type of man he waa and. realizing that above ail else the thing b If you "Have who! crime waa carefully planned. It would have been quit easy for him aa ha amarged from the room to have slipped th handbag finally decided him. bis two millions bad not vanished. One letter. to a Boaton banker, waa Important . . did you suspect Why," 'asked Anno, Treptlkoff? Who Is he? " Although It Is not generally known, this man Treptlkoff la the lestder of tho bolshtvlst movement In this country. He keeps entirely In the background, but manages In some mysterious way to keep constantly In touch with ths revolutionary leaders In Russia. Hs baa largo suras of money at his command and is wonderfully well Informed on what goes on here. Our first thought" " Whom do you mean by our T " InterN rupted Anno. " Hugh Smiilb and Grundy. Both of them g'rl, a calm, self possessed, extraorwith a perdinarily intelligent young n sistence list equaled hia own. 11s wondcied if lie dance, to ' ust her. If ho dated tell her everything. Whet a wonderful ally she would make! Never Ir hia wb', life had he absolutely trusted any' one or given them his enthe confidence. Always he hud ployed a lone hand. Anne Blair In ask-hm coufldoncc was making a Ur greater demand than she realized. It was his grow-ir.admiration for her brilliant mentality that trying lieve it." 1 " his business correspondence as calmly as If Annes fiorehead wrinkled Itself Into three .llitle vertical lines Indicative of concentre lion. Hardy, .too, aat silent, watching her Intently, as If trying to retd Jier mind. to him how secretive his emIn oie..ded was publicity, tried new tactics. have hardly enough lespect for feminine reasoning powers to believe me when I tell you that I made that deduction from, the known facts. In other words. I guessed It." cried Hardy. ployer was fairs., s ip of a of you learned about that girl's visit, and 1 11 tell you anything else you want to know." " 1 am afraid." said Anne calmly. that you " Impossible." emphasized i g as he did so to make up a schedule of his own movements on Hie evening of the murder. It did uot seem possible that Olga Ordinofi could have visited his employer in bis apartment without bis knowledge, tie would have been ready to swear that be had been with Harrison Haidy practically all altcrnoon and evening. "For Gods' sake." Hardy was raying, "dont don't admit it." " But It la true." the girl challenged him. Ha studied her face line by line for a moment beforj he answered, manifestly struggling all the while to keep himself In hand. f. called from his processes u money?" Hardy lells Ills Story. U b bargain?" cried Anno, her dark flushing with excitement aa she tuicbed with obvious amusement th cousterualloa with which the financier had heard tha question ,ha bad put to him. Kush. Hardy waa to-- busy with hia narrative to note her exp. eeslon. you. and "Your deductions are absurd." said Mr. There is no proof whatever Hardy testily. that that girl waa In my apartment." " But you admit It," persisted Anne. " I tell you It cannot be proven, pf course Dy William Johnston Glad of.escapl. welcoming a chanc to b opportunity for alone, delighting in th thinking over the evenU of the evening. Rush hastened on his errand. Th amazing story his employer had told of the Important mission on which Olga Ordinofi was to be disto patched, to hia mind, instead of helping iota to th added clear things up had only plications of the mysterle b and Anna Blair had determined to solve. Whom, ho wondered, did Anne suspect? He waa positive from th confident way In which she spoke that she had evolved some definite theory of the crime or, rather, of th two crime and their perpetrator, but aba bad given him no blbt of It. Had ah also, he wondered, a theory to account for th vanishing of tb money? Were all of Mr. Hardys associates, h asked himself, entirely beyond suspicion? Two million dollars two millions In cash would be a terrible temptation to most men. Think what the possession of such a sum would mean! If he had two millions Ji would not hesitate a moment la asking Ann Blair to marry him. H wondered hor long It would take him to accumulate that much with Ann as his goal Would she be willing to wait for him? Was Harrison Hardy, he Jealously wondered, really Interested In Anne, as interested as be bad appeared to be? Tb very thought of the possibility of Harrison Hardy and hia millions as a rival filled him with a sens of hopelessness. Two millions! His errand accomplished, he emerged from etreet aid. the station on tb Forty-seconwas comstreet It was after midnight and the paratively deserted. Two men entering a cheap lunch room half way up th block attracted his notice. There was something vaguely familiar about tho tall figure of on of them, and th face, too, In thr momentary glimpse he had caught of it under an electrio light seemed to be that of some on he knew w ell, yet was unable to recognize. A As he came opposite tb lunchroom he glanced ln at the wide window to look again at the man whose appearance had seemed He was sitting far back In tb o familiar. lunchroom, but Rush recognized him now at first glance. It waa Meyer, the head waiter. Rush understood now why he had failed at first to know him. A waller with a hat on ' is hardly recoguizable. Smiling a little at the change It made In the head waiter's appearance, aa he walked along, he gave him a parting glance, and amazet,bis time stopped short with a gasp-oment. Hia present position had brought into range the face of the man accompanying Meyer. He recognized the sinister face at f once. it was Caspar Dietz! What were old Caspar and the head waiter 'Of the Kitsraore doing there with their heads together? Jubilantly he realized that her there was a definite link connecting the attempt to blackmail Kuthlna Dusliane with the murder of Olga Ordinofi. lie must tell Anne the startling news at once. She would be delighted to hear this confirmation of her theory. Recalling in an entirely new aspect the association of Meyer with the case, his connection with the little black cross that bad been erased from the closet door, his invasion of Harrison Hardy's apartment, his interest in Rush's acquaintance with Miss Biair, the young man hastened Into the cigar store booth on the corner and called up the Ritsmore, asking for Anne's apartment, and rejoicing to find thut she had not yet retired. Whom do you think I discovered Just now in a lunchroom together? " he whispered Meyer, the head excitely over the phone. waiter, with old Caspar." Where are they now? " asked Anne, her voice tense with excitement. They're still there, I suppose." "Don't lose a minute." warned Anns. Get right back there and watch them. Be waer Meyer goes after he leaves Caspar.". Rush quickly hung up the phone and almost ran back to the lunchroom, peering eagerly in through the window. He waa too late. Both Meyer and Caspar Dietz had vanished. To be coutlnued. (Coprrifbt; 1030: Bf WUlixm Jokastoa.1 |