Show the I 1 rhe black box by E ae PHILLIPS PHILLIP 5 OPPENHEIM novelized from the motion picture drama dr ima of ilia tha same name produced by the universal film manufacturing company L I 1 copyright copyright by otie otis V wood SECOND installment THE HIDDEN HANDS CHAPTER VI sanford quest and lonora lenora stood side by side aide upon tile steps of tho the courthouse waiting for tho the automo automobile bilo which had become momentarily entangled in a string of vehicles A little crowd of people ere elbowing their alvay ay out on to the al sidewalk dowall no need to go into court ho he re marked 1 I could have told you f from rain tho the look of those people that I 1 macdougal it ac had caca cacapit pid tho the death son imprisonment for life seems terrible enough lonora lenora whispered ashud daring they milre on the point of crossing tho the pavement toward tho the automo automobile bilo when quest felt a touch upon his shoulder lie turned and found lord aeh ash leigh standing danding by his elde side quest glanced lanced fi towards lenora run and get in the car ho he whis pored 1 I will bo be thoro there in a moment 1 I would not havo have stopped you just now mr air quest said bald lord Asble ashleigh but my brother Is very anxious to re new his acquaintance with you I 1 think you met years y oars ago sanford quest held out his big hand to tho the man who had boon been standing a lit tle in tho the background lord Ashl astleigh As bleigh elgh turned towards him this is mr quest edgar you may remember my brother professor ash lolah as a man of science quest lie ile has just returah from south amerl ca 1 I am very proud to make your acquaintance again professor quest said glad to know too that you forgotten ft me my dear sir air the professor prote saor de dared as he lie released the others hand with seeming scorning reluctance 1 I have thought about you many times your doings have always been of interest to me if excuse me probest professor pro festor or said quest 1 I think I 1 must be getting ig along we shall meet again I 1 trust one moment tho the professor begged eagerly tell me mr quest I 1 want 3 our honest opinion what do you think of my ape of our what chati quest inquired dubiously of my tny anthropoid apo ape chich I 1 have P just sent to the museum you know my claim but perhaps you would mould prefer to postpone your final decision un til tit after you have examined iho tile skeleton itself A light broke jn in upon the 0 gisl of coursel ho exclaimed for the moment processor professor I 1 follow aou ou you are talking about the skeleton of the apo ape which you brought home from south america and which aou ou hao presented to the museum hero here naturally tho the professor absented assented with nith mild surprise to neat hat else I 1 am stating my case ir quest in the north american review next month I 1 may toll tell you however as a fellow the great and absolute truth my afy claim is incontestable my skeleton will prove to the world without a doubt the absolute truth of dar nans vv ina great theory that so you must go and see bee it the professor insisted you shall be permit ted a special examination very kind of you quest murmured tuu the mon men shook hands and quest took hs seat by lenoraa side in the automobile the professor rejoined bis his brother they entered the taxicab and were driven almost in silence to tho the professors homo a large rambling old bouse house situated in somewhat extensive but ill kept grounds on the outskirts ot 0 no ica york the englishman glanced around him us its they passed up the druc e with an expression of A more untidy looking place than yours edgar I 1 never saw ho be declared your grounds have become a jungle dont you keep any gardener gardeners 1 I keep other things ho he said jeriene u ly thoro there Is something in my garden aich which would terrify your nice scotch gardeners into fets if they found their way aj hero here to do a little tidying up come into the library and ill 11 give yun yua one of my choice algara heros nores craig nailing to lot us in any nes ONo nothing thing has happened air ho he replied the telephone ie Is ringing in the study now though 1 I will answer it myself the professor declared bustling off th tha professor took up tle receiver colver re from tho tile telephone ills was mild and inquiring ilo ile had no doubt that tho tile call was mas from some admiring disciple tho the change in his ills face aco as hu he listened bo however oever as amazing george ho lie gasped the tile greatest tragedy in ili the ho world has happened 1 my ape Is 1 stolen stoler ills brother looked at him blankly your ape Is in stolen he lie repeated tho the skeleton of mv anthropoid ape the tile oro professor fessor continued his voice growing alko alke in sadness and firmness it Is to tho the curator of the museum who Is speaking they have just opened tho the box it lias has lain for two days in an anteroom it Is empt I 1 tho professor turned back to the telephone mr francis L la paid 1 I 1 cannot talk to ou I 1 can say bay nothing I 1 shall rhall como to you at once I 1 am on oil the point of starting your newa news has overwhelmed me lie ile laid down tho the receiver ile looked around him liko a man in a nightmare the taxicab Is malting salting sir air craig ro reminded minded him that Is most fortun fortunate nto the professor pronounced 1 I 1 remember now blat I 1 had no change with mith aich to pay him I 1 must go back look after my brother and craig telephone at once to mr sanford quest ask him to meet me at tho the museum in twenty minutes tell him that nothing must stand in tho the way may do you hear the taxicab man drove off glad enough to have a return faro lare in about halt half an hours time the professor strode up the steps of the museum and hurried into the office there was wag a little crox crowd d of officials there m whom hom tho the curator at once dismissed ho he rose slowly to his feet his ills manner was grave and bewildered professor he said we will waste maste no time in words look here herel ho ile threw throw open the door of an anteroom behind his office the apartment was as unfurnished except for one or two chairs in the middle of the uncarpeted floor vas as a long wooden box from which the lid bad had just been pried yesterday as you know from my note tho the curator proceeded 1 I was away amay I 1 gave orders that your case should be placed here that I 1 myself should enjoy the distinction of opening it an hour ago I 1 commenced the task that Is what hat I 1 found the professor gazed blankly at the empty box nothing leit left except the st smell a voice from the open doorway remarked they glanced around quest was standing there and behind him lenora tho the professor welcomed them eagerly this Is mr quest the great criminologist In he explained to the curator quest strolled thoughtfully around the room glancing out of each of the windows in tura turn if he e kept close to the wall and when he had finished he be drew out a magnifying glass from his ills pocket and made a brief examina tion of the box then he asked a few questions of the curator pointed out one of the windows to lnora lenora and whispered a few directions to her she at once produced what seemed to bo be a foot rule from the bag which she was carrying and hurried into the garden A little invention of my own oun for measuring footprints quest explained not much use licie I 1 am afraid quest stood over the box for a moment or two and looked once more out of the window presently lenora returned she carried in her hand a small object she brought silently to quest he ile glanced at it in perplexity the professor peered over ills shoulder it Is tho little finger ho he cried the little finger of my ape quest held it away from him critt cally from which hand ho he asked the right hand quest examined the fastenings of tho window before which he paused during his previous examination he ile turned away with mith a chrul dhru of the shoulders see you later mr sir ashleigh Ashl elgh he concluded laconically A nes newsboy boy thrust a paper at them quest glanced at the headlined le nora clutched at his ills arm torether they read it in great black type ESCAPE OF CONVICTED PRIS ONERI macdouga macdougal on his way to prison grapples with sheriff and jump jumps from still at large though searched for by posse of police CHAPTER VII tho the windows of mrs town house were with light A crimson stretched down the steps to tho curbstone A long row of automobiles stood waiting walting i through I 1 the be wide flung door wae was T visible Is a pleasant imbres impression slon of flowers and light and luxury in the nearer of the two largo large reception room rooms mrs herself a womac oman dark handsome hand somo and in the prime ot of lire fire vaa ans standing to her guests uy by her side was wan her eon son whose tu awen on ty first birthday was mas being celebrated 1 I wonder monder whether Nh ether that prof professor assor of at ours will come she remarked as tho the stream of incoming guests slack black ened for a moment ho ile baton receptions the boy replied but ho he promised hed come I 1 never thought when ho he used to drill science into us at the lectures that ho he was going to bo be a tremendous big pot POLO mrs plump finger toyed for a moment complacently with tho the diamonds aich hung from her neck you can never tell in a world liko like this she murmured hero he lie Is mother tile 3 oung man exclaimed suddenly good old boyl I 1 thought hed keep keel alti word mrs assumed her most encouraging and condescending smile aa as she held out both hands to the professor it Is perfectly of sou professor sirs mrs declared mrs breathed a sigh of relief as sho she greeted her new arrivals tho the protessor professor made himself universally agreeable in a mild way and his presence created even more than tho the sensation aich mrs had hoped for in her desire to show him ample honor she seldom left his sido side 1 I am going to tako take you into my husbands study she suggested later on in the evening he has som specimens of beetles beetles the professor declared with some excitement occupied precisely two months of my time while abroad by all means mrs wo we shall have to go quite to the back of the house she explained w u sho led him along the darkened passages the professor smiled acquiescently his ilia eyes rested for a moment upon her necklace you must really permit me mrs afra he exclaimed to admire your wonderful stones I 1 am a judge of diamonds and those three or four in the center are I 1 should judge unique she held them out to him the 4 professor laid the end of the necklace gently in the palm of his hand and examined them through a born horn rimmed eyeglass they are wonderful he murmured wonderful why he lie turned away a little abruptly they had reached the back of the house and a door from outside had just been opened A man bad had crossed the threshold with a coat over his arm and was standing now looking at them thern how flow extraordinary the professor remarked Is that you craig yes sir bo he replied there Is a rainstorm so I 1 ventured to bring your mackintosh very thoughtful the professor murmured approvingly 1 I have a weakness he went on turning to his hostess lo stess for always walking home after an evening like this in the daytime I 1 am content to ride at night I 1 have the fancy always to walk we dont walk malk halt half enough mrs sighed glancing down domn at her somewhat portly figure dixon I 1 she bhe added turning to the footman who he had admitted craig take professor servant into the kitchen and see that he has something before bo he leaves for home now professor if ou will come this way they reached a little room in the far comer corner of the house mrs apologized as she switched on the electric lights it Is a queer little place to bring you to she said but my husband used to spend many hours here and he would never allow anything to be moved you see tho the specimens are in these cases the professor nodded ills general attitude toward tho the forthcoming ex hibi tion was merely one of politeness As the first case opened boA however ever his manner completely changed without taking tho the slightest further notice of his hostess he adjusted a pair of horn born rimmed spectacles and commenced to mumble eagerly to himself mrs who did not understand a word strolled around the apartment yawned and finally interrupted a little stream of eulogies not a word of which she understood concerning a green beetle with yellow spots 1 I am so glad you are interested professor she said if you dont mind I 1 will rejoin my guests you will find a shorter way nay back if you keep along the passage straight ahead and come through the conservatory certainly with pleasure the professor agreed without glancing up mrs afra reception notwithstanding the temporary absence of its iding spirit was mas without doubt an unqualified success in ono of 0 the distant rooms the younger people were lancing dancing philip debutante dubu tanto upon with a pretty young out from tho the dancing ng his arm came room and looked looke d around amongst ano little knots of people 11 1 I wonder where here mother la 11 be he remarked seq told me tho the young mau mail broko broke on wr in me tile middle of 0 his sentence Bon tence lie too like many others in tho the room felt 1 sud den thrill almost of h horror arror at the F sound velch rang without warning upon their ears a mor womans nans cry a cry of fear and horror mrs holdt her hinds clasping cla her nock neck her splendid composure a thin thing or of tho tile p piat a panic stricken terrified bomati stumbled into tho the room sho seemed on the point of collapse my afy jew elsi she cried my bly diamonds I 1 what mint do ou mean mother phillip rheinhold asked quickly have llave you lost them stolen mrs shrieked stolen there in the conservatory I 1 they gazed at her liar open mouthed incredulous then a still quiet voice from the outside of the little circle intervened instruct our servants mr to lock and bar all the doors of the house the professor suggested no one must leave it until we me have heard bour our mothers story 1 I had just taken the professor into the little room my husband used to call the Tiu nu seum mr mrs a explained her voice still shaking with witt agitation 1 I left him thero there to examine some specimens of at beetles I 1 thought that I 1 would mould come back through the conservatory which Is the quickest way may I 1 was about bait half way ay across it when suddenly I 1 heard the switch go behind me and all the electric lights were turned out I 1 imagine what had bad happened while I 1 hesitated I 1 saw she broke down agai again n there was no doubt about the genuineness of her bar terror 1 I saw a pair of at hinds binds ju just at handu no arms nothing but hands come out of tha the darkness they gripped ae rne by the throat thront I 1 suppose it was mas just for a second conJ se I 1 think I 1 lost consciousness ness for a moment although I 1 was still standing up the neit next thing I 1 remember Is that I 1 found myself kg and running here a and nd the jewels are gone you saw no one her son asked incredulously you heard nothing 1 I heard no footsteps I 1 saw no one mrs airs repeated the professor turned away it if you will allow me he begged 1 I am going to telephone to my friend mr air sanford quest the criminologist an affair so unusual as this might attract him you will vall excuse me m the professor met tho the great criminologist and bis his assistant in the hall upon their arrival he took the former at once by the arm mr quest he began in a sense I 1 must apologize for my peremptory message I 1 am m well ell aware that an ordinary jewel robbery does not interest you but in this case the circumstances are extraordinary I 1 ventured therefore tp to summon your aid sanford quest |