OCR Text |
Show k A Great Mystic Story by Harold McGrath Copyright 1914. by Harold McGrath , SYNOPSIS. I Zudora Is left an orphan at an carl) age. Uor father U killed In a gold mine. Zudora and tho fortune from the mine, which grows to bo worth $20,000,000, are left In the guardianship of Frank Koeno, Zudora's mother's brother, who has set himself up ns a Hindu mystlo and Is known as Hassam All. He decides that Zudora must dlo beforo sho can havo n chnnco to come Into possession of her money, so that It may be left to htm, the next of kin. Ilnssam All sees nn obstacle to his scheme In the person of John Storm, a young lawyer, for whom Zudora Zu-dora has taken a fancy, and he commands com-mands tho girl to put tho man out of her I mind. Zudora Insists that If sho cannot I marry Storm sho will marry no one. I "Well, well," says Ilnssam All, "solva ray next twenty cases and you can marry him: fall In a single caso and you must renounce him." Zudora unrolls a mystery and wins her first case a case In which John Storm Is saved from being convicted of a murdor in.tlir.itr.il bv Hassam All himself. Zudora and Hassam All visit Nabok Shan's house, where sleep ovorcomes every ev-ery one whenever Nabok attempts to marry mar-ry a princess. Storm, seeking Zudora, Is made a prisoner. Zudora foils Nabok Shan, restores tho princess to her original lover and saves Storm from death. A maker of diamonds tells Hassam All his secret. Storm Informs Zudora that his life Is being attempted frequently. Storm suspcots Hassam All. Storm Is arrested for stealing tho diamond maker's gems, but Zudora discovers the real thieves u pair of mica ' Tho negro help employed on Storm's I H father's farm aro fleeing because a great skeleton hand appears at night upon n hill near by. Storm Is baflled In his investigation, in-vestigation, but Zudora learns that her uncle has employed Jimmy Bolton, a halt wlttcd man, thus to annoy Storm's parents. par-ents. Zudora finds liolton operating a big magic lantern and Is attacked by him. Storm nppcars and saves her. Hassam All asks Zudora to find a gem lost by two mysterious old men. Zudora gets a photograph of tho gem and It burns In Her hand. An old houso Is mined by Hassam All and the old men. Storm and Zudora are lured thcro and narrowly escape es-cape destruction when the houso blows up. John MoWInter, endeavoring to trap and kill George Smith, Is killed himself, and Smith Is charged with murder. Hassam All conspires to havo John Storm meet the samo fate as MoWInter, and ho and Storm are overcomo by powerful fumes. Zudora saves them, proves that McWIn-ter's McWIn-ter's own dog trapped and killed him and 1 saves Smith from a band of lynchers. An Inventor blows up a submarine wun a powerful heat ray which ho sends T through water. Hassam All sends Zudora !V to a photographer directly beneath the In ventor's laboratory and orders the Inventor In-ventor to kill her. Zudora gets a warning, and her life Is saved. Tho heat ray ma-chlno ma-chlno Is destroyed, and the photographer, after n quarrel with Hassam All, Is found dead In the river. Wu Chang prevents Zudora's elopement with John Storm by hypnotizing her, and he and Hassam All attempt to smuggle her out of the country. This plot Is frustrated frus-trated by Storm. Balrd, Hassam All's double, falls In lovo with Zudora. Balrd and Mine. Du Val kldnnp Zudora and tho Van Wick child. Storm rescues them, and Hasiam All dies. With Ilnssam All dead Zudora Is released releas-ed of her pledge to solvo twenty cases. H She confronts, however, tho greatest mys tery of all, which Is tho mystery of hor own life, and tho ambition to secure tho vast fortune of J20,000,000 left to her. This Brcat photo serial Is being shown In the leading moving picture theaters by the Thanhouser Film Corporation. Among those participating aro Marguerite Snow, Mary Elizabeth Forbes, James Cruze, In the new rolo of reportcr-horo, Sidney ; Uracey and Frank Farrlngton. On looking through her uncle's papers Zudora finds tbat her father left ber an interest In a diamond mine, and Storm and Balrd both lend assistance In trying to regain for her possession of this estate es-tate which is being appropriated by rogues under tho leadership of Mmo. Du Val. They plan to frighten Zudora so that she will run away. Falling, they kidnap Zudora and Howard, the mlno superintendent, and put them In a private Insane asylum. ! ' CHAPTER XIII. A Raid on a Madhouse. WHEN John Storm ronlizod Unit Zudora was roiic, abducted ab-ducted In her nightgown, with only n comfortnblo to shield hor from thu cold, ho wns stun-ncd. stun-ncd. And ho had laughed nt her for her forebodings, her talk about evil stars. Who could havo dono It? Wliero lould thoy havo taken her? Wcro tho Mlamoud people back of it? Was this inovo Intended to f lighten Zudora or really mnko away with her? Ho was In n state of collapso niul of half n uilnd to start out and just hunt for tho woman ho loved, having neither direction nor plan of action. . Ho only (sensed tho feeling that hIii needed blm and that ho mutt go to her Then his gazo happened to fall tJ tho floor, where It rested upon aii envelope. en-velope. Absentmlndedly ho stooped and pick- &2 cd It tip, but without glancing at tho superscription. They might ho hurting her; sho might ho dead. Ily ond by ho paw thu nd dress, Who was J. W. Ilruco? Idly ho look ed for the postmark and became galvanized gal-vanized Into life. Africa! This envelopo had been postmarked 'Africa. Hnstlly ho drew out tho contents con-tents nnd read It. It was signed by Ilenrr Howard, tho superintendent of the diamond mines, In this letter Howard complained that he belluved the rightful heir was being deprived of what wns hers and that he douianded nn understanding that would leave no further doubt In his lulml. That was sulllclent for Johti. Tho imuuslcrs had realized that thoy stood g&JJi ! J- WSM MS KJMpj SI on thin ice and had struck tho first blow. And what n blowl Gentle Zudora, a prisoner God nlono knew where, subject sub-ject to threats and possibly abuse! Oh, they should pay In blood! John swore ns he pictured these things In his mind. Mrs. ltnnisey came In. "What Is It?" she asked, noting the wild nngcr In his face. "It's tho diamond business. They've taken the first trick." I "Hut they didn't take the diamonds," said Mrs. Itamscy, opening her hands. I "They threw the (lower pot to the I floor, but did not look nt the dirt. Whom shall wo put them? Wouldn't It be bettor If we deposited them nt n bank?" "Wo can't do that until wo havo established es-tablished our right to them. I've got Mr mm ' k V A lawk v t3L yv a ji . He Was In a State of Collapse. on Idea. We'll hide them in tho phonograph phon-ograph machine In one of tho record flics. It's tho last placo any one would look for them. Now, I'm off to seo Hunt. You sleep In Zudora's room tonight. to-night. Thoy may como back to havo another look for the stones. If any ono enters shoot. Don't feel any qualms. Shoot and shoot to kill." "I may not shoot straight, but I'll shoot" When Storm entered Hunt's office ho found that Individual calmly filing nwny nt n key. Ho puld no nttentlon to Storm until he had notched tho key to his satisfaction. "Well?" "Zudora's been abducted!" "I thought ninybe sho would be." "And you mado no effort to pre vent It?" "My boy, could I tell Just where thoy'd start the giimo? Howard la also missing. Thoy'ro no fools wo nro dealing deal-ing with. At tho start they got tho real owner of the mine nnd tho superintendent. super-intendent. Now, what's that you've got In your hand?" "A letter I found on the floor In Zudora's Zu-dora's room. Moreover, It's nddressed j to J. W. Druce and signed Henry Howard." "Ha! That's something llko It- So Bruco himself was mixed up In It, eh? Must feel tho pinch to tako a risk llko this." Hunt read the lottcr. "II'ui! This man Howard seems to bo a whtto man. Ho probably barked ,A)K Ms 1 Two Nurses Had Buffeted Zudora Vlthout .Success. tvhe-n lio landed nnd Uioy'vo boxed hliu tp sonumiioie. And I shouldn't bo uurprleed If Zudara was next door. Just keep your h.ilr on, John. They will not hurt her to any extent. They won't dare until they know thoy aro Bfe. Cheer up, Storm. We'll unwind tho snarl.' Do you know what I'm going go-ing to do?" "What?" "Send Jim Bnlrd to Africa to look orcr the whole business, old documents, docu-ments, tho output, past and present, all the loose ends of the game. Menu- sK ibw hw-IH 3HKaBBsBBBBBBw BBBbV 'PbbPtbbbbI jIbbbbbMbbbbb! mM jt bbbbbI JjaBBBnamBBBa! "Try It," said Mme. Du Val. time we'll prowl around for Zudora Wherever they have put her you can tako my word for It they'll bo mighty cautious for n week or so In going In that direction. Now, I know what you want to tio. "You want mo to go and nrrost Druce. No. thank you. I want our friend Bruce free to como and go ns ho pleases. Sooner or later he'll gain courogo enough to go nnd see how the fnlr captlvo Is making out, and then wo'H loarn something. "I know It's n tough Job to havo to sit still when tho woman you lovo Is In durance vile. But n single false movo on our part might bo fatal. Theso peoplo nro desperate. I've begun to get n glimmer of that fact" "How long will wo have to wait?" "That's up In tho nlr, my boy. You can't rush out nnd do the work In ton minutes. It mny be weeks, even months. But In tho end we'll come out on top. But I'm going to osk you on your oath not to make any movo with out consulting me. Promise?" "I promise," said Storm reluctantly. "My business Is catching crooks, Just ns your Is sending them over the route or getting them off, ns tho case may be. I look nt this ns n louggame, to bo played with tho utmost care. Now we'll go and rout out Bnlrd, HIii bHrT -i le j 'Bbvi All the While Baird'i Eyes Were at the Window. l7o'll pay his expenses with a fat bonus, bo-nus, and ho'll get a good Sunday special, spe-cial, ns ho calls them." In Mme. Du Vol's salon thcro was rather nn nnltnatcd srene. It nppenred that Zudora was not easily to bo frightened by threats. At tho instigation of Dr. Munn two nurses had buffeted Zudora without success. Thu two women had seen tears form in tho girl's eyes, bt her lips had remained uncompromisingly firm. Badellffo suggested to his henchmen to uso ti Httlo melodrnmu upon Zudora threnten her with death by tho knife. "Try It," said Mme. Du Val. "If I know that girl she'll laugh In their faces." "You never can tell when a spirit llko that will break," said nadclirfo. "I'm for giving the Idea a trial. As for Howard, let him rot where ho is. I know tlmt breed." "My suggestion Is n little hunger. It accomplishes far more than threats. Hnvo you ever been hungry nnd thirsty, thirs-ty, with these things nlniost within reach?" "We'll try thnt later." Tho henchmen came back later. To Mme. Du Vol's surprise Zudora had wilted and confessed that tho gems wero in the flowerpot. But none of them realized that Zudora Zu-dora bod made this confession quite confident that Storm or Mrs. Hntnsey would secrete the gems elsewhere. "You never can tell!" laughed Had-cllffo. Had-cllffo. "We haven't got the gems yet," said .tnndnmc Nlsi'ly. "Africa ?" nled llalul when Hunt lutllncd hU plum. 'I'Liit's n long wnj from home. A lm wee!.' Jk.li at the least." "It's a nreesxiiry Job. my boy. Fifty a week mid nil our expenses and If everything turns out nil light a handsome hand-some bonus And think of the story you'll be able to put over!" "I'll go. When do 1 start?" "Tomorrow nt noon. Liverpool You'll be there one day; then you sail for Cape Town. I'nst boat. A week or ten days will be sufficient to cover tho work. Then hike home." "Tomorrow? Wow! You're tho Httlo Ht-tlo speed king. Hunt. All right. I'll bo at the dork toiuoirow noon. You bring along the tickets nnd money. No tltuo for any letter of credit. I've nl-ways nl-ways wanted to go to Africa, anyhow." any-how." "Thnl's the kind of talk. Facts; get facts. St-nn here will furnish you with papers if authority. You will get them fixed up through the American consulnte Now. you, Storm, tako a photograph of Zudora to police headquarters head-quarters Not that 1 expect anything from that quarter, but they'll como in hnndy when we piny tho grand slam. I'm going to take n look at our friend Bruce." On tho following day Balrd sailed away, and Storm nnd Hunt settled down to tho grim business of watching watch-ing two men. ! But these two men scented danger. They never went near tho Bauitnrluui. it'aBsaaH Lr tsaBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBOlaBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBkl sJaBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBat A Fine 8hlndy Followed. Tho telephono saved them tho trouble. trou-ble. r.ach day they know Just how Zu-dora Zu-dora had passed tho day before. Thcro was still no sign of weakening on her part They dared not grow Impatient When thoy learned that tho girl had tricked them regarding tho hiding placo of Uio diamonds they shifted her diet to bread and water twlco n day. They dared not go too far. As for Howard, the mlno superintendent they had set nbout to starvo him gradually. grad-ually. They wcro not particular whother ho died or not under tho treatment. Days passed, days liecamo weeks. Storm nnd Hunt worked with extraordinary ex-traordinary care, but tho hiding placo tho rogues had selected for Zudora waa not to bo found. Hunt hnd not seen Bruco, tho smuggler, smug-gler, in n long time. Upon Investigation Investiga-tion ho learned that Bruco had also gono to Africa. Would ho recognlzo Balrd If they ran across each other? Whatever happened happen-ed Balrd had tho ndvontngo of being first on tho spot Meantime Bnlrd arrived at tho mines, and after his documents weru shown was given tiio run of the olllco. It was all very novel and Interesting to tho Into understudy to Hassam All. Ho had nlways loved color. So ho donned tho habiliments of a boss miner, nnd when his books wcro mado up ho spent tho balanco of his tlmo in tho mines to see how it was done. Ono day ho saw what is rarely given man to see, the finding of a big stone, tho kind bankrupt empires nnd tottering kingdoms seem tumble to do without. It was as big us a hickory nut ami worth twenty thousand In its uncut state. Baird was permitted to hold tho stone, nnd to his eyes It did not seem jwsslblo that this dull crystal was of that precious typo which sparkled and scintillated around women's throats niul lingers. Then enmo Brute, nnd Balrd recognized recog-nized him nt once. What was ho doing hero In tho olllco? Bruco wns, lu fact, going over tho samo books that he bad already gono over. '"""" i"m.n-imiwti wr '-t -TirnimnffiiV)u.j Tho clerk was a good chap. Kvldent-ly Kvldent-ly ho was not divulging Bulrd's pros-enco pros-enco to Bmcc. When tlw latter heard of the big stono ho cabled ltadcllffo the news. And Balrd cabled Hunt that Bruce had It. Legally tho gem had to le turned over to Ilruco. All Balrd's papers call-h call-h for was tho right to look over the rompany books. So Bruco pocketed tho stone, already fiudlug lu his mind n future purchaser. Some one wns going to buy an unregistered un-registered stono for nbout $15,000 less lhan ho would pay, supposing tho stone came through tho regulnr channels of trade. That night Bruco went to tho troublo of hiding tho find. All tho whllo Balrd's eyes wero nt the window. lu other words, the smuggler wns In danger of bang smuggled. Bnlrd, having hav-ing ascertained the exact hiding place of the precious lump of crystal, got Into his traveling clothes, packed his cases, got n horse and carriage I" carry him to the nearest railroad, then walled IhdSaBBV ' fe? am" - f feaml' "ft raK II f ammf " J ? r flaaW -Ai ' 1 PfJpt iMaU'JK.taia.'u A Pale, Wan, Hungry Girl Collapsed as Storm's Arms Flew Around Her. until Bruco fell asleep,- which was soon, having been generous with whisky whis-ky "pegs" that night Balrd knew nil nliout raising windows; win-dows; ho hnd lieen taught In nn expert school. I Ho entered Brucu's room, took tho diamond from Its hiding placo and stumbled against n chnlr. Bruco awoke. Ho suw tho dim form and plunged townrd It courageously. Balrd ducked and leaped out the window. win-dow. A bullet sang past his ears. Ho stowed away his "stolen goods" in tho left sldo pocket of his trousers, climbed nbonrd tho can logo and Iwtlu tho knlllr to drive "llko blazes" for tho station. Two days later Bruce booked for home on the samo boat with Balrd, who passed hltn on the promenade, sat near hlin in the dining saloon, exchanged exchang-ed Ideas nbout the weather lu the smoko room, nnd Ilruco hadn't the slightest suspicion that this pleasant stranger had "done him up brown." Beforo tho final landing tho two bo-camo bo-camo quite chummy. And every night when ho retired to Ids bunk Bnlrd let go his chuckles. It was as good as a play. On tho other hand, Bruco never dropped drop-ped tho lenst word regarding his affairs. And whisky and champagne nctcd as a clnmp to bis lips. It would nil mnko n corking good special for tho Sunday edition. And now to smugglo tho gem In himself. him-self. Ho kept it In his pocket until his cases wero examined, then with a bit of legerdemain slipped tho stono Into ono of tho cases. And Bruco saw this play. And ho saw many other things when Hunt nnd John Storm camo up to greet Balrd. In the excitement of tho meeting Bnlrd stepped nwny from his belongings, belong-ings, nnd Bruco quietly appropriated the suit caso. It was tho end of tho suit caso disappearing dis-appearing Into n taxi that caught Balrd's eye. Then ho understood that Ii"' !' ' 'iPWi'Mll ! i i I 4'i iH - I 1 I I H'BBBBai aBBBaaal HbIbbI ; JB-Bfirai ' aaaaaaW'llaaaaaKljaU lllaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaamaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaBlHJ BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBaHiBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB(9'laBBG SajT!MHBaaMn'Baaai t'VU nHaaiim The Mine Superintendent Wat Beyond Help. ho had been outplayed through a bit ofCBroleBsness, --"' ' .11.1 . I. ."-.. II.. .l l,, I t . I I, , Bruco's taxi whirled away. IbbbbbI Balrd nnd Storm nnd Hunt piled into j H tho next tnxl nnd gnvo chase, I JH Bruce had n scheme. If ho could fH havo succeeded lu putting It over It infal would have been n brilliant scheme. al To lure tho threo Into tho pleasant ffiJ confines of Dr. M nun's sanitarium foi '!j BbbbI the inshiibi i '''j'l Onco thcro they would lenvo only ) U feet foremost dead. 'aaal Ho reached tho sanitarium. Tho iwr- illLI suing taxi waa but threo minutes be- J'H ! M Bruco roused tho men in tho cfllce, I iM explaining hurriedly wliat'was going ' f ,H to happen. ' H Balrd was first nt tho door. Tho at- 1 'H tcndiiut put up n light. ' jH Then tho doctor nnd another attend- I ffH nnt hove lu sight, and Bnlrd wns used ' iaH roughly. Hl It Is quite possible. tlit he might VbbbI hnvo gone out feet foreVost hnd not I'l Hunt nnd Storm burst throutfi n win ti "laH dow which was not barred. A lluu VbbbbbI Khludy followed, nnd presently Storm bbbbbb! and Hunt had tho affair In their iJH hands. I MH From somewhere nbovo camonplcrc- Iffl ttlg (kaaBBBal "A fake Insiiuc nsylum, I'll bet you!" 'LaBBBaa! cried Hunt. "Come out There goes 'JbbbbbI the cry again." IbbbbbI They heard the sputter of a motor ''iH Bruce llylug back to town again but 'IibbbbbI they gave It no attention. Upstairs 'j J "Help, help!" H "That voice!" murmured Storm, bis -tlaBBBal heart threatening to leap from his I 1'H breast. ' .'fH They came to the door, suinshed It jil In, and a pale, wan, hungry girl col- flll lapsed as Storm's Minis flew around ! -IbbbbbI i'JBBBBai Hunt found Henry Howard, but tho ! t'.JH mlno superintendent was beyond help. '( They had really starved him to denth, v H mid he died in limit's arms while ' i H vainly trying to tell his story. i ilH Thu end wns not In sight yet. plH to hi: co.nti. nt :!. ' f'l |