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Show Ihe RETURN M 7 WYNDHAM J COPYRIGHT ty BAftSE & HOPKINS Wjj U.SER.VICE t I STORY FROM THE START Anthony Trent, once master criminal, now reformed, returns to New York after four years' absence. He learns his friend. Capt. Frank Sutton, is In Sing Sing". Trent is surprised to find his New York apartment occupied occu-pied by a stranger, Campbell Sutton, Sut-ton, who represents himself as the brother of Frank Sutton Trent is asked by Campbell to force a confession from Pay son Grant, whom he accuses of having hav-ing crookedly obtained all of Frank Sutton's property and thou married the latter's wife. Trent starts on a campaign to accom-I accom-I plish the downfall of Grant. He ' learns that Captain Sutton has escaped from Sing Sing and later to his surprise, finds that Campbell Camp-bell is really Frank Sutton. Trent takes his place in society as the opening gun In his campaign cam-paign against Grant. He becomes be-comes popular at once. To bp Invited as a guest at the Grant home Is his first objective. CHAPTER V Continued 9 The butler wus Albert Thorpe, who had takeu service only with the bluest blood In his native land and the longest long-est purses in the country of bis adoption. adop-tion. He hud come to the Grunts' from one of the great houses in Now-port. Now-port. The two footmen, John Sprowston and William Cnrrow, hud pedigrees which spoke of well filled hours ol . easy toil. The women servants were as easy to classify, and he could not suppose for a moment that he had ever seen any of tliem. Mary Connor vas the cook. Other names meant nothing to him. He noted that Natioa Grant had a French maid named Iu pin. She had a room at the top of the house, and took her meals witi. Aliss Brewen, the housekeeper. The guests, who had said unanimously unani-mously that they we-e glad to meet him, were rich Ousiness men. None of them aimed at any higher society than that among which he found himself. him-self. Most of them had ceased to work, but none of them had yet learned to play. So far as he knew, Trent had begun be-gun his adventure with every favoring favor-ing wind of fortune, lie had no suspicion sus-picion to overcome, no character to enact but the one they desired him to be. And he knew that the Grants would be delighted 11 he stayed with them a mouth instead of a week. It was at this moment, when he felt himself absolutely safe, that Anthony Trent, turning from the balcony, perceived per-ceived some one had thrust a note under the door. In ail the years oi his illicit udven turing, in all those desperate situations situa-tions when capture seemed imminent, be hud never been so conscious ol the bitterness of Impending disaster as when lie stared at the note Some forewarning oppressed him with the certainty that here was what would turn his dreams of victory into posl tive defeat. It wus addressed simply to "Anthony Trent," and the writing was, possibly, disguised. Yet It was the writliifc ol an educated man or woman; which for the moment he could not tell What guest In the Grunt household would want to send him a letter In such a fashion as this'r Cutting the envelope, he drew out a letter of a few lines written on plain cream stationery. There wus no signature. sig-nature. "Some one in this house knows you and the purpose for which you are here. "Unless you find some excuse to go away ufter dinner, and before mid night, you will be denounced to Mr Grant. If you take this warning and net promptly upon it you will not he molested, if you ignore It you will be handed over to the police" It was worse even than he had an tlcipaied. Some one here hud either recognized him or hail private information infor-mation concerning hU errand, in iny ease utter rout must be his lot. It was dillicult to gather from the letter of how much the wrilei was aware. The definite statement Unit his purpose was known did not sat Isfy Trent, although the threat was sulliciently unequivocal There was so much more he desired to learn Whether, for Instance, the writer had merely meant that it was Trent's desire de-sire to avenge Sin ton which Had brought about this warning And the other Interpretation was vastly more disturbing. Conceivably, lie could abandon tils task anil go back to Sul ton and aiiinfl defeat. This would be bitter enough to a man so sine l himself as Anthony Trent. Kill In sucn a case Sutton would be rhe only loser. If. however, the unknown writer in tended lo convey tin Impression that Trent's past offenses were known, he would never again have a peaceful mluuu. Perhaps, after sll, some ma- llgn and slow-moving fate had chosen Just such punishment for him as Mils when his former life was given up and he was performing a purely unselfish un-selfish action for man to whom he felt the utmost friendship. He smiled a little ruefully as he realized (hut at least the function of dinner was permitted him. He must leave this Italian palace on shores Jer seyan before the stroke of twelve There was something melodramatic about the midnight touch But whereas, where-as, before the receipt of this note his fellow guests had seemed colorless without interest and the meal a pros pect of boredom, It was now a function func-tion of desperate intensity. Trent did not doubt that amongst these guest? was the man or woman who asserted knowledge of his purpose. He found himself placed on the right hand of his hostess. On her left sat a tall, thin old man. whose wrinkled wrin-kled and sunbaked neck eluded on all J 3 r" i . Iff Thorpe Entered, Profoundly Anxious to Eerve. sides the encircling collar. He was introduced as Mr. Gimbert. a great traveler, and now devoted to the development de-velopment of Texas oil fields. He had a direct way of staring at one and an uncompromising manner ol speech He announced, and Trent could not be sure the remark was not aimed at him. that he either liked a man on sight or hated him; If be liked a man that fortunate Individual could have the Gimbert shirt. If he hated him, Gimbert Gim-bert would have the detested one's shirt. It was this man, gimlet-eyed and talkative, who most Interested An thony Trent. He declared, for the benefit of those whe cared to listen, that his memory for faces was Infallible. Infal-lible. He seemed eager to talk to Trent. The trouble was that Trent was not able to know whether Gimbert Gim-bert was in a shirt-giving or shirt taking mood The lady on Trent's right, a Mrs I'Mslier, plunged presently Into the sub led of jewel robberies. It wus a sub ject which unloosened every tongue Trent listened attentively. A "dark corpulent man at the other side of the tahle assumed that tlie recent Weld robbery had neen committed by a gang ol experts. "I wouldn't wonder" he said, "but it was the same gang which took tlie great Mount Aubyn ruby from my dear friend. Jerome I 'aiigerheld. some years ago. Thai was a mysterious crime. If you like.' Anthony Trent listened eagerly to an account ol one ot his own exploits. ex-ploits. The dark man held that at least three had been involved In It. From Ibis he passed on to discuss with grudging admiration, what quail ties were needed for the perfect crook. "Such a ang would tiae great haul here," he announced. "Not a chance," said Cayson Grant, "I've burglar alarms, watchdogs and take every possible precaution. I'm willing to bet there Isn't a house on the Jersey coast so carefully guarded as this." "Why?" Trent asked. "Are yon expecting ex-pecting burglars?" "Not for a moment," Grant said hastily, "but one has to take precautions. precau-tions. There were some robberies at Spring Lake last week." Sutton believed that some member of Grant's household would be engaged en-gaged to protect him from the Imminent Immi-nent assault of a vengeful convict Sometimes such operatives were Introduced In-troduced as guests. The three men-servants men-servants Trent hod seen seemed to be merely highly trained people of their class. He had seen many such. As to the guests, they seemed what he might hove expected to find, well-fed, well-fed, hearty men of money. The diuner dragged Its w eary length along until ten. Anthony Trent thus had two hours In which to unmask his enemy or leave the house defeated As he rose from the table he felt convinced con-vinced that the writer of tl-i note had not been one of his fellow diners. He was aware, ere half the meal was over, that the sense of Imminent danger dan-ger was removed. Slipping away to his rooms, Trent scanned again the list prepared by David More. Connor, Dempsey, Miller, Mil-ler, Davis, Mennon, Dupin. Appiegate, Warner and Thompson. With the three men and Miss Brewen, tlie housekeeper, these made up the indoor in-door help. Outside were Kegan and his two men, Hopes and Sage. Tha gardeners lived in Asbury Park and had no business within the house. Trent rang his bell and Informed a footman that he wished to speak with the butler. Albert Thorpe had been Informed by Grant, who in turn hud dragged It from Swithln Weld, that the young American had been an honored guest in the household of the earl of Pose-carrel. Pose-carrel. Thorpe was profoundly anxious anx-ious to serve. He wai- reassur;d when Trent nodded curtly. "1 sent for you." said Trent, "because "be-cause you must know about the maids, their references and so on." Thorpe bowed with dignity. "I'll tell you what I want to know," Trent went on. "I have reason to be lieve that some one here desires to blackmail me for a youthful Indiscretion. Indis-cretion. Now, I don't propose to submit sub-mit to that sort ol thing, and 1 am equally anxious to keep It concealed from my hostess. I am telling you this because you have seen life and understand." "Indeed 1 do, sir," said Thorpe eagerly. "How can ' help you, sir?" "I want to find out If there u anyone any-one here whose writing is like this.' Trent tore a line from the note. It read "after dinner, and before midnight, mid-night, you will . ." Thorpe looked at his wotch. It was half-past ten. "How long can you give me?" "Not more than an hour. 1 must go downstairs now. if you have found out anything come and Interrupt me, no matter what I'm doing. Say that Mr. Swithin Weld wants me on the long distance and won't give a message. mes-sage. I am In the habit of paying for any services, and I am sure you are discreet." Never had a fourth at auction bridge been less ready for his favorite favor-ite game than Trent. It was while he was dummy that Albert Thorpe approached, ap-proached, suave and discreet. "Mr. Swithln Weld on the long distance," dis-tance," he said in a voice all might hear. "He won't give a message, sir. He says he must speak to you per sonally." Excusing himself Trent walked to a telephone booth made from a Sedan chair which stood in the hall. Lest prying eyes should be on him, he en-tered en-tered It, closed the door, and pretend ed to list?n. If Thorpe had no comfort com-fort to offer, this fake call would lend color to any excuse he might' be all3d upon to account for an unpremeditat-d unpremeditat-d departure. When a reasonable amount of time had elapsed he came out and saw the butler place a letter on a nearby chair. Pinned lo It wus the line he had torn from the mysterious message. mes-sage. The lettei was written." a month earlier, to Mrs. Payson Grant. Tlie sender. Marie Dupin. was apparently a teacher of the French language, and had been employed In households of rank and fashion. The writing of the two documents was Identical. Anthony Trent was sure he had never heard of Mademoiselle Dupin and doubted if he had seen her writing writ-ing before. And yet she had threatened threat-ened him. (TO BE CONTINUED.) |