La Grande evening observer., June 07, 1915, Image 2

MONDAY,: JUNE 7, 1915.
PAGE TWO'
LA GRANDE EVENING OBSEKV EB
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8YNOP8I8. .y V
Ban ford Quest, ma titer criminologist of
. the world, Amis that In brtutflrn -t Juc
tlte Macdougal. the murderer of Lord
AMhlelKlrs dutiRhtr. he hu bu'. lust be
gpin a lire-nnd-dfttth ntriiKKle vih h myi
vrtoua niriBLiT trlmlntU. In u hidden hut
In Profepsor Ashlfljgli's gnrdf n m has
seen an anthropoid iipe skel::,:1 nnd a
living Inhuman ciwitu-e. it wvey,
half man. destroyed tiv Are. In hi 3 rooms
have appeared from nowhere black boxes
containing diamonds that had t" n torn
from the owner s throat by u naij- of irm
1'K8. threatening; hands and Htm-asHc,
threatening notes Bigm-il by :lit inscruta
ble hands. Laura and Inoru, his assis
tants, suspect Craijr. the professor' valets
of the douole murdi'r of Rows Brown.
Quest's valet, and a Miss Qi'i-g. wiet
trnpa Cra Itr. but h escapes v: Knffiantl
on a tramp steamer. Te hlaiH hints
, continue to appear in unca: n.v ttumion.
Notifhd of Craig's ret-npiure by BcoO.uid
Yard men Quest and lh prcCDaaov no to
Hamblln house, Iord Ashlclgh's no me In
Knirland, only to find that Craig h"3 aaln
escaped. ,
NINTH INSTALLMENT
CHAPTER XX.
LOST IN LONDON. ." '
Quest, notwithstanding the naurur.!
nature of bis surroundings, slrpv. Wat
night as only a tired and healthy aian
can. He was awakened the next morn
ing by tbe quiet movements of a v.jii
servant who had brought back bis
clotbes carefully brushed and prorsstl.
"Breakfast Is served at nine o'clock,
sir. It is now half-past eight."
"I'll be- right there."
Tbe trmn withdrew and Quest irr.Je
a brisk toilet. The nameless fears of
the previous night had altogether dis
appeared. At the last moment he
. stretched out bis hand to take a hand
kerchief from his satchel. A sudden
exclamation broke from his lips. He
stood for a moment as though turned
: to stone. Before him, on the top of
the little pile of white cambric, was
a small black box! With a movement
of the Angers wbicb was-almost me
chanical, he removed the lid and drew
out the customary little scrap of pa
per. He smoothed It out before him
on the dressing case and read the mes-
"You will, fall here as you have
failed before. Better go back. Tl: -re
Is more danger for you in this country
than you dream of."
His teeth came fiercely together and
bis hands were clenched. His thoughts
bad gone like a flash to Lenora. Was
It possible that harm was Intended for
uer: lie put mo lueu away iruui mini
almost as soon as . conceived. Th
thing was unimaginable. Craig was
here, must be here, in the close Vi
cinity of the house.
The atmosphere of the pleasant
breakfast room to which in due course
be descended, was cheerful enough.
Lady Ashlelgh had already taken nor
piace at xne npa or me taoie. '
She touched an electric bell under
her foot and a moment or two later
the butler appeared.
"Go up and see bow long your mas
ter will be?" Lady Ashlelgh directed.
"Very good, your ladyship."
The man was backing through the
doorway in his usual dignified manner
when be was suddenly pushed on one
side. The valet who had watted upon
Quest, and who .was Lord Ashlelgh a
own servant,, rushed Into the room.
He almost shouted to Lady Ashlelgh:
"Your ladyship the maBter! Some
thing has happened! He won't move!
He he " ,
They all trooped out of the room
and up the stairs, the professor lead
ing tho way. They pushed open the
door of Lord Ashleigh's bedchamber.
In the far corner of the large room
was the four-poster, and underneath
the clothes a silent figure. The pro
fessor burned down the sheets. Then
he held out his hand. H1b face, too,
was blanched.
"Julia, don't come," he begged.
"I must know," she almost shrieked.
I must know!"
"George 1b dead," ihe professor said
slowly.
There was a moment's awful silence,
broken by a piercing scream from Lady
Ashlelgh. She sank down upon the
sofa, and the professor leaned over
her. Quest turned to the little group
of frightened servants who were gath
ered round the doorway.
"Telephone for a doctor," he or
dered; "also to the local police sta
tion. "He, too, approached the bed and
reverently lifted the covering. Lord
Ashlelgh was lying there, his body a
little doubled op, his arms wide out
stretched. On blB throat were two
black marks.
They had led Lady Ashlelgh from
the room. Tbe professor and Quest
stood face to face. The former's ex
pression, however, bad lost all his
amiable serenity. His face was white
and pinched.
"Quest! Quest!" he almost sobbed.
"My brother! George, whom I loved
like nobody else on earth! Is be red.
y dead?"
"Absolutely 1"
: The professor gripped tbe oak pillar
of the bedstead. He teemed on the
point of collapse. '
"The mark of the Hands is upon
his throat," Quest pointed out.
"The Hands! Oh, my Cod!!-' the
professor groaned.
"We must not eat or drink or sleep,"
Quest declared, fiercely, "until we have
brought this matter to an end. Craig
must be found. Tills Is tbe supreme
horror of all."
The butler made an apologetic ap
pearance. He spoke In a bushed whis
per. ' "You are wanted downstairs, gentle
men. Middleton, the head keeper, to
there."
As though inspired with a common
Idea, both Quest and the professor hur
ried out of the room and down the
broad stairs. Their inspiration was
a true one. The gamekeeper wel
comed them with a smile or triumph.
By his side, the picture of abject mis
ery, bis clothes torn and muddy, was
Craig! , .
"I've Imagined this little job, sir,"
Middleton announced, with a smile of
slow triumph. -
"How did you get him?" Quest 'demanded.
! "Little Idea ef my own," the game
keeper continued. "I guessed pretty
I well what he'd be up to. He d tumbled
, to It that the usual way off the moor
was pretty well guarded, and he'd
I doubled back through tho thin line
; of woods close to the house, I dug
, one of my poachers' pits, sir, and cov
i ered it over with a lot of loose stuff.
! That got him all right. When I went
I to look this morning I saw where he'd
! fallen through, and there he was. walk
j Ing round and round at the bottom like
a caged animal. Your servants have
telephoned for the police, Mr. Ash
lelgh." Quest suddenly whispered to the pro
fessor, .Then he turned te the keeper.
"Bring him upstairs, Middleton, for
a moment," he directed. "Follow us,
please." ' . '
They passed into the bedchamber.
Quest signed to tbe keeper to bring
Craig to the side of the four-poster.
Thcu be drew down the sbeet.
"Is tiat your work?" be asked,
sternly.
Craig, up till then, had spoken no
word. He had shambled to tbe bed
side, a broken, yet, In a sense, a stolid
figure. The sight of tbe dead man,
however, seemed to galvanize him into
sudden and awful vitality. He threw
up his arms. His eyes were horrible
as they glared at those small black
marks. His lips moved backwards and
forwards, helplessly at first. Then at
list be spoke.
"Strangled!" he cried. "One more!"
"That Is your work," the criminolo
gist said, firmly.
Criig collapsed. He would have
(alien bodily to the ground If Middle
ton's grip had not kept him up. Quest
bout over him. It was clear that he
had fainted. They led him from the
room. - - .
"We'd better lock him up until the
police arrive," Quest suggested. "I
suppose there Is a safe place some
where?" The professor awoke from his
stupor.
"Let me show you," he begged. "I
know the way. We've a subterranean
uMins place which no criminal on tills
earth could escape from." -
They led him down to the back part
of the house into a dry cellar which
had the appearance of a prison cell.
"This place has been used before
now, in the old days, for malefactors,"
the professor remarked. "He'll be
safe there. ' Craig," he added, his
voice trembling, "Craig I I can't
apeak to you. How could you!"
There was no answer. Cralg'B face
was buried in his hands. They left
him there and turned the key.
CHAPTER XXI.
Quest stood, - frowning, upon the
pavement, gazing at the obviously
empty house. He looked once more
at the slip of paper which Lenora had
given him. There was no possibility
of any mlatake:
Mrs. Wlllet,
157 Elsmere Road,
Hampstead.
This was 157 and the house was
empty. After a moment's hesitation
he rang the bell at the adjoining door.
A woman, who had been watching.,
blm from tbe front room, answered the
summons at once.
"Can you tell me," he Inquired,
"wbst has become of the lady who
used to live at 157 Mrs. Wlllet?"
"She's moved," was the uncompro
mising reply.
"Do you know where to?" Quest
asked, eagerly. ',.-
. "West Kensington No. 17 Princess
Court road. There was a young lady
here yesterday afternoon Inquiring for
her."
Quest raised his hat. It was a relief,
at any rate, to have news of Lenora. .
.- "I anwery much obliged to -you,
madam."
. "You're welcome!" was tbe terse reply-
' Quest rave a new address to the
taxi driver and was scarcely able to
restrain his impatience during tbe long
drive. Tbey pulled up at last before
a somewhat dingy-looking house. He
rang the hell, which was answered by
trim-looking little maidservant.
"Is Mrs. Wlllet in?" be Inquired,
The maidservant stood on one tide
to let him pass. Almost at the same
moment the door of the front room
opened and a pleasant-looking elder
ly lady appeared. " .
"I am Mrs. Wlllet," she announced,
"I am Mr. Quest," the criminologist
told her quickly. "You may have
heard your niece, Lenora, apeak of
me."
"Then perhaps you can tell me what
hat become of her?" Mrs. Wlllet ob
served. "Isn't she here?"
Mrs. Wlllet shook her head.
"I had a telegram from her from
Plymouth to say that she was coming,
but I've seen nothing of her as yet,"
' "You've changed your address, you
know." Quest reminded her, after a
moment's reflection.
. "I wrote and told her," Mrs. Wlllet
began. "After all, though," she went
on thoughtfully, "I am not sure wheth
er she could have had the letter." But
If she went up to Hampstead, anyone
would tell her where I had moved to.
There's no secret about me."
"Lenora did go up to 157 Elsmere
road ye&tgrday," Quest told her. "Tbey
gave her your address here, as they
have Just given It to me."
"Then what's become of the child?"
Mrs. Wlllet demanded.
Quest, whose brain was working
quickly, scribbled upon one of his
cards the address of the hotel where
be bad taken rooms and passed it
over, i
"Why Lenora didn't come on to you
here I can't Imagine," he said. "How
ever, I'll go back to the hotel where
she was to spend the night after she
arrived. She may have gone back
there. That's my address, Mrs. Wlllet.
If you hear anything I wish you'd let
n.e know. Lenora's quite a particular
friend of mine and 1 am a little anx
ious." Quest had already opened the front
door for himself and passed out He
sprang Into the taxi, which he had
kept waiting.
"Clifford's hotel in Payne street,"
he told tbe man. '
- He lit a cigar and smoked furiously
all the way, throwing It on to the pave
ment as he hurried Into the quiet pri
vate hotel which a fellow passenger
on the steamer had recommended aa
being suitable for Lenora's one night
alone In town.
"Can you tell me If Miss Lenora
Macdougal Is staying here?" he asked
at the office. ,
The woman shook her bead.
"Miss Macdougal stayed bere the
night before last," she said, "and her
luggage Is waiting for orders. She left
here yesterday afternoon to go to her
aunt's, and promised to send for her
things later on during tbe day. There
they stand, all ready for her."
"What time did she go?"
"Directly after an early lunch. It
must have been about two o'clock."
Quest hurried away. So after all
there was some foundation for this
queer sense of depression which bad
been hovering about him for the last
few days!
"Scotland Yard," be told the taxi
driver.
He thrust another cigar between his
teeth, but forgot to light It. He was
Craig Escapes From the Cellar.
y .
amazed at his own sensations, con
scious of fears and emotions of which
he would never have believed himself
capable. He gave in bis card, and
after a few moments' delay be was
shown into the presence of one of the
chiefs of the detective department,
who greeted bim warmly.
"My name Is Hardaway," the latter
announced.
"My assistant, a young lady. Miss
Lenora Macdougal, has disappeared!
She and I and Professor Ashlelgh !,ft
LXjI
the steamer at Plymouth and traveled
np in the boat train. It was stopped
at Hamblln road for ibe professor and
myself, and Miss Macdougal came on
to London. She was staying at Clif
ford's hotel In Payne street for the
nlgbt. and then going on to the aunt.
Well, I've found' that aunt. She was
expecting tbe girl, but the girl never
appeared.
"Where did this aunt live?" Harda
way inquired.
"No. 17, Prlnceta' Court road, West
Kensington," Quest replied.' "She had
last moved there from Elsmere road,
Hampstead. I went first to Hampstead.
Lenora had been there and learned
her aunt's correct address in West
Kensington. I followed on to West
Kensington and found that the aunt
was still awaiting her." (
A new Interest seemed suddenly to
have crept Into Hardaway's manner.
"Let me see." he said, ''If she left
Clifford's hotel about two, she would
bave been at Hampstead about half
past two. She would waste a few min
utes in making Inquiries, then she
probably left Hampstead for West
Kensington, say, at a quarter to three.
Give me at once a description of tbe
young lady," be demanded.
Quest drew a photograph from his
pocket and passed it silently over.
"Mr. Quest," he said, "It Is Just pos
sible that your visit here has been an
exceedingly opportune one."
"Come along with me," he con
tinued. "We'll talk as we go."
Tbey entered a taxi and drove off
westwards.
"Mr. Quest," be went on. "for two
months we have been on the track of
a man and a woman whom we strong
ly suspect of having decoyed half a
dozen perfectly respectable young
women, and ahlpped them out to South
America."
"Tbe wblte slave traffic!" Quest
gasped.
"Something of tbe sort," Hardaway
admitted. "Well, we've been closing
the net around this Interesting couple,
and last night I had information
brought to me upon which we are act.
Ing this -afternoon. We've bad them
watched and it seems that they were
sitting In a tea place about three
o'clock yesterday afternoon when a
young woman entered who was ob
viously a stranger to London. You
see, the time fits in exactly, If your as
sistant decided to stop on her way to
Kensington and got some tea. She
asked the woman at tho desk the best
means of getting to West Kensington
without taking a taxicab. Her de
scription tallies exactly with the pho
tograph you have shown me. The wom
an whom my men were watching ad
dressed her and offered to show her
the way. They left the place together.
My men followed Oiem. Tbe house
has been watched ever since and we
are raiding It this afternoon. You and
I will Just be In time."
He stopped the cab and they got
out. A man who seemed to be stroll
ing aimlessly along reading a newspa
per suddenly Joined them.
"Well, DiionT" his chief exclaimed.
The man glanced around.
"I've got three men round at tbe
back, Mr. Hardaway," he said. "It's
Impossible for anyone to leave the
place."
Hardaway paused to consider a mo
ment. . '
"Look here," Quest suggested, "they
know all of you, of course, and they'll
never lei you In until they're forced
to. I'm a stranger. Let me go. I'll
get In all right." '
"All right," be assented. "We shall
follow you up pretty closely, though."
Quest stepped back Into tbe taxi and
gave the driver a direction. When be
emerged in front of tbe handsome gray
stone house he seemed to bave be
come completely transformed. There
was a fatuous smile upon bis lips. He
crossed the pavement with difficulty,
stumbling up the steps, and held on
the knocker with one hand while he
consulted a slip of paper. He had
scarcely rung the bell before a slightly
parted curtain in the front' room fell
together and a moment later the door
was opened by a man In the livery of
(Continued on Page 8.)
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