Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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The ELA By E. PHILLIP Author of "Mr. Cario," "The enger," "ThmL. Novelised fro? lb? motion pleura dn Universal Kilns Manufacturing photographs from UM 01 .tum. (Copyright, Ulfi, 8YN0P8IS. Sanford Quent, master criminologist of the world, finds that In bringing to Jus tice Macdougal. the murderer of bord .Ashleigh'? dutiKhter, he han but Just be gun m llfp-and-death struggle with a mys terious master criminal. In a hidden hut In Professor Ashleigh's carden he ha? seen an anthropoid ape skeleton and a liv ing Inhuman creature, half monkey, half man, destroyed by fire. In his room have appeared from nowhere black boxes, one containing diamonds torn from a lovely throat by a pair of armless, threatening hands, both with sarcastic, threatening notes signed by the Incrutable hands. On Ms return from finding the body of Mac dougal, who had escaped on his way to 'prison, he ls arrested for the murder of his valet. Ros? Brown, and a Miss Qulgg, In his rooms. Uaura end Lenora, his an eintnnts, suspect Craig the professor's valet, trap.Craig nnd rescue Quest from the Tombs to .hypnotise Craig Into confes sion, but when Quest arriv?e hf finds that Craig and lenora have both disappeared. He dodges Police Inspector French, who has discovered his escape. SIXTH INSTALLMENT THE UN8EEN TERROR. CHAPTER XIV. With a little gesture of despair Quest turned away from the instru ment which seemed suddenly to have become so terribly unresponsive, and looked across the vista of square roofs and tangled masses of telephone wires to where the lights of larger New York flared up against the sky. From his attic chamber the roar of the city a few blocks away was al ways In bis ears. He had forgotten in those hours of frenzied solitude to fear for his own safety. He thought only of Lenora. He paused once more before the little instrument "Lenora, where are you?" he sig naled. "I bare taken a lodging in the Servants' club. I am still in hiding, hoping that Craig,may come here. I am very anxious about you." Still no reply! Quest drew a chair .np to the window and sat there with folded arms looking down into the street. Suddenly he sprang to his feet The Instrument quivered-there i was a message at last! He took it do./n with a little choke of relief. "1 don't know where ? am. I am ter .rifled. I was outside the garage when I was seised from be.it nd. The'Hands' 'held me. I was unconscious until I .found myself here. I am now in an 'attic room with no window accept tho skylight, which I cannot reach. I can sea nothing-hear nothing. No one has hirt mo, no one comes near me. .Food ls pushed through a door, which -is locked again immediately. The house seems empty, yet I fancy that I am being watched all the time. I am terrified! " Quest drew the instrument towards him. "I have your message," he signaled. "Be brave! I am ?watching for Craig. Through him I shall reach you before long. Send me a mesago every now and then." Quest again took up his vigil In front of the window. Once more his eyes swept the narrow street with its constant stream of passers-by. Then suddenly he found himself gripping tba window sill in a momentary thrill of rara excitement. - His vigil waa rewarded st last* The msn for whom ha waa walting waa there! Quest wstched him' cross tho street, glance furtively to the right and to the left, then enter the club. He turned back 'to the little wireless and his fingers ! worked as though Inspired. "I am on Craig's track," ho signaled. "Bebrave." ' . He waited for no reply, but opened the'door and. stealing softly out of the room, suddenly confronted Craig tn the deserted hallway. Before ho could utter a cry Quest's left hand was over his mouth and the cstd m?sale of sa a nt sw* lt a pfstat was pressed to hts ribs "Turn round and mount those stairs. Craig," Quest ordered. Craig turned slowly, round and I obeyed. He mounted the steps with reluctant footsteps, followed by Quest. "Through the door to your right," the latter directed. "That's right! Now sit down In that chair facing me." Quest closed Cw door carerully. Craig oat where ho bsd been ordered, his fingers gripping the arms of tho chair. In his eyes shone the furtive? terrified light of the trapped crim inal. "What do you went with me?" Craig asked doggedly. "First of all," Quest replied, "I want to know what you have done with my assistant, the girl whom yon carried off from the-professor's gar age." Cnd? ?hook his head. "I know nothing about her." "She locked yon lu the g*.c<e.* Quest continued, "and sent for ultu When I arrived I found the garage door open, Lenora gone and you a fugitive." Bewilderment straggled for a mo ment with blank terror in Craig's ex ' How do you know that she locked aa In the gs rage?" Quest smiled, stretched out his right ara stat nts long angers played soft ly with the pocket wireless. LGK BOX J S OPPENHEIM . Grex of Mont? Vanished Mess ig ht ed Way,"etc ima of the Mme name produced by th? Company. Illustrated with ? lotion picture production .ya by Otis V. Wood.) "Ia Just the samo way," he ex* plained, "that I am sending her this message at the present moment-a message which 8ho will receive and understand wherever she is hidden. Would you like to know what I am felling her?" Tho man shivered. His eyes, as though fascinated, watched the little instrument! "I am saying this, Craig," Quest continued. VCralg is here and in my power. He ls sitting within a few feet of me and will not leave this room until he has told me your where abouts. Keep up your courage, Le nora. You shall be free in an hour." The trapped man looked away from the instrument into Quest's face. Thero was a momentary flicker of something that might have passed for courage in bis tone. "Mr. Quest," be said, "you aro a wonderful man, but there are limits to your power. You can tear my tongue out from ray mouth, but you cannot force mo to speak." Quest leaned a little farther for* ward in his chair, his gaze became more concentrated. "That is where you aro wrong, Craig. That is where you make a mis take. In a very few minutes you will bo telling me all the secrets of your heart." Craig shivered, drew back a little in his chair, tried to rise and fell back again helpless. "My God!" he cried. "Leave roe alone!" "When you have told me the truth," Quest answered swiftly, "and you will tell me all I want to know in a few minutes. . . . Your eyelids are get ting a little heavy, Craig. Don't re sist. Something which is like sleep is coming over you. You see my will has yours by the throat." Craig shook his head. A very weak smile of triumph flickered for a mo ment at the corner? of his lipa "Your torture chamber trick won't work on me!" he exclaimed. "You can never-" The whole gamut of emotions seemed already to have anent them selves in the man's face, but at that moment there was a now clement, an element of terrified curiosity In the expression of his eyes as he stared towards the door. "Is this another trick-of youra?" he muttered. Quest, too. turned his head and I sprang Instantly to his feet. From un derneath the door came a little puff j of smoke. . There was a queer sense of heat of which both men were si multaneously conscious. Down In the street arose a chorus of - wain ing shouts, Increasing momentarily In "Mount Theta Stair*, Crain." vol ti-ie. Quest threw open the door and closed it sgsin at once. "The place is on fire," he announced .briefly. "Pull yourself together, maa. \ We eh al I have all wa can'do to gat out of this." . Craig turned to th? door- but stag* gered beck almost Immediately. ! "The stairs are going!" be shrieked. '"It is the kitchen that is on Ara. We ? *e cut off! We cannot get dovn!" Quest* was on his hands and knees, Jumbling under his truckle bed. He pulled, out a crude form of fire es cape, a rough sort of cradle with a rope attached. "Know how to use this?** he asked Craig quickly. "Hera, catch held. Pat your arma inside this strap." Yar?? .hy yard, Bringing a tittie tn the ?ir. Craig vaiA'-t bis descent. When i bm arrived la thu street there vera a \ hundred willing hands to release him. Quest drew up the rope quickly, warned by a roar of anxious voices. Then he commenced to descend, let ting himself down band over hand, al ways with on? eye upon thst length of rope that swung below. Suddenly, as he reached the second floor a lit tle cry from the crowd warned him of what bad happened. Tongues ot flame curling out from the blazing building had caught the rope, which was being burned through not a dosen feet away from him. He descender! a little farther and paused In mid air. A shout from the crowd reached him. 'The cables! Try the cables!" He glanced round. Seven or eight feet away, and almost level with him, was a double row of telegraph wires. Almost as he saw them the rope below him burned through and fell to the ground. He swung a little towards the side of the house, pushed himself vigorously away from lt with bis feet, and at the farthest point of the outr ward swing jumped. His hands grap pled th? telegraph wires safely. Even' in that tense moment he heard a little sob of relief from tl;e people below. Hand over hand he made his way to the nearest pole and Blipped easily to the ground. The crowd immediate ly surged around him. - "Where Su the man who came down before me?" he asked a bystander. 1 "Talking to the police in the car over yonder," was the hoarse reply. "Say, guv'nor, you only Just made that!" Craig pushed his way through the crowd to where Craig was speakiug eagerly to French. He stopped short and stooped down. He was near enough to hear the former's words. "Mr. French, you caw the man come down the ropes and swing on the ca bles? That was Quest. Sanford Quest, the man who escaped from the Tombs prison. He can't have got away yet." Quest drew off his coat, turned it in side out and teplaced it BWiftly. He coolly picked up a hat someone had lost in the crowd and pulled lt over his eyes. He passed within a few feet of where Craig and the inspector were talking. "Say, boys. Sanford Quest ls in the crowd somewhere. He's the man who jumped on the cable lines. A hun dred dollars for his arrest!" Quest turned reluctantly away. Men were rushing about in all directions for him. CHAPTER XV. The professor swung round in his 1 chsir and greeted Quest with some 'surprise, but also a little disappoint' , ment. "No news of Craig?" he asked. "I got Craig, all right," he replied. "He came to the Servants' club, where I was walting for him. Hy luck's out, though. The place was burned to the ground last night. I saved his life and then the brute gave me away to the police. I had to make my es cape as best I could." The professor tapped the table pee* vlshly. , "This is insufferable," he declared. "I have had no shaving water; my coffee was undrinkable; I can find nothing. I have a most Important leo-, ture to prepare and I cannot find any of the notes I made upon tho sub ject." Quest smoked In silence for a mo ment , "Any mali for me, professor?" he asked abruptly. The professor opened a drawer and headed him a telegram. "Only thia!" , Quest, opened lt and read lt through. It was from the sheriff of a small town in Connecticut: "The men yon Inquired-for are both here. They have sold sn sutomoblle and seem to be spending the proceeds. Bhsll I arrest?" Quest studied the message for a m omen' "Say." this ts rather Interesting, pro fessor." ' he - remarked. "These ai" the two thugs who set upon * .> at the section, house. They killed f * signal man, who could have b a my atibi. and swiped my esr, in which, as lt cannot be found, French supposes that I returned to Nsw fork. With their arrest the case against me collapses. 1 tell you frankly, pro fessor," Quest continued frowning. "I hate to leave the city without having found that girl: but I am not sura that the quickest we*- to set thine*, right would not be to go down, arrest these men and bring them hack herr, clear myself, and then go tooth and nail for Craig." "I agree with you most heartily," the professor declared. "'I reeommani say course which will insure the re turn of my man Craig!" "I cannot promise you that you will ever have Craig here again." Quest observed grimly. *T rather fancy Ping Sing will ba his next homo." * . " . . . * . Quest stepped off the cars at Bethel a little before noon that morning. Th? sheriff met him st the depot snd greet ed him cordially trot with obvions sur prise. "Bay, Mr. Quest/' he exclaimed, aa - they turned away, "I know these men ara . wanted oa your charge, but I .thought-you'll excuse me for saying so-that rou were la som? trouble yourself." Quest nodded. "I'm ont of that-came ont yester day. The moment my car ta Identi fied and Red Gallagher and his mst? arrested every scrap t : evidence against ma'goes." ^*W?hV ber?*? the g?rige snd th? man who bought the car." th? sheriff {fjaarked, "and thora'* th? car Itself 1 ? tMa?, "Put lt Away; You Kno tn the road. It's for you to say wheth er it can be identified." Quest drew a sigh of relief. "That's raine, right enough," he de clared. "Now for the men." "8ay, I want to tell you some thing," the sheriff began dubiously. "These two sre real thugs. They ain't going to take it lying down." "Where are they?" Quest de manded. "In tho worn saloon here," the sher iff replied. 'They've been there pret ty well all night, drinking, and they're there again this morning, hard at it. They've got ilroarms, and though I ain't exactly a nervous man, Mr. Quest-" "You leave it to me." Quest Inter rupted. "This ls roy job and I want to take tho men myself." "You'll never do lt," tho sheriff de clared. "Look here," Quest explained, "If I let you and your men go in, thero win be a free fight, and as likely as not you will kill one. if not both of the men. I want them alive." "Well, lt's your show," tho sheriff admitted, stopping before a disrepu table looking building. "This ls the saloon." "Well," Quest decided, "I'm going in. and I'm going in. unarmed. You can bring your men In later, if I. call for help or if you hear any shoot ing." "You're asking for trouble," tho sheriff warned him. "I've get to do this my own way," Quest insisted. "Stund by now." He pushed open the door of the sa loon. There were. a. dozen men drink ing around the bair and in the cen ter of them Red Oallagber and his mate. Quest walked right up to the two men. "Gallagher," he said, "you're my prisoner. Are y JU coming quietly?" Gallagher's mate, who was half drunk, swung round and fired a wild shot In Quest's direction. The result was a general stampede. Red Galla gher alone remained motionless. Grim and dangerously silent, he held a pis tol within a few Inches of Quest's forehead. "If ray number's up," he exclaimed ferociously, "it won't bo you to take me." "I think it will," Quest answered. "Put that away." Gallagher hesitated. Quest's Influ ence over him was indomitable. "Put tt away," Quest repeated flrro-x ly. "You know you daren't uso lt. Your account's pretty full up, a? lt is." Gallagher's hana -..vered. From out side came the shoats of the sheriff and his men, struggling to fight their way In through the little crowd who were rushing for ssfety. Suddenly Quest 'backed. Jerked the pistol np with his right elbow, and with almost the sams movement- struck Red Gallagher un der the Jnw. The . man weat over with a crash. His mate, who had been staggering' about, cursing vicious ly, fired another wild shot at Quest, woo swayed ? and fell forward. "I'vo done him!" the man shouted. "Get1 up, Red ! I've done him, ' all right! Finish your drtnk. Well get out of this!" ; He bent unsteadily over Quest. Sud denly the latter sprang up, seised him by the: le-j and sent bim sprawling. The gun fell from his hand. Quoit ploted lt up aud held lt firmly out, cov ering both men Gallagher, was on hil knees, groping for hts ow'u Weapon. "Get tho handcuffs on them," Quest directed the sheriff, who with his men bsd at last succeeded In forcing his way into the saloon. # . . . * - . ? . . . . ?' . Crouching tn ber chair, her pale, terror-stricken taco supported be tween her bands. Lenora, her. eyes filled with hopeless misery, gated st tba dumb Instrument upon the table. Her Issi gleam of hope Seemed to bs passing. Her little friend was silent Once more her weary fingers-spelled ont a final, despairing message. - "What has happened to you? - I am waiting to hear all the time. Has Craig told you where I am? I am afraid!" ' There was still no reply. Her bead sank a little lower on her folded anna Even the luxury of tears seemed dueled her. Fear, the fear whleh dwelt with ber day and night, had ber in Its grip. Suddenly she leaped, scream' in&, from her pince. Splinters ot 'Class fell aU around ber. Her first wild thought was of release; she Saned upwards at the broken pane. Then very faintly from the street be low aaa heard the shout of a boy'c angry voice: "Yoa'ra done lt now. Jimmy! You're a fine pitcher, .ain't, you? f*o?t ft, that's what you've gone and dona!" w You Daren't Use lt" The thought B formed themselves mechanically in her mind. Her eyeB sought the ball which had come crash ing Into the room. There was Ute once morn In her pulses. Sho found a scrap of paper nnd a pencil In hor pocket. With trembling fingers che wrote a few words: "Police headquarters. I am Sanford Quest's assistant, abducted and Im prisoned here In tho roc ,ji whore the ball has fallen. Help! i am going mad!" She tv.-1 Bled tho paper, looked around the room vnlnly for string, and finally toro a thin nleco of ribbon from ber bosom. Site tied the mes sage round the ball, set her teeth and threw lt at the empty skylight. The first time she was not successful and the ball came back. The second time lt panned through the center of the opening. She heard lt strike tho sound portion of the glass outside, heard it rumblo down the roof. A few seconds of breathless silence! Her heart al most stopped beating. Had lt rested in some ledge or fallen Iqto the street below? Then she beard the boy's voice: "Gee! Here's the ball come back again!" A new light shone into the room. She seemed to be breathing a different atmosphere-the atmosphere of hope. She listened no longer with horror for a creaking upon the stairs. She walked backwards and forwards until she was exhausted. . . . Curiously enough, when the end came she was asleep, crouched upon tho bed and dreaming wildly. Sho sprang up to find Inspector French, with a police man behind him, standing upon the threshold. "Inspector!" she cried, rushing to wards him. "Mr. French! Oh, thank God!/' Her feelings ct rried her away. She threw herself at his feet. She was laughing nnd crying and talking inco herently, all at the same time. The inspector assisted her to a chair. "Say, what's all this mean?" he de manded. She told him her story, Incoherent ly, in broken phrases. French listened with puzzled frown. Then he realized that she was on the point of a nervous breakdown and in no condition for interrogations. 'That'll do," he said. "I'll take care of you for a time, young lady, and I'll ask you a few questions later on. My men are searching the house. You t nd I will be getting on, if you can tear yourself away." *..*?.. The plain-clothes man, who wau lounging in Quest's most comfortable easy chair and smoking one of his best cigars, suddenly laid down his paper. He moved to the window. A large, empty automobile stood la the street outside, from which the occu pants hsd presumably just descend ed. He hastened towards the door, which was opened, however, before he was halfway across the room. Tba cigar slipped from his fingers. It waa Sanford Quest, who stood there, fol lowed by the sheriff of Bethel, two country policemen and Red Gallagher and his mate, heavily handcuffed. "Say, aren't you wanted down yon der, Mr. Quest?" the man Inquired. 'Thal'? all right now," Quest told bim. "I'm ringing up inspector French myself. You'd better stand by the other fellows there and keep your eye on Red Gallagher and bis mate/' "I guess Mr. Quest ls all right." the eherir intervened. 'We're ringing up headquarters ourselves, anyway." ' The plain-clothes man did ss he wes .told. ' Quest took np the receiver from his telephone Instrument and arranged the pbototelesme. "Police station No. 1. central,'* he said-"through to Mr. French's of fice, ir you please. Mr. Quest wanta to speak to him. Yes, San ford Quest. No need to get excited! . . All right fm .'hrough, am I? . . . Hello, Inspector?" A rare expression cf joy suddenly transfigured Quest's face. He waa -gazing downward Into the little mir ror. ' ti "You've found Lenora, then. In spector?" be exclaimed. "Bully for you! ... What do I mean? What I say! You forget that. 2 am a sci entific man, French. No end of ap pliances here you haven't had time to look at I can ase FOU sitting there, [and Lenora and Ileura looking aa though you bsd them on the rack. Yon ? can drop that. French Pre got Red .Gallagher and his mate, got them here wl*h tho sheriff of Bethel. They went off with my auto and sold lt' We've got that Also, in.les* than five minutes my chauffeur will be bsae. He's been lying in a faimbouse unconscious, since that scrap. He i .an tell you what time he eaw mo I ast. Bring thc girls along, French ind hurry!" QueBt hung up the receiver. Inspector French was as good, even better than his word. In n surpris ingly Bhort time ho entered the room, roi lo wed by Laura and Lenora. Quest save them a hand each, hut it was Into Lenora's eyes that he looked. "I mustn't stop to bear your story, Lenora," Quest said. "You'ro safe that's the great thing." "Found her in an empty bouse," French reporter*, "out Grayson avenue way. Now, Mr. Quest, I don't,want to come the official over you too much, but If you'll kindly remember you're an escaped prisoner-" There was a knock at tho door. A young man entered in chauffeur's liv ery, with his bead still bandaged. Quest motioned bim to come in. "lil Just repeat my story of that morning. Mr. F^eneh." Quest said. "We went out to and Macdougal, and suc ceeded, as you know. Just aa I was starting for home those two thugs set upon me. You know how I made my escape. They went off In my au tomobile and sold it in Bethel. I ar rested them there myself this morn ing. Here's the sheriff who will bear out what I say, also that they arrived at the place in my automobile." Inspector French held out bis hand. "Mr. Queat," ho. said, "I reckon we'll have to . withdraw the case against you. No hard feelings, I hope?" "Nono at all," Quest replied prompt ly, taking his hand. QueBt stood upon the threshold watching the sheriff and his prison ers leave the house. The former turned round to wavo his adieux. "There's an elderly guy ouf'here," he shouted, "seems to want to come in." Quest leaned forward and saw the professor. "My dear Quest," be exclaimed, as he wrung his hand, "my heartiest con gratulations! As you know, I always believed your innocence. I am delight ed that lt haa been proved." The professor Bank wearily into an easy chair. "I will take a little whisky and or.: of your excellent cigars. Quest," he said. "I must ask you to bear with me if I seem upset. After more than twenty years' se.-.'ice from one whom I have always treaded as a friend this sudden separation, to a man of my "Inspoctorl" Hhs Cried, Rushing To wards Him. age, is somewhat trying. I do not al lude, as yo** perceive. Mr. Quest, to the horrible suspicion you seem to hsve formed of Craig." "AH the esma" the Inspector' re marked thoughtfully, "someone who ls still'at largo committed those murders and stole those Jewels. What ia your theory shout the jewels. Mr. Queat?" "I haven't had time to tram?, one yet," the criminologist replied. "You've been keeping mo too busy looking after myself. He ever." he added, "lt's time somethi' % was done." He took a magnifying glass from bis pocket snd examined very closely the whole of the front of the safe. "No sign of finger prints," he mut tered. "Tho person who opened it probably wore gloves" He fitted the combination and swung open ?he door. He stood there for a moment speechless. Something ia his attitude attracted the inspector's at tention. "What is lt. Mr. Quest?" he asked eagerly. Quest drew a little breath. Exactly facing him, In the spot where the jew els hsd been, was a strati black box. He brought lt to the table snd re moved the lld. Inside was a sheet of paper, which he quiekly unfolded. They al) threa read the few lines to gether: "Pitted against the Inherited cun ning of the ages, you have no chance. I will 'take compassion, upon you. Look in the right-hand drawer of your desk." Underneath appeared the Signatur* ot the "Hands." "Quest moved Uko one In a dream to hf? cabinet aud pulled open the right-hand drawer. He turned | around and faced tbs other two mea. In his hand 'was Mrs. Rheinholdt's necklace! (TO BB CONTIM>TBr>.> Be Sure To See The "Black Box Today At The This is one of the greatest Serial Pictures ever shown