The Horry herald. (Conway, S.C.) 1886-1923, September 23, 1915, Page SIX, Image 6
|V i SEC
g
l,
This interesting instabnent of
the Blach Box will be shown in
motion pictures at the Casino
Theatri? Thursday night.
i
*n dvt upHrwneni in mo i/cnna iMia,
daughter of lx>ril Ashldgh, is murdered
find the Ashtelgh diamond neckiaoe stolen.
The New York police place the casein
the hands of Sanford Quest, known and
ten red as the master criminologist of the
world. He takes l^enora, Klla's maid, to
his own apartments and through hypnotism
and the use of electro-telepathic uj?pll&nccs
discovers her connection with the
crime, recovers the diamonds and arrests
the murderer. Mnrdougul. honora's husband,
though nearly trapped to his death
in a tough tenement house while -engaged
In the work.
SECOND INSTALLMENT.
"THE HIDDEN HANDS.*"
CHAPTER VI.
Sanford Quest and I^enora -stood
Bide (by Bido upon the steps oi .the
courthouse, waiting for the automobile,
which had become momentarily eaitangled
in a string of vehicle?. A little
crowd of people were elbowing their
w*y out on to the sidewalk. The faces
of most -of them were still shadowed
by the three hours of tense drama
from which they had just emerged.
Quest, who had lit a cigar, watched
them curiously.
"No need to go into court." he remarked.
"I could have told you, from
the look of these people, that Macdougal
had escaped the death sentence.
They have paid their money?or rather
their time, and they have been cheated
of the one supreme thrill.''
"imprisonment for life seems terrible
enough," Lenora whispered, shud
dering.
"Can't see the sense of keeping such
a man alive myself." Quest declared.
' with purposeful brutality. "It was a
cruel murder, fiendishly committed."
They were on the point of crossing
the pavement toward the automobile
when Quest felt a touch upon his shoulder.
He turned and found Lord Ash-1
leigh standing by his side. Quest
glanced towards Lenora.
"Run and get in the car," he whispered.
"I will be there in a moment."
"I would not have stopped you just
now, Mr. Quest," said Lord Ashleigh.
"but my brother is very anxious to renew
his acquaintance with you. I think
you met years ago."
Sanford Quest held out his hand to
the man who had been standing a little
In the background. Lord Ashleigh
turned towards him.
"This is Mr. Quest, Edgar. You may
remember my brother?Professor Ash
lelgli?as a man of science, Quest? He
has just returned from South America."
The .two shook hands, curiously diverse
in type, in expression, in all the
appurtenances of manhood.
"I am very prowd to make your acquaintance
again, professor." Quest |
said. MGlad to know, too, that you
hadn't forgotten me."
"My dear sir," the professor declared,
as he released the other s hand
with seeming reluctance. "1 have!
thought about you many times. Your
doings have always been of interest
to me."
"I am sorry," Quest remarked, "that
our first meeting here should bo un-j
der such distressing circumstances!"!
The professor nodded gravely.
"If you'll excuse me, professor," said
Quest, "I think I must be getting along
We shall meet again, I trust."
"One moment," the professor begged
eagerly. "Tell me, Mr. Quest?1 want
your honest opinion. What do you
think of my ape?"
"Of your what?" Quest inquired
dubiously.
"Of my anthropoid ape which I have
just sent to the museum. You know
my claim? But perhaps you would prefer
to postpone your final decision until
after you have examined the skeleton
itself."
A light broke in upon the criminol
ogist.
"Of course!" lie exclaimed. "For
the moment, professor, 1 couldn't fol
low you. You are talking about the
skeleton of the ape which you brought
home from South America, and which
you have presented to the museum
here?"
"Naturally," the professor assented
with mild surprise. "To what else? 1
am stating my case, Mr. Quest, in the
North American Review next month;
I may tell you, however, as a felloe
scientist, the great and absolute
truth. My claim is incontestible. My
skeleton will prove to the world, with
out a doubt, the absolute truth of Dar
win's great theory."
"That so?"
"You must go. and see it," the pro
feasor insisted. "You shall be permit
ted a special examination."
"Very kind of you," Quest mur
mured.
"We shall meet again soon. I hope,'
the professor concluded cordially
"Good-morning, Mr. Quest!"
1
JACK.
BOX.
' <55,
Mips Oraxnheim
iue tw?o men 'Shook hands and Quesi
i look his seal :by 1 Lenora's side in the [
' automobile. The professor rejoinec
i his brother.
They entered the taxicab and wen
! driven almost in silence to the profes
! sor's home?*a large, rambling ole;
: house, situated in somewhat extensive
i but ill-kept grounds on the outskirts ol
' New York. The Englishman glancec
i .around ifaim, as they passed up the
drive, with uui expression of disapproval.
"A more untidy looking place than
; yours, ETdgar.il never saw,"" he declared,
i "Your grounds have become a jungle.
.Don't you keep any gardeners?"
"1 keep other things," he said serenely.
"There is-something in my garden
which would (.terrify your nice Scotch
; gardeners infcc tits if they found their 1
way here to do a little tidying up.
1 Come into the library and I'll give you ,
one<of-my choice cigars. Here's Craig
waiting to Uc-t us in. Any news,
Craig?"
"Nothing has happened, sir," he replied.
"The telenhone is rimriner in
| the study now, though."
"I will answer it myself," the professor
declared.i bustling off.
1 The professor took up the receiver
| Xroni the telephone. His "Hello!" was
mild and .inquiring. He had no doubt
that the-calWvuB from some adfbiring
disciple. The change in his face as
i he listened, however, was amazing.
! "Ortorge," hp gasped, "the greatest
tragedy in the world has happened!
-My ;ape is stolen!"
His-brother looked at him blankjfr.
"Your.ape is stolen?" he repeated^
"The skeleton of my anthropoid
ape," the professor continued, his voice
growing alike in sadness and firmness.
"It is the curator of the museum who
is speaking. They have Just opened
the box. It has lain for two days in
an anteroom. It is empty!"
Lord Ashleigli muttered some
I thing a little vague. The theft of
a skeleton scarcely appeared to his
unscientific mind to be a realizable
thing. The professor turned back to
the telephone.
"Mr Francis " Vin cnirl *'T r. +
_ . .. . . v ^ , a.* w A V iUIllUL
talk to you. I can say nothing. 1
shall come to you at once. I am on
the point of starting. Your news has
overwhelmed me."
He laid down the receiver He
looked around him like a man In a
nightmare.
I "The taxicab is waiting, sir," Craig
. reminded him.
"That is most fortunate," the professor
pronounced. "I remember now
that I had no change with which to
pay him. I must go back. Hook aftI
er my brother. And, Craig, telephone
! at once to Mr. Sanford Quest. Ask
him to meet me at the museum in
twenty minutes. Tell him that nothing
must stand in the way. Do you
hear?" ,
The taxicab man drove off, glad
enough to have a return fare. in
about half an hour's time the professor
strode up the steps of the museum
and hurried into the ofiice. There was
a little crowd of oflicials there, whom
the curator at once dismissed. He
rose slowly to his feet. His manner
was grave and bewildered.
"Professor," he said, "we will waste t
no time in words. Ijook here!"
Ilo threw open the door of an ante- j
room behind his office. The apartment
was unfurnished except for one
~ 1 i
Measuring the Footprints.
or two chairs. In the middle of the
uncarpeted floor was a long wooden
box from which the lid had jast been
j pried.
"Yesterday, as you know from my
note," the curator proceeded. "I was j
away, j gave orders that your Cfl.s3 !
I
i
#
THE HORRY HERj
BDOuld be placed here that \ myself
should enjoy the distinction of opening
it An houk* ago I commenced the
tank. That is what I found."
The professor gazed blankly at
the empty box.
"Nothing left except the smell," a
voice from the open doorway remarked.
They glanced around. Quest was
standing there, and behind him Lenora.
The professor welcomed them
eagerly.
"This is Mr. Quest, the great criminologist,"
he explained "to the' curator.
Quest strolled thoughtfully around
! the room, glancing out of each Of the
I windows in turn. 59e kept close to
the wall, and when he had finished
he diew out a magnifying glass from .
his pocket and made a brief examination
of the box. Then'he asked a Tew
questions of the curator, 'pointed-out
one of the windows 'to Lenona . and ;
whispered a few directions to !her.
She at once produced what seemed to
be a foot rule from the bag which she
was carrying, and hurried into the
garden.
"A little invention of my own for
measuring footprints," Quest explained.
"Not much use here, il am
afraid."
Quest stood over the box far'a moment
or two and looked once more
out of the window. Presently Le-1
liora returned. She. carried in her
hand a small object, which she
brought (silently to Quest. Fie glanced
at it in perplexity. The professor
peered -over his shoulder.
"It is the 'little finger!" die cried?
,%t b f? H 1? r?-?-? Trvf ^' "
-" wv Wl 1UJ rtJJC;
Quest .held rt away from him critically.
"From which hand?" he asked.
"The right hand."
Quest examined flip fastenings of
the window before which he paused
during his trrevious examination He
turned away with a shrug of the
shoulders.
"See you later, Mr. Auhleigh." he
concluded laconically.
A newsboy ihrust u ; paper at them.
Quest glanced at the headlines. Lenora
clutched at his arm. Together
tliey read it in great hlack type:
r
ESCAPE OF CONVICTED PRISONER!
Macdougal, on His Way to Prison,
Grapples With Sheriff and Jumps
From Train! Still at Large, Though
Searched For by Posse of Police.
CHAPTER Vtl.
The windows of Mre. Rheinholdt's
town house were ablaze with light. A
crimson drugget stretched down the
steps to the curbstone. A long
row of automobiles stood waiting.
Through the wide-flung door was visible
a pleasant impression of flowers
and light and luxury. In the nearer
of the two large reception rooms Mrs.
Hheinholdt herself, a woman dark,
handsome and in the prime of life,
was standing to receive her guests.
By her side was her son, whose'twenty-first
birthday was being celebrated.
"I wonder whether that professor of
yours will come?" she remarked, as
the stream of incoming guests slack- <
ened for a moment.
"He hates receptions," the boy replied,
"but he promised he'd come. I '
never thought, when he used to drill
science-into us at the lectures, that .
he was going to be a tremendous big
pot."
Mrs. Rheinholdt's plump finger tcvyed
for a moment complacently with the
diamonds which hung from her neck.
"You can never tell in a world like
this," she murmured.
"Here he is, mother!" the young man
exclaimed suddenly. "Good old boy!
1 thought he'd keep his word."
Mrs. Rheinholdt assumed her most
encouraging and condescending smile
as she held out both hands to the profnooAi"
"It is perfectly sweet of you, professor,"
Mrs. Rheinholdt declared.
Mrs Rheinholdt breathed a sigh of
relief as she greeted her new arrivals.,
The professor made himself universally
agreeable in a mild way, and his
presence created even more than the
sensation which Mrs. Rheinholdt had
hoped for. In her desire to show
him ample honor she seldom left bis
side.
"I am going to take you into my
husband's study," she suggested, later
on in the evening. "He has some specimens
of beetles?"
"Beetles," the professor declared,
with some excitement, "occupied precisely
two months of my time while
abroad. By all means, Mrs. Rheinholdt!"
"We shall have to go quite to the
back of the house," she explained, as
she led him along the darkened passages.
i
The professor smiled acquiescently.
Ills eves rested for a moment upon
her necklace.
"You must really permit me, Mrs. !
Rheinhotdt," he exclaimed, "to admire ;
your wonderful stones. 1 am a judge j
I of diamonds, and those three or four
in the center are, I should judge,
unique." /
1 She held them out to him. The
professor laid the end of the neck- |
lace gently in the pnlm of his hand and
examined thoip through a horn-rimmed
eyeglass.
"They are wonderful," he murmured,
"wonderful! Why?"
Tie turned away a little abruptly.
They had reached the back of the
house and a door from outside had
just been opened. A man had crossed
.tjie threshold with a coat over bis arm
LLD, CONWAY, S. 0.
ana *was standing now looking at
them.
"Bow extraordinary!" the professor
remarked. "Is that you,-Craig?"
"Yes, sir," he replied. "There is a
rainstorm, so I ventured to bring your
mackintosh."
"Very thoughtful," the professor
murmured approvingly! "1 have a
<weakness," he went on, turning to his
(hostess, "for always walking home
rafter an evening like this. In the day?ttme
1 am content to ride. At night I
ihave the fancy always to walk."
"We don't walk half enough," Mrs.
Rheinholdt sighed, glancing down at
her somewhat portly figure. "Dixon,"
she added, turning to the footman who
'had admitted Craig, "take ProtfessoT
Ashleigh's servant into the kitchen
and see that he has something before
he leaves for home. Now, professor,
if you will come this way."
They reached a little room in the
far corner of the house. Mrs. Rheinholdt
apologized as she switched on
tho electric l*&hts.
"It is a queer little place to bring
you to, * she said, "but my husband
used to spend many hours here, and j
he would never allow anything to be
moved. You see, the specimens are in I
these cases."
The professor nodded. ITis general j
attitude toward' the forthcoming exhibition
was merely one of politeness. ;
As the first case opened, however, his 1
manner completely changed. Without
taking the slightest further notice of
his hostess, he adjusted a pair of horn
rimmed Spectacles and commenced to
mumble eagerly to himself. Mrs. !
Rheinholdt, 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.
"I am so glad you are interested,
professor." she said. "It you don't
mind, 1 will rejoin my guests. You j
will find a shorter way back if you
keep along the passage straight ahead
and come through the conservatory." ;
"Certainly! With pleasure!" the
professor agreed, without glancing up.
Mrs Rheinholdt's reception, notwithstanding
the temporary absence
of its presiding spirit, was without
doubt an unqualified success. In one
of the distant rooms the younger people
were dancing. Philip Rheinholdt.
with a pretty young debutante upon
his arm, came out from the dancing
room and looked around amongst the
little knots of people.
"I wonder where mother is?" he remarked.
"She told me?"
The young man broke off in the
middle of his sentence. He, too, like
many others in the room, felt a sudden
thrill almost of horror at the
sound wnich rang without warning
upon their ears?a woman's cry, a
qry of fear and horror. Mrs. Rhein- !
holdt, her hands clasping her neck,
her splendid composure a tiling of
the past, a panic-stricken, terrified
woman, stumbled into the room. She
seemed on the point of collapse.
Somehow or other, they got her into
an easy chair.
"My jewels!" she cried. "My dia- '
monds!"
"What do you mean, mother?" Phillip
Rlieinholdt asked quickly. "Have
you lost them?"
VStolen!" Mrs. Rheinholdt shrieked.
"Stolen there in the conservatory!"
They gazed at her open-mouthed, incredulous.
Then a still, quiet voice
from the outside of the little circle
intervened.
"Instruct your servants, Mr. Rheinholdt,
to lock and bar all the doors of
the house," the professor suggested.
"No one must leave it until we have
heard your mother's story."
"I had just taken the professor into
the little room my husband used to
call the museum," Mrs. Rheinholdt
explained, her voice still shaking with
agitation. "I left him there to exam*
ine some specimens of beetles. I
thought that I would come back
through the conservatory, which is
the quickest way. I was about half
way across it when suddenly I heard
the switch go behind me and all the
electric lights were turned out. I
couldn't imagine what had happened.
"Stolen!" Mrs. Rhcinhoidt Shrieked.
While I hesitated I saw?" \
She broke down again. There was :
no doubt about the genuineness of her j
terror.
"I saw a pair of hands?Just hands j
?no arms?nothing but hands?come (
out of the darkness! They gripped j
me by the throat. 1 suppose it was :
just for a second. I think?I lost con- j
sciousness for a moment, although I
was still standing up. Tho next thing
I remember te that I found myself
shrieking and running here?and the
JewelB are gone!"
"You saw no one?" her son asked
incredulously. "You heard nothing?"
"1 heard no footsteps, I saw no one,"
Mrs. Rheinholdt repeated. The professor
turned away.
"If you will allow me," he begged,
"I am going to telephone to my friend,
Mr. Sanford Quest, the criminologist.
An affair so unusual as this might attract
him. You will excuse tnr."
The professor met the great criminologist
and 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 must apologize for my peremptory
message. I am well aware that an ordinary
jewel robbery does not interest
you, but in this case the circumstances
are extraordinary. I ventured,
therefore, to summon your aid."
Sanford Quest nodded shortly.
"As i\ ruin " hn guWI 411 nnl mm
to take tip one affair until I have a
clean slate. There's your skeleton
still bothering me, professor. Howover,
where's the lady who was
robbed?"
"1 will take you to her," the professor
replied.
Mrs. Klieiuholdt's story, by frequent
repetition, had become a little more
coherent, a trifle more circumstantial,
tho perfection of simplicity and utterly
incomprehensible. Quest listened to
it without remark and finally made
his way to the conservatory. He requested
Mrs. Rheinholdt to walk with
him through the door by which she
had entered and stop at the precise
spot where the assault had been made
upon her. There were one or two
plants knocked down from tho tiers
on the right-hand side, and some disturbance
in the mold where some large
palms were growing. Quest and Henora
together made a close investigation
of the spot. Afterwards, Quest
walked several times to each of the
aoors leading into tne gardens.
"There are four entrances altogether,"
he remarked, as he lit a cigar
and glanced around the place. "Two
lead into the gardens?one is locked
and the other isn't?one connects with
the back cf the house?the one through
which you came. Mrs. Rheinholdt, and
the other leads into your reception
room, into which you passed after the
assault I shall now be glad if you
will permit me to examine the gardens
outside for a few minutes, alone with
my assistant, if you please."
For almost a quarter of an hour
Quest and Lenora disappeared. They
all looked eagerly at the criminologist
on his return.
"It seems to me," he remarked,
"that from the back part of the house
the quickest way to reach May ton avenue
would be through this conservatory
and out of that door. This is a
path leading from just outside straight
to a gate in the \\all. Does anyone
that you know of use this means of
exit?"
Mrs. Rheinholdt shook her head
"The servants might occasionally,"
she remarked doubtfully, "but not on
nights when I am receiving."
The butler stepped forward. lie was
looking a little grave
"I ought, perhaps, to inform you,
madam, and Mr. Quest." he said, "that
1 did, only a short time ago, suggest
to the professor's servant?the man
who brought your mackintosh, sir," he
added, turning to the professor?"that
he could, if he chose, make use of this
means of leaving the house. Mr Craig
is a personal friend of mipe, and a
member of a very select little club we
have for social purposes."
"Did he follow your suggestion?'
Sanford Quest asked.
"Of that I am not aware, sir," the
butler replied. "I left Mr. Craig with
some refreshment, expecting that he
"Stolen There In the Conservatory!"
vmud remain until my return, but:; ?
t* ?v minutes later J d'scovered.that hf
bad left 1 ill Inquire In the kitchen
if anything is known as to* his movements
"
lie hurried off. Quest turned to the
professor.
"Has he been with you long, this;
man Crai?, professor?" he asked.
The professor's smile was illuminating,
his manner simple but convincing.
"Craig," he asserted, "1b the bestr
servant, the most honest mortal who
ever breathed. He would, go anydistance
out of his way to avoid harming <4
a fly. I cannot even trust him to procure
for me the simplest specimens of ;
Insect life. Apart from this, he is a .
man of some property, which he haB .
no idea what to do with; He is, I
think I may say, too devoted to me to .
dream of ever leaving my service.
"You think it would be out of the
question, then," Quest asked, "to associate
him with the crime?"
The professor's confidence wafi? sublime.
"I could more readily associate you,myself
or young Mr. Kheinholdt here
with the affair," he declared.
His words carried weight. The little
breath of suspicion against the professor's
servant faded away. In a moment
or two the butler returned.
"It appears, madam," he announced,
"that Mr. Craig left when - there was
only one person in the kitchen. He *
said good-night and closed the door behind
him. It is impossible to say,
therefore, by which exit he left the
house, but personally I am convinced
that, knowing of th? roception here tonight.
he would not think of using th6
conservatory."
"Most unlikely, I should say," the
professor murmured. "Craig is a very
shy man. He is at all times at your
disposal. Mr. Quest, K you should
desire to question him."
Quest nodded absently.
"My assistant and I," he announced,
"'would be glad to make a further examination
of thp pnti SPr vn r?rv IP vmi
will kindly leave us alone."
They obeyed without demur; Quest
took a seat and smoked calmly, with
his eyes fixed upon the roof. Lenora
went back to her examination of the ^
overturned plants, the mold and the
whole ground within the immediate
environs of the assault. She abandoned
the search at last, however^ and came
hack to Quest's sidei He threw away
his cigar and rose.
"Nothing there?" he asked laconically.
"Not a thing." Lenora admitted.
Quest led the way toward the door. ^
"Lenora," he decided, "we : up
against something big. There's a new
hand at work somewhere."
"No theories yet, Mr. Quest?" she
asked, smiling.
"Not the ghost of one," ho admitted
gloomily.
* *
"Confess Your Sins."
Along the rain-swept causeway 01
Mayton avenue, keeping close to the
shelter of the house, his mackintosh ,
turned up to his ears, his hands buried |
in his pockets, a man walked swiftly
along. At every block he hesitated
and looked around him. His manner -J
was cautious, almost furtive. Once
the glare of an electric light fell upon
his face, a face pallid with fear, almost
hopeless with despair. He
walked quickly, yet he seemed to have
no idea as to direction. Suddenly he
paused. He was passing a great building,
brilliantly lit. For a moment he
thought that it was some phice of entertainment.
The thought of entering
seemed to occur to him. Then he felt
a firm touch upon his arm, a man in
uniform^spoke to him.
"Step inside, brother," he invited
earnestly, almost eagerly, notwithstanding
his monotonous nasal twang.
"Step inside and find peace. Step inside
and the Lord will hpin mi?
? > v/ap Jf VUt ? 11^ U W
your burden away on the threshold."
The man's first impulse at being addressed
had seemed to be one of terror.
Then he recognized the uniform and ^
hesitated. The man took him by the
arm and led him in. There were the
best part of a hundred people taking
their places after the singing of the
hymn. A girl was standing up before
them on a platform. She was commencing
to speak, but suddenly broke
off. She held out her arms to where
the professor's confidential servant ^