Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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SIX l?ll E. PHBJUPS C Novelized from the Photo Play of the Sa Film Munufueti This interesting instalment of the Black Box will be shown in motion pictures at the Casino Theatre Thursday night. synopsis. Sanford Quest, master criminologist of the world, finds that in bringing to Justice Macdougal, the murderer of Lord Ashleigh's daughter, he has but just begun a life-and-death struggle with a mysterious master criminal. In a hidden hut In Professor Ashleigh's garden lie has seen an anthropoid ape skeleton and a living inhuman creature, half monkey, half man. destroyed by fire. In bis 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 siciied hv the Inncriitnhlf* hnnrlu is arrested for the murder of his valot, Ross Brown, and a Miss Qulge, In his rooms. L,aura and I^enora, his assistants, suspect Craig, the professor's valet. T.onora Is abducted by the threatening hands, but is rescued. Quest clears himself of the murder charge, but falls to trap Craig. In his rooms another black box appears in the rifled safe and. returning the diamonds a second time, the accompanying note tells him he has no chance against the Inherited cunning of ages. I SEVENTH INSTALLMENT THE HOUSE OF MYSTERY. CHAPTER XVI. Something in the nature of a conference was proceeding in Quest's study. The professor was there, seated in the most comfortable easvchair, smoking without relish one of his host's best cigars, watching with nervous impatience the closed door. Laura and Lenora were seated at the table, dressed for the street. They had the air of being prepared for some excursion. Quest, realizing the professor's highly strung state, had left him alone for a few moments and was studying a map of New York. The latter, however, was too ill at ease to keep silent for long. "Our friend French." he remarked, "gave you no cluo. I suppose, as to the direction in which his investigations are lending him?" Quest glanced up from the map. "None at all. I know, however, that the house in which T>enora here was confined is being watched closely." The professor glanced across toward the table before which Ixniora was seated. "It seems strange," he continued, "that the young lady should have so little to tell us about her incarceration." I>enora shiverpd for a moment. "What could there be to tell," she asked, "except that it was all horrible, and that I felt thinge?felt dangers? which l couldn't describe." The professor gave vent to an Impatient. little exclamation. "I am not speaking for fancies," he persisted. "You had food brought to you, for instance. Could you never aee the hand wh^h placed It Inside your room? Con' ! you hear nothing of the footsteps of the person who brought It? Could you not even surmise whether It were a inan or a woman?" Lenora answered him with an evident effort. She had barely, as yet. recovered from the shock of those awful hours. "The person who brought me the food," she said, "came at night?never in the daytime. I never heard anything. The most I ever saw was once ?I happened to be looking toward the door and I saw a pair of hands? nothing more?setting down a tray. I shrieked and called out. 1 think that I almost fainted. When I found courage enough to look, there was nothing there but the tray upon the floor." The professor sighed as he turned away. "It is evident, 1 am afraid," he said, "that Miss Lenora's evidence will help no one. As an pynprt in thnsp nffnir? Mr. Quest, does it not seem to you that her imprisonment was just a little purposeless? There seems to have heen no attempt to harm her in any way." "Whoever took the risk of abducting her," Quest pointed out grimly, "did it for a purpose. That purpose would probably have been developed in course of time. However we look at it, Mr. Ashleigh, there was only one man who must have been anxious to get her out of the way, and that man was Craig. Here comes our friend French. 1 have an idea that he has something to tell us." They glancod expectantly towards the door as French entered. The inspector, who was looking very spruce and well brushed, wished thern a general good-morning. His eyes rested last and longest upon Laura, who seemed, however, unconscious of his presence. "Now, then, French," Quest began, sis he returned his greeting, "take a cigar, make yourself comfortable in that chair and let us have your news. As you see, we have obeyed orders. We are all ready to follow you anya m i i ' )PPENHEIM copypicrHT i<?i2t oris r wood me Name. Produced by the Universal urlng Company, where." "It won't be to the end of the world, anyway," the inspector remarked, as he lit his cigar. "I am going to propose a little excursion down Gayson avenue way." "Pack to that house?" Leoora exclaimed with a grimace. The inspector nodded. "We have had those boys at the station," he went on, "and we have questioned thein carefully. It seems that after they had picked up the ball, a man came out of the side entrance of the house, saw them reading Miss Lenora's message, and shouted after them. The boys had sense enough to scoot. The man ran after them, but had to cive it ud. Here is their description of him." The inspector took a piece of paper from his poeket. They all waited breathlessly. "Had to drag this out of the boys, bit by bit," the inspector proceeded, "but boiled down and put into reasonable language, this is what it comes to: A man of medium height, rather thin, pale, and after running a short distance he put his hand to his heart, rs though out of breath. One of the boys thought his nose was a little hooked, and they both remarked upon the fact that although he shouted after them, he used no swear words, but simply tried to induce them to stop. This description suggest anything to you. gentlemen?" "Craig," Lenora said firmly. "It is a very accurate discription of Craig," Sanford Quest agreed. The professor looked troubled, also a little perplexed. He said nothing, however. "Under those circumstances," the Inspector continued, "I have had the house watched, and T propose that wo now search it systematically. It is very possible that something may transpire to help us. Of course, my men went, through it roughly when we brought Miss Lenora away, but that wasn't anything of a search to count, if the place really has become a haunt of criminals." "What about the ownership of the house?" Quest asked, as he took up his hat. The inspector nodded approvingly. "I am making a few inquiries in that direction." he announced. "I expect to have something to report very shortly." The professor stood drawing on his gloves. The vague look of trouble still lingered in his face. "Tell me again," he begged, ^the name of the avenue in which this residence is situated?" "Oayson avenue," the inspector re- i plied. "It's a bit out of the way, but It's not a bad neighborhood." The professor repeated the address to himself softly. For a moment ho stood quite still. His manner showed signs of growing anxiety. He seemed to be trying to remember something. "The name," ho admitted finally, as they moved towards the door, "suggests to me, I must confess?we are going to see the house inspector?" "We are on our way there now, air ?that is if the young ladies are willing?" he added, glancing at Laura. "We've been waiting here with our hats on for the last half hour," l^aura The Whole Staircase Suddenly Began to Revolve. replied promptly. "You've stretched your ton minutes out some, Mr. French." The inspector maneuvered to let the others pass on, and descended the THE HORRY HER stairs by Laura's side. "Couldn't help it," he confided, lowering his tone a little. "Had some information in about that house I couldn't quite size up. You're looking well this morning, Miss Laura." "Say, who are you guying!" she replied. "I mean it," the Inspector persieted. "That hat seems to suit you." Laura laughed .at the top of her voice. "Say, kid," she exclaimed to Le* Bora, "the inspector here's setting up as a judge of millinery!" Lenora turned and looked at them both with an air of blank astonishment. The inspector was a little embarrassed. "No need to give me away like that," he muttered, as they reached the hall. "Now then, ladies and gentlemen, 11 you are ready." They took their places in the automobile and drove off. As they neared the vicinity of Gayson avenue the professor began to show signs of renewed uneasiness. When they drew up at last outside the house he gave a little exclamation. His face was grave, almost haggard. "Mr. Quest," he said, "Inspector French, I deeply regret that I have a statement to make." They both turned quickly toward! him. The inspector smiled in a confidential manner at Laura. It was obvious that he knew what was com ing. "Some years ago," the professor continued, "I bought this house and made a present of it to?" "To whom?" Quest asked quickly. "To my servant Craig," the professor admitted with a groan. Lenora gave a little cry. She turned triumphantly towards the inspector. "All recollection as to its locality had escaped me," the professor continued sorrowfully. "I remember that it was on the anniversary of his having been with me for some fifteen years that I decided to show him ; some substantial mark of my appre-1 elation. I knew that he was looking ' for a domicile for his father and mother, who are since both dead, j fiTlH I T"annnotnrl ? ? ? * 1 ....v. . ?v?jucoitu n nuuac lO BOllO me in a list of suitable residences. This, alas! was the one I purchased." Quest glanced around the place. "I think," he said, "that the profes- , sor's statement now removes any doubt as to Craig's guilt. You are sure the house has been closely watched, inspector?" "Since I received certain information," French replied, "I have had half a dozen of my best men in the vicinity. I can assure you that no one has entered or left it during the last twenty-four hours.** They made their way to the piazza steps and entered by the front door. The house was an ordinary framework one of moderate size, in poor repair, and showing signs of great neglect. The rooms were barely furnished and their first cursory search revealed no traces of habitation. There was still the broken skylight in the room which Lenora had occupied, and the bed upon which she had slept was still crumpled. French, who had been tapping the walls downstairs, called to them. They trooped down into the hall. The inspector was standing before what appeared to be an ordinary panel. "Look here," he said, glancing out of the corner of his eye to be sure that Laura was there, "let me show yon what I hare just discovered." He felt with his thumb for a spring. In a moment or two a portion of the wall, about two feet In extent, slowly revolved, disclosing a small cupboard fitted with a telephone instrument. "A telephone," the Inspector remarked, pointing to It, "In an unoccupied house and a concealed cupboard. What do you think of that?" The professor shook his head. "Don't ask me," he groaned. French took the receiver from Its rest and called up the exchange. "Inspector French speaking," he announced. "Kindly tell me what is the number of the telephone from which I am speaking, and who is the subscriber?" He listened to the reply and asked another question. "Can you toll me when this instrument was last used? . . . When? . . . . Thank you!" The Inspector hung up the receiver. "The subscriber's name," he told them dryly, "is Drown. The number is not entered in the book, by request. The telephone was used an hour ago from a call office and connection was established. That is to say, that someone spoke from this telephone." "Then if your men have maintained their search properly, that someone," Quest said slowly, "must be in the house at the present moment." "Without a doubt," the Inspector agreed. "I am going to Rearch the front room on the first floor before we do anything else," said Quest. "I think that If you wait here I may be able to show you something directly." Quest ascended the stairs and entered a wholly unfurnished room on the left-hand side. He looked for a minute contemplatively at a large but rather shallow cupboard, the door of which stood open, and tapped lightly with his forefinger upon the back part of It. Then he withdrew a few fret and, drawing out his revolver, deliberately fired into the floor, a few Inches inside. There was a halfstifled cry. The false back suddenly swung open and a man rushed out. Quest's revolver covered him, but ir.D CONWAY, s o. . Ho Was Wearin< there was no necessity for its use. Craig, smothered with dust, his face white as a piece of marble, even his jaw shaking with fear, was wholly unarmed. He seemed, in fact, incapable of any form of resistance. "Walk out of the room," Quest ordered, "in front of me?so! Now turn to the right and go down the stairs." They all gave a little cry as they saw him appear, a trembling, pitiful creature, glancing around like a trapped animal. He commenced to descend the stairs, holding tightly to the banisters. Quest remained on the landing above, his revolver in his hand. French waited in the hall below. fllsn nrmoH T nnm t - ? ? ~ F ? ? ..iv/u. UHUict 11J1JRU IJW I nora's arm in excitement. "They've got him now!" she exclaimed. "Got him, sure!" On the fourth or fifth stair Craig hesitated. He suddenly saw the professor standing below. He gripped the banisters with one hand. The other he flung out in a threatening gesture. "You've given me away to these bloodhounds!" he cried?"you, for whom I have toiled and slaved, whom I have followed all over the world, whom I have served faithfully with the last breath of my body and the last drop of blood in my veins! You have brought them here?tracked me down! You!" The professor shook his head sorrowfully. "Craig," he said, "you have been the best servant man ever had. If VOU Jiro innnnont *V?~~" ! , ~ Ul IUVOU V/l 11I1CS V ij I I I can clear yourself. If you are guilty a dog's death is none too good for you." Craig seemed to sway for a moment upon his feet. Only Leuora, from the hall, saw that he was fitting his right foot into what seemed to be a leath- ! er loop hanging from the banisters. 1 Then a wild shout of surprise broke i from the lips of all of them, followed by a moment of stupefied wonder. The whole staircase suddenly began | to revolve. Craig, clinging to the banisters, disappeared. In a moment i or two there was a fresh click. An- j other set of stairs, identical to the first, had taken their place. "The cellar!" Quest shouted, as he rushed down the stairs. "Quick!" They wrenched open the wooden door and hurried down the dark steps into the gloomy, unlit cellar. The place was crowded with packing cases and two large wine barrels stood in the oorner. At the farther end was a door. Quest rushed for it and stood guard. A moment later, however, he called to Laura and pressed hi3 re- j volver Into her hand "Stand there," he ordered. "Shoot him if he tries to run out I'll search in the packing oases. He might bo dangerous." The professor,. out ot breath, was1 leaning against one of the pillars, his arm passed around it for support. Lenora, with Quest and French. , searched hastily amongst the packing cases. Suddenly there was a loud crack, the sound of falling masonry, followed by a scream from Laura. French, with a roar of anger, rushed toward her. She was lying on her side, already half covered by falling bricks and masonry. He dragged her away, just in tiine. "My Ood, she's fainted!" he exclaimed. "I haven't," Laura faltered, trying to open her eyes, "and I'm not going to, but I think my arm's broken, and my side hurts." "The fellow's not down horn ntiv way," Quest declared. "Lot's help her upstairs and get her out of this devil's house." They supported her up the steps and found a chair for her In the hall. The inspector swung open the telephone cupboard and called for an ambulance. Then Quest, who had been I examining the staircase, suddenly gave a little exclamation. "He's done ns!" he cried. "Tyiok here, French, this is the original staircase. There's the leather loop. I know it because there was a crack on the fourth stair. When we rushed down the cellar after him, he swung the thing round again and simply walked out of the front door. Damn It, man, it's opeo!" Thev hurried outside. French blew h's vthistlc. One of the plain-clothes men came running up from the avenue. He was looking a little sheepish. "What's wrong?" French demanded. "He's gone off," was the unwilling reply. "I guess that chap's given us _ I 1 Craig's Clothes. the slip." "Speak up," French insisted. "The only place," the man went on, "we hadn't our eyes glued on was the front door. He must have come 1 out through that. There's been a I motortruck with one or- two queen- ' looking chaps in it at the corner of i the avenue there for the last ten min- ' utes. I'd just made up my mind to ! stroll round and see what it was up to when Jim, who was on the other side, shouted out. A man Jumped up ! into it and they made off at once." j The inspector's rubicund counte- 1 nance was white with fury. His head j kept turning in the direction of Laura, ! io wnom tne proressor was busy rendering first aid. "If I never take another job on as long as I live," he declared, "I'll have that fellow before I'm through!" CHAPTER XVII. The profeRRor roused himself from ' what had apparently been a very { gloomy reverie. "Well," he announced, "I must go home. It has been very kind of you, Mr. Quest, to keep me here for so I long." Quest glanced at the clock. "Don't hurry, Mr. Ashleigh," he said. "We may get some news at any , moment. French has a dozen men I out on the search and he has prom- J ised to ring me up immediately ho hears anything." The professor sighed. "A man," he declared, "who for twenty years can deceive his master | as utterly and completely as Craig | has done me, who is capable of such diabolical outrages, and who, when capture stares him in the face, is capable of an escape such as he made today, is outside the laws of probability. Personally, I do not believe that I shall ever again see the face of my servant, any more than that you, Quest, will entirely solve the mystery of these murders and the theft of the Rheinholdt jewels. What can we do against men who have revolving staircases and trolley-loads of river pirates waiting for them? You may be a scientific criminologist, j Quest, but that fellow Craig is a I scientific criminal, if ever there was 1 one." Queet crossed the room towards his | cigar cabinet, and opened it. His little i start was apparent to both of them. ; Lenora laid down the bag which she had Just lifted up. The professor loaned forward in his chair. "What Is ft, Quest?" he demanded. 1 Quest stretched out his hand and picked up from the top of the cigars a small black box! He laid it on the table. | "Unless I am very much mistaken," he said, "it is another communication from our mysterious friend." "Impossible!" the professor exclaimed hoarsely. 1 "How can he have been here?" Lenora cried. | Quest removed the lid from the box and drew out a circular card. Around the outside edge was a very clover pen and ink sketch of a life- ; buoy, and inside the margin were several sentences of clear handwriting. In the middle was the signature?the clenched hands! Quest read the message aloud: j In the great scheme of things, the Supreme Ruler of the universe divided an inheritance amongst hit children. To one he gave power, to another strength, to another beauty, but to his favorite he gave cunning. They all looked at one another. | "What does it mean?'.' Lenora gasped. "A lifebuoy!" the professor murmured. i They both stared at. Quest who mained silent, chewing hard at the end of his cigar. I "Every message," he said, speaking half to himself, "has had some slg-* niHcance. What does this mean?a lifebuoy ?" He was silent for a moment. Then he turned suddenly to the professor. "What did you call those men in the motortruck, professor?river pirates? And a lifebuoy! Walt." He crossed the room towards his desk and returned with a list in his hand. He ran his finger down It, stooped and glanced at the date. I "The Durham," "no muttered, "cargo cotton, destination Southampton, sails at high tide on the 16th. Lenora, is that calendar right?" "It's the 10th, Mr. Qwest," she answered. Quest crossed the room to the telei phone. "I want number one, central," he raid. "Thank you! Put me through' .m to Mr. French's office. . . . Hello, t French! I've got an idea. Can you come round here at once and bring an automobile? I want to get down, to the docks?not where the passenger steamers start from?lower down. , . . Good! We'll wait." Quest hyng up the receiver. "See here, professor," he continued,. "that fellow wouldn't dare to send this message if he weren't pretty sure ^ of getting off. He's made all his**' ( plans beforehand, but it's my belief we shall just get our hands upon him, after ail." Presently the heard the automobiha etop outside and French appeared. "Anything doing?" he asked. Quest showed him the card and the sailing list. The inspector glanced at the clock. "Then we've got to make tracks,* he declared, "and pretty quick, too-M She'll be starting from somewhere about number twenty-eight dock, a 16ng way down. Come along, gentlemen." They hurried out to the automobile and started off for the docks. The latter part of their journey was accomplished under difficulties, for the street was packed with drays and ^ j heavy vehicles. They reached dock^flH number twenty-eight at last, however, and hurried through the Shed on to the wharf There were no signs w ot a steamer there. n "Where's the Durhara ?' Quest asked one ot the carters, who was just getting his team together. The man pointed out to the middle ? nf ri vnp u'horo o on\M 11 of ? . > > v> i it iiv.i & u oiiiuii oicainci v> ar? lying "There she is," he replied. "She'll be off in a few minutes. You'll hear ^ the sirens directly when they begin to move down." Quest led the way quickly to the edge of the wharf. There was a small tug there, the arew of which were just making her fast for the night. "Fifty dollars if you'll take us out to the Durham and catch her before she suils,'" Quest shouted to the mart^ who seemed to be the captain. They clambered down the iron ladder and jumped on to the deck ot the tug. The captain seized the wheel. Tke two men who formed the crew took off their coats and waistcoats. "Give it to her, Jim," the former ordered "Now then, here goes! We'll just miss the ferry." They swung around and commenced ? their Journey. Quest stood with his^ watch In his hand. They were getting up the anchor of the Durham and from higher up the river came tho screecri of steamers beginning to move on their outward way. "We'll make it all right," the captain assured them. They were within a hundred yards of the Durham when Quest gave a little exclamation. From the other sid^ of the steamer another tug shot out away, turning back towards New York Muddled up in the stern, half concealed in a tarpaulin, was a man in a plain black suit. Quest, with a little shout, recognized the man at the helm from his long, brown beard. "That's one of those fellows who was in the truck," he declared, "and that's Craig in the stern! We've got him this time. Say, captain, it's that* tug I want. Never mind about the steamer. Catch it and I'll make it a hundred dollars!" , "We've got 'lrer!" he captain exclaimed. There's tho ferry and the first of the steamers coming down in the middle. They'll have to chuck it." Right ahead of them, blazing with dp lights, a huge ferry came churning ^ the river up and sending waves in.# ^ their direction. On the other side, * * Ml4 v Tw73Ry|B^?*. Quost Stood on Guard. ^naturally large, . loomed up the great bows of an ocean-going steamer. The tug was swung round and they ran up alongside. The man with the beard leaned over. * "Say, what's your trouble?" he d* manded. The inspector stepped forward. "1 want that man you've got under