diff options
Diffstat (limited to '38577.txt')
| -rw-r--r-- | 38577.txt | 7800 |
1 files changed, 7800 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/38577.txt b/38577.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..8e97b71 --- /dev/null +++ b/38577.txt @@ -0,0 +1,7800 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Blue Lights, by Arnold Fredericks + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: The Blue Lights + A Detective Story + +Author: Arnold Fredericks + +Illustrator: Will Grefe + +Release Date: January 15, 2012 [EBook #38577] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE BLUE LIGHTS *** + + + + +Produced by Dianna Adair, Suzanne Shell, and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This +file was produced from images generously made available +by The Internet Archive/American Libraries) + + + + + + + + + + THE BLUE LIGHTS + + + Illustration: A hasty examination of the sailing list showed her the + astonishing truth. Richard was not on board. + + + + + THE + + BLUE LIGHTS + + BY + + ARNOLD FREDERICKS + + AUTHOR OF + + THE IVORY SNUFF BOX, ETC. + + ILLUSTRATIONS BY + + WILL GREFE + + NEW YORK + + GROSSET & DUNLAP + + PUBLISHERS + + COPYRIGHT, 1915, BY + + W. J. WATT & COMPANY + + + + +THE BLUE LIGHTS + + + + +CHAPTER I + + +The big, mud-spattered touring car, which for the past hour had been +plowing its way steadily northward from the city of Washington, +hesitated for a moment before the gateway which marked the end of the +well kept drive, then swept on to the house. + +A man, stoutly built, keen of eye, showing haste in his every movement, +sprang from the machine and ascended the veranda steps. + +"Does Richard Duvall live here?" he inquired, curtly, of the smiling old +colored woman who came to the door. + +"'Deed he do, suh. Does you want to see him?" + +"Yes. At once, please. Tell him it is most important. My name is +Hodgman." + +The servant eyed him with cool disfavor. "Set down, suh," she remarked +stiffly. "I'll tell him you is here." + +The caller watched her, as she disappeared into the house, then cast +himself impatiently into a chair and lit a cigar. + +He paid no attention to the attempts of two clumsy collie puppies to +attract his favorable notice, but contented himself with making a quick +survey of the wide comfortable veranda, with its big roomy chairs, the +wicker table, bearing a great jar of red peonies, the smooth green +lawns, swept by the late afternoon sun. + +"Fine old place," he muttered to himself. "Wonder if I can persuade him +to go?" + +As the car which had brought Mr. Hodgman on his hasty trip from +Washington dashed up to the front of the house, Grace Duvall, looking +very charming in a blue linen dress, was just approaching it from the +rear. + +She held a pair of shears in her hand, and her apron was filled to +overflowing with hundred-leaf roses. "Dick--oh, Dick!" she called, as +she came down the long avenue of syringas and lilacs which led to the +house. "The sweet peas are nearly ready to bloom." + +Richard Duvall, looking as simply pastoral as though he had never +tracked an international crook to cover, raised his head from the +flower bed, in which he had been carefully setting out circle after +circle of geranium plants. + +"Are they?" he laughed. "That's good. Now all we need is a few good hot +days." He gathered up his trowel and rake, and started toward the barn. + +Grace put her arm through her husband's and together they strolled +across the springy green turf, their faces smiling and happy. The +honeymoon showed no signs of waning. + +This lovely old country place, in southern Maryland, had been one of +Richard Duvall's dreams for many years, and after his marriage to Grace +Ellicott, in Paris, it had become hers, as well. It was but a short time +after their return to America that they decided to make it a reality. + +Grace had encouraged her husband in the plan of giving up, for a time at +least, his warfare against crime, his pursuit of criminals of the higher +and more dangerous type, and had persuaded him to buy the farm which had +once belonged to his mother's people, and settle down to the life of a +country gentleman. + +His office was still maintained, under the able direction of one of his +assistants, but Duvall gave little or no attention to its affairs. He +was glad to withdraw, for the first time in over nine years, from +active work, and devote his energies to early potatoes, prize dogs, +hunters, and geranium plants--and, above all, to the peaceful enjoyment +of his honeymoon, and the making of Grace the happiest woman in the +world. + +She, on her part, found in their present situation all the joys of +existence for which she had longed. With little or no liking for the +monotonous round of society and its duties, and a passionate love of +nature, she found in the many and complex duties of managing her part of +their extensive estate a far greater happiness than any which city life +could have offered her. + +The considerable fortune which her husband's clever work while in Paris +had restored to her, had been safely invested in well paying securities, +and she found her greatest joy in utilizing at least a part of her +income in beautifying their new home. + +Richard had steadily refused to make any use of the money. It was a +matter of pride with him, that his own savings had enabled him to +purchase the property; but when Grace proposed to build an addition to +the house, to provide him with a more comfortable library and work room, +or insisted upon having the roads throughout the place elaborately +macadamized, he was obliged to submit to her wishes. In this way, they +planned and built for the future, together. + +The farm was a large one, comprising some two hundred acres, and the old +stone house surrounded by white oaks and tulip poplars had once been a +show place, before the declining fortunes of its former owners had +caused it to fall into a state of mellow and time-honored decay. Now all +was changed. Grace, with the able assistance of old Uncle Abe Turner, a +relic of ante bellum times, spent hours daily in bringing order out of +the chaos of tangled myrtle and ivy, overgrown box and hedge, thickets +of syringa and lilac bushes and weed-grown lawns. + +It was a gigantic task, yet a joyous one--as it ever is, to those who +came to it with the love of nature in their hearts. To Grace, the plants +and shrubs, the great strong oaks, the towering poplars, each seemed to +have a distinct personality. Under her energetic hand, the place once +more took on the aspect of well kept and orderly beauty which was such a +contrast to its former down-at-the-heels appearance. It seemed as though +the growing things realized the personal interest she took in them, and +responded as they never respond to the ignorant or unsympathetic. + +Richard was concerned with his fields of timothy and clover, his early +corn, his berries and fruit trees, to say nothing of his collies, his +prize cows and Kentucky horses. In such a life, time never hangs +heavy--he was busy studying, planning, working, from morning to night, +and his active mind soon convinced his capable overseer and the farm +hands as well that, although Richard Duvall was by no means a +professional farmer, he could still show them a thing or two when it +came to the rotation of crops, the spraying of fruit trees, or the +proper treatment of worn out soils. These were aspects of farming life +which the hide-bound conservatism of the local farmers caused them to +jeer at, as newfangled notions gotten from books. Later when they saw +the man who farmed with his head as well as his hands gather in two +bushels where they had barely been able to secure one, they began to sit +up and take notice. + +"I got the new hedges all set out today," Grace went on, as she patted +her husband's rather grimy hand. "They will be charming, against the +gray stone of the wall. But we must have new gate posts. The old ones +are likely to tumble into the road at any moment." + +"I'll have Martin come out tomorrow and look them over. There's plenty +of stone--down in the lower pasture. Why not carry the wall right along +the whole front of the property? It ought not to cost a great deal." + +"We will. And I'm going to have a new spring house built, too. The old +one is falling to pieces." She looked up at her husband as he deposited +the rake in the tool room and they started up the shaded walk toward the +house. "Aren't you glad, Dick, that we're _alive_?" + +He pressed her arm. "Well--I should say so, little girl! Why do you ask +me that?" + +"Oh--you know what your friends all said--that a man might as well be +dead, as buried out here in the country. I think they are the ones who +are not alive--cooped up in the city. Don't you?" + +Richard nodded. He was thinking for the moment of his former active +life--when some battle of wits with a noted crook had kept him sleepless +for nights. "It's--rather different," he laughed. "Isn't it?" + +"Yes--and much better. Don't you think so, dear? You wouldn't want to go +back to it--would you?" + +"Not for anything in the world," he assured her, as he swept the newly +seeded lawns with a contented glance. "I liked the other life, of +course--the excitement, the danger of it; but this is better--much +better. Here, Don!" he called to a graceful collie which was barking +vociferously at some distant vehicle in the road. "Come here and be +quiet." He turned with Grace to the great vine-covered side porch and +sank contentedly into a rocking chair. "Well, little girl--it's been a +busy day, and I'm tired. We got the early rye all cut on the lower field +today. Guess we'll put in late potatoes, after it's plowed. Here, +Don--come back here! What's the matter with you?" He rose and whistled +to the dog, which was bounding across the lawn in the direction of the +road. "Come back, I say!" + +"It's someone coming in," said Grace, uneasily. "In a machine. I wonder +who it can be?" + +"Possibly Hudson, the veterinary. He was coming today, to look at that +heifer." + +"He hasn't a machine like that. This is a big touring car." She turned +to her husband. "Hadn't you better go in and fix up a bit, Dick? It may +be company." + +Duvall laughed. "If it is, they'll have to take me as I am," he said; +then again called to the dog. + +A moment later the servant, who had interviewed the caller at the front +door, came out to the side porch. "Gentleman to see you, Mr. Duvall," +she said. "Seems to be in a powerful hurry, too." + +"All right, Aunt Lucy," said Duvall as he made his way to the front of +the house. + +"Is this Richard Duvall?" the visitor asked, in a quick, almost +peremptory tone, as the detective joined him. + +"Yes. That is my name. What can I do for you?" + +The newcomer rose nervously from his chair and began chewing upon his +half-smoked cigar. "Had the devil of a time to find you, Mr. Duvall." + +"You came out from Washington, I suppose," remarked the detective, +wondering what his visitor could want with him. + +"Yes. Got your address from Hicks, of the Treasury Department. He said +you were about twelve miles out. I seem to have come about twenty." + +"Perhaps you went around by way of Laurel. It's much further, that way. +What can I do for you, Mr.----" He paused interrogatively. + +The man looked up at him quickly. "My name's Hodgman--Thomas Hodgman--of +New York. I represent John Stapleton." + +"John Stapleton, the banker?" asked Duvall, surprised. + +"Yes. You know him, don't you?" + +"Yes. Quite well. I handled a case for him once--some years ago. Why?" +Duvall's face became grave. He began to realize that the interview was +likely to become suddenly important. John Stapleton, the +multi-millionaire banker, was not in the habit of sending messengers to +anyone, without good reason. + +"So he said," went on Mr. Hodgman, resuming his chair. "That's why I'm +here. He wants you to take another--" + +"Another?" + +"Yes. Another case. Quick." + +"It's quite out of the question." + +"Nonsense! This is important. Money's no object; name your own terms." + +"It isn't a question of terms, Mr. Hodgman. I have withdrawn, for the +time being at least, from active professional work." + +"I know." The visitor flicked the ashes impatiently from his cigar and +sought nervously in his pockets for a match. "That's what they told me +at your office, in New York. Said you were on your honeymoon, and didn't +want to be bothered." + +"That's true. I don't." + +"I told Mr. Stapleton that. He sent me to see you; said you might change +your mind, when you heard about the case." + +"It is quite impossible. I do not care to take up any detective work at +present." + +Mr. Hodgman fidgeted nervously in his chair. "You must listen to what I +have to say, Mr. Duvall, at any rate. Mr. Stapleton would not hear to my +returning, after seeing you, without having explained to you the nature +of the case." + +Duvall leaned back, and began to fondle the long moist nose of the +collie which sat beside his chair. "If you insist, Mr. Hodgman, I will +listen, of course; but I assure you it will be quite useless." + +"I hope not. The case is most distressing. Mr. Stapleton's only child +has been kidnapped!" + +"Kidnapped!" Duvall sat up with a start, every line of his face tense +with professional interest. "When? Where?" + +"In Paris. The cablegram arrived this morning. I don't know the details. +Mrs. Stapleton has been spending the winter abroad. Mr. Stapleton was to +join her this month. She is living at their house in the Avenue Kleber, +Paris. The child was out walking with a nurse. It has been stolen. +That's all I know." + +"When did it happen?" + +"Yesterday morning. Mrs. Stapleton did not cable at first, believing +that the boy would be found during the course of the day. Naturally she +did not wish to alarm her husband needlessly, and the Prefect of Police, +it seems, had assured her that the child would undoubtedly be recovered +before night. It wasn't. This morning Mr. Stapleton got a long cablegram +from his wife, telling him of the boy's disappearance. He's half crazy +over the thing." + +"What is he going to do?" + +"I don't know. He sent me to see you at once. I'm his secretary, you +know. When I couldn't find you in New York, he told me to come here. I +arrived in Washington an hour ago, and came right out. Mr. Stapleton +said if any man on earth could find his boy for him, you could." + +"I suppose the thing is a matter of blackmail--ransom--" + +"Very likely. They will probably demand a huge sum. No requests have +been made, as yet, so far as I know. These fellows usually wait a week +or two, before showing their hand, to give the unfortunate parents a +chance to worry themselves half to death. I suppose they figure that +then they'll be more likely to come across with the money." + +"Yes. That's the scheme. A rotten business, too. Hanging is too good for +such wretches!" + +"That's what I say. Of course you can understand how Mr. Stapleton +feels." + +"Of course. He will sail at once, I suppose." + +"That's the worst of it. He can't go till Saturday. Tomorrow's +Thursday--that's three days off. There's a deal on here involving +millions--something he's been working to put through for months. Of +course he doesn't consider anything like that, when it comes to his +child; but he's got to think of his associates--men who have intrusted +their money to him. He can't possibly sail before Saturday. He wants you +to go ahead of him. There's a fast boat leaving in the morning. You +could take that. We can have a conference tonight. It will mean mighty +quick work, though." He glanced at his watch. "After six now. There's no +train till midnight--the sleeper. But Mr. Stapleton told me to charter a +special. We can be in New York by one o'clock in the morning, if we +start right now." He looked at Duvall in eager expectancy. + +The latter frowned, his gaze wandering off to the distant fields, where +the newly plowed earth reminded him of his plans for the morrow. Yet +here was a man, a friend, who had helped him much, in the earlier days +of his career, begging him to come to his assistance in a matter almost +of life or death. It was a difficult decision that he was called upon to +make. The thought of leaving Grace hurt him deeply; yet she would prefer +to stay behind, in case he should go, to look after the affairs of the +place. With the assistance of the overseer and the hands, he knew that +she could manage everything during a brief absence on his part--it +seemed unlikely that the matter would require more than three or four +weeks, at the outside. + +Mr. Hodgman broke in upon his thoughts. "You'll go, Mr. Duvall? Mr. +Stapleton is depending on you. He has the utmost faith in your +abilities. He knows your familiarity with Paris--the work you have done +there, in the past. He believes that, by intrusting the matter to a +fellow countryman, he will get his boy back again. He hasn't much faith +in foreign detectives. He's set his heart on having you start for Paris +at once. I can't go back and tell him that you have refused." Mr. +Hodgman spoke in a loud and earnest voice, due to his very evident +excitement. Neither he nor Duvall noticed that Grace had approached +them, and was standing in the open doorway of the house. + +Before the detective had an opportunity to reply, Grace spoke. "What is +it, Richard?" she inquired, quietly. + +Duvall rose, presented Mr. Hodgman to his wife, and bade her sit down. +Then, in a few words, he acquainted her with the circumstances which led +to the latter's visit. + +"Think of that poor mother, alone there in Paris," Hodgman supplemented. +"Think of her suffering, her anxiety. I realize how much we are asking, +to take Mr. Duvall away from you, especially at this time; but, it is +Mr. Stapleton's only child--a boy of six. You can understand how he must +feel." + +Grace nodded. "Yes, I can understand," she said, slowly, then turned to +her husband. + +"What do you think, dear?" he asked her. + +"I think, Richard, that you had better go." + +Mr. Hodgman sprang to his feet, and, coming over to Grace, took her +hand. He knew that his battle was won. "I thank you, Mrs. Duvall," he +said, "on Mr. Stapleton's account, as well as on my own. He will +appreciate deeply what you have done, the sacrifice you are making, and +he will not forget it." He looked again at his watch nervously, the +anxiety he felt clearly evident in his every movement. "We had best +start at once, Mr. Duvall." + +Duvall rose. "I will join you in a short while, Mr. Hodgman. I wish to +say a few words to my wife." He took Grace's arm and drew her within the +house, leaving Mr. Hodgman pacing nervously up and down the veranda. + +The conference between Grace and her husband was short. Each realized +the distress which tore at the other's heart, as well as the dangers he +would in all probability be called upon to face; yet they met the +situation calmly. "You will not be gone long," she told him. "I can +manage very well." + +"I know you can, dear," he said, pressing her to him. "I'm not worried +about the place. You can run that as well as I can. It's you, I'm +worried about--leaving you"-- + +"I'll be all right," she assured him, in spite of her tears. "I have +Aunt Lucy, and old Uncle Abe, and Rose, and Jennie. I won't be so _very_ +lonely. And you will be very careful--and--and come back soon--won't +you?" + +"Of course, dear. Very soon. Now I'd better get a few things together." + +Fifteen minutes later Grace Duvall stood on the steps of the veranda, +watching the flying automobile as it rapidly became a little red blur in +the distant road. It was nearly dark. The frogs in the patch of marsh in +the meadow were piping dismally. She shivered, and a great sense of +desolation came over her. She sank into a chair and wept, while Don, +inserting his long white muzzle between her hands, strove to lick away +her tears. + +She heard Aunt Lucy, the old negro cook, singing away at her work in the +kitchen, accompanied by Uncle Abe, who occupied a bench on the back +porch. Everything seemed strangely peaceful, and lonely, too, now that +Richard had gone. She patted the eager head of the collie. "We'll have +to make the best of it, Don," she said, and rose to enter the house. + +Suddenly far down the road she heard the chugging of an automobile. They +were not frequent visitors, upon this country road. Could it be Richard, +she wondered, returning for something he had forgotten? + +She stood, straining her eyes into the dusk, waiting, while with one +hand she restrained the eager dog. + +Presently she saw that the machine was not a red one. It was not +Richard. She was about to enter the house, when she realized that the +rapidly moving car had entered the grounds. She turned on the lights in +the hallway and stood, waiting, the dog at her side bristling with +anger. + +In a moment the automobile had stopped, and almost before she realized +it, a small, foreign-looking man stood on the doorstep before her. +"Madame Duvall?" he inquired, quickly, in a voice which showed plainly +his nationality. + +"Yes," she replied. + +"Your husband! May I see him?" + +"He is not at home." + +The newcomer seemed greatly disturbed. "Then I fear, Madame, that I +shall be obliged to wait until he returns." + +"He will not return. He has gone away for sometime." + +"Ah! That is indeed a calamity!" The man's face showed the keenest +disappointment. "May I ask where I can find him?" + +"It will be quite impossible." Grace had no intention of telling her +visitor where her husband had gone. She knew too well the intricacies of +his profession, for that. "You cannot find him." She made as though to +close the door, and thereby terminate the interview. + +The newcomer realized her intention. Slowly he raised his hand, in the +palm of which showed the seal of a ring, turned inward. It was of +silver, with curious figures worked into it in gold. The man glanced +from the ring to Grace, eying her steadily. "I think, Madame," he said, +with a meaning smile, "that you can trust me." + +Grace recognized the ring at once. It was similar to one she herself had +worn, while engaged in the memorable search for the ivory snuff box for +Monsieur Lefevre, Prefect of Police of Paris. Dear old Lefevre--the +friend of Richard's, and of her own! This man who stood before her must +be a messenger from him. + +"Come in, please," she said, quietly, and led the way to the library. + +The man followed her, calling out a few words to his chauffeur as he did +so. No sooner had they reached the great book-lined room, than he drew +from his pocket a sealed envelope. + +"Madame Duvall," he said, earnestly, "Monsieur Lefevre has cabled to his +representatives in Washington a message. That message is contained in +this envelope. I have instructions to deliver it to your husband +immediately. In case I could not find him, I am to hand it to you. +Permit, me, Madame." With a bow, he placed the message in her hand. + +Grace took the envelope, broke the heavy seal which it bore, and drawing +out a slip of paper, hastily read the contents. The message was from +Monsieur Lefevre. It said: + + My dear Duvall: + + You promised, on the occasion of our last meeting, to come to me + should I ever need you. I need you badly, my friend. Come at once, + both you, and your dear wife. LEFEVRE. + +Grace looked up at the man before her, the letter crumpled in her hand. +Here was a message the urgency of which could not be denied. She knew +that, had Richard been at home, he would have gone to Paris at once in +response to it; for it was to Monsieur Lefevre that they in reality owed +all their happiness. She recalled vividly their wedding, with the +lovable old Frenchman, acting as her father for the occasion, giving +away the bride. She remembered the farewell dinner at the Prefect's +house, and the beautiful gift he had given her on that occasion. +Evidently Monsieur Lefevre desired Richard's presence very greatly, and +her own as well. The thought suddenly came to her--why not go to him? + +True, Richard had left her in charge of things at home; but she knew +that, for a reasonable time, at least, they would go on smoothly enough +without her. Hendricks, the overseer, was a capable and honest man, +devoted to her and to her husband. + +She could safely leave matters in his charge. Then, too, the thought of +surprising Richard on the steamer sailing the next day appealed to her +sense of mischief. How astounded he would be, to find her strolling +along the deck! And how delighted, too! She wondered that the thought of +accompanying him had not occurred to her more strongly before. She +turned to the man, who stood watching her narrowly. + +"You know the contents of this message?" + +"Yes, Madame," he bowed. "It came to us by cable--in cipher." + +"There is a train for New York at midnight, and a steamer tomorrow +morning." + +"Yes, Madame." + +"Can you drive me to Washington in your car?" + +"I shall be delighted, Madame." The fellow's eyes sparkled with +satisfaction. + +"Very well. Mr. Duvall is in New York. I will take the message to him. +Wait here, please, until I get some clothes together and give some +orders to my servants." + +In half an hour, the thing was done. Hendricks, the overseer, had been +given full instructions regarding taking charge of the place, with +provision for his needs in the way of money, etc., and by ten o'clock, +at which time the New York sleeper was open, Grace was at the station, +purchasing her ticket. + +The obliging Frenchman gave her every assistance, and bade her _bon +voyage_ smilingly as he helped her aboard the train. She retired at +once, and lay in her berth, reading a magazine, and picturing to herself +Richard's mingled astonishment and joy at their meeting in the morning. +This time, she was determined that their honeymoon should not be +interrupted. + +After a time, she fell asleep, and dreamed that she and Richard were +sailing gaily toward Paris, in a large red touring car. + +In the morning, she ate a hasty breakfast in the railway station, and +took a taxicab for the steamship offices. By great good fortune, she was +able to secure a cabin. Then she hastily visited a banking house where +she was well known, provided herself with funds, and drove to the dock. + +It wanted but half an hour till sailing time. Grace hastened to her +stateroom, and busied herself in effacing the stains of her night of +travel. She was determined to meet Richard looking her best. + +It was not until the big steamer was passing through the Narrows that +she came on deck, and began looking about for her husband. In all that +crowd, she knew it would take time to find him. After searching for an +hour, she felt somewhat surprised at not seeing him. After another hour +had passed, her surprise turned to alarm. A hasty visit to the purser, +and an examination of the sailing list, showed her the astonishing +truth. Richard was not on board! + + + + +CHAPTER II + + +Richard Duvall arrived in New York at half past one o'clock Thursday +morning. Hodgman, Mr. Stapleton's secretary, had wired ahead the news of +their coming, and the banker's limousine awaited them at the railway +station. Fifteen minutes later they were ascending the steps of Mr. +Stapleton's residence on Fifth Avenue. + +Duvall had not been to the house before. His previous interviews with +the banker had taken place at the latter's office, in Broad Street. He +had no time now, however, to observe the luxury of his surroundings. Mr. +Hodgman hurried him at once to the library, and in a few moments Mr. +Stapleton had joined them. + +He greeted Duvall with a nervous handshake, and thanked him for his +prompt coming. He was clearly laboring under an intense mental strain. + +"Mr. Hodgman has explained my reasons for sending for you, Mr. Duvall?" +he inquired, sinking into a great leather-covered chair. + +"Yes." Duvall nodded. + +"Then you can appreciate my feelings." He sat in silence for several +moments, looking gloomily at the floor. + +"Perfectly." + +"The devils! I wouldn't care if they were to steal my property--money, +securities, anything like that. I can fight them--on that basis. But my +child! Don't you see why your coming was of the utmost importance to me? +I don't dare move against these rascals openly. If I do, they will +threaten to retaliate by injuring my boy, and I am powerless. Whatever I +do, must be done secretly. No one must know that you are in my employ. +No one must know your object in going to Paris. You see that?" + +"Most certainly. These fellows cannot hold you responsible for any moves +the police authorities of Paris may make; over them you of course have +no control. But if you make any efforts on your own account, any +independent efforts, to recover your boy, they must by all means be made +in secret." + +"Exactly. You understand, then, what you are to do?" + +"Yes. But first I must ask you, Mr. Stapleton, to give me some account +of the affair. Mr. Hodgman has told me only that your son has been +kidnapped. No doubt you have learned by this time how the thing was +done." + +"What I have learned, Mr. Duvall, convinces me of the importance of +being on the ground at once. The affair, as cabled to me by my wife, is +preposterous--absurd!" He again gazed at the floor in gloomy +preoccupation. + +"How so?" the detective inquired. + +"I will tell you. My boy, who, as you know, is six years old, has been +in the habit of driving, each morning, accompanied by his nurse, from my +house in the Avenue Kleber, to the Bois de Boulogne. On arriving in the +Bois, it has been their habit to leave the automobile in which they +came, and spend an hour or more walking and playing on the grass. I have +insisted on this, because the boy needs exercise, and he cannot get it +driving about in a motor car." + +"During this hour what becomes of the car?" asked Duvall. + +"Our orders have been, of course, for the chauffeur to wait, within +sight and call. I believe he has done so." + +"Thank you. Go ahead." + +"On Wednesday the nurse took Jack--the boy's name is Jack--to the Bois +as usual. She played about with him on the grass for probably an hour. +Then she sat down to rest. Jack was standing near her, playing with a +rubber ball. She says--and, gentlemen, my wife cables me that she +solemnly swears to the truth of her statements--that she turned away for +a moment to observe passing vehicles in the road--turned back again to +the child--and found that he was gone." + +"Gone--but how?" + +"How? That's the question. Here is this woman, sitting on the grass, +with the child, a hundred yards from the road, in the middle of a large +field of grass--a lawn. No one is within sight. The nearest person, it +appears from her testimony, is the chauffeur, three hundred feet away, +in the road. The woman turns her head for a moment, looks about--and the +boy is gone. That is the story she tells, and which my wife has cabled +to me. Do you wonder that I call it preposterous?" + +"Hardly," remarked Duvall, with a grim smile. "The boy could not have +vanished into thin air. The woman must be lying." + +"That, Mr. Duvall, is what I cannot understand. I cannot believe that +the woman is lying. My wife cannot believe it. She has been in our +employ ever since the boy was born, and is devoted to him. Mrs. +Stapleton cables that she is completely prostrated." + +"But, Mr. Stapleton, you can hardly believe such a story! How could the +child have been stolen, if her story is true? It is, as you say, +preposterous." + +"I do not say that the story is true, Mr. Duvall. I say that I do not +think that Mary is lying. She is telling what she believes to be the +truth. She turned her head for a moment--the boy was gone. That is what +she says, and I believe her. The question is--how is it possible?" + +"It isn't," Hodgman grunted. + +"Everything is possible, Hodgman," said the banker, reprovingly. "The +best proof of that, in this case, is that it has happened. What means +were used, I cannot imagine; but the apparently impossible _has_ +happened. The boy is gone!" + +"Is the nurse a young woman?" the detective inquired. + +"About thirty, I should say." + +"An American?" + +"Yes. Of Irish parentage. Her name is Lanahan--Mary Lanahan." + +"A New Yorker?" + +"She comes from Paterson, New Jersey. Her people live there." + +"Are there any other details--any other points of interest?" + +"None, so far as I know. What I have told you, is what has been cabled +to me by Mrs. Stapleton. She is naturally in a more or less hysterical +condition. Nothing can be accomplished here. I want you to leave by +today's steamer. I myself, I regret to say, cannot go until Saturday." +He passed his hand nervously across his forehead. "Only matters of the +most vital importance could keep me here at such a time, Mr. Duvall; +but, unfortunately, such matters confront me now." + +"Have you any reason to believe, Mr. Stapleton," Duvall inquired, "that +the kidnapping is the act of persons from this side of the water? Have +any such attempts been made in the past?" + +Mr. Stapleton remained silent for sometime, buried in thought. Presently +he spoke. "I am a rich man, Mr. Duvall--a very rich man. Men in my +position are constantly in receipt of letters of a threatening nature. I +have received many such letters, in the past." + +"Was the matter of the child mentioned in any of them? Were threats made +involving him?" + +"There was one such letter." + +"When did you receive it?" + +"Last fall--perhaps six months ago." + +"Have you the letter now?" + +"Yes." + +"May I see it?" + +The banker rose, went to a heavy rosewood desk at one side of the room, +drew open one of its drawers, and removed a steel despatch box. He +opened it with a slender key and took out a package of letters. From +these, after some hesitation, he selected one and silently handed it to +Duvall. + +The detective examined the letter carefully. It was enclosed in a cheap +white envelope, such as are sold at all post offices, having the stamp +printed on it. The letter itself was roughly printed in ink on a sheet +of ruled paper evidently torn from an ordinary five-cent pad. It said: + + "We demand fifty thousand dollars, to be placed in thousand-dollar + bills inside a cigar box and expressed to John Smith, c/o Express + Company, Paterson, N. J., next Monday afternoon. The man who will + call for the package on Tuesday will know nothing about the matter, + and if you arrest him, you will find out nothing. Keep this to + yourself and do as we say, if you value the safety of your child." + +There was no signature to the letter. Duvall read it through with great +care, then turned to Mr. Stapleton. + +"You have observed, I suppose, that the place to which the money was to +be sent, Paterson, New Jersey, is the home of your child's nurse, Mary +Lanahan." + +Mr. Stapleton started. "I confess," he said "that, in the agitated state +of mind into which this affair has thrown me, I had completely +overlooked the coincidence. What do you infer from it?" + +"Only this, Mr. Stapleton, that Mary Lanahan may know more about this +matter than she is willing to let on. I must keep this letter for the +present." + +"Very well." The banker nodded. "It may prove a valuable clue." + +"Possibly. And further, Mr. Stapleton, I shall not sail by today's +steamer." + +"But--why not?" Stapleton sat up in his chair in surprise. "You will +lose two days." + +"I do not think they will be lost. I must make some investigations in +Paterson, before I leave here. Please give me, if you can, the address +of Mary Lanahan's parents." + +Mr. Stapleton frowned. "I am not sure that I can do so, Mr. Duvall. My +wife has charge of these matters. But I recollect having heard that her +father, Patrick Lanahan, is a florist in a small way, and no doubt you +can readily locate him. But I fear you will be losing valuable time." + +Duvall rose. "I feel, as you do, Mr. Stapleton, that I should be in +Paris at the earliest possible moment; but I think you will agree with +me that some investigations on this side before I go are absolutely +necessary, and may prove of inestimable value afterwards." + +Mr. Stapleton was silent for several minutes. Presently he raised his +head. "Under the circumstances, Mr. Duvall, I am forced to admit the +truth of what you say. Conduct your investigations as quickly as +possible, however; for we must positively sail by Saturday's boat." + +"I shall be ready then." Duvall took up his hat. "Now I think I had +better get a few hours' sleep, and in the morning I will make an early +start for Paterson." He bowed to the banker and Mr. Hodgman. "Good +night, gentlemen. I shall see you both on Saturday morning. The steamer +sails shortly after noon, I believe. Suppose I come here at ten o'clock, +and let you know what I have learned?" + +Mr. Stapleton rose. "If I receive any further news of importance from +Paris, Mr. Duvall, I will advise you at your hotel. Where are you +stopping?" + +Duvall gave the name of a Times Square hotel at which he usually +stopped, and with a quick "good night" left the house. + +It was shortly after nine o'clock the next morning when he descended +from the train at Paterson, and going to a nearby drug store, consulted +the directory for the address of Patrick Lanahan. He found it without +difficulty, and, by means of an electric car, was soon before the +florist's door. + +The place was situated on the outskirts of the town, and consisted of a +small, rather mean-looking cottage, from which spread out on each side, +like the two wings of an aeroplane, the long glass greenhouses. + +A little gate opened to a short brick path, leading to the front door of +the house. + +Duvall went up the path and rang the door bell. A wholesome-looking +Irish woman, of perhaps fifty, opened the door, and, in response to his +questions, told him that her husband, Patrick, was out in the garden at +the rear of the house, busy with his plants. + +She directed the detective along a narrow areaway at the side of the +house, and in a moment reappeared at the back door. + +"Pat," she called. "Oh, Pat! Here's a gentleman to see you." + +A short, heavy-set man, with gray hair and mustache and a ruddy and +weatherbeaten face, arose from among a litter of flower pots and bulbs. + +"What can I do for you, sir?" he asked, coming forward and wiping his +hands upon his overalls. + +The detective studied the man before him intently. The honest and +clear-looking eyes told him nothing that was not favorable. + +"I came to ask you a few questions, Mr. Lanahan." + +"Questions, is it? About what?" The blue eyes showed a sudden flare of +suspicion. + +"About yourself, and your family." + +"Who may you be, then? Is it the tax man?" + +Duvall smiled. "Not the tax man," he said. "I represent a firm of +lawyers in Washington. My name is Johnson." + +Lanahan, still suspicious, pointed to a couple of kitchen chairs that +stood on the brick-paved yard beneath a trellis covered with hop vines. +"Sit down, sir. I'll have a smoke, if you don't mind." He began to fill +his short clay pipe. "What would lawyers in Washington be wantin' with +me?" + +"That is what I wish to find out, Mr. Lanahan. We--my firm--have been +advised that a certain Michael Lanahan, of Dublin, recently died, +leaving a large estate. We are trying to find his heirs. Tell me +something about yourself and your family." + +The look of suspicion and reserve which the old man had up to this time +shown faded from his face, and was replaced by a smile of incredulity. +"Money, is it?" he laughed. "Mary--that's my wife--has been seein' +bubbles in her tay for the week past. What is it you would know?" + +"Are you from Dublin?" + +"Me father was. I was born right here in Jersey, meself." + +"What was his name?" + +"Patrick, the same as me own. But he had a brother, Mike." + +"Ah. It may be the same." Duvall pretended a sudden interest. "His +business?" + +"Mike's? Faith--I never heard he had any, lest it was drinkin' all the +good liquor he could lay his hands on." + +Duvall pretended to make a series of entries in his notebook. "Now +about yourself, Mr. Lanahan. Have you any children? Of course, should +there be any money coming to you, they would share in it." + +"Children, is it? I have two." + +"Boys?" + +"One is a boy--a man be now, I should say. He's in the city--workin'. +His name is Barney." + +"What does he do?" + +Lanahan looked up with a quick frown. "The last I heard tell, he was +tendin' bar, Mr. Johnson--over at Callahan's saloon, on the Bowery. He's +wild--wild--like me uncle Mike, I should say." + +"And the other?" + +The old man's face took on a contented look. "The other is me daughter +Mary, bless her. She's nurse in the family of old man Stapleton, the +millionaire." + +Duvall closed his book. "I see," he remarked, pleasantly. "She's not +married, I suppose?" + +"Mary? Divil a bit! For a time, she was sweet on a French chuffer that +worked for Mr. Stapleton; but the fellow's gone, now, and she's clane +forgot him. That was near a year ago." + +"Ah, yes. Do you happen to remember his name?" + +"Alphonse, it was--Alphonse Valentin, or some such joke of a name. A +comic valentine he was, too, with his dinky little mustache and his +cigarettes." He laughed loudly. "Imagine my Mary, married to a gink like +that!" + +Duvall replaced his notebook in his pocket and rose. "I'm mightily +obliged to you, Mr. Lanahan. We will advise you at once, if our +investigations show that you are related to the Michael Lanahan whose +fortune is in our hands. I'm obliged to you for your courtesy." + +The florist nodded. "You're welcome, sir. I guess them Lanahan's must be +a different breed. I never heard tell of any of my people makin' any +fortune. Good day, sir." He turned to his work, chuckling. + +Duvall rode back to the station, and took the first train for New York. +It was clear that Mary Lanahan's parents had nothing in common with +blackmailers and kidnappers. Their honesty was as evident as the +blueness of their eyes, or the redness of their hair. But the +information about Alphonse Valentin, the chauffeur, and Barney, Mr. +Lanahan's son, seemed more promising. + +It was close to one o'clock when Duvall arrived at Callahan's saloon, on +the Bowery, near Canal Street. Here a disappointment awaited him. Barney +Lanahan had thrown up his job and left two months before. Callahan had +no idea where he had gone. He had not been about the place since. A +negro porter volunteered the information that he had seen the man +entering the Broadway saloon of an ex-prizefighter some weeks before; +but, beyond that, Duvall could learn nothing. + +After a hasty luncheon he went to his office on Union Square, where his +unexpected appearance caused his assistants unlimited surprise. He +directed them to locate Barney Lanahan at the earliest possible moment. +He then called up Mr. Stapleton's secretary, Mr. Hodgman, and inquired +about the chauffeur. + +Mr. Hodgman informed him that the banker had employed Valentin in Paris +some eighteen months previous, and had brought him to this country, +where he had remained in his employ for about six months. He had been +discharged, through some dishonesty in the matter of purchasing +supplies, and nothing further had been seen or heard of him. + +Duvall, on receiving this information, proceeded at once to the office +of the French line, and asked permission to inspect their passenger +lists for the past year. He concluded that if Valentin had anything to +do with the kidnapping of Mr. Stapleton's boy, he was, in all +probability, in Paris, and, if so, would almost certainly have crossed +by this line. He was therefore not at all surprised to find the name of +Alphonse Valentin among those sailing during the preceding March. + +There was little more that he could accomplish, now, beyond writing a +long letter to Grace, whom he naturally supposed to be patiently +awaiting his return in the country. He had a short interview with Mr. +Hodgman in the evening, and was lucky enough to secure a photograph of +Alphonse Valentin, the chauffeur, taken at the steering wheel of his +machine. The car had, it seemed, been photographed, along with a party +of guests, by a friend of Mr. Stapleton's with a leaning toward amateur +photography. Duvall placed the photograph among his belongings with a +smile of satisfaction. He felt that his delay had been by no means +unprofitable. + +One other step he took, before leaving. Accompanied by Mr. Hodgman, he +made a careful inspection of the room which had been occupied by the +nurse, Mary Lanahan, at the Stapleton house. The results were +distressingly meager. All the woman's belongings she had evidently taken +with her, on going abroad. There appeared to be nothing which would +afford the slightest clue to her character or habits. + +Mr. Hodgman turned to the door with an impatient frown. "Nothing here," +he growled, and was about to leave the room. + +"Nothing much," said Duvall, glancing carelessly at the wooden edge of +the bureau. "This woman, Mary Lanahan, is evidently an up-to-date sort +of person." + +Hodgman paused. "Why do you say that?" he asked. + +"Smokes cigarettes, I see." + +"That so. How do you know?" + +Duvall smiled. "Too simple even to mention, Mr. Hodgman. See those burns +on the varnish?" He pointed to a number of spots along the edge of the +dresser. "Always find them somewhere about, where there's a cigarette +smoker." He gazed out of the window for a moment. "Rooms tell a great +deal about the personality of the people who have occupied them. For +instance, I've never seen this Lanahan girl, but I know that she's not +over five feet four, that she has light hair, that she reads in bed, +that she writes with a stub pen, and that she's a Roman Catholic. +Furthermore, she is left handed, inclined to be vain, wears her hair in +waves, or curls, in front, is fond of the theater, and has a long narrow +scar on the palm of her left hand." + +He chuckled quietly, as he saw Mr. Hodgman's look of amazement. "All +very simple--quite elementary, in fact. I won't even bother to tell you +how I know--just little things here and there about the room. Here's one +of them," he said, as he picked up a rusty pen point from the desk. +"That shows she uses a stub, of course; but the way the point is worn +also proves that she's left handed. And here's another." He pointed to +the electric bulb which hung over the head of the bed. "Nobody would use +that light, except to read by in bed. The others in the room are more +than sufficient for purposes of illumination. Yet the lamp has been used +continuously, as its condition shows. See how blackened the glass +is--and notice also how the white enamel of the back of the bed is worn +off, just under the lamp. That's from propping a pillow against it, +night after night." He turned toward the door. "Of course, those things +aren't of any value, probably, in this case; but I can't help noticing +them. Force of habit, I suppose." + +When Duvall arrived at the Stapleton house on Saturday morning, he found +the banker somewhat disturbed by a cablegram he had just received. "Mary +claims attempts made to poison her. Will recover. Come at once," it +read. + +The detective appeared to be somewhat astonished, on reading the +cablegram. "Looks as though somebody was afraid she might be going to +talk," he remarked. "The sooner we arrive in Paris, now, the better." + + + + +CHAPTER III + + +Grace Duvall's first inclination, on finding herself en route for +Europe, without her husband, was to send him a wireless, advising him of +her movements. Then she decided, for several reasons, not to do so. +Chief among these was the fear that such a startling piece of news would +be likely to cause him a great deal of unnecessary anxiety. She knew +that she could never hope to explain matters, within the limits of a +marconigram. And then, too, it was highly inadvisable, she knew, to +mention in a wireless message the real reason which had caused her to +leave home. + +So she decided to make the best of the matter, realizing that within a +few days, she would see Richard in Paris, and explain everything to his +satisfaction. + +Immediately on reaching Paris, she drove to the office of the Prefect of +Police, and sent in her card to Monsieur Lefevre. She thought it +possible that he would expect her, as his agent in Washington would no +doubt have communicated with him. Nor was she mistaken. + +He rushed into the anteroom as soon as he received her card, and +embraced her with true Gallic fervor, kissing her on both cheeks until +she blushed. Then he drew her into his private office. + +"Where is your husband?" he asked, eagerly, as soon as Grace was seated. + +"I--I do not know. Probably on his way to Paris." + +"But--my dear child! Did he not then come with you?" + +"No. He--he had other business." + +"Other business! But I understood that he had temporarily retired." The +Prefect seemed greatly astonished. + +"So he had; but an old friend, Mr. Stapleton"-- + +Lefevre did not allow her to finish. "Stapleton!" he fairly shouted. "He +is employed by him? Mon Dieu!" + +"Why not?" asked Grace in surprise. + +"But--it was for that very case that I desired his assistance. And by +this Stapleton, who cables that the whole police force of Paris are a +lot of jumping jacks! Sacre! It is insufferable!" + +"You wanted my husband for the same case?" + +"Assuredly! What else? The child of this pig of a millionaire is +stolen--what you call--kidnapped! We have been unable to find the +slightest clue. I am in despair. My men assure me that it is the work of +an American gang. I conceive the hope that Monsieur Duvall may know +these men--that he may be in possession of information that will lead to +their capture. This rich American, he has spoken with contempt of the +Paris police. The efficiency of my office is questioned. My honor is at +stake. I send for my friend Duvall, to assist me, and--sacre!--I find +him already working for this man who has insulted me. It is monstrous!" + +Grace could scarcely repress a smile. How excessively French the Prefect +was, after all. "My husband did not know, when he agreed to take the +case for Mr. Stapleton, that you wanted him. He does not know it now. He +has not yet received your message." + +"Then he does not know that you are in Paris?" + +"No. I thought he would be crossing on the same boat. When I found that +he wasn't, my first thought was to send him a wireless. Then I realized +that I couldn't do so, without saying something about the business that +had called me to Paris--without, in fact, mentioning you. I feared to do +this--for there are so many people nowadays tapping the wireless. I +thought it better to keep the matter a secret." + +"And you did quite right. I wanted your husband to take up this case, +quite independently, and without it being known to anyone that he was in +my employ." He paused for a moment in deep thought. "No doubt his +employment by Mr. Stapleton is to be kept equally secret." + +"I suppose so. He asked me not to say anything about it. I had to tell +you, to explain matters." + +"And he doesn't know that you are in Paris?" The Prefect gave a sudden +laugh. "_Ma foi!_--what a joke!" + +"A joke?" + +"Assuredly! Don't you see? I am going to ask _you_ to take up this case, +yourself. I must use every means to recover the child of this Stapleton, +before others do so for him. My professional pride will not permit me to +be beaten. If I can't have your husband, at least I shall have you." + +"But--I shall be working in opposition to him." + +"Not in opposition. You will both have the same object in view--the +recovery of Mr. Stapleton's boy. Whichever of you does so first, the +result will be the same--the boy will be restored to his parents. But I +want you, my child, to be the one to do this." + +"But, Monsieur Lefevre, I could not hope to accomplish anything--where +trained men have failed." + +"Who knows? I remember well the assistance you gave us, in the matter of +the ivory snuff box. Without your help, we should never have recovered +it. I have faith in a woman's intuition. You will find this child for +me, and give your husband the surprise of his life." + +"But," said Grace, smiling mischievously at the prospect which opened +before her, "suppose he should see me?" + +"You must disguise yourself somewhat. Change the color of your hair; it +is easily done--here in Paris." The Prefect laughed. "A slight +alteration in appearance only will be necessary. And do not recognize +your husband, should you meet him face to face. That is most important." + +"Why?" + +"Because, should he become convinced that it is really you, I fear he +would insist upon your dropping the case entirely, and that would not +suit my plans at all. Come, my child." The Prefect's eyes twinkled with +amusement. "Do this thing for me. It will be a little joke, between us. +The honeymoon detectives, I called you, once. What an amusing thing, +that now you should be working in competition with each other, on the +same case!" He began to laugh heartily. + +"Well," said Grace, her sense of mischief getting the better of her, +"now that I'm here, I suppose I might as well keep busy. Richard won't +be here for two days, and I may find out something in that time." + +"Excellent!" The Prefect clapped his hand smartly upon his knee. "You +have two days' start. In two days, much may be accomplished. Come, let +us go over the case in detail." + +An hour later, Grace left the Prefect's office in a taxicab, having +arranged to have her baggage sent to Monsieur Lefevre's house, where she +was to stay while in Paris. Her previous acquaintance with Madame +Lefevre made this an ideal arrangement. She was to pose as a friend, in +Paris on a visit. + +She ordered the driver of the taxicab to take her to Mr. Stapleton's +house in the Avenue Kleber. + +She found Mrs. Stapleton to be a very pretty and stylish woman of +thirty; whose beauty, however, was sadly marred by the intense suffering +through which she was passing. The poor creature had scarcely slept for +over a week, and her distress was pitiable. + +She answered Grace's questions as well as she could, under the +circumstances. There was, after all, little to say. The nurse, it +appeared, stuck to her story--that the boy had vanished, in the +twinkling of an eye, while her back had been turned for but a few +moments. Mrs. Stapleton could offer no explanation--attempted none. + +"It is all so mysterious--so terrible!" she cried. "Poor Mary--she is +too ill to see you, I fear, or I would have her tell you the story +herself." + +"Too ill?" inquired Grace, who had come more to question the maid, than +Mrs. Stapleton. "What is the matter with her?" + +"They tried to poison her--last Friday." + +"They? Who?" + +"I do not know. She went out for a walk. The poor woman was half dead, +from nervous exhaustion and loss of sleep. She tells me that she stopped +to get a cup of chocolate at a cafe in the Rue St. Honore. After that +she came back to the Champs Elysees, and sat upon a bench. She began +suddenly to feel deathly ill, and, calling a cab, was driven home. When +she arrived here, she was unconscious, and had to be carried to her room +by the servants. She has been in bed ever since. I am glad to say, +however, that she is better, and I think she could see you, by morning." + +Grace left the Stapleton house, feeling somewhat baffled. The more she +heard of this curious affair, the more inexplicable it seemed. She had +hoped to visit the scene of the kidnapping, in company with the nurse, +and examine the spot with her own eyes. This she now realized she could +not do until the following day. She was walking in the direction of the +Arc de Triomphe, revolving the affair in her mind, when a young man, +evidently a Frenchman, of good appearance and not unpleasant face, came +up beside her, bowed politely, and in excellent English asked her +regarding Mary Lanahan. + +"Miss Lanahan--is she better?" he inquired. + +"Who are you, monsieur?" asked Grace, suppressing her inclination to +resent the man's action, in her hope that she might learn something from +him of value. His question showed Grace at once that he was acquainted +with at least one member of the Stapleton household. + +"I am a friend of Miss Lanahan's," the man replied. "I hear that she is +ill. I saw you enter and leave the house, and I ventured to ask you if +she is better." + +"I was told that she is. I did not see her." + +A peculiar expression crossed the young man's face; but Grace could not +determine, so fleeting was it, whether it indicated pleasure or +disappointment. + +They walked along in silence for a few moments, and had almost reached +the arch, when a ragged little urchin, a veritable Paris gamin, came up +to Grace's companion and thrust a crumpled bit of paper into his hand, +then darted off, whistling shrilly. + +The man looked after him a moment, then examined the note. Whatever its +contents, they made a startling impression upon him. He looked about, an +expression of fear upon his face, turned to Grace with a hurried bow, +and a quick good evening, and at once walked off in the opposite +direction at full speed, at the same time fumbling in the breast pocket +of his coat, as though searching for something in it. In his efforts, he +dropped several papers to the street. Grace watched him as he picked +them hurriedly up and moved off into the gathering darkness. + +She fancied that one of the bits of paper had escaped his notice, and, +on going back to the spot, found that she was correct. A small visiting +card lay upon the sidewalk. She picked it up, and read the name as she +walked away. It was Alphonse Valentin, Boulevard St. Michel. + +Grace slipped the card into her pocketbook. The man's name meant nothing +to her--she fancied that he was some friend of Miss Lanahan's, concerned +about her condition. Yet why did he not inquire for her at the house, in +the ordinary way? And why should the note, handed to him by the street +urchin, have caused him such evident alarm? + +She glanced at her watch, and saw that it was close to seven o'clock. +She had intended to return to Monsieur Lefevre's for dinner; but a +sudden determination to find out more about this man Valentin caused her +to proceed at once to a hotel near the Louvre, where she ate her dinner +alone. + +An hour later she descended from a cab at the number on the Boulevard +St. Michel, which was inscribed upon Alphonse Valentin's card. + +The place was a dingy old building, the main floor of which was occupied +by a dealer in cheese. A narrow doorway at one side gave access to the +upper floors. Grace rang the bell, and waited in some trepidation. This +going about Paris at night was rather an unusual experience. She thought +of the simple joys of her life at home, and for a moment regretted that +she had not stayed there. The opening of the door interrupted her +thoughts. + +The woman who stood in the hallway regarded her without particular +interest, and inquired her business. "I wish to see Monsieur Valentin," +said Grace. + +"He is not in." + +"Then I will wait. I must see him. He expects me." + +The woman shrugged her shoulders. "As you wish, mademoiselle. Come this +way." She led Grace up a flight of stairs, and indicated a door at the +rear of the upper hall. "That is Monsieur Valentin's room." Then she +turned away, apparently quite indifferent as to whether Grace entered or +not. + +The latter placed her hand on the knob of the door, and slowly pushed it +open. The room was dark; but the light from the rear windows rendered +the objects within it faintly visible. Upon the table stood a lamp. With +some difficulty the girl succeeded in finding a match, and lit it. + +The light of the lamp disclosed a rather large room, with a small +alcove in the rear, containing a bed. The alcove was curtained off from +the main room. Grace, however, did not spend much time in examining her +surroundings. A photograph on the table at once attracted her +attention--not because it represented anyone she knew, but because, +across the bottom of it, was inscribed, in a feminine hand, "Mary +Lanahan." + +She had just completed her examination of the photograph, when two other +objects attracted her attention. One was a crumpled bit of paper, upon +which a few words were scrawled in lead-pencil. They were, "I am +suspicious of Francois. Watch him." The note was unsigned. + +The third object upon the table which caught Grace's attention was a box +of cigarettes, open, and nearly full. They were small gold-tipped +affairs, of the kind generally used by women, and it was this +peculiarity that at first attracted her attention. She thought it +strange, that a man should use such cigarettes. She looked at the box, +and observed that they were of American make. + +Illustration: Once inside he made without hesitation for the table, +picked up the box of cigarettes and thrust it into his pocket. + +Idly she took up one of the cigarettes, and held it in her fingers. She +read the name of the brand, printed upon the paper wrapper, and was +about to drop it back into the box, when she heard a curious rasping +noise outside one of the rear windows. It sounded as though someone were +climbing the wall of the house. Instinctively she shrank back and +concealed herself behind one of the curtains which hung before the +alcove door. + +The rasping and scraping continued for some little time, and presently +Grace, peering through the space between the curtains, saw a face appear +at one of the windows. It was a determined face, heavily bearded, dark, +evil looking. Its gleaming eyes swept the room with cautious care, then, +evidently satisfied that it was unoccupied, their owner began +noiselessly to raise the sash of the window. + +It was slow work. Several minutes passed before the man succeeded in +raising the sash sufficiently to permit him to crawl into the room. Once +inside, he made without hesitation for the table, glanced over its +contents, picked up the box of cigarettes and thrust it into his pocket, +and then, without paying the least attention to anything else, walked +quickly to the door of the room and passed out into the hall. + +The girl waited for a moment, then stepped into the light. As she did +so, she realized that she held in her hand one of the gold-tipped +cigarettes she had taken from the box. She quickly thrust it into her +pocketbook, and, with sudden decision, left the room and descended the +stairs. She had an instinctive feeling that the man who had stolen the +cigarettes was in some way connected with the kidnapping of the +Stapleton child. She determined to follow him, leaving the interview +with Alphonse Valentin to another time. + +She left the house, and saw the man going down the Boulevard some fifty +feet in advance of her. She walked along after him, pretending to be +totally uninterested in her surroundings, while at the same time keeping +a sharp watch upon him. + +He seemed in somewhat of a hurry, and walked briskly along, looking +neither to left nor to right. Grace kept as close to him as she dared, +without running the risk of detection. The walk was a long one. When +half an hour had passed, the girl saw that they were entering the Champs +Elysees. The Seine they had long since crossed by the Pont Neuf. Up the +brilliantly lighted avenue they went, toward Arc de Triomphe. At the +corner of the Avenue Kleber, the man turned to the left. Grace followed, +wondering where the chase would lead next. To her astonishment, the man +disappeared suddenly through a gate which formed the servants' entrance +of one of the stately houses which fronted on the avenue. She looked up. +It was the house of Mr. Stapleton! + + + + +CHAPTER IV + + +On the day following that upon which she arrived in Paris, Grace Duvall +sallied forth, determined to find out two things--first, the position +occupied by Alphonse Valentin in the affair of the kidnapping; secondly, +the identity of the man who had stolen the box of cigarettes from +Valentin's room, and gone with them to the house in the Avenue Kleber. +The latter incident seemed trivial enough, at first sight; yet she +reasoned that no one would risk arrest on the score of burglary, to +steal anything of such trifling value, without an excellent reason. + +She had a short conference with Monsieur Lefevre, before she left the +house, and told him of the events of the previous night. The Prefect +seemed greatly interested. + +"Could you identify the man who stole the cigarettes?" he asked. + +"Easily. I had a splendid view of his face." + +"Then go to Mr. Stapleton's house and take a look at all the servants. +You may find him among them." + +"I had intended to do so, this morning." + +The Prefect smiled. "I do not know what your investigations will lead +to, but they seem promising. I have a dozen men working on the case; yet +so far they have not made the least progress. Their efforts, however, +are directed toward finding the child. They are searching the city with +the utmost care. We believe that by discovering the missing boy, we +shall also find the persons who committed the crime." + +"Have you no one under suspicion?" + +"No one. The nurse, Mary Lanahan, is of course being closely watched; +also the chauffeur, Francois. My men report, however, that he gave them +the slip for an hour, last night. I have an idea that he may prove to be +the one who took the cigarettes." + +"Can you imagine any reason for his having done so?" + +"I confess, my child, that I cannot. It seems utterly absurd; unless, +indeed, there was something else concealed in the box." + +"What?" + +The Prefect laughed. "I cannot imagine. But if you can identify the +man, we shall no doubt find out. As for the matter of Alphonse Valentin, +we have already had him under observation. So far as we can learn, he is +merely a chauffeur, out of work, who seems to be somewhat in love with +the nurse." + +"Then his actions have not been suspicious, during the past week?" + +"Not in the least. He has hung around the Stapleton house for several +days, asking for news of the Lanahan woman; but that is all. We +attribute his actions to a natural anxiety over her illness." + +Grace left the house, by no means satisfied with the progress she was +making. Her interview with Mary Lanahan, and subsequent visit to the +scene of the crime, told her nothing she had not already known. Her +greatest disappointment, however, came when she had Mrs. Stapleton bring +in Francois, ostensibly to question him about his part in the affair. +She saw at once that he was not the man who had broken into Alphonse +Valentin's room on the night before. This man had been heavily bearded +and tall. Francois was smooth shaved and rather short. Mrs. Stapleton +assured her that none of her servants resembled in the least her +description of the burglar. She left the house, greatly dissatisfied, +after satisfying herself that this was the case. + +Her visit to the house of Alphonse Valentin that afternoon was +productive of no greater results. The man was out. The woman who opened +the door--the same one who had admitted her the previous +evening--regarded her with ill-concealed suspicion, and informed her +that she had no idea when her lodger would return. Grace left, +determined to try again the following day. + +Throughout the whole evening she hung about the Stapleton house, hoping +again to see the man with the heavy beard who had disappeared within the +night before; but he did not put in an appearance. Grace began to feel +discouraged. She thought of her lilac bushes, at home, of Aunt Lucy +feeding the chickens, of the dogs, the sweet call of the wood robins +among the poplar trees on the lawn, and half wished that she had stayed +at home and left to Richard the apparently hopeless task of finding the +abductors of little Jack Stapleton. + +What, after all, could she hope to do, where the entire police force of +Paris had failed? The thing was absurd. Monsieur Lefevre had overrated +her abilities. She heard the sound of church bells, striking the hour of +ten, and decided to go home and forget the whole affair until tomorrow. +Tomorrow--the day Richard must arrive! How she longed to be with him! +This stupid interruption of their honeymoon seemed peculiarly cruel, now +that over a week had elapsed since they had seen each other. She +wondered if she would meet him, the next day. Then she thought of her +changed appearance, of her hair, dyed a jet black, and worn in a new and +to her mind unbecoming fashion, of her darkened complexion, her +extremely French costume, her heavy veil, and laughed. If Richard did +see her, here in Paris, when he fully believed her to be peacefully +tending her flower beds at home, he would never believe the evidence of +his senses. + +She was strolling toward the Champs Elysees, lost in thought, when +suddenly she heard the soft throbbing of a high-powered motor car, as it +came up the street behind her. She turned and glanced toward it; but the +brilliant glare of the electric headlights blinded her. She could see +nothing, except that the car was moving very slowly. + +Suddenly it stopped, almost abreast of her, and a tall man leaped to the +sidewalk. Before she had an opportunity so much as to glance in his +direction, he came swiftly up behind her, threw his arm about her neck, +and choked her into unconsciousness. Her last sensation was of being +lifted bodily into the already moving car, and then the feeling of rapid +motion, quickly blotted out by the coming of insensibility. + +When she returned to consciousness, it was broad daylight. She lay upon +a small wooden bed, in a low-ceilinged little room, the only furniture +of which was a small chest of drawers and a chair. Upon this chair sat a +large man, his face so thoroughly hidden by a mask that his features +were quite unrecognizable. He was regarding her with keen scrutiny. + +"Oh--what--where am I?" she gasped. + +The man hesitated for a moment, then slowly spoke. "Where you are, +mademoiselle, is of no importance. Attend to what I have to say." + +Grace made no reply. There seemed nothing that she could say. She sat up +and gazed at the man, half dazed. Her head swam. She felt that she had +been drugged. + +"Ten days ago," the man went on, in a cold and menacing voice, "the +child of Monsieur Stapleton was taken from his nurse in the Bois de +Boulogne. You are trying to find that child." + +"But--" Grace made a movement of protest. + +"It is useless to deny it. You have been watched." + +Grace gasped in silence. + +"I desire to send a message to the boy's father, and I have chosen you +to take it to him. I have selected you, because to send one of my own +men would doubtless result in his arrest. That is why you have been +brought here." + +"The--the child is safe?" asked Grace. + +"Perfectly. You shall see for yourself." He motioned to the window. + +Grace rose, and looked out. The view comprised a bit of garden, +surrounded by bushes. She could see nothing beyond--nothing that would +enable her in any way to identify the place. On the tiny plat of grass +in the garden sat a child--a little girl, playing with a small black and +white spaniel. Her dark hair was drawn tightly beneath a pink sunbonnet. +Her dress, her whole appearance, was that of a peasant child. + +Grace turned from the window, bewildered. "I see nothing," she said, +"except a little girl--" + +"That is the child of Monsieur Stapleton," the man said. "Now attend to +the message." + +She sat down again, wondering. + +"Tell the boy's father this: He will leave his house tomorrow evening, +in his automobile, at eight o'clock. He will bring with him, in a +package, the sum of five hundred thousand francs--one hundred thousand +dollars. He will have with him, in the automobile, no one but himself +and his chauffeur. He will leave Paris by the Porte de Versailles, and +drive along the road to Versailles at a speed of twelve miles an hour. +Somewhere upon that road, among the many automobiles that will pass him, +will be one, from which a blue light will flash, as it approaches him. +It will also slow up. He will toss the package of bank notes into that +car, and drive on. If the package contains the sum of five hundred +thousand francs, he will find his child at his house, upon his return. +If not, or if these instructions are not carried out to the letter--if +there is any attempt made at pursuit--the child will not be there, and +you can tell him that he will be given but one more chance. After that, +the boy will die." + +The man in the mask made this gruesome statement with the utmost +coolness. + +Grace listened, aghast at the cruelty of his words, and at the same time +struck by the extreme ingenuity of the plan. To catch the perpetrators +of the crime, under these circumstances, seemed impossible. A rapidly +moving automobile--one of a hundred. An instant's flash of a blue light +in passing--the tossing into the car of the money--and it would speed +away into the darkness, beyond any hope of detection. Should Mr. +Stapleton have others in his car--should he have his car followed by a +second, containing armed men, the occupants of the kidnapper's machine +would no doubt refuse to give the signal, and nothing would be +accomplished. It would be impracticable to line the road, for a possible +distance of twenty miles, with gendarmes, nor could their presence +accomplish anything, beyond putting the kidnappers on guard, and +preventing the carrying out of the plan. + +The weakest point in the whole scheme seemed, to Grace at least, the +delivery of the child to Mr. Stapleton, provided he paid the money +demanded. Just how that was to be accomplished, without subjecting the +person who brought the boy to arrest, she did not see. A moment's +reflection, however, showed her that a stranger might be employed, at +any point, who for a few francs would agree to take the child to the +house. She turned to the man before her with feelings not devoid of +admiration. + +"How can Mr. Stapleton know that you will do as you say?" + +The man shrugged his shoulders. "That is a chance he must take. If he +does not believe that the child will be delivered to him, provided he +pays the money, he had better not pay it. But if he does his part, I +shall do mine--and this I swear by the memory of my mother!" + +Grace shuddered. A wretch of this sort, talking about the memory of his +mother! "Very well," she said quietly, "I will take your message." + +"Good! You will not leave here, of course, until it is dark--tonight. +You will be blindfolded, and conducted to some point in the city. From +there, you can make your way to Monsieur Stapleton's house." He rose, +and went toward the door. "Make no attempt to escape. It will be +useless. Any attempts on the part of the police to interfere with the +plan I have outlined will result in nothing. Food will be sent in to you +at once. Good morning." + +It was close to ten o'clock that night, as nearly as Grace could judge, +when she was led a considerable distance blindfolded, to a closed +automobile, and driven away. She could form no idea of her whereabouts. +The car continued on its way, for over an hour. Once she attempted to +snatch the bandage from her eyes; but a hand was placed upon her arm by +another occupant of the machine, and a low voice warned her to desist. + +After an interminable ride, the car suddenly stopped, and she felt the +man at her side slip away from her and open the door. Instantly she +snatched the bandage from her eyes. The man had disappeared. She stepped +to the sidewalk, and looked about. She was standing upon a brightly +lighted street, which seemed somehow familiar to her. The man on the box +of the cab glanced down at her with a look of curious interest. She saw +his face clearly, in the light of the street. It was the heavily bearded +man whom she had seen take the box of cigarettes from the room of +Alphonse Valentin two nights before. + +Grace stood with the bandage which had encircled her eyes, still in one +hand. Suddenly she saw a dark figure uncoil itself from the rear of the +car, and drop noiselessly to the pavement as the machine started off. +She gave a low cry of surprise. The man came up to her, a grim smile +upon his face. It was Alphonse Valentin. + + + + +CHAPTER V + + +John Stapleton, the millionaire banker, accompanied by Richard Duvall, +arrived in Paris early in the afternoon, and went at once to the +former's house in the Avenue Kleber. + +Upon their arrival, Duvall waited for sometime, while the distressed +husband and wife were closeted together upstairs. At last they descended +to the library, and Duvall was presented to Mrs. Stapleton. + +The joy which her husband's arrival had caused her sent a new glow of +hope to her careworn cheeks, and she greeted the detective most +cordially. Clearly she felt that now something would at last be done, to +find her missing child. + +Duvall's first questions related to Mary Lanahan, the nurse. He was +relieved to find that she had quite recovered from her sudden illness. + +"Will you kindly have her brought here, Mrs. Stapleton?" he asked. "I +would like to question her." + +In a few moments the nurse appeared. She was an extremely good-looking +girl, smart and well dressed. Duvall recognized in her frank face, her +clear blue eyes, the same appearance of honesty which had impressed him +during his interview with Patrick Lanahan, her father. + +"Mary," said Mrs. Stapleton, "this is Mr. Duvall. He is trying to find +Jack for us. Tell him your story." + +The girl turned to Duvall, who had risen. "I can hardly expect you to +believe what I am going to say, Mr. Duvall, yet I assure you that it is +the solemn truth." + +"Go ahead, Miss Lanahan," said the detective. "I am prepared to believe +whatever you may say." + +The girl sat down, at Mrs. Stapleton's request. She still was somewhat +weak, from her recent illness. + +"It was a week ago last Wednesday. I left the house with Master Jack at +half-past ten, and we drove to the Bois." + +"Just a moment, please." Duvall stopped her with a quick gesture. "How +long had you been going to the Bois in this way?" + +"Over six weeks." + +"And you always left about the same time--half-past ten?" + +"Always." + +"Who accompanied you besides the child?" + +"Francois--the chauffeur." + +"Always?" + +"Yes." + +Duvall turned to Mrs. Stapleton. "How long has this man Francois been in +your employ?" + +"A year--in June." + +"You have found him honest, reliable?" + +"Always. Otherwise I should not have kept him." + +The detective turned to Mary Lanahan. "Go ahead, please," he said. + +"We reached the Bois shortly before eleven--Francois had orders to go +slowly, when Master Jack was in the machine--and drove about for fifteen +minutes. Then we stopped at the place where we were in the habit of +playing." + +"Was it always the same place?" + +"Yes. There is a smooth field of grass there, and a clump of trees by +the road, where the machine always waited." + +"Go on." + +"We left the car, and walked out over the grass. Master Jack had a big +rubber ball, and he was kicking it along, and running after it. +Sometimes he would kick it to me, and I would throw it back to him. We +played about in that way for over half an hour. Mrs. Stapleton wished +the boy to have the exercise." + +"I see. And you generally played about in the same place?" + +"Yes." + +"How far from the road?" + +"About three hundred feet." + +"And from the nearest bushes, or woods?" + +"A little more than that, I should say." + +"You could see Francois, in the machine, from where you were?" + +"Yes, I could see the machine. I could not always see Francois; for +sometimes he would get out, and walk about, or sit under the trees and +smoke a cigarette." + +"Do you remember noticing him, on this particular morning?" + +"Yes. I saw him sitting in the machine." + +"What was he doing?" + +"Reading a newspaper." + +"Had he ever done that before?" + +The girl hesitated, as though a new idea had come to her. "No--I cannot +remember that he ever had." + +"Very well. Go ahead with your story." + +"Well--after we had played for about half an hour--I got tired and sat +down on the grass. Master Jack still kept playing about with the ball. I +sat idly, looking at the sky, the road--dreaming--" + +"About what?" interrupted the detective, suddenly. + +The girl colored. "About--about some people I know." + +"Go ahead." + +"I heard the boy playing, behind me. Then I looked around--and--he was +gone!" The nurse made this statement in a voice so full of awe that it +carried conviction to her hearers. Duvall felt that, whatever the real +facts of the disappearance of the child, this woman's story was true. + +"What did you do then?" + +"I stood up and looked about. I thought Master Jack was hiding from +me--playing a joke on me. Then I realized that there was no place that +he could hide. The nearest trees were too far off. He could not have +reached them. I called and called. I was very much frightened." + +"Francois, who heard me, came running over the grass. I asked him if he +had seen Master Jack. He said, no, that he had not seen anyone. After +that we searched everywhere--in the woods, along the road--for nearly an +hour, but could find nothing. Then we came home, and told Mrs. +Stapleton." The girl looked at her employers in fright. + +"What about the rubber ball?" Duvall asked, suddenly. + +"It--it was gone." + +"Then it is clear that the child must have been taken away peaceably, +without objection on his part. Had he struggled, cried, he would have +dropped the ball, would he not?" + +"I suppose so." + +"How long was your head turned from him--while you were--dreaming?" + +"About a minute." + +"Not more?" + +"No." + +"How do you estimate the time so closely?" + +"I'm sure it could not have been longer. A minute is quite a long +time." + +"What time was it when you got back to the house?" + +"About--about one o'clock, I think." The girl turned to Mrs. Stapleton +for confirmation of her answer. + +"It was a quarter-past one," said Mrs. Stapleton, promptly. "I noted the +time particularly, because it was later than usual. Mary had orders to +bring Jack back for luncheon not later than one." + +Duvall began to make some figures on a piece of paper. "You fix the time +of the boy's disappearance at 11.30. You say you hunted for him an hour. +That would be 12.30." He looked at the girl searchingly. "You arrived +home at 1.15. That would mean that it took 45 minutes to get here." He +turned to Stapleton. "Please send for your chauffeur, Francois." + +Mr. Stapleton rang a bell, and ordered the servant who responded to send +in the chauffeur. Meanwhile Mary Lanahan was regarding Duvall with +nervous apprehension. + +"We must have hunted for him longer than I thought," she said, at +length. + +Duvall made no reply, but waited until the arrival of the chauffeur. He +proved to be a short, heavily built man, with long powerful arms, and a +swarthy face--evidently from the south of France. His countenance was +stolid and emotionless. He appeared the well trained servant. + +Duvall addressed him at once. "How long would it take you, my man, +driving fast, to reach this house from the spot in the Bois where Master +Jack was lost?" + +The man responded at once. "Ten minutes," he said, "easily." + +"What time was it when this woman," the detective indicated the nurse, +"called to you, on discovering that the child was gone?" + +"I do not know." + +"Have you no idea?" + +"It must have been about twelve o'clock. We hunted for the boy till +about one--then came home." + +"The nurse says it was half-past eleven." + +The man shrugged his shoulders. "It may have been. I did not observe the +time." + +"What were you doing?" + +"I was asleep." + +Mr. Stapleton started. "Asleep?" he demanded, angrily. + +The man nodded. "The day was warm. I had nothing to do. For a time I +read the paper. I must have dozed in my seat; for, the next thing I +knew, the nurse was calling to me, and the boy was gone." + +Duvall frowned. "Then you could not say whether anyone else was near the +nurse and the boy, at the time he was kidnapped?" + +"No, monsieur. I could not." + +"That will do." The detective turned to Mr. Stapleton. "Have your man +drive us to the place where all this occurred." + +The banker gave the man the order, and he left the room. Then Duvall +turned again to Mary Lanahan. + +"You were taken suddenly ill one day last week. Tell us about it." + +The woman looked up. "It was very mysterious, sir. I went out for a +walk. At a cafe in the Rue St. Honore I had a cup of chocolate." + +"Alone?" asked the detective, sharply. + +The woman colored. "No," she faltered. "I--I was with a friend." + +"Who?" + +"A--a gentleman I know." She glanced fearfully at Mr. Stapleton. "I--I +would rather not give his name." + +"Was it Alphonse Valentin?" asked Duvall, quickly. + +The woman colored still more deeply. "Yes," she replied, in scarcely +audible tones. + +The banker regarded her in surprise. "Alphonse Valentin!" he cried. "The +fellow I discharged last year, for dishonesty? Mr. Duvall--he's your +man!" + +"No--no!" exclaimed the nurse, excitedly. "He knows nothing of the +matter--nothing!" + +"That remains to be seen," remarked Duvall, slowly. "Where did you meet +this fellow, Valentin?" + +"At the cafe in the Rue St. Honore." + +"You had met him there frequently before?" + +"Yes." + +"After you left the cafe, what did you do?" + +"We walked to the Champs Elysees and sat on a bench, talking. Suddenly I +felt very ill. Mr. Valentin called a cab and sent me home." + +"Give me the address of this cafe, please." + +The woman did so. As Duvall was entering it in his notebook, a servant +announced that the automobile was at the door. + +In fifteen minutes the party, consisting of Mr. Stapleton, Duvall, and +Mary Lanahan, were leaving the car at the spot in the Bois de Boulogne +which had been the scene of the kidnapping. Francois was ordered to +drive his machine to the exact spot, as nearly as he could tell, that it +had occupied on the previous occasion. Mary Lanahan led the others to +the place on the grass where she had sat. + +It was evident at once that the distances she had named in telling her +story were less, if anything, than the actual facts. It was quite +impossible to see how, in any way, the child could have been taken from +the spot she indicated, to the woods, without consuming a considerable +period of time--five minutes, at least. To believe that the nurse could +have turned away her head for a moment, and then looked around to find +the boy gone seemed the sheerest fabric of the imagination; yet the +woman, in repeating her story, stuck to it with a grim pertinacity +which, it seemed, could come only from the knowledge that she was +telling the truth. + +Ten days had elapsed since the boy had been kidnapped. It seemed almost +useless to search the spot for any evidences of the crime. Yet Duvall +began to go over the ground where the nurse testified that she had sat, +with the most minute care. Inch by inch, he examined the turf, +subjecting almost every blade of grass to a separate examination. The +operation required over half an hour, and both Mr. Stapleton and the +nurse grew tired of watching him, and strolled about aimlessly. + +Hence they did not see him pick up a tiny object from the grass. It was +a half-smoked cigarette, dirty and almost falling to pieces from the +action of the weather, yet held together by a slender tip of gold. + +He placed it carefully within his pocketbook, and rose. "Nothing more to +be done here," he called to Mr. Stapleton, and in a moment the three +were proceeding toward the waiting automobile. + +Upon the return to the house, Mr. Stapleton drew the detective into his +library. "Have you discovered anything, Mr. Duvall?" he inquired, making +an effort to conceal his almost frantic anxiety. + +"I do not know--yet. I may have a clue; but I am not sure." + +"What do you think of the woman's story?" + +"It seems impossible to believe it." + +"You think, then, that she had a hand in the matter--she and this fellow +Valentin?" + +"It begins to look like it." + +"On what do you base your conclusions, Mr. Duvall? I cannot bring myself +to believe that Mary Lanahan is lying, ready as I am to suspect this +fellow Valentin." + +"First, Mr. Stapleton, on the facts themselves. The boy could not have +been taken away without her knowledge. Secondly, upon some minor +matters--her error of half an hour, in telling her story, for instance." + +"I am sorry, Mr. Duvall, but I cannot believe that you are right. I'd +suspect Valentin, at once; but if Mary Lanahan is not telling the truth, +then my experience of twenty years in judging human nature has been +wasted." + +"Yet you yourself heard her admit that she was with Valentin only last +Friday, the day she was taken ill." + +"Yes. That is true." Mr. Stapleton passed his hand uncertainly across +his forehead. "It's too much for me." + +"Let me have a word with the nurse, alone, before I go," asked Duvall. + +"Certainly," replied the banker. "I'll send her in to you." + +When Mary Lanahan entered the room, the detective went up to her and +eyed her sternly. "Was Alphonse Valentin with you at any time, in the +Bois, that day?" + +"No," replied the girl, steadily. + +"Does he smoke gold-tipped cigarettes?" asked Duvall, suddenly. + +The effect of this question upon the nurse was startling. She recoiled +as though the detective had struck her. "He--he does not smoke at all," +she gasped, her face gray with fear. + +"Don't lie to me!" + +"He does not smoke at all," repeated the girl, almost mechanically, and +stood confronting him with a defiant air. + +"Very well. That is all." The detective turned from the room and left +the house. + +He did not, however, go very far. It was rapidly becoming dark. He +passed down the street until he judged he was out of sight of the house, +then slowly retraced his steps upon the other side, until he had reached +a point nearly opposite the small iron gateway which served as the +servants' entrance to Mr. Stapleton's house. Here, hidden behind a +tree, he watched for perhaps half an hour. + +At the expiration of this period, he was rewarded by seeing a young man, +evidently an under servant, emerge from the gateway. Duvall watched him +as he proceeded down the street, then began to follow him. + +The young man seemed in no great hurry, and at the junction of the +avenue with the Champs Elysees, Duvall accosted him, speaking in French. + +"Do you want to earn twenty francs, my friend?" he asked pleasantly. + +The boy regarded him with a quizzical smile. "Who does not, Monsieur?" +he replied. + +"Let me see the note you have in your hand." + +The boy drew back suddenly, and made as though to thrust the letter into +his pocket. "It is impossible, Monsieur," he began. + +Duvall took out a gold twenty-franc piece. "I intend to have the letter, +my man. If you will give it to me peaceably, here are the twenty francs; +if not, I shall be obliged to take it from you by force." + +The boy regarded the detective for a moment, as though contemplating +flight. Duvall seized him by the collar. "Give me the note," he cried, +"or I'll call a gendarme and have you placed under arrest!" + +The boy allowed the letter to drop to the pavement, seized the +twenty-franc piece, and took to his heels. + +Duvall picked it up. As he had expected, it was addressed to Alphonse +Valentin, ---- Boulevard St. Michel. He had waited, on the chance that +Mary Lanahan would lose no time in warning her probable confederate. + +The letter gave him the man's address. That was so much accomplished, at +least. Then he tore it open, and read the contents. They proved more +mystifying than anything that he had yet encountered in this mysterious +affair. + +"Destroy the cigarettes!" These three words comprised the entire +contents of the note. + + + + +CHAPTER VI + + +Alphonse Valentin came up to Grace and took her roughly by the arm. +"Come with me," he said, and started up the street. + +At first she felt inclined to resist him. A signal to a passing +gendarme, and she could have had the man placed under arrest. Monsieur +Lefevre had taken care to provide her with credentials that would insure +her obtaining instant assistance from any member of the police. + +Then another thought came to her. This man Valentin she very much +desired to see. His position, clinging to the rear of the automobile, +indicated that he was in all probability not a confederate of the +kidnappers. Just what he was, she could not imagine. She determined to +go along with him, and hear what he had to say. + +A few minutes' walk brought them to the man's lodgings. For some +reason, which she did not understand, the automobile in which she had +been a prisoner had stopped on the Boulevard St. Michel within a short +distance of Valentin's rooms. + +When they reached the house, Valentin, instead of opening the door with +a key, rang the bell. The woman who had previously admitted Grace came +to the door. Valentin nodded. + +"Is this the woman?" he asked. + +"Yes," said the landlady, recognizing her at once. "This is the one." + +"Good!" Valentin closed the door and led the way to his room. Grace +followed, wondering what the man intended to do. + +"Why have you come here twice during the past two days?" he asked, +abruptly, after he had lit the lamp and carefully shut the door. + +Grace determined to be quite frank with him. "I wanted to ask you some +questions, Monsieur Valentin," she replied. + +"Ha! You know my name?" + +"Certainly." + +He appeared somewhat uneasy. "What are you up to?" + +"I am trying to find Mr. Stapleton's child." + +A queer smile came over the fellow's face. "Is that why you stole the +cigarettes?" he asked. + +"I did not steal them. They were taken by a man with a black beard, who +came in through the window when I was here." + +"A black beard?" He smiled incredulously. "And you let him take them." + +"Yes. Why not? Were they of such great value?" + +He glanced about uneasily, but did not reply to her question. "Who was +the man?" he presently asked. + +"I do not know. I followed him. He entered Mr. Stapleton's house." + +"Sacre! It must have been Francois!" + +"Hardly. Francois has no beard." + +"But he might have been disguised." He seemed very much perturbed. "What +a pity I was so careless!" + +"Monsieur Valentin, will you please tell me what those cigarettes have +to do with the kidnapping of Mr. Stapleton's child?" + +He looked at her closely for a moment. "Everything," he answered +gloomily, "and--nothing. I was a fool to have left them here." + +Grace began to feel more and more composed. This man did not talk like +one of the band of criminals. "Do you know where the child is?" she +suddenly asked. + +"Perhaps." He observed her narrowly. "Do you?" + +"No. If I did, I should restore him to his poor mother." + +"What were you doing in that automobile?" + +"I was a prisoner. And you?" + +Again he evaded her question. "It is my own affair," he growled. + +"Did you not see who it was that drove the car?" she asked. + +Instead of replying, he flung himself into a chair. "Sit down, +Mademoiselle, and tell me the whole story. If I find that you are frank +with me, I promise to be equally so with you." + +Suddenly Grace felt an intuition that the man was honest. She determined +to do as he asked. "Very well. I will tell you the truth. I am trying to +recover Mr. Stapleton's child. Last night I was watching the house. I +was seized from behind, thrown into an automobile, and taken--I do not +know where. This morning a message to Mr. Stapleton was given me. +Tonight I was brought here, blindfolded, in an automobile. Then I met +you. That is all I know." + +Valentin appeared disappointed. "Then you do not know where the child +is?" he asked. + +"The child is where I was--I saw it." + +As Grace said this, her companion leaped excitedly from his chair. "Then +we have them!" he cried. + +"I do not understand." + +"Mademoiselle, this evening I was watching Monsieur Stapleton's house. +Like yourself, I desire to recover the child. I saw Francois leave in +Monsieur Stapleton's automobile. I climbed in behind, as he left the +house. It was dark. He did not see me. He drove out toward Versailles." + +"Toward Versailles?" exclaimed Grace. + +"Yes. Why do you seem so surprised." + +"Never mind. Go on." + +"After a time, he stopped by the roadside. I got out, and hid in the +shadow of some trees. Presently you were brought, blindfolded, by a man, +who entered the car with you. When it again started, I climbed on +behind. That is how I came to meet you." + +"Then you don't know where the house is, from which I was brought?" + +"No. There are many houses--all about. There was no way of knowing, in +the dark. Did you come far--when they brought you to the automobile?" + +"Yes. Several hundred yards, at least. But you know the spot, on the +roadside?" + +"Yes. I can find it, without difficulty." + +"Monsieur Valentin, I have a plan--a very dangerous plan--for recovering +Mr. Stapleton's boy. I cannot tell you what it is now. Tomorrow I will +tell you--tomorrow afternoon. I shall want your assistance." + +"What am I to do?" + +"Can you drive an automobile?" + +The man smiled. "Decidedly. It is my profession." + +"Splendid! You will wait for me here, and I will come, and tell you what +you are to do. I shall arrive not later than six o'clock." She rose. +"Now I must go; but before I do so, tell me one thing. What is the +mystery of the gold-tipped cigarettes?" + +Her question seemed to drive from Valentin's face all the good nature +that had dwelt there the moment before. "I cannot tell you that," he +growled. "You must not ask me. Let me advise you to drop the matter of +the cigarettes, and report your message to Mr. Stapleton at once." + +For a moment, Grace almost regretted her frankness. Suppose, after all, +he should prove to be but a confederate of the kidnappers, in league +with Mary Lanahan, the nurse, to spirit the boy away in the first place, +and now sent by them, in the guise of a spy clinging to the rear of the +automobile, to find out what step she proposed to take to capture them? +She paused in indecision. Suddenly there was a tapping upon the door of +the room. + +Valentin went to the door and cautiously opened it. The landlady stood +on the landing outside. "There is a man to see you, at the door below, +Monsieur," she said in a low tone. + +"Who is it?" + +"I do not know. He gives the name of Victor Girard." + +"Very well. Send him up." + +Grace heard the name--Victor Girard. A sudden wave of weakness swept +over her. It was Richard! He had used the name frequently, in the past. +She heard him ascending the short flight of stairs. There was no escape. +Yet Monsieur Lefevre particularly insisted that he should not recognize +her. She hastily drew down her veil. "Get rid of him as soon as you +can," she whispered to Valentin, and shrunk back into the shadow. + +Duvall came in, glancing sharply about him. He had been waiting to see +Valentin since early in the evening, and had inquired for him twice +before, only to find that he was out. + +"What can I do for you, Monsieur?" inquired Valentin. + +The detective drew the note from his pocket--the note which Mary Lanahan +had sent to Valentin, and which Duvall had intercepted. "This is for +you, Monsieur?" he asked, then suddenly paused, astounded. In the dim +light, he caught sight of Grace, standing on the opposite side of the +room, watching him closely. "I--I thought--Monsieur--I thought you were +alone," he gasped, his eyes fixed on Grace as though he had seen a +ghost. "I--I beg your pardon, but--" He was unable to proceed. + +Valentin looked at him in amazement. "What is it, my friend?" he asked +sharply. "Tell me your business, if you please, and go. I have a +visitor." + +"Yes--Monsieur--so--so I see." Duvall pulled himself together with a +mighty effort and turned his glance to Valentin. He had suffered a great +shock. For a moment he would have been ready to swear that Grace, his +dear wife, stood before him in the flesh--and yet the thing was an +absurdity: Grace, with her golden brown hair, her clear complexion, was +three thousand miles away! This woman, dark, typically French, was quite +evidently an entirely different person; yet the resemblance was +startling--he felt himself shaking in every fiber. + +"Well, Monsieur, give me the letter, since you say it is for me," he +heard Valentin saying. + +In an instant he had recovered his self possession. "Here," he +exclaimed, handing the note to the man before him. "It is from Mary +Lanahan. I have read it." + +"You have read it, Monsieur!" Valentin exclaimed, angrily. "By what +right, then, do you presume to read my letters?" He took the note and +hurriedly read its contents. "Sacre!" he exclaimed. "What does this +mean?" + +"It means, my friend, that I want that box of gold-tipped cigarettes." + +Grace started. So Richard, too, was interested in the recovery of these +mysterious cigarettes. What on earth, she wondered, could it mean? + +"In the first place, Monsieur, let me inform you that I have no +cigarettes, gold-tipped or otherwise. In the second place, I question +your right to make any such demands." + +"Does not the note from Mary Lanahan request you to destroy them?" + +Valentin turned pale. "I tell you I have no such cigarettes!" he cried. + +"Are they not the sort, then, that you usually smoke?" + +"I do not smoke at all, Monsieur." + +Duvall laughed. "So you both tell the same story, it seems. My friend, I +dislike to discuss these matters before a stranger." He glanced +significantly at Grace. + +She dared not go. To speak--even to bid Valentin good evening, would, +she felt sure, betray her. So she remained silent. + +"Then take yourself off. I certainly have no desire to discuss them. I +tell you, I do not smoke--I have no cigarettes--that is enough!" + +"What does that note mean, then?" asked Duvall sternly. + +"That is Miss Lanahan's affair--and mine." + +Duvall drew out his pocketbook, and extracted from it the bit of +cigarette stump, with the gold tip, which he had found that morning in +the Bois de Boulogne. "Monsieur Valentin," he said, "I found this end of +a cigarette at the exact place in the grass, in the Bois de Boulogne, +where Mr. Stapleton's child and nurse were, when the boy was stolen. The +chauffeur was asleep. You could readily have walked up, taken away the +child, and no one would have been the wiser. The story of Mary Lanahan, +that no one came near her, that the boy disappeared into thin air, is +absurd. The presence of the half-smoked cigarette, of a kind which I +have reason to believe you use, convinces me that you were there in the +Bois, with the nurse, at the time of the kidnapping--if indeed you did +not take an active part in it. The message from Mary Lanahan, which I +have just handed you, directing you to destroy the cigarettes,--which, +no doubt, she feared, after my questioning, might be used as evidence +against you,--serves as strong additional proof. I believe that you know +where Mr. Stapleton's child is." + +The statements which her husband made convinced Grace that she had made +a mistake in confiding in Valentin. She herself had seen the +gold-tipped cigarettes on his table--had seen them stolen. It was not +very conclusive evidence, she realized; but, taken with the nurse's +letter, it was significant. + +Valentin, however, did not appear to be greatly alarmed by the +detective's charges. "You are mistaken, Monsieur," he said quietly. "I +know nothing about the affair." + +"Then what does this note mean?" + +"That I cannot tell you. And, if you have any other questions to ask, I +beg that you will come again--at another time. I, as you see, am engaged +for the moment." He indicated Grace with a glance. + +Duvall looked about, then turned to the door. His object in coming had +been fulfilled. He had seen Valentin--located him--he hoped frightened +him. It was one of his theories that a man, frightened by the knowledge +that he is being closely pursued, is far more likely to make a false +step, than one who fancies himself secure. + +He darted a curious glance at Grace, as he left the room; but her face, +concealed in the shadow, told him nothing. Her silent presence filled +him with strange disquietude. He stationed himself outside the doorway +of the house, determined to learn, if possible, who she was, by +following her, when she left the place. He had not counted on Valentin's +being with her. + +The two left the house together, and the man at once called a cab. Into +this he put Grace, all the while eying Duvall savagely. The latter gave +up all ideas of pursuing Grace, and returned, somewhat disgruntled, to +his hotel. He had barely reached it, when a message was brought to him, +summoning him to Mr. Stapleton's house. + +Grace, meanwhile, had driven at once to the banker's, and delivered to +him the message with which she had been intrusted by the man in the +black mask that morning. + +Mr. Stapleton's face grew more and more angry as she proceeded with her +story. He jumped up, as soon as he learned the purport of it, and, +ringing up Duvall's hotel, requested the detective to come to him at +once. Then he turned to Grace. + +"You have no idea where this place is located?" + +"Not the slightest." + +"You say you saw my boy? He was safe?" + +"I saw a child, which I was told was yours, Mr. Stapleton. I did not +recognize him, of course. You know I have never seen your son. Also, he +was dressed as a girl." + +Mr. Stapleton produced a photograph with nervous haste. "Was he like +this?" he demanded. + +"Yes. It was the same." There was sufficient resemblance, even in the +disguise the boy wore, for Grace to be practically certain of his +identity. + +"How am I to know that these scoundrels will keep their word?" Mr. +Stapleton groaned, his head on his hands. + +"Do you intend, then, to give them the money?" + +"Certainly. Do you suppose I would take any chances, for the matter of a +hundred thousand dollars--or twice as much, for that matter? His mother +and I are unable to sleep, to eat, to do anything in fact, under the +strain of this thing. I shall by all means do as they ask." + +"But they will get away." + +"That is nothing to me. Let them. Once my boy is safe, I can spend +another hundred thousand to catch them; but not now--when one false step +might mean his death." + +"They won't harm him, Mr. Stapleton. They are too anxious for the +money, to let anything happen to him." + +"I'll take no chances." + +Grace rose. "Then I might as well be going," she said. "I don't see that +I can do anything more. I shall report the matter to the Prefect of +Police at once." + +"Very well. And be good enough to say to him that I particularly desire +that no steps be taken to prevent the carrying out of the plan. I shall +pay this money and regain my boy. After that, the police may do as they +like. Good evening." + +"Good evening." Grace left the house, feeling singularly disappointed, +in spite of the fact that Mr. Stapleton's decision apparently meant that +Richard's work in Paris, as well as her own, was likely to be brought to +a sudden termination. + +As she was leaving the house, she saw Richard drive up in a cab. The +sight of him filled her with joy; although she was forced to conceal it, +and pass him by with a look of indifference. In the darkness, she knew +she was safe. He recognized her of course,--recognized her, that is, as +the woman he had seen in Valentin's room,--and her presence here at Mr. +Stapleton's house evidently filled him with surprise. For a moment, she +thought he was about to speak to her, as he descended from his cab; but +she turned away and hurried down the street, and when she looked back, +he had entered the house. + + + + +CHAPTER VII + + +Mr. Stapleton was standing in the middle of the library, when Duvall +entered. He turned to him excitedly. + +"Mr. Duvall," he said, "I have just heard news that I hope will restore +my boy to me within the next twenty-four hours!" + +"From the woman who just left the house?" + +"Yes." + +"Who is she?" + +"An agent of the police." + +"Ah! Are you certain of that?" + +"I know only what she says." + +Duvall looked at him curiously. "What is the news she has brought you?" + +"A message from the scoundrels who have stolen the child. They want a +hundred thousand dollars, to return him." + +"And she brought you that message?" + +"Yes." The banker regarded his questioner uneasily. + +"Does it not seem rather singular, Mr. Stapleton, that a member of the +Paris police should come to you with a message from the kidnappers?" + +Mr. Stapleton frowned. "I had not considered that aspect of the case, +Mr. Duvall. I was--and am--too anxious to get my boy back, to care by +whom these fellows deliver their terms." + +"What was the message, Mr. Stapleton?" + +"I am to drive along the road to Versailles tomorrow evening, leaving +here at eight o'clock, and moving at the rate of twelve miles an hour. +Somewhere on that road, an automobile in passing will signal me with a +blue light. I am then to slow up and toss into the other machine a +package containing one hundred thousand dollars. If I do this, and make +no attempt to follow or capture the rascals, they agree to deliver the +child here--at my house--by the time I return home." + +Duvall listened to Mr. Stapleton's words with growing interest. "They +are a shrewd lot," he exclaimed. "They will get away in their machine, +and have ample opportunity to examine the package to see that it +contains the amount they demand. By signaling to confederates at any +point along the road, or in another automobile, they can advise them +whether or not to return the child." + +"But how will they be able to do this, without running the risk of being +caught?" + +"That is easy. They take the boy to Paris, employ a passerby--a man of +their own class, no doubt--for a few francs, to deliver him at your +door. To trace them, through that means, will be impossible. If you give +them the money, the chances are that they will never be caught." + +"Nevertheless, I shall give it to them." + +"I expected that, Mr. Stapleton. I can understand your feelings. It is +not right, of course, to submit to this blackmail; but no doubt, were I +situated as you are, I would do the same thing. Still, it is a great +pity." + +"Why?" + +"Because we have an excellent chance to capture these fellows." + +"And lose the boy!" + +"Yes, that might be true. Such men are apt to retaliate very promptly, +and very severely. They have no pity. I wish I might handle the case to +suit myself." + +"What would you do?" + +"I would arrange to follow you, in a fast car, keeping say five hundred +feet in the rear. I should have several men, well armed, in the car. By +watching carefully, with field glasses if necessary, I would observe the +car which signaled you with the blue light. When this car passed me, I +would follow, but make no move which would alarm the kidnappers until +they had given the signal--whatever it is--that would ensure your boy +being returned to you. Then I would close in on them, and arrest them." + +"Your plan, Mr. Duvall, is open to serious objections. Suppose these +men, undoubtedly on the watch, observe that they are being followed. +They will give no signal--and I will lose not only my child, but the one +hundred thousand dollars as well. No, no, I want no interference in the +matter whatever." + +Duvall remained a moment in silence. "Very well, Mr. Stapleton, I am +under your orders, of course. But I dislike very much to see these +fellows get away." + +"So do I; but there's no help for it." + +"If I can work out a plan for their capture, which will not involve the +loss of the boy, you are willing, I take it, to let me go ahead?" + +"Yes; but I insist that you first submit the plan to me." + +"Very well. And now, another matter. This woman who brought the message +to you is, you say, an agent of the police. Did she attempt to explain +how she came by the message?" + +"Yes. She was forcibly abducted, last night, carried a long distance out +into the country, and the instructions given her. She was brought back +to Paris, blindfolded, tonight." + +"Mr. Stapleton, what would you say were I to tell you that less than an +hour ago I saw this woman in the rooms of Alphonse Valentin, a man whom +I suspect to be very deeply concerned in the kidnapping of your son?" + +Stapleton started. "Is it possible?" he said. "Have you any idea what +she was doing there?" + +"No. They seemed on excellent terms, however. Of course, it is not +impossible that an agent of the police might pose as a friend of one of +the criminals, and thus obtain information. But it looks decidedly +queer." + +"It does, indeed. Still, as I said before, if I get my boy back, I shall +be satisfied." He took a turn about the room, chewing nervously upon +his long black cigar. "Now, Mr. Duvall, what is your plan to capture +these fellows?" + +Duvall sat in deep thought for sometime. "It is not an easy matter, Mr. +Stapleton, but there is one way which promises success, and that, too, +without interfering with your arrangements to recover your boy." + +"What is it?" + +"This. It is necessary for us, in some way, to identify the car which +gives you the signal of the blue light. It will pass close to you, at a +moderate speed. I want you to mark that car, so that it may be +recognized at once." + +"How can I do that?" + +"I will place in the bottom of your machine a small device, consisting +of a rubber bulb, equipped with a small nozzle, projecting through a +hole in the body of the car. The bulb will be filled with indelible red +stain. When you stand up, to toss the package of money to the +kidnappers, you must press this bulb with your foot. The two cars will +then be side by side. The pressure on the bulb will discharge a blast of +the red stain against the body and wheels of the car opposite you. It +will then be a simple matter to identify it." + +"Yes--yes. I see that. But what then?" + +"The car, in passing you, will be headed for Paris. Undoubtedly it is +the intention of these fellows to enter the city. I shall station myself +at the Porte de Versailles, and I will arrange to have other men, +members of the detective bureau, stationed at the neighboring gates in +the fortifications. All cars entering the city will be momentarily +halted. The one which bears upon its body or wheels the red stain will +be seized, its occupants arrested." + +"But suppose they have not yet notified their confederates to return the +boy to me?" + +"In that event, I feel certain that the child will be found in the +automobile with them. Look at the thing as you would, were you in their +place. They are forced to act with great quickness. Were they to signal, +by lights or otherwise, to persons along the road, they could hardly +hope to get the boy to your house before you yourself return there. They +know you will return home immediately at your best speed as soon as you +have delivered the money to them. What more likely, then, that they will +have the boy with them in the car, will drive to some prearranged point +in Paris, and deliver him to the person who will bring him to your +house? That would seem, to my mind, their most probable plan." + +"And if not--if the child is not with them?" + +"Then there are but two courses open to them. The first is to signal, by +lights or otherwise, to their confederates, before they enter Paris. If +they do this, the boy will be returned to you, and we will capture the +men as well. The only other alternative, of course, is for them to +notify their confederates after they enter Paris." + +"But, if you arrest him at the barrier, they cannot do that, and my boy +will not be sent back." + +"That is true; but I do not think they will wait to notify their +confederates until after they enter Paris." + +"Why not, Mr. Duvall?" + +"First, because of the danger of being observed, in the crowded streets +of the city. Secondly, because I do not think the child is in Paris at +all. The woman who brought you the message from the kidnappers, I +understand, saw the child at a point some distance in the country. It +seems unlikely that these men would run the risk of conveying the child +into the city, in broad daylight. By having the boy with them in the +car, they avoid all danger of signaling anybody. They merely inspect the +package of money, run into Paris, fully believing themselves for the +time being safe, drop the child at a convenient point, divide the +plunder, and scatter to their respective hiding places. Criminals of +this sort know perfectly well that they are far safer, hiding in a big +city, than fleeing through the country in an automobile. I feel scarcely +any doubt that they have the child with them." + +"But if he is still in the country, and they wait until after they are +in Paris before notifying their confederates?" + +"Then the latter are obliged to journey a long distance out into the +country, get the child, and bring him back to your house. That would +require a considerable period. They could not possibly do it before you +return home." + +Mr. Stapleton considered the matter for a long time in silence. "Your +arguments seem sound, Mr. Duvall," he presently observed. "Like +yourself, I am anxious to capture these fellows. It makes my blood boil, +to think of their getting away. Of course, your deductions may be +wrong." + +"Then at least we will get the perpetrators of the crime, and it is most +likely that one of them, at least, may be persuaded to turn state's +evidence, and disclose the whereabouts of your son." + +Mr. Stapleton pondered the matter with great care. Evidently he feared +any course of action which did not insure the return of the child. + +"It seems to me, Mr. Stapleton," the detective went on, "that you owe it +to the public to let me make this effort to capture these fellows. It is +a grave danger to the community, to have such rogues at large. Let me +try my plan. Even if it fails, you are no worse off than you are now. +The attempt cannot in any way be traced to you." + +"Very well," said the banker, nervously. "It is a chance--that's all. +However, since it seems to involve no breach of faith on my part, I am +willing to take it." + +"Good! I will bring the device I spoke of to your house tomorrow, and +attach it to your car. Your man Francois will drive you, I presume." + +"Yes." + +"You trust him?" + +"I have no reasons for not doing so. And besides he will know nothing of +the affair. His part will be merely to drive the car, as I direct him." + +Duvall thought for a moment. "You will not, of course, give him his +instructions until the last moment--just before you start." + +"No. That will be best, I think." + +"Undoubtedly. And to avoid any possible interference, I think I had +better not attach the identifying device of which I have spoken to your +car until late tomorrow afternoon, immediately before you set out. Then, +if by any chance your chauffeur is in this plot, he will have no +opportunity to give a warning." + +"Very well. I think, however, that your precautions are needless. There +has been nothing whatever brought out to connect Francois with this +matter." + +"I know; but it is well to be careful. You will leave here tomorrow +evening, at eight o'clock?" + +"Yes. Promptly at eight." + +"You might do well to have someone with you, some member of the police, +perhaps." + +"The instructions expressly forbid it." + +"Ah--I see. These fellows are shrewd." He took up his hat. "Until +tomorrow then. Good night." + +"Good night." + + + + +CHAPTER VIII + + +At the same hour that Richard Duvall was arranging with Mr. Stapleton +his plan for the capture of the kidnappers the following day, Grace was +closeted with Monsieur Lefevre, the Prefect of Police, in the latter's +library, going over the affair in all its details. The Prefect was +speaking, ticking off on his fingers the points in the case as he +proceeded. + +"First, we have the impossible story of the nurse, Mary Lanahan. She +seems to be telling the truth; yet I believe she is lying. In my +opinion, she is deeply concerned in the whole matter." + +"But what about the attempt to poison her?" + +"It is highly probable that she poisoned herself, taking a slight dose +only. This would divert suspicion from her." + +"I see." + +"Then we have the case of Alphonse Valentin, and the mysterious +gold-tipped cigarettes. Your husband, Monsieur Duvall, I am informed, +has found one of these cigarettes, partly smoked, on the grass at the +scene of the crime. This might indicate that Valentin was there, with +her, on some occasion, but not necessarily on the day the kidnapping +occurred. It might readily have been the day before--or the week before, +for that matter." + +"I thought of that," remarked Grace, quietly. "It seems to me that +Richard attached too much importance to the matter." + +"That remains to be seen. Now, supposing Valentin to be concerned, with +the nurse, in the plot. He of course does not think, at the start, that +the possession of the cigarettes would involve him in the affair, +because he does not know that Monsieur Duvall has found the one in the +grass. Your husband, however, asks Mary Lanahan what kind of cigarettes +Valentin smokes. She at once becomes suspicious, and at the first +opportunity warns Valentin, by letter, to destroy them. That shows +clearly that they are working together." + +"Undoubtedly. But meanwhile the cigarettes are stolen from Valentin's +room by a man with a dark beard, who subsequently enters Mr. +Stapleton's house. For that, I confess, I can find no explanation." + +"Nor I. The destruction of the cigarettes could be of no importance to +anyone, except to the kidnappers themselves. It is of course possible +that someone else in Mr. Stapleton's house--Francois, for instance--is +concerned in the plot." + +"But the man who took the cigarettes had a black beard, while Francois +is smooth shaven." + +"I know. But it might have been a disguise." + +"I do not think so. The man I saw was taller than Francois, and not so +heavily built." + +The Prefect considered the matter for a moment. "You are certain that he +entered the Stapleton's house?" + +"Absolutely certain. I saw the gate close behind him." + +"Then I can only say that, so far, the matter is inexplicable. Now let +us come back to Valentin. He claims to be working to capture the +kidnappers--in order to clear the nurse, whom he loves." + +"That is as I understand it." + +"He denies that he smokes, yet offers no explanation of the presence of +the cigarettes in his room." + +"None. Further, someone sends a note to Valentin, advising him that the +writer is suspicious of Francois--suggesting that he watch him. Can this +mean that Francois is in the plot, and they fear he may be +weakening--preparing to turn against them?" + +"It certainly looks that way." + +"I wish I could see one of these famous cigarettes." + +Grace laughed suddenly. "Why," she exclaimed, "I have one in my +pocketbook. I had quite forgotten it." She opened her purse and took out +the slender white cylinder. + +Lefevre examined the thing closely. "An Egyptian cigarette of American +make," he mused. "Expensive, here in Paris, and rarely used, except by +Americans." + +"That is true; yet I understand that this man Valentin has lived a great +deal in America." + +For a moment the Prefect did not reply. Then a puzzled look crossed his +face. "This is a woman's cigarette," he exclaimed. "No man would smoke +such a thing." He brought his hand down sharply upon his knee. "My +girl, it is not impossible that the child was stolen not by a man at +all, but by a woman." + +"A woman, apparently, that both Valentin and the nurse are trying to +shield." + +The Prefect sat for a moment buried in thought. Then he glanced at Grace +keenly. "It seems to me," he remarked, in a quiet tone, "that we should +endeavor to determine whether or not Mrs. Stapleton is in the habit of +using cigarettes." + +"Mrs. Stapleton!" gasped Grace, in amazement. + +"Yes. I confess the idea is a new one, to me; but it may prove of +interest." + +"But why should the boy's mother wish to kidnap him?" + +"I do not know. There is but one point of significance. During the past +week my men have, naturally, questioned Mrs. Stapleton closely as to her +movements during the past two or three months. They did this, to +determine, if possible, whether the criminals were of Paris, or from +some other place, where Mrs. Stapleton may have been, with the child, +during the past winter. You know these fellows work in bands, and have +their regular field of operations." + +"I see. And where had she been?" + +"Monte Carlo!" The Prefect uttered the two words significantly. + +Grace was quick to grasp his meaning. + +"Then you mean that possibly Mrs. Stapleton may have lost large sums at +the gambling tables, and, fearing to tell her husband of her losses, has +enlisted the services of the nurse, and of her friend Valentin, and +spirited the child away for a few weeks, in order to get the sum of one +hundred thousand dollars from her husband without his knowledge?" + +"It is by no means impossible. I would recommend that you investigate +the matter thoroughly. If we find that Mrs. Stapleton uses gold-tipped +cigarettes of this variety, it may go far toward a solution of the whole +affair." + +Grace, remembering Mrs. Stapleton's grief-stricken appearance, felt that +the clue was a very slender one, but determined to follow it up, +nevertheless. + +"Now," went on the Prefect, "we come to the sudden and most unexpected +appearance of Valentin, clinging to the rear of the automobile that +brought you back to Paris tonight." + +"As I have told you, he claims to have clambered into Mr. Stapleton's +car." + +"Driven by Francois?" + +"Yes." + +"And you say the man who drove the car had a black beard--the same man, +in fact, who broke into Valentin's room and stole the cigarettes?" + +"Yes." + +"Then either Valentin is lying, or the man with the black beard is +Francois. Let us look at his story from both sides. If he is telling the +truth, then Francois is one of the kidnappers." + +"So it would seem. You are having him watched, you say?" + +"Yes. My men report that he did leave the house, in Mr. Stapleton's +automobile tonight, at about nine o'clock. That would seem to agree with +Valentin's story. They also report that he returned about eleven, +alone." + +"They did not follow him?" + +"No. It is impossible to do so, in another car, without arousing his +suspicion, and putting him on his guard. We do not wish him to know that +he is being watched." + +"But Mr. Stapleton must know where he has been--why the car was out." + +"Yes. We have questioned him. He says the man reported that the gasolene +tank was leaking, and that he ordered him to have it repaired at once." + +"And was it repaired?" + +The Prefect smiled. "Yes. The car was at a garage in the Boulevard St. +Michel from half past nine until half past ten." + +Grace fell back, astonished. "Then Valentin is lying!" she cried. + +"So it seems; unless, of course, Francois took out another car from the +garage, while his own was being fixed." + +"They would know that at the garage." + +"They deny it. But these fellows all hang together. They would think +nothing of protecting a brother chauffeur, in the matter of a little joy +ride." + +"Valentin says nothing about this, in his story." + +"He may have omitted it, as an unimportant detail. I mean that he may +have slipped into the second car, as he did into the first, without +being observed. It was dark of course. He may not have thought it +necessary to mention it. All this, of course, is on the assumption that +he is telling the truth. Now let us say that he is lying--that the man +with the black beard is not Francois, but someone else concerned, with +Valentin in the plot. What is the purpose of his tale?" + +"I cannot imagine. Can you, Monsieur?" + +"No, not immediately. The first contradiction, of course, is this. If +Valentin and the man with the black beard are working together, why +should the latter have broken into his room to get the cigarettes?" + +"There seems no sense to it." + +"Yet he may have realized the danger of the cigarettes being in +Valentin's possession, and instead of trying to warn him simply came and +took them away. It is not a particularly plausible explanation; but let +us admit it, for the moment, in order to get ahead with our reasoning. +Suppose Valentin, the man with the black beard, and Mary Lanahan, the +nurse, to be all working together, either with Mrs. Stapleton, or with +outside parties. They have the child safely hidden. They abduct you, and +send the message to Mr. Stapleton through you. They do not trust you, +knowing, no doubt, that you are an agent of my office. They send +Valentin along, on the back of the machine, to pretend to be an enemy of +theirs trying, like yourself, to recover the child. He thus gets into +your confidence. He advises you to report your message from the +kidnappers to Mr. Stapleton at once. He questions you, and learns that +you do not know the location of the house where the child is hidden. He +then offers to show you as nearly as he can where the house is located. +If he is in league with the kidnappers, he will take you, and the men +whom tomorrow I shall send with you, to some location miles removed from +the actual point where the child is concealed, and you will waste the +day in a useless search. Decidedly it would be a clever move on their +part." + +"It certainly would." + +"Further, you told this fellow that you had a plan to capture the +scoundrels. You are to acquaint him with that plan, tomorrow afternoon. +If you do so, he will no doubt get to the telephone on some pretext and +warn his comrades of what you intend to do. I strongly recommend that +you put no faith in the fellow whatever." + +"Still, you would advise trying to locate the house, as he suggests?" + +"Yes, we may be wrong about him. We must leave no stone unturned. And +now we come to your interview with Mr. Stapleton. You gave him the +message, of course. What did he say?" + +"He said that he intended to carry out the instructions I gave him to +the letter--pay these fellows their money, and get back the boy." + +Monsieur Lefevre uttered an exclamation of anger. "Sacre! He must not do +that! The stupid fellow! He will spoil everything!" + +Grace laughed quietly to herself. "Hardly stupid, Monsieur! The poor man +is half mad over the boy's loss. He will do anything, to get him back. I +can scarcely blame him." + +The Prefect held out his hand. "I beg your pardon, my child. You are +right. It is perhaps but natural for him to feel as he does. But there +are other things at stake, than the recovery of the child. For Monsieur +Stapleton to pay over this huge sum to these criminals, and then to +allow them to escape, is not only a grave reflection upon the efficiency +of the Paris police, but is an injustice to the public as well. If these +men are successful in this attempt, they will make others. Other +children will be stolen. I cannot permit it. It must be prevented at all +costs. These men must be brought to justice." + +"How can you prevent it, Monsieur? Mr. Stapleton is determined." + +"That, my child, is the question. I cannot stop Monsieur Stapleton if +he wishes to drive out the road to Versailles and toss a hundred +thousand dollars into the first automobile that passes him, showing a +blue light." He rose and began to walk up and down the room. + +"I have a plan, Monsieur," said Grace, quietly. + +"What is it, my child?" The Prefect regarded her with an indulgent +smile. He was very fond of Grace. He regretted that he had been unable +to secure the services of her husband in this case. He knew, from past +experience, her cleverness; but he did not believe that in a matter of +this sort she would be able to outwit men who were probably among the +shrewdest criminals in Paris. + +"First," said Grace, "we will have the location pointed out to us by +Valentin thoroughly searched." + +"Assuredly! It will, however, probably result in nothing. Even if +Valentin is telling the truth, these fellows will beyond question have +moved the child before now to prepare for the work of tomorrow evening." + +"Possibly. At any rate, we will try. After that, I shall want Valentin +to drive a motor car for me. He is an accomplished chauffeur." + +"You will take him into your confidence, then?" asked the Prefect, in +some alarm. + +"No. I shall tell him nothing, except that he is to drive the car, and +where." + +"Very well. But be careful. What next?" + +Grace leaned over and spoke to the Prefect in low tones for several +minutes. He listened to what she said, occasionally smiling, and nodding +his head. Presently he brought his hand down sharply upon the table. +"Bravo!" he exclaimed. "You were born to be a detective. We will get the +kidnappers, the money, and in all probability the child as well. I +congratulate you!" + +"You think it will work, then?" + +"I do not see how it can fail. It is an inspiration. I shall certainly +feel very well satisfied indeed, if I can return to Monsieur Stapleton +both his child and his money, and at the same time place the kidnappers +behind the bars. I could never permit it to be said that the police of +Paris would knowingly allow a desperate band of criminals to get away +with half a million of francs without lifting a hand to prevent it." He +rose and glanced at his watch. "Come, my child. It is after midnight. +You have had a long and exciting day. You had better get some rest." + +Grace rose. "Richard seemed awfully puzzled when he saw me." + +"Did he?" The Prefect laughed mischievously. "Really it is a great joke +upon him. To be within a step of his own wife, and not to know her!" + +Grace seemed scarcely to appreciate the humor of the situation. "I think +it's a shame," she said, "Poor Richard. He'll never forgive me. I really +think I ought to tell him." + +Monsieur Lefevre shook his head. "If you do that, my dear child, +everything will be spoiled. He will insist upon your dropping the case +at once, and that would certainly not be fair to me." + +"But, Monsieur, after all, you really do not need me, with all the +clever men you have upon your staff." + +"Who knows? Perhaps you may succeed, where they will fail. I have great +faith in the intuition of a woman. And already you have advanced the +case further in forty-eight hours than my men have done in ten days. It +was a chance, I will admit, that these rascals should have chosen you to +deliver their demands to Monsieur Stapleton. I confess I do not +understand their reasons for doing so. They must have known that +besides telling your story to him, you would also tell it to me. It may +have been sheer bravado on their part--it is a characteristic, I have +noted, in many criminals. They seem to glory in defying the police. +These fellows, no doubt, think that they have matters so arranged that +capture is impossible. I think we shall give them a little surprise." + +He turned to the door, and held it open, allowing Grace to pass into the +hall. "Good night, my child," he called out to her, as she began to +ascend the stairs. "I think I will smoke one more cigar." + +As for Grace, she lay awake a long time, thinking of Richard, of their +home in the country, of the happy hours they had spent there--before +this unexpected interruption to their honeymoon. It seemed very queer to +her, to be lying there, alone. She had not gotten used to it. And +somewhere, in this big city, Richard was also sleeping--and she not with +him! The excitement of the affair was beginning to die out. The meeting +with Richard on the boat, which she had planned when she set out from +home, had not materialized. She had postponed this meeting, in her +thoughts, until his arrival in Paris, and now--he had come, and still +she had not been able so much as to touch his hand. She finally went to +sleep, devoutly praying that tomorrow, and the capture of the +kidnappers, would mark the end of their needless and cruel separation. + + + + +CHAPTER IX + + +Promptly at eight o'clock the next evening Mr. John Stapleton left his +house in the Avenue Kleber, in a big French touring car, with Francois +at the wheel. + +The car presented no points of peculiarity, being like a thousand others +to be seen any evening upon the streets of Paris. It was of large size, +high powered, and painted a green so dark as to be almost black. + +Mr. Stapleton sat in the tonneau, wearing a dark blue serge suit, and a +Panama hat. In his left hand he clutched a small package, about the size +of a cigar box. In the package were banknotes amounting to one hundred +thousand dollars. + +Close beside his right foot lay a rubber bulb, from which a short pipe +extended through a hole bored in the side of the car. The end of the +pipe held a small brass nozzle. It projected but a short distance beyond +the body of the car, and in the dim light of early evening was quite +invisible. + +Mr. Stapleton told his chauffeur to drive out the road toward +Versailles. "I feel like getting some fresh air," he added. "It's rather +warm, tonight." Inwardly he was burning up with excitement. + +From Paris to Versailles is a matter of some fourteen miles. Mr. +Stapleton's car proceeded slowly. He wanted to run no chances of missing +the car with the blue light. + +At the Porte de Versailles he paused long enough to see Richard Duvall, +standing in the shadow of the gateway. Then he passed outside of Paris. + +There were many automobiles and other vehicles on the road. The evening +was a pleasant one, and all Paris seemed out taking the air. The +majority of the vehicles were coming toward the city. He observed a car, +some distance behind him, containing a single occupant, a man of middle +age, but paid no attention to it. His eyes were strained to detect in +the cars approaching him some evidence of the signal light which was to +rouse him to sudden action. + +He noticed that Francois, like himself, was carefully scrutinizing each +car as it approached them. He wondered if the chauffeur could have any +idea of the purpose of his expedition; but presently dismissed the +thought as entirely unlikely, and devoted himself to the passing cars. + +He had proceeded perhaps four or five miles beyond the fortifications, +when he saw a large car approaching slowly from the direction of +Versailles. It contained but two persons, the chauffeur, and a heavily +veiled woman. + +The chauffeur, who was keenly observing the machine in which Mr. +Stapleton sat, began to swerve to the right side of the road, so as to +pass as closely to the banker's car as possible. At the same moment +there showed through the gathering darkness a brilliant spot of blue +light in the tonneau where sat the woman. + +Mr. Stapleton was on his feet in an instant. The two cars approached +each other rapidly. It was necessary for him to act with great +quickness. He shifted the package containing the money from his left +hand to his right, and a moment later had tossed it lightly into the +other car. + +He saw at once that it landed safely within, and at the same instant he +pressed his foot down hard upon the rubber bulb. In a moment the car +with the blue light had swept past, and was disappearing rapidly in the +direction of Paris. + +Mr. Stapleton leaned forward and addressed Francois in a voice which +quivered with excitement. "Drive home at once," he commanded. + +In a moment he was following the first car toward the city. + +He did not notice, as he swept down the darkening road, the car which +had been following him all the way from Paris. It continued on its way +toward Versailles. In it were two people. At the wheel sat a man who +bore, in the semi-darkness, a striking resemblance to Francois, Mr. +Stapleton's chauffeur, while in the rear sat a figure, in dark suit and +Panama hat, which seemed for all the world like that of the banker +himself. Had a casual observer not seen Mr. Stapleton turn back toward +Paris, he would have concluded that he was still on his way toward +Versailles. + +The occupants of this second car also appeared to be keenly watching the +various automobiles which passed them, as though expecting some signal, +some recognition; yet, in spite of their eager and expectant glances, +they seemed doomed to disappointment. + +At last Versailles was reached. The elderly man in the tonneau gave a +short command, his chauffeur turned the car about, and they began to +return to Paris. Nothing further whatever happened on the Versailles +road. + +Meanwhile, Richard Duvall, at the Porte de Versailles, was carefully +scrutinizing the various incoming machines that passed the gate and +entered the city. With a brilliant electric searchlight he examined +their bodies and wheels, looking always for the telltale red stains +which would identify the kidnappers' car. Beside him stood Vernet, one +of the Prefect's assistants, with whom Duvall had become well acquainted +during his former stay in Paris. + +"Well, Monsieur Duvall," remarked the latter, "a most ingenious +plan--this of yours. I wonder if it will be successful?" + +"I feel sure of it." + +"I hope you are right." He looked at his watch. "Half past eight. About +time, I should think, from what you tell me. Here is a big fellow, now. +A Pasquet, by her looks. Six-cylinder, too." + +Duvall glanced at the oncoming car. A wagon which preceded it was just +passing the gates. The big Pasquet slowed up, and almost stopped. + +The detective threw the rays of his searchlight on the body of the car, +then started back with an exclamation. From one end to the other, the +dark green finish of the sides and wheels was spattered and streaked +with bright red paint. Dust had settled in it, in places, especially on +the wheels; but above, on the doors, it was clear and unmistakable. + +"Vernet," he shouted, excitedly, "it is the one! Quick! Don't let them +get away." + +Vernet stepped up to the quivering motor. At the wheel sat a young man, +quite composed. In the tonneau, a veiled woman reclined at ease. In her +hands she held a brown paper package. + +She leaned toward Vernet, and spoke a single word to him. Duvall did not +hear what it was; but its effect upon the Prefect's man was +instantaneous--electrical. He stepped back and raised his hat. "Pardon, +Madame," he said, and the Pasquet rolled through the gate and into the +streets of Paris unmolested. + +Duvall had sprung forward, and, as he did so, swept the occupants of the +car with his electric searchlight. Suddenly he drew back in amazement, +just as Vernet allowed the car to pass on. He could scarcely believe +that what he saw was a reality. There was the big black car, its body +and wheels plentifully bespattered with the identifying red stain--and +there, at the wheel, sat Alphonse Valentin, while the veiled woman in +the rear was--Grace! + +He did not know it was Grace--he did know that it was the woman who had +been with Valentin in his room, who had brought the message from the +kidnappers to Mr. Stapleton, who, in some far off and intangible way, +reminded him of Grace. + +There she sat, in her hand the package containing Mr. Stapleton's +money--and Vernet doffed his cap to her, and permitted her to go on! Was +this woman, then, hoodwinking even the police? + +He sprang to Vernet's side. "Stop them!" he cried, in a hoarse voice. +"They are the ones I am after." + +Vernet shook his head. "Impossible, Monsieur. They are given safe +conduct by Monsieur the Prefect himself." + +"But--they are thieves--kidnappers!" + +Vernet shrugged his shoulders. "It may be so, Monsieur Duvall; but my +orders are to let them pass." + +The detective ground his teeth, helpless. His scheme for identifying +the criminals had worked perfectly. He had found them, only to see both +them and Mr. Stapleton's hundred thousand dollars as well slip quietly +through his fingers. He cursed the whole police force of Paris roundly, +in his anger. + +The arrival of another car distracted his attention. It was Mr. +Stapleton, hurrying home, in the hope of finding his boy. Duvall did not +stop him. The banker was evidently thinking of nothing but his lost son. + +Several other cars passed. Duvall had no interest in them. He was about +to turn away, with the intention of hunting up Mr. Stapleton and +learning whether or not the boy had been returned to him, when he heard +a familiar voice calling him by name. He turned. It was Monsieur +Lefevre, in a big dark green car. + +"Mon Dieu! Duvall!" the Prefect cried, in pretended surprise. "You here! +In Paris! Or do my eyes deceive me?" + +The detective looked a bit sheepish. He realized that in not calling on +his old friend before now, he had been guilty of an apparent rudeness +which Monsieur Lefevre might justly resent. "Monsieur," he cried, "it is +indeed I." He put out his hand, and grasped that of his old chief +warmly. "A little matter of business brought me to Paris. I have only +just arrived." + +"Indeed." The Prefect's eyes twinkled. "I hope, my dear fellow, that +your other engagements will permit you to come and see me before long." + +"I shall come this very evening, Monsieur. In fact, I have a matter of +the utmost importance to discuss with you. Shall you be at liberty?" + +"In an hour, _mon ami_. Until then I have other things to occupy me. +Come to the Prefecture in an hour. I shall be waiting for you. For the +present, adieu." He called an order to his chauffeur, and drove rapidly +off into the darkness. + +Duvall turned on his heel and began to look for a taxicab. "Good night, +Vernet," he called out, as he went up the street. + +In half an hour, he had reached Mr. Stapleton's house. He found the +unfortunate banker striding up and down his library in a towering rage. +"The fellows have deceived me!" he cried. "They have not brought back my +boy. Did you see anything of them? Tell me!" He grasped Duvall nervously +by the arm. + +"The car into which you threw the package of money contained, besides +the chauffeur, but one occupant, a woman, did it not?" + +"Yes--yes! Did you get her?" + +"No." + +"Why not? Did your scheme to identify the car fail to work?" + +"On the contrary, it worked perfectly. I stopped the car at the barrier. +The woman in it had the package of money in her hand." + +"And you did not arrest her! In Heaven's name, why not?" + +"The police would not permit me to do so. The woman was the same one who +brought you the message last night, the supposed agent of the police. +They allowed her to pass the gates." + +"What?" the banker fairly shouted his question. "This is ridiculous! Is +the woman a criminal, or is she a detective? She cannot be both, and if +she is the latter why was she in that car, with my money in her hand?" + +"I do not know. But I mean to find out very shortly." + +"How? I'd like to know!" + +"I am going to see the Prefect of Police at once." + +Mr. Stapleton sank into a chair, and groaned. "I had hoped to have Jack +with me by now. His poor mother is distracted. Isn't there anything, Mr. +Duvall, that you can do?" + +"I hope to answer that question better, Mr. Stapleton, after I have seen +Monsieur Lefevre. If this woman, and her companion, Valentin, are really +the kidnappers, they are in Paris, and we shall be able to lay our hands +on them without difficulty. If they are not, your money, at least is +safe. I must leave you now; but as soon as I learn anything, I will +report to you at once. Good night." + +He left the house, more mystified than he had ever been in his life. +From the start, this case had apparently been one in which all the clues +led to absurd contradictions, or else to nothing at all. + +In fifteen minutes he was at the Prefecture. + +Monsieur Lefevre sent out word that he would be occupied for a few +moments, and the detective sat down as patiently as possible, to wait. + + + + +CHAPTER X + + +The events of the Versailles road left Grace Duvall in a high state of +good humor. The plan she had suggested had been a success--at least so +far as her own part in it was concerned. How Monsieur Lefevre had fared, +she did not yet know. She looked down at the brown paper package she +held in her hand, and ordered Valentin to drive to the Prefecture. + +The day had been an eventful one. Immediately after breakfast Grace had +gone to Mr. Stapleton's house and had a long interview with Mrs. +Stapleton. That lady, apparently quite prostrated from worry and alarm +over the fate of her son, received her in her boudoir, where she lay, a +charming picture, upon a divan. + +Grace had no more than entered the room, when she detected the odor of +cigarette smoke, faint but unmistakable. She glanced at the table which +stood beside the divan upon which Mrs. Stapleton lay. On it, a tiny +porcelain ash receiver contained a fluffy mass of gray-white ashes, and +the half smoked remains of a cigarette. The tip, partly covered by the +ashes, was of gold. + +The girl engaged her hostess in a long conversation, quieting her fears, +which seemed real enough, and predicting the early recovery of her boy. +It was quite evident that Mrs. Stapleton was terribly nervous. No doubt +this accounted for the cigarettes. Although Grace did not use them +herself, she knew how their quieting effect on the nerves made them +almost necessities, at times, to their devotees. + +Presently she observed that Mrs. Stapleton held within her left hand, +concealed beneath the folds of her kimono, a small pasteboard box, a box +of cigarettes. Grace determined upon a bold move. + +"May I have one of your cigarettes, Mrs. Stapleton?" she asked, in her +sweetest manner. "I've forgotten to bring any with me--and--you know how +it is." + +Mrs. Stapleton's features relaxed into something approaching a smile. +She had been lying there wondering whether she dared offer one to Grace, +and thus be able to sooth her own overstrained nerves. She brought +forth the box and extended it toward her visitor. Grace took one of the +tiny cylinders and lit it. _It was of the same make as the one she had +secured in Alphonse Valentin's room!_ + +She took her departure a little later, wondering greatly. The whole +affair had begun to take on an air of baffling contradiction. + +She spent the rest of the morning, and most of the afternoon, searching +the houses near the point on the road to Versailles indicated by +Valentin. With her were three men from the Prefect's office--silent, +able men, in plain clothes, who pretended to be keepers from the _Jardin +des Plantes_, in search of a dangerous cobra, which was supposed to have +escaped from its cage the night before. + +The terrified householders threw open their doors with unassumed +alacrity. The suggestion of a deadly reptile lurking in their gardens +was a veritable open sesame. Yet no traces of the missing boy were +found, and, more remarkable still, Grace was unable to identify any of +the many gardens as the one in which she had seen the child playing with +the spaniel. This disappointed her greatly. She knew well that, if +Valentin was telling the truth, the garden was here; yet, although they +visited every house within a quarter of a mile, they were unable to +locate it. She remembered now that in her agitation, her eager +examination of the child, she had not fixed upon her mind any salient +point in the garden itself. All that she remembered was a bit of grass, +a gravel walk, and the child playing with the dog. A dozen of the little +enclosures presented similar features. She returned to the prefecture, +baffled. + +"The fellow is undoubtedly lying," had been Monsieur Lefevre's comment. +"He is trying to throw you off the track, in order to protect the nurse, +and possibly Mrs. Stapleton as well. I should not be surprised to find +that the boy's mother is the guilty person." + +Grace did not agree with him; so she said nothing. In spite of the fact +that Mrs. Stapleton used cigarettes similar to those which seemed in +some queer way to be at the bottom of the mystery, she had an intuitive +feeling that the grief which the banker's wife showed was entirely real. + +At half past seven, Grace left the prefecture in a high-powered car, +furnished by Monsieur Lefevre. Alphonse Valentin was at the wheel. In +her hand she held a pocket electric searchlight, across the front of +which had been affixed a circular bit of blue glass. + +At ten minutes to eight she arrived at Versailles. She at once ordered +Valentin to turn and drive back toward Paris at moderate speed. She did +not take him into her confidence regarding what she proposed to do, but +kept a keen watch for the car containing Mr. Stapleton. + +Her plan had worked. Mr. Stapleton, seeing her signal, had tossed her +the package of money--she only hoped that the other part of her plan had +been carried out with equal success. + +The other part of the plan had been this: Monsieur Lefevre, who in build +and general appearance was not unlike Mr. Stapleton, was to follow the +latter's car in a machine of the same make and general appearance. He +was to be driven by a chauffeur made up to resemble Francois +sufficiently to be mistaken for him in the dim light of early evening. +He himself was to make such alterations in his appearance and dress as +would enable him to pass, under a cursory examination, for Stapleton. In +the bottom of the car two armed men lay concealed. + +When the car containing Mr. Stapleton turned back toward Paris, after +having unwittingly delivered the money to Grace, the Prefect would +continue on toward Versailles. He would know that the car containing the +kidnappers was still ahead of him; since, had it not been, it, instead +of Grace's car, would have signaled Mr. Stapleton. + +Grace had started out from Versailles especially early, convinced that +the kidnappers would not leave there until eight, at least. In this +assumption she was correct. The car containing the kidnappers was, at +that moment, creeping toward Paris some two miles in her rear, looking +everywhere for Mr. Stapleton. + +The Prefect pursued his way toward Versailles in anxious expectancy. +Each moment he thought to see the blue signal flash from the various +cars which passed him. When it came, his men were to spring up, and at +once bring the other car to a standstill by firing their guns, heavily +charged with buckshot, at its wheels. A punctured tire, and the thing +was done. His men, assisted by the chauffeur, would then overpower the +occupants of the other car before they could realize what had happened. +In it they hoped to find the child. + +The plan was well conceived; but unfortunately it did not work. +Whatever the reason, none of the cars which passed the Prefect on his +way to Versailles displayed the telltale blue light. All seemed but +peaceable automobilists, intent on reaching Paris and its restaurants as +quickly as possible. Had his disguise been penetrated? He could not +believe it. He returned to the Prefecture in great disgust, wondering in +what way matters had gone wrong. + +Grace was waiting for him, an eager smile on her face. "Here is the +money," she said, placing the package on his desk. "Did you get the +men?" + +"No." The Prefect flung himself into a chair. "They did not signal." + +"But why, I wonder?" The failure of her plan was extremely annoying. + +"I can think of but one reason. There must have been some way in which +these fellows knew the Stapleton car when they approached it--some +signal, perhaps, that I was unable to give." + +"But no such signal was mentioned in the instructions I brought to Mr. +Stapleton. He gave none, as we approached him." + +"Did you observe anything peculiar about the appearance of his car, +anything that might have served as a clue to enable these fellows to +recognize it, even in the dark, with certainty?" + +Grace thought a moment, then her face fell. "There was one thing that I +noticed as Mr. Stapleton's car came up to us; but I am afraid I failed +to realize its significance at the time." + +"What was it?" + +"The electric headlight on the side nearest to me was working very +badly. In fact, it seemed to be almost out. The other was burning +brilliantly." + +The Prefect sprang to his feet. "Sacre!" he exclaimed. "Of course. The +thing is as plain as the nose on your face!" + +"But who--" + +"Francois! The fellow is in this thing up to his neck. _He_ claims to have +been asleep when the boy was stolen. _He_ drives the car which brings +you back, after your abduction. _He_, disguised, steals the box of +cigarettes. _He_ fixes the lights so that the kidnappers are advised, +not only beyond any doubt that they are signaling the right car, but +that all is safe--that Monsieur Stapleton has no detectives or members +of the police hidden in his tonneau. The thing is perfectly clear. +Believe me, my child, had there been anyone in that car with Mr. +Stapleton, those lights would have both been burning with equal +brightness, as mine were. They did not give me the signal, when they +passed me, because the lights failed to tell them that all was well." + +Grace looked up quickly. "Then, if that is true, Francois knew that Mr. +Stapleton had thrown the money into the wrong car." + +"Undoubtedly, and by this time, no doubt, his confederates know it as +well. Naturally the child has not been delivered. We are just where we +were before." + +"You will arrest Francois at once, I suppose." + +"No. It will be useless. By leaving him free, we may learn something. By +locking him up, with no tangible evidence against him, we accomplish +nothing at all." + +"Then what do you advise?" + +"You will return the money to Mr. Stapleton at once. You can tell him, +if you wish, how it came into your possession. He will be furious, of +course; but he must understand that the capture of these scoundrels is +quite as important to the city of Paris as the recovery of his son. We +have done our best, and failed. We must try again." + +"Richard was at the Porte de Versailles," remarked Grace, quietly. "He +tried to stop my car." + +"Yes. I saw him. He is coming here at once." + +The girl rose, in nervous haste. "I must go, then. It would be most +unwise to have him find me here." + +There was a quick knock at the door. The Prefect rose, and opened it; +then turned to Grace with a grim smile. "Your husband is waiting in the +anteroom," he whispered. + +"But--what shall I do?" + +"Wait in here." Monsieur Lefevre opened the door which led to his +private office. "You can hear everything quite plainly. From what you +tell me, I should not be surprised if he insisted upon your arrest at +once." + +"It isn't fair to him. Poor Richard! I'm afraid he'll never forgive me +for all this." + +"Nonsense! You are engaged in a very laudable attempt to recover Mrs. +Stapleton's child. So is he. Your interests are identical. Only," he +paused with a significant smile, "from my standpoint, I should much +prefer that the credit for the boy's recovery should belong to the +police of Paris, of which you, for the time being, are one." + +Richard Duvall came into the Prefect's office, somewhat ill at ease. The +room, familiar to him because of the events of the past, reminded him +forcibly of Grace--who had, indeed been upon his mind constantly for the +past few days. It was here, in this very room, that she had first told +him that she loved him--during the exciting pursuit of Victor Girard, +and the million francs. He gazed about at its familiar aspect, and +sighed. + +"Sit down, my dear Duvall," said the Prefect, shaking hands with him +warmly. "What, may I ask, brings you to Paris, at the cost of +interrupting your honeymoon? I had supposed that nothing could be of +sufficient importance for that. In fact, had I known you would consider +it for a moment, I should have cabled to you, to give me your assistance +in a most trying case." + +"What case, Monsieur?" + +"The mysterious kidnapping of the child of Monsieur Stapleton." + +"It is that very case that brings me to Paris. I am in Mr. Stapleton's +employ." + +Monsieur Lefevre affected to be greatly surprised. "Is it possible, +_mon ami_? That is bad news indeed. This fellow Stapleton no longer has +confidence in my office. He retains you to do that which he believes I +shall fail to do. I am sorry, my dear Duvall, that we are on opposite +sides of the fence." + +"But, Monsieur, I did not know that you wanted me. Mr. Stapleton is an +old friend. I could not refuse to come to his assistance." + +Lefevre's eyes twinkled. "Have you made any progress, then, my friend?" + +"Yes. Tonight I put in operation a plan whereby I might identify an +automobile containing the kidnappers, into which Mr. Stapleton had been +directed to throw a package containing one hundred thousand dollars." + +"Indeed. You interest me. And did you succeed in identifying it?" + +"I did. I stopped the car, at the Porte de Versailles. I knew it to be +the one into which the money had been thrown. The car was driven by a +man named Alphonse Valentin, whom I have every reason to suspect is +concerned in this affair. Its only other occupant was a woman--whom I +met last night in Valentin's rooms, and who brought Mr. Stapleton a +message from the kidnappers. This woman is, I believe, at the bottom of +the whole thing." + +"Indeed. And did you arrest her?" + +"No. She claims to be an agent of your office. Vernet, who was at the +gates at my request, refused to place her and her companion under +arrest. She got away with Mr. Stapleton's money. I believe, Monsieur +Lefevre, that you are being made a fool of by a member of your own +staff." + +The Prefect leaned over, and picked up the package containing the money +which lay upon his desk. "I do not agree with you, my friend. Here is +Monsieur Stapleton's money." + +Duvall started back in his chair, amazed. "Good Lord, Chief, am I losing +my senses? What is this affair, anyway, a joke?" + +"Far from it, Monsieur Duvall. The criminals are still at large. The boy +is in their hands. We must recover him." + +"But--this money--" + +"I arranged to get it, in order to prevent Monsieur Stapleton from +making a fool of himself. I wish to capture these men--not to let them +blackmail him out of half a million francs." + +"Had you not interfered, Monsieur Lefevre, they would have been in my +hands, by now. I would have had them safely the moment they attempted to +enter Paris. I knew their car." + +The Prefect was filled with curiosity. "How?" he asked. + +"My means of a device with which Mr. Stapleton's car was equipped, the +body of the one into which he threw the money was spattered with red +paint. I could have identified it anywhere." + +"My dear Duvall! I feel that I should beg your pardon. Your plan was +cleverness itself, and I will admit that, had I not interfered, you +would in all probability have captured these men. I did not know what +you had done, of course. Yet in their escape I have one consolation. It +would have been extremely distasteful to me, to have had Mr. Stapleton +boast that a private detective in his employ had succeeded, where the +police of Paris had failed." + +"Then it would appear, Monsieur," said Duvall somewhat stiffly, "that we +are, in this matter at least, in opposition." + +"Let us rather say, my friend, in competition." He placed his hand on +Duvall's shoulder. "You must not blame me, if I feel a pride in my +office. When you were working for the city of Paris, you, too, felt +that pride. I am truly sorry that I have not the benefit of your +services now. However, I think you will admit, _mon ami_, that the young +woman who is handing this case is no mean adversary." The Prefect +regarded the detective with a quizzical smile, behind which his eyes +twinkled merrily. + +"Who is this woman?" asked Duvall, quickly. + +"Her name is--Goncourt--Estelle Goncourt." + +"A Frenchwoman?" + +"Partly. I believe her mother was English." The twinkle in his eye +spread--he smiled upon the detective with expansive good humor. "Why do +you ask?" + +"You will think it strange, perhaps, Monsieur Lefevre, but when I first +saw Miss Goncourt, she reminded me strongly of my wife." + +"Of Grace?" + +"Yes. Have you not observed it?" + +"Now that you speak of it, perhaps there is something similar in the +manner--the carriage. But your wife, my dear Duvall, is a blonde, while +Mademoiselle Goncourt is decidedly a brunette." + +"Yes. Of course. But, nevertheless, the resemblance is striking." He +rose to go. "I hope, Monsieur, that this kidnapped boy may be restored +to his father very soon. I am anxious to return to America." + +"What! Leave Paris so quickly? My dear Duvall, I thought you Americans +loved our city so well, that you never wanted to leave it." + +"Paris is all right, Monsieur; but," he laughed heartily, "I must get +back to my wife and my farm. I was forced to leave in the very middle of +my spring plowing." + +The Prefect roared. "You--a farmer! Mon Dieu! How droll! Potatoes, I +suppose, and chickens, and dogs, and pigs--" + +"Exactly--and, believe me, Monsieur, they are more to my liking, than +all the gaieties of Paris. Some day you must make us a visit, and see +for yourself." He turned toward the door. + +"I shall, Duvall, I shall. But first we have to find this boy. What do +you propose to do next?" + +Duvall smiled. "What do you?" he retorted. + +"A bottle of champagne, my friend, and a dinner at the Cafe Royale, that +we find the child before you do!" + +"Done! Now I'll be off. Good night." + +The Prefect was still laughing when Grace peeped in from the private +office, to find that Richard had gone. "I think it's a shame to treat +him so," she said. "The poor fellow! And he _would_ have gotten the +kidnappers, if we hadn't interfered." + +Monsieur Lefevre picked up the package containing Mr. Stapleton's money +and placed it carefully in his safe. "Tomorrow you must return it to +him," he said. "And then, I would suggest that you keep a close watch +upon Mrs. Stapleton. My men have not been keeping her under +surveillance. We have had no suspicions of her whatever. She may, if she +is concerned in this matter, be imprudent enough to attempt to visit the +child." + +"And if not?" + +"Then watch Francois. If nothing comes of your efforts in either +direction, I fear that we must wait for the kidnappers to make the next +move. Of course there is Valentin--" + +"Valentin is innocent." + +"How do you know that?" + +"I have watched him. He did everything in his power, tonight, to assist +me. Had he been in league with the kidnappers, he could, after he knew +that I had secured the money, easily have driven the car to some quiet +spot and taken it from me. I was waiting for some such move; but he, as +you know, did not attempt it. I am sure that he is doing his best to +assist us." + +"In that event, perhaps you can induce him to tell you the secret of the +box of cigarettes. I feel sure that this knowledge would go far toward +solving the entire affair." + +"I'll have a talk with him tomorrow." + +"Good! And now, if you are ready, we will return home at once." + +"Dear old Richard!" said Grace, as the Prefect helped her into his +automobile. "I wish I were with him tonight." + +Lefevre smiled, and patted her hand. "So do I, my dear. But, remember, +you have only to find Mr. Stapleton's child, and you can return to your +chickens and your cows with the knowledge that you have done both his +parents and myself an inestimable service." + + + + +CHAPTER XI + + +It was close to eight o'clock next evening when Grace Duvall arrived at +Mr. Stapleton's house with the package containing the money. + +She was accompanied, for safety, by two men from the Prefecture, who +escorted her to the door. + +She had paid a previous visit to the house, during the forenoon; but Mr. +Stapleton was not at home, and she was informed that he would not return +until evening. + +Mrs. Stapleton she saw again; but her talk with the latter resulted in +nothing. The poor lady was in utter despair, after the fiasco of the +night before, and spent the day in her rooms, weeping. + +It was quite clear to Grace that her grief was very real. She made up +her mind that, whatever the mystery of the gold-tipped cigarettes, Mrs. +Stapleton had nothing to do with it. Nor had the chauffeur, Valentin, +been more communicative. He refused pointblank to explain the presence +of the cigarettes in his room, or the reason why Mary Lanahan had +written requesting him to destroy them. He said that it was a matter +which concerned only the nurse and himself, and assured Grace that an +answer to her questions would not assist in the least in recovering the +missing child. + +Mr. Stapleton was awaiting her in the library when she entered. The +Prefect had telephoned him, advising him that the money was safe, and +would be returned to him at once. Beyond that, he knew nothing, except +what Duvall had told him the night before. Consequently he was in a +decidedly bad humor. + +Grace laid the money on the table. "Here is your hundred thousand +dollars, Mr. Stapleton," she said. + +The irate banker glared at her. "I cannot thank you for bringing it +back, Miss," he growled. "Did I not particularly request that the police +take no steps in the matter?" + +"You did, Mr. Stapleton; but we acted for what we thought to be your +best interests." + +"Hang your thoughts about my best interests! I can take care of them. +If you had let things alone, I'd have my boy back by now." + +"And these men, these criminals, who stole him, would be at liberty to +do the same thing over again tomorrow." + +Mr. Stapleton was silent for a moment. "How did the thing happen?" he +presently asked. + +Grace told him. "The real cause of our failure, we believe, lies at the +door of your chauffeur, Francois." She explained the reasons for their +suspicions. + +Mr. Stapleton seemed puzzled. "The fellow seems honest enough." + +"Where is he now?" Grace inquired. + +"He asked permission to visit his people. As I had no use for him this +evening, I told him he might go." + +"Ah! In that event, we may learn something. He is being closely +watched." + +As Grace spoke, a servant entered the room. "There is a gentleman to see +you, sir," he said to Mr. Stapleton. + +"Who is it?" + +"He would not give his name. He said his business was urgent." + +"Where is he now?" + +"In the reception room, sir." + +Mr. Stapleton rose. "Excuse me a moment," he said, and went into the +adjoining room. + +The library was separated from the reception room by a short passageway, +or alcove, in which hung a pair of heavy curtains. Grace sat quietly, +waiting for Mr. Stapleton to return. Suddenly she realized that she +could distinctly hear what was going on in the room adjoining. For a +moment she thought of going into the hall; then a word or two caught her +attention, and in a moment she was close to the curtains, listening +intently to a most remarkable conversation. + +The man who had asked to see Mr. Stapleton stood in the reception room, +near a broad window overlooking the street without. He was tall and +somewhat heavily built; but what at once attracted Grace's attention was +his heavy black beard. She recognized him at once as the man who had +broken into Valentin's room to steal the cigarettes, and had later +driven the car which brought her back to Paris after her abduction. + +He was speaking to Mr. Stapleton in a quiet and assured tone, as though +discussing a topic of no greater importance than the weather. + +"Mr. Stapleton," he said, "I have your son in my possession. He is +quite safe. I gave you an opportunity to have him returned to you last +night; but you did not avail yourself of it." + +"I did my best," exclaimed the astounded banker, mastering his desire to +take the fellow by the throat. + +"That may be; yet my plans were interfered with. You did not carry out +my instructions." + +"I did--to the letter." + +The man frowned. "It is useless to discuss the matter now," he growled. +"I come to give you one more chance. It will be the last--" + +"You damned scoundrel!" + +The man with the black beard held up his hand. "It will avail nothing, +Monsieur," he said, calmly, "to excite yourself. If you want back your +boy, listen to what I have to say." + +"Very well. Go ahead." + +"First, I want no interference by the police, or by the man Duvall, who +is acting for you." + +Mr. Stapleton drew back in astonishment. "How do you know that Mr. +Duvall is acting for me?" he said. + +"It is my business to know, Monsieur. Let it suffice that I _do_ know. +If you hope ever to see your child again, you had better listen to what +I have to say, and carry out my instructions to the letter." His voice +was harsh, menacing. + +Mr. Stapleton directed him by a gesture, to proceed. He was too angry to +speak. + +"Tomorrow night at this hour--eight o'clock--I shall come here, to this +house, and ask for you. You will hand me a package containing one +hundred thousand dollars. I will examine the money here, and satisfy +myself that the amount is correct. + +"I shall then leave the house, and walk to the Arc de Triomphe; which, +as you know, is but a short distance away. At the Arc de Triomphe, I +shall wait for an automobile, which will stop for me. In that automobile +I shall drive away. If I get away safely without interference, there +will be telephoned to your house, within half an hour, the address of +the place where your boy is to be found. If I do _not_ get away safely, +that address will _not_ be telephoned to you, and you will not see your +child alive again. This is your last chance, Monsieur. It is most +important, I assure you, that nothing should happen to prevent my safe +departure tomorrow night." + +For a moment Grace was undecided as to how she should act. She feared +greatly, under the circumstances, to make any move which would endanger +the safety of Mr. Stapleton's child. Yet her duty, as an agent of the +police, was clear. She must use every effort to effect this man's +capture, before he left the house. + +She knew that she could not reach the street without passing the door of +the reception room, in which case both Mr. Stapleton and his caller +would see her. There was nothing to do but telephone. She flew to a +small alcove room which opened off the rear of the library, in which she +knew the telephone instrument was located. Once in this small room, she +closed the door, for fear the others might overhear her, then called up +the Prefecture. Monsieur Lefevre was out; but she acquainted one of his +assistants with the circumstances, and requested him to send a man to +the house at once. + +It would take at least ten minutes, perhaps more, for the man from the +Prefecture to reach the house even though he came by automobile, as he +no doubt would. What should she do, to keep the man in the reception +room from leaving before the police should arrive? + +The question was solved for her, quite unexpectedly. In opening the +door of the small room, to re-enter the library, she accidentally struck +against a chair. The sound aroused both Mr. Stapleton and his visitor. +The former, who had, in his excitement, completely forgotten Grace's +presence, appeared at once in the doorway between the two rooms. "Come +here, Miss Goncourt," he said sternly. + +Grace entered the reception room. The man with the black beard eyed her +keenly. "Ah--a representative of the police, I believe. Our conversation +has been overheard, then, Monsieur Stapleton?" + +The banker was violently angry. He turned to Grace. "You have heard?" he +demanded. + +"Yes." + +"Then I insist that you do not interfere in the matter in any way. I +intend to get my boy back this time, in spite of you all." + +Grace made no reply. She saw the man with the black beard eying her +keenly. "I think, Monsieur, that I had better go," he remarked. + +Grace regarded him with a level look. "You cannot leave this house," she +said. "It is being watched. If you attempt to do so, I will give the +alarm." + +"And for what reason should I stay?" the man inquired calmly. + +"I have telephoned to the Prefecture. A man will be here in a few +minutes, to place you under arrest. I advise you to remain here quietly +until he arrives." + +The kidnapper strolled over to the window which overlooked the Avenue +Kleber, drew aside the curtain, and looked out. Grace wondered if he was +making a signal of any sort to confederates outside. He gazed into the +street intently for a moment, then turned back toward the center of the +room. "I shall follow your advice, Mademoiselle, and wait," he remarked, +calmly. + +Mr. Stapleton was speechless with rage. He dared not do anything; for he +knew that he would only lay himself open to a charge of resisting the +police, and helping a criminal to escape. He sat in his chair, inwardly +cursing Grace and the entire police force of Paris as well. + +None of the three spoke for a considerable time. After what seemed to +Grace ages, she heard the faint ringing of the doorbell, and presently +the frightened servant arrived, with the information that a detective +from the Prefecture was in the hall, and desired to see Mr. Stapleton +immediately. He had scarcely succeeded in delivering this message, when +a heavily built man in citizen's clothes shouldered past him into the +room. + +He gazed quickly about. Grace did not remember having ever seen him +before. "I am from the Prefect of Police," he announced, striding toward +the kidnapper. "I am here to arrest this man." In a moment the click of +the handcuffs, as he snapped them upon the wrists of the man with the +black beard, came to Grace's ears. + +The kidnapper smiled pleasantly. "I am quite ready to accompany you, my +friend," he said. + +Mr. Stapleton was regarding the scene in helpless rage. He resented +bitterly the way in which the police continually interfered with his +plans to get back his child. In one way, he was glad to feel that the +guilty man was under arrest; but, if it resulted in the death of the +missing boy, it would be a tragedy, indeed. He turned to the man with +the black beard who stood, smiling, near the door. "I hope you will +understand," he said, "that I have nothing to do with this +matter--nothing whatever. The presence of this woman here was a pure +accident. I had forgotten that she was in the next room. I'd be glad +enough to see you put behind the bars for the rest of your life; but +not if it is going to prevent me from getting back my child." + +The man with the black beard continued to smile pleasantly. "I believe +you, my friend," he said. "However, there is no harm done. When I return +tomorrow night--for I shall return, depend upon it, in spite of the +efforts of this gentleman," he waved his hand lightly toward the man +from the Prefecture, "I trust that you will have persuaded Monsieur +Lefevre, and your man Duvall as well, to let me do so in peace. It is +the only way in which anything can be accomplished--I assure you of +that." He turned to his captor. "I am ready to accompany you, Monsieur." + +The officer started toward the door leading into the hall. He had taken +but a single step when the servant, with a frightened look upon his +face, appeared in the doorway. "Mr. Stapleton," he stammered, "there is +a man here from the office of the Prefect of Police." + +Stapleton strode toward the door. "Another?" he exclaimed. "What does +this mean?" + +The man in charge of the kidnapper stepped forward, speaking in a quick, +low tone. "Leave the matter to me, Monsieur," he whispered. "This +fellow who has just arrived is an impostor, a confederate. He pretends +to be an agent of the police, in order to rescue his comrade, who has +undoubtedly signaled to him from the window. Be good enough to step into +that room," he pointed to the library, "and let me deal with him." + +Mr. Stapleton hesitated. "What do you propose to do?" he asked. + +"Quick!" said the other, offering no explanations. "He will be here at +once." He turned to the astonished servant. "Bring the man in." + +The puzzled banker moved toward the adjoining room. "You will accompany +him, please," the Prefect's man said to Grace. "There may be danger." + +"I am not afraid, Monsieur," replied Grace, who did not entirely like +the way things were going. + +The man, however, paid no attention to her remonstrances. "Go--at once, +I command you, in the name of the law!" + +She hesitated no longer, but followed Mr. Stapleton into the library. As +she did so, the new arrival entered the reception room. + +The man with the black beard stood to one side of the doorway. His +captor advanced toward the newcomer. "I have him here," he exclaimed, +pointing to the kidnapper, "safely ironed." + +"Who are you?" curtly inquired the man who had just entered the room. + +"A private detective. Here is your man. Let us get him out of here at +once." + +The official made no reply, but stepped quickly up to the man with the +black beard. "Come along with me," he said, roughly, and placed his hand +upon the other's arm. + +As he did so, the kidnapper shook his wrists briskly. The handcuffs fell +clattering to the floor. Without a word he threw his powerful arms about +the neck of the astonished official, and throttled him into instant +silence. His companion, no less quick, whipped out a handkerchief, and +knotted it about the official's mouth. He was unable to utter a sound. + +The whole thing was so quickly done that Grace, who was watching the +room through the curtains in the doorway, had barely time to utter a +cry, before the newcomer was lying helpless and silent upon the floor, +choked into insensibility; while the two men, quite evidently +confederates, made ready to go. + +The black-bearded fellow quickly replaced the handcuffs upon his own +wrists. "Quick, Ramond," he cried. "Let us get out at once." + +Grace was by this time in the room. She knew that she must in some way +prevent these men from escaping. But how--how? They glared at her +ominously. The younger man drew a revolver. Before any of them could +speak, the servant appeared in the doorway for the third time. His face +was pale as death. His knees knocked together from terror as he beheld +the gleaming revolver, the man lying upon the floor. + +"Monsieur Duvall is here!" he gasped, and stood silent. + +The man on the floor, recovering his senses, began to struggle to his +feet. As he did so, Duvall pushed his way past the frightened servant +and strode into the room. + +"Quick, Monsieur Duvall!" the fellow with the revolver cried. "I am from +the Prefecture. I have one of the kidnappers in irons. The other," he +pointed to the struggling man on the floor, "is about to escape me. Give +me your assistance at once!" + +Grace was so astounded by the sudden entrance of her husband, as well as +by the kidnapper's words, that for a moment she remained speechless. +Duvall bent over the man upon the floor and seized him by the throat. + +"Richard! Richard!" Grace screamed, forgetful of Monsieur Lefevre and +her own disguise. "Look out!" + +Almost before the words had left her lips, the man with the revolver +brought it down with a dull thud upon Duvall's head as he bent over the +prostrate man; then, grasping his companion by the arm, he rushed from +the room. + +"Richard! Richard!" screamed Grace, throwing her arms about the +senseless body of her husband. + +Mr. Stapleton, who had entered the room, regarded her in amazement. +"What are you doing?" he exclaimed. + +Grace rose, her face white with suffering. "A doctor, quick! He is hurt! +My God--don't you see? He is hurt!" As she spoke, she fell back, +fainting, to the floor. + + + + +CHAPTER XII + + +When Richard Duvall returned to consciousness, an hour later, he lay +upon a couch in Mr. Stapleton's library. A doctor, hastily summoned, was +bending over him. Mr. Stapleton sat grimly in an arm chair. There was no +one else in the room. + +"My wife! Is she here?" the detective cried, as he tried to rise. + +The doctor pushed him gently back. "Compose yourself, Monsieur," he said +in a soothing voice. "You are not badly hurt. Merely stunned for the +moment. A slight cut--that is all. You will be quite yourself again in +half an hour." + +"But my wife!" He gazed eagerly about the room. + +"What do you mean, Duvall?" inquired Mr. Stapleton, calmly. "Why do you +think your wife is here?" + +"A trace of delirium. He will be all right in a few moments. Very usual +in such cases," the doctor whispered. + +"I heard her voice. She called to me by name, just as that fellow struck +me." + +"My dear sir, your mind is wandering. Compose yourself, I beg." The +doctor attempted to press his patient back upon the pillows. + +Duvall passed his hand over his forehead, completely bewildered. "I +could have sworn I heard her voice," he cried. + +"It was Miss Goncourt, the young woman from the Prefecture, that you +heard, Duvall," remarked Mr. Stapleton quietly. He did not tell the +detective that Grace, on recovering from her faint, and learning from +the doctor that Richard's wound was a superficial one only, and not at +all serious, had sworn them both to secrecy, on the plea that the matter +was a purely private one, and likely to cause her great unhappiness if +divulged. Mr. Stapleton had agreed, but had done so only upon her +agreeing not to acquaint the police with his plans for the following +night. + +She had suddenly conceived a violent animosity toward these fellows who +had not only baffled both her husband and herself, but had made the +former a victim of a dangerous assault. She was determined to go to +work in desperate earnest, to capture them, or locate the child, before +the following evening. She had promised Mr. Stapleton not to acquaint +Monsieur Lefevre with the plan for returning the child which the man +with the black beard had proposed. The situation put her on her mettle. +She determined to get at the bottom of the whole affair before another +twenty-four hours had passed. Upon leaving the house she called a +taxicab, and at once ordered the chauffeur to drive her to the point on +the Versailles road where, according to Valentin, she had been placed in +the automobile after her interview with the kidnappers. Here, she +believed, lay the starting point of the whole mysterious affair. + +Duvall, his consciousness returning, insisted upon getting up from the +couch, and going to work with equal determination. The way in which he +had been checkmated, in the whole affair, roused him, as well, to +desperation. His professional skill, upon which the banker had set such +great store, seemed to have deserted him. He felt humiliated, ashamed. +In three days, he had accomplished nothing whatever. It was galling in +the extreme. + +Mr. Stapleton's explanations of his hallucination regarding his wife he +accepted as true. The resemblance which Miss Goncourt bore to Grace, +together with his constant thoughts of her, were, he argued, no doubt +responsible for it. The blow upon the head made his recollections of the +moments immediately preceding and following the assault extremely hazy. +He put the matter out of his mind, and set to work with renewed energy. + +So far, it seemed, he had met with but a single clue of any +importance,--the cigarette with the gold tip which he had found in the +Bois de Boulogne. He determined to follow this clue until he arrived at +some definite result. + +As soon as the doctor had departed after dressing the wound in his head, +Duvall took a stiff drink of brandy, and, sitting down with Mr. +Stapleton at the latter's desk, began to reconstruct, as far as he +could, all the details of the kidnapping. He spoke his thoughts aloud, +taking Mr. Stapleton into his confidence, since in this way he could +most readily get his ideas into concrete form. + +"Mr. Stapleton, I am, I confess, greatly humiliated at the progress, or +lack of progress, which I have made in this case so far. I have made up +my mind, however, to get these fellows, if it takes me the rest of the +summer." + +"You will have to work more quickly than that, Mr. Duvall," observed the +banker coldly. "I have made arrangements to recover my child by tomorrow +night." + +"You are going to buy these rascals off, then?" + +"Yes." + +"How?" + +"I decline to say. I've had enough interference with my plans already. +Neither you nor the police have accomplished anything. Miss Goncourt +knows what I propose to do; but she has given me her word not to +interfere. If you are to accomplish anything, it must be before eight +o'clock tomorrow night." + +"Very well. I will make my plans accordingly." + +"What do you propose to do?" + +"That I cannot say, at the moment. I think, however, that I shall first +try to find out who it is that smokes these gold-tipped cigarettes." He +drew the fragment of cigarette which he had found from his pocket, and +placing it on the desk before him regarded it critically. + +Mr. Stapleton gave a grunt. "What are they, Exquisites?" + +"Yes. How did you know?" + +The banker laughed. "Easy enough. My wife smokes them." + +The detective looked up quickly. "Indeed! Brings them from America with +her, I suppose." + +"Yes." + +Duvall began mentally to check off, in his mind, the various persons who +might have used the cigarette which lay before him. Valentin, he now +believed, was out of the question. His presence in the automobile, with +Grace, the night before, indicated that he had nothing to do with the +kidnappers. + +There remained Mrs. Stapleton. Duvall had talked with her--seen her +grief. He was too shrewd a judge of human nature to think for a moment +that it was assumed. + +Who else? Suddenly an idea flashed into his mind. He wondered that he +had not thought of it before. The nurse! He recalled vividly the marks +he had observed on the dresser in the woman's room in New York. + +"Is Mary Lanahan in the house?" he inquired of Stapleton. + +"Yes. Why?" + +"Kindly have her come here." + +Mr. Stapleton pressed a button on his desk in silence. In a few moments, +the nurse had been brought to the room by one of the other servants. She +was haggard with grief and fear. + +Duvall requested her to be seated, and began to ask her a number of +apparently unimportant questions regarding the kidnapping. + +She answered them frankly enough, although it was clear that she was +very ill at ease. + +Presently Duvall got up, and, calling Mr. Stapleton to one side, asked +him, in a low tone, to detain the nurse in the library for a few +moments. He wished to search her room. + +"But it has already been thoroughly searched by the police." + +"I know. But I must search it again. It will require but a few moments." + +Stapleton nodded. "I will wait for you here, Mr. Duvall," he said. +"Mary, you will wait, as well." + +The nurse's room was on the third floor, in a rear building. Duvall +found it, after some slight difficulty, with the assistance of one of +the other servants. + +He seemed, on entering the room, to have but one object in view. He went +at once to the mantel, and, taking from it the two small bottle-shaped +vases which stood upon it, shook them both vigorously. A faint rattling +sound came from the second. He turned it upside down upon the palm of +his hand, and there tumbled out a quantity of ashes, and the butts of +several partly smoked cigarettes. With a quiet smile he replaced them in +the vase, and returned to the library. + +"Mary, you may go now," he said. + +When the woman had gone, he turned to Mr. Stapleton. "It was Mary +Lanahan herself who smoked the cigarette which I found in the grass," he +said. + +"Well, what of it?" The matter seemed to the banker to be utterly +without significance. + +"She had, no doubt, stolen them from Mrs. Stapleton." + +"Very likely. Not a very serious matter, however." + +"No. But the question now arises, Why did she turn the box over to +Valentin, and subsequently ask him to destroy it?" + +"I cannot imagine." + +"And why, later, were these cigarettes stolen from Valentin, as I +understand they were?" + +"It's too much for me. What do you make of it?" + +"I have a theory, Mr. Stapleton; but I cannot say just what it is--yet. +By the way, where is your man, Francois, tonight?" + +"He is visiting his people, somewhere in the suburbs." + +"Ah! Then I would like to search his room, as well." + +"Go ahead. You will find nothing, I fear. The police have gone over it +with a fine-tooth comb." He rose. "Come along, I'll go with you." + +The room occupied by the chauffeur was at the very top of the house, +with two windows opening through the slanting mansard roof. One of +these, Duvall noted, commanded a view over the houses adjoining toward +the north, beyond which could be seen the Avenue du Bois de Boulogne. A +second window, toward the south, commanded an extensive view toward +Passy. + +Mr. Stapleton, puffing because of the unaccustomed stairs, sat down upon +the bed. "I cannot imagine what you hope to find here, Duvall," he +grumbled. + +The detective made no reply, but began a systematic inspection of the +room. One of the first objects which attracted his attention was an +ordinary electric searchlight, of the pocket variety, lying on the man's +dresser. He picked it up, and examined it carefully. + +"I got it for Francois," observed Mr. Stapleton, "so that he could +examine the car, at night, in case of any accident or repair." + +"Of course. Very useful, too. But why, I wonder, does he keep it here in +his room, instead of in the garage?" + +"Possibly to light himself up the stairs, at night," said Stapleton. + +"Then I should think he would have it with him," remarked Duvall, dryly. +"Wouldn't be of much use to him tonight, for instance." He was about to +put the thing down, when his attention was attracted by two objects, +hanging one on each side of the dresser, from its two uprights. They +were apparently Christmas tree ornaments, made of thin glass, and they +hung from the back of the dresser by means of two bits of ribbon. + +They seemed at first glance to be merely souvenirs of some party, some +entertainment, which the chauffeur had preserved as mementos of the +occasion. They were shaped like little cups, with a paper fringe about +the top, to which the gay ribbons were attached. Duvall had seen such +ornaments often before, at Christmas time. They were intended to be hung +from the tree by their ribbons, and were filled with small candies or +bonbons. He had almost passed them by, when something in their colors +caused him to pause. One was a deep blue, the other an equally deep red. +He examined the wooden uprights of the dresser with great care. All +along the top of the dresser at its back was a heavy coating of dust. +The top of the uprights, over which the loops of ribbon which supported +the little baskets had been passed, contained no dust whatever. + +Evidently the baskets had been taken down, and that too quite recently. +For what purpose? he wondered. Suddenly he had an inspiration. He took +down the little blue basket, and quickly placed it over the end of the +searchlight. It fitted perfectly, the paper collar at its top holding +the glass hemisphere snugly in place. + +Mr. Stapleton was watching Duvall without particular interest. Suddenly +the detective pointed the searchlight toward him and pressed the button +which threw on the current. Mr. Stapleton started back, as his face was +flooded with a beam of brilliant blue light. + +Duvall replaced the little basket in the same position in which he had +found it, and laid the searchlight upon the dresser. "Rather neat, isn't +it?" he exclaimed. + +"What do you make of it?" asked the banker. + +"Your man Francois evidently is in the habit of making signals," the +detective replied, laughing. He was beginning to feel hopeful. The +search of the two rooms was bearing fruit. + +For the next half-hour, Duvall went over the contents of the chauffeur's +room with the utmost care. He removed and replaced, just as he found +them, the contents of the dresser drawers. He opened a small wooden +trunk which stood at one side of the room, and examined its contents +minutely. He explored the closet, looked behind the pictures, sounded +the walls. Nothing further of an unusual nature rewarded his efforts. +Still he seemed unsatisfied. + +"What more can you hope to find, Mr. Duvall?" inquired the banker, who +had begun to find the proceedings tiresome. + +The detective stood in the center of the room, and glanced about in some +perplexity. "I had hoped to find one thing more," he said; "but I am +afraid it isn't here." + +Suddenly he strode over to the mantel, upon which stood a small +nickel-plated alarm clock of American make. + +"This clock doesn't seem to be going," he remarked, then whipped out his +magnifying glass and carefully studied the brass handle which projected +from the back, by which it was wound up. "It hasn't been wound for +several days, either. The back is covered with dust." He picked up the +clock and tried to wind it; but the handle resisted his efforts. + +In an instant he took out his knife, and a moment later was removing the +screws which held the metal back of the clock in place. + +Mr. Stapleton watched him curiously. Duvall's methods savored, to him, +of the accepted sleuth of fiction. He took little stock in the tiny +clues upon which the whole modern science of criminology is built. + +In a few moments the detective had removed the screws and lifted out the +rear plate of the clock. As he did so, he gave a grunt of satisfaction. +A small pasteboard box fell out upon the mantel. + +"What is it?" asked Stapleton. + +"The box of cigarettes," remarked Duvall, as he opened it. "There are +three missing. I shall take a fourth." He selected one of the +paper-covered tubes, placed it within his pocketbook, then thrust the +box back into the clock, and rapidly replaced the metal plate. + +"I don't think there is anything further to be done here, Mr. +Stapleton," he remarked. "I think I'll be getting along to my room. +Tomorrow I shall be quite busy." + +He stopped for a moment, on his way out, to glance from the window which +faced toward the north. Between the buildings and trees ran the Avenue +du Bois de Boulogne, its course illuminated by many street lamps, and +the flashing lights of passing motor cars. Duvall gazed intently at the +scene before him for a few moments, then turned to the door, and, +accompanied by Mr. Stapleton, descended the stairs. + +As he was about to leave the house, the banker, who evidently had +something on his mind, stopped him. + +"Mr. Duvall," he said, earnestly, "I would like very much to know what +you intend to do." + +"I'm going to catch these fellows, if I possibly can," the detective +replied, earnestly. + +"What steps do you propose to take?" + +"I cannot exactly say--yet. Why do you ask?" + +"I'll tell you. The fellow who was here tonight, the one with the black +beard, is coming to see me tomorrow night, at eight o'clock. I cannot +tell you more than that. I did not intend to tell you that much--but I +am obliged to do so." + +"Obliged! Why?" + +"Because I want your promise that you will make no attempt to stop him. +If I had said nothing, you might have watched the house, and, upon +recognizing the fellow as the one who was here tonight, have placed him +under arrest. I want you to do nothing to interfere with either his +coming or his going. He will be safe, after he once leaves the Arc de +Triomphe in his automobile." + +"But the police?" + +"They know nothing of the matter. Miss Goncourt has given me her word to +remain silent. She has even agreed to have the men on watch about the +house withdrawn. Both you and the police may do your best to catch this +man, after I have carried out my compact with him; but until then I +want you to keep your hands off." + +Duvall was silent for a moment. "Very well, Mr. Stapleton, I shall do as +you say. In fact, to assure you that I am carrying out your wishes, I +will agree to remain here with you, at the house, throughout the +evening." + +"Good! I shall expect you. Good night." + +"Good night." Duvall left the house, and went at once to his hotel. + +Here, a few moments later, he seated himself in an easy chair, and +taking from his pocket the cigarette which he had secured in the +chauffeur's room, regarded it critically. + +After some little time, he took a match from a box upon a nearby table, +and, placing the gold tip of the cigarette between his lips, carefully +lit it. + +He drew the smoke into his lungs, inhaling it deeply. Once--twice--three +times he repeated the operation, then threw himself back into his chair, +and, closing his eyes, sat buried in thought. In his preoccupation, he +allowed the end of the cigarette to fall unheeded to the floor. + +After many minutes he opened his eyes and started up. "I've got it!" he +cried, and, picking up the half-burned cigarette from the floor, threw +it carelessly into the fireplace. + +Then he sat down at his table, drew out a sheet of paper and a map of +the city of Paris, and began to make a series of drawings and +calculations that occupied him far into the night. + + + + +CHAPTER XIII + + +It was nearly ten o'clock when the taxicab containing Grace Duvall +stopped alongside the road, at a point some four miles beyond the city, +in the direction of Versailles. She had been unable to give the driver +the exact location at which she desired to be put down, but had directed +him to drive on until she told him to stop. + +The spot was quite familiar to her, owing to the hours she had spent in +the vicinity with the searching party the day before. + +The taxicab driver seemed rather surprised to see her alight at this +somewhat lonely spot; but he shrugged his shoulders with true Parisian +indifference, pocketed the tip she gave him, and drove rapidly off in +the darkness. + +Left to herself by the roadside, Grace began to fear that she had, after +all, done a rather foolish thing. Now that she was here, she hardly knew +how to begin. + +All about her she saw the dark outlines of cottages among the trees, +with here and there a straggling light which betokened some household +late in getting to bed. The country people in this vicinity--growers of +flowers and vegetables or dairymen for the most part--were asleep with +their cows about the time that Paris began to dine. + +Occasionally the silence about her was broken by the mournful howling of +a dog; but otherwise all was still. + +The night was cloudless, and the lightening of the sky toward the east +told her that before long a moon would rise above the trees. + +Near the road she found a little rustic bench, and upon this she sat +down to think. + +The howling of the dog had suggested to her mind a possible clue to the +house within which Mr. Stapleton's boy had been, for a time at least, +confined. She could remember nothing of the garden, and but little of +the room in which she had been confined; but the dog, playing upon the +grass with the child, had fixed itself in her memory. She recollected +distinctly that he was a poodle, mostly black, with fine curling hair, +like astrakhan fur, and a pointed nose. + +There were many dogs of this sort, she well knew, and yet there was one +peculiarity which had impressed itself upon her memory, which would +inevitably serve to identify this particular dog, should she ever see +him again. His long and bushy tail, black for the most part like the +rest of his body, terminated in a plume of white hair. + +It was a most unusual marking in a French poodle. She had never seen it +before, and she was a great lover of dogs, and knew them thoroughly. It +was this fact, no doubt, which had caused her to notice the animal, at a +time when her mind was filled with matters of vastly greater importance. + +She had sought carefully for such a dog, on the occasion of the previous +search, but had not found him. The tale about the escaped cobra had +caused the country folk to lock up their pets without loss of time. + +Now she hoped to find this dog, and through him discover the location of +the house in which she had been confined. After that--well, she would do +the best she could. + +It occurred to her that she was not at all likely to discover the +whereabouts of the black poodle by sitting here on a bench; yet she +dared not start out until the moon had risen sufficiently high to light +up her way. + +In about an hour, the rim of the golden disk showed itself above the +treetops, and a little later the black shadows about her began to grow +luminous, and resolve themselves into white-walled cottages, hedges, and +outbuildings of various sorts. + +A narrow lane ran off from the main road, bordered on each side by +lindens and poplars. + +Along this lane the houses of the little hamlet were set, some near the +road, others quite a distance back. She rose, and began to walk slowly +along the lane. + +As she had expected, dogs of various sorts and sizes, to judge by their +voices, began barking as soon as she came opposite the first house. A +small fox terrier ran through the gateway of a garden, yelping sharply. +The deep-toned baying of a hound sounded farther up the street. A small +white poodle, and a black one of the same size, ran after her, as she +went along, making friendly attempts to play. The one she sought, +however, seemed nowhere in evidence. + +The lane ascended a gently sloping hill, at the top of which stood a +house, somewhat larger than the others, whose outbuildings and pastures +proclaimed it to be a dairy farm. There was a hedge of roses along the +roadside, and a little wooden gate. + +Grace heard a sharp bark on the other side of the gate as she passed it, +and, stopping, glanced over. In the shadow stood a black poodle; but +whether his tail showed the markings for which she sought she was unable +to tell on account of the darkness. She gave the gate a gentle push, and +it slowly opened. The dog ran out into the road. As he crossed a patch +of moonlight, she saw that her search was ended. This, she was +convinced, was the dog--and the house! + +Her next problem was how to get inside. Try as she would, she could +think of no excuse which would adequately account for her presence in +this little frequented locality at such a time of night. That the +occupants of the house had long ago retired was evidenced by the +blackness of the windows, the silence which brooded over the whole +place. + +She looked about her. Just across the lane from the little gate a +building loomed formless against a shadowy clump of trees. She went +over to it, and found that it was a small shed. The door stood open. +Inside stood a tumbledown old wagon, dust covered, and quite evidently +unused for a long time. The shelter of the shed seemed grateful--as +though she had arrived somewhere, instead of being a wanderer in the +night. + +There seemed nothing to do, now, but wait for daylight. She climbed into +the creaking wagon and sat upon the seat. There was a back to it, which, +like the seat, was covered with old and torn velveteen. She leaned back +in the shadow and closed her eyes. Her walk, the night air, had made her +tired. In the distance she heard, after a long time, the faint booming +of a bell. She looked at her watch. It was midnight. + +The next thing that Grace remembered was the loud barking of a dog. She +sat up, feeling stiff and cold. Her neck and left shoulder ached +painfully. A glance through the open door of the shed told her that it +was still night; but there was a gray radiance in the air, a soft pale +light, that betokened the coming of dawn. + +She crept stiffly down from the wagon, and again consulted her watch. It +marked the hour of four. Through a dusty window in the side of the shed +she saw the eastern sky, rose streaked and bright, heralding the sun. + +As the light increased, she saw the dog that had disturbed her sleep +running about on the grass in front of the house opposite. The house +seemed much nearer, in the daylight, than it had appeared at night. She +examined the dog closely. The white tip of his tail, waving gaily in the +morning light, showed her that it was the one she had sought. + +She crouched in the dim shadow of the half-open door and watched the +scene before her. There was a man, moving about among the small +buildings to the right. She heard him performing some task--she could +not at first make out what. Presently the lowing of cattle, the rattle +of a bucket, as it was drawn up by a creaking windlass, told her that +the man was tending his cows. + +Quite half an hour later she saw him going toward the house, a pail, +evidently well filled, in each hand. + +Then ensued another long silence. The curling wisp of smoke from the +chimney of the cottage indicated breakfast, and Grace suddenly realized +that she felt cold, and hungry. For the first time in her life she +realized how important one's breakfast is, in beginning the day. + +Presently the man reappeared and went toward a small building which +Grace took to be the barn. She could see him clearly now; for the sun +had risen above the trees and lit up the whole scene brilliantly. He was +a small, wizened man, with gray hair and a slight stoop. She was quite +certain that she had never seen him before. + +He went to the barn, and she saw that he was engaged in harnessing a +horse, which he presently attached to a farm wagon. She noted the wagon +particularly. It was a low two-wheeled affair, with a dingy canvas top. +A large patch in the canvas showed yellow-white in the sunlight. The +horse was white. + +In a little while the man began to put in the cart a variety of objects +which he brought from the barn. They appeared to be baskets of +vegetables or fruit, and cans of milk. Presently he stopped, and went +toward the house. In a few minutes he returned. This time a woman was +with him. They carried between them a large wicker basket, which +appeared to be quite heavy. There was a top on the basket. Grace +wondered if it could be filled with laundry. + +The couple placed the basket in the wagon, putting it in from the front, +so that it occupied a position close beside the driver. In getting it up +over the wheel the woman let her end of it slip, and the man cursed her +with such sudden sharpness that Grace was startled and crouched back +into the shed. She wondered what the basket could contain, that made the +man so careful, and the thought came to her, might it not be Mr. +Stapleton's boy? + +The idea possessed her completely. As the man drove out into the lane, +and rattled down the hill toward the main road, she suddenly realized +that she must follow; yet how could she hope to do so, on foot? The +woman had gone back into the house. Regardless of consequences, Grace +ran out into the lane, and after the wagon at full speed. + +When she reached the main road the vehicle had already turned into it +and was some distance away, headed for Paris, at a speed which, slow for +a horse, was still much faster than she could possibly walk. + +She looked up and down the road helplessly. There were several other +wagons approaching, all going in the same direction--cityward. She +realized that they were country people, farmers, taking their vegetables +and flowers to the markets. + +The first one to reach her was driven by a buxom-looking young woman, +wearing a plaid shawl. Grace hailed her. "Will you be so good, Madame, +as to take me to Paris?" + +The woman glanced at her shrewdly. "I have a heavy load, Mademoiselle," +she replied. Her voice was cold, uninterested. + +"I will pay you five francs--" + +The words had barely left Grace's lips, before the woman had pulled up +her horse. "Five francs, Mademoiselle? That is another matter. Get in." + +Grace clambered up beside the woman and glanced down the road ahead. The +canvas-covered wagon was still in sight--mounting a hill some three or +four hundred yards ahead. + +The woman looked at her curiously, noting her dress, her hands, her +shoes. "You are not of the country, Mademoiselle," she remarked, +pleasantly. + +"No. I belong in Paris." She turned to her companion. "I should like to +return there as quickly as possible." + +"My Susette does not care to go above a walk," the woman remarked, +gazing at her horse, plodding along with mechanical steps, as though +utterly unconcerned as to whether or not they ever reached Paris. The +wagon ahead was now out of sight, over the brow of the hill. + +"Would you like to make a louis?" Grace took a gold piece from her purse +and held it in the sunlight. It glistened brightly. + +The woman drew back, regarding her companion suspiciously. "A louis? Who +would not? What do you mean, Mademoiselle?" + +"There is a wagon ahead of us, a canvas-covered wagon, with a white +horse. I am following it. If you will keep that wagon in sight until we +get to Paris, I will give you this louis." + +She turned the gold piece about, making it sparkle in the sun. The woman +glanced first at her face, then more carefully at the coin, then, +reaching over, took it in her fingers, and raised it to her mouth. Grace +wondered what she was about to do. In a moment she had sunk her teeth +into it, then returned it to her companion. "It shall be as you say, +Mademoiselle," she exclaimed as she pulled in the reins. "Allons, +Susette!" + +The horse, evidently awakened from his morning dreams, started forward +with a suddenness which almost precipitated Grace from her seat. The +trees along the roadside began to fly past them. In ten minutes they +were close behind the canvas-covered wagon, now moving along at a brisk +pace. + +When they reached the fortifications, the two wagons were separated by +not more than a dozen feet. Grace's companion glanced at her sharply. +"From here I go to Grennelle, Mademoiselle," she exclaimed. + +Grace looked at the wagon ahead. "Follow it, please," she said. "I will +give you another five francs." + +The woman obeyed in silence. The wagon in front of them headed off +toward the northwest, going in the direction of Passy. Before a great +while it crossed the Pont de Passy, turned into the Rue Nicolo, and came +to a stop before a small brick house, standing in a little garden. + +Grace jumped down at the corner, after giving the woman the louis and +the additional five francs. "Thank you," she said, and started slowly up +the street. + +The wagon with the canvas cover stood quietly alongside the curb. The +old man who drove it had approached the door of the house, and was +ringing the bell. + +Presently one of the windows on the top floor was thrown open, and a +man's head was thrust out. Grace could not see his face clearly. He +looked down at the man at the door, who at the same time looked up. The +window was instantly closed, and a few moments later the door of the +house opened and the man came out. + +He stood talking with the driver in low tones for a few moments. Grace +had walked on up the street, fearing to attract attention. Looking back, +she saw that the two men were gazing after her. She dared not turn her +head again, but at the next corner turned into a cross street. Then she +stopped, and cautiously peered around the corner. The two men had gone +to the wagon and were lifting out the large basket. A few moments later +they disappeared with it into the house. + +After a time, the old man returned with the basket in his hands. From +the way he carried it Grace could see that it was empty. He tossed it +carelessly into the wagon, mounted the seat, and drove off. + +Grace looked at her watch. It was half past seven. She felt cold and +hungry, and determined to get something to eat at once. A little pastry +cook's shop and restaurant on the opposite side of the street attracted +her attention, and she crossed over, entered, and ordered rolls and +coffee. She could see the windows of the house into which the two men +had carried the basket, from where she sat. + +She scarcely knew what to do next. It seemed almost certain that Mr. +Stapleton's child was in the house across the way, and yet--it was +merely an intuition, a guess, which might turn out to be entirely wrong. +Yet she feared to go away, not knowing at what moment the child, if he +was indeed there, might be taken elsewhere, and the clue hopelessly +lost. + +She finished her rolls and coffee, taking as much time to consume them +as she could. She had just made up her mind to go, when the door of the +house across the street opened, and a man came out. He was dark, and +heavily built, and dressed in the costume affected by artists. He headed +directly for the pastry shop, and Grace realized that he was about to +enter it. + +She turned her face away, fearing lest he might have noticed her, as she +walked up the street. He did not even glance in her direction, however, +but went at once to a counter at the rear of the place. + +The proprietor came up to him with a smile, rubbing his hands together +cheerily. "Ah! Monsieur Durand. Up early this morning, I see. What can I +do for you?" + +She did not catch the other's reply, nor did she dare to glance at his +face. She shrank back into her corner, and, picking up a newspaper which +lay in the window sill, began to read. + +The new customer remained but a few moments. When he left, Grace saw +that he carried a large paper bag with him, which appeared to contain +rolls or bread. + +He again entered the house, but this time remained inside but a few +moments. A little later she left the shop, and watched him as he +disappeared down the street. + +For half an hour she walked about, wondering whether she should +telephone Monsieur Lefevre now, or wait until she had made certain that +the whole affair was, after all, not a wild goose chase. Suddenly she +was seized with a new determination. She went boldly up to the house, +and rang the bell. + +In a few moments a sleepy-looking maid opened the door, eying Grace with +lazy indifference. + +"I wish to see Monsieur Durand," the latter said. + +"He's out." + +"Then I must wait. I am a model. He instructed me to come at eight +o'clock, and to wait until he returned." + +The girl shrugged her shoulders, and pointed to the stairs. "Top floor +front," she grumbled, and turned away. + +Grace lost no time in getting up the stairs. To her surprise, the door +of the studio, upon which was a card bearing Monsieur Durand's name, was +unlocked. She pushed her way boldly in, and looked about. The room was +scantily furnished, and contained little besides a couple of modeling +stands, several large plaster figures and casts, two chairs, and a +couch, evidently used as a bed. At the rear of the room was a closet. +She turned to it and threw it open. It contained only an assortment of +clothes. + +She felt completely baffled. There was no possible place, here, in which +the child she was seeking could be hidden. Evidently she had been on +the wrong track. And yet--what had the wicker basket contained? + +Suddenly she stopped, quivering with excitement. From somewhere in the +room--she could not tell where--there came a low sobbing sound, as of a +child, crying to itself. It vibrated throughout the room, at one moment +close to her ears, the next far off, intangible, like a whispered echo. +She stood, listening, every nerve tense with excitement, and still that +low sobbing went on, coming from nowhere, evanescent as a dream. + +The thing seemed unreal, horrifying. She gazed about helpless. Then she +heard the front door of the house suddenly slam, followed by the sound +of heavy footsteps on the stairs. + + + + +CHAPTER XIV. + + +Richard Duvall rose, the following day, with a less troubled mind than +at any time since his arrival in Paris. + +His calculations of the night before had brought him to a definite +conclusion. + +After breakfasting in the cafe of the hotel he returned to his room, and +rang up Monsieur Lefevre. + +"I want the assistance of one of your men, Monsieur," he said. + +"Ah!" laughed the Prefect. "You are--what you Americans call--up a tree, +is it not?" + +"Not at all. You have said that there existed between us a competition, +to recover Mr. Stapleton's child. I think I am going to win. But since I +am not in a position to make the necessary arrests, myself, I am going +to share the glory with you, my dear friend, by allowing one of your men +to do so for me." + +"So you are confident?" + +"Reasonably so. Can you spare Vernet for the day? He is a good man." + +"One of my best. You shall have him. And if you succeed, I shall still +regard myself the loser, and will buy the champagne, and the dinner at +the Cafe Royale, as I agreed." + +"And I shall be most happy to do the same should I fail. Oblige me by +requesting Vernet to come to my rooms at the hotel at once. Good by." + +Duvall hung up the receiver, and sat down with the drawings he had made +before him. He awaited the coming of Vernet with impatience. + +The latter appeared in some twenty minutes. + +"What can I do for you, Monsieur Duvall?" he asked. + +"Good morning, Vernet. Sit down, and have a cigar. I have a little +matter I wish to talk over with you." + +"Concerning the missing child of Monsieur Stapleton, I understand," +remarked Vernet, as he lit a cigar and drew his chair up to the table. +He glanced at the drawings before him. "What are these, may I ask?" + +Duvall took up his pencil. "This, Vernet, is a map of a small part of +Paris. Here, as you see, is the Avenue Kleber, terminating at the +Champs Elysees just in front of the Arc de Triomphe." + +"I see. It is quite plain." + +"Here--this black square--is Mr. Stapleton's house. From there to the +arch is a matter of some six hundred yards." + +"About that, I should say. What of it?" + +"Wait. The black-bearded fellow--the kidnapper--who visited Mr. +Stapleton last night, and escaped by the ruse of being arrested by one +of his confederates, will arrive at Mr. Stapleton's house at eight +o'clock tonight." + +"Mon Dieu! If that is so, we have him!" + +"Not so fast. We shall not interfere with him--then." + +"But, Monsieur, would you let this fellow escape? It is my duty to +arrest him, as soon as he puts in an appearance." + +"You are mistaken, Vernet. Your duty is to do as I instruct you. +Monsieur Lefevre has placed you under my orders for the day." + +Vernet laughed. "That is so," he said. "What do you wish me to do?" + +"The man will come to Mr. Stapleton's house at eight o'clock, and will +be given a large sum of money. He has agreed, if he is not interfered +with, to have the address where the boy may be found telephoned to Mr. +Stapleton within half an hour." + +"Ah! Then we shall follow, and get him after he has telephoned." + +Duvall laughed. "We are dealing with a far shrewder man than that, +Vernet. This fellow will do no telephoning." + +"Then how will he let Monsieur Stapleton know?" + +"That is just what I am trying to find out. Put yourself in his place. +He is known--he dare not remain in Paris--he gets five hundred thousand +francs to give up the child. Is it not natural to suppose that he will +leave the city at once?" + +"Yes. That is what I should do, in his place." + +"Of course. Now I understand that the fellow will walk from Mr. +Stapleton's house to the Arc de Triomphe, a distance of six hundred +yards. He can do that easily in ten minutes." + +"Yes." + +"Once at the arch, he will stand awaiting a fast automobile, which will +come along the Champs Elysees. This automobile will stop for an instant +and pick him up, then proceed at high speed along the Avenue du Bois de +Boulogne." + +"Why do you think that?" + +"Because it will afford him the quickest and safest road out of Paris. +From the arch to the Porte Dauphine is less than a mile. He can make it +in five minutes. In fifteen minutes altogether then, he is outside the +walls. In another fifteen minutes, he is beyond pursuit, in the +country." + +"But you forget, Monsieur Duvall, that he has not yet advised his +confederates that all is well, and that the address of the place where +the boy is hidden is to be telephoned to Mr. Stapleton." + +"No, Vernet, I haven't forgotten that. In fact, I am coming to it now. +Suppose you were in this fellow's place--how would you do it?" + +Vernet scratched his head thoughtfully. "He might fire a pistol from the +car." + +"Too dangerous. The noise of the explosion would attract attention. He +must work silently." + +"A wave of the hand, perhaps, to someone along the street." + +"Also dangerous. This fellow realizes that every possible step will be +taken to capture not only himself, but his confederates. He anticipates, +no doubt, that the road will be carefully watched. Why take chances, +and run the risk of his confederates, at least, being arrested, when +there are simpler, easier ways?" + +"Such as what?" + +"Do you not remember the signal, used on the Versailles road, the blue +light?" + +"Ah! Exactly. He will signal to some one in a house along the way." + +"That would be easier and safer; but you will remember that there are no +houses along the way--none, at least, in which a man of this sort could +have a confederate hidden. But I should not say none. There is one, +perhaps." + +"Indeed, Monsieur. And what house is that?" + +"Mr. Stapleton's. Look!" He drew toward him the sheet of paper. "Here," +he placed the point of his pencil upon the black square which indicated +the location of the banker's residence, "is the house. The north window +of a room on the top floor commands a view of the Avenue du Bois de +Boulogne, from a point some 500 feet west of the Arc de Triomphe, to +where it intersects the Avenue Malakoff. Beyond there, the view is +interrupted. In fact, the trees along the Avenue du Bois de Boulogne are +to some extent an obstruction; but at the crossing with the Avenue +Malakoff there is a wide and uninterrupted view." + +"But a confederate in Monsieur Stapleton's own house?" + +"Yes. The chauffeur, Francois." + +"You astonish me, Monsieur. We have suspected the fellow, it is true. +The very room of which you speak has been searched. We found nothing. +How do you know that what you say is true?" + +"Never mind how I know it--now. The point is this--Francois, I fully +believe, will be in that room, tonight, at eight o'clock, watching +carefully the automobiles which pass the intersection of the Avenue +Malakoff--" + +"Not necessarily, Monsieur. We can easily prevent it, by placing him +under arrest." + +"That is exactly what we must _not_ do. Don't you see, it is absolutely +necessary, for the recovery of Mr. Stapleton's child, that the signals +go through uninterrupted?" + +"Of course, I had forgotten that. And these signals?" + +"Naturally I cannot tell--yet. I think, however, that the automobile for +which Francois will be looking will show a brilliant blue light, while +crossing the Avenue Malakoff. That is, of course, if our friend the +kidnapper gets safely away, without being pursued." + +"And otherwise?" + +"I think the light would be red. He can make either, very simply, by +means of a powerful electric searchlight--one of these pocket affairs, +you know, fitted with colored glasses." + +"You interest me wonderfully, Monsieur Duvall. What next?" + +"It is, of course, most important that the signal given shall be the +correct one. There must be no interference whatever with this fellow's +escape--_up to that point_." + +"Ah--I begin to see. And what after that?" + +"First, let us continue with Francois. He will, I think, return a blue +signal to the man in the automobile, to show that he has seen, and +understood. He has the means to do so all ready, in his room." + +"And then?" + +"He will make, I think, a similar signal from his south window to some +one who is on watch, in the direction of Passy. This second person, who +no doubt has the child in his care, will then go to a telephone, +transmit the address of the house where the child is hidden, to +Mr. Stapleton, and quietly depart, to join his confederate +in--say--Brussels. He will run not the slightest risk of capture. If, on +the other hand, that message fails to go through, the address will _not_ +be telephoned, and the child will probably be killed." + +Vernet frowned grimly. "It is a remarkable plan, Monsieur. These fellows +are no bunglers. I think, however, that we shall be able to stop them." + +"How?" + +"I will station myself at the Porte Dauphine with a fast automobile, a +racer. When these fellows pass, I will follow them, and overtake them." + +"An excellent idea, Vernet; but how, may I ask, will you know the car, +when it passes you? There are hundreds of cars on the Avenue du Bois de +Boulogne, at eight o'clock in the evening." + +Vernet laughed. "I confess, Monsieur, you have me there." + +"Of course you might station a man at the intersection of the Avenue +Malakoff and the Avenue du Bois de Boulogne; but I do not think he +would be able to see the signal. By placing on the end of the +searchlight a paper tube, the light would be invisible except in the +direction in which it is pointed--and that, you will remember, is +diagonally upward. A man on the sidewalk would not see it at all." + +"Then, Monsieur, I fail to see that there is anything we can do." + +"There is one thing, Vernet. You forget the answering signal, from the +window." + +The Frenchman looked at his companion with undisguised admiration. +"Sacre!" he exclaimed. "You have a mind, Monsieur Duvall, in a +thousand." + +"Thanks," answered Duvall, dryly. "Now, my idea is, to have you select +some point near the intersection of the two avenues, from which the +window in the rear of Mr. Stapleton's house can be clearly seen. Station +yourself there, tonight, with the fastest automobile you can secure. Let +one man watch the window, another the vehicles passing in the Avenue du +Bois de Boulogne. The moment you see the blue light, start after your +man. He should be just across the intersection, on his way down the +Avenue du Bois de Boulogne." + +Vernet rubbed his hands together with satisfaction. "We shall get +him--never fear." + +"Of course," said Duvall, slowly, "all this is pure assumption on my +part, based upon what I have discovered in the chauffeur's room. It may +not turn out as I say, but the chances are fifty to one that it will." + +"And you, Monsieur? Where will you be?" + +"I shall be in the room, with Francois. I do not propose that _he_ shall +escape. And further--I do not know that I am correct, in my assumption +regarding his signals to Passy. He may go out, and send the telephone +message himself. In that case, I shall follow. Or he may, through some +unforeseen accident, get the wrong signal, in which case I propose to +overpower him, and give the right one. Suppose we go, now, and take a +look at the intersection of the Avenue Malakoff and the Avenue du Bois +de Boulogne, and see what arrangements can best be made. Also, if Mr. +Stapleton is out in his car, we may be able to take a few observations +from his chauffeur's window." He took up his hat, lighted a cigar, and +led the way to the door. + +They drove to the Arc de Triomphe in a cab, and, after dismissing it, +walked slowly down the Avenue du Bois de Boulogne. At the intersection +with the Avenue Malakoff they stopped and gazed about carefully, +although in such a way as not to attract attention. A brief inspection +served to confirm all that Duvall had said. It took them some little +time to locate the window in the rear of Mr. Stapleton's house; but +after a time they managed to do so, and saw that it commanded an +uninterrupted view of the point where they stood. + +Vernet was highly satisfied, as they parted. It was deemed unnecessary +for him to visit the chauffeur's room, and thereby run the risk of their +being seen entering the banker's house together. Vernet departed to make +his arrangements for the evening, strictly cautioned by his companion +not to let Monsieur Lefevre into his secret. "It is a bet," he told +Vernet. "I hope we shall succeed in winning it." + +After his companion had departed, Duvall dropped in to see Mr. +Stapleton. He learned that the banker was out, driving in the Bois with +Mrs. Stapleton, who, overcome by anxiety and grief, had great need of +the fresh air to retain her health. She was fast breaking down under the +strain. + +Duvall went up to have another look at the chauffeur's room. He had been +unable to get a thoroughly clear idea of the view from the window, the +night before, owing to the darkness. + +He found everything as he had left it,--the searchlight on the dresser, +the colored glass ornaments hanging from their gay ribbons. The north +window overlooked with perfect clearness the intersection of the two +avenues, as he and Vernet had seen them from below. The other window +presented a more distant view. Nearby roofs and chimneys obstructed it +in part; but between them could be seen the villas and buildings in +Passy, smiling in the sunlight. The sight impressed Duvall the more +strongly with the cleverness of the men he sought to arrest. Somewhere +in all that maze of buildings, that wide vista of houses and trees and +distant fields, Mr. Stapleton's child lay concealed, and it needed but a +flash of light from this window to set him free. Passing his fingers +idly along the window sill, Duvall suddenly observed two parallel +scratches in the white paint, which had apparently been made with the +point of a knife. He knelt down, and sighted between them. His line of +vision swept clear of the nearby roofs and chimneys, toward Passy. + +The detective turned from the window, a smile of satisfaction on his +face, and proceeded to make a careful examination of the chauffeur's +closet. It was here that he intended to lie hidden. He felt certain +that, in order the better to perceive and send his signals, as well as +to escape detection from below, the chauffeur would allow his room to +remain unlighted. + +This, Duvall reasoned, would render it easy for him to lie concealed +until the signal which would insure the safe return of the lost child +had been given, after which he would call upon Francois with precision +and despatch. Should anything occur to prevent the chauffeur from giving +the favorable signal, he proposed to give it himself. + +The closet was close to the north window, and its door opened in such a +way that Duvall saw at once that in the darkened room he could readily +open it sufficiently to see all that Francois did, without running any +serious risk of detection. + +He left the house at a little after noon and stopped in at a well known +restaurant on the Boulevard des Italiens for lunch. He felt very well +satisfied with the course that events were taking. If only he could get +through with this thing, and get back to Grace, and the farm, he would +be supremely happy. He became so absorbed in his thoughts that he failed +to notice a gentleman who slipped quietly into the chair opposite him, +until the latter leaned over and touched his arm. + +He looked up suddenly. It was Monsieur Lefevre! + + + + +CHAPTER XV + + +The few seconds that elapsed while Grace Duvall stood in the deserted +studio in Passy, waiting for the arrival of the person who was ascending +the stairs, seemed like eternities, so crowded were they with terror. + +What should she do--what, indeed, could she do? A dozen plans raced +madly through her brain, confusing her, baffling her with their +futility. + +That the missing boy was within the sound of her voice, she knew; for +even as she stood trembling at the ominous footsteps on the creaking +stairs, she could hear the low troubled childish moaning, coming +apparently from the very air in front of her, yet affording not the +slightest clue as to the boy's whereabouts. + +She glanced about the room in desperation. Nearer and nearer came the +creaking footfalls on the stairs. She dared not leave the room now, and +thereby meet the approaching man face to face on the landing; yet to +remain where she was would result only in her being obliged to make some +lame and halting excuse for her presence, and go, as soon as the man +entered the room. + +Even this she could not count upon. The fellow, no doubt a desperate and +unscrupulous ruffian, might attack her, might detain her a prisoner +until the child had been safely removed to another place, beyond all +hope of discovery. All the work of the past twelve hours would come to +nothing. And even should he let her go, in safety, he could not fail to +suspect the reasons for her presence and warn his companions. + +Clearly the only thing to do was to remain in the room, in hiding. There +was but one place in which she could hope to escape instant +detection--the closet. Yet even this promised but temporary safety; the +man would be almost certain to open it, for some reason or other, and +discover her presence. + +It was her only chance, however, and she took it. Even as the footsteps +of the approaching man sounded upon the landing outside, Grace flew +across the room and into the closet, closing the door softly behind her. +In her haste, one arm of a velveteen coat which hung upon a hook, +became jammed in the door, with the result that it would not entirely +close. She realized that it was too late to remedy the trouble now, and +crouched back trembling with excitement. + +The jamming of the door had caused it to remain slightly open, with a +space half an inch broad between it and the casing. Through this, Grace +could see a part of the room before her. She watched the door to the +hallway intently, as it was thrown open. + +The man she had seen in the pastry shop came in, several packages in his +hands. These he placed upon a table, and at once began to prepare +breakfast. A small alcohol lamp served for coffee, and butter, rolls, +and fruit he produced from the paper bags before him. There was also a +bottle of milk. Grace wondered if this was intended for the child. + +The man went about his preparations silently. Grace occasionally +obtained a good view of his face. He was apparently about thirty years +of age, dark and swarthy. There was something familiar about his manner, +his general appearance; although what it was, she could not tell. She +was certain, however, that she had seen him before. + +Once or twice he made a move, as though to approach the closet; but +each time it was something else that claimed his attention. Once it was +to get a package of cigarettes that lay upon one of the modeling stands. +Grace wondered what she would have done, had he kept on toward her, and +opened the closet door. + +She fell to thinking, in momentary snatches, about home, and Richard. +How curious it seemed for them both to be here in Paris, separated for +all these days, yet so near each other! She wondered if Richard had +written to her, and what he would think, not to have heard from her. +Then she remembered that after all he had been in Paris but a few +days--there was scarcely time for a letter to have reached him. She +thought of Uncle Abe, pottering about among the flower beds, of Aunt +Lucy grumbling good naturedly over her wash tubs, of Rose, singing her +queer camp meeting songs in the spring twilight, of Don, and the other +dogs, the chickens, and her beloved flowers, and wondered how all of +them were getting along with Richard and herself both away. + +Her reveries were interrupted by a sudden sound which made her start +forward, tense with excitement. The man in the studio had gone for a +moment beyond the line of her vision, into a corner of the room to her +left. She could not see what he was doing there, and it was while +waiting for him to reappear that she had fallen into her day dream. + +The sound which startled her was the voice of a child, not crying, this +time, but speaking clearly and distinctly. "I want to go home!" it said, +in a high nervous voice. "I want to see my mamma!" + +The man answered roughly, impatiently. "You can't go now. Be quiet and +come and eat your breakfast." + +He appeared suddenly in the line of view commanded by the crack in the +door, and Grace saw that he held a small boy by one hand, and was +leading him to the table. Here he placed him in a chair and set before +him a glass of milk and a roll. "Hurry up now!" the man growled. "Eat +your breakfast. I've got to go out." + +The man's words set Grace's heart to beating with renewed quickness. If +the man was going out, she would be able to escape, and take the boy +with her. + +She did not doubt that he was Mr. Stapleton's child. The girl's dress +which he had worn on the former occasion had been removed, and in place +of it he wore a suit of dark blue, somewhat dirty and worn. His face +still appeared to be very dark, and his hair, which had formerly been +long and curly, was cropped close to his head. He appeared to be well, +but very nervous. Grace watched him eagerly as he devoured the roll and +milk. + +When he had finished, the man took him by the hand and again led him to +the corner of the room beyond Grace's sight. She strained her face +against the opening in the door, striving in vain to see what he was +doing; but it was useless. + +She heard the boy begin to object, begging the man in a querulous voice +to let him go out and play. His captor, however, silenced him with a +sharp word, accompanied by a blow. "Get in there, and keep quiet!" Grace +heard him say, and after that all was silent. A moment later the man +reappeared, put on his hat, and, going out, locked the door carefully +behind him. Grace wondered if the maid had told him of her call, and +thereby roused his suspicions. + +She waited until she heard the front door close, and then, emerging +quickly from the closet, went toward the side of the room to which the +man had gone with the child. + +At first sight, there appeared to be no place where the latter could +have been hidden. The two walls were of gray-tinted plaster, cracked and +stained with age. There was a rickety chair and a battered plaster +figure of a centaur, against which leaned an easel and a mass of +sketches, covered with cobwebs and dust. + +With extreme care, she examined the walls and floor. It seemed most +likely that some trapdoor existed, affording an entrance to a secret +closet in which the boy had been placed. A few moments' effort showed no +traces whatever of such a hiding place. The floor was of planks, covered +with dust, and the cracks between the boards were filled with dirt and +showed nowhere evidences of having been recently moved. The walls she +sounded gently with the handle of a modeling tool which she snatched up +from the table; but they gave forth a uniformly solid sound. + +She stood, surveying the place in perplexity. Then a sudden thought +occurred to her. The ceiling! It swept low down, at the corner of the +room, and above it she knew there must be an attic. She went over and +began to examine the dusty plaster surface with minute care. + +A sound of footsteps upon the stairs sent her scurrying back into the +closet. She wondered why the man had returned so soon. Greatly to her +surprise, she saw, as soon as the door opened, that the newcomer was not +the one who had left her a short time before, but an older man, more +heavily built. As he turned and glanced toward the side of the room +where she was hidden, she saw that he wore a heavy black beard. It was +the kidnapper himself--the man whom she had seen at Mr. Stapleton's +house the night before! + +He appeared to be annoyed, at not finding anyone in the studio, and +after a moment sat down and lighting a cigar, began to read a newspaper +which he drew from his pocket. + +Grace watched him intently, hardly daring to breathe for fear he might +hear her. An hour passed, and the air in the closet became close and +hot. She felt so nervous that she could have screamed, when the door of +the room suddenly opened and Durand appeared. + +The two greeted each other with a nod. "Where have you been?" the older +man demanded, somewhat angrily. + +"I had to get a new battery." He took a short black cylinder from his +pocket and laid it on the table. + +"Is the boy here?" + +"Yes." + +"Good! Now listen to your instructions." He lowered his voice, glancing +swiftly toward the closed door of the room. "At eight o'clock I shall go +to the banker's house and get the money. At eight fifteen, or a little +before, Francois will get his signal and repeat to you. If he flashes +the blue light, you will release the boy, leave the room, lock the door, +and go at once to the Place du Trocadero. From the little tobacco shop +you will telephone the address of this place--No. 42, isn't it?--to +Monsieur Stapleton. That will be about half past eight. Do not telephone +before that. Then wait for me in front of the shop. Do you understand?" + +"Perfectly. And if I get the red signal?" + +"In that event, do not release the boy, but lock the door and come to +the tobacco shop, as before. I will communicate with you there. Old +Martelle is perfectly safe. But I do not think there will be any +trouble. You will get the blue light." + +"You seem sure." + +"I am. This man Stapleton is not going to take any more chances. Once I +am in the automobile, I am safe." + +"They could arrest you while you are walking to the Arc de Triomphe, +after leaving the house." + +"That is true; but what would they gain. They would not get the boy, +would they? And they have no evidence to show that I stole him. Further, +Francois reports this morning that he overheard Stapleton and his wife +talking. There is to be no interference--at least not until I get away +in the machine. They will follow me, of course. I fully expect it. But +you know the steps I have taken to take care of _that_ game." He laughed +grimly. "No--no--the thing is absolutely safe. We will get away without +the least trouble." + +"Nevertheless, if anything goes wrong, and I do not get the red signal, +what shall we do then?" + +"We'll talk that over, when the time comes. You meet me at Martelle's." + +"But suppose you can't be there? They might get you, you know." + +The man with the beard frowned darkly, and an evil expression came over +his face. "If you get the red signal, and I do not meet you at +Martelle's at half past eight, come back here, get the boy, and take him +to Lavillac. And before you do so, cut off his left hand, and send it to +Stapleton with a letter telling him that if I am not set free at once, +you will send his head. That will bring them to terms." + +Grace shuddered as she heard the man's words. + +His companion nodded. "I understand," he said. "But I hope it won't be +necessary." + +"It won't. They can't get me. I've planned too carefully. That American +detective, Duvall, is a joke. He was out on the Boulevard du Bois de +Boulogne this morning with one of the Prefect's men. They are figuring +to have an automobile at the Avenue Malakoff and follow me." He laughed +loudly. "Much good that will do them!" + +"How about Francois?" + +"Oh--in a week or two, after we are safely away, Francois will sprain +his wrist, and be forced to give up his position as Monsieur Stapleton's +chauffeur. He will join us in New York." + +The younger man puffed meditatively at his cigarette. "What's become of +that woman Lefevre had snooping around? Seen anything of her, since +last night?" + +"No. She hasn't been about. Not much danger of _her_ finding out +anything." + +The other rubbed his chin, in deep thought. "She nearly got you, last +night," he presently remarked. + +"Oh, no. Not a chance. I knew she was in the house, and I figured she +would telephone to headquarters as soon as she learned who I was. All I +had to do was to signal you, through the window, and the thing was done. +Of course I didn't expect the Prefect's man to get there quite as soon +as he did; but you handled him all right." As he spoke, the man rose, +went to a small mirror that hung on the wall, and carefully removed the +black beard which was so distinguishing a feature of his appearance. + +"Pretty hot, this thing," he announced, as he threw it on the table. +"Got anything to drink about? I'm thirsty." + +Grace saw, as he turned toward her, that he bore a striking resemblance +to the masked man who had given her the first message to Mr. Stapleton, +in the room of the house on the road to Versailles. She trembled as she +heard him ask for the drink. Suppose the bottle should be in the +closet? She shrunk back in terror as the younger man rose and started +toward her. + +Her alarm was needless, however. The fellow drew open one of the drawers +of a small dresser that stood on the opposite side of the room, and took +out a light green bottle. "Absinthe?" he inquired. + +"All right. One won't do any harm. Don't take any more, though." He +began to pour out the drink into a glass which stood upon the table. +"When you get the signal from Francois," he went on, "you are to answer +it, as usual, so he'll know you've seen him. He doesn't want to stay in +his room very long--for fear he might be missed." + +"They suspect him, of course." + +"Yes. He's being watched right along; when he's out of the house, that +is. They've searched his room, and all that; but they haven't found +anything." He chuckled, and began to sip his drink. "Nothing to find." + +The other man sat down at the table, and the two began talking over +their plans of escape. Grace could not hear all they said; but, as +nearly as she could gather, they intended, as soon as the younger man +had joined the other, to run for Brussels in the automobile. Near the +frontier they would leave the machine, change their disguises, and cross +the frontier on foot. Once in Belgium, they seemed to think they would +be quite safe. + +It was along toward noon when the older man readjusted his disguise and +left the house. "I'm going to get something to eat," he announced. "I +won't be back. You'd better not leave the place again. I'll send you in +something, if you like." He glanced at the rolls and milk on the table. + +"It won't be necessary. I've got all I need. Guess I'll take a nap this +afternoon. Well, good luck," he concluded, as the other started toward +the door. "See you later." + +"All right." The black-bearded man passed noiselessly into the hall. +"Don't sleep too long. Eight o'clock, remember." In a moment he was +gone. + +Grace watched the other as he finished drinking his absinthe and lit a +cigarette. Presently he went over to the cot and, throwing himself upon +it, was soon snoring loudly. + +The long hot afternoon wore itself on. Grace leaned back against the +wall of the closet, weak from the nervous tension of the situation. The +place was hot and close. She felt faint from lack of air, from hunger. +At times she dozed off, then recovered herself with a start, and stood +trembling, fearful lest she had made some noise which might attract the +attention of the sleeping man. + +After a time, the low complaining of the child began again, at first +faint and seemingly far off, then growing in volume, until the tearful +cries of "Let me out--let me out!" seemed to come from a point scarcely +beyond the reach of her hand. + +The child's complaints at last awoke the sleeping man. With a muttered +curse he rose, crossed the room, and disappeared from sight. Grace heard +a low scraping sound, as of a panel being drawn back, and presently the +man again appeared with the child, and again supplied him with bread and +milk. + +After he had eaten, the man gave him a magazine with bright-colored +pictures in it, to amuse him, and lay on the bed, smoking. The boy sat +on the floor, looking at the book. + +Once or twice he tried to speak, but the man sharply bade him be quiet. +About sundown, a step was heard on the stairs, and once again the boy +was hastily placed in his hiding place, with threats of punishment if he +cried. + +The new arrival was only a model, in search of work. The man spoke to +her gruffly, and informed her that he had all the models he needed. +After she left, he did not again release the child, but sat, reading, +for a long time. + +At last he rose, took up the short black cylinder, which Grace saw was +an electric searchlight, from the table, and went over and sat in the +sill of the large double window which faced to the north. The window was +open, and the room in darkness. + +Grace pushed the door of her closet open slightly, so as to get a better +view. The window was directly opposite the closet, at the other end of +the room. She could see the silent figure of the watcher, silhouetted +blackly against the night sky without. Off to the north were many +lights--the lights of the houses toward the Champs Elysees, and the Arc +de Triomphe. + +For many minutes she watched, over the man's shoulder, waiting for the +signal which would set both herself and Mr. Stapleton's boy free from +their long confinement. + +Presently she heard the man utter a quick oath, and saw him peer out of +the window, his figure tense and rigid, a pair of field glasses held to +his eyes. In another moment he had dropped the glasses, picked up his +electric searchlight, and flashed a signal into the darkness. + +It took him but a moment. In another he had rushed to the door, and +Grace heard him turn the key in the lock and clatter down the stairs. + +She crept swiftly to the window and looked out. At first she could see +nothing, but a confused maze of lights. In a moment she had seized the +field glasses and was nervously sweeping the horizon. Suddenly she held +them still for a moment, then drew back with a cry of dismay. Far off +toward the Avenue Kleber there gleamed a light, high in the upper room +of a house. It shone for a few moments, steady, baleful, full of unknown +terror, then winked suddenly out and was gone. She dropped the field +glasses upon the floor and staggered back against the table. _The light +was red!_ She was locked in. The two men would undoubtedly be back in +fifteen or twenty minutes. And then--she shuddered as she thought of +what they intended to do to the kidnapped child. To herself she gave +scarcely a thought. Then Richard's face came before her eyes, and she +fell upon the window seat, sobbing bitterly. + + + + +CHAPTER XVI + + +When Monsieur Lefevre touched Richard Duvall on the shoulder, in the +restaurant in the Boulevard des Italiens, he was filled with a very +great feeling of anxiety, although he concealed it behind a mask of +pleased surprise at the unexpected meeting. + +Since early the evening before he had had no word from Grace. He knew +from Mr. Stapleton that she had left his house a short while after nine; +but since then she had completely disappeared. + +The Prefect at first thought that she had been unable to keep her +identity from her husband any longer, and had joined him. He later +learned from Vernet that this was not the case. Now the old gentleman +began to feel seriously alarmed at her continued absence. + +"How goes everything, my friend?" he asked, with an elaborate show of +carelessness. "Have you found the kidnappers yet?" + +Duvall smiled. "Not yet. But I expect to have them, before the evening +is over." + +"Indeed! I congratulate you. Have you seen anything of Mademoiselle +Goncourt?" + +"No. Why?" + +"I thought perhaps you might have met her. You two are after the same +game, you know." + +Duvall smiled grimly. "I don't believe she's following the same trail +that I am," he said. "I expect to win that bet, Monsieur." + +The Prefect seemed a trifle uneasy. "The evening is not yet over, +Monsieur," he replied. "But, in any event, I hope that Monsieur +Stapleton's son will be returned to him without further delay, whoever +brings about the result." + +"Come to his house tonight, Monsieur. I have arranged a little matter +with Vernet which may surprise you. And then, too, we shall have to go +and get the boy." He rose, and took up his hat. "We shall want you with +us." + +"By all means. I shall be there, my friend. What hour would you +suggest?" + +"Half past eight, at the latest." + +"Good! I shall be there at that time. Good day, _mon ami_." + +"Au revoir. Give my respects to Mademoiselle Goncourt." He left the +restaurant and, going to his room at the hotel, proceeded to write a +long letter to Grace. He reproached her for not having written to him. +Here he had been in Paris four days, and had not heard a word from her! +A letter, he felt, should have come by the very next steamer--several, +in fact. He told her how greatly he missed her, how deeply he loved her, +and how soon he hoped to return to her arms. And even as he wrote, +Grace, half dead from fatigue, stood hidden in the closet at Passy, a +mile away, watching with frightened eyes the kidnapper asleep on the +pallet bed. + +Duvall had arranged to be at Mr. Stapleton's house a little before eight +that night, and it still lacked twenty minutes of the hour when he +ascended the steps of the banker's residence and was ushered into the +library. + +Mr. Stapleton sat in grim silence, awaiting the coming of his visitor. +He did not seem particularly glad to see Duvall. The latter's apparent +failure to make any headway in the matter of recovering his missing boy +had caused the banker to lose confidence in his abilities. + +"Good evening, Duvall," he remarked, indifferently. + +"Good evening, Mr. Stapleton. You are ready for your man, I see." He +glanced at the package of banknotes which lay at the banker's elbow. + +"Quite. You have done nothing to interfere with his coming or going, I +trust." + +"Nothing." + +Stapleton glanced at the clock. "He will be here very soon, now. May I +ask you to wait in my study, upstairs? It would never do for you to be +here. The man might be afraid to enter." + +"No--you are right. I must not be here. But I prefer not to wait in the +study. I have another plan." + +"What is it?" inquired the banker, uneasily. + +"Where is Francois, your chauffeur?" + +"At his dinner, I believe. Why?" + +"Will you kindly find out for sure? I want to go to his room." + +Mr. Stapleton summoned a servant, who told him that the chauffeur was +just finishing his dinner. "You will be very careful, Duvall," he said, +anxiously. "I don't want anything done which will alarm these fellows." + +"Oh, Francois won't see me. I shall keep out of his sight. Perhaps I had +better go up now." He nodded to the banker, and at once ascended the +stairs which lead to the servants' quarters. + +At the door of the chauffeur's room he paused. It was closed. He pushed +it gently open, and in a moment was in the room. The place was quite +dark; but by means of a pocket light Duvall soon found the closet, and a +moment later was safely ensconced within. He left the door ajar, and to +his satisfaction found that he could see through the north window +without difficulty. Here he waited, until the chauffeur should arrive. + +Mr. Stapleton, meanwhile, sat grimly in the library below, waiting for +the coming of the kidnapper. Promptly at eight o'clock, his butler +announced that the man had arrived. + +"Show him in at once," exclaimed the banker, as he rose and began to +walk up and down the room. + +In a moment the man came into the library. His powerful figure, his +black beard, his assured manner, rendered him an easily recognized +figure. + +"I have come, Monsieur, as I said I would," he remarked, calmly. "I +trust you have the money in readiness." + +Stapleton stepped over to the desk and picked up the package of +banknotes. "Here it is," he growled. "I understand that you will, in +return for this money, send me word at once as to where my son is to be +found." + +"Within half an hour, Monsieur, at the latest; provided, of course, I am +not interfered with in my escape." + +"There will be no interference, until I get back my boy. After that, I +shall spend another hundred thousand dollars, if need be, to bring you +to justice." + +"That, Monsieur, is quite within the terms of our agreement. The moment +you receive the address, you are free from any obligation to me. May I +see the money?" He extended his hand. + +Mr. Stapleton placed the banknotes in it. "Count them," he growled, "and +assure yourself that you have received the amount you demand." + +The kidnapper sat down with the utmost coolness and began to count over +the notes. They were all of large denomination, and the operation +consumed but a few moments. As soon as he had finished, the man placed +the bundle of notes carefully in an inside pocket and rose. "The amount +is correct, Monsieur," he said. "Permit me to bid you a very good +evening." Without further delay, he bowed, took up his hat, and left +the room. + +At the door he glanced quickly at his watch, then strode off up the +street at a rapid pace, toward the Arc de Triomphe. + +For some eight or ten minutes he walked, at the expiration of which time +he arrived at the Place de l'Etoile, and at once crossed to the pavement +surrounding the great triumphal arch. + +Up and down the twelve great avenues which radiate from the Place of the +Star flashed innumerable automobiles, coming and going like huge jeweled +fireflies. + +The kidnapper paused at a point on the very outer edge of the circular +pavement which surrounds the arch, and waited, expectant, his eyes fixed +upon the broad sweep of the Champs Elysees. + +For some moments he stood thus, rigid, motionless. Suddenly a big black +racing car swept from the line of traffic and approached the curb. The +man on the sidewalk raised his hand, and made a momentary gesture. The +car quivered to the side of the street, pausing but the fraction of a +second as the tall figure of the kidnapper stepped in. Another moment, +and it had swept around the great arch and was flying down the Avenue du +Bois de Boulogne. + +Close behind it came a second car, which, like the first, contained but +a single occupant in addition to the chauffeur. With scarcely fifty feet +between them, the two machines swept down the broad street toward the +intersection with the Avenue Malakoff. + +In a few moments, both had reached it. But here their ways parted. The +first car, turning in a quick and dangerous quadrant, swept into the +Avenue Malakoff and sped southward like the wind. The second car +continued on toward the Porte Dauphine. As it passed the intersection +with the Avenue Malakoff, the chauffeur, unobserved by his passenger, +directed a cylindrical black object toward the southern sky and held it +there, motionless, until his car had disappeared in the shadow of the +trees to the west. + +Just inside the Avenue Malakoff lay a third car, its powerful engine +shaking it from end to end with its rapid pulsations. Two men sat in the +tonneau. One of them was occupied in watching a distant window in the +rear of a house on the Avenue Kleber with a pair of field glasses. The +other kept his gaze fixed upon the road before him. + +Suddenly the man with the field glasses turned, and pointed toward the +car which was just passing from sight along the Avenue du Bois de +Boulogne. "Quick!" he muttered. "After him!" + +The automobile shot forward like a racehorse under the whip, and in a +moment was flying down the avenue in hot pursuit. + +The foremost car was making high speed; but the one which pursued it was +clearly the faster of the two. Slowly the space which separated them +began to decrease. The man in the first car spoke quietly to his +chauffeur, and the great car jumped forward with renewed speed. + +Vernet, in charge of the pursuing car, swore softly to himself as he saw +his quarry pull away from him. He had confidence, however, in the speed +of his own machine, and urged his driver to greater efforts. + +For several miles the two swept on, the rear car gaining slowly, in +spite of the other's best efforts. They had passed the fortifications +and were now in the Bois de Boulogne, and with clearer roads ahead the +chase seemed likely to be a long one. + +Suddenly, to Vernet's astonishment, the forward car began to slow up. In +a moment the Prefect's men ranged alongside, and covered the solitary +passenger with their revolvers. + +"Surrender!" Vernet cried. "You are my prisoner." + +The man in the other car looked up, and calmly began to light a +cigarette. "Are you a bandit, my friend?" he inquired, calmly. + +The detective was taken aback. The two cars had now come to a standstill +at one side of the road. "Search him!" he said quickly to his companion. + +The second man climbed into the car. Its occupant made no protest. "What +do you wish with me, gentlemen?" he asked, with a sarcastic smile. "My +watch--my money?" + +"The searchlight, first of all," replied the detective, "with which you +signaled." + +The man looked at him in astonishment. "What are you talking about, +Monsieur?" he inquired. "Is this then a joke?" + +Vernet began to feel a trifle uneasy. This man certainly did not appear +to resemble in any way the prisoner he had sought. He was a clean-shaven +young man, elegantly dressed, and quite evidently a gentleman. "Do you +deny," asked the detective, "that on passing the Avenue Malakoff a few +moments ago you flashed a blue light toward the Avenue Kleber?" + +The young man laughed. "Of course I deny it," he said. "Why the devil +should I be flashing blue lights at the Avenue Kleber? And who are you, +to ask me any such nonsensical questions?" + +"I am an agent of the police, Monsieur. Who are you?" + +"I am Anton Lemaitre, stock broker, of the firm of Lemaitre and +Bossard." He handed a card to the dumbfounded Vernet. "I am trying a new +automobile, which I think of purchasing. My chauffeur proposed that we +try it out in the Bois, where there is more opportunity to speed than in +the city." + +"Why did you then run away?" + +"My dear sir, I saw you following me. I wish to own a fast car--the +fastest car in Paris, if possible. I directed my driver to see what he +could do. I do not believe, however, that I shall now buy the car, since +yours is faster. What make is it, Monsieur, if I may ask?" + +Vernet smothered an oath. Clearly this man was telling the truth. He +directed his companion to get in with Monsieur Lemaitre. "Drive to the +Prefecture," he said, "and let the gentleman tell his story to Monsieur +Lefevre." He himself ordered his chauffeur to proceed with all despatch +to Mr. Stapleton's house. The affair had ended in a fiasco. He felt that +he must see Duvall at once. + +In fifteen minutes he was at the house. Mr. Stapleton was waiting +patiently in the library for the telephone call which would announce the +hiding place of his boy. With him were Mrs. Stapleton and Monsieur +Lefevre. + +The poor man and his wife were in a pitiable state, their eyes glued to +the clock which stood on the mantel. It was marked twenty-six minutes +past eight. "Only four minutes more!" gasped Mrs. Stapleton, through her +tears. "My God! why don't they hurry?" + +Her husband endeavored to console her. "They may be a few moments late, +my dear. Don't excite yourself. I am sure they will keep their word." + +Vernet went over to Monsieur Lefevre and explained the events of the +evening in a few words. The Prefect smiled grimly. "So Monsieur Duvall +has failed again!" he remarked, in a low voice. "Mon Dieu! If we do not +soon hear from Mademoiselle Goncourt, I shall begin to feel nervous +myself." + +Slowly the hands of the clock crept around. As the half hour was +reached, and the telephone bell remained silent, Mrs. Stapleton uttered +a groan of despair, and sank upon the couch, weeping pitifully. Mr. +Stapleton, watch in hand, paced up and down the room. "They have been +interfered with," he stormed, "or they would have communicated with me +before now!" He turned to Monsieur Lefevre. "You have done nothing, I +hope, to again prevent me from recovering my son?" + +"Nothing, Monsieur." + +Mr. Stapleton waited another five minutes. It now wanted twenty minutes +to nine. The telephone bell remained persistently silent. The banker +closed his watch with a snap and thrust it into his pocket. His face was +pale with rage and suffering. Drops of perspiration collected on his +forehead. "The scoundrels!" he cried. "They have broken their word, and +robbed me of a hundred thousand dollars in the bargain. I will give +another hundred thousand to the man who will capture them, dead or +alive, and find my boy!" + +There was a profound silence, broken only by the quick sobbing of Mrs. +Stapleton. Neither Lefevre nor Vernet ventured to speak. + +Suddenly there arose sounds of a commotion among the servants gathered +in the hall without. In their devotion to their employer they had +collected there to welcome the lost boy. There were exclamations, cries +of astonishment--and dismay. + +The occupants of the room turned in surprise toward the door. As they +did so, Richard Duvall appeared in the doorway. He staggered, and with +difficulty supported himself by clutching the side of the door. His face +was covered with blood, his clothes torn and disheveled. + +He swayed a moment, unsteadily in the door. + +"What is it--what is wrong?" cried Stapleton, starting toward him. + +"The child is at 42 Rue Nicolo, Passy," gasped the detective, then fell +heavily upon the library floor. + + + + +CHAPTER XVII + + +Richard Duvall, waiting with nervous impatience in the closet in +Francois' room, at last heard a soft and guarded step upon the stairs. +He drew back, his muscles tense, and gazed fixedly at the door. + +Although the room was dark, the glow of the street lamps from without, +the faint light of the evening sky, sufficed, now that his eyes had +become accustomed to the darkness, to enable him not only to recognize +the chauffeur as he entered the room, but to follow his movements with +little or no difficulty. + +The man seemed hurried. He groped his way to the dresser at the opposite +side of the room, and felt about for the searchlight which Duvall knew +lay within easy reach. + +Having secured it, he directed it for a brief moment upon his watch, +noted the time, then, going to the door, opened it, and began to listen +intently. + +The detective at once surmised that he was listening for the departure +of his confederate, the man with the black beard. + +Presently the chauffeur drew back, closing the door with a grunt of +satisfaction, and once more approached the dresser. Duvall concluded +that he had gone to get the colored glasses by which he would be able to +make the required signals. + +In a moment he returned to the window, and Duvall saw him place the two +glass cups upon the sill, and lean out expectantly. + +It seemed a long time before he stirred. The detective, looking over his +shoulder, found that his line of vision was interrupted so that he could +not see the lights which flashed past the entrance of the Avenue +Malakoff. He was forced to content himself with keeping a close watch +upon the chauffeur. + +Suddenly the man, by an almost instantaneous movement, clapped one of +the little glass cups over the end of the tube which formed the +searchlight, and directed it toward the street. Duvall could not tell +whether the signal was blue, or red. He had every reason to believe, +however, that it was the former. + +The chauffeur held the tube upon the window sill for a few seconds +only, then withdrew it, and started to cross the room toward the south +window. As he did so, he swept the light into the room, and for an +instant it fell upon the crack in the closet door through which Duvall +was peering. He was conscious of a blinding blue radiance, close to his +eyes, and the sudden flash caused him to draw back with a quick and +involuntary movement. He realized that the chauffeur had not seen him, +and that, in a few moments more, the signal would be given which would +bring untold happiness to both Mr. Stapleton and his wife. + +The momentary recoil, however, was fatal to his plans. Although he moved +his head but a fraction of an inch, the suddenness of the movement was +sufficient to cause a metal coat hanger, which hung, empty, from a hook, +to click sharply against its neighbor. + +The chauffeur spun around with the quickness of a cat, and, grasping the +knob of the closet door, threw it open. In his hand he still clutched +the tube of the searchlight. + +Duvall at the same moment reached for the revolver which lay in a side +pocket of his coat. He realized instantly that, now that his presence +had been discovered, the chauffeur would of course not send the signal +to his confederates in Passy which would result in the telephoning of +the address to Mr. Stapleton, but would on the contrary flash a red +signal, which the detective fully believed would result in the child's +death. + +It was imperative that this should be prevented. Duvall had determined +to be present in the chauffeur's room for two reasons,--first, to send +the favorable signal to Passy himself, should things go wrong, and the +chauffeur receive a red flash from the street; secondly, to arrest +Francois in the act of receiving and sending the signals. + +He now realized that he must do both, and that, too, without a moment's +delay. + +As the chauffeur threw open the door he flashed the blue light full upon +the crouching figure of the detective. + +The latter, revolver in hand, commanded him sharply to throw up his +hands. + +The chauffeur did so--thereby directing the light of the electric lamp +toward the ceiling. The sudden change from the glare which an instant +before had been in his eyes, to almost total darkness, left Duvall +momentarily blind. His eyes could not instantaneously respond to the +withdrawal of the light. The figure of the chauffeur appeared but a dark +and formless shadow. + +The latter, however, not having faced the glare of the light, was able +to see without difficulty. With lightning like quickness he spun around +on one foot, until his back instead of his face was toward the +detective. Then his right foot rose, in the famous and deadly blow of +the _savate_. + +It has been said that this backward kick, so dear to the heart of the +Parisian crook, is more to be feared than any possible onslaught in good +old Anglo-Saxon style with the fists. Certainly in this instance it was +too much for Richard Duvall. The unexpected blow, coming during the +moment when the sudden darkness had left him blinded and confused, sent +him crashing back into the depths of the closet, buried beneath a mass +of clothing. His arms, entangled in falling coats and waistcoats, were +helpless. The revolver flew from his hand, and lay useless on the floor. + +The chauffeur went about his business calmly. His first move was to +direct the searchlight carefully into the interior of the closet, +slipping the blue cup from the end of it as he did so and allowing it +to fall unheeded to the floor. His second was to draw a long and +peculiarly deadly looking knife. + +His quick eye saw at once that the revolver was no longer in the +detective's grasp. His searchlight enabled him to discern it, lying on +the floor to one side of the closet. Before Duvall could extricate +himself from the articles of clothing in which he was entangled, +Francois had stooped quickly, picked up the revolver, and slammed the +door of the closet upon him. As he struggled to his feet, the detective +heard the click of the key as it turned in the lock. He was a prisoner. + +Without losing a moment, the chauffeur tossed the revolver upon the +table, took up the cup-shaped bit of red glass, fitted it to the tube of +the searchlight, and, going to the south window, placed it upon the sill +in such a way that its crimson glare was directed almost due south. It +was evident that the position in which the light was placed was marked +by the two tiny scratches cut in the woodwork of the window sill. In a +moment he had turned back toward the closet door. + +Duvall, meanwhile, realized that only by instant and superhuman effort +could he hope to remedy the frightful situation which his unlucky +movement had precipitated. + +He braced his shoulders and back against the rear wall of the closet, +put his two feet against the door, and with every atom of strength in +his body strove to force it open. + +His movements had been quick. Just as the chauffeur turned back from the +window toward the room, Duvall, his muscles knotted with effort, drove +the full force of his body against the closet door. + +The lock, a cheap affair, was torn loose in a twinkling, and an instant +later the two men had grappled in the center of the room. + +The detective's one desire was to get to the window, remove the red +light which he knew was flashing its fateful message across the +housetops, and substitute for it a blue light, which he hoped even now +might shine forth in time to redeem the situation. + +This, however, the chauffeur was equally determined to prevent. He +realized that he was caught, that his complicity in the affair was +known, and that he must warn his comrades of his danger, so that, by +refusing to give up the boy, they might effect his release. He was +fighting for his liberty as desperately as Duvall was fighting for that +of Mr. Stapleton's child. + +The two men were evenly matched. The chauffeur was perhaps the stronger, +in shoulders and arms, due to his profession. The constant grip upon the +steering wheel had given to his upper body muscles like steel. + +The detective, though somewhat less powerful in this direction, was +stronger in the back and legs. He had been an athlete, at college, and +his recent life upon the farm at home had toughened and hardened him +from head to foot. + +He rushed at his opponent, threw his arms around the latter's waist, and +strove to lift him and throw him to the floor. + +The chauffeur at the same time got his right arm about Duvall's throat, +and with his left did his best to gouge out one of the latter's eyes. +His was the style of fighting that considers not means, but results. + +For a moment they swayed heavily about the room, the detective burying +his face in his opponent's side to protect his eyes, and at the same +time striving with all his might to force him back toward the bed. + +Francois, however, fought well. He began to compress his adversary's +throat in a choking grip of wrist and forearm which threatened to put an +end to the struggle in short order. At the same time his left thumb +continually sought the detective's eyes. + +Suddenly it reached one of them. Duvall felt a blinding sense of pain as +the thumb nail sank into the soft and tender muscles about the eye. The +shock was fatal to the plans of the chauffeur; for it raised up in his +opponent a great and deadly rage, that for an instant gave him the +strength of a madman. He raised his opponent from the floor as though +the latter had been a child, broke the grip upon his throat by +straightening his head, and with a mighty heave hurled him to the floor. + +The fellow struck upon his side, his temple crashing loudly against the +wooden floor. Duvall stood over him for an instant, breathing heavily, +convulsively, then turned and snatched the searchlight from the window +sill and threw it upon the bed. + +There was a trunk against the wall of the room, near the window, and +about it a broad leather strap. Duvall tore the strap from its place, +and in a few moments had fastened it about the chauffeur's arms and +body. + +A towel, knotted about his ankles, rendered him helpless. Then the +detective began to search upon the floor for the bit of blue glass. + +In his heart there was no joy at the victory he had just won. He had +captured one of the kidnappers, it was true; but on the other hand he +had, by his own carelessness, prevented the safe return of the kidnapped +boy to his parents. + +He pictured the father and mother, patiently waiting below for the +telephone message which would never come, and wondered how he would dare +to tell them the truth. + +At last his nervous fingers closed upon the little glass cup, where it +had rolled under the edge of the dresser when Francois had thrown it +down. Trembling with haste, he fixed it to the searchlight which he took +from the bed, and, with a hopeless feeling, approached the window, and +began to wave the light frantically in the direction of Passy. + +For several moments there was no response. As a matter of fact, he +scarcely expected any. Then all of a sudden he saw a faint red gleam, +like a star, flash from the distant night, and then go out. + +He stood, helpless, waiting for it to reappear, hardly daring to hope +that it would do so. Suddenly it shone again, this time for a longer +period, and then disappeared. He wondered what it meant, and was +scarcely surprised when the light again flashed, this time making five +quick flashes, which he instantly recognized as Morse code for the +letter "P." There was a brief interval, then once more the signals began +to flash. This time he read them without difficulty. There were four +letters, spelling the word "Help." + +For an instant he leveled the tube of the searchlight toward the point +from which the flashes came, guiding it by the scratches on the sill, +and began pressing the button which turned the light on and off. "Where +are you?" he spelled out, then waited fearfully for the reply. He dared +send no other message. The person at the other end, the one who sent +this ominous word, "help," must be one of the kidnappers; yet why should +he signal for assistance? He could make nothing of the matter, but he +reasoned that anyone calling for help would be sure to give their +location, otherwise how could they expect to receive it. + +For a moment the red flashes began again, and this time he began to get +the numbers. There were four quick flashes and a long dash, then others +in rapid succession: "4-2-R-u-e-N-i-c-o-l-o, P-a-s-s-y," the message +read. "C-o-m-e q-u-i-c-k." + +Duvall's head reeled, as he spelled out the words. He had not realized +until now that he was wounded. The blood, pouring down his face from the +great gash in his cheek, spattered thickly upon the window sill. He +turned from the window, then realized that he must send some answer, to +let this mysterious person at the other end of the line know that his +message had been safely received. + +"Will come at once. Who are you?" he spelled out, laboriously, his head +spinning, his fingers trembling from weakness as he tried to stop the +flow of blood from his wound. + +"G-R-A-C-E D-U-V-A-L-L" came back the flashes, quick, clear cut, +unmistakable. + +Duvall dropped the searchlight to the floor with a harsh laugh. His +brain was reeling--the whole thing became a foolish, senseless +nightmare. He wondered if he was delirious, and had dreamed it all. +Again he flashed a signal into the darkness. "Who are you?" he spelled +out again. He did not believe that he had read the former answer aright. +Evidently his imagination was playing him tricks--Grace had been on his +mind so constantly, throughout the day. He wiped the blood from his eyes +and stared eagerly out into the darkness. There was no response. + +Then he remembered the words of the message, "Come quick." There was no +time for idle speculations as to the identity of the person who had sent +him the message. + +He rushed to the stairs, and with tottering footsteps descended to the +library below. Francois, the chauffeur, still lay, bound and +unconscious, upon the floor. + + + + +CHAPTER XVIII + + +For a few moments after being left alone in the studio at Passy, Grace +almost lost her courage. She knew that the man who had remained on guard +in the room had received the danger signal--the red light--which told +him that the plans of his confederates had miscarried. She remembered +the instructions which the black-bearded man had given him. "If I do not +meet you at Martelle's, take the boy to Lavillac. And before you do so, +cut off his left hand and send it to Mr. Stapleton." + +The very thought of the thing made her sick. She rushed to the door, and +tore frantically at the knob; but it resisted all her efforts. She +glanced at the windows, knowing that to escape by means of them from her +position on the top floor of the house was impossible. And then--should +she escape, she would be obliged to leave the child, and this she by no +means wanted to do. + +Suddenly she heard again the faint moaning. The sound almost drove her +frantic. She rushed to the window and looked out, praying for guidance, +for some ray of hope in the frightful situation in which she found +herself. + +Already several minutes had passed since the departure of the man. It +would not be long, she felt, before he returned, and, for all she knew, +the black-bearded man with him. Would they attack her, if they found her +there? She could hide again, of course; but that would not accomplish +anything, except perhaps, to save herself. And she had set out to rescue +the child. + +In a whirl of indecision, she glanced out of the window, toward the +point in the north where she had seen the red light. She wondered where +it was, from what place it had been sent. Then suddenly, as she swept +the horizon with eager eyes, she saw, where a few moments before the red +light had flashed, a gleam of blue. Unlike the red signal, however, +which had been steady, as though fixed in place, this one moved about +restlessly, now pointing full at her, now almost disappearing to the +right or left. + +She seized the field glasses and gazed at the light in wonder. Did this +mean that the kidnappers had been successful, after all, and that the +former signal had been a mistake, or did it indicate that the person +giving the first signal had been overpowered, and that the light was in +the hands of friends? + +She had no means of knowing; but here was someone who was trying to send +her word that all was well. She determined to reply. + +Her one thought was to get to Mr. Stapleton her present address. She +knew that the man who had been intrusted with the task of telephoning it +to the banker, would not now do so. She would try to send the address +herself. + +Then came to her a great feeling of joy, that she was familiar with the +Morse code. Richard had taught it to her, during their trip from Paris +to New York the year before. She remembered how she had been interested +in the wireless, and Richard had offered to teach her the alphabet. + +She picked up the searchlight and examined it. It was an ordinary pocket +lamp, with a dry battery, such as are sold at stores dealing in +electrical goods, and she saw, from its size, that it was an unusually +powerful one. + +Midway along one side was a tiny button, by pressing which the circuit +was completed, and the light made to flash. By pressing this button +momentarily, she could get a quick flash, comparable to a dot. By +holding it down longer, she could produce a dash. + +She did not stop to remove the red glass which was fixed over the front +of the light; in fact, she concluded that it would be better to let it +remain. There were many white lights all about--among them, her own +would have but a small chance of being seen. But red was significant, +conspicuous, indicative of danger, and that she was in grave danger she +very well knew. + +She decided to first send the word "help." She knew that if the person +receiving the message was a friend, he would at once ask where she was, +since that would be to Mr. Stapleton and his party the most essential +and important news she could give. + +On the other hand, were it to be received by one of the kidnappers, he +would ask her, not where she was, but what was the matter. + +Painfully, fearful of mistakes, she deciphered the message which slowly +flashed across the mile of night. "Where are you." + +Illustration: With trembling fingers she spelled out her reply, giving +the address and adding, "Come quick!" + +With trembling fingers, she spelled out her reply, giving the address +and adding, "Come quick." When she got the answer, "Will come at once," +she felt that there was still a chance that the boy might be saved. Then +came the request for her name. She gave this impatiently. What +difference did it matter, so long as they came quickly. + +She hastily lighted a candle which stood upon the table, then cast about +her for some means whereby she might prevent the black-bearded man and +his companion from entering the room, in case they should return before +help arrived. There was one thing, of course, that she could do, +barricade the door. + +But, with the exception of the table and the light iron bed, there was +nothing with which she could hope to secure it. Suddenly her eyes fell +upon the great plaster centaur. It was a figure such as one might see in +any art gallery or museum. It stood upon a plaster slab some six inches +thick, which in turn rested upon a low wooden base. The figure was at +least five feet high--a horse with a human torso and head. She knew that +if she could jam this in front of the door, securing it in place with +the bed and table, she might prevent the kidnappers from entering for +some little time; long enough, she hoped, to insure the arrival of the +police before they had succeeded in breaking in. + +She wondered if she could manage to move the thing. At first sight, it +seemed impossible, and yet the base might by chance be fitted with +rollers or casters. She rushed over to the figure and began to tug at it +with all her strength. + +She needed but a moment to discover that she could not possibly move it; +but as she bent over it, her head close to its side, she heard something +which made her start with sudden joy. + +It was the low sobbing of a child--the same moaning sound which she had +heard from time to time ever since she had first entered the room. + +At times the sound had appeared to come from afar off; at others, it had +seemed to be close at hand, as though originating at some point in the +very air about her. + +All of a sudden the truth came to her like a flash. The child was +concealed within the hollow body of the statue. The thing seemed so +simple, so apparent, that she wondered that it had not occurred to her +before. + +She gave up her attempt to barricade the door, and began feverishly to +look for the opening in the plaster cast through which the child must +have entered. + +It took but a few moments to find it. The whole side of the horse's body +had been sawed free, by two longitudinal cuts, one along the back, the +other along the belly, and two similar cuts, at the shoulder, and the +flank. Heavy strips of canvas, glued across the lower cut, on the under +side of the horse's belly, served as hinges, and were not visible from +above. + +She inserted the blade of a modeling tool which she caught up from the +table, in the upper longitudinal cut, and pried the plaster side of the +horse free. It fell heavily toward her, disclosing a long narrow +opening; the interior, in fact, of the statue, where lay, upon a sort of +bed made of an old comfort, the missing son of Mr. Stapleton. + +The boy, who had evidently until a moment before been asleep, gazed up +at her in surprised alarm. For over two weeks, now, he had been kept +from his parents, made to move about from place to place, frightened by +strange men. He had come to expect the unusual, the terrifying, and it +was a scared little face that looked appealingly up at the girl as she +bent over him. + +For the time being she forgot the dangers which surrounded them, in her +joy at the discovery of the boy. It had come so suddenly, so +unexpectedly. If she could only escape, now, with the child, nothing +else would matter in the least. And between her and freedom there lay +but the thickness of a single door, and yet it seemed that she could not +pass it. + +She lifted the child from his hiding place and stood him upon the floor, +then quickly swung the heavy slab of plaster back into position. At +least, she reasoned, the kidnappers, when they returned, should not at +once learn that their captive had escaped. + +She knew that the hiding place had been but a temporary one, a means +whereby the child might be kept out of sight during the day in case +strangers should happen to enter the room. As soon as the kidnappers +returned, they would, she realized, spirit the child away to some more +secure retreat. + +She went to the door and again shook it frantically, pulling at the knob +with all her strength, without producing the slightest result. The lock +was evidently a strong one--the door held firm and unyielding, though +she threw against it her entire weight. + +Evidently there was no hope of escape here. Then she again bethought +herself of the window. For a moment she gazed out into the darkness. The +pavement was thirty feet below. No one was in sight. How could she ever +reach the ground, with the child as well, even if she had possessed a +rope? The thing was impossible. + +Clearly there was nothing to do but wait. Possibly the assistance she +expected from her friends, or the police, would arrive very soon--surely +she could in some way keep the kidnappers occupied until then! + +And suddenly she realized that the time had come. She heard the door of +the house close softly, and upon the stair the sound of mounting +footsteps. + +Which was it, the police, or the kidnappers? The latter, she felt +morally certain, since the former, in their haste to rescue the child, +would beyond any question have arrived in an automobile, and at top +speed. + +The newcomers were mounting the stairs in a leisurely manner, as though +free from any anxiety. Grace heard them pause for a moment on the first +landing, then start up the second flight of stairs. It seemed to her out +of the question, to stand in the middle of the room and await their +entrance. At least she could postpone the fatal moment a little while, +by hiding, with the boy, in the closet. She stepped into it, the child's +hand in hers, and drew the door shut, just as the two men entered the +room. On her way, she hastily blew out the candle. + +They were the same two men that she had seen before,--the black-bearded +man, now without his beard, and the artist, Durand. She saw this, as +soon as the latter had relit the candle. She wondered if he would notice +that the wick was still warm. Evidently he did not; for they threw +themselves into chairs, lit cigarettes, and began to talk. + +"Now we can speak freely," said Durand. "How did things go?" + +"I got the money--gave the blue signal, and expected to be halfway to +Brussels by now. What nonsense is this about a red light?" + +"It is no nonsense, I assure you. I saw it with my own eyes, as plain as +day." + +"Then Francois must have made a mistake, or else he has been placed +under arrest--the latter, no doubt. Now the question is, What shall we +do? I think we ought to get out of Paris as soon as possible. It isn't +safe to stay here." He looked about him nervously. + +"Why not? You didn't telephone Monsieur Stapleton this address, did +you?" + +"No, naturally not." + +"Then I don't see but what we are quite safe. No one knows the child is +here." + +"Then you don't intend to give him up?" + +"Not yet. I must first find out whether or not Francois is in trouble." + +"Let him look out for himself." + +The older man frowned. "Since when, my friend," he asked, "have I been +in the habit of deserting my comrades? Francois must go free, or Mr. +Stapleton does not get his boy. That's flat. The first thing is to send +his father something that will let him see that we mean business." + +"We've got to be sure about Francois, first." + +"I'll find that out, tonight. My plan is this. We must first get the +child away to Lavillac's place. This is too unsafe, here. Anyone might +come in." + +"They'd have difficulty in finding the hiding place." The younger man +grinned. + +"That's all very well; but the other place is safer. And +then--Lavillac's woman can look after the brat while we are away. What a +pity Francois had to get into a mess at the last moment! I hoped to be +rid of the boy, by now." The older man rose and began striding up and +down the room. + +"Well," he said at length, sharply, "we might as well get along. I move +that we wrap the boy in a coat, take him down to the car, run quickly +out to Lavillac's place, leave him there, and start for Brussels at +once. The rest we can do by 'phone. Francois set free--the boy the same. +Meanwhile, we've got to show this man Stapleton we mean business; so +we'd better arrange to send him one of the kid's hands at once. If we +don't, he'll have the whole Paris police force after us." + +"All right. I'll get him out." He strode quickly over to the statue, +pulled out the side, and gazed blankly into the empty space before him. + +"Sacre! The child's gone!" he exclaimed, excitedly. "Somebody has been +here--in this room--since I left it, half an hour ago." + +"The door was locked." + +"I know; but somebody's been here, nevertheless, for the child is +gone." + +"He may not be gone, Durand. It is true that he is no longer in the +house; but he may be in the room, for all that. Search the closet." + +The man named Durand stepped quickly to the closet door. "Not much +chance," he grumbled. "And if the police knew that he was here, and have +spirited him away, they may even now be waiting to spring a trap of +which you and I are the rats. For all we know the place is surrounded at +this very moment." + +"Then the sooner we get away from it the better. Search the closet. If +he's not there, we'd better make tracks for the frontier as quickly as +possible. We can do nothing more without the child. Francois will have +to look out for himself." + +Durand went impatiently up to the closet door and flung it open, then +both he and his companion recoiled in surprise as Grace stepped out, +holding the child by the hand. + +"Mon Dieu!" gasped the two men in unison. + +The one who had worn the black beard was the first to recover himself. +"Quick!" he cried, motioning toward Grace. "The woman is a detective. +Tie her up, and let's get away at once. No doubt she has sent word to +her friends. We can't afford to stay here another minute." He seemed +greatly excited and, rushing to the window, inspected the silent street +below. + +Durand, meanwhile, had thrown himself upon the girl, seized her hands, +and with a quick motion had secured them with a bit of cord he snatched +from within the closet. + +She offered no resistance, made no outcry. Both seemed equally useless. +The boy stood by, watching the scene in childish wonder. So many queer +things had happened to him, however, during the past few days, that he, +too, remained silent. + +In a moment the older man withdrew his head from the window, rushed to +the closet, and drawing out a long gray coat, wrapped it about the +child. "You will come along with us, Mademoiselle," he said sternly. +"Make no attempt to escape, if you value your life." + +"But what do we want with her?" the younger man asked, impatiently. + +"You fool! Would you leave her here, to give our description to the +police? It would mean certain capture in a few hours. This woman has got +to be put where she can do no harm until we are safely over the +frontier. It may be wiser to silence her altogether. We'll decide about +that when we reach Lavillac's. The first thing is to get out of this +house without losing a moment's time. Come!" He started for the door. + +As he did so, Grace heard, far off, the steady throbbing of an +automobile. She felt a wave of hope sweep over her. It might be her +friends, coming to her assistance. If so, they might yet arrive in time. + +The two men evidently also heard the sound. "Hurry--hurry!" the older +one urged, as they began to descend the stairs. "They may be on us at +any moment. Go out the rear way." + +Grace heard the sounds of the approaching automobile growing more and +more distinct. In another minute it would stop before the door of the +house. But in that minute her captors would not only have been able to +descend the stairs, but would already be making good their escape +through the garden at the rear of the building. + +She must do something, she knew, to prevent this; but what--what? Bound +as she was, how could she hope to prevent the escape of these men. She +looked ahead of her, to where, a step or two in advance, the man of the +black beard was hastily descending the stairs, the boy firmly held in +his arms. Behind her came his companion, candle in hand, close at her +heels. + +They were within half a dozen steps of the lower hall. From this she +could see a dark passageway, leading to the rear of the house. Already +the noise of the automobile without told her that it was stopping at the +door. She heard the sound of rapid footsteps on the sidewalk; yet +realized that, before her friends could break in, their quarry would +have flown. + +Without a moment's hesitation she sprang forward, throwing her whole +weight upon the man in front of her. + +The sudden shock, as she precipitated herself upon his shoulders, threw +him off his balance, and he pitched forward headlong into the hallway +below. The two of them, together with the child, rolled in a tangled +heap to the floor. The second man, candle in hand, stopped on the stairs +and gazed helplessly down, not realizing for a moment what had happened. + +"Help! Help!" Grace screamed at the top of her voice, as she struggled +to regain her feet, and at the same moment there came the sound of heavy +blows upon the front door. + +The man who had been carrying the child rose to his feet with an oath, +just as his companion joined him. He turned on Grace with a howl of +fury, and struck her a quick blow in the face. She had a confused vision +of fleeing men, the dancing light of a candle, a rush of fresh air, and +then all was blotted out in a wave of oblivion. + + + + +CHAPTER XIX + + +The startling and dramatic entrance of Richard Duvall into Mr. +Stapleton's library, ending with his announcement of the whereabouts of +the kidnapped child, and his subsequent collapse, threw the entire party +into confusion. + +Mrs. Stapleton started up with a scream, her overwrought nerves no +longer able to resist the frightful strain under which she had for so +many days been laboring. + +Her husband, who had completely forgotten the detective's presence in +the house, in his anxious vigil at the telephone, called out instantly +to one of the servants, ordering him to tell Francois to bring his +automobile to the door. + +Monsieur Lefevre, accompanied by Vernet, sprang quickly to Duvall's +assistance. The Prefect felt that, if the latter's statement was +correct, he had won out in the long duel for the honor of recovering the +kidnapped child; but no consideration of this nature could make him any +less concerned for the detective's welfare, or any the less thankful +that, no matter by whose efforts, the missing child had at last been +located. He had hoped that to Grace Duvall would ultimately fall the +prize of success; but these things were, after all, of no serious +weight, compared with the great fact, that the success had at last come. + +Assisted by Vernet, he placed Duvall upon a couch, and called for +brandy, and a basin of cold water. + +In a few moments, under Vernet's skilful ministrations, the detective's +wound had been washed and temporarily bound up, and he had been restored +to consciousness. A little of the brandy soon served to dispel his +faintness. He declared himself ready to accompany the expedition to +Passy. + +The Prefect endeavored to dissuade him; but to no purpose. The message +which he had received in the chauffeur's room, to the effect that the +person calling for help was Grace Duvall, his own wife, seemed so +mysterious, so utterly inexplicable to him, that he could conceive no +reasonable explanation for it. There was but one thing to do,--to go +himself and sift the matter to the bottom. He did not expect to find +Grace there, and yet--what else could the message mean? + +Just as he staggered to his feet, with the announcement that he would +accompany the party to Passy, two of the servants rushed into the +library, and with scared faces announced that Francois lay, bound and +unconscious, on the floor of his room. Mr. Stapleton looked quickly at +Duvall. + +"It's all right, Mr. Stapleton," exclaimed the detective. "The fellow is +one of the gang." He turned to Monsieur Lefevre. "You'd better have him +placed under arrest at once. And if your car is here, we'll use that, +instead of Mr. Stapleton's. There's not a moment to be lost." + +"By all means. My automobile is at the door. Vernet," he turned to his +assistant, "have one of your men take charge of this fellow Francois at +once. We must set out immediately." + +Mr. Stapleton took his wife in his arms, and embraced her tenderly. +"Don't worry, dear," he said. "I'll be back with the boy, inside of half +an hour. Come along!" he shouted to the others, as he made for the door. +"No time to waste now." + +In a few moments the entire party, consisting of Mr. Stapleton, Duvall, +Monsieur Lefevre, Vernet, and the Prefect's chauffeur, were driving +toward Passy at a rate which set at naught all speed regulations and +sent the few pedestrians who happened to cross their path scampering to +the sidewalk for safety. + +Duvall explained, as they went along, the mysterious messages which he +had received by flashlight. No one understood them but Monsieur Lefevre. +He gave a great sigh of relief. The continued and unexplained absence of +Grace had alarmed him greatly. Now he began to understand the reasons +for it. That part of Duvall's story which spoke of haste, the appeal for +prompt assistance, made him look grave. He leaned over to his chauffeur +and urged him to even greater speed. + +The trees and houses along the Avenue Kleber, and later the Rue +Franklin, swept by the speeding machine in a whirl of dust. In what +seemed an incredibly short time the automobile dashed into the Rue +Nicolo, and thundered up to No. 42. + +Vernet was the first to ascend the steps of the house, closely followed +by Duvall and the others of the party. As they reached the front door, +and rapped loudly, they all heard a sudden commotion within, followed by +cries and shouts and a fall. Instantly all four threw their combined +weight against the door, shattering the lock and bursting it in. + +The semidarkness showed a terrifying spectacle. On the floor lay a +woman, unconscious, clutching in her arms a child, trapped in a long +gray coat. Down the dark hallway leading to the rear of the house dashed +the figures of two men. One of them turned, as the attacking party +entered, and hurled the lighted candle which he bore full into their +faces. The entire scene was instantly plunged into darkness. + +The momentary light of the candle, however, had been sufficient to send +a thrill of joy through at least one of the entering party. Mr. +Stapleton recognized, in the white and tearful face of the child, his +kidnapped boy, and, stooping, raised him tenderly in his arms. + +Duvall, not knowing whether the unconscious woman was the supposed agent +of the police, Mademoiselle Goncourt, or Grace, his wife, lifted her in +his arms and carried her out into the air. + +Vernet, followed by the Prefect, and the chauffeur, who had at once +joined them, dashed fearlessly along the dark passage by which the two +men were attempting to escape. + +There was a crash, as the rear door was burst out, followed by a volley +of shots as Vernet opened upon the fleeing men with his automatic +revolver. + +In a moment the affair was over. The foremost of the two men crumpled up +before he had taken half a dozen strides through the garden, and his +companion raised his hands and surrendered, begging for mercy. Within a +few moments he was handcuffed, and Vernet, bending over his wounded +companion, was directing the chauffeur to summon an ambulance at once. + +Monsieur Lefevre returned hastily to the street. His sole concern now +was for Grace. He prayed fervently that no serious harm had befallen +her, and realized that Duvall was likely to resent bitterly the +deception which has been practised upon him. + +The latter, however, was in no mood for recriminations. No sooner had he +carried his unconscious burden to the street, when Grace opened her +eyes, threw her arms about his neck, and kissed him. + +"Richard--Richard!" she cried, happily. "I'm so glad--so glad!" then +rested content in his arms. + +The detective's brain was in a whirl. In no possible way could he +account for the presence here, in Paris, under such tragic and +inexplicable circumstances, of the wife whom he had left, so short a +time before, peacefully sitting on the rosecovered porch of their home +in Maryland. The thing seemed incredible, unbelievable; yet here was +Grace, with her soft arms about his neck, her kisses on his lips, to +prove its reality. + +He looked at Monsieur Lefevre dully as the latter joined them upon the +sidewalk, but could say nothing. + +"It seems," remarked the Prefect, with a grave smile, "that not only has +Mr. Stapleton found his boy, but you have found your wife." + +Duvall frowned. "What is she doing here?" he asked. + +"We will speak of that later, my friend," observed Lefevre, quietly. +"Just at present I propose that we return to Mr. Stapleton's without a +moment's delay. Her heart is breaking with anxiety." He took Grace's arm +and assisted her to enter the automobile, where Mr. Stapleton had +already preceded them with his son. "It is to you, my dear child," he +said to Grace, as she sunk weakly back upon the cushioned seat, "that +Mrs. Stapleton will owe all her happiness." + +It was a cheerful party that broke in upon the banker's wife a short +time later. Duvall, under the stimulus of Grace's presence, had +completely forgotten his wound; while Grace, who had been but +momentarily stunned by the blow which the kidnapper had given her, was +radiant with joy at once more feeling her husband's arms about her. + +Monsieur Lefevre carried them both off to his house, as soon as the boy +had been restored to his mother. The happiness of the banker's reunited +family was too great to permit them to be even mildly interested in the +affairs of Richard Duvall and his wife, and they, too, wished to be +alone. It seemed to them both as though ages had passed since they had +seen each other; they could scarcely realize that it had been but a +little over two weeks. Richard especially seemed unable to grasp the +truth of the situation. He plied Grace with numberless questions, and +could scarcely believe that he had actually been within arm's length of +her on at least four different occasions during the past week without +knowing it. + +Monsieur Lefevre advised him to leave the whole matter until the next +day. "You should be proud of your wife, Monsieur," he said, gravely. +"But for her, I doubt if Monsieur Stapleton would ever have seen his boy +again. And that reminds me," he smiled mischievously, "that I have won +that little bet. It was Mademoiselle Goncourt, of my office, that +recovered the lost child." + +"I think the honors are pretty evenly divided, Monsieur," laughed Grace, +happily, as she pressed her husband's hand. "Don't forget that if +Richard hadn't gotten my message, all my work would have gone for +nothing." + +"Suppose we call it a draw, then," said the Prefect. "All in the family, +as you Americans say. And to show that I am not prejudiced, one way or +the other, I suggest that you both, with Mr. and Mrs. Stapleton, dine +with me tomorrow evening. There are many points connected with this case +which are by no means cleared up, and we should talk them over. Although +we have secured the missing child, and three of the kidnappers, we do +not yet know how the child was stolen, or whether the nurse, Mary +Lanahan, is innocent or guilty of any part in his mysterious +disappearance in the Bois de Boulogne. I confess that I have all along +considered her guilty, and am inclined to order her arrest at once." + +"It will be useless, Monsieur," remarked Duvall, quietly. "She is +entirely innocent." + +"You mean that she knows nothing of how the boy was spirited away?" + +"Nothing!" + +"Mon Dieu! Then the thing may forever remain a mystery." + +"Not at all. It is simple enough." + +Monsieur Lefevre turned to him with a look of inquiry. "You mean, then, +that you have solved it?" + +"I do." + +"Then may I ask that you will be good enough to explain it at once?" + +Duvall laughed. "Monsieur Lefevre," he said, "I have a splitting +headache, a bad wound in my cheek, and a burning desire to spend the +next two hours talking to my wife." He drew Grace toward him, and put +his arm through hers. "I am very much afraid that the explanation of +the disappearance of Mr. Stapleton's boy will have to be put off until +tomorrow." + +Monsieur Lefevre watched the two as they went, arm in arm, up the +stairs. + +"Mon Dieu!" he said softly to himself. "They are just as much in love +with each other as ever." + + + + +CHAPTER XX + + +"I must confess," remarked Monsieur Lefevre, as he sat with Mr. +Stapleton and Duvall over their after dinner cigars the following +evening, "that while the case as a whole appears simple enough to me, +there are one or two points that I fail to understand." + +"There are a great many that _I_ fail to understand," exclaimed the +banker, chewing reflectively on his cigar. "However, now that the boy is +safe at home, it really makes very little difference." + +"On the contrary, Mr. Stapleton," remarked Duvall, "it makes a great +deal of difference. For instance, I understand that you have discharged +the nurse, Mary Lanahan." + +"Yes. You say that she is quite innocent of any part in the kidnapping +of my boy; but the fact remains that I don't trust her. I am informed +that she was married to that fellow, Valentin, this afternoon." + +Duvall smiled. "That was quite to be expected." + +"At one time," said Mr. Stapleton, "you believed this fellow Valentin to +have been concerned in the plot." + +"Yes. That is true. My early investigations of the matter showed me at +once that there was some understanding between these two, something +which they were endeavoring to conceal. I did not at first understand +the motive which actuated them. I thought it was guilt. In reality, it +was love. Therefore I am not surprised to learn of their marriage." He +gazed critically at his cigar for a time, in silence. + +"As matters have turned out, gentlemen," he resumed, after a few +moments, "there is no cause for anything but congratulation on all +hands. The child is recovered, the criminals are under arrest, the +money--the hundred thousand dollars you paid out, Mr. Stapleton--was +found on the kidnapper's person and returned to you." + +"Exactly. Nothing could be more satisfactory all around." + +"And yet," went on the detective, "I have never before taken part in a +case in which I have done so little, in which I have been so uniformly +unsuccessful." + +Mr. Stapleton raised his hand. "My dear Duvall," he began, "but for you, +we should have been nowhere." + +"You are wrong, my friend. Had I kept out of the case altogether, your +son would have been returned to you just the same. It is true that the +men who kidnapped him would not have been caught, and your money would +not have been returned to you; but the prime object which you sought, +the recovery of your child, would have been realized in any event." + +"That is true," remarked the Prefect; "but, from the standpoint of the +police, it is the detection and capture of the criminal that is desired, +not the buying of him off. By insisting on that, Mr. Stapleton, you +rendered our work extremely difficult." + +"So difficult, indeed," said Duvall, earnestly, "that but for the +energy, the courage, the wit of a woman, all our plans would have +failed. I refer to my wife. It is to her that all the credit in this +affair is due." + +"By all means!" said Mr. Stapleton. "I could not fail to realize, when +she told her story at dinner tonight, how much Mrs. Stapleton and +myself owe her. I shall have something to say on the subject of our +debt, as soon as the ladies rejoin us. But tell us, Mr. Duvall, a little +more about the case, as you now understand it. I confess that I am +becoming more and more interested. What, for instance, was the mystery, +if indeed there was any, connected with the box of gold-tipped +cigarettes?" + +Duvall smiled. "That, my dear sir, is in fact the crux, the starting +point, of the whole affair." He settled back in his chair comfortably. +"Otherwise the case was simple enough. Certain scoundrels steal a child, +hold it for ransom, and frighten the parents into paying over a large +sum. Nothing unusual in that. A clever scheme or two for turning the +money over, and returning the child--simple, yet perfect enough to defy +all attempts to foil them. + +"The real mystery lay in the utter absence of any clues which would +throw light on the actual stealing of the child. In this respect the +case was unique. A trusted nurse swears that the child has disappeared +in broad daylight, without the slightest knowledge of how it was +accomplished. Here we have a case so simple, so devoid of incident of +any sort, that we are baffled at the very start by the impossibility of +the thing. Yet the nurse is a woman of good reputation, honest, clearly +telling what she believes to be the truth. + +"But a single clue existed upon which I could build the least semblance +of a case. I refer to the half-smoked cigarette with the gold tip, which +I discovered in the grass at the scene of the crime. Without that +apparently trivial clue, the criminals would in all probability never +have been captured at all." + +"But," exclaimed Mr. Stapleton, "I don't see how you make that out." + +"Nor I," observed the Prefect. + +"No. I suppose not. And yet, it is simple enough. That half-smoked +cigarette and nothing else is the basic reason for the arrest of the +three men now in your hands." + +Monsieur Lefevre smiled. "Be good enough," he said, "to explain." + +"Very well, I will. But first, let me indicate to you my course of +reasoning. When I originally found the cigarette, I regarded it as of +very small value, from the standpoint of evidence. It happened to be +lying in the grass at the point where the crime occurred; but during +the week or more which had elapsed between the stealing of the boy and +my examination of the ground, a hundred people might have walked over +the spot. I took it, because I realized that it _might_ have a bearing +on the case, and I have learned to discard no clue, however trifling it +may appear, until it has been proven valueless. + +"Now to go back to the cigarette, I observed at once that it was of +American make, yet of such small size as to have been either used by a +woman, or by a man of rather effeminate taste. + +"Now if the cigarette had been used by a woman, it meant one of two +things. Either it was used by Mary Lanahan herself, in which case it +apparently proved nothing, or by some other woman who was there with +her, and who might have had a hand in the kidnapping. + +"On the other hand, if used by a man, it pointed clearly to the +chauffeur, Valentin, for several reasons. He was a friend, a former +lover, of the nurse. He had been discharged by Mr. Stapleton for +dishonesty. He was, I had reason to know, of rather a weak and +effeminate type. The cigarette was of American make, and he had but +recently come from America. These things pointed to Valentin. The fact +that the nurse was in love with him would cause her to shield him. I +determined to try the matter out at once. + +"As soon as I returned to the house, therefore, I confronted her, and +asked her if Valentin smoked gold-tipped cigarettes. I did this, not +because I expected to get any reply of value, but because I wished to +observe her manner, her face, when I flung the question at her. + +"She was greatly startled. She denied that Valentin smoked. Fifteen +minutes later, she sent him a message to destroy the cigarettes. + +"I at once concluded that they were working together, and were both +guilty, a conclusion in which, however much I was justified by the +evidence, I was quite wrong. + +"Then came the attempt on the part of someone--the man with the black +beard, I am told--to steal the cigarettes from Valentin. I learned that +the man was followed to Mr. Stapleton's house. + +"This at once threw a new light upon the matter, although I will admit a +confusing one. Someone else, besides the nurse, desired the box of +cigarettes removed as evidence; someone, in fact, who belonged to, or +had friends in, the house. Who could this be? I could think of no one, +outside of Mary Lanahan herself, but the chauffeur, Francois." + +"Why did you first suspect him?" asked Mr. Stapleton. + +"Because he was the only person, besides the nurse, who was present at +the time of the kidnapping. I did not abandon my suspicions of either +the nurse or Valentin. I fully believed that they knew a great deal more +about the affair than they admitted. But I became convinced that +Francois, too, was in the thing. He had testified that he was asleep +when the affair occurred. I concluded at once that he was lying. + +"At the first opportunity, therefore, I made a thorough search of his +room, and found the box of cigarettes hidden in a clock on his mantel." + +"Ha! I did not know that," exclaimed the Prefect. "What were they doing +there?" + +"I concluded that the fellow with the black beard who stole them from +Valentin, in order to prevent their use as evidence against him, turned +them over to Francois for a definite purpose." + +"And that purpose was?" + +"Their use in subsequent crimes of a similar nature." + +Mr. Stapleton and the Prefect gazed at Duvall in bewilderment. "Explain +yourself, my friend," exclaimed the latter. "I confess I do not +understand what you are talking about. Who, may I ask, really smoked the +cigarette, the remains of which you found in the grass?" + +"Mary Lanahan," said the detective, with a smile. + +"The nurse! Name of a dog! Then I fail to see that the matter is of the +slightest importance one way or the other." + +"On the contrary, Monsieur, it is of the greatest importance. May I ask +whether you are, by any chance, familiar with the properties of an +Eastern drug, made from hemp, and generally known as hashish?" + +The Prefect sat up suddenly, and clapped his hands to his knees. "Mon +Dieu!" he exclaimed. "Now I begin to understand." + +"More than I do," said Mr. Stapleton. + +"The cigarettes were drugged, that is all," went on Duvall. "The men who +planned this thing went to work very carefully. They ascertained, +through Francois, that Mary Lanahan was in the habit, no doubt on the +sly, of using cigarettes. I discovered the fact, myself, before I left +New York. They also learned that she smoked the same brand as Mrs. +Stapleton herself used. No doubt she helped herself from Mrs. +Stapleton's supply. They therefore secured, also through Francois, a box +of these cigarettes, and had them heavily drugged with hashish. The box +of drugged cigarettes was substituted, later on, for her own." + +"But," exclaimed Mr. Stapleton, "how could Mary Lanahan swear that she +turned away but a moment--that no one came near her?" + +"When Mary Lanahan testified that, she believed that she was telling the +truth. The hashish had simply destroyed her conception of the passage of +time." + +"Is that its effect?" + +"Yes. It produces a delightful languor, a stupor in which all +realization of the passage of time ceases. Sometimes, to those who use +the drug, it may apparently require hours to walk a few yards. To make a +momentary movement of the hand may seem to take many minutes. On the +other hand, in the stupor which the drug induces, hours may be spent in +the contemplation of a flower, a bit of scenery, the page of a book, +without any realization on the part of the user that more than a few +seconds have elapsed. That is what happened to Mary Lanahan. She inhaled +a few puffs of the cigarette, heavily charged with the drug; without +knowing, of course, of its presence. She probably passed at once into a +state of stupor which may have extended over fifteen minutes or more. +She was not unconscious. She sat upon the grass, looking off toward the +distant sky, in a waking dream, not unlike a trance, in which all the +world about her--the world of sound, of movement--had simply ceased to +exist. She was to all intents and purposes unconscious of what was going +on about her. The kidnapper, whom I strongly suspect to be Francois, +merely strolled up behind her, picked up the boy, and walked off with +him." + +The detective's listeners looked at him in astonishment. Presently Mr. +Stapleton spoke. "Why do you think it was Francois?" he asked. + +"Oh, for many reasons. Had he, on approaching, found the nurse not +sufficiently under the influence of the drug, he could have pretended to +wish to speak to her, on some trivial matter. Again, the child would go +away with him of course without making an outcry, which he would +probably not have done, with a stranger. There are other reasons. He no +doubt took the boy to the road, and handed him to his confederates, +passing in another car. The affair occurred, you will remember, in a +little frequented part of the Bois. + +"The subsequent actions of Mary Lanahan are a trifle difficult to +account for; but I suppose them to have been as follows: On slowly +coming out of her stupor, and realizing that the boy was gone, she was +terribly frightened. It had seemed to her but a moment since she turned +away. She fears that the cigarette has made her drowsy--she has heard +that they sometimes contain opium. She thinks she may have dozed off; +but is not willing to admit it. Especially does she not want her +employers to know that she uses cigarettes. She fears that such +knowledge would cost her her place. It is not until later that she +begins to suspect the cigarettes." + +"When is that?" inquired Lefevre. + +"Several days later, when she is supposed to have been poisoned. She was +with Valentin at the time; although, on account of Mr. Stapleton's +dislike for him, she feared to admit it. She smokes another of the +cigarettes, while sitting on a bench with him, in the Champs Elysees. +Suddenly she is taken ill--a frequent result of hashish, when taken in +excessive doses, or by one otherwise nervously upset. Valentin takes the +box, puts her into a cab, and goes to his room, where he leaves the +cigarettes. No doubt, as she begins to feel ill, she discusses with him +the possibility of the cigarettes having been poisoned. It is for that +reason that she gives them to him. + +"Her sudden message to Valentin to destroy them arose from a fear that I +would discover the part which they had played in the boy's loss. This +would, she knew, not only cost her her place, but would make her, in a +way, responsible for the entire affair. She feared Mr. Stapleton's +wrath, and therefore both she and Valentin remained dumb, so far as the +cigarettes were concerned. + +"They both, however, were all this time doing their best to find the +child. Her message to Valentin, that she was suspicious of Francois, +telling Valentin to watch him, arose no doubt from a realization that +the box of drugged cigarettes had been substituted for her own by the +chauffeur. + +"Valentin, acting on her advice, does watch Francois, as his presence +clinging to the rear of the latter's car the other night has proved. He +tells me, today, that Francois did not take his car to the garage that +night at all. The men there who so testified lied, at his request, +supposing it merely an excuse to cover a joy ride. + +"Francois, not wishing that the drugged cigarettes should remain in the +nurse's hands as evidence against him, evidently made an attempt to +recover them, discovered that she had turned them over to Valentin, and, +being watched himself, sent word of the matter to his confederate, the +fellow who went about in the black beard. He must have been admitted to +Mr. Stapleton's house that night by Francois himself. + +"I came to the conclusion, early in the course of my investigations, +that the cigarette, the end of which I had found in the Bois, had been +smoked by Mary Lanahan, and I so told Mr. Stapleton." + +The banker nodded. "Yes," he said; "but you did not then say anything +about the hashish." + +"I was not certain of it. I intended to have the fragment I had found +analyzed. When I discovered the cigarettes in Francois' room, you will +remember that I took one of them. I smoked that cigarette, before going +to bed that night. It produced exactly the sensations that Mary Lanahan +must have felt. I floated away in the land of dreams for over half an +hour, and came to with no recollection whatever of the passage of time. +It is a remarkable drug, but an extremely dangerous one. + +"After that, the case became simple enough. I knew at once, beyond any +question, that Francois was one of the kidnappers. My plans last night +would have worked perfectly, but for the chauffeur's accidental +discovery of me, hiding in the closet. Had that not happened, the boy +would have been returned, according to program, and Francois I had +safely in my hands." + +"But we wouldn't have got the others," laughed the Prefect. "You must +thank your wife for that. Vernet has told me how the kidnappers +outwitted you at the Avenue Malakoff. The car from which the signal +apparently was made contained a well known stockbroker, who knew nothing +of the matter at all. He merely happened to be passing the Avenue +Malakoff at the precise moment when the signal was given to Francois." + +"You are mistaken, Monsieur," observed the detective, quietly. "The +signal was undoubtedly made from that car; not by Monsieur Lemaitre, I +will admit, but by his chauffeur. He has admitted to Vernet that a +stranger paid him fifty francs to do so, on the plea that it was some +signal to a woman. The man knows nothing of the affair, beyond that." + +As he finished speaking, there was a ripple of laughter from the hall, +and Mrs. Stapleton, Madame Lefevre, and Grace came in. + +"We have been debating a most important question," said Mrs. Stapleton, +with an assumption of extreme gravity, "and we beg that you, Monsieur +Lefevre, will be so good as to decide it." + +"What is this question so grave, Madame," inquired the Prefect, rising, +with a smile. "I am all impatience to hear it." + +"The question is this, Monsieur Lefevre: Which deserves the greater +credit for the recovery of my boy--Mr. Duvall, or his charming wife?" + +The Prefect stepped forward, placed one hand affectionately upon +Duvall's shoulder, and with the other grasped Grace by the arm. + +"The question you propound, Madame," he said, looking from the detective +to his wife with a smile, "is easily answered. The credit belongs +equally to both. And that, my children, is as it should be. This affair, +so happily terminated, has taught me one important lesson. It is this: +The husband and the wife should never be in opposition to each other. +They must work together always, not only in matters of this sort, but in +all the affairs of life. I attempted a risky experiment in allowing +these two dear friends of mine to attack this case from opposite sides. +But for some very excellent strokes of luck, it might have resulted most +unhappily for all concerned. Hereafter, should Monsieur Duvall and his +wife serve me, it must be together, or not at all." He turned to Grace. +"I feel that I owe you both a great debt, my child, for having once +again so rudely interrupted the course of your honeymoon. What +reparation can I make? Ask of me what you will." + +"Anything?" inquired Grace, laughing. + +"Anything." The Prefect bowed gallantly. + +"Then I demand your promise, Monsieur, to visit us at our place in +Maryland, before the end of the year." + +"That," exclaimed the Prefect, as he bent and kissed her hand, "would be +the most delightful way of paying a debt that I could possibly +imagine." + + + + + STORIES OF RARE CHARM BY + + GENE STRATTON-PORTER + + May be had wherever books are sold. Ask for Grosset and Dunlap's + list. + + THE HARVESTER + + Illustrated by W. L. Jacobs + + Illustration: Cover of Harvester + + "The Harvester," David Langston, is a man of the woods and fields, + who draws his living from the prodigal hand of Mother Nature + herself. If the book had nothing in it but the splendid figure of + this man, with his sure grip on life, his superb optimism, and his + almost miraculous knowledge of nature secrets, it would be notable. + But when the Girl comes to his "Medicine Woods," and the + Harvester's whole sound, healthy, large outdoor being realizes that + this is the highest point of life which has come to him--there + begins a romance, troubled and interrupted, yet of the rarest + idyllic quality. + + + FRECKLES. Decorations by E. Stetson Crawford + + Freckles is a nameless waif when the tale opens, but the way in + which he takes hold of life; the nature of the friendships he forms + in the great Limberlost swamp; the manner in which everyone who + meets him succumbs to the charm of his engaging personality; and + his love-story with "The Angel" are full of real sentiment. + + + A GIRL OF THE LIMBERLOST. + + Illustrated by Wladyslaw T. Brenda. + + The story of a girl of the Michigan woods; a buoyant, lovable type + of the self-reliant American. Her philosophy is one of love and + kindness towards all things; her hope is never dimmed. And by the + sheer beauty of her soul, and the purity of her vision, she wins + from barren and unpromising surroundings those rewards of high + courage. + + It is an inspiring story of a life worth while and the rich + beauties of the out-of-doors are strewn through all its pages. + + + AT THE FOOT OF THE RAINBOW. + + Illustrations in colors by Oliver Kemp. Design and decorations by + Ralph Fletcher Seymour. + + The scene of this charming, idyllic love story is laid in Central + Indiana. The story is one of devoted friendship, and tender + self-sacrificing love; the friendship that gives freely without + return, and the love that seeks first the happiness of the object. + The novel is brimful of the most beautiful word painting of nature, + and its pathos and tender sentiment will endear it to all. + + + _Ask for complete free list of G. & D. Popular Copyrighted Fiction_ + + GROSSET & DUNLAP, 526 WEST 26TH ST., NEW YORK + + + GROSSET & DUNLAP'S + + DRAMATIZED NOVELS + + THE KIND THAT ARE MAKING THEATRICAL HISTORY + + May be had wherever books are sold. Ask for Grosset & Dunlap's list + + + WITHIN THE LAW. By Bayard Veiller & Marvin Dana. Illustrated by Wm. + Charles Cooke. + + This is a novelization of the immensely successful play which ran + for two years in New York and Chicago. + + The plot of this powerful novel is of a young woman's revenge + directed against her employer who allowed her to be sent to prison + for three years on a charge of theft, of which she was innocent. + + + WHAT HAPPENED TO MARY. By Robert Carlton Brown. Illustrated with + scenes from the play. + + This is a narrative of a young and innocent country girl who is + suddenly thrown into the very heart of New York, "the land of her + dreams," where she is exposed to all sorts of temptations and + dangers. + + The story of Mary is being told in moving pictures and played in + theatres all over the world. + + + THE RETURN OF PETER GRIMM. By David Belasco. Illustrated by John + Rae. + + This is a novelization of the popular play in which David Warfield, + as Old Peter Grimm, scored such a remarkable success. + + The story is spectacular and extremely pathetic but withal, + powerful, both as a book and as a play. + + + THE GARDEN OF ALLAH. By Robert Hichens. + + This novel is an intense, glowing epic of the great desert, sunlit + barbaric, with its marvelous atmosphere of vastness and loneliness. + + It is a book of rapturous beauty, vivid in word painting. The play + has been staged with magnificent cast and gorgeous properties. + + + BEN HUR. A Tale of the Christ. By General Lew Wallace. + + The whole world has placed this famous Religious-Historical Romance + on a height of pre-eminence which no other novel of its time has + reached. The clashing of rivalry and the deepest human passions, + the perfect reproduction of brilliant Roman life, and the tense, + fierce atmosphere of the arena have kept their deep fascination. A + tremendous dramatic success. + + + BOUGHT AND PAID FOR. By George Broadhurst and Arthur Hornblow. + Illustrated with scenes from the play. + + A stupendous arraignment of modern marriage which has created an + interest on the stage that is almost unparalleled. The scenes are + laid in New York, and deal with conditions among both the rich and + poor. + + The interest of the story turns on the day-by-day developments + which show the young wife the price she has paid. + + + _Ask for complete free list of G. & D. Popular Copyrighted Fiction_ + + GROSSET & DUNLAP, 526 WEST 26TH ST., NEW YORK + + + + * * * * * + + Transcriber Notes + + Obvious punctuation and spelling errors have been corrected. + + page 291 Original: he is no longer in the horse; but he may be in + + Replaced: he is no longer in the house; but he may be in + + page 256 Original: The man seemed hurried. He grouped his way + + Replaced: The man seemed hurried. He groped his way + + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Blue Lights, by Arnold Fredericks + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE BLUE LIGHTS *** + +***** This file should be named 38577.txt or 38577.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + http://www.gutenberg.org/3/8/5/7/38577/ + +Produced by Dianna Adair, Suzanne Shell, and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This +file was produced from images generously made available +by The Internet Archive/American Libraries) + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. Special rules, +set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to +copying and distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works to +protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm concept and trademark. Project +Gutenberg is a registered trademark, and may not be used if you +charge for the eBooks, unless you receive specific permission. If you +do not charge anything for copies of this eBook, complying with the +rules is very easy. You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose +such as creation of derivative works, reports, performances and +research. They may be modified and printed and given away--you may do +practically ANYTHING with public domain eBooks. Redistribution is +subject to the trademark license, especially commercial +redistribution. + + + +*** START: FULL LICENSE *** + +THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE +PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK + +To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free +distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work +(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project +Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full Project +Gutenberg-tm License (available with this file or online at +http://gutenberg.org/license). + + +Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project Gutenberg-tm +electronic works + +1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm +electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to +and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property +(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all +the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or destroy +all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your possession. +If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound by the +terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person or +entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1.E.8. + +1.B. "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark. It may only be +used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who +agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few +things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works +even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See +paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this agreement +and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm electronic +works. See paragraph 1.E below. + +1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the Foundation" +or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection of Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic works. Nearly all the individual works in the +collection are in the public domain in the United States. If an +individual work is in the public domain in the United States and you are +located in the United States, we do not claim a right to prevent you from +copying, distributing, performing, displaying or creating derivative +works based on the work as long as all references to Project Gutenberg +are removed. Of course, we hope that you will support the Project +Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting free access to electronic works by +freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm works in compliance with the terms of +this agreement for keeping the Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with +the work. You can easily comply with the terms of this agreement by +keeping this work in the same format with its attached full Project +Gutenberg-tm License when you share it without charge with others. + +1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern +what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are in +a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States, check +the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this agreement +before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, distributing or +creating derivative works based on this work or any other Project +Gutenberg-tm work. The Foundation makes no representations concerning +the copyright status of any work in any country outside the United +States. + +1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg: + +1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other immediate +access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear prominently +whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work on which the +phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the phrase "Project +Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, performed, viewed, +copied or distributed: + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + +1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is derived +from the public domain (does not contain a notice indicating that it is +posted with permission of the copyright holder), the work can be copied +and distributed to anyone in the United States without paying any fees +or charges. If you are redistributing or providing access to a work +with the phrase "Project Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the +work, you must comply either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 +through 1.E.7 or obtain permission for the use of the work and the +Project Gutenberg-tm trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or +1.E.9. + +1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted +with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution +must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any additional +terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms will be linked +to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works posted with the +permission of the copyright holder found at the beginning of this work. + +1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm +License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this +work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm. + +1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this +electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without +prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with +active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project +Gutenberg-tm License. + +1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary, +compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including any +word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access to or +distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format other than +"Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official version +posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm web site (www.gutenberg.org), +you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense to the user, provide a +copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means of obtaining a copy upon +request, of the work in its original "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other +form. Any alternate format must include the full Project Gutenberg-tm +License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1. + +1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying, +performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works +unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. + +1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing +access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works provided +that + +- You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from + the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method + you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is + owed to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he + has agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the + Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments + must be paid within 60 days following each date on which you + prepare (or are legally required to prepare) your periodic tax + returns. Royalty payments should be clearly marked as such and + sent to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the + address specified in Section 4, "Information about donations to + the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation." + +- You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies + you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he + does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm + License. You must require such a user to return or + destroy all copies of the works possessed in a physical medium + and discontinue all use of and all access to other copies of + Project Gutenberg-tm works. + +- You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of any + money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the + electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days + of receipt of the work. + +- You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free + distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works. + +1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project Gutenberg-tm +electronic work or group of works on different terms than are set +forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing from +both the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and Michael +Hart, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark. Contact the +Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below. + +1.F. + +1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable +effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread +public domain works in creating the Project Gutenberg-tm +collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm electronic +works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may contain +"Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate or +corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other intellectual +property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or other medium, a +computer virus, or computer codes that damage or cannot be read by +your equipment. + +1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right +of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project +Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project +Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all +liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal +fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT +LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE +PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH 1.F.3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE +TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE +LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR +INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH +DAMAGE. + +1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a +defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can +receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a +written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you +received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium with +your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you with +the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in lieu of a +refund. If you received the work electronically, the person or entity +providing it to you may choose to give you a second opportunity to +receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If the second copy +is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing without further +opportunities to fix the problem. + +1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth +in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS' WITH NO OTHER +WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO +WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTIBILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE. + +1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied +warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of damages. +If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement violates the +law of the state applicable to this agreement, the agreement shall be +interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or limitation permitted by +the applicable state law. The invalidity or unenforceability of any +provision of this agreement shall not void the remaining provisions. + +1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the +trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone +providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in accordance +with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the production, +promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works, +harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, including legal fees, +that arise directly or indirectly from any of the following which you do +or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this or any Project Gutenberg-tm +work, (b) alteration, modification, or additions or deletions to any +Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any Defect you cause. + + +Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm + +Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of +electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of computers +including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It exists +because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations from +people in all walks of life. + +Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the +assistance they need, are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's +goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will +remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project +Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure +and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future generations. +To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation +and how your efforts and donations can help, see Sections 3 and 4 +and the Foundation web page at http://www.pglaf.org. + + +Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive +Foundation + +The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non profit +501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the +state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal +Revenue Service. The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification +number is 64-6221541. Its 501(c)(3) letter is posted at +http://pglaf.org/fundraising. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg +Literary Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent +permitted by U.S. federal laws and your state's laws. + +The Foundation's principal office is located at 4557 Melan Dr. S. +Fairbanks, AK, 99712., but its volunteers and employees are scattered +throughout numerous locations. Its business office is located at +809 North 1500 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887, email +business@pglaf.org. Email contact links and up to date contact +information can be found at the Foundation's web site and official +page at http://pglaf.org + +For additional contact information: + Dr. Gregory B. Newby + Chief Executive and Director + gbnewby@pglaf.org + + +Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg +Literary Archive Foundation + +Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without wide +spread public support and donations to carry out its mission of +increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be +freely distributed in machine readable form accessible by the widest +array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations +($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt +status with the IRS. + +The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating +charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United +States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a +considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up +with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations +where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To +SEND DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any +particular state visit http://pglaf.org + +While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we +have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition +against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who +approach us with offers to donate. + +International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make +any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from +outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff. + +Please check the Project Gutenberg Web pages for current donation +methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other +ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations. +To donate, please visit: http://pglaf.org/donate + + +Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic +works. + +Professor Michael S. Hart is the originator of the Project Gutenberg-tm +concept of a library of electronic works that could be freely shared +with anyone. For thirty years, he produced and distributed Project +Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of volunteer support. + + +Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed +editions, all of which are confirmed as Public Domain in the U.S. +unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not necessarily +keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper edition. + + +Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search facility: + + http://www.gutenberg.org + +This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm, +including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary +Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to +subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks. |