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diff --git a/old/66718-0.txt b/old/66718-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 2eaa042..0000000 --- a/old/66718-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,9649 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg eBook of A Sharper's Downfall, by Nicholas Carter - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and -most other parts of the world 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. If you are not located in the United States, you -will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before -using this eBook. - -Title: A Sharper's Downfall - Or, Into the Net - -Author: Nicholas Carter - -Release Date: November 12, 2021 [eBook #66718] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -Produced by: David Edwards, Chuck Greif and the Online Distributed - Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net - -*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK A SHARPER'S DOWNFALL *** - - - - - NICK CARTER STORIES - - New Magnet Library - - PRICE, FIFTEEN CENTS - - _Not a Dull Book in This List_ - - [Illustration] - - -Nick Carter stands for an interesting detective story. The fact that the -books in this line are so uniformly good is entirely due to the work of -a specialist. The man who wrote these stories produced no other type of - fiction. His mind was concentrated upon the creation of new plots and - situations in which his hero emerged triumphantly from all sorts of - trouble, and landed the criminal just where he should be--behind the - bars. - - The author of these stories knew more about writing detective stories - than any other single person. - - Following is a list of the best Nick Carter stories. They have been -selected with extreme care, and we unhesitatingly recommend each of them - as being fully as interesting as any detective story between cloth - covers which sells at ten times the price. - - If you do not know Nick Carter, buy a copy of any of the New Magnet - Library books, and get acquainted. He will surprise and delight you. - - - _ALL TITLES ALWAYS IN PRINT_ - -850--Wanted: A Clew By Nicholas Carter -851--A Tangled Skein By Nicholas Carter -852--The Bullion Mystery By Nicholas Carter -853--The Man of Riddles By Nicholas Carter -854--A Miscarriage of Justice By Nicholas Carter -855--The Gloved Hand By Nicholas Carter -856--Spoilers and the Spoils By Nicholas Carter -857--The Deeper Game By Nicholas Carter -858--Bolts from Blue Skies By Nicholas Carter -859--Unseen Foes By Nicholas Carter -860--Knaves in High Places By Nicholas Carter -861--The Microbe of Crime By Nicholas Carter -862--In the Toils of Fear By Nicholas Carter -863--A Heritage of Trouble By Nicholas Carter -864--Called to Account By Nicholas Carter -865--The Just and the Unjust By Nicholas Carter -866--Instinct at Fault By Nicholas Carter -867--A Rogue Worth Trapping By Nicholas Carter -868--A Rope of Slender Threads By Nicholas Carter -869--The Last Call By Nicholas Carter -870--The Spoils of Chance By Nicholas Carter -871--A Struggle With Destiny By Nicholas Carter -872--The Slave of Crime By Nicholas Carter -873--The Crook’s Blind By Nicholas Carter -874--A Rascal of Quality By Nicholas Carter -875--With Shackles of Fire By Nicholas Carter -876--The Man Who Changed Faces By Nicholas Carter -877--The Fixed Alibi By Nicholas Carter -878--Out With the Tide By Nicholas Carter -879--The Soul Destroyers By Nicholas Carter -880--The Wages of Rascality By Nicholas Carter -881--Birds of Prey By Nicholas Carter -882--When Destruction Threatens By Nicholas Carter -883--The Keeper of Black Hounds By Nicholas Carter -884--The Door of Doubt By Nicholas Carter -885--The Wolf Within By Nicholas Carter -886--A Perilous Parole By Nicholas Carter -887--The Trail of the Fingerprints By Nicholas Carter -888--Dodging the Law By Nicholas Carter -889--A Crime in Paradise By Nicholas Carter -890--On the Ragged Edge By Nicholas Carter -891--The Red God of Tragedy By Nicholas Carter -892--The Man Who Paid By Nicholas Carter -893--The Blind Man’s Daughter By Nicholas Carter -894--One Object in Life By Nicholas Carter -895--As a Crook Sows By Nicholas Carter -896--In Record Time By Nicholas Carter -897--Held in Suspense By Nicholas Carter -898--The $100,000 Kiss By Nicholas Carter -899--Just One Slip By Nicholas Carter -900--On a Million-dollar Trail By Nicholas Carter -901--A Weird Treasure By Nicholas Carter -902--The Middle Link By Nicholas Carter -903--To the Ends of the Earth By Nicholas Carter -904--When Honors Pall By Nicholas Carter -905--The Yellow Brand By Nicholas Carter -906--A New Serpent in Eden By Nicholas Carter -907--When Brave Men Tremble By Nicholas Carter -908--A Test of Courage By Nicholas Carter -909--Where Peril Beckons By Nicholas Carter -910--The Gargoni Girdle By Nicholas Carter -911--Rascals & Co By Nicholas Carter -912--Too Late to Talk By Nicholas Carter -913--Satan’s Apt Pupil By Nicholas Carter -914--The Girl Prisoner By Nicholas Carter -915--The Danger of Folly By Nicholas Carter -916--One Shipwreck Too Many By Nicholas Carter -917--Scourged by Fear By Nicholas Carter -918--The Red Plague By Nicholas Carter -919--Scoundrels Rampant By Nicholas Carter -920--From Clew to Clew By Nicholas Carter -921--When Rogues Conspire By Nicholas Carter -922--Twelve in a Grave By Nicholas Carter -923--The Great Opium Case By Nicholas Carter -924--A Conspiracy of Rumors By Nicholas Carter -925--A Klondike Claim By Nicholas Carter -926--The Evil Formula By Nicholas Carter -927--The Man of Many Faces By Nicholas Carter -928--The Great Enigma By Nicholas Carter -929--The Burden of Proof By Nicholas Carter -930--The Stolen Brain By Nicholas Carter -931--A Titled Counterfeiter By Nicholas Carter -932--The Magic Necklace By Nicholas Carter -933--’Round the World for a Quarter By Nicholas Carter -934--Over the Edge of the World By Nicholas Carter -935--In the Grip of Fate By Nicholas Carter -936--The Case of Many Clews By Nicholas Carter -937--The Sealed Door By Nicholas Carter -938--Nick Carter and the Green Goods Men By Nicholas Carter -939--The Man Without a Will By Nicholas Carter -940--Tracked Across the Atlantic By Nicholas Carter -941--A Clew From the Unknown By Nicholas Carter -942--The Crime of a Countess By Nicholas Carter -943--A Mixed Up Mess By Nicholas Carter -944--The Great Money Order Swindle By Nicholas Carter -945--The Adder’s Brood By Nicholas Carter -946--A Wall Street Haul By Nicholas Carter -947--For a Pawned Crown By Nicholas Carter -948--Sealed Orders By Nicholas Carter -949--The Hate That Kills By Nicholas Carter -950--The American Marquis By Nicholas Carter -951--The Needy Nine By Nicholas Carter -952--Fighting Against Millions By Nicholas Carter -953--Outlaws of the Blue By Nicholas Carter -954--The Old Detective’s Pupil By Nicholas Carter -955--Found in the Jungle By Nicholas Carter -956--The Mysterious Mail Robbery By Nicholas Carter -957--Broken Bars By Nicholas Carter -958--A Fair Criminal By Nicholas Carter -959--Won by Magic By Nicholas Carter -960--The Piano Box Mystery By Nicholas Carter -961--The Man They Held Back By Nicholas Carter -962--A Millionaire Partner By Nicholas Carter -963--A Pressing Peril By Nicholas Carter -964--An Australian Klondyke By Nicholas Carter -965--The Sultan’s Pearls By Nicholas Carter -966--The Double Shuffle Club By Nicholas Carter -967--Paying the Price By Nicholas Carter -968--A Woman’s Hand By Nicholas Carter -969--A Network of Crime By Nicholas Carter -970--At Thompson’s Ranch By Nicholas Carter -971--The Crossed Needles By Nicholas Carter -972--The Diamond Mine Case By Nicholas Carter -973--Blood Will Tell By Nicholas Carter -974--An Accidental Password By Nicholas Carter -975--The Crook’s Bauble By Nicholas Carter -976--Two Plus Two By Nicholas Carter -977--The Yellow Label By Nicholas Carter -978--The Clever Celestial By Nicholas Carter -979--The Amphitheater Plot By Nicholas Carter -980--Gideon Drexel’s Millions By Nicholas Carter -981--Death in Life By Nicholas Carter -982--A Stolen Identity By Nicholas Carter -983--Evidence by Telephone By Nicholas Carter -984--The Twelve Tin Boxes By Nicholas Carter -985--Clew Against Clew By Nicholas Carter -986--Lady Velvet By Nicholas Carter -987--Playing a Bold Game By Nicholas Carter -988--A Dead Man’s Grip By Nicholas Carter -989--Snarled Identities By Nicholas Carter -990--A Deposit Vault Puzzle By Nicholas Carter -991--The Crescent Brotherhood By Nicholas Carter -992--The Stolen Pay Train By Nicholas Carter -993--The Sea Fox By Nicholas Carter -994--Wanted by Two Clients By Nicholas Carter -995--The Van Alstine Case By Nicholas Carter -996--Check No. 777 By Nicholas Carter -997--Partners in Peril By Nicholas Carter -998--Nick Carter’s Clever Protégé By Nicholas Carter -999--The Sign of the Crossed Knives By Nicholas Carter -1000--The Man Who Vanished By Nicholas Carter -1001--A Battle for the Right By Nicholas Carter -1002--A Game of Craft By Nicholas Carter -1003--Nick Carter’s Retainer By Nicholas Carter -1004--Caught in the Toils By Nicholas Carter -1005--A Broken Bond By Nicholas Carter -1006--The Crime of the French Café By Nicholas Carter -1007--The Man Who Stole Millions By Nicholas Carter -1008--The Twelve Wise Men By Nicholas Carter -1009--Hidden Foes By Nicholas Carter -1010--A Gamblers’ Syndicate By Nicholas Carter -1011--A Chance Discovery By Nicholas Carter -1012--Among the Counterfeiters By Nicholas Carter -1013--A Threefold Disappearance By Nicholas Carter -1014--At Odds With Scotland Yard By Nicholas Carter -1015--A Princess of Crime By Nicholas Carter -1016--Found on the Beach By Nicholas Carter -1017--A Spinner of Death By Nicholas Carter -1018--The Detective’s Pretty Neighbor By Nicholas Carter -1019--A Bogus Clew By Nicholas Carter -1020--The Puzzle of Five Pistols By Nicholas Carter -1021--The Secret of the Marble Mantel By Nicholas Carter -1022--A Bite of an Apple By Nicholas Carter -1023--A Triple Crime By Nicholas Carter -1024--The Stolen Race Horse By Nicholas Carter -1025--Wildfire By Nicholas Carter -1026--A _Herald_ Personal By Nicholas Carter -1027--The Finger of Suspicion By Nicholas Carter -1028--The Crimson Clue By Nicholas Carter -1029--Nick Carter Down East By Nicholas Carter -1030--The Chain of Clues By Nicholas Carter -1031--A Victim of Circumstances By Nicholas Carter -1032--Brought to Bay By Nicholas Carter -1033--The Dynamite Trap By Nicholas Carter -1034--A Scrap of Black Lace By Nicholas Carter -1035--The Woman of Evil By Nicholas Carter -1036--A Legacy of Hate By Nicholas Carter -1037--A Trusted Rogue By Nicholas Carter -1038--Man Against Man By Nicholas Carter -1039--The Demons of the Night By Nicholas Carter -1040--The Brotherhood of Death By Nicholas Carter -1041--At the Knife’s Point By Nicholas Carter -1042--A Cry for Help By Nicholas Carter -1043--A Stroke of Policy By Nicholas Carter -1044--Hounded to Death By Nicholas Carter -1045--A Bargain in Crime By Nicholas Carter -1046--The Fatal Prescription By Nicholas Carter -1047--The Man of Iron By Nicholas Carter -1048--An Amazing Scoundrel By Nicholas Carter -1049--The Chain of Evidence By Nicholas Carter -1050--Paid with Death By Nicholas Carter -1051--A Fight for a Throne By Nicholas Carter -1052--The Woman of Steel By Nicholas Carter -1053--The Seal of Death By Nicholas Carter -1054--The Human Fiend By Nicholas Carter -1055--A Desperate Chance By Nicholas Carter -1056--A Chase in the Dark By Nicholas Carter -1057--The Snare and the Game By Nicholas Carter -1058--The Murray Hill Mystery By Nicholas Carter -1059--Nick Carter’s Close Call By Nicholas Carter -1060--The Missing Cotton King By Nicholas Carter -1061--A Game of Plots By Nicholas Carter -1062--The Prince of Liars By Nicholas Carter -1063--The Man at the Window By Nicholas Carter -1064--The Red League By Nicholas Carter -1065--The Price of a Secret By Nicholas Carter -1066--The Worst Case on Record By Nicholas Carter -1067--From Peril to Peril By Nicholas Carter -1068--The Seal of Silence By Nicholas Carter -1069--Nick Carter’s Chinese Puzzle By Nicholas Carter -1070--A Blackmailer’s Bluff By Nicholas Carter -1071--Heard in the Dark By Nicholas Carter -1072--A Checkmated Scoundrel By Nicholas Carter -1073--The Cashier’s Secret By Nicholas Carter -1074--Behind a Mask By Nicholas Carter -1075--The Cloak of Guilt By Nicholas Carter -1076--Two Villains in One By Nicholas Carter -1077--The Hot Air Clue By Nicholas Carter -1078--Run to Earth By Nicholas Carter -1079--The Certified Check By Nicholas Carter -1080--Weaving the Web By Nicholas Carter -1081--Beyond Pursuit By Nicholas Carter -1082--The Claws of the Tiger By Nicholas Carter -1083--Driven From Cover By Nicholas Carter -1084--A Deal in Diamonds By Nicholas Carter -1085--The Wizard of the Cue By Nicholas Carter -1086--A Race for Ten Thousand By Nicholas Carter -1087--The Criminal Link By Nicholas Carter -1088--The Red Signal By Nicholas Carter -1089--The Secret Panel By Nicholas Carter -1090--A Bonded Villain By Nicholas Carter -1091--A Move in the Dark By Nicholas Carter -1092--Against Desperate Odds By Nicholas Carter -1093--The Telltale Photographs By Nicholas Carter -1094--The Ruby Pin By Nicholas Carter -1095--The Queen of Diamonds By Nicholas Carter -1096--A Broken Trail By Nicholas Carter -1097--An Ingenious Stratagem By Nicholas Carter -1098--A Sharper’s Downfall By Nicholas Carter -1099--A Race Track Gamble By Nicholas Carter -1100--Without a Clew By Nicholas Carter -1101--The Council of Death By Nicholas Carter -1102--The Hole in the Vault By Nicholas Carter -1103--In Death’s Grip By Nicholas Carter -1104--A Great Conspiracy By Nicholas Carter -1105--The Guilty Governor By Nicholas Carter -1106--A Ring of Rascals By Nicholas Carter -1107--A Masterpiece of Crime By Nicholas Carter - - - - - A Sharper’s Downfall - - OR, - - INTO THE NET - - BY - - NICHOLAS CARTER - - Author of the celebrated stories of Nick Carter’s adventures, - which are published exclusively in the NEW MAGNET LIBRARY, - conceded to be among the best detective tales ever written. - - [Illustration] - - STREET & SMITH CORPORATION - PUBLISHERS - 79-89 Seventh Avenue, New York - - Copyright, 1903 - By STREET & SMITH - - A Sharper’s Downfall - - - (Printed in the United States of America) - - All rights reserved, including that of translation into foreign - languages, including the Scandinavian. - - - - - A SHARPER’S DOWNFALL. - - - - -CHAPTER I. - -A SUCCESSFUL BURGLARY. - - -In Thirty-fifth Street, east of Fifth Avenue, there is a house -conspicuous among its neighbors in that it differs in construction by -being of the variety known as the English basement style. - -Entrance to the house is secured through a door reached by one or two -steps from the pavement. The dining-room of the house is nearly on a -level with the street, while the parlors are on the second floor, -reached from the lower hall by a flight of stairs. - -The front parlor is enlarged and the front of the house ornamented by a -bay window extending some three feet beyond the line of the house. - -It was not so long ago that, at an early hour in the morning, a man -carefully and cautiously lifted a sash in this bay window, and, -thrusting out his head, sounded a low whistle as a signal. - -Had any one been present on the opposite side of the street, or looking -from the windows of the houses opposite, they might have seen another -man cautiously come from a corner of the little courtyard in front, and, -after a careful look up and down the street, return the signal in the -same cautious manner. - -Thereupon a bundle was let down from the bay window, which was quickly -detached, the rope drawn back and another bundle lowered, which, as the -other had been, was detached and the rope drawn up again, and this time -to lower what appeared to be a heavy box. - -Immediately after, something was thrown from the window which in shape -looked like an old-fashioned portmanteau, but was smaller. - -Then a man rapidly let himself down from the window until he was within -four feet of the ground, when he drew a knife, cutting the rope above -him. - -This gave him a drop of at least four feet, but it left only a short end -of the rope dangling from the bay window at a height not likely to -attract the attention of a passer-by, the evident object of cutting the -rope. - -In the meantime, the man below had shouldered the heavy box and rapidly -run down to the east, to the corner below, where he had been met by a -man who had come from a carriage standing around the corner. - -This one took the box from him, and the man rapidly returned to pick up -one of the bundles concealed behind the fence and the article that had -been thrown from the window. - -As rapidly he ran down the street as before, the while the other man, -who had come from the parlor floor by the rope, stationed himself across -the street and anxiously looked up and down as if standing ready to make -a signal. - -As the man with the bundles disappeared around the corner, with no -interference, the other dashed across the street, and, seizing the last -bundle left, hurriedly ran to the east. - -He had hardly shouldered this bundle and set out on his run when a man -came into view at the corner on the west, quickly catching sight of the -fellow running to the east. - -He came from the west on a run, and, arriving opposite the house where -these strange things had occurred, stopped a brief instant to look. He -noted the open window and the dangling rope. - -Without hesitation he hastily ran down the street to the east, but -reached the corner too late for any purpose except to see a carriage -some distance off, going at full speed. - -This man was Nick Carter, the famous detective. - -Nick immediately realized the folly of attempting to follow the -carriage, which had so great a lead, though he was satisfied that there -had been a robbery of the house and that the carriage contained the -booty as well as the thieves. - -He contented himself with sounding an alarm, in the hope that the -attention of the policemen on the beats along which the carriage -traveled might be directed toward it and their suspicion excited. - -But, so far as he was able to judge, the only result of his alarm was to -call to him a policeman from another direction than that in which the -carriage went. - -“What is it, Mr. Carter?” asked the officer, coming up on a run, and -recognizing the famous detective. - -“Robbery, I fancy,” replied Nick; “and that carriage contains the -thieves and what they’ve stolen.” - -“We’d have to be race horses,” said the officer, looking after the -carriage now disappearing in the distance, “to overcome that lead.” - -“No; it is useless to attempt to follow it,” replied Nick. - -“Where was the job done?” asked the officer. - -“Up there in Thirty-fifth Street,” replied Nick. “Is that your beat?” - -“Yes, and I was over it half an hour ago.” - -“They waited for that,” replied Nick. “Come with me and let us look at -the house.” - -They went back to the house, where Nick pointed out the open bay window -and the short end of the rope dangling therefrom. - -The officer went inside the little yard and found the rope that had been -cut off lying on the ground. - -He picked it up, and, looking at the end, said: - -“This rope has been cut with a sharp knife.” - -Nick joined him, and, looking at the end, agreed with the officer, while -both wondered why it had been cut. - -“Do you know who lives here?” asked Nick. - -“Yes; the man’s name is Jacob Herron.” - -“What is he?” - -“A Wall Street man.” - -“A broker or banker?” - -“I don’t know what he is. A sort of speculator, I guess. Anyhow, he’s a -pretty big man.” - -“Well,” said Nick, “we ought to arouse the family and make an -investigation.” - -The two went to the front door, where the officer rang the bell several -times without securing a response. - -Then he beat on the door with his night stick, sounding an alarm on the -stoop as well. - -This finally aroused some one in the upper story, who raised a window to -ask what all the row was about. - -“Come down and let us in,” replied the officer. “You have been robbed.” - -“Who are you?” asked the voice above. - -“A police officer, and Mr. Carter, the detective,” was the officer’s -reply. - -The head was quickly withdrawn from the window, and, after the two on -the stoop had waited what seemed to them a long time, a light flashed up -in the hall and the door was immediately opened. - -The two stepped in to see a young man of possibly twenty-six or -twenty-seven years of age standing there with neither coat nor vest and -his bare feet thrust into slippers. - -“You say the house has been robbed?” asked the young man. “I see no -indications of it.” - -“They are not likely to be found in the halls,” said Nick. “But I should -judge they are to be found in the parlor above.” - -The young man without a word led the way up the stairs to a furnished -hallroom, into which the stairs opened. Here he lit one of the lights of -the chandelier, and Nick saw in a glance that the parlor in the front -communicated with this furnished hall, occupying the whole width of the -house. - -They entered the parlor to discover little that was noteworthy. The -window was open in the bay, and they could see in the parlor, what was -not observable from the street, that a side window of the bay had been -raised sufficiently to permit a rope to pass under the sash, and that -the rope had been made fast around the division between the windows. - -There had been little, if any, disturbance of the furniture. On a sofa -in the corner lay a silver mug. - -Nick pointed to the mug, without making comment upon it, however. - -“What room is that at the rear of the house?” he asked. - -“I suppose it might be called the library,” replied the young man, -“since all the books that are in the house are there. It is the largest -room in the house, and is occupied by the family in the evenings when -the folks are at home.” - -“Then the family is not at home?” asked Nick. - -“No, Mr. Herron has gone to Chicago, and took his wife and daughter with -him as a sort of a pleasure trip for them.” - -“Who are you?” - -“I am George Temple, a nephew of Mr. Herron.” - -“Are you a member of this family?” - -“In a way,” replied the young man Temple. “I am very intimate here, but -I am here now only because the family are away. Uncle Jacob asked me to -sleep here and guard their house in his absence.” - -“Well,” replied Nick, “it doesn’t seem as if you guarded it much.” - -“No,” laughed the young man, “I never heard anything until I heard the -sound of the officer’s club on the door.” - -“Take us into that rear room.” - -Temple led the way across the hall to this room, which occupied the -whole width of the house, lighting a jet of the chandelier. - -If there had been no indications of a robbery elsewhere, there were -plenty to be seen in this room. - -Two handsome desks had been forcibly opened and rifled, the contents -being scattered on the floor; that is to say, such as had not been -carried away. - -The drawers of the bookcases had been pulled out, their contents hastily -pulled over, much having been thrown on the floor. - -In a hasty glance about the room it did appear as if every object in it -had passed under the hands of the thieves. - -There was not a picture hanging straight on the walls, and there were -many in the room. - -“Mr. Temple,” asked Nick, “did your uncle keep anything of special value -in this room?” - -“What do you mean by special value?” asked Mr. Temple. - -“Something which your uncle especially valued, was very careful of and -generally kept hidden.” - -“I know of nothing of the kind,” replied Temple. “Why do you ask that -particular question?” - -Nick pointed to the pictures, saying: - -“It would look as if the thieves, in hunting for some special things -which they did not find, had hunted behind every picture in the room. -The inference is that they knew that some object of value, which they -were anxious to obtain, was concealed somewhere within this room.” - -The young man, Temple, looked curiously at the detective, as if the -remark of Nick indicated a shrewdness not known to him, but he made no -reply. - -“Do you miss anything from this room?” asked Nick. - -The young man closely examined the room, and, completing his -investigation, came back to Nick to say: - -“I miss two rather valuable bits of bronze that my uncle picked up -abroad. However, it may be that before leaving on this journey these -bronzes and other valuable things were picked up and locked away. You -see, I only stay at the house occasionally, and though I am here nearly -daily, I am yet not as familiar with it as if I was living here all the -time.” - -“What room were you occupying when we aroused you?” - -“The front room on the fourth story.” - -“Were there any servants in the house?” - -“No; you see I only sleep here, and Uncle Jacob gave his servants a sort -of vacation until his return.” - -“The rooms on the floor above, who are they occupied by?” asked Nick. - -“The front room by Uncle Jacob and his wife; the rear room by his -daughter; and the room between as a nursery.” - -“Take us to those rooms.” - -The three mounted to the third floor, and on entering the front room -the first thing that attracted Nick’s attention was a little house safe -in the corner. - -The door stood wide open and the safe itself was empty. - -Nick examined the lock and saw that it was of the combination order. - -Apparently the safe had been opened by one familiar with the -combination. - -“What was kept in this safe?” asked Nick. - -“I don’t know; I never knew the safe was here. I have not been in this -room in a long time.” - -It was clear that every drawer and receptacle in the room had been -rifled in great haste, articles having been thrown upon the floor in the -most reckless manner. - -Investigation showed that the daughter’s room in the rear had been -treated in the same manner. - -The little party now went down to the first floor, and, entering the -dining-room, saw that it had been literally stripped of its plate. - -“Was it valuable?” said Nick. - -“On my word,” replied Temple, “I couldn’t tell you whether it was -genuine silver or merely plated ware. My impression is that there was a -great deal of silver here.” - -“When will Mr. Herron be back?” asked Nick. - -“He’s expected back to-morrow.” - -Nick turned away after saying to the policeman that he had no further -business there, and that the officer should make his report to the -station house as quickly as he could. - -He then left the house. - - - - -CHAPTER II. - -ANOTHER PHASE. - - -The next morning Nick Carter had hardly concluded his breakfast when a -card was brought to him by the servant. - -He smiled as he read it, and, tossing it to his wife across the table, -said: - -“I expected that call, but hardly so early.” - -He went into the parlor, where a middle-aged man rose to greet him. - -“Mr. Carter, I presume,” said the visitor. - -Nick bowed and requested his visitor to be seated, seating himself in -such a position that the light fell on the face of his caller. - -“My card has given you my name,” said the gentleman. - -“Yes, Mr. Herron,” replied Nick; “I visited your house last night, or, -rather, early this morning, but you were not at home.” - -“Yes,” replied Mr. Herron, “and under circumstances that are not at all -to my liking. I arrived home early this morning, and, on learning that -my house had been robbed in my absence and that you had been promptly on -hand to investigate, I have lost no time in coming to you, for I -understand, from something you said to the officer, that you had no -intention of following up the case.” - -“That is so,” replied Nick; “unless I am especially retained in the -case, it is without my province.” - -“I am here to retain you, if you will take my retainer.” - -“I should like to hear more about the case before I either accept or -decline,” said Nick. “If it is an ordinary case of robbery, the police -will deal with it.” - -“First,” said Mr. Herron, “I would like to ask you what impression was -received by you on your investigation last night. Evidently you think it -is more than an ordinary robbery.” - -“That was my impression last night,” replied Nick. “It seemed to me as -if the men who robbed that house were searching for some one particular -thing.” - -“You are entirely correct,” replied Mr. Herron. “So well satisfied am I -of that, that I believe that such things as were taken from the house, -other than that particular thing, were so taken for the purpose of -leading to the belief that it was a common burglary.” - -“I should hardly go so far as that, Mr. Herron,” said Nick. “There were -too many evidences of the work of skillful and professional burglars to -justify that belief. But give me the facts.” - -“Silver plate and jewelry were taken from the house to the value of -probably $8,000. The jewelry was taken from a small safe standing in my -wife’s bedroom.” - -“Was that safe locked when you left town?” - -“Yes,” replied Mr. Herron, “and the curious thing is that, before -leaving town, I changed the combination without informing my wife of the -change--a habit of mine always on leaving town.” - -“Did you tell no one of that change?” asked Nick. - -“I told no one, but, making a memorandum of it, placed it in my -pocketbook.” - -“And yet the safe was opened?” asked Nick. - -“Yes, and without force.” - -“I observed that your plate was kept in a dining-room safe?” - -“Yes; and that has, also, a combination lock. That, however, was not -changed, and was in the possession of the butler, who is an old and -trusted servant.” - -Mr. Herron paused a moment, and then went on: - -“Of course, no one likes to lose a value of $8,000, but I would have -been quite willing to have sustained that loss if that which I believe -was the sole purpose of the burglary had been left me. It was for that -that the desks and drawers were ransacked. That cost me, in actual -outlay, $25,000, and, in the loss of its possession, deprives me of what -I feel that I am justified in calling a large fortune.” - -“What was that?” inquired Nick. - -“The story is a long one to tell in all its details. But I will give it -to you as briefly as I can. - -“Some five or six years ago an acquaintance of mine, whom I knew to be a -worthy man--an electrician of the name of Pemberton, who was a great -experimenter--came to me with the statement that he was satisfied that -he had discovered the practical principles of storing electricity and of -operating a motor with a minimum of leakage, by an invention of his own. - -“He had not the money to continue the experiments necessary to bring it -to perfection. - -“Becoming convinced of the value of the idea, I loaned him the money he -required, with the understanding that, if it was successfully -accomplished, upon the investment of a sufficient amount of purchase -money, I should become interested and have a part ownership in the -complete invention. - -“From time to time I was forced to advance more money. But finally the -experiments ended in complete success. Drawings were made, with a view -to obtaining the patent rights, and even the papers which were to make -me a half owner in the invention were drawn. - -“About the time that everything was in readiness, the model even being -completed, the electrician was taken suddenly ill and as suddenly died. -The drawings and models were all in the possession of his widow. As soon -as I could, properly, I made known to the widow what rights I had in the -invention. While neither denying nor admitting my rights, she consulted -a lawyer who had done business for her husband, who advised her not to -admit my rights, but to see if she could not dispose of the invention in -a more profitable way. - -“However, by showing her that I had already advanced to her late husband -some fifteen thousand dollars and the papers of co-ownership, which were -drawn, but not signed, whereby I was to pay the expenses of obtaining -the patents, and subsequently to invest fifty thousand dollars in the -manufacture of the machine, I persuaded her to admit that I had actual -rights. - -“To bind and confirm her in this position I paid her ten thousand -dollars, and thus got possession of the drawings and models. - -“But she had already consulted some promoters, and the very day that she -concluded this arrangement with me and delivered the models and -drawings, on receiving my ten-thousand-dollar check, an offer, on its -face more advantageous to her, was made. - -“An effort was made by her and her friends to get out of the bargain -entered into with me and a suit to recover the models from me was begun. - -“At this time a new difficulty arose, and that was the doubt and -difficulty as to the procedure in obtaining the patents. There had been, -upon the part of my deceased friend, no assignment to me, and who was to -act in obtaining those patents was a question. - -“I was advised by my lawyer that the executors of the estate were the -ones to move in it and that executor was the widow, who was in an -antagonistic position to me, and refused to take the necessary steps. - -“But the secrets of that invention--all the drawings, models, -statements, papers relating to it--were in my possession. - -“I carefully guarded these, going to the lengths of having a case built -which should accommodate and keep safe all of them, under lock and key. - -“And then I sat down to await developments. - -“Various efforts have been made by the widow, through her lawyer, and by -a number of promoters who, at least, know the value of the invention, to -obtain possession of these things, but I have defeated every effort -until now. - -“That case, containing the drawings, models and all the papers relating -to it, was stolen from my house last night.” - -“And you desire to retain me to recover that case?” asked Nick. - -“That is my purpose and the reason of my call.” - -The great detective arose from his seat and began pacing the apartment, -as was his custom when deeply thinking. - -Several times Mr. Herron attempted to break him from his thoughts, but -Nick imperatively motioned him to silence. At length, he stopped short, -and, turning to Mr. Herron, said: - -“Under your statement, there is justification for your belief that the -sole object of that burglary was the obtaining of that case, which, you -say, contains all the matter relating to the invention. Still, I am -inclined to believe that that burglary was the work of professionals.” - -“Then we are far apart in the way we look at it,” said Mr. Herron. - -“Not necessarily,” replied Nick, sharply. “Let me ask you, are these -promoters you speak of as desiring possession of this invention men who -have a fair standing before the world?” - -“Yes; I must admit that,” said Mr. Herron. - -“Are they men, do you think, who would, in their great desire to obtain -possession, themselves commit a burglary?” - -“Oh, no; and I don’t want you to think that they are banded together -against me. They are as antagonistic to each other as they are to me.” - -“I should assume that, in any event,” said Nick. “But suppose that there -was one so much more desirous than the other to obtain possession that -he would even engage in desperate means, do you think he would commit a -burglary? To take the chances of ruining his reputation by entering a -house at night?” - -“It is very hard to believe it, in the way you put it.” - -“Very well, then. For the sake of my argument, let us assume that there -is one among them who is unscrupulous enough to take desperate means, -and see if we cannot get together on common ground. Suppose that, -instead of committing a burglary, he hired some one to get possession of -that case. Could we not, therefore, account for the disappearance of -that case as being the real reason of the burglary, and yet meet my -statement that the tracks of professionals were seen in the house?” - -Mr. Herron leaped to his feet in excitement, crying: - -“You’ve hit it! you’ve hit it exactly!” - -“Don’t go so fast,” said Nick. “That is only a shrewd guess on my part, -a supposition likely to be changed at the very first step that I make in -a serious investigation. However, your case appeals to me, and I will -take it. As a first step, I want you to go with me to my desk, and there -carefully note down the names of all those promoters who you say have -been trying to get possession of those papers. Write down, also, the -name and address of the widow, of her lawyer and yours, and as full a -description of the case you had made to contain those papers and models, -together with a full list of the contents of that case.” - -Nick took Mr. Herron into the room in which he did his work, and placed -him at his desk to comply with his request. - -While Mr. Herron was thus at work, Nick busied himself with summoning -his three faithful aids--Chick, Patsy and Ida--by telephone. - -By the time Mr. Herron had completed his writing, the three detectives -had arrived, and Nick, dismissing Mr. Herron with the remark that three -lines of investigation must be begun at once, devoted himself to a -consultation with his three assistants. - - - - -CHAPTER III. - -THE FIRST STEPS. - - -Nick related to his three aids, in the first place, his experiences of -the night previous, when he had happened on the heels of the burglary. - -This he followed by a statement of the information that had been given -him by Mr. Herron, and, concluding, said: - -“This promises to be a most interesting case. I am impressed with the -straightforwardness of Mr. Herron. Still, there may be another side of -his statement, or case, and he may not have been wholly frank with me, -though I am inclined to believe he was. I shall immediately set out on -that point. - -“Under Mr. Herron’s statement, suspicion naturally turns to one of the -parties anxious to obtain possession of that invention.” - -“And to the widow,” said Ida. - -“If not to the widow,” said Nick, “to some one representing her, or -standing as a representative of her. But we must not lose sight of the -fact that, after all, this may have been the commonest kind of a -burglary and that the burglars took the case they found in the house -simply because it was in their way to do so, and without the slightest -knowledge of the value Mr. Herron and the others put upon it. - -“To look after that end of it--that is, after those who actually did -enter the house--must be Patsy’s work. It is a difficult job, Patsy, and -I hardly know how to give you a starting point. But, if you will go to -the neighborhood of Thirty-fifth Street and make careful inquiries, you -may be able to find some one who saw something of those men and the -carriage that will give you a starter.” - -Patsy nodded, but seemed to be thinking of something else. - -“Well?” asked Nick. “What is it, Patsy? You’ve got something on your -mind. Out with it.” - -“It’s this, chief,” replied Patsy. “Say, didn’t you say that his nibs, -this Herron, had a case made to hold those papers?” - -“Yes,” replied Nick. - -“Well, then,” said Patsy, “the thing is whether anybody, except Herron, -knew of this case.” - -“You mean,” said Nick, “whether any of those who are opposing Mr. Herron -knew that the models and papers were kept in a case especially made for -them by Mr. Herron?” - -“That’s what I mean,” said Patsy. - -“It’s a very good point,” said Nick. “If they didn’t know, and if the -knowledge of such a case was confined to Mr. Herron, it would go far -toward throwing a doubt on his suspicions.” - -“Yes,” said Chick, “it would raise a doubt; but, after all, there is -that search through all the drawers and desks that you say was so plain -and that made you think when you saw it that the thieves were looking -for some one particular thing.” - -“That’s just what I was thinking of,” said Ida. “If they were so strict -in their search that they even looked behind pictures hanging on the -walls, you may be sure that they didn’t leave any trunks, satchels, -dress-suit cases or any other kind of cases unsearched, and, in doing -that, might have hit upon this case, and, opening it and seeing the -model, found just what they were after.” - -“Nevertheless,” said Nick, “Patsy’s point is a good one, and, working -on that line, he is quite likely to hit up against something. And so, -Patsy, you would do well to see Mr. Herron, find that out and get from -him the name of the person who made the case, and, perhaps, from that -person you may find something of value. However, that is your line.” - -Turning to Chick, he said: - -“You take this list of promoters, Chick, and find out all you can about -them--what sort of men they are and what their associations are.” - -To Ida, he said: - -“I want you to get acquainted with the widow and find out what you can. -It is even hard to suggest what it is you are to find out. But if you -get her confidence, she may tell you some things as to those who have -made her offers that will be valuable in this inquiry. As for myself, I -shall again go to the Thirty-fifth Street house to make a closer -investigation, and I will take up the lawyer with whom Mr. Herron has -consulted. - -“Now, let us scatter and meet later in the day to compare notes and -determine upon a plan of action in the light of more knowledge than we -have now.” - -Nick Carter’s first step was a visit to the house in Thirty-fifth -Street, where he found Mr. Herron awaiting him. - -“Since my return, I have carefully figured the value of the articles -taken from the house,” he said to Nick. “All of the jewelry left in the -safe in my wife’s room is missing. The value of that is about five -thousand dollars. All of the plate that was genuine silver has also been -taken. The value of that does not exceed twenty-five hundred dollars. -Fortunately, Mrs. Herron had deposited in the safety deposit vaults the -more valuable part of her jewelry some two weeks ago, as not being -required for some months to come. Thus, the loss is figured down to -about seven thousand five hundred dollars, apart from the case, -concerning which I am so anxious.” - -“Then,” asked Nick, “apart from that case, what was taken was from the -safe in Mrs. Herron’s room and from the dining-room safe?” - -“That is all,” replied Mr. Herron. “Now, I want to say that, with that -case out of my hands, there stands me, in an actual loss, about -thirty-three thousand dollars. My anxiety to-day is to secure the return -of that case and its contents. In securing that I secure what represents -to me an outlay of twenty-five thousand dollars. I am quite willing to -sacrifice the other valuables in order to get that case back again. -Indeed, I am willing to spend more money, and, with this statement, I -turn the matter over to you to do as you think best, pledging myself to -respond to any demand you may make upon me.” - -Nick looked at Mr. Herron very seriously for a moment or two, and then -said: - -“I presume you know, Mr. Herron, that there is such an offense in the -eyes of the law as compounding a felony.” - -Mr. Herron nodded his head rather doubtfully, as if he did not -comprehend wholly the words of Nick. The detective went on: - -“Your words might be tortured into the meaning of instructions to me to -compound this felony.” - -“I do not intend,” said Mr. Herron, “to do anything wrong. I want to -impress you with the idea that my main desire is to recover that case -and its contents intact, even if it be at a considerable cost to -myself.” - -To this Nick made no reply, merely bowing, and said: - -“There was a young man in the house last night with whom I talked, -Temple by name.” - -“Yes,” replied Mr. Herron, “a nephew of mine--the son of a sister--who, -though not living with us, is, nevertheless, very intimate in the -house. He slept here during the absence of the family, at my request.” - -“Do not think, Mr. Herron,” said Nick, “that I am pointing to, or giving -expression to, any suspicions in the questions that I shall ask. I am -seeking all sorts and every little bit of information in them. Now, -then, you trust this young man?” - -“Utterly.” - -“What are his habits?” - -“Excellent.” - -“He does not dissipate?” - -“No; not in any direction. If he is under any criticism as to his course -of life, it is that he is too much devoted to athletic sports, and that -they have the only interest he has outside of his business relations.” - -“What are his business relations?” - -“He is the secretary and treasurer of a small manufacturing concern, of -which I am the chief owner, and he is my representative in that affair.” - -“Now, as to his associations?” - -“He is a member of an athletic club and spends most of his leisure hours -with its members, and, I have inquired to learn, they are a very proper -set of young men, whose chief aim is to bring their physical powers to -as near a point of perfection as possible.” - -“What is that organization?” - -“The Grecian Athletic Club.” - -Nick made a memorandum of this club, and turned his attention to the -safe in the dining-room. - -A close investigation satisfied him that, by some means, the combination -had been found, and the safe opened without force. He also found what -had not been observed by Mr. Herron--that the draperies in the parlor -had been used to wrap up the plate taken from the safe. Going to the -smaller safe in Mrs. Herron’s room, there were also indications that -that safe had been opened in a like manner. - -Mr. Herron had stood by silently while the detective was making these -investigations, and when Nick turned from them he asked: - -“Well?” - -“I told you this morning,” said Nick, “that I believed skillful and -professional burglars had been at work here. A second examination -satisfies me that I was right in that statement, and I go further and -say that a skillful lockman was at work.” - -“Ah!” - -Mr. Herron made this exclamation, but in a tone that suggested to Nick -that he did not comprehend its significance. - -“You do not take in all my meaning,” said Nick; “it means that I can -narrow the search for the burglars to a comparatively small circle. -There are not so many skillful lockmen among the burglars who are not -pretty well known to the authorities.” - -Nothing had been changed in the house since the arrival of Mr. Herron -and his wife, and Nick again went over the work done by the burglars in -searching the desks, drawers and other receptacles in the house. - -Though he made no comment, he was satisfied that while an exhaustive -search had been made for some particular thing, it had been made without -method or purpose. In other words, the thieves had proceeded to a search -without definite information as to the place wherein the thing sought -was kept. - -Evidently, all that was known was that Mr. Herron kept these drawings -and models within his dwelling-house, and that information might have -come from Mr. Herron himself. - -Nick questioned Mr. Herron on this point, but, when the gentleman could -not recollect that he had ever told any one the fact, neither could he -assert that he had not mentioned it. - -As a matter of fact, the second examination of the house had not added -to the great detective’s knowledge, although it had confirmed him in -certain beliefs. - -“This house was entered by professional burglars,” he said to himself. -“Whether they entered simply for the purpose of burglary, and, finding -the case, carried it away with them, or whether they were employed to -enter this house to obtain that case, and took the plate and jewelry -because they could do so easily, are questions which I cannot determine -on this showing.” - -He was in Mrs. Herron’s room when he said this to himself, and, thinking -it over, he went to the front window and looked out. - -On the opposite side of the street, seated on the lower step of a house -immediately opposite, was Patsy, talking to an ill-favored specimen of a -man similarly seated. - -A single glance assured Nick that Patsy was not idling his time, but was -there for a purpose. - -Whether he was watching for him or not, Nick could not tell, but he drew -the curtains aside and placed himself close to the window. - -Patsy saw him at once and made a series of rapid signals to Nick. - -They meant to Nick that Patsy had hit upon a man important in their -search, that he wanted the man followed while he, Patsy, could make a -change in his appearance. - -Telling Mr. Herron that he had no more business in the house and would -at once begin the search, Nick descended the stairs, and, opening the -front door, stood a moment within the vestibule, where he signaled to -Patsy with his hands that he had understood him. - -Patsy immediately got up, and, after a word or two with the fellow -beside him, walked off in the direction of the west without looking -behind. - -The fellow slouched down the street to the east and Nick went after him -at a safe distance, taking the precaution to cross the street, so as to -be on the same side with him. - -Nick did not know the purpose of the shadow, but he had confidence -enough in Patsy to take up the lines suggested blindly. - -The man led Nick to Third Avenue, where he turned to the right, or, -toward Thirty-fourth Street. Here Nick made a mark in red chalk on the -corner, which should indicate to Patsy the direction in which they -turned. - -At the corner of Thirty-fourth Street, the fellow crossed to Third -Avenue and stationed himself against a pillar of the elevated railroad, -from which point he could keep an eye on each of the four corners. He -watched each of these corners as if he were waiting for some one. - -Nick put himself out of sight, after he had made a mark on the pavement -with red chalk, that would tell Patsy, on his return, that he was there, -and waited. - -But he did not wait long, for Patsy, in an excellent make-up of an -east-side tough, slouched up. - -Seeing the mark on the pavement, he looked about, first to locate the -man followed, and then for his chief. - -Nick beckoned to him from a doorway, and Patsy went to him. - -“What is it, Patsy?” asked Nick. - -“He’s a crook,” said Patsy. “I’ve known him this long time. He wasn’t in -the Thirty-fifth Street job, but he’s on to it and is doing a little -fly-cop work himself.” - -“I don’t catch your meaning,” said Nick. - -“It’s this way: The fellow is Spike Thomas. He suspects that two men -that he has worked with sometimes, had a job last night. He suspects -that that job was the Thirty-fifth Street house. He’s wanting to get on -straight, so as to get into the divvy. He tumbled to me as being on your -staff and he tumbled to you at the door. He knows we’re working on the -case, and he tried to put it over me to find out how much we’d found -out.” - -“What did you tell him?” - -“That we had found out nothing and suspected nobody. And that was dead -right, for we don’t, yet.” - -“Did you find out whom he suspects?” - -“Oh, no. He’s too fly for that. But I’m certain he’s laying for the two -that he thinks did it.” - -“He probably thinks right,” said Nick. “He makes a starter for you, -Patsy.” - -“That’s what I thought,” said Patsy. “Anyhow, I’ll stick to him and see -who he talks to and how he talks.” - -“That’s right,” said Nick, “and I’ll leave it to you, while I go on -other lines.” - -Nick went away, and Patsy placed himself for a long watch. - -Spike Thomas still stood at the corner, keeping a sharp eye on all who -passed or appeared on any of the four corners. - - - - -CHAPTER IV. - -OVERREACHING A SHARPER. - - -An hour passed, during which Spike Thomas waited as patiently as Patsy, -on the opposite corner, patiently watched him. - -At the end of that time Spike showed by his action and his vigilance -that the person or persons for whom he had watched had come into view. - -Presently two men crossed from the lower side of Thirty-fourth Street to -the corner where Spike was standing, and as they passed him, carelessly -nodded to him. - -Spike spoke to them and they halted. - -What passed between them of course Patsy could not tell, but it -evidently ended in an invitation to drink on the part of one of the two -strangers, a man who in his outward appearance looked like everything -else but a thief and burglar. - -As Patsy was preparing to follow, he suddenly became aware that a man -had stopped on the pavement immediately in front of him and was -regarding the group across the street most intently. - -Looking at this man closely, Patsy quickly recognized a celebrated -detective from Chicago. - -Stepping up to him, Patsy called him by name, revealing himself to the -Chicago sleuth. - -“What do you know of those men over there?” he asked. - -“Are you after them?” asked the Chicago man in return. - -“I am after the one who is on the corner that they spoke to. He is -Spike Thomas, a New York crook, second-story man.” - -“That dressy man that’s talking to him,” said the Chicago man, “is Jimmy -Lannigan, the swell crackman of Philadelphia. He’s the best lock man in -the world. I was surprised to see him here, for I supposed he was in St. -Louis. He was in Chicago all last winter, and while we suspected him of -several jobs, we couldn’t fix it on him.” - -By this time the three men had entered the liquor saloon on the corner, -and Patsy said: - -“I’d like to talk to you a little longer, but I must get closer to those -people.” - -He slipped across the avenue and the Chicago sleuth went his way. - -Peering into the saloon, Patsy saw the three men standing in a little -group at the bar. - -There was no one else in the saloon, and Patsy did not dare to enter -lest his appearance should be noted. But he did see that Spike Thomas -was urging something strongly on the one the Chicago sleuth had called -Lannigan, and he heard the latter say in a rather loud voice: - -“We can’t talk about it here. Let’s go to another place.” - -Patsy retired from the door and took such a position on the corner that -he could observe both the front and the rear doors. - -In a few minutes the three men appeared at the front door and, turning -the corner, walked down Thirty-fourth Street in the direction of the -East River. - -Patsy sauntered after them. It was not a difficult matter to keep them -in sight, although from time to time both Thomas and Lannigan looked -behind them. Patsy thought it was more because of habit than in a belief -they were followed. - -Their way took them to the last block of the street, and here they -turned into a saloon which was well filled with customers, and where -they could easily talk without attracting attention. - -At the rear of this saloon, in the corner, was a table and some chairs. - -At it Spike Thomas, Lannigan and his companion sat down and immediately -entered into a close conversation. - -In the beginning the talk was almost entirely conducted by Spike Thomas, -Lannigan’s replies seemingly being a series of denials. - -By and by, Patsy drifted to the table next to the party but which was -still some little distance from it, too far away, indeed, to hear what -was said by the three, as they talked in a low tone. - -Finally, however, Spike Thomas raised his voice a bit, apparently a -little angry, and said: - -“What are yer givin’ me. I know you was into it. And yer had a right to -take me in. It’s no way to treat a pal. I got something up me sleeve, -and if you don’t take me in on de level I’ll make trouble for yer.” - -Lannigan merely laughed and called for some more drinks, but the third -man was evidently inclined to regard seriously the threat conveyed in -Spike’s words. - -Speaking to Lannigan in a low tone he rose from his seat and took -Lannigan apart and talked earnestly and vigorously. - -Whatever it was that was said made an impression upon Lannigan, and he -turned abruptly and went back to the table. - -“See here, Spike,” said Lannigan. “You don’t want to do anything ugly -until you know what you’re doing. Billy and I can’t talk with you until -we’ve been across the river. We’ll be back inside of an hour and see -you right here. If there’s a whack into anything you’ll get your -share.” - -The two tossed off their drinks, and rising, immediately left the -saloon. - -Spike Thomas remained at the table, looking, as Patsy thought, much -dissatisfied with the outcome. - -“Anyhow,” said Patsy, “Spike will remain here for an hour or two.” - -Suddenly Patsy rose to his feet and sauntered from the saloon. - -He ran up the street hastily and turned the corner. - -Half an hour later a young fellow, rather jauntily dressed but, -nevertheless, one in whom the east-side tough showed, came down the -street and turned into the saloon where Spike was awaiting the return of -Lannigan and his companion. - -Arriving in the center of the barroom he gave a flip to the brim of his -hat with a snap of his finger, sending it back on his head, gave a -characteristic hitch to one shoulder and, with a protruding chin, walked -over to the table where Spike Thomas sat. - -“Say, Spike, I’ve been lookin’ for youse,” said the newcomer. - -Spike looked up with a frown on his face and curiously regarded the -other fellow. - -“Well,” he said, “youse has found me. What’s de trouble?” - -“Say, Spike,” said the new man. “Does youse know anything about dat job -of crib-cracking up in Thirty-fifth Street?” - -Spike partly closed his eyes and regarded the other keenly and -suspiciously. At length he replied: - -“Naw! Nor youse eder, Bally Morris.” - -“Dat’s right,” replied the other, “I don’t know much for a fact. But I -got a couple of lines onto it dat you can work if yer knows who did the -job.” - -Again Spike looked at the young fellow, but this time it was not alone -suspiciously, but with an evident desire to have him show his hand. He -altered his tone and manner toward the newcomer. - -“Have some booze?” he asked. - -As the lad he called Morris sat down at the table he said a little more -genially: - -“What about dem lines youse has got?” - -“Dey’s all right if yer knows who did the job,” replied Morris. - -“S’pose I did it, meself,” said Spike, with a wink. - -“Well, I knows youse didn’t do it.” - -“Why not?” - -“’Cause de job was done before one o’clock dis mornin’ and youse was wid -yer rag down to Rivington Street along about dat time.” - -“Dat’s right,” exclaimed Spike, with an oath, “and if it hadn’t bin for -de rag I’m t’inkin’ I’d been into de job. She got me out of de way of -it.” - -“Den,” said Morris, eagerly, “youse does know who did it?” - -Spike gave a huge wink and smiled a knowing smile. - -“I’m kinder onto it meself,” said Morris. “I’m t’inkin’ I ain’t guessin’ -far wrong when I’m sayin’ it was de swell lag Lannigan.” - -Spike gave such a start as made Morris say: - -“Dat’s de way you t’ink, too.” - -“Well, I’ve got a squint dat way,” reluctantly admitted Spike. “But, -wot’s dem lines youse got?” - -“Well, de first one is dat Nick Carter is in de case and Patsy Murphy -wid him.” - -“I got dat line meself,” said Spike. “I knows Patsy, dis long time. I -seed him dis mornin’ an’ I tumbled to de job.” - -“Well, here’s a line you ain’t got. De lags took out of de house a case -wid some papers in it wot’s worth more’n fifty times what all de odder -things is.” - -“Wot’s dat you’re givin’ me?” asked Spike, roughly. “Wot are yer gittin’ -to?” - -“It’s dis. Some big feller in de dark put up de job of gittin’ de lags -to git hold of dat case. Dey put up for it, but nothin’ like wot it’s -wurth. Why, man, dere’s thousands and thousands in dat case and dere’s -more’n one dat would put up big for it.” - -Spike pricked up his ears, for he began to see what was meant and of -what use the knowledge of it would be to him in his contest with -Lannigan. - -“Oh, gwan!” he cried. “You’re dopey. Youse dreamin’.” - -“Naw, I ain’t dreamin’,” exclaimed the other. “His nibs dat lives in de -crib dat was cracked would give enough to make us all rich, to git dat -case back wid wot’s in it.” - -“Say,” asked Spike, “where did you get dat line?” - -“De same where you got your line,” said Morris. - -“Patsy Murphy?” - -“De same.” - -“How did he come to do dat?” - -“Dat’s wot he’s lookin’ for,” said Morris. “Yer see, he’s lookin’ for -dat and nottin’ else. You know Patsy is an east sider, an’ he tackled me -to know if I knew who did de job, den he’d give all his insides to me -about it.” - -“Yes, he did!” said Spike, incredulously. - -“Dat’s right. He did. An’ he said dat he was talkin’ wid you afore he -seen me and if he hadn’t been a chump, he’d split to you to see if you -wouldn’t give him a pointer on de fellers into de job.” - -“Dat’s right,” said Spike, thoughtfully. “An’ I give him de chance when -I was pumpin’ him as to whether he knew who did de job.” - -“Well, what of it?” - -“Well,” said Morris, “I was t’inkin’ dere was somethin’ into it for you -and me if you handled it right. I was t’inkin’ if you was dead onto de -right lags, dat youse could go to ’em an’ give ’em a tip about the wuth -dere was into de case and get ’em to hold it up; den youse who wasn’t -into de job could dicker between dem as wants it bad and Patsy’d be one -to dicker wid.” - -Spike slapped the table with his hands so hard that every one in the -room turned to look, but Spike was too earnest to notice this. To Morris -he said: - -“Yer right, kid, yer dead right. Yer’ve got a big line. Now, see here, I -know who did de job. I’m dead certain of that, dough dey won’t say dey -did. But wid what you give me I’ll make ’em talk on de level. Now, kid, -youse must git out of here, for dem as I t’inks did it will be here -soon. I’m on de dead level wid youse and you got yer rake in whatever I -pulls off.” - -“All right,” said Morris. - -He got up from the table, pulled his hat over his brows, and then -swaggered out of the barroom. - -Reaching Thirty-fourth Street he walked to the west quite rapidly and on -the second corner above as he turned to the left he came into close -contact with another, an encounter which caused him to step back with a -decided start. - -Then he laughed aloud, most heartily, and if at nothing else, at the -look of vast astonishment which spread over the face of the other -person. Both the laugh and the look of astonishment were justified. - -The man he had encountered was an exact duplicate of himself. They -needed but a band between them to become Siamese twins. - -Finally, recovering from his astonishment a bit, the other reached out -as if he would take Morris by the shoulders, saying: - -“Here, cull, wot’s all dis?” - -“It’s all right, Bally Morris,” replied the other, who himself had been -called by that name by Spike Thomas. - -Suddenly the other bent forward, peering keenly into the face of his -counterpart and almost shouted: - -“Hully chee! It’s a plant. De cull is painted for me. Dat’s right.” - -Again the other laughed so heartily that he could not reply, and while -he was holding his sides his counterpart cried out: - -“Wot’s de game? Give up now. Who’s youse?” - -“Patsy Murphy, Bally Morris,” replied Patsy, for it was Patsy. “I didn’t -think I’d run up agin’ you so far away from de Bowery. But come along -till I get dis make-up off me.” - -Somewhat dazed and wholly bewildered, the east-side tough followed -obediently the one who had made himself into such a skillful -resemblance. - -“But I say, Patsy,” he asked, “what was you up to?” - -“Nothing that’ll hurt you,” replied Patsy, “but if you’ll play up to de -line it may put some dollars into your pocket.” - -Patsy found on the corner below a drinking-place and, going into the -washroom, quickly removed the make-up that had made him look like Bally -Morris. - -Then he took Billy into the barroom and told him just what he had done -in his disguise. - -“Now, Billy,” he said in conclusion, “I haven’t made you do anything -that’ll hurt you or any one else. If you’ll take up my lead now and not -let Spike know that I faked him so, there’ll be some boodle for you -from somewhere. Do yer see?” He continued: “I’m tryin’ to stop that case -from going into the hands of people that, if it ever reaches them, can’t -be got out of by the right owners.” - -When the real Bally Morris comprehended the whole scheme he was quite -willing to fall into it and do as Patsy wanted him to do since there was -no danger for him, but a chance of profit. - -“Are you goin’ to be on the level with me?” asked Patsy. - -“Why shouldn’t I be?” replied Morris. “Dere ain’t anyt’ing in it for me -any odder way.” - -“Then,” said Patsy, “get down to that place and watch Spike. And meet me -on the other corner an hour from now. Wait for me till I come.” - -Patsy hastened to report, for he believed that he had made most -important discoveries. - - - - -CHAPTER V. - -DRAWING THE LINES. - - -While Patsy was meeting with his experiences, Chick had been making -inquiries as to the five promoters, each of whom had been endeavoring to -obtain possession of the drawings and models of the deceased inventor. - -Inquiry, skillfully conducted, had satisfied Chick that at least four of -them had gone no further than to make offers to the widow for possession -of the drawings. - -In these offers, there may have been no regards for the rights of Mr. -Herron, and, if the widow had accepted one of them, they would have -taken an unfair advantage of that gentleman. But, as to going any -further and taking a step into crime for the purpose of securing them, -Chick was well satisfied they had or would do nothing of the kind. - -They were men of standing and reputation. - -He did find out that these four had banded together in a new offer to -the widow if she could obtain possession of the drawings and models -again to deliver to them, and that this offer was made peculiarly -advantageous to her in order to induce her to stronger efforts to regain -them from Mr. Herron. - -As to the fifth, whose name was Mortimer Seaman, Chick was by no means -so well satisfied. - -He found by inquiry that Seaman was regarded by those who knew him best -as a keen, sharp, unscrupulous man, who was reckless in his methods and -who, more than once in his career, had trod so near the line dividing -honesty from dishonesty that he had barely escaped punishment. - -He was charged, in more than one instance, of having robbed inventors of -the fruits of their labors and discoveries, and had, in one case, openly -boasted of the shrewdness with which he had secured certain patent -rights without paying for the same. - -Indeed, a cloud of scandal and doubt and suspicion seemed to surround -the man, and Chick also learned that his credit at the banks and other -financial institutions was by no means of the best. - -Pursuing his inquiries into his private life, he found that Seaman had -two sides therein. One, that he was interested in athletic sports, and -the other, a rather rapid side, since he was much given to gambling. - -In short, in the daytime he was a projector of commercial schemes and a -promoter of stock companies, while at night he was a man about town -familiarly known in the Tenderloin. - -“If any one undertook such desperate means to secure those papers as -hiring burglars,” said Chick, to himself, “Mortimer Seaman is the man.” - -He went to Nick Carter to report his inquiries to his chief. - -“Chick,” said Nick, “what you have discovered fits in very well with -some things I have learned to-day, and together the two discoveries make -a pretty strong showing. - -“Before calling on Samuel Elwell, who is the lawyer who acted for the -inventor and is now acting for the widow, I made some pretty close -inquiries as to his standing. In those inquiries I have learned that, -since the death of the inventor, Elwell and Seaman have been seen -together very frequently, but almost wholly in the evenings and uptown. -I cannot learn that Seaman ever called at Elwell’s office. - -“The fact that they met at night would in itself be of no sort of -consequence, perhaps; but when I called on Elwell he denied ever having -seen Seaman, saying that he was unacquainted with the person. This looks -bad on the face of it, and, at all events, shows that Elwell is an -unreliable person. - -“Elwell is the man who drew up the articles of agreement between the -inventor and Mr. Herron, which had not been signed at the time of the -death of the inventor. He, therefore, well knew what the intention of -the inventor was, and what value the inventor had received from Mr. -Herron. Yet it is he who advised the widow to accept the offer Seaman -made and who had been trying in her name to recover the drawing and -models from Mr. Herron.” - -“And your conclusion is--what?” asked Chick. - -“My conclusion is,” replied Nick, “that Elwell is not acting sincerely -for the widow, is advising her badly with the intention of profiting in -the enterprise himself. - -“Mr. Herron’s lawyer tells me that Elwell had abandoned his suit against -Herron for the recovery, since he found he had no standing in court; -and, when Mr. Herron’s lawyer refused to make such concession as would -enable the case to be tried, Elwell lost his temper, declaring that if -they were not permitted to proceed on legal lines they were not to be -blamed if they took to illegal ones. In short, Chick, Mr. Seaman and Mr. -Elwell are both men to be watched.” - -They had arrived at this stage of the consultation, when Patsy came in, -in great haste. - -“I have got to get back again as quick as I can!” he exclaimed, “so let -me spiel first.” - -Consent having been given him, Patsy told his story--a story that -elicited the heartiest praise and laughter from Nick and Chick. - -That which struck Chick as the most humorous was that Patsy, after -having assumed the disguise of an east side crook, and as he was -hastening away with a view of getting rid of it, should run against the -original himself. - -When the story was ended, Nick said: - -“If I had been at your elbow, Patsy, to have you do exactly what I -wanted you to do, you could not have done better than you have done. It -was a bright idea of yours, having found out pretty closely who the men -were who did the job, to make them hold on to the case, and not deliver -it. - -“From what Chick and I have learned to-day, added to your very important -discoveries, I think we can set out on the line, and not be very far -wrong, that Seaman employed Lannigan and his companions to go into that -house for that case. - -“That’s the line that we have got to work on now. If we can connect -Seaman and Lannigan, I think our theory will straighten out into fact.” - -“I wish,” said Chick, “I had known all that we now know before I left -the neighborhood of Seaman’s office.” - -“Why so?” asked Nick. - -“Because,” replied Chick, “I fear that that trip of Lannigan and his -companion across the river, that Patsy tells of, was to meet Seaman and, -perhaps, to deliver to him there that case.” - -“I don’t think so,” said Patsy, positively. - -“And why not, youngster?” asked Chick. - -“Because the biggest ‘fence’ there is around here is on that side of the -river, in Long Island City. I don’t know how long it has been there, but -a crook told me about it a week ago, and, when I heard Lannigan and the -other fellow say they were going over to the other side of the river, I -dropped that they were going to make arrangements for taking the stuff -they took out of that house in Thirty-fifth Street over there.” - -“I think Patsy is right,” said Nick. “I hardly think that they would -cross the water to meet Seaman. But I do fear that that case has already -been delivered to Seaman--was delivered before day broke.” - -Chick looked up quickly at Nick, and said: - -“Then it is your plan to make the fight on the Seaman line.” - -“Yes,” said Nick; “after the developments of to-day I am satisfied that -if we recover that case, it will be from Seaman. However, we are hardly -in deep enough to be positive about anything. I have great hopes from -what Patsy may learn this afternoon. And, Chick, I think the thing for -you to do now is to put yourself on Seaman’s trail and follow him up to -see where he leads you.” - -“If that is so,” replied Chick, “I had better get to him as soon as I -can.” - -“And I must get back to my assistants,” laughed Patsy. - -Without further delay, both Chick and Patsy left the room and hurried -off in their different directions. - -The two young detectives were hardly out of sight when Ida made her -appearance to report the results of her labor during the day. - -As she entered, Nick said: - -“I hardly expected to see you to-day, Ida. But your coming now would -indicate that you have something to say.” - -“I have,” replied Ida. “I have seen and had a talk with the widow, Mrs. -Pemberton.” - -“So soon?” said Nick, highly pleased. “That is very quick work, Ida.” - -Ida laughed, and replied: - -“I had unusual good luck. Finding out where Mrs. Pemberton lived, I saw -at once that her next door neighbor was a friend of mine. Going there, -to that friend, I found out that the two--my friend and Mrs. -Pemberton--were quite intimate friends. At all events, very -neighborly--frequently exchanging calls. That is how I came to meet her -so quickly. While I was in the rooms of my friend, Mrs. Pemberton ran -in, and it was not a difficult matter to get Mrs. Pemberton to talk of -that which is nearest to her heart.” - -“That was, indeed, unusual luck,” said Nick. - -“Nick Carter’s luck,” said Ida, with a laugh. - -“No,” replied Nick; “if it was anybody’s luck, it was your luck; but I -don’t think luck has anything to do with it, after all. It is hard work -and quick seizure of opportunities when they present themselves. And -your luck was in seizing quickly the opportunity you saw. But what did -you learn?” - -“The chief thing that I learned,” said Ida, “is that Mrs. Pemberton is -beginning to believe that she has been badly advised and that she -believes that it would have been better for her had she followed the -intentions of her husband and stuck to Mr. Herron. She is poor and -without money.” - -“But she has the ten thousand dollars that Mr. Herron gave her for the -drawings and models.” - -“No, she has not,” replied Ida; “that was returned to Mr. Herron when -she decided to accept the offer of the other people and demanded the -return of the models and drawings?” - -“But it was not returned,” replied Nick. - -“She said to-day that it was,” replied Ida. - -“She gave the check to Mr. Elwell, her lawyer, who says that he returned -it to Mr. Herron.” - -Nick started to his feet, crying: - -“The infernal rascals! They mean to rob her of everything. If they have -got those drawings and models through the robbery of last night, she -will not get a single penny.” - -The detective began to pace up and down the room hurriedly. Suddenly he -stopped and asked: - -“Did she mention a man of the name of Seaman in her talk?” - -“Yes; he is the man who made the offer that induced her to go back from -the arrangements with Mr. Herron.” - -“Was Mr. Elwell with him at the time?” - -“Yes; she mentioned him as being present at the time they concluded the -arrangements with Mr. Seaman. Mrs. Pemberton said that Mr. Elwell wrote -a paper in her rooms at the time, binding her to let Seaman have the -drawings and models, and Seaman to the payment of certain sums of money -at certain periods, which they both signed.” - -“They are a pack of rascals!” again exclaimed Nick. “Elwell knew that -Mrs. Pemberton was in honor bound to let those drawings and models go to -Mr. Herron, and that, in accepting the check of ten thousand dollars, -she was legally bound. But he has stolen that check and left her without -a cent. I must prevent him from realizing on that check if it is not too -late. Follow up your acquaintance with Mrs. Pemberton, Ida.” - -Nick hurried to the office of Mr. Herron and learned from him that up to -twelve o’clock that day, the check for ten thousand which he had given -to Mrs. Pemberton had neither been received nor tendered to him, and -that it had not been presented for payment. - -Under Nick’s advice, he hurried to the bank to stop its payment unless -it was presented by the one in whose favor it was drawn. - - - - -CHAPTER VI. - -A STRANGE MEETING. - - -When Patsy returned to the place he had appointed to meet Bally Morris -he was surprised to find that person waiting for him with Spike Thomas. - -So warm was their greeting of him that Patsy began to think that they -regarded him as one of their pals. - -As the proper way to open up the business of such importance, Spike -asked Patsy to join him in a drink, and when they were ranged at the -bar, Spike said: - -“I say, Patsy, was youse on the dead level or was youse givin’ Bally a -stiff about dat case?” - -“No,” said Patsy, soberly, “I was on the dead level about it. Say, I’m -givin’ it to you straight when I’m tellin’ you me boss is only in the -case for to get that leather case with the papers in it. He’s got to git -it some way, and he’s sizin’ it up that it’s got to be got by comin’ -down wid de dust.” - -“Dat’s straight talk,” said Spike. - -“Of course it’s straight,” said Patsy. “It’s one of the cases where you -play your cards wid the faces up. Somebody swiped the papers. The man -from whom the papers was swiped wants ’em bad and they’re wuth more to -him than to anybody else. To get ’em back he’d forget in a minute that -his crib was cracked. Now that’s all there is in it.” - -“Does youse know for sure dat de leather case was swiped?” asked Spike, -earnestly. - -“Sure.” - -“Does youse know who did the swiping?” asked Spike. - -“No; I don’t know anything about it,” said Patsy. “But you do.” - -“I think I do, but I don’t know for sure.” - -“Oh, come off,” said Patsy. “You know that Lannigan and another fellow -did the job.” - -“Dat’s just what I think,” said Spike, earnestly. “I’m dead certain of -it, but not knowin’ it for sure. Dey won’t say so.” - -“Say,” asked Patsy, “didn’t they come back as they agreed to from the -other side of the river?” - -“Yep, dey come back all right, all right, but dey wouldn’t talk.” - -“What did they go across the river for?” - -“I’m blessed if I know.” - -“Then I’ll tell you what for,” said Patsy. “They went across there to -stow the sparklers and the tin. The fence, you know.” - -Spike started up with great interest. - -“Oh, come now,” said Patsy, “you don’t want me to t’ink, Spike, that -you’re so far behind that you don’t know that the safest fence around -here is across de river.” - -“Oh, I heard so,” said Spike, humbly. “But, honest, Patsy, I ain’t never -been dere, for there ain’t been nothin’ doin’ wid me so long dat I’m -parched back to the roots of me tongue.” - -“Well,” said Patsy, “that’s what they went across the river for. But I -ain’t got nothin’ to do about that. My peepers are on that leather -case.” - -“Well, anyhow,” said Spike, “when dey come back dey wouldn’t talk any -more than before dey went.” - -“You mean,” said Patsy, “that they wouldn’t say whether they were in -that job in Thirty-fifth Street or not.” - -“Dat’s what I mean,” said Spike. - -“But, say,” said Bally Morris, speaking for the first time, “Spike put -it at ’em anyhow.” - -“Put what at them?” asked Patsy. - -“Oh, I put up de story as to dat case and wot there was into it if dey -held on,” said Spike. - -“How did they take it?” asked Patsy. - -“Dat’s just it,” said Spike. “Dey took it all in and dey swallowed it -for gospel truth. Den de two culls looked at each other and I seed dey -meant to freeze on it, but was goin’ to freeze me out. Say, Patsy, it -was a clean trow down. Dey’s goin’ to play dere own hands on de tip I -give dem and freeze us out.” - -“Are you goin’ to let ’em?” asked Patsy. - -“Not on yer solid nut,” said Spike. “You stand by and see what de next -shuffle of de cards turns up for trumps.” - -Spike and Bally Morris winked at each other and laughed. - -“We ought to take Patsy in,” said Bally Morris. - -“No, no,” said Spike. “Patsy don’t want to be in on dis game. He don’t -want to know nothin’ about it, but all de same we’re on de dead level -with him. You don’t want to be in dis shuffle, Patsy, but you’ll be in -all de same on de scoring.” - -Patsy understood by this that something was going forward that, in the -opinion of the two, it was best for him to know nothing about until it -was all over, but that it was in the line of his wishes. - -Spike drew himself up, and, with a wink and a leer, said: - -“I’m a little of a fly-cop meself and we ain’t doin’ so bad after all; -are we, Bally?” - -“Not on your life,” said Bally. - -The two toughs laughed heartily, and Spike added: - -“I give Lannigan de glad hand and put him on to de boys when he landed -here. But he’s trowed me down. Maybe he’ll want to know who trowed him -up.” - -To this Patsy made no remark. - -He was anxious to get away in order that he might follow the two toughs, -for he knew that they had entered into some sort of a scheme in -connection with this matter. - -“Well, Spike,” he said, “if you don’t want to let me in to what you’re -up to, all right. I’ve been on the dead level wid you and, anyhow, you -ought to be with me.” - -The tough made the strongest protest in his own language that he had no -idea of going back on Patsy, and the young detective slipped away. - -He did not go far, however, but, concealing himself in a place where he -could not be observed, watched to see the two toughs come from the -drinking place where he had left them. - -They came out in a short time and went in the direction of Thirty-fourth -Street, turning to the east. - -Patsy slipped after them and cautiously followed down the block in -Thirty-fourth Street to see them meet, on the next corner, a young lad -of their own kind, not more than sixteen or seventeen, who told -something to Spike which gratified him to such an extent that he grasped -Bally Morris’ hand and shook it hard as he capered a clumsy dance on the -sidewalk. - -The two then turned on their heels, walking in the direction whence they -had come. - -Patsy was put at some difficulty to get out of sight in time, and only -did so by hiding behind a signboard leaning against a grocery store. - -The two passed on to Third Avenue, Patsy in fairly close pursuit. - -Reaching Third Avenue, Bally Morris made an inspection of the drinking -saloon on the corner and soon came out shaking his head at Spike. - -The two then walked up Third Avenue rather leisurely, followed by Patsy, -until Forty-second Street was reached. Here again Bally Morris went into -the liquor saloons on the corner and came back to report to Spike -standing on the upper corner. - -The place was not an easy one for Patsy to keep the two in sight. - -For a time the two manifested no disposition to leave that corner and, -while Patsy was wondering what their purpose was, he caught sight of -Chick coming down Forty-second Street rather stealthily. Patsy looked -around to see whom he was following, and finally hit upon a low-sized, -broad-shouldered man, dressed in the extreme of fashion, who was walking -down the street in a vigorous and self-satisfied way. - -Patsy at once put himself in a position where he could signal Chick that -he was nearby. - -Chick caught the signal and immediately returned one which meant that -Patsy should come to him if he could. - -As the man Chick was following reached the corner of Forty-second Street -and Third Avenue--that is to say, the northeast corner--he stopped and -looked about in every direction. - -Apparently he did not see the person he was looking for, because he -settled himself for a wait. This gave Chick an opportunity to cross the -street to where Patsy stood. - -As he came up he asked: - -“Shadowing?” - -“Yes,” replied Patsy. - -“Who?” - -Patsy grinned and replied: - -“My two assistants.” - -“What are they doing?” - -“I don’t know, but they are up to some game that I can’t see through. -Who is your man?” - -“Seaman.” - -“The deuce!” replied Patsy. “What is he here for?” - -“I don’t know,” replied Chick, “but I followed him here from Broad -Street.” - -“He is waiting for somebody?” asked Patsy. - -“It looks that way,” said Chick, “and I think it’s Lannigan.” - -At this moment Patsy caught the arm of Chick, and giving it a hard grip, -nodded his head up the street. - -Chick turned to see Nick Carter coming down on the same side of the -street on which he had followed Seaman. - -“He’s on the shadow,” said Patsy. - -“Yes; but who?” - -“I ain’t sure,” said Patsy, “but I’ll bet that it’s that man with the -black frock coat, black hat and full beard.” - -Chick and Patsy both separated in order that they might give the signal -to Nick that they were in the neighborhood. - -But each kept their eyes upon those they were following. - -Spike Thomas and Bally Morris were still standing on the corner they had -selected, and Seaman was on the corner opposite them. - -As Nick neared the corner he made a rapid signal which showed that he -had received theirs, but made no effort to join them. - -In the meantime the man Chick and Patsy had selected as the one followed -by Nick went on to the corner, where he went to Seaman, touching him on -the shoulder and shaking hands with him. - -“I’ll bet,” said Chick, “that the man is the lawyer, Elwell.” - -“How do you know?” asked Patsy. - -“I don’t know,” said Chick, “I am only guessing.” - -In the meantime, Nick Carter had concealed himself at a point from which -he could watch the man he had followed. - -Seeing that he was in conversation with some one on the corner, he -called Chick and Patsy to him. - -“Elwell?” asked Chick, as he came up. - -“Yes,” said Nick. “Do you know who he is talking with?” - -“Yes,” said Chick. “It is my man Seaman.” - -“Seaman?” repeated Nick. “That is strange. They have met here by -arrangement.” - -“To meet some one else,” said Chick. - -“And why are you here, Patsy?” asked Nick. - -“I followed my two assistants here,” said Patsy, “from the foot of -Thirty-fourth Street.” - -“It is very strange that following men from different parts of the city -we should all meet here,” said Nick. “But we must separate. It won’t do -for us to bunch together here. But keep in touch with each other, boys.” - -Chick slipped across the street, closely followed by Patsy, but on the -other side Chick took up a station near the elevated railroad pillar, -while Patsy, going further, crossed Third Avenue and took a station -there, where he could more easily watch the two who were his especial -charge. - -He had been there but a moment or two when he saw signs of excitement in -Spike Thomas and Bally Morris. - -They evidently were trying to conceal themselves from the view of some -one on the opposite side of the avenue. - -Patsy made an effort to see if he could determine who or what was the -cause of this excitement, and saw Lannigan coming down the avenue with -the same man he had seen in the saloon in Thirty-fourth Street. - -It struck him at once that Chick and Nick did not know Lannigan, and so -he slipped across the avenue again, using a passing street car for a -cover, and reaching Chick, said to him: - -“Lannigan and his pal are coming down the street.” - -At this moment, Lannigan came into view and immediately went up to -Elwell and spoke to him. - -“That’s him,” said Patsy, “speaking to Elwell. Let the chief know who it -is.” - -He stepped back to look at his own men and saw that they were hastening -up Third Avenue at a rapid gait. - -Without waiting further, he darted after the two, well satisfied that -the one they had concealed themselves from, and from whom they were now -running, was Lannigan. - -In the meantime, the four men on the corner had exchanged a few words, -and then Lannigan and his companion turning, followed by Seaman and -Elwell, led the way into the saloon on the corner near them. - -Chick crossed Forty-second Street to Nick, saying: - -“The two who met our men were Lannigan and his pal.” - -“Does Seaman know you?” asked Nick. - -“I do not think so,” replied Chick. - -“Then slip into that saloon and see if you can get near enough to hear -what their talk is about.” - -Chick walked away hurriedly and entered the saloon. - -Nick took up a position on the street, where he could watch both -entrances, and waited for developments. - - - - -CHAPTER VII. - -TAKING CHANCES. - - -In the meeting of Seaman, Elwell and the one Patsy said was Lannigan, -Nick saw strong confirmation of the theory that he had been inclined -from the first to believe. - -That was that one at least of the promoters who, on the inventor’s -death, had tried and failed to get hold of the drawings and models -through the widow, was now engaged upon the desperate enterprise of -hiring a burglar to enter the house of Mr. Herron and steal them. - -As a result of Chick’s investigation, it appeared that Seaman was the -only man likely to engage in such an enterprise, although nothing had -been discovered that in the slightest degree connected him with that -burglary. - -His own investigation as to Elwell, the lawyer, had led him to suppose -that the lawyer had seized in the death of Pemberton, the inventor, and -the ignorance of the widow as to business matters, an opportunity to -increase his own financial gains by a control of the model and drawings. - -But all of this was simply the result of shrewd suspicion, in which -there had been nothing pointing to who had entered the house, nor -anything even hinting at a conspiracy between the lawyer and the -promoter on the one side and the burglars on the other. - -Patsy’s experiences of the day, however, had supplied, if not knowledge, -at least suspicion as to who that burglar was. - -Now, the meeting of the three in a part of the city so remote from the -haunts of at least two, indicated that they were on the right track. -And what had been mere suspicion was rapidly getting into the shape of -fact. - -Lannigan was a new hand in New York. That he had even come to the city -had been unknown to Nick. He had never seen him nor come in contact with -him, but he had heard of him as a most skillful thief whose line of work -was principally that of opening safes, as some of the Philadelphians -knew to their cost, for it was in that city he was suspected of making -his headquarters. - -Nick had heard that he had learned the trade of safe-lock making and had -become an expert in opening safes where the combination had been lost. -That the expertness he had reached in this had been his undoing, as he -had been persuaded into doing this work for burglars who had opened the -way for him to enter banks and other places where money was stored. - -Nick had sent Chick into the saloon for the reason that he feared he -would be recognized by Elwell, on whom he had called earlier in the day. - -He had supposed that they had entered this saloon only for the purpose -of taking a drink, and would soon come out again, for he believed that -the meeting was for the purpose of receiving from Lannigan the drawings -and models. - -But as the time was prolonged, he began to believe that matters were -taking a shape quite different from what he had supposed. - -Finally, by the aid of a wig and a false mustache and a change of hat, -he made a sufficient change in his appearance to prevent Elwell from -recognizing him, and then he entered the saloon himself. - -There were a number of persons standing about and ranged along the bar, -but in a hasty glance around he could see none of the three under -suspicion, nor was Chick at once visible. - -At the rear of the saloon there was a partition about man high that -formed of the corner a small private room. - -The door of this room was open, and as Nick pushed his way cautiously -toward the rear, he could see that the three men were seated about a -small table in the center of that room. - -A glance at them was sufficient to see that matters were by no means -moving along smoothly between them. - -Lannigan and his companion seemed to be opposed to Elwell and Seaman, -the first of whom was apparently pleading with the other two. - -Looking around quickly for Chick, Nick saw in the angle made by this -partition and the side wall, and not far from the door of the small -room, a man intently engaged in reading a newspaper held in such a -manner as to utterly conceal his face and body. - -Nick surmised that the person behind this paper was Chick, and that he -had gotten as close to the party within the room as he could without -discovery. - -Going back to the front of the saloon, Nick gave a whistle, which was -one of the signals between himself and his assistants, and, watching the -paper held by the man in the corner, saw a peculiar flirt of it, which -assured him that he was right in supposing Chick was behind him. - -From the fact that Chick did not change position, he was also satisfied -that Chick was on the track of something which he regarded too important -to leave. - -And so, working himself down by degrees to the rear of the room, he -began an examination to see if it were possible for him to get close to -this room at a point where he also could hear what was going forward -within it. - -He observed that at the end of the bar was a large ice box in which the -larger beer kegs were put, and that at the back of that was a small -room where was the washstand. Between this ice box and the small room -and the one in which the four were seated, was a small passageway which -led to a door, which, in Nick’s judgment, opened into a hallway from -which the upper part of the building was gained. - -Nick immediately left the saloon by the front door, and, walking along -Forty-second Street, found a rear door at the end of the building, -which, on trying, he found opened into the hallway he had supposed was -there. - -On his right, a few feet further on, was a door, and on trying this he -found it to be the one he had seen from the barroom. - -Cautiously passing this, he turned quickly into the small room where was -the washstand. In the corner of this room was a chair, which he mounted -and saw that he could climb to the top of the ice chest where, lying at -full length, he would be well concealed. - -It was but the work of a moment to place himself in that position. - -When there he found that he could hear quite well, though the people -within the room were talking in a low voice. - -Finally Lannigan spoke in a tone made louder by his irritation. And his -words fell quite distinctly on Nick’s ears. - -“What’s the use of going over that again,” said Lannigan. “You didn’t -give it to me straight in the beginning. You gave me a stiff that the -papers wasn’t of much value, of no value to the man that had them, but -only to you, and that the best they would do if they were in your hands -would be to save you time.” - -“Well, that is true,” said Seaman. “We were bound to get them by law, -but it would take a year or more to do so.” - -“Stop it,” said Lannigan. “There’s no use of lying any more about it. -You played me for a chump. You never came to me on the job until you -found out there was no way in law by which you could get them. If there -had been you wouldn’t have come to me at all.” - -“You have been misinformed,” said Elwell. - -“No, I haven’t,” said Lannigan. “I’ve got it all straight. And you lied -to me about the money there was into the papers. There’s been a big race -for these papers, and there’s more than one that’ll bid high to get -them. I am on to it straight when I say that the man from whom they was -took would put up fifty thou. to have them back.” - -“Oh, you’re wild,” said Seaman. - -“Wild nawthin’,” said Lannigan, angrily. “Yer tried to give me a gold -brick, and if it hadn’t been for what I found out this morning you -would. No thousand casenote is goin’ to get that thing from me.” - -“A thousand dollars for an hour’s work at your own trade, with six or -eight thousand dollars of stuff besides that you took out, isn’t much of -a gold brick,” said Seaman. - -“It’s the chances I took,” said Lannigan, “that puts the price on.” - -“You got away with the chances all right,” said Seaman. - -“No,” said Lannigan, so sharply that his voice rang. “Nick Carter is on -the hunt at this minute. Do you know what that means?” - -“I suppose it means,” said Seaman, carelessly, “that he’s trying to find -out who went into that house during the night.” - -“I’ll tell you what it means,” said Lannigan. “It means that the -smartest man on earth is right at my heels, and that I’ll be lucky if I -get out of town without being nabbed.” - -“But----” - -“It means that to get for you what will make you big rich, I may have to -do time in the cage. And you can bet your bottom dollar that I’m not -goin’ to do that for any little thousand casenote, now that I know how -much those papers are worth to you and others.” - -“Lannigan,” said Elwell, “there’s a side to this that you don’t seem to -look at. You are striking so high that the people I represent, and -Seaman here, can’t reach it. Now, we will admit for the sake of argument -that there are others that will pay well for those drawings, perhaps -more than we will pay. But if you go back on the bargain that you -entered into, there is no reason why, if we lose the papers, that we -should keep our mouths shut about the thefts of those jewels and silver -plate. The taking of them was all outside of our bargain.” - -“You mean,” said Lannigan, “that you would peach on me?” - -“If you go back on your word and your bargain, there is no reason why we -should have any friendship for you. This game isn’t all your own.” - -There was a moment’s pause in the conversation, and then Lannigan said, -in a most threatening tone: - -“There are sharp knives and straight-shooting revolvers, and all the -undertakers are not dead.” - -“So,” replied Elwell, “you are threatening to add murder to your list.” - -“No,” replied Lannigan; “I am only telling you that you can’t fool me. -That’s all.” - -There was a movement and sound as if somebody had thrust back a chair -and risen to his feet. - -“But what’s the use of talking?” said Lannigan. “You got my say. If you -want them papers what’s into that leather case you can get them for -fifty thou. I’ll give you until to-morrow, this hour, to think it over, -and if you don’t come down I’ll make the best deal I can with the man I -took them from, and I know how to do it.” - -There was the sound of a step or two and Seaman’s voice was heard. - -“Wait a moment, Lannigan,” it said, “I want just a word.” - -There was silence some four or five minutes, when Seaman was heard -again: - -“Lannigan,” he said, “we’ll make you a new offer. We haven’t got the -money you demand. It’s a big sum. But I stand ready to make this deal -with you now, if you’ll take it. If you will deliver those drawings and -the model to me this afternoon, I’ll give you five thousand dollars in -cash and my promise in writing, well indorsed, to give you fifty -thousand dollars when this thing is sold to the company that stands -ready to buy and manufacture.” - -There was no reply to this for a moment or two, and Seaman added: - -“It’s the best I can do, and in giving you five thousand I give you -every cent I have. I can’t make the sale, which is all ready to make for -big money, unless I’ve got these things in my hands. And that’s all -there is about it. If you don’t take this offer we’ve got to throw up -our hands and we won’t owe you a cent.” - -There was silence following this, which lasted a long time, and it -seemed to Nick that Lannigan and his companion must have been consulting -over this last offer. - -Finally there was a step or two heard and then Lannigan’s voice, saying: - -“Is that five thou. to be laid down to-day?” - -“On the delivery of that leather case with all that’s in it.” - -“How soon can you do it?” asked Lannigan. - -“As soon as you can deliver the goods.” - -“That’s now.” - -“And I have the funds with me now.” - -“Well, then, if you close up the first part of the bargain right away, -we’ll do it.” - -Everybody apparently rose from their feet, and amid the scuffle and -movement was heard Seaman’s voice: - -“Let’s get about it at once.” - -“Come with me, then,” said Lannigan. - -“Where to?” asked Elwell. - -“You will know when you get there,” replied Lannigan, gruffly. - -Nick slipped off the ice box and regained the floor of the little -washroom quickly. - -Slipping out of the door and through the hall he was on the corner of -Forty-second Street and Third Avenue before the precious quartet came -from the saloon, for they had stopped to take a drink to bind their -bargain. - -Leaving the saloon, they turned to the left, going up Third Avenue to -the north. - -Close behind them came Chick. - -Nick and Chick exchanged signals and, at Nick’s suggestion, made by a -wave of the hand, Chick rapidly crossed to the other side of the avenue, -while Nick followed up after the four on the same side they were -traveling. - -The way of the four was up half a dozen blocks, where they turned into a -cross street going to the right, or in the direction of the East River. - -Two or three blocks were passed and they came to the end of a block -where, on the corner, was a three-story brick building which did not -occupy the whole of the lot on which it was built. Between the end of -the house and the adjoining one was a yard of some ten feet in width, -which was separated from the street by a high, board fence. - -In this fence was a gate, and Lannigan led the way through the gate, -standing by to close it after the last one had passed through. - -Standing on the other side of the street, Nick saw that there was a -closed staircase built on the outside of the house in the rear, by which -each floor above the liquor saloon, which occupied the first floor, was -reached. - -Chick came up and Nick said to him: - -“They have gone into that house and by those stairs from the outside.” - -“Do we raid them?” asked Chick. - -“Yes,” said Nick, sharply; then he added: “But I wish Patsy were here.” - -“First,” said Chick, “we ought to look to see what other outlets there -are to the house.” - -“Go into the barroom,” said Nick, “and see if you can find inside -stairways. I’ll take a look about the outside.” - -The two started for the purpose. - - - - -CHAPTER VIII. - -THE YOUNG GALLANT. - - -As the four men under the watch of Nick and Chick had entered the saloon -as described in the last chapter, Patsy was hurrying up Third Avenue -after the two crooks, Thomas and Bally Morris. - -What their purpose or intentions were Patsy had no idea. But as he -believed that whatever errand they were on was the result of what he had -told them, he suspected that in some way it was connected with the -burglary in Thirty-fifth Street. In what way, however, he could not even -guess. - -When they had left Thirty-fourth Street, after receiving word from the -young fellow which had so excited Spike, and had turned to go up to -Forty-second Street, Patsy had supposed that they were searching for -Lannigan and his companion. - -But when to that corner came Lannigan and he saw how anxious they were -to escape the observation of that swell cracksman, and how, as quickly -as they could, they got away from the neighborhood, he was confused and -could do no more than follow them to see what they were about. - -The route they took was not very different from that later followed by -Lannigan, Seaman, Elwell and the unknown. - -However, they did not go up Third Avenue as far as the four, but turned -to the east a block short, going down to Avenue A, where they turned to -the left and entered a house midway in the block. - -“Now,” said Patsy to himself, “what are they going to do here?” - -On the first floor, on the street, was a small store devoted to the sale -of butter, cheese and eggs. Beside this store was a door which entered -into a hallway, and it was through this door that Spike Thomas and Bally -Morris passed. - -“They’re going upstairs,” said Patsy to himself. “Anyhow, I’ll sneak -after them.” - -Waiting only long enough for them to climb the first flight of stairs, -Patsy dashed into the hall and cautiously followed up the stairs. - -As he went up this flight he could hear them mounting the second flight -and he said to himself: - -“They’re going to the upper floor.” - -Reaching the second floor he followed the banisters to the foot of the -second flight, and there stopped to listen. - -He could hear them rap at a door on the floor above him and, in a moment -or two, the door was opened and the voice of a woman, in strong English -accents, was heard: - -“Oh, Harry, is it you? It’s a long time since I saw you. Who is this -with you?” - -“It’s me friend, Mr. Morris, Aunt Emma. It isn’t often I get so far -uptown, but, being up here, I thought I’d drop in on yer. I s’pose Uncle -Joe is gone to work.” - -“Yes,” replied the voice of the woman, “but come in.” - -The next moment the noise of the closing of the door was heard and Patsy -said to himself: - -“Hang it. I don’t believe it’s anything, after all.” - -He stood a moment or two hardly knowing what to do. Then he said: - -“I don’t think there’s any use going up there. I had better go down and -watch for them to come out.” - -He went as far as the head of the stairs with this intention when he -stopped, saying almost aloud: - -“But what was it that tickled Spike so down in Thirty-fourth Street. He -didn’t shake hands with himself because he knew his aunt was at home -this morning.” - -He stood still a moment thinking and again spoke aloud: - -“But, mebbe it was Lannigan coming to Forty-second Street that threw -them off.” - -He made another motion as if to go down the stairs, but halted. - -He was debating what to do. But the matter was settled for him at this -instant. - -The door on the second floor opposite where he stood was suddenly opened -and a rather flashily dressed young girl of nineteen or twenty appeared. -Casting a glance at Patsy, she gave a cry and, jumping backward, closed -the door instantly. - -Before Patsy could recover from his surprise the door was swung open and -a tough-looking young man came into the hall, demanding in rough tones -to know what he was doing there. - -“I guess I’ve lost my way,” said Patsy. - -“Well, you want to find it right away,” said the young fellow. - -Patsy wanted no row at this time, for he did not want Spike Thomas and -Bally Morris to know that he had followed them. - -So by the showing of good humor he tried to get out of his difficulty as -easily as possible. - -“Then I’ll make my way down the stairs,” he said, laughingly. - -At that moment the door opened again and the young girl appeared for a -second time. As she did so she said to the young fellow: - -“He’s Patsy Murphy. Nick Carter’s kid.” - -“What are you doing here, then?” asked the young fellow of Patsy. - -“Nothing you need get hot over,” said Patsy. - -“You ain’t goin’ to get off so easy as all that,” said the young fellow. -“You can’t take anybody out of this house, not while I’m here.” - -“I don’t want to take anybody out,” said Patsy. - -“Then what are yer here for?” - -Patsy looked at the girl and made a bluff. - -“Well,” he said, laughing, “a feller can foller a pretty girl even if he -is one of Nick Carter’s squad.” - -If Patsy squared himself with this left-handed compliment with the girl -he certainly did not with the young fellow. - -“Say, dis goil is me sister,” he said, “an’ dere ain’t no chump goin’ to -follow her up here. I’ll trow you downstairs.” - -“Look out,” said the girl, “Patsy Murphy ain’t no easy thing.” - -While this was going on, Patsy was trying hard to figure out how it was -that he was known to this girl, whom he did not recollect ever having -seen before. - -Though the young man was threatening in his manner, he had as yet made -no move to attack Patsy. - -On his part, though, he was quite anxious to leave the house before any -outbreak could occur, yet he saw that such was the position of the young -man that if he were to attempt to go downstairs, he could be easily -attacked from above and behind. - -“Oh, say,” he said, assuming the east-side dialect, “what you chewin’ -about? All dere is of it is I saw dis goil on de street, got mashed, and -was tryin’ to get de glad hand from her. Well, I’m up against it, dat’s -all dere is of it.” - -“No, it ain’t,” said the young fellow. “You’re up here after somethin’ -else.” - -“Honest,” said Patsy. - -“Don’t lie.” - -Patsy turned on the young fellow shortly and said: - -“I’ve given it to you straight. Now don’t come back to me wid dat or -I’ll wipe that ugly mug of yours off your face.” - -The young fellow staggered back a step and Patsy went on: - -“I don’t believe dis goil is any sister of yours. She’s too pretty and -you’re too ugly.” - -Patsy was playing to get into such a position that he might slip down -the stairs without further trouble, all the more as he saw that he had -made a point with the girl. But the unexpected happened. The young -fellow made a queer sort of a call, which was immediately responded to -from several rooms on that floor and, in a moment, two men and three -women were in the hall, immediately roused by the young fellow’s -declaration that they must smash one of Nick Carter’s kids. - -One man, without waiting further, made a rush at Patsy who, in -self-defense, was compelled to strike out, which he did with such -accuracy that the fellow was knocked backward against one of the women -and together they fell to the floor. - -The woman thus thrown down began to scream at the top of her voice, in -which she was joined by the others, while the two men left, both closed -up in an endeavor to rush Patsy at the head of the stairs. - -The very thing that Patsy had hoped to escape had occurred. He wanted to -get out of the house without it being known to Spike Thomas and Bally -Morris that he had followed them in. - -He now believed that all this noise on the second floor must attract -the attention of those on the third floor and that all that he had hoped -to gain had been lost. - -He thought this rapidly, and also that there was no use of further -trying to quiet the people and that he must defend himself. - -So he squared himself to meet the rush of the two young men but, as they -began it, the girl, who had first given the alarm that he was Patsy -Murphy, threw herself in front of him in an effort to stop the rush of -the fellow who said he was her brother, and his companion. - -Patsy instantly saw that she was likely to be hurt, and catching her -with his right arm about her waist, he quickly put her to one side and, -springing forward, struck out with both fists, hitting the brother -squarely in the face with his right fist and warding off a blow from the -other with his left. - -The brother fell to the ground. The other one made a second dash at -Patsy. - -In the meantime the two women who had come at the call attempted to take -a hand, but were opposed by the young girl. - -Patsy did not wait for the second attack, but went at the second man -hammer and tongs, and soon beat him back to the wall. - -Evidently the brother had gotten all that he desired in his first -knockdown, for he made no effort to get up from the floor. - -The girl swung herself in front of Patsy and said, in a low voice: - -“Now’s your chance; git down the stairs.” - -Patsy turned and went down the stairs not hurriedly, but watchfully. - -He was trying to see if Spike Thomas and Bally Morris had been attracted -by the rumpus. - -He could see nothing of them, but he could not believe that they had -not heard the noise and had not seen him. - -However, he reached the street without further interference, and, -placing himself in a position where he could watch the door without -being seen himself, waited to see the two crooks come from the house. - -He had waited for some time, when the girl who had first given the alarm -as to himself, and then seemed to act as his friend, came to the door -and stood looking about as if for some one. - -Patsy laughed to himself as he said: - -“Hang me if I don’t think she’s looking for me. I must have jollied her -for fair.” - -After waiting a few minutes the girl went up the street slowly a few -doors, when she stopped and again looked around. - -Patsy stepped out of his concealment, and going toward the girl saw her -brighten up and nod at him. - -“I guess you got me out of a bad scrape,” he said, as he came up to her. - -“Oh,” she replied, with a smile, “it wasn’t so bad. They’re only chumps -there. You was too much for them. Say, what was you in there for, -anyway?” - -“To see you,” said Patsy. - -“Ah, go on!” cried the girl, with a laugh. “That was only a guy of -yours. I saw that and it was a good one. What was you in there for, -honest?” - -“I’ll give it to yer straight,” said Patsy, “but I don’t want to stand -here, for somebody might see me that I don’t want to know me.” - -“Come into the candy store, then,” said the girl, leading the way into a -little store where candies, cheap toys, newspapers and cigars were sold. - -Patsy stood near the door, where he could watch, and said to the girl: - -“Yes, I’ll give it to you straight. I have followed two fellows into -that house who went up to the third floor, and when you came out of the -door I was thinking whether I would go up or go down.” - -“What had they been doing?” asked the girl. - -“Nothing that I know of,” replied Patsy, with a laugh. “I was wanting to -know what they were going to do.” - -“Crooks, were they?” asked the girl. - -“Friends of mine,” replied Patsy, “and I thought that they were going to -do something about a thing I had told them of, leaving me out. I was -just following them up to see what they were going to do.” - -“Oh! And I interfered,” said the girl. - -“Oh, I don’t know. I was going away when you opened the door. What I was -afraid of was that the row would let them know that I was after them.” - -“I don’t think it did,” said the girl. - -“Didn’t anybody come from the third floor?” asked Patsy. - -“No,” said the girl. - -“Who lives up there?” asked Patsy. - -“An old woman and her husband. They have the whole floor. They are very -quiet people, but they say when the old woman was young that she was a -crook--a shoplifter. But I don’t know.” - -All this time Patsy had been keeping a sharp watch on the door of the -house in question to see if Spike Thomas and Bally Morris would come -from it. - -But now, to his astonishment, there suddenly appeared before the door of -the store the two men, Spike Thomas and Bally Morris. - -They were coming from an entirely different direction--that is to say, -from the corner above--and were walking at a gait that was almost a run -in their hurry. - -Turning to the girl, Patsy said, hurriedly: - -“There are my men now, and they’re coming from another way. I’ll see you -again soon.” - -He dashed out into the street and followed after the two. - -The way pursued by the two young men, Thomas and Morris, was straight -down the avenue until they reached Forty-second Street, when they -hurried up that street to Third Avenue, where, Patsy was certain, they -meant to board a car. - -On reaching the avenue he put himself in such a position that he could -board the same car the two young crooks did. - -This he successfully accomplished and rode with them as far as Rivington -Street, where they got out and hastily went down that street. - -“They’re going to Spike Thomas’ own house,” said Patsy to himself, as he -rapidly followed. - -He was right, for reaching the tenement house in which Thomas lived, the -two crooks hurried upstairs and into one of the rooms. - -Patsy had fairly followed them to the door unknown to them and seeing -them safely in, he turned and went down the stairs into the street, -saying to himself: - -“Now, what was it all about? I must lay by to get a chance to talk to -Spike when they come out.” - -He made his way to a drinking place which he knew to be one of the -haunts of Spike and Bally Morris, to wait for them. - - - - -CHAPTER IX. - -A THIEF ROBS A THIEF. - - -The result of the investigation of Chick within the barroom, and of Nick -without the house, was to show that there were two entrances to the -upper story. - -One was by the outside staircase at the rear, which had evidently been -used by the four, and the other by a hallway, the door of which was on -the avenue. - -Nick had tried and found that the door at the front of the house was -locked and bolted on the other side. - -Chick had found that there was a door at the rear of the barroom which -opened into this hall from which a flight of stairs ran up to the second -floor. - -Chick joined Nick in the cross street near the rear door that led from -the street into the barroom. They exchanged their information, and Nick -said: - -“We will go into the barroom, Chick, and while there I will manage in -some way to divert the attention of the barkeeper so that you can slip -through that door into the hall and unbolt the front door. - -“Our plan shall be that I will enter from the rear and climb those -outside stairs while you shall enter the front door, bolt it behind you -and bolt the door leading into the barroom. Then going up the stairs -from the front, we will take them front and rear.” - -Entering the saloon, it did not take Nick long to get the barkeeper so -engrossed in conversation that Chick slipped through the door into the -hall unseen, unbolted the front door, turning the key he found there so -as to unlock it, and was back again in the barroom beside Nick before -his absence had been noticed. - -Having tipped the wink to Nick that it was all arranged, the two passed -out and separated at the door, after having agreed upon a signal that -should inform each that they were in their proper places. - -Seizing a favorable opportunity when no one was looking, Nick passed the -door in the fence and went to the rear of the outside staircase. - -He met with a temporary check. - -The staircase was closed at the bottom by a door bolted from within. - -Having no tools with him and seeing nothing by which he could open the -door or force it, he took the chances of being heard and, placing his -shoulder against the part where he thought the bolt was--that is to say, -just above the lock--he gradually applied his strength until he forced -it in. - -The door was not strong and, as a matter of fact, gave way quite easily -under the pressure he could apply. - -Waiting a brief instant to see whether he had attracted attention, and -becoming satisfied that he had not, he swung the door back to see that -the stairway was covered with a cheap carpet. - -Cautiously ascending the steps he found himself on a landing which was -below a door closed and, as he quickly found, locked. - -A trial of it satisfied him that it was not bolted, and as the lock was -of the ordinary kind he had no difficulty in picking it. - -In this it differed from the one at the foot of the stairs, which had no -keyhole on the outside. - -Cautiously opening this door, he found that he was in a small-sized -entry--so small, indeed, that it was almost impossible to stand within -it, and shut the door again. On his right was another door, which was -doubtless always opened before the outer door was closed. - -But by dint of squeezing himself into the corner Nick succeeded in -closing the door and with his pick relocking it. - -Then he cautiously opened the door before him to find that it was a -bedroom, and vacant. - -Stepping within it lightly, he listened and heard voices in the room in -front. There were two doors in this room, one clearly communicating with -the front room, and the other, Nick thought, might open into a closet. -But, on trying it, he found it opened into the hall of the second story, -and saw Chick standing at the head of the stairs waiting to give the -signal which should announce his presence there. - -Nick beckoned to Chick, who came stealthily to the door. - -“They are in that front room on this floor, chief,” said Chick. “There -is nobody upstairs, for I have been through that floor. I have -barricaded the top of the stairs so they cannot escape that way.” - -“All right,” said Nick. “Now take your stand at that door leading from -the bedroom. I will leave this door open and when you hear me mew like a -cat, burst into the room.” - -Chick went to his position and Nick to his. - -Nick was about to give the signal, when he heard the voice of Lannigan -saying: - -“I suppose I’ve got to take it this way.” - -“I don’t see how else it is to be done,” said Elwell. “The paper is -drawn in such a way as to show that the fifty thousand dollars due you -is for value received. You must rely upon me to get the proper -acknowledgment of this when you bring the paper to me to-morrow. I will -do that and have it properly indorsed by responsible people, who will -give a bond for the faithful execution of the requirements of this paper -by Seaman. It is the best I can do. We have had business before -together and you have found me a man of my word. That ought to stand for -something now.” - -“I s’pose it must go,” returned Lannigan, in a doubtful and dissatisfied -tone. “I suppose I must take my chance that you’re acting on the level.” - -“I’m on the level,” said Seaman. “You wouldn’t want me to bring my -bondsman here, would you?” - -“Not on your life,” said Lannigan. “Anyhow, I’ll take the chance. I may -be done out of the money and you may not make the bond good to-morrow, -but if you don’t----” - -He stopped talking suddenly and there was a pause that lasted some time. -Then Elwell spoke: - -“There’s no use of your making such threats as that, Lannigan. They are -not pleasant.” - -“No,” laughed Lannigan, bitterly, “and they won’t be pleasant for either -you or Seaman here, if I carry them out.” - -There was another silence, during which there was the rustling of paper. -Then Elwell spoke again: - -“There, Lannigan, is the paper signed by Seaman and witnessed by me. -Bring it to me to-morrow as agreed and I will see that it is -acknowledged and the bond given to you.” - -“Very well,” said Lannigan. “Now about the five thou.” - -“Here it is,” said Seaman. - -“Let me count it,” said Lannigan. - -“You can see me count it. There are fifty one-hundred-dollar bills -here.” - -Again there was a brief silence, during which the rustling of paper was -heard. - -“Hand it over,” said Lannigan. “It’s all right.” - -“Produce the goods first,” said Seaman, with a laugh. - -“Oh, they’re here all right,” Lannigan said. “I’ll get it.” - -Again there was a brief silence, during which the steps of some one -across the floor could be heard. - -Nick got ready to give the signal, for he believed that the point was at -hand when the burst into the room should be made, to find before them -the very article that was the object of their search. - -“Open it,” said the voice of Seaman, “and let us see that it’s all -right.” - -Again there was a brief instant of silence, when there was a sudden -start, followed by an unusual commotion, cries and oaths, above which -rang the voice of Lannigan, crying: - -“The game’s up!” - -“What trick is this?” cried Seaman, angrily. - -“We’ve been robbed!” cried Lannigan and the unknown together. - -Seaman laughed loud and bitterly, and said: - -“It’s a plant. A dirty plant. Now I suppose you’ll undertake to rob me -of this five thousand.” - -“Before Heaven!” cried Lannigan, most earnestly, “it’s no plant. I tell -you we’ve been robbed and since we left here this afternoon to meet -you.” - -“Nick Carter!” exclaimed a voice that had not yet been heard in all the -talk. - -“Do you think so?” asked Elwell. - -“Who else? Who knew of it being here but Lannigan and I,” said the same -voice. - -“Has everything been taken out?” asked Elwell. - -“Every blessed scrap of paper,” replied Lannigan. “And a lot of -newspapers put in their place.” - -“Lannigan,” said Elwell, “I believe that both you and your friend are -square in this matter. I believe that you have really been robbed. This -makes it all the more serious. For we now do not know in whose hands -they are.” - -“Nick Carter’s, I tell you!” exclaimed the strange voice again. - -“Perhaps,” said Elwell. “If they are, then we are all of us done.” - -“Beat to a finish,” said Seaman. - -“He’ll die for it if he has swiped them,” almost shouted Lannigan, wild -in his anger. - -“Pshaw!” exclaimed Elwell. “You may think yourself a bad man, Lannigan; -but you had better keep out of the way of Nick Carter. If he has tracked -that case here and got possession of the things within it, the next -thing will be that he’ll have the handcuffs on you. He fears no mortal -man and he has captured single-handed half a dozen men, each one worse -than you. But I don’t think Nick Carter has got those papers.” - -“Why?” - -“Let me ask you first, whether when you last saw these, they were all in -this case and the case locked?” - -“Yes; every blessed paper and the models as well.” - -“Well, then, if Nick Carter had entered the room in search of that case -and had found it, he would not have stopped to take the things out and -substitute papers in their place, but would have taken out of the house -the case and all.” - -“That’s sense,” said Seaman. - -“Let me ask you another question,” said Elwell. “Did any one besides -Seaman and myself know that you had this case and its contents?” - -“No--stop--yes--hold on! It’s not quite that way. There are two men who -thought we had it. They thought we had cracked that crib in Thirty-fifth -Street and, that being so, they knew that we had the case. But we never -let on to them that we did the job. They only thought so.” - -“Who are those men?” asked Elwell. - -“Never you mind who they are,” said Lannigan, ferociously. “Before the -lights go out to-night, I’ll know whether they’ve got that case, or what -was in it, or I’ll have their lives.” - -Again there was silence of speech, but there was a movement as if the -party had risen to their feet. - -Nick slipped to the open door leading into the hall and, beckoning to -Chick, said to him when they met: - -“Did you hear?” - -“Plainly.” - -“The drawings have disappeared.” - -“Yes. There’s no use of making a raid now.” - -“You’re right; get out of the house by the front way as quick as you can -and get on the watch. I’ll go down by the way I came.” - -Chick slipped down the stairs and out of the front door, while Nick, -crossing the bedroom, picked the lock of the outer door again, closed -the door leading into the bedroom behind him, closed the outer door and -locked it, and slipped down the outer stairs and so into the street, -where he went into concealment to watch for the men to come out. - -He did not wait long before Elwell and Seaman came down the stairs, -passed out of the door in the fence and went up the street to Third -Avenue and disappeared at the corner. - -“No use to follow them,” muttered Nick, “for I can find them when I want -them.” - -It was a longer wait, however, for the other two, and Nick was made -aware of their coming by a string of oaths from inside the fence which -he knew to be from Lannigan. - -Straining his ears he found that Lannigan was swearing over the door at -the foot of the stairs. - -He was attributing the broken door to the thieves who had robbed him, -assuming that that was the way in which they had gotten in. - -To have heard him swear and talk one would have supposed that he was an -honest man and there had never been such an outrage before, or so -dishonest a thing, as that of robbing him of what he had robbed Mr. -Herron. - -Nick, laughing at this, nevertheless by a long whistle gave Chick the -signal to be on the alert, as their birds were coming. - -The next instant Lannigan and the unknown stepped out into the street -and hurried in the direction of Third Avenue. - -Nick hung back, fearing that he was known by one or both of the two, and -signaled to Chick to take up the shadow. - -Chick promptly appeared at the corner and, seeing the two men now pretty -nearly at the other end of the block, hurried along past Nick and heard -Nick say that he would follow behind him. - -Thus the four went to Third Avenue, where the two men, Lannigan and the -unknown, boarded a street car. - -A coach and pair stood at the corner, and Nick, calling to Chick, sprang -in after telling the driver he should have double fare if he kept the -passing car in sight. - -It was a somewhat difficult matter, but when Thirty-fourth Street was -reached they were near enough for Nick to see Lannigan and the unknown -descend from the car and go down Thirty-fourth Street. - -“They are going to the place Patsy told about,” said Chick. - -“Then,” said Nick, “they are looking after the two Patsy calls his -assistants.” - -“Spike Thomas and Bally Morris?” - -“Yes. And----” - -“They are the two Lannigan suspects of robbing him,” quickly put in -Chick. - -“That is the only conclusion.” - -All this time Nick and Chick had been rapidly following the two down -Thirty-fourth Street. - -Reaching the last block they drew aside to watch the two, and saw them -searching every one of the numerous saloons on that block without -finding, apparently, what they sought for. - -Having found nothing, they retraced their steps and again hurried in the -direction of Third Avenue. - -As they stepped out, Nick said to Chick: - -“They have not found their men here and are going to try somewhere -else.” - -Then they set out to follow. - - - - -CHAPTER X. - -IN CLOSE PURSUIT. - - -It was some time before Patsy’s patience in waiting in the saloon he -knew to be the hang-out of Spike Thomas was rewarded. - -But at length Spike and Bally Morris made their appearance, and on -seeing Patsy went over to him, and said: - -“I say, cull,” was Spike’s greeting, “get out of here with us to another -joint, where we can patter a bit.” - -Without knowing why they wanted to go to another place, nevertheless he -got up willingly and followed them out into the street. - -Spike led them to a place in Bond Street, not far from the Bowery, and -evidently one which he knew only from the outside. - -“Yer see, cull,” he said, “I don’t know much about dis place, but it’s -quiet, and there’ll be no mix-up wid de rounders and de culls.” - -“What are you wanting to hide for, Spike?” asked Patsy. - -“Oh, there’s nothin’ doin’,” said Spike. “Only I want to talk to you -about de things you was puttin’ up to me dis morning.” - -“Well, what of it?” said Patsy. - -“Didn’t you say,” said Spike, “dat there was some dollars for me if I -could get something for you?” - -“Yes,” replied Patsy, “that’s what I said.” - -“You said it was a leather case, with somethin’ into it what you wanted; -ain’t dat right?” - -“See here, Spike,” said Patsy, “what are you getting to?” - -“I want to git dem dollars you was talkin’ about,” said Spike. “Dere’s -been nothin’ doin’ for me dis long time, and I’m broke. So if you give -me de right steer, I’m goin’ for dem dollars.” - -“Well,” said Patsy, “all there is of it is that a leather case, with -some things in it, was taken out of that house in Thirty-fifth Street -last night. The man from whom it was taken will put up good money to -have it back.” - -“Who is he?” - -“His name is Herron, and he lives in that house.” - -“What does he do downtown?” - -“Oh, he’s a broker or something in Broad Street.” - -“Say, I want ter git de rights of dis,” said Spike, in a businesslike -way. - -“I’m givin’ it ter you as much as I know.” - -“Well, what was in de case? Money, checks? What?” - -“Why,” said Patsy, “as I understand it, it was some drawings and a model -of a new invention, which is valuable.” - -“Well, wasn’t his nibs tryin’ to rob the inventor of it?” asked Spike, -shrewdly. - -“The inventor is dead,” said Patsy, wondering where Spike got all his -knowledge from. - -“Den it was his widder?” said Spike. - -“See here, Spike,” said Patsy, “what is this you’re givin’ me? What I -know is that Mr. Herron paid the widder his good money for those things, -and that they were stolen from him. Now, Spike, it was you who put it -into my head from the first that a swell cracksman from Philadelphia, -Lannigan, cracked the crib and took that case.” - -“Dat’s right,” repeated Spike. - -“Then you give it me that when you ran against Lannigan he wouldn’t -cough up and let you in.” - -“Dat’s right,” repeated Spike. - -“Now I’m goin’ to speak a little piece,” said Patsy. “Spike, you have -seen Lannigan since I saw you last, and you’ve got into the job.” - -“You’re away off, Patsy,” said Spike. - -“I don’t think I am,” said Patsy. “Lannigan has let you into the job, -and you’re tryin’ to pump me as to who will give up the best for that -case.” - -“Oh, yer away off, Patsy,” repeated Spike; “ain’t he, Bally?” - -The crook turned to the other one for confirmation of his words, which -was readily given. - -“Mebbe I am,” replied Patsy, “but if it isn’t that, what is your little -game?” - -“I am just tryin’ to loin a little somet’in’ to see if I can’t work dat -bloke, Lannigan, for a show at dem dollars.” - -All this seemed to be very plausible on the part of Spike, and was said -with a very frank manner. - -But Patsy was not deceived. He knew something had occurred since he had -last seen Spike, but just what it was he was not able to tell. - -“Well, Spike,” he said, after a few moments’ thought, “it all comes back -to what I told you in the beginning. There’s one man who’ll give up more -for those papers than any one else, and to get them back I don’t think -he’ll ask any questions.” - -“Dat’s de point,” said Spike. “I was wantin’ to know what kind of a hole -I was gettin’ meself into if I did get me hooks on those papers and go -talkin’ to his nibs about ’em.” - -Patsy thought rapidly. He began to believe that the crook already had -the papers in his possession, or that he was in a position to obtain -them whenever he could drive a proper bargain with those who would pay -for their return. - -Recalling that Ida had been told by Nick that she must try to get on -terms of good standing with Mrs. Pemberton, the widow of the inventor, a -bright idea struck him. - -It was ten o’clock in the morning when Ida had received her orders from -Nick, and it was now nearly six o’clock in the evening. Such was Patsy’s -faith in Ida that he actually believed by this time Ida was installed as -a member of Mrs. Pemberton’s family. - -Seeing that Spike was reluctant to go to Mr. Herron, it occurred to -Patsy that, having possession of the papers, as he believed, or knowing -how he could get possession of them, something Spike would not admit to -Patsy, Spike could be more easily persuaded to go to the widow with -them. Then if he, Patsy, were to notify Ida of the intended call, they -would be in a pretty fair position to recover the papers. - -Acting on this thought, Patsy said: - -“Of course, Spike, my boss is working for Herron. I am working for my -boss, so I’m workin’ for Herron, too. Now, if you can get your hooks on -that case, or what’s in it, and you don’t want to tackle Herron, why not -tackle my boss.” - -“What?” cried Spike, in horror. “Tackle Nick Carter? Nit, nit, Pauline.” - -“Well, then, if that don’t suit you,” said Patsy, “I’ll give you another -steer. The widder will put up for them papers, and put up big.” - -“Now, you’re shouting,” said Spike. “Dat’s de lay. Now, where is she?” - -“Her name is Pemberton, but you can’t get to her before ten o’clock -to-morrow morning,” said Patsy, anxious to get enough time to notify Ida -and to let her arrange for the part she was to play in the matter. - -He was thoughtful a moment or two, and then he said: - -“If you can work the Lannigan end, Spike,” he said, “you come to me -to-morrow morning at nine o’clock and I’ll give you the place where Mrs. -Pemberton lives; and, say, Spike, if you pull it off, you ought to do -something square with me for putting you on and giving you the straight -steer.” - -“Sure,” said Spike. “Dere ain’t nothin’ in de hull shootin’ match dat I -didn’t get from youse. I’ll give yer a whack if I pulls anything off.” - -Patsy now believed that he had gotten from Spike all that was possible, -and that he had laid a train in which Spike could be used which would -lead to good results, and he was anxious to get away and hunt up Nick to -report to him what he had done. - -Seeking the best excuse he could, he left the two and went over to the -Bowery. - -In doing so, his purpose was to take one of the uptown lines of cars and -then cross to the west side, but on reaching the corner of Bond Street, -and the Bowery, he saw some one on the opposite side of the street that -looked to him very much like the one he had seen on the corner of -Thirty-fourth Street and who the Chicago detective had told him was -Lannigan. - -The distance across the Bowery at that point was long, and he hurried -across it in order to be certain that he was right. - -He had so crossed the Bowery as to come up behind Lannigan, and as he -stepped up on the sidewalk a hand was laid on his shoulder. - -He turned and saw Chick. - -“What is it, youngster?” asked Chick. - -“Are you following that man?” asked Patsy. - -“Lannigan? Yes.” - -“Then, it is Lannigan?” asked Patsy. - -“Yes,” replied Chick. “But where are your men?” - -“Over here in a saloon nearby.” - -“Lannigan is looking for them,” said Chick. - -“The deuce! What for?” - -“To put holes in them,” laughed Chick. - -“What does he want to do that for?” asked Patsy. - -“He thinks they stole that case of the drawings from him,” said Chick. - -“Say!” exclaimed Patsy, “where’s the chief?” - -“He’s right here,” said Chick. - -“Here!” said Patsy. “Show me where he is--quick!” - -Seeing that Patsy was unusually earnest, Chick gave the signal, which -brought Nick into sight in an instant. As he came up Chick said: - -“Patsy’s got something on his mind and wants to talk.” - -“Chick, you keep your eye on Lannigan, and I’ll see what Patsy has to -say,” returned Nick. - -He then turned to Patsy, asking what had excited him. - -“Well,” said Patsy, “I hardly know where to begin, but I’ve been -following Spike Thomas and Bally Morris all day. I’ve been thinking that -Spike had put up a job with Lannigan to get the most money he could for -those drawings, but Chick tells me that Lannigan has been robbed of them -that he thinks Spike did it.” - -“Well, Patsy,” said Nick, “tell me the whole story and we’ll see how it -fits in with what we know.” - -Patsy then recited to Nick all that had occurred between himself, Spike -and Bally Morris, from the time they had met in Thirty-fourth Street up -to the time they had been traced by him to Avenue A, their brief -disappearance, the row he had had in the house in Avenue A, the -surprising appearance of the two from a direction he least expected -them, his tracing them to Spike’s home, with the subsequent interview -which he had just had with Spike in the saloon in Bond Street. - -Patsy told this rapidly, but clearly, and Nick was an attentive -listener. - -On his part, Nick related to Patsy all that had occurred from the time -they had parted on the corner of Forty-second Street and Third Avenue, -including, of course, the astonishing theft from Lannigan of the -contents of the leather case, concluding with the statement that Chick -and he had followed Lannigan in the belief that the cracksman was -hunting for Spike Thomas and Bally Morris. - -It did not take long for these two bright-minded people to fit in the -two stories into a complete whole. - -“It’s all straight as a whistle, chief,” said Patsy. “Lannigan threw -Spike down. Spike, from what he had learned from me, made up his mind -that he would rob Lannigan of that case. To get on a track of him and -know what he was doing and when he was out of his room, was what he was -laying on the corner of Forty-second Street and Third Avenue for. Just -as soon as he saw Lannigan with your men, the two of them scampered off -to Avenue A.” - -Here Nick stopped Patsy to make sure by inquiry that there was no -mistake as to the locality that both had tracked their people to on -Avenue A. That being settled to the satisfaction of both as being the -same, Patsy went on: - -“Between the time I saw them go into the house where I had that row, and -when I saw them coming down in such a hurry, they had got into -Lannigan’s apartments and swiped those papers. I’ll bet my stockings, -chief, that all those things are in Spike’s rooms now, down here in -Rivington Street.” - -“I think that is about the size of it,” said Nick. “But that is a good -job that you have put up to send Spike with the things to Mrs. -Pemberton. Mrs. Pemberton has recently got some sense, and believes -that Elwell is trying to do her. Ida is in a position to get close to -her, and I think, after all, that is the best way to handle it.” - -“Yet we might get them quicker by making a raid on Spike’s rooms,” said -Patsy. - -“And we might lose them all, too. The first thing we’ve got to do, -Patsy, is to take care of Spike, for if Lannigan meets him there will be -trouble to pay, if there is not a dead Spike.” - -“Then,” said Patsy, “I’d better hunt up Spike and warn him to keep out -of Lannigan’s way, although I think that’s what he’s doing now.” - -He turned to cross the Bowery, but, in doing so, saw both Spike and -Bally Morris crossing diagonally toward the drinking saloon which was -Spike’s hang-out. - -Without saying a word to Nick, he darted off to intercept Spike, while -Nick hurried along toward the corner. - -As Nick approached the corner he saw Lannigan rush across the sidewalk -in the direction from which Spike Thomas and Bally Morris were -approaching. - -Chick was in close pursuit, and Lannigan seemed to be pulling at his -pocket as if trying to draw a revolver. - -Nick also sprang in pursuit, and so it was that as Spike and Bally -approached, all unconscious of the danger they were in, three from -different points were approaching to their rescue. - -It was no part of Nick’s plans to have Spike put out of the way at a -time when he could be most useful to him. - -As Lannigan left the sidewalk, reaching the roadway, he brought his -revolver out, being then not more than twenty feet from Spike. - -But, as he lifted his revolver to fire, Chick sprang on his back, and at -the same instant Nick was beside Lannigan, seizing his revolver arm. - -In the meantime, Patsy had reached the two young crooks and in the most -energetic manner had ordered them to drop. - -However, the danger was over, for Lannigan was in the hands of two men, -and was a child in strength compared with either one of them. - -By the time Nick had taken the revolver from Lannigan and forced him -back to the sidewalk, Spike and Bally had taken to their heels, closely -followed by Patsy. - -Nick had now no doubt, as a result of the investigations of the day, -that Lannigan and the one they had came to call the Unknown were the -ones who had robbed Mr. Herron’s house, but it was not in his plans yet -to make an arrest--not, at all events, until after the papers and -drawings Nick had been retained to recover were in their hands. Nor was -it in his plans to let Lannigan know that he had been interfered with by -Nick Carter, if he did not then know it. So he said: - -“You must be a fool, to try and shoot a man in daylight like this. You -want to thank your stars that there was somebody here to stop you. Now, -get away quick, before a policeman comes, or you’ll be nipped as it is.” - -Lannigan looked at him with a malignant glance, but, making no reply, -turned and walked up the Bowery. - -Nick signaled Chick not to lose sight of him, and he himself went off to -find Ida and post her as to the part she was to play when Spike opened -up his negotiations with the widow for the return of the precious -drawings. - - - - -CHAPTER XI. - -A CHIMNEY CLEW. - - -Patsy followed Spike Thomas and Bally Morris in their mad run from the -vengeance of Lannigan. - -His purpose was not so much to protect them as it was to get an -explanation of a matter which puzzled him. - -He was now convinced that Spike Thomas and his companion had entered the -apartments of Lannigan and had stolen the drawings and models. - -But what puzzled him was when it was done. - -The two had been under his eyes almost continuously all day, and it -vexed him to think that it should have been done without his even -suspecting it. - -He soon caught up with the flying crooks and followed them into a small -saloon in the neighborhood of Chatham Square. - -Both Spike and Morris had been badly frightened by the attack made on -them by Lannigan, but when they realized that they were safe from -pursuit, and that Lannigan’s murderous assault had been prevented by -Nick Carter and his aids, their courage returned. - -Their cunning, as well as their desire to profit by their theft, led -them to conceal or deny the theft. - -In view of the fact that Lannigan had made a vicious attack upon them, -they could no longer maintain the story they had given Patsy that they -had entered into an arrangement with Lannigan by which they could -negotiate the return of the papers for him. - -This troubled Spike somewhat in his talk with Patsy, but, by some -skillful lying, he got up a story that somebody had been fooling -Lannigan with the tale that he and Morris were going to sell him out. - -His cunning and, perhaps, fear of Lannigan, led him to deny the theft -from Lannigan’s rooms. - -“See here, Spike,” said Patsy, “you may lie as much as you want to, but -I know that you got into Lannigan’s rooms and took those papers and -models. I know when you did it, and I saw you coming away from there.” - -Both the young crooks looked at Patsy curiously, but without replying. - -They did not know how much Patsy really knew, and they had convinced -themselves that they had made the entry into Lannigan’s rooms unknown to -any one but themselves. - -“Now,” continued Patsy, “you can keep up your lying if it will do you -any good. You ain’t level with me when you don’t give me the game, after -me putting you on. I’m going to know all about it, and you can’t stop -me. The only thing is now, are you goin’ to throw me on the deal or -not.” - -“Goin’ to throw nothin’,” said Spike. “Say, how much do you t’ink I -ought to strike de old dame for, if I can make de deal?” - -Patsy could hardly restrain a smile, for in this question Spike was -admitting what he had been denying, and that was the possession of the -drawings and models. He did not appear to notice it, however, and -replied: - -“Strike her for twelve thousand dollars.” - -“Gee whiz!” exclaimed both Spike and Bally in a breath. - -When they had recovered a little from their astonishment, Spike asked: - -“Will de old dame stand a strike of such big figures?” - -“Sure,” replied Patsy. - -In view of the fact that Lannigan had struck Seaman for fifty-five -thousand dollars, as Nick had told Patsy, the surprise of the two young -crooks over the sum named by Patsy showed clearly to the lad that there -was no relation at all existing between Spike and Lannigan, if he had -needed such a showing. - -However, he got up, saying: - -“You’re going to work the racket on the dame to-morrow?” - -“Sure,” replied Spike. - -“Then you’ll come to me for the number and street of her house at nine -to-morrow morning?” - -“Sure.” - -Patsy did not like the tone and the manner of the crook, and he stood -still a moment, looking sternly into the eyes of Spike, and said: - -“Spike, if you round on me, I’ll spoil your game. I’ll do more; I’ll put -you in the jug. You have got no right to throw me down, for I put you -next in this game, and I saved your life this afternoon. If you throw me -down it’ll be the worst day’s work you ever did for yourself.” - -He turned from the table at which the two crooks were sitting, and -walked out of the saloon without another word or turning to see the -effects of his words. - -Patsy was intent on filling up the gap in the story of the day, which -was complete and connected except as to the taking of the drawings and -the models from Lannigan’s rooms. - -That this had been done by Spike Thomas and Bally Morris there was no -doubt in the minds of any one having knowledge of the affair. But, after -all, it was, at best, suspicion. - -Leaving the saloon in which the two young crooks had hidden themselves -from Lannigan, Patsy took the elevated railroad train to Forty-second -Street. - -Leaving the train here, he went immediately to Avenue A, and to the -block where he had had his “row,” as he called it. - -His intention was, if possible, to find or to account for the -disappearance of the two crooks from the house into which he had -followed them. - -It was his good fortune that, as he passed the door of that house, that -he should see in the doorway the girl whose alarm had been the cause of -the row in the house. - -She recognized him as quickly, and stepped forward to greet him. - -“Say,” she said, “was them two fellows that you trotted after this -afternoon, when you was chinnin’ with me, the two you followed into our -house?” - -“Yes,” said Patsy. “It gave me the jumps when I saw ’em coming down from -the corner when I thought they were in the house yet.” - -“Are dey crooks?” asked the girl. - -“That’s what they are,” replied Patsy. - -“Well, say,” said the girl, “I can give you a steer. Dem fellers was -upstairs on de floor above us when we had dat scrap in de hall. But dey -climbed de ladder to de roof when de scrap was goin’ on and got away.” - -“How do you know that?” asked Patsy, eagerly. - -“Me little sister, who was up dere on dat floor, seen ’em do it. She -tole me just after you run away so sudden.” - -The whole thing then burst upon Patsy. Everything was explained to him. -The two crooks, taking advantage of the row going on on the floor below, -had climbed to the roof, and, making their way over the other houses to -the corner, had descended into the apartments of Lannigan through the -scuttle of the corner house. - -What had been mysterious to him was now as plain as day. - -He looked along of the houses on the street, to see that there was no -break in them to the corner, and said: - -“Do you know the store on the corner?” - -“The saloon? Sure.” - -“You ever go in there?” - -“Sometimes,” said the girl. - -“If you’ll go there with me now, I’ll blow you off.” - -The girl without a word turned, and the two walked up to the corner and -entered the place by the rear door. - -“Say,” said Patsy, “that brother of yours will be wanting to put up -another fight if he finds me here with you again.” - -The girl laughed merrily, and replied: - -“Oh, he’s a great chewer, but there’s more in his bark than there is in -his bite. He ain’t around now, for he’s trotting after his own rag. -Anyhow, after the way you put him on de floor dis afternoon, he won’t -want to chew wid you any more.” - -It was clear that Patsy’s compliments of the afternoon had won the -girl’s favor, and the manner in which he had defended himself when -attacked, her admiration. - -This Patsy saw, and he determined to take advantage of it. - -“Say,” he said, “do you know the people here?” - -“Yep; he’s a nice man what keeps dis place.” - -“Is he straight?” - -“Straight as a die.” - -“Then this isn’t a hang-out for crooks?” asked Patsy. - -“Naw. He won’t have dem around. Dere’s lots of dem on dese corners, but -he won’t have dem here.” - -Patsy was silent a moment as he thought over a plan which had entered -his head. Then he said: - -“Call him here and tell him who I am. I want to ask him something.” - -The girl did so, and the proprietor, a rather rough-looking but honest -man, came to him. - -“Mike,” said the girl, “this is me frien’, Patsy Murphy.” - -“Not Nick Carter’s man?” said the one called Mike, extending his hand. - -“De same,” said the girl, proudly. - -The man looked doubtfully between the two and asked: - -“How’d you get in wid him, den?” - -“Oh, we got acquainted dis afternoon,” replied the girl, tossing her -head. - -“I heard something about it,” said the saloon-keeper; “will yer have a -drink?” - -“No,” said Patsy, “but I wish you would answer me some questions. Do you -know that there was a robbery in this house this afternoon?” - -“I heard something about it,” said the saloon-keeper, “but I don’t know -anything about it.” - -“There was,” said Patsy, “and from the floor above.” - -“I heard a little about it,” said the man, “but I’ve nothing to do with -the people upstairs.” - -“Then you don’t have the whole house?” asked Patsy. - -“No, I only rent this store.” - -“Do you know anything about the man who lives upstairs--the one who was -robbed?” - -“No; he never comes in here, and he rented the two floors above from the -same man I rent this store. He’s only been here about six weeks or two -months.” - -“Well,” said Patsy, “I think I know pretty well who did the job. I think -I know how they got into the house.” - -“Oh, that’s clear enough,” said the saloon man. “They broke in that -stairway door in the rear and picked the lock of the upper door.” - -“I don’t think so,” replied Patsy; “in fact, I know they didn’t break -the door in, for I know how that was done. But, I would like to get up -to the top part of this house to see if I can find traces of the way I -think they did get in.” - -“How was that?” - -“Through that scuttle,” said Patsy. - -“There’s nothin’ to stop your goin’ up there,” said the man. “There -ain’t nobody up there now, for the two men livin’ there are out. If you -should go out of that door opening into the hall, nobody would shoot you -for doing it.” - -Patsy got up and said: - -“I’ll try it.” - -“And I’ll go with you,” said the man. - -“And so will I,” said the girl. - -Thus followed, Patsy mounted the stairs to the top floor and, reaching -the hall on the top of the house, soon found the scuttle-hole in the -roof. - -But there were no steps or ladder leading to it. - -Looking about, he saw a broken wooden chair in the corner and, bringing -it into the light, saw that the fracture of the top of the back was a -fresh one. The scuttle-hole was close to the wall and, looking at the -wall directly under it, he saw marks on it which indicated that the -chair had been placed against the wall and used as a means of reaching -the scuttle. - -He put the chair at that place and saw that the chair and the marks -fitted. - -Mounting the chair, he found that the scuttle cover was loose, and had -not been precisely fitted when it was put on. - -A mere pressure of the hand slid the scuttle aside and, making a spring, -he caught the upper edges of the scuttle-hole with his hands and drew -himself so that his head was above the roof. - -Immediately his attention was attracted to a piece of paper clinging to -the chimney nearby. - -He clambered through the hole and, going to the chimney, found that it -was a small piece of that kind of paper known as tracing paper, used by -draftsmen. - -On it was a drawing of what was apparently machinery. - -He jumped to the conclusion that it was a part of the missing drawings -that had been searched for all day. - -Thrusting it in his pocket, he returned to the scuttle-hole and let -himself drop down to the floor as he had supposed Spike and Bally had -done. - -Remounting the chair he placed the scuttle cover in position again and -put the chair back where he had found it. - -Turning to the two who had been silently waiting, he said: - -“I’m satisfied. That’s the way those fellows got into the house. They -went into the house in which this girl lived, got out on to the roof -from the scuttle of that house, crossed over and came down this way. -They did not go down that way, but went out to the street down the -stairs and through the front door.” - -“You’re right,” cried the saloon man. “That accounts for the bolts being -off the front door.” - -Patsy smiled, but made no reply, yet he thought that the bolts were off -because Chick had taken them off when he went out of the house. - -The little party returned to the barroom and, after Patsy had spent a -little time in making himself agreeable to the girl, whose friendliness -had given him the clew to the manner in which the two young crooks had -gotten into the house, he went away. - - - - -CHAPTER XII. - -ON THE SEARCH. - - -While Patsy was on this search, Chick had been following Lannigan, whose -movements about the city seemed to be marked by neither purpose nor -intention. - -Nevertheless, Chick kept close at his heels. - -Nick had found Ida, and from her had learned that she had had another -talk with Mrs. Pemberton, and had convinced her that Elwell, the lawyer, -whom she had trusted so much, was playing her false. - -The principal thing to bring her into that frame of mind was the belief -that he had taken the $10,000 check which Mr. Herron had given her from -the drawings and models of her husband, with the intention of cheating -her out of it. - -She was now quite certain that she had done wrong, and was willing to -carry out the intentions of her husband and deal with Mr. Herron, as the -unsigned articles of agreement provided. - -Nick had sought Ida with a view of preparing her for the visit of Spike -the next morning. - -He had intended to let Ida arrange with Mrs. Pemberton for this, and -meant that Ida should, as Mrs. Pemberton, receive Spike. - -This was in accordance with the job that Patsy had put up. And finding -that Mrs. Pemberton had changed her position entirely in regard to Mr. -Herron, he proposed to Ida that he should go with her to Mrs. Pemberton -at once, and tell her all that had occurred during the day, and thus -show to her the kind of people into whose hands she had fallen. - -This was done, and Mrs. Pemberton, under the showing of Nick, saw -clearly that her only hope of receiving any profit from her late -husband’s work was first in the recovery of the papers of Mr. Herron, -and secondly through Mr. Herron. - -Becoming convinced of this, she was not only willing but eager to assist -in carrying out the plans which Patsy had formed and which had been -approved and adopted by Nick. - -So it was arranged that when Spike called, Ida, made up for, and -pretending to be, Mrs. Pemberton, should receive and dicker with Spike. - -That there should be no hitch in this programme, Ida remained in Mrs. -Pemberton’s house over night. - -It was Nick’s purpose to be in the house also in the morning so that if, -as a consequence of those negotiations, Spike brought the drawings, he -could seize them. - -The matter being thus arranged, Nick returned to his home. - -The next morning, before Patsy was fairly dressed, Spike Thomas, -followed by Bally Morris, burst into his room in a state of wild -excitement and rage. - -A glance of Patsy’s was sufficient to assure him that both Spike and -Bally were more than half drunk. - -They were so excited that for a moment neither could speak, but stood -gasping in an effort. Finally Spike blurted out: - -“We’ve been robbed.” - -Patsy turned sharply on him and said: - -“Not of the drawings and models?” - -“Yes, de same!” - -Patsy’s disappointment was great, but, checking himself, he said, with -forced calmness: - -“Tell me all about it.” - -It was not so easy for the two crooks, and they began such a mixture of -oaths, assertions and contradictions of each other that Patsy was forced -to stop them; and, telling Morris to be quiet and not say a word, -instructed Spike to tell the tale. - -Under his statement, it appeared that, being afraid of Lannigan, they -had kept away all night, not alone from their usual haunts, but from -their homes. They had spent the night in obscure, and, to them, strange -places, drinking. - -When daylight had come, and they thought it safe to venture into the -part of the city where they lived, they had gone to Spike’s rooms to get -the drawings and models here hidden away, with the intention of carrying -them to a place where they could easily get them if the bargaining with -Mrs. Pemberton turned out as Patsy had assured them it would. - -But, on reaching that room, the drawings and models were not in the -place where they had been deposited. - -They had made a most exhaustive search of the room without a discovery -or a trace of them, and, having roused up everybody in the house, had -pushed their inquiries without receiving any information as to the -disappearance of the drawings. - -But they had learned that one of the tenants in the house, at a late -hour in the previous night, had seen two men enter Spike Thomas’ rooms, -supposing one of them to be Spike Thomas. - -As neither Spike Thomas nor Bally Morris had been near the rooms during -the night, the conclusion was that somebody had entered for the purpose -of stealing those drawings and models, and had obtained them. - -That was the whole story, although it was garnished with oaths and -guesses and charges. - -Patsy at once formed an idea as to who those thieves were, but he made -no remark to Bally Morris or Spike. - -Sending them away, with instructions to hold themselves in readiness to -obey any call that he might make on them, he hurriedly finished his -dressing and went to the room of Chick, who had quarters in the same -house. - -Rapping on Chick’s door, he received, however, no response. - -The door was locked, and, as Chick was a light sleeper, Patsy felt that -Chick was not within his room. In his own room there was a key to -Chick’s, as there was in Chick’s a key to his, that each might enter the -other’s room when necessity required. - -Obtaining that key and entering the room, Patsy saw at a glance that -Chick had not occupied it during the night. - -“Holy smoke!” he said aloud, to himself, “I don’t like the looks of -this. I must tell the chief.” - -Dashing downstairs into the street, Patsy went to a drug store where -there was a telephone that he frequently used, and obtained -communication with Nick at his home. - -Telling his chief what had occurred, the third theft of the papers, he -also said that Chick had not returned to his room during the night. - -“Chief,” said Patsy, over the wire, “I’m going to try and pick up track -of Chick.” - -“Where?” asked Nick. - -“I shall strike Rivington and the Bowery first, then Thirty-fourth -Street, and then Forty-second Street.” - -“Right,” replied Nick. “Stay about the Bowery and Rivington until I get -over there. I shall come over at once.” - -Patsy hurried over to the Bowery, and sought the corner of Rivington -Street, where the first thing that attracted his attention was a red -chalk mark on the pavement. - -Many feet had passed over the mark since it had been made, and it -required close observation to discover its meaning. - -Finally, Patsy determined that it had been made the evening before, and -that it was a notice to himself and the chief that Chick was on the -shadow, and going up the Bowery. - -He crossed to the upper side of the street, and there found another -mark, so dim, however, that he could not tell what its meaning was, but -the indication seemed to be still pointing up the Bowery. - -He went to the next corner, and there found another mark. This was -plainer, and still indicated that Chick was going up the Bowery. - -“These are last night’s marks,” said Patsy to himself. “If he has kept -it up all night, we must get to him in time.” - -He pursued his inquiries up the Bowery as far as the old armory, and -there, seeing that the marks still tended to the north, returned to -Rivington Street to meet the chief. - -Arriving on that corner, he found Nick awaiting him. - -It did not take the two long to exchange the additional information that -had been gained by each since they had parted. - -“You have been right from the beginning in this matter, Patsy,” said -Nick. - -“The two men who stole those papers from Lannigan’s room were Spike -Thomas and Bally Morris. They carried them to Spike’s rooms and hid them -away there. Still, I yet think we followed the proper course.” - -“But the question now is,” said Patsy, “who has got the papers now, and -who were the third thieves?” - -“Who does Spike think were the thieves?” asked Nick. - -“He thinks they are two young toughs who live in the same house, and -who saw them stowing away these things.” - -“Do you believe that?” said Nick. - -“Not hardly,” said Patsy, emphatically. - -“Neither do I,” replied Nick, quietly. “But our business now is to find -Chick and learn what he has been doing all night.” - -Patsy laughed as he looked up at Nick, saying: - -“I think that’s the straight road to the papers.” - -The two now hurried up the Bowery to its end to pick up the trail Chick -had left behind him. - -Arriving at the last mark Patsy had observed, they soon discovered that -the next one led them up Third Avenue, and, following them, which grew -plainer as they proceeded, they were carried to Thirty-fourth Street, -where the marks indicated that Chick had passed to the east. - -But as they turned to go down that street, Patsy dashed across the -street to look at something tied to the rail of the steps leading to the -elevated railroad station. - -It was a string of yellow cotton cloth. - -Carefully examining the pavement, he ran up and down a short distance, -like a dog getting the scent, and then, stepping to the curbstone, -vigorously beckoned to Nick to come to him. - -“Chick has been down Thirty-fourth Street,” he said, “and back again to -go up Third Avenue. A sign on the elevated railroad station rail gives -us the tip.” - -Nick nodded, and the two hurried up Third Avenue. - -“This trail will lead us to Forty-second Street, chief,” said Patsy, as -they hurried along. - -But he had hardly gotten the words out of his mouth when they struck a -mark on the sidewalk that sent them down the side street to the east. - -It was a change of direction for which neither was prepared. - -They did not expect to see any other mark until they reached the corner -below, but in the center of the block they came on another which -indicated a stop, and a little farther on another sign showing that the -chase had been continued. - -Looking about, they found that they were directly in front of a livery -stable. - -One of the stablemen threw open the great doors as they looked. -Instantly Nick sprang inside, closely followed by Patsy, and went to a -carriage standing on the floor, travel stained, the wheels covered with -dust and mud. - -On the hind axle was loosely tied a bit of yellow cotton cloth, to which -he directed Patsy’s attention. - -Turning to the man who had followed them, Nick said: - -“That carriage has been out nearly all night?” - -“Well, is it any business of yours?” replied the stableman, in a surly -tone. - -“Answer my question,” sternly demanded Nick. - -“Didn’t know that you asked the question,” replied the man. - -“Has that carriage been out over night?” asked Nick, in a calm, icy -voice. - -The man was overawed, and replied that it had been out all night, not -getting back until after daylight. - -“Did you drive the coach?” asked Nick. - -“No; the man who drove it has just gone to lie down.” - -“Go call him.” - -“What for?” - -“Because I tell you. I’m Nick Carter.” - -The man started on hearing this, and went to the rear of the floor, -where a man was lying on some carriage cushions which he had piled up in -the corner. - -Nick and Patsy had followed, and Nick said to the man: - -“Don’t get up, but answer a few questions of mine. You had a party out -last night. How many were there of that party?” - -“Two.” - -“What did they look like?” - -The man laughed, and replied: - -“Hard to tell. They changed their looks two or three times.” - -“Where did they go?” - -“One man came here first and hired the coach,” said the man, “and he was -a black-haired, black-eyed man. Then he drove up to Forty-second Street -and Avenue A, where he took in another man. Then they drove down to the -Bowery and into Fourth Street, where they left the coach and told me to -wait for them. They staked me to wait until they came back. - -“It was near daylight when the second one came to me and, getting in the -coach, went down to the corner of Rivington Street. - -“Waiting there ten minutes, the first one came up running, jumped into -his coach with something in his hands, and told me to drive like the -devil up Fourth Avenue. - -“When we got as far as Twenty-third Street, they stopped me, gave me a -twenty-dollar bill, and went off down Twenty-third Street to Third -Avenue. - -“I drove home.” - -“Were you followed by anybody?” - -“Yes,” replied the man, with a look of surprise. “There was a coach that -stuck close to us all night.” - -“Did the men you were riding know it?” - -“No,” replied the man. “A fellow came out of the other coach when I was -in Fourth Street and told me he’d break my head if I let the other -fellows know that he was following--and he meant it, too.” - -Patsy laughed. - -“It wasn’t anything to laugh about,” said the man. “If you’d seen him, -you wouldn’t have laughed.” - -Nick was satisfied the man had nothing more to tell, and he turned away, -followed by Patsy, to whom he said, as he walked across the floor of the -carriage-room: - -“Chick tied that cloth on the axle in a chance that we might run up -against it during the night.” - -“No doubt of that,” said Patsy. “Where now?” - -“To Twenty-third Street and Fourth Avenue,” replied Nick. “Chick has -been on the track of these people, whoever they are, and it’s dollars to -cents that when they left their coach at Twenty-third Street, he left -his, in pursuit.” - -Nick and Patsy hurried to the point indicated, and, as Nick had -foreseen, they found on the corner one of the red chalk marks that gave -them the direction. - -The signs were fresh, easily seen, showing that they had been made -within a recent time. - -The signs led them over a crooked way, in which there were many stops, -nearly all being in front of liquor stores, but finally ended in Avenue -A, on the block below that on which Patsy had twice been in the -twenty-four hours previously. - -Here the signs ended, nor were there any indications of anything but a -stop. - -“Surely,” said Nick, “after giving us such a good trail for so many -hours, Chick can’t have thrown it up at a late hour.” - -“Unless,” said Patsy, “something has happened to him.” - -He suddenly darted forward, and bent down to look on the sidewalk near -the curb. He picked something up and looked at it, and then ran along a -few steps, looking in the curb or gutter. - -Nick followed after him, and when he reached him, Patsy said: - -“Here’s the trail. Little pieces of this yellow cloth. Chick was on the -sneak here, and not in the open.” - -Hurriedly, they followed this new trail, and it led them to the middle -of the block on which was the house in which Patsy had his “row,” as he -called it. - -Indeed, when they came to a stop, they were almost opposite the door of -that house. - -Here, carefully placed against the bottom of a lamppost, was a ball of -yellow cloth, about the size of a baseball. - -“The end of the trail,” said Patsy. - -“And Chick is somewhere about,” added Nick. - -“I’ll give a signal that Chick will know if he’s here,” said Patsy. -“Hide yourself.” - -Nick went into a neighboring doorway, and Patsy, slipping into the -street, got between two covered wagons that stood there, backed up to -the curb, without horses in front of them. - -Suddenly there sounded on the air the sharp, yelping bark of a -frightened dog, ending in a prolonged howl. - -Patsy slipped back to the pavement and to the cover of some boxes that -were piled nearby. - -The two waited but a moment, when Chick came down the street, looking in -every direction. - -Nick gave a low signal, and Chick darted into the hallway where Nick -was, Patsy quickly joining him. - - - - -CHAPTER XIII. - -A DESPERATE STRUGGLE. - - -“I have been following Lannigan and the unknown all night,” said Chick. - -“What have they been doing?” asked Nick. - -“Something that they have regarded as important, but what I am not -certain.” - -He rapidly told his experiences of the night, the important feature of -which, to Nick, was Lannigan’s visit to Rivington Street, and his -entrance to a house there with the unknown, his long stay, and, finally, -the hurried departure of the unknown and his running up to Fourth Street -for the coach, which was brought down to Rivington Street. - -It was there that Chick had sneaked up behind it and tied the yellow -cloth to the hind axle, on the chance that Patsy or Nick, or both, might -see it, and know that it was one followed by Chick. - -He had hardly done this when Lannigan hurried up to the Bowery with -something in his arms and under his coat, jumped into the coach, and was -driven rapidly away. - -After that it seemed to be merely an effort to get back to Lannigan’s -apartments in Avenue A in a way that could not be tracked. - -Patsy, by questions, soon settled that the house which Lannigan had -entered was the tenement house in which Spike had his rooms, and said so -positively. - -“Then,” said Nick, “it is settled. Lannigan entered that house to steal -from Spike Thomas what Spike Thomas in the afternoon stole from -Lannigan.” - -The two then told to Chick that which had been learned from Spike Thomas -and Bally Morris, and together the two stories made a complete one. - -“Are you satisfied,” asked Nick, “that Lannigan carried those drawings -and the model to his rooms?” - -“Yes,” said Chick. “Now, with what you tell me, I know that they are in -Lannigan’s rooms at this moment. What has bothered me all night, and why -I clung to him so, giving you the trail, was that I knew he was up to -some game that was important, but I couldn’t tell what. You see, I never -knew that Lannigan suspected Spike Thomas of that theft, nor that you -did. You sent me off on the trail of Lannigan before I had learned that. -I was beginning to fear you would not pick up my trail, and when I heard -Patsy’s signal, was going to chance a rush into Lannigan’s rooms.” - -“We’ll make the rush now,” said Nick. - -“Where is the unknown?” asked Patsy. - -Chick laughed. - -“He’s lying under the stairs, at the rear of that house on the corner, -bound and gagged.” - -“Why?” asked Patsy and Nick together. - -“You see, it’s like this,” said Chick, laughing. “After I had tracked -them to that corner and saw them both go into the house, I sneaked into -that back yard, and was going to try the stairs, when I struck the -unknown coming down. It was him or me right on the jump. I was afraid he -would give the alarm, and I gave him the garrote so that he couldn’t -holler. I went through him to see if he had anything we wanted, and, -finding nothing, I tied him up and put a gag on him and threw him under -the stairs, where he couldn’t make any trouble for a while.” - -“Come on, boys,” said Nick. “We’ve got no time to lose.” - -The three detectives hurried to the corner, and entered the barroom, -stopping only long enough for Nick to say to the barkeeper: - -“I am Nick Carter. These are my two aids, Chick and Patsy. We’re going -upstairs, and if you give so much as a whistle of alarm, it will be all -day with you. Do nothing, say nothing, and stay right here.” - -The three then rapidly passed through the door into the hall, and so -upstairs to the second floor. Here Nick said: - -“Go to that front door in the hall. When I whistle, break it in. Patsy, -follow me.” - -Chick did as he was directed, and Nick, followed by Patsy, went to that -door which led from the hall into the bedroom. - -Together both placed their shoulders to the door, and, exerting their -united strength, burst it open with a crash. - -They sprang into the room, with a loud whistle from Nick, and had hardly -landed on their feet when they heard the crash of the door burst in by -Chick. - -Lannigan was in bed, and he sprang up into a sitting position with an -oath. - -He seemed to take in the situation instantly, for he reached under his -pillow with both hands, and drew forth two revolvers, both of which he -leveled at the two intruders, discharging them at once. - -The balls went wide of the mark, doing no damage to either Nick or -Patsy. - -Lannigan immediately sprang out of bed to his feet in another effort, -but as he raised his arms to level his revolvers again, Chick burst -through the door leading into the front room, and, springing forward, -struck Lannigan on the head with the butt end of his revolver. - -He did not prevent Lannigan from discharging his revolvers again, but he -did prevent him from taking true aim, and thus, for a second time, the -balls went wide of the mark. - -Chick attempted to take the revolvers from Lannigan, and succeeded in -wrenching one from him. - -The other one, however, Lannigan was desperately endeavoring to use, and -this time on Chick. - -The bed was between Chick and Lannigan on the one side and Nick and -Patsy on the other. - -Patsy sprang on the bed to cross it to go to Chick’s assistance, while -Nick attempted to pass around the foot of the bed. - -Grappled by one, with two approaching him from different directions, -Lannigan, for a brief instant, seemed to hesitate on which he should use -his revolver. - -The hesitation was fatal to him, for, as a matter of fact, in his doubt -he aimed nowhere, discharging it between Nick and Patsy. - -The next moment Patsy had seized his arm that held the revolver, and, -with a quick wrench, he took it from his hand. - -Without weapons, Lannigan made even then a desperate effort at a fight. - -He was a powerful man, with muscles like steel, wiry and active. But he -was not a match in strength or skill for even Chick, and when Patsy’s -strength was added, he was as a child between them. - -The two threw him over on the bed, where they held him down. - -“You’d better give up,” said Nick. “You’re done, and you can’t make any -fight. You’ve lost the game. It’s all up with you.” - -“Who are you?” panted Lannigan. “What do you want?” - -“Those drawings and the model that you stole from Mr. Herron’s house -night before last, which were stolen from you by Spike Thomas yesterday -afternoon, and which you stole from Spike Thomas this morning.” - -Lannigan stared at Nick, leaning carelessly over the foot of the bed, -and breathed rather than said: - -“You must be Nick Carter.” - -“You’re quite right, Lannigan,” replied Nick, with a smile. “Where are -those papers?” - -“They’re not here,” replied Lannigan, “and you’re vastly mistaken if you -think I will tell you where they are.” - -“Roll him over, Chick,” said Patsy. - -The two rolled Lannigan over to the other side of the bed, and Patsy, -thrusting his hand under the sheet, pulled out a flat bundle of papers -he had felt when they had thrown Lannigan on the bed. - -He handed them over to Nick, who laughed as he said: - -“Here they are.” - -But Lannigan swore like a trooper. - -Nick looked them over carefully, comparing them with the list Mr. Herron -had given him, and said: - -“The drawings are all here except one.” - -“And here is that one,” said Patsy, taking it from his pocket. “I found -it on the roof of this house yesterday afternoon.” - -Nick took it, remarking that it made the set complete, and added: - -“Now for the model.” - -He began a search of the rooms, and finally, turning to the two, who -were holding Lannigan, said: - -“Handcuff that man and tie his ankles, while we search for that model.” - -This was done, and the three began an exhaustive search of the rooms, -which ended in finding the model, badly broken, in a pasteboard hatbox -in the bottom of a closet, covered with clothes. - -“I think this can be patched up by a skillful man,” said Nick, after -examining the model. “At all events, we have got all that we started out -to get. Now, then, loose that man’s feet and we will take him around to -the station house and lodge a complaint against him.” - -By this time Lannigan seemed to realize that the game was up, as far as -he was concerned, and he tamely submitted. - -“Chick,” said Nick, when they were on the sidewalk, “you’d better get -your man that you laid away on the stairway.” - -Chick, followed by Patsy, went to get the unknown, but on arriving there -found that he was no longer there. - -Whether he had succeeded in getting loose from his bonds and gags, or -whether some one had found him there and had released him, could not be -told. - -He was gone, and, so far as Nick Carter and his aids were concerned, he -was never seen in New York again. - -The three detectives then went to Mr. Herron’s house and delivered to -him the drawing and the model. - -That same day both Seaman and Elwell were arrested for complicity in the -burglary. They easily obtained bail, and when the trial came off escaped -punishment for the want of sufficient evidence to connect them directly -with the crime. - -The jewelry and silver plate taken by Lannigan and the unknown, who -remains unknown to this day, were recovered from the fence in Hunter’s -Point, which was searched on Patsy’s suggestion. So that Mr. Herron’s -loss in the end was little or nothing. - -Ida was not compelled to play the part set for her, but Mrs. Pemberton -allied herself to Mr. Herron’s interest on receiving another check for -$10,000, the payment of the one Elwell had stolen being stopped at the -bank. - -Since that time, she has taken out the patents which secured to herself -and Mr. Herron the control of the important invention, and a company has -been organized, with Mr. Herron at the head, to put it into execution. - - - - -CHAPTER XIV. - -A MYSTERIOUS WARNING. - - -As for Lannigan, the swell cracksman of Philadelphia, Nick had conceived -an idea that there was real worth in the man, despite his bad record. - -He had a long talk with him, in which he pointed out that a trial could -not but result in imprisonment. - -“I am absolutely sure,” Nick declared, “that if I brought you into -court, you would spend the next half a dozen years in jail. There is no -reason why I should let you go free, except that I believe you could be -a wonderfully brilliant man and a good citizen if you liked. I am going -to give you that chance. You are free to go--no, no, don’t make any -protestations. Get out of here as quick as you like and become an honest -man. Let me warn you, however, that if I ever catch you engaged in any -crooked work again, I will see that your due punishment is meted out. -Now go.” - -The man slunk away with a hunted expression in his eyes. - -Little did Nick guess that within a very little while he would be on the -track of Lannigan again. - -He was sitting at breakfast one morning, when the first mail arrived, -bringing with it the following singular letter, unsigned: - - “‘You are a friend of Sanborn. I’ll give you a tip. His daughter is - to be married. The presents will be many and of value, and, on the - day of the wedding, the house will be raided. A word to you is - sufficient.’” - -Nick carefully read the letter, even studied it, and the paper on which -it was written. But he gained nothing from such examination. - -A close inspection of the envelope showed that it had been deposited in -the general post office before six o’clock on the previous evening. - -While the letter did not specify which Sanborn it was, and while a -hundred of that name, perhaps, were to be found in the directory, Nick -had no doubt that Harmon Sanborn was the one meant. - -Harmon Sanborn was a very rich man, worth many millions, and in very -active business life. The relations between this multi-millionaire and -the famous detective were close, having been begun several years before -when Nick was retained to trace a peculiar defalcation occurring in one -of the many business enterprises of Sanborn. - -Nick knew that Mr. Sanborn had more than one daughter unmarried, but he -had not heard that the wedding of one was about to take place, as his -anonymous letter indicated. - -Chick was sitting nearby, wondering whether Lannigan would ever cross -his path again, and inwardly chafing because of his chief’s generosity -in not pressing charges against the fellow. - -He was aroused from his reverie by Nick’s asking: - -“Chick, you know Harmon Sanborn, of course. Have you heard that one of -his daughters is to be married?” - -“Why, yes,” replied Chick. “There’s been a great deal in the newspapers -about it.” - -“Which daughter is it?” - -“The eldest.” - -“Whom is she to marry?” - -“A young Englishman who has been in this country for some years, and who -is said to be related to some of the noble families on the other side.” - -“Has there been much said about presents?” - -“Yes; half the millionaires of the country are giving diamonds and -emeralds and what not to the bride.” - -Nick handed the anonymous note that had reached him in that morning’s -mail to Chick, asking: - -“What’s your idea about that, Chick?” - -Chick read the note carefully, and said: - -“No name. It’s queer. I hardly know what to say about it. Yet, I think -I’d act on it.” - -“As a matter of prudence?” asked Nick. “When does this wedding take -place?” - -“At noon to-day.” - -Nick looked at his watch. - -“It is nine now,” he said. “There is plenty of time to take measures, if -such are necessary. I wonder where Sanborn is at this time?” - -“At his house, probably, on such a day,” replied Chick. - -“Probably.” - -Nick went to the telephone, and, calling up Mr. Sanborn at his home -address, finally got into communication with him. - -Asking Mr. Sanborn whether he would remain at his home for a short time, -he received the answer that the millionaire would remain at his house -until noon, when he would leave it only to go to the church to be -present at the marriage ceremony of his daughter. - -Nick told him that he had a matter of some possible interest to Mr. -Sanborn, of which he could not speak over the wire, but that he would -call upon him at once. - -Asking Chick to accompany him, the famous detective immediately set out -for the palatial residence of the rich man, which fronted on Central -Park. - -Reaching the house, the two detectives were immediately taken to a room -on the first floor, which Mr. Sanborn used as his working room when at -home. - -“I don’t know,” said Nick to the millionaire, “but that I am bringing a -mare’s nest to you. This came to me in the morning’s mail. I know no -more than that.” - -He passed the letter he had received to Mr. Sanborn. - -That gentleman, after reading it carefully, laid it down, saying: - -“Well, it tells some truths. That I’m a friend of yours, Mr. Carter, is -one truth, and the other is, that the presents are many and, in the -main, pretty valuable. My little girl has been greatly favored by my -friends and associates in business. What is your opinion about it?” - -“It seems to be a note of warning,” replied Nick, “and I suppose -prudence suggests that you should take measures, at all events, to -protect the presents.” - -“Well,” said the millionaire, “these newspapers have been advertising -the number and kind of presents in the most annoying manner. Those who -would do such a thing as steal them have had all the knowledge they -could want of them reading those papers. And there is this thing, a very -great number of invitations for the reception, after the wedding in the -church, have been issued. I presume the house will be thronged this very -afternoon, even overcrowded.” - -“Under such circumstances,” said Chick, “it would be easy for swell -crooks to push their way into the house. Many of the best, who do this -kind of work, are women who can make a front, so far as dress goes, with -the best ladies in the land.” - -“What arrangements have you made, Mr. Sanborn?” asked Chick, “to guard -your house during this pressure?” - -Mr. Sanborn looked up, a little surprised, and said: - -“I must confess that I have made none. Indeed, I gave it no thought.” - -He laughed a little as he continued: - -“All this is new business to me, and I have done nothing but blunder in -it from the start. I can run a railroad, two or three of them, perhaps, -but a wedding seems to be a little too much for me.” - -The two detectives laughed not a little over this confession, and Nick -said: - -“It is not too late for you to make arrangements yet, Mr. Sanborn, and -you should do so without delay.” - -“Yes,” put in Chick, “don’t make any mistake about thinking that the -gang don’t know of this wedding and the valuable presents. Nor to the -other thing, that you have made no provision to protect them.” - -“Do you mean,” asked Mr. Sanborn, “that thieves would know that I have -not done so?” - -“Sure,” said Chick. - -Nick nodded his head emphatically in support of his assistant’s -statement. - -Mr. Sanborn was visibly annoyed and perplexed. Finally, he turned -sharply to Nick and said: - -“I say, why can’t you take charge of this thing and do what is proper.” - -Nick smiled a little as he replied: - -“We could do so, but it is hardly in our line. This work, as a rule, is -done by the officers of the Central Detective Office. What surprises me -is that they have waited there for you to ask them. Usually, on such -occasions, they come to ask what provisions you desire to have made.” - -Mr. Sanborn frowned and looked rather grave. Then he replied: - -“I could give you the reason why they have not done so, Mr. Carter, if I -thought it wise to do so. While it is not in your line, is it too much -to ask you to take charge for me to-day?” - -“It is not too much for you to ask, Mr. Sanborn, in view of our -friendship and relations, though it might be for others. Under all the -circumstances, if you desire us to do so, we will take charge to-day -and carry the thing through.” - -“Do so,” replied Mr. Sanborn, his face lighting up, “and you will lift a -heavy load off my shoulders.” - -“Then,” said Nick, “we will begin without delay.” - -He went to the telephone that was in Mr. Sanborn’s room, and, calling up -Patsy, told him to dress himself as if he were going to a fashionable -morning wedding, and to report as soon as he could to Mr. Sanborn’s -house, where he would find either Chick or himself, or both, to explain -matters to him. - -He then sought Ida, and, getting her, told her the same thing as he had -told Patsy. - -Turning from the telephone, Nick said to Chick: - -“I think, Chick, you had better go and rig yourself for this thing. Put -yourself in your best shape, for you will have to mix with the guests as -one of them.” - -Chick went away, replying that he would return within an hour. - -He had not been away more than five minutes, when a card was brought to -Mr. Sanborn with the word that the caller had come from the Chief of the -Detective Bureau. - -“A little late, perhaps,” said Mr. Sanborn, “but they are here with -their offer of protection.” - -He was about to turn to the servant and tell him that all provision had -been made, and that the services of the Detective Bureau would not be -required, when Nick stopped him. - -“Wait one moment, Mr. Sanborn,” said Nick. “Let that man come in here -and let’s have a look at him. The tricks of these fellows are many and -shrewd.” - -Mr. Sanborn was again about to instruct the servant to that end, when -Nick stopped him a second time. - -“Don’t be so hasty,” said Nick. “I don’t want you to offend the -Detective Bureau, if the call is a straight one. And, if it is not a -straight one, I don’t want the fellow calling to recognize me. Where can -I conceal myself and yet see him and what is going on?” - -Mr. Sanborn went to a corner of the room, and, drawing out a large and -costly screen, placed it so that one window was concealed by it. - -“I have this screen so that I can throw up the window and get the fresh -air without its blowing on me. You can sit behind that and be perfectly -concealed, hearing everything, and for seeing, why, you can cut a hole -through it.” - -“Rather a valuable thing to cut a hole into,” said Nick, as he looked -behind it. - -“Oh, that’s all right,” said Mr. Sanborn. “I fancy if I were to try hard -I could buy another.” - -“Now, then,” said Nick, “listen to what this man has to say, and if you -hear three taps behind this screen, that I shall make by rapping my -penknife on the back of the chair, you say to the caller that you will -be very glad to have the Detective Bureau send three men in plain -clothes.” - -Nick looked around the room, and seeing that he could step out through -the window into another room, said: - -“But if you hear me whistle a bar or two of any tune, in the next room, -say positively that all provision has been made and the services of the -bureau will not be required.” - -Nick now placed himself behind the screen, and a moment later the man -who had presented his card was brought into the room by the servant. - -He told his story to the millionaire glibly, and had hardly finished it -when some one in the adjoining room whistled the tune of a popular air. - -Whereupon Mr. Sanborn very sharply said that the bureau’s services were -not required, and he imagined that none of his guests were going to rob -him on such an occasion. - -The man calling tried to persuade Mr. Sanborn that he was running a -great danger, but Mr. Sanborn would have nothing of it, and cut the -interview short rather arrogantly: - -There was nothing for the man to do but to leave, and so he went out of -the house. - -Nick returned to the room, saying: - -“I supposed,” he said, “that I would recognize any one the Detective -Bureau might be likely to send to you. But what I did recognize at a -glance was that this man, who has just left us, is one of the most -dexterous crooks, who works in large cities. He is a Philadelphia man, -and I am sure he is the one who conducted those robberies at the great -receptions last winter in Washington.” - -“Then,” said Mr. Sanborn, “you believe your note of this morning was a -good warning?” - -“I must,” replied Nick, “under the circumstances, and I will be prepared -to meet any effort made to-day.” - -Mr. Sanborn, after producing a box of cigars, said to Nick: - -“I must go and prepare for this affair. I shall leave you here to do as -you see fit. If you desire to see me at any time, call a servant and -send for me.” - -He went out of the room. Nick took up a book and sat himself down to -await the arrival of his assistants. - -The first to arrive was Patsy, who, on appearing at the door, was at -once taken to the room where Nick was waiting. - -As he entered, Nick looked up in genuine surprise. Patsy had made the -effort of his life, and would have been taken, in the care and -correctness of his dress, for one of the fashionable swells of the city. - -“You do me proud,” said Nick. “I was going to do something of that -myself, but, after looking at you, I’m afraid I’ll never be able to get -to that perfection.” - -“Oh,” replied Patsy, a little embarrassed under his chief’s teasing, “I -guess I know how to get myself up to do credit to my chief. I’m only -obeying orders, though.” - -“As you always do, Patsy,” replied Nick. “You’ve obeyed orders to the -very letter.” - -Nick now got up, and, taking his hat, said: - -“I’m going away to try to rival your elegance. Now, Patsy, I leave you -in charge, and you must keep a good watch over the house. Already an -effort has been made by Lannigan----” - -“What, is that man at work again?” cried Patsy. “I thought you had -frightened him off.” - -“I thought so, too, but you know a leopard can’t change his spots. -Lannigan is supposed to have made an attempt to get into the house, but -failed, and escaped before he could be captured again. I fancy he is -again employed by somebody who knows his ability as a cracksman; so if -you spot Lannigan, keep close to him and see where the trail leads.” - -He then told Patsy in detail what had already passed, and added a word -of warning that, if the Detective Bureau did send a straight person -there, Mr. Sanborn was not to be allowed to offend them by driving them -off. - -As Nick was about to leave the house, Chick and Ida arrived in quick -succession, and he stopped long enough to instruct them and post them in -their proper places. - -He went down the steps, walking toward the corner. There he saw Lannigan -at a distance talking with another, who, leaving Lannigan, jumped into a -cab and was driven away rapidly. - -Lannigan turned in another direction and disappeared, despite Nick’s -efforts to keep him in sight. - -“Where have I seen that man who was with Lannigan? His face is familiar, -but I can’t place him.” - -Dismissing the matter for the time, however, he hurried home to prepare -himself to figure as one of Mr. Sanborn’s guests at the wedding. - - - - -CHAPTER XV. - -A MISSING BRIDEGROOM. - - -When Nick returned to the house of Mr. Sanborn, it had already taken on -a festive air. - -The decorators had completed their labor and the florists had, at last, -taken themselves off. - -It was not long after Nick had returned that the bridal party set out -for the church. - -Within a few minutes three men made their appearance and said that they -had come from the Central Detective Office, under the instructions of -the authorities, to take charge of the house in the absence of Mr. -Sanborn and his family. - -Nick was called to the door by the servant. Listening to the story of -the man presenting himself, he said: - -“You are not of the detective force. Get away from here, and, if you -make another attempt to enter, I will take you in.” - -The men, evidently astonished, hurried away with such haste as to show -that their reception was unexpected. - -After they had gone Nick said to Chick: - -“That is the second attempt that has been made to enter the house, the -same means being used, the pretense that they are police detectives.” - -“They will make another attempt,” said Chick. - -“Yes,” replied Nick, “but it will be in a different way. They will -hardly try the same thing again.” - -“They seem to be pretty determined,” replied Chick. - -“The haul is a big one, if they can make it,” replied Nick. “We must -post Patsy at this door, and I will instruct the servants, on no -account, to allow any one to pass the doors until the return of the -wedding party, unless one of us is called.” - -“There is a good deal of going in and out of the basement door in the -rear of the house,” said Chick. “I fancy that I had better post myself -down there for the present.” - -“It is a good plan,” said Nick. “Where are the presents displayed?” - -“On the second floor in a rear room,” replied Chick. “Finding that out, -while you were gone, I put Ida in that room to maintain a close watch.” - -“It could not have been better,” replied Nick. - -Thus they waited, but not for long, before there was another diversion. - -A florist wagon drove up rapidly to the door with two men in it. Hardly -had they stopped and gotten down from it, than a third man rushed up in -great haste. - -Throwing open the rear doors of the wagon, the three took out a variety -of flowers and ascended to the top of the steps, ringing the bell -hurriedly. - -The doorman threw open the door, and one man, rushing through, with his -arms full of flowers, said: - -“These are for the rear room on the second floor. Come along, men. Bring -those other flowers quick.” - -Patsy stepped forward and said: - -“What is this?” - -“We are very late, we know,” replied the man, “but Mr. Sanborn did not -order these flowers until this morning.” - -“Mr. Sanborn never ordered them,” cried Patsy. - -“Do you know all that Mr. Sanborn does,” replied the man, rather -indignantly. - -In the meantime, the other two men had pushed forward and the three now -tried to go by Patsy. - -“Stand back,” said Patsy. “You can’t go by here. Now get out.” - -“We’re goin’ to do what we were paid to do,” said the leader, “and you -mustn’t stop us.” - -Nick, upstairs, hearing the altercation, hurried forward. He was about -halfway down the stairs when he saw Patsy catch the leader by the throat -with both hands, and pushing him against the others, shove all of them, -with their flowers, out through the door. - -“Take ’em in,” cried Nick. “That’s the third attempt they’ve made.” - -One of the men whom Patsy had shoved out, hearing the voice within, -turned and caught a glimpse of Nick, who had reached the door by this -time. He dropped the flowers on the stoop, running down hastily, at the -same time crying out: - -“It’s Nick Carter!” - -With this, the other two dropped their flowers, and, jumping for the -wagon, clambered into it, to be driven away in hot haste. - -“That is the third attempt, Patsy,” said Nick. “I don’t think they will -attempt it again. If there is another attempt, it will not be until -after the house is filled up with guests.” - -Nick was right, for no other efforts were made during the time the -bridal party was away. - -It was after one o’clock before the bride and bridegroom, with the -guests bidden to the wedding breakfast, returned to the house. And it -was fully two hours later before the guests to the reception began to -arrive. - -While keeping close watch on all those who entered, Nick Carter and his -aids, nevertheless, kept themselves out of sight as much as possible. - -Nick had taken for his own post the hallway on the second floor leading -to the room where the presents were. - -A room in the front of the house on that floor had been set apart for -the use of the groom, and, after the breakfast was over and the -reception was about to take place, the groom, whose name Nick had -learned was Mr. Norman Ellison, entered that room for a short time. -Coming from it, he met Nick, face to face, at the door. - -There was something strangely familiar to Nick in the face of the groom. -For a moment it occurred to him that it was some other person than Mr. -Ellison. With the recognition, recollections of London were presented to -the mind of Nick. - -On the part of Ellison, on meeting Nick Carter, there was an -unmistakable start and an expression of surprise on his face. - -The young man regained possession of himself, however, instantly, and -advancing with a pleasant manner to Nick, extended his hand, saying: - -“The celebrated Mr. Carter, I presume.” - -Nick bowed, making no reply. - -“I was a little astonished at seeing you here, until I recollected that -Mr. Sanborn told me that he had secured your services this morning.” - -He laughed a little and went on: - -“All these things seem to be necessary at modern weddings. Mrs. Ellison -tells me that her father forgot all about making the provision until -this morning.” - -This was all so true that Nick laughed with the groom, and answered that -Mr. Sanborn had even neglected to take the proper precautions until -after he, Nick Carter, had warned him that an attempt would be made to -steal the jewels, of which he, Nick Carter, had had intimation. - -The groom looked keenly into the eyes of Carter as he said these things, -but merely remarked: - -“That is serious.” - -Then hastily saying: - -“But I must not linger here and keep the bride waiting,” he ran down the -stairs. - -Nick turned away, his mind busy with recollections of London. The face -of the young man, Ellison, was familiar to him. - -It was one of Nick’s characteristics that he never forgot a face that he -had once regarded earnestly. In fact, his memory in this respect was -actually an embarrassment to him, for in his travels in many parts of -the world he had met faces that had attracted him, or, under -circumstances, had impressed them on his mind which were by no means -associated with his business. Something of this he expressed in the -words he muttered to himself: - -“This habit of suspicion is all very well, but I am letting it run away -with me. Because I have seen this young fellow’s face before is no -reason why I should suspect him of anything.” - -He walked off toward the room over which Ida was on guard. - -In the meantime, Ellison had descended the stairs, and, at the foot of -it was met by a servant, who stopped him, speaking in a low tone of -voice. - -This was observed by Patsy, who, standing near the doorman, asked what -servant it was, since he had not seen him before. - -The reply was that it was Mr. Ellison’s own servant, his valet. - -Whatever was communicated by this servant to the young man, at least it -gave no little concern to him. - -He knitted his brows, bit his lip and looked down on the floor in -thought for a moment. - -Then he said to the servant: - -“Take him into some room where I can see him alone. I will excuse myself -to the bride for a moment or two.” - -The two turned away, the servant to run downstairs into the basement, -and the young man to push his way through the hall to a rear room on the -first floor. - -All this time the guests were arriving in increasing numbers for the -reception, but the bride and groom, however, had not yet taken their -places in the great parlor, where Mr. and Mrs. Sanborn were already in -place. - -Patsy, watching, saw the servant of Ellison come up the stairs from the -basement, leading a man who was carrying his hat with him, and who wore -a long cape overcoat. - -This man was ushered by the valet into a small room at the extreme end -of the hall. Then the servant returned to the bridegroom. - -Together, the two entered this small room, as Patsy could very well see. - -Only a moment or two elapsed before the stranger, who had called on the -bridegroom at such an inopportune time, came out of the room, -accompanied by the valet, who led him downstairs into the basement -again, and, of course, out of sight. - -Something occurring at the door attracted Patsy’s attention for a -moment, so that he did not see Mr. Ellison emerge from that room. - -The house was gradually becoming filled, and the ways of the stairs and -the hall much crowded. - -By and by Patsy became conscious that something extraordinary had -occurred. In a few moments he saw Nick Carter hurriedly descend the -stairs and push his way through the hall into the parlor. - -While wondering what had occurred, he saw Chick push his way through the -hall toward him. Reaching him, Chick bent over and said: - -“The work has begun, Patsy. Get into that room, the third down on the -right.” - -“They haven’t nipped some of those jewels, have they?” asked Patsy, -eagerly. - -“Oh, no,” said Chick, moving off, “it’s worse than that.” - -Patsy threaded his way through the throng, and entered the room spoken -of by Chick. - -There he found the bride in hysterics, being cared for by her -bridesmaids and an elderly woman, whom he recognized to be Mrs. Sanborn. - -Nick was already there in close conversation with Mr. Sanborn, and, a -moment later, Chick entered. - -Patsy looked around for some explanation of the singular scene, but -could find none. - -Presently Nick beckoned him, and, as he approached, said: - -“Perhaps Patsy can tell us something. Mr. Sanborn, this is one of my -valued aids, Patsy Murphy.” - -Mr. Sanborn, extending his hand, took that of Patsy’s, and the young -detective felt that it was trembling with agitation. - -“Patsy,” said Nick, “the bridegroom has mysteriously disappeared. The -house has been searched and he cannot be found. Did you see him pass out -of the door you were guarding?” - -“No,” replied Patsy, “he did not pass out of that door.” - -“Nor did he go out through the door that Chick was guarding,” said Nick. - -“Say,” said Patsy, “who made the search of the house?” - -“Some of Mr. Sanborn’s people,” replied Nick, “and a nephew of Mr. -Sanborn.” - -“Say, chief,” said Patsy, “I saw something. Where is Mr. Ellison’s -valet?” - -“What was it you saw?” asked Nick. - -“I saw Mr. Ellison come down the stairs. His valet met him at the bottom -of the steps and whispered something to him. Then Mr. Ellison told him -to take a man into a room where he could see him alone, while he himself -came into this room to excuse himself to the bride.” - -“Yes,” said Mr. Sanborn, “that’s what he did, saying that he would not -delay the bride but a minute.” - -“Then,” said Patsy, “I saw the valet come to the door of this room for -him and take him to meet the stranger.” - -“A stranger?” said Nick, sharply. - -“Anyhow,” said Patsy, “he didn’t look like a guest, for he wasn’t rigged -for it, and he had on a long cape coat. But, anyhow, it wasn’t a minute -after they went in before the man in the big cape coat came out and was -taken downstairs by the valet.” - -“Did you see Mr. Ellison come out of that room?” asked Nick. - -“No,” replied Patsy, “I did not.” - -Chick, who had been standing within hearing, now said: - -“I saw such a man go out of the door below.” - -“Mr. Ellison said,” put in Mr. Sanborn, “when he came into this room to -ask my daughter to wait a moment, that he was called to a matter of -immense personal importance.” - -Mrs. Sanborn at this moment called her husband to her, and Patsy, taking -the arm of Nick, asked: - -“What is it all about?” - -“Mr. Ellison, the bridegroom, has singularly disappeared,” said Nick, -“or is missing.” - -“Do they think he has skipped?” asked Patsy. - -“They do not say so,” replied Nick. “But it looks that way to me.” - -“But,” put in Chick, “nobody saw him leave the house, and it is believed -he is stowed away somewhere in it.” - -“Well, look here,” said Patsy. “I’ve got a pointer. Look for the feller -the valet brought in. And look for the valet himself.” - -“What are you getting at?” asked Nick. - -“Well, I’ve only just tumbled now,” said Patsy, “but when that big cape -coat went out of the house, it didn’t have the same man inside of it -that it had when it came in.” - -“You mean?” asked Nick. - -“I mean that Mr. Ellison went out of the house in that big cape coat. I -recollect now thinking how much bigger the man appeared going out than -when he came in.” - -“Good boy, Patsy,” said Nick. “You’ve answered one question right away.” - -Turning to Chick, he said: - -“Now, Chick, go through the house and make a thorough search for the -valet.” - -He stopped a moment, and then said to Patsy: - -“Patsy, go into that room where you saw the man taken and see what you -see there. Anyhow, look for the man that stayed behind.” - -The two assistants dashed out of the room and began their respective -duties. - -It soon became apparent to Chick that the valet of Mr. Ellison had -disappeared with his master. - -As for Patsy, on entering the room, the first thing that attracted his -attention was an open window. - -Going to the window and looking out, he saw that it would not have been -very much of a drop for a man to let himself out of it. - -Leaning out he saw that there was a gate in the fence that led to the -cross street, for Mr. Sanborn’s house was on the corner. - -He heard a voice, and, looking up, saw a man at the open window of a -house fronting on the cross street, but which looked out upon the yard -in the rear of Mr. Sanborn’s house. - -The person opposite was a very young man, not more than a boy. He asked -if Patsy were looking for anybody. - -“Yes,” replied Patsy, “I am. Have you seen him?” - -“I saw a man drop out of that window,” said the young lad, “and go out -of the gate into the street.” - -“What sort of a looking man was he?” asked Patsy. - -“He wasn’t a very big man,” replied the lad, “but he had black whiskers -all around his face and long black hair.” - -“That’s my man,” replied Patsy. “Was anybody with him?” - -“I didn’t see anybody,” replied the lad; “he went into the street -through that door in the fence. He had no hat on. Did he steal -anything?” - -“Great Scot, no!” said Patsy. “His skipping was only a joke.” - -Patsy left the window, for he had found out all he could hope to learn. - -It was clear to him that Mr. Ellison had taken the man’s coat and hat -and left the house, his valet being in the scheme. - -Mr. Ellison once out of the house safely, the man who had come to see -him had taken his chances for escaping in a bolder and more dangerous -manner. - -He went back to Nick and reported what he had learned. - -“There is no doubt that you have hit the very way in which it was done,” -replied Nick. “Chick reports that the valet has made his disappearance -as well. The question is now, why have these two men fled? There is a -great mystery here somewhere.” - -The assurance that the bridegroom had deliberately fled the house, -within an hour after he had been married, and immediately after the -wedding breakfast, at which he had made a speech expressing his -happiness in securing so lovely a partner for life, by no means -contributed to the peace of mind of the bride. - -She fainted away on hearing it, and remained so long in a state of -unconsciousness that the doctor was summoned to attend her. - -In the meantime, the guests who crowded the house were wondering over -the extraordinary delay. - -Rumors were flying, the chief of which was that the bride had been taken -violently ill. The nephew of Mr. Sanborn, a young man of the same name, -and who alone of the family seemed to keep his head, took advantage of -the rumor and of the fact of the calling of the physician to make it the -excuse for dismissing the guests from the house. - -It was not so easily done, but, in the course of an hour, all the -strangers were gotten away, leaving only Nick and his assistants there. - -On the first intimation that Ida received that the bride was ill, and -the guests were being dismissed, she cleared the room wherein the -presents were displayed, and, locking the door, sat there to guard the -presents. - -Once the house was cleared, Mr. Sanborn pulled himself together and said -to Nick Carter: - -“This is a most mysterious affair. I am much humiliated over the action -of the man to whom I had given my daughter. But I am willing to suspend -my judgment until such time as I find whether or not he is really guilty -of wrong. I place this case in your hands and I ask you to unravel the -mystery, and spare no expense in doing so.” - -“The case shall be taken up immediately,” replied Nick. “Now, as the -first thing, I wish to call your attention to the fact that one of my -assistants is guarding that treasure above, and I want her relieved at -once. Is there no place here in which they can be placed in safety.” - -“Yes,” replied Mr. Sanborn, “there are safes here in which the valuables -may be placed.” - -Nick and his assistants superintended the transfer of the jewels from -the room to the safe pointed out by Mr. Sanborn, and, having done so, -Nick said to the millionaire: - -“Roughly estimating, I should say that at least there is a million of -value in those jewels and that plate. Your safes are not a sufficient -guard for so much value. Let me urge you to take immediate measures -toward a better care of them.” - -With this Nick went away with Chick, Patsy and Ida for a consultation as -to the best means of proceeding to unravel as strange and peculiar a -mystery as they had met with in a long time. - - - - -CHAPTER XVI. - -MR. ELLISON’S PAST. - - -Nick and his assistants had returned to Nick’s apartments, which were -not far distant from Mr. Sanborn’s house. - -There, settling themselves down to look over the new case on which they -were engaged, the first thing that they were confronted with was a want -of knowledge as to the antecedents of Norman Ellison, who had so -mysteriously disappeared. - -“Although Mr. Sanborn,” said Nick, “confided this thing to our hands -immediately, it was no time, when he was so agitated and so anxious over -the condition of his daughter, to ask him the questions which -immediately leaped into my mind. But, what is apparent is, that we -cannot even make a place of beginning until we know more about this man, -Norman Ellison.” - -He got up and paced up and down his room for a while, and finally, -stopping at the table, he said: - -“His face haunts me. I have seen it somewhere before. Where, I cannot -determine. But it is associated with London, and, not only with London, -but with the Criterion restaurant, in Piccadilly. But it is all so vague -that I can fix nothing.” - -“Well,” said Chick, “Ellison is an Englishman and a Londoner. The -Criterion is one of the chief restaurants of London, and its bar a great -gathering place for the young bloods at night.” - -“Yes,” replied Nick, “and I have been there many times. It was there -that I caught Commerville, who had run to England after that big forgery -of his. But I have seen, perhaps, a thousand faces in that place, first -and last, and why should Ellison’s face stick out more prominently than -any of the others, if there was nothing wrong in it?” - -Further conversation on this head was stopped by the coming of young Mr. -Sanborn, the nephew of the millionaire. - -He was immediately admitted, and told Nick that his cousin, the young -lady who had been married that day, had recovered consciousness, and, -though weak, and much agitated, was yet very desirous of seeing him. - -Her father had told her that he has committed a search into the hands of -the famous detective, and had assured her that nothing that brains, -skill, energy and money could accomplish would be left undone to solve -the mystery of the disappearance of her newly-made husband. Learning -this, the young lady was anxious to have a talk with Nick Carter as soon -as she could. - -To take the famous detective to her was the reason of young Mr. -Sanborn’s call. - -“Mr. Carter,” said the young man, “this match between my cousin and -Ellison was a love match. At all events, it was so on the part of -Elsie.” - -“Would you have us understand,” asked Nick, “that it was not so on the -part of Ellison.” - -“Oh, no,” quickly responded the young man. “I did not mean to give you -that impression. I have always thought that Ellison was very keen about -this matter from the first time that he met Elsie, which is two years -ago. But he is the typical Englishman, one of the kind that is never -enthusiastic about anything, and who would take his time to turn around -and see what the matter was, if a pound of dynamite was exploded at his -heels.” - -“Was this match approved from the beginning by the parents?” asked -Nick. - -“By Mrs. Sanborn, always,” replied young Sanborn. “But my uncle never -liked it. His objection was only that Ellison was an Englishman, and, if -not a nobleman himself, was very closely related to those moving in such -circles.” - -“Indeed,” continued young Sanborn, “a few deaths, three or four, and -Ellison would come into a title and an estate. That he was a man of only -small property did not weigh so much with uncle as the fact that Elsie -would be taken to England and into a life for which she had not been -trained.” - -He laughed a little, and then went on: - -“But the objection was not serious, for uncle has never denied Elsie -anything she wanted, and she wanted Ellison very badly. So she married -him.” - -“Of course, if Mrs. Ellison wishes to see me,” said Nick, “I will go to -her. But, before I do, I should like to ask you some questions as to -things I must know, if I am to undertake this search.” - -“I will answer anything I ought to,” said young Sanborn. - -“In the first place, what do you know about Ellison?” - -“Well,” replied Sanborn, rather doubtfully, “I know a good deal about -him, and yet I don’t know much. - -“I first met him four years ago in London. We were introduced by a -mutual acquaintance, a young Englishman of his walk of life, who had -spent some time in this country, and with whom I was well acquainted. - -“I saw a good deal of Ellison in London at that time. He was very nice -to me in showing me around. - -“As a matter of fact, he went over to Paris with me, and, on our return, -took me down with him to his relative’s place, the Earl of Kerleigh’s. - -“So you see that I know there’s nothing bogus about his position. But he -is one of those fellows, so reserved and so quiet, that you may say you -never know him. I should say, however, that he was as straight as the -majority.” - -“When did you next see him?” asked Nick. - -“Two years ago,” promptly replied young Sanborn. “He came over here with -a shooting party, and, having written me that he was coming, and with -some fellows of his kind, most of whom I knew, and that they were going -into the West to shoot, I used my influence with my uncle to get up a -special car to take them out there in style. - -“When they arrived and found what I had done, they made me go with them. - -“Returning to New York, I did the best I could to entertain them, and it -was then that Ellison met Elsie. - -“When the party was to start back to England, Ellison said he was going -to remain here. And he did so. He has never been back since.” - -“How did he support himself here?” asked Nick. - -“Oh, he has an income of his own,” replied Sanborn, indifferently. “I -gave him a few tips occasionally, when I had them, and he did a little -in the street. Not much, for he didn’t go in very heavy. He couldn’t. He -didn’t have the money.” - -“What was his life here?” asked Nick. - -“All right,” said the young man, “so far as I can tell. He was a member -of a club or two, went into society, was well entertained, and moved -around with the young men of the day.” - -“Anything fast in his life?” asked Nick. - -“Oh, no. He didn’t plunge any in anything.” - -“Was he attentive to Miss Sanborn during all this time?” asked Nick. - -“From the first. He asked her to marry him within the first year he was -here, and she referred him to her father. I have told you that Uncle -Harmon didn’t fancy the match, but he had a talk with the young -Englishman, and, as he told me afterward, Ellison came out of the talk -in a straight, manly fashion. In fact, he made a better impression on -uncle in that talk than he had made before. But uncle insisted that, -while they might consider themselves engaged, the wedding should not -take place for a year. And so Ellison settled down in New York for that -year to pass.” - -“There doesn’t seem to be much in your tale to give me a hint,” said -Nick. “Now let me ask you a leading question. I beg you will not evade -it through any friendship for Ellison, whom you evidently like, or -feeling of loyalty to your cousin. Here is a mysterious thing in which a -man does the very thing you would expect him not to do, and at the very -time it would be supposed that the object of his life was accomplished, -defeating that object. If I am to solve this mystery, I must find the -reason for it in his life prior to his marriage. It is, therefore, not -idle curiosity that prompts me to ask you. - -“Now, then, do you know of anything, even the slightest, irregular, -mysterious or complicating circumstance in the life of Mr. Ellison?” - -“Mr. Carter,” said Mr. Sanborn, “if I have asked that question of myself -once to-day, since all this happened, I have asked it twenty times. And -I have been unable to answer it other than that his life has been a -straight, open book.” - -He bent his head in thought for a moment or two and continued: - -“I see your position and your point. I am earnest and sincere in what I -say. If, when I can give calmer thought to this thing than I have yet -been able to do, and some things occur to me that I cannot now recall, I -promise you that I will come to you with them at once.” - -“Very well,” said Nick, “as we seem to have exhausted the subject for -the present, I will go with you to see Mrs. Ellison.” - -Telling Chick, Patsy and Ida to remain until he should return, Nick went -off with young Mr. Sanborn to the home of the millionaire. - -Arriving, he was taken at once to the apartments of the young lady who, -as he entered, was reclining upon a lounge. - -She rose immediately, and, crossing the room to meet him, said: - -“Dear Mr. Carter, I want you to understand from the first that I have -every faith in my husband. Don’t let anybody, no matter who, make you -believe that Mr. Ellison is not a good man. I wanted to say this to you -in the beginning. What has occurred, or why he has done this, of course, -I don’t know. But, whatever it is, it has been done because he could not -help himself, not from any intention to leave me. He loves me, I know, -and I know it as well as I know that I love him. I can tell you nothing -to help you in your search, but I did want you to know my faith in him, -and I wanted to see and talk with the man who has my faith and future in -his hands. That is you. Whether life will be of any value to me will -depend entirely on what you do and what you discover. And, having seen -you, I know I can trust you to do all that can be done.” - -The young lady had been so earnest and had worked herself up to such a -degree of agitation that, at the conclusion of her words, she swooned -again. - -But she soon recovered, and Nick, perceiving that she was again herself, -went downstairs to Mr. Sanborn’s room to have an interview with him. - - - - -CHAPTER XVII. - -PATSY’S POINTER. - - -Nick returned to his assistants after his interview with Mr. Sanborn. - -He was thoughtful and perplexed. - -Mr. Sanborn had been unable to contribute a single idea or additional -bit of information that would help Nick to a starting place. - -“In all my experience,” said Nick, “I have never met with just such a -case. - -“All that we have is that a man has mysteriously disappeared at a most -unexpected moment, and when his disappearance is likely to lose him all -he had been striving for for two years. - -“Those who know the man best, who for two years have been his intimate -associates, cannot even suggest a notion as to what might be the cause -of it.” - -“It’s a great big stone wall,” said Patsy, “and we’re up agin’ it with -our noses scratching against the rough edges.” - -Patsy’s terse description caused them all to laugh. - -“Chief,” asked Chick, “do you think that you know the whole of the life -of this man, Ellison, here in New York for the past two years?” - -“Perhaps not so well,” answered Nick, “as I might know if we had made a -careful search into it. But, before Mr. Sanborn consented to his -daughter’s marriage, and, subsequent thereto, he had inquiries made as -to the young man and how he was living, what he was doing, and he became -satisfied that there was nothing wrong in it.” - -“Well,” said Chick, “it goes that a man don’t disappear as Ellison did -without a reason.” - -“That is true,” said Ida. “Had he left at any other time, or any other -place, there would not have been so much in it.” - -“What is your point?” said Nick, stopping in his pacing up and down and -standing before Ida. - -“What I mean,” said Ida, “is this. If Mr. Ellison had been in his room, -say three months ago, reading, or smoking, or passing his time away -until bedtime, and had been called upon by some one who came to see him, -and, going out with him, had not returned, it might have been said that -he had allowed himself to drift away without strong reasons. But to -leave a house under the circumstances Mr. Ellison did, within two hours -after his marriage, and just as he was prepared to take his place at the -reception to receive his many wedding guests, shows that there must have -been reasons so strong that he dare not pass them by.” - -Nick nodded his head as if agreeing with this, and Chick said: - -“And crime of some kind is at the bottom of those reasons.” - -Nick turned sharply on Chick and asked: - -“What do you suspect?” - -“I suspect nothing,” replied Chick. “I am trying to say that nothing but -a crime, or, a wrong, would make a man like Ellison leave as he did.” - -“The reasoning is good,” said Nick. “Let us see. The most important -thing that could occur to Ellison, as we know it, is the possible -succession to the title and estate of his family. Now, the Earl of -Kerleigh is alive, and there are three lives between him and Ellison. -Suppose, for instance, that all of those four men were on a yacht and -were drowned at one and the same time. That would make Ellison the Earl -of Kerleigh and change him from an unimportant person to a very -important person in England; in other words, changing the whole course -of his life. It is hard to conceive anything more important to occur to -Ellison. Suppose that the big cape man Patsy saw, brought him that -information. While it would shock and excite him, there could be no -reason why he should not tell his newly-made bride and her family, even -if it were necessary for him to leave on the minute.” - -“And that,” said Ida, “forces us to believe that there was some wrong or -some crime back of this hasty departure.” - -“I say, chief,” said Patsy, “did any steamer sail to-day since twelve -o’clock?” - -Chick jumped for the morning paper and quickly looked at the shipping -news. - -“No,” he said, “no steamer left port to-day after twelve o’clock.” - -“What time does the next steamer go out?” asked Nick. - -“Every one that leaves to-morrow,” replied Chick, “must sail before nine -in the morning.” - -“You have made a good suggestion,” said Nick. “I wish, Patsy, you would -take care of that end of it, and see that every steamer is properly -watched to-morrow morning.” - -Patsy smiled with pleasure. The chief had acknowledged that he had made -the first practical suggestion in the work. - -“It comes down to this,” said Nick, “we must set out upon the theory -that something wrong, some crime, some misfortune, or some complication, -exists in the life of Ellison that is unknown to his best friends.” - -“Chief,” said Ida, “I believe that that is to be found not here in this -country, but in England.” - -“Since he has lived so good a life here,” said Nick, “it would seem to -be so.” - -The famous detective stood still a moment and said: - -“I must appeal to my friend, Inspector Mostyn, of Scotland Yard, again. -Chick, write a cable to Mostyn and ask him to send all information that -is queer about Ellison. Tell Mostyn what family he belongs to.” - -He turned to Ida and said: - -“I don’t suppose there is a man in England who knows as much about the -noble families and their concealed histories as Mostyn does.” - -“If you are to have a starting place at all,” said Ida, “I think you -will find it in what Mostyn tells you, and----” - -Ida hesitated a moment, and Nick asked: - -“And what?” - -Ida laughed in a somewhat doubtful manner and replied: - -“And I am afraid that you will find that it is something in which one of -my sex is involved. I have noticed that nearly all the trouble which a -sprig of the nobility gets into, is because of some woman.” - -There was a tap at the door. Patsy opened it and found there a servant, -who passed in a letter, with the remark that it had just been received. - -It was addressed to Nick. - -Handing it to Nick, the famous detective opened it and said: - -“It is the same handwriting.” - -“The same as what?” asked Chick. - -“The same writing as the note of warning of this morning.” - -Reading it, he passed it to Chick, saying: - -“Read it aloud.” - -Chick read: - -“‘A famous judge, having a man brought before him and listening to the -charge made against him, asked: “Who is the woman?” If you are wise, you -will take this as a pointer for the beginning of your new case.’” - -The four detectives looked at each other, and then Nick took from his -pocket the letter of warning of the morning, and together they compared -the handwriting of the two letters. - -“It is the same,” said Nick, positively. - -“It was written by the same man,” said Chick. - -“It is not the writing of a man, but of a woman,” said Ida. - -Nick caught the two letters, and, carrying them to the window, where the -light was strong upon them, carefully examined them. - -“You are right, Ida,” he said, as he returned to the table. “Though the -character of the writing is heavy and masculine, yet it is clear that a -female hand wrote both notes.” - -Chick took them up again and carefully examined them. - -“Ida,” said Chick, “while you are undoubtedly right in this, it would -seem to upset your theory that we must look for the reasons of this -mysterious disappearance in the life of Ellison in England, prior to his -coming to this country.” - -Ida took up the envelope of the last letter, and, inspecting the -postmark, replied: - -“Yes, since a woman is involved, as these letters show, and she is in -this city now. This letter was mailed this afternoon by three o’clock.” - -Nick turned with a start. - -“By three o’clock?” he asked. “Are you sure?” - -Ida handed him the envelope, saying: - -“Look for yourself. And it was from the General Post Office.” - -“Then,” said Nick, “the writer of this letter knew of the disappearance -as quickly as we did.” - -“It’s my guess,” said Patsy, “before.” - -“You mean,” said Nick, “that she was a part of it?” - -“Perhaps,” said Patsy; “anyhow, she knew it was goin’ to take place.” - -“And it is my guess,” said Ida, “that the woman who wrote this letter is -not the woman that Ellison is mixed up with, but is a woman who is in -love with Ellison and who wants to get the other woman in trouble.” - -“How in the world do you figure that out?” asked Chick. - -“I don’t figure it out,” said Ida. “I’m guessing, like Patsy.” - -She looked up at Nick and laughed as she continued: - -“It is a guess based on my understanding of my own sex.” - -“It is something to pay attention to,” said Nick, “especially in a case -so dark and difficult as this is. But, Ida, if we are to guess on the -probable actions of women, we could do a great deal more guessing.” - -“As for instance, how?” asked Ida. - -“We might guess that the woman who writes to us wishes to strike the one -Ellison married to-day, and that the job put up was to prevent the -marriage taking place, but that it miscarried.” - -“Oh, if you’re going to guess,” said Chick, “you can guess anything, but -the real thing is to find the writer of these letters as a beginning.” - -“See here, chief,” said Patsy, “are not we losing sight of one thing in -thinking only of this mysterious disappearance?” - -“In what way?” asked Nick. - -“Well,” said Patsy, “what was the start of this game, anyhow? Wasn’t it -a warning that the Sanborn house was to be robbed to-day?” - -“If you’re never more wrong than you are in that, Patsy,” said Chick, -teasingly, “you’ll always be dead right, my laddy buck.” - -“You’re getting gay, Chick,” replied Patsy. “I’ve got a notion in my -think box that I know where the start is in this case.” - -The three turned with interest to Patsy, and Chick, inclined to jolly -Patsy, said: - -“Expatiate, my brilliant statesman, expatiate.” - -Patsy turned to Chick with a merry twinkle in his eye and asked: - -“Did it hurt yer much to cough that up?” - -“Come,” said Nick, “say what’s in you, Patsy.” - -“Well, see here, chief,” Patsy went on. “You say both these letters were -sent by the same person.” - -“Yes.” - -“Well, the woman, if it is a woman, as Ida says, was dead right, wasn’t -she, when she said it was goin’ to be tried on.” - -“You mean the attempt to rob the Sanborn house of the jewels, the -wedding presents?” asked Nick. - -“The same,” said Patsy, eagerly. “Well, it was tried on, wasn’t it?” - -“Yes.” - -“Then the moll what wrote this letter knew all about it beforehand, -didn’t she?” - -“Yes,” replied Nick, smiling as he recognized that Patsy was slipping -back into his east-side talk as he always did when he grew very earnest. - -“Well, then,” continued Patsy, “it goes, doesn’t it, that she must know -the people what was goin’ to work it?” - -“Yes,” replied Nick, eagerly, for he saw Patsy was getting to a point. - -“And,” went on Patsy, “the moll has given you the warning that there was -a woman behind Ellison’s runnin’ away?” - -“Yes.” - -“And she must know who that moll is?” - -“Yes.” - -“And if yer could get on ter her, you’d get a line on the whole biz, -wouldn’t yer?” - -“Yes.” - -“But the thing is, Patsy,” said Chick, “to get to the woman who wrote -the letters.” - -“That’s what I’m gettin’ at,” said Patsy. “The chief knows that the man -Lannigan, the swell cracksman of Philly, led off in this biz of tryin’ -ter nip the jewels. And it’s dollars to doughnuts that Lannigan knows -the moll what writ these letters. So, Lannigan is the startin’ point ter -turn the lamps onto.” - -Nick brought his hands together with a resounding clap and replied: - -“You’ve hit it, Patsy, and you have given us what we have been fishing -for, a starting place. Now, Chick, you and Patsy start right out and see -if you can’t find Lannigan, and put him and his fellows under watch. -Don’t lose them until you know all they’re doing.” - -Without waiting for anything else, Chick and Patsy went out. - -“I fancy, Ida,” said Nick, “that there will be a good deal of work for -you to do in this case. You had better go home and spend the night in -getting a good rest. What you have to do will depend upon what the boys -will find out to-night.” - -Ida went away, and Nick busied himself with a new make-up. - - - - -CHAPTER XVIII. - -IN THE TENDERLOIN. - - -Chick and Patsy relied upon their knowledge of the haunts of criminals -and crooks in the city to give them trace of Lannigan. - -It was nearly seven o’clock when they left Nick’s apartments. - -“I’ll bet you, Patsy,” said Chick, “that the gang working the Sanborn -residence this morning was governed by our old friend Lannigan.” - -“I’m thinking so myself,” replied Patsy. - -“If that’s so,” replied Chick, “and they’re in the city yet, the place -to find them to-night is in the Tenderloin, where they’ll be rolling -about for a bit of a spree.” - -“If they’ve got the price,” replied Patsy. “Their little show didn’t -come off according to the bill of play. They may be broke.” - -“Oh,” replied Chick, “they’ve got enough for a roll, and I think the -best place to look for Lannigan is among the music halls.” - -“It’s a little early,” said Patsy, “to take up that hunt.” - -“Yes,” said Chick, “but that will give us a chance to get something to -eat, and I’ve had nothing since breakfast.” - -“I’m with you,” said Patsy. - -Accordingly, they turned into a rather well-known eating saloon in -Broadway, not far from Thirtieth Street. - -They had not been seated at their table long, before they saw a man -enter who was a prominent member of the police detective force. - -His name was Merton, and the two, Chick and Patsy, were on good terms -with him. Attracting his attention, they called him to their table, -asking him to dine with them. - -When he was seated, they asked him if he was on any special business. - -“A very easy lay,” replied Morton. “A young fellow, from an Eastern -city, who has got more money than brains, is down here on a -high-pressure spree. His folks, who can’t switch him, have appealed to -the department to put him under watch so that nothing bad will happen to -him. That’s my lay. The chief says it’s a kind of a vacation for me.” - -“Merton, did you folks have an eye to the Sanborn wedding this morning?” - -“In a way,” said Merton. “When the papers put up the story about there -being so much value in the presents that were given to the bride, the -chief had a look over the crooks working in that line to see if they -were going to do anything about it.” - -“And they were not?” asked Patsy. - -“No; the lads believed there was no use of trying it, because the -presents would be too closely watched and they came to know that the -chief was looking after them, so they steered clear away.” - -“Then,” said Chick, “if any one did make the attempt, it was not local -lags.” - -“That’s dead certain,” said Merton. “If any one did, they were -outsiders. But did any one try it on?” - -“We think they did,” said Chick, cautiously. - -“Well, if any one knows anything about it,” said Merton, “you ought to. -You were on guard there.” - -“Oh,” said Chick. “You know that, then.” - -“Yes,” replied Merton. “The chief was certain that Sanborn would call -Nick Carter in, for he always does that when he has got any work to be -done. That’s why the chief didn’t send anybody there.” - -“Well,” said Chick, “Sanborn did not call on the chief. But the chief -got a tip that an effort was going to be made to nip some of those -presents and warned Sanborn only this morning. That’s how we happened to -be there.” - -“Say,” asked Merton, suddenly, “what’s that story about the bridegroom, -Ellison, disappearing? Is there anything in it?” - -Chick was a little puzzled to know how to meet this direct question. It -had been the hope of Nick and the Sanborn family as well, that the -dismissal of the guests would be attributed to the sudden illness of the -bride, and that, for a time at least, the disappearance of the groom -could be concealed. So he asked: - -“What do you know about it?” - -“I don’t know anything about it,” said Merton. “But a friend of mine, -who was there as a guest, said he heard Sanborn say something to his -nephew that made him believe that it was the running away of Ellison -from the house that made the bride sick. In other words, my friend -thought that there had been a big quarrel somewhere and that Ellison -left the house in a huff before the reception.” - -This was enough to justify Chick in a denial, and he promptly made it. - -“Well,” said Merton, “if there was an attempt made on the house, what -gang was it?” - -“The chief thinks,” said Chick, “that Lannigan tried to get inside the -house, pretending to be one of your plainclothes men.” - -“Lannigan? The man that Nick Carter had his hands on a little while ago -and let him off with a caution. Is it possible that he can be fool -enough to butt himself against the law again?” - -“That’s what the chief thinks.” - -“Well, I saw Lannigan on the street not an hour ago. You can find him -almost any minute in the Tenderloin somewhere. Both nights that he has -been about here he has had a woman with him, who is as swell as they -make ’em.” - -Chick turned to Patsy and said: - -“You see, Patsy, my guess was right. The Tenderloin is the place to look -for him.” - -“Who is the woman that is traveling with him?” asked Patsy. - -“She’s a stunner,” replied Merton. “She’s tall, slim, handsome, with a -face white, like marble, red lips, round blue eyes, and wavy, light -fluffy hair. She is dressed in the highest style. She looks to me like a -lady who is trying to see the wrong side of New York without being in -it.” - -Chick and Patsy instantly exchanged glances. - -“Are you looking after such a woman?” said Merton. - -“The chief wants to know all about such a woman,” said Chick. “He -fancied that she was with Lannigan, and I guess they want evidence for a -divorce suit.” - -“I thought Nick Carter never touched such cases,” said Merton. - -“Oh,” replied Chick, carelessly, “it’s only my guess, but the work of -Patsy and myself is to get on to this couple, and put them under watch.” - -“Then,” said Merton, “the best thing you can do is to travel with me -to-night, for, if they are here in town when the lights are lit, we’ll -run against them for sure.” - -Having finished their meal, the three started out on their travels. - -Merton had little difficulty in finding the man over whom he had -watched, but the two that Chick and Patsy were anxious to find could not -be found in any part of that gay section of New York. - -All places, possible and impossible, open and concealed, were visited, -but no trace of Lannigan could be found. The hours passed and midnight -was nearly reached when Patsy said: - -“I’m afraid, Chick, that our man has got out of New York after his -failure to do the work that he came here to do.” - -“You mean the robbing of the Sanborn wedding presents?” said Chick. - -“Yes,” said Patsy. “Very likely he has got to know that Nick Carter is -on his track again, and he doesn’t want any more hot encounters with the -chief.” - -This had passed between Chick and Patsy as they were walking along -Broadway above Thirty-fifth Street. - -Suddenly Merton halted the two, and, pointing to the other side of the -street, said: - -“There’s your couple now.” - -Looking across they saw a man and a woman, both stylishly clothed, -crossing Broadway to the corner on which they stood. - -The three, dropping back out of sight, watched them cross. Standing on -the corner for a moment, the two seemed to discuss which way they should -go, then they turned up Broadway. - -Following them, the detectives learned that their destination was a -restaurant whose principal business of the twenty-four hours was done -after midnight. - -It was the resort of the gay people of the town, and, as other places -darkened, this one became brighter and gayer. - -They waited on the outside long enough to make it appear that they had -not followed the pair into the place. - -“It was worth waiting for,” replied Chick, “and we’ll probably get a -line on them before we are through with them.” - -Finally, Chick said to Merton: - -“We’d better go in now.” - -He made the motion to lead the way up, when a young woman stepped up, -and, addressing Merton, said: - -“Anything for me to do to-night, Mr. Merton?” - -“No, Bess, I think not. I haven’t anything on to-night of any -importance.” - -The girl stepped away, and Chick asked who she was. - -“She is a girl,” said Merton, “who is employed by me a good deal.” - -“You use her, then, in your work?” - -“Yes; she’s as good as a directory. She knows everybody, who they are -and what they do.” - -“Fetch her back,” said Chick. “We’ll take her in, and she may be of use -to us.” - -Merton ran after her and brought her back. The four then entered the -restaurant. - -The place was already more than half full, and there was some difficulty -in finding a table which was near enough to Lannigan and the woman who -was with him to make observation easy and yet not be too conspicuous. - -When, at last, the table was selected, it was found to be well placed -for their purpose. - -They not only commanded a good view of the table occupied by Lannigan -and his companion, but of the whole room. - -“Chick,” said Patsy, “Lannigan isn’t broke, by any means. He’s doing the -swell caper. Nothing but champagne and Burgundy does him. See him mix -the fizz and the red.” - -“Nothing less than seven and a half for that tipple,” said Merton. - -“And nothing less than birds, as well,” said the girl Merton had called -Bess. - -“His layout will knock spots out of a ten-dollar note,” said Patsy. - -“You know who it is?” asked Bess. - -“Know the man,” replied Chick; “his name is Lannigan.” - -“That’s right,” said Bess. - -“Do you know the woman who is with him?” asked Chick. - -“No. She was never seen here until three nights ago, and she was with -him then.” - -“See here, Bess,” said Merton. “These two friends of mine are on the -same lay that I am. They want to know all about a woman traveling with -Lannigan. I don’t know why, and I ain’t asking. And you don’t want to -ask why, either. But if you can help them, you’ll be helping me.” - -“And the price will be the same from me,” said Chick, “as it is from -Merton when you are working for him.” - -“The price isn’t much,” said Bess, with a laugh. “It’s only a tenner for -an evening’s work. I think I can help you, but I don’t know. I’ll try.” - -“Then I’ll pay you now and take the chances,” said Chick, thrusting a -ten-dollar bill into the hands of the girl. - -“Whether I can help you depends whether the girl with Lannigan is known -in Philadelphia, where Lannigan originally came from. A girl will come -in here some time to-night who will know her, if she is known in that -city. If she does, she’ll tell me.” - -The little party of four then gave themselves up to the enjoyment of -their supper, which had been ordered by Chick. In the meantime, the room -gradually filled until all the tables were occupied; the place became -redolent with tobacco smoke and gay with the chatter of voices and -laughter. - -As they watched the other table, they saw a man make his way through -the room, and, going to Lannigan, lean over him and whisper. - -Lannigan seemed to be much annoyed, but, nevertheless, he took a bill -from his pocket and handed it to the man, who went out. - -Patsy said to Chick: - -“I flung that fellow out of the door at Sanborn’s this morning.” - -“Was he the one who came with the flowers?” - -“Yes. He’s the one who cried out when he saw Nick Carter.” - -“He’s a New York crook,” said Merton. - -“A second-story man,” said Bess. - -As she said this, she jumped to her feet and began to beckon to some one -who had entered the saloon. - -The one to whom she was beckoning was a rather flashily dressed young -woman who was of a party of three women and two young men. - -“Hello!” exclaimed Merton. “There’s my man, and since he’s come in, I’m -neglecting no business.” - -The party found a table at the other side of the room, which had just -been vacated. The girl whose attention Bess had been trying to attract, -finally, seeing Bess, came over to her and Bess asked: - -“Is that party very dear to you, over there?” - -“Oh, no,” said the girl. “I’m only trying to make it very dear for the -two willie boys in tow.” - -“Are they friends of yours?” asked Bess. - -“No; they’re friends of the other two girls. They just roped me in.” - -“Shake them and join us,” said Bess. “I want to ask you something.” - -The girl went back to the party. Apparently excusing herself, she came -back and sat down at the table as requested by Bess. - -“Alice,” said Bess, “look at that man and woman over on that side.” - -Bess pointed out the couple the party had under observation. - -“Jimmy Lannigan,” said the girl called Alice. “He’s been rolling about -the Tenderloin for three nights. But he’s spending no money except on -the woman that is with him.” - -“Do you know who she is?” - -“Yes, I do,” replied the girl Alice, with a laugh. “She comes from our -old city, Bessie, and if she keeps this racket up much longer, if there -won’t be a swell divorce case with fine trimmings, I’m no guesser.” - -“Why do you say that?” asked Chick. - -“The thing with me is,” said Alice, “why the burst hasn’t come long ago. -She is the wife of a rich young fellow in Philadelphia. She is herself -of a good family and she’s going with the best. Her husband is a man -engaged in business and lets her go her own gait, while he is working -night and day to get rich. This young woman has been sporty for two or -three years; but I don’t think she’s guilty of anything worse than a -keen desire to have a good time. She respects the moral code, though she -goes into places which the majority of wives avoid.” - -“How is it,” asked Chick, “that she’s in with such a fellow as -Lannigan?” - -“I don’t know how to answer that,” said Alice. “I don’t know how much -she knows of Lannigan. But you know Lannigan is very swell. He’s a -handsome fellow, so I suppose that he’s caught her fancy.” - -“She’s taking big chances,” said Patsy, “in traveling around with a -fellow so well known as he is.” - -“She’s taking big chances all the time,” said Alice. “The wonder is that -she hasn’t been dropped to. Up to two or three months ago she was -traveling around in all sorts of places with a young Englishman. But -then he was one of her kind.” - -“You mean,” said Merton, “that he moved in her circle of fashionable -life.” - -“Yes,” said Alice, “and there was a lot of talk about her in her own -circle then. I had a friend who was one of the young sports in that -circle who told me all about it. This young Englishman had her out on a -yacht for a week, and her husband never knew anything about it.” - -“Not alone?” asked Merton. - -“Oh, no,” said Alice, “there was quite a party.” - -“When was this?” asked Patsy. - -“Let me see,” said Alice. “I can get pretty close to the time. It was -last September.” - -“Do you know the name of the young Englishman?” - -“No, I’ve forgotten it if I ever heard of it. Anyhow, he was here in New -York and used to run over to Philadelphia to see her.” - -“What is her name?” - -“Ladew. Her husband’s name is Thomas. That won’t be her name long,” -continued Alice, with a laugh, “if she let’s Jimmy Lannigan show her -around New York very often. She’s taking chances I wouldn’t dare to -take, if I were in her place.” - -It seemed to Chick and Patsy as if they had secured all the information -which they were likely to obtain at that time. - -Bess looked at Chick meaningly, as if to ask if he had gotten all he -wanted, and Chick nodded in reply. - -The conversation was then changed, and Chick gave the signal to Merton -that he would like to get out. - -Merton took the lead and the party rose. - - - - -CHAPTER XIX. - -CHICK’S STRANGE ENCOUNTER. - - -The three detectives went to the door, but on reaching it, Merton said: - -“I think I’ll have to leave you here. My business will make me stay -here, for I see that my man is getting pretty well loaded, and I must -keep an eye on him.” - -Chick and Patsy therefore shook hands with him, thanking him for the -assistance he had given them. - -While they talked at the door, a young man and a young woman entered -from the street and, walking some distance into the place, suddenly -stopped, peered forward earnestly, and then hastily turning, went out -into the street again. - -The action had been observed by Patsy, who made up his mind that they -had seen somebody at the tables they desired to escape. He watched them -go to the corner and engage in earnest conversation. - -After a moment, they went under the cover of the corner, where Patsy -could see that she took off her hat. - -A moment later, they stepped out again into the light and, to Patsy’s -great surprise, she was a very different looking person. - -Before she had been a blonde, and now she seemed to be dark haired. - -“She had a wig on,” said Patsy to himself. “Now I wonder what was the -meaning of that?” - -The couple stood on the corner a little longer, then the two went to the -curbstone and, entering a hansom cab, were driven off. - -Patsy turned to Chick and Merton, who had been conversing while he had -thus been watching the couple, thinking that strange sights were to be -seen in the Tenderloin late at night. - -Chick, slipping his arm under Patsy’s, now led him to the sidewalk, and -the two turned down Broadway. - -“Well, Patsy,” said Chick. “I don’t know how much we have gained -to-night, but I take it that it is a good deal.” - -“Do you think,” asked Patsy, as they walked along, “that the young -Englishman, the girl Alice talked of, was our man Ellison?” - -“That notion has got into my head,” said Chick. “And if it is so, it -will be a big opening for us. We’ve got a way of finding out, however, -and that is, by finding if Ellison was on a yachting trip last -September.” - -“And,” added Patsy, “whether he was in the habit of running over to -Philadelphia much.” - -“That’s so,” said Chick, “I don’t think there is any use of following up -Lannigan and the woman, Ladew.” - -“I don’t know about that,” said Patsy. “We might stumble on their -associates if we did.” - -“Well,” said Chick, “if that is so, we had better go back and watch the -front of that place to see them come out.” - -They had walked along as they had thus talked and had, therefore, gotten -something like two blocks below. - -Chick turned about, suddenly, saying: - -“You’re right about that, Patsy, and we won’t drop them until we see -where they go.” - -They walked back hastily until they reached the corner on which Patsy -had seen the couple that had attracted his attention. - -Here they heard a voice calling some one, and, turning to look, saw a -woman beckoning to them from a hansom cab drawn up to the sidewalk. - -Although she was in the shadow of the cab, Patsy thought that it was the -one whom he had been watching while at the restaurant door, and who he -had seen put on a wig. - -They went to the cab, and the woman, addressing Chick, said to him: - -“I want to speak with you a moment, and alone.” - -Hearing this, Patsy stepped aside and Chick went up closer. - -“I know who you are,” said the woman. - -“But I don’t know who you are,” answered Chick. - -“It is not necessary that you should,” replied the woman, “and, as a -matter of fact, I don’t intend that you shall.” - -Chick looked up at her quickly and saw that the woman was earnest in her -manner, by no means coquettish or trifling. He said: - -“What is it you want to say to me?” - -“I know that you are one of the assistants of Nick Carter,” the woman -said. “Your name is Chick, and I know that you are looking for Mr. -Ellison, who disappeared so suddenly from the Sanborn house to-day.” - -Chick thought rapidly, and concluded that more was to be gained in -admitting the fact than in denying it. - -“Won’t you enter this cab and talk with me?” said the young woman. - -Giving a signal to Patsy which meant that Patsy was to follow wherever -he went, Chick called out, loudly: - -“Good-night, old boy, I’ll see you some time to-morrow.” - -He climbed into the cab and took the seat as the young woman made way -for him. - -Patsy turned after calling back a good-night and walked hastily up the -street until he reached a dark doorway into which he quickly dodged, -from which point he watched the cab. - -“Tell the driver,” said the young woman, “to drive away from here.” - -“Where?” asked Chick. - -“Anywhere, so that we will not be so conspicuous.” - -Chick told the driver to cross Broadway and, driving to Sixth Avenue, to -go down that avenue until the _Herald_ Building was reached. - -Having done this, he asked the young woman what was the meaning of her -movements. - -“I want you to tell me,” she said, “whether you have found anything -about the whereabouts of Mr. Ellison.” - -“No,” replied Chick, “we have only just begun the search.” - -“Do you know why he so suddenly disappeared?” - -“No,” replied Chick, “if we did, we would not be long in finding where -he is.” - -“You will find it difficult to find him. You are following up the Ladew -woman for that purpose.” - -Chick turned to look at the woman, but her head was turned away, as if -she was in deep thought. She continued: - -“I don’t think you will find much in following her up. He has broken -with her.” - -“Then he knew her and was in relation with her?” asked Chick. - -“It was only a foolish flirtation on his part,” said the young woman, -and Chick noticed that there was a great deal of bitterness in her tone. - -She paused for a moment or two, and then went on: - -“The Ladew woman is an eccentric person, and she followed him up so that -he could not get away from her. But he had to break when his marriage -with Miss Sanborn approached; there was a great row.” - -By this time Chick was much puzzled to know what relation this woman -bore to Ellison and what her interest in the matter was. The question -entered his mind as to whether or not this was not the woman who had -written to Nick the two letters which had so excited their curiosity. - -He knew from what she had said in the beginning that it was useless to -ask who she was, or what her name was, but he determined upon a sudden -and bold play. - -“Who were you trying to strike,” he asked, “when you wrote those two -letters to-day to my chief, Nick Carter?” - -The young woman started violently, turning to Chick in a frightened -manner. - -“What do you mean by that? What letters?” - -“The letters which warned the chief that an attempt would be made to rob -the Sanborns and that a woman was at the bottom of Ellison’s -disappearance.” - -“How do you know that I wrote them?” - -The question was almost gasped out. - -“I don’t know,” replied Chick, “but I do know that the chief knows who -wrote them.” - -“Does he know me?” - -“The chief knows everything,” replied Chick. “No sooner had he received -those letters than he started to find out who wrote them.” - -“And he found out?” - -“Of course he did.” - -“And it was me?” - -The woman suddenly laughed a mocking laugh, and Chick knew that whether -the woman had written the letters or not, his play had not counted. - -“If you knew as much as all that,” she said, “you would know who I am, -and that’s what you don’t know.” - -To this Chick could make no reply, for he felt that though her first -fright indicated that she was indeed the woman who had written the -letters, she had now regained possession of herself and that it was -useless for him to hope to surprise her into an admission. He took -another tack. - -“What interest have you got in this matter?” he asked. - -“Wouldn’t anybody be interested in so mysterious a thing as happened at -the Sanborns?” - -Again she laughed mockingly at Chick. - -“How did you come to know me?” asked Chick. - -“Are you not a celebrated person, and doesn’t everybody know Chickering -Carter, the great Nick Carter’s chief assistant?” - -Chick knew now that the young woman was playing with him, and that he -did not have easy game before him. - -“No,” he said, “I am not so celebrated in the circles in which you move -that you would know me.” - -“What do you mean by that?” asked the young woman. - -“I mean that you saw me for the first time to-day, and that it was at -the Sanborn house where I was on duty and you were there as a guest.” - -By the way the young woman took this reply, Chick knew that he had -scored a point, but did not know how much of a one it was. - -“Did you see me there?” she asked. - -“Not that I recollect,” replied Chick. “Perhaps it is very wrong for me -that I should have failed to observe so charming a person as yourself.” - -“None of that, please,” sharply returned the young woman. - -She was silent a moment, and then said: - -“Yes, I was there, and one of the few who knew that Mr. Ellison left the -house.” - -Chick started. It suddenly broke on him that the person beside him was -one of the bridesmaids, and yet he could not be certain. - -While he was thinking this over, she asked: - -“Do you know how Mr. Ellison left the house?” - -Again Chick thought rapidly, and concluded that he would gain more by -answering the question straightly. - -“We think,” he said, “that he left concealed by a great cape coat that -had been worn into the house by another man, and that he had a wig and -beard on to resemble that man.” - -“Who was that man?” - -“We don’t know.” - -“He was left in the house after Mr. Ellison went out. Was he not seen?” - -“No, he escaped from the house by a back window into the back yard, and -so into the cross street.” - -“What sort of a man was he?” - -“A man with a pointed, glossy black beard, black eyes, heavy black -eyebrows and long black hair, curling a little at the ends.” - -The young woman was thoughtful for a moment or two, sitting with her -finger to her lips, which she bit nervously, while her brows were -knitted. - -Chick broke in on her thoughts. - -“Was this man connected with the robbery or the attempt to rob?” - -“I don’t think so,” said the young woman; “that was another part of it.” - -“You mean,” asked Chick, “that the robbery was connected with Mr. -Ellison’s disappearance?” - -“Oh, no,” said the young woman. “The robbery was a consequence of Mr. -Ellison’s knowing certain people----” - -She started suddenly, and, facing Chick, said: - -“You’re clever. You nearly trapped me. I will confess to you that I -wrote both those letters. I learned by accident of this robbing -attempt, and tried to stop it by informing Mr. Carter.” - -“That’s what you said,” said Chick. “You did stop it.” - -“I know nothing of those people,” she said, “except that, through a -certain connection, they were attempting to use Mr. Ellison.” - -“Do you want Mr. Ellison found?” suddenly asked Chick. - -“Yes. I am----” - -She stopped and, looking Chick keenly in the eyes, said: - -“I will talk no more to-night. I was anxious to know what you have told -me. I do not know enough to tell you anything more of importance. I may -learn something, and, if I do, I will manage to make Mr. Carter know it. -Now, get out, and let me go away.” - -Believing that he could accomplish no more, and certain that Patsy was -not far away, Chick descended from the carriage, lifted his hat, and -walked away. - -The hansom cab, containing the young woman, immediately went over to -Broadway and, turning up that street, was driven quite rapidly. - -But it had not gone the space of a block when another cab drove after -it, and Chick saw a hand wave from the window. - -Jumping across the street, Chick found a cab on the corner, and, hastily -calling the driver, said: - -“Follow that cab, and don’t lose sight of it. If you kill your horse, -I’ll pay for it.” - -And an instant later, and as the clock over the _Herald_ office sounded -the hour of two, he was following in hot haste the cab containing Patsy, -which, in turn, was following the one occupied by the young woman. - - - - -CHAPTER XX. - -A FEMALE BOXER. - - -The cabs pursued their way up Broadway until Forty-second Street was -reached, when they turned, the leading cab going up that street to Fifth -Avenue. - -As the one containing the young woman turned the corner into that avenue -it halted. A young man stepped out from the shadow and entered the cab. - -Patsy’s cab was at a discreet distance behind it, yet Patsy thought that -the young man was the same one with whom, earlier in the evening, on -Broadway, he had seen the young woman when she made the change in her -hair. - -The cab now went on up Fifth Avenue, and at a slower pace than it had -previously been going. - -Thus Sixty-eighth Street was reached, and, when near the corner, the cab -drew alongside the curbstone, the two occupants alighting and proceeding -on foot. - -Patsy was out in a moment. As the two disappeared around the corner, he -ran at full speed; Chick, a little distance behind him, also following -rapidly on foot. - -When Patsy reached the corner the pair were nowhere to be seen. For the -moment the young detective was at a loss to know what to do. - -Thinking that if they had entered any one of the houses it must have -been one very close to the avenue, and that, if so, they would have -hardly had time to pass through the door, and were under the concealment -of a vestibule, he ran down the street hastily in the hopes that he -might discover them. - -Just as Chick reached the corner, two figures leaped out at Patsy. - -They were the pair he had been following. - -The young man went at Patsy rather viciously, crying, as he did so: - -“What are you following us for?” - -Though the attack was unexpected, Patsy was not unprepared, and, -squaring himself, warded off the blow the young man had aimed at him. - -It was apparent to Patsy in a moment that the young man was no novice at -the game of the fists. - -Indeed, he was an adept in the art of boxing and, for a moment or two, -Patsy was kept quite busy in defending himself. - -In the meantime, the young woman was a silent and inactive witness. - -After the first few moments of surprise had passed, and, as he thought, -he had obtained the measure of the young man, Patsy changed his tactics -from defending himself to going at the other one fiercely. - -He soon demonstrated his superiority, and was fast overcoming the young -man, when, to Patsy’s intense astonishment, the young woman danced up at -him in approved pugilistic fashion and landed a stinging blow in his -face. - -The young detective was astonished at the force behind the blow. Though -he was busy with the young man, he did not fail to observe that the -young woman, lady, and daughter of wealth as she seemed to be, was, -nevertheless, a good deal of a boxer. - -“Hello!” said Patsy to himself. “I have heard of these women athletes -among the swells, but this is the first one I ever saw.” - -In the meantime, the young woman was dancing up, letting out a blow, -dancing away again to come back with another blow. - -Some of these blows landed on Patsy’s shoulder and chest, blows which -the young fellow cared nothing for. But some of them came too close to -his eyes and mouth to be comfortable. - -Patsy hardly knew how to deal with this assailant. While boxing with the -young man, he had warded off a number of the blows of the young woman, -and, though opportunity was given him, he had returned none, nor had he -even attempted to. - -He could not bring himself to fight a woman, however annoying and -irritating she might be. - -In the meantime, Chick had stolen down on the other side of the street, -and, perceiving the curious fight in which Patsy was engaged, was -doubled up with laughter. - -His quick eye had shown him that Patsy was in no need of help so far as -the young man was concerned, and he believed that, as energetic as the -young woman might be, Patsy could find a way to evade her. - -As a matter of fact, he wanted to be free to follow the young woman were -the two to escape Patsy. - -This curious fight went on in that quiet street for some little time, -little or no noise being made, since the combatants did not speak. - -At length Patsy, having become tired of the game, devoted himself wholly -to the young man without regard to the young woman. Finally, he got in a -blow on the young man that sent him down to the pavement. - -Turning to the young woman as she came up to him, he caught her by the -wrists, and, holding her fast, said: - -“It’s about time you stopped this.” - -The young woman struggled to release herself, and found that she was as -a mere child in the grasp of the athletic and trained young detective. - -It seemed as if she was more angry in finding herself so helpless in his -grasp than she had been before. She said: - -“Release me. I command you. I’ll have you punished.” - -Patsy merely laughed in her face, and, having shown her how helpless she -was, threw off her hands, saying: - -“You can fight very well, my lady, so long as nobody fights back. Now -don’t try any more of it again, if you please.” - -The woman’s anger was too great for her to speak. Suddenly she turned on -the young man, who was still lying as he fell, and hissed out: - -“Get up, you coward! Do you leave me to be so insulted here?” - -But the young man made no reply, and Patsy said: - -“I must have hit him too hard.” - -Disregarding the young woman, he went to the young man and bent over -him. He was unconscious. After trying to lift him to his feet, Patsy -said to the young woman: - -“I cracked him harder than I thought, or else his head hit the pavement -when he fell. I’ll take him to the drug store around the corner.” - -The young woman, forgetting her anger, went hurriedly to the young man. -Bending over him, she first felt his pulse and then his heart. - -“You have killed him!” - -But the next moment she peered eagerly into the eyes of the young man -and exclaimed: - -“No. He’s coming to.” - -She rubbed his forehead and chafed his hands. - -“Who is he?” asked Patsy. - -“My brother,” she replied, sharply. - -After a while the young man was sufficiently restored to stand on his -feet when helped up by Patsy. - -“You’ve done damage enough,” said the young woman, “and you can now go -away.” - -“I’ll help you home with him,” said Patsy. - -“No, I don’t want you to do that.” - -She stood up and looked Patsy straight in the eyes and said: - -“You shall not see me go home to-night. If you don’t go away, I shall -stay here, or else go somewhere where you can’t find me. I know you. You -are one of Nick Carter’s people. Go away. You can do nothing to-night, -and you can’t find out anything about me.” - -Casting a glance about, Patsy was satisfied that he saw Chick on the -other side of the street. Indeed, he had been conscious during the time -that he was defending himself from the assault of this athletic brother -and sister that Chick had come down on the other side. - -Believing that they did not know that Chick was ready to follow, he -thought it best to end the affair by walking off. - -“All right, if you say so,” said Patsy. “Only, you might have said so -from the first, and not kept jabbing me in the face.” - -He turned and sauntered up the street. Reaching the corner, he turned -backward and saw that the young man and woman were watching him. - -He turned the corner and went out of sight. - -No sooner was he gone than the pair hurriedly ran down the street to -about the middle of the block, and as hastily climbed the steps of a -rather imposing mansion, disappearing behind the doors. - -If the pair thought they had done so undiscovered, they were greatly -mistaken, for Chick from his place had seen them and had carefully noted -the house they had entered. - -Cautiously and stealthily, Chick crept down the street, and, reaching -the house, climbed the steps sufficiently to see the number. Then -perceiving that there was a doorplate on the door, he went up to the top -step, and, with a lighted match, found the name. It was merely that of -Rainforth. - -The end had been gained. The young woman had been tracked to her home. - -He went back to Fifth Avenue, and, turning the corner, came on Patsy -awaiting him there. - -As soon as he saw the young detective he began to laugh. - -“You’ve struck a new kind of a boxer, Patsy,” he said. - -“That’s right,” said Patsy. “And she can hit, too. Hanged if I don’t -think she can hit harder than the young fellow she calls her brother.” - -“Her brother?” asked Chick. - -“That’s what she said he was.” - -“Wasn’t it a stall?” - -“They went into the same house together.” - -“Perhaps so,” said Chick. “As a rule, however, brothers don’t usually -run around at this hour of the night with a sister.” - -“Well, I don’t know,” said Patsy. “Anyhow, they’re the queerest brother -and sister that I ever ran up against. Say, Chick, is it the fashion for -women to box?” - -“I hear it is,” said Chick. - -“Well,” said Patsy, “that little one is no fool at the game. And she has -got the pluck of a professional.” - -“I got the name on the plate of the house they went into. It is -Rainforth.” - -“Then you got the house they went into?” asked Patsy. - -“Yes, and the number,” replied Chick. “Now we have got to find out -something about the people who live in that house.” - -“Small chance of finding anything to-night, or rather this morning,” -said Patsy. “That’s a job for to-morrow.” - -Patsy had hardly spoken these words when a policeman turned the corner, -and, seeing the two young men there, stopped, casting suspicious glances -at them. - -“What are you loafing there for?” he asked. - -Instead of replying, Chick said: - -“Officer, is Sixty-eighth Street your beat?” - -“Yes; and what of it?” - -“Do you know all the families that live on Sixty-eighth Street?” - -“Most of them.” - -“Do you know a family by the name of Rainforth?” - -“Yes; I know there is such a family there. But what is that to you?” - -“We are two of Nick Carter’s people,” said Chick. - -He made that fact plain to the officer, who quickly changed his manner, -and, from being suspicious, became confidential. - -“Yes, I know that family Rainforth,” he said. “Rainforth is Colonel -Rainforth, a rich man, living on his money. A widower, and pretty old.” - -“Who lives in the house with him?” - -“A son and a daughter.” - -The officer began to laugh and finally said: - -“They are a queer pair, that son and daughter. They travel around -together late at night. I don’t know how many times I have seen them go -into the house at two or three o’clock in the morning.” - -“Coming home from parties and receptions and balls, I presume,” said -Chick. - -“Mebbe; but I don’t like that. It looks to me as if they had been -roaming. Say, the daughter is a thoroughbred. She does almost anything a -man does. She rides, and there isn’t any horse too bad for her. She rows -a boat, she works in a gymnasium, and I know for sure that she’s taken -boxing lessons. They say she’s awful good with her fists.” - -“Is she straight?” asked Chick. - -“Ain’t heard anybody say she wasn’t. She’s just queer; that’s all.” - -This was all the officer could tell them, and, after a few more words, -he strolled away. - -The two young men stood a while longer conversing, and were themselves -about to move away, when young Mr. Sanborn came tripping hurriedly along -the pavement. - -Chick stopped him, saying: - -“Mr. Sanborn, will you stop a moment?” - -The young man stopped, and, perceiving who it was who had addressed him, -called them by name and laughed: - -“A little too late for much conversation, isn’t it?” - -“Perhaps it is,” said Chick; “but we want to have a little information -which we think you can give, and we don’t want to be asked why we want -it.” - -“Oh,” said young Sanborn, “if it is a matter of business, I’ll give it -if I can, and I won’t ask why.” - -“Will you tell us if you know a family of the name of Rainforth?” - -“I know of a family of that name living down here in Sixty-eighth -Street.” - -“Colonel Rainforth, a widower, with one son and a daughter?” asked -Chick. - -“Yes.” - -“Can you tell me anything about the daughter?” - -“I know her quite well,” said young Sanborn; “have known her a good many -years, and have never known anything against her.” - -“Isn’t she rather queer?” asked Chick. - -“Oh, I don’t know but that she is in some of the things she does. She -goes in for things that most of the young women do not. She rides, -fences, drives tandems and four-in-hands, shoots, is gymnastic, and -boxes--in fact, she goes in for all sorts of out-door sports. In that -way, she is one of the new women.” - -“She and her brother are great chums?” asked Chick. - -“There’s no doubt of that,” said young Sanborn. “They’re very chummy. -Travel together a good deal.” - -Young Sanborn suddenly turned sharply on Chick, looking at him very -intently, and then said: - -“Oh, I say, here! Why, yes, I forgot.” - -He stopped a moment to think, and then said: - -“I see that you have got onto a little thing that escaped my memory. A -year ago or more Julia Rainforth made a dead set for Ellison. She was so -sweet on him that she followed him up constantly, put herself in his way -to such an extent that people talked about it. But it’s all over, and -has been since the time the engagement of my cousin and Ellison was -announced.” - -“You are sure of that?” asked Chick. - -“There’s no doubt about it at all,” replied Sanborn, positively. - -Chick had no further questions to ask, and, a few moments later, young -Sanborn went his way. - -Turning to Patsy, Chick said: - -“Well, Patsy, we’ve got something to report to the chief at last.” - -Then, they, too, walked away in the direction of their homes. - - - - -CHAPTER XXI. - -IDA SEES MISS RAINFORTH. - - -The next morning Nick Carter listened with surprise and deep interest to -the tale which his two efficient aids had to tell him. - -“When we parted last night,” he said, “there hardly seemed to be an -opening anywhere in this case. The only one was that which Patsy had -suggested as to Lannigan. Now, after a night’s work, there seems to be -so many that they are conflicting.” - -“Yes,” said Chick, “it seemed very straight when Patsy suggested that we -could get to the woman who had written those letters by following up -Lannigan. Well, we have found the woman who wrote the letters, but have -learned nothing to show that she was connected with Lannigan, while the -woman who is connected with Lannigan does not seem to have had anything -to do with the letters, although if the string is right, she did have to -do with Ellison.” - -“That’s why I say that our openings conflict,” said Nick. - -“Well, boys,” continued Nick, “it is for you to follow up what you have -begun. You must follow up the Lannigan end to-day. That will take you to -Philadelphia, for Lannigan went over there this morning. I know that. -Find out, while there, about Ellison’s associations in Philadelphia, and -whom he visited in that place.” - -“You have no doubt, then,” asked Chick, “that the Englishman the girl -Alice talked of was Ellison?” - -“I have no doubt,” said Nick, “for the reason that, while you were busy -in one direction last night, I was pushing inquiries in another, and I -learned that Ellison did charter a yacht last summer, and that he did -spend a good deal of time in Philadelphia, off and on.” - -He got up from his chair, and, pacing up and down a little while, at -length said: - -“I don’t quite know how to size up young Sanborn. For a man who is well -acquainted with Ellison as he pretends to be, he is singularly ignorant -of the man, or else he refuses to tell all that he knows. In his talk -yesterday he dropped the name of a man as one of those with whom Ellison -spent much of his time, and that man I am very well acquainted with. - -“While this young man made no pretentions to intimate friendship with -Ellison, yet he knew enough about him to know that his life was not -quite as correct as Sanborn would have us believe. - -“It is from him that I learned about the yacht, the Philadelphia trips, -and that Ellison was involved in two or three scrapes that did not -become public. I take it young Sanborn is no longer important to us.” - -“The girl Alice,” said Chick, “said that he, if he is the young -Englishman, was very attentive to Mrs. Ladew. She told the truth there, -because Miss Rainforth admitted to me that Ellison had been in a foolish -flirtation with her.” - -“It’s all over,” cried Patsy. “That settles it.” - -“Settles what?” asked Chick. - -“Why, that the young Englishman is Ellison.” - -“Quite right, Patsy,” said Nick. - -Nick thought a moment or two, and then said: - -“Philadelphia is the place where you must look for a day or two. Keep -your eyes open for traces of Ellison’s valet, and for the man who came -to see Ellison, and in whose cape coat Ellison went away. Patsy saw them -both, and that is an advantage. - -“I will follow up the Rainforth matter here, but that, in my judgment, -is where Ida will have to do most of the work. You can’t get away any -too quickly.” - -“I suppose,” said Chick, “what we’ve got to work on there is how -Lannigan came to get a line on the wedding presents at Sanborn’s.” - -“Of course,” said Nick, “there is a connection there with Ellison, -somehow. Whether with Ellison’s knowledge or not is a question, but on -working in Philadelphia on the line of Ellison’s doings, and on the line -of how Lannigan was steered to the wedding, you may find out much that -is valuable for us to know in tracing the mystery of Ellison’s -disappearance.” - -The two young detectives went away to prepare for their trip to -Philadelphia. - -As soon as they were gone, Nick summoned Ida. - -She was not long in coming, and, when she did arrive, Nick said to her: - -“Ida, I have got something for you to do which, I think, is about as -difficult as anything you have undertaken.” - -He told her the experiences of Chick and Patsy with the young Rainforth -woman, and the discovery that she was the writer of the two anonymous -letters. - -“That young woman puzzles me,” said Nick. “I know something about her. -Her father is an old army officer, very rich, who long since retired. -The young girl, with her brother, was brought up at army posts in the -West, in the wild Indian fighting times, and learned many things there -that are not usually a part of a fashionable young lady’s education. - -“She learned how to ride vicious horses and how to use firearms. She is -an expert shot with both rifle and revolver. Besides, she can wield the -sword as well as a soldier. - -“Where she learned the accomplishment of boxing that she made a display -of with Patsy, I don’t know. Probably after she returned to the East, -and as a consequence of having already certain manly attainments. - -“She is good at many of that sort of thing--lawn tennis, golf and -yachting. - -“All these things, although they have made her much talked about, have -not given her the reputation of being fast. But it a queer story that -Patsy tells of her, and it is borne out in Chick’s interview with her. - -“The fact which concerns us is, that she knew about the attempt or -intention to rob the Sanborn house, and that she knows more about -Ellison’s private life than his associates do.” - -“I should think,” said Ida, “from what you say, that she was involved -with Ellison herself, and that the knowledge she obtained came through -that connection.” - -“It may be so,” said Nick, “but I am inclined to believe that all there -was of that connection was a desire on her part to capture Ellison for -herself.” - -Ida laughed and said: - -“Our sex is a queer thing. This Miss Rainforth seems to be a very bold, -energetic and courageous young woman. If you are right, and she has been -scorned by Ellison, there is no knowledge to what lengths she will go.” - -“Well,” said Nick, “it is for you to get into relations with her, and -find out what you can. It is a difficult thing. How will you go about -it?” - -“That does not seem to me to be as important,” replied Ida, “as to know -how to deal with her when I do get to her.” - -“Getting to her is no small matter, Ida,” said Nick. “Miss Rainforth is -a fashionable young lady. Usually, her movements are wholly within -fashionable circles of the most exclusive kind. Her escapade of last -night is not usual, and you cannot count on getting to her by finding -her outside of her own circles.” - -“Leave it to me,” replied Ida, “to get to her. The thing in my mind is, -as I said before, how to deal with her when I do get to her.” - -“Well,” asked Nick, “have you any theory?” - -“From what has been told me,” replied Ida, “I don’t think that gentle -methods, or wheedling, or coaxing, will accomplish anything. Unless she -has no sort of regard for her private character, I think we will have to -try to frighten her.” - -“Well,” said Nick, “we will have to leave that to you, and you must be -governed by your judgment of her when you reach her.” - -After some further talk, Ida left Nick, still undetermined as to the -methods she would use in getting to the singular young lady. - -As she was thinking on the street, her steps were led almost -involuntarily to Sixty-eighth Street. Standing for a moment on the -corner of that street and Fifth Avenue, she suddenly made up her mind, -and, walking rapidly down the street, went to the Rainforth house and -rang the bell. - -When the door was opened, Ida said to the servant: - -“Is Miss Julia Rainforth in?” - -“What name am I to present?” asked the servant. - -“My name will mean nothing to Miss Rainforth,” said Ida. “Tell her a -lady would like to see her on a matter of much importance.” - -The servant ushered Ida into a small reception-room on one side of the -hall, and disappeared. - -He was back again in a few moments with a message that Miss Rainforth -desired to know the business of the person who had called. - -“Inform Miss Rainforth,” said Ida, “that the business I have come about -is that which Miss Rainforth will not care to have known to her -servants.” - -The servant went off, and was back again in a few moments, bringing with -him some paper, a pencil and an envelope. - -“Miss Rainforth,” he said, “orders me to say that, if the business -cannot be stated to a servant, it can be written on this paper.” - -Ida was about to return the paper with the word that a personal -interview alone would do, when a thought struck her. - -She took the paper and pencil and hastily wrote on it: - - “Ellison. Mysterious disappearance. Elsie Sanborn. Mrs. Ladew.” - -As she wrote this last name, some one passed through the hall of whom -Ida caught but a glimpse through the openings of the portières. - -Yet that glimpse suggested to her the man who came to see Ellison on the -day of his wedding, as described by Patsy. - -Not that she believed that it was the man, but the fancied resemblance -suggested an idea. - -She added hastily to what she had already written on the paper the -following: - - “The mysterious stranger who called on Ellison on the day of his - wedding.” - -She folded the paper, inclosing it in the envelope, sealed it, and gave -it to the servant. - -In a very short time the servant was back again to say that Miss -Rainforth would see the caller in her own apartment. - - - - -CHAPTER XXII. - -IDA’S TRIUMPH. - - -The servant led Ida up the stairs to the second floor and into a room in -the front of the house, furnished most luxuriously as a sitting-room. - -A young woman, rather under-sized, but well proportioned, and with some -claims to beauty, stood in the center of this room. - -Ida regarded the young woman intently. She saw that, though the features -of the young lady were somewhat hard, and the expression of her face not -wholly agreeable, yet she was one who would be attractive to the other -sex. Her eyes were dark, and there was in them a rather steely gleam as -she turned them keenly on Ida. - -“I don’t know you,” was her salutation. - -Looking about the room, Ida saw there were two doors therein, both open. -Without replying to the abrupt and ungracious greeting of the young -lady, Ida went to the one which seemed to lead into an inner apartment, -and, closing it, shot the bolt she found on it. - -“You are impertinent,” said Miss Rainforth. - -Nor to this remark did Ida reply, but went to the door leading to the -hall, closed that, and turned the key in the lock. - -“What do you mean to do?” asked Miss Rainforth, so much astonished that -she had not as yet interfered. - -“I mean,” said Ida, “that we shall not be interrupted during our -interview.” - -Ida now went to a chair in that part of the room which brought her back -to the light, and forced Miss Rainforth to stand, or sit, as she chose, -with that light full on her face. - -“You do not ask me to sit down, Miss Rainforth,” said Ida. “So I shall -take a seat uninvited. But, before I do, I wish to say that I know that -you are an expert in shooting. I would have you know that I am also. You -can take your revolvers, if you choose to do so, for I shall sit with -mine in my lap ready to check any use of yours on your part.” - -With that Ida took her revolvers from her pocket, and, sitting down, -laid them upon her lap. - -“Well,” said Miss Rainforth, with a long breath, “of all the impudent -things I have ever met, you are the most impudent.” - -“Oh, no,” replied Ida, “I am merely a determined person who will not be -denied in the matter I have come about.” - -“Leave the room,” said Miss Rainforth, suddenly losing her temper. - -“I shall do nothing of the kind,” said Ida. - -Miss Rainforth made a motion as if she would run to the door, but Ida -sternly commanded her to stop. - -Apparently unused to such a tone, Miss Rainforth stopped, turning more -in surprise and astonishment than in submission. - -“Miss Rainforth,” said Ida, “you will please to return to your seat.” - -The young lady continued to stare at her visitor, and Ida went on: - -“It is useless for you to call any one, for that will only result in -your ruin and disgrace. As I told you, you have met with a person even -more determined than yourself. You must submit.” - -“Who are you?” the young lady blurted forth. - -“My name is of no consequence,” said Ida. “It is enough for you to know -that I am one of Nick Carter’s people. I have something to learn from -you which you must tell.” - -“‘Must! Must! Must!’” repeated the young lady, now nearly beside herself -with anger. “In all my life, I have never permitted any one to say -‘must’ to me. How dare you, when my father never dared to say it to me?” - -“Simply because,” said Ida, very quietly, “I am determined that you -shall tell me what you know about Mr. Ellison.” - -The manner of Ida, so calm, determined and selfpossessed, made an -evident impression upon the young lady. - -She came across the room, standing almost directly in front of Ida, and -calmly studied the face of her visitor, as if it were new to her -experience. - -“I know that you are supposed to be a bold and courageous young lady,” -said Ida. “I know it is commonly reported that you are not unaccustomed -to scenes of danger. You are in no danger here, except such as may -result from your refusal to tell me what justice demands you should -tell. Now, please sit down and let us get this matter over.” - -The mood of the young lady changed, and she laughed aloud, sarcastically -rather than otherwise, saying, when she had had her laugh out: - -“Well, this is a new experience. Really, it is entertaining. I think I -shall enjoy it.” - -She went back to a chair, and sat down. - -“Now, Miss One-of-Nick-Carter’s-People, what is your business with me?” - -“Miss Rainforth, you notified my chief that a robbery was to be -attempted at Mr. Sanborn’s house yesterday. Subsequently, and almost -immediately after the singular disappearance of Mr. Ellison, you wrote -another letter to Mr. Carter, telling him a woman was at the bottom of -that disappearance. Later in the evening, you made your appearance, in -disguise, in places in the Tenderloin, under circumstances which, if -known publicly, would ruin the most respectable young lady.” - -Miss Rainforth sprang to her feet, this time genuinely alarmed. - -“How do you know that?” she exclaimed. “What do you know? How much do -you know?” - -Ida saw that she had made a point much stronger than she knew. - -Evidently, the young lady had been engaged in something the night -previous, had been somewhere, and had been involved in something, the -concealment of which was far more important to her than of her entrance -to the all-night restaurant at midnight. - -Ida was quick to use the advantage she had gained, though she recognized -that she was on dangerous ground, and was ignorant of what had so -excited the young woman. - -“You know little of Nick Carter and his perfect system,” she replied, -“if you do not know that he is aware of the movements of any one who is -of concern to him.” - -Miss Rainforth fell back in her chair, muttering, rather to herself than -to Ida: - -“I had heard so. I had been warned. But I did not believe it.” - -Then she turned to Ida. - -“Talk plainly,” she said. “What is it you want to say? What is it you -want of me?” - -Ida stood up, deliberately replaced the revolvers in her pocket, and as -calmly sat down again. - -She felt that she had already won her victory; if she managed the rest -of the interview with skill that the reckless, courageous and masterful -young woman was already cowed. - -In the meantime, Miss Rainforth, settling back in her chair, was -regarding her visitor with apprehensive intentness. - -“Mr. Carter,” said Ida, “has neither wish nor disposition to do anything -to your injury. You are of no consequence to him, as important as you -doubtless regard yourself, except as you bear a relation to the -mysterious disappearance of Mr. Ellison, and have knowledge of events -leading up to that disappearance.” - -“I am sure,” replied Miss Rainforth, with a sneer, “I’m obliged to the -consideration of Mr. Carter.” - -Ida gave no heed to the sneer, but went on: - -“In the first place, I want to know how you came to have knowledge of -the intended robbery of the wedding presents.” - -“Really?” sneered Miss Rainforth. - -Ida saw that the young lady was recovering from the panic into which she -had been thrown, and was regaining possession of herself. She made an -attempt to frighten the young lady again. - -“I presume, Miss Rainforth,” she said, “that you are intelligent enough -to understand that you are at present in the position of one who is in -relations with a notorious thief and burglar, one Lannigan?” - -The young lady started violently. - -“Lannigan!” she repeated. - -“Lannigan made the attempt to enter the house of Mr. Sanborn yesterday -morning,” said Ida. “Indeed, he did enter it, and was recognized by Mr. -Carter. He was driven off at that time and, though his gang made two -other efforts later, they also were defeated.” - -“They did make the attempt?” said Miss Rainforth. “I thought they had -not done so.” - -Ida made a bold play. - -“Oh, they kept their part of the bargain,” she said. - -It was a false play, for the young woman looked at Ida with a puzzled -face. - -Ida instantly saw it, and hastened to regain her ground. - -“You do not answer my question,” she said. “How did you come to know of -this intended robbery?” - -“You are looking for Mr. Ellison,” said Miss Rainforth. “Of what use is -that knowledge to you in such a search?” - -“It is a step in the beginning,” replied Ida. “Understand, Miss -Rainforth, you are related to this search, and to the mysterious -disappearance of Mr. Ellison, either remotely or intimately, and evasion -on your part will only involve you in trouble--in all the shame and -disgrace that publicity of the matter, which will soon be a sensation, -will involve.” - -The young woman winced, an anxious expression appearing on her face, and -Ida knew that the string upon which she must pull was the one of the -young lady’s fear of notoriety. - -“I must insist upon an answer to that question,” she said. “There are -many ways of conducting our business. As a rule, we work in secret, but -there are times when we are forced to take the public in our confidence, -and make a part of our search through the newspapers. We have no desire -to do that at any time, but it begins to look as if we would have to do -so in this case, and you can see the position you would be in--you, a -young lady of fashion, placed before the public as an associate of -thieves and the frequenter of fast places at midnight.” - -The young woman leaped to her feet with the remark: - -“You would not dare do such a thing.” - -Ida laughed, scornfully. - -“Dare?” she repeated. “We spend our lives in daring.” - -“The men of my family would kill you, if you did such a thing.” - -Ida laughed again. - -“Half the thieves and half the fast people, whether rich or poor, are -always threatening that. We are used to it.” - -The young woman began to walk rapidly up and down the room, and then -stopped suddenly in front of Ida. She said: - -“It was by an accident.” - -“You mean,” said Ida, “that you obtained the knowledge of the intended -robbery by accident?” - -“Yes,” replied Miss Rainforth. - -“Under what circumstances?” asked Ida. - -“I cannot tell you that,” replied the young woman. “It is too much of a -confession.” - -Ida took a new tack. - -“Miss Rainforth,” she said. “I have already said there is no desire on -the part of Mr. Carter to do you injury. You are in a peculiar position, -and a dangerous one for you. You are liable to that kind of notoriety in -an extraordinary case which, to one like you, will be ruin. Your course -in self-protection is not in striving to conceal your part in it from -us, but, rather, to ask our assistance and our help in keeping your name -out of an unpleasant matter.” - -The young woman undertook to say something, but Ida went on: - -“Wait and hear me out,” she said. “The fact that you won’t speak or will -not give the information you evidently are possessed of, and which it is -necessary for us to know, will have no effect in preventing us from -going on to the end. If we do not find out by one means, we will by -another. We never fail.” - -These words seemed to impress the young lady, and she stood for a moment -silent, with her head bent. Then she said: - -“I went to see Mr. Ellison at his apartments the night before the -wedding. He was not in when I first entered. Afterward, two men were -shown into the room, and I, not desiring to be seen, hid myself from -them and heard their conversation while they waited. - -“I soon learned that their business was to force Mr. Ellison to help -them enter Mr. Sanborn’s house the following day. I also heard that they -had learned from Mr. Ellison, a little time previous, the value and kind -of the presents that were to be displayed at the reception. - -“And I also learned that it was the intention of these men to rob the -house at the time of the reception, and that that was the reason for -forcing Mr. Ellison to help them to enter.” - -“Do you mean,” said Ida, not a little surprised, “that Mr. Ellison was a -party to that robbery?” - -“I mean nothing of the kind,” said the young lady. “I am sure he was -not.” - -“Yet it was from him that they obtained knowledge of these presents?” -persisted Ida. - -“That, I am sure,” responded the young lady, “was only a matter of -accident, as he had been associating with those people, and talked about -them.” - -“Mr. Ellison an associate of thieves?” asked Ida. - -“I am sure he did not know them as thieves,” said Miss Rainforth, “but -as gamblers.” - -“Gamblers?” inquired Ida. - -“Yes,” replied Miss Rainforth. “Gambling is Mr. Ellison’s weakness. It -has brought him into great trouble in the past, and I should not be -surprised if his present trouble could be traced to it.” - -“Explain yourself,” said Ida, believing that she was now on the line of -a new discovery. - -“Mr. Ellison’s weakness is a love of gambling, and, though his New York -friends know little or nothing of that side of him, yet he used to go to -Philadelphia frequently to play. There he gambled most heavily, with a -certain poker set in that city, of whom this Lannigan was one. He is -very heavily in debt to some of that party.” - -“Were you present when Mr. Ellison come in and saw these men?” - -“Yes.” - -“Did you overhear their conversation?” - -“Yes; I could not help it, situated as I was.” - -“Was Mr. Ellison made aware of the intention to rob the Sanborn house?” - -“No.” - -“What reason did they give for desiring to enter the house?” - -“Merely the wish to be present.” - -“Did they give no reason for it?” - -“No.” - -“Did Mr. Ellison refuse their request?” - -“Very promptly.” - -“And what then?” - -“They attempted to force him to consent by threatening that, if he did -not, they would inform Mr. Sanborn of his gambling habit and his -gambling debts.” - -“What did Mr. Ellison do?” - -“Mr. Ellison is a brave man. He told them that he would not be forced by -anybody; that, if they wanted to do that, they could do so, but he would -not consent to their being present at the wedding reception; and that -they were presuming in attempting to lift a gambling acquaintance into a -social relation.” - -“Then what did the men do?” - -“They went away, threatening.” - -“Do you think Mr. Ellison had a suspicion of their intentions?” - -“I don’t know.” - -“Now, Miss Rainforth, what was your purpose in going to Mr. Ellison’s -apartments at such a strange hour?” - -Miss Rainforth turned a startled look on Ida, took a turn or two up and -down the room, and came back. She said: - -“I was not alone. My brother was nearby. He knew of my going there.” - -“Even so,” said Ida, “it was a remarkable thing for a young woman to go -to a young man’s apartment on the night before his wedding at nearly the -midnight hour.” - -The young woman blazed up into a passion. - -“I went there in a last attempt to prevent his marriage.” - -“To prevent his marriage?” repeated Ida. - -“Yes,” replied Miss Rainforth. “By all rights, he was bound to me, and -it was I whom he should have married.” - -“Do you mean to say that you were engaged?” - -“Yes; if promise is an engagement.” - -The young woman paused a moment and then said, passionately: - -“It was that wretch, that Ladew woman, who interfered. But he never -loved her.” - -“Miss Rainforth,” said Ida, “I fear you have been laboring under a -strange delusion. You evidently do not know that, almost from the moment -of his arrival in New York, Mr. Ellison was a suitor for the hand of -Miss Sanborn.” - -“It is not so,” said Miss Rainforth. “He was entangled by her family, -pursued and hunted by Elsie Sanborn herself.” - -“In your last letter to Mr. Carter,” said Ida, “you hinted that a woman -was at the bottom of the disappearance of Mr. Ellison.” - -“I’m sure of it,” said Miss Rainforth, “and it is the Ladew woman. She -was at the reception and she was in the house when he went away.” - -“And you were, too,” said Ida. - -“I was, and it was from the Ladew woman that I found out that he had run -away. If she wasn’t at the bottom of it, how did she know of it when -nobody else did?” - -Ida now made up her mind that she had gotten at the bottom of Miss -Rainforth’s connection with the matter. - -She was certain that Miss Rainforth was in love with Ellison and had -herself hoped to be Mrs. Ellison; that, possibly, there had been tender -passages between herself and Ellison which had been interrupted by -Ellison’s intrigue with Mrs. Ladew, and, escaping from that, he had not -returned to Miss Rainforth, but had devoted himself to Miss Sanborn; and -that, in her jealousy and disappointment, Miss Rainforth had first tried -to break up the marriage and, secondly, punish Mrs. Ladew by directing -Nick Carter’s suspicions to her. - -Ida’s substantial gain had been knowledge of Ellison’s relations to a -gang of sharpers in Philadelphia, of whom Lannigan undoubtedly was one. -And she believed that nothing more of value was to be obtained from the -young woman. - -“You have been wise,” said Ida, “in being plain with me. We shall be -able to protect your name and reputation. And that we will do.” - -She rose from her seat, and, as she did so, Miss Rainforth said: - -“What I did last night that brought suspicion on me was to try and find -where Mr. Ellison was taken.” - -“Taken?” repeated Ida. - -“Yes, taken,” continued Miss Rainforth. “I am satisfied that Mr. Ellison -was lured from the house to be seized and carried off.” - -However startling this idea was, Ida found, on pursuing it, that the -young lady, Miss Rainforth, had nothing better than her suspicion to -base it on. - -Therefore, Ida went away, but not until Miss Rainforth had promised -that, if anything additional came to her knowledge, she would send word -of it to Nick Carter. - -But Ida thought that, as a person of concern in the case, Miss Rainforth -had now ceased to be important. - - - - -CHAPTER XXIII. - -ON LANNIGAN’S TRAIL. - - -While Ida had been having her forceful interview with Miss Rainforth, -Chick and Patsy had journeyed to Philadelphia. - -On their way thither, on the train, they had become aware that the -woman, Mrs. Ladew, was also a fellow passenger. - -She was alone, having no attendant. - -Chick had said to Patsy: - -“I don’t know what value there will be in following Mrs. Ladew. What she -probably will do will be to go directly to her home. However, I think -one of us ought to follow her to see if she has any communication with -the parties we are after.” - -Patsy had said that he would undertake that work and they made -arrangements for meeting after he had finished the shadow. - -But, as the train drew into the Broad Street station, Patsy, looking out -of the window, caught the glimpse of a man trying to board the train -before it had fairly stopped. It seemed to him that the man was -Lannigan. - -Quickly warning Chick, they both of them ran back to the car in which -Mrs. Ladew was seated and were in time to see Lannigan hastily pass -through the car, stopping only long enough to whisper something in the -ear of Mrs. Ladew and hurriedly pass on. - -He went by both Chick and Patsy so closely that their clothes touched, -but he did not recognize either and was soon out of sight. - -Chick and Patsy kept Mrs. Ladew under close observation and saw from -her manner that she had evidently been prepared for something by a -warning from Lannigan. - -As the train stopped and Mrs. Ladew descended, they followed her along -the stone platform until the iron gates were reached, where were -gathered the friends of the arriving passengers. - -Keeping close enough to Mrs. Ladew to watch all that occurred to her, -they saw a gentleman step out from the throng, as she passed through the -gate, and, kissing her warmly, ask: - -“Did you have a pleasant trip?” - -“Very pleasant, indeed,” replied Mrs. Ladew. “But, Tom, I am surprised -and delighted at your meeting me. I did not suppose you would give up so -much of your morning to me.” - -“Oh,” responded the gentleman called Tom, “I was not so busy this -morning, and I am glad to get you back.” - -He laughed a little and added: - -“You see, I did not know but that Ellison would marry you instead of -Miss Sanborn.” - -“Oh, Tom,” replied Mrs. Ladew, “There has been an awful, awful -happening. Ellison disappeared right after the ceremony and the -reception guests were dismissed because of it.” - -By this time the crowd had grown so great about the two that Chick and -Patsy could hear no more that passed between the husband and wife. - -But they followed to the street and saw the pair enter a handsome -private carriage. - -“There’s no use in following them,” said Chick, “for that is Mr. Ladew -with her and they will go straight home.” - -“And she’ll have no chance to talk to any of the people we are after.” - -“No,” replied Chick. - -They turned to move away and, in doing so, saw Lannigan watching the -carriage drive off, a little way apart. - -“S--sh,” warned Chick. “There’s Lannigan. He evidently warned Mrs. Ladew -that her husband was waiting for her. We must follow him.” - -“I’m glad of it,” said Patsy. “I was thinking one of us ought to have -kept a peeper on him.” - -Drawing back under the cover of a pillar, they watched to see what -direction Lannigan would take. - -It seemed as if he were waiting for some one, for he did not move until -nearly all of those who had been attracted by the incoming train had -moved away. - -But others were gathered to meet another train and so neither Lannigan -nor the two young detectives were conspicuous. - -A moment or two later, a man hurried up and spoke to Lannigan. Lannigan -greeted the man warmly and taking his arm, led him aside, talking very -earnestly to him. - -Whatever was said by the chief was not received pleasantly by the other, -but, in the end, they walked away together, followed by Chick and Patsy. - -They passed out to Filbert Street, where they stood for some little time -in further conversation, when the man who had met Lannigan left him with -the remark: - -“I suppose it couldn’t be helped, but better luck next time.” - -The man went in one direction and Lannigan in another. - -The direction of the latter led him to the front of the City Hall, at -the bottom step of which he stopped, and then, as if thinking better of -his intention to enter the hall, turned and went up the street. - -If he was aware that he was being followed by the two young men, he gave -no indication of it in his manner, but walked along steadily without -looking behind him. - -He went on until a drinking saloon was reached which was, as Chick knew, -a favorite resort for sporting men. - -He entered this as if familiar to the place and the two, Chick and -Patsy, undisguised as they were, entered also. - -Lannigan, on entering, stood still a moment or two, looking over the -room. Seeing two persons standing on one side, he went to them and -entered into conversation with them. - -They were too far away for Chick and Patsy, who had gone to the bar, to -hear. - -But, a moment later, the three came to the bar, also, and standing near -Chick and Patsy, ordered drinks. - -The two young detectives overheard Lannigan say, as if it were the -conclusion of his previous conversation: - -“They will be over with him to-night and the thing ought to be fixed -now. I will go with you right away.” - -They took their drinks and went out of the place without noticing Chick -or Patsy. - -As they went out, Chick said: - -“Follow them, Patsy, and leave a trace behind you. I will stop long -enough to change a bit and will pick you up so that you can change.” - -Patsy started off and Chick, finding a convenient place, changed his -appearance in so short a time that he had little difficulty in soon -coming up with Patsy. - -In fact, the slow progress of the three and their frequent stoppages for -drinks on the way, helped him greatly. - -Indeed, after Chick had come up with Patsy, they stayed so long in one -saloon that Patsy was enabled to slip away, make a change in his own -appearance, and join Chick. - -After this, their way was more rapid and led to the outskirts of the -town until a house, standing almost alone in its square, was reached. - -Into this house the three entered. - -“Well, we’re here,” said Patsy, “and what now?” - -“I’m hanged if I know,” said Chick. “I should like to know what this -house is and what goes on in there.” - -“It looks all right,” said Patsy, “and is a regular Philadelphia house -with its red brick, and white trimmings.” - -“Who’s coming on to-night?” asked Chick. - -“And what ought to be fixed right away?” added Patsy. - -“Well, it isn’t the stuff that’s coming on,” said Chick, “for there was -nothing doing for Lannigan and his lads when we got in.” - -“No,” replied Patsy. “I don’t suppose there’s anything else for us to do -but to hold and keep Lannigan under watch.” - -“We can hardly undertake to enter that house,” said Chick; “but we’re on -to it, and, perhaps, we can find something out about it afterward.” - -This conversation had taken place in a doorway on the other side of the -street in which they were hiding. - -In a moment or two their appearances were wholly changed and they were -ready when Lannigan and the two who had entered with him came out with a -fourth and went up the street. - -The two detectives followed, of course. - -“I say, Chick,” said Patsy, “did you see how Lannigan came out of that -house and how he looked to see if anybody was about?” - -“Yes, I saw that,” said Chick. “He was suspicious.” - -“Of being followed?” - -“Not of us, probably, but of anybody seeing where they go.” - -The way of the four was now back in the direction of the more thickly -settled part of the city. - -Finally they reached a corner house, the lower part of which was a -drinking place. - -The house was a peculiar structure, entrance to the upper story being -gained by a high stoop from the outside. Back of it was another -building, separated from it by narrow iron bridges on every one of the -four floors. - -This rear building was not as wide as the one in front, so that there -was a space of a few feet between that building and the cross street. - -This space was concealed by a high board fence, which, to the two young -detectives, looked more like the side of a house than a fence. - -There were large double doors in this fence. But they were closed. - -The fourth man stopped the three on the corner and seemed to direct -attention of the three to these double doors. - -Lannigan walked up several steps and looked at the doors more closely. -Then he went back to the three, saying something. - -A little later, the four entered the drinking saloon. - -The two detectives stood still in their place of concealment, wondering -what all this meant. - -“Chick,” said Patsy, “this is the place that Lannigan said he would go -to with the others.” - -“We must go in and see what it’s like,” said Chick. - -Certain that they had not been observed, they stepped out on the -sidewalk and inspected the house more closely. - -A man came up and stood near them. The two detectives, looking at him -closely, satisfied themselves that he had no purpose in this, but was -merely lounging there. - -“Live about here?” asked Patsy, of the man. - -“Yes, all my life,” replied the man. - -“That’s a queer place over there,” said Patsy, pointing to the saloon -they had under watch. - -“Fly-cops?” asked the man, in return. - -Chick turned sharply on the man and then laughed. - -“What makes you ask that question? Do we look like fly-cops?” - -“No,” said the man, “I don’t know that you do. But that might be the -very reason why you are.” - -The man laughed a little bit, and added: - -“I was a cop myself, for a while, but I got broke for letting a prisoner -get away from me. It wasn’t my fault and I had only been on the force a -month. But they broke me all the same, and I hadn’t pull enough to fix -it up.” - -“But what made you ask us if we were fly-cops?” asked Patsy. - -“Oh, it was only because you asked about that house. There’s hardly been -a time since that house was built that the fly-cops haven’t been hanging -about it. That was fifteen years ago.” - -“Tough place?” asked Patsy. - -“Well,” replied the man, doubtfully, “it’s always been under sort of -suspicions. It was built, and is owned now, by a man they call Stumpy -Herrick. He’s got a sort of a club foot. That’s why they call him -Stumpy. - -“They say he used to be a maker of the queer and that he built this -house out of a big rake off in shoving a lot of it.” - -“Does he keep that saloon?” asked Chick. - -“Oh, no,” replied the man. “He doesn’t do anything now but take care of -his property and collect his rents. He owns not a little around here. -No, the first man that kept the place was Fillingham. He rented it from -Stumpy, and the next thing they knew the Secret Service men made a raid -on the place and found a whole plant for printing notes in that rear -building. - -“Fillingham was sent up, you know. Then the house was kept by another -man by the name of Locke. Everything was quiet for a year or two and -then the fly-cops made a raid on the place and they found that it was a -fence, and Locke doing more business in taking in swag in that rear -building than in the saloon. - -“They sent him up, and the saloon changed hands again. - -“Things was quiet for two or three years and then there was another raid -of the place. A man was taken out of that rear house that was in hiding -there for having killed somebody downtown. I forget now who. Then it was -shown that it was a great loafing place for crooks. And the business ran -down and that man had to give up the place. - -“By this time the place got a bad reputation and it was empty for -several years. - -“Now this man has taken it and, for anything that anybody knows, it’s -all right. But I don’t like the crowd that hangs around here.” - -“What’s the man’s name that keeps it now,” asked Chick. - -“His name is Dempsey,” said the man. “My brother was telling me -yesterday that, some years ago, he used to keep a game downtown which -was a crooked one. But I don’t know about that.” - -“The house has had a curious history,” said Chick. “I’m going in to look -at it. Will you go over and have a drink?” - -“I don’t care if I do,” said the man. - -The three crossed and entered the saloon. - -It was an ordinary drinking place, not well kept, and the floor was -covered with sawdust. In the rear of the room were several tables, one -of which was near a door. - -At this table were seated the four men Chick and Patsy had followed, and -another, who, from the fact that he was in his shirt sleeves, seemed to -be the proprietor of the place. - -Lannigan and the man in his shirt sleeves were in close conversation. - -“That man in his shirt sleeves,” said the man, who had entered with -Chick and Patsy, “is Dempsey. The man he is talking with is a rounder -downtown--a swell gambler. I don’t know what his name is.” - -While the three stood at the bar drinking, Lannigan and Dempsey arose -from their seats and, leaving the others at the table, passed through -the door near them, the door being closed after them. - -Some minutes passed and then the other two men also passed through the -door, this time leaving it partly ajar. - -Chick and Patsy exchanged glances and, by moving about the room, managed -to get to the rear of it without attracting attention. - -Standing at the other end of the bar, they ordered more drinks, and as -they were served, several entered from the street and claimed the -attention of the barkeeper. - -Chick seized the opportunity to open that door and saw that it opened -into a little courtyard on which the rear building was and that the -lower floor of that rear building seemed to be a private stable. - -He saw also that there was a winding iron staircase from the courtyard -to the balcony or bridge, connecting with the house in front, so that -access to the rear building could be obtained from that courtyard. - -He came back and said to Patsy: - -“Patsy, I think we ought to make a break for that rear building. That’s -where Lannigan and his party have gone.” - -The man with them overheard the remark and said, warningly: - -“Easy goes in this place.” - -Neither Chick nor Patsy understood his meaning, but were satisfied that -the man knew more of the place than he had been willing to tell them, -though he did not seem to be a friend of the house. - -Disregarding his warning, whatever it was, they passed through the door. - -They had hardly gotten into the courtyard when they saw Dempsey and -Lannigan with the others behind them, appear on the little bridge above -them. - -At the same moment, the large doors of the lower floor of the rear house -were thrown open and a man appeared before the two detectives, who said: - -“What in creation are you doing here?” - -“Only looking around,” said Patsy. - -“Well, look around somewhere else,” said the man. - -“What is it, Tom?” asked Dempsey from the bridge. - -“Oh,” said Chick, “he’s growling about our coming out here.” - -“Well,” said Dempsey, “what are you doing there?” - -“Nothing,” replied Chick. “We went out of the wrong door and are going -back.” - -Followed by Patsy, he returned to the saloon. - -Once inside, Chick whispered to Patsy: - -“Did you know that man in the stable?” - -“No,” replied Patsy. - -“It’s Tom Driscoll, an old New York crook. He hasn’t been long out of -Sing Sing.” - -They went to the bar again, where their acquaintance of the day was yet -standing, and ordered some more drinks. - -Dempsey and Lannigan came in. - -“At ten to-night, you say?” asked Dempsey. - -“In a close carriage,” was Lannigan’s reply. - -Chick gave a signal to Patsy and walked out into the street. - - - - -CHAPTER XXIV. - -A NEW MOVE. - - -When they were out in the street, Chick said to Patsy: - -“Something’s coming off to-night at that place.” - -“And something’s going to be brought in a closed carriage,” added Patsy. - -“And we have got to be on hand to see what it is,” added Chick. - -The man with whom they had been talking had lagged behind a bit and now -came from the saloon and joined them. - -“Say,” he said, “you haven’t said whether you was fly-cops or not. Well, -I don’t care whether you are or not, but I give it to you straight that -Dempsey stopped me to ask who you were.” - -“What did you tell him?” asked Patsy. - -“I told him you were friends of mine that I had brought in for a drink -here.” - -Chick and Patsy had no reason to disbelieve the man, but, nevertheless, -they felt, if he had not told them the truth, that by this time Lannigan -had become suspicious of them. - -However, acting upon the notion that the man had done nothing to arouse -suspicions of themselves, they asked him to step down the street with -them and, while they went into a doorway, to keep an eye on the saloon. - -Dodging into this doorway, they made a rapid change, thus confessing to -the man that they were, indeed, detectives. - -“There’s a five-dollar bill for you,” said Chick, “if you will give us a -little help.” - -“I’m with you,” said the man. - -“Well, then,” said Chick, “we know who your swell gambler is. That’s the -fellow we are following.” - -At that moment Lannigan appeared in front of the saloon and alone. - -“Get on the other side of the street,” said Chick to the man, “and -follow after him. We will be behind.” - -The man went off readily enough and Chick and Patsy followed some little -distance after. - -“I put that man to work,” said Chick, “so that he wouldn’t go back to -the saloon and blab.” - -Lannigan moved rapidly and it was with difficulty that they could keep -him in view. His way took him to a large department store in the lower -part of the city, into which he hurried, going at once upstairs to the -ladies’ parlor. - -He had been followed by Patsy, as he went through the store, Chick -remaining with the man outside. - -To Patsy’s surprise, Lannigan’s purpose in going to that place was to -meet Mrs. Ladew. He sat down with that person on a circular cushioned -seat that surrounded a pillar, and engaged her in earnest conversation. - -On the other side of this circular cushion sat an elderly gentleman -engaged in reading his newspaper. - -The interview between Lannigan and Mrs. Ladew was brief. Whatever passed -between them, unheard, of course, by Patsy, was most disagreeable to -Mrs. Ladew, but she yielded, apparently, to whatever was urged by -Lannigan. - -Having obtained her consent, Lannigan arose to his feet, as if to go -away, but stood a moment longer to talk with Mrs. Ladew. - -The elderly gentleman, rising and folding his paper, sauntered leisurely -toward the door of the parlor and passing Patsy, said: - -“Put Chick on Lannigan and come back here to me.” - -Patsy gasped: - -“Holy smoke, the chief!” he said, to himself. - -But he did not wait to say more, but hurried after Lannigan, who had -gone out. - -Mrs. Ladew, waiting a reasonable time, also undertook to leave the -apartment, when she was met by the elderly gentleman. - -He addressed her politely and said: - -“Mrs. Ladew, if I am not mistaken.” - -Mrs. Ladew looked up at him in some surprise, vainly trying to recollect -whether she knew the gentleman, but admitted that was her name. - -“Permit me,” said Nick, “to have a few moments’ conversation with you.” - -“Really sir,” replied the lady, “you have the advantage of me, since I -cannot recollect ever having seen you before.” - -“You have not,” replied Nick. - -“Then, sir, I cannot talk with you. You have mistaken the woman.” - -“Pardon me,” said Nick. “I must talk with you. My name is Nick Carter.” - -Mrs. Ladew fairly staggered back, and, indeed, would have fallen had not -a chair been within easy reach which she could grasp. - -“For your own sake,” said Nick, hurriedly, “make no scene here, but -submit to my request. It will be far better for you in the end.” - -Mrs. Ladew looked helplessly about, as if not knowing what to do, but -Nick read her thoughts. - -“It is useless to attempt to call assistance,” said Nick. “Such an act -would only bring you into trouble. Come with me to the other side of the -room.” - -Mrs. Ladew, as if not knowing what else to do, followed him to the place -indicated. - -Nick placed a chair for her and she sat down, frightened. - -“Mrs. Ladew,” said Nick, as he drew a chair, placing himself in front of -her, “I am disguised, and no one will know that you are talking to Nick -Carter, the detective. I want to say to you that you are a very foolish -woman and in a very serious and dangerous position. Do you know the man -with whom you just talked in this room?” - -Mrs. Ladew nodded her head, but did not speak. - -“You are a woman who has a good position in the world, a devoted -husband, all that wealth can give you, and you are endangering -everything by your association with this man. I doubt if you really know -who and what he is. I have no wish nor intention of exposing you to your -husband, or to the world.” - -By this time Mrs. Ladew had had time to think, and she made an effort to -master the situation. With no little haughtiness, she said: - -“Your words are very singular, sir, as addressed to me. Exposure? I am a -woman of position, sir.” - -Nick stopped her sternly. He said: - -“Mrs. Ladew, I know your whole life for the past three days. You went to -New York to attend the wedding of Mr. Ellison to Miss Sanborn, but you -took occasion to travel about with Jimmy Lannigan, gambler, thief, -burglar.” - -Mrs. Ladew leaped to her feet, horror-stricken. - -“Thief! Burglar!” she exclaimed. “You tell what is not true.” - -“Sit down, Mrs. Ladew,” said Nick. “Lannigan is just what I say he is. A -thief and a burglar, known to the police as the swell cracksman of -Philadelphia. He attained an unenviable reputation a short time ago, -and I could have landed him in prison; but I was lenient with him. I -wanted to give him a chance to reform; but this is the outcome. He is a -scoundrel of the worst type and I want to tell you that I shall have him -arrested and imprisoned before many days. He has served a term in the -State’s prison. He is an ex-convict.” - -He paused to see the effect of his words on this lady of fashion. - -“You think,” he went on, “Lannigan went on to New York to meet you and -have a spree with you. That was not his real reason. His purpose was to -rob the Sanborn house of the wedding presents. You had your spree, as I -know, and I can give you every hour and minute of your movements with -him through the Tenderloin.” - -Mrs. Ladew fell back in her chair, her face ashen gray, as she heard -Nick say these things. Nick went on: - -“It is not for me to object to the way of life you have chosen, but I -can say, as I did before, that you are a very foolish woman, and, -especially, to endanger your reputation by being seen in the company of -such a miserable scamp and rascal as this contemptible Jimmy Lannigan.” - -“I have done nothing wrong,” she said. - -“Perhaps not; but how would your husband like to know that your escort -in New York was a burglar?” - -“And what do you want of me?” piteously asked Mrs. Ladew. - -“I might say,” replied Nick, “that I wanted to save you from him, but, -to be honest, I have no such purpose. I have told you these things to -show you that I know how dangerous is your position. You are in the -possession of certain information which I must have and, I tell you now, -Mrs. Ladew, that I will use my knowledge of your past three days if you -do not give me that information.” - -“What can I tell you?” - -“You know that Mr. Ellison mysteriously disappeared from the Sanborn -house after the wedding breakfast.” - -“Yes.” - -“You know,” Nick went on, “that a man came to the house to see him and -that Mr. Ellison left that house in the disguise that man had brought -for him.” - -“Yes.” - -“Who was that man?” - -“He was a man from England,” said Mrs. Ladew. - -“What was his message to Mr. Ellison that made that gentleman so quickly -respond?” - -Mrs. Ladew hesitated a moment and said, finally: - -“Why do you ask me these questions?” - -“Because I believe you know them all.” - -“I do, I do. But they were told me in confidence. And now I see how I am -entangled by them.” - -She got up and walked to the window and looked out a moment. Then she -came back, evidently making a severe effort to control herself. Suddenly -she turned to Nick and said: - -“You are no friend of mine. There is no reason why I should trust you. I -am in a great trouble. I see that now. And I have no way to turn.” - -“I have said before, Mrs. Ladew, I have no wish to injure or expose you. -I say now that, if you will reveal to me all you know, I will protect -you and help you.” - -“But how can I trust you? How do I know that I can trust you?” - -“If you know anything about me,” said Nick, “you must know that I am a -man of my word. I am accustomed to hold the secrets of many persons, and -no one has ever heard that Nick Carter has betrayed them.” - -Mrs. Ladew stood a moment in thought and, at length, said: - -“I must trust you. I have no one else to trust, and I must escape from -this horrible entanglement that I am in. But I cannot talk to you here. -Come with me and we will drive in my carriage. There we can talk.” - -Nick rose, and together they left the room. - -As they passed out through the store, Nick saw Patsy and gave him the -signal to follow them. - -Then he went downstairs with Mrs. Ladew and entered her carriage with -her. - - - - -CHAPTER XXV. - -THE TRUTH AT LAST. - - -While Chick and Patsy and Ida had been engaged on their various branches -of the work, Nick had been busy in following up some clews that had -drifted into his hands. - -So that, with what his assistants had discovered and reported to him, he -had come to learn the full story of the relation of Ellison to Mrs. -Ladew and of Mrs. Ladew with Jimmy Lannigan. And, when Ida reported the -results of her interview with Miss Rainforth, Nick realized that the -rest of the story could be pieced out by Mrs. Ladew, if he could induce -her to talk. - -Without delay, then, he had hurried at once to Philadelphia, and had -followed Mrs. Ladew to the department store where she met Lannigan. - -Believing from what he had learned of Mrs. Ladew that she would not talk -to him willingly, he had determined that he would use the knowledge of -her escapade in New York with Lannigan as the means of compelling her. - -His success he now felt was as great as he could have hoped for. - -During the brief space of time taken to go from the ladies’ parlor into -the carriage, Mrs. Ladew had evidently thought that her whole safety lay -in giving her utmost confidence to the famous detective. - -A part of this lay in that impression of trustworthiness that Nick made -upon all with whom he came in contact. - -And so it was that, when they were in the carriage and had driven out -of the crowded streets into Fairmount Park, Mrs. Ladew said, -impulsively: - -“I shall tell you all, Mr. Carter. But if I do so, can I rely upon you -to save me from the consequences of my folly?” - -“You can rely upon me to the uttermost. I have no commission except to -find Mr. Ellison and discover the mystery of his disappearance. I have -no duty to perform in punishing anybody. But I will protect you and -safeguard you from any trouble that may come out of your relations with -Lannigan or with Mr. Ellison.” - -Mrs. Ladew turned on him, astonished. - -“And do you know of that, too?” - -Nick bowed his head and said: - -“I do know of that. Now, please answer the question I asked you before -we left the ladies’ parlor of that store. What message did that man -bring to Mr. Ellison that made him respond so promptly?” - -“The message was that if Mr. Ellison did not at once go to see the wife -he had married in England six years before, and who was then nearby, she -would appear at that reception and expose him in the presence of -everybody.” - -This reply was as near a shock to the famous detective as he, used to -startling announcements, could have. He had not contemplated any such -complication. But he promptly asked the next question: - -“Did you know of that previous marriage?” - -“Not until that afternoon.” - -“What did you then learn?” - -“I learned that Mr. Ellison had married, secretly, a young woman of -great beauty who was a barmaid in England, but from whom he had been -separated almost immediately; that, for a large sum of money, she had -consented to consider the marriage annulled, and that for several years -he had seen nothing of her. - -“Very shortly after Mr. Ellison came to this country I made his -acquaintance, and he began to come to Philadelphia quite frequently to -see me. - -“Our relations were quite intimate and he was a frequent visitor at my -house and was on good terms with my husband. - -“It seems that a brother of this girl lived in Philadelphia and one day -met him on the street, recognizing him as the young fellow who had been -married to his sister and who had paid a large sum to be free from that -marriage. - -“Just how Mr. Ellison became acquainted with a set of men of whom Mr. -Lannigan was one, I don’t know, but he did, and, being fond of cards and -gambling, he began to gamble with them. I have been told that he lost -large sums of money to them, and that they hold his notes for sums to be -paid when he was married to Miss Sanborn. - -“This man, the brother of his former wife, while not of the party with -whom he gambled, was yet in close relations with Lannigan, to whom he -told his story. I had had a bitter quarrel with Mr. Ellison before I -ever met Mr. Lannigan, or even knew there was such a person. It was not -until some time after that that I even knew Mr. Lannigan was acquainted -with Mr. Ellison. But I have come to know that Mr. Lannigan knew of my -relation with Mr. Ellison. - -“What I do know is that this brother, whose name is Clowes, wanted to -blackmail Mr. Ellison. But Mr. Lannigan simply told Clowes that, even if -he did expose Mr. Ellison, the result would not be money, but merely the -breaking off of his match with Miss Sanborn. It is only since the -marriage that I have known all these matters. - -“Under the guidance of Mr. Lannigan, Clowes put himself into relations -with Mr. Ellison and told him that he was free to go on with the -marriage of Miss Sanborn, because his sister was dead. But he sent for -that sister hurriedly to come to this country. - -“As I learned, the intention was to have her here a day or two prior to -the marriage and then force him, on the eve of his marriage, to another -compromise or payment of a large sum. - -“Their programme was checked by the non-arrival of the sister in time. - -“About the attempt of Mr. Lannigan to rob the Sanborn house of the -jewels, I know nothing; but, now that you tell me such was the case, I -can see that that was intended and that I was to have been made use of -to that end. - -“It was at first arranged that Mr. Lannigan was to attend the reception -with me. But the fact that I learned that some Philadelphia people were -to be there who knew him broke up that arrangement. - -“The sister of Clowes, Ellison’s wife, arrived in this country on the -morning of the wedding. - -“That morning Mr. Ellison was informed that she was not dead, but was in -this country and demanded to see him. - -“Mr. Ellison refused to believe it. - -“Mr. Lannigan says that the plan of summoning him from the reception was -decided upon very hastily and that his valet was bribed to assist in it. - -“Clowes was sneaked into the house by the aid of the valet, and Mr. -Ellison was taken to him in a room in which he had been placed. - -“There Clowes showed Mr. Ellison a letter from his wife, who declared -that if he did not immediately see her in a carriage that was in a -nearby street she would make her appearance and prove her former -marriage to Mr. Sanborn. - -“Mr. Ellison, convinced that she was there, yielded, and took the coat -and wig and false whiskers that Clowes had bought for the purpose and -slipped out of the house, intending to return very quickly. - -“He entered the carriage, and, being an obstinate and high-spirited man, -by the time the brother reached them they were in a bitter quarrel, in -which Mr. Ellison had recklessly defied them to do their worst, -declaring that he would lock them both up for extortion and conspiracy. - -“Then the brother, finding that Mr. Ellison was not to be handled, -chloroformed him and drove him away. The valet, frightened over the -result, fled from the city.” - -Nick had listened to this story in utter astonishment. The facts, as -they had been revealed, were wholly different from what he had imagined. - -It was true, as Miss Rainforth in her second anonymous letter to him had -hinted, that a woman was at the bottom of the disappearance. But the -woman was by no means the one she had supposed. - -Miss Rainforth had believed that Mrs. Ladew was concerned in that -disappearance, and such belief had been inspired by her jealousy of that -woman. - -In the recital of Mrs. Ladew it was clear that she had no part in the -disappearance, but only a guilty knowledge of the event. - -All that she knew had been told her by Lannigan, who had either given -this to Mrs. Ladew for a purpose not apparent to Nick or in that -weakness strong men often show in their relations with women. - -“What was expected to be gained by taking Mr. Ellison off?” asked Nick. - -“Nothing,” replied Mrs. Ladew. “The abduction, if you can call it -abduction, became necessary because of the attitude that Mr. Ellison -assumed. He is a man slow to anger, but, when aroused fully, almost a -lunatic in his temper. At such times he casts all thoughts of prudence -aside and becomes utterly reckless and unmanageable. - -“Mr. Lannigan tells me that when he discovered the plot, and that it was -the intention to force him to sign a legal document that would compel -him to pay a large sum of money for their silence, he fell into one of -those ungovernable fits of passion, so that there was nothing else to do -but to chloroform him to keep him quiet. It was that which made the -mysterious disappearance.” - -“Mr. Lannigan must have been in the plot,” said Nick. - -“He was.” - -“Did you not know of it?” - -“Not until the evening of that day--last night.” - -“Did you, then, not know that Mr. Lannigan was not a straight person?” -asked Nick. - -“I could not help but know it then,” replied Mrs. Ladew. “I knew that he -was a gambler, but I did not know that he was a thief and a burglar, as -you say he is, and yet it must be so.” - -“What is the plan now?” - -Mrs. Ladew shuddered. - -“Here is where danger is to me,” she said. “After having chloroformed -him and carried him away, they did not know what to do with him. Their -whole plans were upset. But they have now determined to hold him until -he is ransomed.” - -“And you have been made a party to this?” asked Nick, jumping to a -conclusion. - -“Yes.” - -Mrs. Ladew startled Nick by bursting into a passion, the depth of which -Nick, who had judged her to be a weak, superficial, reckless woman, did -not think her capable of. - -“Oh the blackness of it! The humiliation! The degradation! Lannigan -showed himself to me to-day in all his villainy, and would have pulled -me with him if you had not interfered.” - -“What was it he proposed?” asked Nick. - -“Using the power over me he has gained, he called me to him where you -saw me and forced me to consent to see Mr. Ellison to-night to act as -the means of getting the money they desire.” - -“See him to-night?” asked Nick. “Where could you see him?” - -“Here in Philadelphia. He is to be here.” - -“Where?” - -“I do not know, but Mr. Lannigan is to let me know and to take me to the -place where Mr. Ellison is to be, or is now, for all that I know.” - -Nick was thoughtful for a time and then he said: - -“Can you go with him without discovery?” - -“Easily.” - -“Then do so,” said Nick. “I shall be on hand to protect and save you. I -promise you that you will not even be compelled to meet Mr. Ellison. But -you will be followed to the place where you are to meet him, and rest -assured that I will protect you to the very last.” - -He turned sharply to the lady and said: - -“Are you ready to break with this man Lannigan, or are you anxious to -continue your friendship with him?” - -“No, no,” she cried; “after what you have told me I do not wish to see -his face again.” - -“Then rest assured that you will be free of him, if you will do this as -I want you to do. I pledge you my word that afterward you will not be -troubled by Lannigan.” - -This being arranged, Nick asked Mrs. Ladew to hurry back to the city, as -he had much to do in preparing for the night’s work. - -Half an hour later he left the coach with the understanding that she was -to communicate with him the hour at which she was to meet Lannigan for -the purpose he had asked her. - -As he stepped from the coach he saw Patsy, who had faithfully followed -him as Nick had directed. - -He went to him, saying: - -“Hot work to-night, Patsy, but we will end it before midnight.” - - - - -CHAPTER XXVI. - -CONCLUSION. - - -When Patsy had met Nick at the department store, he had no opportunity -to tell him of the experience of himself and Chick that day in -Philadelphia. - -He did so now, however. Nick listened intently, and at the conclusion -said: - -“Good. You and Chick have found out the very thing to make my story -complete. We could get along without Mrs. Ladew.” - -Patsy was surprised at this remark, for he did not know then what had -passed between Mrs. Ladew and his chief. - -“I guess this is where I need some information,” he said. - -“Well, then, Patsy, I’ll make you as wise as myself,” said Nick Carter. - -He then told Patsy in brief the story he had learned from Mrs. Ladew. - -At its conclusion Patsy exclaimed: - -“I see it all! The thing that is coming in a covered carriage to that -place at ten to-night is his nibs, the Englishman.” - -“That’s what it is,” said Nick. - -“And they’re going to stow him in that back building. That’s the game.” - -“I think you’re right.” - -“Well, it’s a nasty place. It’s a nasty place to bring a woman, and it -won’t be an easy thing to get that fellow out of it.” - -“Easy or not,” said Nick, calmly, “we have got to go through it. I -guess we’ve been in worse places and come out whole.” - -After a moment he said: - -“I wonder where we can pick up Chick.” - -“Don’t know,” said Patsy. “The last I saw of him he was trailing -Lannigan, holding fast to the man he had in tow.” - -“He’ll turn up in time,” said Nick. “Chick is always on hand at the -right time. But come with me now, Patsy. I must see Ida.” - -“Is Ida here?” - -“Yes; she came over with me, for I did not know but that she would have -to do the work of Mrs. Ladew. As it is, she must go to her.” - -They hurried to the hotel where Nick had left Ida, and there, having -written a note to Mrs. Ladew, Nick gave it to Ida and told her that she -must accompany Mrs. Ladew when she was called by Lannigan. - -This Ida did at once, and saw Mrs. Ladew without difficulty. - -It was well for Nick’s plans that he did send Ida to the lady, for, on -arriving, Ida found Mrs. Ladew almost in a state of collapse, as a -reaction from the excitement of the day, and disposed, if not -determined, to go no further the matter, refusing to have anything -further to do with Lannigan, on the ground that Nick Carter was on their -trail. - -Ida devoted herself toward soothing and encouraging Mrs. Ladew, and had -the satisfaction of presently seeing the woman in a better frame of -mind, and with courage to go through the ordeal before her. - -While this was going on, Nick and Patsy set out on the rather hopeless -task of trying to find Chick in a large and strange city. - -It was nearly night when they set out, and they wandered about an hour -without discovering trace of Chick. Finally they reached the Broad -Street station in their wanderings, and as they stood in front of it -they saw Lannigan approach and enter. - -“Chick’s somewhere around,” remarked Patsy. - -“Unless he’s lost Lannigan,” said Nick. - -“Chick never loses anybody,” said Patsy. - -And to confirm his statement, Chick walked up to them. - -“You can drop Lannigan,” said Nick, “for we have got on to his movements -and know he will be where we want him to-night.” - -“Don’t you think,” said Patsy, “it would be just as well to find out -what Lannigan is doing here in the station?” - -“Perhaps so,” said Nick. “It will do no harm.” - -“Lannigan has been as busy as possible,” said Chick. “He’s led me a -chase up and down into all sorts of queer places. He’s got a funeral on -hand.” - -Patsy laughed aloud. - -“He’ll be lucky,” he said, “if it’s not his own funeral. That’s what I -think he’s going to.” - -“What do you mean by saying he’s got a funeral?” asked Nick. - -“Because he’s been running among the undertakers and to the Health -Board. I know he has got a permit to transport a body across town.” - -“A permit?” asked Nick. - -“Now what does that mean? And what has that to do with this thing?” - -“Cæsar’s ghost!” cried Patsy, “that Englishman hasn’t spoiled our fun by -croaking, has he?” - -“Follow him, Patsy,” said Nick, “and see what he’s doing here. Then come -to the hotel.” - -Patsy was off like a flash, and Nick, taking Chick by the arm, took him -to the hotel, on the way telling him of all the developments with which -Chick was unfamiliar. - -Arriving at the hotel, Nick found a note from Ida saying that Lannigan -had called Mrs. Ladew to meet him in a carriage at a certain corner of -the street she named, at half-past ten that night, and that Ida was -going with her as her maid. - -“That is all settled and according to programme,” said Nick. - -Patsy now rushed in to tell them that Lannigan had been making -arrangements to receive a corpse coming from New York on the train -arriving at nine-thirty. - -The three detectives dined and discussed this last movement of Lannigan, -but they could conceive no reasonable explanation, finally reaching the -conclusion that it had nothing to do with their affair. - -As the hour approached, Nick sent Patsy to the corner where Lannigan was -to meet Mrs. Ladew with a coach, while he and Chick went out to the -house that he had visited with Patsy in the earlier part of the day. - -“It is somewhat of a chance,” said Nick, “that we are taking, but I have -no doubt that that is the destination of Lannigan with Mrs. Ladew.” - -“At all events,” said Chick, “if he’s going to take her anywhere else, -Patsy and Ida will be on hand.” - -Arriving at the spot, they took a careful survey of the house and the -place, and made the discovery that the double doors in the fence, which -Chick and Patsy had observed, were slightly open. - -“Ready for the covered carriage to drive in,” remarked Chick. - -It was then after nine o’clock, and the two settled themselves for a -wait until ten, the hour at which Lannigan had told Dempsey the covered -carriage would reach there. - -A few minutes before ten the doors were swung open and, as Chick was -quick to recognize, by Tom Driscoll. - -It was almost on the very hour that they saw a hearse approaching. As it -turned the corner the horses were whipped up suddenly and they dashed -through the gates, which were closed immediately after the hearse passed -through. - -“Oho!” exclaimed Chick. “Now, what is the meaning of that?” - -“A part of your undertakers’ work to-day,” said Nick. “But what of it? -What scheme is this?” - -“Nick,” said Chick, earnestly, “do you think they could have killed -Ellison?” - -“And brought his body all the way over to Philadelphia?” said Nick. -“That is hardly possible.” - -They stole up the street to a point opposite the gates. - -From that point, however, they could see nothing. - -A tree was immediately opposite the courtyard on the side of the street -on which they stood. - -“Give me a back,” said Chick, in a whisper. “I’ll climb up and see if I -can look over the fence.” - -Nick made a back for Chick, and in a moment Chick was up in the branches -overlooking the fence. - -While he was there the gates were suddenly opened, and a flood of light -shone out. The hearse came from the yard and was rapidly driven away. - -The gates were then immediately closed again. In a moment or two Chick -slipped down from the tree. He said to Nick: - -“A box like those they put caskets in was brought in that hearse. It was -heavy; it took six men to draw it by ropes from the pavement to the -bridge. It was then carried into the rear room of that house in the -rear, the lights of which you can see. - -“Then they brought out the box light, for they let it down easily and -carried it into the stable.” - -“Something mysterious here,” said Nick. “Is it possible that they have -brought Ellison over from New York in that box?” - -“Drugged, so as to be unconscious?” asked Chick. - -“It begins to look like that,” said Nick. “They could do it by -perforating the casket with air holes.” - -He was silent a moment or two, deeply thinking. At last he said: - -“It must be so. They say they will have Ellison here to-night. Mrs. -Ladew has been forced by Lannigan to meet him to-night. Ellison would -hardly come over here willingly, and the chances of his escape, of being -recognized or of alarming the public, would be too great for them to -attempt to force him over. Chick, the only way in which they could get -him over is to bring him unconscious and as a corpse.” - -“It must be so,” said Chick. “Ellison was in that box. They have lifted -him out and he is in that room where the lights are.” - -“Then we have located our man.” - -“And we’ll be sure of it, if Lannigan comes with Mrs. Ladew here.” - -“I presume,” said Nick, “if we are right, that they are busy now in -restoring Ellison to consciousness.” - -“Our trick,” said Chick, “is to wait here and watch for the coming of -Lannigan with Mrs. Ladew.” - -It was half-past ten by this time and, according to their calculations, -Lannigan could not reach there before eleven. - -They settled themselves for the wait, and promptly on the hour of their -calculations they saw a coach round the corner. - -The doors in the fence swung open again, and as the coach turned into -the gate Nick and Chick sprang behind and close to it. - -The wheels had not rolled over the sidewalk before Patsy came up on a -run and joined them. - -As the coach cleared the gates they were swung to as before. But not -quickly enough to shut out the three detectives. - -The moment it stopped the door of the coach was opened and Lannigan -stepped out. - -Nick, with a bound, was beside him and, striking him heavily with the -butt of his pistol on the head, knocked him clean over. At the same -moment he called to Ida to guard Mrs. Ladew in the coach. - -Driscoll, who was in the courtyard to receive the carriage, seeing the -attack on Lannigan, rushed forward, but was met by Patsy, who hit him -squarely in the face, but not until Driscoll had recognized Nick Carter -and cried out his name. - -Though he had fallen under the force of Patsy’s blow, he picked himself -up and took to his heels without waiting for anything further to occur. - -Under the lead of Nick, Chick and Patsy rushed to the winding stairs and -reached the bridge before an alarm had been given to any of the others. - -Who they were to meet they had little idea, but Chick thought they would -have to encounter not less than six. - -As they entered that rear building from the bridge they met a man whom -Nick concluded at once was the man Clowes and, without waiting for any -act upon that man’s part, he sprang forward and struck him a terrific -blow in the face which toppled him over. - -“Take care of that man, Patsy,” cried Nick. - -He dashed along the hallway, closely followed by Chick. - -Patsy stopped to look at the man and saw at a glance that he was -unconscious. He called after Nick: - -“You’ve done that already. I couldn’t take better care of him if I was -to hit him with a sledge-hammer.” - -And he ran after the other two. - -At the door of the room where they supposed Ellison had been taken they -met two or three, who had been attracted by the noise and scuffle in the -hall. - -Nick sprang forward, striking with both hands, and Chick was beside him -in the effort. - -The force with which they had jumped forward carried them into the room. -A hasty glance showed them a man bound on the bed, while one was bending -over him. - -They waited for nothing, but each of the three detectives selected a man -and toppled him over with blows. - -The onslaught had been so rapid, and so vicious, as well as unexpected, -that the men were hardly prepared to defend themselves. - -Nick sprang to the bedside and, whirling the man who stood there aside, -and who, as they subsequently learned, was a physician, said to the -prostrate man: - -“We are your friends, Mr. Ellison.” - -He could see the man’s eyes flash with intelligence and, whipping out a -knife, Nick cut the bands that confined him and, thrusting a revolver in -his hand, said: - -“Help to defend yourself.” - -Ellison sprang from the bed as soon as his feet were released, while -Nick turned to help Chick and Patsy, on whom the men, now recovered from -their confusion, were attempting to make a combined attack. - -They had been joined in the meantime by Dempsey. - -Chick recognized him at once, and he went at that man, who had already -drawn a revolver, striking him in the face with the butt end of his -own. - -Ellison joined them instantly, and, weak as he was, quickly showed his -fighting power. - -Though there were seven of them in the room, the four soon overcame -them, driving them before them out of the room and into the passageway. - -There they were at the mercy of the four behind them, for the way was -narrow, and in their efforts to escape they blocked each other against -the wall. - -There were broken heads in plenty, but they managed to reach the bridge, -some of them escaping over it and some down the winding stairs, among -them Clowes, who, recovering consciousness, ran away. - -The four went down the stairs into the courtyard, but by the time they -had reached it the men who had fled from them had entirely disappeared. - -The coach was still standing there, the driver sitting contentedly on -his box, while Lannigan was sitting on the pavement. - -For a moment Nick could not imagine what he was doing there, and thought -that he must be yet dazed with the blow he had given him. - -But, passing the heads of the horses, he saw the reason for Lannigan’s -attitude. - -Ida was sitting on the coach step covering him with a revolver, having -threatened to put a ball into him if he stirred. - -“Get up, Lannigan,” said Nick. “You can put up that revolver, Ida.” - -Turning to Ellison, Nick said: - -“Mr. Ellison, I was only commissioned to discover the mystery of your -disappearance and find you. I shall not attempt to do anything to these -rascals on my commission. It is for you to determine whether you will -make a charge against them and arrest them. I want to say to you that if -you care to consider the wishes of Mr. Sanborn and the lady you married -yesterday, you will do nothing. It is for you to determine whether you -can go clean handed to your friends.” - -“I think I understand you,” said Mr. Ellison, “you refer to the story of -my having been married some years ago in England.” - -“I do,” replied Nick. - -“It is true that I was married, most unfortunately. I was informed -months ago that my wife was dead, as I had heard two years or more -before.” - -“I understand that,” replied Nick; “and that your wife made her -appearance in this country on the day of your wedding to Miss Sanborn.” - -“That is what I was informed, and the fact that she was nearby induced -me to leave the house as I did. But the fact is, Mr. Carter, the woman I -met in that coach was not my wife. She was my wife’s sister, who looks -much like her. It was a fraud played upon me. It was my discovery of it -that led to my being chloroformed and kept in confinement. My wife is -dead.” - -“And you are, therefore, legally and fairly married to Miss Sanborn,” -said Nick. “It is not for me to advise you, Mr. Ellison, but my duty to -Mr. Sanborn leads me to say that I know, if his wishes are to be -consulted and those of the lady who is now your wife, everything will be -done to prevent publicity and notoriety, even if it results in the -escape of these rascals from the justice they so richly merit.” - -“That accords with my feelings,” returned Mr. Ellison, “though my first -impulse was to seek revenge on them.” - -Nick then went to the coach door and spoke to Mrs. Ladew, saying: - -“My aid, Ida here, will return with you to your house, Mrs. Ladew. You -may go in the full assurance that you will not be bothered by -Lannigan.” - -To Ida he said: - -“As soon as you leave Mrs. Ladew, come to the hotel. We shall go back to -New York as soon as we can. A new case awaits us there.” - -He then directed the driver to drive off with the two occupants, and -when the courtyard was cleared of the coach he turned to Lannigan, -saying: - -“Jimmy Lannigan, I have always heard that your luck is very great, but -this time it has deserted you. Some time ago I let you slip out of my -hands, believing that the warning would keep you straight. I was wrong. -I know now that you are crooked all the way through. You would be a -menace to the community if I let you off again, and this time I’m going -to run you in--under the old charge.” - -Lannigan, who thought he had escaped again, was so much confused that he -simply stared at Nick and made no movement until he felt the cold steel -on his wrists and knew that he was handcuffed and in Nick’s power. - -Then his passions let loose and he turned a flood of abuse upon the -detective. But Nick quickly stopped the fellow with an effective gag and -prepared to remove him in custody. - -Subsequently he was taken to New York and Nick Carter’s testimony was so -damaging that Lannigan was sentenced to ten years in the State’s prison. - - -THE END. - - -No. 1099 of the NEW MAGNET LIBRARY, entitled, “A Race Track Gamble,” by -Nicholas Carter, is a great story, and tells how the quick-witted Nick -caught a gang of race-track crooks, after much trouble and many dangers, -and sent them where they could do no more harm for some years to come. - - * * * * * - - _Adventure Stories_ - _Detective Stories_ - _Western Stories_ - _Love Stories_ - _Sea Stories_ - */ - - -All classes of fiction are to be found among the Street & Smith novels. -Our line contains reading matter for every one, irrespective of age or -preference. - -The person who has only a moderate sum to spend on reading matter will -find this line a veritable gold mine. - - - STREET & SMITH CORPORATION, - 79 Seventh Avenue, - New York, N. 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