Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1902-02-18
Strar1 gest Case
BY GUY BOOTHBY.
AEthcr Of DR.. NiKOLA,' BEAUTIFUL DEVIL
..PHAROS, THE EGYPTIAN, Etc.
SYNOPSIS,
BY GUY BOOTHBY
copyrighted, 1901, by Ward, Lock & Col 4

copyrighted, 1901,
SYNOPSIS.
PART THREE rogues, Hayle. Kitwater
and Codd, meet at Singapore. Latter two
nave learned of existence of hidden treas
ure at Sengkor- Wat--old Burmese ruin
near near Chinese border. Hayle only half be-
Join In search
PART 1I.-Reaching Sengkor- Wat, the
men make their way. through the ancient
ace. Toward dusk after most tedious
search they come upon secret entrance to
underground vaults, in which are discov-
cred great quantities of bar gold and uncut
hands with gems and the men make their
way outside again. On reaching camp they
ind their two Burmese servants slain and
horribly mutilated, Chinese fashion. Dur
ing the night Hayle secures treasure and
steals away into the jungle.
PART III:-Utterly exhausted and un-
GERS near frontier station Of Nampoung.
AS soon as able he leaves for Rangoon
and thence to ENGLAND.
PART IV.-Two months later another
ofhcer at Nampoung, while out on hunt
comes across Kitwater and Codd. Kitwa-
ter explains they were traders who had
fallen into hands of Chinese who had put
tongue. After recovering somewhat from
effects of exposure and fortunes they set
off in pursuit of Hayle.
CHATTER I.-Gsorge Fairfax relates
how he became 4 detective in Australia
and finally came to open up an Office in
London.
CHAPTER II.-Kitwater and Codd try
to secure Fairfax's services, They repre-
sent themselves as missionaries returned
from China where rich native patron
turned over to them on his death great
fortune which was stolen by guest
(Hayle) at the mission. Fairfax almost
concludes not to take case.
CHATTER III.
Towards the middle of the morning
was sitting in my Office, awaiting the
coming of a prominent New York de-
tective, with whom / had an appoint
ment, when my clerk entered to in
form me that a lady was in the outer
office, and desired to see me if / could
spare her few minutes.
Who is she?" inquired. Find out
that, and also her business
Her name is Kitwater," the man
replied, when he returned after a mo-
ment's absence, "but she declines to
state her business to anyone but y your
self, sir"
"kitwater?" l said. "Then she is a
relation, suppose, of the blind man
who was here yesterday, What on
earth can she have to say tome? Well,
Lawson won't be here. for another ten
minutes, SO you may as well show her
In" Then to myself added: This is
a development of the case which did
not expect. wonder who she is
wife, sister, daughter, OF what, of the
blind man ?"
i was not to be left long in doubt,
for presently the door opened and the
young lady herself entered the room.
/ say young lady," because her age
could not at most have been more than
one or o-and-twenty. She was tall
and the 5possessor of a graceful figure,
while one glance was sufficient to
show me that her face was an exceed
ingly pretty one. afterwards l dis
covered that her eyes were dark
brown.) ! rose and offered her a
chair.
Good morning, Miss Kitwater," /
said. This is an unexpected visit.
Won't you sit DOWN.
When She had done SO resumed my
seat at the table.
Mr.. Fairfax" she began, "you are
the great detective, | believer"
admitted the soft impeachment
with as much modesty as could as
sumo at so short notice. She GER
tainly was very pretty girl.
Il have come to talk to you about
my uncle
+ She stopped as if she did not quite
know how to proceed.
Then the gentleman who called
upon me yesterday, and who has the
misfortune to be blind, is your uncle ?o
said.
sYes! He was my fathers younger
and only brother" she answered. II
have often heard my father speak of
him, but had never seen him myself
until he arrived in England month
ago with his companion, Mr.. Codd. Mr..
Fairfax, they have suffered terribly.
n have never heard anything so awful
Is their experiences.
"Icanquite believe that, / answered.
s'Your uncle told me something OF
their great trouble yesterday. 1t
seems wonderful to me that they
should have survived to tell the tale
"Then he must have told you of
Rayle, their supposed friend" (she
spoke with superb scorn), 'the mai
who betrayed them and robbed them
of what was given them?"
1T was for that purpose that they
called upon me-" / answered. "They
were anxious that l should undertake
the search for this man."
She rested her elasped hands upon
the table and looked p.eadingly al me.
"And will you do SOP"
i am considering the matter" l
said. with the first feeling of reluc-
~ ~ N