Los Angeles herald., 1906-10-21


From the bearer of it he heard the
first news of the disappearance of Lady
Agnes Clife. He hurriedly thrust some
things in bag, returned in the mans boat, and
drove thirty miles to Heatherstone Hall
Lord Heatherstone received him in the library,
and told him the little that was known about
the affair. In return Arthur Holme handed him
the letter. The Earl read it through twice. and
then glanced keenly at the young man.
So Jordison is alive" he sail, "and it was
one of his servants who perished in the fire."
1T seems so" Holme replied.
"Do you know Jordisons writings" Lord
Heatherstone asked
mo-" answered Holme frankly, 81 do not
This may be the work of some practical joker
1T can be easily verified" said Lord Heath.
erstone What price does this man expect you
to pay? Did you ever meet him before you
came across him at the Red House?" And Lord
Heatherstone watched Holmes face carefully as
he asked the question
Never" Holme replied emphaticaly. Hes
madman, and wishes to know something which
l am unable to tell him"
Then he has real cause for dislikng you?"
"None whatever" Home replied but he
turned his eyes away from Lord Heatherstones
keen gaze he answered the question
The shifting of the eyes did not escape Lord
Heatherstone's notice, and he made a mental
note that Holme had told him lie.
Lord Harry Guy is here" he said after
pause. "He came down last night to see if he
could help us in any way. You will, of course,
stay the night. We shall be glad of your COM
pany, and perhaps between the three Of
may be able to work out some solution of this
problem. All here is Harry himself"
Lord Harry Guy came toward them, hesita ted
moment, and then shook hands silently with
Holme Tne two young men had not met for
several months. A certain GOODNESS had sprung
up between them, in spite of their strenuous eff
forts to resist any feelings of jealousy.
But all the red passions grow pale in the pres
ence of death. The girl they both loved was
either dead or else in the hands of madman,
who had hitherto let nothing stand between him
and his DESIRES The bond was sealed in silence
by single clasp of their hands.
After dinner they sat that evening the
smokingroom fire and thrashed out the whole
question of where it would be best to search
for William Jordison Lord Heatherstone ad
mitted that it would be like looking for needle
in haystack.
Lord Harry Guy who had come down from
London on a new motor-car of extraordinary
power and speed, thought that he would be able
to trace Jordison to his hidingplace if he could
once get fairly started warm trail. Holme
whose ideas were local. thought that Jordison
was in the neighborhood and that the letter
posted from Up Withing in Yorkshire
mere blind He could assign, he said, no
other motive for the writing of such a letter.
The next morning, after an early breakfast at
eight o'clock, Lord Harry Guy took Arthur
Holme round to the stables to inspect the new
Inotor.car 1t had been manufactured by we'll
known firm, and had only just been put the
market. 1t represented the 'last word" of the
motor world in regard to power and speed.
1t was eight-cylinder car, one hundred and
twenty Indicated horse power and had attained
al recent speed trial the terrific pace of ninety
seven miles an hour.
Holme looked at it critically He did not
know anything about motor-cars. He could
have criticised the lines of a yacht, but this
ugly gray lump of machinery was outside his
sphere of knowledge He saw, however, that it
might be very useful to him in tracking down
Jordison if it represented all that was claimed
for it,
II tell you what we'll do, Harry" he said
after pause, eff you will consent. We will
start in an hours time for Up Whiting in York
shire, and see if can find any trace of Jordi- |
son having been there. Then we will come back |
here and thoroughly examine the whole of Els,
SEX l am still convinced that Jordison is hiding
not far from this very house,"
''We are bound to hear something Lord
Harry replied and if we do we shall be in
once catch sight of Mr.. Jordisons car we shall
overtake it." And he looked admiringly at the
one hundred and twenty horse power monster
before him.
''When will you be ready to start?"
'FIn about an hour We had better take bag
with few things for each of IFS. There's no
knowing when our journey will end"
"No," answered Home, "nor what we shall
find at the end of it. But will not rest until
Jordson is brought to the gallows"
'Nor l." said Lord Harry Guy.
At half-past ten in the morning the grey car
glided down the drive and into the open country,
and before dark it had reached the little vii