Bisbee daily review., 1914-11-26


 explained: The advertiser had need for more than one man, aAd he wanted to interview them one at a time with out meeting one another Upon run ming through the files of the daily pa- pers for a fortnight back, I found a confirmation of my conclusions. Here it is" And he handed Van Vechten a newspaper clipping. which the latter studied long and intently before re- turning.
 "WANTED-A young man who will exchange unreservedly one week Of his time for $1 1,000 cash Must be muscular and willing to risk an ad- venture involving an element of dan ger. If imposed conditions are i'm plicitly obeyed payment will be made immediately upon successful outcome. IT you are confident you are the young man, Address X72O, Tribune"
 Now" Mir Flint went on. certain obvious conclusions may be drawn from this advertisement, and certain things concerning 1t may be pretty confidently inferred.
 Whatever the enterprise, it in. wolves some danger; 1t requires young men of physical strength and daring; and 1t is Of sufficient importance to the advertiser for him to expend a considerable sum of money in putting it through say four or five thousand dollars. There is an army of young men answering the description. em. ployed as well as unemployed for whom the little ad would hold an ir. resistible appeal; undoubtedly Mir. X-720 was deluged with applications.
 Then what is his next obvious step? Why. he puts the mass Of let. ters through a process of selection and rejection. From the lot he chooses the few which strike him the most favorably. and makes appoint. ments with the writers. The house across wonder was secured as a base of operations"
 'lt was not rented from the agent" Van Vechten suddenly interposed. re. memberlng feature of the Powhatan committees call on that individual.
 
 said he. "Weu come back to that letter I was going to say, the mere fact of the advertiser having selected SO respectable a neighborhood to op. crate from was no less than a stroke of genius Nobody to pry into his af. fairs; nobody to suspect him--it was only by accident that suspicion was at tracted to him at all" ME F1ints wis. age assumed a satisfied expression, as he remarked.
 His ingenuity commands my admi. ration; ] apprehend that the case will prove interesting-most interesting, indeed"
 Don't tell me" protested Van Vech. ten, that you can find any satisfaction in the difficulties you are expecting to encounter. It will be bad enough if we have to deal with common crooks, but criminal prodigy? Lord defend usi"
 I'm afraid, MT Van Vechten, that you have no very keen relish for an intricate problem"
 Relish! the young man parked With my cousin at the mercy of gang of unprincipled knaves? l guess not!"
 "Oh. well." the detective conceded "l can't, of course. expect you to view the affair from a professional stand point; but l assure you, this case is exceedingly promising, and my enthu. siasm and determination mount as 1t grows more baffiing"
 That's something. at any rate Van Vechten admitted with a show of reluctance. Your zeal will lose you nothing, I promise you. But where did you find the purse2"
 The sharp gray eyes swept Van Vechten's earnest face Mir. Flint re. piled soberly:
 Now you have hit upon the circum. stance that connects Miss Carew with the affair l found 1t hanging from a nail, in @ dark corner of an upstairs closet, across the street-in your pre-. cious house of mystery"
 The young mans blank immobility alone betrayed his stupefaction. After a pause:
 Easy, easy, Flint" said he, un. steadily. Kindly repeat that; this in. fernal snarl Is dulling my faculties"
 The other did 30, adding: "Of course 1t was left -overlooked-' by somebody; whether by Miss Ca. rev or somebody else, am not pre- pared to say"
 Van Vechten sat long time deep in thought. The occasional glance he di- rected at the detective was eloquent in contrast with his impassive flea. tures-of the doubts and fears and anxieties that were assailing his mind, and of conflicting hope that things were not 80 black as they were being painted At last, with a slight gesture that signiied his helpless ness to cope with the situation. he leaned back and sighed
 "I pass. he said resignedly. "The things utterly beyond me; it's up toI you. Flint Go on"