The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1914-02-27
Miss Schuyler New YORK. Have post
ed reward five hundred pounds.
"FOTHERINGILL."<
CHAPTER vi.
peeper Waters.

This message, SO condensed that for
moment Van Vechten believed 1t to
be in code. contained more than one
incomprehensible but none the less
pregnant item. The lire OF perplexity
between his brows deepened, as he
continued to stare at 1t, while Tom
looked on and fidgeted with curiosity.
whirlpool" Van vechten voiced
his mystification-"seems to me I've
heard that name before-Im sure
have-but hanged II . can associate 1t
with anything definite. And who the
deuce is Fotheringill?"
He handed the slip OF paper over to
Tom. The items began to appear
slowly by degrees.
"Withypool-W whirlpool" he repeat
ed in an effort to spur his memory
where and when did ever hear that
name? It's not one that Paige men.
toned. Must be some town In Somer-
set"
And two ladies'" supplemented
Tom in mock admiration, answering
to the description of your cousin and
in July. What a ripping Sherlock
Holmes you are!"
Van Vechten surveyed him with un-
seeing eyes. After a moment
Say" he began with considerable
energy. tom, IL they were Paige
and 10. why should it be so difficult to
determine their identities positively
Were they trying to hide? And IL so.
from whom
You can search me-" Tom offered
dispiritedly.
Van vechten took the message and
pored over it again.
Five hundred pounds reward" he
groaned after minute. Great
Scott, Tom! How luridly the papers
will blossom now. for the blessed
puzzle is fair game at last for them
Who has authorized anyone to offer a
reward, I'd like to know? And what
two weeks In July were these two mys-
FERROUS ladies at whirlpool? Am / to
infer that they and Mrs. and Miss
Schuyler are the same?-that Paige
and Joe sailed home incog the eighth
of last month";"
That's what 1t says" replied Tom.
"In a way, yes. But this sheet of de-
formed intelligence Is more remark
able for what it does not say than for
what it says. Schuyler, you know,
was Mrs. Devereaux's maiden name"
Toms eyes opened. by George!"
he exclaimed wonderingly. 80 1t
was!"
WELL" tartly, docs the circum-
stance suggest anything to your"
But Tom merely stood silent Sec
ond wagging his head NO It's only
little more muddling, is all can make
of it."
Here it is the fifth of September"
Van Vechten's summarizing went on;
where, in heavens name, have they
been all this time? Where are they
now?"
Moses and green spectacles, Rud-
dy!" burst forth Tom In desperation.
You'll give yourself headache Ii you
keep on asking questions that nobody
can answer! Here-let's sit down at
this table and have something to
drink; maybe that'll help. You can
think things over. anyhow.
Van Vechten all of a sudden expert.
enced a letdown from the high ten
sion under which he had been labor
ing ever since the cablegram's arrival.
and Immediately the drawn lines about
his mouth, and the restless shifting OF
his eyes. disclosed his growing bur-
den of anxiety; even to Toms unob
servant regard it was laid bare how
deeply the battling mystery-the un.
certainty of his cousins fate-had at
fected his whole being.
STEADY, old man." Tom muir
INJURED sympathetically. TRY little
nerve tonic. Brace up"
They sat down.
Il don't want anything to drink
Van vechten declined the offer. "bp'
l will gladly smoke big black cigar
Perhaps 1t will clear away some o,
the cobwebs."
Tom, ever a model of abstemious
ness, contented himself with a milk
and ladylike thimble of curacao.
Then they took up the subject Of tn.
cablegram again. Van vechten fiat
tened the paper upon the table
propped his elbows at either end and
grasped his hair firmly with boil
hands, the cigar smoke forming blu'
halo about his head. He gave himself
Up to the serious business OF inter
preting and assimilating the disquiet
ing, unfathomable information from
overseas.
CTo BE CoNTINUEDJ