The Huttig news., 1915-07-10
SEVENTH lNSTALLMENT
THE HOUSE OF MYSTERY.
CHAPTER XVI.

S study. The professor was there, seat ed in the most comfortable easy chair, smoking without Aelish one of his hosts best cigars, watching with nervous impatienee the closed door Laura and Lenora were seated at the table, dressed for the street They had the air of being prepared for some excursion. Quest realizing the professors highly strung state. had left him alone for a few moments and was studying map of New York. The latter, however, was too III at ease to keep silent for long.
 Our friend French" he remarked. "gave you no clue, suppose. as to the direction in which his investigations are leading him?"
 Quest glanced up from the map.
 None at all know, however, that the house in which Lenora here was confined is being watched closely"
 The professor glanced across to- ward the table before which Lenora was seated.
 "It seems strange" he continued, "that the young lady should have so little to tell us about her incarcera- tion."
 Lenora shivered for moment.
 What could there be to tell" she asked, except that it was all horrible, and that I felt things-felt dangers which l couldn't describe
 The professor gave vent to an i'm patient little exclamation.
 q am not speaking for fancies," he persisted "You had food brought to you. for instance. Could you never see the hand which placed it inside your room? Could you hear nothing of the footsteps of the person who brought it? Could you not even sur mise whether 1t were man or woman?"
 Lenora answered him with an evi- dent effort. She had barely, as yet, recovered from the shock of those awful hours.
 "The person who brought me the food she said, "came at night-never in the daytime I never heard any thing The most ever saw was once -I happened to be looking toward the door and 1 saw a pair of hands nothing more-setting down tray. shrieked and called out. l think that I almost tainted. When l found cour- age enough to look, there was nothing there but the tray upon the floor"
 The professor sighed as he turned away.
 Tt is evident. am afraid" he said, that Miss Lenora's evidence will help no one. As an expert in these affairs, MT Quest, does 1t not seem to you that her imprisonment was just lit- tie purposeless? There seems to have been no attempt to harm her in any way"
 Whoever took the risk of abduct- ing her." Quest pointed out grimly, did it for a purpose. That purpose would probably have been devel- oped in course of time. However we look at 1t, Mir Ashleigh. there was only one man who must have been anxious to get her out of the way, ana that man was Craig. Here comes oui friend French. have an idea that ne has something to tell us.'
 They glanced expectantly towards the door as French entered. The in- spector, who was looking very spruce and we'll brushed. wished them gen eral goodmorning. His eyes rested last and longest upon Laura, who seemed, however. unconscious of hts presence.
 Now, then, French Quest began as he returned his greeting, take a cigar. make yourself comfortable in that chair and let us have your news. Az you see we have obeyed orders. We are all ready to follow you any where"
 .It won't be to the end of the world, anyway" the inspector remarked, as he lit his cigar. T am going to pro pose little excursion down Gayson avenue way"
 Back to that house?" Lenora ex- claimed with a grimace.
 The inspector nodded.
 We have had those boys at the