The Washington times., 1915-04-25
SEVENTH INSTALLMENT.
THE HOUSE OF MYSTERY.
CHAPTER XVI.


was there seated in the most
comfortable easy chair, smoking without
relish one Of his hosts best cigars,
watching with nervous impatience the
closed door. Laura and Lenora were
seated at the table. dressed for the
street They had the air Of being pre-
pared for some excursion. Quest. real
izing the professors highly strung state.
had left him alone for a few moments
and was studying a map Of New York.
Tho latter. however. was too i'll at ease
to keep silent for long.
Our friend French" he remarked,
gave you no clue. 1 suppose. as to the
direction in which his Investigations are
leading him"
Quest glanced up from the map.
None at all. I know. however. that
the house In which Lenora here was
confined Is being watched Closely
The professor glanced across toward
the table before which Lenora was
seated. .,..a
that the young lady should have SO lit
tie to tell us about her incarceration.
Lenora shivered for a moment
What could there be to d, tel; hcrr,Sls she
and that I felt thinss-felt dangers
which l couldn't describe
The professor gave vent to an inipa-
tient little exclamation.
Il am not speaRi1as KIN ,od OF famTiss hrossht fe te
you. for instance. Could yon never see
the hand which placed 1t inside your
room? Could you hear nothing OF the
footsteps Of the person who brought IL!
Could you not even surmise whether II
were a man or a woman?
Lenora answered him with an evident
effort. She had barely. as yet, recov,
cred from the shock of those awful
The persons who brought me the
in the daytime. I never heard anything.
The most I ever saw was cnce-1 hap
peped to be looking toward the door
and saw a pair Of hands-nothins more
called out. I think that almost faint
ed. When I found courage enough to
tray upon the floor"
you never heard, for instance. the
rustling OF a gown or the sound OF
footstep?" the professor asked. You
. could not even say whether your jailer
was man or woman"
Lenora shook her head.
"All that I ever heard was the open
ing Of the door. All that l ever saw
was that pair Of hands. One night I
fancied-but that must have been
dream!'
You fancied WHAT" the professor
persisted.
That saw a pair Of eyes glaring at
me-" Lenora replied, "eyes without any
human body. I know that I ran round
the room. calling out. When dared to
look again there was nothing there
The professor sighed as he turned
away.
1T is evident. am afraid" he said.
that Miss Lenora's evidence will help
no one. AS an expert in these af,airs.
Mr.. Quest. does 1t not seem to YOU
that her imprisonment was just little
purposeless? There seems to have been
no attempt to harm her In any way"
''whoever took the risk of abducting
her." Quest pointed out, grimly. "dd d 1t
for a purpose. That purpose would
probably have become developed in
course OF time. However we look at 1t,
Mr.. Ashleigh. there was only one man
who must have been anxious to get her
out Of the way. and that man was
Craig"
The professors manner betrayed some
excitement.
"Then will you tell me this?" he de-
manded. The young lady Is confident
that she locked Craig up in the coach
house and that the key was on the out
side of the door, a fact which would
prevent the lock being picked from in
side. even II such thing were possible.
The window is small and up almost in
the roof. Will you tell me how Craig
escaped from the coach house in order
to carry out this abduction-all within
a few minutes. mind. OF his having been
left there? Will you tell me that. Mr.
Sanford Quest? the professor on
cluded, with a note of triumph in his
tone.
That's one of the troubles we are I'D
against" Quest admitted. We have
to remember this. though. The brain
that planned the two murders here,
that stole and restored Mrs. Rhein-
holdt's jewels. that sends US those little
billets-doux from time to time. Is quite
capable OF finding a way out of a
Jerry-built garage"
The professor shifted. He turned
once more to Lenora.
Young lady" he sad. 1T will ask
you this. I do not wish to seem OBJ
stnate in my refusal to accept Craig's S
put this simple question to YOU. Did
Craig's demeanor during your CONVEX
sation seem to you to indicate the mas
ter criminal? Did he seem to You to be
possessed OF supreme courage, OF mar
velous intelligence?''
Lenora smiled very family.
I'm afraid she replied. that
this time IN have to satisfy the pro-
fessor. He was white and trembling
all the time I though him an arrani
The professor smiled beautifully as he
glanced around. He had the air OF one
propounding an unanswerable problem
you hear what Miss Lenora SAYS
I ask YOU whether a man who ever
knew the meaning of the word fear
could have carried out these ghastly
crimes?"
st have known cases" Quest observed
where the most cold-blooded criminals
in the world have been stricken with
the most deadly fear when Il has com,
to a question OF any personal danger
However" he added, here comes oul
friend French. I have an idea that h,
has something to tell us"
They glanced expectantlv toward tn,
door as French entered The Inspector
who was looking very spruce and well
brushed. wished them n general good
morning. His eyes rested last and long
est upon Laura. who seemed, however
unconscious OF his presence.
Now then. French" Quest began. Al
Il. ratuFnad his greeting take a cigar