Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-10-15

! int" the house. She saw Layton Far
I rish turn in from the street and start
! up the walk toward the Vcrandn.
/ She advanced II step to meet the de-
l tcctivc and held on: her hand toward
/ him. courteously. IL not cordially.
/ We'll Miss Montrosc.' was l'arrish's
almost cnusivc greeting, as he shook
| hands with her. II hear you are to be
consolidated on clearing young Clay
tom from the charge Of killing TruXton
/ Lambert
/ I'm So glad he is free" she cx-
/ claimed. her heart warming To this
bearer OF good news. 81 tried to tell
YOU about the Figure in Black you
remember. But YOU
Il know. know" replied Parrish.
| 1T was my own loss. II id taken
your tip the credit of clearing young
Clayton would lac mine, and not stan
loys. That's why I'VE come here to-
day. I'm beginning to get pretty
high idea Of your detective powers.
young lady. and I want to avail my
self Of them If you'll let me"
E'lattcrcd ut this praise from the
usually grumpy Parrish. she made an
Swcr.
why. certainly. What can do?"
rive hccn making inquiries about
that apartment house where Miss
Vanya 'rosca lives lie said
Yes
= Wei. ~ seems inc mouse was
private dwelling years agu--beforc it
was turned into apartments. 1t was
built by an eccentric old chap, who
put two secret paSsaEcwayS in IL lead
Ing UP from the cellar. That got me
thinking. Will you help me-"
Help YOU How"
by coming there with me and
searching the cellar. a wonan's wit
and woman's eyes are better than
any mans. Perhaps you can solve
the puzzle and find the second passage
way. I've tried; and | can't find it,
Less than an hour later Parrish was
ushcring her into the dingy cellar of
the apartment, house Through the
front cellar he led The way, electric
hashlisht in hand. and To an inner
room beyond the furnace.
Look. She interrupted eagerly
h'r quick eye noticing an irregular
oblonr Of wood that projected Il few
inches beyond the moldy side wall.
She laid hands on the slab of wood.
sought To push IL to one side. To her
delight the slab yielded ~ her first
attempt and slid noscleSsly to the
icit' revealing narrow opening i'm
the wall and the beginning of a
flight OF rude stone steps
But, on the instant. the nashlght
went out. And, simultaneously, she
X.
Parrish had backed out OF the room.
locking it's heavy door behind him.
Florence was alone. in the dark--a
prisoner. She cried for help. No
answer came
Nanya Tosca was alone in her pretty
Nat. She was waiting for Pierre La
Ruc, who had hidden her TO expect
him. Already he was late. and the
woman was nervously wondering why
Then came a ring at the outer door of
the apartment. With Il smile Of eager
welcome She ran to the door and
dung ii open.
on the threshold stood Harold Stan
10y.
"foull forgive this intrusion. won't
YOU Miss Tosca"" asked Harold. as he
entered the Hat and went with her into
the living room. IL stopped here on
my way from Riverda:c 10 the Office
because wanted Il rather important
tails with YOU"
''of course" asscnted Vanya. easily,
as She seated herself on II rug covered
diNan and molioued him to Il chair
racing her. And YOU may smoke ii
YOU lIk". DO YOU care for drnlS?'' !
80. thank YOU" declined Stanley,
adding: II realizcd-and so do the 20
the murder of rrux,on Lam
bert in your fiat has thrown an un-
naming of Miss MontroSc from CLAW
tons apartment while YOU were there !
r"pic ar" beginning to speak of YOU |
Us Il woman of mystery Thai sort Of !
'hlhG does YOU great harm. 1t Is no |!
''"N OF mine OF course. And If yon !
resent my questions Eve nothing fur-
'h"r to SAY Eut if YOU care 10 clear
Yourself"
Perhaps She began talking slow
~ as though To stretch the narrative /
/" the greatest possible length per
maps YOU Will understand me better
MI STANLEY II 20 back little and
ten YOU something OF my earlier IF, !
! Will help explain what foliownG
! on see. was Russian pcasau, girl
MY parents were very poor Eut n,,
sfiho"d was happy. For knew |
nothing better. Then. when w,s
irhicen-~omc day in the forest |
met Pierre La Rue"
AS she was speaking. the great
ir"ned picture on the opposite wnIl
SLOWLY swung outward. as though nm
HlhteH In the aperture behind i, an
p'"red the face Of Pierre La Euc
men tnc picture swung shut again
'7'"n!eN noticed that Wanna had ceased
'i'f '"Ic" had trAii"d away
I'M" h"ih'HGnoSs licr wide ewes wcr.
i'Ned and CLASSY They we're staring
ut something directly behind uoroIr
She did no; move nor speak And
~" saw with amaze, thar sh. was in |
q hypnotic franc" lie saw more In !
me VIA" pupil OF her exc. as in :,
TIN! mirror, he saw The .pcrf.c, re-. ,
He.u"r "f 4 mans face The bearded |
and ShaStly face Of 4 man with hvn-
n"'rallH glowing eyes
i'"f"id. cried - girls vote. lust
hrhIH0 tn" WONDERING STANLEY
lie "hiri"d about. The picture was
Sc