Omaha daily bee., 1916-12-11

| between us after that. His eyes were
awful and he frightened me, You
know, in my little cigaret case. which
you gave me with your initials in it
and your photograph hidden inside,
| told you | would keep the thing
most valuable to me after your pic.
ture. That thing is the combination
I by which the safe at the bank which
contains the bonds can be opened. No
one has opened it and cut the bonds
since mother was in New York last,
not long before she died. Not a soul
living except myself knows the COM
bination, not even the manager of the
bank. I'm sure mother was right in
not trusting uncle, and that this secret
| fortune is all have left. ] daren't
wait for you to come here, but shall
| try to get to London by motor. rather
than show myself at railway station,
and will go straight to the Savoy. You
will get this just in time to meet me
there if you start from Paris Thurs
day morning. / shall finish this letter
and write another arranging about the
motor and to do both I've but one
sheet of paper. rYour loving
"VIOLET."
for a minute, with the half sheet of
paper in his hand. He guessed now
that the girl had been interrupted in
the midst of her letter to- him, by
! warning of her uncle's arrival. The
Imam had traced her to the farm house
she spoke of, no doubt, and Violet, be-
| fore escaping the second time, must
have given the unfinished letter to
some one at the farm house, begging
that an envelope might be addressed
and posted. Maurice MAYORS letter
had been posted by the same hand.
All these thoughts passed through
Races mind in the fraction of a min
ute. and Naylor had hardly time.
to grow impatient at his SILENCE over
the letter before he brought out the
other half sheet and matched the two
together. He and O'Brien compared
deductions and arrived at the same
conclusion.
Il think" remarked O'Brien grave
ly, that we'd better go down at once
into Warwickshire, and pay a surprise
visit to Mr.. Hardcastle's house, the
sooner the better"
I'VE can go in my car" said Chris
TOPPER. And we can start whenever
you like-in half an hour if it suits
you"
There's just one thing we must do
before we start" said O'Brien. land
that is, get warrant for Hardcastle's
arrest. | can do it through Mr.. Races
evidence about what occurred to-
night"
"Also," went on O'Brien quietly, I'VE
shall very likely find out that the spin
ster who's said to own the Laurels is
a clinet Of Hardcastle's. In that case
we would have known about her house
standing empty. and perhaps about
the cornwall habits of her caretaker.
It's good thing we can get that war
rant, or the man might give US
trouble yet, his niece being still few
weeks under age. Besides. if he's got
the secret out of her, the first thing
he'll do will be to step off to New York
and open that box in her mothers
bank. l suppose you don't know what
bank it is, Naylor?"
mo, I don't; and hang the bonds
I want to get to Violet" answered the
young man. 1--WE got money enough
for us both"
"Still, I've a fancy for saving those
bonds" smiled O'Brien.
1t was 5 o'clock on Sunday morn
ing, apd still pitch dark, when they
got off in Scarlet Runner, but they
had the warrant, and the good car
seemed to know that there was stiff
work to be done. 1t flew as 1t had
seldom flown before along the silent,
empty roads; and at 9 three haggard
mud-Spattered men arrived at Stoke
d Estcourt after a nonstop run.
They learned from the first person
they passed in the village where to
find Mr.. Hardcastle's place, and were
there within the next ten minutes,
flashing through the gates up to a
severe gray Georgian house.
Mr.. Hardcastle, announced sour
faced middle-aged woman who opened
the door, was not at home.
Are you his Wallets wife," asked
O'Brien sharply.
What business Is that of yours?"
was the equally sharp answer. But
look in the woman's eyes told the
detective that he had hit upon the
truth. Violet Hardcastle had had
grim jaNers." 1..
I'VE will see Miss Hardcastle, if her
uncle is not here" he said authorita-
lively And to her surprise and the
establishment of his companions, the
servant made no objection. Ushering
all three into handsome if sparsely
furnished drawing room, she said that
Miss Hardcastle was not well, but
should have the gentlemen's message,
and would either come down or send y
wor%
Tell her it's Mr.. -NaylN," cried the
girls lover. "M.Maurice Naylor, who's
found her, though, she gave him no
address, and he couldn't make out the
postmark on her letter.
will she Gomez" was the question
in the minds of the three men. And in
two minutes it was answered by the
girl herself, pale and lovely, in tea
gown of white, her beautiful hair dis
ordered as if she had risen hastily
from bed.
"Oh Maurice" she sobbed. running
to him, with eyes for no one else.
! 1t was true that Mr.. Hardcastle was
mot at home" as his servant had said.
But he had returned early that morn
ing by motor, as O'Brien had guessed
and by threatening to kill Maurice
Nawlor, whom he knew to be in Lon
don, he had induced Violet to tell
her carefully-guarded secret. to save
her lovers life. Then with his conf
Dental man her uncle had gone off
again in his car.
But luckily" remarked the detec-
tive when he had heard these details
from the girl ''he can't sail for New
York today"
II wonder?" she said. II happen to
know that he's lately bought or hired
big steam yacht but Y don't know
We'll knowi it before we're very
many hours older" O'Brien assured
her. Well know whether its
sailed; if so, from what port and for
what port Well know all there is to
know, in fact; and when Mr.. Hard
castle steps on shore across the water.
he'll find himself under arrest" which
was exactly what happened. Therefore
Mrs. Maurice NaYlOr is a rich Woman.