The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1916-09-23

starting TO search the house Wnen
fellow with a black mask on stepped
out from behind a curtain and showed
pistol in my face. l heard a woman
scream just as he pulled the trigger.
There was a noise as though ten
inch gun had been fred under me.
Something hit me on the back of the
head and 1 don't remember anything
| more. Now it's your turn, Cleo. What
on earth induced you to come here
alone and how did you. escape?"
So Cleo told how she had waited
at the hotel until long past the hour
at which Hope and Hook had prom
ised to rejoin her; how, fearful Of
missing Stephanski and thus losing
the opportunity to examine the book,
she had gone to the house in the Edge
mere road alone; how she had been
seized, bound and gagged; how
masked woman had threatened her
with torture if she did not reveal the
key to the cryptogram; how, upon
hearing Hopes motor, a man, also
masked, had carried her into the Gel
lar; how she had succeeded in Kidding
herself of the gag; and how Hook,
prowling about at the rear of the
house, had heard her screams and had
dragged her from the cellar in the
very nick of time.
"The scoundreIs," exclaimed Hope,
as she concluded her amazing recital.
'And the book?" inquired Hope,
eagerly. did you have a chance To
examine it before they attacked you?"
eyes," said Cleo, 81 went through it,
page by page, from cover to cover.
There was nothing in it"
'Well," said Hope, as Cleo and
Hook aided him to his feet, there's no
! need to be discouraged. 1t isn't like
ly that we would have found the
formula in the first book we looked
in, anyway. We still have eleven
chances left. The thing to do now is
to get in touch with the people who
bought the other books. Let's see
and he took from his pocket the
page from Dawson's ledger, the
next name on the list is that of an
old friend of mine-Mrs. Reginald
Delmar She's the wife of the British
consul in San Francisco; I used to
know her when her husband was at
tached to the embassy at Washing
ton. She'll do anything she can to
help u.s."
Little they dreamed, as they de
parted from the shattered house, that
two shadowy figures lurking behind a
curtain had overheard every word OF
thei, conversation. Still less did Nor
ton and Olga dream that the Japa-
nese, Satsuma, crouching in the dark
ness outside one of the broken win
dows, had overheard the conversation
too.
The following morning Hope and
Cleo motored out to the handsome
residence of the British consul OF
Ocean View avenue. Mrs. Delmar, q
handsome, gray-haired woman, gave
them a cordial greeting.
Its been ages since I've seen you
Mr.. Hope" she said. ''The last time
was at dinner at the Russian embassy
wasn't it-or was it at the New Years
reception at the White House? What
do you mean by coming to San Fran
cisco and not letting me know?"
Hope briefly sketched the remark
able chain of events which had
brought him from the nations capita
to the shores of the Pacific, telling o.
the mysterious death of Doctor Burke
of the disappearance of the formula
and of the thrilling chase of the books
''Why, it's a regular romance" Mrs
Delmar exclaimed, clapping her hand!
with excitement as though she were
at a theater Someone ought t.
write play around it for the movies
its the most exciting story I eve
listened to in my life. Two of tn
books you describe bought yesterda.
! at Dawson's auction rooms. go
| them quite by accident, too. 1 wen
| in there to look at some Chimes
| porcelains I had been told about jus
as the auctioneer was offering thes
! two volumes on electricity. I don
II know an earthly thing about electric
\ ity| don't know the difference bt
tween a magnetic and volt-but m
n nephew, Francis Leyiand, is taking tn
course In electrical engineering g
Leland Stanford, so I bought tn
l, books more as a joke than anythin
:. else, and sent them down to him.
do you think he would let US Sc
!, them If we motored down to Pal
Alton" asked Cleo eagerly.
1t I've a better plan than that" sal
10 Mrs. Delmar, who dearly loved a II
nance. 81 am giving a reception TIL
70 evening and you are both to come
IL it-yes, you must come, Miss Burk
,e I simply won't take no for an answe
% My nephew is coming up from Pa
g Alto for the occasion and I viii tel
ID phone him to bring the books wit
ID him. Then you can take them upstail
1 to the library and close the door ar
~ look at" and she smiled-"at Il
IT, books to your hearts content"
ze ST shall be very glad indeed to con
Id if Mr.. Hope cares to bring me-" sa
Ie Cleo simply.