Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-05-16

| | TTRNiP I..........,....... April TO Sep
for few days. Lord Greystoke read OF II,
| and, while taking special precautions not
| 20 permit his name to become connected
with the affair kept himself well posteu
| as 20 the police search for the anthropola.
As was true of the general public. his
chief interest in the matter centred ABOUT
| the mysterious disappearance OF the slayer
| or, at least, this was true until he learned
| several days subsequent to the Tragedy,
| that his son Jack had not reported at the
| boarding school, en- route for which they
had seen him safely ensconced In rail-
| way carriage.
Even then the father did not connect the
| disappearance of his son with the mystery
| surrounding the whereabouts OF the ape
Nor was II until month later, when care
| full investigation revealed the fact that the
| boy had left the train before II pulled out
| of the station at London and the cab
| driver had been found who had driven him
| to the address of the old Russian that
| Tarzan of the Apes realized that Akut
| had in some way been connected with the
| disappearance of the boy.
Beyond the moment that the cabdriver
| had deposited his fare beside the curb
| in front of the house in which the Russian
| had been quartered there was no clue. No
| one had seen either the boy or the ape
| from that instant-at least, no one who
| still lived The proprietor of the house
| identified the picture of the lad as that
| of one who had been n frequent visitor
in the room of the old man. Aside from
this he knew nothing.
And there, at the door of n grimy old
| building in the slums of London, the
| searchers came to blank wall-baffied.
The day following the death of Alexis
| Paulvitch a youth, accompanying his In
valid grandmother, boarded a steamer at
| Dover. The old lady was heavily yelled
| and so weakened by age and sickness that
| she had to be wheeled aboard the vessel
| in an invalid chair.
Tho boy would permit no one but him
| self to wheel her. and with his own hands
| assisted her from the chair to tho interior
of their stateroom--and that was the last
| that was seen of the old lady by the ships
| company until the pair disembarked. The
| boy even insisted upon doing the work of
their cabin steward, SINCE as he explained,
| his grandmother was suffering from a
| nervous indispostion that made the pres
| ence of strangers extremely distasteful to
| her
Outside the cabin-and none there was
| aboard who knew what he did within the
cabin-the lad was just as any other
healthy, normal English boy might have
| been. He mingled with his fellow pas
sengers, became a prime favorite with the
| officers, and struck up numerous friend
| ships among the common sailors He was
| generous and unaffected, yet carried an
| air of dignity and strength of character
| that inspired his many new friends with
admiration as we'll as affection for him.
Among the passengers there was an
American named Conlon, n blacltleg and
crook who was wanted" in half dozen
of the larger cities of the United States.
He had paid little attention to the boy
until on one occasion he had seen him ac-
cidentally display a roll of banknotes.
From then on Conlon cultivated the youth
full Briton.
He learned easily enough that the boy
was travelling alone with his invalid grand
mother and that their destination was a
small port on the west coast of Africa,
little below the equator; that their name
was Billings, and that they had no friends
in the little settlement for which they were
bound Upon the point of their purpose in
visiting the place, Conlon found the boy
reticent, and so he did not push the matter
he had learned all that he cared to know
as 1t was.
Several times Conlon attempted to draw
the lad into a card game; but his victim
was not interested, and the black looks of
several of the other men passengers decided
the American to find other means Of trans
ferring the boys bankroll to his own pocket.
At last came the day that the steamer
dropped anchor in the lee of wooded
promontory. where a score or more OF
sheetiron shacks, making an unsightly blot
upon the fair face of nature. proclaimed the
fact that civilization had set its heel
Struggling upon the outskirts were the
thatched huts of natives, picturesque in
their primeval savagery harmonizing with
the background OF tropical jungle and ac-
centuating the squalid hideousness of the
white mans pioneer architecture.
The boy. leaning over the rail. was look
ing far beyond the man-made town deep
into the God-made jungle. A little Fhiver
OF anticipation tingled his spine; and then.
quite without volition, he found himself
mentally gazing into the loving eyes OF his
mother and the strong face of the father
which mirrored beneath its masculine
strength a love no less than the mothers
eyes proclaimed. He felt himself weaken
ing In his resolve.
Nearby one of the ships officers was
shouting orders to fotilla OF native
boats that was approaching TO tighten the
consignment OF the steamers cargo destined
for this tiny port
when does the next steamer for Eng
land touch here?" the boy asked.
'Hrhe Emmanuel ought TO be along most
any time now" replied the officer. 81 fig-
ured we'd find her here" and he went on
with his believing remarks TO the dusky
horde drawing close to the steamers side.
The task Of lowering the boys grand
mother over the side to a waiting canoe
was rather difficult The lad insisted on
being always at her side, and when at last
she was safely ensconced in the bottom
of the craft that was to bear them shore
ward her grandson dropped catike after
her.
So interested was he In seeing her COM
fortably disposed that he failed 20 observe
the little package that had worked from his
pocket as he assisted in lowering the sling
that contained the old woman over the
steamers side; nor did he notice 1t even
as it slipped out entirely and dropped into
the sea.
CONTINUED TOMORROW