Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-09-17
CHAPTER ].
The brand of Sntnn.

" nave dWdhcHCu IToHl IL loHs
doze OF gloom. For six months 1t had
been suffered and all but deserted.
now It's blinds were up. There were
fresh flowers in the window bowls and
on the deep veranda. Theye were new
life and gaycty in the very atmosphere
OF the place.
For half year Dr. Montrose had
dwelt here alone. except for his silent
footed assistant. Felix. Here, day and
night. the doctor had toilcd in his la bo-
ratory, tirelessly, perfecting the OK
periments to which he had devoted
himself since his wife's death.
But now, in a breath. everything was
changed. Florence his eightcen-year-
old daughter had come home from
six-month VISIT TO school chum In
the West and instantly her bright
presence had restored the old house
TO It's former brightness.
1t was on the early evening % The
third day after Florences return to
R!verdale. She was sitting alone on
the veranda when a man turned in at
the gate and came hurrying up tho
long walk toward the house. Flor
ence's face flushed with genuine pleas.
ure at sight ri the visitor al he moved
forward through the early summer
twilight.
He was above middle height, grace
full of figure and bearing. and won
drous good TO look upon His easy
stride and the pose OF his mighty
shoulders proclaimed the athlete. even
AS the broad forehead and full eyes
denoted the thinker and the lrm mold
ed Jaw the man OF action.
Florence ran down the steps TO gree,
him.
EAT last you have come" she eager
" excla lined. Il had thought Harold
Stanley had forgotten his schoolgirl
friend In his busy career OF doing
nothing
pong nothing" he pou,ed I'm the
busiest little citizen in a burg Of c.
100000 people"
You certainly do surprise, me WIZ.
cast you off,
NO. Hes cas-, me ON on to the
pay roll Of the New York Examiner
have been there five months as a
cCb reporter. When finished college
dad had a real Dutch uncle talk with
me. Among several hundred other re-
marks OF general Interest, he said 10 me:
Son. I've spent thirty years In build
ing UP the Examiner. bought it when
II was down and out. ". made IL the
most powerful newspaper In New York
perhaps 81 America did II for the
sake Of my only son. Now my only
son can either be loafcr and sQuau-
der the money I've earned or else he
take OF his coat and pitch in and
learn the business from the bottom up
great work when | am dead. Which
shall II be? leave the choice 10 YOU
so / pitched in. II seemed the only
thing for white man TO do"
Good for YOU appiauded Florence
II think it's finc OF YOU"
This particular reporter" he an
swered. has been spending most Of
his time, lately, in running his feet
or. chasinc false clues on the Crimson
Stain Mystery"
ha. e.. ny e q ri
Mystery? II has n Ercwsome sound
Here's the story in jus, a mouthful
Of words" he explained. Four months
ago cyrus @ Ferrand-the banker. you
know--was found murdered in his
study Ills safe was looted and the
murderer got clean away. The autop-
sy showed Fcrrand had been choked To
death"
How horrible"
The odd feature Of the case" went
on Harold was the way he had been
choked The marks on his throat
showed that the murderers hands were
long and slender and abnormally
strong Also. that his grip was one
known TO the iiu-jitsu experts of Japan
and TO the Apaches Of Paris. 1t is a
peculiar hold 1t paraiyZes the vic
TINS spinal cord and makes him help
less TO resist; even while his breath
is being shut off. II is grip that
not one strong-arm man in 10000
in America"
But don't the police
THE police worked on the case for
all they were worth. but they couldn't
find thing. Parish-hes the great
international detective that the city
has hired to clear up this case-spent
days in trying TO get At clew, but
Spent days on it?' she intcrposed-
Why not weeks or months? Surely
worth that much trouDla. "hv
did he stop at days."
Because, replied Harold, mine
days later Marcus Krug, the big Jew
eler was found murdered in exactly
the same way, in his private Office at
the back of his store"
Two such murders in New York in
four months?" she murmured. with a
shudder. And no one brought to JUS
tice. 1t doesn't seem possible.'
Two such murders?" he said in sud
den vehemence. NO Not two. Four
teen"
Fourteen" she gasped.
''Fourteen!" he repeated. During
the last four months no less than four
teen men of wealth in New York have
been found strangled by just thar
weird throat grip And in every case
the murderer has escaped with his
plumber"
and no cicw?"
YES and no. One cIcw. perhaps. but
such fantastic clew that we can't get
any sense out Of It,"
What is it,?
when old Raoul Beaujolais the res
taurant man, was killed his brother
found him n moment or two before he
was quite dead. The murderer had
been frightened away. AS Beaujolais
died he managed to pant out the
words. Crimson Stain" That was all.
Just those two words"
y cry of stark terror from Florence
Montrose interrupted him. She had
caught convulSively at his arm. With
her free nard she was pointing wildly
at house they CHANGED to be passing.
Against one Of these shades strange
group was silhouetted-a group OF three
figures.
One of these figures stood 4 little
aloof from the two others as if codly
directing operations. The remaining
two were apparently locked in a death
struggle.
Then Harold Stanley understood. One