Iron County record. [volume] (Cedar City, Utah) 1893-1982, 1916-10-20

out from behind q curtain and showed
q pistol in my face. heard q woman
scream Just as he pulled the trigger.
There was . noise as though q ten
inch gun had been fred under me.
Something hit me on the back of the
head and I 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
nero road alone; how she had been
seized, bound and gagged; how n
masked woman had threatened her
with torture II she did not reveal the
key to the cryptogram; how, upon
hearing Hopes motor, . man, also
masked. had carried her into the eel
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.
Tho scoundrels," 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 your"
YES" said Cleo, II went through II,
page by page. from cover to cover.
There was nothing In It,"
WELL" said Hope, az Cleo and
Hook aided him to his feet. there's no
need to be discouraged. II 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: l 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 4
curtain had overheard every word Of
their conversation. Still less did Nor
ton and Olga dream that the Japa-
nese, Satsuma. crouching in the dark
ness outside one OF tho broken win
dows, had overheard the conversation,
too.
The following morning Hope and
Cleo motored out to the handsome
residence OF the British consul on
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 tor was II at the New Years
reception at the White House? What
do you mean by coming to San Fran
cisco and not letting me known"
Hope briefly sketched the remark
able chain Of events which had
brought b'm from the nations capital
to the shores of the Pacific, telling of
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 hands
with excitement as though she were
at a theater. Someone ought to
write play around 1t for the movies
its the most exciting story l ever
listened to in my life. Two OF the
books you describe bought yesterday
at Dawson's auction rooms. / got
them quite by accident, too. / went
in there to look at some Chinese
porcelains had been told about just
as the auctioneer was offering these
two volumes on electricity. l don't
know an earthly thing about electric
ity-I don't know the difference be-
tween a magnetic and a volt-but my
nephew. Francis Leyland, is taking the
course in electrical engineering at
Leland Stanford, 80 / bought the
books more as a Joke than anything
else, and sent them down TO him"
do you think he would let us see
them II we motored down to Palo
Alto" asked Cleo eagerly.
i've a better plan than that" said
Mrs. Delmar, who dearly loved ro-
nance. Il am giving reception this
evening and you are both to come to
it-yes, you must come, Miss Burke.
! simply won't take no for an answer.
My nephew is coming up from Palo
Alto for the occasion and will tele-
phone him to bring the books with
him. Then you can take them upstairs
to the library and close the door and
look at" and she smiled--"at the
books to your hearts content"
II shall be very glad indeed to como
10 Mr.. Hope cares to bring me-" said
Cleo simply.