East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1916-11-06
CHPATER ".
The Mysterious Disappearance.

"ARoLD STANLEY, two
days later, was about to
4 leave his office for the after
noon, when Florence Mont
roses card was brought to
aim.
The girl came in, bringing with her
an elusive atmosphere of youth and
loveliness that seemed to illumine the
dingy little workaday office.
i've been shopping" she told
Stanley as he hurried forward to well
come her. And I've stopped in, for
second, on my way uptown, to see
If there is any clue yet to the ex-
plosion at the Lent house or to poor
old Mr.. Lent's death. It's all taken
such a strange hold on me! l can't
wait for tomorrow's paper to read
about il. Is there anything newT
mo" he returned. Worse luck! In
these Crimson Stain cases. there's
never anything new, so far as we in
vestigators are concerned. The Grim
son Stain supplies us with something
new all the time, in the shape OF
fresh outrages. But we are too stu
pid to expose or even check them"
He spoke bitterly; with a sense of
almost hopeless defeat. And the girl
was reused to quick sympathy at his
chagrin.
You're doing splendidly," she said.
NO one could do more. The whole
state is talking about the EXamin-
er's wonderful crusade against the
Criuson stain. / read your editorial
this morning. too-the editorial fay
pg Parrish tor not doing more. 1t
was perfectly fine, Harold. I'm sure
it win spur him to"
ITO hating the Examiner finished
Stanley. That's about all the good
it will do, I'm afraid. The police
department in general, is doing the
very best 1t can; and doing a lot bet
ter than the police departments of
most other cities could; but this man,
Parrish, who has international fame
IS n detective. and to whom the city
is paying big money TO clear up the
Crimson Stain Mystery--he seems to
6e doing nothing And was glad of
chance to say so in print"
Il wish | could do something TO
help!" she sighed. "A woman is so
helpless!"
"A woman" he contradicted. 'is
about the most helpful parsonage in
all the universe And there is some
thing Won can dn "
What? Tell me-"
you remember every detail Of the
Crimson Stain mans face, you say
the man who hypnotized you. And
you saw another member of the gang
too. / don't mean the chauffeur who
came to you with that forged note
from me; the one whose body was
found after the explosion. mean
the man who was waiting at the Lent
house for you-the man who tried
10 bind your hands You must surely
remember his face, too?
Indeed, l do" she said with a
reminiscent shudder, I'D know him
again anywhere"
Then whenever you are out of
doors keep a lookout for the Grim
son Stain man and for that lieuten-
ant of his. Search the faces in every
,rowd. If you happen to see either
If them, call the nearest policeman
and give him into custody If thepe
is no policeman in sight, follow them
at distance TO whatever house they
enter. And then telephone me, at
once. You are the only living soul,
outside the gang itself, who can rec
ognlze two of that gangs members.
So don't say you're helpless You
may prove to be the most valuable
aid we have. viii YOU remembers"
"Yes!" she cried eagerly. "oh, yes!
Wouldn't it he wonderful II I could
hrd one Of them for you! I'm going
10 he on the lookout every minute
promise"
Harold Stanley's private office had
two doors-one leading into the city
room of the Examiner, the 0ther
into a short corridor that endld at
The next installment of "The Grin