The Elk Mountain pilot., 1916-03-11

| if he were about to supply the name
but at once the light died away, ant
the good-looking features clouded ovel
with shadow of melancholy.
'It's no use,' said the young man
81 can't remember"
"You very nearly did," Hazard en-
couraged; you will, too, in time
Keep trying. Fasten on to any flash
of memory-any little detail, however
fragmentary-and it will serve with
our help to rend the veil from your
past. Only have patience; amnesia
is by no means uncommon.
Now, 1 want to ask you to come
with us; Miss Bertel and have to get
to our place of business. 1t may be
that you are luckier than you imag.
ined; for we both happen to be in
the employ of the Sutherland Detec.
tive agency"
Sutherland" the other interjected.
I've heard that name!"
Can you recall any dealings that
you ever had with us in the past?"
The man seemed to concentrate all
faculties on the effort of remember
ing: but in the end he shook his
head dejectedly.
mo, nothing. 1t was only a flash;
there is no association of ideas what
ever"
Il was about to add" Hazard pur-
sued, that out of common humanity,
if for no other reason, l would help
htrt 10
after I've had time to turn the mat
ter over in my mind we shall see
what can be done"
The unknown offered no objections
to going with them, and as they pro-
crossed downtown Felix Hazard
watched him narrowly. Only once
did the detective address him directly.
Chicago is not wholly unknown to
you. l see."
The man turned to him eagerly.
by George! You've hit upon one
clear. definite impression that 1 have
Somehow it seems as though I'd know
my way about town alone; yet l have
a feeling that Chicago is not where
| belong. If l were in my home town
I'm confident that places and street
names would be familiar-not merely
like printed page that has been once
read, but like one that l see every
day"
They left their unfortunate charge
in a comfortable waiting room, while
Hazard and the girl repaired to his
private office.
"Sit down, Helen" Hazard invited,
land let's go over this thing together"
Doesn't it strike you as being odd
that this poor chap should have had
four empty envelopes in his pocket,
not one of them containing a scrap of
the original letters?"
Il hadn't thought of it before" the
girl replied, but they were placed
there purposely."
Left there purposely." Hazard cor
rected. Those are Rawlings clothes;
he has this mans, or I'm sadly mis-
taken.
But the four envelopes-they and
the postcard are all addressed in the
same hand; the envelopes were all
postmarked at New York; but the
card bearing the latest date was
mailed in Chicago"
And your conclusion is" appended
Miss Bertel, that rendezvous was
arranged; that the card definitely fixed
the time and place"
Exactly. Now, then, here's some
thing you don't know.
"The first of this month a contract
is going to be awarded to the success
full bidder for the construction of the
Wrye Neck ship canal in Massachu-
setts-a ten-million-dollar enterprise.
Just between ourselves, the Hercules.
company Of Chicago is
the only one among some seven or
eight bidders that is at all likely to be
because it is the only one
of the lot that is able to put up the
heavy cash bond required. The others
might in time, of course: but the Her
cules people have the cash, and that's
what counts.
Last Thursday-July 2, bear in
Biddle of the Hercules
received word that one John
Prince of Prince G Penthouse, big
firm of New York engineers, would
arrive in Chicago with certain draw
ings and specifications that are of
vital Importance in connection with
the projected canal work. He should
have come Friday morning, and Biddle
and one or two others of the company
were at the station to meet Prince.
Well, he didn't show up"
81 see," Miss Bertel interposed.
Prince is missing and you hoped 1
had found him for you"
Correct. But your protege is not
John Prince; Prince is much older
man.
Friday went by, and no news from
the messenger. Then Biddle became
alarmed. The Hercules people had
reason to move cautiously, you under