The Carlisle independent., 1917-04-12

plStOl 1n my race. heard woman | scream just as he pulled the trigger. There was noise as though 8 ten inch gun had been fired 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 mere road alone; how she had been seized. bound and gagged; how masked woman had threatened her with torture if she did not reveal the key to the cryptogram; how, upon hearing Hopes motor, a man, also masked, had carried her into the eel lar; how she had succeeded in ridding 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.
 ''The scoundrels," exclaimed Hope. as she concluded her amazing recital
 And the book?" inquired Hope, eagerly Did you have chance to examine it before they attacked you?"
 "Yes,'' said Cleo, T went through it, page by page, from cover to cover. There was nothing in it."
 Well" said Hope, as Cleo and Hook aided him to his feet, there's no need to be discouraged It 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; I used to know her when her husband was at tached to the embassy at Washing ton. She'll do anything she can to help us."
 Little they dreamed. as they de- parted from the shattered house, that two shadowy figures lurking behind 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 the 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, a handsome, gray-haired woman, gave them cordial greeting.
 Its been ages since I've seen you, Mir Hope" she said. "The last time was at dinner at the Russian embassy, wasn't it-or was it at the New Years reception at the White House? What do you mean by coming to San Fran cisco and not letting me know?"
 Hope briefly sketched the remark able chain of events which had brought him 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.
 s'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 it for the movies its the most exciting story I ever listened to in my life. Two of the books you describe I bought yesterday at Dawson's asction rooms. I got them quite by accident. too. I went in there to look at some Chinese porcelains I had been told about just as the auctioneer was offering these two volumes on electricity. I don't know an earthly thing about electric ity-I don't know the difference be- tween a magneto and a volt-but my nephew, Francis Leyland, is taking the course in electrical engineering at Leland Stanford, so I 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 If we motored down to Palo Alto?" asked Cleo eagerly.
 I've better plan than that" said Mrs. Delmar, who dearly loved TO- nance q 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 I 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" | 'T shall be very glad indeed to come if MT. Hope cares to bring me-" said | Cleo simply.