Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1921-03-01
...s that something of import

ance had happened. aoc.or,s
"I'm telephoning from q ooe
house near Nyack." said Dean.
whats that? Speak louoeI. H.
"I'm here In Doctor Spencer ~"
ice near Nyack with q proken acci-
Dean continued. We've nag ~ snto
dent. Somebody's auto sma1n
:NfiM strong? Where is she! IS
n hnrt?" asked the chief n1ou
".
ST don't know. She has vanished.
lane Stronx vanished! h cnlel .
figure became suddenly tensed. Ina
It was more than q mere ausOin9on
accident he felt certain now. snaoo"
ing the Hofp was an occupation tn1e
seemed unusually perilods. ln1,o
lflasheds into his mind the fate OF n,
Ii9-murdercd almost at the HOBS
door. And. now two more OF MS ~.
e~ratives, one disabled and the otnei
mysteriously missing.
"Quick,""t he said over the phone.
"Tell me briefly just what happeneu'
! Speak as loudly as you can"
ave got half an hour behind at the
| West Point Ferry" Deans voice went
on, still weak and low as if he were
speaking with difficulty. I'VE a
some trouble getting started on the
trail again but finally, succeeded. We
were dashing along about ten or
twelve miles south of West Point
when an automobile coming out OLA
cross road crashed right into us II
must have knocked me unconscious
II didn't remember anything more TIL
II found mwself here. 1 came to as
the doctor was setting my arm. l
l''phoned as soon as they would let
me-" G
who brought you thcre?"
II don't know. All they know here
was that some couple in an auto
mobile left me here. They said they
passed just after an auto hit my
motorcycle. They said the auto didn't
STOP" ~
"And Miss strong-did they say
anything about herr"
mot a word. The people here were
under the impression 1 was riding
Alone"
8 "All right" said the chief. "IIl get
some one up there at once to look
after you and pick up any clues"
AS he hung up the phone, his fore
head wrinkled into little lines of alb
sorbed concentration. He sat at his
desk for fully five minutes almost
motionless, trying to figure it out.
What did the accident to Dean signi-
fly? How was the sudden disappear
ance of Jane Strong to be accounted
for? Had she fled from the scene
after Dean was disabled fearing that
her name might be coupled with his
in an account'o of the accident? 1t did
not seem like the sort Of thing she
would do: The impression she had
made on him was that of a girl Of
high resolve who would be apt. to
carry through anything she under
took. cost what it may. Yet what
could Ehave happened to her? If she,
too. had been injured, why was she
not with Dean? If she was not in
jured, why had she not communicated
with, the office? Who we're the couple
that had brought Dean to the DOCTORS
office? Why had not the doctor taken
their names and addresses?
What part had the Hoffs played in
the accident? Had they purposely
run down the motorcycle? If they
had found out they were being
Swallowed they would not have hesi-
murderous tactics. Had they not al
ready n dastardly murder to their
record? He must find out when the.
Hoffs arrived home. They would not
be due for an hour or two, but he
would caution the operatives watching
the house to keep more vigilant
watch. Reaching for his phone he
called up the headquarters of the op-
eratives.
Report to me at once" he said to
the operative who answered his call,
"the-minute the Hoffs have arrived
home" -.
1.-The old man is home now" the
operative answered, .
What's that?" cried Fleck.
H came in alone five minutes ago
on foot. The young man is not home
'yet with the automobile"
Let me know as soon as he. ar
rives," said Fleck CURLY, turning away
from the phone.
He was more perplexed than ever.
What could have happened? Where
was young Hoff with the motor?.
Where was Jane Strong? Why had
she disappeared after Dean had been
hurt? How had she vanished? The
Hoffs' affairs had assuredly taken a
'neH and bothersome turn. over which