The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1922-10-09
CHAPTER I. The House Of Orchids.

Cairns reread the short communi- 1 cation carefully:
 Rainey & Cairns,
 Detective Agency,
 Freedom Building. New York City, 1 Gentlemen: I am convinced that a 1 serious attempt upon my life Is con- 1 templated in the near future. l 1 should like, at your earliest conVen- 1 fence, to communicate personally with one of the firm concerning precise and l effective methods of protection. Sincerely yours,
 l E. J. Forsythe.
 sKnow who he is?"
 l "No"
 s'Millionaire,'' said Ratney briefly. l Bug on collecting orchids. Better go up and see him right off the reel We'll furnish him with all the pro- lection he wants. There was a big story about him in The Planet Bet ter look it up. Here's the job you've l been asking for.'
 1 Cairns sent boy to look over the l files of The Planet, and, when the lad returned triumphant. jumped into his 1 roadster and drove to his club, the l exclusive 'Loungers." In a corner of the Loungers' read l ing room he digested the article in 1 The Planet.
 l Forsythe, he learned. lived on his
  i the majority of the country houses, l near none of them, and yet not very l far away. Cairns sent Forsythe a wire that he would arrive early that evening. Ana, l in mid-afternoon ran out to White Plains in his car. Cypripedium Lodge was set in the | midst of a clunap of pines. The house l stood we'll back from the road with | semi-circular driveway curving be- l tween two pairs of heavay iron gates, l set in a high brick wall Cairns pulled an iron chain on the | post of the first of the great gates. A whistle shril1ed. Cairns paid no | attention to it. The whistle sounded | again and then Cairns deserted a | mouthpiece near the bel1-puu. He applied his mouth to it.
 'sThis is Andrew Cairns, of Rainey | & Cairns" he said. "I wired this | afternoon
 "Just a ninute,'' replied a clear and | feminine voice.
 A light or two sprang up in the l house, one brightened over the gates and showed along the pathway.
 MT. Cairns?"
 A house door was open, and he l saw the slisn figure of 9 girl in eve- l ming dress, simple enough. but most | effective setting for slenderly 9 wing | shoulders and neck, and a face tip tilted backward a little. the tender oval of the chin out and up. The eyes were dark blue and grave1y cur ious, the red lips firmly set. Her hair was the hue of dark amber.
 "I am MT. Forsythe's niece," she said.
 Wont you come in? He has been expecting you. He would like to see you for a few moments before din- ner.''
 He followed tre girl back into the hall. She called a name softly.
 tfBatu."
 Instantly a. man appeared.
 Batu led the way into a library.
 A man rose from behind a great carved desk to meet Cairns. He seenn- ed between fifty and sixty. He sur veyed Cairns keenly, quizzically. his brows knit with one deep vertical line. He was dressed in dinner clothes.
 MT. Cairns?" he queried. "I am glad to meet you. Your firm was strongly recommended to me by my attorneys. You will join us at din? ner? We will talk later of cur special business"
 The dinner was wonderful.
 The girl left them with their cigars and some pungent aromatic 1iqeuT.
 Forsythe then led Cairns into the 
 'sNow to business" he said. when they reached the room. He opened a drawer in his desk, f1shed out an en- velope, and tossed it over to Cairns. You will want to read that. It IS the latest.''
 The envelope was postmarked St. Louis. The address WIS typed. The envelope was of the plain, emb ossed- stamp type procured at any post or fee. The note was typed on a plain sheet of paper, torn from a tablet. Cairns picked up a powerful reading { glass close to him on the desk.
 What notices I have had.' said Forsythe, " have all been of the same { style, and mailed from St. Louis. ( have made searching inquiry. there, { to no end'' (
 Cairns read the communication aloud:,
 '"The thirteenth will be your last day" kind. nothing but the plain statement.
 Where are the others?" he asked.
 ''I have destroyed then1.-'
 Cairns frowned.
 "You have no idea where or from whom they come?"
 T have no idea. I have no living enemy. I wish to be absolutely pro- tecJed, particularly upon this date.
 ''I shall do my part he went on- My establishment consists only or ' my niece and five servants, two Tor the house and three for the orchids. They are all F'ilipinos. None of : them, including Miss Carroll. will be |, here on the thirteenth. Only I ana o your men. wherever you post them, from midnight to midnight. the .we1fth to the thirteenth. I shall eat s hot hut l answer no telephone I am taking no d chances. If they fail. shall laugh on the fourteenth |.
 ''I think I shall laugh with you" |, said Cairns. ''If you have no objec- E ion I shall add certain precautions js For one thing, I should like to be Q lose to you all day nyself-'' i,
 Granted. Now. let us see the rest ,f the house. Such as we can see by f; 1 -