Perth Amboy evening news., 1923-10-19
BEGIN HERE TO-DAY

Hope Ranger daughter of wealthy
parents. disppears after having
luncheon at the Plaza with her best
friend, Lucia Thorne. Loring RAN
ger calls upon his attorney, Eustice
Highly, to assist him in locating his
missing daughter.
Highly is a warm friend OF the
family and works to the best Of his
ability to And some trace of Hope.
A reward is offered but no word
comes from the girl. +
Juarez Charlie, rolling-stone ad-
venturer, is a lifelong friend of
Ranger. He to offer his as
distance in searching for Hope.
Frank Bryan is private secretary to
Ranger n greets Charlie when he
calss at the Office to see Ranger.
NOW GO ON WITH THE STORY
And then the reward. A hundred
thousand dollars. Why doesn't
somebody claim it? Or even ask a
and I've held myself open to every
sort of communication: but no de-
mand has been made upon me.
mo-" his tormented brain reason
ed back to his first conclusions; "she
Is dead. Perhaps killed in an at
tempt to escape. Perhaps succumb-
Ing on their hands from the shock
and terror of 1t all. But certainly
head"
Unnoticed by him in his agitation,
Juarez Charlie had risen from his
seat and now stood close behind
him.
But it's all a mistake Lorry," he
whispered tensely, gripping Ranger
firmly by the shoulder. "Your
daughter is not dead. That is the
message I vas instructed to bring
you. I was to tell you that she is
alive and we'll"
. F. CHAPTER v .
The news came too suddenly.
Rangers brain recorded the words
but could not assimilate them.
What? What?" His fingers bit
into the flesh of Juarez Charles
arm. you're mad!" He was try
ing to protect himsef from a disap-
p%ointment he could not face. You're
mad" he repeated.
Charlie wriggled free.
~ mgiving you the message ex-
actly as I got it." he said soothingly
but insistently. Where your daugh-
ter Is, I don't know, Lorry or how
to reach her. / have merely the word
that she Is alive and well. It may
be wrong but 1 don't believe it."
But tell me-, tell mellow did
you hear? Who gave you this mes
sage?' Ranger stood up, too shaken
nervously to sit still. where did it
come from?"
81 can't tell you that. I don't
know myself.
Don't ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS, aston
lshed reproach in the exclamation.
"But that's idiocy. If you're not
crazy, for heavens sake explain"
He began to plead but broke off abb
ruptly. ooh, / see!" he muttered his
We sYA
nothing for nothing. Well" turn
ing with thinly veifed contempt to
the check-book lying on his desk
I'm willing to pay If your informa-
ton Is authentic. Name your price
and let's get down to business"
Charlie sat down again. ST sup
pose you're hardly to be blamed with
every come-on artist in the country
trying to shake you down. But,
honest. Lorry. I've told o all I
know. I couldn't do any more If you
were to slip me your entire wad,
pipe factory and ALL"
While he talked he had produced
a wisp of paper and his little sack of
tobacco, and was busying himself in
rolling q cigaret. Now, as he lifted
it to his lips to foisten tn eedge of
the paper with his tongue he spoke
quickly, guardedly. out OF the cor
ner of his mouth.
"Is there any chance of our being
overheard here? In a minute or two,
step to that door and make SUR
there's no one listening to us. Not
as if you were looking for anybody,
You understand but In a natual
way. Make an excuse thai you want
something outside Or that it's stuffy
in here-anything of the sort"
So, a moment or two later as Ran
ger paced back and forth across the
floor he suddenly flung open the
door leadign out of the office and al
most knocked over his private secre-
tary. The latter only saved himself
by a dexterous backward jump.
"Why, Bryant" Ranger stared at
him. what are you doing here?"
The secretary almost instantly re-
onvara5 h0tb bia phvcfaaI and man