New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1923-09-28
NOW co on WITH THE STORY

IL seemed Tor time, though, thal
his promised interrogation OF Lucia
would have to be deferred; for on
reaching the house. he rang repeated
ly without arousing any response. and
when a sleepy servant finally appeared
TO answer the bell, II required all his
powers OF persuasion 10 gain admit
lance.
But when Mrs. Thorne came down
and he had explained the nature OF
his errand. she readily grasped the
situation, and as soon as Lucia could
make hasty toilet, sent her into the
room alone.
The girl. he had to confess seemed
appalled, at the news her mother had
brought her and genuinely alarmed
for Hopes safety.
Hope had been In fine spirits mt
luncheon, she said. and they had
talked OF dozen things--Lucia's re-
cent trip abroad. clothes, mutual ac-
quaintances both men and girls, their
plans for the summer. She had
leased Hope about two or three men,
but Hope had merely shrugged her
shoulders and laughed. "I'd be lone
some, Lucia she had said, IF some
one wasn't anxious to pet me; but
marriage! haven't seen the man
I'd marry yet, not for farm" When
they. parted. 1t was with an arrange
ment to see each other the next af-
ternoon and Hope had given not the
slightest suggestion of anything un-
Usual on hand She had said some
thing about going to the tailors, and
possibly doing a bit of shopping be-
fore she went home; that was all.
This left Highly no recourse to ap-
peal to the police; and here he proved
himself. on one score at least. a true
prophet. The five thousand dollars
reward he offered furnished all the
incentive required to set the depart
ment going at full steam
Within IL hours the movements of
Hope Ranger were known to GER
tainty from the time she left her
fathers door at % minutes after II
until quarter past three that after
noon.
Leaving home, she had walked
down the cast side of the avenue. At
is minutes to one o'clock she had
stopped at a florists and bought
gardenia. Then she had crossed at
Fifty-ninth stfeet and met her friends
at the Plaza, had gone with Lucia
Thorne into the dining room. re- ,
manned there an hour land left the
Thornes at 10 minutes past two. At
half after two, she had bought veil
in millinery and dressmaking estab- /
1ishment on F'ifty-seventh street, and !
had been recognized and called by
name by the saleswoman. From there S
she had gone to bookstore and
asked for a book which she had pre-
viously ordered.
She was next seen at the soda t
water counter of fruit-and -sweets t
shop, where she ordered maple sun |
dae. 1t was then exactly 10 minutes
after three, the clerk being able to ).
fix the time SO definitely from the fact
that just after he had set Miss Ran
gers order before her disturbance
had been created by customer at
the cashiers desk over a question OF
correct change. The alteration had
become so heated that the manager
Of the place had been summoned.
Miss Ranger, like every one else In
The shop had turned to watch the In 6
,ident and then, when it had been
settled, she finished Der sundae and
went out.
And from that point, the investiga- r
,ors ran into a blank wall. a.
After four days of assiduous effort !,
IN the part of the police department, 9,
tided now by an army of private de- :,
ectives, no clue had been unearthed u
o indicate what had become of her y
,r whittier she had gone.
Mrs. Ranger was by this time under Il
he care of physicians, i'll from grief =
md worry; and her husband. his face =
ined and haggard his straight shout .,
lers bowed, looked 90 years older. A
even Eustace Highly showed the =,
fleets of the strain. =,
In desperation they decided to =,
make the facts public, and every =,
newspaper in the country was filled 81
With descriptions of the missing girl. ~
CHAPTER ". :.
Rangers pipes are known all over =,
he world. Buy a pipe-clay, Gala -
ash, meershaum, brier-root or what ~
ot, and in whatever part of the globe :,
land the chances are ten to one that, .