The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-03-04
THE STORY THUS FAR

Crestmere, to ask for the hand of the
 doctors daughter, Nsrssa. As he ap
 breaches the house, he
 picious figure lurking in the shadows
 and finds pinned to the door paper
 with red circle transfixed by purple
 dagger crudely drawn thereon. He is
 met by the housekeeper, Miss Wright
 son, who nervous, and presently
 she discovers the body of her
 ployer in his desk chair. An autopsy
 reveals pr. Seden murdered, fine
 dagger-poins having been thrust into
 tke base of the brains Nerissa Seiden
 has disappeared, and Bristow sets out
 to find her and clear up the mystery.
 In Cincinnati, he follows the man
 whom he had seen near Dr. Selden's
 house the day of the murder, and
 just he loses him in
 street. he discovers that he himself
 is being followed by another mys-
 terous character. Bristow is made
 prisoner and offered his choice be-
 tween death and joining the secret
 order. At this instant the police raid
 the meeting place and the lawyer aided
 by the man in gray, who proves to be
 reporter, escapes. lie determines to
 return home, and at the station meets
 Nerissa.
 Lost itr' cried Bristow despairingly. "Lost the purple poniard?'
 Nerissa Selden regarded him wonder ingly, mystification written upon her beau tiful face Why Gordon, what do you mean?" she asked. What makes you talk and act so strangely? You are keeping some thing from me- Tell me at once what you mean"
 No natter he replied after short period of silence. Proceed with your story. l will explain everything later.'
 She hesitated, regarding him steadily for a moment. He withstood the scrutiny so well that her eyes dropped. Still she felt that her woman's instinct had not been at fault. She could wait, though. she told herself, until he was prepared to confide in her.
 After determining upon my course,' she proceeded, 'it did not take me long to leave the house and join my uncle, who waited in a carriage nearby. We drove to Laurens Junction. There we dismissed the carriage and boarded train.
  to some point unfamiliar to me. During the ride, which seemed interminabe 1 lost con sciousness. believe was drugged.
 "When I reganed my senses was in the strangest place imaginable. It was large room draped in sable velvet. At a table faced by a semi-crcle of chairs, all uphol stered in the same sable-hued cloth, sat man I had never seen before. He seemed very old. His hair white and his face was scanned with wrinkles. But when he spoke his voice was low and kind. l lost all fear of him at once.
 ''The strange man told me he was my grandfather and that the story of his illness was but subterfuge to get me in his pos session. But he assured me 1 should come to no harm.
 "When asked him the object of abduct- ing me in so high a manner he re- piled that it was for my own safety. Then he proceeded to relate most astounding and incredible story.
 "IIe said my father had come to his place of business in Naples seeking rare old furni- ture in which he, my grandfather, dealt ex tensively. There my father met my mother. The young people fell in love at sight. AL though he disapproved of his daughter mar rying foreigner. my fathers ceverness finally won him over.
 'At that time, my grandfather said, he was a member of a powerful secret or ganization of an anarchical character The police were never able to trace certain as- sas5inations to the order. So cleverly were the murders carried out that, as rule,