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1 PAG I SIX TTIE OTTTTORIR PATLY LEADER. SATURDAY, MARCH 27, lOU 3 FIRST INSTALLMENT "SANFORD QUEST, GUST." CRIMINOLO- The young man from the West had arrived in New York only that after- . .. ,1 i,l r, J . . Wu, ..u u. ui, lU-u Uu.u r. iu oreo, naa aireaoy emoarKea upon toe task of showing him the grea city. They occupied a table in a somewhat, insignificant corner of one of New lYork'g most famous roof garden res- taurants. The place was crowded with diners. There were many nota bilities to be pointed out. The town young man was very busy. "Tell me," the country cousin in quired, "who la the man at a table by himself? . The waiters speali to him aa though be 'were a little god. Is he a millionaire, or a judge, or what?" . "You're in luck, Alfred," the New Yorker declared. "That's the most in teresting man in New York one 'of the moBt interesting in the world, That's Sanford Quest.' "Who's he?" ' "Sanford Quest is the greatest mas ter in criminology the world has ever known. He is a magician, a scientist the Pierpont Morgan of his profes- 6ion.' "Say, do you mean that he is a de tective r "Yes," he said simply, "you can call him that just in the same way that ' you could call Napoleon a soldier or Lincoln a statesman. He is a detec tive. If you like to call him that, the master detective in the world When Sanford Quest entered his bvuse an hour later he glanced into two of the rooms on the ground floor, In which telegraph and teleplone op erators sat at their instruments. Then, by means of a small lift, he as cended to the top story and entered a large apartment wrapped in gloom until, as he crossed the threshold, he touched the switches of the electric lights. One realized then that this waB a man of taste. Quest drew un an easy chair to the wide-flung win dow, touching a bell as he crossed the room. In a few moments the door was opened-4ind closed noiselessly. A young woman entered with a bundle of papers.' The criminologist glanced through the papers quickly. "No further in quiries, Laura?" She left the room almost noiselessly. "THE TENEMENT HOUSE TERY." CHAPTER I. MYS- "This habit of becoming late for breakfast," Lady Ashleigh remarked, at; she sat down the coffee pot, "is growing upon your father. Any news, dear?" Ella glanced up from a pile of cor respondence through which t.he had been looking a little negligently. "None at all, mother. My corre spondence is just the usual sort of rub bish invitations p.tid gossip. Such a lot of invitations, by the bye." "At your ase," Lady 'Ashleigh de clared, "that is the sort of correspond ence which you should find interest ing." "You know I am not like that, moth er,'" ehe protested. "My music is really the only part of life which absolutely uppcais to me. Oh, why doesn't Dela roy make up his mind and let father know, as he promised! . Here conies daddy, mum." Lord Ashleigh loitered for a mo ment to raise the covers from the dishes upon a side table. Afterwards be seated himself at the table. "I heard this morning," he said, "from your friend Delarey, Ella. He went into the matter very fully. The substance of U is that for the first year of your musical training he ad- . vises New York. "I have not finished yet. Thi3 cable gram," he went on, drawing a little elip of blue paper from bis pocket, "was brought to me this morning " He smoothed it out before bim and read: j ' To Lord Astilt'iglt. HamMin House. Dor set, England: 1 nntl n maKnifieent pro Kram arranged for at Metropolitan Opera house ttili year. Have taken box for your datiKhtt-r. engaged the best prof-- or in th world, and secured an apart- mem st tli Inland, our mott selpct ajid comfortable rrald'-mlal hotel. Vnderstarid your brallu r is still In South America, re (umlriR' tarly sprinc. but will uo our best to niak your daucliti-r'n year of ttudy as jl-aant possible. Advise her sail on fcaturday by MaurUinla. i ' :0n Saturday?" fc'lla almost creamed. "I shall now," Lord Ashleigh said, '"leave you to talk over and discuss this matter for the rest of the day. At dinner time tonight you can tell me jour dwlsion. or rather we wlJl di icu$ it together." i CHAPTER II. ! l am to take it, I believe," Lord jAahli'itth began after dinner that eve ping, '!t)Mt you have finally decided, KHa, to embrace our friend Delarey a 'eupgrvtton a?id to leave us Saturday?" I -If you iiU ;!ovii pkae," Ella murmured, dng eyes. j j CHEAPER WANT ADS NEVER FAEi-TRY. THEM BOX E.Philfips Qppcnheim "Yon will take your own maid with you, of course," Lord Ashleigh contin ued. "Lenora is a good girl and I am sure she will look after you quite well, but ' have decided to supplement Le nora's surveillance over your comfort by sending with you, also, a sort of rnnrfpr flnti fMlprnl nttonrirtnt whnm 1 " dQ you lhink? We,j Jacdougnl, ne , ,las Iived ,n New York for someyearai ; and ,., doubtless flnd thia a prpat advantagei E1Ia i EIla vor h ,,Mor ( the two servants who were standing discreetly in the background. Her eyes rested upon the pale, expression less face of the man who during thu last few years had enjoyed her fa ther's confidence. -..' For a moment a queer sense of ap pr' ension troubled her. Was it true, Ehe wondered, that she did not like the man? She banished the thought al most as soon as it was conceived. "You are spoiling me, daddy," Ella sighed. "If you think so now," he remarked, "I do not know what you will say to me presently." '"'"' " He laid upon the table a very fa-n miliar morocco case, stamped with a: coronet. ' ' "Our diamonds!" Ella exclaimed. "The Ashleigh diamonds!" The necklace lay exposed to view, the wonderful btones flashing in the subdued light. "In New York," Lord Ashleigh con tinued, "it is the custom to wear jew-; elry in public more, even, than In this country. Allow me!" He leaned forward. With long, capa ble fingers he fastened the uecklaee around his daughter's neck. 'It is our farewell present to you," Lord Ashleigh declared. Ella, impelled by some curious im pulse which she could not quite un derstand, glanced quickly around to where the manservant was standing. For once she saw something besides Our Diamonds!" She Exclaimed. "The Ashleigh Diamonds!" the perfect automaton. His eyes, in stead of being fixed at the back of his master's chair, were simply riveted upon the stones. A queer little feelin of uneasiness disturbed Klla for the moment. It passed, however, as in glancing away her attention was once more attracted by the sparkle of the jewels upon her bosom. CHAPTER III. The streets of New York were cov ered with a thin, powdery' snow as the very luxurious car of Mrs. Delarey drew up outside the front of the Ie land hotel, a little after midnight. Ella leaned over and kissed her hostess. "Thank you, dear, ever so much, for your delightful dinner," 8he ex claimed, "and for bringing me home. As for the music, well, I can't talk about It. I am just going upstairs into my room to sit and think." The car rolled off. Ella, a large umbrella held over her head by the doorkeeper, stepped up the littlfi strip of drugget which led into the softly warmed ball of the Leland. Behind her came her maid, Lenora, and Mac- dougal, who had been riding on the box with the chauffeur. He paused for a moment to wipe the snow from bis clothes as Ella crossed the hall to the left. Lenora turned toward him. He vhispered something in her ear. For a moment she nhook. Then ehe turned away and followed ber mis tress upstairs. Arrived In ber apartment, Ella i thrpw herself with 9 liltlp i?h of COR- I tent Into a big easy-chair before the fire and gave bersMf up for a few mo menta to reverie. A log stirred upon the fire. She leaned forward lazily to replace it and then Etoppci! sSort. Exactly opposite to ber wts a door which ipeiied oil to a back hall. It wrs used only by the servants. Juft as the was in the act r-f leatiins forwarj Eib became conscious of u curiou hallucination. "lenora. come here at once." The ma!4 hurried in from t!ia next ,u r fJj k- room. Ella pointed to the door. "Lenora, look outside. See if any' one is ou that landing. I fancied that the door opened." Lenora crossed the room and tried the handle. Then 8he turned towards her mistress in triumph. "It is locked, my lady," she re ported. "Go down and. ask Macdougal to come up. I am going to have this thing explained." Something of her mistress' agita tion Beemed to have become commu nicated to Lenora. She walked quickly -to the back part of the hotel and ascended to the wing !,n whlch the servants' quarters were situated. Here she made her way along a corridor until she reached Macdougal's room. She knocked, and knocked again. There was no answer. She tried the door and found it was locked. Then she returned to the lift and descended once more to the floor upon which her mistress' apartments were situated. She opened the door of the suite without knocking and turned at once to the sitting room. "I am sorry, my lady " ehe began. i Then she stopped short. The lift boy, who had had a little trouble with his starting apparatus and had not as yet descended, heard the scream which broke from her lips, and a fire man In an adjacent corridor came run ning up almost at the Fame moment. Lenora was on her knees by her mis tress' side. Ella was still lying In the easy-chrir in which she had been seated, hut her head was thrown back in an unnatural fashion. There was a red mark just across her throat. Lenora shrieked, "She's fainted! And the diamonds the diamonds have gone!" A doctor, hurriedly summoned, had just completed a hasty examination when a police Inspector, followed by a detective, entered. "This is your affair, gentlemen, not mine," the doctor said gravely. "The young lady is dead. She has been cruelly strangled within the last five or ten minutes." The inspector made a careful exam ination of the room. "Tell me," he inquired, "is this the young lady who owned the wonderful Ashleigh diamonds?" "They've gone!" Lenora shrieked. "They've been stolon! She was wear ing them when I left the room!" The inspector turned to the .tele phone. "Mr. Marsham," he said, "I ' am afraid this will be a difficult affair.' I am going to take the liberty of calling in an expert. That you, exchange? I want number one, New York city- Mr. Sanford Quest." CHAPTER IV. There seemed to be nothing at all original in the methods pursued by the great criminologist when con fronted with this tableau of death and robbery. His remarks to the inspec tor were few and perfunctory. He asked only a few languid questions of Macdougal and Lenora, who were summoned to his presence. Macdougal then turned to leave the room. Lenora, was about to fellow, but Quest signed to her to remain. "I should like to have a little con versation with you about your mis tress," he said to her pleasantly. "If you don't mind, I will ask you to ac company me in my car. I will send the man back with you." They descended in the lift together and Quest handed the girl Into his car. They drove quickly through the silent streets. In a few minutes Lenora was in stalled in an easy chair in Quest's sitting-room. Lean back and make yourself com fortable," Quest invited, as he took a chair opposite to her. "I muBt just look through these papers." The girl did as she was told. She opened her coat. The room was de lightfully warm, almost overheated. A sense of rest crept over her. She was conscious that Qt.est had laid down the letters which he had been pre tending to read. His eyes were fixed upon her. There was a queer new look in them, a strange new feeling creeping through her veins. Quests voice broke an unnatural silence. You are anxious to telephone some one, he said. rou looked at botn the booths ai we came through the hotel. Then you '"membered, I think. (hat he would l.irt be there yet. Tele phone now. The telephone is at your right hand. You know the number." She obeyed ilmost at once. "Number 700, New York city." "You will ask." Quest continued, "whether he is all right whether the jewels are safe." There was a brief silence then the girl's voice. "Are you there, James? . . . Yes, I am Lenora. Are you safe? Have you the Jewels? . . . Where? . , . You are sure that you are safe? , . . No. nothing fresh has happened." "You are at the hotel," Quest said softly. "You are going to him." "I cannot sleep," she continued. "I am coming to you." She set down the receiver. .Quest leaned a little more closely over her. "You know where the jewels are hidden," he said. "Tell me where?" Her lips quivered. She made no an swer. "Very good," Quest concluded. "You need not tell me. Only remember this: i At nine o'clock tomorrow morning you will bring those Jewels to this apart ment. . . . Rest quietly now. I want you to go to sleep." She obeyed without hesitation. Quest watched, for a moment, her gub-r breathing. Then he touched a bell by his side. Laura entered al most at one. HAVE THE LEADER DELIVERED 45c PER MONTH Together thov. carried the sleeping gir1 out ot tlo' room into a mrgoi apartment. A single electric light was burning ou the top. e& square mirror fixed upon an-easel. ; Towards this "ifcoy carried the girl and laid her in an easy chair almost opposite to it. "The battery is just on the loft," Laura whispered. Quest nodded. "Give me the band." : Sho turned awaj. lor a moment, and disappeared In the shadows. When she returned, nhe carried a curved band of flexible steel. Quest took it from her, attached it by means of a coil ot wire to the battery, and with firm, soft fingers .slipped it on to Lenora's forehead. Thou he stepped back. . ; ", " , '. T , . "She's a subject,' Laura I'm sure of it! Now for our great experiment! " Thoy watched Leuora intently. '"Lenora," Quest said slowly and firmly, "your mind is full ot one sub- j Ject. You see your mistress In her , a month has passed. I am James Mao chair by the fireside.;. She is toying dougal, Mr. Sanford Quest, and I have with her diamonds. Look again. She lies there dead! Who was it entered the room, Lenora? Look! Look! Gaze into that mirror. What do you see there?" The girl's eyes had opened. They were fixed now upon the mirror dis tended, full of unholy things 'Try harder, Lenora, ' be muttered, his own breath laboring. "It is there in your brain! Look!" For d single second the smooth sur face of the mirror was obscured. A room crept dimly like a picture into being, a fire upon the hearth, a girl leaning back in her chair, in the jwkfiround opened. A door A man Stele out. He crept nearer to the girl his eyes fixed upon the diamonds, a thin, silken cord twisted round his wrist. Suddenly she saw him too late! His hand was upon her lips, his face seemed to str.rt almost from the mirror then blackness! ; . . . Leuora opened her eyes. She was still in the easy-chair before the fire. "Mr. Quest!" rhe faltered. He looked up trcm some letU:V which he had been studying. "I am so sorry," ho said politely. "I really had .forgotten that you were here. But you .know that you have been to sleep?' , "Can I go now?" she asked. "Certainly," Quest replied. "To tell you the truth. X find that I shall not need to ask you tbose questions, after all. A messenger from the police sta- r7 Cy L VV-' - - i ,C 4 ;t L-Ah p''v(t '-",Hy -v-:.--' 1 I 'i - , trw J I S J9 s. j. i f; i?i Js-Ls I . r? i W ,- , "t "What About the Voung Wo:nan?" the Inspector Asked. tion has been here. He says thwy have come to the conclusion that a very well-known gang of New York criminals are in this thing. We know how to track them down ail right." "I may go now, then?" sho repeated, with immense relief. Quest escorted the girl downslairs, opened the front door, blew his whir tie and his car puli.d up at the door. "Take this young lady," he ordered, "vh(rer she wishes. Good night!" Tho girl drove off. Quest watched the car disappear around the corner. Then he turned, slowly and made prep arations for his adventure. . . . . "Numbi r 700, Xev York," he mut tered, half an hour later, as he left his house, "lleyond Fourteenth street a tough neighborhood." ' lie h.-sitattd for a moment, feeling the articles in his overcoat pocket a revolver In one. a small piece of hard substance in the other. Then he stepped into Ilia car, which had just returned. ' Where did you leave the young lady?" ho asked the chauffeur. "In Uroadway, sir. She left me and boarded a cross-town car." Quest nodded approvingly. "No fineiise," ho sighed. CHAPTER V. Sanford Quest was naturally a per son unaffected by presentiments or nervous fears of any sort, yet, having advanced a couple of yards along tho hallway of the house 'which .he had just entered without difficulty, lie came to a standstill, oppressed with the' sen?e cf impending danger. "Anyone here?' he aBked, raising j 'tis voice. j There was no d'rnct response, yet j from Komi-whore '.pstairs ho heard tho j half nmo'.hnrnd cry of a woman. lie 'gripj-:d !.: r-vi,lv.-r i:i hi:. Znwr- He I twk a q::xk i-tep forward The P. mt J gave wzy bsneaih him. Ho was fi.Il- j lug Into l-laf knfss. ... j The fall itsolf '.'.as scarcely a dorxn j ftet. I!'- picked hiuirelf un, bis thoul- dej brv.lsed his head nwlmmintt a Ml '(, Suddenly t gioani 01 light shone acv.u A trap-doer above his head was siic" a few inches back. 'I he Hare at aD electric torch (shone upon Ms lace, a man's voice addressed him. "Not the great Sanford Quest? This surely cannot be the greatest detec tive in the world walking bo easily in to the spider's web!" "Any chance ot getting out?" Quest asked laconically,.' "None!" was the bitter reply. "You've done enough mischief. You're there to rot!" "Why this animus against me, my friend Macdougal?" Quest demanded. You' and l have never come up against one another before. I didn'1 like the life yoti led in New York ten years ago, or your friends, but you've -.altered nothing through me." "it 1 let you go, ' once more came the man's voice, "( know very well in what, chair t shall be Bitting before got the Ashleigh diamonds, and I have settled an old grudge, if not of my own, of one greater than you. That's all. A pleasant night to you!" The door went down with a bang. "A prrfect oubliette," he remarked to himself ..'.as tie held a match oyer his head a moment or two later, "built for the purpose, ft must be the house we failed to find which Hill Taylor used to keep before he was shot. Smooth brick walls, smooth brick floor, only exit twelve feet above one's head. Uuman means, apparently, are useless. Science, you have been m mistress all my days. Ycu must save my life now or lose an earnest disciDle." Quest felt in his overcoat pocket and drew out the small, hard pellet. He gripped It in his fingers, stood lis nearly as possible underneath the spot from which he had been project ed, coolly swung his arm back, and flung hie black pebble against the Eliding door. The explosion which fol lowed shook the very ground imdcr his feet. For minutes afterwards everything around him seemed to rock. Then Sanford Quest emerged, dusty but unhurt, and torched a con stable on his arm. "Arrest me," he ordered. "I am San ford Quest. I must be taken at once to headquarters." They found a cab without much dif ficulty. It waa five o'clock when they reached the central police station. Inspector French napponed to be just going off duty. He recognized Quest with a little exclamation. - "Got your man to bring mo' here," Quest explained "so r.s to get away from the mob." "Say. you've been in trouble!" the inspector remarked, leading the way into his room. "Hit of an explosion, that's ail," Quest replied. "I shall be all right j when you've lent me a clothesbrush." "The Ashleigh diamonds, eh?" the inspector asked eagerly. "I Rhaii have them at nine o'clock this morning," Sanford Quest prom- I Irsed, "and hand you over the mur derer somewhere around midnight.'' Quest slept for a couple of houra, had a bath and made a leisurely toilet. At a quarter to nine he sat down to brf-kfast in L-!s rooni3. "At nine o'clock," he told his serv ant, ."a young lady will call, firing her up. The door was suddenly opened. Le nora walked in. Quest glanced In sur prise at the clock. . "My fault!" he exclaimed. "Wo are slow. Good-morning, Miss Lenora!" She came straight to tae table. She laid a little packet unon the table. Quest opened ft coolly. The Ashleigh diamonds - flashed up at him. He led Lenora to a chair and rang a bell. "Prepare a bedroom npstaira," he Ordered. "A'tk Miss Roche to come here . . . Laura." he add-d, as his secretary entered, "will you look after this yonng lady?" A few minutes later Inspector French was announced. Quest nodded la a friendly manner, "Some coffee. Inspector?" "I d rather have those diamonds!" Quest threw thorn lightly ucftss the table. The inspector whintled. "And i:r.w, French, will you be here, ploaue, m midnight, with three men, armed?" "Here?" the inspector repeated, Quest nodded. VOTIIING BRINGS RESULTS SO SOON AS A WANT "Our friend," he said "la cnltig tc be,. maa enough to walk into hell, even, when he finds out vhat lie thinks has napponed " "It wasn't, any oi Jlmmy'b lot'" Sanford Quesl shook lus head "French," be said, "keep mum but it was the elderly lamily ie ainer Mac dougal. i felt restless about him He has 'lost the giil-he was man-led to hei, by the bye and the jewels. No fear of his slipping away. I shall AWA li"i ' - !-. f , ? I f J fri'lt iwJ I ,yt: r-V j ,.' ' "You've Had a Rough Time, Lenora." have him here at the time I told you." ' You ve a wav of your own of doing these things, Mr Quest," the inspec tor admitted grudgingly. "Mostly lucky," Quest replied. "Take a cigar, and so long, inspector. They want me to talk to Chicago on an other little piece of business." . . , It was a faw miuutes before mid night when Quest parted the curtains of a room on the ground floor of his house in Georgia square and looked out into the snow-white si est." Then he turned around and addressed tnc figure lying as though asleep upon tho sofa by the fire. "Lenora," he said, "I am going out. Stay here, if you please, until I re turn." He left the room. For a few mo ments there was a profound silence. Tli-cn a white face was pressed against the window, There was a crash of glass. A man covered with snow sprang into tho apartment. He moved swiftly to the sofa, and something black and ugly swayed in his hand. "So you've deceived me, have you'" he panted. "Handed over the jewels, chuclced mo, and given me tho double cross! Anything to say?" , Macdougal leaned forward, his white face distorted with passion. Tho life-preserver bent and quivered be hind him, cut the air with a swish and crashed full upon the head. The man staggered back. The weapon fell from his fingers. For a moment he was paralyzed. There was no blood "jpon his hand, no cry silence inhuman, unnatural! He looked again. Then the lights flashed out all around him. There were two detectives in the doorway, their re volvers covering him Sanford Quest, with Lenora In the background. In the sudden illumination Macdougal's horror turned almost to hysterical rage. He had wasted his fury upon a dummy! "Take him, men,". Quest ordered. "Hands up, Macdougal. Your number's up." The handcuffs were upon him bo fore he could move. "What about the young woman?" the inspector asked. Lenora stood in an attitude of de spair, her head downcast. She had turned a little away from Macdougal. Her hands were outstretched. It was as though she were expecting tho handcuffs. You can let her alone," Sanford Quest said quietly. "A wife cannot give evidence against her husband, I and besides, I need her. She is going--! to work for me." I Macdotfgal was already at the door, ; between the two detectives. He swung around. His voice was calm, almost clear calm with concentration of hatred. . "You are a wonderful man, Mr Sanford Quest," he Raid. "Make tho most of your triumph.', Your time is liearly up, there Is one coining whose wit and cunning, science and nkill are all-conquering. lie will brush you away, Sanford Quest, like a fly. Wait a few weeks." "You Interest me," Quest mur mured "Tell mo some more about ( una great Blaster: "I shall tell you nothing,' Macdoug al replied. "You will hear nothing, you know nothing. Suddenly you will find yourself opposed. You will struggle and then the end. It is cer tain." i They led him away. Only Lenora I remained, sobbing. Quest went up to her. "You've had a rough time, Lenora," he said, with strange gentleness. "Perhapb the brighter days are com tog." 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