TEe BLACK BOX
By E. PHILLIPS OPPENHEIM
Author of "The Moving
Finger. " "The Prince of
Sinners,” "Anna, the
Adventuress, ” etc.
Novelized from the motion picture drama of the
same name produced by the Universal Film
Manufacturing Company. Illustrated with pho
tographs from the motion picture production.
OX/IDAntM
(Copyright. 1916, by Otis F Wood.)
OT rMUK5>l5S.
In her apartment at the Iceland Ella,
daughter of Lord Ashleigh, is murdered
and the Ashleigh diamond necklace sto
len. The New York police place the case
in the hands of Sanford Quest, known and
feared as the master criminologist of the
world. He takes Lenora. Ella's maid to
his own apartments and through hypno
tism and the use of electro-telepathic ap
pliances discovers her connection with the
crime, recovers the diamonds and arrests
the murderer. Macdougal, Eenora’s hus
band, though nearly trapped to his death
in a tough tenement house while engaged
In the work.
SECOND INSTALLMENT.
“THE HIDDEN HANDS.”
CHAPTER VI.
Sanford Quest and Lenora stood
side by side upon the steps of the
courthouse, waiting for the automobile,
which had become momentarily entan
gled in a string of vehicles. A little
crowd of people were elbowing their
way out on to the sidewalk. The faces
of most of them were still shadowed
by the three hours of tense drama
from which they had Just emerged.
Quest, who had lit a cigar, watched
them curiously.
“No need to go into court," he re
marked. “I could have told you, from
the look of these people, that Mac
dougal had escaped the death sentence.
They have paid their money—or rather
their time, and they have been cheated
of the one supreme thrill.”
“Imprisonment for life seems terri
ble enough,” Lenora whispered, shud
dering.
“Can’t see the sense of keeping such
a man alive myself,” Quest declared,
with purposeful brutality. “It was a
cruel murder, fiendishly committed.”
They were on the point of crossing
the pavement toward the automobile
when Quast felt a touch upon hiB shoul
der. He turned and found Lord Ash
leigh standing by his side. Quest
glanced towards Lenora.
Hun and get in the ear, he whls-1
pered. “I will be there in a moment "
“I would not have stopped you Just
now, Mr. Quest,’* said Lord Ashleigh.
“but my brother is very anxious to re
new h1s acquaintance with you. I think
you met years ago.”
Sanford Quest held out his hand to
the man who had been standing a lit
tle in the background. Lord Aahieigh
turned towards him.
“This is Mr. Quest, Edgar. You may !
remember my brother—Professor Ash
leigh—as a man of science, Quest? He
has just returned from South Ameri
ca.”
The two shook hands, curiously di
verse in type, in expression, in all the
appurtenances of manhood.
”1 am very proud to make your ac
quaintance again, professor,” Quest
said. “Glad to know, too, that you
hadn’t forgotten me.”
"My dear sir,” the professor de
clared, as he released the other's hand
with seeming reluctance, “I have
thought about you many times. Your
doings have always been of interest
to me.”
“I am sor*y," Quest remarked, “that
our first meeting here should be un- i
der such distressing circumstances!"
The professor nodded gravely.
"If you’ll excuse me, professor,” said
Quest, “I think I must be getting along
We shall meet again, I trust.”
"One moment,” the professor begged,
eagerly. “Tell me, Mr. Quest—I want
your honest opinion. What do you
think of my ape?”
“Of your what?” Quest inquired
dubiously.
“Of my anthropoid ape which I have
Just sent to the museum. You know
my claim? But perhaps you would pre
fer to postpone your final decision un
til after you have examined the skele
ton itself.”
. I
A light broke in upon the criminol
ogist.
"Of course!” he exclaimed. "For
the moment, professor, I couldn’t fol
low you. You are talking about the
skeleton of the ape which you %rought
home from South America, and which
you have presented to the museum
here?"
“Naturally,” the professor assented,
with mild surprise. “To what else? I
am stating my case, Mr. Quest, in the
North American Review next month;
I may tell you, however, as a fellow
scientlSw, the great and absolute
truth. My claim is incontestible. My
skeleton will prove to the world, with
out a doubt, the absolute truth of Dar
win's great theory.”
"That so?”
“You must go and see it," the pro
fessor insisted. “You shall be permit
ted a special examination.”
“Very kind of you,” Quest mur
mured.
"We shall meet again soon, I hope,”
the professor concluded cordially.
“Good-morning, Mr. Quest!”
The two men shook hands and Quest
took his seat by Lenora’s side in the
automobile. The professor rejoined
his brother.
They entered the taxicab and were
driven almost in silence to the profes
sor’s home—a large, rambling old
house, situated in somewhat extensive
but ill-kept grounds on the outskirts of
New York. The Englishman glanced
around him, as they passed up the
drive, with an expression of disap
proval.
“A more untidy looking place than
yours, Edgar, I never saw,” he declared.
"Your grounds have become a jungle.
Don't you keep any gardeners?”
“I keep other things,” he said serene
ly. ‘‘There is something in my garden
which would terrify your nice Scotch
gardeners into fits if they found their
way here to do a little tidying up.
Come into the library and I’ll give you
one of my choice cigars. Here’s Craig
waiting to let us in. Any news,
Craig?”
“Nothing has happened, sir,” he re
plied. “The telephone is ringing in
the study now, though."
“I will answer it myself,” the profes
sor declared, bustling off.
The professor took up the receiver
from the telephone. His “Hello!” was
mild and inquiring. He had no doubt
that the call was from some admiring
disciple. The change in his face as
he listened, however, was amazing.
“George,” he gasped, “the greatest
tragedy in the world has happened!
My ape is stolen!”
His brother looked at him blankly
“Your ape is stolen?” he repeated.
“The skeleton of my anthropoid
ape,” the professor continued, his voice
growing alike in sadness and firmness.
“It is the curator of the museum who
is speaking. They have jest opened
the box. It has lain for two days in
an anteroom. It is empty!”
Lord Ashleigh muttered some
thing a little vague. The theft of
a skeleton scarcely appeared to his
unscientific mind to be a realizable
thing. The professor turned back to
the telephone.
Mr. trancis, he said, “I cannot
talk to you. I can say nothing. I
shall come to you at once. 1 am on
the point of starting. Your news has
overwhelmed me.”
He laid down the receiver He
looked around him like a man in a
nightmare.
"The taxicab Is waiting, sir,” Craig
reminded him.
"That is most fortunate.” the pro
fessor pronounced. “I remember now
that I had no change with which to
pay him. > must go back. Look aft
er my brother. And, Craig, telephone
at once to Mr. Sanford Quest. Ask
him to meet me at the museum in
twenty minutes. Tell him that noth
ing must stand in the way. Do you
hear?”
The taxicab man drove off, glad
enough to have a return fare. In
about half an hour's time the profes
sor strode up the steps of the museum
and hurried into the office There was
a little crowd of officials there, whom
the curator at once dismissed. He
rose slowly to his feet. His manner
was grave and bewildered.
"Professor,” he said, “we will waste
no time in words. Look here!”
He threw open the door of an ante
room behind his office. The apart
ment was unfurnished except for one
Measuring the Footprint*.
or two chairs. In the middle of the
uncarpeted floor was a long wooden
box from which the lid had just been
pried.
"Yesterday, as you know from my
note," the curator proceeded, "I was
away. I gave orders that your case
should be placed here that I myself
should enjoy the distinction of open
ing it. An hour ago I commenced the
task. That is what I found.”
The professor gazed blankly at
the empty box.
"Nothing left except the smell,” a
voice from the open doorway re
marked.
They glanced around. Quest was
standing there, and behind him Le
nora. The professor welcomed them
eagerly.
“This is Mr. Quest, the great crim
lnologlst,” he explained to the curator.
Quest strolled thoughtfully around
the room, glancing out of each of the
windows in turn. He kept close to
the wall, and when he had finished
he drew out a magnifying glass from
his pocket and made a brief examina
tion of the box. Then he asked a few
questions of the curator, pointed out
one of the windows to Lenora and
whispered a few directions to her
She at once produced what seemed to
be a foot rule from the bag which she
was carrying, and hurried into the
garden.
“A little invention of my own for
measuring footprints,” Quest ex
plained. “Not much use here, I am
afraid.”
Quest stood over the box for a mo
ment or two and looked once more
out of the window. Presently Le
nora returned. She carried in her
hand a small object, which she
brought silently to Quest. He glanced
at it in perplexity. The professor
peered over his shoulder.
"It is the little finger!” he cried—
"the little finger of my ape!”
Quest held it away from him criti
cally.
"From which hand?” he asked.
"The right hand.”
Quest examined the fastenings of
the window before which he paused
during his previous examination He
turned away with a shrug of the
shoulders.
"See you later, Mr. Ashleigh,” he
concluded laconically.
A newsboy thrust a paper at them.
Quest glanced at the headlines. Le
nora clutched at his arm. Together
they read it in great black type:
ESCAPE OF CONVICTED PRIS
ONER!
Macdougal, on His Way to Prison,
Grapples With Sheriff and Jumps
From Train! Still at Large, Though
Searched For by Posse of Police.
CHAPTER VII.
The windows of Mrs Rheinholdt's
town house were ablaze with light. A
crimson drugget stretched down the
steps to the curbstone. A long
row of automobiles stood waiting.
Through the wide-flung door was vis
ible a pleasant impression of flowers
and light and luxury. In the nearer
of the two large reception rooms Mrs.
Rheinholdt herself, a woman dark,
handsome and in the prime of life,
was standing to receive her guests.
By her side was her son, whose twen
ty-first birthday was being celebrated.
“I wonder whether that professor of
yours will come?" she remarked, as
the stream of incoming guests slack
ened for a moment.
“He hates receptions," the boy re
plied, "but he promised he’d come I
never thought, when he used to drill
science Into us at the lectures, that
he was going to be a tremendous big
pot.”
Mrs. Rheinholdt’s plump finger toyed
for a moment complacently with the
diamonds which hung from her neck.
"You can never tell in a world like
this,” she murmured.
"Here he is, mother!" the young man
exclaimed suddenly. "Good old boy!
I thought he'd keep his word."
Mrs. Rheinholdt assumed her most
encouraging and condescending smile
as she held out both hands to the pro
fessor.
“It is perfectly sweet of you, pro
fessor,” Mrs. Rheinholdt declared.
Mrs Rheinholdt breathed a sigh of
relief as she greeted her new arrivals
The professor made himself univer
sally agreeable in a mild way, and his
presence created even more than the
sensation which Mrs Rheinholdt had
hoped for In her desire to show
him ample honor she seldom left his
side.
"I am going to take you into my
husband's study," she suggested, later
on in the evening. “He has some spe
cimens of beetles—”
"Beetles,” the professor declared,
with some excitement, "occupied pre
cisely two months of my time while
abroad. By all means, Mrs. Rhein
holdt ! ”
“We shall have to go quite to the
back of the house,” she explained, as
she led him along the darkened pas
sages.
The professor smiled acquiescently.
His eyes rested for a moment upon
her necklace.
“You must really permit me, Mrs.
Rheinholdt,” he exclaimed, "to admire
your wonderful stones. I am a judge
of diamonds, and those three or four
in the center are, I should judge,
unique.”
She held them out to him. The
professor laid the end of the neck
lace gently in the palm of his hand and
examined them through a horn-rimmed
eyeglass.
"They are wonderful,” he murmured,
“wonderful! W’hy—”
He turned away a little abruptly
They had reached the back of the
house and a door from outside had
just been opened. A man had crossed
the threshold with a coat over his arm
and was standing now looking at
them.
"How extraordinary!” the professor
remarked. “Is that you, Craig?”
"Yes, sir," he replied. “There is a
rainstorm, so I ventured to bring your
mackintosh.”
“Very thoughtful, ’ the professor
murmured approvingly. “I have a
weakness," he went on, turning to his 1
hostess, “for always walking home;
after an evening like this. In the day- j
time I am content to ride. At night 1
have the fancy always to walk.”
“We don’t walk half enough," Mrs.
Rheinholdt sighed, glancing down at
her somewhat portly figure. “LMxon,” ;
ehe added, turning to the footman who
limifijwniiiT' ir m&mmmmm®
‘‘Stolen!’’ Mr#. Rheinholdt Shrieked.
had admitted Craig, "take Professor
Ashleigh's servant into the kitchen
and see that he has something before
he leaves for home. Now, professor,
if you will come this way.”
They reached a little room in the
far corner of the house. Mrs. Rhein
holdt apologized as she switched on
the electric lights.
“It is a queer little place to bring
you to, ’ she said, “but my husband
used to spend many hours here, and
he would never allow anything to be
moved. You see, the specimens are in
these cases."
The professor nodded. His general
attitude toward the forthcoming ex
hibition was merely one of politeness.
As the first case opened, however, his
manner completely changed. Without
taking the slightest further notice of
his hostess, he adjusted a pair of horn
rimmed spectacles and commenced to
mumble eagerly to himself. Mrs
Rheinholdt, who did not understand a
word, strolled around the apartment,
yawned and finally interrupted a little
stream of eulogies, not a word of
which she understood, concerning a
green beetle writh yellow spots.
‘‘I am so glad you are interested,
professor,” she said. “If you don't
mind, I will rejoin my guests. You
i will find a shorter way back if you
i keep along the passage straight ahead
and come through the conservatory.”
“Certainly! With pleasure!” the
professor agreed, without glancing up.
Mrs Rheinholdt's reception, not
withstanding the temporary absence
of its presiding spirit, was without
doubt an unqualified success. In one
of the distant rooms the younger peo
ple were dancing. Philip Rheinholdt,
with a pretty young debutante upon
his arm. came out from the dancing
room and looked around amongst the
lit tie knots of people.
“I wonder where mother is? he re
marked. "She told me—”
The young man broke off in the
middle of his sentence. He. too, like
many others in the room, felt a sud
den thrill almost of horror at the
sound which rang without warning
upon their ears—a woman's cry, a
cry of fear and horror. Mrs. Rhein
holdt, her hands clasping her neck,
her splendid composure a thing of
the past, a panic-stricken, terrified
woman, stumbled into the room. She
seemed on the point of collapse.
Somehow or other, they got her into
an easy chair.
“My jewels!” she cried. “My dia
monds!”
"What do you mean, mother?” Phil
lip Rheinholdt asked quickly. “Have
you lost them?”
“Stolen!” Mrs. Rheinholdt shrieked.
“Stolen there in the conservatory!”
They gazed at her open-mouthed, in- j
credulous. Then a still, quiet voice
from the outside of the little circle
intervened.
“Instruct your servants, Mr. Rhein
holdt, to lock and bar ail the doors of
the house,” the professor suggested, j
*No one must leave it until we have
heard your mother's story.”
“I had just taken the professor into
the little room my husband used to
call the museum,” Mrs. Rheinholdt
explained, her voice still shaking with
agitation. “I left him there to exam
ine some specimens of beetles. I
thought that I would come back
through the conservatory, which is
the quickest way. 1 was about half
way across it when suddenly l heard
the switch go behind me and all the
electric lights were turned out.. I
couldn’t imagine what had happened.
While I hesitated I saw—”
She broke down again. There was
no doubt about the genuineness of her
terror.
“I saw a pair of hands—just hands
—no arms—nothing but hands—come
out of the darkness! They gripped
me by the throat, I suppose it was
Just for a second I think—I lost con
sciousness for a moment, although I
was still standing up. Tho next thing
I remember is that 1 found myself
shrieking and running here—and the
jewels are gone!”
“You saw no one?” her ^on asked
incredulously. “You heard nothing?"
“I heard no footsteps, I sawlno one,"
Mrs Rheinholdt repeated. The pro
fessor turned away.
“If you will allow me." he begged,
“I am going to telephone to my friend,
Mr. Sanford Quest., the criminologist. ■
"Stolen There in the Conservatory!"
An affair so unusual as this might at
tract him. You will excuse mr"
The professor met the great crimin
ologist and his assistant in the hall
upon their arr.ival. He took the for
raer at once by the arm.
“Mr. Quest,” he began, "in a sense
I must apologize for my peremptory
message. 1 am well aware that an or
dinary jewel robbery does not inter
est you, but In this case the eircum
stances are extraordinary. 1 ventured
therefore, to summon your aid."
Sanford Quest nodded shortly.
“As a rule,” he said, "I do not care
to take up one affair until 1 have a
clean slate. There’s your skeleton
still bothering me, professor. How
ever, where's the lady who was
robbed?”
"1 will take you to her," the profes
sor replied.
Mrs. Rheinholdt’s story, by frequent
repetition, had become a little more
coherent, a trifle more circumstantial,
the perfection of simplicity and utter
ly incomprehensible. Quest listened to
it without remark and finally made
his way to the conservatory. He re
quested Mrs. Rheinholdt to wralk with
him through the door by which she
had entered and stop at the precise
spot where the assault had been made
upon her. There were one or two
plants knocked down from the tiers
on the right-hand side, and some dis
I turbance in the mold where some large
| palms were growing. Quest and Le
nora together made a close Investi
gation of the spot. Afterwards, Quest
walk(*d several times to each of the
doors leading into the gardens.
“There are four entrances alto
■ gethcr,” he remarked, as he lit a cigar
and glanced around the place. “Two
lead into (he gardens- one is locked
and the other isn't—one connects with
the back rf the house—the one through
which you canto, Mrs. Rheinholdt, and
the other leads into your reception
room, into which you passed after the
assault. I shall now be glad if you
will permit me to examine the gardens
outside for a few minutes, alone with
my assistant, if you please.”
Kor almost a quarter of an hour
Quest and Lenora disappeared. They
all looked eagerly at the criminologist
on his return.
“It seems to me.” he remarked!,
“that from the back part of the house
the quickest way to reach May ton ave
nue would be through this conserva
tory and out of that door. Tbis is a
path leading from just outside straight
to a gate in the wall. Does anyone
that you know of use this means of
exit?”
Mrs. Rheinholdt shook her head.
“The servants might occasionally,”
she remarked doubtfully, “but not on
nights when 1 am receiving.”
The butler stepped forward. He was
looking a little grave
“1 ought, perhaps, to inform you,
madam, and Mr. Quest,” he said, “that
1 did, only a short time ago, suggest
to the professor’s servant—the man
who brought your mackintosh, sir,” he
added, turning to the professor—“that
he could, if he chose, make use of this
means of leaving the house. Mr Craig
is a personal friend of mine, and a
member of a very select little club we
have for social purposes.”
“Did he follow your suggestion?’'
Sanford Quest asked.
“Of that I am not aware, sir,” the
butler replied “1 left Mr. Craig with
some refreshment, expecting that he
would remain until my return, but a
few minutes later 1 discovered that he
had left. I will inquire in the kitchen
if anything is known as to his move
ments.”
He hurried off. Quest turned to the
professor.
“Has he been wllh you long, this
man Craig, professor?” he asked
The professor’s smile was illuminat
ing, his manner simple but convincing.
“Craig,” he asserted, "is the best
»eervant, the most honest mortal who
ever breathed, lie would go any dis
tance out of his way to avoid harming
a fly. I cannot even trust him trt pro
cure for me the simplest specimens of
Insect life. Apart from this, he Is a
man of some property, which he has
no idea what to do with. He is, I
think I may say. too devoted to me to
dream of ever leaving my service.
“You think It would be out of the
question, then,” Quest asked, “to asso
ciate him with the crime?”
The professor’s confidence w«s
sublime.
"1 could more readily associate you
myself or young Mr. Rheinholdt her<
with the affair.” he declared.
His words eafried weight. The HttL
breath of suspicion against the pro
fessor's servant faded away. In a mo
ment or two the butler returned.
"It appears, madam," he announced,
“that Mr. Craig left when there was
only one person in the kitchen. Ho
said good-night and closed the door be
hind him. It is impossible to say
therefore, by which exit he left the
house, but personally I am convinced
that, knowing of the reception here tc
night, he would not think of using th
conservatory.”
"Most unlikely, 1 should say,” th >
professor murmured. "Craig is a ver.'
shy man. He is at all times at your
disposal. Mr. Quest, if you should
lesire to question him.”
Quest nodded absently.
"My assistant and I,” he announced,
"would be glad to make a further ex
amination of the conservatory, if you
will kindly leave us alone.”
They obeyed without demur. Quest
took a seat and smoked calmly, with
his eyes fixed upon the roof. Lenore
went back to her examination of the
overturned plants, the mold and the
whole ground within the immediate
environs of the assault. She abandoned
the search at last, however, and came
back to Quest’s side. He threw awa>
his cigar and rose.
“Nothing there?” he asked laconic
ally.
“Not a thing,” Lenora admitted.
Quest led the way toward the door.
"Lenora,” he decided, “we i 9 up
against something big There’s a new
hand at work somewhere."
"No theories yet, Mr. Quest?” she
asked, smiling.
“Not the ghost of one,” he admitted
gloomily.
Along the rain-swept causeway op
Mayton avenue, keeping close to th<
shelter of the house, his mackintosh
turned up to his ears, his hands buried
in his pockets, a man walked swiftl;
along. At every block he hesitated
and looked around him. His manner
was cautious, almost furtive. Once
the glare of an electric light fell upon
his face, a face pallid with fear, a!
most hopeless with despair. Ho
walked quickly, yet he seemed to have
no idea as to direction. Suddenly ho
paused. He was passing a great build
ing, brilliantly lit. For a moment h<
thought that it was some place of en
tertainmont. The thought of entering
seemed to occur to him. Then he fed.
a firm touch upon his arm, a man in
uniform spoke to him.
“Step inside, brother,” he invited,
earnestly, almost eagerly, notwith
standing his monotonous nasal twang.
“Step inside and find peace. Step in
side and the Lord will help you. Throw
your burden away on the threshold."
The man’s first impulse at being ad
dressed had seemed to be one of terror.
Then he recognized the uniform and
hesitated. The man took him by the
arm and led him in. There were the
best part of a hundred people taking
their places after the singing of the
hymn. A girl was standing up before
them on a platform She was com
mencing to speak, but suddenly brok»»
off She held out her arms to where
the professor’s confidential servant,
stood hesitating.
“Come and tell us your sins,” she
called out. “Come and have them for
given Come and start a new life in
a new world. There Is no one here
who thinks of the past. Come and seek
forgiveness.”
For a moment the waif frqm the
rain-swept world hesitated. The light.
“Confess Your Sins.”
I
I
j
of an infinite desire flashed in his eyoR.
Then he dropped his head. Thes‘»
things might be for others. For him
there was no hope. He shook his bead
to the girl, but sank into the nearest
seat and on to his knees.
"He repents!” the girl called out.
“Some day he will come! Brothers and
siBters, we will pray for him.”
The rain dashed against the win
dows. The only other sound from out
side was the clanging of the street
cars. The girl's voice, frenzied, ex
horting, almost hysterical, pealed out.
to the roof. At every pause the little
gathering of men and women groaned
In sympathy. The man’s frame was
shaken with sobs.
(TO BB CONTINUED.)