E. PHILLIPS OPPENHEIM
COPyi?l%HT «Ji5 OT15 r WOOD
Novelized from the Photo Play of the Same Name. Produced by the Universal
Him Manufacturing Company.
t
THIRD INSTALLMENT
SYNOPSIS.
In her apartment at the I.eland Rlla,
daughter of Lord Aghleigh, Is murdered
and the Ashlclgh 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 I.enora, KlIa'H maid,
to h's owr. apartments and through hyno
t’ -m and the use of clectro-telepatftic ap
pliances discovers her connection with the
crime, recovers the diamonds and arrests
the murderer, Macdougal. Lenora's hus
band, though nearly trapped to his death
In a tough tenement house while engaged
In the work. Ia?nora becomes one of
Quest’s assistants. The detective Is called
In to Investigate the theft of the skeleton
of an ape, of Lord Ashlelgh. Macdougal
escapes while on his way to prison. A
string of diamonds Is mysteriously stolen
from Mrs. Rhelnholdt during a reception.
THE POCKET WIRELESS.
CHAPTER VIII.
Mr. 8anford Quest sat in his favorite
chair, his cigar inclined toward the
left-hand corner of his mouth, hlB at
tention riveted upon a small instru
ment which he was supporting upon
his knee. He glanced across the room
| to where I.enora was bending over
her desk.
‘‘We've done it this time, young
woman,” he declared triumphantly.
‘‘It’s all O. K., working like a little
peach."
Lenora rose and came toward him.
“Is that the pocket wireless?”
He nodded.
‘‘I’ve had Morrison out at Harlem
all the morning to test it,” he told
her. “I’ve sent him at least half a
dozen messages from this easy chair,
and got the replies. Hotv are you get
ting on with the code?”
“Not so badly for a stupid person,”
I.enora replied.
I.aura, who had been busy with
some papers at the farther end of
the room, came over and Joined them.
“Say, it’s a dandy little affair, that,
Mr. Quest,” she exclaimed. “I had a
try with it, a day or so ago. Jim spoke
to me from Fifth avenue.”
“We’ve got it tuned to a shade now,”
Quest declared. “Equipped with this
simple little device, you can speak
to me from anywhere up to ten or a
dozen mflez.”
Quest rose to his feet and moved
restlessly about the room.
“Say, girls,” he confessed, “this is
the first time in my life I have been
in a fix like this. Two cases on hand
and nothing doing with either of them.
Criminologist, indeed! Whose box
is this?”
Quest had paused suddenly In front
of an oak sideboard, whlrh stood
against the wall. Occupying a posi
tion upon It of some prominence was
a small black box, whose presence
there seemed to him unfamiliar.
Laura came over to his Bide and
looked at it also In puzzled fashion.
‘‘Never saw it before in my life,”
she answered.
Quest grunted.
‘‘H’m! No one else has been in
the room, and it hasn’t been empty
. for more than ten minutes," he re
marked. “Well, let’s see what's inside,
anyway.”
He lifted off the lid. There was
nothing In the interior but a sheet
of paper folded up. Quest smoothed
It out with his hand. They all leaned
over and read the following words,
written in an obviously disguised
hand:
You have embarked on a new study
anthropology. What characteristic strikes
you most forcibly In connection with it?
Cunning? The necktace might be where
the skeleton Is. Why not begin at the be
ginning?
The note was unsigned, but in the
spot where a signature might have
been there was a rough pen drawing
of two hands, with fingers extended,
talon fashion, menacingly, as though
poised to strike at some unseen en
emy. Quest, after their first moment
of stupefaction, whistled softly.
I "The hands!” he muttered.
“What hands?” Lenora asked.
“The hands that gripped Mrs. Rhein
holdt by the throat,” he reminded
them. “Don't you remember? Hands
without arms?”
There was another brief, almost stu
pefied silence. Then Laura broke into
speech.
“What I want to know Is,” she de
manded, "who brought the thing
| here ?”
“A most daring exploit, anyway.”
Quest declared. “If we could answer
your question, Laura, we could solve
the whole riddle. We are up against
something, and no mistake.”
“The hand which placed that «tox
there,” Quest continued slowly, “is
capable of even more wonderful
things. We must be cautious Hello!”
The door had opened. The profes
sor stood upon the threshold.
"I trust that I have done right in
icoming up?” he inquired.
I “Quite right, professor," Quest as
sured him. "They know well enough
downstairs that I am always at home
to you. Come in.” ,
‘‘I am so anxious to learn,” the pro
tftssoi continued eagerly, "whether
there is any news—of my skele
ton.”
| "Not yet, professor, I am sorry to
say," Quest replied. "Come in and shut
j the door.”
"There is a young lady here,” he
said, "who caught me up upon the
landing. She, too, I believe, wishes
to see you.”
He threw open the door and stood
on one side. A young woman came
a little hesitatingly into the room. Her
hair was plainly brushed back, and
she wore the severe dress of the Sal
vation Army.
"Want to see me, young lady?”
Quest asked.
She held out a book.
“My name is Miss Quigg,” she said
"I want to ask you for a subscrip
| tion to our funds,”
j Quest frowned a little.
"Very well, Miss Quigg, you shall
have a donation. I am busy today, but
call at the same hour tomorrow and
my secretary shall have a check ready
for you.”
The girl smiled her gratitude.
The professor laid his hand upon
her arm as she passed.
"Young lady,” he observed, "you ;
seem very much in earnest about your
work.”
"It is only the people in earnest, j
sir,” she answered, “who can do any |
good in the world. My work is worth
being in earnest about.”
“You compel my admiration. My
most respectful admiration. May I, j
too, be permitted?”
He drew out a pocketbock and
passed over toward her a little wad of ;
notes.
"It i« so kind of you," she mur- |
mured. “We never have any hesita- ;
tion In accepting money. May I know !
your name?”
"It is not necessary,” the professor j
answered. “You can enter me,” he
added, as he held open the door for j
her, “as a friend—or would you prefer j
a pseudonym?”
“A pseudonym, if you please,” she
I begged. “We have so many who send
i us sums of money as friends. Anything
will do.”
The professor glanced around the
room.
“What pseudonym shall I adopt?”
h* ruminated. "Shall I say that an oak
sideboard gives you five hundred dol
lars Or a Chippendale sofa? Or,”
he added, his eyes resting for a mo
ment upon the little box, "a black
box?”
The two girls from the other side of
the table started. Even Quest swung
suddenly around. The professor, as
though pleased with his fancy, nodded j
as his fingers played with the lid.
“Yes, that will do very nicely,” he
decided. “Tut me down—'Black Box,’
five hundred dollars.”
The girl took out her book and be
gan to write. The professor, with a
little farewell bow, crossed the room
toward Quest. Lenora moved toward
the door.
"Let me see you out, ’ she said to
the girl pleasantly.
Lenora opened the door. Both girls
started. Only a few feet away Craig
was standing, his head a little thrust
forward. For a moment the quiet self
respect of his manner seemed to have
deserted him. He seemed at a loss for
words.
“What do you want?" Lenora de
manded.
“I was waiting for my master,”
Craig explained.
“Why not downstairs?” Lenora
asked suspiciously. “You did not come
up with him.”
"I am driving the professor in his !
automobile,” Craig explained. “It oc-j
curred to me that if he were going to
be long here f should have time to go
and order another tire. It is of no
consequence, though. 1 will go down
and wait in the car.”
Lenora stood at the top of the stairs
and watched him disappear. Then she
went thoughtfully back to her work.
The professor and Quest were talking
at the farther end of the room.
“I was in hopes, in great hopes," the
professor admitted, “that you might
have heard something. I promised to
call at Mrs. Rheinholdt's this after
noon."
Quest shook his head.
“There is nothing to report at pres
ent, Mr. Ashleigh,” he announced.
“Dear me,” the professor murmured,
“this is very disappointing. Is there
no clue, Mr. Quest—no clu^ at all?”
“Not a ghost of one,” Quest acknowl
edged. “I am as far off solving the
mystery of the disappearance of your
skeleton and Mrs. Rheinholdt’s neck
lace as I have ever been.”
The professor took a courteous leave
of them all and departed. Lenora
crossed the room to where Quest was
seated.
“Mr. Quest,” she asked, “do you be
lieve in inspiration?”
“I attribute a large amount of my
success,” Quest replied, "to my pro
found belief in it.”
“Then let me tell you.” Lenora con
tinued, "that I have one, and a very
strong one. Bo you know that when
I went to the door a few minutes ago
the professor’s servant, Craig, was
there, listening?”
"Inspector French has had his men
watching Craig ever since the night of
the robbery,” quietly remarked Quest
“What’s that? Answer the telephone,
Lenora.”
Lenora obeyed.
“It's Inspector French,” she an
nounced. “He wants to speak to
you ”
Quest nodded and held out his hand
for the receiver.
"Hello, French!” he exclaimed.
“Anything fresh?”
“Nothing much,” w;as the answer.
"One of my men, though, who has
been up Mayton avenue way, brought
I in something I found rather interest
ing this morning. 1 want you to come
round and see it.”
“Go right ahead and tell me about
it,” Quest invited.
“You know we’ve been shadowing
Craig,” the inspector continued. “Not
much luck up till now. Fellow seems
never to leave his master’s side. We
have had a couple of men up there,
though, and one of them brought in a
curious-looking object he picked up
just outside the back of the professor's
grounds."
“What is the thing?” Quest asked.
“Well, I want you to see whether
you agree with me,” French went on.
“If you can’t come round, I’ll come to
you.”
ino necessity, Quest replied.
“We’ve got over little difficulties of
that sort. Laura, just tack on the
phototelesme,” he added, holding the
receiver away for a moment. “One
moment, French. There that’s right,”
he added, as Laura, with deft fingers
arranged what seemed to be a
sensitized mirror to the instru
ment. “Now, French, hold up the
article just in front of the re
i ceiver. There, that’s right. Hold
' it steady. I've got the focus of it
now. Say, French, where did you say
that was found?”
"Just outside the professor’s back
gate,” French grunted. 'But you're not
kidding me—”
"It’s a finger from the professor's
| skeleton you've got there," Quest in
terrupted.
Quest hung up the receiver. Then
i he turned toward his two assistants.
“Another finger from the profes
sor's skeleton.” he announced, “has
been found just outside his grounds.
What do you suppose that means?"
“Craig,” Lenora declared confi
dently.
“Craig on your life,” Laura echoed.
“Say, Mr. Quest, I've got an idea.”
Quest nodded.
“Oo right ahead with It.”
“Didn’t the butler at Mrs. Rhein
holdt’s say that Craig belonged to a
servant's club up town? I know the
place well. Let me go and see if I
can't join and pick up a little informa
tion about the man. He must have a
night out sometimes. Let’s find out
what he does? How's that?”
“Capital!" Quest agreed. "Get along,
Laura. And you, Lenora.” he added,
“put on your hat. We'll take a ride
towards May(on avenue.”
CHAPTER IX.
The exact spot whore the bones of
ihe missing skeleton was discovered,
was easily located. It jas about
twenty yards from a gate which led
into the back part of the professor's
grounds. Quest wasted very little
time before arriving at a decision.
“The discovery of the bones so
near the professor's home,” he decid
ed, “cannot be coincidence only. We
will waste no time out here, Lenora.
We will search the grounds. Come
on.’’
It was hard to know' which way to
turn. Every path was choked with
tangled weeds and bushes. They wan
In Front of Them Crouched an Un
recognizable Creature.
derod about almost aimlessly for near
ly half an hour. Then Quest came
to a sudden standstill Lenora gripped
his arm. They had both heard the
same sound—a queer, crooning cry,
half plaintive, half angry.
"What's that?" he exclaimed.
Lenora still clung to his arm
“I hate this place,” she whispered.
"It terrifies me. What lire we look
ing for, Mr. Quest?”
"Can’t say that T know exactly,” the
latter answered, "but I guess we’ll
! find out where that cry came from.
Sounded to me uncommonly like a hu
man effort.”
They had made their way up as
“The Hut, Professor! The Hut Is on Fire!
far as the hedge, which they skirted
for a few yards until they found an
opening Then Quest gave vent to a
little exclamation. Immediately in
front of them was a small hut, built
apparently of sticks and bamboos,
with a stronger framework behind.
The sloping roof was grass-grown and
entwined with rushes. The only apol
ogy for a window was a queer little
hole set quite close to the roof.
There was a rude-looking door, but
Quest, on trying it, found it locked.
They walked around the place, but
found no other opening. All the time
from inside they could hear queer
scuffling sounds. Lenora's cheeks
grewr paler.
“Must we stay?” she murmured. "I
don't think I want to see what's in
side. Mr. Quest! Mr. Quest!”
She clung to his arm. They were
opposite the little aperture which
served as a window, and at that mo
ment «t suddenly framed the face of
a creature, human in features, diaboli
cal in expression.
“Say, that's some f^ee!” he re
marked. “I'd hate to spoil it.”
Even as he spoke it disappeared.
“We’ve got to get inside there,
Lenora,” he announced, stepping for
ward.
She followed him silently. A few
turns of the wrist and the door yield
ed. Keeping Lenora a little behind
him. Quest gazed around eagerly. Ex
actly in front of him. clad only in a
loin cloth, with hunched up shoulders,
a necklace around its neck, with blaz
ing eyes and ugly, gleaming teeth,
crouched some unrecognizable crea
ture, human, yet inhuman, a monkey,
and yet a man. There were a couple
of monkeys swinging by their tails
from a bar, and a leopard chained to
a staple in the ground, walking
round and round in the far corner,
snapping and snarling every time
he glanced towards the newcom
ers. The creature in front of him
stretched out a hairy hand towards
a club, and gripped it. Quest drew a
long breath. His eyes were set hard.
"Drop that club,” he ordered.
The creature suddenly sprang up.
The club was waved around his head.
“Drop it,” Quest repeated firmly.
“You will sit down in your corner. You
will sleep.”
The club slipped from the hairy fin
gers. The tense frame, which had
been already crouched for the spring,
was suddenly relaxed. The knees
trembled.
“Back to that corner,” Quest or
dered, pointing.
Slowly and dejectedly, the ape-man
crept to where he had been ordered
and sat there with dull, non-compre
hending stare. It was a new force,
this, a note of which he had felt—the
superman raising the voice of author
ity. Quest touched his forehead and
found it damp. The strain of those
few seconds had been intolerable.
"1 don't think these other animals
will hurt,” he said. “Let's have a
look around the place.”
The search took only a few mo
ments. The monkeys ran and jumped
around them, gibbering as though with
pleasure. The leopard watched them
always with a snarl and an evil light
in his eye.
They found nothing unusual until
they came to the distant corner, where
a huge piano box lay on its side with
the opening turned to the wall.
“This is where the brute sleeps, 1
suppose,” Quest remarked. “We'll
turn it around, anyway.”
They dragged it a few feet away
from the wall, so that the opening
faced them. Then Lenora gave a little
cry and Quest stood suddenly still.
"The skeleton!” Lenora shrieked.
"It’s the skeleton!‘V
It was a skeleton so old that the
bones had turned a dull gray. Quest
glanced towards the hands.
“I ittle fingers both missing," he
muttered
“Remember the message?” she ex
claimed Where the skeleton is, the
necklace may be also.”
Quest nodded shortly. *
“We’ll search.”
They turned over everything In the
place fruitlessly. There was no sign
of the necklace.
“You get outside, Lenora." Quest di
rected. “I’ll just bring this beast
round again and then we ll tackle the !
professor.”
Quest turned towards the creature, i
which crouched still huddled up in Us
corner.
“Look at me,” he ordered.
The creature obeyed. Once more Us
frame seemed to grow more virile and
uatural.
“You need 81 pop no longer,” Quo8t
said “Wake up and be yourself."
The effect of these words was in
stantaneous. Almost as he spoke, the
creature crouched for a spring. There
was wild hatred in its close-set eyes,
the snarl of something fiendlike in its
contorted mouth. Quest slipped quick
ly through the door.
“Anyone may have that for a pet!"
he remarked grimly. "Come, Lenora,
there's a word or tw-o to be said to the
professor. There’s something here will
need a little explanation.”
He lit a cigar as they struggled back
along the path. Presently they reached
the untidy-looking avenue, and a few
minutes later arrived at the house.
Quest searched in vain for a bell
They walked round the piazza. There
were no signs of any human life. They
came back to the front door. Quest
tried the handle and found it open
They passed into the hall.
“Hospitable sort of place, anyway,"
he remarked. “We’ll go in and wait,
Lenora.”
They found their way to the study,
which seemed to be the only habitable
room. Lenora glanced around at its
strange contents with an expression al
most of awe.
A small motor car passed the win
dow, driven by Craig. The professor
descended. A moment or two later he
entered the room. He gazed from
Quest to Lenora at first in blank sur
prise. Then he held out his hands.
"You have good news for me, my
friends!” he exclaimed, “I am sure of
it. How unfortunate that I was not at
home to receive you! Tell me—don’t
keep me in '.uspense. if you please—
you have discovered my skeleton?”
“We have found the skeleton,” Quest
announced.
For a single moment the newcomer
stood as though turned to stone.
“My skeleton!” he murmured. “Mr
Quest. I knew it. You are the great
est man alive. Now tell me quickly—
I want to know everything, but this
first of all. Where did you find the
skeleton? Who was the thief?”
“We found the skeleton, professor,”
Quest replied, “within a hundred yards
of this house.”
i he professor a mouth was wide
open. He looked like a bewildered
child. It was several seconds before
he spoke.
“Within a hundred yards of this
house? Then it wasn't stolen by one
af my rivals?”
"I should say not," Quest admitted.
“Where? exactly did you find it?”
the professor insisted.
“1 found it in a hut," Quest said,
“hidden in a piano box. 1 found there,
also, a creature—a human being, I
must call him—in a state of cap
tivity.”
Hidden in a piano box?” the pro
fessor repeated wonderingly. “Why,
you mean in Hartoo's sleeping box,
then?"
“If Mr llartoo is the gentleman who
tried to club mo, you are right," Quest
admitted. "Mr. Ashleigh, before we
go any further 1 must ask you for an
explanation as to the presence of that
person in your grounds?"
The professor hesitated fcr a mo
ment. Then he slowly crossed the
room, opened the drawer of a small
escritoire, and drew out a letter.
“You have heaVd of Sir William
Raysmore, the president of the Royal
society?" he asked.
Quest nodded,
“This letter is from him," the pro
fessor continued. “You had better
read it.”
The criminologist read it aloud. Le
nora looked over his shoulder:
To Prof. Edgar Ashlrigh, New York.
My Dear Professor: Your communica
tion gratifies ami amazes me. I can say
no more. It fell to your lot to discover
the skeleton of the anthropoid, a marvel
ous thing, in its way, and needing only
its corollary to form the greatesi discov
ery since the dark ages. Now you tell
me that in the person of Hartoo. the last
of the Inyanio race of South America, you
have f. utnl that corollary. You have'sup
plied tlie missing link. You are In ft po
sition to give to tlie world a definite.and
logical i xplanatiou of the evolution of
man. I-ed me give you one word of warn
ing. professor, before I write you at
greater length on the matter. Anthro
pologists arc afflicted more. even, than any
other rnc, of scientific men. with jealousy
Hoard your secret well, jest the honor of
this discovery should he stolen from you
WILLIAM RAYSMORE.
Tho professor nodded deliberately
as Quest finished the letter.
"Now, perhaps you can understand,"
he said, "w hy it was necessary to keep
llartoo absolutely hidden. In a
month's time mv papers will be ready.
Then I shall electrify the world. I
shall write not a new page but a new
volume across the history of science.
I shall—"
The door was suddenly thrown open.
Craig sprang in, no longer the self
contained, perfect man-servant, but
with the face of some wild creature.
His shout was one almost of agony.
“The Lut, professor! The hut is on
fire!” he cried.
His appearance on the threshold
was like a flash. They heard his fly
ing feet down the hall, and without
a moment’s hesitation they all foi
lowed. The professor led the way
down a narrow and concealed path,
but when they reached the little deal
ing in which the hut was situated,
they were unable to approach any
nearer. The place was a whirlwind
of flame. The smell of kerosene was
almost overpowering. The wild yei
of the leopard rose above the strange,
half-human gibbering oi the monkey:
and the hoarse, bass calling of anoth
er voice, at the sound of which Le
nora and even Quest shuddered. Then
as they came, breathless, to a stand
still, they saw a strange thing. One
side of the hut fell in, and almost !m
mediately the leopard with a mighty
spring, leaped from the place and ran
howling into the undergrowth. The
monkeys followed but they came
straight for the professor, wringing
their hands They fawned at his feet
as though trying to show him their
scorched bodies. Then for a single
moment they saw the form of the ape
man as he struggled to follow the
others His strength failed him, how
ever. He fell backwards into the burn
ing chasm.
i iie proiessor oaae mem farewell,
an hour later, on the steps of the
house. He seemed suddenly to have
aged.
“You have done your best, Mr
Quest,” he said, “but fate has been too
strong. Remember this, though. It
is quite true that the cunning of Har
too may have made it possible for
him to have stolen the skeleton and
to have brought it back to its hiding
place, but it was jealousy—cruel, bru
tal, foul jealousy which smeared the
walls of that hut with kerosene and
set light to it. The work of a life
time, my dreams of scientific immor
tality, have vanished in those flames."
He turned slowly away from them
and reentered the nouse. Quest and
Lenora made their way down the ave
nue and entered the automobile which
was waiting for them, almost in si
lence. The latter glanced toward his
companion, as they drove off.
“Say, this has been a bit tough for
you,” he remarked. I’ll have to call
somewhere and get you a glass of
wine.”
She tried to smile but her strength
was almost gone. They drove to a
restaurant and sat there for some lit
tle time. Lenora soon recovered her
color. She even had courage to speak
of the events of the afternoon when
they re-entered the automobile.
“Mr. Quest,” Lenora murmured,
“who do you suppose burned the hut
down?”
“It 1 don’t say Craig, I suppose you
will,” he remarked. “I wonder wheth
er Laura's had any luck.”
They were greeted, as they entered
Quest’s room, by a familiar little tick
ing. Quest smiled with pleasure.
"It’s the pocket wireless," he de
clared. “Let me take down the mes
sage.”
He spelled it out to Lenora, who
stood by his side:
Have joined Servants' club disguised as
your butler. Craig frequent visitor here
ten years ago, conies now occasionally.
Thursday evenings most likely time. Shall
wait here on chance of seeing him.
“flood girl, that,’’ Quest remarked.
"She’s a rare sticker, too.” >
He turned away from the instru
ment and was crossing the room to
ward his cigar cabinet. Suddenly he
stopped. He looked intently towards;
the sideboard.
“What is it?” Lenora asked. '
He did not answer. She followed
the direction of his gaze. Exaetty in,
the same spot as before repotted an .
u
r
J
V IT'
It Was. Mrs. Rhemholdt’s Necklace.
other but somewhat larger black bor.
of the same shape and material as the
previous one.
“Say. who put that there?" be de
manded.
Lenora shook her head.
“I locked the door when we went
out.” she assured him.
Quest took the box into his hands
and removed the lid. It seemed half
full of cotton-wool. On the top were
a few lines of writing and beneath,
them the signature of the parted
hands. He read the form out slowly ::
Prop all InveattRatio*. The hands thar.
return thrsc Jewels coimnatni It.
Quest sgised the cotton-wool. Be>
neath lay Mrs. Rheinholdt’B necklace?
(TO BE CONTINUED.)