AT FACE VALUE

Auckland Star, Volume XLI, Issue 135, 9 June 1910, Page 8

AT FACE VALUE

BY NICHOLAS CARTER, Author of "A Fatal Falsehood," "Kend rick's Pledge," "An Elusive Knave,"

"The Crime of a Countess," "Sealed Or ders," etc.

CHAPTER XXI. CARTER'S .RUSE.

' s"he incidents last described transpired in -the early evening. It was half-past six when Chick Carter tfsll into the hands of Martin Cole and hl3 eon federates.

It was nearly an hour earlier when Kick Garter, having craftily learned that Jane Adams was alone in "the Ballister house, forced his way into the hall and thrust his revolver under the woman's nese, merely to convince her that le meant business. Nick felt, as a matter of fact, even more aggressive than he appeared. He was anxious -concerning his several assistants. He felt sure some evil had befallen xhem, that their lives might depend upon a speedy move on his part; and it was this anxiety that hastened his adoption of a ruse born of the mysterious feature of the case and his recent distrust of Tom Ballister, who had supervised the building of the Horton residence. Kick reasoned that there might be a secret passage between the two houses. Ec knew that such a hidden way might iave been secretly constructed, if Ballis-t-er and the builders, with the help ol one or two masons and carpenters, capable of -skilfully doing the work, had conspired together to so vary the architect's plans as to take in a secret passage, the opening of which might be artfully concealed. Nick knew that Horton's vast house, Trith its numerous rooms and stairways and massive walls, was especially well adapted to such an innovation. He reasoned, too, that designing knav«, bent upon ■committing one vast mysterious robbery, could not have selected a more promising victim than this multimillionaire, and that they could well afford to have -waited even a number of years in order to make one grand scoop when his louse was filled with wealthy guests, ir.viag with fchein vast quantities of valuable jewels. Having deduced this shrewd theory from the evidence and circumstances he had discussed with Chick that morning, Kick was now proceeding with characteristic confidence in his deductions. He was determined to locate such a passanp . if one existed. Lest a search for it might prove vain, however, he had also put out an anchor to the windward —the ru=e mentioned. He suspected tliat his interview with Horton in the latter's library had betn overheard by one of the gang, thus enabled, evidently, to secure botii Ida Jones and Patsy. Hβ thought that the eavesdropper might have been Tom Ballister himself, and that he had accomplished it -by. .xhe means mentioned. _ Assuming he was risht. Nick shrewdly reasoned that Ballister would resort to the samemeaiE, if given a like incentive. The incentive, as may be inferred, vr&s to be Nick's automobile, with Jason in ■ charge, waiting in front of the Horton residence. If sren there by Ballister, he very naturaily would assume that Nick was in the house, that he was discussing the recent crimes, 'his views and -his designs ■with Horton, presumably in the same room, the latters library; and very naturally, then, he might attempt to overhear the interview by; the .same means as before. If the -attempt was made, Nick designed that there should be only one obstacle in She . way—himself. : li_was with a determination that would I Jiot-brqok the slightest opposition, there- j fore, that he confronted Jane Adams in the hall, making her angular face a _ghastly grey -when she beheld his revolver. " Mercy!" she gasped, catching her breath. "" Don't shoot; Take anything in the 'house —but don't shoot!" " You keep quiet, then," Nick bluntly said, at the same time removing his disguise and thrusting it into his pocket. "Goodness! Youre —you're Detective Carter?" '" Tha.fs who and what." - •" Thank Heaven! I feared you were a thief, some desperate robber." Though she spoke as. if relieved, Nick detected a subtle gleam in the woman's gray eyes, and he drew a correct' conclusion—that she was Ballister's confederate, that she knew all there was to be known, that she at once had suspected 3iis mission, and was prepared to thwart it, if craft and cunning would serve that end. •'I guess you weren't much alarmed," 2\ick curtly said. "L«ad the way into the library. Be quick about it, too." "But " '"There aren't any buts, madam. Do ■what I say, or 1 shall arxest you and start you on a trip to police headquarters at a rate of speed that will take away j'ouT breath." ""Arrest mc?" protested the woman, :while leading the way. "For what, Detective Carter? What have I done?" 2\ick did not answer her until they had entered the room, in which a lamp on the library table had already been lighted. He thrust her to a chair near it, taking another, and then said sharply, —noting-the ugly frown-that had. settled On her face: ".Looks dont cut any ice with mc, madam. 1 want the truth, out of you, and I'm going to have it. Where is Ballister this evening?" "I don't know," was the Teply sullenly made. "He never tells mc where he's going." ■'"Don't you know when he'll return? , "No." "He'il return before midnight, won't "I don't know anything about it." "Then, why did you light this lamp, End the hall?" "I always light them—in case he comes in." "Oh, you do, eh? What's your name?" •j, "Jane Adams." 'j "Anj' relation to Ballister?" ; , "N:o; I'm only liis housekeeper." "Since when?" " '"Since he moved in here." '"Then you ought to know all that's ibeen going on here," Kick said pointedly, with added austerity. "Now, take a tip from mc, and tell the whole truth. It may save you a term behind prison bars." '•The truth about what?" Jane deaiaaded, -frowning darkly at him, and -displaying "a loyalty to Ballister that -was -worthy of a much better cause. "I don't lEow what yotrmean. The truth about Ijwhat?" L_x:

".." 1 "About tiie.-Horion robbery, the mar"der.oi hena.Tha.jei, the abduction of Alice Ordway, and about 'tie gang of - Jkiiaves by whom these crimes were com-■~aßitted;"-Nipk" 3aid sternly. "I know considerable, enough... "t'oultimately land them, but-i jyish-to know the whole Srasincss. -Talcevfije tip I -have given you, if you're wise: You inform mc, Mrs. £dams, and save yourself."

The -woman,-' shook her head.

stiE- scowling, -^irgirJdy

"Youmean that you know nothing?" "That's just what I mean." '•'And it's the truth?"

"If you. know anything at all about them, Mr. Garter, you know more than I. do," she decidedly said.

"I wouldn't lie about such serious matters," Jane declared, yet Nick detected a covert leer in her squinted eyes.

"You -wouldn't, eh?" "Mr. Ballister is all right, sir, as far as I know."

"Then I may be wrong," said Nick, with caustic dryness. "In that ease 1 should have no business here. Would 3 r ou si.an a paper, Mrs. Adams, stating that' you know absolutely nothing about these crimes?"

Hoping thus to get rid of him, not versed in the tricks of detectives, Jane Adams nodded quickly and cried:

"1 would, sir, of course. I'd sign any thing of that kind."

"Take a pen, then, and write what I dictate," Nick commanded, rising and standing beside her chair. "Here is one and a sheet' of paper."

The woman went into the net as a ' hungry fish darts into a pond. She took the pen, drew nearer the table, and prepared to write the words Nick dictated. He noticed that her hands were steady, one gTa-s'ping the pen, the other resting on the blank sheet of paper. He admired the nerve she was displaying —yet felt sure she was a liar and a crook. "I hereby certify that I, Jane Adams, housekeeper in the employ of Mr. Thomas Ballister. know nothing whatever about " Nick dictated the above, and "the woman wrote it—but wrote no more. Both hands of the detective were suddenly stretched over her bowed shoulders. They hovered above 'her for an instant. A sharp, metallic click sounded on the air, and the hands of Jane Adams were confined in manacles. She dropped the pen and sprang up Tv-hen she felt' the chill of the steel around her wrists, and turned a distorted, half-frightened face upon him, -with eyes ablaze. "What's this?" she hoarsely cried. "Take them off! What do you mean by it? :, "'lt means that I have no time to waste with a woman whose every word is a lie," Nick sternly said. "I wanted a specimen of your writing, that I may leave a note for Ballister that you might have refused to pen. Do you wish to change the statements you have made? A confession may still save you from the severe penalty which- " "'Confession be hanged! I've got nothing to confess." "Very well." "Do what you like, the devil take you! You'll get nothing from mc." The woman's faith in Ballister's ability was greater even than her fear of the detective. She thought Nick was bluffing, that he really had no definite evidence, that he was aiming to frighten her and evoke what she was employed to conceal; and for these reasons she refused the offer he made to her—and thus sealed her own doom. Nick thrust 'her back into the chair, and drew from his pocket a large, neatly folded handkerchief of black silk. Before Jane Adams fairly caught sight of it, he chipped it over her mouth and tied it securely at the back of her head. The moment had passed when confession might save her —she no longer could speak. ' The ugly gleam in Nick's eyes had increased in intensity. Each step he was taking seemed to confirm his suspicions, and served to clinch his firm determination. He now moved more rapidly, apprehending that" Ballister might return at any moment. He cut both weight cords from a window, and with one of them secured Jane's arms, drawing 'her elbows j •back of her and so binding them that | her hands were held close to her waist by the manacles, rendering them utterly powerless. The other cord he thrust into his pocket. Taking the pen she 'had dropped and another sheet of paper, Nick then wrote j the following note, so closely imitating! the woman's writing that it would defy ordinary inspection: "Mr. Ballist'e-r, —I'm going to quit. A certain party was here again late this afternoon, the same who called this morning, and I'm getting frightened. Don't blame mc because I leave without further notice. If things look right around here to-morrow, 111 re-turn for what garments lam leaving. The party didn't say what he wanted, but asked where you could be found. I didn't like his looks, and am getting out from under. You'd better watch out. —Jane." Kick Carter merely folded this brief-'not-e and placed it conspicuously on the inkstand. "He'll get a move on, I reckon, after reading that," he said to himself. "Parj ticularly if he has seen my auto, and i thinks mc in conference with Horton. Now to size up the basement and get rid of this jade. Then let the rascal come —the sooner the better." . . . Though Nick was not aware of it, Ballister already was on the way. Having destroyed the paper Jane Adams had written, Nick turned the library lamp a little lower, then took t-he arm of the scowling woman and forced her to accompany him. He put out a light that was burning in the kitchen. With his flash lamp he then located a cellar door and led the. •woman down a flight of wooden stairs, closing the door before they descended. Taking no needless risk of discovery by lighting the basement, Nick continued to use only his flash lamp. He found the cellar to be of moderate size, with coal bins, a steam heater, a large icebox, and with a laundry adjoining it at the rear. Without -delay, using the second piece of window cord, Nick tied the woman's feet together and placed her in the laundry, so securing her that "she" could neither escape nor make any noise likely to be heard. He then closed and locked the foundry door and began an inspection of the cellar.

He was a weird figure, moving stealthily to and fro, dimly revealed in a gloom broken only by the fleet beam from the flash larap, an arrow of light that darted here and there with startling rapidity, when not directed upon some particular spot that Nick wished to examine.

He confined itis search to the foundation waiTabutting the Horion. estate, and to the cement floor near. it. The wall was of cut stone and well constructed. In no part of it could Nick find any evidence of a break, no sign of a skilfully constructed secret door.

After a considerable search, however, Nick made a discovery that clinched his suspicion—the gleam of a ■ tiny particle on the floor, visible in' the 'bright ray from the flash lamp.

Crouching to make a closer inspection, he discovered —several atoms of glistening black sand. "Ha! these certainly settle it, by Jove!" he muttered exultantly. "They're the end of the trail of sand —a few particles that must have dropped from Ida's pocket, that must have remained there even after she was brought from the Horton house. Otherwise, they could not possibly be here. She must have been brought here. A secret passage must exist, then, and I'll find it, by Jove, or " Nick's muttered remarks ended a-bruptly. Intently listening all the while, he now heard sounds from above—the closing of a door, the quick, heavy tread of a man in the house. With features turned hard as flint, a face grim and threatening enough, yet only feebly expressing his actual feelings, Nick Carter stole back of the nearest coal bin and waitpd. listening with strained cars, in a gloom no longer broken by his lantern. He heard the sanio heavy tread in the library, noticed the abruptness with which it ceased for an interval, and he rightly inferred that the letter on the inkstand had been discovered and was being read. Several minutes passed, during which Nick listened vainly. Then suddenly the same tread sounded in the rear hall. A door was hurriedly opened. The snap of a switch key reached Nick's ears, and a flood of* electric light instantly filled the cellar. Down the wooden stairs, carrying in one hand a dark lamp, and in the other a drawn revolver, with his face hard set and eyes gleaming with the terible light Chick so recently Tiad seen in them, came the man for whom Nick was waiting— Tom Ballister! (To be continued daily.)