THE HATE THAT KILLS

Auckland Star, Volume XLVIII, Issue 245, 13 October 1917, Page 18

THE HATE THAT KILLS

_5y NICHOLAS CARTER.

CHAPTER X. A FROMISING THREAD. Nick Carter's instructions to Patsy Garvan were, as usual, followed to the letter. That is to say, of course, up to a point at which he was to act upon his own judgment, based upon what he might learn, which amounts to the same thing. Patsy's firet endeavour was to hunt up j the store in which had been purchased! the inflammable material with which Olive Red field's home had been set on fire, as suspected by Nick, and of which Patsy had the fragment found by the; detective when they first visited the; scene. Ten o'clock that morning found Patsy in a store in Pearl Street, one in which I such material was sold, and one of the' list of licensed vendors with which Chief! Watson had provided him. I "We sell very little of that stuff." said j one of the firm with whom Patsy was talking after stating his mission. "I will see whether any charge has been made on the books, or whether either clerk lias made a cash mi!c 0 f any of the material." Patsy thanked him. ami waited. "Well, you appear tv lit ill right," smiled tiie proprietor, rctuini-ig after a few moments. "That s,>. sir!" 5.v..! Patsy, brightening, for lie had begun to fear that hi. ipicst might prove futile. "You hay recently sold some of the stun"?" "Three days ag.i" "To .\ horn?" 'The buyer was a stranger. He made i the purchase .fl' one of the cierks. -Mr.! Kelsey. and paid cash." "Did he tak.- away the packages?" "No. It was shipped by express." "Where?" "To an express ofli.-e in Rrookline. The package was marked .lame. Bailey, with instructions that it should be held a. tne Brookline express office until called for." "1 understand." nodded Patsy. "Did you cpe the buyer?" "I did not." smiled the merchant. "I think Kelsey is the only person who saw him" "May T talk with Kelsey for a few moments'" "Yes. certainly." Mr. Kelsey was not long in putting in • i appearance, and Patsy then questioned him a.-, :,, tlie quantity of material purchase!, an 1 whether the buyer was known by the clerk. "Not at all," sai I Kelsey, replying to the last query. "He was a total stranger." "I would like a description of him." "Certainly. 1 remember him distinctly. He is a large, iinely-propor-tioned man, about forty years old. He has a medium complexion and wavy, dark-brown hair " "Does he wear a beard?" "No. He has strong features, and is quite a distinguished-looking man. There was only one thing about him that I did not quite fancy," Kelsey added. ".Vnat was that?" Patsy inquired. "His eyes." "What about them?" "Shifty," said Kelsey tersely. "He didn't look straight at mc. *In other respects, however, he appeared to be all right." Patsy saw that he could learn nothing more from the clerk, nor from the proprietor, and he thanked both and departed. Something like half an hour later ho entered the quarters of the Rrookline Express Company, to which the suspected goods had been sent He found the manager and one of the local drivers seated on a couple of boxes in the back of the large room. "Hello, gents." he said familiarly. "I m looking for a man who had a package brought here three days ago. it »■_. marked .Jumps Railey, to be .eld until called for. Do you remember The office manager replied, sharply e\ eing him. "What about it?" he asked, a bit gruffly. "Nothing wrong, wis there?'' "That's what I'm out to learn." "And who might you be?" "Well. I might be Woodrow himself, but I'm not," said Patsy, smiling. "I'm working out a lead for a New York detective. You may have heard of him. His name is Kick Carter." "Who hasn't?" "If you have any doubt about it, ring up Chief Watson, Pcmberton Square, Roston, and I'll convince you I'm on the level," Patsy glibly added." The manager laughed. "I guess you're all right," he replied. "Yes, 1 remember the package. It cane from Clifford and Patten, and was called for by a big man, with a smooth face, the same evening." "Know anything more about him?" "No more than I know about you. Less, in fact, after what you have told mc. What's the trouble?" "Fire case," said Patsy tersely. "Was the man alone?" "Yes. He came in about eight o'clock and lugged out the package. He appeared to be all right, and Hold on! I can give you a tip, perhaps." "What's that?" "I noticed leather gloves and a pair of goggles protruding from hie coat pocket," said the manager. "Those smacked of having arrived in a motor car. There's a big garage in the next street. You might learn something by going round there." "Good for you, sir, and many thanks," 6aid Patsy. "I'll take a chance in that direction. Much obliged to you." "Don't mention it. First corner to the right." Patsy turned the said corner a little later and saw the broad, open door of the garage on the opposite side of the street. He sauntered over and found a man in rubber boots and apron, engaged in washing a big touring car. "Hello!" .aid Patsy, tendering a cigar. "Same to 3'ou," said the man, accepting it. "You know what that means, don't you?" inquired Patsy, smiling. "Sure!" nodded the other. "You want to know something." "Right." '"Come across. What's it about?" "'A car that was hired from this place, or left here for a time, three evenings ago." "flood enough. T've got you." "You remember it?" "Sure. 1 washed it for the man so he could leave the same night. Got a dollar for the joh. He came in about one o'clock the next morning, and drove away." "Quite a big fellow, smooth shaved?" "That's the man." "Know anything about him?" "Nope. Never saw him before." "What kind of ji caiJ-ftd hfi-"'

"A big liinoi_.ine, two years old. A hired car, unless he is the owner of the garage it came from." "Do you know where it came from?" questioned Fatsy. "You bet I know," grinned the other. "I've got the license number and a book showing the owner's name. It came from a place called Barrington. quite a run from here. The owner's name is Gideon Small. He runs a stable and garage at Barrington. I got that from the book." "Say, old chap, have another cigar," said Patsy, laugh.ng and producing a couple and forcing both upon his informant —using what little force was necessary. "Thanks, old man," laughed the other. "Did the driver of the car arrive and leave alone?"' "He did." "Ilow long was he here?" "About four hours." "l.et mo have the license number, will \ott." i_skml Patsy. "Sure thing" replied the man. dropping the hose and turning otT the water. ■('..mc into flic office. I've got a record cf it. I'm obliged to keep a record, you 1 now." "ats-y knew i;. of course, and he was ". >t lonjj in >il-*.;i '.riiii-r the informa t : o-i In- wanted. He knew, too, that both Nick and ( ! i. 1, in-:-', have lell Norton hy t l.r time, ard that lie could not easily comir mutate with either. "Its a case of follow up ."no tin—id," he s-.id to himsell. after lcavin. tne j_.ir:,.-_e "I must lie on the track o" .he lire bu.'. sill right, or a rascal who emp i\ed Minir one rise to do the job ami get uitav with the kid. If more than one. they may have crme to Boston tn t .* limousine, md ii.e-.l it for carrvmg off the youniMer. Both may have rosne fn.rn B.r.inrrtnn. in tl'-t case, and tli-r—;V win if I'm likely to liiui them. "Ten miles iron ( ragdon. as I remember Olive P.edfield to' have said. That will t:ikr mc pretty close to I i 11.'.. ..:,.I -i, thief. *■: it's Barrington tc .- u.i-.ie. I'll '.like i--.uk to the Tourariv _i.O send my suit ra.;c by expres?. A ilii..u>.e. or two. ,ii"; a gun. are ai. I mi., foi a starter after arriving l_c.'\" Thiw it was thnt t'atsy l.aryan picked up .. promihing tun ad. one thnt lnnd-'.l him in Bnrrington on the same evening t;.:-t Nick Carter v_ trd Dexter RediicLl. ami nfterwanl fell in with Pete Crowley nn I tin* millionaire' "long-absent son. (To be continued Saturday next.)