A RING OF RASCALS.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LIII, 11 April 1908, Page 2

A RING OF RASCALS.

This glib remark fell from her red lips in a way tli&t precluded any interruption, yet both Margate andGnmshaw stared with amazement tliat alone would hare kept- them! dumb for a moment. “You don't mean, that Carter is dead,” Raid Margate. “Yes, I do,” Polly declared. “H< w do you knew?” “Oh, I got it from the* little chap I bare wheedled into, this business?,” k-aid Polly, with sinister inflection, i * “But who the devil is ho?’ “Oh, you needn’t ask who he is, ! Grim, for I’ll not toll you. I said the same when I told you ho could bo relied upon for that other job. He turn- j ed the trick all right, didn’t he? I ' know I could get him to tuna this one I ! no, also. He’s a chap that s struck on me, and I’m inclined to use him to . the best advantage —that ought to be i ' good chough for you.” • “Wali, it is, an a way.” | “He’d not do this work for me, mind you, if ho thought his identity 1 was jinown,” added Polly. “I’ve given him my word I’ll not reveal it,, and I ' reckon that’s best for all hands. He’s 1 dead gone on mo, however, and will Ido whatever I tell him. I’ll not give him away, make no mistake .about that. Lot me alone to properly c'iroot h\m, moreover, as his success. in both of these jobs and the skill with which he has covered his tracks plainly inr dieato. A thousand was the price foi the last, Grini; and I’ll expect the long green by to-morrow.” “You shall have the money, and welcome,” cried Grimshaw, ‘ the moment I’m sure the job is done. How do you know it?” “My little chap has reported,” ro- , plied Polly, with a grin. , | “Im ported what V j ‘Oh, I don’t mind making you wise to that much. I had the kid watch-

ing Margie Kendall’s house this morning, for I suspected Walton, might still be there. It’s the meat lively place,” Polly bitterly added, with an ugly gleam in her black eye®. “You know what, you promised mei, Grim., if I landed him in your hands before, the. police could nab him. - “I’ll n ake good. Polly, if you do it,” Grimshaw nodded. “We now want him badly- After the fool’s move he has made,, it would be. even better for us if we tinned ’lim down, than to have him caught by the police'. In that case, everybody would tliink him guilty, and that he had fled the country.” “That’s right, too,” said Margate, in grim approval. ‘l’ve had Slopta* looking for him all day, but with no success. He sneaked in hero to report, and is now in the kitchen I have ordered him to get rid of Lis gang, fi.i we have no further use for them. I’d give something to know where Walton is in hiding, however.” “I can tell you where lie was this meaning,” Polly asserted, with an artful leer. . “You can?” “You bet! My kid got wise to that..’ “In what way?” ‘He saw Carter sneak back of the j ’.vail with a dog,” Polly glibly eixplainI ed, still peached on the edge of the billiard-table'. ‘Carter used the dog to' follow that milk-and-water jade, who went, out in her automobile. Ho tied a, muffler under the car, saturated with something, leaving it to> drag in the read, so that the dog could follow the scent.”

“By thunder, that, was a clover trick!” cried Margate. “It early shows how necessary it is for us to turn him down,” Gnmsliaw again asserted. “That’s aliendy done, I told yon,” Polly curtly cried. “You appear’quite- surti cf it.”

“I know what the kid told me. Grim, and his word g'.e* with mo. He fol-io-wed Carter four miles, to that queer little house cn Peek’s Bluff, the on* that was built by the artist who visited the Kendalls two years ago.” “By Jcve, that’s where the girl sent him night be f:re iast.” “Sure,” nodded P-.dlv. “The kid was wise to that. Ho saw (Tarter go into the lo use, ana then .van to lis<on at the wall. Carter * found Walton there, all right, and tried to arresthim. The kid overheard all that was said.” “Then Ci.iter thought him g'.ilty of t-ho*crime?”

“Certainly. There’s ■ no. doubt of that.” ■ “Wliat followed V' Polly laughed with a sort cf vicious glee. “Walton gave him the slip in sumo way, and lit out, looking Carter in the house,” she replied “Then ho made a break for .the woods, and Hod towards the city.” “Why dida’t the. boy follow him?” Grinishaw harshly demanded. “If he had ”

“Ho did bettor,” interrupted Polly, with a shrug ‘Ho so.t the- house o.a fire ancl burne dit to the-ground, with Kick Cartel'' still in it.” “Good Hca.ven!” exclaimed Margate, turning pale. “Good work, I should call it,” was Grim show’s exultant command. “Are you sure, of this, Polly?” “As sure as if I had seen it done,” Polly quickly asserted. “I’m dead sure of the kid’s word. After setting fire to the house he started in pursuit, of Walton, trying to head him off by a

cut tluvugb the woods. He could not overtake him, however, but he’s positive that Carter did rot escape. The detective could not get cut, mind you, for there are no windows available, end the door was locked. The kid saw from a, distance that the house quickly burned to. the ground.” “By Jove, that is good news, iu-dc-ed,” Giimsha.w cried. Tf it is trwo }

“True!” interrupted Polly, with a scornful sneer, “isn’t- my word enough? There’s no doubt of it, absolutely nine. The kid wouldn’t lie to mo. 1 know Carter .must he dead, as dead as a. door-nail I’m as sure as if ”

She abruptly broke off, f-waying on tin: table as if about to-fall. The last vestige of color’ had left her cheeks. Her lips fell to twitching as if under’ convulsions, while her intense black eyes, half-starting from her head were staring w ildly towards the walk appre aching the house “Wliat’s wrong?” cried Margate, startled. “What’s the matter with you?” Polly came down from the table with a half-smothered shriek. “The dead alive—the dead alive!” she gasped, wildly pointing “Has ho has many lives as a cat? There’s Nick Carter himself!”

The erect, clean-cut figure of the famous detective was at that moment striding up the walk approaching the house

“Coming here?” Grimshaw leaped back, and with a sweep of his powerful arm forced both of his companions away from the windojv. “Get out of sight ,” he said fiercely, in frantic haste “Ho must think 'me alone hem I must know, of what his mission consists. If it threatens us — that is the opportunity wo want' —the very time to na l him !” “By thunder, that’s so,” cried Margate, black t.'iS a thunder-cloud. “Join Sic per in the kitchen, Seth,’* Grimshaw hurriedly continued. “Get some ropes from the laundry, and have them ready. Not a move until you hear from me, however. Not a ' sound!”

“I’m wise.,” hurrying from the room.

“You step into -the dining-room, Polly, rnd lie low until I join you. I’ll lot yiu out. of the house after I admit him. 'That will account for your team at the gate. He’ll have no reason to doubt that I m alone here 1 . Not a sound, mind you.” “Trust me, Grim. I’m no* fool,” sneered Polly, as cool as before. The sharp ringing of the. bell precluded further instructions.

Grimshaw lingered only till sure they had hern obeyed then strode through the house and ‘ opened the front dccr. Nick Carter, waiting on the steps, did not quite fancy the look on his hard, smoothly shaven fuc-e. CHAPTER XIV. A FIRST SUSPICION. There was a very good reason for Nick Carter’s call upon Grimshaw, which may bo stated before proceeding to narrate the incidents following his unexpected a nival. It was nearly four o'clock that, afternoon, when Nick left the Kendall residence after his interview: with Walton and Marjorie, and he at once headed for the Albany, the only first-class hotel m the city. On, his way there lie met Chick, whom he sent in search of Patsy, and at hall-part four all three were seated i in the parlor of Nick’s suite. There he quickly informed them of what had occurred since morning, which had shed so much light on the case, and now lad him to vary the work he had assigned his two assistants. Chiek, reported, moreover, that ho could lcain nothing about Allison’s movement; during the two weeks before the murder; while Patsy, who had been >L; wing Sh igor, stated that the burly i >.r.: an was doing nothing move than leafing about the low saloons <;n fche> wat..'.-trout, tliat his motley gansr of followers laid disappeared, and that the excitement over the strike appeared to have abated “That shows plainly enough,” said Nick, “that Sloper has already accomplished some scheme for which lie was employed, and there is no longea’ any need to incite riot. I think I can guess what the scheme was.’ “A design to lynch Walton, and get liim out of the way ?” quedied Chick. ' “Precisely.” “That’s my idea.” “Sloper and his gang started iii to do,that on the nijrht of the murder,” said ‘Nick, with assurance. “He was hired to do it by persons whose aim was to silence Walton, and fix the crime upon him. so effectively that the dr own guilt should not be, suspected.” “It looks so l , surely.” . “The letter’ sent to Walton, by which he w r as lured to the club-house, convinced me of tliat.” “Yet Allison wrote-the letter,” observed Chick suggestively. “You mean that it is signed by Allison,” corrected Nick pointedly. “I shall verify that letter a little later. Walton has allowed me to' keep it. It may be a ffrgcry.” “Allison states in it tliat. he wanted to hide the fact that he was here in the city,” Chick added. “His going to the club-house in disguise seems to indicate that he wrote the letter.” “All that is reasonable enough, Chick, yet there is still something under the surface”

“Seane mystery in connection with Allison?” “Yes, and this letter. The various discoveries I have made today convince me of one, thing, at least.” “What is that, -Nick ?” - “There is a ring of superior rascals engaged in some kind of a crafty game, the precise! nature of -which I have not yet learned. That remains to be discovered. It wjll not do to strike at them too hurriedly, however, last theyve their, tracks so wdl covered that we might fail to make a, case against them. Wo must,first know the whole truth, or very near that.”. _ “That’s the proper caper,” Chick approvingly nodded. “Have you any clue to their identity?” “Yes I’ll toll you how I arrived at it The murder of Allison show's that his death was essential to the rascally game I have mentioned; regardless of wliat it may consist. l r ot he cannot have anticipated anything like being murdered when, he went to the clubhouse, despite wliat he says in that letter and tire fact that ho went there in disguise. There was some other reason tor his wearing that- disguise. Chick, word for it Wo may safely assume, therefore, that he was duped and deceived in some crafty way by persons in whom he had confidence.” “That, appears logical, Nick,” Chick a&sonted. “New, here’s the point,,” added Nick. “The murder could not have been safely committed w’hile the janito'i, or any of the members of the cl i.b, went about the house.”

“Certainly not” “Them-iff must have been planned by persons having access to the house, pre-.umably members of the club, who knew just when the house would bo deserted, barring the presence of the janitor.” “That’s so, surely.” . “Yet the janitor has a room in the house, and is nearty * always there,’ continued Nick. “It.was necessary, then, to get him out of tlie way. 1 hat -was done by enc of the club mom rers, who insisted upon going out to play jrolf ” • w «oh by Jove 1” exclaimed Cluck interrupting. “That was done by Mr Julius CraigCi —you suspect him of being one of this ring of rascals. (To be Continued.)