Activate Javascript or update your browser for the full Digital Library experience.
Previous Page
–
Next Page
OCR
7
. came to me from W
It. was, just barely turning. over, and
aligmed. , ' ' '
woods shielded my approach to
the place and I gained the shelter of the
porch fully confident that I had not been
seen. The lront door was open disclos-
lug a well-furnished living room. I got
an impression of oak panels, oak beams
in the ceiling and a great tireplacs in
ar wall with 3 log fire blazing
brightly in it. ' .
For several minutes I stood and us.
'crackHne of the are the house was si-
lent. Somewhat puzzled I ma e 3 air-
cuit oi’ the premises, peering cautiously
into every window and listeningat every
increase as
progressed. A dining-room, heyond the
ving-room was likewise deserted. de-
spite a table freshly set, resplendent in
polished silver and gleaming napery.
the steam still ris
to partake of the meal were nowhere in
evidence.
< In >the kitchen, also silent and de.
sorted. in coiree-pot bubbled on a coal
range. . ut no cook or 5 pm or a cook.
was to be seen The aflnir had taken
on an uncanny aspect. was the least
0! Barmecldes with reverse English.
I mounted from rainbsrrel to the
lmlg. sloping roof of the rear porch, and
thence gingerly thru 3 window e
nder the bed and peered into
2. clothes closet without finding evidence
of recent occupation. The bed linen was
clean and freshly Statched. but the
closet was bar .
ram there I stepped into is short hall.
way and so on two othefbedrooins.
They were em t The sloping walls or
'tne.upper rooms told plainly that there
was no an e place, so I tiptned
downstair -
I went thru the rooms on the ilrst iloor
now with assurance desp e the
uncanny atmosphere. Then I stood for
3 long time with my back to the wel-
come wsrmth at the tire, drying my
sodden clothes and enjoying the tingle
it sent thru my 4: ‘led
If I could get ‘action 110 other way I
Could I be sure that.J:iuet really had
been taken to this house and s
away again. leaving the 17 a
good ship Maris Celeste. round deserted
with all sails Set. I should not remain
at minute. But I had no way of telling.
Perhaps they had changed their minds.
had brought her here.
su y eye lighted upon a
bit of cloth over a in a shado y
corner t the lning-room where he
roast had ceased to olu-Al ran toward
s
was a mouse-colored little coat
-scarcely-larger than B. child's. I felt
a lump growing in my throat.
x It was Janet's coat. Rocco had broupzht
her here and had aken ho!’ away again
While I taxed my dull brain with the
puzzle be had left me to solve-
CHAPTER XII.
:l‘liE WRAITII IN THE STORM.
i opened the front door Just wide
enough to permit the passage -of my
body and crawled across the porch on
my hands and knees, unwilling to risk
So tar as sny
a rilis shot in the dark.
CHICAGO
movennnt in tho rringe of woods about
I
sured when I reached the car.
glne was s turning over and the
wheels had not sunk percuptibly in tho
ooze. '
I was in the seat behind the wheel
and on the point or letting in the clutch
when the ca. came to ma
must lie 3. continuation of the path thru
the woods on the other side
o had come 11.1), cur. Ills
plane about, which argued
that he must have gone away in t. But
he hurl not passed me on the path or ill
the boulevard.
Acting on impulse I dropped’in the
clutch, gave the car gas as quietly as
possible and drove carefully toward tim
house anca proved that I
had Liven correct in part of my guess at
east. A. path, plainly Visible even in
the ruin, led from the rear of the house
into the woods.
I followed it. recklessly.
nly'chance. knew. could bring lilo
into Contact Wiin Rocco again. but the
the path led all the way lhrll the tlmln-er
plot it must eventually reach the lion!-
rose g way, which paralleled Perry
boulevard along the North Shore. If my
search of the Iornsl: met With no succcss
and I reached the highway in safety I
intended to drive sis quickly ss possible
back to town and pick up 3. husky police-
man of my acquaintance.
The going thru the woods was peril-
nder and la consla danger
and more than once threatened to spill
me bodily.
1 do not know how 1 held to the unit.
It would have been ill gh in
utes be ore
rain had increased un 1 it resembled a
loudburst, falling in sheets that oh-
scurea the path four feet ahead or me. '
found a. break in the fence at length
and darted thru it. I slid down a. clay-
bank, 0 an nspha pave-
is
succeeded in stopping the (‘or
of direction had received a severe Bl'lO('l(.
I proceeded as speedily as the condi-
tion or the road permitted toward where
n hour w
thickly and I
which should lie along the ran to town
d
were ahsent. Still I kellt I1.
.ould have lost In way in my slide down
the bank and i to the 8 d n it onto
occ t me until I clattered over un
lnterurban track that had no business
' - ws and swun bout nn
unforrneen curve into What appeared to
be the main strcrt at A suburban village.
recognized the place as Avondalv.
and realize with a shock tha
Q
to
'1
m
5
en
:7
E.
m
n.
n
arousing the proprietor of a. garage and
prevailing on him to sell me some gaso-
‘ne and give me in directions. is
part of in plan railed. The telephone
operator announced that the wires were
and so the police remained in
ignorance.
Ten minutes later I was flying across
Montmse highway with the rain at my
back, vainly endeavorlng to make up lor-
I noticed. with chagrin. the spot where
I had skidded down the road, but im-
9
me all ed th spot as
wel ht seemed to have ll oi! y
mind. I had lost time, true enough, but
moving irom one part of the road to an-
h
Presently I rants close enough to
d to the other
effort to determine something more about
the traveler.
-tut 1 saw no more of him. The road
stopped
I t y.
allzlng as I did so that delays were
LEDGER ,’
dangerous. Somehow an instinct was
warning me that lwre was an important
link in the chain that held me to tho
1 and I could
I‘:
ot uvu gone on ll :1 I wish
V i y 1 8Enl'Ll'lI.'d tor the iracks the
person mus have left in mg the
road for the woods be do it IVhen I
finally climbed bark
resume journey it was
feeling that I had nllowed an important
clew to slip away.
9:
39
CHAPTER XIII. ,
THE VANISIIED NANSE.
OIIN BITIIKE was llound to me by no
nth:-r tie than that he guill9d traffic
Isl. I park croilsiilit near Mrs. Brennan’:
and than I had spoken frequently to him
there. I had seen him again at a gym-
nasium in the city where he spent much
of 'his leisure sparring with alleged
pugilists.
It was to Illis gymnasium I headed all
soon as I found myself back in tow
again. It dill not occur to me that [he
g .9 I
policeman might not care to accompany
lie was 01'! duty. t
sure. but to a policeman who nnds his
e nn adventure the possibilities or
my chase would umerous.
I didn't tell him too much about (176
case. I stated merely that is rough churn
at-ier had kldnaped Janet Roberts. brinxc
ing the tale [Q a climax with the inn
The house decided him. While he I16
(ll'Q!BlIIgv‘Wi'IiCl1 Wasn't long-I go! “flu
Brennan on the wire and told her i'.0
Burke was no Sherlock Holmes. Ho
was a. policeman at the olil-rashiortd.
sort. a. roundsnmn hired for bulk rather
lhan brains. But he had
plement or gray matter none the lesm
Ile manifested it chiefly in the sptnesc
and infreqiiency of his questions. Very
likely c suspected that there was msro
to the also than I had told hlmest any
rstg tlic-ru was the vrospect or a. real
tight. the rescue of is beautiful girl, Lila
stormln of n c e in n forest-sll tr
romantic things that I policeman dreams
‘I Pretty Teetli ‘
are mined during sleep
When you retire with a 51m on
your teeth. it may all night long do
damage.
Film is that viscous coat you feel.
It clings to teeth, gets between the
teeth and stays. The tooth lJl’I1Sl1
does not remove it all.
That lilrn causes most tooth
troubles. so millions find that well-
brushed teeth discolor and decay.
How’ film I destroys
Film absorbs stains and makes the
teeth look dingy. It is the basis of
tartar. It holds food substance which
ferment: and forms acid. It holds
the acid in contact with the teeth to
cause decay. '
Millions of germs breed in it. They,
with tartar, are the chief cause at
pycrrhea. .
Few escape its damage. [So dental
science has for years been seeking
a film combatant
New methods found
Now way: have been found to fight
film and film c&’:cts. Able authori-
ties have proved them. ,The ways are
combined in a dentifrice called Pep-
sodcnt. Leading dentists everywhere
advise it. And millions of people
every day enjoy its benefits.
.Watch it for ten days
This offers you '3 10-Day Tube.
Get it and watch its eiiects.
Each use of Pepsodent brings live
desired effects. The film is attacked
in two edicicrlt ways.
It multiplies the salivary How. It
‘multiplies the starch digestant in the
saliva,-to digest starch deposits that
cling. It multiplies the alkalinity. of
the saliva: to neutralize the acids
which cause tooth decay. '
It also keeps teeth so highly pol-
ished that him cannot easily adhercu
l 9A1'.0l'fs
2%]: 5: ea en ,
The New-D'ay Dentifrlce
A scientific film combatant corn-
liined with two:ot.her modern req-
uisites. Now advised by leading
dentists everywhere and supplied
by all clruggiats in large tubes.
These Sve eEects, attained twice
‘ daily. have brought to millions a new
era in teeth cleaning. .
Send the coupon for the 10-Day
Tube. Note how clean the teeth feel
after using. Mark the absence of the
viscous him. See how teeth white:
as the Elm-coat disappears.
. Judge by what you see and feel.
Our book will tell the reasons. This
is too important to neglect. Cut out
the coupon now. ,
10-Day Tube Free ”‘
THE PEPSODENT COMPANY.
Dept. 333. 1104 S. Wabash Ave,
Chicago, Ill.
Mail 10-Day 'lN:be of Pcpsodent to
only on (Ibo lo a hull,
i‘ “‘,;";,. - ....,
. wan-
.-.... . H V ‘
