The Argosy, April 1916 — page 19: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

A MYSTERY OF ROSCOE CONKLING PARK. 9 Blake shook hands with Yale and looked at him searchingly. “You don’t live in Utica now. Your father was Frederick Yale. He lived on Oneida Street, and was cashier of the ‘Oneida County National Bank.” “The same, sir,” Yale replied. “Blake,” suddenly broke in Mr. Ray- mond. ‘I want no expense spared. I want no leniency shown. Those wedding presents must be found if I send my best friends to prison.” “They will be found, Mr. Raymond.” Yale looked at Raymond with some curi- osity. There seemed to be something al- most pointed in his remarks. Then Raymond swung upon him. “Mr. Yale,” said the self-made and self- willed man, “‘you appear surprised at. my agitation. Well may you marvel at it. Others would no less. I lost, in a factory fire in Little Falls, half a million dollars in one hour, and slept like a top the rest of the night. In a Gloversville fire—I had a glove factory there—I lost two hundred thousand in the same way. In an industrial strike I lost a million. I was not broke. “Factories can be rebuilt. Strikes can be settled. More money can be made. I recuperated my losses. But who is going to replace stolen wedding presents? Tokens of love and affection from those who have known my daughter all her life and know her worth? I would rather lose a million in money than have this thing happen. Now you understand my excited condi- tion.” “Ves,” said Yale soberly, “I think I can appreciate your feelings in the matter, Mr. Raymond. But do not be too quick with suspicions.” Raymond was evidently about to make an impatient reply when Sims reappeared, and the milkionaire’s open lips closed sound- lessly. | “There is no evidence that the safe in Mrs. Raymond’s boudoir has been touched, sir. Miss Nancy is now recovered from her swoon, and Mrs. Raymond examined the contents of the safe. She told me that everything was all right.” Blake heard this, and stood a moment in deep reflection. ‘“‘Are the jewels valuable?” he asked. ‘‘As valuable, let us say, as the silver?”’ ‘Well, on the whole, more valuable,” answered Mr. Raymond. “It would take quite a collection of silverware, even of the purest, to equal in value a diamond dog collar with four rows of diamonds, and a ruby pendant.” “Who gave her that?” asked Blake sharply. “TY did—her father.” Blake mused. “It is clear,” he said, ‘that this was a planned job, and the thieves, while they knew all about the silver, did not know about the jewels. This job has been done by some one familiar with the premises, and who knew just what the table held. Let me examine that front door.” “This window was found open this morn- ing,” interposed Greenland. ‘It was closed when we retired last night.” Blake walked to the window and looked out. | CHAPTER V. YALE SPEAKS HIS MIND. "THE view that was spread before the de- tective’s inquisitorial gaze was beauti- ful, but limited. Looking down, he saw a velvet spread of closely cut lawn. Here and there well trimmed ornamental shrubs added their various shades of green. Toward the rear a maple or two showed bare limbs, with a few yellow and red leaves. In the garden were fruit trees and vines. The next house on that side was three or four hundred feet away, and could not be seen, except the upper floor and roof, the vista being cut short by a row of closely grown flowering shrubbery that stretched, as a line fence, the entire length of Mr. Raymond’s lawn. This was the side ornamented by the porte cochére, through which Blake had en- tered. The carriage path lay almost be- neath the window. Blake seemed, for a moment, about to jump out. “That won’t do,” he said to himself. might spoil a good clue.” He went from the dining-room into the hall, and to the front door. ‘Turn on the nearest light,” he said. ‘TI want to see if there are any thumb marks.”’ Sims pressed the switch, and Blake found some thumb marks. ‘““A woman—and a young one,” he said. Then, straightening up, he looked keenly at Mr. Raymond. ay MICLOOOK C©