Argosy All-Story Weekly, January 21, 1922 — page 128: what you’re looking at

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

<a by | Carolyn Wells rm" Author of * Vicky Van,” “Tracing the Shadow,” etc. CHAPTER XIII. © WHERE IS NORTH? end. His wits were of the finest type and had always stood him in good stead; but he had reached their limit, at least regarding this present case. Baffling was too mild a word for it. Un- canny it was not, for there was no hint or evidence of anything supernatural in the taking off of Lawrence North. He was a big, strong personality, and he had gone out of that house by natural means, whether voluntarily or not. That is, of course, if he zad gone out of the house. Wise was inclined to think he had, but Rodney Granniss still held to the possibili- ty of some concealed room—perhaps a dun- geon, where the mysterious disappearances could -be effected. Wise paid no attention to Granniss’s opinions, not from any ill will toward the young man, but because he had concluded to his own satisfaction that there was really no space for a concealed room in the house. North had come up there for the pur- pose of helping him look for such a matter, and North had agreed that it could not be. Pre« INGTON WISE was at his wits’ Now North himself was gone, carried off, yet the mere phrase, “ carried off,” seemed to Wise incongruous. Could North have been carried off with- out making noise enough to rouse the sleep- ing household? It was incredible! Before discussing the matter with Minna, or calling the local police again, Wise went to the bedroom North had occupied and locked himself in. “Tf I can’t tell,” he said to himself, “whether that man was kidnaped or whether he sneaked himself off—yet why would he do such a thing as that? My des- peration over this puzzle is leading my mind astray.” Carefully, without touching a thing, Wise considered the state of the room. The bed had been occupied, and, it was quite evident, had been hastily quitted. The coverings were tossed back over the footboard, and the pillow still bore the im- press of a head. On the dresser lay North’s collar and tie, and beneath the pillow Wise discovered his watch and a handkerchief. Clearly, the man had gone in haste. On the small table lay some sheets of paper and a pencil. These papers were some that they had used the night before This story began in the Argosy-Allstory Weekly for December 31. 118 comicloool C©