Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 238 — page 6: what you’re looking at

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

I : | Py pie! qo epee - ©. t 6 ~_-- -- — —— Josette had been specially engaged to wait upon Miss Crystol. ‘“So L have at once a mystery!” exclaimed the jaunty maid to herself, while one band closed upon a gold dollar in the pocket beneath her ‘In the hall, when I come from the errand, I have meet the mademoiselle. From my head, from my back, she take quick the hood, the cloak, and in my hand the money falls, and she say: ‘I am so sick—I have to re- tire—I go to my room—I sleep—[ must see no- body—you understand, Josette? Ha, ha, ha! But I have pleasure in mysteries! How well she know, by my eyes, I am the devoted ser- vant of mademoiselle. I shall guard away the intruder from the bedroom of my mistress, for she been so sick she retire; she wish to see no- body.” And with an amused chuckle the sly Josette turned the key on the inside of the door, and went about preparing the change of robe for her mysterious mistress when the latter should show herself. For Edna Crystol was not in her room at all; nor was she there until a very, late hour. Of all the servants in the household Josette was the only one awake, and the maid was descending the stairs with some apprehension that ber wis- tress had been locked out, when Edna appeared like an apparition, coming from the basement. Noiselessly they reached the sleeping-apart- ment, Edna was breathing fast with excitement. ‘* Josette,” Yes, mademoiselle.” “Not a word of this, if you value your situa- tion and my favors.” ““Tf mademoiselle have not mention made her- self, already I had forgotten.” The stillness of midnight reigned over the city. Soundly sleeping in his luxurious bed-chamber lay Girard Ardway. He dreamed, and his visions were those of a man whose mind is at ease and friendship with the world. As the minutes passed, however, he became restless in his sleep. There was something in the air surrounding which transmitted an om- inous sensation to his brain. Presently, with a start in every limb, he awoke— Awoke to be confronted by a terror! The light burned dimly. By its uncertain halo he :awa sight that might well drive the blood in a cbill centering to bis heart. At his bedside was a dominoed figure. One of its arms was raised aloft, and in a black- gloved hand was poised a gleaming knife. But there was more than the mere presence, withits threatening attitude, torivet the gaze of Girard Ardway and for a second stupefy him with amazement. It was the face he saw towering over him— staring, glaring, turned immobilely upon him —the face of a huge, wide-eyed, drooping-beaked owl! A ery that was a shriek broke from his lips. He essayed to leap from the bed, but, ere he could relieve himself of the covers the nonde- script grappled bim, and the knife flashed. There was a dull thud, followed by a groan of agony. CHAPTER VI. , AN ASTOUNDING CIRCUMSTANCE. Royat Arpway bound:<d up the grand stair- ease three steps at a time. There could be no mistaking the terrible im- port of the cry he had heard. Asif by magic the house, recently so grimly dark, flashed numerous lights from its long win- dows; hurrying feet tramped in the upper passages, The fearful sound had been heard by the soundest sleepers. The servants came rushing from their quarter of the building, some bearing lanyps, the faces of all long-drawn with alarm. In the side hall leading to Girard Ardway’s bed-chamber Royal and Edna met. * Ob, Royal! what was it?” “ Heaven only knows—I do not.” “To me it seemed like the voice of a human in distress.” ‘* Strangely like that,” , Behind the young master were congregating the several servants of the household, speechless, wondering, frightened, staring as if expecting him to ascertain and explain the source of the nee noise which had broken their slum- rs. As his gaze turned upon them he grew as pale as they. He well knew each face of all employed about the house; there was not one absent, even to the garden boy. He slowly looked at Edna. ‘¢ That noise should have aroused any one.” **T think so, Royal.” ** There appears to be only one missing.” ‘Ah! your father—guardy?” As E:ina spoke, there seemed to draw a mo- mentary line of blue about the cherry-red lips, as if a chill had struck into ber every fiber. “Can anything have happened to him?’ ‘We shall soon know!” he exclaimed, in a trembling voice. Fiank Ho und, the Crescent City Detective. With the others closely following he hastened to his father’s bed-chamber. Neither knock nor call met with any re- sponse. Royal was now thoroughly alarmed. “There is but one thing to be done.” “ What, Royal?” For reply he drew back and braced himself for a shock. Then throwing all his weight pd the leap he dashed heavily against the oor. This he had to repeat several times ere the strong fastenings yielded. Presently the door went inward and back- ward with a quivering bang. On the threshold all paused with a gasp of horror. There could no longer be any doubt as to who had uttered the awful cry. The room of Girard Ardway was a sight to behold. Everything was in disorder; on every side was evidence of a recent and deadly strug- gle Upon the snowy-white bed-clothing, which ay scattered and twisted, were plainly visible great smeary stains of blood. Royal staggered back, clapping one hand to bis brow as if smitten a blow. Recovering himself in an instant, and with- out a word, he passed the gaping group at the doorway, descending to the library. In the darkness, and with the steps of a drunken man, he groped his way to the tele- phone. His touch sent a sharp summons to the main office. ‘¢ Well—hello!” was the sleepy com ae ‘A detective wanted at once, o. — Pry- tania street. Be quick!” ‘* All right,” As he left the instrument, Edna joined bim, bearing a light. Setting the lamp upon the table, she approached him, her black-agate eyes wide and startled, ‘‘ Royal—Royal! this is horrible.” He groaned. ‘‘ Have you notified the police?” sé Yes,”’ ‘‘Tam feeling very weak,” she said, swaying with a seeming dizziness, ‘Better go to your room, Edna.” ‘*T fear I must.” ‘* Let Josette attend you. a shock for you.” ‘*} will do as you say. I have closed the apartment, and forbidden any one entering it until an officer shall arrive.” ‘‘ That was thoughtful and proper, Edna.” Bus Edna Crystol did not appear to be as weak as she professed. Going to her room, she donned a hood and long cloak, and hid her face beneath a thick brown vail, then emerged stealthily into the corridor. Unseen she descended to the basement, and passed out into the dark night. Yet not wholly unseen. The French maid, Josette, chanced to be coming, with a glass of wine for Mr. Royal Ardway, and was in the almost impenetrable shadow of the entry extension beyond the stairs leading to the basement. Still as a statue stood the girl, to watch the flitting figure she recognized to be her mistress. When Edna had vanished, she clinched her dis- engaged hand in a convulsive perturbation. ‘* Mon Dieu! what it means?! Shall my mis- tress so beautiful be the vile woman who make this crime? The master is lying murdered up- stairs. Mademoiselle Crystol has one grand mystery about her before I have been two days with her! So beautiful—and the heiress of the rich master! Ah! I cannot understand this. I am all mix up.” It was in answer to this midnight summons that Harry Hound now strode rapidly into Prytania street and toward the palJatial No. —. He observed with some surprise the brilliantly illuminated windows, Being at once admitted, he was shown to the library, where Royal awaited him. The young man sat with head bowed to his hands. Ashe looked up and arose to meet the comer, The Hound saw a face pinched by inex- pressible woe. ‘You are a detective, sir?” ** That is my profession.” ‘“* ‘Your services are sadly needed here.” ‘* What has happened?” Royal could not find voice for several seconds. ‘* Oh, it is horrible!” he groaned, at last, with a lumping sob. ‘* Come, let me know what is the matter.” “ An awful crime has been committed.” ‘Of what kind?” ‘‘ Murder.” ‘* Who has been murdered?” ‘““My father.” ‘* You cannot mean it!”’ ‘¢ Would I jest upon such a taing?” “‘ What seems to have been the object—burg- lary?” oy do not know. I have not looked or even thought—” “The first thing is to show me where the deed was committed,” interrupted The Hound, now keenly alert. Royal conducted him to the bloody bedroom. Around the closed door the servants were This is too terrible grouped, suppressedly whispering and waiting agog for the officer's arrival. The detective stepped upon the scene of the red mystery. Royal was faint and clinging to the beck of a chair for support. ‘For Heaven’s sake, sir, do something prompt- ly,” urged the shocked son. ‘ W hatever is to be done will be done just that way, depend.” Carefully about the floor, under the couch, in every corner searched The Hound, in the hope that something might have been dropped by the assassin to give a clew. Rising beside the rumpled bed, he started per- ceptibly and stood gazing down at it fixedly. ‘There seems to be a mystery here besides the crime,” he said. ‘What bave you discovered?” ‘‘ First let me esk: had you looked about this room before I came kere?’ as No.” ‘‘ Had any one else?” ‘‘T believe not. Miss Crystol closed the door, she informed me, forbidding any one to enter,” ‘¢ And no one passed out Retwcan the time of the closing of the door and the present minute?’ this more particularly addressed to the ser- vants. There was a negative and emphatic shaking of heads, ‘‘Without entering here at all,” Royal said, “T hastened to the telephone to call for the aid of the police.” ** Where is Miss Crystol?” ‘‘T am here,” replied Edna for herself, She made ber way forward. Her face was not white, now; it was suffused with the hight- ened color of some recent exertion. Josette stood behind her. The maid was watching her mistress in a peculiar way, with a strained expression on her brunette face. : ane keen-eyed detective noticed this slight act. ‘* Did you come in here, Miss Crystol?”’ ce No.’ ‘‘Has any one seen Mr. Girard Ardway since he retired for the night?” ‘* No,” answered all. ‘‘ Then where can he be?” At this question from the detective there was a@ gereral amazement, ‘* Here is a double mystery,” he added, point- ing to the bed. They stepped quickly forward—then parsed with dilated eyes. ‘‘Where is the body of the murdered man— if he has been murdered?” A thunderbolt could not have astonished then: more. They gazed dumbstruck at the empty bed. Girard Ardway bad utterly vanished! Dead or alive—he was gone! CHAPTER VIL THE HOUND'S MYSTERIOUS CASE. Tur position of the bed was in a niche to the left of the door. Hence, as no one had entered the apartment a sufficient length to gaina fair view of the bed, it was not strange that the fact of Ardway’s singular absence had been un- noticed until the detective called attention to it. ** He is gone!” burst from Royal’s lips, “Gone!” echoed Edna—and this repeated by the servants crowding near, The Hound, unobserved, was studying Miss Crystol’s face. Instantly upon beholding the evidence that there had been a murder, or an attempted mur- der, his suspicions were leveled upon her, though he could give no reasonable explanation to him- self for such a feeling. He argued, however, that if, by any possible chance, she had discovered the uncertainty re- garding herself which existed in Girard Ard- way’s mind—and if there was a likelihood of proving that she was not the young lady she represented herself to be—then there was a powerful motive for the murderous removal of the wealthy man who hea constituted himself her guardian, and named her as @ joint heir to his immense estate. It was apparent to bim that Edna was as much amazed and puzzled by the mysterious affairasanyone. At this juncture a policeman appeared among them, accompanied by his lieutenant. For rea- sons, this incident annoyed the detective. Harry calmly folded his arms and wai until they had finished with a multiplicity of questions, and taken their departure with the high importance of men who confidently ex- pected to capure the criminal before day-dawn. A smile that was an involuntary sneer wreathed his lips when the had left, for nei- ther had asked. among all their excited alpha- bet of catechism, to look at the body of the mur- dered man. xin This was a remarkable omission, to say the least. But the lieutenant had really seemed to be more excited than those directly coneerned in the occurrence. : “Mr. Ardway, I wish to talk with yea im rivate.” ‘Certainly, sir.” ‘* Let us retire from here.” Gomichboo } ‘ ° | 4 i) ee ~aie aw! hee ¥ a J ai