'fte imperial gent?
Mystery gf The
SOU havo been brought
here to exercise your far
famed cleverness In an
swering Just one ques
tion, that mid no more,"
said the great man. He
made- the remark -with a
half Bneer on his Heavy
face and as near a sniff
as his hugo bulbous noso
could express. Also an
evil smouldering anger
showed In tho eyes that had long
surveyed tho finances of tho world
from tho center of tho web of Wall
Street and known that they held tho
mastery of most of them and If they
could maintain their power long
enough and their mighty owner keep
life within his body a sufficient length
of tlmo tho contest would be completo
and nearly absolute.
Purdon was speaking to Lawrenco
Rand and myself, but his half contemp
tuous fling was directed at tho great
professional Investigator. I saw a
flicker of resentment In Rand's well
governed face, but ho said very quiet
ly: "What Is this question, Mr. Pur
don?" "You seo this room?"
We surveyed his spacious private
offlco with Its rows of rare books and
special reports, Its priceless tapestries.
"You note that it has but the ono
door and that is set in a forged steel
casement and leads to outer offices,
from which four or moro guards aro
never absent. Also that door is locked,
save when I am In this ofllce, by a
double Belgian trick lock. I have tho
two keys always with mo and even if
cither of you or anyone else had them
you would not know how to use them.
You notice that there is only this ono
broad, steel-casemented window, open
ing, on a court sixty feet wide. It Is
fifty feet down and fifty feet up and
tnero aro no windows abovo or below
that aro not grated and barred. Yet,
gentlemen, yesterday afternoon I left
a paper of a value to mo of more
than forty million dollars lying on this
desk. I went out, locked my door
and returned In an hour. The weight
I had placed on tho paper had been
moved to one side and the paper was
gone.
"The question I ask you Is, how was
that paper taken from my desk, and
where is It?"
"What was that paper?" Rand asked.
"I don't Intend to tell you," ho thun
dered. "You are employed to answer
my questions, not I yours. If you
can't, why here's your check and get
out"
"When was this room swept last?"
"It was cleaned with a pneumatic
suction cleaner yesterday morning."
"Who has been in it since?"
' Purdon thought a minute.
"General Thomas BIckle "
"Who has an artificial leg?" inter
posed Rand.
"Yes. Mrs. Rcddlngton van Petries,
Mr. Jenkins of my firm, my secretary
and ray wife."
"Will you send for Mr. Jenkins and
your secretary, please?"
Purdon opened his dictograph and
nsked for them and they appeared at
tho door In the fraction of a minute.
"This gentleman wanted to see you,"
said Purdon, curtly.
"Step threo paces Inside tho door,
please, gentlemen, ono of you to tho
.right and ono to tho left."
They did so, their astonishment
thinly concealed.
"That is all, thank you," said Rand,
his eye3 fastened on their feet. As
tho door closed behind them he roso
and bent over the tracks they had left
in the deep, rich silk nap of the car
pet. Under his magnifying glassthelr
every characteristic was mado clear.
Blowly he circled tho desk, going
round and round, coming nearer and
nearer tho walls each circuit.
Rand completed his survey and then
eald:
"Thero was no ono In this office to
tako that paper."
Rand now carefully inspected tho
desk, tho paper-weight, tho chains and
tbo sill of tho open window. Ho scanned
tho court abovo and below and then
standing on tho ledge looked carefully
over tho outer face of tho wall about
tho window.
"Also, Mr. Purdon, you can bo suro
that no ono camo down from abovo
by a rope or other dcvlco or camo' up
by a ladder. Now you aro certain you
placed tho paper under tho weight?"
"I am."
"Then, Mr. Purdon, I cannot answer
your question unless you tell mo tho
story of tho paper and let mo work
toward tho thief through tho motive of
tho theft."
Purdon's brow grew very black. Ho
reached fcr IiIb check book and drow
ono quickly.
"That I will not do. Hero la your
c
Silver Dodor
retainer. Good morning, gontlomen."
Over to Broadway and tho subway
wo passed and In half an hour wo wcro
In tho firm's apartment looking on
tho Plaza. Tom Rahway, Rand's gi
gantic Sioux student helper, was busy
In tho laboratory and I went Into tho
office to answer clients' correspond
ence. Scarcely had I opened tho dicto
graph when I heard a crash somo
whero in the locality of tho laboratory.
Wo never knew when tho assassin,
the maniac or tho nvenger would visit
us. In fact, for threo years wo had
been expecting blood-thirsty calls
from at least two men. Snatching
my Luga magazlno pistol out of a
drawer, I toro through tho place. It
was deserted. Bcsido a powerful
microscope lay Rand's hat, under tho
scopo was whnt seemed to bo a tiny
bit of feather as nearly as I could tell
at a hasty glance. I did not recall
having seen It as any of tho material
evidence In any of our cases. In
front of tho hall door lay Tom Rail
way's laboratory apron torn In pieces
as if it had been snatched from his
body. Two chairs and a water-cooler
lay overturned. I ran on down tho
dark hall and stumbled over something
so forcibly that I fell sprawling. A
human body lay there.
Turning on the hall light, I saw that
It was neither Rand nor Tom,' but a
tall, powerful young man laid out un
conscious with a big purple bruise
beginning to stand out on tho sldo of
his face and a cut in his head. In
one hand ho held a piece of Tom Rail
way's apron and it was plain to mo
that tbo Sioux's fist had stretched him
there. Now It flashed over mo that
I had seen that face twlco before with
in a few hours. 1 felt suro of It, but
I had hurried on down and nearly
reached the street before I remem
bered. Tho first tlmo hod been In
the crowd In Wall Street before Pur
don's door as wo camo out; tho second
tlmo was on the platform of the sub
way at ColumbuB Circle.
By this time I was on tho sidewalk
looking wildly about for signs of Tom
and Rand, who doubtless had gone In
pursuit of the second man. If Rand
wanted to capture him, surely ho
would wish to retain possession of tho
man upstairs in tho hall. I should
not have left him. Back I hurried with
all speed and to my intense chagrin
he was gone. I ran down tho steps and
found a mite of a milliner's delivery
girl there, staring stupidly down to
ward Madison avenuo. Yes, she had
nearly been knocked down by two
men who brought a third out of tho
door nnd put him in a cab, then drove
away very fast toward tho east. Ono
of them had a big brass thing In his
hand. That was all she could tell.
I returned to tho apartment gravely
puzzled and only when I entered
tho laboratory did I realize tho sig
nificance of even that little. The
brass thing tho girl has seen was tho
microscope tho ono that bad had the
bit of what seemed to bo feather
under tho lens.
Since I could not follow' and assist
Rand and Tom In whatever they were
doing, tho only thing was to bldo
their return or word from them. I
did not bavo long to wait. It was
less than half an hour before Tom
Labway camo In breathing heavily,
but grinning. He did not stop oven
when ho heard oftho escape of tbo
man ho had floored and I did not
blamo hi in for his amusement when
ho told mo what had happened.
As ho was at work over the Bunscn
burner ho heard a door creak and
looked just In tlmo to seo two men
behind Rand, who was at tho micro
scope. Tho short dark man dealt a
mis-aimed blow at Rand with a black
jack. Both Rand and Tom rushed tho
pair and when Tom had stretched out
his man in tho hall ho ran on after
Rand, who was pursuing tho heavy
dark man across tho Plaza. Tho pur
sued dashed into tho Park and Rand,
tolling Tom to continue tho chaso on
foot, Bprang to a nearby taxlcab
stand, whero wo knew nil tho drivers,
caught a cap and coat from ono and
Jumped into his cab running It Into tho
Park with tho "Vacant" sign show
ing. It wbb an easy thing to corao
bowling along tho drive ahead, of tho
pursued man, who hailed tho cab with
Joy, climbed In and gavo orders for all
speed uptown somewhere.
Just as Tom finished tho telephono
bell rang. When I answered It a heavy
volco said:
"Holla! who is this?"
"Mr. Duncan."
"To ninki sure you are Mr. Duncan,
I will ask you what a friend of yours
said this morning when someone clco
mentioned General Blckles' narao?"
"Ho said ho had an artificial leg,"
I replied, recognizing that I was talk
ing to Purdon. ' I know now who you
By Robert Naughton
nro and you can bo euro this Is Mr.
Duncan. What can I do for you?"
"Somo other gentlemen Interested
with mo In that paper wo wcro dis
cussing havo told me I was very wrong
In refusing to trust your friend. Also
I hear tho very highest praise of him.
I wnnt you to como down at once."
"That Is Impossible. My friend Is
not hero and I dare not leave."
"Then I will como up."
"You had better not."
"I am going to send you as completo
an explanation In written form as you
need by a single messenger whom I
trust absolutely and whom I bcllevo
safo from attack."
When Purdon rang off I looked at
tho clock. It was nearly ono. Tom
had gone back to the laboratory as If
nothing had happened. I sat watching
tho minute hand' crawl around, my
brain at sea and my nerves on edge.
Two o'clock, and still nothing! I
went to tho cabinet and mixed
a stiff Scotch highball. Just as I re
sumed my scat tho bell rang and Tom
Rahway ushered In Purdon's messen
ger. Safo from attack? Sho was a tall
girl of Btriking beauty a distinctly
English typo with fine coloring, dark
curling hair and unfatbomablo grey
eyes, whllo her figure and carriage
showed splendid physical vitality if
not athletic powers.
She opened a black bag hung to her
waist and as sho drew out Purdon's
doubly scaled letter I caught tho gleam
of a large and ablo pistol there.
This Is what I read in Purdon's own
hand script:
Tho missing paper was b copy of a new
treaty with China opening the way to a
huge loan, railway concessions and Amer
ican financial contract In China. I am
"NOT YET, SIR," SAID A
tho only one outsldo of the president and
Becretary of state who would liavo known
of it beforo It was sent to the senate tor
ratification. Whoever had it stolen need
ed Its contents and the proof that I had
It, to be ablo to defeat it. Its defeat
means a loss of forty million at the
least. Any one of my foreign competi
tors would be interested In stealing It and
then combining the others against me.
The Rothschilds, the Russian Syndicate,
tho Bank of England and one of these
might be Interested. If you an use the
messenger as an operatlvo I should be
glad.
Yours truly,
R. P. PURDON.
"Were you dolayed, Miss ?" I
asked.
"Miss Alexander. No, I left Mr. Pur
don's olllco at 1:40 and camo hero
directly."
I was about to prepare Miss Alex
ander for tho wait till Rand should
arrive when tho boll rang and a mes
senger boy appeared with n telegram:
"Both como to Battery Park. Bring
no papers or means of Identification
If captured. "RAND."
"Both come." Ho could know noth
ing of Miss Alexander. Ho meant
Tom. I called to tho Sioux and in
five' minutes wo threo wcro In tho
street and on our way to the taxlcab
stand whero Rand bad executed bis
lightning chango threo hours before.
To tako a cab we had to shoulder out
of the way an old man who looked
llko a sea-farcr, a ship's chief engi
neer in a bluo pilot cloth suit
When we reached the Battery, Torn
took ono sido of tho Park and Miss
Alexander and I tho other looking for
Rand, but after an hour ot searching
and waiting It was plain that ho was
not there. I read his telegram ngain
and It flashed on mo that It bad been
a trick of tho other sldo to got us
away whllo they executed somo movo.
Rand would havo said "Bring Tom."
They not knowing his narao said
"Both como." Again I cursed.
Back wo hurried to tho Plaza and
Instantly that I entered tho apartment
perceived that somcono had been
thero. Furniture had been slightly
moved, a shado had been raised, pa
pers had been shifted on tho desk, a
blnck cigar butt still warm lay on
tho hearth. They must' bo In posses
sion of Rand, havo taken away his
keys, used them on tho doors and
searched tho place. Tho ono thing
they could havo been after was Pur
don's letter. I sprang to tho drawer
In which I had placed it. Tho envelopo
was there, but tho letter had been
taken.
Never In my life havo I been moro
thoroughly exasperated, nonplussed
and mystified. I related tho facts to
Tom and Miss Alexander and I could
seo the big Sioux's fingers twitch as If
they itched to close around someone's
throat. , Miss Alexander had risen and
was pacing up and down from the win
dow to tho back of tho room, evi
dently seeking somo logical handle
on which wo could lay hold. Suddenly
sho gave a little cry and as I ran to
her sldo sho pointed out tho wlndpw.
"Look! See, that hansom In tho
lino down there. Tho driver has tho
cushion out and Is trying to clean it.
He is trying to get out a blood spot
Maybe ho took tho threo men away.
Of course, they got tho cab hurriedly
from the stand."
It was but a minute before I was
at his side, a handful of money be
fore his eyes.
"Hello, cabbie, did you drive threo
SWEET, GIRLISH VOICE.
men away from around tho corner
about noon, ono of them without a
hat and bleeding?"
"What'll I draw down for glvln it
to ye straight, sport?" said ho with
cunning look in his watery eyes.
"A ten spot and If it's very good,
I'll raaka it moro."
"Dey passed mo a V to keep mo
mouth sewed up, but your money looks
good to me. Come across with it
Why, I was after comln back to tho
stand from bein' on a shopping trip
with an old mado over on Forty-foist
when dey halls me and shoves In dls
bleeding guy and yells for mo to drlvo
for tho river. Dey was all up In tho
air, but before I gits to Thold nvenoo
dey wa3 glttln' their noodles workln'
and foist it's mo to drlvo to a doctor
nnd den it's mo to drlvo to CIO East
Thirty-foist, and dcro wo goes. Next
I goes after a sheeny doctor two
blocks nway and fetches him back. I
asts for mo bit and dl ono guy takes
mo Into a gin mill to git a twenty
changed and while wo was In doro dls
mutt calls up ten thousand Cortland
and asts for tho chief. Ho tells him
somo fairy talo about de mlxup dey'd
been In. I piped it off dey was tamo
bulls and doy'd been licked tryln' to
git divorce ovldenco. Do man ho was
talkln' to says to stay wit' Hooloy and
ho'll como up and seo him later. Now
dls Hooloy is do guy what was la'akln'
tho red stuff all over me cab. I got
wlso to dat when we was runnln' him
into de house. A little girl lets out a
holler, "Oh, look, Chonnie, at Mister
Hoolev: he's bolted hlsaelf' Well.
den I gits tae coin and I pulls mb
freight. Dat'B all."
"Not yet, you can drive mo straight
at CIO East Thirty-first,"
There aro certain tones of Lawrenco
Rand's volco that nro very vibrant and
tho Instant I set foot In tho hall of
tho Thirty-first street three-story
tenement I heard what I was jure
wub his volco. I gavo ono of our
signals, dropping my key twlco in
quick succession, a very distinctive- and
penetrating sound, and then I listened
carefully. I ctill heard tho samo voice,
but it was not Rnnd's. It was speech
In somo badly broken dialect.
"I am a pollpo surgeon," I said to
n woman sitting on the stairs nursing
a baby. "A man named Hooloy is hero
and has been hurt Where Is he?"
"Right there, mister." Sho pointed
to tho ground floor apartment on tho
right. "Go to tho back door."
Tho door was unlocked and I stepped
Inside, into ono of thoso little dark
lnsldo rooms so common in cheap
flats. In tho next room at least flvo
men wcro talking earnestly. I could
stand whero I was and hear perfectly.
"Tho captain Is a good sport, Isn't
ho, chief. GIvo him another drink,
Myers. No, Hooley, you got to stay
on tho water wagon till tho sign tho
Indian put on you wears off," said a
drawling volco.
"That's right, Hooley," said another
in a commanding tone.
"All right, chief," responded Hooley
feebly. "I wish I had just one to clear
mo nut so I could git hold of this
hero Rlng-a-round-a-rosy game. It's a
peach of a case"
"It Is that!" said tno cnier. "And
wo havo played Larry Rand, the smart
est man In this country, to a standstill
at his own game, and got him on a wild
gooso chaso around Battery Park this
minute, thanks to. tho captain. Now,
listen, Hooley, and got tho full beauty
of this story point by point.
"Beaucoup gits tho envelopo off Pur
don's desk and I tako It to keep, per
orders, till the Big Fellows asks mo
to Bhow It to tho Wasulngton crowd
and swear where I got It. You, Myers
and Casey, keep an eyo on Purdon's
moves from across tho court and use
the microphone to hear all he's got
to say. By George, that very micro
phono Is the- ono wo slipped away
from. Rand two years ago. Rand and
Duncan got sent for. Rand picks up
a piece of tho silver doctor. It Is
up to us to get that pleco back, so
you fellows trail Rand and Duncan
up town and go In, but make a rough
Job of it. You ought to bo ashamed of
yourselves. Rand, tho Indian and Dun
can all chase Myers after flooring our
friend, Hooley, here and Casey and
Dennett step In and cop tho piece of
feather, microscope, Hooloy and all
and mado a clear run for it Myers
has a fine run for his money, Rand
and tho Indian nearly get him, but ho
falls into a taxi and getr away and
tho driver being a pretty fly guy, tells
Myers ho saw tho getaway from tho
house and followed up to help Myers
out, and if thero Is Bometuing In It he
will put Myers next to an. old drunk
who can toll him a lot. Say, I guess
tho old fellow Is so far gono now that
he won't mind a littlo thing like that
said about him a rotten old rum-
soak who is on tho lnsldo with Rand
and Duncan. Great stuff! Myers
makes a dato Jo meet tho man and In
half an hour our friend tho captain
here shows up. Myers asks him to
show that ho can make good. He offers
to get Rand and Duncan called back
Into tho case by two minutes' tele
phoning as a starter. They go to tho
phone, then Myers gets in touch with
Griggs and Leslie listening at the
microphone to what is going on in
Purdon's ofllco across tho court and
they say, yes, that Purdon has Just
telephoned Duncan that ho wants to
ro-cngago them and will send a mes
senger with instructions. Then
Myers telephones mo and I tell him
It Is worth a thousand to get that
letter. Tho captain hero says he will
show how good-ho is by plucking It
out of Rand's desk half an hour after
It arrives. Myers tells mo that a
peach of a girl brought up tho letter.
That tho captain got tho whole
crowd away by sending In a fako tele
gram and then ho and Myers sailed
In, using false keys, and got the letter.
Casey telephones for mo to come up
hero and seo Hooley nnd I tell Myers
to meet mo hero with the captain and
I will glvo him his thousand for tho
letter. Havo you seen tho letter,
Myers?"
"Only saw enough to say that It is
on Purdon's stationery and is signed
by Purdon himself."
"My, my, bet tho Big Fellow will
bo tickled to get It I don't know what
Is In this ono I got, but I'll bet tbo
second ono has got cold proof that'll
nip a few yards of tuck out of old R.
P. Purdon. Now Just put your hands
lightly on tho old man's arms bo that
ho can't mako a sudden movo, boys.
I don't want him to jolt me one, feeblo
as ho Is. Thero Is no uso forking
over a thousand iron men for a pleco
of paper that cost him nothing. I will
Just lift It gently."
Tbo crisis had como. For somo min
utes I had seen that it was due soon,
but I had not expected It so quickly.
The forty million dollars' worth of In
formation was "still safe, tho paper
from Purdon's desk nnd Purdon's let
ter ot Instructions to us that furnished
the fatal proof had not yet reached
tho "Big Fellow," whoever that was.
In tho man called "Chief" I had recog
nized John G. McGarrity, an ex pollco
captain, tho head of n large, powerful
and unscrupulous private dc'ectlve
agency In tbo financial district
Drawing my Luger nnd holding my
pocket knlfo In my left hand as If It
were the barrel of another pistol, I
stepped In, covering tho crowd.
"Hold on, McGarrity. Don't one of
you move!" I said.
"Duncan!"
At least threo of them pronounced
my namp In ono astounded breath.
Tho old man ovec whom McGarrity
was bending looked up drunkenly. It
was the old Scotch seaman with dirty
whiskers and the ear trumpet Ho
began to whine nnd blubber and put
ting up his arms drew the enraged Mc
Garrity down half on him as if to
shield himself from a possible bullet
It was n fatal mistake for me to center
my attention on them even for that
second and forget that tho men with
whom I was dealing were quick to
think and quick to act One dived
for my legs. Hooley hurled a pillow
full In my face. Somcono I had not
seen caught mo from behind and in
a mlnuto I was down and being trussed
up with straps ripped from a trunk
In the corner. I caught a glimpse of
the old Scotchman lurching out of
tho door that opened Into tho hall.
''Well, we've got tho other bird fast
and tight," said McGarrity, as he
straightened up and brushed his
hands.
"Not yet, sir," said a sweet girlish
voice and every one In the room turned
to see standing in the hall door with a
pair of our guns leveled on the
crowd Miss Alexander and behind
her Tom Rahway.
"Cut Mr. Duncan loose before I
blow for the police," sho said.
McGarrity did not even swear as ho
stooped and did her bidding.
"Now, McGarrity," I said, "I will
trouble you for the sealed envelopo
in your pocket. Sing Sing for you If
you don't, you know."
He reached into his breast pocket
for it and a look of blank amazement
came over his heavy Irish face.
"It's gone! I had it thero a moment
ago."
"Tom, catch tho old Scotchman, who
Just went out!" I shouted. It wa,'
now as clear as tiny to mo iAit old
man represented a iiird interest work
ing against R. P. Purdon and, playing
a lono hand, nevertheless he had beat
en us all. He had picked McGarrlty's
pocket a moment before and fled in the
melee.
Outsldo sounded Tom's whistle sum
moning mo. I hesitated a second be
foro going. Wo had the compelling
evidence against McGarrity and hi
men, If wo needed it The Scotchman
was now our prey. Telling Miss Alex
ander to drop her muzzles, I said
good evening to the mortified group
and hurried out with the girl.
Calmly sitting in a taxlcab In front
of tho door was the old Scotchman
smoking a fine cigar with evident
relish.
Ho held out toward mo Purdon's let
ter and a sealed envelopo with a small
jagged hole through It
"Hollo, Duncan," Bald Rand's volco
from tho bush of dirty whiskers. "I
am tired of tho responsibility of forty
million dollars' worth of Information.
You keep It. Jump In, Miss Alexander,
Tom, all of you; let us go homo and
get In touch with Mr. Purdon and tell
him tho good news."
I stood a full ten seconds staring
speechless at his makeup. By this
tlmo I should havo been accustomed
to Rand's marvelous acting and trans
formations of personality, but I will
confess that I was stunned Into stu
plulty by this ono as I climbed In
silently. A3 wo bowled away a feeling
of anger and resentment camo over
mo and then ono of curiosity. I rapid
ly reviewed tho events of the day
nnd say how ho had fooled McGar
rity and his men. how ho had fooled
us nnd how ho had achieved his end,
t. T 1. . , I nil T 1 T-T" . ftyreTt ffllin
1 UUVU gut lb Ull, J i .a.ui'v ..uir
tho "Big Fellow" Is and how they
over got tho treaty oui ot mo onico.
"Why, that Is simple, Dunk. You
heard McGarrity say that a man
named Benucoup did It. Well, It you
remember tho Sportsman's Show last
winter, ono of tho stars was Jean
Beaucoup, a famous half-breed MIc-Mac-French
Canadian guide. Ho Is
employed on tho gamo preserves of
Normand Bollnmy, tho American end
of tho Rothschilds. McGarrity has dono
lots of Bellamy's dirty work. Ergo
Bellamy Is the "Big Fellow." Now.
wo would bavo had to follow out the
case through the physical evidence,
two scratches on tho desk and a bit
of feather I found caught In a corner
of the filagree of the paper weight,
but tho attack on us In tho apartment
put us In direct touch with tho
thieves and saved us a lot of trouble.
When I got that bit of feather under
the lens I found It was Indian dyed,
a piece of a trout fly called tho silver
doctor. Jean Beaucoup, from tho win
dows across the court, cast a fly somo
seventy-flvo feet, hooked the desired
paper on tho second attempt and
yanked it out into tho court, then
reeled It up. He could havo done it
at maro than a hundred feot Sea
the hole mado by the bookl"