H5--NRLF $B 24*} 347 SLEUTH'S OWN L3B. ,0 DENTS. ONDER JACK, THE DETECTIVE; OK, HE WITCH OF MANHATTAN. 9. s. OOILV WONDER JACK, THE DETECTIVE; OR The Witch of Manhattan. By OLD SLEUTH. Copyright, 1894, by Parlor Car Publishing Company. All Rights Reserved. NEW YORK: J. S. OGILVIE PT I'ANY, 67 ROSE STI .-, Try Murine Eye Remedy To Refresh, Cleans and Strengthen $ the Eye. To Stimulate the Circulation of the Blood Supply which Nourishes the Eye, and Restore a Healthful Tone to Eyes Enfeebled by Exposure to Strong Winds, Dust, Reflected Sunlight and Eye Strain. To Quickly Relieye Redness, Swelling and Inflamed Conditions. Murine is compounded in the Laboratory cf the Murine Eye Remedy Co., Chicago, by Oculists, as used for years in Private Practise, and is Safe and ^ Pleasant in its Application to the most Sensitive Eye, or to the Eyes of a nursing Infant. Doesn't Smart. Murine is a Reliable Relief for All Eyes that Need Care. Your Druggist sells Murins Eye Remedies. Our Books jiaJlsd Free, tell you all about them and bow to use thein. May be snt by mail at following prices. &urrae Eye Remedy 25o. 9 50c., $1.00 DeLuxe Toilet Edition For the Dressing Table. . l-2:-> Tourist Autoist in Leather Cfse 1.23 Murine Eye Salve Sn Aseptic Tubes. 25c., 1.00 Gronulxne For Chromo Sore Ey s s snd Trachoma 1.50 MURINE EYE REMEDY Co. Michigan Avenue and Randolph Street, CHICAGO, U. S. A. WITCH OF MANHATTAN; OR, WONDER JACK, THE DETECTIVE. CHAPTER I. "HELLO, sis! what's the matter?" A little girl one rainy night sat crouched on the coping of an iron rail on a side street leading from the Bowery. She was weeping and appeared in great distress when a street gamin camo along and addressed the inquiry with which we open our narrative, and in sobbing tones sho answer*- 1 : "I am hungry and mamma is hungry." The gamin looked upon her pale face, illuminated by a pair of large blue "So you are hungry and mamma is hungry?" Yes." "Well, you wait here for a few moments and I will get you something to eat. You bet, no one can cry hungry '1 me when there is so much to eat lying around The lad walked away and started up the Bowery and iie arrived opposite a baker's shop and on the counter tfas a pvat pile of bread. The lad peeped around ;i moment furtively and then stole into the shop, "lil": fat laf of hivad and dashed out just as (he cry aros< !'!" Tin; thii'f didn't stop; he had hid the lo;iL' of bre;ul und.T his j;u-ket ami < >" 6 THE WITCH OF MANHATTAN. away like the wind. He turned the first corner and was going at full speed when suddenly a great pair of arms were stretched out. They closed and the lad was in the grasp of a "cop." "Aha! Mister little ginger, I've got you." The lad was not at all disconcerted, but answered coolly; "Yes, you've got me." "You've been stealing." "That's what I've been doing." "I'm sorry, lad; I hate to take a boy in for stealing bread these hard times, but law is law and stealing is stealing." "You're right, cop, but come with me, will you?" Go with you?" "Yes." "Where, and what for?" "I want to show you something." The "cop" was an old-timer and he walked with the lad around the square until he arrived at the spot where the little girl sat, expectantly awaiting the return of the boy who said he would bring her something to eat. "Do you see that child, cop?" "Yes." " I never set eyes on her until about five minutes ago. She was crying. I asked her the trouble and she said she was hungry and mamma is hungry. I lifted the bread for her. Now take me to my room." The *'cop" walked up to the girl and asked: "What's the matter, sissy?" "I am hungry." "Where do you live?" The girl, who was about nine years old, looked up in the ]( cop's" face with her lovely blue eyes and told him where she lived. "And have you nothing to eat in the house?" Til 7 oh' M A MI AT r AN. 7 "We haven't hail anything to oat since yesterday noon." " \Vliy didn't you apply to some of Uio charity bureaus?** , in the city two weeks, sir. We don't know where to apply." ..u havo only been in the city two weeks?" 68, sir." '' Where did you come from?" "Down on Long Island/' "And you have no money?" "Mamma did have a little money. She paid for getting our things down here and paid the rent, and she was out looking for work a week ago when some one stole all her money." " Why did you come to the city?" "My father was a sailor. He was drowned from the schooner six months ago and mamma had to leave town and come to the city." "W! "I cannot tell you, sir, but we had to come." "Give her the bread, lad," said the oth'eer, "and let her go home. I will look into her case to-morrow. Where did you steal the bread?" The lad told the number of the store and the name of the own " You have the name and number down pretty well." " Yes, sir." "IIw is that?" "Oh, I only borrowed the bread. I intend to go in 3omt i tlav and ]-:iv for it." " YI.U needn't bother your head, lad, 1 will stop around and pay for ! i ;d 1 will pay you T\e got number." n've ;/! iny DUU ;, 1 alvv; I am a tfiOti 8 THE WITCH OF MANHATTAN. "Don't you know it's wrong to steal under any circum- stances?" "I don't know much about it. All I know is the little girl was crying and hungry. I had no money and I lifted the bread, that's all." ! ' Do you think it right to steal under any circumstances ?* I suppose not, but I couldn't help it." "You may get into serious trouble some day." "I am used to that." "Used to what?" "Trouble. I am always iu trouble." " Where do you live?" "Everywhere." "Have you no parents?" "Not now." "Are your parents dead?" "I guess so." "Don't you know?" "I don't know anything about it." "Kow long have you lived iu New York?" I don't know." "You must know something about yourself." ^"All I know is I used to live with an old woman. Sho said I was left with her by a sailor man who said he was my father. He gave her some money and said when he returned from sea he would pay her big. He never came back. The old woman told me this the night before sh( died. I reckon I was ten years old when she died and IV knocked around ever since. Never had no home since." "What have you done all these years?" "Anything and everything." "What do you do for a living?" "I used to sell papers." "What do you do now n " "Nothing." THE WITCH OF MANHATTAN. * Too lazy to work?" "No." "Then what is the matter?" "I am a victim, that's all. "A victim?" "Yes." "A victim of what?" "A lie." "Tell me all about it." "If I do you'll take me in." "No, I won't." "Honor bright?" "Yes." "The cops are looking for me." " So you stole before, eh ? This is not your first offense." "Yes, it is." "Then why are the cops looking for you?" "Yon won't believe me if I tell you the truth." "Yes, I will." "I'll swear to tell you the truth." " That's right, do so." "I was putting up one night in a ten-cent lodging house. A.n old man came there one night who looked like a tramp, but he was stuffed with money. He was robbed and the clerk of the lodging house had me arrested. I jumped the pen and they've been chasing me ever since." "How long ago did this happen?" "A mouth ago." "Do you know who robbed the old tramp?" "I've my suspicion." "Who did it?" "The clerk who had me arrested." The policeman was thoughtful a moment and then saidt " You've got my number'"" "Yes." 10 THE WITCH OF MANHATTAN. "Will you see me again some day?" "Mebbel will.-' "Promise." "Can't." "Why not?" "Mebbe I'm going away." "Where?" "To sea. My dad was a sailor, I reckon, and I've got an idea I'll follow his profession." " How old are you ?" "I don't know exactly. I reckon I am somewhere around fourteen." "And you have really told me the truth?" " Yes, I have, and " The gamin did not have a chance to finish his remark. A man suddenly leaped upon him, exclaiming: "You slippery eel, I've got you at last!" "Not yet," came the answer quickly, and the lad slipped out of his jacket and was away in the darkness like a shooting star. The man started to follow him but the boy was too nimble foi him and got away. On the day following the incidents we have described the policeman who had "nipped" the gamin went to the address given by the little girl. He found a plain but comely woman in a neatly furnished apartment and she verified the story told by her little daughter, and when asked why she had left the village on Long Island she related how she had excited the enmity of a man down there who had started in to persecute her, and she had thought it best to make her tome in 'the city. She said she expected to get work in good time and earn an honor- able living, and we will dismiss the woman from our story for the present, with the statement that she did get work through the aid of the nobleman, who proved to be a THK WITCH OF MANHATTAN. 11 kindly man, am! she was able to carry out her desire to earn an honest living. In the meantime, after his escape from the detective, the little gamin wandered down to the river front and secured shelter in a pile of lumber where he slept through the remainder of the night as peacefully as some more :ortunate lad in his snug feather bed. Ten years subsequent to the incidents we have related a well-known captain of police was walking through his precinct taking observations when he was met by a young man who was one of the best specimens of athletic manhood one can meet anywhere. "Hello, cap," accosted the young man as he came face to face with the precinct captain. "Hello, Jack, what are you doing up in my precinct?" "Oh, I am just hanging around, cap." The police captain smiled and answered: " When Wonder Jack is hanging around there is some- thing in the air." Wonder Jack was a detective a very young man who had been appointed on the force at the age of twenty-one and who had earned in five years a reputation as one of the bravest, keenest and most successful detectives on the force. Jack Caswell was a general favorite and despite his youth was looked upon as a very valuable man. lie had earned the pseudonym of Wonder Jack owing to .-everal very remarkable mysteries he had solved, ami it was the via: ' nat were usually assigned to him, and it was this fact that had led the pivciw.t c-.aplain to remark "When Wonder Jack is hanging around there is something up." The, captain and tli-- : ve stood talking for some minutes \\heu to the surprise of the captain the detective said: 12 THE WITCH OF MANHATTAN "By the way, cap, it's strange you and I should have Miiet just here." "It is?" Yes." '"How?" " You don't know that we are old acquaintances?" " It's -news to me if we are." "Yon never asked me for the money I owe you." * Money you owe me!" exclaimed the captain, in a tone of mil-prise. "Yes, money I owe you." " What are yon getting at, Caswell?" "It'strife I owe you ten cents, and I've been in your debt a little over ten years." "You owe me ten cents, and you've been in my debt a little over ten years?" repeated the captain. "That's true." " Say, Jack, you have the reputation of being a great joker when you've nothing else to do." " Well, I am; but I am not joking now. I owe you ten soents fair and square, and I tell you it's strange we met JEst here." "You are talking in riddles, Caswell. Come, man, talk tup. What are you getting at? Am I under suspicion, and are you * working' me?" "JSTo, captain, I am in dead earnest." "What are you getting at?" "Look around; don't you recall a very interesting sxperience you had just on this very spot about ten yeara ago?!' "I don't." "Sure?" " Yes, I am sure I do not recall any strange incident, and I say, Jack, if you are not joking talk up, for you are perplexing me." THE WITCH OF MANHATTAN. 13 Jack was silent a moment, but after an interval said: "Captain, do you recollect about ten years ago you i*rrested a lad for stealing a loaf of bread?" "By ginger, Jack, what are yon going to tell me?" "It's true, cap; you paid for the bread and the thief said some day he would pay you back. Here's your ten cents." "Jack Caswell, are you that boy?" "Yes, I am." " How is it you never called my attention to your identity before?" " Well, my reasons were various, but here is your ten jents. Do you want interest:"' "Jack, I've got interest a thousand times in recognizing pou as that little vagabond. And do you know I've often thought of you and that night?" "Is that so?" ^ "Yes, I don't know as I should ever have recalled it if it had not been for the romance that followed that little incident." " Was there a romance that followed it?" " There was, sure one of the most interesting romances you ever heard tell of. Did you ever hear what became of the little girl for whom you stole the loaf of bread?" "No." " You Itave never seen or heard of her since r" " No." "Well, well, had you made yourself known to me sooner I would have told you the story." "Tell it now." "I will; but first tell me about y.nnvelf. I remember our ward detective MiipjUMT you that ni/lit and you him the slip and that, is the \\^l 1 rein r having r h; ;ird <>f you until n,->\v. and 1 litih- dreamed :t you building u;i .station that you were the U THE WITCH OF MANHATTAN. little bread thief. But come, tell me all about yourseH and then I will tell you about the little girl. It's a great story, a wonderful denouement." "I was unfortunate during the early part of my life, cap, and now let me tell you something. You will believe me now." "Certainly I will, and I believed you that night, didn't I? If I hadn't I'd have taken you in and have locked you up." "That's true, and so is this true; that was the first time I ever stole anything in my life, but somehow when that little blue-eyed girl looked up at me and said she was hungry I couldn't stand it, you see. I had just been look- ing in that baker's shop at those loaves of bread, for I was hungry myself, but I wouldn't 'lift' one to appease my own hunger. But when it came to the little girl I made up my mind on the instant and I nipped the bread. Well, I fell into good hands and I really believe that was the turning point in my life. You see had I gotten away with that steal for the girl I might have argued that once hav- ing stolen I might do it again. A bad argument, cap, but little gamins don't know logic, you must remember, and I tell you I felt my conscience prick me." "By the by, Jack, you told me your story that night. Did you ever discover your parents?" "No, sir, but I reckon I've honest blood in me, for I always felt a desire to tell the truth and do right, and I had no teaching in that direction either. And, cap, I stand a testimony to the declaration that honesty is the best policy, and I've since proved it in a hundred ways. That night I strolled down to the river and found a bunk in a pile of lumber. Well, it does seem that fate was around that. Hight, I woke early and was sitting on the pile of lumber when I heard a scream from the river. I knew what it meant, I've heard those cries several times. I had heard 15 that lime. I lea; ; iie end of the [M,;: m -ind i i nigh, was a lad struggling in tin 1 , water and la- could not swim. Well, I am a regular dog, lik :amins around New York. 1 was a swimmer, and o?er I went and caught the lad just in time, and I held him above water until they could lower a boat from the ship and we were both hauled on board. The lad was the captain's son and he knew I had sav boy's life, and after he had given mo a good breakfast he asked: 'What can I do for you, lad?' I answered, 'Take me to sea with you, captain.' 'I'll do it,' he answered, 'if everything is all right.' And when he heard my story he agreed to take me to sea with him as cabin boy. I tell you, cap, it was a fortunate adventure for me. I sailed \ ears on that ship and the captain's wife took a great fancy to me and she became my teacher. I could neither read nor spell and we had plenty of time on that ship and I took to it. ftho was instructing her own boy. You see before she married the captain she had been a Yankee schoolmarm. 1 soon caught up with her boy and we studied together and when I left the ship I was as well educated as most boys who have been to school from four- teen to twenty. She had plenty of books and I became a great road IT." " You didn't like the sea?" "'Oh, yes, but I became ambitious, cap. I thought with iny education I could make my way bettor on shop when ai'liT tin I he captain returned to N'-w Y-'ik I left the ship. 1 had some, money and I set out t< merchant, but something occurred that led me to uhango my mind." " What occurred, Jack?" "After I had been in a house (wo \eais they failed, and a frisud of mine said he could get m on the police force. I determined to become a ..n ami nere i am, and 16 fHR WITCH OF MANHATTAN. now yon have the whole story of the little bread thief n* to date, captain." "It is a remarkable story, Jack, in some respects, but similar incidents are occnrring every day." "Yon are right, cap. I've come to learn some very trange life histories since I've been on the force But tell me about the little blue-eyed girl and her hun this girl's name?" "Alice." "Her last name?" "Alice Swartswood." "And she resides at present in California?" "Yes." "Her father is a millionaire?" "Yes." "No doubt about that?" "None whatever." "It's strange." THE WITCH OF MANUA TTAN. 19 "Jack, will yon tell mo what you are getting at?" "Captain, you have heard of the Witch of Manhattan?" " No, I have not " The detective smiled and said: "I don't wonder." " Will you talk straight out, Jack?" "I've dubbed her the Witch of Manhattan." " Tell me about the Witch of Manhattan and her connec- tion with that picture." " What makes you think the Witch has any connection with this picture?" "I have been watching you." ' Mebbe you think I am bewitched." "No." "Cap, they count me pretty smart in solving mysteries." " Yes, they think you are a wonder." "And yet I am at fault just once. I am dead beat." "Beaten by a witch?" " Yes." "Let's hear about it." The two men had seated themselves. "There is a thief in New York who has evaded every ofiicrr in the business a female thief. Sometimes she appears as an old woman, sometimes as a beautiful young lady. She lias worked on men's sympathies and lulled them until she secured u chance to rob them. At other times she appears before them a golden-lwiivd girl and bewitches them and robs them. She is the most cunning and the most successfnl thief in certain directions that evej- appeared in New York, and thus far she has baffled every officer put on her track." " Has she baffled you?" " Yes, so far." kk J!id you ever see her?" "There's the rub, captain. We all think we have 20 THE WITCH OF MANHA TTAN. her and none are sure. She is the qneen of sirens, an alluring mystery, who is plundering right and left with delightful impunity." "And yon have all failed in tracing her?" "We have." "What are her methods?" "I've told yon her methods. She begniles and then steals. "Large amounts?" "She takes anything lying around loose. Her last rploit was the stealing of twenty thousand dollars in negotiable bonds." "Did she negotiate them?" "She did." "And got away with the money?" "Yes." "She mnst be smart." "She is." "And yon think she is in my district?" "I have no reason to think so." Then you did not come np here to look for her?" *No, I was sent for to meet a gentleman who stated he nad very particular business with me." "Who is the gentleman?" "I have not seen him yet." "You know who he is?" "No; I was only requested to call at a certain aurnber atid send in my card to the master of the honse." " Where is the honse?" Jack gave the number and the captain exclaimed: I know that house." "You do?" "Yes." "Then yon know now what I am doing np i u J0 nr di*. I want to inquire abont that house." ncffOf ijv. 21 "If hioned house, Imilt some time dur- ing the revu!ui ; <;". \< IIM. ant for sixteen years." "It r.pp> 'itpicd now." ortcd to me that it is occupied. The Yielding l)rlMi'js to an estate that was in litigation. Pos- i settled and one of the heirs occupies "Then you know nothing about the present occupant?*' lo." "The party, whoever it is, has been there but a few ks." "Not OVCT t\vo weeks." "Ail right, captain, I will go there and pick np my information from the party direct." A little later and Wonder Jack appeared before an old double house .standing back fully twenty feet from the side- walk line. He passed through the gate, rang the bell and 1. It was some time before his summons was answered and then an old man, evidently a servant, opened the door and demanded: "What is wanted?" .Jae.k handed in his card and said: " I'lease deliver it to the master of the honse." The old man took the card and iu a few momenta returned and said: I'l.-ase euMie in, sir." Th" detective was shown into a large parlor after passing :!i a broad hall, lie found the furniture old-fashioned, : i'di and nin.^ive. All the hangings were faded, but a the materials were of the richest character. He did not be : ingle article that appealed new and , and vet eYervl.hi!:;^ h;ul been and burnished up, and looked pea! and eonifortahle. Thu deteetivr \va.-; QOinpell it some littlo time 'itured to turn n}> the gas so ho could study more 22 THE WITCH OF MANHATTAN. readily his surroundings, and he boldly wandered around the parlor; it was a way he had. He was always investi- gating, and it was this habit which enabled him to get on to a great many facts at different times. He wandered into the rear parlor, when his attention was arrested 05 beholding a portrait. It was the picture of a young girl, and our hero stood and gazed in rapt admiration, for it was a beautiful face. Well, he had beheld many beautiful faces ^in his time-, it was not an unusual event to see a beautiful face, but there was something in the expression of this face which aroused strange feelings. The artist had been a man of genius and he had succeeded in putting upon canvas a face beautiful as we have indicated and clothed it with an expression that caused one to become interested at once. The portrait represented a young girl, and despite her apparent youth and wondrous beauty there was a sad look which was actually startling in its life-like distinctness. The detective was still gazing with rapt attention when a roice demanded: "Well, now are you prepared to give me your attention?" The detective turned and beheld an old lady, tall and stately, and with a very stern expression of countenance. "Excuse me, madam, I was absorbed in admiration; that is the most striking portrait I ever beheld." The lady did not deign to explain who the original was. Jack hoped she would; on the contrary she asked: "Are you Mr. Gas well?" " That is my name, madam." "I sent for you." "I beg your pardon, madam, I thought I was to meet a gentleman." "I do not know how you became possessed of that im* pression. I sent for you." "Madam, I am at jour service." 277, i TTAX. 28 '.illy. 1 ' ,Ia>-k did iiiii, ask why she had sent for him expressly, and si ded to reveal her reason unasked. " I had heard ahout you," she said. A slill maintained silence. " I have been informed that yon are a very shrewd man, ami an hone.4 man, and a gentleman, who can he entrusted with the most conlidential business." " I am always true to them I serve, madam." "So I have been informed; and it is a very delicate busi- ness I have on hand for you to undertake." "I am prepared to listen, madam." 44 It is a case of robbery." "Tell me about it, madam." "It is an extraordinary case." u can tell me all about it, madam." "I will ihvt lull you something of our family history, not that the narrative will directly bear upon the mystery, but I de>ire that you should know whom you serve." "I am ready to listen, madam." " 1 am ! "f the man who was the real heir to a . This house was a part of the estate. My brother's father loft this property to him." " Madam, why do y< air brother's father?" he was my half-brother only. My mother i widow when be married my brother's father, and d hf K ft me, a sum of money, but ill th ile he Irfl to my brothers, and immediately 1'ollowed a lawsuit, which was only finally decided " Who : the will, madam?" " My br i.ali'-hrtjtlicr." MI- own hrnihrt ?" had a sun when he married my motl n-r, had been THE WITCH OF MANHATTAN. "Yes, sir. "Proceed." "My stepbrother was disinherited." e was an only S0 n, by the first marriage?" 8 "' 6 ^ D0t meutionetl in the will." "Yes." "In whose favor?" *'In favor of the jonnger sons." ;< And the elder son who contested?" He died a bankrupt." "And why have you told me all this?" Again the detective smiled, and said; AH right, madam, I am glad to have -ill = possession, direct and collateral." ln "Onr family, sir, is purgned by Nemesis of No, sir." THE WI7VII OF MANHATTAN. 25 " Madam, if every robber was looked upon as a Nemesis, there would be a great many avengers of that sort in the world." "An ordinary robbery would not mean much, but this robber is persistent, ingenious, and dangerous, and unless his robberies are checked we will become impoverished." Again the detective smiled. The remark was very womanly and yet the old lady appeared to be a person of nerve, good sense, and courage. " Will you give me the details?" "This house has been entered three times, and property to the amount of ten thousand dollars has been taken; family heirlooms, valuable gems, and five thousand in securities and money, which were held here temporarily." The detective smiled, and the old lady observing hia smile, asked: "Why do you smile?" Jack, who had a keen sense of humor, said: "Madam, if they were stolen, they certainly were held here only temporarily." " I should have said we were compelled to keep them here over night and that night they were stolen." "And have you any clew to the thief?" "Now, sir, comes a test of the reasons why I sent for you. Can we rely upon your absolute friendliness?" "Will you explain, madam?" "I want this thief caught." "I see." "But I do not wish any of our family to be implicated as prosecutors." " Minium, if that is your desire, there is no need to catch the thief. A complainant must appear." "I do not care so much about prosecuting the thief. I have another purpose." "What is your other purpose?" 26 THE WITCH OF MANHA TTAN. " You say /fo's or her 9 " "Yes." "Why?" It is possible the robber is a woman aTor r ds for belie ; ing jt possibie that "Yes." "Will you state your grounds?" Several members of our family have been his or Jack Caswell almost leaped ont of his chair. It was the that the ^nol "bbe the -^nons Witch of f "Yes." "And his name?" "Theodore Peale." r6 ee Theodore Peale was the man who had been am, who is the original of that picture?" bhe was the daughter of my half-brother," Where is you* half-brother?" "He is dead." ; a Til '[ OF MANHATTAN. 27 ""Why not, ni:id:i!ii:'" 1." "The original of that portrait is dead?" - V " Uow long has she been dead, madam?" " X.-ni'ly ii year." 4k Who is the owner of this estate now?" "I am." " Yon told me, madam, yon had three half -brothers." " Yes, sir; I said I had three half-brothers. I am the last of the family. Death carried off all the family, even my niece, who was the residuary heir of her uncles when the will was decided in her favor. She was the sole legatee. I was her heir." "And you are now the owner of the whole estate?" "I am, as the heir of my niece." "Have you any family of your own, madam?" "I have a sou." "Does he live with you?" "No. He resides out west." "You spoke of a nephew, Theodore Pealo." " Yes." " Is he the son of one of the brothers?" "No, he is the son of one of my own brothers." "I think, madam, that now I have the family history Jown pretty well." "Yes, sir." "Do yon live here alone?" "No, a granddaughter resides with me." " You recently took possession here?" "Yes, sir." "Now, then, madam, you wish to find the thief?" .-3." "You o!o not want the thief a r rested?" No." #g THE WITCH OF MANHATTAN. "What -am. I to dor* "Merely run the thief down, and identify him or her." " And you can give me no clew as to the identity of the ihief?" "I cannot." "Bow am I to begin." "You are a detective?" "Yes." "You might set a trap. The thief may visit this housa again." The detective wanted time to think the matter over. He had listened attentively to the story of the lady, as stated, and during the whole time that she was talking he bad watched her closely, very closely, and he finally said : "Madam, I will give this matter some consideration, and see you again." "You will decide upon a plan?" "I will." "You will not'take any one into your confidence?" "I will not at present." "Why do you put in the reservation?" "I never positively bind myself. I will agree not to take any one into my confidence without consultation with you." "That is satisfactory; and now remember all I desire at present is that you will identify the thief." "I am not to make an arrest?" "No; but your identification must be positive and absolute." "Atid then?" "You will have earned your reward, and I promise you it shall be the most munificent payment you ever received.' "Madam, you have not been perfectly frank with me." "I have not?" "No." THE WITCH OP MANHATTAN. 29 "Why do you think so?" * You have a suspicion as to the identity of the thief P" "On my sacred honor, I have not." "And you cannot give me the slightest clew to work upon?" "1 cannot." "I will see you again, madam." "When?" "After I have fully considered the whole matter." . Tho detective departed and as he walked along the street he v, ;ed by the precinct captain who said: "Jack, I've been on the 'lay' for you." -Well." "How did you make out?" *' i haven't made anything out, except that it is another f the Witch of Manhattan, and the affair is becoming complicated." " When I can be of any service to you, let me know." "I will." Jack returned to his lodgings. He sat down and thought the whole matter over in his mind. He was satisfied he was engaged in a very remarkable case, and he reached a conclusion that there existed the most startling possibilities in the ail'air. lie passed a sleepless night. Ho had been, haunted, he remarked when he arose in the morning haunted by a face and that J'aee wan the sad, beautiful om represented upon the canvas in the old house where he had held the strange interview concerning the mysterious robber. It was true the face had haunted our hero and tin features represented 141011 that canvas were indelibly fixe4 upnii his ineniorv. "When 1;< iii the morning he recalled all the inci- ivlntrd lv tin- woman and he wafi more and nmni perplex, d the closer In* studied the faets, and he muttered "There is a mystery here deeper than 1 can solve a 30 THE WITCH OF MA NSATTAN, present There is some devilm-ent somewhere. I am not satisfied that the woman was honest. Her instruction wre strange and unusual and therein lies the germ of mv suspicion. One thing is certain, the Witch of Manhattan the Nemesis. Now , then, I will start out and make a ie study m one direction anyway, and then I will set a rap, but a different one from that suggested by the old The detective's first move was a visit to the office of Iheodore Peale. He went into the man's law office, and sitting down waited until the head of the office was at leisure, and he had an excellent opportunity to study the man. In due time Mr. Peale was at leisure, and he called the detective into Ins office. "A little." The lawyer started and asked: " What have yon discovered?" ' Sir ' that y ai ' e not the only "Oh, no; the thief whom yon call the Witch of Man- 3 very impartial in her peculations. I have had several people report losses to me, and, by the way, that was a happy thought of yonrs, dubbing her the Witch of lanhattan; how is it you fell to that name?" fell 10 it from the fact that yon told me that t * rming yonng lady who robbed yon dubbed herself a Manbattan ' a desce ^t of one of the old fact?*' J6S ' l remember ' and she did dwell npon that "Mr. Peale," said the officer, "you tell me that this thief has robbed saveral of your acquaintances?" THE in 7V .77 OP MANHATTAN. 31 "Yes." ! itivcs of yours?" >h, no. " Tlu- detective was thoughtful a moment and then asked- " Have YOU an aunt living at street?" "Oh, yes." "I've seen that lady." iir sent for you at my suggestion." " It appeal's that your aunt is also a victim?" There came a light in the man's eyes that told much to the keen ofli " Oh, she should not have told you that." -She did." " i suppose it's all right." " It may be, but I see you have misled your aunt." "I have?" " Yes." "How?" "She appears to think that your family alone are the victims of the thief." Again there came a very suggestive look in the lawyer's eyes, at least the look was very suggestive to our hero. "She told you that, eh?" * Yes." "I suppose she thinks so." "One more fact, sir; you say the thief negotiated the bonds?" - Yes." u Where did she negotiate them?" The lawyer named a hank. " You did ii"t tell me (hid before." "You asked MID the question 1 could 1 not answer. I 1 rained and since you repeat vour question I answer it." ' "Under what guise did the Witch appear at the bank?" 32 THE WITCH OF MANHATTAN. had better go and gee the officers of the bank ; they can tell yon better than I can." "I will go and see them," said Jack, and upon gaining the street he muttered: "Great Scott, I am knocked out on one surmise, that ie sure." The detective called afc the bank and learned that a respectable old lady had called, bringing with her letters of the highest character. "Were the letters genuine?" asked Jack. "They appeared to be, but the real owners claim not." "Then you are losers." "We may be," came the evasive answer. The answer meant a great deal to our hero, and he determined to start in on the trail of his life. That night the detective appeared at the house of Mrs. Thomas, and said after some talk: "I will remain here to-night, with your permission." "Why should you, sir? 1 ' "I thought it might be desirable to you." "No, there is no need." Jack expected his offer would be declined, but he had a purpose in making the request, and after some little time he left the house, but he had gotten his points, and had decided upon his move. It was about midnight when the detective appeared before the old mansion. He was gotten up in an excellent disguise, and acting on information he had obtained earlier in the evening he gained an entrance to the house. He moved noiselessly along on the lower floor. All was dark and still, and he took up a position in the parlor, He had his mask-lantern with him, and he flashed its light on the portrait which had so fascinated him. He remained in the house for two hours, and finally concluded there was nothing to be learned and he stole forth and gained THE WITCH OF MANHATTAN. fche street. He was pacing almvj:, lo.--t in derp thought, when he was around hy being pa.vod by a lady. The latter was heavily veiled and the hour was after two o'clock in the morning. As wo have stated, the veiled lady passed him, indicating that she had come from the direction of the old house. Jack walked along after the lady and decided upon a bold move. He stepped up beside the female and said: "Excuse me, but can I be of any service to you?" The lady did not appear at all frightened, but answered promptly: "No, sir." "Do not fear to ask a service, miss," persisted the detective. "You can do me a kindness," said the lady. "I thought so." "Will you?" "I will." "Then please go off about your business, and let me alone." We will here state that a most singular premonition had presented itself to our hero's mind. He could never tell how he came to realize the suspicion, but he always after- ward claimed that he was urged to commit the act he did under the strongest impulse of his life. He suddenly reached his hand forth and tore aside the veil, and for an instant he stood paralyzed, and the nest he lay bleeding on the sidewalk, stricken by a blow from a club, and the lady disappeared around the comer ere our hero cluild i his feet. Ho had received a pretty powerful blow, but the stroke of the club was nothing compared to the shock of surprise 1 . When .lack tore aside. tli.-it, veil there' led before him the face of the original of the portrait, the pictured i'ace that hail haunted his memory, and the discovery was more stunning than tho blow, and the latter, as intimated, had been a powerful stroke. 34 THE WITCH OF MANHATTAN. Jack rose to his feet and he muttered: "I am dead beat. Great Scott! I am on the mystery of my life. Mrs. Thomas told me the original of that por- trait was dead and had I not been knocked down by a crack on the head I would swear that I had seen a ghost, and I am no believer in the supernatural." Our hero was completely mystified, and the more he revolved the matter over the mystery deepened and became in its elements more remarkable. The portrait represented a youthful, sad-faced, and very delicate girl, and yet the blow that knocked him down was dealt with force one might expect from a powerful athlete. Jack was a very powerful man and no light blow could have knocked him from his feet. Again he muttered, "I am completely nonplused, but as I live I will solve this mystery." On the morning following the incident we have described the detective again appeared at the house of Mrs. Thomas, and when the old lady with the dignified mien joined him he asked: "Madam, did your mysterious thief appear last night?" "No, sir." "Let me ask you, how many times has the Nemesis been in this house?" "I should say three times." "And the last visit?" "Was made about a week ago." The detective had purposely taken a seat near the por- trait which had so interested him and he suddenly demanded: "!B the original of that portrait dead?" "Yes." "So you told me." "I did, and why do you ask me to repeat the declara- tion?" THE WITCH OF MANHATTAN. ft "Because I have another question to ask." ry well, sir." you know of any living relative of the family who resembles the original of that picture?" Tin; woman hesitated a long time and then asked: " Why do yon ask me that question, sir?" "The face appears like one I have seen before." "How long since?" "Within a year." Again the woman hesitated a long time and then said : "I reckon it is only a chance resemblance; you know resemblances are very common." " I have either seen the original of that picture or one who bears a resemblance so striking that it cannot be accidental." u If you saw the face within a year it was not the original of that picture, for the original has been dead nearly two years. The party you saw must have borne a chance resemblance." Jack was more and more mystified and finally he asked: " What am I to do if I run down the thief?" " You are to report to me." "That is all?" "Yes." "I am not to make an arrest?" " No, all I desire you to do is to locate and positively identify the robber." "Madam, let mo ask you; it would appear that the original of that picture was a blonde." "Yes, sir." Tlio detective, in the brief glimpse he had of the face of the veiled girl who had knocked him down, recognized that she had dark hair. During the talk recorded .lack kept; hi* ey-\s fixed on the woman and he recognized that she was very fur* &6 THE WITCH OF MANHATTAN. and watchful and very careful and guarded as to every reply she made. When he left the house he determined before proceeding further to verify the story the woman had told him, and he did with results we will record in the following chapter. CHAPTER II. As WE have stated, Jack was convinced that there were some strange and weird elements in the affair which he nad in hand. He did not know just exactly whom co suspect as the conspirators. One fact was assured : there were otners engaged in the game, whatever it might Je. Thus iar he had fallen to nothing that would indicate tnat Mrs. Thomas was not an honorable woman, am; .^iucere in all that she said; but one fact was plainly apparent whether honest or otherwise she was nee absolutely frank with him. All she had told him might be true, but she had not told him all and then again the one other mystery was the marvelous strength of the seemingly delicate female who had so deftly knocked him down. The detective proceeded to the surrogate's office and there he learned facts which appeared to confirm every word that had been told him by the woman. The facts concerning the family appeared to be correct. The elder brother had been the contestant in the suit. The will was made in another State where the bulk of the property wa located, also all the personal estate. The property in New >rk was represented by the old house above mentioned which had been the homestead of the family for three generations. The present owners came into possession under the decision in the courts in another State, and it 3came necessary to present proofs only in New York to icquire title, and Mrs. Thomas was the legal owner of the Mtate as the heir of her niece, the daughter of her half- THK n 7 T( -a o F jr i .v/r. i TTA N. 37 brother, who under th- of the court became sole and took possession j: to her death. Despite the fact that the old woman's, statements were fully confirmed the defective, .-'nice having met the veiled woman whose features he had disclosed, and also despite the singular conditions under which the mysterious thief was to h" located, indulged a suspicion. He was ;i natural an- and he easily figured out conditions which would permit of the grossest frauds, and his final exclamation was: "I've got a tangled mystery on my hands, but I'll get at the truth if it takes the rest of my life." -tated, t!',' >, but I now fear that for some weird reason my life danger." " Will you di-srribe what occurred?** The. staid old woman told a strange, weird story and during the narration our hero dissected i he tale and reached his own conclusions, lie ivmained -omr time in the house with Mrs. Thomas and lose to go when the lady said: "I wish yoi' would wait here a moment, I have some- thing to shcu- vou." 38 THE WITVH OF MANHATTAN. Mrs. Thomas left the room and Jack sat with his eyes cast down, when a ray of bright sunlight shot in through a turned lattice and there revealed a single thread of hair. Detectives are always on the alert and always quick to dis- cover any little thing within the line of their suspicions, Jack picked up the single thread of hair and quickly ensconced it in an envelope and awaited the return of Mrs, Thomas. The lady soon put in an appearance and after showing the article she wished him to see asked: "Have you any hopes of running down the mysterious robber?" "Oh, yes." "You understand fully that you are to make no arrests. You are merely to locate and report." "That is the understanding, madam." "If you carry out your mission successfully your reward will be large." "I will carry out my mission successfully, you need not fear." A little later the detective departed, and proceeding to his lodging he drew the strand of hair from his pocket and examined it carefully under a glass, and we will disclose the result by the exclamation he uttered. "I'll be hanged if it is not a clear blond. It came from the head of some blond-haired miss, and let me see, the original of the portrait is dead. Hang me, if this mystery is not getting more and more tangled." Jack thought over his talk and he clearly discovered facts that were very suggestive, and not the least of these was the command not to arrest the thief. He was to locate the Nemesis only. Jack started in to trail Theodore Peale. He had met the man several times but knew very little about him. He lay one whole day near the man's office and late in the afternoon got on his track. Peale upon leaving his office Til! 1A. 39 went to ;i fashionable hole] re- taurant . Jack, wlio waa under a di d tiic place, and saw a lady enter short! who went . t- \vanl tin- table where Peale had I. The man rose to greet her and soon they were seated at the same table, where they enjoyed a gorgeous repast. Jack maintained his position. He studied the woman well and reached a conclusion concerning her. She handsome woman, but her beauty was of the co; sort. Her manners also indicated a woman of little refine- ment and one who enjoyed all manner of dissipations. When the meal was concluded Peale and the woman separated, but not before our hero had managed to hear the woman say: " I will see yon to-night?" The man smiled and answered: " Possibly to-morrow moruing at an hour not far removed from to-night.*' It was about eight o'clock in the evening when Peale separated from the lady. 'They had been three hours at dinner and evidently had enjoyed a merry time. Our hero decided to follow the man and he "lay " upon his track until he saw him enter a gambling den which we will here state ruined inure men during the year it thrived than any other gambling den that was ever started in New York. I Vale entered the place and became engaged in betting. t. at high rates and was a loser. Our hero ma: to ma '(uaintance. As we have stated, Jack was excellently disguised and lie felt lie could relv upon his ise to escape d. He and his "qu. :-arily quite intimate. Peale was a ; and our hero had the privilege of accommodating him with a loan of lifty d< iVak- was a lilt!. of wine and then ia the time when heir caution and talk. 40 THE WITCH OF MANHATTAN. Jack calculated Peale would talk and he asked him quite a number of questions. He seemingly received "very frank answers, but they were not confirmatory of any suspicions indulged by our hero. It was well on toward midnight when the two men separated and Jack fell again to his man's trail, and to his surprise he discovered that Peale even at so late an hour intended to pay a visit to his aunt, Mrs. Thomas. Jack saw him enter his aunt's residence and the detective man- aged to get into the house. He had been there so often he had the plan of the house \vull in his mind and it was an easy thing for him to gain access. He stole along and discovered the nephew and aunt engaged in a consultation. "You have had your own way and this is the result," Jack heard Peale say. "How have I had my own way?" " We were safe enough, but you, urged by unwarranted fears, must go and call in a detective. In doing so you commenced playing with edged tools." "How?" " You were anxious to discover and locate our Nemesis." "Yes, it is absolutely necessary. We do not know at what moment our secret may be disclosed." "You feared the "Nemesis." " I had reason to do so, as I am assured that an avenger is on our track. Theodore, it is too great a property to lose." " We were all right. Had you not acted on your own responsibility we should have been all right." "You do not appreciate the danger." "Yes, I do; but we could have trapped the Nemesis ourselves." "You expressed fear." "But that did not mean surrender." " How have 1 surrendered ?" : WITCH OF MANHATTAN. 41 "By calling in this detective. He is more dangerous than the Nemesis." "N" "I have something very startling to tell you." "Indeed!" "Yes." "Tell me." "That man is not 'piping' the Nemesis." " What is he doing?'' "'Piping' vs." The woman stared and after a moment demanded: " What do you mean?" "Just what I say; that man is 'piping' us." "Why should he 'pipe' us?" "Because by some strange and possibly occult process he has fallen to the suspicion that there is something wrong." " How do you know he is 'piping' us?" "I know it well enough." " You were always a suspicious man, my son." The detective had been informed that Theodore Peale was the nephew of Mrs. Thomas, and now the woman called him "my son," and Jack had learned facts that con- firmed his suspicions. Indeed it had ceased to be a suspi- cion. He was well assured that some great deed of wrong aad been committed and these people were scheming to hide their tracks and make their deed a permanent success. " I may be a suspicious man, and my suspicions are well confirmed this time." " Yon say hu is 4 piping' us?" .3." "You must have some proof." "I huve." "What is your proof?" 4% THE WITCH OF MANHATTAN. "He was 'piping' me this very night. I played my part well." "He was 'piping' you this night?" "He was." "What nonsense!" "It is true, and I tell yon a more dangerous foe is on our track than the Nemesis, or the Witch of Manhattan, as the feller calls our dummy." A second great disclosure was made to the detective. There had been no robberies; the schemers were using a dummy to rob themselves and this disclosure opened up the fact that there must be a real heir somewhere, a victim of a deep and well-laid conspiracy. Jack was indeed wonder in his ability to put facts together. There followed a few moments' silence broken at length by the woman, who said: " Do you really mean to tell me that the detective has been 'piping' you?" "I do." "And you are sure?" "lam." "What can be his purpose?" "He suspects something wrong. We could not carry out such a scheme as w^ have and be able to conceal every little fact liable to arouse suspicion. I knew that we were all right until 3 r ou called in this man." "I thought we might locate and < Well, you know." , " Oh, yes, that part of it was all right. We did it suc- cessfully in one case but we should not have employed any one as keen as a detective to do the locating." "We have tried ourselves and failed." "It is true, but in the end we would have succeeded." "Or at any moment all might have been exposed," said the woman. " It was necessary that we should act quickly." "We must act quickly now." THK WITCH OF MANHATTAN. 43 "How so?" "Undo the mischief that has been done in other words remove the peril \\v have invited." " What do you muan?" That detective." -Well?" "Unless something is done onr game will be defeated. We are winners. We hold on, however, by a very slender thread at present. Suppose the detective and the Nemesis should come together?" "Well?" * Jt would be good-day to us, or rather to the millions." "And what can we do?" "I'll tell you." "Do so." " We must get rid of the detective." "That can be done easily enough." "It can?" "Yes." "How?" "I will dismiss him." The man laughed. "Why do you laugh?" " Well, it is very astonishing, mother, that a woman as cunning and clear-headed in some things should be so weak and near-sighted in others." "What do you mean?" "You say you will dismiss the detective." "Certainly." "What will he care?" "That will take him out of the case." "You think so?" "Why not?" "Why, mother, it will start him in. Yes, we have made a great mistake." 4* THE WITCH OF MANHATTAN. "We have the money." "Yes." " What can we not do with all this wealth absolutely at our disposal?" " We can do a great deal, but it is hard to think that you should haye invited a Nemesis number two." "Who is the Nemesis number two?" "The detective." "And you really think he is dangerous?" "I know he is." "We will get rid of him." "Not by a dismissal." The detective peeped and saw the woman's face. It assumed an expression simply fiendish as she said: "Yes, by a simple dismissal." "Never." "You do not appear to understand me." "Tell me." " We will dismiss him. Yes, and he will not trouble us." "Do not talk in riddles." "We will kill him." " We must; but we thereby invite a second peril. It is not an easy affair to put a detective out of the way." "We will do it, easy or not easy." "We must do something, for I tell you in plain word* that man is on our track." "To-morrow 1 will arrange to dispose of that man." "Oh, yes, and invite new complications. It is very unfortunate." "How will I invite new complications?" "In disposing of this man." "Leave it to me." "What will you attempt?" ; < Never mind. He will he out of the way." " Will you explain how you mean to do it?" THE WITCH OF MANHA ZT. 45 "He will enter this house .some day and never leave it." man thought u moment ami .said: "That is the only way you can do it. The deed must not be entrusted to any mu- else." " Y"ii can leave it, to me." A little later Theodore Peale left the house flnd the detective determined to stay in the house, and after the old woman had retired to her own room he had ample time to revolve over in his mind the remarkable disclosures verieg that had come to him. He could not understand why the woman called her nephew her sou, or her son her nephew. There was some deep design in that singular {':>>(. Indeed, the whole matter was each moment niiig a deeper and deeper mystery. -Ia<'k had nisconeed himself in the parlor. He lay lieil upon a sofa and he was engaged in deep study. He was battled as to a solution of all the complications. ailed the finding of the strand of hair and this led him into a train of thought. He had "piped" down to upants of the house and could only identify three iding in the old homestead Mrs. Thomas and a man and woman, both the latter foreigners, and as far as he could discern they were Swedes. Then, as stated, he recalled the strand of blond hair and he muttered: " There is one occupant of this house I have not seen The words had hardly escaped hi.-- lips when he beheld a sight that caused him to lie and stare like one par i 1 : It that he was gazing upon an apparition. A K-male robed in pure white suddenly appeared in tlu 1 In her hand t!. an ied a little lamp and she 1 with a Blo a regular Lady Macbeth but the feature- were hear. til' 1 .'.!, and the LT made a second \ iling discovery. The apparition bore a remarkable resemblance to the portrait TBa W1WB OP MANBATTAIT. ,,,, He ood a operations tW h red that for T^fX h ^ J ej r i w rt iiii * : * ; gained the street he nn,tlt, ' ' f rth all<3 8S he n eu I will soon fl Sth' "' TV/ IN. 47 v the blond lady would remain in the house. future d.iy he could trail down to discover her. Tht'iv weiv other fads IK.- needed t-> ,-mdy. ur readers know Jack had been to the surrogate's otlice and had ascertained considerable, and all he had It-arm- 1 appeared to con linn the story the woman had .oil to him, and it was just here where he wi atly tilled. He deVrminecl to know more and on the morn- ing following the incidents we have described he packed his valise and left town. Jack's destination was the city where the trial had taken place. He determined to learn from the records and other sources the real facts of the great suit that had lasted so many years, and which had been so stubbornly contested. Jack arrived in the town and had little trouble in getting on to many facts not interesting to our readers. lie learned the name of the counsel for the contestant and from him learned some very startling facts. lie learned that there had been two contestants. Contestant number two claimed to bo a sou of the younger brother in whoso favor the decision was finally given, but absolute proof was furnished that this young man was an illegitimate offspring, his own mother appearing and admitting the facts under nination. We will hero state that the cross examination to which this mother was subjected did not compare to the one i ducted by the detective in his interview with the lawyer, and the clear, discerning mind of our hero perceived little suggestions which appeared to point to one of the n skillfully arranged plots ever conceived for the stealing of millions. And when Jack ( 'aswell took the train to return to New York he had mapped out a line of i -ion which promised great re.Mills. He knew all he would ha\ contend with, he full , fl he would encounter, for he : '/d that, the ! a hold and des* 48 THE WITCH OF MANHA TTAN. The detective arrived i Fh detectn-e d,d not go near the woman Mrs Thomas nntal he rece.ved a message from her requesting h to to ca ' ci -- j - .it: - .i any progress? " ^ ^- "I am surprised at your non-success " 'We cannot do these things in a day, madam." ' have been some creeks engaged on the case THE WITCH OF MANHA TTAN. 40 "Are you 1, madam?" "I will be frank, I did think something would be accom- plished by this time." Do you wL-li to employ some one else?" - Now you are taking an advantage." "I jim?" "Yes." "How?" "I have given you my confidence; I do not feel like giv- ing it to another. It is a very delicate business." The detective fixed his eyes on the woman and asked : "Why should it be, my dear madam? If it is an ordi- nary case of robbery it is simply to find the thief; but you exact very peculiar conditions." "You think so?" "I do." "Y^ou are at liberty to withdraw from the case." "I am perfectly willing to do so, madam." The woman was thoughtful and there came a wicked look in her usually cold, gleaming eyes. "I do not wish you to do so. I know you are an honor- able man and you have the reputation of being a very shrewd man. I should think you could locate the thief." "Madam, I have done all I could to locate the thief." "You have the most accurate descriptions of her appearances." "Yes, mudam, and that is all I can get from any of her victims." There was great significance in the detective's last state> ment and it was a true one. All he could get from the victims of tho thief was ;i description, no little facts or clews that might lead to a W to hciir her tell her dear boy how near she to hiving out the 'dangerous tool,' the de tee live." ? the son enter the house. It was after elovon A. The detective managed to gain an entrance also tnd he was at his ju.-.-t ready to listen just as Mrs. Thomas M, so he overheard her very iirst words and itartlingly confirmatory of his latest susjii- " \\Y11, auntie, did yon succeed in downing your detec tivi j >, and I have something to tell you." "Well?" am vindicated." " Von are vindicated?" " M v jioliev i.-: vindicated." Mt : " Yes." "How:" "I had the detective on watch here last night." "Well?" . nd h? came," "He did?" "Yes." W< " I/r almost. kilh:d the detective." at se.i once niore. In those few words the an had dispelled i suspicion. -What hap] .1 IVale. "As I tuld you, I had the (Jett-.-tive on wateli and he him, made an attempt to pistol at the oflicer at short " An "I have fulfilled your condition you have seen my face." " Y'es, and you can cover it up auain." C2 THE WITCH OF 3TANHA TTAN. This permission appeared to amuse the old horror and she said: "You don't think I am very beautiful, do you?" "Hardly." " You expected to behold a charming young girl?" "Sure." "You can answer my question now." "No." "Why not?" "I am not answering questions to an old witch." "Ha! ha!" laughed the creature, "I am the Witch of Manhattan, the real old genuine Knickerbocker Witch." "I reckon you tell the truth," said Jack, in a peculiar tone. "I have fulfilled the condition ^answer my question." "Repeat it." "What are you employed to do?" "I may scare you if I answer." "No." "You are sure you will not scare?" "lam." "I am employed to catch the Witch of Manhattan." The creature laughed. "You do not scare," said Jack. "No." "Haven't we had fun enough?" "Yes." "Then let's get down to business." "All right." "You say you are the Witch of Manhattan." "And you think your work is done." "Certainly; I have found my game." "What will you do 9 " "Arrest you." "Oh, you will?" Til : ','/< V. \.\IfATTAN. 63 88. M "That is contrary lo your orders." ..rain greatly amazed. " It ?, my orders?" "How?" " You were only to locate the Witch of Manhattan, not t, her." The detective was perplexed and very thoughtful. The singular interview had assumed a very strange phase. He recognized the fact that it was necessary for him to go very slow. There had followed a moment's silence when the crea- ture asked: kk Have you located me? Can you identify me?" "I think I can." "Then you can go and get your reward, and it will be a rich one." Jack fell to the truth; there had heon a double espion- age. While he had been trailing Mrs. Thomas and her son or nephew some one had been trailing them also and he ha<.? been included in the trail. It was evident this old witch had by some means learned the conversations that had occurred between Mrs. Thomas and himself, or it was another deal on the part of the old woman whom our ht:x was now convinced had* stolen the Radclitt'e estate, Jack was not disconcerted, lie was down to a case tiled for a display of those wonderful qualities that irned for him his complimentary sobriquet. There f"l!,iw:'d a moment's silence. The detective was :;ig upon his plan of action and In ined by a start! ncnt to clear up one. phase of the mystery. ki Y You have not been deceived at any time, you are the victor?" "lam." "I have said I will appeal to your honor and mercy." "You said so." "Then release me." A sudden and strange impulse led the detective to fall to the spirit of young RadclinVs proposition and he imme- diately released him and said : "Young man, I am your friend, you can trust me. I believe you have been wronged. I am an impartial teetifier. I have obtained facts that have led me to this conclusion. Yon can trust me now tell me the whole truth." 'ilcil OF MANHATTAN. 67 "Do so." " First let me remove my disguise. I wish you to behold my real face. "All right." "1 will return in a few minutes." Tho disguised party moved toward a door opening J nto another room, when the detective called: "I kid! can I trust you?" "You can." "I will." A moment later the officer was alone, and in giving his confidence and trust he relied entirely upon his discern- ment and good judgment. Fully half an hour passed and there entered his presence one of the best-looking youths he had met in many a day. As the young man entered the room he said: "There shall be no more concealments. I am Anthony RadcliiTe." Jack surveyed the youth from head to feet. He beheld a youth whose features were wonderfully like those in the mysterious portrait. His eyes were blue but his hair was dark brown. Jack was running several theories through his mind and after an interval said : "No, there must; not be any more concealment. There are several singular incidents in this affair, several mys- teries. I reckon you can open thorn all up and explain everything." "How much do you know?" asked young Kadcliffe. Jack had decided upon his coum- and lie proceeded and told all the facts that, led to hi.- hrim- iillrd into the case. He related all thai, he had 1< .(1 all that he suspected, iiul then demanded: "Now tell me who you are?'* *! am Anthony Radclifte." 68 THE WITCH OF MANHATTAN. "That is your real name?" "It is." "And you have a right to the name?" I have." -' Who was your father?" " I am the son of the man to whose heirs the < awarded the Radcliffe estate." "You are?" "lam." "And who was your mother?" "My father's legitimate wife." "Then you are the real heir?" "lam." The detective told the story as it had been relat him by Mrs. Thomas, and then said : "Now explain how much of her story is true." "I can trust you?" "Yes." "You are really my friend?" "lam." "I will tell you the story. Mrs. Thomas claims the half-sister of my late father. The claim is false, is personating my aunt she is a fraud. My father man who, because of an injury, became mentally ^ This woman secured control over him and from the I ning plotted to steal the estate. When I was a child I was sent away and placed in charge of a w who later on testified that she was my mother, retained control of my sister." " Where is your sister now?" "This woman claims that she is dead." "You have been in the old Radcliffe house?" "I have." "You have seen the portrait of the fair girl?" "I have." / TCH OF MANE A TTAN. 69 " Wlio : I ilo not know." :liat a portrait of your sister?" "I do not know. I have not seen my sister since she was three yours old. I have bnt a faint recollection of lit I have a suspicion." '1 what is your suspicion?" " I believe that is a portrait of my mother." nor trait of your mother!'' ejaculated the detective. 88." Our hero recalled the glimpse he had had of the woman in white who resembled the portrait and who had been so summarily draped away the night he was on watch in the old house. %i \Vhere is yonr mother? "I do not know." "Is she dead?" " 1 do not know. They claim she is dead as they claim that my sister is dead." "What do you claim?" "I have reason to believe that my sister still lives." "And what is yonr theory?" "They won the verdict in the court against my uncle. That part of the story as told by Mrs. Thomas is true. My sister became the heir. Suddenly my sister died. Proof of her death must have been furnished probably man u fact u red, as these people had everythiM^ in their own and they produced a will wherein this Mrs. le heir of the property as nearest of kin." >w what do you Bi "I have indicated I bilicve my sister still lives or was murdered. Ewaea an tin the court through c< and t , rd that I was an illegitimate son. The woman v, ho had always taken core of i: t<> me as her child ar.d her I believed she h." 70 THE WITCH OF MANHATTAN. "How did you learn to the contrary?" "The woman repented and told me the whole truth, and told me she believed my mother still lived and also my sister." "How long ago did this confession take place?" "About six months ago." "Did the woman furnish you proofs?" "No." "How is that?" "She was about to confess her perjury. She threatened to do so unless these people did me justice." "And why has she not kept her word?" "She has mysteriously disappeared." "Murdered?" "I fear she has been murdered." "You have been haunting these people?" "I have." "Did you ever steal anything from them?" "No." k < What has been your purpose?" "I have been 'piping' them, lioping to learn that my tnothe? still lived, that my sister still lived; and also hop- ing to obtain evidence against them." "How is it they did not put you out of the way?" "I have been too smart for them. They have tried to murder me or capture me, but I have evaded them." "How about the Witch of Manhattan number two?" "She is one of their confederates. They are arranging evidence and proof so as to identify me with the thief and thus put me out of the way. If they could once capture me they would have abundance of proof of my guilt. They are great people for furnishing false testimony. That Thomas woman is a really wonderful woman." **How did you learn about me?" "I have been secreted in that house and I have listened 71 to cot, and the Thomas woman. : iurcd that you w< i!i:ill. I lll'l: '[lie Of wrongdoing, and I deti rained to meet you and throw on your mercy. Heretofore I have worked M Von met 11113 one night when yon were disguised a a woman.'' "I did." .d those robberies are all * fakes'?" "They are." "Only intended to manufacture evidence wherewith they can put you out of the way?" u Ves." " Who is the Witch of Manhattan?" " I do not knov. "Have you any suspicion?* 1 "No; I have tried to run her down but failed." " How is it you called her the Witch of Manhattan?" ''1 .- Jit at. an interview between yon aud Theo- dore lV::!e :-.nd learned you had dubbed the mysterious ui the Witch of Manhattan." laim the Witch has robbed other people." -uler the guidance of I Vale and with his conniv- ance slu- has done so, or rather appeared to have done so, In my opinion lie was the thief. All was contrived, H ingenious man an areh-e. inspirator." "And you believe \' ur mother II. " 1 do." " And your "Tes.' r "And you have outKned their whole schemer* M f l:a her." es." 7% THE WITCH OF MANHATTAN. "If your mother lives we may find her also," "Yes." - " How have they succeeded in making it appear that your mother is dead?" "I believe that in the case of both my sister and mothei substitutions have been made, while my mother and siatei have been held secret captives." "This has been an extraordinary game in case it is proved that yonr suspicions are correct." "Yes, sir, but with your great knowledge of the world you can readily see how under all the circumstances the game could be played. I was but a child, my sister also; and my mother a poor, weak, heartbroken woman. So you see it only re^nii'^d boldness, more than cunning, to carry out their scheme." "You are right, youn % o: man; yes, you are right. And now how are we to beat their game?" "In the first place we must find my old nurse, the woman who swore to being my mother." " You think she is alive?" "Yes." "What makes you think so?" " Simply because they have not sought to establish her death as they did the death of my father, my mother and my sister." "Do you think it possible your father lives?" "I believe he is really dead, but it is possible that he lives." "You firmly believe your old nurse, the woman who swore falsely, lives?" <k We have." "If that woman lives we will find her, I will promise you that much, young man. And now we will work together." "Then you accept my story?" "I do." "You believe I am the real heir?" "I do; and if you act under my advice we will establish all the facts. The first thing for us to do is to find Susan Werner." "No." " What would you propose?" "If my mother and sister are alive they are in the j. of these people/' uat is tn, MVe miil find them first." i think that your mother, if alive, knows of your existen. %t i believe she thinks me dead." 74 THE WITCH OF MANHATTAN. "And your sister?" "She probably knows nothing about me." "And the Witch of Manhattan? You have some i'let as to her identity." "I have not." " This is your home?" "At present, yes." "You live here alone?" "I do." "Under what guise?" "As an old woman." " You must have worked your disguise well to escape detection." "I have, but I have another home. This is jny refuge." "Who supplies you with money?" " A lawyer who will bring my case in court when I secure the evidence." " Your case will never come in court." "Necessarily so." "No, I will wind these people up so that in order to unwind they will be compelled to confess all and make full restitution. And now one word I am to undertake your case?" "If you are willing." "lam." "Then I know I shall recover my own." " In order to do so you must follow my directions to the letter." "I will." "Then you must remain right here as the old woman until you hear from me. I have a test to make. I have reason to believe that .your mother really lives." "You have reason to believe so?" "Yes." "Will you tell me on what you found your suspicion ?" TUK WITCH OF MANHATTAN. 75 Thts deteeth ! venture in the old house, telling how he saw the seeming apparition who so greatly resembled the portrait. The young man displayed con- siderable agitation and exclaimed: "Indued, you beheld my mother." "I will know within twenty-four hours." GUI hero held an extended talk with the young man and then departed in the carriage which had been placed At his service. On his way back to his lodgings he thought the whole affair over in his mind and fully realized the desperate chances that were to be taken. He recognized that the conspirators had so successfully entrenched them- selves behind the law that his moves must be independent of the law, and he fully appreciated the cunning and skill of the people against whom he was pitted, and could see that in an emergency they were capable of the moat des- perate deeds. Jack reached his home and on the morning following his remarkable adventure he sallied forth, determined to make a bold move. Later in the day he received a note from Mrs. Thomas, lie called upon that lady, who informed him that she had no more use for his services. Jack accepted his dismissal quietly and without protest, and this caused the woman to turn pale. She had expected and even hoped that he would protest or at least ask an explanation, and she accepted his ready acquiescence to his dismissal as very ominous; for after the departure of the detective she wa* d by her sou and to him she said : " 1 have followed your advice." " You have done well." " You think so?" lo." "On the contrary that man is now free to turn all his efforts against us." -78 THE WITCH OF MANHATTAN. "He was working against us anyhow. He was om foe from the beginning. Now we can treat him as a foe." "He is a very brave and intelligent man." " One fact is assured he suspects us and has been on cur track. He will make us trouble unless " The juar stopped short and Mrs. Thomas urged: "Proceed." " You can guess." " Unless he is out of the way?" "Yes." " Well, let him look to himself. His days are numbered now that I know he is our foe. We have gone too far now to let one life stand in our way." There was a malignant gleam in the woman's eyes as she spoke. "We must not strike unless we are sure." "You need have no fear. I have a man in my employ who needs only one word from me and the deed is done." A little later mother and son separated and so matters rested until midnight. Theodore Peale had warned his mother against one possibility and she had assured him that she would guard against it. It was two hours after midnight when through the dark- ness in the great parlor of the Eadoliffe mansion there shot a ray of light. Iu the center of the floor stood a masked figure and in the latter's hand was a masked lantern, the mask of which he had just slid from before the bright little spark of light, and he sent the glimmering streak from point to point around the great room. The singular figure presented a strange appearance. As intimated, he wore a mask upon his face, a loose gown-like robe enveloped his whole person and on his feet he wore a pair of regular Indian moccasins, and a strange and weird sight would have met the eyes of one who suddenly might behold him as there he stood, his body motionless save TH I OP MANHATTAN. 77 as his arms slowly moved as ho changed the direction of tlie sharp ray of light. Fully thiv.- minutes parsed and under the circumsL. three minutes were quite a spell of time. Finally the n closed the mask of his lantern and moved slowi lessly toward the door opening into the hall. On< hall he stopped arid again the sharp ray of light passed mur the various recesses. It was a fact worthy of ohservation that the man kept one hand close to his side, and a close and shrewd observer I hi have discovered that while he moved his arm and kept the ray of light glancing around from object to object his head was turned a little to one side, and he was really 'ring the space in his rear with covert glances. Thus the seeming pantomime proceeded, for it was all movement and gesture, not a murmur escaping the strangely acting man's lips. At length he moved to the foot of the stairs ling to the upper hall. Here he again closed the mask o\er his light and stood still, and then a most startling incident occurred. A second figure suddenly rose up and immediately there followed, a struggle a desperate noise- less struggle in the dark. The combat was a brief one, for one of the contestants was borne to the heavily carpeted floor and then under a Ihish from the mask lantern, iti slide once more removed, a very exciting tableau exposed. One man lay stretched upon the broad of his Back, a little way off on the floor lay a stiletto which . lently been knocked from the prost.ru; !,\ ligiirii in the long robe, who held him pinm>d to the floor. The masked figure after throwing his ; of light around in several direeiions finally ll full in the \ niu:i\s face and then t in a very low tone. "Utter one outcry >" siM i: you die." 73 THE WITCH OF MANHATTAN. The prostrate man made no answer and the victor again said : "Your intentions were good but I was on to yonr move. You would have received a big price if you had succeeded in plunging that ugly knife into me." "I was justified," said the prostrate man. "Speak low, very low."earne the warning. "Raise you; voice and you die." "I will speak low." "Kemember that I hold your life in my hands, and now mark me, I want you to go with me into the parlor. ' Auj attempt to raise an alarm will prove your death knell." "I know my peril." "You do?" "I do." "You say you were justified/' "I said so." " What was your justification." "I believed yon to be a burglar." This last remark, as our readers will observe, indicated a recognition; and indeed there had followed a recognition, for the masked man as he bore his victim to the floor had spoken a. name, and the latter had either recognized a voice or was governed by a conclusion when he appeared to assume that the victor was not a common burglar. The detective permitted his man to rise and led him intti the parlor, and ha said: " Goetf'e, I did not expect to meet you again." The man remained silent. " I see you are up to your old tricks." "I am seeking to earn an honest living." "You are?" Iam." "By murder?" "No." ijr. 79 "Yon intended to murder mo." 'I was employed in iliiri house as a private watchman. The house h.t -'ibed rfevc.ral times." The detective laughed'in a quiet way and .said: "That will do for yon to tell, but it don't work with no." "I did not know you had any interest in thia house." * You did not?" "I did not." "And you say you wish to earn an honest living?" "I do." "I will, give you a chance to earn an honeat dollar and then " The detective stopped short. "Go on, sir." " Yon will leave the country, or go to jail, that's all." "I will be glad to earn an honest dollar." "All right, i will talk with you later on. In the mean- time I will let you remain here until my business is con* lnded. I will make sure of your remaining, however." "You can trust me." "lean?" "Yon can." "I will not, all the same; but yon can answer me one question." "Proceed." us I h< woman who is mistress of this house?" e is not here to-night." * She is not hen I,?" "No." " Where is she?" "She went away, fearing I might have ail encounter with a burglar." Again the detective laughed ;md said: "All right, stick to you; <>u tell me the truth?" 80 THE WITCH OF MANHATTAN, "She is not really here in the house?" "She is not." "Who is in the house?" "Only one servant and myself." " Where is this servant?" "In her room, I reckon." " She knows of yonr presence in this house f* "She does." "What are her orders?" " To keep her room unless there is an alarm of "And where is her room?" The man located the room. " There is no one else in the house?" "No one but yourself." " You know the risk of deceiving me." " That is why I am telling you the truth." "And you are telling me the truth?" "lam." The detective proceeded and in a manner peculiarly his own bound the man hands and feet, bound him so he could neither move nor speak, and as he concluded the detective said: "I reckon I can depend upon your awaiting my return." The man did not answer, he was securely gagged. Jack left the room. He proceeded direct to the room where the man Goeffe had said the one servant awaited an alarm of fire. Jack listened a moment at the door. He heard some one moving inside and after an interval he rapped. The door was opened a little way, a head was protruded and the demand followed: "Is there anything you want?" "Yes," said Jack. "Will you come in?" Jack entered the room. THE WITCH OF 81 The woman appeared to be acting on an assumption. She did not look at the detective, but as she stepped across the room she asked: "Well, what do you want?" "I want you," said the detective. Th', room was fairly well lighted and as the detective -'p:ke the woman turned with a look of surprise and alarm on her face, and asked : "Who are you? What do you want hen "I told you what I wanted I want you." The woman glared a moment and then like an enraged tigress sprang upon the officer. A really desperate str followed. Jack appeared to he in for desperate struggles, and he had a tough time of it ere he subdued the woman, who bit and scratched like a wild cat. The detective, how- ever, succeeded in subduing her, and, not wishing to indi- cate his identity, he bound her with stout cords which he had brought with him to use in an emergency. The woman fought all the time, but our hero succeeded in binding her and then he set her in a chair and for a moment or two studied her face. The woman was able to talk and finding herself powerless she used her tongue. "Why am I treated iu this manner?" she demanded. "You will learn later on." "What do you intend to do with me'r" "Are you anxious to know?" "I will know." " Yes, I will give you an idea." The detective romnn ii^ed to form a noose. Th0 woman's face as.-umo.l an ;:c. "Do you intend to murder t; ! Vmamled, in tonei of wildest alarm. ' 1 do, I inea'i ! The woman nnde ; pi"iji,:i wirh her lii : ongh about to scream, 1 Id her speechless and hoi effort to scream was o il'ul pan torn imo. 88 THUS W1TOH OF MANHATTAN. Deliberately Jack formed i;he nouse and the woman la a husky voice managed to ask: "What can I do to save my life?" "Oh, you do not wish to die?" "I cannot -lie." "And you are willing to save yoar life?" "I will do anything to save my life." "You can do so." 'How?" "Confess." "I have nothing to confess. I have done no wrong to any one." "How dare you tell me that?" "It is the truth." "All right, I will accept it as the truth. If yon have nothing to confess so much the worse for you. Yes, madam, you are doomed." The woman's terror increased. She looked like one with the noose already about her neck. "Spare me," she pleaded. "Only on condition that you confess." "I have nothing to confess." "How long have you been in the enijj-uv of Mrs. Thomas?" The woman was silent. "Your silence is a confession." "Then spare me." "Only on condition that you answer all my questions.'' "I have been in the employ of Mrs. Thomas for fiv.-i years." "Then you know all her secrets." *No, she never trusted me." "It's a pity you have no information to give me, and must die." The woman writhed in torture and murmured: THE wircn OF .v.i A ir.i TTAN< 83 "Has it come to k> Yes, it has come to this." " You will murder me for the sins of another?" "No, for your own sins. And now, madam, we will get right down to business, as it is said. Will you co and live, or refuse and die;? I have no time to waste. I must, In- moving. If I stiangle you it will be the tenth death I am responsible for to-night." Our hero's words sounded terrible, but the bloody mur- ders he claimed to have committed are easily explained his victims were mosquitoes. The woman, however, was in such an excited condition she appeared to accept his declaration as real, and her face became blue with terror. " What can I tell you?" she asked. " You are custodian of a female prisoner in this house?" "No, no!" almost screamed the woman. The detective tested his noose, when the woman fell ovei in a dead faint. "There she goes!" ejaculated the detective, and he set to work to bring her around. As she revived he pre- tended to withdraw the noose from around her neck. "Oh, mercy!" she pleaded. " Will you confess?" "I will." * Where is Susan Werner ?" "I do not know." "Is she living?" M I do not know." " What do you suspect?" ue was alive three weeks ago." u Where is the girl Louise Radcliffe?" "Oh, spare me!'' pleaded the woin.in. "Answer my question or the next time you will complete the journey." Tho woman appeared to fully comprehend his ghastly allusion and in trembling tones she answered: 64 TEE WITCH OF MANHA TTAN. "I fear she is dead." "You are not certain?" "lam not." " When did yon last know of her being alive ? w "Who are you?" "Answer me that is my name for the present." "I know she was alive three months ago but neither ol the persons named are in my custody." "I know that the party in your custody is Mrs. Kadcliffe,* "I feared this," moaned the woman; "yes. I feared that some day my sins would find me out." "Yes, madam, sins always find out those who commit them, and sooner or later retribution overtakes the sinner; but answer me." " What will become of me?" "You die unless you answer me." "And I will be murdered if I do." "No, you shall be protected." "I do not care to be protected. Give me my freedom and I will protect myself." " What will you do?" 'Flee away to my own country." " Reveal all you know to me and you shall have a chance to flee away." "I know but little." "Tell me all you do know." if There is a lady under my care.** "In this house?" "Yes; I have always treated her well and I ha?e tested her many times." "Who is the lady?" "She claims to be Mrs. Radcliffe." "She resembles the portrait in the parlor?** "Yes." "She is in this house?" :. \JJAT7 85 Y Vill you ! will cof? life if I do." "It will cost YOU your life if you do not." "If I do will yon let me escape?" "I will." U I am innocent of any crime save that of gnilty knowl- I have only been the nurse and custodian of that "oinau. I love her and why I have been so false to not tell." " You can atone for all now. Lead me into her presence." - I and prepare her to receive you." 10, madam, you must load me to her." "You di "I do." . The detective as he spoke held aloft the threatening noose. 'mil escape?" - Yes." -When?" " tm mediately, if yon so desire." Release im- and I will lead you to the poor lady." Tiie detective only partially released the woman, and while doing so his heart was bounding with delight and sntisfar.iion, for he was into the very heart of the mystery and would .-non hiive the arch-conspirators at his mercy. CllAl'TKli IV. B knew that the moment he seen rod ; >n of any 01 . . . . <",ni:;in^ ii - would send . ,tion into tl. lii-vod he would within ; noint in the game. I do 86 THE WITCH OF MANHATTAN. not trust yon. I am watching you and any attempted tricks on yonr part will prove fatal to you." "I will attempt no tricks. I am glad to make what reparation I can. 1 have been blind; it is a delight to me to place that dear, beautiful woman in the hands of those who will protect her. But I tell you one thing you must be prepared." "Prepared?" "Yes." "Against what?" "She is guarded by a man who is one of the most des- perate scoundrels on the face of the earth to-day." "I will take care of him." "You are, sir, I believe, a detective." "Well?" "If so you are accustomed to combats." "lam." "Let me explain. Mrs. Radcliffe is confined Vi a >oom on the top floor of this house. The room is bi.il t hi the very center. It is padded and thick- walled so as to pre- vent any sound going forth. Indeed it is a wonder ;;i its construction, as all sounds go through a prepares construc- tion to a chimney which carries the sound up. in the air through a high chimney, and one could scream u, 1 ?cream in that room and never be heard." "You say the room is guarded?" "Yes, a man is there night and day, only re v sved by me a few hours in the day." "And is he armed?" "He is, to the teeth; and he is always on hi* gard. He is a very powerful mau, and as 1 said a desperate ieilow who will fight to the death." "He will get all the fight he wants," "I will tell you all.* "Do." i# 87 11 without one word of inquiry any strain appiar on that il'.or, so you will ha\(- to I- dii your juard. Of course 1 cannot accompany you The woman > a halt at the foot of an enclosed stairway. "Do you mean to trick me?* "I do not." k ' You can never hide from me if you do. Better havo mnity of these people than mine." ..m seeking to make peace with my own conscience. It is v for me that you should prevail over this man. if yon tail 1 am at the mercy of desperate people \vhu will become my foes." * \Vhut would -,011 advise me to do shoot the man down i, he of ton tileeps. i I'- fears no danger as a rule. You :i him." "T ru. -i. mo, I will; and where will I find you? M " 1 will a\vait you here. If you win I go with yon, if you fail 1 will ike a\v;;y at once lieu to the uttermost parts of the earth." 4k You will have no to llee." d for an encounter and the weapon ,,is billy, lie had a regular police dub, and as our ivudi-r.* all know, in the hands of how to ue it in a close encounter it, id the Jaek op- >!iling one of the coolest and most nervy men on the force, and the detective' well maintained his reputation, for lie played around his assailant like an acrobat, and his elub moved with the rapidity almost of a scintillation of light. Watching his opportunity he landed a terrific blow on his assailant's head a blow which caused the fellow to veil and fall to the floor and quicker than the movements of a frightened mouse Jack was upon him and as quickly clapped the darbies on him, and then he coolly exclaimed in imitation of a blast man: "It's all over." Indeed it was all over as far as the combat was con- cerned. The man lay with a battered head and helpless v, ith the k ' darbies" on him, and lie was sullen indeed. * v My friend," said the detective, "I reckon you've lost a job." " Curse you," said tho man, "if I had been prepared for you [ reckon you would never have gotten away with me." " IJut [ have, all the same, and no\v how is your prisoner?" " I have no prisoner. "Dou't tell that tome. Come, coine, where are yomr keys?" "I have no keys." "Oh, you haven't?" "No." The detective looked the man over thoroughly. He had drawn his mask km tern and flashed the light full in the fellow's face and after a little asked: " What do you know?" >k 1 don't know anything beyond the fact that yeu have got the best of inc." "It's bud for you, old man, if you do not know any- thing." 90 THE WITCH OF MANHATTAN. " What do you expect me to know?" " I expect you to be able to tell me a heap. If you can't I'm sorry for you, that's all." Jack had made great progress. He had one prisoner down in the parlor, bound hands and feet, he had the woman at his command, and he also had the fellow who had been acting as custodian; and he reasoned that if he could not go very deep into the workings of the mystery it would be very strange. The man was a sullen, desperate fellow as the woman had said, and he answered: " You will get nothing out of me." Jack laughed and advanced within the vestibule of the central room and there he beheld a door doubly bolted. He slid the bolt and stepped into the outer room, for he had been informed that there were two rooms. He ad- vanced to the second room and after several raps a voice inquiied: "Who is there?" " Are you prepared to receive a visitor?" demanded our hero. " Who is my visitor?" On the impulse of the moment Jack answered: "A friend and messenger from your son." "Enter," came the immediate invitation. The detective pressed the door open and the next instant stood in a room very comfortably furnished. There was a lamp on a table and the apartment was fairly well illumi- nated, and standing by the table was the lady whom the officer had seen just for one moment the night he was on watch in the parlor the woman who so strangely stood as a living counterpart of the portrait. The lady was cool and self-possessed and said : "Did I understand you, sir, that you come as a messen- ger from my son?" 'Ill i Of 1 MA \N. bi " Vos, madam." u I have waited a long time. I expected you." The deteelive. was really ama/.od. " Ymi expected me:'" he .said. ] did." Ma\ I ask on what you based your expectations?" ; 1 know that sooner or later this great wrong would be " Then you are the victim of a great wrong?" k - I am; but who are you, sir?" The detective decided that it was better to be frank and explicit from the start and he said : "I am a detective officer." " I welcome yon. Tell me about my son." "I will, madam, but first tell me about yourself." "Do yoi, not know?" " I do not, and it is necessary that I should to enable me to aid you." "My story is briefly told. I am Mrs. Radcliffe. Mv husband is dead. We had in our family a woman named h." it Thomas?" "That is the name she has adopted," said the lady. 4 * Proceed, madam." u She is a wicked and designing woman. She determined to secure my husband's fortune. She resembled a strp- ;r of my husband and sho determined to personate the iad\ " What is the name of the g.-nuine stepsister?" "Thomas." "And where is she?" 1 "She has been de:ul many year! and this woman has Dilated her. She \vas present when my husband died. 1 wa-' <>.< 11 believe fur a time lu.st my on. \V1 t found mvselJ' a 92 TSB WITCH OF MANHATTAN. prisoner, my children had "been taken from me, and I have been a prisoner ever since." "Have you ever heard from your children?" "Yes, Mrs. Thomas has kept me informed concerning my children." "Has she given you exact information?" "I do not know." "When did you see your children last?" 1 "Not since the night their father died." This story did not agree with the statement of Anthony Radcliffe, and we will here state that later on the discrep- ancy was fully explained. The woman related a great deal to the detective which our readers will have verified as our narrative progresses. Jack told his story and finally said: " Madam, you are to leave this house with me." "I am ready to go." "When?" "At once." "Prepare yourself and I will await you outside." At least thirty minutes passed and the woman appeared, and strangely enough was equipped for the street. Dur- ing the interval Jack had seen the nurse and that woman had also prepared herself for a departure. Jack released the man in the parlor. He had his rea- sons and knew he could close in on the fellow at any time. The detective took Mrs. Eadcliife to the home of the captain of the precinct. He had arranged for this part of the programme and it was daylight when he sought his own apartment. While Jack slept the sleep of a man who had performed a great deed, some very stirring events occurred. Mrs. Thomas returned to her homo just after daylight. She entered the house; all was still. She ascended to her own room and rang her bell. She waitfd and no one answered UV. 93 the nurse's room and then a ;ul her mind. She ascended the stairs and i monu i:t later dif the man who Lad acted as guardian and jailer. The woman uttered a cry and de- manded: tt What, doi'o this moan?" " It means" answered tho man, " that the other side hare pla\. d a great game." " Speak, explain!" cried the woman. " Your bird has been stolen from you." " How daie you?" "i dare tell the truth any time." " Will you explain in plain language?" " 1 will tell you all 1 know about it." The man told his story and the woman moaned: "I have been betrayed." o, but. you have been out-played, that is all. You would not take my ad \ ice. Dead men tell no tales. With tlie dead all planning ceases. You permitted your friends to live, they have been active and vigilant and have out-played you, that's all." And the woman has been taken away?" " Yes." "And the nurse?" ' k I reckon she has been carried off also." nd Goeffi "He may have been in the game against you, I do not know. I always warned you against that fellow, will you kindly release.' me? I hau- lain here a number of nouis a.s you see me." "It is tlie work of that man Cas\\vll Mrs. Thou it is his work, no doubt." " And we are ruined." "It looks that way now." 94 THE WITCH OF MANHATTAN. Mrs. Thomas released the man arid bid him go at once for Theodore Peale. An hour later Peale appeared. To him the woman told the story of their disaster and he said: "What else conld you expect? I warned you." "What can we do now?" The man meditated a moment and then said : "All hangs on one life." "The detective?" "Yes." "What can we do?" "You know as well as I do." "I tried to do it. I had arranged to have him put out of the way." "Oh, yes, in an indirect manner, and you have failed." "What can we do now?" " He must die at all hazards, or we must make terms." "What do you suspect?" "Suspicion will not avail us now." "Can he be in communication with Anthony?" "I believe he is. Of course I cannot say for certain, but it looks that way." "I have failed." "You have." "Can you not succeed?" "I will try." "Do so; we are in great peril at this moment." " The fortune is in great peril. We could deal with all the rest but this detective he is a terror. I fear all is lost unless we can get rid of him." "You have money at your command; act." "I will, at once." "And what shall I do?" "Remain here." "I am liable to arrest." "$To, no; you need not fear. He is not going to make any t is now itli." " Hr nui art." : tool. Np could never ; anything in court." " He has that, woman." " Hah : we c.an prove her a lunatic and an impostor. He knows that." " He may produce Anthony.'' " Wo have already established his identity. No, no, the game is not lost yet. There is but one incident that can him a 'dead cinch' on ns." -And what is that?" "If he should secure Susan Werner we are lost." Hut you forget." " Louise?" Yes." "Bah! we can attend to that end of it all right, bat in Werner would prove fatal. She is a witness of record. She could recall her testimony, mako a fall con- ion and the fortune would go one way and we the other to jail. You can make up your mind that CaswelPs objective point at this moment is the woman Werner." He can never find her." " 1 f he lives he will. The whole scheme rests on his life. We must di.-pose of him or :MirrendT, that's all." M And you will see what you can do?" "L will make one ulTort and if 1 fail the ' irrender." ite iii lli- day when i.^ucd forth. n< M up in t, to ;ty \\ here Anthony Iladci' hiding. nan he ; .perieneu and some time 1 moth-. n wen- : Jack di-. :iain with .M . .nd her son' 96 THE WITCH OF MANHATTAN. he had business on hand. He desired to find Susan Werner. Theodore Peal 3 had told the truth without that woman all his efforts would prove of little effect. Our readers may not understand the situation and we will here state that in following the narrative they have fol- lowed the true facts, but here was one side of it only. Facts are facts, but it is ofttimes a very hard task to establish them in court and in most cases it takes years' to do so, even when the truth is most patent to every impartial witness. Jack had the facts, but there were decisions of the court against the true heirs, and a regular coup cVetat was needed in order to establish the real facts and secure right to the wronged. The detective began a tentative game. He commenced to skirmish around for an opening. He knew that the Thomas people would attempt a bold and desperate game and it was his purpose to "get on to their game," as the saying goes, and beat it. Night came after a day of skirmishing. Jack learned a great many facts. He had a way of "getting on to things" a way of his own and he put himself in the way of the man Peale, whom he knew was captain on the other side. It was along about mid- night; the detective had about made up his mind that the play for that day was over, when a young man seemingly under the influence of liquor suddenly approached him and said : "Hello, boss." "Hello," answered Jack. "Come a step with me, will you, boss?" Jack moved off with the young man and when they were some distance from the glare of light flashing forth from the hotel the stranger said : "You're a cop." "Am I?" "Yes." Til \N. "How do von ki: k ' You v 10." 'Ms that I II?" " 1 have something to give yon." it." " There's a great bunco game to be played to-night." Jack pretended to be all interest. "Is that so?" "Yes." "How did you get on it?" "I am the selected victim." " You are?" "lam." The detective laughed and the man said suddenly, per^ mitting a change to come over him : " You think I am under the weather." "Oh, no." k < Yes, you do." "Well?" "I've only been playing it." "Oh, I see." "That's straight; I am as clear as a glass of ice-water." "Good enough." "If you will work in with me you can make the best pull ever made." " I am with you, honey." " J am invited to a house where they are to wo:' game, and I want you to lay in with me." " I am with you.' 1 " \Ve must invent an ;ice." "We can do that easy." "Can you work a transform?" "lean." $ THE WITCH OF MANHATTAN. "Come the old countryman dodge?" "lean." "Will you?" "I will." " Meet me in half an hour." "Where?" "Eight here." "In half an hour?" "Yes." "You will be on hand?" "I will." " There is not a scheme in this?" " Scheme !" ejaculated the young man. "That is what I said." "I reckon you ain't in it. Good-night, boss$ I can find one of your profession to go in with me. I liked your looks and thought I'd give you the job. There's nothing in it f >r me only fun and glory." "All right, get another man." "You pull out?" "No, you are throwing me out." "I'd like to have you in it." "Then talk right." "I've told you all there is in it for me is fun and glory-" "So they have put up a job?" "Yes, and I am to be their victim. You see I've been around town a few days throwing off the 'stuff' and they think I'm a soft victim, and I'd like to give 'em a surprise." "You can do so." " I can and will, and you can have some of the fun and glory." " You want me to meet you here in half an hour?" "Yes." " All right, I am in for the fun and glory. In half an hour I will be here." Tiir young man walk. parations to make. He had ut-lnok ; such seheme and was well prepared. II, sauntered back to tho red tho ivading-roum and sill ing down at a table fiminu'invd to thrum with his lingers on its surface. It 1 a simple and natural act, but in that simple and seemingly natural act lie was in the most delinile manner ying information to tho proper quarter. A ft distant sat a business-like looking man reading a paper. Jle did not raise his eyes from the paper, but he took in the finger telegraphy all the same, and received the fullest and most definite instructions. Having arranged that end of it, the detective sain to the street. He passed down toward the parallel a and on the way worked a complete transform, and on the minute, one half hour from tho time he parted from the man he had made the appointment with, he was on the spot again, prepared for the night's adventure. He was not kept waiting. The young man showed up on time and said : "I see you are on hand." " I am on dock." " You've worked it well." "Think so?" "Yes." Do I look old?" "Very." "Good enough; now wo are ready for the steerers." k We are." The two started along tho street together and as they proceeded the young man said : ' Vv'e will have to play this very neatly/' -Oh, certainly." *1 have been in tho house where they are to play me.". "All right," THE WITCH OF MANHATTAN. "You see they have been working up this job for some time, and they now think they have everything down fine." Isee." "I will enter the house and when they are about ready I will say I have a friend outside who wants to get some of the 'queer.'" " Yes, that is a good scheme." " I will come out and signal for you and introduce you as a friend from out west, and once inside you will watch the game and at the proper moment close in on the rascals." "Yes, at the proper time I will close in on the rascals/' "We will have a great time." "You bet we will." "It will win great laurels for you." "You bet it will, if we are successful." "That will depend upon you." "Oh, yes, I know it will." The men had proceeded several squares and finally the guide stopped short and said: "There is the house." "All right." Jack beheld a very respectable-looking residence. " I will go in and in a little time when all is ready I will signal you." "I will be on the alert." The young man left the detective and ascended the stoop of the house. He rang the bell. The latter act was a "guy" as the detective well knew. The young man was admitted into a dark hallway and in a low tone the man who had admitted him asked: "Is it all right?" "Yes." "Did he make any objection to coming with you?" "No." The young man was led into a rear room where there were four men, and one of them said: THE WITCH OF MANHATTAN". 101 "Yon are here?" "Yes." " Alone?" to." " !! is with yon?" " \Vaiting outside for a signal." "What was your racket with him?" "As you arranged it." "He made no protest?" "He fell right into the trap." "He did?" "Yes." "This looks bad," said the man. "It does?" "Yes." "How?" " Pel rather he had been more particular. He is a very cantious man and it looks as though he was on to the game." " You can bet he is not. Your plan was a dandy one. He is just on the jump to catch a batch of 'steerers.' " "But he knows he cannot do it alone." "He is on" his guard." "You think so?" "I know he is." Another of the men here spoke and said: "It makes no difference; on his guard or off his guard ^e've got him the moment he steps inside that door. All it requires is nerve." 1 "lint suppose there are others at his call?" " lie will never call." " I>ut they will track him to this house." "Suppose they do; they will never find him." " \Vu run great r; t the way we have arranged it. If wo once get him 102 THE WITCH OF MANHATTAN. cold we can carry what is left of him away according to our plan,, : This -house will be deserted, and it will only be a mvsterv, that's all. And we have enough behind ua p sure." The young man" who hacl acted as guide said: "But here; there is one thing you overlook." "What is that?" "If he has pals around I have been spotted." "Your 'cover' was good." "These men have a way of going under one's 'cover.' " "You can skip." "But my pay?" "You will get it." "When?" "As soon as the man's eyes are closed." " I would not go on with this if I thought I was spotted, 'cover' or no 'cover.' " "What do you think?" "I do not think he is oil to the game at all." "Then we are safe." "Yes, that's my idea. Are yon all ready?" "Every man must be at his post." "When do you strike?" "The moment he enters the door a noose will fall over his head. It will be drawn close and there will follow a few kicks and the game is ours." "It's a dangerous undertaking at beat." "It's a dead sure game." "Suppose we fail?" " We can't fail." The man who was offering the objections was evidently more cautious than his companions. He evidently had more experience and he said : "You never can tell about these detectives. We must make sure." 101 " \V will liave a report ill a and \v;iiU'il, and in the meantime our In ; the lion also was waiting, ami u litli walking down the street. He j and a; lie did so stumbled and full. nd and picked the lad up, and while doing so in a rapid manner the lad imparted certain facts, mid .in- 1 his ftvt with the detective's aid walked oil' down the street, limping as though he had hurt himself as ho fell. Jack meantime stepped under a gaslight and leaned t the post like a man who was tired, but while under that post he moved his hands several times to his hat, which lie removed and replaced, and at the same time he muttered: ateh a Xcw York weasel asleep, eh! I guess not." While the detective was getting his report the men in the hack room were receiving theirs. A man joined them, coming from the rear yard, and upon his entrance the evident leader of the party asked: "Coast clear? 8 "All clear." "No one around?" " No one." "Sure?" M Yes." ntlemen," said the man, "we can now ipvite our '.n in." Up to ihi-- time the men ha i .nd with aled, and each physio^n.miv w-is of a d- pallor. They appeared to full; : 'ul peril of ere abott . all save th- who had acted as guide. 104 THE WITCB. OF MANHATTAN. "Is all ready?" came the question in a hoarse voice. "All is ready," answered each man successively. "There must be no failure. If the noose fails you all know what to do. It will be our only chance." "We appreciate that fact," said one. > "You all do?" "Wedu." It is not necessary to state to our readers the plan of tiu. assassins. It has been sufficiently indicated in the dialogue we have recorded. One fact was patent they were a desperate party of men, determined to commit a terrible and atrocious crime, and all their plans had been carefully laid, so that it did not appear that there could be a possibility of failure. "Our lives are in it," said the leader. " Yes," came the response. "If we fail it will be worse for us. Success will not incur half the risk that failure will, and if we fail now it will be our last chance." " We cannot fail; the man is at our mercy." t "We must show no mercy. We are acting in sell- defense. Our lives and liberties are at stake." Thus do men who meditate crime appease their con- sciences, or seek to do so. The leader said : " Our lives and liberties are at stake." He partly spoke the truth, but it was their own evil deeds that had imperiled their lives and liberties. Had they been honest men they -would not have been in any danger at that moment. "Go," said the leader, addressing the guide who had sought to lead our hero to his death. It was a critical moment. The man started as directed, and the others arranged themselves for the carrying out of their contemplated crime, and with a man less cautious than Jack the chances would have been sixty per cent greater against him. As it was the detective was running 105 risk, althoii. irnrd and to a certain e well ; ink-ntioiid and contemplated metl; Tin/ v;iun^ man passed from the house. Jack waited at the point where ho had been left. The guide approached and said in a low tone: "It's our turn now." "They are ready?" Ves." "How many are there of them?" "There are four of the scoundrels." "What excuse did you make?" "I told them you carried my money." "And they let you come for me?" " Ves." "They expect me?" " Yes." " They have no suspicion that you are putting up a job?" "No." " Yon are sure of that?" I am." "Remember, these fellows are worse than rats when cornered, and if you think we run any risk you had better adjourn the affair for one night." "No, they are ready; we are ready." The man's voice trembled and the detective said: " You are losing heart already. ' "No, what makes you think sol"" "Your voice trembles." "I am excited." "Is that all?" " Ves." " I will have to depend upon you if it comes to a fight." "You can." "You will stand by me?" 106 THE WITCH OF MANHATTAN "I will." "To the bitter em}?" "Yes." "All right, lead on, and woe to you, my friend, if there is any trick attempted on me." Jack went with the man across the street. He ascended the stoop, following his guide, and the latter said: "I have a night key; we can go right in." "All right." "Follow me quickly." "Sure." "There may be some one lying around, you know." The latter was a weak remark. It was evident the guide was losing his head, but as our hero was well posted he did not question. But our readers will observe his won- derful nerve, for despite all his knowledge and preparation the chances were against him. It takes but a second to kill a man and sometimes help at hand can be half a second too late. The guide entered first and here is where our hero most wonderfully betrayed his presence of mind and coolness. He stumbled and fell against the side of the door, tripped on the step. He caught himself and did not fall, but he gained a few seconds of time and at that moment a quarter of a second was a gain. He stepped inside the door, which closed after him with a bang, and something fell over his head. A ready knife caught the rope on its sharp edge and the men that pulled fell in a heap, for the rope wa/ severed. Then Jack opened the door and three men who might have seemed to have risen from the ground leaped into the hall. Two flashes from masked lanterns illu- minated the hall and four men with clubs leaped forward. There followed cries and blows, and in less time than we can tell it five men lay bleeding and partly insensible, scattered around on the hall floor and in the two rooms. TU \N. 107 The scheme had failed. Th pris- oners, eo well had he planned and aot t. the would- be mur<; I of whom wore handcnll'ed and dragged into the rear room and planted in cjiairs or laid out on the floor. The light was turned on in full and there were the} - safe, hut not sound, for every one of them had received a crack on the head. They had tried their game and like a streak of lightning Nemesis had swept in the door, defeated and discomfited avery one of them. We will here explain how Jack was so well prepared. As has been stated, he had all along anticipated some such game and he had a lad at hand, a boy who at some future time we will fully introduce to onr readers. This lad was what may be called a little fiend in the way of "piping." He had his instructions. He was lying aronnd every minute for any emergency and when the youth arranged with our hero for the raid on the "steerers" little Jim Slick was at hand. He had received a signal, and when the guide parted from our John, Jim fell to his trail. The lad followed him to the house where the conspirators were assembled. He gained an entrance and lay low until the man went again to meet the detective. He overheard every word spoken by the intended assassins, learned their plans and intended mode of attack, and the boy who stumbled and fell near the waiting detective at a later perionl was Jim Slick. His fall was a ruse, and while the detective was picking him up he unfolded the whole scheme, and when Jnck went to the lamp post and fooled with his own hat lie was signaling to his pals what to do. His stumble at the door was to give his pals time, and ! were at hand and made the rush in at the proper mom and thus our hero's counter-play was a success and the mirderers were hadl\ Having the assassins at his muroy the detective examined 108 THE WITCH OF MANHATTAN. 3aeh one of them, seeking to find the man whom he kne-vf had put up the whole diabolical scneme. Peale was not among the rascals. He had put up the deal, as the men say, but he did not share their dangers. He had selected two desperate characters, men who for a few dollars would stand at nothing. They had secured the services of two others and had laid the plan. The question arose with the detective, "What shall I do with them?" He considered for some time and after tak- ing one of them into a room and putting him under a strict and searching cross-examination he decided that the men were hired for the one deed and knew nothing about the secrets of the arch -schemers. Jack considered the whole matter well and finally said to the leader : "I've got your mugs; I can put my hand on any one of you when I want you. I do not want you now; you can go." The five men were released and started, and the detec- tive muttered : "I wonder who this house belongs to? I will investi- gate." He did investigate, but arrived at no satisfactory result, and finally said to his men: "We will leave the matter until to-morrow." All hands left the house, and our hero proceeded to his lodgings, intending upon the following day to call upon Mrs. Thomas. He ran down to facts which he believed would permit him to work the woman pretty close to a full confession. CHAPTER V. Otf THE morning following his startling adventure he proceeded to the old Eadclifie residence. The house was closed the birds had evidently flown. IM 109 As v, ,] tho as.- to depart, and tlu-ir K:adi-r according to agreement pro- ceeded direct to the JiadrliiTu hou.- IK; hud direct mrt innneiliately after the death of minus and her son were awaiting him. The man entered their presence. He was pale and laboring under great excitement, looked like a man who had com- mitted a murder, and the man and woman who awaited him also looked pale enough to have been murderers. Fur a moment after the man's entrance not a word was spoken. Mrs. Thomas dared not ask the question, neither did her son, for both knew how dire would be the conse- quences in case the diabolically concocted scheme had failed. "Well?" at length ejaculated the man in an interroga- tory tone. " You have earned your reward?" Mrs. Thomas ventured to say. "No." " Von have failed?" " Yes." The man spoke abruptly. "He did not appear?" "He appeared." "And yon failed?" u We did." "He got away?" "No." "How ihenr*' " lit- got away." " What do you mean?" "Just what :ik, man! What has happened?" " Have you a game against that man?" "We have or we would not have employed yoi HO THE WITCH OF MANHATTAN. "Give it up." "Will yon tell us what has occurred?" " The men or women do not live who can beat that man." "Will yo^ speak and tell us just what occurred?" "I will." "Do so." The man told his story and added: "No better scheme was ever arranged, and yet in some way that man got on to it. No loophole was left open for him to get information." The woman and her son exchanged glances. " We are lost," said Mrs. Thomas. "Not yet," answered the more hopeful Theodore. "He now knows our game." "lie has known it all along." "He now has absolute proof." " He has had it all along. We are paying the penalty of ycur woman's work in calling a detective into the affair." " Who could foresee all this?" " I certainly foresaw it. I told you the moment I learned of your move just what we might expect. My words have been more than verified." " You appear to know so much what will be his next move?" I cannot tell." " What will be our next move?" " The game is not lost." "What can we do?" "Bribe him." The last words were spoken after their assassin had left the room to await instructions. "He cannot be bribed," said the woman. "He can be." "No; here I am more farseeing than you. He has the woman in his charge, it is evident he has Anthony also in 'I tho we arc paup- ' \\ M paupers. We will lie called upon in pay the penal i MU ste-p backward for ui -wo must u And you arc still hopeful?" in/' " What shall he our next move?" The man's face assumed the hue of death as he said: "We must make sure." "Of what?" "The last link," came the answer, in a hoarse tone. * What do you mean?" "Can you not discern?" "I cannot." "Susan." u She is safe." "Not us long as she lives. Let that man once get pos- session of her and we are doomed." " And what do you prop' " We tried to settle the detective." "Yes." "And failed." "Yes." ~ We must not fail when it comes to settling 8 Get her out of the way and we destroy all el, They may hring us into court "The real mother " "J5ah! tin- court records are a-aii son, and court to dispose of. Ti. All OUT moves have befeD in because of your 01 We could thing if that detective lu:i o the cade to become our wo-t Nemesis." THE WITCH OF MANHATTAN. "And what can we do?" "I have told yon ; but we must vacate this house for the present, so as to guard against all possibilities." " What possibilities do you dread?" " All the chances are against us as it stands. We must hide for the present hide in a respectable way of course/' " Leave this house?" " Yes." " That would be an absolute confession." f( We can confess as far as that man is concerned. He ksaows all and now all he is planning for is proofs, and he will get the proofs if he once gets possession of Susan Werner." " He will never find her." " We can hope so, but we cannot tell. The man is a wonder, lie is an overmatch for us. Just see where we are; we had everything all safe and now we are in greater jeopardy than at any time since we started in to win this great fortune. We had it safe and sure, but, alas! your infernal fear of Anthony will prove our ruin." "Suppose they never find Susan?" " They never will." "And then " " In a little time we can defy this man." "But he has the widow?" "Yes." "And the son?" ; Yes." " We will still be in peril." " Not as long as the- records of the court stand, and those records will stand forever. I did not dream }ou would ever invite a stranger into the game. That was your great mistake and our ruin, but it is still in our hands. Yes, let us get Susan and Louise out of the way, and I will go into court and meet this man openly. He THE WITCH OF MANHA TTAN. H3 can prove nothing, and we can put np a job on him in time, and also sonic day fix Anthony. As to Mrs. Radcliffe, we have nothing to fear from her. She is a Junatic; we ran prove her one; in that direction our proofs will be complete. It is Susan; she is their sure card; if they get possession of her we are undone." " What can we do?" " It is life to life. She must be removed. Even now 1 believe she is dying. It is only a matter of a few weeks with her at best. All we need do is wait. She once in her grave we will be safe enough. We will wait now, but we have already waited too long." A little later and mother and son left the house. There was nothing really strange in their doing so under ordinary circumstances it is a common affair for people to close their houses and go away. As stated, Jack had gone to the Radcliffe house and had found the people gone and the house closed, and he muttered: " Well, well, I suppose they think they have given me the slip, but we don't do business that way." As the detective spoke a satisfied smile flitted across his handsome face and again he muttered: "I anticipated this move." Jack proceeded to a corner which was a regular rendez- vous point for him. He lay around for a few moments and then ejaculated: " Aha! there he comes and now we'll know." A moment later and Jim Slick came sidling up like a snowflake blown against a fence. The lad was peculiar in his movements very peculiar and as he came up to tho detective his face was very cxpiv^ivi.- and he said: "I have located 'em.'' " I thought so. Whoii did they flit?" " In the early morning," 1 14 THE WITCH OF MA NHA TTAN. " And where are they DOW?" "In a hotel down on West street. The old woman is tinder cover/' "And the man ?" "He is there." " How long ago did you leave them?"' tf Seventeen minutes ago/' He had located the hotel for our hero, and Jack a"vay, and in less than seventeen minutes he had the hotel under espionage. He recognized that Mrs. Thomas had selected an excellent hiding-place under all the cir- cumstances. The hotel was the resort of country traders who brought produce to the city, and the last place that would under ordinary circumstances be selected for a home by other people. The detective had not lain around long when he saw a man looking exactly like a farmer come forth. The man lolled around for a little time and then re-entered the hotel reading-room, and the detective muttered: '" He is playing it well; he might beat some people, but I am on to him and his scheme/' It was fully half an hour before the farmer came forth again, and the detective saw him go down toward the Cortlaudt street ferry. Jack was under a disguise and he followed. The man passed into the ferryboat and Jack followed. When the boat arrived on the Jersey side the man ordered a hack, the detective also, and gave his orders, and he knew just how to give orders under all conditions. The hack containing the farmer was driven away and after half an hour's ride it was halted. The farmer alighted and proceeded across the meadows afoot. "A good scheme," muttered the detective. He knows he cannot be followed. I wish I had ft flying machine, but lacking one I'll Meg it/" The detective made a great detour and he had a hard THE }\ MANHATTAN. 115 time of it, but he crossed the meadow and reached the K hard ground nearly half a mile above the point for which the fanner was making, and our hero remarked: That fellow's looking behind him all the time. He is guarding against followers. That's wrong for him, but all right for me/' The farmer in good time reached the hard ground and the detective commenced to act the role of the artful dodger, and he did so well that in good time he saw the farmer enter a house standing alone a regular farmhouse, a dilapidated old building. And it was but a quarter of a mile from the house to the bay shore. Jack lay in the brake, well contented., muttering to timself: "It's all over." The latter was a favorite expression of the detective and was a term having a great deal of signiGcance. He had been lying low for nearly two hours when he aaw the farmer come out from the house and look out toward the bay. " Well, I'll <>at my hat," cried Jack, "if he hasn't arranged this *ell. He expects a boat and intends to carry his prize away by sail; and now what shall I do?" The detective was alone. He was brave and courageous enough, but being so well down on the scheme he did not wish at the last moment to take any chances. He was assured of two facts. In the tir^t place he had i ognized the pretended farmer from the start the man was Theodore Peale, and he was equally cei tain that he had trailed to the hiding place of either Susan Werner or the lovely girl, Louise Radcliffe. Jack, as intimated, had thought the matter all over nirl his conclusion was that the man Peale had been preparing for this move several days. He also discerned that the ichemer would have a boat lying oft in the bay and possibly 116 THE WITCH OF MANHA TTAN. he would have on board quite a crew of desperate fellows. There was one possibility in the detective's favor. It appeared as though Peale did not intend to make the removal until after dark, and the detective calculated he would have plenty of time for his own movements. He was still on the watch when he saw a movement of the grass behind him, as though some animal was rooting through the mire. Jack watched, recognizing that the beaat was making straight for the spot where he lay con- cealed, and he prepared himself to scare the object away, when suddenly the movement ceased; and Jack was ponder- ing over the incident and finally drew his revolver. He was a man who did not think he knew it all; there was a possi- bility that smart as he was he had been trailed, and he did not mean to be taken off his guard, and thus he " lay low/' when suddenly a little human head was protruded through the grass, and our hero ejaculated. "Great Scott!" " I am here," came the announcement. " Yes, I see you are here, Jim, you marvel. What brought you here?" "My legs." " How did you come?" " I walked." " What led you to come?" " Habit. I thought I might be wanted. * " You're a jewel, I do want you." " I thought so." " How did you do it?" " You left an open trail." "I did?" " You forget one thing." "I do?" "Yes." "What's that?" I 777 I OF MA FHA TTAN. \ ] 7 "There is Indian blood in me/' " I should pay so." " It was an easy trail." And what do you know?" -thing." A'hat have you been watching?" cm." thing else?" "No." " I've business for you." " I thought you would have." "You thought right." " What can I do?" " There is going to be some rjoating." " Oh, that's it?" "Yes." " And you want a boat?" "I do." " Who will sail her?" " Mr. Ready." " He's an old sailor?" " He is. " Where do you want the boat?" " Eight off there." "When?" "As quick as she can be brought around after sundown; and I don's want her far off when the sun drops to the west." "All right, you shall have your boat." The dot- : ve the wonderful lad some further in- structions, and Jim Slick stole off through the brake with the snake-like movement that had brought him the: When once apiin alone the detective exclaimed: " Well, that i,-; iinrncn.se. That lad is llie most remark- able human being I ever struck. Hux- 1 am called THE WITCH OF MANHATTAN. der Jack. Why, that lad is a greater wonder than me, a thousand times. I am commonplace compared to him. I never heard or read of a being like him. He appears to read the future not the mind, but events. To think of his showing here at this moment! In all his life there never was a time when I needed him as I do now. and here he is, and there he goes to carry out instructions which will enable me to close right in on this whole business. I'll have this fellow Peale a prisoner." It was well on in the afternoon when little Jim slid away, and all the hours our hero lay low until near sundown. Early in the afternoon he had seen a small schooner cruising off the house. He had seen signals from the schooner and he knew they had been answered. The signals would never have been noticed by one not looking for them, but Jack was looking for them and his watch was rewarded and he muttered: " I went through this scheme just right. That schooner is in communication by signal with that fellow Peale. Well, well, their game just suits me. I want the woman quietly smuggled on board. " As intimated, Jack had watched through the long after- noon and he saw a small tug go steaming away toward the Staten Island ehore and he exclaimed: " There she is, as sure as guns. Little Jim is a marvel indeed." Even as the detective spoke he heard a chirp and the next instant little Jim came crawling to his side. "She is there," said the boy. " I Bee she is." " You're hungry, boss. I've brought you a bite." Jack was indeed hungry and glad to get a bite, and after devouring a sandwich he said: "How is it?" "All right." TIL AN. H9 " Who come " Ashley ;uul Brown." " Where arc they?" " They'll be lien 4 as the sun goe? down. I thought you'd '.ike to be relieved/' -That's right." 3 soon as the sun gets a little lower you can go aboard >ig." " And that's all right." " I thought so." Sure enough, as soon as it was dark Jack and Jim made ur and gained the water front, and there was a boat drawn up in a little inlet. Jack got in and the boat was pulled out, and half an hour later Jack and his pupil were on the tug which had run in to take them aboard. \\Vre all right now, boss/' said Jim. u as the lad spoke our hero saw that a large yawl containing three men had put out from the schooner and was being pulled in toward the shore. The tug in the darknes* was able to run in pretty close, although it was a 2! ear night. The detec ive was on the watch, and by hia side stood the sharp-eyed little Jim, and the latter at length aid: " They're pulling out to the schooner." ' I Low many are in the yawl, Jim?" "I'll teH you in a few moments," said the lad, and quicker than a Hush he slid overboard into the water. Ho ; like a little cutter. Jack would have protested, .-he had time. Ten minutes} 1 a little figure, ca.ne stalling along the tug deck aft where Rid: I've got it." 'i m the schoon M Yi-s.", " T; 120 TEE WITCH OF MANHATTAN. " Yes, sir." "Well, what did you make out?" " Two women and four men are in that boat.** "Two women and four men?" "Yes, sir." "Three went ashore?" " Yes." " Six are returning?" " Yes." " Six will go on board the schooner." " They are aboard." " Good enough, Jim. It's all over." The schooner set sail and was gliding slowly- -very slowly along, when the tug made for her and ran so close that people on the schooner hailed, saying: "Keep off, you are running right into us." The captain of the tug paid no heed but held his course, and soon the tug was right along the sailing vessel and four men leaped from the tug to the former. At once g'aat excitement followed. One man who had run from 66 Jack Breakaway ; or, Always on Top. 67 Weaver "Webb ; or, The Young Champion. 68 Plucky Bob; or, The Wildest Boy in The Land. 69 Jolly Jese; or, The Boy Who Won a Princess, 90 A "jTen Bay Mystery; or, the Wonder's Shadow in New York, 71 -A Great Boy; or, The Find of a Million. 72 Creco tfee Swordsman ; or, The Man of Mystery. 73 XisigBley tlie Detective; or. The Single Clue. 74 A detective's Enigma ; or, Malcolm Weir's PuzzHng " Shadow." 76 A Plucky Girl ; or, A Farmer's Daughter in New York. 76 Days and Nigb-ts of Peril ; or, Nimble Ike In Harness Again. 77 Carrol Moore ; or, How He Became a Detective. 78 Grant McKLenzIe ; or. a Boy's Battles and Struggles. 79 Breezy Frank; or. A Great Disguise. SO Zantelll; or, A wonderful Pursuit. A Romantic Detective Storfi 81 " Straight to the Ularb ;" A Detective's Trick. 82 Young Bash; or, The Detective's Apprentice. S3 life in N ew York. A Thrilling Detective Tale. 84 On the Wing; or. Detective Bird's Great Capture. 85 Under a Veil ; or, His Greatest Mystery. A Detective 86 A Straight Clue ; or, Malcolm Weir's Great Feat. 87 detective Payne; or* A Shadower's Wonderful Adventures. 88 A Famous Boy ; or. The Story of a Homeless Hero. 89 A Great Capture ; or. New Tactics in Detective Work* 90 Desznond Dare ; or, Taking Desperate Chances. 91 The Wizard Tramp. A Thrilling Detective Story. Cb.au.ee; or* The Wls&sd Tramp's " OLD SLEOTS OWN" SERIES. JStofc bcok in tL; following lict is written by tliat famous miter Tragic QuiX ; or, A JL*. 132-Vvel. TLo \V I3i- B-ozuttUcc ol e Salvation Array Girl* ENDEAVOR in selling books to you s is to have you feel that you are get ting your money's worth, We therefore desire to call you* special attention to the following Four Books in ONE, You are Courting* You want to Court, or You want to be Courted, you should obtain at the earliest possible moment* jg * *> TO WOO ; WHEN AND WHOM, which gives Hull and interesting rules for the etiauette of courtship, the time and place for conducting the same, and some good advice as to th$ selection of your partner for life. VOVRT8HIP AND MARRIAGE, which tells how to win tb e favor of the ladies, how to begin aud end a court* Bhip, and how to " Pop the Question ;" and also gives full information in regard to the invitations, gifts, ushers, bridesmaids, conduct of the wedding ceremony, etc., etc* LOVERS' COMPANION, which gives the flirta- tions of the handkerchief, parasol, glove, fan and napkins also, the language of flowers ; how to kiss deliciously ; aad a cure for bashfulness. POPULAR LETTER WRITER, which tells ho%- to write business, social, and love letters, giving numer* us examples of alL -fhis valuable work, containing the four booJcs abov4 Mentioned, is issued in one volume under the title HOW TO WOO, and it will be sent to any address, postpaid, upon feceipt of 25 cents in postage stamps or money. Address 4. g. OGILVIE PTTBLISHET COMPANY, 67 032 81S32I, JSfflW $1.50 WORTHJIJ 5 CENTS! Old Seorets and New Discoveries CONTAIN-; i KAKK . .w to e think of you .11 lovers a KTeJIoho i okarm those ytMi juect and inukc thnn love you. : and all iiotrd D Tell* liov,- to in.i ifii allui.trht h ; how l-o i i; ca'n- lard. Te''8 how i ir ns thon me; ho\v tdi how to < Tells ': ; IV ill. J. S. OGILVIE PUBLISHING COMPANY, P. 0. Box 7C7. 67 EOSE STiUET, HXW '5 is the title of tlie xnost absorbing de- tective nar-ativd ever written. Ona would not from the title that such was the fact; but the -. closing chapter of cine to its meaning: "I swore to my father on his death-bed that The World's Finger should never point to a Davanant as amongst the list of known convicts, and that oath I will keep." To W. HANSHEW 13 the author, and a writer of more exciting and sensational detective stories cannot be found at the present day. One reader writes: "I thought I would read a chapter or two of THE WORLD'S FINGER, to see what it was all about. I soon found out, and it was two o'clock in the morning before I lay it down, having read it to the end at one sitting. It certainly is a! sorker." Bound in paper covers ; price, 25 cents. Sent by mail to any address upon receipt of price. Address all orders to J. S. OaiLVIE PUBLISHITO COMPANY, F, 0. Bos 767. 57 EQ&EJ STBZSXr NEW YOBS, Eureka Detective Series. All of the "books in the Eureka Series (1 each one eived 1 . Ask for the Eureka Series detective boc> : Inspector Henderson, the Central Of tice Detective. By H. I. H Mis Evil Eye. By H. I. Han Detective Johnson of Men, Orleans. By Uarrie I. Hancock, liarry Btouut, the Detective. By T. J. Flanagan. Kar-y Sharpe, the New York De- tective. By H. Rockwood. 6 Private Detective No. 39. By John W. Postgate. 7 Not Guilty. By the author of " The Original Mr. Jacobs." 8 A Confederate Spy. By Capt. Thos. N. Conrad. 9 A Study la Scarlet. By A. Couaii Doyle. 10 The UnwlHing Bride. By Fergus W. Hume. 1 1 The flan Who V inished. By Fergus W. Hume. 12 The Lone Inn. By Fergus W. Hume. 13 The World's Finger. By. T. Hanshew. 14 Tour of 'the World ici Eighty Days. By Jules Verne. 15 The Frozen Pirate. By W. Clark Russell. 16 Mystery of a Hansom Cab. By Fergus W. Hume. 17 A Close Call. By J. L. Berry, 18 No. 99 ; A Detective Story. By Arthur Griffith. 19 The Sign of the Four. By A. Conan Doyle. 20 The flystery of the flontauk mils. By E. L. Ooolidge. 21 The Mountain Limited. By E. L. Coolidge. 22 Gilt-E(!ge Tom, Conductor. By E. L. Coolidge. 23 The Mossbank Murder. By Harry Mills. 24 The Woman Stealer. A Romance of California. H. Mills. 25 King Dan, the Factory Detective. By G. W. Goode. 26 A Rogue's Life. By Wilkie Collins. 27 The King's Talisman. By Sylvaims Cobb, Jr. 28 The Double Duel. By Sylvaims Cobb, Jr. 29 The Captive Bride. By Sylvanus Cobb, Jr. 30 A Dark Plot. By Sylvanus Cobb, Jr. 31 The O!T& COMPANY, 67 EOSE S2KEET, FEW KING DAN), THE FACTORY DETECTIV& Eureka Detective Series. All of the books in the Eureka Series are clever detective stories, and each one of those mentioned below has received the heartiest recommendation. Ask for the Eureka Series detective books. Inspector Henderson, the Central Office Detective. By H. I. Hancock. His Evil Eye. By H. I. Hancock. Detective Johnson of New Orleans. By Harrie I. Hancock. Harry Blount, the Detective. By T. J. Flanagan. Harry Sharpe, the New York De- tective. By H. Rockwood. 6 Private Detective No. 39. By John W. Postgate. 7 Not Guilty. By the author of " The Original Mr. Jacobs." 8 A Confederate Spy. By Capt. Thos. N. Conrad. 9 A Study in Scarlet. By A. Conan Doyle. 10 The Unwilling Bride. By Fergus W. Hume. 11 The Han Who Vanished. By Fergus W. Hume. 12 The Lone Inn. By Fergus W. Hume. 13 The World's Finger. By. T. Hanshew. 14 Tour of 'the World in Eighty Days. By Jules Yerne. 15 The Frozen Pirate. By W. Clark Russell. 16 Mystery of a Hansom Cab. By Fergus W. Hume. 17 A Close Call. By J. L. Berry, 18 No. 99; A Detective Story. By Arthur Griffith. 19 The Sign of the Four. By A. Conan Doyle. 20 The riystery of the Hontauk mils. By E. L. Coolidge. 21 The Mountain Limited. By E. L. Coolidge. 22 Gilt=Edge Tom, Conductor. By E. L. Coolidge. 23 The Mossbank Murder. By Harry Mills. 24 The Woman Stealer. A Romance of California. H. MilK 25 King Dan, the Factory Detective. By G. W. Goode. 26 A Rogue's Life. By Wilkie Collins. 27 The King's Talisman. By Sylvanus Cobb, Jr. 28 The Double Duel. By Sylvanus Cobb, Jr. 29 The Captive Bride. By Sylvanus Cobb, Jr. 30 A Dark Plot. By Sylvanus Cobb, Jr. 31 The Old Hill flystery. By A. W. Marchmont. 32 Five Sherlock Holmes Stories. By A. Conan Doyle. 33 The Han in Black. By Stanley J. Weyman. 34 The Famous Burdick Case. 35 riystery No. 13. By Helen B. Mathers. 36 Macon Moore, the Southern Detective. By J. R. Taylor. You can obtain the Eureka Series books where you bought this one, or we will mail them to you, postpaid, for 25 cents each 9 or any five for $1.00. Address all orders to J. S. OGILVIE PUBLISHING COMPANY, P.O. Bos 767. 57 EOSE STREET. NEW YORE. Stockton, Calif. TAT. UN. 21. 1908 933346 THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LIBRARY