STORY
BLINDFOLDED
A Mystery Story
of San Francisco
BY
EARLE ASHLEY WALCOTT
2:
(Copyright 1W6, tlie Iloblm Merrill Co.)
SYNOPSIS.
Giles Dudley nrrlveil In San FrunclHro
1o Join Ills friend and distant relative
Henry Wilton, whom ho was to assist
In an important and mysterious task,
and who accompanied Dudley on the
ferry boat trip into the city. The re
markable resemblance of the two men
Is noted and commented on by passen
gers on the ferry. They see a man with
snake eyes, which sends a thrill through
Dudley. Wilton postpones an explanation
of the stnuigo errand Dudley Is to per
form, but occurrences cause him to
lenmv It is one of no ordinary meaning.
AVilton leaves Olios in their room, with
Instruction to await his return and shoot
any one who tries to enter. Outside there
is henrd shouts and curses and the nolso
of a quarrel. Henry rushes in and at
ins request tiio roommates quicuiy o.x
chancre clothes, iiml ln hurries out again
Hardly has ho irone than CJilcs Is
startled by a cry of "Help," and ho runs
out to ilnd somo one being assaulted by
a half dozen men. He summons a police
man but they are unable to ilnd any
trace of a crime. Giles returns to his
room and hunts for somo evidence that
might oxnlaln his stranue mission. He
finds a man which hn endeavors to do
elnher. Dudlev Is summoned to the
morgue and there finds tho dead body of
his friend, Henry Wilton. And thus wilt
on dies without ever explaining to Dud
ley the puzzling work ho was to perform
in wan Francisco. In order to discover
the secret mission his friend had entrust
ed to him. Dudley continues his disguise
and permits himself to be known as
Henry Wilton. Dudley, mistaken for
Wilton, Is employed by Knapp to assist
In a stock brokerage deal. "Dicky" takes
tin- supposed Wilton to Mother Borton's.
Mother Jlorton discovers that he is not
Wilton. The lights are turned out and a
free for all tight follows. Giles Dudley
finds himself closeted in a room with
Mother Jiorlon who makes a confidant
or him. He can learn nothing about the
mysterious boy further than that it is
Tim Tenill and Darby Meeker who are
:iftir him. Ho Is told that "Dicky" Nulil
is a traitor, nlavlntr both hands In tho
game. Giles finds himself locked in a
room. He escapes through a window.
The supposed Wilton carries out his dead
friend's work with Doddridge Knapp. He
nas ins iirst experience as a capitalist in
the Hoard Room of the Stock Kxehange.
Dudley receives a fictitious note purport
ing to be from Knarp, the forgery of
which he readily detects. Dudley gets his
first knowledge of Decker, who is
Knapp's enemy on tho Board.
CHAPTER XI. Continued.
The cull closed amid animation ; but
the excitement was nothing com
pared to the scene that had followed
the fall in the morning. Omega stood
at eighty asked, and seventy-eight bid,
and tho ship of the stock gamblers
was again sailing on an even keel.
The session was over at last, and
Wiillbridge and Eppner handed me
their memoranda of purchases.
"You couldn't pick Omega off the
hushes this afternoon, Mr. Wilton,"
said Wallbridge, wiping his bald head
vigorously. "There's fools at all times,
and some of 'em were here and ready
to drop what they had; but not many.
I gathered in six hundred for you, but
I had to light for it."
I thanked the merry broker, and
gave him a check for his balance.
r- . . ...
eppner nau (tone uetter with a
wider margin, but all told I had addt l
but three thousand one hundred
shares to my list. I wondered how
much of this had been sold to mo by
luy omployer. Plainly, if Doddridge
Knapp was needing Omega stock he
would have to pay for it.
There was no one to be seen as I
reached Room in. The connect! g door
was closed and locked, and no sound
came- from behind it. I turned to ar
range the books, to keep from a bad
habit of thinking over tho inexplicable.
An hour passed and no Doddridge
Knapp. It was long past olllce hours.
.lust as I was considering whether my
duty to my employer constrained me
wuit longer, I caught sight of an en
velope that had been slipped under
the door. It was in cipher, but It
yielded to the key with which Dodd
ridge Knapp had provided me. I
made it out to be this:
"Come to my house to-night. Uring
your contracts with you. Knapp."
I was thrown into somo perplexltv
by this order. For a little I suspected
a trap, but on second thought this
seemed unlikely. Tho olllce furnished
as convienient a place for homicidal
diversions as ho could wish, if these
were in his intention, and possibly a
visit to Doddridge Knapp in his own
house would givo mo a better clue to
his habits and purposes, and a better
chance of bringing homo to him his
awful crime, than a month together on
the Street.
The clocks were pointing past eight
when I mounted the stops that led to
Doddridge Knapp's door. 1 had some
thing of trepidation, after all, as 1 rang
the bell, for I was far from being sure
that Doddridge Knapp was above car
rying out his desperate purposes in
. his own house, and 1 wondered wheth
er I should over como out again, once
I was behind those massive door. 1
had taken the precaution to Ilnd a
smaller revolver, "suitable for an ev
ening call," as 1 assured myself, but it
did not look to bo much of a protec
tion in case tho house held a dozen
rutllans of the Terrtll brand. How
ever, I must risk it. I gave my name
to the servant who opened the door.
"This way," ho said quietly, and in
a moment I was ushered into a small,
plainly-furnished room; and at a desk
covered with papers sat Doddridge
Knapp, the picture of the Wolf in his
den.
"Sit down, Wilton," said he with
grim affability, giving his hand. "You
won't mind if an old man doesn't got
up."
1 made some conventional reply.
"Sorry to disappoint you this after
noon, and take up your evening," ho
said, "but 1 found some business that
needed more immediate attention.
There was a little matter that had to
bo looked after In person." And the
Wolf's fangs showed in a cruel smile,
which assured me thnt the "little mat
ter" had terminated unhappily for the
other man.
I airily professed myself happy to
be at his service at any time.
"Yes. yes," ho said; "but let's see
your memoranda. Did you do well
this afternoon?"
"No-o," 1 returned apologetically
"Not so well as I wished."
Ho took tho papers and looked over
them carefully.
"Thlrty-ono hundred," he said re
flectively. "Those sales were all
right. Well, I was afraid you cot.. J n't
nnl ..lw.i.n 1 W 1 1 L .1 I I lllllll'l Itrlt
more than two thousand in the other
Hoards and on the Street."
"That was the best I could do," I
said modestly. "They averaged at
sixty-tlve. Omega got away from us
this afternoon like a runaway horse."
"Yes, yes," said the King of the
Street, studying his papers with drawn
brows. "That's all right. I'll have
to wait a bit before going further."
1 bowed as became ono who had no
idea of the plans ahead.
"And now," said Doddridge Knapp
turning on me a keen and lowering
ca.e, "I'd like to know what call you
have to be spying on me?"
1 opened my eyes wide Iti wonder.
"Spying? I don't understand."
"No?" said he, with something be
twecn a growl and a snarl. "Well
maybe you don't understand that, elth
to ascmryistziMKtr
I" And lir. inuund mn n 1il nf unnni
or!
...... V- ...v. W 1 Jltfll.
felt sure that I did not. My
I
ignorance grew into amazement as I
read. The slip bore the words:
"I have bought Crown Diamond.
What's the limit? Wilton."
"1 certainly don't understand," 1
said. "What does.it mean?"
"Tho man who wrote It ought to
know," growled Doddrldgo Knapp,
with his eyes Hashing and tho yellow
gray mustache standing out like bris
tles. The fangs of tho Wolf were In
sight.
"Well, you'll have to look some
where else for him," I said firmly. "I
never saw tho note, and never bought
a share of Crown Diamond."
Doddridge Knapp bent forwaul and
looked for an instant as though he
would leap upon mo. His eye was tho
eye of a wild beast in anger. If I had
written that note t should have gone
through the window without stopping
for explanations. As I had not written
it 1 sat there coolly and looked him
in the face with an easy conscience.
"Well, well," ho said at last, relax
ing hln gaze, "I almost believe you."
"There's no use going any further,
.Mr. Knapp, unless you believe mo al
together." "J seo you understand what I was
going to say," lie said quietly. "Hut
if you didn't send that, who did?"
"Well, if I wore to make a gui-. ,, I
should say It wns tho man who wrote
this."
I tossed him in turn tho note I had
received in the afternoon, bidding mo
soil everything.
Tho King of the Street looked at it
carefully, and his brows drew lower
and lower as Its import dawned on
him. Tho look of angry perplexity
deepened on his ftico.
"Whore did you get this?"
k detailed the circumstances.
The anger that flashed In his eyes
was more eloquent titan tho outbreak
of curses I expected to hear.
"Uni!" he said at last with a grim
smile. "It's lucky, after all, that you
had something besides cotton in that
skull of yours, Wilton."
"A fool might have been caught
by It." I said modestly.
"There looks to bo trouble abend,"
hn said. "There's a rascally gang in
the market these days." And the
King of tho Street sighed over tho dis
honesty that had corrupted tho stock
gamblers' trade.
I smiled inwardly, but signified my
agreement with my employer.
"Well, who wrote them?" ho asked
almost fiercely. "They seem to como
from tho same hand."
"Maybe you'd bettor ask that follow
who had his eyo at your keyhole when
I left the olllce this noon."
"Who was that?" The Wolf gave a
startled look. "Why didn't you tell
me?"
"He was a well-made, quick, lithe
fellow, with an eyo that reminded me
of a snake. 1 gave chase to him, but
couldn't overhaul him. He squirmed
away in the crowd, I guess."
' "Why didn't you tell me?" ho said
In a steady voice.
"1 didn't suppose II was worth
coming back for, after I got into the
street. And, besides, you were busy."
"Yes, yes, you were right: you are
not to come of course, of course."
Tho King of tho Street looked at me
curiously, and then said smoothly:
"Hut this Isn't business." And he
plunged Into tho papers once more,
""'hero were over nine thousand
shares sold this afternoon, and I got
only live thousand of them."
"I suppose Docker picked the others
up," I said.
Tho King of tho Street did me tho
honor to look at ine In amazement.
"Decker!" he roared. "How did
you " Then ho paused and his voice
dropped to Its ordinary tone. "1 reck
on you're right. What gave you tho
Idea?"
I frankly detailed my conversation
with Wallbridge. As I went on, I
fancied tltat tho bushy brows drew
down and a little anxiety showed be
neath them.
I had hardly finished my account
when there was a knock at the door,
and the servant appeared.
"Mrs. Knapp's compliments, and she
would like to see Mr. Wilton when
you are done," ho said.
I could with dltllculty repress an ex
clamation, and my heart climbed into
my throat. I was ready to face the
Wolf in his den, but. bore was a differ
ent matter. I recalled that Mrs. Knapp
was a more intimate acquaintance of
Henry Wilton's than Doddridge Knapp
had been, and I saw Niagara ahead of
my skiff.
"Yes, yes; quite likely," said my em
ployer, referring to my" story of Wall
bridge. "I heard something of the
kind from my men. I'll know to-morrow
for certain, I oxpecl. I forgot to
tell you that the ladles would want to
see you. They have missed you late
ly." And the Wolf motioned me to the
door where the servant waited.
Here was a predicament. 1 was
missed and wanted and by tho ladles.
My heart dropped hack from my
throat, and I felt It throbbing in tho
lowest recesses of my boot-heels as I
rose and followed my guide.
CHAPTER XII.
Luella Knapp.
Two women rose to greet me as 1
entered tho room.
"Good evening," said tho elder wom
an, holding out her hand. "You have
neglected us for a long time." There
was something of reproach as well as
civility in the voice.
"Yes," I replied, adjusting my mail
er nicely to her, "1 have been very
busy."
"Busy? How provoking of you to
say so! You should never be too busy
to take the commands of the ladles."
"That is why I am here," I inter
rupted with my best bow. Hut she
continued without noting it:
"Luella wagered with mo that you
would mako that excuse. I expected
something mon. original."
"I am very sorry," 1 said, with a
reflection of tho bantering air she had
assumed.
"Oil, indeed.'" exclaimed the young
er woman, to whom my eyes had
turned as Mrs. Knapp spoke her name.
"How very unkind of you to say so,
when I hnve just won a pair of gloves
by it. Good evening to you!" And
she held out 1km hand.
It was with a strop effort that I
kept my self-posse- .n, as for the
first tlino I cliupotl ie hand of Luella
Knapp.
Was II tho rill of her touch, the
glance of he eye, or tho magnetism
of her pre ace, that set my pulses
beating to a new measure, and gave
my spirit a breath from a now world?
What over tho case, as 1 .looked into
the clear-cut face and tho frank gray
eyes ot the woman before me, I was
Civnul liv l flrwxl ist nniMtl..,, Hint n;,u
near overpowering my self-control.
I mastered tho emotion in a mo
ment and took tho seat to which sho
had waved mo.
I was puzzled a little at the tone lh
which sho addressed mo. Thero was
a suggestion of resentment In her man
tier that grow on rtc as we talked.
Can I describe her? Of what uso to
try? Sho was not beautiful, and "pret
ty" was too petty a word to apply to
Luella Knapp. "Fine looking," If said
with the proper emphasis, might give
some Idea of appearance, for sho was
tall In llgure, with features that woro
impressive rti their attractiveness.
Through all the conversation the
Idea that Miss Knapp was regarding
mo with a hidden disapproval was
growing on me. I decided that Henry
had made some uncommon blunder
on his last visit and that I was suf
fering the penalty for It. The admira
tion I folt for the young woman deep
ened with every sentence she spoke,
and I was ready to do anything to re
storo the good opinion that Henry
might have endangered, and in lieu
of apology exerled myself to the ut
most to bo agreeable.
I was unconscious of the flight of
time until Mrs. Knapp turned from
some other guests and walked toward
us.
"Como, Henry," sho said pointedly,
"Luella Is not to monopolize you all
the time. Besides, there's Mr. Inman
dying to speak to her."
I promptly hated Mr. Inman with
all my heart and felt not tho slightest
objection to his demise; but at lor
gesture of command I rose and nccom-
nnnlod Mrs. Knnnii. as n vounir man
with oye-glasses and a snifrk camo to
tako my place. I loft Luella Knapp,
congratulating myself over my clover-
ness in escaping ine piunn.s mm iiueu
. it ..iii..ii . it.i 11....1
... , . I i ... 1
'Vrm I'vn ii nhiinno tr mwMilr in von
...... . .v. ,. -
at last." said Mrs. Knapp.
"At your service," I bowed. "I owe
you something."
"Indeed?" Mrs. Knapp raised her
eyebrows In surprise.
"For your kind recommendntlon to
Mr. Knapp.
T iiiinnlllinntulllllnit'' VaII llfll'ttl
. HHIn tin. ndvantairn of inn."
1 was stricken with painful doubts,
and the cold sweat started upon me.
Perhaps this was not Mrs. Knupp after
itll.
"Oh. perhups you didn't mean It,"
I BlUU.
i
1 1 III L'tJ 11 I It 111 IL It tin t I uuiii-
T 111 if It iinu i vnnntit. I
inundation. I'm afraid It was uncon
scions, though. Mr. Knapp does not
consult me about his business."
I was In doubt no longer. It was
the Injured pride of the wllo that
spoke In the tone
I'm none the less obliged," l said
carelessly. "He assured ine that he
acted on your words
What on earth tire you doing for
Mr. Knapp? she asiceu earnestly,
(lronninii her half-bantering tone.
Thero was a trace of apprehousnn in
her eyes.
"I'm afraid Mr. Knapp wouldn't
think your recommendations woro
quite justified if I should tell you. Just
get him In a corner and ask him.
"I suppose it Is that dreadful stock
market.'
"Oh, madam, let me say tho chicken
market
I'll ere Is a Wonderful oppor-
tunity just now for corner in fowls."
"There, are a good many to bo
nin.;oil In the market that. Mr. KnaiU)
'
m.III Irwil- ifloi'" ulw u-i til w Hi IL Sinlle
Will lOOU altOl, SIIO S.UU Willi a miuiu
Hut there was something ot a worried
look helllnd It. un, j on kihj,
Henry, that 1 can't bear the market. I
have seen too much of tho misery that
has como from it."
She shuddered as sho looked about
her, as though In fancy sho saw her
self turned from tho palace Into the
street.
"Mr. Knapp Is not a man to lose," I
said.
"Mr. Knapp Is a strong man," shr
sulci with a proud straigtening of her
figure. "Hut the whirlpool can suck
down the strongest swimmer."
(TO 'UK CONTINl'IOD.)
Python ao Stowaway.
London, lOng. Among the recent ar
rivals at the zoological gardens Is a
python which shipped itself on board
tho steamship Hyson of tho Ocean
SteaiiLship company, and was only dls-
i ii
covered among uio cargo ot wnito
logs when the vessel was being un
loaded at the Albert docks.
Tho stowaway was promptly secur
ed by means of a sack, which was
thrown over it, and the authorities at
tho "zoo' wore communicated with.
When Mr. Tyrrell, who looks after
the snakes at Regent's park, arrived
at tho docks he found that the reptilo
was a young reticulated python somo
three feet long, and, although suffer
ing from the effects of Its captivity In
the sack, It was otherwise uninjured.
He took it to the "zoo," and is feeding
it on piooys of fish. Tho "zoo" now
owns both tho largest and tho small.
est pythons.
Those Foolish Questions.
"Our train struck a hear on the way
down." '
"Wiy he on I lie track?"
"No; tho train had to go into tho
" 1 "l"
woods after him." Louisville four-
; ,0I'",I0,U mu
Americano See Europe from Autos.
United States Consul Mansfield of
Lucerne, Switzerland, estimates that
8,000 automobiles are in uso by Anier
leans touring in ISuropy this year.
In a Morocco Harem.
Evory wotnnn in tho harem has hoi
faco decorated in tho most curious
mnnnor. Tho practlco Is to olongato
tho eyebrovs to tho cars and to ombel
IIbIi the chin with little points of black
paint. In contrnst with tho mon,
their complexions aro very fair, as
thoy are shut within walls and are
never exposed to tho sun.
Lot us labor to mako tho heart
grow larger as wo become older, as
the spreading oak gives more shelter.
Jerfrlcs.
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Mr. Wlnainw'it Hootlilnr Syriii).
Kur rlillilicn teuthliut. soften tho uiiinn. romico In.
QanuiiHtlon, allays putn, cures wlmlcollu. Wooliotllu
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The
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, . .. , . , . . . , ,
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wholesome and truly beneficial in effect.
-.--.....i.!,, In tl, v,.m ,l ..!,. i
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1 1 '
i ... .....
1,1 wI'Iy'B "emimti wuu us c.x-
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Elixir of Senna, the California Fig Syrup
Co. proceeds along ethical lines and relies
on the merits of the laxative for its rcmark-
aui0 BUCCe!JS
T, .
one of many reasons why
-vlul' 1 & U,,M J-,A" ul 0,;m,i"' B'v-
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I w -
lww1
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