BLINDFOLDED
A Mystery Story
of Son Francisco
BY
EARLE ASHLEY WALCOTT
(CopyrlKht 1WC, the Hobus-Mcrrlll Co.)
SYNOPSIS.
Giles Dudley arrived In San Francisco
to join Ills frk'tid and distant relative
Henry Wilton, whom ho was to usslst
In an Important and invstcrloiis tank.
nml who accompanied Dudley on tho
ferry boat trip Into the city. Tho re
markable resemblance of tho two men
Is noted and commented on by passen
Kf'rs on the ferry. They seo a man with
niiake eyes, which sends a thrill through
Dudley. "Wilton postpones an explanation
or the strange errand Dudley Is to per
form, but occurrences cause him to
know It Is one of no ordinary meaning.
Wilton leaves Giles in their room, with
Instruction to await his return and shoot
any one who tries to enter. Outside there
is heard shouts and curses and the nolso
of w quarrel. Henry rushes In and at
Ills request the roommates quickly ox
chance clothes, and he hurries out tiKUln.
Hardly has he kouo than Giles Is
startled by a cry of "Help," and he runs
out to 11 nil some one being assaulted by
a half dozen men. He summons a police
man but they are unablo to find any
trace of a crime. Giles returns to his
room and hunts for some evidence that
nilKht explain his strange mission. He
Units a map which he endeavors to de
cipher. Dudley Is summoned to the
morgue and there llnd3 the dead body of
his friend, Henry Wilton. And thus Wilt
on dies without ever explaining to Dud
ley the puzzling work he was to perform
In San 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
the supposed Wilton to Mother Dorton s.
Mother Uorton discovers that he Is not
Wilton. The lights are turned out and a
free for all light follows. Giles Dudley
llnds himself closeted in a room with
Mother Horton who makes a confidant
of him. Ho can learn nothing about the
mysterious boy further than that It Is
Tim Terrill and Darby Meeker who are
after him. He is told that "Dicky" Nahl
is a traitor, playing both hands in the
game. Giles llnds himself locked In a
room. He escapes through a window.
The supposed Wilton carries out his dead
friend's work with Doddridge Knapp. He
has his first experience as a capitalist In
the Hoard Room of tho Stock Kxehange.
CHAPTER X.
A Tangle of Schemes.
Doddridge Knapp was seated calmly
In my office when I o'nened tho door.
There was a grim smile about the firm
jaws, and a satisfied glitter In the
keen eyes. Tho Wolf had found his
prey, and the dlsmny of the sheep at
the sight of his fangs gave him satis
faction instead of distress.
The King of the Street honored me
with a royal nod.
"There seems to have been a little
surprise for somebody on the Board
this morning," he suggested.
"I heard something about it on the
street," I admitted.
"It was a good plan and worked
well. Let me see your memoranda of
purchases."
1 gave him my slips.
He looked over them with growing
perplexity in his face.
"Here's twelve thousand five nun
died shares of Omega."
"Yes."
"You paid too much for that first
lot." He was still poring over the list.
"It's easier to see that now than
then," I suggested dryly.
"Humph! yes. But there's some
thing wrong here." He was compar
ing my list with another In his hand.
"There!" I thought; "my confound
ed ignorance has made a mess of it."
But 1 spoke with all the confidence I
could assume: "What's the matter,
now?"
"Eleven thousand and twelve thou
sand live hundred make twenty-three
thousand five hundred; and here are
sales of Omega this morning of thirty
three thousand eight hundrod and
thirty." He seemed to bo talking
more to himself than to me, and to be
far from pleased.
"How's that? I don't understand."
I was all in the dark over his musings.
"I picked up eleven thousand shares
In the other Boards this morning, ant
twelve thousand five hundred through
you, but somebody has taken in tho
other ten thousand." Tho King of tho
Street seemed puzzled and, I thought
a little worried.
"Well, you got over twenty-three
thousand shares," 1 suggested consol
ingly. "That's a pretty good morning's
work."
Tho King of tho Street gave me a
contemptuous glance.
"Don't be a fool, Wilton. I sold'ten
thousand of those shares to myself."
A new light broko upon mo. I was
getting lessons of one of tho many
ways In which the market was manlpu
lated.
"Thou you think that somobody
else"
The King of tho Street broko In
with a grim smile.
"Never mind what I think. I've got I
the contract for dolnq the thinking
for tills Job, and I reckon I can 'tend
to It."
The great speculator was silent for
a few moments.
"I might, as well be frank with you,"
lie said at last. "You'll have to know
something to , work intelligently. I
must get control of the Omega Com
pany, and to do It I've got to have
more stock. I've been afraid of a com
bination against me, and I guess I've
struck It. 1 can't be sure yet, but
when those ten thousand shares were
gobbled up on a panicky market, I'll
bet there's something up."
'"Who Is In it?" I asked politely.
"They've kept themselves covered,"
said the King of the Street, "but I'll
have them out in tho open before tho
end. And then, my boy, you'll see tho
fur fly."
"I've got a few men staked out," he
continued slowly, "and I reckon I'll
know something about it by this time
to-morrow."
There was the growl of tho Wolf
in his voice.
"Now for this afternoon," he con
tinued. "There's got to be some sharp
work done. I reckon the falling move
ment Is over. We've got to pay for
what we get from now on. I've got a
man looking after the between-IJoard
trading. With the scare that's on In
the chipper crowd out there, I look to
pick up a thousand shares or so at
about forty."
"Well, what's the programme?" I
isked cheerfully.
"Buy," he said briefly. "Take every
thing that's offered this side of seventy-five."
"Urn there's a half-million wanted
already to settle for what I bought
this morning."
The bushy brows drew down, but
tho the King of the Street answered
lightly:
"Your check is good for a million,
my boy, ns long as it goes to settle
for what you're ordered to buy." Then
he added grimly: "I don't think you'd
find it worth much for anything else."
There was a knock at the door be
yond and he hastily rose.
"Lie here after the two-thirty ses
sion," he said. And the Wolf, huge
Tr&pncir-onisa ob
am j.bt."
and masterful, disappeared with a
stealthy tread, and the door closed
softly behind him.
I wondered idly who Doddridge
Knapp's visitor might be, but as I
could see no way of finding out, and
felt no. special concern over his identi
ty or purposes, I rose and left the of
fice. As I stepped into the hall I dis
covered that somebody had a deeper
curiosity than I. A man was stoop
ing to the keyhole of Doddridge
Knapp's room In the endeavor to see
or hear. As he heard the sound of
my opening the door he started up,
and with a bound, was around the turn
of the hall and pattering down theJ
stairs.
In another bound I was after him. I
had seen his form for but a second,
and his face not at all. But In that
second I knew him for Tim Terrill of
tho snake-oyes and the murderous pur
pose. When I reached the head of the
stairs he was nowhere to be seen, but
I heard the patter of his feet below
and plunged down three steps at a
time and into Clay street, nearly up
setting a stout gentleman In my haste.
The street was busy with people, but
no sign of the snake-eyed man greeted
me.
Much dlstu.-V, ' In mind at this ap
parition of my enemy, I sought in vain
for some explanation of his presence.
Was he spying on Doddridge Knapp?
What treachery was he shaping in his
designs on tho man whose bread he
was eating and whoso plans of crime
ho was tho chief agent to assist or
execute? I was roused by a man
bumping Into me roughly. 1 suspected
that he had done It on purpose, and
started by him briskly, when he spoke
In a low tone:
"You'd bettor go to your room, Mr.
Wilton." Ho said something more thai
l did not catch, and, reeling on, disap
peared In the crowd before I could
turn to mark or question him.
1 thought at first that he meant tho
room 1 had Just left. Then It occurred
to me that It was the room Henry had
occupied tho room In which T hnd
spent my first dreadful night In Sun
Kranclsco, and hnd not revisited In
tho thirty hours since I had left It.
The advice suited by Inclination,
tind In n few minutes I was entering
the dingy building and climbing the
wont and creaking stairs. The place
lost Us air of mystery In the broad
sunshine and penetrating daylight,
and though Its Interior was as gloomy
ns ever, It lacked the haunting sug
gestions it had borrowed from dark
ness and the night.
Slipped under tho door I found two
notes. One was from Detective Coo
gan, and read:
"InqueBt this afternoon. Don't want
you. Have another story. Do you
want the body?"
Tho other was In n women's hand,
and tho faint perfume of tho first
note 1 hnd received rose from the
sheet. It read:'
"I do not understand your silence.
The money Is ready. What Is tho
matter?"
The officer's note was easy enough
to answer. I found paper, and, assur
ing Detective Coogan of my gratitude
at escaping the inquest, I asked him
to turn the body over to the under
taker to be buried at my order.
The other note was more perplexing.
I could make nothing of It. It was
evidently from my unknown employer,
and her anxiety was plain to see. But
I was no nearer to finding her than
before, and if I know how to reach
her I knew not what to say. As 1 was
contemplating this state of affairB
with some dejection, and sealing my
melancholy note to Detective Coogan,
there was a quick step in tho hall and
a rap at the panel. It was a single
person, so I had no hesitation in open
ing the door, but it gave me a passing
satisfaction to have my hand on the
revolver In my pocket as I turned tho
knob.
It was a boy, who thrust a letter In
to my hand.
"Yer name Wilton?" lie Inquired,
still holding on to the envelope.
"Yes."
"That's yourn, then." And he was
prepared to make a bolt.
"Hold on," I said. "Maybe there's
an answer.
"No, there alift. The bloke as gave
It to me said there weren't."
"Well, here's something I want you
to deliver," said I, taking up my note
to "Detective Coogan. "Do you know
whero the City Hall Is?"
"Does I know what are yer glvln'
us?" said the boy with infinite scorn
in his voice.
"A quarter," I returned with a
laugh, tossing him the coin. "Wait
a minute."
"Yer ain't bad stuff," said the boy
with a grin.
1 tore open the envelope and read
on the sheet that came from It:
"Sell everything you bought never
mind the price. Other orders off.
D. K."
I gasped with amazement. Had
Doddridge Knapp gono mad? To sell
twelve thousand five hundred shares
of Omega was sure to smash the mar
ket, and the half-million dollars that
had been put Into them would prob
ably shrink by two hundrod thousand
or more if the order was carried out
I read the note again.
Then a suspicion large enough to
overshadow the universe grew up in
my mind. I recalled that Doddridge
Knapp had given me a cipher with
which he would communicate with me,
and I believed, moreover, that he had
no Idea where I might be at the pros
ent moment.
"It's all right, sonny," I said. "Trot
along."
"Where's yer lettor?"asked the boy,
loyally anxious to earn his quarter
"It won't have to go now," I said
coolly. I believed that the boy meant
no harm to me, but I was not taking
any risks. The boy sauntered down
the hall.
"Well, I must look like a sucker if
they think I can be taken in by a trick
like that," was my mental comment.
I charged the scheme up to my snake
eyed friend and had a poorer opinion
of his Intelligence than 1 had hitherto
entertained. Yet I was astonished
that ho should, even with the most
hearty wish to bring about my down
fall, contrive a plan that would Inflict
a heavy loss on his employer and pos
sibly ruin him altogether. There was
mora benenth than I could fathom. My
brain refused to work in tho maze of
contradictions and mysteries, plots
and counterplots, in which I was in
volved.
I took my way tit last toward tho
market, and, hailing a hoy to whom
I intrusted my letter to Detective Coo
gan, walked briskly to Pine street.
CHAPTER XI.
The Den of the Wolf.
Tho street had changed Its appear
ance In the two or three hours since
I had mado my way from tho Ex
change through the pallid, panic
stricken mob. There were still thou
sands of people between tho corner o
Montgomery Street and Loldesdorff,
and the little nlley Itself was packet
full of shouting, struggling traders
But thoro was an air of confidence, al
most of buoyancy, In place of tho
gloom and terror that had lowered
over tue street at noon. Plainly ue
panic was over, and men were in
spired by a belief that "stocks were
going up."
1 made a few dispositions according
ly. Taking Doddridge Knapp's hint
I engaged another broker as a relief
to lCppner, a short fat man, With the
buldest head I ever saw, a black beard
and a hook-nose, whose remarkable
activity and scattering charges had
attracted my attention In the morning
session.
Wallbrldge was his name, I found,
and he proved to be as Intelligent as
I could wish a meVry little man, with
a Joke for nil things, and a How of
words that was almost overwhelming.
"Omega? Yes," chuckled the stout
little broker, after he had assured him
self of my financial standing. "But
you ought to have bought this morn
ing, If that's what you want. It was
hell popping and the roof giving 'way
all at once." The little man had an
abundant stock of profanity which ho
used unconsciously and with such
original variations that one almost for
got the blasphemy of It while listen
ing to him. "You ought to have been
there," he continued, "and watched
the boys shell 'em out!"
"Yes, I heard you hail lively times."
"Boiling," he said with coruscating
additions In the way of speech and
gesture. "If It hadn't been for Deck
er and some fellow we havn't had a
chance to mako out yet the bottom of
the market would have been resting
on the roof of the lower regions."
The little man's remark was slightly
more direct and forcible, but this will
do for a revised version.
"Decker!" I exclaimed, pricking up
my ears, "i inougni no nan qua mo
market."
As I hnd never heard of Mr. Decker
before that moment tills was not ex
actly the truth, hut 1 thought It would
servo me better.
"Decker out of It!" gasped Wall-
bridge, his bald head positively glist
ening at the absurdity of the Idea.
He'll bo out of It when he's carried
out."
"I meant out of Omega. Is ho get
ting up a deal?"
The little broker looked vexed, as
though It crossed his mind that ho
had said too much.
"Oil, no. Guess not. Don't think he
Is," he said rapidly. ".lust wanted to
save tho market, I guess. If Omega
had gone five points lower there would
have been the sickest times In the
Street that we've seen since tho Bank
ol' California closed and the shop
across the way" pointing his thumb
at the Exchange "had to be shut up.
But maybe it. wasn't Decker, you
know. That's just what was rumored
on the Street, you know."
I suspected that my little broker
knew more than he was willing to
tell, but I forbore to press him further,
and gave him tho order to buy all the
Omega stock he could pick up under
fifty.
In the Exchange all was excitement,
and the first call brought a roar of
struggling brokers. 1 could make
nothing of the clamor, but my nearest
neighbor shouted in my ear:
"A strong market!"
"It looks that way," I shouted back,
It certainly was strong in nolso.
I made out at last that prices were
being held to the figures of the morn
ing's session, and In some cases wero
forced above them.
Forty-five forty-seven firty-flve
Omega was going tin by leans. I
blessed the forethought that had sug
gested to me to put a limit on Wall-
bridge at fifty. The contest grew
warmer. I could follow with difficulty
the course of the proceedings, but I
knew that Omega was bounding up
ward.
(TO liK CONTINlTKD.)
A Payina Crop.
F. W. Burbrldge, M. A., of Dublin,
In his opening address at the narcis
sus conference, hold In 1896, said:
"An acre of wheat or potatoes may bo
put down as worth from 20 to
50, according to locality, variety,
etc., but an aero of choice daffodils or
narcissuses may be worth anything
from 50 to 500, or even more."
The advisability of blending bulb-
growing with the culture of flowering
roots of all kinds Is Increasingly ap
parent, and thus the chance of suc
cess is widened. In addition, flowor
production may be regarded as a very
natural aid to tho enlargement of the
scope of the bulb grower. There Is an
astonishing demand in large cities for
the very commonest kinds of blos
soms, and many a grower Is adding
substantially to Ills annual turnover
and profits by the production of these
ordinary flowers. Dundee Adver
tiser.
What She Wanted.
Mrs. Jones That old maid next
door Is the most brazen borrower I
know!
Mrs. Brown Indeed!
Mrs. Jones Yes. Why, only yester
day sho came over to inquire If she
could borrow my husband for an hour
to mow her lawn, thrash a man who
had Insulted her and discharge her
cools. Tit-Hits.
But When It Floods.
A stubborn fountain pen often In
terrupts a man's flow ot thought.
After suf ferinp for seven yearn,
tlifs woman was restored to health
by Lydla K. rinklinm's Vegetable
Coin pound. Read her letter.
Mis. Sallio French, of Paucnunla,
Ind. Ter., writes to Mrs. Pinkham:
"I had female troubles for soven
years was all run-down, and so ner
vous I could not do anything. The
doctors treated me for different troubles
but did mo no irood. Whllo In this con
dition I wroto to Mrs. Pinkhnm for ad
vice and took Lydla E. Plnkham's Vege
table Compound, and I am now strong
and well."
FACTS FOR SICK WOMEN.
Tfnr thivf.v von.rn T.vrl'n. "R. Pink-
lmm's Vegetable) Compound, made
from roots and herns, has been tno
buiiituuii luiuuuy xui milium mo.
and has positively cured thousands of
women who have been troubled with
displacements, inflammation, ulcera
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periodic pains, backacho, that bearing-down
fooling, flatulency, indiges
tion,di7.ziness,ornervousprostration. Why don't you try it?
Don't hesitate to write to Mrs.
Pinkham If there is anything1
about your sickness you do not
understand, one win treat your
1ottrliir.oii(icleiH;caiidadvisevou
free. No woman over regretted
writing her, ami occauso ot uer
vast experience she has helped
thousands. Address, Lynn, Mass.
ITS
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PILES
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WIDOWS,un('orNEW LAW obtntnot
1WTfcJt:wVJ42 by JOHN W. MORRIS,
'KJNIJ S WuaUliisUm. V. O,
"iMlS! Thompson's Eye Water
DEFIANCE STARCH SSr'ffl
