"CAN HE SUSPECT?"
When Nick Carter reached the Adams
House, it was just six o’clock.
A tall, clerical-looking man met him in
the hallway.
It was Chick, Nick’s assistant.
"Well, Chick," said Nick, when they
were seated in his room, "what’s the
news?"
"The woman who claims to be Mrs.
Rogers is already married to Moreno."
"His wife?"
"Yes."
"Did you learn their game?"
"Yes. Blackmail."
"I know that; but what else?"
"I dined at the next table to theirs last
night, and learned that they have some
deep scheme to prevent a man named
Lord from getting married. Her brother
was to have seen him this morning. That
was why I sent the second telegram."
"Yes, yes. Go ahead," cried Nick.
"I think young Rogers is in the deal."
"No, he isn’t," said Nick. "Is that
all?"
"Yes."
"Good, Chick!"
At that moment there was a knock at
the door and a bell-boy handed in a telegram.
It was from Patsy, and read:
"Alvarez woman and Moreno started
for Boston on four-thirty train.
"PATSY."
"Moreno, too! That’s good."
Then addressing Chick, Nick said:
"You meet Moreno at the railroad
depot. I have to go to Worcester by the
six-forty train. And see here. If anything
serious turns up, telegraph to me at the
Bay State Hotel."
It was just nine o’clock when the Boston
train rolled into Worcester station.
The ground was still covered with snow
from the storm of a few days before; but
it had been freezing hard, and now a
heavy crust made walking rather pleasant.
Nick stood outside the depot for a moment,
and looked at the sky and the
snow-covered road, as if considering
whether he would walk to the hotel or
ride. While he was thus engaged, he
heard the rumbling of an incoming train.
"This is the New York express," said
he, and he immediately withdrew into the
shadow of the ticket office and watched
the passengers as they came out.
There was the usual bustle and hurrying
hither and thither that accompanies the
arrival of a passenger train.
Thirty or forty persons came from the
platform, grip or satchel in hand, and
went out into the street, and finally there
passed close to Nick the two individuals
he most desired to see.
They were Anita and Moreno.
The latter was apparently giving her
some very serious instructions.
But the gateman shouted:
"All aboard for Boston!"
Moreno hastily wrung Anita’s hand and
rushed back to the train, and the lady
gathered up her dress and went to the
depot entrance.
Nick watched her board a cab and heard
her order the driver to take her to the
Bay State Hotel.
He followed leisurely on foot.
Having arrived at the hotel, he nodded
to the clerk at the desk and asked to see
the register.
"I want to see a lady who was to have
arrived from New York to-day."
There were two recent signatures on
the book.
One was in a delicate feminine hand,
and read:
"Mrs. Rogers, New York."
The other was also in a woman’s
writing.
It was:
"A. Lord, Boston."
It was now evident that the "ask
Rogers" in the Gonzales telegram meant,
ask for Rogers.
The second entry was rather strange;
but it did not puzzle Nick Carter. Addressing
the clerk, he said:
"Can I see Mrs. Rogers?"
"Are you her brother, sir--Mr. Lord,
for whom she registered?" asked the clerk.
"Yes," replied Nick.
"Her room is number 46; yours is 47,
sir--right opposite."
"Thank you," said Nick.
The bell-boy led the way to room 47,
and Nick immediately took possession and
bolted the door on the inside.
"Now for it!" he exclaimed as he removed
his hat and overcoat.
A few moments afterward there was a
rap at the door.
He at once drew the bolt.
The door opened, and Anita Alvarez
entered.
"I beg your pardon," she said, in perfect
English. "That stupid clerk must
have made a mistake!"
She was about to retreat immediately,
but Nick stepped between her and the
door, and said:
"I assure you, madame, the clerk made
no mistake. Mr. Gonzales was unable to
meet you here tonight. I have come from
him----”
"Let me pass!" interrupted the woman,
with an imperious gesture.
"You really must excuse me, madame!"
said Nick, courteously. "I am Sam
Rogers’ friend----”
"I do not understand you, sir," said
Anita, whose color had heightened at the
mention of young Rogers’ name.
"Pray be seated, and I shall explain
myself," said Nick, in his most gracious
manner.
"I must insist upon your allowing me
to leave this room instantly!"
She looked very beautiful at that moment,
and Nick said to himself:
"It is no wonder young Rogers fell in
love with her."
"Why do you detain me?" she cried,
with increasing anger.
"I beg of you to keep calm," said
Nick. "I have come as a messenger from
your brother and Mr. Rogers."
"How am I to know this?"
"You must surely know, madame, that
unless Gonzales told me where to meet
you and had instructed me to assume the
role of your brother, I would not be here."
This seemed so reasonable that she consented
to be seated.
She then asked:
"Why did not my brother come himself?"
"He had to keep an eye upon the
movements of Nick Carter, the New York
detective."
That reply gave her confidence, and she
said:
"Mr.---- eh. You haven’t given me
your name."
"Rogers, madame. I am Sam’s
cousin," coolly replied Nick.
"Oh, I suppose you came over from
Philadelphia for the funeral."
"Precisely, madame. Sam has confided
everything to me."
"He made an awful mistake in sending
for that man, Nick Carter," said Anita.
"I don’t agree with you."
"You don’t know him, Mr. Rogers.
That man will be sure to ferret out the
truth. What I told Sam to do was to
engage an ordinary detective, and if he
did that, suspicion would most surely fall
upon Dr. Lord. However, Moreno and
Manuel will probably be able to arrange
matters."
Nick was becoming enlightened.
"I don’t think the doctor is out of the
woods yet," said he.
"If he does get out, it is Sam’s own
fault," said the lady, "and I will never
allow him to marry Miss Bland."
"He did what he considered was for the
best."
"Oh, he is too weak. But tell me what
news you have from my brother?"
"Sam refuses to see him."
"I know it. That is why Moreno has
gone to Boston."
"I don’t believe my cousin will have
dealings with Mr. Moreno."
"If he does not, I shall at once go there
and announce myself as his wife."
"If you do this, he will take steps to
secure a divorce. Public sentiment would
now be upon his side, and you would
probably lose all."
"Ah! This is that Nick Carter’s work."
She became thoughtful for a moment
and then cried:
"How stupid of Manuel to have bungled
last night!"
"I do not understand you," said Nick,
who, nevertheless, now discovered that
the attack upon his life was planned by
Moreno and the woman.
"I do not wish you to understand," said
Anita, testily. "But you can tell Sam
Rogers that, unless he agrees to my proposition,
he will never marry Miss Bland."
"He has deputed me to act for him,
madame, and if you will tell me your
final proposal, I shall be able to say
directly whether or not he will accept it."
"I shall not alter my proposition in the
slightest. I must have one hundred thousand
dollars in cash. He cannot pay this
unless the match between his sister and
Dr. Lord is broken off, and the only possible
way to break it off is to accuse the
doctor of the murder of old Mr. Rogers."
"But the doctor might be acquitted!"
interjected Nick.
"I don’t think so. Why, even Nick
Carter, the detective, will have to swear
that he found the point of the hypodermic
syringe in Mr. Rogers’ wrist, and the
broken syringe in the doctor’s room.
That would convict him in any court.
Besides, it is very unlikely that Miss
Rogers would marry a man about whom
there was even a suspicion of having murdered
her father. However, you now
know the only conditions upon which I
will get a divorce, and unless Sam consents
at once, in writing, I will proclaim
myself his wife and will go to police headquarters
and tell them about the poison
that was injected into Mr. Rogers wrist."
"Sam loves his sister," said Nick.
"I know he does," interrupted Anita.
"But if he loves himself or Miss Bland,
who, you know, is worth half a million,
he will be a man and do what I demand.
He can give his sister the money she will
lose by not marrying Lord out of Miss
Bland’s fortune."
"I am afraid he will not comply with
your demand," said Nick.
"Has he any proposition to make?"
"Yes. He will guarantee to pay you the
one hundred thousand dollars after you
procure the divorce, and he is married to
Miss Bland."
"Does he think I am a fool?" she cried,
angrily. "But I know this is not his
doing. He has confided in Nick Carter.
It is that wretch who is advising him. It
is well he does not know the entire
truth."
"What do you mean, madame? Sam assured
me that he knew everything about
his father’s death."
"No, he does not. I am annoyed, Mr.
Rogers. However, I have no more to say."
She paused for a few moments, and
then, as if her whole being was inflamed
with ferocity, she cried:
"Oh, if Manuel had only succeeded, I
could force him to do my bidding!"
"Of course you refer to the fact that
Sam would not see your brother", said
Nick innocently.
"Yes."
As she uttered that word, she looked in
a fright at Nick, and the thought flashed
across her mind:
"Can he suspect what I mean?"
Nick’s features were perfectly impassive,
however, and addressing him, she
said:
"I have no more to say. You can give
my ultimatum to your cousin."
"Very well, madame. After I have seen
Sam, I shall communicate the result to
Gonzales."