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Issued Weekly. Entered as Second-class Matter at the New York PostOffice, by Street & Smith, 79-89 Seventh Ave., New York.
Copyright, 1915, by Street & Smith. O. G. Smith and G. C. Smith,Proprietors.
Terms to NICK CARTER STORIES Mail Subscribers.
(Postage Free.)
Single Copies or Back Numbers, 5c. Each.
| 3 months | 65c. |
| 4 months | 85c. |
| 6 months | $1.25 |
| One year | 2.50 |
| 2 copies one year | 4.00 |
| 1 copy two years | 4.00 |
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No. 159. NEW YORK, September 25, 1915. Price Five Cents.
CHAPTER I.
CAUSE FOR SUSPICION
Nick Carter waited, listening intently, listening vainly, with his desktelephone in his hand and the receiver at his ear.
Chick Carter, the celebrated detective’s chief assistant, sat watchinghim, noting each changing expression on his strong, clean-cut face, andwondering what occasioned it.
It was about nine o’clock one evening in October, and both detectiveswere seated in the library of Nick Carter’s spacious residence inMadison Avenue.
“Hello!” Nick now called quite sharply. “Hello!”
No answer.
“What’s the trouble?” Chick inquired. “Don’t you get a reply?”
“No, Chick, and that’s not the worst of it,” Nick said quite gravely.
“Why so? What do you mean?”
“I heard my name called just as I removed the receiver from its hook,”Nick explained. “The voice sounded like that of a woman, though I am notpositive about it. Then came a single sharp crack, like the report of arevolver, or as if the telephone had dropped from the speaker’s hand andcrashed upon the floor. I suspect there is something wrong.”
“Can you hear anything now?”
“Not a sound.”
“Call central,” Chick suggested. “You may learn who rang you up.”
“Presently. I still am hoping to hear something of more definitesignificance.”
One minute passed. It brought no sound over the wire.
The silence then was broken by a voice which Nick knew must be that ofthe exchange operator addressing the person who had rung him up.[Pg 3]
“Did you get