The Bradys After a Chinese Princess Part 7

"DEAR HARRY: I have just had a call over the 'phone from Leggett.

He wants to see me at the Harper House, on Mission street, and that's where I am going now. Don't know what for, but I suppose it relates to Volckman. Don't wait for me. Be very careful of yourself to-night.

"O. K. B."

Was the caution needed?

It certainly was.

For a detective to mix up with Chinese opium smugglers in Chinatown, San Francisco, is always dangerous.

But Young King Brady felt confidence in Ah Lung.

Not only had he taken a liking to the man, personally, but having gone to the trouble to look him up in a business way, he found that the standing of the firm in white circles was very high.

"Half a million capital invested," one person stated.

"Good for anything they want to buy here," another firm declared.

"Squarest Chinese house in San Francisco," said another, and so on.

So Harry made his Chinese disguise, and at eight o'clock turned up at the handsome new store on Dupont street, near Sacramento, where the Lung Brothers held forth.

Inquiring for Ah Lung, he came up against his brother Wun, who was quite a different proposition, being in native dress and speaking broken English.

"Ah, him go joss house," he said. "Say, you comee longer me. Meetee him dlere."

Harry a.s.sented, and to the new Jackson street joss house, the most important Chinese temple of America, they went.

The big hall contained many Chinamen, most of them standing around with their hats on talking business, for this joss house has a good deal of the character of a Chinese commercial exchange.

But there were wors.h.i.+pers there before the idols, if they can be so called.

Really, it bears no resemblance to Christian wors.h.i.+p.

When a Chinaman gets down on his knees before the idols and throws joss sticks out of a box just as a gambler would throw dice, he is consulting the spirits of his ancestors as to what course to take in business, love or pleasure. Just this and nothing more.

There were about twenty Chinamen thus engaged when Harry entered the Jackson street joss house, and among them he spied Ah Lung throwing the sticks for all he was worth.

"Dlere he be. We waitee," said Wun Lung. "Him findee out what go to happen to-night."

So Harry stood waiting while the joss stick throwing went merrily on.

CHAPTER IV.

ALICE Pa.s.sES THROUGH THE DOOR OF DEATH.

What then had happened to Alice?

What did happen never could have happened but for the fog, which it will be remembered blew in more thickly just about the time she disappeared.

Alice stood watching the box, never thinking of danger, when suddenly a cloth of some sort was thrown over her head from behind, and by a strong hand gathered in about her throat.

No doubt she had been closely watched previous to this by sharp eyes peering out of the mist.

The thing was done so suddenly that Alice was taken wholly unawares, and when a voice said in Chinese: "There are two revolvers covering you, Miss Montgomery; utter a sound and you will be instantly shot," all she could do was to submit, especially as the voice added: "And Young King Brady as well."

"No shooting," she said. "I yield."

Her voice was sadly m.u.f.fled under the big piece of burlap which had been thrown over her head.

Her arm was now clutched and she was drawn forward, the hand still retaining its grip on her throat.

She was so startled and mixed up that she could not tell in which direction she was being led, but they did not take her far.

Suddenly the clutch at her throat was released.

"Step up," said the voice. "I am about to a.s.sist you into an auto. Be careful. There! All right now. Sit down and behave yourself and you will slip through this trial easy enough."

Was it a Chinaman who was speaking?

Certainly the voice was that of an Oriental of some sort, but to Alice it sounded more like the voice of an educated j.a.panese, although the language was that of the other race.

"May I have my head free now?" she asked. "I am stifling."

"Just a moment," was the reply. "They are bringing the box. When we start you shall be relieved."

She heard them come; the box was lifted into the car, which seemed to be a long, three-seated affair, as near as Alice could judge.

Then the start was made, and so noiselessly was it all managed that there had scarce been a sound.

Immediately the burlap was withdrawn from Alice's head.

The car proved to be a closed one. By the light of its lamps Alice was able to get an uncertain view of her companion.

She shuddered as she recognized him.

"So it is you, Dr. Garshaski!" she breathed.

"Yes, Miss Montgomery, it is I," replied the man, speaking now in English. "I trust you will pardon this step on my part. It all came about by accident. I saw you standing there and I could not resist the temptation to at once seize upon the opportunity, and the woman of all others whom I devotedly love."

Alice's heart sank.

There were three other men in the car.