CHAPTER III.
WORKING FOR A CHINESE CLEW.
It was true that the Bradys spent much time searching for Ed.
In this they were aided by a wardman from the Elizabeth street station,who was supposed to know much about the secret dens of Pell street, andwe want it understood that the Bradys are by no means ignorant on thatsubject themselves.
But as it happened they did not know of any secret dens under thatparticular house, nor did the wardman, nor could they find any. At lastthey broke down the wall on two sides of the vault from which Ed hadvanished.
Then they discovered the secret passage.
They traced it to its end, and it took a turn, bringing them in underanother house.
Here there were two secret rooms where there had once been a privatejoss house conducted by the Chinese "Tong" or guild known as the Brotherof the Red Door.
This particular place, as it happened, had been pulled by the Bradysabout a year before.
They found the rooms empty and deserted.
Thus they missed it so far as Ed was concerned, and they finally gaveup, feeling satisfied that they had overlooked some hidden door orpassage which, of course, must have been the case.
It was now too late to look up Alice, as intended.
Where she was must now be explained.
Alice some time before had made a friend of a certain Chinese womanwhose husband was a sort of detective or spy for the On Leong tong ormerchants society in Chinatown.
This man's operations were confined to his own people.
He also knew Alice and liked her.
It was he who suggested that she come to his wife's rooms in Chinesedisguise, and so be on hand ready to talk with the missing girl as soonas he could locate her, which he felt quite certain he would be able todo, for he had received positive knowledge that the girl had been seenin Chinatown along with an Americanized Chink, a stranger there, whom hebelieved to be Pow Chow.
But it would have done the Bradys little good if they had taken Mr.Butler to Alice, as they originally intended to do, for the detectivedid not come home that night.
Next morning his wife heard that he had gone to Chicago on business forthe On Leong tong, so Alice gave it up, and about nine o'clock turned upat the offices of the Brady Detective Bureau, on Union Square, in herordinary dress.
"Oh, you are here," exclaimed Old King Brady. "Harry was just going downto Chinatown to look you up. I suppose you are wondering what became ofus last night?" and he went on to explain.
"This is a bad beginning," remarked Alice. "I don't know that I can helpany more, either," and she went on to tell about the Chinese detectivebeing called away.
"I am sorry," said Old King Brady. "I should have liked to have had hisadvice. The disappearance of that boy is certainly a puzzle. I shallnever rest until I have found him. I wish now I had never touched thecase."
"It does look pretty hopeless," remarked Harry, who had entered just intime to overhear this remark, "but never mind. We will get there. Onething, though. If it was me I wouldn't do a thing further than to try tofind the boy until I knew more about the case. Mr. Butler ought to atleast tell us what these papers are he is so anxious to find."
"He is singularly reticent about them," replied Old King Brady, "frankas he is on other points, especially his dislike for his wife. But wemust decide upon some course of action. I don't propose to be downed."
Just then a clerk handed in a card.
It was a lady's visiting card and bore the name of Mrs. Butler.
"Another surprise," muttered Old King Brady. "Not satisfied with sendinghis son to us, the man has now sent his wife."
The visitor proved to be an overdressed, loud-voiced woman of forty odd.
"I suppose you are surprised to see me, Mr. Brady!" she exclaimed,making eyes at the old detective as she proceeded to seat herself. "Thefact is, Mr. Butler was taken sick. He sent his son to you yesterday.The foolishness of it. Ed is a good boy, but he is only a boy. Where ishe? Has he been here yet?"
"No, madam, he has not been here," replied Old King Brady, who saw atonce that the woman was acting on her own account, and probably withoutthe knowledge of her husband.
"The lazy fellow has probably overslept himself," said the woman,working her fan. "Just like him. I thought it might be so. I am just aswell pleased. I wanted a chance to talk to you first. Have you heardanything of Ethel--my daughter, I mean?"
"No, madam; nothing definite as yet," replied the old detective.
"I was afraid it would be so. Pow is a very slick fellow. But you mustcertainly find her, Mr. Brady. You see, not only do I love the poordeluded girl dearly, but she has robbed us. Three thousand in cash, Mr.Brady; money that I have been saving for years. Then there are certainimportant papers. Those are what we are most anxious to obtain."
"Yes, ma'am. And what may the nature of those papers be?" the olddetective asked.
"That I should prefer not to explain."
"But, my dear madam, you leave us in the dark. How can we be expected tofind papers of which we know nothing?"
"Oh, you just find my daughter. She will give up the papers quickenough."
"You are sure?"
"Quite sure if I can only once get my hands on her."
"Where are you staying?"
"I haven't made up my mind yet. You see I came here directly from thetrain. I shall make it a point to send you my address once I amlocated."
"And this boy! Shall we send him home?"
"That will be the best way, if he will mind you. He never will me. He isa wild, harum-scarum fellow. It was perfect nonsense to send him hereto look for his sister. But I wish you would tell me what you have done.I understood from Mr. Butler that you had learned that Ethel was herealong with her Chinese husband."
"We have learned that much, Mrs. Butler, but we have been unable tolocate her."
"It is too bad. I suppose Mr. Butler considers it all my fault. I don't.Pow persuaded Ethel to act as she did, I am sure. I don't know as I amto be held accountable in such a case."
Old King Brady all this time had been sizing the woman up.
With her husband's letter in his pocket, which told him of family jars,accusing Mrs. Butler of aiding and abetting Ethel in her Chineseescapade, and even hinting at the necessity of a speedy divorce for thewriter, he saw plainly that some powerful motive other than love for heradopted daughter must have influenced her when she made this suddenmove.
He resolved to shake her off and turn her over to Alice, telling hernothing about Ed.
"Mrs. Butler," he said, "let me be perfectly frank with you. Since Mr.Butler could not come to us, we must decline to pursue this case anyfurther. All I have been able to learn about your daughter came to methrough a certain female detective, a woman who is partly Chinese. Shehas a room on Pell street, in Chinatown. Better see her this afternoon.I happen to know that she will be in her room at three o'clock. No doubtshe will be glad to help you along in the matter. She is a person youcan rely on."
The woman looked surprised.
Old King Brady felt that she also looked rather relieved.
"What is this woman's name?" she asked.
"Her real name is Chinese. I forget it," was the reply. "She goes by thename of Gertrude Brown. Here is her address."
Old King Brady scribbled name and address on a slip of paper and passedit over to Mrs. Butler.
"Are her charges high?" the woman asked.
"Just the reverse. She is very reasonable, while our charges are high.Tell her that I sent you and that I have dropped the case. She will useyou right."
"I am sure I am very much obliged to you," said Mrs. Butler, rising todepart. "But about Ed. You will send him home if he comes to you?"
"Yes, if you so desire."
"I do."
"Don't you want to see him?"
"No. I want him to go home. Tell him to go at once."
"But in case he won't go and insists upon your address?"
"I
will give it to Miss Brown. I shall be settled by the time I seeher."
Old King Brady let her go then.
He immediately summoned Alice, who had retired to her own office beforeMrs. Butler was shown in, and told her what he had done.
"You want to get down to the rooms and take this woman in charge," hesaid. "Pump her dry. We want to find out what she is driving at if wecan. You are to make up as you did before, but not quite so much like aChina woman."
At the time of which we write, the Bradys were holding two rooms underrental on the top floor of a building on Pell street.
It was almost a necessity, for they had a great many Chinese cases tohandle.
Alice assented.
A little later Old King Brady and Harry went to Chinatown again, andwith the aid of the wardman made a thorough search for Ed.
But it came to nothing.
The same ground was gone over again; other secret dens were visited onthe block.
But it is always hard work in Chinatown without a clew.
When detectives visit the Chinese houses, no objections are ever offeredto a search, nor is any help ever given.
The Chinese sit around perfectly indifferent, seemingly.
Once in a while bribes will do the business.
Old King Brady found even that resource hopeless on this occasion,however.
After a hard day's work he had to give it up.
"I am afraid they have done for that boy," he remarked to Harry. "Itindeed looks like a hopeless case."
He felt very much distressed about it, feeling somewhat to blame.
His next move was to call up the Government office, at which Mr. Butlerwas employed, but word came over the wire that the man was home sick.
All Old King Brady could do was to write him a letter, stating thefacts, which he did, in time for the evening mail.
At a quarter to three o'clock Harry turned up at the rooms on Pellstreet.
Alice admitted him.
"Has Mrs. Butler come yet?" he asked.
"Not yet," replied Alice.
"The governor has decided that I am to be a witness to yourconversation."
"I am glad of it. I don't want to take the responsibility alone."
They sat talking until quarter past three, when Mrs. Butler appeared.
Harry slipped into the other room when her knock was heard.
Alice took the woman right in hand, but she learned nothing more thanthe Bradys already knew.
Mrs. Butler wanted to find her daughter, that was all.
She only hinted vaguely at stolen papers.
All attempts to draw her out on that subject were in vain.
All Alice could do was to ask her address, which she gave, and to tellher to call next day.
It was a certain street and number in Brooklyn.
As for Ed, she never mentioned his name.
"She's a bad one," observed Harry after she had gone. "I take no stockin that woman."
Alice took none either.
"I am going around to Mrs. Fang's to see if she has any word for me,"she said, referring to the wife of the Chinese detective. "I'll see youat the office if there is anything to report."
But there was nothing, and that day closed, leaving the case involved inmystery.
Next day Old King Brady had Alice write a Chinese advertisement offering$200 reward for any information which would lead to the discovery of EdButler's whereabouts.
This Harry posted on the dead wall at the corner of Pell and Doyerstreets, where hundreds of little red slips can be seen any day.
This wall is called the Chinese bulletin board, also the Chinesenewspaper.
Old King Brady offered the reward on his own account, but the addressgiven was Alice's, on Pell street, and a Chinese name was signed.
Knowing that if anything was to come of it, early evening would be theprobable time. The Bradys were on hand at the room right after supper.
At about half-past seven o'clock there came a knock on the door.
Old King Brady and Harry slipped into the other room, leaving Alice toopen the door.
An aged Chinaman stood outside.
Alice asked him his business in his own language.
The answer was rather a surprise, for it came in pigeon English:
"Me wantee see Kling Blady."
"Old King Brady is not here," replied Alice. "What makes you thinkthat?"
"Oh, me know. He camee here. Me see. Me know you, too."
Seeing that the case was hopeless, Alice asked him inside.
The old fellow shuffled into the room and looked around cautiously.
"Come," said Alice, "tell me what you want."
"Bout boy?" was the reply. "No telle you. Only tellee Kling Blady."
The old detective walked into the room.
He did not know the man so far as he could remember.
Nor was he particularly surprised at the situation, for he had taken nosteps to conceal his identity.
"Hello, John! Here I am. Now what you got to say to me about that boy?"he asked.
"Money," replied the Chink. "Me can tell. Two hlundled dlollar--yair."
"You are up against it, governor," laughed Harry. "Do you propose to payin advance for your Chinese clew?"
Old King Brady's answer was a roll of bills.
"I should have looked out for the boy better," he said. "I am willing topay for my carelessness."
"See, John," he added, holding up ten ten-dollar bills, which he spreadout like a fan. "Half now; other half when we get the boy."
The old man eyed the bills longingly, but shook his head.
"No tellee," he said. "You givee two hlundled dollars, den me tell."
"Get out," said Old King Brady, pocketing the bills. "You're a fraud.You don't know anything about the boy."