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No. 149. NEW YORK, July 17, 1915 Price Five Cents.

CHAPTER I.

A DOUBLE MURDER.

“Hello! hello! This is Frank Mantell talking. I want Mr. Carter—NickCarter. Is he there?”

Patsy Garvan, the detective’s junior assistant, then alone in thelibrary of Nick’s Madison Avenue residence, was the recipient of theabove telephone communication. It came over the wire in tones reflectingthe haste and excitement of the speaker.

Patsy remembered him, a son of the senior partner of the firm of Mantell& Goulard, whose big department store in Sixth Avenue had recently beenwrecked by a long series of mysterious robberies committed by the juniorpartner, Gaston Goulard, resulting in a round-up of the criminal and hisconfederates by Nick and his assistants, all of which had transpiredseveral months before.

“No,” Patsy replied. “Nick Carter is not here. He is out on a case.”

“Is Chick Carter there?” Mantell then hurriedly asked, referring to thedetective’s chief assistant.

“He is not, Mr. Mantell. This is Garvan talking.”

“Ah, yes, Patsy—I remember,” was the reply. “When will Nick return?”

“I don’t know. He went with Chick about an hour ago to investigate a bigmurder case in Manhattanville. He may not return until evening.”

“Dear me, I’m sorry to hear that. I am very anxious to see him.”

“On business?”