CHAPTER XX.

HOW NICK WON OUT.

Arthur Mannion, splendidly disguised as he was, utterly collapsed at Nick Carter's denunciation, and he said not a word as he was led away, handcuffed, to the police-station.

Jackson Feversham, who had been kept in the dark regarding the identity of the one-armed man, could not believe that the murderer of Playfair was the soldierly person who had represented himself to be the murderer's uncle.

"Why, he's one-armed, there's no sham there, his hair is light, his features are different, and he speaks in a different voice. I remember Arthur Mannion well, and this man bears no resemblance to him."

"All the same," said Nick stoutly, "I can prove that he is Arthur Mannion, and before twenty-four hours he will confess that he is!"

Playfair's friend and executor was now in Nick's rooms. The other persons present were Chick and Patsy.

The detective spoke with such conviction that Feversham was impressed.

"How did you get at the secret?" he asked.

"By work, by using the powers which nature gave me and which experience has sharpened, and by the invaluable assistance of Chick and Patsy. I suspected the uncle when I heard of his visit to the hospital, my suspicions were deepened when I first met the man at Craven's house. He had but one arm, that is true, but it struck me as a singular circumstance that the missing member should be the left one, the arm to which, upon Arthur Mannion, when I had last seen him, was attached a hand with half a finger missing. An accident would account for the amputation, and if an accident to Mannion had occurred within a radius of one or even two hundred miles, the fact could be easily ascertained, both through telegraphic and private inquiry. I tried the private way first, and within a week Chick lit upon the surgeon who amputated Arthur Mannion's arm. While on his way, traveling mainly by night, from Alexandria to Baltimore, Mannion fell under a freight-train. He was stealing a ride with some hoboes, and, being awkward at brake-beam work, slipped and fell. The accident happened near a station--I had looked for the very thing--and a railway surgeon removed the arm and had the patient, who gave an assumed name, removed to St. Luke's Hospital, Baltimore. In the hospital Mannion met Knocker Jilson, a tramp he had struck up an acquaintance with while both were on the road. Do you begin to see, Mr. Feversham?"

"Yes, light is breaking fast. You are a very shrewd man, Mr. Carter. Hereafter I shall take whatever you say as the law and gospel."

"Before leaving the hospital Mannion arranged his deal with Jilson. The fellow was booked for an early death, and as he grew weaker he thought of his mother, whom for years he had shamefully neglected. Mannion saw his chance. He offered to send Mrs. Jilson money, and to provide for the few years she has yet to live, if Jilson, on his part, would consent to a harmless deception. Jilson listened and consented. He would have done more, if it had been necessary, than was asked of him, for the promise to relieve his mother's necessities was an inducement that would have made him swallow any kind of bait.

"After Mannion was discharged as cured, he proceeded to make the next move in the game. I suppose you know, Mr. Feversham, that there are now many surgeons, professionals and quacks, who make a specialty of changing facial appearance. Twenty years ago the thing was almost unheard of. Now there have been so many demonstrations that the practise is carried on to an extent that would amaze you were you to be furnished with the statistics. There is one of these practitioners in Baltimore. I sent Chick to investigate. He proved the correctness of my theory, and he brought back these."

The detective from his pocketbook took two small photographs and handed them to Feversham. One was a counterfeit full-length presentment of Arthur Mannion as he appeared before the disguise, but after the amputation, and, facially, as Nick had seen him at the house on L Street; the other was a reproduction of the person of the so-called Peter Mannion.

"'Before taking,' and 'After taking,'" said Nick, with a smile. "Do you understand? And do you notice that each picture is of a one-armed man?"

"Yes. One was taken when the patient arrived; the other when the operation had been performed. If I used slang I should say it is a dead give-away." said Feversham.

"It is nothing else. Surgery fixed the features and changed the workings of the vocal chords, while chlorine or peroxide of hydrogen altered the color of the hair and eyebrows. Besides all this, I have other evidence of a minor nature which goes to cement the case against Arthur Mannion."

"What you have offered is sufficient, Mr. Carter. It is evidence overwhelming in its nature. Confront your prisoner with it and he must confess."

That is what Nick did. The next day he called at the jail, had an interview with Mannion, told him what proofs had been gathered, both of the impersonation and of the murder, and the result was that the wicked stepson of James Playfair threw up his hands and made full confession.

He had, as the great detective supposed, robbed Playfair's house in order to obtain the key to the bank deposit box. He found the key, and he found something more--the money and a package of his mother's letters in the locked drawer. The letters were used as a lure for the appointment by the river, and the murder was committed with deliberate intent, Goloff assisting by holding Playfair's arms while Mannion choked the old man to death.

The scheme of the bogus will had been concocted in St. Louis, where Mannion had, by previous arrangement, met Goloff, who had left San Francisco a week before the departure of Mannion and his wife from that city. The forgery had not been a difficult task, for Mannion was an expert in that line, and he had some of Playfair's old letters as a guide.

Asked about the notes taken from the body of Cora Reesey, Mannion answered: "I might as well be hanged for a sheep as a lamb, so I'll say that I robbed the body. I was the first to discover it. I was rowing along the shore when I spotted it. There was no one in sight, and so I took all the valuables I could find. Goloff was with me, and I whacked up with him.

"And now," said Mannion, when he had finished his confession, "it's up to you to do a little explaining. How in the name of Satan did you get out of that trunk?"

Nick Carter smiled. He could afford to. "I wasn't in that trunk more than two minutes," he said. "But it was lucky for me that help came when it did, else I should have suffocated. Do you suppose that I was such a ninny as to run blindfold into the trap you had set for me? You spoke rather sneeringly of my boy Patsy, while you had me at a disadvantage in the room. Let me tell you now that you owe Patsy an apology, for he is responsible for my presence in the court to-day and your arrest. When I sent him out in the daytime, it was not for the purpose of taking a train out of the city, but to pipe you. Now you begin to see? He bought a ticket for New York, but he rode only a few blocks, then jumped off the train and carried out my other instructions. He saw you go up the stairs--he was concealed across the street--and he saw me go up. Then he followed suit. With ear at the keyhole he overheard every word you said to me. He was too shrewd to go out and procure assistance, for he saw that the only way to block your game would be to let you fancy that you had really sent me to the bottom of the Potomac. You did send something--a trunk that cost sixty dollars, and a couple of pillows and a lot of bricks that I threw in to give the proper weight."

Mannion bit his lips till the blood came. But he soon assumed a devil-may-care expression.

"I was too anterior: I see it now. And I suppose that telegram from Chick was a plant?"

"Of course. Chick was only a few miles away, I had him at the phone before eight o'clock, and his part was soon arranged. I presume you thought the boy who gave you the telegram was a regular employee of the company?"

"Wasn't he?"

"Oh, no. He was only Patsy."

"Patsy!" And what the checkmated villain said about Patsy would not look well in print.

Arthur Mannion was never tried for his crime. Pneumonia carried him off within a fortnight after his arrest. His widow still mourns for him, but Nick Carter believes that her eyes will soon brighten, and that there are happy days in store for her.

The three detectives left Washington showered with congratulations.

Jackson Feversham's last words were: "Nick, I can't tell you what I think about your work in this case, but I can say one thing. I wouldn't have believed any man could have done what you have done. I don't know how you've done it, but it's great, and so are you!"

THE END.

With thrills from the first page to the last is told No. 1232, of the NEW MAGNET SERIES, entitled, "A Voice from the Past," by Nicholas Carter.

BOOKS FOR YOUNG MEN

MERRIWELL SERIES

ALL BY BURT L. STANDISH

Stories of Frank and Dick Merriwell

Fascinating Stories of Athletics

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Shrewdness 66--Frank Merriwell's Setback 67--Frank Merriwell's Search 68--Frank Merriwell's Club 69--Frank Merriwell's Trust 70--Frank Merriwell's False Friend 71--Frank Merriwell's Strong Arm 72--Frank Merriwell as Coach 73--Frank Merriwell's Brother 74--Frank Merriwell's Marvel 75--Frank Merriwell's Support 76--Dick Merriwell at Fardale 77--Dick Merriwell's Glory 78--Dick Merriwell's Promise 79--Dick Merriwell's Rescue 80--Dick Merriwell's Narrow Escape 81--Dick Merriwell's Racket 82--Dick Merriwell's Revenge 83--Dick Merriwell's Ruse 84--Dick Merriwell's Delivery 85--Dick Merriwell's Wonders 86--Frank Merriwell's Honor 87--Dick Merriwell's Diamond 88--Frank Merriwell's Winners 89--Dick Merriwell's Dash 90--Dick Merriwell's Ability 91--Dick Merriwell's Trap 92--Dick Merriwell's Defense 93--Dick Merriwell's Model 94--Dick Merriwell's Mystery 95--Frank Merriwell's Backers 96--Dick Merriwell's Backstop 97--Dick Merriwell's Western Mission 98--Frank Merriwell's Rescue 99--Frank Merriwell's Encounter 100--Dick Merriwell's Marked Money 101--Frank Merriwell's Nomads 102--Dick Merriwell on the Gridiron 103--Dick Merriwell's Disguise 104--Dick Merriwell's Test 105--Frank Merriwell's Trump Card 106--Frank Merriwell's Strategy 107--Frank Merriwell's Triumph 108--Dick Merriwell's Grit 109--Dick Merriwell's Assurance 110--Dick Merriwell's Long Slide 111--Frank Merriwell's Rough Deal 112--Dick Merriwell's Threat 113--Dick Merriwell's Persistence 114--Dick Merriwell's Day 115--Frank Merriwell's Peril 116--Dick Merriwell's Downfall 117--Frank Merriwell's Pursuit 118--Dick Merriwell Abroad 119--Frank Merriwell in the Rockies 120--Dick Merriwell's Pranks 121--Frank Merriwell's Pride 122--Frank Merriwell's Challengers 123--Frank Merriwell's Endurance 124--Dick Merriwell's Cleverness 125--Frank Merriwell's Marriage 126--Dick Merriwell, the Wizard 127--Dick Merriwell's Stroke 128--Dick Merriwell's Return 129--Dick Merriwell's Resource 130--Dick Merriwell's Five 131--Frank Merriwell's Tigers 132--Dick Merriwell's Polo Team 133--Frank Merriwell's Pupils 134--Frank Merriwell's New Boy 135--Dick Merriwell's Home Run 136--Dick Merriwell's Dare 137--Frank Merriwell's Son 138--Dick Merriwell's Team Mate 139--Frank Merriwell's Leaguers 140--Frank Merriwell's Happy Camp 141--Dick Merriwell's Influence 142--Dick Merriwell, Freshman 143--Dick Merriwell's Staying Power 144--Dick Merriwell's Joke 145--Frank Merriwell's Talisman 146--Frank Merriwell's Horse 147--Dick Merriwell's Regret 148--Dick Merriwell's Magnetism 149--Dick Merriwell's Backers 150--Dick Merriwell's Best Work 151--Dick Merriwell's Distrust 152--Dick Merriwell's Debt 153--Dick Merriwell's Mastery 154--Dick Merriwell Adrift 155--Frank Merriwell's Worst Boy 156--Dick Merriwell's Close Call 157--Frank Merriwell's Air Voyage 158--Dick Merriwell's Black Star 159--Frank Merriwell in Wall Street 160--Frank Merriwell Facing His Foes 161--Dick Merriwell's Stanchness 162--Frank Merriwell's Hard Case 163--Dick Merriwell's Stand 164--Dick Merriwell Doubted 165--Frank Merriwell's Steadying Hand 166--Dick Merriwell's Example 167--Dick Merriwell in the Wilds 168--Frank Merriwell's Ranch 169--Dick Merriwell's Way 170--Frank Merriwell's Lesson 171--Dick Merriwell's Reputation 172--Frank Merriwell's Encouragement 173--Dick Merriwell's Honors 174--Frank Merriwell's Wizard 175--Dick Merriwell's Race 176--Dick Merriwell's Star Play 177--Frank Merriwell at Phantom Lake 178--Dick Merriwell a Winner 179--Dick Merriwell at the County Fair 180--Frank Merriwell's Grit 181--Dick Merriwell's Power 182--Frank Merriwell in Peru

In order that there may be no confusion, we desire to say that the books listed below will be issued during the respective months in New York City and vicinity. They may not reach the readers at a distance promptly, on account of delays in transportation.

To be published in January, 1928.

183--Frank Merriwell's Long Chance 184--Frank Merriwell's Old Form

To be published in February, 1928.

185--Frank Merriwell's Treasure Hunt 186--Dick Merriwell Game to the Last

To be published in March, 1928.

187--Dick Merriwell, Motor King 188--Dick Merriwell's Tussle 189--Dick Merriwell's Aero Dash

To be published in April, 1928.

190--Dick Merriwell's Intuition 191--Dick Merriwell's Placer Find

To be published in May, 1928.

192--Dick Merriwell's Fighting Chance 193--Frank Merriwell's Tact

To be published in June, 1928.

194--Frank Merriwell's Puzzle 195--Prank Merriwell's Mystery

RATTLING GOOD ADVENTURE

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There has been a big demand for outdoor stories, and a very considerable portion of it has been for the Maxwell Stevens stories about Jack Lightfoot, the athlete.

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1--Jack Lightfoot, the Athlete 2--Jack Lightfoot's Crack Nine 3--Jack Lightfoot Trapped 4--Jack Lightfoot's Rival 5--Jack Lightfoot In Camp 6--Jack Lightfoot's Canoe Trip 7--Jack Lightfoot's Iron Arm 8--Jack Lightfoot's Hoodoo 9--Jack Lightfoot's Decision 10--Jack Lightfoot's Gun Club 11--Jack Lightfoot's Blind 12--Jack Lightfoot's Capture 13--Jack Lightfoot's Head Work 14--Jack Lightfoot's Wisdom

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_ALL TITLES ALWAYS IN PRINT_

By HORATIO ALGER, Jr.

12--Chester Rand 13--Grit, the Young Boatman of Pine Point 14--Joe's Luck 15--From Farm Boy to Senator 16--The Young Outlaw 17--Jack's Ward 18--Dean Dunham 19--In a New World 20--Both Sides of the Continent 22--Brave and Bold 24--Bob Burton 26--Julius, the Street Boy 28--Tom Brace 29--Struggling Upward 31--Tom Tracy 32--The Young Acrobat 33--Bound to Rise 34--Hector's Inheritance 35--Do and Dare 36--The Tin Box 37--Tom, the Bootblack 38--Risen from the Ranks 39--Shifting for Himself 40--Wait and Hope 41--Sam's Chance 42--Striving for Fortune 43--Phil, the Fiddler 44--Slow and Sure 45--Walter Sherwood's Probation 47--The Young Salesman 48--Andy Grant's Pluck 49--Facing the World 50--Luke Walton 51--Strive and Succeed 52--From Canal Boy to President 53--The Erie Train Boy 54--Paul, the Peddler 55--The Young Miner 56--Charlie Codman's Cruise 57--A Debt of Honor 58--The Young Explorer 59--Ben's Nugget 62--Frank Hunter's Peril 64--Tom Thatcher's Fortune 65--Tom Turner's Legacy 66--Dan, the Newsboy 67--Digging for Gold 69--In Search of Treasure 70--Frank's Campaign 71--Bernard Brook's Adventures 73--Paul Prescott's Charge 74--Mark Manning's Mission 76--Sink or Swim 77--The Backwoods Boy 78--Tom Temple's Career 79--Ben Bruce 80--The Young Musician 81--The Telegraph Boy 82--Work and Win 84--The Cash Boy 85--Herbert Carter's Legacy 86--Strong and Steady 87--Lost at Sea 89--Young Captain Jack 90--Joe, the Hotel Boy 91--Out for Business 92--Falling in with Fortune 93--Nelson, the Newsboy 94--Randy of the River 96--Ben Logan's Triumph 97--The Young Book Agent 168--Luck and Pluck 169--Ragged Dick 170--Fame and Fortune 171--Mark, the Match Boy 172--Rough and Ready 173--Ben, the Luggage Boy 174--Rufus and Rose

By EDWARD STRATEMEYER

98--The Last Cruise of _The Spitfire_ 99--Reuben Stone's Discovery 100--True to Himself 101--Richard Dare's Venture 102--Oliver Bright's Search 103--To Alaska for Gold 104--The Young Auctioneer 105--Bound to Be an Electrician 106--Shorthand Tom 108--Joe, the Surveyor 109--Larry, the Wanderer 110--The Young Ranchman 111--The Young Lumberman 112--The Young Explorers 113--Boys of the Wilderness 114--Boys of the Great Northwest 115--Boys of the Gold Field 116--For His Country 117--Comrades in Peril 118--The Young Pearl Hunters 119--The Young Bandmaster 121--On Fortune's Trail 122--Lost in the Land of Ice 123--Bob, the Photographer

By OLIVER OPTIC

124--Among the Missing 125--His Own Helper 126--Honest Kit Dunstable 127--Every Inch a Boy 128--The Young Pilot 129--Always in Luck 130--Rich and Humble 131--In School and Out 133--Work and Win 135--Haste and Waste 136--Royal Tarr's Pluck 137--The Prisoners of the Cave 138--Louis Chiswick's Mission 139--The Professor's Son 140--The Young Hermit 141--The Cruise of _The Dandy_ 142--Building Himself Up 143--Lyon Hart's Heroism 144--Three Young Silver Kings 145--Making a Man of Himself 146--Striding for His Own 147--Through by Daylight 148--Lightning Express 149--On Time 150--Switch Off 151--Brake Up 152--Bear and Forbear 153--The "Starry Flag" 154--Breaking Away 155--Seek and Find 156--Freaks of Fortune 157--Make or Break 158--Down the River 159--The Boat Club 160--All Aboard 161--Now or Never 162--Try Again 163--Poor and Proud 164--Little by Little 165--The Sailor Boy 166--The Yankee Middy 167--Brave Old Salt

Transcriber's Notes:

1. Spelling has been retained as in the original book.

2. Punctuation has been standardized.

3. Italics is given as _italics_.

End of Project Gutenberg's Out of Death's Shadow, by Nicholas Carter