The Porcelain Mask _A Detective Story_ BY JOHN JAY CHICHESTER CHELSEA HOUSE 79 Seventh Avenue New York City Copyright, 1924 By CHELSEA HOUSE The Porcelain Mask (Printed in the United States of America) All rights reserved, including that of translation into foreign languages, including the Scandinavian. To my Aunts, ELLA and ANNA who once told a very small boy that he would some day grow up and write a book. CONTENTS I. JOAN SHERIDAN RETURNS II. THE SQUALID HOUSE III. HELEN ANSWERS HER LETTER IV. "WHAT DOES IT MEAN?" V. VICTOR SARBELLA VI. IN THE STUDIO VII. THE GET-AWAY VIII. CAUGHT IN THE WEB IX. THE OPEN DOOR X. COMMON SENSE XI. BUSHNELL CALLS THE POLICE XII. "WIGGLY" PRICE XIII. WHAT DID JOAN KNOW? XIV. THE GIRL IN THE SARBELLA CASE XV. SARBELLA SPEAKS XVI. THE FOUR CLEWS XVII. KIRKLAN PROTESTS XVIII. TWO BRANDS OF CIGARETTES XIX. ENTER SERGEANT TISH XX. A QUEER JUMBLE XXI. A CRY OF TERROR XXII. WHAT THE COOK SAW XXIII. THE TRAPPED RAT XXIV. HASKINS KEEPS HIS SECRET XXV. THE SKEPTICISM OF SERGEANT TISH XXVI. BITS OF TALLOW XXVII. WIGGLY REMAINS UNCONVINCED XXVIII. THE BLACK SMUDGE XXIX. "LET THE GUILTY MAN SPEAK!" XXX. WIGGLY MAKES A WAGER THE PORCELAIN MASK CHAPTER I JOAN SHERIDAN RETURNS