Nick Carter Stories No. 120, December 26, 1914: An uncanny revenge; or, Nick Carter and the mind murderer.

The morning begins with Nick Carter and his close‑knit household gathered around a breakfast table, each sharing the same puzzling news. A celebrated Swedish actress, Helga Lund, collapsed onstage during the climactic third act of her hit play, her face contorting into a mask of terror before the curtain fell. The audience was left stunned, and the newspaper reports speak only of a “temporary nervous breakdown,” offering no clue as to what drove her to such madness.

Carter, ever the keen observer, turns the incident into a fresh case. With his trusted assistant Chick, the sharp‑witted Ida, and the ever‑curious Patsy, he begins to sift through rumors, backstage whispers, and the strange behavior of a mysterious “mind murderer” who may have been influencing Lund’s thoughts. As the detectives delve deeper, they discover that the theater’s glittering façade may hide a darker, psychological game—one that only Carter’s razor‑sharp instincts can hope to untangle.