6 THE LOVE OF GOD. <3od's boundless Love and arching; sky Above us when we *ake or sleep, Above us when we .-rr.tle or weep, Above us when we live or die. Oods tireless Love! Be;lde the cot Or her sick i 111: the mother sleeps. The Heavenly Father ever keeps "Unweary watch- iI• .lumbers nut. patient Love! Misunderstood By hearts that suffer in lhe night. D >ubt .! —y i • w kiting till H( av« n'» Heht 61ia.1l show h j\v all things work for good. Cod's mighty Love! On Calvary's height, Suffering to save us from our sin, T.i the Hi ivenly Kingdom in, Ar:d fill our liv s with joy and light. "God's char.gele-s I.nve! The wardering on* Forsake*, forgets, dishonor*; yet. Repenting, going home, is met "W'.ih no reproach—"Welcome, My Son!" Ood's endless Love! What will It be When earthly shadows flee away, For all Eternity's bright day. The unfolding of that Love to see! —-Maltbie L>. Babcock. in Chicago Advance. My Strangest Case BY GUY BOOTHBY. Author of "Dr. Kiknla," "The Beautiful White Devil," "Pharos, The Egyptian," Etc. (Copyrighted, X3CI, by Ward, Lock Jfc Co.] CH A PTE R IX.—CONT i sued. "At last I reached the British out post of Nampoung, on the Burmah- Chinese border, where the officers ■took me in and played the part ol "the pood Samaritan. When I was Well enough to t»-avel, I made my way down to Rangoon, where, still believing- my late companions to be •dead, I shipped for England." "As ifr. George Bertram," I said, quietly. "Why under an assumed name, when, according to your story, you had nothing to fear?" "Because 1 had good and sufficient reason for so doing," he replied. ""You must remember that I had a quarter of a million's worth of pre cious stones in my possession, and, well, to put it bluntly, up to that time 1 had been living what you ■might call a make-shift sort of life. For the future I told myself I was going to be a rich man. That being so, I wanted to start with a clean «heet. You can scarcely blame me!" I did not answer him on this point, but continued my cross-examination. "You reached London, and sold some of the stones there, later on you disposed of some more in Am sterdam. Why did you refuse the dealers your name and address?" Once more he was quite equal to tli e occasion. "Because if I had told them, every body would have to know it, tfnd, to be perfectly frank with you, I could not feel quite certain that Kit water and Codd were really dead." "By that I am to presume that you intended, if possible, to swindle them out of their share?" I asked, not a little surprised by his admission. "Once more, to be frank with you, 1 did. I have no desire to be rude, but 1 rather fancy you would have •done the same had you been sim ilarly situated. I never was much of a success in the moral business." I could well believe this, but I did JOot tell him so. "When did you first become aware ■that they were in London?" "On the day that tliey landed," he •answered. "I watched every ship that came in from Rangoon, anil at last had the doubtful satisfaction of sowing my two old friends pass out of the dock-gates. Poor beggars, they had indeed had a hard time of it." "Then you could pity them? Even while you were robbing them?" "Why not?" lie answered. "There ■vras no reason because I had the stones that 1 should not feel sorry for the pain they had suffered. I had to remember how near I'd been to it myself." This speech sounded very jiretty. "though somewhat illogical. "And pray how did you know that they had called in my assistance?" "Because I kept my eyes on them. I knew Mr. Kit water of old, you see. I watched them go into your office «.nd come out from a shop on the other side of the street." The whole mystery was now ex plained. What an amount of trouble 1 should have been spared had I only known this before. "You did not approve, then, of my being imported into the case?" "I distinctly disapproved," he an swered. "I knew your reputation, of course, and 1 began to see that if you took up their case for them I should in all probability have to -climb down." "'lt is doubtless for that reason you called upon me, representing yourself to be Mr. Bayley, managing director of that South American Mining company? I can now quite understand your motive. You want ed to get me out of the way in or der that I might not hunt you? Is that not so?" "You hit the nail upon the head exactly. But you were virtuous, and would not swallow the bait. It would have simplified matters from my point of view if you had. I should not have been compelled to waste my money upon those two roughs, nor would you have spent an exceedingly uncomfortable quarter of an hour in that doorway in Holywell street." This was news indeed. So he had been aware of my presence there? I put the question to him. "Oh! Yes! 1 knew you were there," he said with a laugh. "And I can tell you I did not like the situation one bit. As a matter of fact, I found that it required all my nerve to pre tend that T did not know it. Every Qurneut 1 Kipocted you to come out and spealc to me. I can assure you the. failure of my plot was no end of a disappointment to me. i had ex pected to see the men I had sent after you, and instead 1 found you yourself." "Upon my word, Mr. llavle, if I cannot appreciate your actions, I must say 1 admire your candor. I can also add that in a fairly long ex perience of—of—" "Why not say criminals at once, Mr. Fairfax?" he asked, with a smile. "1 assure you I shall not be offended. We have both our own views on this Question, and you, of course, are entitled to air yourself if it pleases you. You were about to observe that—" "That in all my experience I had never met anyone who could so calm ly own to an attempt to murder a fellow-being. But supposing we now come to business." "With all my heart," he answered. "I am as anxious as yourself to get everything settled. You will admit that it is rather hard lines on a man who can lay his hands upon a quar ter of a million of money to have a gentleman like yourself upon his trail, and, instead of being able to enjoy himself, to be compelled to re main continually in hiding. 1 am an individual who likes to make the most of his life. I also enjoy the so ciety of my fellow-men." "May we not substitute 'woman?'" I asked. "I am afraid your quarter of a million would not last very long if you had much to do with Mile. Beaumarais." "So you have heard of her, have you?" he answered. "But you need have no fear. Dog does not eat dog, and that charming lady will not de spoil me of very much! Now to an other matter! What amount do you think your clients would feel inclined to take in full settlement of their claim upon me?" "I cannot say," I answered. "How many of the gems have you realized upon?" "There were 93 originally," he said, when he had consulted his pocket book, "and I have sold 60, which leaves a balance of 33, all of which are better than any I have yet dis posed of. Will your clients be pre pared to accept £ . r >o,ooo, of course, given without prejudice?" "Your generosity amazes me," I answered. "My clients, your part ners, are to take £25,000 apiece, while you get off scot-free, after your treatment of them, with £200,- 000." "They may consider themselves lucky to get anything," he retorted. "Run your eye over the case, and see how it stands. You must know as well as I do that they haven't a leg to stand tipon. If I wanted to be nasty, I should say let them prove * n t> 4 A CAB DROVE UP AND THE GENTLE MAN HIMSELF ALIGHTED. that they have a right to the stones. They can't call in the assistance of the law—" "Why not?" "Because to get even with me it would be necessary for them to make certain incriminating admis sions, and to call certain evidence that would entail caustic remarks from a learned judge, and would not improbably lead to a charge of mur der being preferred against them. No, Mr. Fairfax, I know my own business, and, what is better, I know theirs. If they like to take £50,000, and will retire into obscurity upon it, I will pay it to them, always through you. But I won't see either of them, and I won't pay a halfpenny more than I have offered." "You don't mean to tell me that you are in earnest?" "I am quite in earnest," he an swered. "I rtever was more so. Will you place my offer before them, or will you not?" "I will write and also wire them to-day," I said. "But I think I know exactly what they will say." "Point out the applicability of the moral concerning the bird in the hand. If they don't take what they can get now, the time may come when there may be nothing at all. I never was a very patient man, and I can assure you most confidentially that I am about tired of this game." "But how am I to know that this is not another trick on your part, and that 3-011 won't be clearing out of Paris within a few hours? I should present a sorry picture if my clients were to accept your generous offer, and I had to inform them that you were nyt on hand to back it up." "Oh, you needn't be afraid about that," he said, with a laugh. "I am not going to bilk you. Provided you play fair by me, 1 will guarantee to do the same by you. With the ad vantages I at present enjoy, I am naturally most anxious to know that I can move about Europe unmolest ed. Besides, you can have me watched, and so make sure of me. CAMERON COUNTY PRESS, THURSDAY, JULY 10, 1902 There is that beautiful myrmidon of yours, who is so assiduously making love to Mile. Beaumarais' maid. Give him the work." I was more than surprised to find that he knew about this business, lie saw it.and uttered one of his pe culiar laughs. "He didn't think I knew it,"he said. "But I did! liis cleverness is a little too marked. He overacts his parts, and even Shakespeare will tell you how foolish a proceeding that is. If you doubt my word concerning my stay in Paris, let him continue to watch me. You know where I am living, and for that reason you can come and see me whenever you like. As a proof of my sincerity, may 1 suggest that you give me the pleas ure of your company at dinner to night. Oh, you needn't be afraid. I'm not a Caesar Borgia. I shall not poison your meat, and your wine will not be drugged. It will be rath er a unique experience, detective and criminal dining together, will it not? What do you say?" The opportunity was so novel, that I decided to embrace it. Why should I not do so, since it was a very good excuse for keeping my man in sight? He could scarcely play me any tricks at a fashionable restaurant, and 1 was certainly curious to study an other side of this man's complex character. I accordingly accepted his invitation and promised to meet him at the well-known restaurant he named that evening. "In the meantime you will tele graph to your clients, I suppose," he said. "You may be able to give me their reply this evening when we >«»eet." "I shall hope to be in a position to do so," I answered, after which he bade me good-by, and picking up his hat and stick left the room. I sat down and wrote a letter to Miss Kitwater, telling her all that had occurred; then went out to dis patch it with a telegram to Kit water himself, informing him of the offer Hayle had made. I could guess the paroxysm of rage into which it would throw him, and I would will ingly have spared his niece the pain such an exhibition must cause her. I could see 110 other way out of it, however. The message having been dispatched, I settled myself down to wait for a reply, with all the pa tience I could command. In my own mind I knew very well what it would be. It was not so much the money that Kitwater wanted as revenge. That Hayle's most miserable offer would only increase his desire for it, I felt certain. Shortly after three o'clock the reply arrived. It was short and to the point, and ran as follows: "Tell him I will have all or noth ing." Here was a nice position for a man to find himself in. Instead of solving the difficulty we had only in creased it. I wondered what Hayle would say when he heard the news, and what his next step would be. That he would endeavor to bolt again, I felt quite certain. It was a point in my favor, however, that he would not know until the evening what Kitwater's decision was, so I felt I had still some time to arrange my plan of action. Of one thing I was quite determined, and that was that he should be watched day and night from that minute, but not by Mr. Dickson. That worthy I bade return to England, and his rage on discovering that Mile. Beaumarais" maid had tricked him would have been amusing to witness, had the principal event in which I was most concerned not been so grave. The ex pressions he used about her were certainly far from being compli mentary. Feeling that I must have other as sistance, 1 set off for my old friend Leglosse's residence. I had the good fortune to meet him by the con cierge's lodge, and we ascended the stairs to his rooms together. "I have come to ask you to do me a favor," I said, when ws were seat ed in his sitting-room. "A thousand favors, if you wish, cher ami," the old fellow replied. "Tell me how I can have the pleas ure of serving you." "I want you to lend me one of your men for a few days," I said. "I hav» to send my own man back to England, and I am afraid the gentle man we were discussing last night may give me the slip in the mean time if I'm not careful." The better to enable him to ap preciate the position, 1 furnished him with a brief summary of the case ur.on which I was engaged. "And so you are to dine with your prisoner to-night?" he remarked, with one of his quiet chuckles. "That is droll—very droll. It is very good for you that it is at such a place, or 1 should have my doubts as to the rascal's intentions. But you are well able to take care of your self, my friend; that I know." "And the man?" "You shall have him. You shall have half a dozen if you like. I am only too pleased to be able to help in such a good work. You shall have Pierre Lepallard, my right-hand. I cannot give you a better. Nothing escapes Pierre, and he is discreet, oh, yes, my friend, he is discreet. He will not obtrude himself, but he will know all that your friend does, to whom he speaks, what he said to him, and sometimes even what he in tends doing before he does it." "In that case he is just the man for me," I replied. "I am exceed ingly obliged to you for your con siderate courtesy. Some day I may be able to repay it." Within half an hour the estimable Lepallard had been made acquainted with his duties, and within an hour a I ragged tatterdemalion of a man was [ selling matches on the opposite aide of the road to that on which Hayle'a apartments were situated. I reached the restaurant at which we were to dine that evening l punc tual to the moment, only to find that Hayle had not yet arrived. For a minute I was tempted to wonder whether he had given me the slip again, but while the thought, was passing through my mind explain, further than to reassert that, the facts are as I have given them." Another llnxti llrenk. "I think the 17-year locust is an in teresting study," observes tjie lady of uncertain age. "It must be," we answer thought lessly. "especially to one who has traced them down from generatiou to generation." But, of course, it was her own fault that she took it personally.—Balti more American. It in Hetort. She (in the midst of the quarrel)— Oh! 1 wish I were a man! He—So do J! You'd have me to fight, right now!— Puck.