6 THE CIRCULAR STAIRCASE &Kmary ❖ ROBERTS ❖ lUNE ILLIfiTMTIOHS BY j CWYiVtMJ HOB »•> OMSJU -/t£H*k/ca- T SYNOPSIS. 'viuss Inses, spinster and guardian oi Gerirude and Halsey, established summer headquarters at Sunnyside. The servants desert. Gertrude and Ilalsey arrive with .1 aek Baliej The house was nwakened by a revolver shot and Arnold Armstrong was found shot to death in the hall. Miss Innes found Halsey's revolver on the | lawn. He and Jack Bailey had disap peared. Gertrude revealed that she was entjuced to Jack Bailey, with whom she talked in the billiard room shortly before the murder. Detective Jamieson accused Miss Innes of holding back evidence. He imprisoned an intruder in an empty room. The prisoner escaped. Gertrude waa sus pected because of an Injured foot. Hal sey reappears ami says ho and Bailey wore called away by a telegram. Cashier Bailey of Paul Armstrong's bank, de funct. was arrested for embezzlement. Paul Armstrong's death was announced. Halsey's fiancee, Louise Armstrong, told Halsey that while she still loved him, she was to marry another. It developed that Dr. Walker was the man. I,ouise was found at the bottom of the circular stair case. Recovering consciousness, she said sopnellilng had brushed by her on the stairway and she fainted. Bailey is sus pected of Armstrong's murder. After seeing a ghost," Thomas, the lodgekeep er, was found dead with a slip in his pocket bearing the name of "I,uclen Wal lace." Dr. Walker asked Miss Innes to vacate In favor of Mrs. Armstrong. She refused. A note from Bailey to Gertrude arranging a meeting at night was found. A ladder out of place deepens the mys tery. CHAPTER XXlll—Continued. Apparently only a few minutea elapsed, during which my eyes were becoming accustomed *o the darkness. Then I noticed that the windows were reflecting a fain}; pinkish light; Liddy noticed it at the same time, and I heard her jump tip. At that moment Rain's deep voice boomed front some where just below. "Fire!" he yelled. "The stable's on I Are!" 1 could see him in the glare dancing up and down on the drive, and a mo- j ment later Halsey joined him. Alex | was awake and running down the! stairs, and in five minutes from the I time the fire was discovered three of j the maids were sitting on their trunks j in the drive, although, excepting a few sparks, there was no fire nearer than 100 yards. Gertrude seldom loses her presence of mind, and she ran to the telephone. Hut l»y the time the Casanova volun teer fire department came toiling up the hill the stable was a furnace, with the Dragon Fly safe but blistered, In the road. Some gasoline exploded Just as the volunteer department gotj to work, which shook their nerves as wpll ai the burning building. Tin stable, being on n hill, was a torch to attract the population from every di rection The stable was off the west wing. I hardly know how I came to think of the circular staircase and the un guarded door at its foot. Liddy was putting my clothes into sheets, pre paratory to tossing them out the win dow, when 1 found her, and I could hardly persuade her to stop. "1 want you to comu with me, Liddy." 1 snid. "Bring a candle and a couple of blankets." She lagged behind considerably vlien she saw me making for the east Aing. and at the lop of the stuircase •he balked. "I am not going down there," she aald firmly. "There is no one guarding the door down there," I explained. "Who knows? this may be a scheme to draw everybody away from this end •>l ili>- house, and let some one In It. instant ! had said it I was con imi I well," I said, "then I shall go down 'one Hon back to Mr. Halsey's '"im .mil get his revolver. Don't Hiiooi ear*, lust at the loot of the Mtairs I stubbed my to. uguliMt H .is. y'i big chair, and had lo aland f>n i,no foot lu a soundh s agony i.utit the pals subsided lu u dull ache. AMd then -I knew I was right. Some out h id put a key Into (lie lock, and « ,ih turning It For soioe r»a .on It ■ MM would |M n Ihe laddie above made a lalut ■ i i) t.ntw t It till If «e| pout and IU fldt, a dhbK It aKalii.lt »r a faint scrsam hum Liddr "hand (hell aba tabic do ..it fun with the FiHOllrei t in 11 out of bar. M in it nintk'iitf . • it (k# It Went Off, Right Through the Door. She went up the stairs at that, two at a time. Evidently she collided with the candle, for it went out, aud I was left in darkness. I was really astonishingly cool. I remember stepping over the chair and gluing my ear to the door, and I shall never forget feeling it give an inch or two there in the darkness, under a steady pressure from without. But the chair held, although I could hear an ominous cracking of one of the legs. And then, without the slightest warning, the cardroom window broke with a crash. I had my finger on the trigger of the revolver, and as I jumped it went off, right through the door. Some one outside swore round ly, and for the first time I could hear what was said. "Only a scratch. . . . Men are at the other end of the house. . . . Have the whole rat's nest on us." And a lot of profanity which I won't write down. The voices were at the broken window now, and although I was trembling violently, I was de termined that I would hold them until help came. I moved up the stairs un til 1 could see into the cardroom, or rather through it, to the window. As I looked a Binall man put his leg over the sill and stepped into the room. The curtain confused him for a mo ment; then he turned, not toward ine, but toward the billiard room door. I fired again, and something that was glass or china crashed to the ground. Then 1 ran up the stairs and along the corridor to the main staircase. Ger trude was standing there, trying to locate the shots, and I must have been a peculiar figure, with my hair in crimps, my dressing gown (lying, no slippers, and a revolver clutched Jn my hand. I had no time to talk There was the sound of footsteps in the lower hall, and some one bounded up the stairs. I had gone Berserk, I think. I leaned over tho atalr-rall and fired again. Halsey, below, yelled at me. "What are you doing up there?" he yelled. "You missed nie by an inch." And then I collapsed and fainted. When 1 came around Uddy was rub bing my temples with eau de quinine, and the search was In full blast. Well, the tuun was gone. The stable burned to the ground, while the crowd cheered at every falling ratfer, and | the volnnteei fire department sprayed llt with a garden hose. And in the house Alex and llul -'-y searched every I cornel of ih«- lower Hoor, liudtng no . one. The truth of my story was shown . i»y the broken window uml the over ; turned chair. That the unknown had • K"t ui'ttaiiM was almost Impossible. He hud not ii ed the mulu staircase, there was no way to the upper lloor lu the east win*, and l.lddy had been .it th" window, in the went wing, i wlure the servants' stair went up Hut I we did nut goto bed at all. Sam Ho Itanium and Warn* r helped in the ' dearth, aud not a • Inset escaped i *crutlny Kvuu the cellars were given , « thorough overhauling, without re nd The d<»or In the east eu'ry had a hole Huough It whuie Uiy bullet had 4>>n< 'i ii« iiulv >lauted downward, iml the ballet was embedded In tin j I.urrli Houie reddish stains shuwed It | had done MM" litlon rioitiebialy will walk lauie," llalsey aid, when he had luaiked the course el il.i bullet "It's too low lu have hit tnytMng but a u g or foot" >Vuui tint iiutc on I watched uv« ry i tkiiu I Mi«t for a liiiip, and to ihia • id) the MttfU who halls In his aalk la ta uliji > t oi nuegtehMi to we Hut ' aoanova had uu lame n»-n, the near t an* •"" l« " waa an old fellww I who traded th*) »eiui» gates at the I aili ' d, and he. I learned on Inquiry, | isd '»o>i < -tidal !• g« tba man bad CAMERON COUNTY PRESS, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 1910. gone, and the large and expensive stable at Sunnyaido was a heap of smoking rafters and charred boards. Warner swore the fire was incendiary, and in view of the attempt to enter the house, there seemed to be no doubt of it. CHAPTER XXIV. Flinders. If Halsey had only taken me fully into his confidence through the whole affair it would have been much sim pler. If he had been altogether frank about Jack Bailey, and if the day after the fire he had told me what he sus pected, there would have been no har rowing period for all of us, with the boy in danger. But young people re fuse to profit by the experience of their elders, and sometimes the elders are the ones to sutler. I was much used up the day after the fire, and Gertrude insisted on my going out. The machine was tempo rarily out of commission, and the car riage horses had been sent to a farm for the summer. Gertrude finally got a trap from the Casanova liveryman, and we went out. Just as wo turned from the drive into the road we passed a woman. She had put down a small valise, and stood inspecting the house and grounds minutely. I should hard ly have noticed her had it not been for the fact that she had been horribly disfigured by smallpox. "Ugh!" Gertrude said, when we had passed, "what a face! 1 shall dream of it to-night. Get up, Flinders." "Minders?" I asked. "Is that the horse's name?" "It Is." She flicked the horse's stubby mane with the whip. "He didn't look like a livery horse, and the liveryman said he had bought him from the Armstrongs when they purchased a couple of motors and cut down the stable. Nice Flinders—good old boy!" Flinders waß certainly not a com mon name for a horse, and yet the youngster at Itichfield had named his prancing, curly haired little horse Flinders! It set uie to thinking. At my request Halsey hud already sent word of the fire to the agent from whom mo had secured the house. Also, h« iiad called Mr. Jamlesnii by telephone, and somewhat guardedly had told him of the previous night's events. Mr. Jamlesou promised to come out that night, and (o bring an other man with him 1 did not con sider It necessary to notify Mrs. Arm strong, in the village. No doubt she knew of the flre, and In view of my refusal to give up the house an inter view would probably have bet n tin pleasant enough But as we passed Dr Walker's white and greenhouse I thought of something "Stop here, Gertrude,'* I said "I am going lo get out." "To see l.oulse?" she asked "No, I want mask (his young Walker .unit thing " She was curious, 1 knew, but I did not wait to esplain | went up the walk lo (he house, where a brass sign ai (b> side announced lb* office, and went In The reception room was empty, but from the consultation room beyond I illlm the sound of two voices, not %■ y amicable "It Is an leilrageniis figure," t,om. Una »>4 slo, i Then the doctor's 'inlet lone e\ leiitly arguing merely stating eiuethlng Uut I bad not (line to list ii to some persou probably dispudiig bis bill, so I ougfced The nolle tea*, dat unce; door ilomm| somewhere, ami ih«, J,* ior entert*d fruru the ball of tb« bouae lie look* d sum. lenll) surprised at see liOirtl aill'lfitttlM, lin iuf, # I *£lt} tul&iiUy. "J ill nut h «jll ytiw4*4 your patient. I wish merely to ask a question." "Won't you ait down?" "It will not be necessary. Doctor, has any one come to you, either early this morning or to-day, to have you treat a bullet wound?" "Nothing so startling has happened to me," he said. "A bullet wound I -Things must be lively at Sunnyside." "I didn't say It was at Sunnyalde. But as it happens, it waa. If any such case comes to you, will it be too much trouble for you to let me know?" "I shall be only too happy," he said. "I understand you have had a fire up there, too. A fire and shooting in one night is rather lively for a quiet place like that." "It Is as quiet aa a boiler-shop," I replied, as I turned to go. "And you are still going to stay?" "Until I am burned out," I respond ed. And then, on my way down the steps, I turned around suddenly. "Doctor," I asked at a venture, "have you ever heard of a child named Lucien Wallace?" Clever as he was, his face changed and stiffened. He was on his guard again in a moment. "Lucien Wallace?" he repeated. "No. I think not. There are plenty of Wallaces around, but I don't know any Lucien." I was as certain as possible that he did. People do not lie ;eadily to me, and this man lied beyond a doubt. But there was nothing to be gained now; his defenses were up, and I left, half irritated and wholly baffled. Our reception was entirely different at Dr. Stewart's. Taken into the bosom of the family at once. Flinders tied outside and nibbling the grass at the roadside, Gertrude and I drank some home-made elderberry wine and told briefly of the Are. Of the more serious part of the night's experience, of course, we said nothing. But when at last we had left the family on the porch and the good doctor was unty ing our steed, I asked him the samo question I had put to Dr. Walker. "Shot!" he said. "Bless my soul, no. Why, what have you been doing up at the big house, Miss Innes?" "Some one tried to enter the house during the fire, and was shot and slightly injured," I said hastily. "Please don't mention it; we wl3h to make as little of it as possible." There was one other possibility, and we tried that. At Casanova station I saw the station master, and asked him If any trains left Casanova between one o'clock and daylight. There was none until 6 a. m. The next question required more diplomacy. "Did you notice on the six o'clock train any person—any man—who limped a little?" I asked. "Please try to remember; we are trying to trace a man who was seen loitering around Sunuyside last night before tho fire." Ho was all attention In a moment. "I was up there myself at the fire," he said volubly. "I'm a member of the volunteer company. First big fire we've had since the summer house burned over to the club golf links. My wife was sayin' the other day, 'Dave, you might as well 'a' saved the money in that there helmet and shirt.' And here last night they came In handy. Kang that bell so hard I hadn't time scarcely to get 'em on." "And —did you see a man who limped?" Gertrude putin, as he stopped for breath. "Not at the train, ina'm," he said. "No such person got on here today. But I'll tell you where I did see a man that limped. I didn't wait till the company left; there's a fast freight goes through ut 4:45, and 1 had to get down to the station. I seen there wasn't much more to do anyhow at the fire—we'd got the flames under con trol"—Gertrude looked at m« and smiled—"so 1 started down the hill. There was folk hero and there goin' home, aud along by the path to the Country club I seen two men. One was a short fellow. He was sitting on a big rock, his back to me, und he hud something white in his hand, as If ho was tying up his foot. After I'd gone on n piece I looked back, and he was hobbling oil and—excuse me, miss —he w,ts swearing something sicken Ing." (TO HE CONTINUED.) Marvels of Modtrn Surgery, Kuife operations on the stomach have given a death rate of froui one to 20 per rent., against 20 to 40 per cent leu years ago. Cutting open the upper abdomen, splitting the stomai li open und turning It wrong side out. aearchiug for cancers and ulcers, has become a not uncommon operatlou, Often followed by great cures und beuefits, inul Is largely an Auii rh an specialty New York Press Philatslism His Hobby. Hi.tie Hi uator Krut t It. Ai kermaa, of New Jei sy, wko Is iniw enjoying Ills annual trip abroad, Is one of tits best kiiowu and most enthusiastic col lectins •»! (Malaga stamps lu this coun try. Ho large Is his i ollecilon that ht has set apart ons room lu his boms in Vlsiniield as a stamp room. In wile h ui t soiae of the rarest Ut stamps. *u 4«sr u« tUs ln.«Jt ut the I'biistslial RHEUMATISM I want every chronic rheumatic to throw ft way ull medicines, all liniments, all plasters, end clve MUNYON'S IIHEUMA 'IISM HE4IEDY a trial. No matter what your doctor may eay, no matter what your friends may say, no matter how prejudiced yon may be against all adver tised remedies, go at once to your druj gist and get a bottle of the ItHEUMA •JISM ItEMRDT. If It falls to give satis faction,l will refund your money.—Munyoa Remember this remedy contains no sal icylic ncld, no oplutn cocaine, morphine or ether harmful dross. It Is put up under the guarantee cf the Pure Food and L>rug Act. For eale by all druggists. Price, 28c. Thompson's Eye Wafer Completely Pauperized. Albert W. Hebbard, New York's charity expert, said at a recent din ner: "The great danger of charity Is lta pauperizing effect. This effect must be avoided, or the recipients will all become Jack Hanches. "Jack Hanch, on the score of bad health never worked, and the pastor of the Methodist church, a man whose heart sometimes outran his head, sent the idler and his family weekly gifts of food and clothing—supported the whole crew, in fact. "A church visitor, after listening to Jack's complaints one day, said: " 'Yes, of course, you have had bad health, we know that; but one thing at least you ought to be thankful for, and that is our pastor's kindness in sending you all this bread and meat and jelly and blankets and so on. Don't you think it is good of him to look after you so well?" "'Good of him?' said Jack, impa tiently. 'Why, what's he for?'" Fable of Pan of Biscuits. A Vassar girl married a Kansas farmer. Two weeks later a cyclone made the happy pair a friendly call. It cavorted around the premises, ripping up the fences, scattering the haystacks and playing horse with the barn, but when it looked through the open window it drew back in alarm. There lay the bride's first pan of biscuits. "1 ain't feelin' very strong this morning," murmured the cyclone. And with another glance at the ter rible pan it blew itself away. Wrong Guess. It was exhibition day at No. 3, and as the parents of Jack Grady, the dullest pupil, were listening hopefully, the teacher tried her best to help the boy. "How did Charles I.of England die?" she asked, assigning the easiest question on her list to Jack. As he looked at her, with no indication of a coming answer, the teacher put her hand up to her neck. Jack saw the movement and understood its mean ing, as he thought. "Charles I.of Eng land died of cholera," he announced briskly.—Youth's Companion. Deadlock. "Who Is that man who has been sit ting behind the bar day after day?" j inquired the stranger in Crimson j Gulch. "That's Stage Coach Charley. He's j jn a peculiar ptedicament. He went to town last week and got his teeth j fixed. Then he came here, and, belu' | broke, ran up a bill on the strength of his seven dollars' worth of gold Illlin'. Charley won't submit to havin' the : nuggets pried out an' the proprietor j won't let him git away with the col- ] lateral, and there you are!" So They Say. Stronger—l say, my lad, what ia considered a good score on these links? Caddie —Well, sir, most of the gents here tries to do It In as few stroke* as they can, but It generally takes a few mote.—Scottish American. WISE WORDS. A Physician on Food. A physician, of Portland, Oregon, \ has views about food. He says: "I have always believed that the ! duty of the physician does not cease , with treating the sick, but that we owe it to humanity to teach theiu how to protect their health, especially by hygienic and dietetic laws. "With such a feeling as to my duty I take great pleasure In saying to the public that in my own experience and iilso from personal observation 1 have found no food equal to Grape-Nuts, an I that I find there Is almost no limit j to the great benefits (his food will ' bruit; when used In ull cases of sit k liens und convalescence, "It is my experience that no physl cat condition forbids (lie use of Gra|>< Nuts, To persons in health there Is nothing so nourishing and acceptable to the stomach, especially at break last, lu start the machinery of the hu man system on the day's work. "ill cases of Indigestion I know i hut a complete breakfast can be made of Grape Nuts and cream ami I think It Is not advisable lu overloud the stomach at the morning nuul I also know the great value of Grape Nuts win u the tfiiiai h Is too weak to dlg«-st oilier food. This is written a'ter an es perli-nee of lui, it* than years, treat lac all ' tanner of throttle an I acute t|l»< ases, witd the letter la written voluntarily Iti ,nt the little hoch, "'the Itoad to M < ll* tile in pkgs "There » a tie t»oa " NATURAL ACT FOR MOTHER Women Understand That Not Heroism birt Simply Love Prompted Self Sacrifice. A few days ago, in a somewhat squalid neighborhood, a house eanglu fire. The flames shot quickly through the litter on the floor and the untidy array of clothing on the walls. A worn an talking with a neighbor ran stream ing to the house and without an in stant's hesitation sprang through the smoking doorway into what already seemed an inferno. A momoat later she staggered out, her hands and face blackened and blistered and her clothing on lire. In her arms she bore her baby, safe from harm. The afternoon papers cams eut with the story, printed under headlines ex tolling this mother's heroism, Men read it on street cars, and as their eyes gleamed with the stirring of the spirit which leaps to greet noble deeds they said: "That woman dared te do what most men would be afraid te do." liut the mothers who read it at heme (lid not think that way. Perh&pe the danger to the baby, the wreaking of the home and the burns the vtmari suffered brought moisture tm *ielr eyes, but to them the act was not one of heroism —it was simply what any natural mother, no matter how tfcnid, would du under the same •kvuw stances.—Cleveland Leader. REST AND PEACE Fall Upon Distracted Households When Cuticura Enters. Sleep for akin tortured bahie6 and rest for tired, fretted mothers to fcwmd in a hot bath with Cuticura Soap and a gentle anointing with Cuticura Ofnt ment. This treatment, in the major ity of cases, affords immediate relief in the most distressing forme of itch ing, burning, scaly, and crusted hu mors, eczema, rashes, inflammations, Irritations, and chaflngs, of infancy and childhood, permits rest and sleep to both parent and child, and points to a speedy cure, when other remedies fail. Worn-out and worried parents will find this pure, sweet and econom ical treatment realizes their highest expectations, and may be applied to the youngest infants as well as chil dren of all ages. The Cuticura Rem edies aro sold by druggists every where. Send to Potter Drug & Chem. Corp., sole proprietors, Boston, Mass., for their free 32-page Cuticura Book on the care and treatment of skin and scalp of Infants, children and adults. Was Getting Monotonous. A handsome woman who nad been so unfortunate as to find occasion to divorce not one but several husbands was returning from Nevada. In Chi cago she happened to meet ber first husband, for whom, by the way, she always lias entertained a real affec tlon. "Upon my soul, if it isn't Charlie!" exclaimed the ex-wlfe, cordially shak ing hands with the gentleman whose name she had formerly borne. 'Tm awfully glad to see you, Charlie!" Then, after a wistful expression had come to ami been banished from her countenance, she added: "Old chap, I've often wondered where you were anil what yon weru doing. It wns too bad we didn't get on better together. I hope yonr ex perience hasn't been as unpleasant an mine. I'm sick and tired of mar rying strangers!" MM. WIIIIIOW'N SOOTHING fTorrbihlren TRCTHINIF, ttio TFUMS, ivifoc/ > HIO« &iuiiuaUuu.aHar!iiM*in curea wind colit. gfeatotUu. Some politicians are too modest to face the nude truth. Make the Liver Do its Duty Nine timet in ten when the liver ia right the Stomach aad bowel* are light. 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