1 p "Forty Thousand Dollars of Money That I Toiled and Schemed and Saved For Gone Into the Pockets of Loafing Thieves." |S|NII"OR<2 I ASH <?/ JjCIRCIIMSTANCE FFFWRF HARRY IRVING GREENE _ Author q/"*Yosonde of the Wilderness lllustrtiLriona toy MoLgr>u« Ci. K<tTtner- SYNOPSIS. Abner Halliday, a miserly millionaire, la found gauged, bound and Insensible In his room, his safe rilled and $40,000 miss ing. The thread of the story Is taken up by his nephew Tom. Living in the same house are other relatives; reckless Bruce Halliday and pretty Clare Winton. Bruce, who is a bond broker, has been trying to ralso SIO,OOO to put through a deal and «ave himself from flnacial ruin. He has applied to his miserly uncle and to others for the loan but has been refused. CHAPTER lll.—(Continued.) **My God! My God! Forty thou sand dollars of money that I toiled and schemed and saved for gone into the pockets of loafing thieves. And I was going to put it in the bank the first thing Monday morning. Oh, it's terrible —terrible." He fell to roll ing his head and cracking the joints of his fingers in his mental agony as the officers looked down upon him in mingled pity and contempt. Present ly he recovered himself with a start and demanded to know about his pa pers; and this time I was glad to be able to tell him that so far as I had observed in my hasty scrutiny, noth ing had been taken but the money. He seemed a trifle relieved for the moment at this information, but soon fell back into his lamentings. It was one of the most lamentable sights that I ever looked upon, exhibiting as it did all that was deplorable in his nature. The captain cleared his throat and began his examination. "We have made a thorough inspec -lion of the premises and cannot find that anything outside of the front rooms has been tampered with. All the windows of the unused lower por tion are nailed down and the shutters fastened from the inside. The burglar alarm is in perfect order and would have notified the station had anything been forced open. The locks on the doors have not been broken, and thoy are of an intricate Yale pattern that •could not have been picked. Every thing goes to show that whoever en tered did so by means of a key to the front door, since the rear door was bolted from the inside. If he did not unlock the front door it must have been left open, or else he was se creted in the house beforehand." He turned to Mrs. Tebbets. "Are you sure that everything was locked up last night when you retired and that no outsider was secreted anywhere?" She burst forth eagerly. "And indeed I am, sir. I was down stairs all the evening, and if the front door bad been open by so much as a crack I would have known it. I al ways notice such things. And there was not anybody in the house besides Mr. Halliday and myself, either. I swept the whole place yesterday after noou, closets and all. If anybody had been under the beds my broom would have found him quick enough, the rogue." Noting these facts in his memorandum book the officer contin ued dogmatically: "Then it comes down to this. Who ever did this must have done so by means of a key to the front door. The back door is still securely bolted from the inside, and your housekeeper says she has not had occasion to use it this morning. Therefore, it still re mains as it was during the night. The lower windows are securely fastened; the upper ones could not have been raised sufficiently to admit a person without setting off the burglar alarm, and there are no other means of en trance. It could not have been done otherwio*" There really seemed no fault with his reasoning thus far, and we all acquiesced by silent nods. He turned to us sharply. "As I have said before, the door locks are of such a character that they could not have been picked or opened with a skeleton key. Now, who have keys to this place?" My uncle gulped and placed his hand upon his swollen throat and I put myself in the breach. "If there is no objection I will answer for him. It will save his strength, and he and Mrs. Tebbets can listen and correct me or add anything whenever they choose." Gruffly the policeman signified that it made no difference who spoke so long as all the facts were made known. One by one I answered his questions, watching him as he committed them to black and white with the painful effort of a schoolboy struggling with a composition. All three of us corre sponded perfectly in our statements, Mrs. Tebbets merely adding that she had been awakened by a loud sound in the night, but thinking it was thun der, had gone to sleep again. That the noise was the explosion there seemed no room for doubt, and the policeman congratulated her that, she had remained in bed. as the burglar undoubtedly was watching her room at the time. At the end of half an hour he thrust the memorandum book into his pocket and pursed up his lips. Then he arose with a vibra tion of his ponderous frame that sent the ashes which had accumulated in his lap in his combined effort to keep pen and cigar going at the same time, flying as water flies from the shakings of a wet mastiff. "1 will malto another careful inspec tion of the premises inside and out and then put my men to work. I have a theory and you will hear from me later. I think the criminal will be in the clutches of the law very short ly. If you learn anything of impor tance, communicate it to me—Captain Donnell of the Twelfth precinct." Down the stairs they went, and from the window I watched them as they clumped around on the grass beneath in search of tell-tale clews. Perfunc torily they passed around the house and then clambered into the wagon. "If this matter is ever solved, I don't believe it will be by them," I mused as I recalled the stereotyped and formula-like questions of their leader. "There is too much intelli gence back of it for them. They will shell the woods aimlessly in the faint hope of driving out somebody; cast the dragnet and bring in a score of habitual criminals whom they will question and then turn loose, after which they will resume the even tenor of their way along the trail of some other rogue. Of course they may stumble upon something that will give them a straight tip, but I' don't be lieve it." I turned again to the bed where Uncle Abner was threshing about like a fish out of water as he berated the thief without stint, and myself as liberally because I had not been at home to act as a buffer be tween the intruder and his wealth. It was exceedingly trying to me, and the housekeeper having straightened out his own bed, I was delighted to givo him what assistance he needed to get into it. That done, I left him there In Mrs. Tebbets' care. Doctor Courtney still lingered, and I returned to my own apartments to discuss the peculiarities of the affair with him. Perhaps naif an hour had passed la thls manner when the front door bell rang sharply, and as Mrs. Tebbets was In the midst of her own trouble with my uncle, I went below to an swer It. Swinging the door open I saw on the step before me my old friend. William LeDuc, whom I had not seen In ages. Heartily I grasped him by the hand, and dragged lilni within. CHAPTER IV. Tt Is now necessary that I take one step backward In my relation of thl* mysterious occurrence. I must go back to some time before the commis sion of the burglary and the entry of LeDuc upon the scene, in order that you may have all the facts presented to you as they were to that detec tive when he took hold of the case. Having made this new start I think I can proceed chronologically to the end of the case, detailing events In the order in which they happened. 1 am now beginning a few months before the robbery: It was at this period of my life that T was cast under a speli. Hopelessly, helplessly and blindly I fell in love with a woman whose beauty was so aggressive that no mortal man could ignore it, while to attempt to describe it. would be almost to insult It. I was about twenty-flve then nnd she possibly four years older. My ac quaintance with her began through the Irrepressible Bruce. 1 had dropped into the blue room of the Imperial for a bottle of ale and a cigar after the theater, when I ran into my cousin's arms. He beamed upon me. "Delighted, old fellow. Just In time. Come —1 want to Introduce you." He grasped my hand with the grip of a wrestler. Now, you have to exercise a little discretion before agreeing to meet Bruce's friends, and I glanced around furtively. You can never tell whether the next minute you will be shaking hands with the Chinese am bassador or the latest popular pugil ist, so as the latter gentleman would express it, I sparred a moment for wind. "To whom?" I inquired. He nodded toward a near-by table at which sat two women and a man. "To Dick Edwards —but I guess you know him already—and the two la dies. But especially to Mrs. Dace. If you want good company, you need not go any further, for you won't find any better anywhere." I asked him whom the especial Mrs. Dace might be, and he laughed with what 1 thought was a faint undercurrent of significance beneath It. "Oh, I haven't time to tell. Widow of somebody who died somehow, which is enough to know all at once. Main thing is she Is as beautiful as a hour! and gracious as an empress, but wise, my boy, wise, wise. Also apparently Is a person of some means, amount of means represented by X, meaning unknown quantity; source of means problem In higher mathe matics very difficult of solution. But remember this: If you begin to feel sentimental when you look at her, re member that life Is only a joke and laugh at yourself; but when It comes to wine, remember that life is a mighty serious proposition and stay sober. Come on now." In another moment he was introducing me. "Mrs. Dace and Miss Lyddon—Mr. Halliday. Cousin of mine through no fault of his. but nevertheless highly recommended by me. 1 believe you have met him, Dick, and will confirm me, Sorry I have togo, but he will fill my place and round out your party. Good night all," and he was gone. I took my chair with a quick mental inventory of my new acquaintances. Miss Lyddon was tall, waspy and good looking in an indolent blond way; Edwards was a prosperous looking man of about thirty-five; Mrs. Dace positively startling. From a purely physical standpoint her beauty was gorgeous. But so wonderfully com plex was it that It could no more be analyzed by one glance than can a painted masterpiece. While its gen eral effect was to cause a gasp of de light at first sight, when you looked again you saw that its perfection was the result of the exquisite blending of many tints into an incomparable whole. Never had I seen a mouth so bewitching, lips so rich or smile so dazzling. Her hair was changeful as an opal, her brows wonderfully arched, her eyes royal blue and bordered by long lashes that screened them as ferns shade deep forest pools. She was wonderful. Fascinated by her beauty for a moment I sat silently a£ she calmly surveyed me, one perfect hand idly toying with a small gold purse that lay upon the table. Then far down In the sea depths of her blue eyes T saw faint amusement gathering and I drew myself together with a start. Edwards was explaining: "You see, we had arranged for a theater party and there were to be four of us. Then at the last hour Mrs. Dace's escort became slightly in disposed and she came down alone and met Miss Lyddon and myself. We are now about to have something to eat, and possibly a wee bit to drink. I happened to see your cousin Bruce and hailed him to join us, but it seems he has an excuse. Then he providentially happened to spy you and impressed you into his place to complete the party. So everybody is happy once more." While I am no such gabbler as Bruce, I think I can hold my own in any fairly well regulated conversation. I rose to the occasion. The wine oiled my tongue and Mrs. Dace's little ap plauding laughs and nods of approval spurred my wit. Edwards seemed content to remain comparatively quiet; Miss Lyddon was too indolent to care to do other than be enter tained: Mrs. Dace was a sympathetic listener, and without effort I held the floor. I had read considerably, and the pigeon holes of my memory were well stocked with the aphorisms of the sages. Through the simple effort of recollection I became philosopher, theologian, poet. To the soft patter of their applause I even soared to original heights. In the parlance of the stage, I made a hit. In fact when one o'clock came and with It the in timation from Mrs. Dace that she must depart, It was only after a little slgli that reached my ears alone, and a Hash from her wonderful eyes that quickly hid themselves behind the screening lashes as I looked deep into them. Of the perpendicular bill I paid my half without pang, secretly philo sophized by the knowledge that the gods won't allow us to be in their debt, and when man wines and dines with woman he must pay for It with the glistening Jewels of his brow. We prepared to depart. Edwards paved the way for me. "Mrs. Dace lives at the Arcadia, which i« not more than a mile from your house. You can take her there, step back in your carriage and be home ten minutes later. Miss Lyddon and I go in another direction, and leave you to your pleasant homeward ride. Of course we must all meet again. It will require another evening to talk this one over." We bade them good night, and hail ing a carriage, I assisted my compan ion into It. The rather long ride homeward still lingers in my mind as a pleasant dream. The gentle sway ing of the carriage as the rubber tires rolled noiselessly over the boulevard lulled us into half confidences. She told me quite a few things about her self. Her husband, an Englishman, had been In some diplomatic service In the orient, had died a year before, and she had now come back to her birthplace on matters of business, t'ureservedly, she seemed to accept me as a thorough man of the world, and even did me the flattery to repeat some of my witticisms of the evening and laugh over them for a moment the second time. When I say that I was charmed I think I have ex pressed it. In front of the formidable entrance to the building where she resided I assisted her to alight, and she thrust, out her fingers which I took eagerly. The physical contact thrilled me from head to toe and the enchantment of her smile enthralled me. "You have entertained me delightfully. I feel flattered to have met you," she mur mured. "And since you are a busy man by day, I hope you will call and see me some evening when you can think of nothing else to do. You can reach me over the phone at almost any time. I hope you will not forget me." That anyone once seeing her could ever forget her! Nothing could be more ridiculous than the thbught. I lightly laughed the idea to scorn as I bent over her hand. "Mrs. Dace, the old Roman general reported to his emperor, 'I came, I saw, I conquered.' To you I must report somewhat differ ently. 'I came, I saw, I am con quered.' I will pay you my tributes very soon. Until then life will be a necessity instead of a pleasure." She tripped up the entrance steps and from their top sent me a flutter of her handkerchief and a flashing smile that made my blood leap as she vanished behind the heavy door. Back into the carriage I climbed and went home In an exhilaration of spir its that the wine did not account for. The seine had been cast aud was be ing held wide to receive. Unsuspi ciously the fish wiggled on. The next day I happened to see Bruce. In the course of our conversa tion I casually asked him what he knew of my companion of the night before, and he began digging his fin gers into his head as though trying to scratch out au answer. Presently it came; "Let's see. I don't know that T can tell you very much —you know I never paid any particular attention to her," he began in a quizzical glance at me. "Still, if you will agree to keep it a family secret. I might re member a few things. Promise, hon est Injun?" "Honest Injun " "Well, then, here goes. Matle Mad den was born in this towii about thirty years ago of poor but dishonest parents. But she was a beauty, even as a girl, and people forgave her par entage on that account. She eloped out of school with a more or less ac count Englishman named Dace, who afterwards got into the service of his government over in India or some oth er outlandish place on the back of the map. He died with his boots on." "How was he killed?" I inquired. Bruce grew a trifle more serious. "Well, now, that is something I am no authority upon. I can only repeat to you in confidence what I have heard and read. But the report has It that It happened In a disagreement with a Russian nobleman over her — one of those cheerful little affairs that sometimes occur out that way, you know; referee and seconds to the front; wine and jealousy in the back ground; moon in the distance—you understand. Anyway it made a rip ping good story for the journals. Next thing 1 heard of her she was back here. I hope you are not going to make a fool of yourself over her." I lis general tone had slightly irri tated me, but the last remark positive ly nettled. "No; I think one In the family is enough," I retorted. But he slipped the thrust aside in his usual smooth way, laughing. "I guess that's right. Come to think of it, I never did know you to make a fool of yourself over anything. That does seem to be my specialty, doesn't it? But while I give you credit for having a better balanced head than I have, I'll tell you I do in certain case*. When I get up against ft proposition like cocaine In wine, or a woman like Mrs. Dace, I run for the fence. They are too blamed seductive'to fool with and X don't take any chances with them. She has got the beauty and graces of all the mythological goddesses com bined, but that does not count for everything. If I remember rightly, those mythological goddesses were a pretty bad lot." With the Instinctive desire that Clare had possessed to fly to liis de fense, I now felt myself surging to Mrs. Dace's. But 1 held myself in leash. "Even assuming for the sake of argument that I should desire to make a fool of myself over her, what possible object could she have In en couraging me to such Idiocy ?" I asked. He puckered up his mouth and thrust his hands deep In Ills pockets. "Well, now, that is one of the funny things about women. Of course we don't know much about them, btit we do know this: We know that the only reason they care for us Is because they can't get anything better. If the gods came to earth, the only thing left for man to do would be to cast him self like swine into the sea. And therein is where we differ from wom ankind. Man doesn't want angels; plain mortal woman —provided she Is not too plain, of course—ls good enough for him. But Inasmuch a* she can't achieve the gods, on this earth at least, she turns toman as the next best substitute. Now you are a strap ping young fellow, good looking and all that, and such men have always Interested women from the beginning. But remember, there are women and women. Take Clare, for instance. She is beautiful, too. nnd keeps her self looking as attractive as possible in order to make people like her. Yet she is as harmless as a butter fly. Some others aren't. You ought to know something of the species be fore you pick up a thing just because it Is gaudy. You might get stung." Absolutely without information con cerning her beyond what Bruce him self had confided in me, half aagry at myself that I should take the trouble to answer him, I nevertheless yielded to my impulse to defend her. With considerable emphasis I told htm that 1 should refuse to believe any in "I Hope You Will Not Forget Me." slnuations against her until I had pos itive knowledge of their truth. He listened silently, growing suddenly sober at my warmth, and when 1 had finished addressed me with a mollify ing pat upon the back. "Whew! I didn't think you were going to get so warmed up over a lit tle thing like that. But you may be sure I have no- desire to disparage your lady. I told you to start with that I knew almost nothing about her except by hearsay, and you know as well as I'do what that sort of evi dence is worth. They won't listen to It in law. She may be pure gold for all I know; but I was just warning you to keep your guard up until you have feinted her out. But now I'll tell you something which I do know to be a fact. If you expect to hold a princess, you have got to be a prince of good fellows yourself and go out and buy her a new castle every few days. Furthermore, in this case, you are going to run up against a real dragon." I smiled. "Dragons always get the worst of it In the story books; fire, smoke and all," I returned with a touch of sar casm. But Bruce seemed very much In earnest. "Well, you won't find this one any fairy tale beast that you can chop up with a tin sword. He is an up-to-date, high-geared, sixty-horse power, mile-a minute juggernaut, and you had better keep out of his way or you'll get smashed." "And the dragon Is who?" "Richard Mackay, boodler prince and political boss who was indicted by the grand jury In connection with that thirty-million dollar franchise jjrub tram the city; and who by som* means unknown to me escaped the cell that he ought to garntßh," he shot over his shoulder as he turned away. "Thank you ever so much." Ire» tortecl. CHAPTER V. The love of a man for a woman Is a strange disease. Its methods of attacking Its victims are varient; its effects manifold. It may be spasmod ic or insidious, acute or chronic, vio lent as the toothache or unsuspected as a slow fever. Its subjects may bo melancholic, exhilarated, tormented, soothed or affected In any one of a dozen other different ways. In my case, to start with. It was both Insid ious and exhilarating. I was some what like a man who has been shot through some soft part by a modern high-power rifle. He perhaps does not feel It at the time and may run on for a considerable distance before a sharp pang notifies him that he is badly hit indeed. Then he sits down In consid erable astonishment and wonders just when he got It. I had felt no shock as yet, and had no doubt of my ability to run out of danger at any time. I made an engagement to call upon Mrs. Dace, and then dressed my self with particularity as to details. That done, I squared myself before the mirror for a view of the general effect. I could not help but feel Ihat Bruce had spoken only the truth regarding my personal appearance. I am si* feet tall, and when I was in college was a scintillating athletic star of the first magnitude. Nor do I believe that I am any vainer than the average man, but if any woman whom I hap pened to be with was ever displeased with my physical personage, I never became aware of It. Mrs. Dace had evidently approved of It, for she paid me the round-about compliment of confessing In a general way her ad miration of tall, well-set-up men. As suring myself by a last sweeping glance in the glass that I could do nothing more to improve my toilet, I departed. The Arcadia was one of the modern palace apartments that are springing up so magically in our greater cities. Its entrance was castle like; Its outer court a bower; Its walls glistening marble. Its height was great and its general effect imposing. There were private garages on each floor for the cars of its tenants. I went in at the entrance where I had left her, took the elevator to the fifth floor and rang the bell of her suite. The door was opened by an Inscrutable-faced mulatto maid who surveyed me up and down with a quick keenness that made me feel that she would never forget me. I inquired for her mistress and was immediately shown into a handsomely furnished reception par lor. Promptly Mrs. Dace came float ing from between the portieres. I viewed her with refreshed admira tion. Her gown though of angelic simplicity was yet a triumph of art fulness. The cunning of a master hand was revealed in each smooth curve and the delicate tracery of lace work through which the white flesh gleamed. Her figure was exquisite, and seemed to have been molded, within this creation of a genius. She approached me with hand extended, her smile a witching thing. (TO BE CONTINUED.) A Drawback. "I should think it would be bad for the succession of a kingdom to have a bald-headed ruler." '"Why so?" "Because he has no heir apparent." Their Class. "What would you call authors on aviation ?" "Well, unless they go up In aero planes of literature, I fthculd class them as underwriter*."
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