SYOie LASH
J ICIRCIMSIANCE
RWWRF HARRY IRVING GREENE _
Author of Yosonde of the. "Wilderness**
llHisTra.ll oris r*h*grivj,s Q. Kcttne r*
v ~"'
SYNOPSIS.
llaliiday, a miserly millionaire,
in found gagged. bound and Insensible In
This room, tits safe rifted and $40,000 111 ins '
Jng. The thread of the story ts taken up
by his nephew Tom. I.iving tn the same
house are other relatives; reckless Bruce
Halliday and pretty Clare Winton. Bruce,
who is a bond broker, has been trylnir to
raise SIO,OOO to put through a deal and
«ave himself from financial ruin. He has
applied to his mlserty uncle and to others
for the loan but has been refused. Tom
sends for William T.eDue, an old-time
friend connected with a detective agency.
In relating the story Tom reverts to his
acquaintance with a Mrs. Dace, a wealthy
widow, whose business agent is Richard
Mackay, a boodler and political boss.
Tom is* jealous of Mackay and is deeply
In love with Mrs. Dace, Hruce Halllday
warns him to shun her as an adventuress.
Tom sees Mrs. Dace and Mackay togeth
er. He afterwards meets the woman at
a horse race, and, happening to mention
that Bruce had a tip on the winner, she
gives him SSOO to place on the race. The
tip !;«>» wrong and she loses her money.
I.liter Tom Invests <n stocks. He makes
some money, and returns tlie lost SSOO to
Mrs. Dace, tl is at this juncture that Die
theft of the $-Kl,ooo from old Abner Halll
day occurs. I.e Due meets Clare and
Bruce. He learns that the key which
• 'lare had to the house is missing. Mac
kay's dealings with Mrs. Dace make Tom
more jealous. The detective intimates a
suspicion against Bruce Ilalliday as the
thief. This Clare Wlnton indignantly re
pudiates.
CHAPTER XII (Continued.)
"And tbe door at the head of (he
stairs which leads from here Into the
kitehea, was that disturbed?" 1 asked
her as my first sensations faded. She
v;as panting from excitement and the
haste of her movements.
"No, the door was locked and Just
as I left it last night with the ke7
still on the insldu. He could not
have gone up higher than the head
of the basement stair. I Just hap
pened to remember that I had left a
broom down here yesterday, and when
! came down after it I noticed this
<ioor right away. Who on earth do
you suppose could have done it?" She
was wringing her bands weakly, the
perspiration of nei-vousness popping
irom her forehead.
Being in total «ft»?kness myself, I
made no attempt to enlighten her as
I carefully examined the place. Out
.tfide of the scanty supply of coal that
remained from last winter's supply
the basement contained little save an
accumulation of odds and ends and
old chest of mine that contained
articles that I had stored away years
fcwJ.ve. However, I still retained the
to it, and I now opened It and
Biade a careful inspection of its in
terior. So far as 1 could discover by
» minute scrutiny the articles within
it had remained untouched since I had
last v'aced them there, and satisfied
on that point I shut and locked it
again without having as yet received
the faintest ray of light to assist
wy search. I must have spent at i»«st
half an hour In my examination of the
place and my questions of the house
keeper, but at the end of that time
■was compelled to give tip with abso
lutely nothing learned that I had not
known to start with. Another thing
that perplexed me somewhat was as
to whether or not I should inform ray
uncle of this new crime. I did not
see that anything would he gained by
telling him, while it would most cer
tainly agitate him and lead to further
outbursts; therefore I decided to
leave him in ignorance of it and re
quested Mrs. Tebbets to do the same.
I also decided to see BeUuc and get
sils opinion on the matter, and repair
ing the outraged doors as best I could
•with hammer, boards and nails, and
soothing the housekeeper by my as
surances that the incident was a Irlv
talty to which she need pay no further
attention, I went upstairs and sat
down to my breakfast with Uncle Ab
ner as usual. But an hour later when
I had reached my office I telephoned
the detective with the request that he
meet me at the noon hour. He readily
assented and I then went about my
daily work.
lie met me at luncheon and 1 ex
plained the matter to him without
prelude. He looked serious minded
o.a 1 finished. "What do you think of
it?" 1 asked. In his abstraction lie
delayed his reply for perhaps 30 sec
onds.
"It seems peculiar. But I am more
inclined to consider it as a separate
and distinct offence rather than as
an aftermath of the original happen
ing. Further than that I don't be
lieve I have any theory to advance as
yet. However, it may all come out in
the final solution, provided there is
one, and in the meantime I would dis
miss it from my mind if I were you.
if you find that difficult, you may
look upon it In this light. If I re
'.jjiember, we had a sharp shower last
n'.ght—the thunder awoke me. It is
not unreasonabN i to assume that some
back-yards premier caught in the
storm may have forced his way in
merely to secure a dry nest in which
to sleep." While I did not take much
stock in that explanation and so in
formed him, I added that being in a
raoeptive mood I would file it In my
mind for future reference, and then
b-jgan interrogating him as to his own
movements since we had last fore
gathered. But when it came to that
he had little to say and at first
ee'.i.ed disinclined to part with even
that. Later on as we ate, however,
he became a trifle more communi
cative. Under the warming influence
of tobacco and coffee he began to
make more satisfactory replies to 1117
quWzings, but If he had learned any-
I'mmr of Importance ho did not betray
It. Sjiic* Lh« dkj upon which he had
taken an active interest in the case
and I had heard his low whistle at
the mention of Mackay's name, curi
osity had filled my mind as to what
his researches would be in that di
rection. I had gone to Mrs. Dace's
with the mention of UeDuo's name
that she might understand why I had
repeated to him conversations which
had occurred between herself and
myself, that she might not feel that
1 had tattle-taled our private talks
without explaining the reason to her.
Rut though 1 had payed the way by
which he might have had a confiden
tial business chat with her, if he had
availed himself of the opportunity it
had not fome to my knowledge. That
I.eDuc might now have full informa
tion of what 1 had done and feel at
liberty to interview her should he
desire, 1 now told him of my talk
upon the subject with her; telling him
that she had denied absolutely having
repeated my half confidences to any
one, and had seemed to be amused at
toe idea that Janet was anything mere
or less than an automaton. This in
formation he received without com
ment beyond the paradoxial remark
that he could not remember that he
had forgotten anything. "What else
have you got to tell me?" 1 urged in
finishing. He closed his lips so
tightly around his cigar that it re
sembled a nail driven into a crack
and appeared to be filling himself to
his toes with smoke as he reflected.
Presently he expelled the smoke from
his mouth after the manner of a nur
sery dragon.
"t don't know whether 1 am acting
wisely or not, but under your promise
to divutg* nothing you may lea'-n
from me without my consent I am f,o
ing to risk It.l know that you be
lieve In your cousin Bruce's honesty."
"Implictty."
"But do you happen to know that
he has somehow or other managed to
come into active control of enough
money to resume his operations on
'change on a rather liberal scale?" be
queried with a thin smile. I was as
tonished and told him so.
"Well, he has," he pursued assert
ively. "Furthermore, he is carrying
on his operations under some name
which does not sound at all like his
own. You look surprised. That's the
way 1 felt when I first found this
out."
I ruminated. "But certainly he
would not be fool enough to openly
and notoriously and under our very
noses begin the use of money dishon
estly obtained almost the day after
the commission of a crime which
he knows he has not absolved himself
of?" I cried. LeDuc looked at me
queerlv.
"That is what almost any one
would think under first impulse. But
when you are dealing with criminals
you must remember that they do not
reason and act Just as do honest men.
When a sane man takes his life and
liberty in his hand and commits a
desperate crime, he is of necessity
more or less regardless of conse
quences, as well as being driven by
strong pressure. And in nearly nil
cases It is because of this reckless
ness that we catch him. lie may
commit the crime itself with a skill
and caution that is almost more than
human, yet the next day is apt togo
out and do something so foolish that
it instantly attracts attention to him.
For instance, having had no money
before, he new begins to spend it
lavishly; or becoming under the in
fluence of liquor boast or let things
drop that sound queer. If it were not
for these peculiarities of the criminal
make up, and the fact that he general
ly makes a confident of some woman
who betrays htm, the road of the
criminal would be comparatively safe
and that of the detective an uuhappy
one."
"But I cannot believe that there Is
anything crooked about Bruce. De
ceit is foreign to his whole nature."
My friend thrust one hand In his
pocket.
"Does he ever smoke cigarettes?"
he smiled.
"Frequently."
"Any particular brand?"
I paused to reflect. "I think so. A3
I remember, those that I have seen
were invariably a Turkish abomina
tion with a serrated gilt band for a
mouthpiece. What is your reason for
asking me that?" He withdrew his
hand from beneath the table and
tossed a half-smoked specimen of the
species which I had been describing
on the table before me. I looked at
him inquiringly.
"I found that in the hallway of
your house near the closet where
your uncle had been confined. Per
haps you noticed at'tlie time that I
picked up something which I did not
show you."
Silently I sat trying to read his
blank eyes. But as for divining what
lay behind them I might as well have
gazed at windows back of which the
shades were drawn.
CHAPTER XIII.
Directly after this seance with l.<e-
Buc the stock which I had margined
began that series of kangaroo leaps
upward which will never be forgotten
by those, who by reason of their in
terest, watched the marvel. 1 probably
called my broker up not less than half
a dozen times a day during this
pwlod, Mid tt ITM seldom Indeed Vliat
his last quotation was not higher than
the one of say half an hour before. It
went darting skyward in the eccentric
slg zags with which a Kite mounts In
a gale, and within a fortnight I found
myself richer by thousands added to
thousands. The glittering heights of
fortune seemingly hung close over
me; the end of the rainbow with its
great bag of gold was within mathe
matical striking distance; and taking
greater chances than ever for the
sake of greater gains, I plunged wild
ly as 1 restaked my winnings on every
throw. And day by day the Midas
touch was mine and 1 won, won, won.
Then grown money reckless by my con
stant success, I permitted myself anoth
er piece of extravagance for the allure
ment of the woman I loved and the
greater opportunities it would give me
to be with her. 1 bought a handsome
motor car upon which I had had my
eyes for some time, housing It in a
public garage and telling nobody but
her that I had purchased it.
1 took Mrs. Dace out on the first
evening after 1 had mastered my new
acquirement for a long ride country
ward. The weather was Ideal, the
roads in splendid condition tf.nd wo
spel along to the low whir of the
machine with the soft night air fan
ning our ffices. It had long been un
derstood between us that she was to
carefully guar! all my confidences,
and I kept few things from her. Ex
ultantly I spoke of my increasing
wealth and magn'fH-tfnt prospects. Her
arm slipped under mine.
"Good, good," she cried with a
schoolgirl's enthusiasm. "I congratu
late you from the bottom of my heart.
It makes me happy to know about It.
I told you that I should exercise my
sorcery to command your success.
When you win I feel that I have won
also."
Her tacit conferslon that she con
sid«*red herself as a close partner
| of mine, and that she was backing me
to the winning t'f a prize which we
should share together In the long
time to come, ceir.blned with the de
licious sense of comradeship awaken
ed by her arm pressure, became as an
Intoxicant. In that moment T would
have pawned my soul to have pos
sessed her. I threw my arms about
her and held her to my breast almost
fiercely. "My God, how I love you,
Matie. Tell me that you will tnarry
me —you must," 1 cried, as I found her
lips and drained them as a drunkard
drains his cup. Her arm hung upon
my shoulder; her upturned lips seem
ed to be clinging to mine; I could
feel the ebb and swell of her bosom
so closely was she drawn to me, and
I in that position I held her until a
i slight warning swerve of the machine
temporarily restored my sanity. I
; quickly removed my right arm and
j clutched the wheel, but still kepi.
I the other around her waist as I
begged her in the name of my great
passion to make me the happiest man
on earth by her answer. Impassioti
| edly I recalled to her my long nights
and days of torture when 1 was half
sick with despair of ever possessing
her. For the first time since our ac
"Furthermore, He Is Carrying on His Operations Under Some Name
Which Does Not Sound at All Like His Own."
quaintance began she was visibly
agitated by my pleadiugs.
"You say that you love me with all
this great love and tell me that I
must answer your question, Tom,
dear," slio said very softly. "Very
well, I will answer you. I will marry
you upon one condition."
"And that?" I cried wildly, feeling
myself grow weak in ttie suspense.
"That you will not importuno me
now to fix the date. You must leave
that entirely to my discretion. When
I think the right time has come I
will manage in some way to let you
know that lam ready. Until then you
must be patient with me like the dear
boy that you have always been."
"Thou we are really— engaged T" I
gasped tt out with the unbelief of one'
who by a seeming miracle sees the
dead restored to life. She patted my
cheek.
"You may so consider us If you
wish—under that condition. But it
must for the time being remain
strictly our secret."
Half doubting that I was still of
this earth I steered onward as in a
trance. Then, unless my senses were
tricking me, this most glorious of
women was to become my close com
panion through all the days to come;
the one whose head should rest upon
my shoulder through the long nights;
whose bosom should pillow my face in
hours of weariness; who should be
my wife, the mother of my children.
My eyes filled with the moisture of
happiness and through the mist the
chalky roadway blurred before me. A
feeling almost of awe filled my soul.
Never again will such a great thank
fulness possess me, and silently I
blessed God that In his infinite good
ness he had permitted me to be born.
In front of an out-of-doors garden
frequented by the better class we
stopped and dismounted. Long lines
of motor cars and carriages extended
away on either side, and the music of
an European orchestra floated over
the walls of the enclosure. We passed
through the palm-lined entrance and
took our seats at a table beneath a
tree whose low hanging limbs almost
brushed it. A thousand well-dressed
people were eating and drinking
around us as they idly chatted or listen
ed to the music. It was the soul of
Beethoven throbbing in our ears oi.c
of Ills grave. 1 ordered champagne In
honor of our bethrothal.
I seemed to be floating in the air.
All weight, all consciousness of the
I physical left me, and the music was
' ethereal vibrations wafted to me from
infinite distance. I could only liken
r v sensations to those of one occa
sion long before when feeling badly I
had by mistake taken a slight over
dose of a drug, and for some hours
thereafter had soared amongst the
clouds in an ecstasy which the earthly
born are incapable of experiencing ex
i cept through the wizardry of the
chemist. Her hand lay idly upon the
i table close beside mine, and with a
i quick glance around to make sure
I that no one was observing us I eov
j ered it with my own. "The ring,
I sweetheart, you shall have tomorrow,
i During my day dreams I have some
j times amused myself by looking at
j them in the diamond shops as in my
i imagination I selected one for you.
I And only the other day 1 found the
| one you shall have. It is flawless;
: as perfect in its beauty as a gem as
as you are as a woman. In the un-
I countable centuries of the past when
| the world was being molded this stone
' was created for you, and yours it shall
| be. But you must loan me one of
i yours for a few days that I may
| have It fltted to you."
She laughed In her low, delirious
| way as I slipped a diamond from her
J finger. "Of course, I shall be proud
!to wear it—proud and happy. But
j please don't be too extravagant, Tom.
i Remember 1 do not want you togo
to extremes," she cautioned. In my
then state of mind money was but
glittering dross, worthless except in
its power to bring her pleasure. Had
I possessed a million I would have
poured it over her as prodigally as
Bruce deluged Clare with roses.
"And of course the car is yours," I
went on with the recklessness of a
Croesus. "1 will so instruct them at
the garage, and when yon wish It you
will have but to telephone and have it
brought to you." It was a present
made under the impulse of the mo
ment and absolutely without thought
of the future; bestowed as a child
in a spontaneous outburst of generosi
ty and Rffection thrusts his most
priceless toys Into the hands o£ a
"And of Course the Car I* Yours," I Went on With the Recklessness of a
Croesus.
playmate. She looked up at ine with
a start.
"Do you really mean to give it to
me, dearest?" she inquired with a
quick intake of her breath.
"Dearest!" The word ran through
me like wine. My clasp tightened
around the warm hand 1 held and my
reason ran riot. "I most certainly
do. 1 bought it merely to please you.
Perhaps you had better keep it at the
Arcadia where it will be handy for
us on pleasant evenings." She leaned
forward and looked at me, her mag
nificent eyes glowing softly.
"You are very good to me—better
than I deserve," she murmured In a
momentary lull of the music. "I shall
not tell you how much I appreciate
your generosity; I shall show you
instead." Nothing but the presence of
the crowd restrained me from repeat
ing my physical demonstration of the
hour before.
"And I will always be good to you.
and you will be happy with me, won't
you?" 1 breathed, full of anxiety. Her
long lashes fell until they swept her
cheeks and screened the royal blue
eyes from mine.
"1 think so —given certain condi
tions."
"And those?"
She looked at me again, smiling
now. "If we should be married, Tom,
dear, T should demand nearly all your
time as my own. 1 should want you
nearly always where I could reach
out my band and touch you. That
privilege you could not grant rue if
you were engaged in some occupation
which demanded much of your phyis
ical attention. Also, in order to make
me contented, you would have to be
able to take me where 1 wanted togo
and at such times as T cared to be
there. I don't care for Italy in the
summer and I despise St. Petersburg
in winter. Furthermore, we both love
the beautiful things of this world, its
(lowers, its music and its luxuries, and
could we enjoy them together I be
lieve that I would be a happy woman.
Hut T don't believe that we would
ever be content were we tied down to
a flat in a narrow street. Therefore, 1
want you to understand me, dear, if
you wish our lives to be rich and
filled with the joys of living you must
succeed. And in this age success
means money. Having made your for
tuno the world will cheerfully admit
that you have brains, and a man who
at your age has achieved wealth and
the consequent respect of the world
has few other difficulties to over
come. These are the reasons why I
so earnestly beseech you to make the
most of your opportunities now that
you are well on the road which leads to
all that both of us crave. Whip your
talents and courage to the uttermost:
ride them mercilessly, but wisely and
with patience."
I followed her quickly and anxious
ly. "But suppose, dearest, that 1
should be unfortunate; suppose
through some financial cataclysm
which man is as unable to fcirsee as
he is to prevent 1 should become
ruined and left dependent upon what
I could earn by work. Would you
then love me any the less?" She
smoothed the rose upon her bosom,
her eyes falling.
"I have not meant to intimate that
life in a cottage would make me love
you the less. Neither would I expect
you to believe me if I said that it
would have a tendency to make me
love you the more. Anyway, 1 uo not
feel that such an existence is essen- |
tial to my happiness, which you say
is of the utmost solicitude to you.
Therefore, 1 mention these things not
as a condition to govern our future
relations, but as incentives for you to
strain yourself to your best efforts as
though you were fighting for your
life; to overlook nothing which you
may turn to your advantage; to think:
to act; to succeed —succeed. 1 am
fonder of you than of any other man j
for many reasons. You have been
devoted to me and believe In me; you
are strong and handsome and have an
alert mind. But to make our life
long happiness assured you must, lift
us above the sordid vexations of the
world. We are both hopeful and am
bitious, and 1 doubt if we could be
content should we have to give up our
ideals for commonplaces. I do no!
say that I should not love you in ad
versity, but I abhor it and I know that
our lives would be greatly marred if
you had to slave for me and I had to
cook for you. 1 am speaking frankly
to you as my prospective husband.
For our mutual happiness you must
win."
The realization of all this liad rid
den me like an old man of the sea
from almost the beginning of my ac
quaintance with her, and it was be
cause of its realization that I had
played so desperately. And now con
fronted so vividly by the conscious
ness that she also realized it I fell
from the clouds like a plummet to
solid earth again. Once more 1 sat
before her a normal human being,
conscious that 1 had weight and much
of it, and that Instead of floating ideal
istically I must tread the earth like
'any other man. The dream faded and
grim actuality took its place. In
stead of soaring to the glittering
mountain peak in eagle-like flight I
must climb there. Yet by abandoning
the winding and beaten roads I could
short cut it over the cliffs and tlie
journey would not, be long. I would
offset the added danger of the bee-line
by courage and skill. I would leave
the plodders to the longer, safer road
as 1 mounted steadily up the preci
pices while they wandered through
the canyons in their gradual ascent.
I set my teeth as 1 swore to myself
that 1 should not fail. I do not be
lieve that any man was more coldly
determined to win, no matter San
ger or difficulty, than I was that mo
ment. 1 emptied the remainder of
the contents of my wine glass upon
the gravel at my feet and saw faint
wonder come creeping into her face »
as she watched. 1 stiffened my shoul
ders and sat erect In my cfcair.
"I am glad that yw* spoke to me as
you did. You have awakened me to
a fuller realization that I have no
right to ask you to entrust yourself
to my keeping until I have proven
that with my arms around you, you
will be protected from the vulgarities
and petty troubles of life as a woman
of your kind should be protected.
Therefore until 1 have proven this
my wine glass shall remain turned
down." She clapped her hands soft-
I ly and picked up her own glass by its
reed-like stem.
"Bravo. 1 give you my moral sup
port by following your good example."
I She pushed it, half tilled, to one side
I as I expostulated.
"But it is not necessary that you
should deny yourself simply because
I do. Yours is not the struggle, it is
but the waitl ig." Her hand slid over
mine in a fl eting caress.
(TO ;K CONTINUED.)
An Eskimo's Dwelling.
We do not look tor any great amount
of inventive genius among the Esqul
maus, but for years they have em
ployed a rather complete respirator,
used in the preparation and taking of
a vapor bath, as a means of protection
Irom the dense smoke This Esqut
: mau respirator is a little basket woven
|of twisted strands of tine g.'ass. It Is
1 placed with its shallow side against
the mouth, and a wooden peg. whlcb
arises from the center of the basket.
Is held between the teeth. For this
purpose water is evaporated over a
big fire In a very low hut, which Is
tightly closed to keep ill the heat. Ita
this stifling atmosphere the employ
ment ot a respirator Is absolutely
essary.