THE SUNDAY OKEGOXIAX, PORTLAND, AUGUST 2, 1903. - j? ,
FRfjr
MAN
WITH
I I-4C
7AI
Solver
ND
6
(:
V
f
Bein&
vNo. 5 -The Squared Triangle
i
I
T certainly looked Mack for Arthur
Edgerton. Even Clarke, who usually.
I find, la Inclined to let his sympathies
rest with the accused until all shadow
of doubt is dispelled, was hard put to
find excuses for him. TVs discussed the
rase, recorded In glaring headlines, over
our morning; meal.
"It's Incomprehensible," he said, as he
read the third time the damning details.
'His whole life, his success, his ap
proaching marriage, everything cries out
against this crime."
"So they did In the case of Eugene
Aram." I replied, "and yet Aram pro
tested his innocence. If Edgerton Is
not guilty. It should be a simple mat
ter for him to account for his where
abouts from 7:30 to 10 last night, but
this he refuses to do. I am of the
opinion that for once the police have
shown commendable energy and nabbed
the right man. Can you Imagine a more
convincing chain of circumstantial "evi
dence?"
"I don't have to Imagine. The his
tory of circumstantial evidence contains
many a more perfect chain which was
only broken after an Innocent man had
been hanged."
"Then, again." he continued, "what-do
you make of the robbery? If through
Jealousy Edgerton killed Garner, why
should he rifle his pockets, tear out a
diamond stud and wrench the ring off his
finger like a common freebooter?"
"That might have been the work of
someone else who arrived on the scene
after the murderer had fled," I sug
gested. .
"A stronger argument on your side
would be that It was done to throw the
police off the track. But we argue to no
purpose, and I, for one, prrpose to
l await the sequel."
It was the old.
J triangle. In the der
tragedy has been tr.
I ...... 1 ,1 KAcran .
old story, the fatal
demonstration of which
he corollary since the
world began two men and one woman.
Arthur Edgerton possessed the three
almost priceless talesmen to the gates
of modern society youth, good looks,
and wealth; and these had won for hlra
the master-key. social position, despite
the handicap of antecedents unknown,
some said even doubtful.
Harrison Garner put Into the balance
against these: Wealth, a family name
honored for generations, and an unblem
ished character. Edgerton's brilliancy
" he . offset by unfailing good humor and
wholesomeness.
Mazie Morrison, secure In her own
little social realm and with no lack of
suitors for the hand of its queen, had
played one against th other, She had
finally silenced the gossips by accept
ing Edgerton, and then set their
tongues wagging faster than ever by
receiving both on' equal terms, despite
the cards and the ring and all the de
'htful. bothersome preliminaries to
.in trimony.
And then the sequel: Garner found
shot through the heart In Edgerton's
automobile on a lonely spot on the
Lake Shore drive: Edgerton, blood be
. spattered, hehind prison bars, and
' Mazle Morrison, weeping. Inconsolable.
distraught. In her pretty boudoir,
stunned at the havoc her little hands
had wrought In three lives. This was
the picture I painted that Summer
morning at the breakfast table. Later
I found the canvas wanted touching
sadly.
Ignoring the futility of the argu
ment. Clarke and I prolonged our dis
cussion of the case in the library over
our cigars when we were interrupted
by the sound of carriage wheels.
Clarke's dark features lisrhted with ex
pectancy. I wondered if his remark
able prescience told him that the ve
hicle stopped at our entrance held any
connection for us with the tragedy of
the night before. Or was I absorbing
a portion of his sensitive intelligence?
Tee. the call was for us. The bell
rang and we heard our servant, who at
this period chanced to be a Jap boy,
blandly answering a feminine voice
which Inquired for Mr. Carlton Clarke.
Our visitor was heavily veiled, and
as Clarke stepped forward to offer her
a chair. I was able to Judge nothing of
her personality beyond thac she was
young and owned a fljrure. svelte, but
suggesting through her dark costume
anlmal-llke lines and curves. Or was
It the art of the dressmaker exempli
fied In a perfectly gowned woman?
"I am Miss Mazie Morrison.. Mr.
Clarke." she said sadly, lifting her veil
from a face, the beauty of which even
the evident traces of tears could not
mar, and brushing back her dark; rebel
lious hair with a dainty little hand on
which sparkled an engagement ring.
"Yes, Miss Morrison. I am glad you
have called on me. It Is about the
Edgerton case. I suppose," replied
Clarke, while I discreetly retired be
hind the portler of my bedroom door.
"O. yes. Mr. Clarke. Tou have seen
the papers. Tou know the terrible
trouble I am In. It seems that no one
ran help me. but I heard papa and
brother Joe talking about what you did
for Richard King and I have come to
you. I had a perfectly dreadful time
slipping away from home. I am
watched by the police and even by my
own family, but I know Arthur did not
do that dreadful thing- and I simply
had to talk with some one who would
helleve me. Tou don't think he did it,
do you ?"
Miss Morrison, I do not know, but.
for your sake. I propose to find out if
there is any hope."
"Oh. do. Mr. Clarke, and I will pay
you anything. I am wealthy In ray
own right and they cannot prevent me
from giving It all to save Arthur."
The question of payment. Miss Mor
rison. Is of the smallest consequence
Services such as mine cannot be tick
eted with a price and sold as commodi
ties. I will serve you Just as willingly
If nothing is said on the financial side.
Now, If we are to fight this- battle
against circumstances, first let us take
an account of our resources.,- I will
repeat to you the evidence contained
In the newspaper reports, and you are
to tell me wherein It tallies with the
facts and to give me any further In
formation you can. Are you strong;
enough for the ordeal."
"O, yes. Mr. Clarke. I am strong
enough for anything If It will prove
Arthur Innocent."
"Then I will call my confrere. Mr.
Sexton, to take notes and we will go
over the case in detail."
I was easily found, for though pre
tending to read. I admit I was taking
In the conversation from my position
behind the portiere.
"Now then," continued Clarke, "the
papers say that Mr. Edgerton called at
your apartment building, the Patio, at
7:30 o'clock last night. That he found
Garner there and stayed only about
ten minutes. That he and Garner left
together, entered -Edgerton's automo
ihe Chronicles
bile, and started north. Now what oc
curred during those ten minutes?"
"O. Mr. Clarke, It happened Just as
the papers say.' only they have added
so many horrible things that are not
so. They say Arthur was insanely
Jealous of Harrison and that he left
me In a rage. He wasn't a bit Jealous.
He knew Harrison still called on me as
an old friend of our family, and he of
ten said he thoroughly approved of It,
and that he knew he had all my love.
He was acting strangely last night, but
he remarked that he was worrying ever
some business troubles. He scarcely
spoke ten words to me. and when I
asked him about an engagement we
had for next Thursday evening he could
not remember what It was and claimed
he had forgotten all about it. I thought
this strange, for he never forgets any
thing. ' When Mr. Garner rose to go
Arthur said he was on his way to see
a man on an Important business matter
In Edgewater, and offered to take Mr.
Garner in his machine to his home on
Wilson avenue. I remember thinking
this was odd, for he never before men
tioned business In the evening."
"Had Mr. Edgerton any business
troubles?"
"None that I know of. Papa said
Just the other evening that his factory
had. orders enough ahead to run it a
year."
"Now. Miss Morrison, did you notice
anything else strange in his actions?"
"Well, there was one thing, but It
can't be of any Importance. When he
was leaving he rolled a cigarette and I
noticed that he rolled It Inward. When
he makes his own cigarettes he always
rolls them outward and he told me
once that was the' proper way. This
was why I noticed It. but I suppose It
was nervousness that caused lilm to
change."
"Urn" ejaculated Clarke, meditatively.
"Have you seen Mr. Edgerton this morn
mornln?" "No, I was going there after seeing
you, but I dread the crowds and the
notoriety."
"I think I can give you a card which
will secure you from annoyance."
"Oh. thank you. Is there-anything
else?"
"No. Miss Morrison. Tell Mr. Edger
ton for me that we may clear him In spite
of himself."
"Then you will help?"
"Madam, I have already taken the
case."
When she left, Clarke's eyes danced
with excitement.
"What do you think if It now?" he
asked.
"I can't see a ray of light, can your'
I replied.
"Isn't she a wonderful woman to think
of a little thing like that cigarette? Tou
and I, Sexton, know something of the
obsessions of a cigarette-smoker, and
that his prejudices are as Inflexible as the
laws of the Medes and Persians. I don't
know what It means now, but I will.
But let's go. I'm anxious to have a look
at that auto before It is removed. I sup- I
pose the police have pawed over It now
until there'll be no finding out anything
from it."
When we reached the scene of the
tragedy we found the machine standing
apparently Just as the murderer had left
It. the front -wheels In the ditch and the
hind wheels elevated by the grade of the
roadway. A dark pool of blond In the
tonneau told Us own story. The motor
was guarded by a solitary policeman, who
kept at bay a gaping crowd of curiosity-
seekers.
Clarke and I had some difficulty with
the majesty of the law, but an air of
authority and a cigar finally won the
day.
"Is the machine just as It was when
the body was removed?" queried Clarke.
"Yes. sir. It's not to be touched till
the Coroner has a look at It." (I would
like to give him a dalect, but truth de
mands that he spaks remarkably good
English.)
Clarke gave the machine a most'crltical
examination, promising the officer he
would leave It just as he found it. He
peeped under the' hood, tested the spark,
noted the supply of gasoline, and marked
the course of a bullet along the leather
of the rear seat.
"An automatic." he quietly remarked.
"Nothing but a steel-jacketed bullet
could go clear through the body of a man
and then cut so clean a furrow. There
are no signs of a struggle. The polish
of that woodwork hasn't a scratch on It,
which wouldn't be likely If there had
been a fight. Officer, are you sure these
levers haven't been touched since the
body was found?"
"Yes, lr. I came with the wagon last
night and they were Just that way. The
lieutenant left Clancy to guard It and
I relieved him at 8. Neither of us have
touched them."
"Well, then. Sexton, we might as well
go back to town; we can't learn anything
more here."
On the return Clarke was Immersed
In his own thoughts and I did not in
terrupt him; but as we neared our cor
ner lie turned to me and said: "So you
still think Arthur Edgerton committed
that murder?"
"I have learned nothing to change my
opinion," I replied.
Well. I have. Sexton, it Is my solemn
Judgment that Edgerton was not In that
automobile when the killing was done,
It's a simple little thing, but to me It's
conclusive.
"The machine was set on. the secondary
speed. The gasoline tank . was almost
empty and the oil cups dry as a bone.
hoever ran that car was afraid of the
high speed, and he had been burning up
the engine and squandering the gasoline
to make time. W hen he stopped he left
the throttle on the second speed, threw
off the gear-clutch, applied the emergency
brake, and skidded Into the ditch on his
tires. They are cut through. The en
gine was not burned out from being left
running, for the machine Is of a type
which disconnects the batteries when the
gear-clutch Is .thrown. No expert mo-
torlst ever did such a bungling Job."
But In the stress of excitement' I
suggested.
'I never saw excitement cause one of
them to forget the high speed. and be
sides, all this, except the stopping, oc
curred before the shooting."
Perhaps Edgerton was a new hand at
the game."
No. On our way back I have been
trying to think where I had heard his
name before. I just recalled It. He
drove his own car in the races at
Washington Park last year. 1 must
pay more attention to sports. Really,
n our line of business one can't afford
ford to neglect any branch of informa
tion. No. we're not going to get off.
I want to go down to Central station.
It may be best to have an Interview
with Edgerton."
Now," continued Clarke, as we set
tled back In our seats, "assuming that
you have come over from the camp of
the enemy, let us count our forces and
see wherein our little army of facts
Is superior to that of the police. First
the motive. Jealousy and robbery, say
the police, but I never knew of these
two Impulses to work together. Their
case would be stronger with either of
these motives alone. Robbery Is out
of the question, and we have Miss Mor-
of Carlton Clark,
rlson's word that he was not Jealous,
and the testimony of the levers that he
was not In the car." - J
"And against this." I said, "the po
lice are holding a man who started in
iue car witn liarner, wno, wnen arii
ed in his apartments after a lapse of
ample time for him to have returned
by cars from the scene of the crime,
has blood spots on his coat and Is la
boring under stress of great excite
ment. Moreover, he has tacitly ad
mitted the act, and makes no effort at
an alibi. Our friends, the enemy, will
call It a perfect chain of evidence."
"Yes, but perfect chains of evidence
sometimes have weak links and then
the whole chain Is worthless. We have
found two weak links; the motives and
the levers. I might add a third, the
cigarette; but here we aro out of. the
tunnel and at the city hall."
When we entered the gloomy corrl
dors of Central station, Clarke at once
sought out Inspector Ship, who hap
pened to be In charge, and begged for
an Interview with Edgerton.
"I'd like to favor you. Mr. Clarke,"
said the Inspector, although It's very
Irregular. I can't refer to you as his
lawyer, as ha- has refused to employ
one; still I can't forget several little
turns you have done for me, and so I'll
see If. he wants to talk to you."
Here we met a stumbling- block of
formidable proportions. Inspector Ship
returned with the word that the pris
oner absolutely refused to see anyone.
"Then, inspector, I wish you would
lock me up in the cage next to Edger
ton, and preferably on the side his
bunk Is on, if that one is empty. Tou
can do that, .can't you, and leave me
there for an hour? I may be able to;
Interest him through the grating"
"Well, I guess I can, but It isn't often
they come here asking to be locked up.
Come on down stairs."
"Better go out and have your lunch
eon In. the meantime. Sexton," said
Clarke, as he and the. Inspector disap
peared down the Iron stairway.
At the restaurant to which I went
for luncheon I met some friend. Jovial
good fellows, and we tarried long over
the coffee and cigars. When I finally
broke away, I realized in dismay that
fully two hours had elapsed since I
parted from Clarke. I hurried at once
to the station, and there found a la
conic note from him.
"Can't wait any longer. Come at
once to 435 Fourth avenue."
"They've only been gone about ten
minutes," said the captain who handed
me Clarke's note. " The Inspector Is
with him. Don't know what they're
up to."
I lost no time In getting to the ad
drees named, which proved to be a low
resort I knew well as the harboring place
of thieves, and a breeding spot for the
worst forms of vice and crime. The
gaudy front opened Into a rather Innocent-looking
bar and that on smaller
rooms beyond.
I went In boldly, and at a venture,
said authoritatively to the barkeeper,
Who was serving a solitary suctomer:
"The Inspector Just came in with a
plain-clothes man. Where are they
now?"
Ho. taking me as I expected him to,
for a "fly cop," aald nothing but Jerked
Criminal
his thumb expressively in the direction
of the depths beyond.
Just as I was about to enter the swing
ing doors an awful hubbub arose from
within, the sound of chairs hurled
violently to the floor, the crash of break
ing glass and overturning tables, curses,
and the deep breathing of man In deadly
battle. The one customer, who had
pricked up his ears at themention of
the inspector, fled Incontinently. The
barkeeper, schooled by long experience to
no Interference with the law other than
to break It where safe, wiped glasses as
If nothing was happening. I pushed the
doors aside and rushed in.
The scene that met my eyes was over
In less than the time necessary to" de
scribe It, but It was thrilling while It
lasted. Two men were locked In deadly
embrace, reeling about the room, over
turning tables anil chairs, while a third
circled around them watching for
chance to administer the quietus with
the butt of a pistol. The man In the
embrace of the stranger was Clarke. The
one with the pistol the Inspector. The
stranger had a long knife In his right
hand which he was trying to bring to
bear on Clarke's anatomy, but I was
pleased to note that the wrist of the
hand that held the blade was encircled
with four Angers and a thumb that I
knew possessed a grip like a pipe-wrench.
The affair could have but one ending.
and I did not see that. I could be of any
use. With one powerful effort Clarke
brought his opponent's head within range
of the butt of the inspector's revolver,
there was a quick thud, and a limp form
slipped out of his arms to the fioorc-
Desplte the blood which ran down his
face from the cut in his forehead, the
grime, and the torn clothing and dis
heveled hair, I knew htm from the plo
turea that filled the daily papers. It was
Arthur Edgerton.
"What devil's luck Is this you're play
ing on me. Mr. .Clarke?" roared the In
spector. "We left this man at the sta
tion not half an hour ago. How gomes
It that you lead me here on a false scent
and then drag my own prisoner out of
that room and force me to slug him?"
"I didn't lead you on a false scent.
Inspector," returned Clarke, with a grim
smile. "I gave you my word of honor
that if you would come with me I would
give you the privilege of arresting the
real murderer of Harrison Garner. There
Kn tm nnrf all vnu have tn An Is to hfLnd-
cuff him. He'll be corning around In a
minute, though I aonT. think there's
much fight left in him. The police cer
tainly deserve great credit for this. I
imagine the morning papers will have a
good deal to say about the wonderful
piece of work accomplished by Inspector
Ship. It isn't too late fo an extra,
even." -
"That's all very well, Mr. Clarke, but
what does it mean?"
"I'll tell you ah, he's coming back to
earth. That was a sclentiflo crack you
gave him. Just hard enough but not likely
to Interfere with the later uuties or tne
hangman. Inspector and Mr. Sexton. I
have the pleasure of Introducing to you
Arnold Edgerton,- the twin brother of a
most estimable man, who has risked his
own neck to save one that is absolutely
worthless. Now, Inspector, you may tak,e
the case and Mr. Sexton and I will retire
again to private life."
It was many months alter tnese events
Teeedho -
that I first heard the connected stpry
from Arthur Edgerton's own lips. Nothing
came out at the trial, as Arnold was in
duced to olead eu ltv and accent a term
of life Imprisonment, there being little
doubt that -he was Insane. Edgerton
the virtuous, lived In retirement until he
could wind up his business affairs, when
he and Miss Morrison were quietly mar.
ried and denarted to make their resi
dence in Europe. The evening before
they left they called at our apartments
to express again their gratitude to Clarke
for making their great happiness possible.
"I was born in Rio Janeiro." began
Edgerton after, with some reluctance, he
had consented to tell his story. "My
brother followed me into the world a
few hours later and our mother died at
his birth. My father was the younger
son of a titled English line and had
settled In Brazil to make his fortune
which he did most successfully, acqulr
Insr In the course of time, an extensive
ranch and large holdings of city prop-
ertv
"We were the only children, and after
our mother's death he devoted himself to
our care, with the assistance of a rencn
Inverness and a Spanish housekeeper who
presided over the large retinue of serv
ants In our villa at neauiuui i-etropoi'is.
Thin: we arauired from Infancy three lan
guages. These have been a great help
to Arnold In his villainy, though in the
matter of. education requiring applica
tion he is deficient.
"He early developed the very worst
traits. At the age of S years he cut off
the legs of the family cat with a hatchet
Just to see- her hop, he said. By the
time he was 16 he was utterly beyond
restraint. Our father repeatedly settled
his gambling debts, paid forged bills, and
spent large sums keeping him clear of
the law. I am sure Arnold's escapades
hastened his death, which occurred about
five years ago. Everything was lert to
me with the admonition that I was to
take up the burden for which our parents
had both given their lives.
"I have performed this duty to the
best of my ability. I closed up my
father's affairs, sold off everything and
came here, thinking it might save Ar
nold to get him away from his evil asso
ciations, but wherever he Is he consorts
only with the lowest. I have made hlra
a liberal allowance too liberal, I fear
which he has squandered in debauchery
in various cities, always returning to me
when In need of money. In these mo
ments he mb master of all the arts ot
fawning.
"In his heart I knew he hated me be
cause our father had not seen fit to di
vide his property between us, and he has
repeatedly threatened my life.
"One of his choice methods of worry
ing me has been to impersonate me and
call upon my friends, usually doing some
act to disgrace me. You have seen tne
resemblance between us, and as I never
mentioned to my friends that I had a
twin brother, it was easy for him to
Impose on them. I have repaid many a
loan that I never borrowed, knowing it to
be his work.
'Finally I met Miss Morrison and I
felt It was an epoch In my career. As I
became better acquainted and the truth
dawned on me that all my hopes of hap
piness were wrapped up in her, I realized.
as never before, what a cruel burden my
father had bequeathed me. j
)edvLetve
BY FRANK LOVELL NELSON.
"I hesitated to tell Mazle of my family
skeleton. I had no Intention of deceiving
her, and would have told her all before
our marriage, but I sought to put oft the
evil day."
"It wouldn't havo made the least bit of
difference, dear," said Airs. Edgerton,
with an affectionate pressure of her hus
band's arm. "I would have married you
if you had had a whole penitentiary full
of wicked brothers."
"Before I asked Mazie to be my wife,"
Edgerton continued, "I called my brother
Into my office and made a compact with
him. In consideration of a majerial In
crease In his allowance he was to leave
Chicago and not return for five years. I
almost hoped that before that time was
up he would either drink himself to death
or be killed In some brawl.
"He has always shown himself Incapa
ble of keeping his word, and I was scarce
ly surprised, when, on the day of. the
tragedy, he walfted Into my office. I was
angry and lost my temper. I told him he
would never get another cent out of me.
At first he whined and begged, but when
he saw I was firm he became furious and
opened upon me a torrent of abuse. I
ordered him to leave or I would kick him
out.
"He went, vowing the most terrible ven
geance against me. When I cooled down
I was filled with remorse and felt that I
had been untrue to my father's trust. But
I reasoned that his desire for money
would bring him back.
"When I got to my apartments that
evening the Janitor looked at me In sur
prise. 'Why, Edgerton,' he said, "you're
back early. I saw you leaving in the au
tomobile not 15 minutes ago. Did you
find your keys inside?"
I knew at once what had happened. My
brother had gone to the garage and taken
out my car and made the excuse of
losing his keys to get the Janitor to let
him into my rooms. I went up stairs
and found my worst fears realized. His
own clothes were there and a black suit,
the mate to the one I was wearing, was
missing. He was out to make trouble
for me.
"I had no thought of his calling on
Miss Morrison, although I knew he knew
of her and had seen her with me at a
distance. I think that she was indeed
in his first scheme of vengeance, and
that had the presence of Garner not of
fered richer prey he would have enticed
her out In the automobile and dealt
violently with her."
Mrs. Edgerton shuddered and drew up
closer to her husband.
"It was a hopeless task to attempt
to track him. so I went to the resort
in Fourth avenue, where you found him,
and where I knew' he would turn up
some time during the night.
"Sure enough he came about 11 o'clock.
He tried to pass it all off as a joke, and
A Giant Task
THERE is still plenty of work for ex
plorers. In spite of the remarkable
discoveries effected during' the second
half of the l!Hh century, vast portions of
this globe have still to disclose their
secrets. And it must be remembered that
the beellne Journey which a Stanley
makes across Africa or a Burton through
Brazil really leaves those countries prac
tically as undiscovered as before the
Journey was made.
In fact. It may be said that while the
courses of the great African rivers and
of the equatorial lakes were traced more
or less accurately by Burton, Speke,
Baker and the rest of that galaxy of
mid-Victorian explorers, otherwise the
dark places of the world remain pretty
wen as they have been since the dawn
of planetary life. That popular opinion
should hold otherwise is due to a con
splracy of mapmakers. Examine any old
may of Africa, and you will see that the
Niger, which really makes a bend at right
angles to itself, so that its whole course
sweeps in a semicircle round the west
coast of Africa, is brazenly depicted as
flowing straight across the continent, nnd
Joining the great lakes thousands of miles
from its actual source.
The same eittrontery Is manifested to
day. Africa, the "dark continent," is
scarcely whiter than before it was dl
vided among the powers of Europe, in
fact, old Portuguese maps of three cen
turies ago display with passable accu
racy the intricate system of equatorial
lakes which were forgotten and not shown
on maps of the early 19th century. West
of the Soudan are vast negro kingdoms
civilized by the rapidly spreading Moham
medanism of the present day, manufac
turing their own cloth and showing evid
ences of considerable civil development,
but these are only a rumor to the officials
of the European colonies which border
them. And even In countries such as the
Transvaal even in Cape Colony Itself
are regions which no white man has pene
trated. says Harper's Weekly.
Egypt, again, which shows so gravely
upon the map In British red. Is really a
tiny strip of territory some 30 miles In
width, on either side of which lies un
known desert haunted by predatory tribes.
The vast territory of sand . and stone
which stretches from the Atlantic through
the Sahara and thence into Arabia, the
home of the Bedouins who conquered all
Northern Africa, with Algeria, Morocco,
Spain, Portugal and half of France, and
may do so again. Is still as solitary and
remote as In the earliest times . when
Abraham set forth from Babylon.
In Europe little or nothing Is known of
Albania, Montenegro and the mountainous
districts of the Balkans. In Asia, tne
whole northern portion of Siberia is un
explored. The Northwest Passage has
been made less than half a dozen times,
yet the north coast of Siberia is daringly
presented upon the maps as though its
configurations had been surveyed by care
ful geodoesy. Outside the railroad and the
course of the streams the whole of Siberia
Is an unknown forest and swamp. The
desert which embraces one-third of Cen
tral Asia Is practically unexplored. Civ
ilization unknown to us may yet De
found. Sven Hedln, the sweoisn ex
plorer, has already discovered evidences
of such among the monasteries of the
nirfhi.' monks, from which he has pro
cured manusarlpts and records whose ex
istence was unsuspected.
Southward still IS tne vast taDiemna
of Tibet, with Its mysterious capital,
Lhasa, ruled by an emperor-pope, a rlty
nrhih was seen but once during the lDth
century by Western travelers previous to
the English military oxyeumuu ui c
years ago. JJescenaing to curiiiuu, mo
exact source of the interior of Slam, the
hllL. tribes of the South-Chinese frontier,
French Cochln-unina, or tne jungles oi
Malaysia. About two-thirds or tne wnoie
land area of Asia, in laci, " s" terra
Incognita.
The East Indies are almost totally un
known. New uumea, tne iourtn largest
island In the world, Borneo, with Its
head-hunters, the Celebs, Sumatra, are
Inhabited either by " wandering head
hunters or petty Mohammedan poten
tates, who have successfully resisted the
encroachments of their Dutch conquer
ors for centuries. The entire central por- ,
tlon of Central Australia is an unknown
of
said the machine had broken down and
he had left it at a garage near Lincoln
Park. He said he was sorry for the
scene he had made In my office and that
If I would give him money he would
leave town that night and never bother
me again. I was so anxious to get rid of
him that I was willing to agree to any
thing. "At bis request I changed coats with
him, as he showed me that he had grease
from the auto all over the one of mine
he had on. I did not guess that It was
blood.
"I had scarcely returned to my apart
ments before I was arrested and charged
with murder. Then the whole, horrible
truth flashed upon me. I thought of my
brother, speeding away from the city and
I registered an instant resolve to take his
place.
"It occurred to me later that his first
Impulse, on finding himself in possession
of his ill-gotten booty and the money I
had given hlra, would be a debauch, and
then, hearing of my arrest and that I
was disposed to shield him, he would lie
low In his thieves' retreat until a safe
opportunity presented to get away. So
I felt pretty safe In telling Mr. Clarke
where to find him."
"And Just think, dear, you might have
been convicted In his place If I hadn't
come to Mr. Clarke," said Mrs. Edgerton,
while her husband stopped to roll a cigar
ette In preference to those Clarke of
fered him. I noticed that he rolled It .
outward.
"I shouldn't have been convicted, dear
est, as I could have established a, Rood
alibi, but the mystery would have been
unsolved. I would have been ruined and -I
doubt If you would have been willing
to take my name. Mr. Clarke's way was
by far the best. By the way, Clarke. I
didn't want to tell you all at first, but
when I looked Into your eyes I knew I ,
had to. Still you seemed to know It all.
anyway. May I ask how you found out
I had a brother?"
"You may thank Mrs. Edgerton's keen
ness of observation In noting your meth--od
of rolling a cigarette for the first tip.
Then your brother's bungling work with
the auto seemed to make It clear as a
printed page. It only remained to per
suade you to verify my theory."
"'I think you could have done that any
way. You have a remarkable power
over men."
".And over women, too," said Mrs..
Edgerton. "I wonder you have never
married. It's lucky for Arthur that I
met him first."
Which shows that the best of women
are at heart coquettes.
(The next story In the scries of ad
ventures of Carlton Clarke, entitled "The
Mystery of the Silver Skull," will appear
next week.)
for Explorers
desert, crossed In one portion by the
transcontinental telegraph line, but to
tally unexplored outside the small paral
lel strip of territory which borders It.
Those who remember the great De Rouge
mont fraud of a few years back, when
the marvelous stories of the pseudo-Australian
discoverer were greedily sn-al- .
lowed by the Royal Geographical Society,
may bear witness to the truth of this.
Nor Is our own continent greatly su
perior in this respect to those of the
ancient world. Three-fourths of Canada
Is a wilderness of marsh and tundra. Tim
southern half of Florida Is still the haunt
of Indians, who live there much as In -De
Soto's time. Palm Beach and the
most fashionable resorts of the east coast
are hardly more than oases along the
edge of a pathless wilderness of mangrove
swamps. Mexico, Lower California and
the Northwest are still possessed chiefly
by unconquered Indians, as In the Interior
of Y'ueatan, the peninsula which Juts out
Into the Gulf of Mexico, where descend
ants of the Aztecs still dwell in the
recesses of the jungle. The vast interior
of Brazil Is given over to roving tribes of
cannibalistic tendencies, whose own In
teriors aro often replenished from the
rubber gatherers that haunt the banks of
the streams In their search for a liveli
hood. When we add to these regions the enor
mous continent around the south polar
regions whose existence, dimly conceived
by the first travelers of GO years ago. was
only demonstrated during the first years
of the 20th century, and where new forms
of life and even new races may possibly
be found. It becomes evident that there
are explorations still to bo made before
adventurous spirits turn their attention
to the canals of Mars and the Saturnian
rings.
How the Flies Carry
Bacteria
PLIES are wonderful transportation
systems. Each of the fly's six legs
has two pads, and each of these carries
1200 hairs. That makes, a total of 7200
hairs, each one of which secretes a sticky
fluid. The sticky contents of the pads
exude through the hairs at every step,
thus enabling the fly to maintain a po
sition either on window pane or celling
If the pads existed alone the Insect would
experience difficulty in removing them.
As matters stand, however, the claws
are raised when the pads adhere to any
thing, and are lowered when It Is de
sired to take another step. By the pres
sure of their points against the ground
and the lifting of the heel the pads are
released. Proof that glue exudes Is ob
tained by noting the dead flies stuck to
the walls tn Autumn. Weakness had
disabled the Insects so that even the
action of their claws had become Im
possible, with the consequence that the
glue had become hardened. Now. the
house, fly has a keen scent for filth of
any kind, and Is an excellent little scav
enger. Whenever there Is any within
a hundred yards or so the fly goes for It
to smear Its mouth and all the sticky
hairs of Its six legs with the dirt and
disease germs. A second or two suffices
to gather up many thousands of disease
germs, and then off goes the fly to the
nearest kitchen or dining-room. There
It crawls over food and other articles, de
positing large numbers of germs at every
step. In one Instance a fly was found
to be carrying in its mouth and on Its
legs over 100,000 disease bacteria, showing
the affinity to dangerous germs for this
active media of dissemination. The
daintier the house the fewer the flics at
tracted.
' .1
He Warn the Parenls.
Delineator.
Little Bertram had always longed
for a live pet. but as he lived In an
apartment-building, he had to be sat
isfied with toy animals.
Iater his parents moved to the coun
try and Bertiuin became the happy .
possessor of a kitten. He hugged It
close and remarked: "At last I an)
the parents of a living creature."