7H"e THIRD
DEGREE
cA Narrative
cTVIetropolitan
I Life 1
By CHARLES KLEIN and
ARTHUR HORNBLOW
ILLU8TRATJ0NS BT RAT WALTERS
(Coprricht, 1MB, br (i. W. UiUlngbam CompanjJ
ju
SYNOPSIS.
Howard Jeffries, banker's son, under
the evil Influence of Robert Underwood,
fellow-student at Yale, leads a life of dis
sipation, marries the daughter of a gam
pier who died In prison, and Is disowned
by Ma father. He Is out of work and In
desperate straits. Underwood, who had
one been engaged to Howard's step
inother, Alicia, Is apparently In prosper
ous circumstances. Taking advantage of
Ws Intimacy with Alicia, he becomes a
port of social highwayman. Discovering
nls true character, Alicia denies him the
house, He sends her a note threatening
ulalde. Art dealers for whom he acted
HS commissioner, demand an accounting.
le cannot make good. Howard calls at
lis apartments In an Intoxicated condl
Jen to request a loan of 12,000 to enable
llm to take up a business proposition.
FJowsrd drinks himself Into a maudlin
condition, and goes to sleep on a divan.
A caller- la announced and Underwood
craws a screen around the drunken
Sleeper. Alicia enters. 8he demands a
firomlse from Underwood that he will not
ake his life. He refuses unless she will
renew her patronage. This she refuses,
and takes her leave. Underwood kills
himself. The report of the pistol awa
kens Howard. He finds Underwood dead.
Howard Is turned over to the police.
Capt. Clinton, notorious for his brutal
treatment of prisoners, puts Howard
through the third degree, and finally gets
an alleged confession from the harassed
men. Annie, Howard's wife, declares her
belief In her husband's Innocence, and
calls on Jeffries, Br. He refuses to help
unless she will consent to a divorce. To
are Howard she consents, but when she
finds that the elder Jeffries does not in
tend to stand by his son, except finan
cially, she scorns his help. Annie appeals
to Judge Brewster, attorney for Jeffries,
Br., to take Howard's case. He declines.
It is reported that Annie Is going on the
Jtage. The banker and his wife call on
udge Brewster to find some Way to pre
vent It. Annie again pleads with Brew
ster to defend Howard. He consents.
CHAPTER XVI. Continued.
"Ah! I begin to understand. You
knew Robert Underwood? Howard
knows your voice he heard you talk
ing to him Oh, Mrs. Jeffries! Are
you the woman who visited his apart
ments that night?"
The banker's wife bowed her head
and collapsed on a chair.
"Yes," she. murmured In a low tone.
. Annie looked at her In amazement
"Why didn't you come forward at
once?" she cried. "Think of the pain
which you might have spared us!"
Alicia covered her face with her
handkerchief. She was crying now
. "The disgrace the disgrace!" she
moaned.
"Disgrace!" echoed Annie, stupe-
fled. Indignantly, she went on: "Dis
grace to you? But what of me and
Howard?"
"Can't you realize what It means to
be associated with such a crime?" she
walled.
"Disgrace!"-cried Annie contemptu
ously. . "What Is disgrace when a hu
man life Is at stake?"
"It seemed so useless," moaned Al
icia "a useless sacrifice In the face
of Howard's confession. Of course
If I'd known If I'd suspected what
you tell me I'd have come forward
and told everything no matter at
what cost." Tearfully she added:
"Surely you realize the position It
puts me in?"
A new light shone in Annie's eyes.
What was this woman's misery to
her? Her duty was to the poor fel
low who was counting the hours until
he could set him free. His stepmoth
er deserved no mercy. Utterly self
ish, devoid , of a spark of humanity,
she would have left them both to
perish In order to protect herself from
shame and ridicule. Her face was set
and determined as she said calmly:
"It must be done now."
"Yes," murmured Alicia In a low
tone that sounded like a sob, "it must
be done now! Oh, if I'd only done it
before If I'd only told Mr. Jeffries
the whole truth! You speak of How
ard's sufferings. If he didn't do It,
he has at least the consciousness of
his own Innocence, but I the con
stant fear of being found out Is worse
than any hell the Imagination can con
jure up. I dreaded It I dread It now
it means disgrace social ostracism
my husband must know the whole
world will know.".
Annie was not listening. Still be
wildered, she gazed with the utmost
astonishment at her companion. To
think that this mysterious woman
they had been seeking was Howard's
stepmother.
"So you're the missing witness we
have all been hunting for!" she said;
"I can't believe it even now. How
did It happen?"
"He and I were once engaged, i
broke It off when I found him out
After I married Mr. Jeffries I met Un
derwood again. Foolishly, I allowed
the old Intimacy to be renewed. He
took advantage and preyed on my
friends. I forbade him my house.
He wrote me a letter in which he
threatened to kill himself. I was
afraid he meant It I wanted to pre
vent him. I went to his rooms that
night I didn't tell Mr. Jeffries.
When the truth la known and I ac
knowledge that I visited this man
can you see what It means? what a
fuss there'll be. Everybody will put
the worst construction on It "
"Trust them for that!" said Annie
grimly. She was sorry for the wom
an's distress, yet, being only human,
she felt a certain sense of satisfaction
in seeing her suffer a little of what
she had been made to suffer.
"They'll say that I God knows
what they'll say!" went on Alicia dis
tractedly. "My husband' wil be
dragged through the mire of anotheV
public scandal his social prestige will
oh, I dare not think of it I know
my duty is to that unfortunate boy. 1
mustn't think of myself." '
"Have you the letter that Mr. Un
derwood wrote you?" demanded her
companion.
"Yes I've never been, able to de
stroy It I don't- know why I kept it,
but thank God I have it!" Moaning,
she went on:
"The disgrace! the disgrace! lt'B
ruin degradation! It's the end of
everything! the end of everything!"
Annie regarded with contempt this
poor, weak, wailing . creature who
lacked the moral courage to do what
was merely right. Her voice was not
unkind as she said:
"I don't want to disgrace you or
ruin you. But what am I to do tell
me, what am I to do?"
"I don't know," moaned her com
panion helplessly.
"Howard must be saved."
"Yes." .
' "Will you tell Judge Brewster or
shall I?"
"Judge Brewster! Why should he
know?" cried Alicia, 6tartled. More
composedly and as if resigned to the
inevitable, she went on: "Yes, I sup
pose he must know sooner or later,
but, I"
She broke down again and burst In
to tears. Annie watched her in si
lence. "It's tough Isn't it?" she said sym
pathetically. "Yes," sobbed Alicia through her
tears, "it's it's tough!" Rising, she
dried her eyes and said hastily: "Don't
say anything now. Give me a few
hours. Then I can think what is best
to be done." ,
Annie was about to reply when the
office door suddenly opened and Judge
Brewster entered. Addressing Alicia,
he said:
"Pardon me, Mrs. Jeffries, I hope I
haven't kept you waiting." Noticing
her agitation and traces of tears, he
looked surprised. He made no com
ment but turned to Annie:
"I have been talking to Dr. Bern
stein over the 'phone."
Annie approached him softly and
said in a whisper:
"I've told Mrs. Jeffries that you have
undertaken Howard's defense."
.Judge Brewster smiled at his
wealthy client, almost apologetically,
Annie thought Then addressing her,
he said:
"Yes, I've been quite busy since I
saw you. I have put three of the best
detectives we have on the trail of the
woman who visited Underwood that,
night- I don't think the police have
been trying very hard to find her.
They're satisfied with Howard's con
fession. But we want her and we'll
get her"
"Oh!" gasped Alicia.
The judge was proceeding to tell of
other steps he had, taken when the
door opened and the head clerk en
tered, followed by Mr. Jeffries.
"I told Mr. Jeffries that Mrs. Jef
fries was here," said the clerk.
"You might have told him that there
were two Mrs. Jeffries here," laughed
the judge.
The clerk retired and the banker,
completely ignoring the presence of
his daughter-in-law, turned to his wife
and said:
"I regret, my dear, that you should
be subjected to these family annoy
ances." - Judge .Brewster came forward and
Cleared his throat as If preliminary to
something important he had to say.
Addressing the banker, he said bold
ly: "Mr. Jeffries, I have decided to un
dertake 'Howard's defense."
His arlstocratlo client was taken
completely by surprise. For a mo
ment he could say nothing, but sim
ply stared at the lawyer as If un
able to believe his ears. With an ef
fort he at last exclaimed:
"Indeed! then you Will please con
aider our business relations to have
ceased from this moment"
The lawyer bowed.
"As you please," he said suavely.
The banker turned to his wife.
"Alicia come." .
He offered his arm and turned to
ward the door. Alicia, In distress,
looked back at Annie, who nodded
reassuringly, to her. Judge Brewster
rose and, going to the door, opened
It The banker bowed stiffly and said:
"Pray don't trouble. Good morning,
sir."
As Alicia followed her husband out
she turned and whispered to Annie:
"Come and see me at my home,"
When she had disappeared the
judge came back Into the room and
sat down at his desk.
"Well, that's done!" he exclaimed
with a 6lgh of relief. Rummaging for
a moment among his papers, he
looked up and said with an encoura
ging smile:
"Now, If you please, we will go over
that evidence bit by bit"
CHAPTER XVII.
The 'news that Judge Brewster
would appear for the defendant at the
approaching trial of Howard Jeffries
went through the town like wildfire,
and caused an immediate revival In
the public Interest which was begin
ning to. slacken for want of hourly
stimulation. Rumor said that there
had been a complete reconciliation in
the Jeffries family, that the banker
was now convinced of his son's inno
cence, and was determined to spend
a fortune, if necessary, to save him.
This and other reports of similar
nature were all untrue, but the judge
let them pass without contradiction.
They were harmless, he chuckled, and
If anything, helped Howard's cause.
Meantime he himself had not been
Idle. When once he made- up his
mind to do a thing he was not con
tent with half measures. Night and
day he worked on the case, preparing
evidence, seeing witnesses and ex
perts, until he had gradually built
up a bulwark of defense which the
police would find difficult to tear
Each Was Absorbed In His Own
Thoughts,
down. Yet he was not wholly reas
sured as to the outcome until Annie,
the day following the interview In his
office, informed him breathlessly that
she had found the mysterious woman.
The judge was duly elated; now it
was plain sailing, Indeed! There had
always been the possibility that How
ard's confession to the police was
true, that he had really killed Under
wood. But now they had found the
one important witness, the mysteri
ous woman who was In the apart
ment a few minutes before the shoot
ing and who was in possession of a
letter in which Underwood declared
his intention . of shooting himself.
doubt was no longer, possible. Acquit
tal was a foregone conclusion. So
pleased was the judge at Annie's find
that he did not insist on knowing the
woman's name. He saw that Annie
preferred, for some reason, not to give
It even to her legal adviser and he
let her have her way, exacting only
that the woman should be produced
the Instant he needed her. The young
woman readily assented. Of course,
there remained the "confession," but
that had been obtained unfairly, Il
legally, fraudulently. The next Impor
tant step was to arrange a meeting at
the judge s house at which Dr. Bern
stein, the hypnotic expert, would be
present and to which should be invi
ted both Capt Clinton and Howard's
father.' In front of all these witnesses
the judge would accuse the police cap
tain of browbeating his prisoner Into
making an untrue confession. Per
haps the captain could be argued into
admitting the possibility of a mistake
having been made. If, further, he could
be convinced of the existence of doc
umentary evidence showing that Un
derwood really committed suicide he
might be willing to recede from bis
position in order to protect himself.
At any rate it was worth trying. The
Judge Insisted, also, that to this meet
ing the mysterious woman witness
should also come, to be produced at
such a moment as the lawyer might
consider opportune. Annie merely de
manded a few hours' time so she could
make the appointment and soon re
turned with a solemn promise that
the woman would attend the meet
ing and come forward at whatever
moment called upon. '
Three evenings later there was an
Impressive gathering at Judge Brew
ster's residence. In the handsomely
appointed library on the second floor
were seated Dr. Bernstein, Mr. Jef
fries and the judge. Each was ab
sorbed In his own thoughts. Dr. Bern
stein was puffing at a big black cigar;
the banker stared vacantly Into space.
The Judge, at his desk, examined some
legal papers. Not a word was spo
ken. They seemed to be waiting for
a fourth man who had not yet ar
nn
rive:. Presently Judge Brewster
looked up and said:
"Gentlemen, I expect Capt Clinton
in a few minutes, and the matter will
be placed before you."
Mr. Jeffries frowned. It was great
ly against his wish that he had been
dragged to this conference. Peevish
ly, he said:
"I've no wish to be present at the
meeting. You- know that and yet
you sent for me."
Judge Brewster looked up at him
quickly and said quietly yet de
cisively: "Mr. Jeffries, it is absolutely nec
essary that you be present when I
tell Capt Clinton that he has either
willfully or ignorantly forced your son
to confess to having committed a
crime of which I am persuaded he is
absolutely Innocent"
The banker shrugged his shoulders.
"If I can be of service, of course.
I I am only too glad but what can
I say what can I do?"
"Nothing," replied the Judge curtly.
But the moral effect of your presence
Is invaluable." . More amiably he went
on: "Believe me. Jeffries. I wouldn't
have taken this step unless I was ab
solutely sure of my position. I have
been informed that Underwood com
mitted suicide, and to-night evidence
confirming this statement is to be
placed lu my hands. The woman who
paid him that mysterious visit just
before his death has promised to come
here and tell us what she knows. Now,
If Capt. Clinton can be got to admit
the possibility of his being mistaken
it means that your son will be free
In a few days."
"Who has given you this Informa
tion?" demanded the banker skeptic
ally.
"Howards wife," answered the
Judge quietly. The banker started and
the lawyer went on: "She knows who
the woman Is, and has promised to
bring her here to-night with docu
mentary proof of Underwood's sui
cide." "You are depending on her?" he
sneered.
"Why not?" demanded the Judge.
"She has more at stake than any of
us. She has worked day and night
on this case. It was she who aroused
Dr. Bernstein's Interest and persuad
ed him to collect the evidence against
Capt Clinton."
The banker frowned.
"She is the cause of the whole mis
erable business," he growled.
The door opened and the butler, en
tering, handed his master a card.
"Ah!" ejaculated the Judge "Here's
our man! Show him up."
When the servant had disappeared
Mr. Jeffries turned to his host With
a show of irritation he said:
"I think you put too much faith in
that woman, but you'll find out you'll
find out"
Judge Brewster smiled. I
(TO BE CONTINUED.)
For the Children.
The mother who believes in begin
nlng the artistic education of her chil
dren at the earliest possible moment
may do a great deal in that direction
with the aid of the nursery walls
The sides of the room are first pa
pered with some plain neutral color,
then divided into a frieze and panels,
outlined with the darkest shade oi
the chosen neutral tint and upon thess
subdivisions are pasted brightly col
ored and well-drawn figures of ani
mals and birds, which are to be ob
talned In the form of long sheets ol
wall paper, which may easily be cut
out and affixed to the walls. Thus a
young child may not only be taught
much that Is essential In regard tc
the proper placing of colors and theli
composition, but because of the ques
tions which they will be apt to asi
about the animals and birds, will ao
quire a great deal of valuable Informa
tion about natural history.
A Taste for Good Books.
If I were to pray for a taste whlci
should stand me in stead under every
variety of circumstances, and be
source of happiness and cheerfulness
to me through life and a shield
against Its Ills, however things might
go amiss and the world frown upon
me, it. would be a taste for reading.
I ' speak of it of course, only as a
worldly advantage, and not in the
slightest degree as superseding or
derogating from the higher office and
surer and stronger panoply of re
ligious principles but as a taste, an
Instrument, and a mode of pleasurable
gratification. Give a man this taste,
and the means. .of gratifying it, and
you can hardly fall pf making a happy
man, unless, indeed, you put Into his
bands a most perverse selection of
books. Sir John Herschel.
The Umpire at Home.
"Billy Evans sat alone in his horn
the other evening meditating on the
approaching baseball season which
means his return to the arduous um
piring pursuit '
He was thinking of a number of
vexatious features of his calling, when
his thoughts were Interrupted by the
ringing, of the telephone bell. Some
woman desired to talk to Evans' Wife,
wno aia not nappen to be at homo.
"She's out!" shouted Evans, absent
mlndedly, In such a thunderous tone
that be nearly ruined the poor worn
an's fiAF drum PlavnlAnl Plain
- w. -. m ,iMi
Dealer. I
GIRL HURT IN FLIGHT
TRIES TO ESCAPE FROM POtlCE
8TATION BY ROPE.
Slides Down Torn 8heet, Falls Fif
teen Feet Breaks Arm and
Dislocates Knee Is Then
8ent to a Hospital.
Chicago. An improvised rope of bed
meets torn into strips was used In a
shrilling attempt by Margaret Slebert.
sixteen years old, to escape from "the
woman's annex on the third floor of
the South Clark street police station
it 2 a. m. the other day. Lowering
herself from a window the girl slid
quickly to the end of the rope, and
then dropped 15 feet tq the pavement
Her right knee was dislocated and her
right arm was fractured in the falL
The Slebert girl lives at 5233 Aber
deen street and was to have been
taken to the state home for girls at
Seneva, 111. To girl companions she
bad confided her determination to es
cape being taker to the Geneva insti
tution by some means, but they had
paid little attention to her.
The daring escape was planned by
the girl while other inmates of the
annex with one exception were asleep.
That one was little Clifton Nelson,
seven years old, who between tears
was trying to tell Mrs. Mary Murray,
the matron, how sorry he was for run
ning away from home.
Without attracting the attention of
the matron, the girl quietly tore her
bed sheets Into strips and then knot
ted them tightly. She dressed herself
hurriedly and then crept softly to the
South Clark street side of the build
in b. She entered a room next to that
of the office of the matron. There she
Fastened the improvised rope to a ra
diator and then threw open the win
dow. The rope was short reaching only
to the second floor, but Margaret did
not hesitate. She swung quickly onto
the rope and started downward. At
the end of the rope she swung for a
minute and then let go. Her subse
quent scream of pain as she fell
brought three policemen, who found
her writing on the pavement
They were Desk Sergeant John
O'Connell and Daniel Kearney. In
spite of her fractured arm and seem
ingly helpless condition, the young
prisoner tried to struggle with them.
Those in the matron's department
did not become aware of the girl's
hazardous plunge and escape until In
formed some time later by Desk Ser
geant O'Connor. The windows In the
matron's department are not barred.
"I was tired of the old place and I
Just wanted to get out of there to .
show them that they could not keep
me locked up like a criminal," the girl
said while she was in the ambulance
on the way to the hospital. .
SEES WHEN TEETH COME OUT
Sight Is Restored to Man Blind Five
Years After Dentist Jerks - ,
Molars. , '
Sandusky, O. Partially blind for
Five years, totally blind for the past
seven months, Edward Kennedy, thirty-nine
years old, a farmer residing at
Parkertown. saw the light of day re
cently following the extraction of two
teeth by Dr. J. T. Nicholson.
The, case Is without parallel In
dentistry. Mr. Kennedy had been de
clared beyond human aid by eye spe
cialists and had obtained a pension
from the , blind relief fund. Doctors
gave the cause as paralysis of the
optic nerves. Accompanied by Fred
Patch, Mr. Kennedy came to Dr.
Nicholson's office suffering severe
pain. An examination showed that
two teeth, an upper molar and a
lower wisdom tooth, were badly ul
cerated, necessitating extraction.
Hardly bad the second tooth been
pulled when Mr. Kennedy exclaimed,
"I can see. I can see the light I
can see the crack In the window. I
can see you."
Dr. Nicholson was at a loss to ac
count for the outcome.
MAY MUZZLE AN ALLIGATOR
Citizens of California Town Annoyed
by Cavernous-Faced Reptile Af
flicted With, Wanderlust.
San Francisco. The peregrinations
of a pet alligator have caused the town
trustees of Mill Valley to consider the
advisability of passing an alligator
muzzling ordinance.
Dr. S. L. HIgglns of that town has
an alligator that Is affected with wan
derlust, and each time the animal Jour
aeys from its home women and chil
dren In the neighborhood become great
'y agitated.
So far the cavernous-faced reptile .
bas committed no more serious offense
'.ban attempts to be friendly with those
net on his wanderings, but the atten
tion of the trustees has been called to
the fact that the bite of an alligator
might be dangerous, and Dr. HIgglns
irs been requested to mussle his pet
r provide the animal with an "Oregon
soot"