f
Thursday, March 23, 1915
A cur jvn irmivna
" PACK BKVKM
A Great Mystic Story by Harold McGrath
Copyright, 1914, by Harold McGrath.
SYNOPSIS.
Zudora Is left an orphan at an early
age. Her father is killed In a gold mine.
Zudora and the fortune from the mine,
which grows to be worth J20.000.000, are
Jeft In the guardianship of Frank Keene,
Zudora's mother's brother, who has set
himself up as a Hindu mystic and Is
known as HasBam All. He decides that
Zudora must die before she can have a
chance to come Into possession of her
money, so that It may be left to him, the
next of kin. Hassam Alt sees an obstacle
to his scheme In the person of John
Storm, a young lawyer, for whom Zu
dora has taken a fancy, and he com
mands the girl to put the man out of her
mind. Zudora Insists that if she cannot
marry Storm she will marry m one.
"Well, well," says Hassam All, "solve
my next twenty cases and you can marry
him; fall In a single case and you must
renounce him."
Zudora unravels a mystery and wins her
first case a case in which John Storm is
saved from being convicted of a murder
instigated by Hassam Ali himself.
Zudora and HaBsam All visit Nabok
Shan's house, where sleep overcomes ev
ery one whenever Nabok attempts to mar
ry a princess. Storm, seeking Zudora. is
made a prisoner. Zudora foils Nabok
Shan, restores the princess to her original
lover and saves Storm from death.
A maker of diamonds tells Hassam All
his secret. Storm informs Zudora that
hla life Is being attempted frequently.
Storm suspects Hassam AIL Storm s
arrested for stealing the diamond maker's
gems, but Zudora discovers the real
thieves a pair of mice.
The negro help employed on Storm's
father's farm are fleeing because a great
skeleton hand appears at night upon a
hill near by. Storm is baffled In his In
vestigation, but Zudora learns that her
uncle has employed Jimmy Bolton, a half
wltted man. thus to annoy Storm's par
ents. Zudora finds Bolton operating a
big magic lantern and la attacked by
him. Storm appears and saves her.
Hassam Ali asks Zudora to find a gem
lost by two mysterious old men. Zudora
eels a photograph of the gem and It bums
in her hand. An old house is mined by
Hassam All and the old men. Storm and
Zudora are lured there and narrowly es
cape destruction when the house blows up.
John McWInter, endeavoring to trap and
kill George Smith, is killed himself, and
Smith Is charged with murder. Hassam
All conspires to have John Storm meet
the same fate as McWInter, and he and
Storm are overcome by powerful fumes.
Zudora saves tbem. proves that McWln
ter's own dog trapped and killed him and
saves Smith from a band of lynchers.
An Inventor blows up a submarine with
a powerful heat ray which he sends
through water. Hassam All sends Zudora
to a photographer directly beneath the In
ventor's laboratory and orders the In
ventor to kill her. Zudora gets a warning,
and her life is saved. The heat ray ma
chine is destroyed, and the photographer,
after a quarrel with Hassam Ali, Is found
dead In the river.
Wu Chang prevents Zudora's elopement
with John Storm by hypnotizing her, and
he and Hassam All attempt to smuggle
her out of the country. This plot is frus
trated by Storm.
Baird, Hassam All's double, falls in
love with Zudora. Haird and Mme. Du
Val kidnap Zudora, and the Van Wick
child. Sturm rescues them, and Hassam
All dies.
With Hassam All dead Zudora Is releas
ed of her pledge to solve twenty cases.
She confronts, however, tho greatest mys
tery of all, which is the mystery of her
own life, and the ambition to secure the
vast fortune of JX.OOO.OUO left to her. This
great photo serial Is being shown in
the lending moving picture theaters by
the Thunhouser Film Corporation. Among
those participating are Marguerite Snow,
Mary Elizabeth Forbes, James Craze, in
the new role of reporter-hero, Sidney
Bracey and Frank Farrington.
On looking through her uncle's papers
Zudora finds' that her father left her an
interest In a diamond mine, and Storm
and Baird both lend assistance in trying
to regain fur her possession of this es
tate which Is being appropriated by
rogues' under the leadership of Mmo. Du
Val. They plan to frighten Zudora so
that she will run away. Failing, they
kidnap Zudora and Howard, the mine
superintendent, and put them in a private
insane asylum. Howard dies, but Zu
dora, nearly famished. Is rescued by
Storm and his friends. Detective Hunt
and Baird find the Zudora gold mine.
Mrs. Copland's lewels are stolen, but
recovered through the cleverness of Hunt
and Baird.
CHAPTER XVI.
The Battle at the Bridge.
ONE bright, keen winter day Zu
dora and Mrs. Ramsay gut in
the former's room discussing
the malignancy of tbe Btur
that hovered over Zudora's destiny. If
only she might And oue bit of com
plete evidence against her enemies or.
Borne document to fully uphold her
claims! She could do uothlng at court
with these fragments, these half
sheets. Possesslou was nine points In
law, nud It did not require John
Storm's legal ndvlce to couvluce her of
this fact. '
Jf Hassam Alt had not Been a thor
ough miser all valuable papers would
hare been deposited In the deposit bos
' at the bank. More and more she be
enme convinced lhat her uncle bad bnd
sinister designs upon her life; lhat he
had Ix-en maneuvering to get her out
if tbe way so Unit he might control the
entire fortune. All sbo wanted was to
be mind free. Well, sooner or Inter
something would rum up. some work
able plun. Three such men as Storm
Baird and Hunt would find a chink tn
the enemy's armor. '
"I'm going to look through that old
trunk ngnln." Zudora declared, rising
"Come and help me."
So the two of them dragged out tbe
trunk nnd went through everything re
ligiously, go thoroughly that a moth
could not have escaped. Protruding
from n torn place In the lining Zudora
enme upon a sheet of paper She stud
led the pothooks from all angles, but
could make nothing of If. However.
he In Id it aside for Storm's appraisal.
What puzzled her as much as any'
thing was the fact that the spurious
claimants had the law on their side.
Where had they secured their back
ing? How had they learned that there
existed documents, that there were
gold and diamond mines? Hassam All
certainly had not confided these facts
to tbem.
"There is nothing but this sheet with
the pothooks," she declared finally. "1
can't make anything out of it"
"You poor child! Why don't you
marry your sweetheart nnd have dono
with all this? He has plenty for both."
"That isn't it, Mrs. Rnmsny. I come
from a fighting stock, and I will never
9 W- i "1
"Why don't ,ou marry your sweet
heart ?
give up this tight until I am beaten."
She glanced at tbe clock. "It is time
John was here. Why not come along
with us? The skating will be fine."
"I haven't had skates on In an age,''
protested Mrs. Ramsay.
"That won't matter; all the more fun
for you," insisted Zudora.
"You're a strange girL"
"In what way?"
"Why, you can throw off your bur
dens so quickly, without apparent ef
fort." "1 do not throw them off; I merely
refuse to let them dampen what pleas
ure 1 can get out of life." Zudora ran
to a. window. "There be is now! He's
just as patient and kindly as he can be.
And there's a bos under bis arm. I'll
wager It's hothouse violets. He never
forgets the fact that I love flowers."
She did not notice the two men loiter
ing on the opposite side of the street,
Radcliffe and Gyp the gun man.
Storm came in. bis eyes clear nnd his
checks full of color. He was bubbling
with cheer.
"All aboard! The Ice will be just
splendid. Here's a Lunch of violets for
you, sweetheart."
"Thank you. John." Zudora pinned
the flowers ngalnst her waist. "You
are very thoughtful, after all the trou
ble I have caused you."
"riffle! What man wouldn't be
thoughtful if he had you always tn
7
A A
V -
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mm
5 VP
1 iM
'Hera's a bunch of violets for you,
sweetheart."
mud? What's this? Been rummaging
around in the old trunk again? Find
anything?"
"Nothing but this sheet of paper."
John took It "Why, It looks like a
map or plan of a mine!"
"A map?" chorused Zudora and Mrs.
Ramsay.
"And 1 didn't know what It could
he!" exclaimed Zudora.
"I'll wnger 1t!s some data regarding
the boundaries of the diamond mine In
Africa. Anyhow, I'd hnng on to it
It may be worthless, and ngnln it may
have value. Tut It back In the trunk.
Mr rule 1m. never throw ownv nnv
crnp of pnier you do not thoroughly
j understand. Whenever I sign a con
tract I go to a brother lawyer to see
if he gets the same points I do. Put
It back into the trunk nnd come along.
It's glorious out of doors today."
W?ai1 Radcliffe and Gyp the gun
man saw the three depart for the
skating pond the former instructed the
gun man to remain on the watch and to
whistle In case of danger. He himself
was determined to enter tbe bouse and
have a thorough look into Zudora's
room. He found an unlocked window
In the rear, and through this be enter
ed the house. Everybody was out, In
cluding the servant, lie could not
have found a better opportunity.
He knew where Zudora's room was,
having once made a midnight visit to
It Tbey had tricked him out of a fine
lot of gems, and he had not yet re
covered from the chagrin of this fact.
To this day be had not the least idea
where they had bidden the stones. He
was certain that the gems were not in
the house at present Doubtless they
had been disposed of secretly.
The first thing that welcomed bis
gaze was the battered old trunk. The
scorched leather at once convinced bim
that this had come from the house of
Hassam All. He knelt beside It and
threw back the lid. He eyed curiously
the spangles and mulle of tbe old cir
cus days. But the folded sheet of pa
per Interested him far more. And
when he spread It out and discovered
that it was practically a complete sur
vey of the mine in Africa he was de
lighted. He already knew the defines
of the African property. So far as he
wns concerned It wns of no Intrinsic
value, but it would eventunlly be
valuable to Zudora. So he stuffed It
into bis pocket nnd went on with his
search. Then he came upon the false
bottom to tbe trunk, and here he found
the documents which completed the
case. He laughed. With these in bis
possession Zudora would lose her case
In any court in Americn. What a find!
Neither the girl nor her advisers had
ever thought to thoroughly investigate
tbe battered old leather trunk!
He was In high feather when he
stole out of the Ramsay house. He
bad made a great find. He was legally
master of millions. It would be a sim
ple case of manufacturing a will of
prior date to Zudora's, upon old legal
cap, with the notary's senl of some old
chap who hnd died in Montana. It
would be very easy now that he bad
all the documents in the case. Mme.
Du Val would be pleased, so pleased
that she might lend a more willing ear
to his pleas. They had had this trunk
all these weeks and had not thought to
sound it for a false bottom. That was
supreme luck. He felt more and more
s
if J
He Knelt Beside It and Threw Back
the Lid.
assured of bis star as he rejoined Gyp.
Millions, luxury, all bis cravings to be
gra tilled!
And Zudora, flying across the smooth,
glistening surface of tho pond, began
to have hopes that her star had reach
ed Its nndi uid was once more ascend
ing toward the zenith. Well, perhaps
It was. Tho sunshine, the exhilaration
of tbe sport, the nearness of one be
loved, these would have set cheer Into
many a heart darker than Zudora's.
When tho three of them returned to
Mrs. Ramsay's tbe latter served tea,
and for an hour it was a happy family.
Then Storm remembered the survey
map.
"You'd better let me have thnt nnd
lock It up in my sufe," ho suggested.
"You never enn tell what will happen
these days."
But Zudora searched tho lenther
trunk from top to bottom in vain.
"That's funny! You saw me put it
on the top tray?"
"I did." snld Storm gravely, ne
went about the room examining the
windows. He left the two women and
went downstairs. On the linoleum In
tho kitchen he saw muddy tracks. That
was enough. "Some one has been here
during our absence," he declared on
returning to Zudoru's room. "Whoever
It was has got thnt paper. Evidently
I was watched, nnd when we went to
the pond the wntcher enme Into the
kitchen window. Well, perhnps I'm to
blame. I should have put It Into my
pocket."
Meantime in Detective Hunt's ofllce
things were being nrrnnged for the
ascendency of Zudoua's star, which
wns In truth very low.
"Bulrd. I'm going to enter the Du
Vnl villa by the fsont dodr this trip."
"Whnt do you mean by that?" asked
the late Hassam All's double.
"I mean that I'm going to enter in a
capncliy which will excite mndaui'i
vanity There's no womnn alive thnt
does not like tho idea of having her
likeness perpetuated In oil If done by a
celebrated artist."
"Thafa true enough," said Baird.
"Go on. I'm interested."
"Well, I'm going to bo that celebrated
artist" .
"But, Lord, man, can you paint?"
"Well enough to serve my purpose."
"You're a man of ninny aurprlses."
"Thnt's high praise. You used to be
that yourself."
"Give me all tho points of tlic game."
"Y'ou've heard of Jacques La Fon
taine?" "Yes. Just at present he's in the
trenches In Alsace."
"So I learned. But Mme. Du Vnl will
not dig deep so long as I can keep her
'
' J
Hunt as Jacques La Fontaine.
vanity stirred. Now, then, watch your
Uncle Dudley. In ten minutes I'll be
the exact counterpart of the painter as
he was during his last visit, six months
ago. Jle came with splendid Introduc
tions, one of which I have. And I've
based a neat little forgery on it. Here's
La Fontaine's photograph. Keep your
eye on me and take a lesson on how to
get Into t ho skin of another man. I
want to get. Into that villa the worst
klud of way. it keeps going through
my head thnt there is sonic connection
between it and that old Junk hut or
garnge we've skylarked In once or
twice."
"I rcollect the place," observed
Bnlrd dryly. "They nearly had mo
there one day."
Hunt went to work rapidly nnd skill
fully and within the stipulated time
preenred an appearance that was near
enou'li to that of the real artist to fool
the ordinary eye.
"Great work!" cried Bnlrd. "I tell
you what you enter the villa nnd get
established, nnd I on my part will see
where thnt garage trapdoor leads to."
At 1 that afternoon Hunt, armed
with his forged introduction, presented
himself at the front door of the Iu Vnl
villa. He wns ushered In by the pom
pous footman. The pernio artist was
requested to be seated. Then the foot
man took the letter upstairs to. his mis
tress, who was more delighted by the
letter than the fliTiught of being paint
ed. She had met the distinguished
Fremli nobleman but twice, and It
flattered her grently to believe thai
she had been remembered. And, more
than tills, the famous artist had once
noted her singular beauty nnd never
would be happy until he had put It
upon c anvas.
Thus Hunt's Initial reception wns
most eordlnl. Mme. Du Vnl would be
A
Mme. Du Val Would Be Delighted to
Give Him Many Sittings as He
Desired.
delighted to give him ns many sittings
as he desired.
Baird met Hunt a short distance
from the villa, and the two of them
walked toward town.
"What luck?" asked the reporter. -"It
was tho enslest bit of work 1
ever did. Whuu you tickle n woman's
vanity yon blind her. 'm going to put
up nt one of the hotels. She might bnve
It in her mind to call me up to change
the hour of appointment. Tomorrow
I'll begin to outline her features. You
can take It from me, the ugh, that she'll
nevar hnig this portrait anywhere for
her friends to see. Whnt I wnnt Is a
few minutes alone inside thnt vllln,
when they think I'm outside of it
That's the ticket, and it may take a
wee)i or two to make tho play."
Later, when they reached another
part of the town, Baird caught Hunt
by the arm.
"See that old codger ahead of ug?"
Hunt nodded.
"Well, that's the diamond cutter I
told you about. Suppose we run along
after him and see where be goes?"
The old man led them to his den
without so much as n single glance
over his shoulder. Hunt agreed to go
inside while Bnlrd stood on gunrd out
side. Half nn hour inter Hunt rejoined
tho reporter.
' "I have seen Cnptnln Rndcliffe go in
there," snld Bnlrd, "nnd I've just been
thinking hurd."
"No!" cried the detective Jestingly.
"That bearded man in Montana nnd
the cnptnln shape up n good deal alike."
"So much alike that I'm certain they
are one nnd the same. I've been think
ing too. Rut when a fisherman ensts
his net he first makes sure that there
nre no holes in It. Thnt old lnpldnry's
fnce is known to me. Half tbe smug
gled gems go to him, but wo can't ar
rest the old boy.. It's only logical that
If some one brings hi In a stone to cut
he cuts it without asking questions.
But I'm hanged If I don't stop some
of the men who go there. I can't
bother with him now. I wnnt Mme.
Du Vnl's portrait started."
Four days later at half nfter 4 nt
the snme moment Zudora nnd Storm
set out upon n short automobile trip
you could have seen the detective In
his velvet Jacket, daubing away ear
nestly and with no Inconsiderable suc
cess. He could pnint nnd paint well,
but he wi8-n man who required ac
tion, complexities to untangle, mo
bility, and it irked him to sit In a
chair for nn hour or two with the odor
of pnint making him headachy.
Mmo. Du Vnl sat so thnt from the
corner of her eye she could watch tho
fountain. By and by Hunt lajd aside
his pnlcttp.
"That will be nil for today. I nra
quite sure you nre tired."
"Join me with a cup of chocolate,"
she said amiably.
While they were sipping tho choco
late the fountain Jet reversed, nunt
it r- ...r
i
fa) 4
1 v- XH
. 'lWr Lr.vJ ff.' 4j
Cautiously tho Dctectivd Re-entered.
pretended not to notice this peculiar
ity, hut he could see that madaine be
gan to st ir restively. Suddenly she
set down her cup, complaining of a
violent headache. Hunt gathered up
bis materials and politely excused
himself. The footman, however, In let
ting him out failed to note that the
ferrule of Hunt's cane had caught be
tween the door nnd the Jamb. Cau
tiously the detective re-entered nnd
tiptoed inio the conservatory. He
waited for n moment or two, then
stole out Into the salon. A spot on ono
of the columns attracted his attention.
Upon close Inspection he found It to
be a sliding panel. He wns lingering
about for a method to open It when
he heard footsteps. He slipped behind
the portiere.
It was Mine. Du Val, coining down
to greet Cnptnln Rndcliffe, who hnd
Just come In. She nt once showed
him the portrait. Hu shrugged. Ho
was not nt all Interested In this stylo
of art.
"There goes the fountain," he warn
ed. "Merciful heaven, I had forgotten all
nbout those fools! They struck the
signal while La Fontaine wns here, but
luckily be did not notice it. Let them
in."
Hunt wns very much surprised to
see three old antagonists enter the
room from ono of tho columns. He wns
still more surprised when he snw
mndnme open the secret drawer In tbe
onyx table. Ills eyes snapped. Thnt
table would be worth while. Just ns
soon ns these precious rogues left the
n!on ho determined to Investigate. He
wns nn Ingenious man, but his ingenu
Ity failed utterly to learn the secret or
the onyx table. f He wns ccrtnln, how
ever, that It held nil he wanted so
badly. He left the villa unobserved.
In the mean time Baird had discover
ed that the tunnel from the garage ted
directly to tho Du Vnl villa., but he hnd
chosen a bnd dny for tho Investigation
The three crooks, returning from their
visit cnneht sight of him and gave
chnso. He reached tbe trap door In
the garage first but before be coaia
make the door they , were upon him.
He succeeded In laying out two of
them, but the largest man proved to
be a tough customer. This was not
tho first time Baird had felt the bear
like grip of the man.
They battled through the doorway,
along the sidewalk, until they reached
the bridge. That Baird lived to tell tbe
tale was due solely to the unexpected
arrival of Zudora and Storm. They
recognized Baird as he and his an
tagonist toppled over the parapet Into
tho icy stream below, where the fight
still raged. At length tho reporter
succeeded In getting free of the clutch
IX mm
y V if -if
L III
Mme. Du Val and Radcliffe Examine,
the Map.
of his antagonist, who paid the penalty
for his loyalty to a bad cause.
Storm got a rope from bis tool box.
This he tied to the extra tire. Iliiiulnir
It out toward Ralrd as one Would throw
a life preserver ut sea. Ralrd was all
In. He had just strength enough to
grasp the tire, and Storm hauled uway
with a will.
TO BK CONTINt'EO.
Diamonds From Sugar.
Although nt first thought the state
ment seems incredible. It is perfectly
true thnt n lump of sugar may be con
verted into diamonds. Not all tbe sulv.
staucc of the sugar,. of course, will en
ter Into the composition of tho dia
mond, but only tlie carbon that it con
tains. Sugar consists of carbon united
with oxygen and hydrogen. It Is an
easy matter to separate out the carbon,
and in certain experiments for the pro
duction of diamonds this sugar cuiIhhi
has been employed. The diamonds so
produced were, of course, very small
and destitute of commercial value, but
still they were real diamonds and the
chemical result achieved would be no
greater Intrinsically if they were us big"
ns the ('iilliiian. Selei, lists have often
expressed the hope that nn Improve
ment In the process of manufacturing
diamonds may lie effected whereby tho
necessity of dissolving the carbon la
molten iron may be dispensed with,
nnd the required combination of great
pressure with great heat may bo
brought about by some such operations
as squeezing the carbon between red
hot metal plates. -Exchange.
Origin of Mussel Catching.
Mussel culture in France where It
Is carried on more extensively than
anywhere else originated so far back
ns l'-'.'So, when an Irish ship wns
wrecked near I.u Roehelle. One of the
rescued sailors, .lames Wnlton. being;
hard put to It for u living, conceived
the plan of selling nets on poles for
the capture of sea fowl at night, tho
muddy shores of the bay being fre
quented by these birds In large num
bers. Re fore long he noticed that
myriads of young mussels been me at
tached to the stakes, nnd thnt, being;
nbove tho level of the mud, these grew
rapidly. Thereupon be interlaced
branches of trees between the stakes,
thus formlug a kind of wicker work,
which also became coated with mus
sels. Wnlton's example was followed
by soma of the natives of La I tot hello
nnd nn Industry was started which has
uow flourished for close on 800 years.
London Mail.
Buckingham Palace.
Buckingham palace stands on tho
site of pleasure grounds known In thu
days of Evelyn nnd Pepys nud fre
quently mentioned In their diaries us
the Mulberry gardens. The property
was eventually bought by tbe Duke
of Buckingham,' who erected the first
house, which, however, was uot large
or handsome, notwithstanding that It
wns even then called Buckingham pal
ace. George III. purchased It front
the dowager Duchess of Buckingham
ns a residence for Queen Charlotte,
whose palace, Somerset House. In tho
Strand, wns required for public pur
poses. After much haggling with bis
majesty's agent the duchess parted
with It for i0,000. It wns not great
ly nltered till 1824, when it was eo
Inrged nnd almost rebuilt nfter de
signs by Joseph Nnsh for the London ,
residence of the royal family Loudon
Chronicle.
Asking Too Much.
"This Is nn nge of Invention." re
marked the bumptious philosopher.
"Then." snld his friend, "maybe yoa
can concoct a new excuse for me to
give my wife for not going home to
dinner tonight."
Whereat the punctured philosopher
subsided.-Cleveland Plain Denier.
L i"