VMUi BIX T tl 13 T 1 M H H . 11 it A 1, 1) H f It X M tJtNjn Y f' O 1 N TV, O KM 0 O X , Br r. O. WODBHOU9B Copjrifhl CHAPTER I. A Stranoe Death. Tho room whs the typical bedroom of typlcnl better-dnss bourdliig ; house, furnished, ho fur ns It wuh fur- jiilshed nt nil. with severe KlmpHctty. it contained two beds, u pine chest of drawers, u Htrlp of failed carpet, und rwiislr t;tnnd. , All theso things might have Imnn "guessed nt from Hie oilier aide if tho closed door. Hut thero was that on : tho lloor which nut thin room npurt : from u thousund rooms of tho sumo , kind. l'lat on Ids hack, one Uk twlHlcd oddly over the other, his bunds clcmhcd and his tooth gleaming through his hlnck heard In it horrlhlo ' grin, Capt. John Gunner stared nt the J celling with eyes that saw nothing. ' Until n moment "before ho hnd hnd i tho Httlo room to himself. Hut now f two. people were standing Just Inside the door, looking down nt him. 'One was n !nm policeman who twlHtcd his cap nervously In ids hntids. Tho other wmh n lull, gaunt old worn nn In h runty hlnck dress, who gnacd with pnlo eye nt the dead num. Her faro was quite expressionless. The woman wns Mrs, Pickett, owner of tho Kxcelslor honrdlng limine. The policeman's name was Urngiin. He wmh ii gcnlnl Riant, a terror to tho riot ous element of tho Lour iHlnnd water front, hut obviously 111 nt case In the presence of death. He drew In Itls'brciith with n curl nnshlsslng sound, wiped IiIh forehead. .nd whimpered: "Would you 'look tit IiIh eyes, iiin'nm 1 Mm. l'lekett did not answer. She had not spoken lneo hIic had hroilRht tho policeman Into the room. Olllcor (Jrngiin looked at her uulckly from tho eonier of IiIh eyes, lie wuh nfrnld of Mother l'lekett, iinwnH every lKdy else nlotiR the water front. ' Her silence, her pale eyes, nnd the quiet forinldiihlcnoss of her personal Ity cowed even the tough old suits who patronised tho Kxcelslor. Sho was u queen In that Httlo community of rallormcn. "You've phoned for tho doctor, - a'nm7" -t Mr, l'lekett nodded. Tho breeze, Mowing In through the open window, hroilRht with It tho Round of noisy laughter. A cheerful relce bellowed n popular hour. "Hint's Just how I found Mm," said Mrs. l'lekett. She did not npcnk loud ly, but her voice niado tho policeman tart. . Ho wiped hid forehead agnln. "It might have, been apoplexy," he feaxarded. Mm. Tlckctt pnld nothing. "Some guys drop In their tracks on ccount of n hum heart," ho went on. There's no murks on Mm." Tho old woman did not nnswer. Thero wns n pound of footsteps out wide. A young man entered, carrying black bag. "flood morning, Mrs. l'lekett. What's the flood henvenx 1" Ho dropped to his knees bciddo the body and mixed one of the arms. He lowered It gently to tho floor und shook his head. "Been dead for hours. When did yon find Mm?" Twenty minutes hack," said tho old woman. "I rucks he died hint night. He never would he called In the morn lag. Said ho liked to sleep on. Well, lie's got his wIhIi." "What did ho dlo of, doc?" anked the pollcemnn. "Impossible to ray without nn ex snlnntlon. It looks like apoplexy, hut It' Isn't. It might lie Iicnrt dlscuso, hut I happen to know tho poor fellow's heart wns ns sound ns a ..bell. Ho called In to fee me only n week .ngo, arid I tested Mm .thoroughly. Lord 'knows what It Nl ' Tho coroner's In qiit'Ht Will tell ..'' Ho eyed the body almost resent fully. fit boats mo," ho said. "Tho man bud no right to drop dead like this. Ho nvas n tough old sailor, who ought to have been good for another twenty years, if you ask mo, though I cuii't possibly ho certain till after tho In ejaest, I should suy ho hnd been poi soned." "For tho lovo of retel" exclaimed OHIcer Grogan. "now would be bo poisoned?" asked Mrs. l'lekett. That's more thrin I enn tell yon. Thero's no glass about that ho could havo drunk It from. Ho might have got it in capsule form. But why Khould ho havo dono It? Ho was al ways a pretty cheerful sort of old Man, wasn't ho?" l 'Snrol" said Officer Grogan. "Hp had tlto namo of being n champion ;ylier in those parts. I'vo had guys co-bio to mo nil raw from being mixed jipj in arguments with lilin. Ho had H,( wny with him. Klnd.of snrcnstje, hough he nover tried :lt on nc." , , . ! ' 'TJiIh man inust Imvo djeu qulto early last night," said tho doctor. yWhnl's heeomo of Cnptnin Muller? If ho shnrcs tills room ho ought to bo able to tell us something nbout it." "Captain Muller spent tho night .with some friends at Brooklyn," said lull' 1 1 iin Mir). I'm .f. 'V Wiiull lifter snppi r." Tho tloilnr looked round tho room frowning. "1 don't like It. 1 enn't understand It. If this Imd happened In Indln 1 should hnvo said tho man had died from Bomo form of snnke-hlte. 1 wns out there two yenrs, nnd I'vu seen n hundred enses of it. They nil looked Just like this. Tho thing's ridiculous. How could n ninn Jio bitten by a stinki In n wilier-front honrdlng house? The wholo thing's mnd. Wns tlio dooi locked when you found hlnii M. l'lekett?" Mrs. l'lckelt nodded. "1 opened It with my own key. 1 hnd been culling to him, und ho didn't nnswer, so I guessed something wns wrong." he nolleemnn spoke: "You uln't touched unythlng, mii'ntn? They're nlwnys mighty particular about that. If doc's right, and thoro been any funny work here, that's the flrst thing they'll nsk." . "Kverythlng is Jimt ns I found lt. "What's thnt on the lloor beside . . ... r ijimr "That's his harmonica. lie liked t nlnv it of an eenlng ih'hls roopi. l'v hud complaints nbont It from some iff tho gentlemen! but. I never snw iitiy bnrm. so as he didn't tilny too lute." "Seems ns if he was playing it when It happened. That don't look mucn like suicide, doc." "f didn't sny It wns suicide." Oflleer Grogan whistled.. ',iiilim, think " . lff .U..H tl.l.it ntit'lil nt tltt nffnf tho inquest. All 1' sqy. Is that HV oncer." Another anpect ; of the- nitUto.r, seemed to strike tho 'pollcomnn. "I guess this nln't going to help the Kxtelslor nny, ma'am," lio eulil uviiitinihi'llcnllv. Mrs. l'lekett shrugged her shoulders. Silence fell upon the room. "1 suppono 1 had better telephone to the coroner," snld tho doctor. Mr. Snyder hlinnclf, In common with most of bin nsslstniils, relied fur results on hard work and plenty of common sense. Ho hnd never been a detective of tho showy type. Itesiilts hnd Justified his methods, but ho was perfectly awaro thnt young Mr.- OakeB looked on him as a dull old mnn who hnd been mlraculounly favored by luck. Mr. 8nydcr had selected Onkes for the case In hand principally because It wns ono where Inexperience could do no hnrm, nnd where tho brilliant guesswork which tho latter cnlled his Inductive rensonlng might achieve nn unexpected success. It wan ono of thoso bizarre cases which call for tho dnnhlng, amntcur rnther thiin tho dogged rulo-oMhumb professional. Mr. Snyder had, moreover, a kind of superstitious fnlth In tho luck of tho beginner. H Another motive nctunted Mr. ?ny dor In hlff choice. Ho hud n strong suHplclon thnt thn conduct of this ense wiib going to hnvo the benoflclul result of lowering Onkes' self-esteem. If fnlluro nchlovcd this end, Mr. HnyMcr felt that failure, though It would not help the agency, would not he pti udmlxcd Ml. 'JCho door opened nnd Onkes en tered tennely. He did everything tense ly, pnrtly'from u natural nervous energy, 'nnd lnrlly ns n pose. Ho wns a lean young mnn, with dark eyes and a'thln-llppcd ifioutlf, mill looked as like n typical detective us Mr. Snyder looked like n comfortably pros perous stock broker. Mr. Snyder' bad nvcr bothered him self about the iixteinuls of his profes lAti. One could liuaulne Ml'. Snyder Lid his .mopii;ni,of. leisure watching a ball gamp or bowling, unites gave im Imprcnnlon of having; no moments of leisure. "Sit down, Onkes," said Mr. Sny der. "I've got a Job for you." OakcB smile Into n chnlr like ri crouching leopnrd nnd plnced tho tips nt his llncers toccther. lie nouiien Ho went out, and nfter u momentary curtly. It was pnrt of his pone to be nnuie the pollcemnn followed Mm. "Ofllcer Grogan wns not greatly trim bled with nerves, but he felt n derided .inuirn in im somewhere where he could not sou thorfe staring oyes. keen and silent. It ..n.i to mi In Illln IlllllrOHR" I i mini "11 ! h" ho handed Mm nn envelope "und .... look nrnnnd. Wheiiier you win mm out anything, or whether there's any " i v u k tlll - w Mrs. l'lekett remained where she .j,ini: to And out, Is more than I enn wns, looking down nt the detsd num. ny. When the old Indy wns telling Her fuco wns still oxpresslonlet-s, but ,n0 the story I own I wns cnrrled nwny. Inwardly she was In a ferment. This Hho made it convincing. She thinks wns the first tlmo such n thing us this jt wns murder. I don't know whnt to hnd happened nt tho lixccisior, nun. think." n Ofllvcr GroRnn hud hinted, It wns not likely to Incroiuc tho uttractlve nens of the house In the eyes of poa slide bonrders. However well eMnbllnhed (he repu tntlon of a house may be for comfort und tho excellence of Its cuisine, If It Is n house of tragedy, people, for n tlmo nt nny rate, will look askance at It. It was not tho possible pecuniary los which was troubling Mrs. l'lekett. As far us money wns concerned, she could hnve retired from business yenrs before and lived comfortably on her savings. She was richer than those who know her supposed. It wns the blot on the escutcheon of the Kxcelslor tho stnln on the Kr cclslor'a repututlon which was tor menting her. Tim Kxcelslor wns her life. Stort ing many years before, beyond the memory of tho oldest bonnier, she hnd hullt up this model estiibllnhment, the funic of which had been carried to every corner of the world. In mloons and places where sailor men gathered together from Liverpool to Yokohnma, from Cape Town to Marseilles, the reputation of I'lekett's wns of pure gold. Men spoke of It ns a placo whore you were well fed. cleanly housed, nnd where petty rob bery was unknown. Such wits tho cliorus of prnlse from end to end of tho world thnt It In not likely thnt much hnrm could come to Pickett's from a single mysterious denth ; but Mother Tlckctt wns not consoling herself with such reflections. She wns wounded sore. Pickett's hnd had a clean slate; -now It bad not. That was tho sum of her thoughts. , She looked at the dead man with pale, grim eyes. From down tho pns sago came tho doctor's voice as he spoke on tho telephone. CHAPTER II. Detective Oakeo, , The ofllro of the Paul J. Snyder De tective ngoncy hnd grown In tho course of half n dozen years from a snglo room to n palatial suito foil of pol ished wood, clicking typewriters, and other evidences of success. Where once Mr. Snyder hnd sat mid waited for clients und attended to those clients on tho ruro occasions when they nrrlvcd In purson, ho now fiit in his privnto ofllce nnd directed a corps of assistants. Ills cap was no longer In his bond, nnd his time nt tho disposal of any who would pay a modest fee. Ho was an autocrat who accepted or refused coses nt his pleunuro. Ho had Just accepted a case. It aeemcd to him a cuso that might be nothing at all or something exceeding ly big; and on the latter possibility he hnd gambled. Tho feo offered wuh, Judged by his present standards of prosperity, small ; but the blezure facts, coupled with something In tho personality of tho client, hud won him over; mid he touched tho bell nnd desired that Mi Onkes should bo sent In to lilin. Elliott Onlcotf wns a young hum who amused nnd intercstpd Mr. Snyder, Ho was so intensely confident. lie had onlv recently lollifeil thn mIhO lm He made e"ry" little Wrot of Mh in tention of eletrlfyliind-ifovpiiiVron' ' rang tuo meiuoua or tuo agency, "The farts?" snld Onkes briefly. Mr. Snyder smiled, quietly to him self. "Tho nddress on thnt envelope Is of a honrdlng house on tho water front, down In Long Inland. You know the sort of place retired sea eaplulns und so on. "All most respecfnble. Don't run away with the Idea that I'm sending you to some melodramatic hell's-kltcli-en where the guests are drugged and shanghaied on the day of their arrival. "As far as I can gather, this place Is a sort of male Martha Washington. In all Hb history nothing more sensa tional has happened than a case of suspected cheating at pinocle. Well, a ninn hns died there." "Murdered?" "I don't know. That's for you to fliid out. Tho coroner left it open. I don't pe how It could huve been mur der. The door was locked; nobody could havo got In." "The window?" "The window wns open. Hut tho room Is on tho first floor. And, any way, you may dismiss tho window, 1 remember tho old Indy saying there was a bar across It, and Hint nobody could hnve squeezed through." Onkes' eyes glistened. Ho wns in terested. "Whnt was tho rauno of denth?" Mr. Snyder coughed. "Snake-bite," he said. Onkes' careful calm deserted him. He uttered a cry of astonishment. "Whnt I" "It's the literal truth. Tho medical examination proved thnt tho fellow had been killed by snnko poison. To be exact, fho poison of a snake known aa tho kralt. In this Long Island hoarding house, In n room with a locked door, this man was stung by n kralt. It's a smnll sntik.e, found prin cipally In Indln. v 'To add o little mystification to.tho limpid simplicity of the affair, when tlio door wns oponed there wis n.o sign of nny snnko. t 2fjt couldn't hnvo got out through tho door, because the door wns locked. It'nuldn't hnvo got up I he chimney, because there was no chimney. And It couldn't havo got out of the window, becauso tho window was too high up, and snakes can't Jump. So there you have It." He looked nt Onkes with n certnln quiet satisfaction, It had como to bis enrs that Onkes hud been heard to complain of tlm Infantile simplicity, unworthy of n mnn of his attainments, of the Inst two cases to which ho lind been nsslgned, and hnd snld thnt ho hoped some day to he given a problem which should ho beyond the reasoning powers of a child of six, It seemed to Mr, Snyder that he hnd got whnt ho wnnted. "I should like further details," said Oakes a Httlo breathlessly. . ."You Jknd better" apply o Mrs, Pickett, who owns tho boarding-house. It -.was sho who put tho case "In my hnnds. She convinced mo Unit it is lujijh-'r, Jtnt, excluding ghosts, I .dim't.. Vc itjy'. any, third pnrjy .could hnje ta)!cn it lianil In thn tiling tU'iill. However, sho 'wnnted n mnn from this ijgjncy, nnd wns prepared to pay for htm, so 1 Mild I would' send ono. It', not for mo to turn' business nwny. ASo, ,os 1 fluid. I want you to go and p'jt up.at.Mrs, PIckntt's Excclalor Hnttnrnu-IlnuKo nnd do your best to pttl things Hlriiight. I would stiggn'o thnt volt none n u ship's chnndlnr or sonieihlng of Hint sort. You will hnve to do something miirlllino or they'll get on to you. "And If your visit prodtireH no other results, It will nt least enable you to, make tho ncqunlntnnco of a very ro murknbie womnn. I commend Mrs. Pickett to your notice. By tlio wny, sho says sho will help you In your In vestlgntinns." Oakes laughed shortly. Tho Idea amused Mm. "Don't you scoff at amntcur aa slstnnce, my boy," snld Mr. Snyder In tlio fnthorly manner which had mndo a score of criminals refuse to bellovo him a dctoctlvo until tho moment when tho handcuffs snapped on their wrists. "Detection Isn't an oxnet sclctiue. Jt'fl n question of using com mon Benso nnd hiivlng n grent dent of specinl Informntlon. Mrs, Pickett probnhly knows n great deal which neither you nor I know, and It's Just possible thnt Bhe may hnvo semii trivial piece of knowledge which will prove tho key to this mystery." Oakes lunched nguln.' "It In very kind of Mrs. Pickett, but I think I prefer to trust to my own powers of deduetlon." "Do Just what you please, but rec ollect that n detective Is only a mnn, not nn encyelopedlu. He doesn't know everything nnd It mny be Just, some small Ihlng which he does not know which turns out to he tlio missing tot ter In tho combination." Onkes rose. His face was keen, abd purposeful. . "I had better be stnrllpk. at. once" ho said. "I will mall yoirriwort,frfl iiiiiu mi nun.-. . , 'if, lit.. I. -11 l.n l.ilir,alnit in timt them'" afht ,Mr. MnvillT uonlnllv. "I lioht,' your' visit to tho Kxcelslor will b1 plennnt. If you run across a mnn with n broken none, who used to rejolco In the nntne of Horse-Fnco Simmons, give him my. bent. I hnd tho plensuro of sending him up the road some yenrs ( ngo for highway robbery, nnd I under I Mnnri thrtt he has settled In those parte. And cultivate Mrs. Pickett; she! la worth while." The dour cloned, nnd Mr. Snyder, lighted n fresh clgnr. "D il young fool," he murmured, nnd turned his mind to other mntters. Alfalfa Seed nuy strft that you can btfor you vay for It lay aned that you can return If you are not MtfsJU4. Buy ad that compllta with tha Bead Iawi et Walaa ton hm Oregon. Wi can ahla earloada or ,laa from oiir wareeaeJ at Seattle. Portland, Yakima, Walla Walla, Kliaaaaarr, WihM and through local agents. fWi BEST ALFALFA SEED Ifaa a reputation In tha Nor thwart, for tit laat U yatn. Ton cannot buy better seed and aet cat aa gaW aaai tor lea money anywhere. mm The ChM. If. LUIjr C. TO SUSTAIN WM,,AVKA REPUTATION Do you know whnt It means to Hvo up to a repututlon for D14PKNDAU1L1TY7 We know know that it meniiH constant vigilance lest wo permit the QUALITY of our wares to be lowered. It also means unvarying courtesy and attention to each and every customer. Whon you trado . with this great Family Storo you aro assured of theso two advantages protection nnd service. RVKItYTIIIN'G VOli TIIK FAMILY, AND ALL UKl'ENWABLK . Wo solicit your custom wlt,b thtJ guarantee. rown '& Satisfactory. Store ftW: . : :: : Oregon "ftVWe carry bikh! advert Isvd on tho"llomu Products Page" (TtPbo" concluded noxt week) "NO WOltKKi:, NO KATKIi." Wo are told that Austrl'i and cer tain of the smaller countries of Kur- mm nn, tliirvlnr- fur liu'U nf lirmul i Wo are asked to lonu 1125.000,000 for tho Immedlnto relief of theso uit- roriiiiiate people. Very good. Wo nro Amorlcuns, titwt A iikm'.imimm Inivn inivnr vul l"iilliil to succor it nation expiring from the pangs of hunger. If these suffering peoplo need $125,000,000 let us give it to thorn outright, Let it bo our contribution to tho cause of humanity, and thou let us forgot It. Hut lot's havo nothing to do with a loan which wo know can never be repaid. It only becomes an object for future friction. Hut us to Kngland and France. London has recently ropudluted Sir George PiiIhIi, who has been try ing to float a loan In this country of 135,000,000,000 for thn nllles. I says Sir George is not uuthorlted to represent the Hrltlnh government, nor yet tho Hrltish bunking Interests. Kxit Sir Georgo nnd his rosy scheme. Wo hnvo no further Inter est In him. It Is a well known fact, however, thnt Kugliind und France uro looking to this country for the billions neces sary for their roconstrucfion. The may llo low until thu presont flurry of opposition blows over, und then tho project will be broached. Hut wo havo hnd enough of thnt sort of thing. Wo hnvo somo ten billons of dollars planted over thero now upon which It is doubtful if tho Interest will over sprout. Kven Hrltish peoplo of prominence are advocating tho repudiating of all obligations and tho taking of a fresh shirt. It may bo done. Wo nolo from tho cablegrams that in Loudon, Paris and othor largo cities fubulous prices nro being paid by women for tho latest crentonn.ln gowns and other frippery. There seems to bo no limit to tho money for this purpose, j Again wo note thnt tho Marquis of QuegliHliorry hns gone Into bunk riintcv owlnsr u tmltrv tr. una iw.. icniiHo ho U) loo aristocratic nnd too ihj iii lYunt. mi iu biiiiporioa uy rclutlvi-H mid friend. Foreign countries uro full of jhe name breed - nil aristocratic, nil too lazy to earn a living, hut all willing to blow In money. Kxtravagnnt sums run bo paid bj tho population for nny selllsh pur pose, bocuusu It contributes to tholt vanity and their pleasure, It is tho samo whorevur tho sun shines. If tho Fronch nnd English govorn mouts want more billions, lot them ko tp tho rich In tholr own countries. If thfllr own people hnvon't confi dence und piitrlotlsm enough to put up tho necoseury amount, why should wo Americans cough up ngnln? Lot thorn open tho monoy bngs of tholr rich, und then put tholr laity paruBltes to work. If tho latter can crentu anything of valuo wo enn prob ably buy it from thorn and pay for whnt wo. got. K ' Tjint's buslnoss. I Hut digging down' ngnln for an other, "loan" woud bo tho holghtof Jneknssury. ? Wo bollQyo wth tho Chinaman, thnt iLshould bo a cnijo of "no work"eo no duioo." " ' ! s A, mail box; for every rurnl school Is ono of'th'o aims of tho suhool child ren of tho Northwest IhroUgh tlfo Junior Uvd Cross, v 1 Will SOMETHING Happen to make you rich ? A rich uncle may die and leave you a roll, but few rich uncles have this habit. If you get rich the chances are you will first have to save enough money in order to make an investment that will pay. Tljjre are plenty of investments for the man with :f mile ready cash. But it is up o ypu to save cash. The best policy is to deposit a portion of your salary. A Bank is better than a hole in your pocket through which your money can slip away. Make our Bank YOUR Bank. CRANE STATE BANK CRANE, OREGON Inland Empire Realty Co. A. A. TKAUGOTT, Praprleter REAL ESTATE LOANS Pkeae 89 r G13S BLUEPRINTS Burns, Orcgoa Words of Cheer In thoso dnys of high prices, words of cheer nro tho onos yoo want to IteiiT. Wo have thorn for you. . . Murine tlio romlni; year' wo wlll'iiso our utmost ondenvor to els-' ehargo.our doop..ohllgutlon o our oustomers by effecting n Bitb an- a . . . ... 11.11. . . l . it i t uni-reiiuciiou :u uio pneo oi.ovory ariieio wo evil, wuwro iu u u; manly possible to do so. Wo enn not control tho prices In thq wholosnlo innrkots, bu v can nnd will continuo.to rugulnto our own profits iu such a nut net thnt oufjtomcra will not only bo amply protected, but will bo actually favored In ovey Biilo we make. Wo hnvo no well rounded nnd glowing effulgence of thanks to hand you In a choice exhibition or rhetoric, but wo do offer you our slucoro gratitude for your putronngo of tho pnst year. It will t our plonsuro to servo you ovon tuoro acceptably in tho year to come. v iv ' i Burns Cash Store Ladies' Monogram Stationery Herej