The DESTROYING
r .1, By Louis Joseph Vance
CAN YOU SOLVE LOVE'S PUZZLE?
What It love, anyhow? It It, In the case of husband and wife,
respect and admiration of certain spiritual qualities? Or, In your ex
perlence, Is It pure physical attraction between a certain man and a
certain woman with respect and admiration as side lights?
Do you believe that an Intelligent woman would love enough to
live with him, the man who years previously had married her Just
to save her good name as a girl and then had disappeared? That It
the problem confronting Sara Law, the great actress, In "The Destroy
Ing Angel."
Hugh Whltaker, you remember, was given Just six months to
live, by eminent surgeons. He discovered a decent young woman In
trouble her honor at stake. "One good deed before I go," he said;
"I'll marry this frightened child, and give her my respectable name.
Then I'll go off somewhere and wait for the end." This he did and
five years later turned up In New York from Australia, prosperous
and healthy, and started a hunt for the gtrl.wlfe of other days.
He discovers her In Sara Law, and mutual recognition across
the footlights stops a play. Martin Ember, former detective, comet
to Whltaker and tells amazing facts. A big mystery looms in this Installment
CHAPTER VII Continued.
"And you found her and told Drum
mond ?"
Whltnkcr leaned over the tnble,
studying the mini's face with Intense
Interest.
"No and yes. I found Sirs. Whit
ufc.er. I didn't report to Drummond."
"But why In heaven's name?"
Ember smiled somberly at the droop
ing ash of his cigar. "There were sev
eral reasons. In the first place 1 didn't
have to: I had asked no retainer from
Drummond. and I rendered no bill:
what I had found out was mine, to
keep or to sell, as I chose. I chose not
to sell because well, because Mrs.
Whltaker begged me not to."
"Ah!" Whltaker breathed, sitting
back. "Why?"
"This was all of a year, I think,
after your marriage. Mrs. Whltaker
had tasted the sweets of Independence
and got the habit. She had adopted
a profession looked upon with nbhor
rence by her family. She was already
successful In a small way, had little
need of the money she would get ns
claimant of your estnte. She enlisted
my sympathy, and I held my tongue."
"That was decent of you."
The man bowed a quiet acknowledg
ment. "I thought you'd think so.
. . . There was a third reason."
He paused, until Whltaker encour
aged him with a "Yes?"
"Mr. Whltaker" the query came
point-blank "do you love your wife?"
Whltaker caught Ms breath. "What
right !" he began, and checked ab
ruptly. The blood darkened his lean
cheeks.
"Mrs. Whltaker gave me to under
stand that you didn't. It wasn't hard
to perceive, everything considered, that
your motive was pure chivalry quix
otism. I should like to go to my grave
with anything half ns honorable and
unselfish to my credit."
"I beg your pardon." Whltaker mut
tered thickly.
"You don't, then?"
"Love her? No."
There was a Might pause. Then, "I
do," said this extraordinary man, meet
ing Whltaker's guze openly. "I do,"
he repeated, flushing In his turn, "but
. . . hopelessly . . . However,
that was the third reason," he pursued
In a more level volet "I thought you
ought to know about It that Induced
me to keep Sara Law's secret. . . .
I loved her from the day I found her.
She has never looked twice at me.
. . . But that's why I never lost In
terest." "You mean," Whltaker took hlra up
diffidently "you continued to ah ?"
"Court her as we say? No." Em
ber's shoulders, lifting, emphasized the
disclaimer. "I'm no fool. I have had
the sense not to Invite the thunderbolt.
She doesn't know It, unless Max told
her against my wish ; but It was I who
Induced him to bring her before tho
public, four years ago, as Joan Thurs
day. Since then her destiny has been
rather too big a thing for me to tam
per with; but I've watched and won
dered, sensing forces at work about
her of which even sho was unsus
picious." "What In blazes do you mean?"
Whltaker demanded, mystified.
"Did It strike you to wonder at the
extraordinary mob hor furewell per
formance attracted tonight?"
"Why yes. It struck mo as rather
unusual. But then, Mux had done
nothing but tell mo of her tremendous
popularity."
"That alone, great ns It Is, wouldn't
have brought bo many peoplo together
to stare at the outside of a theater.
Tho magnet was something stronger
tho morbid curiosity of New York.
Those peoplo wero waiting, thrilled
with expectancy, on tiptoe for tho sen
sation that presently came to them:
tho report of Druramond's death."
"What tho devil I"
"Patience I This Is tho third time It
bus happened tho samo thing, prac
pcally: Sara Law on tho verge of
leaving the stage to marry, n fatal ac
cident Intervening. Did Max by any
chance mention the nlcknamo New
York has bestowed on Sara Law?"
"Nickname? No!"
"They cull her The Destroying
Angel.' "
"What rot !"
"Yes; but what coincidence. Threo
men loved her nnd one by ono they
died. And now the fourth. Do you
wonder . . .?"
"Oh. but The Destroying Angel' 1"
Whltnker cried Indignantly. "How can
they blamo her?"
"It Isn't blume It's superstition.
Listen . . ."
Kmber bent forwnrd, holding Whit
aker's gaze with Intent, grnvo eyes.
'The first time," he said In a rapid un
dertone, "was a year or so nfter her
triumph ns Joan Thursday. Thero
were then two men openly Infatuated
with her, n boy named Custer, nnd n
man I believe you knew William
Hamilton."
"I knew them both."
"Custer was mnklng the pace; tho
announcement of his engagement to
Sara Law was confidently anticipated.
He died suddenly; the coroner's Jury
decided that he had misjudged the In
tentions of n loaded revolver. Peoplo
whispered a suicide, but It didn't look
quite like that to me. However
. . . Hamilton stepped Into his
place. Presently we heard that Sarn
Law was to marry him and leuve tho
stnge. Humlltnn had to go abroad on
business; on tho return trip tho wed
ding was set for the day nfter he land
ed here he disappeared, no one knew
how. Presumably he fell overboard
by accident one night; sane men with
everything In the world to live for do
such tilings, you know nccordlng to
the newspapers."
"I understand you. I'lease go on."
"Approximately eighteen months
Inter n man named Thurston Mitchell
Thurston was considered n dangerous
aspirant for the hand of Sara Law. Ho
was exceedingly well fixed In a money
way a sort of dilettantish architect,
with offices In the Metropolitan tower.
One day at high noon he left his desk
to go to lunch at Martin's; crossing
Madison square, he suddenly fell dead,
with a bullet In his brnln. It was a
rifle bullet, but though the square was
crowded, no one had heard tho report
of the shot, and no one was seen car
rying n rifle. The conclusion was that
he had been shot by somebody using n
gun with a Maxim silencer, from a
window on the south side of tho
square. There were no clues."
"And now Drummond I" Whltnker
exclaimed In horror. "Poor fellow 1
Poor woman !"
A slightly sardonic expression modi
fled the lines of limber's mouth. "So
far ns Mrs. Whltaker Is concerned,"
he said with the somewhat pedantic
mode of speech which Whltaker was to
learn to associate with his moments of
most serious concentration "I echo
the sentiment. But let us suspend
Judgment on Drummond's case until
we know more. It Is not as yet an es
tablished fart that he Is dead."
"You mean tliere's hope "
"There's doubt," Kmber corrected
acidly "doubt, at least, In my mind.
You see, I saw Drummond In tho flesh,
allvo and vigorous, a good half hour
after he Is reported to huvo leaped to
his death,"
"Where?"
"Coming up tho stnlrs from tho
downtown subway station In front of
tho Park Avenue hotel. Ho wore a
hat pulled down over his eyes and an
old overcoat buttoned tight up to his
chin. Ho was cnrrylng u satchel bear
ing tho Initials C. H. D., but was other
wise pretty thoroughly disguised, and,
I fancied, anxious enough to cscapo
recognition."
"You're positive about this?"
"Tho mun was Carter 8. Drummond.
I don't think I can ho mistaken."
"Which way did ho go?"
'Toward tho Pennsylvania station, I
fancy; that Is, he turned west through
ANGEL
&$3I&84$-
Thirty-third street. I didn't follow I
was getting Into taxi when I caught
sight of him."
"But what did you think to seo him
disguised? Didn't It strlko you ns
curious?"
"Very," said Kmber dryly. "At tho
samo time, It was none of my affair
then. Nor did It present Itself to mo
ns a matter worth meddling with until,
Inter, my suspicions wero aroused by
tho scene In the theater obviously tho
result of your appearand) there and
still later, when I heard tho suicide, re
port." "But" Whltaker passed n hand
across his dazed eyes. "What can It
mean? Why should he do this Ihlng?"
"Thero are several possible explana
tions. . . . How long has Drum
mond known (hat you nro alive?"
"Slnco noon today."
"May I ask, what was tho extent of
your property In his trust?"
"A couple of hundred thousands."
"Ami ho believed you dead and wna
unable to find your widow , . ,"
"Oh, I don't think that I" Whltnker
expostulated.
"Nor do I. We're merely consider
ing possible explanations. Tliere's n
third . . ."
"Well?"
"Ho mny have received a strong hint
that ho wns nntuluntcd for tho fate
that overtook young Custer, Hamilton
and Thurston; and so planned to give
his disappearance the color of a simi
lar end."
"You don't mean to sny you think
thero wns any method In that train of
tragedies?"
"I'm not In the lenst superstitious,
my dear man. I don't for an Instant
believe, as some people claim to, that
Sara Law Is a destroying angel, hound
ed by a tragic fate: that her lovu Is
equivalent to tho death warrant of
Uio man who wins It."
"But what do you think, then?"
"I think," said Kmber slowly, his
gate on the table, "that someono with
a very strong Interest In keeping tho
young woman single and on tho
stnge"
"Max! Impossible!"
Kmber shrugged. "In human nnturo
no madness Is Impossible. Tliere's not
n shred of evidence against Jules Max.
And yet he's a gambler. All theatri
cal managers are, of course; but Max
Is n card-llcnd. The tale of his plung
ing runs llko wlldflro up and down
Broadway, day by day. A dozen times
he's been on the verge of ruin, yet
always lie has had Sara Law to rely
upon; always he's been able to fall
back upon that asset, suro that her
popularity would stave olt bankruptcy.
And he's superstitious: he believes she
Is his mascot. I don't accuse him I
suspect him, knowing him to bo ca
pable of many weird extrnvngances.
. . . Furthermore, It's a fact that
Max was a fellow-passenger with Billy
EXIST IN PRIMITIVE EASE
Pueblo Indians Live In Exactly tho
Same Manner as Have Genera
tions of Ancestors.
Perhaps tho most unique settlement
In tho United States Is tho Pueblo In
dian village, located In Arizona, ob
serves the Christian Herald. This vil
lage comprises 1,000 pcaceablo Indians,
whose sole and nlmost only aim In llfo
Is to secure a livelihood ns easily as
possible. This settlement Is located In
tho hottest section of tho state, but
tho excessive heat Is not uncomfort
able to these people, whoso ancestors
hnve lived In that desert section for
unnumbered generations. Wnstes of
burning sand stretch for miles and
miles on every sldo of this village.
A peculinr thing about this peoplo is
that they havo two distinct villages.
Tho summer village Is located upon tho
floor of tho valley, where tho Pueblos
occupy themselves In agriculture. Tho
produce they raise, over what they
need to eat during theso hot months,
Is stored away for winter use. Thero
aro only a few places In that section
of tho desert whero water Is obtain
able, and In theso places tho Pueblos
pursuo their prlmltlvo agriculture.
Seasons como nnd sensons go, but as
each goes by It sees theso peoplo living
as they did during tho preceding one.
Hlnco tho white man first know of this
colony, which was back In tho six
teenth century, tho habits of this trlho
have not changed. They eat tho samo
kind of food, do tho samo sort of fancy
work and llvo Just ns did their ances
tors. So fur as Is known to historians,
this Is tho oldest colony of any kind In
this country.
Crude Musical 8ense,
"That boy of yours Is constantly
whistling."
"Yes. He carries u tuno much bet
ter than his sister, who Is learning to
play the piano, nnd doesn't cost me ft
cent for lessons."
Hamilton when tho latter disappeared
In mtdocoan."
Kmber paused nnd sat up, prepara
tory to rising. "All of which," ho con
cluded, "explnlim why I havo tres
passed upon your pnllenco and your
privacy. It Hoentcd only right thai you
should got tho straight, undlstortwl
story from an unprejudiced onlooker.
May I venture to add a word of ad
vice?" "By nil means."
"Have you told Max of your rela
tions with Sara Law 7"
"No."
"Or anybody clso?"
"No."
'Then keep (ho truth to yourself l
"They Call Her The Destroying An
gel.' "
least until this coll Is straightened
out."
Kmber got up. "Good night," n
snld pleasantly.
Whltaker took his hand, staring.
"Good night," ho echoed blankly. "Bat
I say why keep It quiet?"
Kmber, turning to go, paused. Ml
glanco quietly quizzical. "You doat
mean to claim your wlfo?"
"On tho contrary, I expect to offei
no defense to her action for divorce"
"Grounds of desertion?"
"I presume so."
"Just the same, keep It ns quiet m
possible until the divorce Is granted.
If you live till then . . . you maj
possibly continue to llvo thereafter."
What Is your opinion of this
Drummond suicide report? Do
you believe the man Is dead If
he Isn't, why the effort to create
the suicide Impression? Is Drum
mond a thief or a madman?
iTO 1113 CONTINUED.)
HAD LONG LIST OF TROUBLES
And Woman Reported Them All to Un
fortunate Listener In the Tele
phone Department
Tho family had not had their tele
phono very long, says tho Southwestern
Telephone News, and everyone took a
deep and abiding Interest In It, On
tho outside of tho directory they had
noted tho words, "Trouble, call No,
4217."
It had been a hard morning and ev
erything had gone wrong. Finally th
lady of the houso In desperation turned
to her trusty telephone and culled -1217,
'This Is the trouble department," an
swered tho operator sweetly.
"Is this where you report your troa
blesl" asked tho lady,
"Yes, ma'am."
"Well, I only want to report thnt our
cat got drowned In tho clsteni this
morning, tho baby Is cutting a now
tooth, tho cook left without warning;
wo nro out of sugar and starch; th
stovepipe fell down; tho mllkmun left
only n pint Instead of a quart today;
tho bread won't raise; my oldest child
Is coming down with tho measles; the
plumbing In the cellar leaks; wo have
only enough coal to last through to
morrow; tlii) paint guvo out when I got
only half over the dining room floor;
tho mainspring of the clock Is broken;
my threo sisters-in-law aro coming to
visit tomorrow; llin man has not called
for tho garbage for two weeks; our
dog has the iiiungu; tho looking glass
fell off tho, wull a whllo ago and broke
to pieces; nnd I think that my husband
Is taking considerable notice of a wid
ow lately that lives next door. That's
all today, but If anything happens later
I'll cull you up and tell you about It."
Clothing Cleanser.
Glycerin, one ounco ; sulphuric acid,
ono ounco; methyl alcohol, ono ounce;
aqua ammonia, four ounces; cattllt
soap, one ounce. When dissolved add
sufficient water to make two quarts.
Half Bathrobes.
Two women worn shopping In o
Washington -street department storo,
Ono stopped Hi front of n price card
which read, "Jlnlf llnthroboa."
"Well, whal'ilo you think ot that?"
sho said to- hor companion. "Halt
bathrobes! Wonder It thoy cut thorn
In two?"
"Woll, If they .do I don't wiuit thorn.
A whole ono for mo every llino," ro
piled tho other woman, Indianapolis
Newt.
A WOMAN'S BURDENS
IN THIS WAR
JCvery woman's burdens ar lightened
when aha turns to the right medicine. It
hor existence Is made Bloomy by the
chronic weakness, delicate derange
merlin, and painful disorders that afflict
tier sex, he will find relief and emanci
pation from her trouble In Dr. I'lerce'a
Favorite Prescription. If ahe'a over
worked, nervous, or "run-down," ahe
Nnda new life and strength. It'a a power
ful, Invigorating tonlo and nervine which
wna discovered and uacd by an eminent
physician for many years In all cases of
"feinnle complaints" and weakneaa. For
young- girls Just entering womanhood:
for women at the critical "change of life;"
In bearing-down aeiiiatlone, periodical
lnln, ulceration. Inflammation, And every
kindred ailment, the "Favorite Preemp
tion" will benefit or cure.
The "Jrecrlitlon" contains no alcohol,
and la sold In tablet or liquid form. Head
loo to lr fierce, Invalids' Hotel, Iluffalo,
N. Y., for large trial phg. Adv.
No Doubt About It
"It's tough when a girl murrlon a
worthless man."
"And modern llfo has Introduced an
other anglo."
"What Is that?"
"It's tougher when nho gives up a
good Job." Kansas City Journal.
For Constipation, Illllousnoas, Liver
and Kldnoy troubles, tako Garfield
Tea. Adv.
The Human DeasL
"It Is a pity that a man spouting on
a voxed question can't do as tho whales
do In similar action."
"What do you mean?"
"Tho whales, you know, always pour
oil upon tho water."
LISTEN TO THIS! .
SAYS CORNS LIFT
RIGHT OUT NOW
You corn lumiuruU uiuu and women
need suffer no longer. Wear tho shoes
that nearly killed you before, says
this Cincinnati authority, bocauso a
few drops of froezonn applied directly
on a t under, aching corn or callous
stops sorouons at once and soon tho
corn or hardened callous loosens no It
can bo lifted out, root and all, with
out pain.
A small bottlo of freozono costs
vory little at any drug store, but will
positively tako off every hard or soft
corn or callous. This should bo trlod
as It Is Inexpensive and Is satd not
to Irritate tho surrounding skin.
If your druggist hasn't any froczono
tell him to get a small bottlo for you
from his wholeaalo drug houso. It Is
flno stuff nnd acta llko a charm ovory
tlino. Adv.
Trained.
"Miss Strongmlnd says she doesn't
Intend to marry until after tho war,
and then sho'll marry only a soldier."
"Why a soldlor?"
"Ilccauso bur husband will thon
know tho valuo of Implicit obedlonco."
Doston Transcript
Friends.
"A dog Is man's best friend."
"Well," replied tho prudent citizen,
"considering tho prlco ot ham and
eggs, a pig and a lion must bo vory
comforting, oven If thoy'ro n so so
ciable." Washington 8tar.
To Dyspeptics: Othors havo found
a steady courso of Garfield Tea a
pleasant means of regaining health.
Why not you? Adv.
Last Resource.
"My dear, tho doctor says I'm In
need of a llttlo change"
"Thon ask him to glvo It to you.
Ho's got tho last of mine." Exchango.
Career of Perfection.
About tho host pralso that & man
can get Is to como to tho end of hlo
llfo and still bo tho man his wlfo Is
glad that sho married. Detroit Free
Press.
The Modern Method.
Walter What will you havo, sir?
Dlnor Oh, bring mo an assortment
ot protolns, fats and carbohydrates I
loavo It to you, Honry, say about 800
calorics. Ilrooklyn Cltlzon.
Cuticara Soap
Ideal For Baby'sSldn
COUGHING
KKff oUie" VdhorU yen. Kellers threat
Irritation awl tlcklinr.and set rid of cent In,
ceWsand lioareeaees by laklag at once
PISO'S