Just jp
a Littlef n
i.
tired
.rol My;
eveiy.
moriiing f
Cci po.'sons out of the system with
Feon-s-mlat, the Chewing Oum Lax a.
live. Hinnller doses effective when
taken In this form. A modern, scien
tific, family laxative. Hafo and mlld
By J. S. FLETCHER
Illustrations by IRWIN MYERS
, by Alfred A. Knor, Ino.)
W. N. U. Servlcs
fie Mara
THE STORY
Mervjrn Holt Is enftssed by a
man calling himself MuiarolT a
traveling companion. After a
ihort tour they put up at the
Woodcock Inn on Marras.lale
moor. They meet, caaually, Mrs.
Elphtnstonc and Sheila M ere M -on,
Mainrolt tells Holt they are
hla wife and daughter and that
hi real nam Is Merchlson. That
night M a in r oft falls to return to
the Inn and his disappearance la
unexplained. Holt meets Sheila
and tells ber of Maiarofts disnp
pearance. Holt is questioned by
IV! Ice Sergeant Manners and a
reporter, Bownns. Mai.iroft's
murdered body la found. Crole,
Mai.irotf'a lawyer, and May.
thorne, private detective, arrive.
Valuable diamonds that MaiarolT
usually carried are miming, A
gun, stolen from Musrave, Is
found at the scent of the mur
der. Evidence at the Inquest
proves MatarcfT was Merchiaon.
His will leaves all to Holt Her
man Kloop, close friend of Ma
saroft la In London. Prom him
It Is learned that Masaroff pos
sessed two remarkable diamonds.
CHAPTER V Continued
9
t "Well, about a month or five weeks
l apo, I was called to the telephone
' one afternoon, and found Sir Samuel
peaking to me. He wanted me to go
round to Tark lane there and then,
- to look at and estimate the value of a
diamond that had been offered to him.
i found Sir Samuel and I-ady Loeke
In their library: they had with them
t stranger whose appearance, as I
recollect It, corresponds with the de
scription of Mazaroff given in the
newspapers I particularly remember
the cast In the left eye. He was not
Introduced to me by name. It ap
peared that the stranger was one who
was Interested In diamonds In a large
way, had heard of Sir Samuel and his
wife as possible buyers, and was will
ing to sell them something of very
special value; to wit, a remarkable
pair of blue diamonds, of which he had
one 1q his pocket It was this that
I was asked to see. He told me that
It was one cf a pair the other was
equally fine. He further said that he
bad been In the diamond trade for
some years. In South Africa, had now
retired, and this would be his last
deal. What the Loekes wanted to pet
at was what were the two diamonds
worth? The would be vendor and my
self had a good deal of talk about the
matter. He was very fair and reason
Bile, and he and I eventually came to
;, a decision as to a proper price for
the pair."
-And what might that be?" asked
. Croie, eagerly.
"Weil," answered Frobenlus, "we
agreed that a fair price would be a
hundred and sixty thousand pounds."
Crole let out an exclamation of as
tonishment, "One hundred and sixty thousand
pounds! for a couple of diamonds!"
he said. "Whew ! fiat's a bit excep
tional, isn't It?"
. "You have to bear In mind that the
diamonds are exceptional," answered
Frobenlus. "The sum we agreed upon
was a reasonable price not an ex
travagant one."
"And what happened?" asked May
thome. "Wus the deal carried out?"
"That I do not know," replied Fro
benius. "I perceived that after having
agreed with the seller as to what
would be a fair price, my part was
played, and I It'ft seller and buyer
talking the matter over."
"You've heard nothing since?" In
quired Crole.
"Nothing. I haven't seen Sir Sam
uel Loeke, nor Lady Loeke, since that
afternoon," said the Jeweler. "And of
course I haven't seen the blue diamond
man. Hut I feel sure that he was the
man who Is referred to In the news
papers as Mazaroff."
"I don't think there's much doubt
about that," assented Crole. "Well,
now, we'd better get in touch- with
these Loeke people," he continued,
glancing at me and Maythorne. "l'ark
lane, you said?"
t Mr. Frolwriius gave us the exact ad
dress of, Kir Samuel Loeke and left
us. Crole add I, as If by common Im
pulse, locked at our companion.
"Well?" said Crole. "What's May
thorne asking himself?"
Maythorne looked up from a pattern
which he was mechanically tracing on
the tablecloth.
"Only one thing to ask at present,"
he said. "Did Mazaroff sell those dia
monds to Sir Samuel Loeke? If he
didn't"
"Well?" demanded Crole.
"Then, In that ease, Armlntrade's
got them in my opinion. And the
job will be to prove that he has!
Where have we got the slightest clew
to what we want to establish that
he and Mazaroff Diet on that first day
after Mazaroff and Holt arrived at
the Woodcock? liut we're getting at
something and It all points to Ar
tnliitradc. Now let's see this Sir Sam
uel man and get a step further."
We chartered a taxlcab and were
driven to l'ark lane, where we pulled
Up In front of an Imposing mansion,
at the door of which we were encoun
tered by footmen whose liveries were
rather more gorgeous than the usuul
run of things In that way. The room
Into which we were ushered after we
had sent In our cards looked as If
some very high-class upholsterer had
been given carte blanche to wreak his
own will and fancy on It. A little,
apple-cheeked, rotund man, who wore
mutton-chop whiskers and a ready
smile came bustling In, a big half
smoked cigar in one pudgy hand.
"I know what you chaps have come
fori" he exclaimed, beaming from one
to the other of us. "This Mazaroff
affair! I've read It all In the papers,
and your names, too, same as what I
see on your cards Just so. Now
then, what's It all about, gentlemen?
It's a queer business I think what?"
"You're aware of It, then. Sir Sam
uel?" suggested Crole. "Well up In
things as far as they've gone?"
"Who Isn't?" exclaimed Sir Samuel.
,'Teen plenty In the papers, anyway.
Of course me and her ladyship's read
all we could set our eyes to. It was
only this morning she says to me,
'Sam!' she says, 'as sure as fate some
body'll be coming to us about this here
affair!' And there you are! Hut
I'll tell you what come this way, gen
tlemen, and then her ladyship can
hear all you've got to say."
We followed Sir Samuel out of the
cold grandeurs of our first haven Into
the less formal and more comfortable
harbor of another and smaller room,
where we found Lady Loeke. She
was as rotund as her husband; her
dress was of the latest fashion, and
she had many rings on her fingers, and
It struck me that she was somewhat
sharper of Intellect than Sir Samuel,
not quite so open, and Infinitely more
watchful.
"Of course I knew we should have
Inquiries made here," she observed.
In a slightly affected tone. "I said so,
this morning, to Sir Samuel."
"As I've Just told 'em," said Sir
Samuel. "Though, to be sure, I've no
Idea as yet as to how they got here.
Nobody knows about our transactions
with Mazaroff outside ourselves so
far as I know. Of course, Mazaroff
may have talked. Hut now how did
you come to hear of us?"
"My dear Sir Samuel," replied Crole,
solemnly, "there are mysteries within
mysteries! A man of your position,
and your knowledge of the world will
understand me when I say that is a
big thing. You've already -ead a good
deal about It now, to be brief, what
can you tell us?"
Sir Samuel settled himself to a
chair.
"Weil," he said, with a glance at
Lady Loeke. This Mr. Mazaroff called
here one day Just as you've done
and Introduced himself ns a man that
had had big dealings In diamonds and
the like In South Africa. He'd heard,
so he told us, of Lady Locke as a like
ly purchaser of something exceptional
in diamonds, and he'd thought she'd
like to see a particularly fine bit of
property that he'd got In that line o'
goods. Then he told me It was a pair
of very fine and rare blue diamonds,
and he produced one."
"Only one?" Inquired Maythorne.
"Only one. The other," continued
Sir Samuel, "he said was In the ihis
sesslon of his agent, a Mr. Armintrade,
of Courthope'g bunk, who was Just
then away holiday making In Nor
tbumberlund. He said he should be see
ing Mr. Armintrade very soon, and he
would get the fellow diamond from
him"
"Unless!" Interrupted Lady Loeke.
"There was an 'unions' about It."
"So there was," admitted Sir Sam
uel. "Yes unless Armintrade had got
a definite offer from some other cus
Lessening Aversion to
Children's aversion to music lessons,
entailing long hours of practice for
many months, can be overcome by
making them familiar at an early age
with musical toys, according to Frank
II. Klchardson, M. D., In Woman's
Home Companion.
"Many families have found the ap
proach to a real appreciation and love
of music Is made easier by having the
simpler musical Instruments around
where they can be picked up and
played casually even before formal
lessons have begun," says Iioctor Illeh
ardson. "Such simple things as the
fife, flageolet and piccolo; the banjo,
mandolin or even the humble ukulele;
the xylophone or hells will often tempt
not only the child but also the guest
In the homo.
"Improvised ensembles prove de
lightful ways of teaching children
First Fireplaces Wr Wooden
Many of the first fireplaces were
built of wood, and plastered over on
the Inside with a sort f mud mortar.
These early crude fireplaces were huge
things, nnd unquestionably li Is from
them we got our sto ry of Santa Clans
and the chimney Certainly he would
have had no difficult coming down
those early flues. In fart, they were
provided with steps on the Inside In
order that the man of the houe rutiM
patch the cracks In the planter with
new mud. Successful Farming.
tomer Armintrade, he said, had had
the first blue diamond lu his posses
sion for some months and might have
found an advantageous customer for
the pair."
"Then you didn't buy?" asked May
thorne. "No we didn't buy,"1 replied Sir
Samuel, "What we did was this I
telephoned our regular Jeweler, Fro
benius, and got him to come hero and
examine the diamond that Mazaroff
had with him. They agreed that a
reasonable price for such a pair of
blue diamonds would be a hundred
and sixty thousand pounds. After Fro
benius had gone, Mazaroff and I came
to this agreement If his agent, Ar
mintrade, hadn't got a better offer, or
made some arrangement to which they
were committed, Mazaroff was to get
the second blue diamond from Armin
trade, and, on his return to London,
VV' 1 WW
hm$m
"Unless!" Interrupted Lady Leeks.
Thert Was an 'Unless About It."
show me and her ladyship the pair.
If then we decided to buy, we were to
have the pair at the price I've Just
mentioned to you. And of course,
that's where It ended. We've never
seen the diamonds since."
"Did you ever see Mazaroff after that
first call?" asked Maythorne.
"Oh, yes, we did!" answered Sir
Samuel, readily enough, "lie was a
very friendly, sociable pleasant sort
of man, and we asked him to come
and dine with us."
"Had you any other guests, Sir Sam
uel?" Maythorne askeiL
"No, we hadn't, that night," replied
Sir Samuel. "Leastwise, there was
her ladyship's nephew, young Jim
Mallison hut we don't reckon him a
guest Nobody else."
"And you never saw him again after
that?" asked Maythorne. "Never met
him anywhere about London?"
"No never saw nor heard of him
again," replied Sir Samuel. "L'util
we saw all this In the papers."
"Your nephew, Mr. James Mallison,
I think you said," remarked May
thorne. "Did you ever hear him men
tion seeing Mazaroff In town after
that dinner?"
Sir Samuel looked at his wife,
"I never heard Jim mention that,"
he answered. "To be sure, Jim knocks
about a good deal In fashionable
places, and so on he's away Ju;;t now,
Formal Music Lessons
good fellowship and freeing them from
the embarrassment so overpowering
In children whose only contact with
strangers has been formal.
"Many a child who would have been
repelled at first by the technical diffi
culties of the violin or piano, has
come happily to these more difficult
musical Instruments by way of their
humbler and more easily mastered
brothers In the musical family."
Burled With His Fi. Wives
In a country town not more than
ten miles from Springfield, III., Is a
cemetery near the roadside whose an
cient stones, moss-covered and weather-beaten,
attract the passerby who
may be Interested In curious epitaphs.
In the center of one lot Is a large
monument on which Is Inscribed:
"Here lies John Jones, aged ninety
two. At rest." On the side of the
monument are five smnll stones ex
actly alike, each bearing the name of
a woman and date of death and each
having this Inscription: "I'.eloved wife
of John Jones." Springfield Itepub
llcan. "Eternal Light"
The llluinliiatlon used in the "Eter
nal Light" In New York city Is pro
cured through the electric lights. Tliese
llf-hts are attached to circuits con
nected In such a manner that If or e
falls another automatically will bg'n
functioning.
or ho could tell you himself. Hut 1
never heard him speak of meeting Maza
roff again did you, Maria?"
"No I never heard him say any
thing of that," replied Lady Loeke.
We had a little more conversation
with this worthy couple, and then left
them, I was anxious to get out of the
house: I had nil ntiuouncemcttt to
make which I could not make before.
"I say!" I exclaimed, seizing my
companion's elbows. "You remember
that this morning 1 spoke of seeing
Mazaroff In conversation with a man
who was a stranger to me, but whom
Mazaroff evidently knew? Well
there's a photograph of that man
the very man 1 on Ijtdy I.oeke's man
telpiece I"
Tlu two men stopped, staring at
mo Crole with an ordinary glare of
surprise, but Maythorne with a sudden
flash of the eye and an alertness that
I had never noticed before In him: It
was as If my remark had acted as an
illumination.
'That's the man I saw talking to
Mazaroff at Huntingdon and again at
York," I asserted. "I recognized the
photograph Instantly."
The probability Is that that's the
nephew we heard about Mallison,"
said Maythorne. "Let's see he was
referred to as Lady !,oeke's nephew
and Sir Samuel spoke of him us
knowing his way about town pretty
weil. Now thou, where are we?
Mallison, according to what we've Juht
heard, met Mazaroff at Locke's house.
Mallison heard about, and saw, one of
the blue diamonds. If the photograph
Is that of Mallison, as you ex sort,
Holt, Mallison Is the man to whom
you saw Mazaroff talking first at
Huntingdon and then at York. So
docs Mallison know anything about
this affair? That's to find out when
we can come across Mallison."
lie paused for a moment In the
middle of the sidewalk, hands plunged
In bis trousers pockets, eyes stating
at the pavement Suddenly he looked
up, signaled to a passing taxirah, and
motioned us tu follow him Into It.
"Come to my offce," he said. "I've
a chap there my confidential clerk
who possesses one of the sharpest
brains and most retentive memories
In F.urope. He'll know!"
Muythoroe's office was In Conduit
Street, so we were there In a few
minutes. At each end of the room we
entered stood a table desk; at that at
the further end sat, when wo walked
In, a young mnn who would have at
tracted my attention wherever I had
met him. He was a smallish sized
chap, and his thlnuish person wns ar
rayed In a tweed suit of very large
checks; he wore a hunting stock In
stead of an ordinary collar, and Its
folds were gathered together by a gold
horseshoe ( In: he might. Indeed, have
been a head stable hoy as far as this
sort of thing went I ut he had the
sharpest and queerest pair of blue
eyes I have ever seen; the most In
quisitive nose, and the strukhtest line
of Hp above the squarest and most
obstinate of chins and yet these
things were not, severally or collec
tively, the most remarkable of his
features. The thing that one's eye
went to first was the fellow's red hair
absolutely, genuinely red, h veritable
flame of color. I don't know what
Crole thought of him he had doubt
less seen him before, perhaps often
but my own mind Immediately crys
tullzed Its Impressions Into a word at
sight of the vivid poll, the sharp nose,
the general aspect of ready watchful
ness : f erret I
"Cottlngley !" Mnythonie said, going
straight to the subject without preface.
"Do we know the name Mallison?"
I saw a swift flash of light In the
red headed one's queer eyes It was
as If a lamp had suddenly been lighted
Somewhere behind them.
"We do! Mallison. James Multi
son." The creature's voice was as odd as
his appearance. It was a sort of sub
dued falsetto piping. Maythorne
nodded,
"I thought you'd remember, Cot
tlngley. In whnt connection, now?"
"Welmlnster square affair. No di
rect connection with him. One of
our clients was In It, though. ' Malli
son his name was In the list. Mem
orized It James Mallison no occu
pation. Address Park lane. Lady
Looke's nephew that's who Malli
son Is."
"And that Welmlnster square affair,
Cottlngley? Gambling business wasn't
itr
"Police rold In a private gambling
bouse In Welmlnster square. About
three or four months ago. Thirty or
forty arrests. Mallinon was one of
the men on the premise's. If you re
member, one of our clients was there
cntne to you In n blue funk. Noth
ing! Like the scrai-book?"
Maythorne nodded his head and he'd
out a hand, and the clerk, turning to
a big table that stood In the center
of the room, took up a solidly hound
volume which proved to contain news
paper cuttings, and with almost un
ennny celerity found a page line'
handed the book over. Ma.vthorni
glanced at the extract, and tier
twisted the volume toward Cf
arid nie,
tTO OK CONTINUED) ; ,
WOULD BE BETTER SWIMMER
A clergyman went out with a boat
man to try his luck at deep sen fish
lug. They were a long way from short
when a sudden squall blew up which
seemed likely to overwhelm the small
craft
"I wish i had been a better man,"
groaned the boat man, as he strove at
his oars.
"And 1 wish I bud been a better
swimmer," remarked (ho clergyman,
thoughtfully.
QUIET AND PLEASANT
"You say you ve had a very quiet
and pleasant time at home lately?"
"Yes; my wife and I don't speak.'
Obstruction
Tou'll always Had a taction
That Is hard to understand.
Who irltlclsrs action
When It ought to lend a band.
Wins on Hot Tip
HIgglns Hullo, Matthews, old chap I
I hear you bucked I'erfect Fool at the
races the other day and made a smalt
fortune.
Matthews Yes, I didn't do badly.
"How did you spot the winner?"
"Oh. they were the lust words my
wife said to me as I left the house."
Happy Boyhood
"Do you recall being a happy, bare
foot boy?"
"Not exactly," answered Farmer
Corntossel. "About the happiest days
I rememlK-r are those when I man
aged to get a new pair of shoes."
Washington Star.
Tht Test
Mrs, pester Are you sure tjda Is a
thoroughbred Huston terrier?
Mr. Fester Itensonnlily sure. Why?
Mrs. Pester 'Cause I tried him with
a plate of beans nnd he turned up his
nose at them.
Not So Welcome
"I said our ship would come In
this week. Was t correct?"
"Well, partly. My tuiury was
docked."
HOW LONG MARRIED
"So you are married? For how
long?"
"Well, let's see for about six
dresses, three huts and a half dozen
crying fits."
Harsh Esperience
A mamtirr 1 should hat to he
Of a grand Jury clinic,
For what I learned mlsht render m
Thenceforth a suffering cynic
Still Paliently Waiting
Mr. Knox I think some time during
his life a man's better-self coimom to
the surface. Jane.
Mrs. Knox Oh, I hope sol I have
been waiting for years and years for
yours to come to the surface, John.
A Safety Deposit
The I'restldlgltuteur - Hn, h!
Didn't know you had all that money
In your whiskers, did you?
Mr. buigbrush-Yes. I did. I hid
thut money there so my wife wouldn't
find It In my pockets hand It over.
Something Missing
Martin If you refuse lo marry nie
I II blow out my bruins.
Mabel Why, that's Impossible.
Martin-Perhaps you think thut I
haven't a pistol?
Mabel-Oh, no doubt you have a
plated.
Bad to Normalcy
Juko Did Jones get married at last?
Lew No; he told me he'd wait tin
times became more normal, mid I think
Mi ilt ny that time he will be mote uor
luui bliiiselL
i ft,
v!sr"ilSl OH
13L TMIClNUINi
FOR CONSTIPATION
Brutus Hero of Play
According to the general Judgment
of critics and actors, Unitus la tha
hero of the play "Julius Caemir," Ha
.speaks 7V.7 lines; Antony, ,11'? llne
Casalus, rs)7 lines, and Caesar, 1M
lines. Itlchard Hurbngo ftrt played
the role of Brutus,
iffliGf
A pain in the lower part of your
tack can torture you. Put not for
long", if you know Hayer Aspirin,
These harmless, pleasant tablets
take away the misery of lumbago,
rheumatism, neuralgia, headaches,
tooihaches, and systemic pains of
women. Krlir f comes promptly; is
complete. Genuine Aspirin cannot
depress the heart. Look fur tho
Bayer cross, thus:
Famous Pennant In Museum
The home bound pennant of th
hllttlctdilp Oregon, preserved In the
Naval Academy museum, Is 510 feet
long, representing one foot for every
man aboard the vewtcl at the time It
visited the Asiatic station nfler the)
Spanish-American wnr. The pennant
Is of silk, and was made by the
crew.
Dont
let constipation
ootsxfl vuur sviicm.
August t-kmer correct
Cfmatipstiun even stub
born rsre-amt like
mag;kt hetcns stum
ch, eilr liver. sili rt-
s-.iion. UUAKAH I bbU
All Druggists.
ONSTIPATION
Nation's Infancy
In 1775 the estimated populntlon of
the American colonies wus 2,is,fssl,
The population of the principal col
onies was: Massachusetts, OT.OU);
Pennsylvania, Sm.om; New York,
llsi.tsKJ; North Carolina, nmre than
2C.V"', ami Virginia, rsi.iss).
Airs,
A Sour
Stomach
In the same time It takes a dosa
of soda to bring a IHtlo temiwrary
relief of gas and aour stomach,
Phillips Milk of Magnesia has acid
ity completely checked, and the di
gestive organs all tramjulllied.
Once you have tried this form of
relief you will ceaso to worry about
your diet and experlenco a new
freedom In eating.
This pleasant preparation Is Just
ns good for children, too, Use It
whenever coated tonguo or fetid
breath signals need of n sweetener.
Physicians will tell you that every
spoonful of Phillips Milk of Mag
nesia neutralizes many times Its
volume In add. Oct tho genuine,
the nnrno Phillips U Important. s
Imitations do not net the snmol
HILOPS
Mile
of Magnesia
W. N. U., Portland, No. 21-1830.
r Mat wf
L0 fir '
m Sr SJ
For
ha
I X V r . k 1 SB. - SffYU
life