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" -■ — By CAROLYN WELLS =====
ZZI1 Author of “A Chain of Evidence,” “The Gold Bag,” ZZZI
-“The Clue,” “The White Alley,” Mr ,
CHAPTER XVI—Continued.
“And when you brought it to
her!”
“She merely took it and laid it
in a iir k ilrawcr without even un
wrapping the parcel. I never saw ;
it again till 1 saw it ’round her
neck.”
“And you do not think she
placed it. there herself!”
“I am sure she did not. The
only reason 1 can ascribe for her
wanting it is that she might have
thought her dread of them a fool
ish whim and determined to ac
custom herself to the sight of them
by means of the harmless toy.
That’s all I know about that
snake, Mr. Stone. But the truth,
as l have told it to you, is so
strange, so almost unbelievable,
that 1 knew it would only serve to
attract suspicion to me, so 1 de
nied it. You know Miss Frayne is
only waiting to pounce on it as
complete evidence of my guilt.”
“You and she are not good
friends?”
“We have never been really
friendly, though always polite on
the surface of things. But she is
jealous of me, and tried in every
possible way t.o undermine my
aunt's faith and trust in me, and
even plotted to have me disinher
ited and my fortune bequeathed to
herself.”
“An ambitious plan!”
“She is ambitious. She intends
to marry Mr. lfaviland, and she
Intended to have my half of the
Carrington money.”
“You don’t suspect her of the
crime!” and Fleming Stone
looked up quickly.
huspect is too strong a word.
But to me there seems room for
grave inquiries. I was in the hall
at tlie time she declares I was in
my aunt’s room——”
“Wait a moment, Miss Stuart,
isn’t, this a sort of deadlock? You
8a you were in the hall, Miss
Frayne says you wore in the bou
doir. Why should I believe one
in preference to the other?”
'j1 re was infinite sadness in
IV ’lire’s eyes ns she looked at her
quest inner.. “That is so,” she said,
Slowly; “why should you? I have
Oi ’,<• my unsupported word. Nor
fur,' Anita any witness. But, Mr.
Slone, I I bought & detective al
ways looked first of all for the
motive. What reason could I have
for- for killing my aunt?”
“ You put it pi alnly, Miss Stu
art, and I will reply In an equally
straightforward vein. The first
thing we detectives think of is a
Who will benefit by tho crime?"
Naturally, money benefit is first
thought of. The greatest money
benefit comes to you and your
cousin in Egypt. The nature of
the crime makes it impossible that
he could have committed it. There
is, however, a possibility of your
own connection with it, so we must
question you. But there are oth
ers who benefit in a pecuniary
way by the death of Miss Car
rington, so they, too, must bo ques
tioned. You surely see the jus
tice and the necessity of all this
investigation?”
“Oh, yes, and it seetns to me
also justice that you investigate
the story of Miss Frayne. She,
too, has only her own unsupported
word as to that conversation she
relutes. May she not have made
it all up?”
“She has a witness, Miss Stu
art, a credible witness. Mr. Havi
tand has told me that ho saw Miss
Frayne at the door of the boudoir
at about 1:15.”
“Gray saw her! He didn’t tell
me this. Mr. Stone, I -bate to speak
ill of another woman, but Miss
Frayne can really wind Gray Hav
iland ’round her finger, and I have
no doubt she has persuaded him to
give tliis evidence whether-”
“Whether it is true or not?”
“Yes, that is what I meant,
though I hated to say it.”
“Miss Stuart, it is often hard
to tell when a man speaks the
truth, but I have no reason to dis
believe Mr. Haviland’s statement.
He told quite circumstantially of
being up and down all night. He
was restless and wandered about
in several rooms during the small
hours. You know he told of see
ing the maid on the stairs* And he
gives me the impression of a truth
ML ’ ■/; Vk . .
17 '
ful witness who would not lie out
right even at the behest of a
woman in whom he is interested.” i
|
“Then they are going to suspect
me?” Pauline’s voice was so full
of despair that Fleming Stone
caught his breath as he looked at |
her. Her great eyes were wide
with fear, her hands were clenched
and her whole body tense with
horrified suspense.
“Give mo some good reasons
why you cannot be suspected,” he
cried, eagerly leaning forward in
his chair. “Give me some proof
that you were in the hall at that
moment, or that you were in your
own room, or-■ ”
“That, proves, Mr. Stone, that
you do suspect me! Your assump
tion that I could have been in my
own room shows that you do not
believe I was in the hall—as I
was.”
“Then why didn’t Miss Frayne
see you there?”
“How do you know she didn’t?
Why do you accept her words as
truth, yet disbelieve mine?” Paul
ine had risen now and stood be
fore him. Her tall slimness, her
wonderful grace and her beauti
ful, angry countenance made an
alluring picture. “I was not in
favor of your taking this case, Mr.
Stone, and I am even less so, now,
that you refuse to believe what I
say! I shall cable at once for my
cousin to return. I do not wish
Gray Ilaviland and Anita Frayne
to arraneg all this to suit them
selves. I am mistress here in Mr.
Loria’s absence, and if my author
ity is doubted I want him here to
stand up for me 1”
oust a moment, Miss Stuart.
You are not entirely just to me.
It is necessary for me to question
you, but you must see that your
innocence-—of which I have no
doubt—will be more easily estab
lished by a policy of frankness on
your part, than by futile anger to
ward Miss Pray no or Mr. Ilavi
laiid. The incident of the paper
snake, as explained by you, is not
lioecssarily incriminating, and if
you will wait a few days before
calling your cousin home, I think
very likely you will prefer not to
do so. I understand that you do
not wish him to come, unless he
can be of assistance to you?”
“Yes, that is his desire, to stay
over there unless I want him.
But, Mr. Stone,” and now the
lovely face was almost smiling,
“if you mean what you said,
that you do not doubt my inno
cence, then I will not send for Mr.
Loria. I am content to let it all
rest in your hands.”
The girl’s beauty now was daz
zling. Color showed in her
cheeks, her eyes shone, and the
curve of her exquisite red lips
was almost a smile. Stone looked
at her in amazement. He had
spoken truly, he had not doubted
her innocence, but this sudden
elation on her part puzzled him.
What did it mean? Only, as she
meant it to seem, that if he be
lieved in her innocence it could be
easily proved? Well, he would
accept that diagnosis of her atti
tude, but he would move warily.
This case was unlike any other he
had ever engaged in, so he must
attack it in a different way. And
first of all, he must decide which
of these two women was speaking
the truth. Yet, how could he de
cide? If Pauline had been in
that room when Anita listened at
the door, she would, of course,
try to prove that she was else
where. But, in such a ease, why
not say she was in her own room?
It wasn’t plausible that she should
confess to being in the hall, if she
were really in the boudoir. That,
then, war in Pauline’s favor. But
the conversation detailed by Ani
ta? That must be further ana
lyzed.
These thoughts flew through
Stone's quick moving brain as he
stood looking at his beautiful
hostess.
“Puzzling it out, Mr. Stone?”
and Pauline’s smile was a full
fledged one now; “perhaps I can
help you. If you’ll eceept my
assistance without doubting my
word, I’m sure we can do won
ders in a detective way.”
This was not in Pauline’s favor
Tt was too much like bargaining
with him to believe her innocent.
Then, too, though all unconscious
of it, Stone was influenced by the
wonderful charm of the girl.
Though her lips were smiling a lit
tle, her great dark eyes still held
that look of fear, that hunger for
protection, that desire for some
one on whom to lean.
“And I won’t send for my cou
sin just yet,” she went on. “It’s
too bad to call him home when
he’s so busy over there. You
know, Mr. Stone, that Mr. Loria
is a wonderful man. His achieve
ments in excavation have brought
him fame and glory. And you
mustn’t think lie's heartless be
cause he doesn’t return at once.
You know it was all arranged for
us to go over there next month
and he had made all sorts of
plans for us^and for himself. He
can’t leave his work at a mo
ment’s notice, unless, as he says,
I have need of him.”
“Was he fond of his aunt?” in
quired Stone, casually.
“He was her idol. To Aunt
Lpcy the sun Jose and set in Carr.
She "was perfectly crazy to go on
this trip, to Egypt, in order to be
with him. He was fond of her,
yes. More so than I #as, because
she was always kind and good
natured to him, while she was al
ways unpleasant to me.”
“Why was she?”
“I don’t know. Well, I sup
pose I may as w^l tell you, one
reason was because she was al
ways envious of anyone whom
whom she considered better look
ing than she was herself. This
may sound strange to you, Mr.
Stone, but it was the keynote of
my aunt’s existence. She adored
beauty in every way—pictures,
clothes, everything—but she was
so sensitive about her own plain
ness, that a younger or prettier
face made her, at times, irritable
and even cruel. She would never
engage a servant with any preten
sions to good looks. Therefore,
as she chose to consider Miss
Prayne and myself pf comely per
sonal appearance, she was "unkind
to us both.”
“And Mr. Loria? Is he not
handsome I ’ ’
“Oh, yes, very. But Aunt
Lucy liked handsome men. Carr
Loria is like a picture. His father
was of Italian descent, and Carr
has the clear olive skin and dark
'beauty of that race. Gray Havi
land is good looking, too, but it
was only feminine prettiness that
stirred up Aunt Lucy’s ire.”
“Why did she ever engage such
an angel face as Miss Prayne?
Fleming Stone watched closely
for a sign of irritation at this
speech, and saw it. .Pauline’s
smile faded and she said, ab
ruptly :
uo you uuiik ner so ueauu
fuir’
“She has the perfect blonde
fairness usually typified by the
celestial white robed creatures on
the old canvases.”
“Yes, Anita is a perfect exam
ple of a blonde. Why, she is the
daughter of an old schoolmate of
my aunt’s, and so that’s why
Aunt Lucy took her, and then
she proved such an efficient sec
retary and such a patient, meek
thing to scold, that she kept her
position.”
“Miss Frayne doesn’t seem so
extraordinarily meek to me.”
“No, indeed! She’s not meek
at. all. But she always was to
Miss Carrington. That, of course,
to keep the position, which was
both easy and lucrative. Easy,
that is, except for my aunt’s tem
per. That was vented on poor
Anita, morning, noon and night,”
“That, then, might give us a
motive for Miss Frayne’s desire to
be rid of her cruel mistress and to
get the inheritance that she knew
would come to her at Miss Car
rington’s death.”
Pauline shuddered. “I can’t
think of such a thing, Mr. Stone,
but, if anybody in this house is
to be suspected of the awful thing
it can be no one but Anita. She
tried, L know, to supplant me in
roy aunt’s affection, and to have
my inheritance, or part of it,
transferred to herself.”
“You know this!”
“Yes. For some time she has
been making insinuations and
telling my aunt tales about me—
untrue ones—that would make
Aunt Luey angry at me. I tell
you this, Mr. Stone, because I
want, you to know Anita Frayne
as she really'is.”
| There was the ring of sincerity
, in the tone, there was a look of
'truth in the big, dark eyes, and
there was a most appealing ex
pression on the lovely face that
gazed into his own, but Fleming
Stone turned from the speakei
with a polite but decided gestur«
of dismissal, saying, “Please as!
'Miss Frayne to come here a few
moments.”
»
xvn.
THE OVEUHiliKD CONVERSATION
Awaiting the arrival of Anita
Fragile, Stone thought rapidly.
Forming his judgments, as al
ways, more by impressions than
by words, he found himself be
lieving in Pauline Stuart. She
had bought the paper snake, she
had lied about it, but many wom
en have done the same. Knowing
that the purchase of the toy
meant definite suspicion, wouldn’t
any innocent girl have feared and
dreaded that exposure? If she
had been guilty, she would scarce
ly have dared deny the facts of
buying it, lest it be proved against
her, and make matters worse.
Again, it was impossible to con
nect that magnificent woman with
crime! If she were connected
with it, it could only be as the
criminal herself. There was no
theory that admitted of her being
an accomplice, or a tool. Stay,
there was that Loria man. Stone
couldn’t rid himself of a vague
idea of implicating the distant
nephew by means of an accom
plice on the spot. But the notion
was not logical. If Pauline had
killed her aunt under her cousin’s
instructions, she was just as much
a murderer as if she had done it
entirely on her own initiative.
And if the two cousins had con
spirecj or wprked in collusion, it
was Stone’s duty to fasten the
deed on Pauline, as the available
one of the pair. Stone ran over in
his mind the letter from Loria. It
gave no hint of greed or cupidity
in his nature. He was engrossed
in the pursuit of his hobby, arch
aeology, and was only willing to
.leave his work if that would defi
! nitely please his cousin, on whom,
lie fully appreciated, the respon
sibilities of the occasion would
| fall. He fully trusted Gray Havi
land to look after all business af
faire, so he was not a suspicious
or over careful nature. He asked
no immediate money and only de
sired some, in the course of time,
to further his work. Whatever
might be the truth, there was no
reason to cast a glance of suspi
cion toward Carrington Loria.
His opinion of Pauline’s possible
guilt Stone held in abeyance, and
Miss Frayne entering, he greeted
her with punctilious politeness
and a confidential air, tending to
put her at ease.
“Miss Frayne,” he began, “the
situation is a grave one. I am
forced to the conclusion, tenta
tively at least, that Miss Carring
ton was deliberately poisoned by
some of her own household. It
may have been a servant, but it is
difficult to imagine how or why a
servant could accomplish the
deed. At any rate, I must first
consider the members of the fam
ily, and in so doing, I must re
quest absefftite truth and sincerity i
from all.”
‘ I in sure I’ve no reason to
equivocate, Mr. Stone,” and
Anita's voice was almost flippant.
‘‘All I’ve told what I heard at
Miss Carrington’s door is abso
lutely true, and I can repeat it
word for word.”
‘‘It seems strange you have it
so accurately at your tongue’s
end.”
“Not at all. I went to my room
and wrote it down as soon as I
heard it. I often make such mem
oranda. They are frequently use
ful later.”
Fleming Stone mused. This
seemed a strange thing to do, at
least in view of the later events,
but then, if Miss Frayne had
been the guilty one, and had made
up all this story of overheard
conversation, surely she would
not have done anything so pecu
liar as to make that detailed mem
orandum ; or if she did, would not
have told of it.
‘‘I have, of course, a copy of
that memorandum,” continued
Stone; ‘‘what I want is for you to
tell me again why yoif think it
could not have been entirely a so
liloquy on the part of Miss Car
rington.”
“For two reasons. First., I have
lived with the lady four years,
and never have I known her to
talk to herself or soliloquize
aloud. Of course, this does not
prove that she never did so, but
I know it was not her habit. Sec
ond, nobody in soliloquy ever
would use that definite intona
tion which is always used in
speaking to a person. You know
yourself, Mr. Stone, that a solilo
quy is voiced slowly, mumbling
ly and usually in disjointed or
partially incoherent sentences.
The talk I heard was in clear, con
cise speeches, unmistakably ad
dressed to somebody present. She
could not in a soliloquy use that
direct form of address, even if
talking to someone in her imagi
nation. She would not keep it up,
but would go off in a reverie or
drop into impersonal thought. I
wish I could make this more clear
to you.”_
(Continued Next Week.)
SAGE TEA DARKENS
HAIR TO ANY SHADE
Don’t atay Gray! Here’s an Old
time Recipe that Anybody
can Apply.
The use of Sage and Sulphur for re
Btorlng faded, gray hair to its natural
color dates back to grandmother’s
time. She used it to keep her hair
beautifully dark, glossy and attrac
tive. Whenever her hair took on that
dull, faded or streaked appearance,
this simple mixture was applied with
wonderful effect.
But brewing at home Is mussy and
out-of-date. Nowadays, by asking at
4jjv drug store for a bottle of “Wyeth’s
Sage and Sulphur Compound,” you
will get this famous old preparation,
Improved by the addition of other in
gredients, which can be depended up
on to restore natural color and beauty
to the hair.
A well-known downtown druggist
says it darkens the hair so naturally
and evenly that nobody can tell it has
been applied. You simply dampen a
sponge or soft brush with it and draw
this through your hair, taking one
Strand at a time. By morning the
gray hair disappears, and after an
other application or two, it becomes
beautifully dark and glossy.—-Adv.
Close to Being Twins.
Two little girls, dressed alike, en
tered a store, when the man coming
to wait on them said: “Are you lit
tle girls twins?” “Well, Pretty near,”
said one of them; “there's only a
pound difference.”
GREEN’S AUGUST FLOWER
Has been used for all ailments that
are caused by a disordered stomach
and inactive liver, such as sick head
ache, constipation, sour stomach,
nervous indigestion, fermentation of
food, palpitation of the heart caused by
gases In the stomach. August Flower
Is a gentle laxative, regulates digestion
both in stomach and intestines, cleans
and sweetens the stomach and alimen
tary canal, stimulates the liver to se
crete the bile and impurities from the
blood. Sold in all civilized countries.
Give It a trial.—Adv.
Whenever you see a man in a seedy
coat entering a saloon no explanation
Is necessary.
Taken from. Nature—The wild roots
and barks that go into the composition
of one of the oldest and best known
blood-tonics are gathered mostly on our
reservations—brought or shipped to Dr.
Pierce’s Laboratory in Buffalo, N. Y.
Dr. Pierce discovered 50 years ago,
that Nature has provided freely for the
needs of her children and that in her
laboratory were the remedies. Extracts of
Queen’s root, Stone root, Black Cherry
bark and Bloodroot, as prepared, com
bined and preserved without alcohol, in
Dr. Pierce’s Golden Medical Discovery,
constitute the most effective and certain
tonic, alterative and tissue-rebuilding
remedy ever offered to the public. This
tonic soon became known all over tho
world.
It is purely vegetable and free from
alcohol or narcotics. It will search out
impure and poisonous matter and drive
it from the system. Buy it now m tablets
orliquid. All druggists, or send Dr Pierce,
Buffalo, N. Y., 10c for trial package. •
It will clear the skin; eczema, pimples,
rash, blotches will dry up and disappear;
boils, carbuncles and other evidences ol
DON’T LET YOUR
CALVES DIE
from Scours or Calf Cholera
Many die and all are ruined If these ailment*
are neglected. Both can positively be prevented
end overcome with
DR. DAVID ROBERTS*
Calf Cholera Remedy
At onr dealers or
POSTPAID $1.09
Consult t>B. DAt*fD ROBERTS
about all animal aliments. In
formation free. Send for price
list of medicines and get FREK
copy of "The Cattle Specialist” with full infor
mation on Abortion in Cows. DR. DAVID ROBERTS
VETERINARY CO . 100 Grand Avc.. Wauketha. Wk
rrs NOT YOUR HEART;
IT’S YOUR KIDNEYS
Kidney disease is no respecter of per
sons. A majority of the ills afflicting
Seople today can be traced back to the
idney trouble. *
The kidneys are the most important
organs of the body. They are the fil
terers of your blood. If the poisons
which are swept from the tissues by the
blood are not eliminated through the
kidneys, disease of one form or another
will claim you as a victim.
Kidney disease is usually indicated by
weariness, sleeplessness, nervousness,
despondency, backache, stomach trou
ble, pain in loins and lower abdomen,
gall stones, gravel, rheumatism, sciatica
and lumbago.
All these derangements are nature’s
» \
signals that the kidneys need help.
You should use GOLD MEDAL Haar
lem Oil Capsules immediately. The
soothing, healing oil stimulates the
kidneys, relieves Inflammation and de
stroys the germs which have caused it.
Go to your druggist today and get *
box of GOLD MEDAL Haarlem Oil
Capsules. In twenty-four hours you
should feel health and vigor returning.
After you feel somewhat improved
continue to take one or two capsules
each day, so as to keep the first-class
condition and ward off the danger of
other attacks.
Ask for the original imported GOLD
MEDAL brand. Three sizes. Money re
funded if they do not help you.
Finest Burley Tobacco
Mellow-aged till Perfect y
a dash of Chocolate
I
"Your Nose i\nows ■
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