THE COPPER HOUSE
A Detective Story
i
BY
JULIUS REGIS
AUTHOR OF "NO 13 TORON!"
4m jph remember Mrs.
Uregray at baa Angeles 1 Do
im ?■ '-madnr how often she
«ned i*ae conversation latter
ly m the Capper House, what
jptercsj she showed in it, how
.ft* (irrw yaa on to give her
wash unrig descriptions of
tt ibn: t«b began to feel quite
tojnrfsidkt And how, by de
f»*, *he inspired you with
8* idea a# a voyage home,
•ithjKt further delay. Don’t
pwa rv-r, ranker all thatf”
jntm awmlion it—yes, I
bkirre 5t neatly was that pret
ty 5Jra. Gregory who put the
into aiy head.”
"Tua one; dhring my travels,
§. made f«e«ds in all sorts of
^■irw. Thera were you in LOfl
Aspries; I aaaaaeked my inem
ary ha! Mrs. Gregory l —
1»phei, an intelligent lady, a
srgal&r dgwlimit I sent her
an clahnrate telegram. Can
yon forgive mtel”
dear Mr. Wallion,” re
lied Lea at once; “1 am flat
treed. delighted* We must be
friends mv, and don’t, what
ever happen*, spirit me hack
ta California, before you have
VKpismed haw I have become
Mir object at such unbounded
C._a_99
WmCMHL
"la your capacity as owner
mi tt« Capper House.”
"J barest been a great suc
tmi so far, in that line,” re
azarked I«ea. "When I tell gnu
that I hare been as good as
turoei oat of it”
He brake off his sentence in
wathcT guilty confusion, at an
*mc r;**vt edty piercing look
from Ike other.
"Tlave you been there al
ready, m apite of my warn
h«r
The yauog man nodded.
"And the immediate result is
■frig Toptomal visit?” contin
ued TVaHiaai "So you have
lieeB there? I was wondering
«H the time what could have
IffipjM’nwf to agitato you so
■turdi; I might have realized
■bat yen are one of those folks
who never take advice
Writ, never mind, 1 am rather
wind* at U> take it myself,
wit heir} knowing the reason
Sot H. What did you see, to
mere rrm m desperately ?”
At this question, a sort of
jeaut: lemur overwhelmed Boe.
'lie saw «»ce more the fugitive
agumbfing into the hall; he
heard the shot ring out. He
fsltirred: "I believe that a man
san been killed -shot—at the
^Popper Home; they didn’t
want me to see....”
WaHion bent down and
Itanfeed mto the young man’s
eym, as a doctor would ex
jutr/itr his patient.
"Tell me all about it,” said
He.
Geo thereupon poured out a
■way disjointed story, which
?be journalist heard in silence.
TBito are sure that the girl
t»fM out ‘Sergius’?”
" is sure as I am that Itas
Thlsrr rafted the fugitive Ber
nard denin.”
"And you think that .Tenin
zrtinmlj came into the house,
iert did not leave it again?”
“So, far it was impossible
3w him to get away.”
•** i-idf you say that he dis-<
*P«pe«rrd altogether after that
*bn< V«d been fired?”
"Ye*, as though he had been
w«rfardaneoualy annihilated.”
Wallion looked puzzled, and
dfcrtw himself bark in his chair
vr&fr a gesture of vexation.
"T&mga don't tally! Talk
alf magic? I am brought up
v?iwrt whichever wav I turn in
affair. Why should Bona
haiWTM shoot Bernard Jen
jaf—they ought.... ”
Me scratched his head medi
-JW&refy, and got up from his
meet. "I know where I am
TVTib Rastakov, he is quite def
mm my black list. But
Jjwna Ivanovna? and the girl
mrfon malted out ‘Sergius’?”
rVurntly Leo ventured to
10
ask a question which had been
on the tip of his tongue for a
long time.
“I think it’s ray turn now to
ask you for some light on these
difficulties,” said he; “you
were joking, weren’t you,
when you said you needed my
help?”
Wallion turned round and
answered: “I suppose you
know the Copper House like
the palm of your hand?”
“ Who should, if not I?”
“Exactly, you know the
house, and you have the right
to do so. ])o you understand
why these people want to buy
the property? Simply to de
prive you of that right. No
one but yourself is in a position
to know what is going on at
the Copper House; and some
underhand work is on foot
there, which is bound to come
to a head sooner or later. But
I won’t tantalize you with rid
dles, I will speak out.”
He sat down again, and con
tinued :
“It is a good tiling you
didn’t run off to the police;
that will come later, but not
yet. I presume you did not
meet Marcus TasslerT”
“No,” replied Leo.
“That’s just as well; it
leaves us free to see the situa
tion clearly.”
“Excuse me,” interrupted
Leo, “I don’t see anything
clearly, as yet!”
“I am going to tell you a
story,” said Walfion. “Five
months ago, I was sent for
early one morning to see a dy
ing man. I asked Vis name,
and, to my surprise, I was giv
en the name of a person who,
several years previously, had
been a friend of mine, and who
had had the reputation of be
ing a very promising journal
ist. Hut in consequence of an
extremely unfortunate and ri
diculous love-affair, he went
all to pieces, and finally disap
peared of his own accord, from
our circle.
“I hastened to him. and
found a poor, battered, neg
lected creature, lying, watch in
hand, and speculating with a
sort of childish curiosity, as to
who would reach him first—
myself or Death. They had
told me beforehand that the
unfortunate wretch had come
home tipsy the night before,
and had fallen out of a pas
sage window on the fifth story,
down to the stone pavement
bejow. Everyone in the build
ing had been aroused by the
cry he uttered as he fell.
“I won’t mention his name,
for obvious reasons.
“When I came into the pov
erty stricken bedroom, he
raised his head from the pillow,
and said very slowly and soft
ly- ‘I was afraid they wouldn’t
let you eome!’
“I fancied he was do irious,
and he looked as though he
could barely have another min
ute to live.
“ ‘Who do you meant’ I
asked him.
“ ‘The men who killed me,’
was his reply.
“I hardly know what T said,
for it was a dreadful shock to
see the man whom I remem
bered full of life and health,
lying an utter wreck before
me. His back was broken. The
change in him was so over
whelming that be could not but
notice my consternation.
“ ‘Yes, it is L’ he said, ‘but
in a minute or two 1 shall not
be here any longer... .quick,
quick, bend down—no, do not
touch my hand!’ and he turned
away his head, as though in
shame.
“ ‘Send away the doctor,’ he
murmured. I asked the doctor
if he would remain outside the
room until I called him, andt
stooped down over the dying*
man. His eyes glittered with
fever, in his haggard, unshorn
face. ‘Do you know why I am
JtfflJJERAND WARNS
THAT HEW MENACE
THREATENS PEACE
MS.XMC Om. FRANCE
SmaG xgv job dead? And tell the
exclaimed Alexander
president of
dSsiased a warning of
•W witfc Germany. He gave
Jd mm aMnxt at the dedication
MT a to the war dead of
j! mim a village near here.
Fzsbbu to me at those villages of
old men, children and women,
where nearly all the young men
were killed in the war.
"How the voice of Foch would
have denounced the new pretensions
of Germany,” said M. Millerand.
"In spite of his protests we have
seen all guaranties of peace swept
away. The Rhineland has not be
come the independent buffer state
needed between the two countries.
And now the responsible voices of
Germany have begun to preach
cpenly the abrogation of those
treaties which were to have kept
oeace for France.
“How we could wish for a dur
dying?’ said he. ‘It’s because
I have seen too har into the
depths of the Whirlpool....
you are blind—all of you
blind! Can you see nothing?’
“He brought out these
words with such an effort that
it made him gasp for breath,
and I gave him some water.
“ ‘Mark my words,’ he be
gan again in brief sentences
and with repeated pauses. ‘I
have thrown away my own life
. . they bought me to do their
work, but I won’t....it is the
beginning of chaos. .. .first in
Russia... .then it will spread
everywhere... .the man who
dominates the Whirlpool is
called Gabriel Ortiz; I found
that out. yestprday, and last
night they killed me....for I
am as good as dead already.'
“His failing energy beat out
every word like the sparks
from an anvil, and I listened
Mh'athles.sly, for I realized
that he was husbanding the
last remnants of strength 'to
make some amazing revelation.
“ ‘Gabriel Ortiz... .remem
ber that name....his right
hand is Baron Fayerling....
but there are many others....
their plan....it’s appalling...
the wild beast shall possess
the earth!....'
“He groped for my hand, as
though by clinging to me he
could retain his hold on life a
little longer. His anguish was
fearful to see.
“ “]'• war is nothing to
what will happen, if Ortiz is
not crushed....but be careful
....they kill;’... .his voice
grew fainter, and he lapsed
into unconsciousness. I called
in the doctor, but after a few
minutes, he died.
“The dim room still seemed
to echo with the sound of his
voice. What was it he wanted
to tell me?”
“Wallion lighted a cigaret,
end Boo could see that he was
deeply moved.
“You see for yourself what
a fantastic confession it ap
peared. And yet it never oc
curred to me to doubt the dead
man’s information, though I
could find nothing to confirm
it amongst his papers. But I
made discreet inquiries of his
neighbors, and when I w<y<t
away, I was convinced that he]
had really been mn.-dervl by
two men, who had lain in wait
for him on the staircase, and
pushed him through the win
dow. I felt sure he had been
in his right mind, but that he
had been unable to complete a
communication which would
have been of Incalculable im
portance."
“Could yen find no clue to
it?"
“No, but I took it for grant
ed that he was the author of
an article, headed: “Who Is
the Man in the Whirlpool?”
which had appeared a few
weeks previously in a little
popular weekly paper. I t I
proved impossible to verify it,
because, for some unknown
reason, the newspaper came to
an end shortly after, and its
contributors were all dis
persed. In this remarkable ar
ticle, attention was called to
the fact that, during the war,
Stockholm had become a cen
ter of activity for adventurers
of a type hitherto unknown to
civilization, and it was assert
ed that amongst them was a
man who, as it were behind the
back of the war. was organiz
ing these mysterious forces, no
one could say how or why.
“At all events, the writer
of the article and the dying
man took the same view, that
something was brewing and
1 had suspected as much al
ready ; things were going on in
Stockholm which aroused my
notice, there was a sort of sub
terranean movement which
puzzled me. The image of a
whirlpool was extraordinarily
apt, and T could not doubt that
the poor fellow T had just seen
die, had been sucked into the
vortex by sheer want, or by
the temptation of easily earned
money. Many weak and un
fortunate eharaeters have gone
that way in these times! But
what he caught sight of in the
Whirlpool had evidently
alarmed him, and he had
made an effort to save his soul
able peace with Germany! But how
can we close our eyes to the evi
dence?
“You who died for Prance, let us
hear your voices. Unite them with
the voice of the great chief who
led you to victory."
Prize Leghorn Hen
Lays Infertile Eggs
FLINT. MICH.- -Maid of
Flint, a prize White Leghorn hen
in the flock of the Kilboum poultry
farm, has given poultry scientists a
new problem to solve.
She produced 343 eggs in 365 days
alive. Had I only arrived oil
the scene a few minutes earlier^
I might have learned every
thing. At any rate, he had not
summoned me in vain; I knew
' (
now that the master villain was
called Gabriel Ortiz.
“But when I tried to obtain
particulars as to this Gabriel
Ortiz, I immediately met with
the most extraordinary diffi
culties, which were in them
selves a proof that he existed,
but that he had safeguarded
himself with the most intricate
precautions. I had only just
started my investigations in
earnest, when the Russian rev
olution broke out in March. At
once I became aware, here in
Stockholm, that under my very
eyes, the sinister development
was gaining strength. The
Whirlpool was beginning to
seethe. My attention had been
directed towards Baron Fayer
ling, but I had not succeeded
in discovering anything mys
terious about him. He stays at
one of the best hotels, goes ev
erywhere, and lives officially
on the rents of his Rumanian
property. But as Rumanian
property is just now a very
uncertain source of income,
Baron Fayerling also does busi
ness of the most up-to-date
, kind, and has associated him
self for this purpose with Mar
cus Tassler, the manager of the
Finno-Russian Import and Ex
port company, a thorough-go
ing profiteer, and even outside
business matters a regular
shark.
“Meanwhile, the odd thing
about Tassler is the interest he
takes in the Copper House
Mark this: we have at the Cop
per House three perfectly in
conspicuous persons, who seem
to prefer living in the most
complete retirement; they are
Andrei Bernin, his sister and
his daughter. As long as ]
have had my eye on them, they
have never left the Copper
House, and have not evinced
any particular friendship for
Tassler or the baron, who often
stay there as self-invited
guests.
He has installed there a staff of
attendants whom he commands
| with almost military zeal. The
8 gatekeeper is called Tugan; no
one knows his nationality, but
the is a regular watchdog, and
only too glad to get food, drink
and fighting, provided gratis.
He, of course, lives at the
lodge.
“Then we have the garden
er, whom you have probably
not seen yet; his name is Ros
enthal, a taciturn, meditative
sort of fellow, with something
refined about him which dis
tinguishes him slightly from
the rest. He has two under
lings, and these three live in
the gardener’s cottage behind
the big house.
“Next we have the cow
house and the stable, which
now contain only three cows
and two horses—but four cow
herds and two grooms are kept
to look after them—what do
you make of that?
“Wait! The list is not com
plete yet. There are the six
men whom Sonia Bernin calls
the forest-guards, and they
really do keep watch in the
wood, as you can testify from
personal experience!
“And finally two individuals
are installed at the little cot
tage beside the pier that runs
out into the bay; they fish, and
sail in and out of the farther
islands, but what they catch,
neither you nor I can say!
“So there we have a retinue
of 18 men—but not a trace of
either men or women servants
in the Copper House itself. Not
counting the three Bernins.
who are Russians, every one of
the others on the place is a for
eigner, although 10 or 11 of
them can speak Swedish, and
six have been naturalized as
Swedish citizens.”
“And you said you didn’t
know the Copper House!” ex
claimed Leo; “why, you know
it better than I do!”
“Anybody can find out that
sort of thing,” replied Wallion
“There is no secret about it.
But the burning question is:
What is really going on at the
Copper House?”
(TO B>. CONTINUED)
in the egg-laying contest at Georgia
agricultural college, last year bui
few of her eggs will hatch—only 11
out of 100 this year.
Most of her eggs have been it
fertile despite the frequent changing
of roosters. No fertile eggs were pro
duced from several matings.
Dr. E. G. Kilbourn, her owner, has
enlisted the aid of Michigan state
college specialists in an effort to
determine whether Maid of Flint
requires a different ration than oth
er l ens on account of her high egg
production or whether certain physi
cal conditions are responsible for the
, infertility.
TOY TUNNEL HELPS
UNDERGROUND CITY
NEW YORK—Bush Termi
nal in Brooklyn, sometimes
known as New York's “City
Within a City," is adding a toy
vehicular tunnel to its already
extensive underground system.
Tractors, a little larger than
toy automobiles, will pull 4x6
foot trailers through this tun
nel, which will extend from
one end of the Terminal to the
other, connecting the various
enterprises within it. Some
35,000 persons live here and all
are engaged in various trades,
the tunnes is expected to col
lect goods from different build
ings so that can be shipped out
quickly in full carload lots.
“Suppose there ahe 17 man
ufacturers in the different
buildings connected by the
tunnel,” says W. L. Sturges,
mechanical superintendent of
the Terminal. “If they all have <
small shipments for Philadel- <
phia they can be brought to- <
gether to make up one car- <
load lot.” i
i
r r T ▼ T- -r -r 'r'T'T'TT'T''T'Y^T'TT’
-+-+
Newspapers and Professors.
From Columbus Dispatch.
We hesitate to poke fun at the
small army of college professors who
offered their suggestions on how to
run a newspaper in reply to a ques
tionnaire submitted to them by an
association of midwestern dailies.
The reason for the hesitancy is the
realization that, were the situation
! reversed, our suggestions as to how
to run a collge probably would be as
wobbly in logic as were those of the
professors in regard to the fourth
estate.
It is evident that, were some of
these professors catapulted into the
editor's chair, they would proceed
at once to turn out a newspaper de
signed for their own particular class.
Editorials would be printed on the
front page; crime news would be de
’oid on sensational aspects; head
lines would be diminished; news
stories would be shorter and “hot”
news would be sacrificed for care
fully prepared articles of education
al value.
The result would be a newspaper
of particular interest to the scholar.
But what of the butcher, baker,
banker, merchant, clerk, policeman
and the scores of others who make
up the bulk of a newspaper’s read
ers? It is scarcely likely they would
be satisfied with the professors’
newspapers. They want the news
as and how it happens. If it is a
1 sensational occurrence, they want
1,0 be thrilled. Moreover, they want
is many details as the reporters can
dig up for them. As for the varied
cize of headlines, this is a device
to indicate relative importance of
the stories and is a distinct aid to
the reader. Many newspapers print
iditorials on page one. Most news
papers have a goodly share of ma
terial that is scholarly in character
*nd of distinct educational value.
However, the point always before
a careful editor is the wide diversity
of fasten among his readers. There
fore, it behooves him to produce a
paper of such wide scope that all
will be reasonably pleased. He can
not unduly consider any particular
taste, as would the critical profes
sors. Considering the enormity of
this task, most impartial critics will
concede that the American news- j
paper succeeds remarkably well.
Does Pickett Want War?
From Cedar Rapids Gazette.
A few applicants for citizenship
recently have stipulated that if they
took the oath of citizenship they
would do so only with the reserva
tion that the call to arms must be
in a just cause. They have met with
considerable criticism because of
this attitude. Perhaps their policy
of citizenship will be given more fa
vorable consideration since the re
cent announcement of Deets Pickett,
research secretary of the Methodist
board of prohibition, temperance
and public morals, that war with
Canada is likely to ensue unless that
country co-operates more effectively
with tne United States in prevent
ing smuggling.
Mr. Pickett gives Canada the
choice cf two courses. She must
either refuse clearances to all ves
sels which intend to transport liquor
to the United States, or suffer the
consequences of an intensive anti
smuggling campaign in which Can
adians are liable to be shot. If the
second alternative is chosen Mr.
Pickett fears the Canadians may be
come resentful enough to start a
war.
If Mr. Pickett has “the low down,”
it looks as though war clouds were
looming. The Canadians are not
liaely to refuse clearances to rum
runners. Liquor is not illegal in Can
ada. If the Canadian government
snould decline to issue clearances
she would be placed in the position
oi enforcing the prohibition laws of
the United States. Glimpses of con
ditions over the border probably
have convinced Canadian officials
that enforcing prohibition is neith
er inexpensive nor pleasant. So she
will have none of it.
The only alternative, as Mr. Pick
ett sets forth, is war. Hostilities
would be in the nature of a holy
war, of course, and he expects star
ry-eyed crusaders to flock to the dry
standard. With Canada subjugated
it would be possible to extend the
dry regime across the border. Mr.
Pickett probably regards the pros
pect with the joyous eagerness with
which the Mohammedans regarded
the rich provinces of Castile across
the straits of Gibraltar. But the will
to a dry war is not so widespread
as he supposses. It is one's guess
that a draft will be necessary.
Meanwhile those persons applying
for citizenship who stipulate that
they shall choose the cause in which
they do battle are not so dumb.
- —■---■—
Q. When were cabinet photo
graphs first made? E. R. S.
A. Cabinet portraits were intro
duced by F. R. Windon. a photog
rapher of Baker street, London, in
1867.
Making It a Team.
Prom the Pathfinder.
The new minister drove up to a
country home in a two-horse buggy.
Little Sammy Funkhou3er met him
and asked: “Is them your horses?”
“Yes, sonny,” replied the mini
ster. “Why do you ask?”
“My ma said you was only a one
horse preacher,’1 explained Sammy.
’At’s Sure as Shootin’.
Prom the Cincinnati Enquirer.
Blinks—What makes you so sure
he won’t live long? He certainly
looks healthy enough to live 100
years.
Jinks—He’s healthy, but his work
isn’t. He’s a racketeer.
t-j-ll.. -■— , , rr- ■ - j
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HAROLD SOMERS, Brooklyn N. Y
Electricity Great Aid
to Market Gardeners
Electrical gardening has proved to
>e u practical and economically profit*
»l)le occupation in Sweden. Although
:he recent winter was one of the
Hardest In history, sujHi garden prod*
acts as “home-grown raspberries,” cu
cumbers and the most delicate of gar
ien flowers have been available at all
'lines. In the gardens near llamling
jy. a small town north of Stockholm,
10,000 tulips, 1 ,.">00 lilies-of-the-valle.v,
md l,r>0() hyacinths were raised dur
ng January, all in groumPelectrically
neated and under the artiflcinl liglit
)f electric lamps. The operating ex
pense of i lie electrical system was
found to lie negligible. The most dif
ficult phase of the work Is found in
supplying various types of plants with
the particular variety of light which
they require, the lamps suitable for
roses, for example, being unsuited to
the development of carnations. There
ire 300 so-called “electro-horticultural”
stations in Sweden, all of which are
carrying on experiments in the arti
ficial production of flowers and vege.
tables.
Da Vinci’s Learning
Leonardo da Vinci drew a map of the
globe, said to be the first Co Include
America, and also showing an imag
inary Antarctic continent. liven before
Columbus sailed 'from Spain Leonardo
not oply maintained that the earth
was round, but calculated its diameter
to lie more than 7.000 miles. The ac
tual diameter, as now accepted, is
roughly 7,000 miles.
Is the Girl to Blame?
She—Jim Jones is certainly cracked.
He—Probably, his girl dropped him,
•—Border Cities Star.
Mahesllfe
Sweeter
Too much to eat—too rich a diet—
or too much smoking. Lots of tilings
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correct it quickly. Phillips Milk of
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Take a spoonful of this pleasant
preparation, and the system Is soon
sweetened.
Phillips Is always ready to relievo
distress from over-eating; to check all
acidity; or neutralize nicotine. Ite
member this for your own comfort;
for the sake of those around you.
Endorsed by physicians, but thoy al
ways say Phillips. Don't buy some
thing else and expect the same r»
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i *
