THE
COPPER HOUSE
A Detective Story
BY &'
JULIUS REGIS
AUTHOR OF "NO 13 TORONIw
"The other nodded.
**3t ad we thinking,” be ad
,*utted; “they support Ortiz
With extraordinary keenness,
jBimpb 1 don't believe be half
knows vhat ideal Baidakov
vherudics mside the ugly mug
id Jbm. Of the men he baa un
tier ten rrdm, half, to my
4jorm lodge, are bolsheviks, that
they belong to the extremist
party which is working to over
throw JM renakjr. Ortiz is work
ing for that also, but from an
jpfthcr motive.
“The situation ia involved,
Wad if Kaslakov gets to know
lt.4 real import of Tarraaehin’s
Wmwiii inffaim, there way bn a
Wrpnwr :a store for our friend
prii*.”
“A bolshevik revolt is in
gaogrew at Petrograd at the
Eant time," remarked Wal
n, thoughtfully “all depends
Sgnw arhat Ortiz intends to do.
&o j«u Thiok he is still there?”
“At PetrogradT 1 did not
tiiow he was there at all; 1
Imagined him to be in Fin
flund?" etelauned the Austrian.
“Yes, at the beginning of
!Bi» week 1 could tell, by vari
tutti signs, that he was in Petro
grad. But now that the Tar
jyaachtn meworauduis has been
snatched from under his very
&ose, be is naturally coming
•ere, and should arrive this
prating, at latest.”
“Yes, as soon as it is dark
jCBOUgh."
“Oort he always come nt
MUf"
“Always, since the end of
Vbtrdt,”
“l guessed as much,” said
■flie journalist, “when I saw
•how the side of the lighter bad
Sheen knocked about: some sort
«f craft had evidently come
alongside in the dark. Bat tell
we, why docs that blue light,
driiitli looks like an acetylene
fian:, appear every evening?”
“It i« some kind of signal
which they show from the
lighter, and it burnt every eve
wing at Mich limes as Ortiz is
exjiectcd. They do it these
Mights, especially, as they are
rog&ged in shifting a secret
.gargo on board the lighter.”
“A «rcret cargo? Arms, you
ImhI”
\«s, ji goo<s (leaf of stuff
mm brought her * n i iitie inotor
Iswwrh **Nelly's” contraband
8rips. ft was a xnl blow for
0ria when the "XV ly” was
jnmimfy Vat, as n«r> would ex
jrfunt they ird oMfrated al!
•nee* mry rC. ifluiiJy, and the
wolice wade ito *’arch bore.
Fhcrr are still He rent I thousand
«&user rifles, packet! in wiue
,ya»CR, a« well as a quantity of
't-Ahev articles, calculated to in
JStaeMW Russian opinion as re
gards the reactionary pro
gram?”
Wfcjfct the Austrian talked,
%tt ti,»- uneoRnriously smelling
m fragrant, red rose, which he
iiad picked up, and his voiee
wars re unruffled as a mild
aqpring day.
“Wlwre did they store all
’SImkc things before they were
snored to the lighter?” asked
iWalliftn.
* ' '^Isn ‘t that down in your
imftet yot?'r retorted the other,
Booking up from his rose with
*» wnile.
'i -■‘U was looking round a hit,
WMtlii' s^Vucli me what a good
{liHifcr^' place there would be un
-ler the ftay in the cowhouse. ”
"You’ve hit it? What sharp
eye* you have! Hut I don't
jfithik we need waste much
ffww over contraband goods.
fNttly a minimum of weapons
ftonce been despatched from
|iw; Orti* has probably
•leoght the greater part of his
Muck in Russia itself, for the
■aadTian* who once formed the
fear a fine army sell everything
ttiwy can lay hands on—rifles,
machine guns, ammunition, ev
erything- even heavy artillery!
And to anyone who wants
thorn! And cheap!—eight or
ten roubles for a nice little can
non—five for a machine gun."
The Austrian burst out
laughing, and Wallion smiled.
"These are fine times for ad
venturers,” said he; "we need
only look out of the window to
see that. What an extraordi
narily tangled web the war has
woven in this one little spot.
Bernard Jenin with the Tar
raschin memorandum Baron
Fayerling and Marcus Tassler
with Ortiz’ millions: Kastakov
with his bolsheviks: the Bernin
family: the question of contra
band : and at the back of them
all, the hitherto invisible Gabri
el Ortiz, with his shadowy and
fantastic schemes.”
It we could get hold ot the
memorandum, we could break
up the whole gang,” interrupt
ed the Austrian; “if only I
know what they had done with
Jenin 1”
“You still think he is in the
house!” asked the journalist,
with an odd smile.
“Most assuredly, for he has
never left it, that 1 can swear
to. You have not one® gone in
or out unobserved: 1 saw you.
Oh, he is certainly there—but
where ?”
Maurice Wallion wrote a few
lines on a piece of paper, and
handed it to his companion.
“Will you do me the favor of
getting this in some way or
other to Leonard Grath!” he
said. “I won’t show myself
yet, though there is little more
for us to talk about, except the
beginning of all these myste
ries. Perhaps you never heard
of the emperor of the Ama
zons?”
“No,” replied the gardener,
looking surprised.
“Then I’ll tell you about
him; I’ll wait for you here,
whilst you deliver my message
to Grath.”
The other man looked curi
ously at him, and said:
“Good! 1 can see you are
better informed on some sub
jects than I am. You stay here,
and if you think you hear any
one else coming, just go into
the tool house—you’ll be safe
there—or go up into the loft.”
lie indicated a wooden stair
case in the corner, took up the
note, and went out. Wallion
watched him from the window
go slowly up the garden, and
disappear round the house.
Five minutes later he re
turned,- and Wallion noticed,
with some annoyance, that he
was now accompanied by two
stalwart forest guards, of a pe
culiarly bovine cast of counte
nance.
lac three men stopped out
side the door, and a lively con
versation followed, in which
they were joined l>y five or six
of the other men, who came
strolling up to listen. Sudden
ly a name was mentioned which
made the journalist prick up
his ears.
“Wallion isn’t far off,” said
ono of the men.
“And who may he be?”
growled another.
“liastakov says he is a detec
tive. It looks as though we
may have to get out of this to
night, if we have a fellow of
that sort on our track, but if
he turns up before we are
ready to quit, 1 guess he’ll find
trouble awaiting him. We
needn't be too particular now,
you know!”
“But how shall we get away
from here?” asked a doubtful
voice.
“Oh, don’t bother me, that’s
the chief’s outlook; he’ll see to
that when he comes. What are
you going to do, Rosenthal?”
“Go indoors, and get a bit of
sleep,” replied the gardener.
“I was on guard all last night,
its your turn now; besides
we’ve all got to be up tonight.”
A chorus of protest greeted
this announcement, but Rosen
tlial dispersed them with a few
vigorous expressions, and, as
soon as they were gone, he
opened the door, and came in
to his visitor.
“Grath has got your note,”
he said quietly. “I threw it in
at his window, and made sure
that lie had picked it up, before
1 came away. Did you hear
what those fellows were say
ing?”
‘‘I seem to be in great de
mand!” replied Wallion.
‘‘They believe that you are on
your way here; two men are
awaiting your arrival at the
station, and others are patrol
ling the roads. Practically the
whole gang is assembled here,
and ripe for anything. The
baron has shown them your
portrait, so they know what
you look like, and if you at
tempt to leave here, and to get
into communication with your
friends, you had better take the
precaution of having an aero
plane handy.”
i snail certainly stay wnere
T am: it’s very cosy here,” said
Wallion. ‘‘But where did the
baron get a picture of me!”
‘‘lie probably cut it out of
some newspaper. What do you
say to having a bit of lunch,
whilst we discuss the situa
tion?”
‘‘I say yes, with all my
heart,” laughed the journalist.
‘‘Can we count on being left in
peace for so long?”
‘‘Yes, on the whole. The
baron and Tassler have re
turned to Stockholm, and are
not expected back for three or
four hours: this is the calm
before the storm.”
The Austrian sot to work on
his preparations for lunch with
the skill of an old campaigner,
and the journalist lent a hand,
so that in a quarter of an
hour’s time they were sitting
down to a simple but plenti
ful meal. When they had fin
ished, Wallion lighted a cigar
ot, leaned back in his chair, and
looked at his watch.
‘‘Three o’clock,” he re
marked. ‘‘Let’s have a chat,
before things get going again.”
‘‘Yes,” said the Austrian
eagerly. ‘‘You mentioned a
very curious title: ‘Emperor of
the Amazons,’ I think it was;
what sort of a royal nonesuch
was lie?”
“You don't know the history
of Gabriel Ortiz’ earlier for
tunes, then?”
“Oh, does it concern him?
No, 1 have never heard his
story: it ought to be an inter
esting one: let's hoar it, at
all events.”
The journalist gave a brief
sketch of Ortiz’ youthful esca
pade in Paris, his rash adven
ture as emperor of the Ama
zons. and his daring finance as
the “Coffee King” of Wall
Street. The Austrian listened
with breathless interest, and as
Wallion finished, lie exclaimed;
“All this is new to me. One
may call it a fit prelude to the
great drama of his life. That
he amagines himself to be de
scended from the great Napo
Icon, explains a good deal; he
is not the first, to delude him
self with that fable, and I dare
say that he, like most of the
other ‘soi-distant’ descendants
of Napoleon, has altogether
omitted to provide any proofs
of his statement?”
“lie stated that his grand
father was a natural son of Na
poleon the Great, born during
his captivity at St. Helen; the
mother was said to be a young
Creole, named Anita Ortiz. To
begin with, Gabriel Ortiz’ fath
er, at that time a wealthy Bra
zilian citizen, became acquaint
ed with the great secret of his
family, and for many years ne
sought in vain to establish the
facts. After the Amazon ad
venture, Ortiz was interviewed
by an American reporter, and
was simple enough to boast
that, with his noble birth, and
his genius, he would show the
world once again to what
heights a descendant of Na
poleon could rise. The result
was, that the wellknown Pro
fessor Hiehens devoted 20 min
utes of his valuable time to our
friend, and within that time,
completely annihilated his
claim. The professor proved
that no woman named Anita
Ortiz had ever been at St.
Helena at the time specified,
and that all the soealled natur
al descendants of the impris
oned emperor had been shown
beyond a doubt to be impos
tors. As far as I know, Ga
briel Ortiz had nothing to say
in reply. The whole thing was
simply the creation of a young
man’s imagination, but very
characteristic of this particular
man.”
“It is certainly most re
markable,” said the Austrian
thoughtfully. “I have seen
him out here twice, and he
really does very strongly re
semble the Little Gray Cor
poral. He is short, pale and
clean-shaven, with thin dark
hair, which he wears brushed
over his forehead, a determined
mouth, and dark, gray-blue
eyes, expressive of a despotic
will and a love of power. One
is almost tempted to think.
Wallion interrupted him:
“Don’t let us worry our
selves over it, it doesn’t really
affect the case; we can allow
that Ortiz has a genuine talent
for play-acting, can’t we? The
important thing is to anticipate
his wild schemes before it is
too late. Everything depends
upon who has the Tarrasehin
document in his possession by
the end of today: and to get
hold of it, we have only to find
Bernard Jenin.”
Which jK not going to be
so easy as you seem to think I”
said tiie Austrian, rather
abruptly. “My dear Mr. Wal
lion, don’t underrate the baron
and Rastakov: they are ad
mirfble sleuth-hounds, though
they have had no luck so far.’’
“And, therefore,” retorted
the journalist, “it must be a
point of honor with us to beat
them at their own game! Don't
you yourself insist that Jenin
must still be in the Copper
Mouse, living or dead? Why
my good sir, the Copper House
isn’t like London: a man hid
den in it can’t remain hidden
indefinitely, after all! The
sooner we can get speech with
him, the sooner we shall be able
to control the entire situation
1 suggest....”
He paused, frowning a little.,
then smiled and continued:
“Of course, we must proceed
with a certain amount of di
plomacy, and whatever hap
pens, we must start with Lona
Ivanovna as our ally; I’ll see
to all that.”
“Have you a plan?”
“I have three! But before
anything else, you must, on my
behalf, get into communica
tion with Robert Lang. You
need only say a few’ words tc
him, he will know what he has
to do. Do you think you can
manage it?”
The Austrian nodded.
“Yes, I can telephone at any
time from the lodge; in case of
need, I have these to back me
up,” and he pointed with grim
satisfaction to his hip pockets,
in each of which reposed a
burnished steel “Brow’ning,”
of the most powerful pattern.
“I can make things pretty
hot for them, if the worst
comes to the worst,” he added;
“this is my last resource, and
when I use it, it will mean that
my own life is at stake. None
of us Avill come out of this alive
if they discover us too soon,
but I think we still have a good
chance. What am I to tell your
friend Lang?”
Wallion considered:
“Tell him that there is no
need to get anxious about the
baron and Rastakov until they
get back here, which they
should be allowed to do unmo
lested, though under surveil
lance. Also say to him that ‘to
night’s the night.’... .Hallo,
what’s that?”
He leaned forward and
looked out. of the window.
“What is that young scatter
brain up to now?”
Leo had come out of the
house, accompanied by’ Sonia
Bernin. The young man seemed
to have some special object in
view, for, as the journalist
watelie^ him, he ran quickly
across the terrace, followed by
the girl.
(TO BE CONTINUED)
VtefcUM Wire's Strategy.
. Jbeuid Armstrong in the North
A*kb ir-ru Review.
A Turkish woman. Fhtnrah Han
1 nu, laid me a story that points the
asciuried We of her sex mare yivid
j$ than pu&Bi of description.
J-tva before the war a few Turk
ttz wtntcn were making a bid for
mare freedom. One at these
tasEd to viat Fotraah Hanum when
'her harimnd was away at his ul
tras. One do? they teased her, say
fcne .hat her husband was old
tmhniind mud prim because he
**v- aer no liberty.
fatuaah k«ed her huchand; she
weuvod aim* they said and boast
Tfl* jiww* ff**»*^< #«ITUI flnri AS
t she liked. Whereupon her friends
invited her to tea at their flat the
next day.
Now she was in a quandary. Her
husband was the strictest • of the
strict, and even if he agreed that
she should go out it would be only
wiih him or her mother. She
thought out a plan. She told her
husband that she must make an
urgent purchase at the dressmak
er’s next day. After some discus
sion he agreed somewhat grump
ily and against his wishes.
1 They set out walking, as they a’
ways did, the husband m fn u
Fatmah behind, havll \ d
dressed in the formless b .
hid all signs of her sex.
At the dressmaker’s her husband
waited at the door as usual. Fat
mall Hanum had an^nged her plan
with a girl friend who had more
liberty than herself, and who wa:>
in the shop to meet her.
This girl, as soon as Fatmah
Hanum arrived, dropped her own
veil and walked out to the waiting
husband. Imitating Fatmah’s voice
through the thick, concealing cloth
she told h'jn that her i-mrchas
would not be rradv fc- half ar
hour. !.-!*' w. : i littlr
I; set off, th nkin
.s v b h.nd him. Mean
hilc lanum hurried out
I of the shop to the flat where her
friends were waitin'? expectantly
but not believing that she could
carry out her promise.
“There!” she exclaimed, dashing
in. “Ycu see that my husband is
not so stiff and oldfashioned as
you said. He has 1st me come and
I am here alone. But I’m busy and
cannot wait;” and she hurried back
to the shop with honor satisfied.
In due course the husband, walk
ng stiff and sedate, returned wit l
vs changeling wife behind him
he two girls changed places ir. j
le shop and F.itmah Hanum re
amed home behind her husbanc ■
without his guessing what hac 1
happened
Giraffe Transit
Big Problem But
Puzzle Is Solved
SCHENECTADY, N. Y.—(UP)—
Transporting giraffes is a ticklish
natter, officials of the Boston and
.faine railroad discovered recent
y, but through the ingenuity of a
youthful employe of the company
and the courtesy of the General
Electric company here, the problem
:»s been solved.
The chief difficulty was what to
do with the excess neck of the ani
mals, since they admittedly would
not fit into an ordinary railroad
•ar. The young employe advanced
the idea that certain underslung
jars used by the General Electric
company for transporting electric
transformers might suit the pur
>ose. Measurements were taken and
he boy’s suggestion was adopted.
The underslung cars are so con
structed that they barely clear the
roadbed and are two feet lower than
he ordinary car, which, railroad
men estimated, would Just allow
the giraffe’s elongated neck to clear
tunnels and overhead crossings
along the route the animals were to
be shipped.
First of Five.
From Time.
Just one year ago, Russia's famed
• Man ox Steel," Dictator Josex Sta
lin, inaugurated his drastic ••Fivif
Year Economic program.” an im
pressive scheme of industrial and
agricultural expansion by which, by
1933, he proposed to make the soviet
union entirely self-supporting and
independent of the outside capital
istic world. Last week Dictator Sta
lin announced his budget for 1930
published figures which, if honest,
showed astounding progress mad*
during the first of his five years.
Russian industrial production and
Russian factory wages have been
increased, Stalin declared, almost
exactly according to schedule
Moreover, instead of the 21 per cent
increase in production which the
five year plan hopefully called for
the Soviet Union’s industrial pro
duction actually increased 24 pei
cent during the past 12 months
Only by failing to achieve notably
reduced prices for manufactured
goods of sustained quality did Soviet
Russia lall behind her schedule.
Proud of his success thus far, con
fident that he can jam the whola
Five Year program through. Dicta
tor Stalin announced recently that
he would add another $1,000,000,00(1
to Russia’s budget for 1930., thui
raising the soviet government’s to
tal expenditure to $5,000,000,000 pei
annum (13 per cent more than ii
spent by the United States govern
ment). Further, the aiea of land
under cultivation is to be increased
by 8 per cent and most startling oI
all, Russian industrial production u
to be raised 35 per cent.
Wrote famed Walter Duranty
doughty dean of United States cor
responder^ in Moscow, comment
ing on Dictator Stalin’s titanic
project:
"Every economist knows w'hat ii
means to increase an annual indus
trial production of a great countrj
by say even 10 per cent. To try tc
increase it by one third sounds like
madness.
“But Josef Stalin does not thinl
so. He knows that Russia is a
land of unlimited possibilities, al
most unscratched resources and
largely unused manpower—Undei
the lash of his will I believe that
the program outlined... .will be ac
complished_Moreover M. Stalin
has behind him young Russia, thal
never knew Tsarist slavery and is
tree from the faults and vices ol 1
tervile psychology. He and they
have a daring which Danton de
tlared was a guide to victory and a
laith which one greater than Dan
,*on said could move mountains.”
To help shove some of the moun
tains which must be moved if Rus
sia is to increase her industrial pro
duction by one third, the Union
Council of People’3 Commissars de
bated recently a decree which would
abolish Sunday, institute a seven day I
working week in all factories and
other Russian institutions. Said
Moscow’s daily Pravda, seemingly
confident that the measure would
be adopted:
“All-week work will be a mighty
factor in the country’s cultural rev
olution and will deal a smashing
blow' to religion.”
A LITTLE STREAK OF FOOL.
Most every one, I reckon.
Has a little streak of fool,
Which runs from second childhood
To little kids in school.
One never can remember
The names of folks he meets;
Another one is daffy
'Bout crossing crowded streets.
One never knows the time,
Can never fix a date;
Another makes appointments
At which he’s always late.
Another thinks all flappers
Are falling for him hard;
His pal thinks other chickens
Just love a city yard.
One woman thinks a lipstick
Helps her get herself a man;
Another one is loony
About her coat of tan.
Myself am no exception
No matter where we are,
I never can remember
Just where I parked the car.
—Sam Page.
Q. Was Coxey a poor man when ]
he led his army of the unemployed
to Washington? M. F.
A. He was worth $1,000,000 or
more at that time. He was partic- !
ularly interested in good roaas, and ,
the “army” had its inception in hi3 ,
belief that the roads should be im- 1
proved throughout the country as a
means of furnishing work for the i
unemployed. He has lived to see a
miraculous change in the highways
of the United States.
-M- |
It’s Now a Horse Apiece
Twixt Auto and Equine
RAVENNA, OHIO—(UP)—Twenty ,
years ago it was a common occur
rence to see a horse frightened by
an automobile. But recently at Man
tua Center, near here, an auto ran
into a telephone pole when a runa
way horse dashed down the street
toward it.
The auto suffered a skinned nose
and a broken wheel while the horse
continued down the road.
Martha Moore, Christine Bunker
and Robert Kinsley sustained slight
injuries when the auto took flighty
Dorothy’s Moihsr
Proves Claim
Children don’t ordi
narily take to medi
eines but here 9 one
that all of them love^
Perhaps It shouldn’t
be called a medicine
at all. It’s more Mho
a rich, concentrated
■ - T irnnii. US pure,
wholesome, sweet to the taste and
sweet in your child's little stomach.
It builds up and strengthens weak,
puny, underweight children, makes
them eat heartily, brings the roses
back to their cheeks, makes them
playful, energetic, full of life. And
no bilious, headachy, constiputed,
feverish, fretful baby or child ever
failed to respond to the gentle Influ
ence of California Fig Syrup on their
little bowels. It starts lazy bowels
quick, cleans them out thoroughly,
ton s and strengthens them so they
continue to act normally, of their own
accord.
Millions of mothers know about
California Fig Syrup from experiences
A Western mother, Mrs. ,T. G. Moore,
119 Cliff Ave., San Antonio, Texas,
says: “California Fig Syrup Is cer
tainly all that’s claimed for It. I
have proved that with my little Doro
thy. She was a bottle baby and very
delicate. Her bowels were weak. I
started her on Fig Syrup when she
was a few months old and It regu
lated her, quick. I have used it with
her ever since for colds and every lit
tle set-back and her wonderful con
dition tells better than words how It
helps."
Don’t be Imposed on. See that the
Fig Syrup you buy bears the name,
“California" so you'll get the genu
ine, famous for HO years.
Tr»jic Event Recalled
The tearing duwu of an old grade
school m Princeton. Mo., recalled to
older residents the assassination of
President Garfield. It was while the
structure was being erected the Pres
ident was shot. When the news came
the workmen laid two rows of black
brick. When the President died two
additional rows were added. The four
mourning strips encircled the building,
and were sot off by red brick, of which
It wns comprised principally.
For Best Resuite
in Homs Dyeing
You can alway3
give richer, deep
er, more brilliant
colors to faded or
out-of-style dress
es, hose, coats,
draperies, etc., with
jummona uyea.
And the colors stay in through
wear and washing!
Here’s the reason. Diamond
Dye3 contain the highest quality
anilines money can buy. And it’s
the anilines that count! They are
the very life of dyes.
Plenty of pure anilines make
Diamond Dyes easy to use. They
go on evenly without spotting or
streaking. Try them next time
and seo why authorities recom
mend them; why millions of women
will U3c no other dyes.
You get Diamond Dyes for the
samo price as ordinary dyes; 15c,
at any drug store.
Stinglesj “Iodine” Found
Having ul! the antiseptic properties
)f iodine, but not stinging when np
)lled to open wounds, a new drug has
>een discovered by Prof, llans Fried
snthal, a psysiologist of the Berlin
iniversity. He has named the new
intiseptic ‘‘inetajodin,’' which Is said
o he made by combining iodine with
>xygen.
There are too many “average men.”
Makes Life
Sweeter
Next time a coated tongue, fetid
>reath, or acrid skin gives evidence
>f sour stomach—try Phillips Milk of
Hugnesia!
Get acquainted with this perfect an
I acid that helps the system keep
lound and sweet. Tliat every stomach
leeds at times. Take it whenever a
learty meal brings any discomfort.
Phillips Milk of Magnesia lias won
nodical endorsement. And convinced
Millions of men and women they didn’t
lave “indigestion.’* Don't diet, and
lon’t sulTcr; just remember rhillips.
Peasant to take, and always effective.
The name Phillips is important; it
dentifles the genuine product. “Milk
)f Magnesia" has been the U. S. regis
:erod trade mark of the Charles II.
Phillips Chemical Co. and its pre
lecessor Charles IT. Phillips since 1875L
PHILLIPS
* . Mill .
of Malnesia