THE CIRCULAR STAIRCASE MARY ❖ ROBERTS * RINEHART ' " V - •' SVAOPSiS V : • - # *;t - «-#* sr- t,1 _j» e HT *■- ’ * - '-ac *£.-*► ;*. GMSCUSD^r I J*~S*V|i«c»jk AB..dft SB * • * 4WTU-4 -* 3 ..4 S i r ns#*!, d • • s "^pT _:* tfti Tla** 7 * * - .-V • ■- * -- •' P *. » arm - <1 * " «—< « y _ m 41* dfclhdMk" * i ' **- \ a’rd' f* mkl it *— *r«g * f 4 Ar*-ii a,., ., * Hal ■ n . ja ■ - .. • * ** «* In.. Pi! « - w .» I •'« -'" •*'•**.* -. ■ r •'• T -- •: »"'!! : — ■ - ('..*• . -.--r «* sped ■ - ? •; ■»*•-< that Cr-i.p—£- VII—CsP-jt! ludfy po Tbrouph tfce b*CM> M 'I ► who M Mfcleiar or tf as.?' one TV. I! have to rlea la-cse--'* i! * rill po tP tfce k»='*» uor-ae *«*sM a *■ nm A fr-ti t . - fc. i.ee.*r.-4 “Eat— Ti'-s : -i the dtriT a: tfc* top of the ha-e-test ***:r» ' 1 SUpE'.-ted asd jsattoi tie- bm»> from tfc# out side W- apr**d to tfc * and I bad a f**:.sp tbut tfce isystery of Sunny »td» »a» Jout to l- so.-d 1 ran im the *t-fo asd alter tfce drive lust a; tfce e.eper ! raa full til* into «• PE*heady mb© *e* o d to be as url «arr*d a* 1 was It was not until I bad -• - ed a step cr two that I fee ■** r-d Gertrude. and sfce me "Ckead srac'-os*. Aunt Ray site #s rlaist-d. ' wbat is tfc* matter*" Tt.r. * t ^met-ody —k*d :a the laundry. ! posted That is—unless— yow didst »*♦ asy one eros*.e* the lawn or ikaftm around tfc# bouse did you*” I tfctnfc me hate mystery on tfce bra t ’ Gertrude said wearily No I bates t *• - s ar.y one • Kept old Thomas. mho k.jked for all tfc* world as if b* bad he-a mssarkssp tfce pan try '*U» bate you locked :a tfce laundry T~ “1 can: »r: to erplain I rryM 1 BM V. art.* r froth tie k«dg* If you * ac. it for i - tt. d better put w® ? *ir '.•»* tm'j*« " And the® I bo *• *-d that Ger-rade wa* : a.; .eg--not a-ac* feu* c * —tTljr to mak- her pny-o i«r* plow, ui seeu-tgly fplBtpl 1> . Lit* hurt y ..r**!f ' I sad wbarpiy ■ fell «*t tie carnage block." she **t..- s-d T tho-ghT perhaps I = c ■ —* -ey *as:ag home He— fee ought to fc» here " 1 hastened to 'fee lodge Where tt'ncr"' I asked \—! thlak he . tr t-d. m* act ” 1 **■» Lite up ! said, ard for good tei sa- «-t—w *h*- coor. Thomas I'll w ait for Warner “ Tt's kind o' dose In fee-re saic" k- «- d obe-yit-g £ ar-r!». ard disclos ■_i a «-ooi and roe.; rtabte looking in *»* If p*':.t;a yo-.'d k*-*T to set oil tfee porch at. r-st you seif ~ It was e- it dent That Thuoias dd t«t want t.«- t- de that I went ta T< I 'A'ara*r t* is needed in a tar ry I repeated, ard turned into the It* t ]e sit rxt room I could tear Tfetman going up tbe stair* could fcear a.m rouse Warner, and tbe steps •f tbe rhaaflmr as he hurriedly dreaet Hot eiy attentive was busy W -th the TOOT3 fee-lew Oa the cent-- tabie open, was a sealskin tmteitag Hup It was filled • ilk gold topped butties and brashes and 3 fereatued ianury f*-c tBKJty from er*ry rnefe of surface How did *» get there* 1 was soli ask ac ays,:* tae gt.**t o »s*a Warner cat.- run ring down tbe s'airs tad a © the runs. He was cx; k Te.j but •otsewba* trw nncrmsaly dre»**-d. and t.s < ,-a. fee; ah far- looked a hash.-o He was a country b y. absolutely frank _&d reliable, of fa-r education an u Hfgi-ece—one at tbe MLail arc j- >f kwsemcan yoaths who turn a natural aptitude far *L*-ctac ; < -»i o-t he did not turn around. ' !t'*—M beloE*.* to Tbaanas,- be sad. and Sed ag The drire To fbceus' A Lstedon bag with mstraa and cnaaBetw jar* of which Tiiosat* cw.'l at< e - *c hate guessed th» use' H >»« rer I put the big in tbe bark of K.J maid, which was fart fettatu snored with anomalous and amwrey-tiy irr-eo* liable facts, and kfhwed Warner to ft house. L-iddy had come bark to tbe kitch en. the door to -h- basement stairs nas dowbbarred, ard h=d a table feared against it; and beside ber on twe table was mart of the hit-tea par aphernalia. T*;4 yoa see .? ther* was aay oae =cie*«** as the boose I asked, ifaor -** the array <* sauce pans, roOiaf I 3M tad the poker of th*- raace ;; is Udd> eaid with -clMm. S;.' had objected to Rosie. • • ' Parke a-aid. frosa the start. ‘Sirs t vises west cto her room, ate found *he had foe* without her hat People ’-*• trast themselves a duxes miles troa, the city, in stratfe houses, with a*r-.aau they dost know, medal he surj-r s» d if th-y make up some morn .nx and find their throats cut." After which carefully veiled sar ' _~m Lud dy relapsed into gioom War n*. r came :a then with a handful of s'-.all t • and Mr Jamieson went w 'h him to the bisem*nt. Oddly •noum. I was not alarmed. With all ny t- art I w.shed for Halsey, but I »a* cot frightened At the door he was to forte Warner put down his tools and looked at it Then he turned th- handle Without the slight est difficulty the daw opened, reveal cx the t _ une's of the drying room beyond* Mr Jamieson gave an exclamation of c:?x ist ‘tlune’” he said ‘Con '11 ind !. . _rei- ?s work' 1 might have known " !• * ..s true f- rh We g it the -‘-is on Cn--:iy and looked all 'h- .xh the three rooms that con -t i ** d this m.r: of the has-ment. Fk-ryt:rg was quiet and empty. An • v; ar...t ->n of hoe the fugitive had • s' »-d injury ».v found in a htajrd u|> basked of clothes under the chute. T: • i ask"t hud . n overturned, but 'i.' ■ - ■ ai: Mr. Jam,- * n examined the v : * - ut.e w*. units fe'-d and of '• r. d an easy escape The window or door' Wui- i. w:-y had me fugi >• --! a; d" Th- door seemed most i at_nd I : ped it had been so ! c_.d cot have borne, j :>t then, to ■i ak that it was my poor Gertrude »e tad been bound ng through the :arkn- ss and yet—1 had met Ger trud- not far iroti that very w.udow. 1 went upstairs at last, tir-d and d- , res-ed. Mrs Watson and Liddy w-rr mafe-nx tea in the kitchen In - r- ‘ :► tn times of stre-s. trouble or - : -s they x >e tea to the dying ana m-y put :t in the baly s cursing But Before We Go On, I Want to Say This." bottle Mrs Watson was fixing a tray to b«- sent in to me. and when 1 asked : r ab at Kosie she confirmed her awaijce. She s not h-^re." she said. "but 1 w o id not tn.nk much of that. Miss In r*s Kosie Is a pretty young girl, and perhaps she has a sweetheart- It w :1! be a good thing if she has. The ma.ds sta? much better when they :._r. some’hirf 1 ke that to hold them here. Gertrude had gone back to her room and wfc ie I was drinking my r of t t tea. Vr Jamieson came in. " > m uat t.ik* up the conversation wt.rt t» .eft off an hour and a half «g h- -u:d But before we go on, I want to say tins The person who d fro:;, the laundry was a worn -n w :th a f<«o* of moderate size an j and your maid were in the house a.one: ” it was a woman." I said positively, And yet year maid afirms with josi*;vetH>s that it was a man " Nonsense.” i broke in. "Liddy -*i her eyes shut—she always shuts hem when she’s frightened" And yo j r -. v*r thought then that intruder who came later that *' — miefct be a woman—tbe woman -- (t. whom you saw on the reran da?” “I had reasons for thinking It was a man. I said, remembering the pearl ff-’-ink • Now we a-e getting down to basi s' s Wha’ were your reasons for thinking that?” 1 hesitated. If you have any reason for believ ing that your midnight guest was Mr. .Armstrong, other than his visit here the r- it night, you ought to tell me. Miss Janes. We can take nothing for granted. If. for instance, the intru der who dropped the bar and scratched the staircase—you see, I know about that—if this visitor was a woman, why should not the same woman have come back the following night, met Mr. Armstrong on the cir cular staircase, and in alarm shot him " ■ It was a man.” I reiterated. And then, because I could think of no oth er rtason for my statement, I told him about the pearl cuff-link. He was m'ensely interested. Will you give me the link." he said when I finished, "or. at least, let me see it? 1 consider it a most impor tant clew." "Won't the description do?" ' Not as well as the original." "Well. ]'m very sorry." i said, as calmly as I could. "I—the thing is lest. It—it must have fallen out of a box on my dressing table." Whatever he thought o. mv expla nation, and ! knew he doubted it. he r. ade no stgn. He asked me to de s ribe the link accurately, and I did ~o. while he glanced at a iist he took ; from his pocket. ' < me st t t: onogram cuff-links," he r. .ii. ' em st i plain pearl links, one -t-t cufflinks, woman's head set with .ij ends and emeralds. There is no mention of such a link as you de - r..- and yet, if your theory is right, Mr Armstrong must have taken back :a h:s cuffs one complete cuff link, and a half, perhaps, of the othtr." The idea was new to me If it had : not I t- n the murdered man who had - ntered the house that night, w ho had it been ? There are a number of strange -hing' connected with this case," the ueteitive went on 'Miss Gertrude Innes testified that she heard some one fumbling with the lock, that the door opened, and that almost immedi 1 ately the shot was fired. Now. Miss Innes. here Is the strange part of that. Mr. Armstrong had no key with him. I There was no key in the lock, or on the fioor. In other words, the evi dence points absolutely to this: Mr. Armstrong was admitted to the house i from within." “it is impossible," I broke in. Mr ; Jamieson, do you know what your words imply? Do you know that ; you are practically accusing Gertrude innes of admitting that man?" Not quite that,' he said with his friendly smile. “In fact. Miss Innes, I am quite certain she did not. But as long as 1 learn only parts of the truth, from both you and her. what can I do? I know- you picked up some thing in the flower bed; you refuse to tell me what it was. I know Miss Gertrude went back to the billiard room to get something, she refuses to say what. You suspect what happened to the cuff-link, but you won't tell me So far. all 1 am sure of is this; I do not believe Arnold Armstrong was the midnight visitor who so alarmed you by dropping—shall we say, a golf stick' And I believe that when he did come he was admitted by some one in the house. Who knows—it may have been—Liddv!” I stirred my tea angrily. "I have always heard," I said dry ly. "that undertakers' assistants are jovial young men. A man's sense of humor seems to be in inverse propor tion to the gravity of his profession." “A man's sense of humor is a bar barous and a cruel thing. Miss Innes." he admitted. "It is to the feminine as the hug of a bear is to the scratch of—well, anything with claws. Is that you. Thomas? Come in." Thomas Johnson stood in the door way He looked alarmed and appre hensive. and suddenly 1 remembered the sealskin dressing bag in the lodge. Thomas came just inside the door and stood with his head droop ing. his eyes, under their shaggy grav brows, fixed on Mr. Jamieson. "Thomas." said the detective, not unkindly, “I sent for you to tell us what you told Sam Bohannon at the ciub. the day before Mr. Arnold was found here, dead. Let me see. You came here Friday night to see Miss Innes, didn't you? And came to work here Saturday morning?" For some unexplained reason Thomas looked relieved. "Yas. sah." he said. "You see it were like this: When Mistah Arm >trong and the fani'ly want away. Mis' Watson an' me, we was lef in charge till the place was rented- Mis' Wat son, she've bin here a good w hile, an' she warn' skeerv. So she slep' in the house. I'd bin havin' tokens—I tol' Mis' Innes some of 'em—an' I slep' in the lodge. Then one day Mis' Wat son, she came to me an' she sez. sez she: Thomas, you'll hev to sleep up in the big house. I'm too nervous to do it any more.' But I jes' reckon to myself that ef it's too skeerv fer her, it's too skeery fer me. We had it, then, sho' nuff, and it ended up with Mis' Watson stayin' in the lodge nights an' me lookin' fer work at de club.” "Did Mrs. Watson say that any thing had happened to alarm her?" "No, sah. She was jes’ natchaily skeered. Well, that was all, far's I know, until the night I come over to see Mis’ Innes. I come across the valley, along the path from the club house, and I goes home that way. Down in the creek bottom 1 almost run into a man. He wuz standin' with his back to me, an' he was workin’ with one of these yere electric light things that fit in yer pocket. He was havin' trouble—one minute it'd flash out, an' the nex' it'd be gone. I hed a view of 'is white dress shirt an' tie, as I passed I didn't see his face. But I know it wam't Mr. Arnold. It was a taller man than Mr Arnold. Besides that. Mr. Arnold was playin' cards when I got to the club house, same's he'd been doin’ all day." "And the next morning you came back along the path," pursued Mr Jamieson relentlessly. "The nex' mornin' I come back along the path an' down where I dun see the man night befoh, I picked up this here." The old man held out a tiny object and Mr. Jamieson took lb Then he held it on his extended palm for me to see. It was the other half of the pearl cuff-link' But Mr. Jamieson was not quite through questioning him. “And so you showed it to Sam, at the club, and asked him if he knew any one who owned such a link, and Sam said—what?" “Wal, Sam, he' lowed he'd seen such a pair of cuff-buttons in a shirt belongin’ to Mr. Bailey—Mr. Jack Bailey, sah." “I'll keep this link, Thomas, for a while,” the detective said. "That's all I wanted to know. Good night.” As Thomas shuffled out. Mr. Jamie son watched me sharply. “You see. Miss lnnes." he said, “Mr. Bailey insists on mixing himself with this thing. If Mr. Bailey came here that Friday night expecing to meet Arnold Armstrong, and missed him— if. as I say, he had done this, might he not, seeing him enter the following night, have struck him down, as he had intended before?" “But the motive?" I gasped. "There could be motive proved, I think. Arnold Armstrong and John Bailey have been enemies since the latter, a cashier of the Traders' bank, brought Arnold almost into the I clutches of The law. Also, you for get that both men have been paying attention to Miss Gertrude. Bailey's flight looks bad, too." "And you think Halsey helped him to escape?" (TO BE CONTINUED.) Women in Postal Service The distinction of first appointing a i woman postmaster does not belong to ' America, nor is the employment of women in the postal service a new i idea. As early as 154S a w oman post master was appointed to look after the mails of Braine le Comte, an im portant town of France. In the try ing times of the Thirty Years' War the principal office in the postal serv I ice of Europe was held by a woman, 1 Alexandrine de Rue. From 162S to ; 1646 she was in charge of the mails ! of the German empire, the Nether lands, Burgundy and Lorraine. She was known as a master general of the mails. In America. Elizabeth Harvey was the first to hold a place in the postal department. She had j charge of the letters in Portsmouth. N. H., in the beginning of the seven j teenth century. A half century after i ward Lydia Hill was placed in charge of the post office in Salem, Mass. Chinese Thanks fer Rain. The following quaint Chinese im perial decree was recently issued from | the palace in Pekin: "Owing to the | scarcity of rain Prince Rung and oth j ers have been detailed to pray at the Takaotien on our behalf by dedicating incense, and also Prince Tsai Hsun ' and others to the Shih yin-kung and other temples to pray by dedicating incense and now plenty of rain has come for which we feel thankful Therefore we detail Prince Tsai Hsun to the Takaotien on the 7th July on our behalf dedicate incense, and we detail Prince Puhung to the Shao chengmica. Duke Tsai Tse to the Hsunjeumiao, Tsai Futo the Yikomiao on the same day to dedicate incense and to perform ritual sendee to re turn thanks for the rain with desires for further rainfall to console the peasants."—Shanghai Mecury. Where It Goes. That man made an immense for tune out of a simple little invention.” i “Indeed! What did he invent?” "In vent? Nothing, you dub! He was tbe promoter!" 1 Latest Parasol tPhotograpb by Underwood ,v Underwood. New York t A PARASOL, of palm fiber t raffia 1 made in the alluring form of a small square tent, v.i;h a natural fringe of the woven fibers, canopy top— loop of raffia to carry on arm. It is especially adapted for sea shore and outing, as the material is indestructibie and water repellent. CORRECT STYLES IN GLOVES Black Is a Color Little Seen This Sea son, Tints Being Given the Preference. The new gloves show a good many Innovations over products of a year ago. Exdept for black costumes wher'' an all-black scheme is desired, black gloves are little used. Plain white gloves also are less in evidence than for some time, tints having taken their place. All the soft pastel shades such as pigeon gray, fawn, biscuit and champagne are especially popular. Just now suedes are liked far better than glace kids. This is a whim of the Parisiennes. who always go in for the smartest fit for everything, and suede certainly comes under that class In the matter of gloves. With the continued shortening of sleeves, more 12-button lengths than any other style are being sold. White gloves with black stitching are popular with black and white combination cos tumes. For the street with the plain tailor-made broad four-row stitchings in self tones are considered the cor rect thing. TENNIS DRESS This is a style suitable to be made op in zephyr or casement cloth; the skirt has a little fulness at .waist, and is trimmed below with two folds. The bodice is trimmed with box plaits stitched at each edge. The Pe ter Pan collar and cuffs are of lawn edged with a narrow plaiting. Chip hat with full crown of spotted muslin, surrounded by a wreath of roses. Materials required: Eight yards 2$ inches wide. FOR THE SUMMER BEDROOM Simple But Attractive Furnishings That Make the Apartment a Delight. Summer furnishings have a charm that is quite foreign to the more pre tentious appointments of winter, and I every season they seem to be more at tractive. The new toilet china shown is extremely decorative. The quaintly shaped little bowls are adorned with equally quaint, conventional designs, and there are lovely foreign lookir a l copper jugs, with wicker handles, for carrying the morning hot water. Col ■ ored and white tiles or squares of glass mounted on a Cowered material matching the room hangings are pro I vided to set the pitcher of ice water ! upon, and if a room is to have two | occupants all these fittings are to be duplicated. For fastening back the window hangings the old-fashioned i brass rosette has been revived. Speaking of bedrooms suggests breakfast, for it is becoming more and more the custom to have the first meal of the day in one's own room, and thoughtful hostesses always pro vide one of the charming little break fast sets which are now so common in the shops for the guest room, along with a tray of wicker, brass or wood. A Lingerie Hat. If you get a lingerie hat this year, be sure to choose the mob cap style, with large, high crown and double ruf fles around the face. This may be quite simple or of em ; broidery and lace. A pretty one in sheer Persian lawn has the crown out lined with three rows of oval eyelets. The upper rr.ffle is edged with embroid ered scallop, while the under ruffle has a row of eyelets above scallops. 1 hese frills fall far down over the face and around the high crown are drawn folds of soft ribbon, ending in a huge six-looped bow without ends at the left side. Where one does not wish to em broider, the crown can be outlined in three rows of German Valenciennes In sertion, and the two ruffles finished with a row of insertion and edging of lace. Odd Names to New Shades. Some of the new shades have ex ceedingly odd names. There is pheas ant displayed in a number of tones, from pale-reddish brown to a brown so deep it is almost black. Ashes of 'iolet. a color of dull, faded purple; king s blue, a cold Japanese-looking shade, toning to brown; argent, a gray like dull silver; drake, a bluish green that is attractive, and a pale green called almond that blondes of a deli cate (not colorless) type find becom ing Chantecler Is a rich, deep pink, almost red. Rubbers in Fancy Bag. The traveler may not know that rubbers can be fitted into gay little plaid silk bags that are lined with rubber and fastened over with a pearl clamp. They are only about five inches long and take up so little room in a bag or a trunk that it is not worth measuring. A woman will not hesitate to travel around with her rubbers even in a dress suitcase when they are done up in such an at tractive form. KEEPING TAN IN SUBJECTION Cooling Lotions for the Face That Are Guaranteed to Preserve the Complexion. The girl who tans easily should use not only the cream, but a wash com posed of a combination of lemon juice, borax, and rose water, which will keep the tan in restraint and possibly make the more severe treatment at the end of the summer with strong bleaches unnecessary. When the se vere measures are necessary, it is well to begin with lemon juice and follow that treatment with powdered pum ice and white vaseline mixed togeth er. Peroxide of hydrogen is a still stronger bleach than the lemon. But termilk is a mild bleach. When the face feels chapped and stiff, after an exposure to a rough wind, one may use in addition to the cold cream at night a preparation made up of rose water and milk of sweet almonds fre quently during the day. When the face Is unusually oily In hot weather, some of the toilet vinegars help to close tbs pores.—Harper's Bazar. Effective Touches. A charming gown of figured chiffon or crepe is veiled w ith a loose j tunic coat or drapery of black; a fas cinating snuff-brown chiffon, with a loose coat tunic f\y these two trans parent materials is extremely pretty. A more elaborate style of gown, suit, able for dinners or the theater, is of liberty satin in a charming shade of gray. This is veiled in voile ae soio a shade lighter or darker, the rolls put on to lorm long flat plaits. The effect gained is far softer than if th« entire gown were of the satin and be. sides is more up to date. A Shining Nose. Summer is a sorry time for the woman with nose shines. She usual ly resorts to powder, which coarsens the pores, or she mops with alcohols,' w hich dries up the skin. Instead of these, try bathing the' nose with hot water, in which a tea- i spoonful of powdered borax has been dissolved to each pint. Wiping the surface of nose with a soft flannel or piece of silk keeps down the shine. Do not rub hard or ; redness results. MOTHERS WHO HAVE DAUGHTERS Find Help in Lydia E. Pink* ham’s Vegetable Compound Hudson, Ohio.—“If mothers re ah red the good your remedies would do deli, cate girls I believe there would be lower we.ui. ana ail ing women. Irreg ular and painful . periods and such troubles would bo relieved at ©nee in many cases. l.yd:a E. l'inkham's Ye go. table Compound' is fine for ailir.g girls •and run-down wo. ■men. Their delicate ■organs need a tonic Sand the Compound ana me trout • :.* r.rsi dose."—Mrs. Grom-v Sri:;, .i v»s. Hudson. Ohio, R. Xo.6, r \ Hundreds of such ku Vu mothers expressing their gratitude for what Lydia K. I ink ham's V« gv ta ble Compound has accomphsht i for them have been received by the l_ydi» E. linkluai Medicine Company, I yurt. Mass. Young Girls Heed This Girls who are troubled with painful or irregular periods, backache, head ache, dragging-down sensations, hunt ing spells or indigestion, should take immediate action to warn off the seri ous consequences and he restored to health by Lydia E. Pin kb ant's Vege table Compound. Thousands have been restored to health by its use. If you would like special advice about your cose write a confiden tial letter to Mrs. l'inkhant. at Lynn. Mass. Her advice is and always helpful. Trial Bottle Hr— By Mail tf yo* tsffei fro* K»tl*t«sy. FU*. Fvitn* SK-faww, PpMmi. or til rt.lirra ih.t *r Nn n» votwt *:ll rr wr.tb.Bi, ,r>d all yt* tr« M