SjHMIIMS WHPHPiPF!1" vjESTO ft u TIC CIRCULAR STAIRCASE &KMARY . noBmts BINEHAMT ILLUSTRATIONS BY MWtl'& irrv(HT nc or etwUKA'ac ' hum rff liHrtni vt M- " " N" ' " 'CT 8YNOP8I8. Mlis Itmrn. splnstrr anil guardian of llcrtiiiclo ami Unlacy, PHtiiiillnliml Hiirtiiiu-r hrailiiuiirti'iH nl Huiiuycilili. Anililnt tm nirrnim illllltnillli'H (lie RorvntitH ilnrtiTloil. Am MIm Inill'ft Incited till fill- till) fllKllt slm wiih Mtnrtlcil by it dark llKiini on tlio vcrutiilii Unnci'inly iiuIbus tllutut lcl Iter ilnrltiK tlio nlKlit. In Hi" mornliiK MIhh Iihipii found it BlriitiKK Hnl itllT-buttOTi It; a hamper Ortruiln mid llalaey arrived with Jink llulley. The house wiiij iiwnk rned hy ii levolver xlint and Arnold Arm Ktrotm viH fnliiid hol to denth In tlw hull. MIhh limed found llitlsey'i; revolver tin the lawn lie and .lurk Malloy had ill iippeiired Tim link uiilT-liutton niyterl niiKly illHiiiipenred. Uetertlvo JiimleHiin wrilved. (lertriide revealed hIio was en ItuKcd to .lark llnlley, with whom Hhe talked In the billiard room ft few mo ment", hefoie the murder. .lamlesnn ue I'UBed MIhh lnues of luildltiK li.uk evi dence, lie Imprisoned an Intruder In nil empty room. The pilnoner em-aped down a laundry ehute Ooitritdu wan HUnpeeletl A ni'Rro found the other half of what in-lived to be .lack llnlley'H elllT-button. llnlHey leappe.irH and tmvn lie und llulley left In renpoiiHe to a tchwuti. (lertnitle mild Mie had Klven ilt.illey an uiitnadcil revolver. fearliiK to ulve him a louiluil weapon OiiHhler llulley of Paul Arm MlrmiKH hank, defunct, wan arrested for eiulii'Mletiieut llnlHey Hiild AniiHtninjr wieeked IiIh own hank and eolild clear llulley l'liul A i in.il iiiiik'h death WW mi lioiliiceil IIiiIh('h llancee, 1,oiiIhi Aiin ittiuntr, wiih found at the Iwlirr I he loilKekeepet Bald IitllKe and Arnold had it luiur talk I he nlKlit of the murder l.nli lne nun proHtiated, I.oiiIko told IhiNey, that while Hhe Mllll lovnl him nhe wan to marry niiother. und Unit he would d'Hplno her -.vlii'ti he learned the whole hIoi-v. 3t de eloped that Mr. Walker and l.oiilm; M-eie to ho nun tied A piowler wiih healil 111 the hoime. Limine im found at the bottom of the circular ptiilreiiMe I.hiiIhi' said nlie had heard u knmk lit Ihe door imil iiinvvi ri-d It. Hiiiiii thliiK hni.died puit her on the iitaliwiiy and she falntid CHAPTER XVII. Continued. i i . - . "You licanl 110 otlirr smmil?" tlio rorouor. 'nsI'il. "Thgro was no ono with MiJ. AriiiHtroni; when lio en tered?" "It wiih jii'rfcotly tlurk. Thoro were no voices nml Mieurtl nothing. Tlicru wis Jimt tlio oH!iiliiB of tlu door, tlio Bliot, tuul tlio Hound a some-body full ins." ' "Then, while you went through the drawing room and upntairrt to nlnrm thu hoiiHu'holil, tho criminal, whoovor it was, could have escaped by the east door?" "Yes." "Thanh you. That will do." I Hatter inytielf that the coroner pot little enough out of mo. I flaw Mr. .Tnmicuou smiling to himnelf, and the coroner gave mo up, nftor a time. I admitted I had found the body, Raid I had not known who it wnn until Mr. JnrviR told me, and ended by looking up at Harbara Fitzhugh and Baying Unit In renting tlio Iiouho I had not expected to ho Involved in any family ecandal. At which nlie turned purple. Tho verdict wits that Arnold Arm strong had met IiIh death sit the hands of a parson or persona unknown, and wo prepaied to leave. Uarbara Kit 7. luigli flounced out without waiting to upcak to ino, but Mr. Ilnrton came up, nt? 1 know ho would. "You have decided to give up tlio house, I hopo, Miss limes." he said. "Mrs. Armstrong has wired me again." "I am not going to give It up." 1 maintained, "until I understand some things that are puzzling mo. The day that tho murderer is discovered. 1 will leave." "Then, Judging by what I have heard, yon will bo back la the city vory soon," lie said. And I knew that ho suspected tho discredited cashier of tlio Traders' bank. Mr. Jamleson camo up to me as I was nhout to leave tho coroner's of fice. "How is your patient?" ho asked with his odd little smile, "I have no patient," I replied, Htartled. "1 will pr It In a different way, then. How 8 Miss Armstrong?" "She alio is doing very well," I stammered. "Onod," cheerfully. "And our ghost? Is It laid?" "Mr. .latnlesnn," I said suddenly, "1 wish you would eouio to Sunnyslde and spend n few days there. The ghost is not laid. I want you to spend ono night at lenst watching the cir cular Htaircase. Tho murder of Arnold Armstrong was a beginning, not an end." Ho looked serious. "Perhaps 1 can do It." he said. "I liavo been doing something else, but well, I will come out to-night." Wo were vory silent during tlio trip back to Sunnysldo. 1 watched Gortrudo closely and somewhat sadly. To mo thorp was one glaring Haw in her story, and it suemed to stand out lor every ono to see. Arnold Arm Btrong had had no key, and yet she said she had locked the east door. He must havo boon admitted from within tho house; ovor and oer I repeated it to myself. That night, as gently br I could, I told Louise tho story of her step hrother'a death. She sat In her big. pillow-filled chair, and hoard mo through without interruption. It was clear that sho was shocked beyond words; if I had hoped to learn any thing from her expression, I had ailed. Sho was as much In the dark as wo were. CHAPTER XVIII. A Hole In the Wall. My taking 'the dotcctlvo out to Sun liysldo raised an unexpected storm of protest from Gortrudo and. Ilalsey. I was not prepared for it, nnd I scarcely knew how to account for it To mo Mr Jamioson wan far less formidable under my eyes, where I know whnt ho was doing, than ho was off In tho city, twisting clrcumstancea and motives to suit himself und learning what ho wished to know uliout oventa at Sun nysldo In some occult way. I was glad enough to havo hftn there, when excitements began to come thick and fast A now oloment was about to enter Into affairs; Monday, or Tuesday at tho latest, would find Dr Walker back In his green und whlto house In the village, and Loulso'a attitude to him In thu immediate future would signi fy Halsey'a happiness or wretched ness, aa it might turn out. Then, too, tho roturn of her mother would mean, of course, that sho. would have to leave us, und 1 had become greatly at tached to her From tho day Mr Jamleson came to Sunnysldo, thoro was u subtle cliango In Uortrudo's manner to me It was elusive, difficult to analy.e. but It wan thero Sho was no longer frank k iff ill. pa op ' r i JJTTTiyriiTTn'i There Was Something Baffling in the Girl's Eyes. with mo, although I think her affec tion never wuvored At the time I laid tlio change to tho fact that 1 had for bidden all communication witli John llalley, and hud refused to acknowl edge any ongngoment between the two... Gertrude spent much of her time wandering through tho grounds, or talcing long cross-country walks. Halsey played golf at the Country club day after day, and after Louise left, aa she did tho following week, Mr. .lamleson and I were much to gether. He played a fair game of crib bage, but ho cheated at solitaire. Tlio night tlio detective arrived, Saturday, I hud n talk with him. I told him of the experiences Uiuise Armstrong hud had thu night before on the circular staircase, and about the man who had so frightened Itosie on the drlvo. I saw that he thought the information was important, and to my suggestion that we put nu addi tional lock on the eaat wing door ho opposed a strong negative. "I think it probable." lie said, 'that our visitor -Ml be back again, and the thing to do Is to leave things ex actly as thoy are, to avoid rousing suspicion Then I can watch for at least a part of each night and prob ably Mr. Innes will help us out. I would say as little to Thoums us pos sible. Tlio old man knows more than lie Is willing to admit " 1 suggested that Alex, the gardener, would probably bo willing to help, and Mr. .lamleson undertook to juake tho arrangement. For one night, how ever, Mr. .lamleson preferred to watch alone. Apparently nothing occurred. The detective nt in absolute dark ness on tho lower step of tho stairs, do.lng, ho said afterwards, now and then. Nothing could pass him In olihor direction, and the door In the morning remained as securely fast ened as it had been tlio night before. And yet one of tho most Inexplicable ociuneuces of the whole affair took place that vory night. Llddy came to my room on Sunday morning lth a face as long as the moral law She laid out my things as usual, but I missed her customary garniliuisness 1 was not regaled with tho new cook's oxtravanunco as to eggs, anil st: oven forbore to mention "that .IntnlOhoti," on Ui::u arrival she had looked with silent disfavor "What's tlio mutter, Llddy?" I asked, at last. "Didn't you sleep last night?" ' No, ma'am," sho said stiilly. "Did you have two cups of eoffoo at your dinner?" I inquired. "No, ma'm," Indignantly. I eat up and almost upset my hot water 1 always take a cup of hot wa ter with a pinch of salt, bofore I get up. It. tones tho stomach. "Llddy Allen," I said, "stop combing that'swltcli arid toll mo what Is wrong Willi you." Lldily heaved n sigh. "Girl and woman," she said, "I'vu been with you 25 years, Miss Rachel, through good temper and bad " the Idcu! and whnt I havo tuken from her In tho way of sulks! "but I guess I can't stand It any longer. My trunk's packed." Who packed It?" I naked, expecting from her tone to bo told she had wakened to find It dono by sonlo ghostly hand. "1 did, Miss Knchcl, you won't be lieve me when I tell you tills house Is haunted. Who was It fell down the clothes chute? Who was It scared Miaa Louise almost Into her grave?" "I'm doing my beat to find out," I snld. "What In the world nrc you driving ut?" Sho drew a long breath. "There la a hole In the trunkroom wall, dug out since last night. It's big enough to put your head in, and the plaster's all over the place." "Nonsense'" 1 said. "Plaster la al ways falling" Hut Llddy clenched that ".lust ask Alex," she said. "When he put the now cook's trunk there last night tho wall was as smooth as this. This morning it's dug out, and there's plaster on the cook's trunk. Miss r.achel, you can get a dozen detectives and put one on eery stnlr In the house, and you'll never catch any thing. There's some things you can't handcuff." Llddy wns right. As soon us I could, I went u:i to the trunkroom, which was directly over my bedroom. The plan of the upper story of the house was like that of the second floor, in tho main. Ono ond, however, over tho east wing, had been left only roug ly finished, the intention having been to convert it Into a ballroom at some future time. The maids' rooms, trunk room, and various storerooms, Includ ing a largo airy linen room, opened from a long corridor, like that on the second lloor. And In the trunkroom, as Llddy had said, was a fresh break In the plaster. Not only in tho plaster, hut through the lathing, the aperture extended! I reached Into the opening, and three feet away, perhaps. 1 could touch the bricks of the partition wall. For some reason the architect In building the house had left a space there that struck mo. oven In the surprise of the discovery, ns an excellent place for a conflagration to gain headway. "You are sure tho hole was not here yesterday?" I asked Llddy, whose ex pression was a mixture of-satisfaction and nhuiu. In answer she pointed to tho new cook's trunk that necessary adjunct of tho migratory domestic. Tho top was covered with lino white plaster, as was the floor Hut there wero no largo pieces of mortar lying around no bits of lathing. When I mentioned this to Llddy sho meroly raised her eyebrows. Ilolng quite confident that the gap was of unholy origin, she did not concern herself with such trifles ns a bit of mortar nnd lath. No doubt they wore even then heaped neatly on n gravestone in the Casanova ehurehyaid! 1 brought Mr. Jamioson up to see tho hole in the wall, directly after iireaKiast. ills expression was verv odd when ho looked at it. and the first uung no did was to try to discover what object, If any, such a hole could have. Uc got a ploco of candle, and by enlarging tlio aperture a little was able to examine what lay beyond The result was nil. The trunkroom. al though heated by steam heat, like the rest of tho house, boasted of a fire place nnd mantel as well. Tlio open ing had been mado between tho flue and the outor wall or the house. Thero was rovealed. however, on Inspection, only the brlqlc of the chimney on ono side und the outer wall of tho house on tho other; In dopth the space ox tended only to the flooring, Tho breach had boea mudo ubout four feet from the floor, nnd Inside wero nil tho missing hits of plaster. It had been a methodical ghost It was vory much of a disappoint ment. I had expected n secret room, nt thu very least, and I think even Mr. .lamicaon had fancied he might at Inst have a clew to the mystery. There was evidently nothing more to be dis covered; Llddy reported that every thing wiih serene among tho servants, und that none of them had been dis turbed by tho iioIbc. The maddening thing, however, wna Hint tho nightly visitor hnd evidently more than one way of golnlng ncceaa to tho house, nnd we made arrangements to redouble our vlgilnnce us to windows and doors that night. Halsey was Inclined to pooh-pooh the whole nffnlr. He said a brenk In the plaster might have occurred months ago nnd gone unnoticed, and that the dust had probably been stirred up the duy before. After nil, wo had to let It got at that, but we put in an uncomfortnble Sundny. Ger trude went to church, and Halsey took a long walk in the morning. Louise was able to alt up, and she allowed Halsey und Llddy to assist her down stairs late In the afternoon. The east veranda wtia shady, green with vines and palms, cheerful with cushions and lounging chairs. Wo put Louise In a Bteumer chair, nnd she sat there passively enough, her hands clasped In her lap. We wero vory silent. Halsey sat on the rail with a pipe, openly watching Louise, as she looked broodlngly across the valley to the hills. Thero was something ballllng In the girl's eyes; nnd gradually ITalsey's boyish features lost their glow at seeing her about again, and settled Into grim linear lie wns like his father Just then. We sat until late afternoon, Halsey growing more nnd more moody. Short ly before six he got up and went Into the house, and In a few minutes he came out and called mo to the tele phone. It wns Anna Whltcomb, In town, and she kept me for 20 minutes, telling me the children had had the measles nnd how Mmo. Sweeny had botched her new gown. When I finished, Llddy was behind me, her mouth a thin line. "I wish you would try to look cheer ful, Llddy," I groaned, "your face would sour milk." Hut Llddy seldom replied to my gibes. She folded her lips a little tighter. 'He called her up," sho said oracu larly, "he called her up, and asked her to keep you at the telephone, so he could tnlk to Miss Louise. A thank loss child is sharper than a serpent's tooth." "Nonsense!" I said brusquely. "1 might have known enough to leave tliem. It's a long time since you and I were in love, Llddy, nnd we for got." Llddy sniffed. "No mun ever made a fool of mo," she replied virtuously. "Well, soinothing did." I retorted. CHAPTER XIX. Concerning Thomas. "Mr. .Inmlcson," I said, when we found ourselves alone after dinner that night, "the inquest yesterday seemed to mo the merest recapitula tion of things thnt wore already known. It developed nothing now be yond that story of Dr. Stewart's, and that was volunteered." "An lnque'at is only a necessary for mality, Miss Innes," he replied. "Un less a crime Is committed in tho open the inquest does nothing beyond get ting evidence from witnesses while events aro stJll In their minds. The police step in later. You and I both know how many Important tilings never transpired. For Instance: The dead man hud no koy, and yet Miss Gortrudo testified to u fumbling nt tho lock, und then the opening of tho door. The piece of evidence you men tion, Dr. Stewart's story, Is one of those tilings we havo to take cautious ly; the doctor -has a patient who wears black and does not raise her veil. Why, It la tlio typical mysteri ous lady! Then the good doctor conies across Arnold Armstrong, who wna a graceless scamp do mortals what's the rest of It? and lie Is quar reling with a lndy in black. Hohohl, says the doctor, they aro ono nnd tho same." (TO UK f'ONTlNUHfl.) Sameness. "Thore is u certain samoness about natural scenery," said the mnn who looks bored, "Do you mean to compare a mag nificent mountain with tho broad ex panse of the sea?" "Yes. Wherever you find a spot of exceptional beauty somebody ia suro to decorato it with sardine tins nnd biscuit boxes." Not So Bad. Nervous Lady Don't your experi ments fr.Ightou you torrlbly, profes sor? I hear that your assistant mot with a horrlblo death by falling -1,000 feet from n balloon. Professor Oh, that report was grently exaggerated. Nervous Lady Exaggerated! How? Professor It wasn't much more than C00 foot that ho fell. Puck. K PETER SILENT Servian Ruler the Loneliest Po tentate on European Throne. Lives Moodily and Modestly, Is Callous to Criticism and Is Figurehead In Council Crime Shad ows His Reign. Ilelgradc. They call him "the silent king" In Helgrade and "tho king who doesn't care." Ho Is tho loneliest monarch In Uurope, this King Peter of Scrvla this man without friends or amtiseinontB, whom other monnrcha will not know nnd whoso personality and very thoughts nro impenetrable. Peter Knrageorgevitch is an unhnp py man becauso hla occupation la gone. All IiIb life he hns plotted and Intrigued to gain the Servian throne. Tho years he spent In his little villa at Geneva wero dovotcd to negotia tions with conspirators. Conspiracies were meat and drink to him. Ho thought of nothing but his cipher cor respondence with tho Knragcorgc par ty in Holgrnde and the clandestine meetings with his supporters in Swltz crland. Having walked to tho throne over the bodies of an assassinated king nnd queen, he haa no further need for con Bplrnclos. Ilia future is fairly assured. It would be a kindness to Peter Knra georgevitch If ho lost his crown nnd were sent back to Gcrfovn to rcsumo his intrigues by post. He lives In a small, two-storyled, cream-colored palace fronting on Bel grade's principal street. It Is n mod est royal residence, with French win (lows, and a lawn separated from the public pnvcnicut by an equally mod est iron fence. There was once another palace. It adjoined tlio present excessively now looking structure. Hut, after u king and queen wero murdered there one June morning nearly seven years ago, and their mutilated bodies thrown into the forecourt, the building wns razed not conjure up unpleasant memories j for King Peter when he looked out of his front windows. Hence tho stretch of cool, green lawn, with the curious, raised mound In tho center, which marks the site of the old palace col lars. Like most of his subjects, King Pe ter rises early, usually with the sun. Then, at six o'clock, ho rides or drives for perhaps an hour with two or threo equtrrics. He remains Indoors tho rest of tho day. Sometimes IiIb ordi nnr urogram Is disturbed by a religion.- festival or a state ceremony, but at the curliest possible moment ho hastens back to his seclusion. Tho king haa no marked tastes in nny direction. He reads very little. Fow members of the court dlno with him. Tho officers in attendanco are wearied almost beyond expression by their paluco duties. His majesty Is never cross, never excited, never talk ative Hi3 conversation Is confined usually to amiable monosyllables. In no place docs tho king appear so much of a gorgeous figurehead as when he holds a council. Describing ono of theso functions, a cabinet min ister said: "Thoro his majesty sits, wearing n general's uniform and nil his decora tions, anxious to plenso ovcryono. We talk of a certain public mutter, and presently tho king dozes n little. As ono nilnlstor finishes giving his views the king opens his eyes with a start and says; 'Quito right' Tho discussion continues, and perhnps another of my colleagues opposes tlio viow of tho ono who hns Just spoken. "Tho king again slumbers peaceful ly for a time, then opons his eyes with an approving smile, nnd snys: 'Quito right.' So between imps and with oomplncen approval of evoryono, he finishes tho matter in hand. In tlio end tho decision Is whnt th6 cabinet de sired it to be, and his majesty goes away much relieved to ring for fresh coffee nnd tho latest nows-pnpers." Sometimes, during the wnr fovor, ho roso at four o'clock In tho morning to drive into tho country and roviow a regiment or two. Ho was always back In Bolgrado beforo six o'clock shut up In his croam-colorod prison by tho time tho capital was awake. Ho is not ovor interested In military matters. A man who has spout so many yours among tourists In Switzerland cannot be, ox pqcted to rlsq to the dignity of a war lord nt tho ago of sixty. """ II II III. IMMMM MMOM ) I .,,4BmB&SM&Bk , King Peter of Scrvla. lo the ground, that tho sight might WILLY WAS TOO LIBERAL. Oversupply of Alcoholic Stimulants Disturbed Schedule of Funeral Arrangements. Dean Ramsay's memoirs contain nn anecdote of an old woman of Straths pey. Just beforo her death sho sol emnly Instructed her grnndnophcw: "Willy, I'm dceliV, and ns yo'll hao tho charge o' a' I have, mind now that ns much whisky is to bo used at my fu neral ns thero was nt my bnptlsm." Willy, having no record of tho quan tity consumed at tho baptism, decided to give every mourner as much as ho wished, with tho result that tho fu neral procession, having to trnvcrso ten miles to the churchyard on a short November day, arrived only at nightfall. Then 'it was discovered that tho mourners, hnlting nt a wuysldo Inn, had rested the coflln on n dyke nnd left It there when they resumed their Journey. The corpso was a day lata In arriving at tlio grave. Tho Motive Power. "A western editor says nobody was over hurt whllo taking a 'joy ride' on tho handles of a plow." "That's whero he's mistaken. Many a good man has been kicked by a mule." Htrminghani Age-Herald. After marrying for money, many a man wishes lie hnd been brought up to work for a living. ConMlpatlnn cnttvuatut nKRnxTnte rmnjr srrtnn rtlwnsei. it li tlniroiitflily run-it by lr. t'lPtco's l'liMMiul Toilets. The fun rle liunlly iJxallro. You have got to know a business bo fore you can make a success of It you can expect to suffer because the other organs are also affected and the whole system of diges tion and assimilation is DiocKea. iou can ear heartily and without fear of distress if you will begin your meals with a dose of Hostetter's Stom ach Bitters. 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