i -r- M,riMiiifrf t-li iiWIHiw m'ir'if i h I' n TtlC CIRCULAR STAIRCASE noemts IUNZHART C. ycnrttaa r ecatfiuMafca. T 8YN0PSI8. Minn Innra, nplnsler find punrdlnn of Ocrtrudi) mid llulaoy, cHlnblliilioil mimtncr lie(ultmrU-rn ut Hunnynhli). Amidst tin inrroiiH dllllculllrs the HurvnntH ilfaiTtnl. An MIhr Innnn Inckr-il up for tliu nlKlit Rho wn Btnrtli-d liy a (lark llKiiro on tlio vcrnndn. Unseemly ihiIhch illHtnrlicd lirr tlurins Hi" nlRltt. In tliu liiornltig MIkh lnne found a HtriutKo llnK culT-l)Utton In u humpnr. (Jiirtrildn and Hnlst-y urrlvrd Svitli Jack Unllry. Tlio lionso wnn nwnk ened by n ruvnhrr Hhot and Arnold Arm fUroni? wns found Rlint to dentil In tlio fcnll. MIsb Innos found IIiilrtcy'H revolver on tlio lawn. Ilu nnd Jack Malley lmd ilN nppearcd. Tim Unit curf-liutlon mynterl ounly dlFntipe.ircd, Delectlve Jiitnlcaun nrrlvrd. Oortrmln revealed hIio wan en RiiKcd to Jack Hnllpy, with whom hIio Hnkrnl In tlio lillllnrd room a few 1110 montH beforo tlio murder. Jnniler.on ae cupd Mini InneH of ImldltiK Imi'lc evi dence, lie lintirlHiim-tl an Intruder In an empty room. Tlio primmer escaped down n lntwilry chute, fiertrude wiih Hiinpeeted. IA. nero found tlio oilier half of what r roved to bo .Jnclc Ilalley'M eiirr-liutlon. Inlaoy nvippoura and nyH ho and Ilalley left In ruHpotme to a telegram, (lerlrude rmlrt Mho lind ulven Halluy an unloaded revolver, fenrlriK to kIvo him a loaded weapon. Crtslilr-r Ilnlloy of 1'iiul Arm BtroiiK'K hunk, defunet, was nrrentod for mhezzlTiinnt. Unlsey Hnld Armstrong tvrccltcd Ida own hank and could clenr XJallev. Paul Armstrong's death wan an notinrctl. Hillary's llaneeo, I.oulso Arm strong, wnH found at tho lodge. The lodRokeeper Bald IOUlflo and Arnold had a lonjr talk tho nlKlit of tho murder. I.ott Ino wnH prostrated. IoiiIho told llulmw. that wlillu Hhc ntlll loved him alio was to iniirry another, and that ho would tlesplso Jiw when ho learned tho whole story. It developed that Dr. Walker and I.oulmi wcro to ho married. A prowler was heard In the houfe. IxiuNo was found at tho bottom of tho elrculnr staircase. I.oulso Bald she had heard a knock at the door nnd answered It. HomethltiK brushed past her on tho stairway and sho fainted. Ilal ley Is suspected of ArmstroiiK'8 murder. CHAPTER XIX. Continued. "Why was Mr. Halluy not prcsunt at tlio inquest?" Tho dotcctivo's expression was pe culiar. 1 "IJocauso hla physician testified that ho Is 111, and tmablo to leave his bod." "111!" I exclaimed. "Why, neither Halsey nor Gertrude has told me tbut." "There nro moro things than that, Miss Innes, that nro puzzling. Dalley gives tho Impression that ho know nothing of tho crash at tho bank un til ho read it in tho paper Monday night, and that ho went back and sur rendered himself Immediately. I do not bellcvo It. Jonas, tho watchman at tho Traders' bank, tells a different story. Ho sayB that on tho Thurs day night before, about 8:30, Ilnlloy wont back to tho bank. Jonas ad mitted him, and ho says tho cashier was In a stnto almost of collapse. Bailey worked until midnight, then ho closed tho vault and wont awny. Tho occurrence was so unusual that tho watchman pondered over It all tho rent of tho night. What did Dailcy tlo when ho wont back to tho Knicker bocker npartments that night? Ho packed a nult-cnso ready for Instant doparturo. Hut ho held off too long; ho waited for something. My per sonal opinion is thnt ho waited to seo MIsb Gertrude before Hying from tho country. Then, when ho lind shot down Arnold Armstrong that night, ho bad to chooso between two evils. Ho did tho thing that would Immediately turn public opinion In his favor, and nurrendored himself, as an Innocent man. Tho strongest thing against him Is his preparation for flight, and hla deciding to come back after tho murder of Arnold Armstrong. He was Bhrowd enough to disarm suspicion as toxtho graver charge." Tho evening dragged along slowly. Mm. Watson enmo to my bedroom bo i'oro I went to bed nnd asked If 1 had any arnica. Sho showed mo a badly swollen hand, with reddish streaks running toward tho elbow; sho said It wus tho hand she lind hurt the night or tho murder a week beforo, and thnt one had not slept well slnco. It looked to mo as If it might bo serious, and 1 told her to let Dr. Stewart see it. Tho next morning Mrs. Watson wont up to town on tho 11 train nnd waa admitted to tho Charity hospital. Sho was suffering from blood-poisoning. I fully meant to go up nnd seo her thcro, but othor things drovo her entirely from my mind. I telephoned to tho hospital that day, however, and ordored a prlvato room for her, and vhatover comforts she might bo al lowed. Mm. Armstrong arrived Monday evening with her husband'B body, and tho services wero act for the next day. Tho houso on Chestnut streot, In town, had boon opened, and Tues day morning Louiso loft us to go homo. Sho sent for mo beforo she wont, and I saw she had been crying. "How can I thank you, Miss Innes?" eho said. "You lmvo taken mo qn faith, and you havo not asked mo any questions. Somo tlmo, perhaps, I can tell you; and when that tlmo comes, you will all dcsplso mo Hal soy, too." I tried to toll her how glad I was to havo had her, but there was some thing elso sho wanted to say. Sho said it finally, when she had bado n constrained good-by to Unlsey and tho car was waiting at tho door. "MIsb Innos," sho said In a low tono, "if thoy If there Is any attempt mado to to havo you give up tho house, do It, If you possibly can. I am afraid to havo you stny." That wbb nil. Gertrude went Into town with hor and saw her safely homo. Sho reported a decided cool ness In tho greeting botween Louiso and her mother, nnd that Dr. Walker It Wa3 was there, apparently in chargo of tho nrrnngoments for tho funeral. Hnlsoy disappeared shortly after Louiso left and enmo home about nlno that night, muddy and tired. As for Thomas, ho went around dejected nnd sad, and I saw tho detective watching him close ly at dinner. Even now I wondor what did Thomas know? What did ho suspect? At ten o'clock tho household lmd Bottled down for tho night Llddy, who was taking Mrs. Watson's place, had finished oxamlnlng the tea-towels and tho cornoru of tho shelves in the cooling room, and had gone to bed. Alex, tho gardenor, had gono hoavlly up tho circular stalrcuso to his room, and Mr. Jamleson was examining tho locks of tho windows. Halsey dropped Into n chair In tho living room und stared moodily ahead. Once ho rotisod. "What sort of a looking chnp Is that Walker, Gertrude?" ho asked. "Kather tall, very dark, smooth shaven. Not bad looking," Gertrudo said, putting down tho book alio had been pretending to read. Halsey kicked a taboret viciously "Lovely place this vlllago must bo In tho winter,'1 ho said Irrelevantly. "A girl would bo burled allvo hero." It wus then somo ono rappeil at tho knocker on tho heavy front door. Hal sey got up leisurely and opened it, admitting Warner. Ho was out of breath from running, and no looked half abashed. "I am sorry to disturb you," ho said, "nut I didn't know what 0I30 to do. It's about Thomas." "What about Thomas?" I asked. Mr. Jumleson had come Into tho hall and wo all Btnrcd at Wnrner. "Ho's acting queer," Warner ex plained. "Ho'a sitting down thoro on tho edgo of tho porch, and ho says ho has seen n ghost. Tho old man looks bad, too; he can scarcely speak." "He's as full of superstition as an egg is of meat," I said. "Halsey, bring somo whisky and we will all go down." No ono moved to get tho whisky, from which I Judged thero woro throo pockot flasks ready for emergency. Gertrudo throw a shawl around my shoulders, and wo all started down over the hill; I had made so many nocturnal excursions around the place that 1 knew my way perfectly. Hut Thomas was not on tho veranda, nor was he Inside tho houso. Tho men exchanged significant glances, and Warner got a lantern. "Ho can't havo gono far," ho said. "Ho was trembling bo that, ho couldn't stand when I loft." Jamleson and Halsey together mado tho round of tho lodgo, occasionally calling tho old man by name. Hut thcro was no rosponso. No ThomaB came, bowing and showing his whlto teeth through tho darkness. I began to bo vnguoly uneasy, for tho first time. Gertrude, who was never nerv ous in tho dark, went nlono down the drivo to tho gate, and stood thero, looking along tho yellowish lino of tho road, whllo I waited on tho tiny vor- anda. Warnor was puzzled. Ho came around to tho edgo of tho voranda and stood looking at It as If it ought to know and explain. "Ho might have stumbled Into tho houso," ho said, "but ho could not havo climbed tho Btalrs. Anyhow, ho's not lnsldo or outside, thnt I can seo." Tho othor mombors of tho party had como back now, and no ono lind found any traco of tho old man. His plpo, still wurm, rested on tho edgo of the rail, and lnsldo on tho table his old gray hat Bhowed that Kb owner had not gono far. Ho wa8 not far, after all. From the Thomas. table my eyes traveled around tho room, und stopped ut the door of a closet. I hardly know what Impulse moved mo, but I went In and turned tho knob. It burst open with tho Im petus of a weight behind It, and some thing foil partly forward In a heap on the floor. It was Thomas Thomas without u mark of Injury on him, nnd dead. CHAPTER XX. Dr. Walker's Warning. Warner was on his knees in a mo ment, fumbling at tho old man's col lar to loosen It, but Halsey caught his hand. "Lot him alone," he said. "You can't help him; ho 1b dead." Wo stood there, each avoiding the other's eyes; we spoko low and rev erently in tho presence of doath, and wo tacitly avoided any mention of tho suspicion that was In every mind. When Mr. Jamleson had finished his cursory examination, he got up and dusted the knees of his trousers. "Thero Is no sign of injury," ho said, and I know I, for one, drew n long breath of relief. "Prom what Warner says and from his hiding In tho closet, I should say ho was scared to death. Fright and weak heart, to gether." "nut what could havo done It?" Ger trudo asked. "Ho was all right this evening at dinner. Warner, what did ho say when you found him on tho porch?" Warner looked shaken; his honest, boyish face wns colorless "Just what I told you, Miss Innes. He'd been reading tho paper down stairs; I had put up the car, and, fooling sleepy, I camo down to the lodge to go to bed. An I wont up stairs Thomas put down the paper nnd taking his pipe went out on the porch. Theu I heard an exclamation from him." "Didn't ho say anything you could understand ?" I asked. "Ho said something about the gravo giving up its dead." Mr. Jamleson was soing through tho old man's pocket.-, and Gertrudo was composing his arms, folding them neross his white shirt-bosom, alwnys so spotless. In the course of his Investigations the detective had como to the Inner pocket of the dead butler's black coat. Hero ho found some things that Interested him. One was a small flat key, w 1th a rod cord tied to it, and the other was a bit of whlto paper, on which was written something In Thomas' cramped hand. Mr. Jamle son read It; then ho gnvo It to me. It was an address In fresh Ink; LUCIBN WALLACE, 14 Elm Streot, Hlchllold. As the card wont around, I think both tho detective and I watched for any posslblo effect It might havo, but, beyond porplexlty, thero soomed to bo none. "Richflold!" Gortrudo exclaimed. "Why, Elm streot Is tho main streot; don t you romombor, Halsey?" "Lucien Wnllace!" Halsey Bald. "That is tho child Stewart spoko oj ut tho inquest." Warnor, witli his mechanic's In stinct, had reached for tho key. What ho said was not ti surprise. "Yalo lock," ho Haid. "Probably a key to tho east entry." Thero was no reason why Thomas, nn old and trustod servant, should not havo had n key to that particular door, although tho servants' entry wns In tho west wing, nut I had not known of this key, and it opened up a now Hold of conjecturo. Just now, however, thoro woro many thlngB to bo attended to, aud, leaving Warner with the body we nil wont back to tho house. Mr. Jamleson walkod with mo, whllo Halsey nnd Gertrude fol lowed. "I suppose I shall havo to notify tho Armstrongs," I enld. "They will know If Thomas had any pcoplo and how to reach them. Of course, I expect to defray the expenses of tho funornl, but his relatives must bo -found. What do you think frightened him, Mr. Jamle son ?" "It Is hard to Bay," ho replied slow ly, "but I think wo may be certain It was fright, nnd that he wnu hiding from something. I nm sorry In moro than ono way; I havo always believed that ThomaB know something, or sus pected somothing, that he would not tell. Do you know how much money there was in that worn-out wnllet of his? Nearly $100! Almost two months' wages nnd yet those darkies seldom havo a penny. Well what Thomas knew will be burled with him." With the death or Thomas, I felt that n climax had como In affairs at Sunnyslde. The night that followed was quiet enough. Halsey watched at the foot of tho staircase, and a com plicated system of bolts on the other doors seemed to be effectual. Once In tho night I wakened nnd thought I heard tho tapping again. Hut all was quiet, and I had reached the stage where I refused to bo dis turbed for minor occurrences. Tlio Armstrongs wero notified of Thomas' death, and I had my first In terview with Dr. Walker as a result. He came up early tho next morning, Just as wo finished breakfast, in a pro fessional looking car with a black hood. "I must make a double excuse for this early visit, Miss Innes," he said as ho sat down. Tho chair was lower than ho expected, nnd his dignity re quired collecting before ho went on. "My professional duties are urgent and long neglected, and" n fall to tho overy-day manner "something must bo dono about that body." "Yes," I said, Bitting on the edge of my chair. "I merely wished the ad dress of ThomaB' pcoplo. You might have telephoned, if you wero busy." He smiled. "I wished to seo you about somo thing else," he said. "As for Thomas, It is Mrs. Armstrong's wiBh that you allow her to attend to tho expense. About his relatives, I havo already notified his brother, In tho village. It wns heart disease, I think. Thomas alwnys had a bad heart." "Heart disease and fright," I Bald, still on tho edge of my chair. Hut tho doctor had no Intention of leaving. "I understand you havo a ghost up here, and that you havo tho houso filled with detectives to exorcise It," ho said. For somo reason I felt I waa being "pumped," as Halsey says. "You have been misinformed," I replied. "What, no ghost, no detectives!" ho snld, Btill with his smile. "What a dis appointment to tho vlllngo!" I resented his attempt at playful ness. It had been anything but a Joko to us. "Dr. Walkor," I said tartly, "I fall to see any humor in tho situation. Since 1 enmo here, ono man has been shot, nnd another one hns died from shock. Thcro have been Intruders In the house, and strango noises. If that Is funny, thcro Is something wrong with my sense of humor." "You miss tho point," ho said, still good naturedly. "Tho thing that is funny to mo is that you Insist on re maining here, under tho circums tances. I should think nothing would keep you." "You nro mistaken. Everything that occurs only confirms my resolution to stay until tho mystery la cleared." "I havo a message for you, Miss lunes," ho said, rising at last. "Mrs. Armstrong asked me to thank you for your kindness to Louiso, whoso whim, occurring nt tho tlmo it did, put her to great inconvenience. Also nnd this is a dcllcnto matter she asked mo to appeal to your natural sym pathy for her, nt UiIb time, nnd to nsk you If you will not reconsider your de cision about tho house. Sunnyslde is her homo; sho loves It dearly, and Just now she wishes to retlro horo for quiet nnd pence." "Sho must havo had a change of heart," I snld, ungraciously enough. "Louise told mo her mother despised the place. Besides, this is no placo for qulot and poaco Just now. Any how, doctor, whllo I don't enro to forco an issue, I Bhall certainly re main here, for n tlmo at least." "For how long?" ho asked. "My lenso Is for six months. I shall stay until somo explanation is found for certain things. My own family Ib implicated now, and I shall do every thing to clear tho mystery of Arnold Armtsrong's murder." Tho doctor stood looking down, slap ping his gloves thoughtfully against tlio palm of a well-looked-nftor hand. "You say thero have boon Intruders In tho houso?" ho nskod, "You arc suro of that, Miss Innos?" (TO UK CONTINUHD.) One Thing at a Time, "Why do you always eat a Bquare meal beforo dining out?" "So that I con give my ontlro ntten tlon to tho management of the varlou. knives aud forkB." . ITALY'S PUBLIC LAUNDRIES In the Small Cities Many of tho Housewives Use the Wash Tub In Common. Naples. Apparently thero nro as many ways of getting tho weokly wash clean and in shapo to uso ngaln as thoro aro nations of people. Tho women of each country seem to havo a system peculiarly their own, by rca son of inheritance. In this land of in vention, whoro everything muBt bo ac complished with no loos of tlmo, tho women who do not send tho soiled clothes of tho household to tho laun- An Italian Laundry-Woman. dries to bo made fres"h and white, em ploy some ono to do tho work In their homos, or get busy themselves, nnd, with tho aid of washing machines or stationary tubs, manage to do tholr own lnuudry work. In the smnller cIUcb of Italy thero aro public laundries at which tho women of tho plnco congregnte, com ing from all directions, each with ner basket of soiled clothes balanced on hor head. At these laundries thero aro long stono basins filled with wa ter, and thero side by sldo tho women and young girls stsnd, sometimes pro tected by n roof, but qulto as often In tho open air. All through tho proc ess of rubbing and rinsing nnd beating tho articles on tho stono sldo of tho basin, tho voluble Italians carry on a lively conversation, exchanging tho nevs of tho day with as much gusto ns do tho females of our acquaint ance who gather around tho card ta bles. Ao much of tho clothing of th'o town-folk is washed In tho ono long bauln, tho water early becomea woll, tho opposite of clean and when tho last drop Is squeezed from tho gar ments and they aro carried homo to dry they are in no condition to be used as advertisements for washing powder. Passing through tho towns, the tourist often finds the quaint homes and beautiful lnndscapo adorned with these not overly whlto articles of dress, as tho Italian housewife has not tho slightest compunction In hanging tho garments from her windows, or any othor available placo. Tho river bank furnishes a convenient plnco for those living near It, and In Naples thero is always moro or less clothing spread out to dry on the stono wall which guards tho fashionable drive way from tho beautiful bay. COLUMBIA'S NEW SUN DIAL Unusual and Unique Gift Which tho Class of 1885 Has Presented to the University. Hoston. Tho clas3 of 1SS5 of the Columbia University Law school has recently presented n gift both unusual nnd uniquo to tho university in an enormous sun dial, which la to remnln na a memorial to the twenty-fifth anni versary of tho graduation of tho class. The Largest Sun Dial. Tho sun dial Is ono of tho flnost in tho country, if not In tho entlro world. It is situated In tho mlddlo of tho South Field, stands about eight feet high, and costs n llttlo moro than 8, 000. It 1b of solid granite, and tho pedestal 1b surmounted by a granlto ball. Thl3 ball casts a shadow on a circular tablet on which tho hours aro Indicated, and In this way tolls tho tlmo. Girl Works as Coal Miner. Macon, Mo. Thero Ib a young worn nn who worka dally In a coal drift near Macon, and provos a most ca pable hand. Sho wears a pltlamp and handles a pick and shovel as good as tho men. Sho earns from $3 to ?4 a lay and saya tho work appears to igrco with hor. 1 T Try This, This Summer. Tho very next time you're hot, tired or thirsty, step up to a soda fountain and got a glass of Coca-Cola. It will cool you off, rollovo your bodily and mental fatigue and quench your thirst dollghtfully. At soda fountains or carbonated In bottles Cc everywhere. Delicious, refreshing and wholesome. Send to tho Coca-Cola Co., Atlanta, Ga., for their free booklet "Tho Truth About Coca-Cota." Tells what Coca Cola is and why It is no delicious, Ve freshing and thlrst-quenchlng. ' And Bend 2c Btnmp for tho Coca-Cola Haso ball Record Hook' for 1910 contains tho famous poem "Casey At The Hat," records, schedules for both leagues nnd other valuable baseball lnforma. tlon compiled by authorities. Less Lavish. "I snw 'Uncle Tom's Cabin' played recently." "So?" "I think I'll rend tho book." "You may bo disappointed. Tho book mentions only ono llttlo Eva nnd ono Lawyer Marks." Louisville Cour ier-Journnl. Important to Mothers Examine carefully every bottle ot CASTOHIA, a Bafo and auro remedy for infants and children, nnd boo that It Dears tho Signature of( In Use For Over tfD Years. Tho Kind You Havo Always Dought. Men nro always betting thnt their sins will not find them out. Lewis' Single Hinder gives n man what ho wants, a rich, inollow-tastim? cigar. Bottor a naglcss wifo than a horso lcss carriage. Constipation iVanishes Forever 1' Prompt ReliefPermanent Cnro CARTER'S LITTLE LIVER PILLS never. fail. Purely veget able act lurely but genuy on the liver. Stop tilctj dinner diitreu i cure indi- Seition improve tho complexion brighten ic eye. Scull Pill, Small Doie, Smell PricO Genuine muitbeu Signature STOCKERS & FEEDERS Choice quality; reiln and roans, whlto faces or angun bought on orders. Tens of ThouHauds to ftclect front. Satisfaction Guar anteed. Correspondence larked. Come and bee for yourself. National Live Stock Com. Co At either Itansas Clt v, Mo.. St. Joseob. Mo., S. Omaha. Neb DAISY FLY KILLER ftfrT.M Kctt.clf&ii.briiftuirB i lftl,090VtflfDt,cbrat ItfttU AllSftfttoMb Mfe)oriiKtfci,eiiJi)M plilor UpoTvr, wtQ noiioiionojnrtftoj thlof. Gutnaterdt rUTf,oraiidiiri Pi&iiiBH or MotprtpataUtrJOat HAROLD BOB 1CIUJ noi)KtlliAf4t. ' UrMklj., w torV Nebraska Directory JOHN DEERE PLOWS Aro tbo Best. Ask your local dealer or JOHN DEERE PLOW CO., Omaha, Neb. WW Ea la U 1 1 lU this process all broken parts of machinery made cood as new. Woldi cast Iron, cast steel, aluminum, copper, brais or stir other metal. Export automobile ropairinz. 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Your loss of hay will moro than pay. OMAHA TENT & AWNING CO. snif sv ."Zr P '! r 1wvCfilLf jmmjmw nuipu jrMgfrir V 1-c- mmfMW hivck Mtjhr pills. &&?&fr&zg iliMlM . w.w. cor, lima Harney Slj. Omaha, Neb. SJ2T" V i ,i M 1 ,