THE MYSTERY GIRL Bj CAKOLYN MhLIO. (topyrlfht, 19B.) i i out limed from Yr*feriiM>.) “Ho wdoes anyone g-,»t cold?" she said, trying to snule “perhaps sitting m a draught—-perhaps by means of a germ. It is utmost well now.” "Perhaps by walking in the snow n«l getting ones feet wet," Mr. Ad ams suggested, and the girl turned frightened eyes upon him "Don’t," she breathed; "Mr. Adams, don't.”* Her voice was piteous; her eye* im plored him to stop torturing her. "Why, what's the harm in my say ing that?" he went on. inexorably. “You Wouldn't go anywhere that you wouldn't want known, would you, Miss Mystery?" He spoke the last two words in a meaning way. and the great dark eyes faced him with the look of a stag at bay. Then again by a desperate effort the girl recovered herself and said coldly: "Please speak plain. Mr. Adams. Is there a special meaning in your words?'* “There is, Miss Austin. Perhaps I have no right to ask you why, but I do a*K you if you went over to Dr. Waring’* house late in the evening night before last?" “Sunday night, do you mean?" Miss Mystery controlled her voice, but her hands were clenched and her foot tapped the floor in her stifled ex citement. "Yes, Sunday night "No; of course. I did not go over there at night. I was there in the afternoon with Mrs. Bates and Mr. Payne.’* * "I kno wtlmt. And you then met Dr. Waring for the first time?" "For the first time." She spoke willi downcast lace. “The first time in your life?’’ “The first time m my life." But if ever it statement carried its own de nial that one seemed to. The long •lark lashes fell on the white cheeks. The pale lips quivered, and if Anita Austin had been littering deepest per jury she could have shown no more convincing evidence of falsehood. Yet. Old Salt looked at her benevo lently. She was so voting, so small, so alone—and so mysterious. “I can’t make you out." ho shook hh head. “But I’m for you. Miss Aus tin. That is," h" hedged, “unless I find out something definite against you. T feel I ought to tell you, that | > cm*ve enema i—yes." as the girl locked up surprised, “"ou've made enemies in tills house. Small wpnder —^the way you've acted! Now. why « an t vou be chummy and sociable 1 like?" “Chummy? Sociable? With whom?”! “With all the boarders. There’s young Book wood now—and there’s' voting Tyler “Yes. yes. 1 knowy I will—Mr. Adams —1 will try to be more so ciable. Now—as to- to L)r. Waring—* why did he kill himself?'' Old Halt oved her narrowly. "We don’t know that he did.” he began “But Mrs. Adams told me all the details’’—who shuddered, “and if that room he'whs in was so securely locked that they bad to break in. how could it be the work of -of another?” “Well, Miss Austin, as they found a bad wound in the man’s neck, just under his right ear, a wound that pro duced instant unconsciousness and al most instant death, and as no weapon • if any sort could 1*** found in the mom, how could it have been sui cide?” “Which would you rather think it?" the strange girl asked, looking gravely at him. "Well, to me I'm an old fashioned j chap—suicide always suggests cow- | ardlce. and T»oe Waring was no cow- , ard. that I’ll swear!” “No. he was not.—-—“ “Mow do you know?" ■ Miss Mystery started at the sudden j question. “I heard him lecture, you know." she iTtiirnol: "and. too. ! saw him in ; Ids home Sunday afternoon—and he seemed a tine man—a tine man.” "Well. Miss Austin. ' old Halt rose to go. “I’m free to confess you’re a mystery to me. I consider nVyself a fair judge of men—yen, and of women, but when a slip of a girl like vimi acts so strange, I can’t make it out. Now. 1 happen o know-“ lie paused at the panic-stricken | look on her face, and lamely con cluded: “Never mind—I won’t toll" With which cryptic remark ho went away. “Well, what you been saying to her?" demanded his aggrieved spoils* as the Adamses met in their own little sitting room. "Wb> nothing," Old Halt replied, and his troubled eyes h»oked at her pleudingfv “I don’t think she’s wrong. 1’sthcr." “Well. 1 do And maybe a whole lot wrong Why, Saltonstall. *Miss 1 Bascoin says she saw Miss Austin traipsing across the field late Sunday ! night." “She didn’t! 1 don't believe a word | • •f it! She’s a meddling old maid—a j snooping busybody!" “There, now, you carry on like thAt because you’re afraid we will discover something wrong about Miss Mys tery.” “Look here. Ksther.” Adams spoke sternly: “vou remember she’s a young ! girl, without anybody to stand up for ; tier, hereabouts Now. you know what a bobbery a few words can kick -up. . And we don’t want that poor child's Paine touched by a breath of idle gos- i sip that i.-ii’t true 1 don't believe liisui Bascoin saw her out on Sunday night! 1 don’t even believe she thought she did!" “Well. 1 believe it. Liza Bascom's j no fool-" "She’s worse, she's a knave! And j •lie hates little Austin, and she’d say | anything, true or false, to harm the J Tin.” “But. Halt, she says she saw Miss j Austin, all in her fur coat and cap going cross lots to the Waring house i Sunday ovciting— late ’ •Van she prove it?" “I don't know about that. But she saw her." f “How does she know it was Miss Austin? It might have been somebody who looked like neY.’* “You know those footprints.” “The .lap's?" “You can't say they're the .laps. Miss Case on says they’re the Austin girl's. •'KetheC ’ Old Saltonstall Adams io*e hi his wrath, "you ought to he : shamed of yourself to let that girl's name gel into the Waring matter at all. la veil if she did g" out Sunday night. If Miss Uasconi did see her. tup keep still about It. If that girls v long it'll 1> discovered without our help. If she isn't, we must not be the ones to bring Iter into notice." “She couldn't be—be Implicated— could she Salt'.’ ’ "No"’ he thundered. ‘Tlsther, you astound me. Tlml Bascom woman luis turned your brain. She's a viper, that's what she is!" lie stormed out of the room, and getting into his great coat, tramped down to the village. Cordon Lockwood was in his room. This was much to the annoyance of faille. the impatient chambermaid. Who wanted to get her work done. lavekwodd was himself impatient to fcet over to the Waring house, for he Fad much to do with the mass of mining mail and the necessary inter views with reporter* and other callers. Tet he tarried, in hi* pleasant bed room at Mrs. Adams’, hts door se curely locked, and hts own attitude one of stupefaction. For the hundredth time h- p read th* crumpled paper that he hftd taken from the study wastebasket under the very nose of Detective Morton. Had that sleuth been a little more worthy of his profession he novel would have allowed the bare-faced theft. And now that Lockwood had it he scarce knew what to do with it. And truly it was an astonishing missive. Hor it read thus: “My Darling Anita: “At the first glance of your brown ■, '\v«'w this afternoon love was born in : mv heart. Life is worth living—with i you in the world! And vet-” That was all. The unfinished letter had been crumpled into a ha (I and thrown iu the basket. Had another been started—fend completed? Had Anita Austin received it—and was that why she kept to her room for two days? Was she a-*-he hated the word!—a vamp? Had she secretly be come acquainted with John Waring during her presence in Corinth, and had so charmed him that lie wrote to her thus? Or had they known each other * before? What a mystery! There was not the slightest doubt of ihe writing. Lockwood knew it as well as he knew his own. And on top of all the other scraps in the waste basket it must have been the last missive the de id man wrote—or. rather, the last he threw away. This meant he had been writing it on the Sunday evening. Then. Lock wood reasoned, knowing the routine, if he had written another, which he completed and addressd. it would, in natural course, have been put with the letters for the mail, and 4’oUld have been posted by I to that next morning. j What an oversight, never to have asked dlto about that matter. it was an inviolable custom for the butler to take all letters laid on a certain small table and put them in the pillar box early in the morning. Had lto done this? It must be in quired into. Hut far more absorbing was the ac tual letter before him. How could it be possible that John Waring, the dignified scholar, the confirmed ba^fee lor. should have loved this mystery girl? Vet. even as he formulated the ques tion, Gordon Lockwood knew the an swer. lie knew that from his own point of view it would not ho ini possible or even difficult for any man with two eyes In his head to love that fascinating, enchanting person ality. And as he pondered he know that he loved her himself. Yes. he had loved her almost from the moment he first saw her. Certainly front the time he sat behind her at the lecture end counted the queer little hall ft iqges in the back of her dainty gown. Those fringes! Lockwood gave a groan as a, sudden thought came to hint. He jumped up and with a deter mined air set about burning the inex plicable letter that John Waring had written and thrown away. In the empty fireplace of the old fashioned room. Lockwood touched a match to the sheet and burned it to an ash. Then he went over to the Waring house. It was an hour or so later that Callie reported to Miss Baseom. “Queer goin's on." the girl said. ' rolling ifor eyes at her eager listener. "Mr. Lockwood, now. he burnt some papers, and Miss Austin, too, she burnt some papers.” “What queer about that?” snapped Miss Baseom, who had hoped for something more sensational. “Well, it's sorta strange they’re both hurnln’ paper at the same time. And both so sly about it. Mr. Lock wood be kep* lookin' back at the fire place as he went oula the ilpor, and Miss Austin, she jumped like she was shot when I come iu suddently an’ found her stoopin' over ttw- fireplace. An’ too. Miss Basconi. whatever else she burnt, she burnt that picture she had of Dr. Waring.” “Did she have his picture?" “Yep. one Mr. Lockwood guv her, after Nora carried off the one she cut out of a paper." “What til the world did that girl want of Dr. AVaring's picture?” (To It,. Continued Tomorrow.1 ADVERTISEMENT. SULPHUR IS BEST TO CLEAR IIP UGLY, Any breaking out or skin irritation on face, neck or body is overcome quickest by applying Mentho-Sulphur. says a noted skin specialist. Because of its germ destroying properties, nothing has over been found to take the place of this sulphur preparation that instantly brings case from the itching, burning and irritation. Mentho-Suhihur heals eczema right up. leaving the skin clear and smooth. It seldom fails to relieve the torment or disfigurement. A little jar of Bowles Mentho-Sulphur may be ob tained at any drug store. It is used like cold cream. PARKER’S HAIR BALSAM Remoee»Pan«1ru-yn' « t*wtch<»cu». y.T J Ain KRT18EMKNT. BE PRETTY! 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You may choose Any Ladies’ Suit in the House at One-Half Price ♦ Railroad Fare Will Be Refunded TO THOSE LIVING OUT OF THE CITY Bfddta wants hi* numerous out-of-town friends to participate in THE EXPANSION SALE, so he offers to REFUND Railroad or Bus Fare ONE WAY on any purchase of $25 or BOTH ways on purchase* of $50 or over. It will PAY you and pay you BIG to come ft here from ANY distance. You DON’T have a chance to take advantage of excessively re duced EXPANSION SALE PRICES very often. You DO have the chance now, with your Railroad fare PAID and with CREDIT inducements in the bargain. So DO come. In addition to the startling values in this sale we shall give away one of these 7-piece Cut Glass Water Sets with every purchase of $25 or more. Quantity is limited, so get yours early. Fur Coats Exquisite thing’s—too late for regular selling, yet useful to you for months to come—all offered at immediate Cut Prices Brown French C?