The,Grand Babylon Hotel
j Hy ARNOLD IIENNETT.
(Continued from Tcrtordaj.)
SYNOPSIS.
, t <»rand Babylon hotel. Ixmdon,
Hesldes Felix Babylon, proprietor, the
reigning powers are: Jnl**, head waiter;
Mis# Spencer, bureau clerk, and the re
nowned chef, Rocco. Annoyed at the fnll
ore of Jules to supply n dinner of -teak
and Bass—to satisfy a whim of lii*
daughter. Helen, or "Nella.” as -he is
called. Theodore Racksole, New York mil
lionaire. boys the hotel, retains Rocco at
an Increased salary , and reorders -teak
•nd Bass. Felix Babylon tells Racksole
that he will probably regret his purchase,
for the hotel, being the luiunt of royalty
and aristocracy, attracts also plotters and
mischief makers. Returning to the table,
Racksole finds a pla^e set for Reginald
Dimmoek, acquaintance of Ncli&’s and
English companion of Prince Aribert «*f
Posen, youthful unde of the reigning
fir&nd Duke Eugen. In a mirror Kadi
sole sees Jules wink at Dimmoek. From
Dimmoek they Jearn that Prince Eugen is
to arrive next day on business concerning
bis mirrlage settlement. Late that night
Racksole sees Jules stealthily enter «
room, reappear, and remove a white rib
bon from the door handle. He Is alarmed
to so# that the room Is No. 111. Nella'*
room. He threatens Jules with a resolver,
and on being taken to 111, finds It oc
cupied by Dimmoek. who tells him he
changed rooms with Nella because a stone
had been thrown thr* ugh the window.
Racksole apologizes. Next morning be
learns that Miss Spencer, has left, und
Nella insists upon taking her place. He
dismisses Jules and forbids him to re
enter the hotel. Prince Aribert. whom
Nellis has met traveling Incognito, ar
rives. Racksole return* with the news
that Dimmoek lias dropped dead. That
night a Mr. and Mrs. Sampson Levi give
a ball in the gold room. From a small
room above the balcony Racksole and
Nella see Jules. Falling to find him on
the balcony, Racksole returns and finds
him in the little room above and aaka
bini to leave. Next morning the bedv of
Reginald Dimmoek is missing. Aribert
confides ta Nella that Eugen has disap
peared. She tells him of all that happened
at the hotel and that -he believe- that
Dimmoek was temporarily disloyal and
lost his life because he repented. She
urges him to go to the emperor and tell
him all the facts. She pledge* her father's
1 friendship and her own. A "Baroness
/.erllnskt" whom Nella eventually recog
nize# as Miss Spender, takes rooms. At
dinner Nella sees her take a folded paper
out of her tart, and knows that Roe-co i
involved In the mystery. The baroness
Isates suddenly, and a- her trunks were
labeled for Ostend, Nella follows, trails
her to her bouse, and tells her: "I ha\o
rone about the murder of Reginald Dim
0103k, the disappearance of Uia corpse,
snd the disappearance of Prime Eugen
of Posen. **
PART FIVE.
CHAPTER IV Continued.
Miss Spencer's eyes gleamed, and
she stood up and moved swiftly to the
mantelpiece. "You mgy be a Yankee,
but you're a fool," she said. She took
hold of a bellrope.
"Don't ring that bell If you value
your Ufe,” said N'ella calmly, and
with the words she pulled from her
pocket a very neat and dainty little
revolver.
This was simple bluff on N'ella's
part, and she trembled lest Miss Spen
■ er should perceive that it was simple
hluff. Happily for her "Miss Spencer
belonged to that order of women who
have every sort of courage except
physical courage. Nella perceived that
fact. "You had better stt down now',”
she said, "and I will ask you a few
questions.”
And Miss Spencer. obediently sat
down, rathe* white, and trying to
screw her Ups Into a formal snnle.
"Why did you leave the Grand
Babylon that night?" N'ella began her
examination.
"I had orders to, Miss Racksole."
"Whose orders?"
"Well, I'm—I'm—the fact is, I'm
a married woman and it was my hus
band's orders."
"Who is your husband?"
“Tom Jackson—Jules, you know,
head waiter at the Grand Babylon."
"So Jules' real name is Tom Jack
son. Why did he want you to leave
without giving notice?"
"He wished me to come over here
to Ostend. Something had gone
wrong.”
“Was it about Prince Eugen of
Posen?’’
'Y don’t know—that is, yes, I think
so.’’
"What has your husband to do with
Prince Eugen?’’
"I believe he has some—some sort
of business with him, some money
business.’’
‘‘And was Mr. Dimmoek In this
business?’’
’’1 fancy so. Miss Racksole,’’
"Did your husband and Mr. Dim
mock have a quarrel that night in
Room 111?"
"They had some difficulty,”
"And the result of that was that
you came to Ostond instantly?'’
"Yes, 1 suppose so.”
“And what were you to do in
Ostend?”
"i shall die for this anyhow,”
Whined Miss Spencer, and then, with
a s rt. of fierce despair, ”1 had to
keep watch on Prince Eugen."
"Then Prince Eugen was a priso
ner?”
"Yes, if you must have it.”
"Where is Prince Eugen now?”
"I don't know. Miss.”
"He isn't in this house?”
"No, miss.”
"Did Mr. Tom Jackson want to get
some money out of Prince Eugen?”
"Tom never wanted money from
anyone,” said Miss Spencer doggedly.
“Then had he some reason for wis'a
ing to prevent Prince Eugen from
coming to London?
"Perhaps he had. I don't know. If
you kill me, I don't know."
Nella stopped to reflect. Then she
raised the revolver. It was a me
chanical, unintentional sort of action,
and certainly she had no Intention of
using the weapon, but strange to say,
Miss Spencer again cowered before it.
"Speak,V Nella said hoarsely, and
Miss Spencer's face went whiter.
"Tom did say,” the woman whis
pered rapidly, "that if Prince Eugen
got to London it would upset his
scheme."
"What scheme? Answer me."
"He said Mr. Dlmmock had turned
[tail, and he should have to settle
[him. and then Rocco—"
"Rocco! What about Rocco?"
Miss Spencer's eyes opened wider;
she gazed at Nella with a. glassy
stare. "Don't ask me. It's death!"
Gradually her head and shoulders
sank back, and bung loosely over the
chair. The woman had surely fainted.
Dropping the revolver Nella ran round
the table. She was herself again—
feminine, sympathetic, the old Nella.
But at the same Instant Miss Spencer
sprang up from tho chair like a cat,
seized the revolver, and with a wild
movement of the arm. flung it
against tho window. It crashed
through the glass, exploding as it
went, and there was a tense silence.
"I told you that you were a fbol,"
remarked Miss Spencer slowly.
Nella felt cold down the spine, and
sat down again in her chair. -V
draught of air from the broken win
dow blew on her cheek. Steps sound
ed in the passage; the door opened.
! but Nella did not turn round. She
could not move her eyes from Miss
1 Spencer's. There was a noise of rush
| ing water in her ears. She lost con
I sciousness, and slipped limply to the
floor.
CHAPTER V—At Sea.
It. seemed to Nella that she was
[ being rocked gently in a vast cradle,
which swayed to and fro with a mo
j tion at once slow and Incredibly gen
Itle. Gradually her brain, recovering
: from lis obtn-slon, began to grasp the
phenomena of her surroundings, and
she saw that .-he was ori a yacht, and
that tho yacht was moving. As she
jieclined In i deck chair she examined
[all visibltNdelails of the vessel. Then
I her eyes swept lh» outline of the land
from which they were hastening and
she could Just distinguish a lighthouse
and a great white irregular dome,
which she recognized as the Kursaal.
So she was leaving Ostend. Nella
tried to sit straight in the deck chair,
but discovered that she had bee* tied
to it by means of a piece of broad
webbing. Just at that moment a man
canto up from below, clad in irre
proachable blue, with a peak yachting
cap. "Good rooming,” he said. ‘'Beau
tiful sunrise, isn't it?”
"you!” she exclaimed. "You, Mr.
Thomas Jackson, if that is your name!
Loose me from this chair and I will
talk to you.”
“With pleasure,” he replied. ‘ I had
forgotten that to prevent you from
falling I had secured you to the
i hair;" and with a quick movement he
unfastened the band.
"Now,” she said, fronting him,
"what is the meaning of this?”
"You fainted,” he replied imperturb
ably. "Perhaps you don't remember,"
The man offered Jier a deck chair
with a charaetertistic gesture. Nella
was obligedto acknowledge, in spite of
herself, that the fellow had distinc
tion, an air of breeding. No one would
have guessed that for 20 years he had
been a hotel waiter. His long, lithe
figure and easy, careless carriage
seemed to be the figure and carriage
of an aristocrat, and his voice was
quiet, restrained and authoritative.
"That has nothing to do with my be
ing carried off in this yacht of yours."
"It is not my yacht,” he said, "but
that is a minor detail. As to the more
important matter, forgive me that I
remind you that only a few hours ago
you were threatening a lady in my
house with a revolver.”
"Then it was your house."
“Why not? May I possess a
house?” He smiled.
"I must request you to put the
yacht about at once, instantly, and
take me back." She tried to speak
firmly.
"Ah!” he said, "I'm afraid that's Im
possible, I didn't put out to sea with
the intention of returning at once, in-1
stantly." In the last words ho gave a
faint imitation of her tone.
"When 1 do get back,” she said,
“when my father gets to know of this
affair, it will he an exceedingly bad
day for you. Mr. Jackson.”
"But supposing your father doesn’t
hear of it—"
"What?"
"Supposing you never get back?" '
"Do you mean, then, to have my
murder on your conscience?"
“Talking of murder," he said, "you
came very near to murdering my
Player Rolls
You Should Have
Late Hits—Only
75c
Come In and Hear Them
After You've Said Goodbye.
Carolina Home.
Pack Up Your Sin* and Go to
the Devil.
Got to Cool My Doggie* Now.
Save the La*t Waltz for Me.
If not convenient to pay
cash open a charge account.
Mail Order* Receive Prompt
Attention.
Schmoller & Mueller
1514-16-18 B;,.. #1- Phone
D«4t* st. nano uo. At.
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A Large Carrying
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Under the rear deck of the
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Prices f. o. b. Brick P actor
ies; government tax to be
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grovidea for Deferred
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They are roomy and comfortable, with
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\ ' I
Fours
2 Paaa. Roadster *AV.
5 Pbu. Touting 885
3 Paaa. Coup# • 1175
5 Pau. Redan • 1395
5 Pee*. Touring
Sedan • • 1325
Sport Poatlarer 1025
Sixes
. Paae. Roadater *1173
3 Paaa. Tourlaa 1193
5 Paaa. Tounng
Sedan ■ • • 1935
3 Pan. Sedan • 1M5
* Pm Coupe . (IMS
7 Pern. Touring. HU
7 Pew Redan 3195
Sport Roeriiter 1675
8p»t Taurine . 1675
D-M-M-M
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ft. E. Sidle*, Tr**. Lm Huff, Vlca Pra*. H- R. Harlay, Mjr,
Whan better automobiles aro built, Buick will build them
friend. Miss Spencer. At least, so she
tells trie."
"Is Miss Spencer on board?” Nells
asked, seeing perhaps a faint ray of
hope in the possible presence of a
woman.
"Miss Spencer is not on board.
There is no one on board except you
and myself an* n *—" crew—a very
discreet crew, I may add.''
“I will have nooning more to eay
to you. You must take your own
cou rse."
"I will tell you what T propose to
do. I propose to escort you to a place
ol safety, and to keep you there till
my operations are concluded, and the
possibility of interference entirely re
moved.”
His eyes roved over her face. Her
superb beauty overcome him. "Ah!”
lie said, "what a wife you would
make!” He put a hand on her shoul
der. As she shrank hack with an in
voluntary scream, a figure sprang out
of the dinghy a few feet away. With
a single, blow, neatly directed to Mr.
Jackson's ear, Mr. .Jackson was
stretched senseless on the deck.
Prince Aribert of Posen stood over
him with a revolver.
"Don't be alarmed,” said the prince
to Nella.
m m m
"Mr. Sampson Leri wishes to see
you. sir." These words, epokcq by a
servant to Theodore Racksole, i
aroused the millionaire from a reverie 1
which had been the reverse of pleas
ant. The great stock broker of the
"Kafflr Circus" entered with a simple
unassuming ah'. He was a rather I
short, florid man. "Mr. Racksole, I
believe — Mr. Theodore Racksole.’
“Proud to meet you, sir.”
"Good day,” said Racksole briefly, i
"To what do I owe the pleasure—"
“1 expect your time Is limited."
answered Sampson Levi. “Anyhow,
mine Is, and so I’ll come straight to
the point, Mr. Rocksole. The other 1
night 1 had a ball In this hotel. X
don’t like balls, but they’re useful to <
me. and tny little wife likes ’em. and
so we give ’em. Now. I've nothing to
say against the hotel management as
regards that bail, but what I want to
know is this—why did you have a
private detective among my guests?"
"A private detective?" exclaimed
Racksole.
"Yes," Mr. Sampson Levi said firm- :
I !y. "It is a small matter. I know,
and I dare say you think you ve got
a right as proprietor of the show, to
do what you like in that line, but I've
called to tell you that I object."
"My dear Mr. Levi,” said Racksole,
"I assure you that, having let the
Gold room for a private entertain
ment, I should never dream of doing
what you suggest."
"There was a gent present at my
ball that 1 didn't ask. I was told by
someone that he was one of your wait
tors, but I didn't believe that."
' Perhaps I can thruw some light on
this mystery," said Racksole. "That
man was a former waiter at this ho
tel—the head waiter In fact—Jules.
Previously to the night or your ball,
I dismissed Jules 1 ordered hint
never lo enter the Babylon again. Rut
on that evening 1 encountered him
here—not Iri tli>- Gold room, hut in
the hotel itself. I asked him to ex
plain his presence, and he stated he
was your guest. That is all 1 kuow
of the matter."
"This is perfectly satisfactory to
me," Mr. Sampson Levi said, after a
pause. "I only wanted an explana
tion. and I've got It. Good day and
thank ye.”
With his hand on the handle of the
door, Mr, Levi stopped, and, gazing
at Theodore Racksole with a shrewd,
quizzical expression, remarked:
“Strange things been going on here
lately, eh?”
The two men looked very hard st
each other for several seconds. "Ves,”
Racksole assented "Know anything
about them?"
i "Well—no, not exactly," aaul Mr.
Levi. "But I had a fancy you snd I
might be useful to each other; I had
a kind of fancy to thst effect.
■‘Come back and sit down again,
Mr. Levi," Racksole said, "Now how
can we be of service to each other?
If you'll put your cards on the table.
I’ll ditto with mine,”
"Agreed," said Mr. Sampson Levi.
"I’ll begin by explaining my interest
In your hotel. 1 have been expecting
to receive a summons from a certain
Prince Eugrn of Posen to attend him
here, and that summons hasn’t ar
rived. It appears that Prince Eugen
hasn't come to London at all. Now, I
could have taken my dying davy
that he would have been here- yester
day at tbe latest."
Why were you so sure?"
' Question for question.” said Le\j.
"Let's clear the ground first. Mr. i
Racksole. Why did you buy this ho
tel? And what is the next move to
be?
"There is no next move," answered
Racksole candidly, "And I will tell
you why I bought the hotel there
need be no secret about it. I bought
It because of a whim."
(Continued In The Morning Bee )
Davenport to Vote on Bonds
for Waterworks System
Hebron, Neb., Feb. 20—The village
of Davenport will hold a special eke
COAL Franklin County COAL
This is a very HOT and long LASTING fuel.
DOES NOT clinker and has a clean WHITE ASH.
SMALL EGG SIZE
PER TON $11.00 Delivered
Thoroughly Screened Before Delivery
CONSUMERS COAL & SUPPLY CO.
AT Untie 9I4S. "Dnnlsrn in Good Co*l" AT laatie 9140
Plan to Buy That Car Now
'I here will be a shortage of popular models of leading
makes with the first warm weather of spring. In spite of the
record production of 19-2. factories had to break another record
in January, to supply the demand. Buying in the middle-west
will resume some of its old proportions, starting with the show.
An order placed now will bring prompt delivery. Later you'll
have to wait To leant most quickly what ear you want to buy.
See It At the Auto Show
The 1923 model is the car of greatest value. It contain,
many improvements and refinements over the ear of a year ago,
and on a much lower price basis. The leading models will he on
display at this “Back-to-Prosperity” exposition, with factory
experts on hand to point out the changes and innovations. The
unusual, distinctive sptting this year will emphasize tie beau
tiful lines of the new cars.
Trucks and Accessories
The display of commercial vehicles, with bodies of all type.',
will he complete. There will he a passageway directly down to
this exhibit from (lie center of the auditorium. The accessories
ore being given a more prominent position than ever before, and
they will prove as interesting to the ear owner as the display of
ars itself. Two orchestras will present musn al program* after
noons and evenings.
Special Railroad Rates for Dealers
i
Omaha Automobile Trade Ass’n.
1814 Douglas Street, Omaha
A. B. Waugh, Show Manager
i
, tion on February 2? for the purpose
of voting on the question of Issuing (
bonds for purchasing and maintain-1
irig a waterworka system. The
amount of the bond* for putting in j
the system Is to be $21,000. with $5,003 |
additional for waterworks extension
The new system Is expected to bring
! lire protection' within reach of 9g
1 per cent of the people.
When in Omaha Stop a
Hotel Rome
Elmer Beddeos
Credit Talks—
NO. 2
Improve Your Understanding of
the W ord Credit
You’ve heard the word “Credit” THOU
SANDS of times—but do you know JUST what
it means?
Here is the dictionary definition:—
Credit—n. Reliance on the truth or reality of
something; belief, faith; trustworthiness; rep
utation; esp., good reputation; that which pro
cures, or adds to, reputation; trust given or
received in commerce; mercantile reputation
entitling one to be trusted; acknowledgment of
payment by entering in an account; the side of
an account on which such acknowledgments
are entered; balance in a person’s favor in an
account—v. t To confide in the truth of; be
lieve; bring honor or repute upon; of a book,
give credit for; attribute or ascribe (to or
with).
Covers a lot of ground doesn’t it? No mis
taking its terms, provisions or intentions is
there?
Every transaction between you and the
Beddeo Clothing Co is founded upon the above
dictionary definition.
Stores, institutions, public service corpora
tions—all thrown in the medley of modem
business—are preaching SERVICE. But there
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And here is another thing, even as thor
oughly as Beddeo has advertised for season
after season, there are still some folks who are
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would like to take advantage of a genteel, re
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Beddeo’s newly arranged, far more liberal
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Charge Account Come in and have this new
idea payment system explained to you.
Beddeo wishes to announce right here that
he is taking on several NATIONALLY AD
VERTISED lines of attire. These well-known
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—at the time the newly added Beddeo Depart
ments are thrown open to the public formally.
Then you will not have the remotest reason
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How About it? Won’t you come in and
talk credit? And if the plan satisfies you as
thoroughly as it is broadcasted won’t you ar
range to clad yourself in the new spring attire
so attractively priced and shown here?
To be sure! You’ll be a customer. Then
you’ll be a friend. And friends are what we
want. Start now. Thank you. Now for your
visit to
Yours for Better Service
Elmer Beddeo
of the
Beddeo Clothing Company
1417 Douglas Street.