THE CIRCULAR
ROBERTS
WNEHART
BY
fly et6t-iuiufc *
SYNOPSIS.
Miss Innes , spinster and Kimrcllnn ot
Qcrtrudo and llulsey. cfUitlilltiMcd miiiiiner
headquarters at Huiinynlde. AnildHt nu
merous ( Illll'iiltlrs tlio Hcrvtints deserted.
As Mlns Itinr-a locked up for tlio night ,
olio \vna startled by a dark llKiire on tlio
vcrundii. She fuisso < l u tcmlilu nlKliti
willed was filled with tinneotnly tiolKcu.
In tlio mornlni ? Mini Innes found u
ptranRe link cuff button In a clotlies
hninpor. Gertrude nnd ItulBoy arrived
with Jack Halley. Tlio house UIIB awak
ened by a revolver shot. A HtrntiRC man
wan found Knot to dentil In thu hall.
It proved to be tlio body of Arnold Arm
strong , whom banker rather owned the
country houne. Miss Innes found Hal-
sey'B revolver on the Inwn. Ho nnd Jack
Bailey had dlsnppeaied. The link cuff
button myHterlouHly dlsappcare.d. JJe-
ttcrtlvn Jnmlrson and the coroner arrived.
Gertrude rovonlcd that nlio was eiiKOROd
ito Jfxck Halley. with whom aho had
talked In the billiard room a few rrio-
innntB before- the murder. Jurnlenon told
iMUis Inncs that she wan hiding ovldenen
from him. 1I Imprlnoned an Intruder In
an empty room , The prlnoner escaped
down a Inundry chute. It developed that
tlia Intruder win probably a woman.
CHAPTER VII. Continued.
, s t
"Llddy , " I called , "go through the
house at once and nee who is missing ,
or If any one is. ' We'll have to clear
thla thing at ouco. Mr. Jamlcson , if
'you ' will watch here I will BO to the
llodgo and find Warner. Thomas
( would bo ot uo use. Together you
( may bo able to force the door. "
"A good idea , " ho assented. "H vt
there are windows , of course , and
'there ' IB nothing to prevent whoever is
in Uioro from getting out that'way. ' "
t "Then lock the door at the top of
the basement stairs , " I suggested ,
| "and patrol the house from the out-
"nldo. " "
Wo agreed to this , and I had a
fooling that the mystery of Sunny-
aide was about to bo solved. I ran
down the steps and along the drlvo.
Just at the corner I ran full tilt into
somebody who seemed to be as much
Alarmed as I was. It was not until I
had recoiled a stop or two that I rec
ognized Gertrude , and she mo.
"Good gracious , Aunt Hay , " she ex
claimed , "what is the matter ? "
"There's somebody 'locked in the
laundry , " I panted. "That Is unless
you didn't see any on6 crossing the
lawn or skulking around the house ,
did you ? "
' 'I think we have mystery on the
brain , " Gertrude said wearily. "No ,
I haven't scon any one , except old
Thomas , who looked for all the world
as if ho had been ransacking the pan
try. What have you locked in the
laundry ? "
"I can't wait to explain , " I replied.
"I must get Warner from the lodge. If
you came out for air , you'd better put
on your overshoes. " And then I no
ticed that Gertrude was limping not
much , but BUfllclently to inako her
progress very slow , and seemingly
painful.
"You have hurt yourself , " I said
nharply.
"I fell over the carriage block , " she
iexplalnod. "I thought perhaps I
might see Ilalscy coming homo. He
ine ought to bo horo. "
. I hastened to the lodge.
! "Whore is Warner ? " I asked.
] "I I think he's in bed , ma'am. "
{ "Got him up , " I said , "and for goodness -
ness sake open , the door , Thomas. I'll
wait for Warner. "
"It's kind o' close in here , ma'am , "
ho Bald , obeying gingerly , and disclos
ing a cool and comfortable-looking in
terior. "Perhaps you'd keer to sot on
the porch an1 rest you'self. "
It was so evident that Thomas did
not want mo inside that I went in.
"Tell Warner he is needed in a hur
ry , " I repeated , and turned into the
llttlo Bitting room. I could hoar
Thnmnc pnlnir nn tlin nrnlrn rrmlil
hoar him rouse Warner , and the stops
ot the chauffeur as ho hurriedly
dressed. But my attention waa busy
with the room below.
On the center table , open , was a
sealskin traveling bag. It was filled
with gold-topped bottles and brushes ,
emd it breathed opulence , luxury , fem
ininity from every inch of surface.
How did it got there ? I was still ask
ing myself the question when Warner
came running down the stairs and
Into the room. He was completely but
somewhat incongruously dressed , and
his open , boyish face looked abashed.
Ho was a country boy , absolutely
frank and reliable , of fair education
and intelligence ono of the small
army of American youths who turn a
natural aptitude for mechanics Into
the special fleld of the automobile ,
and earn good salaries in a congenial
occupation.
"What is it , Miss Innes ? " ho asked
anxiously.
"There is some one locked in the
laundry , " I replied. "Mr. Jamieson
wonts you to help him break tlio lock.
Warner , whose bag is this ? "
lie was in the doorway by this time
and he pretended not to hear.
"Warner , " I called , "como back
here. Whoso bag is this ? "
He stopped then , but ho did not turn
around.
"H'o It belongs to Thomas , " ho
euld , and fled up the drlvo.
To Thomas ! A London bag with
mirrors and cosmetic jars of which
Thomas could not even have guosset
the use ! Hoiwover , I put the bag in
the back of my mind , which was fasi
becoming stored with anomalous am
apparently irreconcilable facts , am
followed Warner to the houso.
Llddy had corao back to the kltch
en ; the door to the Imscment stairs
\vaH double-barred , and had a table
uishcd against it ; and beside her on
.ho table wan most of the kitchen par-
aphornullu.
"Did you see If there was any ono
missing In the house ? " I asked , Ignor
ing tlio array of snuco pans , rolling
pins and the poker of the range.
"Uoslo Is missing , " Llddy said with
unction. She had objected to Iloslc ,
Llio parlor mnld , from the start. "Mrn.
Watson wont into her room , and found
Him had gone without her hat. People
that trust themselves a dozen miles
from the city , In strange houses , with
servants they don't know , needn't bo
surprised If they wako up some mornIng -
Ing nnd find their throats cut. "
After which carefully veiled sar
casm Llddy relapsed Into gloom. War
ner came In then with a handful of
small tools , and Mr. Jamlcson wont
with him to the basement , Oddly
enough , 1 was not alarmed. With nil
my heart I wished for Ilalscy , but I
WHH not frightened. At the door he
was to force Warner put down his
tools nnd looked at It. Then ho
turned the handle. Without the slight
est difficulty the door opened , reveal
ing the blackness of the drying room
beyond !
Mr. Jamieson gave an exclamation
of disgust. "Gone ! " he said. "Con
found such careless work ! I might
have known. "
It was true enough. Wo got the
Ights on finally and looked all
through the three rooms that con
stituted this wing of the basement.
Everything was quiet and empty. An
explanation of how the fugitive had
escaped injury was found in a heaped-
up basket of clothes under the chute.
The basket had boon overturned , but
that wasall. Mr.Jamlcsoncxamtnedthe
windows ; ono was unlocked , and of
fered an easy escape. The window or
the door ? Which way had tile fugi
tive escaped ? The door seemed most
probable , and I hoped it had been so.
I could not have borne , just then , to
think that it was my poor Gertrude
wo had boon hounding through the
darkness , and yet I had mot Ger
trude not far from that very window.
I wont upstairs at last , tired and
depressed. Mrs. Watson and Llddy
wore making tea In the kitchen. In
certain walks ot life the tea pot is the
refuge In times of stress , trouble or
sickness ; they glvo tea to the dying
and they put It in the baby'a nursing
bottle. Mrs. Watson was fixing a tray
to bo sent In to me , and when I asked
her about Roslo she conflrnwd her
absence.
"She's not hero , " she said ; "but I
would not think much of that , Miss In
nes. Roslo is. a pretty young girl ,
and perhaps she has a sweetheart. It
will bo a good thing If she 1ms. The
maids stay much better when they
have something like that to hold them
hero. "
Gertrude had gone back to her
room , and while I was drinking my
cup of hot tea , Mr. Jamieson came In.
"Wo might take up the conversation
w nero wo loft off an hour and a half
n6'o , " ho said. "But before wo KO on ,
I want to say this : The person who
escaped from the laundry was a wom
an with a foot of moderate size and
well arched. She tvoro nothing but
a stocking on her right foot , and , In
spite of the unlocked door , she es
caped by the window. "
And again I thought of Gertrude's
sprained ankle , Was It the right or
the
CHAPTER VIII.
The Other Half of the Link.
"Mlsa Innea. " the detective began ,
"what Is your opinion of the figure
you saw oti the east veranda the night
you and your maid were in the house
alone ? "
"It was a woman , " [ said positively.
"And yet your maid alllrms with
equal nosltlvciiosB that it was a man. "
"Nonsense , " I broke in. "Llddy
had her eyes shut she always shuts
them when SUO'H frightened. "
"And you never thought then that
the Intruder who came later that
night might bo a woman the woman
lit fact , whom you saw on the veran
da ? "
"I had reasons for thinking It was
a man , " I said , remembering the pearl
cuff-link.
"Now we are getting down to busi
ness. What were your reasons for
thinking that ? "
I hesitated
"If you have any reason for believ
ing that your midnight guest was Mr.
Armstrong , other than his visit hero
the next night , you ought to toll me ,
Miss Innoa. 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 , mot Mr. Armstrong on the cir
cular staircase , and In alarm shot
him ? "
"It was a man , " f reiterated. And
then , because [ could think ot no oth
er reason for my statement , I told
him about the pearl cufMluk. Ho was
Intensely Interested.
"Will you glvo tuo the link , " he said
when I finished , "or , at least , let me
"But Before We Go On , I Want to Say This. "
see It ? I cousidor It a moat Impor
tant clew. " '
"Won't the description do ? "
"Not as well as the original. "
"Well , I'm very sorry , " I said , ns
calmly as I could , "I the thing Is
lost. It it must have fallen out of
a boxon ray dressing table. "
Whatever ho thought of my expla
nation , and I knew ho doubted It , he
made no sign Ho asked me to de
scribe the link accurately , and I did
so , while he glanced at a list he took
from his pocket.
"One set monogram cuff-links , " ho
road , /'ono sot plain pearl links , one
sot cuft-linka , woman's head set with
diamonds aud emeralds. There is no
mention of such a link as you de
scribe , and yet , it your theory Is right ,
Mr. Armstrong must have taken back
in his cuffs one complete cuff-link , and
a half , perhaps , ot the other. "
The Idea was now to me. If it had
not been the murdered man who had
entered the house that night , who
had It boon ?
"Thoro are a number of strange
things connected with this case , " the
detoctlvo wont on. "Miss Gertrude
Innes testified that she heard someone
ono fumbling with the lock , that the
door opened , and that almost Immedi
ately the shot was fired. Now , Miss
Isnos , here Is the strange part of that.
Mr. Armstrong had uo key with him.
There waa no key In the lortc , or on
the floor. In other words , fctvj ovl-
dcnco points absolutely to this ; Mr.
Armstrong was admitted to the house
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
Inucs ot 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 I 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 I am sure of is this : I do
not believe Arnold Armstrong was the
midnight visitor who so alarmed .you
by dropping shall wo say , a golf-
stick ? And I believe that when he
did come ho was admitted by some
one In the house. Who knows it may
have been Llddy ! "
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
luimor seems to bo In inverse proportion
tion to the gravity of his profession. "
"A man's sense of humor Is a bar
barous and a cruel thing , Miss Innes , "
ho 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 ? Como in. "
Thomas Johnson stood In the door
way He looked alarmed and appre
hensive , and suddenly 1 remembered
the sqalskln dressing bag in the
lodge , Thomas came just Inside the
door and stood with his head droop
ing , his eyes , under their shaggy gray
brows , fixed on Mr. Jamieson.
"Thomas , " said the detective , not
unkindly , "I sent for you to tell us
what you told Sam Bohannou at the
club , the day before Mr. Arnold was
found here , dead. Let me sec. You
came here Friday night to see Miss
Innes , didn't you ? And came to work
hero Saturday morning ? "
For some unexplained reason
Thomas looked relieved.
"Yas , sah , " ho said. "You see It
were Ilka this : When Mistah Arm
strong and the fam'ly went away , Mis'
Watson an' mo , we was let' in charge
till the place was rented. Mis' Wat
son , Bho'vo bin hero a good while , an'
bhearn * skcery. So she slop' in the
house. I'd bin havln' tokens I tol'
Mis' Innes some of 'em an * I Blep'
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 of It's too skeery for
her , It's too skeery fer me. We had
It , then , sho' miff , and It ended up
with Mis' Watson stayin' In the lodge
nights an' me lookln' fer work at de
club. "
"Did Mrs. Watson say that any
thing had happened to alarm her ? "
"No , sah. She was jes' natchally
skeored. 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 , ami I goes home that way.
Down In the creek bottom I almost
run Into a man. Ho wuz standln'twlth
his back to me , an" he was workln"
with one ot these yore electric light
things that fit In yer pocket. Ho was
havln' trouble one minute It'd Hash
out , an' the nex * It'd be gone. I bed
u. vlow of 'Is white dress shirt an * tie ,
as I passed. 1 didn't see his face. But
I know It warn't Mr. Arnold. It was
a taller man than Mr. Arnold. Besides
that , Mr. Arnold was playln * cards
when I got to the club house , same's
ho'd been doln * all day. "
"And the next morning you came
back along the path , " pursued Mr.
Jamieson relentlessly.
"The nex' mornln' I come back
along the path an' down where 1 dun
see the man night bcfoh , I picked up
this here " The old mau held out a
tiny object and Mr. Jamieson took it.
Then ho hold it on his extended palm
for me to BOO. 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 ? "
"Wai , Sam , ho * lowed he'd seen
such a pair of cuff-buttons in a shirt
bclongln * 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 shuflled out , Mr. Jamie-
son watched mo sharply.
"You see , Miss Inncs , " ho said , "Mr.
Bailey insists on mixing himself with
this thing. If Mr. Bailey came here
that Friday night expeclng to meet
Arnold Armstrong , and missed him
if , as I say , ho had done this , might
ho not , seeing him enter the following
night , have struck him down , as he
had intended before ? "
"But the motive ? " 1 gasped.
"There could bo motive proved , I
think. Arnold Armstrong and John
Bailey have been enemies since the
latter , a cashier of the Traders' bonk ,
brought Arnold almost into the
clutches of the law. Also , you for
got that both men have been paying
attention to Miss Gertrude. Balloy'a
flight looks bad , too. "
"And you think Halsoy helped him
to escape ? "
( TO BM CONTINUED. )
DANGER SIGNALS.
Sick kldnoys glvo unmistakable sig
nals of distress. Too frequent or scanty
urinary passages , backache , hcadacho
and dizzy spells tell of disordered kid- .
neya , Neglect of those warnings may
prove fatal. Begin using Doan's Kid
ney Pills. They euro sick kidneys.
Mrs. M. A. Gam-
blln , Huasciiviiic ,
Ark. , says : "I was
in fiuch bad ehnpo
from kidney disease
that I gave up hope
of my recovery. I
could rest neither
night or day , the
palna In ray back
nearly driving me
, . frantic. There were
decided dropsical nymptoms such as
ewolllnff of my feet and ankles and my
heart palpitated violently. After doc
toring without benefit , I began with
Doan's Kidney Pills and when I had
used two boxes I was as well as ever. "
Remember the name Dean's.
For sale by all dealers. GO cents a
box. Foster-Mllburn Co. , Buffalo , N. Y.
The Juvenile Buster.
The famous Champ Clark , at a din
ner at Bowling Green , said ot the
trusts :
"Tho feeling against monopolies has
reached even to the nursery. I saw a
llttlo girl the other day slip something
beneath her plate. Then she mur
mured angrily :
" 'I wish there was an anti-crust
law. ' "
SKIN HUMOR 25 YEARS
"Cutlcura did wonders for me. For
twenty-five years I suffered agony
from a terrible humor , completely cov
ering my head , neck and shoulders , so
oven to my wife , I became an object
of dread. At largo expense I consult
ed the most able doctors far nnd near.
Their treatment was of no avail , nor
was that of the Hospital , during
six months' efforts. I suffered on.
and concluded there was no help for
mo this side of the grave. Then I
heard of some ono who had been cured
by Cutlcura Remedies nnd thought
that a trial could do no harm. In a
surprisingly short tlmo I was com
pletely cured. 3. P. Keyes , 147 Con
gress St , Boston , Mass. , Oct. 12 , " 09. "
Face Covered with Pimples
"I congratulate Cutlcura upon my-
speedy recovery from pimples which
covered my face. I used Cutlcura Soap ,
Ointment and Resolvent for ten days
and my face cleared and I am perfect
ly well. I had tried doctors for sev
eral months but got no results. Wm. J.
Sadller , 1614 Susquetanna Avo. , Phila
delphia , May 1 , 1909. "
Recognition.
"At last , " Bald the literary young
man , "I have succeeded in having my
poetry taken seriously. "
1 "How did you manage it ? "
"Put it into the love letters on
which a branch of promise suit is
now holng based. "
Casey at the Bat.
This famous poem Is contained in the
Coca-Cola Baseball Record Book for
1910 , together with records , schedules
for both leagues and other valuable
baseball Information compiled by au
thorities. This interesting book cent
by the Coca-Cola Co. , of Atlanta , Ga. ,
on receipt of 2c stamp for postage.
Also copy of their booklet "Tho Truth
About Coca-Cola" which { ells all about
this delicious beverage and why It is
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Are you ever hot tired thirsty ?
Drink Coca-Cola it is cooling , re
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bonated In bottles Go everywhere.
Inference.
Ethel ( confidentially ) Do you know ,
C'ara ' , that I had two offers of mar
riage last week ?
Clara ( with enthusiasm ) Oh , I am
delighted , dear ! Then the report Is
really true that your uncle left you his
money ? Plck-Me-TJp.
TAKE A FOOT-BATH TO-NIQHT
After aiEsolvlnp ono or two Allen's Foot-
Tabs ( Antlseptto tablets for the foot-bath )
In the water. It will take out all soreness ,
hmnrtlnfr and tenderness , remove foot
odors and freshen the feet. Allen's Foot-
Tabs Instantly relieve weariness and
sweating or Inflamed feet and hot nerv
ousness of the feet at night. Then for
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stitutes. Samples of Allen's Foot-Tabs
mailed FREE or our regular size sent by
mall for 2Se. Address Allen S. Olmsted ,
LeRoy. N. Y.
"Foot ; Tabs for Foot-Tubs. "
Hard Task , Indeed !
Little Helen was at the seaside with
her aunt , and in the house where they
were staying was a telephone. Ono day
she heard her mother talking from the
city , and she was so terrified that she
burst Into tears.
"Oh , auntlo , auntie ! " she sobbed.
"Jlow shall wo ever get mamma out of
that llttlo hole ? "
SIX LIVES WOULD BE MISSING ,
Mr. Shooter Where's my six-shoot/
Mrs. Shooter What are you going
Lo do ? .
Mr. Shooter Kill two-thlrda of n
cat
Valued Absences.
"Always speak kindly of the absent. "
laid young Mr. Primly.
"I would , " replied Miss Cayenne , "It
thought It would bo an inducement to
iome tiresome people to remain so. "
DON'T WAIT
TOO LONG
Don't wait until the
digestive organs are al
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wait until the bowels
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and don't wait until the
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very first sign of trouble.
It will save you lots of
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today for Indigestion ,
Cramps , Diarrhoea , Mal
aria , Fever and Ague. Be
sure to get Hostetter's.
Nebraska Directory
FHE GREAT DAIN HAY TOOLS
ARE THE BEST. ASK YOUR DEALER OR
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this process all broken
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KODAKS and KODAK FINISHING
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LINCOLN PHOTO SUPPLY CO. . Lincoln
ALL
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Wholesale MiSIinery
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The Old Line Banker's Life
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TYPEWRITERS
Ufl 00 and up. Al I Htandanl Make * , sold or rented. Kent
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the nlcbett price fer
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Not Sisters
Now and again you ice two women pass *
in down the street who look like sisters.
You arc astonished to learn that they ura
mother and daughter , and you realize that
a woman at fo.'ty or forty-five ought to beet
et her finest and fairest. Why isn't it so ?
The general health of woman is so in
timately associated with the local health
of the essentially feminine organs that
there can be no red cheeks and round
form where there is female weakness.
Women irlio have suffered front
this trouble have found prompt
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Fierce't Favorite Prescription. It give * vigor and vitality to the
organs of womanhood. It clears the complexion , brightens tlio
eyes and reddens tlio cheeks.
No alcohol , or habit-forming drugs is contained in "Favorite Prescription. " '
Any sick woman may consult Dr. Pierce by letter , free. Every letter It
held as sacredly confidential , and answered in it plain envelope. Address :
World's Dispensary Medical Association , Dr. R.V. Pierce , Pres. , Buffalo , N.Y.