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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Wingham Times, 1913-06-12, Page 7I N i l i A. Tins, JUNE H.1 THE LION AND THF. MOUSE. ,By CHARLES KLEIN. d $tory of .dmerican Live Novelized Fram the Play by 4RTHUR HORNBLOW. COPYRIGHT, 1406, BY G. W. DILLiNGHAM COMPANY. since that time these powerful inter- ests had used all their influence to get him put off the bends. Ile toll ber about the Trauscoutlneutal cane and how the judge had got mysteriously tangled up in the Great Northern Min- ing company and of the scandalous newspaper rumors, followed 1'y the news of the congressional iu•iuiry. Thee he told her about the panic in Wall street, the sale of the house on Madison avenue, and the removal to Long Island. "That is the situation," said Stott when he h'ul finished. "We are waiting new to see what tite senate will do. We hope for tl.e best. It deems lmpatsible that the senate will condemn a nutii whose whole life is like an open book, but unfortunately the senate Is strong- ly itepublican and the big interests are 8, in complete meted. Pill's e support coulee ft•utu some t::teeeirt•',1 quarter we Must be pl'i'j,:il'0i1 est— a1,:ti:ing.' eumeltt fem.. .: +t:te ii.• .' ipeeit'•.l guar - ter! Stmt's elosit:y ;surds ran; fu Shir- ley's heal. t..., ;est not just what she Intel to a:l'.ee e...to rstriiu herself longer n n,1 her heart beating tumultu- ously front suppre:l,sa:1 ('Motion, site cried: "We'll have that support! We'll have i11! I've got it atii'e:ze ! I wanted to 'surprise you: Pallier, the most power- ful noon In the Ctlited States will save you from bei''; dishonored!" The two r:eu leaned forward in ea- gor interest What could the girl mean? Was site serious or merely jesting? But Shirley was never more serious iii Iter life. Site was jubilant at the thought that rite had arrived home in time to envoi:e the aid of this powerful ally. :;he roll eater.] enthusiastically: "We used nut worry auy more. IIe has but to say a word, and these pro- ceedin;s will be instantly dropped. ' They would not dare act against his veto. Del you hear, father, your case a " is es good as won!"• ( „ ti h;:t do you mean, child? Who is this unknown friend?" "Surely you can guess when I say the most powerful man in the United 'States? None other than John Burkett Ryder!" She stopped short to watch the effect "this name would have on her hearers. But to her surprise neither her father, nor Stott displayed the slightest emo- tion or even interest. Puzzled at this eold reception, she repeated: "Did you hear, father—John Burkett Ryder will come to your assistance. I came home ou the same ship as his son, and he promised to secure his fa- ther's aid." The judge puffed heavily at his pipe and merely shook his head, making no reply. Stott o::plained: "We can't look for help from that quarter, ehi.r'ley. You don't expect a man to reit loose his own kite, do yeti?" "What do you mean?" demanded Shirley, mystified. t "Simply this, that John Burkett Ry- der is,tbe vory elan who is responsible for all your father's misfortunes." • The girl sank back lu her seat pale and motionless. as if she had received a blow. Was it possible? "Do you really believe this, that John Ryder deliberately concocted the brib- - ors, charge with the sole purpose of ruining my father?" demanded Shirley, when she led somewhat recovered. "There is no other solution of the mystery possible," answered Stott. "And you, father, do you believe Ry- • der did this?" •"I have no longer any doubt of it," answered the judge. "I think John Ryder would see me dead beflore he would raise a finger to help me. His answer to my demand for my letters convinced me that he was the arch plotter." "What letters do you refer to?" des mended Shirley. "The ' letters I wrote to him Hi re-, gard to my making an investment. He advised the purchase of certain stock. I 'wrote him two letters at the time, Which letters if I had them now wonld go a Zeing way to clearing me of thie charge of bribery, for they plainly showed that I regarded the transac- tion as a bona fide investreent, Since this trouble began I wrote to Ryder asking him to return me these letters so- I might use thein in my defense. The only reply I got was an insolent note from his secretary saying that Mr. Ryder had forgotten all about the transaction, and in any case had not the letters I referred tot" "Couldn't you compel him to return them?" asked Shirley. "We could never get at hire," inter- rupted Stott. "The man is guarded as carefully as the czar." "Still," objected Shirley, "it Is posse- "bre that he may have Iost the letters or even never received them." "Oh, he hes thent 'safe eitoitgh," re' Inlet` µ`•'tt, "A man like Ryder keeps Ce 1 y -ttetap of paper, With the idea that it May prove useful The some day, e lettere are lying somewhe'tc in hie desk. Besides, after the 'Trenscontd nental decision he was heard to say that he'd have Judge Rossmore offf the bench inside of a year." "And It wasn't 1 vain boast--he'e • done it," muttered the judge. 'Shirley relapsed into silence," lief brain wa3 in it Whirl, it wee tote, -then, Ws lnere1leee man of money, this ogre oC monopolistic corporetione, • t human juggernaut had crushed her father merely because by his It enesty be interfered with ]lis shady business (le114: Ah, why had she spared him Ill her book? She felt now that she had been too lenient, not bitter enough, not sufficiently pitiless. Such a man was entitled to leo mercy. Long after the judge and Stott had left for the city Shirley sat alone on the porch engrossed In thought, taxing her brain to find some way out of the darkness, and when presently her mother and aunt returned they fouud her still sitting there, silent and preoc- cupied. If they only had those two letter's, she thought. They alone might i-uve her father, but how coulee they be got at? :ttr. Ryder had put them safe- ly awry, no doubt. IIe would not give teem up. She wondered how it would be to ge boldly to him and appeal to whatever sense of honor and fairness that might be lying latent within him. No, such a nnnn would not Immo what the terms "honor," "fairness" meant. She pondered upon it all clay, and at night when she went tired to bed it was her last thought as she dropped oil' to sleep. The following morning Sbirley went out for a walk. She preferred to go alone so she would not leave to talic. Iters was one of those lonely, intro- spective natures that resent the intru- sion of aimless chatter when preoccu- pied with serious thoughts. Every now and theo Shirley espied in the distance the figure of a man which she thought she recognized as that of Jefferson. Had he come, after all? The blood went coursing tumultu- ously through her veins only a moment later to leave her face a shade paler as the man came nearer, and she saw he was a stranger. As she neared the cottage on her re- turn home, she caught sight of the let- ter carrier approaching the gate. In- stantly she thought of Jefferson, • and she hurried to intercept the man. Per- haps he had written instead of coming. "Miss Shirley Rossntore?" said the num eyiug her interrogatively. "That's I," said Shirley. The postman handed her a letter and passed on. Shirley „lamed quickly at the superscription. No, it was not from Jefferson: she knew his handwriting too well. The envelope, moreover, bore the firm name of hen.pul.aiishers. She tore it open and found that It merely contained another letter thuja the publishers had forwarded. This was addressed to Miss Shirley Green and ran as follows: Dear Madam—If convenient, I should like to see you at my office, 36 Broadway, In relation to your book, "The American Octopus." Kindly inform ale as to the day and hour at which I may expect you. Yours truly, JOHN BURKETT RYDER. Per. B. Shirley almost shouted from sheer excitement. At first she was alarmed —the name John Burkett Ryder was such a bogey to frighten bad children with, she thought he might want to punish her for writing about him as she had. She hurried to the porch and sat there reading the letter over and over, and her brain began to evolve ideas.' She had been wondering how She could get at Mr. Ryder, and here he was actually asking her to call on him. Illvidently he had not the slight- est idea of her identity, for he had ' been able to reach her only through her publishers, and no doubt he had exhausted every other means of dis•' covering her address. The more she pondered over it the more she began to see in this invitation a way et help- ing her father. Yes, she would go and beard the lion in his den, but she would not go to his office. She would accept the invitation only ou condition that the interview took place in the Ryder mansion, where undoubtedly the letters would be found. She decided to act immediately. No time, was to be lost, so she procured a sheet of paper and an envelope and wrote as renews: Mr. John Burkett Ryder: Dear Sir -1 do not call upon gentlemen at their business office. Yours, etc., SHIRLEY GRI:L'`N. Her letter was abrupt and at first glance seemed hardly calculated' to bring about what she wanted—an invi- tation to can at the Ryder home, but She was shrewd enough to see that it Ryder wrote to her et all It was be- cause he was most aurxious to see her and her abruptness would not deter him from trying again. On the contra- ry, the very MillattalileSS of any one thus dictating to hint would make him more than ever desirous of making her ac'qualntnnce. So Shirley mailed the letter and awaited with confidence for ltyder's reply. So certain was she that one would come that she et once be- gan to form her plan of netion. Site would leave Massapequa at once, and her whereabouts must remain a secret even from her own family. As she In- tended to go to the Nyder house in the mistimed character of Shirley Green, it world never do to run the risk of be- ings followed home by a 'Ryder detee- tire to the Rossmoro cottage. She would confide in one person only— Judge Stott. HO would knew where she was and would be In constant com- munication with her, I3ppt, otherwise, she must be alone to conduct the Cam- paign as she judged fit- She would go at once to New York and take rooms in a boarding grouse where she would be known. as Shirley Green. As for funds to meet her expenses, she had her dia- moncls, and would they not be filling a more useful purpose if sold to defray the cost of saving her father than In mere personal adornment? So that evening while her mother was talking with the judge she heeiconed Stott over to the corner where she was sitting, ! "Judge Stott," she began, "I have a plan." He smiled indulgently at her. ! "You said that no one on earth 0001(2 resist John Burkett Ryder, that no one could fight against the money power. Well, do you know what I am going to do?" "What will you do?" lee asked with a Slightly ironical inflection in his voice, "I am going to fight John' Burkett Ryder!" she cried. Stott looked at her open mouthed. "You?" he said. "Yos, I," said. Shirley. "I'm going to him. and I intend to get those letters if be lois them." Stott shook his head, "My dear eitil1,' he said, "what are you talking nbont? How can you ex - poet to reach Ryder? We couldn't." "1 don't know just how yet," replied Shirley, "but I'in going to try. I love my father, and I'm going to leave noth- ing untried to save him." "Rut what can yon do?" persisted Stott. "Tile matter eras been sifted over and over by some of the greatest minds In the country." "IIas any woman sifted It over?" de- manded Shirley. ' "No, but"— stammered Stott. "Then it's about time one slid," said the girl decisively. "Those letters my father speaks of—they would be useful, would they not?" "They would be invnluable" "Then I'll get theur. If not"— "But I don't understand how you're going to get at Ryder," interrupted Stott. "This is how," replied Shirley, pass• Ing over to him the letter she had re- ceived that afternoou. As Stott recognized the well known signature and read the contents the expression of his face changed. Ile gasped for breath and sank into a • chair from sheer astonishment. ."Ah, that's different!" he cried. "That's different!" Briefly Shirley outlined her plan, ex- plaining that she would go to live in the city immediately and conduct her campaign from there. If she was suc- cessful, it might save her father, and if not no harm could become of it. That same evening her mother, the judge aucl Stott went for a stroll after dinner and left her to take care of the house. They had wanted Shirley to go, too, but she pleaded fatigue. The truth was that she wanted to be alone, so that she could ponder undisturbed over her plans. It was a clear, starlit night, with no moon, and Shirley sat on the porch listening to the chirping of the crickets' and icily watching the flashes of the mysterious fireflies. She was in no mood for reading and sat for a long time rocking herself, en- grossed in her thoughts. Suddenly she heard some one unfasten the garden gate. It was too soon for the return of the promenaders. It must be a vis- itor. Through the uncertain penumbra of the garden she discerned approach- ing a form which looked familiar. Yes, now there was no doubt possible. It was indeed Jefferson Ryder. She hurried down the porch to greet him. No matter what the father had done, she could never think auy the less of the son. Ile took her hand, and for several moments neither one spoke. There are times when silence is more eloquent than speech, and this was one of them. The gentle grip of his big, strong hand expressed more tenderly than any words the sympathy that lay in his heart for the woman • he loved. Shirley said quietly: "You have come at last, Jefferson." "I came as soon as ,1: could," he re- plied gently. "I saw father only yes- terday." "You need not tell me what he saI1," Shirley hastened to say. Jefferson made not reply. He under- stood what she meant. He hung his head and hit viciously with his walk- ing stick at the pebbles that lay at his feet. She went on: "I know everything now. It was foolish of me to think that air. Ryder 'would ever help us." "I can't help it in any way,'' blurted. out Jefferson. "I have not the slight- est influence over him. IIis business methods I consider disgraceful. You understand that, don't you, Shirley?" The girl laid her hand on his arm and replied kindly: "Of course, Jeff, we know that. Come up and sit down." Ho followed her on the porch and drew up a rocker beside her. "They are all out for a walk," she explained. "I'M glad," he said frankly. "I wanted a quiet talk with you: I did not rare to meet any one. My name must be odious to your people." Both were silent, feeling a certain awkvvardness. They seethed to have drifted apart In Some way since those delightful days in Paris and on the ship. Then he said: "I'm going away, but I couldn't go until I saw you." "You are going away?" exclaimed Shirley, surprised. "Yes," he said, "I cannot stand it any more at home. I had a hot talk with lnj' father yesterday about one thing and another, lie and 1 don't ehin well together. Besides this matter Of your has m liter ifn achmcnt co fathers pep y discouraged me. All the wealth in the world could never )reconcile me to sutih methods! Pitt ashamed of the role to own flesh and blood has played in that miserable affair. I Can't express what. I feel about it. But what are you go- ing to do?" he asked. "These Stit- roundings ate net for lou"-- Ile looked around at the cheap furnishings whleh he coned see throtigh the open window, and his face showed real Con - "I shall teach or write, or go out as governess," replied Shirley, with a tinge of bitterness. Then smiling sad- ! ly she added: "Poverty is cagy. It Is unmerited disgrace which is hard," The young man drew his chair closer and tools: hold of the hand That lay in her lap. She made no resistance. "Shirley," he said, "do you remem- ber that talk we had on the ship? I asked you to be my wife. You led me to believe that you were not indifferent' to tee. I ask yon again to marry me. Give me the right to take care of you and yet I am the son of the world's richest r.:an, but I don't want his money. I have earned a competence of guy own—enough to live on com- fortably. We will. go away where you and your father and mother will make their home with 'us. Do not let the rine of the fathers embitter the lives c.i the children." "Mine has not sinned," said. Shirley 1'itterly. "I .wish I could say the same of mine," replied Jefferson. "It is be- e '::se. the clouds are dark about you that I want to come into your life to ei .:fort you." The girt :.hent her head. ".l'o. Jefferson, the circumstances (rake such a marriage impossible. 1 ettr family and everybody else would .:;r that I had inveigled you into it. It 1; even more impossible now than I 1'.ought ir wan when I spoke to you on Ps) ship." I::notion stopped her utterance, and btwle:i her face in her hands, steeping silently, -Werke*" s)l(1 Jefferson tenderly, ':.:•,l are wrongs If you will not say •i':., now, I shall go away 'as I toad t::;' father I would, and one day I shall steer. Mice. and then 11' you are still ,ilt;`10 I shall tisk you again to be my 'You may not want me then" "I s' --toll always want you," he whis- esetel hoarsely, bending over ber. In t:ee.iihu light of the porch he saw that her tear stained face was drawn and dale. IIe rose and held out his baud. "Goodby," he said simply. "Goodby, Jefferson." She rose and put 11er hand in his. "We will always be friends:" He raised her hand to his lips._ "Goodby, Shirley. Don't forget me. I shall come back for yon." . He went clown the porch, and she watched him go out of the gate and down the road until she could see his figure no longer. Theu she turned back and sank. into her chair, and, burying her face lu her handkerchief, she gave way to a torrent of tears which afford- ed some relief to the weight ou her heart. Presently the others returned from their walk, and she told them about the visitor.. "Mr. Ryder'ae son, Jefferson, was here. We crossed on the same ship. I introduced him to Judge Stott on the dock.,, The judge looked surprised, but he merely said: "I hope for his sake that he is a dif- ferent man from his father." "IIe is," replied Shirley simply, and nothing more was said. Two days went by, during which Shirley went on completing the prepa- "Shirley, you are wrong." rations for her visit to New York. It Was arranged that Stott should escort her to the city. Shortly before they started for the train a letter arrived for Shirley. Like the first one, it had been forwarded by her publishers. It read as follows: Miss Shirley Green: Dear Madam—I shall be happy to see you at my residence—Fifth avenue—any afternoon that you will mention. Yours very truly, JOHN BURKETT RYDER. Per B. Shirley smiled in triumph as, unseen by her father and mother. she passed it over to Stott. She at once sat down :did wrote this reply: Mr. John Burkett Ryder: Dear Sir—I am sorry that I am unable to comply with your request. I prefer the invitation to call at your private resi- dence should come trotn Mrs, Ryder. Yours, etc., SiiXRLEY GREEN. She laughed as she showed this to Stott. "He'll write me again," She said, "fuel nett time his wife will sign the letter." Au hour later she left Massapequa for the city. CIIA1'TBR XI. T11 I: Iron. to itzroy Bagley had every reason to feel satisfied with himself. 'tris affalre do coeur with the senator's slaughter was progressing more smooth• ly than ever. and nothing now seemed likely to interfere with his carefully prepared plains to capttn'e an American heiress. The.Interviety With tate Rob- erts in the 1ib0a0, so awkwardly dis- ttitbed by Jefferson's unexpected intru- sion, haci been renewed by other liter- views more Secret and tuore successful, ana the plausible secretary luta con- trived so well to persuade the girl that he really drought the world or bet' and tt r,t a hi'illinnt future awaited her as les wife that It was not long before 11e found her in a hood to refuse Mill nettling, urged hnmediate marriage. lie In.lntiated tient Jefferson had treat - fel her shamefully and that sew ower it 10 lira"lf to Amy the world that Ibcr(� t:'et'0 qth!':' mon as f;io:i els the one wile !rid jilted her. IIe argued that in vb'.v c,f the Whaler being hent a:t the I:ti(11 with lestler's son it would be worse than useless for him (Bagley) to 10:t!.e application for her band, so, a.; he explained, the only thingv Mede IVlataine:l wa'; a t'iiiiu :ay 1tlil14C?e. 4 nufrotlted ;vial the fait ,.ecolapli, i':tpa Itoherts wenn how to the 1:o • ifeele, They coul:l get married q::ietly is terve, go an -ay for a short trill. and ween the seu;ttor bank got over his first Ci.•':i 'p'itlltr:rtlt they would he tvei- ._1ad lack with open arum.. i:a`e iistened willingly enough to t.'1i:, eel tt.4 reasoning. In her heart she wet pi l0ed at 'Jefferson's Indifiere nee, e::.1 she was foolish enough to really believe that t'hu's marriage with a Brit. bib nobleman, twice- removed, would he in the nature of a triumph over bine Besides, this project of an elope- ment appealed strangely to ]ler frivol cue imagination; it put her in the same class as all her favorite novel heroines. And it would be capital rune Meantime Senator Roberts, In bliss- ful ignorance of this little plot against Iiia domestic peace, was .growing Im- patient, and he approached his friend Ryder once more on the subject of his non Jefferson. The young than, he raid, had been back from Purope some time. Ile insisted on knowing what his attitude was toward his slaughter. If they were engaged to be married, Se said there should he 11 public an - ::amusement of the fact. it was unfair :o 111tH and a slight to his daughter to :et matters hang fire its this unsati;4.fae- soy way, and he hinted that both him- self and his daughter might clemau(I their passports from the. Ryder .man - 1i011 . unless some explanation were forthcoming. Ryder was in a quandary. He had ua with to quarrel with his useful Washington ally. He recognized the reasonableness of his complaint. Yet what could he do? Much as be Ulm - self desired the marriage, his son was obstinate and showed little inclination to settle clown. He even hinted at at- tractions in another quarter. Ile chid not tell the senator of his recent inter- view with his son when the latter autde it very plain that the marriage (amid never take place. Ryder senior had his own reasons for wishing to temporize. It was quite possible that Jefferson might change his ntincl and abandon his idea of going abioad, and be suggested to the senator that per- haps if 11e, the senator, made the en- gagauleut public through the newspa- pers it might have the salutary effect of forcing his son's hand. So a few Mornings latter there ap- peared among the society notes in Sev- aral of the New York papers this para- graph: The engagement is announced of Miss Katherine R4bet•ts. only daughter of Sen- t(tor Roberts of Wisconsin, to Jefferson Ryder, son of Mr. John Burkett Ryder. Two persons in New York happened to see the item about the same time. stud both were equally interested, al- though It affected them in a different 11.auuer. One was Shirley Roes -more, who lied chanced to pier: up the news- paper at the breakfast table in her boarding House. "So soon?" she murmured to 1=e—eel SVell, why not? She could not blame. Jefferson. Ile had often spoken to her of this match arranged by his father, and they had laughed over it as a typical marriage of convenience mod- eled after the continental pattern. Jef- ferson, she knew, had never cared for the girl, nor taken the affair seriously. Some powerful influences must have been at work to make him surrender so easily. Here again she recognized the masterly hand of Ryder senior, and -more than ever she was eager to meet this extraordinary man and measure her strength with his. Her Mind, ia- deed, was too full of her father's trou- bles to grieve over her own however much she might have been inclined to do so under other circumstances, and all that day she did her best to ban- ish the paragraph from her thoughts. More than a week had passed since she left Massapequa and, what with corresponding with financiers, calling on editors and publishers, every mo- ment of her time lad been kept busy. She had found a quiet and reasonable priced boarding house off Washington square, and here Stott had called sev- eral times to see her. Her correspond- ence with Mr. Ryder had now reached a phase when it was impossible to in- vent any further excuses for delaying the interview asked for. As she baa foreseen,. a day or two after her arriv- al In town she hied received a note from :firs. Ryder asking her to do her (he honor to call and see her, and Shir- ley, after waiting another two days, paid replied making au appointment for the foiloiy1ng'duy at 3 o'clock. This was the same day on which the para- graph concerning the Ryder•Roberts engagement appeared in the society chronicies of the metropolis. Directly after the meager meal which be New Bork boarding ileuses is digni- fied by the name of luncheen Shirley. proceeded to get ready for this porten- tous visit to the Ryder mansion. She was a xlOu$ to 'Make n favorable- im- pression on the flnSneier, So she took some pains with her personal appear- 11nec. In about twenty minutes the car stopped at the corner of Seventy-fourth Street, Shirley descended and with n quickened pulse walked toward the Ryder mansion, which the knew well by sight. M * s t + • There was one other person in NOW Children Cry for Fletcher's The Hind You Have Always Bought, and 'which ha's been in lase for over years, has borne the signature of and has been made under his per- sonal supervision since its infancy. �/ F ! .k�llo'v no one to deceive you in this. Ail Counterfeits, Imitations and "Just -as -good" are but Experiments that trifle with and endanger the health of Infants and Children —Experience against Experiment, i hat is CA T RIA Castoria is a harmless substitute for Castor Oil, Parew gored, Drops and Soothing Syrups. It is pleasant. It contains neither Opiuin, Morphine nor other Narcotic substance. Its ago is its guarantee. It destroys Worms and allays Feverishness, For more than thirty years it has been in constant use for the relief of Constipation, Flatulency, Wind. Colic, all Teething Troubles and Diarrhoea. It regulates the Stomach and Bowels, assimilates the Food, giving healthy and natural Sleep. The Children's Panacea—The Mother's Friend. GENUINE C .STORIA ALWAYS Bears the Signature of Lte aid You ave Always Bought In Use For Over 30 Years 7HE CENTAUR COMPANY TT MURRAY STREET NEW YORK CITY• t a e t- et.s 'fork who that sante morning had read the uewspaper item regarding the Ity- Ier-Roberts betrothal, and he did not take the matter so calmly as Shirley bad done. On the contrary, it had the effect of putting him into a violent age. This was Jefferson. Ile was working in hts studio when he read it, and live minutes later he was tearing Optc:wu to seek the author of it. IIe nederstaad its object. of course. They wanted to force Itis hand, to shame L11111 Into WIN marriage, to so entangle hila with the girl that no other alter- native would be possible to an honora- ble utan. 11 was a despicable trick, and he ltacl no doubt that his father was at the back of it. So his mind now was fully matte up. lie would go away at once where they could not make his life a burden with this odious marriage which was fast becoming a nightmare to hint. IIe would close up his studio and leave Immediately for Europe. IIe would show his father once for all that he was a man au,: ex- pected to be treated as cue. On arriving home the t:rst person he stow was the ubiquitous Mr. Bagley, -who stood at the top of the first stair- case giving some totters to the butler. Jefferson cornered hi.,;. at once, hold- ing out the newspaper containing the offending paragraph. "Say, Bagley," he cried, "what does this mean? Is this auy of your doing?" The English secretary gave his em- ployer's son a haughty stare and then, without deigning to reply or even to glance at the newspaper, continued his instructions to the servant: "Here, Jerkins, get stamps for nil these letters and see they are mailed at once. They are very important" "Very good, sir." The man tools the letters and disap- peared, While Jefferson, impatient, re- peated his question: "My doing?" sneered Mr. Bagley. "Really, Jefferson, you go too far. Do you suppose for one instant that I would condescend to ):rouble myself with your affairs?" Jefferson was In no mood to put up with insolence from tiny one, especial- ly from a man whom he heartily de- spised, so, advancing menacingly, he thundered: "I mean—were you in the discharge of your menial -like duties instructed by my father to send that paragraph to the newspapers regarding my alleg- ed betrothal to Bliss Roberts? Yes or no?" The man winced and made a step backward. There was a gleam in. the Ryder eye which he knew by experi- ence boded no good. "Really, Jefferson," he said in a more conciliatory tone, "I know absolutely nothing about the paragraph. This is the first I bear of it. Why not ask your father?" "I will," replied Jefferson grkmly, He was turning to go in the direc- tion of the library when Bagley stop- ped him. "You Cannot possibly see him now," be said. "Sergeant EIlisoh of the se- cret service is in there with him, and your father told me not to disturb him on any account, He hes another ap- pointntetit itt 3 o'clock with some wo- man who writes books" Seeing that the 'fellow wfS hi ear- nest, Jefferson did not resist, lie could too;his father a little later or send him a message through his mother. Pro- ceeding u stair, he found Mrs.Ryder It her teens, Bird in a few energetic 'words he explained the situation to his mother. They had gone too far With this n.,htchmalking business, he said; his father wits trying to inter- fere with his personal liberty, and be was going to lint n Stop to It lie would leave at once for Europe. tars. Ryder had niready henrcl of the project- ed trip abreact, et) the news of this •sudden departure was not the shock it might otherwise have been, As Jefferson went downstairs some-' thing white on the carpet attracted his Attention. Ile stooped and picked it up. It was a letter. It was iu.Bagley's handwriting and lad evidently been chopped by the man to whom the sec- ' i.etary' had given it to post. But what interested Jeltersou more than any - Wag else was that it was addressed to Miss Kate Roberts. 'Under ordinary circumstances a king's ransom would 1 not have tempted the young man to read a letter addressed to another, but he was convinced that his father's sec- retary was an adventurer, and if he ':ere carrying on an intrigue in this ananner it could have only one mean- ing. It was Itis duty to unveil a rascal who was using the Ryder roof and name to further his own ends and vic- timize a girl who, although sophisti- cated enough to know better, was too silly to realize the risk she ran at the liauds of an unscrupulous man. Hesi- tating no longer, Jefferson tore open the envelope and read: My Dearest 'Wife That Is to lie -1 have arranged everything. Next W'ednesday— Just a week from today—we will go to the Ihouse of a discreet friend of mine Where a minister will marry us. Then we will go to city hail and get through the legal part of it. Afterward we can catch the 4 o'clock train for Inuffate. Street me in the ladies' room at the holland House Wednesday morning at 11 a. in. I will come there with a closed cab. Your de- voted FITZ. "Phew!" Jefferson whistled. A close shave this for Senator Roberts, he thought. Itis first impulse was to go upstairs again to his mother and put the natter in her hands. She would immediately inform his father, who would make short work of Mr. Bagley. But, thought Jefferson, why should he spoil a good thing? Ile could afford to wait a day or two. There was no hut, - (To be continued.) Fr. 7' C '�,, ATO IfF a I/ 1? w111 t-ic-ll; hoose who have i;ii. •ry and iD.adtier Trot!! a. other ' alt vecn.c:••„ it 1n the c.:,, tit 1:.ioned :a this t ,..- •aa+i: +, 7. t,, a..1 1' e•. )der t v. ,a:,•atat tt g .i.1 le,` t. ; e.,e.,•s as you start to take t.:.� I'IIc1,s tlle•� atltucists 1 ciin to disa'tv'ar. It is the s::nie in eases of I,tunuago, Sciaticas and lite complaints. This letter illustrates the buteiit of GIN PILLS. \Vinnipee, Jan. 6th. "I have been a ste:eret front Lumbago for sem eyears past anal dur ingehrist*tas week had a veru act:te attack which confined me to the house. A1•out the latter part of April, I *tet your Mr. Hill and mentioned my complaint to him. lie advised ane to take GIN PILLS, I have been taking them at internals daring the early part of the present wititet, and tip to date have had no return of my old trouble—in fact, 1 feel better than I have for years and think that my olcd enemy has vanished for good and all." II. A. JtJI'.BS. gee: a box -6 for $a.eo--money bath if not Satisfied. Santple free by writing National Ihtigand Chemical Co. of Canada, Limited, Toronto.