| Show I ROlf ipiED Let His Friend Down Easy When He Saw the Joke (Copyright A C MoClurg to originally enforce this rule together with a smart fight or two but at and this period it was acknowledged respected No sooner bad Hawley 8YN0PSIS now a borJack Kalth a Virginian der plainsman la looking for roaming war than Keith found occasion parties of savages H sees a wagon team vanished at full gallop pursued by men on ponies to enter into casual conversation with When Keith reaches tha wagon the raiders have massacred two men and de- the asking a number of He searches the victims finding parted Impressed leaving questions and papers and a locket with a woman's porCity upon tbe mind of that astute Individtrait Keith Is arrested at Carson bechurged with the murder hla accuser Idea that he was dealing with ing a ruffian named Black Bart A negro ual tbe him a "gent” enamored of one of tbe companion In his cell named Neb tells Neb that he knew the Keiths In Virginia A coin slipped quietly John stage beauties any h one of the murdered men was form-i into the man's hand served to deepen Sihley the other Gen Willis Waite rlv a Confederate officer The plainsman and unlocked discreet this irhpresslon anit escape and later the fugitives come upon a cabin and find Its occupant lips otherwise sworn to secrecy Out to be a young girl whom Keith thinks a little he saw at Carson City The girl explains of much general information that she la in search of a brother who of real value was thus extracted— a that and hud deserted from the army Mr Hawley Induced her to come to the Miss Maclalre's act began at 9:45 and cabin while he Bought her brother was over promptly at 10:10 It res appears and Kt'lth In hiding There Is a terhim as Black Bart quired about twenty minutes more for rific battle In the darkened room Ip which her to change again into street Keith Is victor Horses are appropriated and the girl who says that her name Is clothes and she usually left the theaKeith explains ter Immediately Hops loins in the escape after which would be Ills situation and the fugitives make for Yes there was a vestiFort burned where the ‘girl is left with about 10:30 the hotel lundlady Miss Hope tells that bule outside the stage door and on she la the daughter of General Waite Keith and Neb drift Into Sheridan where bad nights those waiting for tbe laKeith meets an old friend Dr Fairbaln dies could slljl In there But on such Keith meets the brother of Hope Waite hung under the assumed name of Fred Wll- - a night as this they generally and becomes convinced that around outside No there was no loughby Black Bart has some plot Involving the was frebut the manager two Hope learns that Gen AtWaite who watchman Sheridan was thought murdered Is around He’d be prowling and goeB there where Bhe is mistaken for quentlyhowever at 10:30 getting the busy Christie Maclalre the Carson City singer Keith meets the real Christie Maclalre stage ready for Her-the "Flying and finds that Black Bart has convinced In life Is a her her that there mystery which he Is going to turn to her advanThe plainsman tells Hope Waite of tage her resemblance to Christie Maclalre They decide that Fred Willoughby may to hold the key Keith finds the situation Hope Is told of Willoughby shot dead the death of h£r "brother Keith falls to learn what representations Black Bart lias made to Christie Maclalre Hope suggests that In order to learn the secret she mils) briefly Impersonate the stage singer CHAPTER XXVII— Ox U10J with honesty nowT" he protested a little hurt by the bantering tone “Of course you have I merely talk You lightly to keep my courage up can have no idea bow afraid I am” "Then you are truly an actress for you appear the picture of enjoyment But we must go or Hawley will be there before us and thus spoil all our plans" the office familiar to her face parThe east side ot the tially concealed street was less frequented than tbe other having fewer saloons along its way and they chose its darkness Aa the long habit of fronthey advanced tier life caused Keith to glance behind before they bad progressed a block and he was thus made aware Conthat they were being followed and without a wofrd versing lightly to alarm tbe girl he managed to observe every movement of the dimly They passed out through one together seeing no either Hope keeping with outlined figure which advanced them timing every motion to theirs Long before they crossed the street to the Trocadero he was convinced there aa no mistake — the fellow he might be was trailing whoever Keith smiled grimly to himself them resolving that as soon as be had left (Continued) not At first It struck me as altogether wrong but tbe more I think of It te stronger it appeals to me It may reveal to us tbe whole "Certafnly that" and cannot believe venture upon any gross familiarity likely to cost him tbe good opinion of bis ally There la too much it stake Walt here Hope and will ce back the very moment I learn all that Is necessary” A glance at theStFice” clock con-vinced Keith that In all probability Miss Maclalre bad not as yet departed for the scene of her evening triumph Still Itj could not be long before she would and he lit a cigar sitting down In a corner partially concealed bv the clerk's desk to wait her appearfhce This required longer than anticipated and fearing lest he have missed the departure enmight tirely he was about to question the busy Thomas when be beheld Hawley enter hurriedly from tbe Btreet and run up tbe stairs He then had been All the the laggard better as be would now have no opportunity to unfold hla tale to the lady as It would be necessary for them to hurry to the theater Whatever tbe nature of the revelation It would have to wait until the walk borne The excitement of tbe adventure was already creeping into Keith's blood bis pulse quickenconspiracy would that was not Miss "But mtn I was with It was Hope Waite Come back here under the tent flap while explain” Fearful of the coming of Hawley he fairly dragged the portly figure ot with Doctor him the bewildered striving by quickly spoken words to make him comprehend the situation! the of Knowing previously something Issues involved was not difficult to make Fairbaln grasp the meaning of this present movement yet hla sympathies were at once enlisted upon the He’d be damned side of MIbs Christie if he would have any part in such a scheme— If she had a right to tha money he’d help her get it— it waa a and he’d fight if cowardly trick to keep her from becoming a HI victim voice rose hia anna his sentences brandishing violently Keith ansnapping like rifle shots gered and fearful of a discovery which would leave Hope exposed realand discussion of ized the futility turned to physical force Grasping the gesticulating man with both hands ha flung him backward and dragged him into the empty tent kneeling on him as he throttled him to the earth “Now Doctor you listen to me” ha I aald sternly Tm through arguing bate to treat you like this for you are my friend but I’ll not stand for Interfthat you erence here Do you get old fool? Lie still until I get through! respect your feelings toward Mias She Is a good girl and Maclalre you get her If you hope to heaven want her But you never will If you Yea permit this affair to go on In ail know what i am talking aboqf that Hope and do we are serving you and Christie— our only fight is with Black Bart’ Hawley Stop being a and old fool Fairbaln Lie still 1 tell understand this thing you and hear me out! Hawley la a There liar a thief and a swindler Is a swindle in this thing somewhere and he hopes to pull out a big sum of He Is merely using money from It Christie to pull his own chestnuts out of the fire She Is Innocent we realize that but this fellow going to ruin the girl unless we succeed In exHe’s not only Involving posing him but her In his criminal conspiracy her he’s teaching he’s making love That’s part of hla her to love him be she then will no scheme doubt for I tell you so much easier handled Fairbaln your only chance to ever win the interest of Christie Maclalre Is to help us down this fellow HawYes reckon you can sit up ley ain’t you’ro beginning to see clearer you?” (TO BB CONTINUED) it ing- The two returned almost that Miss conclusively proving Maclalre fully dressed for the street had been awaiting the arrival of her Hawley gallam with some Impatience was busily explaining his delay as they came down the stairs and paid little attention to tbe seemingly deserted office— Indeed Miss Christie all bis thoughts With monopolized quick scrutiny the watcher noted the more conspicuous articles of apparel — her costume the' white constituting mantilla thrown over her head the neatly fitting blue dress the light cape covering the shoulders — surely It would not be difficult to duplicate these so as to pass muster under the dim light of the Btreets Far enough In their rear to feel safe from obserbe followed noting with vation creased pleasure the rapidity with ' hlch they covered the required Uince Clearly Miss Christie wus al ready nervous lest she have not suf ficlent time remaining In which lo dress for her act and there properly would be no exchange of confidences on the outward Journey Hawley le( her as Keith anticipated at tbe stage entrance tbe lady hastening within Her eRcort strolled leisurely back to tbe Iront of tbe house and finally purchasing a ticket entered tbe per lormance already having begun Keith knew perfectly the arrangement ot the theater — the seats in Iront tables all through the center a gallery filled with benches a noisy orchestra beneath the stage a crowdof men with only here ed audience and there a scattered representative ol the gentler sex busy waiters dodging In and out among the tables and down the aisles orders tor filling Tbe liquids from the nearby saloon ttir would be pungent with the odor r drink thick with the fumes of toand noisy with voices eAept bacco as some special favorite on the stage won temporary attention The but one redeeming leuture — no doorway connected stage and tbe management nd auditorium Bis with no Interference brooked It nad required some nerve artists its being him even In this darkness Goodbye" The longing to clasp her In his arms to speak the language ot hla heart was almost overwhelming yet the memory ot that figure slinking along behind them and the brief time before Hawley’s probable appearance for he would leave the theater at the conclusion of Miss Maclalre’s act restrained all demonstration This was a moment for action not for words of love no delay should hazard the of tbelr undertaking He heard the slight creak ot the door as the girl slipped within the concealment of the vestibule and then be glided away through the darkness with the There stealthy silence of an Indian was no one In the which was narrow and easily explored but the glow from the front windows the shadow of a man plainly revealed near the entrance and Keith slipped up toward him hugging the side of the building for concealment prepared to resort to harsh measures Aa be reached out gripping tbe astonished loiterer by the collar they stared at one another in surprise and the gripping hand aa instantly released lta hold "You Fairbaln ! What the devil does this mean? What are you spying on us for?" Clearly taken aback yet pot greatly disturbed his eyes showing pugnacious and bis Jaw set the Doctor rubbed his throat where Keith’s knuckles had left a red welt “Damn you I think I’m the one to ask for anexplanatloan he growled “She said she was not going with you and now you are around here together at this hour I had a right to know waa being played with like whether By FRANK FILSON those "Confound storage people" muttered Tom Bryant aa he unlocked the door of his apartment and ushered his friend Wells Into — an empty room He stared round him "Well of all the "Here’s that congall!” he exclaimed founded landlord of mine decorated the walla in saffron when I went over the matter with him a dozen timeB and he swore by all the gods to do And the storage men them in red were on their honor to have my furI tell you Billy It niture In today makes a fellow tired” They entered and Bat down upon a board which the painters had left stretched out between two Tom Bt hla Jlpe and began puffing savagely The men were old acquaintances whom fate had driven apart for many years Recently Tom Bryant had been with Wells In spending his vacation the Adironjdacks and the latter had him back to hla home to accompanied Mrs be his guest for a few days who had beeh visiting his Bryant mother was expected on the following morning "I'm going round to the storage men the first thing in the morning” said Tom "and I’m going to tell them some of the things I won’t do to them if they don’t have my goods here before 11 o’clock" He paused and began wrinkling his brow "Billy" ho said "if you'll give me your word of honor never to breathe a word of it I’ll tell you of an extraordinary' thing that happened to mi when I got back from my honeymoon four years ago Mrs Bryant has never ceased teasing V “Yes' You Can Get Up Reckon You’re Beginning Ain’t Your to See Clearer manna” Abundantly satisfied and re- the lady he would teuch the spy a les' son not soon to be forgotten professional sisting tbe They barely entered the outer circle suggestion that he’d better buy a ticket and take a look at the show of the Trocadero lights noting a group Keith slipped away and hastened back of mep thronging about the doors and The more he Investito the hotel hearing the sound of the band within gated the more feasible appeared the and then turned swiftly down tbe narrow dark alleyway leading toward the girl’s plan and he was now fully to It stage entrance Keith Laving been there before advanced conjjdently but CHAPTER XXVIII Hope her heart beating wildly clung to his arm scarcely venturlij a word In reply to his whispered assurances The Stage Door of the Trocadero Hope discovered very little difficulty Fortunately they encountered no one to In duplicating the outer garments nnd Keith feeling cautiously In the Keith reported Miss M&clalre as wear- dark easily succeeded lu locating tbe exnot were Indeed The colors to ing the vestibule opening Listening actly the same yet this difference was intently be became convinced that no not sufficient to be noticeable at nlgnt one occupied the little shed He had intended to remain with the girl until by the eyes of a man who had no to suspect deceit The girl was tbe time lame for her to emerge but In a tl utter of nervous excitement aa the remembranceof that figure dogging she hastened about the room donning them all the way from the hotel now bfer few requirements of masquerade caused a change of plan He held that her hand closely clasped in his yet Keith noted with appreciation cooler as the she became perceptibly Old Parliamentary Usages am going to leave "Now Hope moment of departure approached be "and whispered your own you” Members of the British parliament and eyes sparkWith cheka aflame wit will have to carry you through no longer bowfe down each other with with a voice re- know you will play your part all right imitations from yet speaking ling the farmyard and the vealing no alter she pressed his arm and it will be mine to wait for Chris- menagerie One of these early ninefor the tie and give her some explanation and declared herself prepared of teenth decentury scenes Is thus ordeal The faae under the shadow why Hawley failed to meet her aa be scribed: honorable member "One was so arch and promised of the mantilla It will never do for her to near tbe bar balled out repeatedly piquant Keith could not disguise bis suspect until you have time to learn ‘road’ to the members endeavoring to You are not afraid?" all possible admiration At repeated interaddress the house Christie Maclalre?” she asked “Am “Yes I am" clinging to him “but— vals a sort of drone— like humming am going through It Just the having tbe sound of a distant band orbut laughingly so our fool to friend" "Sufficiently aarne" gan or bagpipes — Issued from tha back am ready to swear be returned “but "The truest kind ot courage my benches with coughing sneezing and that latjy never looked so charming” girl Now slip inside but bold the ingeniously extended yawning blendand as door ajar Hawley will certainly he ed with other sounds "A spoken compliment A single voice here within ten minutes and you muBt from the ministerial benches Imitated though you really meant it” not been honest enough "Have Join him at once or else the other very accurately tbe yelp of a kenneled j In to be the with you credited might appear You can judge aa to bound” past t ment arranged” Just as before with the kitchen leading out of the dining and the with It length tub and the gas bracket over the medicine chest and my key which fitted the lock 1 didn't know where to turn Eleanor’s folks lived at Syracuse and even If she had got angry at my delay and gone home she couldn’t have taken the furniture with her And the Janitor was out somewhere and I couldn’t find a soul in the basement to ask about her "Well I spent that night pacing through the apartment and by morning 1 was as nearly crazy as a man could be Somehow or other though 1 had sense enough to call up the office to say I couldn't get down and when 1 got the answer I found I could Iget down after all In fact I got down In record time Eleanor had been tel phoning all the evening before until they closed up at eleven (we were doing a rushbu8ines8 then) and that morning sh'e had camped on the door step about six and waited till the day watchman came on duty and then she had a fit of hysteria in his arms And the police had been notified and were searching the hospitals and looking in all the dark corners to see if 1 was lying there sandbagged When I got down and Eleanor fainted in my arms and then came to and had another hysterical attack In the middle of the office floor— well it was no Joke tell you And all because I had mistaken the street and walked into tbe house on the aarne corresponding block in the street above it I tell you Billy my sticks and rugs looked to me when I got back good pretty with Mrs Bryant about nine o’clock "But for the Lord's sake don’t mention a word about it to her when you 4neet You’ll be surprised how she has changed from the time when you knew her four years ago Do you remember her she looked aa telling though she would never grow up that to us at the day you said station? She has though and nto a fine woman You see we've had some pretty heavy responsibilities old man during these few years what with out business nearly going out in the panic and then shooting up like a rocket When we had to get out of street we took a regular tenement place up In the Bronx But I knew things would get better again and it wasn’t long before we were able to get back into our old quarters again But we’d always coveted this apartment house — come to the window! That’s where we used to live— number And 465 across the street when we took thiB place last month we felt that we had begun to stretch ourselves at last” "Where did you say you used to live?" asked William Wells street "Number 465 — across the Billy” said the other yawning J street?" "SinullTna'fil street" Why?" "O nothing” answered his friend "Only they must have marked It wrong on the corner lampB because Tom you they call It thundering fool you’re in the wrong house again!” room (Copyright IS 1912 RELIC by W OF G Chapman PAGAN TIMES i In “Don’t Mention a Word About It" me about it but It was mighty serious at the time and this little episode reminds me of it” "Word of honor” said William “Go ahead Tom” Wells The other Btruck a fresh match for his pipe and cast the burned end into a pail of half dry paint “We’d Just got back from a blissful three weeks’ honeymoon in the mountains” he began sending out clouds of smoke and leaning back against tne ladder “Previous to my marriage I had rented a little apartment something like this one in the West Fifties You UBed to know this town pretty well Billy 1 guess you remember that section where every house looks Just like its neighbor and every street for blocks is exactly the same Well the for us and our place was decorated new furniture was moved in and we We were both thoroughly pleased how happy and cosy we speculated were going to be and all the way home In the train we talked about It and Indulged in housekeeping rhapsodies "When we reached our apartment house the Janitor met me at the door with a telegram in his hand It was from the office asking me to come down immediately I returned in order to explain something that had cropped up during my' absence — a matter of which I alone was cognizrnt It wouldn't take more than a couple of minutes to straighten out affairs and hour’s absence in all I perhaps an didn't like it but there was nothing so after escorting Mrs else to do Bryant to the door and opening it for her and glancing to make sure that all the furniture was there I kissed her and took the car down town "The matter proved more Important than I had anticipated I called up my wife explained the matter and remained at the office until late in the evening unraveling the tangle It was I half past nine before 1 got home walked straight in went up the three flights of stairs and unlocked the door apartment "It was absolutely bare Billy as bare as this one The smell of fresh paint was about the only thing there was In it Not a stick of furniture not rug not a cup or a saucer or a dish rag In the kitchen And Eleanor was gone "Well sir 1 nearly went crazy Of course you can guess what had hapBut the solution did not pened to me at all There was the apart-- Brittany There Exists a Huge Black Stone Image of a Woman That Is Very Old One of the most curious relics of paganism remaining in a Christian country la the gigantic black stone figure of a woman which is to be seen in a forest of the district of Morbi-hain Brittany It is known as the “black Venus” but probably dates far back of the time when the Greeks and Romans that goddess Antiquaries worshiped assert that this figure belongs to the age of the serpent worshipers one of whose subterranean temples Is lu the This would make the neighborhood figure far older than the Christian era The statue lg that of a ‘huge uncouth whman with a sullen angry countenance her form enveloped in a loose mantle The superstitious Bretons have always worshiped the figure asserting that It has power over the weather and the crops It the Idol is neglected they declare that the grain dies on the ear and If the anger of the "black woman” over Mor blhan Twice the stone was cast into the sea by pious folk whb hoped thereby to put an end to this Idolatry and twice the peasants dragged it back and set it up In its old place Some two hundred years ago Count Pierre de Lannon on whose estate the figure stood In order to save the statue from both friends and enemies dragged it by forty yoke of oxen to his oyn chateau and set It up In the courtyard He cut au inscription ou the base of the pedestal declaring the figure to be a Venus carved by Caesar’s soldiers — Harper’s Weekly Betrayed Two men were discussing European trips One was frank enough to say that ha had never been abroad but the other spoke of certain aspects of travel with the assumed lightness of experience Still there was a false note in his speech — for one thing his French sounding as a child would pronounce it with Btrictly English methods Said the suddenly: "I’ll bet you can't name a single ho tel in Paris” “Soft" returned the bogus traveler ” "What about the Hotel dez After a woman has been married a few years she quits trying the plans she cut out of newspapers to make home happy for her husband |
