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Show . -a, . - ,-- AvitW of HEARTS AND .MASKS Cfe MAN ON THE BOX ctl. lllusimiiorvs by M.G.Krrosri;N. . . I COPYRIGHT 1911 ty BOPP3 - TnEWRILL CQMPASY . . ST "W i ; Here Wat the End of the Puizla. j i I 'IMilt 11 Ryanne Tipped the Third Bottle Dell catalyv lug. Utile woman? Whatever achemea they had muat be out of Joint by now. Sometimes I think I muat bo dreaming, dream-ing, little girl." "I am not llttla. I'm almoat aa tall aa you are." "You ara vastly taller In many waye." "Don't be too aura. I am human; 1 have my mooda. I am aometlmea crotchety; aometlmea unjuat aud quick of temper." "All rlKht; I want you. temper and all, juat the aatne." "Hut will they tike me? Won't they think I'm an ' adventuress, or something some-thing like that?" "Hleaa your heart, not In a thou-aand thou-aand yeara! I'm a pretty win man In aome waya. and they know It." And ao It proved to be. Roth Mr and Mra. Mortimer greeted them at th pier In Iloboken. One glance at the face of the girl waa aufTlclent. Mra. Mortimer held out ber arm. It waa a very fine thing to do. "I waa In doubt at flrit." aha aald frankly. "George la ao gulleleaa. Hut to look at you, my child, would acatter the doubta of a Thomaa. Will you let me b your mother, If only for a little while?" with a wiao and tender imlle. Shyly Fortune accepted the embrace. em-brace. Never bad ahe been ao bappy. Never bad aha felt arma like theae about ber. "What did b cable you?" ahe aaked In a whisper. "That he loved you and wanted me to mother you agalnat that time when he might have the right to take you aa hla own. Haa he that right?" "Yea. And ohl he la the braveat and tendereat man I know; and below It all be la only a boy." Mra. Mortimer patted her hand. A little while later all four went over to the city and drove uptown to the Mortimer home. On the way Fortune told ber atory, almply. without avoid-ng avoid-ng any eaientlal detail. And all her lew mother did waa to put an arm ibout ber and draw her cloaer. 1 The Mortimer home waa only three 1 locka away from George'e. So, when ' llnner waa over, George dectared that 1 le would run over and take a look at ila own holme. He wanted to wander 1 ibout the rooma a bit, to fancy how I t would look when Fortune walked 1 t hla aide. He promlaed to return ilthln an hour. He had forgotten I any thlnga, ordinarily Important; 1 uch aa wiring bia agent, hla butler I nd cook, who were atll! drawing their 1 ragea. He paaaed along the atreet bove which waa hla own. H paaed I or a moment to contemplate the reat bankltg concern. And the pree- 1 lent of thla bank waa the elder rotber of flyanne! Lota of queer t Inka In the world: lota of crooked jrnlnga. He paaaed on, turned the orner, and at rode toward hla home, t in up the atepa. Three doora below cataay thrilling hit heart Lightly be c otlced two automobllea. He gave jem only a curaory glanc. He took ut hla ring of keya. found the nlgbt- J itch and thrum It Into the keyhole, le never had believed In thla putting t: p of Iron galea and Iron ahuttera. A c Ight latch and a caretaker who came r und once a day waa enough for any II nslble pereon. He turned the key. h? It didn't aeem to go round. He a ied aeveral tlmea, but without sue-. sue-. I'uxzted. he at ruc k a match and 1 opped before the keyhole. It waa a new one. T C APTER XXI. y A Bottle of Wine. tt George atood Irreiolutely upon the epa. A new keyhole! What the r puce did the agent mean by putting j new keyhole In the door without tlfylng him? Aa the caretaker never di itered that door. It waa all the Sj tent'a fault. There waa no area-way front, but between George'a bouae G id the nest there waa a court eight et In width, running to the dividing all between the bank property and it a own A grille gate protected thla mrt George bad a key. The gale w ned readily enough. , Hla Intention a to enter by the basement door. ji he auddenly pauaed. To hla ot naaement be aaw Juat below the L rary curtain a thin measure of D tht. Light! Some one In the houte! e did the moat aenalble thing poa- (t ble: he atood till till tbe ahock left tu m. Some one In the bouae, aome io who bad no earthly or heavenly c itlneaa there! Near the window nod a tubbed bay tree. Cautiously m 1 mounted thla. holding tbe ledge of -e window with bla flngera. That tf did not tnatantty topple over with ei great nolao waa duo to the fact nj at be waa temporarily paralysed. Here waa tbe end of the puztle. The M Idle of the United Ronance and Ad- a, nture Company waa aolvod. At lat . andoratood why Mra. Cbedaoye d eought aim. why Ryan fed 114. fo pped him. Hut for bla continuing St 1 Jouroey upon tbe German Lioyd pa 1 boat, he would have come, home a week too late; bo would have mlaaed being a apectator (already an Innocent Inno-cent contributor) to one of the moat daring and ingenloua bank-robberies known In (he pagea of metropolitan crime. There waa Mra. Cbedaoye, In-trualvely In-trualvely handaome aa ever; there waa her raacally card sharper brother, that Ingrate who called himself Ry-anne, Ry-anne, and threw unknown mn The Impudence of It; the damnable Inao-Icnce Inao-Icnce of It I And there they were, toasting their aucceaa In a brace of Ma own vintage-champagne! Hut the w.ne waa, after all, Inconsequential. It mas what he aaw upon the floor that caught him by the throat. Hla knees weakened, but be held on grimly to bis perch. White baga of gold, soiled bags of gold, and neat pucka of green and yellow yel-low notes: riches! Twenty bugs and aa many packets of currency; a million, mil-lion, not a penny under that! George waa adzed with a horrible desire to yell with laughter. He felt the each-Innntlotis each-Innntlotis bubble In his throat. He swallowed violently and gnawed his Hps. They had got Into his house under un-der false pretenses and had tunneled back Into the Merchant-Mechanic Hank, of which Horace's brother was president and In which he, George P. A. Jones, always carried a large private pri-vate balance! It was the Joke of the century. As quietly aa he po's.lbly could, he stepped down from bis uncertain perch. In tbe fine fury that followed hla amazement, bla one thought waa to aummon the police at once, to confront con-front the wretchea In their villainy; but once outside In the atreet, he cooled. Instantly be saw the trial In court. Fortune aa witness agalnat her own mother. That waa horrible and not to be thought of. But what could he do? Ho waa ahaken to bla aoul. The atupendous audacity of aucb a plan! To have worked out every detail, de-tail, down to the altering of the keyhole key-hole to prevent surprise! He aaw tbe automobllea. Tbey were leaving that night. If he acted at all. It muat ' be within an hour; In less than that lime they would be loading the cars, i His mind began to rid Itself of Its ronfuslon. Without the aid of the ollce; and preaently bo aaw the way to do It. Ho waa ofT at a dog trot, upon the f talla of hla feet, allently. Within Ave Tilnutes ho waa mounting tbe atepa I 0 tbe Mortimer home, and In another nlnute waa Inside. The othera aaw dl- ctly that something serious had bap- f ened. " "What'a the trouble. George? House ranlahed?" asked Mortimer. "Have you got a brace of rovolv- h rar aald George quietly. " "Two automatlca. Hut . . . - " "Give them to me," less evenly In 1 one. "Will you call up Arthur Wade- , rorth, president of tbe Merchant Me- hanlc Hank?" The bank?" u "Yea, tbe bank. You know. It Is f, ust In the rear of my bouae." 0 Here Fortune came forward. All tl ho bright color waa gone from her hecks; the old mask of despair bad e-formed. 8ho needed no further en- t, ghtenment "Are you going back there?" abe , sked. " "Yes. dear; I muat. Mr. Mortimer rill go with me." ,t "And ir "No, heart o' mine; you've got to tay here." c "If you do not take mo with you. ou will not find me hero when you re- q irn." v "My child." began Mortimer aooth-ily. aooth-ily. "you must not talk like that hero will bo danger." "Then notify the police, and let the y soger rest upon their shoulders," she i kid. bar jawa set aquarely. n( "I can't call lo the police," replied eorge. miserable. n 'Shall I tell you why?" n "Dearest, can't you understand that la you I ara thinking of?" M "I ara determined. If I do not go m 1th you. you shall never aeo mo ht tain. My mother la there!" Tragedy. Mra. Mortimer stretched cd it a band, but the girl did not aee Her mother; ber own nVth and n ood! Oh. the poor child! "Come, then." aald George, In de- pc alr. "But you are hurting me. For-ne." For-ne." -Forgive me, but I must go with bit iu. I must!" M "Get me tbe revolvers. Vr. Mori- v,j er Well wait for Wadsworth. do 111 yoo pleaae telephone hlra? I'm raid I couldn't tali steadily enough, toi 1 plain nothing save that It concerns a bank." bo George eat down. Not during tho ar rly daya of the Journey across the Ge aert had be felt ao pitiably weak he d ln Detent. , rortune paced tbe room, her arma tin Ided tightly terooe ber breast, ca ra&gw. there waa neither fear nor wr la la ber heart, only a i:j wrath. ni 20 SYN0P8IS. CJw Perrlvat Alrnnn Jnne. vie. frrldml of the M-irilltiin urlnnlnl tu fiimpnny of Nw Yurk, tlilriin for tttiiaii-, la In Cairo on a hunlnma trip. Ituriu' Pyanne arrlvr at th- holol In ain whh a rarpfiilly auardml (un-iM. Itvanno Joni-a ho fxmoita Imly Yhl- cir.l.a rug mlili h he admin having stolen rr.1111 a Hha at HhriImiI. Jonca tun-la MaVir ( ullnhun anil latrr la tnlrorfurml to Kortune t'hrdaoyn by a woman to whom hail toaniHl lio puunila at Monta t'arlu aoina nionilia prevloualy, and who turns " to r'nrlune'a ninthor. Jonaa takra atra C'li(liiny ami I i.rliina to a polo M Kortuna returns to Jones iha money borruwnl by her mother. Mrs. 'he.ln.iye Beara to b nane. In Kinm Siiyatvrloua rilerirlae unknown to the 4huiKhler Ityamw Intereata Jone In the I'lillad llimmnre ami Adventure company, com-pany, a ri.mrrn which tor a prli-e will arrange any kind of an advandiaa to or-er or-er Mra, I'hedanya. her brother. Major t'allatian. Wallare and Hyanna, aa tha United Itomame and Adventure romtiany, dan a rlaky enterfrlae Involving ones, tyanna makea known to Mra. i'hadaoya Ma Intention to marry Fortune Mrs 'heriaoya derlarea aha will not ermlt It. Plana ar Ixld to prevent Jonea tilllnir for home. Ityann steals Jonea letlera .and ralde dlapatrliea. wlrea agent In Naw York. In Jonea' name, that ha la renting limine. In New York to aome friends, Mahomed, keeper of the holy rar t. la on Ityann trail . Ityanna .tprornlara Kortuna that ha will aea that Jonea rotnea lo no harm aa a reanlt of his purrhaaa of the rug. Mahomed arcoala Ityanna anil il-min.U the Yhlordea rug. liyanne leita him J. mra haa the rug and uggeata Ilia abiliirtlon of tha New York merchant aa a means of securing Ma return re-turn The rug rilaapiwara from Jonea' room. Kortuna quarrela with her mother whan Ilia latter rrfuaea to ei plain her myaterloua artlona. Knrtuna geta a mm. age MirtMrtltig to he from tlvanna ak-1ng ak-1ng tier to meet him In a aerluded pU.-e that evening Jonea rei-elvra a nwrnii aaklng him tu meet Ityanne at tha Knalieh. llnr tha same evening Jones la carried off Into tha ileeert by Mahomed and hla ereonipllrea after a deepenfe fight. He fllacovera that flvanne and Fortune alt ara cnrtlvaa. tht former la badly battered and uocnnacloiia Itvanna recovera con-a con-a louaneaa and tha airl.t of Fortune In cepuvlty reveal to tilm the fa--t that Mahomed Intends to get vengeance on I-lin through Die girl. Fortune acknowl-iU-ra that ah stol tha rug from Jonea' room. Iih ofters to return It to Mahoioed If he will free alt three of them Ma. I domed agreea to liberate Fortune and on , of Iha men In return for the rug. A cour. tr la aent lo Cairo for the rug but re- 1 turns with the Information that Mra. f'hedaov and her brother have aalled f.r New York. Fonun apurna offered f r-e I duro which doea not Incltnle her I wo companions com-panions The raravan contlnuea th tour, nev Inward llagilad. ttvanne tella J-mea 1 that Mr, t'hideoye la Iha nioat adroit I emuggler cf the age, and Is overheard h Forlorn-. Th threa rapllves are rearued by llrnry Arkumana, who la In charge I cf a rnl raravan. Mi hornet eacapee , Mra I'liednoye icver th aten-e of ' T'ortun and k-avee for New York taking ' h glrl'a !. etng with her. Through i forgiil letter M.a Chedaoye, the mar ami th'lr accomiillcea tike poaaeaaion of Jonea' New York bom. Jonea. Ityanna i and F'n.iune arrive at THimaacua Ry. 1 anne falls In hla reeolutton to lead a Set- I er life Itvann eerretlv leave for New . York At Jonea' eoiicttatton hla partner. Mortimer. oftre Fortune a bom, but I ahe di !tne Jnnea then derlarea his love i nd find that It la reciprocated. CHAPTER XX. (Contlnuad.) "I love you." be said; "I love you better than all tbe world." ! "Are yon ourff ' "Pure? Can ywi doubt It?" 1 "Kometlraea." "Why ..." ( Rkit she Interrupted hlra quickly. "In all this time you have never asked me t ff I hive you. Why havent o V t "I have Iteesj rfrald." . k rre!" f , l joti He-nef bio heart tntaa 1 , y- t crt , -wm htnj owUUy. j "Hero la my anawor," pursing ber l po. I "Fortune!" i "Bo careful! I've a terrible temper." i Rut abe waa not quite prepared for such roughness. She could not stir, so I strongly did be hold her to bla heart, t Not only her lips, but her oyea. her t cheeka. ber throat, and again ber lips. Ii He hurt her, but ber heart aang. No a man could Imltaie love like that. I "That la the way I want to be loved, a Alwaya love mo like that. Never wait for mo to ask. Come to me at all n tlmea, no matter how I am engaged, a and take me In your arma. roughly a like thla. Then f ahall know. I have been ao lonely; my heart haa been so a filled with lovo and none to receive It! f I lovo you. I haven't asked why; I g don't care. When It began I do not Ii know either. Hut It la In my heart, b strong and for over." k "Heart o' in In a, I'm going to bo the ti finest lover there ever waa!" c The great ahlp came up the bay n alowly. It was a clear, aparkllng. win- e ter day, and the towering mlnareta of n buslneaa atood limned agalnat the tl pale blue aky with a delicacy not un- o like Japaneao abell carving. A thou- l aand thouaand rlbbona of cheery II steam wavered and alanted and u dartled; the river swarmed with bust- n ling ferries and eager tugs; and great n floata of Ira bumped and Jammed about the Invisible highways. K "Thla la where I live." aald George, ti running bla arm under bera. "Tbe ci greateat country In the world, with ! the greateat number of mistaken ldeaa." be added humorously. "What la It about the native land that clutchea at our bearta ao? I am an American, and yet I waa born In the aouth of France. I went to school for a time near I'blladcIphU. Amerl- at ra, America! Can't I be an American, d even If I waa born elsewhere?" . a "You can never be president." be n said gravely. ( "I don't want to be president!" Rhe ai nuggled cloaer to blm. "All I want In to be la a good raan'a wife; to watch ai tbe kitchen to aeo that be geta good fe tblnga to eat; lo guard bla comforts; w lo laugh when be la sad; to nurse blm hi when ho la 111; to be all and every- rc thing to him In adversity aa well aa In oj prosperity, a true wife." Sho touched wi hla aleeve with ber cheek. "And I Hi lon't want hlra to think that be muat ai slaaya be with tut; If be belongs to a HI man-club, be must go there once In a It j .bile" H "I am very bappy," waa all he could all ay. hi "George, I am uneasy. I dont know on ahy. It'a my mother, my uncle, and bti Horace. I am going to rr.ee t them at Kitnea here. I know It. And I worry ha ibout you." tb About me? That's foolish." Ho ha imlled down at ber. a 'Ah. why did my mother seek to re- th iew the acquaintance with you? Why ltd Horace have jrag kidnaped Into rl be desert? There aaa be bo surh a vr hlng aa tbe CnltsJ Romance and Ad- ho enture rotnpony. h ta a cloak for ha lomeihlng more ololater." j pa "Pshaw! Wbat'a the aso of worry- - bli When Mortimer returned from the elephono, aaylng that Wadsworth rould be right over, he aaked George 0 explain fully what waa going on. t waa rather a long atory. George nanaged to get through it with a coherency co-herency understandable, but no more. George Inspected the revolvera care-ully care-ully to aee If they were loaded. The bell rang, and Arthur Wadsworth Wads-worth came In. Mortimer knew him; Seorge did not. He drew bla Intereat a It fell due and deposited It In anther an-ther bank. That waa the extent of la relations with Arthur Wadsworth, resldent of the Merchant-Mechanic lank of New York. Arthur waa small, thin, blond like la brother, but tbe hair waa ao light pon the top of bla bead that he gave no tbe Impression that be waa bald. Ila eyea looked out from behind half-hut half-hut lids; his cheeks were cadaver-us; cadaver-us; hla pale llpa met In a atralght, npleasant line. There waa not the Itghteat resemblance between tbe a-o brothers, either In their bodies r In their souls. George recognized 3ls fact Immediately. He disliked the ian Instinctively. Just aa he could ot help admiring hla rogue of a rofher. "I want you to go with me to my ouae at once." began George. "Please explain." George disliked the voice even more ian tbe man himself. "Everything 111 be explained there," he replied. "Thla ta very unusual." the banker mplalned. "You will find It ao. Come." eorge moved toward the ball, the re- )lvera In hla coat pocket. "Hut I Insist . . .' " "Mr Wadsworth. everything will 1 fully explained to you the moment u enter my bouse. More I shall not II you. You are at liberty to return rr e." "It concerne the bank?" The voice id something human In It now; a )ie of affection. Arthur Wadsworth loved tha bank i maa loves hla sweetheart, but or xpltrltlr, aa a miser lovea the rd hidden In tb stocking. "It concerns the bank?" bo repeat-I. repeat-I. torn by doubt. George shrugged. "Let us be go-K." go-K." "Will It bo neceaary to call In the llcer "No." "I auppose, then." aald Wadsworth ferly, wondering, too, over the range animosity of this young man did not know "I auppose I must Just as you say?" "Absolutely." George's teeth came rether with a click. i The four of them passed out of the ' use, each singularly wrought with ' Itatlon. Fortune walked ahead with orge. NeltkaV apoke. Tbey could ar the occasional protest from the nker Into Monlarera ear; but Mor- i ner did not open bla llpa. They i mo to the hwee. and tha George i ilspered hla Oral Inttrvc Iocs to dawnrth. Tbe Utter. ba be on- deratood what waa taking place, became be-came wild with rage and terror; and It waa only because George threatened to warn the conspirators that bo subsided. sub-sided. "And," went on Georxe. "If you do not obey, you can get out of It tb best you know bow. Now, silence, abaolute alienee." He pressed back, tha grille gat, and the others tiptoed after blm. a Ryanne tipped the third bottle delicately. deli-cately. Not a drop waa waated. How the golden beads awarmed up to tb brim, to break Into tile eaaencea of perfume! And thla waa good wine; twelve yeara in the bottle. "It's like some dream; eh?" Wallace smacked hla llpa loudly. "Wallace," chlded Ryanne. "you alwaya al-waya drink like a aallor. You don't awallow champagne; you alp It, Ilk thla." Major Callahan swayed hla glass back and forth under bla noae. "Smella ' like a vineyard after a rain." "Tbere'a poetry for you!" laughed the butler. Mra Chedaoye seemed absorbed In other things. She waa trying to die-cover die-cover what It waa that gave thla au-prcme au-prcme moment ao fiat a taate. It waa always ao; It waa the cbaae, the goal waa nothing. It waa the excitement of going toward, not arriving at, the dee-tlnatlon. dee-tlnatlon. Waa ahe. who considered . herself ao perfect, a freak after all, shallow llko a hill stream and aa aimless aim-less In ber endeavora? Had ahe possessed pos-sessed a real enthualaam for anything? any-thing? She looked back along tb twisted avenue of yeara. Had anything any-thing really stirred her profoundly? From the bags of gold her glanc strayed up and over to Ryanne. Love? Love a man ao weak that be could not let be the bottle? She bad a horror hor-ror of drunkenneea, the Inane glgglea, the attending nausea; abe had been through It all. Had ahe loved blm. or waa It because he loved her child! Even this ahe could not telL (TO BE CONTINUED Dangsr to Aviators. It la difficult to determine the cause of most aeroplane accldenta, but during dur-ing the Investigation which followed tbe fatal accident to Lieutenant ft velle recently In Franco an Importaul dlacovery Is aald to have been made by eyewitnesses. This waa that the wing of hla Hlcrlot broke downward Instead of upward. Indicating that ther waa an extreme downward pressure press-ure as the operator atarted to volt-lane. Experiments lately made la France are aald to have confirmed this, tnd It la now believed to be necessary lo guy tbe wlcgs aa eubstantUHy ibovo aa below. Hla Mistake. "A scientist aald not long ago that music would make a row give mor milk, but It won't work. I bought a phor.of rarb and tried It." "Tb aclent!t did not aay a thm fraph. be ss!d Biuile," |