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l . .MWM-“vl‘finw-c< w-....~.. ~-____.~W~,.uuni ..... « . .... . 75-113.“, A 1H,. m . 5“ . v“ t: "‘2. 4 o 4 9* 1/6"?" n . r. ,. 'v if "U Iâ€"e pâ€"uo m n ‘I’I'YT‘Y'Y‘TTWT‘T‘I’TW; l . D'sâ€" ,_~ 45.71; 1 ._.....___._..._.. ,l‘umLLflimffififih lulu." W""""m.LL""J_1' £1444"! 4.1.1'” 4.1.! I ‘~ (TIL-\ll'l‘lilR XlI.â€"-â€"(Continued.) "The following morning the great discovery was made. The Van Sneck l have alluded to was aruurtist. ll dealer, a man of the shad-iest repuâ€" tation whom my patron, Lord Litâ€" timer, had picked up. It was Van Sneck who produced the copy of "The Crimson Blind.’ Not only did he produce the copy, but he producâ€" ed the history from some recently discovered papers relating to Keizerskroon Tavern of the year 1656, which would have satisfied a more exacting man than Littimerr. In the end the Viscount purchased the engraving for £800 English. “You can imagine how delighted he was with his prizeâ€"he had secured and engraving by Rembrandt that was absolutely unique. Under more favorable circumstances I should have shared that pleasure. But I was face to face with ruin, and therefore I had but small heart for rejoicing. “I came down the next morning af- ter a sleepless night, and with a wild endeavor to scheme some way of getting the money to pay my cre- ditor. To my absolute amazement I found a polite note from the lienâ€" tenant coldly thanking me for the notes I had sent him by messenger, and handing me a formal receipt for “£800. At first I regarded it as a hOaX. But, with all his queer Ways, Von _Gulden was a gentleman. Somch body had paid the debt for me. And somebody had, though I have never found out to this day.” “All the 'same, you have your sus- picions?” Stcel suggested. “I have a very strong suspicion, but I have never been able to Verify it. All the same, you can imagine what an enormous weight it was off my mind, and how comparatively cheerful I was as I crossed over to the hotel of Lord Littimer after breakfast. I fouan him literally be« side himself with passion. Some thief had got in his room in the night and stolen his Rembrandt. The frame was intact, but the engraving had been rolled up and taken away." “Very ‘liko the story of the stolen Gainsborough.” “No doubt the the other. I was sent off on foot to look for Van Sneck, only to find that he had suddenly left the city. He had got into trouble with the ~police, and had fled to avoid being sent to gaol. And from that day to this nothing has been seen of' that picture." “But I read toâ€"day that it is still in Littimer Castle,” said David. “Another one," Dell observed. “Oblige me by opening yonder parâ€" cel. There you see is the print that I purchased to-day for Then this, my friend, is the print that Was stolen from Littimer’s lodgings in Amsterdam. If you look closely at it you will see four dull red spots in the leftâ€"hand corner. They are supposed to be bloodâ€"spots from a cut finger of the artist. I am preâ€" pared to swear that this is the very print, frame and all, that was purâ€" chased in Amsterdam from that shady scoundrel Van Sneck.” “Ilut Littimer is credited with havâ€" ing one in his collection,” .David urged. r "He has one in his collection," Bell said, coolly. “And, moreover, he is firmly under the impression that he is at present happy in *the possession of his own lost treasure. And up to this very day I was unâ€" der exactly the same delusion. Now I know that there have been two copies of the plate, and that this knowledge was used to ruin me." “But,” Steel murmured, “I don’t exactly seeâ€"â€"-â€"” . “I am just coming to that. We hunted high and low for the picture, but nowhere could it be found. The aff-air created a profound impression in Amsterdam. 'A day or two later Von Gulden went back to his duty on the Belgian frontier and business called me home. I packed my soli- fary portman-teau and departed. When I arrived at the frontier I op- ened my luggage for the Custom officer and the whole contents were turned out without ceremony. 0n the bottom was a, roll of paper on a stick that I quite failed to meognise. 'An inquisitive Custom House oiliâ€" cer opened it and immediately called the lieutenant in charge. Strange to say, he proved to be Von Gulden. He came up to me, very gravely, with the paper in his hand. “ ‘May 1 inquire how this came amongst your luggage?” he asked. "I could say nothing; I was dumb. For there lay the Rembrandtm The red spots had been smudged out of the corner, but there the picture was. “Well, I lost, my head then. I ac- cused Von Gulden of all kinds of dis- graceful things. And he behaved like a‘ gentlemanâ€"he ‘made me ashamed of myself. .But "he kept the picture and returned it to Littimer, and I was ruined. Lor'd Littimer declined to prosecute, but he would not see me and he would hear ation. Indeed, I had none to offer. Enid refused to See me also or reply to my letters. The story .of my .big gambling debt, and its liquidation, got about. Steel, 1 was ruined. OR, A MIDNIGHT CALL I - l the ‘ one theft inspiredl .L‘LIâ€"Lllllwlll'llllllllLLLLUJâ€"LLUâ€"L ______ ._J 'rlI‘Jh'J'flDiJJH £14.! '_____LL_L.L""LJ_L"‘.LJ.' Lu.‘ "13 Some enemy had done this thing, and from that day to this I have been a marked man." ‘ - n "But how on earth was it done? “For the present I can only make surmises.” Bell replied. “Van Sneck was a, slippery dog. Of course, [he had found two of those plates. He kept the one back so as to sell the other at a fancy price. My enemy discovered this, and Van Sneek’s ;sucl(len flight was his opportumty. He could afford to get rid of me- at “an, apparently ' dear rate. He stole Littimer's engravingâ€"in fact, he must have done so, or I should not have it at this moment. Then he lsmudged out some imaginary spots 'on the other and hid it in my bagâ€" gago, knowing that it would be found. Also he knew that it would be returned to Littimcr, and that the stolen plate could be laid aside and produced at some remote date as an original find. The find has been mine, and it will go hard if I can’t get to the bottom of the mystery lnow. It is strange that your mysâ€" [terious trouble and mine should be ‘bound up so closely together, but in lthc end it will simplify matters, for the very reason that we are both on the hunt for the same man." “Which man we have got to find, Bell." “Granted. We will bait for him as one docs for a wily 01d trout. The fly shall be the Rembrandt, and you see he will rise to it in time. But beyond this I have one or two im- portant discoveries to-day. We are going to the hons‘e of the“ strange lady who owns 218 and 219, Bruns- wick Square, and I shall be greatly mistaken if she does not prove to be an old acquaintance of mine. There will be danger." "You propose to to-night?" “I propose to go at once,” Bell said. “Dark hours are always best for dark business. Now, which is the nearest way to Longdean Grange?" “So the house of the Silent Sor- row, as they call it, is to be our destination! I must confess that the Iplace has ever' held a strange fascinâ€" ation for me. We will go over the golf links and behind Ovingdean vilâ€" lage. It is a rare spot for a trag- edy." . Bell rose and lighted a fresh cigar. “Come along," he said. “Poke :that Rembrandt behind your books with its face to the wall. I would. not lose that for anything now. No, on second thoughts 'I find I shall 'have to take it with me." David closed the door carefully be- hind him and the two stepped out into the night. CHAPTER XIII . Two dancing eyes of flame were streaming up the lane towards the girls, a long shadow slanted across the white pathWay, the steady flicks of hoofs drew nearer. Then the hoofs ceased their smiling of the dust and a man’s voice spoke. “Better turn and wait for us by the farm, driver," the voice said. “Bell, can you manage, man?" “Who was that?” Enid whispered. “A stranger?" ' ‘ “Not precisely," Ruth “That is Mr. David Steel. sure we can trust him. lhim. Think of the for our sakes.” “I do," Enid said, (lrily. “I am also thinking of Reginafd. If our dear ~Reginald escapes from the fosâ€" tering care of the dogs we shall be ruined. That man's hearing is won- derful. He will come creeping down here on those flat feet of.his, and that cunning brain will take in everything like a flash. Good 'dog!" A hound in the distance growled, and then another howled mournfully It. was the plaint of the beast who has found his quarry, impatient for the gaoler to arrive. So long as that continued Henson was safe. Any attempt at escape, and he would be ntorn in pieces. Just at the present moment Enid almost hoped that the attempt would be made. It certain- ]y was all right for the present, but then Williams might happen along on his way to the stables at any momâ€" ent. * The two men were coming nearer. They both paused as the dogs gave tongue. Through the thick belt' of trees lights gleamed from one or two windows of the house. Steel pulled up and shuddered slightly in spite of himself. “Crimson blinds," he said. “Crimâ€" s'on blinds all through this business. replied. Oh, I um Don't annoy trouble he is in They are beginning to get on my nerves. What about these dogs, Dell?" “Dogs or no dogs, I am not going back now,” Bell muttered; "It’s per- fectly useless to come here" in‘ the daytime; therefore We must" fall back upon a little amateur burglary. There's a girl yonder who might have assisted me at one time, butâ€"" Enid slipped into the road. The nigh-t was passably light and her of no explanâ€"l beautiful features were fairly clear to the startled men in the road. ' "The girl is here,” she said. “What do you want?" , Bell and his companion cried out Isimultaneously: Dell because he was ’I l l . 1 l so suddenly face to face with one who was very dear to him, David beâ€" cause it seemed to him that he had recognized the voice from the darkâ€" ness, the voice at his great adven- ture. And there was another surâ€" prise as he saw Ruth Gates side by side with the owner of that wonderâ€" ful voice. ’ “Enid!” did not expectâ€"- “To confrontane like this,” the girl, said, coldly. “That I quite un- derstand. What I don’t understand is why you intrude your hated pre- sence here." Bell shook his handsome head mournfully. He looked strangely downcast and dejected, and none the 1053, perhaps, because a fall in cross- ing the downs had severely wrenched his ankle. But for a. belated cab on the Rottingdean road he would have been. here now. “As hard and cruel as ever,” he said. "Not one word to me, not one word in my defence. And all the time I am the victim of a vile conspiracy H “Conspiracy! Do you call theft a, conspiracy?" “It was nothing else,” David put in, eagerly. “A most extraordinary conspiracy. The kind of thing that you would not have deemed possible out of a book.” ’ “And who might/this gentleman be?" Enid asked, liaughtily. "A thousand pardons for my want of ceremony,” David said. “If I had not been under the impression that we had met before I should never have presumedâ€"” “Oh, a truce to this,” Bell cried.“ “We are wasting time. The hour is not far distance, Enid, when you will ask my pardon. Meanwhile I am go- ing up. to the house, and you are goâ€" ing to take me there. Come what may, I don't sleep toâ€"night until 1 have speech with your aunt." David had drawn a little aside. By a kind of instinct >~Ruth Gates followed him. 'A shaft of grey light glinted upon her cycle in the grass by the roadside. Enid and Bell were talking in vehement whispersâ€"they seemed to be absalutely unconscious- of anybody else but themselves. Dav- id could see the anger and scorn on the pale, high-bred face; he could see liell gradually expanding as he brought all his strength‘ and firm power of will to bear. “What will be the upshot of Ruth asked, timidly. ' “Bell will conquer," David replied. “He always does, you know." “I' am afraid you don't take meaning, Mr. Steel." David looked down into the sweet. troubled face of his companion, and thence away to the vivid crimson patches beyond the dark belt of folâ€" iage. Ever and anon the intense stillness of the night was broken by the long-drawn bowl of one of the hounds. David remembered it for years afterwards. it formed the most realistic chapter of one of his most popular novels.- “Heaven only knows," he said. “I iave been dragged into the abusiness, but what it means I know no more than a. child. I am mixed up in it, and Bell is mixed ‘up in it, and so are you. Why we shall perhaps know some day.” “You are not angry with me?" “Why, no. Only you might have had a little more confidence in me." Bell crried ‘ ‘I J! hoarsely. vulgar it?" my “Mr. Steel, we dared not. We wanted your advice, and nothing more. Even now I am afraid I am saying too much. There is a wither- ing blight over yonder house that is beyond more words. And twice gal- have come forward to our assistance. Both of them are dead. And if ave had dragged you, a total stranger, into the arena have murdered lant' gentlemen we should morally vou.” “Am I not within the charmed cir- cle now?" David smiled. “Not of our free will,” Ruth said, eagerly. "You came into the tangle with Hatherly Bell. Thank Heaven you have an ally like that. 'And yet I am filled with shame. ' “My dear young lady, what have you to be ashamed of?" Ruth covered her face with her hands for a moment and David saw a tear or'two trickle through the slim fingers. He took the hands in his gently, tenderly, and glanced in to the fine, grey eyes. Never had he 1been moch to a woman like this be}. ore. “lint what will you think of me?" Ruth whispered. “You have been so good and kind and I am so foolish. What can you think of a. girl who is all this way from home at midnight! It is soâ€"so unmaidenly.’ “It might be in some girls, but not in you," David said, boldly. “One has only to look in your face and see that only the good and the pure dwell there. But were you not afraid?” “Worriny afraid. ows startled me. The very shad; But when I discov- ered your errand toâ€"night I was bound to come. My loyalty to Enid demanded it, and I had not one single person in the world whom I could trust." “If you had only come to me, Miss Ruthâ€"-â€"” . “I know, I know now. Oh. it is a blessed thing for a lonely girl to have one good man that she can re- 1y uDon. 'And you have been sogvery good, and we ‘have treated you very, very badly." '~ But David would not hear anY- thing of the kind. The whole adven- ture was strange to a degree, but it seemed to matter nothing-so long as he had Ruth for company. Still. the‘ girl must be got. home. She could not be allowed to remain here, nor must‘ she be permitted to return to Brighton alone. Bell strode up at the same moment. “Miss I-IenSOn has been so good as not 1 to listen to my arguments," he said. him a Sub'stantial penslon for “I am going into the house. Don't worry about me, but Send Miss Gates home in the cab. I shall manâ€" age somehow." David turned eagerly to Ruth. “That will be best,” he said. “We can put your machine on the cab, and I’ll accompany you part of the way home. . Our cabman will think that you came from the house. I sha'n't be long, Bell.” Ruth assented gratefully. 'As David put her in the Cab Bell whispered to him to return as son“ as possible, but the girl heard nothing ‘of this. “How kindâ€"how kind you are," she murmured. "Perhaps Some day vou will be kind to me,” David said, and Ruth blushed in the darkness. (To be Continued.) renninâ€"in DEPUTY TRIAL PATIENTS FOR RICH INVALID S . .......__ 13001: People Who Reap the First Fruits of Great Discoveries. “The average human being lhas- a pronounced objection to medical ex- periments being conducted on his own. person, howover salutary the results are expected to be.” So spoke a celebrated doctor to the writer of this article, and be ad- ded: “On in‘muanerable occasions when a. certain course of treatment is recommended to patients, who are at the same time both rich, sceptiâ€" cal, arrd perhaps nervous, they ex- press a desire to watch the effects of the same treatment on another per~ son before sulbmitting to it illumâ€" selves; and sometimes they have been known to put their hands in their pocketsfor large sums of money in order that they may be completely Satisfied in this way." Thus, a few weeks ago. according to the same authority, a new treat- ment. for cancer was announced by a Continental doctor, which could only be properly tested at his own place in Germany. There was one case of A RICH ENGLISH PATIENT, who had tried all recognized methods of dealing with this terrible malady without success, and he was at this time not only sceptical as to anyâ€" thing new, "but not well enough to make a long journey unless fairly Well satisfied beforehand that there was at least a. respectable chance of the results being satisfactory. His own doctors wore also doubtful as to whether the evidencenl‘forded justiâ€" fied taking such a course. Accordingly the patient offered to pay all the expenses of any other poor sufferer whose case might be approved by his medical man as beâ€" ing very similar to his own, and to give him .a bonus of $1,000 as Well. on condition that he would proceed at once on a three months' course of this new treatment, and report Weekly to his patron as to the re- sults. The matter was arranged, a patient selected, and he is at the present time putting the treaturrent to the test. and reporting. Again, a couple of years since, a middleâ€"aged gentleman who is pretty Well known in Lon-don society, and who had for a long time been living a very health-breaking sort of life, fell ill with a complication of malaâ€" dies, and his doctor. when consulted, prescribed a very drastic and unâ€" pleasant course 'of treatment, which involved long abstention from alâ€" most everything which in the paâ€" tient's opinion made life Worth livâ€"- ing life declared that, howover ill be was, he would like to see the efâ€" fect of this sort of doctoring on some other person before he unlderâ€" Went such sacrifices on his own acâ€" count. A TRIAL THAT FAILED. It so happened that; a precisely similar case came under the atten- tion of the medical man about the same time; but the patient was poor, and could not leave his work for such a long period as this treatment would involve. This being mentionâ€" ed to the other, he. took him into his own house. paid him a salary which was double what he had been getting, guaranteed him. satisfactory mployment afterwards. and settled all the doctor’s fees for the treat- ment prescribed. Then he had the pleasure of watching its effects day by day, and studying them. In three weeks he was satisfied as to its efficacy. ' But one of the most remarkable inâ€" stances on record of this kind of _thing was thlat 'alfordecl in the case of Mr. Rouss, the New York millionâ€" aire, who hail lost his sight entirely by too much study of astronomy through a. telescope at night. He was so overwhelmed by his terrible anilic-tion that he offered a reward of $1,000,000 to any medical man who Would discover a means of restoring to him the use of his eyes. The prize was a very tempting one. A poor man was discovered who was suffering from precisely the same 'disâ€" ease 'of the optic nerve as Mr. Roass and the latter engaged him, and re- warded him handsomely for submit; ting to a severe method of treatment which the oculists felt they would like to try, but perimenfing on the rich blind man. The pity of it Was that it failed, and both had to remain in darkness; but the millionaire, grateful anyhow. lto \__ with which they were afraid for many reasons of exâ€" the rest of his life. KOCH CURE WAS TRIED. When the Kech treatment for con- sunrption first came out and made a sensation a few years ago, there were thousands of poor people who were clamoring to go to Berlin and try it there; whilst, on the other. hand, the more well-to-‘d'o, under the advice of homo specialists, who wm‘e not at all satisfied about it, pre- ferred to stay at home for the time being‘, alt'iiough they were very curiâ€" ous as to the results that were'bcingl said to be achieved. Thus it holy pencil that in quite a large number of cases poor co-nsumgitives were sent to Berlin, with all expenses paid. by rich ones, merely that they lllllglll} return home to report to the latter upon the benefit, if any, that. they had received. This kind of thing has its humor- ous side as Well as the other. There are hangers-on to most hospitals who are willing to submit to any kind of medical or surgical treatâ€" ment, not attended by absolluta danger, for a consideration. and the adaptability of these persons is often surprismg. ILL TO ORDER. One time a curious case of a very infrequent skin disease was submit- ted to a leading institution, and there were cirClesta'nces whichinlalde the staff hesitate about taking the surgical course which they felt was most likely to be efficient, after all. A trial was necessary beforehand, but such patients were Scarce to the last degree. However, the doctor’s perplexity became known to one of the ’hangersâ€"on, and ten days later he came forward with the signs of this diseaseâ€"not by any means a. dangerous oneâ€"in full evidence upon him. Now on earth he had managed to contract it in the time was then, and still remains, a mystery. He was operated upon, and cured imâ€" mediately, receiving a suitable hon- orarium for the inconvenience to which he had been put; and then the other patient was taken in hand and similarly relieved. +_.._.__.. " GlN-GHILD " lS [lflllllllllll ,â€" JUVENILE DRINKING INA LON- DON, ENGLAND. Diseased Livers are Common. Among Three-yearâ€"old Children. Inquiries among the hospitals and nursing sisters of London hardly bear out the evidence given before the Committee of Physical Deteriorâ€" tttio-n'on the subject of juvenile drinking, or what is known in some medicinal circles as “the ginâ€"chil‘d." Livers diseased by gin, according to M'r. F. Maurice, are common among children under three years old in hospitals, and several witnesses referred to the same evil. ' In the children’s ward of the Lon- don Hlospital, however, only one case of “drunkard’s liver” has been known. The patient was a boy of eight, and it is not at all certain whether this was due to inherited maladies or to the boy himself drinking spirits. WHAT MOTHERS SAY. It is practically impossible for the most sympathetic or experienced ward sister to find anything from the parents on this point. Acâ€" cording to the mother's accoun't, ev- ery baby has been fed consistently on fresh milk from a dairy, and the other children have drunk nothing but water. At the East London Hospital for Children, again, only one child has been brought in the worse for drink. This was a small boy who had found a. bottle of rum on the table and drunk a large quantity of it; such a case can only be described as an acâ€" cident. Neither doctors nor sisters at eiâ€" ther hospital can remember any other case in the children's ward diâ€" rectly at_tributable to drink, or even for certain indirectly so attributable. It must he remembered that the Lon- don Hospital is in the poorest quarâ€" ter'of London, and deals with twice as many children as any hospital. in the city, except that in Great 0râ€" monid street. That little children are given “nips” of beer and spirits is with- out. a. doubt. Everyone has seen the iniquity with his eyes; sick children are brought into a score of hospitals drowsy with soporific‘s.l They wake up at night in the wards now and again calling for them. BOY \VANTICD BRANDY. A boy of eight in a hospital used to demand bran‘dy constantly. and a. ward sister in another narrates how a little tWOlveâ€"yearâ€"ol-d patient. used to exp-lain eagerly that her parents but; wore not exactly 'cfrunkards, they drank a good deal, and she could “do with" her glass too. But no evil effects apparently remain. The children sleep off their drowsi- ness, which is often caused by brandy administered for honest, if mistaken, medicinal reasons, and soon cease their clamor for these soothing dos~ es. ' , r ' It is highly probable that many cases of weak digestion complicating other illnesses, or a sudden collapse under pneumonia or somesuch com- mon malady, may be due to a state of lowered resistance caused by al< cohol; but hospital authorities do not. care to commit th’tYfllSOlVGS posia ltively even to this modified state: ment. To the other P‘Aser'tlon they his fellow-'smff-erer, settled upon oppose a flat denial. . '-*vb'~;“":”".' . r . . . ~xmagnc...:,_ ~ “as . .1... . out. .‘m AAAA