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I . .rdâ€"rvvvwvvvvw / r . "I couldn’t wvcre sorry they had no recollection - Ions. ilnnmmzux'rTh-H'nnrifi. .~-â€"â€"_.. The Pcrty i ‘ mirfilzi‘lifv? â€" c...-..~ 1 CHAPTER XL.-â€"(Continued.) David was too astonished to say fliIiShed his dinner When Mfirlcy‘ rang anything for the moment. The skein mm up“ ephone later on? Steel had lUSt was too tangled to be thought out “Are you there? Y?” I have 39.9“ all at once. Presently he began tsl Walen. Your suggestion was quite see his way. ,right. Customer had seen cigarâ€"case “Under ordin . . . ,, [exactly like it in Lockhart’s, only My CirbmnStam’e" the Walen dealt with some Change seems impossible " he said [too dear' "I‘ - ' . . '- ~-u- ‘s dwu. cLlpwauy “mi? ‘1‘“ “‘9 Juggll“g‘3‘1?nl.f§°tx.§¥$ sffidcfs‘lixfié‘re again lou d not have been done Without Th' t art i thinr h ens to Sho :- ioth the casesâ€"~but I had forgotten I a o“ a“; S Walé’n how eamly the cases were changed. I ceepets evcly ay. 0 . have it! W1, -. thinks he would recognise his man lettor?” at 15 the date Of that again Nothing more? Goodâ€"night, Ruth slowly unfolded a document Slr“ she had taken from the purse. “The day following what,you call your great adventure," she said.l "Henson or somebody took the “real; caseâ€"my caseâ€"back to Lockhart’s] and changed it in my name. I had previously been admiring this selfâ€" salme bracelet,‘ and they had tried to sel 't . ' ' ' ' you 1setc-Iaot‘.lllil:is ngiyl 3:3; :fosthedgllo? mol‘row’ To'night 1‘9 “tum on” mmwmmemeawmummcstsausarrtsmrs; trouble. to force us all to speak 1:01 save you? Them are at least fif_; and there and wondering where the teen assistants at Lockhart’s. ()fI who.” thng W315 gomg to 9nd' . course the ultimate sale of the cigar-. with 9' ceftam Sense relf‘l’f ngld case to this American could be; hemd the "(mt door-ht t” 8' out ' . :elevcn o’cl.;ck. Somebod was com- mved' 888mg the “we had get bad“ ' to see him, and it didn't matter into stock again, and at be same: mg time the incident of the change quite‘ much who in steels frame 0f mind' forgottem And when You go and ask! But he swapt into thostludy with n. qumtions at Lockhm,t.s_as you were' feeling of genuine plasure as Hatherâ€" pretty sure to do, as Henson knewâ€"ily..1;§1d::: {tilltg‘tlmigit delighted to '01: are told of the sale onl ' to the ,, - u! - limerican. Depend upon it, tllat 'Am-‘ 560 you'. he “I” . Fake the .blg erican was Henson himself or some- amkcnmr' Let ""3 gwe you 3“ “gar body in his pay. David, that is too and 8’ WhiSke-V mid S?da'3"d Take cunning, too complex. And'some of yo}: ,conlf9rtable' Emits beltfi' ,, Hume, days it is going to prove his I m tired out. Bell said. In _ CHAPTER XLI. It looked like being a long, dull evening for Steel if he were not goâ€" ing to the theatre or anything of that kind. He generally read till about eleven o'clock, after which he sat up for another couple of hours plotting out the day’s task for to- fulL” London all day, and since six with David nodded thoughtfully. 'And {ro‘qs'n can you mm ma “p for the yet, withuit something very clever mg“? “My bachelor bedroom' is always ready, Bell." “Thanks. I don‘t fancy you need be under any apprehension that any- body has Spirited Van Sneak away. In the first place Henson, who seems to have discovered what happened. is in a terrible state about it. He wanted very badly to remain at Lit- timer, but when he heard that Van Sneck had left the hospital he came down here; in fact, we traVelled to- gether. Of course he said nothing whatever about Van Sneak, whom he is supposed to know nothing about, but I could see that he' was terribly disturbed. The worst of it is that Lockhart's received their customers; Cross was slows, to {get “’0 to 0pc“ in the usual courtly StykL Theyl ate on Vanbncck; and Heritage, lwho seems Wonderfully better, was going to assist.” “is your unfortunate friend up to that kind of thing now?" David asked. “1 fancy so. Do you know that Heritage used to have a fairly good practice near Littimer Castle? Lord Littimer knows him well. I want Heritage to come into this. I want to get at the reason why l’lenson has been so confoundedly good to The brmiluttion of the letter made l'lel'ltagc. For Yeats he has kept his a (inference. There was a passing of "ye _“1’0n 111m: _10r years he has comidences from one plate-glass cmm- prucucauy.) Drowned him With 3- tel. lo another. and presently anoth- home at I “ImOP'S' And When “01" l er assistant came forward. U0 WT» itage mentions Henson’s name he al. i and intricate in the way of a scheme Henson could not have placed him in his present flx. . "'l‘here is only one thing to be done," he said. “You and I must go down to Lockhart's and make a few inquiries. With that diamond bracelet and letter in your possession you should have no difficulty in reâ€" freshing their memories. Will you have some tea?" ' “I am 'too excited," Ruth’ laughed. out or drink anything just as present. David, what a lovely house you have." ‘ "I'm glad» to hear that you are going to like it,” David said, drily.l of the transaction to which madamI referred. The sale of the bracelet} Was clear, because that was duly and properly recorded on the books, andi as indeed was the sale of the gunâ€" metal cigarâ€"case to an American gon- tleman at the Metropole. If madam said that she had purchased the cigâ€" ar-cnse, why-«still the polite assisâ€" tant was most courteously increduâ€" foundly regrc led that there had been will"? doe-51,30 with 0 killd of forced a mistake, but he remembered the in- gr‘ft'}tude- _ I. _ cillont perfectly. it was the day be- ' 10“ Ehmk that frontage is going lore ho had departed on his usual mum: useful ‘40 “5:3,: r _ monthly visit to the llr'm’s Paris , 13mm)? 50. Mind you, 15 only brunch. Madam had certainly pur- my Ideaâ€"What 1 Call intuitlon. for chased the cigar-case; bu before the Want 0f *1 DOUCI‘ word. And stock have you been doing lately?" ledger madam had sent a gcnzlnznan Dav“ Pl'OCWded t0 oxlflfllll. B’iVint‘.‘ to change the case for the diamond the {We'ltfi 0f the afternoon in full bracelet previously admired. The (19"‘111- Be” 10110ch the account speaker had attended to both the with the (leePCSt interest. Then he sale and the exchange; in fact, his (“090%le to tell his own “Will'- cab was waiting for him during the Dana aDIN-"11'0d tO'bc {84561leth With mum- iucment' I the tale of the man with the thumb- “I trust there is nothing Wrong?" i “all: . _ 7' he asked, anxiously. l j'ho Miss Chris hopes to hypnotizc “Not in the mast"! Ruth qtpote man with the thumb," he said. what sale could be posted in the to reply. “The whom matter is 0. “YOU have seen more of her than I kind of comedy that I wanted to huVC, 13011. Does she strike you as solve. It is a family joke, you un- til” Strike-S 1110â€"“ il'il‘l 0f wonderfully llfil'lfitalld. And who made the ox- a‘mto mind allied to a pluck and change?" alldncit-y absolutely 'i)l‘illiant?” "Mr. Gates, madam. A tall gen~ ",ShG 13 “ml? “Dd more,” Bell Human, dressed in.“ said, varmly. “Now that she is “That is quite sufficient, thank free to not she has developed won- you," said Ruth. “I am sorry to derfully. Look how cleverer she trouble you over so silly a matter." worked out that Rembrandt business, The assistant assured madam with how utterly she pumled Henson, and an air of painful reproach that noth- how she helped me to get into Litâ€" ing was counted a trouble in that UmOI'S good books again without establislmieut. He bowed his visi- Henson even guessing at the reason. tors out and informed them that it And now she has forced the confi- was a“ lovely afternoon, a sclfâ€"oviâ€" dence of that rascal iM'erritt. She dent axiom that the most disputaâ€" has Saved him from a gaol into tions could not well deny. Which She [mi-TM have thrown him “You see how your inquiries might at any moment, she had convinced have been utterly bullied but for this him that she is something exceedingâ€" find of mine,” Ruth said, as the tw0 1y brilliant in the way of an advon- went along North Street. “We shall tUI’cSS, with a great coup ahead. find presently that the Metropole Later on she will use Merritt, and a American and Reginald ilâ€"Iellson are flue hard-cutting tool she will find one and the same person.”- mm." "And you fancy that he made the " Vhere is Henson at the present exchange Lockhart's‘.’" moment?" David asked. "I feel pretty certain of it," Ruth “I left him in London this after- replied. “And you will be sure later noon." .Bell replied. “But I haven't on to find that he had a hand in the slightest, dOUbt in the world the purchase of the other cigarâ€"case from Walen's. Co to Marley’s and to make inquiries as to their ton by this time. In all probability he has gone to Longdean." Bell paused as the telephone bell rang out shrilly. The more sound David proceeded to do so without of it thrilled both of them with exâ€" fumhm. delay, Inspector Marley was citement.‘ And what a useful thing out, but David left a message for" the telephone had proved! him. would he communicate by L01- “Are you there?" came- the quick, got him who! her or not Walen’s got case down an approval." small Bell Could see him whisper. “Is that you, Mr. Steel? I am Enid Henson.” There was a long pause, during which David was listening intently. growing rigid with the prospects of something keen, alert, and vigorous. " “Bell is here with me at this mo- ment,” he said. “Just wait a min- ute whilst I tell him. Don’t go away please. Under the circumstances it might be dangerous for me to ring you. Just a moment. Here’s a pretty mess.” “Well,” Bell said, impatiently, “I’m only a mere man, after all." “Henson is at Longdean; he turn- ed up an hour ago, and at the pre- sent moment is having his supper in the library before going to bed. But that is not the worst part of it. Williams heard the dogs making a great noise by the gates and went to see what was wrong. Some poor, demented fellow had climbed over the Wall and the dogs were holding him up. Fortunately, he did not seem to be conscious of his danger, and as he stood still the hounds did him no harm. Williams was going to put the intruder into the road again when Miss Henson came up. And whom do you suppose the poor, wandering tramp to be?" e . Bell pitched his cigar into the grate full of flowers and jumped to his feet. “Van Sneck, for a million," he cried. “My head to a cocoanut on it.” “The same. They managed to get the poor fellow into the house before Williams brought Henson from the lodge, and he's in the stables now in a rather excited condition. Now, I quite agree with Miss Henson that Henson must be kept in ignorance of the fact, also that Van Sneck must be got away without delay. To in- form the hospital authorities would be to spoil eVerything and play into Henson’s hands. But he must be got away toanight.“ “Right' you are. fetch him. Et apres?" “Et apres he will stay here. He shall stay here, and you shall say that it is dangerous to remove him. Cross shall be told and Marley shall be told, and the public shall be disâ€" creetly kept in ignorance for the pre~ sent, I'll go over there at once, as there is no time to be lost. Miss Henson suggests that I should come, and she tells me that Williams will wait at the lodgeâ€"gates for me. But you are going to stay here." "Oh, indeed! And why am I going to stay here?" “Because, my dear friend, I can easily manage the business single- handed, and because you must run no risk of meeting Henson yonder. You are not now supposed to know where _tho family are, nor are you supposed-lo take the faintest intcr~ We'll go and est in them. Stay here and make yourself comfortable till i return. Are you there? I will be at Long- dcan as soon as possiblt and bring Van Sneak here. No, I won’t ring off; you had better do that. I shall be over in less than an hour.” David hung up the receiver and proceeded to don a short covert coat and a, cup. In the breastpockct of the coat he placed a revolver. "Just as well to be on the safe side," he said. "Though I am not likely to be troubled with the man with the thumb again. Still, Ilen- son may have other blackgunrds; he may even know where Van Elncck is at the present moment, for all I know to the contrary." “I fool rather guilty letting you go alouo, Illcll said. "Not a bit of it,” said David, cheerfully. “Smoke your cigar, and if you need any supper ring for it You can safely leave matters in my hands. Van Snack shall stay here till he is ill; and then you shall operâ€" ate upon him. 'After that he ought to be as clay in the hands of the potter. So long." And David went off gaily enough. He kept to the cliffs for the first part of the distance, and than struck off across the fields in the dirccrion of Longdeau. The place was perfectâ€" ly quiet, the village was all in darkâ€" ness as he approached tne lodgeâ€"gates of the Grange. Beyond the drive and between the thick, sad firs that shielded the house he could see the crimson lights gleaming here and there. He could catch the rumble and scratch in the bushes, and ever again a dog whined. The big gate was closed as David pooped in search- ing for his guide. “Williams,”"‘hc whispered; “Wilâ€" liams, where are you?" But no reply came. The silence was full of strange rushing noises, the rush’ of blood in David's head. He calle‘l‘l’ again and again, but no reply came. Then he heard the rush and fret of many feet, the cry of a pack of hounds, a melan- choly cry, with a sombre joy in it. lie saw a light gleaming lltfully in the belt of firs. “No help for it," David muttered. “I must chance my luck. I never saw a. dog yet that I was afraid of. Well, here goes." lfo scrambled over the wall and dropped on the moist, clammy earth on the other side. He fumbled for- Wnrd a few steps, and then stopped suddenly, brought up all standing by the weird scene which was being elmcted under his astonished eyes. (To be Continued.) n ...._...._ §.__.___ that he has made his way to Brighâ€" ‘ “llalloa, Bill, old man! Well, well! I haven’t seen you since the old days when We used to run around toâ€" gether!" "No, Jack. All, those old days! What a fool I usml to be. than!" “I tell you, I'm..glad to see you. “You haven't changed a bit, old man." ‘ W D YOUNG § FOLKS D‘W-OO O HER FIRST PARTY. For a. week Anna Lee had ihought of nothing but the party.- The invi- tation was "the first delight, and she had carried the rquure, giltâ€"edged card to school, and pcepcd at it once when recesa was beginning, before she got her little lunchâ€"basket and joined the three girls who were her particular friends. Then there was the interest of her dress, a red one with a guimpe; her little full petti- coats with narrow but line embroid- ery; her smooth lislo stockings, and shoes with cloth tops and shiny tips. She was to have a red ribbon to tie the black hair back from her eger little freckled face; and she wast to carry Cousin Mollic’s tiny white fan hanging about her neck, for al- though it was winter, fans were proper at a party. It seemed to her as if the time would never come. Days and nights passed away? of course, but the party stayed "next Wednesday" and “the day after to-morrow" for a long time. However, the morning came at last when the party was to be "this afternoon”; and then Anna had her dinner and triatrestlcssly to take a nap, and first thing she knew it was “now,” and there was a great hurry to get her ready. The whole family came into the parlor to have a. look at her in her party clothes. . "lit-ad up,” said father, smiles to the front.” That was part of a, drill they used to play some- times. illutâ€"would you believe it'?â€"â€" Anna looked as if she could not smile, no matter how hard she might try. Nobody remembered ever to lhave seen such a sober look on the face of the youngest. Lee. . "What is it, dear?" asked mother. “Did I tie. your hairâ€"ribbon too tight?” "No, ma’am," said Anna.‘ “What's the trouble, chick?" asked Uncle Charlie. ‘-‘You. look just like as. little girl” who was going to get kept in because she couldn’t spell b-aâ€"t, bat, and maybe not even câ€"aâ€"t, cat. Now what is the .inattcr‘?” But Anna only shook her head, and although they could see that she was trying 'to smile, she was not able to get the tiniest bit of sunshine into her face. "Dcar me!” said mother. “After all this looking forward to the party!" “Well, Well!” began father; and Uncle Charlie was going 'to make a remark, too, when grandma, sitting in her big chair by the open grate, said: "Bless the child! I know all about it. She's scared." “Scared?” asked Uncle "What of?” Charlie. I “Yes,” grandma Went on. “I reâ€" member my first party, and l remem- ibor Anna's mother's first party; and we were both of us frightened, think- ing about the strange people and so many of them. But I know the cure for il. .I am not going to tell it out loud before all of you, but if 'Anna wants me to I will go into my own room with her and tell her a secret and “if she does just what I say she will enjoy the Dari-y as much as she expected yesterday to do.” Father and mother and Uncle Char- lie laughed, because it Was quite a family joke that grandma and 'Anna had so many secrets from the rest of them; then father said they would wait in the hall outside, and the two Gould talk in the parlor. Ten minutes later Mary put on her white cap and apron and took 'Anna. to the party. '.l‘hcre were a great many little boys and girls already gathered together, and they seemed to be having a merry time playing games. Four or live ladies were standing near the door, greeting the newcomers, and when one of them came forward, Anna nearly turned to cling to Mary‘s hand, for alâ€" though she was eight years old, she really was very shy. But then she remembered grandma’s secret, and even .whlle she was being welcomed she began to look about for some- body. All during the first part of the party Anna was on the watch. She looked at each little girl and boy she came near, but she did not find the one she wanted; so at last she slipped out into the hall and peeped round in all the corners. 'And after a while, in the very last corner, where it was dark because the stalr~ case went up right over it, she came upon a little girl about her own age, sitting quietly all alone on a some Anna’s eyes sparkled, and she went and stood in front of the little girl. “i was looking for you,” she said. "What’s ‘your name?" “My name's Maude," said the othâ€" or. “find you couldn’t look for me, 'cause you don't know me.” “But my grandmother told me to," explained Anna. “And we’ve got to go in and play games with the oth- ers, and make everybody have a good time at the party.” "I. can't,” said Maude, and then her voice lowered. “I'm too timid, and my mother says parties will wear it off. and they don't." "Oh," said Anna; “I know. Grandâ€" ma told me. Move over and PH tell you all about it. “Grandma says," she wont on, .spreading her fingers and counting :them off, as she had seen Uncle Charlie do when he was discussing things, “grandma says" that when ’ ma says. And then she says no mat~ “and ‘ It received gunpowder and be- ‘leueatlrsd nitro-glycerino. v people are timid it is because they don't remember other people. She says s'pose all the boys and girls said, ‘l'm too timid to play, and so I’ll sit in a corner and not smile or have‘a nice time.’ What then? grandâ€" ter how scared you are, there might be somebody feeling still worse, and so go find that one, and tell them to let’s play games and eat ice- rreamâ€"or maybe it's sherbet. Have you seen any popping niotiocs yet?" she broke oll‘. "No," said Maude. “But how did your grandma know where I was? I was hiding." . "My grandma said 'speclally under the stairs,” laughed 'Anna. “That was a good place to find people tim< ider than you are, she said; and they might be a boy or maybe they might be a girl. And if you will come along now I know where the lady with the mottoes is, and we'll get ours and ‘be partners all the rest of the party. And anyway, Willie 'l‘nr mont and his mother would feel sorry if they know two of their party. folks were under the steps, and thought they were scared.” So they went in to the games hand in hand; and when seven o’clock came, and with it a flock of maids and big sisters, nobody had had a better time or said goodâ€"by more re- luctantly than the two timid ones who had started the party hiding unâ€" der the stairs. THE FAST AND fUlURE A. COMPARISON OF THE TWO CENTURIES. We Wonder if the Twentieth Will Keep Up With the Nineteenth. The nineteent century received the horse and bequeathed the automoâ€" bile. " It received the dirt road and be- q'.ueathed the railroad. It received the sailboat and ‘be- queathod the ocean liner. It received the fireplace and beâ€" queathed steam and the gas range. It received the staircase arid beâ€" queathed the elevator and escalator. It received the hand printing press and bequeathed the Bloc cylinder. It received handâ€"set type arid be~ queathod the linotype. It received the gooseq‘uill and be queathed the typewriter. _ It received the painter’s brush a-nu bequeathed lithography, the cagmmrn and color photography. It received ordinary light. n'ml be? (.jll'cutll‘Q-‘(l the lloetgen ray. It rCCeivod the flintlook and be- rfucatlreid the automatic Minx-i111. It received the tallow (lip and be- queathed the are light. It mccived the beacon light signal and bequeathed the telephone and wireless tel-egnaphy. . It received wood anid stone lm‘illd- lugs and bequeathed twentyâ€"stow steel structures. it received letters sent by a perâ€" sonal messengAr and hecpteathod ’0 World's postal union. It received the medieval city, a collection of buildings h-uzdldled with- in walls for safety and bequeathed the modern city, lighted, paved, sew- ered and provided with fiveâ€"cent transportation. It received a world without free public schools and left no civilised country without them. It received a World in which men voted only in America and left them voting in every civilized country. It reocived a world without a vot- ing woman, and left. it with some measure of woman sullera-ge in near- ly every civilized Country and full sullerage in a large section of the earth’s surface. Is the twentieth centm'y going in for breaking after this style? if so, it will have to hustle. But, really, at times it seems V as if the twentieth century Would use.- fully employ itself in just utilizing the discoveries of the nineteenth. Stean heat, gas ranges, elevators, bath tubs and other nice things are in the World. Willy not make. them available for everybody? ' Then there is the land. always been in the world. Willy not make that available for BVUl‘y- body? The niInefec-nth century discovered the kindergarten. The tWontieLh could usefully make it available for all children. It discovered the Roentgen ray. llut lots of people can't afford to pray for just plain. ordinary sunlight in their houses. The inventors are a very wonder- ful class of gentlumenâ€"awomen, too. nowwa-‘d‘aysâ€"ulliut it really Seems as if the twentieth century didn’t need them so much as some plain. Pl‘ac' ticsl people to utill'm: what they'd done already. And then again, it sometimes seems as if the little young tWefltF nth century had all it could do to manage the problems which the ninetheent-h bequeathed along WWII its blessings. 'l'ho ninetem'dh century discovered how 'to make people live in perpenld'i- I cular layers instead of beside each lolhcr on the ground, as' they'used ito. anid bequeathed the problem of congested population. I it discovered the ocean liner and Ilmpwnthed tire stceragc. ‘ lit. took the weaving out of tho limmis of woman and sent her to tire l factory. The t has * I