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DINE Autor 57 ve unson THE STORY THUS FAR: * The jewel case had been opened with a chisel after being battered with a Jolie And this puzeles "ance when is found near the strangled body of Margaret Odell. It makes him think men were in the apartment, the murderer unaware of the man hiding in a clothes closet. In no way can the Jrcastce of even.cne be accounted for. inger-prints lead to the arrest of Skeel, after Cleaver and Dr, Lindquis® are questioned and Spotswood's known actions eliminate him. Vance shoots a sudden question at Skeel: "Why didn't you give the alarm?" CHAPTER XXI. "Don't bother to answer," pursued Vance, as the man opened his lips to speak, * "But tell me: didn't the sight shake you up a bit?" "I don't know what you're talking about," Skeel retorted with sullen im- © pertinence, * Bit, for = his sang- froid, one sensed an uneasiness in his manner, There was an overtone of effort in his desire to appear indiffer- ent, which robbed his words of com- Plete conviction. "Not a pleasant situation, that." Vance ignored his retort. "How did you feel, crouching there in the dark, when the closet door-knob was tarned and some one tried to get in?" His eyes were boring into the man, though his voice rtained ite casual intonation. The muscles of Skeel's face tight- ened, but he did not speak. "Lucky think you took the precau- tion of locking yourself in--eh, what?" Vance went on. "Suppose he'd got the door open--my word! Then what?" He aused and smiled with a kind of silky sweetness which was more impressive than «ny glowering ag- gression, "I say, did you have your steel chisel ready for him? Maybe he'd have been too quick and strong for you% maybe there would have been thumbs press- ing against your larynx too before you eould have struck him--eh? . , . Did you think of that, there in the dark? +. No, not precisely a pleasant situation. A bit gruesome, in fact." "What are you raving about?" Skeel spat out insolently, "You're balmy." But his swagger had been forgotten, and a look akin of horror had passed across his face, This slackening of pose was momentary, however; almost at once his smirk re- turnd, and his head swayed in con- tempt. Vance sauntered buck to his chair and stretched hiniseif in it listlessly, as if all interest in the case had again evaporated. Markham had watched the little drama attentively, but Heath had sat smoking with ill-concealed annoyance. The silence that followed was broken by Skeel, 4 "Well, I suppwse I'm to be rafl- voaded. Got it all planned, have you? «+. Try and railroad me!" He laugh- od harshly, "My lawyer's Abe Rubin, and you might phone him that I'd like fo see him." Markham, with a gesture of annoy- ance, waved to the deputy sheriff to fake Skeel back to the Tombs. "What were you trying to get at?" ke asked Vance, when the man was "Just an elusive notion in the depths my being struggling for the light." Vance smoked placidly a moment. "I Whought Mr. Skeel might be persuaded Your Kids Need Sugar .t supplies body fuel for the energy that | vet." fully in order to avoid any chance of -- ¥ you 'Not conclusively." Vance shook his head sadly. "Y'"know, Markham, I'm the proud possessor of a theory--it's vague and obscure and unsubstantial; and it's downright unintelligible, And Jeven if it were verified, I can't see how would help us any, for it_ would leave the situation even more incom- prehensible than it SB | to pour out his heart to us, So I wooed him with words." "That's just bully," gibed Heath. "I was expecting you any minute to ask him if he played mumbly-peg or if his grandmother was a hoot-owl." "Sergeant, dear sergeant," pleaded Vance, "don't be unkind. I simply couldn't endure it..., And really, now, didn't my chat with Mr, Skeel suggest a possibility to you?" "Sure," said Heath, "--that he was hidinz in the closet when Odell was It lets Skeel out, although the job was a professional one, and he was caught red-handd with some of the swag." He turned disgustedly to the district attorney." "And now, what, sir?' "I don't like the look of things," Markham complained. "If Skeel has Abe Rubin to defend him, we won't stand a chance with the case we've got. I feel convinced he was mixed up in it; but no judge will accept my personal feelings as evidence," "We could turn the Dude loose and have him trailed," suggested Heath grudgingly. "We might catch him doing something that'll give the game away." Markham considered. "That might be a god plan," he acceded. "We'll certainly get no more evidence on him as lon: as he's locked " "It looks like our only chance, sir." "Very well," agreed Markham. "Let him think we're through with him; he may get careless, I'll leave the whole thing to you, Sergeant. Keep a couple of good men on him day anl night. Something may happen. Heath rose, an unhappy man. "Right, sir. I'll attend to it." "And I'd like to have more data on Charles Cleaver," added Markham. "Find out what you can of his rela- tions with the Odell girl. Also, get me a line on Doctor Ambroise Lind- quist. What's his history ?--what are his habits?--you know the kind of thing, He treated the girl for some cysterious or imaginary ailment; and 1 think he has something up his-sleeve. But don't go near him personally-- Heath jotted the name down in his note-book, without enthusiasm, "And before you set your stylish captive free," put in Vance, yawning, "you might, don't y' know, se if he carries a key that fits the Odell apart- ment," Heath jerked up short, and grinned. "Now, that idea's got some sense to it. . . . Funny I didn't think of it niyself." And shaking hands with all of us, he went out. (Wednesday, Sept. 12, 10.30 a.m.) Swacker was evidently waiting for an opportunity to interrupt, for, when Sergeant Heath had passed through th door, he at once stepped into the room, "The 'eporters are here, sit," he an- nounced, with a wry face. "You said you'd sce them at ten-thirty." "In response to a nod from his chief, he held open the door, and a dozen or more newspaper men came. trooping in. "No questions, pdease, this morn- ing," Markham begged * pleasantly. "It's too early in the game. But Ill tell you all I know. . . , I agree with Sergeant Heath that the Odell murder was the work of a professional erim- inal--the same who broke into Arn- heim's house on Park Avenue last » - T. Briefly he told of Inspector Bren- ser's fiindings in connection with the chisel. $ "We've made no arrests, but one fact, the po have the hand, but are going care- an acquittal. We've already recovered sone of the missing jewelry. . . ." He talked to the reporters for five tion of the testimony of the maid or the phone operators, and carefully 'avoided the mention of any names, | 'When we were again alone, Vance killed.. But where does that get us?| may be expected in the very near fu-|- ture, fact, Imost wish 1 hadn't questioned Heath's Beau Nash. He upset my Tideas frightfully." "From what I could gather, you seem to think it possible that Skeel witnessed the murder. That couldn't, by any stretch of the imagination, be your precious i "That's part of it, anyway." 2 "My Qear Vance, you dé hstonish me!" . Markham Jauglied outright. "Skeel, then, according to you, is inno- cent; but he keeps his knowledge to himself, invents an alibi, and doesn't even tattle when he's arrested. . . . It won't hold water." "I "know," sighed Vance. "It's a veritable sieve. And yet, the notion into .ny vitals." "Do you realize that this mad theory of yours presupposes that, when Spots- woode and Miss Odell returned front the theatre, there were two n.en hid- den in the apartmmt--two men un- known to each other--namely, Skeel and your hypothetical murderer?" "Of course I realize it; and the thought of it is breaking down my reaso.." % "Furthermore, they must have entered the apartment separately and hidden separately. . . . How, may I ask, did they get in? And how did they get out? And which one caused the girl to 'scream after Spatswoode had left? And what was the other one doing in -the meantime? And if Skeel was a passive spectator, horri- fied and mute, how do ypu account for his. breaking open the jewel-case and securing the ring--7" (To be continued.) ei fi manent Timid Wife (to husbapd who has fallen asleep at the wheel): "I don't mean to dictate to you, George, but isn't that bilboard coming at us aw- fully fast?" « Mrs. Bloop: "Does your car have a worm drive?" Mrs. Bleep: "Yen, but I tel him where to go." PERSE, FER Use Minard's Liniment in the Stables. haunts me--it, rides like a hag--iteats|. » 874--8lip-on dress waist has deep V-shaped opening in front with inset vestee scarf, attached to neck at back, attached two-piece flaring skirt. dip- ping 6% ifiches below hemlifie "at centre back, set-in sleeves. For Ladies and Misses. 18, 18, 20 years. 34, 36, 88, 40, 42 inches bust. . HOW TO ORDER PATTERNS. Write yourame and address plain- ly, giving number and size of such patterns as you want. Enclose 20c in stamps or coin (coin preferred; wrap) it carefully) for each number, and address your order to Wilson Pattern Service, 73 West Adelaide St., Toronto. Patterns sent by an early mail, re eee Fear at Midnight 3 Midnight, and silence of the infinite Spaces; In glittering legions, rank on rank arrayed, i ; The fixed stars quake and tremble in their 'places; Orion uivers lke the Bear he chases; The Hosts of Heaven are afraid. =F. LLucas in the London Observer, a FER Many a young man finds that the girl of his cholce is "a litle dear." 1 ke has no rival, you know that 18 the ideal place to spend the winter--you . may not know the best way to get there People who want to reach the coast quickly take The Chief caus Ee A oaict as A mater of souree, 'erain to Southern California i is no extra fare on the fast California | Limited and Grand | Navajo, Scout and nary. - Fred Harvey dining setvice is another distinc, { tive fi of thid distincti il ; fine--extra fare Bo 5 Canyon Limited or on the | misutes or so, but he made no men-|{ a huckled admiring] a 4 masterly my more probably an Did you we_ just long and t to school the change was 'complete that her gymnasium uilairess 1 tailed to recognize her.and: q 'new girl was. bh : Miracles of Healing But the work of the sargeon does not stop there. In many cases has succeeded in saving a man's after he had received an injury of a kind supposed to be fatal. There is ome-Londcn solicitor with a good courts would have stoppéd--suddenly a good many years ago had it not been for the amazing resources the 'modern healer commands. He was shot in ome of the vital spots: of the brain, Not so very long ago there was no hope in cases of this sort--now there is at least a | chance of recovery. _ Another injury which is usually written dcwn as necessarily . fatal is a broken back, _But this is no longer the case. One maa who Was severely wounded during the War later began to walk in his sleep. Once, doing this, he fell from his Siro window and broke his back. - It took two years' treatment to secure his complete recovery, but re- {| cover he did, and was able to return. to his former work. Another man | lived for fifty years "after his back bad been broken. : "An amazing case in which 4 man's indomitable will, aided by the dce- tors' care and clevernegs, refled death for many years, was that of a well- known journalist, formerly the edi- tor of a great British newspaper, who died in Austrailia the other day. "Ne was wounded. so" severely during the War--over twenty bullets had enter- -| ed his body--that he was never ex- pected to survive. But he pulled through, in spite of the fact that, while his gles were still in splints, he spent eight hours In the sea, follow- ing the sinking of his ship by a sub- Surgery' Cancer : Attack Exhausted Great Need Now for Research - Work, Says Lord Moyntham London--%Lord Moyniham, presi dent of the Royal Collége*.of Sur. geons, in opening the radium clinie | at Victoria Hospital, declared * that surgery's attack on cancer had reach od its limit and it was almost impos sible. to ipagine more extensive op- erations, operations with a great- . Jer measure of technical success, than "| that which atended their efforts to- day. : the fact that one person in seven - over 30 years of age died of cancer and, that something more must he done, In the last 30 years the gen. eral mortality had decreased by 22 per cent, but the cancer death rate had 'increased by 20 per cent. A great deal remained to be done in educating the people to understand help, by fighting alongside the sur- | geons. : li The great need was for research _ {work 'into the- origins of cancer growth and methods of cure. The '| public ought to realize that cancer practice whose interest in the law It was necessary to have regard to ho the - < mariné: fe the problems and how they SHUTS,