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m-------- >» Be | t { i The Moorcroft Mar Mystery trospection, It is always the same : i erged Wishart to take it over. He yy his ground, and that's always \ . " a advantage." = { By J R. WILMOT Sinclair 32d nothing. He was won, - va ry 1 a (Author of "Where There's a Will". ete. knew hat in jess than tw. hour 3 time Sinclair) was Lontirer -- watch over a Wysterions Bude | CHAPTER XVL get fixed up yourself, Gleave? I am |clothing down under the trees--the Sinchir took tea alone in the din- that many of the gentry these | Kind of clothing worn by the cava: x A small octagonal table are too poor to indulge |liers of old. Bots tor oll, that, waa had Deen laid for him the pleas. the luxury of & butler Si Neljomry ess, and it : oa oe A ghost of o smile fitted dcrond rather interesting if he and Ni A 0d infottued him, eS man fe. A : { igh BL a a the outs of the Jot Simon fo ong" fe vein d Yard were assiduously look- I four o'- | with quiet con "I have no for, and Shadows were | doubt that 1 shall ll a want some~ was quite an informal af- across sir." fair, Nelson was unusually quiet. It ed with eer | Sincialr watched Bim cross the |seemed to Sinclair that the massive Gleave, the butler, | room, and draw the heavy blue cur- |brain behind that pleasant face was ve, the grey-headed butler, | Cine: Then, having switched on the working out a problem ied Clear. Th was something [tall stand-lamp that stood on one | more difficult than any devised by rp Agent pe gg Te ne re Be Moved toe | * Gleave attended to their wants with across room towards the ve attende eir wants w It was not th in the door. quiet proficiency. He had selected ner of his " in he fa When he had Sinchir's | from his late employer's well-stock- ere of him, Most but: | noughts turned almost instinctively [4 cellar, a bottle of 1915 Veuve lars, ine it was their con. | 10 his first afternoon at M Clicquot which brought a glow of stant contact n | Manor. It was in this very room |interest to the detective's eyes and which were gen oe that he had taken tea--a delightful |unloosed the fetters of his tongue. sorbed hey ether of tea--with Helen on, "I've been thinking over what you spheres the wenta} Righer |i the simplicity of her charm and | said this afternoon, Mr. Sinclair," he re watched him watching the fiectight play ueer lit- | confided, "and I'm just a little per- pour A with |tle tricks on her , and he won- | plexed, What I can't quite reconcile tea from the Silver teapot dered when he would see her again, |is the fact that fifteen years ago a tha care of a pig po it be din-.| Love, to Morton Sinclair, was a |Dprevious tenant of Moorcroft Manor oe ar fee the be nau, 5 318 mn spite, or | Ro Fe Sri To wis 8 low, pleasant voice. The Super- RN 6 Ty re until this afterncon I learned the intendent, Mr. Merrivale and your- "As far as I know, Gleave, I un. derstood Mr. Merrivale to say he would be returning, though I also ered that he might be detained in Frindley. However, I should serve it for that number, I think." "Very good, sir For a few moments Sinclair ob. served the old man arranging the things on the table rather nee lessly, "I don't 'think I shall be wanting anything clse, Gleave," Sinclair in- timated, The butler looked up. rather apprehensive, the young man thought, "Begging your pardon, sir, but there 5 a matter of some importance I would like to mention. I have re- ceived no instruction as yet, sir, re- garding the members of the domestic staff, You can quite wnderstand, sir, that the present uncertainty places me in a rather difficult position." "Of course, Gleave. I should have mentioned the matter soon after Miss Overington left, She has instructed me to make all arrangements, and as. I am going down into Brindley first thing in the morning to see the agents, I will let you kpow definitely before lunch, I don't expect, how- ever, that we shall require their ser- viges after the end of the week, and you take it as being quite certain that Miss Overington has no intentions of continuing with the lease. But you « rest assured that all of you will leated in a scrupulously fair mans ner." "Thank you, sir. I merely mention- ed the matter because several of the servants, in view of what has hap- pened, want to be able to look for places for the New Year, There are several hotels, I understand, sir, that are usually pressed for assistance at this time of the year." "Do you think you will be able to "Er He seemed in love for the first time. There is something idyllic, al. most sacred, about it. That chair over there where she had sat. Now it was invested with the gold of ro- mance, A sense of spiritual sanctity pervaded it. For ever, in Sinclair's eyes, it would be hallowed, For a long while he remained . ing into the ruby caverns of the fire, dreaming dreams of love, and, with them, came a serene contentment. Clifford Merrivale had not return- ed three hours later, but Sinclair had no apprehension, He knew the young lawyer better than to worry unduly over this unconventional laps and when Nelson arrived, Sinclair was busy in his room laying his plans for the vigil after dinner, down among the pine trees, "Any news of Morrell?" inquired Sinclair, as he and the detective met in the hall just before dinner. Nelsen shook his head, "I've been .on the phone to head- quarters for nearly half-an-hour," he intimated, "So far, there's no sign of him anywhere, Ispector Wishart has charge of the search at this end, and, being an unusually keen officer, I've no doubt that he's assiduously combing the district with a fine- a STE A EYESIGHT ._¢. CIALIST Necessities, comfort, luxuries de. pend on the dollars you earn, Your income depends om your eyes, Be SURE eyes are rignt, 1516 PHONE 1516 Disney Block Opposite Post Office Symphony Another Victor gift that keeps on giving Beethoven's Masterpiece recorded in England and Played by Albert Coates and The Symphony Orchestra on six double-sided Osthophonic Red Seal Records Price complete for records Nos. 0043 to gos with album and descriptive booklet $9.75 At all His Master's Voice Dealers Vietor Talking Co. id a» Oana Oy L.J. BROWN 10 KL.G STRECT WEST - ob fact. Why that fool Wishart never acquainted me of it, I can't imagine. But there it is, I don't suppose you have any views on that aspect of the case, have you?" "It hadn't altogether slipped my mind," said Sinclair, "In fact it was that which made me just a little bit suspicious of your cut-and-dried theories." "Not cut-and-dried, if you please," corrected the detective with an indul- gent smile. "Never that!" "I'm afraid it is just as big a mys- tery to me as it is to you," Sinclair told him, An hour later, with thie collar of his overcoat turned up about his ears and his soft hat pulled down over his eyes, Morton Sinclair slipped un- observed out of the Manor and made his way, by a roundabout way, to the pine trees that skirted the read, The night hung like a curtain of crepe from the silver stars, and a touch of frost gave a razor edge to the wind that blew from the east, It was not difficult for the young man to find his way to the spot where the mysterious bundle repos- ed, Many were the times when he had guided himself over infinitely more dangerous country during the years that succeeded 1914, This ad- venture was curiously reminiscent of old times, He had provided himself with a powerful torch, but there was no necessity for Rim to use it, He argu- ed that, unless the ground was ex- ceptionally familiar, no one would venture on the quost--if quest it be ~until the moon shed her accom- modating light through the trees, At last, the old lady of the skies arose like a bronze chalice over the distant hill, silhouetting the erect lean trunks of the pines and casting soft, oblique shadows across the yielding carpe. of needles, Whether by accident or design he knew not, but slowly the phantom shadows moved round until a direct beam of moonlight shone onto the parcel beneath the tree, Sinclair glanced at his watch, it was nearing twenty minutes past nine, and he was beginning to won- der not only where Merrivale could be, but also whether, after all, his vigil was going to be fruitless, when a peculiar scraping sound came to his ears, It seemed to come from the other side of the low stone wall, that bounded the road. With every muscle of his lithe body alert, he peered for- ward, and then he felt his hears pounding his ribs, for slowly there appearcd over the wall a grey figure like a hooded phantom. He watched fascinated, incapable of movement. The figure crossed the short ipter- vening space between the wall and the tree, and stooped to retrieve the bundle, In a moment, Sinclair stepped for- ward to intercept it, only to find himself staring mechanically down the gleaming barrel of a revolver, ¥Move another inch and I shall fire!" It was the nervous voice of a woman who spoke, and the young man felt strangely inert. He could see her face now, in the moonlight, It was ghostly white with eyes flash- '1g like fire, Slowly the grey phantom moved backwards towards the wall, her re- volver still pointing towards him with uncanny accuracy, Then, like a fade- out in a cinema film, she disappeared into the road, Sinclair reached the wall at a bound, and was half-way over when a bullet whistled past his head. In- ad you see her?" gasped Merri- | vale, "See her? 1 should jolly well think I did. Fye never seen Anos dis- appear so quickly, simply van- i Fol the wall" f-an-hour later after a fruitless e" "You did" Sinclair told him with 2 wry smile, "And. it's lucky I'm here to tell you how it » al There's probably some quite good explanation. A tele- phone message has come through for me from headquarters. A constable arrived with it less than ten minutes ago. The Yard has been motified Suburban and District News Gathered By Times Staff Reporters and Correspondents Kedron, Dee, 19.--The Golden Links Class held their concert at the church last Friday evening' and despite the unfavorable wea- ther a fair number attended, The concert was begun by the usé of the hymn, "Hark, the Herald An- gels Sing." Miss Ferne Ledgett, of Oshawa, delighted the audience with a plano solo, Other musical selections on the program were: solos by Miss Irene Winter, of Oshawa, a duet by Miss Ruby and Master Robert Hancock, and a solo by Master Robert Hancock, Miss Irene Winter also favored the audi- ence with two very pleasing recl. tations. Other recitations were «~iven by Misses Dorothy Clugston, Florence Rahme and Ruby Han- cock, and Master Frank Hancock. While Rev, Mr, Clugston was pre- here and addressed the Sabbath school on Sunday. Congratulations to Mr. and Mre, Ivan Rodd, of Columbus, upon the gift of a son in their home on Friday, December 16th, Mr. Scott had the misfortune to have his large Airdale dog killed 'by a car on the highway last week. ASHBURN Ashburn, Dee. 20.--Mr. Joe Bryant has finished cutting and trimming the cedars along the town line, west of the Brock road, and everything is now in readiness for King Winter, With these ever- greens cut out there should be a splendid winter road. Mr, John Tarvis, who was taken to St. Michael's hospital, Toronto. last week, is still in a critical con- paring to put an lantern slides of the story of "The Other Wise Man," the girls' class sold home made candy. The proceeds amount- ed to over twelve dollars, Mrs. A, R, Scott and son, Lee mas holidaya with her parents Mr and Mrs, F, W, Lee, There will be special services at Kedron on Sunday afternoon, December 26th, Miss Ferne Ledgett of Oshawa, was the guest of Misa Ruth Cole, Friday evening of last week. MYRTLE Wilson had the m'sfortune to have two small bones broken in his hand and his face badly scratched when he was struck by a passing truck and thrown into the ditch while wa'king to Brooklin one morning last week, The annua! school mesting is he- ing held on Wednesday, December 28th, when it is hoped there will be a go~dly reprezentation of the ratepayers present to help trancact the usual business and man!'est their interest in educations] work. Mr. Ra'ph Annan, who had his tonsils removed at Miss Sprasq's hospital, Port Po: ry, lacy weel, Is recovering nicely, A special Christmas service will be held in the chure) here next Eabbath evening at 7 p.m, when the pastor, Rev. Swayne will preach a special messaze for the occasion, Special music is also being prepar- ed by the choir, The recent cold snap hay made the ice on Mud Lale, just north of the villace, ideal for skating and a number have already been try- ing it, A sneak thief or thieves are ag2in at work around the villa-e, malting nightly calls at hea houses or acquiring anythin~ . é'se that looks good to them, One ni~ht re- cently Mr, Jemes E. Bezcock's hen roost was robbed of soe promic- ing "Roek" pullets, while anot"er gentleman in the villaze hand a kez and a half of nails token from the premises of a building he was wrecking, It is to be hoped that the guilty part' w!'l roon be ap- prehended and have the full jus- In spite of the very dis=~reeable | weather on Friday, Mr, Charlie Luke's sale was well attended and as everything was in splendid con- dition, especially satisfactory nrices were realized under the sXils full hammer of auctioneers George and Ted Jackson, of Port Perry Mr, Luke is now running the grist and saw-mill at Ra~lan, but it is understood they will not move from here until spring. Mr. Robert Veron and gon re- turned on Thursday efter showinz their draught team and ponies at the three winter fairs, The Royal Toronto, Ottawa and Guelph, At each place they were well satisfied with their awards and cams back with a goodly share of red ribbons, The Women's Missionary So» clety which met at the home of Mrs. David Leury recently, was not at largely attended as usual on aes count of the very stormy after- noon. Those who were present had a very interesting meeting and an | interesting report of the year's work was given: after which the kindly hostess served a dainty luncheon for 'which she was ten- dered a hearty vote of thanks. The January meeting wi'l be held at Mrs. Wilfred Graham's. Mr, Ber; Donnelly, of Tweed, spent the week end with friends White Broadcloth Searly mas Presents, ,...., Co. 68 King St. W, Phone 2141 Arnprior, are spending the Christ-' Myrtle, Dec, 20.--Mr, W, Henry | tice of the law meted out to him. dition. A speedy recovery is hop- ed for, Miss Jessie Heron, who is at- tending the Whitby high school, spent the week end with her par- ents, Mr, and Mrs, Robert Heron. A number of our young people have been enjoying some good skating at Mud Lake, north of Myr- tle. Our local "hucksters" have been busy: buying up fowl and egos around the neighborhood and truck'n7 it to Toronto for the holi- ay market, Mr, George Mole sold a fine flock of lambs to Mr, John C. Law- rence, of Myrtle, last week, Mr. Walter Kerr visited his par- ents in Agincourt last week, READY 0 HOVE HARDING BODIES Interment in $500,000 | Memeo:lal Sepulchre to T:le Place Wednesday Marion, Ohlo., Das, 18.--With only relatives and close friends in ettendance, the bod'es of the late Prosicent and Mrs, Warren G, Hard!ng will te removed from the temporary recelving vault fn Mar- 'on cometery and placed in their $300,000 marble memorial sepul- ch~e at noon V/ednesday, Te burial ritual of the Bap- tit church will he read by the Rev, Dr, Wolter A, T7'ng of Ash. tabrla, O., former pastor of Trin. ity Peptist church, of which the former president was a member, As the hermetically sealed sar- copha~us, ecch wei~hing 5,000 pounds, cre lowered into the vault, tars will bs eounded, Twonty-sit regular. army men, a unt of the Tenth infantry at Fort Thomas, Ky., which has bee~ act'n7 as hororary military grard at the vault in Marion cemetery Iwill renresent the government. | In conformity with the Unite" , States ermy resulotions which sti i rulate that a military guard be maintained at the grave of the nres!'ent for six months after buri~l, plens are boing made to cortinue the guard until after the ded'e~tion of t"e memorial, ten- tatively set for next June, Main- tenran-e of the guord since the nreside~t's death has cost the gov- ern™ent more than $100.000, Presi"ent Cool'dge will deliver the ded'catory add ess, Hoke Doni- then, cheirman of the exerntive committee of the Harding Mem- oriol associntion, has anporneed, The sorvices Wednesday have been announced eas semi private, Postmaster General Harry 8. New, a Harding appointee, is exper-ted to be present. Dr. George T Harding, the late president's aged "ather, who is in California with failing health will pot be able to attend. -- BATTERED BY IMMENSE WAVES MINNEKAHDA 36 HOURS I, Plymouth, England, Dec. fd The steamship Minnekahda from New York reached Plymouth today after encountering a succession of fierce storms which delayed her 36 hours. Huge seas broke over the ship, smashing life boats and ventilators and causing considerable deck damage. Even the crow's mest on the foremast did not escape damage by the great waves which struck the ship. AFTER HORSES STARVE TO DEATH GOULAIS BAY : COUPLE HELD Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., Dee, 20. ~~Mrs. Ann Montgomery and George Bertrand both of Goulais Bay, were remanded for eight days when they appeared in district po- THE OSHAWA ago, had mot returned home. {To be Continued.) BOYS WANTED AS CARRIERS AND COLLECTORS High School Boys Preferred Liberal commission and steady employment to capable boys. --~ Apply to -- * Efi Tn EEE | MR. BOYCE - DAILY TIMES Times Office : lice court facing a charge of cruel- ty to animals, The case arose out of complaints received by the Pro- vineial police and Humane Society that three horses, belonging to the two, had been allowed to starve to death, Bertrand and Mrs. Mont- gomery were arrested following a post-mortem on the carcass of one of the animals by a veterinary, who told the officers that the ex- amination led him to believe the animals had died of starvation and exposure, GUELPH CHURCH BURGLARIZED SACRAMENTAL WINE STOLEN Guelph, Ont,, Dec, 20.--Police are endeavoring to find trace of thieves who broke into St, James' Anglican Church and stole a quan- tity of sacramental wine, Enter- ing the church vestry through a window at the rear of the lecture room, the desecraters smashed the lock of the cupboard in which the elements of the sacrament were kept, In the cupboard was the cruet, partially filled with the wine used in the communion service of the church, The container was drained when Canon Davis, the rector, discovered the theft, As far as can be learned, nothing else was stolen. Several months ago a quantity of sacramental wine was stolen from the vestry of St. George's Church, LASHWIELDER SEEN AS N 3 fl ces By Judges May Bring in New Office Kingston, Dec, 21.--The possible appointment of an official lash- wielder at the penitentiary here looms with the ever increasing ar- ray of flogzing sentences being meted out to criminals sentenced by provincial judges, During the past six months ban- dits and those charged with crimes acainst women have been sentenced to be lashed at stated scross the nude back. intervals & - Increase in Flogging Senten- : Notice to WATER. ICE WAFERS To enever you entertain, ), feather-li these "just right" toserve. Assorted Penitentiary guards have been im-|coming tired of their job. posing the whippings, but the in- crease in this type of sentence is|ed by judges in re-emt 80 great that they are fast be-|than in as many years. We are now doing business at our mew location, corner of Bruce and Celina streets, Oshawa, and hope to be able to ens der our usual efficient service during alterations, While our new building is under construction, entrance will be on Bruce street; the telephone number vemains the same, 1088, Watch this space for important announcement later, Wright Funerals tempting zest to any. light wafers are flavors, More lashings have been the Public depends somewhat on 3 Prompt delivery to Ld Phone 8 Just South y ---- ---- me -- Phone 1082 Corner Brace $32 Oeling Sts, Phone 1082 i Ambulance Service Day or Night, El -- -- na ---- 2 NEI RRBVINR ERNE A Merry Christmas recommended that you use: Five Roses, Royal Household, Five Crowns, Purity and Queker Flours for B:cad or Cakes--Eclipse, XXX and larvel Flours for Pastry, Fine Cooling Potatoes -- Table and Cooking Salt -- Rolled Oats Granulated Wheat -- Rolled Wheat Breakfast Wheat Cooper-Smith Co. SBS DEBI MIMS IBIS BRB Do You Own good food--So we have Best Granulated Sugar all parts of the city, of P.O. 16 Celina St. £ aL PF . Winter is Here in Earnest-- Buy a Comfortable Home, from DISNEY Oshaws Blvd, 6-Room -Bungalow, All conven- THE BEST CHRISTMAS Present you can give your wife is a nice New Hore The grandfather who pluck arrows out of his hide as he stoically trudged through the snow drifts now has a grandson who grits his teeth and smiles bravely when he pinches his ns- ot In the fo\ding leg of 8 bridge Take time to deliberate; but when the timé for action a rives. stop and "go to it Glasgow Herald, BYES ot | %' Uy wd BLINN ie ZAI John W. Lint 6 :.oms, eentral, | $3,000 conveniences, well decorated. nice lot. Reasopable, $3 90 Bungalow, § rooms, ' modern convenient easy terms; real value. 6 rooms, new, $4,500 General Motors, erp conven'ences. Easy terms. 9 rooms, brick, 8-p fifi bath, oak floo"s. nr: rated. pice lot, cong ve. A real home, close in, E terme---See this. List your p-operties with quick sale. Satisfaction teed. John W. 87 Bond St. E. JHR LUKE | . BEAL ESTATE AND INSURANCE #4 Money to Loan on First Mortgages fo Phone 871 or 6TW Regent Theatre Block ] Lint lew @-Toomed Brick, 00 'ors; all conveniences; mear Mo 7%. Srap at ¥