Two of the Montalban family were disporting themselves in the clear, deep end of the lake, nearest the inlet of the sitream. Sand broke the dark soil under this streich, and even made, a narrow strip of beach for bathing along the distant edge of the water; but Charles and Rcebert Montalban preferâ€" red to dive from the balustrade. To Molly, watching from the window of the day nursery, it was startling at first to sse the distorted body of Roberi plunge clean into the water beside him, silently, without a ripple, and ;urn, and flash away under water at an oiter‘s easy speed. "I was watching your brother," said Molly. "Isn‘t it fortunate there‘s still s~me‘hing he can do so we‘l?" "Oh, Rob! He‘s like a fish. Nothing pleases him more than +o show off for an audience. He probably knows you‘re watching and admiring him." "Probably," said Molly, resisting the temptation to spring away from the windew at once. She turned and lookâ€" ed at the interrupter. She noted that Cleone was not afraid to wear gay colours, even if her qualities were no longer the qualities of youlh. She turned her thin shoulder, and showed a halfâ€"detached shoulderâ€"strap. "Be an angel, will you, and put s*itch in it for me.‘ Molly sewed the strap into pace, and was; entertained in the process. Cleone was by no means a randcm talker; she talked constantly and with purpose, but the purpose was her own faction. Molly had learned to venture no protest and no opinion during thes>? eniightening conversations. If she k°pi sJence the ficw was stimula®ed. "Don‘t try and work up any sympathy for Rcbert," said Cleone. ‘"He doesn‘t need it. I don‘t ‘hink he wants it. H2 was never a Charles, wanting to rush away and climb mountains when things went wrong. No, Rob shuts himself into his little study and gets drunkâ€" on books. Cleone, dressed for swimming and carrying a scarlet wrap, came in while she was still standing thie window and instantly came to look over her shoulder. There was, in reality, nothing unusuâ€" al in finding this queer dexterity in another element revealing i‘:self in one crippled for life upon land. Some sort of automatic remedying of a fate threwn out of balance; one of nature‘s compensations. CHAPTER VII MOLLY LEARNS MORE It was a ho; day, and still, with the +ops of the trees of the Montalban park immmobile against a pale, cloudless sky. MAILIA DAUNT: Met her death at Montalban in mysterious circumstances LA WRENCE SEVERN: Secretaryâ€" companion to the veteran Sir John. (al ROBERT, Junior, crippled in a road smash (unmarried). RALPH :: (married) CHARLES, 21 (unmarried). and two unmarried daughters ELSIE and CLEONE. BARBARA MONTALBAN: Wife of Ralph. "Yes, Iâ€" suppose he was <worth aA glance. No Montalban could ever be beautiful to look at,. of cours>. That was one of the things I had Mailia. Goodâ€"looking was the best one could ever say of me, even by the wildâ€" est stretch of imagination. She was quite indecently beautiful. Did you ever see a photograph of her?" "Yes I have. She was rather lovely." "I often wonder who my benefac.or was," said Cleone thoughtfully. "Your benefactor?" "Whoever threw her out of the winâ€" dow. I â€"might have done it myse‘tâ€" that way or some other wayâ€"#f she‘d s ayed in the same house with me much longer. So I certainly cwe a vh‘e of thanks to the person who relieved me of the jcbh." She wriggled her ers, "Do comée round where I can see you. Nurse Balcon. You have such a delightfuly disapproving face; I love to see it getting primmer and primâ€" mer." WHAT HAPPENXED AT MOLLY BALSON: A young London nurse, specializing in the care of child« ren. SIR JOHN MONTALBAN: Head of the Montalban family nearly ninety years of age. ROBERT MONTALBAN: His son, who has been master of the family seat for twenty years. He has three sons: . Molly laughed. There was an itch in her fingers to jab the nsedle well in under the sharp shculderâ€"blade. "I said I often woander,." remarked Cleone, going off at a tangent. ‘"But as a matter of fact, there are frequent times when I feel morally cerilain. GOpâ€" portunityâ€"well, we all had tha‘. On the whole I‘m inclined to think my esteemed parent was the chosen vessel." "Do you really know what you‘re saying?" asked Molly. "But naturally! Why no:? I‘ve ro proof; no ene has any proof; no one ever will have any proof. That‘s the whole glorious point of it. He not only did it, he did it well; and all to have his hepe {from a disastrous marriage. "I you‘re +aiking through your hat," said Molly brusquely. ."Is it likeâ€" ly your father would «it back and let Ralph stand his trial for something he‘d done himseld?" y PAGE SIX PRINCIPAL CHARACTERS PUBLISHED BY SPECIAL ARRANXGEMEXT "I‘sâ€" a blessing.there‘s somethinz he can still do," said Mrs. Forester with sudden â€"warmth.. ‘"When I think how fine he used to be! He was never so tall as Mr..Charle.s of course, but he wa:s; as likely a young man as you could wish to see.. And I have heard that he was looking forward to a promising career in the diplomatic service, but whenâ€"it happenedâ€"he seemed +o give up all hepe of ever doing anything. T suppose it was.no use going on. They talk abcut another cperation on his tack, but nobody seems in any hurry to fix it up. and it‘s my belief they lmow it‘s +oo dangerous." She began to wonder, in. an idle way, about Rober‘‘s accident.. Seven yepaf: old, so they Slaid, and in terms of newsâ€" paper files seven years was no, so great a time. She might, some day, go to the trouble to look up the ‘reports of *that motor smash; not for any possible light it could shed upon recent everny‘s, but because she began to be greedy for inâ€" formation about thete baffling Montalâ€" bans. "Ch, he was then, was he? As a rule, the boot‘s on the other foot: and the one to get killed is the innoâ€" cent party. Did it happen round here?" "This," though; Molly, "is certainly a rum household. Do they really care so little for each o‘ther, or is it a pose?" It was not likely, however, tha she would have thought it again if it had ncit been for Mrs. The housekeeper was standing at the winâ€" dow of her sistingâ€"room when Molly went down the stairs. The rococm was in a; small wing buill out from the end of the house, and from this window the edge of the terrace and the rim of the lake cculd jus|. be Mrs. Forester also, it seemed, felt fascinated interes® gjl the ‘sight of Robertâ€"poised for his ve. "Thank you. For the advice, too. Some day I m take it., But I‘m afraid they‘d ntéed evidence." "I‘m afraid so, too." *"*I could tell them he‘s quile capable of murder. Especially since Rcbert got crippled; after all, he has nothing bu; Charles to live for now. Ralph‘s nothing. Ah, well â€" no doubt it all works its:>lf out in the end." She laughed, slinging her searlet wrap abou* her shoulders. *Don‘t bother to look through the window any more, nurse. My dive is not worth your notice,. T flop badly.". She ‘departed with an insolent swirl of the cot‘on cloak, and the door slammed behind her. She went back to the window. Robert was standing upon the balus} rade, s feet curved into a firm.‘grip, his twis‘ed tody leaned slightly forward for the dive. She found herself resenting his accident. "It must have been .a ghascly smash ‘o break him up like that," said Molly. ‘"How did it happen? ‘Was he‘ driving the car?‘ ‘"No, somewhere in Sussex, I believe. Mr.. Monta"ban and ‘Mr. Rober; were mc.oring back together from a business visit to some bigwig at his country house, and this man drove out on them at a crossroads. They hadn‘t a chance. Both the cars were smaslied to pieces, and it‘s a miracle of all things the +wo women weren‘ killed as well." ‘"‘The two women?" "The man‘s wife and daughterâ€"or stepâ€"daughter, or something. I forget the exact relationship.. Tt was as a bad busness all round. I did read someâ€" thing abott the women being pu} in a hceme, or some such thing. There was scmething badly wrong about them, at any rateâ€"nct normalâ€"pecple." "*You should call on Detectiveâ€"Serâ€" geant Walden and tell him all about it," said Molly. "There might even be a reward for useful information. There you are, the s:rap‘s quite safe now." *‘No, ‘his father‘ was "driving,"‘ said Mrs,. Forester. "It was no faul of his, though. The other man was drunk â€"or so they said ‘at the inquest." "What‘s a murder trimi more or less *o a Mon‘alban? In the Middle Ages we did what we like in these parts No, my dear, our nerves are better than you think. Provided Ralph wasn‘t actually condeéemned, father could hold his tongue, and sit ‘tight, and wait the event." Rcobert raisedâ€"lmis arms and plunged. "He has a wonderful dive, hasn‘t he?" said Molly.. "I‘ve just been watching him from the nursery window." ( "Too bad," said Molly what happened to them.‘ "I wonder "I kncw how this one was done. Mon‘alban had it done, and he paid for their treatmen*®." "And were they grateful?" "Would you be?" Molly laughed. "A long time afterâ€" wards, I might be. From an outsider‘s poiny of view it was more than generâ€" ous; of him. Poor creaiures, though, I shouldn‘t be surprised they loathed him at the time." "Quite likely. But ncot for long â€" at least for one of them. The woman gied inside three monhs. She was too far gone. "And the girl?" ‘‘"‘They cured her. She was only sixâ€" teen. ‘She came cut of the home after a vear, and that was that." They walked to the far end of the orchard to a rustic seat par.ly overâ€" grcwn with moss. "A little. It was caused by a drunkâ€" en driver, who turned ou‘â€"iwhen they‘d identified himâ€"to be a fellow called Sacchetti. He was killed, and Robert got a year of lying on his back, two major andâ€"the results you "Why? She wasn‘t driving the car: and she hadn‘t a shady business. I don‘t see +ha« her stepfather‘s sins need ever have affected her." Severn lit a cigarette. _ ‘"Someon« seems to have been telling this tale before me." alll Still, if she lhad an alibi, I‘m afraid *that‘s <that." "No, it was before my time by iwo or three years. But what can it conâ€" ceivably have to do with Mailia and her death?" "So I gathered. Nor much she wouldn‘t do for them. That was what gave me the idea she might have killed for them. No, I wasn‘t trying io conâ€" nect up the car smash with the murdâ€" er.. Rober, just interests me, that‘s all. Do you kncow any‘hing about the case?" ‘"‘Fellow‘s wife, and a young girl â€" her daughter, but not his, as far as I remember. She‘d been married twice; the girl was English. And don‘t ask me her name. because I don‘t kncow it. N one here knows it, except prcbably the two Roberts. (Owing to the subâ€" ject‘s youth her name was suppressed." "She had other qualities not usfially adveriised. Like her mother before her: They were both of them rotten with cocaine." "Ch!" said Molly slowly, and not wihcut horror. "So that was the sort of home they were put into!" S€evern nodded. "And three weeks over, to be exact. Yes, Montalban paid out; steadily for a year from an estate by no means rich, +o rehabilitate a girl who was nothinz to him but a bad memory, and whom he‘d seen personâ€" ally only once. You never know what a Montalban will do." "Where was the home?" asked Molly. "I hardly know. I remember the name of it, though. It was the Marâ€" garet Seward Insti‘u‘le.‘" "There‘s another thing I‘ve been wendering asout," said Molly, s>a‘:ing herse‘f. "Robert‘s acciden‘. Were you here when it happened?" "Nothing I surpose. This was quite a different wondering. T was watching him in the water toâ€"day, and it brings "@Che‘l know. If she says it, it must be so. There isn‘t much that woman doesn‘t know about the Mon‘albans." see. It was a ghastly blow for his fa‘her. Robert was the only one with any considerable brains, you know." ‘"‘There were ;wo women in the other car, too, weren‘t there? Mrs. Porester sald sio." "Do you mean to tell me that they kent up a heavy drain of fees; for whole year?" it heme rather how helpless he is on land. Mrs. Forester tells me he was dest‘ned for the diplema®ic service unâ€" tilâ€"that happened." ‘"Not so well. Go on. Wha‘t was; it, a court order that they should be comâ€" melled to undergo treatment? T don‘t know how these things are done." Molly gave a sharp exclamation which drew his eves to her face at once. "You know it?" "The same fund endowed a clinic at the Londcn hospital where I used to work. It would be the easiest thing in the world for me to get into touch with the Matren I correspondâ€"rather irregularly, but I do corresjondâ€"wi‘h one cf her nursing sisters. ‘My dear girl, what do you hcpe to find there? What does all this past history matter? I+% hasn‘t any bearing on the Daunt business. And by the way., what do you care about the Daunt business?" He regarded her dazily over the glowâ€" ing end cof his cigarette. She shrugzed her shoulders. Ts doesn‘t affect me, of course. Still, T‘d be glad if it were cleared up. My pa‘tient would have a better chance, and I should be happier. One ge‘s to kncew pecole and the issue begins to matter quite considerably." "You don‘t betieve Charles did it," he reminded her, with an odd gleam in his eves. "I‘m sure he didn‘t. I haven‘t menâ€" ticned Charles. There are cther people in this house besides Charles." Having said so much, she got up suddenly from the seat, and added abrup‘ly: "I must go back and see if Mrs. Montalban wants anything.‘ Severn arose in his turn, and fell into step beside her as she set off at a raâ€" ther hurried pace in the direction of the house. She walked fast, with her eyes averted. Neither of them had anyâ€" thing more +o siv. North Bay Nugget:â€"Modern ssyeech ... . In a Main s‘em coffee shop this am. we overheard a fellow telling anâ€" other chap atout his new home. *"It‘s ideally loca‘ed," he said. "Out in the snuburbs, vou know!" COPYRIGHT Sudoury Etar:â€"The new eleciric raâ€" zor, given one of the boys in "‘he famâ€" ily. is of no u> to Dora. She finds no place to insert the pencil to be sharpenâ€" "Some women who say they suffer in silence may mean that when in silence they suffer."â€"Belleville Intelligencer. Master deâ€"luxe 4â€"door sedan with heavy duty equipment and thorâ€" oughly guaranteed 59 A sacrifice at $ 5. Daigneault Motors 28 sSecond Avenue BUSINESS DIRECTORY CAKES BUNS PASTRY RYE BREAD FRENCH PASTRY 40 Third Avenue 10 Pine St. S. Finger Waves Permanents Paper Curis Marcels Manicures Komal Waves For Appointmentâ€"PHONE 1320 15 Cedar N. (near Third Ave.) 31 Wilson Avenue PERMANENT WAVES 56 Mountjoy S. BUILDER‘S SUPPLIES 16 Balsam St. Coal Dealer CLEAN FUEL _ CLEAN SERVICE 28 First Avenue 35 First Avenue The Most Upâ€"toâ€"date Bake Plant in the North Leading Brands of Fuel Ask for coupons redeemable on Bread and Pastry. Try our Famous Doâ€"Nuts and rrench Pastry NEW AND USED PARTS FOR ALL MAKES OF CARS Learn Beauty Culture under a Government â€" Licensed school supervised by Maye Hodgins National Bakery Building Contractor Mandifacturer LUMBER, SASH, TRIM, ETC. Builder‘s Supplies and Firewood Mike Mirkovich Albert‘s Beauty Parlour Timmins School of Hairdressing Wrecker and Garage COAL AND WOoOD DEALERS DISTRIBUTORS FOR ALL The Home of Better Bread AUTO DEALER Timmins and District business establishments enjoy a good patronage from the residents of this community because through the years they have earned the confidence of the public and are coâ€"operating to retain it. You are invited to inspect the values offered by the firms listed below. Union Coal Company Ltd. Pigeon Auto 18 Mattagami Boulevard Phone 1351â€" W lbert‘s PQread Iways P PASTRY AND CAKES OUR SPECIALTY Schumacher Bakery INKLING OF TRUTH Bread 8¢ Loaf J. P Roy Schumacher Phone $58â€" M Phone 1875 Phone 1060 Phone 1445 Phone 221 $1.20 Phone 134 Phone 102 Your Best Cleaning Service Lynch Appliance and Furniture Co. 39 Third Avenue Phone 1870 Exclusive dealers for Westinghouse True Temperature Controlled Reâ€" frigerators, Electric Ranges, Radios, Washers, Vacuum Cleaners, Etc. "THE HOME OF FINE FURNITURE" GEM ELECTRIC MOTOR SERVICE Let Us Take Care of the Pasteurized Milk Cream Buttermilk The Farmer Owned Dairy General Building Contractor Coal and Wood Dealer OFFICE: 141 Main Ave., Timmins PHONE 583 Office: 5 Cedar N. Phone 524 Plant: 301 Spruce St. S. Phone 525 61 Kirby Avenue 61 Kirby Avenue Clothes You Wear HATS CLEANED and BLOCKED Contract wiring, Lighting Fixtures, Neon Signs (Sales, Repairs and Erection), Neon Signs and Motors Serviced on yearly contract. L. C. WARD, (prop.) 210 Birch St. N. Phone 175 We repair all kinds of motors, washing â€" machines, â€" refrigerators, stokers, fans, car generators, etc. We also sell and exchange 25 and 60 cycle motors. We loan you motor while repairing yours. 14 Birch St. N. 161 Spruce St. S. 101 Pine St. S. Pnone 1780 FUR COATS MADE TO MEASURE REMODELLING RELINING REPAIRING _ REâ€"DYEING 7 Cedar St. 8. Burton Cleaners Up to a Quality Not Down to a Price WARD ELECTRICAL SERVICE Northland Producers Dairy FURNACE REPAIRS LICENSED FUMIGATOR Prevent Fires During Cold Months CHIMNEYS and FURNACES CLEANED Brownston Fur Works Shawville Creamery Butter Bird‘s Eve Frosted Foods Red Ribbon Beef McCartney‘s Chicken CLEANING PRESSING STORAGE CLEANING All work done by experts on premises J. Van Rassel E. L. URQUHART ELECTRICAL CONTRACTORS ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES A. Vercival Herman‘s FURRIERS L AND WOOD DEALER PHONE 2100 Phone 2930 Phone 2930 Phone 3200 Phone 1675 Schumacher Hardware and Co. The Timmins Office Supply Co. Rudolphâ€"McChesney Lumber Co., Ltd. FRANK KLISANICH (prop.) Where Good Friends Meet PHONE 788 # ®# ’ Everything in Hardware RADIO®S STOVES WASHERS LOWE BROS. PAINTS Skisâ€"Skates and All Supplies 65 Pine St. 8. New Low Rates on Fire Insurance Auto Life Casualty C. C. M. sPORT SUPPLIES PETERBOROUGH SKI EQUIPMENT A small deposit will hold any article Phone 748 Deliver Anywhere Excellent Dining Room Phone 1965 J. A. Mongeon, (prop.) City Hardware Co. First Avenue, 21 Cedar St. N. 27 Third Avenue 35 Kimberley Ave. Phone 584 MADE TO ORDER Reâ€"Government Order No. 64, and the War Time Price and Trade Board License Numbers. 22 Pine St. S. Manufacturers and Dealers in FOREST PRODUCTS ROUGH and DRESSED LUMBER PULPWOOD MINING TIMBER Plumbing and Heating Sheet Metal Contractors Day or Night Service Cor. Mountjoy and Second Ave. Private Telephone and Radio in Every Room LUMBER DEALER OFFICE SUPPLIES Empire Market Dinelle Smith RUBBER STAMPS Albert‘s Hotel PLUMBING AND HEATING MEAT MAR KET Tâ€"BONE â€" ROUND or SIRLOIN Steaks or Roasts 27¢ Ib. Pearl Lake Hotel CONSULT US FOR P. J. Doyle F. Bauman Lorie Watches Reasonably Priced Swiss, Stella and Schumacher Phone 1365 Phone 1330 Phone 384 Phone 1930 Phone 298 Phone 978 Timminsâ€" Comfort Fund Tea by Ladies Auxiliary at Hall Blairmore Enterprise:â€"Now there‘s a garlic extract with the taste but no odor. THURSDAY, FEDBRUARY STH, 1943 Red Indian Service Station Firestone Tires Tire Repairs Schumbacher Road Schumacher Rd. Gaszoline 61 Mountjoy St. 8. 270 Spruce St S. Agents for TIPâ€"TOP TAILORS and wW. R. JOHNSTON 27 First Avenue Pho schumacher 5 Spruce St. S Phone 350 F. D. DWYER 257 Cameron N 123 Wilson Ave. New Heated Warehouse SEPARATE ROOM SYSTEM Phones 510 1733 SERVICE STATION®S FAST â€" EFFICIENT SERVICE o *Â¥ Cainerun N. Phone 557 Hyâ€"Way Service Station Paul Voutilainen (prop.) AUTO RADIATOR REPAIRS BATTERY SERVICE Bâ€"A GAS AND OIL MountJ;0y Service Station Dodd‘s Transfer Bill‘s Tire Repair GOODYEAR TIRES VULCANIZING United Movers 24 HOUR SERVICE All Careful and Experienced Drivers Leo‘s Transfer Dwyer‘s Taxi Bus Line International Tailors W. BARBERKR, (prop.) VULCANIZING L. BOUCHARD (prop.) sSUPER SERVICE e Motor Oills ( Car Washing, Ete. EXIDE BATTERIES DUNLOP TIRES WE MOVE ANYTHING STOR AGE DEALERS in Car Washing Phone 2500 Schumacher Phone 1062 Phone 2655 Phone 888 Phone 334 Timmins Greases