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1 CLOSE QUARTERS ; OR, THE HOUSE IN THE RUE BARBETTE CHAPTER XV.-(Cont'd) Men, women, and children loung- ed about the doorways and kept up a constant cackle of conversation in a mysterious patois which MIRS Talbot, though an excellent French scholar, could make nothing of. The presence of these people natur- ally shielded her from the direct observation of La Belle Chasseuse, but nevertheless threatened a slight danger should it be necessary for her to stand still, for she well un- derstood that in such a locality each person was known to the other, nnd the loitering of a utr.ingrr cou'd not fail to arouse curiosity. Soon after passing beneath the lump mademoiselle vanished into a doorway. Kdith perceived to her joy that at this point there was no group of loungers. Indeed, for a few yards the street was empty. K<''j>ing her eyes sedulously fixed upon the exact spot where the Frenchwoman disappear^, she reached th door, and, after a mo- ment's hesitation, stepped lightly into the interior darkness. The narrow entrance was at once lessened to half its width by a stair- case. She listened intently, and could hear the other woman ascend iug the second flight of stairs. At the- next landing mademoiselle paused and knocked three times. Presumably in reply to a question within, she murmured >ome,t.bin,? which I'xlith could not catch, nnd was at once admitted. The e hoot- ing of a rusty bolt supplied evi- dence that the door was locked be- hind her. Ivdith's next task was to identify the house. She stepped out into the street again and crossed to the opposite pavement. She looked up to the second story, but, owing to the short distance -barely fourteen feet that separated her from the house she could discern nothing, save that the windows on that floor were closely shuttered. She rapidly noted that the door was the third removed from tl.e, lamp. Whilst wondering what to do next, a couple of girls approached her. They were young and of course inquisitive. Without any dissimulation, they stood in front of her and scrutinized her face, wondering, no doubt, who this tall graceful newcomer could be. "What is your name?" said one. "Where do you live? Have you just come here? Arc you staying with old Mother Peter 1" With difficulty Edith caught the drift of their questions. But sho mi 1 . w<- red smilingly "No, I do not livo here, nnd I do not know Mother Peter. But I want you to tell me who lives in the house opposite 1" Her Parisian French greatly sur- prised the two girls who giggled at r.vli other, and one of them cried "Oh, here's a lark!" Hut they BceuUi an H,t r i Kl ,e, and rr ';".tc r<'.i<ly to give all the in- formation in their power. "A lot of people there," said the elder one, trying, with the rr;idy tact of her nation, to accommodate her words to the understanding of the stranger. "It all dc]>cnds who yniiii want to know about . On the g'-uimd floor is Josef the barlx-r and his wife, and three little one:'. It cannot be them, I am sure, and it cannot be Monsieur Ducrot, who in their lodger, for he is seventy years old and a sacristan in the Church of the Sacred Heart. Then on the first floor there arc three men. not a woman amongst them. One is a hill -sticker, another a fish- erman, and the third a waiter in the Caff du Midi. I do not know their proper names. We call the bill- sticker 'I'aste-not,' and the fisher- man 'Crab.' The waiter JK called 'Thomas' in the cafe, but when a letter comes for him it is in another name. Then, on the second. fWir -by the way, Marie, who is it that lives on the- second floor V Kdith with difficulty restrained her excitement. She felt that if onlv these youngsters rattled on a little longer she might gain some valuable information. Marie, thus appealed to, was evi- dently of a more cautious tempera- ment than her companion. "If the young lady will tell us why she wants to know, we may bo able to help herl" she stipulated. "Certainly," cried Edith, instant- ly resolving to pursue the, tactics of the jxMiny novelette. "I have been deserted. My lover has been taken away from me by another woman at least, that is what I am inform- ed. I do not wish to make any trouble nli<Mit it. There are plenty as good men as he left in the world ; but, on the other baad/i I must not act unjustly. I have been told that he lives in this house that he is living with her at this moment, in fact. If I can make sure of it, I will go away and never set eyes on him again unless by chance, and then you may be sure I will take no notice of him. I am not one of those silly girls who break their hearts over a faithless sweetheart.'' Marie was reassured. "I should think not," she said, with a sympathetic and defiant sniff. "On the second floor, I am afraid you will find your man. They arc a funny couple that live there. They only came on Monday. When did your young man leave you?" "I saw him on Saturday." "Where?" This was a poser, but Miss Tal- bot answered desperately : "At Lyons." "What is he like?" Another haphazard shot. "He is tall and dark, and, oh! so good-looking, with a beautifully white skin and a pink complexion." "That is he!" cried both girls together. "The scoundrel! But toll me," went on Edith, whose excitement was readily construed as the pangs of jealousy, "who is the creature that lives with him?" "We think she. is a music-hall artiste," replied Marie. "At least, that is what the people say. I hav not heard yet what hall she appears in. They say she is very pretty. Are you going to throw vitrol over her?" "Not I," said Edith, with a fine scorn. "Do they livo there alone?" "Yes, quite alone. They rent the place from Perc l)idon. He owns most of the houses in this street, you know, and is a regular skin- flint. He won't let any one get be- hind with their rent for an hour. He is old, so old that you would not think that he could live another week, yet he is that keen after his ! francs you would imagine he was a ; young man anxious to get money | for a gay life. You ought to have ; heard the row hero last Saturday ' when lie turned the people out from their rooms where your lover now j lives with his mistress. It was tor- ! rible. There was a poor woman with two Kick children." How much further the revelation ! as to Pere Didon's iniquity might! have gone, Miss Talbot could not say. but at that moment there came an interruption. From the opposite doorway ap- peared the figure of Mile. Beau- j caire. carrying a small bag. Sho , was followed by a man, tall, slight, ] and closely muffled up, who shoul- j dered a larger portmanteau. Edith ' grabbed both the girls, and pulled them close to her against the closed door behind them. "It is he!" she whispered tragi- cally. "Silence! Let us watch them!'' i.ie man darted a suspicious I glance up and down the street, j There was no one whom even the j clever Henri Dubois could construe as an enemy no one save somo chattering Marseilles loitering! around their doorsteps, and three i girls huddled together in close con- cave directly opposite. Thus reassured, he strode after La Helle C'hasscuse. who cried out impatiently : "Come quick, Henri, what are you waiting for?" "Is his name Henri?'' whispered the awe stricken Marie. "Yes. Isn't he a villain? I won- der where they are going now!" "Let's follow them and see," sug- gested Marie. "Yes, let us follow them and see," chimed in the other one, who delighted in this nocturnal romance. It was a veritable page out of one- of Paul dc Kock's novels. The programme suited Miss Tal- bot exceedingly well. They strolled off down the street, nestled together, I'xlith in the. cen- tre, and keeping the shrouded cou- ple in front well in sight. This time, when Mademoiselle Beaucaire and her companion reached the point where the street emerged on to the harbor, they did not cross over towards the brood and brilli- ant-lighted Cannebiere, but hur- ried on through darkness Ln the direction of a cluster of fishing smacks that lay alongside the Quai de Rive Neuve. "My faith, Eugenie!" cried Marie, "they must be going on board one of the vessels." "What a lark!" was the answer. "I suppose they fear you," she ad- ded, turning her sharp eyes on Edith. "What is your name?" "Lucille," came the answer on the spur of tho moment "Lucille what?" Sick headaches neuralgic headaches splitting, blinding headaches all vanish when you take Na-Dra-o Headache Wafers They do not contain phenacetln, acetanllld, morphine, opium or any other dangerous drug. 25of A box at your Druggist's, i3 N. II, HIM OK'JO 4 CHI MI6AI.CO OF CANADA, LIMITED. "Lucille Beauharnau." "My gracious I" cried Eugni "what a swell name.!" "Oh, let us hurry," inter ruptec Miss Talbot desperately. "You girls know everybody. You musi know all the vessels. If they are going on a boat an dyou find out the name and number for me I wil give each of you a whole louis. '. will give them to you now I mean that is, if you will walk with me af- terwards to my lodgings." Even amidst the exciting circum- stances surrounding her, Edith re- cognized the absolute necessity there was to maintain the credibil- ity of her previous narrative. Unquestionably Dubois and the lady intended to embark on one ol the fishing boats. They hastened to the further end of the harbor, through whose tiny entrance Edith could now see the dark waters of the bay beyond, for the night w^s beautifully clear and fine, and the bright stars of the south lent some radiance to the scene, when the girls quitted tho deep shadow of the houses. A solitary boat, a decked fishing smack of somo forty tons, was ly- ing by the side of the quay, apart from the others. I'xlith, who knew something about yachting, recog- ni/x>d that her gearing was not fastened in the trim manner sug- gestive of a craft laid by for the night. At the same instant, too, she caught sight of a third form that of a man who had been seated on a fixed capstan, and who now strode forward to peer at the new- comers. Some few words passed between tiie three, but it was impossible for girls, to hear a syllable. Instantly the sailor assisted Dubois anil Mademoiselle Ucaucaire to step down from the quay on board the smack. He followed them, and three other men, who appeared out of the chaos of sails and ropes, com- menced to labor with a large pole in order to shove the sturdy vessel out into the harbor. "Quick!" murmured Ivdith, in an agony le^t the opportunity should slip. "Tell me what vessel it is." "I think," said Marie, "it is the Ucllcs Soeurs. Anyhow, we can easily make certain. All wo have to do is to go back around the top of the harbor, walk down the Quai du Port, and watch her as she passes under the lighthouse of the Fort St. Jean. They will hoist her sail then and we Khali see her jium- bcr." "Oh, come," cried Edith, "let us run!" "We can run if you like," re- plied Marie coolly,, "but there is no need. They have to get out by us- ing the sweeps, and we will be un- derneath the lighthouse at least a minute or two before they pass, even if we walk slowly." Whilst they were talking the three girls put their words into practice, and Edith found herself battling with a logical dilemma. Dubois was evidently escaping from France making out from Marseilles at this late hour on a vessel capable of sailing to almost any point of the Mediterranean, What could she do? Was it pos- sible to invoke the aid of a police man and get some authority to hail ; the craft and order her to return, or was there time to. take a cab isij the Cannebiere and drive furiously! to the hotel, where Brett, Kairholmc am! her brother must be anxious., awaiting her return? Rapidly as these alternative! sug- gested themselves, she dismiss*' I them. It was best to fall in with' Marie's suggestion and ascertain beyond doubt the identity of the fishing smack. Then, at any rate, Brett would have a tangible and definite clue. So she hastened with her com- panions along the three sides of the now almost deserted quay, and, in accordance with the prediction of her youthful guides, she reached tho promenade beyond the small light- house, of the inner port before the vessel had quitted the. harbor. To move a forty-ton boat with oars is a slow matter at the best. As the craft came creeping stead- il'- through the narrow channel I'xlith saw, to her great relief, that' two of the men drew in their sweeps, and commenced to haul upon ropes > whilst the clunking and groaning of pulleys heralded the slow rising of the mainsail. (To be continued.) OUT OF THE GINGER JAR. Ii a blow from a kicking cow a real milk punch? Marriage vowa are too often fol- lowed by marriage Cows. Everybody has to hustle, even the egg is compelled to scramble, often- times. Those who rise early in the morn- ing are the more likely to rise above their troubles. Men are like hens, the harder they have to scratch for a living the more useful they become. The physiologists tell us that we have five senses, and yet some folks act as if they had none. One of our contemporaries advis- es scales for the farm, and that San Jose critter is doing its best to supply them. Some men never miss the water until long after the wells have failed. There is Always a Danger of Bulk Teas becoming contaminated with foreign odors injurious to their flavor and healthfullness Ceylon Tes "Are Never Sold in Bulk Form," but in Sealed Air Tight Packet* OnlyBlack, Mixed or Green. FREE Samples Mailed on Enquiry. Addrets: "SALADA," Toroalo. IMU PRIVATE OFFICE Cramming down ill-chosen food, and rushing back to work, leads straight to dys- pepsia, with all it means in misery. Proper habits of eating, with a Ha-Dru-Co Dys- pepsia Tablet after rach meal, restore good diges- tion, health and happiness. A box of Na-Dru-Co Dys- pepsia Tablets costs but 50c. at your Druggist's. National Drug and Chem- ical Co. of Canada, Limited. 148 LAST CHANCE. Mrs. N. Peck Did you ever no- tice that about half of the pictures in photographers' windows are of bridal couples? I wonder why they always rush off to a photographer as soon as the knot is tied ? Mr. N. Peck Tho husband is re- sponsible for it. He realizes that it is about his last chance to ever look pleasant. The difference between a meteor and a meter is that the former al- ways comes down and the latter al- wa.s goes up. Sanitary Chemical Closets N ? 4 j 1 I ADD $2.5010 FOP DOINTS I UK KUII1 1 J I U/ p CT f) C are fest replacing the disease-breeding, draughty privy-pit closets of a few years ago. Ho man who values the health of his family will hesitate between the insanitary back yard cesspool and a Parkyte Improved Chemical Closet Instal one in your house at little cost. Absolutely odorless and endorsed as sanitary by leading physicians. Highest quality materials and workmanship. Lasts a life- time. Avoid inferior makes. They cost as much, yet are flimsily built of poor ma- terials, last only a short time and *~ are positively insanitary, because built on wrong lines. Ask your dealer or order direct. Send for booklet--"The Path to Health." PABKEB-WHYTE, Limited 3 Toronto Vancouver The Traders Bank of Canada Proceedings of the Twenty-Seventh Annual General Meeting. The Twcnty-Scvciilli Annual Meeting was held at noon on Tuesday, the 23rd of January, 1912. Mr. r. J). Warren, the President, having takrn tho chair, the General Manager. Mr. Stuart Strathy wan reavtatrd X t'he S 8a SSS ^."S"*Uk25 r^'d" 63 "' K alley a " d J ' : NiVCn WCr aPPOiDtCd *- The Minute. DIRF-ICTORS' RKPORT Th Directors have much pleasure In subrouting: tholr Twenty-aive-nth "Annual Report ami balance nheet of tTf affairs of the Bank, ns of the 30th December. 1911, togetlie.r with Profit and L,os Account showing the resuk of th operations of the Dank for the year whlnh ended that duy. The net prollia of the Bank, after making full p-rovlglon for all bad and doubtful debts, amount to 16W.133.7S. being 13. SU per oont. on the paldi-up capital of the. Bank wklch has been applied as follows: The nrt profits for .the twelv* months, after making provision for bad and doubtful d<-tots, and rejerWne accrued Interest, amount to 1601 1S3 71 Balance at credit of Profit and Loea last yar .'.'.' .'.'.' .'.'.. 1K3.*434.7 ! - ' Appropriated as follow*, viz.: Dividend No. 0, quarterly, at the ra,te of 8 pe-r cent, per annum f 87,090.08 No. 61, quarterly, at 'the rate, of 8 per cent, per annum HlvldWKl No. C2, quarterly, at the rate of 8 per cent, per nun. urn IMvidend No. 63. quarterly, at the rite of 8 per cent, per annum Transferred to Kwt Account written off Bank Furniture Transferred to Officers' Guarantee Fund Transferred t OfflBom' Pension Fund 87,090.00 7. 090.00 200,000.00 15,000.09 I.OM.M K Q00 Q A Balance at credit of Profit and Los?, ew account. ....................."........."." '.'..'."...'.".'.'.1 18!, 208.51 $754.568.57 , You will observe. 1200,000 1ms been added to Tles't Account. The Rest Account Is now (2,100,000, or about 58 per oerat. of the subscribed and L>.H.I T.I capital of th.e Hank. The 'busilnefB of trie Bank continues to grow most satisfactorily, as the comparative Btatement submitted) hows. The deposits during the year have Increased $4. 10 3, 898.29, and the circulation has increased 1583.595. rjlh* Head Office, and aH the Branches have been carefully Inspected during the year, nd a full report of eacM office brought In icvlcw before, your Directors, and, in addition to thew. Ins-pertlona, a Committee of the Director*, other than the officer*, ami com.po.ied of Mr. E. F. B. Johncton, K.C.. Mr. W. J. Sheppard, Mr. C. S. Wllcox, and Mr. H. S. Strathy. was ppolnt'<l o examine and appraise all the securities held at the ilead Office, which they did, and reported to the Hoard that "hey are &s represented to It. The Increase In Bank premises la partly accounted f>ir by discharging 1 th* encumbrances which existed at th time of the pu.rchae of Vancouver and Winnipeg propertlea, and partly by the purchase of th property Immediately <-:isi of your Hi-ad Offloe Bulldlnpr. which w;is acqu'.rtd nt a reasonable fltfure, a portion of which will be u.x.-.i for t'm, T)unpos<> of tJi }ank. This puro.hnse will be of jrreat advamlaKO In proteetlnic the llffMlng of th eat elde of lhj Sleod Offlce UulltMn. Your Bank premises now comprise 34 sopara,te .bulldlrtgs. The I>lr*ctors have much pleaaure in testifying o the good work performed 'by the Staff during the penlooi undicr review. All of whloli is respectfully ubinltted. OHAS. D. WAMRE1N, PreMdenL (The General Manager read the Oertc-ral Statennent of th Can.k, us of 30<th of Dece-m'bcr, 1911, as follow: COMPARATIVE: GENERAL STATEMENT 30th December, 1911 Capital Stock paid up ....... "Reisl Account Dividend No. 63, ipaynble 2nd. January Former Mvi ]< mi.i unpaid Tirti i, ' r accrued on Deposit Receipts. Balance of Profits carried forward . * LIABILITIES ion. u.;ir. I..-.OH oi: 2,()00,OOO.O<) ' HT.OOO.OO MCU 2.NII.TO 181,20 M.BT 1D10. 4,3.Vt,HOO.OO 2,8OO,O4M.OO s7.it: in no Is Cure QUICKLY 6TOP5 COUGHS. CURES COLDS, MEAL* THE THROAT AND LUNO*. 29 CENTS SUFFICIENT UNTO HERSELF. Small and independent Mamie was exploring a toy-shop with her mother and two older brothers. To see what she would do in an emer- gency, they hid behind a counter and watched her, After looking around and finding herself quito alone, she serenely resumed her trudge, gazing complacently at the array of dolls and toys. Presently a floor-walker, who had taken in the bit of fun, approached her and said : "Why, hello! Aren't you lost?" "O, no," she smiled, patroniz- ingly, "I isn't; dcm is." Thugs are terrorizing Vaneouver despite the warning that those who are eaught will get th5 lash. Notes of th Dank \n circulation I 'i-i'. .!!- bearing interest. In- cluding Interest accrued to date $31,866,224.11 Deposits not bearing Interest 8,411,414.14 ED. 5 A ISSUE 6-12 me.polts mad* by .Bank In the United States Balance due to other Banks In C'anada .... 13alance due to London Ae<nta Gold and Silver Coin current. $ 541,080.07 Dominion Qovermment I>e- jnand. Notes 6,438,070.00' Notes of and Ohe.quea on other Banks Balance due from oilier Banks Baila-nce due from Foreign A#e.nts 1 '.(iliii.'u and .Provlncia.1 Government Se- curities Hallway and other Bonds, Debentures and other fiucurltles Call and r>h<ort 'Loans on Ktoc.ks, Bonds urn! other Securities Ca.ll and Short I<o&ns on Stocks, Bonds &nd other Securities In United States Pills discounted current .Notes I|;M umiti-.i overdue, (estimated loss pro- : Tided for) I .".i n^ to other Banks, s*curcd> Deposit wlt'h Dominion Oovernnnent for se- curity of general Bank Note Circulation Heal Kstate, tho property of the Bank (other : ii 1 11 ithe Bank premises) Afortgagies on Jleat Kstate, sold 'by the Dank .Bank premises iv. ink furniture, eafea, e>to.< c TORONTO. 23rd January, 1912. $4,373,075.00 30,1)77,0.1 8.ZS (ii^.!> 1:1. in 14,074.51 322,001.41 $ 7,120,504.70 I..::, is-, 153, 434.79 43,301, 232.03 ASSETS $5,081,330.07 2.R17.278.41 r.ss,:i-j( r,-j 1,345,380.74 682,3 10.37 1,815,804.44 1,723,515.35 301.284.21 $34,583,017.84 100,121.74 133.03 107,305.35 2,804.15 24.050,00 2,307,501.71 287,CO.87 $20,077,007.41 7,OOO,137.18 j 487,760.67 3,843,333.00 *3,71K>,080.00 30,077. S34.M 3IR.H4H.K3 20,7.s.14 46,208.17 40,202,7BT.T3 $47,162,736.80 $14,8135,340.71 37,62,4M>.71 $52,427,827.49 $4,331,103.57 2,020,030.83 2M I, O70.60 1,134,012. 561,500.37 1,V2,172.48 lt443.6O5.24 200,000.00 $32,810,331.82 74,088. 75 7,850.77 167,374.13 3,509.03 24.6OO.OO 2,011.1.332.22 240,4311.41 $11,731,370.74) 3B.42t,3(t6.\B $47,ir>2,73<l.8tt STUART STRAT1IY, QoneraJ I