The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

"But I have already told you, Superâ€" intendent, that I was not friendly with Mr. Nolescue. Our relationship in the etore was a business cne, so I cannot ee how it could have affected anyâ€" one else." i ‘"Well," gdmitted Beck, "I suppose we‘ll have to leave it at that, but before I go there‘s just one cther thing I‘d like to ask you and it‘s this: in the past few days have you notized anyâ€" thing at all unusual in Mr. Nolescue‘s conduct?" "Now that you come to mention it, I have," she admitted. "He has appearâ€" ed more than usually worried. Perhaps not so much worried as apprehensive; as though he were expecting someone tu come into the store. Only two aays nervy than usual he asked me not on‘te, but many times, whether we had had any Chinese customers. I told him that we had nct, yet despite that he kept making a similar inquiry. At first I took little nostice of it, but later when "Let me put it to you another way," he suggested. "May we assume that there was someone on the staff of Oxâ€" tons who rather resented the fact thnat you were friendly with Nolescue? 1 know you will think it an impertinence, Miss Varley, but IL assure you: L nave no> idesire to probe into your private life. L ‘am merely making this suggestion in the hcepe of dissovering some means ¢f making sense out of something tnat, at the moment, appears senseless." (Now read on.) CHINESE CUSTOMERS But the Superintendent was not to be fcbbed off so easily. He was convinced in this own mind that Miss Varley was not playing the game with him. Snce knewâ€"scomething, of that he was cerâ€" train; and he felt that if it had any bearing iat all on the case she cught to be reasonable and tell him what it her apartment, but is not altogetner satisfied with all she tells him cr all she dcesn‘t tell him. He is under the impression that she may be holding scmething back. ing PETER OXTON, the managing director, he discovers that the dead man had no apparent right on the preâ€" mises the previous night, when death was adjudged to have taxen place. Believing that Miss Varley can supâ€" ply the answers to a number of quesâ€" tions perplexing his mind, he sets ou:t to interview the girl, who has been sen cff duty after her gruesome experience * Supt. Beck interviews Miss Varley at mental silk manazer at Oxtons, a big Lomdon silk emporium, is discovered by PHYLLIS VARLEY, first assistant in the Chinese Silk Department, lying dead, his body wrapped in a roll of Chinese silk beneath her counter. SUPERINTENDENT JAMES BECK cf Sccotland Yard, finds that Nolescue has been strangled, but after interviewâ€" YOU CAN START THE STORY HERE If you enjoy a mystery story with some love element, and other thrilling features, you will enjoy reading "The Silk Enigma." You can take®up the etory here. Only three previous instal«â€" ments have been puslished in thesec columns. And if you read the synopsis given herewith, can get all the salient points of what has gone beforc and proceed with the story. Bynopsis rather â€" more departâ€" in Tokyo. Prior to coming to London, in fact, within six months he had spent considerable time at Suchow. The reaâ€" on for his leaving Suchow was not known. He had arrived in London two nronths ago and for the past month had been employed by Oxtons. During his stay in London he had lived at a small hotel in the vicinity of Victoria Station, where he had paid his tills regularly and appeared, azcâ€" Beck sat down at his desk with a sense of infinite satisfaction. learned from the dossier that had been meticulously cocmpiled that Nikoâ€" las Nolescue had been born of peasant stock at Kraiova in 1890; that after an cbscure ichildhood little was known of him until 25 years later when he apâ€" peared in Bucharest as an agent for a silk firm in Hangchow. Later he apâ€" peared in various silk towns and vilâ€" lages in China, and also was heard of CHAPTER IV FIVE EYES OF MEDICUS From Chelsea Superintendent Beck drove straight back to Scotland Yard. Here ihe found that his assistants on the case ‘had marshalled what facts they could concerning Mr. Nikcolas Noâ€" lessue. Inspector . Graves had everything neatly tabulated as a result of the tuzzing wires between London, Hong Kcong, and half a dozen different Eurcpean capitals. He saw the girl momentarily shudder. Then she smiled. "I‘m glad about that," she said, simply, and Beck realized that the shock of the morning‘s daisâ€" covery had not, despite the girl‘s apâ€" parent poise, yet worn off. times. However, I suppose you‘ll be back ‘behind your counter morning. By the way, Mr. Oxton telis me he‘s moving your display to anâ€" other part of the store." "I‘m sorry if I‘ve been an old nuisâ€" ance," he smiled. "I‘m afraid my job makes me somcething of a nuisance at "I‘m afraid I iran‘t, except for the reason I‘ve already given you, that cnly an expert can detect the genulnie article." Beck arose to depart and the girl jumped down from her perch on the bed. "Buchcow silk?" murmured Beck, reâ€" minissently. "Isn‘t that the silk you mentioned that Nolescue was himseli{ inquiring about yesterday afternoon?" The girl‘s eyes brightened. "Why, of course, how silly of me not to comnect the two. Yes, that‘s right." "Now can you tell me why Nolescue should be partisularly interested in Suchow silk, Miss Varley?‘" "Nene whatzsver. Oh, and there‘s anâ€" other point I was almost forgetting. When Mr. Nclessue asked me about the Chinese customers he said that if ever I had a Chinese customer asking to cee any Suchow silk I must let him know immediately." he persisted, I thought it rather cdd." Beck was alert, thoroughly alert now for the {first time during the interview. "And do you have many Chinese customers, Miss Varley?" he inquired. "They are very rare. In fact I can cnlyâ€"recolliect two or three during the whole time I have been at Oxtons." "Canâ€"you think of any reason why Noleéesssue should have @ppeared parâ€" ticularly interested tomers?" "That‘s fine," enthused Beck. "I‘d an iGea you‘d fill in the gaps that have keen left in my education. I want you to tell me everything you know about Suchow." "I‘ve not much taste for history, proâ€" fessor, but I am interested in Chinese silk, particularly Suchow silk." Professor Karmen looked searchingly at the Superintendent. "That‘s funny," he said quietly. The old man shoock his head. "IL was in Suchow less than a year ago," he said, "but I never had nuts.‘" A thin but hearty laugh echoed strangely between those four azcademic walls. "I hope you are not in a hurry, Supcrintendent," he smiled. "Suchow has a great history and if you want me to begin at the beginning . . . "Suchow nuts," smiled the Superinâ€" tendent. "Ever heard of them? Ever tried to get them between your crackers?" Beck held up a friendly but protestâ€" ing hand. "You‘re quite right, Profés= sor; absclutely right, but I‘ll warrant that you won‘t find my Chinese nut so easy of manipulation." Professor Karmen _ wrinkled his brows. "And what nuts, may I ask, haveâ€"you been having from China, Mr. Beck?" "You‘re right Professor, I‘ve got one now that‘s proving a real hard nut." "I like nuts," beamed the professor, "particularly Brazil nuts. They‘ve got a flavour, a real nutty. flavour, and they‘re not nearly so difficult to crack when cnce you know how. For instancze, if you insert the nut between the nut crackers, st," and he held out two pencils and proceeded to place an imaâ€" ginary nut between the two levers, "and make quite sure that the greatest pressure is exerted on the hinge of the nut, which is curiously enough the weakest part Winte it has been released from the tree at that pcint . . . "That‘s good work, Graves, very good work, but there‘s ‘one further inquiry 1 want made cof this hotel. I want to know whether,. during the time Nolesâ€" cue siayed there, he ever had any Chinese visitors. I‘m off now to‘learn all abcut Suchow. I‘m â€" particularly anxious to know what attraction, bus:â€" ness and ctherwise, it had for friend Nolescue. Perhaps when I‘ve refurnâ€" ished my mental attics T‘ll be able to get this affair into proper perspective.‘" Inspector Graves took his departure and Beck dialled his telephone and inâ€" structed the switzshboard cperator to find out whether Professor Karmen at the British Museum could spare him a few moments. Half an hour later Beck was shown into a small rcom under the roof of the British Museum and found himself being greeted by a small, domeâ€"headed little man face was akin to the parchments spread out on the little table from behind which he arose as ck entered. "Good afterncon, Mr. Beck. It must be five years since I last had occcasion to discuss cur little conmundrums. Now what can it be this time?" While at the ‘hotel, however, he had kept somewhat irregular chours and frequently arrived back there in the small hours of.the morning. Beck turned to the Inspector, who stcod beside his desk. eccrding to the proprietor, a mildâ€"manâ€" nered and entirely reserved little man. "I was merely thinking," he continâ€" ued "In substantiation of my suggesâ€" tion that if Tao Li‘s torturer was to be believed, the services of Noles:ue would besome particularly valuable since Noâ€" lescue himself, representing the Euroâ€" pean silk interestsâ€"that is the buyers â€"imight be able to track down all conâ€" signments that left Tao Li‘s looms. As I was sAaying, if Tao Li did actually consign the secret to one of the rolls +oi silk he was weaving, then Nolescue had an excellent chance of discovering ‘‘May I inquire whether you asked this man‘s employer how he came to engage him?" asked the professor. "Come to think of it, I didn‘t," conâ€" fessed Beck. "When I was talking to Mr. Oxton this morning I rather took it for granted that Oxton‘s wanted a Beck, loegically. "He could have bougnt up every scrap of silk known to have come from Tao Li‘s weaving shed." ‘"Maybe he did," suggested Professor Karmen, "but to do so he would nave to be plentifully supplied with money anmd from what I know eof the Tongs they are not usually wealthy." "I suppose that‘s true enough, but how was he to know that he would be‘ taken on as a Chinese silk expert by Cxtons? As I see it, professor, it‘s all too confoundedly ooin:cidental Everyâ€" thing seems to fit together too easily, and when that happens I usually wait awhile before I come to a definite conâ€" reason for Nolescue‘s appearance in London?" questioned Beck doubtfully. "It is a suggestion," commented the proféssor. "But surely Nolescue need not have gone to all that trouble," protested "By Jove, I believe you‘ve got ::, Professor," exclaimed Beck. The radiated satisfaction at such unqualified praise. "As. a general rule that is correct and I‘m almost as perplexed as you are, Superintendent," answered the proâ€" fessor; "but I‘ve been thinking the matter cver in the light of what you have told me, and when we consider the sttperstitious value which is placed on the possession of the Five Eyes of Medichus it is likely that some of ‘the more eager and enterprising of tne Tongs would not be averse to departing from tradition. Shall we suppose, for the sake of argument, that Nolescue, Eimself an expert in genuine Suchow silk, should have been employed by one of the rival Tongs for the sole purâ€" pose of tracking down tnat particuiar roll cf Suchow silk woven on the loom cf the illâ€"fatled Tao Li." "I‘m trying to discover where Noâ€" les:ue comes into the heavily embroiâ€" dered picture,‘" he complained. "Surely you don‘t suggest that Nolescueâ€"harmâ€" less little fellow that he apparently was â€"wasâ€"mixed up in all this Tong bustâ€" ness. I always thought that the Tongs were strictly racial; that they did not iunvite assistance from aliens and parâ€" ticularly from Westerners." "New one of the torturers, it is said, has sworn that Tao Li, in his agonizing delirium, called, as he normally would, on the spirits of his ancestors to preâ€" serve his secret in the silk where he had placed it, and prayed that a suitâ€" able curse should descend on anyone gaining poassession of the silk and readâ€" ing his secret. This, mind you Mr. Beck. is only hearsay. The machinations of the Tongs are as mysterious as their mctives, but my friend Gluntz believes â€"for he told me so himselfâ€"that the story I have told you is the correct one. Now, my dear Superintendent, what can you make of the jJigâ€"saw?" EMPLOYED BY THE TONGS? Beck had listened intently to the Professor‘s story. His own logical mind told him that it was absurdly fantastic That as a piece of fiction it was passâ€" ably intriguing, but that to connect the murder of a departmental silk manager in a London store with all this Oriental intrigue, well . . . â€"Beck felt that the professor‘s knowledge of China could not be correlated with modern facts. plain that actually the Five Eyes of Medichus is a cluster of five separate jewels, ami it is believedâ€"and there is ample authority in Chinese religious lore for the beliefâ€"that each jade jewel represents the reclamation of ten years of. youth for the possessor. How it came abcout I don‘t pretend to know, but word got around that the secret of the jewel‘s. whereabouts was in the possession cof poor Tao Li, the silk weaver of Buchow. The next we knew was that Tao Li had been taken by one of the rival Tongs; that he had been torturedâ€"and the Chinese know everyâ€" thing there is to know of this ancient art of extortionâ€"and finally murdered because of his refusal to disclose the Suchow for a silk weaver naumed Tao Li. I may be wrong, of course," he addâ€" ¢d, guardediy, "but I take it that pecple “Hom.theubmm;t this moment more than one Chinese Tong, cr secret society, engaged in trying to diszsover the wheremahouts of the Pive which was stolen when a famous Chiâ€" tics. The raid took place nearly two years ago, and when it became known that the jade jewel bearing so faschiatâ€" ing a name lmad disappeared, half the Tongs in China went to war to obita:n possessicn of it. "You‘ mean that that was the sole "In extenuation of this I must exâ€" The characters in this story are enâ€"| â€" "Buit Clubs" stil prosper despite tirely imaginary. No reference is inâ€"| their iHegality in several states. A tended to any living person or to any } member pays $2 a week on the assurâ€" public cr priva‘e company. ance that, if his number fails to win a (TO BE CONTINUED) The characters in this story are enâ€" tirely imaginary. No reference is inâ€" tended to any living person or to any publiz or private company. On the steps of the museum a curâ€" icus sensation assailed him. It was what the advertisements call a "sink‘ng sensaticn," and it was then he rememâ€" mered the ccold bacon at breakfast. He wanted focod, and food he was determined to have before he did anyâ€" "I hope you won‘t forget to ie me know how the case develops, Mr. Beck! I‘m intersted. It‘s one of the most inâ€" triguing things I‘ve encountered. Much more interesting, in fact, than these parchments cof the Tang Dynasty I‘m trying to dezcipher." ‘"‘Most certainly I‘ll let you know, Professor," agreed Botk as he took his departure. "By no means. There is Shantung, Ewantung, Kiargsu, Hupen and Huâ€" nan, just to mention a few, and I supâ€" pose that Messrs. Oxtons, if they are ccocmmercially as comprehensive as you mentioned, wouw‘d not import Suâ€" chew silk alone." "Well, I‘m much ocbliged to you, Proâ€" fessor. You‘ve given me an anfle to the case I could not have obâ€" tained in any cther way short of pure guessworkâ€"and you‘d probably be surâ€" prised to know how much polic¢e deâ€" tecticn even in these mod>rn days reâ€" lies on fortuitcus circumstances. I will say this, I don‘t think we‘re so very wide cf the mark in this theory, beâ€" cause from what I‘ve been told Noâ€" lescue showed a remarkable preferenzce for Suchow silkâ€"a much greater preâ€" ference than perhaps he had any right to do because, I take it, Chninese silk does not come exclusively from Suâ€" chew?" "Many thanks, Professor, you‘ve givâ€" en me something to bite on." The professor shook his head. "That‘s a difficzul} question Mr. Sup°rintend:ent I know many Chinese in London, but I cannct say whether they are related to the Tengs or not. The average Chiâ€" naman is singularly reticent when it comes to his private affairs and you can ‘telieve me, Mr. Beck, the Tongs have the oyster at a distinct disadvanâ€" lage." don‘t happen to know whether any 0: these Tcng merchants operate in Lonâ€" aon?" CHEVROLET Timmins Garage Company Limited Service Garageâ€"Ansonville » . . for _economical ~transportation « +. Smoothâ€"flowing for smarter streamlining. A gingle sheet of. solid steel, it puts unequalled protection overhead. (By Freling Foster) Once there lived an Austrian empress who drank mare‘s milk to enhance her ability as an equestrienne, an American clergyman who wore a heavy veil durâ€" ing the greater part of his life to atone for the accidental killing of a friend, and an English millionaire who put a korse in sclitary confinement for life, in a pitchdark stall, to punish the aniâ€" mal for losing a race. Several Amer‘can broadcasting staâ€" which protect against copyright infrinâ€" gements, citations on programmes, viclations of radio laws and all other Cclaims excepting those for slander and lwoel. The policy, costing $500 a year, covers payments up to eighty per cent. of the judgment, with a limit of $50,000. About Keeping up With This Good Old World Here ht s th t ts l hests d Em utss L. bedlorsca® 4 Interment willâ€"take plate at I4ter nâ€"ur clouds have attained a velocity date under Orange auspices. Brothe? â€"; more than one hundred millés an members of Cochrane Orange nour and forest fires have traveled acted as pall bearers. l faster than a man can walk. Born in Caledcnia, Ont., Mr. Nixon | The little too is passmg through one formerly lived in Buckingham, of the most prenoun¢ed alterations now before taking up residence in Cochrane. going on in the human body. In these He had taken all Jegrees in the Orange=digits today, joint is missing in one Order and was a charter member Of ; out of every three individuais. the Cochrane lodge. Ten years ago, in Shanghal, a large Besides his wife, the deceased man bank erected a building and flanked the is survived by five daughters, Mrs. A. entrante with a pair of bronze lHons. Hayes, Mrs. F. Ross, Misses Janet and One day a gentleman named Wang Hattie, Cochrane, and Mrs. J. Caidâ€" set up a stand and, telling the passersâ€" well; two sons, Robert, Timmins; and by that the ons had the power to conâ€" John, Cochrane; as well as three broâ€" ter wealth, allowed anyone, for a coin, Timmins Man Bereaved ‘ * by Death of His Fath‘er, After an illness of six months with paralysis, the death of Rcobert Nixon czcurred at his home in Cochrane, Friâ€" day evening, April 2, in his 63rd year. mon and William. For ten years Mr. Nixon was janitor at the Cochrane court house and all government branches in the building were represented at the funeral which was held at Holy Trinity Proâ€"Cathedral at Cochrane on Monday afternoon, April 5, at 2.30 o‘clock. Members of the Orange Order and LO.Y.B. attended, as well as a large gathering of citizens. Rt. Rev. J.>G. Anderson, D.D., Bishop â€"of â€"Moosonee, assisted by Rev. L. C. Howell officiated at, the service. e 145 THERE‘S NO DELAY WHEN YOU ORDER Acâ€"NEW CHEVYVROLET Master 2 â€"parsenger Butiness Coupe delivered at factory, Oshawa. Goternment taxes, license and freight additional. : (Prites subject to change without notice.) Ten years ago, in Shanghal, a large bank erected a building and flanked the entrante with a pair of bronze lHons. one day gentleman named Wang set up a stand and, telling the passersâ€" by that the lions had the power to conâ€" fer wealth, allowed anyone, for a coin, to stroke their paws. Today the milâ€" lions who have rubbed the paws smooth ard shiny still await their wealth. But nct wige old Wang. In China, where frugality is both a necessity and an art, numerous farmâ€" €rs and coolies save money by wearing trougers without seats. ‘They see no point in buying whole pair wnen a dependable shirttail affords bothn amp:2 protection and propriety. In 1l7th century New York, fasnion demanded that a "comforter,‘ as well as a physizian, be called when a person was very sick. Invariably dressed in black, ‘he "comforted" the patient throughsut the long hceurs of the night by singing mournful hymns, reading sad parts of the Scriptures and discussâ€" ing such subjects as death and the devil. Gliobe and Mail:â€"Hon. Howard Ferâ€" guson dezlares that the Empire is not criimbling. That odd nolise we some~ times hear is not crumoling but merely e oc h r tss iBA AL T +s 4 t PC The little is passing mrough one of the most prenoun¢ted alterations now going on in the human body. In these Eudbury Star:â€"It has been suggested that if the Italian soldiers in Epain are really homesick, it would be as well to shift the gscene of the show to Italy. A kill whitch was passed in Illinois legislature in 1923 changed the official language of that state from English to "American." Lava has flowed down the side of a volcano at the rate of fifty miles an hour, clouds have attained a velocity ci more than one hundred milés an hour, and forest fires have traveled faster than a man can walk. $50 suit of clothes in one of the weekly drawings, he will get a suit anyway after 25 payments. Profits lie in the forefeited investments cf those who drop out and, evidently, in the omission ci many drawings, as an investigation of cne club showed its membership had paid in $30,000 and won only five sults. The crews on the ships of the United States Navy are forbidden to throw anything overboard that will float, as such debris might be used as a trail by enemies in time of war and by spies wishing to watch maneuvers in time of Câ€"1178