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.y ff^Titmrw'WiTii wfw mi i i i n irTtiiiHi.nniniiiiiiiiLi.iimiiiU'iiJiiiiifiil'ri g The Price of Liberty OR, A MIDNIGHT CALL r Vi i i i .n,M, i . i , i | i , CT i i i < | i iMi i ;ii i i i i i iMi i i 'n i i i i i i i i iiT;Tn»jTiTjT i i ^ i ^ i , i ^mi^ ^ i!' ' ' ' ' 'i'^ i 1 i ' t UVg from that hiui- you CUArTKU XXXIV.â€" (Continued.) â- 'Of coiirtio. 1'ro.si-nlly I am going ti> sliow joii II Hull- luoro of the Colli, Ml/. Well, 1 was on tho Ic-rrace jirotly late when I heard ilcar llo- t;iiiiilil down the ililT calling for as- sisliiiKc. Ifi- |)rclenile<l that ho had hliplHxl down the clilT and could not get up ag-uiii. Ily the aid of a ropo that fortuTiattly happened to bo clo.so at hand I saved our dear friend's life. I have leurnt one of the gardonors just now Krgiiiald placed the ropo there Keif â€" a most ollective touch, must admit." "^t^ry," Hell .said, drily. "Hut I quiti! fail to hoc why " "I am coming to that. Don't you Hce that if anything happened Heg- inald could l)rovo that ho was not near the house at the linieV Uut ju.st before that 1 saw his accom- plice come up tho cliff; indeed, ho pa.s.sed quite close to me on his way to tho house. Reginald quite over- looked this fact in his heed for his own safety. When I had effeclod my gallant rescue I heart! an owl hoot. Now, there are no owls about hero. "I guessed what that meant â€" it was a signal of success. Then I went back to the corridor and tho Hembrandt was gone. The slays had lieen cut uwny. At Ihst I wa.s dreadfully upset, but the more I thoug^lt of it the more sure 1 was that it was all for the best." "lUit you might have raised an alarm and caught the thief, who â€" " "Who would have been promptly disclaime<l by Heginald. Let me tell you, sir. that I have the thief anil the lost Kenibrandt in the hollow of my haiida. llcforo tho day is out I .shall make good my boast. And there's tho breakfa.st bell." It looked quite natural some time later for the three coiisiiirators to be lounging about tho gallery when "enson emerged from his liodroom. He apjieared bright and siiiilinj:;, niid most of the bandages had hti-n re- move I from hi.s throat. All the same he was not pleased to .si"c Hell there; he guzod uneasily at tho doc- tor ami from him to Lillimer. "You know Uoll," the latter said, carelessly. "Fart is. there's been a grPat inistake " Hell olTered his band heartily. It Cost him a huge efTort, but the slimy scoundrel had to lie fouylil with his own W('a))ons. I'enson shook his head with the air of a man e.x- , tendirif; a largo and generous luvd of forgiveness. Ho sought. In vain to' read Hell's eyes, t>ut there was a steady, almost boyish, smile in them." "1 imiced rejoice," he said, unctu- ously. "I indood rejoice â€" rejoici>â€" rejoice!" Ife repeated the last wonl help- lie.sslj'; he socined to liiivo lost all his backbone, and lapsed into a flab- by, jellified mass of (HliV(^rill^^ white liumanity. Ili.i vacant, lishy eyes Were li.xe<l ujion tho Hembrandt in a kinrl of dull, .sleepy terror. "I'm not well," he gnspixl. "Not so .vlrorig OS 1 imaginwi. I'llâ€" I'll go and lie down again. I^ater on 1 shall want a dogcart to dri\e me to Mor,-ton Wells. I " He paused again, glanced at tho picture, iwid pa.sse<l heavily to his room Ijiltlmer smiled. ".Splendid." ho said. "It was worth Ihousaniis Just to si-c hia face." "All tho same." Chrin said quietly; "all tho same, that man is not to loave for Moreton Wells till I've had I a clear hour's .start of him. Dr. Hell will you accompeny me?" tutcness. You saw his faro (ust now','" J "Oh. yes. It was a fino stitdy in emotions. If you could HihI the other picture " I "1 hope to restore it to j'ou lipfnro : tho day has passed . ' ' I Llttimer applauded, gently. Ho [ was charmed, lie said, with tho whole comedy. Tho first two acts had been a brilliant smvess. If tho third was ' only as good ho would regard Miss Lee as his benefactor for ever. It was not often that an.vbody intellec- i tually amused him; in fact, he must I add Miss L^.-e to his collection. ! "Then you must play a part your- Iself." ClKjis said, gaily. "I am go- ing into iVioreton Wells, and Dr. H<!ll accompanies me. Mr. Ilenson i.^ ! not to know that wo have gone, and he is not to leave the house for a good hour or so after our departure What I want is a fair start and the privilege of bringing a guo,it home to dinner." "Vag-ue. mysterious, and allur- ing," Ijittimcr said. "liring the guest by all means. I will plodi^e my diplomacy that you have a long start. Keally, I don't know when I have enjoyed mystdf so much. Vou shall have the big wagonette for your journey." ".Vnd join it beyond the lo<lge- gatos," Chris said, thoughtfully "Ilr. Bi'll, you shall stroll throu' tlu' ))ark casually: I will follow casually later on." A little later Ilenson emerg. d his room dressed eviilently >â-  journey. He looke<l llabbv and wor- ried; there was an expression very liki- fear in his eyes. The corridor was deserted as he passeil the place where the Rembrandt hung. He paused before tlie picture in a hesita- ling, fasciiinled way. His feet seemed to pull up bel'dn. it involun- tarily. "What does it mean'.'" he mutter- ed. "What in the name of fate has happened'.' It is impossible that Merrill coulil liavc played me a tricJi like thai; he would never have dar- ed. Hesiiles, hi- has too much to gain by followiuH; mv inslructions, 1 fancy. " Ilenson slippisl up (o the picture as a suilden iilea cnmu to him. If the [licture hail not been removed at all the stays would still be intact. And if they were intact Merrit was likely to have a bad ipiarter of an hour later on. It would be proof thatâ€" Mut till' :;lays were not intact. 'Phe heads had been shaved ofY with some cut ling instrunieni; the half of the stays gleamed like silver in the morning light. And yet Iho Rem- brandt was there. The more Henscui dwelt upon it the nioro he was puz- ili'il. He betan to wonder wbelhi^r some deep trap was beiiiR- laid for him Hut. no, he had seen no siy-ns of it. In some way or another IV-ll had managed to ingratiate himself with I.ittiiuer again, but not n(>ce.ssarily for long, Ilenson fold himself, witii a vicious grin. Nor was l,itlimer the kinil of man who over troubled himself lo restrain his fm-lings. If tho hail he bad ^i.t to the bottom of whole biisinesH be would have oiil of tlm house CHAPTKIl .\XXV. Lord I/iltimer polished bin rarely ii.sed eye iflaso coJcfully and favored Chris with a long, admiring stare. At tho same time ho was wondering why thu girl should havo token such a vivid jutnrtvit in Reginald IfoiiNon and his doings. Kor some .\eurs past it had biHjn l<itlinior'K whim to hold up Ilenson betoro everybody as his successor, so far ns tho casllo Went. Ho liked to see Heiison's mod est smirk and beautiful .s<df-nbase- niunt, for in suoth lias lordship hail a pretty rontenipt for tho man who hopiMl to succued him. Hut the will made some time ago by l.itlimer Would have conin ns a painful shuck to till- philanthropist. "It is a very pretty tangle as It â- tands," he saiil. "Miss I>o<<. let mc compliment you upon your astnle- nciflH In this mattnr. Only don't toll me you schoiiKxl your way hero, and thnt you nro a lady detective. I road a good many novels, and I doa't Ilkv» them." "N ou msy ho posy on that score." Chris laiighMl. "I am not a lady dp- t«vtlvc All tho same. I have defeat- »>d Mr. Itoginald Henson " "You think ho is at the bottom of the mystery of tho other Ilom- brBM<lt'.>" "I am certain of It; \inle.ss yo<i like to hplievo In the truth of his rhnrming scheme to give yon a les- son. n» he ^llod It, As a matter of fact Mr. Henson discovered tho ox- IstiMco of tho other print; he di.s- coveriil that Hr. Iloll posse.-sod it â€" thn rest I loava to your own aa- IToMson kicked without delay. Hul l.ittlmer suspected nothing. His greiHing just now showed that Hell susjiected nothing, becau.so he had shaken hands in I hi' heiirliest manner possilile. And as fof*Miss I^e, she was no more than a smart Yankee girl, ami absolutelv an out- sider. Still, it was dreodfully pir/zling. And it was not nice to be piKT/led at a. time when tho arch-consiiirator oUKhl to know every tnovir of tho Kaiiie, 'rh(>i-eforB it Inx-auio neces- sary to go into Moreton Wells and â- â€¢see Merrit t without dela.v. As Hen- son crossetl thn hall tho cheerful voice of Mttimer hftll«l him. "Reginald," he i<ried, "I want .vour assistance and advice." With tt muttered curse Henson en- tered the library. I.lttinier was sealwl at a table, with a clgt\retto in his mouth, his brows drawn over a mass of j>apets. "Mil down and have a cigar," ho sold. "The fact is I an» .setting my affairs in order--! am going to make a fresh will. If you handn't c<imo down last night I .ihotilil probably have sent for you. Now take my bankbook and check those figures." "Shall wo bo long?" Henson ask- ed, nniiousl^ . l/ittimer tartly h(>[>ed that Ilenson could spare him an hour. It was not usual, he said, for a testotor to he retii.se<l aHsislance from the chief lieiielactor iinder his will. Henson apolOKi'ed, with a sickly smile. llo had important biisincss of a philan- thropic kind in Moroton Wells, hut he had no doulil that it could wait for an hour. Ami then for tho best part of the morning he sal fuming politely, whilst LIttimer chattered in the most amiable fashion. Ileiinun had rarely seen hlin In a better mood. It was quili- obvious that he siispecfod nothing. Meanwhile Chris and Hell wore bowling along towarrls Nforeton Wells. They sat well back in Iho roomy wagonott% [ho that tho servants could not hear ' them. Chris regarded Bell with u brilliant smile on her face. moonless, " .iho said, "confess that you are consuniod with curiosity." "It would be Just as well to ac- knowledge it at once," Bell admitt- ed. "In the happy old days ycytir sister Enid always said that you wore the clover and audacious one of tho family. She said you would do or dare anything." "I used to imagine so," Chris said, niore quietly. "But the life of tho last few years tried one's norves terribly. Still, tho change has done mo a deal of good â€" tho change and the knowledge that Reginald Henson regards me as dead. But vou want to know how I am going to get tho Rembrandt?" "That is what is con.suming me at |ire.scnt," Bell said, "Well, we are going to see the man who has it." Chris explained, cooll.y. "I have his address In More- ton Wells at the present moment, and for the rest ho is called the Rev. James Mcrritt. Hotweon ourselves he is no more a reverend than you aro." "And if tha gentleman is shy or refuses to see ua?" "Then ho will be oncstetl on a charge of theft." "My dear young lady, before you can get a warrant for that kind (jfl thing you havo to prove the th<ett, you havo to swear an informatify'n to tho cfTect that you bollcvo tjtrtr' pro- perty is in tho possession of tho Ihief. and that is not cajs'y." "There is nothing ''easier. I am prepared to swear tiuvt cheerfully." "That you actiUMiy know that the proixirty is in th . po.ssession of tho IhioT'?" "Clertainly I -do. T saw him put it in his pocket," Hell loo. ../I at the speaker with blank siirjirise. If such was tho fact. Vhen Chris's present statement was . Exactly opposed to all that she said before. She sat opposite Hell wilh a little gleaui of mis- eC in' her lovely eyes. "Y'ou saw that man steal the Rem- brandt?" Bell gasjied. "(Certainly not. But I did see him steal my big diamond star and put it in his pocket. And I can swear an information on that." "I -seo that you have something interesting lo tell me," Bell said. "Oh, indewl, I have. We will hark bat* now to the nifjht before last. when Reginald Henson made his per- sonal attempt to obtain the Rem- brandt and then played the trick UD- on you thai was so very near lo be- ing a brilliant success." "It would have been best for you," Hell murmured. "Well, really 1 am inclined to think so. .\iid perliaps Lord I.itti- iiier would have given you in custo- dy on a second charge of theft. If he had dom- so it would have gone hard with ,vou to prove your inno- cvnce. But 1 am wandorinir from the point. Henson failed. Hut he was going to try again. I watched him carefully yesterday and managed to sif his letters and telegrams. Then 1 found that he had telegra)ihed to • lames Merrit t, whose address in Moreton Wells I carefully noted down. It did not re<pilre much in- tellect to grasji the fact that this Merritt was to be the accom(ilice in the new effort to sleul the picture. !\Tr. Mi'rritt came over and saw his chief, with whom he ha<l a long con- versation in the grounds. I al.-.t> forced mysoU on Mr. Merrill's no- t ice. "lie was introducixl to me as a brand pluckeil from the liuriiing, a ciinverted thief who had taken or- tlers of some kind. He is a sorrv- looking scoundrel, and I took parti- cuhir note of him, es)i<yially the hor- rible smashed thumb." "The what!" Hell e.xclaimed. "A thumb like a snake's head with a lit I le pink nail on it?" The same man. So you have met him." "We met on our wa.v here," Hell said, drily. "Tho rascal sent the dogcart awa.v from the station so that 1 sliould have to walk home, and he attnckeil me in the road. But I had expected somethiivg of tho kimi and I was ready for him. .Vnd ho was tho man with the thumb. I should havo told you this before, but I had forgotten it in watching your lo-scinating diplomacy. When tho at- tack was tiefeated the ra.scal bolted in tho direction of the cliffs. Of course, ho was off to tell Honson of tho failure of the sclieme and to go on with the jilol for getting the other picture. If he had stolen my Hembrandt then tho other would havo remained. I couldn't have lurne<l uj> with a cock-and-bull story of having started with the picture and being robbed of it by a total prove It. He would l)e pretty sure to pawn the star â€" he probably has done so by this tiiru;, and therefore we have him in our power. We have only to discover where the diamonds have been 'planted' â€" is that the cor- rect expression? â€" I can swear an in- formation, and tho police will subse- quently .search the fellow's lodgings. When tho scacrh is made the missing Hembrandt will be found there. Mr. Merritt would hardly dare to pawn that." "Kven if he know its real value, which I doubt." Ikdl'said. thought- fully. "Honson would not tell his tool too much. Let mo congratu- late you upon your idea. Miss Chris. That diamond star of yours is a powerful factor in our hands, and you alwo^vs have the consciousness q _xk again. Now, what are wo gjjjff [r to do next?" "(ioing to call ujioiy^ir. Merritt of counj<>," Chri.sirfj promptly. "Y'ou forget IhatJjRJnvo his address. I am deeply intej^Igtod |n the welfare of tho criminajf-'classcs, an<l you are also an entJ^Tisi^st. I've looked up the names /'^f ong ^r two people in the direj^ory who go in for that kind of thiffg (in(^ i'j,j going to get up a '>n-jpi!far at Littimer Castlo for the b,'»>ne(it of the predatory cla.sses who havo turned over a now loaf. I am particularly anxious for Mr. Merritt to give us an address. Don't you think that will do?" "I should think it would do very well indeed," Hell .said. (To bo Continued.) KAISER TAKES CREDIT. But Other Men Are the Authors of His Productions. "He has lalenls, umioubtetily, but they are cruativo only in giving work to others, the product pa.-.sing for liis own in the end. As Herren von Uoltke and I'hilip Kulenberg are the- reat authors of his Song to Aegir," j so I'rofe.ssor Knuckfuss, in Cassol, composes liis cartoons, though being credited only with their technical | e-'teculion. [ "The late Court Chaplain From- | mid used to write the Imperial ser- ] moiis delivereil with so much ei'lat on the deck of tho yacht Hoheuzol- 1 lern; ollicers of the military house- 1 hold pre|)are William's lectures, and: the artist Karl Sall/.mann paints his â-  landscape and marine views." I 'I'his remarkable passage from a ! book lately published will cause a good deal of unkind gossip in the capital of the Kaiser. j Written by a lady-in-waiting, "Tho I'rivate Lives of William II. and his Consort," professes to give tjie inner history of the tJerman court up lo the present day. j Their Majesties inteiusely tlislike seeing servants about the palace. ' Hi-re is a sideligiit: â€" j Her Maje.sty being so fastidious about girls in her room twhen Iho i Kniser is present) as William is, about man-.servants, she is now ob- ; ligtsl to make her own lire in the' grate on chilly mornings whenever her husband is at home. What a parody on royal stale this â€" the Em- s pre.ss-tiueen getting up in her "night- ie," and in Ihi' iVild and damp, to! light her own lire! \'erily, truth is stranger bv far than llclion. WHY 111: KAII.KH. Ho was an elder oi a chapel in a; little lilamorgansliiro town. He wius also a liadi'smnn. and he fell upon | evil (la,vs. His creditors piv.ssed him j and he was forced to lile hi.s petilii>n ill bankruptcy. His failuiv was the talk of the ; town. He felt his position acutely. and kept as much as liossilile with- ! in doors. ' Tboii the brethren diH-ided to hold j a nus'ting, and tho unworthy elder! was summoned to attend. The pas-] tor spoke lirst. He urged his peo[>le to bo considerate and tender. He was followed b.v a man who made an elocpient speech on honesty in trade, and concluded b.v moving ' that the elder be suspended from' oflice for a period to give him time ' to purge himself of his heinousness. | A si-conder ond sui>porter spoko to : tho same effpct. j The brethren looked sovero. their I countenances were .set with tho ! sternni\ss of a righteous wrath, a i di-ep silence pervaded the room. .Slowly- and humbly the elder arose. "I want," he murmured lueekl.v, "to say a few things based on my led- ger. Tho mover of tho resolution owes mo JtlO. I ofTerod him lhroi» wwks ago to settle it for iH2, to save mvself from in.v pre.>«ent posi- tion. The seconder owes me £13. I told him I would accept £-10 to pn^ stranger in the road But I am in terrupting you." "Well, I marked that thumb care- fully. I havo already told you that the thief pa.s.sed me on his way to i • j .. » . . ., ih. h,.,,.. 1 ' "^ » " '"â- ' "».> ,.„ your permission â€" turning to the the hou.so when he came up tho clilT. r , s " 1 was leaning over tho terrace wheii''^"" vent this exposure. Tho supporter of the rcvsolution is indebted to me to the aimount of £S>." A brief pause. "And now. with sums I saw him emerge Into u band of light caused by tho big arc in tho r will read out tho Itho others present owe me." He read them out. calmly and de- castle tower. I 'forget that 1 was )„ iHherately. hut long ore he had fin- deep shadow and that he could not possibly see me. i jerked my head I back smblenly and my diamond atari fell out and dropp>v| almost at thojBULI ftvt of the intruder, 'llien he saw it, rhuckltvl over it â€" placed it in his lahed tho brethren had fled. THAT CHKWS TOBACCO The donkey who was a connoisseur pocker'i 'waVgolliR U.Tall out"." but j" "•hacco n,usl look to his laurels. 1 didn't. I had a si.dden idea. l>r. '" '^'''â- "' '^>''' " com^pondent, "I Bell-I had an i.U^i that almost '""'" •"'J'' " >"""K «™"ali bull that , amounteil to an Inspiration." '"'^ ""'y fhewod lighted cigarettes. Chris paused for a moment and her '"" "1^" washed his meal down with eyes sparkled. Hell was watching *"»".'• I''"^ "f "•"'t •â- '""• Tommy (tho her with the dwpest interest and ad-''"'"'" "amo) wa.s the property of miration |<'rtl>». l'rt\ig, the skipper of the local "I let the man keep it," Chris steain.T Kalcon. He was liked on wei.t on, more slowly, "uilh on eve board and was. despite his dissipat- to the future. The man had stolen od habits, a great fuvurito with tho the thing and I was iu a position to native crow." LAWS FROMOTHER LANDS fSOO FOR OFFERING A FKIEND A CIGARETTE. Norway's Sensible Law â€" married Men Have a Double 'Vota in Belg^ium. The JMll which is before the British Parliament for tho prevention of juvenile smoking cannot well be con- sidered sovoro in its proposals by those who are faimiliar with simila^ legislation in other coun^ In Arkans^^^^^f^^jj^g{.(^jicg^ g^ a(»_ verelj^^jiy-ijinuking frowned upon by law that tho penalty for selling cigarettes oven to an adult cannot be Icis than $500, and may be as i much as $.'>,0UO; while similar fines I hang over the head of a man who in ! an oblivious moment ofTors a cigar- j etto to a friond. In Norway the sale of tobacco in any form to boys { under sixteen is absolutely forbidden i under heavy penalties; and the stranger who offers a cigarette to a I boy, ami tho boy who accepts it, are equally liable to punishment. In Heligoland no boy under tho age of sixteen im\y enter a public- house for any purpo.te whatever; and in the City of Roanoke, in Virginia, woo to tho boy or girl under that age who is sivn in the streets alono after nine o'clock in the evening in summer-time and eight o'clock in winter; unless tho.v have a written permission from their parents or aro going in search of a doctor they will bo arrested, and the parents must expect to pay A HEAVY ITNE. Norway has recenll.v pa.ssed a very sensible law â€" which might well be adopted liy other countries â€" to tha efToct that any woman who wishes to wed must first present to tha authorities a certilieale showing that she is skilled in the arts of cooking, sowing, knitting, and embroidery; and until she can satisfy thorn that she is an adept in these domestic arts she ina.v, metaphoricall.v, "whis- tle" for u husband No wonder the youiii;- men of Norway are jubilant. J^ucerne has upon its statute-book a law. by no means beloved of ladies, which forbids the wearing of hats more than eighteen inches in diameter, and of foreii;n feathers and artificial Mowers; while even to wear ribbons of silk and gau/-o a license c>f fort.v pence a year must bo taken out. (lermany has an excellent me- lliod of her own for dealing with brutes who beat their wives. They are not, as here, sent to prison for a consecutive term, in which case the wife and family must lose their means of subsistence. In iJoriuany they are arrested on Saturday, at tho end of their week's work, and kept in durance until Monday, when tho.v are set frivUi begiiu^(|fl)j(;^ again. And this we^fc^i^#^arcer- ation is continued uiiti^Pf!^ sentence is completed, the luaii'^ earnings be- ing handed over ( IN'l'ACT TO HIS WIFK. In Helgium, if a luau Wants to pose as a full-lilowii voter, he must qualify for the privilege by taking to himself a wife. So long as ha remains single he is only entitled to a single vote, but from the day ho makes a trip to the altar his politi- cal value is doubleil. In Madagas- car you take your choice between being father of a family and paying a substantial tax. If, at the age of twenty-live, a man is uiuuarried or childless he must make up his mind to pay ?a.7."> a year for his default; while every ;,'irl who remains single or withoul chick, alter passing her twenty-fourth year, iiiust pa.v an annual lax of ^Jt.l'.l In Western Australia tho minimum penalty for serving drink on a Sun- day is SS-'iO. and the keeper of an inn or hotel nuist not absent himself from his house for more than four weeks in the year without s;H<:lal permission from a stipendary migis- Irate. In Austria any actor who Wears a military or cx-closiastical cos- tume on the stage is liable to a heavy fine, while in Germany <»uch costumes are permitted on the stagv, but woe to the Wearer if they aro not Correct down to a button! AN AWFUL UKVKI.ATION. "I wish you hadn't had your hair cut so short, Harold! " o.xclaimod the young woman, turning from him involuirtaril.v. "What di (Terence does it make deari<srt.?" nsketl Harold, with ten- der anxiety. "Youâ€" you have destroyed an illu- siim." she sigbe<|. ''niat is all," "You didn't think I was a pot*, did you, (!lara, binause I wore my hair long? " "No; I never susiK>t.nod vou of bo- u>g a poet." "Nor an artist?" "No." "Then what illusion have I des- troyed?" he <K-maiKlod. "I'erhaps I should say, Ifarold,"- she answon-d, with tears in h» voice, "thnt you have uucon.scioualy revealo<l a fact I never suspertod, near. Vour ears don't match! BOTH BOTIIERKD. The neighbor leaned upon her gii.1 den rake and called over the fencij â-  I noticed a light in your last night, Mr. Bimley." she "Aro your baby's teeth him again?" "I'on't know how mu"; bothering him," he anaw<; ly; "but they're both« out of uo."- .-P' ', ^i i 4 1 f