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The Price of Liberty OR, A MIDNIGHT CALU CHAPTER XLVI. Loid Li 1 timer sat on the terrace shaileil frijiii the sun by an awning over III (leok-ch lir. From his ex- pressir.n he seemed to be at peace with nil the world. His brown, eag- er face had lost its usually keen, sus- picious look'; he smoked a cigarette .. ^ r. • u* tt v ;â- ,,! 1, .,:i.. r'u ; . „ •• u_r 1 1, I tion at Brighton. He has recognised lazily, (vhns sat opposite him look- „ . ,. ^ .,, , „.i, •^ I Reginald Henson as the man who " I lected for his home went into his own pocket. Then the police got wind ot" the matter, and Reginald Hen.son discreetly disappeared from Brighton just in lime to save him- self from arrest for frauds there and at Huddersfield. A member of the Iluddersfield police is in a high posi- Ing as little like a hardworking sec- retary as possible. As a matter of fact, there was nothing for her to do. Littimer had already tired of his lady secretary: Idea, and had Chris not interested! and amused him he would have found some means to get rid of her before now. But she did interest and amuse and puzzle him. There was something charmingly reminiscent about the girl. She was like somebody he had once known and cared for, but for the life of him ho could not think who. And when curiosity sometimes got the better of good breeding Chris Would baffle hiin in the most engag- ing manner. "Really, you are an exceedingly clever girl," he said. "In fact, we are both exceedingly clever," Chris replied, coolly. "Andi, , , . . yet nobody is ever quite so clever ^''''"'^ f"/" ''°""' ingenious purpose came with a vengeance. Then Claire was "wanted' at Huddersfield. don't know if there will be a pros- ecution after all these yea,rs, but there you are." "Vou are speaking from author- ity?" "Certainly I am. Reginald Hen- son, as such, is not known to In- spector Marley, but I sent the latter a photograph of Henson, and he re- turned it this morning with a letter to the effect that it was the man the Huddersfield police were looking tor." "What an interesting girl you are," Littimer murmured. "Always so full of surprises. Our dear Reginald is even a greater rascal tuan I took him for." "Well, he took your money, and that saved him. He took your ring, a facsimile of which he had made It as he imagines hira.self to be. Do you ever make bad mistakes. Lord Littime/?" "Sometimes," Littimer said, with A touch of cynical humor. "For in- stance, I married some years ago. That was bad. Then I had a son, which was worse." "At one time you were fond of your family?" "Well, upon my word, jou are the only creature I ever met who has had the audacity to ask me that question. Yes, I was very fond of my wife and my son, and, God help nae, I am fond of them still. I don't know why I talk to you like this. " "I do," Chris said, gently. "It is because unconsciously you yearn for sympathy. And you fancy you arc in no way lo blame; you imagine that you acted in the only way consistent with your position and dignity. Yo.i fancied that jour son was a vulgar thief. And I am under the impres- sion that Lady Littimer had money." "She had a large fortune," Litti- mer said, faintly. "Miss Lee, do you know that I have a great mind to box your ears?" Chris laughed unsteadily. She was horribly frightened, though she did not show it. She had been waiting for days to catch Littimer in this mood. And she did not feel disposed Carfax (Jonimitted suicide, thanks to your indiscretion and folly." "Go on. Rub it in. Never mind aboul mj- feelings." "I'm not minding," Chris said, coolly. "Henson saw his game and played it boldly. 1 could not have told you all this yesterday, but a letter I had this morning cleared the ground wonderfully. Henson wanted to cause family differences, and he succeeded. Previously he got l>r. Bell out of the way by means of the second Rembrandt. You can't deny there is a second Rembrandt now. seeing that it is locUed up in \our sate. And where do you think Bell found it? Why at 218, Brunswick Squait*. Brighton, where Henson had to leave it seven years ago when the police were so hot upon his trail. He was fearful lest you and Bell should come together again, and that is why he came here at night to steal your Renibzandt. And yet you trusted that man blindly all* the time your own son was suffering on mere suspicions. How blind you have been!'' "I'm blind still," Littimer said, curtly. "My- dear young lady, I ad- mit that you are making o.it a pretty strong case; indeed, I might go farther, and say that you have all my sympathy. But what you to go back now. The task must be 1 ?a>' would not be taken as evidence accomplished some time "Lady Littimer was very rich," she went on, "and she was devoted to Frank, your son. Now. if he had wanted a large sum ot money very badly, and had gone to his imother, she would have given it to him without the ."^lightest he.sitation?" "What fond mother wouldnt?" "I am obliged to you for conced- ing the point. Y^our son wanted money, and he robbed you when he could have had anything tor the ask- ing from his mother." "Sounds logical." Littimer said, flippantly. "Who had th« money?" "The same man who stole Prince Rupert's ring â€" Reginald Henson." Littimer dropped his cigarette and sat upright in his chair. He was keen and alert enough now. There were traces of agitation on his face. "'ITiat is a serious accusation," he salt). "Not more serious than your accu- sation against your son," Chris re- torted. "Well, perhaps not," Littimer ad- mitted. "Hut why do you take up Frank's cause in this way? Is there i timer?' in a Court of law. If you produce that ring, for instance â€" but that is at the bottom of the North Sea." Chris took a small cardboard box from her pocket and from thence pro- duced a ring. It was a rub.y ring with black pearls on either side, anil had some inscription inside. "Look at that," she said. "It was sent to me to-day by my â€" by a friend of mine. It is the ring which Regin- ald Henson shows to Lady Littimer when he wants money from her. It was lost by Henson a night or two ago, and it fell into the hands of someone who is interested, like my- self, in the e.xposure and disgrace of Reig'inald Henson." Littimer examined the ring care- fully. "It is a wonderfully good imita- tion," he said, presently. "So I am told," said Chris. "So good that it must have acttially been copied from the cn-iginal. Now", how could Henson have had a Copy made unless he possessed the origin- al? Will you be good enough to answer me that question. Lord Lit- any romance budding under my un- conscious eyes?" "Now you are talking nonsense," Chris .said, with just a touch of color in her cheeks. "I say, and I a •: going to prove when the time comes, that Reginald Henson was Canada Life Assurance Company Financial Statement 58th Annual Report ASSETS UABILITIES Government, Municipal, and Reserve Fond Company's Stan- other Bonds, Stocks, and De- dard (Hm 3% and 3i%) $26,408,650.00 bentures $17,249,744.96 Death Claims in Coorsa of Set- Mortgages on Real Estate... 4,506,711.29 tlement, and InstiOment Fund 237,446.2S Loans on Bonds, Stocks, Etc . . 368,093.66 Dividends to Pollcy-bolders la Loons on Policies 3,504,421.18 Course of Payment 16,126.80 Real Estate owned (including Reserve for Policies which may Company's Buildings In To- be revived 33,670.00 ronto, Hamilton, Montreal, Other UabUities 2,280.98 Winnipeg, St. John, N.B., and Total Snrplos on Policy-holders' London, Eng.) 1,762,633.99 Account, Company's Stan- Preinlnms In Transit and defer- dard 2,376,425.90 red (net) and interest ac- crued 989.898.30 Other Assets 402,096.00 Cash on hand and iA Banks. . . 290,099.62 â-  $29,074,699.00 n9.074.S99.00 RECEIKl'S PAYMENTS I>remlum and Annuity Income Death Claima (net) $1,221,815.60 (not) $3,043,178.15 Matured Endowments (net) . . . Dividends paid PoUcy-hoIders 218,857.00 Interest, etc 1,204,851.50 Profits on sale of Securities .... 52,361.63 (Including Bonus Addition paid with Death Clalins and /^ with Matured Endowments) 207,781.12 y' Surrender Values paid PoUcy- y^ hcdders 76,500.95 y^ » Paid Annuitanta Total paid toPoUcy-boIders. 23.597.01 y^ $1,748,561.68 y^ Couuniasion, ScUaries, etc 681,292.71 y^ Taxes, Dividends, etc 320,126.80 y^ Bxcess of Receipts over Pay- y^ ments 1,650,420.09 $4,300,391.28 $4,300,391.28 Net Surplus over all Liabilities (Company's Standard) $1^76,000 Net Surplus over all Liabilities (Government Standard) $4^6,000 GAINS IN 1904 • ia04 1903 Nnmber of appllcattons received 7.221 6, 863 Amount ol Assurances applied lor $ 14.571.153 J13,881,960 Policies Issued 13.043.503 12,63o,032 PoUcles paid lor 11.211.721 10,1^130 Total business In force 101.805.944 95.631,110 Incraase 3S8 $ 689.193 408.471 1.089.682 6.274,834 Tlie new business paid for tn 1904 was arcater tn amount tban tbat ol any previous year In the Company's lilstory. A full report ol tbe annual meettng wUI appear la the Company's paper. " Ufe Ecboes." the •hief. I am sorry to pain you, I g, year old till it' disappeared. Littimer could do no more than gaze at the ring in his hand for some time. "I have sworn â€" indeed, I am ready- to swearâ€" that the real ring was never in anybody's possession but i mine from the day that Frank was Of course, scores of people had looke<i at it, HcoBon amongst the ii\st. Hut how did Claire Carfax " "Kasily enough. Henson had a flr.st copy made from a description. I ilon't know why; probably we shall never know why. I'robably he had it done when he knew that your sou and Mi.ss Carfax had struck up a flirtation. It was he who forged a that he might do a little robbery on ^ letter from Frank to Miss Carfax. his own account, seeinK that yair; inclosing the ring. By that means but it Is ab.solutcly necessary to go into these matters. When those fool- ish letters, written by a foolish girl, fell into your hands, your son voweil that he would get them back by force if necessary. He made that ra.sh speech in hearing of Iloginald Henson. Henson probably lurked about until he saw the robbery com- mitted Then it occurred to him son would get the credit of it. The safe was open, and so he walked off with your ring and your inone.v." "My dear young lady, this is all nierc surmise." "So .vou imagine. .\t that time Keginald Henson had a kind of home which he was running at 218 Bruns- wic* Square, Brighton. Lady Litti- mer had ju.1t relinquished a similar undertaking there. Previously Kegi- nald Henson had a home at Hudders- BoUI. Mind you, he didn't run either In his own name, and he kept stud- iously in the boc.kground. But he was denperately hard up at the time In conaequemc of his dissipation and extravagance, and the money he col he hoped to create mi.schict which, if it had been nipped in the bud, | could never have been traced to him. .â- \s matters turne<l out he succeeded ; beyond his wildest expectations. He had got the real ring, too, which ) was likely to prove a very useful thing in case he ever wanle<l to make terms. A second and a faithful copy j was made â€" the copy you hold in your hands â€" to hold temptingly over Lady Llttimer's head when he wanted large sums of money from hor." "The scoundrel I He gets the money, of course? ' "He does. To my certain know- ledge he has had nearly £70,000. Uut th* case is in good haads. 'Vou have only to wait a few days longer and the man will be exposed. .Vl- ready, as you sec, I have wound his accomplice, the Uevercnd James Mer- rill, round my finger. Oi course, the idea of getting up a bazaar ha.s all been noMsonse. 1 am only waiting for a little further information, and then Morrilt will feel the iron hand under the velvet glove. Inlo.ss I am greatly mistaken, Merritt can tell us whore I'rince Ruport'a ring is. -Al- ready 'V'an Sneck is in our grasp." "Van Sneck! Is he in England? ' "He is. ilid you read that strange case of a man being found half mur- dered in the conservatory of Mr. Steel, the novelist. In Hrighton? Well, that was Van Sneck. But I can't tell you any more at present. You must wait and be content." "Tell me ono thing, and 1 v/ill wait as long as you like. Who are you?" Chris shook her head, merrily. .-V | great relief had been taken off her ' mind. She had approached a delicate | and difficult matter and she had sue-; ceedcd beyond her expectations. That she had shaken the man opposite her ! sorely was evident from his face. The | hardness had gone from his eyes, his • lips were no longer bitter and cjni-| cal. I "I may have been guilty of a great ' wrong," he murmured- "All those years I may have been living under | a misapprehension. -•Vnd you have | told me what I .should never have ! suspected, although I have never had! a high opinion of my dear Reginald. ' Where I.<j my wife now? " | "She is still at Longdean Orangre. [ You will notice a great change in ; her, a great and sorrowful change. But it is not too late to " Littimer rose and went swiftly to- wards tho house. .Vt any other time the action would have been rude, but Chris fully understoou. She had touched the man to the bottom of his soul, and he was anxious to hide his emotion. "Poor man." Chris murmured. "His hard cynicism conceals a deal of suffering. B,>it tho suffering is past: we have only to wait patiently tor diiylight now. " Chris ro.se resslessly in her turn and .strolled along the terra* to her favorite spot looking over the clifTs. There was nobody about; it was very hot there. Tho girl removed her glasses and pushed back the banded hair from her forehead. She had drawn a photograph from hor pocket which she was regarding Intently. She was quite lieedlcss of the fact that somebody was coming along the clilTs towards her. She raised the photograph to hor lips and kissetl it tenderly. "Poor Frank," she nuinnureil. "Poor fellow, so weak and amiable. And yet with all your faults " Chris paused, and a little cry es- caped her lips. Frank Littimer, looking very wild and haggard, stood before her. "I beg your pardon," he began. "I came to see you because " The words dietl awuy. He stagg;er- efi back, pale as the foa.ni heating on the rocks below, his hand clutching at his left side us if there was some mortal pain there. "Chris," he murmured. "Chris, Chris, Chris! And they told me â€" " He could say no more, he could only stand there trembling from head to foot, fearftil lost his mocking sen.'^es were making sport of him. S'lrely it was some beautiful vision he had come upon. With one un- steady hand he touched the girl's sleeve: he presse<l h«"r warm red cheaks with his ling'.'rs. and with that tou(^ his manhood came back to him. "Parling." he whl.spereil. eagerly, "nearest, what does it mean?" Chris stood there, smiling rusil>'. I She had not meant to betray her- I .self; fate had done that for her, and j she was not sorry. It was a cruel i trick they had played upon Frank, but it had been nt>cessary. Chris held out her hand With a loving llt» tie gesture. (To be CoiitinuwI.) THK LAN'(:UAGK,S OF INPDA. â- " .\iiK>ng the 1-15 distinct Iatnguag<<s (spokCTi in Kritish India are some j posses.sing only a few hundred I words, others ri\aliiig Fjiglihth. as I Dr. Grierson sa.vs. or Kussian. as I I Would say. in their copiouMK'.ss: : some in which every- word is a mono- I syllable, others in which some are I elongat-<.»d by aggluiitination till , t'hey run lo ton s.vUables. liki' "da- po-l-ocho-alcnn-tnhen-tai'-tin-a-e" â€"a : Sontali word meaning: "He who bo- , longs to him who beloirgs to \\w will continife letting hinmelf he made lo light." Some of these di\ors toiiguos lack verb and noun, others arc as complex and systematic as (•'reek i and Latin. nKRMAN'Y.^ NKW K.MPIRK. It is twenty years since Oennon.i began to build up a colonial empire, and tho not result is Mmt. after siHwthnji nearly $100,ti()0,tMHi, she has a<.>i>rii^ more than a million 9.|Uare miles of territory, with a sparsely 9i-altere«l (lerniian popula- tion of betwdii five and six thou- sand soul!*â€" men. wonK-n. «n<l chil- dron. 0€ tho adtilt male population a thirxi are oflicials or soldiers Don't expect your friends to bi st.ucR on your jokes if they are point- loss. The man «ha frankly admits thai he is lary mawgcs to avoid a lot of hard work.