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CLOSE QUARTERS ; OR, THE HOUSE IN THE RUE BARBETTE CHAPTER XVIII. (Cont'd) "They set off, and, being sure of thtir destination, I did not quit the cafe myself until they were well out of sight. Then I walked away in the same direction, inquired of a policeman the quickest way to reach the post-office, and stepped out rapidly. "I had not gone far when I over- took them. They reached the building. The Turks remained in the street and Gros Jean went in- eide, so I followed him, and found him inquiring for letters at the Poste Restante department. Where- upon I sent a telegram to London." "Who on earth did you telegraph to, Jack? 7 ' broke in Edith. "To my shirt-maker, telling him to put a couple of dozens in hand at once." This unexpected answer provoked a general titter. "The funny thing to me," said Talbot, "was the effect of the mes- sage on the telegraph clerk. He could evidently read English, and he surveyed me curiously, for in my present appearance I looked a most unlikely person to order shirts by telegram from a well-known Lon- don house. However, I achieved my purpose, which was to overhear Gros Jean's request. He asked if there were any letters for M. Isidor de Rion." "Good gracious," cried Edith, "what an aristocratic name for that fat man." "Anyhow, it was effective. There was a letter for him, and he evi- dently only expected one, for, be- fore the clerk who handed it to him was able to examine the re- mainder of the packet, he tore it open, glanced briefly at its contents and then hurried out to join his friends in the street. After a short conclave they entered a cafe and procured a railway guide. I tried hard to find out what section of the book Gros Jean was looking at, but failed, for the double reason that he did not consult the Turks, nor did he seem to make up his mind, for he looked through the book, sighed impatiently and sug Rested to the others that they should go out again. I followed them into the Cannebiere, and thence down towards the harbor. When we reached the quay a small pleasure steamer wag whistling for passengers, and a placard announc- ed a fifty-centimes return trip to the Chateau d'If. "Seemingly on the spur of the moment, Gros Jean invited the others to accompany him. So, of course. I followed them. When we reached the island, I quickly per- ceived that the castle filled the whole of it. Therefore, in place of k<M-ping behind them I went in front. We all passed on with the stream of sightseers until we reach- ed the courtyard. I had never been in the place before, but Gros Jean soerncd to know it well. Owing to my policy of preceding them I found myself halted for a moment at the foot of the, stairs leading to tho towpi- H struck me that the frenchman was making in this di- rection, so I took the' chance and ran up. I reached the top and looked over before the party had entered the doorway at the bot- tom. They came in. Thus far I was right. I looked around, and found, as you know, tho square roof surrounded by bare battle- ments with a turret in one corner. I decided instantly that it would be hopeless to try to get close to them if they halted at any other point save in the vicinity of the turret. Elsewhere I must remain too far away to catch any portion of their conversation. So 1 dart- ed across and entered the turret, noting on mv way up the stairs the existence of the loopholed window where y<ju finally saw me. It w0ul<l never do to be caught there, so I went to the top and peeped over. You can guess how delighted I was when they came straight across and settled themselves in tht- angle be- neath. Then I crept half way down the stairs and leaned a* far as I dared through the loophole, being just in time to hear ' H- Jean read a letter from his daughter. For- tunately the innkeeper had to speak plainly, as his companions wero foreigners, and for the same rea- son I had no difficulty in catching the drift of what the Turks said. "The letter was quite short. It told him that H. had decided to leave France, and had made ar- rangements to proceed at onco to Palmero, whither the writer would aocumpany him. "One sentence I remember ex- actly : 'H.' she wrote, 'has friends in Sicily, and he feels assured of a kind reception at their hands.' " "Friends!" interrupted Brett. "That means brigands!" "The information seemed to an- noy the Turks very much. They were very angry at what they de- M r l.j as the enforced delay, and with Gros Jean the quick- est means of reaching Palmero forthwith. Then he told them that he had endeavored to find out the trains running through Italy to Messina, but they could not leave Marseilles until to-night, and he thought it best that they should have a quiet talk on the situation before deciding too hurriedly upon any line of action. "The rest of their conversation was inconsequent and desultory, alluding evidently to some project which they had fully discussed be- fore." Brett smiled grimly. "Tho com- missary in Paris always follows up the wrong person," he said. "Had he only used his wits yesterday morning he would have discovered that the agent of the Embassy was in touch with Hussein-ul-Mulk. Henoe the presence of the quartette in Marseilles to-day." Talbot was naturally mystified by this remark until Brett explain- ed to him the circumstances already known to the reader. "Was there anything else?" in- quired the barrister, reverting to the chief topic before them. "Only this. I gathered that Gros Jean did not know his daugh- ter's whereabouts in Marseilles, but she had arranged that if cir- cumstances necessitated her depar- ture from the town she would leave a letter for him in the Poste Iles- tante, giving him full details. Nev- ertheless, this presupposes the knowledge on her part that he would come to Marseilles, so I as- sume therefore that telegrams must have passed between them yester- day afternoon." "Obviously !" said Brett. "Any- thing else?" "Yes," and now Talbot's voice took a note of passion that momen- tarily surprised his hearers. "It seems to me that this under-hand- ed arrangement, if it goes through, condones tho murder of poor Mehe- met Ali and his assistants, and places on me the everlasting dis- grace of having permitted this thing to happen whilst an import- ant and special mission was en- trusted to my sole charge by the Foreign Office. Dubois has been able to commit his cr;me, get away with the diamonds, hoodwink all of us most effectually, and, in the re- sult, obtain a huge reward from the Turkish Government for his services. I tell you, Mr. Brett, I won't put up with it. I will fol- low him to the other end of the world, and, at any rate, take per- sonal vengeance on the man who ha rui"ed my career. t ( 'or, i.o matter what you say, the only ef- fective way in which I can reh'bi- litate myself with my sui>eriors :s to hand back those diamonds :o the custody of the Foreign Office. No matter how the panic-stricken s.jv- ereign in Yildiz Kiosk may sacri- fice his servants to gain his own ends, I, at least, have t :iigher mo- tive. It rests with me to prove that the British Government is not U) be hunit,;;cd by Paris t.hinvou or Turkish agitators. If I fail ill that duty there remains to me the personal motive of revenue! "No, Edith; it is useless to vgue with me," for his sister had risen and placed her arms lovingly round his neck in the. effort to culm him. "My mind is made up. 1 cupposo Mr. Brett feels that his inquiry is ended. For me it has just com- menced." The young man's justifiable rage created a sensation. "May I ask," he said, "what rea- son you have to siipjxiso that I should so readily throw up the sponge and leave Monsieur Henri Dubois the victor in this contest?" "Do you mean," cried Talbot, starting to his feet, "that you will stand by me?" "Stand by you !" echoed the bar- rister, himself yielding for an in- stant to the electrical condition of tliiugs. "Of course I will. Wo will recover those diamonds and bring them back with us to London if we have to take them out of the Sul- tan's palace itself !" "And now, Lord Fairholme," he added, before Talbot could do other than grasp his hand and shake it impulsively, "we want your friend's yacht. We will set out for Pal- mero at the first possible moment. We must reach there many hours, perhaps a whole day, before Duboiit, who is on a sailing vessel, and even with the start ho has obtained can- not hope to equal the performance of a fast steamer. Let Gros Jean and his Turks travel overland. We will beat them, too. Come, now, no more talk, but action. You, Fairholme, go ahead and prepare Daubeney. I will see to your lug- gage being packed. Talbot and I will join in half an hour." "Eh! what is that?" broke in Sir Hubert. "Fairholme, Talbot, you what are Edith and I going to do?" "Mr. Brett, of course," said Edith, in her steady, even tones, BOVRIL Gives Stamina. It will benefit your children or your invalid. "did not trouble to include us uncle, because we shall be on the, yacht first. A woman can always pack up much better than a man you know, and I will look after you, dear." Brett gave one glance at her flush- ed and smiling face, and forthwith abandoned argument as useless. An hour later the Blue Bell was skimming past the outer lighthouse in Marseilles bay. CHAPTER XIX. Next morning they reached the Straits of Bonifacio, and here they had to slacken speed somewhat, for the navigation of the rocky chan- nel was difficult and dangerous. Far behind them they could see a huge steamer approaching. As the morn- ing wore, this vessel came nearer, and Daubeney, important now in his capacity of commander, an- nounced that she was the P. and 0. steamship Ganges, bound for Brin disi and the East, via the Straits of Messina. "She left Marseilles at a late hour last night," he- said, "and will call at Brindisi for the Indian mails." An idea suddenly struck Brett. "Do you know how fast she is steaming 1" he inquired. "Oh, about thirteen and a half ..' - an hour. That is her best rate. The P. and O. boats are not flyers, you know." "And does she stop at Messina?" Daubeney now caught the drift of the barrister's questions. "I don't think BO." Another hour passed, and ili- Ganges was now almost alongside. Although both ships were well through the Straits of Romfocic, and the Ganges should have fol- lowed a course a point or two north of that pursued by the Blue Bell, she appeared to be desirous to come close to them. Suddenly the reason became ap- parent. A line of littln flags flut- tered up to her masthead. "She is signalling us," cried Daubeney excitedly. "Here you," ic shouted to a sailor, "bring Jones lere at aonce." Jones was the yacht's expert sig- naller. He approached with a tele- scope and a code under his arm. After a prolonged gaz and a care- 'nl scrutiny of the code, he an- nounced "This is how the message- readi: Turks on board Stopping Messina. -Winter.' ' For once the barrister was start- led out of his usual quiet self-pos- Bessioti. "Winter!" he almost screamed. "Is ho there?" A hundred mad questions coursed through Ins brain, but he realized that to attempt a long ex- planation by signals was not only out of the question, but could not fail to attract the attention of pas- sengers on board the Ganges. This he did not desire to do. Quick as lightning, he decided that by some inexplicable means the, Scotland Yard detective had reached Mar- seilles full of the knowledge that Dubois and the diamonds were en route to Sicily, and had also learnt that he, Brett, and the others were on board the Blue Bell. He had evidently taken the speediest means of reaching the island, and found himself on board the same ship as Oros Jo/in and the Turks. Hence he had approached the captain with the request that the Blue Hell should be signalled. (To be continued.) HOW TO HErOMK TALL. Undergo a Course of Elertriflention -That's All. Interesting experiments are being made in Stockholm, Sweden, as to th effect of electricity on the phy- sical growth of children. The walls and ceilings of a school room were lined with a coil of wires through which a high frequency current was passed. The children in the. room were thus in a position of an ir<>n core in the centre, of a magnetizing coil. Fifty children wero kept in this room, while 00 others of the average age, size and mental development were kept in an adjoining room without electri- cal treatment. At the end of six PI uths the chil- dren tinder electrical treatment showed a growth of two inches, while those without electricity grew only one and a half inches. The electrified children showed an in- crease in weight and other forms of development in proportion to their height. A GREAT SLEUTH. If Octave Henri Aeodat Hamard, the Paris detective chief, who has been promoted to be director of the Criminal Investigation Depart- ment, were to reveal his secrets, they would make the most blood- curdling record of crime of modern times ; for Paris is the most wicked city in the world. Hamard is provincial by birth, having been born at Chatillon-sur- Loing in the Loiret, fifty years ago. Though only in his prime, his hair is quite white, not by heredity, but by reason of the intense strain con- sequent upon the chase of crime. Unlike M. Lepine, chief of police, Hamard is tall. Unlike the little magician he has never known any other calling than that of police- man. He entered the prefecture in 1888 in the capacity of a senior T ho most Delicious OF ALL TEAS IS CEYLON TEA BECAUSE OF ITS UNVARYING GOOD QUALITY . . . 014 Ol...irl A\VA B I HT- LOUIS. 1M4. Hold only ! lead Packet*. r.r mil lroe*n. M. llamurd. clerk at a salary scarcely sufficiept to keep body and soul tof?ether. Six years later he was made a police magistrate. Soon he became Assistant-Chief of Detectives, his immediate super- ior being Cochefert, the terror of evil-doers. Hamard succeeded Cochefert in 1902, and from then till now has held the office of Chief of Detectives in the capital where the criminals of all nations congregate. But criminals, like kings, are close- ly watched, and, unlike the latter, are rarely disturbed in Paris pro- vided they keep quiet. Of the many celebrated cases with which he has had to deal, none at ;racted more widespread attention than that of Madame Steinhall, the 'tragic widow," who was accused of having killed her husband, and jer mother, and whom some hold responsible for the death of Presi- dent Felix Faurc. The distracted woman, in her frantic efforts to !< herself frum the disgrace of murder and parricide, blamed peo- >le indiscriminately. Finally, to last the blanro upon a servant, she >ut a pearl in his pocket book, lamard had her arrested. She was acquitted, but the terrible or- deal she was put through during a ong trial has forced a change in ,he form of French criminal pro- cedure. Hamard says his most amusing perience concerned the bank clerk named Galley, who stole a ,arge sum of money from the Com- ioir National Escompte, chartered a yacht, and eloped with a music- iiall artist named Merelli. For a time the clerk played the part of a i^rand seigneur, but finally he and Merelli, whom he called "a sister uoul," were arrested at Bahia. The most revolting case of M. Hamard's experience was that of Soleilland, who killed the ten-year-old daugh- ter of his friend, put her little body in a sack and deposited it in a lug- gage office of the Western Station. Hamard stuck to the prosecution till the scoundrel was condemned to the guillotine ; but President Fal- liercs, who does not believe in ca- pital punishment, commuted his sentence to imprisonment for life. t't'RE FOR CONSUMPTION. Read this proof of what Cope- land's Cure for Consumption will do for those afflicted with the white plague : Mr. Cojioland: Doar Sir, I have beon troubled with my lungs for a long time. Dot-torn and all ini'dicint-s did ma an rood. My say . lhat your f'ure has done rm the world of Hood. 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