Newspaper Page Text
[BEHIND CLOSED DOORS
One of the Greatest Mystery Stories/Ever Written
By ANNA KATHARINE GREEN.
(Copyright, 1913, by Anna Katharine
Green.)
TO-DAY’S INSTALLMENT.
This time the answer came, but in
Quivering tone* that were almost inau
dible.
“The box was a Jewel casket, and it
was kept in the top drawer of the bu
reau."
If surprised, Mr. Gryce did not show
it.
“I see." he remarked; “and being a
receptacle for valuables it was doubtless
locked and the bureau drawer also."
“I don't know; I don't remember about
the bureau drawer; but the box was
locked. I recollect seeing her turn
the key."
It was a fatal admission and at once
stamped her whole story as improba
ble. She saw it when it was too late,
and, turning to a ghastly white before
their eyes, swayed so that her husband
forgot to press the question still trem
bling on his lips.
The, detective was not so merciful.
“I beg your pardon,” said he, “but.this
fact you mention is so remarkable,
when you consider that the person
thus accused by you of opening your
drawers and ransacking its treasures
before your eyes was. at the most, a
humble dressmaker, that I can not re
frain from asking what excuse she gave
you for such presumptuous conduct."
Making one final effort, Mrs. Camer
on hastily replied. “She gave no ex
cuse It was all done so quickly, she
neither thought of speaking nor I of
answering.”
“But her knowledge of things! How
came she "
But here the doctor, seeing from his
wife’s condition that he must speak
at once or not at all, hurriedly inter
posed with the ejaculation;
“Genevieve, Genevieve, answer me
this. Was it the bottle of pmssio acid
I gave you for "
It was useless to continue. A great,
spot of vivid red had broken out on
either of her cheeks and she seemed
neither to hear nor notice. «
4 *I am ill, Walter; I am ill!" came
from her Ups in a broken murmur: and
next moment she had fallen In a heap
at his feet.
Dr. Cameron Announces His De
termination.
DAT passed; a solemn day to Dr.
Cameron, who in it saw his wife
brought very near to the grave.
She was still so ill lliat they walked
with hushed steps and bated breath
through the house, but the worst was
over and Dr. Cameron felt that he
could leave her long enough to keep an
appointment he had made with Mr.
Gryce. For mingled with ail the anxiety
of the last twenty-four hours was the
uncertainty called out by her last ad
mission; and he felt that this must be
set at rest as soon as possible. He
£new it could be. He not -wiy remem
bered perfectly well the circumstances
under which he gave Genevieve this
powerful medicine, but he also remem
bered a certain peculiarity of the vial
which held It. To be sure, the vial
found by Mr. Gryce was broken; but
for all that he was confident he would
know' if it were his if that portion which
held the stopper was still intact.
For there had been a nick in the
rim, the very shape of which he recol
lected, and if that nick were still there
he would need no label to identify the
bottle. The label had once had the
words POISON on it and the most mi
nute directions for taking the requisite
quantity. But the label had been rubbed
off the one broken In Twenty-second
street, probably for the sake of sever
ing any clew it might furnish, the vial
having come from his own office, and
the words on the label having been
written by his own hand.
Mr. Gryce was prepared to receive
bim. He had a great respect for Dr.
Cameron and at present a profound
pity. A noble husband and an incom
prehensible wife. That is the way he
put it to himself at present. In the fu
ture he might be obliged to put it
stronger His greeting, therefore, was
cordial, but very grave. Dr. Cameron
noticed this and came at once to the
point.
“Have you those pieces of broken
glass here which are supposed to repre
sent the vial out of which Mildred Far
ley drank the poison that killed her?“
“We have. Do you want to see
them ?"
“I should like to. That is, if you con
sider it of any moment to know wheth
er it is the same bottle of acid I gave
my wife before we were married.’’
,# I certainly do. I should consider that
we have a most Important fact if we
oould establish an identity between the
bottles."
“Very well, then, look at the pieces
rou have preserved and see 1f you can
> find the neck of the vial among them;
then look on the neck for a nick about
Maxwell
House
Blend
a coffee of such
exhilarating and
palate tickling fla
vor that it makes
you thankful for
life and good liv
ing.
Sealed cans at grocer*
Cbeek-Neal
Coffee Co.
Unfertile
BoMtoV
JeekaowiD*
the size of a pin’s head, and if you
find it "
"Is that It?"
"Yes," assented the other, simply.
“It Is a serious discovery," observed
the detective, “very serious."
If he had meant to alarm Dr. Cam
eron, he certainly succeeded.
"How serious?" repeated that gentle
man. “It is important as all links are,
and valuable as establishing the truth
of my wife’s testimony; but seri
ous?”—
Why did the detective remain silent?
Did he own a thought or a suspicion he
was fain to conceal? Dr. Cameron felt
his heart stand still. Could it be they
did not believe his wife? that he had
roused rather than allayed whatever
doubts they cherished? He leaned for
ward and forced the detective to look at
him.
“I am an unhappy man." he declared.
"I have a wife whose testimony you
doubt, and that wife is laid up with al
most a mortal sickness. What shall I
do to prove my trust in her word? It is
absolute. I assure you; so absolute that
if ten persons told me they saw her give
the poison to Mildred Farley, and she
told me that Mildred Farley took it out
of her jewel casket or any other myste
rious place, I would believe my wife
and not them, and this without doubt
or hesitation."
Mr. Gryce looked more and more em
barrassed.
“If T can make 1t accord with my
duty to leave you and your sick wife
in peace, he sure I will do it. Nothing
would give me greater pleasure, for you
have my unbounded esteem and sym
pathy." But he did not look as if his
duty and wishes agreed, and Dr. Cam
eron lost heart more and more.
“You think,” he remarked, "that there
is something fatal in the identification
of this bottle with the one I gave to
Miss Gretorex months ago?"
"I think,” slowly observed Mr. Gryce.
“that it is a great pity that Mrs. Cam
eron did not preserve her strength long
enough to explain how this poor sewing
girl, albeit her constant visitor, had the
presumption, as well as a sufficient
knowledge of the interior of her bureau
drawers, to seize with such an instan
taneous touch upon the one thing that
would do the deadly business she de
sired."
“My wife may not have been able to
explain it," he former now ventured,
with an appearance of ease be was far
from feeling. “She herself spoke of the
fact as incredible.”
"Dr. Cameron,’’ was the quick reply,
"the strongest proof of your wife’s in
nocence, as you yourself phrase it, is
the lack of any apparent motive on her
part to wish ill to the girl. Make that
apparent lack an undoubted one and we
must believe her story, preposterous
and unnatural ss it seems. In other
words, unravel the whole secret of their
connection. Prove that Mildred Farley
had cause sufficient for desiring death
and make the conduct of Julius Moles -
worth seem In accord with the flplrlt and
good Judpwat of tie rsa’a."
"I will do it,” came from Dr. Camer
on’s white lips. “I can learn nothing
that will give me the pain which your
suspicion has done."
“And if in doing this you come across
others working in the same field?"
“I can but acknowledge their superior
right there. I am but working from
love; you from official duty. I have
neither the facilities nor perhaps the
courage to vie with you."
And with a how of formal politeness
he took a hurried leave.
The Mysterious Roll.
D R. CAMERON may have been rash
in the making of these promises,
but once having made them he
meant to keep them. The sight of his
wife's pale face, staring blankly from
the almost unruffled pillow where it
lay. would have strengthened his de
termination even if It had weakened.
It brought hack • so many memories
which made her unresponsive glance al
most unendurable to bear. If he could
but see it beam again with pleasure! If
at the first dawn of Intelligence in that
blank eye. he might lean over her and
whisper, “Joy, Joy, my darling! All
that troubled you is vanished and gone
into nothing. Not a soul In the world
has anything against you. Awake to
peace and hope and love!" That would
be a moment worth living for. For this
he would strive while she lay here In
unconsciousness.
But between hope and fulfillment
there is a great gulf. As he withdrew
from her side and sat down in her bou
doir to think, he asked Jiimself if he
possessed any secret knowledge likely
to lead to an elucidation of the problem
he had set for himself. He thought he
did. There was a fact that had once at
tracted his attention and then been for
gotten again till this new danger threat
ening Genevieve had roused all his fac
ulties and awakened all his memories.
It was this: At the moment, now some
weeks gone by, when Mr Gryce and
himself stood peering through the cur
tain at the hotel, he had noticed lying
oil the table at which Mildred Farley
I had been writing a pile of manuscript,
or, rather, a number of closely written
| sheets of paper, tied into a small roll.
| It had not seemed important* at the
[ time, and he had not given it a second
thought. But now. in recalling it, the
realization came with great force that
those sheets might have been letters;
! and that letters held and cherished by
I her at such an hour must contain facts
relative to her love and life that it would
; be of inestimable value to him now to
learn. Where was that roll? It had
not been found in her hag, or mention
would have been made of It at the Jn-
I quest. Had it been destroyed, or was
it still in existence? It was certainly
| his first duty to Inquire.
But of whom? Mr. Gryce? That
would not do. Though Dr. Cameron
felt every confidence in the detective’s
integrity, it had become his ambition to
refute that detective’s suspicions, and
J how could he hope to do so if he gave
! awa^v the one clew which he imagined
he possessed to a different conclusion
from that which present circumstances
I forced upon the police? That he could
! always fall hack upon the detective's
i knowledge was his excuse for attempt-
i ing to take the first steps without it.
■ Besides. Mr Gryce might not know any
j more about the matter than he.
To Be Continued To-morrow.
Some Early Fall Frocks and Suits
\
•- ...a
pSpS
eC* '§
•
IgShp
"C
:
V &
Ml
ti
i&ftj
Sir’
By OLIVETTE.
HE little frock we picture is of plaid
ratine combined with chiffon and white
satin. A vest of the white satin buttons
down the front with tiny pearl buttons, and
over this fall the deep bretell-like revers, end
ing in fringe.
The chiffon is shirred down the shoulders
and forms the under arm of waist and sleeve
alike. The sleeve ends in quaint cuffs of the
plaid, and these continue in a narrowing line
of cloth up the chiffon sleeve. The chiffon
crosses the satin vest and ends in a tiny knot.
The skirt is entirely of the plaid ratine or
boucle cloth, and is girdled below the hips by a
self-sash which has long fringed ends. From
beneath these ends the skirt falls in the fullness
of A double inverted pleat.
A suit modeled for early fall wear is that of
the second picture. The costume is a tailored
suit of black broadcloth with a high luster. Its
trimming is wide Heresies braid, a bit of Bal
kan embroidery and some tiny frogs and orna
ments of narrow braid.
The coat is a long “swallow-tail,” bound in
the braid, with an odd vest of the braid con
tinuing in a scarf down the front and ending
in huge tassels.
The sleeves widen into great bell-shaped
cuffs over the wrists and have long simulated
caps of the braid ending in a bishop’s mitre
near the cuff.
The skirt has a long-pointed yoke extend
ing well down the front, and to this the mate
rial is fulled ever sa slightly.
Some Matters of
Good Form
By MRS. FRANK LEARNED.
Author of “Etiquette In New York To
day."
N ATURALLY the rule of cour
tesy is that a younger person
should give precedence to an
older one, Recently some one ob
served a young girl coming In a room
to make a call Just as an older wom
an was leaving. Instead of stepping
hack politely and allowing the older
woman to pass, the girl pressed for
ward so persistently that the depart
ing guest was compelled to step back
from the doorway and wait until
the now arrival had pushed her way
In. If the girl had yielded grace
fully and had stepped back courteous
ly an agreeable impression would
have b^en made, Instead of an un
pleasant one. An older woman may
motion to a younger one to precede
her. In that case the younger
should bow and pass on without hesi
tation.
A subject which perplexes some
mothers is what to do when young
men call to see their daughters. It
would seem to he a perfectly natural
thing to have visitors and that family
life should go on as usual. But a
mother may think that young peo
ple feel more at case In conversa
tion when not with their elders. She
does not wish to interfere with the
pleasure of the visit, yet does not
wish to appear as if avoiding being
present. There is no reason why a
mother should find it necessary to
remain with the young people the
entire evening, but she should wel
come young men when they arrive,
and may remain In an adjoining room
occupying herself in any way she pre
fers and should be there to take leave
of guests. Ten o’clock Is late enough
in the evening for any one to stay,
and a young man should be too cour
teous to exceed that limit.
A point of etiquette which is some
times neglected is when making prep
arations for a visit and carelessly
forgetting to be fully supplied with
everything that may be necessary to
wear or to use. It is a great breach
of courtesy for any one who is stay
ing in the house of a friend to bor
row from her hostess. Very careless
guests have been known to be guilty
of this mistake and to borrow hand
kerchiefs, hatpins, veils, new gloves
and even small change. This is un
pardonable.
Certain rules about making calls
are not clear to some people For
instance, a tea or other entertainment
may be given by a friend for a guest
of honor, who is a new' resident in
a towm. It is courteous for those
who were invited to meet her to call
on her afterward in her own house,
within a. week. If they have not al
ready made a call on her there.
Another rule is that when making
a call the visitor who was first to
arive should be the first to leave aft
er a call of from fifteen to twenty
minutes.
A young hostess is sometimes wor
ried In regard to conversation dur
ing brief calls from acquaintances.
The general rule is that it should he
on light topics of the day. It is not
correct for a hostess who is receiving
a. brief call to attempt to substitute
for conversation the showing of a
collection of photographs, or portfo
lios of drawings or other produc
tions of members of the family.
Only Skin Deep.
On one occasion a well-known man
ager went to theater for the express
purpose of encouraging a young actor
who had shown signs of nervousness in
a new part. When the promising young
man made his exit into the wings per
spiration was streaming down his face.
The manager looked at him for a mo
ment and then said, in tones of intense
admiration; “How well your skin acts!”
The Earrings
By JEAN PSICHARI.
E VER since her chilhdood I had
had for Marie particular affec
tion. Her father. Henri Lepere,
was one of my oldest and perhaps
best friends. He was a painter, while
I had chosen the career of a novelist.
The time, had come for Marie to
be married. At first she did not wish
it; she hesitated, cried, in fact, and
behaved as young girls generally *do
under similar circumstances. But the
young man, a pupil of her father's,
loved her passionately, and as he was
apparently successful in his pleading,
Marie completely altered her mind
To make Marie still happier I de
termined to give her on her wedding
day two splendid earrings, two mar
velous sapphires, which I had kept in
reserve for a long time I watched
for an opportunity to give them to
her myself.
On the eve of the wedding the Le-
peres gave a ball. It was there that I
myself placed the earrings In her ears
and kissed her forehead.
Marie was confused, trembled as if
she had experienced a strange sensa
tion. said what was proper by way of
thanks and then went away hurried
ly.
The music began, and the child
danced with her fiance. Twenty min
utes had not passed, however, when
suddenly Marie became unwell and
fell senseless to the floor.
Everyone rushed to her; everyone
tried to be of use to her. When at
last she recovered consciousness and
rose, her mother glanced at her In
dismay.
“Your earrings. Marie! Where are
they?" she gasped.
Marie put her hands to her ears to
assure herself that the sapphires were
not there.
"They are lost!" she cried; "they
are lost; Where can they he?"
Of course, such an episode could
not fall to upset the whole proceed
ings. The guests dared not look at one
another. Evidently someone had stol
en the beautiful stones.
We supposed the earrings had been
taken at the moment when Marie had
fainted, and everyone was collected
about her, though ive marveled how
it could have been done.
I was grieved to think that my poor
child had had no opportunity to en
joy her present. 1 was particularly
attach^! to those sapphires, ;is i;wy
had belonged to my dead wife. To
partially compensate her I decided to
buy her one of those porcelain tea
sets which are sold in England.
Marie, as soon as she received this
tea set—which I sent her the very
first morning—wrote in© a charming
letter, affectionate and warm, in which
she spoke of my great kindness, add
ing that she considered herself little
worthy of it. and that she would tako
great care of the tea set, leaving it
in a special corner of her salon, to
be admired at her leisure.
Not a word in the letter about the
earrings. Evidently she did not want
to hurt me or to harass her own
feelings by recalling this unfortunate
incident
• •••••
For days I pondered much upon
this strange situation. Suddenly a
suspicion dawned upon me—a sus-
iclon so strange and so strong that
scarcely dared to consider it. In a
word, I thought she loved me, and
set about proving It by means of
the earrings.
I went to see Henri at a time when
I knew he would be out.
One of the doors of the study led
to a little conservatory, and only a
few steps separated the conservatory
from the ballroom.
In the midst of the conservatory
was a little basin with artificial rocks,
with a sandy floor and a fountain.
I bent down, felt In the sand,
turned it over, explored everywhere;
finally, I found the earrings! She
had herself thrown them into the
basin, hidden them In the sand. She
had stolen them from herself!
Why should she thus have dis
posed of the earrings and yet ac
cepted the tea set? Listen and I
will tell you. She accepted the tea
set with joy and gratitude, without
for an instant thinking that she was
doing anything she ought not to do
because It was an intimate gift, but
the earrings— Do not foraet that
with my own hands I had placed
them In her ears. At this moment
she must have thought that since her
finance love her. her duty was to for
get every other man.
This is how. for my part. I>re
constructed the little story.
He Proved It.
Mr. Meane: “I have nothing but
praise for the. new minister "
The Deacon: “So I noticed when the
plate went around ’’
A Bachelor’s Diary
By MAX.
A rot’ST 14.—I hav« decided' that
the chief difference between the
trained nurse and the unskilled
nurse is the salary and the uniform.
Richards, who was a green country girl
when I employed her to serve as nurse
maid for Elizabeth and Manette, and
whose only knowledge of illness was
gained through their childish com
plaints. Is Just as skillful in her care of
me as the uniformed nurse and infi
nitely more patient.
Not that I would accuse the trained
nurse of being Impatient; she is never
that, but somehow her patience is pure
ly mechanical. It is set by machinery,
and when a certain amount of attention
has been clipped off for me, the ma
chinery comes to a dead stop. And I
know then that it Is time for her to
take her rnornig or afternoon hour off.
“If I were dying.’’ I said to her this
morning, "and the clock struck 3, what
would you do?
"Put on my hat and go for my walk,"
she replied very professionally. "I owe
it to myself to take care of myself. Be
sides. I have seen too many persons die
to be Interested.”
Tlie Scrutiny.
"Does It distress you?" The subject
had always interested me.
“No. only bothers me. The manner
In which the living take on la trying to
my nerves."
“Then you have no personal feeling
for your patient?’’
“Sometimes. When they are million
aires like you, and unmarried, there is
always the chance of the helpless man
falling In love with his nurse and mar
rying her. That is th© real incentive
that leads many women to adopt the
profession."
“Corns around here where I can look
at you,” I commanded. “If that Is the
motive that actuated you In putting on
the uniform, I want to get a aquare look
at you so that I can be* what I atn up
against."
“She laughed, and, evidently not
afraid the bright light would injure her
chances, threw up the blind before she
took a seat beside my bed. I saw a
red-cheeked, blue-eyed blonde; the blu
est eyes, and the reddest cheeks and
mouth. Her hair had Just enough of a
curl to it to be tantalizing, and when I
raised my hand and brushed back a
lock under her cap. she smiled. "It’s
naturally curly," she said.
"How about this?" I asked, pinching
her cheek.
“The color is natural too."
“You are a good looking woman,” an
nounced in the manner of one who had
taken an inventory; "I don’t see what
the doctor meant by ordering me a pret
ty attendant like you."
She laughed. “Would you prefer that
1 went away?”
Defiance.
“No,” grasping her hands. “I want
you to stay. . There is something about
your hands I like. They are so strong
and so firm. I rather like to hold them
in the night, but I don’t want to marry
you."
"No?” with pretty eyebrows raised.
"No," I replied, “I don't. It will be in
teresting to smash tradition by refusing
to fall In love. Your beauty doesn’t at
tract me, and my wealth doesn’t at
tract you."
"Of course not;” another laugh. "No
man’s wealth ever attracted a woman."
“You are saying that in sarcasm," 1
replied, slipping my arm around her
neck that she might lift me to a more
comfortable position. “The truth is, It
is the lodestar of every woman’s lore.*
She had lifted me higher on the pil
lows. but I did not remove my arm from
around her neck.
“Now,” I said, "that we understand
each other, I don’t see why we can’t be
very good friends. You are not to fall
in love with me, and I won’t fail In love
with you."
"Won’t you?" with her blue eiyes eJoee
to mine.
“No,” stubbornly, shutting my eye*
tight, "I won’t."
“Won’t you?" her fare a little nearer
“No,” trying to turn my head, "I
won’t."
"It must be fine," T added, when she
had slipped my arm from her neck and
had taken her seat by the bed, and I
had gotten my rather riotous nerres
under control, "to he a poor man and
find a woman whose love doesn't de
pend on his hank account."
“There Is no such thing," hastening to
give me my medicine, for the hour had
coma
"I don’t know what that Is you are
giving me," holding hear hand with the
spoon away from my mouth, “but it
ought to be for fever. Tou are a fins
nurse, you are; throwing a patient into a
fever like thla I shall complain to the
doctor about ft.”
“I am not afraid,” putting the spoon
at my lips, -that you will tell any on*
You see,” quickly handing me a glass
of water, “I know all about the men."
"How ddd you learn?" suspiciously
'Ts there a special treatment prescribed
for my sex at your training school?”
“T have read all about you." with an
other laugh, “in the doctor hooka"
Then she bathed my face, remarking
professionally as she did It that my col
or was better; lowered my pillows, much
against my will; smoothed the coverlid,
pulled down the blinds and ordered me
to take a nap.
A Beginning.
“I will sit outside on the wrandn
within call,’’ she announced, “and if you
need me you can touch the bell."
She left the room so quietly and
quickly that she was gone before I could
detain her.
There are many qualities I like about
her, and her quickness and quietness
of manner are among them. There
would be less domestio friction If every
woman stepped as lightly and spoke as
softly as this woman. A soft step and
a sweet, low voice and a certain re
pose of manner never got on any tired
and irritable man's nerves.
Bhe had reached the veranda. I heard
Mrs. Allen ask her if I had fallen atdeep,
and did not wait to hear her reply. I
rang the bell.
In another minute she was beside roe
“You said to ring if I needed you. I
need you to sit right here by me till I fall
asleep.”
“But you will not fall asleep with me
here.’’
“I am so very tired," & little wearily,
and holding tight to her hand as if to
dismiss the argument, “that I am sure
I will."
And I did. And I dreamed—well, l
won’t tell you, Diary, what I dreamed.
You are nothing hut a collection of dry
paper leaves and wouldn’t understand.
KODAKS^
m w Ea8tmin|
First Class Finishing and En
larging. A oornplete stock films,
plates, papers, chemicals, see.
Special Mail Order Department for
out-of-town customers.
Send for Catalogue end Price List.
<4. K. HAWKES CO. Kodak Otparfmaaf
| 14 Whitehall 8t. ATLANTA. GA.
Via New Orleans
THE SAFEST AND BEST
ROUTE TO CALIFORNIA
LOW
One Way COLONIST Rates from Atlanta, in Ef
fect September 26 to October 10.
$42.20 TO CALIFORNIA
Through Standard and Tourist Sleeping Cara. Ask for
information and literature.
0. P. BARTLETT, O. A. R. 0. BEAN, T. P. A.
D. L. GRIFFIN, 0. P. A.
121 Peachtree Street, Atlanta, Ga.
An Opportunity
ToMake Money
inventor*, mm of idea* end inventive ability, thould write
dey hr our list of invention* needed, and prise* elered by lent
manufacturer*.
Patent* Mewed or on* foe returned. "W»T Sens# b***
Fail,” *‘How to Get Yover Patent end Yens Money** wA •<
valuable booklet* *cnt free to any add rasa.
RANDOLPH fit CO. rfgj
I ' yt Patent Attorney*
618 “F” Street, N. W„ P®
WA*HISGTOW. D. C.
*1