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NO MAN'’S v
LAND 2 2oMANCE
By:LOUIS JOSEPH VANCE
Z THLUSTRATIONS BY 7oy ¥/~
~ SYNOPSIS.
Yo Crty. Soaets Dodsias Blackatock, who
fovites him to a card party. He accepts,
although he dislikes Blackstock, the rea
®on being that both are in love with Kath
«erine Thaxter, Coast fails to convince her
that Blackstock {s unworthy of her
friendship. At the party Coast meets two
mamed Dundas and Van Tuyl. There is
a quarrel, and Blackstock shoots Va
Tuyl dead. Coast struggles to wrest t!£
weapon from him, thus the police dis
«<over them. Coast is arrested for murder.
~ CHAPTER Ill.—(Continued.)
*“Well, so much for Blackstock—
wuntil the polic. get wind of him, at all
events. They're trying to locate him
by cable now; haven’t heard of any
success that way, however. Naturally
. .. . But a few days ago Dundas
came to the surface.” :
Coast started violently. *“Dundas!”
“Um-mm; full confession, exculpat
ing you, incriminating Blackstock.
«Corroborative details: letters from
Blackstock—all that -sort of thing.
Furthermore, Dundas ‘told us why
Blackstock feared Van Tuyl: Van
knew something—some dirty business
Blackstock had cooked up in the west.
Jmmaterial now; tell you later. Also
Dundas took us to the shop where
Blackstock beught that gun—sales
man recalled the transaction. You re
member how we failed to prove the
gun his?” - o o
“Of course. Go on about Dundas.”
“Well . . . it was Truax's do
ing; nailed Dundas on the street one
day, somewhere east of Third avenue.
The man had been in hiding ever
since Blackstock cleared out; he was
in a pretty bad way, broke and seédy;
claimed Blackstock hadn’t sent him a
dollar since he disappeared. So Dun
das, thrown back upon his pen for &
means of livelihood, went all to
pieces; couldn’t work—had forgotten
‘the trick—or wouldn’t; . drank up all
he could raise by pawning - things.
. . . Truax staked him to a meal
and drinks, plenty of drinks; ‘and all
that on an empty stomach made him
saudlin. Confessed he was keeping a
conscience—remorse gnawing at his
vitals—whatever those are—every
thing like that. Then Truax bundled
him into a taxi and brou%t him to
my rooms. It was near Mmidnight—
‘got me out of béd; I caught a’ cold.
However . . . I own it without
compunction, we worked the poor
devil through the third- degree; sim
ply browbeat and bullyragged him un
til 1 was ashamed of myself.” But the
truth oozed out finally, along with
tears—whisky tears. .We ‘hadn’t
stinted the bottle. . . .
“As I say, in the end Dundas owied
ap to the whole filthy affair, just as
you told it—whimpered about selling
his soul to Blackstock, ‘price mnot’de
posed. We made him sign a brief con
fession, but I knew that wouldn’t be
sufficient, and it was then too late and
Dundas too far gone to do more with
him. So I called in a central office
man | happened to know, and turned
Dundas over to him to be taken to
@ Turkish bath and licked into shape;
and it did the trick, with a hearty
breakfast and plenty of black coffee
for a chaser. He was prett; shaky
mext morning, but I coaxed him into
a taxi and had him at the district at
torney’s office before he knew what
was up. There he wanted to hedge,
but his signature to the overnight con
fession took all the starch out of him,
and he went all over it again, with a
stenographer taking it down—type
written deposition—all that sort of
thing. -, . :
“Meanwhile my friend the detective
‘had ransacked Dundas’ lodging—some
«cheap room just off the Bowery—and
found a bundle of letters from Black
stock—mostly written during the trial,
‘when they didn’t dare be seen together
~—hints and orders as to the evidence
Dundas was to give. That settled it.
Dundas was rushed before a magis
trate and jailed and the grand jury
‘was asked to indict him for perjury.
“The poor fool was scared silly, as soon
as he realized what he had done—de
clared Blackstock would pget him
sooner or later. So he saved him the
-trouble—killed himself in his cell half
an hour after being committed—had
a phial of morphia secreted in his
clothing . . .” :
After a pause Coast said slowly:
-go Blackstock did ‘get’ him after all!
“That makes two at least—two we
&know of.”
“Yes,” Warburton assented uneasily,
worried by the hard expression that
Jined Coast’s mouth; “looked at that
way, yes. . . . Well, we called your
-trial judge into consultation—the dis
trict attorney and I—and between the
sthree of us drew up a petition for your
pardon, the district attorney being the
first to sign. I got-off to Albany by
the first train. There wasn’'t the
glightest trouble; the goverror grant
ed the pardon without a murmur.
. «. . And here we are.”
“And here we are,” Coast repeated
in a whisper. He was quiet for a time.
. .« . “You know I can’t thank you,
old man,” he said at length, rousing.
Warburton's fat little hand rested a
moment lightly upon his shoulder.
“You don’t have to. I feel too good
about it myself. Always knew it
would come out all right. Never lost
faith in you, not for a second, Gar
rett.” 3 ;
He rattled on, Coast listening by
fits and snatches. He heard a little
of this matter and that, heard less of
more. ‘He replied at times abstract
edly -. i o, -
Katherine Thaxter? Had she heard?
All Coast’s thoughts focussed upon
this: he must see her. . . .
There came a pause, made awkward
by a constraint in Warburton'’s man
ner. Coast glanced at him inquiring-
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The Sidewalk Throng Passed Him With Blank Looks.
ly. The' little lawyer licked his lips
nervously. i
“There’'s one thing,” he said, “you
won't like, perhaps.”
Coast smiled. “I'm not in 'a mood
for fault-finding. What is it?"” ;
“Of course, you know it’s desirable
to get Blackstock.”
“Well?” :
“You won't be fully cleared, in the
public mind at least, until he’s con
victed in your stead.”
“That’s true enough.”
“So we're keeping it quiet, for the
time being—the reasons for your re
‘lease, I mean.” !
“Why? What's the sense of that?”
Coast_demanded, excitedly. “You said
‘exoneration!’ . . "
" “So it is, so it will be. But we don’t
want to scare Blackstock. If he hears
that Dundas has confessed, he’ll never
be found. If we permit him to think,
as the public will certainly think, that
you are pardoned principally because
of your social standing and ‘pull’
. . . then he won’t be so wary. You
gsee? -So we're withholding the real
reason. Be patient; it will only be
for a little while. And in the end‘it
will be exom€ration, absolute and un
questionable. Will you stand for
this?”
Coast nodded somberly at the dull
haze hanging over the sweltering city
toward which they raced. “I presume
I must,” he said wearily; “but it's
hard—thundering hard. . . . [had
Nopett iz
“I know, old boy.” ~Warburton’s
hand touched his again. “But it’s for
the best—sos your best interests, be
lieve me.” S AR
Coast’s chin sank despondently. upon
his breast. “l must go away for a
time,” he, said, or, rather muttered,
liis accents so soft that Warburton
failed to distinguish them—*"clear out,
for & thmes " -, T TR e
They passed a corner news stand
where-a man stood with a paper out
spread before hifm;.the width of, fts’
front sheet occupied by headlines in
huge black type, heralding the sensa
tion of the hour.
They who rode might read:
GARRETT COAST PARDONED!
AT THE ELEVENTH HOURI!!! 1
Coast shivered as if chilled and
sank back, crouching, faint with du-i
may, in his corner of the tonneau.
Publicity had him in its relentless
clutches. e
At two in 'the afternoon -the ear.
stopped’ before the building on Nas
sau- streét in which Warburton had
offices.. Coast alighted, sick with fear
of recognition. The sidewalk throng
passed him with blank looks, the eie-yi
vator boy had a copy of the blatant
sheet and a -stare for Mr. Warbur
ton’s client: .In Warburton’s private
room there was business to distract
him; papers to be signed, detafls to be
arranged, letters and telegrams of
congratulation, already coming in by
the score, to be opened and read. He
was called on the telephone~—Warbur
ton fully satisfying himself as to the
caller’s identity before turning the
receiver over to Coast. His hope was
nipped with disappointment; it was
merely Truax calling to offer his fe
licitations and demand Coast’s pres
ence at “a little dinner at the club—
just a few of us, all friends of yours;”
the hour, seven-that night. Mechan
ically Coast promised and rang off.
He was unable to refuse; in his heart
he knew that he would be unable to
go. e e
" “What about my rooms?” he asked,
suddenly. S /
Warburton beamed. “Thkzay’re wait
ing for you, everything just as you
left it. I kept track of both your old
servants; they're ‘there, too. Just
walk in and hang up your-hat.” ;
Coast: meditated. *“That’s like you,
Dick,” he said.
An office boy entered. “Reporter
His Escape Was Expensive
Globe-Trotter Haskin Keeps Store
" keeper Good 'Natured While .
Chinese Mob V\{alt'o. o
Frederick J. Haskin, globe-trotter,
man of the world and humorist, on
one occasion struck Shanghali when
the feeling among the natives was
strong against Americans. The peo
ple of the Celestial empire were boy
cotting American goods and stoning
Americans - whenever they could get
away with it g 2 '
Haskin was warned not to take any
risk. 2 '
“These people won't bother me,”
he remarked airily.~ “If any of them
tries to hurt me, I’'ll hand bhim a swift
wallop under the chin.” :
. 'Ten minutes after he left his hotel
he was® hotfooting it down the stréet
while a- gang of Chinese used him as
a target, and: pelting him with any
tiing they could lay hands on. Final
Iy, out of breath, and looking like a
cyclone Victim, he ducked into a store.
4A TS MSRITS RO 27PR T eLI e e
from the Jolnal wants to see Miste:
CORSEY 7 e T
“I've left,'fi’v sald Coast.
-He thought sobarly,-frowning for..
oment. CTHAS PO Ay’ flabe oun o
the question; they’ll swarm there.”
“Yes,” agreed Warhurton. .
“T'll put up at some hotel tonight.”
“Made up your mind which?”
*“No; I'll call you up when I'm set
tled; . . . You'd better give me
some money.” ; 5
-~ Warburton’s pudgy ~features con
torted themselves to express chagrin.
“The one thing I forgot!”
“Then send somebody out for it.”
_“How muc¢h?” Warburton drew a
cheque-book toward him. “A hun
dred?’ = 2
" A long pause prefaced Coast's estl
mate. “Five thousand.”
The lawyer whistled. “The devil
you say! What d’you want with all
that?” :
_*How can 1 tell?”
With a sigh and a shrug Warburton
drew the check and rang for his head
clerk. That person brought with him
the information that representatives
of the Times, the Sun and the Herald
had foregathered with the Journal re
porter in the outer office, and would
not be denied.
! “Get the money,” sald Warburton.
“I’ll tend-to the rest.” :
He made a sortie into the reception
room and returned crestfallen. “I've
lied like a trooper,” he confessed,
“but they wan’'t budge. You were seen
to enter; you haven’t been seen to
leave.”
*“Then,” sald Coast, “I'll stop here
tonight.” -
Warburton shook his head in cheer
ful dissent. *“Not in the least neces
sary. ['ll fix you up all right. You
can slip out into the hall by this door
~—Tl'll make sure the coast’s clear, first
—dodge round into the Liberty “street
corridor, and take the elevator there.
You're hardly liable to be recognized
on either the subway or the L, if
you're careful. Make your own selec
tion of a hotel and call me up at the
club any time after five. Meanwhile
I'll send a boy to your rooms for what
ever you want, and he’ll bring every
thing to you at any hour you name.”
Coast smiled agreement. “That's a
wonderful head you wear, Dick, but I
doubt if your scheme will work; it'a
too simple . -. .”
Its very simplicity made it practica
ble, however; and a little after four
Coast made his escape precisely ag
Warburton had. planned. :
{*~: | (TO BE CONTINUED.) :
""" 'True Enlightenment.
. “When we get enlightened we find
{*¢hat the way to attain harmony with
God is by conforming ourselves to
him, not by seeking to conform him
to us. By and by we find that there
is a God of infinite perfection in pow
er, wisdom, justice, love and holiness;
and then we ‘find that God needs no
instruction, for he is all wise, and be
fore the beginning he knew all which
"would happen in the histoty. of the
human race.- He needs né appeasing
to alter his affection, for he is all
lave, and has an infinité desire to
confer the highest possible or concely
able blessing on the’ “whole human
race, aud on each individual thereof,
When we come _to, this conclusion we
| take pains to. bring otrselves fnto
| Harmony with God. All sacrifice ‘dis
appears; all mutilation of the flesh
or ‘spirit, all ceremonies which do not
grow out of ‘the natural wants of
| mankind.”~Theodore Parker.
. Treasures in Chicago University.
The University.of Chicago possesses
the Oxyrhynchus fragment of the Gos
pel of Mark, found ten years ago,
which dates -back to the fifth century.
It has also the first Greek New Testa
ment given to the-world, lissued by
Erasmus in 1516; also the first one
printed, the Complutensian Polygiot,
which came from a Spanish- press in
1614, but was suppressed until 1621 = -
© ", " Both Deceived.
She—*“You deceived me when |
married you.” He—*l did more than
that. 1 decelved myself.”—Boston
T'ranscript. L RPE Ry ; :
’Tho mob waited for him with admir
able patience. .At the end of every
} fifteen .minutes. the traveler would
‘ask the owner.of the store:" 1
. “Are they still-there?” o
~ They were there. = .
' Then, just to keep his savior 1n
good humor, Haskin would make a
‘purchase. He started out on a S3O
overcoat, but the mob waited so long
tfhat he dropped in his expenditures
until the articles he bought were
worth only a dollar or two apiece.” -
He was imprisoned for half a -day.
and the price of his escape.was.near
1y $200.--Popular Magazine.
Arthur—“ Why is it, fairest Evan
geline, that when | am with you the
hands on that clock seem to take
wings and fly?” Stern Voice (at the
head of the stairs)—“Without wish
in’ to be impertinent, young man, I
simply want to observe that them
bands hain’t got nothin’ on the ones
- |MPORTANT T 0 EVERYONE
It i 3 now conceded by physicians
that the Kidneys should have more at
tention as they control the other or
gans to a remarkable degree and do a
tremendous amount of work in remov
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from the system by filtering the blood.
During the winter months especial
ly when we live an indoor life, the
kidneys should receive some assist
ance when needed, as we take less ex
ercise, drink less water and often eat
more rich heavy food, thereby forcing
the kidneys to do more work than
Nature intended. Evidence of kidney
trouble, such as lame back, inability
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An herbal medicine containing no
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.You may receive a sample bottle of
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Address Dr, Kilmer & Co., Bingham
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Subject for the Minister.
According to reports gathered by
the National Association for the Study
and Prevention of Tuberculosis, prac
tically 10 per cent. of all deaths in
church congregations are caused by
tuberculosis. In a study of 312,000
which there were 7,000 deaths in 1910,
communicants of 725 churches in
the death rate among these church
members was found to be 2.24. for
every - thousand communicants. This
is higher than the rate for the regis
tration area .of the United States,
which was 1.60 in 1910.
“While these statistics,” says the
national association, “are not com
parable from the point of view of ac
curacy with those of the bureau of
census, sufficient credence may be
given to them to indicate that one of
the most serious problem the or
dinary church has to consider is that
of the devastation of its membership
by tuberculosis. Every winister in the
United States should give this sub
ject some attention during the week
preceding or that following April 28,
Tuberculosis day.”
AF YOU ARE A TRIFLE SENSITIVE
About the size of your shoes, you can wear
a rize smaller by sfmking Allen’s Foot-Ease,
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Address, Allen S, Olmsted, Le I{’oy, N. Y.
" The Man and the Place.
Andrew Carnegie was giving advice
on a recent Sunday to one of the
younger members of the Rockefeller
Bible class.: .
“l am an advocate of early mare
riages,” he said. "The right man in
the right place, at the right time, is
a very good saying, and to my mind,
the right man in"the right place at the
right time is unquestionably a husband
reading to his wife on a winter’s night
beside the radiator.
- On the Trail.
““Does your fiance know your age
‘Lotta?”
“Well—partly.”—Fliegende Blaetter.
| ort
| Exam'ine cax?e'f‘ltll}? 'g/g}'?'e'l’)%ttle of
CASTORIA, a safe and sure remedy for
infants and children, and see that it
~ Bearsthe
Signature of m
In Use For Over 30 Years.
Children Cry for Fletcher’s Castoria
v No Safe.
-“Hill work?” replied the demon
strator, after Stigging had inspected
the new car carefully. “Hill work?
Why that's our strong point, Mr. Stig
gins. This car can climb a tree.”
“Ha! hum!” demurred Stiggins.
“Then I guess I'll look elesewhere. I
never saw a car yet that climbed trees
that was any good afterward.”—Hag
per's Weekly./
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Touch Preventer.
Howell—Why do you call your dog
“Strike Breaker?” -
. Powell—l have done it ever since
he grabbed a fellow who was about
to strike me for money.
For HEADACHE—Hicks’ CAPUDINE
Whether from Colds, Heat, Stomach o
Nervous Troubles, Capudine will relieve you.
It’s liquid—pleasant to take-—acts immedi
ately. Try it. 10c., 25¢c., and 50 cents at drug
stores.
2 At the Bank.
- “Your husband.has stopped payment
on your alimony check.”
“I know it; he no longer loves me.”