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W.-- JV“. uuule,-1\Uglflalu 5." Burton remembered now the cute to Reginald’s wealth. Wesbcar had evidently possessed Information, gained, probably, earching amongst the dead )1 papers. If Ashley was executed ‘éourse Reginald~ Deane was continuing. “That looked like a motive thought 1 would we whether were in any I‘umuclal difficulty found that during the last year two you and applied for loans Sum Leh'JE, Isaac Gordon, Ch: Cross Dank, Carlton Bank, and a dozen other loan oflices." Ashley moistened his lips witl‘ tongue. and there was a. com’ul nervous tflitchinp,‘ of his he othciwise. he sat ware calmly. was so main of his alibiâ€"his i r U Vy ‘..4_ VI... AAA£££I \VJIU had been walking on the railway line, and if I could find that that. man had a motive or benefited by the death of Sir George, then I had a. clue Worth following up." Ashley started. "The next day I Went to your late uncle‘s solicitors. They did not hesâ€" itate to tell me the terms of the will. The wholeâ€"every farmingâ€"of your uncle's income was to be yours; after your death, Reginald's." Burton remembered now the refer~ enCe to Reginald’s wealth. Miss Wesbcar had evidently possessed this Information, gained, probably, by earohing amongst the dead man’s dow, where the arch of the bits-6t Vl-mrl reste'd, but no red ballast. 11. he- cume my duty to find the man who Burton nodde'd; he was osted to speak. "I will tell you the story of how I found out who was the real mur- derer, show you the evidence I have against him, shall I?” "Yes." "When I went into the study where Sir George was murdered, I took from the papers on the table the address of his lawyers in Gray’s Inn Square. From the floor I took some dustâ€"rd ballast. .‘hc-e we no brickâ€"fields near here, and it ocâ€" curred to me that the ballast must come from the adjacent railway- line. On an or'dinaly carpet. this clue would not have been present; the softness of the one on the study floor allows the foot to sink in, and the dust under the arch between heel and sole comes off on to it. You will remember, Burton, that I Walk? ed across the grass to the railwayâ€" line '2” Ashley said nothing eyes fixed on the dc and they remained s the interview xu: reasons 1 need not enter in- to, I am going to let him loosw give him the whole night’s start. If the pollce get on nis track in the morning it will, in a. measure, be his owx1 fault.” ulcux‘, 1 mow the guilty man." The colmr of Ashley’s face S( to grow a shade paler, but he n' said : "0h !" "For reasons 1 need not entc AA gm, unu instantly left the subject. "Burton," he said, "I want no disturbers in my little conversation with Mr. Grayne. Just turn the key in the door, will you ? Thanks. Now, Mr Grayne, I told you that I had some information to give you about the Frenchmanâ€"” "Yes." “He is as innocent of the crime he is charged ~with as I am.” Ashley started. “Further, without the shadow of a. doubtâ€"the evidence I have is so clear, I know the guilty man." er r ‘ ‘ ' Deane's changed He sliyped 'the ring; on hi gel‘, and instantly left the The visitor shifted somewhat unâ€" easily in his chair as if curious to know how-this could concern him. “I told my friend you yourself were wearing one of the old poison rings found more often in romance than on the human finger, and he rather doubted it. You don’t think me rude, do you ? Pass it to me; let mo look at it. for a minute, Will you ? Oh, do not for a moment think I would unscrew it, or meddle with it in any way, prayi" Grayne hesitated a moment before drawing the ring from his finger, and then paSSed it over to Deanne a. heated discdssion bn My friend here has v deadliness of them, ga the pharmacopooia; but tion ‘is based on expe abroad, where I have suck n. certain poison a) the next minute, beyond Human aid." Deane hgd béén filling ing his speech, and w ing it. an r rrexer cjgareuc? Frankly, Inot seen you come back by any :0 do I; but they are a poisom a train, and was certain you had not. deqdly poison. My friend here In Itravelled up by the 10.25 p. m., painted me such a lurid picture of a which you would have had to do if future o‘er-ridden by the cigarettclthe murder was committed after fiend, that, I have fallen back on to Puntâ€"past nine." agommen clay." Ashley was breathing nuicklv. he “Talking of poisons “you arrived in the m “GMWMWWW‘ CHAPTER XLIV. ing home the night of the 1m "Goodâ€"evening, Mr. Grnync. Comcvby the last train. He simply sa in; sit. down." ! “Yes-” "You asked mg m can 7" “Then my (limculty came in‘ "YCS. Said I had some inform“. may to“ you frankly that 1 sus] non to give you about we ];‘mnch_{e(l yon; but you were seen to ( man, didn't I ? Help yourself to a [down with your bicycle by the brandyâ€"andâ€"soda. Burton, just, push I night Lmin. The stationâ€"master along the syphon, will you ? Cigar? 38W 3011 g0 “P in “16 llmming, No ? Prefer cigarette? Frankly, Inot seen you come back by :0 do I; but. they are a poison, altrain, and was certain you had an-,u_, Greta For Gold JKeu uke a. motive. I would see Whether you financial difficulty. I luring the last year or '1 applied for loans to Isaac Gordon, Clim‘ing Carlton Bank, and half 31‘ loan offices.” went into the study urge was 1nurdexod, I ’ papers on the table his lawyers in Gray’s been filling his Jallast. .‘hc e a! e .ear here, and it. ocâ€" at the ballast must e adjacent, railwayâ€" the dBtectzive's ‘ face. lary carpet this lflNC‘ been present; one on the study )t to sink in, and arch between heel mces.” I "You see the advantage of a knowâ€" 5 lips with hls‘ie'dge of character," said Deane, as s a convulsive, he Sat smoking and watching Burton of his hands; bringing Askley back to conscious- 'c calmly. He ness. “I imagined this would hapâ€" alibiâ€"his com- pen, seeing the man's nature. Your so fixed during over to Deane have seen a )n and drop rigid yond the reach of lng‘Ed at once. on his own fin- u 7 .;'~” 1 me man who]th fence the next morni the x‘ailn’11y~jlr1g no tram of you ld that, thatbonr‘d, an'd inmgimng so benefited by servant'lmd picked it, up, 3, then I had I had dropped from a. train up." 'escapc'd my sight. A pa: had caught the rope, drz to your late little way along, and the did not hesâ€"I fallen into the ditch." ls,” he resumed. middle of rather bn the subject. views of the gathered from but my informaâ€" he had his Or, The Sign of the Arrow ; his Pipe dur- as now lightâ€" too interâ€" ce seeme'd he merer ing home the night of the murder 1e. Come by the last train. He simply said : “Yes.” "Then my difficulty came in. I juror-ma. may tell you frankly that I suspect- French- ed you; but. you were seen to come ;e1{ to a down with your bicycle by the midâ€" iust push night train. The station-master here ? Cigar? saw you go up in the morning, had Frankly, not seen you coinc back by any .ison' a train, and was certain you had not Iere h. !travelled up by the 10.25 p. m., » "A moment more," continued ’Deane; “on that table are the ropes. glmnp, etc, also a. plaster cast of a. Hootâ€"mark which I found beneath the :hedge at the bottom of Graye Hall lgar'dcn. Also one of your own bicyâ€" I'cle-shoes I took the liberty of ab: [sh-acting from your bedroom, be- cause it fitted the mould from the Past accurately. Catch him, Bur- Hon 1" But it was too late. Ashle had fallen forwards, and was hudgle'd up on the floor senseless. Ashley made as gle to his feet. ' [Ashley’s nervous fingers found his pocketâ€"his handerchief. He wiped his forehead. He looked at the way of escapeâ€"the door, closed to him! He looked at the other way of escape he had always had in mind if things should conic to this passâ€" lt was on the finger of Deane‘s hand! ‘ “I mounted the signal ladder and I saw where you had suspended the board in front of the company’s lanâ€" tern; you preferred your own. Their light change to green, yours was a permanent red : the board hid theirs and held yours. The train coming along, seeing your danger-signal, would slow down and pull up. Then you would let go the cord in your hand, and your whole bag of tricks would {all to the ground, the green light would be visible, and the train \vould go oilâ€"bearing you to Lon- don.” There was no hope left in the guilty man’s eyes now, only a look of terror at what he considered Donne’s supernatural powers. "I can imagine your peering over the fence the next morning and seeâ€" ing no tram board, and imagining some railway servant'de picked it up, thinking it I__ .u ,1, of your lamp and vline by line, “Prison week after week till the facing of the judge and jury; the farce of a trial, with the knowledge .of the verdict before it is given; the cooping up in the condemned cell; the waiting, waiting, waiting, with only the chaplain to talk to; to hear of the God I have offended, as I know, despite the teachings of the Church, offended beyond forgive- ness. The waiting for that last morning, counting the hours and hearing the Clank of hammers on nailâ€"heads as the scaffold goes up, that ghastly procession with all its theatrical tawdryness from cell to gallows, the staginess of the bell tolling, and the man waiting, cord in hand, to hoist the black flag ll Come, Mr. Deane,” there was a. faint ,Sinile on his white face as he asked question. “you say you have read my temperament, do you think I am the kind of actor to take a. part â€"a. leading partâ€"in the drama I have pi-ture(l ?” "No," replied Deane gruflly; “no.” “May I use this pen ? Thanks.” lfe read the confession through, He seemed to marvel at the accuracy of it. As he signed it. lie said : There was no hope left in the guilty man’s eyes now, only a look of terror at what; he considered “A, D ‘ ,,, ..â€".wu I‘D VVAADJMCIUU Dcnnc’s supernatural powers. "I can imagine you1'.p.eex~ing over the fence the next morning; and seeâ€" lng no tram of your lamp and board, an'd imagining some railway servant'lmd picked it, up, thinking it '11:" Arnnn‘a :_._ . ‘Ashley’s nervous fingers found his pocketâ€"his handerchxef. He wiped his forehead. He looked at the way of escapeâ€"the door, closed to "The way you stopped that train was ingenious," went on Deane. "But for the fact of the train being late and the entry in the signal- [man’s book to that efl‘ect, the stopâ€" ‘page would not. have occurred to me. That made me smell the rat, and I looked for its tailâ€"looked for it by the signal at the end of the garden of the Hall. 1 found that ingenious arrangement of yoursâ€"an acetylene bicyLleâ€"lamp fastened in front of a board. I found pieces of rope cut, where the wheels had gone over it. I saw that the lamp glass was covered with a pastedâ€"on piece of led gelatine.” There was a look of fear in Ashâ€" ley’s eyes. He had that look which was often fixed on Deaneâ€"an inâ€" quiring look, as of one who would ask: “Are you man or devil ?" “You stopped the upâ€"train midway between Graynewood and the preced- ing" station, jumped into an , empty carriage from the line unperceived in the darkness, and unperceived, per- h‘aps buried in a newspaper, passed Graynewood and reached London.” "Your methdd of getting down I have no proof of. I imagine that you took train on another line. and then, on a machine you had left for the purpose, cycled across country from a. distant station. “No,” addâ€" ed Deane, seeming to read in the {man’s eyes an inquiry, "I have no proof of that, but all the restâ€"yes. You picked the lateâ€"train night beâ€" ‘cause you knew of the 10.25 upâ€" train. You knew the guard (f the midnight train down could prove your putting the machine in his brakeâ€"your alibi would be clear; at the same time, you dared not, after the murder, go from Grayneâ€"WOOd station, or from the stations above and below Where you were known. Moreover, there was not time. What did you do? .Bui‘ton wondered. He had never hear}! Deane So explicit before. Never a, movement on part. of the listeners. “I fancied that when you reached London in the morning you arrang- ed for some one to come on the station before midnight with your bicycle, that you leaped from the 10.25 upon its arrival at Waterloo, mingled with the crowd, and reâ€"enâ€" tered the train. That was so." Ashley was breathing guy}! p0 9thcr sign. CHAPTER XLV rope} gll‘agge'd it a. train. It aln§ost A passing train if he would strugâ€" tiling-s had the green the train to Lon- quickly, he Deane had averted his hesfii; Vthere Was that, about the‘xmm ‘who was talking it was not good to look on. Burton was so full 0! mpgthy that in his heart. He was glad the man “Your fame, Mr. Deane, is wide- ISprcadâ€"and deserved. Somehow, my ’hcm‘t misgavc me when I heard you ‘were on the scene. Yet I rejoiced; I felt so sure of my alibi, and I thought, you would necessarily be able to prove the innocence of the 'two men in custody." Hevpicked up 'his bicycleâ€"cap, and, putting it on, said: “I must take the step now. I have been promzte'd 'to take it a hundred times this week; I must take it toâ€"night. For {he first time,_” again that pathetic smile hovered round his lips,â€""for the first time since the murder I shall sleep I" "No," replied Deafie shortly don't." “Most men, I suppose, don’t. like to bowled out, do they, Mr. Deane ‘? And I suppose when I tell you that these are the happiest moments I have passed since the murder you will think I am lying?” was no cowardly, pi‘tiful \vhino for: mercy, the man just grasped ‘his nettle and faced the music. He went on : “Ahd the bromide you have taken” interposed Deane, "has been useless, ] can see." “Yes; that is only right, only just to the others. I suppose you will not believe that I have suffered the tortures of the damned whilst these 1two men have been in prison for my crime '?” ' "Oh yes, I will." "All along I have been expecting the evidence against them to break down; if they had been liberated, well and good; their continued imâ€" prisonment made my existence one long torture. I have scarcely closed my eyes since-â€"-" sion "Could not have been more so had you followed me, step by step.” “I want you to Sign that confes- now ?" "On one condition.” “Name IL." “I have set out your method of execution of this crime on paper. I think my narration of it was fairly correct ?" "You think I shall do that. ‘2” “Well, frankly, I do not." “You will put. this, those things-â€" the evidence, in the hands of the police to-morrow morning '2” “’I‘o-morrow morning." "That gives me the whole of to- nightâ€"toâ€"night ‘2" “Yes.” ‘ "I shall not, attempt to escape." “I did not think you would.” "No? Surely most men would.” “Not of your temperament." "I am free to go from this roomâ€"â€" the 10.25 up; we an utes from the stati‘ a. night’s startâ€"â€" to be able to make it, anyway." “You think I shal "If you do What: I want you to keep my word, and let you go." an- AV! ' And then the memory of it, all flooded the man’s mind. He was silent for a, few moments, and then quietlyâ€"the quietness born of des- pairâ€"asked : "What are you going to do wlth 010 Presently Ashley opened his and said : “Wth ‘has happgwd ‘7" “Heat,” replied Deane; "heal you a trifle mint." "He is coming round. now," reâ€" plied the other, as he replaced a glass on the table and lifte'd the body back to the chair. ' quiet man is generally a, sleeping volcano'; disturb him, andâ€"Vesu- vius I" {,n You will have time to catch 3 up; we are not three min- 1 the station. London, and Deane; "heal made We”. you bught a long chase of eyes, Mrs. Newly Richeâ€"“Wo will, my dear. The new set of servants I have engaged have been' in the best families,” Mr Newly Ficheâ€""We must learn how to behave, Maria. if we are go- ing to enter. society.” 1 It, is often remarked that the chilâ€" dren of a great genius seldom ex- hibit corresponding powors. Neva:- theless, Prol. Karl Pearson, as the result of investigations made in Eng- land, .m'ers that, as a general rule, ability, probity, geniality and other psychical characters are inherited from parents as truly as physical characters are. From this he draws the conclusion that although intelliâ€" gence can be aided and trained by education, no schooling can create it. 'It is a product of breeding, and no nation which finds itself falling be- hind in the intellectual race can save itsel! merely through educational m2.â€" chincry; it must go back of the schools and look out for the quality‘ of its human stock. Affer deducting all the expenses of the industry the annual profit, to the acre is about $5. This is exceptionâ€" al even for Germany, where the annual profit ranges from $3 to $450 Freudenstadt has the distinction of ‘being the only city in Germany, and ‘perhaps in the world, which does not tax the citizens a. dollar for municipal expenses. The yearly net. covers all the outgo. This property consists of about 6,000 acres of fine forest, which. revenue from the public property being managed under the best fores- try methods, is a permanent. source of income. One or more trees are planted for every one that is cut down. No tree is cut till it can yield the maximum profit. a fire engine. The public business is conducted on an economical basis. and the total expenses do not. exceed $25,000 in a year. Small as it is, Fx'éudellrsriiafidt is a. full fledged city with a Mayor, A1- dermen, hall aidozen policemen, and Expenses Are Paid by Income From Its Property. In the Black Forest 01' Germany is the little city of Freudenstadt with About 7,000 inhabitants, a busy in- dustrial place with iron and chemiâ€" (‘al works of some importance. nose a. relief w, u. mu. uuu. "He would have done it," mutterâ€" ‘ecl Deane; "some other way if I had Inotâ€" There, it is better so.” Then aloud he said: “Goodâ€"night, Burton I am going up to bed.” ‘ And he wentâ€"went without turning round to face his companion. Perâ€" haps he was afraid to show the emoâ€" tion displayed on fhat usually fixed, placid face of his. Burton was glad. He did not want his own tearâ€"filled eyes to be seen. As the door closed on Deane] he drew out his handker- chief. He found the blowing of his He slipped the ring on his finger, opened the door, and said : “Goodâ€"night, gentlemen, andâ€"â€" many thanks.” A moment after the sound of his footsteps died away in‘ the hall. “Prayâ€"yes; for the first ‘time for years. I will pray beforeâ€"before I 5158p; the last time was at, my moth- er’s knee as a child. Will God hear my prayer now ?" And he was taking the ring off his finger and handing it back to its owner as he spoke, "Prayâ€"pray to Go‘d to-night; be- fore-â€"" Burton had never seen Deane so ‘strangely moved before. He stood there silently watching the man pleading to himâ€"pleading for his own. And as the pleader seemed to realise that his wish would be grant- ed, there came over him a, wave of thankfulncss, and a. smileâ€"a smile of pathetic gratitudeâ€"lit, up his face and made it the more difficult to look on unmoved. Huskin Deane said to him : "It is better 50; believe me, it is better so. I have suffered enough. Let, me pay the penalty my own way. It is certain it is to come; why not now as well as Ia'ter ? Help me. You can’t stop me. you have given me my liberty. Give me back what is mine 7” Deane stunted to his feet and ‘strode swiny across tfie room. He ‘put a, hand on Ashley’s shoulder. and said : “Man ! manâ€"â€"-â€"" But. he got no further. They stood there, looking into each other’s eyes â€"huntcr and hunted. But there was perhaps a tmcr feeling of sympathy running there than often runs be- tweeh close friends. Deane underâ€" stood the man; Ashley knew it. He said : ier ? "Make it. easier for me, Mr. Deane ‘7" No answer. Ashley had his hand on the door handle. In the-7 intense quietness of the room its faint rat- tle could be heard as his fingers grip- ped it. And again he said : He walked {0 and turned the round, and said A CITY WITHOUT TAXES "I 9581] Shop ~sleep soundly “There is s catch the train toâ€"night." said steadily. WHAD DO WE INHERIT? was to be an‘orded a, chance of esâ€" cape. Eusier, Mnâ€" Dcanc; make it eas- IN TRAINING. (To be Continued.) at. the Hall toâ€"night for the last time.” the door as he spoke key Then he looked ill time for you to and sleep in London Deane, a. little un- Lady (travelling in Italy)â€"- "The brigunds have stolen my husband and my Hug dog." OfiTCiaIâ€"““'e Shel} ‘have to act. Very delicately in the ‘matter, madam, or the hrigands may ‘put the captives to death." Lady Traveller (exciLedly)â€"“Tcll them 13.1) som shall be paid. Fido shall" no! die ” There is an aesthetic discovery worth noting, for most of the moon‘s familial‘s have ne\er seen aught more interesting there than a. lady unattended. That is because they did not use their opera. glasses. From the observer’s standpoint the figure on the right, which is the more prominent of the two, is un- mistakably feminine, with the face of threeâ€"quarters front and eyes looking (down. The figure on the observer’s left, which does not stand out so plainlyâ€"for reasons best known to the ownerâ€"is distinctly mannish, with face turned anxiously toward the interesting and perhaps blushin one. Both figures show the head and bust only, and the pose of each is distinctly. As to size, the femin- ine figure seems nearly twoâ€"thirds the diameter of the moon’s disk, from the crown of the head to the waist. Only Head and Bust of the Two Figures are Shown. People of artistic sense and refined taste are no longer disposed to tol- erate any allusions to the rotund and jocular Visage of the “man in the moon." The time has gone by for that childishnest. The demand of to-day is for art, and if you are bound to 11nd art in whatever you look at, it must sooner or later 2113â€" pearâ€"even in such an ellete object as the moon. Strange as it may seem to such as are not on familiar terms with the fulness thereof, there is now on exhibitionâ€"0n evenings when the curtain of the sky is not drawn â€"â€"a, Very id3l of art in the centre of the silvery orb, portraying with a. delicacy like that of an engraving a, refined human couple whose faces are near enough to be "significant; of much." Platinum is only found in the naâ€" tive state, occurring in small glis- tening granules of a steel gray color which always contain an ml- mixture in varying proportions of the fainin group. Platinum alloys easily with other metals, for it is the supreme king of all. It is Worthy of especial attention to note that less than five thousand pounds (troy weight) was mined in the entire world during the year 190-2, and that a. platinum famine exists. The demand is constantly in- creasing, but the supply is not in- creasing. Wallaston separated the platinum family and opened up the keem dis- covery that unearthed the rare qual- ities of these rare and precious met,- uls Ninety-seven per-cent. of all the platinum sands mined in the world come from the Ural Mountains of Russia. They are transported. 42 miles by horse and cart to the rail- road, thence 2,200 miles by steam Cars to St, Petersburg, and there treated and melted under the watchful eye of the Russian Govern- ment. are called the family -pla- tlnum. Iridium is a, great. medicine, and ranks with radium. Platinum is associated with and composed of iridium, rhodium, palla- dium, osmium, Aand_ ruthenium. These the material Edvancement that; has been accomplished in the world, thq supply of platinum has remained 10b- scure and practically unknown to the general public. ABOUT THE YEAR 1741. Sir Charles Wood, assay master at. Jamaica, in testing the orcs. obâ€" tained from the abandoned Spain's“ mines of Choco, Peru, noted this strange, peculiar metal. It was not fully described as o. dissinct metal until 1749, and since that time pin,- tinum has occupied a position as the noblest of the precious metals. It is an astonishing fact, that, with all fl- vunnfiuvab~ I As time rocked the cradle of events the sunlight of truth dispelled thq fogs of ignorance, and a. new era. beâ€"‘ gun amid the ruins of the most/ lamentable failure in history forl Spanish supremacy. To the most{ careful reading of history the auth-ol orities now generally agree that plan linum, an it is now called; had' a} modern definite discovery as a. useful' metal THE COUPLE IN THE MOON great utility and gave its mum "Plutilm" (little silver) on account of its resemblance to silver in ap~ pczu'ance and color. For several hundred years the Spanish alche- mists, knowng its strong affinity to alloy with gold, and fearing its pe- culiar fusion qualities, retarded it: powers and veiled its value and prm auction in accurduncc with the bigo< try that ruled that, nation during the centuries when its vessels plowed every sea and its discoverer!» 'lefl trails of disaster and ruin in. tha mad search for gold and conquest. , An 4:..- .- Authorities disagree as to the corâ€" rect time when plating. was first, "dis: covered. That it was known to thl' ancient nations there can be little doubL. Some authorities Heelar'c that. it. figured in the early history of the world and was one of the component. parts used in tempering copper, and‘that it contributed to the Dmnascus blade that. has been the theme of speculation for film turies. The Spaniards knew of itl Only a Little of It Has Yet Bee! Founa. COSTLY METAL PLATINUM. The