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“I’ll certainly see Bell,” he m'ntâ€" tercd. “What do you intend to do, Marley?” “For the present, nothing,” Mal-Icy replied. “So long as the man in the hospital remains uncon- Scious I can do no more.” David bade Marley good-night and went home to study over the case His train of thought was dress rl” “No. 219 Brunswick Square.” It took all the nerve that» David possessed to crush the cry that rose to his lips. IL is more than strange that the man he most deâ€" sired to see’at lohis juncture should be staying in the very house where the novelist had his great advenâ€" utre. And in the mere fact might be fihe key to the problem of the cigarâ€"case. “Staiing in Brighton?” Steel qskedx eagerly. “What is .Ls ad- “I am a. pupil of Mr. Bell’s,” Marley said, quietly. “Curious you should mention Mr. Bell’s name, seeing that he was here so recently as this afternoon.” “You may smoke a. score if they will be of any assistance to you, sir,” Marley replied. “I don’t want to ask you any questions and I don't want youâ€"well, to commit yourself.” _ ‘ u s a. ‘puzzling case,” said Daâ€" vid. “You have handled it with skill. You might have been 'a pu- pil of my remarkable acquaintance Hatherly Bell.” “Yes he reco Lized his rivate 3 8 mark at once.” L‘NValen is quite sure Q” he ask- ed. Steel dropped who a chair and gazed at Inspector Marley with mild surprise. At the same time he was not in the least alarmed. ’ “May I smoke a cigarette 7” Da- vid asked. “Pressed as to when the case had ben sold, Mr. W'a‘len, without hesiâ€" tation, said: “Yesterday, for £72 lbs.’ The purchaser was a stran- ger, whom, Mr. WaLlen is prepared to identify. Asked if a formal reâ€" ceipt had been givefi, Walen said that it had. And now I come to the'gist of the whole matter. You saw Dr. Cross hand me a. mass pf papers, etc, taken from the per- son of the gentleman who was nearly killed in your house 2” “Go on,” said he. hoarsely. “go on. You mean to say thatâ€"” “That amongst the; papers found in 'the pocket of the unfortunate stranger was a, l‘eceipted bill for the very cigar-case that lies here before you!” ‘ Dafid saw t-he'gulf looming be- fore him. “\Vel], what of that ?” David ask- ed, impatiently. “For all-I know, the case might have come from Wa- len’s. I am not going to deny that Walen was right.’ ’ ' “As you please sir. From inâ€" formation also received I took the case to \‘Valen’s, in West Street, and asked Mr. Walen if he had seen the case before. Pressed to identi- fy it, he handed me a glass and asked me to find the figures (say) '1771. x. 3,’ in tiny characters on the edge. I did so by the aid of the glass, and Mr. Walen further proceeded to show me an entry in his purchasing ledger which proved that a cigar-case in gunâ€"meâ€" tal and diamonds bearing that 1e- gend had been added to the stock quite recentlyâ€"a few weeks ago; in fact.” i 090 to pay off a debt. Within eightâ€"and-forty hours you had no more prospect of paying that debt than I have at this moment. Of course, you will be able. to account for those notes. You can, of course ?” “We will discuss that when the proper time comes,” Steel said, with fine indifference]. “Well, it’s'this way, sir. when I pointed out the case to you 1y- ing on the- floor of your conserva- tory last night you said it wasn't yours. You looked at it with the eyes of a stranger, and then you said you were mistaken. From information given last night I have been making inquiries about the cigarâ€"case; You took it to Mr. Mossa’s, and from it you produced notes to the value of nearly £1,â€" CHAPTER V.â€"(Cont’d) Prineeflupert’s Bing, CHAPTER VI. OR, THE HOUSE OF THE SILENT SORROW. "Oh, the man is better,” Cross said cheerfully. “He hasn’t been identified yet, though the press has given us every assistance. I fancy the poor fellow is going to recovâ€" er. though I am afraid it will be a- long job." . David walkéd the whole distance to 219 Brunswick Square. He knocked at- thc door with a. vague “I’ll go_to Bl‘llllbWiCk Square and see that woman,” David said ,to himself. “Money or no money, I’ll not lie under, an imputation like this. ’ ’ § There was" one thing to be done beforehand, and that was to see Dr. Cross. ulcldyr 165;: éo;}ii.'curea'col'd:._hefin' I a “neat and mm. I o - 25 cent:- The emotion of surprise seemed to have‘ left Steel altogether. Afâ€" ter the last discovery he was pre- pared to believe anything. highly esteemed and popular mefi in England. And from his home came the message which has been the, source of all the mischief. And yet there are critics who say the plots of my novels are too fantas- ticl” “Gilead Gates,” he murmured when he had thanked the operaâ€" tor. “Quaker, millionaire, and philanthropist. One of the most “What a fool I am I” he exclaimâ€" ed. “If I had been plotting this business out as a, story, I should have thought of that long ago. . No, I don’t want; any number, at least, not in'that way. Two nights ago I was called up by somebody from London who held the line for fully half an hour 01' so. I’veâ€" 1’ve forgotten the address of my correspondent, but if you can as- certain the number . . . yes, I shall be here if you will ring me up when you have got- it. . . . Thanksfl’ Half an hour passed before’the bell trilled again. David listened eagerly. At an" rate, now he was going to know the number whence the mysterious message cameâ€" 0017, K-ensington, was the number. David muttered his thanks and flew to his big telephone directory. Yes, there it was~â€"“0017, 446 Prince’s Gate, Gilead Gates.” 515170533 cm Not for one moment did Steel beâ€" lieve in the American at the Met- ropole. As he walked thoughtfully homewards he was debating in his mind whether or not he might venâ€" ture to call at or write to 219 Brunswick Square, and lay his diffi- culties before the people there. He sat in hisown room puzzling the matter out till his head ached.. He looked round for inspiration. His eye fell on the telephone and he jumped to his feet. “Can you tell me his name 1” Daxjid asked, “or describe 111m?” ” the junior partner said, frankly. “I can only remember the name was John Smith. If there is anything wrong-â€"” ‘ DaVv'id hastily gave the desired assurance. H? wanted to arouse no susplcion. The assistant recalled it had pass- ed into the hands of an American gentleman staying at the Metro- pole. Early the next morning David was in North Street. The gentleâ€" manly assistant at Lockhart’s re- membered Steél and the cigarâ€"case, but he was afraid that the article had been sol-d. No doubt it would be possible to obtain a facsimile in the course of a few days. “Only I -1'equired'that particular one,” Steel said. “Can you tell me when it was sold and who pur- chased 'it?” broke?) as an idea. came to him. If; was not so long since he hadia fac- simile cigar-case in his hand at Lockhart’s, in North Street. Sume- body connected with the mystery must have seen him admiring it and rel‘lctantly declining the purâ€" chase, because the voice from the the telephone told him that the case was a present and that it had come from the famous North Street establishment. “By Jove!” David cried. I’ll _go to Lockharrt’s toâ€"morrow and see if the case is still there. If so, I may be able to’ trace it.” ‘ CHAPTLd V11. “Did you see me. for ingtance’l If not, you couldn’h have been here.” A small, misshapen figurz, with the face of a Byron came in from behind the folding doors at the back of the diningâ€"room carrying some letters in his hand. Tine. stranger’s dark, piercing eyes were fixed inquirineg upon Steel. “Bell,” theihxtter cried; “Hath erly Bell! you hiwe'ben listening!” “I can give you no information,” she said, presently. “But I am as positive one way as you are another that you have ncver'been in this house before. I may surâ€" mise things, but as I hope to be judged fairly I can give you no in- formation. I am only a, 17005. un- happy girl, who is doing what she deems to be the best for all parties concerned. And I can tell you no- thing, nothing. Oh, won’t you beâ€" lieve that I would do anything to serve. you if I were only free ‘2” “When I was .in thius root! two nights ago]? David protestcd, “I sawâ€"â€"” ' This girl sfuod there, saying no~ thing. I "I am sorry, but I am sure that you were not.” “Ah, you are going to disappoint me? And yet you know something. No prisoner detected in ‘. Some shameful crime ever looked more guilty than you.” “Inconvenience! Do you call a charge of murdel, or manslaugh- ter at best, inconvenient? Have you not seen the local papers? Don‘t you know that five nights ago, during my absence from home, a. strange man was pr/a-ctically done to death in my conservatory? And during the time of the outrage, as sure as Heaven is, above us, I was in this room." “Certaini” David exclaimed. “The walis, the pictures, the furâ€" nitureâ€"all the same. I could swear to the place anywhere, Miss Gates, if I cannot prove that. I was here at- the time I name, it is likeâ€" ly to go very hard with me.” “I am not aware that I said any- thing about midnight,” David re- sponded coldly. “If vou know. all about it, I pray "you to give me certain informatiimvgf Vital im- portance to me ;-' )f‘not, I‘shall be compelled to keep my extraordinary story to myself. for otherwise you would never believe it. Do you or do you not know of my ,visit-here 1” “I can tell you nothing...“ she said. “Nothing, nothing, nothing. Are you sure you were in this house?” 1 V “Yofi mean that a certain venlenc‘eâ€"' ’ The. girl bent her Head till Steel could see nothing but the glorious amber of her h‘airu “Iâ€"â€"I know you quite well by reputatidn,” the girl gasped. Her little hands were pressed to her left side as if to check some deadly pain there. “Itiuaed, I may say I have read most of your stories.’ I â€"â€"I hope \that there is nothing wrong.’i “ ‘ “He-1‘61” the girl cried. “Im- possible! In the house! The night before last! Why, we were all in bed long before mid-night.” “I itrust not,” he said, graively. “Did you know that I was here twomnights ago 1”_ “No, niece, and housekeeper This is not my.11ncle’s own house he has merely taken this for a time But, Mr. Steelâ€"” V “Mr. David Steelâ€"is my name familiar to you?” 7 r David turned with a. start. He saw before him a. slight, graceful figurg, and a lovely, refined face in a frame of the most beautiful hair that he had ever seen. “I arh Miss Ruth Gates. at your serwce. Still, you} asked for me by name.” “Daughter of the famous Gilead Gabés‘l” David asked. “You wanted to see me, sir? Will you be so good as to state your business ‘2” “Iâ€"â€"â€"I, eh, yes,” Steel stammer» ed. “You see, Iâ€"if I only knew whom I had the pleasure of ad- The staid footman led the way into the dining-room. Nothing had ben altered. The same pI'ain, handâ€" some, expensive furniture was here. the same mahogany and engravings, the same dull red walls, with the same light: stain over the fire- placeâ€"a dull, prosperous, square- toscl-looking place. dressing?” The staid footman became, if pos- sible, a. littlov more reserved. If the gentleman Would send in his card he would see if Miss Ruth was disengaged. “I’m afraid I haven’t a card,” he said. “Will your say that Mr. Steel would like to seleâ€"â€"-erâ€"Miss Ruth for a few minutes? My busiâ€" fiess is exceedingly pressing.” feeling of unCertaihty. staid, oldâ€"fashioned footman answered his ring‘and inquired his business. F. “Canâ€"can I see your mistress?” Davxd stammered. m COD- Steel rose none too willingly. He would fain have lingered with Ruth. .She held out her hand; there was a‘ warm, glad smile on her face. “May you be successful," she whispered. “Come and see me again, because I shall be very very anxious to know. And I am nut without guilt . . . If you only In kne W . "‘And I’may come again?” David sa-ld, eagerly. “Because I read the number over the fanlight,” Steel went on. "And I came here by arrangement. And there was everything a’s I see it now. Boll, you must either mm: me of this delusion, 01' you mu'st prove logically to me that I have made a mistake. So far as 1 am concerned, I am like a child strug- gling with the alpnabet.” r “We’ll start “now,” said Bell “Come along.” David nodded feebiy. There was: no combating Bell’s statement. “I presume that this is No. 219 ‘3” he asked. “Certainly it is,” Miss Gates rcâ€" plied. “We are" all agreed about that.” “And I was here 11130. From eleven o’clock till two I was in thi~ very room working out some oalcu lations at this very table by the aid of my reading-lamp. Thm'cfx'n'c you could not; possib‘c/ have been in the house, to sa; nothing if 11).“; room.” “I am prepared to testify the fact on oath anywhere, my dear Boll.” “Very well; will you be 5;")qu enough‘to state the hour?” 51317053 Cum “Cértainly. I “as here from one o’clockâ€"say between one and um." “Funny enough, I was going (2‘) look you up to-day,” he said “You did me. a- great‘, service Juan, and I am longing to repay you. I came down here to give my friend Gates. the benefit of my advice, and as- sistance over a large philanthropic scheme he has just evolved. And. writing letters yonder on that. sub- ject, I heard your extraordinary conversation. Can I help you, “Then let us shake hands on the bargain. And now I am gnng m stagger you; I heard you state p0.in tively that two nights ago you were in this very room.” “My dear fellow,” David cried, “if you offered me every int-‘llect in Europe I should not chums? one of them so gladly as yours.” Steel 2” The little man admit-ted th: fact, I coolly. He had been writing letg tears in the back room and escape had been impossible for him. yuicily‘aâ€"olis éoiiliircnreavcoitih.vhe;lu ho [bro-I and land. a . - 25 cents. National Drug and ChémicafCompany of Cahada,'Limizod 4-mieom'5ia’;cmxie‘afipabgn. "“ NA-DRU-CO Headache Wafers Stop a headache in 30 minutes. Contain no harmful drug. NA - DRU - C0 Talcum Powder 3 Hndsâ€"Violet--Roseâ€"Flesh Color. Gems of rofruhmom and refinement. [QA-DRU-CO Dyspepsia Tablets Cute sour stomach â€"7he}rt-bumrâ€"flamlenca If You Want to be .3323 of Quality Ask your physician or druggist all about the NA~DRU-CO fine. 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The tak~ ‘ ing of this traflic over the National iTranscontincntal line from Winni- lpeg to Superior Junction, thence win, the- Superior branch to the :lakes; is an important step, and iopens up a. new a,” Grand Trunk ‘outlet for western wheat. Last year the Grand Trunk Pacific delinereal '10 its connections at Winnipeg more than 8,000,000 bushels of wheat. All ‘ this grain will now be handled by the Gran-ti Trunk Pacific and Grand ,Trunk, and it is expected that, irmtwlthstzmding the lighter yield, :this year‘s tonnage over the new 1 route will exceed the amount hand- . led lg-st year. As a, matter of fact the dry season just passed did not _affect the northern section of the gwheat belt through. which the Grand Trunk Pacific passes as seâ€" ;\orol_\' as it did the territory_ fabrâ€" Vthm- month. In addition to the _\\'ll(‘11tv business . there is a steal; (Peal of general merchandise going' into the new settmments and new towns along the line of the Grand Trunk Pacific, and it is expected that with the opening of navigation next. vezi r the effect of the incrcrm‘d tonnage will be ielt not_only by the Gran-:1 Trunk Pacificl but by the Grand Trunk Railway System well. 111 lb commercial sense, the opening of this new freight route is imf ortavnt to all Canada. l A further smile .md wwmm pref.- ‘sure of the hand were the only re- ply. l‘rcseently Steel was‘standing i’oufside in the road with Bell. The flatter was glancing at, film houses 31m eithcr side of 219. The higher house war-I let; the one nearest. the Fseaâ€"â€"218~was empay. A bi’ll in the Ewindow gave the information that. ;the property was in the hands of gMessrs. Wallace and Brown, Staâ€" }tion Quadrant, where keys could be obtained. “We’ll make a. start straight- away." said Bell. “Come along. 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