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f* 4pWf*HR( fc. i j^fe***La-tt l-im mwifi St^^T" It Is not invariably that a detective Is called upon to match his wits kgainst criminal cunning. Many of ife's most intricate and perplexing W- complications flow out of acts that are Innocent enough in themselves, or even Inspired by the most praiseworthy of motives but, of course, whose distant results could not possibly have been i i Imagined, much less anticipated leases like these form pleasant breaks 4 In the depressing, monotonous proces sion of such as owe their orign to jcriminal activity or illegitimate prac tices. At the same time the domestic prob lems are often the most difficult to cope with all of the operative's re sources of intelligence, skill and ex perience are sometimes baffled but many of them offer phases of interest that are quite as compelling as when he is trying to solve, say, an unusual murder. All sorts of eccentrics are met with queer traits of character play their part sometimes the partici pants are plunced into tragedy, or else tragedy is averted only in the nick of time. The archives of the Sutherland Detective agency conceal the records of many oases of this description. One of these unusual cases was brought to the attention of Felix Haz ard in a rather remarkable way. Nearby the Sutherland offices was a shabby little shop, whose proprietor dealt in all sorts of curious odds and ends, though his tastes ran chiefly to old books. The shop, in truth, reflect ed the proprietor's quaint character, and most of his curios were so ex tremely bizarre that they attracted purchasers by their striking and fan tastic oddity. Thus the old man, whose name was Philo Godall, pros pered. One morning when Hazard was in the shop Godall spread upon the dirty showcase a bookseller's trade journal and pointed to a certain advertise ment "Here is something peculiar," said he. "I have seen that advertisement, or one just like it, in. four or five dif ferent papers during the past week" Hazard looked where the old man's finger was pointing, and read "I WILL. PAY $1,000 FOR TWO CER- TAIN BOOKS. "The title pages of the two books show them to oe: "1. Trinclpall Navigations, Voiages and Discoveries of the English Nation,' by Richard Hakluyt, London, 1582. "2 'A Particular Discourse Concern ing Western Discoveries,' by Richard Hakluyt, London, 1584. "These two volumes are not genuine, but spurious, first editions, and are Intrinsically worth only the paper upon which they are printed. "As heirlooms, however, they have a value to the undersigned, who will pay $1,660 ($500 for each volume) up on delivery to him in an unmutilated or otherwise undamaged condition. "When the library of the late H. Sydenor Gray was disposed of in June, 1913, the two books specified were in cluded in the catalogue by mistake. I am extremely anxious to recover them. "Address: Edward S. Gray, R. F. D. 14, Unaminee, ill." Hazard looked at the old dealer. "Well," said he, "what's so peculiar about that?" Before replying, Godall stooped and fished something from underneath the counter. He laid two dingy, scratched and battered leather-bound volumes upon the showcase "There," he announced, "are the very books the young man is so eager to get." The detective examined them curi ously, and as the conversation pro ceeded he ran through the pages with deft fingers, now and then pausing to examine one or another with more par ticularity. i "Why young'" he asked "Do you know^him?" "I've seen him It was I who bought most of old Sydenor Gray's library these two among the rest of the books He had very little that was worth a good deal, and so of course they didn't add much to the estate. "But the funny part about it Is that several weeks ago I sold these very same books, and after seeing the ad vertisement for the first time, to save my soul all I could remember of the transaction was that I had accepted a dollar apiece for them I hadn't the faintest recollection of who had bought them. "I didn't worry much about it, though I thought, Tf the purchaser 1" should chance upon this advertisement hell find he's made a good invest- *^inent/ and dismissed the matter from my mind. "Well, sir, what do you think! Not more than an hour ago he came blus taring in here and slammed them down on the counter in a towering ragesaid I'd cheated him, and so on. Tried to sell 'em, I guess, to some body that knew more about old edt -dons than he did. "I didnt argue with him I gave ,t" Mm back, his two dollars and he went away apparently satisfied." Godall ^chuckled in high good humor. $ *^*y^ "Jt V* Crystal Gray's Legacy Taken from the Notebook of an Old Detective by Charles Edmonds 'Walk Hazard congratulated him on his I was no inconsiderable fortune In- windfaB and thought no mora of the deed, nobody could have kept up aa i And With Names and Pltees Hidden Published as a Proof That Truth Is Stranger Than Fiction This story throbs with real ism In the word's narrowest meaning. It Is a faithful ren dering of an authentic experi ence In the career of a high official of a detective agency whose name Is a household word throughout the English speaking world. Real names of persons and places are some times disguised. In all other re spects the amazing, often thrill ing, always gripping facts are recorded just as they happened. incident until, some hours later, it was recalled to his mind in a surprising manner. A card was brought to his desk by one of the young men whose duty it wae to intercept callers the instant they stepped from the elevator into the reception room The card bore the name, "Miss Crystal Gray," and in a moment the name's owner was ush ered into Hazard's presence. He beheld a tall, slender blonde woman, pretty and smartly gowned, who carried herself with a quiet, as sured air. He rose at her entrance and indicated the chair where all call ers were invited to sit one that faced, across Hazard's wide table-desk, two high, uncurtained windows. Thus were disingenuous persons placed at a disadvantage, for the glare beat upon them like a searchlight, while Hazard, his back to the windows, was in comparative shadow As he returned to his own seat the. girl gravely surveyed him "This is a novel experience for me," she began, "and I hope I haven't been driven to calling on you because of my stupidity but, really, I am at my wits' end." Hazard smilingly encouraged her. "Suppose you tell me what is worry ing you. Sometimes it is possible to clear away another's troubles by a word." The fair visitor appeared, thoughtful for a moment, then she asked: "Is the name of Sydenor Gray familiar to you?" "I have heard the name," was his reply, "but it is not familiar to me." "Well," the girl pursued, "he was my uncle. He was ad active man of af fairs until about eight years ago, when, his health failing with advancing years, he returned to the old family home at Unaminee, where he remained till his death last May. "Mr. Gray never married, but dur ing his life he acquired a considerable fortuneor, at least, he was so reputed, and he led others to believe that he had but if he left any fortune nobody has been able to find it. "Before we go any further I want to make my position clear. Wheii Mr. Gray returned to Unamiriee I was thir teen years old, living wi^h my wid owed mother in the old home place. We were very poor and unable to maintain the property in anything like the style it was intended for, and it had run down shamefully Indeed, mother made no attempt to keep it up. It was much too grand and imposing to attract a tenant in a small town like Unaminee, and we were obliged to cling to two or three of the smaller^ rooms because we had nowhefje els| tb go "Well, all this was changed when Mr Gray appeared A landscape gardener and a host of assistants were hired and the extensive grounds cleared and beautified, and the house was repaired and refurnished throughout In short, he spent money lavishly to put every thing in order, and I daresay there is no country place anywhere more beau tiful than 'Gray Gables' "Poor mother enjoyed the restored splendors of her old home little more than a year, when she died It was then uncle informed me that I was to be his heiress, intimating that it was in his power to make me rich I have much to be grateful for to my uncle. He provided the best musical educa tion available, so that I am now able to make a fair living I'm not a grand opera star, nor ever shall be but sum mer chautauquas and lyceum engage ments during the winter keep me em ployed. "During the last three years I have been much away from home, and some thing over a year ago a nephew of Mr. Gray's, Edward Gray, showed up at 'Gray Gables Years ago Edward got into some sort of trouble that in volved uncle but he must have given promises of reformation and in some way made amends so that uncle for gave him. "Uncle, however, repeatedly assured me that Edward's coming ift no way would affect my position as a matter of fact, he told me less than a year be fore he died that he could provide suit ably for his nephew without diminish* ing my*inheritance. *t *T am going into thlff so fully Be cause I want you to see clearly that from the beginning I was imbued with the idea that some day I should inherit the bulk of uncle's money, and he made no secret of the fact that It it. AsJt !fei#*i&*t aJ i*^ iK -ja^J^ "Have you the check with you Hazard. Inquired. Miss Gray opened her hand-bag aijd "Pay to the order- of Crystal Gray^ THE TOMAHAWK, WHITE EARTH, MINN. establishment like his without ample means. "Now, to be entirely frank, uncle in many respects was-well, queer, ec centric. Practically nothing was known of his past life, and he always avoided talking about it. He used to rail at banks, a firm belief of his being that their chief aim was to defraud their depositors. i' "So where was his money? "The sequel showed that his bank balance was comparatively small. "The rest I can tell you in a few words. Four days before he died he summoned Edward and me together to his room. He handed each of us a sealed envelope, instructing us that they were not to be opened until he was dead. 'There are your legacies,' said he, in effect 'I have converted everything into money and negotiable securities there's no use paying heavy probate and inheritance fees and be ing mulcted by unscrupulous lawyers. The old home already has been trans ferred to you, Crystal, and the deed recorded.' ."Well, after uncle was buried Ed ward and I opened our envelopesand I might add that it was only shame at my contempt of his greed that made my cousin "keep his envelope intact that long. His contained a., check for $10,000, and minewhat would you guess?a check for $686 50! Nothing else. "As I say, I make a fair living but here I am saddled with a huge man sion and acres of ground that require an army of servants to keep it up, something that is utterly beyond my means. At the same time the idea of parting with it is too repugnant to be thought of. My grandfather built it my father was born and lived there till he died, it is the only home I ever knew. And, oh, it is a paradise! "However, I would have accepted the situation, bitter as was the disappoint ment, and been resigned to make the best of it, had it not been for the con duct of Edward Gray. On one pretext and another he has remained/at 'Gray Gables' since uncle's death. I don't object to that, because under present conditions I can't be there much my self but whenever I have a day or two I run down to Unaminee, and at such times I am being confronted on every hand by evidences of Edward's prying inquisitiveness. "This unpleasant trait first manifest ed itself when he revealed a desire for the cancelled check which my uncle had given me Why in the world Should he- want'that?" Purely otit'of sentiment, he assured me he wished to keep it as a memento of his dead uncle. "To be perfectly candid, I dislike. Edward I don't trust him. I believe him to be sly and tricky so doubted his motives. I told him that fjjr the, same reason I might want*to keep the check myself, and reminded him tha$ he had one of his, own that would serve the same ^purpVse} day or two later he again asked me for the check, this time declaring that he wished to have both of them framed and hung in the library When 1 again refused to give it te.him he be gan making love to\me and finally proposed marriage. ."But *the climax revealed itself abbut^te^i days ago. missed my check from the desk drawerrnalkopen where I kept it. Edward was sup posed to be in Chicago, so I couldn't speak about it to him Yesterday -1 v$etot unexpectedly ,to 'Gray Gables' and found the cneck back in its proper place i SYDENOR GRAY.'f was tion stamp, which shjpwj check had been paid it stood it repredfafl record of the trtraaStio: just so mucnV^aste-p more. 4 'that Che^' '31913. A$ [ing but sjp 'was worthy and 'nd\ jPha depictive, however, subjected, the back appeared merely the indorsee, ment, "Crystal Gray," but this side o* the paper he scrutinized for several, minutes through a magnifying lenat By and by he.' laid^it aside and regard ed tlfe g^rl^cuTioirky. j. "Well," he skid at last, "what do yoa think about it?" "I don't know what to thinkulK less it is that Edward suspects a hid\ den horde and is moving heaven and ealrth to find it." "That's obvious enough. Bui" Hazard's eyes narrowed"how did Edward learn that your checkthis slip of paperbore the secret of^thto treasure'sAiding placet? The expression of bewilderment,asjd uncomprehension that overspread Miss Gray's countenance was too real and convincing to have been assumed Hazard added: "If you did not know yourself that the check bore such a message, how could he have possibly discovered the fact?" "What do you mean?" returned the girl blankly. "II don't understand." Smiling, Hazard pressed a button. *'I think I can make everything clear in a few minutes," he explained a rash declaration which subsequent de velopments were to contradict so em phatically that he was goaded to his best endeavors to justify what was tantamount to a promise. He was hurriedly scribbling a note when a youth appeared at the door. He paused to direct: "Bring me the alcohol-lamp," and by the time the youth ha fetched the lamp the note was finished and sealed in an envelope addressed to "Philo Goodall." "Deliver that and report immediate- ly," were his instructions as he handed the message to the young man. The door closed behind the messen ger and Hazard lighted th^ wick be neath a metal plate. Shortly he extinguished the flame and spread the cancelled check face down upon the heated plate. "Come over here and watch," he invited. Profoundly curious, Miss Gray came round his desk and watched across his shoulder. In a few seconds faint, red dish lines began to appear upon the blank surface, and a little exclamation of surprise burst from her lips as here and there a letter became clear until the lines resolved themselves into this sentence: Hakluyt's "Principall Navigations" "Western Discoveries" are the gateway to your inheritance. "Sympathetic ink," Hazard ex plained. "The inference that the check bore some sort of message was pretty manifest and, I looked for evidence of it. My lens brought to light numerous slight abrasions where the pen-point scratched the glaze. "And now," he added, as the mes senger re-entered and laid a brown paper parcel and a folded trade jour nal upon the desk and at the same time handed him a note, "with the key At "that" time 7 ean't UMock the gates. First, though, too at this," and he spread *he produced It it was precisely like a^y) Jeecret, when I, the one most interest- other check that has been property'. .ed, had no inkling of such a thing?" drawn, indorsedj and presentedl fpr. payment. It appeared^thus" i 3 .1 nn To the Unaminee State Bank Of' \s that he did know Unaminee, Illinois/ i ^sefforts- to Unearth fnf -r-r _1 1T._.__ nU Feli.x Hazard, shook- hi-sT head. "That's ''Immaterial tow. The important fact hlddei "Well," He Said at Last, 'What Do You Think About It7" our, hands, let's see whether we jour at Edward Gray's advertise ment. Miss Gray read her cousin's extraor dinary offer with growing wonder and astonishment "Whatever in the world!" she pres ently marveled, meeting the detec tive's gra\e regard. 'How did Edward ^noWwhere did he learn the check's abouhiding it, and his the place Jung 9, 1913^ i confirm our conclusion that the treas ur a oe $686 55 (Six Hundred Eighty-six ahdj,jt firstor, watch your cousiny an in 55-100 dollars). "H. ex^t. We should tr tod messa *3Li- j&^fe^iJaS*.' find 3 tease- he locates it get it away from vhim Conspicuous upon the fa of the* "though, to throw the matter into the instrument was the bankjsyfcancella-1 courts and exact a division. Here is our chance. I have a note from the present owner of the books in which he says he has answered the advertisement and that if the offer is genuine he expects to deliver them at once and collect the thousand dollars. My suggestion is that I try to wrest the Bliptoa careful examination. O somehow. He i might be able, from the* books by an application of my methods. I shall devote this evening to it. Return here tomorrow morning and perhaps HI have good news for you." Miss Gray was still standing close to Hazard, and in a sudden burst of enthusiasm -she impulsively caught his hands in both of hers. "Oh, how splendid!" she cried de lightedly. "And I shall be generous indeed, indeed I shall!" Bu*"" At the sound of a soft voice in the doorway both turned and beheld a tall, lovely girl with a wealth of chestnut tV hair and wide gray eyes, which just four days before Hazard showed up now glanced with cool indifference at the little town, though she talked from one to the other of them. with him daily over the telephone "Pardon me," she repeated "I didn't On the second day after hex arrival, ,\v mean to intrude Nobody seemed *to hear my knock, I" Hazard interrupted "Come in, Helen This is Miss Gray she has brought rather a pretty prob lem for us to solve" And to Miss Gray he explained. "Miss Bertel is one of our operatives But Miss Bertel did not seem very curious respecting Miss Gray and her problem and the latter, after promis ing to return the next forenoon, gave Helen Bertel a final doubtful, inquir ing glance, and departed "A very pretty girl," Hazard com mented. "Was she?" was Miss Bertel's indif ferent response "I didn't notice. I came to learn whether the papers in the Minch case" Hazard cut in: "I mailed them two hours ago What about them?" "That's all. The chief told me to ask." She was moving toward the door again when Hazard stayed her. He in dicated the two shabby volumes and began telling her about the enigma whose elucidation he had undertaken. By degrees professional zeal excited the girl's interest and, sinking into the chair recently vacated by Miss Gray, she lent an attentive ear to the recital. And all that evening, and till the small hours of morning, the two la bored side by side over the two vol umes. Thin, cunning instruments searched the covers for hidden re cesses X-ray photographs were taken page by page, line by line, word by word, the text was gone over in search of a cryptographic message heat and various acids were applied on thewere chance that invisible ink might be made visible, as had been accom plished with the check but all to no purpose Tired, worn and sleepy after hours of concentration and application, Hazard impatiently pushed the books away from him and owned himself baffled, beaten. Helen smiled at him slyly. "Cheer up, Felix," she encouraged "Miss Crystal Gray can come again another dayand again and yet again." But Hazard apparently did not hear her. His hair was rumpled, and he Btared vacantly at the battered books "Anyhow, Felix," Helen assured him, with a change to seriousness, "you have proved at least ne thing conclusively you haven't gone the right way about to read the riddle." "I wonder!" he said, staring hard at hor. All at once he seemed to be elec trified He shot forward in his chair and looked at the memorandum of the inscription on the check. Hakluyt's "Principall Navigations" and "Western Discoveries" are the gateway to your inheritance. "By heck'" he ejaculated after a mo ment. "I believe you're right! Well, I'll have somft news for Miss Gray after all But I'll make no more rash assurances till I'm prepared substantiate them He smiled whim sically. "Say, I'd like to see Cousin Edward when he tries his hand at finding the hidden directions. Before he's done with it, if he doesn't cmclude he's bought a gold bricktwo of 'em111 miss my guess a mile But you may enjoy the fun. Ill arrange for you to accompany Miss Gray to 'Gray Gables' for a day or two" "Really?" Helen broke in "When you might go yourself! Self-denial, my dear Felix, was ever your cardinal virtue." Hazard ignored this dig "There's the eff-chance that Edward holds the missing link, just as he knew about the message on Miss Gray's check, and he will bear watching. My new theory promises to present fresh difficulties, and as soon as I've had time to turn it over in my mind I'll run down to Unaminee and give it a test Gateway*mmm!" Miss Helen Bertel of Chicago had been Miss Crystal Gray's guest for Edwaid Gray had had a caller, an old man, who brought with him a brown paper parcel, which he did not carry away again Since the arrival of the parcel Helen had seen Edward Gray only at rare moments, and he was growing so pale and haggard with anxiety that she was beginning to feel pity for him Manifestly, he was no more successful at digging out the books' secret than she and Felix had been. What little she had seen of Edward Gray, however, confirmed Miss Bertel's estimation of the young man's charac ter and thus a bond of sympathy and understanding was created between the two girls. To tell the truth, Helen was thawing toward the other girl, who, like terself, was independent and self-reliant, and undismayed by the necessity of wresting a living from the world. She sincerely hoped Miss Crystal would find her inheritance On the fourth day Felix Hazard was shown Into the vast room at "Gray Gables" that had once served as its library. Both Helen and the pretty) mistress of the house greeted him.4 His first words were addressed to the latter. "Where is your cousin?" he curtly asked. "Locked in his room, fighting with the musty old books. I'm afraid he will be ill unless his efforts are re. warded pretty soon." "He'll gain nothing," Hazard averred, "if he pores over them till doomsday. Meanwhile, we may get busy ourselves without fear of interruption from him This room was Mr. Sydenor Gray's library, I suppose?" His glance skirted the walls, which bare save for a few pictures. The proportions were large, the shape ir regular that is, its line's were broken by two wide and deep alcoves, an enormous fireplace and three large bay-window embrasures. The shelves with their hundreds of queer and most ly worthless old books were gone, and the room and been redecorated and re furnished. "Yes," Miss Gray acknowledged. "Have you any recollection of where the two Hakluyts stood on the shelves' with reference to the wall, I mean?" "Mercy goodness, no!" was the em phatic reply. "Every inch of wall space, almost to the ceiling, was com pletely hidden by books nobody, not even uncle himself, could have told you precisely where any particular volume was." "Then," Hazard solemnly announced, "if you want to secure your legacy, you will have to wreck the walls till you find it And at that the labor may be in vain my theory may be wrong again, you know." Now, at Hazard's last question Helen Bertel's expressive eyes kindled, and her pretty face grew animated with a light of comprehension but she waited till he and Miss Gray got deep into a discussion of probable expense, likely damage to the house, structural dif fiaulties to be, met and cvercome, the danger of following another false and this time a costly trail, when she rose and stole quietly from the room. By and by she returned and interrupted the colloquy by dumping a score or more of large photographs upon the library table. Miss Gray and Hazard looked at them inquiringly, and then at Helen for an explanation "These pictures," Helen -began, "were taken for the Suburban Home magazine, so Miss Gray informed me when I found them and asked about them. There are two exceptionally clear views of this very room as it was before it was dismantled and the books taken away" In a twinkling Hazard ran through the pile until the views were found The two did, in truth, prove to be un usually sharp and clear cut. With his pocket lens Hazard scanned them in tently. At last he looked up with an air of triumph. "Eureka!" he cried. "Sufficient of the titles is legible to obviate any chance of error." He bounded to his feet, and, refer ring to the photograph from time to time, and comparing it with certain definite points of the room, he walked' to the west wall and laid his hand upon a spot on its surface "There," said he, "if it is anywhere, lies your legacy, Miss Gray The two books were, very truth, the 'gate way' to your fortune, and not the re pository of the secret of its hiding place." And this time they were not disap pointed. When Hazard and Helen said their farewells to Crystal Gray she1 was richer by some $800,000 in valu able bonds and stock certificates, be sides gold and currency The reward of the two operatives was commen surate with the service rendered, and the girl proved herself generous as well as grateful To Helen, as Hazard and she rode back together to the city, he ex plained: "Cousin Edward packed his belong ings when he learned what was in the wind, and quietly stole away. I had a word with him, however, before he left" "You discovered, I suppose, how he learned the secret of the check," said Helen. "Yes." Hazard handed her a small fragment of paper. In Sydenot Gray's handwriting was the direction: "Preserve this cheque it holds the secret of your inheritance." Hazard pursued: "He meant to pin that to his niece's check, but pinned it to Edward's in stead. It puzzled him for a time but he finally arrived at the correct con elusion, though like myself he failed to consider the true meaning of the word 'gateway he believed the an swer was to be found inside the hooka instead of behind them." (Copyright, IS* by W. O. Chapman.) jjiffi ^i&, jsai. A *|W &*1i]