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By HAROLD - ? Illustrated from Scenes b Same Name by the Thai (Copyright, 1914, by 15 SYNOPSIS. isi&niey nargreave, iuuimucuic, * Jiiraculous escape from the den of the ?ang of brilliant thieves known as the Black Hundred, lives the life of a recluse for eighteen years. Hargreave accidental ly meets Braine, leader of the Black Hun dred. Knowing Braine will try to get him, he escapes from his own home by a bal loon. Before escaping he writes a letter to the girls' school where eighteen years before he mysteriously left on the door step his baby daughter, Florence Gray. That day Hargreave also draws $1,000,000 from the bank, but It is reported that this dropped into the sea when the balloon he escaped in was punctured, Florence arrives from the girls' school. Countess Olga, Braine's companion, visits her and claims her as a relative. Two bogus de tectives call, but their plot Is foiled by Norton, a newspaper man. After failing in their first attempt, the Black Hundred trap Florence. They ask her for money, but she escapes, again foiling them. Nor ton and the countess call on Florence the next day, once more safe at home. The visitors having gone, Jones removes a section of flooring and from a cavity takes a box. Pursued by members of the Black Hundred, he rushes to the water front and succeeds in dropping the box into the sea. Accomplices of Braine kid nap Florence and hurry her off to sea. She leaps overboard and is picked up in a dazed condition by fishermen. Braine, disguised as her father, takes her back to sea with him. Florence sets fire to the boat and Is rescued by a ship on which Norton has been shanghaied. Concealed A^^oTvnna nf thp "RlAck "Hun- I dred. a man learns of the recovery of the box from the sea by a sailor and of Its subsequent return to the bottom of the sea, and he quickly communicates the fact to Jones. A duplicate box Is planted and later secured by the band, but before its contents are examined the box mys teriously disappears. Finding himself checkmated at every turn, Bralne endeav ors to enmesh the Hargreave household in the law in order to gain free access to the house. The timely discovery of the plot by Norton sets the police at the heels of the pack and results in a raid on the gang's rendezvous, which, however, proves to be barren of results. Following a tele phone message Jones received from a mysterious person whom he addressed as "sir." Florence Is again lured from her home and taken out to sea. Through Norton's daring and skill as an aviator she is rescued and returns to her home In time to confront an agent of the Black Hundred. Through treachery In the Har gTeave household Florence is delivered in to the hands of an unscrupulous doctor, whn i? in the nay of the Black Hundred. FYom the faithful Susan Norton learns that the doctor has declared that Flor ence Is stricken with smallpox and that he !s preparing to spirit her away. By act ing quickly the reporter, with the aid of Susan, succeeds in extricating the young woman from the danger after an encoun ter with members of the gang. CHAPTER XVII. Setting Traps for Norton. The Black Hundred possessed three separate council chambers, always In preparation. Hence, when the one In nee was burned down they transferred their conferences to the second coun cil chamber appointed identically the same as the first. As inferred, the or ganization owned considerable wealth, and they leased the buildings in -which they had their council chambers, leased them for a number of years, and refrrnished them secretly with trap flows, doors and panels and all that apparatus eo necessary to men who are sometimes compelled -to make a quick getaway. When, the Atlantic City attempt was turned mto a fiasco by Norton's timely arrival Braine determined once more to rid himself of this meddling re porter. He knew too much, in the first iJace, and in the second place Braine wanted to learn whether the reporter bore a charmed life or was just ordinarily lucky. He would at tempt nothing delicate, requiring. finpssrf. He would simDly waylay Nor- | ton f_nd make a commonplace end j of hiro. He would disappear, this re-1 porter, that -would be all; and when they found him he might or might ' not b2 recognizable. So Braine called a conference and he and hie fellow rogues went over a number of expedients and finally agreed that the best thing to do would be to send a man to the newspaper, ostensibly as a reporter looking for a situation. With this excuse he would be able to hang around the city room for three or four days. The idea back of this was to waylay Norton on his way to some assignment which took him to the suburbs. All this was arranged down to the smalkst detail; and a man whom they were quite certain Norton had not yet seen was selected to play the ?>art. He had been a reporter once, more's the pity; so there was no doubt of his being able to handle his end * V. s-t f.n tvi/n UL IUC feO.il JC. "I w.int Norton, I want him badly," declared Braine, "and woe to you if you let booze play in between you and the obiect of this move." The man selected to act the re porter hung his head. Whisky had been t^.e origin of his fall from hon est living, and he was not so cal loused es not to feel the sting of remorse at times. "More," went on Braine, "I want Norton Wrought to 49. It's a little off the beat, and we can handle Norton as we pJease. When we get rid of this newspaper ferret there'll be an other to eliminate. But he's a fox, and a fox must be set lto trail him." "And who is that?" "Jones, Jones, Jones!" thundered Braine. "lie's the live wire. But the reporter fi^st. Jones depends a lot on him. Take away this prop and Jones will not be so sure of himself. There's a man outside all this circle, and all these weeks of warfare have GUESTS ENJOYED A NOVELTY I Presence of Monkeys at Formal Din ner by Mrs. Longworth Made a Decided "Hit." It happened that Mrs. Nicholas Longworth, the daughter of former President Roosevelt, and wife of the distinguished Ohio representative, had presented to her among many hundred other gifts, two little mon keys, who lost no time in sustaining their reputation for mischievous an vi,. _ : Mystery MAC GRATH I i the Photo Drama of the ihouser Film Company -J Harold M&cGralh) not served to bring him into the circle." "Hargreave is dead," 6aid Yroon stolidly. "As dead as I am," snarled Braine. "Two men went away in that balloon; and I'll wager my head that one man came back. I am beginning to put a few things together that I have not thought of before. Who knows? That balloon may have been carried out to sea purposely. The captain on that tramp steamer may have lied from beginning to end. I tell you, Hargreave is alive, and wherever he is he has his hand on all the wires. Ho has agents, too, whom we know nothing about Hang the million! I want to put my hands on Hargreave Just to prove that I am the better man. He communicates with Jones, per haps through the reporter; he haB had me followed; it was he who changed the boxes, bored the hole in the ceil ing of the other quarters and learned heaven knows what" "If that's the case," said Vroon, "why hasn't he had us apprehended?" Braine laughed heartily. "Haven't you been able to see by this time what his game is? Revenge. He does not want the police to meddle only in the smaller affairs. He wants to put ter ror into the hearts of all of U3. Keep this point in your mind when you act. He'll never summon the police unless we make a broad daylight Attempt to cftf nossession of his daughter. And even then he would make it out a plain case of kidnaping1. Elimination, that's the word. AITS right. We'll play at that game ourselves. No. 1 shall be Mr. Norton. And if you fail I'll break you," Braine added to the ex-reporter. "I'll get him," said the man sullenly. Later, when he applied for a situa tion on the Blade, it happened that there were two strikes on hand, and two or three extra men were needed on the city staff. The mac. from the Black Hundred was given a temporary job and went by the name of Gregg. For three days he worked faithfully, abstaining from his favorite tipple. He had never worked in New York, Norton'Was at His Desk. so his record was unknown. He had told the city editor that he had worked on a Chicago paper, now defunct. He paid no attention whatsoever to Norton, a sign of no little acumen. On the other hand Norton never went forth on an assignment that Gregg did not know exactly where he was going. But all these stories kept Nor ton in town; and it would be altogeth er too risky to attempt to handle him anywhere but outside of town. So Gregg had to abide his time. It came soon enough. Norton was idling at his desk when the city editor called him up to the wicket. "General Henderson has just re turned to America. Get his opinion on the latest Balkan rumpus. He's out at his suburban home. Here's the address." "How long will you hold open for me?" asked Norton, meaning how long would the city editor watt for the story. "Till one-thirty. You ought to be back by midnight. It's only eight now." "All right; Henderson's approach able. I may get a good story cut of him." "Maybe," thought Gregg, who had lost nothing of this conversation. It was his opportunity. He imme diately left the zone of the city desk tics, and kept the Longworth house hold in a panic as to what was going to happen next. They were too nimble and quick to be punished for the evil of their ways, and so, week In and week out the monkeys had a lovely time of it. When Mr. and Mrs. Longworth enter tained, the little creatures were shut up behind lock and key, and usually wore themselves out in their effort to break through, and went to sleep in consequence, from sheer exhaustion. This had always insured the suc for a telephone booth. 13ut as fl? passed the line of desks and busy reporters he did not note the keen scrutiny of a smooth faced, gray haired man who stood at the side of Norton's desk awaiting the reporter's return. "Why, Jones," cried the surprised Norton. "What are you doing all this way from home?" "Orders," said Jones, smiling faint J ly as he delivered a note to the re l porter. "Anything serious?" "Not that I am aware of. Miss Flor ence was rather particular. She want i ed to be sure that the note reached ' your hands safely." "And do you mean to say that you came away and left her alone In that house?" Again Jones smiled. "I left her well guarded, you may be sure of that. She will never run away again." He wait ed for Norton to read the note. It was nothing more than one of those love orders to come and call at once. And she had made Jones ven ture into town with it! The reporter smiled and put the note away tenderly. And then he caught Jones smiling, too. "I'm going to marry her, Jones." "That remains to be seen," replied the butler, not unkindly. "Well, anyhow, thanks for bringing tlie note. But I've got to disappoint her tonight I'm off in a deuce of a hurry to interview General -Hender son. I'll be out to tea tomorrow. You can find your way out of this old fire trap. By-by!" The moment he turned away the smile faded from Jones' face, and with the quickness and noiselessness of a cat he reached the side of the booth in which Gregg believed himself so se cure from eavesdropping. The half dozen words Jones heard convinced him that Norton was again the object /if fViQ T21or>lr tliiTi/lrofl'o n ttuntinn. He had seen the man's face that memora ble night when the balloon stopped for its passenger. Before Gregg came out of the booth Jones decided to over take him and forewarn him, but un fortunately the reporter was nowhere in sight. There was left for Jones nothing else but to return home or follow when he came out. As this night he knew Florence to be exceptionally well guarded, both within and without the house, he decided to wait and follow the spy. When Braine received the message he was pleased. Norton's assignment fitted his purpose like a glove. Before midnight he would have Mr. Meddling Reporter where he would bother no one for some time?if he proved tract able. If not, he would never bother any one again. Braine gave his or ders tersely. Unless Norton met with unforeseen delay, nothing could pre vent hia oa nture. When Norton arrived at the Hen derson place, a footman informed him from the veranda that General Hen derson was at 49 Elm street for the evening, and it would be wise to call ther?. Jim nodded his thanks and set off in haste for 49 Elm street The footman did not enter the house, but hurried down the steps and slunk off among the adjacent shrubbery. His mission was over with. The house In Elm street was Braine's suburban establishment. He went there occasionally to hibernate, as it were, to grow a new skin when close pressed. The caretaker was a man rightly called Samson. He was a bruiser of the bouncer type. It was fast work for'Braine to get out there. If the man disguised as a footman played his cards badly Bralne would have all his trouble for noth ing. He disguised himself with that infernal cleverness which had long since made him a terror to the police, who were looking for ten different men instead of one. He knew that Norton would understand instantly that he was not the general; but on the other hand he would not know that he was addressing Braine. So the arch-conspirator waited; and so Norton arrived and was ushered into the room. A single glance was enough to satisfy the reporter, always keen eyed and observant. "I wish to>see General Henderson," he said politely. "General Henderson is doubtless at his own house." _ "Ah!" "Don't be alarmed ? yet," said Braine smoothly. < "I am not alarmed," replied Norton. "I am only chagrined. Since General Henderson is not to be found here I must be excused." "I will excuse you presently." "Ah! I begin to see." "Indeed!" mocked Braine. "I have tumbled or walked into a trap." "A keen mind like yours must have recognized that fact the moment you discovered I was not the general." "I am indebted to the Black Hun dred?" coolly. "Precisely. We do not wish you ill, Mr. Norton." "To be sure, no!" ironically. "What with falling safes, poisoned cigarettes, and so forth, I can readily see that you have my welfare at heart. What puzzled me was the suddenness with which these affectionate signs ceased." "You're a man of heart," said Braine with genuine admiration. "These af fectionate signs, as you call them, ceased because for the time being you ceased to be a menace. You have become that once more, and here you are!" "And what are you going to do with me now that you have got me?" "There will be two courses." Braine reached into a drawer and drew out a thick roll of bills. "There are here something like $5,000." "Quite a tidy sum; enough for a chap to get married on." cess of a party, without any disturb ing interruptions, until one fateful night when Mrs. Longworth looked up to discover a monkey grinning at her from the top of a picture. It was only a second until the other one climbed up the corner of the cloth, and snatched a few nuts from some of the panic-stricken guests. His partner in crime leaped from the pic ture and perched himself upon the shoulder of a guest, and the details of what followed are not laid down in the directions given to polite so Th?j twa eyed each other steadily. And i? his heart Braine sighed. For he 6aw in this young man's eyes In corruptibility. "It is yours on one condition," said Braine, reaching out his foot stealthily toward the button which would sum mon Samson. "And that is," interpolated Norton, "that I join the Black Hundred." "Or the great beyond, my lad," took up Braine, bis voice crisp and cold. Norton could not repress a shiver. Where had he heard this voice before . . . Braine! He stiffened. "Murder in cold blood?" he managed to say. ? "Indefinite imprisonment. Choose." "I have chosen." "H'm!" Braine rose and went over to the sideboard for the brandy. "I'm going to offer you a drink to show you that personally there are no hard feel ings. You are in the way. After you, our friend, Jones. This brandy is not poisoned, neither are the glasses. Choose either and I'll drink first. We are all desperate men, Norton; and we stop at nothing. Your life hangs by a hair. Do you know where Har greave is?" Norton eyed his liquor thoughtfully. "Do you know where the money is?" Norton smelt of the brandy. "I am eorry," said Braine. "I should have liked to win over a head like yours." Norton nonchalantly took out Ills watch, and that bit of bravado per haps saved his life. In the case of his watch he saw a brutal face behind him. Without a tremor, Norton took up his glass. "I am sorry to disappoint you," he said, "but I shall neither join you nor go to by-by." Quick as a bird shadow above grass, he flung the brandy over his shoulder into the face of the man behind. Sam son yelled with pain. Almost at the same instant Norton pushed over the table, upsetting Braine with It. Next he dashed through the curtains, slammed the door, and fled to the street, very shaky about the knees, if the truth is to be told. General Henderson's views upon the latest Balkan muddle were missing from the Blade the following morn ing. Norton, instead of returning to the general's and fulfilling his assign ment like a dutiful reporter, hurried out to Riverside to acquaint Jones with what had happened. Jones waa glad to see him safe and sound. "That new reporter started the game," he said. "I overhead a word or two while he was talking in the booth. All your telephone booths are ramshackle a!ffairs, you use them so constantly. I tried to find you, but you were out of sight. Now, tell me what happened." "Sh!" warned Norton as he spied Florence coming down the stairs. "I thought you couldn't come!" she cried. "But ten o'clock!" "I changed my mind" he replied, laughing. He caught her arm in his and drew her toward the library. Jones smiled after them with that enigmatical smile of his, which might have signified irony or affection. After half an hoar's chat, Florence, quite aware that the two men wished to talk, re tired. At the door Norton told Jones what had taken place at 49 Elm street "Ah! we must not forget that num ber," mused Jones. "My advice Is, keep an eye on this Gregg chap. We may get somewhere by watching him." "Do you know where Hargreave is?" Jones scratched his chin reflectively. Norton laughed. "I can't get any thing out of you." "Much less any one else. I'm grow ing fond of you, my boy. You're a man." "Thanks; and good-night'' When Olga Perigoff callel the next day Jones divested himself of his liv ' ery, donned a plain coat ayd hat, and left the house stealthily. Today he was determined to learn something definite in regard to this t,uave, hand some Russian. When she left the house Jones rose from his hiding place and proceeded to. follow her. The re- j suit of this espionage on the part of Jones will be seen presently. Meantime Jim went <Jpwn to the office and lied cheerfully about his missing the general. Whether the city editor belie-ved him or not is of no matter. Jim went ovei to his desk. From the corner of his tye he could see Gregg scribbling away. He never raised his head as Jim tat down to read his mail. After awhile Gregg rose and left the office; and, of course, Jim left shortly afterward. When the newcomer saw that he w&b being fol lowed, he smiled and contiaued on his way. This Norton chap was suspi* cious. All the better; his suspicions should be made the hook to land him with. By and by the man turned into a drug store and Jim loitered about till he reappeared. Gre^g walked with brisker steps now. It was his in tention to lead Norton on a wild goose chase for an hour or so, long enough to give Braine time to arrange a wel come at another house. Norton kept perhaps half a block in the rear of his man all the while. But for this caution he would have wit nessed a little pantomime tl;at would have put him wholly upon his guard. Turning a corner, Gregg all but bumped into the countess. He was quick enough to place a finger on his lips and motion his head toward a taxicab. Olga hadn't the least idea who was coming around the corner,, but she hailed the cab and was off in it before Jim swung around the cor ner. Jones, who had followed the count ess for something over an hour and a half, hugged a doorway. What now? he wondered. The countess knew the ciety as how to entertain. "But," laughed a guest not long ago, "I shall never forget how ut terly funny it was, nor how we all i enjoyed it, just as soon as we were asured the monkeys would not eat us." Short-Sighted Bourbons. One hundred years ago France was undergoing many changes, following the overthrow of Napoleon and the res toration of the Bourbons. Many of these changes were not to the liking of the niaa. That ww -wtttence enough for the astute butler. But what meant the pantomime and the subsequent hurry? He soon learned. The mau Gregg went his way, and then Jim turned the corner. Jones cast a wist ful glance at the vanishing cab of the Russian, and decided to shadow the shadowei?in other words, follow the reporter, to see that nothing serious befell bim. The lurer finally paused at a door, opened it with a key, and swung it behind him, very careful, however, not to njpring the latch. Naturally Jim was mightily pleased when he found the door could be opened. Whfcn Jones, not far behind, saw him open thft door, he started to call out a ws.ni in?, but thought the better of it If Norton was walking into a trap it wiw far better that he, Jones, should re main outside of it. If Jim did not appear after a certain length o( time, he would start an investigation on his own account. No sooner was Jim in the hallway that he was set upon and overpow ered. They had in this house what wm known as "the punishment room." H*re traitors paid the reckoning and w^re never more heard of. Into this room Jim was unceremoniously Up This Rope Norton Swarmed. could get no information from the res olute reporter. The room did not look sinister, but for all that it possessed the faculty of growing smaller and smaller, slowly or swiftly, as the man' above at the * JU J lever wmea. wnen jim was aypnneu of this fact, he ran madly about In search of some mode of escape, know ing full well In his heart that he should not find one. Presently the machinery began to work, and Norton's tongue grew dry with terror. They had him this time; there, was not the least doubt of It. And they had led him there by the nose into the bargain. Twenty minutes passed, and Jones concluded it was time for him to act. He went forward to try the door, but this time it was locked. Jones, how ever, was not without resource. Tho house next door was vacant, an<] ho found a way into this, finally reaching the roof. From this he jumped to the other roof, found the scuttle open, und crept down the stairs, flight afier flight, till the whir of a motor arrett ed him. Conspirators are often overeager, too. So intent were the rascals upon the business at hand that they did not notice the door open slowly. It did not take the butler more than a moment to realize that his friend and any was near certain death. With an oath he sprang into the room, gave Braine a push which sent him down to join the victim, and pitched into the J other two. It was a battle royal while it lasted. Jones knocked down one of ! them, yelled to Norton, and kicked the rope he saw down into the pit. One end of this rope was attached to a ring in the wall. And up this rope Norton swarmed after he had disposed of 1 Braine. The tide of battle then ! swung about in favor of the butler, and shortly the fake reporter and his 1 companion were made to join their ( chief. ! 4 Jones stopped the machinery. He ' could not bring himself to let his en- 1 emies die so horribly. Later he knew ( he would regret this sentiment. When the people came, summoned s by some outsider who had heard the 5 racket of the conflict, there was no one to be found in the pit. Nor was there any visible sign of an exit. There was one, however, built ? against such an hour and known only ( to the chiefs of the Black Hundre.1. And still the golden tinted bfc,nk f notes reposed tranquilly in their bid ! mg place: (TO BE CONTINUED.) Proof Positive. "Don't you be afraid, Fritz!" called c the ally as Fritz pommelled the new comer at school. "He ain't gyt no ^ big brother. Ilis schoolbookt ajy per- * fectly new." c people, and the signs of popular dis- c content were increasing daily. Partic* i ular offense was given by the repudia- c tion of Napoleon's famous concordat with the church, also by the efforts ^ of the government to prohibit all buy- h Ing and selling on religious holidays ? and Sundays. Everywhere in France a there were premonitions of that situa tion which Napoleon foresaw when ho ii said: "The Bourbons may put France at peace with Europe, but how wLU o they put her at peace with thai* I selves?" F METHODISTS ORDER DIVISION The Original Boundary Suggestion Was Adopted by the Church and Meeting Places Selected. Sumter.?The session of the Meth odist conference was featured by the adoption of the McLeod resolution fixing the boundary line of the divi sion of the conference, the selection of Spartanburg for the meeting place for the first session of the new Upper South Carolina conference, the elec tion of W. C. Kirkland for editor of the Southern Christian Advocate and the selection of Trinity church, Char leston for the next meeting of the South Carolina conference. In the McLeod resolution which was adopted, th? boundary line is as follows: "That the line of division of the South Carolina conference be and is hereby fixed as follows: Beginning at the North Carolina line follow the line between Chesterfield and Lan caster counties, between Kershaw and Lancaster counties, between Kershaw and Fairfield counties, thence across Richland county in a direct line from the junction of Kershaw and Fair field counties at the Richland line to the junction of the Seaboard Air Line and the Southern railways, thence In a direct line to Ridgewood, thence fol lowing the trolley lines to Tyatt Park, thence in a direct line to Simms sta tion on the Atlantic Coast Line rail way, thence in a direct line to the junction of Calhoun and Lexington counties at the southern Richland county Hne, from thence the line be tween Calhoun and Lexington coun ties, between Orangeburg and Lex ington counties, between Orangeburg and Aiken counties, between Barn well and Aiken countie3 to the Sa vannah river; except that Smyrna and Ebenezer churches in Kershaw county shall remain in the Upper conference and Kershaw and Salley churches shall remain in t;he Lower conference. "That the name of the Lower con ference shall be the South .Carolina conference' and that said conference shall retain the historical records, the session, number and the chronologi cal roll; that the name of the upper conference shall be the Upper South Carolina conference.' On motion of W. L. Gray, the ac tion of the conference was made unanimous. Will Sell Seed to Farmers. Columbia.?The Columbia chamber of commerce has offered to furnish grain at cost to all farmers in Rich land county who axe absolutely in need of assistance, and to this end has -set aside $50 as a nucleus fund. The plan is to have the farmers give notes, which will be made good at the harvesting of the crop, without interest and without definite date of maturity. The board of directors has enlisted the help of E. E. Hall, farm demonstration agent, in getting this matter before the farmers. Governor Will Not Sign Notes. Columbia.?At a meeting of the state's financial board in the-office of the state treasurer, the bids for a loan of $150,000 for cuTrent expenses of the state government were opened. The proposal of the Palmetto National bank of Columbia to take th4 notes at a rate of 5 per cent, was accepted by two of the three members of the board. Twenty banks were re'quested to submit bids and only two propo sals were received. SOUTH CAROLINA NEWS ITEMS. President Wilson has b?en invited to visit Aiken during Christmas time. Pee Dee farmer sare sowing more gain than usual. Richland farmers are boosting the growing of tobacco. The State Convention of Christian Endeavor Societies had a busy meet ing in Columbia. A committee met in Rock Hill to plan the state oratorical contest. H. E. Danner of Beaufort has been elected manager of the varsity foot ball team of the U. of S. C. The "pay your bills" movement in Columbia has been a success. The Farmers' Union warehouse at Barnwell and 165 bales of cotton were burned a few days ago. Farmers of Marion county have formed a potato growers association. Two mon were killed and three ser iously injured by a boiler explositon near Hodges recently. The grain canvassers are continu ing their "live-at-home" campaign. The Aiken Agricultural Club now boasts of owning its own home. B. B. Hare of the national depart ment of agriculture, with offices at Saluda, was in Columbia recently. W. L. Hand, High School Inspector, lias been spending a week in York county. Much business was disposed of by Ihe State U. D. C. convention at York rille. The College Press Association of South Carolina held its apnual ses sions in Columbia with 40 delegates >resent representing 14 South Caro ina institutions of learning. Columbians consume, it is said, ibout 500,000 pounds of butter. The ivprn?p retail nriPG tier Dound la 27 lents. E. J. Watson, state commissioner of igriculture, commerce and industries, las accepted an appointment to repre ;ent Columbia at the Southern Com nercial congress, meeting in Wash ngton, December 12. John L. McLaurin, state warehouse lommissioner, has returned from an ixtended trip to Washington and New fork City, relative to the collateral ralue of South Carolina warehouse re :eipts. The governor has accepted the esignation of Julius E. Cogswell as olonel of the Third infantry, accord ng to a letter received at the office if the adjutant general. The girls' tomato clubs and the ioys' corn clubs of Clarendon county leld their fall meeting and exhibit in .lanniug recently. Both clubs have .ccomplished much this year. Lancaster county people are boost ng their fair. James A. Hayne, M. D., state health fficer, attended tha American Public lealth Association at Jacksonville, 'la. MDMONAL SUNDAYSOIOOL LESSON (By E. 0. SELLERS, Acting Director of t> Sunday School Course.) LESSON FOR DECEMBER 13 3 THE GREAT COMMI83lON. LESSON TEXT-Matt 28:tf^0; Luke 24* 86-49. GOLDEN TEXT?Lo, I ar? with you al- <y ways, even unto the end of the world.? ^ Matt. 28:20. This lesson consist# at two para* graphs which constitute what might be termed two commissions or two parts of the Great Commission. There are four distinct accounts x>f the final com mands of our Lord to his disciples, each presenting a different phase of j the work he committed to his follow- $5 era. In this lesBon we have for our consideration two of these aspects which ought not to be confuaed. Wo will consider them in their chronolog leal order. 'g I. The Appearance In Jerusalem, Thomas Being Absent Luke 24:3649. 'V$?| (1) The Resurrected Lord, vv< 36-43. 4J! The Emmaus disciples reported to the t disciples, and those gathered with. J them in Jerusalem, the things they had experienced, especially in the breaking of bread. This occurred late in the evening (see Lukei 24:29, 33). , While they, and the other*, were hearsing the many things that had ta ken place on that first eventful day, < ,\f Jesua himself suddenly appears to their midst without the opening of ft door and asks them of their thoughts- ' Once before he had thus searched them (Luke 9:46, 47), but, now the oc casion Is quite different Fear of the .? Jews had crowded, them into this room ? but no closed .door except that of the human heart can keep out the risen Lord. Simon's report (Ch. 24:34) and that of the Emmaus disciples were hot sufficient to allay their fear. Fear at this visible evidence of the supernat* ' ural is true of us all, but when Jesus truly is present there is peace no matter what may be the turmoil with out, or the fear within. 'Man of Flesh and Bone. This appearance was a demonstrate ^ tion that it was he himself, and to add proof uppn proof he first showed them his pierced hands and feet, and then called for fish and ate it before, and doubtless with, them. Jesus is todays '_/ a man of flesh and bone as much V when he walked Galilee's hills. His blood he poured out upon Calvary. The evidence of the literal, physical resurrection of Christ is so overwhelm ing that the unbeliever, , does violence to his reason not to accept it . (2) The Ascended Lord, w. 44^9." This coming of Jesus and his message of peace and assurance brought also . V:. a commission that this great fact be told to others. The event recorded in -i-; < these verses did not occur In Jeru- ' salem but upon Mount Olivet and con stituted the final appearance of Jesus. -V As he had done often before, so now. he sets his seal upon the Old Testa ment, expressly speaking of its books under their accepted three-fold divi sion (v. 44). In these there are be tween three and four hundred direct, not to speak of the indirect, prophe- . cies concerning him., What *we need Is to have the Holy Spirit that we may "understand" (v. 45), the purpose of Tifa 11/a oni^ V* Taona foilo-Vlf hla ' iV dfsclples what that purpose is (v. 47), viz., the "remission of sins," based on the sure ground^of his finished work. This, and this alone, is the gospel and it is to be preached in his name unto all nations?a missionary suggestion? but beginning at home, in Jerusalem. Verse 49 tells us of that other needed preparation to make us effective wit nesses, the enduement of the Holy Spirit. Some Disciples Doubted. II. The Appearance to the Eleven In Galilee, Matt. 28:16-20. This event took place much later than that men tioned In the first part of the previous section. As we carefully read this section it suggests that Jesus was somewhat removed from the dls* Cipies, yei xneir viaioa was a? ciear that they worshiped him, though some doubted. Drawing near to the dis ciples he first of all emphasizes his supreme authority, "all power is given unto me," and on that authority he commissioned them to their work of v disclpling "all nations." Mark's ren dering of this commission (16:15, 16) Is more inclusive, "to the whole crea tion," including all of man's welfare, social as well as spiritual. For Jesus thus to claim authority and to send forth his ambassadors and still not be "the very God of the very God" Is to stamp him either as an Impostor or a lunatic. Because all power Is his, therefore the obligation and the ac companying Holy Spirit who will en able us to teach the things he has com manded. There is back of the com mission "all power" and accompany ing it a blessed fellowship, "Lo, I am with you all the days." The chief value of these two sec tions lies, first, in the fact suggested | as to the perpetual nearness of the risen Lord in the midst of our ordi nary human experiences. Patiently he bears with us in our unbelief and fear and like as he spake peace to his disciples so he would calm our rest less spirits. The second chief value is the immediate and persistent re sponsibility that rests upon his follow ers. He loved all and desires that all shall be saved and yet the proclama tion of his plan of redemption, of his finished work, he confines to human agents. As each new disciple is made, he is to tell others, to witness of him to those not yet surrendered. This is a constant and an endless process, his heralds dlscipling bll na tions, Baptizing and teaching them to observe the things he has commanded. The sad thing is that after nearly two thousand years we have carried out so poorly _the great commission. i