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Wr" 1 ihl I^'f 5"'- „x*mp. *t\ ft V- •.-•••••. --'ri—"•»• -. ,»4.. -fr, CHAPTER XXV. Love, the Conqueror. Insensibly. Dmitri's determination had been undermined now Love had vanquished him utterly, for when Christabel was alone in the concrete passage he had only to move a small lever a fraction of an inch and she would have died at once. Yet he was conscious that time was passing—that it was time he should carry out that frightful resolve of his. Only that very morning an English mail had come in, bringing letters to Him from Sir Maxwell Sisterson, and fn cne of them was the suggestion, made designedly with some obscurity fa its phrasing, that it was time. There had been letters, too. for Chris tabel from her brother and her lover, both of which he had confiscated. In In3 letter Norman Forde had wonder ed why he had never heard from her since she had left England, and re minded her that six weeks had passed by. Dmitri was well warned of the f.i?,ht of lime. Yes, it was time that this thing should happen—if it was to happen. opportunity than had been put in his way by the chapter of accidents. Ev erything was in his favor, for Christa •fcel's death might easily have been made to wear the appearance of acci dent, too. It had been in his mind, for it was in no jokingi mood that he bad shut the door upon her: it had been his purpose to pull the little lev er and to make an end of her. When the moment came he found that he could not do it ^.ove held his hand and he was powerless. The thing was ?asy, yet impossible. "It was a joke." he said to Christa bel, as he opened the door. "I hope you were not frightened." "No," she replied "why should I have teen?" "Oh, no reason in the world," he said, looking away from her to the ttcel dcor. His voice was now firm. They were standing in the passage of concrete, and the door which had been closed upon her was open. As Dmitri had entered by it she had ob served that it was very thick and was covered with some sort of felt above 6er head she saw ruled, as it were, on the ceiling of the passage two black lines which suggested an exit or out let in front of her was the steel door, at the top of one of whose sides was something bright and shining in a strong wire cage. "Beyond the steel door," continued Bmftrf, "is what Katia designates my Blcebeard's chamber. It is my labor atory." He paused, and his glance now fell full upon her. "It is in there that the ingredients are mixed which makes 'Sisterson's cement' differ from all other cements." He paused again, *nd his eyes searched her face. "Yes." said Christabel, civilly, but evidently not much impressed. She was barely listening, in fact, to him. He cou'.d not fail to see that what he was saying seemed to have very little interest for her.. "She is an actress, like all women," he said to himself, but lie tried her once more. "These ingredients and the way in which they are combined form the secret on which our business is found ed," he said, still scrutinizing her nar rowly. "A valuable secret," she responded, light'y, wondering why he was staring so hard at her. "Yes," he said, and there was a sudden fierceness in his tones that made her look at him, whereupon he repeated, "Yes," but more gently. "It fe a valuable secret," he went on, "and you will not be surprised that among other precautions we take to prevent fts being stolen from us we do not ad nit any one into our laboratories. I alone in Sulja use this laboratory I •lone in Sulja"—here his voice had a curious sound of menace in it—"know tbis secret." "You trust nobody, remarked Christabel, more to break the pause which followed on Dmitri's last words than for any other reason. "We trust no one—but ourselves," replied Dmitri. "There is a similar -chamber, approached in the Bame way as tbis is, in all our works in England and elsewhere in Europe and Ameri ca, and in each case the chamber may fee opened by the heads of the busi ness alone." "You fear that the secret may be stolen?" asked Christabel, thoughtful ly, looking away from him her mind kid gone back to the time when she had heard how it had been stolen by the original thief, Sir John Sisterson. It Is natural, is it not?" asked Bmitri. "I suppose so," assented Christabel, ^differently. Dmitri gazed at her, and he had the air of a man who was in two minds, tat he said to himself, "It is because ||fo Is a great actress, a clever woman 4hat she ia4 does notglve herself away." he admired 1*4 mn, '-'ViV- ,v Nurse Joyce of "innocent" superbly. War had come into h!s% heart again as he had spoken to her of the secret—this se cret which he believed she knew but Love had beaten it once more. "Oh, we take precautions," said Dmitri. "Let me tell you what they are, as I feel certain they will interest you. They are rather ingenious and uncommon, I fanfty. Do you see this?" he asked, moving forward to the steel door and pointing to the wire cage. "Yes," said Christabel, rather more keenly. j' He touched a spring and the cage swung open, disclosing a globe of glass filled with some faintly bluish fluid. "This is the most deadly poison in the world," said Dmitri, taking the globe from the cage with his hand. "You will notice the glass is thin," he continued, "and could be easily brok en. It is intended that the glass should be easily broken. When the fluid contained within the glass is ex posed to the air changes immediate ly into a gas, a whiff of which is suf ficient to destroy life." Never could there have been a better h's hand and held it up to the light "No, it is not a thing to play with," he said, slowly, in a queer tone, and Christabel looked at the globe, fascinated and somewhat afraid of it. "It is a deadly thing," she said. "Won't you put it back, M. Anato vitch? It's not a toy to play with," she ad led. as he turned the globe in returned the globe to its cage, which he caused to revolve and close by touching another spring. "I suppose one of these globes has never been broken?" asked Christa bel, with a slight shudder. "One globe was, and here," he re plied. "It was during my absence from Sulja. The culprit was a chief clerk, a man in whom I reposed a good deal of confidence. Somehow he got into this passage, and later was found lying dead on the floor by myself on my return. People wondered what had become of him," said Dmitri, with a lift of his eyebrows. "Pouf! He was here dead." "But how was it that the globe came to break?" inquired Christabel. "I. was coming to that," said Dmitri. "It really is very interesting. Perhaps you 'observed that after turning on the lights from the switchboard in my room I opened a small safe in which there is a machine. It is a wonderful machine. Come and look at it, and I'll tell you what it can do." Dmitri walked out of the concrete passage, followed by Christabel. Carefully he closed the door after her. The tiny safe stih stood open. "The machine is actuated by elec tricity," said Dmitri, and the smile on his face was curiously bland as he looked on it—it'waB just as if he were fond of it. "You can see a few of its working parts, but most of them are concealed. Note this lever," he went on, touching it with what might have been a caress. "I am going to adjust it so that if any one should put his hand on the steel door of my labora tory it would mean instant death to him." "How can that be?" "In this way," replied Dmitri, and he gave the lever a slight pull. "This movement which you have seen me make at this moment has caused the steel door to be charged with a power ful current of electricity. Should a human being come in contact with it when in this state the cage which holds the glass globe will contract and shatter the glass, the fluid turns to gas, aifd a breath of it is fatal. But that is not all, for the same electrical impulse or energy has been skilfully used to open a sort-of trap-door in the ceiling of the passage the, poisonous gas thus escapes into the altmosphere, but not until it has done its work." "How horrible!" exclaimed Christa bel, growing a little pale. "The machine can do more than that by moving the same lever," said Dmitri, not heeding her ejaculation. "It is not necessary for the steel door to bex touched now," he continued, shifting the lever, "to cru?h the globe. If I were to move the lever one-six teenth of one of your English inches the globe would burst, and any one in the passage would immediately die, while the gas would escape as before. It is all done by an arrangement of electric wires. It really is very simple when you know how it is done." "It's rather an infernal machine, isn't it?" asked Christabel. "Well, you might call it that, I sup pose, if you liked," replied Dmitri. "Yet it is a beautiful thing in its way." "It's fascinating in a terrible sort of. way," said Christabel, looking at Dmitri's fingers resting on the lever. "But of course, you can adjust the lever so that the globe will not break and nothing will happen even if there is some one In the passage. It must be so, otherwise I should not be alive now." "That Is true," said Dmitri. "Other wise, as you remark, you would not be alive now:" And he smiled a smile.. "Whei I loved her the eonstterlng aha played bar role in thepassage," Christabel, "and 7 Ki •f1* 1 ST* V*!* 'That Is true also," said Dmitri, still with that strange smile on his face. ''It 1b a horrible machine," she said, and shuddered. "Don't you think we are perfectly justified in taking such precautions to preserve the secret that is so valuable to us. Miss Joyce?" he asked, once more looking at her intently. "But it's murder," said Christabel, in a voice of sharp protest. As she spoke she remembered 'how the se cret had come through murder. Dmitri's only reply was another up ward lift of the eyebrows, a manner ism of his. "You don't think so?" she asked.': "It's a case of 'Killing, no murder,' as your English phrase is," he replied, using the very words he had spoken to Sir Maxwell sisterson some weeks before. "I cannot agree with you," returned Christabel, gravely. "It is nothing more than an applica tion of the principle of self-preserva tion," said he, with a gravity as deep as her own. Christabel said nothing for a mo ment, and he shut and locked the door of the tiny safe, having first put the lever in a certain position—the po sition by which the steel door of the laboratory was electrified. "Now let us Join the others," said Christabel, with a decided air of re lief, walking toward the door. The conversation about the "beautiful" machine and its possibilities had given' her rather a turn, and she had not liked it. "Stop a moment, Miss Joyce," said Dmitri, but Christabel was already standing in the open doorway, and it made a frame for her in which she forpied a pretty and alluring picture that must have been good in any man's eyes, and certainly was good in his. He had maant to tell his^r that he loved her, but as he saw her waving her hand to the others he knew that the opportunity had passed. But as she stood there, dainty and charming,, he said to himself that he was not sor ry he had spared her life. "What a long time you've been!" said Katia, laughing a trifle spitefully. "Did you see the Chamber of Hor rors?" asked Mary. "No only the outside of it—just as M. Anatovitch promised, that was all," replied Christabei. as she and Dmitri joined the other two. "Do you feel rested now, Mary?" she asked Miss Sisterson. "I'm pretty well," answered Mary. "I think I can walk back to the house it's so much cooler now. Let us start." The four of them walked abreast, Dmitri being between Mary and Chris tabel. "By the way," said Mary to Christa bel. talking across Dmitri, "did you speak to M. Anatovitch about your let ters? No? Nurse is wondering," she went on, addressing Dmitri, "why she does not get any letters. She has been expecting some from home." "Yes," put. in Christabel "My broth er was to write me every week, and I've only had one letter from him since we came here. I can't imagine why it is." "He would be a remarkably good brother to write you so often," ex claimed Katia. "Brothers are not so kind as all that. Dmitri never writes to me at all when he is away. But perhaps it was that you anticipated re ceiving letters from some other wo man's brother, Nprse Joyce," suggest ed Katia, laughing immodestly. "Is that it?" Christabel flushed slightly at this badinage, but she smiled at her tor mentor. "He has forgotten you, apparently," continued Katia. "It looks like it," said Christabel, jestingly. "But it is very odd that I don't hear from Philip, my brother. .1 have written him several times since our arrival, and I should at least have had one or two replies." "Is it possible, do you think," asked Mary, speaking to Dmitri, "that the letters have gone astray?" (To Be Continued.) Kentucky English. A Frankfort produce dealer, who drives about in his wagon, went to a certain house here the other day and was selling eggs and vegetables. "Can you spare me an extra pound of butter this week?" asked the house keeper. "No'm, I can't," replied the dealer. "I could have spare you a pound yes terday, but not to-day." This reminded a man in the crowd of what his little girl had said about some candy which was given her by an uncle, and showed that the produce dealer is not the only coiner of words The child's mother said to her: "Louise, go crack that stick of can dy and bring some of it in here." "It's already crolce," replied the youngster. Inventors of the Koreans. Few are aware that Korea preceded Europe in inventing three things which have had a vast Influence upou the world. Printing with movable types originated in Korea in 1324, 126 years before the invention of the art in Europe. The two other Inventions in which the Koreans ^seem to have anticipated Europe were the martar and the iron clad, both used with considerable ef fect during the Japanese-Corean war of 1592-98. J'- strange said the door was dosed on me, you. could have killed- me In stantly by a touch of the levari" 8eaelde Gossip. There Is something in sea or fate that is particularly conducive to ill natured .gossip, aqd I hear more home truths—or perhaps I should say home half-truths—at the seaside in a than I hear In monijt the doo in yaa*..'4 f*, wicked city of Lot* wrw* 1 1 ^i-it y»/ to It Is generally conceded that good pastures furnish by far the cheapest feed for growing animals on land not exceeding $100 per acre in value. 4 kr 1 1 1 1 1 ml 1 II HI Kfi mi "1 1 1 •f'" I I 1 sood Post for per Note.—The last three columns of figures In the above table are offered for the con venience of those who wish to know the approximate annual cost of any given fence. The figures are obtained by divid ing the cost per rod of the fence by the number of years it is expected to last and adding to this the interest on the aver- liay it costs on the average farm from 8 to .12 cents per day to feed the same cow in the barn. Experiments show that as much pork can be made from one acre of good pasture as from one ton of shorts or corn. The cost of these feeds varies from $15 to $20 per ton. An "Yes," said the fellow with the bald brow, "itV certainly true that if a man has no respect for himself no body else will have much respect for him." "But it's equally trot," replied the keen one, "that If he has too much no body else will have any."—Catholic Standard and Times. mm* 'm w? PASTURING LIVE STOCK What It Costs and Why It Pays By D. A. GaumnltZt M. S*« Agr.i Minnesota. The truth of this argument is quite evident when it is considered that the feed as ob tained by the ani mal is in the very best condition.That is, it is succulent, contains all the nutrients in an easily digestible form and is ob tained by the ani mal under very healthful condi tions. In addition to this the cost of harvesting, curing, stacking and feed ing is eliminated. On land worth $70 »cre coY Temporary Fen-c,an ,be Poured cin for less than five cents per day. while at the present price of grain and Average Annual Cost of Fencing. 'Kind of Fence. 26" ribbon, 2 b. wires, posts 1 rod aigut .. 2 b.. wires, posts I rods .apart 2 b. wires, posts 1 rod apart S b. wires, posts 2 rods apart ........... S b. wires, posts 1% rods apart 3 b. wires, posts 1 rod apart Any fence Any fence Any fence Any*fence .60 .70 .80 .00 Itate Yttye acre of pasture will save, then, from $15 to $20 worth of feed.' ft is quite evident that in the -economical pro duction of animal products good pas tures are an important factor. The reason more and better hog pastures are not used is chiefly due to the fact that hog fences are quite expensive. The advent of the woven wire fence is overcoming this feature and how land may be fenced hog tight at an annual cost of from $lto $2.50 per acre, depending on the size and 8hare It Equally. S--/J A March Mlraoie: Now all the world is festive green. Yet spring testow. N Unto Bt Patrick's 4ay, I ween, The fact we owe. *v, v: shape of fields fenced and cost a posts. For temporary fences for hogs man farmers use only a plain woven win ribbon 24 or 26 inches high, put up oi small posts or stakes set from one tc rods apart. The best kind of posts use for such wor|c are about three inch posts, six feet long, well shar pened, and the corners rounded off oi the upper end so they will not spli in driving. Holes may be made rap idly with a crowbar and then two oi three good blows with a post maul wil! make the posts solid enough for tem porary use. Such posts are easilj taken out when it is desired to move the fence. It is much easier to fenct hogs into a cornfield than to fencf them out, and, as a rule, they do not make much effort to get out. In ease they do attempt to get out, a barbed wire stretched along the bottom, oi stakes one or two feet long driver between posts and left just enougt above the ground so that the bottom o) the wire ribbon may be stapled t( them will keep them on the right sidi Such fencing will cost from 30 to 4t cents per rod. The amount of fenclni used and the methods employed it handling it (see accompanying table) will make the cost vary from $1.50 Average Annual- Cost per rod wMh lasting N $ .66 .19 .28 .24 .27 .32 .20 .26 .80 .40 .60 •0 •e 7.3c 2.60 3.7c 3.2c 3.6c 4.4c 2.6c 8.2c 4.0c 6.8c 6.7c 8.7c 8.0c 4.8c 3.8c 4.3o 6.2c 8.2c 4.0o 4.8c 6.4c 8.0c .60 .70 .80 .00 11. lc 3.8c 6.6c 4.8c 6.4c 6.6c 4.,0c ft.Oc 6.0c 8.0c 10.0c 8.0c 9.8c 9.6c 11.0c 12.7c 14.8c 15.9c 12.10 14.1c 16.10 18.1c 20,.2c 8.0c 9.8c Good Way to Brace a Corner Poet. A tiood Hog Fence. 9.6c 9.6c 11.0c 12.7c 14.8c 15.9c .60 .70 .80 .00 12.10 14.1c 16.10 18.1c 20 .2c 8.0c 9.8c 11.0c 12.7c 14.8c 15.9c 12.10 14.1c 16.10 18.1c 20 .2c 10.6c 12.0c 13.3c 10.6c 12.0c 13.3c 10.6c 12.0c 13.3c 1.00 1.00 1.00 age annual investment. To illustrate how these figures may be used, let us considei the fencing required per acre to inclose the hog paddocks on farm shown in Pig. 21. Sixteen rods of fencing is required per acre. If the fencing costs 55c per rod, and will last eight years, the cost pel year is 8.7c—S.7cxl6 equals $1.39, or aver age annual cost of fence per acre. three dollars per acre. This will un doubtedly prove more profitable in many cases than husking the core and feeding in the yard, especially il there is a good growth of rapt or othei catch crop that the hogs can get al the same time they are getting th« corn. In case this is not done, it is more economical to snap corn thai is to be fed at once than to carefully husk it. Fencing Intelligently done offers on of the safest investments of any the farm Improvements. Not alone is valuable to inclose the regular pasture ,but it pften makes possible the pastui* ing off of grain and corn fields after har vesting, thus saving from ten cents five dollars an acre, which would oth erwlse be wasted. However, like an] other Investment, it should be madt only when careful reasoning shows II to be advisable. Perhaps,. •Why did George Washington owr up to chopping the cherry treef "Perhaps," replied the Western law yer, "his judicial mind enabled hbr to foresee the reluctance that has beer developed about putting any faith In confessions."—Washington Star. Careless "Do you go to Paris tor yriorMjftea^* "I have hitherto." anfiwered' ti* fashionable 'milliner, "but this socurat-' I am getting line results by 1tudjriii| the ash-barrels la ear alley.*. HKR .GOOD FORTUNE After Yews. Speilt In Vain Mrs.. Msiry E. H. kouse, of weak to work. Though constantly using medicine I despaired of being cured until I began using Doan'f Kidney Pills. Then relief came quickly, and in a short time I waa completely cured. I am now in ex Qelient health." Sold by all dealers. 60 cents a box, Foster-MUburn Co., Buffalo, N. T. 8vk«llows Lack Nesting Places. The moBt important factor in the multiplication of bird life Is sufficiency of nesting sites, and every year the swallow's range of choice is circum scribed. He used to be the "chimney swallow," and it must have been a severe blow to the prospects of the race when Instead of the wldei ledged chimneys, we began to build straight, narrow flues, with' no lodgings for the birds at any point. In many other ways houses and even farm buildings are being rendered more and more unsuitable for swal low guests, while the overmultiplying sparrow annexes most of the best sites which remain. The swallow, with his little soft beak and tiny feet is no fighter. His Great Act. "Now, Johnnny," said the Sunday school teacher, "can you tell me one of the moBt remarkable things Moses did?" "Yes, ma'am," replied the bright youth. "He broke all the command ments at the same time." CURED HER CHILDREN. Girls 8uffered with Itching Eczema—* Baby Had a Tender 8kin, Too Relied on Cuticura Remedies. "Some years ago my three little girls had a very bad form of eczema. Itching eruptions formed on the backa of their heads which were simply cov ered. I tried almost everything, but failed. Then my mother recommended the Cuticura Remedies. I washed my children's heads with Cuticura Soap and then applied the wonderful oint ment, Cuticura. I did this four or five times and I can say that they have been entirely cured. I have another baby who is so plump that the folds of skin on his neck were broken and even bled. I used (Cuticura Soap and Cuti cura Ointment and the next morning the trouble had disappeared. Mme. Napoleon Duceppe, 41 Duluth St, Montreal, Que., May 21, 1907." A SOUTH AMERICAN INVIGORANT. How Coal Is Cultivated—Used as Pre ventive of Sleep and Fatigue. Coca is the South American invlg orant. The shrub from which the coca leaves are obtained grows under favorable conditions to a height of about four meters. It is cultivated In Peru and Bolivia. At the time the crop is gathered the seeds are sown in beds, when they germinate and grow, and in two months the growing plants reach a height of about a foot.. The leaves, grown in the proper sunlight and shade, yellowish, small and thick. This is the kind of leaf that is pre ferred for chewing by persons using the leaf as a stimulant, fortifier and preventive of sleep and fatigue in the performance of arduous work, in asmuch as they prevent rheumatism, from which miners suffer when work ing in mines that contain much water. Indians who masticate the leaves of this plant can work twenty-four hours without eating or sleeping. Coca leaves are used by the natives when engaged in long and fatiguing journeys and by soldiers when IVibject to hardships and privations. They may be used' with all kinds of food,' and are said to cure dyspepsia, either taken as an infusion in the shape of tea or by masticating the leaves. The life of the plant when perfect Is eighty years. REMAIN8 THE 8AME. Well Brewed Postum Always Palatable The flavour of Postum, when boiled according to directions, is always the same—mild, distinctive, and palatable. It contains no harmful substance like caffeine, the drug in coffee, and hence may be used with benefit at all times. "Believing that coffee was the-cause of my torpid liver, sick headache and misery in many ways/' writes an Ind. lady, "I quit and bought a package of Postum about a year ago. "My husband and I have been well pleased that we have: continued to drink Postum ever since. We like the taste of Postum better than 'coffee, as it has always the same pleasant flavour, while coffee changes Its taste with about every new combination or blend. 1 "Since imps m, using Postum' I have had no more attacks of gall colic, the heavi ness has left my chest, and tha old, common, every-day headache la a thing unknown." "There's' a Reason." Ngme given by Postum Co., Battle 3fe»ek, llieh. Read 'The Road to WellvtUe," In pkg* Iyer read the abovs letter? A' new pne appeare from time te tlme.. They are feauMai ftveie* j*iM ef human interacts is •3 •\*A .'•jp 1 5 fork -V Cam* bridce, N. Y., says: "Five years ago I had a bad fall and It affected my kidneys. Severe pains in my back and hips became constant, and sharp twinges followed any exertion. The kidney secretions were badly disordered. I lost flesh and grew too XS'? 5