_J>AQE TWO. Squirrel Food "THE GREEN SEAL" By Charles E. Walk. Copyright. 1914, by A. C. MeCLug & Co. NEXT WEEK, "OVERLAND RED" BY HARRY HERBERT KNIBBS. "These two young men brought this diamond, uncut. I remember how my jaw dropped when the tierce-eyed young fellow shook it out of a funny-looking ivory box onto a velvet pad; for I had never seen such a diamond. "I was given Instructions to weigh and measure and cut the stone so as to get the most per fect finished gem possible. It took many weeks, that job. And one or the other of the two young fel lows was always present, watching until It was returned to them. "And when I was through they took their diamond and went away to where efer it was they game from —nopody efer heard where that was. "That Is all I efer knew— egcept the name of the fierce eyed fellow, who wasn't fierce by nature. It was that name In the newsbapers— " Struber sharply Interrupted. "What was the fella's name?" he demanded. "Willets!" If the room suddenly had turn «d upside down, I could not have been more staggered. I vaguely heard Struber asking other ques tions. "Do you mean one o' the fellas with the diamond was Steve Wil lets?" "No, no, no; I didn't say Steve •—Just Willets. That's all I efer ■-MMMaMsmmmMMmmmmmmLmMmMmmLmmtmm^ 0 _^?B_k OUR GOAL WE HAVE made every effort during the past year to bet ter our service. We know we have not pleased everyone and that there are still shortcomings to be cor rected. But we think that we are giving better transportation serv ice than we were giving one year ago, and that there is less cause for criticism and complaint than there was at the beginning of 1916. We hope that for the coming year there will be less cause for dis satisfaction than ever before. We have set as our goal— "A SATISFACTORY SERVICE." Tacoma Railway and Power Co. heard of his name." "And the little ivory box they brought the uncut stone in, would yuh recognize It If yuh were to see it again?" "Surely," replied Aartsen. "It was square—about two lnohes"— he Indicated the size with his hands—"covered with funny Chi nese carvings—" We all turned abruptly to Miss Fox. She had uttered an inartic ulate cry of amazement. "Why," she faltered, "that de scribes a small Chinese box that has belonged to my aunt ever since I can remember. But of course It cannot be the same one." "Of course not," Aartsen read ily agreed. "Just as there was neft-r such another diamond us this one." "Don't be too sure," Struber j dryly advised him. "I can show yuh Insider of an hour a box I bet yuh'll swear is the same one. I Them dinkey little boxes seem to] be as thick as fleas on a dog. How! many Is there anyhow? I'd like to see Miss Fox's aunt's." "You may," she quietly told him. "She'll show It to you It I give you a note to her." "Thanks Miss Fox. I'll slip out there some time today, then." CHAPTER VII. Lois Vlows the King. Up to this time I had spoken of What's the Matter With Balmy Benny For an Efficiency Expert. the death-ring to Miss Fox only in the most casual way. But now, with the potential connection be tween the ring and the ivory boxes in mind, and the manner in which they had come into the mystery surrounding her own life, I de cided that she was entitled to all the Information I could impart. Accordingly, after wo were once more back at the office, I called Miss Fox Into my private room for the purpose of telling her about the ring. The story of the diamond of course, she had already heard that morning. As I unlocked the drawer where I had hidden the ring, 1 said: "The diamond coming as it did was enough to upset any man; but Iho two boxes being exactly alike was the limit." I drew forth tho ring box. The instant Miss Fox beheld the box I knew its appearance was not strange to her. "If I didn't know differently now." she declared, "I would be willing to make solemn oath that this is Aunt Lois'." I began with the time six years previously, when Mr. I'nruh, the public administrator, first gave mo the ring and told me the cir cumstances of Charley Yen's death. Now, It had not been a part of my purposo to show her the ring, but she calmly asked to see It. "I don't ask out of curiosity," she explained. "It may have play ed some part in my past that I have forgotten; sight of it may awaken my memory." I opened the box and shook the ring out upon the desk. She saw It. The girl's first half tlmld look changed swiftly to a fixed stare. Next Instant she went reeling backward toward the wall. I sprang from my chair. "Good heavens!" I shouted. "What Is it?" To some extent, she gradually recovered hor poise, but shudder after shudder continued to shake her body. Also she seemed to have forgot ten my pronence, for after a mo ment I heard her mutter: "The Kiss of the Silent Death! So It's true, then. How awful! — how awful! Now I know what It means." In the swift reaction from ter ror, now that I was convinced that she was unharmed, I slumped weakly back Into my chair. "Then for tho love of heaven," I pleaded, in a trembling voice, "tell me too." Without a word she calmly re moved her collar, reached back and unfastened some of the up per buttons of her shirtwaist and drew It down In front an Inch or two, thus exposing perhaps a [JNCLE SAM HELPS WORKING WOMEN TO GET WORK; STRIVES TO KEEP YOUNG SINGERS AWAY FROM THE CABARET POSITIONS Miss Sophie I_unl>, at rl-ihi. in c barifn of one of Uncle Sam's ba reau-i, and an applicant for work. CHICA4_K>, Jan. H.-l'mle Ham f ha* reached oat his hand to the girl inn-do Ntndeiit Who must do cabaretlng to pay for mnsle lem* *'««, and tin* ambitious yonng singer who must sing In cabarets and dance tin 11* until noniethlng else tarns up! They have been taken under the i wing of the Hnlted States employ- 1 ment service and many are secur- i tng good positions through the THE TAOOMA TIMES hand's breadth of loviness at the base of her rounded throat. No thought of the uncouventlonality of the act entered either of our heads at that palpitating moment. "Look!" she said tensely, her eyes glowing. I did, and next Instant was once more starting from my chair. On tho white flesh, like a green tattoo murk, was an unmistakable imprint of the death seal. Then our eyes met and we look ed long into each other's awed to silence. We were thinking of Strang's inquiry about a tattooed design. "H-h-how in the name of all that's holy did that get there?" She looked at me clear-eyed as she buttoned her waist again and refastened her collar. "How ran | tell after this? Birthmark, Indeed! Aunt Lois has deliberately deceived me about it. Why, Mr. Ferris, Just think of It!" She iald a hand upon her bosom. 'This must be a tattoo-mark; James Strang knows. But how did he learn of it? Who could have put it there, and for what earthly reason? It's the most perplexing thing I ever heard of!" It was, indeed. "But sight of the Ideograph awoke some other association In your mind," I reminded her pres ently. "You uttered some strange words—what do they mean?" "That's true. I'll explain. At the time 1 showed you the Strang letters I honestly believed this to be a birthmark. My aunt assured me It was. But my mind flew back to something that happened years ago—when I was a very little tot. "I woke up one night with a feeling that somebody had kissed my throat. In a dim way, I saw Aunt Lois bending over me, cry ing. "Almost right away I drifted back into sleep; but not before I heard Aunt I.ois whisper in a dis tressed tone: "The Kiss of the Silent Death — God protect this poor, helpless, Innocent baby!" A sudden clamor of the tele phone made I.ols and me jump. I grabbed up the Instrument, clap ped the receiver to my ear, and Immediately recognized Struber's voice. "That you, Mr. Ferris?" he ask ed. "This is Struber. Say, If you can let Miss Fox of ihe'd better come homo right away. Don't scare her; her aunts all right; but something wan pulJi.d off before I got here and the old lady's gone bug. Get me?" I became aware that Miss Fox was bending over me. She, too, had hoard. "Ask him," she hoarsely de manded, "what hat* happened." "Look here, Struber —Miss Fox heard you." "Take my word for It, Mr. Fer ris, Mrs. Fox Is all right. She's simply been scared stiff. I don't want to say too much over the phone." "We can believe him," said T, with conviction. "I'll go with you." This proposal seeming to be agreeable, I telephoned for a taxi. federal employment bureau. "We want to keep the young music student and young singer, unwise In the ways of the world, away from cabarets," says Mrs. Sophie l_-i.nl*. head of the woman's division of the federal employment service. Once in a tainted atmosphere a girl's future Is doubtful —as far as music goes and doubtful as to moral standards. "So the federal service which CHAPTER VIII. A Fresh Yictiin. Struber met us when our ma chine drew up at the cottage where Miss Fox lived. Before my companion had time to volte her anxiety, he an nounced: "The old lady's all right now. She's alone." Miss Fox hastened up the walk and disappeared Into the house. I lingered to hear the particulars from Struber. "Don't ast me," he forestalled my first question. "Nobody knows wiiat's happened — only as I've doped It out. Walt till Miss Fox has had time to talk to her aunt, then we'll know whether I'm right or not.' "What have you doped out?" I was Impatient to know. "And why should Mrs. Fox have been 'scared stiff,' as you expressed it?" "Dimno what scared her. It might a-been worse than that If I hadn t come just when I did. You see, the Inside door was open; just the screen was shut. I knocked a couple o' times and didn't raise anybody. Then I walked In —In a hurry. I smelt chloroform." "Chloroform!" I ejaculated In amazement." "Yep. Found the old lady on the dining-room floor with a towel over her face. Towel was soaked with the stuff. "I was just going to hunt a doc tor when she come to and see me. Then she went from one fit to an other, so I rustled tho neighbors and phoned you to get the young lady home." "Was It robbery?—burglary? I asked. "Well, you might call it both, Struber slowly admitted. "Some body wanted something of the old lady's mighty bad to take such a chance." We moved together up to the porch, where Miss Fox almost im mediately joined us. "Mr. Struber, do you know what happened?" she asked. "Only what I've guessed, Miss Fox," he replied. "I was hoping your aunt could tell us about It." The girl shook her head. "She can't tell much. She was busy in the kitchen when she was attracted by a slight noise at the front of the house. She came to the front door to Investigate. All she saw was what she took to be a Chinese laundryman's wagon standing in front of the house next door. "But you know the Crlnese habit of walking right Into one's house without knocking. She thought of this and turned to look into the front room; then she was seized from behind. Before she could scream or si niggle, she says, a cloth was pressed over her face; she knew nothing more until she came to and saw a strange man stooping over her." "That was me she saw," Stru ber explained. "I made a quick search of the house before the neighbors got here, but It didn't look torn up any. Of course I couldn't tell if anything was miss- helps many unskilled work women and professional women has ex tended its aid to the glrki in the art world. "We are aided by the largest organization of women In the country, the co-operative league of the United States employment ser vice. There are 8000 prominent women In this organization. Many of these women engage enter tainers for home programs or club or lodge affairs." By Ahem ing. Then your aunt didn't see anybody?" Miss Fox again shook her head. "No, nobody at all, except you. But I have discovered what they were after —what they took." We waited expectantly. "The little Ivory box," she add ed soberly, her eyes on Struber; "the One you came here/o see." We continued to discuss- the epißOde at length, but with no very satisfactory results. Conjure our brains as we would, the whole thing remained Inexplicable; so presently I asked Struber whether lie had (Mod the Republic Hotel's missing guest. '■,% He bcov> leil and shook his head. My glance met Miss Fox's. In hers I read understanding. "Suppose I tell him," I pro posed. "If you think It best," she ac quiesced. Whereupon Struber listened with marked attention to a recital of Miss Fox's mysterious corres pondent. Somewhat to my surprise Stru ber made no comment on what we told him. He gazed piedltatlvely down the street for so mo time, and finally asked if I hail noticed a gray automobile following me. His question gave me something .of a jolt, for I had noticed Just such a car, but had refrained from saying anything about It, assuring myself that It was ray overstrained nerves and the untoward events of the upast few days which caused me to fancy it was following me. Now, however, I told Struber all I could remember concerning it, especially of the begoggled occu pants, two in number, whose Iden tities were thus concealed. He bade me to continue to act as if I were not aware of being shadowed, and departed for town. Before I left 1 obtained an inter view with M|M Fox's aunt g. She could tell me little enough, yet what she did tell had a direct bearing on subsequent events. According to Mrs. Fox, her younger brother, Stephen, had al ways been wayward, and before he had reached maturity had been obliged to flee the country because suspicion pointed to htm as the murderer of his older brother, Samuel. Here Miss Fox whispered to me that this was the first she had ever heard of her uncle Samuel. The two brothers, It seemed, had been fishing, and Steve returned alone. Another fisherman told a story later of having seen two men fighting In a catboat after dark, and Steve's tale that his brother had been accidentally drowned, was discredited. The body was never recovered, and Stove disap peared, not to be heard of for 14 years. Meantlme the Foxes had re moved from San Francisco to I.og Angeles, and had been In the lat ter city barely a fortnight when late one night Steve Willets had appeared at their home, the same cottage where we were now gath ered, with a little three-year-old «irl. He had left the child, which he said was his, speaking, before his going, of the mark on the little one's breast. "It's her brand," he told his sis ter. "I put It there myself so I can tell her If I lose her. If she ever wants to know what it means, tell her it's "The Kiss of Silent Death.' " Mrs. Fox could not bring her- taasst Mini'Mi'jiiN MCVM _____ 11 10a.m. Spoken* Limited—No. Taklma, Jreseo. Bpokana iii.l, 1:40 am. Portland Night K_p._Via Pt. D.fli™, 7 po*-v,• 5:1. J™ "•10 a.m. Bcattle from Portland via PL De.lar.oe. '.'. " i,io» ,„ 1:00 a.m. Atlantic Exp.—Spokane Helen., Butte St Paul -■•««_*- Chleags ,' "' ia.««._ 8:00 a.m. "vVilkesofi, Carbonado, Fairfax s'iJlt!? 1:00 a.m. Gray* Harbor Line—Via Point Lias a. 'Olym.ia -.11- ™ ISS am. Portland Local-Via Telm and 80. Acoma. • IIS" m II 36 a.m. Raymond _ So. Bend vis Yeyra and So. Taooma Sjlam 10.10 a.m. Bcattle Local—Seattle and Intermediate kill Ts* 12:65 p.m. Seattle—From Portland. Raymond and So. Bend" "•••"■a. via Telm and So. Tacoma ■_*_*._ _ 1:00 p.m. Gray* Har Local—Via Point Deflano* ! i^soE™ 1.10 p.m. Ml.s Val. Llm.—Bllllna*. Kan. City, St. Louie. ••'««?' m' t:«P.m, Beat tie—From Orays flar. via Pt. befaSce." ,. J-Jn " '7? 1:00 p.m. Ortlna. Carbonado, Buckley. Kanasket .." ia«n? ~ 1:41 p.m. Portland Special via Pt Defiance _ Central a.. rlsn J? 6:46 p. m. Raymond _ So. Bend via Pt. Deflaaoe mll v "* 5:60 p.m. Gray* Harbor Exp — Via Lake-view _ Duron." itiif *> 7:00 p.m. No. Coast Lira.—Spokane. Butte. St. Paul Crlo.* i *.. p' m* 11-.Up.*-. Seattle-From Gray* Har. vla . fni. 11:00 p.m. "Ovrl''—Ev.retL Bellln.ham, Vanoiuver. R d* IJOIaS U:10-Be. "Owl"—Portland aad Intermediate ...V!. ......7 111 J" !_* 6:16 Ik. m. Gray. Har. ipsa—Aberdeen. Hoqulam. Raymond 4oi - m 1:45 a.m. Olympian— Bpokana, Missoula, Butte, »L Paul. ••"■*.■ OI'ICACO eseeeeea " s_ ej n • .OOp.**. Columbian—apokaae. afjtssouia. __tf£.'ftt Pm! "*"-*•* C-,c..e "5 M . fc » H:tea.a_ Shasta Llmlter. ........... ............ ... *• in "7 -, .:!•»» ft_V_^ff_.T_..r l" ...'.v.v.r.v.*..:::::: !!..&_. s— ~"*■»*—*» ••■>«*• _W3SU •••••...... .................. t—*t* 11:46 *• **s- self to tell Lots such a dreadful thing, so she had always said It was a birthmark. She concluded her story by saying that the Ivory box stolen that afternoon was one which Steve Willets had left among the few clothes he brought with the child. All this seemed meager enough at the time. I went back to my office and pondered over it with out getting anywhere, so I turned to my safe for some papers on a pending case that demanded my at tention. While hunting for a docu ment of earlier date which had some bearing on the case In hanl, I dumped the contents of several compartments onto my desk. Am on ■ other things that came to light was an old note book of my father's. 1 leafed It through Idly until 1 came to the initials J. S. They recurred again and again, also the abbreviations "Syl" and "Maj." Most of the entries were con- cerned with the shipping of goods and J. 3. seemed to have been in some sort of partnership with ray father. Naturally the coincidence of initials reminded me of James Strang. Under the circumstances I threw aside all hope of being able to get my mind down to any legal busi ness. In fact, I stuffed the papers pertaining to the case back into the safe and settled myself for an exhaustive perusal of the note book. Like the names "J. 5.." "Maj.," and "Syl.," most of the entries were abbreviated. The following one made me speculate a fool deal: " .4 Intst set asd Marian if alv— If hve to mrdr Chink." I Interpreted It thus. "One quarter interest to be set aside for Marian, If alive—if I have to mur der the Chink." Who was Marian? And one quarter Interest In what? Just hero 1 was iuterruptel by Struber calling on the telephone. "Say," he drawled, "I lamped the number of that gray car. Want to know who owns It?" . intimated that I did. "Well," he pused, tantalizlnsly, "tht there car that's a b»«eu trackin' you so faithful belongs to Mr. Meyer Hardwlck. Now what do you think of that?" He clapped up the receiver to leave me to my thinking. And I did some! For Hardwlck was Lois' former employer, the mini who had told her she was Steve Willeta' daughter, antl discharged her; the man who had faced me In fear when I taxed him with his act at the club. But why on earth should he bo interested In my movements? It was too much for me ani I returned lo my speculations as to who "Marian" might be. Not until I had come to a bundle of newspaper dippings did any thing like enlightenment begin to yield itself. They were from Kng- HEIRESS DIVORCED; HAS SON PART TIME iiKO.ounw bONtytJa. DE-■SACJLLE.3 Mrs. de Saulles has been award ed divorce from the former Yale quarterback and society man with part custody of Lohn Longer de Similes, jr. Mrs. de Saulles was Senorita Blanco Krrazurlz, daugh ter of tho richest woman in Chile. Wednesday, Jan. 3, 1917. "We Want the Army Post" -me^^^^-Vme> TheArmyWanls to Come Read What the Army Men Think About It Special Pierce County Edition of the U.S. ARMY WEEKLY FEATURING "How the Soldier Pop ulation Will Benefit Pierce County," by Raymond Allen, army author of national reputation. '' Biographic Sketches of Mayor A. V. Faw cett and Stephen Appleby." "l-l-t^^S^*--*-!!--..-"!*' | Articles on Army Life by Writers in the Ser vice. WATCH FOR IT! On Sale Thursday, January 4, 1917. -_--S---y-S--S_-----_s_s_Mjiii| Ilsh newspapers printed in Shang hai and Hongkong. One, manifestly the first an* nouncement of an expedition, identified "Syl." It appeared that an exploring ) party was to start for Tibet from Nanking and ascend the Yau-.-ts* klang river as far as Chan-king. After having traveled thus far—* upward of 2,000 miles—the party would be brought only to the point of departure! (Continued in Our Xext Issue.) —_—_———_————_—— . CENTRAL BUS STATION 110 SO. iiith ST. TEL. Mai** _M l.u-i-h 11..0U1 la I num-rllo- Behedule Auto Star* _ Freight Service. Bag-fag* Checked. I'srhonii.lo M, llkraon—l'-i-ona isii-Hin-llr-ira tare) Leave. A. M. P. U. Carbonado 7 l:0 1 01 Wllkeeon 7:30 11} Burnett 7:40 12} South Prairie 7:50 1.31 A'rlve. Tacoma 9:00 2:41 Connect with Seattle Interurban. Taooma 10:00 ll* Puysllup I..0:80 got Ortln-f 10 65 Sill South Prairie 11:20 Elo Burnett 11:30 0:0* Wilkeson 11:40 6 10 Arrive. Carbonado 11:50 6:30 niIKIKV—TACOMA Lv. Tat*t»nia 10 a. m.; 8:30, 8 p. m. Lv. Buckley 8 _. in.; 12:30, 8 p. m. Saturday and Sunday—Lv. Tacoma 10 a. a_| 3:30, 11:30 p. m. DIIPOXT—TACOMA Lv. '_*ae»>ma — S:00, 10:00, 11:30 a. M.i 3:00, 4:30, 11:10 p. m. Lv. Dupont—B:oo, 9:00, 10:00, 11:00 a. m.; 12:30, 6:15, 0:46 p. in. Sunday SJeclal —J:00, 10:00, 11:00 a. m. and 12:00 in. NORTHEAST TACOMA Hjrtrbos ti'i-.k i.n.i Hague Bex l'ai-tot-j- Lv. Tacoma—6.3o, 7:30. 10:30 a mi 1, 1:15. 4, 6 and 10:15 p. m Lv. N. E. Tac—7, 11 a. ra.; X:80, 111 p. m. mim-ii \i._'i \. inn Kibe, Alder, l.a t.minis Lv. Mineral 8 a. m. Lv. Tacoma 8 p. m ORTING—TACOMA Lv. Tacoma—7:3o. 9:00, 11:00 a. a_l 1:00, 3:30 p. m. A«III miI*—TACOMA Lv. Ashfortl— * a. m. and 2:16 p. m. Lv. Tacoma—t a. m and 3 p. no. MORTON—TACOMA, Lv. Tacoma,—B:oo a. m. Lv. Mutton —1:4 Ip. m. Stage* for Koy, Yelm, Kapowslsj. Qraham, Orting. BATON VII.I.E—KAPOWSIN— TACOMA AUTO STii'M mil Jit., Owpom.u ■'•i-iufri-M. Lv. Eatonvill* eav'ly I a m.; 1 p. m_ 3.30 p. m. Sunday, I a. m„ I aadf p. in. Lv. Tacoma daallv I a. m . 1 p. m 4 p. m. Sun Jar I a hi., 4 and I ill P. m. Saturday Evening Speolat—Lsatre Eatonvl'le 7 p. fa.; leave Tacoma. 1:15 p. m, ~ MOOSfc* AUTO STAQII Maa*—4>oft Hotel, isiu r.riri. a-. Tacoma and Telm, takevlew, Hlll hur*t, Oreendale Roy, Mcftenna. Lv. Taooma—ll ;o'o a. m. and 410 a. m.; Sunday I a, m. and Mo p.' ■&. Lv. telm—7l It) Am. and 1:1 a »\i Jaturday nl«-t *710 and Si_.d4#