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^ Jf'?' 'i'i '^^ i''i^i ' The Price Of Liberty OR, A MIDNIGHT CALL r^m^ijijihia OHAITKR XXXIX.â€" (Continued) I "That's it," Merritt whined, brok- j «Bily. "Jus t as I was properly I â- pooflng everybody as I â€" I mean just ] as I was getting used to a better i life. But J ou can save me, miss; you can say as you were hard up i for money and that knowing, as 1 1 knew the ropes, you got me to pawn | it for you. Put it in that way and ' there's noE a policeman in England ! as can touch me." i "I had thought of it," Chris siid, j with a pretty assumption of dis- treea. "But, butâ€" Mr. Merritt, I have a terrible confession to make. it was not I who started the police: it was somebody else. Vou see, the •tar was not my property at all. I â€"I got it in London." Mr. Merritt looked up with invol^ untary admiration. "You don't mean to say as you oicfced it?" he asked. "Well, well." Chris bent her face lower to con- i ceal her agitation. Her shoulders were heaving, but not with emotion. { The warmth of Merritt 's admiration had moved her to silent laughter, j and she had made the exact impres- 1 sion .that she had desired. "I have telegraphed to the lady, 1 who is more or less of a friend of i aiine," she said. "I have urged her i to take no further steps in the mat- ; t«r. I fancy that she is a good arxi | kind girl and that â€" but a reply oiigfat come at any time." There was a reply on the way now. %a Chris knew perfectly well. Tho ] whole thir/g had been carefully ar- 1 ranged and planned to the moment by Steel and the others. "I dare say they'll let you down easy," Merritt said, disconsolately: '"but it'll be hot for me. I've cop- ped it too many times before, you | see." I "Yes. I see," Chris said, thought* tuUy. "Mr. Merritt, 1 have made up i my mind: if I had notâ€" er â€" borrowed : that star, it would r.iot have been ' lost, and you would not have found . it, and there would have been no i troubla. My conscience xvould not 1 rert if 1 allowed you to be dragged ' back into tho old life again. I am! goir^ to save youâ€" I am going to tell the police that you pawned that star for me at my instigation." I Merritt was touched even fo tears, i There was not an atom of chivalry i In the rascal's composition. Ho had. little or "no heed for the trouble that bis companion appeared to be piling • up for herself, but he was touched to the depths of his soul. Here was a clover girl, who in her own way appeared to bo a member of his pro- fession, who was prepared to sacri- fice herself to save another. Selt- Bacrificc is a beautiful and tender thing, and Merritt had no intention of thwarting it. "Oo that, and I'm your pal for life," he said, huskily. "And I nev- er went back on a pal yet. Ask anybody as really knows me. Tain't as if you weren't one of us. neither. I C'd give a trifle to know what your little game is here, eh?"' Chrb smiled meaningly. Menilt's! delusion was distinctly to be foster- ed. "You shall help me then, present-, ly," she said, in a mysterious whis- per. "Help me and keep your own counsel, and there will be the big- gest job you ever had in your life. Only let you and I get out of this Dicss. and wc shafl see what we shall sea pre-'^entlyT' Merritt lookeil speechU>os admira- tion. Ho had read of this class of high-tonetl criminals in the gutter elorics peddled by certain publishers, but he had never hoped to meet one in the flesh. He was still gazing open-mouthed at Chris as two men Miine along the avenue. They were ! both in plain clothes, but they had : "policeman" writ large all over j them. I •'Cop.i, for a million," Merritt gurgled, with a pallid face. "Youj can tell 'em when you're asleep. And they arc after me; they're (.oming this way, I'll be all right present- •jr." I I hope so," Chris said, with a curling lip. "You look guilty ^ enough now." j Merritt explained that it was merely the first emotion, and would | pa.Hs off presently. Nor did he boast in vain. Ho was qviite coi>l , as the otncors came up and and call- : ed him by name. "That's me." Merritt said. "What's the trouble?" I Ona of the offtrers explained. He I had no warrant, he said, but all the same he would have to trouble Mr. â-  Morritt to accompany him to More- \ ton Wells. .\ diamond star not yet definitely idenlit'etl had been handed; over to the police, the same having b«<cn pnwiu^l by James M.-rritt. "That's quite right." Merrill said ^ chet-rfully. "I pawned it for this' young * lady hereâ€" Miss l^ce. Of , course, if It" i.t not her properly. ! why. thin " | The officers wire palpably taken back. He know more than he cared' to Ruy. Tho .star had been pledget! by Men-lit. as he chwrfully admitted but the owner of the star had lost tha gem ia I .ondon under suspicious I circumstances in which Miss L*e was mixed up. .\nd at present it was not the policy of the police to arrest Miss Lee. That would come later. "I am afraid that there has been a misapprehension altogether," Chris said. "Allow me to explain: Mr. Merritt, would you step aside for a moment? I have to speak of private matters. Thank you. Now, sir, I am quite prepared to admit that the ornament pledged does not belong to me, but to Mi.ss Henson, whom I met in London. I took the star by mistake. You may smile, but I have one very like it. If Miss Henson had searched her jewels properly she would have found that she had my starâ€" that I had hers. I heard of the business quite by accident, and tele- g^raphed to Miss Henson to look searchingly amongst her jewels. She has a large amount, and might eas- ily have overlooked my star. Here is a boy with a telegram. Will you take it from him and read it aloud? It is addressed to me, you will find. It was. It was signed "Enid Hen- son"; it went on to say that the sender was fearfully sorry for all the trouble she had caused, but that she had found Miss Lee's star with her jewels. .\lso she had telegraphed at once to the police at Moreton Wells to go no farther. "Looks like a mistake." the officer muttered. "But if we get that tele- gram " "Which has reached the police- station by this time," Chris inter- rupted. "Come into the castle and ask the question over the telephone. I suppose you are connected?" The otRcer said they wore; in fact, they had only recently joined tho Ex- change. A brief visit to the tele- phone, and the policeman came back, with a puzzled air and a little more deference in his manner, with the in- formation that he was to go back at once, as the case was closed. _"I've seen some near things in my time, but nothing nearer than this," he said. "Still, it's all ri^ht now. Very sorry to have troubled you miss." Tho ofiRcers departed with the air of men who had to be satisfied, de- spite themselves. Merritt came for- ward with an admiration almost fawning. He did not know quite how the thing had happened, but Chris had done the police. Smart- ness and trickery of that kind wore the highest form of his idolatry. His admiration was nearly beyond words. "Well, strike me," he gasped. ''Did ever anyone ever see anything like that? You. as cool as possible and me with my heart in my mouth all the time. And there ain't going to be no trouble, no sort of bother over the ticket." "You hand over the ticket to me." Chris smiled, "and there will be an end of the matter. And if you try to play me false in any way, why, it will be a bad day for you. Give me your assistance, and it wifl be the best day's work you ever did it) your life." Merritt's heart was gained. His pric:o was touched. "Me go back on you?" he crie i hoarsely. "After what you've done? Only say the word, only give old Jim Merritt a call, and it's pitch- and-toss to manslaughter for those prt'tty eyes of yours. Good days wcrk! Aye, for both of us." And Chris thought so to* CHAPTER XL. Waiting with the eagerness of tho hound in leash. l>avid Steel was more annojetl and vexed over the disappearai.ee of the wounded Van Sneck than he cared to admit. He had an uneasy feeling that the un- seen foe had checkmated him again. And he had buill up so many hopes upon this strangely-uninvited guest of his. If that man spoke he could tell the truth. And both Cross and Uell had declared that he would not die. David found Cross in a frame of mind something like bis own. It Was late in the afternoon before it transpiritl that Van St.eck was gone and, unfortunately, Pavid did not know where to find Bell j'lst at the moment. Cross had very little to su.v. ".\ most unpleasant ii.vident," ho remarked. "But these things will hapjicn. We have been so busy lately, and our vigilance has been slightly relaxe<l. Oh, it is inipos.siblo to guard against everything, but he is certain to be found." "You don't think," David suggest- ed, "that anybody secretly connect- j e*l with the mans past " i "•N'o, 1 don't," Cross snapped; I "that wrtuld be impo.ssible. The man had something ou his mind, and so far as l;odily condition was concern- e<l he WB.t getting quite strong again. In his dazed state he got up anil dres.<ied himself and went away. He seems to have been seeking for somebody or aomethiig for da,\s. We are ceitain to have him again before long." With which poor consolation David returnwl home again. He was re.st- less ai ri de.->irous of human compan- ionship. He even resented it, as a ' kind of alTront, that his mother had chosen at this time to go to Has- ' socks to stay with an old friend for ' a couple of days. That Mrs. Steel : knew practically nothing of her son's ! trouble counted for naught. There- | fore it was with something akin to pleasure that David found Ruth j Gates waiting in the drawing-room ] for him when he came in from his ' walk on the following afternoon. N'othing had been heard of Van ^ Sneck in the meantime, but thanks | to Chris's telephone message late the previous night he had got in touch I with Bell, who was comitg south \ without delay. ITiere was a look of shy pleasure in Ruth's eyes and a deep carmine flush on her cheeks. "\'ou don't think that this is very bold of me?" she asked. "I am pretty Bohemian in any, case," David laughed, as he looked; down fondly into the shy, sweet i ej'es. "And I'm too overjoyed to see you to think about anything ' else. I wish my mother was at . home. No, I don't, because I have you all to myself." | "David! On an occasion like this; you ought to be the pink of pro- priety. Do you know, I believe that [ I have made a great discovery?" "Indeed, little girl! And what have you found out?" "Well, you must tell me something before my discovery seems valuable. David, you are a close student of hiunan nature. Is it possible for men of phenomenal cunning to make careless mistakes? Do the most clever criminals ever make childish blunders?" "My dear child, if they didn't the police would have very little chance. For instance, I have discovered how those enemies of ours got hold of the notcpaper that lured Van Sneck j here, llioy sent a messengfer to Caj-- ' ter's. in East Street, presumedly â-  knowing that my dies were there, and ordered a quarter of a team of paper and envelopes. These were to ! be sent to an address in East Grin- ' stead in a hurry. Now, that was very clever and smart but here comes the folly. Those people, in the stress of business, actually forgot to I ascei'tain the cost and pay for the paper, so that it was dowu ji?ster- day in my last quarter's bill. Oh. l yes, I a.ssure you, the most brilliant . criminals do the most incredibly ' foolish things." Ruth luokud relieved. Her pretty features relaxed into a smile. ; "Then I fancy Reginald Henson â-  has done so," she said. "I fancy 1. have solvc-d the mystery of the cigar- case â€" I mean, the mysterj- of thi? one ; X bought." "And which was changed for the â-  one purciiaseil at Walen's, hence ' these tears. But Lockhait's say that our ca^^e was really purchated by an .\merican." "Yes. I know. .\ua I fancy tliat : the manager honestly thought so. ! But I think I can explain that." ! It was Djivid's turn to look up eagerly. , "Do you mean it?" he e.xclaimed. i "It will make a wonderful difference' if you can. That has been one of the most bewildering knots of the whole puz/.le. If we could only trace the ' numbers of tho.se notes, I suppose , changed at the same time as the I cigar-case. ' ' ; "Indeed they were not," Ruth cried. "I have ascertained that the : c^se was changed by Henson as you j and I have already decided. Henson ; made the e.xchange not at the time j we thought." •"Not when you left the package on j the labia for him to see?" "No; at least I can't say. He had the other case then, probabl}', pas.s- ed on to him by Van Sneck. Or perhaps he merely ascertained what I had purchased. That was sufficient for his purpose. Of course he must have found out all about our scheme. After I had laid my cigar- case on your doorstep a man quietly chauge<l it for the other purchased at Walen's. But this is the alternate 1 theory only. Any way. I am abso- j lutely certain that you got exactly tho same notes that we had placed in the original case. " "That might be," David said, thoughtfully. "B'jt that does not e.x- plain the fact that Lockhart's sold your case to an American at the Metropolc." 'T fancy I can even explaim that. dear. My uncle came down sudtMaly to-day from London. Ete wealed certain pnpers in a great hurry. Now those ]iupers were locked up in a drawer at 1210 given over specially tu Mr. Henson. My uncle promptly broke "pen the drawer and took ou* the papers. Bt.-si<tes those documents the drawer contained a package la one of Lockhart's big linen-lined en- velopes â€" a registered letter envelope, in fact. My uncle had little time to spare, as he was bound to be back in London to-night. He suggested that as the hack of the di'awer was broken and the envelope presumably contained valuables, I had bettar take care of it. Well. I must admit at once that I steamt.-d the L-nvelopa open. I shouldn't have done so if Lockhart's name had not been OB the flap, lu a little ca.sc inside I found a diamond bracelet, which I have in my pocket, together with a receipted bill for seventy odd pounds made out to me." "To you?" David cried. "Do you mean to say that " "Indeed I do. The receipt was made out to me, and wiih it was a little ()olite note to the effect that Messrs. Lockhart had made the ex- change of the cigar-caso for the dia- mond bracelet and that they hoped Miss Gates would find the matter perfectly satisfactory." (To be t^ontiiiued.) ♦ i'lPLO.'tfATIC WOMA^?. Mrs Wisc^-"The n.."X girl .Mrs. Houskt^ep's ifot must Uc a jewel." Mrs -Vewcomb â€" "Wliy. sh* com- plains about her more than any of the others." Mis. Wise â€" "Of course, she wants the rest of iis to think the girl isn't wortlj stealing." IT WAS K HABIT. H<> â€" "Queer habit Miss Passay has when you're talking to her." She â€" "Doesn't she listen?" He â€" "Ob, very attentively; but she keeps nodding hoc head ajid inter- jecting Yes. yes.' all the time." Shu â€" "I think aibe has latlen iato that habit waiting for scaoa man to propose " An Incubator Without Cash Until October, 1905 There is big money to be made in raising chickens with an Incubator. Canada exports annually millions of chickens to the United States and Great Britain. The consumption of poultry in Canada is increasing rapidly and the poultry dealers complain that they cannot get enough poultry to fill their orders. One woman bought a No. .2 Chatham Incubator the first of March â€"she had five hatches by July first and had four hundred plump, sturdy chicks. In si.\ months her Incubator had paid her Sioo.oo, several times its cost. A Chatham Incubator should pay for itself each hatch. We have perfected an Incubator and brooder. We belie\-e it is now absolutely the best in the world. We have sufficient capital behind us, and we are out for the entire business in incubators. We know tliat there is no other incubator that can approach the Chatham Incubator This is our proposition : To demonstrate our absolute confidence in the Chatham Incubator we will send one to you, freight prepaid, and you make your first payment in October, 1905. The fact that we sell our Incubators in this manner guarantees them to the fullest e.xtent. Thirty days' trial is a delusion and a snare. If you have good luck you may get off one hatch in that time, and even then you are uncertain, and if you reject the' machine you will have to pay the freight both ways. But with us you send in your order and we ship the machine prepaid. When it arrives, if it seems all right, start your hatch, and we will give you until October, 1905, before you have to pay a cent in cash. We positi\-ely guarantee that the machine is a good hatcher. Every machine should sell a dozen, and we will, on no account, allow a machine tiut is defective to remain in any neighborhood. WHAT SIX CHATHAM INCUBATOR USERS HAVE TO S.4Y: Th* Incubttot tent rai i« wcrkiiig •xc«edin(l7 welL It U vtrr •••i!.^ 0p«nkt-0(l.u>dK(ftrhftsr«quirtdjilUatioa lor onlj a tew minute* p«r dar. Tbd fint lot of SKfi. 110, on exuuinat'.oQ I found %haC' 53 wer« nuc fertile, twoochera were brok«« A'.'oldealAUr, aod I had bl chioka or about 60 per cent, ot tk« fart 'le etm. The eacond thai of 110 gave in<> 9S Unoc chlckaoa. The brooder girtt *iiuell7 food aatiefactioD. The Toiing brood* are doiuf welL Your* trulT. J. E. JOHX^TOK, Bditor LatminsMn Poit, LMiuiogton, Oat. The No. 3 iueiibaror you sent lue is all ri(h(, we hatched out of IM (eriila e«n, Vfi gaod strong chkks, and the bro<>ier aaved them a]t Wehad in thei.icubator at the eaiao time, in the otiier Irajr, M dv:c« eue anJ 34 g'wee tff». 'rooi which Ke got^9 ducka and 3t «e«e ; totil. 71 from 7» eggs, alao hatohtf.! « lurkevs at the aame tiuie vhal the hen rgge were in. We recDomtend the Chatham Incubator and Brooder to be the beat and iureat to hatch, v.ader all cir.*umatanv:e*. of anr I wla;i to lee vou koow of mr i with rour Incubator. Cue o< lit egg* I gob 7* chicka, and ouC o< my aecond hat c-h I got M from 1'^ egga. I Hnd th* mav*Mne a pure euoceea if nia according to diravtioea. Ttte brooder la a wonder, aad I have not loeC a chick aa r*C, and the? are a)?noat feathered. Your* tnily, JOtLS H. McUNNON, OoUingwood. Out. Yoor No. t Chatham Incubator h«f other make. We have bandied four i gWen rerv good return* the flret hatch, other make*, in our poiilar/ buaieeaa , Out of M' mga, I had <3 chicka. I wta-i , which we run on a larje ecmie at Birtle, rather afraid of waating the egge, and »*;• Mwitlon tki* p*f<*r. I bar* und rour Mo. S Incubator foe keeping Barred Piyniauth Ro..^. Pekin did not ilil the machme. but when tW^'j three hat -hea and am ao well vleaacd Ducka. Toulopi lieeM and Mammoth ch.ckacame. I waa »rr.v I had not ^Uled•^• S^^itXaUort"r«?^!K.rJl,iS7SS Bronre Turkey. Your, truly, L. A. Jt. Will r».-omm«d you, Ujcub^r to ,. agent. Mr. Tumbull. brought to.da». My ADAMS. Bin le. M«.. , ^ _^^ , •^\i2.Vii^u-i^-i^is!i^lSi.^,- third hatch came off veaterda» .hh US The No. 3 Inoubator I bouifht from , MARUAlUiT Md-NTOiH. *hi>*wood^ , chick* out of U9 egge. We have alio a io\i it all vou recommended it t* be. I Ctiatham fanning Sftn which girea good put in 1»1 egg*. a»d after t»t>nf <>"' 'â- â- â€¢ •atiatactioo. I will not loee an op^or Intarule ooe* I have r» chKk*. I nnd tunitT of reccrimead-ng the I'hatham the machine flr»h ciaaa in every particular machine, to mr (nenda. Youra ^t.^•e^ t a»d .-My to na. if dUectioneart followM fullT MRS. SID.NKY SMITH, Scotland, caraluthr. Your. taa|>ectfullj, MKS. Ont". HENRY CHit3E, Warren, On t. Chatham iTicubators and Brooders h.tve e\ ery new improvement worth while in an incubator or brooder. The incubators are made with two walls case within case, of dry material that has been thoroughly seasoned in our lumber yards. They are finished in antique oak, are built solid as a rock and will stand any amount of usaye for years. They are fitted with a perfect steel and brass regulator that insures a successful hatch. There has never before been such an offer as this made in the whole world. The samer you take advantage of this oflfer, the more time you will have before October, 190;, to make first payment Cut off the coupon and send it in to-day for our booklet on the way to raise chickens, what it costs and your profit. You will obtain all information regarding the Chatham Incubator. The Man son Campbell Co. Limited DCVX. 34 CHATHAM!. ONT. Manufacturei^ of Chatham Incubators and Brooders IMatributing Warebotues at Montroal, ^^ae., Brandon, M&n., t»lSiu-T. Alia.. New We»lnii:iktcr. RC, Hilifai. N.3. ractori««»tCh»-hani. OnU, Dc!r<i«t,*f!ch. Alae Manufacturers of ih« Knmn-.io ('«nipbcll I'tuiaiag MUla iind CTImthain nirm S"..-*''*