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| \ | : m9 fF \4 U ty |} stairs. There was something in the girl's MYanner that puzzled him. He "glanced back at her, / MeDon's first impression of Gar- ; a = 1, aie oa eR > i gp a Te sia ere 'Bes | | 'Ga | THURSDAY, "MAY lith, 1933 wih any iad a H E HAI yay BU Rel AGN Page 7 -- = agency to send another man.}/he didn't come'from Chicago?" ue ear ly with regard a coy. Si eer BLACK MONDAY By Leslie McFarlane CHAPTER THREE Trouble Brewing "Now what," said Lucas, as Aunt Janet left the room, "did she mean by that?" The colonel shrugged. "Noth- ing. If we paid any attention to Atint Jane's mysterious utter- ances we'd be in constant tur- moil. As I have told you, she has an idea that the War is still on, that the Germans have invad- ed the country and that it is only a matter of hours before they will be ransacking the house. We've done our best to convince the poor old thing that she's quite safe, but she won't believe us. Come now, we'll go and meet Mr. Gardiner and the others." They left the colonel's study and as they approached the main hall they heard voices and a girl's easy laugh. Three people had just entered the house and were taking off their wraps. As Lucas and the colonel came into the hall they found two young men en- gaged in a mock argument over the honor of assisting an unden- iably pretty girl out of her coat. "T assure you, my dear Arthur" said a plump, moon-faced youth with horn-rimmed spectacles, "the privilege is mine." The tall, fair-haired, stoop- shoudered young man facing him made an exaggerated bow. "But, my dear aJcob, I insist that the pleasure should be mine" The girl, standing between the pair, flung back her head and laughed with delight. She was slender, delicately built, with great dark eyes, a mass of bronze hair and flushed cheeks. "You fools!" she chuckled. "I'm quite capable of taking off the coat myself." "But no," said the moon-faced youth, "we cannot permit that. The matter must be settled. Mr. Kellatt, I insist that I have the hohor of removing Jane's coat." "And 1," said Kellatt, solemn- ly, "maintain that you helped her off with her coat yesterday. To- lay it is my turn." "But yesterday, when it rained, you had the great honor of car- tying her umbrella." "We talk of coats today, Jacob. TEE vot you." "I demand of you___" "Let me know how the argu- ment comes out," laughed the girl, slipping out of her coat and hanging it upon the rack. "Hel- Jo, Colonel," she said, seeing Brand. "My two cavaliers are at it again." "And if I were thirty years younger Id be in the thick of the battle myself," said the colonel, gallantly. "Jane, may I present Mr. Holt, my nephew. You've heard me speak of him. He just arrived from Chicago today." Jane bowed. She flashed a cu- tious glance at Lucas. =50 pleased to have you with us, Mr. --Holt." The pause before she pronounced his name was slight, but. Lucas was none the less un- comfortably aware of it. He was introduced to the moon faced youth, Jacob Wirth, and to Kellatt, the stoop-shouldered young man. They were polite, eeable fellows, who shook his hand firmly and expressed the hope that he would enjoy his visit. "And now," said the colonel, beaming, "we'll go up and meet Mr. Gardiner." Lucas experienced a i disturbance as he ascended of the sense standing at the foot of the stairs,| and his composure was by no means increased when he saw that she was looking up at him, an enigmatic smile upon her lips. They found Jonathan Gardiner in his room, seated at an old- fashioned writing desk by the window. He was a tall cadaver- ous man, clad in a long dressing gown that accentuated his height. wer was that the man was ill. es were sunken and luster- t skin was like parchment and, as he extended it in rembled nervously, Becet you, Mr. Lucas," gut voice. "I sup- t used to calling ent Might dn't do." He ) chair. "Sit Binns' arrives you will receive the last of Gardiner, |enemies?" I ask you to run along, Colonel? Some things I want to talk over with this young man." "Not at all, Jonathan. I ex- plained to him about the rob- I bery." "Yes. Yes. Very good. How- ever--I'll talk it over with him." The colonel went out. Jona- than Gardiner did not resume his chair. He paced up and down the room, the skirts of the dress- ing gown swishing about his ankles. "Colonel Brand told you about the money, eh?" he said, sharply. "He did," said Lucas. "Have to you." his desk. to your room." a red - faced, soul, not at all the suave, discreet valet of tradition. Take it or leave it." Lucas shrugged. "A bit unsatisfactory, but L'll take it." "You are armed?" "Wess "Good. That's al I have to say Gardiner rang a bell on "Rochet will show you A moment later a servant ap- neared in the doorway. He was cheerful _ looking "Yes, sir!" he said, breezily. "Show Mr. Holt to his room, Rocht." Rochet." Rochet led the way down the corridor, flung open a door and stepped aside. his club bag had placed on a small stand at Lucas saw that already been the you any theory yourself, Mr.jend of the bed. "Here you are, Gardiner ?" sir," said Rochet. "If you, need "Theory?" The man pacedjanything, just ask for it. Colonel over to the window and_back.}Brand's nephew, aren't you?" "Haven't the faintest idea. Bad| "Yes." : business. Puzzling affair. It's aj} Rochet winked and stepped in- serious thing for me, I can tell]/to the room. His genial face Brand and I, so far as we]beamed. "And that's all right you. know, are the only two people who have the combination to the safe. Yet it was opened by the combination." "The colonel cion?" "Quite," declared Gardiner, em-,t phatically. "Absolute confidence in Brand. Honest chap." "Perhaps it was a professional is above suspi- with me, you a tip." "he said. But I'll give "What do you mean?" "Don't say I told you. But I've been with Mr. Gardiner for years, and I wouldn't advise you to pay oo much attention to that busi- ness about the letters." "You know about that?" Rochet nodded. "You see, it's job?" happened before." "No. Someone in this house} '"QOh." took the money." Gardiner's tone] "It happened when we were in did not brook conrtadiction. Sud-|Portland. And it happened in denly he flung himself into the}Omaha. And now I'll be darned chair. "I'll tell you something,|if it hasn't happened here. Want Lucas. I'll tell you why that}me to unpack your bag? No! money was there in the first}Fine. I always think it's a lot of place." nonsense anyway, altthough they "T have been wondering." "Because my life is in danger." Lucas waited. "T believe I am being murdered," declared Gar- diner. "I drew that money from the bank because I thought it would be best for me to go away. Disappear. Perhaps I'll do_ it yet. But I hate to disappear without money." "Ts it as serious as all that?" |t "Quite. Look !" Gardiner opened a desk drawer and with- say they go in for that in Eng- land, and some see mto expect it." in danger of]e of the guests Rochet turn- d to leave. "Just a minute. What do you mean by saying that it happened in Portland an din Omaha?" He got a flock of "Letters. letters, just like he's getting now. And he was worried sick. nothing ever happened. sut Some- imes I think he sends 'em him- self jus tto get people guessing. However, it's none of my busi- drew a sheaf of envelopes. "Youjness. I just thought I'd tip you are the only person I've everloff. He told me you were com- shown these to. What do youling, of course." Rochet winked think of them?" again. "If you need any help Lucas went through the stack]y of envelopes. Each sealed with a blob of black wax. contained nothing more than a page from a calendar pad. each page, the date of the coming Monday was blotted out by black ink and on each page a successive date was marked by a small red!] was cross, just as on the calendar|t pages Colonel Brand had shown him. His face betrayed no exprés- sion. "What do these mean?" "For the past six weeks I have received one of these every morn- ing." "Have you placed the matter|s in the hands of the police, or the post office?" No: "What makes you think you "Those letters "Ts that al Lucas laughed. "Has it occurred to you that the|s thing may be some kind of adver- tising dodge. 'When Monday the series--an invitation t o]c buy a new radio, perhaps." t "When Monday arrives said grimly, "an attempt will probably be made upon my life. That's all I'm going to tell you, young man. I haven't told the police. I haven't told any- one. Your job is to keep an eye on things." a "If you are so sure that you are|] marked for murder, perhaps you can tell me why. Who are your|s "T don't know. I think I know why these warnings have been sent out but it won't do any good}t If ANYTHING should happen to me, however, I want you to bear one thing in mind. It won't be suicide. Understand? It may look like suicide but it will murder." Gardiner's eyes were fixed in- tently on the younger man. Lucas had an impression that Gardin- er's nerves were frayed to the point where the mind shows a lack of balance. "T think," he said, "you should tell me more." _ "That's all I'm telling you," snapped Gardiner. "If you don't care to accept the assignment, to 'g into this affair of the miss- money, to keep watch on the and grounds, Tl tell the Each!e On|y ingly. over. mental balance was all are in danger of being murdered ?]s He lieved he was marked he appeared to be acting the police? to have the letters traced? then there was the garrulous Ro- be] " the young man. he's your nephew at all and I'm quite sure he didn't come from Chicago this morning. he's an impostor." onel Brand, would make a mistake like that. I know my own nephew when I see him. What makes you think ou can rely on me." Lucas affected a blankness of xpression. "Y'm sure I don't know what ou're driving at." "Good!" said Rochet, approv- hat's the way to put it You're no more Colonel srand's nephew than I am, but I hink you'll get away with it all right." He closed the door gently be- hind him. By the time Don Lucas had washed and changed he _ had reached the conclusion that this assignment was by all odds_ the trangest he had encountered in fiv years of his connection with the Devenant Agency. He if Gardiner's that it Bor a man who_ be- for death very Why didn't he notify Why didn't he seek And wondered hould be. trangely. het. Apparently Rochet didn't ake the letters very seriously, knew all about them, said his master had réceived them in other cities. Lucas was puzzled. When he went downstairs he was wonder- ing just how Rochet knew he was in the house under false that olors. He moved toward Colonel srand's study, resolved to ask the colonel how Rochet had tumbled on this secret. He halted outside the door, when he heard voices within the room. Lucas was just about to urn away when he was arrested by the colonel's emphatic tones. "But I tell you, Jane, he IS my nephew." "When," came the cirl's voice, did you see him last?" "Er--about ten years ago." "And he came from Chicago this morning?" "Yes." "I'd advise you to check up on I don't think I think "But, my dear," sputtered Col- "do you think I "Because I sa whim in the city a week ago. I recognized him th emoment I laid eyes on him. H was standing in front of a theatre. You had better check up on your nephew, Colonel; I'm warning you." The rustle of a dress almost at his side made Lucas start guilt- ily. A tall, gaunt woman was advancing toward him. She had entered the corridor in silence and he was not aware of her approach until she was only a few feet away. The woman eyed him severely, nodded, and passed on. She had sallow features, thin lips and a stern expression. Her disappro- val was quite manifest. Lucas moved away from the door. He felt uncomfortable. The tall woman, obviously Mrs. Platt, the housekeepr, had caught him in the act of eavesdropping. He began to feel that his posi- tion in this household was going to be awkward. (To be Continued) The keeping quality of milk is determined more by the temper- ature at which. it is held than by any other factor. To keep satis- factorily, market, milk must be cooled to around 45° F. and held at that temperature. f . AEE | A HEALTH SERVICE OF THE CANADIAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION AND LIFEQ@ INSURANCE COMPANIES IN CANADA MIDDLE LIFE None of us is perfect. We accept, as a matter of course, that, in one way or another we fall short of perfection. It is, however, a matter of importance for us to know in what ways and to what extent our bodies are defective. Some defects are of but little or no significance other than from an aesthe- tic point'of view. There are, however, other defects, or disturbances which mean a deviation from the normal, and these may be of grave import in their significance. Most of the diseases of middle life are insidious in their nature; from insignificant beginnings, they slowly Progress to the point where disabling symptoms are noticed. This applies to the chronic diseases of | middle life, known as the degenerative diseases, which are due to changes in the heart, arteries and kidneys. It would be most desirable to have these diseases detected early so that by through \changes in the habits of life, particular- proper treatment and might be corrected or checked. One Purpose of the periodic health examin- ation is to find out the condition of the various organs of the body and to de- tect any changes which may have oc- curred. It is in middle life that such changes should be looked for because it is at that time of life that they begin to develop. That is why the business man's practice of making at least an annual inventory should be extended to include an annual health inventory of the business man and his family. Health is our most precious possession. If it is worth while to take stock of our financial position, it is much more necessary to take stock of the physi- cal and mental condition of our bodies. To accept disease as inevitable and to make reasonable effort to ward it off places us on a level with primitive people who considered disease is the work of evil spirits. The body is a complex machine. It requires a peri- odic overhauling to keep it running smoothly and efficiently, and thus pre- vent the breakdowns which otherwise will occur. Age should not mean incapacity. Too little attention has been given to the needs of adult life. We have accepted the health supervision of babies' and school children as desirable; there is every reason to carry out this same into middle and desirable practice later life. It's Pretty Hard Going Right Now Sat © Gonncr-BRowes r-- USED TO LOAD THEI THEM TO CHINA AND cia 550 DISTILLERS ON BOATS AND SEND -- THE ROCKING OF TAE BOAT HELPED To AGE THE . BEVERAGES R LIQUORS - k om epee BACK AGAIN =S5" -- er sta) YOUR HEART 6 ACTIVATED BY ELECTRICAL WAPULSES PRIZE FIGHTERS, (N THE DAYS OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE, WERE ALLOWED TO PROTECT THEIR WANDS IN ANY WAN THEN SAW Yi i HER HEH, JUST WAIT 'TILL HE GETS A LOAD OF