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on, THE cini. IN BLUE ~__â€"â€"___. Wfi+fi+fi+fi+fitfi+fi+fi+fi+fi+fl+fl+fim+fi+fi+fi+fi It i 32 t M E '+fi+33€+33€+)¢€+§i+33£+32£+322+32£+3i+ ffi+fi+fi+fi+§+fitfi+fii+fi+fi+fit _ CHAPTER XV I. We had lit fresh cigars from his own Em, and as he sat in his big arm chair the lifted his glass to me merrily, ex- pressing pl-ca-surc at our meeting. ""I hope," he added. “that we shall meet very often. But take my tip, my dear follow, and don’t fall in love with Mabel Anson." Why he should emphasize this warn- ing just as Charming had done struck me as very curious. It might be, of course, that. he was in love with her himself, and regarded me as a possible rival. This, indeed, was the impression conveyed to me by his words, and it aroused within me a vague feeling of distrust. That quick sinst-er glance when I had been introduced still ling- ’ ered‘ in my memory. “I can't think why you should so re- peatedly warn me,” I remarked, laugh< Ing with affected amusement. “It. really isn’t likely that I shall fall .in love with her.’ He made no response. He only puffed slowly at his cigar, and smilei cynical- ly through the veil of smoke he created. I replaced my cigar in my mouth ~â€" for my friend was evidently a connois- seur of I‘Iavanas, and this was an ex- cellent oneâ€"but at that instant my tongue, as I twisted it in my mouth, came in contact with the cut end of the weed, and I felt prickcd as if by some sharp point. Quickly I removed it and examined it closely, exclaimingâ€" “Do they wrap up needles in your cigars? Look!" And I passed it across to him, indicating where, protruding from the end, which I had chopped off with the cutter on my watchguard, was the tiny point of either a needle or a in. p “Extraordinary!” he ejaculated, taking it from my hand and examining it care- fully. But crc a few moments had elapsed I felt a strange sensation creeping up- on me; a curious'chilln-css ran down my spine, my tongue seemed swelling until it filled my mouth, and my brain Pied!- aflamc. “God!” I cried, springing to my feet in alarm. “Why, I believe I’m poison- ' edt’ Nonsense!" he laughed. His voice seemed to sound afar off, and his (logs face slowly assume an expression of evil as he sat opposite, intently watch- ing me. A sudden dizziness seized me; a spasm of sharp pain shot through all my limbs from head to too; my senses reel- (1, I could see. nothing distinctly. The man Hickman’s ugly visage seemed slowly to fade in a blurred, blood-red mist. At that same instant my blood was frczen'by terror, for I felt convinced that this abrasion of my tongue had been planned by my companions dev- tlish ingenuity, and that. upon that needle-point had been placed some bane- ful substance, the action of which was apid and certain. I saw it. all, now that it was, alas! too late. \Vlth a wild cry I stretcle forth both hands to steady myself, but, staggering, only clutched the air. Then a strange and utterly unaccount- able thing happened to meâ€"stranger than has ever happened to any other living man. . CHAPTER XVII. I approach this and the following chapters of my secret personal history with feelings of amazement and of «tliankfulness that I should still be al've and able to write down the truth freely and without fear, for the events were certainly most mystifying. In no man's history has there. ever been such a strange, bewildering page as the one I am about to reveal to you. Reader, as I have taken you into my confidence, so also I tell you confidenti- ally that I myself, an ordinary man, would never have believed that in this life of ours such things wcro possible, had I not myself experienced them, and personally endured the frightful. agony of mind which they entailed. But I am writing down in black and white, upon these pages the solid unvarnislied fac‘s, fearless of contradiction, so that the whole of the strange truth shall be known, and that she who is dearest to :n‘.e on earth may be adjudged by the world with fairness and with justice. For that sole reason I have r-esolvod to re- late this romance of real life, otherwise it would evrr remain in that crabbcd - writing in that small portfolio, or secret dossier, as it is called, numbered, i’lock- etcd. and reposing in the archives of the Ministry of the Interior of a certain Eu- ropean Power. Well. I have writth the truth here, so that all who read may judge. Immediately after the slight abrasion I of my tongue, caused by the sex-aich of tin needle so cunnineg concealed in the cigar, I must have lost all consciousness, or that I have no doubt. Th.) ie:=ill._c- tions ! have are only the fainteet «110:, i tarnished blurred ’and indistinct. ilk-'- sl'1adows in l \t’lHJOWS wide. lawn, with a ))ill:1'\:~,i'1.lld"fl hell of installth \Villldl'rw. high trees far,Jeyoiidz'lFrom ‘i'v'liereritZ adreiuu. l rimeml‘uel‘ sliouting'in alarm and fighting fiercely acaimt the drowsi- ness and general debill; y which seemed remarkable and utterly to overcome me, but all was with little or no effect. The last I remember was the ugly face of Hickman glaring evdly into mine. Ills hideous grin seemed to render his dogs face the more repulslVCi and his laugh of triumph sounded in my cars harsh and discordant, showing plainly that the spirit of murder was In his heart. At the same instant that I had made a movement towards him. I seemed to have. received a stunning blow upon L110 lop of the skull. which so dulled my senses that I was powerless to combat the curious godliness that seized me, and sank senseless upon the Ileo r of that shabby room, helpless as a log. The last thought» that surged through my brain was the reflection that I was powerless in the hands of an enemy. My first estimate of this man Hickman had been correct, and I regretted that I did not allow my instinctive caution to overâ€" rule my desire to ‘become on friendly terms with him. He had enticed me to that place with an evil purposeâ€"pos- sibly that I might share the same fate as did that young man on the fateful night at The Boltons. The prick of an ordinary needle upon the tongue would never have created such an electrical effect upon me, there- for-c it was certain that the :point had been smeared with some poweiful drug 11' poison. The ingenuity with which the cigar had been prepared was shown by the fact that a needle placed within would, as the tobacco became moistened by the saliva, gradually work down- ward towards the tongue, while the heat a' the further end of the needle would, of course, render liquid any coating placed upon it. Without doubt I had been the victim of a deeply laid plot, prepared with a cunning that. seemed almost beyond conrpi-ehciisimi. The blank in my mind, caused by my sudden unconsciousness, d'd not appear to me to be of very long duration. All I know is that I was utterly ignorant of every event that transpired about me, and knew nothing whatever of any of the incidents which afterwards took place in that dark, obscure house, or elsewhere. And yet they must have liéen of a character absolutely unheard (J I have said that the tDOl‘IOd of my lrcâ€" nightod senses did not appear to be pro- longed. Indccd, now on reflection in the calmness of the present, I am in- clined to put down the lapse of time during which, in my estimation, I was lost to all knowledge of things about me at two, or perhaps three hours. Of course, It is difiicult to fix time when we awaken after sleeping, except by the degree of light- in the heavens. If it is still dark, it is always difllcult to gauge the hour. So It was with me when, with a. heavy, bruised feeling about the top of my skull, I slowly struggled back to a knowledge of the world. My first thought as I opened my eyes was of I-lickman. My second was a feeling of surprise that. I had been un- conscious so long, for while it was about two o’clock in the morning when my tongue had been prickrd by the concealed needle, and my adversary had dealt me .a crushing blow upon my skull as I had rushed upon him, yet straight before my eyes the sun was shining full upon the carpet, and the particles of dust were dancing in its golden rays. Surely, I thought, I could not have remained unconscious for nearly twelve hour“. The pain in my skull was excruciat- ing. I put. my hand to the wound. and when I withthewil foun! bl<od upon it. I felt a huge bump, but the-arbitasion of the skin was, I discovered. only slight. At first. my brain was confused and puzzled. as though my dulled senses were wrappcl in cotton wool. At a loss to account for the time that had elapsed, I lay upon the carpet just as I was. in vague. ignorant weiiderincnl. My eyes, dazzled by the bright sunlight, pained me, and I closed them. Perhaps I dozed. Of that I am not quite sure. All I know is that. when I opened my eyes again the pain in my head seemed better, and my senses seemed gradually to iecog- nize, appreciate, and perceive. I was lying on my side upon the car- pet, and slowly, with a careful effort in- voluntarily made by the march of iii- tcliect, I gazed around me. The place was unfamiliarâ€"utterly un- familiar; I felt my head, and again glanced at my hand. No. There was sufficient proof that my skull had been injured, and that I was lying alone in ' that room with the. bar of slinliglit slant- ing st night before my eyes. Gradually. and not without consider- able i_litllcultyâ€"for I' was still half-dazed â€"~-I made out. the objects alout inc, and Let-ante aware of my surroundings. My eyes were amazed at every turn. Whereas lIickman"s-. apartment was a dirty, shabby lodginglhciuso sitting-mom of that stereotyped Rigid so well-known to Londoners, thepl‘agifiivlicreiii I found ‘ [myself was a ralliglfitalfge,handsomely ,drawiiig-ijofjnjg, 'jlhe two. king ‘of which opened; iout upori if" was I could see a.wealth of roses. and #0 bandage-owl heat?" I r ~i: :Il‘ti .1 gym. _____d_______,__._â€"â€"â€"â€"-â€"â€"-v across the lawn I'saw the figure of a cally. “I'm perfectly competent to do woman in a white summer blouse. that if you'll kindly oblige me with a lit- The carpet wehereon I was stretched tie warm water, a sponge, and some was soft and rich, the furniture was of clean linen." . ebony, with glltornamentationsrâ€"I think “No, no," he urged. “Wait in pali- Frcnch, of the Empire periodâ€"while once until Britten comes. He’ll be here close to me was a grand piano, and in a moment. I saw him returning upon a chair beside it a woman’s garden home only ten minutes a go.” “But how came. I here?” I demanded. Ho hesitated, regarding me with evi- dent distrust, mingled with cons: lerablc alarm. “Iâ€"I really don't know," he responded lamely. . “That’s all nonsense," I cried, with more ‘force than politeness. “ find myâ€" self herc, in this room, wounded and weak through loss of blood, after hav- ing been half ITIIII’GC‘I‘CU, and then you have the cool impudcnce to deny all knowledge of how I came here. You're a liarâ€"that’s plain. I had grown angry at this lame atâ€" tempt of his to feign ignorance. “You are extrimely complimentary, he answered, coloring slightly. “Well, perhaps you won‘t mind telling me the time. I find that that cunning scoundrel Hickman, not content with trying to poison me with a prepared cl- gar and striking me on the head in that cowardly way, has also robbed me- of my watch and chain." hat. . I looked at that hat critically. It. be- longed to a. young woman, no doubt, for it was big and floppy, of soft yellow straw, with cherries, and had strings to tie beneath the chin. I pictured its own- er as pretty and attractive. About that room there were screens from Cairo, litll-c inlaid cc-ffeodables from Algiers, quaint wood-carvings of the Madonna beneath glas shadcs, fash- ioned by the peasants of Central Russia, Italian statuary, and modem French paintings. The room semed almost a museum of souvenirs of cosmopolitan travel. Whoever was its owner, he evi- dentlykncw the value of bric-a-brac,and had picked up his collection in cities far afield. . The door was closed, and - over it hung a. rich portich of dark-blue plush edged with gold. The sculptured over~ mantel, in white marbzl, was, I quickly detected, a replica of one I had seen and admired in the Bargello, in Florence. One object, however, aroused my won- £101 glanced at his watCh. dcr. It was lying on the floor straight HS half-Dash two." he answered abruptly. “Half-past two! Then it happened more than twelve hours ago," I observ- ed. “I wish Britten would hurry," the ycung man remarked. “I don’t like the look of that wound. Its such a very nasty place.” I “Only a scalp wound," I saidxlightty. “Properly bandaged, it will be all right , in a few days. There’s fortunately no fracture." “‘Well, you’re a pretty mess, at any ra C." “And so would you be," I said, “ifyou had been entrapped as Ive been.” His face seemed bloodless, as though the discivery of my presence there had caused him the utmost alarm. Ilc fidgelod and glanced eagerly now and then towards the door. At last I distinguished advancing footsteps, and there entered an elderly, dapper, white-bearded little man, whose general demeanor and buttoned frock- coat gave him the air of a medical prac- titioner. Ilc held his silk hat in his hand and as he placed it down I noticed that he stcthascope roposed crossâ€"wise in the lining. ' “My dear sir! My dear sir! What’s th’s " he began fussily. “Come, sit down;” and he drew me towards a chair, and seated himself upon the edge of an- other close to me “My head has been injured. Examine [Or yourself." “All!” he excla.imed,.first regard'ng me fixedly, and then rising and examining Ill) head. “A nasty scalp-wound, I see.’ He felt it carefully with his fingers, caus- ing me a sharp twinge of pain. “No fractu '3, no fracture. Tha is fortunate-â€" vcry fortunate. ' Its not serious at. all. I‘m glad to tell youâ€"nothing serious. How did it. occur?” _ “I was struck. that's all I remember, I answered, turning to him and looking into his face. “With something sliaerpointcd, evi- dentlyf’ and he look-ed extremely puz- zled. “I don't know what it was.” “From what I can feel, I think you must have had a previous blow upon the same spot at some time or another. Do you rem-ember it?" “Not at all," I answered. “I once re- ceived a blow on the head by the kick of a horse. but it was at the side." “Ali, perl‘iaps this was a blow in in- fancy, and you dont recollect it." Then, as he exchanged a strange look with the young man who stood eager and anxious at his side, his quick eyes suddenly fell upon the broken arm of the statue “Why, what’s this?" he cried, a sud~ den light apparently dawning upon him. “Look l’i-cre, there's blood and hair upon this marble finger. Youve evidently struck your head against it in pas-sing, and so viofcntly as to break the marble. See!” looked. and there, sure enough, upon the outstretched index-finger of the marble hand was a trace of blood, to which two or three hairs still clung. “We‘ve solved the mystery!” he cried. “i. must dress your wound, and then, my dear sir, you must restâ€"rest. It will do your head good, you know.” “But I was struck down last night by a man named Hickman in his rooms in Chelsea. l-Ic attempted to murder me.’ “Yes, yes,” he said, as though inten- tii'nally humoring me. “We’ve heard a". about that. But come with me up- stairs and let me dress your wound at once. Gill." he added, turning to the servant, “get me some lukc-warin water at once." Then he took my arm and led me u‘ - stairs to a well-fitted dressing-room. where he fussily washed and bandaged my head, while I sat silent, dazed. and wondering. ' before me, an object in white marble, the sculptured arm of a woman with the index finger outstretched. The limb was of life-size proportions, and had apparently been broken off at the elbow. l staggered unevenly to my feet, in order to further pursue my investiga- tions, and then I saw, upon a pedestal close to me, the. marble figure of a Phrync with its arm broken. In the centre of that handsome apart- ment I stood and gazed wondringly around. My transition from that b'zari-e sitting-room in Chelsea to this house, evidently in the country, had been ef- frctcd in a, manner beyond comprehen- sion. My surpris'ng surroundings caused my weakened brain to reel again. I was without hat or overcoat, and as I glanced at my trousers they somehow did not seem to be the same that I had teen wearing on the previous night. Instinctivcly I felt that only by some extraordinary and mysterious means could I have been conveyed from that close-smelling lodging in Chelsea to this country mansion. The problem upper- most in my mind was the identity of the place where'! had thus found myself In recovering my senses, and how I got there. My eyes fell upon the push of an elec- tric bcll. My position, lying there iii- jured upon the carpet, demandrd ex- planation. and without further hesita- tion I walkcd across and pressch the ivory button. , I heard no sound. The bell must.‘ we rung far away, and this gave me the idea that the house was a large one. Intently I listened, and a few minutes later heard a footstep. The deer opened, and an elderly man-servant, with grey whiskers, appeared in the entry ask- ingâ€" > “Did you ring, sir?" “Yes,” I answered. “Will you kindly inform me where I am?” He regarded me with a strange, puz- zied expression, and then, in alarm, he rushed forward to me, cryingâ€" “Wliy, sir! You’ve hurt your head! Look! You’re covered with blood!” Ilis grey face was pale, and for an instant he stood regarding me open- mouthed. “Can't you answer my question?" I de- manded hastily. “I know that We inâ€" juied my head. I didn’t call you in or- der to learn that. I want to know where I am." The man‘s countenance slowly assum- ed a terrified expression as heregarded me, and then, without further word, he flew from the room as fast as his legs could carry him. I heard him shouting like a lunatic in some other part of the house, and stood utterly dumbfounded at his extraordinary behaviour. He had escaped from my presence as though he had seen an apparition. A ftl\V minutes later, however, he re- turned, llCC‘OllllHlIllCd by a dark-haired. well-dresscd man of about thirty, tall, rather good-looking, and apparently a gentleman. The instant the latter saw me be rushed forward, crying, in a voice cf distressâ€"â€" “Oh, my dear sir, whatever has hap- pened ” ' “My lira-d,” I explained. “It was that uglyâ€"faced szcoundrel Hickman. Where is he?" ‘ “Hickman?” echoed “I-Ilckiuan'.’ Whos he?" “Oh. it’s all very well for you to pre- tend to know nothing about it,” I cried angrily. "IBul. I tell you that as soon as I‘m able l’l! apply for a warrant for his arrest on a charge. of attcn'i'ptcii murder. Last night he tried to kill me." “I d'in'l. iuid-crstai'id you,” the stran- ger resp'uidtid. “I dent, of course, exprct you to admit any complicity in the affair." I snapped. “You'd be a. fool if you did. All I tell you is that an attempt has been made upon my life by a man to whom I was introduced as Ilickmim." “Not in this room?" I hesitated. “No. not in this ronn.” I admitted. “It was in a house at. Chelsea.” The young man exchanged meaning glance: with the iiiai'iservant. “At Chelsea!" repeated the stranger. “In London?" “In London." “Well, that’s very curious.” he re- Tlien, turning to the servant, the new-comer. (To be Continued.) {4 . \VORT‘II KNOW’ IN G. favor and one that I will gladly repay. Bankrupt (s-ad!y)-â€"“I‘.‘ I am afraid you have. made a mistake. I am of no use to anybody. I have just failed for half a million, with no assets." “So I heard." “You. 'know it. and yet you say I can be of service to you?” “Yrs. sir. I beg you will not refuse.‘1 marked. saidâ€" . » “(.lili. go and fetch Doctor li'itten at once. Say nothing of this Iii) any one in the house.” “\rvs. liki- me do f-..-r aiiyi no?" _ . “I want you to tell me, sir, how you sir." answered ihe servant. \\'I1) if“! so murh modil?" ._.._._»}< Don't. ask for a stone and expect to get L-read. -. “l supp so you‘ve .‘Lll' f r the doctor" n.’ Strangerâ€"“Beg pardon, sir. but you have it. ill your power to do me a great "But wliriil can a iii'SizriibYc bankrupt ADVANTAGES OF HAND SEPARATOR. Pl'O‘f.‘ III. M. Bainer of the Colorado Ag-‘icultural College in discussing the advantages of the hand, cream separa- tor say-s: Authorities on the subject of farm dairying will agree that any, farmer who milks five cows or more and is either selling the cream (inmate trig butter of it, needs a centrifugal hand cream separator to secure the. best profits. . The hand cream separator working under favorable ceiidilions, does- not leave more than oneutw-cntl-eth of a. pound of butter fat in 100 pounds of skimmed milk. The gravity systems and dilution separator methods of se- curing the butter fat will leave under favoiabl-c conditions, from oneâ€"half to thi‘owjual‘tors of a pound of butter fat in 160 younds of milk. Ac_ordlng to these figures, a farmer who uses a hand separator, and .inilks ten cons, which produce doom-pounds of milk a year, would lose in the skiin- mitk but 30 pounds of butter fat a‘year on the total amount of milk. By the other methods he would lose from 200 to 450 pounds a year. Figuring butt-er [at at. 2/.) cents a pound there would be an annual loss of room $34 to be- then the hand separator and the other methods. Advalnta gcs of the Separatorâ€"«Not only does the machine secure praictzcally all the butter fat, but it delivers the skiin- inilk in a sweet, warm and undiluted condition ready to be fed to the calves. Very few dairy utensils are needed, as the milk is separated as soon as itcomcs from the. cow, and the skiin~milk is fed at once. ' Less work is required to handle the milk in this manner than with the other methods. - The cream delivered from the saparar lor is of uniform richness: it has had al'. the fibrous and foreign matter be- inoved-. The milk has not absorbed bad fiavms and odors from standing around and the cream .is in excellent condition for ripening. Thus there is- a gain in the quality and quantity of butter obtained. Not only the citrntrifugal separator of advantage in the production of fine butter, but it is equally advantageous in the purification of milk and cream for direct human consumption. Dairies improve the quality of their milk very much by iun-niiig it through the! scpar~ titer and then mixing the milk and cream tic-fire bottling. The ave ‘age farmer cannot afford. to hand the whole milk to the creaine'ry, even if he is with’n hauling distance and the roads are goad. The 'siklinanilk often comes back in a cold, half-sour and Confzaininatod. condition, which .is unfit for fiedl‘ng purposes. Even if it does Come back in good condition, it is im- possible to feed it regularly, and it is far from being equal to hand separator milk. Too much time .is required to haul it. to the crcaniery compared to the length of time required to separate it at home by hand. The hand separator cream, by careful handling. need not be hauled to the cream-cry oftc'ner than every o-tliir day during the sui'miier and perhaps not oftcner than once in three days during the winter months. The average separator of standard or reliable. make should last, with good care, for twelve or fifteen years, with very few repairs. DOES DAIRYIXG PAY? I was talking with a man just a few days ago, \V-Ibi- lives only a. few miles from me. writes R. B. Rushing; W0 were talking on the subject of dairyin g, - and he. asked me the question, “does daii-ying pay?’ In making this man a reply, knowmg that he was a. man that had always followed the .method- of his father of raising corn, wheat aiidioats to sell, and also knowing that he had almost. exhausted the supply of plant food in his sell, I thought it best to rather show him instead of telling him, yes. Of course, that would have an- swered his‘ question inUch easier, but perhaps he would not. have iealized the fact as well. I called his attention to his joining neighbor farmer who is.- making the business of dairy.ng an occupation. 1 said to him. “Your neighbir just moved to that form eight years ago. and to my knowledge it was just as! badly run down as your farm This fact, of. course, you personally know, and at that time he was a man of limited means. You know, when he first moved on that form, you and several others ra~ ther thought he would make a failure, but instead of making a failure he has made a grand success, and he has just followed. dalryii‘ig all that time; his fields: are yielding good paying crops of whatever -he puts on them, and: it is joining yours, and only just a few years ago was just as poor as yours. Why has this difference taken place? Just be cause he has follow-ed a paying business. Irstcad of raising crops that are exhaus- tive to the soil, and selling them off the farm, he has raised these crops that would improve the fertility of his soil and at the same time. make g :d dairy feed, and fading the crops to his cows and ntizirning all the manure back to th~: 5-H, and also instead of selling any foul he has bought a large amount of vi ry rich {red for his cows and also re- tin-2m! lh-e llltl’l’llI-i'i‘ from that to his soil mo in .lii.»i way he has co: 5 an! y built up his so! instill! of exhausting it." lie has sold an all c'e that \\",lltI‘.[ not the much fertility from th* sail. A tor. i-f butler 'wfll not tilkt’l»-llllli'tl .if any hour. trtflity from the: soil than 100 pounls of hay or straw. ... 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