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The Exploits of Elaine A Detective Novel and a Motion Picture Dramt * | By ARTHUR B. REEVE II The Wtll-Known Novelist and th« II Creator of the "Craig Kennedy" Stories R Preseeted hi Collaboration With the Patbe Players and the Eclectic Film Ownpany ••MM •»»• + »»»•»»»•»•••• •»»eeeeeeeeee»»»0»»»»<f •»»»»»< Copyright, 1914, by th« Star Owpwj. All Foreign Blfhta ltewrred SYNOPSIS. The Nev* York police are mystified by a series of murder* of prominent men. The principal clue to the murderer is the warn­ ing- letter which is sent the victims, signed with a "clutching hand." The latest vic­ tim of the mysterious assassin is Taylor Dods:c, the insurance president. Ilis daughter, Elaine, employs Craig Kennedy, the famous scientific detective, to try to unravel tlie mystery. What Kennedy ac­ complishes is told by his friend, Jameson, a newspaper man. THIRD EPISODE The Vanishing Jewels. Banging away at my typewriter the next day, in Kennedy's laboratory, I was startled by the sudden, insistent ringing of the telephone near me. "Hello," I answered, for Craig Was at work at his table, trying still to ex­ tract some clue from the slender evi­ dence thus far elicited in the Dodge mystery. "Oh, Mr. Kennedy," I heard an ex­ cited voice over the wire reply, "my friend, Susie Martin, is here. Her fa­ ther has just received a message from that Clutching Hand and--" "Just a moment, Miss Dodge," I in­ terrupted. "This is Mr. Jameson." "Oh!" came back the voice, breath­ less and disappointed. *"Let me have Mr. Kennedy--quick." I had already passed the telephone to Craig and was watching him keen­ ly as he listened over it He motioned to me for a pad and pencil that lay near me. - "Please read the letter again, slow­ er, Miss Dodge," he asked, adding, "there isn't time for me to see it-- Just yet. But I want it exactly. Yoa say it is made up of separate words and type cut from newspapers and pasted on note paper?" I handed him paper and pencil. "All right, now, Miss Dodge, go ahead." ^ As he wrote he indicated to me by his eyes that he wanted me to read. I did so: - - Bturtevant Martin, Jeweler, No. 739H Fifth A"*e«nie, Jteet Yoflfc City. Sir--As you ba«« failed to deliver the HO,000, I shall rob your main diamond •ase at exactly noan today. "Thank you, Miss Dodge," continued Kennedy, laying down the pencil. "*Yes, I understand perfectly--signed by that aatne Clutching Hand. Let me see," he pondered, looking at his watch. "It is now half-past eleven. Very well. I shall meet you and Miss A Remarkable Scene Greeted Us. Martin at Mr. Martin's store directly." It lacked five minutes of noon when , Kennedy and 1 dashed up before Mar­ tin's and dismissed our taxicab. • remarkable scene greeted us as we entered the famous jewelry shop. Involuntarily I drew back. Squarely In front of us a man had suddenly raised a revolver and leveled it at us. "Don't!" cried a familiar voice. "That is Mr. Kennedy!" Just then, from a little knot of peo­ ple, Elaine Dodge sprang forward with a cry and seized the gun. Kennedy turned to her, apparently not half so much concerned about the automatic that yarned at him as about the anxiety of the pretty girl who had intervened. The too eager plain-clothes man lowered the gun Bheepishly. Sturtevant Martin was a typical so­ ciety business man, quietly but richly dressed. In the excitement I glanced about hurriedly. ^ Directly in front of me was a sign tacked up on a pillar, which read: "This store will be closed at noon to­ day. Martin & Co." All the customers were gone. Martin himself was evidently very nervous and very much alarmed. la* deed, no one could blame him for that. Merely to have been singled out by this amazing master criminal was enough to cause panic. Already he had engaged detectives, prepared for whatever might happen, and they had advised him to leave the diamonds in the counter, clear the store and let the crooks try anything, if they dared. Just back of us, and around the cor­ ner, as we came in, we had noticed a limousine which had driven up. Three faultlessly attired dandies had entered a doorway down the street, as we learned afterward, apparently going to a fashionable tailor's which occupied the second floor of the old-fashioned building, the' first floor having been renovated and made ready for renting. Had we been there a moment sooner we might have seen, I suppose, that one of them nodded to a taxicab driv­ er, who was standing at a public hack stand a few feet up the block. The driver nodded unostentatiously back at the man. In spite of the excitement, Kennedy quietly examined the showcase, which was, indeed, a veritable treasure store of brilliants. Slowly the hands of the clock came nearer together at noon. ^ We all gathered about the showcase, with its glittering hoard of wealth, forming a circle at a respectable dis­ tance. In deep-lunged tones the clock played the chords written, I believe, by Handel. Then it began striking. Nothing had happened. We all breathed a sigh of relief. "Well, it is still there!" exclaimed Martin, pointing at the showcase with a forced laugh. Suddenly came a rending and crash­ ing^ sound. It seemed as if the very floor on which we stood was giving way. The showcase, with all its priceless contents, went smashing into the cel­ lar below. The flooring beneath the case had been cut through! All crowded forward, gazing at the black, yawning cavern. Down below, three men, covered with smocks and,: their faces hidden by masks, had knocked the props away from the ceiling of the cellar, which they had sawed almost through at their leisure, and the showcase had landed eight or ten feet below, shiv­ ered into a thousand bits. , A volley of shots whizzed past lis, and another. While one crook was hastily stuffing the untold wealth of jewels into a burlap bag the others had drawn revolvers and were firing up through the hole In the floor des­ perately. "Look out!" cried someone behind us before we coatd recover fr«im our first surprise and return the fire. One of the desperadoes had taken a bomb from under his smock, lighted it and thrown it up'through the hole in the floor. It sailed np over our heads and land­ ed near Our little group, on the floor, the fuse sputtering ominously. I heard an exclamation of fear from Elaine. Kennedy had pushed his way past us and picked up the deadly infernal machine in his bare hands. I watched him, fascinated. As near as he dared, he approached the hole in the floor," still holding the thing off at arm's length. Would he never throw it? He was coolly holding It, allowing the fuse to burn down closer to the explosion point. It was now within less than an inch of sure death. Suddenly he raised It and hurled the deadly thing down through the hole. We could hear tlio of the crooks as it struck the cellar floor, near them. "Leave the store--quick!" rang out Kennedy's voice. Down below the crooks were beat­ ing a hasty retreat through a secret entrance which they had effected. "The bag! The bag!" we could hear one of them bellow. "The bomb--run!" cried another voice gruffly. 1 The explosion that followed lifted us fairly ofT our feet. As the smoke from the explosion cleared away, Kennedy could b^ seen, the first to run forward. Meanwhile Martin's detectives had rushed down a flight of back stairs that led into.a coal cellar. With coal shovels and bars, anything they could lay hands on, they attacked the door that opened forward from the coal cel­ lar Into the front basement where the robbers had been. A moment Kennedy and Bennett paused on the brink of the abyss which the bomb had made, waiting for the sqioke to decrease. Then they began to climb down cautiously over the plled-up wreckage. The explosion had set the basement afire, but the flre had not gained much headway by the time they reached the basement. Quickly Kennedy ran to the door into the coal cellar and opened it the other side Martin, fol­ lowed by the polio* and the detec­ tives, burst in. "Fire!" cried one of the policemen, leaping back to turn in an alarm from the special apparatus upstairs. All except Martin began beating out the flames, using such weapons as they already held in their hands to batter down the doori 1 To Martin there was on* thing para* mount--the jewels. In the midst of the confusion, Elaine, closely followed by her friend, Susie, made her way fearlessly into the stifle of smoke down the stairs. "There are your Jewels, Mr. Martin," cried Kennedy, kicking the precious burlap bag with his foot as if it had been so much ordinary merchandise, and turning toward what was In his mind the most important thing at stake--the direction taken by the agents of the Clutching Hand. "Thank heaven!" ejaculated Martin, fairly pouncing on the bag and tearing It open. "They didn't get away with them--after all!" he exclaimed, exam­ ining the contents with satisfaction. * • • • • • Events were moving rapidly. The limousine had been standing in­ nocently enough at the curb near the corner, with the taxicab close be­ hind it Less than ten minutes after they had entered, three well-dressed -men came out of the vacant shop, appar­ ently from the tailor's above, and climbed leisurely into their car. As the last one entered, he half turned to the taxicab driver, hiding from passers-by the sign of the Clutch­ ing Hand, which the taxicab driver re­ turned in the same maimer. Then the big car whirled up the avenue. A11 this we learned later from a street sweeper who was at work near by. Down below, while thp police and detectives were putting out the flre, Kennedy was examining the wall of the cellar, looking for the spot where the crooks had Escaped. "A secret door!" he exclaimed, as he paused after tapping along the wall to determine its character. "Yon can see how the force of the explosion has loosened it." Sure enough, when he pointed It out to us, it was plainly visible. One of the detectives picked up a crowbar and others, still with the hastily selected Implements they had seized to flght the flre, started In to pry it open. As it yielded Kennedy rushed his way through; Elaine, always utterly fearless, followed. Then the rest of us went through. There seemed to be nothing, how­ ever, that would help us in the cellar next door, and Kennedy mounted the steps of a stairway In the rear. The stairway led to a sort of store­ room, full of .barrels and boxes, but otherwise characterless. When I ar­ rived Kennedy was gingerly holding up the smocks which the crooks worn. "We're on the right trail," comment­ ed Elaine as he showed them to her, "but where do you suppose the own­ ers are?" Craig shrugged his shoulders and gave a quick look about. "Evidently they came in from and went away by the street," he observnd, hurrying to the door, followed by Elaine. On the sidewalk he gazed up the avenue, then catching sight of the street cleaner, called to him. "Yes, sor," replied the man, stolidly, looking up from his work. "I see three gintlemen come out and get into an automobile." "Which way did they go?" asked Kennedy. For answer the man Jerked his thumb over his shoulder In the general direction uptown. With keen glance, Kennedy strained his eyes. Far up the avenue he could descry the car threading its way in and out among the others, just about disappearing. A moment later- Craig caught sight of the vacant taxicab and ^rooked his finger at the driver, who answered promptly by cranking his engine. "You say? that limousine standing hqre?" asked Craig. "Yes," nodded the chauffeur, with a show of alertness. "Well, follow it," ordered Kennedy,* jumping Into the cab. "Yes, sir." Craig was just about to close the dopr wh^n n slight figure finr--C!' us and a dainty foot was placed on the step. "Please, Mr. Kennedy," pleaded Elaine, "let me go. They may lead to my father's slayer." She said it so earnestly that Craig could scarcely have resisted if he had wanted to do so. Just as Elaine and Kennedy were moving ofT I came out of the vacant store, with Bennett and the detectives. "Craig!" I cried. "Where are you going?" Kennedy stuck his head out of the window, and I am quite sure that he was not altogether displeased that I was not with him. "Chasing that limousine," he shout­ ed back. "Follow us in another car." A moment later he and Elaine were gone? Bennett andi I looked about. "There are a couple of cabs--down there." I pointed out at the other end of the block. "I'll take one, you take the other." Who, besides Bennett, went in the Other car I don't know, but it made no difference, for we soon lost them. Our driver, however, was a really clever fellow. Far ahead now we could see the limousine drive around a corner, making a dangerous swerve. Ken­ nedy's cab followed, skidding danger­ ously near a pole. But the taxicab was no match for the powerful limousine. On uptown they went, the only thing preventing the limousine from escaping being the fear of pursuit by traffic police if the driver let out speed. They were con­ tent to manage to keep Just far enough ahead to be out of danger of having Kennedy overhaul them. As for us, we followed, as best we could, on up­ town, past the city line, and out into the country. There Kennedy lost sight alto­ gether of the car he was trailing.. Worse than that, we lost sight of Kennedy. Still we kept on blindly, trusting to luck and common sense In picking the road. I was peering ahead over the driver's shoulder, the window down, trying to direct him, when we ap­ proached a fork in the road. Here was a dilemma which must be decided at once, rightly or wrongly. As we neared the crossroad I gate an involuntary exclamation. Beside the road, almost on it, lay the figure of a man. Our driver pulled up with a jerk and I was out of the car in an in­ stant There lay Kennedy I Someone had blackjacked him. He was groaning and just beginning to show signs of consciousness as I bent over. "What's the matter, old man?" I asked, helping him to his feet. He looked about dazed a moment, then seeing me and comprehending, he pointed excitedly, but vaguely. "Elaine!" he cried. "They've kid­ naped Elaine!"' • • • • • • . What had really happened, as we learned later from Elaine and others, was^that when the crossroads was reached the three crooks in the limou­ sine had stopped long enough to speak to an accomplice stationed there, ac­ cording to their plan for a getaway. He was a tough-looking individual who might have been hoboing it to the city. When, a, few minutes later, Ken­ nedy and Elaine had approached the fork, their driver had slowed up, as If Elaine, equal to anything, did su, and Craig bent down and cranked the en­ gine. it started on the first spin. "See;" he exclaimed. "There wasn't anything, after all." He took a step toward the taxicab. "Mr. Kennedy---look ou$i"< cried Blaine. Craig turned. But it was too late. The rough-looking fellow had awak­ ened to life. Suddenly he stepped up behind Kennedy with a blackjack. As the heavy weight' descended Craig crumpled up on the ground uncon­ scious. With a scream, Blaine turned and started to run. But the chauffeur seized her arm. * "Say, bo," he asked of the rough -fel­ low, "what does Clutching Hand want with, her? Quick! There's another cab likely to be along in a moment with that fellow Jameson in it." The rough fellow, with an oq,th, seized her and dragged her into the taxicab. "Go ahead!" he growled, in­ dicating the road. And away they sped, leaving Ken nedy unconscious on the side of the road, where we found him. « • • * • * • "What are we to do?" I asked help­ lessly of Kennedy, when we had at last got him on his feet. His head still ringing from the force of the blow of the blackjack, Craig stooped down, then knelt in the dust of the road, then ran ahead a bit, where it was somewhat muddy.. "Which way;--which way?" he mut­ tered to himself. I thought perhaps the blow had af­ fected him and leaned over to see what he was doing. Instead, he was studying the marks made by the tire of the Clutching Hand cab. •More slowly now and carefully, we proceeded, for a mistake meant losing the trail of Elaine. We came to another crossroads and the driver glanced at Craig. „"Stop!" he ordered. In another instant he was down in *;V - "J*"# Kennedy Quietly Examined the Showcase. in doubt which way to go. Craig had stuck his head out of the window, as I had done, and, seeing the crossroads, had told the chauffeur to stop. There stood the hobo. 'Did a car pass here. Just now--a big car?" called Craig. The man put his hand to his ear, as if only half comprehending. "Which way did ther big car go?" re­ peated Kennedy. The hobo approached the taxicab sullenly, as if he had a grudge against cars in general. One question after another elicited little that could be construed as intel­ ligence. If Craig had only bqen able to see, he would have found out that, with his back toward the taxicab driver, the hobo held one hand behind him and made the sign of the Clutch­ ing Hand, glancing surreptitiously at the driver to catch the answering sign, while Craig gazed earnestly up the two roads. At last Craig gave him up as hope­ less. "Well--go ahead--that way," he indicated, picking the most likely road. As the chauffeur was about to start he stalled his engine. "Hurry!" urged Craig, exasperated at the delays. The driver got out and trird to crank the engine. Again and again he turned it over, but somehow it refused to start. Then he lifted the hood and be­ gan to tinker. "What's the matter?" asked Craig, impatiently jumping out and bending over the engine, too. The driver shrugged his r.houlders. "Must be something wrong with the ignition, I guess," he replied. Kennedy looked the car over hastily. "I can't see anything wrong," he frowned. "Well, there is," growled the driver. Precious minutes were speeding away as they argued. Finally with his characteristic energy, Kennedy put the taxicab driver aside. "Let me try it," he said. "Miss Dodge, will you arrange that spark and throttle?" u,: '<&/'•. POMP OF WAR FORGOTTEN Invisibility In the Field la the Object •f the Commanders of the -|C ' ; • Present Day. ' • • • '1w greenish-gray uniform of the German soldier whieh makes the kaiser's troops almost invisible, whether In woods, fields or roads, is similar to the color worn by ;y,-« very •. the Confederate war. At first t soldier in the Civil ' V B»rms were a bluish-gray--a color sow ••••••'bur... . known as cadet gray. However, the fortunes of war soon placed such cloth at a premium in the Southern States. yoiforms in many cases were made at home. They were col­ ored with a homemade dye obtained from butternuts. The butternut gray was a neutral gray with a greenish tinge. It defied detection at great dis­ tance. There are many alive today who can testify to the ease with which .Johnnie Reb disappeared from the landscape or dissolved Into it. The butternut color soon became rf-i './•taliv-.* popular with the Southern com­ manders, who realized its advantages in aiding concealment.. In the latter part of the war almost all of the manufactured uniforms were dyed with butternuts. In the last few years military lead­ ers all over the world have given more thought to color selection than ever before. The adoption of khaki uniforms, about the time of the South African war, was the first Important step toward protective coloration. A uniform that tends to conceal the movements of troops ranks next to smokeless powder in military strategy. Even the guns of the artillery, the gun carriages and the supply wagons of today are coated with gray. The war chiefs are closely following na­ ture in her deception by means of protective coloration. "The glint of the sunlight on the enemy's guns" is fast becoming an obsolete war tenn.--- Washington Times. si -iM. '-•» " ; Handsome women are not always the most amiable. *•' ' ' ' - . "'• J'* V V '• -• .J the dirt, examining the road for marks. "That way!" he indicated, leaping back to the running board. We piled back into the car and pro­ ceeded under Kennedy's direction, as fast as he would permit. So it con­ tinued, perhaps for a couple of hours. At last Kennedy stopped - the cab and slowly directed the driver to veer into an open space that looked partic­ ularly lonesome. Near it stood a one- story brick factory building, closed, but not abandoned. As I looked about at the unattrac­ tive scene, Kennedy already was down on his knees in the dirt again, study­ ing the tire tracks. They were all confuscd, showing that the taxicab we were following had evidently backed In and turned several times before going on. "Crossed by another set of tire tracks!" he exclaimed excitedly, studying closer. "That must have been the limousine, waiting." Laboriously he was following the course of the cars in the open space, when one word escaped him. "Foot­ prints!" He was up and off in a moment, be­ fore we could imagine what he was after. We had got out of the cab, and followed him as, down to th9 very shore of a sort of cove or bay, he went. There lay a rusty, discard­ ed boiler on the bfeach, half sub­ merged in the rising tide. At this tank the footprints seemed to go right down the sand and into the waves, which were slowly obliterating them. Kennedy gazed out as if to make out a possible boat on the hori­ zon where the cove widened out "Look!" I cried. Further down the shore, few feet, I had discovered the same prints, go­ ing in the opposite direction, back to­ ward the place from which he had just come. I started to follow them: but soon found myself alone. Ken­ nedy had paused beside the old boiler. "What is It?" I asked, retracing my steps. He did not answer, but seemed to be Belgian Mirrors. It will soon cost vus more to "see ourselves as others see us," and In a few months plated glass will be unob­ tainable. This was one of the things that Belgium made for us, at Liege, Namur and Charlerol. But the factor­ ies have been smashed by the Ger­ mans, and no more giass will be made and plated there for a long time to come. For its manufacture it needs a huge plant, acres of land, and a fine sand which is found only In Bel­ gium and certain parts of France, so " •. ~ ". , :v.i listening. We listened also. There certainly was a most peculiar noise Inside that tank./ Was it a muffled scream? Kennedy reiached down and picked up a rock, hitting the tank with a re­ sounding blow. As the echo died down, he listened again. Yes, there was a sound--a scream, perhaps--a woman's voice, taint, but unmistakable. I looked at hid face inquiringly. Without a word I read in it the con­ firmation of the thought that had flashed into my mind. Elaine Dodge was inside! * * • .• « • e First had come the limousine, with Its three bandits, to the spot fixed on as a rendezvous. Later had come the taxicab. As it hove into sight, the three well-dressed crooks had drawn revolvers, thinking perhaps the plan for getting rid of Kennedy might pos­ sibly have miscarried. But the taxi- cab driver and the rough-faced fellow had reassured them with the sign of the Clutching Hand, and the revolvers were lowered. As they parleyed hastily, the roughneck and the fake chauffeur lifted Elaine out of the taxi. She was bound and gagged.^ • "Well, now we've got herj what shall we do with her?" asked one. "it's got to be quick. There's an­ other cab," put in the driver. "The deuce with that" "The deuce with nothing," he re­ turned. "That fellow Kennedy's a clever one. He may come to. If he does, he won't miss us. Quick, now!" "See," cried the third. "See that old boiler down there'at the edge of the water? Why not put her in there? No onell ever think to look in such a place." With a hasty expression of approval, the roughneck picked Elaine up bodily, still struggling vainly, and togethef they carried her, bound and gagged, to the tank. The opening, which was toward the water, was small, but they managed, roughly, to thrust her in. A moment later and they had rolled up a huge bowlder against the small entrance, bracing it so that It would be impossible for her to get out from the inside. Then they drove off hast­ ily. Frantically Elaine managed to loosen the gag. She screamed. Her voice seemed to be bound around by the Iron walls as she was herself. She shuddered. The water was rising- had reached her chest, and was still rising, slowly, inexorably. What was- that? Silence? Or was someone outside? Coolly, 'In spite 6f the emergency, Kennedy took in the perilous situa­ tion. The lower end of the boiler, which was on a slant on the rapidly shelving beach, was now completely under wa­ ter and impossible to get at Besides, the opening was small, too small. Kennedy gazed about - frantically and his eye caught the sign on the factory: OXYACETYUSNE WEIJJING CO* : ,....• "Come, Walter," he cried, running up the «hore. A moment later, breathless, we reached the doorway. It was, of course, locked. Kennedy whipped out his revolver and several well-directed shots through the keyhole smashed the lock. We put our shoulders to It and swung the door open, entering the factory. Beside a work bench stood two long cylinders, studded with bolts. That's what I'm looking for," ex­ claimed Craig. "Here, Walter, take one. I'll take .the other--and the tubes--and--" We ran, for there was no time to lose. As nearly as I could estimate it, the water must now be slowly closing over Elaine. "What is it?" I asked, as he Joined up die tubes from the tanks to the peculiar hooklike apparatus he car­ ried. J'An oxyacetylene blowpipe," he mut­ tered back feverishly. "Used for weld­ ing and cutting, too," he added. With a light he touched the nozzle, instantly a hissing, blinding flame- needle made the steel under it incan­ descent. The terrific heat from one nozzle made the steel glow. The stream of oxygen from the Becond completely consumed the hot metal. Kennedy was actually cutting out a huge hole in the still exposed surface of the tank--all around, except for a few inches, to prevent the heavy piece from falling inward. As Kennedy carefully bent outward the section of the tank which he had cut, he quickly reached down and lifted Elaine, unconscious, out of the water. Gently he laid her on the sand. It was the work of only a moment to cut the cords that bound her hands. There she lay, pale and still. Was she dead? Kennedy worked frantically to re­ vive her. At last, slowly, the color seemed to return to her pale lips. Her eyelids fluttered. Then her great, deep eyes opened. As she looked up and caught sight of Craig bending anxiously over her, she seemed to comprehend. For a mo­ ment both were silent Then Elaine reached up and took his hand. "Craig," she whispered, you've saved my life!" Her tone was eloquent. "Elaine," he whispered, still gazing down into her wonderful eyes, "the Clutching Hand shall pay for this! II is a flght to a finish beiweer us!** (TO BE CONTINUED.) this is an industry we shall not be able to Anglicise hi * momemt-- London Chronicle. Important Function. "That man doesn't seem to do mudk but stand around and look Important," said the manager. "Ye«:" said tne proprietor. "He"# naturally gifted that way. All the rest of us are hustling in such a hurly- burly fashion that I think it is well' to keep him around to give a toooh of ease and dignity to the soene." WOMEN FROM 45 to 55 TESTIFY V. To the Merit of LydiaELPink- r ham's Vegetable Com. .-V-;, Life. Westbrook, Me.-«i ^ passi through the Change of Life and had pains in my back and side and was so weak I could hardly do my housework. I have taken Lydia E. Pinkham's Vege­ table Compound and it hus done me a lot of good. I will re­ commend your med­ icine/to my friends and give you permis­ sion to publish my testimonial. '* -- Mrs. LAWRENCE MAR- TIN, 12 King St., Westbrook, Maine. Manston, Wis.-- "At the Change of Life I suffered with pains in my back and loins until I could not stand. I also had night-sweats so that the sheets. would be wet I tried other medicine but got no relief. After taking one bot­ tle of Lydia. E. Pinkham'5 Vegetable Compound I began to improve and I continued its use for six months. The pains left me, the night-sweats and hot flashes grew less, and in one year I was a different woman. I know I have to thank you for my continued good health ever since." -- Mrs. M. J. BROWNELL» Manston, Wis. The success of Lydia E. Pinkham's Vegetable Compound, made from roots and herbs, is unparalleled in such cases. If you want special advice write to Lydia E. Pinkham Medicine Co. (confi­ dential) Lynn, Mass. Tour letter will be opened, read and answered bj a woman, and held in strict confidence PARKER'S HAIR BALSAM ^ toilet preparation of merits Helps to ei ad irate dandruff. For Restoring Color and Beauty to Gray or Faded Hair. 60c. and $1.00 at Druggists. TROUBLES OF EARLY POET His Brainwork Lost, What Was There to Do But Proceed to Inven­ tion of Paper? "My dear," skid the Cave Man Poet, appearing in the doorway of their dwelling, chisel and mallet in hand. "Did you see that page of my poem on 'Spring' I was cutting for the Yearly Neolith yesterday? I can't find it anywhere in the quarry." His wife nodded. "Yes," she replied querulously, "and I don't care--you ought t.Q he out hunt­ ing grub with the rest of the men. I bounced it off that old perydactyl's bean yesterday, when he was snoop­ ing around here trying to get a couple of the children." "And did it--?" "Yes, it tore in two and plopped Into the lake." Whereupon the Cave Man threw up both hands in despair, and proceeded to invent paper. Knew What He'd Do. A British officer inspecting sentries guarding the line in Flanders cair across a raw-looking yeoman. "What are you here for?" he asked. "To report anything unusual, sir." "What wQuld you call unusual?" "I dunno exactly, sir." "What would you do if you saw five battleships steaming across that field yonder?" "Sign the pledge, sir."--Boston Eye- ning Transcript. Willing to Please. "Now, you, as superintendent of a school, object to this saloon and dance hall?" "I do." "And why do you object?" "On account of the establishment's proximity." "Well, if they a&ree to cut that out every night at eleven o'clock, will that satisfy you?" SOME HARD KNOCKS Woman Gets Rid of "Coffee Habit." The injurious action, of coffee, on the hearts of many persons is well known by physicians to be caused by caffeine. This is the drug found by chemists In coffee and tea. A woman suffered a long time with severe heart trouble and finally her doctor told her she must give up cof­ fee, bs that was the principal cause of the trouble. She writes: "My heart was so weak it could not do its work properly. My husband would sometimes have to carry me from the table, and it would seem that I would never breathe again. "The doctor told me that coffee was causing the weakness of my heart. He said I must stop it, but it seemed I could not give it up until I was down in bed with nervous prostration. "For eleven weeks I lay there and suffered. Finally husband brought home some Postum and I quit coffee and started new and right Slowly I got well. Now I do not have any head­ aches, nor those spells with weak heart. We know it is Postum that helped me. The Dr. said the other day: 'I never thought you would be what you are.' I used to weigh M pounds and now I weigh 158. "Postum has done much for me and I would not go back to coffee again, for I believe it would kill me if I kept at it. Postum must be prepared ac­ cording to directions on pkg., then it has a* rich flavor and with cream is fine." \ Name given by Postum Co., Battle \ Creek. Mich. Read "The Road to WeJfr j*llle," in pkgs. Postum comes in two forms: Regular Postum -- must be well boiled. 15c and 25c packages. Instant Postum--Is a soluble pow­ der. A te&spoonful dissolves quickly In a cup of hot water and, with cream ' and sugar, makes a delicious beverage Instantly. 30c and 50c tins. Both kinds are equally delicious and eost per cup about the same. There's a Reason" for Postum. Id fey Groeem F