x i a = ~~ WHAT HAS-GONE BEFORE —— strikes GARRETT FOLSOM Om the beach, pronounces him neat, lsom’s companions had been ER NEVILLE, M RS. HELEN a ae een ote VAL- hat Folsom It is decided to telegraph Folsom's sister, ANASTASIA, in New York. Ther the startling 4nnouncement is made that Folsom hac m mur- ye in the ocean—stabbebd to anes. the dead questioned about Folsom's friend. NOW GO ON WITH THE STORY CHAPTER VIII Still no word was spoken by the silent hearers. Dixon, his eyes glued to the faces of the pair who listened, and Tuttle, who was standing by, watching also. said afterward that both Mr. Nev- ille and Mrs. Valdon — amared beyond all power of spee “Naturally, I did not aa of this when I looked at the dead man down on the beach,” the doctor went on, with an apologetic note in his Voice, ‘“‘because the man’s form was covered with a blanket, and I saw only his head and shoulders. But on examination just now, I find that he Was stabbed with a long, sharp knife or dagger, and that the blade pierc- ed the abdominal aorta, causing in- stant death." “Why was this not discovered un- til your return?” asked Neville, his silence suddenly broken. “Has the blanket not been moved?” “Probably not.” said Doctor Manning, “and, would have been possible to have been moved and yet the fact of the stab would not have been discovered.’ man’s valet, is Neville, who was not? “Because, you see, the stroke was delivered ewiftly and straight— from all appearances. Then, it seems the instrument of death was immed- jately withdrawn, result the water of the away j the sarm- anyway there was very little ‘blood outside. “The hemorrhage was entirely in- ‘ternal, and though death was instan- eous there was no evidence of it on ee we, ; — deeply. “What can we do?” ‘The most my: sterious case I have isnt what can we do, but/ever heard of.” Dixon assured her. w hee must we d>? The Iinevitablei'*Too big for me to tackle, but it may procedure ts to communicate with he the police willy make short. work the police at once. But Mr. Pelhz — | of it. requested me to tell you about “How can they?" asked Neville first, as the nearest friend of the “Gr anted that Folsom was étabbed in victim present.” ithe ocean, a gives about a thous- ey ’ Newt spoke heavily, and oon boesil suspects to choc DSC | $ : under protest Si m . se ow enough of these iinws to real-! “Ob. come now, Mr. Neville, we; ize that it must lk so Go ahead, | Can't consider those who were too} ; . ; far from him. But even t ak-! I in y ones, there may gel » who can had opportunity | Then, you have to look! Now, there's the trouble. | Ir more the>body save for a small clean in- Folsom, when she ar-jThe man who had motive is an un-| cision. that in the absence of any has been done in the} known quantity and i, of course. | blood stains was almost indiscern- jremain so. { don’t see where ga ible even to my practiced eye id Dixon. nodding | baline are going to make a ata extraordinary!’ exclaimed il we want of y I confess I don’t see clearly. my Neville. At Mrs. Valdon self Dixon agreed. Bi ut that’ Ss up t the word, =i declared Mir. Folsom’s siste t > *m. Now, Mr. Neville. since the doctor “Extraordinary, indeed! we things are a me ee Not the. fact of the inconspicueis 1 oy j passes oul of. ¥ ny hanc = Sp meat 10 wound. That is accounted for bythe € this Cxvent. Vit ask you to i Over water of the ocean. which precluded {er ogett jto me ihe key ; of Mr. Fo som’s any crimson stain. But the extraord- carmel ta Valdon smiled a little. jr coms. I shall give it to the police inary thing is the possibility of an Personally. I should thank you, | and. i outer i Gee will be al- assailant finding opportunity and| Mr. Dixen,”’ she guid. or keeping | | lowed apap the auits: . — time to drive that blow unseen and|things qriiet. But IT may as well tell} What about aoe the valet? unnoticed by the scores of people|¥ou that Miss Folsom ‘a not like! . lve sent for him, and shall, of crowding about him!" that. She is—how shall I put it? course, -tnke the key e has also. “An assailant!” cried Roger Ney-|rather given to publicity rather| /be pa skeys of the service will be ille. “You mean he was mnurder rad?"'{ fond of —er—notoriety. I do not |atténded to ; “Of course, my de I thought} Mean that she would make capital | The hotel detective dismissed ‘Age realized tha It would be g/Of her brother’s death to bring her-|them just as Ross appeared, led by heer tmapnastatits for a man to|self into car limelight, but she js not | the redoubtable Tubby. ; ; xii! himeelf in that manner. So as|all averse to prominence in print.” The valet. his face drawn with there is no doubt as to the fatal te Vou amaze me, Mrs ‘a\don emotion, but otherwise calm, came wound, what ber theory can you aos said. “I had picture * the ote: Noor room, and Dixon closed the suggest er as a shrinking, retiring sort— * “An accident?" stammered Dixon hadn't pictured the lady at | “You have heard, Dixon said, Neville, | Rounderine in his speech, all, but he was cleverly getting all’ Watching him ciasely, that your imaginable," the doc- ead. "Ocean bathers do not go in for a dip carrying sharp pointed instruments which accident- ally kill their neighbors. No, there is mo room for doubt. Mr. Folsom was Stabbed by some one who went into the ocean armed with the knife and who had premeditated the murder. the sidelights he could on this dark- ly mysterious — air. “Oh, no,” Carmeiita exclaimed. Anastasia ‘een is one of the most decided characters I have ever known. She is fearless and outepok- en to a degree. And you can count on her for help, if needed, in grr the mystery of her ee dea “It is too incredible!"’ Neville I suppose it is a mys ing you all kinds E. W. GILLETT “_but always go back to Magic” That’s a common experience of housewives who have been tempted to try an inferior , baking powder—just like the experience of Mrs. R. O. Stewart, of Whitecourt, Alta., who wrote us, saying: — “T use Magic Baking Powder for all my baking. Have tried others but always go back to Magic. Wish- ‘There’s only one Magic Baking Powder. Refuse all imitations and substitutes, for there is no other “‘just the same.” ( TORONTO, CANADA of luck —” co. LTD, MAGIC | OWDER Walet what had happened to Garret 4 Folsom “Bat—but who could. have done ee, did not die of any natural sir, but the bell- nhOy Was so excited and queer, that I quizzed him a bit on the way down here, and I couldn’t help thinking there was something to be told more than I had already heard. Then [ learned that the doctor was here. Il was sure that there was more to be told than had yet been made kno Dixon looked at him curiously. “You're a strange man, ‘Ross. Where were you educated?” “At public schools, sir. I've no store of book learning. but I've knocked around a bit with Mr. Fol- som, and I’ve picked up some wis- “Not quite that, dom here and there.’ “Knocked round with him— re?” “Traveling about. For three yeare I've been with him out of America. In England, mostly, but sometimes on trips to Egypt and the Orient, sir.” “T see. You're a traveled then.” “As Mr. Foleom's servant, But he was a kind master, gave m tell me what killed him, sir?" “Yes, it’s your due. Mr. Folsom was murdered.” “What!” Ross was startled out his conventional manner as well out of his usual calm “Yeu e was stabbed while man, and he of as in ? I don’t understand.” Doctor Manning then took up the tale. and told the astounded looking it, air?” the man and those who did were his friends. ” + OW. Roger Neville his friend?” Though eaid-in a quiet voice; the query was flung out suddenly, and purposely, with an intent to take Ross off his guard. CHAPTER IX “Why—why, yea, sir—so far as. 119 know,” Ross. “None of out all there is to know of your master’s friends or enem of your ant 0 late that, Ross, you know ab- Seek les, A man| 4 “Then, if this is an examination,, éfr, I can only say that so far as I have éver seen or noticed Mtr. Neville had pag friendly feelings toward Mr. Folsom personally. “Why did you add ‘personally’? | Had they ‘other relationships than personal? “They had Dusiness connections, sir, that may or may not have been always serene. I know nothing of those, for they were conducted at of- fices, of course. But wn knowledge, having seen Mr. Folsom and Mr. Neville together répedtedly, in friendly and, a3 I put it, personal é6urroundings, I call them tried and trusted friends. If you" Tre suspect- ing Mr. Neville of— “Hush. Nobody as mentioned the idea of suapicion!. Don't overstep your place.” “No, air,” and Ross again put on his look of quiet, respectful servit- ude. Dixon said little more to him. He asked for the key of Mr. Folsom’s suite, and Rose immediately produced it from his pocket and passed it over. The detective wanted to quizz him further, for he had a feeling that this man knew his master’s secrete, but he felt it was premature for him to hold any sort of an investigation that belonged, by right, to the police Just as Dixon was about to. dis- miss the valet, knock at the door of room J heralded the appear- ance of Inepector Babcock, a lieuten- ant detective and a jedical examin-~ e r. Partly because he greatly wanted to remain and partly because, in his excitement, Dixon forgot to tell him to go, Ross stayed in the rom, and in- conspicuously sat in a, corner, while the preliminar questions were asked The two doctors conferred above the body, while the inspector ge ed to the story as related by Dixo The police detective, Jepson, i ing no chance for hunting down clues in room, sat silent, listening to the doctors in turn with the in be- the inpsector and Dix o is this a asked al as mations procee “Oh, he's Rose, the valet dead man," Dixon said. “What's he doing here?" “Nothing. had been question- ing him and finished just as you peo- ple came Roegs, not being addressed, said no of the word, = made no move to go. “W " Jepson remarked, ‘‘as the quecien must begin somewhere, I'll start in with Ross Maybe it's a good plan at that. He began with the usual request for names and dates and places Ross answered intelligently and re- spectfully and soon Jepson had a neat list of Garrett Folsom’'s activit- jies of — wae data of his life in a | senerai we . "We ll that’ salllec an get from res chap," Jepson said. “‘Let him eg Ww hat are you going to do, my man? You've no master now “No, sir have no plana, either I suppose I shall just wait around till Miss Folsom comes, and then I'll do Whatever she tells me to.” “Oh, yes. course. The bid ell, stay in the hotel for may ant see you nmcw and then.” Ross departed. and Jepson summed ag up as “well trained but wood- sister an. Then he listened to the doctors, who had agreed entirely in their diag- nosis and decisions ut it’s preposterous. same,’ declared Doctor Potter, medical examiner. ‘In all I've never heard of such Why. whoever stabbed must have stocd directly at his side.” in front of -him;" amended Manning. “Yes, for choice, all the the life A in front of him. The stab stroke entered e6traight from the front, went clean and swift through the abdominal aorta and, of course, he bled to death ixgternally and immediately. Its too incredible! How could anyone strike so truly and _ accurately in that tossing wat- er? “Looks like the work of some one who knew anatomy?” éuggested Manning “Not necegsarily,”’ said Potter. “Maybe; but ft may have been by accident that the blow struck where it did. More likely the assassin aim- ed at the heart, but struck lower than he aimed. You see.the tumbling water would divert any aim.’ “He may have aimee several times —I mean aimed utilely, without ae his victim fe all, at first.” Yes, that is poasthie~- bable, even But in any case, “he did hit him finally and with a swift deadly aim that hit true and sure.” “Where's the weapon?” asked Jepson. “The murderer carried it off with him," Potter said, promptly. “He never let go of it. Stabbed and then drew it out and nobody knew _a thing about it.’ “Some nerve " commented Dixon. + no,” Inspector Babcock put in. “If it had been on land, it would have required nerve. But in the water, the weapon hidden, the eed done out of eight, there was -j little or no danger of being seen or noticed by the busy crowd of bath- any advantages. Will you] er aia) © fat’s the secret of it all,” Jep- son declared. “Whoever the murder- wis, he was mighty cute. He knew he ‘had a cinch, if he kept his head and drove his: blow straight. But we've got our job to pick him out from a hundred others. It could have been anybody in that part of the ocean, ase I tonfess I dont know which way to look."’ ‘old on, Jep,” said the inspec- tor. “It musty have ‘been somebody aut the victim, to start with. He ould pave hurried away afterward, and mingled with a group on some er rope, or he might have gone right out of the water and started r home. But before the fatal jab that man had to be near the victim and must have-been seen by some- “<a “AN very well. inspector, but a nesdie in a haystack is — hunting > io] compared to finding your man out sie a Par of bathers in the Atlantic | Corben begin “at the other end.| “SUPER. > ar TWEEDS small extra cost What more could you wish in a suit. ~ Extra Trousers at A e aim. class. “4 AT SCHINBEIN’S STORE Friday, June 24th, ? , 1 Made to Your Measure 2 Made by [ASRION-CRAFT, A combination that’s bound to please—the skill of FASHION-CRAFT tailors plus the perfect fit that follows individual cutting. Custom tailoring backed by an organization big } enough toemploy the finest | craftsmen of the country and wise enough ‘to make) your satisfaction its chief ee The choice of many smart patterns in three notable weaves that have proved their merit in looks and wear, pricedat a figure that brings custom tailoring into the popular This is the FASHION-CRAFT tailored-to-measure offering for the season, FASHION-@RAFT, MADE-TO-MEASURE innocent people will have forgotten the circumstances and guilty people will have cooked up an alll ad “That's all true, chief, epeon said, witha long drawn sigh. ‘We don’t have a murder case often down here at Ocean Town, but now that; we hare, I wish it had happened in) the town instead of in the ocean.’ “It would have been some ways, Bab ‘but in other ways, I th the “scene of the crime will be notype! ful. “Wish I could see how “Well, for one thing, “you know that most. of the people who stood near the victim of the attack were guests of this hotel.’ “Oh, land!" groaned Dixon, “Then you're going "o pull on that string! That’s i what Mr. Pel- ham doesn't want . “sorry, and Babcock almost emiled, “but we can’t consider the wishes of a hotel keeper when murder ease is on. Now, Doctor Pot- ter, I suppose you're for getting the body off to’ the morgue and making arrangements for an ate, opsy?” “Yes, It must be don but it will show -no further details that will in- terest you than you already know. Just go ahead, knowing that the death was cau by a stab wound received while bathing in the ocean and causing instant death by intern- al hemorrhage. That's all. If any- thing should appear during the post- mortem to add. to that report.I’ll let you know at once. But I think you want to get busy collecting ee and arranging an inquest— “Don’t have the inquest here," begged Dixon, knowing how this would distress the mauager. “No,’’ the Inspector aseured him, “the inquest won't be here, but we may have-to-call-a.lot.of-your guests to teatify. There's a long case ahead of us, I’m thinking. That is. unless some stroke of fate or some of good luck sends us an unexpected tone of fortune. 1 mean if somebody confesses, or if some POgy elee was an eyewitness to the cri “There's > alwayr” hing of that gort,”’ t ive not very, likely. Mgt prob- abilities are we'll have dig and scratch for tay, ea iittle, “And as to - round. We want you to we offer you. Get the Habit of Trading at Climie’s Finest Groceries in the Finest Setting We invite you to come into our store and look a- see that we tary. precaution in the handling of the Groceries Modern cases mak fact everything is arranged fpr your conyenience. take every sani- that e selection easy —in Grocer R. A. CLIMIE Wallace St. cs can't expect to find those in the At- lantic: Ocean!" i unsatisfactory ...outlook, and Babcock shrugged his big shoul- ders. “But out duty is plain. Go to it, Jepson. Question everybody who new the dead man, even glightly. and get from them hinte of others soto ane him. and won't tell.” ” ly, wri go to- it.” (To be Continued- In the next chapter FolsOm's ec- very 1, a ‘things start mo centric sister, Anastasia, arrives, and ving. gir,” Jepson. said, obedient-7 If doubt as to when a@chdol el: at hak the boys., they know “Oh, Abie, Abie, such extrav- agance! At four ocelock im the af- ternoon you buy already an all-day éucker.” WEDDING INVITATIONS Or announcements. The Banner can assure you of a satisfactory om oe on latest eiyles of We also carry a stock of wadding cake yoxts. aus Banner Office. é