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lil, Ten minutes later Sperling was brought in by I deputy eheriff from the Tombs. He greeted Markham with a friendly boyish smile and nodded Plearrantly to Vance. He bowed-n bit stiftly, l thought--to Arnesson, when presence seemed both to sur- prise and diseoneert him. Markham motioned him to a chair, and Vance "bred him a cigarette. "Fill these in right "my and give them to Ben," he ordered. Then when the man had gone out through the outer hall door, he explained the m- terruption. 'Sperling has just sent a request to speak to me. He says he has information that any be of ins portance. I thought, in the circum- utances, it might be well to see him We had been in conference perhaps half an hour when Sweeter entered quietly and placed a memorandum on the District Attorney's desk. Mark- ham sinned " it and frowned. After a moment he initialed two printed forms and handed them to Swncker. Friday afternoon Markham, in a, ham demanded brusqt mood of desperation, called another! "Only a few second ontercnce. Arnessca asked permis- to trateh my train.” Tion to attend; and at four o'clock we; "Then you imply th all met, including Inspector Moran.I instead of leaving the in the District Attorney's private , to the aibor and rema mom in the old Criminal Courts you departed." Building. Arnesson was unwoutedly’ "It looks that way, silent during the discussion, and not was reluctant to make once did he indulge in lit, usual flip- "You're quite sure pancy. He listened with close atten- "Yes, sir. I reme tion to all that was "id, and neemedi 'tow. I even rat-ll tt purposely to avoid expressing an opin- T he had his legs drawn ion, even when directly appealed toi “You would swear by Vance. lMarkham PTIVEI‘L "Ir This definite evidence was to come the very next day from a most un- expected quarhr-, and it marked the beginning of the last phase of our in- "stitrtttton--a phase fraught with such sinister, soul-stirring tragedy and unspeakable horror, with such wanton cruelty and monstrous humor,) that even now, years later, as I set: down this reportorial record of .t, I. find it difheult to believe that the: events were not, after all, a mere gro- tesque dream of fabulous wickednas.’ N wanted to ipeak to you, Mr. ‘i'mme associated with the case Ire: Prot Dillard. his niece Bella. and his not". Siturd Arnesson. alto a pro- tuumr or mathematics. John Pardee, a neighbor with a passion t chess. Mrs. brukirer lied on to his aUTl'l'i,d, on In " mentally unbalanced and Adolun t. a cripple with . super-broth. ‘perlm‘, tho last man known to " with "ohm is arrented but the cubic-1 quent murder of Spring entablisnes his innocence. Vance questions Mrs. Dmit- Ber, who tells how the murderer trail, her a terrifying Visit. He also lonrnsl Drukite riled I At his whereabouts on the morning of Robin's death. Bella Dillard, Amen-on and Pardeo are ermin- uumirmi. but their testimonies only acne to battle the police more. I A man known as Cock Robin In found wnh nu arrow In his heart; another, Johnny Sprig; " found with a bullet than”: the top of his head. District Ana-my Markham calls m l'hllo Vance, who claims the murders an founded on nanny nun-en and are "I. work of a manure. gfteilllfs tll, y1iiiiii:il!til, tt a o no l, itsiiiijiiiijit (lFLCiT mi CHAPTER XXV.-tcont'd.) The: Bishop Murder Cast iiiMll0ijT) mcmteadrinkm drink the but green tea SYNOPSIS "iilil4i[lJiii" Wm]: from the Maui A PHILO VANCE STORY BY 8. S. VAN DINE PRETZELS rlsp...... ,___ w "1 (Markham gravely, "knowing man's life might rest on you I mony ?" "It seem to me," Markham said. after a few moments of speculative silence, "that we have a good cireum, stantial case against Drukker. He was in the Dillard yard only a few seconds before Robin was killed. He could easily have seen when Sperling went away; and, as he had recently come from Professor'Dillerd, he knew that the other members of the family were out. Mrs. Drukker denied she saw any one from her window that) morning, “though she sustained " Sa'l oooqq i'flt?Ciii; "-'"'"'- "'"'""". uc‘ nied it; and she’s the type of loyal stubborn German who'd back up his denial if any real danger threatened him. Now we're armed with an effec- tive weapon." When the sheriff had escorted his prisoner from the room, Markham looked at Vance. "I think that gives us a foothold." . Yes. The took's testimony was of little value, since Drukker merelv do. "Pd swear to it tugged simply. "Yes, sir. I remember distinctly now. I even meal] the peculiar way he had his leyt drawn up under him." "Then you imply that Mr. Drukker, instead of leaving the premises, went to the at bor and remained there until you departed." "It looks that way, sir." Sperling vus reluctant to make the admission. "You're quite sure you saw him?" "Only a few seea"uri;itore I went to glitch my train.” "At what time%as, this?" Mark ham demanded brusquely. me picture of the rear window itashed across my mind. And I remembered that when I had glanced out of the window that morning to see how the weather was for my trip, I had seen Mr. Drukker sitting in the arbor be- hind the house. . . ." uwn r Wttt'--ill, sort of pretending I was in the archery-room again, talking to Robin; and all of a sudden the picture of the rear window flashed across my mind. And I remembered that when I had glanced out of the window that morning to see how the weather was for mv trim I In": .m- "One of these impressiox with Mr. Drukker--and ti wanted to see you. Just noon I was-well, sort of He paused and looked down at the carpet. Then lifting his head, he went on: IV, "about a matter which may be of help .0 you. . ' You remember, when 'you were questioning me about my being in the archery-room with Robin, 3you wanted to know which way Mr. Drukker went when he left us. I told you I didn't notice, except that he went out by the basement door. . . . Well, sir, I've had a lot of time to, think Tately; and Pve naturally gone over in my mind all that happened that morning. I don't know just how to explain it, but everything has be- come a lot clearer now. Certain-- what you might call impressions- have come back to me. . . ." t Markham,” he Ituyter-ued" 1335;"wa I these impressions has to do yeu. Just this atier] Drukker mireS Ul-. began, a bit dithdent- sir," Sperling re- to it," asked ing that a your testi- is not ttttutter' o n tiLU"TinT, is}: void of objects and changes raridlr. Fiying,orhieh has been called bene. am] in some form, of deafness, now is said to be good for the eyes as well. The opinion was expressed in a letter written by Dr. Harold G. Stafford, New York optometrist, to Transconq tinental & Western Air, Inc. 1 According to Dr. Stafford, the eyes no relieved of strain by fiatintt them on a distant horizon/ In this manner In wanna have often been found helpful. Dr. Stafford believes air- plane travel is even' more of a relief, Minn, because the range of vilion "Why not have him on the tapia first, anu see if he can't be persuaded to unburden his soul. You might dangle a warrant over his head, don't y’ know, as a kind of moral induce.. ment. Then, if he remains coy and reticent, bring out the gyves and have the doughty Sergeant escort him to the butille." l Air Travel Rests Eyes, Optometrist Assert: Vain: looked toward Markham Ind nodded agreement. “It’s a difficult situation," Inspec- tor Moran demurred, in a soft Judi- cial voice. "We cannot afford to make an error. If Drukker's evidence should convict some one else, we'd be a laughing-stock if we had arrested the wrong nan." "Haven't any," the man answered. N'rn a disinterested onlooker. Pd have, however, to see poor Adolph in dur- ance vile." Tlcugh he would not com- mitl 'mself it was Putin that he agreed with Vance. Heath thought, characteristically, that immediate action was advisable, and expressed himself to that effect. "H he’s got anything to tell he'll tell it quick enough after he's locked up." "On the other hand," pursued Vance, ignoring the comment, "it is quite obvious that Drukker, even :f not guilty, knows somthing that has a direct and vital bearing on the case; end my humble suggestion is that we attempt to prise this information out of him. Sperling'u testimony has given us the lever for the purpose. . .1 I say, Mr. Arnesson, what's your opin-I ion I: "The law," returned Markham with acerbity, "ean hardly be expected to throw out cases because they're 'oo eonvineing." I "You may be right, Markham," he admitted. "But my chief objection to 'your conclusion is that the case againsi Drukker is too good. I've had him in mind as a possibility from the first; hut the more suspiciously he lac-ted and the more the indications 'pointed toward him, the more I felt inclined to dismiss him from consid- eration The brain that schemed these) abominable murders is too competent, too devilishly shrewd, to become en- tangled in any such net of circum- stantial evidence as you’ve drawn about Drnkker. Drukker has an amazing mentality-his ir1tel!itreneel, and intellect are supernormal. in fact;. and it's difficult to conceive of him,) if guilty, leaving so many Joopholes.", Vance int length stood up; isririi; break the tension of his thoughts, and walked to the window. Markham continued for some time building up his case against Drukker. He was thorough and detailed, and his summation accounted for practically all of the evidence that had been ari- duced. The logical and relentless way in which he pieced his various factors together was impressively convincing; and a long silence followed his resume., went into a panic of fear when we came to question Drukker. trhreven warned him against us and called us 'the enemy.’ My belief is she saw Drukker returning home immediately after Robin's body had been placed on the range. Drukker was not in his room at the time Sprigg was killed,‘ and both he and his mother have been " pains to cover up the fact. He has become excited whenever we broached the subject of the murders, and has ridicule-d the idea that they were con- nected. In fact, many of his actions have been highly suspicious. Also, we know he is abnormal and unbalanced, and that he is given o playing chil- dren's games. It's quite ioiriiiarl,c.r-/nl view of what Doctor Barstead told us -that he has confused fantasy and» reality, and perpetrated these crimes? in a moment of temporary insanity,} The tensor formula is not only fa. miliar to him, but he may have atso ciated it in some crazy way with Sprigg as a result of Arnesson’s dis- cussion with Sprigg about it. As for l the Bishop notes, they may have been part ot the unreality of his insane ttarms-Oilers, all want an approv- ing audience when they invent any new form of amusement. His choice of the word 'bishop' was probably the result of his interest in chess-s play- ful signature intended to confuse. And this supposition is further borne out by the actual appearance of a chess bishop on his mothcr's door. He may have feared that she saw him that morning, and thus sought to silence her without openly admitting to her that he was guilty. He could easily; have slammed the screen porch loot from the inside, without having had a key, and thereby given the impression that the bearer of the bishop had entered and departed by the rear door. Furthermore, it would have been a simple matter for him to take the ac bishop from the library the night Pardee was analyzing his game. . . "I“ " the time of Robin’s death and then went into a panic of fear when we‘ What lrew York came to question Drukker. Sh. pvt-n I “v - . (To be continued.) CHAPTER XXVI Auiili,lltlli,gprNr rm? ',rgilrgiitt tht,egt, A'lt'tttl'ra'jratPtt,ti, “Certainly,'madam," aid the ant. "sun from and cum?" "Oh, no!" she exclaimed. doctor says he must avoid an starchy." God screens men idetus.--Etnersson. "Mr husband has been very fo-- very m indeed. Bo I have to do his shopping; 1nd I want a shirt." She was the sort of woman who " ways tells exerybody her business. With a cheery smile, she settled her. self " the counter of the hosier’s shop and began:--. array, ! As though obedient to some potent] word _ I That thrills their companies, by men; unheard; And here, beset by walls, this tree, "lone, This patient prisoner, in exile grown, Obey: the same command and gaily wear: The same renewed voune lnvplinnsl PAINT to reach. Now all the multitudes of trees that make The summer wonder of the woods awake In quiet straths, on hillsides far away. And don triumphantly their green down; ' . H --__e_ A brave oasis, there a slender beech Spreads slim _aspiring boughs the sun Size 8 requires 2 yards 35-inch with % yard 35-inch contrasting. HOW TO ORDER PATTERNS. Write your name and address plain- ly, giving number and size of such patterns, as you want. Enclose Me in stamps or coin (coin preferred; wrap it carefully) for each number, and address your order to Wilson Pattern Service, 73 West Adelaide St., Toronto. My lofty window in the hart of town Upon a humble garden-plot looks Linen Eatiste prints, Lrsey, crepe de chine print, dimity and many rayon noyelties also suitable. Another charming way to fashion " is of dusty-pink shade shantung with sea'. fabric collar and cuffs finish- ed with binding»; of brown shantunt: that is repeated in bow tie. " theirs. - w ”TN"; -Serrefile, in the Glasgow Herald Style No. 3110 is designed for girls of 8, 19, 12 ttnd 14 years. i Pm certain little daughter will love your choice in selecting a dress that is smart besides being merely suit- able and serviceable. It only pretends a bolero. A blue and white plaided gingham with white pique collar and cuffs and vivid red grosgrain ribbon tie carried‘ out the popular tri-color scheme of the elder mode. Isn't it cut on modish lines? It‘s so girlish, nea_t_ Ind practical. o matter now new", you an than luv. immediate relic“ Illustrated Dresmaking Lennon wished With L'rcry Pattern BY ANNABELLE WORTHINCTUN The Tree in Town Had. in Cali: renewed young loveliness Is Waring she exclaimed. "The u must avoid anything from Premature lulu. TORONTO Ful- A Japanese egg plant called Negas- alt], with fruit too small tor the gen. eral market, having proved the only egg plant that would produce a satis- factory crop in many parts ot Canada owing to its earllness, was crossed with the Black Beauty, one ot the large but rather late varieties, with the reenlt that an egg plant of good An egg plant which promises much of value to Canadians is referred to in the annual report ot the Director ot Dominion Experimental Farms. As the result ot long continued studies the Dominion Horticulturist makes the tollowing observation: Earlier Egg Plant "Quite right," he said, "We'll Jul! do that. Of course. it may not be a "Ha, Ha, Ha," I laughed, "and while you're at it, Just borrow a ten course dinner tor each ot us. My stomach is so empty It's digesting itself." "We'l1 borrow some from the gold. iers," Jed Stone suggested. There, Just " we had left it, stood our old plane. A hurried check up showed that it was just " we had left it-but no gas, no on. no any- thing! A fine situation. There we were, with a perfectly good plane, powered with a tremendous engine that used so much fuel it called “Gas! Gas!" every time it went by a gasoline station. And we had Just about enough in the tank to clean a grease spot in a suit at clothes. Except for a lot of shooting, there was little attempt " pursuit. We circled through the woods. and after going a few miles, turned out again to the railway tracks. Turning the corner ot a thicket, l was suddenly confronted with the most welcome night ot my lite. Giving a great war whoop I started forward. _ C" a IH, T,.,T-S' ‘ ',,h-%l A «b T o_t' By the time i had forced my horse through the mob, Scottie had got himself untangled trom the officer jand was in pursuit ot Jed Stone who had a horse for himself and was busy getting Pu, our interpreter, on another. Such yelling and. such shrieking! ‘ Every man tor " f himself. We were 4‘ng a hundred yards or" , b' more away hetero, " é a single shot wasl r i xl tired and at thatl ru (9 distance we might , " _ - A as well have been i}, .. home in bed for Ph' , all the danger of those soldiers hitting us. me me him: After many Adven- tures In China. Captain Jimmy meet. an old friend. Lieut. Stone. The two "Ctu'e from bandits in . freight train, which in wrecked in enemy territory. Binding the soldiers. they let out to find I. vlnnr they had hidden in the woods. I The health-giving, delicious drink for children and grown- ups. . - Pound and Half Pound tins at your grocers. Bordon/'1 chocolate Mailed Milk Itgritt; i' ch _ a's'lt0tt,X ism/Moo; scam-1m Froduced In Canada "Everything comes to him that hustles while he 'vttitre."---'rhotna. A. Unless the noise! ot cities decrease, their residents will have to depend upon ttrtith?fal hearing by the neat Century. aeeurding to one expert. horticulture throughout Gama; size was produced, which is much earlier than the Black Beauty. Eat. perimental work in this connection is now being centred upon getting the type fixed. When this is accomplish- ed an egg plant suitable for cultiva~ tion under Canadian conditions will be established, and it will probably become an important new (actor in (To be continued.) Note:--Arty ot our young reuen writing to "Captain Jimmy". 2010 Star Bldg., Toronto. will rem'n his signed photo tree. Back at the horses once more we arranged our plan. Fu Hen. on pain ot death, agreed to stay alone with our thses. _ " e d S t a n e jmounted his horse, circled back and to the right so as to reach a point if,, ot the camp as 473‘ l nearly opposite ”41.211, . I the large tent krr _ we had seen, as possible. Under com.l pulsion. Scottie went along with him.l He much preferred to stay with me, but Jed Stone needed him to help him carry out his part ot the plan. ll crept quietly back towardq the big, tent. I Perhaps half 3 mile from the camp. we dismounted. Pu Hsu and Scot- tie stayed with the horses-Lieuten- ant Jed Stone and I went forward to retxtgtttoiter. Alt was quiet in camp. Sentriel pacing to and tro were alt that seemed to be awake. We crept as close u we dured. On our left. . urge roomy tent stood out against the at! line. We were mounted. Lieutenant Stone. Fu Han (the Interpreter) rad r-Seottle trotted along on foot. With every possible precaution unmet making any unnecesury noises. we circled the mace where the out on- gine lav on her back About tt mile below that root. we crossed the tracks and shaped our course tor the sleeping camp-n couple ot miles away. Our plnn was perfectly simple. It It worked, it was grand. It it.dhht't -" wouldn't need any more us and oo. We nettled down to wait tor darkness; 1 long, hungry unit It was. too, till near midnight. ten course dinner. but we will eat ghttrtlr--and " noon after-ttmt " soon " it in dark." . _ t I , fr t /idl - ,“Vllldll In» raisamminling vmy ot “MI! Ottt to be rather decent, “or you how them."-incom ttta-tta, No cm. will be placed on the mun tttin Ill-or, n In understood, and :t the M“! “I not been sold pn- - In a. lunvmle, it will, m M " In column! sized lots, be o‘er“ " "the tale next Nouum. r. mum tt u, a; a, -ii'i.7dir.ji,'iT, chm all Inttor at its lumxt .rue."--amert Einstein. Twenty years ago the labor .1 'Im Mount Duke ot Sutherland purvlnuml the fun with the object ot lndm my arm-n hmlllu to settle on the mm, 1t'f . III-her ot them were lllmul. AH Wo Vein It had been farmed as n “It. and In mod years produvrd than: 100,000 bushels ot whent. A {w you! no. when it wu under the man- ”: ot R B. Gunter, the tarm won I ".000 Ml: for the largest ylt 1d 0. . single m of land. with an nu r- _ " Olin-Coven bushels. I Cumin Martin lugebrigsten, Mm 'had trailed the Eastern Arctic for fifty- tour yen". reported that he tirst now! the warmer conditions in 1918', and that u I region If its tar ditrotint lira- whn It was between 1808 and 11m. will probnbly be soda/i, Motttmal.--ou. of the show runs of Alberta, the 1000-1ch holding wt th- Duko ot Sutherland. It Brooks, " l I be sold. The an: In situated in the C.Pa. Intern Irrigation block. and Include: 5.028 um ot lrrlnble and 1.7” acres or non-Irrmble land, It Duke of Sutherland Offers AM lands For Sale to the word from the prune]! adun- turn. the other to wisdom ot saw!- ms and both eyes on the Bea. So the Coast Guard and: men n a pony“ of watchful walling. an Ur “If an new; 1- mm,- mm» Reports from ohertnen, sealers and explorers about Spiubergen and the Eutern Arctic pointed to a man-u! change in climatic conditions and hitherto unhenrd ot Warmth in that put of the earth. Old glaciers had disappeared and loud loomed [we when there Ind been but ice. Since 1903 there In: been talk wt a nine-year cycle of heavy ice early m the season north ot the Newfound. land Banks. There ‘1: such a coll. ditlon that year. and again in HM. the yen ot the Titanic disaster. Heavy 106 also appeared in 1921 and last yell r. The Labrador Current picks them up, and in cold water nurses Hum along as they pass the coast of Kuhn [and and Labrador. Further rrrth the current awlnga back north. It awn-Ia and eddies. Some ot the berm continue in It back home. Others slide out to the aouth. some to arm and become as” cut-ole. others to be caught up by the neighboring Gulf Stream there and dissipated in "I; warm water. _ The Gulf Stream. usually the tar- get when meteorologists and thom. selves up against a problem, was billed try none. " is known that the warm valet: at the Gulf. as they swing 'tortttesatstward toward Europe, eddy to the north in the direction of Greenland and the birthplace ot boys in Diako Bay. The warmer wan r Manta the giaciera " the ocean oelsit_', and chunks ot them swing away. Why icebergs leave home is now lean l-portant than why they do not. Weather experta ot Wuhiogton found ‘Ione time azo that certain ports ot the Arctic region were heooulng warmer, while other part: were growing cold. er. They set about to solve the my:- tery. In the Greenland Sea. north ot Europe, milder weather and less ire than ever he: prevailedf'whlle in the Bering Sea and the regions of North America unusually heavy ice was re- ported. It was the kind that clung, and would not let go for a vmuge south. Comnmuler Stanley Parker of the Mohave and Comnnnder William T. Stronherg of tho Pontchartrain are about convinced that It Greenland's icy monnuinn do not hove their Spring londslldel within two weeks there will he no her;- in the shipping lanes next Sumner. The reason for Iceberg: In tart wan- ing. April 1 to July 1 Is the usual time tor them, reckoning over A period ot years. In 1914 the prowlers am peared on Petr. 17 and did not disap- peur until Aug. 8. Lu: your one loom. ed up on March M, and all had gone on June 9. The year before the pro. ecu-Ion begun on March M. A Its-toot patrol boat, the Central Greene, sent out to scout and make sun no "mountain" ot the deep had escaped notice. reported by radio that III. found but two 'ttsignificant bugs And tttttm were down only to far as ,4? nod " degree- ot latitude, or no out or St. John's, Newfoundlnnd. y “can“ 'eetoorrtioqieatlr strange in happening In Gnu-hid. The ice bu not and out and come down on the tmutlutlc icon-ship tracks as In other ”In. Two Cont Gun! cut- ters, the Holt." and Pontehartrain, have been lying In Boston tor weeks prepared to run down the year’s are: Iceberg and send out warnings to ves- sels ot its presence tad location. but none has nppenred. Greenland', Berg: Fail to Appear Exception?) C9ndi_ti_om This War, Puzzle Meteon gist: and Ice Experts Extensive l of Ontario to I! tt to tt tt . "