The Washington herald., 1908-04-08
By WILLIAM lie QUEUx.

sister and the woman you adored.
while I have lost Marion, my well-be-
loved. Let us act together. During these
past weeks I've been thinking deeply re-
garding the mystery of that house an
Park lane"
so have I, many times. only know
the ground ficor and basement. / have
never ascended the stairs, through that
white-enameled iron door concealed by
the one of green baize.
Where does old Levi sleep?"
IN a room al the back Of the kitchen
when ne sleeps at all. He's Ike a watch
dog. on the alert always for the slightest
sound.
Max paused for a moment before maxi
ing any further remark. Then he said
in a quiet voice:
There are some very queer stories
afloat concerning that place, Charlie
Il know. I've heard them-about mys-
terious people who enter there at night
and done come forth again. But / don't
believe them Old Sam has earned a
reputation for being eccentric, and his
| enemies have tackled on all sorts Of SEN
sational fictions."
But I've heard lately from half a dozen
sources most extraordinary stories. Up
d
night before last. they were talking OF II
al dinner They were unaware that
| knew Statham."
Just as the gossips are unaware that
! the persons who come and go so mys-
| teriously at the Park lane mansion are
secret agents of the great fnancier, -
ROlfe said. "Of course. it would not do
| TO say so openly. but that's who they
are. The allegation that they don't come
forth again is, I feel confident, mere en-
/ broderly 10 the tale"
But" exclaimed Max with some hesi-
1 tatiOn. has it not ever occurred to you
| as somewhat curious that, so deeply in
volved in Servian finance, Statham has
/ never sought to solve the mystery Of the
/ doctors disappearance? Remember, they
knew each other. The doctor when he
was in power at Belgrade. was probably
/ the old mans cats-paw. Is it not there
! fore surprising that he has never eX-
pressed a desire to seek out the truth ??
Ralfe held mis- breath as a new and ter
rible suspicion arose within him He had
never regarded the affair in that light.
Was it possible that his master knew
well all the circumstances which had led
the doctor TO disappear in that manner so
extraordinary? Had he really had a
hand in It?
Was he the friend" Of whom Sir
Charles had spoken In Belgrade?
But no. He would not believe such a
thing Sam Statham was always honest
in his dealings-or. at least, as honest as
and millionaire can ever be. The man who
| habituany deals in colossal sums must
now and then, Of necessity. ruin his Op-
pOnents and wreck the homes OF honest
I3en. And strange it is that the world
is ever ungrateful. II very wealthy
man gave every penny OF mis- profits Il
the poor, he would only be dubbed a foo
or an idiot for his philanthropy.
He recOllected that afternoon when, al
work in old Sans room. he had men
how deftly the old man had turned tht
conversation into "A different channel
Until two days ago he would hear M
word nor believe any III against the mar
who had befriended him. But the man.
refusal to assist him to discover the trutl
concerning the charge against Marion Of
10 order her TO be reinstated had turned
his heart.
He was now Sam Statham's enemy, a.
before he had been his friend.
The two men seated together discusse,
the matter carefully and seriously fo
the greater part of the night and whel
they parted 10 go 20 their rooms they
took each others hands in solemn com
pact
we will investigate that house. Rolfe,
Max declared; and Wen lay bare Tn,
mystery it conceals,"