The Mena weekly star., 1909-06-10

n4F ,, .sess' "oFkl1s to his iHtefest nll lLe "'hc hv vrs hoidias hlm < brlnonsr st ssu ready tc kIll hlm rather than Id, =. Why notf Cary Is A man n, honns ar ms cement deal is perfectly fair one which will give fair price to inc present owners and make great nus,. ness proposition. There are nther Sehemes, too, very large ones which need the man at the wheel Now nave talked with Cary and Ena,cot, Tracy and my plan is to call mn Marnepold, his next friend, who knows ms voice and knows he is a trustv man (for Mercer has done some in. qmfies for him and saved him onca rom buying water-logged steel piano to call him up and-tell him the truth We can say MT. Keatcham was hysteriously stabbed we can ask what is best to do. By that time we can report that We have the best med. lcai assistance-young Arnold will ee, his family physician, who can he trusted. Warnebold will instruct Mer- cer, l reckon. to keep the fact of inc assault a secret, not even mantion
 hat MT. keatcham is i'll; and very likely he or some one else will come straight on here. Meanwhile. young Arnold can open the house, hire some servants who won't talk-I can get them for him; we all say nothing of me magnate's presence And the bull market will come all right"
 After a little reflection the colonel agreed that the bold course was the safest. Thus 1t came about, with amazing rapidity, that the haunted house was opened; that sleek. smiling Chinamen whisked brooms and clean ing cloths at open windows; and Haley and Kito frankly told any curious in- quirers who hailed them over the lawn and the fiower-beds that young MT. Arnold was coming home and going to have a house party of friends. The servants had been carefully selected by Mrs. Winters powerful Chinese friend; they had no dread of white sreoks. however they might crlnge before yellow ones. Mrs. Winter and Randall left their hotel, after all the appropriate ceremonies, amid the lav- ish bows and smiles of literally paid bellboys and porters. They gave out that they were to visit friends and thc colonel, who remained, was to take charge of their mail: hence, with nc appearance of secrecy, the trail tooS 70 water and was lost, since the motor car which carried them was supplied by Birdsall and driven by safe man of his own.
 Regarding the. detective. Rupert Winter had what he called "a stin think;" he could not afford even the remote risk of his going with the pic turesque assortment of information which he had obtained about Casa FEerte and Mercer. into Atkins em- rlay: therefore he hired him, still, himself, He made a partial but ab-
 oulely truthful statement of the ease; he said frankly. "Birdsall, I'm co!ng to treat you fair. for I'm not go. ing to tell you all l know, because well for one thing, don't feel sure how much do know myself But all I'm going to ask of you is 10 watch the house. day and night. without seeming to watch It. You will oblige MT Keatcham as well as me There Is a big game going on, but it isn't what you thought. MT. Keatcham's best helpers are right in that house. Mer Ger and and young Fireless and Arnold are doing our best 10 guard him, not hurt him. Now, there Is big money for you if you will watch out for us."
 Birdsall reflected a moment before he did answer. screwing up his face: T don't like these jobs in the dark but I like you, colonel. and it's go.''
 Keatcham's valet was next sum moned from his vacation and became in Traeys phrase. "a dandy subnurse."
 The Tracys family physician came twice a day. He was known to be visiting one of the guests who had iallen ill Mercer sent three or four telegrams a day to Seattle and to New York. to Keatcham's associates. Sev- eraf times he held a conversation of importance over the telephone with the man who acted as distributor of intellgence. Warnebold himself, came on to San Francisco from Seattle, and was received with every courtesy. He questioned Kito, questioned Mercer, questioned the colonel. Tracy had efraced himself and was in. Pasadena for day or two 's
 The colonel was the star witness tat least this was young Arnold's verdicD- | His narrative was to the effect that 1 he had gone out to see Mercer, who was family connection; no, he was not alone, he had a yodng friend with him: confidentially. he would admit that the friend was MT. Tracy's son; and. while he could not be sure, he had reason to suspect that he, young | Tracy" had been conducting some delicate negotiations with MT. keatch- am. At this point the interlocutor nodded slightly; he was making the deductions expected and explaining to himself Keatcham's astonishing com munication over the telephone, So, ne was surmising shrewdly. that was the olew; the old man had been making some sort of a deal with Tracy -. ;;!4:=:.; l|8 | | C4u sAs-r&