The Press., 1914-03-11
< r.ss j: TillotSon's s :Bi6Mystery!; How He Became a
 Convert 7, Bv CLARISSA MACKTE .
By CLARIssA MACKIE
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ana, leaning ms 0eau ";tSd3H HSC=tNe 4tesltH=3 CT cushioned back of his chair, per mitted a smile to trickle around his. straight cut, matter of fact mouth. l.. "Mystery?" he sniffed scornfully. "I've often wondered why the. dictiolEs ary makers give that much abused word any space in their dreary vol, umes. There is no such thing as q mystery, my dear Tanning There is a perfectly good and entirely simple explanation for every so called rnys' tery"
 Eghert Tanning smiled in superior manner, and. tossing the end of his cigar into the waste paper basket. he calmly proceeded to light another
 'I must go now he said, rising and reaching for his hat, r"But let me tell you, old man. that you may run across a mystery within the-next twenty four. hours that even your, cleverness can 1 not solve; This is not 4 threat but a plain, matter of fact: .predlcti0n >5 of what is likely to happen to A--st;0tfer of unknown forces" :sse=ss >4%s>
 "FiddIededee- likewise i"t0mmyrUtr F calculated David as the door closed behind his smiling friend4..5 ;. Ks -3 :. .4>5:5
 Dfsmissing the discussion of the. last half hour thus lightly. Mir 4TiliotsDn plunged into his afternoon mail with a mind untrammeltNl by thoughts of perplexing questions His rp}easant voice dictated letter after letter. while his quiet little stenogrhpher took down his words with flying pencil and the rustic of turning leaves as her rl',Fes book filled up. ss@:'Y""' :
 "That is all, Miss Dickson" said ,Dar vid at last, and he swung his. chair to the window as the girl passed into the small inner office that was her own especial sanctum The inner of fee possessed one window. Oppnillg on the courtyard ten stories Below and only one door, the One@~lcading Into David Titlotsnn's private oftice:,s.z.a.s <:
 David swung idly in; his chaiE for awhile. debating whether. he. wul1ld gn for a spin in his fast motorcaE or spend the rpmainder of the afternoon at his club. ->...: .a
 While he pondered this important question he was so0tIlCd almosf to som nolence, by the mufi1ed ctfckingeof1 Miss DickSon's typewriter behind the ctosed door of her office. Some. men WolHd have objected to the nOisela0f, the >nll chine, but not David 'Fillotson.:S Ilg boasted that he had not 2 5neEyes ilt, his big, strong body 1-,.s. .51 :r..-. >a At last he realized that the c1icKfhe had ceased. and. having decidtad~ fd take ride he telephoned fer his ear to be brought around and then press" the button for Miss Dickson.
 She did not respond to the 'silnim0ns Again he pressed . the bHftOiI, and meeting no response from the sIlsllllly prompt and businesslike young w0ln an, David went to the door Of her "f flee and looked in. ---~----,--<---,
 The room was empty. .@H .-s.-.: <
 The neatly typed letters were on hel desk awaiting his signature. Her hat was on it's accustomed hook. and ont of her dainty handkerchiefs was oi the floor
 But there was no sign of Elsie Dirk son. .. ,~ .~1=t. ..%
 David was disturbed. He hadfi iioi heard Miss Dickson pass through his office. as she necessarily must in-nfdel to reach the outer door He was. nn usually keen of hearing. and even IeI light footfall would have attracted ,hiS attention, for it was a fact that quite unknown to himself David TfilotSb1 was deeply interested in :. the .alliet 3pl Cn faithfully served him. .-- -
 He. did not realize that many of hi' clev crest transactions had been inSpil' ed by Elsie Dickson He would h;lv' scoffed if any one. Tanning, for in stance. had hinted that he was in, lav, with his stenographer, but it was quit, true that her presence, always. exertef soothing influence upon her employ CT. He felt entirely contented if h, knew that she. was in the next room and the delicate fragrance that chm: to her little handkerchief was ',SWGal incense to his critical nOStrils. s>- >s-y5
 As David. unsnspecting rhaehelol that. he was. did not have an inkkiRG of the state of his wayward heart. ,ht l cOuIu IIcl III lIl0 It1IlSi SNNVHIl i'!I ilLt violent humping of that organ whel he discovered that the window wa' 1 wide open and that Elsie Di,'kSnlf h:t disappeared. -,e-' .. In two strides he was at the Wiifd0V and peering fearfully down into tn | courtyard Ii was quite empty asAyt for the ianitor's boy: who was sweep Ing the cement pavement .!z,: <@
 He drew back and once more search ed the room. but there was no sign q his missing secretary. With assumed nonchalance he went into the outer of flee and spoke to one of the clerks. Sd2: l ''Ts Miss Dickson here?" he .askct lrritably 1...:@r. @r
 The man glanced at him in surprise
 Why. no. sir, She is in her office believe 1 talked with her over tn phone a moment ago. ss
 David returned to his own room more disturbed than he cared to ac knowledge He glanced, Inside Mis- Dfcksom's office, but sf4e was not there Sitting down at his desk, he hesitate, with the telephone receiver in hi hand .H
 Prat tical person that be was, h. could not imagine what had becoln of the girl. All he knew was that half hour ago she was i'll her office
 David found that he could no longe think clearly commercially. Mfngle with his uneasiness of what had hal pened to Elsie Dickson were a vagu terror and an unaccountalle depre' sion of spirits. ....s.5sl z;
 Suddenly his fingers closed tight; around the telephone. and he lifte the receiver to his ear He called Ei bert Earnings, number aRd i'll fly
 minutes that astonished young ma
 was beside him listening to his story
 cts q mystery" declared David en phatlcally You show q, glimmer i, sense now and then, Bert. Tell n
 what you think of the matter"
 "O-ho-a mystery!' erowed Fannin
 ''My dear David. why stir yourself U
 over such simple matter? The gi
 has probably stolen few momen
 to chat with the clerks in the out