The Prescott daily news., 1915-04-13

with suspicion. She began to suspect seriously his attitude, but not his per sonality. So Baird banked the fires in his eyes and endeavored to think of her as little as possible. But thoughts are masters, and they lead us whither they will.
 One day he entered the secret cham Der at the foot of the shaft to confer with the real Hassam Ali, who lay upon cot.
 "H0w do you feel todayY'
 Badly" said Zudora's uncle. You have failed three times."
 "l have done no better, no worse, than you. if that is what you mean," said Baird without much humility. '1 have told you that Zudora bears a charmed life. Luck is always with her, and John Storm stands at present in the light of this luck"
 You are a fool, Baird!' snarled the sick man. You are falling in love with Zudora. may be i'll, but 1 am not blind. She is not for you. Don't waste your valuable time with any thought like that. tell you she must die hate her!'
 You have promised that if you should die what you have would be come mine." said Baird. You have promised ta~ make mo your heir. have seen that will, but wills can be torn up and rewritten"
 Hassam Ali rubbed his hands togeth- CT. "So they can," he said, "so they can. I don't quite like the tone you use today. Do you think am mori- bund? Are you looking speculatively at my shoes? Jim, if you make the least misstep I'll break you as easily as could church warden pipe. Amed knows and my attorney knows. If I disappear mysteriously and don't return Hassam Ali drew his finger around his throat suggestively. But if rid you of thls girl what are you going to do with all that gold millions? You're miser, and we both know it
 Perhaps l want the gold to play with" grinned Hassam Ali. Il had no playthings when 1 was child; was too poor. Go along, I've talked enough" peevishly.
 There is another little secret" said Baird.
 "Oh, there is? And what might it bef'
 Diamonds"
 Hassam Ali sat up stifiiy. What the devil do you meanT'
 "Zudora's father once had q partner who went to Brazil. This partner found briliants of high order. She has half interest in this mine with out knowing such thing exists" Hassam Ali lay back. II have warn cd you. Now go and send Ahmed with my tea"
 Baird returned to the mystic room, bis mind awhirl with thousand schemes. He played his little comedy with Zudora, saw some patients, and later took the evening paper. Upon the front page he read a bit of news that interested him. The Van Wick child, heir to the Van Wick millions, had been kidnapped despite all the precau- tionary measures to prevent such a catastrophe,
 50 they've done it." he unused aloud, unthinkingly.
 Done WbatT" asked Zudora.
 Kidnapped the Van Wick child. There may be little work for us, my child-a little work for us. l think that I'll go downtown and make a few investigations before they come us"
 For one thing, he wanted to get away from Zudora. All these thoughts of her were crowding dangerously near action. misstep at this time would bring his house of cards tumbling about his head. He proceeded to a house situated i'll a semifashionable district and rang for admittance. The servant admitted him without ques- ton. This house was the residence of a woman who called herself Mime. Du Val. The fall of her late confederate, wu Chang. the hypnotic opium snug gler, had not implicated her. She had made her escape before the police had battered their way into the Chang house.
 She came into the drawing room to find Baird. sans wig and makeup; in fact, himself. He was in the middle thirties. and certain kinds of women would call him fascinating. "Jim?'
 Yes. So you've accomplished the feat in spite of the private detectivesY
 What do you meanT innocently.
 "Come. come, Nora; between you and me there should be no secrets. mean