The Ely miner., 1915-12-31

"Mr. Hazard, wait! want to speal
with you"
"L" steps at Fifth avenue and Madison
street, and was hurrying to his Office
at the Sutherland Detective agency, tt
tske up the labors of the day, wher
Gis steps were arrested by soft femi
nine voice. He stopped instantly, ant
not without some surprise wheeled
round and met the speakers anxiou:
look. He knew the voice.
Certainly. Helen," he agreed. "Yor
sound mighty serious"
The two drew closer together anC
moved under the steps away from the
Jostling sidewalk throng.
Nominally, Helen Bertel was ste
nographer at the Sutherland Offices
but, besides being a strikingly pretty
girl with Dianalike length of limt
and litheness, she had on more than
one occasion, when asked to meet an
emergency. shown a capability and
adaptability that placed her in the
rank with the company's best opera
tives. Accordingly. she drew an oper.
ative's salary.
Felix Hazard and Helen Bertel were
good friends. Indeed, it was hard
sometimes for the man to smother the
warm glow that was wont to leap into
his eyes at sight of her; he made no
attempt to hide his admiration, how
ever.
The girl smiled family.
Perhaps It'll serious" she returned.
l"Anyhow, it's awfully queer-what
want to see you about. I'm glad we
I'VE got to the office.
Last night, as maybe you remem-
Der, was beautiful full moon-and
i was out lots later than l should have
been, alone in my canoe, and l went
out into the lake lots farther than !
should have gone. had an ad.
venture"
Her fine gray eyes were dancing
with suppressed excitement.
"In the middle of the lake?" Hazard
Inquired.
Goodness, mol But I was far
enough off shore to make it very
strange and mysterious. The moon
glare was behind me at the time, and
once when looked back ] saw a row.
boat. 1t was white-like a shell of
alabaster on path of cold silver fire" "
Felix Hazard smiled whimsically and
remarked:
THE moons influence still fingers,
u see. What queer girl you are!"
She made a little mouth at him and
went on:
1T was empty, or l thought it was ;
one doesn't find empty skiffs floating
on the lake every night, you know;
and of course l turned and padded
straight to where it was.
We'll, it wasn't empty. A man lay
unconscious in the bottom, his white
face turned up ghostly to the moon
u thought he was dead; but even while
] was holding the two boats together
and peering down at him, he opened
his eyes and looked up at me.
1T was funny! To save my life
i couldn't think of a word to say!
We just stared at each other like two
ninnies for all of minute. Then he
all at once sat up and groaned. He
caught at his head with both hands
and toppled forward over one of the
thwarts.
Il knew then that he had been hurt,
and I got busy. Would you believe Il?
He hadn't the slightest idea how he
got injured, or how he happened to
be out on the lake in a rowboat at
nearly midnight.
"By this time l was making mental
note of everything. He had an un.
buttoned appearance, il you know what
mean-shirt unfastened, shoes un
laced; his collar and tie were lying on
the grating, and his hat was missing
utterly. Also he didn't have an oar
to his name.
"He was too weak to help much, and
there wasn't another boat in sight any
where-just us two away out in the
silent, moonlit lake lied my canoe
20 the boat and towed it back to the
beach; not so easy to do with only q
single paddle"
Hazard was intensely interested, not
alone because the episode was unusual
IN itself. but also because he knew
that Helen Bertel would not be telling
him about it with SO much detail II
she were not moved by some under
lying purpose.
WELL" he prompted her, whats
the answer?"
why, on the way to land I made
another discovery-several of them
to tell the truth. He is young mar
bearing all the countless little marks
of breeding and refinement that a cir
cant mistake. Yet somehow it i'm
pressed me that he was not dressed
for the part; his clothes were good
correct as to style, but they had no
been chosen by him. They, clashet
with his personality-do you know
what I'm trying to say?"
81 understand. Somebody had ex
changed clothing with him-either t.
hide the victims identity, to set tn,
police on a false scent, or for tn,
more simple motive tina. your chap
suit was better than his assailant's.
That is 1t. The young man had re