The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1916-09-09

it, they must be shipped to him at
once"
TT breaks my heart to part with
daddy's library" said Cleo, but, of
course, it's the wisest thing to do. 1
don't need the books and l do need
the money. Oh, Jarvis, don't know
how would have got through these
terrible days if 1 had not had you to
lean on and advise with
The following morning found Cleo
in q Bingham apron and Hope in his
shirt sleeves hard at work listing and
packing the hundreds of dusty vol
umes, the ubiquitous and good-natured
Hook mailing up the cases. Hope was
in the act of placing the much-worn
Bible which had belonged to Burke
when Cleo snatched it from him.
THAT mustn't CO." she cried. cit
was given to daddy by his mother.
and the very night he-he died he
asked me to keep it always. 1 shall
never part with it,
The sale, which included the Burke
library, so Mr.. Dawson wrote Cleo,
would take place on the following
Wednesday. AS it had been widely
advertised he anticipated a large at
tendance and good prices. On Wednes-
day afternoon Cleo, who, on Hopes
advice, was preparing to give up the
house, began the formidable task OF
sorting the mass of papers-letters,
scientific data and memoranda-which
had belonged to her father. The re-
ceipted bills she placed in one pile,
the unpaid bil1s-there we're but few
of these, thank goodnessi-she placed
in another; the papers relating to his
patents in a third. AS she lifted the
leather-covered plotting pad which had
laid on her fathers desk almost as
long as she could remember, there
slipped from between its folds and
fiuttered to the floor a letter. Pick
ing it up, she glanced at it carelessly
to see on which Of the piles it be-
longed. To her surprise it was adj
dressed to herself Tearing it open,
she drew out the single sheet OF note
paper that it contained. No wonder
that the message, scrawled thereon in
her fathers cramped handwriting,
brought to her lips cry Of astonish-
ment and CONSERVATION. This is what
she read:
Ny Dear Daughter
In the event of my death you will find
| the secret of the submarine in the books
| over my desk. One book contains the
cryptogram and the other the key.
For long moment she stood speech.
less, staring at this message from the
dead. ''The books over my desk.
| That could refer only to/the dozen
| treasured volumes which, from heI
earliest recollection, her father had
kept in his workroom that they might
be near him. Now she recalled their
last conversation, as she sat beside
him in the laboratory. 81 want you
to remember, Cleo he had said, with
unusual solemnity, that when an
| gone there is fortune for my little
| girl in those old volumes" She had
supposed that he referred to their in
trinsic value. And those were among
the books which she had sent to San
Francisco to be sold at auction. She
had unwittingly let fortune sliI
| through her fingers! But perhaps il
was not too late.
Hook" she cried, excitedly, wav
ing the letter, "see what I've just
found! It fell out from between the
plotting sheets when 1 was cleaning
daddy's desk! The formula is hidden
in one Of those books which we sent
to the auction sale in San Francisco
They are being sold today
there isn't a minute to lose
You RUIZ down to the hotel and gel
Lieutenant Hope and I'll go over t.
the drug store and try to get the auc
ton rooms on the phone"
Before Hook, whose faculties were
none too alert at any time, had recov
cred from his establishment, Cleo wal
flying down the garden path. AS she
dashed through the gate she almos
ran into the arms of Gerald Morton.
ooh, Mr.. Morton" she gasped, GIVE
found the formula! That is" she ad
ded, "Pve found where it is hidden"
"Great heavens!" he exclaimed, ant
with avarfce in his voice, where is it
81 haven't time to stop and explain
| now" she painted. 81 must get to 1
telephone. The secret is hidden il
one of those old books which daddy al
ways kept in his laboratory the.
are being sold today at Dawson's AUG
, ton room in San Francisco. I'm &c
ing to telephone to try to stop thef
SALE" The last words she flung owe
, her shoulder as she FASTENED onward
For q moment Morton stood ponder
: ing. Then he also dashed mad1
, down the street-in the direction G
the railway station
Following Olga's instructions Sextu
l had made it his business, ever sine
1 the night of the murder, to keep tn
r Burke home under surveillance and t
watch those who entered or left
4 AS he was unknown to Cleo or he
t friends he was enabled to obserV
5 their comings and goings withoJ
/ arousing their suspicious. Whel
d therefore, as he was sauntering alon
o the opposite side of the street, smol