A Bit of
Solder!
r A Story of Scotland Yard
P Efficiency Versus Yankee
3 Cuteness
By MARION B. CURTISS
"Stivers, g !ve me a room."
l'ui full, Ciapham. I'itt I've alway
made room for miy of you follows
from Scotland Yard who lias asked t
In- taken air of. for 1 Know y.m re
after game. Anything of huportameY"
"Well, it's nil exactly h:i)Hrt.u;t. and
jet it Is liiife.rt:in In one sense. Mviug
tli.it there's ii game to he laved on ns
ami we've got to make preparation to
lileet It. Have Jou any suspicious cr
cons in the house f
"Now j ou sH':ik of it. n man came in
yesterday. I don't tliink lie's u regular
crook. Kin: ply n measly cliap tliat might
lie hired to do some dirty work."
"Hint Ids exactly. 1 shall need your
assistance, to I may as well show you
my haiid. You have this Mrs. Striker
of Chicago here, whose coming to Iou
don has been made m much of in the
society Journals. These American mil
lionairesses are, some of them, trying
to heat the New York customs oillcers,
and they do so quite often. The Amer
ican detective Is a very dull hlrd hoslde
our Kngllsh outlooker. This Mrs. Stri
ker, I've learned, has Imught the dia
mond that the Hardcastlo family has
lieen trying to II ml a purchaser for.
They finally sold It to her for 20,000."
Well?" said the landlord.
"Mrs, Striker is not coins to pny
American duty on a stone that can be
carried In a shoe heel or a bouquet of
flowers or a watch case with the
works removed to make room for It or
a dozen other places of concealment,
but the trouble Is that the news has
gone over that she's bought the Hard
rastle Rem, and those niuttonhcnds of
New York will be on the lookout for
ber. She's to Mill on the Romania on
Wednesday, and they'll naturally ex
pect that the diamond goes with her.
"Now, we of Scotland Yard are up to
all these smuggling tricks and are on
to this same. I don't need to give
away how I got the story, hut I got It
all the same. Tomorrow morning Mrs.
Striker will be found bound and gag
ged in her room and the diamond gone.
The New York chops will see an ac
count of the loss cabled to the news
papers, and when the lady arrives she
will not meet with the intention she
deserves."
"But what's the need of a robbery If
It's all a fake?"
"Tliut's where onr part over here
comes in. Mrs. Striker will bo hound
ing us Scotland Yard men to recover
her diamond and giving talk to the
newspaper reorters. There's doubt
less some confederate of hers right
here In your hotel who will take the
blame of robbery."
"I see; he'll take It and return it to
her secretly."
"No. hu won't do any such thing. Do
you suppose she'd trust It to a fellow
like that? What she wants hliu for is
to make It appear that he robbed her
of It. And how enn we Scotland Yard
men get It back from him when be
l.na' nnt UW
"There's that measly chap 1 spoke
to you about now that red headed fel
low just going Into the smoking room,
lie booked himself from Itrumagem,
but I know by his accent that he's an
American. I.unnon Is full of American
crooks. I shouldn't wonder if they
kept you fellows busy looking after
them."
"So they do. I'm glad you've pointed
him out to me; It will save my hunting
him up. What's the number of his
room?"
"No. 70. Come to think of it. Mrs.
Striker's room Is 73. directly opMs!te."
"Phew: What a simple game It Is, to
be sure!"
"What are you going to do?"
"Make suro he doesn't leave his room
tonight after he goes up. I shall sprin
kle a flno powder on the sill and in
front of the door. lie's not going to
have anything to do with the matter
except to take the blame for stealing
the diamond. I'll prove In the morning
that ho didn't go Into Mrs. Striker's
room, for I shall put some powder be
fore her door too. All the police will
have to do when the newspapers howl
at us is to bring forward my proof."
"You are a sharp one. sure enough.
Well. I'll give you 72. a bit farther
along the corridor. Going up now?"
"No, not till I've done some watch
ing of this red headed cliup. I must
ntisfy myself that he's the confeder
ate. I don't propose to leave some
one else to do the job while I'm watch
ing the wrong man."
The landlord went behind his coun
ter, and the detective went Into the
smoking room, where he found the red
headed man. whom he did not lose
Ight of till the latter went to his
room. Claphani, not satisfied with his
powder device, sat up all night looking
through a space made by leaving his
door ajar. He saw nothing unusual.
At 7 o'clock In the morning the door
of No. 75 was opened, and a lady's maid
hurried downstairs. She soon return
ed with the clerk, and the two made
for Mrs. Striker's room. Claphara fol
lowed thera Into the room and saw
Mrs. Striker bound la a chair and
gagged. As soon as the gag was
taken out she cried:
"It's gone!"
"What's gone?" asked the clerk.
"Sly diamond."
"Who xk It!"
"I don'i know. The lick f my door
was picked. 1 heard some one work
ing at it. but before 1 could deckle
what to do the door was tlirowu open
and some one came in. There beiug
no light In the room. I couldu't s;v who
he was. 1 gave a cry. aud he pran-'
uiNiu me. pat that thing la my it-.u-lti
and tied me in the chair. Then !
said that if I didu t Ml him here
the llardcasti diamond was he would
kill me. To save my life I told him
that it was under my pili.nv oil the
bed. He took it mi l left mo as ymi
see."
The uftcrt:ou London newspaper
published the fact of the bus of the
diamond, but refrained from i:iing
any clew to the robber. Scot laud Yard
ollicials looked wise and sj.I.I notion;;.
They diil lnt even winh the incasly
chap with the red head. Hut Mrs.
Striker, to make sure that the news .l
the loss of her diamond reached New
York, cabled the fact to her husband,
and nit account of the robbery p
iKNircd in nil Hie afternoon j.i,:nals.
People in I.oinloii were Miipiis.il at
tic? apathy of the police in the matter,
lint there was one man among tl.cni
who was not apathetic, Chap'iaiu
There was a supplementary game on
hand that he did not mention to Sti
vers, lie wished to discover that the
diamond was still in Mrs. Striker's pos
session mid receive several thousand
pouui's hush money. When the lady
left her room he entered It with u
pass key and looked In every nooU for
the gem. There was not a hollow ar
ticle or one that could be mr.de hol
low In tiie rooia that he did cot take
to pieces. The stone mUht le con
tained in one of a clustur of artificial
gr:iK's ornamcntim; one of a number of
hats he found in the room, mid he de
molished every grape without finding
what he lonkcd for. Some bell shaped
buttons he cracked, with the same neg
ative result. At last he was obliged
to give up the job.
Meanwhile the red headed man came
and went In and out of the hotel. The
landlord was anxious to get rid of him.
but had no excuse to turn him out.
Indeed, he was requested by Claphani
not to do so. Clnphiim was not sure
some cue might not yet be derived from
him. ISut nothing turned up. At the
sailing of the Uomanla. Claphani stnnl
on the dock. After the gangplank had
been removed and the vessel was well
out. who should he see waving his hand
to lil in with a sardonic smile on his
face but the measly red headed man
he had sat up all night to watch. The
Londoner stood gaping at the fellow
till he was out of sight, then turned
away muttering Imprecations on the
whole "blarsted" Yankee nation.
Mrs. Striker kept her stateroom for
a day or two, then appeared on deck.
Kvervliody on board had heard of her
loss, and those who had an acquaint
ance with her commiserated wttti ner
for It. She tossed her head and
laughed ns though the matter were of
no great Importance to her, as Indeed
It was not. for she was rich enough to
buy more gems at the same price.
When the linumula was steaming up
New York bay. among the crowd of
passengers standing op the deck was
Mrs. Striker. She wore n very large
hat, trimmed elaborately, that she hail
bought In London not two hours be
fore leaving her hotel for the steamer.
She descried a tnotorboat flying a pe
culiar Hag put out from Staten Island
ami heeding directly for the steamer.
When It had come within a few hun
dred yards of her n gust of wind took
her beautiful hat and dropped It on
the water, l'.ut the tnotorboat that ar
rived so timely received It and sped
a way merrily.
It did not get very far before It was
stopped. Soon after the Uomanla
passed Sandy Hook another tnotorboat
was seen following her. and tho red
bended man from London from the
stem was making signals to It, which
were evidently understood. As soon
os the first Iwnt rescued the hat the
second gave It chase, overhauled It and
took It In charge.
When Mrs. Striker reached the dock
In New York she was arrested for
smuggling. The tint was produced,
and In a large swelling ornament was
the Hardcnstle diamond. The face
had been removed, the stone Inserted
nnd the face soldered In Its place again.
"How did you get on to the busi
ness, Watkins?" asked the customs In
spector. "Well, you see, I was sent over to
track the man who absconded from the
- tti National bank and was In Lon
don when the lady bought the stone.
I reckoned she might try to get It In
free of duty, nnd I took a room direct
ly opposite hers nt the hotel. She put
up a Job of robbery on the Londoners
In order that It might be cabled over
here nnd put you fellows off your
guard. A Scotland Yard man got on to
the business, hut not on to Its true in
wardness. The way I located It was
this: While shadowing tho lady I saw
her buy some solder, and the last thing
she bought In Loudon was the hat that
blew oir her head In the bay. Not long
ago, you may remember, we had n case
of hat blowing. I put the two together
and cabled our agency to be on the
lookout. The rest you know."
"Well. I'll report the case to the col
lector of the port. You go up to his
oillce in a few days and you'll find out
what the government will do for you.
What do you expect?"
'I think, considering the goods are
worth $K)i.(t) and the duty will run
up pretty well into the thousands, they
ought to do something pretty nice for
me."
"I think so. too, especially since they
wouldn't have got a cent of duty them,
solves If It hadn't lieon for you."
Something pretty nice was done for
Wntkltm, but since It was done from a
private fund It was never known how
much he got out of It
HIS PROPHETIC DREAM.
Curious Story of a Warning That Cam
From Slumberland.
The following pr..;.i,-tic dtvain was
related by the president of a tbeolug
leal seminary:
It had been the custom of one of the
professors invite nil the Mudents.
J with member of the facility, to din
ner at a hole! on the annual ThanK
giving day. On the imoiiing of that
day the wife of this professor suddenly
fell dead in her drcsxiug room at !
o'clock.
That morning at 7 o'clock one of the
students woke up from a bad dream
He had dreamed that he sat down with
the usual company at the Thanks
giving dinner and that iiiiuicdiali-ly
one of his fellow students rose in his
place, saying that If was his piiinfiil
duty to announce to the company that
the wife of their hot had Midden!'
died at 8 o'clock that morning
This dream, however, he had In
stantly banished from his mind as an
uncanny probability and had Ihouulit
no more about it. Hot on going to
the dinner1 and taking Ids seat with
the company he was unspeakably
amazed to see the student seen in the
dream rise and lo hear him make the
announcement made In the dream.
Kxchange.
SYMBOLS IN ARITHMETIC.
Origin of the Plus, Minus, Multiplica
tion and Division Signs.
When you make the sign of in a
problem of addition, perhaps you do
not know that you are really using the
first letter of the word "plus" In a
sonic w hut altered form. At first the
capital letter I was used, but as it
was made more and more quickly aud
carelessly the top part of the letter
became merely a horizontal line drawn
across the edge of the vertical.
The sign used In subtraction has even
a stranger history. The word minus
was first shortened Into "mils." with
a horizontal line above to Indicate the
contraction: after awhile only the let
ter in. with the line above it. was used,
and finally the letter was dropped, and
now we have only the hastily made
horizontal line.
As multiplication is but a short form
of addition, the plus sign was turned
sldewlse luto a character resembling
tho tetter X.
Dlrlslou was formerly Indicated by
placing the dividend above a hori
zontal Hue and the divisor below. In
order to save space in printing the
dividend was placed to the left and
tho divisor to the right, with a simple
dot In place of each. Youth's Com
panion. "Either" and "Neither."
There are two or three things about
these two words that one should re
member. In the first place, they Rhould
never be used In connection with more
than two things ns: "It was either
Tuesday or Wednesday," not "either
Tuesday. Wednesday or Thursday;" "It
was neither Tuesday nor Wednesday,"
not "neither Tuesday, Wednesday nor
Thursday." Then, either should not be
used In the sense of each, as "they
walked on, one on cither side of the
road." It should be one on "each"
side of the road. The third caution Is
about the pronunciation. Some per
sons Insist that they should be pro
nounced "l-ther" nnd "nl-ther." with
the "1" long. Rut this Is more an nf
fectatlon perhaps than anything else.
The best authorities agree that the
right pronunciation Is "ether" and
"net her." New York World.
Sly Old Commodore.
"When Commodore Vnnderbllt wus
alive." says a New York Central offi
cial, "the board of directors of the
New York Central used to find their
work all cut out for them when they
met. All they hud to do was to ratify
his plans and adjourn. Yet they hud
their uses. Occasionally n miiu would
come to him with some scheme which
he did not enre to refuse outright
"'My directors nre a difficult body
of men to handle.' he would say. 'I'll
submit It to 'em. but I warn you that
they are hard to manage.'
"The matter would be submitted to
the board wheu It assembled and
promptly rejected.
"'There.' the commodore would say
when bis visitor came to learn the re
sult. 'I did the best I could, but I
told you In advance that my directors
were nn obstinate lot.' "
It Is Obtainable.
He was young, though of a serious
turn of mind Conversation was lag
ging, and she was earnestly hoping he
would take his leave. Her musings
were Interrupted, however, by him
asking:
"Do yon think perfection Is ever ac
tually attained In this lire. Miss Alice?"
"Yes." she answered quickly, "some
people become perfect bores." Denver
Republican.
The Worried Widower.
"He says his poor children need an
other mother."
"Then why doesn't he take one
home to them?"
"It seems that the children pay the
rent, nnd they are very hard to con
vince." Kxchange.
Keep Ou Doing !.
Exchare.
Plucking a thorn from a traveler's
path.
Turning aside a brother's wrath.
Stretching a hand toward the needy
soul.
Pointing the ay to the distant goal
Lifting a fallen brother up,
SweWening the draught in the bitter
cup.
Sowing the seed agninst the spring
tide rain.
Watching in love by the bed of pain.
II riling the orphan's plaintiff crv,
Wini
- - r -
Guarding from ill a friend's good
name,
Hurylng deep the tale of shame.
Dealing with men in an holiest way,
S'cini' heaven's liirht in the ilav.
Trusting Hod In what we do.
working for all things good and true.
One day little Mary was playing
Hh ner kmen In mothers room
while mo; her was sewing The kit
ten scratched Mary aud Mary said,
with a great deal of emphasis;
"You nre a darn little cat!"
Mother told Mary if she cv r
heard her use that word again she
would punish her severely.
The next day Mary was playing
with th kitten and it scratched
her again, whereupon Mary exclaim
ed: "You are the same kind of
kitten today that you were yester
day."
r
REPORT OF THE CONDI! I3N OF
THE
BANK o UNION,
at Monroe, in the State of North Caro
lina, at the close of business,
Jan. 13. 1M4.
RESOURCES:
Loans and discounts $477,311.60
Insurance premiums 1,421.20
Furniture and fixtures 5,177.69
Demand Loans 19,959. 2d
Due from banks and bankers 27,384.72
Cash Items 7,905.56
Gold coin 1.372.50
Silver coin, including all mi
nor coin currency l.oJb.zJ
National bank notes and oth
er U. S. notes 6,428.00
Total $548,786.76
LIABILITIES:
Capital stock $ 50,000.00
Surplus fund 60,000.00
Undivided profits, less cur
rent expenses, taxes paid. 649.68
Dividends unpaid 2,678.00
Time certificates of deposit, 192,460.23
Deposits subject to check... 24!,of5.8o
Cashier's Checks outstanding 1,432.69
Certified checks 210.31
Total $548,786.76
State of North Carolina, I'nion Co.
I, W. C. Stack, cash! r of the
above named bank, do selemnly
swear that the above statement is
true to the best of my knowledge
and belief. W. C. STACK. Cashier.
Correct Attest:
A. M. Stack,
E. C. Winchester,
T. C. Collins.
Directors.
Subscribed and. sworn to before
me, this 17 day of Jan., 1914.
M. L. FLOW, Notary Public.
Another Fine Load
MULES
Y:- noinil I be latter art of last e k the lx-t load of
Muhxaui! lib iky I!im.I M.ir e Keen in Monn e in a long time.
Everything in the bunch. "und, fat anil kmh1 workers. You know
.ur iimii.: S i t IsP U 1 o TO Ol U t SI OMhi:s.
Bargains in Harness.
We have a large -tock i f l.i lot - made Hi IIih and Il.irne-s
pal. in slink, ami (lie ric- wi I ul i.ii thnii will ni;.k ji.u hit
up and take notice. E vet v thing Is made from the Ix-st leather
obtainable. V f only ak you t Mk for yourself.
1
FOWLER & LEE
Sale, Exchange and Feed Stables.
PILLOWS FIE
If you want to buy something that will last you a life time
anil longer and that will prove the greatest value jou ever re
reived and at the same time insure long uigbts of perfect com
fort and happy awakenings, go straight way to Turner & Corn
well's and buy oue of their famous KKSTWFLL Feather lteds.
They are the greatest value on ertli in bedding supplies and the
finest CHRISTMAS t;ift imaginable. These beds are made of
nice new, clean feathers, 01H)KLESS, Dl'STLKSS and STRICT
LY SANITARY and are enclosed in Amoskeag ACA 8 ounce Tick
ing. Amoskcag Ticking is admitted to be the best feather tick
ing on earth. Each bed and pillow fitted with sanitary vacuum
ventilators.
Bed, weighs 36pounds. worth SI5 00
Pillows, 6 pounds to pair, worth 2.50
All for $10.00.
Bed are full sized and all goods full weight. For those
who can spare a few momenta time each day we hare an attract
ive agency proKinition.
Write for literature or call In and ask us about It when
you are in town. WE TAY ALL FREIGHT CHARGES if you
desire goods shipped to you. In writing mention this paper so
as to obtain the above at the Christmas Bargain price of $10.00.
TURNER & CORNWELL,
224 S. College St.
CHARLOTTE, N. C.
Her Raven Hair.
"Some novelists don't know what
they're talklm; nliout. Here's one who
speaks of a girl's 'raven hair.'"
"What's wrong with ItV
"All wrong. Havens don't v.-ear hnlr.
They wear feathcrsT-Liverpool Mer
cury.
It la the mental and spiritual atti
tude with which one meet a crisis In
life which makes the crisis one of vic
tory or defeat
If you aro thinking of buying a Shot Gun
or Rifle it will pay you to look over our Jino.
We have a fine stock of all standard makes.
Prices Range from $1.59 to $35.00.
We will be pleased to show you them.
HEATH HARDWARE CO.
WHOLESALE
MONROE, K. C.
RETAIL