North Carolina Newspapers

1 1 1 1 n m i n n 1 1 1 n 1 1 n i ij The Mystery j of the ! Ooulc Cabinet I I By BURTON E. STEVENSON I E CHAPTER X. Enter M. Armand, IGI1T or tin year t.efore the fair Julio lit K-Jst slie fairrr tlu-u thau imff - bad ctiuie to Xew York tu eiiler tbe etuj-loy of a family win' mistress bail ded.loO that life wiilimit a r'ri-n. h luaiil a uiii'ii.iaralili. linuvrn hail Wet Iiit. baj been f.isiinited by lier black eves uiij n l li'w, lini in tbe Hid 'i;xMtl marriage, b ul Ihi'ii hc- T repteil tilul fur xil'lo iiiii-'i. bad Itnl Copyright. 191X by Eurton E. Stevenson. . . 1 ' l,t M ' 1 I I 1 i n a 4 t i i i i i i" SYNOPSIS Apparently by mlMuk Philip Vanttne rectivra an nnll.iue ltou' rnlilnet from Paris A strange Frenchman la mysterl ously killed near It. Poison Insertwl throuch two wornula on his hand Is the cause of nV-ath. Vantine's friends. Lester and Codfit). a ri'(Hrter. ar creotly interested. amine mmscr la KilKM In tna sanr.t mysterious manner nhilv ur slioiily after Clamming (lie Uoule cabinet. Rogers, a servant, accuses a woman who visits Vantine of Vantine's murder. flog era acts suspiciously. With the aid of Parks, Vr.ntine's valet, lister makis plans to c.in fully guard the Uoule cabinet from marauders. Godfrey and LcMer conclude that the cabinet has a secret drawer guarded by a mechanism which stubs and poisons. While Godfrey vainly searches for the rawer with a stcl gauntlet on his hand Lester sees two burning eyes watching them through a shutter. Lawyer llornblower, representing "Mme. X. asks Lester for n packet of her let tcis hidden in the 1-O'ile cabinet which has been stolen from her. She calls upon Lester, says there is no deadly mechanism in the cabinet and geta tier letters from a secret drawer. "Mme, X's" maid, Julie, showed Vantine how to open the secret drawer and knew Irouet, the dead Frenchman, who aought the letters for blackmail purposes. "M. Felix Armand" claims the Boule cabinet for his Paris firm and takes It away, followed by Godfrey and Lester, "Armand," captured by a giant French man, kills the giant with a poison barb. but escapes from Godfrey and Lester. The Boule cabinet is locked In a police station cell as a bait for "Armand," who la really Crochard. a great French crlm inal. Crochard audaciously notifies Godfrey that he will claim hia property, the Boule cabinet, at the police station the follow- Ing Wednesday. "M. rigot," a French detective, arrives. He la met by a representative of the French consulate before Godfrey and Les ter reach him. 'Tlgot" shows Lester and Commission er Grady another secret drawer In the cabinet guarded by steel fangs and poison. He recovers the Michaelovltch diamonds, then steals them while on the way to a bank. Crochard haa Impersonated Plgot Godfrey produces the real Tlgot, who was bound and gagped by Crochard, and the real Michaelovltch diamonds, which Godfrey previously had removed from the cabinet Crochard steals the real gems from a steamship's strong room while the real Plgnt is taking them back to Paris. 11C "No, madam, I 'never re commend headache medicines that affect tho heart action. It's easier to Buffer temporarily with a bursting head than it is to die with a bursting heart. " "Rut I enn safely recom mend this. Been Bollinfj it for 15 years and never had a c;:kc where it did the least harm." "Oh, yes, it's pleartnt to take, we serve it at our foun tain and it is the most popular remedy we have for Headr.che, Neuralgia, Backache ar.doihei ach( s that are superinducct'by colds r.rd stomach disorders." "Which size bottle will you nave i "Thank you. Ci qW "Thank you. Cull again." f' ) JOc, 35c. COc BattUi. f A Pknsaal Llqoid flin. Y ljf HEALTHY I HAIR-NO MORE DANDRUFF. I'm" rai'isliin Sage. It's entirely needless to have un nightly, matted, thin, or faded hair. A little rare la all that is needed to make it thick, soft, pretty, perfectly healthy and free from dandruff. Use Parisian Sage It supplies hair needs and Is absolutely harmless. It quickly stops Itching head and fall ing hair, and is one of the best ton ics to invigorate the scalp and make tbe hair grow long and beautiful. Get a bottle of Parisian Sage today from English Drug Co., or at any oth er drug counter. It costs but 60 cts. au eveutful exisiflue a. f f liiisluiiil of the siren. Then ue iiniriii.i' tit awakened tu Olid her gone. He bad. uf course, intruded his snv ItiKS to her, and the .iv;n's were pone alfo. Julie, it fcviiih. had been over come wllh loii.iiiir for the Paris as phalt, mid hlie had llown h.-uk to France. IlipH had thought of fol lowing; but. ii'palKil nt the dlllicully of flntling her iu Paris, net knowing what be should do if be did llnd her, I he bad Ciiitlly given it up and bad set tied gloomily down to live iim bU memories. Some sort of afTectiou for i her bad kept ulive within liim. aud ' when he oeiied the door of Vantine's , bouse and found ber stamllu? on the ' steps he wns as wax In ber bands. When the story was finished Julie , was quite herself npiln. even a little proud I think, of holding the renter of the stage in the role of siren. "Till" is nil true, I suppose" asked the veiled lady. All quite true, madanie," answered ' Julie, with n shrug. "I nm older now j and have more sense; besides, 1 am no longer sought after as I was." "And so," said madanie. with Irony, you are now no doubt willing to re turn to your husband." "I have been considering It mndame. One must bare a barlior iu one's old age." I glanced nt Rogers and was aston ished to see that lie was regarding the woman with affectionate admiration. I have hesitated,' 6he added, "only j because of madume. Where would mndatne get another maid such as I?" "We will discuss it," said the veiled lady, "when we are alone. And now, perhaps, you will be so good as to tell us of your previous visit here." "One day ou tbe boat as I was look ing down at the passengers of tbe third class that 1 perceived Georges M. Drouet strolling about I was bou- levcrsee what you call upset with amazement, and then be looked up and our eyes met aud he came beneath me and cominnuded that I meet blin thut evening. It was then that 1 learn ed bis plnu. It was to secure those letters for himself and to dispose of them." "To whom?" asked Godfrey. "To tbe person that would pay the greatest price for them, most certainly. Tbey were to be offered first to ma- dame at 10,000 francs each. Should she refuse they were then to be of fend to M. le Due he would surely desire to possess them!" The veiled ludy shivered a little. "That night" continued Julie. "I de cided that at the first moment I would hasten (o this house; I would explain the matter to M. Vantine; I would per suade hi in to restore to mo the letters with which I would Hy to uiudame. I know also that I could rely upon ber gratitude. "It was not until evening that I found an opportunity to leave madanie. I hastened here: I rang the hell, but I confess I should hare failed. I should not have secured tin entrance if it had not been that It was my hushnnd who opened the door to me. M, Vnntlue himself came into the hall, and I rin to him and begged Hint he bear me. It wns then that be invited me to enter this room." She paused ngnln. and n little shiver of expectancy ran through me. At Inst we were to lenrn how Philip Vantine had met his death! "I snt down," continued Julie. "I told hliu the story from the very be ginning, lie listened with much in terest but when 1 proposed that be should restore to me the letters bo hes itated. He walked up and down tbe room, trying to decide, then be took me through thut door Into tbe room beyond. The cabinet was standing la the center of the floor, and all the lights were blazing. I went to the cabinet and pressed on the three springs, as I had seen ma danie do. The little handle at tbe side fell out but suddenly be stopped me. 'Those letters do not belong to you,' he said. 'Tbey belong to your mis tress. I cannot permit that you take them away, for, after all, I do not know you. You may Intend to make some bad use of them.' "He brought me back into this room. I could have cried with rage! Return to your mistress.' be sold. 'and inform ber that 1 shall be most happy to return the letters to her. But It must be In ber own bunds that I k!wlnt-." :i.l fnn. Julie and file moed toward the d"ur. vrhi. h tinkers LaslriH-d o o-ii Mr iloriililaiun l!.U.-d an.t uissed tut ufier them, ami i.hUiv) and I aere left alone locHl.cr. Hell. km! -:rrey-w"ell. what a trv i uoii.d u.alie; At.d I nu"t use it It's n Ititier n fa iii.ii. Ij-Kter. "It nmiUl it-rtaiuly shake I lie pillars of siM-h-tr." agreed "Pin nt titer haketi lutiM'If. I Iniln t miy Idea this was ilie rUiht i-til.in.-l. I didn't my hun ll could le." That's it exa. tly llow did it bap peu wli-;i v.w i filed lady went tu Arniaml & Si.n In Pari that she was 'directed to i'hiiip Vuiitinc! Acenrding to his own story, he did not purchase ; this nil. 1. let He had never seen it before. It was pri-siiiiinliry shlped , lil in dy mKuke Arinaiiil lc Son entile 'you that it was a mistake, and yet tbey cite Vnntlne ns the purchaser. j "There Is no poisoned mechanism almiit lhat dram, that's sure," 1 addi-d. "N't, nnd never has been." Godfrey agreed. "And mat leaves tis all tit sea, t doesn't Iti Put there Is ene thin sure. The killieg. whatever Its cause. ' wns done nut there In the anteroom not In here." i "What makes you tulnli that?"' I "We lielieve that Drouet came (len to get Vs mine's permission to open ! this drawer and cet the letters, saw tbe cabinet, tried to oH'U the draw. er Slid was killed In the attempt. Put It is evident enough now that there Is nothing alxiut that drawer to hurt any one." "Yes. that's evident. I think." God frey agreed. "If he bad opened the drawer, then, he would have taken tbe letters, since there was nothing to prevent him. Since they were uot taken it follows. I doesn't it. that be was killed before be had a chance nt the drawer? Perhaps be never saw the cabinet He must have been killed out there in the ante room a few minutes after Parks left' "And bow about Vantine?" Godfrey asked. "If be bad opened the drawer," 1 pointed out "and been killed in the act of opening It it would have been found open. I bad thought that per baps It closed of Itself, but you see tbnt It does not. You have to push It shut and then snap the handle up Into place." "That's true," Godfrey assented. "Neither of tbem opened tbe drawer. But there Iu an alternative. The baud that killed Drouet and Vnntlne may also have closed the drawer." "Ami left tbe letters in It?" I ques tioned. "Surely uotl" He glanced at tbe shuttered window. "Besides." I protested, "how would he get in? How would be get nwny? What wns be after if be left tbe letters behind?" Then I rose wearily, "1 must be getting back to tbe office." 1 said. "This u Saturday, and we close nt 2. Are you coming?" "Xo," be answered. "If you don't mind I'll sit here awhile longer and think things over. lister. Perhaps I'll blunder on to the truth yet!" 1 got buck to the office to find thnt M. Felix Arninnd of Armand & Sou hnd called it ml. finding me out, had left his card, with the penciled memo randum thut be would cull ngnlu Mon day morning. Vanillic s will wns probated nexl morning. He dini teil that bis collec ; p f9 A. Felix Armand Was Shown In to Me. Hon of nrt objects be removed to the place them.' '1 saw thnt it was of no uso to or- museum nnd thut the house nnd such gue further. He wns of adamant portion or ns contents ns me museum So I left the bouse, he himself opening alrt nt care for be sold for the mil the door for me. And that is all that senni'g leiief)t. I was requested to re I know, nindame." .main In charge of things for a week "Of course." Godfrey sucgested gent- or ,wo uuttl armngeuieuU for the re ly, "ns soon as you reached home you related to your mistress whnt bad oc curred?" Julie grew a little crimson, "No, monsieur." sho sold. "I told ber nothing. I feared tbnt without tbe letters she would misunderstand my motives.' "And then, of course, without the letters, there would be no reward.' Godfrey supplemented. The veiled lady rose. Julie resumed tuoval could lie made. I acquiesced In nil these arrange ments, but I wns feeling decidedly blue when 1 found myself back in the office. "Gentleman to see you, sir." snld the office boy ns I sot down at my desk, ind moment later M. Felix Arninnd was shown Iu to me. Buddy faced, blight eyed, with dnrk. full Uvird and waving hair almost Jet black, be gave tbe Iropreflslon of tremendous strength Rub ii Tinto ThiMalV-H Vndrett h In ' T '? W" ,bou' b,m disappears your head feels fine nytning nut xnendiy. The veiled lady . " cunure not to m mia the hair is pretty and perfectly heal-1 turned to me and beld out ber band, token. 1 " both Impressed and thy. 1 thank you, Mr. Lester, for yoor . charmed by him. -i ipeak English rery badly, air," be aald as be aat down, if yo0 peak French" "Not half ea well as yon speak Eng tUh." 1 luugbed. "I ran tell that (rota your first sentence." "In that event I will do tbe best that 1 can," be said, smiling, "and you must pardon my blunders. First Mr. Lester, on behalf of Armand & Son. I must ask your pardon for this mistake, j so iuexcusiibie. We cannot find for it an explanation. Tbe rubinet which was pun-based by Mr. Vantine re mained la our warehouse, and this oth er one was boxed and shipped to him. We are Investigating most rigidly." "Then Mr. Vantine's cabinet U still In Parlsr "Xo. Mr. lister; tbe error was dls coven'd some days ago, ami tbe cabi net belonging to Mr. Vantine was ship ped to me here. It should arrive next Wednesday on Iji Provence. I shall myself receive It and deliver It to Mr. Vantine "Mr. Vantine Is dead," I said. "You did not know?" ! He sat staring at me for a moment j "Did I understand that yoo said Mr. i Vantine is dead?" he stammered. 1 told bliu briefly as much as I j knew of the tragedy. "It is curious you saw nothing of It in the paiers." I added. "Tbey were full of it" I have been visiting friends at Que bec," he explained. "It was there that the message from our bouse found me commanding me to hasten here. blunder of this sort we foul as a dis grace. I have met Mr. autlne many times. Ue was a real connoisseur We have lost one of our most valued patrons. You say that be was found dead in a room ut bis bouse?" Yes, and death resulted from small wound on the hand, into which some very powerful poison bad been Injected." "Thnt Is most curious. In what man ner was such a wound made?" "That we don't know. I bad a the ory" Yes?" be questioned, his eyes gleaming with interest A few hours previously another man bad been found in the same room. killed in the same way." "Another man?" "A stranger who had called to see Mr. Vantine. My theory was that both this stranger and Mr. Vantine bad been killed while trying to open a se cret drawer In the Boule cabinet Do you know anything of tbe history of that cabinet M. Armand?" We believe it to have been made for Mme. de Montespon by M. Boule himself," he answered. "It Is the original of one now In tbe Louvre which Is known to bave belonged to the Grand Louts." It was Mr. Vantine's correct guess at tbe history of tbe cabinet" I ex plained, "which gave me tbe basis for my theory. A cabinet belonging to Mme. de Montespon would, of course, have a secret drawer. Whnt more nat ural than thnt it should be guarded by a poisoned mechanism?" Whnt more natural, indeed! It is good reasoning, Mr. Lester," he agreed eagerly, bis eyes burning like two coals of tire, so intense wns bis Interest "1 have been from boyhood a lover of tnles of mystery. I am fascinated." rernnps you can assist us," I sug gested, "for thnt theory of mine has been completely disproved." "Disproved? in what way?" he de manded. "The secret drawer has been found." "How?" he cried, his voice sharp with surprise. "Found? The secret drawer has been found?" "Yes, and there was no poisoned mechanism gunrding it" ne breathed deeply for on instant; then he pulled himself together with a little laugh. Ileally," he said, "1 must not in dulge myself in this way. Was the drawer empty?" Xo; there was a packet of letters In It" Delicious! Love letters, of a cer tainty! From the Great Louts to the Montespon, perhaps?" Xo, unfortunately, they were of a much more recent date. Tbey have been restored to their owner. I bone thnt you agree with me that that was the right thing to do?" Since tbe letters bave been return ed." be said at last a little dryly, "it Is useless to discuss tbe matter. Has not other explanation been found for the death of Mr. Vantine and of this stranger? You do not even know who be was?" Oh. yes, we have discovered thnt ne wns a worthless follow named Drouet living In on attic in tbe Rue de la Uucbette, In Paris." M. Armand bad been gazing at me intently, but now bis look relaxed, and I fancied that be drew a deep breath ns a man might do when relieved of a - burden. You did not. by any cbnncc, know hi in?" I asked carelessly. No. I think not. But I do not un derstand what this Drouet. ns you call him. was doing Iu tbe bouse of Mr. Vtintlne." lie was trying to get possession of the letters," I said. "Whnt none of us understands. M. Armand. Is bow be was killed. Who or what killed him. How was that poison administered. Can you suggest an explanation?" It Is a nice problem." be sold, "a most Interesting one. I will think It over. Mr. Lester. I shall see yon again Wednesday. If it Is agreeable to you we can meet at tbe bouse of Mr. Vantine and exchange the cabi nets." "At what timer "I do not know with exactness. There may be tome delay in setting the cabinet from the ship. Perhaps It would be better If I called for yoor "Very wen," I assented. (To be continued.) At Hard Labor. If you were at work in the ditch and your em ployer should ask you to work :I65 days in the year, including nights and Sundays, you would go on a strike right away, wouldn't you? Can't be done, you say? Yes it can. You can get that kind of service. That's what money at interest will do for you. Interest never sleeps. Why not save a little money by opening an account at our bank and thus put money to work for you instead of you working for money all your life? Think it over. Farmers & Merchants Bank. Capital - - $60,000.00. Surplus - - $17,000.00. M. K. LEE, President. XV. S. LEE, Vice-Pres. C. B. ADAMS, Cashier. Do you know that the best pleased people in l 1 MNorth Carolina are those who 1 I hold policies in the Philadelphia Life Insurance Company? Ask us about them. GORDON All Kinds of Insurance. INSURANCE A INVESTMENT CO. Farmers & Merchants' Baak Bid. MONROE, N. O. Every Cent You Spend Fool ishly is Banked by Some One. Why not Bank it yourself? It is your money. Save it Start an Account with us. We will help you save. We Pay 4 per cent Interest in Sav ings Department. Savings, Loan & Trust Company It. n. RIwlne, President. O. Blair, Vice-President, II. B. Clnrk, Cashier. I. II. Ululr, Assistant Cashier. The Most Important Thing a druggist does is fill prescriptions. There is no drug store where this feature has more scrupulous attention than here. When there is sickness in the house It Does Not Pay to Take Chances. Better bring your prescription here, where every thing is certain to be right. ENGLISH DRUG CO. THE DEPENDABLE STORE, MONROE, N.C. When you ride, ride The Indian. THE W. J. RUDGE CO., Agents. Write for catalogue.