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on

side the tavern of Mr. O’Brien, at El Paso,! l
a(

the morning after the entertainment which
terminated so stran ely for him and others. .
His next officer, avol, was by him, studying
the ground, on which he was tracing patterns
with the end of his scabbard. as if in deep
thought, and a silence had come between
them. , ‘ , V
Old Fritz Hardenkopf, the major, lookingpale
and flabby—as if his electric treatment, of the
night before, had left him shaky enoi gh—was
eating a sandwich, made of the sausage and rye-
bread dear to the German heart, though as dry
as a chip from the journey it had made, in the
major‘s baggage, from New Orleans.
At last the colonel remarked moodily:
“ \Vell, it‘s no use talking of the fellow. I‘ll
allow that he got the best of me with his con-
founded tricks; but I’ll get even With him yet,
if we meet him." . . .
“ He seemed to have some special spite against
you. Brooke,” said Dave], thoughtfully. “ Did
you'ever Sce the man before .4”
Brooke hit his lip, and then answered, through
his clinched teeth: T ‘
“ No, of course not. W but put such an idea
in your head? I don’t know the mounte-
bank.”
" Then what made you drop off so when that
girl showed up!” the other asked. .“ By the by,
boys, how thedickens could that trick have been
managed? One moment she stood out, as clear
as could be, and spoke out, too. 1 saw her lips
move and heard her voice. She wasn’t a decep-
tion, anyway. That Was a real woman, I’d swear
to it anywhere. And yet, by George, she van-
ished into thin air, like smoke. I don’t see how
the thing was managed. I begin to believe that
conjuror has dealings with the old fellow down-
stairs, after all. I’m not superstitious; but, by
Jove, I have to believe my eyes. They don’t de-
ceive a man.” . . _
The major suspended the munching of his
sausage to say:
“ Dot is nodings, mein freund. In de old coun-
try, ve haf such dings, all do time. Dot is v’ot
ve call de zauberwerk—you say ‘vitchraft. Dem
magic tellers, dey can turn into air, shust so
qvick as nodings. Dot gal she vas mate of
shmoke; and dot vas all dere vos about it.”
Davol shook his head obstinately. as he an~
swered:
“ Smoke don‘t talk. Smoke don’t cast a shadow.
Smoke don’t look right into a man’s eyes: and
that girl looked me straight in the face for nigh
a minute. She wasn’t smoke, major. As I said,
I have to believe my eyes, after all, and they
showed me that girl, one moment, and the next
she was gone. If he has not dealings with the
Evil One, how did he do it? You tell us. Brooke,
if you can.”
Brooke shook his head gloomily.
“ Don‘t ask me; I am not in the business."
Hardenkopf here swallowed the last mouthful
of his sausage, and observed slowly:
“ Colonel, tit you efer see dot gal before 1‘"
The colonel flushed deeply at the question, for
no one but the plilegmatic major would have
asked it. His thick skin and matter-of—fact tem»
perament made him careless of what he said and
did, when Davol or any of the other officers
would have hesitated. For a moment Brooke
hardly knew what to answer. and then said
stifily: ,
“ That is a question. Major Hardenkopf, that
concerns myself alone. Please to change the
subject.”
The old major coughed slightly. His imper—
fect knowledge of the English language made
him impervious to any implied rebuke, and he
pursued tranquilly:
“But all de mans in de regiment is talking
about it,'colouel. Dey say you cry out some name
or Oder—Clara somedings. Vat vas dot name,
Davol! You remember it. ven Brooke tumble
down. like as he vas deat? Clara Val—«Val—
Vat vas dot name?"
Davol, looking uneasily at his commander,
answered:
“ Clara Walden was the name; but the colonel
does not wish to talk about it. Probably the girl
resembled some one he knew in former times.
Please drop the subject, like a good fellow.”
Brooke gave him a grateful glance: but Har-
denkopf, with the persistence that marked his
race, answered rather testily:
“ V’at dot pisness of yours, Davol? I am no
leedle poy v‘at go to school. I ask v‘at suit
me 7,

Then, turning to Brooke, with his stolid Ger-
man face set like a rock, he pursued:

“ Tid you efer see dot gal befoor, colonel?”

“ What girl do you mean?” growled Brooke,
who seemed uneasy as he found that his man—
ner had no effect on the nerves of his phlegmat—
ic major.

“ I mean dot gal v’at come on (18 stage and
call out to you to confess somed’ings or Oder,”
answered Hardenkopf, doggedly. “ V’at she
vant you to confess, colonel? Did you know dot
gal? Haf you peen a pad poy? Hey? V’at dey
call preeches promise—hey?”

Brooke burst into an uneasy laugh.

“ Confound it, no, man! If on really want
to know, she was ver like a la y I was engaged
to marry and who ied on her wedding day.
That is all. I suppose the likeness startled me
and upset my nerves: that is all, I assure you.
And now, like a good fellow, please don’t talk of
it any more. It is very painful to me.”

The moment he said that, the good-hearted
Hardenkopf got red and confused, saying hur-
riedly:

“ I vas apologize, colonel.
hoort your feeling.
Dot vas all right.”

Drawing out his pipe and lighting it, a rather
awkward silence ensued, which was broken by
the entrance of one of the soldiers, who came
riding up to the tavern and dismounted before
the group of officers with a yellow envelope in
his belt. They all recognized the colonel’s or-
derly, who handed Brooke the envelope which
he hurriedly broke open to run his eye over the
contents.

His face brightened and he exclaimed:

“Marching orders at last, gentlemen. Pres-
ident Juarez summons the American Regiment
to march to the siege of Qucretaro, Where the
usurper Maximilian has taken refuge, and from
whence we propose to drive him at once. Where
is Adjutant Crocker?"

“ Shall I find him, colonel .’”. asked the or-

I tid not mean to
I say no moor about it.

derly. this sensible reply to a query as to whether it
is wicked to dance:

Brooke nodded, and the colonel be an to dis-
cuss the news in the dispatches that e had just
received. By the time he had read them aloud
the adjutant hustled up, and within half an hour
from that time the camp of the American Reg—
iment was a scene of apparent confusion, but
real order soon came out of the chaos as the men
took up their arms and packed their slender
equipments for the march.

As the trumpets blew the assembly, the colo-

ican covered with dust, who came limping up
to him, and whom he instantly recognized as
one of the men he had sent out after the magi—
cian the night before. None of the others had
made their appearance, and Brooke hastily
addressed the man—Diego Gonzales—asking

, “ W'ell, did you get the man and the girl .9”

Diego hesitated and turned pale as he faltered
out:

“ Senor Colonel, we could not do it. He is no
man, but the Evil One himself. He threw
flames of fire at us and killed my horse, and sent
all the rest of them away so that we shall never a
see them again. I am the only one alive, sefior,
and I was nearly killed.”

Brooke frowned deeplv.

Thus urged, Diego gave a short account of the h
way in which his party had been worsted, say—
ing nothing of his own promises. however, and
finally delivering the message which Doctor Sa-
tan had given him, at the sound of which
Brooke changed color visibly.

When the Mexican had finished the colonel
bitdhis lip thoughtfully, and, after a. pause,
sai '

“You did the best you could, and you shall

time, will they?”

know, and that will give them courage.
my part, colonel, I confess, I am afraid, in the

night, at the appearance of the man, and you
would have been so too.
is different. My men will face anything then.
The trickster shall be killed.”

to be asked, you know. as to the money and the
girl.
your regiment, you know-—-"

long as I never see the fellow again.
have a good deal of money with him, for 1 find
he has been taking a tour through all Texas, and
there was plenty of gold there.”

Brooke’s band warmly. Then he turned and
rode off with his men at a hand‘gallop for sev-
eral miles more, till the mountains that had
greeted Doctor Satan at sunrise that day loomed
up before him, and he descried some horsemen
coming toward him on the dusty road. Then he
reined up, saying:

Yonder comes the accursed magician l”

wicked when it- is not wicked.
no more moral charad‘er than walking, wrest—
ling, or rowing. Bad company, untimely hours,
evil dances make the exercise evil: good com-
pany, wholesome hours and home influences
may make it a very great benefit.”

well as in any other amusement, or exercise, is
nel was attracted by the sight of a ragged Mex— conducive to evil results.
age is toward excess. The modern dancer looks
with contempt upon all dances but the waltz,
and he converts everything to that.
modates the waltz-step to the slow music of the
quadrille or contra, or the quicker music of
other round dances. It is waltz, waltz, waltz
him: from one end of the evening to the other, and
we doubt not the fever is carried into the
dreams of the fashionable fanatic.
bly, instead of filling the place of a promoter of
the social element in man, has
school for the turning out of professional dan-
cers.

majority on the order in favor of cotillion and
contra dances.
_ feeling pervading the company. The thought is
“ Tell me all about it,” he said, harshly. not of skill in dancing but of the pleasure to be

music and the dance is made a secondary ele-
ment of the enjoyment. To be able to do any-
thing well is certainly commendable, and we
cannot omit the graceful art from the list of
those things desirable to the education of young
people; but we believe that there are many of
our youth who would become shinin
society if they would give as much time to the
cultivation of their intellects as they now devote

CRISIS.

BY HART VANCE.

is no evil spirit, but a man like yourself, who
knows a good many tricks. Are you sure you
have seen nothing of Cortina, and the rest of
them?” _ I '

“ No, senor,” declared Diego, in a frightened
sort of way. “ The Evil One must have caught
them. Surely he must be the EVll One; for no
man can breathe flames of fire, and throw things
which kill horses and burn them up, Without a
gun or pistol.” ‘ _ .

Brooke grunted impatiently.

" Well, well, find the others, and remember
that the day you catch him you Will get plenty
of monev. Follow the regiment.”

He rode to the head of his men, who were be—
ginning to move out, and the Mexican stole off,
muttering as he went: _

“ It is very fine; but all the same, if you had
been there you would have known it was the
Evil One himself.” _

He went to the quarters of his friends in .the
town, to get a horse, and found there, in hiding,
his comrades whom he had missed, including
the bandit chief, Cortina, himself—all crest-
fallen in the extreme, but much relieved at his
reappearance. . . .

Cortina, the well—known Mex1can bandit chief,
who played the r010 of “ patriot” during the
war against Maximilian, because it offered op—
portunities for plunder, was a man rather su—
perior to the other Mexicans in his band, though
his superstition had got the best of him when
he fled from Doctor Satan. _

He questioned Gonzales closely on the particu-
lars of his interview with the magician, and got
more out of him than Brooke bad, though the
man feared the threats of the magician too much
to let out the fact that he had promised to be-
come his servant.
When Cortina heard what Brooke had said
about Doctor Satan being “ only a man who
knew a great many tricks,” he said to his
men:
“ The American colonel is right. We were
deceived last night; but there is a way we can
beat this magician, if he be the devil himself.
We must cast silver bullets and go after him
again. A silver bullet is effectual against
wizards and any evil spirit.” _
The proposition was one that exactly suited
his ignorant hearers, and raised their spirits to
a pitch as high as their previous despondency
had been deep. I
Cortina produced a number of true Silver dol—
lars, which he took from a bag in which were
kept the funds of the troop, acquired by suc—
cessful robberies, and they went to one of the
humble silversmiths of the town, who speedily
melted the dollars into a little pool of glowing
white molten metal, from which silver bul—
lets were cast to fit all the revolvers in the par-
t

 

 

We prate of peace and happiness

As nonyms and vaguely deem

Life a riddle read, though still a dream
Of bliss, unpromised in our guess,

Troublingly mews us to aspire, _
And still our strange hearts agonize
In hope‘s continual sacrifice '

To the unanSWered sphinx’ deSire.

I, whom the inordinate. flush of youth I
as ceased to urge—whom years and pain
Have set no life-i-otr to conscrain—
Attain to something nearer truth;

I have not made a final law .
Of others‘ or my own surmise;
I am not cumbered anywuse

By tne low fears, mistiiled awe;

I have not owned my trammeled deeds
The measures of my utmost use,
Nor given my soul a baleful truce
With dull narcotic of the creeds.

I cannot crave a mocking rest A
That ever natural heart-thrill breaks,

At outbreaks of the truth repressed.

But I have. reached, through years forlorn,
Deierging rage, a surer pace—
Not that which in the mere purchase

Of Nature‘s promptiugs all forsworn,

But that of heart and brain kept true
At center and adjusted so
For aught that life may undergo.

Or conscience prove in shrewd ieView.

I speak the surest thought I have,

I act my purest impulse out,

And so can come on fact and doubt
Without th’ abashment of a slave.

Accusing precept has not oiled
The native virtue of my cart;
My holies are not shrmed apart;

And truth betides me unforestalied.

My motives seem so harmonized
That, whatsoever chance may bring,
Or thought unfold or passion spring.
My peace will be unjeopardized.

And yet sometimes a wild dream smites

In question. and the spinning world
Seems rife with my foregone delights.

My heart disowns, in mad appeal,
This iteous forfeiture of youth,
The (Peep insuraence of its ruth

Belying all my vaunts of weal.

My peace seems merely life at stay,
Like passion’s respite in a swoon
Or absolution by the moon

After the ruthless shift of day.

Content is but my Spirit's night—
The shadow of my own 8 ml. starred
With rinciples and truth, unmarred
By any heart-flush overbright.

And. as against the night cone’s base,
In sure advance, are beating on
The ruddy breakers of the dawn,

That shall the utmost star efface.

Through all my shadowy deep repose
At settled wisdom’s Seeming goal,
Entrancing splendors near my soul,

And intimation grows and glows,

yThus provided, the party, now numbering
thirty men, set out on the trail taken by the
American Regiment, mounted and armed as
richly as only Mexican bandits go, .and galloped
ofl' gayly till they overtook the re iment, halted
for the noon meal,some ten miles rom the town
of El Paso, on the road to Chihuahua. '
Diego Gonzales was with the rest, and full of
high spirits, as he thought, in his ignorant su-
perstition, that he had at last found a way by
which he could rid himself of his supposed en-
gagement to serve the Evil One, in the person
of Doctor Satan.
As they rode up to the regiment, they were
greeted with a cheer, for the men knew them
and had been accustomed to depend on the
mounted Mexicans to do their scouting, ahead
of the column.
Brooke recognizing the troop, rode out to
meet them, saluting Cortina with military pre-
ciSion, and opening a conversation by say-
in

Until my galaxies of thought
Are paid, and sense, and hope and will
Are thralled, presaging, all a~thrill,

The blissful wonder to be wrought!

When I your nearing thoughts divine
And softly. through a spelled surprise,
Rise to jov’s marvel, or your eyes

Shed your rapt spirit into mine,

The balance of my heart is jarred
With pulses of diviner life,
And every impulse set at strife
With whatsoever heed has barred

My deep heart-claim for life that bears

The glory of hazard and the chrism

Of rapture, by antagonism ,
Wrung from mere good for him whoidaresl ._

This is the import of your eyes,
This is the sweet apocalypse
Rendered upspoken by your lips,

The exegesis of your Sighs.

Deeper than thought our true life is,
Our heart’s need is our highest right,
And only love can bless or blight—

Our “ Tyche or our Nemesis!"

E \Vell, Captain Cortina, I am glad you have
come, for we anticipate some trouble. The
ickets report some suspicious signs ahead, and
I) wish you to ride on, and to make no scruple
of shooting any person on find on the road
who cannot show coricluSively that he is a friend
to the Liberals.”
He said this so that all the men could hear
him, but with a sly look at Cortina, which the
other understood, for he said:
“Your orders shall be obeyed, colonel.
save President J uarezl”
Then. lowering his voice as he ranged along-
side of Brooke, he added:
“Have any signs been seen of the magi-
cian?” -
“ We have met some countrymen who saw
him pass by this morning, and who say he has
gone into camp in a gully twenty miles from
here. They rode by this morning. Are your
men ready? They will not be afraid in the day-

God

Our highest joy in any prize
S rings from the daring of our aim,
TIie sentry-angel’s sword of flame
Still marks the gate of Paradise.

Invisible Ivan,

THE WIZARD DETECTIVE;

on,
The Secrets of the Cells.

A Story of the Mysterious Phases of
New York City Life.

BY COL. PRENTISS INGRAHAM.
CHAPTER XXVII.
PALACE AND HOVEL.
THE night came on with rain and sleet, and
the wind blew it fiercely in the faces of the few
wayfarers who were forced to be abroad.
But, after a substantial dinner, the lawyer
and The Hornet buttoned their great-coats about
them, and springing into a coupé were driven
away to the rendezvous with Ferret and his
waiting comrades.
They were found at‘the entrance of a down-
town theater, loafing about as though waiting
to go in when the curtain rose, and no one see—
ing them would have suspected that any one of
the six, the three police officers and trio of de-
tecti ves were known to each other.
Springing out of the coupé, Chief Gordon
walked up to the box—o ce, made an inquiry
and walked back to the vehicle.
It was enough; he. had been seen, and one by
one the six waiting men leftthe theater corridor
and started in the direction of the Five Points.
The driver of the coupé had his instructions,
and after going a few squares he came to a
t

 

Cortina shook his head.
“Not now. They have cast silver bullets, on
or

But in the daytime it

Then he hesitated, and added still lower:
“ It is understood that there are no questions

 

I don’t want any trouble with the men of
Brooke held out his hand.

“ Do just as you please about all of them, as
He must

Cortina‘s eyes sparkled, and he clasped

“ Load your pistols with silver bullets, boys.

(To be continued—commenced in No. 166.)

 

 

Dancing.

REV. HENRY WARD BEECHER once made

 

Here the lawyer and Chief Gordon left the
vehicle and proceeded on foot to the dreary,
dila idated part of town in which was located
the Haunted Rookery.

Entering the alley, they turned into the de—
serted court-yard and were met by Ferret and
his men.

“ Captain Benedict has sent me his best men,
I see,” whispered Chief Gordon to Bonnill Rog-
ers. and he added:

“ There is Mocksley, and the two beyond him
are officers Parker and Sloan.

“ I can rely upon them as upon my own men,
if we have trouble.”

“ Do you expect it?”

“ I do not know what to expect, for that old
mansion is a term incognita to me; but I go pre-
pared for the worst.”

“I think you have an idea that it is the resort
of a band of thieves,” said lawyer Rogers.

“ I hardly know what to think; but come, let
us go, and I am glad the night is so inclement,
for what we do can be done quietly.”

And advancing to the door the chief pulled
the bell.

Almost instantly was it opened by a servant
in livery.

He started slightly at sight of a cr0wd of vis-
itors, but was unable to close the door, if such
had been his intention, as Gordon stepped quick-
ly inside followed by lawyer Rogers and the
others.

“ Gentlemen. this is a strange intrusion, and
my young mistress will be very angry, ” said the
servant, and he stretched forth his hand to grasp
a bell~rope when Gordon said:

“ Drop that hand, sir, quick.”

A pistol was leveled at the servant, and be
obeyed, saying sullenly:

“ I have no desire to be shot down: but why
do you thus enter a private house at ni ht?

“It is wicked when it is wicked, and not
In itself it has

He might have added that excess in this, as

The tendency of the

He accom-

The assem-
become a sort of

Once in a While we hear of a hall where
preponderance of elderly people leads to a
Then do we find a true social

ad in the society of congenial friends. The

lights in

 

 

not regret it. But the man has fooled you. He

to “ shaking the light fantastic toe.

“ If you are robbers, you belie your ooks.”

And through whose dreams the spirit quakes

My rhythm-lulled soul. and thought is whirled

_nia-.yhave

Secret Service League, an

at once.” ' .
“My master is not in, Sir.”
“ Your mistress is?”

to—night, sir: but Miss Kate is here.”

Park?" . _
“ Yes, Sir, she often goes out for a drive.”

with them: but her name is Miss Castleton."

“ Her father’s name is—"

“I can ansWer no questions, sir; but if you
wish to see Miss Kate 1 will tell her you are here
and know if she will see you.”

“ Do so, please.”

“ lValk into the reception-room, please,” and
the servant, in a stately way, threw open a door,
ushering the officers into a large room, after
which he disappeared.

They had observed the soft carpetng of the
hall, the elegant appointments upon all sides,
and the look of massive comfort upon every—
thing.
But they were surprised at being ushered into
a room that was fit to be the ante—chamber of a
king. -

There were soft silken sofas and ottomans in—
viting a seat, the floor was covered with a vel—
vet carpet, a lamp burned brightly upon a cen—
ter-table. and there were rare paintings upon
the walls. while a wood fire burned upon the
hearth, above which arose a massive mantle of
gronze, the top ornamented with rare brie—a—

rac.
A short while only was the man gone, and
then he returned with the remark:
“ Miss Castleton is at dinner, sir, but will see
you.”
Motioning to his men to remain where they
were, and adding in a Whisper: '
“ See that no one pahses in or out, and keep
tyloui;i eyes on that flunky,” Chief Gordon said
ou :
“Come, lawyer, we’ll go up and see the lady.”
“I uess we are wrong after all, Gordon,”
said on‘m'll Rogers, as the two ascended the
massive stairway together, the servant lead-

in .

g We shall see,” was the quiet response, and
they were usher'ed into a magnificent lor,
brilliantly lighted, and beyond, through guiding
doors, was visible a table, at which sat a young
lady at dinner. while a butler and an assistant,
in livery, stood near.

The parlors were very large, furnished with
luxurious elegance in every particular, while
silk and velvet draperies covered the closed win-
dows.

A wood fire burned brightly u on the hearth.
and the mantle of carved mar 1e held silver
candelabras, in which were wax tapers, which
gave a soft light to all.

As the gentlemen appeared in the parlor the
young lady said something to the butler, and he
hastily advanced toward them, bowing politely,
with the remark:

“ Miss Castleton’s compliments,aiid she would
be glad to have the gentlemen join her at the
dinner-table. ”

“ Come, Gordon, there is no back-out now,”
said the lawyer, and Bonnill Rogers advanced
with the chief, bowed, as he stepped across the
threshold of the folding-doors, and said:

“ Miss Castleton, pardon our disturbing you,
but our visit can soon be explained.

"‘ I am Mr. Bonnill Rogers, an attorney. and
this is my friend, Captain Gordon, of the Secret
Service."

The lady arose, bowed, and said with perfect
com osure:

\

“I am James Gordon, in man, Chief of the
I have come upon
important business and would see your master

“ Master and mistress both left for the East
“ Is she the lady who drives out often in the
“ And the people here call her the Goddess”

“ I do not know, sir, what she is called by the
people about us, for we hold no communication

  

ter unders the look, and rising, said:

in various ways, I could not but come here as I
haVe, and now that I have met you, you can
count on me as a friend, should you again be
worried.

“Here is n1y~card, and I will be wholly at
your service if need be.”

“ I thank you, Captain Gordon, and if need be
I will seek you; but I am a Texas girl, and I am
pretty well capable of taking care of myself, as
a priest, who i ogged me in my drives for days,
discovered a short while since.”
Again the two visitors changed looks, and
lawyer Rogers asked:
“ May I inquire. what part of Texas are you
from?"
“ I claim Galveston, and also our ranch in the
western part of the State as my homes: but in
fact I make myself at home wherever i am. "
“ Permit me to inquire if you have met a
Texas ranchero by the name of Paul Garnet!”
Her eyes drooped, but she answered:
“ Yes. I knew him well, but he is dead.”
“ Indeed f”
“ Yes, he was lost at sea from off a Havana
steamer over a year ago.”
Law yer Rogers bOWed, and taking out a card
handed it to the maiden with the remark:
“This is my address, Miss Castleton, and if I
mistake not, your grandmother has already
called upon me professionally in another per-
son’s behalf; but we will not detain you any
longer,“ and they turned to go, when the young
hostess touched a silver bell that looked like a

to '.

The butler appeared in answer:
“ Orleans, escort the gentlemen to the lower
hall and offer them cigars.”
The butler bowed. and leading the way, took
from a table a silver stand of cigars and
matches. and handed them around to the entire
party, as they all assembled in the lower hall to
draw on their coats, preparing to face the cold
blasts without.
“ It is allowable, gentlemen, to light your ci—
gars here,” said Orleans, politely, lighting sever-
al papers.
The cigars, fragrant Havanas. were lighted,
and the party left the strange house, a hovel
without. a palace within, and the chief said
aloud as they crossed the court:
“ 1, James Gordon, do hereby acknowledge
myself wholly at fault, and to you, Parson Fer-
ret, I offer the advice not to fool around there,
for the young lady who dwells in that palatial
rookery is a Tel-an.”
A laugh greeted the chief’s words. and, more
than ever in the dark, The Hornet dismissed his
men, and. reaching the coupe, drove rapidly
away with Bonnill Rogers to his home, where
Bull’s Eye was waiting their coming.

CHAPTER XXVIII.
ixvisinuc IVAN HOLDs 'l‘lil‘Ml’S.

DAYS passed by after the visit to the old
homestead near the Five Points, and changes
came to some.

Sam Clapp, the trusted detective. had sailed
for France on his secret mission, the counter-
feiters had been quickly tried and sentenced,
Henry Anderson, alias Henderson. had been re-
turned to his life im risonmciit in a “Western
State,and Lawrence kane had hastened back to
his home in the “'est to force himself to be con-
tent with what he had for the present.

Delia Howard had told lawyer Rogers all that
had occurred, and he had persuaded her that
there was no more danger to be dreaded, and al—
so had persuaded himself that the one who had
a second time saved her could be no other than

 

 

 

on are welcome, gentlemen; pray be seat—
ed and join me at dinner, and any busmess on
come, on can be attended to affer-
ward.”
“ Thank you, we have but just dined, but will
not disturb you,” and they took the seats pre—
pared for them, while the butler filled their
glasses with wine, and the fair hostess said:
“You will pardon me then if I continue my
dinner?”
They bowed, and raising her glass she said:
“ Your very good health. gentlemen.”
Lawyer Rogers was perfectly at his case, but
the chief was a trifle nonplused at the reception
he had met, from the door to the dining-room.
He had anticipated a different greeting, a far
different scene, and he was taken aback, and re-
mained silent, while the lawyer chatted away
with his hostess upon various subjects.
Chief Gordon saw that there was the same air
of elegance, luxury and refinement in the
dining-room that there was elsewhere, and the
table service was of massive silver and the finest
French china.
Game, hunting and fishing scenes adorned the
walls, all being rare and artistic paintings, and
the liveried servants moved about in respectful
.silence, needing no request to keep the glasses
filled with wine.
Then the chief turned his eyes upon the mai-
den, and he saw a lovely face, strong in feature,
black, expressive, brilliant eyes, long dark
lashes, a well-arched brow and perfect teeth.
A wealth of golden hair was gracefully ar-
ranged about her haughty head, and short ring-
lets clustered over her forehead and about her
temples.
In her ears were large diamond solitaires,
and upon her hapds were costly rings.
She wore a dress of white velvet, trimmed
with canary—hued silk, and her form was ex~
gulisite in shape and her every movement grace-
u .
Having finished her dessert and sipped her
coffee, she arose and lawyer Rogers offered his
arm to escort her to the parlor, and she ac-
cepted it with a smile, and, when seated,
asked: ,
“ Now, gentlemen, how can I serve you, for,
in the absence of my grandparents, Mr. and
Mrs. Evelyn, I suppose it devolves upon me
to talk business.”
“Will you e lain, Mr. Rogers?” asked Gor-
don, with a sly ook at the lawyer, as he threw
that disagreeable work upon him.
“ Certainly. and it is your due, Miss Castle—
ton, to have a full explanation.
“The truth is, your comin here to this old
house created a sensation, an so much pressure
was brought to bear upon my friend here,
Captain Gordon. to prove that it was the abode
of illegal characters, that he was forced to
come here to prove to the contrary, and his
officers are below in the reception-room.”
“I am at a loss to know why my grand-
parents and myself should be suspected of
aught that was wrong,” said the maiden, her
face growing serious.
“ It was the fact of an elegant carriage, with
servants in livery, driving away from this 10-
cality of hovels, so to speak, each day, and
then persons of your appearance, and that of
your grandparents, dwelling here, that gave
rise to suspicion, while other things that have
0(‘curred added to the minors, caused our
visit.”
“ You are welcome, as I said, gentlemen, and
you are at liberty to search the house from cel~
lar to garret; but the fact is, my grandparents
dwelt in this pllace long years ago, they have
no friends in ew York, and they came back
here to live.
“ They did not wish to attract attention to
the fact, so a house adjoining, in the rear, on
another street, was bought, and an entrance—
wa cut through.
‘ Workmen came that way in fitting up the
place, our furniture was brought in boxes,
through that house, and so our coming was con—
sidered mysterious.
“We have ample wealth, have been accus-
tomed to refined life and luxury, and so we still
keep it up. having our servants about uszbut my
grandparents are away for a few days as I have
said, having gone off East with an odd cousin
of ours, a sea captain, who urged a visit to the
old homestead in Massachusetts, and who has
been stoppin with us a. few days, to my great
amusement, or he is a thorough Yankee.”

 

Perc Gray, the fugitive murderer.

W at hehhad in common  Miss Howard
the lawyer“ could not discover, a he questioned
the maiden closely regarding the pretended de-
tective. to feel convinced that she had never be-
fore met him.

No other communications had been received
from the Invisible Detective. nor had a sin 16
report come in of the rescued Queen of t e
Crooks: in fact, a dearth of news had settled
upon those who figure in this story, and no in-
formation of interest to my readers had been

gleaned by the Secret Service men.

Ferret was still upon the track to discover the
solution of mysteries, and yet could bring in no
re ort.

9 did report that the old tenants of the
Rookery had returned from the East, for he
had seen each one, at different times, driving in
their elegant carriage, and the blonde beauty,
the Goddess, was still seen taking her drives in
the Park.

She had given several su pers to the poor of
her neighborhood. sent con? to the poorest, and
aided others with money and groceries, and she
was fairly worshiped by one and all, and to such
an extent that rather than expect harm from
them, they would have mobbed any one who had
said a word against her.

The Haunted Homestead still kept on its
dreary look without, and what went on within
no one could conjecture, for no one seemed to be
admitted to the sacred interior of that palatial

ome.

The sloop of the Yankee skipper had disap-
peared from the slip near Catherine Street Ferry,
and whither it had gone no one knew.

So matters were going on, when one morning,
seated in his office, lawyer Rogers’s office boy
came in and said:

“ A lady to see you, sir.”

“ I am very busy: who is she?”

_ “ The same old lady who was here once before,
Sir.’ '

“ Ah! show her in,” and a moment after his
client, acting for Mrs. Maurice Vertner, entered.

Her form was bent slightly, her hair snow-
white, but she had an air of refinement that was
marked.

“ I have come to see you a in, Mr. Rogers—
thank you, sir, kindly,”and s e sat down in the
easy-chair he wheeled up to the st0ve for her.

“I am glad to see you, Mrs.--Mrs.— I for—
got that I had not the pleasure of your name.”

“ Ah, yes. I did not tell it you, and there
really is no need to do so, as you are not acting
for me, but another.”
“ That other does not authorize you to ask it,
or me to act, madam, as she believes her bus
band dead.”

“ True, sir, but yet you have acted.”

“ You know this?”

" Certainly. and that you have sent Detective
Sam Clapp to France.”

The lawyer seemed surprised, and said:

“ May I ask how you know this, madam?”

“ As I know many other things, lawyer
Rogers, by finding out: but you have not heard
from your man yet ?”

“ Oh, no, for it is not time.”

“You will get a cablegram soon, for he has
made some important discoveries.”

“ Indeed?”

“ He has. as I expected he would.”

“ You know this. madam?”

“ Oh, yes, and I have come to say that when
on hear from him you must do as he says, and
are is money to defray all expenses.”

“ But, madam, 1—” e

“ Not a word, sir, for you must see this mat-
ter to the end, now that you have undertaken it,
and _I propose to furnish the money necessary,
and in this roll of bank—notes you will find 'two
thousad dollars.

“ Should you find that you need more ad-

vance it, and 1 will repay you. if you have

confidence in me.” '

‘ ‘ Perfect confidence, madam.”

“ I thank you, lawyer Rogers.

“ Good-day, sir,” and the old lady rose,

gowed, and the lawyer escorted her to the
oor.

“ You drove here, madam?”

“ Yes, sir.”

“ Permit me to see you to your carriage?”

_She accepted his arm, and he found a car—

riage, With servants in livery on the box.

No monogram or initials wens on the car-

 

riage, and no letter on the harness, so he saw

 

 

 

 

a?" I

The lawyer lanced at the chief, and the lat-

“ My dear Miss‘Castleton, I sincerely implore
ardon, for the trouble we have put you to, and
I) promise you shall no more be disturbed
through me; but having my suspicions aroused

    

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