1 handsome man paid no attciitiou. “You .-.___ .___ _.__ ..__._. _.__ .._ _"sk- 41;;-_... .._.,_ *_-........e ,,_._.- SATURDAY' ‘ , _,°, _ l ,_ ssnaonamnrrlvowniauahbt-ni Jura; rg, isis-iii F S B Geo; e and Lillian Chester l A Y- 9 l". ivarunisuiit tis-sp_i-iiulslmi. OHAFTIR I. STDAH yswl, with black smoke H pouring from her stoveplpe, _L suddenly stopped its churning halfway across New York bay as the principal passenger, a long nosed :woman with high arched brows, recog- nised through a wahbly jointed tele~ scops the leaders in a procession of five speedy motor-boat: which swept rapidly toward her. ~ “Turn around quick!" the woman or- dered as the first motorboat bore down, -and she dashed a cinder from ber beady eye. “Here comes the runaway bridal” 1 “l'm turning her now, ma'am." re- ported a short.-thick individual whose round face was one consecutive smudge. "Don't you hear our engines swarms?" ‘ "There she goell" screeched Honorla Blye as the long. narrow steel gray boat dashed past. bearing, besides its driver, a beautiful y'o‘un'g'glrl in a` yachting costume. protected as much as possible from the flying spray in the arm of a tall man with a soft felt lint and ri loosely knotted cravat. "Why, she isn't with my husband!" cried Honoria Blye. "No'm," confessed Bill Wolf, putting a fresh smudge on his round fat-0 as the clndcr laden smoke rolled down: “not now." His perplcxity cleared He spied the second boat. "There ln- comes!" "Gill>ert!" screamed the woman as the second boat shot l>_\'. driven by ii heavy man with a round head and thick lldded eyes and carrying as its passenger a dark. Iinndsouii- man wllli n black Vnndykc. whose whole atlea- tion was fixed on the iieautifiil gli! in the forward boat. "Gllly!" 'l`lie dnrla. Nad Warner Gritisd Hia Tooth and Clinchsd His Fists. viper!" she sliriekcd; then she whirled to Bill Wolf. "\\'li_\‘ di»ii't you turn this around and chase t||eiii'."' "W'e`l'e tuviiiiig. |iiu'aiii." repoi'icd Bill Wolf, looking iiiixliiiisly ln at the engineer. “l)on't you hear the engine reversing?" The third boat shut past. driven by a white inustaclied nian in evening clothes. “'l'lint‘s the creature who corruptoil my husband!" slirickcd Huiiorin. "lie was with ililbcrt tho iilglit he took his trunk iiw:i_v! You liciisii" she iicreiini ed, and tlicn slic cuiiglit nicht of liii' occupants in the foiirlli boat. ii llttlc chauffeur with lilaziiig eyes and the tiniest of miistiiches :ind a still’ woman. who bent eagerly f‘or\varil. “The mnlil of tho runaway bride!" explained the justly famous detective. Bill Wolf. "Da you notice that we‘ro turning now. ma`iim?" “Ned Warner. the deserted groom!" announced llonorlii lilye as the llftli boat darted past. Net] held liliiociiiairs to his eyes. ami they were focused al- ternately on bc:iutli'ul June Warner in the arm of the artist and upon the closely pursuing Gilbert Iilye. With him were a plump.nnd placid small man, who drove with unwelcoiuo creases in his brow. and a generously plump young woman. who was half hysterical. "We‘re turned. ma'am." said liill \\'olf, clutching Hoiioria lllye by the elbow. “Don‘t you sec the Federal building?" On the dock there stood a watclimiiii who consisted of an overocat and cap. und silciitly. niotioiilessly hour by hour he looked out toward the liny. A swift motorboat. slender pointed. steel gray. dashed iip. and fi-ani it the artist qiilck- ly lifted beautiful .liine \\'iirni-r. The ovcrcoat and cup moved not ii miisclc. but from far off Ned \Vnrni\i~. in llie fifth bout of tlnit strange ri-giitta. through his puwerfiil liiniiruiiira sau- that landing, sniv .lime cling to her newly found protector. saw. froin the bend of lils liund. that the iirtlst‘s eyes were filled with upprcchitioii for the lieaiity of ilu- fair Iitth- niiuiwny bride. Slraiglit up lin- dui-lc lliv-,v riiii to llic strcvt iiiiri Iiiillod ii piiseillig taxi and tvlilrli-tl n\\'ii_\'. ‘ A koi-ii llitlc raci-r dlislicil up. i~pra_v~ Ing the wutei' in ii glltfefinl: translu- reiit aiu-i-l :iii it curved into the slip. I-‘ruin It iiiiriiiiu the liliick \'ii|iil_\~kod filliii-rl Ill_i‘i- in time to ai-v lhi- tuxli-ali whirl u\iii_i' wllli Iiciiiitlfiil .Inm- l`hriiiicli his |»m\-i-rfiil lilinn-iiliir-i .\'cfl \\'iirm-i ~uii\' lllyi- in-.~illi~iiluliiin wllli l|u'i~r -iiii tlii-_|ii~iii',i~, riiiilul liviiilotl l~Iilii'iii~rl~4 i-llinli i'liiiuali_v illuili ilu' duck xml .i'ii'-in ills fu-i|_ .\ i'il|-~| taint ii trliu. lllim l‘tll¢- viii fi-i y-'vilm ii :.-: drawing room. surrounded by their the ground. Down the channel from the open water there came two speed boats, one driven by a man with a mustache, in evening clothus and a silk hat, and the other. driven by n round headed man, carried ii dark. handsome fellow with a black \'iin- dyke, who stood up shooting two re volvers. 1 fired in the air. The gl- gantlc murderer dropped this 'beauti- ful creatiire, and she run shrieking to my boat. in terror not .only of the des- perate bandit. butioi’ the- men in the boats. Jimmy threw on full speed. and away we darted. hotly pursued by an entire bay full of shouting. gestio- uluting people. lt was marvelous! l have never enjoyed such a morning!" “You poor dear!" The urtlst`s wife was instantly eontrite. "You inust be tired and cold and half famlslied and frightened to death. And you're all wet!" She raised June by the baud. “The Spirit of the Marsh," mused the artist, studying June critically. Mrs. Durbun’s bright eyes sparkled back at him as she led June away to her»owu rooms. where she selected a nesllsee for her beautiful charge. U O O U U 0 O In u richly furnished oiiice which contained no hint of business except for its telephone and the long rows of push buttons sat Gilbert Blye and Orin Cunningham and T. J. Edwards in eamcst conference, Cunningham still in his evening clothes, Edwards still with his pajamas buttoned inside his coat and the carpet slippers on his feet. Button after button the black Vnndyked man pushed. and one nftei another silent, stealthily moving. non- coinmunlcutive men came in and with grave faces received their instructions and departed. Henri and Marie stood in front of n moitle faced desk sergeant with n sausage~like ved mustache. “Your names." he demanded. "Vollu!" ugreeably retumed Henri. "I nm-ugh!" And he lifted his foot sharply. Marie bill kicked him on the shins. "He is Jules Lefon,” mapped Marie. “Noni Non! Non!" iudignantly ob- jected Henrl. a nd there ensued n vigor- ous argument. “And 1 urn Rose Hesper," calmly finished Marie. “Whnt’s the charge?" asked the desk sergeant. "Swlplng u boat." This hoarse ln- formation came from the overcoat and cap. "I don`t know about the Frenchman," whispered the pheuomenaily long po- llceinan in the scrgeunt’s red ear, "but the girl seems to be all right. She knows Odlcer Dowd on the east side and Moran and O‘Toole and that bunch." "Obi" The information seemed to have some weight. The officer raised heavily from his wide chair and waddled through the door juss' buck _of lilm. He was gone long. silent inla- iites. but when he came buck his brow was knotted into what seemed per- manent corrugations. "So you're a friend of Dowd and Moran and 0’Too|c and tiiat bunch!" he tliundered at the luckless Marie. "Well, l telephoned 'em ali. and not ii one of 'em knows any Rose Hesper! Lock 'em up!" “Biit. monsleur. it is all u mistake!" cried the pseudo .lules Lefon, “hinde- molselle is no"- Crack! That kick on the shin was distinctly audible throughout the little rooni. but it had its effect. Henri at last had the liliit, and he shut his lips tightly together beneath ills tiny mus- tache as he and Marie. to the intense gratification of thc overcoat and cup, were led away and locked lu their re- spective cells. lii the dainty rose and white drawing rooui which Ned and June Warner had fllied np to be their nest Ned sat in consultation with .liine's father ‘and mother and Bobble Blethering and .Tune's bosom friend, Iris, and the three detectives. On the floor by Mrs. l\ioore‘s feet lay Jiine's handsome cul- lie. Bouncer. but at tho first mention of his mistress' name he was up and barking loudly. “Your wife‘s dog?" said the chief of Ned's detective force, and Ned nodded. “We‘ll take him." Out in the bay a steam yawl. its stovepipe cold, was being towed majes- tlciilly in by ii rowboat, at the oars oi' which sat a thin whiskered fisherman and a hoy with cracked knuckles and a short. ililck man. whose face was one continuous rotary smudge. This man was Bill Wolf. mid through his smudge were already streaking rivulets of hou- est toil. On board the yiiivl and urging her crew with helpful voices and ges- ture was Honorlu Blye. clnders in her high arched brows, clnders in her dark- ened halr and clnders in ber disposi- lion. O O l Q 1 U O How cheerful was the blazing fire as June reclined in the iuglenook. a cup of hot coffee on n taboret by her side and u comfortable drowsiness stealing over her! She did not know how pret- ty she was in the filmy negligee, but Bennett and Vivian Durban did as they sat at the little studio table, which was their favorito breakfast place, and turned pleased eyes -upon their beautiful guest. Their pleasure in June. however, was scarcely equal to the charming picture of dolnesticity which they afforded June. lt was such pleasant compan- lonship that sbs had expected to en- joy with Nod. just they two alone But that tete-a-tete breakfast was yet to come. How long must it be to the erld of that sepamtion which and be- gun on their wedding day. begun in only a few fleeting hours after their marriage? The happiness had lasted only through the going away amid ii shower of rice and through those ilrst blissful moments sions in the Pullman white ribbonsd luggage. V Another miirderaus thier was lying on .- In the -richly furnished ofllce oua after another of the silent. grave faced. 1 stealthily moving men 'came in and ‘ gave their low voiced reports to the eager Cunningham. the confident Btye. . the impatient Edwards. At histone of thi-‘men brought in ti fellow who bore ii young face on the stooped and with- ered figure of un old man. This fellow approached the table furtlvo eyed on i.llye‘s invitation. and they all mum~ bled together for awhile in low voices. He put something in his pocket as he l; went out, and' he left the three mon laughing. They rose to go. They had finished their oliice work. A butler brought in the mall fo the Durbans ua they finished their break- fast. Durban, walked out toward the “A dead to this house!" she cried. garden. He seemed anxious to conceal something. His wife followed. Durban opened a long envelope with an ex- pectant smlle and took from it a folded document. “My dear"-bls voice vlbrated with pleasure-“can't keep my secret. To- morrow is the fourth anniversary of our wedding, and here ls my gift in commemoration of that happy event." Her eyes shining, the woman took the document and opened it. “A deed to this house!" she cried. "And all that it contains," laughed her husband, "everything, including myself." There was an exclamation of delight. The woman kissed him again and again and called him a dear boy and a good boy and the best husband in the world. June, who had awakened and followed them, drew back, so they would not know that she had heard, but she was glad for once to have been an unwitting eavesdropper, glad to have shared in this joyous moment. CHAPTER lil OWN at the dock Ned Warner‘s detectives appeared, and Boun- cer, picking up the trail at the landing, ran excitedly up to the Street: at the point where June and Bennett Durban had taken the taxi. Bouncer begun to go round and round in widening circles, whining, his nose close to the ground. The trail was lost, as they had known that trail would be, and from hero the detectives scattered, seeking everywhere in their own meth- ods for a cleiv to the whereabouts of the runaway bride. As they left the vicin- ity a rowboat pulled slowly up to the dock, dragging behind it n steam yawl with frosty mist on its stovepipe, and a very much begrimed lady with a long nose and high arched brows landed and l went away without a word. pausing ' only to cast a look of withering scour at the well known and justly famous private detective. Bill Wolf. That short, tlilck lndividiial, with much pufilng ex- ertion, scrambled up and renewed the smudge on his face with n rotary mo- tion of his sleeve and swore profusely; then he. too, stomped away. Blye and Edwards and Cunningham ln a luxurious limousine stopped at ii - house. where they were ushered into I1 gay parlor. A large blond woman came la to greet the callers, and to her Blye showed the picture in the watch. She laughed and nodded her head. Gilbert Blye gravely left Mrs. Rus- sel’s house. ln the high celllnged studio June quietly watched Bennett Durban walk- ing about with a perplexed air, "1 can‘t find my brushes. Vlvl," he blurted ns his wife came in. "lt will be the easiest thing in the world from now ou, Bennett." she in- formed him iind showed lilm the box at the side of the big easel. He stared at her in surprise. , "Good scheme," lie granted. looking down at the brushes, and then he lnugiied. “Howl-ver, I suppose l'll have them scattered all over the place I ngnlu by tomorrow." . "Oh, no. Bennett." she returned. “Pd i rather yoii‘d keep them hers. please. I tlon‘t like my house all cluttered up." “i don): believe 1 can paint if i aoirt' have to find my favorite brush belililli something or other," he confelhsd. "Why, wbere’s my good old chaise lounge?" “I had it taken out. it was so very dlsreputable." Mrs. Durban was study- ' ing the room with haughty severity. "What are you inquired- Durban "I am slr,” rnnovs of one . -$135 Faint, Dsxad,_8osrsd Knowing What ment, while the cheek bones of Marie grew red DOWG." so. Mile- , displayed har friendly smile to " I Henri quired. and grs "l vi-ant my house to represent me.” TU' lr? I ju" 6:" "hm" o wot sleuthed t e ot n .'::;':%£:u°' M' deiectivu. They got the . and tbey've spotted your *° °° °'°""" limousine. som ms in min or mmm", Blakely building ana ru laaa you hu new °"““" “Obi” Durban looked at his wife slowly. “You may take them down. Ololr.” laid Mrs. Durban quietly. and both tho artist and his wife were silent while the tapestries wereremovod., “Vlvi. I dou’t understand." punled her husband. "I don't lee why you'd remove important things without con- sulting me." And he glanced at June, who had returned in the house to re- sume her nap. Her eyes were closed, although she was ,not sleeping. The womaifs chin went up. “Bena`ett`. dear. this is my bouse.” “0h, yes. yes. to be sure!" He walked very quietly back to his big canvas and studied it for a long time without see- ing it at all. - .Tune wusnot only shocked. but filled with compassion. She understood as the man could not the reason for the astounding change in the woman. The sudden acquisition of property had transformed her entire nature. had given ber 11 dizzy hnughtiness, had twisted her view until she placed an utterly false valuation upon herself and upon everything around her. Money again! Always money! Mrs. Durban's attitude had been made in her by centuries of feminine submission. The mothers who laid gone before had built this warped and distorted ego. In all the ages gone the man had owned all and the wonirin nothing. Sho had been the creature of his fancy, -the slave of his whim, the recipient of his bounty. Omcer Dowd walked into station just as the desk sergeant with the sausage shaped red mustache gave way to one with a blue eye and u blue chin. and the new incumbent greeted Officer Dowd with eifusive cordiallty. "What.'s bringing you into my dis- trict? Or are you ofi' duty?" “Dan, you got a girl here by the name of Ilose Hesper flint claims to know me. and i just dropped in to mug her." "You can look them all time." granted the scrgca walked back into the cell Hesper‘s lu cell 5." "Why, hello. Marie!" exclaimed Dowd. “What you in for?" Marie looked up with a jerk. "'.l`here's ai little friend of urine here, too," alia explained. “lt was all a mls- take. I’m in an awful iiiirry." ‘ "Wait a minute." And Oliiccr Dowd stalked out to the desk. "Well, Dan. you got lhc wrong parties," he an- nounced. "What’s against my friend. Rose Hesper?" "Copplug a inotorboat last night," said the sergeant. looking at the blot- ter. the police over if you’ve nt, and Dowd room. “Rose “Wrong party." returned Dowd promptly. “i ivns with Rose Hesper myself last night. her and her little friend. and we dldu't leave the cafe till nearly daybreiik." The sergeant made an entry on the blotter. “i’li lell that dock ulihl." “\Vill he stand for “lf he don't we'll dock." calmly stated the sergeant. "Joe, brliig out 5 and I7.” Five was out first .i'1`ud displayed her friendly smile. "Where's your little friend?" asked Officer Dowd, waiting and glancing past ri dejected looking little chauffeur with ii tiny mustache who came through the cell room door. “Thut's hlm." and Marlo introduced Henri. The big policeman and the little chauffeur glared at each other a mo- 1 Q watchman lt’s an it?" Dowd asked. push lilm oi! the i ‘ _ I l She Did, 'Juno Slipped Out of the I'louas.-- . with pleasure. ~ looked about him wliitfully. happy that I have mst you, M. He bowed politely. "Now we Marie." Henri lil am. ,Maris and then to Oiilcer Dowd. "Won‘t you come with ua7'_' she ih- “You'|l come with mei" bs blurted bhed her by the arm. Bill Wolf called up Honoria Blya. "Got him!" he trlumphantly If °‘nma°t1 mn you wsu and I °1""'” sxeiatmea Ii-is Bieziiu-ing IM *°""°“ to relieve her feelings. The little runaway bride will U Pm' ture which would have held IDD BY’ °' any artist aa she lay asleel> in 'h' inglenook with the ilare of the flames dancing -abou: ner. 'ras aim: lies"- gee had slipped -from one shoulder. Hilti her pretty head, with the wav! W' rippling been mm ner brow. MM upon a tapering-white arm. She sud- denly awoke under Durban’B Bl” “P4 drew the negllgee in place. “You‘ve spoiled it!" cried Dllfblif; "My Spirit of the Marsh! Como D99! He caught her hand and raised her. He led her. bewildered, before the big canvas, where. crudely indicated by s few rough strokes of the crayilll- the “Spirit of the Marsh" hovered 0v°\‘ her domain. "You must be my model!" he excit- edly informed her. "l will Pa! YU" any price you wish. Here is some money in advance." And. i€l'|