Abergavenny Chronicle

FINED BY POLICEMAN. I The idea of a policeman capturing a law- breaker, imposing a fine, and then releasing the culprit, will strike the average Briton as exceedingly strange. Such a thing, however, is by no means uncommon in Dresden. A man who drives faster than the law per- mits, who rides a bicycle on the footpath, or walks on forbidden stretches of grass in the parks, may be 8tpped by a policeman and fined there and then, according to law. He is not obliged to pay the fine, however. In that case he must give his name and address, prove his identity, and then in a day or twc he will be summoned to the court to answer the charge against him.

PROHIBITED PARCELS. I The restrictions on parcels post in this country are so few and so reasonable that it probably never occurs to us to ask whether the despatch of this or that article is permis- sible by its means. But foreigners do not enjoy quite as much postal freedom as we do. Germany forbids the packing of anything of American origin in a parcel; Holland re- jects potatoes; Denmark objects to almanacs; Spain bars jewellery, maps, rosaries, wax matches, and air-guns; and the Egyptian postal authorities decline to carry sausages.

TO DISCOURAGE SUICIDES. I In Japan a favourite method of commit- ting suicide is to throw one's self over a waterfall. Police are stationed at several waterfalls adjacent to the cities. Near one of them is a conspicuous sign, bearing these words: "Do not drown yourself here! In- tending suicides are warned that Heaven dis- approves of the utilisation of this waterfall for the purpose. This is certified on the best priestly authority, and serious consequences in the -hereafter are guaranteed. To drown here is also forbidden by the authorities."

I [ DRESS OF THE DAY. A DAINTY SUMMER DRESSING GOWN. Nine out of ten women will agree, I think, on the desirability of the summer dressing- gown, or negligee, carried out in some pretty, dainty washing fabric. Such a gar- ment is specially dear to the heart of the woman worker, who, returning from a long, busy day in office or workroom, slips into a cool, fresh negligee and immediately feela a freshened and rejuvenated creature. Nor need the cost of such a negligee put it beyond the reach of even the most modest dress- allowance, for cotton materials, and delight- fully pretty ones, can be bought nowadays for a surprisingly low figure, whilst the mak- ing of a simple negligee is quite within the ?owers of the most inexperienced amateur. ake, for instance, the very pretty and be- coming garment pictured in our sketch. What could be nicer? and yet it is of the very simplest cut and shape.* This pretty gown is carried out in cotton voile, the mate- rial in this particular case being white and A tBETTT DRESSING GOWN. I patterned with fairly large spots of a specially pretty shade of mauve. The short Empire bodice is fairly full, being gathered on the shoulders and again at the high waist-line. The fronts cross, leaving a rather deep V- shaped opening at the neck, which is filled in by a dainty little 'chemisette composed of alternate bands of Valenciennes insertion and fine, tucked white muslin. From the opening turns back a wide collar of quaint shape, which is also carried out in the white muslin and edged with a band of Valenci- ennes insertion and a frill of lace. The sleeves are simple bishop affairs, which are left unlined and are set into tucked and in- serted cuffs at the wrist. The skirt is very full, being gathered all round the high waist, is cut long all round, and is slightly trained at the back. A sash of broad satin ribbon in exactly the same shade of mauve as the de- sign on the material gives the finishing touch to this pretty negligee. This sash is folded round the figure and tied in a knot on the left side, from which fall two long ends which come almost to the bottom of the grown. PRETTY WASHING FROCKS. I This subject is particularly fascinating; it suggests summer holidays, long warm days, and brilliant sunshine. Now the pretty wash- ing frock sketched for us has been specially designed with a view to the exigencies of the wash-tub, and is as simple as pos- sible, presenting no real difficulties either to the amateur dressmaker or to the woman who launders her frocks at home. It is of the type called by our American cousins a shirt-waist frock, and is an exceedingly neat and prac- tical little dress for everyday summer wear, just the thing for tennis, boating, morning use in town, or all-day wear in the country or at the seaside. The blouse bodice of this frock buttons straight down the middle of the front, the edge being finished with a rather wide piping of some pretty striped washing material that contrasts nicely with the stuff of which the dress is made. The buttons which form the fastening are covered with the same material, and the edge of the front is further adorned with a line of machine-stitching. On either side of the front come three fairly wide tucks, which are carried right down to the waist. Naxt comes BLOUSE SUIT IN LINEN OB ZEPHTX. I a plain space, and, finally, three more tucks, the outermost of which projects over the top of the sleeve-these lasUmentioned tucks are released just below the level of the armhole. The back of the blouse resembles the front except that, of course, there is no fastening down the middle and that all four groups of tucks are carried right down to the waist. A neat little detachable collar, piped with the striped material, finishes the neck, but this may be replaced if preferred by an ordinary tucked neckband or by a stiff white linen collar. The sleeves are of the newest shirt shape, with a small amount of fulness at the shoulder, but fitting closely about the wrist, where they are finished with a piped Cuff and buttons and buttonholes at the back of the arm. The skirt is an eight-gored model, and has an inverted pleat at the back. The pattern is in five sizes, 20, 22, 24, 26, and 28 inches waist measure. For the 24-inch size it will take five yards of 36-inch material. THE SEASON'S SUNSHADES. I Our late spell of splendid weather has evoked a much more lively interest in the question of sunshades than is usually the case at this time of the year, and one notices that the windows of the leading West-end shops generally show a large collection of more or less expensive parasols just now. Generally speaking, the sunshades of this present sum- mer have a decided tendency towards sim- plicity, though that simplicity docs not necessarily mean cheapness. One of the prettiest models shown is carried out in fine white lawn, and is covered from top to bot- tom with tucks a little over a quarter-of-an- inch in width, each tuck being hemstitched, and a small plain space being left between it and the next tuck. A favourite parasol of the moment is carried out in silk foulard, preference being given to Oriental designs, and has a wide, plain border edged all round with a narrow silk fringe. A NEW IDEA. I Quite a new idea has been evolved by some clever couturiere in the shape of a trimming for muslin frocks. This trimming takes the form of bands of foulard, preferably of fairly pronounced design and colouring, which are used upon plain self-coloured muslins. For instance, a gown of delicate, pale-grey muslin of cobweb fineness and transparency is trimmed with cross-bands of satin foulard patterned with a bold design in soft tones of rose and mauve. Or a pale-blue muslin frock has its colouring brought out to perfection by a trimming of black, white and mauve foulard. Black and white or black, cherry and white foulard looks exceedingly well upon plain white muslin, and beige muslin is made much more effective by the addition of bands of rose and blue satin foulard.

Dobbs: "I understand she was his book- keeper before he married her." Hobbs: "_Yes; now she's his cashier."

r PANTHERS AS PETS. If A British official in an out-of-the-way Per- sian district invited me to stay at his house for a night," narrates a globe-trotter. "I accepted willingly. Just before dinner I was comfortably settled upon a sofa, when my rest was suddenly disturbed by a loud bang at the sitting-room door, which, flying open, admitted two enormous animals, which I at first took for dogs. "Both of them made at once for my sofa, and while the larger one curled comfortably round my feet and composed itself to sleep, the smaller one seated itself on the floor and commenced licking my face and hands, at operation which, had I dared, I should strongly have resented. "But those white, gleaming teeth and flashing green eyes filled me with something akin to terror. To my relief my host entered at this juncture. "'Making friends with the panthers, ] see,' he remarked, pleasantly. They are nice, companionable beasts.' "That may have been true at the time. The fact remains, however, that three months afterward one of them devoured < native child."

ROMANCE OF DIAMOND MINES. There is a whole world of romance in thi stories of South African mines. About a generation ago Joachim Prinsloo's farm 01 3,300 acres, on which the Premier Mine is could have been bought for a pound an acre, and its Boer owner would have considered that he had much the best of the bargain, After a time, however, the farm was pur- chased for £ 55,000, a price which is ex- plained by the fact that the land was then known to be diamondiferous; and a few months later the Premier Companv wa? registered with a capital of £ 80,000 in £ 1 shares. What an enormous fortune was within the reach of any far-seeing person who had bought and held a few thousands of the original shares is proved by the following facts. In two recent years the diamonds taken from this mine have been valued at £ 880,000 and X994,000 respectively; the de- ferred shares, of 2s. 6d., have been quoted at JJ18 each.

I DARING BANK FHAUD. A daring and completely successful bank rob- bery is at present engaging the police authorities of London and New York. By means of a forged draft and advance note an employee of a New York firm is stated to have succeeded in obtaining a large sum from the Notting Hill Gate branch of Parr's Bank. Having obtained his firm's signature, the swindler forged a draft for £1,700 in his own favour on the Swiss Bankverein, Lothbury, E.C. Shortly after- wards Parr's Bank at Notting Hill received an ad- vice note with the signature of the Ameiican firm, which is now stated to be a forgery. The man appears to have crossed the Atlantie by one of the fastest liners, and going to Notting Hill sncceoded in drawing out £ 1,600 of the amouut standing in his name without arousing suspicion.

SUICIDE ON A WARSHIP. A verdict of "Suicide while temporarily in- sane" was returned by a coroner's jury at Glengarriff (County Cork) in the case cf War- rant Officer and Ship's Carpenter William James Henwood, aged thirty-eight, who was found hanging dead in his cabin en board the flagship Leviathan. It was stated that Henwood had been in the Leviathan about two months. There was a con- siderable amount of work to do in the vess-ji, and as he had not been pressed with work in the ship he had left, it was suggested that this had possibly preyed on his mind. It was stated that Henwood had no family troubles, and that hu stores accounts were quite correct.

KING'S CORONER ROBBED. Mr. A. W. Mills, coroner to the King's House- hol4, has had many documents stolon from hia office in Chancery-lane. On two conseeuriva Saturday afternoons two men, with a van, drovo up to the building and told the porter that they had been sent to take away papers from celkir» next to Mr. Mills' office. The porter admitted them, and on each occasion they took away a full load of papers. Later it was discovered that all the papers etored in Mr. Mills' cellars were missing. Among them were old documents relating to the office of Coroner to the King's Household and papers relating to actions in the Law Courts long since settled, of no value except as waste paper.

The funeral oi Mr. Dennis Edwin Samnel, brother of Mr. Herbert Samuel, M.P., Under Secretary for the Home Department, who met witu a tragic death at Leamington Station, took place hi the Jews' Cemetery, Willesden. A verdict of "Accidental death "was returned at the inquest at Borougti-bridge on Mit-s Mudge Paver Crow, who tripped at a stile while oui shooting, and was shot. The Army Council has sanctioned an increase from 2s. 6d. to 5s. of the reward payable to re- cruiters for enlisting an artificer or engine-driver for the mechanical transport section of the Army Service Corps.

First Manufactured in 1818 1 In the reign of King George 111. 1 STIFF'S STARCH Only one quality: | THE BEST. J Common Starches slowly but surely J destroy linen: STIFFS PURE STARCH a Is warranted ut to Injure the moat g delicate material. STIFF rffc COi LTD., { 29, Redcliff St., BRISTOL. J w=aNs=" n i < o> i 6" RIGHT AS < THE MAtL" is a pithy and expressive description of A < > the condition of the man or woman who w relies upon Beecham's Pills to regulate I the digestive functions and dispel the ? J | ailments that disturb the general health. Y This famous medicine was specially 4> ► prepared for the very excellent purpose y of keeping people "right as the mail." I ?That it has been successful in this respect X is evidenced by its great and increasing » popularity among all classes of the v | | community. It's success is due to the fact that it goes to the root cf the Ly i diseases against which it is directed It < disperses effects such as sick headaches, I biliousness, mental fatigue, want cf tone, f1 < £ nervous debility by removing the moct | T frequent cause-indigestion. If you suf- iv & fer from stomach, liver, or bowel troubies ¥ you may be easily and permanently cured I I THANKS TO J ? ?M??S /?T? ? ? & ffiffe. A Thomas Beech am, St. Helens, Lancashire. A Preptred on!y by y pri cc I/Ii (55 pills) & 2,9 (le3 pills). I loop

[ALL RIGHTS KESSRVID.] THE LORD OF THE DYKE. I BY WALTER WOOD, The Enemy la JAatåor of Men of the North Sea, The E.emy b Our Midst," &c. CHAPTER XIV I A STEALTHY VISITOR. I There was one slight consolation, and one only, for John Beldon, arising from his second visit to the Master, and that was the .discovery of the carelessly kept doors and windows of the Castle. Unexpectedly he had learnt that by walking to the door, even in the dead of night, he could gain admission, and if he had done it once the chances were that he could, with ease, repeat the entrance. His active brain dwelt on the possibility of such an admission as he walked briskly but .glootily homeward, and by the time he had regained his own mansion he had mapped out a course of action from which even he, in calmer moments, would have shrunk ap- palled and ashamed. But all is fair in war," he told himself comfortingly, "and the fiercer the struggle the fairer the means." With all the details of his visit fresh in his mind John Beldon seated himself in his study and methodically drew, with a pencil, a plan of the inhabited part of the Castle, to the extent to which he had observed it. He indicated the position of the main en- trance and the relation of the library door to the flaIl, making also rough sketches of the other doors which he had noticed when he so unceremoniously visited the Master, and further, with special care, he made a rough drawing of the exterior of the wing, and especially of the main entrance and a win- dow which was on the left side of it. Com- pared with the other windows this was small, .but still it was of liberal dimensions, and was very near the ground. John Beldon as- sumed that the window had been specially made, and that it lit a small sitting-room or auxiliary hall adjoining the library; and that a door on the left of the library en- trance led from this apartment into the main hall. When the drawing was quite finished John Beldon pencilled various dimensions, based on rough calculations of the size of the win- dows, doors, and rooms. Raving done this he rose, took the plan to the window, and after carefully examining it, tore it slowly into fragments and burnt them in the fire which was burning in the grate. A frag- ment of the paper fell on the hearth. It was blank and could not have indicated anything suspicious even to the most prying eyes; but John Beldon carefully picked it up and destroyed it in the flames. Then he took the poker and drew the live coals over the small charred mass of paper, until not a vestige of the plan was left. ne had wished to impress certain details on his memory, and this was his laborious and cau- tious way of doing so. "Now, my Master," murmured John Bel- ilon, "at the earliest moment I will renew my battle with you-and we will see which of the two of us is the most stealthy and secre- tive" To carry out the purpose which he had in mind John Beldon needed a dark night and careful preparation. He was in no hurry, and such things as he required for his ex- pedition he collected at leisure. In all he did, he was careful to avoid detection, and when at last he left his house he did so un- seen and unsuspected. The rigid rules of the mansion demanded not only that the servants should be in their bedrooms at ten o'clock at night, but further that no light of any sort should be burning. The exception to the law was the maker of it, John Beldon himself. Sometimes ho would sit up far into the night, but on these occasions he attended to his own simple wants. These mostly took the form of drink- ing brandy and soda or water, the only drink he took, and helping himself, somewhat spar- ingly, to the fruit which was always at hand on a sideboard. A dark night had succeeded a wild, wet -day. A strong wind came in from the sea and swept over the grounds of Beldon House, After roaring through the dreary park at Dyke Castle. A heavy rain was falling, and there was slender inducement to leave the Warmth and dryness of a comfortable house. Yet John Beldon deliberately set forth from home to pay a stealthy visit to the abode of the Master. Servants saw him go to his room just before the stroke of ten; but no one witnessed his departure an hour later. He was wearing thick heavy boots and leg- gings, a dreadnought overcoat was buttoned closely to the throat, around which he had wrapped a thick woollen nmmer, and the head was covered with a tweed cap. In one pocket John Beldon carried a small electric flash lamp, and in his right hand he grasped a stout, short, oak stick: This he swung easily as he walked, sometimes hitting his leg smartly with it—a peculiar custom of his. The stick was too short for use in walking and was clearly meant for assault or defence. With steady, swinging steps John Beldon held on his course until he reached the Castle. Then he entered the grounds, and, with a somewhat quickened pulse, due to his excitement and exertion, hastened to the main entrance. He looked carefully about him as he placed his hand gently on the door, and, having made certain that no one was within hearing, he turned the knob and pushed gently. To his intense disappointment he discovered that the door was fastened, locked securely, for it did not yield to his efforts. He stepped back on to the sodden grass, and walked along until he was oppo- site the library window. This he tested by pulling at the upper sash and pushing at the lower, but neither yielded. He tried the win- dow of a room next to it, the drawing-room, but again he was foiled. For some reason the Master had ordered the doors and win- dows to be secured, that much was evident to John Beldon, who had forgotten the little window at the left side of the door; but he recollected it, and examination showed that it was partly open at the top. A very gentle pull drew the sash down, and a somewhat stronger push sent the lower sash upward. If there was any noise at all because of John Beldon's act it was lost in the sound of wind and rain. He :waited patiently for a few minutes, and was about to climb on to the sill of the window and enter, when he started and made a low exclamation. Then he gripped his staff more :firmly and hurried over tho grass towards the little knoll, on which the Semaphore Tower was built; for, high in air, as it seemed, he observed a chink of light, and he knew that the Master at least was not rest- ing, but was working in the lantern. John Beldon reached the foot of the Tower, and was astonished to discover that there was no entrance. The top of the knoll, a gently sloping mount, formed the founda- tion of the structure, which was circular and isolated. There was no opening or window, as John Beldon found by walking slower round the Tower and feeling with his hand all the time. It was smooth stone work, and so far as he could tell in the darkness, had no windows of any sort, except in the lan- tern at the top. It was clear that admiion was obtained in two ways, either from the outside by means of a ladder, or from the in- terior by way of a subterranean passage. The visitor unhesitatingly accepted the latter theory, and, returning promptlv to the little window, he climbed up and orer tHe sill, and dropped stealthily on the floor of the room. Without delay he groped to the door, and to his vast relief found th it was open, and that there was no obstacle to his admission to the hall. Courageous though he was, and deter- mined as he felt to carry out his purpose, it was not without a strange thrill of fear that John Beldon took the little lamp from his pocket and pressed the button. Th risk of detection was great, but there was no alter- native. He must have light, for the hall was intensely dark. He flashed his lamp for a i second, and saw that there were no obstacles in tho entrance, or, at least, near him, and felt satisfied that the area of his operations Would be limited. The door of the room by which he had entered the house was very near another door which had attracted his attention when he had previously visited the Castle, and which he now instinctively asso- ciated with the Tower. There was this diffe- rence between the door on which his whole efforts were to be concentrated and the other doors leading into the hall, that it was newer and somewhat smaller. Compared with the rest of the doors, which were massive, and evidently made of costly wood, this was mean and cheap. It was obviously painted, and. was considerably smaller than the rest. John Beldon stepped quietly to the door, and, stooping, held his lamp very near, and flashed it upon the spot where he assumed the keyhole would be. He kept the lamp glowing until he saw that the door was fitted with a knob and a little keyhole, and that instead of opening inward, like the others, it apparently opened outward. The visitor, having satisfied his mind on these points, seized the knob firmly and turned it. Then he pulled the door. His disappointment was acute, for the door was so firmly fastened that it did not yield in the slightest measure. John Beldon was about to try the knob again, when he heard a strange noise on the other side of the door. He slipped back to the little room, and with clenched teeth watched from the edge of the door as he held it ajar. He saw the Master, dark lantern in hand, emerge from the secret passage by way of the door, and enter the hall. The Master paused, and opened the lan- tern to trim the wick, and John Beldon saw that a look of annoyance was on the sharp face, and that the red little eyes looked tired, as if from want of sleep. "Thank heaven!" said the Master, in a low voice, as he shut the door of the lantern, "I am getting to the end of things. And never a shipwrecked sailor was more glad to reach harbour than I shall be to see the finish of this queer business! Talk of the Master and his secret! He has kept it well! They may try and puzzle it out when he has gone, if they wish, and I will defy them all to do it! Not even the Beldon fellow, who is possessed by the very devil himself, will succeed in doing that!" For an instant only John Beldon was filled with an almost overwhelming determi- nation to spring from his hiding-place and seize his enemy, and there and then force his secret from him but he checked his tempta- tion, for he saw that the Master took a letter- case from his pocket and inserted it between the door and the jamb to keep the door open. It was clear from this that the Master had descended from the Tower temporarily, and was meaning to return immediately. He had kept the door open to save himself the trouble of unlocking it. The Master stepped lightly across the hall to the library. Instantly John Beldon slipped from his hiding-place, pulled the door gently open, and stealthily entered the secret passage. He recognised the peril of his position, and knew that he had gone far beyond the limits which he had set himself when he started forth on this desperate adventure; but his heart did not fail him, and he exulted at the thought that at last he had arrived at a very death- grip with the Master. He had come to weave a net about his enemy, and he had unex- pectedly made the meshes so strong and close that there seemed no chance whatever of the victim escaping from them. John Beldon was now in the very heart of his nocturnal adventure, and seeing that there was little to be gained from further eaution he kept the button of his lamp pressed, and guided by the clear light of the electric globe he made his way unhesitatingly along the secret subterranean passage, the first human being, except the Master, to tra- verse it since the day on which the Tower and the tunnel were finished, and the con- tractor handed over the work and said good- bye to Dyke Castle. CHAPTER XV. I THE SECRET TUNNEL. I John Beldon found that the tunnel had been cut through soft soil, and that the work of construction had been carried out at a cheap rate. The passage sloped in the form of a heavy gradient from the entrance in the hall and was sinuous in shape, as if with the object of keeping clear of obstructions like foundations. The walls were damp, as the light of the lamp showed, and here and there water trickled down the sides. At intervals there were upright and cross pieces of timber to support the roof and sides, but in spite of these precautions it was evident that from time to time there were falls of earth. The path itself bore innumerable foot- marks, and for this John Beldon was thank- ful, especially when he noticed that the marks were such as might have been made by his own boots. It was to the last degree im- probable that the Master, in returning from the house, as he undoubtedly intended to do, would notice the pathway; yet John Bel- don hurried on as if impelled by the fear that already the Master was aware of his pre- sence and was behind him. Knowing the Master as he did, the stealthy visitor shrank from an encounter with him in this subterranean passage which was so like a vault. Once, in spite of his care he stumbled, and his thumb s being jerked from the button the lamp went out and a momen- tary feeling of horror overcame him. It needed all his courage to enable him to re- sume his journey along a footway which now offered a bewildering and unexpected ob- stacle, for when John Beldon's lamp shone again he found that he had reached the junc- tion of two passages. He halted in bewilderment and consterna- tion, holding his lamp above his head and al- most touching the roof, so that he might see as clearly as he could his unpromising sur- roundings. The passage by which he had come seemed to continue straight ahead, while the other branched off at what ap- peared to be right angles. For a moment only he hesitated, then he plunged into the pass- age on his left, because, so far as he could calculate with swift thought, that must be the one which led to the Tower. He pur- sued his journey for a few yards, then, to his astonishment, he suddenly emerged into a great wide, damp, arched chamber, and saw that there were other chambers beyond. He had seen similar arrangements in other old houses, and assumed that he had found his way into vast cellars under Dyke Castle. John Beldon was about to withdraw and return, so that he could t&ke the other path, when he turned his lamp towards a vaulted arch on his right and saw a number of small kegs arranged neatly on a stone shelf. Curiosity impelled him to advance and ex- amine the little casks and to lift the lid from one of them. What he saw made him give a low whistle of amazement. He put his hand in the keg and transferred to his pocket a sample of its contents. Time was pressing, or John Beldon would have examined the vaults more minutely, for' they exercised a peculiar fascination over him. He was satis- fied with what he had discovered; but halted for a moment to flash his lamp into a small opening on the right of him as he turned to re-enter the passage. It was a rough open- ing near the ground, and there were signs that the Master had been at work with pick and spade. A small keg was just visible, as if the Master had meant to hvle or bury it, but had left his task incompleted. Judging from his hasty glances John Beldon assumed that the Master had removed some of the stones from the wall for the express purpose of making a recess into which he could lay the keg. A wire, he saw, ran from the hole up the wall—a covered wire which was ob- viously used in connection with electricity. For a moment again John Beldon wondered why the Master should trouble to employ such means in a house where no electricity was employed; but his speculation died away al- most as soon as it had arisen, and he cau- tiously began to pilot himself back to the point at which he had left the tunnel to enter the cellar. He had almost reached the junc- tion of the two tunnels when he stopped abruptly and withdrew his thumb from the button of the lamp, leaving himself in abso lute darkness. John Beldon's quick ear, sharpened by ap- prehension, had caught the sound of stealthy footsteps, a strange noise which almost un- nerved him. It was such a sound as the Master, shuffling rapidly along the wet and treacherous ground, might have made if he had seen the light slanting from the other passage and was hastening to discover the, cause of it, and yet there was an element in it which was scarcely human. John Beldon stood rigidly on the spot where he had halted, with the oak staff clenched in his right hand and the lamp held in his left, ready for in- stant illumination. The shuffling became more distinct as it drew nearer, and from the clearness of the sound the trespasser knew that the cause of it was almost within reach. That it was not the Master he was now certain— however quickly the Master had been walking he would not have made a curious heavy patter like that, and to a certainty he would have lit his way by means of his lantern. Almost breathless John Beldon peered into the gloom and slowly he became aware that the creature, whatever it was, knew of his presence and was groping towards him. The passage leading from the hall had been left, and the unseen companion of the tunnel was very close at hand. In the intense darkness John Beldon saw a strange dull glow, like two small balls of phosphorescence, near the ground, and knew he had something that was not human to deal with. Reckless of danger now, determined that whatever opponent he might have to grapple with, he would meet it bravely, he shot the light of his lamp full to the front of him and found that a huge mastiff almost blocked the tunnel. For an instant it was startled to stupefac- tion by the flash, then with a growl it sprang at John Beldon's throat. The man was ready for the onslaught. Already his stick was raised, and as the mastiff flew at him he crashed his weapon with all the strength of his right arm upon the head of his assailant. The mastiff, as it seemed, was either stunned or dead, but at such a time as this John Beldon knew that nothing could be left to chance. It was essential in his own inte- rests, if not his life, that the animal should be put beyond all power of injuring him, either by direct attack or by making known to the Master the presence of an unauthorised visitor. Accordingly, not without a keen momentary regret, he struck another heavy blow, and a third; then, satisfied that he had secured his present safety he stepped over the fallen animal and re-entered the direct path of the tunnel. He paused for a moment to listen in the darkness and look searchingly down the tunnel, towards the house. But he saw no sign of the Master's return, nor did he hear any sound of his approach. John Beldon assumed from the fact that the path, which for some distance had been level, was steep again, that it led to the Tower, and this he found to be the case on reaching a small flight of bricked stairs which gave admission to a dark, circular room. This, he knew, must be the basement of the Tower, for in it was the bottom of a slender iron spiral staircase. The lamp was no longer needed, the light from the lantern at the summit striking down through the entrance in the floor of the lantern and il- luminating the interior of the Tower suffi- ciently for John Beldon to ascend with ease. Somewhat short of breath, the visitor at last found himself standing in the lantern of the Semaphore Tower, alone, and with no- thing to prevent him from prying into the most secret doings of the Master. An over- whelming curiosity took possession of him, and having now risked all and made an en- counter with his enemy inevitable, he set to work methodically to complete his inquiries. With swift glances, by the light of an oil lamp which was suspended from a hook in the ceiling by a rusty brass chain, he took in the general details "of the room. It was, he saw, constructed on the general plan of a lighthouse lantern. At the window side was the glazed frame which over- looked. the sea. Under this was a small table, which served also as a desk, and had affixed to it a triped stand for a telescope. The instrument itself was resting on two brass hooks in the wall, ready for instant use either with or without the tripod. On the table were sheets of foolscap papers, covered with figures, as if the Master had been mak- ing intricate monetary calculations. At the side opposite the window was a bunk con- taining rugs, on which the Master clearly at times took his sleep without undressing. Near the bunk was a small oil stove which served the purposes of warming the room and cooking and boiling water. A kettle was steaming from the top of the stove and on a shelf above it were a number of bottles of spirits and boxes of cigars, as well as plugs of ship's tobacco. A casual exami- nation satisfied John Beldon that all these things had been acquired by the Master in defiance of the Customs. But one feature of the lantern which ab- IOrbed the visitor's attention was a row of kegs on the floor, in front of the bunk; kegs which were identically the same as those which he had already and so unexpectedly seen in the gloomy arched cellar. With one exception they were fastened up, but the top of one of them was removed, and again John Beldon put his hand in and took up a sample of the contents. These he replaced after comparing them with the specimen he had brought away from the cellar. He gave a long, low whistle of incredulity and amaze- ment as he murmured, "I expected a surprise —but not this! And that is the rest of the story!" He walked to the side of the room which was between the window and the bunk and looked carefully at a strong, rude bench, like a carpenter's bench, and the strange tools and apparatus which were upon it. Stooping, and. flashing his lamp for a couple of seconds, he observed under the bench, carefully arranged on the floor, seve- ral little objects which very dully reflected the light of the electric lamp. From the raw material to the finished ar- ticle!" said John Beldon, once more address- ing himself. The man may be a scoundrel —but he is a genius, too!" And as he paid the tribute he glanced around the lantern with real admiration. Then he slipped quietly into the darkest side of the room, at the back of the staircase, for he heard the Master coming, and knew that as he was then situated he would be unobserved unless the Master by some chance turned and saw him. John Beldon did not anticipate this; but he was ready for all emergencies. With a curiously light footstep the Master ascended the staircase, humming almost gaily as he neared the lantern. He was in high spirits, after the way of a man who has been long at work on a hard task and sees the triumphant close at hand. Stepping lightly from the top stair the Master took two or three paces towards the window, and drew aside the curtain a little, so that he could peer into the black night. He gazed seaward for a few moments, and listened intently to the roaring of the wind and the lashing of the heavy rain against the glass. "There is not much at sea to-night," said the Master, in tones loud enough for John Beldon to hear, despite the noise of wind and rain. The Master was accustomed to speak aloud to himself, especially in the security of the lantern. "But at last I have finished with my secret signalling to my ship at sea—and there shall be no more mystery! Oh! The joy of feeling that one's work is done—and so well!" A pause followed before the Master added, as he drew the curtain back: "It was such a night as this that came before the day when my ambitious and re- morseless friend came to ride the high hcrse over me, and when he was so ignominiously sent a cropper from his saddle!" "And it is such a night again when your friend returns, with no saddle to be thrown out of!" It was the hard, merciless, victorious voice of John Beldon which answered the Master's words; and the visitor's strohg hand that was held forth to keep the Master from fall- ing to the floor as he turned and confronted his enemy. "You—and here!" exclaimed the Master hoarsely. "Me—John Beldon!" replied the visitor briefly. "I told you, Master, that I would come again! I have kept my word!" He re- moved his hand and stepped back a pace as the Master sank into the chair at the little table by the window, and with grey head bowed upon his shrunken breast gazed un- comprehendingly at nothingness. At that moment even John Beldon found it in his heart to pity his opponent. But for the in- sults that rankled in his unforgiving mind he would have turned away, content with his triumph which was so surely a revenge, and would never again have troubled the Master. But the Master recovered almost as soon as he had collapsed, and, springing to his feet, undaunted, he pointed to the staircase. "Go!" he ordered. "Go! or by-" "Stop!" thundered John Beldon. "Stop! I command you! Threats do not move me— much less blasphemy." "If I had words to tell you what I think about you J would hurl them at you in the hope that they would burn like molten f metal!" cried the Master. "Go!" he went ( on almost despairingly. "By what right have you entered here, intruding on my privacy, when you have not a shadow of excuse for coming near me or upon my estate! How dare you enter my premises! But you may stay, after all; why should a thief in the night be permitted to escape? I shall hand you over to the police aloud. "Illaster, he John Beldon laughed aloud. "Master," he declared, "if I were wishful to degrade you I should take you at your word Which of us would come out of the examination with the cleanest hands?" The Master was silent. Come," continued John Beldon roughly, "what are you wishful to do? If you really mean that the police shall settle this affair, then I am in your hands. Say the word, and I am your prisoner Still the Master made no answer. Again the fire seemed to have vanished from his soul, and he was sinking back into his chair. "I take it," said John Beldon, "that your threat was made in the heat of the moment, and that for reasons which are clear to both of us you would rather we settled our quarrel here and now." "Because you think that at last you have really conquered?" asked the Master, raising his head and looking up towards the burly figure of his foe. "I do," replied John Beldon. "And in your heart of hearts, Master, you know that you are beaten, too. Come, when I tell you that I have seen your secret cellar-I got there by mistake, and slew your mastiff on my way back-I am sorry, Master, but my life is of more account than his, and he sprang at my throat-and that before you came back I examined this strange place and all that is in it thoroughly, you will believe that I have nothing more to learn. Is that so? "If you have seen all," observed the Master wearily, "there is little more to fir 1 out. So you have me in your clutches at last —or think so!" "There is no thinking about it, Master," John Beldon answered. "I am certain!- I have found my way here—and I have torn the very heart out of your secret!" There was a long silence before John Bel- don added, with an admiration that he made no effort to conceal. "And, Master, what a cunning secret it is! The devil himself must have inspired you (To be continued.)

BANKS AND THUMB PRINTS. I Some of the smaller banks on this side of the Atlantic might do worse than follow the example of an American bank, which has recently adopted the thumb print system as a means of identification. The bank in ques- tion has many foreigners among its deposi- tors who cannot even write their names legibly. The thumb print system has in this case saved much trouble. Each foreign patron, when he makes his first deposit, is required to place his thumb on an inked pad and then make an impres- sion on a card, which, with his ordinary signature and his name as written by the bank cashier, is deposited in the records of the bank. Whenever a cheque is presented drawn by this patron his thumb print as well as his signature must appear upon it, and must correspond with that on the card in the I. record.

LIVING ORNAMENTS. I Living fireflies are used in some parts of the Orient to adorn the hair and clothing of fashionable ladies. They are caught by ex- pert fly-catchers, and are held in place on the hair or garments by very thin gauze. The fireflv-hunter starts forth at sunset with a long bamboo pole and a bag of mos- quito-netting. On reaching a suitable spot, he makes ready his net, and strokes the tree branches with his pole. This knocks the in- sects to the ground, where they are easily gathered up. But it must be done very rapidly, before they recover themselves suffi- ciently to fly. So the skilled catcher, having no time to put them at once into the bag, uses both hands to pick them up, and tosses them lightly into his mouth, where he retains them unharmed till he can hold no more, and only then transfers them to the bag.

AMERICA AS OTHERS SEE HER. I A true American at work is a thing rarely seen, says "The Bystander." He thinks a bit, perhaps, and the resonant banjo-like twang of what he is pleased to call his voice, ruins the wires of thousands of telephones, but whenever- you do run against any actual work being seriously done in the City of New York, it is generaly by foreigners. A Ger- man shaves you and waits on you, a French- man cooks for you, a "dago" mends the road that you walk on, a negro railroad-con- ductor takes your ticket and minds your manners, a Chinaman does your washing, and an Irishman either knocks you down or locks you up.

WHAT A CROWD WEIGHS I In the building of theatre-galleries and grand-stands the supporting strength of the structure has to be carefully worked out. This is done by multiplying the area in square feet by the pressure which it is esti- mated a crowd exerts per square foot, and making the supports proportionately strong. At one time the weight of a crowd was t determined at between 821b. and 1021b. per square foot, but experiments have shown this to be a great under-estimation, and the weight exerted is now calculated at from 1231b. to 1331b.