Lakeland Evening Telegram Newspaper, December 15, 1913, Page 2

1 ; Again With Us From our large and varied stock many handsome, . useful and ornamental gifts may be selected. The home comforts are the gifts that count, and why not get HER a Complete set of China? Either Haviland or the less expensive patterns can be found here. This is the time to give her that range she’s been wanting, or it may be one of our gasoline or oil stoves that she prefers. Our line of cutlery is the most complete to be found anywhere, and it only has to be seen to be appreciated. | That coffee percolator she’s been talking about would make your breakfast betier, so let us show you one. i These and many other innumerable gifts can be found at our store. A Pleasure to Show You. -WILSO HARDWARE Co. LAKELAND BUSINESS COLLEGE Thorough individual instruction in DR. W. R. GROOVER— PHYSICIAN AND SURGEON all commercial branches at a much|Rooms 6 and 4 Kentucky Buildin lowier rate of tuition than any other school of its kind in the State. You will do well to wisit our school, inspect our work, get.our prices, and be convinced that our courses in' Bookkeeping, Shorthand, Typewrit: | ing, Civil Service, Penmanship and Penmanship and Telegraphy are the B best and cheapest to be had any . where. We maintain a department for pu- | % . pils above the fourth grade who wish " fo take the Literary branches. See or phone W. D. HOLLAND, Manager Phone 96 Red -The Protessions- B0RCHCH L BORRORORCHRRORACIOROH ORI O A. X, ERICKSON, Attorney at Law Real Estate Questions Drane Building < i gt S e v S U e REOLOQ0 G QO OO0 SAMUEL F. SMITH. M. D Practice Limited to Treatmeny and Operations of EYE, EAR, NOSE AND THROAT Phone: Office 141; Sulte |, Bryant Bullding LAKEL. , FLA. QRO 20 Qe IOHORORCRORACY Residence phone, 278 Black. Office phone, 278 Blue. DR. SARAH E. WHEDLER 1 i 1 ¥ OSTEOPATH i ! i Residence 39 Rooms 2 and 3, Skipper Bulldinp i LAKELAND, FLA. N OHORORCEORON RS OKXC: Established 1o July, 1900 DR. W. 8. IRVIN DENTIST 15 Kentucky Bullding 180 ; Residence 84 A e e DR. B R SULLIVAN PHYSBICIAN Special Attention Given SURGERY Deen-Bryaat Bullding, @Ground Fioer Lakeland, Florida QOO IO JQQ‘MDCFOOOi E BLANTON & LAWLER ] ATTORNEYS-ATIAW Lakeiand, Florida | OOATOFADI HOHHHIBEOIER QQAOCUQOCHHD GO GO0 DO DR. C. C. WILSON PHYSICIAN AND SURGEON Bpecial Attention Given | | DISEASES OF WOMEN AND i ) g CHILDREN g Doeen-Bryant Bldg., Sulte §. ; Phone 357 & D o ROGERS, LAWYER | E Room 7, Bryant Bldg. Phone 269 } g LaXkeland. Florida, ] QUSRI QOO OO RO A0S R. B. HUFFAKER —Attorney-at-Law— Reom 7, Stuart Bldg Bartow, Fi TUCKER & TUCKER WY g.!yunondo Bldg. Lakeland, Floric —_— s LOUIS A, FORT ARCHITEC™ KIBLER HOTEL, LAKELAND FLA W. 5. PRESTON, LAWYES Office Upstairs East of Bourt Hen BARTOW, FLORIDA Examination of Tities and Rea Estate L:;v & Specialty JEREMIAH B. 8MITH KOTARY FURLID LOANS, INVFSTMENTS 1N KEAL ESTATE Have some interesiing saaps in eity and suburban property, farms, ete, ter see me st once. Wil trade, | sell for eash or on eary terma. H Room 14, Futeh & Qentry Bids. LAKELAND, FLORIDA . A a-of - . e e » o gl 8YNOPSIS. Book . CHAPTER I-Rudolph Van Vechten, & young man of lejsure, is astonished to Bee a man enter No. 1313, a house across the street from the Powhatan club. The use has long been unoccupied and is apoken of as the House of Mystery. CHAPTER II—Several persons at regu- lar intervals enter No. 1313. CHAPTER III-Van Vechten expresses concern to his friend, Tom Phinney, re- garding the whereabouts of his cousin and fiancee, Paige Carew. A fashionably : attited woman is seen to enter the House of Mystery. A man is forcibly ejected from the house. Van Vechten and Tom :gllo?: the man and find him dead in the ree . CHAPTER IV—Van Vechten is attract- od by the face of a girl in the crowd of onlookers surrounding the body. Later he discovers the girl gazing at him with & look of scorn from the windows of the mysterious house. CHAPTER V—Detective Fiint calls on | Van Vechten to get his version of tho' tragedy. | CHAPTER VI—-Tom Phinney goes alone : on a yachting trip. He recognizes among some persons in a passing motor boat two men whom he_had seen enter the House of Mystery. He sees one of them, | a Mr. Callis, on shore later and follows him, Tom {s selzed, blindfolded and taken to a house. He hears a girl named Jesste, evidently the daughter of the man in authority, question his captors. A sweet- voiced girl later protests against the roughness of his captors. Book Il. CHAPTER I-Van Vechten calls on his uncle, Theodore Van Vechten, big man in Wall street and known as the “Man of Iron,” in search of information regarding the whereabouts of Palge Carew. CHAPTER TII-Detective Flint shows Van Vechten a gold mesh purse found in the House of Mystery. Van recognizes it as belonging to Paige Carew. CHAPTER TITI-The sweet-volced girl helps Tom Phinney escape, but refuses to disclose her identity. Tom declares he will mmeet her again. CHAPTER 1V--Detective Flint tells Van Vechten he has a theory that Paige has been kidnaped. Van goes to lay the case before his uncla, “Oh, well,” the detective conceded, “I can't, of course, expect you to view the affair from a professional stand- point; but I assure you, this case is exceedingly promising, and my enthu- siasm and determination mount as it grows more baffling.” “That’s something, at any rate” Van Vechten admitted with a show of reluctance. “Your zeal will lose you nothing, I promise you. But where did you find the purse?”’ The sharp gray eyes swept Van Vechten's earnest face. Mr, Flint re- plied soberly: “Now you have hit upon the circum- stance that connects Miss Carew with the affair. I found it hanging from a nail, in a dark corner of an upstairs closet, across the street—in your pre- cious house of mystery.” The young man's blank immobility alone betrayed his stupefaction. After & pause: “Easy, easy, Flint,” said he, steadily. “Kindly repeat that; this in- fernal snarl is dulling my faculties.” The other did so, adding: “Of course it was left there—overlooked— by somebody; whether by Miss Ca- rew or somebody else, I am not pre- pared to say.” Van Vechten sat a long time deep in thought. The occasional glance he di- rected at the detective was eloquent— in contrast with his impassive fea- tures—of the doubts and fears and anxieties that were assailing hils ) ®'E Called Me a Satire. 'E ’as Some- thing on 'is Mind, o 'e 'as.” mind, and of a conflicting hope that things were not so black as they were being painted. At last, with & slight gesture that signified his helpless- ness to cope with the situation, he leaned back and sighed. “I pass,” he said resignedly. “The thing’s utterly beyond me; it’s up to you, Flint. Go on.” “Well, you have all the details that suggest a possible kidnaping con- spiracy—first, the uncertainty as to the young lady’'s whereabouts; second, | the advertisement; third, the secrecy 7 of -=—= };fl}e/%afl_gr ” un- | and extreme caution observed through- out by the unknown conspirators; fourth, the callers at Number 1313; fifth, the purse.” Van Vechten breathed another sigh, one of relief. “Nystifying it all is, to be sure,” he gaid; “but that array might sound more formidable if it were more cer- tain and positive. At the same time, my anxiety about my cousin has by no means abated.” “On reflection,” Mr. Flint medita- tively continued, “I was scarcely jus- tified in asserting that the facts sug- gest the possibility of Miss Carew hav- ing been kidnaped; it would be more accurate to say: If it turns out that she has been, why, then the facts we | now have would dove-tail with the | erime.” “I was thinking of Mrs. Devereaux,” cut in the other—"you know who she is?” The detective nodded. Van Vechten asked: “Could she have been Kkidnaped | also?” | “Dismiss Mrs. Devereaux for the |y | bresent,” returned Mr. Flint; “she is |! an item against the possibility. I want | first to mention the most serious as- pect of the whole affair, for there is ' one circumstance that makes its crim- "inality almost self-evident. “Assuming that the man who was killed went to the house In answer to the advertisement—and there is no reason to believe otherwise—in all likelihood he was a stranger to the ad- vertiser; then, where shall we look ! for a motive? “This strikes me as the most prob- able one: his scruples balked at the ! denounced the crimi- (! enterprise; he { nals, who were thus threatened with | exposure and arrest if they did not im- % | mediately silence the intractable indi- vidual. They chose the second alter are desperate enough. “Now let us consider the facts sup- porting the improbability that Miss Carew has been kidnaped. “First of all, there is the extreme difficulty of doing such a thing in any i event—the lack of opportunity. But i with your cousin the difficulty is even : greater: she is in Europe with a trust- { worthy companion, and a number of unlikely assumptions must be materi- | | ally strengthened before the kidnap- ! native, which would indicate that they | ing hypothesis can be accepted as a| working theory. ! “If the deed was committed abroad, how was the young lady conveyed to America? If she was first lured to ' this country, how was she persuaded to make such an important move with- | ! out notifying her relatives? And al- ' ways there is Mrs. Devereaux to be | considered. If Miss Carew was sep- | arated from her, how is her silence to | be explained? If she was not sepa- rated from Mrs. Devereaux, then the ' older lady either must be regarded as ' a confederate, or it must be assumed | that she was forcibly taken also— ! probable. “There is one other idea that oc- curred to me, but a pretty far-fetched | one, I'm bound to admit: we may have stumbled upon a rendezvous of inter- ! either assumption being extremely im- | | national thieves. The purse may have | [ heen stolen from Miss Carew, in Eu- | rcpe, weeks or even months ago.” his head. xnee of which to understand ! “Well,” said he, “I have been candid . with you, Mr. Van Vechten; suppose | You return the compliment,” | | to tell.” ***Nothing to tell,’ ” the other echoed musingly—"precisely.” The contract- { ed eyes favored Van Vechten with a | i penetrating look. “Mr. Van Vechten,” he began quiet- | Iy after a pause, “I have not followed ! my profession for a score of years with- out acquiring more or less facility in certain directions. ! 18 keeping something back from me, 1 | knew that you were not entire'v open and frank while I was talking with you yesterday.” The young man regarded him with an amazement not entirely free from discomposure, “Of course,” Mr. Flint went on, with- . out the least emotion, “I can't imagine | what your reason may be fbr reti ‘ cence; but I do know that if you per- sist in remaining silent upon any point | of this case, you are adopting a most | unwise course. I am not trying to force your confidence; I am merely | inviting it, leaving the decision with | your geod judgment. Bear in mind that I haven't the slightest personal | interest in finding Miss Carew: she s | mezely incidental to an investigation | 1 am pursuing.” For a long time Van Vechten pon- dered. At last he said, very soberly: “You are right, Flint; I haven't been | perfectly frank with you. My concep- ‘ (Continued "on Page 6) tut Van Vechten decisively shook ! “It has not been out of her | ion a week,"” asserted he; the | the detective | “What do you mean? I have nothing | / For example, I | . know almost intuitively when anybody S —— M E Rings Pins Broaches Charms ¢:: LaValiers *hought rightand sold right CUT GLASS This week we will open up and display the largest line of ai we have ever bought. It is from the best manufacturers gy be sold at a price that will interest you. SCOUTS COMPASS WATCHg; (good gift for the boy) Repairing promptly ana carefully done and all work BUATP 1ty g H. C. STEVENS The Lakeland Jeweler A. C. L. Watch Inspec, — | Bargains Galor: For the Holiday Shopocrs save you money. I have a complete line of Men's and Boys’ Suits, Prices arer; My Shoe Department is complete, and if you want good S.ff see me. Ladies, I have a few Coat Suits left that I am selling at C0¢ff I have all styles and colors in Men's, Boys and Children's Kz Complete line of Men's and Boys’ Pants. . ‘ See my notion departpient when looking for Christmas g I have Trunks, Suit Cases and Hand Bags. Remember, I liver your packages at any time of the day and all goods guarant: Phone 284 when in need of anything in my line. J. C. OWENS The Popular Dry Goods kouse ‘ Phone 284 Lakeland, Fl The Cost of Living _is 6rel Untess You know Where to Buy “ / | IF YOU KNOW:! The selection will be the bes: The variety unmatched The quality unsurpassed The price the lowest All these you find at our stort Just trade with us This settles the question of livin: Best Lutter, per pound 5 Sugar, 17 pounds Cottolene, 4 pound pails 4 pounds Snowdrift Lard 3 cans family size Cream. , . . ’ 6 cans baby size Cream. . Ry v e 1-2 barrel best Flour. . ........ 12 pounds best Flour Octogon Soap, 6 for .20 S L TR, ol YL TN S S RO, KSR 4, 5 I 2 T T S R Ra] s e =1 = (=3 ) = = - =] = =3 I3 = = = I = =1 13 . . . . . . - - [T S "Um D e P