The Black Pearl

by Mrs. Wilson Woodrow

  CHAPTER XVI

  For the first few weeks after Harry's accident Pearl's consciousness ofthe external events in the world beyond the confines of the four wallsof the cabin seemed obliterated. She could never remember afterwardwhether the rain fell or the days were flooded with sunshine. All of herenergies and interests were absorbed in one issue--his recovery.Fortunately, his injuries proved more painful than dangerous, and werenecessarily slow in the mending; but the nursing was arduous, and Pearlmight have found it difficult indeed had it not been for the assistanceof the two mountain women and Jose.

  It would be another matter to define correctly the motives that impelledthat debonair bandit to stand by her side so manfully in the face ofGallito's wrath and reiterated prohibitions. It might have been aconscientious wish to earn the jewels, over the possession of which hehad not ceased to gloat, or it might have been an impish desire to annoyGallito. Again, it might have been gratitude toward Seagreave, sympathywith the Pearl, or, as easily the revolt of Jose's volatile natureagainst the monotony of life in the narrow confines of his rock chamber.

  But to Jose's danger, as to the passing days, Pearl was alike oblivious,and it was not until Harry was able to sit up again for brief periods,that she became aware of times and seasons, of other persons and of theworld of human interests and reactions. She awoke to a realization ofthese facts with a sort of wonder. She looked abroad over the hillsidesand saw a new world. The long-awaited spring had sped up from thevalleys of mist, and at the wave of her white wand the mountains hadbloomed with a delicate iridescence--the luster on young leaves andshining blades of grass. It was then that she also began to apprehendsomething of the nature of Jose's difficulties.

  "I must be more virtuous than I thought," he explained to her one day,not without a touch of complacence, "for if the Devil were truly myfriend, he would fly away with your father. Those hawk's eyes of his areever on me and he orders me daily not to leave the mine. If I could butcook for him," he added mournfully, "he would soon see reason, for,"with customary boastfulness, "I have yet to see the man whose opinions Icould not change with a single dish. I, Crop-eared Jose, have wonfreedom more than once on an omelette, and have gained the sympathy andinterest of those set against me, with a single sauce. See, he eventhreatens me because I am true to my friends, but," and here he adoptedhis most wheedling tone, "if you only would make up with him, and Icould but cook him one supper, here in this cabin, and let him win twoor three games at cards from me, all would be well again."

  "Ah, if I only could," sighed Pearl, "but he wouldn't listen to meunless I consented to leave Harry and sign with Sweeney. You know howset he is, when he makes his mind up. No, he won't listen to me unless Igive in about this contract."

  Jose nodded without speaking. For once he appeared to be turningsomething over in his mind. In truth, he was; he felt now that hiscomfort and safety very largely depended upon a reconciliation betweenPearl and her father, and he was prepared to take long chances in anattempt to effect this. Therefore he informed Gallito that from certainremarks Pearl had made from time to time, he, Jose, was convinced thather heart was greatly softened toward her father, and that for his parthe was also convinced that she desired nothing more than to see Gallitoagain.

  The old Spaniard knew Jose too well to put much faith in any of hisutterances, but, nevertheless, inspired by a vague hope that Pearl mighthave repented her decision and wearied of her bargain, he climbed thehill to Seagreave's cabin the next afternoon to see her.

  Harry had been sitting up longer than usual that day, and Jose and Pearlhad helped him back to his couch in the inner room, where he now layasleep, and Pearl had resumed her seat in the open door, where she satgazing out at the wonderful panorama spread before her and idly enjoyingthe sight, the sound, the fragrance of early summer. Blue ranges, aninfinite succession of them, stretching away to an illimitable andexpanding horizon, floating in faint pearl hazes, but the hills near athand were vividly green, their varied monotony of tone broken here andthere by great waves of pink and blue wild flowers. Birds were flyingfrom tree to tree, calling and singing, and there fell pleasantly uponPearl's ears the ripple and splash of the mountain brook. The joy in herheart at Harry's recovery mingled pleasantly with nature's joy in herprodigal, flowering summer.

  But all this harmonious blending of natural sounds and sights was brokenby the sudden, harsh intrusion of human discord. Hearing footsteps nearat hand, Pearl turned quickly to see her father standing almost at herelbow. Lean, gnarled, grizzled and thorny as ever, he was gazingsearchingly at her from under his overhanging, bushy brows.

  So unexpected was the sight of him that Pearl showed plainly heruncontrollable surprise, which, courageous as she was, was not without afaint touch of fear. Her upper lip drew back from her teeth at thecorners of the mouth and the frown so like his own darkened her brow.Rising, she had sprung to the doorway, stretching her arms from post topost as if to prevent him from entering, and he, noting that unconsciousattitude of protection for the one within, smiled sourly.

  "What are you doing here?" Her voice was harsh and so low that it wasbarely audible.

  "No harm to you or him, either, so don't be scared. I got more importantbusiness in hand. I didn't come to quarrel with you, Pearl. I came totalk to you like you were a sensible girl." He had been rolling acigarette between his fingers, and now he lighted it, and for a momentwatched the smoke wreaths drift upward.

  "Patience takes most of the tricks in life, I've learned, so I waiteduntil I heard that he was all right again"--he jerked his thumb towardthe cabin--"and then I waited until you had time to think, and that'sall I'm here to ask you to do, my girl, think."

  Again he gazed deeply at her, nodding his head as if to emphasize hiswords. Gallito could be impressive, even magnetic when he chose, and hechose now.

  "I can think a-plenty," returned Pearl curtly, "but what is it you wantme to study about now? If it's about signing up with Sweeney, I can tellyou once and forever that it's no use. You're just wasting your breath."

  His face darkened a little, his eyes gave one quick, wicked flash, buthe controlled his temper. "Maybe, maybe," he said placatingly, "but thatain't all I came to talk about. I guess I've lived long enough to knowthat it's no use to talk to a woman about her interests when she's losther head about some man." He showed his teeth in a wolfish andcontemptuous smile. "No, I ain't such a fool as to waste my breath thatway. You are an awful headstrong and wilful girl. Carraja! I do not knowwhere you get such qualities. But somewhere back in your head you haveinherited from me, your father, a grain of sense and reason, and becauseof that I come here to-day, not to try and coax you, no, I know betterthan that, but to talk to you as man to man." He paused here as if tolet some underlying meaning in his words impress her, and she, consciousof this, felt a sudden shiver of apprehension run over her, a momentarydespair, as if she were being entangled in some yet invisible net whosemeshes were being drawn tight about her. A quick glance at Gallitofailed to restore her confidence. There was a look upon his face whichdid not betoken any expectation of defeat. Again she shivered; he hadspoken truly, he was not one to plead, and he would not be here unlesshe felt that he was in possession of certain arguments which mustinevitably coerce her to yield.

  "Now, Pearl," his tone was still placating, "for your own sake and forthe sake of your future, I am not willing that you should miss thisgreat offer which Sweeney has made you. You have already treated himbadly once. He knows he cannot depend on you. How many times do youthink he will stand that? You can't afford to do it. I have been holdinghim off and holding him off until I can't do it any more, and we mustnow come to a final agreement. And one thing more," he stopped a secondto light another cigarette, "what about Hughie? You and he have workedout a lot of dances together. He's got his heart set on traveling withyou and playing for you. I don't see how you got the heart to spoil allhis plans." For the first time there was a touch of real emotion in hisvoice; it was Hughie, not Pearl, who held the first place
in his heart.

  A quiver passed over Pearl's face. "Oh, I am sorry about Hughie," shecried, "but what can I do? I can't leave Harry. It's no use asking me todo that." She looked up at Gallito and, in spite of her tears, there wasan immovable resolve on her face and, seeing this, a slow, dark flushcrept up her father's cheeks.

  "Listen, Pearl," he said, and although he still held the manner ofreasoning amicably with her, there was a touch of iron in his gratingvoice, "I'm here to make terms with you and to keep the relations whichshould be between father and daughter, but there are many things toconsider when a girl is as obstinate as a pig. Then it is her father'sduty to decide for her and to see that she does what an obedient andwell-brought up girl should do, and he must use what means are in hispower to make her see the right way."

  "There are no means in your power to make me see things differently,"she said, "yours or anybody else's."

  "So!" he said slowly, and flicked the ashes from his cigarette with ahand which trembled slightly. "But all my cards are not played yet. Youthink that everything shall go your way, but that is not life; no, thatis not life. Since you have none of the feelings of respect andobedience which a child should have for a parent, it shall be a gamebetween us. Now, at once, I will play my trump card." There was a grimand saturnine triumph in his voice. "Jose!"

  She started and looked at him askance, puzzled and yet fearful. "Jose!"she repeated uncertainly.

  "Yes, Jose. Jose has been useful to you, and Jose has spent all his timewith you and him." He nodded his head in the direction of the innerroom. "I have warned him." There was a quiver of passion and resentmentin his voice. "I have pointed out to him again and again the risks thathe was running not only for himself, but me. Yet for me--me who hasbefriended him at the risk of my own life, who has kept him in my cabinfor many months, he has no thought, no gratitude. That all goes toSeagreave, Seagreave who stole you and who now lies strapped in his bedunable to help you or Jose or any one else. Well, let Seagreave save himnow. And how?" his harsh, mirthless laughter rang out. "Yes, how? DoesSeagreave know the secret trails over the mountains? Not he. Then how isour dear Jose to escape? Will you engage to get him safely out of Colinaon a railroad train? I think not. Remember there is a big price on hishead."

  Pearl had shrunk back from him while he was speaking, both horror andfright on her face. "But you can't do that for your own sake," shecried. "It will then be known that you have kept Jose all these months,and that it was he who escaped the night I danced. Do you think thesheriff will forgive you that you lied to him and fooled him? I guessnot. And then you sheltered Jose and hid him after that. On your ownaccount you can't let him be taken."

  Gallito smiled in unpleasant triumph. "If I should turn state's evidencefor so notorious a criminal as Crop-eared Jose I should certainly getimmunity myself. I was weak, yes, in my unfortunate desire to reform afellow countryman, but finding all my efforts hopeless, I at last saw myduty and gave him up."

  For the moment fear almost overcame Pearl, and then her high spiritflared. "And you would give poor Jose up," she said. "I would never havebelieved it, and yet I see you really would do it, just to have me obeyyour will. But you can't do it, and you won't do it. I tell you now, ifyou even dare threaten such a thing, I will send for the sheriff and Iwill tell him the whole story. I will let him know what you are. Andmore, too"--she made quick steps toward him--"I will have you arrestedfor assaulting Harry."

  "Ho, ho!" he laughed loudly. "Self-defense, my girl, self-defense. Whocould prove anything else? Who would take your word under thecircumstances?"

  "But I will tell more, much more," she cried, all aflame now. "I willtell of all the cut-throats and thieves you have sheltered in your cabinfrom time to time. I know their names and I will prove what I say. Iwill show them the chamber in the mine where Jose is hiding. What willthey think of that? You have a high standing in Colina and in otherplaces. You are respected. Are you willing to give all that up just soyou can force me to sign with Sweeney? I don't believe it, I won'tbelieve it. But as sure as you don't help Jose to escape, so sure will Ido what I say. Oh," she stopped suddenly, a sob in her voice, "oh, herecomes Bob, Bob and Hughie!" For the first time she left the doorway inwhich she had remained protectingly, and ran forward to meet the two whowere rapidly mounting the hill.

  "Oh, Bob!" she cried. "Oh, Hughie! I knew you two wouldn't go back onme. I knew you'd come sooner or later, both of you."

  Hughie clung to her, one arm around her, and Flick's hard and impassiveface softened a little as he gazed at her. "Why, Pearl, what's thematter?" he asked. "You look pale, and tears! Why, that ain't a mitelike you! Has he been cutting up rough," he glanced toward her father,"and worrying you?"

  "Why didn't you come before?" She lifted her shadowed eyes to his.

  He winced a little, his mouth twisting slightly. "Ain't it enough thatI've come now?" Something in his voice conveyed even to her who had solong taken his unwearying devotion without question and as a matter ofcourse what it had cost him to seek her again.

  They had drawn near the cabin by this time and Flick looked at Gallito'sfrowning face a moment. "Are you needing me, Pearl?" His drawling voicewas as lazily indifferent as ever, but his glance held an intimation ofdanger for Gallito which the old man did not fail to understand.

  "Maybe," Pearl replied in a low voice. "You 'most always come when Ineed you, Bob."

  "I guess your interference ain't needed now, Flick," began Gallito. "Ican--"

  Hughie ran his hand caressingly down the old Spaniard's sleeve. "No needto tell old Bob that we're a united family, Pop," he cried. "Why I'malready composing a wedding march." He caught his adopted father's handin his.

  At this mute expression of affection from the being who was nearest hisheart Gallito's face softened a little, although he gazed back at BobFlick with a baffled and still scornful smile.

  "Well," he said reluctantly, "it ain't often I confess I'm beat, but Iguess I'm too old to stand both Hughie and the girl taking sides againstme, not to speak of you, Flick, and I know if it came to a choicebetween me and those two where you'd stand."

  "There ain't going to be any sides taken," said Flick. "We are going togive in and take what's coming to us, Gallito, like sensible men,whether we like it or not. When's the wedding, Pearl?"

  A great, beautiful wave of crimson swept over her face.

  "Harry wants it right away," she said.

  "The sooner the better," remarked Bob Flick dryly. "And, by the way"--heput his hand in his pocket and drew out the little black leather bag shehad given Jose--"Jose sent you back this for a wedding present. Honest,he didn't keep out more than three stones. Why," a flash of alarm on hisface, "what's the matter, Hughie?"

  The blind boy was standing a little apart from the rest. His head wasthrown up and his face was pale. He was nervously clinching andunclinching his hands, but with that exception his attitude was one oftenseness and singular stillness, as if every faculty were concentrated.

  "There's something about," he gasped, "something bad. I can't tell whatit is yet, but I'll know in a minute. Ah-hh!" He rushed across the openspace before the cabin and into the trees that grew thickly at the side.

  It took Flick but a second to follow him, and the next moment Pearl andher father heard him call. "Come out. I got you covered, but I'll thankyou first for your gun."

  Gallito also started forward now, but before he had taken more than astep or two Hugh emerged first from the underbrush, followed by Hansonand then by Flick.

  Seeing who it was, Pearl had shrunk back into the shadow of the room,but then, as if forcing herself to an unpleasant task, she came forwardagain and leaned against the door post, nonchalant and disdainful inspite of her pallor and the faint trembling of her lower lip.

  Hanson swept off his hat and bowed low with exaggerated courtesy andmuch of his old swagger. The heavy dissipation of the last few monthswas evident in a marked and shocking way. His figure was gross andbloated, and his bold, ruddy good looks ha
d vanished; his swollen facewas purple and the features seemed curiously thickened. The hand whichheld his hat trembled constantly.

  "Again we meet," he cried. "Well, under the circumstances, I've noobjection. You pleasant little band of thieves have got ahead of thehonest man once or twice, but not for keeps. This is my day, thank you.I'm not giving away information ahead of time again, but, just betweenfriends, I'll mention that the sheriff is overdue at Nitschkan's cabin,where Jose happens to be. They'll be up after the rest of youpresently."

  "Carraja!" Gallito ground his teeth, "and I left him at the mine." Thenquickly to Pearl, "Suppose he should get away from them. Are bothhorses in the stable?"

  "Both," she said. "Hurry, you get on one and I will have the other readyfor him. Come, I will help you. Hugh, get down to Nitschkan's and warnthem if you can."

  Gallito ran through the cabin after her. This commotion roused Seagreaveand after calling once or twice to Pearl and receiving no answer, hemade his way to the doorway, appearing there, thin and white, still uponcrutches.

  "Hello, Seagreave," called Hanson, still with his air of bravado."You've been a long time coming to that door. I been sitting back in thebushes watching for you as patient as a cat watches a mouse-hole, withmy gun all cocked and my finger on the trigger, ready to pick you offthe minute you showed up. Nothing against you personally, but the BlackPearl didn't spare me, so why should I--oh, you needn't reach for yourgun. Good old Bob, ain't that what the Pearl calls him, has got mecovered."

  "So have I for that matter," said Seagreave.

  "All right, if it amuses you." Hanson shrugged his shouldersindifferently and leaned up against a tree which, growing before thecabin, had escaped the sweep of the avalanche. "Lord! Don't I know whatyou two cut-throats stand ready to do to me? And no one any the wiser.Well, what the hell do I care? But say, Seagreave, since we're allhaving this nice little afternoon tea talk together, sociable as aSunday school, it might do you good to take some account of thehas-beens. Here's Bob, he had her before I did, but that ain't takingaway the fact that I had her once, by God! I guess everybody understandsthat there's more behind those emeralds than the pretty story we've allheard so often. The Black Pearl certainly ain't cheap."

  "Let him alone, Harry." Bob Flick's voice arresting Seagreave in hisswift rush toward Hanson had never been more liquid, more languid. Allthrough Hanson's speech his face had not shown even a flicker ofexpression. "This is mine. It always has been mine, and I've known itever since you and me, Mr.----, I never can recall your name, but, then,yellow dogs ain't entitled to 'em, anyway--met in the desert."

  "I guess that's straight. You always had it in for me from the firstnight I saw her. Well, you'll only be finishing what she begun. Shebroke me; she drove me straight to hell. Maybe it was a mis-spent life Ioffered her, but when I met her I had money and success, I wasn't asoak. I still had the don't-give-a-damn snap in me, and, even if you'remiddle-aged, that's youth. But she's like a fever that you can't shakeoff. And she don't play fair. But she's the only one. You know that, BobFlick, and she didn't have the right--"

  "I ain't ever questioned her right, Hanson"--Flick used his name for thefirst time--"and I'm standing here to prove it now. For the sake of MissGallito, because she once took notice of you, I'm going to treat youlike you was a gentleman. Here's your gun. Take your twenty paces. And,remember, this ain't to wound, it's to kill."

  Hanson took the pistol and measured off the paces. Then he turned andlooked from one man to another with a smile of triumph on his evil face."Broke by the Black Pearl and then shot by her dog! That's a nicefinish. I can shoot some myself, but I ain't in your class, Flick, andyou know it. I guess not. I prefer my own route." He looked toward thecabin, where it seemed to him that Pearl or her shadow wavered a momentin the doorway. "Here's dying to you, honey," and before either mancould stop him he lifted his pistol and shot himself through the heart.

  * * * * *

  In the meantime certain events of more importance than the passing ofHanson, to those involved, were taking place in Mrs. Nitschkan's cabin.As soon as Gallito had left the mine and taken his way up to Seagreave'sJose also had departed from his cell by way of the ravine and hadhastened to the abode of Mrs. Nitschkan, where he and Mrs. Thomas weresoon absorbed in the composition of various appetizing dishes, for withthe connivance of the two women Jose hoped that evening again tosubjugate Gallito with the spell of his cookery, and win back theindulgence he had been steadily losing.

  The afternoon, then, was passing most pleasantly for both Mrs. Thomasand himself when suddenly the door was flung open and Mrs. Nitschkan,who had been fishing in a creek further down the hill, came dashing in.

  "Jose," she cried, "the Sheriff and his boys is all out after you again.There's nobody else they'd want up this way. They couldn't keep undercover all the way, for they had to cross the bridge, and I happened tosee 'em then. Get out quick through the trees for Harry's cabin."

  "But I don't know the secret trail."

  "Gallito does. Anyway, cut for it an' maybe I can throw them off thescent. Gosh a'mighty! Cut for it. They're here."

  With one last, hasty kiss on Mrs. Thomas' cheek, Jose was out of thedoor like a flash.

  "Now quick, Marthy." Mrs. Nitschkan had seized a pair of scissors andcut the pocket from her skirt, tucking the roll of bills which itcontained into her man's boot. "Cry, Marthy, cry like you never criedbefore. Go on, I say. Yelpin's your strong suit. Now yelp."

  With that she fell to swearing lustily herself and throwing thefurniture about, even turning the stove over and sending a great showerof soot about the room.

  At the height of all this noise and confusion, dominated, it must besaid, by Mrs. Thomas's loud and, to do her justice, sincere weeping,there came a thunderous knocking on the door, and without waiting tohave it answered the sheriff threw it open and stepped in.

  "Holy smoke!" he cried. "What you knockin' down the cook-stove for?"

  "'Cause I'm fightin' mad, that's why," returned Mrs. Nitschkan tartly,"and I sure am glad to see you. I been robbed, that's what. Ain't thatso, Marthy?"

  Mrs. Thomas lifted her tear-stained face and corroborated this withmournful nods.

  "Whilst I was takin' a little nap," went on Mrs. Nitschkan excitedly, "arascal brother of Gallito's who shouldn't never have been let out ofjail cut the pocket clean out of my skirt and stole my roll. Look here!"exhibiting the jagged hole, and also the empty pocket which lay upon thefloor, "I just waked up to find him gone. He can't have got far, though.I guess he thinks I ain't on to that rock chamber Gallito blasted outfor him in the Mont d'Or, but he showed it to Marthy here, and sheshowed it to me. Come on, and we'll get down there quick."

  "Some of us will." The sheriff was inclined to believe her, and yet hewas still suspicious. A rock chamber in the Mont d'Or! That certainlyaccounted for the miraculous escape of last winter.

  "Pedro?" he asked. "Are you sure it ain't Jose?"

  "I ain't heard of any Jose, have you Marthy?" asked Mrs. Nitschkaninnocently. "Pedro was his name. But come on quick."

  "Two of you boys search this cabin and the woods around," ordered thesheriff, "and two of you go up to Seagreave's cabin. The rest come alongwith me."

  Led by Mrs. Nitschkan, still volubly lamenting her loss, they starteddown the hill toward the ravine, when the sheriff suddenly looked up tosee upon the crest of the hill just before it dipped into a descendingslope two horsemen at full gallop, both horses and riders outlinedagainst the sky.

  "Our men are up there, boys," he cried. "Quick. I've got the fastesthorse in the county, and we'll get them before they get to three rocks."

  He was back to his horse again and on it and up the hill before his menwere fairly in the saddle. It was a race after that, and so rapidly didhe gain on Gallito and Jose that it looked as if his prediction ofgetting them before they reached three rocks was about to be verified."I must do it, I must do it," he kept muttering to himself, "for it'sbad going after that, and i
t'll take us all some time to find him."

  He was lessening the distance between them with every long, powerfulstride of his horse, but already the three rocks, gaunt and high, loomedbefore him as if forming an impassable barrier across the road.Suddenly, just as Jose and Gallito had almost reached them and thesheriff was gaining upon the fugitives in great leaps, he saw themswerve their horses aside and dash into a clump of trees to the right ofthe rocks.

  "Oh, the fools! the fools! I got 'em now. Instead of going for therocks, they've made for the trees."

  A few minutes later he and his men found the horses ridden by Gallitoand Jose blown and hard-breathing among the trees, but no trace couldthey discover of the men they sought. Beyond the three rocks thecharacter of the hills changed strikingly. Instead of the wide,undulating, wooded plateau, over which riding was so easy, the mountainssuddenly seemed split by mighty gashes, a great pocket of crevasses andtowering cliffs.

  The sheriff and his men beat about aimlessly and conscientiously forseveral hours, but in vain. Jose and Gallito had long before "hit" thesecret trail. So finally the sheriff, who was inclined to put less faiththan ever in Hanson's representations, and convinced in his own mindthat Gallito was merely conniving at the escape of an unregeneratebrother, and that Mrs. Nitschkan's tale was true, called off his men androde home. "The cuss ain't important," he remarked, "and I guessGallito'll be glad enough to make up Nitschkan's loss to her and keepher mouth shut."

  * * * * *

  It was evening. Pearl and Seagreave sat in the door of the cabin. Herhead drooped, her hands lay listlessly in her lap, and her brooding gazewas fixed on the soft, dark night. "Oh," she cried at last, "how can Ido anything but leave you? Look at the mischief I've done in the world.Look at it!"

  Seagreave clasped his arms about her and laid his cheek on hers. "Let'sforget it all, Pearl, forget that you've been a firebrand and I've beena quitter, and begin life all over again. There's only one thing in it,anyway, and that's love."

  "Just love," she answered softly. "Well, love's enough."

  * * * * *

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  This classic of undergraduate life relates the adventures andmisadventures of a youth fresh from a Western home, who is suddenlydropped into the turmoil of his opening year at a great Eastern college.From the moment that "Mamma left for home" right up to Class Day, theauthor chronicles minutely and most amusingly the experiences of hisfreshman hero.

  HALCYONE. By Elinor Glyn, author of "The Reason Why," "His Hour," etc.Cloth, $1.30 net. Postpaid, $1.42.

  Mrs. Glyn's new novel is a very modern love story in which theprincipals are a dreamy little girl--a finished product of Greek lifeand thought--and a rising young politician, with a fine old professor asthe god in the machine. The scenes are laid in a beautiful park inEngland, and on the Continent. It is an up-to-date idyll, rich inromance, rapid in action, pure, clean, wholesome, inspiring. The host ofreaders of "The Reason Why" will find this new story exactly to theirliking.

  SHARROW. By the Baroness von Hutten, author of "Pam," "Our Lady of theBeeches," "He and Hecuba," etc. Cloth, $1.30 net. Postpaid, $1.42.

  "Sharrow" is a story of complicated plot woven around the possession ofa wonderful old estate owned by the Sharrows since the Middle Ages. "Itis a book of flesh and blood and character, of individuality and power.Real people walk through its pages and real motives and emotions directthe movement of the story."--_New York Evening Sun_. "The spell ofSharrow is cast over the reader before he knows it."--_Baltimore News_.

  FAITH BRANDON. By Henrietta Dana Skinner, author of "Espiritu Santo,""Heart and Soul," etc. With Frontispiece. Cloth, $1.30 net. Postpaid,$1.42.

  Mrs. Skinner's new novel has for its heroine a most piquant anddelightful American girl, who, at the age of sixteen, falls in love witha Russian prince. He is a man of lofty character with a serious purposein life and devotes his energies to political journalism. The course oftrue love runs anything but smoothly. The story is full of action andincident, and has especial interest through its warmth and color, itspictures of life in Russia and the humanness of its characters. "A novelof purpose as well as an enchaining romance."--_Springfield Union_.

  _Appleton's Recent Books_

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  THE MYSTERY OF THE SECOND SHOT.

  By Rufus Gillmore. Illustrated with Pen-and-Ink Sketches by HermanHeyer. 12mo. Cloth, $1.25 net. Postpaid, $1.37.

  Bertrand Newhall, a scheming Boston banker, gets control of an old,reliable trust company, wrecks it to bolster up another business, anddisappears. Police and reporters hunt him in vain. As Ashley, areporter, is "combing" the neighborhood of Newhall's home for evidence,a young girl draws him inside a house, where he finds the banker dead, apistol beside him. The police call it suicide, but Ashley thinksdifferently, and ultimately he solves a problem quite new
in the annalsof crime.

  THE NAMELESS THING. By Melville Davisson Post, author of "The GildedChair," etc. Illustrated. 12mo. Cloth, $1.25 net. Postpaid, $1.37.

  A thrilling mystery story. The queer death of a recluse in his libraryis the main theme. There is absolutely no clue, and the mystery isdoubled by the fact that, although the room is shot up and in thegreatest disorder, both windows and door are found locked on theinside--the man dead in a pool of his own blood. The clearing up of thismystery leads the reader through many exciting adventures. "Somethingexceptional in the way of detective stories. It is such stories as thesethat dignify the art of fiction writing."--_Boston Transcript_.

  THE TREVOR CASE. By Natalie S. Lincoln. Illustrated by Edmund Frederick.12mo. Cloth, $1.30 net. Postpaid, $1.42.

  One of the most ingenious and exciting detective novels of recent years.The scene is Washington. The beautiful young wife of theAttorney-General is found murdered. A burglar is caught leaving thehouse, but incriminating evidence points to other people high inofficial and political life. There is a bewildering conflict of cluesand a series of startling climaxes before the case is cleared up. Notone reader in fifty can guess the ending.