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 unfinished, sent Valeska home in his motor-car, and himself went to bed.

The next morning Astro looked, the first thing, at The Era personals. Calendon's advertisement read as follows:

ERUS: '97 Otog Lliwcirt celen atil opom S. O. C.

"I think," he said thoughtfully, "that it will hardly be dishonorable for me to plunge in Cosmopolitan Electric, so long as I'm not going to let Mr. Calendon pay me for this affair. Let's see. Sold yesterday at 75. If I can get it at five points margin, an investment of one thousand dollars will bring me in about eight hundred. I'll be able to get that Coptic manuscript I have been wanting so long. Now for Mr. Calendon!"

He took his telephone, and was soon in communication with his client. "What have you found out?" he asked.

"Twelve persons bought Continental Zinc," was the answer. "Of these, seven were legitimate investors. I have the names of the other five."

"Very good. Send your chief of detectives up to me in a hurry. There are some investigations they can make while I'm at work on a more important aspect of the case."

"Have you found out anything?" came the anxious inquiry.

"I am on the track. Have courage, and follow instructions. Tell Mrs. Calendon that she will not be disappointed in my work."

After Astro's routine work that day, Valeska came