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About The North Platte semi-weekly tribune. (North Platte, Neb.) 1895-1922 | View Entire Issue (May 20, 1902)
Banker Lingar's Son-In-Law. BY JAMBS O'SHAUQHNESSY. (Copyrlcht, 1802, by Dally Story Pub, Co.) Upon the promotion of William farnloy Faldlu to tho position of re .celving tollor of tho Thirteenth Na tloinl Dank ho began to show signs of tho widening of his horizon. He spell cd out hlo middle name In full and ac quired tho nrt of appearing nt caso In a dress suit. Ho narrowed his so cial orbit until ho felt Justified In classifying himself as exclusive, and then ho discreetly fell In lovo with tho daughter Of Abel Llngar, the pies! tnt of tho bank. Fortunately for him Mlns Llngar yon not beautiful of face, and thero was neither symmetry nor graco In her figure. These gaps In her structural charms mado his lovo course easy. In visiting her fathor's bank her keen cyo foil on FnldU. Ho was rather pleasing In appearance, with light bluo cyos, a blondo mustache and a pink and white complexion. Ho could sing nil of tho popular and sentimen tal songs. Ho sang tho tfontlmental ones for her nnd hofora tho end of tho season ho was calling her Ethyl when no ono else was In hearing. When ho nuked her to marry him, Alio gavo him her hand and their se cret troth was plighted. All that re mained to bo dono was to obtain tho consent of Abel Llngar. Hero Faldls' training was a hindrance nud not n help to him. Ho could not disassociate Kthyl's father from tho president of tho Thirteenth National Bank, and ho could not summon sufllcleut courago to ask President Llngar for tho hand of his daughter In marriage. When ho aroso In tho morning his resolution was fixed, but at night ho returned frotfully to his couch with tho dreaded task still nhcad of htm. , Whenever ho would put himself In tho presonco of Ethyl'B fnthcr It was only to' discover tho great prosldont of tho Thirteenth Natlonnl Hank nnd ho would retlro in deferential confusion. Ono evening when closing ills ac counts ho found thoy woro wrong. Thoro, In his own handwriting, wns a falso entry of $20,000. Over and over tho books ho wont, but tho studlod examination only confirmed tho awful ovldcnco that ho was short 120.000. At tho sight of President Llngar Btnlklng majestically through tho counting room of tho bank to his pri vate offlco, Faldls shook with terror. It BUddonly occurred to his over wrought mind that porhnps tho bank lied an unexplained overplus of $20, 000. With tho lmpulso of this vagary ho rushed oft to tho office. "I beg your pardon, Mr. Llngar," ho faltored, "but or has Is thoro an overplus of $20,000 " "What?" "Has anyono mado nn error?" "An error? An error of $20,000?" thundored Llngar. Tho cold, accusing manner of Llngar founded tho depths of Faldls' abjoc tlon. Tho reaction was Instantaneous. Tho palo bluo eyes of tho tollor ceased to wavor In their glances and became is fixed nnd steoly aa thoso of tho president. No longor cringing, ho straightened up defiantly. "Did you soy thoro waa an error of 120,000?" Bald Llngar In Bllghtly soft 'ncd tonos, "I did not, but thcro Is an ltom of lint amount In my books which I am unnblo to explain." 'You nro 111, Faldla. Tnko n rost of a day or bo, Johnson will tnko your Maco." Faldls wont back to his cago. A few nlnutos later Johnson, tho assistant laahlor, entered It. Faldla had on his Ant nnd waa buttoning his overcoat. Johnson did not notlco that Faldls' overcoat was bulging at tho breast. "Go through my nccountB carefully, Mr. Johnson, and find tho mistake, I km 111." , Faldls walked slowly out of tho bank. A thick Jnwod, athlotlo looking man stopped quietly out of tho olllco from bohlud Llngar, nnd followed llko ,vAu(orror of $20,000?" thundored Lin . v . ' gar. shadow on tho footsteps of Faldls, A fow hours later Johnson entered !ho president's ofllco with a sheet of paper In his hand. "f And that this ltom of $20,000 la jicroiy a clerical error, Mr. Llugnr,' bo Bald. "Thon thero la nothing Irregular In Faldls' account?" Bald Llngar, bright enlng up, "Nothing that Is nothing In this connection. I have not brought tho flgurcs up to dato yot." "Thon do It. I'll wait." Johnson returned to tho president's afllce Into that afternoon with tromb- bllng hand and quivering Up. "What ls.lt, Mr. Johnson?" cried Llngar, springing from his chair. "Faldls la short $250,000 on to-day's Blip." . Llngar gasped, but with hts return Ing pulso his eyes flashed with a quick giaro of triumph. "Wo will not lose It," ho cried. "Ho had tho money In his pookots when ha walked out of horo this morning. Ho cannot get away. I put a shadow on him the moment ho stopped out of tho bank. I Judged thnt thief rightly." Lato that night, Llngar nnd Johnson woro going over uio dooks wncn a knock came to tho door of the bank. At a signal to tho watchman, tho door was oponcd, nnd tho thlck-Jnwed, ath letic looking shadow entered. Ho had a hnndago over ono eye. "What'a thin?" rrled I.lngar. "He had me done up." "Who what?" "Your man, Faldls. Ho hired n half dozen Inter-Htato Dotcctlvo agency men to slug me." "And ho got nway?" "Of course, but our oflko and nil of our men arc notified and every depot A thick-Jawed, athletic looking man followed Fnldls. Is watched. Oh, ho can't get away for good." When Llngar was alono In his car- rlago driving homo, ho gavo way to his anguish and groaned aloud. Ho waa realizing tho enormity of tho theft that had at first stunned him. When ho reached homo tho butler who Bwung opon tho door lor him was in a llurry of excitement. Ho took oft his hnt and glovos nnd overcoat and threw thorn, rnthor than handed thorn to tho sorvant. Ho strayod into tho parlor and drawing room nnd hnd reached tho wldo door to tho library when ho stoppod, tottered and clutched tho por- noros lor support. "Faldls!" ho ahrloked. Tho butlor, who had hovered near. rushed to his oldo. "Itobborl In my houso! Quick. Percy, sound tho alarm!" 'No. no, papa, wait. Listen to me." and Ethyl rnn to him and put her arms around his neck, whllo tho quick nanus or tho butlor wero obeying tho ninstor'B ordors. "My daughter my child aro you Interceding for this thief?" "Yes, but wo will confess nil. Now can you not forglvo us?" "Wo will confess! Wo! what do you moan? What part cun you have In it?" "What pnrt havo I In It?" alio said slowly. "Do you thlnk.pnpa, thnt r am lnsonslblo to my own hcart't. deslro? I had tho eager part of one who loves. Ho haa robbed my poor, dear nana. I know robbed him of his darling daughter." And, running to Faldls, Bho throw hor nrms nround his neck and klBsed Urn repeatedly. Tho clanging of a brass gong sound od In tho strcot, followed by n rush of foot up the stops. Tho butlor throw opon tho door nnd four policemen In uniform rushed In. "Whnt'H the mnttor, Mr. Llngar?" asked tho sergeant of tho pollco. "Arrest that man. Ethyl swooned In Faldla' arms. "Wouldn't you bettor havo an ex planation first?" asked Faldls coolly. "Explanation? What can you say In explanation?" "Lot ua excuso theso ofilcor3 flrst." Llngar looked nt Faldls for aomo tlmo, then turning to tho pollco ho asked them to stop out In tho hall for nwhno. "You nro a mnn of sense, bo llston. I did not tnko tho $20,000, although It looked bad for mo. r didn't propose being mado nn Innocent victim, nnd I provided ngalnst It. My first provision ngalnat It, you havo discovered at tho bank, I bollovo. Tho second wns to get rid of your dotcctlvo so that I could put tho money away Bafely for fnturo cmorgonclea. Tho third enro ful thing I did to 8avo roo from tho penitentiary waa to marry your anugutor. Llngar Btarcd at htm dazed and vn cantly, but watted for litm to continue. "Now I hardly think that you want to put tho bank to tho oxponso of a quarter of n million dollars Just to mako n convict of your son-ln-lnw." "But tho monoyl Whero Is It?" "Oh, that Is put nway whero no ono but mo can get It, nil oxcept $1,000 that I paid to havo your dctccttvo taken off my trull. I enn turn over to you $249,000, or I enn koop It." Llngar was silent, hla browa con tractcd. "Of courso, you havo not talked much about this for the sake of tho bank. I havo not mentioned It oven to my wlfo. So you soo wo can still avoid publicity." Without a word to Faldls, Llngar walked slowly out to tho hall. Tho policeman went awny. Ho roturned to tho library. Ethyl had recovorod, "Oh, papa, you will forglvo us, won't you?" sho nobbed. "What clso can I do, my child?" he said, taking her In his arms. And Faldla stepped up to tako ths outstretched hand of his rclontla father-ln-lar, PRINOE HENRY'S AUTOGRAPHS FEW Man I.'ffortf Maria to Get Them, bnl Fair Were SncceitfaL Prlnco Henry, whllo here, was nat urally asked often for his autograph, but It Is estimated that not moro than 100 persons succeeded in getting it. Most of tho requests camo by mall. Tho prlnco, who had met tho auto graph flonds on the other aide, decid ed to glvo his autograph only to cer tain individuals. Theso woro tho prosldont of a society or club of which he was tho guest, and ono or two of thoso noarcst him nt tablo. To this rulo ho porsl.ttcntly adhered. At all tho dlnnorB nt which tho prlnco was a guest, In thlc city and elHowherc, requests for his autograph woro sent to him In largo numbers, moat of them In notca addressed to him through tho presiding officer. Not n few of these rcqucats wero mado personally. Tho prince alwayif took pains to In form whoever proalded at tho dinner of tho rulo ho hnd made, and left It to him to explain It to tho applicants. In accordance with the rulo ho mndo for himself, ho nlways wroto his auto graph on tho menu card of tho presid ing officer, nnd of thoso nearest him nt table, sometimes extending It so that perhaps flvo or six persons had tho favor shown to them at tho nehd table. Had ho complied with all tho re quests mado, It was said by n person who wns with htm and knew about hts mall, ho would not havo had tlmo to do nnythlng elso throughout his visit but write his slgnnturc. New York Sun. WHY WASHINGTON'S LEGS SHINE. MltHipllott Zonl of Acent for New Kind or I'olUli. Ono of tho points of Interest In tho financial district Is tho lironzo Rtntnn of Washington In tho front of tho United States sub-treasury on Wall Btreet, saya tho Now York Press. It is invariably nolntcd out to visitors. and nlmost Invariably tho question la asked: "Why do thoy polish onlv tho knees and not tho wholo statue?" Mentor nnd uuldo has to chnkn hla head, and admits that ho docs not know. It nppcars that somo venrs iico n poddior with somo now kind of nollsh enmo to tho sub-treasury and extolled me virtues of hla compound to ono of UIO guards. "Whv." hn unlit. "I could oven polish up that rusty old statuo out thero In a Jiffy." "uo' abend," said tho guard. Tho agent went to work with n will nnd In a fow minutes had succeeded In taking off the beautiful dull orv- dlzlng from tho logs of tho stntuo as rar as tno knees. Just then Mr. Muhleman, tho deputy assistant treas urer, camo up tho steps, and in loss tlmo than It takes to toll It tho agent found himself slttlnc at tho foot of tho stops, whllo Mr. Muhloman lectured to tno surprised guard In forclblo lnn guago on tho vandalism of Indiscri minate polishing. IlUt not oven tho vnrlnhllltv nf thn New York cllmnto has been Bufflclnnt as yet to restoro to tno polished parts tnoir om dull beauty. HAS A OURIOUSJTRANSFORMATION. Tlio Axolotl llucomes Anotlior Animal In Corjnln Luculltlcf, NaturallHta havo lone been fnmlll.ir with n nowt-llko crcaturo, breathing by gills and lungs both, nnd Jnhnblt lng the lakes of Mexico and other Am erican wators. This Is tho nxolotl. It wai also discovered that In certain localities this creature, which by tho way breeds frcoly In Mexico, sheds ita skin, cnstB off Its gills nnd Its tall fin, dovolopa another color of body nnd lenves tho water to becomo n land newt. Undor this latter gulso It la known ns tho nmblystoma. Nnturally, tho explanation of this curious transformation rests on tho fact thnt tho axolotl la really tho young or tadpole stage of tho ambly Btomn form, but tho peculiarity hero Is that In lta first stngo It should breed and multiply and contlnuo to reproduce axolotls, bb If It woro a per fectly mature anlmnl. Tho occurrenco of such cases points out to 113 ono way In which species can bo ovolved, for, hnd wo not been acquainted with tho relationship of theso forms, no body would havo hesitated to dca crlbo them us two cssentlnlly distinct animals. Lately It haa been Bhown, says tho London Chronlclo, that, whllo In Colo rado nnd Dakotu tho transformation Is complete, In Mexico tho axolotl Btago Is npparently permanent. Here, probably, tho Influenco of environ ment on n living being Is typically Illustrated. "The Undo of IIU Nephew." Tho potency of football In giving promlnonco not only to tho playor, but to all hts relatives was amusingly Illustrated In tho enso of tho well known nntl-expnnsloutst, William Lloyd Qarrlson. At nn evening recep tion Mr. Garrison was Introduced to a noted athlete. "I am pleased to know you, Mr. Gurrlson," said tho athclcto, "I pre- sumo you aro a rolattvo of tho fnmoua Ilurvnrd quarterback, 'Dllly' Garrl Bon." "Great heavens!" oxclnlmcd Mr. Garrison In mock Indignation. "All my ltto I havo been known ns tho son of my tnthor; must I In my old ago be known aa tua undo of my neph ew?" Country "Road on St. Joseph "Ri)er9 Michigan, I..?4' , '" ""'""""""""TlSP'Bi Wm Thoto by Eugene J. Hall, Chicago. To tho dwoller in the country tho western ste-toa. at letust, this picture will bo rocognized e.s typical of the berxuty of tho averago country road. Particularly at this so&son of the year are thes scenes a. source of delight to the worshipper of nature, Tho worker in the hot and dusty city moo be pardoned if he peruses to o.ak himself whother all tho oys of living aro monopolized by his kind Christ' 's Crotatn of Thorns Preserved. So many conflicting stories havo been written from tlmo to tlmo about the Crown of Thorns that I may bo allowod to mako an authoritative Btatoment on tho subject. In tho flrst place, I may venturo to say that within my personal knowledge I doubt If twenty peoplo In tho wholo of Christendom ever saw It, and oven know where It Is kopt. In tho United States, outside of myself, my wife nnd our daughter, who was too llttlo to romombor, I do not bollovo that n alnglo Individual over saw tho Crown of Thorns, unless Mgr. Ireland, who la n Sulplclan as well as tho keeper of tho crown, wns lately granted tho favor of seeing It. If any one would llko to kuow tho reason why I was How Triulo I Hampered. An exnmplo of tho way In which foreign trade is hampered by tho va lety of weights and mcnsure3 lu voguo In different countries Is given by tho United States consul nt Am sterdam. A firm In Holland recelvod a cable offer from New York for 2,000 barrels of potatoes. This, of course, Is tho usual meaaure for tho salo of this comestible In North America. Tho message, howevor, vfas a conun drum for tho Dutcn firm. In tho flrst place, thero was a question ns to how ninny pouuds wont to a barrel, and In tho next tho Dutch pound dif fers from tho American weight. Tho cable was tho eventual resource, but a wholo day waa lost before tho an swer could bo wired, Tho American consul points out that had tho offer been mado In kilogrammes every busi ness man In tho commercial world would havo Instantly understood the offer. London Dally Flnanclnl Times. Coodileratt It a Trick. At present the dally Uto of nn Amor lean In the Philippine Islands Is cor taluly not "a pathway of rosea," as thus favored I may reply that tho crown, which was Intrusted to tho enro of two members of my family almost flvo hundred years ago, 1b to day through somo accidental circum stances In the keeping of my first cousin, tho archprlest and denn of tho canons of Notre Damo of Paris. A general error is that tho crown Is mado of thorns, some pretending thnt whllo others claim It was mado of It was platted from blackberry, whlto thorn or even of wild ro3e. Tho crown which l- saw, and which Is claimed to bo tho authentic ono, 13 mado of bullrush, through which thorns are Inserted. According to tho gospels of Matthew (xv., 17), John (xxlx., 2) nnd Mark (xxvll., 29), "tho will bo seen from tho following Inci dent: Americans living In Manila nro sub jected to extortion by Spaniards nnd Filipinos In tho matter of house rent and other expenses, tho American having to pay JuBt double tho prices asked of anybody else. Recently nn Amorlcnn lad, knowing such a Bcalo of prices existed in the city markets, took her nntive servant along to mako a fow purchases, which was dono, na tive prlcea being paid. When tho atallkeoper at tho market learned that tho purchased goods wore for an American sho attacked tho lady nnd, seizing tho basket which contained tho purchased articles, consisting of vege tables and fruit, sho emptied Its con tents Into the street, threatening to thrash tho American and her servant If they nttompted to repeat such a trick upon her. A Curloui Cotnclilenre. Thcro is ono curious coronation co incidence which should not rass with out notlco. Of nil tho Edwards thai havo sat on tho 'English throne not a slnglo one haa been crowned with soldiers platted a crown of thorns," but the text docs not mean, so iny cousin, tho archprlest explained to mo, that thorns were used exclusively, Tho crown was of a slzo to lit an ordinary head (Its exact diameter It twenty-ono centimeters and about threo Inches In thickness), yellowish from ago nnd entirely mado of bul rush, of tho kind used In tho Orient tc mako fruit baskets; tnat is, small round bulrushes, two or threo feet in length. As to tho threo remaining thorns, ns far as I could Judge, thoj belonged to n variety of parasltt thorny bushes qulto common In AbIb Minor and Northern Africa. Thoj woro about threo Inches long. Dr Mcllto E. Chartlcr In New York Press his queen In Westminster abboy slnci Edward I. and Eleanor wero crowned thero together. Moreover, that coro nation was tho flrst that took plac In tho present nbbey. Edward II. had no queen when ho was crowned, Ed ward III. waB n boy at tho time, Ed ward IV. was unmarried and Edward V. was nover crowned at nil. Edward IV. was crowned when ho was but 10 years of ngo. So the only preceden' Is of good omen; for Eleanor ns tin most devoted wlfo that over wai queen. Sho It was who Bucked tin poison from her husband's wound Aud It wns hor husband who set U a cross at every halting placo of hoi coflln until It camo to Charing Cross, whero tho memory of the chero relni la Immortalized. Hholilon Still In rolltlrt. They aro talking of running Rov Charles M. Sheldon for mayor of To peka, Kan. Mr. Sholdon Is the authoi of tho book oalled "In His Steps," un about two years ago odtted tho Topeki Capital for 0 week to show how hi believed Chrf.it would run a newspaper. 1