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About The Nebraska advertiser. (Nemaha City, Neb.) 18??-1909 | View Entire Issue (Sept. 2, 1904)
The Miser's By HONRll CHAPTER XXI. (Continued.) "1. S. I inclose a dwell for eight thousand francs, payable in gold to your r."Ur, comprising tlio capital and Interest of tho mini you were so kind ns to ad vauoo in.'. I am expecting a caso from Hordouux which contains a fow things which you niUHt allow mo to send you n a token of my unceasing gratitude. You can himkI my drosslng esse Ity the dill SCiK to the Hotel d'Aubrion." "Hy the dillngenee!" cried Eugenie, "jy-ben I would hare given my life tor It m thousand times!" 'Werrlblo and coinpletr) shipwreck of hotH: tho vessel had gone down, there vum not a Npar, not a plank in the vii.st mVmi. She raised her eyes to the Hky. U'iK.To was nothing left to lier now lint to Uro prayerfully till the day of her deliverance Hhould come and tho mw1 p!ad Its wings for lieaven. Aly mothnr wa.s right," sho said, wrx'pliig. "Suffer and die." &!o went slowly into the house, avoid ing Hio passage; but when she came into tlio old gray parlor, it wan full of incm orfcw of her cousin. On the chimney plece there atood a certain china saucer, wh'ni he had lined every morning, and tin) old Sevres Hiigar hiiMin. K was to ho a memorable and event ful day for Eugenic. Nation announced tin cure. 1 1 o wns related to the Cru chots, and therefore in the interests of tlws I'reHident do Honfons. For Home days past the Abbe had urged tho cure to upeak seriously to Mile, Grnndet about the duty of marriago. Eugenie fancied 11 ntt ho liad come for tho thousand francs which she gavo him every month for tho poor, and sent Nation for tho money; but tho curatu began with a Millie. "To-day, tnadeinolKolle, I have coiiki to take counsel with you about a poor girl in whom all Suutnur takes an IntereHt, and who, through lack of char ity to herself, is not living as a Chris tlan should." "M. le Cure, just now I can think of nobody but myself. I am very misera ble, my only refuge is In the church; her heart Is large enough to hold all human Borrows, her lovo so inexhaustible that we need never fear to drain it dry." "Well, mademoiselle, when wo speak of this girl, we shall speak of you. List en! If you would fain work out jour Halvation, there two but two ways open to you; you must either leave tho world or live In the world and submit to it? laws you must choose between the earthly and the heavenly vocation." "Ah! your voice speaks to me when 3 need to hoar a voieo. Yes, lieaven has aont you to me. I will bid tho world furewell, and livo in silence and seclu sion." "Hut, my daughter, you should think long and prayerfully before, taking so strong a measure. Marriago is life, and the convent is death." "Yes, deatli. Ah, if death would only come quickly, M. le (Jure," she said, with dreadful eagerness. "Death? Hut you have great obliga tions to fulfill toward society, inndoinoi eelle. Thero Is your family of poor, to whom you give- clothes and tiring in win ter and work in summer. Your great fortune is a loan, of which you must Rivo an account ono' day. You have always looked on it as a sacred trust. It would be selfish to bury yourself in a convent, and you ought not to live alone In tho world. In the first place, how can you endure tho burden 'of your vast for tnno alone? You might lose it. You will bo involved in endless litigation; jou will find yourself In dilllcultties from which you will not be able to extricate yourself. Take your pastor's word, a husband Is usoful; you ought not to lose whnt f!od has given unto your charge. I peak to you as a cherished lamb of my flock. You love (!od too sincerely to find hindrance to your salvation in the world; you are one of its fairest orna ments, and should remain in it as an ex ample of holiness." At this point Mine, des Grnssins was announced. The hunker's wife was minting uiiiler a grievous disappoint ment and thirsted far revenge. "MndeniolsellL " she began. "Oh! M. lo Cure is here I will say no more, then. I came to speak about some mat ters of business, but I see you arc deep In something else." "Madame," said tho cure, "I leave tlio field to you." "Oh! M. le Cure, pray como back again; I stand in great need of your help just now." "Yes, indeed, my poor child!" said Mine, des Grnssins. "What do you mean?" asked Eugenie and the euro both together. "Do you suppose that I haven't heaid that your cousin has como back and Ik going to marry Mile. d'Aubrion? A woman doesn't go about with her wits in her pocket." CHAPTER XXH. Eugcnin was silent, there was a red flush on her face, but sho made up her mind at onco that h'oncefonvnrd no one should loam anything from her, and looked as impenetrable as her father used to do. . . . , w 1 1 1 V . . ... "Wen, niaoamc, sno said, witli a tinge of bitterness in her tones, "it seems that I, at any rate, carry my wits in my pocket, for I am quito at n loss to un derstand you. Speak out and explain 7oursolf. "Well, then, mademoiselle, see for yourself what des Grnssins says, nore Jin the letter." Eugenie road: "My Dear Wife Charles Gratidct hau .returned from tho Indies, and has been 'In. Parte those two months : ' "Two. month 1" said Eugenie to her DAUGHTER! DE BALZAC self, and hor hand fell to her side. After a moment she went on reading. "I had to dance attendance on him. and called twice before the fllturo f'omte d'Aui'tion would condescend to seo me. All I'm is is talking about, his marriage, and the banns are published " "And ho wrote to me after that?" Eu genie said to herself. She did not round off the sentence as a Piirisletine would have done, with "Wretch that he is!" but her scorn was not ono whit tho less because it was unexpressed. "but it will be a good while yet be fore lie marries; It is not likely that the Marquis d'Aubrion will give his daugh ter to the son of a bankrupt wine mer chant. I called and told him of all the trouble wo had been at, his uncle ami I, in the matter of his father's failure, und of our clever dodges that had kept the creditors quiet so far. Tlio indolent puppy had tlio effrontery to say to me that his falhor's affairs were not his! There Is something that he does owe, howcer, and that the law shall make him pay, Hint is to say, twelve hundred thousand francs to his father's creditors, ami 1 shall declare his father bankrupt. I mixed myself up in this affair on the word of that old crocodilo of a Grnndet, and I have given promises in the turnip of tho family. M. lo Comte d'Aubrion may not care for his honor, but 1 care a good deal for mine! So I shall just explain my position to the creditors. Still, 1 havo too much respect for Mile. Eugenie to take any steps boforo you lino spoken lo her " Thero Eugenie paused, and quietly re turned the letter. "1 am obliged to you," sho said to Mine, des Grnssins. "We shall see " "Your volco was exactly like jour father's just then," exclaimed Mme. ties Grnssins. Mile, (irandet wont up to her fnthor's room nnd spent tho day thero by herself; sho would not even come down to dinner, though Nation begged and scolded. She appeared in the ovcnitig nt the hour when tho usual conipnny began to arrive. Tho'gray parlor in the Grandets' house had never been so well filled as it was that night. Every soul In the town knew by that linio of Charles' faithless uoss and ingratitude; but their inquisi tive curiosity wa.s not to be gratified, liugenie wa.s a little late, but no one saw any traces of the cruel agitation through which she had passed: she could smile benignly In reply to compassionate looks and words. About l) o'clock tho card players drew away from the tables. Just as there was a general move in the direction of the door, an unexpected development took place; tho news of it rang through Sau niur for days after. "Please stay, M. lo President." Thero was not a person in the room who did not thrill with excitement at the words; M. de Honfons, who was about to take his cane, turned quite whito and sat down again. "The President takes the millions," said Mile, do Gribeaucourt. "It is quito clear that President de I'.onfons is going to marry Mile. Gran det," cried Mine. d'Orsonval. "M. le President," Eugenie began, in an unsteady voice, as soon as they were alone, "I know what you care about in me. Swear to leave me free till the end of my life, to claim none of the rights which marriage will give you over me. and my hand is yours. Oh!" she said. seeing him about to fall on his knees. I have not finished yet. 1 must tell you frankly that thero are memories in my heart which can never be effaced; that I Headship is all that I can clve my husband; I wish neither to affiont him nor to bo disloyal to my own heart. I !ut you shall only have my hand and fortune at the price of an immense ser vice which l want you to do me." "Any thing, I will do any thins;." Mild the president. "Here are fifteen hundred thousand francs. M. le President," she said, draw ing from her bodice a certificate for a hundred shares in tho Hank of France; "will you set out for Paris? You must not even wait till tho morning, but go at once, to-night. You must go straight to M. des Grnssins, ask him for a list of my uncle's creditors, call them together- and disehargo all outstanding claims upon tiutllauiiio Grandefs estate. Lot tho creditors have capital and Interest at D per cent from the day tho debts were contracted to tlio present time; and seo that In every ease a receipt In full Is given. You uro a magistrate, you arc tho only person whom 1 fool 1 can trust lu sm li a caso You aro a gentlemnn and a mail of honor; you havo given mo your word, and. protected by your name. I will make tho perilous voyngo of life. We shall know how to mako allowances for each other, for wo havo been ac quainted so long that it Is almost as If wo were related, and 1 ant sure ,ou would not wish to make me unhappy." Tho president fell on his knees at tho feet of tho rich .iciress In u paroxysm of joy. "I will bo your slave!" ho said. "When all tho receipts aro in your possession, sir," sho wont on, looking quietly at him, "you must tako them, to gether with the bills, to my cousin Gran det, and givo them to him with this letter. When you contu back, I will keep my word." Tho president understood tlio stnto of affulrs perfectly well. "Sho Is accent lug mo out of pique," ho thought, and lie hastened to do Mile. Grandefs bid ding with all posslblo speed, for fear soino cliaucc might .bring about a recon I dilation between tu lovers. CIIAJPTEIt XXIII. As soon as M. de Honfons left her Eugenie, sank into her chnir and burst into tears. All was over, and this wus , the end. i Tho president traveled post to Paris and reached his journey's end on tho following evening. The next morning , he went to des Orasslns, and arranged for a meeting of the creditors. Eery man of them appeared. i M. de Honfons. In Mile. Griindet's name, paid down tlio money in full, both cnpltal and Interest. It was an amazing pcrtctit, n nine days' wonder In the busl noss world of Paris. After tho wholo affair had been wound up, and when des Grassins hnd recolTcd fifty thousand francs for his services, the president he took himself to the Hotel d'Aubiion, and was lucky enough to find Charles at home, and In disgrace with bis future father-lu-law. The old marquis hnd just informed that gentleman that until Gull laume Grnndet'a creditors were satisfied a marriage with his daughter was not to be thought of. To Charles, thus de spondent, tho preslden: delivered th fol lowing letter: "Dear Cousin M. lo Prcsidont de Honfons has undertaken to hand you a discharge of all claims against my un cle's estate. I heard rumors of bank ruptcy, and It occurred to mo that ditll cuities might possibly arise as a conse quence in the matter of your marriago with Mile.' d'Aubrion. Yes. cousin, you aro quite right about my tantes and man ners; 1 havo lived, as you say, so entirely out of tho world, that I know nothing of Its ways or Its calculations, and my companionship lould never mako up to you for tho loss of the pleasures that you look to find iu society. 1 hope Hint you wilt be happy according to the social con ventions to which you havo sacrificed jour early love. The only thing in my power to give you to complete your hap piness is your father's good name. Fare well; you will always find a faithful friend in your cousin. "EUGENIE." In spito of himself an exclamation broko from the man of social ambitions when his eyes fell on tho discharge nnd receipts. The president smiled. o can each announce our tnnr- ringe," raid he. "Oh! you are to marry Eugenie! Well, I mil glad to hear it; she is a kind- hearted girl. Why!" struck with a sud den luminous ideu, "she must bo rich?" "Four days ago sho hnd about nine teen millions," the president said, with i malicious twinkle in his eyes; "to day she has only seventeen." Charles was dumfounded; he stared at the president. "Seventeen mil " "Seventeen millions. Yes, sir; when we are married Mile. Grandet and 1 Minll muster seven hundred and fifty thou sand livres a year between us." "My dear cousin," said Charles, with some return of assurance, "we shall be .tblo to push each other's fortune." "Certainly." said the president. "There is something else here," ho added, "a little case that 1 was to give only into your hnnds," and ho set down a box containing the dressing caso upon the table. The door opened, nnd In enme Mme. la Marquise d'Aubrion; the groat lady ecmed to bo unnwaro of Cruchot's ex istence. "Look here, dear!" sho said; never mind Avhnt that absurd M. d'Au brion lias been saying to you. I ropeat it, there is nothing to prevent your mar riage " "Nothing, madntno," answered Charles. Tho three millions which my father owed were paid yesterday, capital and interest. I mean to rehabilitate his memory." "What nonsense!" cried his niotlier-ln- law. "Who Is thin person?" she asked in Charles' ear, as she saw Cruciiot for the first time. "My man of business," ho answered in a low voice. The Marqttiso gave M. de Huufons a disdainful bow, nnd left the room. "Wo nro beginning to push oach oth er's fortuno already." said the presi- lent, dryly, nu ho took up his hat. "Good day, cousin." "The old cockatoo from Saunuir Is laughing at mo; I havo a great mind to make him swallow six inches of cold steel,' tlioufiht Charles. Hut tho president bad departed. CHAPTER XXIV. Thrco days lator M. de Honfons was back In Saunuir ngaln, and nnnounced lii' marriago with Eugenie. After about six months ho received ills appointment as councilor to tho court at Angers, nnd they went thither. Hut before Eugenie left Sautnur sho melted down the trin kets that had long been so snored and so dear a trust, and gave them, together with the eight thousand francs which her cousin had returned to her, to tho parish church, whither sho hod gono so often to ptay for him. Henceforward her life was spent partly at Angers, partly at Sauniur. Her husband's devotion to the government at a political crisis was re warded; ho was mado First Preside nt. Then ho awnited a general election with impatience; ho had visions of n place in tho government; ho had dreams of a peerage; ami then, and then "Then ho would call cousins with the king, I suppose?" said Nanon. Yet, after all, none of theso ambi tious dreams was to bo realized, and the name of M. do Honfons was to un dergo no furthor transformation. lie died only eight days after his appoint ment as deputy of Baumur. Mine, do Honfons was left n widow threo yenrs after her marriago, with an Incomo of eight hundred thousand livres. She was beautiful still, with tlio benu ty of a woman nearly forty years of ago. Her face wns very palo anil quiet, with a tinge of saduess lu tho low tones of her voice. Sho had simple maniurs, all tlio dignity of one who hod passed through great soitowb, and the salntll tiesa of n soul unspotted by the world; and, no less, tho rigldncss of an old maid, the littlo ponurlouH wnys and narrow Idoas of a dull country town. Although she had eialtt hundred Uvres a year, sho lived just ns she used to do In the days of stinted allowances of fuel nnd food whllo she was still Eugcnlo Grnndet, tho fire never lighted In tho parlor before or after the datcH fixed by her father, all the regulations In force in the days of her girlhood still adhered to. She dressed as her mother did. That cold, sunless, dreary house, always over shadowed by tho dark ramparts, was like her own life. She looked carefully after her affairs; her wealth accumulated from year to yenr; perhaps sho might hnve been called parsimonious, If it were not for the noble use she made of her fortune. Vnrloits pious nnd cltnritablo Institutions, alms houses nnd orphan asylums, n richly endowed public library, and donations to various churches in Snumur, aro a siilllcient answer to tho ehnrgo of na rice which some few people have brought against her. They sometimes spoke of her in joko ns mademoiselle, but, in fnct, peoplo stood somewhat in awe of Mme. de Hon fons. It was as If she., whoso heart wont out so readily to others, was al ways to be the victim of their interested ealctilntlons: as If for all warmth and brightness in her life slut wns to f'nd only the pale glitter of metal. "No ono loves me but you." she would sometimes say to Nation. Yet her hand were always rendy to bind the wounds that other eyes did not see, in any house; and her way to heav en was one long succession of kindness and good deeds. The real greatness of her eoul had risen above the cramping in fluences of her early life. And this is the life history of n woman who dwelt in the world, yet not of it. a woman so grandly fitted to be a wife and mother, but wiio had neither husband nor chil dren noi kindred. (The end.) TEST OF NAVAL EFFICIENCY. Frx'cimi Notion TahiiiK Grent I'nlns to Improve Sen Gunnery. Tlio true test of ollleliuiey of our warships docH not llo In speed, coal ontlurancp or vexing fontuil.u accord ing to n writer In World's Work, but depends almost entirely upon the ra pidity and accuracy of gun fire. "Gun nery, gunnery, gunnery," says the first Sen Lord. "Is of extreme importance," and the lending navies of the world are to-day making such efforts to Im prove their shooting that It Is not too much to assert that the greatest prog ress in naval development in tho lat year has been in gun practice. The Impetus was given by the first published reports of the battles of Manila and Santiago, when the impres sion spread abroad that the Americans posschsed the secret of shooting straight. The outcome wns a me chanical contrivance Invented by dipt. Scott, of the British navy, called a "dotter, " by which a small paper tar get drawn to settle Is caused to move In front of a gun with a combined ver tical and horizontal movement. Whllo tho target Is In motion the gun rjolnter endeavors to train tlio gun so as to keep the cross wires of his telescope, on tho target. Whenever the cross wires nro "on" an electrical connec tion causes n pencil to make a dot on the target, the dot representing a real shot or a real target at a thousand yards. Thus the men are accustomed to train the guns nnder the disturb ing conditions of a ship In a seaway. Tho result of this training has pro duced results almost marvelous; In a comparatively short time green men were taught to fire the heavy guns with great precision. A six-Inch gun on the Crescent made 10," hits out of l.'lf) at a target about 3,f00 yards dis tant, the average of lilts a minute be ing 'LT7. The 9.2 gun made nine hits out of ten at a range of from 1,400 to 'J.000 yards. On board the Terrible ono of the !).2 guns tired twelve rounds lit six minutes and hit the target nine times, which Is Lf hits a minute. Other foreign tuitions guard more Jealously the results of their gun work, but It Is known that all the great navies are working to this end, the central Idea being to train the men to point and fire guns under the sea con ditions, and doubtless In the next naval battle the percentage of hits will be fur In excess of any yet recorded, which Is another way of saying that future naval battles will be of shorter duration but more destructive. rteimluer Toto The Mails. The prospect Is that the government will not have reason to regret the es tablishment of reindeer farms In Alaska. The capacity ot the reindeer tor team work Is remarkable. His hoofs are very broad and do not pene trate tho snow crusts. Ills a vera go weight is about -100 pounds, lie will swiftly draw a sled carrying dOO pounds, and with this load can cover thirty, fifty nnd even ninety tulles a day. The rolndeer teams now carry the mails from Kotzebuo to Point Harrow, a distance of GfiO miles tlio most northerly post route In the world. No food Is carried for tlio deer. At tho end of his Journey, or at any stop ping place, ho Is turned loose and at onco breaks through tho snow to tho whito moss which serves ns food. It costs nothing to feed him. As tho whito settlements Increase in tho mineral-bearing part9 of Alaska and in many places remote from railway and steanilwnt transportation tho reindeer express will be one of tho most Im portant factors In territorial life. It sometUnes happens that wrath dis courages u soft atiBwer. Soo Pli(l(Hn. Sonlt a half-cup of sago in a cup of eold water for two hours. Drain, put uto the inner vessel of a double-boiler ivith a quart of milk, scalding hot, and flmtncr until the sago is clear, stirring ip from the bottom several times. Add i tablespoonful of butter, four table ipoonfuls of sugar, a pinch of salt tud threo well-beaten eggs. Turn into i buttered pudding dish and bake iu i good oven for about twenty-live mill atus. Eat hot or cold. Hlscuit Jcc Cream. Rub off the yellow tind of four lemons on lumps of lonf sugar, then :rush the sugar and mix it with half a pound of powdered lonf sugar. Havo endy eight small Naples biscuits or -pongo-cakos grated line; stir them to gether with the sugar, Into one quart sf rich cream. Bring the mixture to a boll, cool and freeze in the usual way. Afterwards, transfer to a pyramid aiold and freeze again. Soft GliiKcr Cake. One cup of molasses; one cup of mgnr; one-half cup of shortening butter or lard one cup of sour milk; :vo eggs, the whites and yolks beaten separately; three cups of flour; ono tablespoonful of cinnamon; one-half tablespoonful, each, of cloves, nutmeg, md ginger; two teaspoonfuls of soda in n little hot water, stirred In at tho last. Hake In st steady, but not over aot oven. This makes a largo cake. Canned licots. Cook young beets and peel, then slice and pack Into jars. Add to good vinegar, salt and pepper to taste and a tablespoonful of granulated sugar. Bring to a hard boil and, whllo boiling, fill the jars to overflowing with it, sealing immediately. Wrap lu paper tud keep In a very dark room or closet Cherry Preserve. Stone the cherries, and to every pound of fruit allow a pound of grnn ainlod sugar. Heat the cherries slow ly and stew them half an hour in their own juice, then add the sugar and stew gently until clear. Pour Hum Dolling hot into cans taken from hot water, and screw down the covers. Cherry Pie. Line a deep plate with paste, fill It about half full of stoned cherries, add sugar to tnst- fill up the pinto with fruit, add a 11 more sugar, and cover with strips of pastry laid so as to form open squares. Hake In a hot Dven. Ifimpberry Ice Cream. Mash the berries and strain off tho lulce, to which add sugar to taste and stir In the cream; strain in the julco of half a lemon; press the Avholo through a sieve and freeze. Short SiiKKCtttloiiH. Cold tea is good for cleaning varnish. Varnished paint witn tea Avhich is slightly warm. Hofore rolling milk or making any sauce with milk always rinse out tho saucepan In cold water. When juice Is left from canning It may be boiled low, made into Jelly or syrup for flavoring purposes. Macaroni should be kept in an air tight receptacle and when cooked plunged into boiling salted water. Tho skins of now potatoes can be removed more quickly with a stiff Vegetable brush than by scraping. Clean painted woodwork with a strong solution of sal soda water, wip ing It quickly with a soft doth. Wash your windows with ammonia, hot water, and a sponge, and be sura to dry them with old newspapers. A lump of gum camphor placed in the clothes press or closet will keep the stool ornaments from tarnishing. To keep hardwood floors smooth and clean, rub them with waste and warm para Hln oil, and polish with dry waste. Don't use n galvanlzed-Iron lemon squeezer. When brought In contact with tho lemon It forms a poisonous titlr. Hub articles stained from eggs, bak ing custards, etc., with salt. Tho brown stains will come off in a short i time. When anything Is accidentally mado loo salt it can bo counteracted by ad lllng a tablespoonful of vinegar and a tablespoonful of sugar. Leave a few of tho husks on your Bweet corn for boiling, and take it to tho table with them on. It will keep warm longer, and you will find it much tweeter. To clean copper utensils use half a lemon dipped In salt for scouring copper pans, etc., and afterward rinse thoroughly in clean water. Finish by polishing with u soft cloth.