4-
W
omssi The Mystery
Oy HENRY HERMAN
OH APT Kit XIII.
Tins tvro men walked on In sllenre, and
ft proved h long Journey, nil through
the western suburb of IUiiimmid Into
ie town Itself, throiich the town nntl
tdong Main street, out nt the ItoekcttH.
rhero tlio pickets on duty clialiengcd
lem, but Walter, helnt? a field officer.
id both tho password nnd the collator-
ftJffa, and thoy were Immediately allowed
to proceed without question.
Denou had not poken a word on the
ray. Walter turned down the Williams
burg ntage rond and passed camp aftnr
Emp among the pines, beitif? only allow
to proceed after satisfying tho sent!
fcels at each pla'c.
"May I ask," said Denon, on a sud
fen, "what you propose to do with m?"
"You shall bo donlt by fairly," replied
Walter, sternly, but without oinotlon.
"You shall be phown nil tlic leniency you
can expect, and n grwit deal more than
fou have the right t expect."
Denon saw that It would be uneloB to
aontinue the conversation, and strode
lonsr without fluothcr word. When they
Arrived at tho angle of the Williamsburg
ataga road and of the Charles City road,
Walter took the direction of the latter,
and followed It for a couple of miles or
fcioro.
At last he arrived at n part where sev
eral rows of small Hhcltcr tent shono
hlte In the moonlight between the uront
pines by the sldo of the road. It was the
camp of tho Ioulsianiami. Here tho
gentry saluted, anil the oinccr of tho
guard came to meet his major.
'The battalion is away ou picket
.futy," said tho ofllcer of tho guard.
"Tli ere is nobody In tho camp but the
Card and n fow of tho sick. An order
cnnie late In tho evoniug from Gen. llill.
iThc Fourth Alabama were to havo fur
bished picket to-night, but they were so
badly cut up last Saturday that they
could not havo found men ouough. We
vcro tlie next troops, and so wo jot the
rder."
Walter walked through tho rows of
mall touts Into a larger one at tho end of
a line. A big, squaroThended and huge
Jooted negro servant mnt 1dm, and open
ed bla eyes wide with amazement whon
feo saw tho Imitation mmi of color in the
company of hla master.
"Don't mind him. Joo." said Walter.
You will find his color will wash off.
nnd ho will turn out only whlto after all.
retch two or three buckets of water and
jmo soap."
With that he beckoned Dcoon to corao
into tho tent, and pointed to a camp
tool. Denon Boated hiuisolf without
turther ado, and said:
"1 suppose you wish mo to tako theso
things off. But I hav no other cloth
ng." 9 "U -will supply that," answered Walter,
mnl taking a suit of clvjUan's homespun
from a bag, threw it on tho hoap of
blankets which served as a bed.
"My servant will assist yon," ho said;
"tonfl in tho moantlmo I ain going to con
sider ihow to settle this business with
'fairness to both of ns."
With that ho sat himself down on a
vamp stool outside the tent, seeking a
'tight nmld the nebulous turmoil which
elondod hla thoughts. Denon, in tho
saoamiinc, aided by Joe, had resumed
own appearance in a suit of drab
Uiomespun.
"1 will now tell you what I propose
Mto 3," said Walter, when he had sent
Xao uegro nwuy. "I havo been thinking
aver tho matter as wo wnlkod along, and,
Miinto 1 have been hero, l havo just learn
that my battalion is ou picket duty,
and this has given nu an idea which
wads mo to what I think n fair settle
mt You are a spy, or something very
Jtokw it Of that I havo no doubt. My
tyWn duty ns an ollleer of thu Oonfed
rr.cy is to hand you over to the provost
tard. At tho samo time, I know that
!ss Lemure endeavored to save you
'fer hiding you in her own room, ami by
x-lying you to tho disguise you wore a
WBAa time ago. 1 owe u duty to her tia
Veil. If I can, I will satlsry both obli
gations." He was speaking slowly and without
ue least trace of excitement, and he
paused for a momwjt to look at the man
opposite him, who sat there in somber
silcnee.
"Wo are goir to tight." nt.l Walter,
en n sudden, "u .d oltlier 1 wut kill you
r you will kill me."
Denon shrank back with a barely per
tceptible movoment, but raised himself
again with a sigh of relief.
"Very well," ho said, "oertnluly, if
tfjRt is tho way out of the ditrieulty, How
cia wo to fight? Where are wo to tight?"
"I havo' provided for that," said Wul
tsr. "Wo will light with revolvers, I
vrrftl supply you with a weapon loaded
xvith six chambers. I will havo another
of exactly the same kind a Colt's army
revolver. I will tako you outside our
picket line, bo that, if you kill mo or bo
"evorely wound me that I am left ou tho
ground, you shall not be prevented from
Reaping toward tho Union lines. If I
Jjkill you, of course, there Is an end of it;
iutd If I disable you, you will havo to
taik your chances if you nro taken back
tjfiato tho Confederate Hues."
I "That means," said Dcnou, slowly,
What I am to take my chnnees of death
Bm your bullet, and through hanglug
your people, both."
4 1 think tho offer n very fair ono,"
cud Walter, "and It will have to bo that,
jw the course which plain duty demands
fcflmi me, and which I yield to you, risk
ing my life."
i "I accopt," said Denon. "Do I un
, ketvtand you rightly? Lot us settle all
jwlnts first of nil. How aro wo to fire?
KVhen aro we to fire?"
We will walk together beyond our
picket lines," replied Walter, "until T
shall cry 'll.iltl' Then we will turn back
to back, and each of us will march fifteen
paces, wo will faco round again, nnd
then fire, nnd continue firing until the
end is attained. I think you are a man
of honor, uud I will trust you. I hope
that you will tmst me. Wo will be bet
tor without seconds."
Denon held out his hand and Walter
gripped It warmly. A momentary gasp
convulsed the Englishman's handsome
face, and he breathed a deep sigh,
"I understand you," said Donon, "nnd
I thank you. I nm roady."
Tho straiigo duel wns fought as ar
ranged, and nt tho second lire both fell,
almost mortally wounded, to the ground
Their shoui seemed to have' nrouscd both
the Union and Confederate troops, each
side Inking tho reports aH tho signal ot
an ntt.irk from the other side. A sharp
skirmMi ensued, nnd when it was over
the Union troops wero in orderly retro.it.
As thoy passed the scene of tho duel
Denon raised himself on one arm, and
on I lad to one of the federal olllcera b
name. ,
"Don't you know me, Frasler?" he
cried. "I nm Donon. Don't leave me
here."
"It's Denon," exclaimed tho Fcdoral
officer, "Capt. Dcnou! Here, two of you!
Pick hlra up and carry him along with
you. Gently! Gently docs it."
"And that man over there," whispered
Denon, as two of the Union soldier.-
took him on their arms between them.
"Don't leave him here. Bring him with
you. I particularly ask you."
"Ccrbninly," reiid tho Federal captain.
"You have a reason for It, I suppose.
Come along, some of you! Let us take
that rebel with us ns well. I don't think
ho is wortlt taking, though," ho added, as
two of his men raised the limp figure.
"I think it's all over with the poor fol
low. He is shot in the head. Look,
there is a lump out of his skull."
"Bring him I" gasped Denon, and nt
that moment tho stretcher bearers crcr
along, and took charge of tho two wound
ed men.
CHAPTER XIV.
Tho Federal field hospital adjoining
tho depot at Savage Station on tho Rich
mond and York River Railroad was a far
from unpleasant epot even In tho fiorce
Juno heat of tho Virginian summer sun.
Walter and Denou lay side by sido in a
huge tont near the palings with which
the railway station was fenced. De
non's wounds, though severe, had proved
to lie not dangerous, and the doctor pro
nounced him fairly on tho road to recov
ery. Walter's case, however, was a very se
rious one. The bullet had struck tho un
fortunate man on the side of the fore
head, nnd hud smashed clean away n
portiou of tho skull. Fortune, however,
was kind, nnd tho brain itself had noi
been Injured except by a scratch or two
from the splintered bone.
The HUrgcon who had tho ease in hand
was surprised when he saw tho young
man, for ho found that thore was a pro
vioua fracture of tho skull on the spot
where tho now wound supervened.
Walter, of course, was totally uncon
scious, and remained so for days, tho at
tendants being compelled ' to keep him
alive by liquid food poured between his
Hps,' and nearly a week elapsed beforo he
gave signs of recovering consciousness.
Denon Improved rapidly, and showed
tho most assiduous attention to his for
mer opponent. Had Waiter been his
brother or his father, he could not havo
devoted moro enro to him or expressed
greater, grief for his stricken state.
Ono morning, ns the surgeon wns bath
ing and bandaging his wounds, Walter
opened his eyes and looked about him
with iu vacant stare. At last he raisod
his feeble hand to his eyes, but dropped
it a ii In a moment and shook ids head
woariiy.
''Is Do Bardiuot alive? he asked, in a
faint whisper; "is De B trdiuot nlivc?
Surely you know him. He is captain in
tlii Rocoud battalion of tho Nationals,
and1 he was with me whou that villain
blew us up."
Donon looked at tho doctor, and the
doctor looked nt Denon.
"1 nm afrnid he Is slightly delirious,"
said Denou. "II a Is mixing up some
thing with his present case.".
"He Is feverish still," said the man of
science, "but ho is not delirious. The
wound in his bond may account for his
speech, but we shall know more about
that as wo go on."
Walter, finding that ho received no
answer to his quotion, looked around
again with an cxprensiou of piteous
pain in his eyes. The objects which met
his ga7.o were strango nnd uuaccountn
blo to him evidently, for ngnln he shook
his head as If the task of fathoming
the mystery were too great for him, and
then he dozed off to sleop.
Another day passed like that, nnd an
other night. On the following morning
Donon was surprised to find Walter half
Boated on Ids straw bod, supporting liini
self painfully with ono arm. Denon
jumped up, and finding an old knnpsnck,
covered it with his own blanket, nnd
thus formed a support for Walter to lean
against.
"Thank you," said Walter, weakly. "I
am so much obliged to yqu. Where
am I?"
"You arc In tho field hospital at Sav
age Station," replied Denon.
"Savngo Station? Snvago Station?"
questioned Walter to himself. "I don't
know such a place and can you per
haps tell mo what has become of my
friend, De Bardiuot?"
"Do Bardiuot?" asked Denon. "Who
is he?"
"Don't yot know?" exclaimed Walter,
with febrile excitement. ''De commands
n company of the Second National
Guard ot tho Soine. He was blown up
with me In the Rue St. .fncquos."
"I n in nfrnlil you arc not clear In your
mind," said Denou, shaking his head in
pity.
"Oh, I nm perfectly clenr," said Wal
ter. "We stormed the barrioade, and we
took the house In which that villain, Rus
trome Purlowo lived. I had got into his
very room, and had just seen that Helena
was not there, nud l was asking him
where she was, when the whole thltig
blew up, and sent us eky-hlgh, and 1 re
member no more."
Denon sat there for a moment or two
In a pained silence.
"I don't understand you," ho said.
"You are speaking of some French place.
Wo aro lu America In Virginia."
"I also don't understand you," Bald
Walter. "I am the Honorable Walter
Glaydcs, son of Lord Yorley, and I was
hurt In the Rue St. Jacques. All I want
to know Is, if my friend De Bnrdinot
Is nlive, nnd ff that villain, Rustromo
Purlowo, is dead?"
The surgeon had entered in tho monn
time, and stooping over Walter, felt his
pulso.
"I must forbid nil further conversa
tion," lie said. "You havo been excit
ing j'ourself, mnjor."
"Major!" exclaimed Walter, In seem
ing astonishment,
"Yes," interposed Denon. "Surely you
know who you nre. You nro Mnjor Jack
Adams, of the First Louisiana Battalion
of tho Rebel army."
"I nm Walter Glaydcs," said Walter,
pitifully, nnd the doctor again Interposed.
"Now, this will do," he said. "Fur
ther we must not go. You must try to
not think, else we shall havo you laid up
with brnln fever."
A week passed, during which Walter
Improved rapidly in health of mind and
body. Do could rise from his bed and
walk, ami the surgeon allowed him to nit
in the shade of a couple of great beech
treos which stood in tho depot yard.
And tho woui.led soldiers, who hnd
heard the strange case of tho rebel who
had a piece of his head shot away and
sdil! lived, camo and looked at the man
who had had such a wonderful escape
Tho night oftheir uniforms and a dor
en wounded Confederates who wero kept
as prisoners in the hospital helped much
to rostorw tho equilibrium of his mind.
He soon remembered how he came to bo
there. He remembered Heleno's protec
tion of Denon and his fight with the lat
ter. Then, tracing back incident by Incident
and scene by scuie, a light dawned upon
him through tho darkness which had
shrouded his past from him for yoars,
and bo saw tho sequenco of events clearly-
"Yes, Ji-j was Walter Glaydcs, Lord
YorleyVr n, and ho had been wounded
in Paris trying to drag his cousin Heleuo
out of tho clutches of that villain, Rus
tromc Parlowe, whom men knew as Jean
Lemure. Ho remembered it all as ho
thought over it, nnd it Hashed upou
him that his wound there must havo
smashed his memory out of his mind.
Then he remembered himself again as
Jack Adams, and he remembered Heleuo
Ileleno Lomure growing from lovable
girlhood to majestic womanhood, and
himself loving her with all Ids heart and
soul. Surely Holene Lemure was his
cousin Helenc, whom he had striven so
hard to find and restore to her frjeuds.
Her very name Lemure proved that, if
it required a proof.
His wounds healed rapidly, and tho
surgeon expressed every hope that, very
shortly, he would bo ablo to fit tha
mental cover over tho wound in thn
head. But memory wns not to be re
strained. It welled up In n umpld llood,
and loft the mind clear.
Wnlter knew all about his past, and
though he would havo given his heart's
blood to be able to whisper a word into
Ilelene's ears, she was as far away from
him as if for thu moment she hnd been
dead. Ho was a prisoner of war, and
Holene was in Richmond. Betwceu them
lay the contending forces in their myri
ads, a barrier of iron and death.
(To bo continued. l
Good IMan for Icehouses.
Tho cut shows a vertical cross bcc
lon of a cheap Icchouso 111 led with lco.
Clio plan Is ns follows: Tho foundation
iliould bo dug nbout two feet deep in
rnvelly soli. If the soil Is clay tho
foundation should bo dug a iittlo deep
if and then filled in with n few Inches
if gravel or crushed brick. Such a
'oundution will nllow a slight circula
don of nlr through the Ice. Around
lie inside of tho foundation, GxO-lnch
tills should be lnld nnd to these a
louble row of studs should bo nailed,
no row on the Inside and ono on tho
utsldo. The boarding Is then nailed
!o the studs. This will make a double
vail with nn air space between as In
Hcnted by tho letter A In tho cut
I'hls air space will prevent tho bent
Irom getting to tho Ice. Tho boards on
Jio gablo ends should be put on ver
Ucnlly, leaving cracks betwoen them
lor tho frco circulation of air nbovo
he ice. Tho roof should project about
tlirco feet nnd be covered with shin
ties. A portion of tho middle of the
idgo should be cut out leuvlng an
ipening about six Inches wide, nnd
ver this n cap should bo placed, ns
ibown In the cut, leaving nn opening
m each side for ventilation. Tho
I iiwiigji;yiig''tti3JKirg(l I
KniblnzoiiOil on His Halo.
The Inst man accepted at the United
States recruiting otllce, 8th and Male
streets, before the close of tho weok'i
business lust night proved nn Interest
ing subject for the recruiting officers.
Ho gave tho name of Thomas H. Val
entino and bulled from Great Yar
mouth, England, lie Is a valet by oc
cupation and Is but 121 yours old. Ho
gave the natno and address of his only
friend as Miss A. Johnson, St Paul,
.Minn.
Or-e of the Interesting Items regis
tered ngnlnst Valentine's name on tho
ollleo records follows:
"Scars Eagle, heart, anchor, cross,
Anglo-Boer war exhibit, St. Louis,
1004, tattooed In blue and red on left
arm; Hon. rose, British Hag, tattooed in
blue and red on tight forearm; wom
an's head and heart, womnn's head,
skull and cross-bones and words, 'Tro
Love,' snnke and wreath, in blue and
red on bnck of tight arm; eagle, snnkn,
Hon and rose, In blue on back, extend
ing to forearms." Kansas City Jour
nal. 11 nsou lor It.
"What on onrth possessed you to
bite Miss Ethel's beau last evonlng?"
asked the house cat
"Well." replied the bulldog, "I heard
her telling him he wns nlco enough to
eat." Philadelphia Ledger.
CnOSS BECTIOtf OF ICEHOUSE.
rows in the illustration indicate the
direction of the current of air In ven
tilation. A door should be placed at
one end of tho house, and, as tho lco
Is packed away, short horizontal
boards placed across tho opening will
support tho sawdust
in filling the Icehouse, layer of saw
dust nbout a foot deep should bo laid
on tho floor, and theu tho ice placed
upon this. Cnio must be taken to
leave at least a foot of sawdust be
tween tho ice and tho wall, as the
filling proceeds. When the house Is
filled a layer of sawdust should be
piled on 'top of tho ice three or four
l'eot deep.
This plan may be used for an ice
house of any size. The cost of build
ing one about 12 feet square and 0 feet
high will be approximately $33.
If sawdust cannot be obtained con
veniently, cut straw will serve In Its
place, If packed closely around tho lco.
Qunlitlcd of Sonkcd Lumber.
The effect of soaking timber for a
long time is being tested by the Bu
reau of Forestry with rcgnrd to the
keeplm; qualities of the lumber. It
hnr often been noted that certain
kinds of lumber which have been left
a long time In swamps ure very dur
able und are preferred for certain
nscs. It is suggested thnt part of the
gummy substances In the wood are
soaked out, thus allowing tho natural
molsturo of the wood to cscopo freely
when the lumber Is taken out nnd ex
posed to tho air. It Is possible also
that chemlcnl changes take place in
tho wood ns tho result of soaking.
A Barrel liner Holder.
A convenient bug holder can easily
be mudo of nn empty (lour bnrrel.
Drive a nail through the hoops Into
each stave nnd
clinch. Then saw
out a door, as
shown. Drive sev
eral Gd wire nails
near the top of the
bnrrel, sloping up
ward, on which to
hang the bag. By
having the door
Xiao uor.DEn.
hinged the bag can be put in and
taken out without lifting over tho top.
Satisfactory in Every wy.
Nell You seoni perfectly satisfied
with your new gown.
Bell Yes; It has been approved by
the man I like best and condemned
by tho woman I hato most Phila
delphia Ledger.
Farm Notes.
All stock should bo kept out of the
young orchard.
A horse does better with Just enough
food to replace the wastes of his sys
tem, nnd of a kind to keep him feel
ing well.
A sufficient amount of bedding
should be stored under shelter eo that
it will keep dry and can bo used as
needed.
No matter how favornble tho season,
the stock ehould not be allowed to run
in the pastures or meadows too late.
Tho grass plants must muke some
growth us n winter protection.
A cow with a big udder Is not al
ways an euonnous milker, nor Is n
thick, yellow skin nn unfailing sign of
rich milk, although theso are among
the indications, respectively, of abund
tmeo und richness of milk.
For pigs milk nnd mill feed roaka
tho cheapest feed for winter.
Whenever a sheep ,1s seen to refuse
water, thero is something wrong with
it
With nil stock tho vnluo of good
feed la wonderfully increased by doaa
attention.
Pruning the top of tho treo to corre
spond with the loss of roots In re
moval is best done In tho spring.
One of the best systems of economy
on tho farm is that which not only
maintains fertility, but keeps it con
stantly Increasing in tho soil.
Harness hung at tho rear of horses
will not last half as long ns if hung'
where the nmmonln cannot reach them.
Have a harness-roora.
Plants grown in pots requlro good
soil, rich in nil the elements of voge-
tabic nutrition, and though good gar
den loum answers in most cases, thW
best results will bo attained by tho Ju-j
diclous use of fertilizers. These ar
sometimes applied in solid form and
sometimes in liquid. For uso in th
latter form, soot will bo found very
beneficial, putting tho soot in a thl
sack and steeping in water and! the
using tho water over tho roots.
Bccd Corn Bngscstioua.
An exchnngo says of seed corn: Xh
first month after seed corn has been,
husked is tho most critical period with
it
When racks cannot he used for seed,
corn, it should bo hung up in a placa
where thero will bo no danger of Jta
freezing.
Seed corn should not be stored In
barrels or boxes, as it will gather moi
ture. We must remember that ona
thlrd of the bulk of tho corn at tha
time it Is husked Is water. This wate
la locked up with the hard material
and lnrddc a hard shell and, dries out
but slowly.
Whou seed corn is left on tho stalk.
It gets u free circulation of air, and it
Is nt the samo time fully protected by
tho husks from tho sun and rain. It
can thore euro under conditions that
have been natural to It for thousand
of jenrs, and can absorb all tho nour
ishment possible from tho stalk.
Seed corn that has becomo thorough
ly dry 1$ not easily injured by the cold.
But if it is allowed to gather molstura,
the fioezlng may destroy its vitality.
Careless storing of seed corn not in
frequently results In the destruction el
Ks value for seed. The best seed corn
results from storing It In a dry and
thoroughly ventilated place.
Rutchcrlnu nt IXome.
The slaughtering of livo stock on tha
farm is going out of fashion altogeth
er too fast. There Is no good reason
why every farmos
should not bntchei
his own meat ns well
ns market moro ot
less of his life stock
direct to the consum
er. Tho illustration
shows n very simple
and snggcBtive way
of butchering a beot
or other animal.
Where a suitable
building and wind
lass Is not convenient
tho work may b
hanging a ueep done under a larg
tree. Simply fasten a stout pulley, a.
and rope up among tho branches ano
fasten the end to a spike, b, driven i
the truuk. Iowa Homestead.
Sand ABiihiet Rats and Mice.
According to an Australian writen
in the early days of Tasmanian tin
farmers suffered grently from tho rav
ages of ruts nnd mice in their grain
stacks. In order to protect hlmsoll
ono former adopted the expedient oi
"sanding" tho stuck. While building
a stack, he would throw a quantity oi
dry sharp, clean sand between every
two layers of sheaves.
It is said that neither nits nor mlci
would Invade such a stack, and th
reason given by the farmer wos thai
"the vermin, In attempting to get lnb
the stack, would bo driven away bj
the sand falling into their eyes and
ears." The sand was also useful ii
cleaning smutty wheat
Poultry I'lckhiRa,
nens like a variety of food and it li
an Item to glvo thom as much in thh
Hue as possible.
Rather tho best way to feed con
to young chickens Is to glvo it in
crushed or cracked condition.
For ducklings try cornmcal an
brun, equal parts, and make it Inbi
mush, with milk.
If the egg shells aro fed to ponltrj
euro should always be taken to crual
thom well beforo feeding.
When desired to fatten rapidly
there is nothing better than good con
meal. Give all they will eat up clean,
A hen poys in proportion to thu
number of eggs she prodsces; thero
foro, It Is an Item to feed so as to s
cure plenty of eggs.
When the chickens are off their 'feed
and do not eat with an appnrent rel
Ish, Increase tlio exercise and chang
the bill of fare.
In arranging tho nests, havo then
arranged conveniently for tlio hens t
that' In getting in and out there will
bo little danger of breaking tho egg