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About The Nebraska advertiser. (Nemaha City, Neb.) 18??-1909 | View Entire Issue (March 3, 1905)
CRIPPS, THE CARRIER n y R. D. BLACK MORE Author of "LORN A DOONn," "ALICB L 0 R R A I N B,M ETC., ETC, ' W V W "V V W W w W W www w CHAPTER I. The little village of Hockley lies in the quiet cmbrtico of old Htow Wood, Well known to every Oxford innii. This kood or forest spread In the old lino kcross the nuiin lircndth of the high! aid io the north of lloiidlngton, between the dny Tuesday, the Ifith of December, jSUy. For Zncchnry nlwnys linu to make his rounds on n Wednesday nnd n Satur day, nnd If he were to drive Ills poor old Dobbin into Oxford on n Tuesday even ing how could ho pet through his busi ness to-morrow? For Dobbin insisted on tilt. HUliUbt Wi M1III.U HUM MI.U UUUlU UlbW things for "Aunt Exlc," and then bIjo net off for n bold little run, until she wan out of breath, and trembling nt the sound of bor own light feet. For though all the Crlppscs vcro known to be of a firm nnd rcsoluto fiber, who could expect a young mnid like this to tramp on like a Uomnn sentinel? And a lucky thing for her It was that she tried nothing of the sort; but glided nlong with her heart in her mouth, and her short skirt tucked up round her. Lucky also for her that the ground was in that early stage of freezing, or of dry ing to forestall frost, In which It dead ened sound ns much ns the later stngo enlivens It. Otherwise It Is doubtful whether sho would hnve seen the Christmas-dressing of the shops in Oxford. For n little further on. she came, without so much ns a cow in the road or a slieep in the field for company, 10 n alley of the Chcrwoll nnd the bogs of 11 dny in stable whenever he had been to dnrC( ,mn-ow place, where the way hung Dtmoor. lieckloy Itnelf, though onco up fcroaohnl by the Human road from Ai Chester, must for ninny a century have tursod its rural iiuictudc, lying In n tan o of narrow tones lending only to one Mother. Ueekley took that cheerful Hew of life which enabled the fox to din luin tho blandishments of tho vintage;, Hid prid.' I itself on its hnppy seclusion hid untui 1 rod honuMly. Hut ns nil son pf Adam must have something or other to say to tho rest, this little village ear tied on Home oTrtnnierco with tho outer world, anil did It through n cnrrlor. Tho name of this excellent man wn C'rlpps; and tho carrier's mantle, or wool ley con I, had descended on this particu lar Crlppn from nnny generations. And Kor since roads were made, or rather Iuuks began trying to make themselves, ono great tradition hud continued the dynasty of Orlppses. This wns that the eldest sou should lauo the carrying busl- ECfis; thc.Focond son should have the akor's shop in Oxford over against old Unlllol College; the third should have the queer old swlno farm In tho heart of Ktow Forostl the fourth should ho the butcher of Hockley, nnd the fifth Its thoonutkor. As for the girls, the cnrrler being the iicnd of tho family, and holding thw houso and tho stable and cart, was bound to tnko tho maids, one by ono, to nnd ro under his tilt twice 11 week, till tho public fell in love with them. Zncchnry Crlpps, the lieckloy carrier, under the laws of time, wns crossing the tldgo of manhood towards the western eldo of forty, without providing the due Juccessor to tho nncestral driving bonrd. 'ubllc opinion wns already beginning to exclaim at him; and tho man who kept tho chandler's shop, with a lnrgc-smnll family to innlntnln, was threatening to tnnko tho most of this, nnd set up his own oldest son on tho rond; though "dot and enrry ono" wns oil ho know nbout tho business. Zncchnry was not a likely man to bo nt nil upset by this; but rather ono of n tarrying order, as his name might indicate Truly Intelligent families living round nbout tho city of Oxford had, and even to this dny have, n hnolt of nnmlng their malo babies after tho books of the Bible. So that Zncchnry should hnve been "Goncsls," only his father hod suf fered such pangs of mind nt being cut flown, by tho over-strengthening curt noiw of British diction, into "Jenny Crlpps," tbnt ho laid ms thumb to the New Testament when his first man-child wns born to him, nnd finding n fnther In llko case qulto reliovcd of responsibility, took it for n good sign, and npplicd his nnmo triumphantly. But though tho oldest born wns thus transferred into tho Now cstnment, the kocond son reverted to the proper dispen tntlon; nnd the 0110 who went into the niter's shop wns Exodus, n he ought to bo. Tho children of the former Exo flus were turned out testnmcntnrily, snve those who wcro needed to carry the bread out, till their cousin's boya should be big enough All of these doings were right enough, ind everybody approved of them. Loviti cub Crlpps wns tho lord of the swine, and Numbers boro tho clenver, whib Deuteronomy stuck to his last, when the public houso could spnre him. There wns only one moro brother of tho dominant generation, whose name wns "Peiito chook," nnd ho hnd been compendiously kicked abroad to seek his own fortune , right enrly But ns for the daughters, for the mo tnent It Is enough to say that all except ono wero now forth and settled. Some married f armors, some married trades Oxford. Zncchary Crlpps was n thoughtful man, as well as n very kind-hearted one. In the crown of his hat ho always car ried n monthly calendar gummed on card bnr."lt and opposlto almost every day ho had dots, or round O's, or crosses. Each of theso to his very steady mind meant something not to bo neglected; nnd be ing a pretty fair scholar, with the help of over the verge of n stony iiouow, an nnclent pit which hnd onco been worked ns part of the quarries of Ileadlngton. This hnd long been of bad reputo as a haunted nnd ill-omened place; and oven tho cnrrler himself, strong nnd rcsoluto as he wns, felt no shame in whispering when ho pnssed by In the moonlight. And tho mync of the place was tho "Gipsy's Grave." Therefore, as Esther Crlpps hlo horso ho could mako out nearly every- npproaohed It, she was half inclined to pht' o ho hod to call nt. So now ho look- Wljt nii i,,c )ierHCif in n bush or gap od at the crumpet hoy, to receive nnd rtbsorb his excitement, nnd then he tttrn- ed to young Esther, nnd let her speak first, n:i sho nlwnys liked to do. "Oh, plensc to go back qulto as fast ns you can," said Esther to the crumpey, and .say that I shall be there beforo you; or, at any rate, as soon as you arc. And, Crumpey, there ought to be some thing for you. Dear Zak, have you got twopence?" "Not I," snld tho cnrrler, "and if I hnd It would do him n denl more harm tlinu good. Huu nway down the hill, my hid, nnd you conio to mo nt the Golden Cross, perhaps as soon ns Saturday, and I'll look In my bag for n halfpenny. Hun nwny, hoy; run nwny, or tho bogles will bo nfter you." Tho bilker's boy felt thnt his luck wns iiFkew upon this dny of bis existence, for Comer Cripps was vexed much nt this sudden ileum ml for his sister. "Znk, what made you send tho boy nwny?" Esthdr asked, when bIio enme downstnlrs, with her bonnet nnd short duck clonk on. "Of course, I am very foolish, but he would have been sonic littlo conipnny." "There, now, I never thought of It! I nm dolled, a' do bollcvo sometimes. Tramp with you to tho Bur myscll, I wull. Sarvo me right for a doiu' of It." "Indeed, then, you won't," she answer ed firmly. "There's a hard dny s work for you, Znk, to-morrow, with nil the Chrlstmns parcels, and your touch of rheumntlcs so bad last week." Why, bless tho chceld, I bo ns hearty as over!" "Of course you nre, Znk; of course you arc, and think nought of a sack of po tatoes. But If you declnro to come with me one step, backwnrd is the only step I tnkc." Well, well," said the carrier, glad on tho whole to escape n long walk nnd keep conscience clenr; "when you sny a thing, Etty, what good Is It? Hound these here pnrts nouo would hnrm 'c. And none of they furrlners bo nbout just now." "Good night, Znk, good night, near," cried Esther to shorten departure, for Crlpps was n man of a slow turn of mind, nnd might go on for nn hour or two; "I shall sleep there to-night, of course, nnd meet you nt tho Golden Cross to-morrow. When had.I best bo there?" "Well, you know better than I do. It might bo one o'clock, or It might be two. or it might be hnlf past three n'most. All you linvo to do Is this to leave word nt tho bar, with Snlly Brown." "I shall do nothing of the sort," she answered; "I don't like cars, and I don't like Miss Brown. I shall look In the jnrd for the cart, brother." 'You'll do pretty much ns you like. That much n' may bo sure of." But be fore he could finish his exposition of his sister's clinrncter, she was out of sight: and ho dropped his grumble, nnd doubt ed his mind nbout letting her go. As Esther turned tho comer from the Buckley In no Into tho road, the broad coach road to Oxford, she met n wind that knew Its mind coming over the crest uf Shotovor, n stern enst wind thnt whis tled sadly overtlie brown and barren until a cart or wagon should come down the hill behind her, or nn honest dniry nian whistling softly to renssuro his shadow, or . oven a woman no braver thnn hcrstclf. But neither nny cart enmo near, nor nny other kind of company, only tho vio lence of tho wind. So thnt the girl mndo up her mind to put the best foot fore most, nnd run through her terrors nt such n pace that nono of them could lny hold of her. Through ynrds of dnrkness she skim med tho ground without looking forwnrd, or over her shoulders, or unywhorc, when she could help it. And now sho wns rendy to Inugh nt herself nnd her Btupld fears, as sue caught through the trees a glimpse of tho lights of Oxford, down In the low land, scarcely more thnn n mile unci n hnlf nwny from her. In tho joy of relief sho was ready to jump nnd pant without fear of tho echoes, when suddenly something caught her cars. This was not n thing nt first to be at all afraid of; but only just enough to nrouse n littlo curiosity. It seemed to be nothing more or less than the steady stroke of n pickax. The sound enmo from the further corner of tho deserted quarry, where a crest of soft nnd shingly rock overhung n brinry thicket. Any per son working there would be quite out of sight from tho road, by reason of the bend of the hollow. Tho blow of the tool enmo dull nnd heavy on the dark and frosty wind; nnd Esther almost made up her mind to run on, nnd tuic no need or it. aim so sno would hnvo done, no doubt, if she hnd not been n Cripps girl. But In this fam ily firm and settled opinions hud been hnnded down, concerning the rights of property, the rights thnt overcome nil wrongs, nnd outlivo death. Tho brother Leviticus of Stow Wood had sown a piece of waste at the corner of tho device, with winter carrots for Ills herd of Bwinc. The Innd being none of his thus fur, his right so to treat it was not established, and therefore likely to bo nttacked by any rnpneious oncroncher. Esther felt all theso things keenly, nnd resolved to find out what wns going on. To tills Intent she gnthercd in tho skirt of her frock nnd the fulling of her cloak, and fendin will resist tho work of a saw hn boon patented by a Philadelphia in ventor. It has a num,ber of lor-gittid Inal boles mar tho surface, wbld aro filkd with filass. This Is ver spverorn the siw, and is likely to discourage the sawyer. 'iho Imp rlatlons of pig tin las year wcro 08 000 000 pounds, agalntt 7,000.000 m 1800. Chintse women nqver think of t aV lnij tho halrploB out of their bait when they ro to bd. Compulsory clonnllnes3 prevails In he public schods of Copenhagsn Throe Mines a wotk tho pupils have to batho at tho schools, and while they aro disporting themselves In tho swimming baths their clothes are purified In steam ovens. I uotlco that a reat many bnchr lois aro adverlfslng for wives In borne of the eastern pa pets. Yes. I suppose there has never been a Hmo when so many bncheiors could almost support themselves. Cleveland Plain Dialer. COULDN'T LIFT' TEN" VoUNDif I)oan's Kidney Pill Ilronght Strent mid Health to the SulTcrcr, Mnkin Mm Feel Twenty-live Year YonniierJ J. B. Corton, fnrmer and lura bermnn, of Dop pe, N. C. sityi "I Buffered for years with my bnck. It wns so bnd that I could not walk any dls- tnnce nor even ride In an easy) buggy. I do not believe I could) have rnlsed ten! j. b. cokton. pounds of weight from the ground, the pain wns so se-' vere. This was my condition when I began using Doan's Kidney Pills, luey quickly relieved me, nnd now I amj nnvor trnnhtfwl nn T wns. M.V buck Isl strong nnd I can walk or ride a lonrf distance nnd feel hist ns strong ns D illrl fwnntv-flvn vent's niro. I think SOI much of Donn's Kidney Pills tbnt D bave given u supply of the remedy toj some of my neighbors, nnd they nav also found good results. If you can sift anything from this rambling notd that will be of nny service to you, or. Mcro tailent, to a literary roan to nny one suffering from kidney trou- . 1.1- L. 111. i nn Isn't worth more than buff a 7. muto iiz lively impudense; no man oiU'ht to rhain himself to a pon and Ink stand unless ho haz yot genius. Yu kan learn vlrtow oun ov the Kiitcklsm, but to understand vlco vu lav to mix in with It Just a little. I (font- think that ennyone ha7. ever roullzed the amount- ov hap piness or misery ho anticipated. In Sweden bricks ate laid in zero weather by heating the sand for tho mortar. h1c Your Denier fnr Allen' Foot Knt. A powder to shake Into your shot's. It rests the feet. Cures Corns, Bunions, Swollen, Sore, Llot, Cnllous, Achiug, Sweating feet nud Ingrowing Nails. Allen's Ftiot-Ease makes new or tight shoes easy. Sold by all druggists and lioe stores, 25c. Sample mallfd FHEE. Address Allen S. Olmsted. Le Itojr. N. Y. ble von nre nt liberty to do so.' A THIAL FREE Address Foster Mllburn Co., Buffalo, N. Y. For aalal by nil dealers. Price 00 cts. Ur clo Josh You've beard of thorn agricultural ci-lleizes, haven't you? Uncle Silas Yes. but what do thoji amount to? I read whero (no of them graduatod lot of fellers tbq other day and not one of them 14 wlllln'to tako up farmin' ns an od cupatlon. Dncle Josh Well, that kind ol looks as if they'd learned a Rood dea! rbont It Siircpss. At tho burial of a South London man his six dogs, draped in black, followed tho cortege. Tho density or relative population of Uuba 's nearly the same as that Lf tho United States. Mrs. Wliihlow SOOTHING YKUP for 'hll (Iron cthing, sottem tho gutns.reducea inflkJ matin .nMayoimli' cure collo Price 2Ao bottle. The sin plus of the Western UniorJ Telegraph Company has risen, ai shown by tho reports Just issued, tl 813, G19 000. Tound Gold in Nebraska. Investor In Nebraik i Roal Eitate will And this true. Now Is tho time to get In on thl ground Moor. Wo huvo sorao choice lntetttnonU, Write us tor further Information. Srhunncher Jame, Orleans, Nob "I had Inflammatory Mieumt!sm bat lam well J p...i u.lHo j nnn naw.ttiMikito Dp David Kennedy'. Karorlte Remedy. I Great Bl"lan Sponds $112,500,000 it's my hcit friend." Carrett Lunelns Troyi N.V. ; yoar On tile Support Of tbo pOOB Sweden sent tbree-quartors of four 8 does not lncludo Pvate obaii muion gruss ryxes of matches Ira- r u,cs ported Into this country last year. Salscr'M Home Ballfler Corn. So named because 50 acres prouueed bo heavily, thnt its proceeds built a lovely home. See Salter's catalog. Yielded in. Ind. 157 bu., Onio 1C0 bu., Tenn. 108 bu., nnd in Mich. 220 bu. per acre. You can bent this record in 1005. WHAT DO YOU THINK OP TIlESfO YIELDS? 120 bu. Beardless Barley per acre. 310 hii. Rnlznr'n Nfw Nntionnl Oats Tier A. tho twigs from her j BO bu. Sidzer Speltz and Macaroni Wheat. men, ono took a miilcr'B eldest son, ono fields, and bitterly piped In the rondw bad a gcntlemnn moro or less, but nil with expectations. Only the youngest wus still in tho tilt, n very pretty girl tailed Esther. All P.eckley dcclnred that Esther's heart hnd been touched by n college Ind, who camo Homo live yearn since to lodge with Zncchnry for tho long vncation, nnd wns wnlted on by this young girl, sup posed to bo then unrlpo for dreaming 9t the tender sentiment That a girl of only fifteen summers should allow her thoughts to stray, contrary to all com mon sense, nnd her duty to her betters, cor no other renson tnnn that n young rutin nto nnd drunk with lesa nolno than tho Crinnsos, and went on nbout the moonlight nnd tho stars, nnd the rubbishy things In tho hedges thnt n child like int should know no better than to mix with a nentlemnn said with his Inner snow, nnd how sho longed to bo sittlnir meaning put It right or left It showed with n cup of "Aunt Exie's" cnudlo In Ifcat Boniothing was amlsa witn lier. uow- mo snug room noxc io mo oaKciiousc, or nrer. tho women would sny no moro until how glnd bIio would be to get only as far k was nulled out of them. To mix or us the first houso of St. Clement's, to see ay. To the chill of this blast the sere oak- leaves shivered in the dusk, nnd rattled; the gray nsh saplings bent their unked length to get nwny from It; nnd the surly stubs of the hedge went to and fro to one nnother. Tho slimy dips of the path began to rib themselves, liko the fronds of fern, nnd to shrink Into wrinkles nud nlnowy knobs; whilo the broader puddles. though slurred by tho breeze, found the network of Ice veiling over them. This, as it crusted, began to bo capable of a consistent quivering, with n frail infini tude of splkelots, crossing, and yet enr rying into ono nnother. Esther Crlpps took littlo heed of these things, or of nny other In tho mntter of vtonthor, except to say to herself now nnd then how bitter cold the wind was, and that filie, foared It would turn to eyes nnd bonnet, quietly slipped through a gap in the Uqilge. rue heavy sound of the pickax censed, ns she enme nenr and nearer, and the muttering of rough voices made her shrink into a nook nnd listen. "Tell 'e, I did see zununnt moving," said a man whom she could dimly mnko out on the beetling ndgo nbove her, by the light of the clenring eastern sky; "a zummat moving down yonncr, 1 tell "e." "No patience, I hain't no patience with 'o," answered n tnllor ninn coming for ward, and speaking with n guttural twang. "Skcary Jem Is your name nnd ilalurf. Gio mo the pick if thee beest aveared. Is this job to bo finished to night, or not?" In a short or n long time, ns she still lay hid and dnred not show her faco above the gorso tuft, n sound of sliding nnd fnlling shnle hcnvlly shook her ref uge. She drew herself closer nnd clnspod her hands beforo her eyes, nnd cowered, expecting to bo killed nt least. And then she peeped forth, to know what it wns about. She never had harmed any mor tal body; why should oho be frightened soV In tin. catch "of the breath which comes when sudden courngo makes gulp at un- ceitulnty, she lifted herself by n stiff old root, to know tho very worst of It. Better almost to bo killed and bo done with thnn bear tho heart pang of thin terri ble fear. And there sho snw n thing thnt struck her bo nback with amazement that evry timid sense was mute. Whother the sky had begun to shea n hovering light, or the girl's own eyes spread and bred n power of vision from their nervous dllntlon at nny rnte. she saw In tho dnrkness what sho had not seen till now. It wan the body of a young woman lying, only with white things round it, in the Dlacli corner, with gravel nnd earth nnd pieces of rock rolling down on it. Thero wns nothing I hay used Ploo'a Cure for Oonaumn tlon with good results. It la all right.-! John W. Henry, Box 642, Foatoria, Ohla Oct. 4, 1001. The peat bogs of Ireland oou'd gl an annual output cf 100,000 electrll horsc-powor for toe next 1,250 years TO CURE A COL.D IN ONK DAT rak LaxMv6 Droroo Quinine Tablets. A IruirtrtstH refund the money If ll fulls to aura Y- W. Oroya's signature la on each twv. 25a Warfare between the sexes exisb in Kncxville, Tenn. A gamb'Ini house there was recently raided anj a number of well-known young mei wero arrested. The cirls of the citj j (iemtod that the p dice mako publi cue names of the men, threatening to cut the olTend rs' acquaintance. The men have asked tho haiidresseri of the town to publish the nanus oi 1.000 bu. Pedicrce Potatoes per acre It tons of rich Billion Dollar Grass Hay. C0.0C0 lbs. Victoria Rape for sheep per A. 100,000 lbs. Teosinte. tho fodder wonder. 5i,000 lbs. Sahcr's Superior Fodder Corn rich, juicy ioddcr, per A. Now such yields you can have in 1905, if you will plant my seeds. just bi:nd Tins notice: and lOo in etamns to John A. Snlzer Seed Co., La f1frto c-r nml rnnnivn 4lmii frrrnf Pfltn log and lots of larmseed samples. IO. N. U.J till the. pl'N whn yyenr "gwi ehis.,l There are Many Imitations of aker's Cocoa meddlo with tho Crlppsea was like put- tho lnmpa nnd tho lights In the shops, and to frighten n eenslblo person now that fcing one's fingers Uio n steel trap. bo quit of this dreary loneliness. For When nnother child was boru to hlin now It must bo threo market days since Mr. Bxodus sent up the crumpet boy all tearful rumors .oegnn to stir In soveral tJhe way from Brond street In Oxford to neighboring villages, which made even Kooklev to bee nnd lmoloro Miss Esther strong men discontent with solitude to- Orinns to come down. And the crumpet wards nightfall; and as for the women bor. being short of brenth, became so just now poor Eather would rather not rs to dopnrt. . -V . l 1.. I (l.L.lr ,vf f fliav .lnnlnt.n.1 T .11 TV tho worst wns known perhaps. Every body must bo burled nt somo time. Why should she bo frightened so? Ilowovor, Esther Cripps fell faint, nud lay in that stato long onough for tons of burying rock to fall, and secret bury- fi1 of nowcr thnt the carrier scarcely think of what they declared. It was all irtiw what to do In tlio teeth or so ur- very wen io preieuu io aount it, win a cent a messnge. For ho had mndo qulto hanging tho clothes out, or turning the . . . k . 1 . A n pet or his youngest sister, nnu mo twenty venrs ol ago uotwixt tnem mop- rcd tho gap of rivalry. It was gottlng ... .a Mi nnlto Into In the afternoon vrnon tho crumpet boy knocked at tho carrlor's d0T. It certainly was an Bulucky thing mangle; but ns for laughing, out hero In the dnrk, nnd n mllo nwny from tho near est houso! How that white owl fright ened horl Being a sensible nnd bravo girl, sho forced her mind nB well ns sho could into brrt the 4f of tho week sfccvlJ be Tncs ntficr channel, aai lifted the cover of (To bo continued.) Most liikoly. "It Is said," romarked tho man with tho quotation habit, "that a king can do no wrong." "Thnt saying," roplied tho wise guy, "probably originated with a man who hold fonr aces." imgor Kovn and aker's Chocolate Don't be misled by them! every Our trade-mark is on package of genuine goods. Under the decisions of several United States Courts, no other chocolate or cocoa than Walter Baker fl? Co.'s is en titled to be sold as "Baker's uokfttiTadc.Maik Cocoa" or "Baker's Chocolate" Our handsomely illustrated recipe book sent free. Walter Baker & Co. Ltd. Established t70 Dorchester, Massachusetts 45 Highest Awards in Europe and America 1 a.V- .t- -t