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About The Nebraska advertiser. (Nemaha City, Neb.) 18??-1909 | View Entire Issue (Sept. 15, 1905)
The diamond river DY DAVID r'lIAPTMl VIH. Tlic lnqiioHl on I lie lioily of llio mur dered inn ii was held In duo course, and It suited tho police authorities to keep their own counsel, Mr. Joseph Taylor was not publicly supposed to be under restraint when ho failed to Identify the remains. The error of Mr. ficorge .IoIiiih an to the iiimii'h personality was shown to he due to the fact that the fugitive had adopted the name of the elder Joth roe. No awkward questions were opened, nnd the jury were satisfied that the de ceased was an absconding (twiddler. A verdict of "willful murder" against some person or persons unknown wan return ed, and there the public Interest In tho cn.se emtio to an end. The Inspector had arranged to make himself aware of Mr. Taylor's every movement, but It wan not JiIh cue to say so, and he was almost apologetic when he parted with that gen tleman. "People don't like being mixed up with these unpleasant affairs. I know," said the inspector, "That's a common expe rience. We rt'c it every day, 1 can as mire you. Hut then, what a greenhorn's trick It Is to run a way I You see, now, If our Inquiries hadn't enabled us to ac count for all your time since you've been licre, you might have drawn suspicion on yourself, Mr. Taylor, and have got Into no end of trouble. (Jood-by, sir." So Mr. Taylor departed, and thought himself well out of a very dangerous po sition, and the police shadowed him night nnd day. Hcllcviug that he lind. no fur ther reason for evasion, he stayed on; nnd as any unoccupied man might do, he made casual acquaintances, who came and went. lie made one acquaintance of rather more than the casual sort In the person of a simple country gentleman who came from Indiana. This gentle man had recently Inherited what he do Hcrlbed as a "tldylsh bit of mutiny," and, being strange to the city, was very grate ful to a man of the world, like Mr. Tay lor, for being kind enough to shepherd lilni. lie was not over-free with any portion of the "tldylsh bit." but he paid his share, and he treated Mr. Taylor with great respect, and had the highest opinion of his knowledge of men and af fairs; no that, In spile of his yokel sim plicities, Mr. Taylor began to think him. within a limited measure, a rather dis cerning sort of fellow. They went about to the theaters In the evenings, frequent ly the second best places, and when Mr. Taylor encountered an acquaintance, as ho sometimes did, the gentleman from Indiana always inado a point of effacing hlniHclf, unless he were actually pressed to join In the conversation. "I never saw such a retiring chap," wild Mr. Taylor on one occasion. "You ficein to shrink from people. Why don't you buck up a bit more'" "Well," said the gentleman from In diana, who answered to tho name of Fielding, "I like to be sure my com pany's wanted before I thrust it upon anybody." "That's the right spirit, of course." said Mr. Taylor, "but you can carry it to excess." Hut Mr. Fielding was not to be cured of his shyness, although It turned out that when there was need for It ho could show as bold a front as any man. He and Mr. Taylor had been close chums for something more than a fortnight when this occasion offered" Itself. The two were In tie promenade at a theater, and were. wMklng from end to end in casual con versation, when Taylor suddenly checked In his speech, and his companion, glanc ing at him, saw a look of lowering dis plcauuro and of something like alarm upon his face. "IIlllo!" said the gentleman from In diana. "What's the matter?" "Nothing," returned Taylor gruffly "nothing at all." "Come, now, there's something," said Fielding. "Look here, candld's my mot to, Mr. Taylor. Have you got the same Idea ns 1 have, I wonder V "How should I know?" nsked Taylor rather shiftily. "Well, now," pursued Fielding, "it Bcems t omc that I'm a-meetlng a cer tain" party once or twico too often." . "I don't know what you mean," said Taylor. ' Ills face was mottled, and he looked about him with a furtive keenness. "Well, then, I'll toll you," Fielding an swered. "We'ro both more or less stran gers here. We're both carryin' a tidylsh bit o' mutiny about with us, an' perhaps wo'vo Hashed It about a bit too much." "Well?" asked Taylor, with a slight unsteadiness In voice and breathing, "Well," said Fioldlng, "I'll bet ton to one that chap's a sharp. I'll deal with him. He hasn't been wntching us two for a week for nothing. Leave him to ine, now." , "No, no!" cried Taylor, "don't make a row In n public place like this. You'ru quito right, I daro sny in fact, I'm sure you'ro right. Hut forewnmed's fore Armed, you know. We enn take care of ourselves." "I'm goln' to take care of Mm," said Fielding; "come along." Ho made an Imperative little sign to Tnylor to follow, but that gentleman pre ferred to stray behind him slowly and to watch his companion as m va!kel swag gcringly toward the door. There the man from Indlann reached out a walking stick and tapped a hat at arm' length from him with much more vigor than politeness. The wearer of the hat turned with a face of wrath and amazement, which fell in a second to a ludicrous con sternation, "I want you," said Fielding. "Come this wny." He took the man by the mrm nnd led him unresistingly toward MURRAY Tnylor. "D'ye know this gentleman'" ho asked. The man said "No." He looked crest fallen and ashamed. He snld "No" again when ho was bullylngly asked If he knew Fielding. "Yo'll know us both In future," said the man from Indiana. "And I shall know you. I'll mark you, too. If I catch you sneaking after me again. Hook it, now! Hook it; your game's over." The man made a move to go. "It'll take a smarter chap than you to play that job," said the triumphant Fielding. "Send a cleverer hand next time." Not n word had the detected person to say for himself. Ho went, and seem ed genuinely glad to go. "Eh?" said Fielding, squaring his shoulders. "It didn't take long to fix his Hint, did it?" Mr. Taylor could barely make shift to say, "Thank you." It had been growing In li 14 mind for a day or two past to think that h was being followed by the man whom his comrade had just so ef fectively got rid of, and It comforted him to believe that no authorized police spy would have permitted himself to be swag gered over by a rustle outsider, as this fellow had been. Hut ho was naturally a nervous man, nnd the unexplained way in which ho had been switched back on his journey to Cincinnati made him sub ject to a la mis. The poor man's con science was clear enough of offense. He had done nothing but deliver a message with which he had been Intrusted. He had been promised a handsonio reward If lie succeeded, by the emphatic presen tation of that message, In bringing cer tain people together. In n manner en tirely mysterious to him, his errand had been associated with bloodshed, a thing of which lie had a natural horror. Hut Innocent as he was, lie was easily alarm ed, and, but for his Indiann friend's un expected protection, lie would have begun to think very seriously of cutting short him holiday and taking the quickest way home. They supped together and went to their hotel together, nnd Mr. Taylor re tiring to bed rather early, his comrade quietly strolled across to Central station, where tho inspector on duty hnlled him familiarly as "Jim" and asked him if tilings were livening up at all. "Fairish," said the man from Indiana. "I'd like n private live minutes witli you." Tho inspector, assenting, led the way to a grimly olllcial little apartment. "That cove you lent me," said Mr. Fielding, "has got about as much sense as a carthorse. My man spotted him, and I had to pretend to take him for a sharp and pick a quarrel with him for following us about." "Oh!" said the inspector, "he's been here. Says ho was over-anxious. I dressed liiui down, of course; but he'll do in time. He's new, you know." "Well, 1 hope ho's properly ashamed of himself," tho other answered. "I don't want him any more, hot me hnve a man as kiiows his business next time. Hut what rm here about la this this man Taylor seems to have had n fair scare already. There's three men after him." "Oil." said the inspector. "What for?" "I'r news. They're badly in want of the whereabouts of Jethroe senior. Tay lor caiuo home aboard same ship with him. Taylor took that threatening mes sage to him, and only found the old man s nepliew. rsow, tlint chap Edge come took old .Tethroe's name, and was like him to look at. Edgeconio was done for in niistnko for Jethroe. That's how you read it, ain't it?" "That's how I read It," snid the in spector. "Up to now that's my opinion also. Now, If we're both right, them's a pretty square likelihood of the men who are after Jethroe being the men who laid out Kdgeeome." "Yes," said the inspector, carefully cleaning his nails with tho end of a broken luclfer match; "I should take that for a moral." "Well, we'ro on their trail, and they're trying to get on .Tethroe's. So am I. I don't care who gets there first." "You know 'cm?" nsked the Inspector. "I've had a word with all of 'em," said Mr. Fielding, with a quiet smile. CHAPTER IX. Jethroe tho elder, in n wild storm of wind and rain, was being driven in a dog cart along a country road. Ho was heavily clad against tho weather, and wns lu need of all his wrappings, for the storm blew up bitterly from the lake. Ho had been silent for an hour, and his driver had been just as taciturn. The w.heels alternately droned and splashed on rock or through mire, and tho horse In tho shafts slogged along with an oc casional shako of the head, as if in pro test against the stinging ruin. "Much farther?" Jethroe nsked at last, "Yonder," said the driver, pointing for ward with Ills whip. Jethroe made out a group of houses in n hollow, nil shrouded with the rain, and a mlnuto later the wheels were rattling noisily over a cobbled pnvement. The driver pulled up In front of an Inn, which, though of modest dimensions, had an air of cleanliness and comfort, anil Jethroe, dismounting cumbrously, shoul dered a big brown canvas traveling bag and entered at tho door. "When you've had the horse seen to," he said, turning as ho reached shelter, "come in and got some dinner." Tho man nodded with nn answering grunt of acceptance, and, turning his horse through a gateway, disappeared. "House!" Jethroe shouted "houser The rain dripping from his mackintosh had begun to mako a pool nbout hta feet, when nt his third call n red faced man opened the door and peered at him. " asn't expecting nobody to-dny," he said cheerily. "I'd fell asleep afore the lire. I'll tnko your bag, sir." "Let mo have a private room," said Jethroe, "and light a Are. Seo what I can hnve to eat. And tell me how fnr Is It from hero to Dr. Monboddo's house?" "A mntter of n mile," said the land lord; "but, as it happens, the doctor's In the kitchen at this minute." "Tills way?" asked Jethroe, pointing to the doorway from which the landlord had omerged, At tho mnn's answering nod lie cast off his dripping mnckintosh, tossed It on a chair In the hall nnd entered tho room. A great fire glowed on the hearth. A shnbby, ponderous man, with loose Hps and a blotchy face, and a noso of ruby and amethyst and carbuncle, wns sipping nt a glass with n relishing look, holding the honvy tumbler caressingly in both hands. Ho looked casually at the new comer anil went on sipping. "How d'yo do, Monboddo?" nsked Jethroe. Tho bibulous doctor stared. "Excuse me." he said, with a pomp ons, lnmky riiml'lo in his voice, "I think you have the advantage of me, sir." He fumbled sliort-slglitedly about the table nnd found a pair of spectacles, and, setting these astride that danger signal of a noso lie carried, stared anew, with winking, wntery eyes. "Come, now," said Jethroe, "you hnven't forgotten mo?" "I don't remember to have had the plensiiro of meeting yon," the doctor an swered. ' "Come, now." said Jethroe; "it Is n longish time back, but you haven't for gotten your old companion In Brazil." "Hm-.Hrn7.il!" said Dr. Monboddo. Ills flaming complexion paled and hl& big under Hp began to shiver like n sliaken jelly. "Exactly," answered Jethroe, cheerily, "I've traveled n purpose to meet you, doctor! Ah! hero is the landlord. Hitter day, Isn't it? Storm outside. Snug little country inn; roaring fire; kettle singing on tho henrtli. Quite Dickensy, isn't it, Monboddo? Ynu and I arc going to make nn evening of it. How nbout din ner. InndlordV" "Loin o' pork?" snid tho landlord, in quiringly, nnd, meeting with a nod of ap proval, went on: "Apple tart, bit o' cheese an' snlary." "Excellent!" Jethroe answered bolster (.usly. "Couldn't do better eh, doctor? Let me know when that lire has burned up, landlord!" cried Jethroe. "I want a quiet chat with my old friend here." "I've lit it a'ready," snld the landlord. "Shall us see about the dinner now?" "At once, please." The driver of the dog cart came stamp ing In at this juncture. Jethroe sat idly gazing at the fire, smiling now and then, as if his own thoughts tickled him. The doctor sippod and shot wondering glances at him. The fire rustled, tho wind roar ed in the chimney, an eight-day clock ticked, nnd not a word was spoken for hnlf an hour. The landlord returned to say that the sitting room was warm and comfortable, and Jethroe, with a sudden return to his boisterous mood, marshaled Monboddo Into it. "Now, doctor," lie said, as soon as the two were nlone again, "hnven't you mnde me out yet?" "I I don't recall you, sir." "My name is, for the present, .Tone?. Itenieniber that, will you? So long as 1 stay here Jones. Hut" ho drew a card caso from his pocket, nnd took a card from it "that is the name by which you used to know me." Monboddo took the card with a shaky hand and glanced at It. His fiery face paled again, and his under lip again be gan to tremble. "I remember now," .ho said, handing back tho card and fumbling for a hand kerchief "I remember now." "Of course you do," said Jethroe quiet ly. "Now listen to me, Monboddo. I am here to put n bit of business lu your way. Hut, toll me, how Is business?" "Had," said Monboddo. "The district is healthy, and I am not what I was not what I was." "I bring you luck," snld Jethroe. "Now listen." Ho hnd spoken in a carefully modulated voice from tho moment at which the landlord had closed the door behind him, but now he sank his utter ances to a mere murmur, and dropped his speech word by word into his com panion's ear. "It suits me for the pres ent to disappear you understand? to drop right out of life, to have It univer sally bollcvcd that I am dead." Monboddo drew back, and looked at him In a sort of terror; but Jethroe took him by the shoulder and returned him to his old position. "I want you to kill me on paper. I want a medical man's certiflcato of the death of Harvey Martin Jethroe. Now, name your price." "I cant ,do it," snid Monboddo, in a husky whisper; "it's felony." "Well, so Is bigamy, for that matter, Jethroe whispered back, "and so is for gory." (To be continued.) A nnd Mistake. Mrs. Croon Did the women's cluba hnve n harmonious convention? Mrs. Hrown -No. Wo made n mis take by having tho photograph taken on the first day instead of tho lust The women who didn't take well an tagonized every question that came up, Detroit Tribune. Huro Hlf(n, Tommy I guess wo got comp'ny to dny. Hobby Ho wjcr know? Tommy I listened nt the door nn' henrd pa cnllln' nm 'my lovo.' " Cleveland Lender, GOOD Short Qtofies In Springfield. Mass., recently, dam ges of one cent were nwnrded Bor mrd FInkellhoC In n suit against tho New York Central Hnllway. Tho )lnlntlff's grievances were detailed on tour sheets of legal size paper. "When 30 I get the money?" FInkelhof In quired, Interestedly. Harvey Waters, nn expert on pntent ;nscs, had occasion to write Hufus L'hoate on some Important, question, and when he received tho reply was ttnablo to rend n word of It, so took Iho missive to Mr. Choate nnd nsked him what ho hnd written. Mr. Chonto replied: "I never can rend my writ ing after tho ik Is dry, but If you will tell me what It is about 1 will toll you what I have written." And he did. The elder Dumas once wns wearing the ribbon of a certain order, having recently been made a commandant, and nn envious friend remarked upon It. "My denr fellow," he said, "that :ordon is a wretched color! One would Uilnk It was your woolen vest that wns showing!" "Oh, no, my dear D'F " replied Dumas, with a snillo, 'you're mistaken. It's not n bad rolor; It is exactly the shade of tho grapes that the fox couldn't reach." An lown man, who had been ac customed to receiving railway passes and dend-hend tickets nt theatres, re cently visited the fnlr nt Portland. When ho was confronted with n sign announcing tho ndtnlsslon chnrgo of tifty cents to the grounds, he was In clined to bnlk. "Here," he said to the friend with him, "I don't like the idea )f paying fifty cents to get' in there. Wnit a minute nnd I'll hunt up Lewis and Clnrlc, the fellows who arc run ning the show, and see If I can't get n pass." A long-winded member of tho Mas sachusetts Legislature was delivering a political address in a town not far from Boston, and the village folk gath ered In the town hall to hear It. He had been speaking quite a while, when finally an old Scotchman arose nnd wnlked out of the hall. At the door one of his countrymen wns waiting with his hack to drive the orator to the station. "Is he done yet, Sandy?" asked the Scot on the box. The old man turned about. "Aye," said he, "ho's done lang ago, but he will na stop." Mark Hsnna once heard a boy in his employ say. "I wish I had Hannn's money and he was in the poorhouse." The Senator smiled grimly, and on re turning to his office, seat for the boy. "So you wish you had my money and I was in the poorhouse, eh?" he said; "now, supposing you had your wish, what would you do?" The youngster, one of the ready-witted Irish variety, snid with a droll grin: 'We, I guess I'd get you out of the poorhouse the first thing." This adroit answer brought the lad an increase of pay the next week. A preacher In a small New England town received a call from a large and wenlthy parish In IJoston. As cus tomary under the circumstances, the clergyman requested time for prayer and consideration, for, he said, he did not feel sure of his light. A week or two elnpsod. A friend happening to meet tho youngest son of tho preacher a lad of somcwhnt Irrever ent turn nsked: "Well, Sam, how's things with your father? Is he going to Boston ?" "I think so," replied tho youngster; "lies still praying for light, but ma's packing." GRAFT IN THE NAVY. Snilorit Arc Starved Thnt Official May Fntten Their Own I'iithc. Desertions from the Amorlcnn navv ire of startling occurrence. In almost ?very port where our vessels touch tho pluo Jackets are unlawfully nulttlnc tho service. Within the past two years the crows of two warships hnve been reported in n mutinous state and tho lissntlsfaction Is growing. The ron- sons for this state of things are sev eral, but tho principal one Is bad food. "The food served on some of iho ships," says a sailor, "Is n disgrace to the country. Many times we are un able to eat the stuff that Is served to us, and go about our work hungry, waiting until next meal time, hoping, often in vain, thnt tho next mess mny mean more appetizing rntlons. Tho rntlons purchnsed nre of the chenpost nnd most Inferior quality. I hnve seen canned beef nctunlly grcou with rot tenness served nt mess. Even tho hardtack is oftentimes mouldy, nnd liver and bacon Is a dish we dread, for the liver Is nearly always decaved. We call It 'petrified liver.' "Who Is to blame for this? Why, the paymaster nnd the commissary stewards, of course. They nre nllowcd n cortain sum by the Navy Depart mcnt for each man's rations. Tliov buy tho rations from stor.es at the various ports we touch nt. By buying cheap nnd rotten stuff, they enn put a tidy sum in their pockets. It's 'graft' pure and simple, and I'm not nfrnid to call it by that name. They don't enro a continental for the wel fare of us men so long ns they can put n little money in their own pockets." 1'ractlcally tho same story is told by n cook's assistant in a statement to the Npw York Tribune. "I have served on three ships," ho said, "nnd never yet found rations that were fit to cat. I pity tho men, but what can I do? Only recently I had pork sausage giv en me to servo nt mess, nnd I had to wash them in a copper, by order of tho commissary steward, in order to get tho green off them. The canned ... beef Is often mouldy on tho MirfacJL I have seen cases where thero -werl) traces of maggots In It. I have served macaroni which smelled so bad thnt I havo had to hold my noso when I placed it on tho table. Tho men uro powerless to kick. They would not bo listened to. All they can do Is to leave the grub and go hungry." "And do tho officers allow this state of affairs?" tho reporter asked. "Tho officers rarely discover how bad things are. Tho deck officer each day is supposed to make an Inspection of the rations served, according to tho navy blue book. The Inspection is mnde as follows: The commissary steward takes the very choicest pot tlon of tho mess nnd carries It on a platter to the officer on deck. The offi cer takes It and declares that Jack Tar i,s indeed n lucky fellow to be so wll provided for. Even If anybody dared to mako a kick to him, after thnt, nnt urolly he wouldn't believe him." 5 MOTTE AND PANDU. The affection of a dog for its master, could hardly be excelled by the devo tion of nn Indian bullock, named Mo tee, to Pandu, Its owner. Motce was nn ordinary Indian bullock, says the an thor of "Sport and Adventure In thd. Indian Jungle," about four feet high' and of the whitish brown color com--mon among the stunted cattle In na tive villages. Ho was thoroughly trained to hunt-" lng by Pandu, nnd seemed to comprer bend his master's wishes Intuitively. Aj glance, and Motce would move for ward or backward, as required. A moi tion of tho finger, and he would Ho down, or kick up his heels and Tush about as if mad. Fandu did all hM stalking with the aid of this bullock; and much of his success depended on its intelligence. An old piece of sacking, painted with green daubs on one side to resciublo shrubbery, on the other side with hnrfh of vivid red, was thrown over MohijJ back, like a horse cloth, and hanging" down to the ground, effectively con cealed the crouching hunter. Did he wish to stalk antelope, then the red bars were exposed, and Moteo would graze quietly in a direction oblique to, yet approaching, the herd. The bright bars would attract the curi osity of the deer, and they would ap proach so near as to allow of nn un failing shot from Pandu's place of con cealment under the stomach of the bullock. Was it a flock of pea fowl that wns in sight, then the green side of tho sacking would be turned towr.rd tho birds, and the same stealthy advance mnde, the pea fowl exhibiting no alarm, as tho village cattle commonly range tho forests In their neighbor hood. Motce evidently took n delight in hunting, as ho was on the alert and frisked about immediately tho old man shouldered his gun. When the game was killed and Pandu seldom missed tho little bullock would come up f his caress. If he missed, Motce would smell the gun, as If he thought then was something wrong there. JBIuok the Tooth There. The trade of tooth-stalner, followed In enstern Asln, as as odd a calling at any. Tho natives prefer black teeth to the whiter kind, and the tooth-stain- er, with a little box of brushes and coloring matter, calls on his customers and stains their teeth. The process Is not unlike that of blacking a hoot, loi a fine pollBh Ib given to the teeth. The pigment Is harmless. Plain IjanKuagc for Army. The now British Infantry drill dis courages fixed forms of command, bo that "Line that hedge!" would be quite proper In skirmishing. All nnneces sary commands are discarded. Tho men "stand at caso" on completion of a movement nnd come to a "slopi arms" on beginning one, without Sii order, nnd so forth. V Origin of Musical Comedy. Musical comedy was Introduced into England May 23, 1050. Dignified bj tho name of "opera" an entertainment called "Tho Cruelty of Spnnlnrds In Peru" was produced at the Cockpit theater on that day. Ilclntlves. Bess Charllo, will you tell me what time It Is? I've left my watch at my aunt's. Charlie Awfully sorry, hut 1 can't 1'vo left miua a.t my uuclo's,