W5T0RY
By CHARLES CLARK MUNN
(Copyrlcbt 1006, by Lothrop, Lee & Sliupard Co.)
SYNOPSIS.
Chip McGulre, n lfi-yoar-ohl kM HvlnK
nt Tlm'H place In the Mulito woods Is
.sold by hor father to Pete Holdue. a
luilf-ltrced. She runs uway and reaches
the camp of Martin Krlsble, occupied by
Martin, his wife, nephuw. Ilayniond Stet
son. d guides. She tells her story and
Is cared for by Mrs. Krlsble. Journey of
l-'rlsble's party Into woods to visit father
of Mrs. Krlsble. an old hermit, who has
resided In the wilderness .for many years.
When camp is broken Chip "d ot"
copy same canoe. The party reach camp
of Mrs. Krlsble's father und are wel
comed by him and Cy Walker, an old
friend and former townsman ot the her
mit. They settle down for summers
stay. Chip and Uay are In love, but no
one realizes this but Cy WalUer. StranKe
canoe mnrls found on lake shore In front
of their cabin. Strange smoke Is seen
across the lake. Martin and Levi leae
for settlement to et officers to arrest
At . ...I... In l,..r.'.l Ml Hilt III W Mill
escaped murderer. Chip's one woods
friend, Tomah, an Indian, visits camp.
Uay believes he sees a bear on t lie ridge.
Chip Is stolen by Pete Bolduc who es
capes with her In a canoe. Chip is res
cued by Martin and Levi as they are re
turnlnj,' from the settlement. Bolduc es
capes. Old Cy proposes to Hay that He.
remain In the woods with hiinselt and
Anr.l and trap during the winter, and lie.
concludes to dp so. Others of the part
return to Given vulu, takliiK Chip with
them. Chip starts to school In dreenyale,
and finds life unpleasant at Aunt Com
fort's, made so especially by Hannaii.
Old Cy and Hay discover strange tracks
In the wilderness. They penetrate fur
ther Into the wilderness and discover the
hiding place of the man who had been
sneakliiK about their cabin. They Inves
llKute the cave home of McC.ulre duriiiK
his absence. Holdue finds McGulre and
the two IlKht to the death, lliulltitr a
watery rave together. J lay returns to
Creenvale and finds Chip wnltliiK for
him. Hay wants Chip to return to the
woods with them, but she. feeling that
the old comradeship with Uay has been
broken refuses. When they part, how
ever, It Is as lovers. Chip runs away
from Aunt Comfort's and finds another
home with Judson Walker. She gives her
name as Vera Ilayniond. Aunt Abby,
Aunt Mandy Walker's sister, visits them,
and takes Chip home with her to Chr sl
ums Cove. Chip goes to school at Christ
mas Cove, She tells Aunt Abby the story
of her life. Aunt Abby tells her of their
family, and she discovers that Cy Wa k
er is a long-lost brother of Judson talk
er, but fear of betraying her hiding place
prevents her telling of Cy.
CHAPTER XXIII. Continued.
It is said that great discoveries are
almost invariably made by some tri
lling accident a gold mine found by
stumbling over a stone, a valley pro
lific of diamonds disclosed by digging
for water.
In this case it was true, for as Old
Cy bent to light his second torch ere
he withdrew from the inner cave, a
Hash of reilecletl light came from be
neath this slab only for one second,
but enough to attract his attention.
He stooped again and lifted the slab.
Six largo tin cans had been hidden by
it. He grasped one and could scarce
lift it. Again his fingers closed over
it. He crawled backward to the better-lighted
cave and drew the cover
off the can with eager motion, and
poured a heap of shining, glittering
coin out upon that food-littered table.
Into that dark hole ho dived again,
as a starved dog leaps for food, seized
the cans, two at a time, almost tum
bled bach, and emptied them. Four
had been filled with gold coin and two
stuffed with paper money.
Folded with these bills of all de
nominations from one to fifty dollars
was a legal paper yellowed by age,
with a red seal still glowing like a
spot of blood.
It was an innholder's license, au
thorizing one Thomas McGulre to fur
nish food, shelter, and entertainment
for man and beast.
With eyes almost tear-dimmed and
heart throbbing at having found poor
Chip's splendid heritage, Old Cy now
gazed at it.
The sharp stones upon which he
knelt nearly pierced his flesh, but he
felt them not.
The glint of sunlight from the crack
above- caressed his scant gray hairs
and white fringing beard, forming al
most a halo, yet ho know it not.
He only know that here, before him,
on this rude stone table, lay thousands
of dollars, all belonging to the child
he loved.
"Thank God, little gal," ho said at
last, "I've found what belongs to ye,
'u' ye hain't got to want for nothin' no
more, I wish 1 could kiss ye now."
Little did ho realize that at this
very moi.ient of thankfulness for her
sake, poor Chip wus lost to all who
know her, and, half starved and al
The Girl
fromTim's
Place
most hopeless, know not whore to
find shelter.
CHAPTER XXIV.
When Old Cy emerged from tho
cave, his faco glorified and heart
throbbing with the blessings now his
to give Chip, ho looked about with al
most fear. The two abandoned canoes
and the trusty rifle had seemed an as
surance of tragic import, and yet no
proof of this outlaw's death. That
this cave had been his lair, could not
be doubted: and so momentous was
this discovery, and so anxious was Old
Cy to rescue this fortune, that ho
trembled with a sudden dread.
Hut no sign of human presence met
his, sweeping look.
Tho lake still rippled and smiled in
the sunlight. Two doer, a buck and
doe, were feeding on the rushgrown
shore Just across, while at his feet
that rusty rifle still uttered Its fatal
message.
Once more Old Cy glanced all about,
and then entered the cave again.
Here, in the dim light and with trem
bling hands, he filled the cans once
more, and almost staggered, so faint
was he from excitement, he hurried
to the canoe, and packing thorn in its
bow, covered the precious cargo with
his blanket.
Then ho ran like a deer back to the
cave, closed It with the slab, grasped
his rifle, and not even looking at the
rusty one, bounded down tho path to
his canoe again, launched it, and
pushed olT.
Never before had it seemed so frail
a craft. And now, as he swung Its
prow around toward the outlet, a curi
ous object met his eyes.
Far up the lake, and where no ripple
concealed it, lay what looked like a
floating log, clasped by a human arm.
What intuition led him hither, Old
Cy never could explain, for escape
from the lake was now his sole thought.
And yet, with one sweep of his paddle
he turned his canoe and sped across
tho lake. And now, as he neared this
object, it slowly outlined itself, and he
saw a grewsome sight, two bloated
corpses grasping one another as If In
a death grapple. One had hair of
bronze red, the other a hideously
scarred face with lips drawn and teeth
exposed.
Hate, Horror and Death personified.
Only for a moment did Old Cy
Old Cy Now Gazed at It.
glance at this ghastly sight, and then
he turned again and sped back across
the lake.
The bright sun still smiled calm and
serene, the morning breeze still kissed
the blue water, the two deer still
watched him with curious eyes; but
he saw them not only tho winsome
face and appealing eyes of Chip as he
last beheld them.
And now in the prow of his canoe
lay hor fortune, her -heritage, which
was, after all, but scant return for all
tho shame and slgma so far meted
out to her.
It was almost sunset ere Old Cy, his
nerves still quivering and wearied as
never before, crossed the little lake
and breathed a sigh of heart-felt grat
itude as he drew his canoe out on tho
sandy shore near the Ice house. No
one was in sight, nor likely to be. A
thin column of smoke rising from the
cabin showed that the hermit was still
on earth, and now for the first time,
Old Cy sat down and considered his
plans for the near future.
First and foremost, not a soul, not
even Ills old trusted companion here,
not oven Martin, or Anglo, and cer
tainly not Ray, must learn what had
now come into his possession. Neither
must his journey to this far-off lake or
aught he had learned there be dis
closed. Hut how was ho to escape from the
woods and thoso people, soon to ar
rive for their summer sojourn? And
what if Chip herself should conio?
Two conclusions forced themselves
upon him now: first, ho must so con
ceal the fortuno that none of these
friends even could suspect Its pres
ence; next, ho must by some pretext
leave here as soon as Martin and his
party arrived, ami cease not his
watchful caro until Chip's horltago
was safe In some bank in her name.
And now, with so much of his fu
ture moves decided upon, ho hurried
to the cabin, greeted Antzi, urged him
to hasten supper, and, securing a
shovel, returned to Ills canoe.
In five minutes tho cans of gold
were buried deep In the sand, and
upon Old Cy's person the bills found
concealment. How much it all
amounted to, he had not oven guessed,
nor scarce thought. To secure It and
bear it sarely away from this now al
most nccursed lake had been his sole
thought and must be until locks and
bolts could gtiurd It better. That
night Old Cy hardly slept a moment.
Two days after, Just as the sun was
Hearing the mountain top, Martin, An
glo, Levi and Hay entered the lake.
How grateful both Old Cy and Amzl
were for their arrival, how eagerly
they grasped hands with them at the
landing, and how like two boys Mar
tin and Hay behaved needs no de
scription. All that had happened In Green vale
was soon told. Chip's conduct and
progress were related by Angle.
Hay's plans to remain here another
winter were disclosed by him; and
then, when tho cheerful party had
gathered about tho ovenlng lire, Mar
tin touched upon another matter.
"I met Horsey as wo were coming
in," lie said, "and he says that neither
McGuire nor the half-breed has been
seen or heard of since early last fall.
Mersey came In early this spring with
one of his deputies: they visited a
half dozen lumber camps, called twice
at Tim's Place, and even went, over
to Pete's cabin on tho Fox Hole, but
nowhere could they learn anything of
these two men. More than that, no
canoe was found at Pete's hut, and
there was no sign of occupation at all
this past winter. Nothing could bo
learned from Tim, either, although
not much was expected from that
source. It is all a most mysterious
disappearance, and the last that we
can learn of Pete was his arrival and
departure from Tim's Place after we
rescued Chip."
'I think both on 'em has concluded
this section was glttln' too warm for
'em," remarked Levi, "an' they've lit
out." .
"It's good riddance if I hoy have,"
answered Old Cy, 'an' I'm sartln none
on us'll ever set eyes on in ag'in."
And Old Cy spoke the truth, for
none of this party ever did. fn fact,
no human being, except himself and
Martin, ever learned the secret that
this mountain-hid lake could tell.
Hut another matter now began to
Interest Old Cy how Hay and Chip
stood in their mutual feelings. That
all was not as he wished. Oh Cy soon
guessed from Ray's face and actions,
and he was not long in verifying It.
"Wal, how'd yo find the gal?" ho
said to Ray when tho chance came.
"Was she glad' to see yo?"
"Why, yes," answered Ray, looking
away, "she appeared to bo. I wasn't
In Greenvale but two weeks, you
know."
"Saw her 'most every ovenln' d dr
ill' that time, I s'pose?"
"No, not every one," returned Hay,
vaguely; "her school hadn't closed
when 1 got home, and she studied
nights, you see."
Old Cy watched Ray's face for a mo
ment. ''I ain't pryin' Into yer love mat
ters," ho said at last, "but as I'm on
your side, I'd sorter like to know how
It's progressin'. Wa'n't thnr nothin'
said 'tween ye no sort o' promise,
'fore yo como 'way?"
"No, nothing of that sort," answered
Ray, looking confused, "though wo
parted good friends, and she sent her
love to you. I'm afraid Chip don't
quite like Greenvale."
Old Cy made no answer, though a
smothered "hum, ha" escaped him nt
the disclosure of what he reared.
"I wish yo'd sorter clinched matters
'fore ye left," ho said, after 'a pause;
"that is, if ye're callatin' to bo hero
'nother winter. It's most too long to
kepp a gal guessln"; 'sides, 'taln't
right."
Hay, however, made no defense, In
fact, seemed guilty and confused, so
Old Cy said no more.
A few days later ho made a pro
posal that astonished Martin.
"I've been here now 'bout two
years," ho said, "an' I'm glttln sorter
oneasy. I callate ye kin spare me a
couple o' weeks."
No Intimation of his real errand
escaped him, and so adroitly had he
laid his plans and timed his move
ments, that when his canoe was packed
and ho bade thorn good-by, no one sus
pected how valuable a cargo It carried.
Hut Old Cy was more than "sorter
oneasy," for the only spot where he
dared close his eyes in sleep during
that three days' journey out of tho
wilderness was in his canoe, with his
head pillowed on that precious gold.
CHAPTER XXV.
When Old Cy joined tho liltlo party
at the lake again ho seemed to have
aged years. His sunny smllo war,
gone. Ho looked weary, worn and dis
consolate. "Chip's rim away from Greenvale,"
he said simply, "an' nobody can find
hide nor hair on hor. They've fol
lered tho roads for Miles in ovory di
rection. Nobody cy. bo foui::J that's
seen anybody like her V they've even
dragged the mill-pond. She loft a nolo
chargln' It to that durn fool, Hannah,
and things she said, which 1 guess
was true. I'd like to duck hor In tho
hoss-pond!"
Such news was like a bombshell In
tho camp, or if not, what soon followed
wtis, for after a few days Old Cy mndo
another announcement which upset
I ho entire party.
"I think I'd best go back to Green
vale," he said, "an" begin a sarch for
that gal. I ain't got nobody In tho
world tltat needs me so much, or I
(hem. I'm a sorter outcast rnyseir. 07.
you folks know. That little gal hoz
crept Into my heart so, I can't tako no
more comfort hero. Amzl don't need
me so much as I need her V I've made
up my mind I'll start tratnpln' till I
find her. I've a notion, too, she'll
head for the wilderness ag'ln, n' I'm
most sartln slio'll retch up whar her
mother was buried. I watched that
gal middlln' clus all last summer.
She's true blue V good grit. Sho
won't do no Tool thing, like mtikln'
'way with herself, 'n' I'll Hud hor somewhat-
arnln' her own llvln' If I live
long 'nulT. From the note sho left. I
know that was in her mind."
Martin realized 'that there was no
use in trying to change Old Cy's in
tentin fact, had no heart to do so,
for he too roll much the same toward
Chip.
"I'll give you all the funds you need,
old friend," ho made answer, "and
wish you God-speed on your mission.
I'll do more than that even. I'll pay
some one to watch at Grindstone for
the next year, so If Chip reaches there,
we can learn It."
That night he held a consultation
witli his wife.
"I suspect we are somewhat to
blame for this unfortunate happen
ing," ho said to her, "or, at least, some
thoughtless admissions you may have
made led up to It. It's a matter wo
are responsible for, or I feel so, any
way. 1 think as Old Cy does, that this
girl must bo found If money can do it,
and I propose that we break camp and
return to Greenvale. If Amzl can't be
coaxed to go along, I must leave Levi
with him. No power on earth can
keep Old Cy here any longer."
Hut the old hermit had changed
somewhat since that night he broke
away and returned to this camp, and
when tho alternative of remaining
hero alone, or going out with them all,
was presented, ho soon yielded.
"If Cyrus Is goln', I'll havo to." he
said. "I'd be lonesome without him."
And to ibis assertion lie adhered.
Hay, however, was the most deject
ed and unhappy one now here, though
fortunately Old Cy was the only oiie
who understood why, and ho kept
silent.
They were even more sad when Aunt
Comfort showed I hem Chip's message,
and Angle read It with brimming eyes.
And now came Old Cy's departure,
on ti quest as hopeless as that of tho
Wandering Jew and as pathetic as tho
Ancient Mariner's.
Hut the climax was reached when
Old Cy gave Martin his parting mes
sage and charge:
"Here's a bank book," he said "that
calls for 'bout .ffiO.OOO. It's the savin's
o' McGulre, 'a belongs to Chip. I
found the cave whar 'twas hid. I
found McGulre 'n' the half-breed, both
iead"n' float! n in the lake clus by. an'
'twas to keer for this money I quit ye
three weeks ago.
"If I nevei- come back hero, an' I
never shall 'thought I find Chip, keep
it for. her. Sometime she may show
up. IT ever she does, tell her Old Cy
did all he could for her."
CHAPTER XXVI.
Life at Peaceful Valley and tho
homo or Judson Walker fell into Its
usual monotony after Chip's depart
ure. ISach day Uncle Jud went about his
chores and his crop-gathering and
watched the leavos grow scarlet, then
brown, and finally go eddying up and
down the valley, or heap themselves
into every nook and cranny for final
sleep.
Kxlstenco had become something
like this to him, but he could no longer
anticipate a vernal budding forth as
the leaves came, but only the sear and
tutumn for himself, with the small
and sadly neglected churchyard at the
Corners for its ending.
Snow came and piled itself into fan
tastic drifts. Tho stream's summer
chatter was hushed. Tho cows,
chickens, and his horse, with wood
cutting, became his sole care. Once
a week he journeyed to the Cornors
for his weekly paper stud Mandy's
errands, always hoping for a messago
from Chip. Now and then one came, a
liltlo missive in angular chlrography,
telling how sho longed to return to
them, which they read and reread by
candlelight,
ITO 1 510 CONTINIMOU.)
Her Master's Voice.
Elevator Hoy l-Jlovator going up.
Deaf Old Lady Which way Is it go
ing, bub?
Hlevator Hoy (impatiently) Up!
Up! Up! Up!
Deaf Old Lady (Indignantly) You
tulk to me, bub, as If you thought I
was a trained dog! Lipplncot'a.
TEN YEARS OF BACKACH.
Thouiandi of Women Suffer In th
8ame Way.
Mtb. Thomas Dunn, 153 Vino St., Co
lumbus, Ohio, says: "For moro than
ten years I was In
mlBory with back
ache. Tho simplest
housework complete
ly exhausted me. I
had no strength or
ambition and suf
fered headacho and
dizzy spoils. After
theso years of pain 1 was despairing
of over boing cured when Donn's Kid
ney Pills enmo to my notice and tholr
uso brought quick rollef and a perma
nent euro. I nm very grateful."
Sold by nil dealers. 50 cents n bor.
Fostor-Mllburn Co., Uuffalo, N. Y.
COMPULSORY EDUCATION.
Tho Parson (during a lecture-' to
Tommy on tho evils of smoking)
How do you spoil "injurious?"
Tommy I don't spell it at all. .
The Parson What did you go "to
school for?
Tommy Because I had to.
EYESIGHT WAS IN DANGER
From Terrible Eczema Baby's Head
a Mass of Itching Rash and Sores
Disease Cured by Cuticura.
"Our little girl was two months old
when sho got a rash on her faco and
within flvo days her faco and head
were all one sore. Wo used different
remedies but it got worse Instead of
better and we thought she would turn
blind and that hor ears would fall off.
Sho suffered terribly, .and would
scratch until the blood came. This
went on until sho was five months old,
then I had her under our family doc
tor's caro, but she continued to grow
worse. IIo said it was eczema. Whon
sho was seven months old I started
to uso the Cuticura Remedies and in
two months our baby was a different
girl. You could not see a sign of a
soro and sho was as fnlr ns a now
born baby. She has not had a sign of
the eczema since. Mrs. IT. F. Budke,
LeSueur, Minn.., Apr. 15 and May 2, '07."
Red-Headed Boy Still Busy.
"What," nsks tho Wyoming Tribune,
"has become of tho old-rashionod
freckled-faced boy who got tho water,
chopped tho wood, spilt tho kindling,
milked tho cows, fed tho pigs, curried
the horso and did such other chores
as his parents found for him to do?"
Ho'b probably being kept busy hand
ing his tyizy son money with which
to buy rolled-up trousers and ciga
rettes. Denver Post.
Habitual
Constipation
May to permanently overcome proper
personal efforts vdktnc assistance
of the one truly beneficial laxative
rcmeay, oyrui) o
may, uyrim oiiiM ana LAxr obiw.
Vhich. c nab U?f one lojorm regular
Kabitft daily $o that assistance fo na
ture may be gradual)' dispensed witti
Vhich. cnabl
vmen no longer needed asthebestoj
remedies, when Yeouircd, arc to assist
txaiure and not to supplant the hat'ur
f functions, vhicfi must depend ulti
nWeJy upon proper nourishment,
proper efforts,and rilit living generally.
To get its beneficial effects, always
buy the genuine
' manufactured by he
California
Fig Sytrup Co. only
SOLP BY ALL LEADING DRUGGISTS
one&ue only, regular price 5Q$tr Bottle
PARKER'S
HAIR BALSAM
CIctUKi and txautlflei ttio hair,
l'rotnutei a luxuriant growth.
Never Falls to Ilcitoro Gray
Hair to its Youthful Color.
Cures tcaln dliraiti It hair tilling.
OcandUlat DruprUU
PILES
ANAKEBISKlvenlMMant
roilur. IBAHIJII'J.KCUUK.
II at (IruirKl'ta or by mall.
Huiiiplo KKHK. Acldrrm.
"ANAKE6I8"
Tribune Ulc2g., New Yokk.
I nnif t Kurtunu told. Send Uato of birth mid l-'o.
