lTORYg
r -- .
? 1 Hid l?l AIEI
0F I00RS
By
ROBERT W. CHAMBERS
4.
Illustrations by J. J. Sheridan
(I opyrlKMt, l. '. I'ut nam s fvn..)
SYNOPSIS.
Tiir story upi'iis in Nrw Yen!;, It'iy I'ar
nViiliur. tlie Mury-h-IVr. itisnri'tini; h iif r
rcptili' uwni'il ly (ipni'4i tluilury of Tif
fany's. Hoy, ami Harris mnl I'li-rpniit,
two friends, ilcparl m a IiiiiiiIiik trl to
Cardinal Wnods. a rather nhsrnre Uical
ily. Harris -.".viil,d tin- fact that he had
jnlnfd the secret M-rviii' fur the Jilirpast1
:f rutii,,n;: down a of gold makers.
I'rcf. 1n Iraiiye, cm diseovi riiij; tin
naiiK'M I'.irnml.t, laid licen mysteriously
Killed.
CHAPTER II.
We had been at the shooting box in!
the Cardinal Woods live days when a
trlcsrani vn:i brought to Harris by a
mounted ineBsener from the nearest I
telegraph station, Cardinal SprlnRS. j
a hamlet on the lumber railro id which j
joins the Quebec & Northern at Three :
Uivers Junction, oO miles below.
Pieryont and 1 were Kitting out tin-j
tier the trees, loading some special j
shells ns experiment; Harris stood be-!
side us, bronzed, erect, holding his i
pipe carefully so that no sparks should
drift into our powder box. The beat
of hoofs over the rass aroused us,
and when the lank messenger drew
bridle before the door Harris stepped
forward and took the sealed telegram.
When he had torn it. open he went into
the house and presently reappeared,
reading something that he had writ
ten. "This should po at once," he said,
looking the messenger full In the face.
"At once, Col. Harris," replied t he
shabby countryman.
l'ierpont danced up and I smiled at
the messenger, who was gathering his
bridle and settling himself In his stir
rups. Harris handed him the written
reply and nodded good-by; there wan
a thud of hoofs on the creensward, a
jingle of bit and spur across tho gravel
and the messenger was gone. Harris'
pipe went out. and he stepped to wind
ward to relight it.
"It is rpieer," said I. "that your mes
senger a battered native should
speak like a Harvard man."
"lie Is a Harvard man," said Harris.
"And the plot thickens," said Pier
pont; "are the Cardinal woods full of
your secret service men, Harri3?"
"No," rcjdied Harris, "but the tele
graph stations are. How many ounces
of shot are you using, Hoy?"
I told him, holding up the adjust
able steel-measuring cup. He nodded.
AI'Ut a moment or two he sat down
on a campstool beside us and picked
up a crimper.
"That, telegram was from Drum
mond." he said; "the messenger was
one of my men, as you two bright lit
tle boys divined. Pooh! If he had
spoken the Cardinal county dialect
you wouldn't have known."
"His make-up was good," said Pier
pont. Harris twirled the crimper and
looked at, the pile of loaded shells.
Then he picked up one and crimped it.
"Let 'em alone," said Pierpont;
"you crimp too tight."
"Does his little gun kick when the
shells are crimped too tight?" in
quired Harris tenderly; "well, he shall
crimp Jiis own shells then where's
his little man?"
"His little man" was a weird Eng
lish importation, stiff, very carefully
scrubbed, tangled in his aspirates,
named Howlett. As valet, gilly, gun
bearer and crimper he aided Pierpont
to endure the ennui of existence by
doing for him everything except
breathing. Lately, however, Harris'
taunts had driven Pierpont. to do a few
things for himself. To his astonish
ment he found I hat cleaning his own
gun was not a bore, so he timidly
loaded a shell or two, was much
pleased wlih himself, loaded some
more, crimped them anil went to
bieak fust wiib an appetite. So when
Harris asked where "his little man"
whs. Pierpont did not reply, but dug a
cupful of shot from the bag and poured
it. solemnly into the half lilb'd shell.
Old David e:inie out with the dogs,
and of course there was a pow-wow
when Voyou. my Cordon, wagged his
splendid tall across: the loading talde
and sent a dozen unstopped cartridges
rolling over the grass, vomiting pow
der and phot.
"Give the dogs a mile or two." said
1; "we will shoot over the Sweet Kern
Covert about four o'clock, David."
"Two gum David," added Harris.
"Are. you not going'.'" asked Pier
poni, looking up, as David disappeared
willi iho dogs.
"P.lgger game," said Harris, shortly.
lie picked up a mug of ale from thej
tray which Howlett had just set down ;
beside us nnd tool: a lone, pull. W e
illd'llie same, silently. Pii-rpout s-t
Lis mug on the turl Ik ;!! li i tn nn:
returned 'o Ph In.-idlng.
We ypoKe of thp iuuhIit of l'rnf. I .a i "Tln-n ! caroful not to drop nny
Oranso, of how it had ln rontvaU'il I thins lst" suio I. ami walked away
!y tho nmlioritirs in Nw York at j leavitiK him decorously puzzled. For
Diuinmoud's request, of the certainty he had dropped no carirtdgea. Poor
who had done it, and of the possible! Howlett!
alertness of the gang.
"Oh, they know that Drummond will
be after them sooner or later," sai l
Harris; "but they don't know that the
i mills of the gods have already begun
X : to grind. Those smart New York pa
' pcrs budded better than they knew
when their ferret-eyed reporter poked
his red nose Into the house on Fifty
eighth street and sneaked off with a
column on his cuffs about the 'suicide'
of Prof. Ha tlrange. Hilly Pierpont,
my revolver is hanging in your room;
I'll take yours too "
"Help yourself," said Pierpont.
"I shall be gone over night," con-
I tinned Harris; "my poncho and some
bread and meat are all I shall take
except the 'barkers.'"
"Will they bark to-night?" I asked.
"No, I trust not for several weeks
vol. I shall nose about a bit. Uoy,
did it ever strike you how queer It Is
that this wonderfully beautiful country
should contain no Inhabitants?"
"It's like those splendid slretches
of pools nnd rapids which one finds
on every trout river and in which
one never finds a fish," suggested Pier
pont. "Exactly and heaven alone knows
why," said Harris; "I suppose this
country is shunned by human beings
for the same mysterious reasons."
"The shooting is the better for It "
I observed.
"The shooting Is good," said Harris;
"have you noticed the snipe on the
meadow by the lake? Why, it's
brown with them! That's a wonder
ful meadow."
"It's a natural one," said Pierpont;
"no human being ever cleared that
land."
"Then it's supernatural," said Har
ris; - Pierpont, do yon want to come
with me?"
Pierpont's handsome face flushed as
lie answered slowly: "It's awfully
good of you If I may."
"Posh," said I piqued because be
had asked Pierpont; "what use is lit
tle Willy without his man?"
"True," said Harris, gravely; "you
can't take Iloinlett. you know."
Pierpont muttered something which
ended in "d n."
"Then," said I, "there will be but
one gun on the Sweet Kern Covert
this afternoon. Very well, I wish you
Joy of your cold
supper and colder j
y -y
Who b
7-1 "Vfi I'l
-U v
"A Telegram Was Brought to Barrie
by a Mounted Messenger."
bed. Take your night-gown, Willy, j
and don't sleep on the damp ground."
"Lot Pierpont alone," restorted Har
ris; "you shall go next time, Roy."
"Oh, all right you mean wheil
there's shooting going on?"
"And 1?" demanded Pierpont,
grieved.
"You too, my son; stop quarreling!
Will you ask Howlett to pack our kits
lightly, jninu you no bottles they
clink."
"My flask doesn't," said Pierpont,
and wont off to get ready for a night's
stalking of dangerous men.
"It Is strange," said I. "that nobody
ever settles in this region. How many
people live in Cardinal Springs, Har
ris?" "Twenty, counting the telegraph
operator and not counting the lumber
men: they are always changing and
shifting. 1 have six men among them."
"Where have yon no men? In the
Four Hundred?"
"I huve men there also chums of
Hilly's, only he doesn't know It.
David tells me that there was a strong
flight of woodcocks last night
You
ought to pick up some this afternoon
Then we dialled about alder-cover
and swamp until Pierpont came out of j
the house and it was time to pail. j
"Au revoir," said Harris, buckling i
on his kit: "come along, Pierpont, and
don't walk in the damp grass."
"If you are not back by to-morrow
noon." said I. "I will take Howlett :
and David and hunt you up. You say :
your course Is due north?" ;
"Due north," replied Harris, consult
ing his compass.
"There is a trail for two mihs and i
u spotted lead for two more," suid
Pierpopt. (
"Whlrh we won't use for various
reasons," added Harris pleasantly; '
"don't worry, Hoy, anil keep your con- j
founded expidltlon out of the way; j
I here's no danger."
lie knew, of couii'C, what he was I
talking about, and I held my pence.
When the tip end of Pierpont's
shooting coal had d'. appeared In tho J
Lou Covert I found mHo1f standing
alone with lIowleM. lie lu?;o my gaze
for u moment, and then politely low-,
"lu ",s p'' !
"Howlett.' said 1, "take these shells!
Implements to tl.o gun room, ami ;
drop mdhing. Did Voyou come to uny '
tnrin iu the briers Ihlu morning?" 1
"No "tirm. Mr. Cardetih", sir." sa'd
'.lowluit.
it,
nil
CHAPTER III.
About four o'clock that afternoon I
met David and the dogs at the spinney
which leads into the Sweet Fern
Covert. The three setters, Voyou,
Cumin and Mioche were in tine feath
er David had killed a woodcock and
a brace of grouse over them that
morning and they were thrashing
about the spinney at short range when
I came up, gun under arm and pipe
lighted.
"What's the prospect. David," 1
asked, trying to keep my feet In the
i tangle of wagging, whining dogs;
I "hello, what's amiss with Mloehe?"
"A brier in his foot, sir; I drew it
and slopped the wound, but 1 guess
the gravel's got in. If you have no ob
jection, sir, 1 might take him back
with me."
"It's safer," I said; "take Cumin,
too; I only want one dog this after
noon. What is the situation?"
"Fair, sir; the grouse lie within a
quarter of a mile of the oak second
growth. The woodcock are mostly on
the alders. 1 taw any number of snipo
on the meadows. There's something
elso in by the lake I can't just tell
what, but the wood-duck set up a clat
ter when I was in the thicket and they
come dashing through the wood ns if
a dozen foxes was snnppin' at their
tail feathers."
"Prohably n fox," I said; "leark
those dogs they must learn to stand
r. I'll he back by dinner time."
"There Is one more thing, sir," said
David, llngeting with his gun under
his arm.
"Well," said I.
"I saw u man In the woods by the
Oak Covert at least I think I did."
"A lumberman?"
' I think not, sir at least do they
j have Chinamen among them?"
"Chinese? No. You didn't see a
Chinaman in the woods here?"
"I I think 1 did, sir I can't say
positively. He was gone when I ran
into (he covert."
"Did the dogs notice it?"
"I can't say exactly. They acted
queer like. Gamin here lay down an'
whined It may have been colic and
Mioche whimpered perhaps It was
the brier."
"And Voyou?"
"Voyou, ho was most remarkable, sir,
xnd the hair on his back stood up. I
(n,j ,0 a groundhog makln' for a
tree near by."
"Then no wonder Voyou bristled.
David, your Chinaman was a slum?
or tussock. Take the dogs now."
"I guess it was, sir; good nfternoon,
sir," snld David, and walked away with
the Cordons leaving me alone with
Voyou In the spinney.
I looked at the dog nnd he looked
at me.
"Voyou!'
The dog sat down and danced with
his fore feet, his beautiful brown eyes
sparkling.
"You're a fraud." I said: "which
shall it be, the alders or the upland?
Upland? flood! now for the grouse
heel, my friend, and show your
miraculous self-restraint."
Voyou wheeled Into my tracks and
followed close, nobly refusing to no
tice the impudent chipmunks and the
thousand nnd one alluring and import
ant smells which an ordinary dog
would have lost no time in Investigat
ing The brown and yellow autumn
woods were crisp with drifting heaps
of leaves and twigs that crackled un
der foot ns we turned from the spin
nry into the forest. Kvery silent, lit
tle streaip, hurrying toward the lake
was gay with painted leaves afloat,
scarlet, maple or yellow oak. Spots
of sunlight fell upon the pools, search
ing the brown depths, illuminatiug
tho gravel bottom where shoals of
minnows swam to and fro, and to and
fro again, busy with the purpose of
their little lives. The crickets were
chirping in the long brittle grass on
tho edge of the woods, but we left
them fr behind In the silence of the
deeper forest.
"Now!" said I to Voyou.
(TO UK CONTINUED.)
NOTE HAD PERSONAL FLAVOR.
Directions Considerably Astonished
Good Man In Pulpit.
The minister had Just finished a lit-
! Ho opening talk to tho children, pre
paratory to the morning service, when
Mrs. Herkeley suddenly realized, with
all the agony of a careful housewife,
thai she had forgotten to turn the gas
off from the oven In which she had
left a nicely-cooked roast, all ready
for the final reheating. Visions of a
ruined dinner and a smoky kitchen
roused her to immediate elTort, and,
borrowing a pencil from tho youug
man in liont, she scribbled a note.
Just, then her husband, an usher In
the church, pas:;ed her pew. With u
murmured "Hurry!" she thrust the
nole into his hand, and he, with an
understanding nod, turned, passed up
the aisle, and handed tho noto to the
minister. Mrs. Herkeley saw the act
In speechless horror, and shuddered as
she saw the minister smilingly open
the note and begin to read. Hut her
expression of dismay was fully equaled
by the look of amazement and wrath
on the good man's face us lie read the
words: "Co homo and turn off the
gn.i!" LlppihcoU's.
Up to Date In Agriculture.
I IfltVnVDf fmit?iilVfif li'.i t Vw. fm-ttirt la
i " i tuiiui.iiumr lil!ll;i 1.1
about his pollilcs and bis religion and
Vews on morality, he has rid him
.M,t of most of his obi-time fixed Ideas
about agriculture and Is leading tho
professional state experimentalists In
the search for hew methods. Toledo
Itlade,
RHEUMATISM PRESCRIPTION
The Increased use of "Totis" fv
rheumatism Is causing com ;. lei able
discussion among the medical tiaur
nity. It. is an almost Infallible cure
when mixed with ceriain other ir.gre
d'eats and taken properly. The fol
lowing formula Is effective: "To one
half pint of good whiskey add cr.e '
ounce of Toris Compound and one '
ounce of Syrup Sarsapatilla Compound, i
Take in tablespoonful doses before ;
each meal and before retiring." j
Toris compound Is a product of the
laboratories of the Clobe Pharma
ceutical Co., Chicago, hut it nr. well a-
the other ingredients can bo hud frou i
uny good druggist.
A Facer.
Mr. Oldhatch - So this Is your wed
ding anniversary, and you and your
wife have for IM1 eiirs fought life's
battle Ride by side.
Mr. Killing No, face to face Pick
Me-Up.
Asthmatics, Read This.
If ynii arc atllictod with Atlim;i write
me at once and loam t wuiieilniii: fur
which im will be tratcfid tin- rot nf
Mmr life. .1. (i. Mcllridi'. Stella. Near.
Man gives every reason for his con
duct save one; every excuse for his
crime save one; every pica for his
safety save one, and that is cowardice.
Nilotic drug eilli.irtics simply nrnniv.ile
the coiidilnin - tile tine lemi'dy lur ruiete
pat ion ami liver trouble is found in Car
held Tea, (lie mild Herb laxative.
Many a man lives a regular cat and
dog life, lie purrs In the parlor and
harks In tho kitchen.
Lewis' Single Hinder utraiht iic. M;iny
umiU'iM prefer tlii'in to lUr cigars. Your
dialer or Iewis' Factory, IVcnn, 111.
''he hand can never execute anything
higher than the heart can aspire.
Emerson.
VIM'S ( T KKI) IX A TO 14 1IAVS.
CA'.o OINTV KNT In Rtinrnalftcil In rnn nit dim
of lt-hujr. lUlml, ltliillnjr or I'mmiUIng Clli-s lu
6 to U du? or iitoiicjr rcfuiuUM. UJc.
Water from the Kiver Styx should
bo tine for preparing mucilage.
II Cure While Vimi Walk
Ailcn'ftroouKitM t.irrnriiMiiMl tnuHeic,. imt, hwraty
citUclisiu-lnnu lerl. ?jt-ull !rum;iM!t.
A light heart lives long.
peare. -Shakes-
Rcglntrrml
V. a. Tut. oiBct
The genuine sold everywhere
VONDERBERRYPLWIT,
THREE MONTHS FROM
THE WOMDERBERRYI
Luther Burbank's Greatest Creation. A Luscious Berry Ripening in Three
Months from Seed. Seed 20 Cto. Per Pkt., 3 Pkts. for GO Cts., Postpaid
Frull MuMilin'k llkfl iiirniiiiH rii'li Ii1'.ii It -v In nnk'i nii'l
tintD. ITtnurpBHHi'U 1'ir riiliuir r;iw, ciMitiil, i-auin'l it ).!-tv iI
In snr f'irin. The! (frcuti-Hi i-.ir.liii fi-mi t-vi-r iniicln. -! mil
finally Tuluablr lu Iit, ill . nil. I nr i-IiiiuiI'. I i-.. -t riant in
tlin world to prow, Micrpnlifv aiivv.l " anil i.-nliiiif r ;t iim-m-i
of rloh fruit nil mini hut hii.1 t.ill - .-n.l ail 'vine r in ( . t - i A . a nt
plunt It U botli iirnnini'ntul nn.l ns.-fuli. '1 hi iM-can -i 1 11 to I iir
family (rurdi-ii ctit known I.mtvi.u.I . i an anil ni li'fiin ii.
I.uthrr llnrbnnk, f Culiforni i, Hi" wori.l l;in In to-l.li.-ir,
orlglunti'il thN ni'W fruit liml tiininl II ovi p to mo in In) !..) m i-. Ho
xft.vii of It: "Thin nlmoliitt-ly !" lri-r iilanl im nf j.iial innrr.'.
nd ! t It l-rs Iho nnt il-ll.-ooii, v linlr-ni'ii' an. I li. all.ilul
berries la utiuunt prulusion innl ala t i-nini'i
P. 6.-Thl9 offor will not opponr ncceiln. w. h
ran be the llrnt to crow It in vmir town nn.l iniikr !
PUTNAM
rlM SB A A MAAlll kaiaklal mA fta aalau kan am
Col fTiDfpoodibrihff tnd fitter cnlorlhin in?
mcq fiirmoni wivnom (imi prb vrrtw w ft
No Link.
Hixnti - When h got a divorce from
hit wifo ho resigned from tho golf
cluli.
Dixon So now ho's entirely unlinked.
,i";';T:t'",
.4'-7S.!PN
Al.l Olliil.-.l t'KH CP NT
AYerVkiUe Preparation for As
lu; Iho Mom.li lis and 1 Wvls cf
I Promotes l)ieslion,Oiccrful
' nes-x'tnillwl Contains iirithcr
; C.iiiuiii.Moipliirie nor Mineral
No T N AIM OTIC I
e(M DiSVUUmiW
ii
tttpkt 3 A '
,41 ,'ii
1 "ptrnn it -tii,,
Sd -
kS
i
I
3:
: k
Aprrlivl Ki'incdy forfotv lipv
lion . Sm:r SkuntH'h. Diarrlwra
and LOSS OF SLEEP
Far Sitmlc Signature of
Tut: C'KNTAiu Company.
NEW YORK
wmmm
''fuhirnnteeil under llto l-'ood.lr(i
Exact Copy of Vruprr.
FV'Jfl M jra r
rT M PA
'? '.-. - . . V.A . .
V'(r-B... - .--.... -
j
mm
c lor
aker s
bearing this trade
mark. Don't be
misled by imitations
ti iu' lr,.m mti!
Addro89 JOHN LEWIS CHILLIS, Floral
t.ir V.iihI. rl.rrry I. a,n. ('aiaLn.'".' at imi"o. Io not ticuloct or delay. Yon
in. on v H.-nh f l.i.ifi l.,"iM'- iml I. 1 r.nsi'il Tt-.l onari (rom a few planta.
FADELESS DYES
nlkaa il,, flaalrUaiiiLi.o.lA.. .HlL . mWmW
other n. Onn tOc nifo rolorn allflbrri
T flAH
DOiviii - now 10 U), bieacn r.j mi Color.
" f
Silly Question.
Mini Am I the Cn t man you wer
ever enr.igel to?
Her Don't Insult me. You know
perfectly well that. I am 25 years old.
Vj I look like a lemon?
11IS fllll
For Infanta and ChilJron.
The Kind Yen Havs
Always Bought
Bears tho
Signature
of
In
Use
For Over
Thirty Years
Tilt OINTtUH OOKMNV, TO CfTY.
ITTTJJ A flavorins tlmi ii iiftptl tins naiim Iinon or
f vaiulU. IW disv.lvnu' uranuhitiMl btitfjr in wm-
i .iUi lv yrnrris, S-int an Mnip fur i-.tmpl
nidi tocipu buuk. Crescent Mlg. Co., Seattle.
r jpwwwiiwii i in iim iiiimiuuiwm
Cocoa
the
I AM THE SOLE INTRODUCER AND GENUINE SEED
CAN Cc HAD NOWHERE ELSE.
FOR 20 CTS. isIImti r s::ttiip I Ken.l l nkt. Wonilrrbcrry
I. i.i ..r.iiiM mil I inv i.ltl-.AT( r I.i)(il'K whlrh Ii-IIh nil
a II an. I my r.ii;-.-U I'Klil.s to ii:;i-ntt. AlifciNTH WANTED.
Nl Y GREAT CATALOCUc rf Fiowrrt and VeKotable
6""!l. tulii. Ki..nt .i.i.l IIkiv noil New Frtntt FRct to all who
apply. ..) p.. t;ev CO J iiluttr.it. oni and colorocl plnt. I hav bonn
in lotina ,14 yr,r and h.ivn half a million rmtomfirt all over th
country. Coinplrtn .ttitf artion ftu.irxntrpcl to averyona. Do not
fail to vk tli m.iny p rr.it Nonlt.fi I am offering this year of which
the WONUh'fOtHHY u the greateit ever known.
Park, N. Y.
liwa la aal'
'if - III t, l-'U IjlTMr nPITRf IP aa.a L.. J .