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About Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922 | View Entire Issue (May 7, 1899)
jr 10 THE OMATIA DAITLY 111313 : SUXDAV , MAY 7 , 1890. a V eniif ® i AUTHOR OF "The AGATHA WEBB. Leavenworth Case , " JUy.ANXA KATHA1UXE OllEEN. Sr < ) | iHlM of I'rpcpilliiB Clinp < cr . Just nftcr a bnll nt the Sutherland man- nlon Agatha Webb nnd h r servant nro founil Oeatl , and PhilemonVobb , Agatha's luubnml , who for years has been KrovUtiR ilcmrnteu , Is discovered nslcop at the dinner table. A traos at blood on hfs sleeve points io him ns the murderer. Agatlia W 1)b ! ? known to but few as a rich woman. Miss 3'iiKe. the niece of Sutherland's housekeeper , persists In remaining nbout the Webb premises and discovers blood on the grass. The money drawer Is found to bo. empty nnd robbery la added to th mystery. Frederick Sutherland , a wayward youth , calls hla father to witness nls determination to bn a liettcr man and promise * not to marry Mw ! I'IIRC , by whom he has been fascinated. Mips Page talls Frederick that nho followed him the night of the murder nnd knew where ho bud crrctfil $1.000. Stv gives him a week to declda whether to marry her or bo pro claimed a the murderer of Agatha Webb. It Is learned that the money was In now bills and the keeper of a small store pro duces one that a strange man gave 'ilm late the night of thc'inurdcr for a loaf of bread. A detective arrives from Uoston and ro- IKjrto , "Hlnuilp case. .Murdered for mon"y. Plnd the man with the ( lowing beard. " HusplPlon falls upon on. ' of the Hubel broth ers. Frederick visits the hollow tree. The money la gone. Wattles , u JiotHon gambler , nrrlves nnd demands } 9JO of Frederick In jiaymont of gambling debt. I-'r-derl-k secures a check for the amount from his father. The Xabcl brothers are found dead of starvation , ono of them clutching the loaf of bread , the oth = r a blood-siulnexl knlfo The Hostnn detective declares the jnyslery solved , but young Sweetwatcr ns- tonlshei the company by n nw chain of evidence , pointing to another perpetrator of the terrible crime. This time Amabel J'ago la suspected. Swtetwator finds the money where he has seen Miss Page hide It. SIlss 'Pago Is confronted by the detectives nnd olllc rs and tells what she saw thn night of the murder. Frederick nverhonrs the talking and Joins the gioup and Mlrs J'age tells lust enough fn that a later con fession will Implicate Frederick If ho re fuses to marry her. On the following day occurs the funeral of Agatha V/obb , and late that night Mr. Sutherland Jlscovnrs Frederick we.ping over her grave. On the way homo he learns nf the death of Philemon , Agatha's husband. Swectw.iter utispects and follows Frederick and Is thus discovered by Mr. Sutherland. Fredcr'ck rtlarcs a package of old letters Into Agnea Jlalllday's hands and his father seelta an explanation. Agatlia Webb's will Is pponed nnd by Its terms Mr. Sutherland Is ma-le 'xccutor und Frederick solo heir of J100- 000 estate. Swcctwater reasons that Fred- crick Is the murderer , but bocnu r > Mr. Suth erland once saved his life Swectwiter Is unwilling to give evidence. In otdcr to 3tecp his secret ho plans to leave homo , nnd , In auspicious hast ; , pretending to bo In search of an Important witness , boards on outgoing steamer bound for Brazil. CIIAl'TISIl X.VV. Mr. Sutherland was right. Swcetwater did not return with the pilot. According to the latter there was no Sweutwater on board Hid ship to return. At all events the mi nutest search bad not succeeded In finding lilni In the cabins , though no ono had scon him leave the vessel , or , Indeed , seen him nt all after his hasty dash below decks. It was thought on board that ho had succeeded In reaching shore before the ship set sail nnd the pilot was suitably surprised at learning this was not so. So were Sweet- water's friends nnd associates , with the ex ception of a certain old gentleman living on the hill nnd Knapp , the detective. He , that Is the latter , had his explanation at his tonguo's end. "Swcetwntor la a fakir. Ho thought ho could carry off the honors from the regular force and when ho found ho couldn't ho quietly disappeared. Wo shall hear of hltn again In the Brazils. " An opinion that speedily gained ground , BO that In a few hours Sweetwatcr was all tout forgotten , save by his mother , whoso licart was Illled with suspense , and by Mr. Sutherland , whoso breast was burdened by Kratltudo. The amazing fact that Frederick , the village scapegrace and Amabel's reck less , It aristocratic , lover , having been made the legatee of the upright Mrs. Webb's ' eecret savings , had something to do with this. With such a topic at hand , not only the gossips , but these who had the matter of Agatha's murder In hand , found ample material to occupy their thoughts and tongues , without wasting tlmo over a pre- BUinptuous busybody who had not wits enough to know that flvo minutes before nailing tlmo Is an unfortunate moment In \\hlch to enter a ship. And where was Sweetwatcr , that ho could not bo found ou the shore or on the ship ? "Wo will follow him and see. Accustomed from his youth to rarablo over the vessels while In port , ho know this ono as well as ho did his mother's house. U wns , there fore , a surprise to the sailors when , shortly nfter the departure of the pilot , they came upon him lying In the hold , halt hurled under a box which had partially fallen upon lilni. Ho was unconscious , or appeared so , und when brought Into open light showed marks of physical distress and Injury ; but his cyo was clear nnd his expression hardly an rueful as ono would expect of a man who finds himself cnrouto for the Brazils with barely a couple of dollars In tils pockei nnd every prospect of being obliged to work before the mast to earn his passage. Kven the captain noticed this and eyed him with eomo suspicion. Hut Swcetwnter , rousing to the necessities of the occasion , forthwith ehowed such n mixture of discouragement nnd perplexity that the honest sailor was deceived and abated half nt least of his oaths. Ho gave Sweetwatcr a hammock and admitted htm to the mess , but told hltn that as soon ns his bruises allowed him to work ho should show himself on deck or ex pect the rough treatment commonly bo- Btowcd on stowaways. It was a prospect to daunt sorao men , but not Sttcetwater. Indeed It wns no more tlmn ho had calculated upon when ho lett Ills little savings behind with hla old mother nnd entered upon this enterprise with enl ) n llttlo change In his pocket. Ho had uiv dertaken out of love nnd grntltudo to Mr Sutherland to rid Frederick of a dnngoroua witness nnd ho felt able to complete the sac- riaco , Moro than that , ho was oven Btrnngcly happy for a time , The elation of the willing victim was his , that U for n few short hours ; then ho began to think of Ills mother. How had she borne his sud den departure ? What would she think had befallen him , and how long would ho have I liuvo been iiilna rASOAUKTS mill 01 a tulld and oOrailru IniaiUe they aru tlmiily won derful. Mr UuuiiUlor unit 1 vrt > ri > bothered with lick ttomaub anil our lircatli wuicrr luul. After taking a f w Ontcu of CiucaroU no liave Improved nuulorfullr , Tliuj atn a im-at help In tlio tamllj. " WiuiEi.uihA NAOLL. 1137 llluoulioiue St. , Cincinnati , Ohio. rieaoant , 1'alatablo. 1'otenl , Tnite need , Do Bool , Merer Sicken.VeaUin , or Gripe , lOc,2iottte. . . . CURE CONSTIPATION. . . . fr.ill.r Vtmtti ! ? . j. rtU t . llc.lrt.l. M. Tcrt. 8l > lift Tfi RIP Hold and iniamntcrd br oil drug- ' - ' - HU'IU-UAU Klstaio dujxm'ebaocalUi- to wait before ho could send her word ot his safety ? If lie was to bo of real Ecrvlco to the man ho venerated ho must bo lost long enough for the public mind to have become settled In regard to the mystery of the Webb murder and for his own boastful connection with U to bo forgotten. This might mean years of exile. He rather thought It did ; meanwhile his mother ! Ot himself ha thought little. By sundown ho felt himself sufficiently recovered from his bruises to go up on deck. It was a mild night nntl the sea was run ning In smoothly , long waves that as yet but faintly presaged the storm brewing In the distant horizon. As ho Inhaled the fresh nlr the Joy of renewed health bcunn to Infuse its life Into his veins and lift the oppression from his heart , nnd , glad for a few minutes of aulet enjoyment , ho with drew to n. solitary portion of the deck nnd allowed himself to torcct his troubles In contemplation of the rapidly deepening sky and boundless stretch of waters. But such crlefs nnd nnxlctlcs as weighed upon this man's breast are not so easily shaken off. Before he realized U hla thoughts had recurred to the old theme and ho was wondering If ho was really of sumclcnt Insignificance In the eyes ot his fellow-townsmen not to bo soucht for nnd found In that distant country to which ho was bound. Would they. In BDlto of his precautions , suspect that ho had planned this evasion nnd Insist on his return or would ho bo allowed to slip nwny nnd drop out of sight llko the .white froth ho was watching on the top ot the over-shifting waves ? Ho had boasted of possessing a witness. Would they believe that-boast and send a detective in search of him or would they take his words for the bombast they really were and proceed with their investi gations in happy relief at the loss of hla Intrusive resistance ? As this was a question Impossible for him to answer ho turned to other thoughts and fretted himself for n while with memories of Amabel's disdain aud Fred- crick's careless acceptance of a sacrifice he could never know the cost of. mixed straucely with relief at being free of It nil nnd on the verso of another life. As the dark settled his head 'fell ' turfic-r nnd further forward on the rail ho was leaning against , till he ibecamo to any passIng - Ing cyo but a blurred shadow mixing with other shadows equally Immovable. Unllko them , however , his shadow sud denly shifted. Two men hod drawn near him , ono speaking pure Spanish and the other English. The English was all that Swcetwater could understand and this half ot the conversation was certainly startling enough. Though ho could not , of course , know to what or whom It referred , and though It certainly had nothing to do with him or any Interest ho represented.or under stood , ho could not help listening ann re membering every word. The English-speak ing man uttered the first sentence ho com prehended. It was this : "Shall it bo tonight ? " The answer was In Spanish. ' Again the English voice : "Ho has como up. I saw him distinctly as ho passed the second mast. " Moro Spanish ; then English. "You may If you want to , but I'll never breathe easy while he's on the ship. Are you sure he's the fellow wo fear ? " A rapid flow of words from which Sweet- water got nothing. Then slowly and dis tinctly In the sinister tones ho bad already begun to shiver at : "Very good. The n. F. A. should pay well for this , " with the quick addition following n hurried whisper : "All right ! I'd send a dozen men to the bottom for half that money. But 'waro there ! Hero's a fellow watching us ! If ho has heard " Swcetwater turned , saw two desperate faces projected toward him , reaped that something awful , unheard of was about to happen , and would have uttered a yell of dismay but that the very intensity of his fright took away his breath. The next minute ho felt himself launched into space nnd enveloped In the darkness of the chilling waters. Ho had been lifted bodily and flung headlong Into the sea. CHAI'TKIl XXVI. Sweetwnter's ono thought as he sank was , "Now , Mr. Sutherland need fear mo no longer. " But the Instinct of life Is strong in every heart , and when ho found himself breathIng - Ing the air again he throw out his arms wildly and grasped a epar. It wns life to him , hope , rcconncctlon with his kind. Ho clutched , clung , aud , feeling himself floating , uttered a shout ot mingled Joy and appeal that unhappily wns smoth ered In the nolso of the waters and the now rapidly rising wind. Whence had como this spar In his des perate need ? Ho never knew , but some- wlioro in his rcmoto consciousness an Im pression remained of n shock to the waves following his own plunge Into the water , which might mean that this spar had been thrown out after him , perhaps by the al ready repcntnnt hands ot the wretches who had tossed him to his death. However it came , or from whatever source , Jt had nt least given him nn opportunity to measure his doom and realize the agonies of hope when it alternates with despair. , The darkness wns Impenetrable. It was no longer that of heaven , but that of hell , or BO It seemed to this dazed' soul , plunged suddenly from dreams of exile into the valley of the shadow of death. And such a death ! As ho realized Its horrors , ns bo felt the chill of night and the oncoming storm strlko its piercing fangs into his marrow , nnd know that his existence and the hope of ever again seeing the dear old face nt the fireside rested upon the strength of his will and the tenacity of his life clutch , ho felt his heart fall , and the breath that wns his life cease In a gurgle of terror. But he clung on and , though no comfort came , still clung , while vague memories of long-ago shipwrecks and stories told in bis youth of men , women and children tossing for hours on a drifting > plank flashed through his benumbed brain and lent their horror to his own sensations of apprehension and despair. Ho wanted to live. Now that the dread specter had risen out of the waters and had his clutch on his hair ho realized that the world held much for him nnd that even In exllo bo might work nnd love nnd enjoy God's heaven and earth , the green fields and the blue sky. Not such skies ns were above him now. No , this was not uliy that oVerarched - arched him , > but a horrible vault In which the clouds , rushing in torn masses , had the aspect of demons ready to contend for him with these other demons that with long arms and irresistible grip were dragging at him from below , 'Ho ' was alone on a whirl ing spar in the midst of a midnight ocean , but horror and a pitiless Imagination ifiade this conflict mere than that of the elements and bin position and isolation beyond that of man removed trim his fellows. He was almost mud. Yet he clung. Suddenly a better frame ot mind pre vailed , The sky was no lighter , save as the lightning came to relieve the overwhelming dnrknctfl by n Btlll more overwhelming glare , nor were the waves less Importunate or his hold on the spar more recurc , but the horror ror seemed to have lifted and the practical nature ot the man reasserted Itfelf If only for a passing moment. Other men hail gone througn worse dangers than these nnd sur vived to tell the tale , ns ho might survive to tell his. The will wns nil ; \\111 nnd nn Indomitable courage , and ho had will anil ho had courage , or why hart he left his homo to dare a hard and threatening future purely from a sentiment ot gratitude. Could ho hold on long enough daylight would come , and If , as in this calmer moment ho realized ho had been thrown into the sea within twenty hours nfter leaving Suthcrlnndtown , then they must 'bo not far from Capo CoJ and in the direct line ot travel from Now York to Boston , ncecuo would come , and it the storm which was breaking over his head more and more furiously madu it dlfllcult for him to retain his hold It certainly would not wreck his spar or drench him more than ho was already drenched , while every blast would drive him shoreward. The clinging wna all , nnd filial love would make him do that , even In the semi-unconsciousness which now nnd then swept over him- Only would It not ho better for Mr. Sutherland if ho should fall and drop away Into the yawning chasms of the unknown world beneath ? There were moments when ho thought so , and then his clutch perceptibly weakened ; but only once did ho como near losing hla hold altogether. And that was when ho thought ho heard a laugh. A laugh , hero In the midst of oceanl In the midst of storm ! n laugh ! Were demons a reality then ? Yes , but the demons tic had feared were ot Ills own Imagination ; It had a face of 'Medusa ' , swcetneta and the laugh. Only Amabel'w rang out so thrllllngly false nnd with such n diabolical triumph. Amabel , who might be laughing In her dreams at this very mo ment of his supreme misery , nnd who as suredly would laugh It conscious of his suf fering nnd awnro of the doom to which his self-sacrlfico had brought him. Amabel ! The thought ot her made the night moro dark , the waters moro threatening , the fu ture Ices promising. Yet ho would hold on If only to splto her who hated him and whom ho hated almost as much aa ho loved Mr. Sutherland. It was his last conscious thought for hours. When morning broke ho was but a nerveless figure , with scnfjO enough to cling , nnd that was all. CIIAl'TUIt XXVII. "A man ! Haul him In ! Don't leave a poor fellow drifting nbout like that. " The speaker , n bluff , hearty skipper , whose sturdy craft had outridden ono of the worst storms of the season , pointed to our poor friend Sweetwater , whose head could Just bo seen above the broken spar ho clung to. In another moment a half dozen hands were stretched for him , and the Insensible form drawn In nnd laid on a deck which still showed the results of the night's llerco con flict with the waters. "D n It ! how ugly he Is ! " cried one of the sailors , with u leer at the half- drowned man's faco. "Didn't plcaso sorao merry lass In saving him ! Ho's fit to poison a devil fish ! " But though more than one of them laughed , they gave him good care for all that nnd when Swcetwater came .to . life and realized that his blood was running warm again and that a gray sky had taken the place of darkness and a sound board sup ported limbs which for hours had yielded helplessly to the rocking billows , ho saw a ring of hard but good-natured faces nbout him nnd realized quite well what had been done for him when ono of them said : "Thero ! he'll do now ; nil hands on deck ! Wo can get Into New Bedford In two days If this wind holds. Nor'west , the skipper shouted to the man at the tiller. We'll sup with our old women in forty-eight hours at Now Bedford ! " It was the only word Sweetwater heard. So , he was to get no further away from Sutherlandtown than that. Evidently Providence had not meant him to escape. Or was It but trying his fortitude ? A man as humble as ho might easily bo lost even In a place ns small ns New Bedford. It was his Identity ho must suppress. With that unrecognlzea he might remain In the next village to Sutherlandtown without fear of toeing called up as a witness against Frederick. But could he suppress it. Ho thought ho could. At all events ho would try. try."What's "What's your name ? " were the words ho now heard shouted In his ear. "Jonathan Brlggs , " was his murtibled re ply. "I was blown off a ship's deck in the gale last night. " "What ship ? " "The Proserpine. " It was the first name that suggested Itself to him. "O , I thought It might have been the Hesper ; sh"o foundered off here last night. " "Foundered ? The Hesper ? " The hot blood was shooting now through his veins. "Yes , we Just picked up her name board. That was before wo got a hold on you. " "Foundered ! The ship from which ho had been so mercilessly thrown ! And allen on board lost , perhaps. Ho began to realize the hand of Providence In his fate. "It was the Hesper I sailed on. I'm not Just clear yet In my head. My first voyage was made on the Proserpine. Well , bless the gale that blew me from that deck. " Ho seemed incoherent , and they left him again for a llttlo while. When they came back ho had his story all ready , which Im posed upon them Just eo far as It was for their interest. Their business on this coast was not Just legitimate , and when they found ho simply wanted to be set on shore they were quite willing to do this much for him. Only they regretted that too had only $2 or so and his own soaked clothing to give in exchange for the motley garments they trumped up among them for his present comfort. But he , as well as they , made the best of a bad bargain , ho especially , as his iclothcs , which would bo presently bcattered among half a dozen families , were the only remaining clew that connected him with his native town. Ho could now bo Jonathan Brlggs , Indeed , Only who was Jonathan Brlggs , nnd how wns ho to earn the dinner - nor for which ho felt himself at that mo ment famishing ? At the end of a couple of days ho was dexterously landed on the end of a long pier , which they passed without stopping , on their way to their own obscure anchor age. As he Jumped from the rail to the pier and felt again the touch of terra flrma ho drew a long breath of uncontrollablu elation. Yet ho had not a cent In the world , no friends and certnlnly no prospects. Ho did not even know whether to turn to the right or the left as ho stepped out upon the docks , and when ho bad decided to turn to the right as being on the whole more lucky , ho did not know whether to risk his fortuiib in the streets of the town or to plunge at nnco Into one of the low-browed drlnklnn houses \\doBo signs confronted him on this water lane , Ho decided that his prospects for a din ner 'were slim In any case , and that Ills only hope for breaking fast that day lay In the use ho might make of one of his three talenta. Either he must find a fiddle to play on , n carpenter's bench io work nt or a piece of detective shadowing to do , The last would bring him before the notice of the police , which was just Hie thing ho must avoid ; so it was fiddling or carpentry ho must ceok , cither of which would be difficult to obtain In his present garb , But of difficulties Sweetwater was not a man to take note. He had undertaken out of pure love for a good man to lose himself. Ho had accomplished It , and now was he to complain because in doing so he was likely to go hungry for a day or two ? Noj Amabel might laugh at him , or ho might fancy she did , while struggling In the midst of rapidly engulfing waters , but would she laugh at 'him now ? He did not think she would. She was of the kind who some times go hungry themselves In old age. Some premonition of this might give tier a fellow feeling. Ho came to a etund before a little child Bitting on nn Ill-kept dootstup. Smiling at her kindly ho waited for her first expres sion to sco how ho appeared In the eyes ot innocence. Not so bad a man , It seemeil , though his naturally plain countenance was not relieved by the seaman's cap nnd knitted shirt ho wore. For nho laughed as she looked nt lilm , nnd only rnn nwny be cause there wasn't room for him to pass beside her. Comforted n little , ho sauntered on , glancing hero nnd there with that sharp eye of his for n piece of work to bo done. Suddenly ho came to a halt. A market woman had got into nn altercation with nn oystormnn , and her stall had been upset In the contention , nnd tier vegetables were rolling here and there. Ho righted her stall , picked up her vegetables nnd fruit nnd In return got two apples and a red herring he would not have given to a dog nt home. Yet It was the sweetest morsel ho had ever tasted , nnd the apples might have been grown In the garden of the Hcspcrldes from the satisfaction nnd pleasure they gave this hungry man. Then , refreshed , ho dashed into the town. It should now go hard , but ho would earn a night's lodging. The day was windy nnd ho was going along n narrow street , when something floated down from a window above past his head. It was a woman's veil , and ns ho looked up to see where It came from ho met the eyes of Its owner looking down from an open casement above him. She was gesticu lating and seemed to point to some ono up the street. Glad to seize nt anything which promised emolument or adventure , ho shouted up nnd asked her what she wanted. "That man down there , " she cried ; "tho ono in n long , black coat going up the street. Keep after hltn and stop hltn ; tell him the telegram has come. Quick , quick , before ho gets around the corner. Ho will pay you ; run. " Sweotwater , with joy In hla heart for R cents was n boon to him in the present con dition of his affairs rushed after the man she had pointed out and hastily stopped him. "Someone , " ho added , "a woman In n window back there , bade mo run after you and say the telegram has come. She told mo you would pay me , " ho added , for ho saw the man was turning hastily back with out thinking of the messenger. "I need the money nnd the run was a sharp one. " With a preoccupied air the man thrust his hand into his pocket , pulled out a coin and handed U to him. Then ho walked hur riedly off. Evidently the news was welcome to him. But Sweetwatcr stood rooted to the ground. The man had given him a $5 gold piece Instead ot the nickel he had evi dently intended. 'How ' hungrily Swcetwater eyed that coin ! In It was lodging , food , perhaps a new article or so of clothing. But after a mo ment of Indecision which might well bo for given him , he followed speedily after the man nnd overtook him Just as ho reached the house from which the woman's veil had floated. "Sir , pardon me , but you gave mo $3 In stead of 5 cents. It was a mistake ; I can not keep the money. " The man , who was not Just the sort from whom kindness would be expected , 16oked at the money In Sweetwater's palm , then at the miserable , mud-bespattered clothes ho were ( he had got that mud helping the poor market woman ) , and stared hard at the face of the man who looked so needy nnd yet returned him ? 3. "You're an honest fellow , " ho declared , not offering to take iback the gold piece. Then with a quick glance up at the window. "Would you llko to earn that money ? " Swcetwater broke out into a ( smile , which changed his whole countenance. "Wouldn't I , sir ? " The man eyed him for another minute with scrutinizing intensity. Then he said shortly : "Como upstairs with me. " They cnteied the hoiifx : , went up a flight or two and stopped at a door , which was slightly ajar. "Wo nro going into the presence of a lady , " remarked the man. "Walt here until I call you. " Sweetwater waited , the many thoughts goIng - Ing through his mind not preventing him from observing all that passed. The man , who had left the door wide open , approached the lady who was awaiting him , and who was apparently the same ouo who had sent Sweetwatcr on his errand , and en tered Into a low but animated conversation. She held a telegram In her hand which she showed him , and then after n little earnest parley and a number of pleading looks from them both toward the waiting Bwcctwater , she disappeared into another room , from which she brought a parcel neatly douo up , which she handed to the man with a strange gesture. Another hurried exchange of words and a meaning look which did not escape the sharp cyo of the watchful messenger , and the man turned and gave the parcel Into Sweetwater's hands. "You are to carry this , " said he , "to the town hall. In the second room to the right on entering you will see a table surrounded by chairs , which nt this hour ought to be empty. At the head of the- table you will find an armchair. On the table directly In front of this you will lay this packet. Mark you , directly before the chair and not too far from the edge of the table. Then you are to como out. If you sco anyone , say you came to leave some papers for Mr. Olf- ford. Do this and you may keep thi ? 5 and welcome. " Swcetwntor hesitated. There was some thing In the errand or In the manner of the man or woman that ho did not like. "Don't potter ! " spoke up the latter , with an Impatient look at her watch. "Mr. Git- ford will expect these papers. " Sweetwater's sensitive fingers closed on the package ho held. It did not feel ilko papers. "Aro you going ? " nskcd the man. Sweotwator looked up with a smile. "Largo pay for BO slight n commission , " ho ventured , turning the packet over nnd over In his hand , "But then you will execute It at once , nnd according to the Instructions I have given you , " retorted the man. "It Is your trust worthiness I pay for. Now go. " Swrctwatcr turned to go. After all it was probably nil right , nnd | 5 easily earned Is doubly J5. As ho reached the stalrcaso ho stumbled. The shoes he were did not fit him. him."Ho "Ho careful there ! " shouted the woman In a bhrlll , almost frightened voice , while the man stumbled back Into the room In a haste which seemed wholly uncalled for. "If you lot the packet fall you will do Injury to itu contents. Go softly , man , go softly. " Yet they had said It held papers ! Troubled , yet hardly knowing what his duty was , Swoctwater hastened down the stairs , nnd took his way up the street. The town hall should bo easy to find , indeed , liu thought ho saw It In the distance. As ho went ho asked himself two questions : Could ho fall to deliver the package , accordIng - Ing to Instructions , nnd yet earn his money ? And was there any way of so delivering It without risk to the recipient or dereliction of duty 'to the man who had Intrusted It to him , aud whoso money ho wished to earn ? To the first question his conscience at once answered no ; to the second the reply came moro slowly , and before fixing his mind de terminedly upon It ho asked himself why ho felt this was no ordinary commission. This be could answer readily enough. First , the pay was too large , arguing that cither the packet or the placing of the packet In a certain position on Mr. Glfford's table waa of uncommon importance to this man or this woman ; secondly , that the woman , though plainly and Inconspicu ously clad , had the face of a more than or dinarily unscrupulous adventuress , while the mttn was one of tlioeo eaturnlne-faced THE WONDER OF THE DAY DO yOU realize What thiS means ? No trouble to use Dainty Dyes , They do perfect work in a few moments' time. Satisfaction guaranteed. Can you ask for more ? They color all the pretty , dainty and substantial articles of the home do it quickly , in beautiful , fast and fashionable colors at trifling expense. SOLD BY ALL , DRUGGISTS AND OliNURAL DEALURS , Price loc , . & /-'a/a' ' & ' yTV < v a/fc' t > ' a/ one3 wo sometimes meet , whoso first lool : puts us on our guard , and whom , It wo hope nothing from falm , wo Instinctively thun. Third , they did not look llko Inhab itants ot the house and rooms In which ho found them. In the few minutes do had etood in the doorway ho had noted other things besides those we have named. Ho had seen that nothing was to bo founn there beyond the usual objects of furniture to bo seen in nny decent lodging house room. Not n trunk , not nn article ot clothing , nor nny of the little things to bi > found vticro a woman expects to spend c day or even an hour. They were transients consequently , nnd perhaps already In int act of flight. Tihen ho was not sure , but Jio wns almost sure that 'ho ' was being fol lowed by ono or both ot them. He had fol lowed people himself , nnd something In hla own Ecnsatlons assured him thnt tils move ments were under surveillance. It would , therefore , not do to show nny consciousness of this , nnd 'ho ' went on directly nnd ns strnlght to his goal ns his rather limited knowledge of the streets would nllow. Ho was determined to earn this money nnd to earn It without disadvantage to nny one. And ho thought ho saw his way. At Uio entrance of the town hall ho hesi tated an Instant. An officer was standing In the doorway. It would bo easy to call his nttcntlon to the packet ho held nnd nsk him to keep his eye on It. But this might Involve him with the police , nnd this was something , ns we know , which he was moro than anxious to avoid. He reverted to ills first idea. Mixing with the crowd just now hurrying to and fro through the long corridors , ho renched the room designated , nnd found it , as ho had been warned ho should , empty. Approaching the table , ho laid down the packet Just as ho had been directed , In front of the big armchair , and then , casting a hurried look toward the door and failing to find any ono watching him , he tonic up a pencil lying nearby nnd scrawled haslly : across the top of the packet the word "Sus picious. " This ho calculated would act as a warning to Mr. Gilford In case there \\as anything wrong about the package , and pass as a joke with him , nnd oven the sender , If there was not. And satisfied that he had both earned his money nnd done justice to his own apprehensions , ho turned to retrace his steps. As before , the corridors were alive with hurrying men ot various iigcs and appearance , but only two attracted his notice. Ono of these was a large , In'el- ' lectual-looklng man , wha turned Into the room from which he had Just emerged , nnd the other a short , fair man , with a counte nance lie had known from boyhood. Mr. Stone of Sutherlandtown was within ten paces of him , and he was as well known 10 the good postmaster ns the postmaster waste to htm , Could any one have foreseen such a chance ! Turning his back wi'h a slow slouch , ho made for a rear door ho siw swinging In iind out before htm. As ho passed througd ho cast a quick look behind him. Ho had not been recognized. In great relief ho uislied on , knocking against a man si'.audlng against ono of the outside pillars. "Halloo ! " shouted this man. Sweetwater stopped. There was a tone of authority in the voice which ho could not resist. ( To Bo Continued. ) The diamond anniversary of the American Sunday School union will be held In Phila delphia May 24 and 2 ! " > . The work of the society for seventy-five years , In part. Is ns follows : Sunday schools organized , 100.828 , containing 578.GSO teachers and 1,070,348 pupils ; 224,841 cases of aid to schools , having 13,333,9GS members. Nearly four schools a day organized for every day of the last soventy-fivo years. Value of publications distributed by sales and gifts , over $9,000,000. The government has officially recognized the Mormon religion by appointing Ellas Klmbatl , a Mormon , chaplain of the Second corps of engineers. He was commissioned In 189S. Uev. Charles A. Brlggs of Union Theo- loglrtil bemlnary Is to bo ordained as a Protestant Episcopal clergyman on May 14 In St. Peter's Episcopal church in West- cheater , Pa. Ilev. Dr. Joseph Parker , who from his pulpit damned the sultan BO vigorously the other day , paid a visit to this country a few years ago and preached In several cities , but did not make much of an Impres sion. sion.A A fashionable church in Louisville , Ky. , the Walnut Street Baptist church , of which Hev. Dr. T. T. Eaton Is pastor , has adopted resolutions practically dismissing from the congregation all members who have any connection whatever with the manufacture or sale of Intoxicating riquors. Hov. Tucker Wilson , pastor of a Baptist church In Munclc , Iml. , has established anew now record , having Immersed eighty-seven newly converted members of his flock In twenty-seven minutes , or at a rate greater than three a minute , and that without any assistance. Uov. John ti. Dubo of Inowadl , Umkomas valley , Natal , who renounced his rights to the chieftaincy of a Zulu tribe to become n Congregational minister , has sailed for his native country , whore he will take up the work of missionary , for which ho has been fitting himself In the United States for three years. lie will found an industrial school for Zulus. Cardinal Itamporia has Informed Arch bishop Chapollo that the Very Hev. F. Bar- nada , canon of Santiago cathedral , has been appointed archbishop of Santiago. He Is a native of that city , was educated nt Sala manca , nnd Is considered the most distin guished natlvo clergyman of Cuba. Ho speaks English well , and Is a great admirer of American Institutions. Uev. Dr. Do Costa of the Church of St. John the Evangelist , New York , has made an appeal for the closing of places of amuse ment on Sunday , on the ground that without considering the religious side of the ques tion , the actors need reel just llko other people. After enumerating the evils of the Sunday theater the preacher says they maybe bo summed up under the bead of overwork. Ilov. Wilson Carllle , rector of St. aiary-at- HIII , London , Is an up-to-date prlcrt. Ho takes a trombone with him Into thu pulpit and when the singing becomes bplrltless he llvcna It up with a few blasts on that Instru ment. During the greater part of the serv ice the church Is darkened and the hymns , prayers , sacred and other pictures nro thrown by limelight on a huge screen sus pended across thu altar. Betides an organ , there la an orchestra composed of Blrla wear ing surplices and college mortar boards. In support of the statement in Governor llollins' proclamation that religion is on the decline In Now Hampshire , It Is stated that the annual minutes of the New Hampshire Methodist conference an official document show by actual figures a decline In all do- | partraents of religious work , ns compared i with the previous years , and this includes j membership of churches , Sunday schools , 1 contributions for missions , etc. It Is not , probable that this decline la confined to * ' .ho Methodist denomination. The CAPADURA five-cent cigar gives you more good smoke for your money than any other cigar on the market to-day. Jt is Pcrfccto shape and 4 . ( inches long. You can get more bulk for your money , but nowhere near so much good tobacco. Its manufacturers make over ninety million cigars a year the largest cigar-making plant in America. No small manufactory could begin to make such a cigar as the CAPADURA for less than the retail price of ten cents. One trial will convince you of that fact. He sure to sec that the pouch , as shown in the cut , is intact and bcara the name of the makers. For sale at all cigar-dealers' . The CAPADURA cigar is made by Kerbs , Wcrthcim & SchifTcr , New York. BEST & RUSSEUU CO. OHIOAQO. < * With a thousand and one brands ] X to select from , ( all advertised as the j [ best , ) * 7 * * Coffee drinkers who 44I really know turn confidently - T Known everywhere by Its blue wrapper nnd yellow label , fidently to 4 * . * ± Premium Coffee * It Satisfies ! Put up only In pound dust-proof , blue boxes , and for sale by all grocers. * > Imported and Roasted by Co. , MInneapolis.Minn. * . BY ONE PAINLESS OPERATION WITHOUT THE KNIFE. NO DETENTION FROM BUSINESS. ESTABLISHED EIGHT YEARS IN OMAHA. WE REFER TO THOUSANDS OF CASES CURED. 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