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About Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 4, 1900)
THE OM-AITA DAILY BEE : TIirttSDAV. JAXUAUY . 15)00. ) ( si A BELLE Of CANADA CITY. HY HKliT IIAKTI' . ( Copyright , low , by Uret Hartc. ) Cissy was tying her hat under her round ' Chin before a small glass at her window. The window gave upon a background of ecrratod mountains and olive shadowed canyons , with a faint additional outline of a higher nnow level the only dreamy sug gestion of the whole landscape. The fore 1 ground was a glaringly fresh and unplctur. I csque mining town , whoso Irregular at tempts nt regularity wore sot forth with all Iho cruel uncompromising clearness of the California atmosphere. There was the Hralghl Main street with Its new brick block of "stores , " ending abruptly ngnlnst i tangled bluff ; ihere was the ruthless clearIng - Ing In the sedate plnca whore the hideous iplre of the now church Imitated the soaring of itho solemn MiaJta It had displaced , with ' nlmost Irreligious 'm6clcery. Vrt this fore ground wan Cissy's world her life , her aoio Klrllsh experience. Slid did not , however , bcthcr her pretty head with the view Just then , but moved her check up and down before - fore the glass , the better to examine by the merciless glnre'of the Bunllght n few freck les that Marred 'tho ' hollows of her temples. Llku others of her sex rho was , u poor critic Cf what was her real beauty and quarreled with that peculiar texture of her healthy nkln which made her face as eloquent In her Biin-klssod ehcek as 111 her bright eyes and expression. Nevertheless she war some what consoled by the ravishing effect of the Imwknot liho had Just tied , and turned away not wholly dlsHatlstled. Indeed , as the ac knowledged belle cf Panada City and the daughter bf Its principal banker , small won- ler that a certain frank vanity and chlld- llko ImperlousncEB were among her faults und her attractions. She bounded downi the stairs and Into the trent parlor for their , house possessed the unheard of luxury of n double drawing room , albeit the second apartment contained n desk and was occasionally used by Cissy's father In private business Interviews with inxlous seekers of "advances" who shunned Iho publicity of thu bank. Ik-re she in stantly Hew Into the arms of her bosom friend , Miss I'lney Tlbbs a girl only a shade or two less pretty than herself , who , always more or less ill nt case In these Hplondors , was awaiting her Impatiently. Vor Miss Tlbbs was merely the daughter of the hotel koi'pur , . and , although Tlbbs was a southerner and had owned "his own nlg- Kcrs" Ira the states , she was of Inferior po- Bltlon and a fWtcgc of Cissy's. "Thank g6odncs you've come , " exclaimed Minn Tlbba , "for I've bin slttln' here till I nigh took root. What kep yc ? " "How docs it look ? " responded Cissy , as n relevant reply. The "It" referred to Plssy's now hat , and lo the young girl the coherence wan per fectly plain , Miss Tlbbs looked nt "It" se verely. It would not do for a protege to bo too complaisant. "Hem ! Must have cost a heap o' money. " "It did , " said Clf y. "Camo from the best milliner In San Francisco. " "Of course , " said Plney with half-as sumed''envy , ' "when your popper runs the bank and Just wallows in gold ! " "Nover mind , dear , " said Cissy cheer fully. "So'll your popper eomc day. I'm Koln' to get mine to let your pepper into Bomothlng ditch stocks und such. Yea ! True , O king ! Popper'll do anything for me , " the added n llttlo loftily. Loyal as Plney was to her friend she was by no means convinced of this. She knew the difference betwew the two men , and Jihd a Vivid recollection of hearing' her own lather express his opinion of Clsay's re- wpected parent as a "gold shark" and "quart/ miner crusher. " It did not , however , effect her friendship for Cissy. She only oald : "Lei's como ! " caught Cissy around the waist , pranced wfth Iter out Into the veranda and gasped , out of breath , "Whcro are wo going first ? " "Down 'Main street , " said Cissy promptly. "And let us stop at Markham's store. They've got some new things In from Sac ramento , " said Plnoy. "Country stylo. ! . " returned Cissy with a supercilious air. "No ! llewldes , Markham's head clerk Is gettln' too presumptuous. JuHt guess ! Ho nskeil me while I was buyIng - Ing something If 1 enjoyed , the dance last Monday. " "Hut you danciM with him , " said the idmple Plney in astonishment. "Hut not In bin store among his cus tomers , " said Cissy , saplently. "No ! we're Koln' down Mala- street past Secamp's. Those.Socamp girls are mire to be at their windows , looking out. This hat will just turn 'om green greener than over. " "You're Just horrid , Clss ! " said Plney ( with admiration. "And then , " continued Cissy , "we'll just tall down past the nuw. block to the par son's and make : > call. " "O , 1 see. " said I'lney archly. "It'll he just about tha time when the now engineer of the mill works has a clean shirt on and Is smoking his cigar before the offlce. " Cissy tossed her hat disdainfully. "Much nnybody cares whether he's there are not ! I haven't forgotten how ho showed us over the mill the other day In a pair of overalls , Just llko a workman1' ; "Hut they say he's awfully smart and veil educated , and needn't work , and I'm luru H'H very nlco of him to dress just like the other men when he's with 'em , " urged I'lney. "Hah ! That was Just to show that ho dUti't care what wo tltcught of him he's that conceited ! And It wasn't respectful , con sidering ono of the directors was there , all dressed up. Don't tell me you can sec it In his eye looking you over without blinkIng - Ing ami then turning away as if he'd got Miough of you. Ho makes me tired. " Plnoy did not reply. The engineer had leemod to her to be a singularly attractive young man , yet HIO ! was equally Impressed with Cissy's superior ccnlltlon which could find Haws In such perfection , Following ' lier Irlend down the bteps of the veranda : they passed into the blaring graveled walk of the new garden , only recently recovered from the wild wood ; Jls accurate diamond und heart-shapud beds , of vhl.l grren s.t In white quart ? . , bordorit giving It the ap j pearance f elaborately iced confejtloneiy. " few htep.s further brought thorn to the road and the wooden "sidewalk" to Main street , which carried civic Improvements to Iho hillside and Mr. TrlxV , " very door. TurnIng - Ing down this thoroughfare they stopped laughing and otherwise assumed u conscious Imlf-artlnclal air. Kor It was Iho hour when Canada City lounged listlessly before Us i-hops. Its saloons , Its olllces and mills or even held lazy inrctlni'.K In the dust of the | roadway and the passage down the principal j firm nj Its two prettiest girls was an event I lo bo viewed an If II was a civic procession. I Jlats How .off as they passed , place was I freely given , Impeding barrels and srks removed from the woden pavement and preoccupied Induoilers hastily summoned to thu front door to do homage to Cissy Trlxlt ami Plney as they went by. Not but that Canada City , In thu fierce and unrexcncinto days of Its youth , had stcu fairer ami higher ' colored fares , more gaily be > illencd. on Its thoroughfares , but never anything so frssh und Innocent. They stood there a ! ) uncon- Fcloutly. revercnclgK their absent mothers , platers and daughters. In thulr Kpr/ntaneous i liomagu lo the pair , and seemed to feel the ' wholesome breath of their eastern homes wafted from the freshly Ironed skirts cf these foollbh virgins at ? they rustb.I by 1 nm afraid that neither Cissy nor Piney appreciated this feeling- . women did at that time Indeed , these young ladles as sumed a slight air of hauteur. "Heally , they do stare nt us , " said Cltsy , with eyes dilating with pleasurable emotion ; "we'll have to take the back street next tkiio. " I'lney , proud In the glory reflected from Cissy and In her own , answered , " \Vc will- sure. " There- was only ono Interruption to this triumphal progress and that was so slight as to be only noticed by ono of the two girls. AH they passed the new works at the mill the new engineer as I'lney had foreseen was leaning against the doorpost smoking a pipe. He took his hat from his head and his pipe from tils mouth as they approached , greeted them with an easy "Hood after- I noon , " yet with a glance that was quietly ! observant and tolerantly critical. "Thcro ! " i said Cissy , when they had passed , "didn't i I tell you ? Did you ever sco such conceit , In your born days ! 1 hope you did not look at him. " Plney , conscious of having done so and .of having blushed under his scrutiny , never- stoutly asserted that she had merely , looked at him "to see who It was. " Hut Cissy was placated by passing the Secamp's cottage , from whwe window the three strap ping daughters of John Sccamp , lately an emigrant from Missouri , were , as Cissy had surmised , lightening the household duties < by gazing at the to them unwonted wonders - | ders of the street. Whether their complex ions , still bearing traces of the alkali dust I and Inclllclent nourishment of the plains , | took a more yellow tone from the spectacle ' of Cissy's hat I cannot say ; Cissy thought 1 they did ; perhaps Plney was nearer the I truth when she suggested that they were only "looking" to enable them to make a home-made copj of the hat next week. Their progress forward and through the outskirts of the town WBH of the same triumphal - | umphal character. Teamsters withheld their i oaths and their uplifted whips as the two | girls passed by ; weary miners tolling In ditches looked up with a pleasure that was half reminiscent of their past ; younger sky- larkers stopped In their horse play with half- smiling , half-apologetic faces ; more ambi tious riders on the highway urged their horses to greater speed under the girls' In spiring eyes and "Vaqucro Hilly , " charging them , full tilt , brought up his mustang on Its haunches and rigid forelegs , jvlth a sweeping bow of his sombrero , within a foot of their artfully simulated terror ! In this way they at lost reached the clearing in the forest ; the church , with Its ostentations spire , and Hov. Mr. Wlndlbrook's dwelling otherwise humorously known as "the par- sonago" where Cissy intended to call. Hov. Mr.VIndlbrook had been selected by his ecclesiastical superiors to minis ter to the spiritual .wants of Canada City as being what was called a "hearty" man. Certainly , If considerable lung capacity , ab- ecnco of reserve and power of handshaking ing and back-slapping were necessary to the redemption of Canada City , Mr. Wlndl brook's ministration would have been pucceteful. Dut , singularly enough , the rude miner was apt to resent this familiar ity , and it Is recorded that Isaac Wood , otherwise known aa "Orlzzly Wood , " once responded to n cheerful back-slap from the reverend gentleman by an ostentatiously ftlcndly hug which nearly dislocated the pastor's ribs. Perhaps Mr. Wlndlbrook was more popular on account of his admiring en thusiasm of the prosperous money-getting members of his Hock , and a singular sym pathy with their methods and Mr. Trlxlt's daring speculations were an especially delightful " lightful theme to him. - "Ah , Miss Trlxlt , " he said as Cissy en tered the little parlor , "and how Is your dear father ? Still startling the money mar ket with his fearless speculations ? This , Hrother Jones , " turning to a visitor , "Is the daughter of our Napoleon of llnanco Mon tague Trlxlt. Only last week. In that deal In 'the Comstock , ' ho cleared $50,000 ! Yes , sir , " repeating it .with . unction , "fifty- thousand dollars ! In about two hours and a single stroke of the pen ! I believe I am not overstating , Miss Trlxlt , " he added , ap pealing to Cissy with a portentous polite ness that was as badly fitting as his prev ious "heartiness. " Cissy colored slightly. "I don't know , " she said simply. She. was perfectly truth ful. She knew nothing of her father's busi ness , except the vague reputation of his success. Her modesty , however , produced n singu lar hilarity In Mr. Wlndlbrook and a play ful push. "You don't know ? Ho ! but I do. Yes , sir" to the visitor "I have reason to remember It. I called upon him the next day. I used , sir , the freedom of an old friend. 'Trlxlt , I said , clapping my hand on his shoulder , 'tho Lord has been good to you. I congratulate you. ' " 'Him ! ' ho said without looking up. 'What do you reckon those congratulations are worth ? ' Many a man , sir , who didn't know his style would have been staggered. Hut I knew my man. I looked him straight In the eye. 'A new organ , ' I said , 'and aa good a ono as Sacramento can turn out. ' "Ho took up a piece of paper , scrawled a few lines on it to his cashier , and said : 'Will that do ? ' " Mr. Wlndlbrook's voice sunk to a thrilling whlrpor. "It was an order for $1,000 ! Kact , sir. That Is the father of this young lady. " "Yo had better luck than Hlshop Hrlggs had with old Johnson , the Kxcclslor bank president. " said the visitor , encouraged by j i Wlndlbrook's "heartiness" Into a humor ous retrospect. "Brlggs goss to him for a sutuerlptlon for a now fence 'round the bilryln" ground the old ono bavin' rotten away. 'Yo don't want no fence , ' FCZ John son short like. 'No fence 'round a buryln' i ground1 sez Hrlggs , etarln' . 'No ! Them as Is I In the buryln' ground can't get out , and ' thorn as Isn't don't want to get In , no how ! j ! So you kin just travel I ain't glvln' money j j away on uselcssnesa ! ' Ha ! ha ! " j ! A chill silence followed , which checked ! ' oven Plney's giggle. Mr. Wlndlbrook evi dently had no "heurtlnois" for nonsubscrib- Ing burner. "There are these who can Jcat with sacred subjects , " he said ponderously , I "but" I have always found .Mr. Trlxlt , though ' blunt , eminently practical. Your father IH still away , " ho added , shifting the eonver- j I 1 nation to Cissy , "hovering wherever ho can i ! extract the honey to store up for the pro i vision of age. An Industrious worker , " | "He's still away , " said Cissy , feeling her- i eclf on safe ground , though she was not i ! nwuro of her father's entomological habits. i "In San Francisco , 1 think. " She was glad to Ret away from Mr. Wlndl brook's "heartiness" and coneolo herself | I with Mrs , Wlndlbrook'fi constitutional deI I ' prcrelon , which was partly the result of 1 nerve us dyspepsia and hpr husband's bols- lercus cordiality. " 1 suppose , dear , you are dreadfully anxious about your father when ho la from homo ? " she uuld to Cissy with , n sympathetic sigh. Cissy , conscious of never | , having felt a inoment'a anxiety , and nccusj j tomcd to his abscncef , replied naively , j I "Why ? " "Oh , " responded Mrs. Wlndlbrook , I "on account of his great business reapontsl- I blllties , you know ; so much depends upon I i him. " Again Cissy Old not comprehend ; , she could not understand why this mimerfiil ! man , her father , who was equal to her own , | | and , It seemed , everybody's needs , had any . riipcnslblllty or was not as Infallible and constant aa the sunshine or the air she breathed. Without being bis confidante or ' oven his associate ehe had Blnco her | mother's death no other experience ; youth fully alive to the Importance of their wealth. It seemed ( o her. however , only n natural result of being his daughter. She smiled vaguely and a little Impatiently. Ttu-v might hi.vn talkr. ) to her .1 hi ait hersc.f. . it was a llttlp tiresome to nlwnys have to , , n- j swcr questions about hw "popper. " Never- , theOess , she availed herself of Mr . WlndlI I brook's invitation to go Into the garden and see the new Bummer hou o that Imd been put up among the pines , and gradually di verted her hosteM' conversation Into gossip of the town. If It was somewhat lugubrious and hesitating , it was , however , a relief to Cissy , and bearing chiefly upon the vlclssl- ludcw of others , gave the young girl the comforting glow of comparison. Touching the complexion of the Secntnp girls , Mrs. Wlndlbrook attributed It to their great privations In the nlknll desert. "Ono day , " continued Mrs. Wlndlbrook , "when their father was 111 with fever and ague , they drove the cattle- twenty miles to water through that dreadful poisonous dust and I when they got there their lips were cracked I ' and bleeding and their eyelids like burning knives , and Mamie Secamp's hnlr , which , used to bo a beautiful brown llko your own , j i my dear , was bleached Into a rusty yellow. " | i "And they will wear colors that don't suit j them , " said Cissy Impatiently. "Never I mind , dear. " said Mrs. Wlndlbrook nm- j i blguously ; " 1 suppose they will have their I reward. " Nor was the yomig engineer dls- I cussed In a lighter vein. "H pains me , dreadfully to see that young man working I with the laborers and common giving him self no rest , Just because he says ho wants to know exactly 'how the thing Is done. ' and why the old works failed , " she remarked sadly. "When Mr. Wludlbrook know ho was the son of Judge Masterson and had rich relations , ho wished , of course , to be group 'h.ii Ify oil Jit v forinl r-ef ! mmn her still ( ingry consciousness Then the street seemed to be full of those excited , preoceu- i pled groups who melted away AS she ad- taneed. Only one man met her curious , oyea the engineer yet she missed the usual critical smile with which he was wont to greet her and he gave her a bow of such profound respect and gravity that for the lltst time she felt renlly uneasy. Was there something wrong with her hat ? That dtoadful , fateful hat ! Was It too conspicu ous ? Did ho think It was vulgar ? She was eager to cross the street on the next block , where thcro were large plate-glass windows which she and Hncy If Plney wore only with her now ! hod often used as mirrors. Hut there was a great crowd on the next block and It was congregated around the bank her father's bank ! Angue terror , she knew not what , now began to creep over her. She would have turned Into a side street , but mingled with her fe.ir was n resolution not to show It not to even think of It to combat it as she had the horrid rid laugh of the Secamp girls and she kept her way with a beating heart but erect head , without looking across the street. There was another crowd before the newspaper ofllco also on the other side and a bulletin board , but she would not try to read It. Only ono Idea was In her mind to roach her own home before any ono should meet or speak with her. Kor the last Intelligible sound that had reached her was the laugh of the Sccamp girls and this was still ring ing in her earn , seeming to voice the hidden strangeness of all she saw and stirring her , as that had , with childish Indignation. She the door rissy tmlo.'ki ! it and flung 111 opr'i indignant "Ah ! It's yourself. Miss , and I never knew yp kem back until I met that gossoon of a hotel waiter In the street , " said the panting servant ; "sure It was w.ily an hour ago , while 1 was at _ worruk In the kitchen , and Jim rushes In anil eez : Tor the love of ( loil , If Iver ye want to sec n blessed clnt of the money ye put In the innRlhcr'R bank , off wld yo now ntid draw It out , for thetc's n run on the bank ' " "It was an Infamous lie , " said Cissy , fiercely. "Sure , miss , how was 01 to know ? And If the masther has gone away It's only taking mo money from the other dlvlls down thare that's drawln' It out and dlvldln' It be twixt and between them , " Cissy had a very vague Idea of what a "run on the bank" meant , but Norah's logic seemed to satisfy her fccnlnlllc reascni. She softened n little. "Mr. Wlndlbrook Is In the parlor , miss , and a jtntlemau on the veranda , " continued Norah , encouraged. I Cissy started. "I'll come down , " she said brlctly. Mr. Wlndlbrook was waiting beside the piano with his soft hat Iti one hand and n large , white handkerchief In the other. Ho had confidently expected to flml Cissy In tears and was ready with boisterous con- dolement , but was a little taken aback an the young girl entered with a pale face , straight ened brows and eyes that shone with auda cious rebellion. However , It was too late to change his attitude. "Ah , my young friend , " ho said , a llttlo awkwardly , "wo must not give way to our emotions , hut try szs- - " av"cv THEIR LAUGHING WAS CHECKED AND THEY REMAINED OPEN-MOUTHED AS S HE SWEPT BY THEM. civil , but somehow young Mnstorton and ho didn't 'hit off. ' Indeed , Mr. Wlndlbrook was told that he had declared that the pros perity of Canada City was only a mushroom growth and , It seems too shocking to repeat , dear , but they say ho said that the new- church , our church was simply using the Almighty as a big bluff to the other towns. Of course , Mr. Wlndlbrook couldn't sec him after that. Why , ho even said your father ought to send you to school somewhere and ! not let you grow up in this half-clvlllzcd place. " Strangely enough , Cissy did not hail this corroboratlon of her dislike to young Mas- terton with the liveliness one might have oxpested. Perhaps It was because Plney Tlbbs was no longer present , having left Cissy at the-parsonage and returned home. Still she enjoyed her visit after a fashion , romped with the younger Wlndlbrooks and climbed a tree In the security of her sylvan seclusion and the promptings of her still healthy , girlish blood and only came back to cake and tea and her new hat , which she had prudently hung up In the summer house , as the afternoon was waning. When they returned to the house they found that Mr. Windlbrook had gone out with his visitor and Cissy was spared the advertlsjincnt of a boisterous escort home which he gen erally insisted upon. She gaily took leave of the Infant Wlndlbrook and his mother , sallied out through the parsonage gate Into the empty road and once more became con scious of her new hat. The shadows were already lengthening and a cool breeze stirred the deep aisles of the pines on either sldo of the highway. Ono or two people passed her hurriedly , talking and gesticulating , evidently so pre occupied that they did not notice her. Again , a rapid horseman rode by without glancing round , overtook the previous pedestrians , exchanged a hurried word with them and spurred swiftly away as one of them shouted 'after him : "There's another dispatch con firming It- " A group of men talking by the roadside never looked up as she patsed. Cissy pouted slightly at this want of taste , which made some late election news or the report of a horse race more enthralling than her new hat and Its owner. Even the toilers In the ditches had left their work and wore congregated around a mini who was reading aloud from a widely-margined "extra" of the Canada City Presj. It ecemod provoking , as she know her cheeks worn glowing from her romp and was conscious that she. was looking her best. However , the Secamp's cottage was just before her and the girls were mire to Iw on the look- lout. She shook out her sklrt.-j and straight- cned her pretty little flguro as she np- preached the house. Hut to her surprise her cfinlng had evidently been anticipated by them and tl-ey were actually and unex pectedly awaiting her behind the low , whitewashed gsiden palings ! As she ncarcd them they bum Into n shrill discordant laugh , so full of Irony , gratified malice am ) ! i I meal exaltation that Cissy was for a mo- I n.cnt startled. Hut only for a moment ; i she had her father's recklcbs audacity and | bore them down with a display of such pink ! I cheeks and flashing eyes that their laughter was checked and they remained open- mputhod as nho swept by them. Perhaps this Incident prevented her from noticing aucthcr but more passive one. A group ef men standing before the new mill the same men wbo had so solicitously challenged her attention with their bows a couple of hours ago turned as she approached preached and suddenly dispersed. It was not until ibis was repeated by another kept on with unmoved face , however , and at last turned Into the planked side terrace a part of her father's munificence and reached the symmetrical garden beds and graveled walk. She ran up the steps of the veranda and entered the drawing room through the open Krench window. Glancing around the familiar room , at her father's closed desk , at the open piano with the piece of music she had boon practicing that morning , the whole walk seemed only a foolish dream that had frightened her. She was Cissy Trlxlt , the daughter of the rich est man in the town ! This was her father's house the wonder of Canada City ! A ring nt the front door bell startled her ; without waiting for a servant to answer It she stopped out on the veranda and saw a boy whom she recognized as a waller at the hotel kept by Piney's father. He was holding a note In his hand and staring In tently at the house and garden. Seeing Cissy he transferred his stare to her. Snatching the note from the boy she tore it open anil read in Plney's well-known scrawl : "Dad won't let me come to you now , dear , but I'll try to slip out late to night. " Why should nbo want to como ? She had said nothing about coming now and why should her father prevent her ? Cissy crushed the note between her lingers and faced the boy. "What are you staring at Idiot ? " The boy grinned hysterically n llttlo frightened at Cissy's straightened brows and snapping eyes. "fict away there's no answer. " The boy ran oft and Cissy returned to the drawing room. Then It occurred to her that the servant had not answered the bell. She rang ngata furiously. There was no response. She called down the basement stalrcaee and heard only the echo of her voice in the depths. How still the house was ! WCro they all out Susan , Norah , the cook , the Chinaman and the gardener ? She ran down Into the kitchen ; the back dour was open , thi > Ilros were burning , dishes were upon the table , but the kitchen was empty. Upon the- Hoer lay a damp copy of the extra. She picked It up qfilckly. r'lve. black headlines stared her In the fare : "Enormous Defalcation ! " "Montague Trixlt Absconded ! " " $500OOU Missing ! " "Hun on the Hank ! " She threw 'the paper through the open door ns she would have hurled back the aucusallon Irani living lips. Then , In n re vulsion of feeling lest anyone should find her there , she ran upstairs and locked her self hi her own room. So that was what it nil meant. All from thi ) laugh ef the Secamp girls to the turning p ' nwny of the townspeople as they went by. Her father WBS a thief who had stolen' ' money from the bunk and run away , leaving' ' her alone to hear It ! No ! It was all a Ho , ' n wicked. Jealous He for ho.v could ho steal money from his own bank ? Cissy l.ew : : very llttlo of her father perhaps that was why she believed in him. She know still less cf business , but she knew that he did. She had often heard them say It perhaps - , haps the very ones who now called him' | ' names. He. who had made Canada City | i whHt It was ! lie , whom Wlndibroak soldi j only today had , like Moses , touched the I rocks of Canada with the magic wand of i finance and streams of public credit and prosperity had guhhed final It ! She wpuld , never speak to them again. She would shut herself up here dismiss all the ser vants but the chinaman and wait until her father returned There wa a knock and the cn- tnutmg voi ' 0 of Norah , the cook , outtldo to recognize In our trials the benefits of a ] great lesson. Hut , " ho added , hurriedly , | seeing her stand still silent but erect before him. "I see that you do ! " Ho paused , . coughed slightly , cast a glance at the | | j veranda where Cissy now for the first time j i j observed a man standing In an obviously assumed attitude of negligent abstraction moved toward the back room , and In a lower voice said : "A word with you In private. " Without replying , Cissy followed him. "If. " said Mr. Wlndlbrook with a sickly smile , "you are questioned regarding your father's affairs , you may remember his pe culiar and utterly unsolicited gift of a cer tain sum toward a' new organ to which I alluded today , you can say that he always expressed great liberality toward the church , and It was no surprise to you. " Cissy only stared at him with dangerous oyea. "Mrs. Wlndlbrook , " continued the rev erend gentleman , In his highest , heartiest voice , albeit a little hurried , "wished mete to pay to you that until you heard from your friends she wanted you to come and stay with her. Do come ! Do ! " Cissy , .with . her bright eyes fixed upon her visitor , said : "I shall stay here. " "Hut , " said Mr. Wlndlbrook , Impatiently , "you cannot. That man you see on the veranda l.s the sheriff's otllcer. The house nnil all that it contains arc In the hands of Iho law. " Cissy's face whitened In proportion as her eyes grow darker , but she said , stoutly : "I shall stay here till my popper tells mo to go. " "Till your popper tells you to go , " re peated Mr. Wlndlbrook , harshly , dropping Ills heartiness and his handkerchief In a burst of unguarded temper. "Your papa Is a thief escaping from Justice , you foolish i girl a disgraced felon , who dare not show , Ills face again In Canada City and you are ' lucky yes , lucky , mlsa If you do not j share his disgrace ! " j I "And you're n wicked , wicked liar ! " Bild | ' Cissy , clenching her llttlo fists at her side ' and edging toward him with a sidelong , Imntam-llko movement ns she advanced her I freckled cheek close to his with an effrontery - | ery EO llko her absconding father that he I I recoiled before It , "And u mean , doublo- ! | faced hypocrite , lee ! Didn't you always i praise him ? Didn't you call him a Napoleon - ! j | poleon and a Moses ? Didn't you Bay he was the making of Canada City ? Didn't you get him to raise your salary and start a subscription for your now house ? O , you you stinking beast ! " Hero the fctraneer on the veranda , still gazing abstractedly at the landscape , gave n low und apparently unconscious murmur as If enraptured with the view. Mr. Wlndl- brook , recalled to nn attempt at dignity. took up his hat and handkerchief. "When you have remembered yourself ami your po- I sltlcn. Miss Trixlt , " he sxtd loftily , "tho j offer I have made you " j "I despise It ! I'd sooner dtay In the woods with the grizzlies and rattlesnakes ! " said Cissy pantlngly. "Go and leave mo alone. , Do you hiar ? " She stamped her little foot , j "Aro you listening ? Go ! " ; MrWlndlbrook promptly retreated through the door and down the steps Into the garden. At which the stranger In the veranda reluctantly tore himself away from the. landscape and slowly entered the parlor i through the open Krench window. Hero , however , he became equally absorbed and ' abstracted In the condition of his beard , carefully stroking bis shaven check and lips ; und pulling his "goatee. " ! Atter a pautc bo turned to the angry Clssx s'andMig by the plnno. rnd.nnt with glutting thciKs and fl.scnlng e\r < an I sir 1 slowly "I reckon you Rsve the parson as good as be . cnt. It Kinder settles n man to hear the froren truth about himself noinc- times , and you've helped old Shadbelly con siderably on the way toward salvation. H'lt he was right about one thiiis. Ml Trlxlt The house Is In the hands of the law. I'm representing It ns deputy sheriff mebbe you might remember tne Jake Poole when your father was addressing the last citizens' meet ing , slain' next to him on the platfortn- I'm In iiretvsslon. U Isn't a Job I'm luink- erltr much artcr ; I'd n Ilef rather hunt boa * thlvcs or track down road ngenti * than this kind o' fancy , underhand work. So you'll excuse mo miss , If I ain't got the style. " Hi paused , rubbed his chin thoughtfully , and then said slowly and with great deliberation- "Kf there's any little thing here , mlsa any keepsakes or such trltlos eis you keer tor In p.irtlekler. things you wouldn't like strangers lo have you Just make n little pile of them 'nnil drop 'em down somewhere outside the back door. There ain't no Inventory taken nor sealln' up of anylhln' done Just vet , though I have to see there ain't anythln' disturbed. Hut I kalkllatc to walk out on that veranda for a r > pelt and look i\t the landscape. " Ho paused again and eald with n sigh of satisfaction : "It's a mighty pooty view out thar , U just takes me every time" As hii turned and walked out through the I'rcnch window Cissy did not for a moment comprehend li'iu ; then , stranscly enough , his act of rude courtesy for the llrst time ' awakened her to the full sense of the sltua- , tlon. This house her father's house was no longer hera ! If her father should never , inttmi she wanted nothing from It nothing ! She gripped her beating heart with the i little hand she had clenched so valiantly I a moment ago. Suddenly her hand dropped ; j eomo ono hud glided noiselessly Into the ' back room , a figure In a blue blouse a | Chinaman their house servant. Ah Fe. He cast n furtive glance nt the stranger on the veranda and then beckoned to her stealthily- She came toward him wonderIngly - Ingly , when ho suddenly whipped a note from his sleeve and with a dexterous move ment slipped It Into her lingers. She lore It open. A single glance showed her a small key Inclosed In' a line of her father's handwriting. Drawing quickly back Into the corner she read as follows : "If this reaches you In time tnkti from the second drawer of my desk an envelope marked 'pri vate contracts' and give It to the bearer. " Tbero was neither signature nor address. Putting her finger to her lip she east a quick glance at the absorbed figure on the veranda and stepped before the desk. She fitted the key to the drawer and opened It rapidly but noiselessly. There lay the en velope and among other ticketed papers a small roll of greenbacks such as her father often kept there. It was his money ; she did not scruple to take It with the envelope. Handing the latter to the Chinaman , who made It Instantly disappear up his sleeve llko a conjurer's act , she signed him to fol low her Into the hall. "Who gave you that note , Ah Fe ? " she whispered breathlessly. "Chinaman. " "Who gave It to him ? " "Chinaman. " "And to him ? " "Nolleo Chinaman. " "Another Chinaman ? " "Yrs heap Chinaman allo same as Rang. " "You mean It passed "rom ono China man's hand to another ? " "Alleo same. " "Why didn't the first Chinaman wbo got it bring It here ? " "S'poso Mellkun man want to catchco lettel. Ho spotty Chinaman. He follee Chinaman. Chinaman passee lettel next Chinaman. Ho no get. Melllkan man no habc got. Sabc ? " "Then , this package will go back the same way ? " "Alice same. " "And who will you give it to now ? " "Alice same man bllngee me lettel. Hop LI who makco waahce. " An Idea here struck Cissy which made her heart jump and her cheeks flame. Ah Ko gazed at her with an Infantile smile of admiration. "How far did that letter come ? " she asked with eager , questioning eyes. "Lettee mo see him , " said Ah Ke. Cissy handed him the missive ; ho cxam- Inede closely some half n dozen Chinese characters that were scrawled along the length of the outer fold and which she had Innocently supposed .were n part of the markings of the rice paper on which the note was written. "Hcep Chinaman velly much walkoe longee way ! S'posc you look.1 Ho pointed through the open front door lo the pros pect beyond. It was a familiar one to Cissy the long Canada , the crest on crest of serried pines , and beyond the dim snow lino. Ah Ko's brown finger seemed to linger there. "In the snow , " she whispered , her chcok whitening like that dim line , but her o.yes sparkling like the sunshine over It. "Alice same , John , " said Ah Po plain tively. "Ah Ko , " whispered Cissy , "tako me with you to Hop LI. " "No good , " said Ah Fe , stolidly. "Hop LI ho glveo this" ho Indicated the envelope In his sleeve "to next Chinaman. He no go. S'poso you go with mo , Hop LI you no unakco nothing nllee same ilnm fooleo ! " "I know ; but you must take mo there. Do ! " The young girl was Irresistible. Ah Ko's face relaxed. "All llteo ! " ho said , with a resigned smile. "You wait hero a moment , " said Cissy , brightening. She Hew up the staircase. In a few minutes she was back again. She had changed her HIIIHI ! rose-sprigged chintz for n pathetic llttlo blue check frock of her school days ; the fateful hat had given way to a brown straw "Hat , " bent- like a frame around her charming face. All the girlishness - ness and , Indeed , a certain honest boyish ness of her nature seemed to have come out In her glowing , freckled check , brilliant , audacious eyes , and the quick stride which brought her to Ah Ku's sldo. "Now , let's go , " she said , "out Ihn back way and down the sldu streets. " She paused , cast a glance through the drawing room nt the contemplative figure of the sher iff's deputy on the veranda , and then passed out of the house forever. ( To IJo Continued January 11. ) SYPHILIS A Trlul Trent in en I Sen I Krec ( u AH AVlio S Hirer I'rinu niiy Slatfe of theDUeiiNc , Cure-it CHKI-H TlnU Iliil SprliiKN ami all ' Otlu-r TreiitmeiifN l.'nlleil lo i ; eu Help. There has been discovered by the State Medical Institute , Wj Klektron nidif. . Kt. Wayne , Ind. , the most remarkable HyjihlUs eiire over heard of. It | | Uh cuied all such IndlintloriH u niucouM- patches In the mouth Bore throat , copper colored Hpols , clmntr . ulfcrutlutiH on thu body und In hundreds of rases where I bo hair and eyebrow ? hud fallen out and the whole nkln was .1 mans of bolls , plmpleri and ulcera this wonderful Bpeellle hah c-oimiloti-ly rlwngMl the whole body Into a clean , perfect condition of pbyslclal health. Every railroad running Into Kt. Wayne brings Heorea of suffurnru seeking IIH ! | new and marvelous euro and to cnabln those who cannot travel to re- allza what a truly marvelous work the institute U acuimpllKhlut ; they will send free to every sufferer a free trial treatment BO that everyone can cure themm-lvcs In tha privacy of their own home. This IH the > nly knuwn cure for syphilis. Do not htbl- ta'o ' to write at otu-c and the free trial will tie uent iiculcd in plain will print A new and powerful serial story by In 18 installments , beginning Dec. \ 7. Illustrated by G , A. Shipley. This novel fully equals "The Stlcklt Minister , Phe lllaclc louj'lns ) , " mid "Tliu HaUlera. " It could luivo liL't'n written by 110 author otliur than Crockett. The Isle of the Winds Is essentially a story or adventure. Its hero , Phillip Stanlleld , the younger. Is kidnapped by his father , Phillip the elder , and carried tram Scotland to the plra'03' Itle. 1'hllllp the elder , a plratu cap tain , has murdered his father , Sir James Stanatlcld , and deserted his wlfo for Janet .Mark , the shameless wife of Saul Mark , a gypsy tailor who Is Stansfleld's evil genius. Janet as ac complice in the murder of Sir Jnmes Is sold Into slavery into American plantations. 1'hllllp Stnnslluld the elder also carries at ! his deserted wlfo and Janet's daughter , llttlo Anna Mark , lloth children have been ado.- . - ed by Humphrey Spunvny , a rich Eng lish cloth-merchant , living on the Stansfleld estate. Ho loves young Phillip's mother , but lias no hope of marrying lier. Notwithstanding , ho goes In search of the captives aa soon as he dlscovera their fate. After months on the pirates' Isle they manage to escape from It by help of Ebora , a negro , and his mother , an Obcah woman. They find .e'li o In I'orto Rico and thcro discover the somellmo Janet Mark transformed Into a grunt lady , wife of the Srnnlsh governor General. She befriends ib-m after a fashion , but cannot save Phillip from being taken back to tho. plru'e Isle. Hlfi father and Saul .Mark , touted by other pirates , come to Porto II.co and persuade the governor general to send back an expedition to secure Mor gan's treasure. The famous buccaneer has loft It in boxep , Htuck fast In a lake of burning plt-h. No man could bring It out of the pitch and live , hence the plan to make young Phillip the brlnger. It Is frustrated by the dlHcovery that the lake has become a volcano. Then the expedition plans to attack the plratu Htronghold and loot it. ICbora , jient to spy , encourages the commander anil leads him , full pf confidence , to a night assault. The pirates offer no resistance ; they can not , filnco they urr all hanging entrees trees ; hut KiiKllsh ships and ICngl nh sailors rout the expedition utterly Humphrey Spurway Is with the war ships In a vessel of his own. Then follow brlelly the sack of Han Juan , the ilenth of Phillip Stansfleld the elder and Saul Mark , the rescue of little Anna and young Phillip's mother , the voyage home , the recovery of the estates , and the general knitting of IOOHO ends. From llrst to lout the op tion Is breathless and told with all the author's fire and force , 111 The Omaha itinday