THE OMAHA DAILY BEE: FRIDAY, XOYEMBflfl 23, 1900.
0
7
A SENTENCE DAY,
lly JOSIAII FLYNT AND FRANCIS WALTON.
0
Somo hart waited nearly a year, others
for Eovoral mouths, others for but a fow
weeks, Tho Jail was old, and lnsldo
and outsldo looked much as It did ltfj
1810, when It was built. Tramps llkod It
on account of tho roomy corridor whoro
they wcro permitted to loungo In the
dayttmo, and because tho prisoners cooked
their own food. Tho raw materials for
tho meals wero passed Into the Jail through
n llttlo window In an Iron door, and the
men took turns In cooking. Tho cells wcro
placed above the corridor, and at night tho
sheriff came and locked us in till morning.
Wo numbered nineteen men and boya six
tcon of whom wero court prUoncrs, who
had stood their trials and wcro waiting
for tholr sentences. Tho .remaining three,
Including lludertck McKlowd and myself,
had Dunlshment mettd out to them by
tho wisdom of n local magistrate und wero
serving It out then nnd there.
Ruderlck nnd I had bea unfortunate
enough to fall asleep In u box car In tho
local railway yards, and tho mnglstrato
before whom wo wcro brought had been
Inspired to mako nn example of us. "I
want you men to learn to sleep whoro
civilized people sleep," ho explained; "It
is possible that you need a llttlo training
to get Into the habit again, and I shall
sond you over to tho sheriff for a month.
If you bchavo yourselves you will llnd him
an ngrccablo host." Wo behaved ourselves
and found tho sheriff an agrccablo host, but
ho took tho most Interest In what ho called
tho "transients," tho men whom justice
bad weighed In her balance-ami found want
ing to a degreo which sho had not taken
oft hor bandago accurately to ascertain.
They presented a subject of speculation and
mystery In which wo did not, and In ro
turn for tho Interest they gavo him, ho
offored them gruff llttlo courtesies which
wo hoped would help somewhut to keep
tholr minds off their coming ordeal. Somo
of them wero culprits of loug standing, men
who had taken "stretchers," as thoy called
their terms In prison, regularly and with
out flinching, but nono of them knew what
tholr noxt stretcher was to bo. Somo of
them wore lads suro to go to the reform
school; nnd all of them, men and lads,
wero to rollro from tho world for a certain
period but how long? Tho limit that each
of them could get was well known, but no
ono bcllovcdthat ho deserved or would
get tho limit.
Prisoners tho world over feel that tho
fact that they have been caught at all
Is a punishment and Justifies them In cx
poctlng a compromlso with tho judgo who
Is to sentence them. If detection Itself Is
a punishment, any further discipline ought
to bo mensurcd according to tho disappoint
ment and chngrtu which tho detection has
caused. ThU la Irrational, but all mon
nro Irrational according to tholr oppor
tunities. It was tho uncertainty as to how
far Justlco In tho person of "tho old man"
would bo willing to compromise on this
basis that kept tho mon on a strain. Morn
ing, noon nnd night tho constant word
wus, what will "the old man do?" Tho
first thing wo heard, oven'boforo the sheriff
lot us out for tho day, was tho call from
coll to cell of tho men to bo sentenced that
they woro twelve hours nearer tho np,
pointed time. Even during tho night inut
terlngs reached Itudcrlck and wo, from men
who had been watting longest. Ono night
wo heard an old man 70, whomlght, have
cry out In his Bleep: "Mako It u year,
Judge, Just an oven year," and ho throw
Into tho words pleading and palhos ' that
ho could not hayo commanded ,had he boon
awake.
At last the morning camo when justice
was to tako off the bandago and tho
sheriff told his wards that they must hold
themselves ready to go to tho court room
at any moment. Ho was not suro himself
of tho oxact time when IiIb honor would
call for thorn, but ho cautioned them to bo
quick In responding to tho call when It
came, Every ono rushed to his coll to
get his clothes In order. "Want tho old,
man to seo mo In my best," ono said, and
the others followed him up to tho coll gal
lery and began to overhaul tholr scant
eupply of "togs." They dlscuuscd tho mer
its of a patched waistcoat or a frayed
nccktlo as women do tho most delicate,
finery. "How do you think th' old man'll
llko this?" a man called "Dony" said,
holding up a coat.
"Oct It sterilized, Dony, It's full o' gray
hacks; th' old man'll glvo yo do limit It
thoy got to parading around tho court
room," another remarked untruthfully.
"How do you'so think this white rag
11 take?" queried still another, dubbed
"Jet Eyes," exhibiting a "boiled" shirt
which ho had kept under his pillow for
four weeks for fear It would bo "swiped."
"Keep It to swing In, Sammy," advised
his cellmate. "It's too good Jus' to get
two years In. Tut It In a safety vault till
croaklu' tlmo comes."
In an hour they had all put on tholr
host and a dress rehearsal In tho cor
ridor was In order. Ono of the oldest
prlaonors was appointed Judge nnd tho
men lined up In front ot him. This was
play aud In a measure comedy, but not
wholly so; tho culprits expected to catch
from tho -mock Judgo nnd tho mock Bcn
tenco somo omen of what their fate vr child
Vie. Tho Judgo carried oC his part with
Imprusstva dignity nnd sovero eyebrow; he
had borrowed a clean collar and a sky.
blue necktie for tho occasion. Ho had
absolutely refused to ofllclato except In
costume. Tho men practiced attitudes
and gestures which thoy expected to uso
with effect later In tho day.
"Hungry," ho said In a volco which was
propor to tho majesty of tho law, to tho
luan at tho head of tho line, "you was
cuuglit In do act, wasn't you? Now, that
means bunglln'. Aloises what knows tholr
business don't got pinched In tho net. Hut
you'so gettln' old, Hungry. Wo all knows
that. You must bo nearly 60. De law says
that for what you done I ought to glvo
you nttoon years, but I don't b'llovo you'll
last that long. You'so got so many diseases
you'so goln' to croak before a great while.
Now, It ain't right to glvo a man life for
bunglln', nn' that's what It 'ud be If I
gavo you what do law says. I'm goln' to ba
square with you; I'm goln' to give you a
chanco to dlo outside. You'so good for
nbout two years yet, 'f you tako care o'
yourself, ho I sentonce you, Hungry, to
eighteen months In do penitentiary."
"Thank y', yer honor," said Hungry, bow
ing awkwardly.
A faint murmur of approval and applause
aroso lu the audience.
"Silence In do cort," cried Ilhadamnnthus
with truculent majesty; "brlug up the next
prisoner,"
He was a boy of 18. called "Eddie." who
had been convicted, lu company of an older
companiou of burglary.
"Kid," the mock Judgo went on, "you'so
started out too fast. You'so too young to do
ciiniDin . u i sent you to do nenltentlary
you'd learn a good deal, but you'd get your
ncau lurneu tawin' with do men, an" you'd
memo ioo me joba for your years an' ex
perlence whon you got outside again. If
you'so goln' to be an A No. 1 gun, Kid, you
wan- to go iru your apprentlcesli in. vou wan
to begin nt tho boglunln', an' n good placo
to do that Is In do rcf all fly crooks ha3
oeen trained lu do rcf so 1 sentence you
to do rcf till you're 31. Ilut I'll be squaro
with you, too. I won't consider U 'any re
flckehun oa my connection with de case,' as
do old man 'ud soy, If you run away 'fore
your time's up."
"Don' send me to tho rcf, yer honor; I
bin to the rcf on' Its nothlu' but n kids'
Joint; I can't learn nothln' there."
Ho went through tho lines of men and
boys; sometimes tho scono being comical,
and sometimes pathetic. The rehearsal
finished, the crowd broke up Into little
groups. Some of them gathered nround the
table, others look their stand near the Iron
door, Impatient for the sheriff to call them.
Itudcrlck and I took scats on a bench In
ono of the corners and the boy "Eddie" and
his pal strolled up and down tho corridor.
His pal urged him to tako advantage of his
boyish appearance and try to get a reform
school rcntence. "You may run away either
after you'so been thcro a while," tho man
said, "an' 'then you'Fo free sec?"
"Damn tho rer," tho lad replied. "I'm
goln' to tho pen."
"Know that kind of kid?" Itudcrlck asked,
nodding in tho direction of tho two when
thoy had passed out of earshot. "I can
read his futuru for you. Did 1 ever tell
you 'bout tho Michigan Kid? It began
way back In 77, when I was doln' a bit for
tho state, bavin' dono nn' bungled n bit
for myself. Tho Jail was over In Pennsyl
vania, an' ono day tho sheriff brought In
a young fellow who'd been bound over for
bltln' off moro than ho could chew, which
Is grand larceny. They caught him red
handed. Ho was a nlco plucky-lookln' little
chap, an' I saw right away 't ho was now
to tho business. Ho didn't havo much of
a Btory to tell at tho tlmo; p'haps that was
why ho wouldn't tell It. I found out later,
however, that his father was n swell lawyer
over In Michigan, an' his pcoplo had sent
him to a boarding school, nn' ho'd mooched.
His money gavo out, nn' ho dono tho touch
or tried to do It to get somo dough. Ho
was not qulto 17 then a tenderfoot as far
as you could see him. Ho'd been with tho
hoboes n llttlo before ho got pinched, an'
know Bomo of tholr Hugo, but Jus' tho way
ho shaped up an' asked, us all when ho
first come In what wo was 'shut ud' for,
was enough to put us next.
"Well, I liked him Just cause ho was
a tenderfoot. Wise kids Is lntorcstln' an'
all that, but you don't always llko wtso
blokes. It takes all kinds o' peoplo to mako
tho crooks' world, eamo as to make the
good peoplo's world, an' thero's been ten
dcrfcot 't I've liked bettcr'n nuybody else I
forgot what tho kid told mo his name was
prob'ly didn't remember to give the right
one, anyhow but I Jus' called 'lm tho kid.
I call him that still, but I guess I'm the
only ono that docs It. He's a pretty big
stiff today, an everybody can't slap 'lm on
tho back. I sort o' brought 'lm up, you
know, nn' ho ain't ono o' them that for
gets things except his name.
"Courso I'm prolld 't bo's turned out a
fly bloko. but things wns different when I
first got to chewln' tho rag with him 'n
that jail. I tried to pcrsundo him to go
home. I told him to wrlto bis gov'rnor an'
get tho thing fixed up. I can't tell you
exactly why I dono It, but It's God's truth
that cveu now I ain't no chicken, passed
my 48th birthday last month yes, sir, oven
now I hato to seo n kid who's been brought
up decent hit the road. With mo 'twas
different. Doth my old folks was crooks
an' I novcr had a home, anyhow, Stealln
camo natural to me and Chicago, Where I
was born, made-me wlsd. If a man's cot
abcflt-foT'swIplnV'Chlcago'fr tell 'him how
to got his graft In. You know that as' woll
as I do. New York ain't no saint, neither
some mighty good thieves' have como put
o'tthnt town tut if a 'kid Is lookln' for a
place to get dead wise, lot him railroad
for dear, old Chi. I llko the place, God
knows, but It's crooked crooked as a fish
hook.
"Well, this kid 't tellin' you nbout, he
listened to me all right, but he wouldn't
write to his gov'nor. Ho was stuck on
himself seo? an' right, too. 'I wouldn't
have tho gov'nor find me hero,' he sayti,
'If I had to take ten years in tho pen.'
Well, I didn't know nnythln' bettcr'n to
tell him to ask the Judge to send him to
tho rofi I know what tho ref Is as well
as tho next bloke. I know that- It's where
a lot o' kids got wise. Old Fra'xy, whon he
was makln' believe sentenco Kddlo a few
minutes ago, ho told tho truth. The ref's
the place where a thief goes through his
'pretlceship. Jus' the same, I'd rather se
a kid o' mine take his chances in the ref
than lu tho pen an' I gavo it to that kid
straight. I told htm what ho'd find at tho
ref nn' what he wanted to steer clear of
an' then I cxplalnod to him how he could
get a mooch on nn' give the shop the slip.
Ho was a very nervy kid nn' thero's mighty
fow rets 't a norvy kid need stop In If
ho a got a haukerln' for the opon. W'y,
they had mo in a ref when I wus 12 years
old an' I didn't stay thero a week. They
got me back after awhile, but I mooched
again nn' they'ro lookln' for me yet.
"Well, tho Judgo ho gavo tho kid what
I told him to ask for. I'd explained to tho
kid how ho wanted to put his plea when
tho Judgo asked htm If ho had anything to
say why the court shouldn't pronounce
sentenco on him nn' he got off his song
and danco all right. I can hear the kid
now when ho enmo back to jail. Ho came
up to mo an' said, 'fluderlck, If I can beat
that school I'm going homo to the gov'nor.
You'vo dono rao a good turn, do yoii know
It?' Course I jollied him along a lltle nn'
told him not to get too Sunday schooly nil
ot a sudden when he got heme, an' the next
day the sheriff took 'him -away. An' for
tho next threo years, Ruderlck McKlowd
used to pat himself on the back cv'ry now
an' then whon ho thought o' tho kid.
ptctured him at home, you know, llvln'
with his gov'nor, goln' to school, fallln' In
lovo with nice girls nn' gettln' o bo one o
the town a promlsln young men. I had
to do a bit In tho pen about eighteen
months after the kid was sent to the
ref. nn' whenever I'd got real down In tho
mouth like; about tho latter end o' things
nn' what's what, I used to say to mysolf.
'Well, Ruderlck, you did that kid a good
turn, anyway, an' I'd brnco up, I romem.
bor onco wakln' up in the middle o' tho
night out of a dream. I'd been up In
heaven an'. Peter ho wouldn't'let mo pass
the gates. 'You'ro a bad lot, Ruderlck,'
ho saya; 'I couldn't let you pass the gnte3.'
ho says; 'I couldn't let you pass 'f you was
mo own son..' I romembor 't I said to him
as well as It I d said the words out loud
'Poer,' I says, 'ain't you forgetln' that
good mark 't I got for beln' square with
that kid?' an' then I woke up. I'm Just
tellin" you this, you know, so's you can
understand how things was."
There was n pause In Uudcrlck's narra-
tlvo and tho bolts of tho iron door of a
place quite other than heaven wero shot
back to remind us how far from heaven
wo were. Kvery ono thought that the
Judgo had sont for tho men to be sen
tonccd, but It was a false nlnrm, Tho
turukoy had n letter to deliver to ono of
the court prisoners and we separated Into
groups again; Ruderlck knotted tho broken
thread ot his reminiscences.
"Aro you listening?" ho said.
"Suro," I repllod; a man cooped up Is
Intorcstcd in everything. If ho wasn'
he'd go off his head.
Ho continued:
"About threo years nfter meetln' th
kid I got Bettled In the pen across th
rlvor from this town whero we aro now
Tho same judge had hold o' me once be
fore, an ne was noratuo an: gavo mo
flvo years; 1 guess I'd earned It. The
placo began to get crowded nfter I'd
been thero about n year, nn' wo had to
doublo up, nn' who do you suppose thy
gave mo for n coll companion? That l;fd!
There he was with his hair cropped an'
tho stripes on 'lm; I knew him the minute
they shoved him Into tho coll.
" 'Kid,' I says, 'this ain't reg'lnr; how'd
this happen? Did tho gov'nor cut up
rough?"
" 'Ruderlck,' ho says, 'I never went back
to the gov'nor. I dono as you told me
an' mooched from the rcf mooched tho
6ccond week. Rut thoy got mo again.
A farmer 't I went to for breakfast in tho
mornln' after, ho sont for tho copper nt tho
rcf, an' thoy took me back. Tho super
gavo mo a Hckln' ,for fair, un told mo 'f
I glvo him tho slip again ho'd stick mo In
tho dungeon. Woll, I seen kids blggcr'n
me come out o" tho dungeon; I ain't ft
baby, but I couldn't stand for it; I nln't got
to llo about It. I stayed thero a year
an' got to bo ono o' tho boss kids o' tho
shop. An' jiu know what that means.
Ruderlck,' ho says, 'the kids that ain't
bosses look up to you an' think you'ro
a dead fly bloke. They koop crnekln'
you up as a pcrfeBslonal, an' nfter a while
you begin to think yourself that you're
hot stuff. That's tho way It wont with
mo anyhow, and at tho end of tho year I
didn't think nny moro 'bout goln' back to
tho gov'nor. I made up my mind 't I
would bo hot stuff nn' n ncrfesslonal. nn'
ono night another boss kid an' mo, wo
Jumped out ono o' the windows nn' got
nwny. Ho know of a place whero thero
was slmolco'ns lyln' loose nn' wo wont nn'
got 'em, nn' I been htttln' It up that way
ever slnco. He's In here, too. Wo got
pinched for goln' on tho din an' tho ludco
gave us both three years. I thought they'd
put us togctLer, but they didn't. Ho'b In
tho cigar factory, nn' I'm over In thn fnnn.
dry. Gosh, It's hard work in that fmmdrv.
Roderick. Tho RUard's ent It In fnr tnn.
He docs mo every time ho gets a chance.
I ve been In tho dungeon twlco already.'
"Well, I don't need to tell you how I
felt that kld't -I'd been bankln' fan! I
suppose I ought to 'a' brnced him up
again nn' talked to tho warden about him,
an' got his gov'nor on his track, but a fel
low line mo ain't good for two stabs nt
reforming,' an' 1 dono lust tho onnnsltn
a man's skill aches in hlra till ho gits It
out, jus iiko tho right words for a thing,
an' I trained him to bo a pcrfesslonal. I
didn't do it right nwny. For near six
months' I kept swczln' my brains to flguro
out what 1 ought to do, but It's n tempta-
uou io n reuow iiko mo to havo n chance
to mako a good thjcf out of n smart kid.
I don't know If you'vo ever been In tho
samo Ox yourself, but to me sometimes tho
temptation is grcnt to hand on what you
c ..mon u ui8Ky. loll SCO I'VO nl-
ways been n crook, nn' I can't help flgurin'
out what I can mako of n nervy kid If I
can get my blinkers on him. Course after
what I d told him three ypars before in
tho Jail nbout goln' back to his gov'nor
an' brncln up, it scemsd catln' my words
io givo mm tho steer I did, but I was
squaro with him, Ono night I told him
what I would or wouldn't do. Just bb ho
wnntcd. Kid,' I says to him. I can put you
hoxt, If yoit llko, nh' mako you a tlrst-clnss
h.o.vu., uui you want to innko up your
mmu for keeps whether you wnnt to bo
ono or not. You can't nlav with thn hmi.
noss. You got to forget all about tho fri.v.
nor. Onco a graftor, you got to stick to It
If your goln' to succeed.'
Ruderlck, my gov'nor '11 nover mr
ngnln. I'm a thief, an' he'll feci better
uiinxin- I've croaked."
Ha tnannf I. I , ,
w w u iur too next fwaivn
months ho celled with mo a vear I ,inn.
my best to make him a wlseone. I don't know
if you ever trained a kid or not. hut 'it
me toll you that thcro ain't arijHhln'' nicer
iu mis worm man rashlonln' n youngster
with brains. It's Jus' like tralnln' a kid
o your own. You watrhtni hi in.
next, dny nfter day. nn' vou kn an
to yoursolf, 'I'm doln' this. Thnv nt
give me credit for him.' It's discouraging
uu uovu wnen uio Km nln't smart, but
that kid 't I had was smart ns they make
em. He'd catch on to what I was describln'
to him 'foro I'd even finished what I was
suyin. j see, i seo,' he'd say, an' I could
isw uu io Bomeuiing else.
What surprised 'lm moat on. n,. ......
leges a bloke can get In tho pen If ho knows
now. I naa 'lm out o' tho foundry an' In th
jjii-'kiu uepartmcnt the' softest snap
in mo piaco-a week nfter I took hold of
mm. mere was a uetectlvo 't had tho run
o the place, an' he an' tho wardon grafted
together. Tho fly cop 'ud nnd out which
prisoners could raise tho stuff to mako It In
terostln' for him to go to tho warden nn' nsk
favors for 'em, an' then he ami h
'ml divvy. I know tho fly cop from way
back, an' I worked him without money Ho
knew 't I wns pretty wise, an' ho came to mo
ono day an' givo mo straight steer. Says
he, 'McKlowd, If you'll put mo next to any
thin' that you know 's goln' on outside I'll
stand for somelhln' soft hero in thq pen '
Ho know 't I knew tho blokes outside nn'
was likely to bo nblo to tell him what they
was doln', nn' ho wanted to eet wisn nff mn
I pretended to tako tho tip, nn' lie began
showln' mo favors. I nln't dono such tall
iyin in a tonner ns I did to that copper,
nut no never got on to mo. I'd sav tn him.
'Thero's goln' to bo a safe blown onen nut in
Chicago noxt month, an' you want to get
next.' Ho'd thank mo an' tell tho warden in
do somelhln' for mo 't I wanted, and then
go gallivantln' all over tho shop. Courso the
snio wns never blown, but nil I had to say
wns that the crooks had probably got scared
oir, air ne took it all In.
"I oven think that I could 'a cot the kid
out o' tho pen through that courier, t
might 'a had to put up a little ensh to grenBe
tilings, uut tno reuow hail nn alflred blc null
Ho knew 'bout tho warden beln' crooked.
an' tho warden knew 'bout him, an' both had
to square eaen oilier. See? Ilut I didn't
try to spring the kid; Jus' kept on tralnln'
him. You know what ho Is today. Wo old
una cnll him the Michigan Kid, but tho cop
pers all know him as 'tho fly Detroit ciook.'
Ho nln't been In prison in the last ten
years, an' yet he's doln' stunts right alone,
He's got a block o' houses out In 'Frisco,
an- owns a nig gamuiur joint In Chi an'
guess ho grafU 10,000 eVory year besides
no's so suck tney can't touch him, He
shows up In Detroit every now and then
an' they lock him up as a suspicious charnc'
tor If It's circus day or there's somo big
convention on, but they have to lot him go
in a lew uays. unero's uiokcs that call him
a freak; they say "t ho had luck. That's
rot. If all the crooks In tho country had
that kid's brains they'd bo Just as successful
I tell you brains count for as much ln this
business as they do ln bankln'. If you nln't
got 'era you can't be Al.
"I saw tho kid 'bout a year ago nn' ho
said 't his gov'ner still had a reward for any
ono t 'ud glvo him news of his son. lie
asked mo If I thought ho ought to write to
the old man. I told 'm no."
" 'I hato to mako tho gov'nor fcol bad,
no says. ,
" 'That may bo, kid,' I says, 'but you
ougnt to 'a thought that out years back-
It's too lato, now.' Ho agreed with me."
Onco again tho bolts of tho door not ot
heaven wero shot back nnd this time thrre
woa no letter to be delivered.
"All ready, boya," the shorlff called
"his honor's waiting on you."
The men and tho boys were handcuffed
together In rouplcs.
"uoou nick, fellows," we cried after
them.
And in soiomn procession, with the
sheriff nt the hend, they went to tholr
fate. Some of them are still "doing
time, - otners aro again waiting for sen
tence day and a fow have passed Into th
final court, from which there Is no appeal
ana wuictt tney dreaded least of all.
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tinct and the perspertlvo Is true. Tours,
Rlols, Chambord, Azny lc Rldenu, Langcals,
Uourges, Angers, La Rochellc, Poitiers,
Angoulcme, Toulouse, Cnrcassonno, Nlmes,
Tarascon, Aries, Avignon, Vaucluse these
are somo of tho places which Pcnnell makes
real for us by tho cunning of his hand.
Houghton, Mifflin & Co., Now York.
"Sons of tho Morning" Is the first novel
that Eden Phlllpotts has written since the
publication of that most vlrllo work, "Chil
dren of tho Mist." The admirers of that
playful novel have been looking forwnrd
with no llttlo Interest to tho nppenrnnco
of tho new book which Is now nt hand. It
Is a long story, nearly M)0 pagesi which
menus that It must havo merit, or for the
major part of the readers It would bo n
scvoro task to got through with It all.
Tho quality of tho author Is, however, bo
remarkable that, though the lnterost may
flag nt times, nevertheless curiosity com
pels you to read tho book nil through. No
moro complex situations wero ever Im
agined' thau to mako a woman In love with
two BUttors ut ono and tho same tlmo.
Then Honor marries one of her lovers.
The first husband dies and ln tlmo nho
takes tho other man. Through this
romance, tho locality of which Is ln Davon,
Eden Phlllpotts has run a rurnl episode.
In'thla portion of tho story tho strauge
ways of tho farm laborers are Bhown nnd
with exceeding cleverness; Tholr super
stitions nnd their curious dialect aro Intro
duced. Tho description of tho scenery of
the moors and tho heath are wonderfully
prcsonted. If anything thero Is nn over-
exuberance. Thcro Is material sufllclcnt ln
the "Sons of the Morning" for several
romances. It Is a volume not to bo passed
over without the consciousness of Its singu
lar merits. G. P. Putnam's Sons, New
York. Price, J1.C0.
Thoso familiar with Marian Harland's
writings will wolcotne n now novel, "Dr.
Dnlo," written ln her best style, nlded by
hor stepson, Albert P. Torhune. The story
is, intensely intorpstlng apd vividly real
istic. Tho scene Is laid In'tho oil lands ot
wostern Pennsylvania, a dUtrlct very sel
dom appropriated by American novelists.
Tho date Is ln t.be atjJf period of tho
boom In real estato fouowlng tho sinking
of tho first petroleum wells, yielding thou
sands ot barrels per dny. Llko all stories
of boom times, thero Is plenty of excite
ment and action and the- Interest nover
flags for a moment from tho beginning to
tho end of the book. Tho characters aro
all pcoplo ot n philanthropic bent, beloved
by tho wholo community and doing a noble
work among tho Ignorant hard-working oil
men. Ono cannot but ndmlre all of tho
characters, but one's sympathy especially
goes forth to Dr. Dale, tho character who
furnishes tho namo to the book, and whoso
career ends ln a most pathetic manner.
Dodd, Mead & Co., New York. Price, $1.50.
"Tho Ilrass Iiottle," tho now romanco by
F. Anstey, the brilliant author of "Vlco
Versa" and "Tho Tinted Venus," shows tho
author lu his happiest voln. Tho story is
an Imaginative romanco full of quaint con
celts and dellclously extravagant situations.
His new book Is tho most Important as ro
gards length, quality and sustalued Interest
which ho has given us for somo time. The
scene opens lu London with tho lntroduc
tlon of a Bcruggllng architect, to whom
thero comes nn extraordinary experience
which furnishes a fair field for tho fancy
and humor of tho writer. There can bo no
doubt regarding tho popularity of Mr. An
stey'B new novel. Tho many admirers of
tho brilliant author cannot fall to appro
clato this latest ovidonco of his genius. D.
Appleton &. Co., Now York. Price, $1.60,
Max Pemberton's brilliant pen has shown
that "the true romancer" lives today. Mr,
Pemberton chooses tho present and not
the historical past, and ho proves that the
life of today may suggest romance, mys
tcry, Incident and ndventuro In as fnscl
nntlng forms nB tho life of tho days of
lacco and armor. His now novel deals with
Russian social and political Intrlguo, n field
wherein ho Is fully at homo. There Is n
charming lovo story which la carried
through a stirring series of ndvontures to
a fortunate end. Mr. Pemberton's romance,
which Is full of llfo and vivid In Its un
flagging Interest, shows perhaps the high
est mark which ho has reached tn his
successful career ns a romancer. Its tltlo
Is "Tho Footsteps of a Throno." D.. Apple,
ton & Co., New York. Price, J1.50.
"Tho Lndy of Dreams," by Una L. Sll
berrad, Is a novel of llfo In tho poorer
quarter ot London, by a nawcomor In tho
field ot fiction, who bldB fair to rank with
the foremost women writers of England
It traces tho development of a young girl
who has nover known nny existence ex
cept tho dreary round of caring for a dls
stpated uncle, nnd who has bocomo n
strangely elusive and dreamlike, though
charming, personality under tho stress of
this Inherited duty, so patiently fulfilled:
ho presently attempts to kill hor In a fit
of delirium, and tho love which thon comes
into her mnrrled llfo forms tho basis of the
story. Doubleday, Page & Co,, New York.
Prlco, $1.50.
Mr. Elmoro Peak's novel, "Tho Darling-
tons," has an abundance of Incidents and
Ideas, and when tho first book of a new
writer shows an abundanco of nny ono of
thcBo' It is Justly accounted no ordinary
W rv TPL.
of Anything
We aro headquarters for Dooks, Stationery, School nd Office Supplies.
If you wish the latest popular nouol or the newest thing In labor-saving of.
flee levtces, this Is the place to look for It.
We am showing the latest styles ln fine papers, copper plate work and
dlo stamping and wish especially to call your attention to the new form for
wedding Invitations, announcements,
you nothing to look.
MEGEATH STATIONERY CO. ,3lTM
first book. It Is n thoroughly American
story, Its scenes and general movement
nro thoso of n typical American town, or
small city. Its people are, ln many re
spects, such as only American conditions
produce, yet their differences from each
other, and from tho world nt large, nro not
tho passing differences of speech nnd man
ner and stylo ot living, but arc, in tho
main, fundamental in human nature, nnd
mako them Interesting and important In
themselves apart from tho accidents of
their present situation. McClurc, Phillips
& Co., New York. Price, $1.50.
Myrtle Reed ach.cved distinction when
sho wroto "Lovo Letters of n Musician,"
which wns so favorably received last year
and which was reviewed nt length ln these
columns.' It was hardly to bo presumed
that sho could repeat tho first success, cer
tainly not along the samo lines, nnd yet
ln her new book, "Later Love Letters of
a Musician," sho has equaled If not sur
passed tho Interest ot hor earlier letters.
Here will bo found the samo delicate fancy,
tho samo beautiful Imagery, the samo
musical phases from well known com
posers, lntroducttng tho several chapters
and giving the key to their various moods.
How successfully Miss Reed has accom
plluhcd her purposo In both series of let
ters will perhaps bo best realized when we
recognlzo how dangerously near the beau
tiful sentiment embodied In these letters
approaches to the sickly sentlmentnllty,
which Is never apparent In cither volume.
It will bo remembered that tho first scries
of letters wcro written by n young vio
linist, who wns, ns ho supposed, hopelessly
attached to tho beautiful girl to whom the
letters wcr'a addressed. Thcso letters,
which wero novcr Intended to actually
meet her eye and which were, as ho sup
posed, safely posted In tho recesses of his
own trunk, yet through accident accom
plished their mission. A serious Illness
befalling the young musician, tho letters
wero found and posted, tho result being
tho bringing together of tho two lovers.
Whllo tho present volumo Is In reality n
continuation or sequel to tho first scries,
yet tho thread of tho plot upon which tho
story Is strung Is so slight both volumes
depending for their interest upon tho
beauty of the languago and tho delicate
fancy apparent on evory page that Ignor
ance of the contents ot the first volume
need bo no special drawback to our en
joyment of the present scries of letters.
G. P. Putnum's Sous, New Yory. Prlco,
11.75.
Maurice Thompson's now story, "Alice of
Old Vlncennes," Is receiving tho most flat
tering notices from reviews, nnd it prom
ises to bo equally popular with the public.
The characters aro as animated as they are
diverse, Including soldiers, Indians, the
early French settlers of Indiana, a dear old
priest of pious heart and tho arm of a Friar
Tuck, and n beautiful young woman of he
roic nnd tender mould. Uncle Jason Is par
ticularly delightful, full of that wonderful
French galete de coeur that laughs nt dan
ger nnd death. Such n book comes Into tho
morbid fiction of tho day llko n breath of
October air. Thero Is tonic in Its pages.
The women of those stirring times had a
simple codo of lovo and loyalty that did
not Include other women's husbands. Life,
whether In pcaco or In war, was too ener
getic nnd strenuous for overmuch Intro
spection. Tho day's work filled hearts and
hands. Tho "Idle brain" which Is "tho
devil's workshop" was rurely found. Mr,
Thompson has recently shown how Indiana
Is forging to tho front ln letters. The
old question "Who's yer?" (which gave tho
namo to tho Hoosler state) Is to bo ai.
Hwored now by a long list ot thoso who
havo achieved things of which the mother
stato may well bo proud, and of these Mr.
Thompson Is in the foremost rank. Ilowen
Merrill compauy, Indianapolis.
G. P. Putnam's Sons have conferred a
genuine favor upon the reading public in
bringing out a cheap edition of Theodore
Roosevelt's works. It will bo known as the
"Sagamoro Edition" and will soil at 25
cents per copy. This Bet has been made to
meet a popular demand for a good Inex
pensive edition of writings which havo se
cured n placo for themselves ln the perma
nent lltcraturo of tho country, and which
nt this tlmo possess n special IntoreBt ln
the light thnt they throw upon the char
acter and tho opinions of tholr energetic
and public-spirited author. The first num
ber of the edition now nt hand Is "The
Wilderness Hunter," nnd It will bo followed
In rapid Bucc.3slon by tho other volumes
Tho print Is good and tho low price ought
to insure for It general favor.
In tho garret of the Smith homestead at
Sharon, Conn., built in 1765, Miss Helen
Evcrtson Smith has had access to thou
snnds of family letterfl, going back oomc
200 years, and it Is mainly from this source
that she has reconstructed the family life
ot tno seventeenth and eighteenth ccn
turles, as presented In her now book "Col
onlnl Days and Wars." Hut sho Is rclatod
not only to tho representative families of
Now England .but also to tho best known
of the old Dutch and somo of the Huruc
not families of New York, and sovcral of
her most IntercBtlng chapters descrlbo
enrly conditions ln New York and Now
Rochcllo nnd ln tho mnnor houses nlonp
tno liuuson river, in presenting her sub
ject, Miss Smith is careful to distinguish
between matters ot record and purely tra
ditional material. Somo of tho titles of
tho thirty-two chapters nro: "Tho Alpha
bet ot colonial Study," "A Plonocr Par
Bon," "Two Houses ln Old Now Amster
dam," "The Escape of n Huguenot Fam
ily," "Life ln an Enrly Colonial Manor,"
"A Literary Club ln 1780," "A Colonlnl
Wedding," "New England's Festive Day"
and "A Now York Frolic." Tho Century
company, Now York. Price, J2.G0.
"In Hostllo Jted: A Romanco of tho Mon
mouth Campaign," Is by J. A. Altshelor
whoso "In Circling Camps" was favorabb
received last year. Two dare-devil Amer
ican officers who flguro as tho heroes of the
story ride Into Philadelphia, where Howe
and his army nro feasting and making
merry, lu tho uniforms of two newly-arrived
Drltlshers whom they have captured. Their
hazardous advonturo carries them through
somo hairbreadth escapes and Introduce!
thorn to tho sturdy old patriot, John Des
mond and hU beautiful daughter. The par
tisan leader Wlldfoot and his extraordinary
exploits, nnd tho battle of Monmouth, where
tho terrible heat was almost as deadly ai
tho bullets, fill the story with dramatic In
cidents. Doubleday, Pago & Co., New York
Price, J1.50.
Albert Leo has earned n brilliant reputa
tion within tho la'st two years as n novolls
of tho Dutch republic. HIb new romance
"King Stork of tho Netherlands," with ltt
thrilling talo of tho betrayal of William an
his people by the faithless ruler In whom
they trusted, skotches In a singularly vivid
fashion a chaptor of history which cannot
an - r t'(
9)
You Wish?
fx
ate. If you are Interested It will cost i
V,
V
Si
bo read without deep Interest nnd emotion.
Mr. Leo will bo remembered ns tho nuthor
ot "Tho Key of the Holy House" nnd "A
Gentleman Pensioner." All three of his
books havo been brought out ns a part of
tho Town and Country library. 1). Apple-
ton & Co., New York. Price, $1.
"Mother Goose for Orown-Ups," by Guy
Wetmoro Carryl, Is n volumo of Jingling
rhymes containing many nmuslng hits that
will be found very entertaining for nn Idle
hour. The verso might bo described ns
humorous adaptations of our venornblo
nursery songs, that nro even more amusing
than Mr. Carryl's parodies of "Ln Fon
taine," published somo time since. Tho II
lustrations by Peter Newell and Gustavo
Vcrbeek aro stilllclcnt by themselves to nt
tract attention. It Is n vnluablo gift book
for nnyono with n sense of humor. It might
be added that somo of the verso was origi
nally published ln Harper's Mngaztuo nnd
the Saturday Evening Post. Harper &
Uros., New York.
Tho nbovo books aro for salo by
Mcgeath Stationery Co., 130S Fnr nam.
the
Lrnre IttilTiilo NtOO 1'. M Arrive New
York 7in;i A. SI.,
via Lehigh Valley railroad "Exposition
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SOME REGENT SUCCESSFUL FJGTJON.
"One of the prettiest nnd best
books of the year" HoMon Jkrald,
Monsieur Beaucair e,
, , P..V HOOTII TAHK1NGTON,
Author of "The Gentlemiin from Iudlnnn."
"Tho book In Its outward und vlslblo
form Is uncommonly hnrmonloim with Its
Inward crnco." Hook News.
Fifth Edition, with dccorntlons by C. 10.
Hooper, nnd Illustrations In two colors
uy c. 1J. Williams. Cloth, 12mo, 11.25.
A novel of modern society.
The Archbisop and
the Ladv,
Uy MltS. SCHUYLKK CHOWNINSIIIULD.
"ir i am nny judge, sirs, crowtilnsliicia h
novel Is going to make something llko u
xensutluii. It has n motit remarkable plot.
Thero Is a 'go' In the book." Jeannette L.
Glider. F.dltor of the Critic.
Second Edition, Cloth, 12mo, J1.50.
A Thoroughly American Novel.
The Darlingtons,
lly ELMORE ELLIOTT PEAKK.
"The Darllngtoim" Ib il novel so renilv nnd
unfailing In Its Interest ns a story, thnt
It Is nil that need bo dewlred, und yet It has
tho Intrinsic value that comes of avoiding
what Is trivial und what Is unrenl nnd Im
possible. secona j'.uiuon, ioui, l.-mo, ji.du.
A Novel for True Lovers.
April's Sowing
IJy GERTRUDE HALL.
Thero Is not n problem hero ns large nn
n man's hand, save thnt of how a mnld
and ii man shall, through many dtfllcul-
ties, reach the end they both desire.
Illustrated, Cloth, 12mo, $1.50.
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concludes a comparison of
Una book with "Billy Baxter's
Letters" thus
"They nro written In much the samo
slnnsy but effective stylo, nnd hnvo the
sumo Immediate nnd lusting clnlm on
the reuders attention. Mr. Cullen's
book ought to hnvo u wide sale nml
make n reputation for Its author."
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A New Novel of Character.
The Day of Wrath,
lly MAl'Rtia JOKAI.
Tho until ru of this story Is revealed by
Its title. Dr. Joknl Is too well known n
a mnker of strong und stirring lltcraturo
to need pratne.
Cloth, 12mo, H.25.
Love and Adventure in War.
The Fugitives
Uy ilOHLEY ROHERT8,
Author of "Tho Colossus, "
"A genuinely artistic novel." Pittsburg
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N. Y. Herald.
Second Edition, Cloth, 12rno,- $1.00.
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A novel of life In the Philippines by n
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book him und a tremendous Influence In
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Cloth, 12mo, 51. W.
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