DAKOTA CITY HERALD, DAKOTA CITY, NEBRASKA.
,1
t
Webster Man's Man
By PETER B. KYNE
Author of "Cappy Ricks," "The Valley of the Giants," Etc.
Copyright by Peter B. Kyne
"PLEA8E LET ME HEAR FROM YOU."
John Stuart Webster, mining engineer, mnn's man, years young, boards
a train In Death Valley, California, on his way back to civilization after clean
ing up J1W.000. He It dreaming of cool baths, Bilk pajamas and ham and eggs.
But he looks like a hobo to tlio porter and the conductor. Ills way of chang
Ins their views gives a hint of the mettlo of the man. Then he meets a dis
tressed lady, who makes his heart flop over for the first time In oil his days,
tie eliminates the offending man after (he stylo of the man's man the world
over, Ilelng what he Is and also girl-shy, he does not take advantage of his
opportunity. Hut he Just had to find out who the no-longer-dlstressed lad
Is, being determined to hatch up a scheme to meet her again and marry
her. She Is Dolores Ruey.
CHAPTER II Continued.
2
Webster struck tbo upholRtcry of nn
ndjnccnt chnlr n terrific blow with his
stick the effect of which was to cnuso
everybody In tho room to start and
to conceal Mr. Webster momentarily
In 11 cloud of dust, the whllo In a bel
lowing baritone he Bang:
"Ills fathor was a hard-rock miner;
Ho comes from my home town"
"Jack Webster I The devil's own
kin I" shouted Neddy Jerome. Ho
swept tbo cards Into a heap nnd wad
dled across tbo room to meet this
latest assailant of tbo pence and dig
nity of the Engineers' club. "You old,
worthless, ornery, no-good son of a
lizard 1 I've never been so glud to see
a man thnt didn't owe me money. I've
been combing tbo whole civilized
world for you, for n month, at lenst.
Where the devil baye you been?"
John Stunrt Webster beamed hnp
plly upon his friend. "Well, Neddy,
you old stocking-knitter," bo replied
quizzically, "since that Is tho enso, I'm
not surprised nt your failure to find
me. You've known mo long enough
to bnve remembered to confine your
search to the uncivilized reaches."
"Well, you're hero, at any rate and
I'm happy. Now you settle down."
"Hardly, Neddy. "I'm young yet,
you know only forty. Still a real live
' man nnd not qhlto ready to degenernto
Into a card-playing, ont-drlnk-nnd-be-
nerry, dle-of-Inanltlon, slnk-to-obllylon
and go-to-h flrepluce spirit 1" And
ho prodded Jerome In the short rllm
with n tentative thumb thnt caused
the- old mnn to wince. Ho permitted
his friend to drug him downstairs to
ho deserted lounge, where Jerome
pnusod In tho mlddlo of tho room nnd
renewed Ms query:
"Whore havo you been, I ask?"
"Out In Dentil vnllcy, Cnllfornln, try
ing to pry looso n fortune."
"Did you pry It?"
John Stunrt Webster nrched his eyo
brows In tnock reproach. "And you
. can see my now suit, Neddy, my six-tccn-dollnr,
mndc-to-order shoes and
tny horny hoofs encased In silken hoso
1 nnd nsk that question? Freshly
shaved nnd Ironed and nlmost nfrnld
to sit' down nnd get wrinkles In my
trousers Sinull thnt I" He blow u
cloud of clgnr smoko Into Jeromo'a
railing face. Tho latter sniffed. "It
uracils expensive," ho replied.
"Yes, nnd you can bet It tastes ex-
i pensive, too,'' Webster answered,
banding his clgur-cnso to his friend.
Jeromo bit tho end of his clgnr and
pat derisively. "How much havo you
made?" ho demanded bluntly.
"It' none of your business, but iU
tell you becnuso I lovo you, Neddy. I'vo
ade one hundred thousand dollnrs."
"Chlcken-feod," Jerome retorted.
"Johnny, I've been combing the rain
ml belt of North nnd 8outh America
for you for a month."
"Why this sudden belnted Intorcst
la raer
"I havo a flno Job for you, John"
"King's X," Webster interrupted,
and allowed both bonds with tho fin
fen crossed. "No plotting ngnlnst my
peace and comfort, Neddy. Haven't I
told you I'm nil dressed up for tbo
first time In three years, thnt I havo
money In my pockot and more In
bank? Mnn, I'm going to trend tho
primrose path for n yenr before I get
back Into tbo harness again."
Jerome wnved a deprecatory hand,
figuratively brushing aside such feeble
and Inconsequential argument "Are
you foot-loose?" he demanded.
"I'm not. I'm bound In golden
chains "
"Married, eh? Grent Scott, I might
hnvoguc.?sed It- Bo you're on your
honeymoon, eh 7"
"No such luck, you vlchy-drlnklng
Iconoclast, it you had ever gotten fur
enough from this club during tho post
fifteen 7enrs to got a brenth of renl
fresh nlr, you'd understand why 1
want to enjoy civilisation for a week
or two before I go back, to n mine su
perintendent's cabin on some bleak hill.
No, ' Old Jeremiah Q. Work nnd
I Hi a falling out. Dad burn
you . Neddy, I want some
cIuxk: tf been listening to n dago
shift-boss playing the nccordeon for
three years and ho could only piny
threw tutlcs. Now I wnnt Sousn
band. I've been bathing In tepid, dirty
water In a redwood sluice-box, and
bow I desire a steam room and a nee
die shower nnd an osteopath. I'vo been
boating Greasers and Italians nnd wns
forced to learn their language to get
remits, and now I want to speak my
other tongue to my old friends. I)y
ttiunder I'm going to have a new deal
all n round."
vi" H Jnek, Don't excite your
If. -nn exactly tblrfv day
to sicken of It all and then I shnll
come nnd clnlni my property."
"Neddy, I'll not work for you. I'm
mad. I won't piny."
"You're It. I Just tngged you."
"I require n rest but unfold your
proposition, Neddy. I wns bom n
poor, wenk vessel consumed with n
curiosity that wns ever my undoing.
I can only protest that this Is no way
to treat n friend,"
"Nonsense I My own brother wnnts
this Job, nnd I havo refused to give It
to him. Business Is business and I'vo
saved It for you."
Jeromo leaned forwurd nnd laid his
finger confidentially on Webster's
kneo; whereat the llght-henrted wan
derer cnrefully lifted tho finger,
brushed an Imaginary speck of dirt
from It, nnd set It down ngaln. "Bo
serious, you Ingrnte," Jeromo pro
tested, "Listen I I've been working
for two years on a consolldntlon up
near Tellurlde, nnd I've Just put It
neross., Jack, It's the biggest thing In
tho country. Colorndo Consolidated
Mines Company, Limited. English
capital, Jirck. I'ay 'em (J per cent,
nnd they'll call you blessed. There's
twenty-five thousand n year In It, with
n house nnd a good cook nnd nn nu
tomobllo nnd a chauffeur, nnd you enn
come to town whenever you please,
provided you don't neglect tho com
pany's Interest and I know you're
not that kind of nn engineer."
"Do I have to put some money Into
It, Neddy?"
"Not necessarily, although I should
ndvlso It. I can lot you In on tho
ground floor for thnt hundred thou
sand of yours, gunrantco you a hnnd
Bomo profit and In all probability a big
cleanup."
"I feel myself slipping, Neddy. Nev
ertheless, tho tall goes with tho hldo.
I'm not In tho habit of asking my
friends to gunrnntco my Investments,
and if you sny it's right, I'll spread
what I hnvo left of tho hundred thou
sand when I report for duty."
"It's been a tremendous Job get
ting tills consolidation over, Jack.
When"
"In pity's name I Spare me. I'vo
heard nil I wnnt to hear about your
confounded consolldntlon. News I
News I GIvo mo news I I havo to
beg for n drink Mose, you bluck
sinner, how dnro you appear before
mo without bringing a drink?"
Mose, the aged colored porter of
tho Engineers' club, flashed a row of
Ivories and respectfully returned tho
democratic greeting.
"Letter for you, mill. Tho socre
tnry told mo to give it to you, Mlstah
Webster."
"Thank you. Mose. Sneak un. Ned.
dy, nnd toll mo something. Ever hear
anything of Hilly Genry?"
Ho was tearing the edge of tho en
velope tho whllo he gazed nt Jorome,
who was rubbing his fat hands to
gothor after the fashion of elderly men
who nro well pleased with themselves.
"You have a chnnco to bocorno ono
of tho greatest and richest mining en
gineers In tho world, Jack," ho an
swered, "now thnt you've cut looso
from that young crook Ge,ary. I don't
know wbnt's becomo of him, nnd
neither does anybody cIbc. For thnt
matter, nobody cures."
"I do nnd you can tnko tho brief
end of that bet for your last white
chip. Don't let mo hear you or any
body else sny anything ngnlnst Blliy
Genry. Thnt boy goes for my money,
every turn In tho box. Don't make
any mistakes nbout thnt, oldtlnter."
Webster's fnco suddenly wns Berl
ous; tho bantering Intonation In his
volco wns gone, nnd n new, slightly
strident note had crept Into It. But
Jeromo waved his hand soothingly.
"All right, old Johnny Pepper-box,
hnvo It your own wuy. Novortheless,
I'm a little mystified. Tbo Inst 1
know of jou two, you had testified
ngulnst him In tho hlgh-grndo trlnls
nt Orlpplo Creek, and ho bad pulled
out under a cloud, even after bis nc
qulttnl." "GIvo a dog a bnd nnme. nnd It will
stick to. him," Webster retorted. "Of
course I testified ngnlnst him. As en
glneer for the Mlno Owners' associa
tion, I hnd to. Tho high-gvnde ore
wan found In his assay otllco, and the
circumstantial evidence was complete,
nnd I ndmlt Hilly wns acquitted
merely becnuso I and othora could not
swear positively that the ore came
from nny certnln tnlno. It wns tho
r.nmo old story, Neddy. You can be
morally certain that hlgh-grndo ore
has been stolen from your mlno, but
unless you catch the ore thief In the
net how can you prove It? I suppose
you read the newspaper reports and
bel loved them, Jaat a everybody else
dnea."
"Well, forget It, Jack. It'B all over
long ago, and forgotten."
"It wasn't all over bo long ago ns
you seem to think. I suppose you
know the Holmnn gnng was after
ward sent to tho penitentiary for
those same hlgh-grndo operations?
Illliy Genry'8 acquittal didn't end my
Intorcst In the case not by a Jugful I
I fought the case ngnlnst the friends
of the Holmnn crew nmong the mine
owners themselves ; nnd It cost mo my
good Job, my prestige ns a mining en
gineer, and thirty thousand dollnrs of
money thnt I'd slaved to get together.
Of course you never knew this, Neddy,
nnd for thnt matter, neither does
Geary. I wish be did. Wc were good
friends once. I certainly wns mighty
fond of flint boy."
He drew tile letter from tho en
velope nnd slowly opened It.'
"And you never henrd what becumc
of Genry?"
"Not n word. I wns too busy won
dering what was to become of me. I
couldn't get n Job anywhere In Colo
rado, nnd I moved to Nevntln. Made
n million In Goldfleld, dropped It In
the panic of 1007, nnd hnd to stnrt
again "
"What havo you been doing lately?"
"Borax. Staked n group of claims
down In Death valley. Bully ground,
Neddy, nnd I was busted when I lo
cated them. Hnd to borrow money to
pny the filing fees and Incorporation,
nnd did my own nsscssment work.
Look!" Webster bW up his hands,
still somewhat grimy and calloused.
"The Borax trust knew I wns busted,
but they never could quite get over
the fenr that I'd dig up eomo backing
and give them n run so they bought
me out."
"Somebody told me Genry hnd gone
to Itbodesln," Jerome, continued mus
ingly, "or maybe It was Capetown. I
know ho wns seen somewhere In South
Africa."
"He left the Creek Immediately
after the conclusion of his trial. Poor
boy I That dirty business destroyed
the lad and made a tramp of him, I
guess. I tell you, Neddy, no two men
over lived who came nenruT to loving
ench other than Billy Genry nnd his
old Jack-pardncr. Wo bucked the
mnrts of men nnd went to sleep to
gether hungry many n time during
our five-year pnrtnershlp. Why, Bill
wns like my own boy. Jerome, I curse
tho day I took that boy out from un
derground and put him In tho assay
ofllce to learn tho business. How
eonld I know thnt the Holmnn gang
had cached the stuff In his shnck?"
"Well, It's too bad," Jerome an
swered dully. He wns quite willing
that tho subject of conversation should
bo changed. "I!m glad to get the right
dope on the boy, anyhow. Havo an
other drink?"
"Not until I rend this letter. Now,
who the dlckons knew I wub headed
for Denver nnd the Engineers club?
I didn't tell a soul, nnd I only ar
rlved this morning."
He turned to tho last page to ascer
tain the Identity of his correspondent,
nnd his facial expression rnn the
gamut from surprise to a Joy thnt wns
good to see.
John Stuart Webster read the letter
deliberately, after which he sat In si
lent contemplation of tho design of the
enrpfct for fully a minute before reach
lug for tho bell. A servant responded
Immediately.
"Bring mo tho time-tables of all
roads leading to Now Orlenns," ho
ordered, "also n cnblo blank."
Webster hnd reread the letter be
fore the servant returned with the
time-tables,
"August, you go out to the desk,
llko u good fellow, and ask the secre
tary to arrange for u compartment for
mo to Now Orlenns on the Gulf Stntes
limited, leaving at 10 o'clock tomor
row night." Ho handed the servant
his enrd. "Now wait n minute until
I wrlto something." He seized the
J cnblo blank, helped himself, unin
vited, to Neddy ,eroino's fountain pen,
nnd wrpto:
"William II. Genry, Calle do Concordia
No. 10, Buenuveuturu, Sobrnnte,
C. A.
"Salute, you young Jackass I Just
received your lotter. Cabling thou
sand for emergency roll first thing to
morrow. Will order machinery. Leav
ing for Now Orleans tomorrow night,
to arrive Buenaventura first stcumer.
Your letter caught mo with u hundred
thousand. Wo cut It two ways und
tnko our chnuces. Keep a light In the
window for your old
"JACK-PARDNER."
"That's a windy cablegram," Neddy
Jerome remarked ns. tho servant bore
It nway. "Why all this garrulity? A
cablegram anywhere generally costa at
lenst a dollar a word."
'"That's my delight of a shiny
night. In the season of the yerr,' "
quoted John Stuart Webster; "and
why the devil economize when the boy
needs cheering up?"
"What boy?"
"Billy Geary."
"Where Is her
"Central America."
Neddy Jerome was happy. He was
In an expansive mood, for he had',
with tho assistance of a kindly fnte,
rounded nn the one engineer In all the
world whom he needed to tnko charge
of the Colorado Consolidated. So he
said:
"Well, Jack, Just to celebrate the
discovery of your old pal, I'll tell you
what I'll do. I'll O. K. your voucher
for the expense of bringing young
Genry bnck to tho U. S. A., nnd when
we get him hero, It will be up to you
to find n snug berth for him with Col
orado Consolldntcd."
"Neddy," said John Stunrt Webster,
"by my hnlldom, I love thee. You're
n thoughtful, kindly old stlck-ln-the-mud
"
"No lfs nor but's. I'm your boss,"
Jerome Interrupted, nnd wnddled
away to telephone tho bead waiter at
his favorite restaurant to reserve a'
table for two.
Sir. Webster sighed. lie disliked
exceedingly to disappoint old Neddy,
but Ho shrank from seeming to
think ovenvell of himself by declin
ing a twenty-llve-thousnnd-dollnr-a-year
Job with the biggest mining com
pany In Colorndo, but
"Itotten luck," he soliloquized. "It
runs thnt wny for a while, and then
it changes, nnd gets worse I"
When Jerome returned to his sent,
tho serious look In Webster's hitherto
laughing eyes challenged his immedi
ate attention.
"Neddy," said John Stuart Webster
gently, "do you remember my cross
ing my fingers and saying 'King's X'
when you enmo at mo with that propo
sition of yours? It Just breaks my
heart to have to decline it, but the
fact of the matter Is, I think you'd
better give thnt Job to your brother,
after nil. At any rate, I'm not going
to take It."
"Why?" the amazed Jerome de
manded. "Johnny, you're crazy In tho
head. Of course you'll take It."
For answer Webster handed his
friend the letter ho had Just received.
"Bead that, old horse, and sec If you
enn't work up a circulation," he sug
gested. Jeromo adjusted his spectacles and
rend :
"Cnllo do Concordia 10, Buenaventura,
"Sobrnnte, C. A.
"Dear John: I would address you
ns 'dear friend John,' did I but pos
sess sufficient courage. In my heart
of hearts you are still that, but after
three years of silence, due to my stu
pidity and hardness of heurt, It Is, per
linps, better to make hasto slowly.
"To begin, I should like to be for
given, on tho broad general grounds
that I am most almighty sorry for
what I went and donel Am I forgiv
en? I seem to see your friendly old
face and hear you answer 'Aye,' and
with this load off my chest at last I
hoi love I feel better already.
"Jack, you poor, deluded old piece
of whlto meat, do you think for a mo
ment that I held against you your
testimony for tho operators In Cripple
Creek? I thought you believed the
charges and that you testified In a
firm belief that I was the guilty man,
ns nit of the circumstantial evidence
seemed to Indicate. I thought tills for
three long, uiengre years, old friend,
nnd I'm sorry. After that, I suppose
there Isn't nny need for me to sny
more, except that you are an old fool
for not saying you were going to
spend your money and your time nnd
reputation trying to put my halo back
on straight I I doubt If I was worth
It, and you knew thnt; but let It pass,
for we have other fish to fry.
"The nubbin of the matter Is this:
There Is only one good gold mlno left
In this weary world and I have It.
It's the sweetest wildcat I ever struck,
and we stand tho finest show In the
world of starving to death If we
tacklo It without sufficient capital to
go through. It will take at least thirty
thousand dollars, and we ought to
have double thnt to play safe. I do
not know whether you have, or can
raise, sixty cents, but at any rate I
am going to put the buck up to you
nnd you enn tnko a look.
"This Is a pretty fair country, Jack
If you survive long enough to get
used to It. At first you think It's Par
adise; then you grow to hate It nnd
know It for bell with tho lid off; nnd
finally all your early love for It re
turns and you become what I am now
n tropical tramp 1 There Is only ono
soclnl stratum lower than mine, und
tlint's tho tropical beachcomber. 1
am not thnt yet; nnd will not be If
my lnndlndy will continue to listen to
my blandishment?. She Is a sweet
soul, with a divine disposition, nnd I
am duly grateful.
"I would tell you all about tho geog
raphy, topography, flora and fnunn of
Sobrante, but you can ascertain thut
In detail by consulting nny stand
ard encyclopedia. Governmentnlly the
country Is similar to Its sister re
publics. It's a cold day Indeed when
two patriots, two vivas and a conplo
of old Long Tom Springfield rifles
cannot upset tho Sobrnnte npple cart.
We haven't hnd n revolution for near
ly six months, but we have hope.
"I am addressing you at the Engi
neers' club, In tho hope that my lotter
17ay reach you thore, or perhaps the
secretary will know your address and
forward It to you. If you are foot
loose and still entertain a lingering
regard for your old oal. get huiy
this mining concession P. D. Q. Time
is the essence of the contract, be
cnuso I am holding on to the thin
edge of nothing, nnd if wo bnve a
change of government I may lose even
thnt I need you, John Stuart Web
ster, worse than I need salvation. I
enclose you a list of equipment re
quired. "If you receive" this letter and can
do anything for me, please cable. If
yon cannot, please cable anyway. Do
let me hear from you, Jack, If only to
tell me the old entente cordlale still
exists. I know now that I was con
siderable of a heedless pup a few years
ago and overlooked my hand quite reg
ularly, but now that I have a good
thing I do not know of anybody with
whom I care to share It except your
own genial self. Please let me hear
from you.
"Affectionately,
"BILLY."
Jerome finished rending this remark
able communication; then with In
finite nmusement he regarded John
Stunrt Webster over the tops of his
glnsses ns ono who examines a new
nnd Interesting species of bug.
"So Billy. loves thnt dear Sobrnnte,
eh?" he snld with abysmnl sarcasm.
"Jack Webster, listen to a sane man
and be guided accordingly. I was In
this same little Buenaventura once.
I wns there for three days, nnd I
wouldn't bnve been there three min
utes If I could have cnugbt n steamer
out sooner. Of nil the miserable,
squnlld, worthless, ornery, stinking
holes on the face of God's green foot
stool, Sobrnnte Is the worst If one
may Judge It by its capital city. Are
you going to chase off to this God-for-saken
fever-hole nt the behest of a lad
scarcely out of his swaddling clothes?
Jack Webster, surely you aren't going
to "throw yourself away give up the
sure thing I offer you to Join Billy
Genry- In Sobrnnte nnd finance a wild
cat prospect without a certificate of
title attached. Be reasonable. What
did you wire that confounded boy?"
"Thnt I was coming."
"Cable him you've changed yoar
mind. We'll send him some money to
come home, and you can give him .a
W i
"Cable Him You've Changed Your
Mind."
good Job under you. I'll O. It. the
vqucher nnd charge It to your per
sonal expense account."
"That's nice of you, old sport, and I
thank you Kindly. I'll talk to Billy
when I arrlvo In Buenaventura, and if
tho prospect doesn't look good to me,
I'll argue him out of It und we'll come
home. Let me go. I might come back.
But I must go. I want to see Billy."
"You Just said a minute ago you'd
turned the forty-year post," Jeromo
warned him. "And you're now going
to lose a year or two more In which
you might better be engaged laying
up a foundation of Independence for
your old age. For Heaven's sake, mnn,
don't be a fool."
"Oh, but I will be a fool," John Stu
nrt Webster nnswered; nnd possibly,
by this time, the render bns begun to
understand the potency of his middle
nnme the Scotch nre notoriously plg
headed, and Mr. Webster had Just
enough oatmeal In his blood to havo
como by that center fire name honest
ly. "And you, you poor old horse,
you could not possibly understand
why, If you lived to be n million years
old."
no got up from bis chair to the full
height of his six-feet-one, nnd
stretched 100 pounds of bone nnd mus
cle. "And so I sjii.ll go to Sobrnnte nnd
lose nil of this all-Important money,
shnll I?" ho jeered. "Then by all the
gods of the Open Country, I hope I
may. Dad burn you, Neddy, I'm not a
Methuselah. I want some fun In Ufa.
I want to fight and be broke and go
hungry and then make money for tho
loveiof making It and spending It, and
I wnnt to live a long time yet. I wnnt
to see the mirage ncross the sngebrush
nnd hear It whisper: ' 'Hither, John
Stuart Webster 1 Hither, you fool,
and I'll homswoggle you ngnln, ns In
nn elder day I hornswoggled you be
fore.' "
Jeromo shook his white thatch hope
lessly. "I thought you were a great mining
engineer, John," ho said sadly, "but
you're not. You're a poet. You do
not seem to core for money."
"Male It $10,000 and I will
guarantee to deliver the man
within 00 days."
ITO BK P.OVT1NI
HAVE PET BELIEFS
Few Men Are Without Some Su
perstitious Ideas.
And Most of Them Can Be Traced
Back to a Comparatively Com-
monplace Origin.
What Is your pet superstition?
"My pet superstition?" you'll prob
ably answer, with elevated eyebrows.
"Why, I haven't nny. Superstitions are
for the Ignorant people."
But pnuse a moment and rummage
around the shelves of your cerebellum
among your store of modern Informa
tion nnd see If there Isn't tucked away
In tho corner some old, musty, long
forgotten superstition you'd forgotten
was there.
Do you pick up the pin you see lying
In the street?
If you brenk a mirror does It give
you a moment's uneasiness? Honest. '
now?
When you knock over the salt cellar
do you not because you believe It does
nny good, of course, but becnuse It
can't do any harm do you take a
pinch nnd throw It over your left
shoulder?
Do you dislike to accept a $2 bill?
Would you give your friend a knife
without adding a penny to brenk the
charm?
Would you walk under a ladder?
Do you mind being the thirteenth nt
dinner?
These superstitions are the most
popular and they aren't nt nil confined
to uncdHcnted, or even uncultured peo
ple, ns has been demonstrated.
Of recent years an eminent scientist
who hnd collected mucli interesting
dnta on superstitions nmong educated
people decided to put his theory to a
high test, ne went to ono of the lead-
Ling universities of this country.
"My pet superstition?" The dignified:
old college professor echoed the ques
tion, removing his eyeglasses to get a
better view of the Impertinent stran
ger. "My dear fellow I Preposterous t
Superstitions belong to the dark ages.
We live In a period of culture."
Whereupon the professor proceeded"
to enlighten the stranger with a
lengthy dissertntion on his university
and his high literary standing, saying:
"Ono of the oldest universities In
the country, sir, ono of the finest. At
present we have nn oxeentlonnllv hlch
attendance. Everything has been run
ning smoothly " hero the Intellectual
professor halted to lean over nnd tap
lightly the wooden top of his desk.
It developed that 20 per cent of tho
college professors nt this university
were wholly without superstitions, but
some of them hnd their fingers
crossed.
A grent many of our superstitions
hnvo grown Up with us through so
ninny generations that -we are hardly
conscious of their presence. Many of
these date back to the early Romans
and Greeks.
Salt in ancient times wns used In re- .
Uglous rites, nnd supposed to possess
propitiatory powers. But when some
careless emperor's elbow knocked the
salt dish over its powers were lost, and
the only way to Insure a peaceful re-
sumption of the meal was to appease
j the evil powers by throwing a pinch
I of the spilled salt over the left shoul
der.
The superstition connected with a
broken mirror 'lates from Napoleon's
cnmpnlgn in Italy, when he accidental
ly broke the glass over the picture of
Josephine. Since glass hnd always
been connected in nny form ns sym
bolicnl of life nnd denth, Nnpoleoni
wns overcome with fear that some evil
hnd befnllen Josephine. And becnuse
the broken glass caused the great em
peror uneasiness, the woman on the
street ear today pales when she drops
her pocketbook nnd her mirror breaks.
Thirteenth Century Tomb.
An Interesting Thirteenth century
tombstone bns been discovered nt
Workshop (Englnnd) Priory church,
which Is being restored ns a war me
morial to the local men who fell In the
war. The tombstone which Is beauti
fully carved, has been identified as
that of Lady Furnlvnl, who built the
church In the Thirteenth century ns a
thnnkofferlng for the return of her son
from Pnlestlne, where he had gone In
order to bring home the benrt of his
brother, Gernld, who wns killed by the
Snrncens. The tombstone benrs evi
dence of .elaborate brass work, but the
metnl Itself has disappeared, appar
ently having been stolen or torn off.
The Lady chapel Is one of the roost
characteristic specimens of early Eng-
1 llsh nrchltecture In Englnnd, nnd Its
lnncet windows nre considered nmong
the mou perfect In the country.
Chaplin's Debt to Ingersoll.
In the life of Robert Ingersoll we
rend of n Fourth of July picnic nt
Dresden, N. Y where little Bob nnd
his plnymntes benme uncommonly.,
boisterous. When a dear old gentle-"
mnn tried to quiet the roughhouse,
Robert seized a ctwtard pie and hurled
It In the d. o. g.'s face. The higher
comedy In America mny owe ns much
to Robert Ingersoll as does the higher
criticism. Chicago Dally News.
As It Usually Is. i
"What do you think about letting
your son play football when ho crown
; up?"
"I'm in a peculiar state of mind
concerning that."
"In what way?"
"I feel that I shall not wnnt him
to play, but on the other hand I shall
be disappointed in him If Tje doesn't
want to play."
S.
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