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About The Alliance herald. (Alliance, Box Butte County, Neb.) 1902-1922 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 19, 1904)
A Hi- If. i k & l . I'W&P:'"' ITHE GIRL fHALFWAY ' - " ' ' - ' A STORY O F THE PLAINS nv e. not on. At nioit ok thk story oi thk cowboy tijyr ightid. 1303, ty 1) . AtfletOH 5- Ivmunr, Htw York jlafWiWfewttlJjWcwMQVtftMvl CHAPTER XVI. Continued. Aunt Lucy came over and sat down Upon a sod heap, resting her chin upon hor hand nnd looking fixedly at the girl, who still stood loaning ngahist the post. "Kr Miss Ma'y Ellen" sho began again. "Yes. What is it, Lucy?" "Does you know who's jess crhout thor fines' and llkelles' man whut lives in all these yor pahts erroun' yer?" Mary Ellen stopped tossing bits of broad to tho chickens. "No, Aunt Lucy," sho said. "I hadn't thought about that." "Yes. you has!" cried Aunt Lucy, rising and shaking a bodoful fore finger. "Yes you has. an' yes you does! An' you don' 'preshuate him, thnss whut. Him a wushshlppln' you!" t Mary Ellen began tossing bread again. "How do you know that?" she asked. "How does I krow? law me, jes listen to thet chile! How does I know? Aln ho done tolo me, an' yo' An' Liz zie, an' Ma jah Buford an' you? Aln ho done tolo you a dozen times? Don' everybody know hit? An he's a gem man, too, mo'oveh; he's a gemman! Reckon I knows quality! Yas, sir, Cap'n Franklin, sho shoh'ly am the bestes' man fer a real lady to choosen bestes In all this yer lun. Uh-huh!" "1 never thought of him not In that way," said Mary Ellen, not quite able to put nn end to this conversation. "Miss Ma'y Ellen," said Aunt Lucy solemnly, "I'so wukked fer you an' yo' fam'ly all my life, an I hates to say nry woh'd what ain't fltten. But 1 gotto to tell you, you aln' tellin' the trufe to mo, toe yo' old black mammy, right now. I tells you, an I knows it, tha' hain't nary gal on earth over done look at no man, I don't care who "No, Aunt Lucy, I ho wuz, 'thout thlnkin' 'bout him, an' 'cidln' In her rain', ono way er otheh whetheh she like fer to mah'y that ther man er not! If or 'ooman say she do different f'om thet, she shoh'ly fergettin' o the trufe, thass all! Aln1 thought o' him! Go 'long!" Aunt Lucy wiped her hand upon her apron violently In the vehemence of her In credulity. Mary Ellen's face sobered with a trace of the old melancholy. i'Aunt Lucy," she said, "you mean kindly, I am sure, but you must not talk to mo of these things. Don't you remember tho old days back home? Can you forgot Master Henry, Aunt Lucy enn you forget the days those days?" Aunt Lncy rose and went over to Mary Ellen and took her hand be tween her own great black ones. "No, I doesn't fcrglt nothln.', Miss Ma'y Ellen," she said, wiping the girl's eyes as though she wore still a baby. "I doesn't ferglt Mas' Henry. Gord bless him! I doesn't forgit him any mo'n you docs. But now listen toe yo' old black mammy, whut knows a heap mo'n you does, an' who Is a-talkln' toe you because you ain't got no real mam my o' yor own no mo'. Now, 1 done had fo' husban'fi. me. Two o' them done died, an' ono dlstapeart In the wah, an' ono he turn out no 'count. Now, you s'pose I kain't love no otheh man?" Mary Ellen could not restrain a smile, but It did not impinge upon the earnestness of the other. "Yas'm, Miss Ma'y Ellon," she con tinued, again taking tho girl's face between her hands. "Gord, he say. it hain't good fer man too be erlone. An Gord knows, speshul in er Ian' like this yer, hit's a heap mo fltten fer a man toe be erlone then fer a 'ooman. Somo wimmen-folks, they's made fer grievin', all there time, fer frettln. an' worr'ln. an' er-mopln' 'roun. Then, agin, some is made fer lovln' 1 don' say fer lovln' mo'n one man to er timo; fer ther ain't no good 'ooman over did thet. But some U made for lovln'. They seen er hoap o' no 'count folks in ther worl', hit' do seem like a shame when ono o' them sort don' lovo nobody, an" won't let nobody love thorn!" Mary Ellon was silent. Sho could not quite say the world to stoji tho old servant's garrulity, and tho latter went on. "Whut I dees say, Miss Ma'y Ellen." sho resumed earnestly looking into the girl's face as though to carry convic tion with hor speech "whut I doos say, an' I says hit fer yo' own good, is this: Mas' Henry, he's dald! He's AT THE HOUSE dald nn' buh'ied, an' flowc'is growln' oveh his grave, yeahs 'n yeahs. An' you never wuz mahlod toe him. An' you wan't nothln' but n gal. Chile, you don't know nothln' 'bout lovln' ylL Now, I says too you, whut's ther use? Thass hit. MIsh Ma'y Ellen, whul's ther use?" CHAPTER XVII. En Voyage. "I wish, Sam," said Franklin ono morning as ho stopped at the door of the livery barn "I wish that you would got me up a good toam. I'm thinking of driving over south a Utile way to-day." "All right. Cap," said Sam. "I reck on wo can fix you up. How far you goln'? "Well, about twonty-flvc or thirty miles, perhaps." "Which will bring you." said Sam meditatively, "just about to tho Half way House. 'Seein' It's about there you'll bo stoppln', I reckon I better givo you my now buggy. 1 sort of keep It, you know, for special 'ca slons." Ho disappeared within tho barn, whence presently nroso sounds of tu mult. Tho "span" emerged with ono half of Its constituent pnrts walking on Its hind logs and lashing out vici ously In front.. "Well, I don't know about that black-," said Franklin critically. "He's a bit bionco. Isn't ho?" "What, him?" said Sam. "Naw. ho's all right. You don't suppose I'd run In any wild stock on you. do you? He's been hitched up several times, an' he's plumb gentle. May rare up a Httlo at first, but he's all right. Of course, you want to have a little style about you. goln' down there." Franklin got into tho buggy, while hadn't thought about that." Sam held the head of tho "plumb gen tle" horse. When cast loose tho lat ter reared again and came down with his fore feet over the neck yoke. Nim bly recovering, ho made a gallant nt tempt to kick In the dashboard. This stirred up his mnto to a thought of former days, and tho two went away pawing and plunging. "So long!" cried Sam, waving his hand. "Good luck!" Franklin was for a time busy In keep ing his team upon the trail, but soon they settled down Into a steady, shuf fling trot, to which they held for a mile over the hard praliio road. An hour's drive from the town, and the traveler seemed in a virgin world. A band of antelope lined up on the crest of a ridge and stood staring steadfast ly. A gray-winged hawk swept wide and oasily along the surface of the earth on Its morning hunting trip. Near by tho trail hundreds of cheerful prairie dogs barked and jerked their ceaseless salutntlon. An ancient and untroubled schemo of life lay all around him, appealing in its freshness and its charm. Lifting and shimmering mysterious ly in tho midday sun, as though tanta lizing any chance traveler of that wide land with a prospect alluring, yet 1m possible, the buildings of the Halfway station now loomed large nnd dark, now sank until they seemed a fow broken dots and dashes just visible upon tho wide gray plain. Yet soon these seemed to grow closer, and Franklin found himself again at tho spot with which he was already so well acquainted that every detail, every low building and gnarled bit of wood, was tabulated surely In his mind. The creak of the windmill pres ently came to his ears as a familiar sound, but rasping and irritating on his strong nerves as tho croak of the older Fate. Buford mot him In the yard, and the two together busied themselves In tak ing care of the team, tho former apologizing that he still had no ser vant for such work. "I'm mighty glad to see you again, captain, for it looked as though you had forsaken us. It cer tainly is a comfort to seo a gontloman like yourself onco In a while. We meet plenty of cowmen and movors, decont folk enough, but they have a lack, sir, they have a lack. I main tain, sir, that no gentleman can flour ish without that intelligent social in tercourse with his" kind which Is as much a part of his llvln', sir, as the eat In' of his dally bread. Now, as I was sayln' about Gen. Leo, sir. I am willing to admit, sir, that tho war is over, but I never did admit, and, sir, I contend yet, that Lee was the great est general that tho world over snr--far greater than Grant, who was In command of resources luslutloly tu perlor. Now, then " "Oh. uncle, uncle!" crlod a volco behind him. 'Have you begun tho war orr again so hoou? You inL'M at least lot Mr, Franklin get li t tho houxe." Mary Fllcn stood at the door of th; dugout, just clear of tho front, and upon the second step of the stair, and her hand half shading her oyos. Tho sun fell upon her brown "hair, chang ing its chestnut to a ruddy bronee, vital nnd warm, with a look as though It breathed a fragrance of Its own. A little ngrnut lock blew down at the temple, anil Franklin yearned, as ho always did when he saw this small truant, to stroke It back Into Its place. Tlo sun and the open air had klised pink Into the cheek undernenth tho healthy brown, l'he curve ot the girl's chin was full and firm. Her tnll fig ure had all the grace of a normal being. Her face, sweet and serious, showed the symmetry of perfect and well-balanced faculties. The vision of hor standing there caused Franklin to thrill nnd Hush. Unconsciously he drew near to her, too absorbed to notice the one visible token of a pos sible success; for, as ho approached, hat In hand, the girl drew back, as though she feared. There was something not. easily to be denied In this tall man. his tlguro still military In Its self-respect of car riage, with the broad shoulders, the compact trunk, the hard Jaw, and the straight blue eyo of the man of deeds, lie looked so lit and manly, so clean of heaTt. and so direct of purpose as he came on now In this forlorn hopo that Mary Ellen felt a shiver of self distrust. She stepped back, calling on nil the familinr spirits of the past. Her heart stopped. Vesumlng at double speed. U seemed as though a thrill of tingling warmth cnmo from some whore In the air this time, this day, this hour, this man. so Imperative, this new land, this new world Into which she had come from that of her eaillor yeans! She was yet so young! Could there be something unknown, some sweetness yet unsounded? Could there be that rest and content which, strive as she might, were still missing from her life? Could there bo this and honor? Mary Ellen lied, ami In hor room sat down staring In a sudden panic. She needed to search out a certain faded picture. It was nlmost with a sol) that sho noted the thin shoulders, the. unformed jaw. the eye betokening pride rather than vigor, the brow indicative of petulance as much as sternness. Mary Ellen laid tho pic ture to her cheek, saying again nnd again that she loved It still. Poor girl, she did not yet know that this was but the maternal love of a woman's heart, pitying, fender and remember ing, to be sure, but not that love over which the morning stars sang together at the beginning of tho world. (To be continued.) Mine Drainage Planned. "Miru.- drainage, operations in South Staffordshire, England, by which 40, 1)00,000 tons of coal may bo won from Hooded pits, nro now contemplated. These mines havo been flooded for a quarter of a century. The coal nrea has been split up into various owner ships, and before a drainage commis sion came Into existence ench owner was supposed to pump tho water from his own pits. Some of them failed to do this and in the end all ot tho pits wero abandoned. A drainage commis sion has obtained power to pump out the pits and has secured a loan of $500,000 to do It with. The project Is an extensive and difficult one, but mining experts declare that It offers no obstacles which modern engineer ing resources are unable to conquer. The re-startlng ot the mines means n Jarge access of property to a district that stands in urgent need of It, and the prospect of restoring this long abandoned industry has created great interest In the neighborhood. Digging Well to Drain a Bog. An Ingenious Yankee who lives on the west coast of Florida adopted a novel method to drain a bog on his plantation. He put down a four-Inch well in the middle of his bog deep enough to tap the water bearing grav el. A nice flow of water was encoun tered, which rose in tho well nearly to the surface. As soon as the top of the pipe wns pushed down to a level with the bottom of tho bog, tho water In the pond rushed down Into tho well and passed oft through sub terranean channels. In a few hours tho bog was drained. The land has since been plowed and Is now a valu able truck farm. Scientists declare that wot lands In many sections of the country can bo drained by this simple method. Care must be taken not to permit tho well to fill up with rubbish, which might impede tho Ingress of tho water. Plenty of Raw Material. "Grandpa," said the children, "tell us another story about tho time when you were a young man and traveled with tho show." "Well," said Grandfather Button, "when I was with Nixon & Kemp's circus, forty or fifty years ago, ono ot my groat acts was to got a boy to put an apple on top ot his hoad and then I would stand ton paces away and shoot a rifle ball through It." "But didn't you somotlmes miss tho applo and shoot the boy?" "Not often, but it happoned onco In a while, of course." "What did you do thou?" they asked breathlessly. "Do?" said Grandfather Button, shrugging his shoulders. "Why, some times I had to wait two or three min utes before I could find auothor boy, but not often. Thero are always ploa ty of boys." BOATS ARE SUNK THREE JAPANESE VEOSCLS GO DOWN. WITH GREAT L0S3 OF LIFE Japanese Attempt a Landing Near Bedzero Come Into the Harbor Flashing Russian Olgnals as They Advance. CHE 100. Out or the rotir Japan ese torpedo boats which made tho first attack on Monday night at Poit Arthur, throe worn sunk with great Jobs of life. Tho fourth van a 20-knot boat and oecapud. The Jupnmwo tor- IT IE LEAP - &s SSH'SS' W$w?A MM p And Single Men Had Dettsr Tako "To the Brush." Boston Herald. pedo boats elfocted an entrance Into tho outer harbor by using tho Rus slnn slgnnl Ihish-lights. Consequently the Russians did not lira on them. Tho following of tho first surpiisen Is I ro in a Russian naval officer: "The bnttloshlp Pallnda was oji the outside edge of the Russian fleet and on watch duty that night. Tho chief artillery officer noticed four torpedo boats approaching, with full lights nnd In nil respects like Russian tor pedo bouts. "The uflhw informed his cayta'i', that the approaching boats wero Jap anese. The captain denied this and said they woro built In Port Arthur. Tho artillery officer Insisted thnt they wero Japanese and the captuln became angry, saying: " 'I am In command of the ship, sir.' "Despite this tho artillery olllcer gave orders to prepare for action." It Is reported now that tho Japan tst attempted a landing near Bedzero, eighty miles north of Port Arthur, but wore repulsed with heavy loss. They again tried to effect a landing at Tallouwan, under tho shelter of tho fleet, but owing to the strong fort firing, they wero unable to succeed. It is said that ono Japanese ship has been torpedoed. Tho British merchant ships In Port Arthur havo repeatedly applied for permission fo leave port, but this has been refused. The Tsaravltch was towed into tho harbor hero at .' o'clock on Tuesday afternoon. It Is said only Its outer bottom wus penetrated by tho Japan ese torpedo and the Russians aro now bussy repairing it. It can be re paired In two or three days. Tho Pallada Is still outside aud beached. It must bo Berlously Injur ed, but It Is now also being repaired. It Is tho only one ot the torpedo ves sels now outside. A shell struck a hospital ship out side tho basin during tho bombard ment. Tho captain's cabin and tho liiart room woro blown off, but there was no loss of life, as the ship was only recently purchased and was uu manned. Reports of Heavy Firing. TIEN TSIN-It is reported from Chlng Wang Tao, nbout 150 mllos northwest of Tlon Tsln, that heavy firing has been heard at sea and It is inferred that another ongagomont has taken place. Iowa Man a Big Loser. WEBSTER CITY. la. George II. Rcineekcr, tho Webster City million aire, lost a quarter of a million dol lars In the Raltlmovo fire. Ho owned the steel structure next to the Hurst building. In which the fire started. He carried but SLO00 Insurance. Wants Legation Archives. CARACAS, Venezuela Tho Colom hlan government has sent notlco to W. W, Russell, the American charge d'affaires here, who has In his posses sion the archives, safe and books be longing to tho Colombian logation at Caracas since diplomatic rotations be tween Colombia and Venozuola wero severed, to transmit this property to Bogota. It has been learned here that large quantities or provisions re rcntly have been bought at Cura eao and Trinidad, to be sent to Sa vanilla and Cartagena, Colombia. CAPTURE DY JAP3. They Take Prisoners Two Thousand Russians. LONDON Special dispatch from Toklo says the .lapnnese have cap tured three Russian transport, hav ing on board alout 8. 000 trooj n. Dispatcher to tho Dally Mall from Toklo nnd Nagasaki, duted February 10, report tho arrival at Saslio. Japan, of two largo Hiiwdnn steamers. Ono Is tho volunteer Float nssoclflthm transport Eknteiinosluv, which re cently landed troops and arms at Port Arthur, and the other Is tha steamer Argun, belonging to tho Chinese East orn Hallway company. Both woro captured by the Japanese cruisers Sal Yet and Ilrl Yen In tho neighborhood of Fuinn Coroa. The Iflknterlnoslnv YEAR YOU KNCW. - r Is of 10,000 tons dlsplncomont and had boon fitted up as an auxiliary cruis er. It had thirty lilies on board and was on Its way from Vladivostok. Tho Argun wns going to Clndlvostok from Nagasaki, The Russian whnler.i Clorlg, Nlcel7.nl, Alexander nnd Mich ael, captured by tho Japanese, havo also arrived at Sascbo. Official dispatches from Toklo ro celved by Baron llayashl says tho Japanese admiral, on arriving at Chemulpo, Corea. sent In word to tho i-two RuscKin eruffcOrs, giving" them u time limit In which to leave. Shortly nfterward the Ruslsans came out ami attacked a Japanese torpedo boat, which replied with a torpedo Inef fectively. A general exchange of shots then followed. After a hot 11 ro the Russians returned to Chemulpo i and sank at the entrance of tho hnr- hor, . Is not yet known whethori Hielr sinking was due to the Japaneso lire or to tho Russians' own action," but it Is believed to bo duo to the. former. Tho crows of both tho Rus sian vessels sought refuge on a French warship at Chemulpo. Thero were no casualties among the Japaneso and their vessels sustained no damage. "Wo were slow in negotiation, so wo arc making up for lost time by quick ness in action," said Baron llayashl this morning. "The engagements at Port Arthur and Chemulpo wero mere ly In accordance with plans long ma tured. As soon as our forces are land ed In Corea look for an important fleet action at Port Arthur. Tho Rus sian vessels aro not likely to givo up tho advantage they gained by be ing under the cover of their land bat teries. By going to tho Chinese side, hbwevor, the Japaneso fleet, by high angle fire, can drop in hhells which should make It very uncomfortable for (he Russian ships lying moored closo to one another. Thereby It Is hoped to drive out Viceroy Alexleff's forces. Possibly, like Admiral Cervcra, ho may anticipate fate and come into tho open of his own accord. The presont events merely go to show tho utter uselessness of Port Arthur from a strategic view point." Raising Funds for Japan. NEW YORK Consul General Uchi da prosidod on Friday at a mass moot lag in Carnegie hall, attended by sev eral hundred Japanese nnd many American sympathizers, for tho pur pose of furthniing the plan to ralso a fund for Japan. Mr. Uchlda an nounced that it was Intended to ralso 55.000.000. In view of the prosldont's proclamation of neutrality he explain ed that It would only bo permissible for Amorlean citizens to contribute for tho support of tho Japanese Rod Cross society. Cuba's Proposed Loan. HAVANA. Bidders tor tho propos ed loan or $:'5.oco,0fl0 will submit pro posals in a very fow dnys. In view of the flnancinl uncertainties caused by tho war in the far east it Is not ex pected, however, that these proposals w'l be ebsolntely definite. President Palnn has isnueid a decree thnt tho revolutionary bonds of 189fi and 1897 may bo proAuuted bore alter tho pres ent weok far examination nnd recog nition prollmlnnry to the payment of accrued Interest on the same at that time. &9DrytflE BB No Race Suicide Here. Bohlnd two young women kinder gnrton tenchors riding In nn elevated train sal a drowsy old Irishman "How many children have you?" in quired ono lonelier of hor companion "Twonty-two," was tho roply. "How many havo you?" "I havo only nineteen," was Urn answer. "Faith," spoko up tho Irishman "It's alsy to see you'ro none of tlnui race milclders." Now York Press Chance to Get Even. Mrs. Gabbol What do you llilnl George? When the doctor called thi other day ho asked mo to put out in tongue, and when 1 did so he qui hurt me. Ho Mr. Gabbel (Interposing Did ho :troad on It? Stray Stories. Would Not Hurt Them. Strangor Gracious! What rude conductors! Native This Is tho elevated road, you know. Stranger Well, It wouldn't hurt tl conductors to be a Httlo more ele vated. Genuine Joke. Frnycd Freddy I'm a professional humorist by trado, mum. lx-idy Then why don't you work at It? F. F. I do, mum. Everywhero I go I promises to work for mo dinner. Hobson's Choice. HI Tragerdy Woll, well! I novcr thought you'd condescend' to tako so small a part as the ono you'ro cast for now, Imw Comerdy Well, I havo to live. HI Tragerdy Oh, was It that bad? Low Comedy Yes, I decided that a small role was better than no bread. Tosccd and Roasted. "I told him he'd havo to choose be tween mo and that big racing car ot his. But he was infatunted with tho machine." "YoU threv,' him oycrof course?" "The big car saved motho troubTe.'r Automobile Mngazlnc. It Was, Indeed. "You look1 happy." . "Yes. I heard some good nows tO' day. My undo Is going to give me the money 1 need to start mo In busl ncss," ."AU,!r Then that's really what you may cnllv'cnpltul news." ,. Natural Deduction. ' JloJaxI wouldn't bo surprised to hear that Wlndlg had blown his brains out any day. Tomdlx Has ho threatened to sui cide? Hojax No, but ho purchased a cor net last week. A Sure Thing. Hoax I suffer so from shortness of breath. Joax Go seo tho doctor, and h'll soon stop that. Truth Pops Up. "That is a curious looking cane, major," said tho visitor. "A memento of the war of tho robelllon, I suppose?" "Yes," replied the old veteran. "It was made from' the hollow log I oc cupied at tho famous battle of Bull Run." A Fool and Another. "He wanted to bet, but I just told him thnt 'betting was d fool's argu ment,' and that settled the discus sion." "Oh, I can't bolleve that you shut him up that oasily." "I'll bet you I did." I )smWAi Bj Winter. Yeast When we got real cold woathor they say we arc getting a tasto ot winter. What Is the tasto of wintor? Crlmsonbcak Why, It's when it la bitter.