Image provided by: University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries, Lincoln, NE
About The North Platte semi-weekly tribune. (North Platte, Neb.) 1895-1922 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 23, 1921)
NORTH PLATTE SEMI-WEEKLY TRIBUNE. H Copyright by Kithleon Norrls "WHAT A MESSMESS MESS!" "No," she whispered to herself, almost audibly, "no it can't be that! It can't be Cherry and Peter Oh, my Ood! Oh, my God, it has been that, all the time, that, all the time and I never knew it I never dreamed it I "It's Peter and Clicrryl They have come to care for each other they have come to care for each other," she said to herself, her thoughts rushing and tumbling in mad confusion as she tested and tried the new fear. "It must be so. But it can't be so!" Alix interrupted herself in terror, "for what shall we do what shall we do! Cherry in love with Peter. Hut Peter is my husband he is my husband. . . , Peter, who has always been so good to me so generous to me and it was Cherry all the time. "Poor Cherry I" the older sister said aloud. "Poor little old Cherry life hasn't been very kind to her! She and Peter must be so sorry and ashamed about this! And Dad would be so sorry; of all things he wanted most that Cherry should be happy! Perhaps," though I Alix, "he realized that she was that sort of a nature, she must love and be loved, or she cannot live!. But why did he let her marry Martin, and why wasn't he here to keep me from marrying Peter? What a mess mess mess we've made of it all! "Cherry would be disgraced, and Martin Martin would kill 'her, if he found her out! . . . Oh, my little sister! She would be town talk; she is so reckless, she would do anything she would be a public scandal, and the papers would have her pictures Dad's little yellow-headed Charity! Oh, Dad," she said, looking up into the dark, "tell me what to do! I need ybu sol Won't you somehow tell me-what to do?" Indeed, It ii a "men." For Alix ii Cherry's older litter. And Peter it Alix's husband. And Cherry is married to Martin. And Alix lovei both Peter and Chorry. And Martin and Cherry are drifting apart. And Dad is dead and can't help any of them. So Alix tries the only way she can see out of the mess. It works for hor, but for the others the results are unexpected. But who shall say not for the best? Kathleen Norris, as everyone knows, is a California authoress who has proved her ability to handle big stories like this. "Sisters" is a Rood example of the type of stories that has given her so largo and friendly a public. CHAPTER I. Cherry Strlckliuul enmo In the floor of tlio Strickland house, niul stint It behind hor, find Htood ho, with hor hands behind tier on the lcnob, and her slender body leaning forwnrd, mid hor bosom rising and fulling on deep, ecstatic brenths. It wns Mny In Cnll fornln, she wits Just eighteen, and for twenty-one mlnutcH bIio litul been en gaged to bo mnrrlod. She hardly knew why, after that last farewell to Martin, Hho had run ho swiftly up the puth, and why slo had Unshed into the house, and closed the door with such noiseless hnsto. There was nothing to run fori But It was as If she feared that tlio Joy with in her might escape Into the moonlight night that was so perfumed with f' lilacs and tlio scent of wet woods. She was afraid that It was all too won derful to ho true, that sho would awaken In the morning to find It only n dream, that sho would somehow fall short of Martin's Ideal somehow fall him -somehow turn nil this magic of moonshine and kisses Into ashes and heartbreak. Sho was n miser with her treasure, already; sho wanted to tly with It, und to hide It away, and to test Its reality in secret, alone. She had come running In from tlio wonderland down by the gnte, Just for this, Just to prove to herself thnt It would not vanish In the commonpJaccness of the shabby hall, would not disappear be fore the everyday contact of everyday things, Dad was In the sitting room, with the girls. The doctor's house was full of girls. Anno, his niece, was twenty four; Alix, Cherry's sister, three yenrs younger how staid and unmarried and undeslred they seemed tonight to panting nnd glowing and glorified eighteen I Anno, with Allx's erratic help, kept house, for her uncle, and was supposed to keep a sharp eye on Cherry, too. But sho hadn't been sharp, enough to keep Mnrtln Lloyd from asking her to marry him, exulted Qhorry, as sho stood breathless nnd laughing In the dark hallway. An older woman might have gone upstairs, to dream alone of hor new Joy, but Chorry thought that It would bo "fun" to Join the family, and "act as If nothing had happened 1" She was only n child, after all. Consciously or unconsciously, they had all tried to keep her a child, these threo who looked up to smllo at her as she came In. One of them, rosy, gray-beaded, magnlllcent at sixty, was her father, whose favorite she know su was. Ho held out his hand to her without closing the book that was In the other hand, nnd drew her to the wide am of his rhnir, where she set tled herself with her soft young body resting against him, her slim ankles crossed, and her cheek dropped uxnlnst his thick silver hair. Alix was reading, and dreamily scratching her ankle as she read; she wus u tall, awkward girl, younger far at twenty-one than Cherry was at eighteen, prutty In n glpsylsh way, un tidy its to lialr, with round blnek eyes, hjgli, thin cheek-bones marked with mttrlet and a wide, humorous mouth thu; - - -Mitucliow droll In Us expres sion even when she Was angry or seri ous. Anne, smiling demurely ovor her white sewing, wns n small, prettily made little woman, with silky hair trimly braided, and a rather pale, small face with charming nnd regular features. Anno hnd "ndmlrers," too, Cherry reflected, looking at her to night, but neither she nor Alix had ever been engaged engaged en gaged I "Aren't you home enrly?" said Dr. Strickland, rubbing his check agnlnst his youngest daughter's cheek In sleepy content. Ho wns never quite happy unless all threo girls were In his sight, but for this girl ho had al ways felt an especial protecting fond ness. He had followed her exquisite childhood with more thnn o father's usual devotion, perhaps because she really had been nn exceptionally en dearing child, yerhaps because she had been given him, a tiny crying thing In a basket, to till the great gap her inother'n going had left In his heart. "Mr., Lloyd had to take the nine o'clock train," Cherry answered her father dreamily, "and ho nnd Peter walked homo with met" She did not add that Peter had left them nt his own turning, n qunrter of a mile nway. "I thought be wasn't going to be at Mrs. North's for dinner," Anne oh served quletiy, In tho silence. She hud been Informally asked to the Norths for dinner thnt evening her self, and had declined for no other renson than that attractive Martin Lloyd was presumably not to be there. "Ho wnsn't," Cherry said. "lie thought ho had to go to town at six. I Just stopped In to give them Dad's messnge, and they teased mo to stay. Yon knew where I wns, didn't you Dnd?" sho murmured. "Mrs. North telephoned about six, and said you were there, but sho didn't say that Mr. Lloyd was." Anno said, with a faint hint of discontent In her tone, Alix Used her bright, mischievous eyes upon the two, and suspended her reading for n moment. Allx's attitude toward the opposite sex was one, of calm contempt, outwardly. But she had made rnthor an exception of Mar tin Lloyd, and hnd recently hnd a conversation with him on the subject of sensible, platonlc friendships be tween men und women. At the men Hon of his name she looked up, re membering this talk with a little thrill. Ills name had thrilled Anne, too, al though sho betrayed no sign of It as she sat quietly matching silks. In fact, ull threo of the girls were quite reudy to fall la love with young Lloj d, If two of them had not actually done so. Cherry hnd not been at homo when Martin first appeared In Mlli Valley, und the older girls had written her, visiting friends In Nupn, that she must come and meet the new man. Mnrtln was a mining engineer; he had been employed In n Nevada mlno, but wus visiting his cousin In the val ley now before going to n flew position In June. In Its Informal fashion, Mill Valley hud entertained him; he had tramped to the big forest live miles away with the Strlcklands, und there had been a picnic to the mountain-top. everybody making the hard climb ex cept Peter Joyce, who wns a trifle lame, and perhaps a little lazy ns well, and who usually rodo an old horse, wjth the lunch In snddle-hags at each side, Alix formulated her theories of platonlc friendships on these wnlks; Anne dreamed a foolish, huppy dream. Girls did marry, men did take wives to themselves, dreamed Anne; It would he unspenknbly sweet, but It would be no miracle! It was Just after that mountain pic nic thnt Cherry hnd come home; on u Sunday, ns It chanced, that was her eighteenth birthday, nnd on which Martin and his aunt were coming to dinner. Alix hnd marked the occasion by wearing a loose velvet gown In which she fancied herself; Anno had conscientiously decornted the table, had seen to it that there was Ice cream, and chicken, nnd ull the acces sories thnt make a Sunday dinner In the country n national Institution. Cherry hnd done nothing helpful. On the contrnry, she had disgraced herself and Infuriated Hong by decid ing to make fudge the last minute. Hong had flnnlly relegnted her to the Inundry, nnd it wns from this limbo that Martin, laughing Joyously, extrl ented her, when, sticky und repentant, she had called for help. It was Mar tin who untied the checked brown npron, dlsentnngllng from the strings the silky gold tendrils thnt were blow ing over Cherry's white neck, nnd Mnrtln who opened the door for her sugnry lingers, and Mnrtln who watched the ftylng little figure out of sight with a prolonged "Whew-w-wi" of utter astonishment. The child was a beauty. Her eighteenth birthday I Martin had been shown her birthday gifts; books und n silver belt buckle nnd u gold pen. nnd stationery and handker chiefs. A Any or two later sho had had another gift; had opened the tiny Shrevo box with n sudden hammering nt her heart, with a presage of delight. She hod found n sliver-topped candy Jnr, and the card of Mr. John Martin Lloyd, nnd under the name, In tiny letters, the words "Oh, fudge I" The girls lnughed over this nonsense ap preciatively, hut there was more than laughter In Cherry's heart. From thnt moment the world was changed, Her fnther, her sister, her cousin hud second plnce, now. Cherry hud put out her innocent little hand, and hnd opened tho gute, and hud pnssed through It Into the world. That hour was the beglniUng, nnd It hnd led her surely, steadily, to the other hour tonight when she had been kissed, and hnd kissed In return. "So we wnlk home with young men?" mused the doctor, smiling. "Look here, girls', this little Miss Muf fet will be cutting you both out with thnt young man, If you're not care ful I" Alix, deep In her story, did not henr him, but Anne smiled faintly, und fulntly frowned ns she shook her She Found a Sllver-Topped Candy Jar and the Card of Mr. John Martin Lloyd. head. She considered Cherry sulll clently precocious without Uncle Lee's Ill-considered tolerance. Ho would have had them always children, this tender, simple, Innocent Dr. Strickland. He wns In many ways a child himself. He had never made money In his profession; he nnd his Wife nnd the two tiny girls hud had a hard enough struggle sometimes. Anne nnd her own fnther hnd Joined the family eight years ago, In the same yenr that the Strickland patent flro extinguisher, over which the doc tor hnd been puttering for years, had been sold. It did not sell, as his neighbors believed, for a million dol Inrs, but for perhups one-tenth of thnt sum. It wns enough, and more than enough, whntever It wns. After Anne's father died It meant that the doctor could live on In the brown house under the redwoods, with his girls, rending, fussing with n new In vention, wnlklng, consulting with Anne, laughing nt Alix, and spoiling his youngest-born. It was a perfect life for the old man ; it wns only lately that he begun uneasily to suspect that they would somo day want something more, that they would some day tire of empty forest and blowing mountain ridge, and go .nwny from the shadow of Mt. Tumnlpals, and Into the world. Anne, now was she beginning to fancy this young Lloyd? Dr. Strlck-' land wus surprised with the fervor with which he repudiated the thought. This young engineer, who hnd drifted already Into a dozen different and dls tant places, was not the man for staid little Anne. "What did you want to see Mr. Lloyd nbout tomorrow, Dnd?" Cherry Interrupted his thoughts to ask. "The rose vine. What did he say about coming over, Cherry?" Cherry remarked, between two rend ing yuwns, that Mr. Lloyd wns coming over tomorrow nt ten o'clock, nnd Peter; too "Peter won't be much good!" Alix commented. Cherry looked nt her re proachfully. "You're awfully mean to Peter, late ly!" she protested. Her father gave her u shrewd look, with his good-night kiss, and immediately nfterwurd both the younger girls dragged their way up to bed. Alix and Cherry shared a bare, woody-smelling room tucked away un der brown eaves. The walls were of raw pine, the latticed windows, In bungalow fashion, opened Into the fragrant dnrkness of the night. The beds werp really bunks, and nbove her hunk each girl had an extra berth, for occnslonnl guests. There wus sennt prettlness In the room, and yet It was full of purity and churm. The girls, like all their neighbors, were hnrdy, bred to cold bnths, long wnlks, simple hours, and simple food. In the soft western climate they left their bed room windows open the year round; they liked to wake to winter damp and fog, nnd go downstulrs with blue finger-tips nnd chattering teeth, to warm themselves with breakfast and the lire. Alix rolled herself In a gray army blanket, nnd wns asleep In some sixty seconds. But Cherry felt that the was floating In seas of new Joy nnd utter delight, und that she would never be sleepy ugaln. Downstulrs Anne and the doctor sat staidly on, 'the mnn dreaming with a knotted forehead, the girl sewing. Presently she rnn a needle through her tine white work .with seven tiny stitches, folded It, and put her thimble Into u case thnt hung from her order ly wonkbag with a long ribbon. "Walt a minute, Anne," said the doc tor, as she straightened herself to rise. "This young Lloyd, now whnt do you think of him?" She widened demure blue eyes. "Should you be sorry If I liked him, Uncle Lee?" she smiled. The old man rumpled his silver hair restlessly. "That's the way the wind blows, eh?" he usked kindly. "Well you see how much he's hero ! You see the tlowers und books nnd notes. I'm not the sort of girl to wear my heart on my sleeve," Anne, who wus fond of smnll conservatlonnl tags, assured him merrily. "But there must be some lire where there's so much tniokel" she ended. "You're not sure, my dear?" he asked, after some thought. "Oh. no!" she nnswered. "It's Just a fancy that persists in coming nnd going." She got to her feet, saying brightly. "Well! we mustn't take this too gravely yet. It was only that I wanted to bo open and above-board with you, uncle, from the beginning. That's the only honest wny." "That's wise nnd right!" her uncle answered, In the kindly, absent tone he had used to them ns children, n tone he was apt to use to Anne when she was In her highest mood, nnd one she rather resented. "Cherry, now " he asked, detaining her for a moment. "Slit you don't think thnt perhaps Peter ndmlres her?" "Peter!" Anne echoed umnzedly, and stood thinking. Peter wus more than thirty years old, thin, scholarly, something of a solitary, the sweet, drenmy, nffectlon ate neighbor who hail sluired the girls! lives for the past ten years. For some reason she could not. or would not, de lino, Anne liked the Idea of Chorry and Peter fulling In love "Somehow oue doesn't think of Pe ter as nmrrylng unyone " she said sloWly. still trying to grnsp the thought. "You darling you little ex quisite beauty I" (TO BE CONTINUED.) Cold Comfort. The maiden of forty or so was up set. Snld she to a younger friend: "Kate talks so outrageously. Yester day sho told me I was nothing but n hopeless old muld." That's pretty frank." cxclulred her friend. "Still, It's belter than huv Ins her tell lies about you." TORTURES NURSE, PLEADS AMNESIA Eighteen-Year-Old Boy Is Arrest ed as He Tries to Escape Over Back Fence. New York. Pleading that he does not remember anything since about eight o'clock Saturday night, Frank Conway, an eighteen-year-old student at Erasmus high school In Brooklyn, on Sunday was held without ball fol lowing a spectacular arrest on a charge of torturing Miss Ethel Stew art, twenty yenrs old, n nursr for more than an hour In her room to force her to tell the hiding plnce of Jewels and money which he Insisted she possessed. The nurse, a student at tho Long Island College hospital, lives on the third floor of the nurses' home In an "I Know You Have $600 and Jewel." exclusive Columbia Heights section of Brooklyn. She was bound, gagged and beaten by the young man. He struck her on the head with the butt of a revolver and fled through a win dow by which he hnd entered, and climbed down a Are escape. Mlsa Stewart's screams attracted a score of. nurses ns well ns priests attached to St. Charles Itomnn Catholic church, In the rear of the nurses' home. A policeman captured Conway as he leaped over back fences. At four o'clock Sunday morning Miss Stewart was awakened by the sound of some one fumbling at the catch of her window, which opens on an Iron fire escape leading to the rear yard. Frightened, sho lay still ns the man entered. He switched on the elec tric lights nnd, holding a revolver within a few Inches of her face, said: "If you make a sound I will shoot your head off. I want the $600 and your diamonds. I know you have them here." Shaking with fright, the girl whis pered that all the money she hnd was $10 and that sho hnd no Jewels. "You are a liar!" she says the man whispered. .Dragging tho pillow from beneath her head he ripped its case Into strips, with which he bound Miss Stewart's hands nnd feet. He then gagged her with a towel and started to search for the money. Time and time again he returned to the "bed, the police say, slapped the girl's face nnd demanded she tell him where her vulunbles were hidden. "I know you have $000 and Jewels worth $1,200 more. I'll kill you If you don't give up," ho Is alleged to have said. After an hour of Intermittent tor ture the burglar, who removed the gag each time he demanded the money, losing patience, suddenly struck tlio girl on tho head with tho butt of tho revolver. As she sank back on the bed Miss Stewnrt screamed again nnd again. Druooist Sold Prune Juice for Whisky. Wushington. Whisky bought on prescription for sick people bus In some Instnnces been udulterated with wnter nnd prune Juice, or other liquids nnd sold at the price charged for puro liquor, according to complaints mado to prohibition enforcement ngents. The commissioner warns ho will act if such methods continue. Locked Mischievous Monkey In Jail. Woodbury, N. J. The county Jail has a now occupnnt, n mnn-slze monkey. Wnrden Mnger Is ready to give It up to anybody who wants a monkey of thnt kind. Surrogate F. D. Pedrlck, the owner of the animal, who had the beast locked up on a dis orderly conduct charge, Is anxious to be rid of It Wife-Beater Is Flogged in Court by Judge Snntn Ann, Cnl. Flogging with n rawhide was the punishment meted out In open court to Juan Torres ut his own request when he pleuded guilty to beating his wife. Justice J, B. Cox admin istered three lashes on to Torres' back, raising threo large welts. So many girls paint now that yoa rurely find one who can hold the mir ror up to nature. The unslnknblc ship Is being built In pairs In the British navy perhaps for the last time. dnhrlelle D.AununzIo Is mnrrled. Oh, well, what could he do? Italy refused to light with him. "But" Is the greatest word In the diplomatic dlctlonnry. As, for Instnnce, "blnck Is white, but" it's hnrd to understand these men who throw n lit nbout the government throwing out the unnt. The peak of rents Is believed to hnve been renched. Tl.o penk Is when n tenant tins a look In. It wns an open winter, but the conl dealer Is writing letters to try and make It a hard summer. How could n man say with flowers what he feels like saying when he la digging out dandelions? Improved Lawn Mower. A lawn mower that will successful ly cut tho grass on tho Incline of a terrace nnd that will not require Its operator to pull it up and down, nor run up and down the grass bank him self, is described In Popular Mechan ics Magazine. In construction the new device does not differ greatly from tho old-style lawn mower. In stead of tho stationary handle, tho n.ew machine has a pivoted handle set on a toothed quadrant. By lifting a stop pin from between the teeth of tho quadrant, and setting It to the desired point, the mower Is brought Into nn nngtilnr position relative to the operator, so that ho can cut a lengthwise swath on the slope with out leaving the ground level. The Preface to a Touch. Mr. Goousole "Cadger tells a piti ful hard-luck story." Mr. Pstunge "Yes, It's quite a touching tale." Adequate Reason. Alice "How do you know you love George." Virginia "Because Gladys wants him." Toledo Blade. No ugly, grimy streaks on tho clothes when Red Cross Ball Blue 13 used. Good bluing gets good results. All grocers carry It 5c. Advertisement If n man could read his own biog raphy It would surprise him more thnn anybody else. Don't Go From Bad to Worse! Are, you always weak, miserable and half-sick? Then it's time you found out what is wrong. Kidney weakness causes much suffering from backache lameness, stiffness and rheumatic pains, and if neglected brings danger of serious troubles dropsy, gravel and Bright's disease. Don't delay. Use Doan'a Kidney Pills. They have helped thousands and should help you. Ash your neighbor I A Nebraska Case iiumDOiai, iNour., says: "I was taken, with lamo back' and was almost, down with It. I had sharp, shooting, pains through the small of my back that felt like knife thrusts. I had dizzy spells and had to bo helped to walk. My kidneys acted; too often. Doan' KIdnev P 1 1 1 n re lieved mo, making mo feel like a dif ferent woman." Get Doan' at Any Store, 60c a Box DOAN'S iy,DIiasv FOSTER. MILBURN CO., BUFFALO, N. Y. WATCH THE BIG 4 Stomach-Kidneys-Heart-Liver Keep the vital organs healthy by regularly taking the world's stand ard remedy for kidney, liver, bladder and uric acid troubles COLD MEDAL The National Remedy of Holland for centuries and endorsed by Queen Wilhel mlnsw At all druggists, three sizes. Look for the name Gold Medal on avery box and accept no imitation Quickly Relieved by WAKEFIELD'S Blackberry Balsam Wakefield's Blackberry Balsam has been the surest and quickest remedy for Diar rhoea, Dysentery. Cholera Infantum and Cholera Morbus for 76 years. While It Is quick and positive In Its action. It Is harm less and does not constipate. It checks the trouble and puts the stomach and bowels In their naturnl. regular condition. Of the mil. lions of bottles sold, no case has been re ported where a cure was not effected when directions were followed. Every home should have a bottle or mora on band ready for audden attacks. Its and 11.00. fl.00 bottle holds tints tOe alas. Sold everywhere. Cuticura Soapl ' AND OINTMENT Clear the Skinl Soap 25c, Ointment 25 and SOc, Talcum 25c.
