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About The North Platte semi-weekly tribune. (North Platte, Neb.) 1895-1922 | View Entire Issue (Sept. 16, 1921)
NORTH PLATTE SEMI-WEEKLY TRIBUNE SISTERS By KATHLEEN NORMS PETER'S RETURN. Synopsis-Doctor fitrlcklnnd, re tired, is living In Mill Valley, near han Francisco, ills family conalnta of hit daughters, Allx, 21, and Cherry, 18, nnd Anne, Ills niece, 24. Their closest friend Is Pctor Joyce, a lovable sort of rrcluse. Martin I.loyd. a visiting ulnlng engineer, wins Cherry, marries her and cur rlc her oft to Kl NUlo, a mine town. I'eter reallr.es that he loves Chert y. Justin Utile woon Anne. Cherry comes home for Anne's wedding. Cherry realizes her mar rlaga Is a failure. I'otor tells Cher ry of his "grand passion," without naming the girl. Martin comes for Cherry. Martin and Cherry drift apart. CHAPTER IX, In Jnnunry, however, ha ciiinc lionii' out! noon to find her hutted und wrapped to go. "Oh, Mnrt It's Paddy !" she wild. "He's III 1'vo got to see lilm! He's awfully ill." "Toleirrnm?" nsked Miirlln, hot pit r tlctilnrly plensed, lut not unsympa thetic, tdthcr. For answer hIic gnve him tlio yellow paper thut was wet with her tears. "Dud III," lie read. "Don't worry. Come If you can. Allx." "I'll bet It's u put-up Jolt hetween you nnd Allx " Martin said lu Indul gent suspicion. Her Indignant glance sobered him; lie luiHllly nrrungod money mutters nnd tluit nlplit she got off the I ruin In the dnrk wetness of the vnlJoy. mid wus met hy n rush of cool nnd fragrant nlr. Cherry got n driver, rattled nnd Jerked up to the house In u mirrey, nnd Jumped out, her heart utmost suf focating her. Allx enmc flying to Hie door; the old lurripllght und the odor of wood smoke poured through, There wns no need for words; they burst Into teurs nnd clung together. An hour Inter Cherry, feeling iih If she was not the wiuie woinnu who wuked lu Red Creek this same morn ing nnd got Murtln'H eggH nnd coffee ready, erept Into her futljer'n room. Allx hud warned her to ho Quiet, hut at the sight or the mujestle old grny heud nnd the line old hands chiHped together on the Hheet, her self-control forsook her entirely und hIio fell to her knees nnd hegnn to cry nguln. The nurso looked nt her dlsupprov. Ingly, hut nfter all, It made little dif ference. Dr. .Strickland roused only once uguln nnd Unit wns tunny hours later. Cherry nnd Ailx were still keeping their vigil; Cherry, worn out, hud been dozing; the purse wns rest ing on a couch In the next room. Suddenly both daughters were wide nwiike nt the sound of thu hoarse yet familiar voice. Allx fell on her knees und caught the cold nnd wandering bund, "Whnt Is It, darling?" The old. Imlf Joklng mnternnl manner wns" all in earnest now. "Peter?" he snld thickly. "Peter's In Chlnn, dear. You remem ber that I'eter wns to go around the world? Ton remember thnt, Dad?" "No-" he said musingly. They thought he slept ngnln, but ho present ly udded: "Somewhere In Matthew no, In Mark Mark Is the human one Mark wns as human us his Mas ter" "Shall I reutl you from Mnrk?" Allx asked, aft his voice sank again. A shabby old Dibit always stood at her father's bedside; she reached for It, nnd making a desperate effort to steady her voice, began to rend. The place wns marked by an old letter, tind opened nt the chapter he seemed to desire, for ns sho rend ho seemed to bo drinking In the words. Once they heard him whisper, "Wonderful l" Cherry got up on the bed nnd took the .splendid dying head lu her ar-., ; the murky winter dawn crept In and (he lamp burned sickly lu the dnyllght. Hong could be heard stirring, Alls dosed the book und extinguished tin lamp. Cherry did not move. "Chnrltyt" the old man said pros ently, In n simple, childish tone. Later, with bursts of tcurs, In nil the utter j uesoiauon or me nays mnt louoweo. uuerry iovea to remcmnor unit ins last uttcrnnco wus her name. Hut Allx kn,cw, though she never suld It, thnt it wns to another Chnrlty he spoke. Subdued, looking younger und thin ner in their new blnck, the sisters came downstairs, ten days Inter, for a business talk, Peter hud been named as one executor; but Peter wiih far owny, nnd It wus a pleasant family friend, n kindly old surgeon of Dr. Strickland's own nge, or near It, and the lawyCr, George Sewnll, the other executor, who told them ubout their nffalrs, Anne, ns co-helress, wns pres ent nt this tulk, with' Justin sitting eloe beside her. Martin, too, who hud ctime down for the funeral, wns there- Tiie house went to the daughters; there were books and portraits for Anne, a box or two hi, storage for Anne, and Anne won mentioned In the only will ns equally Inheriting with Alexandra und Charity. For some lexal rt;ason thut the lawyer und Dr. tfoiiusCr iimU tlmtr. Aunu could not fully Inherit, but her share would be only a trifle less thnn her cousins'. Things bnd reached this point when Justin Little calmly and confidently claimed thnt Annc'B share was to be based upon nn old loan of Anne's fn ther to his brother, n lonn of threo thousnnd dollars to float Lec Strlck land's Invention, with the undcrstn,nd Ing thnt. Vincent Strlcklnnd be subse quently entitled to one-third of the re turns. As the patent hud been sold for nenrly one li'indred und fifty thou snnd dollnrs, one-third of It, with ac cumulative Interest for ten years, of Vjhleh uo payment hud ever been made Anne, was a large proportion of the entire estate, and the development of (Ills claim, lu Justin Little's assured, woodeny volte, cuused every one to look grim. The estate was not worth one hun dred and fifty thoiisuud dollars now, by. any menus; It bnd been reduced to little more thnn two-thirds of thut sum, nnd Anne's bright concern thut every one should be suflsfled with what was right, and her Ingenuous pleusiire In Justin's cleverness in thinking of this possibility, were met with noticeable coldness. If Anne was wrong, nnd the paper she held In her hfiiid worthless, each girl would Inherit a comfortable tittle fortune, but if Anne was right, Cherry nnd Allx would have only u few Hunt- sum! dollars apiece, and the old home. The business talk was over before any of them realized the enormity of Anne's contention, and Anne and Jus tin had deparled. Hut both the old doctor and the lawyer agreed with Martin Hint It looked as If Anne was right, nnd when the family was alone again, nnd had had the time to digest the mutter, they felt us If a thunder bolt had fallen across their lives. "That Anne could do It!" Allx snld. over nnd over. Cherry seemed dnzed. spoke not at nil, and Martin had said Ittle. "People will do anything for mon ey 1" he observed once drily, lie had met Justin sternly. "I'm not thinking of my wife's share I didn't marry her for b'r money; never knew she had any! Hut I'm thinking of Allx." "Yes we must think of darling Allx!" Anne had snld, nervously eager thut there should be uo quarrel. "If Undo Lee Intended me to have all this money, then I suppose I must take It, but I shan't be happy unless things are arranged so thnt Allx shall be com fortable!" "IWmt tho worst of It Is, Allx!" Cherry stuminered, suddenly, on tho day before she alid Martin were to return to lied Creek, "I I counted on having enough enough to live my own For Answer She Gave Him the Yellow Paper That Was Wet With Tears. Ufo! Allx, I can't I can't go back!" "Why, my darling" Allx exclaimed, us Cherry began to cry in her nrniK, "My darling, It is as bad as all that?" "Oh. Allx." whlsnered the little sis- t tur, trembling, "I enn't bear It. You . don't know how I feel. You and Dad were always here; now that's till gone you re going to rent the house und try to tench singing and Po nothing to look forwnrd to I've nobody I" "Listen, denr," Allx soothed her. "If they advise It, and especlnlly If Peter advises it when ho gets back, we'll flght Anno. And then if wo win our tight I'll nlwnys keep tho valley house open, And if wo don't, why I'm going to visit you and Martin every yenr, and per haps I'll have n llttlu apartment some dny I don't Intend to board always ' Hut sho was crying, too, Kverythlng seemed changed, cold aud strange; she had suspected thut Cherry's wus not a successful marriage; she knew It now und to resign the adored little sister to thu uusympnthotlc atmosphere of ltcd Creek, and to miss ull the old Ufo und the old associations, made her heart ache. "There s there's nothing, special Cherry?" sho iiHked nfter n while. "With Martin? Oh, no," Cherry an swered, .her eyes dried, and-hor puck Ing going on composedly, although lu voice trembled now aud I lieu. ".No, Copyright by Kathleen Non-U It's Just thnt I get bud moods," she snld, brnvcly. "I was pretty young to marry at nil, I guess." "Martin loves you," Allx suggested timidly. "Ho takes me for granted," Cherry said, nfter n pause. "There doesn't seem to be nnythlng alive In tho feel ing between us," she udded, slowly. "If he suys something to me, I muke an jffort to get Ills point of view before answer. If I tell him some plan of mine, 1 can see thnt he thinks It sounds rnzyl I don't seem very domestic hat's nil. I I try. Uenlly, I do! Hut " und Cherry seemed to bruce herself In soul and body "but that's marriage. I'll try again!" She gave Allx a long kiss lu pnrtlng, the next day, and clung to her. 'I'll write you about the case, und wire you If you're needed, und see you soon!" Allx snld, cheerfully. Then she urnod nnd went back Into the empty house, keeping back her tears until thu sound of the surrey hud quite died away. CHAPTER X. Alexnndrn Strickland, cdmlng down the stairway of the valley house on an prll evening, glanced curiously at the door. Only eight o'clock, but the day had been so long aud so quiet thut she hnd funded thut the hour wus much Inter, nnd hnd wondered who knocked so Into. She crossed to the door und opened It to darkness nnd ruin, nnd to a man In n raincoat who whipped oft a spat tered cup und stood smiling In the light of the lump she held. Instantly, with n sort of gnsp of surprise und pleasure and some deeper emotion, she set down the lamp, and held out her hands gropingly nnd went Into his arms. He laughed Joyously as he kissed her, and for a minute they clung together. "Peter!" she said. "You angel- when did you nrrive and what are you doing, and tell me all about It!" "Hut Allx vou're thin !" Peter said. holding her at arm's length. "And nnd" He gently touched the black she wore, nnd llxed puzzled and troubled eyes upon her face. "Allx " he asked, apprehensively. For answer she tried to smile at him, hut her lips trembled and her eyes brimmed. She had led the way Into the old sitting room. "You heard about Dad?" Allx fal tered, turning to face lilm nt the man tel. "Your father!" Peter said, shocked. "Hut hadn't you heard, Peter?" "My dear my dourest child, I'm Just off the steamer. I got In at six o'clock. I'd been thinking of you all the time, ami I suddenly decided to cross the buy aud come strulght on to the valley, before I even went to the club or got my mull! 'Tell mt your father" She had knelt before the cold hearth, and he knelt beside her, and they busied themselves with logs and kindling In the old way. A blaze crept up about the logs and Allx, no- cepted Peter's hundkerchlof and wiped a streak of soot from her wrist, quite ns if she was a child again, as she settled herself In her chair. Peter took tho doctor's chair, keep ing his concerned and sympathetic eyes upon her. "Ho was well one dny," she said, simply, "and tho next the next, he didn't come downstairs, aud Hong waited ami waited and about nine o'clock I went up and he had fallen he hud fnllen " ' She was lu tears again and Peter put Ids hand out and covered hers und held It. "He must have been going to cull somo one," snld Allx, ufter a while, "they snld he never suffered nt nil. This was January, the last day, ami Cherry got here the same night. He knew us both toward morning. And that that was all. Cherry was here for two weeks. Martin came and went " "Where la Chorry now?." Peter In terrupted. "Hack at lied Creek.". Allx wiped her eyes. "She hates It, but Martin had n good position there. Poor Cherry, It made her 111." "Anne enmc?" "Anne and Justin, of course." Peter could not understand Allx's expros slou. She fell silent, still holding his hand nnd looking ut the lire. He looked nt her with a grout rush of udmlrntloji nnd nffcctlon. Sho wus not only a pretty nnd a clever worn an; but, In her plain black, with this new aspect of gravity and dignity, and with new notes of pathos and appeal In her exquisite voice, he realized that she was an extremely charming worn an. Ueforf he suld good-by to her, he hnd nsked her to marry him. He well remembered her look of bright und In terested surprise. "D'you mean to tell mo you Imvo forgotten your lady love of the hoop skirts nnd ringlets?" sho had de manded. "No." Peter had told her, rrankly, "I shall always love tier, in a way, Hut she Is married ; she never thinks of mo, Aud I like you so much, Allx I like our music uud cooking und trumps and reading together. Isn't Uiat a pretty good basis for mar riage ?" "No!" Allr bad answered, decidedly. "Perhaps If I wore madly In love with you 1 should say yes, and trust to little lingers to load you gently, uud so on " He remembered ending the conver sation in ono of bis quick moods of Irritation against her. If she couldn't take anybody or anything seriously he had said. Poor Alix she wus taking life seri ously enough tonight, Peter thought, as ho watched her. "Tell me about Cherry," he snld. "Cherry is well, but Just a little thin, und heartbroken now, of course. Mar tin never seems to stay at any one pluce very long, so I keep hoping " 'Doesn't muke good!" Peter snld, shuklng his bead. "Doesn't seem to ! It's partly Cher ry, I think," Allx snld honestly. "She wus too young, really. She never lultc settles down, or takes life In utmost. Hut bo's got a contract now for three yours, und so she seems to be resigning herself, und she bus a maid, I believe." "She must love him," Poter submit ted. Allx looked surprised. "Why not?" she smiled. "I suppose when you've hud ups und downs with u man. and been rich and poor, und sick uud well, un'd have lived lu lml f- a-dozen different places, you rather take lilm for grunted !" she added. '' "Oh. you think it works that way?" Peter asked, with a keen look. "Well, don't you think so? Aren't lots of marriages like that?" "You false alarm. You quitter 1" he answered. Allx laughed, a trifle guilt ily. Also she flushed, with u great wave of splendid young color that made her face look seventeen again. Your father left you something. Allx?" Peter asked presently, with some hesitation. "Thut," she answered frankly, "Is where Anne comes In !" "Anne?" "Anne nnd Justin came straight over, Allx went on, "anil they wore really lovely. Doctor Younger aud George Sewall were here every day; you and George were named as execu tors. I was so mixed up In policies uud deeds and overdue tuxes and In terest and bonds " "Poor old Allx, If I had only been hero to belli you I" the man said. And for u moment thoy looked u little con sciously ut each other. "Well, anyway," the girl resumed hustlly, "when It came to reading the will, Anne and Justin sprung a mine under us I It seems that, ten years ugo, when the Strickland patent fire extinguisher was put upon the mar ket, my adorable father didn't have much money he never did have, somehow. So Anne's father, my Un cle Vincent, went Into It with him to the extent of about three thousand dollars " "Three thousand !" Peter, who had been leunlug forward, earnestly at tentive, echoed In relief. "That was all. Dud hud ubout three hundred. Dad did nil the work, and Hit In his three hundred, und Un cle Vincent put In three thousand and tho funny thing is," Allx broke oil' to sny, musingly, "Uncle Vincent wus perfectly splendid ubout It; I my self remember him saying, 'Don't worry, Lee. I'm speculating on my own responsibility, not yours.' " "Well?" Peter prompted, as she hes itated. "Well. They hud a written ugree- nient then, giving Undo Vincent u third interest In the patent, should it be sold or put on the market " "Ha!" Peter ejaculated, struck. "Which, of course, was only a little while before Undo Vincent died," Allx went on, with a grave nod. "The agreement lay In Dud's desk ull these years fancy how easily he might have burned It many's the time! Hut he didn't. George Sewall says thnt Anne Is right. They've broken the will." Peter, In tho sllenco, whistled ex pressively. "Gee-rusalem !" ho exclaimed. "What does It come to?" At this Allx looked very sober, gazed down at the lire nnd shook her head. "All he had !" she answered, brlelly Peter was silent, looking at her lu stupefaction. "Almost, that Is," Allx amended more cheerfully. "As it wns we should, have hnd more than thirty thousand nplece. As It Is, Anne gets It ull, or If not quite all, nenrly all." "Gets I" he echoed, hotly. "How do you mean?" "It seems to be perfectly just," the girl answered, rather lifelessly. Hut Immediately she laughed. "Don't look so uwful, Poter. In tho first place, Cherry uud I still have tho house. In tho second place, I am singing ut St lluphuel's for five hundred u year, and singing other places now and then, Anyway, I'm glnd you're homo nguln, Peter!" she added. "Home ngnln," ho nnswered, halt nngrlly. "I should hope I am and high time, too! Has this this money been turned over to Anne?" "Not yet. Nobody gets anything until tho estnte is clenred a yenr or more from now. There are some things to be thankful fur," Allx added d.nsblng the sudden tears from her eyes, "und one is that Dud never knew It!" "Dear old Alix I" tie said, put. tine hit arm about her. (TO HB CONTINUED.) The annual cost of maintaining on soldier In Germany U 25,000 marks (uormully $07250). PARROT SAVES FROM CELL Finds Himself in Embarrassing Situation When Police Find Him Breaking Into Home. IDENTIFIED BY POLLY "Hello, Ed, Whataya Got on Your Hip?" Is Greeting of Bird When Police Take Him In to Prove Assertion He Lived There. Chicago. "Arrawk I Rowkl Howsa boy? Howsa boy? Rawkt Hawk I" It was tho voice of uie old green parrot In the homo of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Johnson at 2124 Hlnghnm street. The family upstairs took note. Someone went to tho window, saw a man climbing Into the window just below, and called the Shakespeare avenue police. Tho Intruder told Lieut. Joseph Pal- czynskl a tale thnt was hard to be lieve. Lost the Key, He Says. "I'm a brother of Mrs. Johnson," ho said. "She and Paul, her husband, went away over the holidays, and asked me to take caro of the parrots and the canaries. "Don't make me laugh," said tho lieutenant cruelly, "It's too hot. Why didn't you open Uie door? Didn't they leave you tho key?" "Yes, but I lost It. And thoso birds have to havo food and water." "A lad as clever as you," snld tha big policeman, "has no business being a burglar." "But I cun prove It all," suld the man. "Prove It to the Judge," said the other. "What's your name and ad dress?" "Edward Peterson, 2108 Western avenue. And say, give me a chance. I'll prove It by tho parrot". I'll show you I'm right Tako me back to the house." The lieutenant sat back aud laughed. Ho laughed until It hurt. "Prove it by u parrot," he said. Prove It by a bird thnt caused his "Howsa Polly7" his arrest. Officer, throw this cuckoo downstairs. He's getting me over excited." The Parrot Greets Them. Peterson, however, pleaded so enrn esUy that tho lieutenant finally con sented. They went to the Johnson home In the patrol. The lieutenant got In first, then Peterson, then u couple of policemen. "Rawkl" snld tho parrot to the hot lieutenant. "Helly, Polly," snld Petersou. "Hello, Ed," said tho parrot. "What tayagot on your hip?" "You win," snld Lieutenant Pal czynskl, albeit still a bit thoughtful. "The bird sure knows you. Hut may be he'll call mo 'Ed.' too." "Try It." Invited Peterson. "Hello, Polly," said Palczynskl. "Howsa Polly?" Said tho parrot: "Go to " And so Peterson will he allowed to climb through the Johnsons' window every dny to feed and water the birds. BEES STING DOG TO DEATH Animal Tied In Kennel Unable to Es. cape When Angry Insects Attack Him. Modford, N. J. Attacked by bees wlille tied to Its kennel, from which it could not escape, a dog owned by Androw Shoemaker was stung to death by tho Insects. Several persons who tried to rescue the dog were driven off by tho infuriated bees. The dog's kennel wus near several bee hives, and when In somo manner Uie Insects were disturbed they turned upon the dog. Shoemaker was absent at the time and when notified by telephone of the situation made a hurried trip home, but arrived too late to save his pot. Divorced Couple Fight Over Pup. New York. Custody of a Pekingese pup, little larger than n bull of yarn, Is one of tho Issues In the marital woes of Daniel G. Held, tin-plate, king. The Kelds were divorced n few months ngo. The banker made a cash selUiuueut of. $200,0X on Mrs. Hold und agreed to pny her $:i0.000 annu ally. Now ho wants the dog. DAIRY FACTS FEED KEEPS UP MILK YIELD Ordinary Rations Are Likely to Be Deficient In Principal Bone-Build-Ing Elements. (Prepared by the United States Depart ment of Agriculture.) Feeding cows for soveral years, ac cording to the commonly ncceptcd standard with little or no additional pasture, reduced 'the milk yield much below the optimum, It was found by experiments nt the government fnrm at ucltsvllle, Md. This condition mny be corrected by .giving the animal a dry period of two months, nnd feeding during thut period n rntton containing legume hay nnd grain with a high phosphorus content, with three or four times the amount of protein re- Cows Thrive on Rich Pastures. quired for maintenance, and two or three times the total nutriment. The milk yield in the subsequent lactation period may sometimes be doubled by this treatment. The results of the ex periments are given In Bulletin 945, "The Influence of Calcium and Phos phorus in the Food on the Milk Yield of Dairy Cows." In the case of cows of which the milk yield has been reduced by sev eral yenrs' standard feeding, as fol lowed at Beltsvllle, a greatly Increased yield can be brought about by feeding "alternated rations with phosphate" during the dry period. This Is taken to menn that the ordinary rations nre raoro likely to be deficient in one or both of the principal bone-building elements thnn in any other constitu ent. Bulletin 945, "The Influence of Cal cium nnd Phosphorus In tho Food on tho Milk Yield of Dnlry Cow.s," mny be had upon application to the Divi sion of Publications, United States De partment of Agriculture. HELP WAR ON TUBERCULOSIS Farmers In Vicinity of Grove City, Pa., Sign Requests to Have Herds Tested. The community nt Grove City, Pa., where the dairy division of tho United Stutes Department of Agriculture Is carrying on community extension work, Is active In tuberculosis erndlcn tlon. The owners of several hundred herds signed requests to have their herds tested and accredited; In fnct It nppcars that prnctlcnlly nil the patrons of the Grove City creumery soon will hnve their nnlmuls tested. This work originated with the bull associations operating In that vicinity; but It now extends throughout the county, und even to the two adjoining counties. An Interesting fenturo of the situa tion Is the, springing up of the Grov.? City Accredlted-Dnlry-Cnttle Show and Sales association, composed of owners of accredited herds who wish to take ndvantngo of the fnct thnt all their herds nre clean, to co-operate In Improvement, und sell nil their stock on Hint basis. One member who has a clean herd snys thnt after his herd was tested he sold some cows for $300 each, which, previously, he would hnve parted with for half that amount. He hnd actually offered them for $lf0 prior to the test. MAKING FEED FROM SAWDUST Wisconsin Cows Keeping Up Weight and Milk Yield and Show No III Effects From Diet. Hydrollfced snwdust ns a pnrt of a ration for cows Is apparently giving satisfactory results In Wisconsin. The forest service of the United Stutes Department of Agriculture reports that cows at the agricultural college of that state are doing ns well on a ration consisting of one-third snwdust as they did when their feed was only pnc-fourUi wood meal. That Is to sny, they are keeping up their weight und their milk production and show no III effects from the diet. The bureau of animal Industry Is considering the proposal of the' forest service laboratory to start feeding trials with dnlry animals in which the wood product will form a part of tho Tatlon and the tests will extend for un entire year at least. The hyro-llr.ed-wood feed for these cows will be mude at the laborutory. So far ull the stock feed has been mude from whlto-plne sawdust. Other soft woods, pnrtlculnrly the western species, will bo tried In the future, r
