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V
THE NEBRASKA ADVERTISER
W. W. SANDKUS, roblliher.
NEMAHA, NEBRASKA.
MATILDA ANN AND ME.
When the nights nro Rotting longer,
And tho frosts begin to fall,
While the early pippins ripen
Hy tho mossy pardon wall,
Then 1 tnke my easy rocker,
In tho kitchen after tea,
And we're happy as two lovers,
Just Mutllda Ann and inc.
"While she washes out tho dishes,
In her deft and dainty way,
'TIs a pleasure Just to watch her,
And I haven't much to say,
As she sets them In tho cupboard,
And wo both of us agree
Js'ot to light the parlor burner,
For Matilda Ann and me.
So wo put our feet together
Closer to tho glowing hearth, '
And declare there no'er existed
Such a homo as ours on earth.
Then sometimes she lets mo kiss her:
Shades are down and nono can see,
Else I'm sure they'd stop to envy
My Matilda Ann and mo.
Lalln M. Mitchell, In Housekeeper.
CAPTAIN CLOSE
II V CAPTAIN CIIARLKS KING.
ICopyrlght, 1894, by J. D. Llpplncott Co.
XVI. Continued.
Then, whon May en in a round niitl
Lambert asked for three days leave,
Minor hummed and hawed mid looked
it his staff officer nnd finally requested
that it be submitted to writing; and
'it' eamc back with a curt indorse
ment to the effect that Lieut. Lambert
would le expected hereafter to show
more Interest in matters connected
with his regimental duties; tho appli
cation was disapproved.
All this time he had written every few
weeks to Close, and got a very nice let
ter in reply, written by a young fel
low who announced himself as the cap
tain's brother, Wallace. The captain
was getting better very much better
but the eye doctor's bill was a big one,
and he thought the government ought
to pay it. He hnd bought some land up
there six years before, and, what with
schools nnd roads and bridges, the taxes
were awful. What he wouldn't mind
doing would be to come back to the
regiment as quartermaster; but in
those days there was no four-year limit
to staff positions, and the"incumbents,
both adjutant and quartermaster, pro
posed to hang on ns long as possible,
and Lambert replied that he feared
there would be no chance.
And then one dny there came n tele
gram to the commanding ofllcer of Com
pany "G" at the barracks with the brief
announcement that a soldier serving in
the Twenty-sixth infantry under the
name of Roberts had been identified by
Corporal Floyd Walton, Fourth cavalry,
as Private Iliggs, a deserter from the
teenth. Please send charges and
descriptive list. Two weeks later Lieut.
Lambert was summoned to Austin ns a
witness before the general court-martial
appointed for his trial. The Mor
gan line steamer would not sail until
Saturday night. There was timio to run
over and see if the Waltons had not
something to send to their soldier boy
in Texas, and Lambert sent his trunk
to the Morgan wharf while the Mobile
boat paddled him away through the
Itigolets and out into Mississippi sound
and landed him at the familiar pier at
Pass Christian just at twilight of a
lovely May evening. Ten minutes' walk
along the shore brought him to an in
closure wherein the moonbeams were
beginning to play among the leaves of
the magnolia and to throw a huge black
shadow, that of the grove of live oaks,
over the veranda of an old, white
painted southern homestead bowered in
vines and shrubbery nt the end of the
broad shell pathway leading from the
gate. Somewhere among the foliage n
mocking bird was caroling to the rising
moon, and the music of soft, girlbtfi
voices and subdued laughter came drift
ing out on the evening air. Lambert's
heart gave a quickened throb or two
as he recognized Kate Walton's un
mistakable tones. He had to traverse
the length of the moonlit walk. She,
with her unseen friend, was in shadow,
so there was no possibility of trying the
effect of surprise.
"Well, whayuh'n the wide wuhld 'd
you come from?" was her nonchalant
greeting. "Ah supposed you were
dayd'n buried." (There is no such thing
as spelling that word as pronounced by
the rosiest, sauciest, and possibly sweet
est little mouth in creation. He could
not take his eyes from it, and she knew
it.) "Miss Awgden, this isMr. Lambert.
Ah think you've heard sister Esthuh
speak of him. Ah suppose you want to
go right in to see huh. Ah'll call huh
down."
So Lambert made his bow to Miss
Ogden, who had her own womanly in
tuitions as to the extent of his eager
ness to see sister Esther, and who pres
ently declared she had to go home, and
went without much delay over the
leave-taking, in spite of Katesie's vol
uble remonstrance and well-feigned dis
appointment. Miss Walton, in fact,
hung on to her all the way to the gate
and made every proper and apparent
effort to detain her there; but a wise
head had Miss Bottle Ogden: she would
not delay. She had heard sister Esther
talk of Mr. Lambert time nnd again,
nnd had rend in Katesie's significant
silence or simulated scorn a whole vol
ume of information. She went tripping
lightly, laughingly away, and Katesie
watched her until she was out of sight,
then came dawdling slowly back. She
well knew it would be unlike Esther to
come down inside of 20 minutes.
Lambert was seated in the big
wicker chair, amusing himself with a
kitten. He did not even look up when
she finally returned.
"Hasn't Esthuh come yet? Ah told
huh you wuh hyuh, ten minutes ago."
"No. Possibly she didn't understand.
I didn't hear her answer. Indeed, I
could hardly hear you call."
"That's because you were listening
to Hettic Awgden." (Pause for reply
or denial: none offered.) "She doesn't
like Yankees any bettcr'n I did do."
"Then it was on my account she left
so suddenly. Where does she live? I'll
run and call her back and tell her
what shall I tell her? that I only
wanted tosaygood-by toMrs. Scroggs?"
"You haven't said how-de-do yet."
"I haven't? How utterly stupid of
mcl You see between Miss Ogden nnd
the cat, j'ou were so engrossed that I
deferred that ceremony until you
should have time to devote to me.
Permit me." And cnrefully depositing
pussy on the chair, he quickly bent low
nnd seized Miss Katesie's hand.which he
raised toward his lips: "Miss Walton, I
nm so glad to see you again. This fort
night has seemed a year."
Indignantly she snatched her hand
away.
"Fawtnight! It's five weeks to-day
since you were hyuh." Then, sudden
ly conscious: "Not that T eay-uh."
He started up in feigned astonish
ment. "Five weeks? You amaze me!
and how sweet of you to keep count"
(Something more than mere teasing
and merriment now in thesparkloof his
eyes nnd the twitching about the cor
ners of his handsome, sensitive mouth.)
Those five weeks have been five years."
Hut she had sprung to the doorwnj',
wrathful at being so artfully trapped.
"Ah didn't keep count. ItwnsMoh;
'n' Ah don't cay'uh how long you stay
away, or how soon you go. Esthuh!
ain't you ayvuh coming down? Mr.
Lambert says he's got to go."
"You haven't told me- how Mrs. Wal
ton is, and Mr. Scrcggs, Miss Katesie.
And how's Cousin Hart?"
"Cousin Hart's up at Quitman; so's
Walton; and Moh's 'bout the same.
She'll nayvuh be any better so long's
Floyd's whuh he is weah-ing a Yan
kee jacket."
"That is queer, isn't it? The queer
est thing about it is that he's just been
made corporal in the very troop he
charged into at Selma. A classmate of
mine is second lieutenant in the same
troop, and wrote me about it."
"Floyd ought to be the lieutenant."
"Miss Walton, you continually sur
prise, and now you delight me! This
is rcnlly promising! A southern gill
says her brother ought to be a Yankee
officer."
Hut she flew at him from the door
step, her eyes flashing fire. He seized
the kitten nnd held the struggling
quadruped, paws foremost, between
him nnd the impending vengeance.
"Oh! Ah do despise an' hate you
maw an' maw ev'y time you come.
You're mean, spiteful, hateful! You
know Ah ncvuh meant any such thing.
Ah'd sco'n him if he was! Ah'd tuhn
mah back on him as Ah do on you
now an' Ah wish it was fo'evuh!"
And, suiting action to word, the tum
bling, clustering ringlets which fell
upon her pretty shoulders were flouted
almost in his face as she whirled about
and marched back to the doorway.
"Well," said Lambert, mournfully,
"it's an ill-wind that blows nobody
good. Your wish bids fair to be grant
ed. I think I won't disturb Mrs.
Scroggs to-night, and if you'll tell mo
where to find Miss Ogden I'll bid her
come back to you, so that you can re
sume the fun I interrupted. Kindly
say to Mrs. Scroggs that if she has any
thing to send to Floyd and can get it
ready before ten to-morrow morning
I'll be glad to take it with my baggage.
The hotel porter will come for it. Good
night, pussy. You don't seem to ob
ject to Yanks. Good-by, Miss Katesie.
When your wishes are so promptly
granted nnd you so easily get rid of u
fellow you might shake hands with
him, but pussy'll have to do."
With that he solemnly took the kit
ten by a furry paw and witli ludicrous
gravity gave it a formal shake, then
turned deliberately away. Ho was
down the steps and crunching along
the shell walk before she started from
the stupor which had seized her. Then
she sprang to the edge of the veranda,
nnd he, treading lightly now and list
ening for the sounding of the summons
for a parley, heard, as he expected, the
half-tremulous, half-truculent hail:
"Aw, Mist' Lambert!"
"Yes?"
"Whuh you going?"
"Oh, didn't 1 tell you? Frn ordered
to Texas."
Then he listened, wickedly, malicious
ly, and vouchsafed no further word
For a moment not a sound came from
the shaded veranda. Slowly, therefore,
ho turned, nnd, treading as though on
china teacups, went on towards the
gntc. Did he hope she would call
again? Did he know or realize the
deep-rooted, stubborn pride of the
southern girl? Slowly, moro slowly
still, he faltered to the gate. Nearing
it, still eagerly listening, he shortened
step, only pretending to walk. Still no
sound, no summons to return. His
hand was on the latch, and there it wait
ed, reluctant to open, but waiting was
in vain. He glanced back over his
shoulder, and, vague and shadowy, he
could just distinguish the outline of the
slender form ho had grown to love with
Mich longing and tenderness nnd pas
sion. It clung there motionless. At
least, then, she had not turned indiffer
ently away. Hut the word, the whis
per, he prayed for and craved to hear,
and would so eagerly have obeyed, ennic
not to rccnll him. Fifteen twenty sec
onds he waited, then, in sudden pride, or
pique, or resolution, Uirew open the
white bnrricr, slammed it after him,
nnd strode briskly away, startling tho
mocking birds into sudden silence with
the lively whistling of an old West
Point quickstep.
Hut Esther, coming forth from the
open doorway to greet and welcome
their friend, saw the, erect, soldierly
figure marching off in the moonlight;
saw her little sister standing as though
rooted to tho spot, heard the ostenta
tious spirit and swing and rhythm of
"Buenns noelies;" heard a faint, ques
tioning, incredulous, tearful little voice
piping: "Mr. Lambert! Mr. Lam
bert!" nnd the woman had learned in
that instant what the lover would have
given worlds to know.
XVII.
"Lieutenant, there's no use trying.
We're only twenty, and there must be
two hundred of 'em. They've got that
stage load long before now, escort and
till. The whole thing's over with. Jf
there were any women 'twould be dif
ferent; every man of us would go then
to try to rescue tlicin; but there were
only men. I'm ns sorry for Col. Sweet
as you can be; but we can get his body
when tho Indians have gone. We can't
p fiord to lose any more of our people."
Tho speaker was tho captain of a
party of Texas frontiersmen rangers
they were afterwards called, when
their organization was more complete;
but these were tho days when the Lone.
Star state was uninvaded by railways
and when to its very heart- far as the
capital the savage Kiowas and
Comnnches often raided in full force,
ravaging the scnttcrcd settlements far
and wide. Lieut. Lambert, his duty fin
ished with his testimony in the case of
the deserter Biggs, had obtained permis
sion to delay his return a few days and
taken stage to Lampasas, where Floyd
'Oh t Ah do deiplso tin' hnto you maw-un'iuaw
ov'y tlmo."
Walton was stationed with his troop.
Lambert would not willingly return
without seeing him and delivering in
person the little packages so hurriedly
prepared nt the new home. Then, too.
there was no man in the army in whom
the young officer now felt so deep an In
terest. Was he not Katesie's brother,
nnd might not that brother have some
influence over that obdurate heart?
It was not the porter of the hotel who
went for these packages. It was Lam
bert himself, hoping, of course, to see
tho young lady whom he had so suc
cessfully tormented the evening previ
ous; but his scheme had been check
mated in most absurdly unromantic
fashion. The Now Orleans evening
paper among its military items con
tained a brief paragraph to the effect
that Lieut. Lambert was ordered over
to Austin ns a witness before a court
martial there in session, but would re
turn to the barracks in a week or ten
days, nnd this paper he had boon care
less enough to leave on tho veranda.
Katesie had gone miserably to her
room, Esther had lit upon the para
graph, and in ten minutes Lambert's
melodramatic scheme was exploded.
Never would he forget the saucy merri
ment in her pretty face when he ap
peared upon the scene that morning,
hoping and expecting to find her peni
tent, piteous, and mutely begging to bo
forgiven before he went away. He had
come prepared to be grave, sorrowful,
dignified, and then to be disarmed by
her distress, to lead her away under the
magnolias to the shaded recesses of the
old southern garden, there to assure
her that she was pardoned, nnd then
to tell her how she was loved. A charm
ing chateau en Espagne wns that which
the boy had builded; a sweet, sad, bliss
ful, ecstatic parting was it all to be as
a result of his skillful use of his "sud
den orders to Texas;" but, like many
another well-laid plan, it went ludi
crously ngh'c. She was there on the
eranda, romping with her kitten,
when ho came and never made the
slightest reference to his departure.
Ho alluded gloomily to the fact that the
boat would be along in less than an
hour, and she cheerfully responded:
"Yes; Ah thought Ah huhd its whistle
junt a moment ago," and raced pussy
to the far end of the gallery. He tried
other announcements with no bettei
success, nnd was bewildered and de
feated nnd stung by her apparent
henrtlessness and indifference when at
Inst he had to go, and went nway mis
erably jealous nnd wretchedly in love,
fairly beaten at his own gnme.
So gloomj and unlike himself was
Lambert that tho two or three chiH
mates who happened to be at Austin
were much surprised, nnd so absorbed
was he in ids own woes-and pangs that
not until he reached Lampasas did ho
learn that the soldierly-looking man
who rode nil tho way from the capital
with him was no less a person than
1 he Hrevet Lieut, Col. Sweet of whom
he had henid so much at Tugaloo, nnd
who, promoted to the rank of major,
was now on his way to report for duty
at a frontier post. The stage witli the
colonel rumbled away on its journey
for uuppcr. Lambert went on out to
camp, only to find that, Corporal Wal
ton with four men hnd gone as escort
to that very singe, n there were ru
mors that the Conianches mid Llpans
were on tho warjxith uguln. It might
bo four days before they returned. It
would be two before a stage went back
to Austin, and it was now nine o'clock
nt night.
Tho ery next morning brought dire
ful news. A big band of hostiles had
swooped down on tho stage station at
the crossing of tho Caliente, 51) miles
to tho northwest, massacred everybody,
and run off the tock. The cavalry
troop in camp at Lampasas was miles
nway by the time the tidings readied
Lambert at the tavern in town. Then
came worse news. A settler rode
spurring in from the Concho trail to
my that he had seen tho Indians when
they attacked tho stage witli overpow
ering numbers, and had just, managed
to escape with his own life. Ho be
lieved that not one woul was left to
tell tho tale. There were many gallant
npirits among the Texans of tho fron
tier men who were nceustomed to
fight at tho drop of tho hat, nnd who,
in defense of homo and friends, were
indomitable. Yet. oven these well knew
tho hopelessness of tho situation as de
scribed. They were far too few in
number to undertake the pursuit and
attack of such a band as this. More
over, their own wives and children
would be left In danger were they to
take the field. It wan oven impossible
to persuade two or three of their num
ber to ride post-haste on the trail of
the cavalry, who, at the first, alarm
and on receipt, of tidings that the In
dians hnd ridden away eastward to
wards tho Urazos, had taken the road
lor Wa"o at dawn in hopes of heading
them off or driving them should they
attack the defenseless settlements.
There were, therefore, absolutely no
troops to go to the rescue of the stage
party, If, as seemed beyond hope, any
of them were still alive, and Lambert,
burning with eagerness to do some
thing and tormented with anxiety as
to the fate of "Hrother Floyd," found
himself helpless.
A sergeant and some Henil-invalided
men had been left in charge of cam),
and from these he gathered a little in
formation, but not of an enlivening na
ture. Tho nearest ponta to tho west
ward from which help might come
were MeKavett and Concho, each over
a hundred miles away; but Concho, be
ing on the left bank of the Colorado,
ind doubtless warned by this time of
tho Indian raid, could bo sending cav
alry d'jwn the valley in pursuit. It
was expectation of this, probably, that
started the raiders eastward towards
the Urazos, where there were no troops,
and where, sweeping northward again
in wide circle, they might confidently
expect to get safely lxiok to their wild
fastnesses, leading tho cavalry a stern
chase all tho way. Shrewdest tnoli
clans of modern warfare as they are,
tliej hf.d indeed already divided, one
party riding eastward as reported after
swooping down on the Caliente station,
and driving some of the stock ahead
of them, for the sole purpose of draw
ing tho Lampasas troop off in that di
rection, leaving the settlers along the
Colorado to the mercies of the other
and larger portion of the savage force.
There was no uso now in sending
couriers after the troop. It had five
hours' start. It would bo evening be
fore the fleetest horse could overtake
the command. Lamlx'rt urged the
seigeant to give him a horse and arms,
mount three or four men, and let them
go with him, if only to reconnoiter.
Then some of tho ToxniiK who had no
families to defend might volunteer.
iTO 11 H CONTINUED.
Their Own I.iitigiiugo.
A good story is told of tho late Arch
bishop Henson's coachman. On acertain
day, getting into a tight block among
t'omo cabmen, he indulged in a hearty
swear a rather frequent, habit witli
him. His master heard him, and
putting his head out of tho win
dow sternly remonstrated. "Hog
your pardon, my lord," the old reprobate
replied, "but I hoard you tell them 'on
gents as was ordained last Sunday that
if you don't speak to people In their own
natural tongue, you will never got 'em
to understand you." London Globe.
I'll t'n Strong I'ohHIoii.
Pat I tell you the ould frinda are al
wnj s tho best, after all, and 1 can prove
it.
Dennis How?
"Where'll you find a new friend that
has stood by you as long as tho ould
ones have?" Cleveland Leader.
NEW LAW DOES WELL.
IiiorottBo of Itovonuo Undor tho
Dlngloy TnrlfJ.
'nnt IniiiortittlotiH Under (Im Wllnun
I.imv HcliiK Ahnorhctl aiitl
I-'roxli Iinportn Now
Co in 1 1) u In.
Special Washington Correspondence.
The second month of the operations
of the Dingiey law proves extremely
satisfactory to treasury olllcials and
to tho friends generally of the measuro
who have hnd nn opportunity or oc
casion to examine tho result of its op
erations. Treasury receipts in tho
second month of its existence, Septem
ber, are greater than those of the sec
ond month of the Wilson law. despite
tho fact that the Wilson law found
warehouses, docks and freight vessels
waiting to pour In enormous stocks of
foreign goods to add to its earnings,
tho moment it should conic into oper
ation, and that the Dingiey law found
conditions preclsly reversed and the
country already Hooded witli foreign
importations. The receipts in Septem
ber, 1897, the second month of tho
Dingiey law, were $21,319,04 1, while
those of October, 1801, tho second
month of the iWIson law, were only
$10,130,2-10.
"1 think we have ample reason to bo
gratified witli the operations or the law
thus far," said Assistant Secretary
Howell, of the treasury department.
"Tho receipts for September are gruti
fyingly large in view of the conditions
under which the act went into effect.
As everybody knows the country has
been filled with foreign goods In tho
few months prior to the enactment of
this law, yet the September receipts
exceed $21,000,000 and the deficit for
September is but a trifle over $3,000,000.
Considering that the period which this
covers is only a few weeks removed
from the close of the long period of
heavy anticipatory importations, I
think that the showing is nn extreme
ly gratifying one."
"And justifies the belief which you
have formerly expressed that the
revenues under the law will in time
prove sufficient to meet the running
expenses of the government?"
"Undoubtedly. 1 think there Is no
question about it. 1 have believed
that by tho end of the calendar year
conditions will be such as to bring the
revenue of the government up to its
expenditures and September's develop
ments certainly strengthen that be
lief in my mind, nnd I think fully jus
tify it."
Not only arc the earnings of tho
Dingiey law in its second month in ex
cess of those of the Wilson law in the
corresponding month of its opera
ntlons, but the deficit is fnr less. Tho
deficit in the second month of the Wil
son Inw wns $13,573,800. while in the
second month of tho Dingiey laiv It is
but $3,-132,717, or less than 25 percent,
of that of the second month of the Wil
son law. When the conditions under
which the two laws went Into operation
are compared, this showing of the earn
ings of the new law proves very gratify
ing to those desiring to see it bring tho
treasury agnln In a condition in which
Its receipts will meet current expendi
tures and enable a sufficient accumula
tion to provide for the sinking fund
which has been untouched during the
entire period of the operations of tho
Wilson law.
Tho growth in receipts since the new
law went into eil'ect lins been steady
and gratifying. The receipts of the sec
ond month nrc 12 per cent, in ex
cess of the receipts of the first month.
The earnings during the second hnlf
of the month of August were slight
ly in excess of $9,000,000; those for tho
first half of September were a little
above $10,000,000. while those for the
second half of September were over
$11,000,000. The figures in detail are
as follows:
Second hnlf August V).'i5.W
First hnlf September lO.SW.'J'JU
Second hulf September U.WJ.UIti
A study of the daily receipts during
the second month of the new law, Sep
tember, show a steady growth during
that month. Indeed the receipts of the
closing ten days of the month seem to
have reached almost the normal figures
of the corresponding dates under tho
Wilson law, being within a trifle during
the last ten business days of Sep
tember, 1897, of the earnings of the
Wilson law in the last ten days of Sep
tember, 1890. Here are the figures of
the last ten business days of September,
1897, under the Dingiey law compared
with the last ten business days of Sep
tember, 1890, under the Wilson law:
September JMG. IS37.
10 !CI,100 fl.-l31.3UU
21 l.OM.MS 77U.im
23 fc30,lU5 k74.Mii
23 741,501 771.hk'J
21 r,55,4C3 72S,iU'J
25 (;7n,7:'.a C57.ua
20 U4S.5I3 l,L'32.y7
28 1,181,851 W7.107
21) 713.3S0 7!K,1KJ
80 SS7.2K7 IKtt.ClU
JS.SC2.03G JS.722.1W
While there is reason to believe that
tiio earnings of the month of October
will be an increase over those of Sep
tember, it cannot be expected that they
will bo sufficient to meet the heavy ex
penses of tills mouth, in which the quar
terly interest payment of the govern
ment is mnde. The average deficit in
the month of October during the three
years' operation of the Wilson law was
nearly $10,000,000, being in October,
lfaOl, as high as $13,573,800.U. D. King.