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About The Nebraska advertiser. (Nemaha City, Neb.) 18??-1909 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 13, 1905)
The diamond river BY DAViD OHAPTlOlt XVI. Tho Ofiy arranged for tlio conduct of tiro sham ftuiurnl wns nothing less thnn ghastly. The lead-colored sky tn!Htncil to ninlllo the very rhlmneys of the (own, mid from the low roof tho rait) InnWI flown In n console torrent for hoifrVrti hour. Monboddo lind prepared everything nnd aoon nfter breakfast, ho mid Harvey not out together for tins village cemetery, which win poven mlle from their start ing point. Jothroo himself had insisted upon lit lng ono of tho party, nnd not hint; would mitlsfy lilm hut thnt hn should kco tho ceremony through; but IiIh friends had ut leant succeeded in persuading lilm not to bo neon on an occasion ho Important to his own sufoty In n society which might Instantly hnvo Identified him nnd brought nil liin iilniiH to naught. Ho followed the mourning couch, therefore, In u four whcolcr. Tho driver of the vAlileln was more tlinn oner xtnrtlfd by whnt he took to be ,"im: '.iif-' ! ' iiflitf from Ills faro, iu. ,.. niKi Hie wind made tho man uncertain. A Hiirpriae wan waiting for .lethroe, but he met it with nn Imperturbable fnco. A.s his fly ilrcw up at tho lodge of thn cemetery a door opened, and with in tho doorway stood gassing carelessly out at tho weather tho one man on whom tho keen ndvciiturcr had been moot upon Ida guard from thn very beginning of his enterprise. Tlio man wns thick not and burly, and round IiIh neck iio wore a linen bandage, whic had partly slipped away, ravelling the fact thnt he had suffered omo Injury there, which might, by the look of it, have been n Heald. Ho looked up at the low sky nnd the plunging rain from side to side, nnd then, seeing .loth ioo in the act of advancing toward him. ho recoiled a atop to make room, nnd In that very instant raised his eyes to the nowcomcr'n face. His mouth gaped nnd his eyes stared, and Jelhroe looked at him with an aspect of sudden inquiry, nn if to ask why a stranger should stare o hnrd. The man turned nwny and looked out of the window across the Honking place of burial, and bit Ills mills In perplexity, lie could not refrain from u furtive glance now and again, but .loth roe had set up his eye glass by this time, nnd wan regarding him with a look of pucxlod displeasure which ho could not face. "'Bout what time," asked .lelhroe, with n "Wild West" accent which was Imltntod to the life, "Is this melancholy business expected to bo over, .Mr. Mon boddo?" "By mid-dny, sir." said Monboddo- "by mid-day." "Well," said .lethroe, "J want to see him planted safe and good. It's live and twenty yearn since I parted with him, nnd I don't pretend to bo ns much cut up nn 1 might hnvo been If I had known him cloBor; but ho wns my mother's sis ter's bod, and blood's thicker than water, and it's a respectful thing to see the last of him, siuco I happen to be in this coun try." "That is undoubtedly so, Mr. or -.Mr. ...cr Monboddo, muddled, hail let slip his employor'n simple alias. '.Tones, sir," said Jelhroe ".lethroe Jones, t was christened nftcr his father, out of family compliment. Is this gentle man," ho asked, stooping forward in n hnlf-whlspcrlng iiunlry, and signaling the mnn with a sideway cast of the thumb Is this gentleman a relative of the de ceased?" "No," said tho burly man In a sulky tone, "I'm no relation. I'm nn old ac quaintance, though p'r'nps about tlio oldest acquaintance Martin Jothroo had." "In that so, sir?" asked .lethroe. "Your hand, Bir, if you do not mind. Whon nil Is said and done, I nm the roprcscntntlvo of tho family, sir." Tho burly man accepted Jetliroc'a prof fered hand, but he feigned no heartiness over It. "Singular likenesses runs in families," ho said In what nppeored to bo his cus tomary manner n manner, thnt is to say, of hangdog ill temper and stubborn ness. "Thnt is so, sir," said .Tethroc "that Is so, but it is not so invariably. My fortunate cousin' nephew, for example," Indicating Harvey ns ho spoke, "does not feature his uncle." "You feature his uncle," said tho man, with n queer flash in his eyes. "Say!" said .Tethroc. "Is that so. now? It lined to be romarked when wo were boys, but growing up makes n difference. Hnblt makos n difference. It makes a dlfferoneo whether n man works or whether he lounges, sir; whether he trav els or stays nt homo: whether he drinks freely, Rlr, or drinks guardedly. Now, my poor cousin Harvey nnd me, so far ub I could lenm about him, wnB just .nbout as' Hko in our ways ns need be Voth wanderers, both hard workers and iard livers. Yes; 1 guess we'd Btart nliko it ml stop alike. There was one thing "bout poor Ilnrve you call him Martin, notloc, Bir, but wo always called him Harvey In hia youth thoro was ono thing 'bout him I could never equal. Ho hnd tho knack of making money, gentle men. I'vo got, perhaps, as much as I want oh much na is good for me, maybe -but It's willed money mainly; and If I'd over been right on the hard pan. liko poor old llarve, I'd have stayed there." The demeanor of the burly man was strange. Ho wan hangdog, ho was fur tive, ho looked hko ono who hnd been overcrowed, and yet through all his dis comfort there was n hind of peeping oc casional indication of something like triumph, A keen watcher and a prac- HMmmnM MURRAY tii'fil physiognomist would havo seen that he wan alternately bewildered and as sured, and that his bewilderment nnd his certainty each knocked the other on the head with a curiously rapid alternation. 1 ho keeper of tho place came to cull them, nnd tho quartette .lethroe, Mon boddo, Harvey, and the stranger ran through the rain to where the tlrst part of the service was to be held. The young er Jethrou hung his head. Hia whole heart revolted nt thin subterfuge, nnd In found himoelf wishing Hint ho had never engaged in it. The sacred words were outraged, to his mind, nnd the whole business was n debased uud debasing comedy. Happily for him, It wns noon over. Tlio wet earth was being shoveled over thai repellent imposture of n coffin, nnd he wns driving back with Monboddo, when that worthy spoKo for tho first tlmo that dny of his own Initiative. "Hid you happen, sir," he began, smoothing tho'o trembling nnd bibulous lips of his as he spoke "did you happen to recognize the mnn with whom you col lided In the corridor in the smnll hours this morning?" "No," said Harvey. "What nbout him?" "That." replied Monboddo, "was the mnn at the cemetery. Did you did you observe him closely nt tho cemetery?" "No," said Harvey. "I thought It safest not to dlsplny any Interest in him." "Ye, yes, exactly quite quite so," said tho doctor, who lived in a nervous hurry to propitiate mankind at large. "Hut T observed him I, sir, I observed lilm. He knows your uncle, sir; ho pierces tho disguise. The whole gamo Is played out, sir; the plot Is ousted." "What is to be done?" naked Harvey. "If this man knows my uncle, the whole plot, is spoiled " "I have an idea," said Monboddo. "Mr. Jelhroe, I havo uu iden! Pray don't tulk. Leave mo to think it out. Yes, sir, I hnvo nn idea." Within a hundred yards of the hotel Jethrou'B four wheeler drove past the mourning coach, nnd whon Harvey and Monboddo renched the porch Jctliroo was waiting there. "Come with me," he said, nnd led the wny swiftly to Hnrvey's silting room. "That fellow suspects," he whispered, when ho had closed tho door. "He knows," said Monboddo. "No," said .lethroe, laughing nt the doctor's fnce, which was mottled nnd shining with anxiety; "he doesn't exnet ly know, but In suspects. Now, it's your business, Monboddo, to knock him off hi perch. You'll get Into converse with lilm; he stays in this hotel. You'll play tho fool, you understand the loose tongued fool who cnu'l hide anything. You'll hint ut n mystery. Harvey hero is to be horribly dejected because he can't find something which the deceased Is supposed to hnvo possessed. Work up to tlu problems. Do It cleverly, Mon boddo. You mny drink up to a point, nnd you may make him funcy thnt you're tipsy; but, Monboddo" ho paused nnd shook his heavy forefinger in tho doctor's face "If you let him be right In thnt guess " "Oh. I nssurc you!" cried Monboddo. "I shall lay you out, Monboddo," said .lethroe; "I will till that cofllnl" "No, no!" cried the doctor, ns if tho threat had boon n real one. "There shall he no need for you to trouble about any thing of that sort, 1 do nssure you. sir 1 reully and truly do assure you, sir." "You can trap that fellow as easily as you can kiss your hand," said Jelhroe. "See you do it. And now go. I have something else to tnlk nbout." Monboddo hnd n holy dread of this big nnd blustering patron, nnd was glad to shullle from his presence. The hotel smoking room was cozy, with its snug flro nnd Its deep nrmchnlrs, nnd the sound of the censclcss rain that beat against the window nindo the place ten fold moro comrortnblo nnd nttractlve. Tho stranger of tho cemetery was thore, with a big tumbler before him. "A dreadful, dreadful day, sir," said Monboddo. "Yes," said thn stranger, "it's a dirty day." Monboddo drow up his chair to the other's table. "Do you know," said .lethroe to his nephew, striding up to him and seizing him by the nrm nt tho Instnnt nt which they were left alone, "do you guess who that fellow was who was at tho cemetery to-day V" "No," Harvey answered. "How should 1?" "That," .lethroe whispered, crouching his tall llgure till his eyes wero on a level with his nephew's, and gripping him unconsciously until ho winced, "that is the man of whom that fellow Taylor spoke as 'Little William. " "Tho murderer?" Harvey asked. "The murderer," said Jothroo, with a dozen slow nods of the head u'.d n pout ing under lip that seemed to threaten something, "the mnn who uioant to have my life tho very night you nnd I first mot in Chicago; tho man who killed my de faulting purlner hi mistake for me." "And he suspects your Identity now, In spite of all your plotting and con triving?" , t "He suspects; but If Monboddo man ages his business well ho will not sus pect long." "But why," cried Hnrvey, In a sud den anguish of rnge, "why skulk and hldo from n murdorer? Why not appeal to the police?" "I hnro nnswerod nlrotuly," said .Teth roc, as cool upon n midden ns if the tnll; had boon about tin woather. "All the pollco In tho world could not guard my secret. If I hnd evidenco to hang this scoundrel, I would hang him; but thnt would avail mo nothing, for there is n whole syndicate in pursuit of mo and of what I enrry nbout with me. Monobddo should hnvo something to report this evening. In the meantime shall we sit down to n game of chess?" "Chess!" cried Hnrvey Impatiently. "I couldn't play chess at n time Hko this to save my boiiI!" "Ah, well," said Jethroo, with onu of his qileor laughs. "I supposn It's a quo Hon of temporament." CHAI'TKIt XVII. Monboddo, reaching over from whero lio sat, prized the poker and stirred the fire. Ho did this like an artist, and wns not satisfied until be had turned the glowing fnco of every Individuul cont to tho outside. When he hnd propped the poker In its place, he mopped his fnco with a largo silk handkerchief. Ho sat enwrapped before that happy vision for a time; then, nftcr rubbing his hands, ho caressed both sides of tho tumbler with ids palms. He did not drink at that moment, but, having performed this net of benediction, he sunk back In his deep armchair and smiled at the stran ger. "A drop of something warm, sir," said tho strnnger, "Is nn uncommonly com fortable tiling on n day liko this." "You are right, hIt," said Monboddo; "you are Indubitably right." And, ns If tho speech had reminded him of a duty, he emptied the tumbler. He set It down with u contented sigh. The stranger smoked also, and tho two kept silence for a time. The Mre purred nnd rustled as a comfortable lire will when it is nt Its best, and tho rain lashed the window pane-.). The stranger had n stout walking stick between his knees, and in his abstraction ho was toy ing with tlio hnndlo of it. Finally the stranger did a strange thing. He tapped Monboddo on tho shoulder with the crook of the stout walking stick mid said: "Was tliero a corpse In that collln, doctor?" Now, if this surprise had come upon Monboddo nt any other than tho psycho logical instant at which ho wns prepar ed to meet it, he would certainly have betrayed himself. The first thing in the morning anything bowled him over. As the day advanced his nerve gained tone. His sixth tumbler left him Invulnerable to fate for five minutes. Could ho have kept himself In that condition, ho would have been a man to be envied. As fortune would havo it, he was there In nil his forces to withstand the shock the stranger had brought against him. He raised his eyebrows, and he stared nt the stranger .in the most natural manner in the world. Ho had very large and rather projecting eyeballs, and when he stared there avuh n trreat deal of red veined white visible. His thick lips were apart nnd he scratched his cheek with n forefinger. Doubt snt upon him. Ilia wholouttitude seemed to inquire if he hnd heard nrlght. The stranger hnd leaned forward, walking stick in hand, to signal his com panion's attention by that tap on the shoulder, nnd ho had spoken with a truc ulent air and tone. "1 know everything, nml it isn't worth while to nttcnipt to humbug me for a moment," said tho stranger's eye. But when Monboddo turned round to meet tnnt threatening aspect, and did it with so complete an appearance of surprise, the certainty gradually vanished from the other's look, and a half-shocpKh wonder slowly took its place. At length 'things went so 111 with tho strnnger, under Monboddo's starim; amazement, thnt there wns noth ing left for hlni but to withdraw his gaze and betake himself to bin tumbler. He drnnk with u most feeble attempt at a swagger, nnd Monboddo, still looking amazed at him across his tumbler, drank also. Then that medico set himself to work to pluy n fnntasia on the emotions of tho stranger. Tie did it like an artist, and his companion, watching him closely, be lieved timt he could rend his reflections liko n book. Now this particular art of pretense is practiced by thousands every dny. It Is a part of the nccustomed liar's stock In trade. But it Is a fortu nate thing for the world at large that the enormous majority of those who seek to practice it are extremely clumsy, and that they are bowled out nlncty-nino times in a hundred. But whnt Dr. Mon lioddo's mnnner said to the stranger wa.s so convincingly said Hint It wns much more persunslve than words. First of all It said, "What on earth Is this mnn talking about?" Then it said, "Dear me, now! that's really very remarkable, be cause it reminds inc." Then It said. "Up on my word! there's soniething very curi ous going on. I'll Inquire nbout it." Thou it said. "No. I won't." nnd then. "Yes, 1 will," nnd thou, "No, 1 won't," again. Having carried on his voiceless soliloquy so far, Dr. Monboddo assumed an air of profound cogitation. When ho next spoke there wns a husky thickness in his voice which he could have cleared away had ho so chosen. It served his turn, however. Ho left It to do its own work on the understanding of his com puulnn. "Excuso me, sir," he begnn. "but hnd you known our deceased friend's af fairs?" Uo wns grotesquely omphntic with a wnvoring forefinger, and he wore a look of solemn perspicacity, ns if ho were saying to himself, "I'll turn this fine fel low Inside out Hko a glove." And the stranger rejoiced within doors, thinking. "If this follow doom know anything, how'b my tlmo." Ho nnswered quietly that ho had at ono time boon In Mr. Jetb roe'n businoss confidence. (To be continued.! Hor Hpcchilty. Blocker Your wlfo 13 something of n wit. Sho tried to mnko game of mo nt the reception last night. Meolcer Huh I That's nothing. She often Thakes me quail. THE FiKLD OF BATTLE INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES OF THE WAR. The Vutcrniin of the Rebellion Tell nt Whistling Bullets, Bright Bnjoiictu, WhiHtllntf Illinois, uriKlit Jfiljoncm, JlttrHti; ItouiliH, Itloori.r Buttles, CiinipIirc, Fcntlvc Hiitfs, JCtc, lite. "Yen," sulci Captain Fowler, "we frequently llrod at nn enemy when we couldn't see u man or n gun. At. Av crysboro, N. C, Gen em! Kllpatrlek or dered my section of Hie battery for ward to dislodge the enemy. When I reported to the general the litiCK wero quiet and I could see neither our own troops nor the rebels. I asked Kilput rlck where the enemy was and he waved IiIh hand dramntleally toward about half of North Carollnti ami Haiti, 'Right over there.' "I turned to look for u position for my rifled ten-jioundorn, when a oliell from the enemy whizzed over the gen eral and staff. Kllpatrlek flattened himself on his horse, Haying a moment Inter: 'I ahvny.s dodgo theso things I don't Htijipnse it cloeH any good, but It is humun naturo to dodge, anil I dodge. But, I say, captain, can you dismount that gun without seeing It?' I told lilm wo could, nnd going into position we opened fire nt l.fiOO yards and tho enemy soon concentrated the; flro of six smooth bore twelve pound vvt on my two rifled ten pounders. "The range wns too great for the smooth bores, nnd I lost mt a slng'e linn. But we located the enemy's guns, ono by ono, and the gunners, with three years' practice, put every shot In the right place to make trouble. Soon an orderly rode up to say; 'The general's compliments you have dis mounted a gun.' In ten minutes he came ngaln: 'The general's compli ments, and you havo exploded a cais son.' In live minutes another cavalry man disturbed us with: 'You have disabled another gun.' Then for live minutes the rebel battery was silent. "Whoa it opened again the boys let drive with the two guns and literally ilemollsi- 'd one of the rebel guns, breaking tho carriage and turning the gun end for end. We saw it later when the rebs hud retreated, and when wo discovered we had been tiring over our own men, who wero near enough for their lookout to see our shots strike. When the lines came together the affair was over in fifteen minutes, nnd Colonel Uliett, a South Carolinian ti command, was a prisoner. "Two or three hundred of llhott's men were captured with him. Just before their capture, Captain Duncan of our own army, who had been cap tured at Fayetleville, reported to (!en- r-rnl Sherman minus hat, shoes and ?oat. Ho stated that Wade Hampton's men made lilm get out of nearly every thing ho wore til tho lime of his cap ture, and appropriated all tho articles, und that when he appealed to Hump ton for protection he was answered with a curse. Hearing the story, Kil- pr trick ordered that Bhett be penult ted to march on foot to Goldsnoro. "By the wny, when tho Union troops concentrated for the battle of MissioTr; nry Hldge, our battery was left at Dallas without support to guard (he river crossing. The reus on tho other side of the river knew a battle was in progress, and tho first day shouted ut intervals: 'How is tho fight going?' fivcry time our boys shouted buck: Yoti'uns Is getting licked.' As the rebs accepted this without comment we suspected they had more Informa tion than wo hud, and knew the battle ivas going against them. However, wo traded coftoo for tobacco tho day Hooker went over Lookout mountain, ind exchanged views on tho situation. "Tho rebels had quite a largo for-oo in their side of the river, and that alght one of tho pickets shouted: 'Wo will be relieved soon. Good-ny, Yanks.' l'he next morning a flatboat loaded with men in gray camo over to our side under a flag of truce and said as their whole army wa.s retreating thoy would like a cnanco to get Into Ken tucky. Another boat, loud came later, ?lvlng us news of Missionary Ittdgo ind expressing a willingness to sur render. When they saw that our bnt rery was unsupported they allowed :hey could have taken us In out of the wot if they bad known the Infantry aad been withdrawn. "At Stone Hlvcr wo had smooth aore guns, but wo did a good Job. Aftor the rebs rel routed avc followed Dcyond Murfroesboro on the Munches :er pike. The rear guard made a Uand while a heavy column crossed tho pike just out of our range. Tho noys noticed, howover, that when the solid shot struck tho hard surface of he pike they ricoehotted forward to :hc point whoro the heavy column was .rossing, so they tired glancing shoK using tho pike as a bouncing board, ind did effective work. A general otti vr who rodo a white- horse tuid who vug very busy was struck and killed Dy one of theso rlcochettlng eunnon onlls." "Spenking of glanelug shots," said the lieutenant, "there wua a ease, In the ITiiJlppIncs that beat the record. Tho d';y General l.nwton wttn only two hundred men wns cut off from hia command, operating south of Manila. (ht-TC was groat excitement on the Monadnoek. We could see that tho general wns in n scrape mid that the Filipinos were closing In to ctnro hlin. Klnuh.v the general signaled for help and ordered that men bo landed from the warships at oneo to come to his rescue. "Tho vessels started live or nix hun dred shoreward and opened with all available guns on the Flliplnon in tho bushes. As all tho world knows, tho rebels liore driven off, General Law ton was rescued and established com inunlentlon with tho other parts of tils command. When tho bluejackets re turned to their ships they were or dered to remove the cartridges from their guns. One man failed to obey, and on the Monadnoek there was a commotion when a shot came from a group of men putting their guns uwny. "The bullet struck n man in the foot glanced from the deck, cutting another man In the hand, went a considerable distance until It struck the capstan, where it divided into two pieces, one of which took a section out of nn olil cer's ear and the other struck n man In the leg. This sobered everybody, but only one man knew where the ec centric bullet came from, and ho inndo uo remarks." "1 was down at Bridgeport, Aln.. some weeks ago," said the major, I things are not as they were in 1804. On one occasion In tho Inst year of tho war I went to Bridgeport tired, sleepy and hungry. Tho hotel was without glass In the windows nnd without doors. Tliero were no beds and very, little furniture oC any kind. Yet tlio rooms were full of lodgers sleeping on cots or on the lloor, and of boardera who paid self-appointed guards a high price for army rations served on a table in what had been a dining room. "A comrade with mo said ho must have sleep under shelter, and, offering a high price for a place to sleep, ho was given a box In a limber ro -m Eto wrapped himself in a blanket, und. stretching himself on tho box, Blcpt the sleep of a man who doesn't euro for trifles. In the morning, when daylight made It. possible for him to inspect hia bed nnd surroundings, he found that he was sleeping on an empty collin. I told him when 1 came back that Bridgeport could do better now and at a lower price." Chicago Inter Ocean. J, out llin Is'crvc. While reading somo of tho Incidents of the lalo war, written by my com rades, a circumstance cornea to my mind which 1 would Hko to relate. I was a member of Company Br Fourteenth Indiana volunteers, and it was while we were camping at Elk. river valley, western Virginia, I think. In our company we had an Irishman whose name, of course, was Pat. This Irishman had a particular friend in the company whoso name was Joo Gnthrldge. One afternoon Col. Wilder came to us with tho order that wo should be ready to march that even ing, immediately after dark, at tho same time explaining: "Now, boya, wo are In the enemy's country, and In a. mountainous country, where the ene my can view our every movement, so don't make any unnecessary move ments, but be ready to march at dark with two days' rations and your cart ridge boxes fun of ammunition." We were called Into lino at dark and received order No. 2: "Boys, don't make any noise; don't speak abovo a whisper. 1 shall bo t the head of the column, and If anything happens you will hear from me." We marched along until about two o'clock In the morning without stop ping, whon the colonel, thinking wo needed a little rest, said, "Halt and lost," Just loud enough for the first company to hear. The next company knew what It meant and followed suit, but the next company didn't know what it meant, as they hnd heard no command, and by tho time it reached tho tail end of the regiment there was quite a confusion. Some one said "charge of cavalry," and you could hear guns click, click, but our olllccra ordered us to stand until we received orders. Just then Col. Wilder rodo down the line and explained tho cause of the confusion; thou said, "Fall Into rank, keep tho same order, and move very quietly." Just as wo wero ready to march wo beard a voice calling front tho top of a tree near by: "Oh, Joe, and wliero In the dlvil Is mo gun?" It was our worthy Irishman. Should any of my comrades happen to road this, will they remember how Col. Loomls can nonaded tho breastworks of Green Brier Bridge? The number of limber sleepers on the railways of the world is calculated to bo about l,'ll)i,000,000 nnd tholr value Is estimated at about $000,000, 000. This Item makes a serious drain on tho timber supplies of the world. It Is only when at work that man fulfills his proper place In God's crea ture scheme. They are Indeed rare ex ceptions who "al3o sorve, who only stand nnd wait" Homo la tho seminary of nil other institutions. -13. II. Ohtiuin.