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About The frontier. (O'Neill City, Holt County, Neb.) 1880-1965 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 24, 1899)
CHAPTER XIII—(Continued.) The Rector wu the only person ex repting myself cognizant of Mr. Wid drlngton's failure and dlsroverles. I felt very small In'the worthy person’s presence. I had for the second time been outwitted by a woman, and It wat on account of my careless blundering that the whole work had to begin over agair. ‘ Don’t tell the ladies," advised the Rector; “keep it from them as long as you can. Miss Elmslle Is the veriest gossip, good little soul as she Is, and, as we have Just proved, ‘a man’s foes are those of his own household;’ very 'walls have ears, and a bird of the air shall carry the matter!’’’ con tinned Mr. Ileathcote, losing all con trol of himself in the heat of quotation. “If Widdri::gton is to recover the trail wo must be silent as mice." “His groom get-up was capital," I remarked; "It completely took me In.” “Vca.” said the Rector complacently, “I think we did that rather well. But I did not expect to blind, you. When I found you had not recognized Wid drington as soon as you arrived I kept up the Joke, you know.” “It Is hardly fair, Is It,” I demurred, “to keep Miss Branscombo in the dark? I believe she would be discreet.” “Of course you do!” laughed Mr. Heathcote. “You would be a sorry lover If you did not believe that and everything else that Is good of her.” "It may be necessary to put her on her guard against the lady’s maid,” I suggested. “Yes, it may. I hardly know what course to adopt with regard to the woman." said the Rector thoughtfully, “or how Widdrlngton has left matters with her. It seems to me Important to retain her; she may help us If she will. Well, with regard to Nona, you must use your own discretion. Fort; I can and her eyes gleamed with anger. She rented one hand upon the table, clench ing and unclenching the other as she spoke. "I have a few questions to ask you, sir," she commenced, in a significant, quiet tone—“questions I should like answered.” “I am at your service,” Miss Wood ward,” I responded, putting my papers together with an airy assumption quite at variance with my real feelings. “I want to know,” she went on, "if you think it is the action of a gentle man to set a spy upon a respectable young woman, to deceive her by false promises and lies and shameful, dou ble-faced ways and tricks, to get out o' her all he wants to know—all for your information, sir”—she was becoming somewhat involved—“and for your pay. I suppose? Is this a gentleman's ac tion, I ask you?” “If you mean,” I began. “I mean,” she Interrupted, “that I have always heard you lawyers are as cunning as Satan himself. But I never could have believed that a gentleman like you, so pleasant-spoken and straightforward as you seemed, could have been guilty of such a trick!” “As what?” I asked. “I am not aware of any conduct on my part of which you have a right to complain, Miss Woodward. I rather thought, do you know, that things were the other way about—that I had some cause of complaint against you.” “That fellow, Tillott—or whatever his name is,” she said, with bitter con tempt—"was your spy, was he not? Didn’t you send him down to hunt out your business?” “I did not know of his being here until last night,” I answered truthfully, If a little evasively. “But he was your spy,” she per sisted, “and you didn’t care how he "I HAVE A PEW QUESTIONS TO ASK YOU, SIR.” not advise. Perhaps we may hear something from Wlddrlngton to-day or to-morrow. He has left us In a terri ble mess at present; but qo doubt be couldn’t help It The failure must have been a blow to him. ‘There’s many a slip 'twlxt the cup and the Up,' you know.” CHAPTER XIV. Before I left the rectory I had to endure an interview, quite unsought, and—I think I may add—quite unde served on my part, painful and embar rassing as it was to me. Woodward—Wlddrlngton's deserted and betrayed lady-love—her face pale, her eyes lurid with suppressed fury, en tered the rector’s study, where I had established myself in order to write letters for the afternoon post, and de manded a hearing. I must here confess to a weakness to •which I have always been, and am still, a prey—I am morally afraid of an angry woman. I can face any number •of furious men, my spirits Indeed ris ing at the prospect of a fray, but before an angry woman I am an arrant cow ard. My reelings tnereiore can De imag ined when the lady’s maid advanced upon me. There was no mistaking the expression of her whole person as she closed the door and approached me. At the first glance I thought of the words—"Earth holds no demon like a woman scorned.” * * - Innocent factor as I was In the "scorning” of this particular woman, why should I have to bear the brunt of her demoniacal fury? This was the question which shook my craven soul as I braced myself up as well as I could for the encounter. Miss Woodward planted herself on the opposite side of the writing-table, facing me. I was glad at that moment of the intervening breadth of leather covered mahogany. She was a little woman of a dark complexion. Her thick well-marked brows met on her forehead, giving a look of determina tion—a sinister look, I thought at that moment—to her thin, sharp-featured face. Her face was always jj^raewhat colorless, but it was lividly pale now. got at what you wanted to know so long as he did get at It. You didn’t care if he lied and deceived, and made a poor woman ashamed to hold up her head again. It was all for your money.” “My good girl,” I remonstrated, “I am really very sorry; but I am not re sponsible for Mr. Tillott’s conduct." “It was you who tempted him.” she persisted—“who set him on me! Oh, it was the meanest, basest thing! He was to have married me—our names are up at the registry-office in Ilmln ton. I can have the law of him for false statement, and that’s what I mean to do! Tell me his address—it’s the least you can do for a woman you have helped to Insult and mislead.” “Who put up the names?” I asked, beginning to feel that Mr. Wlddring ton had gone to'unwarrantable lengths Indeed. “I did.” she answered, “a fortnight ago—the time would be out next week. He wouldn’t let me give notice to Miss llranscombe, and we were to have been married on the sly, because his friends In London were such grand people, and he would tell them after wards, he pretended—the false trai tor!” "Then, if you gave the names, I am afraid you cannot make Mr. Tlllott re sponsible for any statement you have yourself made at the office,’’ I said. “It Is a vile, shameful trick!" she panted. “Yes, It is too bad,” I assented, sym pathetically. “But how did it happen that you, with all your experience, al lowed yourself to be so taken in?” “I never suspected him for a minute," she replied, softening under my sym pathy. “I never supposed that men could be so wicked. And I don’t be lieve now that he would if he hadn’t been put up to it. I found his letter to you, telling you how your schemes had all succeeded, and then I knew how a gentleman could demean himself!”— with renewed contempt. “You found a letter?” I asked. “Yes.” “And you read it?**' u“ ” "Yes”—shortly and sharply. "Why not? It was In his handwriting, and we were almost man and wife; I had a right to read his letters. And It’s well I did! What have you to say to that, sir?" “Nothing," I answered. "Only the law might have something to say, you know, to your taking possession of a letter addressed to another person.” I was gaining courage as her reckless temper placed her in my power. I should advise you to be a little more prudent, Miss Woodward." “I don’t care that for the law,” she cried violently, snapping her fingers in my face. "The law says nothing to a woman being deceived and insulted, and cheated with false promises.” “Oh, yes it does!” I said. "There is such a thing as breach of promise— only I am afraid you are hardly in a position to avail yourself of the law.” My spirits had so far revived that I was able to try a little intimidation now. "You see, by your own con fession, you have made yourself amen able to the law in one—if not In two instances.” “I tell you I don’t care,’ she cried; "and I’m glad of what I did. I had my revenge. I upset all your fine plans— and his. You were neither of you a match for a woman from beginning to end.” “That Is quite true,” I assented, hum bly; "you were very clever, Miss Wood ward. I don't think I ever heard of a cleverer trick. I give you great credit for your splendid management, and, if you will allow me to say so, I think your talents are quite wasted in your present position as a lady’s maid. 1 should really advise you to turn your attention to, say, the female detective line. I think I can perhaps be of use to you In that sort of a career if you decide on it.” CHAPTER XV. I was determined that she should not remain in her present post about Nona, and deemed it advisable to manage her resignation as quietly as possible. A designing, vindictive woman, burning with a sense of Injury, and capable of the elaborate dissimulation she had al ready practiced, wa3 certainly not fit for attendance on my guileless, tender Nona. Miss Woodward must leave the Rectory before my own departure. “The authorities at Scotland Yard,” I suggested, “will, I think, most proba bly be glad »f your assistance. I can perhaps arrange the matter.” “Do you think that I will be be holden to you for anything?” she burst out. “Do you think I will let you lay another trap for me? No, I'm not sunk so low as that comes to!” "It might be worth your while,” I said carelessly, “to think over my offer. I am afraid—after what has passed—the Rectory will not be either a pleasant or a safe home for you”— meaningly. “And do you think,” she cried,* “that I’m going to take my warning to leave from you? You are not my master. I was not engaged by you, and it’s not for you to dismiss me.” “All that is quite true,” I assented; “nevertheless it may be as well for you to think over what I have said, Miss Woodward. Miss Branscombe will, I know, be as anxious as I am myself to avoid any unnecessary scandal or ex posure before the other servants. And she has been a kind mistress; you would not, I am sure, wish to give her unnecessary pain or distress.” "Miss Branscombe Is a thousand times too good for—for those who have got her,” announced Miss Wood ward. “As sweet a young lady as ever trod the earth, she is, and above all the mean tricks that seem all right to law yers. no doubt. And if things had gone as they should have gone we might have seen her in her own proper place, with as real a gentleman as she is a lady.” (To be continued.) DOUBLE EAGLE. A* It Appeared on the Arm* of Russia and Austria. The eagle, as an emblem of authori ty, Is so old that It would be impossible to clearly trace its origin. It is found upon the most ancient sculptures that have yet been discovered, and was no doubt one of the very oldest of the to tems, or tribe signs. The early Per sian empire appears to be the first which adopted it as an imperial em blem. Among the Greeks the eagle was the emblem of Jove. The Romans also adopted the eagle as their stand ard, and so it became the token of Ro man dominion. When Constantine be came emperor he adopted the double headed eagle as the insignia of his authority over east and west. When the German empire came into being in the twelfth century this emblem was revived as being that of the Holy Ro man empire, and Rudolph of Hapsburg adopted It as his Imperial arms. It ap peared in the Russian imperial arms in the sixteenth century, when Czar Ivan Basllovitch married Princess Sophia, niece of the eleventh Constantine, and the last of the Byzantine emperors. About Meeks. The array of pecks presented for in spection at a theater is various. All sorts and conditions of necks are there, and there is as much variety in them as there is in the faces above them. Scraggy necks should, if surmounting good shoulders, have a discreet ribbon round them; black velvet or white tulle are the most becoming things for the complexion. Pearls on a white throat are really exquisite; for dusky necks the most becoming stones are emeralds or rubies. When the bonee at the base of the throat are too in trusive on the attention they may be coerced into submission and conceal ment by a narrower ribbon tied loi with a pendant FARM AND GARDEN. MATTERS OF INTEREST TO AGRICULTURISTS. Some fp-to-Dute Hints About Cul tivation of the Soil and Yields Thereof—Horticulture, Viticulture and Floriculture. A Kansas Wool Grower’s Methods. At the twenty-eighth annual meet ing of the Kansas Board of Agricul ture, Mr. J. N. Grau, of Mitchell coun ty, (northern), Kansas, who Is large ly and profitably in the sheep busi ness there, read a paper prepared at the suggestion of Secretary F. D. Co burn, giving his Ideas of how best to manage and care for the flock, and his method of selecting animals for breeding purposes. For the last 14 years his flock has numbered from 800 to 1,000, and as he has succeeded by close attention to his business, his observations should be of no little in terest and value. He says in Dart: I fatten my surplus stock for mar ket. In the selection of breeding ewes I never pay much attention to the Oneness of flber, but more to the constitution, good form, no wrinkles on body, good fleece, or long dense staple of wool, and good milking qualities—as this can be had in sheep as well as in cows, and to produce a good lamb they must have an abund ant supply of milk. I sort out about one-third to one-half of my ewe lambs for breeders at one year old, sending the rest to market for mutton; al ways feeding the lambs well so as to get the size of the sheep the first year. If neglected they will grow smaller every year. By this way of selecting and feeding I have increased the av erage size of my flock twenty pounds. In selecting the rams, I look for a good constitution, which will repre sent a good feeder and always the best in the flock, of a good form for mutton; shown by well sprung ribs, breadth across the shoulders, a deep breast, with front legs well set apart; a short neck and erect carriage; short head, with broad nostrils, giving plenty of room to breathe the pure air of the range; with three to four inch staple of dense wool, with only a rea sonable quantity of oil, and weighing from 175 to 200 pounds at maturity. I pasture in summer on prairie grass without grain, having my range divided into three separate pastures with four-barbed-wlre fence. Chang ing from one pasture to another gives the grass a better start; it will pro duce more feed, and sheep will keep in better condition than when run in one continuously. I wean my lambs in September. For the last two years I have turned them in a piece of standing sorghum, giving them also some cracked corn, which has given the best of results. As soon as the grass gets dry and poor, which is about the 1st of Octo ber, I commence to feed the older sheep one bushel of corn to the 100 head per day. Sometimes I feed corn fodder with corn on until I get my corn husked out; then turn them in the stalk field, and give one bushel of corn to the 100 head per day. My breeding ewes run out every day in the stalk field, from morning until night, except in severe snow storms, when I think it is not best to leave them out all day. Exercise is neces sary for good health and constitution, and for raising strong lambs. From about the first of March I feed corn fodder and alfalfa hay until grass starts to grow. I have lambs drop in March and April. I pen my ewes in a shed over night, but never stay up with them; a lamb that will not get up and rustle, I don’t want. In the morning turn out the ewes, always keeping separate those that have lambs, exam ining all to see that the lamb has had Its fill of milk; if not, I keep it separate until it has; keeping the ewes with young lambs separate from the flock for three or four days, I then turn them in to the large herd of ewes. If turned in before three davs, and they get parted for twenty-fOTlr hours, the mothers will not own them. Years age I sowed rye for early spring pasture, but of late I have been raising alfalfa, for hay, which is bet ter than red clover. It is one of the best sheep feeds that can be grown, and which every farmer in Kansas should grow for cattle, sheep, and hogs. I shear in April, before turning out to grass. Having plenty of shed room, there is no danger of losing any. I keep plenty of Kansas fine salt where they can have free access to it at all times, and yard them every night. When accustomed to the yard they will come up at night of their own accord. Damage to Street Trees. It gives a horticulturist a nightmare to see* how street strees are treated sometimes, says Country Gentleman. Many ot the mutilations are charge* able to the linemen of the telegraph and telephone companies, abetted, of course, by the indifference of public opinion. It is not generally supposed that there is any further damage from the electric wires after the lineman has done his worst and gone; but Dr. G. E. Stone thinks there may be. He says: “I have observed no instance where electricity has killed a tree outright, but there are many cases where the limbs have been killed by burning. This effect Is not only caused by the alternating current of the electric lights, but by the direct current of the trolley system; the latter current being probably more injurious, provided the same amount of amperes and voltage is employed. The damage done by grounded wires takes place when trees are moist, as at that time the resist ance is reduced, and the current be comes increased and has a better op portunity to become dispersed. We have known of instances where the trees and the grass for some distance about them have been charged with the escaping current. The damage to the trees, however, is due to the heat ing effect of electriicity.” Every town, and even more every country village, needs an active com mittee for the prevention of many common sinful practices toward street trees; and perhaps such a committee will now need an expert consulting electrician. The Asparagus Canning Industry. Persons who are thinking of enter ing on the cultivation of asparagus will find some useful information on the subject in the description of the asparagus-canning industry in central California. The coast and river islands in the central west of the state contain overflow lands which are specially adapted for asparagus culture on a large scale. The climate and the rich sedimentary soil united to produce a quality and quantity of crop unsur passed in any part of the world. Soon the possibilities of the situation ap pealed to the canning industry. As paragus is easy to can; it handles well, not bruising or defacing easily, and It can be prepared and cooked by any one, whether skilled in cooking or not. Ten years ago it was thought the sale of 120,000 two-and-a-half-pound cans in one season was a record never to be surpassed. Last season between 75,000 and 90,000 cases, containing two dozen two-and-a-half-pound cans each, making between 1,800,000 and 2,160,000 cans were disposed of. The industry has received such an impetus with the revival in trade that several new gigantic asparagus farms have been started. The Neglected Hedge Fence. There Is nothing more unsightly than a neglected hedge fence, says a writer in Homestead. I have seen them on both sides of the road, which is made impassable by snow drifts in the winter time because of them, and in the summer time they make the road so exceedingly sultry and hot as to render travel very trying to man and beast Hedge fences, like evil traits of character, naturally tend the wrong way. If I had a fence of this kind it should be kept in good order if I had to hire an extra man, but to prevent the employment of the extra man I would rather have some other kind of good fence. As I pass by them this time of year, looking like an In diana deadening, with a few oranges left on them from last year’s crop, I feel sorry for the man who owns a farm with a neglected hfdgs fence along the highway. I believe the best use that could be made of them would be to cut them out, make posts out of all the trunks even down to two inches in diameter, which will make good stakes, and then keep the growth down by some means and put up a good fence, using the posts the hedge furnished to make it. Effect of Cold Shown on Michigan Peaches.—The peach crop in Michigan will be very small this year. About the only counties in what is known as the Michigan peach belt that will have a crop worth considering are Berrien and Van Buren, where the reports in dicate that they will have respectively 25 and 7 per cent of an average crop. The counties along the eastern side of tl» state make a much better showing than those in the interior. There is a marked similarity between the per centages, which indicate the prospect for a crop of peaches in the various counties, and the low temperatures reached in the respective counties dur ing the cold weather last February. The temperature in the countiai on the west side of the state, with the exception of Berrien and Van Buren, was much lower than the temperature of the counties on the eastern side of the state.—Michigan Crop Report. Clover vs. Timothy Hay.—No dairy man, alive to his interests, has any business to feed timothy hay to his dairy cows. This hay has the highest market value and about the poorest feeding value of any hay upon the market. So let the horseman have the timothy and the dairyman the clover and rowen hays. Suppose a dairyman has produced a lot of timothy hay upon his own farm; there is no reason at all why he should feed the same to his cows. Better far to sell this tim othy for its market value as horse hay and buy clover hay with the proceeds for the cows. This practice will re sult in a big saving to any dairyman. Plowing.—Plowing is an important factor in saving soil moisture. The reason why lands wash so seriously is that the plowing is too shallow and it is frequently done when the soil is in an unfit condition. The plow should be run as deep as possible, being set slightly lower each year until the top soil is eight or ten Inches deep. The best plowing is that which leaves the soil in the finest state of division. Cloddy or lumpy land cannot hold a large amount of water; therefore it is important to plow when the land is neither too wet nor too dry. Whey for Hogs.—A Canadian cheese factory which makes from 120 to 140 tens of cheese in a season utilizes all tho whey in growing and fattening hogs of which it keeps about 400 dur ing the busy season. This prevents what is one cause of trouble at some cheese factories—sending home sour whey in the milk cans which taints the next day’s milk. The pigery is sit uated at a' distance of 600 to 700 feet from the factory and kept as clean as possible, that it may not give off of fensive odors to taint the milk. American Metis in Germany. v'-j American meats are Indeed having a hard time in the German empire, due to the fact that the German farm ers and their friends throughout the country take every oportunlty to pre vent the sale of such meats. It is not practicable for them to get a law of actual prohibition passed, as they are unable to prove that American meats are dangerous to the health of the peo ple, but they Insist on such restrictions being made that the sale of the meats takes place under great difficulties and frequently is made so expensive that the buyers refuse it for that reason alone. United States Consul Barnes of Co logne says: “I learn that, for the last fifteen years, there were officially con firmed in the kingdom of Prussia 3,003 cases of illness from trichinae, 207 of which resulted in death. Of these total numbers there could be traced to the eating of European meats, examined in Germany and found to be free from trichinae, 1,242 cases and 102 deaths. The remaining cases could also be traced to European meat, but meat that had not been examined. In not one of the above cases could it be proved that the disease resulted from the use of American salted, pickled or tinned meat, or of smoked sausage. This statement holds good for all Ger many. * * • When in 1891 the edict against sausage and pork prod ucts from America was canceled, no inspection of sausage or pickled pork was required until July 1, 1898. Since then both products are subject to in spection. This will result in the ab solute exclusion of sausage and pickled pork or boneless hams from the Ger man market. In the case of boneless hams the cost of inspection amounts to $3.57 per 220 English pounds. Add to this the duty, which is $8.33 on 220 pounds of meat, and it is seen that the cost amounts to prohibition. * * • As regards the inspection of American sausage, I learn that three pieces are taken for inspection purposes from every two pounds of sausage. By this means the sausage is much injured, if not entirely ruined for selling pur poses, inasmuch as this process not only has a tendency to cause the meat to become dry and hard, but the meat bears plain evidences of having been inspected, which is not a very flatter ing testimonial as to its value for food. On the other hand, German sausagl s subjected to no such inspection aftet it is in shape for selling, as it is in spected before it is made up into com mercial form or put on the market." Making the Hoarse. Now is the time to remember that the colt of the present is to be the horse a few years hence, and the kind of a horse he is to be depends largely upon his treatment now, says Farm, Stock and Home. Good care, ample food and judicious exercise are the es sentials at this time. By ample food is not meant over-feeding. Some graiii^ should be fed during the summer, but not so much that the little fellow will be indisposed to eat freely of grass or other bulky food, for the latter is nec essary to the proper development of his stomach and digestive organs. Two pounds of oats a day should be given to the colt after weaning, and he should be allowed to learn to eat some even before weaning. Vary the grain feed with barley or even corn; and if occa sionally ground grain in a thick slop is given the effect will be good. But this feeding should be moderate, and not calculated to develop overmuch fat. Exercise the colt should have, but that, too, temperately. Over-exertion would be as bad for the colt as no exertion. It is well, also, to begin breaking or educating the colt at an early age. Se cure its confidence by kind treatment and gentle words, accustom it to strange sights, to sudden noises and other alarming things, enough to teach it that they are not dangerous, and so begin to develop the mind as well as the body of the horse that you want to see command a good price later on. Foot of the Horse.—The foot of a horse is one of the most ingenious and unexampled pieces of mechanism in animal structure. The hoof contains a series of vertical and thin laminae of horn, amounting to about five hundred and forming a complete lining to it. In this are fitted as many laminae be longing to the cofiin bone, while both sets are elastic and adherent, edge of a quire of paper, inserted by leaf into another, will convey a suf ficient idea of the arrangement. Thus the weight of the animal is supported by as many elastic springs as there are laminae in all the feet, amounting to about four thousand, distributed in the most secure manner, since every spring is acted on in an oblique direc tion.—Ex. The , leaf’ Anthrax and Black-Leg.—Request? have been received at the department of agriculture from Cuba for a vaccine to be applied to cattle coming into the island which are said to be affected with anthrax. The department has been supplying vaccine to be used as a preventive against black-leg, but as the black-leg bacillus and the anthrax bacillus are not the same, the depart ment is unable to grant the request Cases of anthrax In this country, the department officials state, are compar atively rare. Black-leg, on the other hand, is quite common, but the vigor ous measures which have been adopted are largely eradicating the disease, and it is the secretary’s expectation that the entire stamping out of it will re sult Dutch Veal.—In Holland consider able attention is paid to the produc tion of fine veal. The calves are con fined in narrow stalls, bedded with sand, and fed very liberally with whole milk, great care being taken that the C3lf gets no solid food of any kind, which it is claimed will have a deleterious effect upon the quality of the veal.—Nat. Stockman. , - ,