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About The frontier. (O'Neill City, Holt County, Neb.) 1880-1965 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 14, 1901)
The Diamond Bracelet By MRS. HENRY WOOD. Author of Ea.st Lynne. Etc. (CHAPTER IV.—Continued.) “It cannot be lost.” returned Lady Sarah. “You are sure you put It out, Alice?” "I am quite sure of that. It wa3 lying first in the case, and—” “Yes, it was,” interrupted Hughes. “That was its place.” I “And consequently the first that 1 took out,” continued Alice. “I put it on the table; and the others around it, near to me. Why, as a proof that it lay there-” What was Alice going to add? Was she going to adduce as a proof that Gerard Hope had taken it up, and it had been a subject of conversation be tween them? If so. recollection came to her in time, and she faltered and abruptly broke off. But a faint, hor rible dread, to which she would not give shape, came stealing over her, and her face turn'd white, and she sank on a chair trembling visibly. “Now look at Alice!” uttered Fran ces Chenevix; “she is going into one of her agitation fits.” “Don't allow you-salt to be agi tated, Alice,” cried Lady Sarah; “that will do no good. Besides, I feel sure the bracelet is all safe in the case; where else can it be? Fetch the case, Hughes, and I will look for it myself. Hughes whisked out of the room, in wardly resenting the doubt cast upon her eyesight. “It is so strange," mused Alice, 'that you did not see the biacelet when you came up." j “It was certainly not there," re sumed Lady Sarah. "Perhaps you will look for yourself now, my lady,” cried Hughes, return ing with the jewel box in her hands. The box was well searched. The bracelet was not there. “This is very strange, Hughes,” ut tered Lady Sarah. "It's very ugly, as well, my lady," answered Hughes, in a lofty tone, “and I’m thankful to the presiding geniuses which rule such things that I was not in charge when it never -would have taken place, for I can give a guess how it was.” “Then you had better,” said her ladyship, curtly. lr 1 do, returned nugues, i smu offend Miss Seaton." “No you will not, Hughes," cried Alice. “Say what you please; I have need to wish this cleared up.” “Then, miss, if I may speak my thoughts, I think you must have left the key about. And there are strange servants in the house, you know, my lady; there’s that kitchen’s maid only came in it when we did, and there’s the new under butler.” "Hughes, you are wrong,” interrupt ed Alice. “The servants could not have touched the box, for the key nev er was out of my possession, and you know the lock is a Bramah. I locked the box last night in Lady Sarah's presence, and the key was not out of my pocket afterwards until you took it from thence this morning.” "The key seems to have had nothing to do with it,” interposed Frances Chenevix. “Alice says she put the dia mond bracelet on the table with the rest: Lady Sarah says when she went to the table after dinner it was not there; so it must have been in the intervening period that the—the—dis appearance took place.” "And only a few minutes to do it in!” ejaculated Lady Sarah. “What a mystery!” “It beats conjuring, my lady,” said Hughes. “Could any visitor have come upstairs?” “I did hear a visitor’s knock while we were at dinner,” said Lady Sarah. Don’t you remember. Fanny? You looked up as if you noticed it.” “Did 1?" answered Lady Frances, in a careless tone. And that moment Thomas happened to enter with a letter, and the ques tion was put to him, “Who knocked?” His answer was ready. "Sir George Danvers, my lady. When T said the Colonel was at dinner, Sir George began to apologize for calling, but I explained that you were dining earlier than usual because of the opera.” jNOUOCiy eise uaiicu; "Nobody knocked but Sir George, my lady.” • A covert answer," thought Alice; "but l am glad he is true to Gerard.” “What an untruth!” thought Lady Frances, as she remembered the visit of Alice’s sister. Thomas’ memory must be short.” All the talk—and it was much pro longed—did not tend to throw any light upon the matter, and Alice, un happy and ill, retired to her own room. The agitation had brought on a ner vous and violent headache, and she sat down in a low chair and bent her forehed on to her hands. One belief alone possessed her; that the unfor tunate Gerard Hope had stolen the bracelet. Do as she would she could not put it from her; she kept repeat ing that he was a gentleman, that he was honorable, that he would never place her in so painful a position. Com mon sense replied that the temptation was laid before him. and he had con fessed his pecuniary difficulties to be great; nay. had he not wished for this very bracelet—that he might make money CHAPTER V. A knock at the door. Alice lifted her sickly countenance and bade the intruder enter. It was Lady Frances Chenevix. “I came to—Alice how wretched you look? You will torment yourself into a fever.” “Can you wonder at my looking wretched?” returned Alice. 'Place yourself in my position, Frances; it must appear to Lady Sarah as if I— I had made away with the bracelet. I am sure Hughes thinks so.” "Don't say unorthodox things, Alice. They would rather think that I had done it, of the two, for I have more use for diamond bracelets than you.” "It is kind of you to try and cheer me,” sighed Alice. "Just the thing 1 came to do. And to have a bit of a chat with you as well, if you will let me.” "Of course, 1 will let you.” "1 wish to tell you 1 will not men tion that your sister was here last evening. I promise you I will not.” Alice did not immediately reply. The words and their hushed tone caused a new trouble to arise within her—one which she had not glanced at. Was it possible that Lady Fran ces could imagine her sister to be the "Lady Frances Chenevix!" burst forth Alice, “you cannot think it! She! my sister—guilty of a despicable theft! Have you forgotten that she moves in your own position in the world? that our family is scarcely in ferior to yours?” "Alice, I forgive you so misjudging me, because you are not yourself just now. Of course, your sister cannot be suspected; I know that. But as you did not mention her when they were talking of who had been here. I supposed you did not wish her name dragged into so unpleasant an affair, and I hastened up to say there was no danger from me that it would be.” "Believe me, she is not the guilty party,” returned Alice, “and I have more cause to say so than you think for.” "What do you mean by that?” brisk ly cried Lady Frances. "You surely have no clue?” Alice shook her head, and her com panion's eagerness was lulled again. “It is well that Thomas was forget ful,” remarked Lady Frances. “Was it really forgetfulness, Alice, or did you contrive to telegraph him to be silent?” i uuums umj' apuivt; tut? iiuui. least, as regards my sister,” she hastily added, “for he did not let her in.” “Then it is all quite easy, and you and I can keep our own counsel.” Quite easy, possibly, to the mind of Frances Chenevix, but anything but easy to Alice, for the words of Lady Frances had introduced an idea more repulsive and terrifying even than the one which cast the guilt to the door of Gerard Hope. Her sister acknowl edged that she was in need of money, “a hundred pounds or so,” and Alice had seen her coming from the back room where the jewels lay. Still—she take a bracelet! It was preposterous. Preposterous or not, Alice’s torment was doubled. Which - of the two had been the black sheep? One of them it must have been. Instinct, sisterly re lationship. reason and common sense, all combined to turn the scale against Gerard. But that there should be a doubt at all was not pleasant, and Alice started up impulsively and put her bonnet on. "Where now?” cried Lady Frances. “I will go to my sister's and ask her —and ask her—if—she saw any stran ger here—any suspicious person in the hall, or on the stairs,” stammered Alice, making the best excuse she could. “But you know you were in the drawing rooms all the time, and no one came into them, suspicious or un suspicious; so how will that aid you?” “True,” murmured Alice, "but it will be a relief to go somewhere or do something.” Alice found her sister at home. The latter instantly detected that some thing was wrong, for her suspense, ill ness and agitation had taken every vestige of color from her cheeks and lips. “Whatever is the matter. Alice?” was her greeting, “you look just like a walking ghost.” “I felt that I did,” breathed poor Alice, “and I kept my veil down in the street, lest 1 might be taken for one and scare the people. A great mis fortune has befallen upon me. You saw those bracelets last night spread out on the table?” “Yes.” “They were in my charge, and one of them has been abstracted. It was of great value; gold links holding dia monds.” “Abstracted!” uttered the eldest sister in both concern and surprise, but certainly without the smallest in dications of a guilty knowledge. “How?” “It is a mystery. I only left the room when I met you on the stair case. and when 1 went upstairs to fetch the letter for you. Directly after you left Lady Sarah came up from dinner, and the bracelet was not there.” “It is incredible, Alice. And no one else entered the room at all. you say? No servants? no-” “Not any one,” interrupted Alice, determined not to speak of Gerard Hope. “Then, child, it is simply impossi ble," was the calm rejoinder. “It must have fallen on the ground or j been mislaid in some way." “It Is hopelessly gone. Do yon re member seeing it?” "I do remember seeing amidst the rest a bracelet set with diamonds; but only on the clasp, I think. It-” “That was another; that is all safe. This was of fine gold links, inter spersed with brilliants. Did you #ee it?” "Not that I remember. I was there scarcely a minute, for I had only strolled into the back room just be fore you came down. To tell you the truth, Alice, my mind was too fully occupied with other things to take much notice even of jewels. Do not look so perplexed; ii will be all right. Only you and I were in the room, you say, and we could not take it.” “Oh!” exclaimed Alice, clasping her hands and lifting her white, beseech ing face to her sister's, “did you take it? In—sport; or in—oh, surely you were not tempted to take it for any thing else? You said you had need of money.” "Alice, are we going to have one of your old scenes of excitement? Strive for calmness. I am sure xou do not know what you are implying. My poor <hild, I would rather help you to jewels than take them from you.” “But look at the mystery.” “It does appear to be a mystery, bTf; it will no doubt be cleared up. AliCO, what could you have been dreaming of to suspect me? Have we not grown up together in our honorable home? You ought to know me if any one does.” “And you really know nothing of it?” moaned Alice, with a sobbing catching of the breath. “Indeed I do not. In truth I do not. If I could help you out of your per plexity I would thankfully do it. Shall I return with you and assist you to search for the bracelet?" “No thank you. Every search hatf been made.” Not only was the denial of her sis ter fervent and calm but her manner and countenance conveyed the im pression of truth. Alice left her in expressibly relieved, but the convic tion that it must have been Gerarci returned to her in full force. “I wish I could see him!” was her mental exclamation. And for once fortune favored her wish. As she was dragging her weary limbs along he came right upon he? at the corner of a street. In her eager ness she clasped his arms with both, her hands. “I am so thankful,” she uttered. “I wanted to see you." “I think you most wanted to see a doctor, Alice. How ill you look!” “I have cause," she returned. “That bracelet, the diamond that you were admiring last evening—it has been stolen; it was taken from the room.” “Taken when?” echoed Mr. Hope, looking her full in the face—as a guil ty man would scarcely dare to look. “Then, or within a few minutes. When Lady Sarah came up from din ner it was not there.” “Who took it?” he repeated, not yet recovering his surprise. "I don't know,” she faintly said. “It was under my charge. No one else was there.” “You do not wish me to understand that you are suspected?” he burst forth with genuine feeling. “Their unjust meanness cannot have gone to that length!” (To be continued.) A STRONG PEOPLE. IimuitK of Alaska Are Classed Among Very Rugged People. It now seems probable that not all the Innuits of Alaska are so smalll as has been supposed. Indeed, if one is to believe the tales of travelers who visited an island south of Bering Sea, these Indians must be classed among the tallest people in the world. The travelers' story is given In Popular Science News: On King's Island In dians were found who by their phys ical characteristics belong to the In nuit or Eskimo family, having small black eyes, high cheek-bones and full brow'n beards which conceal their lips. The majority of the men are over six feet high and the women are usuallly as tall as and often taller than the men. These women are also wonder fully strong. One of them carried off in her birch bark canoe an eight-hun dred pound stone, for use as an an chor to a whale boat. When it reached the deck of the vessel It required two strong men to lift it, but the Innult woman had managed it alone. An other woman carried on her head a box containing two hundred and eighty pounds of lead. Both men and women are also endowed with re markable agility. They will outrun and outjump competitors of any other race who may be pitted against them. Their strength is gained from very poor food, and they frequently travel thirty or forty miles without eating anything. They live on carrion fish and sea oil. The fish, generally sal mon, are burled when caught, to be kept through the winter and dug up as consumption requires. When brought to the air they have the ap pearance of sound fish, but the stench from them Is unbearable. In the mat ter of dwellings these Eskimos are pe culiar. Their houses are excavated in the sides of a hill, the chambers be ing pierced some feet into the rise, and walled up with stones on three sides. Across the top of the stone walls poles of driftwood are laid and covered with hides and grass and last ly with a layer of earth. These odd dwellings rise one above another, the highest overlooking perhaps forty low er ones. Two hundred people live in the village. Forget the good thou hast done, and do better. He who incurs no envy possesses no happiness. L A TRUST CONSPIRACY. HAVEMEYER STRIKES A BLOW AT DOMESTIC SUGAR. frost Magnate** ltocent C'ut in I’rlcw an Kvldenr* of Ills Determination to Destroy, if Possible, an Agricultura ludustry of Great Magnitude. For the avowed purpose of injuring and if possible destroying the beet su gar industry in the United States Mr. H. O. Havemeyer, president of the Su gar trust, has ordered a big reduction In the selling price of refined cane sugar. The reduction thus arbitrarily put in force for an avowed sinister ob ject is from 5.03 cents to 3Vfe cents per pound for granulated sugar. As stated by the New York Journal of Com Cnerce: ‘‘The reduction is a blow aimed di rectly at the beet sugar interests of the country. It applies only to such sec tions of the country in which beet su gar competes and is so important that it means that most of the beet facto ries will be compelled to market their product at a loss if they live up to the contracts they have recently made. The cut in price affects only such sugar as 13 shipped to Missouri river points, the eastern price remaining un changed. The blow is aimed at the beet sugar refiners of Utah, Colorado, Cali fornia and Nebraska, where nineteen twentieths of the entire beet sugar product of the United States is manu factured. It is the practice of these producers to contract for the sale of their entire output at a discount of 10 points from the Sugar trust's figures, and at this discount the beet sugar makers have been able to easily mar ket all their sugar. If compelled to go 10 points below the trust's cut price of 3% cents the beet sugar refineries would be subjected to a heavy loss and would probably he forced to close their refineries and cease production, inci dentally, of course, the market for su gar beets would be desiroyed, involv ing tremendous losses to the farmers, who have undertaken beet culture on a large scale. | I he complete destruction ot an m ■ dustry which with a fair chance is cer tain to supply the entire amount of sugar required for consumj. -m in the United States, in value something over $100,000,000 a year, is aimed at by Havemeyer. The Sugar King is alarm ed at the prospective competition of millions of acres devoted to the grow ing of beets of high saccharine content and of hundreds bf beet sugar refin eries scattered all over the country. So he decrees a 30 per cent reduction in | the price of cane sugar, hoping thereby to crush out this young industry before it lias the chance to grow to formid able proportions. For the same pur pose Havemeyer and hi* lobby are working tooth and nail to induce con gress to place raw sugar on the free I list. He will not succeed in either I scheme. The American people will not permit the destruction of the beet su gar industry. The case of domestic beet sugar is ably and convincingly presented in a recent issue of the Oil, Paint and Drug Reporter, in an interesting contribu tion from the pen of Prof. Ernest Mas, one of the foremost chemists and chemical engineers of the world, as follows: “Real American sugar Is not cane sugar, and a great deal loss glucose, that clandestine concoction of sulphur ic acid and starch which might pos sibly, and with academic assistance, be a sugar in theory—like, for instance, certain derivatives of toluene, a con stituent of coal tar, but is not and never was sugar to the palate, in spite of its being called ‘grape sugar.’ Real American sugar is not potato sugar; not even the fine saccharine product found in sweet potatoes deserves that denomination. The real American su gar, the coming sugar, which is fast dethroning them all, is beet sugar. The manufacturing process is so sim ple, the sugar beet so rich in saccha rine matter—nearly 15 per cent—and the finished product so free from the objectionable features of so-called ‘grape sugar,’ that it is only a question of a few years when nearly every west ern state from Michigan to California will have its quota of refineries. The (hanged conditions due to our war with Spain will ultimately and most fortunately cause us to grow our own sugar, save us $100,000,000 a year which we now spend abroad, give us wholesome syrups and develop a home industry equal to the requirements of home consumption. This, of course, providing that no congressional inter ference should prevent a development so desirable. Let the sugar tariff stand as it is for several years, and while this may not exactly meet the views of Mr. H. O. Havemeyer, it will surely have for iational sequence, permaneut, cheap and wholesome sugar, home grown and home-made sugar, beyond the control of dictation of the sugar j trust or its affiliations. Mr. Havemeyer may embarrass the domestic beet sugar industry by his | resort to arbitrary cuts In price and to other unscrupulous methods but he | cannot destroy it. Home-made beet ' sugar is here to stay, and its triumph will involve the downfall of one of the 1 most obnoxious of all trusts—a trust which, curiously in contradiction of I Mr. Havemeyer himself, is in no sense the offspring of a protective tariff, but which, on the contrary, clamors for the removal of the tariff in order that it may the more effectively injure and destroy domestic competition. Its days are numbered. A CRUSHING INDICTMENT. The development of the beet sugar Industry has been so rapid that we are near to the time when the whole of the hundred million dollars we u.eo to spend abroad for sugar will go Inte the pockets of our own people. This nation consumes at least one-fourth of the world's total product, and ol the world's product two thirds art made from beets and only oue-thlrd from cane. If the counsel and the protests of American Free-Traders had been heeded we should now not grow a pound of sugar outside the cane fields of Louisiana. Because the Protectionist principle was received and approved by the people we are about to become Independent of out side sources for a necessity of exist ence and to keep huge profits at home. We made the machinery for the sugar mills from iron from our own fur naces; we have diverted from excess ive cereal production land and human being to a more profitable occupation, and we have moved this nation one huge step further toward industrial independence. It would be difficult to frame an indictment against the American Free-Trade propagandists more crushing than to quote their own declarations and arguments against the tin plate duties and the beet sugar bounties.—The Manufacturer. AN “UNHOLY ALLIANCE.” In view of the intention of Con gressman Babcock to force his Tariff repeal bill through the Committee on Ways and Means by the aid of the Democratic minority of that commit tee and to work for its passage the Kansas City Journal says: “It may be that under existing ar rangements this is possible, for there are ten Republicans and seven Demo crats on the committee. A change of two votes, which is one in addition to his own. would enable the Democrats on the committee to report the bill. Speaker Henderson will be re-elected speaker, and there will be very few changes either in committee or em ployes, but the speaker should reduce the number of Democrats on the Com mittee on Ways and Means. The Dem ocrats cannot object to this because they increased the Democratic mem bership of the committees the last time they had control of the House. If this committee had twelve Repub licans and five democrats it would be more difficult to form un unholy alli ance.” There is a much simpler and more direct way to prevent an "unholy alli ance” between the Democratic Free Traders and wavering Republicans of the Ways and Means Committee. That is for the speaker of the Fifty-seventh house to reconstruct that committee on safe Republican lines by dropping off the waverers and filling their places with positive men. The ma jority side of the Ways and Means Committee Is no place for waverers. Out with them! THE BELT KEEPS THE MILL GOING. JOLLYING THE FARMERS. The Louisville Courier-Journal says that the Protective Tariff has been used to '‘jolly" the farmer. That is exactly where the Courier-Journal is right. If the farmers of this country have ever had occasion to feel jolly, it is now, when, under Dingley law Pro tection. money has come rolling in to pay off mortgages, to buy new equip ment, including the latest and most improved brands of agricultural ma chinery, and to roll up the account at the savings bank. Yes the farmers of the country, as a general thing, feel pretty jolly just now, and it is the Protective Tariff which Is responsible for it. There, is no doubt about that. And the best of it is that the farmers are not the only people who are fetd ing jolly, but the jolly effects of Pro tection prosperity have been felt by people in all walks of life everywhere throughout the country. As a pro ducer of jollity the Protective Tariff has few, if any, equals, and we are glad to see that the Loulsvlllle Cour ier-Journal is at last beglning to rec ognize tlio fact. ■‘Sound.’* The Boston Herald speaks approv ingly of the Portland Oregonian as "a Republican newspaper that has al ways had sound ideas upon the tariff, ’ and then goes on to quote the Ore gonian as saying that "enough has been done for the manufacturers and wholesome reform would consider the interests of the consumers, especially those of the farming class." It will now be in order for the Herald to refer to Tom Paine as “a distinguished exponent of orthodox Christianity!" Helping the Miirnpm. When factories are prosperous, farm ers are equally so. This is what is now so materially aiding the tillers of the soil in the west, and especially in Iowa, where a surplus is produced. The policies of the Republican party are helping the masses.—Davenport (Iowa) Republicar Poultry Hr tarn. Mr. Hyle Is careful to so feed hla hens that they will remain In vigor ous health. He is careful not to bum out their digestive systems by an ex clusive grain diet. The morning feed usually consists of warm mashes, the digestion of which is easy. This saves a large part of the tax upon the di gestive organs. In the middle of the day wheat or some other small grain Is thrown Into cut straw or chaff, and the biddies have to work for every grain they get. At night an abundant feed of corn is given. In this way his bircte escape the attacks of indigestion so common to many carelessly fed flocks. * * * In conjunction with the corn carni val recently held at Peoria, there was a small display of poultry. A major ity of toe exhibitors were local breed ers, but the largest exhibitor by far was Geo. A. Hyle of Washington, 111., well known to many readers of the Farmers' Review. Among the birds shown by him we noticed Buff Ply mouth Rocks, Barred Plymouth RockB, White Plymouth Rocks, Muscovy ducks, white and colored Alysbury ducks, Rouen ducks, Pekin ducks, Embden, Toulouse and China geese, and white Holland turkeys. These are but a few of the varieties handled by Mr. Hyle. Being asked how ho could successfully manage so many kinds of fowls, the owner replied that he did It by farming out some of the varieties on shares. Mr. Hyle may do this successfully, as he has a number of relatives that are engaged in farm ing, and on whose judgment and ex perience he may depend. We have heard of the same system being tried elsewhere and falling. The success of Mr. Hyle Illustrates the fact that one man may succeed with the very method that some other man has dis carded. * * * At present he la raising water fowls without the assistance of water for swimming purposes. He, however, does not agree with those mey that wiy that water, except to drink, is not an advantage to water fowte. but be lieves they will do better with ponds in which to swim, as that is along the lines of pature. He is considering the advisability of constructing for this purpose small swimming places, cemented on the bottoms and aides to keep the water clear. Into this wa ter he would throw the corn fed the birds and let them dive for it. This would induce exercise, just as with hens the throwing of the wheat Into the chaff and compelling them to scratch for it Induces exercise. Water fowls cannot be made to exercise by having their grain thrown Into a mass of cut straw; they refuse to imitate the hen and scratch. Therefore It is advisable to employ the measures that nature has made apparent as ap plying to them. There are, however, some obstacles in the way of building cemented ponds. The principal one Is the likelihood of the cement being broken each winter by the action of frost. This would be almost certain to be the case If the cement were laid on a clay foundation. The danger may be obviated by making the Im mediate foundation under the cement small stones or coarse gravel. Side walks are in this way laid on all kinds of soils, and, if constructed of good material, last indefinitely. The water in such ponds might need to be drawn off before heavy freezing weather.—Farmers’ Review. Tlie Ayrshire Cow. Mr. Winslow, secretary of the Ayr shire Breeder’s Association, spoke re cently on the Ayrshire cow. He says that during at least two centuries' she has been a prominent figure in Scotch life. Hardiness has been developed in her for the reason that for genera tions she had to get her living under hard conditions on the moors, having often to endure severe cold, some times for long periods. He says, "Ayrshire cows are always hungry, will eat all you feed them, and will make the best use of all they get. The quality of Ayrshire milk is good. It is particularly adapted for the milk man when there are so many milk In spectors about. The Ayrshire has never been advocated as a butter cow, but whenever she has been given a trial It lias been found that she pro duces a large quantity of good butter at a small cost. While the cream will not rise so quickly when the milk Is set, that objection vanished Into thin air when the cream separator was in vented. Though not advocated for beef, the butchers like it as they are thick in the loin and cut up well and their meat has a good flavor. As a persistent milker she has no equal. There is, In fact, some difficulty In drying them off.” Connecticut Milk Contract*. An item among eastern correspond ence this week gives the following rel ative to milk contracts at Canaan. Conn.: Last Friday was contract day at the Borden creamery in this vil lage. Contracts were signed for 6,000 quarts daily, but the company would like to get 1,500 more quarts daily at present. The prices for 100 pounds of milk are as follows: October $1.40, November $1.50, December $1.55, Feb ruary $1.45, March $1.35 or an average of nearly $1.47 per 100 pounds for the aext six months. The company are aow getting only 4,300 quarts dally.—. Chicago Dairy Produce. A French economist has figured out hat, as compared with France, the ower freight rates in Germany effect m annual saving to the German indus ries of $40,000,000. France’s great iced, he thinks, is more canals. New South Wales has an agricul ural college.
