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About The frontier. (O'Neill City, Holt County, Neb.) 1880-1965 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 13, 1919)
—— T5h g_— rjCURVED^l lJBEADESi= = — By CAROLYN WELLS = Author of ‘‘A Chain of Evirh re,” “The Gold Bay,” ZZZZ. "— *‘ The Clue,” “The White Alley,” CHAPTER NIKE (Continued.) “It, is not for me to boast of my attraction for a lady.” Count Charlier simpered a little, and Gray Ilaviland looked at him with a frown of undis guised scorn. Ilaviland Imd never liked the Count; indeed, he even doubted his right to the title, and -especially had he feared.a mar riage between him and Miss Lucy. And, granting that, this feeling •was partly due to a consideration of his own interests, Ilaviland also distrusted the Frenchman and doubted Miss Lucy’s happiness as his wife. “Did Miss Carrington leave you A bequest of $10,000 in l nited States bonds?” went on the cor oner. “1—1 don’t" know,” and the Count stammered in an embar rassed way. “You do know!” shouted Ilavi land ; “the will has been read, and you know perfectly well that such A bequest was left to you.” “ Why did you deny the knowl-j ■*dge?” asked Scofield sternly. “I’m—I’m not sure-” “You are sure!” stormed Gray. “Now, where were you when Miss Carrington spoke those words to you? If not in her boudoir, then on the balcony outside the win dow, perhaps.” i< t i lit 'iii ... ABsura, said tne coroner. “Not at all,” said Gray; “that window opens on a Imlcony en selosod by glass. It is easily 'reached from outside by a small •staircase, mostly used in summer, ►hut. always available. Ifow could M iss Carrington speak to the 'Count cemcerning the bonds and concerning her infatuation for fhimself, wiiicb is no secret, unless •he were there before her? And how could he be in the room—in 'her boudoir—unknown to the servants? Moreover, Mr. Coroner, I believe the glove found in Miss ‘Carrington’s hand to be the prop erty of Count Charlier.” “But no!” cried the witness ex citedly; “I have repeatedly dis claimed that, glove. It is not mine; & know not whose it is. I know ■ nothing of this sad affair, what ever. If the money is left to me, ‘.as 1 have been told, it is a—a sur prise to me.” “.Surprise nothing!” murmured Havilaud, but he said no more to jtlie Count. “if my story might be told mow-” ventured Mrs. Frotli unghain. After a moment’s hesitation Coroner Scofield decided to let her tell it, as having a possible bearing on Count Charlier's testi mony. The rather stunning looking widow was fashionably dressed, and she fluttered with an air of importance as she took the stand. She related again the story she ■ba<l told of the supposed burglar whom she saw leaving the living •room by way of a window at 4 •o’clock on Wednesday morning. “How can you he so sure it was -• burglar?” asked Scofield. “Oh, he looked like one. All tmddled up, you know, and his face buried between a high coat collar and a drawn down cap. And lie walked slyly—sort of glided among the shrubs and trees, as if •voiding notice. No man on legiti mate business would skulk like that.” Might, it not have been Count “CliarlierT” asked the coroner bluntly. “Certainly not!” and Mrs. Frothingham gave a little shriek. “The Count is a slrm and elegant figure; this was a stocky, burly mau; a marauder, I know.” “It may be,” said the coroner wearily. “It may be that a bur glar was concealed in the house, .or let in bj' a servant, and that -Sir! attacked MisS Carrington as itiu- was seated at her dressing ttable. It seems impossible that he <atiould have administered poison to her; however, and the con jou&ed circumstances may indicate jsollnsion between-” ' -“Between whom” askedf” In wjm'tor Brunt. “I don’t know,” confessed Sco field. “Every way I try to think tit/out 1 run up against an impass ible barrier.” wb»l. T say.” begau 10 Haviland; “it is a most involved case. ! shall cable Carrington l.oria for authority to employ an expert detective.” “Why cable him?” asked Paul ine; “I am equally in authority now. Carr and myself each receive half the residuary estate of Aunt Lucy, and, of course, 1 am as anx ious to find the—the murderer as Carr can possibly be.” “Well, somebody will have to authorize it who is willing to pay for it. As man of business in this home I am willing to attend to all such matters, but I must have authority.” “You seem to me a little prema ture, Mr. Haviland,” commented the inspector. “Perhaps, when the inquest is concluded, it may not be necessary to call on any other detective than our own Mr. Hardy.” “Perhaps not,” agreed Havi land; “but, unless you people all wake up, you’re not going to get anywhere. 1 admit the getting is difficult, but that’s just the reason a wise sleuth should be called in before the trails grow cold.” And then the coroner returned to his task of questioning Mrs. Frothiugham. I lie widow was not definitely helpful. Iler statements were often contradictory in minor details, and when she corrected them they seemed to lose in weight. She stuck to the main points, however, that by the help of a strong field glass she had discerned, in the bright moonlight, a man leave by way of the French window at 4 o’clock, and had seen him make his way stealthily out by the great entrance gates of the place. Cross questioning on this brought no variations, and the jurymen wagged their heads in belief of her story. Hut her accounts of her own doings on Tuesday evening were vague and indefinite. “1 was in my own home all the evening,” she said at one time; and again: “I went out for a short walk at 11 o’clock.” This last in refutation of Haskins, the Carrington butler, who deposed to having seen the lady walk across the lawns of Harden Steps. “Where did you walk?” “Oh, just around my own place; and for a moment 1 strolled over here because the Steps looked so beautiful in the moonlight.” “You were alone?” “I was. 1 have no house guests at present, save the Count; and as my brother, who lives with me, is on a western trip, I was alone, and I walked about to kill time until Count Charlier should re turn after his bridge game over here.” “Did you walk near the house while on the Garden Steps es tate?” asked Scofield, scenting a possible espionage of her titled visitor. “Oh, no!” and the witness bristled with indignation. “Why should I? I was not really an ac quaintance of Miss Carrington, merely a neighbor.” “Beg pardon, ma’am, but I saw you on the conservatory veran dah," said Haskins in a depreca tory wav. “That is not true, Mr. Coro ner,” said the lady, glancing scornfully at the butler. “I beg you will not accept a servant’s statement in preference to mine!” “You are sure of this, Has kins’” said the inspector gravely. “Yes, sir. Sure, sir,” and the man looked doggedly certain, though a little scared. “And you deny it?” went on Scofield to Mrs. Frothiugham. “1 most certainly do! How ab surd for me to be over here, and how more Ilian absurd for me to deny it if 1 were!” Tli is seemed sensildc. Why should she. deny it? And mightn’t the butler be mistaken? Or de liberately falsifying?” If there were collusion or crim inal assistance by any of the serv ants, surely the word of all of them must be mistrusted unless proven. And, too, what could have brought Mrs. Frothiugham to the [ veranda of a home where she was uot an accepted guest ? Or, could [she have been spying on the fc ountT I For it had slowly entered the coroner’s not very alert mind that | perhaps the volatile widow had her own plans for the Count ’s fu ture, and Miss Carrington did not figure in them. The manner of the witness bore out this theory, j .^he was self conscious and at times confused. She frequently looked at the Count and then quickly averted her gaze. She blushed and stammered when speaking his name or referring to him. In a word, she acted as a woman might act in regard to a man of whom she was jealous. And the situation bore it out. If Mrs. Frothingham had matrimo nial designs on her distinguished guest, would she not naturally re sent his visits to a rich neighbor? Mrs. Frothingham was not rich, and she may well have been afraid of Miss Carrington’s charm !of gold, which could cause many a man to overlook anything else that might be lacking. Coroner Scofield wras getting more and more tangled in the mazes of this extraordinary case, lie was practically at his wits’ end. At last lie blurted out: “It is impossible, it seems, to get a coherent, or even plausible, story from a woman! Is there any man present who knows any of the de tails of the happenings of Tues day evening and night?” There was a moment’s silence at this rather petulant speech, and then Stephen lllsley rose, and, speaking very gravely, said: “It seins to be my unpleasant duty to tell what little 1 know of these matters.” The relieved coroner heard this with satisfaction. Accepting his good fortune, he prepared to listen to lllsley’s testimony. “I was spending the evening here,” the witness began, “and during my visit I was in the var ious rooms. At a late hour, per haps something after 4l, I was crossing the hull, and I saw Miss Frothingham on the stairway.” Un the stairway! exclaimed the coroner in amazement. “Yes,” returned Illsley, his grave eyes resting on the face of the widow, who stared at him as if stricken dumb. “Yes, I saw her distinctly. She was evidently com ing downstairs, one hand rested on the hanister, and she was look ing upward at the ceiling.” “Did she see you?” “I think not. If so, she made no sign. But she was not looking my way, and I went on into the reception room, where I was go ing in search of a scarf Miss Stu art had left there. When I re crossed the hall the lady had dis appeared.J’ “Did not this seem to you a strange circumstance?” “I had no right to any opinion on the subject. It was not my affair what guests were at the house I was visiting, or what they might be doing.” “But Mrs. Frothingham as serts she was not an acquaintance of Miss Carrington.” “I did not know that, then; and, even so, it gave me no right to speculate concerning the lady’s presence there. Nor should I refer to it now except that in view of the subsequent tragedy it is due to every principle of right and justice that aU'truths be known as to that evening. Mrs. Frothing ham will, of course, recall the epi sode and doubtless explain it.” “I should like to hear the ex planation!” said Pauline, with flashing eyes. “As mistress here now I am interested to know why a stranger should wander about this house at will.” Mrs. Frothingham sat silent. Her face showed not so much con sternation or dismay as a cold, calculating expression, a$ if de bating just what explanation she should offer. At last sue spoke. i may as well own up,” she said, and laughed nervously. ”1 was on the veranda, as the vigilant butler noticed. I did step inside the hall, as I had so often heard of the rare tapestries and paintings, and, in my ennui, I thought it no harm to take a peep. The great door was ajar, and I was a little chilled by my.walk across the lawns. 1 said to myself: ‘If 1 meet any one I will merely beg a few moments’ grace and then run away. Yes, j 1 did take a step or two up the stair, to look at a picture on the landing. It was all innocent enough, perhaps not in the best of taste, but I was lonely, and the light and warmth lured me. In a moment 1 had slipped out and run away home, laughing over my es capade like a foolish child.” Her light laugh rippled out as she concluded her story. She looked ingenuous and truthful, but the coroner distrusted femiuiue fairy tales, and this was a little too fan ciful to be true. Moreover, Mrs. Frothingham was i looking at him sharply from the [corner of her eye. Clearly, she was f watching him to see how he took it. j He didn’t take it very well. The | acknowledged presence of an out j sider in the house, for a not very plausible reason, was illuminating in his estimation. She had been on the stairway. Had she been to Miss Carrington’s room? True, she said she went only to the landing—but pshaw, women, had no regard for the truth! Had she and Count Charlier planned between them to —bah, why did this woman want to kill her neighbor? Even if she were jealous of the Count’s atten tion, would she go so far as crime? No, of course not! He must question her further. And, y.et,, what good would that do if she would not tell the truth? Well, she was in the house at 11 :30, that much was certain, for Stephen lllsley’s story and her owrn and also the butler’s testi mony all coincided as to that. And then Detective Hardy, who had just returned from a short errand, piade a gtartling state ment. lie declared that the glove which had been found clasped tightly in the dead fingers of the late Miss Carrington did belong to Count Henri Charlier. Mr. Hardy had ben searching the Count’s wardrobe; and, though he did not find the mate to that particular glove, lie found many others, some wmrn and some entirely unused, but all of the same size and made by the same firm as the one now in the coro ner’s possesion! Thus cornered Count Charlier reluctantly admitted that it was his glove. ”1 denied it,” he thus excused himself, ‘‘because I have no idea how it came into Miss Carring ton’s possesion, and I did not wish to implicate her in an affair with my unworthy self.” “H’m,” thought Gray Havi land, fixing liis attention on the CouiU and oq^the flittered Mrs. Frotliingnam; “a precious pair of adventurers! I expect Scofield is right, we won’t need an expert detective.” there was more of the inquest. But its continuance brought out no developments not already here transcribed. There was much cross questioning and' probing; there was much rather futile ef fort to make all the strange de tails fit any one theory; there was variance of opinion; and there was more or less discussion. But, as a final result, the coro ner’s jury brought in a verdict that Miss Lucy Carrington met her death by poison administered by a person or persons unknown, who thereafter, probably for the purpose of diverting attention from the poison, struck her a blow on the head. The jury in their deliberation felt that Count Henri Charlier was implicated. But, not having sufficient evidence to make a charge, suggested to the detective force that he be kept under surveillance. X. BIZARRE CLUES. It was Saturday. The funeral of Miss Carrington had been held the day before and the imposing obsequies had been entirely in keeping with her love of elaborate display in life. The casket was of the richest, the flowers piled mountain high, the music, the most expensive available; for the young people in charge had felt it incumbent on them to arrange everything as Miss Lucy would have desired it. It was a pathetic commentary on the character of the dead wom an that, while all who mourned her felt the shock and horror of her death, they were not deeply bowed with sorrow. Pauline, as nearest relative, would naturally grieve most, but for the moment her affections were lost sight of in the paralyzing effects of the sud den tragedy. Anita Frayne had practically “gone to pieces.” She wTas ner vous, and jumped twitchingly if any one spoke to her. Gray Haviland was reticent, an unusual thing for him, and devot ed most of his time to matters of business connected with the es tate. Estelle, the maid, had suc cumbed to a nervous breakdown, and had been taken to a nearby santorium, where she indulged in frequent and violent hysterics. The household was in a contin ual excitement. Lawyers and de | tectives were coming and going, ! neighbors were calling, and re | porters simply infested the place, i Pauline and Anita, though out wardly polite, were not on good terms, and rarely talked together. But this morning the two girls and Haviland were called to a confab by Hardy, the detective^ (Continued Next Week.) A Budapest bank haa decided to sue ex-Emperor Charles for 10D.00Q.QU0 rrowni, the amount he subscribed to ehjht wet. , iMiMh Clover Plant Shows Us How To Get Nitrogen *53 Out of the Air fc>» By P. Q. HOLDEN. FOR thousands of years swaet clover, alfalfa, and other mem bers of the clover family have been gathering nitrogen out of the air and converting It Into fertilizer to enrich the soil and Increase the production of farm crops. So qui etly, so mysteriously have the clo vers performed this beneficial task that It was not until a few years ago that we even knew they were doing It at all. We have not learned even yet Just how the clovers are able to do this work, but they showed us that It could be done and since then scien tists have been at work endeavoring to find some method of converting the nitrogen In. the air Into a com mercial product. In this they have been successful. Our entry Into the war resulted in the expenditure by this government of something like $30,000,000 for the erection of a nitrate plant at Muscle Shoals, Alabama. By a scientific tm ■ —^—S A Beautiful Field of Alfalfa, One of Gathering p!fnta_N£ tlce tne Evidence of Prosperity Which Always Follows Fertile Soil. ^ ..^ process the nitrogen In the air was to be converted Into ammonium ni trates for the manufacture of gun powder and other high explosives. But Just as the plant was com pleted and the first samples of the output turned over to the govern ment the armistice was signed. Again the lesson taught us by the clover proved of value to us, for now Instead of, making gun-pow der and other agencies of de struction the plant will be used to convert the nitrogen into fertilizer concentrates. With the same ma chinery, the same power and the same raw materials the great plant will take its place in the rebuilding of the nation. The practically unlimited amount of raw material available Is shown by the fact that the air above one acre of ground at sea level contains 85,656 tons of nitrogen. Nitrogen at present Is worth 20 cents a pound. If you own a 100 acre farm there Is over $14,000,000 worth of nitrogen In the air above your land. At sea level air weighs nearly 15 pounds to the square inch and a trifle over 77 per cent of it Is nitrogen. Every farmer can have his own nitrogen factory. Ten, 20, or 40 acres of sweet clover or alfalfa will gather the nitrogen out of the air and use It to fertilize his soil. The government plant Is a triumph of science. It will prove of great value to the farmers of America, especially to the farmer of the south. But the clover patch will not lose any of Its usefulness. It will continue to mean fertile soil, hay, live stock, dairy products, meat products, prosperity. New Idea*. From Dupont Magazine. I see no reason why the producers ol steel should not Increase the use of steel to replace lost war business. As lumbei production falls off because of deforesta tion, steel can and will replace many uses of wood. Why should not the United States Steel Company design 20 or 30 houses to be built of standardized structural steel and concrete, so it would be possible for the homebuilder to select a design and have the ready cut steel laid down at his freight station? He would then build a fireproof house, requiring no insurance, and strong enough to last for generations. Why should not the copper producers induce everybody to use peimanent cop per screens Instead of iron screens that rust out? All hotels coo^ with copper utensils, why not all homes? One of our greatest industrial staples is cotton. Its consumption can be largely Increased by developing new fabrics in place of Imported silks and linens. Paint Is a very common manufactured article, yet the paint consumption of America can certainly be doubled by teaching people the real purpose and economy of paint and improving dis tributive facilities. Doctor and Wise Man. “Take this medicine.” said the young doctor, as reported by the Journal of the American Medical Association. “If It doesn't curtf you, come back in a lew days and I'll give you something that will.” The patient pocketed the bottle reluctantly. In a few moments he re turned: "If you don't mind. Doc. I'll take some of that that will cure me right away.” Nothing Left. From Harper's Magazine. "What did your father say when he broke his pipe. Walter?” "Shall I leave out the wicked words, mother ?” "Why, certainly, dear.” "Then 1 don't believe there is anything to tell you. mother.” Case at Hume. From the Louisville Courier-Journa “1 see some scientists are going to Lidia to study suspended animation " “These scientists ore imruactlcai. Why go to India hqforn buying > gyyk at m»' hired raga?“ Weekly Health Talks ^ Where Most Sickness Begin* and Ends BY FRANKLIN DUANE, M. D. It can be said broadly that most human ills begin in the stomach and end in the stomach. Good digestion means good health, and poor digestion means bad health. The minute your stomach fails to properly dispose of the food you eat, trou bles begin to crop out in various forms. Indigestion and dyspepsia are the common- j. est forms, but thin, impure blood, aches, backaches, pimples, blotches, ness, belching, coated tongue, weakness, poor appetite, sleeplessness, coughs, colds and bronchitis are almost as common. There is but one way to have good health, and that is to put and keep your stomach in good order This is easy to do if you take Dr. Pierce’s Golden Medical Discov ery. It is a wonderful tonic and blood purifier, and is 60 safe to take, for it is made of roots and herbs. Dr. Pierce, of Buffalo, N. Y., stands behind this stand ard medicine, and it is good to know that so distinguished a physician is proud to have his name identified with it. When you take Golden Medical Discovery, you are getting the benefit of the experience of a doctor whose reputation goes all around the earth, Still more, you get a temper ance medicine that contains not a drop of alcohol or narcotic of any kiatk Long ago Dr. Pierce combined certain valuable vege table ingredients—without the use of alco hol—so that these remedies always have been strictly temperance medicines. If piles arc torturing you, get and use Pierce’s Anodyne Pile Ointment. The / quick relief it gives is hard to believe until you try “it. If constipated Dr. Pierce’s Pleasant Pellets should be taken while using Anodyne Pile Ointment. Few in deed are the cases which these splendid remedies will not relieve and usually over come. They are so good that nearly every drug store has them for sale. ___ ___ If a man doesn’t know when to be silent, he doesn't know when to speak, STOMACH ACIDITY, INDIGESTION, GAS ^ ■ as®?"*>»- - QUICK! EAT JUST ONE TABLET OF PAPE’S DIAPEPSIN FOR INSTANT RELIEF. When meals don’t fit and you belch gas, adds and undigested food. When you feci lumps of distress in stomach, pain, flatulence, heartburn or headache. Here Is Instant rdief—No waiting! A Just ns soon as you eat a tablet of Pape’s Diapepsin all the dyspepsia, in digestion and stomach distress ends. These pleasant, harmless tablets of Pape’s Diapepsin never fnil to ulhke sick, upset stomachs feel tine at cnce, and they cost so little at drug stores, Adv Only a mother can lick ’em and love -w ’em at the snme time. State of Ohio, City of Toledo, Luca* County—ss. Frank J. Cheney makes oath thru he !» senior partner of the Arm of F. J. Cheney A Co., doing business In the City or To ledo, County and State aforesaid, and that said Arm will pay the sum of ONE HUN DRED DOLLARS for any case of Catarrh that cannot be cured by the use of HALL’S CATARRH MEDICINE. FRANK ,T. CHENET. Sworn to before me and subscribed In my presence, this 6th day of December. A. D. 1886, (Seal) A. W. Gleason. Notary Public. HALL’S CATARRH MEDICINE is tak en Internally and acts through the Blood on the Mucous Surfaces of the System. , Druggists, 75c. Testimonials free. ^ F. J. Cheney A Co., Toledo, Ohio. Jr When schools flourish, all nourishes. A Terrible Ordeal! Gravel and Kidney Stone Caused Interne Suffering — Doan’s Brought a Quick Cure. Edw. J. Turecek, 4332 F.ichel burger Ave., St. Louis, Mo., says: “1 was taken with a terrible pain across the back and every move I made, it felt like a knife being driven into my back and twisted around. It lasted about half an hour, but soon came hack and with it another affliction. The kidney secretions began to .pain me; the flow was scanty and burned like Are when passing. I had severe headaches and my bladder got badly inflamed, too, and I noticed little par ticles of gravel in the se cretions. Doan's Kidney Dills had been recoin mended to me and I be , . can their use. The first l0rtc'* naif box brought relief an 1 1 passed a stone the size-of a pea. It was a terrible ordeal and afterwards a sandy sediment and particles of gravel settled in the urine. 1 got more of the pills and thev cured me. The inflammation left and there was no more pain or gravel. I now sleep well, eat well and my kidneys act. normally. Doan’s Kidney Pills alone accomplished this wonderful cure." “Subscribed and sworn to before me." JAMES M. SMITH, Notary P-'blic. Sal Case’s «t As; Store, 60c > Bos j DOAN’S K» “JiV I F03TER-MILBURN CO.. BUFFALO. N. Y. 1 ' .—-\ More Eggs? Use Germozowt \ A hen with bright, ro«r comb, nctire and rieotoos. ft bowels In order, free from cold, end roup. aou prop erlr fed. ;e eenerally n good laser and not bothered with lice. He a Iroublea almost nleeyr start wdh cold: or bowel complaint, That’a GerTnoione'i big help. Regular use tfiree times a week, dose the work. Atdro* or seed otorea or tablet form, postpaid, from here. 75 rente, with free poultry bores. •10. H.LKCO.,Dop*.0, OMAHA. HU. Persistent Coughs hre dangerous. Get prompt relief from 1’ieo's. Slops Irritation; •madting. Uf-HMins and sale tin young and pM. No etniataa in IPISO’S