~~ ." 7 V •• ..
rThe TWICE AMERICAN
By ELEANOR M. INGRAM
I__
4
• l thought you understood. For me,
of course.”
The black spider ran across Bruce’s
f( ot in its hasty retreat from the ring
of the retiring visitor’s footsteps. The
cell presently quivered with a faint
slack in response to the crash of the
clo. ing doors at the end of the corri
dor. Bruce continued to stand inert
in tile grip of his utter astonishment.
Yet, why should he be so astonished,
he later asked himself? The first be
wilderment of the brief visit over, he
sat on his three-legged stool, trying
to steady and quiet himself. Noe had
asked if the prisoner was a graduate
engineer; no doubt, then, he had occa
sion to employ such a man. Perhaps
engineers were not so common here as
at home. It was not surprising, after
all, that Noel should utilize the convict
skilled labor at his command. Bruce
had grimly accustomed himself to ac
knowledge his status as a convict. He
dkl not feel like a, murderer. But ho
knew that he ranked as* one, officially
at least. Noel had made It very clear
that the light in which he intended to
consider the prisoner was that of a
sort of ticket of leave man, Bruce
thought. It gave him a sharp twinge
to recall that Noel had not offered his
hand, nor any expression of sympa
thy for the other man’s situation. He
simply had questioned, listened to the
replies, and departed. Now what?
Would he be employed undes Noel per
sonally, and frequently see him, he
speculated, or would he be shipped off
to some remote place where engineer
ing work was to b done? Bruce scarce
ly knew for which he hoped. Noel had
intrigued his Interest to a high de
gree In that one Interview, following
so oddly upon "the Little Bald One’s"
story. Moreover, he was the frist white
man Bruce had seen in a year, knd If
he had not been effusive he certainly
had brought relief. Surely to be near
Noel would afford a certain protection,
yes, and lessen the dreadful sense of
Isolation from all his own people and
race; it would be almost a distant com
panionship. But to this first Impulse
succeeded humiliation In Bruce’s re
awakening mind. He looked down at
his ragged, unwashed person, at his
bare feet. How trim, clean and sol
dierly Noel had looked! No, almost he
would choose to be sent to some Iso
lated mountain camp, where he might
bury his Identity and disgrace.
Not that he had any choice!
He fell into a fury of impatience to
leav<' this place, where an hour before
he had expected to remain during his
life. Ho paced h’.u coll, going again
and again to tli wooden door to listen
and look across the bars for any evi
dence of his approaching relief. But
there was nothing. It crept upon his
mind that Noel had not said when he
would be sent for; pci haps he would
not be needed for days, for weeks, for
months! His forehead grew wet at
the idea. But on the trail blazed by
that thought, came another yet more
appalling. Suppose Noel relumed to
the city, plunged Into his many af
fairs, and forgot the caprice or busi
ness which had led him to visit the
little prison where Bruce was con
fined? Suppose ho forgot Corey Bruce
forever? He panted and sickened with
the dismay of that possibility. Unable
to stand, he went to the stool and sat
down upon it, hiding his face in his
hands and shivering like a man in
delirium.
He was still crouching there in the
same attitude, two hours later, when
the Jailer came to the door and sum
moned him. Then ho sprang up, giddy
and reeling with excitement The
guard caught and supported him until
he was able to stand alone, and follow
wliero he was bidden.
The way taken led to a court yard
where a large stone basin caught the
waters trickling down the cliff that
formed one side of the enclosure. On
a bench nearby was a pile of garments,
toward which the jailer made a ges
ture.
"You arc always tetaoshretsh 5aa
“You are to make a toilette before
going to liia excellency.” the man ex
plained; he wont and took his place
near the door, lighted a clgaret. "It is
true that you are no savory morsel,
my friend, to present yourself at the
Casa Noel!”
Bruce had no ears for the justified
comment. His gloating, short sighted
eyes had fixed upon the water and the
clothing. Ho asked no urging of the
jailer’s invitation. His whole body
ached for those divine luxuries before
him.
The jailer, who was half Indian, half
negro, and had the stolidity of both,
watctied the prisoner, with contempla
tive surprise at the enthusiasm of for
eigners in such matters. He was, on
the whole, a good natured fellow. He
finally became interested in the pro
ceedings, and contributed a very dull
razor and a comb to improve the effect.
When Bruce was clothed in a linen rid
ing suit, with boots not to bad a fit
clean shaven and trimmed, the jailei
offered him a bowl of beans. Undei
these new conditions, Bruce actuallj
ate with a sense of appetite. After this
he again followed his custodian. Tills
time he was led outside. At the door c
grave eyed Indian arose from his sea'
and saluted the white man. He was
riad like a servant in a wealthy house
hold, but there was something wild am
untamed, something unusual In hlj
face. He was not of the type with wliicl
Bruce was familiar, and his epeech hat
a strange accent.
‘1 am eBnito,” he announced. ‘‘HI:
excellency has sent me.”
Bis gesture Indicated two ridini
horses beyond the doorway. Bruce
walked forward into the softly clouded
afternoon and stood still.
No one stayed or hindered him. The
breeze moved swiftly across his face
and stirred his hair. One of the horses
reached its soft muzzle to touch his
iiand. Away before him stretched the
immensity of the mountain ranges
mantled in thick forests.
A murmur from eBnito aroused him
from his abstraction of delight. The
Indian wjs proffering a small covered
dark box.
"His excellency sent," he murmured
by way of explanation.
Bruce focussed his blinking, light
dazzled gaze upon the box with a grow
ing incredulity and hope.
"Why! Why-!” he stammered,
fumbling the lid with nervous fingers.
A loud cry broke rrom him as the
box opened. Out into his hands fell
a familiar pair of black rimmed spec
tacles. With a passion of eagerness he
filled them on—and saw the world
leap into distinctness and
leap into glorious distinctness and
color.
Absolutely crushed by the ecstasy of
this miracle of his restored sight, for
it seemed no less, glowing with a ferver
of gratitude toward David Noel that a
woman could only have expressed by
tears, Bruce mounted the horse pre
sented to him.
They had ridden several miles along
the mountain road, or rather, trail, be
fore Bruce realized that he and the In
dian were quite alone. Practically, he
was unguarded, since Benito obviously
assumed the place of an attendant, not
a keeper. The trust in Ills parole
heartened him. It was a tonic to his
self respect, reacting upon his whole
body. He straightened himself in bis
saddle and looked with more confidence
at the Indian. He began to think with
less acute embarrassment of meeting
Noel; Noel who could not despite the
prisoner, since he trusted him.
“Where are we going?" he asked.
“To the river, Senhor; to the boats,”
answered Benito somewhat vaguely.
"Yes, but afterward?”
“Home, Senhor," answered the Indian
—"to the House of the Little Shoes.”
CHAPTER V.
THE HOUSE OF DAVID NOEL.
For a long time the road had been
winding among passes, high walls of
rock and verdure. Now turning back,
tho way had opened out before tho
traveller, and Corey Bruce saw the
magnificent coast far below him, like
an unbelievably lovely picture that had
no limit, but finally merged into the
blue immensities of the ocean. Invol
untarily he reigned in his horse and
looked, baring his head.
Far to the northward, like a magical
vision te city stretched gleaming along
the shore of a bay all rose and silver
light In the afternoon glow, and dotted
with islands green as the plumage of
the parrots in the forest around tho
travellers. Away on eihtre hand as
far as the eye could follow, masses of
mountains of fantastic foams seemed
piled one upon another, until they
merged finaly into sea or cloud. The ,
superb forests crept down and clasped
the city, and the city reached up to
ward the mountains: villas rested here
and there on clefts or great ledges
were highways went winding devious
courses. As Bruce gazed, feeding his
sight w'th beauty, the Indian beside
him uttered a sound to attract his at
tention and pointed across the height
on which they were.
"It Is there,” he uttered in his gut
tural speech, “It is home, Senhor; it
is the Great House of tho Little Shoes.”
Bruce fallowed the pointing hand
with his gaze. On a slope, perhaps
five miles from him, one white man
sion gleamed out of the setting of vio
lent tropical colors. Even at that dis
tance, it showed a columned, classical
stateliness of design, in contrast to the
usual florid Italian architecture preva
lent in South America.
Bruce stared at It.
‘What do you call it that?” he finally
queried, ‘‘and whose is it?”
“When we reach it, the Senhor will
see why that is its name. It belongs
to the master. Who else could It be
long to? Who else is great enough to
build the house which is his? Years
ago were its first stones laid, when
the master could come but seldom to
view the building of it; yet he ordered
all. All day for seven days has he
ridden, only that he might pass an
hour there where it rose out of tho
ground; speaking to the overseers who
'directed all as the master commanded.
Yes, between battles, between talking
in the cities, from the forests and from
the sertaon, has the master turned
to visit the great house. And it is his.”
He urged his horse forward with the
last word, and Bruce’s mount followed.
But the engineer continued to look to
j ward that distant house whenever the
| road permitted. He recalled now things
he had heard of David Noel before his
arrest. His imagination was-seized by
the idea of t}ie man who had fought
! his way up to such influence in the
[country, planning at the same time this
[ house to match the success he meant
I to attain. He glimpsed across the
! Indian’s speech the figure of the ex
11 plorer, the commander in wild coun
trie3, the statesman of the capital
[ turning aside to the building of his
'house as to a recreation and a design
i j formed In some moments of dreaminf
I and held through all the turmoils oi
: i his work. He must have stood withlr
'the rising walls of that house, in the
dusty travelworn garments of a man
from the forest Jungle, in the uniform
of a soldier on campaign, and latterly,
in the fine linen of a statesman from
the adjoining capital. Bruce thoufght
of him thus, in consultation with his
architects, bending over blue prints
and plans. Benito had called the
builder of the house an overseer, but
Bruce knew only an accomplished
architect could have developed that
white building with its exquisite pro
portions, its stateliness that was not
stiff, and its massiveness that was not
clumsy. He grouped these things, and
the thing "the Little Bald One" had
told him, about the central figure of
the grey clothed, grey eyed man who
had visited him a few days before.
Assembling his own impressions, he
found his keenest surprise was that
David Uoel knew of him. His keen
est anxiety was, what did that man
want with a convict engineer?
Bruce’s mind had had time to clear
on the Journey down the river and the
ride following it, which was now draw
ing to a conclusion. He knew, or
thought he knew, something of the
southern disposition. It must be for
some purpose that Noel had taken him
from an interior prison and brought
him here. Was that purpose one which
could be best accomplished by a man
helplessly in Noel's power? Bruce had
heard of such things; everyone has
heard of such things in every land,
What use had Noel for a man who was
free, yet a prisoner.
The cool air of approaching eye
ing was soothing his long parched
lungs, and cleansing his long poisoned
brain of remembered foulness of odor
and sound. His body luxuriated in the
contact of clean linen. Just what would
he refuse to do, if confronted with
the alternative of return to that pris
on?
Before he had ridden another mile,
it had fully penetrated Bruce’s con
viction that he had been unbelievely
blind; that David Noel had tried to
convey to him the very understanding
at which he now had painfully ar
rived. He recalled the frank and un
compromising statement that the pris
oner would be paroled in custody of
his employer. Noel had made no af
fectation of pity or charity in the mat
ter, and his last remark gathered new
force: “I thought you understood. For
me, of course” Well, it was best to
be prepared by realization of what lay
before him, even if realization brought
despair.
A turn in the road brought them be
neath a great tree wrapped from bot
tom to summit with a mass of brilliant
blue blossoms. When he road beneath
and as he passed, a gust blue lightly
a pendant branch against his face. In
voluntarily he raised his hand to pro
tect his beloved glasses from injury.
And touching them, he touch a new
collection. Noel had sent to him his
eyeglasses. He must have gone or sent
to the old camp where Bruce's effects
had lain abandoned for a year, to find
the case containing those si ->'T rimmed
spectacles. That action wits not born
Df self interest, but of pure klind:n*98.
As long as he liver, Corey Bruce- was
never to touch or see his glasses
without a renewal of the poignant at
titude he had felt on opening tha- case
at the prison door. Souching tlrenii
now, he hated his own distrust of Noah.
Might not his purpose be secret witlli
out being evil? Might not^—
The voice of eBnito summonde- him'
from his gloomy abstraction.
“The gate of the great house," said!
Benito.
Bruce started and raised his head;
They had lost sight of the white villa
as the road wound down the mountain.
He could not see it now, but he stood
before a magnificent jungle of tropical
trees and vines of clinging blossoms,
some crimson, some blue, some laven
der. Opposite them was the only visi
ble break in this jungle; two marble
gate columns from behind which a
broad white road curved away through
the wall like masses of jade green and
flame colored foliage. The columns
were taller than a mounted man. octa
gonal in shape and tapered to summits
perhaps eight inches square. Upon
each of these pedestals stood a small
object carved of white translucent
stone. Bruce leaned nearer to verify
his first impressions, incredulous of
his sigh.t. But he had been right, singu
lar as the ornament had seemed. On
either pillar was set a little shoe,
carved of white onyx; so daintily
done that the liltel tassel upon each
one seemed to sway in the breee, and
a child’s little foot to have rmrmfed
their outlines but a moment sine®.
“The House of the kittle Shoes,"
murmured the soft gutterai voice of
Benito. ‘‘The Senhor understands
now?”
"But why were the shoes put there?
Why were they chosen for the gate?”
wondered Bruce.
“It was the will of the master,
Senlior."
“But there might bo a story, per
hopse a legend, to account-”
“Who knows, Senhor? No one ever
heard such a tale in this country.”
Bruce stared at the pillars. No coat
of arms, no insignia, no monogram or
name; simply the shoes exalted above
those who passed in and out of the
house of David Noel. If they had been
a woman’s shoes, he could have smiled,
shrugged and guessed. But a child’s!
Yet, there they stood, strangely com
panioned by tropical forests.
“The Senhor Noel is married?”
Bruce hazarded.
“No, Senhor.”
“He—has been?”
“No, Senhor.”
Bruce rode on, as the Indian’s glance
urged him. As ho pnss-ed between the
pillars, he perceived that they sup
jorted massive gates of ironwork
There was no guard or lodge keeper
and the gates stood open with an ap
pearance of permanency in their post
[tion. fo Bruce’s nervous fancy, ttios* I
open gates had an air of insolent se
j curity. It was as i£ they proclaimed to
, all who passed that the master of the
I house beyond feared no one, repelled
! no one.
“But he may be protected well, for
all that,” reflected Bruce.
He thought of himself. The Indian
was his only guardian, yet how hope
less would be an attempt to escape!
The American might ride free for a
day, a mouth, perhaps a year; hut in
the end he would be run down, no
doubt, and brought back, if he lived.
The belt of forest proved to ba "half
mile deep, Abruptly the road emerged
from it, ran under a green arch, and
before the dazzled eyes opened a great
stretch of gardens lovelier than a
dream landscape. High ly cultivated
as an English estate, colered with the
opulence ofthe tropics, cunningly dt>
signe dvvith the flash of waters here
and there, and the gleam of distant
pergola or caravan seat to forbid mon
otony, the whole fairness folded around
the white villa like an embroidered
garment planned to enhance its beauty.
Bruce closed his eyes, reopened them,
gazed and gazed, and was yet unsatis
fied.
Well pleased. Benito did not dis
turb his ward, waiting in sleek and
satisfied content while Bruce admired.
The horses chafed finally at the de
lay, recognizing themselves at home.
As soon as permitted by their rides,
they loped along the road that curved
past limpid pools, over a high arched
bridge, between lovely scented things
ful loops from trees or columns set for
for them. Bright hued birds plunged
among the trees, long legged cranes
waded in pools.
Arrived at the broad central en,
trance, a servant appeared to take
Bruce’s horse, and guide him up the
steps. Benito effaced himself, his duty
obviously completed with the safe de
livery of the engineer.
Weak from long and hideous con
finement, tired by the long ride and
the uncertainties of his situation,
gathered only vague, kaleidoscopic im
pressions of an entrance hall of col
umned airiness with a fountain as its
center, of rooms artfully beautiful
opening on either hand, through which
he was led. Once he glimpsed him
self in a long mirror, and was pro
foundly startled and abashed. Wa3 this
he, this gaunt, stoop shouldered man
whose shock of unkempt red hair made
his head appear out of all proportion
to his lean body, whose face was hoi- j
low cheeked and sallow beyond his
own recognition? And how came he
to be tolerated here, with his imper
fect cleanliness, his soiled boots and
dusty garments, bringing his convict
atmosphere amid all this Immaculate 1
luxury? Surely the servant was mis
taken In bringing him here! Or, no!
No bout he was being taken before
Noel, where he would be Instructed as
to his future work.
He was taken to a bedeftamber, and
received by a deferential’ naotfve boy, i
who undertook the dutieff of a valet. I
(To be continued next' week.)
-- -- I'
LIVING YOUR ALLOTMENT, j
A young woman contending' tttsri! the a
expectation of human life should1 lie more
than 70 years was told that' the pruiptoet I
David had set three scorn and tew as j
the allotted age of man, to which' 3oe?
reply was, “But see what a* life he ledl ^
The rule is that men who liave gona1 tibe
pace do not reach three score and- tern. I
Some do, but the great majority do nofl. j
The young people talk about^ “a short: llff** ■
and a merry,, one.” Those-- who roaclfc j
three score and ten, however reckless
they may have been in youth; are willing I
to live so as to husband the years.
The great necessity is to live so as- t»> j
throw as little pressure as possible* oxu
the vital organs. Perhaps the greatest
single bane is high blood pressure. Of i
course, apoplexy, and some varieties off i
Bright’s disease and heart disease are ^
closely associated with high blood prea*
sure.
In cases of high blood pressure the- j
foods to avoid are those rich in purdm
bodies. The relative purin content of
various foods are as follows:
Reans .4.16Sweetbreads ...70.43
Lentils . 4.66Liver .....49.26 j
Mutton . 6.75 Beef Steak .14.4d ]
Halibut . 7.15Sirloin . 9.13 I
oatmeal . 3.45Chicken ..9.06 |
,'ori .4.07Loin of Pork ... 8.48
Tea . 1.2! Ham . »08
Salmon .8.-16
An old person with high blood pres
sure will do well to live on bread, oat
meal, other cereals, vegetables, fruit, fats,
sweets, milk and cheese in moderation*
Constipation must not be permitted.
As a rule, old people will do well to avoid
meats, soups and gravies, beef teas, ex
tracts and essences. Soups containing
a great deal of flour are liable to cause
flatulence. They should get most of the
animal nitrogen they need from cheese,
eggs and milk, but they do not need a
great deal of these. They should, get
most of their nitrogen from vegetal*!.)
proteins, particularly those of oatmeal,
bread, macaroni, and beans.
They need a good deal of fat to keep
[up their body heat. They aan get fat
from butter and oleomargarine and
bacon. Cold fat is better than, warm lat
for anybody.
They will not have much, of a sweet
tooth, but a moderate amount of sugar
is good for them. In fact, the old are
the only people who can bo allowed to
eat sugar as freely as fluey wish.
Many old people suffer from gas. To
lessen this tendency they should eat a
very slended supper, making breakfast
the heavy meal and lunch second in order.
Thqse who suffer from migraine and
other neuralgic conditions will do well to
lessen their intake of fat, increasing
bread, cereals and sugar correspondingly.
Most of the old want and should have
the coffee or tea to which they have been
accustomed.
Colonel John Ward, hag-jute
turned from Siberia. whf^X"e commanded
a battalion of British which helped
• to overthrow the bolsh^^B power there,
Isays, "In my opinion chance for
I democracy in ltussla the success
of Kolchak. His attj^V on the land
! question shows that ii^Hnot the reac
I tionary he has been rep. wanted. Kc- sees
1 clearly that the distribution of big estates
among the peasantry c« mot bo interfered
with. Bolshevism means the end of democ
racy. I am certain that if Russia is left
to the bolshevists. it will ultimately re
turn to autocracy.
| Washington is considering sending out
' a fair price list for hats and sttpoa fro
1 j men, women and children.
The Fir*t
Bottle o?
—gU.MUMMIaw
Entirely Free from
Gave Catarrh of the Stomach
__ _ "Peruna has positively done for
Dnlant 71,0 V*lnt ,n!»“y tloc'ois failed to
£\v*ScI tfo* * S*Y° been time and again
compelled to tako to my bed for
days. The first bottle of Peruna
gave relief ar.d while 1 always
©W keep it in the house for emerg
encies, I consider myself entirely
flF •• free from catarrh of the stomach,
WriTPQ the trouble from which I suf
1J A av\,h fered for so long before taking
this remedy.'*
Mr. M. Van Huron, Engineer, G. 3Li<*ald or Tablet Form
JR. & I. Ry.f 17 Highland St.,Grand Sold Everywhere ^
Rapids, Mich. _ A«k Your Healer
i---— ———-—---- — - — - - _
DR. S. C. DEDRICK -m>,. '
' OF , __
The Worthington Sanitarium, Worthington, Minn,
Dr. Dedrick has recently published an exceedingly interesting
booklet describing a wonderful new method of successfully
treating acute and chronic diseases. A copy of this booklet
will be sent free of charge to anyone upon request. Those
interested should send their name and address to Dr. Dedrick
at once, as he states the supply is limited.
COLT DISTEMPER
You can prevent this loathsome disease from running
through your stable and cure ail the dolts suffering with*
It when you begin the treatment. No matter how young,
SPOHN’S DISTEMPER COMPOUND is safe to use on any'
colt. It Is wonderful how it prevents all distempers, no'
matter how colts or horses at any age are "exposed.”
SPOHN MEDICAU CO., Goslien, Indi, U. S. A.
MS BUST OF HERODOTUS
Antique in Metropolitan Museum of
Art Identified ae Portrait of
Father of History.
Dr. Robinson, director of the Metro
mlitan Museum of Art, in New York,
las identified an antique marble bust,
vhlch has been in the museum’s store
oom for 20 or 30 years, as) being a
lortait of Herodotus, “the father of
dstory.” The marble, which has lain
u dust all these years, will now as
ume an important place of honor in
he institution.
There are but five known portraits :
if Herodotus. The New1 York portrait- .
lust was originally found at Benha,
n Lower Egypt, and passed Into the
mssession of Emil BrugscH Bey, from
vhom it was acquired and' presented
o the Metropolitan Museum of Arts.
Che recognition was based' on the re
lemblance of the known portraits and
lie finding of the learned1 man’s name
nscribed upon it. As a work of art it
vas not very highly regarded, but as
he sixth known portrait of Herodotus
t assumes new dignity. It is also said
o be one of the best portraits- extant. ;
Tactful Nephew.
Old Aunt (despondently)*—Well, I
ihall not be a nuisance to-you much
huger.
Nephew (reassuringly)—Don't talk
like that, aunt; you know you will.
HOW THE SQUIRREL HELPS;
Jncle Sam Needs Seeds* of Douglas
Fir and Knows Where fc#
Find Them.
Tree seed can’t be bought Ui large
juantltles In the market. To restock
:he huge forests which are demolished
•very year, Uncle Sam needs the seeds
pf the Douglasi fir, western yellow
pine, Engelmann spruce, lodge pole
pine, not by the pound, but literally
py the ton.
The government needs men, from
:wo to six weeks every fall, to' gather '
;eed. When the call goes out, lumber
lacks, college men, hoboes and former
convicts drift into the camps and work
ride by side, gathering huge stores of
he precious seeds. Through experl
>nce they have found that their rich
est sources are the cunningly hidden
squirrel hoards. The squirrel is cnuny;
te always picks the very best of cones
'or Ms winter’s store.—The Nation's -
Business.
-X
A Silent Partner.
Mrs. Heck—Does your husband talk
politics around the house?
Mrs. Peck—My husband never talks
inytMng around the house.
No Melba.
“Harry clapped his hands when I was
ringing.”
“Over his ears?”
r ^
A Saver to pocket
book and health, and
axlelkjht to the palate.
Do as your neighbor is ^
doing and cut the high
Cost of living by drink
ing
INSTANT
Postum
Instead of coffee.
No Raise In. Price
50-Cup Tins 309-100'CupTins 509
Made by
Postum Cereal Company
t Battle Creek. Mich.
Sold by Grocers and General Stored
