| The TWICE AMERICAN
By ELEANOR M. INGRAM
The crash of the chair, the
stamp of feet and angry voices
had sounded loudly across the
noontide repose of the villa. As
Bruce rose to his feet, triumphant
ly holding the huddled mass of
pag s he had rescued, one of the
white clad, orange sashed serv
ants appeared in the doorway.
The native’s opaque brown eyes
roamed from the dishevelled fig
ure of the American to the dis
ordered desk and shattered chair.
He was too well trained to ques
tion or exclaim, but his expres
sion assumed an austere disap
proval. Beyond the servant ap
peared the quizieal countenance of
Nile Valdez, as that gentleman
reached the scene of battle.
“What is it?’- the latter
queried. “A snak or a tarantula?
Shall I order a pistol or a lemon
ade?”
■ > 1 i _ i • . i.i : ~ .3 „
J »I liu; DI11SU1Y 11 lr» JII v*\y
prccation of the raillery. lie was
panting and so bewildered by an
episode all at variance with the
placid life of the villa .that he
scarcely knew how to convey the
happening to Valdez’s mind.
“It was a man,” he answered,
his tongue tripping as his hurry
ing thought hastened it. “He came
in here—he said Dom David had
sent him, for this.” He thrust out
the handful of pages he had gath
ered with a confused idea of ex
planation. “Looking over my
shoulder, lie was, when I caught
him at it, trying to read my letter!
When he found I would not give it
to him, he tried to snatch it from
the desk and bolt. I—through
there!” he motioned toward the
window dazedly. “I got it—but
I could not stop him, he was off
through there.”
The smile had left Valdez’s lips.
His soft eyes began to glisten as
he looked from the window to
Bruce’s face.
“What is it?” he demanded
briefly.
“The letter? Only a letter to
one of my people at home.”
“Why did he want it?”
“I don’t know. I can’t under
stand. 1 think he made a mis
take. He said Dom David had
sent him for it.”
“A lie! I have just come from
Dom David. What did the man
look like?”
“lie knocked off my glasses,
and I was excited,” deprecated
Bruce. “But he was tall and pale;
pale eyes, pale light colored hair
and Van Dyke beard. Sort of
bony, big—yet thin, you know the
kind.”
The glitter obliterated all the
softness in the dark field of Val
dez’s eyes. He beckoned Brftfto to
him, and drew aside the drapery
at the doorway.
“Did he look like that man?”
he demanded.
Bruce followed the indicating
finger with his gaze and looked
across the lovely hall with its cen
tral fountain. Through the wide
doors beyond hi* could see a limou
sine standing under the porte
cochere of the villa. It was a
handsome car, with two iveried
servants on the box. Inside, just
leaning back against the cushioned
scats and opening a little book,
was a man. Nilo Valdez was pre
pared. He seized Bruce’s arm as
the American would have sprung
forward.
xiusu : xiusn i m: vaununou.
“But that is he! The man,’
rebelled Bruce excitedly. “The
impudence—why ”
“Yes. I thought so.”
“lie, he just ran around the cor
ner of the house and jumped intc
that car?”
“Yes. lie is very clever.”
“But, let us go out; confront
him. He tried to steal from me.’
“Why should we go out? He
will swear that he never left hii
car, and his two men will beai
him out in everything.”
“What? Why, I know him
I'd know him anywhere.”
“You would be one agains
three,” said Valdez. “He is an in
fluential man and you are j
stranger, a foreigner. You havi
no witnesses. Your word woult
not be enough. Be patient; Ik
got nothing by his risk, and Ik
has shown his hand to us. Cer
tainly, he is a furiously angry be
neath that calmness you see?”
“You mean to let him gof” in
credulously.
“Of course!”
“Because my word isn’t-’
Bruce wrenched his arm aw a;
1 rom the restraining hand, his fac
twitching with bitterness. “I un
derstand. I suppose, if it had beei
Pom David-■”
Valdez shrugged.
‘He never would have tried it
n»y dear Bruce. Because yoi
were a stranger he dared. M;
I friends, you are innocent as a
! girl! Would you fight in the
1 open against a barricaded enemy?
Wait, wait!”*
“Let us go to Dom David.”
‘‘We will tell him, presently.
Now, he is going out wit lx your ac
quaintance, there, and two other
gentlemen who are this moment
with him in the library.”
‘‘Going out? He is going out
with that, that thief?”
‘‘With Dom Jacinto Meyer,”
Valdez corrected the question,
‘‘whose political views sometimes!
class with those of Dom David, as
will happen with statesmen. Yes,
they are going out together. List-!
cn!”
Voices issued from tiie drawing
room as the doors opened. Nilo
Valdez drew Bruce back into the
little music room, turned to the
desk and caught up a sheet of pa
per. On it he hurriedly traced a
few lines in his individual scrawl
of abbreviations scarcely compre
hensible to one who did not know
his system, lie showed it to Bruce,
who gathered its import, not with
out difficulty.
“You see? It will tell Dorn
David enough to put him beyond
Meyer’s trickery, should the man
attempt any,” Valdeb hurriedly
murmured, as the voices came
nearer. “I think he will do noth
ing, though! He will await our
move. ’ ’
He folded the sheet, thrust it in
to a used envelope taken from his
pocket ,and"Tnotioned to Bruce to
remain where he was. As Noel
came across the patio, accompa
nied by two elderly men and pre
ceded by a servant who sped to
attend at the door, Valdez stepped
forward with his usual air of alert
nonchalance.
‘‘Pardon one moment, gentle
men, ’ he saluted the group.
Dqui David, may I beg an in
stant before you leave? The mat
ter ot this letter—have I answered
it correctly?”
Noel took the offered envelope
with a word of apology to his
guests; who politely turned aside
to admire the lilies floating in the
railed fountain. Bruce, watching
between the door curtain, dried
his face, streaming with the heat
of recent exertion, and settled his
gardments in anticipation of be
ing summoned to bear witness
against Jacinto Meyer, in spite of
Valdez’s opinion. Ho could not
understand why the man should
be allowed to go unchallenged.
He waited, his expectant eyes
fixed upon the four men standing
beyond in the hall in the soft yet
ample light which flooded through
the rose and blue shades, meta
morphosing hot noon to blended
dawnlight and twilight. But he
was d’sappointed in his vengeful
expectation, Noel returned the
note to his secretary without a
change of expression visible in his
dark face.
“You understand the matter
perfectly, Nilo,’ he observed.
“Continue as you are doing.”
Valdez bowed and escorted the
[group out-to the limousine. Bruce
heard the laughing voices, heard
the false mildness of Meyer’s voice
joined with the others,' until the
car rolled away.
When Valdez returned to Bruce,
he sat at the desk smoothing out
the wrinkles from his outraged
letter before placing it in a fresh
envelope.
“I can’t see why he wanted
this, he chafed. “Why anyone
should want it!”
“lie did not want it,” Valdez
promptly returned. “He believed
you had something else. Now,
why did he believe that, and what
did he think you had that he did
1 want?”
“You must be right,” agreed
; Bruce thoughtfully, “Because he
• abandoned the letter as soon as
the envelope tore and he saw the
contents. ’ ’
“Did he say nothing? Nothing
. that might serve as a clue?”
“Yes.” Bruce ran his fingers
t through his hair. “He said some
■ thing, but it had no sense. He kept
1 repeating a slag phrase I spoke
■ before 1 saw he was in the room.”
> ‘ ‘ What was it ? ”
“Why, I was careless about get
- ting the letter evenly, and it put
me out of temper.” Bruce colored,
- slightly confused. “I said ‘I do
beat the Dutch at everything!’
Meaning, you know, that I’m as
’ awkward as a ITun. It is slang—
r English slang. It really means
i Germans, and not Dutch at all. It
- hasn’t much sense, but--”
i He stopped questioningty. Val
dez had uttered an exclamation
and slapped his palms upon his
, knee.
i “Germans? Germans? That
r was what be dwelt upon?”
' “Why, yes!”
“And your letter is bulky
enough,” nodded Valdez regard
ling it. “In a heavy envelope,
[loo! I see. Have you forgotten
[ t lie census reports upon which we
are working?”
Bruce stared.
“lie thought I had those?”
“Without doubt. Jacinto Meyer
knows academic English fairly
well, I think, but he doesn’t know
slang expressions. He supposed
you were boasting of your pow
ers!” Valdez broke into a pCal of
his gay laughter. “And you threw
a chair at him? I hope it hurt!”
“He is a German?” Bruce
puzzled.
“His father married one of our
ladies. He is by birth half a Bra
zilian. But he was educated in
Germany, and he is altogether
German in sympathies and taste—
everything!”
“And he is Dom David's ene
my? Yet he comes here-■”
“Oh, of course! The enmity is
beneath the surface. My dear
Bruce, do enemies in your coun
try refuse to speak to one another
and shoot each other with pistols?
Let us be modern in all things!”
Bruce sat thinking for some mo
ments; there was a question he
had more than once wanted to ask,
yet had hesitated to do so. Now,
in the new confidence gained from
his clearer understanding of Dav
id Noel, he ventured.
“Is Dom David a citizen of this
country ? ’ ’
“But yes.”
“I, I thought he was born-”,
Bruce began, then stopped with an
alarmed wonder if he had be
trayed Noel's confidence.
“In the United States?” Val
dez took up his speech readily.
‘ ‘ He was; in the city of New York.
Is it pissible you do not know that
story, either? How many stories
have I told you, I wonder?”
“I do not know much,” con
fessed Bruce.
“Well, after the episode of the
diamond mines, Dom David was
suggested as president of the re
public. But when the nomination
was offered to him, he declined.
He said that he was a citizen of
your United States. He said that
he was a citizen of your United
States. He was one of us; he
wanted to become one of us, but
he would not'abandon the country
of his birth. Up to then, it had
been gerenally supposed that he
was a Brazilian. Then as the
greatest honor we could give in re
turn for his services, he was made
a citizen of our republic, without
resigning his citizenship in yours.
I do not know whether there has
been precedent in modern history,
1 know once it was done in Venice,
long ago. At any rate, it was done
here. Dom David is a citizen of
both countries. But he never
would listen to being president.
Perhaps he was wise! He has
since held other high offices. He
is the senator from our state
now.”
Yet tms man Meyer is ms
enemy?” Bruce wondered.
“Oh, yes. Does any man in pub
lic life escape enemies? And he—
but wait; 1 think ho will tell you
something, too.”
Bruce nodded, gravely, continu
ing to look at the letter in his
hand. He had sealed it. Now he
wished that he had added an ac
count, of the recent event to ex
plain the crumpled pages. And
this last bit of information would!
have rounded out the sketch of
David Noel that he had tried to
make for Rose. Well, he meant
to write soon again; as soon as
he received an assurance from her
that his letters were welcome
after his confessed disgrace.
Nilo Valdez watched his absorb
ed companion with a quizzical
smile * of comprehension. The
young South American had his
1 own idea of the kind *»f letter
for which a man is willing to fight,
and at which he stands gazing
in forgetfulness of all around him.
Valdez was very romantic, he had
I been in love several times every
year since his 12t,h birthday,
when he began by losing his heart
to a married cousin of 30 who pre
sented him with an English polo
pony. He felt a new sympathy
for the shy, old American, who
was a protege of Dorn David.
When Bruce finally looked up
with a start,, Valdez laughing,
urged him towards the hall.
“The mail will be taken to the
city in 10 minutes,” ho warned
the other. “Put it in the bag,
puit in the bag and send it! You
ibeat. the Dutch in that race, did
you not?”
Anud Bruce took the advice
with simplicity.
When he returned from the
hall he found Valdez looking down
at the torn envelope which laj
face upward upon the floor. He
| was humming a little verse:
i “I pursue a form which my
pen never knows,
The Bud of a thought that
would be a Rose”
♦ • *
1 uiyw*
J “But mine is not a love letter/
j said Bruce anxiously,
j “No?” retorted Valdaz. “Well,
! neither is my song a love song. On
; the contrary, it is the plaint of a
| dissatisfied poet.”
| “No? retorted Valdez. “Well,
' neither is my song a love song,
j On the contrary, it is the plaint
i of a dissatisfied poet.”
( HAFTER VIII.
The Secret War.
David Noel entertained at din
ner, that night. Bruce had known
the fact, but the episode with Ja
cinto Meyer and the excitement
attending his letter to Rose had
driven his thoughts abroad. More
over, he had not expected to be
numbered among the guests, who
he 'understood were to be few
and distinguished.
He was on his own balcony,
watching night shadow the garden
into new forms of loveliness, when
Nilo Valdez tapped perfunctorily
and then followed his summons
into the room.
“Up sluggard!” he mirthfully
greeted the spectacle of Bruce’s
disarray, as the latter lifted him
self in his chair. ‘‘Behold me!”
He piorouetted airily in his eve
ning attire.
“Made in Paris,” he announced.
“You are invited to dress and dine
with my respected father, with
Dom Juan Perraz and Marshal
Granados. ’ ’
“I?” uttered Bruce, amazed.
“You, certainly.”
“Meet—the governor?”
“Informally, yes.”
“But, why?”
“Well, somewhat to discuss the
Meyer incident. Somewhat to dis
cuss—other matters. Never mind!
But dress, dress, my friend. Un
less you prefer to dine that way?”
Bruce rose, puzzled; decidely
more embarrassed than delighted
at the unexpected honor. Nilo
Valdez sat down and watched his
preparations. *
“Have you,” the secretary
drawled presently, fluttering the
pages Of a book upon the table
beside him, “have you any Ger
man connections, Bruce?”
“I? No; I have not. Why, if
I had been free a couple of years
ago when this war started; if, if I
were free, now-”
“Yes.”
“They need engineers in
France,” Bruce said his voice low.
He stared gloomily at his own
image reflected in the mirror of
the chiffonier. “If I hadn’t made
such a bad mess of things, I might
be at the front instead of—at the
bottom!”
He tried to laugh at the feeble
jest, smoothing his hair, which
stood upright with fresh resiliency
after each stroke of the brushes.
Valdez considerately bent over the
book, affecting to be interested in
an illustration.
wiuiise iiu presently ques
tioned. “What would the lady say
to that The lady to whom you
were writing the famous letter?”
“I suppose she woud rather see
me dead than where I was. ’ ’
“I am not sure,” Valdez mused.
“Women love absolutely; for love
itself. Men often love their own
vanity reflected in another. At
least, it seems so to me. Mothers
love tlmir children equally, wheth
er tliey are successes or failures,
ugly or lovely, or even deformed.
It is the fathers who want to boast
of ‘my son ,the soldier,’ ‘my
daughter, the beauty,’ My moth
er and sisters are so; I know.”
“Some women are hard
enough,” qualified Bruce. “And
ambitious! But I believe my cous
in is like you say. She is only a
girl, ct. Still I .know how she
would feel about this war. The
Belgian children, now.. she loves
children.”
Nilo Valdez nodded with
marked satisfaction. He did not
say why he was interested in the
political sympathies of the lady
name Rose.
When Bruce was ready, the two
young men went downstairs, to
gether, greatly to Corey Bruce’s
relief of mind. His natural dispo
sition to diffidence had been
warped to a morbid nervousness
by his trial and his year at the
prison.
There was nothing especially
formidable, however, about the
three quiet gentlemen who were
found strolling in the garden with
their host. The governor proved
to he an older edition of Nilo Val
dej:; Senhor Ferraz was round of
face and figure. Marshal Gran
ados was a score of years younger
than either of his fellow guests;
a gaunt, "soldierly man about
Noel’s age. Evidently he and
Noel had been camgain comrades
and comrades in many scenes
(To be continued next week.)
Prof. E. W. Siiiith, instructor In Journal
iBm, at Stanford university, was electe<
vice president of the American Assoctatioi
of Teachers In Journalism. The confer
ence in session at Ann Arbor vo(ed to op
pose the class "newspaper writing'
'courses given In preparatory schools, X
Instruction sn journalism.
Healthy Chicks, More Eggs
Assists Moulting—Good for Bowel Trouble S
• and Other Diseases in Young Fowls
RESULTS GREAT COST SMALL
I purchased a box of B. A. THOMAS’ POULTRY REMEDY and began
feeding according to directions. At that time my flock of 42 bens were
only laying five to ten eggs per day. Today, one week from date of pur
chase, 1 am getting eighteen eggs per day: MRS. FANNY MOORE, Alma, Neb.
B. A. THOMAS’ STOCK REMEDY. Makes healthy, thrifty stoc'.i. Keeps them
free of worms. A medicine, not a food. Very economical. ,
B JL. Thomas7 Hog Powder “ Saves the Bacon77
FARRIS’ COLIC REMEDY. For horse colic. The easy way. No drench
ing. A child can give it.
OLD KENTUCKY MANUFACTURING CO. - PADUCAH, KY.
XHCoaroasiaD
Punishment.
“Are the Germans to have no pun
ishment?”
“Their situation Is what I should call
punishment,” replied Miss Cayenne.
“They are obliged to live all their lives
under some kind of a German govern
ment.”
WORSE THAN
' DEADLY
POISON GAS
Kidney disease is no respeetor of per
sons. It attacks young and old alike.
In most cases the victim is warned
of the approaching danger. Nature fights
back. Headache, indigestion, insomnia,
lame back, lumbago, sciatica, rheuma
tism, pain in the loins and lower ab
domen, difficulty in urinating, all are
indication of trouble brewing in your
kidneys.
When such symptoms appear you will
almost certainly find quick relief in
GOLD MEDAL Haarlem Oil Capsules.
This famous old remedy has stood
the test for two hundred years in-help
ing mankind to fight off disease.
It is imported direct from the home
laboratories in Holland, where it has
helped to develop the Dutch into one
of the sturdiest and healthiest races in
the world, and it may be had at
almost every drug store. Your money
promptly refunded if it does not re
lieve you. Be sure to get the genuine
GOLD MEDAL Brand. In sealed pack
ages, three sizes.—Adv.
Might Guess Its Name.
Little Mary, who lives In the sub
urbs, saw a calf coming down the
street.
She ran into the house, exclaim
ing:
“Oh, mother, mother, do come quick
and see what’s coming down the
street. I don’t know what it is, but
its mother’s a cow.”
r-----1
RASCALS !
_ j ,
Biliousness, Headache, Colds, 1
Constipation, driven out
. with “Cascarets” |
Why take nasty cathartics, sickening
salts, or stomach-turning otls to drive
these rascals out ? Let gentle, harmless
Cascarets remove the liver and bowel
poison which is keeping your head
dizzy, your tongue coated, your skin
sallow, your breath offensive, and your
Btomach sour. Get a box of Cascarets
at the drug store and rid your liver,
stomach and bowels of the excess bile,
poisons, and waste which are keeping
you miserable. Cascarets never gripe,
never sicken, never inconvenience.
They cost so little and work while you
sleep.—Adv.
Between Thieves.
"I got this hat for sprinting.”
“Who did you beat?”
“The owner and three policemen.”
Cuticura for Sore Hand*.
Soak hands on retiring in the hot suds
Df Cuticura Soap, dry and rub in Cu
ticura Ointment. Remove surplus
Ointment with tissue paper. This Is
only one of the things Cuticura will do
tf Soap, Ointment and Talcum are used
tor all toilet purposes.—Adv.
Very Strange. »
“Young Softly seems to be very
nuch occupied.” “That’s odd, since
le has such a vacant look."
48,000
Drug Stores Sell It,
Five million, people
use it to KILL COLDS
HILL’S
cascaraB>quinine
Standard cold remedy for 20 years
—in tablet form—safe, cure, no
opiates—breaks up a cold in 24
hours—relieves grip in 3 days.
Money back if it fails. The
genuine box hag a Red
ktop with Mr. Hill's
> ' picture.
1 At Alt Drag Slant
The girl whose long suit Is short
hand has an asset of permanent value.
ASPIRIN FOR HEADACHE
Name “Bayer” is on Genuine
Aspirin—say Bayer ^ ^
In a "Bayer package," containing prop
er directions for Headache, Colds,
Pain, Neuralgia, Lumbago, and Rheu
matism. Name “Bayer” means genuine
Aspirin prescribed by physicians for
nineteen years. Handy tin toxes of 12
tablets cost few cents. Aspirin Is trade
mark of Bayer Manufacture of Mono
aceticacidester of Sallcylicacid.—Adv.
The grade crossing should itself re
ceive the double-ctfoss.
Those Women Who
Dread Middle Life
Atchison, Kana.:
—**I took Dr.
Pierce’s Favorite
Prescription dur
ing expectancy and
it was a great help
to me. It was tha
means of keeping
me in good condi
tion and when l
came to middle life
« a. I took it again and
' \ brought me
\/ sS? through this period
' - safely. (I am always
glad to recommend
Dr. Pierce’s Favorite Prescription.”—MRS.
C. C. HINES, 825 Mound St. ^
After long experience in the treatment of
women’s diseases. Dr. Fierce evolved a
vegetable tonio and corrective which he
called Dr. Pierce’s Favorite Prescription.
This is a purely vegetable preparation,
without a particle of alcohol contained in it.
When a woman complains of backache,
dizziness or pain—when everything looks
black before her eyes—a dragging feeling,
or bearing-down, with nervousness, she
shodld turn to this “temperance" herbal
tonic. It can be obtained in almost every
drug store in the land and the ingredients
are printed in plain English on the wrapper.
Put up in tablets or liquid. Dr. Pierce, of
Invalids’ Hotel, Buffalo, N. Y., will rend a
trial size of the tablets for ten cents.
When Weak and Nervous
Kansas City, Kans.:—“I have taken Dr,
Pierce’s Favorite Prescription many times
with very good results. I have taken it for
woman’s weakness when I was all run-down,
weak and nervous and it soon had me built
up in health and strength. I have taken it
at different times as a tonic and it has never
failed to give relief. I have also recom
mended it to others who have been wonder
fully benefited by its use.
“As I have done lots of nursing I am in'®
position to know that ‘Favorite Prescrip
tion’ has saved the life of many a woman. i
—MRS. A. GEHRIGER, 1402 Wood Ave.
HEADACHE
Often Caused by
Acid-Stomach
Yes, indeed, more often than you think.
Because ACID-STOMACH, starting with in
digestion, heartburn, belching, food-repeat
ing, bloat and gas, if not checked, will even
tually affect every vital organ of the body.
Severe, blinding, splitting headaches are.
therefore, of frequent occurrence as a result
of this upset condition.
Take EATONIC. It quickly banishes acid
stomach with Its sour bloat, pain and gas.
It aids digestion—helps the stomach gel
full strength from every mouthful of food
you eat. Millions of people are miserable,
Weak, sick and ailing because of ACID
STOMACH. Poisons, created by partly di
gested food charged with acid, are absorbed
Into the blood and distributed throughout
the entire system. This often causes rheu
: matism, biliousness, cirrhosis of the liver,
heart trouble, ulcers and even cancer or
the stomach. It robs lta ylctlmsfof their
health, undermines the strength of the
most vigorous. . ._.
If you want to get back your physical
and mental strength—bo full of vim “ *
vigor—-enjoy life and be happy, you must
get rid of your acid-stomach.
In EATONIC you will find the very help
you neod and it's guaranteed. s<* C®1- * b*®
60c box from your druggist t^ay. J*}\
falls to please you, return It and he will
refund your money.