ROSALIND
JIT
RED GATE
3ByC
MEREDITH NICHOLSON
llluitratlont by
RAY WALTERS
Mlsil'at, smiling at her own timidity
as she gave me her hand. I thought
that she wished to speak to me alone,
but Helen lingered at her side, and
it was she who asked the question
that was on her aunt's lips.
"We are undiscovered? You have
heard nothing, Mr. Donovan?"
"Nothing, Miss Holbrook," I said;
I Brought My Horse to a Walk as I
Neared the Cottage.
and I turned away from Miss Pat
whose eyes made lying difficult to
Helen, who met my gaze with charm
ing candor.
And I took account of the girl anew
as I walked between her and Miss Pat,
through a trelllsed lane that alter
nated crimson ramblers and purple
clematis, to the chapel, Sister Marga
ret's brown-robed figure preceding us.
The open sky, the fresh' airs of morn
Ing, the bird-song and the smell of
verduous earth In themselves gave
Sabbath, benediction. I challenged all
my senses as I heard Helen's deep
voice running on In light banter with
her aunt. It was not possible that I
had seen her through the dusk only
the day before, traitorously meeting
her father, the foe of this dear old
lady who walked beside me. It was
an impossible thing; the thought was
unchlvalrous and unworthy of any
man calling himself gentleman. No
one so wholly beautiful, no one with
her voice, her steady tranquil eyes,
could, I argued, do ill. And yet I had
seen and heard her; I might have
touched her as she crossed my path
and ran down to the houseboat!
She wore to-day a white and green
gown and trailed a green parasol in
a white-gloved hand. Her small round
hat with Its sharply upturned brim Ira
parted a new frankness to her face.
Several times she looked at me quick
lyshe was almost my own height
and there was no questioning the per
fect honesty of her splendid eyes.
"We hoped you might drop In yes
terday afternoon," she said, and my
ears were at once alert
"Yes," laughed Miss Pat, "we
were"
"We were playing chess, and almost
came to blows!" said Helen. "We
played from tea to dinner, and Sister
Margaret really had to come and tear
us away from our game."
I had now learned, as though by her
own intention, that had been at St
Agatha's, playing a harmless game
with her aunt, at the very moment
that I had seen her at the canoe
maker's. And even more conclusive was
the fact that she had made this state
men't before her aunt! anl that NIa
Pat had acquiesced in It
We had reached the church door,
and I had really Intended entering
with them; but now I was In no frame
of mind for church; I murmured an ex
cuse about having letters to write.
"Dut this afternoon we shall go for
a ride or a sail which shall it be, Miss
Holbrook?" I said, turning to Miss
Pat in the church porch.
She exchanged glances with Helen
before replying
"As you please. Mr. Donovan. It
might be that we should be safer on
the water "
I was relieved. On the lake there
was much less chance of her being ob
served by Henry Holbrook than in the
highways about Annandale. It was, to
be sure, a Question whether the man I
had encountered at the canoe-maker
was really her brother; that question
was still to be settled. The presence
of Gillespie I had forgotten utterly
but he was, at any rate, the least Im
portant figure In the little drama ua
folding before me.
"I shall coma to your pier with the
launch at five o'clock," I said, and
th thanks murmuring In mr ears
before, making daylight acquaintance
with the highway. I brought my horse
to a walk as I neared the canoe-maker's
cottage, and I read his sign and
the lettering on his mail box and sat
isfied myself that the name Hartrldge
was Indisputably set forth on both.
There was no one in sight; perhaps
the adventure and warning of the
night had caused Holbrook to leave;
but at any rate I was best upon ask
ing about him In Tippecanoe village.
This place, lying two miles beyond
the canoe-maker's, I found to be a
sleepy hamlet of perhaps 50 cottages,
a country store, a post-office, and a
blacksmith shop. There was a water
trough in front of the store, and I
dismounted to give my horse a drink
while I went to the cottage behind the
closed store to seek the shopkeeper.
I found him in a garden under an
apple tree reading a newspaper. He
was an old fellow in spectacles, and.
assuming that I was an idler from
the summer colony, be greeted me
courteously. I questioned htm as to
the character of the winters in this
region, spoke of the employments of
the village folk, then mentioned the
canoe-maker.
"Yes; he works the year round down
there on the Tippecanoe. He sells
his canoes all over the country the
Hartrldge, that's his name. You must
have seen his sign there by the cedar
hedge. They say he gets big prices
for his canoes."
"I suppose he's a native In these
parts?" I ventured.
"No; but he's been here a good
while. I guess nobody knows where
he comes from or cares. He works
pretty hard, but I guess he likes It."
"He's an industrious man, is he?"
"Oh, he's a steady worker; but he's
a queer kind, too. Now, he never
votes and he never goes to church;
and for the sake of the argument
neither do I" an the old fellow
winked prodigiously. "He's a mighty
odd man; but I can't say that that's
against him. But he's quiet and peace
able, and now his daughter "
"Oh, he has a daughter?'
"Yes; and that's all he has, too;
and they never have any visitors. The
daughter Just come home the other
day, and we ain't hardly seen her yet
She's been away at school."
"I suppose Mr. Hartrldge is absent
sometimes; he doesn't live down there
all the time, does he?"
"I can't say that I could prove It;
sometimes I don't see him for a
month or more; but his business is his
own, stranger," he concluded, point
edly.
"You think that if Mr. Hartrldge
had a visitor you'd know It?" I per
sisted, though the shopkeeper grew
less amiable.
"Well, now, I might; and again I
mightn't. Mr. Hartrldge is a queer
man. I don't see him every day, and
particularly In the winter I don't keep
track of him.'
With a little leading the storekeeper
described Hartrldge for me, and his
description tallied exactly with the
man who had caught me on the canoe
maker's premises the night before.
And yet, when I had thanked the
storekeeper and ridden on through the
village, I was as much befuddled as
ever. There was something decidedly
incongruous in the idea that a man
who was, by all superficial signs, at
least a gentleman, should be estab
lished in the business of making ca
noes by the side of a lonely creek in
this odd corner of the world. From
the storekeeper's account Hartrldge
might be absent from his retreat for
long periods; If he were Henry Hoi
brook and wished to annoy hlB sister,
It was not so far from this lonely
creek to the Connecticut town where
Miss Pat lived. Again, as to the daugh
ter, Just home from school and not
yet familiar to the eyes of the village,
she might easily enough be an Inven
tion to hide the visits of Helen Hol
brook. I found myself trying to ac
count for the fact that, by some means
short of the miraculous, Helen Hol
brook had played chess with Miss Pat
at St. Agatha's at the very hour I had
seen her with her father on the Tip
pecanoe. And then I was baffled
again as I remembered that Paul Stod
dard had smt the two women to St
Agatha's, and that their destination
could not have been chosen by Helen
Holbrook,
My thoughts wandered into many
blind alleys as I rode on.v I was thor
oughly disgusted with myself at find
ing the loose ends of the Holbrooks'
affairs multiplying bo rapidly. Tne
sun of noon shone hot overhead, and I
turned my horse into a road that led
homeword by the eastern shore of the
lake. As I approached a little country
church at the crown of a long hill I
saw a crowd gathered in the highway
and reined my horse to see what had
happened. The congregation of farmers
and their families had Just been dis
missed; and they were pressing about
"FrlenUs. on the dusty highway of
life. I can take none of the honor or
credit you so kindly offer me. The
money I have given you to-day I came
by honestly. 1 stepped into your cool
and restful house of worship this morn
ing in search of bodily ease. The small
voice of conscience stirred within me.
I had not been inside a church for two
years, and I was greatly shaken. Dut
as I listened to your eloquent pastor
I was aware that the green wall paper
Interrupted my soul currents. That
vegetable-green tint Is notorious as a
psychical interceptor. Spend the
money as you like, gentlemen, but if
I, a stranger, may suggest it try some
less violent color scheme in your
mural decorations."
He seemed choking with emotion as
with bowed head he pushed his way
through the circle and strode past me.
The people stared after him, mystified
and marveling. I heard an old mao
calling out:
"How wonderful are the ways of
Lord!'
I let Gillespie pass, and followed him
slowly until a turn In the road hid us
from the staring church folk. He
turned and saw me.
"You have discovered me, Donovan.
Be sure your sins will find you out!
A simple people, slgularly moved at
the sight of a greenback. I have rare
ly caused caused so much excitement"
"I suppose you are trying to ease
your conscience by giving away Bome
of your button meney.'
"That Is just it Donovan. You have
LINCOLN
LETTER
Correspondence Regarding uoings of
State Legislature
Lincoln, Neb., March 2. (Special
Correspondence) The time limit for
the introduction of bills has expired,
and from now on the work of legis
lation will go on In real earnest. The
"slaughter of the Innocents," refer
ence being had to favorite bills, has
already begun. That the pledges of
the democratic platform will be car
ried out in letter and spirit Is as
sured. It is no easy task to frame a
law that will stand the scrutiny of
a supreme court, especially when that
law has to deal with such an import
ant matter as our banking laws. But
the committees on banking have
worked hard and long, and the result
is a bill that will carry out thepledge
guaranteeing depositors. The bill
may, and doubtless will, be amended
before Its final passage, but the
amendments will have to do with de
tails, and not with the spirit of the
law.
Senate file 15 has been passell by
both houses and now goes to Gover
nor Shallenberger. This bill pro
vides that the secretary of state shall
struck the brass tack on the head. But cause to be published in newspapers
now that we have met again, albeit desienated bv the eovernor all on
young man who stood In the center
of an excited throng. Drawing closer,
I was amazed to find my friend Gil
lespie the center of attention.
"But. my dear sir." cried a tall,
bearded man whom I took to be the
minister of this wayside flock, "you
muHt at least give us the privilege of
thanking you! You cannot know what
this means to us, a gift so munificent
so far beyond our dreams."
Whoreat Gillespie looked bored,
shook his head, and tried to force his
way through the encircling rustics. He
was clad In a Norfolk jacket and
knickerbockers of fantastic plaid, with
a cap to match.
A young famer, noting my curiosity
and heavy with great news, whispered
to me:
"That boy In short pants put a $1,000
bill in the collection basket. All in
one bill! They thought It wss a mis
take, but he told our preacher it was
I turned away, went home and called j gift
for my horse. , Jut ei 1 n,ar(1 lhe Tolce m
I repeated my Journey of the night fool raised so that all might hesr:
through no fault of my own, let me
mention matters of real human Inter
est." "You might tell me what you're do
ing here first."
"Walking; there were no cabs, Don
ovan." "You choose a queer hour of the
day for your exercise."
"One might say the same for your
ride. But let us be sensible. I dare
say there's some common platform on
which we both stand.'
"We'll assume It," I replied, dis
mounting by the roadside that I might
talk more easily. Bandages were still
visible at his wrists, and a strip of
court-plaster across the knuckles of
his right hand otherwise testified to
the edges of the glass in St. Agatha's
garden. He held up his hands rue
fully. "Those were nasty slashes; and I
ripped them up badly in climbing out
of your window. But I couldn't linger;
I am not without my little occupa
tions." "You stand an excellent chance of
being shot If you don't clear out of
this. If there's any shame In you
you will go without making further
trouble."
"It has occurred to me," he began,
slowly, "that I know something that
you ought to know. I saw Henry Hoi.
brook yesterday."
"Where?" I demanded.
"On the lake. He's rented a sloop
yacht called the Stiletto. I passed it
yesterday on the Annandale steamer
and I saw him quite distinctly."
"It's all your fault that he's here!"
I blurted, thoroughly aroused. "If
you had not followed those women
they might have spent the remainder
of their lives here and never have
been molested. Hut he undoubtedly
caught the trail from you."
Gillespie nodded gravely and
frowned before he answered.
"I am sorry to spoil your theory,
my dear Irish brother, but put this in
your pipe: Henry was here first! He
rented the sailboat ten days ago and
I made my triumphal entry a week
later. Explain that, if you please, Mr.
Donovan."
I was immensely relieved by this
disclosure, for it satisfied me that I
had not been mistaken In the Identity
of the canoe-maker. I had, however,
no intention of taking the button king
into my confidence.
"Where is Holbrook staying?" I
asked casually.
"I don't know he keeps afloat The
Stiletto belongs to a Cincinnati man
who Isn't coming here this summer
and Holbrook has got the use of the
yacht. So much I learned from the
boat storage man at Annandale; then
I passed the Stiletto and saw Henry oa
board."
It was clear that I knew more than
Gillespie, but he had supplied me with
several Interesting bits of information,
and, what was more to the point he
had confirmed my belief that Henry
Holbrook and the canoe-maker were
the same person. ,
"You must see that I face a difficult
situation here, without counting you.
You don't strike me as a wholly bad
lot Gillespie, and why won't you run
along like a good boy and let me deal
with Holbrook? Then when I have
settled with htm I'll see what can be
done for you. Your position as an un
welcome suitor, engaged In annoying
the lady you profess to love, and
causing her great anxiety and distress,
is unworthy of the really good fellow
I believe you to be."
He was silent for a moment; then
he spoke very soberly.
"I promise you, Donovan, that I will
do nothing to encourage or help Hol
brook. I know as well as you that
ho's a blackguard; but my own affairs
I must manage In my own way.
"Hut' as surely as you try to mo
lest those women you will have to an
swer to mo. I am not in the habit of
beginning what I never finish, and I
Intend to keep those women out of
your way as well as out of Holbrook'a
clutches, and It you get a cracked
head In the business well, the crack's
In your own skull, Mr. Gillespie."
He shrugged his shoulders, threw up
his head and turned away down the
road.
posed constitutional amendments.
Senator Donahoe's bill providing
a non-partisan judiciary and taking
the schools out of politics, has passed
the senate. It provides that no party
designation be affixed to candidates
for Judges of the supreme court, or
candidates for county superintend
ent or state superintendent.
The house took the bit in Its teeth
last week and ordered the stock
yards bill reported to the commit
tee. This bill regulates the prices
charged by the stock yards and puts
that big business institution under
the supervision of the railway com
mission. The houHe will restore to
the physical valuation bill some
things taken from it In the senate.
At this writing it seems safe to say
that the physical valuation bill will
Include all public service corpora'
tions of whatsoever kind. The de
termination Is to make good the plat
form pledge for a physical valuation
of all corporations performing public
service.
House Roll 1 has gone to the gov
ernor. This is what is knows as the
"Oregon Plan'" of electing United
States senators. By its provisions
candidates for the legislature are giv
en the option of signing two pledges
or refusing to sign any. One pledges
the candidate to vote for the sena
torial candidate receiving the highest
number of votes. The other pledges
him to vote for the candidate receiv
ing the highest number of votes in
his district. Or he can refuse to
pledge himself at all. This Is the bill
which republican organs charge is a
plan to 'foist Bryan'" on the state.
Here Is a little sample of republi
can politics: It happened in one of
the state Institutions situate close to
the Missouri river. When Governor
Shallenberger's appointee assumed
charge of this institution he found
that the retiring superintendent had
on January 30, 1908, signed contracts
with the teachers he had appointed
for the year of 1909. Thus the in
coming superintendent found him
self burdened with the teachers ap
pointed by his predecessor.
One of our Governor Sheldon's ap
pointees may yet find himself In
trouble. This particular man made
affidavit that he performed the work
In two separate Jobs, thereby drawing
two separate and distinct salaries.
It Is well known that he never per
formed one bit of the work of one
position. He did, however, draw a
warrant for $35 every month which
ho retained, and gave a woman from
$5 to $8 a month to actually do the
work which ho claimed to have done,
and for which he drew $35 a month.
The number of bills introduced
in the house at this session will not
be larger than the number Introduced
two years ago. But the number will
be about the samo. The general ap
propriations bill will not bo larger
than the one two years ago, notwith
standing tho fact that tho constitu
tional amendments adopted Inst fall
will add something like $90,000 a
year to tho expenses of the supremo
and district courts. And it must bo
born In mind that this legislature
will have to take care of several de
ficiencies created by the Sheldon ad
ministration. March 10. Mr. Bryan's blrthda.
will be the occasion for the gu' bor
ing of democratic duns In Lincoln.
There will bo a banquet In tho even
ing, at which time Mr. Bryan will
speak, ns will others. In the nfttr
noon tho Democratic Editorial asso
ciation will meet at the Lincoln Ho
tel, and an Interesting program Ims
been prepared. Mr. Bryan, who Is a
past president of the association, will
nddrcss the editors.
J. A. L.
tan Spring Clolii
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I CopyrUt 1909 J
I The Howe of Kuppenheamef VjX
Chicgo VZ
es
Uopy right ItW
l House of Kuppenheiiiii
Chicago
Quality Store
For the last two
months we have
been receiving our
New Spring Line
of Quality Clothes.
We're ready now
co show you the
finest tailored and
most up-to-date
apparel ever
brought to this lit-
tlecity. We've been
East c o m p a ring
makes and styles.
We're more con
vinced than ever
S that the goods we
will show you the
present season are the best
made in the United States,
and wc arc prcparcdto prove
it. The very styles we will
show you are being shown in
the swellest stores on State
Street. Come in and get
posted.
C. E.
WESCOTTS
SONS.
"Where Quality Counts."
GEORGE E. SAYLES
Short Biographical Sketch.
In the death of Geo. E. Sayles, pioneer grain dealer and mer
chant of Cedar Creek, Cass County loses another of Its oldest citi
zens. The patient had been n sufferer for several years with an in
curable and fatal disease, but s-owed remarkable fortitude and ten
acity, having continued to atttni to business to the last, his death
occurring Monday. February 15, at 8 o'clock a. m.
Geo. E. Sayles was born nt Dover, New Hampshire, April 21,
1849, and was in his 60th year at tho time of his demise.
With his parents he moved to Kewaneo, 111., where his father,
John Sayles, died in 1855.
j His mother having token up a homestead, tho family settled
on a farm near Cedar Creek, In 1858, at which place he resided un
til his death.
He was married to Miss Frances A. Cooley In 1869, and his
estimable wife and five children survive him.
I
! :. J:
Ralph Bingham the entertainer
spent the night In PltittHmouth.
The children are Mir. Si ule A. Fudge of Covington, Va., Mrs.
Ida II. Seybert and Geo. K. Snylcs, of Plattsniouth, Miss Eva A. and
Ruth N. Sayles if Cedur Creik, Neb., also one brother, John
Sayles of Greenwood, Neb . mil two ulsters. Mrs. Elizabeth Mealey of
Kau Claire, Wis., and Mr?. Aliapiill Davidson of Oakland, Cal.
He was a member f die Christian rhurih, joining at tho ago
of 18 and was baptized by Itev. Henry, service at that time being
hied In the old Glendale schorl house.
He was a man of exielbut bciliuss principles, and Invariably
managed his affairs with simple Justice to all concerned.
Ills Integrity above reproach; nlwoys considerate of his friends;
he was n kind and i ik! vi Ik i t I urbnr.d and father, and he will bo
greatly inlxsed In his family and buiinens circles.
Tho fulerttl ser lees wi re cciidiii ti d nt the homo by Hev. J. H.
Salisbury, acslsted by the Pit ".ibytcrlnn quartette of Plattsmouth,
and the A. O. V. V., M. W. A., nnd D. of 11. lodges of Cedar Creek,
the remains being Intel red hi the Glendale cemetery.
The pall bearers wtrc: John A., Charles C, and Ferdinand J.
Hennlngs, George I MclHlngcr, John !!., Albert and Peter J. Keil.
Henry Inhclder attended to the format It n of the proceitslon.
The deepest sympathy tf the community Is extended to tho be
reaved family In this saddest hour of their lives.
