" - TO
PROLOGUE.
: A young man and a beautiful
young woman, lost and alone in
a wilderness for months, half
starved and in daily peril of
death from wild beasts and still
more savage Indians this is the
central theme of the most fasci
nating romance thai has come
from Emerson Hough's pen.
Head and you will learn how
love came to them; how they
conducted themselves in this try
ing, unconventional situation;
how the man's chivalry and the
woman's purity held them stead
'fast to the ideals of civilization,
and how the strange episode
brought tragedies, estrangements
and happiness.
CHAPTER XVIII.
The Yoke.
WHEN we started to the south
on the following morning T
rode far at the rear under
guard. I recall little of our
journey toward Laramie save that aft
er a day or two we swung out from
the foothills Into a short grass country
jind so finally struck the steady up
ward sweep of a valley along which
lay the great transcontinental trail. I
Io not know whether we traveled two
days or three or four, since all the days
seemed night to me and all the nights
were uniform in torture. Finally we
drove down Into a dusty plain and so
came to the old frontier fort Here,
then, was civilization the stagecoach,
the new telegraph wire, men and wo
men, weekly or daily touch with the
world, that prying curiosity regarding
the affairs of others which we call
news. To me it seemed tawdry, sor
did, worthless, after that which I bad
left The noise seemed insupportable,
the food distasteful. I could tolerate
no roof and in my own ragged robes
slept on the ground within the old
stockade.
t was still guarded as a prisoner. I
was approached by none and had con
versation with none until evening of
the day after my arrival. When I ate
it was at no gentleman's table, but In
the barracks. I resented Judgment
sentence and punishment, thus exe
cuted in one. Evening gun had sound
ed, and the flag had been furled on my
second day at Laramie, when finally
Colonel Meriwether sent for me to
come to his office quarters.
"Mr. Cowles," said he. "it is time
now that you and I had a talk. Pres
ently you will be leaving Laramie. I
cannot try you by court martini, for
you are a civilian. In short, all I can
say to you is to go, with the hope that
jou may ""never again crosi our 'flvesT'
I looked nt htm a time silently, hat
ing not him personally as much as I
bated all the world. But presently I
asked him, "Have you no word for me
tnm her?"
"Miss Meriwether has no word for
you," be answered sternly, "nor ever
will have. Tou are no longer neces
sary in ber plans."
"Ah. then." said I. "you have chang
ed your own mind mightily."
lie set his lips together in bis grim
fashion. "Yes." said he. "1 have
changed my mind absolutely. I have
just come from a very trying inter
Tiew. It Is not necessary for me to
explain to you the full nature of It"
"Then she has sent for me?"
"She will never send for you. I have
said."
"But listen. At least I have brought
her back to you snfo and sound. Set
ting aside all my own acts in other
matters, why can you not remember
at least so much as that? Yet you
treat me like n dog. I tell you I shall
not leave without word from her, and
when I leave I shall make no prom
ises as to when I shall or shall not
come back. So long as one chance re
mains" "I tell you that there is no longer
any chnnce, no longer the ghngt of a
chance. It Is my duty to Inform you,
sir, that a proper suitor long ago ap
plied for my daughter's hand, that he
has renewed his suit and that now she
hs". accented. bmV.
THE WAY
OF
A MAN
By Emerson Hough
Copyright, IVQ7, by the Outinf- Publishing
Company
FoFifTfiTu- T s:it staring stupidly at
him. "You need speak nothing but the
truth with inc." I said at Inst. "Colonel
Meriwether. I have never given bonds
to be gentle when abused."
"I u.ii telllnc you the truth." he said.
"My daughter. .Miss Meriwether, is en
gnxed to I.iciitennut Lawrence Bel
knap of the Ninth dragoons! You feel
your honor too deeply touched? Fer
haps nt n later time Llouteuant Bel
knap will do himself the disgrace of
accommodating you."
"If I killed him." snld I Anally, "how
would It better her case? Moreover,
before I could take nuy more risk I
must no back to Virginia. My mother
needs me there most sadly."
"Yes, and Miss Grace Sheraton needs
you there sadly as well." he retorted.
"tJo back. then, and mend your prom
ises and do some of those duties which
you now begin to remember. You
have proved yourself a man of no
honor. I stigmatize you now as o
coward."
"You speak freely to your prisoner,
Colonel Meriwether," I said slowly nt
length. "There is time yet for many
risks chances for many things. But
now I think you owe it to me to tei!
ine how this matter was arranged."
"Very well, then. Belknap iisl.c! i
for permission to try his chan c :
ago before I came west to L;:;-.- !
assigned him to bring her t!.r i i
me. Ho was distracted nt In-
to do ho. He has been out with : 1
nil the summer searching for yon n.i. i
aud has not been buck at 1-iu-.-:
more than ten days. Oh. we all Ur.:-
why you did not come back to the se;
tlemeuts. When we came In be guess
ed nil that you know. He knew that
all the world would talk. And. like u
man, he asked the right to silence all
that talk forever."
"And she agreed? Ellen Meriwether
accepted him on such terms?"
"It is arranged," said he, not an
swering me directly, "and It removes
at once all necessity for any other ur
rahgemeht. As for you. you disappear.
It will be announced all through tin
army that she and Lieutenant Belknap
were married at Leavenworth before
they started west and that it was they
two and not you and my daughter who
were lost." ,
"And Belknnp was content to d
this?" I mused. "He would do thl
after Ellen told him that she loved
me." 4
"Stop!" thundered Colonel Meriweth
er. "I have told you all that is neccs
sary. I will add that he snld to me.
like the gentleman he Is, that in case
my daughter asked it be would marry
her and leave her at once, nntll she
of ber own free will asked him to re
turn. There is abundant opportunity
for swift changes in the army. What
seems to you absurd will work out in
perfectly practical fashion."
"Yes," suld I. "in fashion perfectly
practical for the ruin of her life. You
may leave mine out of the question."
"I do, sir," was his icy reply. "She
told you to your face, and in my hear
ing, that you had deceived ber, that
you must go."
"Yes." 1 said, dully. "I did deceive
ber. and there is no punishment on
earth great enough to give me for that
eicept to have no word from ber!"
"You are to go at once. 1 put it
beyond you to understand Belknap's
conduct In this matter."
"He is a gentleman," I said, "and
fit to love her. I think none of us
needs praise or blame for that."
He choked up. "She's my girl," he
aid. "Yes, all my boys in the army
love her there isn't one of them that
wouldn't be proud to marry ber on any
terms she would lay down. And there
Isn't a man In the army, married or
single, that wouldn't challenge you if
you breathed a word of what has gone
between you and ber."
It seemed to me so unspeakably aad,
so incredible, that one should be so
unbelievably underestimated.
"Now, finally," resumed Colonel Meri
wether, after a time, ceasing bis walk
ing up and down, "I must close up
what remains between you and me.
My daughter said to me that you want
ed to see me on some business matter.
Of course you bad some reason for
coming out here."
"That was my only reason for com
ing," I rejoined. "I wanted to see you
upon an important business matter. I
was sent here by the last message my
father gave any one by the last words
he spoke in his life. He told me I
' should come to you."
"Well, well, if you have any favor
to ask of me out with it and let us
end It all at one sitting."
"Sir," I Bald, "I would see you
damned forever before I would ask a
crust or a cup of water of yon, though
I were starving and burning. I have
beard enough."
- "Order!;-!" he called out. "Show this
wan To tCe gate."
It was at last borne in upon me that
. must leave without any word from
Ellen. She was hedged about by all
the stern and cold machinery of nn
army post, out of whose calculations I
was left as much ns though I belonged
to a different world. I cannot express
what this meant for me. For weeks
now, for months, indeed, we two hud
been together each hour of the day.
I had come to expect her greeting in
the morning, to turn to her a thousand !
times in the day with some query or
answer. I had made no plan from
which she was absent. I hud come to
accept myself with her as fit part of
an appointed and happy scheme. Now, j
in a twinkling, ull that hud been sub
verted. "'
It was thus that I, dulled, bereft; 1,
having lived, now dead; I, late free,
now bound again, turned away sullen
ly and began my Journey back to the
life I had known before 1 met her.
As 1 passed east by the Denver stage
I met hurrying throngs always coming
westward. 11 wavelike' migration of
population now even denser than It
had been the preceding spring. They
came on. n vast, continuous stream of
hope, confidence and youth. I, who
stemmed that current, alone was un
like it in all ways.
One thing only quickened my lag
gard heart, and that was the all preva
lent talk of war.
At last, nfter weeks of travel across
a disturbed country. I finally reached
the angry hive of political dissension
nt Washington. Here I was near home,
but did not tarry, and passed thence
by stage to Leesburg, in Virginia, and
so finally came back into our little val
ley and the quiet town of Wnllingford.
1 hud gone away the victim of misfor
tune; 1 returned home with a broken
word nnd an unfinished promise und n
shaken heort. That was my return.
I got mo n horse nt Wnllingford
burns nnd rode out to Cowles' Farms.
At the gate I halted nnd looked iu
over the wide lawns. It seemed to me
1 noted n change in them ns in myself.
The grass was unkempt, the flower
beds showed little nttentlon. I opened
the gate for myself, rode up to the old
stoop and dismounted for the first time
in my life there without a boy to take
my horse. I walked slowly up tho
slops to the great front door of the old
house. No servant en me to meet mo
grinning. I, grandson of the man who
built that house, my father's home and
mine, lifted the brazen knocker of the
door und heard no footstep anticipate
my knock. The place sounded empty.
Finally there eunie a shuttling footfall
nnd the door was 6pened, but there
stood before me no one that I recog
Idxed. It was a smallish, oldish, gray
ish man who opened the door and
smiled in query at me.
"I am .lohu Cowles, sir," I snld, hesi
tating. "Yourself I do not seem to
knoW-
"My name Is Halllday. Mr. Cowles,"
be replied. A flush of humiliation
came to my face.
"I should kuow you. You were my
father's creditor."
"Yes, sir. my firm was the bolder of
certain obligations at the time of
your fathers death. You have been
gone very long without word to us.
Mennttnie. pending any action"
"You have moved In!"
"I have ventured to tnke possession.
Mr. Cowles. That wua as your mother
wished. She waived all her rights and
surrendered everything, snld all the
debts must be paid"
"Of course" -
"And all we could prevail upon ber
to do wns to take up her quurters there
In one of the little bouses."
He pointed wits this euphemism to
ward our old servants' quarters. So
there was my mother, a woman gently
reared, tenderly cared for all ber life,
living in a cabin where once slaves
bud lived. And I bnd come back to
ber, to tell a story such as mine!
"1 hope." said he. hesitating, "that
all these matters may presently be
adjusted. But first I ask you to in
fluence your mother to come back into
the place and take up ber residence."
I smiled slowly. "You hardly under
stand her." I said. "I doubt if my in
fluence will suffice for that But I
shall meet you again." I was turning
away.
"Your mother, I bellve. is not hero
she went over to Walllngford. I think
it is the day when she goes to the little
church"-
"Yes, I know. If you will excuse
me I shall ride over to see If 1 can
And her." ne bowed. I was hurrying
down the road again. It seemed to
me that I conld never tolerate the sight
of a stranger as master at Cowles'
Farms.
I found her at the churchyard of the
old meeting house. She was Just turn
ing toward tho gate In the low sand
stone wall which surrounded the bury
ing ground and separated it from the
space Immediately about the little
stone church. I knew what It was that
she looked upon as she turned back
toward that spot it was one more low
mound, simple, unpretentious, added
to the many which bad been placed
there this last century and a half; one
more little gray sandstone headmark,
cut simply with the name and dates of
him who rested there, last In a long
roll of our others. The slight figure In
the dove colored gown looked back tin
gerlngly. It gave a new ache to my
heart to see ber there.
She did not notice me as t slipped
down from my saddle and fastened
my horse at the long rack. But when
1 called she turned uul came 10 me
with open arms.
"Jack!" she cried. "My son, how I
have missed tbeel Now thee baa come
back to thy mother." She put her
forehead on my shoulder, but present
ly took up a mother's scrutiny. Iler
hand stroked mjjbajr, my unshaven
beuKI, liHikTui "eachHuc "iuyTiIcT.
"Thee has a button from thy coat,"
she suld reprovingly. "And what Is
this scar on thy neck; thee did not tell
ine when thee wrote. Jack, what alls
thee?" She looked nt ine closely.
"Thee is changed. Thee Is older.
What has come to thee, my son?"
"Come." I said to her nt length nud
led her toward the steps of the little
church.
Then I broke out bitterly and railed
ngnlnst our 111 fortune nnd cursed at
the man who would allow her to live
In servants' quarters Indeed, railed nt
all of life.
"Thee must learn to subdue thyself,
my sou," she said. "It is only so that
strength comes to us, when we bend
the buck to the furrow God sets for
us. I nm quite content in my little
rooms. I have made them very clean.
nnd I have with a ine a few things of
my own a few, not many."
"But your neighbors, mother, the
Sheratons"
"Oh, certainly, they asked me to live
with them. But I wns not moved to
do thnt. You see, I know each rose
bush and apple tree on our old place. I
did not like to lenvo them.
"Besides, ns to the Sheratons. Jack."
she begun again "I do not wish to sny
The is old. What has come to thee,
my on?"
one word to hurt thy feelings, but Miss
Grace"-
"Wbut about Miss Grace?"
"Mr. Orme, the gentleman who once
stopped with us a few days"
"Oh, Orme! Is he here again? He
was all through the west with me. I
met him everywhere there. Now I
meet him here."
"He returned last summer and for
most of his time has been living at the
Sheratons'. He and Colonel Sheraton
agree very well. And be and Miss
Grace I do not like to say these things
to thee, my son. but they also seem to
agree."
"Go on," I demanded bitterly.
"Whether Miss Grace's fancy has
changed I do not know, but thy moth
er ought to tell thee this, so that If she
should Jilt thee-why. then"-
"Yes." I said slowly, "It would be
bnnl for me to speak the first word as
to. a release."
"But If she does not love thee surely
she will speak tbnt word. So then say
goodby to ber and set about tby busi
ness." We rose and walked down to the
street of the little town, and at the
tavern bar I secured a conveyance
which took us both back to what bad
once been our borne. It was my moth
er's hands which at a blackened old
fireplace In a former slavo's cabin pre
pared what we ate that evening. Then
as the sun sank In a warm glow beyond
the old Blue Ridge and our little valley
lay there warm and peaceful as of old
I drew her to the rude porch of the
whitewashed cabin, and we looked out
and talked of things which must be
mentioned. I told her told her all my
sad and bitter story from end to end.
"This, then." I concluded, more than
an hour after I had begun, "is what 1
have brought back to you-fallure, fail
ure, nothing but failure."
We sat in silence, looking out Into
the starry night bow long I do not
know. Then I beard ber pray, openly,
as was not the custom of her people.
"Lord, this is not my will. Is this
Thy wllir
After a time she put ber band upon
mine. "My son. now let us reason
what Is the law. From the law no
man may escape. Let us see who is
tho criminal. And If that be thee,
then let my son have his punishment
"But one thing I know." she con
cluded, "thee Is John Cowles. the son
of my husband, John; and thee at the
last will do what is right, what tby
heart says to thee is right"
(To He Continued.)
G,W, CIIRISWISSER
THE
Live Stock Dealer
Nchawka, Nebraska
is ready to make you the most liberal
offer on anything you have for sale in
the stock line.
Get His Prices Before Selling
CARPENTERS
START FIGHT
Begin Contest on Iowa Fair for
Failure to Hire Union Men.
OVER BUILDING OF BLEACHERS
Bill to Increase Power of Cities to
Deal With Social Evil to Be Urged
Before the Next Legislature Paint
ers Meet Nnxt at Sioux City.
IVs Moines, July 27. Union car
penters have started a big fight
against the ctate fair because some
carpenters are employed in building
work oil the grounds who do not be
long to the union. Tho superintend
ent of the groiynls employed a number
of men on the building of additional
bleachers and It was discovyed they
do not belong to the union." A com
mittee got no satisfaction from the
fair officials.
Painters to Sioux City.
T. M. Buck of Des Moines was elect
ed president of tho Iowa State Master
House Painters' and Decorators' asso
ciation. Sioux City was chosen ns the
place for holding the third annual con
vention In 1913, and all legislative
questions will be referred to a com
mittee appointed for that purpose.
Paul Presley of Dubuque wns mimed
vice president, A. H. Van rr of
Sioux City, secretary, and N. 1'. .'ilant
of Cedar Rapids, treasurer.
Dealing With Social Evil.
A hill to Increase the power of cit
ies In dealing with tho social evil will
be presented to the legislature next
winter. It Is being framed now by
the inter-church council. Secretary
Craves called at tho municipal building-
to confer with councllmen on tho
proposed taxlcnh ordinance.
TO FIGHT COAL BARONS
Fort Dodge Worklngmen Incorporate
to Operate Mine.
IVs Moines, July 27. laboring men
of Fort Hodge are the Incorporators
nnd directors of a new Iowa corpora
tion formed to fight the recent edict
of the coal barons, that the price of
coal must go up. Articles of Incorpor
ation were filed here. The working
men are handing together to furnish
coal to themselves at coet of produc
tion. The capital stock Is only $5,000
and the shares are only $5 each. The
plan Is to go into the coal mining busi
ness on a co-operative basis and the
articles also provide for the establish
ment of a company store to be oper
ated In connection with the co-operative
mine. This is the first time la
boring men of Iowa have joined In a
cooperative scheme to fight the state
organization of mine owners. Organ
izers of the Incorporation, which la
known as th Fort Dodge Laboring
Men's association, are well known la
bor leaders there.
Fort Dodge Dim Prejuct.
Webster City, la., July 27. The low
est bidders on the proposed big $80,000
Cam proJctd by th- city of Pr
Dodge are the firm of Sullivan &
terell of this city. The matter of
construction of this Immense mun
pal project will be submitted to the
voters of Fort Dodge, July 31, at which
time th proposition to levy $80,000
In bonds will be voted upon.
Boy Loses Both Feet,
Clinton, la., July 27. Herbert Carle
ton, sixteen-year-old son of Mr. and
Mrs. H. Cnrleton of Wheatland, had
both his fet cut off when he fell under
a Northwestern train near his home.
He was trying to climb onto a refrlg
erator car with Ice tongs In his hands.
They caught and threw him under thai
moving train. He may recover.
Family SMcken With Typhoid.
Crlnnll, la , July 27. Mr. and Mrs
William McDowell and ten chlldres
compos.) the family at Oak Orove, five
miles south of this city, where ty
phoid fever has already stricken seven
members. A daughter, aged about six
teen years, died and before noon tha
mother also passed away.
Reinert Chokes to Death.
Diagonal, la., July 27. H, H. Rein
ert, local druggist and one of the best
known business men of Ringgold coun
ty, choked to death at this home here
on a piece of beefsteak. Th meat
lodged In his throat while he was eat
ing supper. Efforts to dislodge the
obstacle were futile.
Nlles Will Run for Congress.
Odar Rapids, la., July 27. Fred A.
Nlles, a local business man, announced
his candidacy for congress from the
Fifth district on the Roosevelt ticket
The announcement Is "subject to a
statement by Representative Good ol
his attitude on the new progressive
movement."
Indian Finds Perfect Pearl.
Marshnlltown, la., July 27. A local
dealer pnld to Little Big Bear, an In
dian of the Moskwakl reservation,
near Tama, $G0 for a pink pear
shaped perfect pearl, weighing 33
grains. The Indian found the pearl
in the Iowa river near Fowa City.
Carpenter Fatally Hurt
Sheffield, la., July 27. Lou Rlggln, a
carpenter, was fatally Injured when he
fell eighteen feet from the roof of a
barn he was working on and alighted
on a ptl of lumber. DlixIneH caused
ur the heat made htm fall.
MC'fiEAIS FIN AL WITNESS
Railroad President Asks Arbitrators
to Prepare Full Statement.
New York, July 27. James McCrea,
president of the Pennsylvania, rail
road, was called as a final witness be
fore the hoard of arbitration at Man
hattan Beach by the counsel for ths
fitty-lwo railroads east of Chicago
which are opposing the demands ol
their locomotive engineers for an ad
vance of 17 per cent in wages.
Mr. M'-Crea made a strong plea fat
11 carefully prepared opinion by mem
bers of the board, setting forth thelf
reasons for whatever award thej
nuke. He said the entire country 11
expecting the commission to treal
very f nil v the situation as a whole.
TROOPHOlUGT
IS CRITICISED
Soldiers ol Blue Army CkargeJ
With Insulting Women.
ACCUSED OF ATTACKING GIRL
Officials of War Department in Chi
cago Order an Investigation of
Charge That Drunken Orgy Occurred
at Camp Douglas, Wis.
Chicago, July 27. Moved by charge
that United States regular troops and
other state troops encamped at Cauin
Douglas, Wis., for army maneuvers
had insulted and attacked women and
had Indulged In a drunken orgy, offi
cials of the war department in ChJr
cngo ordered nn investigation at Camp
Douglas and other Wisconsin points
where the soldiers have been mobil
ized. Ono girl Is said to have been at
tacked by a dozen soldiers.
General Potts, commander of the)
central division, telegraphed Major
Relchnian, chief umpire In charge of
the maneuvers, to Inquire Into tha
chargps and the extent to which tha
regular troops were involved.
Investigation Is also said to be
planned to ascertain the conduct of
Wisconsin and Illinois militiamen
who, with regular troops from Lcst
enworth. Kan., and Fort Sheridan
formed the "Blue" army, against which,
the charges were made.
RED ARMY IS ON DEFENSIVE
Change of Tactics Forced by Raplo)
! Advance of Blues.
Camp Douglas, Wis., July 27. Thet
red army changed Its tactics from of
fensive to defensive, forced Into tb.
change by the steady advance of Uua
blues. In order to protect its retreat
and make the advance of the blue
more difficult the reds destroyed thre
towns and a railroad, thereby cuttl
off the enemy's rail communication tea
ward the west, where the reds are ap
eratlng.
The proximity -of the two force
now indicates that unless the reds
treat more rapidly than the blues aoV
vance many skirmishes will occur, re
suiting In losses and captures on botlk
sides. United States umpires ar
busy on all work, closely watching
the maneuvers and seeing that all'
rules are compiled with by the forcesv
DUN FINDS TRADE NORMAL
Weekly Review Most Optimistic of Any
Report Received In Many Months.
New York, July 27. R. Q. Dun
Co.'s Weekly Review of Trade saya:
Statistics of trade movements tell ol
a volume of business quite up to noe
mal. Thnt Industrial lines are well
employed Is Indicated by the advance
In products of Iron and steel and
the better demand and higher prloat
this week for copper.
Generally excellent crop prospect,
promise a large traffic over the ralV
roads and increased purchasing equina
ment Is noted as a result. During the
past week orders for about 10,000 car
and 300 locomotives were placed
while the buying movement is expect
ed to gain momentum at an early data
STEALING A RAILROAD.
Not In a Financial Way, but by Carry
ing It Off Bodily.
No stranger theft was ever commtfr
ted than the "lifting" of an entire
railroad, twelve and one-half miles l
length, which once connected Birr and
Portumno, In Ireland.
The line bad cost $150,000. and for
years it did service for the Great
Southern and Western Railway com
pany until the year 1878. when tha
company, which had been running It
at a loss, washed Its hands of It Tha
line was derelict Nobody wanted It
For a few years it stretched Its use
less length through north Tlpperary.
Then its neighbors began to turn co
etous eyes on it
Bolts and screws and other portable
trifles began to vanish. A few prose
cutions were Instituted, but th
charges were withdrawn. Nobody
seemed to care. The thieves, thus e
couraged.' grew bolder. Farmers
brought their carts and horses tnd
loaded them with spoils of rails, sleep
ers, switches and semaphores. On
goodly station vanished, to its last
brick and door, n a single night
They were great times for Uppaf
ary. Boatloads of booty, hundreds of
tons of rails, were sent away from
Portumna by unlicensed "contractor,"'
and the work of spoliation went ou
until not as much as a turntable wa
left Argonaut
