Image provided by: University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries, Lincoln, NE
About The Loup City northwestern. (Loup City, Neb.) 189?-1917 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 27, 1899)
That Mysterious Major... W W *:*:• W % % % % % m % X % *:;* -BY... ETHEL A. SOUTHAM a? rt< a ? 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0c 0 0 0 CHAPTER IX. On the following evening I«uly How rd nnd her niece, accompanied by the indefatigable Falkland, wore taking r little stroll along the terrace, when Major llrown appeared and handed a lote to Evelyn. “The last delivery, and only one 'letter! Dear me, the postman is treat rig us badly to-day!" exclaimed Lady U toward, witli symptoms of astonish ment. “I have been expecting to hear from the boys. Their school breaks up on the twenty-ninth, and I was wanting to arrange about the trains. Why, Evelyn dear, whoever Is your correspondent? You look surprised," she broke oft suddenly, “Well, yes—I am.” said Miss Lutt rell, with a little nod, contracting her brows Into i distinct frown. "It is from the bank; but what it means I huve no idea. I cannot make head or tail of it.” “From the bank?” repeated Lady Howard uun3tioningly. “Yes,” explained Evelyn. “They say that the enclosed check was presented at the bank this morning, but that they refused to cash it on the ground that | only the initial of my second name was signed instead of my name in full." ; “Ah—I understand! it Is merely your own mistake, I suppose? You wrote the (heck in a hurry and for got how you usually sign your name.” “That must he it, of course," mus ed Evelyn in a tone which, in spite of her w .rds, sounded slightly doubt ful. “All the same, though”—with sudden decision—“I am perfectly cer tain that I have not written any check for five hundred pounds!” “Five hundred pounds! My dear child, why did you not tell me that at once?" Lady Howard turned anx iously towards her niece. “Let me look at the check. Is that your sig nature? Oli, ridiculous! It is the most glaring ease l ever saw! Mr. Falkland—Major Brown"—In her agi tation her ladyship would have ap pealed to her bitterest enemy—"conw and say wliat you think about it. It is a forgery, of course!" A forgery! The word acted like magic upon the two men. Falkland, with bis hcud almost buried in an evening newspaper and his whole thoughts occupied with the interesting "Beauchamp Case," instantly dropped the paper ami stood perfectly im movable, looking from Lady Howard to Kvelyn, from Kvelyn to her aunt, whilst Brown, who had sauntered off to the edge of 'he terrace, started per ceptibly and grew white to the very lips. i'or n moment not a word was uttered. Kverybody gated In fasci nated alienee at the thin slip of in mneiit looking pink paper fluttering softly t» and fro in her ladyship fingers, and then It was Falkland who was the first to speak "But the money? Five hundred pounds, did you sayr There was strange energy In hts voice a dash of feverish eiclienient in his manner, "The ch«"k has been cashed*" "Oh. dear aw-certainly not1 Luck ily for Kvelyn. the flaw In ker signa ture was discovered In time so that no harm baa been done," "How very formicate*" was the re ply. terse rather than Jubilant "And yet I hardly understand. ' tame dubiously front the Major, who, from tbe ncoimnt the expression and alarm bad route Into hit face, had sL*»l with hU head beat, glaring feel |y at the glowing ash of his cigar ' tk wksi does the itww naoHH • tH me merest mil», sussered Is<lv Howard rectify "It Is simply that my ale< •• Is viwaya in the hthtl a( logging lts,( >t i is In full ►,<«•!» n t'hsutir L**t»« wht-r -ai tn thie It is ogaed ui. . Kt i, at* l.uttrell ~Ys*“ addeu K vetyn. speaking fur - the first time. "And. as one of my check books, upon which I had very foolishly written ray name, ‘Evelyn C. Luttrell,’ was lost in the post last year, they said at the bank that for the future, as a preventive of forger ies. they would never cash any checks that were not signed with ‘Chantry’ in full.” "Then this check,” suggested Falk land in the same calm deliberate tones, is of course one of those which you lost last year?” "It must be, I suppose,” she return ed, gassing down in genuine astonish ment at the forged signature, which was so like, so alarmingly like, her own thut she could scarcely believe, despite the convincing "Five hundred pounds,” thut she had not really writ ten it herself. "And the finder has evidently Considered it advisable to let some months pass before trying his experiment; only, now that I come to think of it”—Miss Luttrell paused, and, glancing up quickly as if for in spiration. encountered Falkland’s dark penetrating eyes fixed steadily upon tier—“the checks I lost were blue—I know they were—whilst this one is pink, payable to order like those 1 am using now.” It was undoubtedly rather an as tounding piece of news. Falkland look ed distinctly perturbed, whilst Brown examined the end of his cigar more intently than ever and tried to ap pear perfectly unimpressed. “Are you certain of that, Miss Lut trell?’' The question came somewhat abruptly from Falkland. “Certain!” answered Evelyn decid edly. "But, if you like, I will fetch my check book; then you can see for yourself.” She jumped up from her chair and turned to hurry off along the terrace, when, to her surprise, she found that >lTS BUSINESS," HE BEGAN. -- — — » osr v Major Brown had turned likewise, and that consequently their paths both lay in the same direction. ‘This is a very serious business, Miss Luttrell," he began us he walk ed along by her side, going straight to the all-important object. ‘ Yes; it is rather serious—at least. It might have been." was Evelyn's J philosophical rejoinder. "Anyhow, it is annoying; and of course some steps ought to be taken in the matter at once, or the same thing may be occurring again, only next t"ne it will probably be your full name, instead of merely the initial." "Yes; but. whatever wo do. It is ' quite hopeless expecting to succeed," returned Evelyn, with a rueful shake j of her head ‘1 hat poor Sir Adrian ! Beauchamp his I sen offering his re j ward for mouths In the hope of dis loverlug the man who ha* forged his, less. The only wise thing is to keep one's check bonk safely under lock »M key. Alter ail. .Mr EalkUnd « I *dvlce to me the other day was pret i ty sensible." Ye* lurk up your t he, k book by j mean#; hut even its k* and keys j are not always proof again*! such vil tains as- the writer of that < h« k |t | *ery well Mis* l.uttreii. hut be *a*i*e be has not ittroTtivti In robbing >*iu «f that Are hundred pound* I* no j te<**o|| lie should be alioWv*i to go . Sul free " fttlll how are we to trace him* I he Major shrugged his shoulder* Welt your hi *t and only ■ h*n< *■ of 1 v wan id Hr with it *| the thing w" he bathed nt her anx liioslv iissliheH'iiiu ti» - .i i i *ai«uM«iu» «i his mason there was a i strange inexpibstd# fear *> ».-,i p„ luawhle henesih hi* Iihu* will you mtat that the, k to m** If so I « u a*tut H st aight up to town m the morn Ing fwt the advhe uf owe of the beat meg in the c*»u(Mry t imid he Ami out anything th *h without having the least clue? You see, we have not the faintest suspic ion as to who it is; we have no writ ing to show or anything of that sort,” observed Evelyn, with a rather doubt ful expression. Certainly there was weight in her words. "No—-of course not," returned Brown hurriedly; perhaps nobody realized the truth of her assertion more vividly than he. “But this expert that I know of is such a wonderfully clever man that. If anything can be found out, you may be quite sure that he will succeed.” "Oh—if you think there is even the smallest hope, try him, by all means! Anyhow, it Is really the only thing that can be done; and, if it fails"— Miss Luttrell laughed; she was evi dently not in the least sanguine—"we can but have recourse to our locks." "At any rate, you will let my ex pert have a chance first? Thank you; Miss Luttrell," was the reply, ac companied by a glance so full of grat itude that, had his companion con ferred the greatest of favors upon him, it could scarcely have been re ceived with more apparent apprecia tion. "But what uhout the check? .May I have it some time this evening? In order to lose no time, 1 shall take It myself by the first train In the morn ing.” "Oh, yes—take it now. if you like! I shall be only too thankful to get rid of it. I cannot help thinking that there is something rather uncanny about it, and that as long as I have it in my possession the writer of it will be coming to haunt me. I only hope, though," she added, as she hand ed the precious paper into the Ma jor’s charge, "that he will not haunt you.” “No such luck, I am afraid. Forg ers are only horribly commonplace be ings at the best of times. But never say ‘Die,’ Miss Luttrell! We shall succeed—see if we don't!” With these prophetic words the Ma jor raised his hat and went slowly on his way, whilst Evelyn, who was just on the point of entering Lady Howard's room, paused and looked round quickly, her attention having been arrested by a crunching of the gravel and a shadow which had sud denly fallen across her path. It was Falkland. Evidently he must have followed almost immediately up on their footsteps; and, as Evelyn turned and surveyed him, she was in stantly struck by the deathly white ness of his face. (To be continued.) LASHED COOKING STOVE To the Engine's Pilot uml ISafiled the Custom Officials. New Orleans Times-Demoerat: "Speaking of smuggling," said an old time federal deputy, ‘Til tell you a curious little story. Shortly after the opening of one of the Mexican roads, never mind which, a locomotive engi neer got married to a native belle in the town at the lower end of his run and set up housekeeping. Among other things they neded was a cooking stove. He could get exactly what they wanted on the American side, but the duty on hardware of that kind was ex tremely high, and he racked his brains to think of some way to slip it down to his home without paying the ex orbitant tariff. A cooking stove is about as easy to smuggle as a baby ele phant, but at last lie struck a brilliant scheme, and on his next trip he simply lashed the thing to the pilot of his en gine. It looked as much out of place as a piano on top of a hearse, but the yardmen were conveniently blind, and he pulled out in triumph. When he stopped ag the customs office the Mexi can officials stared at the stove in amazement, but they concluded at once that it was some new Yankee device in connection with the locomotive, and asked no questions for fear of betray ing their ignorance of up-to-date ma chinery. The consequence was that the engineer got his stove without paying a cent of duty. He always claimed that he was not guilty of smuggling because there was no concealment, and the Mexican guards themselves passed U without a word of protest." All Atmut M«»n**y. Two men were recently looking at the new mint building, at Seventeenth and Spring Garden streets, and one ol them spoke of the fact that in the vaults are stored W.IKM.IHKI silver dol lars. Ills companion made the state mcnt that he would be willing to un dertake the Job of carrying the coin home iu his pockets ami hands If al lowed to keep It. lie claimed that h* could readily do It In one year. Ittf house is atamt one mile dlstan' from the mint. The other man doubted hi* ability to carry out, -,ho contract, and they computed the matter, allowing 1C trips a day ns a fair average As about .«• coin* would weight a pound ti was •greed that I non coin* a trip would tw the limit, thus giving a load of ttfty pounds This would make sm.ooo trips or at the rate »p*-« |ged it would *aks s..*o» days. The would be coin * arrtet low |i,ii a belter Idea of the no in lie; tepresented by the figures and hie * poorer opinion of his own gueMinf abilities Philadelphia Hrtofd Saks Minsk • Smu. John Itrown a son. i*s*<*i is lit mg a hiMsnl s Uf* on the highest pcah o| the Hants t'rus mountain* in t.Gifor *r * l*rti and still wIsk from t ' ncugd Hisitsil theie l*o % n#aU the Poston M ttfua t his is my [ thirlteth wedding *ua,*»r *r* " fa* I’hl- ago llaPiift Cad yet they resits j i hi* ago Why | hits only gad etevsg aeittng* * Phi *d« ^gia Sat'h Ama. j b an. ONLY TWO WEEKS. Herman Powers hurried along the street, his thoughts traveling even faster than he was doing. He was en gaged to Margaret Inland and had been for over a year. He was much In love with her, and he considered him self a lucky man to have won her con sent to marry him. She loved him, too, and, as Is often the case with a good, pure woman, this love amounted to al most worship. Herman had enjoyed this devotion on her part exceedingly, as what man would not In like circumstances? But lately he had sometimes thought she was too demonstrative In her affec tions, a little too sentimental. In fact, and that in her great enjoyment of his company, perhaps she was a little selfish and took a good deal of his time away from his profession. Before he met her this law business had been his sole object of interest, und now that the first glamour of his engagement was over, he did not exactly return to his first love, but was willing to divide his attention, and strange It would be. Indeed, If his fiancee did not suffer In the dividing process. Just now he was about to take a short trip out of the state, and he was on bis way to bid Margaret good-by. He bad decided it would be all non sense to have a scene over this first parting, and as for love letters, they would be entirely out of the question. "It would be Margaret's way to make a great fuss over our separation,” he said to himself as he ran up the steps of the Belauds’ home and rang the bell, “but I shall be taking trips often, and there Is no need of being fool ish. We must begin as we can hold out." He Is relieved as he enters the draw ing-room that there are guests present, and he is not likely to see his sweet heart alone, and with it all is a vague sense of disappointment, too. He talks with her, with her mother and brother, and with the friends they are entertaining; he exerts himself to be agreeable and to keep the conversation on general topics, and when at the end of an hour he rises to go and care lessly announces bis departure from the city on the morrow, he Is convinced that he has avoided the thing he dreaded, and in a diplomatic kind of way, too. Margaret had perhaps grown a little white when he spoke of hla trip, but she c-aid nothing It «U only wh»>n he left the room that she followed him and put her arm up round hl» neck "I don't like to have you leave me, darting." she whispered coaxtngly. "Is I It necessary?" The reply came rather shortly, "Why, of course. l)o you suppose 1 j would go If it wasn't? t'cjtue, Marga- | ret. don't be silly." She withdrew her arm Immediately. I but her face dropped with disappoint- | ment and her Ups trembled Her lover moved uneasily, but she recovered her i self st once, "You will wrl'e me every day? It will be »n< h a comfort to me when you are not here to know just where you i are and what you are doing " "O, BO, my dear. I should not have | time to do that. I shall be rushing from one pine* to another, and It would not pay to display so much sentiment fur Just two weeks." "►■nr Just two weeks.' she repeated me* has > al’y. and with an effort "At nil stents give mo an address where mall would reach year dosnethtng might happen I might want you gurnet tong oil, me I .hall want tu 1 send fur you * I ||t* laughed either toll ti.lv "Vow d<*r Utile soul, you would write wee tst*e a day and it would In' I ter*fvr» with my vuissu affairs and i take mi m tot off my duties No mail fur me th<* 'tip* Why I an* not even in. ij my Mi'bcii at my hotel W* must eager# 'a be separated totally fur i iwo we«hs. tkj I dare say It will he good for us Y« w *IU l> ** m* • g'Vi»* j deal more when we ate together afa'n.• "That would bo impossible," she quietly returned, and then she gave him her hand in parting. He avoided her eyes, the hurt look in them was more than he could bear, but he took the little trembling hand in his, and stooped to Kiss her. “Good-by, dear, take good care of yourseir. Give me one more kiss and 1 am gone. Re member, it’s only two weeks." Two weeks later the train Is steam ing Into the city as fast as the big Iron horse can carry It, but it cannot go too fast for tho impatient Mr. Powers. The two weeks are over, the business trip Is at an end and Is successful, and now he wants to see Margaret, his love, his darling. He has thought of her day and night, he has bought her extrava gant presents, he has done everything J to please her except write to her, and j he can hardly wait for his meeting | with her. He gets his overcoat on, his grip in hand, he scorns the assistance of the porter, and before the train has fairly ceased its motion he steps down to the platform of the station. He sends a telegram to Margaret announc ing his arrival, and then takes a cab to his hotel, giving tbp cabman an ex tra to hurry, so anxious he Is to make the necessary changes in his toilet and get to his fiancee. He fairly runs up the stairs to his room, and finds a note under the door. From her? No, from her brother. "My Dear Fellow: We are so sorry we haven’t your address and cannot send for you, Margaret, of course, must know w'here you are. but for j some reason she declines to tell us. J Probably It Is to spare you the pain J of parting—for Margaret Is dying. She ■ took cold the day you left and the 111 ' ness rapidly developed into pneumo nia. The doctor gave us almost no hope from the beginning, and tonight says we must expect the worst. He thinks she will hold out a couple of days longer, and we are all hoping that some chance will bring you home i before she goes. I send this to your hotel that it may reach you the instant 1 you arrive. Come to us at once if you ! would see Margaret alive. Very truly I yours. JACK LELAND." This letter was dated a week before. —Boston Post. Illuraell'* Ouly Smile. Disraeli, it Is said, only laughed once whpn in the house of commons. Mr. Gladstone had made an impassioned FINDS A NOTE UNDER THE DOOR. -' speech !n favor of the union of Wal lachla and Moldavia, Mr. Dlaraell, Pin-akin* In opposition, pointed out that the result would r>.> the extinction of the Independence of th'*e people, and the only thing left would be the remorse, "which would bo painted with admirable eloquence by tho rhetorician of the -lay." In reply. Mr. Gladstone said that he would not lie guilty of the afTc- ted modesty of pretending to be ignorant that that ■b-aU'iatlon. * th« rhetorician of the dav," w;»« Intended for himself Mr DIs.uHl tnteriupted with the remark "I leg your pardon. I reall) del not mean that." Disraeli at down with a satisfied smile that told of his enjoyment. Mr. Otadatune'a I fine express-<l aiu,ts-iiicnt and indig nation llir opponent had pl.i vt| him I In the mortifying position of applying a remark to himself watch no t no sm h personal r»feren*e. Therefore, Dlad sluna'a wrath aud IHsralls smile the liberal lea<|er proceeded with hla spec- a an I i oadeaiued the "sesqulpe daliaii word* an-l inNated language" of the lead -r of the lUttMIvttlox t’hl i-ago Chronicle I srertstslf «t ihr Itarae. |f< rae 0*#*t Huppftae the motor of your at*ti moMIe g tea out sk-t you > are half way Mt-fH law Inwa* What I tk u * llurtrlro rpuisi* Owner - I Will I wouldn't he any imw off than it | were half war between two Uirw i with a Mw and buggy and the hutae | should die One * w-iatag ladwleare la toon gang when ana has ua«« persuaded t>oe a •elf t# pu< a f t out ti| hed Uoethh. A POSER FOR MARKSMEN. The Keoentrlc Flight of the Woodcock Makes lllm Almost Impossible to Hit. The peculiar habit of the woodcock and his corkscrew flight make him. probably tne most difficult of winged marks. In the daytime he remains al ways in thickets, copses or cane-brakes. He must have ground upon which to sleep and and in wmch to do hia occa sional daylight boring, and moist ground generally means always dense undergrowth. Indeed, some of the places most favored l>y the woodcock are so thickly overgrown that a rabbit finds difficulty in getting through. In such places the hunter send In his cocker spaniel, If ho has one, knowing that the dog will flush the bird with his shrill, constant harking, and trust ing to luck to get a shot as the wood rock clears the tops of the trees or canes. Generally, however, a man and a pointer may work their way through almost anything that grows in shape of woods and entangling vines, and it must be admitted that the difficulties of it lend to the sport a peculiar fas cination that does not pertain to any other form of American shooting. It is characteristic of the woodcock that lie will not liy far horizontally when disturbed. He does not see well, even in the shadow of the oaks and cy presses, and he fears that If he lets lumself out In a straight line he will run Into something. At night he sees as well as an owl. His flight, conse quently, when he rises before the heavy tread of the pointer’s owner, or before the yelp of the spaniel, is con fined to a spiral shoot straight upward and a drop to earth almost as perpen dicular. If not struck he will hit the ground probably not more than fifteen yearils from where ho left it. In cane or other kinds of swamp he might as well be a hundred yards away, so far as any chance of shooting him is con cerned. The flight Is nothing like so fast as the buzzing dart of the quail or the wide-swinging zigzag of th« jacksnlpe, but it is highly eccentric. •fudging Mitchlm**. For registering the results of a foot race the human eye and voice seem sometimes painfully Inadequate. Close contests of this kind will doubtless end more pleasantly when the new “judging machine,'* described by the Golden Penny, comes into general use. The machine, which was invented by an Australian, is designed to he placed at the finish line, and consists of a light metal frame partitioned into two or more divisions, each about four feet wide. On the top of the frame stands a small cabinet containing numbered divisions corresponding to (he num bers of the tracks. Tlte Instant the first man passes through his division a shutter falls, disclosing his track number. The other numbers are im mediately locked, except when the ma chine is set for final heats. In this case a small cylinder is attached to the machine, and a hammer head strikes a mark on the revolving cylin der as the men finish. Thus the exact positions of all the competitors can be told to a nicety. The same inventor has originated an automatic Judging machine for bicycle races. It consists of fine, light metal strips placet in a small trench about two inches wide, which is sunk across the track at the finish. During the last lap theae strips, which are coated with enamel, are placed in position by means of a lever, and the first wheel to cross receives live marks, in crossing, however, it displaces one of the strips, and the next wheel, therefore, only receives four marks, the third three, and so on Kinull Coin in Orttat Deniuml. There lias been no rc-laxation of the demand for fractional silver, and the situation, according to treasury offi cials, is likely to get worse rather than better. All the uncurrent and de faced coins have now been coined up. and the treasury is at the end of its resources. When Secretary Gage took hold In March, 1897, he had SHi.OOO, OoO in subsidiary coin. That sum has steadily declined, until now there is less than $8,000,000 In the possession of the treasury, and this is scattered over the country. The demand for small coins continues from all sec tions. and there has been found no au thority of law to purchase bullion to supply the demand. The secretary last year suggested to congress that he tie given authority to use the seigniorage for subsidiary coinage, but the only response was to direct the coinage of all this seigniorage into silver dollars There will lie a scarcity of small • hange until congre till lirtii. Her Kri%l « liirw. A Scotch farmer, ««>*» lamdon An* t-wera. who wo a bachelor and a little dial lila prime, finding hla comforta In life rather meaner on account of hla Indigent clrciimatuuiea. decided that the lied thing he could do waa to marry a certain middle-aged neighbor of hla who did not lack fo< money tt•• went, waned and won. and hu •uon look on an air uf greater prua* peril y One of the lit at pur> haaea he made with hla *lf*‘e money m horae Wheu he linoighl It home he tailed bin wife out to a*o |i After admit lag Ike animal »hr maid "Well, dandy. If It h i In* beeu for my atller It nadna hae t»eo here,** ‘Jenny,** retdied dandy If it hadua heen fur yer »lH*y, ye wa na hae been here yey, eel I" t» m«a«*|«| tketeaa. A Woman died ttt \t. Hl»,,w , fvm yeata ago tlu had hunM »y*ry day of h*r mattie I Uf- and trfto neyer g«u out uf M twto.e i» o . lie k in th« morn Stilt Het hdu I a*4 reprtno hfully at the her rated huanand and nay that !*•■»# do.n Waa eurkwtl to death'* At. h a n ttluke