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About The Loup City northwestern. (Loup City, Neb.) 189?-1917 | View Entire Issue (Sept. 14, 1900)
MY HALF SISTER 1 XXX By ELTON HARRIS XXX CHAPTER 1. "It is not like going home at all." «aid Mollle I/Estrange disconsolately, looking round at the open trunks, the wearing apparel spread upon every available chair or bed in the school dormitory. "And I had no idea that 1 possessed so many things." "You hrt been these four years here," said the German governess kindly, "and you spend much money, had child! But they will be pleased to see you home—o-—h, yes!" "I don’t know who will be pleased, I am sure," returned Mollle, with a nigh, "for there is only my half-sister Kate." "Acb himmel! Well, she Is no doubt looking forward to your return. She Is older than you—wiser?" y "She is ten years old,” interrupted the girl, sitting down on the edge of tho bed, and regarding the well mean ing Fraulein gloomily. "When 1 last saw her she was about six, and my stepfather spoilt her shamefully.” "What? With whom will you lif then, mine Mollle? With the step father?” "Oh, no; he died twelve months ago. I shall live at Chalfont House, the property of ray half-sister, Kato, with her, and her aunt, Madame Details." "Aeh, a French lady!” , "No, hut she married a Frenchman. She is now a widow with one .son, and after my mother’s death she went to keep house for her brother, Mr. Marlowe." "Thy stepfather?” "I never called him that.” And a strange look of scorn and bitterness swept over the girl's pretty, glowing face. "It is wrong to hate any one hut I hated him living, and I And It hard not to hate him dead." "So, so, the Bible teils us to hate no man,” reproved the governess, with a placid shake of her head, as she be gan to fold up some of her favorite pupil’s clothes. "And I try not to do so; I pray ev ery night to forgive him," burst forth Mollle in a shaking voice, "but be separated me from my mother; he did not make her happy—" She paused abruptly, conscious how ► lnipossible it was to make the solid Fraulein understand that the wrongs that were rankling in her mind had grown with her growth, and become part of her life; and, as a rosy-ebceked German maid entered at the same mo ment and announced that she had been sent to assist Fraulein L’Es trange to pack, nothing more was said. For four years Molllo L’Estrange had been left at Frau Seckendorf's school in Hanover, without once re turning to England, without any one coming to see her. But she had been very happy, for she had naturally a merry, buoyant disposition, and was the pet and favorite of the school es tablishment, from the grave, kindly Frau herself downwards. Then she was liberally supplied with pocket money by her father's trustees, generously paid for In every way, while Frau Seckendorf had carte blanche to do everything for her amusement in the holidays, and the time had gone so fast that Mollie could hardly believe she was nearly nineteen, and that a few days would see her once more in her native land. Ah, that dear native land! How often In her dreams had she seen it as it would be looking now, with the first faint breath of spring rustling through the bare, brown branches, the leaves sprouting in the heugerows, the vio lets peeping forth from some sheltered nook! Yes, though there was no one now in the house where she was born to welcome her home with affection, it would be something to be in Eng land in the sweet spring time, to gath er violets and primroses In the well remembered woods and fields around Revert on. The packing was accomplished at last, more by the Fraulein'a and Liza's exertions than her own, for the girl was restless and excited, torn by con flirting feelings, sorry to bid farewell to quaint old Hanover, and all those who had been so kind to her since she came there, a pale, mot her less child of fourteen yet anxious to rush Into the future, to see what it held in •tore tor her. go when the trunks were shut nnd I,Isa had departed with her arms full of the gifts she bad bestowed upon her. Motile made her way with un usual se laleness to f*rau geckendorf's private apartments. Htn>e the girls of her own age had left one by on*, and she had outgrown the class rooms, •he hs<l been promoted to the use of tneaa salens and taken out to row certs, theaters, and colee parties b> i Ike good Krsti who was secretly im- I meusely proud of the pretty, well- j dressed Kiigllrk heiress loiifldel to 1 hsr care, and watched over her with i a tsltanl eye, and Mottle looked found them with a frier* lie gU«<* ( wan a sigh al the thought that after iifliiitiks she should see them t<« . WtMS. the gush was falling fust, II was | fig ult la see Ike h «M*M across the wt-le »in*t and as she sf.sad the por< eiaia slur* e armtag h«r oi l little fingers, her thoughts went bark to her childhood days as they had not done for a long time, and scene after scene seemed to rise before her. Mollle could not remember her fa ther at all, for he had died when she was but a few months old, but her pretty young mother had been her playfellow, and until her sixth year, her constant companion. Then came the days when a tall, dark man was always with her mother, and that dearly loved parent was somehow not the same to her, while the dark man used to bring her sweets, and smile grimly when she put her hands be hind her back, and refused to accept them. Yes, from the very first Mollle had disliked and distrusted Leonard Bar lowe, and he had cordially returned the feeling. With her mother’s sec ond marriage all her troubles began, and the child would often sob herself to sleep at night, feeling neglected and forlorn, missing the tender voice, the lullaby ever since she could remem ber. Afterwards Mollle grew to know that her mother had not forgotten her, but that her stepfather, jealous and morose, resented even the affection she bestowed to her own child, and timid and clinging by nature, she had not the strength of character to oppose him In any way, Mollie was sent to school soon after the birth of her half-sister, Kate, and though she spent the holidays at home, Chalfont House was never the same place again. Looking at the past through the softening vista of time, Mollle knew that her woes had not been Imaginary. She would have been fond enough of the little usurper, who seemed to have pushed her out of her place, had she been allowed, for she was neither Jealous nor revengeful; but Mr. Bar lowe, while spoiling Kate until she was unbearable, resented the least at tention shown to Mollle, and the holidays had been misery, school a refuge. She gradually grew to know that her mother was miserable, that she only dare caress her In private.and tnat she feared her handsome dark husband more than she loved him. How well she remembered the last time she had any talk with her mother! It was the night before her return to school, and her mother came into her room as she was preparing for bed, and, closing the door, took her Into her arms as If she were a baby again, kissed and cried over hpr In a passionate, heart-broken way, saying that whatever happened to the future, she must never doubt her poor mother's love, that save her dead fa ther. no one was so prpcious to her, no one; and that her last thought and prayer would he for her own Mollie. It was not until her death a few months later tnat Moine unaersiooa what she meant, Chalfont and a good Income had been Mrs. Barlowe’s pri vate property, and she left them to her husband for his lifetime, and then to her daughter Kate, no mention be ing made of her elder child, save that, failing them, she would be her heiress. This had not been her mother's wish—-Mollie knew as well a3 if she bad been told—and the fierce anger burned in her heart, not for the loss of the property, but for what Mr. Barlowe had made her mother suffer. Oh, how she hated him as she saw his flue eyes roving with an air of pro prietorship round her mother's room! in her childish heart she felt that he had got what he had schemed for, and it mattered little to him that he had ruined her mother's and her life to obtain it. They lived at open W’arfare during tho months before she was sent to Hanover; and it was an additional blow to find that he had constituted himself her guardian in her mother s place. Ills motive was not far to seek. Moille was her father's heiress, and though he could not touch the princi pal, a handsome allowance was made for the care of Colonel L Estrange s ! daughter. Aim now lie. too was dead, and ane was going back to live at Chalfont House with her little half-sister ami Madam Dubois' Were brighter times cowing, she wondered, aa, In company with the Knglish governess, she once more set foot on her native Ian I, or was Madame Dubois but a repetition of Is-onard Harlowe? It was a bleak March day when the governess put her charge Into a first class carriage al one of the great ls>n don stations, ami reluctantly bade her farewell, after carefully scertalnlng that two elderly ladle* In the fm'her corner were going the same Journey, and Heverton would be r*a< h<d In Ut ile uter an hour, where Madame Im laris was sure to be at the station 1 itu she h;»*ed the pet and pride of t'rau Hr- hendorf e school with tearful eye*, and hurtled awsy to i*Uh her own im >i *' . . *1 -I. *> »ink i .4 k to the corner of k-r tart luge, sorry to part with h*r lest friend y«t ririlid at ltie prospect before h-sr >Vr a little whre she ot copied her I it • 4'- ' fa'oi ■ i .lb fU after a* at her appear as lh* >nn.i l*ft the rhlwtasy* behind and rushed ' through the ginen country. It wren amused her to Bee the great open Area in the waiting rooms once more as they flashed through the elation*. | Then she suddenly became aware that the two ladies were talking very hard and she heard her own name. "You will find Reverton looking much the same, Louise," the elder was saying. "The people alter, but not j the place. Why, you have not been here since the year poor Mrs. L'Es trange married Mr. Barlowe, have you?” "No; how pretty she was! I knew no one liked him; you thought him an adventurer. What has he done since her death?" "Oh, he feathered his nest well— got the whole of her property for him self and his wretched little girl, to the exclusion of the elder child! Every one knew that his poor wife was hor ribly afraid o£ him, and he had it all his own way. Well, I must not say more, for he was hurried to his ac count with all his sins upon his head, and no time to repent him of his wickedness.” "What do you mean?" "Did you not see it In the papers? It was the talk of Reverton! He was found murdered in his study nearly twelve months ago. Yes, I remember, it was on Easter Sunday.” "Murdered?" ecuoed the other blankly. "That handsome man? Who did It?” "It has never been found out." CHAPTER II. Murdered! Could this awful word, bo full of terrible meaning, apply to her stepfather, who she had last seen standing at the door of Chalfont House, full of life and health, holding the fretful Kate by the hand? Mollie sat up and turned hastily to the two ladies, the color fading from her face. "My name is 1,’Estrange," she stam mered nervously, looking from one to the other. "I am Mrs. Barlowe's eld est daughter. I thought I ought to tell you. I-1 did not know that he died like that; no one told me. Are you sure?" Mollie could see the ladies were gaz marks; hut she was too eager to learn the truth to mind that, or anything else. Why had she been allowed to come home In ignoramo of the trag edy that hung undiscovered over Chul font House? In the pause before any one sj)oke site was not conscious of feeling any sorrow for her dead step father, nor had these ladles expressed any; but she did feel a thrill of horror at the thought of the crime that had been committed In the house where she was born—her mother's house— and could not repress a shudder. Then, the first lady got up, and, corning over, sat down heavily in the seat opposite to her. "1 am heartily sorry you have heard me. my dear,’ she said kindly, "it is a lesson to me not to talk of my neighbors in the train. But are you really Amy Barlowe's child? Yes, looking at you, I can see your dear father. Your parents were my dearest friends. You do not remember me. but surely you have not forgotten Reggie and Joyce?” Mollie started, and, leaning forward, turned her beautiful, miserable grey eyes on the speaker with dawning rec ognition. "Yes—yes, I do now.” she cried. "You are Mrs. Anstruther; you live in that pretty white house near the church. Oh, Mrs. Anstruther. about tnls dreadful thing about Mr. Bar lowe. Madame Dubois wrote that he died suddenly, and she was now my guardian; but how did it happen? Why was I not told?" And she glanc ed imploringly at the pleasant mother ly face now regarding her with a troubled frown. (To be continued.) CRUELTY IN TONE. CroAA H’ordu Kill a lllril !<i It« Cagf. A bird which receives a scolding 1r made as miserable and unhappy there by as a child would be. To Illustrate Our Dumb Animals tells the following story: A Massachusetts woman had, a few years ago. a beautiful canary bird which she dearly loved, and to which she had never spoken an unkind word in her life. One Sunday the church organist was away, and she stopped after church to play the organ for the Sunday school. In consequence of this the dinner had to be put off an hour, and when she got home her good hus band was very hungry, and he spoke to her unkindly. The things were put on und they sat down In silence at the table, and presently the bird began to chirp at her as It always had to attract her attention. To shame her husband for having spoken so. she turned to the bird, and for the first time In hsr life spoke to it In a most violent and angry tone In less than five minutes there waa a fluttering in th. 'age. She spraug to th. cag> the bird was dead Mra. Hendricks, the wife of (tie late vlre-preeldent of the I’ulted States, saye that she mice killed a mocking bird In the same way, It annoyed her by loud aluglng. To stop It she spok< In a Molrnl lone, and pretended to throw something at It, and within five mlnuiew It was dead. A M.tmj* Thr pr* <nl lianuaB oiiparor, than a • Bt«ll Imf, *lt*-U‘l*4 th* WmltUBB ol th* pi Hi « *1)1 p*t.) •••«( Wale* II* •)« uBil*r lh<* th*r(* u| hi* t«u uk-Im, th* tluhu »( Ku.Bhureh bb4 th* iluh* ul t u<tBaM«ht A* U)*jr ha ••»(** la I jrtwtnp WiIIUui «!«••*• I Milty. an4 r>■•ai**4 *B *** aoioaal *|fr ibi I tp Ik* *!»<*iI44'e llat kut h* 414 Mi* <* hint tali' II • uaala* v«t« . i * *b4 i'I* fhtur* ia p»-*«p •!»'» kh*a «b4 hit ima * ■ *:ta $**»' IHattan Jwanuil STEWART fS RIGHT.' — HITS THE DEMOCRATS IN THE SOLAR PLEXUS. that the *‘AnU-I'upor!nift«vir* IMiink of the ItanKiM City Chi (form 1m the Arum of Trmioii «oocl Advice to Voters. Senator William M. Stewart of Ne- ^ yada called at Republican headquar- i tars at New York August 20 and said he had decided to vote for President McKinley. He made a statement in part as follows: “The United States went to war with Spain, urged on by the Democratic I party. The popularity of the war was such that Mr. Bryan Joined the army. I The war was successful, a treaty of peace was entered Into whereby the United States agreed to pay 120,000,000 and accept the sovereignty and public property of Spain in the Philippine archipelago. There was opposition to the ratification of the treaty. Mr. Bryan came to Washington and per suaded Ills Democratic friends to vote for the treaty. “The people of the United States, and particularly of the Pacific const, be came entitled to the vast commerce of the Pacific ocean of which the Philip pines furnish the key. “One Agulnaldo had raised a rebel ion In Luzon ngainst Spain before the commencement of the Spanish war with the United States. This udven turer had wild out or settled his rebel lion with Spain for 1400,000 before Dewey set sail for Manila, and as a part of the bargain with Spain, Aguln aldo agreed to leave the island and never return. “Dewey took the wily agitator back to tho islands, supposing, of course, that Agulnaldo would naturally he a.q enemy of Spain and a friend of the United States In this Admiral Dewey was mistaken. An organization was formed in the United States called the Antl-lmperlalls League, which has for the last two years co-operated with Agulnaldo’s Tagal Junta, with head quarters at Hongkong, to supply liter ature and materials of war for Agulnaldo. “The assistance and the encourage ment he received from the Anti-Im perialist League and the enemies of the United States, both at home and abroad, made his barbarous and Irreg ular war bloody and expensive. “Mr. Bryan’s unparalleled campaign for the principles of the Chicago plat form, and his Insistence upon the adop tion of that platform at Kansas City, induced the people to suppose the cam paign of 1900 would he conducted on the Issues of 1896. In this It seems they were mistaken.” Senator Stewart then quoted Mr. Bryan's declaration of his Intention, if elected, to call an extraordinary ses sion of congress to give the Philippines freedom upon the same terms as Cuba. He also denounced the recent conven tion of anti-imperialists at Indianapo lis. He also denounced Mr. Bryan for promising to attempt to "extend the Monroe doctrine to the Orient." JONES THE SLAVE OWNER. Many people have wondered why it 1b that, while the Republican party Belects men of affairs from the great manufacturing and agricultural states of the Union to manage Its presiden tial campaign, the Democratic party aelects a man like Senator Jones, from a state like Arkansas, to be the head of Its National campaign com mittee. Senator Jones was formerly a slave owner and dealt in human flesh and blood. When abroad among his s'aves with his old black snake whip, he ac quired some experience relative to “Imperialism," und the “consent of the governed." His conscientious re gard for the "preservation of the lib erties" of tlie people was so great that his deep concern over the liberties of the Filipinos Is only excelled by ad miration of the way that his dear friend Aguinaldo and his Tagul asso ciates treat the other tribes of the Philippines, and held them In subjec tion. But Senator Jones’ principal quali fication to head the Democratic na tional campaign of calamity, and which undoubtedly led to his selection as chairman. Is that he comes from a southern stf>>, and also that while all the other southern states are progt eas ing In agricultural wealth, his statu D steadily retrograding. Arkansas not only has a greater number of illiterate people, according to population, and fewer savings banks lhai •fly oilier state, but It Is steadily I',ling la wealth. The fol lowing flgtTes given out by the United States Department of Agriculture, Di vision of Statistics, relative to the number and value of farm animals of the United States, Is Interesting, in view of Senator Jones' deep Interest in calamity. Bear in mind that Ar kansas is an agricultural state. Comparlton is made between the last year of the Cleveland administration and the last year of President McKin ley's present administration, and it gives the values of the farmers' pos sessions in stock. Swine are omitted because there are no figures given: ARKANSAS. Jan. 1, '96. Jan. J, 1900 Horses .* 7,719,845 * 7,817,204 Mules.6,SIS,361 6,348,660 Milch Cows_ 3,807,293 3>25 954 Other cattle ... 4,383,084 3,235,910 Sheep . 244,002 181,796 Total.*22.473,245 *21,409.583 Thus in four years, while the Unit ed States has prospered and grown in agricultural wealth. Senator Jones’ state has gone backward to the extent of *1,003,002. It Is to tie regretted that no figures on swine are given for 1900. But as the value of swine In Arkansas according to the Department of Agri culture for 1893, was *1,089,967, and nnd in 1897 had fallen to *3,196,361, there is no doubt that the omission of the figures for 1900 Is a charity to Senator Jones' state. On January 1, 1896, there were 233,616 horses In Arkansas, on Jan. 1, 1900, there were but 234.127. On Janu ary 1, 1896, there were 145,519 mules In Arkansas; on Jan. 1, 1900, only 142, 594. On Jan. 1, 1896, there were 295, 827 milch cows in Arkansas; on Jan. 1, 1900, they had decreased to 183,936. Of other cattlo there were in Arkansas Jan. 1, 1896, 616,696; on Jan. 1, 1900, they had decreased to 230,486. On Jan. 1, 1896, Arkansas had 188.972 sheep. On Jan. 1, 1900 there were only 103.967. It Is well to remark here in passing that on Jan. 1, 1896, the value of milch cows In Ohio was *18,420,227, and on Jan. 1, 1900, the value was *25,224,330, and the number hud Increased from 759,697 to 780,939. In sheep Ohio had, Jan. 1, 1896, 2,754,C13, valued at *5 247, 536, and on Jan. 1, 1900, she had 2,839, 690 sheep, valued at *10,835.250. The total value of horses, mules, milch cows, other cattle and sheep in Ohio, Jan. 1, 1896, was *68,382.151. On Jan. 1, 1900, It was *92,664,466, a gain of over *24,000,000. looking at the above figures, seeing Arkansas, first in illiteracy, lowest In savings banks, steadily going back ward in agricultural wealth, while every other southern state is wonder fully Increasing, It is neen why Senator Jones of that state was selected above all others to lead In the Democratic presidential campaign of calamity and disaster to American Industries, prog ress and prosperity, lie is the fitting representative of the calamity howl ers. <;ood Thing* Coming Oulckly. The Southern farmer is la various sorts of trouble. The price paid by the oil mills for cottonseed has been so high—that is, $18 or $20 a ton—that the farmer has deprived himself of tins customary fertilizer by selling It, and he has been obliged to buy commercial fertilizer at $2 or $3 a ton less. But there Is other trouble. The southern Industry is so booming In its lumber mills, railroads, mines, and other occu pations, that It Is difficult to get labor to work the farms, and so a great cot ton crop cannot be looked for. ____________ Peace at Any Price. The plea that tho United States ought not to govern Ihe Philippines, says the Chicago Inter Ocean, does not conceal the cowardly argument that it Is Incompetent to lo so, and r.he com mercial urgument that It will be ex pensive to do so. It will be "a pecuni ary burden to the people," says Mr. Eryan, if the FI 11 pi in are not given independence. Thus in 1 SCI It was ar gued by some lovers of peaco at any in Ice that the putting down of the civil war would be a mo.*, expensive under taking. Tl>* Deinomtlf liind. Government by the dishonesty and duplicity of the minority Is having a short run In Kentucky. foltmtal Trail, lain.til*. The United Kingdom sell, lu her col onies $123,212,102 worth of goods a year. DEMOCRATIC POVERTY > M- _ mmm mm^ $ I Hors* Stom In Iowa. Upon the occasion of recent visit to Iowa I naked a farmer in an Interior county what the people of Iowa intend ed to do at the next presidential elec tion. and nls answer was as follows: "Waal, I never argue politics, and never did, but if 1 give a man a job and ho does his work well, what's the use of turning him off and getting a new man? Now McKinley does hla work right up to the handle, and no man could have done It bene:, though I didn’t have no part in putting him there. So what's the 3en.so in turning him out and putting a new man 1& his place? “He made a lot of promises about good times, ami 1 can’t see as he over stated the facta, either, lor certainly the times have been thundering good, there’s no denying that. "Now, BUI Bryan comes around hero telling the boys If they didn't elect him the country would go to h—1, and bo quick about It. ’Pears like Bill didn’t know what he was talking about or was lying—likely the latter. Guess we can spare Bill a spell yet, jo he can get his picture took. Maybe he'll iearn something If he hangs around the house and keeps his head cool out there In Nebraska. If he runs agin you can easy get the fool census by counting his vote. He reminds me of a mule I owned once—the only time ha used his head was at dinner time— rest of the time ho was hunting nround to find something to kick at. McKin ley will go back for another term.least wise. that's what the neighbors say, and I'm likewise."—W. G. II., la New York Sun. A »l>n»«kAii on VtryAn. "The greatest mistake Bryan ever made," says ex-Governor James E. Iloyd of Nebraska, and the only Demo cratic executive tho state ever had, "was to require the Kansas City con vention to reiterate the 16 to 1 stiver free coinage plank. He emphasized It beyond all others, thus doing what the Republicans would have him do. It will cause Bryan's defeat under heavier majorities than were given four years ago. It was sheer Idiocy. Money was never so plentiful and the Interest rata never so low. Prices of farm prod ucts were never better, and the produc ers are getting gold money for thels products. Prosperity, everywhere in evidence, cannot he talked down. It may not be due to McKinley, but It is possible under the policy for which Mc Kinley stands." llryAti lias Dfunrted Silver. A little month, or ere those shoes were old With which he kicked Dave Hill Into submission And led free silver as a bride in tri umph— Within a month, our Bcyan. even he' — O Israeli! a beast,that want* discourse of reason. Would have been faithful longer!—But Bryan! Bryan Barely deserts 16 to 1 r»nl posts With nil dexterity to Imperial sheets! it is on, and it cann come to, good! —Poet Laureate Cook County, 111., Democracy in Chicago Inter Ocean. Poor Grover. A Tammany Judge fined a New York man $1 for wearing a button bearing a portrait of Grover Cleveland. Yet there are some people who never quite un derstood why Mr. Cleveland moved from New York. Gone Democratic. The Tammany Ice trust has been vindicated by a Tammany grand Jury and a Tammany Judge. Tammany is al ways harmonious when the work ot covering up Tammany crookedness Is in progress. A Plano I,e**on. About 130,000 pianos were sold In the United States In 1899, or 25,000 more than were ever sold in a single year before. They all played "Prestige abroad and Prosperity at Home" tunes. Not a l.lr« Issue. Eighty-one per cent of the delegate* to the Democratic convention recog nized that 16 to 1 was no longer a live issue. But Boss Bryan wanted it. and Prince David voted for It. so that set tled it. Our Oils Ki|M>rW"l. Export* of mineral oils In the last two fiscal years compare as follow*. Year. Value. 1899 . 9M.273.1M 1900 . 74.404.83f l4tv«r • .MUt*ken Ambition. The czarina, In consequence of her beauty, had many admirer* when ah# was simply Princess Altx of Hesse, and although gone of them were of high degree, whom she might have married had she so chosen, others occupied loss Important positions, but were infatu ated to the same extent. Among tbs latter was a young Hamburg merchant who thought his wealth would enable him to marry the lady h« admired,huL as subsequent events proved, he was mistaken, lie transferred his business to others, and set to work to wlu the hand of the princess, but Koa dis covered how futile his efforts were when bir betrothal to the present ctar of ail the Kussias was announced Aft er her marriage he went to (It Peters burg with the charactensile impulse of a lover, end through the instrumen tality of n powerful and iuftuentUi friend, nbta<«*4 a peg! t leg In the em peror's body guard- Whether he »v<g* realized bU fully or nut In uoknows, bnl It M quite certain of all the rear's ttdd.ers n< ae bn* •» rv• I him mv fntth* fully as he who u<no- e*»fu!ly and tw all Igu mace tried to rival him In leva.
