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About The Loup City northwestern. (Loup City, Neb.) 189?-1917 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 3, 1902)
The Diamond Bracelet By MRS. HENRY WOOD. Author of Emi Lynne, Etc. CHAPTER XVI. In an obscure room of a low and dilapidated lodging house, iu a luw and dilapidated neighborhood, there sat a man one evening iu the coming twi light; a towering, gaunt skeleton, whose remarkably long arms and legs looked little more than skin and bone. The arms were fully exposed to view, since their owner, though he possessed and wore a waistcoat, dispensed with the use of a shirt. An article, once a coat, lay on the floor, to be donned at will—if it could be got into for the holes. The man sat on the floor in a corner, hi3 head finding a resting place against the wall, and he had dropped into a light sleep, but if ever famine wTas depicted in a face, it was in his. Unwashed, unshaven, with matted hair and feverish lips; the cheeks were hollow, the nostrils white and pinched, and the skin around the mouth had a blue tinge. Some one tried and shook the door; it aroused him, and he started up, but only to cower iu a -bending attitude and listen. “I hear you," cried a voice. "How are you tonight, Joe? Open the door. ’ The voice was not one he knew; not one that might be responded to. "Do you call this politeness, Joe Nlcholls? If you don't open the door, I shall take the liberty of opening it for myself, which will put you to the trouble of mending the fastenings afterwards.” "Who are you?" cried Nlcholls, read ing determination in the voice. "I'm gone to bed, and can't admit folks tonight.” “Gone to bed at 8 o clock" “Yes; I’m ill.” “I will give you one minute, and then I come In. You will open it if you want to save trouble.” Nicbolla yielded to his fate and opened the door. The gentleman—he looked like one —cast his keen eyes around the room. There was not a vestige of furniture in it; nothing but the bare, dirty walls, from which the mortar crum bled, and the bare, dirty boards. “What did you mean by saying you were gone to bed, eh?” “So 1 was. I was asleep there,” pointing to the corner, “and there's my bed. What do you want?" added Nicholls, peering at the stranger’s face in the gloom of the evening, but seeing it imperfectly, for his hat was drawn low over it. “A little talk with you. The last sweepstake you got into—” The man lifted his face and burst forth with such eagerness that the stranger could only arrest his own words and listen. “It was a swindle from beginning to end. I had scraped together the ten shillings to put in it, and I drew the right horse and was shuffled out of the gains and I have never had my dues, not a farthing of ’em. Since then I have been ill, and I can't get about to better myself. Are you come, sir, to make it right?” “Some”—the stranger coughed— “friends of mine were in it, also,” said he; “and they lost their money.” “Everybody lost it; the getters-up bolted with all they had drawn into their fingers. Have they been took, do you knowT?” “All in good time; they have left their trail. So you have been ill, have you?” “111! Just take a sight of me! There’s an arm for a big man.” He stretched out his naked arm for inspection; it appeared as if a touch would snap it. The stranger laid his hand upon its fingers, and his other hand appeared to be stealing furtively toward his own pocket. “I should say this looks like starva tion, Joe.” “Some’at nigh akin to it.” A pause of unsuspicion and the handcuffs were clapped on the aston ished man. He started up with an oath. ■'No need to make a noise, Nichous, said the detective with a careless air. ‘'I have got two men waiting outside.” “I swear I wasn't in the plate rob bery.” Dassionatelv uttered the man. “I knew of it, but I didn’t join ’em, and I never had the worth of a salt spoon after it was melted down. And they call me a coward, and they leave me here to starve and die! 1 swear 1 wasn’t in it.” “Well, we’ll talk about the plate robbery another time,” said the officer, as he raised his hat; "you have got thoso bracelets on, my man, for an other sort of bracelet. A diamond one. Don’t you remember me?” The prisoner’s mouth fell. “I thought that was over and done with all this time—1 don't know what you mean,” he added, correcting him self. “No,” said the offieer, “it’s just be ginning. The bracelet is found and has been traced to you. You were a clever fellow, and 1 had my doubts of you at the time; I thought you were too clever to go on long." "I should be ashamed to play the sneak and catch a fellow in this way. Why couldn’t you come openly in your proper clothes? not come playing the spy in the garb of ; friendly civi lian." “My men are in their ’proper clothes,’ ” returned the equable officer, “and you will have the honor of their escort presently. I came because they did not know you, and I did.” “Three officers to a single man, anil he a skeleton!” uttered Nicholls, vrith a vast show of indignation. “Ay! but you were powerful once and ferocious, too. The skeleton as pect is a rerent one." ! “And all for nothing. I don't know about any bracelets." "Don't trouble yourself with inven tions, N’irholls. Your friend is safe in our bands, and has made a full con fession.” "What friend?" asked Nicholls, too eagerly. ‘The lady you got to dispose of it for you to the Jew." Nicholls was startled to incaution. “She hasn’t split, has she?” "Every particular she knew or guessed at. Split to save herself.” “Then there's no faith in woman.” "There never was yet,” returned the officer. “If they are not at the top and bottom of every mischief, Joe, they are sure to be in the middle. Is this your coat?" touching it gingerly. "She's a disgrace to the female sex, she is," raved Nicholls, disregarding the question as to the coat. "But it's a relief now I’m took, it's a weight off my mind; I was always expecting of it, and I shall get food in the Old Bailey at any rate." “Ah,” said the officer, "you were in good service as a respectable servant; you had better have stuck to your duties." "Tho temptation was so great,” ob served the man, who had evidently abandoned all idea of denial; and now that he bad done so, was ready to be voluble with remembrance and par ticulars, "Don't say anything to me,” said the officer. "It will be used against you.” "It came along or my long legs, cried Nicholla, ignoring the friendly injunction, and proceeding to enlarge on the feat he imd performed. “I have never had a happy hour since; I was second footman there, and a good place I had; and I had wished, thou sands of times, that the bracelet had been in a sea of molten fire. Our folks had taken a house in the neighborhood of Ascot for the race week, and they had left me at home to take care of the kitchen maid, and another inferior or two, taking the rest of the servants with them. I had to clean the win ders afore they returned, and I had drnv it off till the Thursday evening, and out I got on the balqueny, to be gin with the back drawing room.” “What did you say you got out on?” “The balqueny. The thing with the green rails around it, what encloses the windows. While I was leaning over the rails afore I begun, I heard somehir.g like click—click agoing on in the fellow room at the next door, which was Colonel Hope's. It was like as if something light was being laid on the table, and presently I heard two voices beginning to talk, a lady's and a gentleman's, and 1 listened—” “No good ever comes of listening, Joe!” interrupted the officer. “I didn't listen for the sake of lis tening, but it was awful hot, a stand ing outside there in the sun, and lis tening was better than working. I didn’t want to hear neither, for 1 was thinking of my own concerns, and what a fool I was to have idled away my time all day till the sun came on to the back winders. Bit by bit I heerd what they were talking about— that it was jewels they had got there, and that one was worth 200 guineas. Thinks I, if that was mine. I'd do no more work. After awhile I heerd them go out of the room, and T thought I’d have a look at the rich things, and I stepped over slanting ways on to the little ledge running along the houses, holding on by our balqueny, and then I passed my hands along the wall till I got hold of the balqueny—but one with ordinary legs and arms couldn't have done it. You couldn’t, sir!” “Perhaps not,” remarked the officer. “There wasn't fur to fall if I had fell, only on to the kitchen leads un der; but I didn’t fall, and I raised myself on to their balqueny, and look ed in. My! what a show it was! stun ning jewels, all laid out there; so close that if I had put my hand inside it must have struck all among ’em; and the fiend prompted me to take one. I didn't stop to look; I didn’t stop to think; the one that twinkled the brightest, and had the most stones in it was the nearest to me, and I clutched it and slipped it into my footman's undress jacket, and stepped back again.” “And got safe into your own bal cony.” "Yes; hut I didn't clean the winder that night. I was upset like by w'hat 1 had done, and I think, if I could have put it back again. I should; but there was no opportunity. I wrapped it up in my winder leather, and then in a sheet of paper, and then 1 put it up the chimbley in one of the spare bedrooms. I was up the next morning afore 5, and I cleaned my winders; I'd no trouble to awake myself, for I had never slept. The same day to wards evening you called sir, and asked me some questions—whether we had seen any one on the leads at the back, and such like. I said, as mas ter was just come home from Ascot, would you be pleased to speak to him.” "Ah.” again remarked the officer! “you were a clever fellow that day. But if my suspicions had not been strongly directed to another quarter, I might have looked you up more sharply.” “I kep’ it by me for a month or two, and then I gave warning to leave. I thought I’d have my fling, and I be came acquainted with her—that lady— and somehow she wormed out of me that I had got It, and let her dispose of It for me, for she said she knew how to do it without danger." "What did you get lor it?” The skeleton shook his head. Thirty four pound, and I had counted on a hundred and fifty. She took an oath she had not helped herself to a six pence.” "Oaths are plentiful with the genus,” remarked the detective, “She stood to it she hadn’t, and she stopped and helped me to spend It. After that was done, she went over to somebody else who was in luck; and I have tried to go on, and I can’t; honestly or dishonestly; it seems all one; nothing prospers, and I'm naked and famishing—and 1 wish 1 was dy ing.’' "Evil courses never do prosper, Nicholls,” said the officer, as he call ed in the policemen, and consigned the prisoner to their care. So Gerard was innocent! "But how was it you skillful detec tives could not be on this man’s scent?” asked Colonel Hope of the of ficer, when he heard the tale. "Colonel, I was thrown off. Your positive belief in your nephew's guilt infected me, and appearances were very strong against him. Miss Seaton also helped to throw me off; she said, if you remember, that she did not leave the room; but it now appears she did leave it when your nephew did, though only for a few momenta. Those few moments sufficed to do the job.” “It s strange she could not ten tne exact truth," growled the colonel. “She probably thought she was exact enough since she only remained out side the door and could answer for it that no one had entered by it. She forgot the window. I thought of the window the instant the loss was mou* tioned to me, but Miss Seaton’s asser» tlon that she never had the window out of her view prevented my dwelling on it. I did go to the next door, and saw the very fellow' who committed the robbery, but his manner was sufficient ly satisfactory. He talked too freely; I did not like that; but I found he had been in the same service 15 months, and, as I must repeat, I laid the guilt to another.” “It is a confoundedly unpleasant af fair for me,” cried the colonel; “I have published my nephew’s disgrace and guilt all over London.” “It is more unpleasant for him, colonel,” was the rejoinder of the offi cer. "And I have kept him short of money, and suffered him to be sued for debt, and I have let him go and live amongst the runaway scamps over the water, and not hindered his engag ing himself as a merchant’s clerk; and, in short, I have played the very deuce with him.” "But reparation is, doubtless, in your heart and hands, colonel.” “I don’t know that, sir," testily con cluded the colonel. (To be continued.) Floating Ilutton Factory. Taking the factory to the raw ma terial instead of bringing the material to the factory, is an innovation just put in operation on the Mississippi river by a button factory, and it is a plan that has many practical advan tages. This factory is about forty-two feet long and twelve feet wide, fitted with all the necessary machinery for the manufacture of buttons, and provided with a three-horse-power engine for its work. The principal material used by this factory is mussel shells, which are found at nearly all points along the river, and one of the great expenses in conducting the business heretofore has been the cost of transporting the shells. Now the factory has reversed the operation and will go to the mus sels. When a bed of shells is found the boat will drop its anchor and go to work. When the bed is exhausted it will move on to a new location. In this fashion it will go from state to state, from Minnesota to Louisiana, passing along with the seasons, and always enjoying the most desirable weather of the Mississippi valley. Automobile Poachers. A PariB correspondent tells of some wholesale poaching of automobilists, who used their “car” as a trap for the game and made ofT with enor mous "bags” of plunder while the gamekeeper slept. The trick was so clever that, barring the feelings of the birds who failed of being “pre served” for the guns of sporting own ers, the automobile poachers must be congratulated on accomplishing their purpose. They pretended to have broken down while driving along the high road, and told the peasants and the gamekeeper, with many lamenta tions, they would be forced to remain all night in the field adjacent. The gamekeeper, though he says it was against his will, aided the men in moving the car to a place of safety until certain repairs could be effected. These “repairs” were made in the dead of night by robbing the pre serves of nearly every partridge and quail they contained and making off with the booty. NearnoM of Helntlonshlp. A little miss of five, living in Wash ington, conspired with her brother, age four, to save enough pennies to buy papa and mamma presents. A friend of the family noticed that mamma’s present was much finer and more ex pensive than papa's and was impelled by curiosity to Inquire why tho bulk of the savings had been expended for the mother. The little miss replied: “Well, you see, papa Is only related to we children by marriage, while mamma is our relative by bornation.’' SOUND RECIPROCITY. DEFINED BY THE NATIONAL CON VENTION OF MANUFACTURERS. Practical Ituslnea* Men Favor Only Kill'll Tariff Conceinlon. a. Will Not ! Injure Our Domestic Intorest* of Manu facture*!! Commerce and Agriculture. 9 Tin* National Reciprocity Convention has come and gone. Called under the auspices of the National Association of Manufacturers with the avowed ob ject of promoting the scheme of trade agreements embodied in what are known as the Kasson treaties, and its management lodged in the hands of men thoroughly committed to what Charles Hober Clark so aptly charac terized as "the policy of industrial as sassination," the convention prior to assembling, and up to a certain point in its proceedings, seemed to stand aligned for wide open reciprocity, its permanent chairman, Mr. Theodore C. Search, executed a neat straddle In his opening address. He pleaded for a broader commercial policy, and in sup port of that plea misquoted the Buffalo speech of President McKinley. He completely perverted the tone and meaning of that famous speech by carefully suppressing its qualifying phrases. Chairman Search did not feel called upon to quote these portions of the speech of President McKinley: "By sensible trade arrangements which will not interrupt our home pro duction." "We should take from our customers such of their products as we can use without harm to our industries aud labor.” ‘ We should sell whenever we can, buy wherever the buying will enlarge our sales and production, and thereby make a greater demand for home la bor.” This was the McKinley Idea of reci procity as expressed in the Buffalo speech. Chairman Search cannot have overlooked or forgotten these vital por tions of the speech. Hence the infer ence that he elected to suppress them and in so doing was guilty of misquota tion and perversion. But the omissions were supplied later in the day in the very excellent address of Mr. Frank can Industries if they can tuns obtain a chance to sell more of their fabrics." Then came the great speech of the convention, the turning point of its de liberations, the event which more than any other onp thing, and perhaps more than all other tilings combined, saved the day for Protection and fair play, for the kind of reciprocity that builds up and does not tear down; that cher ishes and does not assassinate domes tic industries; the reciprocity of Ulaine, McKinley, Roosevelt and Dingley; the reciprocity of the Republican platform of 1900, which the American people have indorsed at the polls and which by that indorsement stands as the un written law of the land. lty some for tunate chance—for it is hard to be lieve that the convention managers re alized in advance what a mighty weapon was to be turned against them —the duty of delivering the second ol the general papers devolved upon Mr Charles Hober Clark, a delegate from the Manufacturers' Club of Philadel phia. Evidently the level headed Quak ers knew their man much better than the eonvention managers knew him Their selection was a marvelously good one. Mr. Clark did more than answer Mr. Farquhar. He annihilated him. He made that marble hearted Cobenite look like very much less than "thirty cents.” He carried the conven tion by storm with his massing of farts, statistics and logic, his gift of di rect statement, his offhand, colloquial manner of oratory, his touches of humor and his keen shafts of sarcasm. Rehearsing tlie tremendous growth of our foreign trade under the Dingley law as contrasted with the Wilson Tariff, Mr. Clark would pause a mo ment and then ask: “Do yo i see any thing in this to Justify the hanging of a hole in the Dingley Tariff?’’ And the convention would hurst into an uproar of applause and laughter. Straight to the mark like a rifle shot went this statement: “If you care to engage in reciprocity experiments along the lines laid down in the Republican platform of 1900 and in harmony with the reservation so carefully insisted upon by President McKinley at Buffalo, we say go ahead and see what you can do. But if you depart from those wise, safe, sensible lines and undertake to put the knife into one or more industries for the A MISCHIEVOUS MAGNET. Pis Leake, chairman of the delegation from the Manufacturers' Club of Philadel phia, so that tlie convention was not left in the dark as to the McKinley idea of reciprocity after all. Mr. Search made a mild plea that consid eration be shown to all industries, but that was all. He was on the top of the fence whichever way the cat jumped. To the Protectionist element in the convention there was an omi nous significance in the sending to and the acceptance by the New England Free-Trade League of an invitation to send delegates; also in the fact that the delivery of the first address on the subject of reciprocity was assigned to an avowed Free-Trader, Mr. A. B. Far quhar of York. Pa., a manufac turer of agricultural implements so completely guarded by patents and royalties as to render foreign competi tion impossible. Being himself in no need of Protection—or, at any rate, holding that view, and apparently ob livious to the fact that upon the gen eral prosperity produced by Protection he must depend for by far the larger portion of sales in the home market— Mr. Farquhar easily arrives at the con clusion that no other industry should have Protection. What he wants to do is to sell ir.fplements to foreigners, no matter what becomes of the general industries of his own country. He is, in short, a typical reelprocator. Charles Heber Clark’s definition of reciprocity fits Farquhar like a glove: “But of late we have heard a demand for reciprocity of quite another kind, and this new' variety of reciprocity, un sanctioned by any of the great cham pions of American Industry in the past, has found advocates in this conven tion and has even been formulated in treaties by representatives of the Government of the United States. It Is not easy to put into a single phrase the theory of tills new kind of reciproc ity; but the purpose of the authors may be expressed if we shall imagine* them saying, for example, to France; “ ‘If you will let us knife some of your industries we will let you stab some of ours.’ In short, we find cer tain American manufacturers who have grown to greatness under the Protective system, willing to sanction partial repudiation of that system so that they make gains for them selves in foreign markets. Like the famous humorist who was willing to have all his wife’s relatives go to the war, they will agree to the injury or the destruction of a few little Ameri benefit of other industries seeking to extend their-toreign trade. I say to you now' we will fight you to the bitter end.” Other addresses there were of marked ability and strength, notably that of Mr. Leake, whose clear and calm exposition of the views of the important body for which he spoke gained close attention and respect; of Mr. George J. Seabury, who effectively urged that an American merchant ma rine, an Isthmian canal and the lay ing of Pacific cables to be owned and operated by Americans should precede any general scheme of reciprocity; of Mr. Henry Dailey of New York, who presented an earnest, scholarly plea for deliberation, care and wisdom be fore embarking upon the unchartered sea of wide open reciprocity; of Mr. Titus Sheard of Little Falls, N. Y., and Mr. Owen Osborne of Philadelphia, who contributed some valuable facts relative to wages and cost of produc tion in the knit goods and hosiery In dustry; of Mr. S. O. Blgney of Attel boro. Mass., whose statement concern ing the great jewelry industry of New England might well make Mr. Farqu har feel ashamed of his sneering allu sions to “bogus jewelry.” In the formation of the committee on resolutions the outlook for protection was not at first glance encouraging, hut the obvious temper of the conven tion as a whole had its effect upon the committee's deliberations, with the re sult of producing a report which stands for the maintenance of the principle of proteelion for the home market, and for only such modifications of the tar iff as can be made “without injury to any of our home interests of manufac turing, commerce or farming.’’, Sound republican and protection doctrine, tersely and plainly stated! The reso lutions also recommend the creation by Congress of a reciprocity commission and for the establishment of a depart ment of commerce. In a body of close upon 300 delegates these resolutions were adopted with only three dissent ing votes. One of these was changed before the result was announced. Two remained obdurate. One of these was Henry W. Lamb, a delegate from the New England Free Trade League, and the other declined to disclose his iden tity. So ended In all honor and justice and equity and wisdom and patriotism the assembly of notables to be hereafter known In history at the National Reci procity Convention. In the languages of the devout Mr. Seabury we say: Amen! SHOI LDNOT COME I!l FIGURES FROM BOARD OF IMMIGRA TION COMMISSIONERS. of Immigrant! Who Ar* Cn <le*lrali!e from American Standpoints of ('Itlzanahlp—I'nnper K.lenient from Southern Italy Left In Seaboard Cities. The report of the board of immigra tion commissioners at New York con tains figures and statistics that furnish food for serious reflection on the much vexed problem of restricting the flow of certain classes of foreigners to this country. The total immigration for the fiscal year 1900-1901 was 383,931, as against 341,712 for the year previous, an increase of 47,219. The total num ber of immigrants from southern Italy for 1900-1901 was 111,298, as against 83,329 for the preceding fiscal year. From northern Italy there were 20,360 immigrants this year as against 16,690 last year, an increase of 3,670. The commissioners’ report will show that the southern Italians brought with them this year $964,979, a per capita rate of only $8.67, while the northern Italians brought $478,969, a per capita rate of $23.62, standing well up among the highest class of immigrants. As to the Influx from other countries the fig ures are also interesting. The second highest on the list to the Italians are the Hebrews, who numbered 43,237, a decrease of 1,283 from the preceding year. They were also short of funds, having Drought $360,940, a per capita rate of $8.68, which is 9 cents less than that, of the southern Italians and the lowest on the entire list. Polish im migrants numbered 37,636, an increase of 801. They brought $373,659, or $9.93 per capita. The Lithuanians were 8,192 in number and had a per capita rate of $8.66, the Portuguese were 3,393 strong, with a $9.61 rate, and the Ru thenlans 5,032, with a $9.64 rate to their credit. The per capita rate of all oth ers was above $10. The German immi gration amounted to 29,660, an increase at 6,298. Their per capita rate was $31.14, .the third highest on the list, the first being held by the French, at a $39.57 rate, with a small Immigra tion of 3,771, while the English, Scotch and Welsh at $32.64 were third highest, with a total Immigration of 6,433 per sons. Ireland sent over this year 19, 953 immigrants, which was 5,247 less than landed during 1899-1900. They Drought $340,822, or $17.10 per capita rate. The Scandinavians increased 1,334 over last year, their total being 24,161, with a per capita ratio of 116.15. The Slovaks numbered 26,931, an In crease of 1,539. They had a $12.31 rate. The Magyars were 12,344, with 991 In crease and a $10.96 rate. The Croa tian and Dalmatian races were repre sented by 12,348 immigrants, with $15.54 as a per capita; the Dutch and Flemish had 3,065, with a high ratio af $26.30, while the Spanish, with 513, an increase of 204, had a still higher oer capita of $30.23. The Armenians, Syrians and Bohemians furnished 11, 721, the Finnish 8,359, the Greeks 6,661 and all other nationalities 1,627. Their per capita rates ranged from $15 to $22. As already stated, the increase in im migration for the fiscal year 1900-1901 was 47,219, and of this number 28,969, or 61 per cent, were natives of south Italy. One of the railroad officials of the immigration bureau, in New York, commenting on this feature, said: “The southern Italians, who so largely swelled the tide of immigration this vear constitute an undesirable class for naturalization and citizenship. Past experience bears out this statement, and, as evidence of the fact that there « no racial prejudice in the assertion, it is only necessary to ask the opinion of a north Italian on the pauper element of southern Italy. Many of them have told me how utterly worthless these persons are at home, and statistics show how- useless they are from a pro gressive standpoint in this country. They represent the lazy #nd Indolent outcasts of southern Europe, are abso lutely thriftless and will work only when dire necessity compels it. They bring Just enough money with them to this country to comply with the immi gration laws, and, as they cannot af ford to buy railroad or steamboat tickets to'sections of the country where there is a demand for their labor, they linger in the large cities of the East until their meager fund is exhausted, and then, for the most part, become burdens on the municipalities in which they are stranded. This, of course, will apply to some classes of other na tionalities, and it seems that the time has arrived for more stringent immi gration laws, restricting the wholesale influx of objectionable classes of for eigners to this country.”—New York Sun. Charity's Choice. “Mummy,’ said a small girl—“mum my, dear, I do wish I might give some money for poor children's dinners." ‘So you may, darling." “But, mum my. I haven’t any money.’’ “Well, darling, if you like to go without sugar I will give you the money in stead, and then you will have some.” The small child considered solemnly for a moment and then said: "Must it oe sugar, mummy?” “Why, no, darling, I don’t much mind. What would you like to do without?” “How would soap do, mummy, then?” exclaimed the small maiden in triumph.—Phila delphia Ledger. Choliy-"I think I may change my mind.” Miss Marbleheart (earnest ly)—“I would if I were you.”—Judge. Bowing to circumstances is apt to be forced politeness. Many a man’s head is full of empti ness.