An American Nabob.
A Rema.rko.ble Story of Love, Gold and
Adventure.
By ST. GEORGE RATHBORNE
♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦ ♦♦♦<
Copyright, by Stbkht & SHiiu, New York.
CHATTER .MIf.—(Continued.)
“If one falls the other takes all,
binding himself to carry out those
small favors that are on the list. Senor
Jack, my brave friend, everything is
yours. I brought you power, now
riches beyond the maddest dream of
any human being on earth. Your fu
ture lies before you. In good time,
when it pleases you. return again to
London, there to punish and reward.
But, amigo, sometimes when perhaps
surrounded by happy scenes, let mem
ory carry you to the lonely grave of
your comrade in arms far away under
southern skies, and drop a tear to
Barrajo, who met a soldier's fate."
Jack was affected almost to tears,
so that he could only squeeze the hand
he held in his. The presence of the
Dread Rider upon the White Horse is
always sombre, and never more so
than when by violence he snatches the
life of a sturdy soldier upon the field
of battle.
"One last request, Senor Jack. Prom
ise that you will some day send a force
of men hither to remove my poor
bones to the consecrated ground of
San Jose cemetery. It will give me
satisfaction in the last minutes of my
life.”
“I swear it,” declared Jack stoutly.
The general pressed his hand.
He was growing fainter; his eyes
assumed a far-away stare; again his
mind wandered to earlier scenes in his
tempestuous life, and he gave orders
to his army; called upon the enemy
lo surrender, uttered endearing phrases
to some lovely woman, whose face
haunted him at this the closing hour
of his career; and then addressed wait
ing spirits, whom he seemed to see
hovering near. Who dares to say it
was only imagination? Then came
the death rattle, the rigor that stiff
ened his stout frame, and all was over.
As Overton knelt there above all
that was mortal of his genial old
friend, mentally renewing the vow he
had taken with the general, it seemed
qs though the scroll of time were un
rolled, and once again he looked back
to the hour of his awful humiliation
and despair, when the woman he loved
betrayed him for gold, and gave her
self for life into the keeping of his
rival, whose foot had pressed the lad
der of fame and fortune.
"It is Destiny," he said solemnly. “T
pleaded with high Heaven to grant
this one request. The wonderful op
portunity has come, and now—to my
work!"
BOOK THREE.
The Madera Monte Crista.
CIIAPTEK XIV.
The Marquis of Montezuma.
It was lovely June, anil London shel
lered at least a million and a half of
visitors within her gates, for the great
est jublilee the world has ever known
wa9 in progress, to celebrate the end
ing of sixty years' reign on the part
of the beloved sovereign, Victoria.
Among the millions who gazed upon
the marvelous spectacle, none occu
pied a more commanding position than
a gentleman of distinguished appear
ance, who seemed to control several of
the best windows in the second floor
of a famous hotel in front of which
the procession moved.
His manner seemed cold and re
pressed, as though his heart were not
in this scene. Indeed, at times he ap
peared gloomy, as might a man bowed
down with heavy cares.
Among those who speculated with
regard to the identity of this mysteri
ous guest of the fashionable hotel
were a couple of gentlemen seated at
the window of an office further down
the street.
One of these was no other than Cap
tain Maurice Livermore, the famous
traveler. His companion was a club
man, who pretended to do a little busi
ness for the looks of the thing, which
accounted for the office in the Strand.
“Come, tell me who that fellow over
yonder may be? He seems to lord it
like a prince of the blood. From what
part of the world does he hail?” ask
ed the captain.
“Some weeks ago.” said his com
panion, "he burst in upon London like
a com jt, and in two days the talk of
the town was nothing but Don Juan
de Overton, or. as some have called
him, the Marquis of Montezuma.
"His wealth is affirmed to be with
out limit, and in this day that is an
assertion which can be said of few
men; but Don Juan spends money like
water, and his extravagances have
cast, poor Barney Barnato quite in the
shade, while even Dumas' Monte
Crlsto is hardly in the swim.
“It has even been given on strong
authority that he lias h personal for
tune of over twenty million pounds
sterling.”
The captain raised his hands to ex
press surprise.
“Jove! Have you met the Marquis?"
“Well, l have had that pleasure,”
complacently.
‘‘Then some day when the oppor
tunity arises, make me acquainted with
this remarkable Spanish-American na
bob, this modern Croesus, whose
touch is gold, like that of mythical
Midas.”
“Willingly. Von like to study man.
and in him you will find a puzzle
worthy of your metal.”
“Well, find a chance to bring me
Into touch with this American nabob.
I never saw an American—yes, there
was one, but he hardly counts—with
whom I was not able to get upon fa
miliar and intimate terms on short
notice. Somehow they seem to like
me. I notice >'ou have a marine glass
on the wall among those yacht prizes
and burgees. Would you mind hand
ing it over? I would like to have a
closer survey of this man. Why. bles3
my soul, the windows are empty, nor
can 1 see any sign of him in the apart
ment. Your marquis has made a
move at last, Langford.”
When (he marquis left the hotel ho
was gradually pushing along, when
among the slow moving vehicles he
noticed a hansom containing two
ladies, one of them young, the other
| middle-aged.
The marquis stood thorp, unmindful
of the good-natured shoves of the
crowd, seeing nothing but the charm
ing countenance of the younger lady.
“At last!” were the only words that
came from between his white teeth, as
the vehicle passed on.
Then, with a cynical smile upon his
face he once more joined the onward
surge of the crowd.
Half an hour later he shook himself
free from the rolling billows, and en
tered a narrow court, by means of
which he was enabled to reach a street
leading to the poorer regions.
Suddenly he paused before a house,
a shabby looking affair, where a dirty
little paper in the windows announced
that apartments were to be let.
Some Quixotic notion seemed to
possess him, for he gave a quick look
up and down the street, laughed a
little harshly, as though in judgment
upon his contemplated action, and
then boldly sounded his knuckles upon
tho door.
A frowsy woman opened it.
“You have rooms for hire, madam?”
asked the marquis, in the best of Eng
lish.
She was rather appalled at the ap
pearance of such a “howling swell,” as
she was inclined to consider a fashion
ably dressed gentleman, and very
humbly answered that it was true,
though surely none to suit, his lord
ship.
"I am not so certain of that,” he
replied quickly, “for I am looking to
find a sky parlor for a friend of mine,
a painter, who will furnish it at his
convenience.”
The woman’s face grew brighter.
If it was an attic the gentleman
was looking for. she did have one va
cant; it had even been occupied for a
season by an artist, who was pleased
to say the light was exceptionally
good.
bhe led the way to the attic and the
marquis followed.
From object to object he glanced,
and upon the yawning aperture,
yclept a fireplace, his gaze seemed to
linger longest.
With a calm voice he inquired the
price of the attic, and upon being told
immediately paid three months’ rent
in advance.
Then he seemed desirous of being
rid of her presence, and expressed a
desire to be left alone for half an
hour.
So the woman went below to relate
fairy stories of the Prince Bountiful
whom she had unwittingly entertained,
and boast of the new artist lodger
who was to occupy one of the attic
rooms.
And the stranger in Ixindon stood
there in that upper chamber, motion
less, evidently overcome by memories
that crowded upon his mind.
As he stood, musing on the strange
and remarkable vicissitudes of for
tune, he heard a footstep dragging
wearily up the stairs, and thinking it
was the landlady, he did not move.
Then a door was closed, and he heard
a key turn in the lock.
Some person had entered the adjoin
ing room, probably a counterpart of
the one he occupied. Yes, there could
be no doubt about it since he now
caught voices.
Unconsciously the inarquife listened.
Evidently something had given him a
great shock, for his attitude betrayed
this, as he stood there, with one hand
half raised, his head bent sideways,
and evidently intent upon hearing
what was said beyond the thin parti
tion, while to himself he was mutter
ing:
“Marvelous, indeed—the hand of
fate. After two weeks of searching
! through half of London, and now to
discover her by chance—to occupy the
adjoining room. Ah! this is kind, in
deed; but one of the many favors with
which 1 have been blessed by an indul
gent fortune.”
As he listened, he discovered to his
dismay that there was a sound of low
weeping in the next room.
He heard a window lowered, which
struck him as singular, as the air was
very close on this balmy Jubilee day.
“Is there no escape, dearest?” said a
voice that seemed half muffled by the
bed clothes, and yet one knew instinct
ively that it belonged to an aged wo
man.
"None, whatever, Aunty. We have
endured everything that mortal can on
earth. There is nothing left for us
but this one resort,” came in a low,
quavering voice that somehow caused
intense emotion to pass over the mar
quis' face, possibly because the speaker
was a woman and in trouble.
"Then God forgive us!” said the
cracked voice, very reverently.
“Hush, Aunty, dear; say no more,
have keyed myself up to the desperate
or you will unnerve me Just when I
pitch. Happiness was never meant for
me; doomed to always sup with pov
erty. Kiss me again, Aunty, boon I
will come and lie at your side, where
your arms can enfold me; dearest
arms that have so many times crushed
tne to a loving heart.”
The marquis was strongly shaken—
for a man whoso untold millions were
the wonder ami marvel of Lombard
street, to be thus brought face to face
with the direst poverty, was a rude
shock.
Suddenly he became aware of the
fact that some noxious gas came to his
attention. He sniffed at the charged
air suspiciously, and decided on the In
stant that it was the fumes of smold
ering charcoal. Then the dreadful sig
nificance of what he had heard, the
prayer for pity a *4 forgiveness, the
gradually dying murmur of voices—
good heavens! It meant the desperate,
poverty-stricken wretch's last fling at
outrageous fortune, the sole relief l om
gnawing hunger ana corroding care—•
it meant suicide—while he lingered
and planned those whom he would
have helped might have crossed the
grim divide that (•••^•>ered the shadowy
land of death!
CIJATTKIt XV,
The Turning of the Tide.
Whatever may have been the mys
tery of his past life, the marquis dem
onstrated the fact beyond all perad
venture that he was a man of action,
able to meet an emergency as it arose
and overwhelm it
One leap and l»o .vas outside the
door of his attic room—another took
him to that of the adjacent chamber,
from whence had come the murmur of
voices.
He tried to open this, but was baf
fled—then he remembered, having
heard the key turned in the lock after
the entrance of the dejected miniature
painter.
He threw his full weight forward, in
such a manner that the impact was
something tremendous.
There was a crash, and the door flew
back.
Into the chamber darted the mar
quis, holding his breath, for the deadly
fumes of the wretched little charcoal
stove were almost suffocating.
His first move was to throw up the
window, thus allowing a current of
pure air, at least as good as this sec
tion of London could boast, to sweep
through the chamber, a draught being
formed by the open door.
Next he picked up the pitcher of
water standing on the box anti dash
ing It over the smoldering charcoal,
effectually wound up its miserable part
of the tragedy.
To the bed he hastened.
The women lay there wan and mo
tionless—indeed, his first thought was
that he had come to the rescue too
late, and that death had already
claimed his victims.
Picking up the younger one in his
strong arms, this resolute man of ac
tion bore her to the window, and laid
ills burden down where the incoming
current of air would fall upon her
face.
Then he went back for her older
companion.
Her eyes were open, though she
seemed to be speechless—evidently she
had partially covered her head with
the bed clothes and thus in a measure
escaped the full result of the smoth
ering sensation.
Again be hurried to the side of the
form at the window, bending oh, so
eagerly over her, and scanning her
pinched face for signs of returning
animation.
The flutter of an eyelid, a low sigh,
a slight movement of a hand—these
w’ere enough to tell him the joyful
tidings, and when he had assured him
self of this fact, a faint, but fervent
"thank God" came from. the bearded
lips of the man.
(To be continued.)
IRISH BURIAL PLACES.
Htrong Deaire of All to He Hurled with
Their Ancestor*.
The Irish are very particular as tc
where they will be buried. It goes
without saying that they want to be
interred in consecrated ground; but
they also wish to be laid with their
own in the ancient hallowed spot
where their ancestors for many a gen
eration have been put to rest. Each
family has its burying-place. and
whenever a member dies—unless it be
beyond the seas or at some insuper
able distance—he is brought to lie
buried with his sires. Hence, it is that
funeral processions are oftentimes seen
to wend their slow way past many a
wayside churchyard to some far-off
burial ground, because it is there that
for many and many a generation the
forefathers of the deceased have laid
themselves down for their last long
sleep.—Rev. C. O’Mahony in Dona
hoe's.
Fanny Thl»sj» That Kwaiw.
W. J. Arkell complains that most
really funny things happen outside of
the comic papers and don’t get round
ed up and brought in. One morning
he was at the telephone in his office,
apparently having trouble of his own
trying to communicate with some
body :
“What? Speak up! Can't understand
a word! Say, give mo that all over
again, please!”
Then he turned to those about him
and said:
‘Til bet the wires are crossed again.
This telephone service is getting worse
and worse.”
Another fruitless effort and then a
sudden light broke in upon him:
"Well, that's the limit! Do you
know wfiat's the matter with the wire?
The fellow at the other end that’s try
ing to talk to me stutters.”—New York
Times
KEDT'CING THE DUTY.
SOME ASPECTS OF THE CUBAN
SYMPATHY QUESTION.
Ought We to Injure Domo^tlc Agrlml*
tnro llPrauiM’ of Condition* for Which
the Overprodtir i ion of Sugar Through
out the World In Alone Keipoutthle •
The Washington press dispatches of
February 3 tell of conferences be
tween President Roosevelt and mem
bers of the House committee on ways
and means in which the President is
represented as having made some
progress toward impressing upon the
Congressional conferreos the necessity
for consenting to some reduction of
the existing rates of duty upon Cuban
sugar and tobacco. To what extent
this executive pressure has been or is
likely to prove successful we are not
at this writing advised, but it is well
known that the strong protectionists
of the ways and means committee have
been subjected to such pressure. It is
also well known that the President is
so firmly convinced of the need of
doing something sympathetic for the
Cuban sugar and tobacco interests that
he has In view the sending to Con
gress of a special message on the sub
ject. It is not unlikely that the Presi
dent would prefer to reach in advance
an understanding that would make
such a message unnecessary, and at
the same time remove all danger of
an open rupture on the question of
the Cuban tariff concessions. To ar
rive at such an understanding and
avoid such a rupture is on all accounts
desirable.
In urging the protectionists in Con
gress to forgot for the time being the
rightful claims of the agricultural in
terests of the United States, the Presi
dent is doubtless actuated by warm
and honest sympathy for the distressed
planters of Cuba. Is he not, however,
asking protectionists to forget that if
there is any honest claim on the part
of Cuba against anybody, it is against
the world at large and not against the
United States'.’ The low price of raw
sugar to-day is the result of the very
large product all over the world, and
not the result of any relations between
Cuba and the United States. Protec
tionists have a right to urge ttiat this
fact be not lost sight of when the
I
sugars of Europe In rompctitton with
his product. It la a pretty good rule
to find out what Mr. Havemey r wants
to do and then not do it.— Seattle Post
Intelligencer.
I'utarn Value.
Said Governor Cummins of Iowa in
his Inaugural address:
“Reciprocity that takes without giv
ing is an Idle dream and a contradic
tion in terms, aud if its scope embraces
only non-competitive products It Is of
little future value in the economy of
the nation."
That is exactly what the Free-Trad
ers think. In their estimation the free
admission of non-competitive prod
ucts is a. mockery and a delusion and
not reciprocity at all. The only re
ciprocity which suits them is the kind
which lets down the bars and invites
the competition of all the world, even
the partial displacement of domestic
labor and industry by a limited ad
misslo'h of lower priced foreign com
petitive products does not please them.
This is only “partial reciprocity,”
aud “partial reciprocity," they
tel 1 us. "is (only) a step toward free
trade.” Good enough as fur as it goes,
but it falls far short of the thing
hoped for. They agree, however, with
Governor Cummins that reciprocity
which "embraces only non-competi
tive products is of little future value
in the economy of the nation.” Future
value to whom? To foreign produc
ers? Yes; that is precisely what the
freo trader means. Is It what Gov
ernor Cummins means? Has he fig
ured out the “future value" to our
country of taking from foreigners an
Increased quantity of articles which
we can make, are making, and ought
to continue to make, ourselves?
I* Ho it rr«e*Tr.i<lPr ‘
Democratic newspapers are greatly
pleased at some of the things contain
ed In the inaugural message of Gov
ernor Cummins, Iowa’s new executive.
They are patting him on the back with
a degree of atrenuou-mess that ought
to jar him into wondering whether he
really said such a smart thing after
all when he declared that “Protection
is established for man and not man
for protection." Considering that Gov
ernor Cummins calls himself a Repub
lican and a protectionist, does he know
what he meant when he said that?
We don’t, and we don’t believe lie
does. We have an idea that he was
HOW TO AVOID ANOTHER TUNNEL DIASTER.
What we want to do is to keep out of the Froo Trade tunnel, and 1t is for
ihe American voter to guard the switch. When the Free Trade League tries
to obstruct the track and wreck the industrial train we musf be ready for
them at every turn. Eternal vigilance is not only the prieo of liberty, but
of permanent peace and prosperity.
question of Cuba’s "claims” is under
consideration. They have a right to
urge, moreover, that unless the Re
publican party stands up squarely for
the principle of protection, let it lead
where it may, we shall always be con
fronted with an agitation similar to
tiiat which preceded the enactment of
the Wilson bill with its attendant
devastation and ruin to our domestic
business interests.
If we are going to repeat the Ha
waiian experiment we shall not come
off as well as we did then, for that
was a little affair, and this will be a
big affair, and one that will grow
greater every year. We will commence
by losing for the United States a great
deal of honest money which belongs to
it, and end by destroying an industry
which for the iirst time and after
many struggles is in a position which
seems likely to produce valuable re
sults. These arc things which ought
to be duly weighed before the protec
tionists of tile ways and means com
mittee before they consent that their
deliberate judgment be broken down
by executive pressure.
In lie Willing?
President Haverueyer, of the sugar
trust, is hostile to the tariff on raw
sugar. This, mind you, is al! in the
interest of the poor consumer. Mr.
Havemeyer finds that jsj.oOO.OOO a
ye:ir could be saved to these people by
the abolition of the duties on sugar;
and these, he is sure, the country,
with an overflowing treasury, does
not need. How unspeakably gener
ous. Now there is one question which
the country is anxious that Mr. Have
meyer should answer. Is he willing
that the duty on refined sugar should
be abolished along with that on the
raw article? The people do not use
the raw. but the refined product, j
Therefore, if it is their interest that
we are to consider, it is the duty on ,
refined sugar that must go first. There
is no question about the position of
the philanthropist who wants to kill i
the sugar planting industry and the j
beet sugar industry in thle country )
when It comes to admitting the cheap
Just trying his hand at phrase making.
If so, he is "not so much." He was
simply paraphrasing what somebody
said long ago about the Sabbath being
made for man and not man for the
Sabbath.
"Is Governor Cummins a free trad
er?" asks the Iluffalo Courier. We
think not. He is merely a protection
ist temporarily off his base. He'll be
all right when he wakes up from his
dream of adding another to the list of
Iowa's great statesmen.
If We Owe.
Before we make the farmers pay
Cuba something, would it not be well
to see if we owe. and then if we do
owe pay it ourselves, out of our own
treasury, and see that the right people
get it?
IlaimnuM by t lie Million.
How largely the toothsome banana
and the festive cocoanut enter into
the dietary of the American people
may be judged by the fact that the
United States Fruit Company alone,
during the past year, distributed in
the United States and Canada, ap
proximately no less than 17,500,000
hunches of bananas and l.'l.oOO.OOO co
coanuts, in addition to other tropical
fruits. Sixty ocean-going steamers
were engaged exclusively in the ba
nana trade.
Estimating not over 100 good ba
nanas to a bunch, these figures show
an average consumption of more than
twenty bananas each for every man,
woman and child in the United States,
and a fewr million extra for
good boys and girls. But an attempt
to divide up the cocoanuts per capita
will probably get us Into trouble, for,
while the bulk is enormous, it means
only one cocoanut to every half-dozen
persons, enough for all perhaps, if the
division was made on strictly equit
able principles.
land Free from Snake.
The Saidwlch Islands resemble Ire
land in their freedom from snakes. One
species only is known, and that is not
common.
NEGLIO LAWMAK£3S,
COLORED MEN WHO HAVE HELD
SEATS IN CONGRESS.
'_Ti© First ()n« Took tbo Sent Mad*
Vacaat liy the designation of Senator
VatU — Only White Men Now Par
ticipate in the Deliberation*.
For the first time in thirty-two
years, except for a brief period be
tween 1887 and 1889, no colored man
sits in either chamber of congress,
and there is Ipss prospect of the elec
tion of a colored man to this body
than at any time since the close of
the civil war. That with education
and culture his political fortunes will
be advanced cannot be doubted.
Hampton and Tuskegee are doing a
great work, and the future negro
statesman will be the equal In intel
lect and culture, perhaps, of his white
brother. Thi3 was not true of many
of those colored men who have bee \
honored with scats in congress, but it
is true that they recognized their own
limitations and worked patiently and
unceasingly for improvement, says the
New York Tribune. The first colored
man elected to congress was ,f. Willis
Menard of Louisiana. He was born
in Illinois, educated at Iberia college,
had acted as hospital steward and re
cruiting officer for the government
during the war, and was sent on a
special mission to Honduras. In what
ever office he served he won the confi
dence of his superiors. He had great
influence over his own people,and was
noted as a public speaker. No negro
was ever worthier of a seat in con
gress', but Menard was never allowed
to serve In the office to which he had
been chosen, being barred out by al
leged irregularities in uls election. His
failure, however, and the criticism It
evoked paved the way for the entrance
of the black man into public life, and
on February 25, 1870, after one of tho
most exciting debates in the hLstory
of congress, when Charles Sumner
acted as the champion of the negro,
Hcvolls was admitted to the senate to
1111 the scat made vacant by the resig
nation of Jefferson Davis. Two other
negroes served in the forty-first con
gress—Joseph li. Rainey and Jefferson
F. Long.
There were four negro representa
tives in the forty-second congress,
which number was increased to seven
In the forty-third. The forty-fourth
cor.gre.--i was known as the “black
congress.” Blanche K. Bruce repre
sented Mississippi in the senate and
seven men of his race served in the
lower house. Of these the most con
spicuous was Robert Smalls of South
Carolina, the famous pilot who head
ed the party that conducted the Plant
er out of Charleston harbor, for which
service he was handsomely rewarded
by the government and appointed pilot
for the rest of the war. With tho
fifty-fourth congress tho number of
colored men in the house and senato
tiegan to decrease. In the next con
gress only four colored members were
returned. Senator Bruce was the only
man of his race in the forty-sixth
congress. Smalls and Lynch repre
sented their race in the forty-seventh
congress. In the two succeeding con
gresses there was only one colored
man, James E. O'Hare of North Caro
lina. who was defeated for the fiftieth
congress, and since then only five
negroes have served In congress—John
M. I Kingston of Virginia, Thomas E.
Miller of South Carolina, Henry P.
Cheatham of North Carolina, George
W. Murray of South Carolina and
George H. White of North Carolina.
King Ednurd'i Joke.
There Is a curious story of King Ed
ward apropos of the visit of Toole, the
actor, to Sandringham. King Edward,
who was then prince of Wales, had
“commanded" Mr. Toole to "surprise"
the princess of Wales, and when the
actor's agent appeared at Sandringham
to make arrangements for the visit the
prince explained that he wished to
keep the matter a profound secret until
the last moment. “To enable you to
do so," said the prince, "I shall Intro
duce you as the Spanish ambassador."
“But 1 can’t speak Spanish, sir," ex
claimed the frightened agent, and the
prince put him at his ease at once by
saying: “Nor can they, so your dis
guise will be perfect.” The "Spanish
ambassador” went on with his arrange
ments quietly aud without interruption
and when the surprise play was over
the prince of Wales proposed the
health of Mr. Toole. The London WTiter
who has revived the story wonders if
Queen Alexandra has ever heard of the
identity of the “Spanish ambassador"
or if Spain wouid insist on war with
England after this revelation.
A Strong; Combination.
I overheard a rather good story the
other day in which Bishop Doane fig
ures. The bishop was standing in front
of :t drug store on Washington avenue
nearly opposite the capitol. talking to
a well-known surgeon of Albany, N. Y.,
and the proprietor of the drug store.
Nearly in front of the drug store was
an undertaker’s wagon, which the
owner had left there for a few mo
ments while he went into a store to
make a pun base. At this juncture,
as the novelists say, along came a
prominent Albanian who was well ac
quainted with the bishop, the surgeon
and the druggist. He was about to
stop and pass the time of day with the
group, when he happened to be struck
with the peculiar combination. Turn
ing to the bishop, he said: "Doctor,
druggist, priest and undertaker’s
wagon—that combination is a little too
suggestive to suit me. I’ll pass.” And
he passed along on his way. followed
by the hearty laughter of the bishop
and his friends.
