JOHN BURT Hy FREDERICK UPHAM ADAMS Aiitfcor of “Tbo Kidnapped Millionaires," “Colonel Monroe s Doctrine,” Etc, • COPYHIGHT, 1902, BT PBKDBUICK UPHAM Anivu All rights reserved COPTRKiHT, 1803. BT A, J. Dbixkl Biudi.b CHAPTER XXIV—Continued. * They strolled into the conservatory. For the first time he was alone with Jessie Carden, and a sense of exalted happiness surged'over him. Blake had formulated no plan of campaign for the conquest of Jessie Carden. The light of her eyes and the radiance of her beauty were to him as ignes fatui, and drew him on. He talked of California and of Rocky Woods, but his eyes spoke love and his deep rich voice was tender. Fair woman is seldom blind to the spell cast by her charms, and It is probable that Jessie was aware of Blake’s admiration; but she neith er recognized nor took advantage of it. Though he knew that the odds were overwhelmingly against him, and that one false step meant irre trievable defeat, he shut his eyes to the perils which encompassed him. He knew the risk he ran in appear ing in public with Jessie Carden, but he did not hesitate to secure a box for the Booth performance. There were four in the theater party—the general and Edith, Blake and Jessie Carden. Blake escorted Jessie to the front of the box and took his place by her side. The boxes were thronged with fair wom en, but all eyes were turned on Jes sie Carden and her handsome escort. She had been absent from New York for two years, and only a few recog nized her. James Blake was even less known, though his name had been made familiar by the name of Wall street achievements with which he was publicly identified. The first act was nearly over when a thick-set young man, with a soft, florid face, sauntered into the box directly across the orchestra from Blake and Jessie. Both recognized the newcomer as Arthur Morris, and both felt a secret joy that he was present. Like a flash the thought came to Blake that, by means of his place near there. Miss CardMn was then a little girl, but I remember her distinctly. That’s all. If you demand* evidence, I have not the slightest doubt that Miss Carden or the gen eral will furnish it.” To Jessie’s amusement and Gener al Carden’s relief Morris declared that he did not doubt Blake’s word. The fires of jealousy burned fiercely in him, but he concealed his rage. “I admit myself done, old chap,” he declared. "We shall have a jolly dinner in honor of my defeat. Say Tuesday, at Sherry’s? Will that be convenient, Miss Carden? Good! There goes the curtain.” Morris smiled gaily and excused himself, and Blake and Jessie re sumed their places. "You have a wonderful memory, Mr. Blake,” said Jessie, behind her fan. “I could not help thinking, while you were enlightening Mr. Mor ris, that perhaps you had uncon sciously confused your Rocky Moun tain career with that of your boy hood friend, John Burt.” The smile on Blake’s lips died and the color mounted to his temples. “Perhaps—perhaps I did,” he said, after an awkward pause. A thousand thoughts and fears came to him. He dared not lift his eyes for fear of encouraging the gaze of the man he had wronged. The voices on the stage sounded far away. Jessie’s innocent words, "your boyhood iriend, John Burt,” had hurled him for the moment frotn the heaven of bliss to the nadir of remorse. Opportunely for his confusion, Edith called Jes sie’s attention to some trifling matter, and in the interval he regained his composure. The play ended, and Arthur Morris again joined the Blake party as they waited for the crowd to leave. He declined Blake’s invitation to supper, pleading a previous engagement. "I am chaperoning the governor,” THEY ' INTO 772T CQV<3£jPkZ!TQ£:' rival, he could enhance the chances of a speedy success with the woman by his side. ‘•Do you notice the gentleman sit ting alone in the box opposite?” he asked as the curtain fell. “Yes,” answered Jessie, raising her eyes and looking at Blake with a puzzled smile. “Why do you ask?” “That’s Arthur Morris, the banker. Would you like to meet him?” “I shall be delighted!” exclaimed Jessie, who could not resist the temp tation. At that instant Morris directed his opera-glass for the first time at the Blake box. The smile of joy when he recognized Jessie turned to one of blank amazement when he saw James Blake. In response to Blake's signal the dazed Morris was picking his way through the crush. Blake led Jessie to the rear of the box. “Miss Carden, permit me to present my friend, Mr. Arthur Morris.’ Jessie smiled and offered her hand. “I’m glad to meet any friend of Mr. Biake’s,” she said. “By Jove, old man, this is a joke on you, or me—or both of us!" stam mered Morris. “Charmed to meet you again, Miss Carden! How are you, General Carden? This is a good one on you, Blake! I’ve been acquainted with Miss Carden for years—five years, is it not, Miss Car den? Jessie’s laughing eyes admitted the truth and Blake looked properly con fused. “I shall have to forgive you,” Blake said to Jessie, “but you are taking an unfair advantage of a wild West erner.” “You have the reputation of being lucky,” said Morris, laying his hand familiarly on Blake’s shoulder, “but [•didn’t know that your good fortune extended to an acquaintance with Miss Carden.” There was a shade of Insolence in his tone, and an air which did not escape any of his three listeners. It hinted that he was General Carden’s employer; that the latter was under obligations to him, and that Jessie was pledged to pay the debt. But Blake was a good actor in the little comedy between the acts. He held the key to the solution. Of> all the figures in this complicated drama, he alone knew the motives which influ enced the other players. “I might say the same to you, my dear Morris,” said Blake with airy confidence. “Were it in good form I would willingly wager a supper that ( met Miss Carden before you did. Have I your permission, Miss Car den, to challenge Mr. Morris to such a wager?” “You have,” laughed Jessie. General Carden’s face was a study, but Morris wa? too dumfounded to notice it. Blake’s words had remind ed him of the night he first met the young magnate from California. He bad only one card to play. “I accept your wager,” he said. “When I was a boy I lived in Rocky Woods,” began Blake. “Miss Carden probably has told you that she spent the summers with Mr. and Mrs. Bishop, who still have a country he laughed, pointing to his father, whose ponderous bulk blocked an ad jacent aisle. “By the way, Biake. did you follow my tip on L. & O.? Bought a little, did you? That’s right; keep on buying it. It’s going up, as I said it would. You needn’t be afraid of it.” CHAPTER XXV. The Mantle of Charity. It w’as late on Su; jay morning when Blake awoke. For years he and John had dined at four o’clock on Sundays, and they had continued the custom in New York. Blake looked forward to what had ever been a pleasure, with an aversion not unmixd with fear. He rang a bell and his valet re sponded. “Mr. Burton will dine with mo at four o’clock,” he said. “Until he leaves I’m not at home to anyone. Make no mistake about this, Roberts. I want a light breakfast.” Blake carelessly glanced over a newspaper. With a yawn he was about to lay the paper aside, when he noticed a headline descriptive of the Booth performance of the prece<*in& evening. It was a long article, but Blake was so engrossed In its reading that he paid no attention to the valet’s announcement that his bath tt ao i cau.» . To the abject astonishment of that trained and sedate servant, Biake gave a cry of terror and sprang from his couch, upsetting a small table as he rushed towards the window. In the full flood of light he again read a paragraph. which had frozen the blood in his veins. It was as fol lows : “Among the box-holders at this notable performance was James Blake, the famous Wall street oper ator and financier, whose recent ad vent tn York was signalized by a market movement tu>L' toraotten. Mr. Blake’s guests were General Mar shall Carden, Miss Jessie Carden and Miss Edith Hancock, of Cohasset, Massachusetts. Miss Carden returned a week ago from a two years’ sojourn abroad, where her musical and artis tic talents attracted nearly as much attention as her rare beauty.” “My God! this is awful—awful— awful!” groaned Blake. “Get out of here!” he shouted to his man. “What the devil do you mean, standing there gaping at me? Bring me a glass of brandy, and be quick about it!” He hurled the paper from him and sank back into a chair. The door bell rang, and at the sound every nerve tingled with ter rt>r. Was it John Burt? James Blake was not a coward—as he had proved a score of times when his mettle was put to the test—but from the moment he w,ent down to defeat beneath sturdy blows he had respect ed his boyhood conqueror. The valet opened the door and Blake heard the piping voice of a tel egraph messenger. He drew a long breath and tore open the envelope. The message was from John Haw kins, and stated that he would ar rive in New York on the following■ morning. The little clock spasmodically jingled the hour of noon. In four short hours he would face John Burt! lie drank the brandy at a gulp, and plunged into a cool bath. He glared at the tempting breakfast, but could not taste it. “Take that stuff away and bring me more brandy,” he ordered. Again he read the dreaded para graph. It had a fascination he could not resist. He sent for all the Sun day journals and eagerly scanned them for mention of the theater par ty, but to his great relief found that it appeared only in the one paper. Again he helped himself to the brandy. “Come to think of it. John don’t read that cursed paper!” he ex claimed half aloud. “It’s only an ac cident that I happened to see it. If 1 hadn’t been there last night I never would have glanced below the head line. What chance is there for John to see it? Not one in a million!” He paced up and down the room, and paused to survey his reflection in a mirror. His face was drawn, and dark circles showed under his eyes. The decanter was his only friend. The grave face of the valet did not disclose the astonishment he felt over the conduct of his employer. Blake was almost abstemious in his habits, and his sideboard was more j of an ornament than a utility. In this he had wisely patterned himself after John Burt. “Shall I serve breakfast now, sir?” asked Roberts. Blake answered with a sullen nega tive and tossed off his fourth brandy. It sounded a new note in the scale of stimulation. “I don’t see why I should go into such a beastly funk over this affair!” he muttered. “It’s no crime to be in love with a woman. She doesn’t be long to him. They’re not even en gaged. Suppose he does love her? So do I. What if he did meet her first? A woman is not something to be discovered and pre-empted like a gold mine.” As the hours sped by and the dark red line in the decanter dropped low er and lower, Blake’s courage aroused to such a pitch that he welcomed the coming of John Burt. “By God, we’ll settle this matter now and here!” he exclaimed as he lurched unsteadily about the room. “John Burt nor any other man shall stand between me and Jessie Car den! I’ll meet him face to face! I’ll-” The hall bell rang with that clear precision which comes from the pressure of an insistent hand. At the same instant the little clock ham mered the hour of four. (To be continued.) Beard Did It. A recent graduate of one of the great universities secured a place with a well known firm at a modest salary. He fulfilled all his duties satisfactorily, but there seemed to be something lacking. Business callers did not seem to take him seriously and one would occasionally inquire: “Say, bub, where’s the boss?” The graduate finally decided tc raise a beard. At the end of a week his employer came to him and said: “It’s rather a delicate subject, but I'm glad that you have realized that it is your youthful appearance that has been keeping you back. You will take charge of the shipping depart ment to-morrow." “And some people say that appear ances count for nothing,” remarked the graduate. “It took me four years to get a college education, and in four weeks I’ll have a beard. I made $10 a week on the strength of the educa tion, and got promoted the first week on the strength of the beard.”—New York Sun. Record Locomotive Building. The Stratford works of the Great Eastern Railway, in England, have the record of a locomotive engine built in ten hours—a large freighter with a tender. Before the actual construc tion was begun the various parts were laid close at hand, ready for fitting to gether. The workmen began early in the morning and continued until the breakfast bell rang. Then the part ly-built engine was photographed. After a half hour’s rest the workmen returned to the task and continued till the dinner hour, when another photograph was taken. Thus the work proceeded till the engine was completed, with the exception of a coat of paint. This was quickly laid on by a spraying machine, and in less than half an hour was perfectly dry The locomotive was then sent on a trial journey a few miles up the line and all proved satisfactory, so it was sent with a baggage train. It has been in active service ever since. A Prophet Without Honor. The late Hugh Stowell Scott, fa mous as Henry Seton Merriman, au thor of “The Sowers,” “The Vultures” and other novels, was a man of extra ordinary reserve and self-command. The following story is told of him: His father, who was a director of the London Graphic, had an unac countable objection to his son’s fol lowing a literary career, and tried to make a business man of him. His *oa wrote in secret under a pseudo nym. and, although his work was auc cessfuV he never betrayed his literary identity to his father. On one occasion his father placed before him one of the young author’s own stories, saying, “Now, if you could write a book like this, it would be an other thing altogether.” And still the son kept silence.— Harper’s. What the Senator Thought. “We southern men,” said “Joe” Blackburn, “often look at a pretty women much as we would at a pic ture, admiringly, courteously, but never impertinently. It was in this way that I not long ago rested my orhs upon a handsome young woman who was walking up and down the platform at the station at Washington waiting for her train. “Soon she turned and saw me. “‘Rubber!’ she exclaimed, and shrugged her shoulders with a frown. “I took off my hat. “ 'Madam,, said -I, ‘beg a thousand pardons. I took the liberty of admir ing you because I thought you were the real thing.’ ”—New York Times. MUSE* 7 mm y m/a r Coin Spots in Silk. The large coin spots maintain all of their recent vogue in Paris, and most of the new silks show them in some size or design. A smart little gown shows the palest of sea-green foulards with a large coin spot in a bluish violet, this surrounded with a ring of fainter color. The blouse is of ficelle lace, cleverly strapped in bolero fashion with the silk cut to shaped bands, the long shoulder effect attained in a capelike section extend ing well over the curve of the arm. The sleeve is en suite with the bolero blouse, and the skirt is gauged over cords in hip-yoke design, the cords appearing again half way above the knee. At knee depth a full circular flounce is set on beneath a heading of narrow ruffles, and a further ruf fle is set on with gauged cordings and left to flare free above the hem. Coffee Frappe Delicious. Make a quart of strong coffee in a French coffee pot, and pour it in a bowl to cool; sweeten it palatably, and when quite cool add half a pint of cream; then put it in a patent freezer and let it freeze quite soft. Take as many oranges as are re quired to hold the frapped coffee; cut small slice from the stem of each or ange, and with a small spoon, or scoop with a long handle, scoop out all the pulp and juice from the or ange. When the pulp is taken from all fill the oranges with the frapped coffee, put up a small mound of whipped cream on top of each, and serve on small china or glass plates. Gloves Without Buttons. Any kind of a glove is uncomfort able in hot weather, and especially when one can almost cut the warm stickiness with a dull knife. But the average woman would be willing to undergo any amount of discomfort for the sake of the newest glove* sent over from Paris. It is made of suede, exquisite in quality and shade, and has a short gauntlet embroid ered in silk and gold. The best selling shades are the palest, pinkish grays and lilac and the tans that are almost a deep cream. These gloves are fastened with a single button which would put to shame some real pearls. White Voile Very Popular. Many beautiful gowns made of soft white voile are shown by leading modistes. These are trimmed with lace and ornamented with sashes, bows and streamers of white taffeta, bright pompadour or Dresden ribbon. Nothing is prettier than these gowns for afternoon and evening wear for young girls, young matrons and even elderly women, for a woman with white hair is exceedingly attractive in a gown of soft white material, with the softening effect of billowing lace about her throat and hands. Washing Chamois Gloves. Make a lather of castile soap—or of any fine, white soap. Put the gloves on and proceed as if you were wash ing your hands. When the gloves are clean, take them off and rinse them thoroughly in tepid water. Hang them out in the sun to dry. But while they are damp remove them from the line. Put them on your hands and let them dry. When you take them off, pull gently into shape, Just as you treat a new glove. White Linen Embroidered. Yoke waists made of linen embroid ered in openwork, or eyelet, style are much worn and always are handsome. This very stylish model is peculiarly well adapted to the treatment, as it includes a central box plait and shaped cuffs, both of which are eminently ef fective, and is closed invisibly. When Design by May Manton. liked, however, the yoke and the box plait at the back, which is applied, can be omitted and the model used for a plainer waist. Also the back can either be made to blouse or drawn down snugly as liked. To make the waist for a woman of medium size will be required 5^ yards 21, 4% yardj 27 or 2% yards 44 inches wide. For a Sickroom. Take a full handful each of worm wood. sage, lavender, rue, rosemary and milt and place in a stone crock, pouring over the mixture a gallon of good cider vinegar. After this has been kept tightly covered and in a warm place near the Are for four days, strain and add to it an ounce of powdered camphor gum. This should be kept in a well-corked bot tle, and when needed will impart a most refreshing aroma to a close room, and is also excellent to use on the face and hands before going near an infectious disease. Rose-Flavored Butter. The first step to flavor fresh un salted butter with rose, is by pack ing in a close vessel surrounded by a thick layer of rose leaves over night. ^Vrap the butter in a thin piece of cheesecloth. While the American Beauties are the most fragrant, oth er roses will answer. Shortly before serving cut tender white bread in 6trips or circles, spread with the flavored butter and place one or two petals between the slices, allowing the edges to show. Misses’ Box Coat. Loose coats in box style, make the smartest of all the season’s wraps for young girls and are exceedingly fash ionable in silk, pongee and linen as well as cloth. This one shows the chevrons that every girl likes to wear and includes wide full sleeves that mean comfort as well as style. The model is made of white linen and matches the skirt, but it is suited to the general wrap also and to all the materials mentioned. When liked the collar can be omitted and the coat simply faced and stitched. The coat is made with fronts and back and is fitted by means of shoul der and under-arm seams only. Pock ets are inserted in the fronts and fin ished with over-laps and the collar, when used, is joined to the neck. The sleeves are full ones cut in one piece each and finished with roll-over flare cuffs. The closing is made with but tons and buttonholes in double-breast ed style. Embroidered Girdles. Paris sends word that the em broidered linen girdle is the correct thing for wear with tailor-made linen gowns. It certainly has one advan tage over the kid belt—it can be sent to the tub and come out as good as new, while the kid belt has to be dry cleaned. The daintiest of these girdles has clover leaves and blooms wrought in white or forget-me-nots in their nat ural color. Large brass buckles are used on all wash belts and are easily removed. Useful Kitchen Utensil. A wire salad basket is a very us«* ful piece of kitchen furniture. It is a kettle-shaped basket with a small neck and a bail handle. After thor oughly washing the salad it is put Id the basket and shaken until every drop of water has been shaken off. Then basket and all is put near the ice to crisp the leaves. Oil will not cling to wet lettuce and unless the leaves are well coated with oil the dressing is a failure. Suggestion for Shirtwaist. A white linen shirtwaist with wide front and two half-length plaits at each side toward the arm has the en tire front worked in eyelet embroid ery. The design is the old sprigged one, oval openings serving as leaves the entire length of a worked leaf stem. The pattern is embroidered in white or two shades of Parsifal blue. Tea Cakes. Add to the yolks of three eggs, beaten light, a quart of milk, a lump of butter the size of a large walnut cut into small pieces, a little over a cup of flour, a pinch of salt and three teaspoonfuls of baking powder. Then stir in quickly the whites of the eggs, already beaten to a froth. Bake in a quick oven. Stewed Figs with Cream. Stewed figs with whipped cream are one of the popular items of tea room bills of fare. For them the pulled figs are used. They aref washed and simmered slowly in water to cover them, with a little added sugar until they are plump and tender. Then they are chilled thoroughly. Finish of Sasn and Bow. Wide ribbons are no longer wound carelessly about the waist and tied in bow knots. The fitting and boning and shaping of the girdle is an irapor tant item for even the simplest sum mer frock. Girdles are more ofteD deep in the front and low in the bach than otherwise. The Smart Hand Purse. The smart hand purse of the hour looks like a large envelope, flaps and all, and comes in champagne colored kid. It has two pockets, one for bills, another for cards, but nc change pocket. Novel Table Favors. Little automobiles made of papei are among the most recent table fa vors. With these go small dinnei cards representing the goggles wore by the enthusiastic chauffeurs to pro tect the eyes. Meat Salad. Cold meat, chopped line, covered with mayonnaise dressing and decor ated rings of hard-boiled eggs ano parsley, makes a delicious suppei ! salad when laid on nice, crisp lettuce I leaves. WESTERN CANADA Three Divisions Affording Great Chances for Settlement—Ranching, Wheat-Growing and Mixed Farming. The old Romans used to say that Gaul was divided into three parts; so is the Canadian North West. Gaul’s divisions were political; those of the Western Canada prairies are created by the unerring hand of nature. The First Division. Chiefly because of the elevation of the country, the absence of large lakes and rivers, and the operations of the “Chinook” or Pacific ocean winds, which readily cross the Rocky mountains in Southern Alberta through gaps and passes, the south western portion of the Canadian prov inces is regarded as somewhat arid, and less fertile than other portions of the country. Although this has been a prevailing idea in the past, it has been left for American settler*, who have invaded this district within the past two or three years, to prove that splendid crops of grain can be grown on the land. While there are no large lakes or rivers in this whole country there are numerous fast running streams fed the year round by melting snow* in the mountains, furnishing an abund ance of the coolest and purest water, the best for beast as well as man. Englishmen and Americans in the western territories are bringing in their herds as fast as they can and leasing or purchasing land in lots from 1,000 to 20,000 acres from the Dominion government. An idea of the growth of the industry will, however, be gathered from the fact that in 1899 there were but 41,471 head of cattle shipped and sold from the ranches. These figures ran to 55,129 in 1900, and to 160,000 in 1903, averaging $40 per head for the owners. But it takes a great many ranchers and a large number of cattle to cover an area of 200,000,000 acres, the area available for ranching in the Canadian North west. It is not at all necessary that large Investments should be made at the outset. Many men commenced with small capital and small herds, and have worked themselves into large herds and great wealth. There is still in the country plenty of room for those who desire to go and do like wise. The Second Part. The second part of the Canadian prairies embraces the great wheat growing belt of the country, which is easily a half larger than any other in the world. It includes about 150, 000,000 acres. As it is comparatively free of broken land, large lakes and rivers, about 125,000,000 acres of it can be brought under the plow. Plac ing a farmer on every half section (320 acres) it can comfortably locate 800,000 farmers, or 4,000,000 of an agricultural community. The terri torial government’s reports show that in 1903 there were raised 16,629,149 bushels of spring wheat ofT 837,234 acres, an average of 19.86 bushels per acre; off *40,662 acres of oats there were grown 14,179,705 bushels, an av erage of 32.17 bushels per acre; 69,667 acres produced 1,741,209 bush els of barley—24.65 to the acre, aud 32,431 acres produced 292,853 bushels of flax seed, 9.03 to the acre. As but 1,383,434 acres, or a little bet ter than one per cent of the entire wheat growing area of the territories was under crop, a little figuring shows that 13 per cent of the entire country under wheat will raise the 200,000,000 that Great Britain annually requires from the outside countries. It is a fairly safe statement to make that in twelve or fifteen years the Canadian prairies will be supplying the entire 1 demands of the mother country. Throughout this entire belt there is an enormous length of railway mile age, branches are radiating in ev