o 9 CHARLES MORRIS BUTLER. f9i/t/to/' of of ffame.'"7eoe/nenf 7h3$edy7yfafe?/2c, Copyright. 1903, by Charles Morris Butler. CHAPTER VIII.—Continued. “We can run no chances, you know. Doc,” laughed Pearson, insinuatingly, then as if in apology for his act, “be sides, it will be to your own interest in case the haunt was discovered. If you do not know where it is, you at least will not be held responsible for any harm that may come through the discovery, see?” “We kill traitors!” said the matter of-fact Sharkey, complaisantly. “It may save your life.” said Pear son. as he satisfied himself that the doctor was completely blinded. But he took no pains to insure the doc tor’s comfort, for he placed a pair of handcuffs upon his wrists. “I am obliged to do this.” he said, as he changed places with the boy and sat upon the seat with Schiller, driving the team, “so the boys won’t think me unmindful of the duty I owe them in protecting them from possible danger from treachery.” The doctor sat in silence for quite a time, meditating upon the strange ness of his adventure. Oft and anon, from the distance, could be heard the baying of dogs, so that the doctor knew he was being driven past farm houses now and then. But they met no one. At last the team came to a halt a&d the doctor was assisted to alight. The trio left the roadway and the doctor heard the team drive off. Pear son walked arm in arm with Schiller, guiding his footsteps, so that the doc tor did not fall into any of the numer ous ruts or bark his shins against any of the snags in the underbrush. Shar key followed on behind, carrying the doctor's case of instruments. Again Doctor Schiller broke the silence: “What kind of a place are you taking me to?” he asked. This time Pearson condescended to keep up the conversation. “Did you Pearson walked arm in arm with Schiller. ever hear of the Jonesboro Bank rob bery?” he asked. “Yes! You mean the time when President Jones was killed by about twenty mounted desperadoes while at tempting to protect the bank's prop erty?” “The same. Well, we are going right to the cave in which the des peradoes took refuge when pursued by the citizens.” “So?” asked the doctor in surprise. “Yes, I don't mind telling you, Dr. Schiller, that we are only a foraging party for a colony of convicts—it is a hard term to call a company of men— convicts, but that is what we are! We have formed a colony; built a city; protected ourselves against cap ture, and mean to live in peace—if we can. But. Doctor, I don’t think you will find us such a bad lot of men. after all. I don’t know whether you are in sympathy with crime or not. though you once did commit a crimi nal offense. Even your class will nev er realize what a life such men as I have led in infancy, youth and man hood. and the need of protection from ourselves and the world.” “It must be an interesting com munity.” said the doctor: “So it is. You would hardly be lieve that we compel one another of the motley group of citizens to live upright and honest lives, would you. Composed as it is of ail the different shades and grades of criminal out casts.” ‘ Hardly/’ was tne mcreauiuus an swer. “Such Is the case, however,” replied Pearson, enthusiastically. “We respect one another’s rights: carry on busi ness honestly: support schools, and ■while our colony, as you can well im agine, is not founded on a religiotfs basis, we recognize something of the sort—honorable marriage, or duty to our neighbor. Barring a few neces sary raids, such as we are out upon now. we live very ordinary lives.’’ “You are not all hardened then; you cannot be!" “We are not all criminals, of course not. But most of us have done some thing some time or other to merit pun ishment from the government. There are many like you. who have paid the penalty of their sins, and only asso ciate with us because they cannot bear to parade themselves before the world as having fallen once. Being bound together in the state described, however, places them on a footing with the rest of us. Whether all do anything contrary to the law or not, all are held accountable to the law for what the few have done, under stand?” “Yes, I believe I do. What yon mean to sav is, that the law never forgives you what you have done at any time, ko matter how right you live after wards.” “That's It. But we live in open defiance of the law. That it, we have manufactured laws that conflict with the laws of the United States For in stance, we shoot a man for interfer ing with another man's wife. If there is any law we do respect, it is the law of marriage. Most all of our penal ties are death. A man is compelled to be honest to another if he desires to live. We are not justified in taking life, we are not the law, but it can not be otherwise with us.” “How do you live? That is how do you obtain your supplies?” asked the doctor. “We have agents who supply our wants. They have many acres of fine agricultural land, supplied with mod ern machinery, and plenty of help to till the soil. What we do not raise we buy. or in extreme cases, like the present, we raise by force.” “You talk of schools. I should think there would be no need of such a thing as an educational institution. The country cannot exist, it will be depopulated through poverty, if noth ing else. You certainly have not been in existence long enough to have rais ed children to the age of schooling.” “Not so. We have existed for twenty years or more unmolested. We are self-supporting. We dig gold from the mountains. We have manufactures (in a remote form) for the making of shoes, and supply a large portion of one of the states with this article. In fact our treasury is on a sound basis, better to-day than it ever was.” “Why do you divulge to me the secret of your existence?” asked the dobtor. “For the simple reason, my dear doctor.” replied Pearson, complaisant ly, “that it is my wish that you take up residence with us. We are in need of a few professional men like your self. to make life pleasant for us. You are one of our kind—an outcast—and Lave nothing to lose by joining us. As for a money consideration, we can pay you a salary princely in magni tude in comparison with your pres ent income!” The doctor was somewhat prepared for the offer. “All I want is money and revenge in this world,” he said, as if assenting. “Money to be happy | —revenge on the man who is the cause of all my trouble!” “You can commaiid money in plen ty,’ said Pearson—what kind he did i not say. “Revenge depends upon your self. Whom have you such bitter feel ; ings against?” “A doctor who was instrumental in sending me up.” “How, and in what way do you mean to accomplish your ends?” “How I don’t know, nor care. But I want to make him suffer as I have suffered. Disgrace him before the J world as he has disgraced me! Re duce him to poverty and want! Ruin him; imprison him; do anything to make him feel what it is to be damn ed—an outcast of society. That is my only aim and desire!” CHAPTER IX. Dr. Schiller Initiated Into the Con vict Society. The time may come.” said Pearson, insinuatingly, to Dr. Schiller, as he helped that worthy over a log lying across their path, “if you join our forces,'when you can do even more than this. You are a man of intelli gence and will undoubtedly command influence in time. There is no reason why, in the future, you could not or ganize a band, kidnap the gentleman, and incarcerate him alive in a living j tomb!” The chance was readily grasped by the doctor. “I accept,” he said. “I have everything to gain. If you desire my presence among your clique, you can depend upon me. To show you that f am sincere. I will do ail in my power to aid you in any undertaking you may engage in. To show the people whom I come in contact with that I will do right by them; if human hands can save your comrade I will put him on his feet again!” “We will soon be at the rendezvous ! and can then be convinced of the sin cerity of your resolve,” said Pearson. They walked on in silence the bal ance of the journey. At last the party came upon a little clearing. By aid of the moon, which was shining now, a man’s form shown up in the dis tance. ‘‘Halt! Who comes there?” was the challenge. “Citizens, friend sentinel, who have with them a doctor,” was Pearson’s re ply. and at the same tinte he made a mystic sign with his fingers. The trio traveled a short distance further and were again halted. Again they passed a sentinel and at last stopped before the door of a dugout. situated in a ravine. The door stood partly ajar, through which came the glimmer of a light created by the burning of a pine knot suspended from the ceiling of the room which was about eight feet square. , \ sentinel, armed to the teeth, puu-c ed the door, but upon receiving th Courageous. “Are the Americans courageous as a ruleT’ asked the visitor from abroad. “I should say so!” answered the patriotic citizen. “You should see the way the average American eats sar dines and pie at a picnic.” Two Cases Widely Different. “Why do you have your pew so near the church door?” “In case of fire, you know—I could escape easily.” “Ah! And what's your idea in al ways demanding a seat in the front row at the theater?” All His Time Occupied. Father—So you think his intentions are serious. Do you know anything about his habits? Mother—Yes. that’s what makes me think his intentions are. serious. Father—How do you mean? Mother—His principal habits seem to be calling on Mabel and writing to her. The Pilfering Soubrette. “Did you say that Miss Lightly, the soubrette. had been guilty of lar ceny?” “Yes. She stole a Hajn who had a walking part in the third act.” THEY’RE STRANGERS NOW. Bell (actress)—I promised mother I would never become an actress. Nell—And you kept your word, didn't you? Why He So Decided. "My wife has been talking a good deal about plans for the summer, so I decided to have a plain, straightfor ward talk with her to-day. I just de livered my ultimatum and the result is we go to Newport." “Spunky of you, old man; but where did she want to go?" "Why, Newport; haven’t I just told you.” Atrocious. Richard Mansfield, the actor, was never known to forget his profession. The other evening he was smoking with a few men. All of a sudden his cigar went out. He lit a match on the sole of his shoe which flared up greatly. “My,” said he. "that was quite a footlight, wasn't it?” Not Hard to Locate. Mr. Pheeder—Don't go to bed yeL We'll have some lunch first. I brought home a tidbit to-day and left it in the back kitchen. Mrs. Pheeder—It's dark out there. You'll find a candle— Mr. Pheeder—Oh, I can find it in the dark. It's Limburger cheese. _ Embarrassing Circumstances. Chicago Maiden—I actually started downtown yesterday without my over skirt. Never noticed the omission un til I got in the car. Oh, I was so mor tified. Boston Damsel—I know just how you felt, dear. I once went out and forgot to put on my glasses. Didn't Notice It. A sudden death in Georgia is told by one of Representative Griggs’s constitutuents in this way: “Judge, I guess he died of heart dis ease. or something or other like that. He was sittin’ on his chair and all at once he died—and he never noticed it, Judge.” When Affinities Marry. “Ninety-nine blue bottles a-hanging on the wall,” commenced the bibulous Billings in a maudlin tone of voice. His wife looked up quickly. “Dear me,” said she. “You gave me such a start, dear. I was afraid some thing must have happened to the other one.” Something Like It. "What have I told you, Tommie, about asking for a second piece of cake?” said the mother to her youth ful son. “Why, you told me never to ask for a second piece of cake with my mouth full,” replied Tommie. Asphyxiated. Wilkins — “Those Philadelphia thieves got the worst of it in that gas steal, didn’t they?” Bilkins—“Yes. they tried to take too much at one time, and were overcome by the fumes!”—Detroit Free Press. What the Professor Forgot. Waiter—Haven’t you forgotten something, sir? Professor—Yes. I can’t remember in what year Charlemagne was crown ed, can you?—New York Sun. Detective at a Disadvantage. Chief—Do you mean to say that you haven’t been able to get a single clew as to the perpetrator of this crime? Detective—Naw. Them newspaper reporters is down on me and they won’t tell me anything. A Dangerous Character. Shorte—They’ve dubbed Sponger "Antilightning.” Sharpe—How’s that? Shorte—He always strikes more than once in the same place. Propelled by a Boot. Fanner Geehaw—Waal, I caught that young city spark last night that'3 been hangin’ around our Mandy. Farmer Giddap—An’ what happened, Jabez? Farmer Geehaw—Oh, the spark flew upward.—Louisville Courier-Journal. No Wonder They Stood. Reuben—“Here’s an anicle in the Bugle that sez seats in the New York Stock Exchange are sellin’ for 175,000 now.” Mandy—“No wonder we saw them all standin' up when we went through Wall street last summer.” Looking for Trouble. “You should not have cut off my hair,” remonstrated Samson to his wife. “And why not, pray?” asked the woman. “Because you don’t belong to the Barbers’ union.” No Chance to Lose. Gotrocks—“Why did you pay that scamp with a check? He will raise it sure." Swiftun—“Oh. I don’t care if he does. It’s an overdraft, anyway.”— Town Topics. In Need of a Rousing. The Pastor—What in the world wa? the matter with the choir to-day? I never heard such tame and absolutely listless singing. Haven't been fight ing again, have tiey? The Organist—No; just now they are as amiable as turtle doves. The Pastor—Then tell 'em to fight. Cleveland Plain Dealer. Curious Circumstance. McSosh—Mish’r Bartender, think III take ’nother one o' them p-p-ppous —pussv-cat-p Bartender—Another pousse-cafe, Mr. McSosh? McSosh—Thash ri\ ’S funny thing th more closely I b’come soshiated an' 'quainted with tha’ drink th' less I c’n r member its name! The Riddle of the Sphinx. The Sphinx had just propounded her riddle. “What goes on four legs in the morn ing, two at noon, and three in the evening?" she demanded. “An auto,” they answered, readily. With a heavy groan, she realized that the modems had gone her one better. Same There as Here. She—“I see not one bride was over 22 years of age in the 346,590 mar riages which took place in Japan last year.” He—“That looks as if the women were as backward about telling theii ages over there as they are over here.” At the Play. "She handles the part exceptionally well. That outburst of jealousy in the fiast act was one of the best things I ever saw." "No wonder. Her understudy took the part the night before and made a decided hit."—Detroit Tribune. The Safe Side. Reporter—Were you quoted correct ly in that interview in the morning papers? Senator—Come around the day after to-morrow. How can I tell until I see how the interview is going to be tak en?—St. Louis Star. Above Suspicion. "What a fine thing a reputation for scrupulous honesty isl” “Apropos of what?" "I w as thinking of Dr. Goodman. He walked down the street this morning with an umbrella under each arm and nobody winked!” The Lightning Cure. "Here is a story of a man who was cured of rheumatism by being struck by lightning.” ‘Til risk de rheumatism every time,” said Brother Dickey. “I don't want no doctor what’s ez quick ez dat!” Saw the Opening. Cholly—Yaas, I was only looking for an opening to propose. Algy—Well? Cholly—She yawned. Further Dilution Unnecessary. Philosoph—There’s no use crying over spilt milk. Dittow—No, there’s probably enough 1 water in it already. ACCOMMODATING. Mr. E. Z.—If I put my money in your bank could I draw it out the next day? Banker—Yes, if you give two weeks’ notice. Wet Below. Satan—How long has it been rain ing up on earth? New Arrival—All this month. Satan—That’s what I thought. It’s beginning to leak through and put the fires out.—Detroit Tribune. Accounting for It. Mrs. Bacon—Don’t you think a per son's work has much to do with his disposition? Mr. Bacon—Yes; I suppose that’s what makes our cook so crusty. Changeable. The Wife—You see some shades of hair look better in sunlight and others look better when it is cloudy. The Husband—It seems to be cloudy to-day; which colored hair are you going to put on to-day? School Census. Parker—“Have you read ‘The Count of Paris?’” Streeter—“No. but I’ve read the csunt of Cincinnati, and I think it’s exaggerated by about 50,000.” A Fizzer. “What become of the boy you said was going to make so much noise in the world.” “Oh, he turned out to be a ‘fizzer.1 Has a job in the soda department in a drug store.”—Detroit Tribune. Quick and Thorough. Mrs. Paddock—I thought Bobbie had a system for playing the races. Mr. Paddock—He had, but he bet on a horse named Sarsaparilla and it cleaned his system out.—Puck, s Too Old and Too Young. "If I were younger," said the rich old man, “I believe I might win you for my wife.” ^ es> replied the cold beauty, dreamily considering his 65 years, “or say, fifteen years older." Another Kind of Soft Answer. “Come back for something you’ve forgotten, as usual?” said the husband “No" replied his wife, sweetly *Tve come back for something I re membered.”—New Yorker. THRIFT AS A FINE ART. Peasant* of Normandy Adepts in Ita Application. Writing of “A Corner in Normandy” in the June Delineator, F. Berkeley Smith gives an interesting side light upon the real character of the Nor man peasant. These ruddy old Nor man farmers understand economy to a finesse, he says. It is the secret of their wealth. And thus, when one morning I came across Pere Trebard munching a withered pear while he sunned himself beside the snug bam and asked the old man why he did not choose a good one from his fine crop he exclaimed: “Ah! but, monsieur, we might sell it!” The character of the shrewd Nor man is Interesting. Never will he give you a direct answer; a definite “yes” or “no” seems to have been expressly left out of his vocabulary. “It is a fine morning,” I ventured to a grizzled old dealer in oxen. “It might be worse,” he answered. 'That's splendid cider of yours, Le grosjean.” “Some say it is,” he retorted guard edly. Neither does the true Norman ever seem pleased or satisfied. “Beautiful apples this yea*. Pere Mallet.” “Bah! they are so few,” replies, gloomily, with a shrug of his should ers. The next year the tree are bent under the weight oC a rich crop, and you hail this rich old agriculturist as you pass his gateway: “Plenty of cider this year, Pere Mallet, vou surely have enough apples,” you say convincingly as the old peasant looks up from his work to bid you bon jour. “They are so small,” he groans, “it take more time to pick them than they are worth.” PLACE TO TAKE PRESENTS. Colored Youth Was Explicitly Follow ing Instructions. Representative Griggs of Georgia employs a colored youth who is not a . shining example of mental alertness. Recently this servant, who shall be ! called Tom, received an invitation to i a church wedding, the bride-elect be | ing a first cousin of his. The morning of the ceremony found I Tom in a state of great excitement. He started for the church some hours before the time set for the great event. Griggs chanced to meet Tom wan dering about, clad in bis showiest rai ment, and carrying a small bundle under his arm. “Tom,” he said, “why ou earth are you scurrying about dressed like that this early in the morning?” “Why, I’se gettin’ ready for de wed din’, sah!” replied Tom reproachfully. “Indeed!” said the Congressman. "And I suppose you are doing some errand on the way.” "No, sah, I ain’t doin’ no er run’s.” “But you’re not going to & wedding ^vith a bundle under your arm?” “Cert’n'y I is, sah,” replied T^m. a look of wonder coming into his elfe. "Dat’s my present.” “Present?” ejaculated Griggs. "Why, boy, you mustn’t take your present to the church; you must send it to the house of the bride.” “Sho, Mistah Griggs, is dat aof muttered the now bewildered negro. "Den why does di6 card I got heah say: ‘Present at the churth*?”—The Sunday Magazine. In These Days of Operations. A husband came home one evening to find a note left for him by his wife. Carelessly he opened it, but as he read his face blanched. “My God!" he ex claimed, “how could this have hap pened so suddenly?” And, snatching his hat and coat, he rushed to a hos pital which was near his home. “I want to see my wife, Mrs. Brown, at once,” he said to the head nurse, “before she goes under the ether Please take my message to her at once.” “Mrs. Brown?” echoed the nurse “There is no Mrs. Brown here.” “Then to which hospital has she gone?” asked the distracted husband. “I found this note from her when I came home.” and he handed the note to the nurse, who read: “Dear Husband: “I have gone to have my kimono cut out. “BELLE” • Too Fast for Him. Don't keer of de worl’ is roun*. Or flat as flat kin be; AU I know Down here below It goes too fas' fer me! On de Ian', or sea. It goes too fas' fer me; Time is a-gwine Lak' a harrieane flyin’— It goes too fas' fer me! Don't keer ef de sun stan' still. Or keep a-movin’ free; My ha'r git gray Senee yesterady. £n he don’t shine long fer me! On de lan’. or sea. Sun don't shine long fer me; Time is a-gwine Lak’ a harrieane flyin'— He goes too fas' fer me! —Atlanta Constitution* Japan’s Merchant Marine. In 1893 Japan had only 167.000 ton* of merchant steamships, but by the end of 1904 her mercantile steamship fleet numbered 1,224 vessels of 791. Q53 aggregate tonnage This was after suffering a loss of 71,000 tons by the war. Defines Dealing in Futures. Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes of the supreme court, in a recent op in ion on a stock gambling case, that dealing in futures was the “self adjustment of society to the prob able." Ostriches Are High Priced. At Grahamstown. South Africa, a pvir of ostriches were sold recently for $5,000. vhich is a record price. The plucking from the chicks of this realized from $50 to $62.50 a bird. War Is a Godsend. Manchuria is gaining by the war The Cbuo-Shimbun estimates that fully 100,000,000 yen, or $50,000,000. of Japanese money had been disbursed la Manchuria up to the middle of April