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About The Loup City northwestern. (Loup City, Neb.) 189?-1917 | View Entire Issue (June 24, 1915)
eel CHAPTER I. Has Bntsnmc Majesty's Service. Tberv was a mysterious affair last a<ght. signore " Oh” 1 exclaimed “Anything that interests us?" V*f signore " replied the tall, thin l!a at consular clerk, speaking with « strung accent * An English steam • a-‘it ran aground on the Meloria *t*nit tee miles out. and was discov ■ —1 c> a fishing boat that brought ti* w - to harbor The admiral sent •»(» tttrj»-do boat*, which managed *"* r a lot of difficulty to bring in the ya<nt safely, but the captain of the port ha* a suspicion that the crew • ere trying to make away with the »t*»*r! * To lose her. you mean?" Frances-co nodded Sound- runou«" 1 remarked, 'ince the consul went away on leave thing- -eem to have been bumming— •wo -tabbing affrays, eight drunken —-amen forked up. a mutiny on a ramp '-eanier. and now a yacht being ast awav—a fairly decent list! And vet some stay-at-home people com plain that British consuls are only paid to be ornamental’ They should • je-nd a week here, at Leghorn, and they d soon alter their opinion.’’ Ye., 'hey would signore." respond 'd " thin-lipped old twliow with a tr - as l.e twisted his fierce gray mus ashe Franceso Carducci mas a well known character in Leghorn. An good hearted, easy going fel *. « mi for twenty years bad occu pied the same position under half a Jiueii different consuls v>1 ■ a friend. Frank Hutcheson, his '•rita:.:. c majesty s vice-consul at the ■ ft t! Leghorn, was away on leave •« Em: iand hi- duties being relegated .i.g Bertram Cavendish, the pro •u-u! The latter however, had gone with a bad • ish of malaria, and • "e only other Englishman in l-eg had been asked by the consul c-'ietil In Florence to act as pro-con *'i! until Hutcheson s return i’ was mid July, and the weather **» blazing in the glaring sun nianched Med it erraneau town If you »now Li’hiim. you probably know he iconsulate, a large, handsome suite vf h.ge airy offices facing the cathe Jra! The legend painted upon the 4<«r Office hours. 1« to 3." gives ci. tip idea of an easy appointment, it such Is certainly r.ot the case, for • < <<&•«! s life at a port of discharge v i*i necessarily be a very active one. ■ arducci had left me to the corre siwntfeac* for a half an hour or so. • i.eu he reentered, saying: 7 here is an English signore wait ing to see you " Who Is he*"* ! don t know him He will give no n*me. but wants to see the signore isuop “ AM right, show him in." I said lazi ly. and a few moments later a tall, smart)) dressed, middle-aged Knglish BtAii entered, and bowing, inquired whether 1 was the British consul. W ren be had seated himself I ex plained my position, whereupon he •aid I couldn t make much out of your clerk He speaks so brokenly, sad I don't know a word of Italian. Put perhaps I ought to first introduce ■*.* -elf My name is Philip Hornby." sad t.e handed me a card bearing th *a'i*e sits the addresses oodcroft Pars. Somerset - Brook s " Then he added I am cruising on board «} >arht. the Lada, and last night we 'ortuaalel) sent aground on the Meioria Yen fortunately for us a =Mng boat saw our pkght and gave a.urm at ;s>rt. ffcs admiral gent .1 two torpedo-boats and a tug. anu i ter about three hours they managed a gel us off " \nd you are now fa harbor?" Yes But the reason I've called is **’ *ek >°o *o do me a favor and write me a letter of thanks in Ballaa to the sdmiral. and one to the captain of the part polite tetters that ! can copy snd send to them You know the kind »f thing " temualy." I replied, the more in eresied in him on account of the cu noas suspicion that the port authori ties »• * :m d to entertain He was evt Jenti> a g-ntleruan. and after I had ie-eu with him ten minutes | scouted * -** idea that he had endeavored to -a at away the I ail a I scribbled the drafts of two letters Kortunat ly. I left my wife 1U Eng »and or she would have been ter ribiv frightened." h.- remarked pres -ritiy T! ere was a nasty w nd b'ow ng all eight and the fcol of a vap ! tain seemed to add to our peril by | i every order he gave.” I examined him critically as he sat facing me. He was about forty-five, j with a merry, round, good-natured face, red with the southern sun, blue eyes, and a short, fair beard. His j speech was refined and cultivated, I and as we chatted he gave me the im pression that as an enthusiastic lover of the sea he had cruised the Mediter ranean many times from Gibraltar up to Smyrna. He had, however, never before put into Leghorn. After we had arranged that his cap tain should come to me in the after noon and make a formal report of the accident, we went out together .across the white sunny piazza to N'asi's. "We shall be here quite a week. I , suppose.” he said as we were taking 1 our vermouth. "We're on our way down to the Greek island, as my friend * t'hater wants to see them. The en gineer says there's something strained that we must get mended. Gut, by the way," he added, "why don't you dine with us on board tonight? Do. We can give you a few English things that may be a change to you.” This invitation I gladly accepted for ! two reasons. One was because the suspicions of the captain of the port had aroused my curiosity, and the oth er w as because 1 had. honestly speak ing. taken a great fancy to Hornby. The captain of the Lola, a short, thickset Scotsman from Dundee, with a barely healed cicatrice across his left cheek, called at the consulate at two o'clock and made his report, which appeared to me to be a very lame one. He struck me as being unworthy his certificate, for he was evidently en tirely out of his bearings when the ac c.dent occurred. The owner and his friend ("hater were in their berths asleep, when suddenly he discovered that the vessel was making no head- j way. They had. in fact, run upon the j dangerous shoal without being aware ! 1 of it A strong sea was running with j a stiff breeze, and although his sea manship was poor, he was capable enough to re> ognize at once that they were in a very perilous position. "Very fortuuate it wasn't more seri ous. sir,” he added, after telling me his story, which 1 wrote at his dicta tion for the ultimate benefit of the ; board of trade. "Didn't you send up signals of dis tress?" 1 inquired. “No. sir—never thought of it." "And vet you knew that you might be lost?" I remarked with recurring ; suspicion. The canny Scot, whose name was \ Mackintosh, hesitated a few moments, I then answered: "Well, sir. you see the fishing-boat had sighted us, and we saw her turning back to port to fetch help." How long have you been in Mr. Hornby's service?" I inquired "Six months, sir," was the man's reply "Before he engaged me. I was w ith the Wilsons of Hull, running up the Baltic I've held my master's cer tificate these fifteen years, sir. I was with the Bibbys before the Wil sons. and before that with the Gen eral Steam 1 did eight years in the Mediterranean with them, when I was chief mate." "And you've never been into Leg horn before?" "Never, sir." I dismissed the captain with a dis tinct impression that he had not told tne the whole truth Was it possible that an attempt had actually been made to cast away the yacht, and that it had been frustrated by the master of the felucca, who had sighted the vessel aground? How. I wondered. J had the captain received that very j ugly wound across the cheek? I was half-inclined to inquire of him. That evening when the fiery sun was sinking in its crimson glory I ! took a cab along the old sea-road to the port w here, within the inner har- | bor, I found the Lola, one of the most; magnificent private vessels I had ever seen. Her dimensions surprised me. I She was painted dead white, with shining brass everywhere. At the stem hung limply the British flag, at the masthead the ensign of the Royal Yacht squadron. On stepping on deck Hornby came forward to greet me. and took me along to the stern where, lying in a long wicker deck-chair beneath the awning, was a tall, dark-eyed, clean shaven man of about forty. His keen face gave one the impression that he was a barrister. “My friend, Hylton Chater—Mr. • Gordon Gregg,” he said, introducing j us. and the clean-shaven man ex claimed, smiling pleasantly: “Glad to make your acquaintance, Mr. Gregg. You are not a stranger by any means to Hornby or myself. Indeed, we've got a couple of your books on board. But I had no idea you lived out here." “At Ardenza,” I said. “Three miles along the sea-shore. Tomorrow I hope you'll both come and dine with me.” “Delighted, I’m sure,” declared Horn by. and then we began chatting about the peril of the previous night, Horn by telling me how he had copied the two letters of thanks in Italian and sent them to their respective ad dresses. “Well, you certainly did the right thing to thank the admiral,” I said. “It's very unusual for him to send out torpedo-boats to help a vessel in dis tress. That is generally left to the harbor tug.” “Yes, I feel that it was most kind of him. That's why I took all the trouble to write. I don’t understand a word of Italian, neither does Cha ter.” “But you have Italians on board?” I remarked. “The two sailors who rowed me out are Genoese, from their accent.” rtomby and Chater exchanged glances—glances of distinct uneasi ness, I thought. Then the owner of the Lola said: "Yes. they are useful for making ar rangements and buying things in Ital ian ports. \Ye have a Spaniard, a Greek, and a Syrian, all of whom act as interpreters in different places.” "And make a handsome thing in the way of secret commissions. 1 suppose?" I laughed. "Of course. But to cruise in com fort one must pay and be pleasant,” declared Hornby. "Did you have any trouble with the customs here?” I inquired. "They didn’t visit us.” he said with a smile, and at the same time he rubbed his thumb and finger together, the action of feeling paper money. This increased my surprise, for I happened to know that the Leghorn customs officers were not at all given to the acceptance of bribes. They were too well watched by their su It Was an Armory, Crammed With Rifles and Ammunition. periors. If the yacht had really es caped a search, then it was a most un usual thing. Besides, what motive could Ilornby have in eluding the cus toms visit? They would, of course, seal up his wines and liquors, but even if they did, they would leave him out sufficient for the consumption of him self and his' friends. No. Philip Hornby had some strong motive in paying a heavy bribe to avoid the visit of the dogana. If he really had paid, he must have paid very heavily; of that 1 was convinced. Was it possible that some mystery was hidden on board that splendidly appointed craft? Presently the gong sounded, and we went below into the elegantly fitted saloon, where was spread a table that sparkled with cut glass and shone with silver. Everywhere it was ap parent that none but an extremely wealthy man could afford such a mag nificent craft Hornby took the bead of the table, and we ate one of the choicest and best cooked dinners it has ever been my lot to taste. Chater and I drank w ine of a brand which only a million aire could keep in his cellar, while our host, apparently a most abstemious man, took only a glass of iced Cin ciano water. From his remarks I discerned that, contrary to my first impression, Hyl ton Chater was an experienced yachts man. He owned a craft called the Alicia, and was a member of the Cork Yacht club. He lived in London, he told me. but gave me no information as to his profession. It might be the law, as I had surmised. “You've seen our ass of a captain, >lr. Gregg?" he remarked presently. “What do you think of him?" “Well," 1 said rather hesitatingly, “to tell the truth, 1 don’t think very much of his seamanship—nor will the board of trade when his report reaches them." “Ah'" exclaimed Hornby, “I was a fool to engage him. From the very first I mistrusted him. only my wife somehow took a fancy to the fellow, and, as you know, if you want peace you must always please the women, in this case, however, her choice al most cost me the vessel, and perhaps our lives into the bargain." i lie captain seems 10 nave nan a nasty cut across the cheek." I re marked. whereupon my two compan ions again exchanged quick, appre hensive glances. “He fell down the other day," ex plained Chater. with a rather sickly smile, 1 thought. “His face caught the edge of an iron stair in the en gine room and caused a nasty gash." I smiled within myself, for I knew too well that the ugly wound in the cap tain's face had never been inflicted by falling on the edge of a stair. But I remained silent, being content that they should endeavor to mislead me. After dessert had been served we rose, and in the summer tw ilight, when all the ports were opened, Hornby took me over the vessel. As he was con ducting me from his own cabin to the boudoir we passed a door that had been blown open by the wind, and which he hastened to close, not, how ever, before I had time to glance with in. To my surprise I discovered that it was an armory crammed w ith rifles, revolvers and ammunition It had not been intended that I should see that interior, and the rea son why the customs officers had been bribed was now apparent. 1 passed on without remark, making believe that I had not discerned any thing unusual, and we entered the boudoir. Chater having gone back to the saloon to obtain cigars. The dainly little chamber bore everywhere the trace of having been arranged by a woman's hand, although no lady passenger was on board. Just as we had entered, and I was admiring the dainty nest of luxury. Chater shouted to his host asking for the keys of the cigar cupboard, and Hornby turned back along the gang way to hand them to his friend, weav ing me alone for a few moments. I stood glancing around, and as I did so my eyes fell upon a quantity of photographs, framed and unframed, that were scattered about—evidently portraits of Hornby's friends. Upon a small side table, however, stood a heavy oxidized silver frame, but empty, while lying on the floor be neath a couch was the photograph it had contained, which had apparently been taken hastily out, torn first in half and then in half again, and cast away. Curiosity prompted me to stoop, pick up the four pieces and place them together, when I found them to form the cabinet portrait of a sweet-looking and extremely pretty English girl of eighteen or nineteen, with a bright, smiling expression, and wearing a fresh morning blouse of white pique. About the expression of the pictured face was something which 1 cannot describe—a curious look in the eyes which was at the same time both at tractive and mysterious. In that brief moment the girl’s features were in delibly impressed upon my memory. I looked at the hack of the torn photograph, and saw that it had been taken by a well-known and faslrouable tirm in New Rond street. Next second, however, hearing Hornby’s returning footsteps. 1 flung the fragments hastily beneath the couch w here 1 had discovered them. Why, I wondered, had the picture been destroyed—and by whom? Afterwards on deck I purposely led the conversation to Hornby’s family, and learned from him that he had no children. ‘•You'll get the repairs to jour en gines done at Orlando’s, I suppose?" I remarked, naming the great ship-build ing firm of Leghorn. "Yes. I pave already given the or der. They are contracted to be fin ished by next Thursday, and then we shall be off to 7-ante and Ohio." For what reason. I wondered, recol lecting that formidable armory on board. Already 1 had seen quite suf ficient to convince me that the Lola, although outwardly a pleasure yacht. was built of steel, armored in its most vulnerable parts, and capable of re sisting a very sharp fire. It was past midnight when, having bade the strange pair adieu. I was put ashore by the two sailors who had rowed me out and drove home along the sea-front, puzzled and perplexed Next morning, on my arrival at the consulate, old Francesco, who had en tered only a moment before, met me ! with blanched face, gasping: ' "There have been thieves here in the night, signore! The signore con sole's safe has been opened!” "The safe!” I cried, dashing into Hutcheson's private room, and find ing to my dismay the big safe, where in the seals, ciphers and other con fidential documents were kept, stand ing open, and the contents in disorder, as though a hasty search had been made among them. Was it possible that the thieves had been after the admiralty and foreign | office ciphers, copies of which the I chancelleries of certain European powers were endeavoring to obtain? 1 smiled within myself when I realized how bitterly disappointed the bur glars must have been, for a British j consul when he goes on leave to Eng ! land always takes his ciphers with I him. and deposits them at the foreign | office for safekeeping. HutehesoD “The Safe!” I Cried. Dashing Into Hutcheson's Private Office. had, of course, taken his, according tc the regulations. Curiously enough, however, the doot of the consulate and the safe had beet) opened with the keys which my friend had left in my charge. Indeed, tht small bunch still remained in the safe door. In an instant the recollection flashed across my mind that I had felt tht keys in my pocket while at dinner on board the Lola. Had I lost them on my homeward drive, or had my pocket been picked? While we were engaged in putting the scattered papers in order the doot bell rang, and the clerk went to at tend to the caller. In a few moments he returned, say ing: "The English yacht left sud denly last night, signore, and the cap tain of the port has sent to inquirt whether you know to what port she is bound. “Left!" I gasped in amazement “Why, 1 thought her engines were disabled!" A quarter of an hour later I was sit ting in the private office of the shrewd gray-haired functionary who had sent : this messenger to me. “Do you know, signore commends ' tore," he said, "some mystery sur rounds that vessel. She is not the Lola, for yesterday we telegraphed to Lloyd's, in London, and this morn ing I received a reply that tto sucb yacht appears on their register, and that the name is unknown. The police have also telegraphed to your English police inquiring about the owner. Sig note Hornby, with a like result. Thert is no such place as Woodcraft Hark in Somerset, and no member ot Brook's club of the name of Hornby.' I sat staring at the official, toe amazed to utter a word Certainly they had not allowed the grass tc grow beneath their feet. (TO BE CONTINUED.) Just Like a Boy. The teacher was having an inter esting half hour with the children, asking them questions, anyone having the privilege to answer. It was a great time to show off. The teacher asked about various things, and one question was about locusts. Several hands were raised, and finally one boy was selected to speilk. "A locust is a bug that gives people tuberculosis," was his answer. AS VIEWED BY PHILOSOPHER Happiness Not Always to Those Who Make Great Catches in the World's Fish Pond. We have seen men absorbedly fish lag for wealth, and we imagine that when they tail to get it they are de feated and disappointed Neither one. The only rsen who are defeated in this worldly fishpond are the ones w bu haul up great bags of gold on j thetr hooka. They are very soon bur Jened with the catch, and unable to march comfortably farther along tbe rnad The only disappointed ones are ■ ;boee who have no real purpose in j life, and suppose that fishing is an end in ItaeU I had a great-uncle once who died , quite happy and bankrupt. Through- j mu his iife he was jubilantly full of | schemes for making a fortune. But if | his patent flouring mill had ever suc ceeded. or his method for tanning leather had brought him wealth, so that he had been obliged to have two houses and to servants and several j atm *if Clothes and bills and accounts , and lawsuits. I am sure he would nave died miserable. Unfeeling and misunderstanding persons are forever pitying the old maids, and especially those who seem to be always angling for men. But such behavior seems to me quite in telligible and quite pardonable—espe cially if they never catch anything. Having begun this game in early life, earlier than I began fishing, and hav ing founded it on instincts even deep er than mine, they would be silly in deed now to give up so good a sport just because they have found other, and possibly more important, objects in life.—Suburban Life. Docks Building at Bombay. Bombay is possessed of the biggest docks east of Suez, but the port has been wanting in respect of facilities for taking railway borne goods to the dock side and vice versa. This defect is being remedied little by little by the extension of the Port Trust railway from one end of the port to the other, and seven stations are to be opened for goods traffic during the course of a month. | POSSIBLE TO BE TOO GOOD i Writer in Woman’s Magazine Gives Some Wise Advice to Others of Her Sex. ! Women mourn and rail at man's un faithfulness, but it is only fair to re member, when such shortcomings are brought up against man as set over against woman, that Lilith was just as truly a woman as was Eve. In our accusations and recriminations we too often forget that man's faithfulness to a good woman is usually encouraged by the wiles of a bad one. and that more often than not a woman stands at each end of the path that stretches from heaven to hell. We forget, too, by what dear and lovable things a man may be held to the fair and honest ways of life. An eager comradeship with him in the things for which he cares, good hu mor in sunshine as well as in storm, an easy-going conscience as to the Smaller duties of life, and an abiding >ve for frills and laces, these are the gentle virtues that will serve to keep sweet and eager the dreariest mascu line heart. Good women have a world of sin and sorrow for which to answer, and a recent chance remark of a faipous writer has more truth in it than we always care to believe. "When good women are too good." she sa d. "to be restful, dainty and sweet, they are be ing as faithless to their marriage vows as are the tired husbands who no longer pay them homage."—Southern Woman's Magazine. Man-Driven ’Planes. Before the invention of the aero plane many attempts were made to invent flying machines in which man power alone would be employed. All these attempts, however, ended in failure. Mathematicians have now estimated that man is far too heavy to be sus tained in the air by the power of his own muscles, no matter how large may be the wings that he fastens to his body. Among birds the weight limit is approached most closely by the Australian crane, which flies, al though it weighs 20 pounds. An aeroplane using three horse power can be built, experts say, which will sustain a man. but as the best athletes can exert only a maximum of two horsepower for 15 seconds at a time, man's dream of imitating the flight of great birds can never be real ized. He always will be dependent on a machine. Close Buying. “Commend me to the average wom an shopper for real shrewdness,” says the manager of a well-known estab lishment. "We received a visit from one the other day that taught us some thing. “She was considering the purchase of a yard of silk at SO cents. The woman's purchase left a remnant of a yard and a half, which the salesgirl suggested that she should take. " ‘What'll it cost?* asked the shop per. “ ‘Fifty cents.' “Til take it,’ was the prompt re sponse, ‘and you may keep the yard you’ve tom off.' ”—Youth's Compan ion. • . I Our Telephone Policy I I To give the best telephone service that American Suce; to charge the lowest rates consis ts pt and dependable service; to treat eously, and to merit a reputation for jncy and decency. ese principles in the minds of every ployees, and to have our employees Company, proud to serve it and its lous of their own and the Company’s IASKA TELEPHONECOMPANY -BELL SYSTEM— STRICTLY No. I—81c Per Lb. F. O. B. OMAHA Ask for Delivered Prices Write for Catalog AT POINT OF REBELLION Jimmy Had Reached the Stage of Boy hood When Kissing Became Rather Tiresome. Little Jimmy uail reached the con clusion that everybody in the world had kissed him or wanted to badly. He could not help being a boy that all the ladies wanted to pet and be stow their kisses upon. In fact, Jim my longed for the day when he would have a say so in the matter of being kissed. One day a famous woman l came to call upon his mother. Jimmy chanced to enter the parlor and was directed by his mother to come up and see the noted Mrs. So and So. Jimmy knew what was coming, but he could not prevent the occurrence. The visitor took him by the hand and gently gathered him up into her lap. and as she let him down to the floor again she graciously bestowed a kiss upon his pouting lips. Jimmy jumped away from her and began to rub his lips in a vicious manner. "What, you are not rubbing my kiss ; off. my little man?" questioned the woman. Jimmy was puzzled for a few moments, then replied: “No, ma'am. I'm just rubbing it in," I and then vanished through the door Daily Thought. Re not angry that you cannot make others what you wish them to be, since you cannot make yourself what you wish to be.—Thomas a-Kempis. We are told it takes three genera tions to make a gentleman, but the formula fails to operate when the third generation is a girl. — If a man's thermometer registers a couple of degrees higher than the one | owned by his neighbor, that convinces him that it is reliable Test of Judge Welch’s Neutrality. The man whose brogue was thick and the one whose brogue was thick er were arguing the question of inter national courts on a Fifteenth street car. "There ain't no international cour’. one stoutly affirmed. “Shure, there is," the other declared “I see by the paper that Austria may sue for peace. Just tell me how she is going to sue if there ain't no court to sue in?” He of the minor brogue was stumped for only a minute. “She might sue in Cas Welch's court.” "Shure, but that would be a dirty trick on Cas. Some of the Irish are for Germany and some are ferninst her, and he'd have to offend a lot of the Irish any way he'd decide it."— Kansas City Star. A Sad Case. “The first month Chugson had his motor car he talked of nothing else “I see." “He’s had it a year now.” “Does he still talk about it?” "Only when drinking. He's one of those fellows who never unbosoms himself of his trouble unless he s drinking.” Amoiguous. Artist (showing latest picture) ' My object was to try to express all tb * horrors of war.” Friend—“I have never seen anything more horrible "— Boston Transcript. Now You Know. Little I^emuel—What's'an incuba'r 1 paw? Paw—An incubator, son. is one kind of an egg plant. A man picks out a nice round ston* A woman throws anything that is handiest. Corn on (he Cob —the Roasting Ear • is not more delicious than Post Toasties —the toasted sweet of the corn fields! In the growth of corn there i3 a period when the kernels are plumped out with a vegetable milk, most nutritious. As it slowly ripens this hardens and finally becomes almost flinty. Only this part of the corn is used in making Post Toasties, the husk, germ and all waste being rejected. This nutritious part is cooked, seasoned "just right,” rolled and toasted to a crackly golden-brown crispness—Post Toasties—the Superior Corn Flakes * And they cost no more than the ordinary "com flakes. Insist upon having Post Toasties. —sold by Grocers everywhere.