Nebraska Newspapers

    | T- he Protector of Finance |
S Talcs oi Bcsilius Marvel, Guardian of Bank Treasure |
§ By WELDON J. COBB |
| THE FOURTEENTH MAN I
I' '.' as a bar** \.~t that the presi- •
:.t f »‘ti- e lu.d gix. a me. A
• -.s' !»rd r.nuioia! Institution Is
r '1 -irons of doing business
w.?h »* l». at l*-a«t iwroud the
*n«r. <1*1“ - r-r basis. In the present
tn- teg only a w.iuiun. but
• ymug and pretty one. Add to this
*.: • f.\ • that the lady in question was
in distress that her ease pre
•e" ang.e- *ugg» -'mg evasion and 1
e» x»tery. and jou will not won
der . hr ex*-r> official <»f the bank from
•: *■ - Seat down to the assistant
c** -r nad *h>d at the task which 1
■ as now obliged to shoulder.
I** ';ie best you can to get our
m • .* out of -hi» muddle." the presi
dent tad told me tersely, handing
me the f, .der which contained all
the pa: r» in th* case from the day.
four j ar* back, where Royal Luding
U>i t« r of th*- Hoard of Trade,
tad : : tu» initial deposit with our
ban* n i -:.il hejond the recent
date r Hi* sudden death The rec
ord • ti* dealings with our icstitu
•...: to the t;tue o( bis demise was
c.*4- *a crystal. A child could have
r» - . : -:.d- rstood. pretentious as to
-i- - J* and importance as had
be*some of his dealings. Direct
and margin account* were cleanly
*" ■ j t There was not a mar or
b'*ua n th. ud.nlrable paying system
of li jal Ludington When death
t. »• d iV act. act. however, we held
his : ie unsecured for f3?.9$Q. and
we Held it still past due. uncollect
at; -c our bewi.derment, in any
R>ga- way
1 fate.Lamed m> self with all the
dels—s of the case through a hurried
glance oTer the contents of the folder,
tidied cellar and coat with a twist of
my hand and put on my best tank
ing face to enter the private office of
the dire, - j** room where 1 had been
advised M.-- ilrace Ludington was
awaiting attmtlon.
1 cam* about this she said in a
tone child-like. confiJ.ng. slightly re
proach: ul. all at once. The letter she
band- i me notified Mr. Royal Lud
ing that the overdue paper of her
uvo. b.MMliy rr^twni luiiiirv.iw r
erttl* i_. ct. m:n« r strictly referring
to th~ tact that no attention had been
pa:I ' previous notifications of the
same fact 1 turned It over and over
ta my hand, seeking to fin upon the
man:, r I should assume in serving
the be»t interests of the bank in
d*a i with an emissary instead of
the ct.ef ,»:ks now in interest in
the case
1 see i -bserved, tr; ing to gain
tin.- for ! an. not a ready diplomat.
but did not Mrs Koyal Luding
ton .• o.' xotner—" the fair head
bowed —come herself?"
A wave , : » r.guiar intensity crossed
the face of the young giri Her Ups
ptrte«; to s • ~k Then she subdued
their - pr r- a They quivered Her
eye* dropped, her cheeks grew the
paler
she mi ..u tot come, was spoken
finally— sue will not come"
Sun,. i observed. Mrs Royal
La ..tig doe* not r p inhale the uls
ll<4l
For the present—yes "
‘ let m ham potat., is here that
she w transfers of property within the
past month representing over lIP.MiOO.
Aside from that two notes nave
passed ti.ro.gb the bank for I: • ••>.*0
wait h she has fit to pay prompt
.> These notes wer- signed by your
fa'fer. tot by your mother Why
doe* .:. c.scrimmate unfairly against
the bank in caring for your father s
•hi!gat lift.*? 1 refer to the notes
given by yc.r father to one Abel
Vanda man n
My message, is. she said evenly,
coldly that there are circumstances
encouraging our fervent hopes, the
possible relief of the bank that you
and ourselves must wait for—must."
It was her last word With a mo
'-ot of head and body that was all it
■hoaic be. with the air of an empress
»h» went from the room, and I stood
staring blankly after her. analyzing
*»*-ry word she had said, weighing It.
iiasecting it se.xed with a suddm in
»; rate :i and carrying it forthwith to
the pres >nt of the bank He was
a a*an of lew words and 1 lent my
e».? to his system
It it simply—wait.' I said
1 • nigged his shoulders, knowing
I tad done my full duty
Vo pressure possible, then, you
think'*
Noa« at the present time There
>* action possible, though" I said
“Von mnm.nT’
Re slims Marvel "
‘"Get him ~
R ht« the bank—or any other bank
-•aid «•' Re* l.u* Marvel." it signi
fied the a hand* is meat of direction or
opinion it meant unrestricted power
awarded M -rv.-i great man that he
•as—be the bra:a* mouthpiece and
active director cf the great fcited
Haai-fv |*rot. ctlve a»e.K:iation Mar
vei aa* not a eoliectfer lor the banks
Me »ar the la.*- resource, the final
court of appeal tn a case when the
layman in m> ugatory sc.eare came
lace to face with a blank ball, .crew
up hi* card*, anti left the game to an
eapert.
My friend listened patiently, but
rather bored I fancied to my tame
gory of what had seemtd quite sen
sational at sny £r*t lmpetu. .. view of
K. He made a brief nota- ..a now
and tig.:. on a tab of pap r of the dry
leta.1* 1 ffiw him of the l.udingtoa
iRair ! had brought the folder with
me. the d >*>t- r in which the credit
aepartsi'nt wai sup? eed to store
up everything concern.rg a client and
seep it up to date. As 1 closed it he
waked the question;
"That Is all you have?”
Eacept th- i; paper clippings re
'erring to the u? ilh cf Mr Lucing
ua." 1 replied
The newspaper- story was simple
md p-sia it wan only because the ■
circumstances were out of the ordi
nary and the decedent an apparently
successful business man. that the pub
lic prints had given any space to the
death of the exchange trader.
It was a chill March evening when
he had been found dead, lying against
a building There was no evidence
whatever that he had been assailed.
The contents of bis pockets were un
disturbed. There were no marks of
violence on his body. He carried no
life insurance but an autopsy was
held by the coroner. The inquest
developed nothing new. According to
two expert physicians Royal Luding
ton had died from heart failure. He
had been ailing and depressed for
some time preceding his demise.
There was not the slightest hint at
suicide.
The police, tracing the movements
of the decedent previous to his death,
t. stit-d at the inquest that Luding
ton had been one of a small party of
friends who had met at the home of
Abel Vandamann. The latter was an
at parently reputable business man of
the city of some wealth and social
.-innding. The occasion of the social
function was the grouping up of a
number of business men to whom
V.i: uarnann w.sbed to present a stock
selling *ch> me to float a copper mine
in Northern Michigan. A pleasant
evening had passed, a few cigars,
not too much wine, and the guests
had depart- d in pleasant humor and
seemingly all in the best of health.
Two of the guests bad walked some
distance with Ludington, and had
bade him good night about a square
and a half from the spot where h.s
body was later discovered.
Mrs Ludington had testified that
she knew her husband to have had
business dealings for a long time pre
vious to his death with Mr. Vanda
mann The latter she understood had
loaned her husband money. This was
not a new phase of the character of
Vandamann Hn business was that
of a high interest rate note shaver,
b nt he had been always shrewd
:;-iugh to conceal his usurious trans
ns und-r the gum - of expenses,
commissions and the like.
sms was me story told dv tne
DltlHHf clippings I haLdtd to Resi
l:us Marvel. Pasted to it was a
briefer item dated two days later It
had been preserved :n the foider be
caus it n;- ntioned the namo of Royal
Ludingtoa It covered a strange hap
pen :.g On the evening of the funer
al of the dead trader, a man had
been d- t cted in leaving by the win
dow route the room Ludingtcn for
merly occupied at his home. A watch
man had trapped him as the mid
night marauder dropped to the ground.
He was held until the police were
summoned and was sent to the near
e.--. ■ station Upon searching
him nu'hii.g whatev- r was found up
on him He seemed to be some home
less •ramp, he had taken nothiug
f* m tl. room he had entered, and
• i, pi- s’ior.ed declared w ith a fool
i-i grin that he had been looking for
s ■••thing to eat. struck a sleeping
i.au ber ustead of a pantry, and was
i o hon st to steal anything more
than a bite of food.
The con'cmion of th- man was car
ried out in the main by circumstances.
The room he had entered had not
b-ea at all disturbed Upon the bu
reau lay the trader's purse with some
money and papers in it. This had
been opened, but nothing removed. A
suit of clothes in a closet had been
looked over, it seemed but not even
the pockets had been searched.
The marauder, giving the name of
Edward Briggs, had been brought be
f< re a police magistrate, charged with
vagrar.cj and sent to the house of
correction for sixty days.
I noticed that my friend read and
re-read the little clipping telling all
this 1 noticed him mark on the pad
the name— Edward Briggs.” I saw
also that he copied the names of the
two guests who had left the Vanda
mann home with the trader the night
of his death. Then he arose, and I
could tell by the expression of his
eye that he was ready for work.
Further. I regarded him with the ad
miration his ability always evoked
‘HUiU 1UJ dliuuugtl 1 could not
guess how. I was sure that out of
the bare skeleton fabric of an unpaid
note at bank, a weeping girl and two '
newspaper clippings. Resilius Marvel
had already discovered a diverging
suggestive direct and important.
Drop around in the morning." he
said casually. "You were right to
bring this case to my notice."
I told the president of our bank
this, later. In the light of past events
in which Resilius Marvel had been
concerned, that functionary smiled
hopefuly as if he felt he had landed
•he burden of a distributing circum
stance on helpful and reliable shoul
ders.
1 found Marvel pacing the floor
■f his office in a thoughtful way, his
hands clasped behind him. when 1
alb d the next moi ling He drew
watch and consulted it with a
L ht gesture of impatience, as
though I had kept him waiting.
Two minutes," he announced, and
'hen you will come with me. There is
. person to find, and no time to
lose.”
And the person?" I intimated.
The fourteenth man."
I stared helplessly at Marvel. He
kept np his restless walk, puncturing
:i''• •' ? with a sentence rapid and
* ulightening.
’ Th* re . as nothing unusual nor
■ spicious as to the social function
h.cb transpired at the Vandamann
-om. . spoke Marvel There was no
motive to it no plan or anticipation of
,ia>. Get that clear in your
n.md in the first place. A strange
thing occurred, however, just as the i
g .-.-is "ere about io be seated at
the table. R discovered that 1
there were just 13 persons present.”
I began to receive a glimmer of
where a “Fourteenth Man” might
come in.
“That arose which might readily
arise where one man of a group is
superstitious. Such a man was pres
ent—he was the man who died, Royal
Ludington. He was probably in a !
mood for weird forebodings. Vanda
mann did not debate the point. He
excused himself to his guests, put on
his hat, went out into the street and
apparently picked up the first man
he met to break the hoodoo.”
"And this man?" I asked.
“Known to none of them, apparently j
some city wreck on error s shore, a
freakish contrast in his attire to the
perfectly dressed guests, quietly took
his place at the table, maintained the
silence he was paid to maintain, ate
like the hungry man he was. and then
seemed to disappear, his paid mission
executed.”
"And you now seek to find this
man?'
“He must be found," declared Marvel
positively.
"Why?”
"Because I am satisfied he can ex
plain the mystery in this case.”
"There is a mystery, then?”
"A deep one. That matters not
now. I wish to show you something.
As a memento of the first meeting of
the organizers of the Copper Queen
Mining company, a flash photograph
was taken. That the group."
My friend drew from his pocket j
a card four by eight inches and held 1
it before me.
"That is Vandamann," he explained,
indicating the broker, w horn I recog
nized—“that Ludington," I knew him,
too. “That,” and by some irony 6f
fate the forlorn, frowsy figure at the
far er.d of the table seemed to have
been focussed more prominently than
any of the others—“that is the Four
teenth Man.”
I studied the face with interest. Its
owner was apparently one of the stray
waifs of the city to be picked up any
where in the crowded center within
a five minutes’ walk.
“Come with me,” directed Marvel.
He hailed a taxicab as ws reached
the street. It conveyed us to a nolice 1
-• _ . iiijir.n
ward Briggs and practically accept
parole conditions in behalf of the pris
oner.
“That establishes something more
than a mere incidental connection be
tween these two men, I fancy.” ob
served Marvel as we went outside
again.
“And what of that—and wrhat
next?" I inquired.
“Well, when I locate our Four
teenth Man it will be a forward step,
of course," observed Marvel. “We go
back to the Ludington end of the
chain now, however. Do you think
you know the daughter of the house
well enough to venture a call upon
her?"
“For what purpose?” I inquired
doubtingly.
"To induce her to come to my of
fice.”
I ruminated. 1 considered the effort
to move Miss Grace Ludington from
her stated position hopeless, and my
friend knew instantly that so I
thought. He went on, however, re
gardless of my opinion.
"You will inform Miss Ludington
that it is vital that I should see her
—two to four today. She had better
come alone. Tell her that it has noth
ing to do with the money of the bank,
that it is not a question of cash, but
of—family honor.”
T could not for the life of me
imagine under what dark curtain Resi
lius Marvel was gazing, but there was
an indescribably lucid accuracy in the
broad hint that he was about to strike
a note with the young lady that would
influence her more than promises or
threats. He suggested explicity, be
fore I left him, the course I was to
pursue in dealing with Miss Luding
ton. I went straightway to her home,
lingered about its vi< inity while fram
ing the manner of my approach, and
accepted the opportunity offered as
she appeared with seme letters in her
hand to mail at the nearest letter
box.
“I am not here in behalf of the
bank. Miss Ludington," I stated con
cisely. "I come from a friend and a
professional man who has been pur
suing some investigation regarding
the circumstances surrounding the
death of vour father They are, he as
• Pi. It... •
SHE WOULD NOT COME'.' WAS SPOKEN FINALLY
"SHE WILL NOT COME.”
station in the residence portion of
the city. I followed after my friend
at his bidding as he went to the office
of the captain.
Marvel named a date—it was the
day of the funeral of Royal Luding
ton. He gave a name. It was Ed
ward Briggs, the man arested at the
Ludingtou home that same night. The
official consulted the record book. He
read its details ending with the sixty
days' sentence of the prisoner.
“Photographed?" inquired my friend.
“So noted—No. 8796.”
“That is all—thanks," nodded Mar
vel, and within ten minutes we were
at the identification bureau.
"The Fourteenth Man—Edward
Briggs," he observed, as No. 8796 was
produced, and he held it beside the
flashlight photograph of the Vanda
mann function. There was no doubt as
to the conclusion he had arrived at.
The faces were identical. I was won
dering what all this was going to lead
to while the bureau official was ex
plaining that although only a misde
meanor had been charged against the
prisoner, it had been thought best to
take his picture for possible past and
future reference.
Marvel went over to a phone and
called up the house of correction. I
had done some brief calculating in my
mind. Edward Briggs had yet ten
days of his sentence to serve, so we
were in time, if that meant anything,
I decided. We were not in time, I
knew instantly, as my friend hung up
the receiver with the words.
“Not there—pardoned out."
Our next visit was to the mayor's
office. Marvel knew all the ropes.
There was no indecision or waste of
time in his procedure. There was no
reluctancy on the part of the mayor's
secretary in giving him access to all
the records of the office.
I was close enough to the desk of
the secretary to catch what was said.
Edward Briggs bad been sent to the
house of correction on the day he ap
peared. in court. On the one ensuing,
he was pardoned out on the recommen
dation of Alderman Miles Ryner. Ah,
here It was. observed the clerk—letter
to the mayor from the councilman in
question. Request that a pardon be
granted as the criminal charge of
housebreaking had not been piCssed;
introduces Mr. Abel Vandamann, a
valued constituent, who would vouch
for the general good character of Ed
! sures me, of sufficient importance to
require your attention. You have
i heard of Itesilius Marvel?”
"I have read about him," was the
! reply, shrinking and muffled.
"If you knew Mr. Marvel as I knew
; him, you would trust to his earnest
desire to be always helpful." I con
tinued. “He seeks only to protect the
family honor."
“Stop." cried Miss Ludington sud
denly, sharply interrupting me, throw- |
i >ng aside her veil and presenting a
1 colorless, defiant face. “What do you
know—what does he know?”
"I—1, nothing,” I stammered, fairly !
abashed at the resolute challenge— |
"he, everything, probably. From two ,
‘ to four—you will see him?"
I will see Mr. Marvel,” she said
slowly, and passed on her way.
"She was adamant to every attack I
I made to win one intimation, the
faintest clew as to what she and her
mother are holding back." Resilius !
Marvel narrated to me the next morn- |
ing. "This girl is spanning ten years
of her life with the agony, the resolve i
of one. She is under some terrific j
stress, and there is some influence j
that is holding these two women un- !
der a dreadful thrall/'
"She would tell you nothing?” I !
asked.
"Until the last, absolutely nothing, J
except to beg that I would not disturb |
a condition that only she and her j
mother could remedy. She arose to
leave. Suddenly she fixed her eyes
upon me. I saw her studying me as
if to search me through and through.
I noted the flush of some impelling
force in her face. 'Mr. Marvel,' she
said, 'you claim a wish to be helpful
to us, and 1 believe y<fo, but this is a
case where help from your viewpoint,
instead of assisting us, might precipi
tate a direful catastrophe. But you
are said to be a man who can find
where others fail, who from the
shadow can evolve a reality. You can
do something for us, imperative, vital.
If you can inform us what we cannot
learn—the whereabouts of a certa.n :
person—you will bring us nearer to
the light for the end.’ ”
“And the person?" I inquired.
Resilius Marvel handed me a worn
photograph. It was tLat of a woman
loud of dress, bold of face, wicked of
eye. She had a certain wild beauty,
but her smile was that of one who
lures only to destroy. On the reverse
of the card were these words: "Al
ways as now—Idalia."
I wondered what was passing in the
mind of my friend at this new element
injected into the Ludington case. He
did not see fit to enlighten me. He
called for me at the bank the next
day.
“A witness is sometimes handy.” he
observed, and as we went spinning
along the boulevard south he briefly
told of his success in locating this
new woman in the case.
“The name of the photographer was
a guiding clew,” he advised me. “He
did not know 'Idalia,’ but he knew a
friend of hers, an actress. From this
friend I learned the whereabouts of
the original of the picture. She is the
inmate of the reformatory, on a sen
tence for robbery. We are going
there.”
A woman clad in light blue cotton
uniform was called to us, after we had
reached the place in question. She
came into the room where we awaited
her, her eyes roaming everywhere in
an attempt to surmise the motive of*
our visit. Promptly Marvel drew the
photograph Miss Ludington had sup
plied him from his pocket.
“I have come to ask you a ques
tion,” he said. "How long have you
known the man to whom you gave
this photograph?”
In an instant the prison restraint, the
forced reserve of discipline, all self
control went to the winds. The wo
man first attempted to wrest the pic
ture from the hand that held it to- I
wards her to tear it to atoms. Her
eyes glared like a tiger's, her face
became distorted, she raved, she
trembled from head to fcot, she i
poured out curses upon the man a
memory of whom the photograph had
evoked.
"Listen," she cried.- "Mark me. I
swear it!—the uay I am freed from
here, be it when it may—I will kill
him!"
"Ybu are too late,” observed Marvel
quietly.
“1 am too late?” she repeated, skep
tically.
"Yes, he has been dead for weeks.”
She laughed, this Idalia, this woman
who made men shrink whom she did
not cause to weep.
“Y"ou came to draw me out, to de
lude me,' she scoffed. "From him! I
see through you. Dead? Do you !
think I do not keep track of him
through my friends on the outside, to
be ready to know when, and where. !
and hew I shall strike when the hour j
comes? Go back and tell Abel Vanda
mann that from me.”
A low whistle, so low that it would !
have been difficult to trace its source,
proceeded from the lips of Ifesilius j
Marvel. He restored the photograph
to his pocket. He made a motion to ,
the attendant that his mission was ac
complished. He said to me:
i ue case is complete.
What he meant I groped vaguely in
my mind to find out. He left me to I
think out one fact; that the photo
graph was the property of Abel
Vandamann, not of dead Royal Lud
ington. Then how had it come into j
the possession of his daughter?
The great man proved his last state- j
ment to me the following evening. 1
was seated in the office of the United
Bankers' Protective association when
there came a commotion in its ante |
room. Then a man was thrust into
the private office by two officers in
uniform. Marvel followed, and the
one policeman retired at his words:
"I will be responsible for this man.
Now then, my friend, sit down and get
your breath.”
At a glance I knew the prisoner. It
was Edward Briggs. He was frowsy,
unkempt, savage looking, somewhat
the worse for drink, and of lowering
brow and set pugnacious lips.
“What's all this?” he growled out.
“You have been arrested for deadly
assault upon one certain Vandamann,”
observed Marvel.
“It would have been more certain if
I'd had the show," retorted the fel
low.
“Did you hurt him much?”
“Worse luck, no. The next time!”
—the man glared across his knotted
list.
“On top of your last exploit,” re
marked Marvel, "it may be six months
or a year this time. Unless you have
left a case of mayhem behind you
down at Vandamann's, I can promise
you a chance to get out of this mix-up
—on conditions."
“What conditions?" muttered the
fellow, an evil eye fixed on both of
us—suspicious and leery.
"As the Fourteenth Man—"
“What's that!” ejaculated Briggs :
with a start, and then he shrank back
within himself, the barrier up, like a
man in a trap.
"As the Fourteenth Man. you of
course knew Royal Ludington."
"Suppose I did?”
“What did you take to his house
the day of his funeral?”
Briggs bored into the questioner s
face with his shrewd ferret eyes. He j
shook his head. “This is some kind j
of a frame-up." he declared. "I don't i
say a word till I know what's doing." i
After some persuasion the man told, j
It amounted to this: Scoundrel-hearted
Abel Vandamann had seen an oppor- I
tunitv in the sudden death of one of !
his victims to press fictitious claims. !
He had utilized the Fourteenth Man
in his plot. This had been to have
Briggs visit the Ludington home |
surreptitiously, place the photograph !
in a pocket of Ludington's coat, and
in his desk a card bearing notations
of various amounts. These, corres- |
ponded in amounts to alleged notes of
the decedent, were later presented to
his widow for payment.
The wily schemer had convinced
Mrs. Ludington that he held notes—
they were forgeries—to a large
amount, given him by her husband.
He had further persuaded her to be- :
lieve that the borrowed money they j
represented had been squandered in
gambling and in financing the extrava- ‘
gant whims of the woman, Idalia. j
The notations, the photograph, all 1
seemed to verify the foul misrepre
sentations that brought sorrow and i
dread to the wife and daughter of the
dead trader. Mrs. Ludington was a
proud woman. The fear of disgrace,
publicity, had made her the: easy vic
tim of the arch swindler, Abel Vanda
mann.
The demands of the broker were so
extensive that his black-mailed victim
found that after she had sacrificed her
personal belongings to satisfy the
notes, there would be no hope of
liquidating the indebtedness at the
bank.
Resilius Marvel held a brief but
productive interview with Abel Vanda
mann the next day. Then he carried
to the bank twelve forged notes for
$50,000, and a like amount in cash al
ready extorted from Mrs, Ludington
on similar forgeries. The bank there
fore. lost nothing, and the Ludingtons
were restored to fortune and lifted
from the shadow of a great grief.
"There is such a thing as earthly
retribution," observed Resilius Marvel
to me one day.
A column in a daily newspaper was
the basis of the remark. It told of
the murder in cold blood of Abe!
Vandamann. A stiletto had dealt him
his death wound, so it might have
been a woman. But his strong box
was rifled, so it might have been a
man. The police never found out. for
the woman, Idalia. and the Fourteenth
Man had disappeared as completely as
though the earth had opened and swal
lowed them up.
FIRST AID FOR FAINTERS
Policemen of Washington Carry Tubes
of Spirits of Ammonia to Revive
Those Who Fall.
Every member of the Washington
police force carries when on duty in
crowds a pill box full of tiny glass
tubes of aromatic spirits of ammonia,
according to the Popular Science
Monthly. These are for reviving per
sons who faint in the street.
The tubes are about an inch long
and slightly more than an eighth of an
inch in diameter. Each has a wrap
ping of absorbent cotton and over this
a silk gauze covering.
Slight pressure between the fingers
is sufficient to break the tube. The
ammonia is promptly absorbed hy the
cotton about it. which also serves to
prevent the sharp particles of glass
from doing any harm. Held beneath
the nose of the person who has fainted
the fumes of the ammonia soon revive
her. The tubes are stored in all the
patrol boxes about the city and are
carried in patrol wagons and police j
ambulances.
Now Make Dried Soup.
One of the beneficial effects of the
recent scare over a threatened short
age of tin cans was an extended inves
tigation into other possible methods of j
preserving food. The canned soup
manufacturers were among the most
earnest seekers, for they were threat
ened with having their tin supply cut
otf at an early date. They have worked
out a process for putting up a dried
soup in powdered form in containers
of heavy wax paper. Similar systems
of drying and packing vegetables tire
already in use in Europe, but the soup
idea represents American enterprise.
Apparently, it will not come on the
market, because tin cans are going to
he more plentiful than was anticipated.
“Getting By the Editor."
Getting by the editor is the most
fascinating of indoor sports, says a
writer in the Atlantic. When I was a
journalist in the Freudian sense (that
is. as an unfulfilled wish), my chum
and I devised a way to get money for
nil our articles. Each agreed when he
sent out a “story" to bet the other the
price of the “story” that it wouldn't be
accepted. That little arrangement took
the sting out of a rejection completely;
and when you lost your pay, you had
the glory of the acceptance. Why and
how the scheme broke down. I shall
not divulge.
Preserving Worn Surfaces.
There are sometimes places on the
exterior of a house where the paint
gets worn off and which cannot be re
touched without making a “botch job”
of it owing to the difficulty of mixing
the new paint to match the adjoining
color which has faded. To preserve
the wood in such spots until the house
can be repainted, apply two coots of
linseed oil with a rag. This will im
prove the appearance also. — Popular
Science Monthly.
Keep Cheerful.
Be cheerful in the struggle to meas
ure up your ideal. Fight your faults
with sunshine. Self-improvement is
the big business of life, it is true, but
you will succeed all the better if you
mix song and laughter with your ef
forts. If you are really trying to be
good, you are hound to be successful,
and that is a reason for going at it
with bright faces and light hearts.—
Exchange.
Game in Mexico.
Mexico cannot be said to offer a field
for hunters of big game, and the term,
“a sportsman's paradise,” which is
sometimes applied to it. is an exaggera
tion. Among animals may be enumer
ated the peccaries or jnvelines, deer,
rabbits, hares. The reptiles include
alligators, turtles and iguanas. Whales,
seals and sea Uons are encountered on
the Pacific coast.—New York Tele
gram.
No Need of Explanation.
Mother had gone out for a few min
utes. and when she returned a portion
of the dinner was slightly burned. In
dismay she said to her husband: “It
is too bad it happened, but it will have
to be served anyway. I'll explain to
them and apologize.” Jennie overheard
and remarked soothingly: “Don't feel
bad about it, mother. You won't have
to explain to them—they cau taste it'i
burnt theirselves.”
“
Could Do His Part.
Frederick the Great heard of a
Silesian clergyman who had a reputa
tion of communicating with the spir
its. |
He sent for him and received him
with the following question:
“Can you call up ghosts?”
“At your pleasure, your majesty.”
replied the clergyman, “but they won't
tome.”
No Alleviation.
"Miss Cackle says she is going to
sing her swan song at this concert.”
'Humph: That won't make it any
easier for this audience.”
The Siberian railway is the longest
in the world. Its total length is 4,7So
miles.
NOT ONE SLAM
Part Played by One Yankee
Woman in Revolution.
Margaret Corbin Took Her Husband’!
Place at the Guns in Battle of
Fort Washington and Fell
Wounded.
Margaret Corbin, who was born Id
Franklin county. Pennsylvania, No
vember 12, 1751, was the only (laugh
ter of Robert Cockran, who was killed
by the Indians in 1756. Margaret’!
mother, for whom the daughter was
named, was taken into captivity at th$
same time. Margaret was now fiv«
years old and escaped her parents
fate because she and her brother
were visiting an uncle, who raised
Margaret.
In 1772 Margaret married John Cor
bin of Virginia. Corbin enlisted in
the First company. Pennsylvania ur
tillery. and his wife, having no chil
dren. followed her husband to war,
serving as a nurse and aid in camp
life.
When John Corbin was killed at the
battle of Fort Washington, November
16. 1776. Margaret took his place at
the gun. until struck down with threa
gruposhot, which severed an arm and
tore away part of her breast.
Mary Pitcher's husband. Hays, wa?
a gunner in the same regiment, and It
is safe to assume that Margaret Cor
bin's heroism at Fort Washington in
spired Molly Pitcher's act at Mon
month.
At the surrender Margaret was en
rolled as a member of the “Invalid
Regiment.” Her wounds at Fori
Washington were such That they wen
ultimately the cause of her deuti
in 1800.
On account of her wounds the su
preme council of Philadelphia on June
29. 1779. granted her $30 and recom
mended her to the hoard of war for a
regular pension. The resolution of
congress, July 6, 1779. is on record in
which honorable mention is made of
the services of Margaret Corbin.
“Resolved, That Margaret Corbin,
wounded and disabled at the attack of
Fort Washington, while she heroically
tilled the post of her husband whq
was killed by her side, serving a piece
of artillery, do receive during her nat
ural life or continuance of said disabil
ity. one-half the monthly pay drawn
by a soldier in service of these States;
and that she now receive out of the
public stores one suit of clothes or
the value thereof in money.”
Margaret Corbin was tile first wom
an pensioned by our government for
heroic deeds.
Wanted to Cinch His Job.
“I should like a day’s shore leave to
attend to some personal business, if
you please, sir,” said a junior lieuten
ant, saluting, to Capt. James G. Bal
linger of tile Naval Coast Defense re
serve recently.
“Your private worries are of miuot
importance now, as you are in the
navy—however, fill out an applica
tion.” replied the captain.
“I worked 17 years to get the job
I now hold,” said the lieutenant. "It
means a good deal to me. as I want to
get tilings stnughtened out before go
ing to sea. I would like to have the
job again in case I come back after the
war. as it is a fair one. If you say
so. sir. I will withdraw the request.”
lie was turning away when Captain
Ballinger asked:
“What's your name and job?”
“William K. Vanderbilt, Jr., vice
president of the New Y'ork Central
railroad.”
In due course of time his one day’s
shore leave was granted. Lieutenant
Vanderbilt having filled out the appli
cation.
Raise Turkeys on Ranches.
Exclusive turkey ranches are found
in the unsettled foothill regions of Cal
ifornia and in parts of Arizona and
other Western states, where a thou
sand or more turkeys are raised each
season.
The establishments are located
where the range is unlimited and the
natural food of the turkey, such as
grasshoppers and other insects, green
vegetables and the seeds of various
weeds and grasses, is abundant. Ad
vantage also is taken on these ranches
of the turkey's relish for acorns, and
where these are plentiful but little
grain need be used for fattening in
the fall.
The large flocks of turkeys are
managed much like herds of sheep, be
ing taken out to the range early in
the morning and brought home to
roost at night, says an exchange. They
are herded during the day by men ei
ther on foot or on horseback, and by
dogs especially trained for the work.
Levity.
Levity is mentnl relaxation sanction
ed by good judgment, but controlled by
It. too. There Is certninly a flaw some
where in the mental makeup of a man
whose humor is habitually prurient, or
who burlesques anything which many
good, simple-minded, hut devout peo
ple hold sacred. Habit Is the clothing
of judgment—the fixedness of choice
—and bad habits never associate with
good judgment. A Christian gentleman
may be a great fool, a dullard and an
intellectual nonenlty. But his life,
his habits and his actions are far bet
ter evidences of level-headed judg
ment than the brilliant and erratic
courses of philosophers and epicureans
whose wisdom lias turned to the very
folly of iniquity.—Catholic Citizen.
As to Proper Behavior.
“Streets and sidewalks are public
property. 1'itizens have the right to
walk on them, whether they wear
skirts, pantaloons or bathing suits, as
ior.g as their behavior is proper. There
is no ordinance specifying the amount
of clothing a person shall wear in
the street,” Is the wisdom quoted from
the lips of Judge Howard Hayes when
passing upon the arrest of a young
woman who promenaded in her bath
ing suit. We agree with the judge.
The question is one of behavior. But
it is fair to ass whether promenading
>he streets without any clothing would
1 pr 1 behavior.—Chicago Post.