Nebraska Newspapers

    The Protector of Finance
Talcs of Resilius Marvel, Guardian of Bank Treasure
By WELDON J. COBB
THE GiRL WHO VANISHED
' % ill! '• U< wiiufe Murvel. head of
lAf itar Faited Bankers’ hWOTlr*
Wf ■«*•> iaU»a. amw Into our in
& .u that moraine. I noted
I f»«; he -untie the round* of the olfi
| <■*«■» de>** mure Uke a nuin of leisure
i tUu a ;>er*uti summoned on un urgent
»o<l important ease where his keenest
pmfrtsitsal skill would k required.
’ A* secretary to the president and as
In* uw intimate friend anti ardent ad
mirer, 1 was first to greet him as he
came past the railinged space I led
him ato the private office
A tingle individual possesses only
a hauled scope." was bis first re
mark. he see* only as one mind
• eral itd:i.duals with a multiplied
•cope s» * as several minds Hence a
fitting word or two along the line,
mj fr. nd and some details from you.
which you always put intelligently.”
"Thanks I bowed, drawing to
ward* jar as envelop* marked War
ner t’iay”
Tew see all that" added Marvel,
"may be resultant of a double check,
for tne mission of a bank and its
aid- - i* to see that an asset may not
io*r what it possesses. and that it
aik» find its right place ”
Thirty thousand has found Us
wrong place just at present." 1 ob
served
So I understand A forgery. I be
lieve Go on "
Kesliius Marvel fixed his eye on
me and then upon the envelope which
1 had opened, out of which I drew a
•trip of paper.
This is check SS.i. dated May 2S.
draws upon our back and signed by
Warner Olay." I stated "It is made
out is iavor of Miss Geraldine Farrar
Vaner Clay is a wealthy man. •
• -.dower a client of our ber.k for
•Dine years Miss Farrar is. t believe,
a distant relative and a sort of ward
of his She has lived at his home,
has acted as his amanuensis and
stenographer and when he has been
ill baa attended to many details «f
his t-usiaeea. She is known t» the
paying teller. A to C section to whom
•he has presented check* a* high in
an. uni as |1M.(MM< She has been
A tt- re c&ixed accredited agent cf
I Mr Clay at all times A week agi
■ when she presented that check, it was
I cashed without the hesitation of a
■ moment"
Kesiiiu* Marvel turned the check
over to scan the neat feminine iu
dorec. at on the reverse side
• June 2. at la customary." I went
m. hat check and all other May
checks were mailed to Warner Clay,
with a statement of his account to
date as to all other clients of the
Institution Yesterday Mr. Clay
came to the bank in a condition of
some ex- temecT and pronounced the
check a forgery "
Marvel arose rather summarily.
Show aae the signature book." he
directed
We iff to the cage where the
registers were kept He had retained
possession of the check 1 waited
while Marvel compared the signa
ture* I watched w 'h interest as he
employed his magnifying glass I
wondered as he fel* gently with one
forefinger not only the front but a*so
the reverse surface of check aud
signature page alike
"What rise"" I inquired as we
stroiW back to the private office
"> letter introducing me to Mr.
Clay as the representative of the
bank I must investigate that end
Oh. trust me to make no complica
tions by giving offense to a good ctis
renter of its- Itaok. ! su|>|«e his
annouae* men’ that the check mas a
forgery was accepted by the bank
with the usual urbane complacency'"
Of coj'-- Our policy is to accept
the word of a profitable client un
equivocally. Just as we correct a
- laimed shortage without a quibble
Mr ('lay was informed that 'the
tnfiing irregularity' would be reme
died according to our role."
'Thai u after the formality of di
rectorate sanction the $30,000 would
be recredited to his account?"
- Exactly ~
• Very fine—that gives us thirty
dan "
Wktt for*" I asked In my blunt,
stupid way—as 1 learned afterwards.
‘ Oh a number of reasons. re
spcad«d Marvel tightly, but under the
sartu. ► j c tec ted the merest shadow
of a smile, and again I noted how he
cananed the sps< e given to the signa
tare of the check, as If that portion of
tt held mem especial fascination for
fels seen sense of touch "In the
fir* place though—what does this
Miss Farrar say’"
•Oh that's the trouble." I blurted
•at—"Miss Geraldine Farrar is not
tn be found
Ab indeed?" observed Marvel,
very sof*^ This is getting lnter
wstmg"
"Tes." I harried on. trying to make
amends '• t my negligence in not ap
prisicr him of this feature of the
caa<- at the start. -H was the dis
tress i • V - Clay when he appeared
«t the bank to announce the forgery
that caused us to conceal aDy doubt
•s u> the Justice of his claim He
was appalled at the fact that a trust
ed and betowed relative could pi^p to
rob him He was cut to the heart,
be said to realise that the girl he
had pro’ »d-d for through so many
years to whom he had given a horn,-,
had so uncratefelly repudiated his
alaaost fatherly love On the morn
ing of May :S Mias Farrar cashed the
ttSjfiae check Mr Clay has not seen
her since nor anyone else, so far as
w« have been able to discover. At
the moment when the young lady
pnseed out at this bank she passed
into ohaeur.ty. Our floor detective
tae made some casual Investigation.
TV has found no trace of the move
neat# of Miss Farrar later than 11
a. m. May fS. to dew nor hint of a
clew as to her present whereabouts.
She has vanished completely.”
The letter 1 asked for." said Mar
vel briefly, in his mandatory, decisive
®a>. and when I had prepared and
deli-, ered it he left the bank without
another word, his thoughts envelop
ing him in a silent, baffling mood I
knew his habits too well to intrude
upon
The loss of $30,000 was not mcch
for an institution of our financial in
tegrity, and so far as he was person
ally concerned our president would
ordinarily have been content to
charge it off to profit and loss ac
count. However, when Resilius Mar
vel entered a c ase he was certain io
bring to light “the goods." or at
ica=t som- development that express
ed lucidity and satisfaction.
The bank was just closing that aft
ernoon when my friend reappeared.
As he came into the private office the
president was just putting on liis
gloves preparatory to taking his au
tomobile for the club. He paused
with his usual genial nod to Marvel,
and stepped within the room and lin
gered for a moment.
1 presume it is a plain case, and
the bank is $ 10.000 out?" he observed
"Hurdly," was the prompt response.
The case, however, calls for some
attention possibly several thousand
miles from here.”
Then there is a chance?” was sug
gested hopefully.
"1 shall want the best man in the
bank and my good friend." replied
Marvel, placing his hand on my shoul
der
That is foregone, since you say it,”
smiled our president "It's the girl.
I suppose—the forger?"
"It is the girl, yes." assented Mar
vel "As »' fer being the forger—
1 doubt
What's that'" demanded the pres
ident. with a rtart You don't mean
to say-”
“I mean to quote from the commer
cial agency patter: 'considerable con
servation should be exercised in deal
ings with—'
“Warner Clay’"'
“Take it so."
“Is that a warning?"
"You might act on that basis until
you hear again from me." said Mar
vel.
tou amaze me!
The president depart'd thoughtful
ly drawing on a glove, an awakened
distrust in his bearing that indicat
ed a shock.
“Now. then, you and I will thrash
this thing out," he began "First,
though make your arrangements to
bear me company.”
"How far?" ! inquired, sorting over
my short and long distance traveling
satchels in my miDd.
“Galveston—first. You will hsve
time for preparations. The train
leaves at 8. I only want half an hour
just now. That is Miss Farrar.” He
t aid. and drew a card photo from his
pocket
"The young lady—" I ventured.
“Is at Galveston, or thereabouts.
1 saw your esteemed bank client, this
Mr. Warner Clay I found him as I
had pictured him: an elfish, miserly
b- :ng with no thought outside of his
money and getting more. The man is
a financial pervert and sly and
shrewd as a fox He positively wel
comed me. Then he lied to me and I
had him. I left him so well satis
fied that his word was gold with the
bank, and that my brief visit was a
cursory and superficial bit of routine,
that he will gloat over his fancied
success for a week to come. When I
stated that we wanted to go over
his returned checks as a matter of
business system, he landed them
down on cse with a frank willingness
that was almost painful. I even got
him to give me several samples of
his handwriting. By the way. did you
ever notice his right hand forefinger
and thumb?”
or course i nad not. perhaps the
paying teller had. and I said so.
'Sometime and somehow our Mr.
Clay has slipped the upper joint of
that forefinger out of plumb,” nar
rated my informant. ‘It does aot
trouble him in eating, or cutting cou
pons. or flipping over Interest money.
Nor when he writes a screed with
straight-going letters does he expe
rience any difficulty. A lower loop,
however, is his Nemesis."
■'Nemesis?" I repeated vaguely.
'Not too strong, that, in this case.
The lower loop is the pit 1 dug for
him. and he fell into it. To be plain,
when Warner Clay signs his name it
is plain sailing. Even when he makes
that downward stroke to form the y
ir bis last name, he is all right.
Where he comes to turn, however,
call it looping the loop'—that mis
placed joint in his forefinger jars the
nerve. If he let the pen have free
play it would wander and scribble ail
over the paper. By study and train
ing. however, he is enabled to in
stantly stop the pen by pressing down
upon it. give his lame joint a rest
and a twist, get a new start and wind
up the y quite creditably. Only—"
Resilius Marvel drew from his pock
et check 953, also a sheet of paper on
which he had the recent handwriting
samples from our client, also the re
turned May checks. He p aced them
before me.
Feel of those signatures." he di
rected. No. not that way—catch the
signature space between vour thumb
and forefinger. Do you notice any
protuberance in the lower surface?"
“N no." I was forced to admit, and
called attention to the usual calloused
condition of a bank man's finger tips.
"Take the magnifying glass then,"
ordered Marvel. "Now. then?"
I saw what he intended I shoa’rd
see. Minute, scarcely perceptible to
the naked eye, there was almost a
bole through the check surface wher
ever the loop of the y in Clay was
inspected, and on the reversed side, •
naturally, a tiny protuberance corre
sponded.
“Nobody but Warner Clay ever did
that." declared Marvel. It Is the test
infallible. As on the returned checks
so on the one claimed forged—the
writer depressed the pen point to get
a momentary staying power. Those
checks were signed by the hand of ’
Warner Clay, all of them. 953 includ
ed.”
"In other words,” I exclaimed, “our
client is his own forger!”
"You have it,” assented Resiliu3
Marvel, “precisely. We shall not
have to retraverse or fortify that con
clusion. unless we are forced into
a court of law. The point of interest
now is Geraldine Farrar.”
“The girl cashed the check—why
was she given it? She left the city at
once—what impelled her? She went
into obscurity, leaving no trace be
hind her—why?” challenged Marvel.
The man's rare humanity spoke out
in his questioning, determined face.
Viewed in a cold-blooded way. the
bank’s interest ceased at the discov
ery of a method of saving its money.
A new strain had come into the
case—mystery, maybe misery. Cun
ning or foul play. Resilius Marvel. I
saw, was determined to go to the bot
tom of the proposition.
“When I questioned Clay about nis
missing ward." resumed Marvel, "his
sorrow was touching! He plainly in
dicated that she had seized an oppor
tunity to acquire a fortune at one deft
stroke ot the pen. She had no friends,
no other relatives than himself, he
averred She had seemed to share
his lonely life for the sake of com
fort and home. She had had some
very distant relatives once, he be
lieved. in far western Canada. Oue
thing I noticed: he was sure in his
mind that she could not be found.
Circumstances or his own plans were
placing her at a sure distance. I in
sisted on visiting her room He did
not demur. It was a miracle of good
order. I found nothing to inspire m«
in my search—he had prepared for
all that—nothing except a scrap ot
crumpled-up paper lying where he
fellow, suggesting the South Amer
ican. He would scan every person
who went aboard, and then, as he evi
dently found not what he sought,
would take an eager sweeping survey
of the wharf, and even beyond it. at
pedestrians and vehicles as though In
a torment of expectation and sus
pense.
Finally the last bell rang. Some
belated passengers got hurriedly
aboard, the gangplank was dropped,
and the little dark man stood in pro
found dejection, evidently suffering
under the weight of a severe disap*
pointment.
"The lady is still in Galveston. She
was to have gone on that steamer,”
Marvel advised me. ‘We should have
gone with her. As it is—”
Just then the wiry foreigner gave a
start, a jump. He ran forward, his
eyes fixed on an automobile that had
come up to the wharf. And then my
own glance was riveted upon the ma
chine as well. The chauffeur had
evidently just learned that they were
three minutes too late for the steam
er. His passengers looked sorely
disturbed. They were two; a tall
dark man with great mustachios and
a scarred warrior-like face, and a
young lady.
This was Miss Geraldine Farrar,
and I knew her at a glance. There
was a change in her manner since 1
had last seen her. and in her face as
well, as compared with the photo
graph Marvel carried in his pocket.
Her eyes expressed animation, her
whole pose was one of energy. Her
face was deliciously flushed with ex
citement. She spoke rapidly to her
dignified escort, and then to the chauf
feur. The latter received some hur
ried instructions. He seized the
wheel and at once the machine sped
away from the wharf.
The wiry foreigner who had seem
ingly been watching for just this ar
rival ran forward, looked about for
another auto, found none for hire, and
sped on the trail of the speeding ma
chine at a gait worthy of a crack pr>
fessional sprinter.
"This way!" spoke Marvel, seizing
my arm and directing a swift dash
W£ WERE NOT MENACED, ONLY STARED AT AS WE
CAN ASHORE
had not discovered it. half way under
her writing desk. Nor did he see me
secure it. There it is.”
It was a mere fragment of note
paper. Penciled upon it were these
figures: “$19.80," “$4.50.” and this one
word: “Separamos.” I fancied this
valueless.
“That and concurrent discoveries
gave me a new focal point,” explain
ed my companion.
“It is Greek to me," I acknowledged
helplessly.
“The word is Spanish." said Mar
vel. “It means ‘separate,' or ‘separa
tion,’ or something of that sort Clay
had tried to divert me north.' For
that reason my mind was fixed south
I analyzed ‘$19.80’ and ‘$4.50‘ and 1
made up my mind it appertained co
some meditated personal investment.
I fixed upon the girl’s calculation as
to railroad fare. I found that a first
class railway ticket to Galveston is
exactly $19.80, and the sleeper tariff
exactly $4.50. I did not arrive at this
decision until I had gone over a good
many time tables, and then confirmed
rnv selection at the railway ticket
office. I was not sure of my ground
even then, until I had got a line on
the letter carrier who delivered mail
at the Clay home. The information
he gave me was very agreeable to my
course of reasoning. Miss Farrar had
only one correspondent that he knew
of. About every six weeks regularly
she received a letter, and its post
mark invariably was Galveston. I
learned also from a stray remark of
Clay that once she had gone to Texas
for six weeks, settling some land bus
iness for him. The letters were di
rected in a masculine hand. A lover?
At least, and at once—Galveston. On
the 8 o’clock train. Be ready.”
It was late in the afternoon of our
third day at Galveston, and I was read
ing a newspaper in the lobby of the
hotel, when Marvel entered on the
jump.
“Wait for nothing,” he advised me.
and simply kept on going back to the
street, myself following, brisk and
willing and hopeful.
I had a lively time of it keeping up
witb Marvel. Every time he consult
ed his watch he took a new spurt.
\V( finally reached a wharf where a
s>»amer advertised for a run to Ha
vsma was just getting ready to cast
away.
Marvel drew partly within the
shadow of a pile of freight and I un
obtrusively took my position behind
hilu. My companion was not watch
ing the passengers as they went
aboard, but I soon discovered that he
wis watching a man who was.
This latter stood by the gangplank.
He was a lithe, swarthy, keen-eyed
for a cab. “Keep that machine in
view.” he ordered the driver—“double
pay.”
It was a wild rush, this triple race
The auto did not make towards the
, city center, but along the wharves.
Suddenly, at a spot where a trim
yacht was getting ready to leave
shore, the automobile came to an ab
rupt stop. Miss Farrar jumped
gracefully to the ground. Her austere
escort followed her. He carried two
satchels. She taking one of these,
they ran to the yacht and clambered
unceremoniously aboard. There
seemed to be some discussion with
the one man in charge. Then he went
about his duties and the pretty craft
made for the offing.
We were getting so near now that
11 could read the came of the yacht
in gilt letters aX her stern: “The Ar
row.” The little pursuer of the auto
mobile leaped toward the yacht as she
pushed ofT. but Colonel Aloa Gaspard.
a revolutionary South American, and
present convoy of Miss Farrar lifted
a stake from the bottom of the yacht,
dealt him a blow and sent him hurling
back into the water.
It was done so quickly that by the
time we came to the spot where the
craft had been moored she was lost in
the dim sea mists, and the wiry for
j eigner stood rubbing his aching head.
Marvel gave me a quiet direction to
return to the hotel and took the strang
er in tow. When he put in an ap
pearance at our rooms several hours
later he briefly stated:
“The man who got the ducking was
a Venezuelan spy, who it seems has
been watching Gaspard aud our young
lady for a week, and, learning this, he
was my selected pHot, with the de
nouncement as you have seen. Again
he asserts that those two satchels
carried by the parties who have skip
ped us contained dynamite.
Marvel did not seem to worry any
! over the uncertain shape affairs had
. taken. He kept busy in his own
way. I knew he did a lot of cabling
and even used the wireless. The sec
| oud morning he ushered into our room
a stranger
'This is the gentleman who took
charge of our friends on his yacht,
'The Arrow.' " explained Marvel. We
bowed, and I saw that the man was
a gentleman.
'The promised story, my friend,”
intimated Marvel in his effective way.
"Why. when that young lady and
her military escort bounced aboard
my boat two evenings ago,” stated
the man. “I had just taken a queer
commission from the police authori
ties of Galveston. Know me as Adam
Butler, unsuccessful business man. *n
valid of good repute and mild habits.
combining the quest of health with a
moderate income easily earned
through running a pleasure yacht,
and you will discern that nothing
could be so far fetched as piracy, or
police interference, or affiliation with
anything criminal or revolutionary.
And yet you will soon see that unwill
ingly 1 was made an agent in a stir
ring episode that may turn out san
guinary. sensational and fairly inter
national in its scope."
The speaker chose good language,
and was clear and direct in his nar
rative.
"The sky was dull and lowering,
the bay chopping and streaked with
yellow splotches, when a flat boat
came creeping along the shore in a
way that told me she was crippled In
some part of her running gear. This
was the afternoon of the day you
gentlemen saw me. There were four
men in police uniform aboard. One
of them I observed wore a captaincy
button, and as the unwield* craft
came nearer I recognized him.
“ ‘Hello.’ he hailed, ‘I know you.’
and he smiled and waved his hand in
a friendly fashion. Remember?’
“ 'Captain Discoll, I believe.’
“ ‘Father of the bride whose party
you took down the coast last week,'
added the official. ‘You not only'
know your business, my friend, but
you take such good care of your pas
sengers that they have none but the
pleasantest memories. By the way—1
“A sudden idea seemed suggested to
my official friend as his eye rested
on my trim and natty craft. He spoke
some words to his companion and the
police boat was soon alongside.
“ See here. Mr. Butler,’ he said to
me. drawing me to one side, ‘you
would guess a long time before you
fixed on what we've got in the hold
of that old tub.'
“ ’Yes?’
i tniDK so Contraband expresses
it. in a way. We have four big boxes
loaded to the brim with fire arms,
weapons and burglar tools confiscated
from prisoners. Once a year we load
them on a boat, run out a few miles
and sink them. We started todav,
but the boat has gone afoul. Again,
we are ordered past the ten-mile lim
it this time, as some of the plunder
has been fished up in the past.'
" ‘I see. I observed.
“ It would be a speedy job for you.
What do you say—would you let us
transfer the rubbish to The Arrow
and take our task off our hands—for
a consideration, of courseT
“ ‘Gladly,' I answered.
“ ‘I know I can trust you. Just at
tend to it right and come to head
quarters tomorrow with vour bill and
I’ll O. K. it *
To make a long story short. I was i
all ready to start on my cruise when
that man and girl came aboard. Her
escort offered me $500 to make a di
rect run for a point in the Caribbean.
It was a temptation, and I agreed.
We reached destination on a fast run.
foul as the weather was. When we
landed the man made another offer—
$3,000 for the yacht. I was so dazzled
with all that money that he was in
command and away with the craft
and the girl before I realized what
I had left aboard of the yacht. That
is all except that I do not intend to
send in any bill to the Galveston po
lice department.”
"There is a trifle more to add.” re
marked Marvel, after the man had
left. “The two satchels those people
had were swept overboard. From
what the yachtsman learned they
were bound for Separation Island—a
reminder of that word penciled on
the slip of paper—remember?— 'Sep
aramos.’"
Resiiius Marvei was a quick think
er and never slow in action Behold
us the very next day. a steam
launch at our disposal and a man ia
charge who knew the Caribbean like
a book.
Resilius Marvel would not have
been what he was had he started on
the cruise unaware of what he was
running into. Separation Island was
one of those innumerable dots on the
water north of Venezuela, sometimes
an appurtenance of the state, some
times ceded to a corporation, often
sold to individuals. For fifty years it
had been a bone of contention among
varied claimants. It was in dispute
now. as we were soon to learn.
I think I shall never forget the
scene that greeted our eyes the morn
ing we reached the island. One end
ran up into a bold promontory that
was a natural fo>tress. The remain
der of the island, famous for large
deposits of a silica nature of sound
commercial value, was quite level.
Grouped on that portion in the bril
liant sunlight was a small army of
about one hundred men. As we
neared them we stared and wondered.
Never was a coterie of apparent
warriors so equipped. There was
scarcely a man who had not at his
belt half a dozen weapons. They car
ried knives, daggers, stillettos, pis
tols. revolvers, sawed-off guns. Then
I guessed what had happened—they
had discovered that fearful armament
aboard The Arrow and had utilized
it to the limit.
We were not menaced, only stared
at as we ran ashore. The first man
to greet us officially was Colonel Aloa
Gaspard.
When he knew that we knew of
The Arrow and of its contraband
load, he was open, smiling and friend
ly. He was about to do some labori
ous explaining, when a gun boomed
from the pro jontory and a white flag
was w avt-q from that natural rock
battlement.
"It is all settled—ah; the dread ar
ray of our troops, veritably armed to
the teeth, did it! That, and the cash."
declared one host. “Gentlemen, your
missions and you shall be seen to
grandly by Senor Rodney Vincent,
who vi.’i be at your service.”
And just then the mysterious one,
"the girl wno had vanished.” ap
peared.
“I have come to see Miss Geraldine
Farrar,” explained Resilius Marvel,
and her wondering eyes were soon
gazing inquiringly into his reassuring
ones.
A plain man, Resilius Marvel told a
plain story, to witness incredulity,
then horror, then grief steal over the
expressive face of the young girl.
She was white truth itself, as she
explained that Warner Clay had been
her guardian for an estate in the
south. A month before the present
time she had attained her majority.
The estate was worth over |100,000,
but could not be readily tarn ad into
cash.
"I needed money,” she confessed—
blushingly. ”1 was engaged to Mr.
Rodney Vincent, who owns, this is
land, who has just been negotiating
with a false claimant who stole all
our weapons and preserved posses
sion of the fortress. Mr. Clay paid
me $30,000 cash for my property. The
deed on record in Baldwin county.
Alabama, will verify that fact. He
knew that I would be practically out
of the world on this lonely island, and
trusted to the impulse of greed to
cover my name with a crime, think
ing I would not be located. '
W e found Mr. Rodney Vincent a
most estimable young man who wor
shiped the ground that Kfiss Geral
dine Farrar trod on—the fair young
girl who had brought her fortune to
his rescue. The dynamite was a
thought of the sanguinary Colonel
Gaspard. who wanted to blow the in
truders clear off the island.
I have pleasant memories yet of ilie
sight of celebration we passed
Separation Island. We went fi
the next day. prepared to clear the
fair name of Warner Clay’s ward nf
all reproach.
When Resilius Marvel, arrived at
home, went to confront our bank
client with the evidences of his per
fidy, I never saw a man turn so
craven—nor so yellow. The man left
the city as soon as he could sell his
property—“flagged" to every bank
within the clearing house.
USE HATS AS LUNCH BOXES
In the Island of Sardinia Headgear Is
Employed for a Multiplicity
of Purposes.
Sardinia, that large island which lies
directly south of and very close to Cor
sica. and about a day's steamer journey
from Sicily, is so filled with romance,
picturesque scenes and odd customs
that know so many nations, one won
ders whether he’s still in the present
or wandering the past of medieval
days. For every nation that held as
cendancy over the Mediterranean left
in Sardinia some trace of its day. In
deed. the population of this island re
tains in its speech and customs vivid
memories of nearly every conqueror.
Having a strong regard for woman
kind. the Sardinians are among the
most polite of peoples. As you pass
along the roads you find them invari
ably courteous and hospitable. Every
one wishes you to stop and break
bread with them, and if you hurry by
the women, the children and the old
men sitting by the doorways rise and
cheerily cry after you, ‘“Buon viag
gro.” Vigorous, hardy and grave, they
are a fine race of mountain people,
and, like many another race brought
up under similar climatic conditions,
they are suspicious of every inno
vation.
This is one of the reasons why
their fields are still worked in the an
cient ways. Harvesting machinery is
rarely to be seen, and the grains are
reaped with the sickle. Odd as is the
costume the average Sardinian wears,
it is upon file cap the men wear that
attention first centers. This head
dress is. indeed, one of the few things
in Sardinia unique to that island.
Xot only does it serve as a protec
tion against the weather, but in its
capacious depths the wearer carries
his lnntfi when he works in the fields.
And when he sleeps outdoors, and
often when at home in his own bed,
his only pillow is that cap deftly roiled
up for service or sometimes stuffed
with wayside grasses to furnish a soft
place on which to rest his weary head.
Never Turned a Hair.
“Well 7”
"1 have here,” begun the traveler, “a
patent electric hair brush—’’
“Can't you see I'm bald as an egg?”
snapped the man at the door.
“Your wife, perhaps, might—"
“My wife wears a wig. She is as
bald as I am.”
“Possibly you have a child who—"
“I have. Two mouths old, and still
bald.”
“Ah—but maybe you have a dog. 1
can recommend this brush equally for
man and beast."
“Look here, my good man. ours is a
Mexican hairless dog. Good day.”
The traveler gently replaced the
brush in his bag. and fumbled in an
other corner of it.
“Permit me,” he murmured, in hon
eyed accents, “to show you the latest
thing in fly-killers.”
Sculptor's Masterpiece.
The famous statue of St. Bruno at
Rome wqs made by the great master
of French sculpture. Houdon < (1741
1S28). At the imitation of Franklin,
Houdon visited America in the year
17S5 and took casts for the statue of
Washington, now at Richmond, Ya.,
said by Lafayette to be the best like
ness obtained of the “American Pa
triot.” St. Bruno belonged to the or
der of Trappists, whose chief law was
silence. Pope Clement XVI, on see
ing the statue of St. Bruno, exclaimed:
“He would speak did not the rule of
his order forbid.”
Tablecloth Tempted Deer.
A tablecloth ornamented with a de
sign of green leaves until recently
graced the board of a farmhouse in
Dark Mom mad, back of AUnmuchy,
X. J.. and was the particular pride of
the farmer's wife. Mrs. William Crawn.
One morning lately Mrs. Crawn hung it
on a clothesline, and in half an hour
was surprised and pained, according to
the New York Herald, to see three deer
eating it greedily.
Trees Only Need Proper Care.
We hear much these days of tree
surgery, but a late bulletin of the Mis
souri Botanical Gardens calls attention
to the fact that If trees are properly
planted, and cared for. there would
never be need of tree surgery for dis
ease. etc., but only for the necessary
pruning to be done each year.
Stomach Needs Occasional Rest
The lv.ss of a meal occasionally will
not hurt you. and if your stomach “gets
out of order” the very best thing
you can do is to fast for a day or two
or eat only a fruit diet until your
tongue loses its yellow coating.
IN AFRICAN JUNGLE
British Aviator Relates Experi
ence of Four Days.
Forced to Abandon Machine, He Had
to Make His Way Through Almost
Impenetrable Bush, in Con
stant Fear of Death.
Horrible experiences of a British
aviator who came down in an East
African Jungle are described by him
in a letter just received by a relative
at London.
The aviator, Lieut. G. Gnrrood. went
up to bomb a German ambush on the
Ituflji river, but through engine trou-.
ble had to descend in the bush, the
machine landing with broken propeller
In a bog. It took him four days to
make his way to a place of safety.
He tells how in the dusk he was
confronted with an ugly black animal
about four feet high with vicious
tusks. He climbed a tree and pre
pared to put in the night there. Later
he opened his eyes and saw something
like two green electric bulbs about 30
feet from the tree. They moved around
in a circle. This continued for 4"> min
utes. He says :
“The tension was unbearable. I
wanted to scream, shont and yell nil
in one. but instead I hurst out with
‘The Admiral's Broom,’ and with a
full-throated bass I roared out the
three verses. No applause, but a re
ward—the leopard slunk away. Why
had I not thought of it before?
“I went through my repertoire. I
laughed as I finished Two Eyes of
(Irey.’ It seemed so ridiculous. Then
I got on to hymns, remembered four
verses of ‘O God. Our Help in Ages
Past,' and sang the ‘Amen,’ too. The
whole thing had its ludicrous side."
Next morning while swimming a
river he passed seven yards from a
crocodile’s month, hut just reached
the hank in time. Without food, or
arms—his only weapon of defense his
nails scissors—his progress through
the awful bush was about 100 yards
an hour. His clothing was in ribbons,
and his ilesh exposed to the thorns,
sword grass and flies.
He swam seven more rivers that
day and sank down exhausted against
a tret1. He could hear a lion roaring
about 500 yards away, and, somewhat
nearer, the grunting of a hippopota
mus. He continues:
“Being exhausted. I more or less
lost consciousness for perhaps half an
hour or so. Nothing short of a hippo
charging could have made me climb
a tree. Am afraid life had little to
offer about that time.”
It was while lyfng here that the
lieutenant had the annoying experi
ence of surveying two large babboons,
the size of a small man, quarreling
over his trousers, now in threads, and
among the tops of 40-foot trees.
It was nor until he hud passed an
other horrible day and equally terrible
night in the hush that he at last wus
picked up by some natives.
“Their eyes seldom left me,” he
adds. “Undoubtedly I was a strange
sight—my legs bare and bleeding, ray
short vest sodden, dirty and torn, no
trousers, of course, just a dirty sun
helmet, a short stick in my right hand
and with four days’ growth of beard
on my dirty face."
Real Meaning of “Mam."
The word “Mara,” attached to the
nmne of every Japanese merchant ship
and commonly accepted as meaning
“ship,” has no especial meaning, ac
cording to Captain Tukeshima of the
Japanese steamship Hudson Maru, re
cently captured and released by a Ger
man raider in the South Atlantic. Cap
tain Takeshinm said that the word Is
the survival of a Japanese custom cen
turies old. He explained the origin as
follows: “There are two opinions as
to how the custom originated. One
of the stories, which I believe is the
correct one, is that in ancient times
the Japanese attached ‘maru’ to the
name of anything precious or highly
prized, as a sword or a baby. It was
first applied to a ship's name about 2,
000 years ago. when the Empress Jingo
sent an expedition to Korea. She add
ed the word to the name of the ship
that transported the troops to Korea.
Ever siuce then ‘Maru’ has been part
of the name of every steamship or sail
ing vessel. It is never used with the
name of a warship.”
Use of Barbed Wire in War.
The part that barbed wire has play
ed in the war is reflected to some ex
tent by the foreign commerce reports,
observes the St. Louis Globe-Democrat.
This is peculiarly an American prod
uct, the Blidden invention having been
utilized on a large scale by John W.
Gates at St. Louis.
The descriptions from the front
show the effective use made of this
simple invention, which the late Sena
tor Ingalls said was suggested by the
manner In which milch cows avoided
bramble bushes. It was woven and
twisted Into a barrier that seemed im
pregnable until the British developed
the use of artillery in such amazing
fashion. The study of fortifications
has been followed from the beginning
of human history, and it is a singu
lar fact that a simple fencing device,
designated for an untimbered country,
should surpass every other obstacle to
the progress of a modern army.
Art of Egypt.
Art history, particularly in the.
branch of painting, has undergone
some radical revisions in the last quar
ter of a century, as a direct result of
Egyptian archaeological research.
Fainting, as we know it today, is at
least 3.000 years old—and we have
found the originals to prove it. The
site of ancient Thebes, now represent
ed by the modem villages of Karnak
and Luxor. ha> been one of the richest
quarries worked by modern scholarly
excavators of various nationalities.
Ten years ago the New York Metropoli
tan museum's expedition established at
Thebes a special school or atelier for
the purpose of copying and recording
the brilliant-painted scenes ami inscrip
tions uncovered in the royal tomb chap
els of Egypt's rulers of more thun
thirty centuries ago.