RED CLOUD, NEBRASKA, CHIEF
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1 The Mvsterv of
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m UlUltrftted by IRWIN MYfcKS
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Bynopsls. Dr. John Mlcholson,
Just licKlnnlne Ills cnroer, becomes
resident physician and cornpanlun
of Homer Hldney at Hartley houso,
Mr. bldncy la an American, a seml
Invalid, old and rich anil very de
sirous to live. Mrs. Sidney la a
Hpunlsli woman, dignified and roll
cent. Jed, the butlur, acta like a
privileged member of the family.
Hartley Iioubo la a lino otd Isolated
country place, with u murder ntory,
a "haunted pool," nnd many watch
dogs, and an atmosphere of mys
tery. The "haunted pool" Is where
Hlchard Dolison, son of a former
owner of Hartley houso, had killed
Ills brother, Arthur Dobson. Jed
begins opcrallnna by locking Iho
doctor In his room tho very first
night. Doctor John fixes his door
bo he can't be locked In. Ho meets
Isabel, daughter of tho Iioubo and
falls In love at first sight. In tho
night he finds tho butler drunk and
'holding Mrs. Sidney by the wrist.
Ho Interferes. Mrs. Sidney ex
plains. John buys n revolver. John
overhears Jed telling Mrs. Sidney
he will huvo his way. In reply sho
says sho will not hesitate to kilt
him. Mrs. Sidney risks John to
consent to tho' announcement of
his engagement to Isobel. Tho
Voung people consent to tho muko
believe announcement. Jed tries to
kill John.
CHAPTER III Continued. .
Mr. Sidney never liked to have his
vicarious drinking Interrupted, but ho
always was good natured.
"Well, doctor," he said, "wlint now?
Is Jed drinking too much for my
health?"
At that, moment no possible amount
of liquor would have been too much
for Jed. The wretch must have thought
I wasu tfhost.
"Jed may drink himself to death,
Tor nil me," I said. "That probably Is
the best end he can coino to. I think
he Is gallows ment, but I want to talk
to htm when you can Kpare him."
"We enn't spare Jed to have him
hanged," said Mr. Sidney. "He's too
useful. Who else could drink my wine
of nn evening? Go along with the
doctor, Jed, nnd see what he wants.
It's probably a matter of pills or pow
ders for me."
Jed was recovering from his shock,
but he still showed the effects of It
"No hurry," I said. "I'd rather wait
half hour. I'll be In my room."
I went there and wroto two letters.
Both were to one point. They related
circumstantially what had hnppened
that afternoon. One I addressed to a
lawyer I knew, nnd .the other to Dr.
tlrowncll. Jed knocked at the door as
I finished them. lie was still un
nerved. "I have something I want yon to
read," I said, nnd guve him the letters.
He read them nnd moistened his lips.
"You don't need to talk, Jed," I said.
"I'll do nil' the tnlklng that's neces
nary. I ntn not going uway. I nm go
ing to stay right here, and you'd better
be very careful of my health. Theso
letters go out tonight. The men who
get them will keep their mouths shut
bo long as I nm alive. If nnythlng
Bhould happen to me. whether you had
unythlng to do with It or not, you'd
have a dlfllcult tlmo with a Jury."
" "It was n mistake," ho said. "I
would not do you any barm. I shot at
a rabbit"
"Twice with n pistol, when you had
n shotgun?" I said. "You did I I was
the rabbit
CHAPTER IV.
' Jed came to me the next tiny In one
of his candid moods.
"I did shoot at you yesterday," he
nulil.
"'I know you did," I replied.
"And you're wondering why and
rou're wondering If I intend to do It
Ugalii."
, "I don't wonder nt anything you
do," I suld. "And you know that If
you do It ngaln, the evldenco Is pre
pared against you. I think I urn per
fectly safe. I know you are a cow
ard." "No, I'm not a cownrd," he said, ns
If he wero stating a fact and not mak
ing a boast. "I never do anything
without a purpose, ami when I have a
purpose, I do It no matter what tho
consequences may be. The roasou I
wanted to shoot you was because you
wero engaged to Isobel. J, Intend to
marry Isobel. Now I know that you
are not going to marry Isobel. You
are Just tho foolish fenco that her
mother thought 8ho could build up
around Isobel and keep me from try
ing to murry her. Isobel doesn't want
you. Sho Is laughing at you. So wo
might us well bo friends again."
"You preposterous old fool 1" I said.
"You senllo alcoholic! You are a vio
lation of decency. You enfeebled, ex
asperating old goatl You would sicken
tho moral conscience of n mummy. If
you ever nssoclato your aspirations
with the name of Miss Sidney again,
Til cut your throat with a paper
knife."
Jed smiled and made me feel ridicu
lous. (I
"I am a more Intelligent man than
you," ho said. "You aro too simple for
the complexities of life. You could not
possibly bo sulilclcnt for a girl of Miss
Sidney's character. She would dlo of
By CLIFFORD
boredom In six months. There Is noth
ing preposterous about my cundlducy
for Miss Sidney. I nm older than I'd
like to be, but that Is all."
"You are a hideous old fool," I said,
"but I think I can handle you, and I
give you warning."
"I am going to be quite friendly,"
said Jed.
"You Mutter yourself," I said.
"Well, anyway," ho suld, "I'm friend
ly." He proved to be so. The life of the
house went placidly from day to day.
Isobel, wllh n sense of our posturing
toward each other, made mocking ges
tures of affection which shocked tier
mother. She particularly delighted to
demonstrate, when Jed was Kcrvlng
dinner. I thought she would end by
getting me shot In the back, but Jed
had rated inu finally us unimportant,
which did my egotism no good. For
such a rascal to discard me, formally
betrothed as I was to Isobel, In his
scandalous pursuits of that beautiful
girl, was preposterous.
If Mrs, Sidney hud known thnt I was
Idiotically In love with Isobel, she
would not have sought relief from her
distress by the arrangement which
mado mo her daughter's protective
flanre. The only thing I could take
credit for In this absurd situation was
that Mrs. Sidney was not allowed to
know tho state of my feelings.
I was as sensible ns a corrupting ro
manticism would permit me to be. I
knew that any ulTectlou I might place
In this fashion was a real and serious
emotional vice, which If not controlled
might lead to unhapplness. Thnt con
sciousness had steadied me, but It had
not delivered me.
Isobel wnlked brightly through the
old house of tragedy us surely It was,
however hidden tho tragedy. She was
the glint of .sunshine In the aisles of
the dark woods, the odor of roses
against the wall. She had the charm
of tho hollyhocks, the freshness of the
hepatlca In the spring, tho beauty of
the wild rose In June.
If I showed my feeling more than
a liver sausage shows a soul, I hope I
may be punished. What I thought of
Isobel wus my own affair, so loug as
I kept It strictly my own affair.
I took myself la hand with as much
energy and promptness ns I could, fol
lowing tho announcement of our en
gagement. I did not wunt to confess
myself a fool. I did not intend to do
so If I could help It
I overdid It. I became disagreeable.
I kept as much out of Isobel's presence
ns possible. I never willingly was
alono with her. I did my best to avoid
meeting her or speaking to her. Isobel
met tho situation with her nnturnl
frankness nfter I had been giving this
demonstration of myself for some time.
"Doctor," she said, "this household
necessarily Imposes friendships upon
the people In It. I wonder If we could
not be u little more agreeable to each
other."
I did not know what to say. I hoped
not to be a hypocrite, und I did not
want to bo absurd.
"I uhull be glad to be ns agreeable
as I can," I said after some mental
stuttering. "I wunt' to be, but I am
so awkward."
"I want to be, too," said Isobel ; "and
If we both want to be, we shall not
hnvo to glower nt euch other every
time we meet. Kven mother does not
require It nnd father would detest It."
Without saying anything more, she
made me see that I had used a cheap
device to escape the'eonsequences of
a foolish affection. The girl In a. very
friendly fashion nud shown mo that
my avoidance of her was marked, cool
and unreasonable. It was wholly rea
sonable from my poor standpoint, but
from no other.
I saw thut I was meeting my difficul
ty by running awny from It, and I not
only did not like tho timidity of escape
in this fashion, but furthermore, I did
not like the opinion Isobel formed of
mo because of It. I had to faco the
music, and nfter that I did. It ought
hot to have astonished me that I felt
better Instantly. I know that n cow
ard only Increased his troubles.
I Imagine If I had not seemed such
a professional stick, such a thing aloof
from humun emotions, Isobel would
have been merely friendly nnd kind.
As It was. she was tantalizing. She
llkl'd me well enough, but that meant
very little. If she did not drive, ride,
walk or play tennis with me, sho hud
n choice of the servnnts. It was I or
nothing.
I was with Mr. Sidney a number of
hours every day. They varied, some
times seven or eight a day In different
periods, sometimes three or four. Very
little of this time was occupied In pro
fessional duty. Life ut Hartley houso
wotild havo been Intolerably lonesome
If 1 had been there merely as a prac
tltloner. And thereforo I welcomed it
routine that was outside my profes
sion. Mr. Sidney had a delicacy of
perception which told him when at
tention upon even so amiable an In
valid might; be drawing upon the phys
ical reserve of tho people waiting upon
him or being with him. He always
managed thnt they never should feel
tho fatigue of tt.
We Bnw no company nt nnrtley
house. We mado no culls nnd received
none. We extended no Invitations and
received none. The estato was baron
Haitlev
S. RAYMOND
Copyricht by George H. Doren Co. H
ial, nnd It hud baronial habits, but It
brought no friend to the doors.
It was nearly always with regard to
Isobel thut the condition seemed un
natural. For an Invalid like Mr. Sid
ney It was natural enough. Mrs. Sid
ney was wholly devoted to him ; I was
engaged In professional duties; ami
for Jed und the servants In the bouse
It was natural to be content with what
they had of life or with the perform
ance of duties for which they wero
paid und which they might abandon
at will. Hut this was Isobel's life.
She was young, vibrant, beautiful, but
vistas opening Into human prospects
were closed to her. And sho wits en
gaged to it piece, of professional dead
wood who happened to be the only
masculine thing available when her
mother wns In great distress.
Later Isobel said that as a woman
she knew of course that I, loved her,
but' this is evident fiction. Shu did
no such thing, und It would be an tin
kindness to her to think so. What
was only comedy If I were, us she
thought I wus, nn Indifferent, unfeel
ing man, would have been cruelty If
It had been known tuat the position
was mockery of denied hopes.
Isobel used me to gain her liberty.
She affected familiarities and called
me "John" derisively, or worse "dear"
or "old dear." I protested, In more
pain than she could guess.
"We are engaged," she said. "What
should I cull you?"
"You might consider the fact thnt
we aro not engaged," I suggested.
"Hut we .are. 'If we don't act as If
we were, you'll not be any protection
ngulnst Jed. Don't you want me to
call you John?"
"Of course I do," I said. "It's per
fectly straightforward, naturul und
proper."
"Then It's the 'dear' nnd 'old dear'
you object to, nnd I perfectly delight
In calling you 'old dear.' It fits so
Isobel Used Me to Gain Her Liberty.
well It Is really .wonderful. It Is al
most a complete description ns well
us a charming appellation. I adore It."
"I object to unnecessary freedom,"
I said.
"Hut It helps to deceive Jed."
"Nothing deceives Jed. He was de
ceived only for u short while. Then lie
tried tn kill me. He apologized ufter
wntn for his mistake. He knows the
character of our engagement."
"Just the same, he has rot bothered
mother slnco then us "ho did before."
"That la because he Is n cowurd und
I have him where I can control him."
Mrs. Sidney did not understand her
daughter. Thnt wns not astonishing;
Isobel wns n young American woman;
Mrs. Sidney had Spanish traditions.
Isobel came naturally, through her
father, to a candor which never ceased
to amaze and occasionally to dis
tress her mother. Isobel wild what
she thought. Her frankness eatne
from honesty of character. Her lovely
mother regarded Ufo ns something to
bo managed by reticence anil denial.
Mrs. Sidney was esthetic, and If n fact
were uuesthetlc, sho denied It and put
It out of her consideration. It was, to
her, the only proper thing to do.
Isobel was a clever tennis-player
nnd I iv poor one. She beat me three
or four sets every fine afternoon. She
liked to drive a cur and ride u horn-.
I drove und rode with her.
When Isobel said for the first time
that she wanted to take me for a drive
In the car, her mother made a gesture
of dismay. Isobel stood before her a id
smiled.
"You know we nre engaged, mother,"
she said.
I thought of the hen at the pond's
edge seeing her brood of ducklings in
tho water, Mrs. Sidney was not In a
panic nnd she did not flutter, but her
distress wus ucute. She knew the girl
had to develop und she know that .slin
hud to live In North, not South America.-
Hut knowledge is not n complete
nnodyno to pain.
Isobel took her mother's hnnd and
kissed It, und then her lips, Sho smiled
tn such nn honest frank, perceptive
fashion I know thnt it smile can con
tain all the human understanding in
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the world, because I saw Isobel's nnd
then, holding her mother's hand, sho
allowed Mis. Sidney to have the mo
ment of distress with the Intimate sup
port of her own presence.
It may seem n small struggle thnt
mother and daughter went through,
but It did not seem small to me who
witnessed It, und It had no rhetorical
and little emotional expression.
Isobel knew her mother suffered, but
she was wise. Mrs. Sidney dreaded
her daughter's adopted mode of life,
but knew her daughter.
"flood-bye, mother," suld Isobel. "We
slia'n't be gone long. Come on, John."
That wns the first flint; she had
called me John honestly und without
eolnedy. I knew her finesse. She did
It to give her mother the comfortable
sense that she was not going upon n
wild ndventure of nn nntomoblle ride
with nn unrelated man but wus within
the strict Intimacy of the family.
We went driving, Isobel nt the wheel.
She liked to drive fust and I do not.
I am timid. I do not think thnt loco
motion is u genuine human pleasure.
Possibly It Is, behind either a fust or
a plodding horse. I prefer the plodding
horse. Locomotion then merely reveals
gradually changing facets of the scene;
one likes to see the manifold aspects
of u landscape unfold. P.ut nn auto
mobile driven us Isobel wanted to
drive It revealed no facets. It merely
blurred the vision nnd guve the Idea
that the satisfaction sought was a cer
tain amount of wind blown In the face.
For such us love It, not for me!
"That was n dllllcult scene, doctor,"
she said.
I knew that was what she would
call mo next "doctor." I came di
rectly down out of the clouds.
"I know It was," I sulci, "ami I ad
mired the honest wuy In which you
mnnnged It."
"I think I shall continue to call you
John Just that way," she said. "It
seems more honest and decent. After
all, we are engaged."
i
Sometimes Mr. Sidney could be
taken out in nn automobile, of a warm,
fair afternoon. It wns not often thnt
bis strength permitted this, but when
ever It did, I wns glad not only to al
low but to suggest thut he make uso
of nil opportunities.
The most beautiful of our river
drives brought us, within the limitation
of Mr. Sidney's strength, to the peni
tentiary ut Alwlck. It was" a hideous
structure of barracks, work-rooms and
walls, of cells and urmed guards; but
It was In lovely surroundings, nnd If
we took the best rouds, we came natur
ally to the prison walls.
Mr. Sidney would look nt the en
closure und the guards In the turrets
as If Interpreting his own life In the
terms of prison existence. We may
have taken this drive by the prison
road ten times when, approaching It
on another of our outings, Mr. Sidney
hud the driver stop ut the entrance.
"I feel very strong and well today,
doctor," he said, "and If you do not
object, I think I should like to go In
side. I have seen the outside so many
times, I have a curiosity to see the In
side." I consented, thinking that with Jed
nnd me helping him we ncteil ns his
legs, guiding and sustaining his feeble
motions he was strong enough to
mnko the effort. I did not know
whether It wns good or bad pyschology
to give him a sight of so many Impris
oned men, but my lusttifct suggested
that It would, In his case, be good. He
wns a logical, reasoning man a rare
phenomenon In the human race. If lie
had been emotional and sentimental, I
should have had more doubt.
Mr. Sidney was Important enough to
be known In the neighborhood. The
warden of thfprlson came to meet him
In the olllce ns soon us we hnd entered.
He wns very cordial to Mr. Sidney,
.who himself never showed more his
urlstocrucy of democracy. I nm a
democrat. I am most fond of an
aristocratic democrat. Such was Mr.
Sidney.
Mr. Sidney visits the peni
tentiary. OX llh CONTIMJIJD.)
Flat Feet.
Symptoms of Hat foot nre pnln
nlong the Instep or even In the calves
of tho legs, knees, thighs hips or
buck, often mistaken for rheumatism
or other troubles. The person stands
with feet well apart and toes turned
outward, The ankle bends Inward and
tho weight fulls on the Inner Hue of
the font so that the entire sole rests
Hut on the ground.
Fox Squirrel's Nests. .
In tho South, Instead of living In
the hollow trees, the fox squirrels build
big nests In the tops of the pine nnd
other trees, usually of Spanish moss,
says tho American Forestry Mnguzlne.
In these they sleep, ulso carrying to
them tho pine cones. In tho hnrtlwond
forests of the North, dry lenvos tako
tho place of the Spanish moss, and a
conspicuous nest Is built with an en
trance liolo at the side.
Every hoy knows severnl men whom
ho Intends to whip when lie crows ud.
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1T20 YEARS
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WAS TCPBE MORE YELLING
Safe to Say That Father's Prediction
Turned Out to Be Absolutely
Correct
The sweetly peaceful scene In the
Httlo sitting room was suddenly dis
turbed by n loud yell, nnd the honored
guest sprang wildly from the chair
Into which he had Just sunk, while the
daughter of the house felt her fuce
grow pale.
She hnd hnd hopes from this visit.
Alas, poor girl, were they to be
blighted?
But futher took the mntter and his
unall son firmly In hnnd. With a
graceful apology he removed the bent
pin from the chnlr and the aforesaid
Kniall boy from the room.
"-Vow, look here, Charles." he said
sternly, In the back yard, "why did you
do It?"
"It It wns an experiment, father I"
faltered the laddie.
"An experiment 1" snorted father.
"The only man who has visited your
poor hls'er for years, and you go and
drive I.lm away I"
"Well, dad," explained tho boy,
"he advertises that he Is a painless
dentist, an I wnnted to Und out If It
wns true, an' It wasn't. You should
hove heard him yell!"
"Yes," wus tho father's grim com
ment. "And some one else Is going
to hear you yell now!"
A Clue.
"You snltl the suspected moon
shiners gnvo you n clue by singing.
What was tho song?"
"'Oft in the Stlll-y Night.'"
A Clean Sweep.
Vacationist You sny the city takes
everything you raise. Farmer Yes!
And that Includes the help we raise.
Unprofitable Combination.
Howell Is yoilr new hired man sat
isfactory? Powell I should say not. He Is one
of the henvy inters and light workers.
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For tho return of dark yellow dog, size of
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POET'S WORD GOODENOUGH
Student Was Absolutely Satisfied
Without the Necessity of See
ing Any Proofs.
A good story Is going the rounds of
Princeton nbout Prof. Alfred Noycs,
the English poet.
Professor Noyes, It Is well known,
likes very much to read his works
aloud to his friends, nnd nt Princeton,
with so many young men under him,
he l.f usually nble to gratify this lik
ing to the full.
The other dny Professor Noyes said
to a junior, who hnd called about an
cxnmluntlon:
"Walt a moment. Don't go yet. I
want to show you the proofs of my
new hook of poems."
But the Junior made for the door
frantically.
"No, no," he said. "I don't need
proofs. Your word Is enough for me,
professor."
English Women in Wft
One of the best-known women 1
London's newspaper world, returning
from Illrmingham by train and en
deavoring to make shorthand notes en
route, was hopelessly Interrupted by
n man on the opposite seat who per
sisted In shouting his political opin
ions to nn acquaintance In the farthest
corner, says n writer In the London
Evening News. At Inst he used a
phrase containing tho word "damn"
and turned to apologize to the lady
for using such a word.
"Don't mention It," she replied,
sweetly. "I have been mentally using
the word for the last hour."
And the newspapers of tho other
passengers rustled through the lnugh
ter of their owners.
Height of Something or Othe-.
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Jammed into a tin bathtub that Is at
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