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About The Red Cloud chief. (Red Cloud, Webster Co., Neb.) 1873-1923 | View Entire Issue (Sept. 9, 1920)
RED CLOUD, NEBRASKA, CHIEF L A cKi . i lr K ' r MP v I ' I . . i h I !$ ft I The Mystery of Hartley Houase V v V (A iiiniTrarM nv inwin n 1 . .- .--...,..-.- - -.-..---- .ur:o:-t:orM A - THE HAUNTED POOL. SyopHl Dr. John .MUliclnon, Juat tx'KlnnltiK Ills career, hucomea rpHldcnt phyalrlnn and companion of Homer Hldncy at Hnrtloy house. Mr. Sidney Is nti American, u sctiil Invalid, old and rich ami cry du slrotiB to live. Mrs. Hldncy In 11 Spanish woman, distillled nud ictl cent. Jed, the butler, nets like u privileged metuber of tho family. Hartley hoiioe Is 11 line old Isolated country place, with 11 murder Htory, a "lutunted pool," and many watch dogs, and nn ntmoHphcro of inyn tory. The "haunted pool" Ih whero lllrlmrd Dob.ion, boii of 11 former owner of Iluilley Iioiikc, had killed IiIh brother, Arthur Dobson. Jed bof-ln operntluiiN by locking the doctor In bin room the very llrt night. Uoetor John llxes bin door no ho can't bo locked In. Ho mcetn Isobel, daughter of the holme, and fulls In lnvo at first sight. In tho rilk'lit he llndg the butler drunk and holding Mrs. Sidney by the wrist. He Interferes. Mrs. Sidney makert Unlit of It. John buys 11 icvolver. John overhears Jed telling Mrs. Hldncy ho will havo bin way. In reply she Bays nhe will not hesltato to kill him. Mrs, Sidney asks John to consent to tho announcement of his enticement to Isobel. Thu young people consent to tho mulco bellevu engagement. Iutcr thyy Hud It In to head off Jed, who would marry Isobel. Jed tries to kill John, but tho matter In smoothed over, John, though "en gaged' to Isobel, coucealH his lovo. Mr. Sidney visits a nearby prison and has Dobson, tho murderer, pointed out. Queer stories of tho "haunted pool" nro told. CHAPTER V Continued. "Ami tell sad stories of tho deaths of Icings," snld Jed, drawing Ills chair nearer to tlio lire nutl spreading otit Ms linnds before It. Ho was drinking more rutlonnlly now, slppItiK Ills wine Inst end of gulping It. lie hud arrived at his desired suite und wished to maintain It. Mr. Sidney seemed to fee! ti com fortable glow ns .Tod drank. There was no doubt that by suggestion he obtained physical sen.su. Ions of stimu lation and Joviality. ' "If wo bad a ghost," snld Mr. Sid ney, "It would walk nn such n night." The wind made an extraordinary at tncl; upon the windows iib be spoke nud sucked a soughing sound from the chimney. "Tell the doctor tho story of the pool," Mr. Sidney snld vto Jed. "Wo nre In tho coinfortnble werewolf state. Let's have our legend. Do you want to add a shiver to your contentment, doctor?" he naked. "I want to hear the story," I snld. "So do I, once ngaln," said Mr. Sid ney. " on uch a night." "This plnce once belonged to a fam ily named Dobson," said Jed. "It was n very old family for Anierlcnn families," said Mr. Sidney. "Came over In 1(510," said' Jed. "Kngllsh Puritans from Holland," mild Mr. Sidney. "Go ahead, Jed. I shn'n't Interrupt." "After the capture of New Amster dam from tho Dutch by the English, the Dobsons came down from the north and bought this iiiiuior-bou.se from the Dutch family that bad It. Then the Dobsons lived hero In a sim ple fashion. "They renamed It Hartley ltnuso for their father, who was Hartley Dobson. That's Its name now." "I don't want to break In unneces sarily," I .ld, "but where do you get your information, Jed?" "It's all In records In tho library," ho answered, "and If I am going to tell the story I want u fair chance. . . . A lot of generations of Dobsons lived here. Thqre was always a Dobson fam ily In the bouse, and the property came down to the generation that made this story. There were two boys In thnt family a half century ago the sons of James and Henrietta Dob son. "Henrietta Dobson died when her son Illchnrd was nine years old and her other son nenry was seven years old. James Dobson died two years la ter, nnd the boys were parentless. This family was an argument against families." "That's one of tho heterodox notions I have Instilled in nn Innocent mind," snld Mr. Sidney. "Jed, you must not repent phroses In your narratives. You parrot things and try to puss them as observations." "You'll have him surly In n moment," I suggested, "and then where Is the -tory?" "I never knew him surly," said Mr. Sidney, "and he could not he In his genial wine." Jed showed tho flicker of a mallg nunt glance In my direction and went on with his story evenly and good-naturedly. "I don't pretend to have nil the de tails or to understand It," ho said; "but from what I learn, Richard Dob son. the elder brother, was strong and brutal. Henry Dobson, tho younger brother, was frail nnd sensitive. I less they hated each other rrom tue die. ntnif whon he wns four and nenry was two, found wnys'of tormenting Ills younger brother. The, best thing Hen ry ever had rrom wcuuru was cu tempt." I ' "I hnvp tnown fat-Hiles o' tnnt nn- By CLIFFORD en - , - , - - tf lure," said Mr. Sidney. "Our conven dons teach us to regard a family tie as a sacrament. In many cases It Is only an odious obllgutlou leading to tragedy." "Dirk knew all of Henry's weakness es," Jed continued. "Sometimes lie would torture him physically, by twist ing his wrist or .rolling him over on ibt! ground when young girls were around. Sonietltiics he would torture him without laying bands on him. "Dick was 11 thick-headed brute, but he had a genius for cruelty. When their parents dh.il and the boys ap proached their majority, Henry was al most an Imbecile for fear of Dick. "Dick wanted thou to get his Inheri tance and go out Into the world, but the estate was left In trust until both boys were of age. Dick came of age and was obliged to wait two years for Henry." I was astonished by the succinct and philosophical brevity of this Ignorant man's narrative. Mr. Sidney was at vase in his chair with his eyes (dosed and n placid expression of- pleasure on bis face. Jed was active In gesticula tion as he talked. That was the ef fect of the wine. The wlod continued to puil at the chimney and scold In the corners. "Jed has read a great ileal to me," said Mr, Sidney without opening his eyes. "1 think he lias become theatric. "Well," said Jed, "to shorten a story, when Dick, being twenty-one, found that he had to wait two more years for Henry, he became more brutal than ever. In some way or other, the night of the murder the two brothers hap pened to me.t In a tavern In a village not far from Hartley bouse. Henry did not want to go home with his brother, but they botl got drunk and they started to walk home together. "No one hns boon able to do much nioro than guess at what took place, but It was known thnt Richard was a brute and that Henry wns scared of him but was not a coward. They must have had a violent quarrel. "There was a cottage near the pool. Tho only person In it at the time was n little girl, whose parents were not at home. She was awakened by cries and .swearing. She said that she heard one man say : 'They'll llnd you dead In the morning.' Then she heard sounds of a struggle and was scared ami hid her head under tho bedclothes. "When her pnrents came home she told them what she had beard nnd they went out with a lantern to the place from which the noise cntue. They found parts of Henry's clothing. Thu next day Richard was found, ten miles away, still drunk. He confessed that he had killed his brother In a drunken rage. "Afterward he said thnt he hadn't, but he admitted that there had been a quarrel. It was n most colebrnted lrsr At the Edge of tho Pool a Man Was Reveatad In the Moonlight. trial. Richard was convicted, though the state could not produce any In dubitable physical evidence of Henry's death. Tint contention over tills evi dence mad the ense noted. "Richard Dobson Is In tho peniten tiary at AJwick now. Henry's ghost Is wbnt Is supposed to cotno back to the pool." The wind howled outside, and the tiro burned cheerfully. As a rotniiuM cist I felt rebellious. The ghost story lacked antiquity. A good ghost atory would not hnvc any human .lument In It n prlvnner In a nearby penitentiary. It was too common u savor of the pres ent. "Hut Stevenson would have liked the story," said Mr. Sidney. "It has so much hate in it. Probably It Is be cause I live here whore this tale of bate bus Its scene tbut I enjoy 'Tho Master of Uallantrae' so much." HfBEIiii--wl i9PH jBK5JK?ri. I EwJZJBbwpP' " CHAPTER VI. When I said good-night to Mr. Sid ney and Jed 1 did not go to my room, A little alcoholic stimulant to one un accustomed to It will break down rou tine. 1 went to the library to select a book S. RAYMOND . - . ..... and take It to my room. The lire In the library was burning cheerfully. The wind had a clear sweep at the windows. To a slightly exhilarated perception the circumstances wore al luringly comfortable. I found a good book, but lost the In clination to go to my room, I sat down In a comfortable chair, having turned oft' all the lights except that of Hie rending lamp. The library was large, and when the reading lamp alone was lighted there were deep shadows and the room was largely in dni'l.nos. I read for a while and then fell asleep. I I1111I no Intention of doing that, but drowsiness camo Irresistibly and I was gone before I could force myself to go to bed. It was two o'clock when I hwoke. The wind bail died down. I felt rest less ami uneasy, not being accustomed to falling asleep In this fashion. Tho sensation of waking up and having perceptions struggle to establish not only location but Identity was unpleas ant'. I started then for bed but slopped at the main door of tho houe on my way. I wont to look to the fas tenings and found that Jed, whoso duty It was to close the house, had for gotten to lock nnd bar the door. It was this Incident of seeing the chain hanging down and of going to the door that suggest oil 11 cure for my unpleasant restlessness after tlio nap In the library. I opened the door and wont outside for a walk. The moon in Its last quarter was rising In a cloud-filled sky. There was light one Instant and then dark. I ex pected the dogs t'o Join me, but none came. A challenge arose within 1110 to go down by the way toward the hnunled pool. It was the moral taunt of a sug gested cowardice. I thought of the place nnd of nil 1 had boon told of It; nud the Instinctive apprehension, per ceptible ns I stood on the stops to the entrance, provoked the challenge. It seemed Imperative. It would have been a moral retreat to go back Into the house, nB would hnve been sensible, lock the door and go to bod. That seemed like backing down In tho face of nn Inviting danger. These chal lenges nre Inconsequential, but tliey seem Important to character. I did not hnve the real moral cour age, which was to turn my back on tlio Invitation nnd go Indoors. I went down the steps to prove to myself my confi dence In myself thereby disproving It. As I neared the pool, the moon wont behind n cloud. I enmo to a clump of bushes. The moon came from belHnd Its cover. There was n gentle Hood of returning light. I wns In, or rather behind, a screen of trees and brush. The pool wns fifty feet nwny. At the edge of the pool a mnn was revealed In the moonlight. He leaned on n stick. The moon went behind another cloud, nnd the figure on the bank be came Indistinct. It almost disappeared. I stood still, with apprehensive shud ders working up and down my spine. The phenomenon was outrageous and unbelievable. The moonlight flashed out ngaln for nn Instant. I saw the figure ngaln but persuaded or tried to persuade myself thnt I did not see It. to sny to myself that It wns a bush nvlsted Into extravagant shape by my Imagination. The moon went under a groat dark cloud. I made a moral and physical retreat. I did not run. That would have been an honest confession and expression of desire. I wns hypocrlti cal nud wnlked. but my moral defeat was complete. There wns a mnn at the haunted pool. I had seem him and something hnd deterred mo from speaking to him, flndlng out who he was or why lie was there. A really violent change camo Into our lives. A suggestion that Mr. Sid ney go to tho South for the winter was noted upon, and within 11 month I was separated from tho plnce and people so Important In my affections. Doe tor Rrownell had been cnlled to Hart ley house by Mr. Sidney's discourag ing condition. Our Invalid bad otr taxod himself the evening bo displayed such activity in his room, such tin usual Ktrongth and agility. The fo. lowing morning he was almost In col lapse. I was alarmed and telephoned Doctor l.rownoll, who came out at once. . "You will see his will pull him through," he said. "If It were not for that, 7 should be alarmed. IW .s verv low." "I nlnmo myself for permitting the unusual exertion," 1 said. "My Judg ment was deluded, I think, by my hap- plneni nt seeing him so strong. He really seemed strong. It did not seem tlctlthus or unnatural." Dontor Rrovvnell said that the phe nomenon wns not now In bis experi ence Willi Mr. Sidney's case. "I have had It six years," he said, "nnd tills Is the sixth time be has gone from unexplained nnd unnatural strength to extreme and dangerous weakness. And always In tho fnll souiowhore about this time. Each time I have seen his will assert Itself nnd streti-tben him in bis oxhaustlon." s 5 'i - rnn dt rri m. uorin i-. - .. - -,-. . -. r. . ....... M The day I called Doctor Rrownoll I Inn! been too concerned nnd alarmed to pay much attention to anyone but Mr. Sidney ami did not observe until toward evening that Jed was malig nantly unfriendly again (n his attitude toward mo. Filially lie made it appar ent by a bit of vlolouw Insolence. I bu I determined never ngaln to take hold of that nettle gingerly but to clutch It. "What do you mean by that?" I asked. "There is 11 plngtte of olllclousnoss about hero. or. has been since you came. " ho said. "You locked the front door last night some time, didn't you?" "I found it open this morning, and, after I bad walked about the grounds "Do You Have to Be Judge of My Habits?" for n while I came In and threw the bolt." I told him. lie seemed unpleasantly astonished Jolted and disturbed. "You wore abroad last night !" ho oxclnlnied. "You had locked me In, I know," I said, " or thought you hart. I found lay door bolted when I went hack to my room. I wasn't In It when you bolted It," I ndded. "I wns asleep In the library. When I nwnkenei! I went outside for n moment. Tho door wn,3 unfnstened. I bolted It when I came In." Jed was more disturbed, and be showed It. "Where did you go?" be asked. "I walked around," I said, "down by the river." ' His discomposure became acute. He looked sick. "Whero wore the dogs?" I asked. "I didn't see any." He tried to smile. "They were with mo," he said. "I was out, nnd you locked 1110 out. That's why I havo boon so Indignant. I came buck nnd found I bad to break Into tho bouse. I was In a hurry. You wouldn't have liked It .votirself." "I don't like It myself. I don't like being locked In my room. I'll not have it. I thought I had given you to un derstand that It would not bo toler ated. I do not want to annoy the fam ily by complaints, but I will not en dure that." "Well, you can see thooccaslon for It. You were loose last night, and your conscientious olllclousness made trouble. I knew your type, tho moment I net eye? on you. I said here's n trouhlo-mukliig poison with 11 duty. You show It. Of course, you hud to 1 bolt that door. You could not usume 1 that It wns open for a purpose. No thought of anybody that might be out j side! I know you. That's why we're safe only when you are locked In your room." "Well, I'll not have It," I Insisted, "nnd you can understand that. It Is flat. Why do you havo to run around the grounds at night?" "Do you have to bo Judge of my habits? If you do, It may satisfy you to know that I frequently have ninny duties to perform for Mr. Sidney In the night. 1 frequently drink too much wine. I frequently walk around the grounds to clenr my head and be able to do what Is needed by Mr. Sidney." My mind hud Jumped to a conclu sion. "Wore you nt the pool last night?" I asked. "Yes," he said. He was very ugly. "You seem- to bo 11 Paul Pry," ho said. "You ought to be manacled." I was not Interested In Jed. I was thinking of my figure nt the pool. As embodied In Jed It did not fasclnato me. "It might Montevideo." have been la' (TO UK UONTINUKD.) Nearly All Water. Mushrooms generally consist of 00 per cent water, but the remaining 10 KtfSrl . m I per cent Is more nutritious than bread. GIVE !U0 MOLE Little Animal Hereby Qualifies a3 a Samson. Venerable FlBherman Tells Story That Should Remove All Doubt Con cerning the Strength of the mall Earth Disturber. "Do you want to know the most powerful nnltnal for Its size in the world?" The question was asked Just after a venerable fisherman hud landed a fine eastern brook trout, says Howard M. Wright In the Portland Orogo ntnn. Wo wore standing on the shore of one of the lakes well back In the Cascades. I bad only n few moments before unsliing my pack at his cabin, and, taking a trail Hint led to tho lake, had found hltu right In bis glory. I. of course, was Interested In getting nil tho data tho old follow had to offer and we sat down on n log and ns he produced a Missouri meerschaum I handed out a box of tobacco. Ho pro ceeded to fill uj) with what ho called Ills favorite brand next to II. O. That gave me a clow and I know at once the ancient angler could toll some big ones. He fired' up deliber ately and crossed his legs in n lets 11 rely niannor. "Well, sir," he started out, "I reck on, nccordlng to what one of them scientists told me that happened In hero a while back that the mole has got 'em all stopped. I bad been tell ing some stories about being towed around In n boat by a big fish offn the Newfoundland banks nud after I got through bo waited a little while and then said: " 'Well, captnln, I have never had n lot of experience with big fish, but I certainly had my eyes opened onu day. I had accidentally caught a live mole, and for no particular reason I brought It Into tlio house and put It on tho tloor. It began to wander about tho room nnd finally came up against the leg of n chair which hnd polled to bo up close to the wnll. Tho mole smelled It over a little, backed up 11 little, sniffed some and put his nose In between that chair and the wall and pushed her aside as If she' had been u puff bull. "'That certainly got my Interest, so I snl-J to myself. "I.ooka bore, Mr. Mole, we'll try you out and seo what your limits are." I hunted around until I found n Webster's dic tionary and n big family Rlble. I placed those on tho chair and piled other books on top of them until that chair would hold no more and wait ed for him to try It our. "'Pretty oon he camo, keeping close to the wall. This time ho never stopped to (sniff, but walked right through. " 'That got mo, but I soratcneil my bend n little and when I snw Mr. Molo coming up for the third time I Jumped on top of the pile of books. Hut It was no use; he Kept right on o Ing' nnd slid the whole business of us right to one side. " 'Well, I was somewhat amazed, but .suddenly n thought came to me ami 1 went out and cnlled In my neighbor, n big, fat man. weighing a few pounds under UOO. Ho straddled nbnurd. '"On camo the mole, this time Ills muscles fairly stnndlng out to get Into tho fray. Rut bo was no foolhardy young mole. He took time to size up the situation, sort of shrugged his shoulders and noted as If ho wns spit ting on bis linnds. Finally be poked bis noo In between the legs of that cbnlr and the wall and raised those mighty shoulders. Tho clialr croaked 11 little, moved slowly to one side and the mole passed but the chair broke and the fat man camo down with a thud on tho mole's back. And, do you know, thnt mole hesitated only u mo ment and then started for tho comer of the room, carrying the fat man on his back.'" Not All Flattery. The wife of iti Indianapolis travel Ins man Is u poor correspondent. Her letters are short and sometimes do not arrive within n week of each other. Naturally before they reach him lie Is often rather worried over homo affairs ns to family health and such things. So on his lust trip homo he .mid: "No matter how far away I inn from Indianapolis the first day I fr'i to receive a letter I shall coniB( st might home." Since then his dally letters have come regularly nnd nre also newsy und long. At first he wns much grati fied, but now, since he has more time to relloct, he Is beginning to wonder whether or not he should feel nat tered. Had Their Tribulations. Ten years ago Oeprge I.. Verity and Jennie S. Turney, Chicago, first cons Ins, were pronounced mini and wife by n minister in n Gretna (Jreen mar riage at St. Joseph, Mich. Until be ing Catholics they were married again by n priest when they returned to Chicago. Two years Inter they were separated, because the statutes of Illi nois nnd Mlchlgnn forbid first cousins to marry. Now they have Just hcn married ngnln In Kentucky, where the marriage of first cousins Is legal. Seeking a Rare Plant. In 1803 n scientific mnn named Drumtnond discovered one solitary nronla plant In tht? woods of St. Tam many Parish, Louisiana, and It Is elier Islied today nt the Arnold A rberet .-.. Now Harvard has written to. .New Or wins asking to hnve Louisiana searched again for the rare growth ESCAPED. AN . OPERATION By Taking Lydia E. Pink ham's Vegetable Compound. Many Such Caccg. Cairo. 111. "SornotnioHTO I trot bo bad with female trouble that I thought 1 would navo to bo operated on. I had a bad displuccmont. My right side would pain me nnd I waa eo nervous I could not hold a glass of water. Many times I would have to stop my work and sit down or I would fall pn the floor in a faint I consulted several doctors and every ono told mo tho same but I kept fighting to keep from having tho opera tion. I had read so many times of Lydia E. Pinkhnm's Vcgctablo Compound and it helped my sister so I began taking it. I have never felt better than I ,hnvo since then and I keep house and am nblo to do all my work. The Vegetable Com pound is certainly one grand medicino." -Mrs. J R. Matthews, 3311 Sycamore Street, Cairo, 111. Of course there are many serious cases that only a surgical operation will re lieve. We freely acknowledge this, but the above letter, and many others like it, nmply prove that many operations aro recommended when medicino in many cases is all that is needed. If you want special advice write to Lydia E I'inkham Mediciiio Co. (confi dential) Lynn, Mass. Shave With Cuticura Soap The New Way Without Mug 16799 DIED In New York City alone from kid ney trouble last year. Don't allow yourself to become a victim by neglecting pains and aches. Guard against this trouble by takinc GOLDJMDEDAL Tha world's standard remedy for kidney, liver, bladder und uric acid troubles. Holland's national remedy slnco 1696. All drugchtt, thrqe Elzes. Guaranteed. LeoU for tha nm Gold Medtl 0.1 every box cs'J cce.'t do iinlutlou im &PM& S rawi D-llMt1-ll! -i SANITARIUM fcSULPHO SALINE SPRINGS Located on our own premises and used in the Natural Mineral Water Bafiis Unsurpassed In tho treuttniMit of RHEUMATISM Heart, Stomach, Kidney and Liver Diseases Moderate charges Address OR. O W. EVERETT. Hqr. Idlh und M Sis. Lincoln. Neb. Lacking. 'No. I will not marry you!" "Why or good gracious, .Mabel I I thought" "My husband must be 11 mini of courage." "Well. I luite to talk about myself, but 1 liiiiulit home two medals, you know, iiimI " "Yes. Inn you hnve Just admitted that .wui hnve loved me deperatpjr for the wt'iiry years, but never be fore IimI 1 he courage to prnpo. No, I can't marry 11 mnn with no mora nerve than thnt !" Importnnt to fflothora Examluu carefully every bottle of CASTUItIA, thut famous old remedy. lor imams uuu cuuuren, uuu sec tuat it nniirH hr Signature tC(LrtrM2&t' In Uso for Over 30 Years. Children Cry for Fletcher's Castoria Our Overflowing R.ches. A Swede In Minnesota, who had but recently nrrlved there, was speaking enthusiastically to a friend of the won ders of Amerlcn. "It bnn n lino country, Niels." ha said to a friend, "nnd very generous bnn nverybody here. I asked at the post ofileo nbout sending money to my mother and the young man tell me 1 ,enn get n money order for $10 for 10 cents." Wisdom in the mind Is better by far tlian gold In the band. A little Hour by any other name would doubtless smell as wheat. WMV Nl(ht and Morntaj. Hav Strong, Healthy Eyt. If they Tire, Itch, kt-vC Irritated, Inflamed or TOUR Lit 3 Granulated, use Murine often. Soothes, Refreshes, Safe for Infant or Adult At all Druggists. Write for Free Eye Book. Murlni Eje Rrrnt ij Co., CMcij-i W. N. U., LINCOLN, NO. 36-1920. M&PftiM E? feL 'sUJ lliiftw f.v-Y '!Th mZr? 1L---M mVunlll ''3jf C 0 i I If m Mr,. tM , ufmjssmimmsMm v " "iu . Imuni V -,j ' '&. I .-.' v it.T j n f .