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About Custer County Republican. (Broken Bow, Neb.) 1882-1921 | View Entire Issue (May 26, 1910)
MINEHART BY fly CHAPTER I. I Take a Country Houce. This Is the story of how a middle- ngcd spinster lost her mind , deserted her domestic gods In the city , took a furnished hounc for the summer out of town , and found herself Involved In ono of these mysterious crimes that keep our newspapers and detective agencies happy and prosperous. For 20 years I had been perfectly com fortable ; for 20 years 1 had had tlio window-boxes filled In the spring , the carpets lifted , the awnings put up and the furnlturo covered with brown linen j for as many summers I had said good-by to my friends , and , after watching tholr perspiring hcgira , had settled down to a delicious quiet in town , where the mall comes throe times a day , nnd the water supply does not depend on n tank on the roof. roof.And And Uicn the madness seized mo. When I look back over tlio-months I spent in Sunnyslde , I wonder that I survived nt all. As it is , I show the wear nnd tear of my harrowing ox- purloncoa. I have turned very gray Llddy reminded mo of It only yester day by eaylng Uiat a little bluing In the rinse water would inako my hair iillvory Instond of n yellow white. I hate to bo reminded of unpleasant things and I snapped her off. "No , " 1 said sharply , "I'm not going to use bluing nt my tlmo of life , or starch , either. " Llddy's nerves nro gone , she says , olnco that awful summer , but she has enough left , goodness knows I And when she begins to go around with a lump In her throat , all I have to do is to threaten to return to Sunnysldo , und she Is frightened Into a semblance of cheerfulness from which you may judge that the summer thcro was any thing but n success. The newspaper accounts have Ijocn no garbled nnd Incomplete ono of them mentioned mo but once , and then only us the tenant nt the time the thing happened that I feel It my duo to tell what I know. Mr. Jamie- uon , tlio detective , said lilmseu ho could never Imvo done without mo , although ho gave mo little enough credit , In print I shall have to go back several years 13 , to bo exact to start my story. At that tlmo my brother died , leaving ino his two children. Ilalsey was 11 then and Gertrude was seven. When Halsey had finished his elec trical course nnd Gertrude her boardIng - Ing school both came homo to stay. The winter Gertrude came out was nothing but a succession of sitting up late ut night to bring her homo from things , taking her to the dressmakers between naps the next day , and dis couraging ineligible youths with either more money than brains or moro brains than money. By spring 1 was qulto tractable. So when Ilalsoy sug gested camping in tha Adlrondncks and Gertrude wanted Bar Harbor , wo compromised on a good country house with links near , within motor dis tance of town nnd telephone distance of the doctor. That was , how wo wont to Sunnysldo. Wo wont out to Inspect the property , nnd it seemed to deserve Its nnmo. Its cheerful nppenranco gave no indi cation whatever of anything out of the ordinary. Only one thing seemed unusual to mo : The housekeeper , who had boon loft in charge , had moved from the house to the gardener's lodge a few days before. As the lodge was far enough nwny from the house , It Boomed to mo that either fire or thieves could complete their work of destruction undisturbed. The proper ty was an oxtonslvo ono ; the house on tno tort of a hill , which sloped away In Kreat stretches of green lawn and clipped hedges , to the road , and across the valley , perhaps n couple of miles away , was the Greenwood Club house. Gertrude and Ilalsoy were infatuated. The property was owned by Paul Armstrong , the president of the Traders' bank , who nt the time wo took the house was In the west with his wlfo and daughter , and a Dr. Walker , Uio Armstrong family phy- olclan. Ilalsoy know Loulso Arm strong had been rather attentive to her the winter before , but as Ilalsoy was always attentive to somebody , 1 had not thought of It seriously , al though she was a charming girl. 1 know of Mr. Armstrong only througl his connection with the hank , where the children's money was largely In vested , and through an ugly storj about the son , Arnold Armstrong , who was reported to have forged his fa ther's name for a considerable amount to some bunk paper. However , the story had lad no Interest for mo. I cleared Halscy nnd Gertrude away to a house party , and moved out to Suunysldo the first of May. The flrst night passed qulotlj enough. I have always boon grntofu for that ono night's peace ; It shows what the country might ho under favorable vorablo circumstances. Never nflei that nlglit did 1 put my head on mj pillow vlth any assurance how lout it would bo there ; or on ray shoulders ( or that matter. On the following morning Llddy and Mrs. Ralston , my own housokoopei bad n difference of opinion , and Mrs llalsUm left on the 11 train. Just afte luncheon. Burke , the butler , was taken .IP I FIMT FLOOR. FVw unexpectedly with n pain In his right side , much worse when 1 was within licarlng distance , and by afternoon ho was started cityward. That night the cook's sister had a baby the cook , seeing Indecision In my face , made It twins on second thought and , to bo short , by noon the next day the house hold staff was down to Llddy nnd myself. And this in a house with 22 rooms nnd five baths ! Liddy wanted to go back to the city nt once , but the mllkboy said that Thomas Johnson , the Armstrongs' colored butler , was working as n waiter at the Greenwood club nnd might como back. I have the usual scruples about coercing people's serv ants nwny , but few of us have any conscience regarding Institutions or corporations witness the way wo beat railroads and street car compan les when wo can so I called up the club , and about eight o'clock Thomas Johnson came to BOO rao. Poor Thomas ! Well , it ended by my engaging Thomas on the spot , nt outrageous wages , and with permission to sleep In the gardener's lodge , empty since the house' was rented. The old man ho was white-haired nnd n little stooped , but with an immense Idea of his personal dignity gave mo hln reasons hesitatingly. "I ain't sayln' nothing' , Mis' Innes , " 10 said , his hand on the door-knob , "but .hero's been goln'n on hero this las' ' ow months as ain't natclml. 'Taln't ono thing an * 'taint another It's jest i door sfiuoalln * hero , an * a winder up , Miss Rachel ! " she auavcrcd. "Why , there's a dozen French windows dews In the drawing room and the bil liard room wing , und every ono opens on a porch. And Mary Anne said that last night there was a man standing by the stable when she locked the kitchen door. " "Mary Anne 'was n fool , " I said sternly. "If there had been n man there she would have had him In the kitchen and been feeding him what was left from dinner , inside of an hour , from , force of habit. Now don't bo rldlcillous. Lock up the house and go to bed. I am going to read. " But Llddy set her lips tight and stood still. "I'm not going to bed , " she said. "I am going to pack up , nnd to-morrow I am going to leave. " "You'll do nothing of the sort , " I snapped. Llddy nnd I often dcslro to part company , but never at the same tlmo. "If you nro afraid , I will go with you , but for goodness' sake don't try to hide behind me. " The house was a typical summer residence on an extensive scale. Wherever possible , on the first floor , the architect had done away with par tltlons , using arches and columns In stead. The effect was cool nnd spacl ous , but scarcely cozy. As Llddy and I went from one window to another , our voices echoed back at us uncom fortably. There was plenty of light the electric plant down In the village supplied us but there were long vis tas of polished floor , nnd mirrors which reflected us from unexpected That Completed Our Demoralization , closing * there , hut when doors an * winders gets to cuttln * up capers nnd there's nobody nigh 'em , It's tlmo Thomas Johnson sleeps somowhar's else. " Llddy , who scorned to bo never more than ten feet nwny from mo that night , and was afraid of her shadow In that great barn of n place , screamed a little , and turned a yellow-green. But I nm not easily alarmed. It was entirely in vain I represented to Thomas ttyat wo were alone , and that ho would have to stay In the house that night. Ho was politely llrm , but ho would como over early the next morning , and If I gave him a key , ho would como In tlmo to get Bomo sort of breakfast. I stood on the hugo veranda and watched him shuttle along down the shadowy drive with mingled feelings Irritation at his co\\ardlco nnd thankfulness at get ting him at all. I am not ashamed to say that I double-locked the hall door when" I went In. "You can lock up the rest of the house and go to bed , Llddy , " I said severely. "You give mo the creeps standing there. A woman of your ago ought to have bettor sense. " It usual ly braces Llddy to mention her ago ; ihe owns to 40 which Is absurd. Her nether cooked for my grandfather , uul Llddy must bo nt least ns old as I. But that night she refused to brace. "You're not going to ask mo to lock corners , until I felt some of Llddy's foolishness communicate itself to mo. The house was very long , n rectan gle In general form , with the main en trance in the center of the long side. The brick-paved entry opened Into a short hall , to the right of which , sepa rated only by a row of pillars , was a huge living room. Beyond that was the drawing room , nnd In the end the billiard room. Off the billiard room , In the extreme right wing , was a den , or cnrdroom , with a small hall open ing on the east veranda , and from there wont up n narrow circular stair case. Llddy and I got as far as the card- room and turned on nil the lights. I tried the small entry door there , which opened on the veranda , and ex amined the windows. Everything was secure , and Liddy , a little loss ner vous now , had just pointed out to mo the disgraceful dusty condition of the hard-wood floor , when suddenly the lights wont out. Wo waited n mo ment ; I think Llddy was stunned with fright or she would have screamed. And then I clutched her by the arm and pointed to ono of the windows opening on the porch. The sudden change throw the window Into relief , an oblong of grayish light , and showed us n flguro standing close , peering in. As I looked It darted across the ver anda and out of sight in the darkness. CHAPTER II. A Link Cuff-Button. Llddy's knees teemed to glvo away under her. Without a sound she sank down , leaving me staring at the win dow In petrified amazement. Llddy began to moan under her breath , and In my excitement I reached down and shook her. "Stop it , " I whispered. "It's only n woman maybe a maid of the Arm strongs' . Got up and help mo find the door. " She groaned ngaln. "Very well , " I sold , "then I'll have to leave you hero. I'm going. " She moved at that , and , holding to my sleeve , wo felt our way , with nu merous collisions , to the billiard-room , and from there to the drawing-room. The lights came on then , and , with the long French windows unshuttered , I had a creepy feeling that each ono sheltered a peering face. In fact , In the light of what happened afterward , I nm pretty certnln wo were undei surveillance during the entire ghostly evening. We hurried over the rest of the locking-iip and got upstairs . , as Quickly as wo could. I left the lights all on , and our footsteps echoed ca- vcrnously. Llddy had a stiff neck the next morning , from looking back over her shoulder , and she refused to go to bed. "Let mo stay in your dressing room , Miss Rachel , " she begged. "If you don't I'll sit In the hall outside the door. I'm not going to be murdered with my. eyes shut. " It was 11 o'clock when I finally prepared - pared for bed. In spite of my assump tion of Indifference , I locked the door Into the hall , nnd finding the tran som did not catch , I put a chair cau tiously before the door It was not necessary to rouse Llddy and climb ing up put on the ledge of the tran som a small dressing-mirror , so that any movement of the frame would send It crashing down. Then , secure in my precautions I went to bed. I did not go to sleep at onco. Llddy disturbed me just as I was growing drowsy , by coming In nnd peering un der the bed. She \vns afraid to speak , however , because of her previous snubbing , and went back , stopping In the doorway to sigh dismally. Somewhere down-stairs a clock with a chime sang away the hours cloven-thirty , forty-five , twelve. And then the llglits went out to stay. The Casanova Electric Company shuts up shop and goes homo to bed at mid night : when ono has a party , I be lieve It Is customary to fee the com pany , which will drink hot coffee and keep awake a couple of hours longer. But the lights were gone for good that night. Liddy had gone to sleep , as I knew she would. She was a very unreliable person : always awake and ready to talk when she wasn't wanteJ and dozing off to sleep when she was I called her once or twice , the only re sult being an explosive snore that threatened her very windpipe then 1 got up and lighted n bedroom candle. My bedroom and dressing room wore above the big living room on the first floor. On the second floor a long corridor rro. the length of the house , with rooms opening Irom both sides. In the wings were small corridors riders crossing the main ono the plan was simplicity Itself. And just as I got back into bed , I heard a sound from the east wing , apparently , that made me stop , frozen , with one * bedroom slipper half off , and listen. It wns n rattling metallic sound , and it reverberated along the empty halls llko the crash of doom. It was for all the world as if something heavy , per haps a piece of steel , had rolled clat tering nnd jangling down the hard wood stairs leading to the card-room. In the silence that followed Llddy stirred and snored again. I was ex asperated ; flrst she kept me awake by silly alarms , then when she was needed she slept like Joe Jefferson , or Rip they are always the same to me. I went in and aroused her , and I glvo her credit for being wide awake the minute I spoko. "Got up , " I said , "If you don't want to be murdered In your bed. " "Whore ? How ? " she yelled vocifer ously , nnd jumped up. "There's somebody In the house , " I said. "Get up. We'll have to go to the telephone. " "Not out In the hall ! " she gasped ; "Oh , Miss Rachel , not out In the hall ! " trying to hold me buck. But I am a large woman and Llddy is small. \Vo got to the door , somehow , and Llddy held a brass nndlron , which it was all she could do to lift , let alone brain anybody with. I listened , nnd , hearing nothing , opened the door a little and peered Into the hall. It was n black void , full of terrible sugges tion , and my candle only emphasized the gloom. Llddy squealed and drew mo back again , and as the door slammed , the mirror I had put on the transom came down and hit her on the head. That completed our de moralization. It was some tlmo before I could persuade her she had not been attacked from behind by a burglar , and when she found the mirror smashed on the floor she wasn't mucn better. ( TO BU CONTINUED. ) JUST A "LITTLE MITE DEAF" Circumstantial Evidence That Emma Salter Needed Some Artificial Aid In Hearing. "fou know how Emma Salter used to say she was a mile deaf , but when sh was real deaf she'd buy her some kind of a contrivance so's to inako It easy for her friends , " said Mrs. Jen nings to her daughter ; and the young woman nodded , forbearing to remind her mother that the span of her rccol- tlons was not precisely the duplicate of the old lady's. "Sho never bought one , nnd she never will , now , " said Mrs. Jennings , who had an exhausted air. " 1 hollered to her all the way out to the Light , nnd all the way back ; and while wo were vlsltln * Mis' Qorham the sunset gun sounded and made a great noise. "I thought sure she'd hear that , and /didn't suspicion how she'd hear it till Bert Gorham como into tlio room a second nfter. " 'You've grown considerable heavl- er'n you were , Bert , ' Emma said to nlm. ' 1 heard you coming up the stairs plain as day ! ' " Youth's Companion Catarrh Cannot Bo Cured with LOCAL APPLICATIONS , u they cannot react ) the scat o ( the dltease. Cntarrh h a blocxl or consti tutional clUcase , and la order to curi It you must take Internal remedies. Hall's Catarrh Cure Is taken In Urnalljr , and acts directly upon the blood nnd muroiu mrfaccs , Hall'r Catarrh Cure la not a quack modi cine. It was prescribed by ono ot the best physician ! In this country for years and Li a regular prescription. It Is composed or the brat tonics known , combined with the beat blood purifiers , acting dlrcctljr on the mucous surfaces. The perfect combination ot tha two Ingredients ts what produces ouch wonderful re- fulti In curing catarrh. Bend ( or testimonials , free. F. J. CHENEY & CO. . Props. . Toledo. O. Bold by DruKitlsts. price 75c. Take Uall'f Fimlljr run ( or constipation. His Future. Ella What did your aged suitor say when ho proposed to you ? Stella Will you bo my widow ? Arithmetic. Teacher If 1 glvo you ono apple Young American Don't do It , teach er , and you won't start any of that trouble that Adam and Eve got into. Too Lavish. Mrs. Dobbs was trying to find out the likes and dislikes of her new boarder , and all she learned Increased ber satisfaction. "Do you want pie for breakfast ? " she asked. "No , I thank you , " said the now boarder , with a smile. "Pie for break fast seems a little too much. " "That's Just the way I look at it , " said Mrs. Dobbs , heartily. "I say pie for dinner Is a necessity , and pie for supper gives a kind o' finishing touch to the day ; but pie for breakfast is what I call putting on airs. " Youth's Companion. Importation of Leeches. Leeches are enumerated by the bu reau of statistics under its general head of animals imported , the total value of the Imports of this species In 190S having been $5,341 ; In 1907 , 5G.922 ; In 1900. $4,494 ; In 1905 , $3.862 ; In 1904 , $3,589 ; In 1903 , $3,240 , and In 1902 , $2,412 the commerce in leeches being thus of a growing character. The total raltio of the leeches Im ported into the United States In the decade ending with 1908 , Is about $10.- 000. Leeches are Imported free of duty. Snails were nt ono time enu merated as an article of Importation , the records from 1891 to 1898 showing snails Imported to the extent of about 15,000 ; but the snail trade so dwin dled , showing only $2i of Imports In 1898 , that the bureau discontinued its statements of this article. Really a Serious Dilemma. "Tho chap who works on ono side of me , " said an office man , "has been mar ried six weeks and ho sneaks to the telephone about four times a day and calls up his wife , and then I hear him saying : 'Dear , how Is your headache now ? I hope you are feeling better. " Then pretty soon ho comes back to his desk and goes to work again all smi ling. ling."Tho "Tho man who works on the other side of me has been married six years and ho goes to the telephone only when he's culled and then I hear him saying : 'Why , I can't possibly do that , I can't spare the money , ' and then "he comes back to his desk all scowling. "And really , when I hear the way these two men go on I don't know what to do. I don't know whether to get married or stay a bachelor. " A Pleasing Sense of Health and Strength Renewed and of Ease and Comfort follows the use of Syrup of Figs anil Elixir of Senna , ns it acts gently on the kidnej's , liver and bowels , cleans ing tlio system effectually , when con- stipnfcd , or bilious , and dispels colda and headaches. To get its beneficial effects , always buy the genuine , manufactured bjr. the California Pig Syrup Co. Is what you are worrying about really worth while ? Dr. Horce'n Pleasant Polloti rrfmlstn and lnrl > > r.ito atouinoli , llror nnd bowels. Hngar-ooaUa. lnjgranulos , easy to tako. Do not grip * . Truth is said to bo stranger than fiction , yet It is only in fiction they get ' married and llvo happily ever after. 160 Acres Land Free n Colorado. Good water , rich soli , flno climate. Write W' P. Jones , 700 Majestic Dldg. , Denver , Colo. , for free Book and Map of Land. His Way. . Knlcker Is Jones charitable ? Rocker Well , ho doesn't let his right foot know whom hla left foot kicks. CUT THIS OUT \nd mall to the A. II. Lewis Medicine Co. , 3t. Louts , Mo. , nnd they will send you froa i 10 day treatment of NATURE'S REME DY ( NR tablets ) Guaranteed for Rheu matism , Constipation. Sick Headache , LJv- er. Kidney and Blood Diseases. Sold by ill Drupelets. Better than Pills for LJvei Ilia. It's free to you. Write today. New Work for Women. Mrs. Frederick H. Snyder is the only woman impresario on earth , she says. She decided that grand opera would bo a good thing for St. Paul and made her flrst venture so successful that she has continued In the business after the fashion of men engaged in the same work. One Type of Religion. "Too many people , " said Rer. Charles F. Aked , at a luncheon in New York , "regard their religion as did the little boy In the jam closet. "Ills mother pounced on him sud denly. He stood on tiptoe , ladling jam with both hands from tie jam pot to his mouth. " 'Oh , Jacky ! " his mother cried. 'And last night you prayed to bo made a saint ! ' "His face , an expressionless mask of jam , turned towards her. " 'Yes , but not till after I'm dead. ' ho explained. " Shows Value of Steel Car. the steel car is of great value as a protection to passengers In the event of collision was demonstrated In a recent clash of two trains In the Hudson tunnel , New York city. There was no such telescoping aa would probably have occurred with wooden cars , und the Injuries were merely such as resulted from the pas sengers' being thrown down by the shock of the collision. An Interruption. Among the primary pupils enrolled In a Baltimore school this term is the son of a prominent business man ot that city. One afternoon , at close of school , the youngster sought out his father in his ofllco , to him he suld : "Dad , I'm getting tired of school. I think I'll quit. " "Why ? " asked the astonished par ent ; "what's the matter , Tommy ? I thought you wore fond of going to school. " "So I am , dad , " responded the young ster , suppressing a yawn , "but it breaks up Uio day so. " Harper's Mag azine. Some Sweet Day You may be served with and Cream Then you will know what a dainty , tempt ing food you have been missing. Every serving wins I a friend Popular pkg. lOc " " "TheMemory Lingers" Family size ISc. Sold by Grocers. Postum Cereal Co. , Ltd. , Battle Creek , Mich.