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About The McCook tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 1886-1936 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 12, 1904)
wr IX - b n r JOHN BURT CHAPTER XXIV Continued They strolled into the conservatory For the first time he was alone with Jessie Carden and a sense of exalted happiness surged over him Blake had formulated no plan of campaign for the conquest of Jessie Carden The light of her eyes and the radiance of her heauty were to him as ignes fatul and drew him on He talked of California and of Rocky Woods but his eyes spoke love and his deep rich voice was tender Fair woman is seldom blind to the spell cast by her charms and it is probable that Jessie was aware of Blakes admiration but she neith er recognized nor took advantage of it Though he knew that the odds were overwhelmingly against him and that one false step meant irre trievable defeat he shut his eyes to the perils which encompassed him He knew the risk he ran in appear ing in public with Jessie Carden but he did not hesitate to secure a box for the Booth performance There were four in the theater party the general and Edith Blake and Jessie Carden Blake escorted Jessie to the front of the box and j took his place by her side The boxes were thronged with fair wom en but all eyes were turned on Jes sie Carden and her handsome escort She had been absent from New York for two years and only a few recog nized her James Blake was even less known though his name had been made familiar by the name of Wall street achievements with which he was publicly identified The first act was nearly over when a thick set young man with a soft florid face sauntered into the box directly across the orchestra from Blake and Jessie Both recognized the newcomer as Arthur Morris and both felt a secret joy that he was present Like a flash the thought came to Blake that by means of his V 1 By FREDERICK UPHAM ADAMS Autior o -The Kidnapped Millionaires Colonel JUonroos Doctrine Etc CopyniGiiT 1002 nv FnnDEuicK Uphau Adams All rlcbU reserved COPYKICJUT 1C03 DT A J DUEXUIj BlDDIiE I met Miss Carden before you did Have I your permission Miss Car den to challenge Mr Morris to such a wager You have laughed Jessie General Cardens face was a study but Morris was too dumfounded to notice it Blakes words had remind ed him of the night he first met the young magnate from California He had only one card to play I accept your wager he said When r was a boy I lived in Rocky Woods began Blake Miss Carden probably has told you that she spent the summers with Mr and Mrs Bishop who still have a country place near there Miss Carden was then a little girl but I remember her distinctly Thats all If you demand evidence I have not the slightest doubt that Miss Carden or the gen eral will furnish it To Jessies amusement and Gener al Cardens relief Morris declared that he did not doubt Blakes word The fires of jealousy burned fiercely in him but he concealed his rage I admit myself done old chap he declared We shall have a jolly dinner in honor of my defeat Say Tuesday at Sherrys Will that be convenient Miss Carden Good There goes the curtain Morris smiled gaily and excused himself and Blake and Jessie re sumed their places You have a wonderful memory Mr Blake said Jessie behind her fan I could not help thinking while you were enlightening Mr Mor ris that perhaps you had uncon sciously confused your Rocky Moun tain career with that of your boy hood friend John Burt The smile on Blakes lips died and the color mounted to his temples Perhaps perhaps I did he said after an awkward pause A thousand thoughts and fears came to him He dared not lift his eyes for fear of WmMs vol m I ZJ1 rival he could enhance the chances of a speedy success with the woman by his side Do you notice the gentleman sit ting alone in the box opposite he asked as the curtain fell Yes answered Jessie raising her eyes and looking at Blake with a puzzled smile Why do you ask Thats Arthur Morris the banker Would you iike to meet him I shall be delighted exclaimed Jessie who could not resist the temp tation At that instant Morris directed his opera glass for the first time at the Blake box The smile of joy when he recognized Jessie turned to one of blank amazement when he saw James Blake In response to Blakes signal the dazed Morris was picking his way through the crush Blake led Jessie to the rear of the box Miss Carden permit me to present my friend Mr Arthur Morris Jessie smiled and offered her hand Im glad to meet any friend of Mr Biakes she said By Jove old man this is a joke on you or me or both of us stam mered Morris Charmed to meet jou again Miss Carden How are you General Carden This is a good one on you Blake Ive been acquainted with Miss Carden for years five years is it not Miss Car den Jessies laughing eyes admitted the truth and Blake looked properly con fused I shall have to forgive you Blake said to Jessie but you are taking an unfair advantage of a wild West erner Ycu have the reputation of being lucky said Morris laying his hand familiarly on Blakes shoulder but I didnt know that your good fortune extended to an acquaintance with Miss Carden There was a shade of insolence in his tone and an air which did not escape any of his three listeners It hinted that he was General Cardens employer that the latter was under obligations to him and that Jessie was pledged to pay the debt But Blake was a good actor in the little comedy between the acts He held the key to the solution Of all the figures in this complicated drama he alone knew the motives which influ enced the other players I might say the same to you my dear Morris said Blake with airy confidence Were it in good form I would willingly wager a supper that 772ZY 57Zarffi7 WTO 771F encouraging the gaze of the man he had wronged The voices on the stage sounded far away Jessies innocent words your boyhood friend John Burt had hurled him for the moment from the heaven of bliss to the nadir of remorse Opportunely for his confusion Edith called Jes sies attention to some trifling matter and in the interval he regained his composure The play ended and Arthur Morris again joined the Blake party as they waited for the crowd to leave He declined Blakes invitation to supper pleading a previous engagement I am chaperoning the governor he laughed pointing to his father whose ponderous bulk blocked an ad jacent aisle By the way Blake did you follow my tip on L O Bought a little did you Thats right keep on buying it Its going up as I said it would You neednt be afraid of it CHAPTER XXV The Mantle of Charity It was late on Sunday morning when Blake awoke For years he and John had dined at four oclock on Sundays and they had continued the custom in New York Blake looked forward to what had ever been a pleasure with an aversion not unmixd with fear He rang a bell and his valet re sponded Mr Burton will dine with me at four oclock he said Until he leaves Im not at home to anyone Make no mistake about this Roberts I want a light breakfast Blake carelessly glanced over a newspaper With a yawn he was about to lay the paper aside when he noticed a headline descriptive of the Booth performance of the preceding evening It was a long article but Blake was so engrossed in its reading that he paid no- attention to the valets announcement that his bath was ready To the abject astonishment of that trained and sedate servant Blake gave a cry of terror and sprang from his couch upsetting a small table as he rushed towards the window In the full flood of light he again read a paragraph which had frozen the blood in his veins It was as fol lows Among the box holders at this notable performance was James Blake the famous Wall street oper ator and financier whose recent ad- 1 vent in New York was signalized by a market movement not yet forgotten Mr Blakes guests were General Mar shall Carden Miss Jessie Carden and Miss Editli Hancock of Cohasset Massachusetts Miss Carden returned a week ago from a two years sojourn abroad where her musical and artis tic talents attracted nearly as much attention as her rare beauty My God this is awful awful awful groaned Blake Get out of here he shouted to his man What the devil do you mean standing there gaping at me Bring me a glass of brandy and be quick about it He hurled the paper from him and sank back into a chair The door bell rang and at the sound every nerve tingled with ter ror Was it John Burt James Blake was not a coward as he had proved a score of tinms when his mettle was put to the test but from the moment he went down to defeat beneath sturdy blows he had respect ed his boyhood conqueror The valet opened the door and Blake heard the piping voice of a tel egraph messenger He drew a long breath and tore open the envelope The message was from John Haw kins and stated that he would ar rive in New York on the following morning The little clock spasmodically jingled the hour of noon In four short hours he would face John Burt He drank the brandy at a gulp and plunged into a cool bath He glared at the tempting breakfast but could not taste it Take that stuff away and bring me more brandy he ordered Again he read the dreaded para graph It had a fascination he could not resist He sent for all the Sun day journals and eagerly scanned them for mention of the theater par ty but to his great relief found that it appeared only in the one paper Again he helped himself to the brandy Come to think of it John dont read that cursed paper he ex claimed half aloud Its only an ac cident that I happened to see it If I hadnt been there last night I never would have glanced below the head line What chance is there for John to see it Not one in a million He paced up and down the room and paused to survey his reflection in a mirror His face was drawn and dark circles showed under his eyes The decanter was his only friend The grave face of the valet did not disclose the astonishment he fell over the conduct of his employer Blake was almost abstemious in his habits and his sideboard was more of an ornament than a utility In this he had wisely patterned himseli after John Burt Shall I serve breakfast now sir asked Roberts Blake answered with a sullen nega tive and tossed off his fourth brandy It sounded a new note in the scale of stimulation I dont see why I should go intc such a beastly funk over this affair he muttered Its no crime to be in love with a woman She doesnt be long to him Theyre not even en gaged Suppose he does love her So do I What if he did meet hei first A woman is not something to be discovered and pre empted like a gold mine As the hours sped by and the dark red line in the decanter dropped low er and lower Blakes courage aroused to such a pitch that he welcomed the coming of John Burt By God well settle this matter now and here he exclaimed as he lurched unsteadily about the room John Burt nor any other man shall stand between me and Jessie Car den Ill meet him face to face Ill The hall bell rang with that clear precision which comes from the pressure of an insistent hand At the same instant the little clock ham mered the hour of four To be continued Record Locomotive Building The Stratford works of the Great Eastern Railway in England have the record of a locomotive engine built in ten hours a large freighter with a tender Before the actual construe tion was begun the various parts were laid close at hand ready for fitting to gether The workmen began early in the morning and continued until the breakfast bell rang Then the partly-built engine was photographed After a half hours rest the workmen returned to the task and continued till the dinner hour when another photograph was taken Thus the work proceeded till the engine was completed with the exception of a coat of paint This was quickly laid on by a spraying machine and in less than half an hour was perfectly dry The locomotive was then sent on a trial journey a few miles up the line and all proved satisfactory so it was sent with a baggage train It has been in active service ever since A Prophet Without Honor The late Hugh Stowell Scott fa mous as Henry Seton Merriman au thor of The Sowers The Vultures and other novels was a man of extra ordinary reserve and self command The following story is told of him His father who was a director of the London Graphic had an unac countable objection to his sons fol lowing a literary career and tried to make a business man of him His son wrote in secret under a pseudo nym and although his work was suc cessful he never betrayed his literary identity to his father On one occasion his tather placed before him one of the young authors own stories saying Now if you could write a book like this it would be an other thing altogether And still the son kept s2ence HarperV vr r fritrmt m End of the Week tt happens every Saturday when all the chores Is done An the day Is restln someeres an the stars is hnvln fun A twinklln an a dancln In the clear and distant sky To the music of the sleigh bells as they go a jlnglln by We have tended to our labors all the week weve done our best An we feel that were entitled to a night of honest rest n maw has washed the dishes an the hired mans fed the stock Out the weeks rk aint quite finished until granpaw winds the clock Theres no one else dast touch It cause It takes a master hand An you very likely break It If you didnt understand An when the weights go rlsln with a whirring an a whizz I alius hope that Ill grow up as smart as granpaw Is An then the house gits quiet cause the folks all go to bed An there aint no noise except the branches scrapln overhead Weve finished up another week an Tim has learned the lock That shuts it out an starts us fresh when granpaw winds the clock Washington Star Odd Way to Lift a Glass You can surprise people very much by laying your hand with apparent carelessness on a tumbler or wine glass nearly full of water and then lifting the glass water and all by raising your hand with the fingers outstretched in order to prove that you do not take hold of the glass in any way Probably there will be some people whom you will not sur prise These will say Oh thats easy try to do the trick themselves and fail The secret of success is this Though your fingers are straight when you lift the glass they must be bent downward sharply when you place your palm upon it You must press your hand down rather firmly in or der to make an air tight joint between it and the rim of the glass which should be wet to make the joint tight er Now suddenly straighten your fingers and lift your hand This mo tion of the fingers causes the flesh of the palm to move in such a way as to cause a partial vacuum a suc tion which you can feel distinctly The space between the water and your hand is made a little larger and therefore the air in that space is rare fied or made thinner and exerts less pressure Therefore the greater air pressure outside acting on the bot tom and sides of the glass forces it upward against your hand strongly enough to lift both glass and water when you raise your hand This trick requires some practice before it can be done with certainty and had better not be attempted with a very thin or valuable glass or in a place where spilled water will do harm Above all do not use a very thin i iii - - - ll Libs Xvil V c - Lifting a Glass of Water glass for even if it does not drop you may break it by mere pressure and cut your hand Besides thin glasses are very apt to have little nicks in the edge which will both cut you and spoil the trick by letting in air The glass must be a small one as it has to be well covered by the palm of your hand An egg cup or a wine glass with a stem is best If you use a tumbler which being small in diameter will probably be not very tall you will have to hold it in the other hand or set it on an inverted tumbler or a block of wood in order to get room to bend your fingers down properly The trick seems especially difficult because the hand is flat and the glass nearly full of water but these are the very things that make it possible You cannot lift the glass with your fingers bent unless of course you actually take hold of it as it is the straight ening of the fingers that causes the suction You cannot lift an empty glass un less it is a very small one The longer the space under your hand is the greater change in the air pressure you can make by the motion of your fingers A Hen With a Collar One of our readers who lives in the city received a fluffy little yellow chick for an Easter present He kept it about the house for some time and it grew so fast that one could almost see it get larger At last it quite lost all its daintiness and became a scrawny coarse voiced stubby-feathered nuisance but its little owner thought as much of it as ever It was too big to have about the house and was finally sent to the country and its owner did not see it for a year Months later the little fellow visit ed his grandparents at their country place and found Esther his pet grown to a full fledged hen Strange to say while she evidently remembered him she was shy for some time and it was several days before the two were on their former friendly terms Now came a complication As it was garden time and fresh tender green things were springing up on every side the chickens were all shut up in a great wire chicken yard Roy did not care to go there every time he wanted to see Esther and it would never do to give her liberty for she Esther and Her Collar would be sure to destroy a lot of gar den things Roys grandfather solved the problem He took an old umbrella rib bent it till it formed a circle lashed the ends firmly together and covered the hoop so formed with some strong mus lin In the center of this a hole was cut just large enough to go over Es thers head When Esthers head was popped through this hole she was a very much surprised and indignant hen and she made an awful fuss about it Still she had to submit for she could not get out of her strange collar so after a time she became resigned to it It kept Esther from going about picking the gardens and she would not scratch because she could not see what she was scratching and so her liberty did no harm Royal Prince or Princess Let all the children sit down in a ring for this game One child begins by saying to her right hand neighbor Good evening royal princess or prince I a royal princess come from a royal princess to say that I have a monkey with purple eyes The right hand neighbor then says to his right hand neighbor Good evening royal princess or prince I a royal prince come from a royal princess to say that I have a monkey with purple eyes and three seven mile tails So each player must do repeating the exact words of his predecessor and adding some new bit of descrip tion of his own but saying prin cess or prince according to wheth er he is talking to a boy or girl If anyone makes a mistake he must be crowned with a dunce cap and dubbed the One Horned Prince or Princess The boy or girl who gets through the game without a mistake captures the prize This Game Is Lively Some years ago duck and a rock was one of the popular games among th younger boys but of late it seems to have been forgotten Any number of boys can participate Select a j large stone for the rock and each boy must have a cobblestone or half a brick for his duck The boy who last finds his duck or cobblestone is it A line is VvlffifflV3lT Ii J WW h Perhaps you have read in books of natural history about spiders which do not make webs as most sensible spiders are supposed to do but lie in wait for their prey and do other un-spider-like things The spider which I am going to tell about does unspider like things too and I am quite sure that you can never induce one to make a web Of course it is not a real spider but you can have even more fun with it than you could with a real one pro vided you could persuade it to come out of its web and play with j ou Get an old cork of a small size and some toothpicks Stick the toothpicks two into each end of the cork and drawn twelve or fifteen feet away from the boulder upon which the boy who is it places a tin can or his duck He is guardian of the rock The other hoys pitching their ducks at the one on the rock try to knock it off When a duck is pitched the player must try to recover it and get back to the pitching line without be Ing tagged by the guardian of the duck on the rock Generally the players hover around waiting for a lucky pitch to knock the duck off when they grab their own ducks and run to the line The guardian of the rock must replace his duck before ho can tag anyone The boy who is tagged of course takes his place as guardian of the rock and the game proceeds Caterpillars Coat The fur or hair on the caterpillar was given by nature as a protection from other living creatures particu larly birds who consider most small crawlers as food delicacies intended especially to gratify birdies appetite But there are not many birds who could swallow a crawler that wears a fur overcoat It would stick in his throat and if he did get it ciown probably it wouldnt digest Most caterpillars are brown or green but some are dressed up In the grandest kind of way in many colors and ornamental knobs or to use a big word protuberances A strange method of protection is that given to the caterpillar that aft erward turns into a swallow tail butterfly This caterpillar has an opening in the skin back of the head that emits a powerful odor probablv not powerful enough tq knock a man down but certainly strong enough to keel over a bird unless maybe it would have such a bad coid that it couldnt smell anything A favorite way caterpillars have to resist an attack is to hurl their bodies from side to side and some try to look fierce Certain caterpillars es cape the enemy by their resemblance to the color of their surroundings One variety not only uses the color eTTect but is able to attach his hind end to a branch and stretch himself out so that he looks like a twig This fellow can stay rigid that way for a long time Game of Bouquet This is a jolly game for a number of children to play Sit down in a circle around youi leader Let the leader give each one a flower for his name violet daisy sweet William black eyed Susan etc Then let her tell you a story made up out of her own head in which she brings in every one of the flower names When ever a child hears his flower name mentioned he must get up turn around and sit down Whenever the leader uses the word bouquet all the children must jumr up and change places at which time the leader tries to capture a seat Whoever gets left must then be come leader The Wonderful Egress Sometimes the great P T Barnum advertised his circus so well that more people came to see it that his tents would hold Then the difficulty was to get those who came in to move out so that he could get the money others wanted to pay him Knowing that he had roused the curi osity of the public to a high pitch he finally hit upon a plan to make room for everyone He ordered great sign painted announcing This is the waj to the Egress Many following the directions of the signs satisfied theii curiosity and so made room for oth ers Do you know what the Egress is THE FUNNY CORK SPIDER ZA ml then bend them in the middle until they crack Do not break them cleai through but on one side only so that they will bend and form your spiders jointed legs as the picture shows Place your spider on a table top and you will see that he looks quite life like Now get some water in a teaspoor and shake a drop of water on each o his leg joints They will immediatelj begin to move and your spider wiL appear to have suddenly come to life Of course it will not race madb across the table or dance but if the toothpicks be of tough woods aic the top of the table smooth it wil wiggle a good deal and astonish sL your friends who see the trick 1 s S