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About Valentine Democrat. (Valentine, Neb.) 1900-1930 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 21, 1911)
THE OFTHEPiAIHS < 6y R4NDAUU PAOEMSH- AUTHOR OF MY LADY OF THE SOUTH" . WHEN WILDERNESS WAS KiNorETc.ETC . ILLUSTRATIONS BY DEARBORN MciviuT SYNOPSIS. Jack Keith , a Virginian , now a bor der plainsman , is looking- for roaming war , partles of savages. He sees a wagon team at full gallop pursued by men on ponies. 'When ' Keith reaches the wagon the rald- , ers have massacred two men and de parted. He searches the victims finding papers and a locket with a woman's per trait. Keith Is arrested at Carson City , charged.'vdth the murder , his accuser be ing a ruffian named Black Bart. A negro companion In his cell named Neb tells him that he knew the Keiths in Virginia. Neb says one of the murdered men was John Sibley.the other Gen. Willis Waite , former ly a Confederate officer. The plainsman and Neb escape , and later the fugitives come upon a cabin and find Its occupant , to be a young girl , whom Keith thinks he saw at Carson City. The girl explains that she Is in search of a brother , who had deserted from the army , and that a ; Mr. Hawley Induced her to come to the cabin while he sought her brother. Hawley - , ley appears , and Keith In hiding recog nizes him as Black Bart. There Is a ter- ; rifle battle In the darkened room In which jKelth Is victor. Horses are appropriated , [ and the girl who says that her name Is ( Hope , joins In the escape. Keith explains , his situation and the fugitives make for Fort Larned , where the girl Is left with , the hotel landlady. Miss Hope tells that ifihe Is the daughter of General Waite. ( Keith and Neb drift into Sheridan , where Keith meets an old friend , Dr. Falrbaln. Keith meets the brother of Hope Waite , under the assumed name of Fred Wil loughby. . CHAPTER XVIII. ( Continued. ) "Just a little , " carelessly ; "but what Bert of a trick could he be working ' 'trying ' to make you acknowledge Christie Maclaire as your sister ? " Willoughby did not answer , shifting uneasily about on the bed. Keith .waited . , and at last the boy blurted out : "Oh , It wasn't nothing much. I told 'him ' something when I was drunk , that I thought maybe might 'lave ' stuck to him. Odd he should make that mistake , too , for I showed .him Hope's picture. Bart's a schemer , and I didn't know but what he might have figured out a trick , though 1 don't see how he could. It wasn't no more than a pipe dream , I reckon. 'Where did you meet Hope ? Back in { Missouri ? " "Oh , I've known her some time. Not i-jlong ago I did her a service for which iBhe is grateful. Did you know she iwas out in this country searching for iyou ? " | , "Out here ? In Kansas ? " ( "Sure ; that Isn't much of'a trip dor a spirited girl. She got It In her head from your letters that you were In trouble , and set out to find you and bring you home. She didn't tell me this , but that is the way I heard It. It was for her sake I came In here. Why not go to her , Willoughby , and then both of you return to Missouri ? " The sullenness had gone out of the ' "boy's face ; he looked tired , discour aged. j "Where is Hope ? " he asked. "Fort Larned , I suppose. She went to Carson City first. " "Well , that settles it , " shaking his head. "You don't suppose I could go orowsin' 'round Larned , and not get snapped up , do you ? They don't chase deserters very far out here , but that's the post I skipped from , and they'd jug me all right Besides , I'm damned If I'll go back until I get a stake. I want to see a fellow first/ ' "What fellow ? " "Well , it's Hawley , if you want to know so bad. He said If I would come here and wait for him he'd put me on to a good thing. " Was there a deeply laid plot back of all these preparations involving both Willoughby and his sister ? What was It Hawley was scheming about so carefully , holding this boy deserter in one hand , while he reached out the other after Christie Maclaire ? Surely , the man was not working blindly ; he must have a purpose in view. Wil loughby- had acknowledged he had told the fellow something once when he was drunk about his family history , no doubt , for he had shown him Hope's picture. What that family eecrc-t was Keith had no means of gues.2ng , but Hawley , the moment he caw i he face on the cardboard , had evidently recognized Christie Maclaire had thought of some way In which what he now knew could be turned to advantage. The few scattered facts which Keith had collected all seemed to point to such a conclusion Hawley had sent the boy to Sheridan , where he would be out of sight , with orders to wait for him there , and the prom ise of a "stake" to keep him quiet. Then he had gone to Independence and Topeka seeking after Christie Maclaire. Evidently he meant to keep the two apart until he had gained from each whatever it was he sought. But what could that be ? What family secret could Willoughby have blurted out in his cups , which had so stimulated the gambler's wits ? Two things combined to cause Keith to determine he would uncover this rascality his desire to repay Hawley , and his interest in the girl rescued on , the Salt Fork. This gossa mer web of Intrigue into which he had etumbled unwittingly was nothing to him * personally ; had it not involved both Hawley and Miss Hope , he would have left it unsolved without another thought. But under the circumstances it became his own battle. - There was a crime here hidden as yet , and probably not consummated involving ( Copyright. A. C. McClurg & Co. , 1919. ) girl. He would dig into this until he wrong , perhaps disgrace , to the young uncovered the truth ; he would find out what dirty trick "Black Bart" was up to. As he thought this out , not swiftly as recorded , but slowly , deliberately , piecing the bits together v/ithin his mind , blindly feeling his way tp a final conclusion , the boy had sunk back upon the bed , overcome with liquor , and fallen asleep. Keith stepped over , and looked down upon him in the dim light He could recog nize something of her features in the upturned face , and his eyes softened. There was no use seeking again to arouse him ; even had he been sober , he would not have talked freely. Keith lifted the dangling feet into a more comfortable position , turned the lamp lower , went out'and latched the door. Two men were tramping heavi ly up the stairs , and they turned into the hall at the very moment he dis appeared within his own room. He still retained his grasp upon the latch , when a voice outside asked : "What number * did you say , Bill 29 ? " Keith straightened up as though suddenly pricked by a knife ; he could never forget that voice It was Haw- ley's. CHAPTER XIX. A Glimpse at Conspiracy. Leaning against the inside of his own door , startled by the rapid sequence of events , Keith was able , from different sounds reaching him , to mentally picture most of what oc curred in the next room. He heard Bill sink down into the convenient chair , and drink from the bottle , while the gambler apparently advanced to ward the bed , where he stood looking down on its unconscious occupant. "The fool Is dead drunk , " he de clared disgustedly. "We can't do any thing with him tonight. " "I say throw bucket water over him , " hiccoughedthe other genially , 'allers sobers me off. " Hawley made no response , evidently finding a seat on one end of the wash- stand. ' "Hardly worth while , Scott , " he re turned finally. "Perhaps I better have some understanding with Christie , anyhow , before I pump the boy any further. If we can once get her work- ns with us , Willoughby won't have much hand in the play we shan't need him. Thought I told you to keep sober ? " "Am sober , " solemnly , "ain't had but six drinks ; just nat'rly tired out. " "Oh , indeed ; well , such a room as this would drive any man to drink. Did you get what I sent you here after ? " "I sure did , Bart , " and Keith heard the fellow get to his feet unsteadily. ' ' an' letters. 'Here's the picture , some I didn't take only what he had In the grip. " Hawley shuffled the letters over in his hands , apparently hastily reading them with some difficulty in the dim light "Nothing there to give us any help , " he acknowledged reluctantly , "mostly advice as far as I can see. Damn the light ; a glow worm would be better. " There was a pause ; then he slapped his leg. "However , it's clear they live in Springfield. Missouri , and this pho tograph is a peach. Just look here , Bill ! What did I tell you ? Ain't Christie a dead ringer for this girl ? " "You bet she is , Bart , " admitted the other in maudlin admiration , "only , 1 reckon , maybe some older. " "Well , she ought to be accordin' to Willoughby's , story , an' them papers bear him out all right , so I reckon he's told it straight this Phyllis would be twenty-six now , and that's just about what Christie is. It wouldn't have fit better if we had made It on purpose. If' the girl will only play up to the part we won't need any oth er evidence. " Keith could hear the beating of his own heart in the silence that follow ed.Here was a new thought , a new understanding , a complete new turn to affairs. Christie Maclaire , then. "Let Upl Damn Yer ! He Called Himself Jack Keith. " was not Willoughby's sister Hope. The girl he rescued on the desert the girl with the pleading brown eyes , and the soft blur of the South on her lips was not the music hall singer. He could hardly grasp the truth at first , it antagonized so sharply with all he had previously believed. Yet if this were true his own duty became clearer than ever ; aye , and would be more willingly performed. But what did Hawley know ? Did he already realize that the girl he had first me * on the stage coach , and later Inveigled Into the desert , was Hope , and not the music hall artist ? He , of course , fully H2H believed her to be Christie Maclaire at. that time , but something might have occurred since to change that be lief. Anyhow , the man was not now seeking Hope , out the other. Appar ently the latter was either already here in Sheridan or expected soon. And exactly what was it the ganbler desired this Maclaire woman to do ? This was the important matter , and for its solution Keith possessed mere ly a few hints , a few vague suggestions. She was expected to represent herself as Phyllis Phyllis who ? Some Phyl lis surely whose physical resemblance to Hope must be sufficiently marked to be at once noticeable. Willoughby had evidently revealed to Hawley some hidden family secret , having money Involved , no doubt , and in which the discovery of this mysteri ous Phyllis figured. She might , per haps , be a sister , or half-sister , who had disappeared , and remained ignor ant as to any inheritance. Hope's picture shown by the boy , and re minding Hawley at once of Christie Maclaire , had been the basis of the whole plot. Exactly what the details of that plot might be Keith could not figure out , but one thing was reason ably certain it was proposed to de fraud Hope. And who in the very truth was Hope ? It suddenly occurred to him as a remarkably strange fact that he possessed not the slightest inkling as to the girl's name. Her brother had assumed to be called Wil loughby when he enlisted in the army , and his companions continued , to call him this. If he could interview the girl now for only five minutes he should be able probably to straighten out fjpj whole intricate tangle. But where was she ? Would she have re mained until this time at Fort Larned with Kate Murphy ? There was a noise of movement in the next room. Apparently as Hawley arose carelessly from his edge of the washstand he had dislodged the glass , which fell shivering on the floor. Scott swore audibly at the loss. "Shut up. Bill , " snapped the gam bler , Irritated , "you've got the bottle left I'm going ; there's nothing for any of us to do now , until after I see Christie. You remain here ! Do you understand ? remain here. Damn me , If that drunken fool Isn't waking up. " There was a rattling of the rickety bed , and then the sound of Willough by's voice , thick from liquor. "Almighty glad to see you , Bart am , indeed. Want money Bill an' I both want money can't drink with out money can't eat without money shay , when you goin' stake us ? " "I'll see you again in the mbrnlng. Fred , " returned the other briefly. "Go on back to sleep. " "Will when I git good an' ready go sleep , stay wake , just as I please don't care damn what yer do got new frien' now. " "A new friend ? Who ? " Hawley spoke with aroused interest "Oh , he's all right he's mighty fine fellow come in wisout in invita tion called her Hope you fool. Bart \ Hawley , think my sister Christie Christie damfino the name my sis- , ter. Hope don't want yer money my my new friend , he'll stake me he knows my sister Hope. " ' The gambler grasped -the speaker , shaking him into some slight sem blance of sobriety. , "Now , look here. Willoughby , I want i [ the-truth , and mean to have it. " he in- I slsted. "Has some one been in here I while Scott was gone ? " "Sure didn't I just tell yer ? friend o' Hope's. " "Who was he ? Speak up ! I want the name ! " j There was a faint gurgling sound , as though the gambler's vice-like fin gers were at the boy's throat ; a slight struggle , and then the choked voice gasped out : "Let up ! damn yer ! He called him self Jack Keith. " ( TO BE CONTINUED. ) Hired Man Was Not Dainty "Uncle Joe" Cannon Points Moral With One of His Typical Humorous Stories. "Uncle Joe" Cannon , at a dinner in Washington , said of a piece of tariff revision that he opposed : "It is useless for the foreigner and no good at all for the American pro- ducer. The whole thing is a costly error , like the case of Blank's hired man. "Slank , for a June treat , set before his hired man a nice mess of fried soft-shell crabs. The crabs were to do for the cook and stable boy as well , but Slank happene'd in on the hired man in the middle of the meal , and found the cook's and boy's pros pects looking very dark. " 'Why , ' said Slank reproachfully , 'you are eating your soft-shell crabs without bread ! ' " 'Well , boss , ' replied the hired man , as he thrust half a crab into his mouth , 'them wet can't eat good rich crabs like these without bread de serves to go hungry. ' " Cleaning Gilt Frames. Gilt frames should not be washed , merely rubbed with chamois. If dull they should be brushed with a liquid strained from the boiling of four onions in water which has been tinted to a golden color by flowers of sulphur steeped in it. HEN CABINET ET'S not despise just common things , 1'or litre's a truth there is no dodging. The bird that soars on proudest wings Comes down to earth for board and lodging. Nixon "Waterman. THINGS WORTH KNOV/JNG. When a clock refuses to run it Is , often because it needs oiling , and an ; easy way to oil it is to saturate a 1 | piece of absorbent cotton and place It ? n the bottom of the clock. The oil will evaporate and oil the works. A whisk broom is a great conven ience in sprinkling clothes. Old bed spreads are useful for many things. A large part may be used for silence cloths on card tables , or if enough is good , one for a dining table. The smaller pieces may be made double and used as bath mats. The small pieces make fine wash cloths ; BO every bit may be used. A small-sized baking powder can , with a few holes punched in the bottom tom , makes a fine food chopper , and can be used to chop potatoes while they are frying. If a coffee or spice "mill is needed for other grinding , it can be nicely cleaned by running a few dry crack ers through it or a little rice. If velvet bows get mussed on hat or gown , wrap the heated curling tongs with a wet cloth and steam them into shape again. If sweaters and knitted garments are dried on coat hangers they will look much more shapely. Bake pumpkin piein small patty tins and serve with a spoonful of whipped cream on each. Save all fruit juices to use In froz en dishes or for pudding sauces. Puffed rice makes much more deli cious balls than popcorn , as there are never any ha d kernels in the rice to cause discomfort when eat ing. When steel knives are laid away , if wrapped in tissue paper they will keep bright HE clouds that cover the sun shine. They cannot banish the sun , And the earth shines out the brighter When the weary rain Is done. We must stand in the deepest shadow To see the clearest light ; And often through wrong's own darkness - ness Comes the very strength of light. HINTS FOR THE HOUSEKEEPER. < This Is the season of the year when we get our best nuts , and those who are living without meat find they , prove a good substitute. i Olive oil , cream and butter are all valuable foods and should be used freely. The plan of keeping a house purse downstairs near at hand will save many steps and much time. Cookies and cakes in stone jars with pieces of orange or lemon peel will find them delicately flavored. A child's broom will be found most useful in sweeping under heavy pieces ' of furniture or in small spaces where it is not easy to use a broom. j Keep two calendars at hand ; they will be found most useful , one to tear off , the other to keep to refer back to past dates when necessary. , j' A dainty little ruching for the house dress is made of the footing of lace used a good deal a few years ago. . Baste or plait on double to a narrow binding , and put into the necks of all the washable morning dresses. These ruchings launder well. A very easy way to tint lace any L desired color is to use oil paints , the kind which oomes In small tubes used by artists. Thin it with gasoline and dip a small piece of lace to get the right shade. To make handkerchiefs look like' new that have been washed , iron when t very damp , or add a very little starch to the rinse water. Instead of sweeping the carpets so much with a broom , cover the broom ( with a bag , dampen slightly and rub it over the carpet In the direction of the pile. It will not be necessary to sweep it so often. Before writing a letter , a great help Is to jot down Items which may be . written about ; in that way a good let ter is written and when it is sealed and on its way one is not so apt to remember that the most important thing was left unsaid. i Getting His Bearings. A man who had been making a night of it zigzagged up Broadway In the first dawn of a morning not long ago. ' The traveler seemed so uncer tain as to his destination that a police man standing at Thirtieth street and Broadway went over to Inquire. "Where do you live ? " he asked. " ' ' o' town " the "I'm f'm out , replied stranger. "What hotel are you stopping at then ? " "If this is Cleveland It's the Hollen- den ; if I'm in N'York it's the Wal dorf. " N-ew York Sun. 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