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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A
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