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About Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922 | View Entire Issue (May 30, 1897)
THE OiMAIIA DAILT J5J3E : SUNDAY , MAY 30 , 18J > 7. 11 THREE PARTNERS : OR , The Big Strike on Heavy Tree Hill. DY HRRT HAUTE. Iff CHAPTER VII. Continued. By 2 o'clock Stcptoo was at "The Three Douldcrs , " where he got a fast horec and Rat * loped Into San Fcllpo by 4. As ho descended the last slope through the fastnesses of plnrs toward the llttlo valley overlooked In Us remoteness and purely pastoral simplicity by the gold-flccklng Immigrants Ita seclusion as one of the furthest north California ! ! mis sions still preserved through Its Insignificance * nd the efforts of the remaining brother hood , who UHed It as an Infirmary and a echool for the few remaining Spanish fam ilies 110 remembered how he once blundered upon It with the boy while hotly pursued by a hue and cry from one of the larger towns , and how tic found sanctuary there. Ho re membered how , when the pursuit was over , to had placed the boy there under the padro'e charge. Ho had lied to his wife re garding the whereabouts of her eon , but. ho had spoken truly regarding his frco ex penditure for the boy's maintenance , and the good fathers had accepted , equally for the chlld' sake as for th'o church's sake , the ecncroua "restitution" which thla coarse , powerful , ruffianly looking father was ap parently seeking to make. He was quite awareof It at the time , and had equally accepted U with grim cynicism ; but it now came back to him with a new and emartlng significance. Might they , too , not succeed In weaning the boy's affection from him , or If the mother had Interfered , would they not side with her In claiming an equal right ? He had sometimes laughed to himself over the security of this hiding place , so unknown and so unlikely to bo discovered by her , yet within easy reach of her frlcndo nnd his enemies ; he now ground his teeth over the mistake .which his doting flcslro to keep his eon accessible to him had caused him to make. He put the spurs to his riorsc , dashed down the little , narrow , 111 paved street , through the deserted plaza , and pulled up In a cloud of duct before the only remaining tower , with Us cracked belfry , of the half ruined mission church. A new dormitory and school building had been ex tended from Us walls , but In a subdued , harmonious , modest way , quite unlike the usual glaring "whlteplnc" glories of pro vincial towns. Steptoc laughed to himself bitterly. Some of his money had gone In It. Ho seized the horsehair rope dangling from a bell by the wall and rang It sharply. 'A Eoftfootcd priest appeared Fr. Domenlco. "Eddy Horncastle ? Ahl yea. Eddy , dear child , was gone. " ' "Gone ! " shouted Stcptoe In a voice that tartlcd the padre. "Where ? When ? With whom ? " "Pardon , scnor , but for a time only a pasear to the next village. It is his saint's day hn has a halt holiday. Ho is a good boy. It Is a little pleasure for him and for us. " "Oh ! " said Steptoo , softened Into a rough apology. "I forgot. All right. lias he had any visitors lately lady , for instance ? " Fr. Domenlco cast a look half of fright halt of rcproval upon his guesj. ' . "A lady here ! " In his relief Stcptoe burst into a coarse laugh. "Of course ; you see I forgot that , too. I was thinking of one of his woman folks you know , relatives aunts. Was there any other visitor ? " "Only one. Ah ! wo know the senor's rules rcgardlnghls son. " "One ? " repeated Stcptoe. "Who was it ? " "O. quite a hidalgo an old friend of the child's most polite , most accomplished , fluent In Spanish , perfect In deportment. The Senor Horncastlo surely > could find nothing to object to. Fr. Pedro was charmed with him. A man of affairs , nnd yet a good Catholic , too. It was a Scnor Van Lee Don Paul the boy called him , and they talked of the boy's studies In the old days as If Indeed , but for the stranger being a caballero and man of the world- is If ho had been his teacher. " It was a proof of the ihte'nslty of the father's feelings that they had passed beyond - yond the power of his usual coarse , brutal expression , and ho only stared at the priest with a dull , red face. In which the blood loomed to have stagnated. Presently he aid , thickly : "When did he como ? " "A few days ago. " "Which way did Eddy go ? " "To Brown's Mills , scarcely a league away. Ho will bo here even now on the Instant. But the senor will come into the refectory * "VAN LOO CAMR TO THE MISSION. " and take some of the old mission wine from the Catalan grape , planted 150 years ago , until the dear child returns. Ho will bo o happy. " "No. I'm in a hurry. I will go on nnd meet him. " He took off bis hat , mopped his crisp , wet hair with hU handkerchief , and In a thick , slow , Impeded voice , moro sug gestive than the outburst ho restrained , said , "And as long as my son remains hero that man Van Lee , must not pass this gate , speak to him , or even see him. You hear me ? See to It , you and all the others. See to It , I say , or " He stopped abruptly , clapped his hat on the swollen veins of his forehead , turned quickly , passed out without another word through the archway Into the road , and before the good priest could cross himself or recover from hs ! astonishment the thud of hit horso's hoofs came upon the dusty road. I ( twart ten minutes before hla face re sumed Us uoual color. But in that ten minutes , aa if some of the struggle of his bad passed Into him , his horeo was sweating with exhaustion and fear. For in that ten minutes , In this new Imagination -with which ho wee cursed , he had killed both Van Lee and his eon , and burned the refectory over too beads of the treacherous priests. Then quite blmrclf again , a voice came to him from ( ho rocky trail above the road with the hall of "Father ! " He started quickly as a lad of IS or 16 came bounding down the hillside and ran toward him. "You parsed me and I called to you , but you did not seem to. bear , " eald the boy , breathlessly. "Then I ran after you. Have you been to the million ? " Steptoo looked at him quite as breathlessly , but from a deeper emotion. He was , even at first sight , a handsome lad , glowing with youth and the excitement ot his run , and , as { he father looked at him. he could see the llkcuMs to bis mother In tils clear-cut features , and even a resemblance to him- elf In his cqutre , compact chest and boulders , and crUp , black curls. A thrill of purely animal pi.Urnlty passed over him , the fierce Joy ni his flesh over his own flesh ) Hla own eon , by Qodl They could neb take that from him ! They might plot , iwlndle. , , fa.wn , cheat , lie , and etoal away hla affections , but there be < wai , plain to all eyes , his own on , Iila very soul I "Come hero. " he laid in a singular half- arury ad balf-protMtlnc volco , shlcb Uit boy Instantly recognized as his father's ac- ccnto of affection. The boy hesitated as he stood on the edge of the road and pointed , with mingled mis chief nnd fastidiousness , to the depths ot Impalpable red dust that lay between him and the horseman. Stcptoe saw that he was very smartly attired In holiday guise , with whlto duck trousers nnd patent leather shbcs , and , after the Spanish fashion , wore black kid gloves. He certainly was a bit of a dandy , as he had said. The father's whole face changed as he wheeled and came before the lad , who lifted up his arms expectantly. They had often ridden together on the same horse. "No rides today In that toggery , Eddy , " he said , In the flame Voice. "But I'll get down and we'll go nnd pit somewhere under a trco and have some talk. I've got a bit ot a Job that's hurrying ma , and I can't waste time. " "Not ono of your old Jobs , father ? I thought you had quite given that up ? " The boy spoke more carelessly than re proachfully , or even wonderlngly , yet as ho dismounted and tethered his horse Steptoo answered evasively : "It's a big thing , sonny ; maybe we'll make our eternal fortune , nnd "I CALLED TO YOU. BUT YOU DID NOT SEEM TO HEAR. " then we'll light out from this hole and have a gar time elsewhere. Come along. " Ho took the boy's gloved right hand In his own powerful grasp , and together they clambered up the steep hillside to a rocky ledge on which a fallen pine from above had crashed , snapped Itself lu twain , and then left its -withered crownto han ? half down the slope , whlliMhe other half rested on the ledge. On this they sat , looking down upon the road and the tethered "horse. A gentle breeze moved the trectops above their heads- and the westering sun played hide and seek with the shifting shadows. . The boy's face was quick and alert with all that moved around him , but without thought ; the father's face was heavy , except for the eyes that were fixed upon his son. "Van Lee came to the mission , " he said suddenly. ' Tfco boy's eyes glittered quickly , like a steel that pierced the father's heart. "Oh , " ho said , simply , "then the padre told.you ? " "How did ho know you were hero ? " asked Stcptoe. " ' " said the . "I "I don't know , boy quickly. think he said something , but I've forgotten it. It was mighty good of him to come , for I thought , you know , that he did not care to eeo me after Heavy Tree , and that he'd gone back on us. " "What did he tell you ? " continued Step- toe "Did ho talk of me or your mother ? " "No , " said the boy , but without any show of Interest or sympathy , "we talked mostly about old times. " v "Tell me about those old times , Eddy. You never told me anything about them. " The boy , momentarily arrested more by something In the tone of his father's voice a wcekness he had never noticed before than by any suggestion ot bis words , said with a laugh , "Oh , only about what wo used to dowhen I was very llttlo and used to call myself his , 'llttlo brother , ' don't you re member , long before the big strike on Heavy Tree. They were gay times we had then. " "And how ho used to teach you to imi tate other people's handwriting ? " said StciV toe. toe."What "What made you think of that. Pop ? " said the boy , with a slight wonder la his eyes. "Why , that's the -very thing we did talk about. " "But you didn't do it again ; you ain't done It since , " said Steptoe , quickly. "Lord ! no , " said the boy contemptuously. "There ain't no chance now , and there wouldn't be any fun In It. It Isn't like the old times when him and me were all alone , and > we used to write letters as coming from other people to all the boys round Heavy Tree and the Bar , and sometimes as far as Boomvllle , to get them to do things , and they'd think the letters were real and they'd do 'em. And there'd bo the biggest kind of a row , and nobody ever know who did It. " Steptoe stared at this flesh of his own flesh half In relief , half In frightened ad miration. Sitting astride the log , hto el bows on Ills knees and his gloved hands supporting his round cheeke , the boy's hand some face became Illuminated with an Imp ish deviltry which the father had never seen before. With dancing tsycs he went on : "It waa one of those very games we played so long ago that lie wanted to fee mo about and wanted me to keep mum about , for some of the folks that he played It on were around here DOW , It was a game we got oft on one of the big strike partners long before the strike. I'll tell you. dad , for you know what happened afternard , and you'll be glad. Well , that partner , Demor- tst , was kind of silly , you remember , a eort of Miss Nancylsh fellow , always gloomy and lovesick after his girl In the States. Well , we'd written lots of letters to girls from their chaps before , and got lots of fun out of it. but we had even a better show for a game here , for It happened that Van Lee knew all about the girl things that even the man's own partner didn't , for Van Loo's mother was a sort of a friend ot the girl's family , and traveled about with her , and knew that the girl was spoony over this Deraorcat , and that they corresponded. So , knowing that Van Leo was employed at Heavy Tree , t > he wrote to him to find out all about Demorest and bow to stop tlili foolish nonsense , for the girl's parents didn't "want " her to marry a broken-down miner like him. So we thought we'd do It our own way and write a letter to her aa If from , him , don't you sje ? I wanted to make him call her awful names and eay that he hated her , that he had killed a policeman , and that he was thinking of becoming a Digger Indian and of having a Digger squaw for a wife , which he liked better than her. Lord , dad , you ought to have seen what etuff I made up ! " The boy burst into a shrill , half-feminine laugh , and Steptoe , catching the infection , laughed loudly in his own coarse , brutal way. For some momenta they sat there looking iu each other's facei , shaking with sympa thetic emotion , the father forgetting the purpose of bis coming there , his rage over Vau Loo'e vlilt , and even , the rendezvous to which hU horse In the road below was wait ing to bring him , the son forgetting their retrt&t from Heavy Trw 11 111 tad hjj tluuno- ful vagabond wanderings with that father in the years that followed. The sinking sun stared blankly In their faces ; the protecting pines above them , moved by a stronger gust , shook a few cents upon them ; an enormous crow mockingly repeated the father's coarse laugh , and a squirrel scampered away from the strangely assorted pair as Steptoe , wip ing his eyes and forehead with hla pocket handkerchief , eald : "And did you tend It ? " "Oh , Van Lee thought It too strong , said that those tort of lovesick foota made more tuns over llttlo things than they did over big things , and he eort ot toned It down and fixed It up himself. But It told. For there were never any more letters In thepost - office In her handwriting , and there wasn't any posted to her In his. " They both laughed again , and then Step- too rose. "I must bo getting along , " he said , curiously , looking at the boy. "I've got to catch a. train ab Three Bowlders station. " " " the . "I'm "Three Bowlders ? repeated boy. going there , too , on Friday , to meet Fr. Clprlano. " "I reckon my work will bo done by Fri day. " eald Stcptoe musingly. Standing thus , holding hla boy's hand , he was thinking that the real fight at Marshall's would not take place at once , for it might take a day or twofer for Marshall to gather forces. But he only prcssscd his son's hand gently , "I wish you would sometimes take mo with you as you used to , " said the boy curiously. "I'm bigger now , and wouldn t be in your way. " Stcptoo looked nt the boy with a choking sense of satisfaction and pride. But he said "No , " nnd then suddenly , with simu lated humor , "Don't you be taken In by any letters from me , such as you and Van Lee used to write. You hear ? " The boy laughed. "And , " continued Stcptoo. "If anybody says I sent for you , don't you believe them. " "No , " said the boy , smiling. "And don't you even believe I'm dead till you see mo so. You understand. By the way , Fr. Pedro has some money of mine s- , e ' , / ( ? W7- , f 44& \ * ? . _ \ ! > : X > jr > C3o kept for you. Now hurry back to school and say you met me , bui that I was In a great hurry. I reckon Imay have been rather rough to the priests. " They- had reached the lower road again , and Steptoe silently unhitched his horse. "Goodby , " ho said , as he laid his hand on the boy's arm. "Goodby , dad. " He mounted his horse slowly. "Well , " he said , smilingly , looking down the road , "you ain't got anything more to say to rne _ have , you ? " , ' " " . : - - " " "No , dad. "Nothln1 you want ? " ' . . ' . ' "Nothln1. dad. " "All right. Goodby. " Ho put spurs to his horse and cantered down the road without looking hack. The boy watched hla until out of sight with Idle curiosity , and then went on his way' whistling and striking off the wayside weeds with his walking stick. CHAPTER. VII. The sun rose so brightly over Hymcttus on the morning after the meeting of the three partners that It was small .wonder that Barker's fmpressIonaTile nature quickly re sponded to It , and , without wakening the still Bleeping child , he dressed hurriedly anil was the first to greet It In the keen air of the slope bch'nd the hotel. To his pantheistic spirit It had always seemed as natural for him to early welcome his returning brothers of the woods and hills as to say good morn ing to his fellow mortals. And In the Joy of seeing Black Spur rising again to his level In the distance before him , ho doffed his hat to It with a return of his old boyloh habit , laid bis arm caressingly around the great girth of the nearest pine , clapped hla hands to the scampering squirrels In his path , and whistled to the dipping Jays. In this way he quite * forgot the more serious affairs of the preceding night , or , rather , saw them only In the gliding of the , morning until , looking up. he perceived the tall figure of Dcmorcst approaching him ; and then It struck him , with his first glance at his old partner's face , that his usual suave , gentle melancholy had been succeeded by a critical cynicism of look and a restrained bitterness of accent. Barker's loyal heart smote him for his own selfishness ; Demorest had been hard hit by the discovery of the forgery and Stacy's concern In It , and had doubtlcua passed a restless night , while ho ( Darker ) had forgotten all about It. "I thought of knock ing at your door as I passed , " he eald 'with sympathetic apology , "but I was afraid I might disturb you. Isn't It glorious here ? Quite like the old hill. Look at that lizard ; ho hasn't moved once since he first raw me. Do you remember the one who used to steal our sugar , and then stiffen himself Into stone on the edge of the bowl , until he looked like an ornamental handle to It ? " he continued , rebounding again Into spirits. "Barker , " said Demorest abruptly , "what sort of woman is this Mrs. Van Lee , whcso rooms I occupy ? " 'O,1' tald Barker , with optimistic Inno cence , "a racst proper woman , old chap , White-haired , well-dressed , with a llttlo foreign accent , and a etlll more foreign courtesy. Why. you don't suppose we'd " "But what is she like ? " said Demorest , Impatiently. "Well. " ald Barker , thoughtfully , "she Is the kind of a woman who might bo Van Loo's mother , I suppose. " "You mean the mother of a forger and a swindler ? " asked Demorest , sharply. "There are no mothers of swindlers and forgers , " said Barker , gravely , "In the way you mean. It's only those poor devils , " he said , pointing , nevertheless , with a certain admiration to a circling sparrow-hawk above him , "who bavo Inherited Instincts. What I mean Is that she might be Van Loo's mother because he didn't select her. " "Where did she come from nnd how long has she been hero ? " "Sho came from abroad , I believe. And he came hero Just after you left. Van Lee , after ho became secretary of the Dllch company - pany , sent for her and her daughters to keep house for htm. But you'll see her to day or tomorrow probably when she returns. I'll Introduce you ; she'll bo rather glad to meet eomo ono from abroad , And all the more If ho happens to be rich and distin guished , and eligible for her daughters. " lip stopped suddenly In his smile , remem bering Dcmorcst'a life-long secret. But , to bis surprise , his companion's face , instead of .darkening as It was won't to do at any euch allusion , brightened suddenly with a singular excitement as ho answered , dryly , "Ah , well , It the elrla are pretty , who knows ! " Indeed , bla spirits seemed to have returned wltbatrangj vivacity as they walked back to the hotel , and he asked many other questions regarding Mrs. Van Lee and her daughters , and particularly If her daughters had also been abroad. When they reached the ve randa they found a few early risers eagerly reading the Sacramento papers , which had Just arrived , or. In little knots , dlscusilng the news. Indeed , they would probably have stopped Utrker and bis companion had not Barker , aniioui to relieve bU friend' * curl- mly ( , hurried with him at once to the man- ' agor'a office. "Can you tell me * cUy when you expect Mr * . Van Lee to rJlulb ? " asked Barker quickly. r r- Th manacer with difficulty detached him self from the newspaMfrwhich he , too , was anxiously perusing , andttald with a peculiar smile : "Well , no ; hOns to return today , but If you're wanting" keep her rooms I should fifty there wouM&'t bo any trouble About It , as she'll hnrttly bo comlpg back here now. She's ratiftr hlgh and mighty la style. I know , and a determined sort of crit ter , but I reckon h ' nd her daughter wouldn't care much to > b waltzing round In public after what has , happened. " "I don't understand .you. " said Demorest impatiently. "What fcasjhappcncd ? " "Haven't you heard the news ? " said the manager in surprise. . " t's 'n ' B" the Sacra mento papers. Van foqjls a defaulter had hypothecated evcryth'ws ho had and ske daddled. " , , , Barker started. He was not thinking of the loss of his wife's money only of her disappointment and mortification over It. Poor girl ! Perhaps she was also worrying over his resentment , as If she did not know him ! 'Ha ' would go to her at once at Bootn- vllle. Then he remembered that she WAB coming with Mrs. Horncastle , and might bo already on her way here by rail or coach , and ho would miss her. Demorest In the mean * time had seized a paper and was Intently reading it. "There's bad news , too , for your friend , your old partner. " said the manager , half sympathetically , half Interrogatively. "There has been a drop out in everything the bank Is carrying nnd everybody Is unloading. Two firms failed in "Frisco yesterday that were carrying things for the bank and have thrown everything back on U , There was an awful panic last night and they eay none of the big speculators knows where ho stands. Three of our best customers In the hotel rushed off to the hay this morning , but Stacy himself started before daylight and got the through night express to stop for him on the 'Divide' on slgnal. Shall I send any tel egrams that may como to your room ? " Demorest know that the manager sus pected him of being Interested In the bank and understood the purport of the question. Ho an3wcrcd with calm surprise that ho was expecting no telegrams , nnd added : "But It Mrs. Van Lee returns I beg you to at once let mo know , " and , taking Barker's arm , went In to breakfast. Seated by themselves , Dcmorcst looked at his companion. "I'm afraid , Barker boy , that this thing Is more serious to Jim than we expected lost night , or than he cared to tell us. And you , old man , I fear are hurt"a llttlo at Van Loo's flight. He had eomo money of your wife's , hadn't " he ? Barker , ivho knew that the bulk of Dem- orcst's fortune was in Stacy's hands , was touched at this , proof of his unselfish thought and answered wilh equal unselfishness that ho was concerned only by the fear of Mra. Barker's disappointment. "Why , Lord ! Phil , whether she's lost or saved her money It'a nothing to me. I gave It to her to do what she Hked with It , but I'm afraid she'll bo worrying over what 1 think of It , as if she did not- know me ! And I'm halt a mind , if It were not for missing her , to go over to 'Boomvllle , where she's stopping. " "I thought you said she was In San Fran cisco ? " said Iemorest > tbstractcdly. Barker colored. "Yes , " ho answered quickly. "But I've heard since that she stopped at Boomvllle on the way. " "Then don't let me leep you here , " re turned Demorcst. "For If Jim telegraphs tome mo I shall start for San Francisco at OECC , and I rather think IIP. wil | . I did not like to say so before those 'pamc-mongers outside who are stampeding ' 'everything ; so run along , Barker boy ; and case your mind about the wife. Wo may hn.-e other things to think about soon. " ' Thu,7 adjured , Barkeij rose from his half- finished breakfasUand'Ejllpped away. Yet he wan not quite certain what to do. His wife must have heard the news at Boomvllle as quickly as he had , and , [ if so , would be on her way with Mrs. Horncastle ; or she might be waltlngifor htm'knowing , too , that he had heard the news , In fear and trembling. For It waaBarker's custom to endow all those he cared for with his own eenrtltlvencM , and it waV not like him to reflect that the woman who 'had ' eo reck lessly speculated against his opinion would scarcely fear his reproaches * in'.herdefeat. . ; . In the fullness of bis heart ho telegraphed to'her , In case she had not yetleftBoom vllle : "All rlght Have-heard news. Un derstand perfectly. DenT worry. Come to me. " Then he left thehotel by the stable entrance in order to evade the guests 'Who had congregated on-the veranda and made his way to a little wooded crest which he knew commanded aview of the two roads from Boomvllle. Here ho determined to wait and Intercept her before she reached the hotel. ' He knew that many of the guests were aware of his wife's speculations with Van Lee , and that he was her broker. Ho wished to ppare her running the gauntlet of their curious etarea and comments ao she drove up nlone. Aa he was climbing the slope the coach from Sacramento dashed past him on the road bslow , but be knew that It had changed horeea nt Boom- vlllo at 4 o'clock , and that his tired wife would not have availed herself of It at that hour , particularly as she could not have jtt. received ths fateful news. He threw himself under a large pine nnd watched the stage coach disappear as It swept around Into the courtyard of the hotel. Barker sat there for eome. moments with his eyca bent upon the two forka of the red road that diverged below him , but which appeared to become whiter nnd more daz zling as he ssarched their distance : There was nothing to be seen except an occasional puff of dust rwhich eventually revealed a cloud out of horseman or a long trailing which a solitary mule , ono of a pack train of six or eight , would momentarily emergs and be lost again. Then he suddenly heard hla name called , and looking up saw Mm Horncastle. who had halted a few paces from him between two column. * of the long- drawn aisle of plues. In that mysterious half light she seemed such a beautiful and godUcss-Uke figure that his consciousness at first was unable to grasp anything else. She was always won derfully well dressed , but the warmth and seclusion of this mountain morning had en abled her to wear a light gown of some deli cate fabric which set off the grace of her figure , and even pardoned the rural coquetry of a silken sash around her still slender waist. 'An open white para sol thrown over her shoulder made a nimbus for her charming bead and the thick cells of hair under her lace-edged hat. Ho had 'never seen her Jook so beauti ful before. And that thought was so plain In bis frank face and eyoa as bo sprang to his feet that It brought a ellglit rise of color to her own cheek. "I saw you climbing "up here as I passed In the- coach a few minutes JKO , " she Eald with a smile , "and as soon as I had shaken the dust off 1 followed you. " "Where's Kitty ? " he stammered. The color faded frpm her face as It had come , and a shade of something like reproach crept Into her dark And -whatever It had been her purpo 'n , ' , say , or however carefully eho might prepared herself for this Interview , sl&.nas evidently taken aback by the sudderMl ftctncsa of tho'In qulry. Barker saw tf Ji ns quickly and as quickly referred it toWjown rudeness. His whole soul rushed InTrpotoijy to his face as he said : "O' . forgive me anxious about Kitty ; Indeed , I had t ouMjt of coming again to Boomvillo , for yet [ vertjeard , the news , cA courseT Van Lee la fa > lter , and has rut away with the poor money. Mra. Horncaep ( ! had . . . r'rjd ti | news at the- , hotel. She paused a iibment U > collect her self , and then said q\vV and tentatively yet with a watchful Mijtefcslty In her eyes : "Mrs. Barker went , I tkjuk.to , the 'Divide' " But she was Instamly interrupted by the eager Barker."I seo.-.iH-ttiought of that at once. She went dlrofctly to the company's offices to see if she could save anything from the- wreck before she fcfaVme. It was like her , poor girl ! And you you , " he went on eagerly , his -whole face beatnlnx with gratitude , "you , out of your goodness , came hero to tell me. " Ho hejd out both bands and took hers In his , ( To be continued. } People with hysteria , locoinoror ataxla , partial paralysis or St. Vitus dance have weak , watery blood. Pill Aneemlc Pink make * rich blood and plenty ot it and will ' cure any ot the'so diseases if persistently taken. The Soft Glow of the Tea Rosa I ii acquired by ladlei who use FouoNi'a COMPLEXION POWPBB. Try it. gUs tie Her Decoration Day THE STORY OF AN AMEKICAN < $ i @ ) SOLDIER'S GRAVE IN KENSAL GREEN. Mf * QAt It Wn In a London Cemetery that the Blue and the Qrny , S > = V Wore Reconciled Ono Itrlffht May Afternoon. By OcrtilJ Drcnan. < It was Decoration Day ; and Ml ? Elizabeth Downcs found hcrsclt In London far away from htr own home and the graves of her torefathcrs. Now Bessie Downes had observed Decora tion Day ever slnco aho was a little toddler In the Boston suburb which gave her birth , Llttlo wonder was It that she should have done eo ; for not only had her father .fought gallantly for the federal cause In the war , but no less than four of her uncles , and whole dozens of cousins to boot , were among those whose names are enshrined as defenders ot the union. Consequently no ono need feel surprised nt learning that Bessie felt a pang of home sickness when she awoke In unsympathetic London on this particular Decoration Day. Outsldo in the prim Bloomsbury street , where she was staying with her friends , the Malcolms , eho heard none ot the noise and bustle which would assuredly have greeted her In Roxbury , Mass. Her engagement tablets bore no records of coming visits to cemetery or mausoleum where warrior-dead repose. The simpering maid who brought up ot black marble , upon iwhlch was the in scription : "Here lies the body of Captain Handolph Leo Carroll , soldier and gentleman , a credit to his native country , the United States ot America. " A great wave ot enthusiasm surged through the impressionable being of this little Now England maid , as one by one she took her commemorative flowers from the sexton and laid them around the tomb. Then eho laid her glovclcss hand cnrccelngly upon the exiled soldier's name looking as though she would have liked to kiss It and silently turned away. The tactful sexton eald naught ; and the two passed slowly down the path. Suddenly however Bcsslo remembered that the best of all her memorials , the little "Stars nnd Stripes" brought all the way from New York , stilt remained In her hand. Bid ding the- sexton wait for her. she quickly retraced her steps to Captain Carroll's grave. But another pcroon had reached the flower- bedecked marble before her ; and now stood regarding the wealth ot decorations with evident astonishment. This was a young man , good enough to look upon , and possessed of that attractive llthcnces which told Brsslc Instantly that nlio was not looking at a BESSIE PLACING THD WREATH ON CAPTAIN CARROLL'S GRAVE. her coffee had probably never even heard of Decoration Day. "It's a shame , " said Bessie , stirring the coffee viciously , "General Downcs' only daughter unable to lay eVen a single flower on some soldier's grave ; and this Decoration Day ! And surely , there must be lots of union soldiers burled In the London cerne- trles. " This las't reflection Inspired her. She pulled the bellrope sturdily , recalling the draper- Ing domestic. "I want a cablegram sent Instantly to my father , ' General Downcs , " she said. The ser vant did not even look surprised. Already this quiet Bloomsbury household was grow ing used to the , whims of 'Bessie Downcs , millionaire's heltess 'and ' spoilt child of for tune. Within fifteen minutes the message jvHs"on 'Us way 'to' th'e nearest office where cablegrams are1 received , and In five minutes more a puzzled clerk was spelling out these words : "General , John Downes , Roxbury , Mass. , U. S. A. Are any of my soldier cousins , burled In London ? Bessie. " Whatever General Downes may have thought rcgardlng.thls very expensive method of seeking Information , ho answered promptly enough. Before noon Bessie received the re ply : "Cousin Randolph Carroll , Kensal Green. " The patriotic Miss Downes WES delighted. "How good o ! the dear old pater ! " she cried , to amused Mrs. Malcolm over their 'early lunch ( early because of the trip to Kensal Green cemetery determined pn the moment the cablegram arrived ) . "And , oh , how de lighted to find one of my own kin burled here one , who. In addition to his kinship , was a loyal soldier ot the union. " 'After lunch the Malcolm's landau carried them to a florist's , where Bessie purchased lavishly In wreathe and immortelles , for the grave of her warrior relative. Then It was ho ! for Kensal Green that quiet old world "God's Acre , " so different from most ot the American burial places with which Bessie was acquainted. There was some difficulty at first In finding the grave of Randolph Carroll , but Bessie's pretty face smoothed matters wonderfully , and the location was soon determined. Mrs. Malcolm being tired remained In the sexton's lodge , while that dignified old person escorted Betsle and her wreaths to the tomb. Randolph Carroll's grave was surmounted toy.a very plain piece Briton , but at one of her own countrymen. He too carried a wreath ; but it was , though a charming wreath , a very simple and un pretentious one. "Dear me ! " said Bcsslo regretfully ( start ling tbo young man with the wreath , who had not heard her coming ) . "Dear mo ! I'm afraid that I haven't left you an Inch of epaco for your flowers. " Ho looked at her curiously for a moment. "It was you then that decorated the grave ? " he said. "Yes , It was I , " answered Bessie. "You see. 'I found myself BO fnr 'away from America , and then it was Decoration day. " "Decoration .day ? " repeated the joung man , Inquiringly. "Yes. Decoration Day. Is it possible you don't know what that la ? And you're on American ! " "Yes , I am certainly an American. But I have lived for years In London ; and my memory has been blunted. Now I remember that Decoration Day Is a eort ot memorial festival for dead northern soldiers. " "Of course ! And so , you see , I drove out here to lay a few.flowers oil the tomb of this gallant fellow. " A grim emllo rested for a moment on the young man's face. "I fancy that you have made a mistake , " ho said. "Tho man burled hero was not a federal soldier. Captain Randolph Carroll fought for the south. " . Besslo gasped. Had she been showering her immortelles upon the graveof a con federate one of those "Johnny Rebs" whom her training and association ) } bad taught her to abhor. And this on Decoration Day the special day devoted to honoring the north and Its patriot dead ! "Surely , " she cried , "that cannot be so. Why , I have my father's telegram. This man this Captain Carroll , Is our cousin. Ute could not have been a rebel. " "Your cousin ! " exclaimed the young man. "Well , he may have been your cousin ; but I can assure you that ho was my father. " Once moro was Bessie staggered. Me chanically ehe opened her purse , and found the crumpled cablegram from , her father. Mechanically she compared the name there mentioned with that on the tomb. They were Identical ; save that thci cablegram had Imltted the captain's mlddlo nme. At last cbc spoke. "No ; clearly there Is no mistake. My father mtifll have misunderstood me ; or ! ho was anxious to pl y a trick. Ho nrta always fond of practical Jokr ; but I do think ho has gone too far In this caie. The Idea , ot my scattering flowers on tbo hited grave ot a of a " The young nun held Up a deprecating hand. "Please ! " ho eald. "Plciuo do not call him ill names. Ho was my father , you know. " Impulsive Betslo was conquered In1 moment. " 1 beg your pardon ; I really do , " sJi exclaimed. "It was outrageous of mo > to speak so. Of course. I was always broufchl up to halo the confcderaU-s. " % "And yet , " remarked Mr. Carroll , "llicro wore a-manjr braVe patriot * and gallant tfen. tlcmen among those confederates. After all. you sec , to the average irouthcrncr the con federate cause appealed qulto as strongly as did that of the union to your friends In the north. " This was nil eald very qirletlr Indeed , Mr. Carroll appeared to be & de cidedly quiet , but none the lees , decided .In dividual. "Yes , " asserted Bessie , anxious to make amends , "I suppose that Is true. I never looked at It In that light before. And now allow mo to clear a space , eo that you can lay your wreath on the marble. " ' She did not offer to lake nway her own flowers , but deftly made room for that of the captain's eon. When ho had reverently placed It under his father's name , ho said : "I como hero with n wicath whenever I happen to bo In London. My name Is Alan Carroll ; nnd you. since you arc our cousin. 1 belong probably to my mother's people. Her name was Elizabeth Downes. " Bessie's blue ojcs opened widely. "Why that Is my name , " she said. "You inuat lx qulto a near relation. " Just then the worthy sexton of Kciifal Green came stumping down the path , bent on discovering what had happened to delay Breale. Behind him came the anxious chap- crone , Mrs. Malcolm , who rtartcd guiltily on perceiving her charge In close converse with a stranger ot the opposite ncx. "My dear Berale " ho began , sevcrelyi but Bcsslo Interrupted lu her usual quick fashion. "Oh , Mrs. Malcclm. what do you thlnkT 1'vo found a cousin n real , nlmon-puro cousin. Let mo present Mr. Alan Carroll. His father and mine were on opposite sldea during the civil war ; but they were both bravo fcbhllcrs , us Mr. Carroll has pointed out to me , so that I think the feud ought to be burled. " Mrs. Malcolm , I fear , looked a trifle mia- plclous at first over tills very extraordinary meeting ot cousins In a cemetery. As for the sexton ot Kenaal Green , when ho re tired to his lodge after scelug the party out ( the newly-found relative had been asked to lunch ) , h'4 varied the monotony of countIng - 1 Ing an unusually fat tec by winking ex pressively and muttering : "Cousins ! Ho , jcs ! Hof course ! Cousins ! " Ao for General Dottnes In far-off Roxbury , when his daughter wrote him nn account of her singular adventure he replied : "You acted qulto rightly , my dear. If Alan Carroll takes after his father he must j bo a sterling fine fellow , and It there In an occasion upon which the differences of north and south ought to bo laid aside , it la on Decoration Day. " And there nro fily hints regarding "a coming reunion ot blue and gray" In the Boston newspapers. Searles & Searles , Specialists la nnd PRIVfllE DISEASES. All Private Disease * and Disorders of Mew Treatment by mall Consultation Free. 'SYPHILIS Cured far life. HOME TREATMENT MAU FOR AIL FOUMS OF FEJIALE WEAK NESS AND DISEASES OF WOMEN. Catarrh , all Diseases of the Nose. Throat. Chest , Stomach , Llvtr. Blood , Skin nnd Kidney Diseases , Lost Manhood. Hydroecla Vnrlcocele , Gonorrhea. Gleet. Syphilis and ! ALL PRIVATE DISEASES OP MEN. Piles , Fistula nnd Rectal Ulcers cured with out pain or detention nom business , Bright's Disease , Diabetes and kindred ) maladies. 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