Nebraska Newspapers

    T3IE OMAHA DAILY BEE : THURSDAY 28 , lvS95) ) .
| . THE PATH TO PERDITION.
| By LOUIS VINCENT OE FOE , I
( Copyright , 1S . by Louis Vincent t > * T * . )
Fran tbc window erf tteacon BtrdseU'i
faouM tb bright rays c.f lamp market the
fortes ot the country road which led to UK
right , fst tn * old Qu X r sn * tl iR hous * .
and , to the left , through the iroridly and
lalinlUMia village allied Into existence only
a yer * # fore by th corals * of the new
railroad.
rah little cluttw of ho , a murtroow
growth ol unpalnled bomrtf. Included , be
sides a Mackamlth shop and general More ,
bath wetacnne enwigh In their way. a tAvem
condutted on wide-open principle * , under
the nam * of Lowden's Half-Way home.
which Ji d spet-dlly krwisht the locality Into
general dlMspute. No cue had dlMwere t
toward what goal It marked th hall-way
point , uDlew It w that goal of torment
w-W < * te the ending of every career of In
temperate profligacy.
in the dlnlD * room , which wnred llkewlee
as a sitting room , the deacon was carefully
gleaning stray scrap * of wisdom from tfce
columns ol the ( Michigan Agricultural , the
ellenc * of the house disturbed only by the
loud ticking of the farm clo k on the shclt
In tie corner and the busy click of knitting
needles In the deft fingers ot Mrs. Blr4ell.
It was characteristic cf the deacon that he
always poitponftd his study of the Agricul
turist until after the harvest , when the In
formation he might gain wax eure to be ot
least value to him.
Presently the clock lolled the hour of S ,
lingering long. It leemed. upon the final
stroke. Deacon Birdstll mrted suddenly.
"Mother. " he said , "don't you know It's
gettln' pretty late ? "
Mrs. Blrdsell paused In surprise and
dropped the half-finished sock In her lap.
"Els-hl and afte.an' It's lilgh time folks
wj > abed , " > W the deacon. "Did you fchut
down the back window an' bolt the kitchen
door ? An' Joel of course , Joel's In. "
Aa If In answer to the deacon's question ,
the quavering , uncertain notes ot a song
sifted through the celling from Uhe chamber
above.
"Sh ! " 'Mrs. ' Blrdsell said , holding up her
Qaesr In wainln ?
The eong from the chamber above grad
ually became more distinct until a word
could -bo understood here and there In Its
uncertain rhythm. It bore a distant re
semblance to one of the popular sons' of
the day heard wlti great frequency in the
neighboring town , but justly abhorred for
its worldly Insinuations In the peaceful
Quaker church neighborhood.
"William , " exclaimed ilrs. Blrdsell in a
trembling voice , "somethln1 must be done
' ' awful ! It's
right away. It's gettln' Just
been welghln' on my mind until sometimes
I cet that nervous. "
The deacon gathered his shaggy gray
brows and stroked his angular , unshaven
chin In silence for a moment. "I ha.te to
think ot It. Joel. " he observed thoughtfully ,
"but 1 guess it must be true. Have you
been notlcln * anything else lately , Mar
tha ? " Tie deacon seldom addressed his
wife by her given name except on occasions
of great solemnity.
"Anythln' ! Good land alive ! " Mrs. Bird-
sell swept her hands around her head as If
\ ehe was warding off a swarm of Impending
evil. "It's gettin' worser and worser every
day. " ehe exclaimed with great earnestness ,
"an1 the worst part of it all Is he's gettln'
that brazen about it to think , too. William ,
that he's your own brother ! " The song be
gan again in the chamber above , this time
accompanied by the unmistakable sound of
shufjllng feet.
"Just listen to that , now , " she went on ,
with mournful emphasis. "I guess you can
hear it for yourself ! "
"Yi , mother , you're right , " pronounced
the deacon reflectively , elowly nodding his
head in the affirmative. "Poor Joel Is cer
tainly goln' straight to the I was almost
goln' to say devil , an * here we are , you an'
me , sitting with our hands folded , not doin'
a blessed thing to put him right. "
"It didn't get real bad 'till the middle of
June leastwise Joel didn't take to goin'
out nights 'till then. " Mrs. Blrdsell squinted
thoughtfully through her glasses as if to
look Into the past. "I first susplcioncd him
circus day over in the town , vhen he spent
all that money for a box of collars an' them
red and green neckties. He seemed right
ashamed of 'em , too that is to say at first
he did. "
"When was it ho spoke to you about
creasln * his pant legs ? "
"Why , dear me , you " ain't forgotten that ,
lave you ? It was "the very Fame day he
come out from town brlngln' his tall coat.
I'll never forget that ! He was precious
careful to keep that rldlc'lous thing out of
my sight an' when he spoke about the pants
he blushed like a boy. He says to me ,
Martha , sometime when you've got a flatiron -
iron on I wish you'd press out my gray
pants an' leave 'em creased before and
behind. Folks say , nowadays , it keeps 'em
from wc-arln1 cut so quick. ' I almost gave
him a piece ot my mind right then an' there.
I says , 'Joel Blrdscll ! An' at your time in
life , too. ' He didn't say another -word , but
went off upstairs that ashamed an' that
very night was the first time In the twenty
year * he stayed out till after midnight ! "
Deacon Birdsell clasped his long fingers
around his bony knee and bowed his head.
"If I do say It. 1 watched him from the
window when he went out. " Sirs. Birdsell
earnestly continued , "an" I seen him tramp
straight off toward the tavern. 'Twasn't the
last time I've seen him , either. "
The deacon suddenly started up and
thumped his fist hard upon the table.
"Them Ix > wdcns will get to prison yet ! "
ho burst out with indignation. " 'Twould
be a true religious act to see their cussed
dram shop on fire" I'd do It. too. if "
Mrs. Blrdsell reached across the table to
place a restraining band upon her husband's
arm , but the tips of her fingers barely
touched his shirt sleeye. "William , " she
paid In a more composed tone , "we musn't
get excited. What we must do U to 'tend
to Joel's case. The Lord that judges be
tween the. righteous an' the unrighteous will
'tend to the Lowdens Ulrnwlf"
Before such an undenUtble exposition of
truth the fanner's anger slowly ublded.
"Vou know the time Joel washed the
buggy an' went to town ? " Mrs. Bir.Isei ; went
on. "He didn't get back that night 'itll a
quarter past twelve , an 'he took his boots
off before he come Into the house. I know-
all about it because he clean forgot ' m an'
left 'em on the porrb "
"You wouldn't call them things boots ,
"I have been troubled u grrat deal
wltU a torpid lirer , which produces ronsUpa
tion J to 'tid ' CASCAKETd to be 11 you rUta
fortbrm ant ] secured such relief the Urst tr.ul.
ttit I puribKCtl another supply nud w&i com
pletely cured 1 ghull ony bo too clad to rio-
ciintccnJ t'iwarct ! . whenever the opportunity
U presented ' J. A. SMITH
aX > Su jueh&nn Are. , Philadelphia. Pa
Pleitnt. P Ut bl . 1-utom T H Good Do
Good , N T rbicktDVraLro , CT Gti | < - Kc. c We.
CURE CONSTIPATION. . . .
Bold ted rveran'fnl t > r
wouM vou"1" The dwron threw his whrie
available fund ef narcaftm Into the word * .
"Gaiters , I mean , " corrected Mrs. Bird-
Mill , quickly. "An" that's another thing.
Jmt to think of a man uMn' to gaiters after
boot * ha < be n good enough tor him for fifty
y wr ! It's a sure sign , Willtam. "
"y . mother , < lwrs tie long and the
Rhort of It. Oalura may be a small thing
In tfaetB * l e * . but In Jc-d's cas they help
powerful < o sbow what f n llvln1 and strong
drink will do , once a tnaa gets goln' in the
The dracoo started suddenly at tlie tnein-
Ing of hie own wordrt A spade had flnajry
been called a ipade. Mrs. Birdieil stralght-
way began to sob audibly. hlle her hu -
band f irehrd abvractedly for his hand
kerchief , which be finally produced from the
armbole of hit veM.
Joel DlroVell filled itie place ot a tea not
only In the hearts , but In the home ot the
dacon and his wife. Hick * a the 50s. when
heavy timber stllr covered what Is now
th * rich , rolling farmland of lower Mich
igan. William BlrdsHl had gene forth from
the circumscribed acres of the homestead in
Vermont to win a place for himself In the
world , K I'll only a > oung wife and his own
grit to aid him. Thiu Michigan was not the
farmer's Eldorado h afterward came to be.
But the houce in which he still lived was
built and then Joel , the n < > w younger by
three years , was sent for to share the In
creasing fortunes Incidentally to Tend a
helping < hand In the running ot the farm.
And Joel he was a shining example of
New England stagnation. Never inclined
to marry , always content whli a kind of
heJpltss dependence upon his brother and
sister , whose home had not been brightened
'IT'S TIME HONEST FOLKS WAS ABED AND ASLEEP. "
by the advent ot children , h grew more and
more to be the object of parental solicitude
to the farmer and his wife as the years
passed by. He was satisfied with his unique
position and gradually the horizon ot his life
come to be bounded by the views and wishes
of his foster parenut
Mrs. Blrdscll was the first to break the
oppressive silence. "William , " she said ,
"there's no use puttin' It off any longer.
Suppose we call Joel down now this very
ulght an' point out to him like tell him
that is to say , ask him " She hesitated.
The task seemed greater when framed la
words.
"Sh ! " The exclamation escaped the pall
at the same instant.
In the chamber above the sen ? began
again. This time the words were loud and
distinct , although the tune was still doubt
ful. Silently the couple followed the Hues :
I dreamt that I dwelt in marble halls
Not a word -was uttered until the verse
ended. Mrs. Blrdsell was busy making a
mental analysis of the meaning ot the
words their Import seemed beyond a doubt.
"It's a real gamblln' house tune , " Eho
pronounced , with assurance born of convic
tion , although there was a trembling In her
voice. "I've heard all about the infernal
places. All marble an' glass an' electric
lights an' polished woodwork. "
The squeaking , heavy footsteps grew
louder. The culprit was certainly coming
down the stairs. Next the door opened aud
he walked Into the dining room. Mrs. Bird-
sell looked straight in front of her. The
deacon hastily snatched the Agriculturist
from the table.
Joel appeared surprised to find the rest
of the family keeping late hours. "Still
settln' up , " he asked. Innocently enough ,
but in the ears of the others the words had
a guilty ring.
From the comer of her eyes Mrs. Bird
ie ! ! was taking a quiet Inventory of Incrim
inating evidence. Tieru was the red neck
tie encircling the stand-up collar that sagged
out In tired fashion at the front. The lung-
tailed ceRt was also conspicuous. She wished
she had had the forethought to put on her
spectacles , for she knew- that proper scru
tiny would detect faint creases in front of
the bagging gray pants. As for < he shoes
the noise on the stairs had already told
its own btory.
"Well , I guefis I'll walk out for a little
bit , " lie went on , taking no notice of the
unusual restraint. "The sky's as clear as a
bell , an * It eeenis just shameful to etay In.
Won't have many more nlghu like this. "
"It's time honest folks was al > od an *
ase ! < > i > . " The deacon's voice grated har hly ,
although he tried his best to bo natural.
"That's just one of your notions , Wil
liam. " Joel answered with a faint laugh.
"Come now , night's jut ss good as day ,
iln't It ? Don't fret about me. Just leave
the key to the dining room doxar under the
clone by the steps an' I'll get in all right. "
There w s no raply.
"An1 that remind * me. " the culprit went
on. "the next time I go to town I'm goln' to
take tihat key aloag with me an' have one
made like It. No use ( aikln * a man ought to
tave a latch key. "
Thu la t wordly whim , more slgnQcant
than anything oUe uorte even than the
reck'eta ' gel up of tie costume fell with
astounding weight on the farmer and bis
wiff It was nothing less than the limit of
moral depravity. In the suddenness ot the
shock there -was no chance for reply. Joel
hesitated a moment , then picked up bis bat
and went out.
Tte deacon and his wife remained seated.
rigid wiih eoactaraailon , until they heard
him step ott the porefa. Tien with , one ac
cord they ar * and tiptoed to the parlor
window. Peering out Into the darkness
they watcfced felm walk through the yard to
the gate and then turn his steps in tha
direction of the tavern , the lights of which
twinkled dimly half a mile away down the
left fork of the road.
"The time's come Martha , " the deacon
burst ou"J i will hear from me tha
first thin ; tomorrow mornln ! He's got to
shut off hie scand'lous. drunken ways In-
stun'er or by the Lord1 he 11 never stay an-
oth r day under my root1" j
Mrs. Blrdtell was fairly struck dumb be
fore her husband's awful denunciation. It
was the first time la her married life that '
he had so ruthlessly broken the third com
mandment , and she laid herself down to
broken sleep and troubled dreams.
The first gleam of the rising eun was
already painting gold and purple hues In ,
the eastern sky when the deacon slowly I
roused to the troubles of a new day. Quickly |
throwing on his working clothes he hastened - I
tened to the foot of the stairs. j
"Joel ! " he called to the upper chamber , |
"Joel , be stlrrtn' ! The sun's more'n an
hour high ! We've overslept scaad'lous ! "
No answer came from above.
"Joel ! " This time there was an angry
ring In the word.
And still no answer.
The deacon did not call again , but started
briskly for the stables , his heavy boot heels '
making dark half-circles in the light frost I
that covered the ground. He was surprised
again to find the heavy doors thrown wide
open to the morning brceies. Sounds were J
issuing from within , and , as he paused , he
heard his brother Joel's voice lifted In
song , the rtiythm punctuated by the steady
"swish" of milk against the bottom and
sides of the tin milk can.
The absolute unexpectedness ot the
situation caused the deacon to hesitate In
doubt for a moment on the threshold. BendIng -
Ing slightly forward and listening attentively
he managed to catch the words :
Bet my money on the old bay mare.
Somebody bet on the gray
The doggerel had only one meaning to the
deacon. It was a ehameless defense ot
horse racing , an unholy pastime into which
he had gained some insight through the In
nocent medium ot country fairs.
"Mornin" , William ! " The greeting was
fresh and dheery surely not spoken with
the languor that Is supposed to follow a
night of debauchery. "Guees you kind ot
overslep' . Must be you and mother kept late
hours ! "
"There's one way you might o1 knowed
bow- late hours mother an" me kept. " The
deacon's answer bristled with harsh insinu
ation , but It was all lest on the erring one.
Whistling softly to fclmself. he picked * up
the milk palls again and etarted for the
douse while uae deacon , mystified and
angered , clambered up the perpendicular
ladder to the hay loft. He threw down a
generous quantity of sweet smelling clover
to the neighing. Impatient horses below and
then leaned meditatively upon the fork
handle to arrange In his mind the admoni
tory talk which he was more certain than
ever alone intervened between his brother
and irredeemable damnation.
The morning meal in the little farm
house was not as comforting as usual , par
ticularly for tbe farmer and his wife. It
might have been noticed that the deacon
lingered long and fervently over the thanks
which he invariably offered up from his
board. It might lhave been noticed also that
appended to those fervent thanks was an
earnest supplication that Divine Providence
in Its all-seeing wisdom might not judge
'harshly the weakness of ills erring children ,
all of which was lost on Joel. Inasmuch as
it was well known to be a part of the dea
con's religions philosophy to regard all
earthly beings as weak and sinful In the
eyes of the Lord. As for the deacon , he was
surprised to note that Joel's appetite
seemed even better than usual.
The meal finished. Mrs. Birdsell arose and
from force of habit began to clear away the
duties.
"Joel , " the deacon said , trying to appear
natural and at ease , although in eplte of
himself there was a threatening ring in his |
voice , "supposln * you walk down to the barn
with me for a moment. "I've got sometbin'
I'd like to talk over with you this mornin' . "
Joel had picked up bis bat and had started
toward tbe door. "Better put It off till din
ner , William. " he replied carelessly. "I'm ,
an 'hour late now getting to the creamery , I
' "
an' -
"Then the creamery can wait ! I want
you should do what I say ! D1 you hear ? " I
"All right , then ; must be somethln' terI I
rlble pressin' . What's on your mind ? " Joel
detected a stern look on ibis brother's face
and sensibly concluded that argument was a
waste of time. j
The deacon did cot wait to make further
reply , but started out of tbe bouse , motionIng -
Ing for his' brother to follow him. Silently
leading the way , he sought the seclusion of
the store room , where a nondescript collection - <
lection c slelg-hs and bobsleds stood , cov-
j ered and festooned with a summer's ac-
I cumulation of dust and cobwebs. Tbe
i silence of tbe place was impressive and in
Its selection tbe good man prided himself
on the exercise of a neat bit of strategy.
Furthermore , it removed tbe most remote
danger of Interruption.
For some time the deacon sat in silence ,
hi ! cold eyei sharply fixed upon bis brother's
face. Then , when the suspense bad begun
to grow painful , be cleared his throat with
evident effort and spoke , carefully weighing
every word.
"Joel , " he said , "I've come down here to
talk to ) ou man to man an' I'm In earnest.
It's bard , but it's got to be done. It's been
on my mind for a long time. "
j "I hope there ain't any trouble. William. "
! Tbe ehadow of an Impending calamity haJ
gradually formed before Joel'a eyes and his
face wore a pale and anxious look.
"Troubl * ? Ye , there U trouble , and
pltnty of it. Tbe truth Is , I've been
mother and I've been watchln' you nov
this last , six moatbc , aa' what you've been
doln * IB as clear to us aa an open book. "
Instantly a iheefrlth. self-conscious expres
sion spread ItuHf over Joel's face and bis
eyes sought the floor In embarrassment. The
deacon noted the quick Chang * and bis last
lingering doubt inctantly vanished. HU
course was now- clearly defined.
' Yes , Joel , " be condbutd , with greater
earnestness there s no use dcnytn U
now Mother n me
" 1 ain't dtnyln' nothtn' , William "
The deacon started suddenly ami bit his
lips with aager. The Ian thins be bed tn-
ttelp&led W3s a frank acknowledgment of
girth. It came m unexp ! ly that be
hardly knew hoar to go on , yet he realized
that the beat w-ay ? o approach te crisis was
by successive Meps- The culprit eiblbltod
no further willingness to epeak In s rf-de-
tense , so the deacon plunged in acaln.
"Yes , " he repeated , "we knowed all about
you right along. We suplcloned you
when you took to hlgh-fansled notion * about
stand-up collars and gay npcktlcs ; we was
surer of It when you got to spendln' your
money on tall coats an' such , an' then , "
dropping his voice to an Insinuating whis
per and punctuating each word with a
pause , "we finally saw through the whoJe
thing when you took to goin' out late
nights. "
Before sutb an accumulation of evidence
Joel hung his head. His expression
changed gradually from embarrassed confu
sion to guilty assurance , wiile with the
heel of his boot he unconsciously drew par
allel lines on the dusty barn floor.
"Well , what of it , William ? " be asked ,
with a faint smllo. "What If you have ? "
"What of U ? " The deacon repeated the
words with angry surprise.
"Yes. what of It ? I don't see the good
of makln' a fuss about It , anyway. "
The deacon swallowed something that
seemed to rise in his throat to choke his
words. "What of It ? " he repeated again
angrily. "Why. man , you have gone clean
mad ? Can't you see that If you keep on It's
goln' to make your life a regular hell on
earth ? "
Even the unpleasant prospect of Immedi
ate earthly perdition seemed to have no
effect upon the culprit. His confusion did
not diminish , but his smile broadened to a
faint laugh. Then he looked thoughtful and
said :
"I shouldn't hardly think you'd like to
say that , William. "
"Say It , man alive ! Why don't I know
It ? Do you think I've been llvln * all these
years for nothln' ? Ain't it always that
way ? "
The deacon spoke the words in an anery
treble accompanied by an impatient and
deprecating gesture. "An' besides. Joel , " he
went on , his voice rising to a still higher
key , "look at it this way , if it ain't tro
late. You've got a little money put by In
the savin's bank. How long do you suppose
Its' goln' to last If you keep on ? "
To a financial consideration of the ques
tion Joel made no Immediate answer. He
seemed to be actually reckoning up the
costs. After meditating quietly for a little
while , he composedly replied1
"Well , suppose It does cost a little more ?
I guess it's worth the difference. "
The calm reduction ot moral depravity tea
a matter of dollars and cents brought tbe
deacon to his feet with an impatient start.
"An1 your friends your new- friends ! " he
exclaimed , "what do you suppose they'll
do when your money's gone ! Are they giln'
to stand by you then ? "
"Come , William , you talk as If I was goln'
to commit a crime Instead of just followln'
out a man's natural wxy. There ain't much
danger of starvin" anyhow. " Joel's Im
patience , too , was beginning to show itself.
"If you're goln' to go back on me now , well ,
I suppose there's other places. I can go to. I
wasn't expectln' to etay in the old house
much longer , anyhow. But I didn't think
this of you , William. It ain't deserved for
you to get mad. "
"Tryin' to play reproachful , eh ! Just look
back over the last thirty years or more.
Ain't I always been all a brother could be ?
Ain't Martha been more'n a flesh an' blood
sister could 4 > e ? An1 how about your home ?
Ain't It been all a reasonable man could
want ? "
The deacon's voice trembled a little as he
rapidly summed up the list of unappreciated
kindnesses.
"Well , William , I ain't forgettin' all that
not a bit of it. But what if a man.after
a -while , gets tired of llvin' day in an' day
out in a rut ? What If he wants to get out
into a bigger , better life. I suppose 1
wouldn't thought of It If the railroad hadn't
been put through. I got to goln' there first
when they was layln' the tracks. Well , that
was all right enough an' then "
"Tiat'll do. Enough of that ! I won't
hear It from your lips. "
"An then "
"Stop , man ! I say , stop. In the name of
what little regard lor decency you've got
left ! I won't hear from you ! I didn't
come out here to listen to your boastln' an'
plumln * yourself about your reckless , sense-
lees goln' on. "
Then tbe deacon's bloodless Jips
trembled as he fairly thundered the com
mand and shook his clenched fist in un
bridled wrath. "I won't have it made
any worse by your goln' Into all the details
of what you did , " he went on , hotly. "I
wanted you to listen to reason an' I wanted
to talk to you like a brother. But there
ain't any reason left in you. It's gone too
far an * Martha an * I'm too late. You're
proud of that broader life you talk about ,
are you ? All right , then ; now listen to
what I've got to say. The way's etlll open
to you to turn over a new- leaf an1 come
back and ibe one of us , as you was before
Ibe Lowdens and tbelr tavern came to
Quaker Church. It's got to be one or the
other an' you've got to decide right now.
Either you quit this new , broader life that
you've been harpln' on or you must get
along without Martha an' me from this day
for'ard. "
The deacon pronounced the sentence in
excited , impassioned tones. "The way's
open , which do you take ? " he repeated ,
wiping away the beads of told sweat that
stood out upon bis brow.
Joel's flushed face turned pale at tbe
deacon's words. They cut him like a sharp
knife , and bis brother knew it. But quickly
tbe scornful look returned , and he met the
issue squarely half way. Without a tremor
he stepped close to bis brother , and , plac
ing his band gently on tbe other's shoulder ,
exclaimed : "William , William , If it was
tbe last thing on earth. I didn't expect
this of you ! If it was anybody else , I'd a
said he'd gone clean crazy. You an' mother
never did circulate much around among
the neighbors , but I never once bad an idea
either of you had anything against Miss'
Cook. I can't understand It. Her bus-
band's been dead for three years now , an'
durln' that whole time ebe'a hardly been
outside her dooryard. It's goln' to be hard
to tell her that this Is our weddln' present
from you an' llartha , but I can do It , an' I
will. One thing has got to be settled be
tween you an1 me. howbomever" here Joel's
words became deliberate and foreboding
"I ain't goln' to stand up an' listen to any
body throw miserable slurs on tbe woman
that's goln' to be my wife not even you ,
my own brother , an1 a deacon in the church ,
who ought to be above such a thing. I
want you to understand that if tbe Lowden
boys did build their tavern across from
her house , the ain't responsible nor the
worse for It ! An' as far as that place
Is concerned , I hate it worse than you do.
It's hurt her property scand'Ious ! "
Wedding bells often ring out in unex
pected places. Their notes are the sweeter
when they sound above the din of discord.
In vain the deacon , perplexed and confused ,
his excited mind In a whirl , tried to Inter
rupt Joel's words. Then h gave up the
attempt and grasped weakly at the objects
near htm for support. He could only gasp
"Mies' Cook you marry ilUs' Cook the
Widow Cook aa the crosiin' I you "
"We've been Uilnkln' it over ever since
tbe day tbe circus was In town. An1 last
nlgfat we fixed it all up an' decided to
bitch. "
"Lord save us all ! Joel. I " It wag too
much for the deacon and bis strength
deserted him. Hl knees bent beneath hli
weight and bia volre dropped to an Inaudible
wbloper. He leaned upon tbe sleigh and
tig tfft , a * -t lM < ? V > a k his
* rered rentes. Then b au Irtenlv f in I
hi ; voice acaln. ' Is that th * raeanin' of I :
all ? Is tbat wh e you're bmi ( tola' * T I-
In' after erenln' when mother an' me
thought JOB WAS at the Lvwdtat ? Say
j-omethla' , nan ! Are you Mtnek clean
daaib ? "
I
i The scornful look had left JMl's face and
the sus wtlon ot a triumphant smile plaved
| around tbe corners ot his mouth as he
, watched the eacMlve states of his
t brother's collapse. Hut malice was not a
I part ot Joel Blrdsell's makeup. He answered
, the dencot > > question with a question"You
1 ain't forgot , William. " he Mked seriou ly.
"the day you an' me signed the plwJpe back
, In Vermont' Well. I've kept my share of It
| to this day. But I never signed a pledge not
to get married. "
"Dot you didn't tell us. "
" 1 didn't have nothln' for sure to tell till
last night. You know how courtln' Is. Wil
liam. A man don't like to speak right out "
Once again tbe deacon swallowed some
thing that seemed to choke his words. "God
bless you both. " he said , and his voice
trembled as he spoke. Then he added
quickly : "Perhaps you'll forget the hard
tfclngs I said. You see "
"It's just the same as If you hadn't ever
ppoke 'em , " Joel Interrupted "An' now per
haps there's time yet to go over to the
creamery. Supposln' you tell Martha about
It while I'm gone. "
Tb quavering notes of a song awakened
the deacon from n deep brown study as he
stood alone in the middle of the storeroom
floor. Listening , he caught the words until
they were lost In the rattle of tbe wagon
wheels ;
Bet my money on th oW bay man\
Somebody bet on th gray.
The deacon did not stir until the sound baJ
died away in the distance. Then he left
the barn and slowly walked up the path to
the farmhouse. As he reached the pnrch he
hesitated a moment. "Darn my fool picture , "
he said to himself. " 1 might have knowed it'
But It's a good joke on mother , anyhow' "
Then he entered the kitchen , closing the
door behind him.
CAlt VA.MSIII3S.
Onr of llic MoM Ilotiui rktil.lc Vrol-
tlrnt * In lllory of Knllronillni ; . ,
The most remarkable of all railroad ac
cidents occurred on the Chicago & Alton
railroad near Atlanta , 111. , last Sunday night , .
when a loaded car jumped out of a freight
train and lodged in a ditch and the train
coupled up and reached its destination with
out the crew either knowing that an acci
dent had occurred or missing the car from
the train.
Charles Bragnell of Roodhouse. 111. , the
conductor of the train , tells the story. He
ea ys :
"When I delivered my train I was- toM
that I was a car short. I thought a mis
take must have been made in checking me
up. I was called up for an explanation.
The clerical record showed plainly enough
that I had taken out of East St Louis a
car of hard coal that I had never delivered.
I had lost It some place between East St.
Louis and Bloomlngton. I couldn't explain
It. We had made up a heavy train , put
two engines in front of It and a caboose
behind It. and when I delivered it would
have sworn that it stood just as we had
made it up , and that every car left or added
along the line was accounted for.
"The next morning one of the passenger
crews reported a coal car wrecked In the
ditch near Atlanta. When It was looked up
it proved to be the car I had lost. Tbe su
perintendent asked me why I had not TP- '
ported the wreck. It was news to me and
It was news to the whole crew We knew-
nothing about It. It seems Imposfible that
It could have occurred and not have been
seen , but it did. If I had read of such a' '
thing happening upon another road I would
not have believed it. |
'The car that jumped out of my train
was the eleventh behind the engine. It was
loaded with hard coal and I suppose we
were running something o\er twenty miles
an hour where the car jumped out. The
train was coupled up with automatic coup
lers and when this car left its place tbe
twelfth car , just behind it. came up and
coupled on at the rear of the tenth car. " i
The Chicago & Alton experts have agreed
that this remarkable loss of a car out of
the middle of a rapidly running train of
(
twenty-one loaded cars can be explained In
but one way. The flanpe of a front truck
wheel upon tbe car wrecked is broken and
just below the point where the car lodged
the ties are marked as though bv a car
off the track. The coupler ? catch with what.
Is commonly known as "the Indian grip. " !
catching automatically. When tbe flange ofj
the coal car broke , it Is reasoned , the car1
left the track at that end and uncoupled
Itself from the car ahead by pulling one
of the couplers , or hands , below the plane
of the other. At the same time the coupler
at the other end sank below tbe plane of
Its mate and uncoupled the car there , and
by some peculiar wrench , the uncoupled
car was shot out of the train and left fifty
feet from the track , while tbe trainmen
w re all unconscious how very near they
had been to a bad wreck and death. ,
It Is related among railroad men that
an occurrence very like that at Atlanta
happened years ago on the l/ehlgh Valley ,
where a car left its train and rolled down
a long embankment and Into a thick under
brush just leafing in early summer. The
trainmen did not se the car go and It
was not known tbat they had lost it until
the train was checked up and a car proven
missing. In a little while the greening
vegetation entirely hid it and the disap
pearance of the car of valuable merchan
dise became the chief mystery of the road.
When the leaves fell In the autumn the
car was found and the freight which filled
it was recovered with very little l"ss The
lost car of tbe Lehlgh was not , though , as
remarkably lost as the Chicago & Alton
car , for tbe LehlKh car was tbe last upon
a train and could easily escapo. while the
Chicago & Alton car left tbe middle of the
train.
Dr. B'tll's Cough Syrup cures bronchitis.
Whv suffer when this wonderful remedy can
be had for only iac a bottle.
Vrpi'lnntlcin MiirU * .
Louisville Commercial- Genial Jim Camp
was a much disgusted man nt the opera
Thursday night. There was Zellc de Lus-
win trilling haunting little gypsy melodies
as If she were indeed of the Romany ra-e.
and yet the big audience treated her with
a silence that was almost appalling. That
was tbe case at first.
Of course they awoke and after they recov
ered from their self-consciousness gave the
great ginger and actress tbe pluudlts ehe BJ
richly merited. But this incident occurred
during the period of silence
"Did you ever pee such an audience ? "
exclaimed Jim , fretfully ; "they don't seem
to like her work ! "
i "Ob. no. tbat isn't so , " raid a bright girl
sitting next to him. "The men can't ap
plaud because they have been vaccinated ,
and the women can't stamp their dainty feet
for tbe same reason. " Jim relapsed Into
grim silence. |
, A I'uiir Sjif-llrr.
Boston Pilot It was not Artemus Ward
nf whom such a remark was made , but It
was Artemus Ward himtelf who said
"Some kind person has fern me f'baw i e-r s
poems. Mr. C bad talent , but be couldn't
epel. No man has a right to be a lltrary
mnn cnless he knows how to spel It Is a
pity tbat Chawcer , who had geneyus was so
unedicated. He's tbe wus speller I know
of. "
Neglect of a Cough or Sore
Throat often results in an
Incurable Long Disease or
Comramption. For relief in
Throat troubles useBEOWS's
_ BEO.NCHUL TEOCHES , & gin-
pie yet effective remedy. Sold only in boxes.
M
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