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Show THE GIRL AT THE HOUSE HALFWAY Ctttrigkttd, l$0t, it D. AftlUtm 4 Ctmtnny, CHAPTER Franklin looked about him at the squat buildings of the little town, at the black loam of the monotonous and uninviting Helds, at the sordid, set. and undeveloping lives around him. He looked also at the white wagons moving with the sun. It seemed to him (hat somewhere out In the vast land beyond the Missouri there beckoned (o him a mighty hand, the Index N tm Yrk Quixote, but he never forgets a friend. Buffalo and Indians, railroads and hotels It must at least be a land of con- trasts! CHAPTER VI. Edward Franklin, Lawyer. Edward Franklin had taken up his law studies In the office of Judge Bradley, the leading lawyer of the little village of Bloomsbury, where finger of some mighty force, imperaFranklin was born, and where he had tive, forbidding pause. The letter Of Batterslelgh to his spent most of his life previous to the friend Captain Franklin fell therefore time of hts enlistment in the army. upon soil already well prepared. He Judge Bradley was successful, as such read It again and again In lta some- matters go In such communities, and what formal diction and informal or- It was his open boast that he owed his success to himself and no one else. thography, was as follows: Thirty-fiv"To Capt Edw. Franklin, Bloomsbury, years earlier, a raw 111.: old from Vermont, Hollis N. youth "My Dear Ned I have the honor to Bradley had walked Into the embrystate to you that I am safely arrived onic settlement of Bloombsbury with and well established at this place, a single law book under his arm and Elllsvllle, and am fully disposed to re- naught but down upon his chin. He main, I must tell you that this Is to pleaded his first cause before a Judge be a great' market for Western who rode circuit over a territory now beeves. Great numbers of these cat- divided into three congressional distle are now coming In to this country tricts. He won his first case, for his from the far South, and since the Ry. antagonist was even more Ignorant Is yet unable to transport these Ani- than he. As civilization advanced he mals as they arrive there Is good defended fewer men for stealing hogs Numbers of them in the country here- and more for murder and adultery. His practice grew with the growth of about, as well as many strange persons curiously known as Cowboys or the population of the country about which the same I may him. He was elected county attorney, call a purely Heathan sort. These for local counsel for the railroad, and the most part resort at the Cottage Judge of the Circuit Court. He was Hotel, and there Is no peace In the mentioned for gubernatorial honors, and would perhaps have received the Town at this present writing. For myself I have taken entry party nomination but for the breaking upon one hundred and sixty Acres out of the civil war. Not fancying Govt Land, and live a little way out the personal risks of the army, he from the Town. Here I have my quar- hired a substitute, and this sealed his ters under tent, following example of political fate, for Illinois at that time all men, for as yet there are scarce a did not put In power men who sent dozen houses within fifty Miles. I substitutes to tne war. It was an immemorial custom In have chosen this point because It was the furtherest one yet reached by Bloomsbury for the youth who had Rail. I have been advised that it is aspirations for a legal career to read highly desirable to be In at the be- law" In Judge Bradleys office. Two ginning in this Country if one is to of his students had dropped their e "Got a letter from your girl? stay In the Hunt, therefore I have books to take up rifles, and they came come to a Town which has Just Begun. not back to their places. They were Believe me, dear Ned, It Is the begin- forgotten, save once a year, upon Decning of a World. Such chances are oration Day, when Judge Bradley here, I am Sure as do not exist in any made eloquent tribute above their other Land, for behind this land is all graves. It was therefore predetermined that the Richer and older Parts, which are but waiting to pour money and men Edward Franklin should go into the hither so soon as the Ry. shall be office of Judge Bradley to begin his I have heard of law studies, after he had decided that Fully completed. many men who have made Fortunes the profession of the law was the one since the War. It is truly a rapid likely to offer him the best career. It was one of the unvarying rules of Land. "I am persuaded, my dear boy, that Judge Bradleys office, and Indeed this this is the place for you to come. was almost the only rule which he There are an Hundred ways In which Imposed, that the law student within one may earn a Respectable living, his gates, no matter what his age or and I find here no Class Distinction. earlier servitude, should each mornIt Is an extraordinary fact that no ing sweep out the office, and should, man and no profession ranks another when so requested, copy out any law here. One man is quite good as an- papers needing to be executed in other. duplicate. So long as a student did "A year from now, as I am told, these things, he was welcome as long we shall have 2,000 Persons living as he cared to stay. Edward Franklin accepted his seat here, and In five years this will be a in Judge Bradleys office without any City. Conceive the opportunity meantime. The Cattle business Is bound to reservations, and he paid his daily grow, and I am advised that all this fee of tenure as had all the other land will Ultimately be farmed and students before him, scorning not the prove rich as that through which I broom. Ardent, ambitious and resoPast In coming out You are welcome, lute, he tell upon Blackstone, Chttty my dear Ned, as I am sure you know, and Kent as though he were asked to to half my blankets and rations dur- carry a redoubt He read six, eight, ing yonr stay here, however long same ten hours a day, until his head buzzed, may be, and I most cordially invite and he forgot what he had read. Then you to come out and look over this at it all over again, with teeth set. country, nor do I have the smallest Thus through more than a year he doubt that it will seem to you quite toiled, lashed forward by his own deas it does to me, and I shall hope that termination, until at length he began to see some of the beautiful first prinwe make a Citizen of you. "I am but new here as yet myself, ciples of the law. So in his second but am fully disposed, as they say in year Franklin fared somewhat beyond the strange language here, to drive principles merely, and got into notes my Stake. I want you, my dear boy, and bills, torts, contracts and remealso to drive Yours beside me. and to dies. He learned with a shiver how a that Effect I beg to extend you what- promise might legally be broken, hew ever Aid may lie in my Power. a gift should be regarded with suspiHoping that you may receive this cion, how a sacred legacy might be communication duly, and make reply set aside. He read these things again to Same, and hoping above all things and again, and forced them into his that I may soon meet again my Com- brain, so that they might never te forpanion of the 47th, I beg to subscribe gotten; yet this part of the law he myself, my dear boy, ever your Obdt loved not so much as its grand first principles of truth and Justice. ft Affect Friend, "Batterslelgh. One morning, after Franklin had finP. S. Pray Herlld your advent by ished his task of sweeping down the a letter ft bring about 4 lbs. or 5 lbs. stairs, he sat him down by the window of your Favourite Tea.as I am Short with Batterslelghs letter in his hand; of Same. for this was now the third day since The letter ended with Batterslelgh's he had received this letter, and it had best flourish. Franklin turned it over been In his mind more vividly present again and aaln In his hand and read than the pages of the work on conit more than once as he pondered tracts with which he was then occupied. It was a bright, fresh morning upon its message. "Dear old fellow, he said; "hes a good deal of a Don in the early spring. A long and hazy . street lay in 'perspective before the window, and along it, out beyond the confines of the town, there reached the flat monotony of the dark prairie solL A dog crossed the street, pausing midway of the crossing to scratch his ear. The cart of the leading grocer was hitched in front of his store, and an idle citizen or two paused near by to exchange a morning greeting. All the little, uneventful day was beginning, as it had begun so many times before here In this little, uneventful town, where the world was finished, never more to change. Franklin shuddered. Was this, then to be his life? There came a regular tread upon the stair, as there bad always for years come at this hour of half past seven in the morning, rain or shine. Judge Bradley entered, tall, portly, smooth shaven, his silk hat pushed back upon his brow, as, was bis fashion. Franklin turned to make the usual morning salutation. said the "Good morning, Ned, ;udge, affably. "Good morning, Judge, said Frank-- I hope you are well. Yes, thank you. Nothing ever the matter with me. How are things coming? "Oh, all right, thank you. This was the stereotyped form of the dally greeting between the two. Judge Bradley turned as usual to his desk, but, catching sight of the letter still held In Franklins hand, remarked carelessly: Got a letter from your girl? said Franklin. Not so lucky, "From a friend." Silence resulted. Judge Bradley opened his desk, took off his coat and hung it on a nail, after his custom, turned over the papers for a moment and remarked absentmlndedly, and more to be polite than because the matter interested him, Friend, eh? Yes, said Franklin, "friend, out West; and both relapsed again into silence. Franklin once more fell to gazing out of the window, but at length turned toward the desk and pulled over his chair to a closer speaking distance, said he, Bradley, Judge shouldn't wonder if I could pass my J examination for the bar. Well, now, said the Judge, I hope you can. Thats nice. Goln to hatg out your shingle, eh? ( ( I might, if I got my license. "Oh, that's easy, replied the other; its mostly a matter of form. No trouble about it not in the leasL I am clear in my own mind that I said don't know much about law, Franklin, and I should not think of going up for examination if that ended my studies in the profession. If I were intending to go Into practice here, sir, or near by, I should not think of applying for admission for at least another year. But the fact Is, Im thinking of going away. "Goin away? Judge Bradley straightened up, and his expressipC'L If anything was one of relief. Ffe'had his own misgivings about this gravefaced and mature young man should he go into the practice at the Bloms-bur- y bar. It was well enough to encourage such possibilities to take their test In some other locality. Judge Bradley therefore became more cheerhe said. Goln away, eh? ful. "Where to? Out West, said Franklin, unconsciously repeating the phrase which was then upon the lips of all the young men of the country, "Out West, eh? said the Judge, with "Thats still greater cheerfulness. right, thats right Thats the place to go to, where you can get a better chance. I came West In my day myself, though it isnt West now; an thats how I got my Btart Theres ten chances out there to where theres one here, an youll get better pay for what you do. Id advise It, sir Id advise It; yes, indeed. I think it will be better, Bald Franklin calmly. (To be continued.) The Diet Fad. Apropos, the diet craze of the last two or three years may not and does not perform all that It promises tor those who listen to the voice of the medical or other faddist, says the London World, but from its extravagances may come ultimate good, and another generation may reap happily where we have sown. The time may come, great continental doctor believes, when the science of dieting will be so perfected that we shall not merely be able, as we do now, to keep people alive much longer, but we shall likewise keep them in a useful condition. Octogenarians will retain their faculties to the full, senility will be avoid ed, and if, perhaps, grandfathers and grandmothers do not contrive to preserve their youthful appearance to the end, they will at least, so we are at 77 as assured, be as at 27, and thus, with the advantage of ripe experience, they will help on the work of more youthful brains and temper the follies of the rising generation. clear-braine- d Mans Time to Die. When a man appeared the other day before Justice Blume, In Chicago, and asked for protection against some neighbors who had threatened to kill him, the Justice refused to grant the requesL When asked for his reasons he said that when it came a mans time to die be would die, gnd not before. He announced himself as a fatalist and said belief came from his own experiences. He says he has passed through seven accidents, three A one fire, two drownlngs, 150 falls, pneumonia, concussion of the brain, and all the dangers of several battles of the civil war. If all these things wont kill a man, said the Justice, "there is a special Providencs looking after him. hold-up- t THE FATAL REQUEST OR FOUND OUT By A. L. Harrte Author of "Mine Own Familiar F riend. etc. Cnmpnnp. Otptrigkt, KM, l tp 0 bp ( tukw Ht t kin t ftt t, Okppripht, CHAPTER IX Continued. It was rather strange, but the moment be put this question the little doctor shifted his glance, and merely answered, "Humph! while he seemed to be looking at nothing In particular. "Yon know what I mean? was the "Did somewhat Impatient response. my father meet his death through the shock of the collision or by the- -? "Your father was not killed in the was the railway accident at all, paralyzing reply, as the giver of It still avoided the eye of the questioner. What! shouted the latter, leaping to his feet What do you mean? For Heavens sake, explain yourself and do not talk in riddles! What I mean Is this, was the answer given with great confidence and decision, as he once more allowed himself to meet the other mans eye: "Your father was not burnt to death, as you feared, and he did not perish through the shock of the collision, which you hoped might be the ease, as being the more merciful death of the two. Your father was shot! Had the young man received a bullet wound himself, he could not have started more violently than he did on hearing these words. Shot! he cried shot! Then, passing his hand across his forehead "Im not dreaming, am I? Dr. Cartwright shook his head. No, my boy, youre not dreaming, except Inasmuch as life Itself is a dream. Your father, I repeat, met his death by foul play that is putting aside the question of sui "Suicide! cried the young man, snatching at the word, as It were. Suicide! My father! Oh, you must be mad! The doctor shook his head again. I discovered, on examining the body after you had left the church, that death had resulted from a bullet wound in the right temple, which had tr fsilt. Interrupted Dr. and quite right of you, too. Always make game of this sort of thing whenever you come across 1L I always do myself, on principle. If I didnt, I should have half the parish sending for me whenever they had the nightmare. At the same time," he added. In a tone of concession, I admit that it certainly was a coincidence. Anything more I cant acknowledge my reputation wont al low It. Yesterday morning, resumed the young man, we received a telegram. Here it Is you can see for It said yourself." Dr. Cartwright brought his spectacles to bear upon the document Humph! Ha! y Am returning by the 4:10 train. Shall be borne to dinner. Friend accompanies me. He read it through twice before returning 1L And you say you have no Idea what the name of this friend your father went to meet was? To my knowledge I have never heard it mentioned. I thought I knew all my fathers friends, but this one must have been an entire stranger to me, and my . father must have had some reason for He stopped abruptly, respect for his dead parent held back the words upon his tongue. But Dr. Cartwright apparently guessed the remainder of the Of course you did, Cartwright; to-da- Its walls the materials for such a fnn ral sermon as, in all its ancient hi tory. It had never before seen gathered together there. The remains, now all decently in coffins, still lay within the precincts of the chancel, where they must remain until after the inquest on the following day. The church, which was of no great size, was filled to overflowing. For not only were there many mourners present, who had come from all parts of the kingdom, but strangers for miles round, attracted by the morbid curiosity which draws crowds as with a wherever there is a prevalence of the ghastly element, blocked the aisles, filled the porch, and even occupied the pulpit stairs. People who came to gape and gaze, and then, going home to the Sunday dinner, exchanged experiences over the shoulder of mutton and baked potatoes, remarking, as they wiped their mouths, that it was a sad sight, but one they wouldnt have missed for anything you could have offered them. At the same time they were compelled to own that there were not so many bodies as they had confidently expected, but then, nothing ever did come up to your expectations In this sentence. You mean, your father must have had some reason for concealing the fact of his previous acquaintance with the man he went to meet at Dover? The young mans face flushed. I tell you, no! I wont believe it! I wont even listen to such a supposiI tell you but tion for a moment! And he there, you never knew him! turned his head away. To return to our subject, said the You insist on connecting this doctor. same unknown personage with the post-hast- e . cart-rop- e, world. Ted Burritt had a seat assigned him in one of the front pews. A glance at his face, on the part of the functionary who discharged the offlee of ushering the people into their places, seemed to be sufficient to show to which portion of the congregation he belonged. Ted Burritt knew that his fathers body now lay there within the chancel rails, in one of those hastily constructed coffins, which had been roughly put together to meet the sudden and unprecedented demand. It was evident that a certain number of seats had been reserved for those who, it was felt, had the greatest claim to them, for he observed, after a short time, that the same pew into which he had been ushered also contained two of his fellow passengers on that ever memorable Journey a poor widow and another woman. The former, it was impossible to doubt, had found her worst fears realized, for she still cried silently and ceaselessly behind the shelter of her veil. The other woman, whom he now guessed to be about forty years of age, and who was in a sort of way, was also clothed in deep black garments, but there was a suppressed glitter in her eye, and that same restless movement of the fingers, as she perpetually rustled the leaves of her which betrayed the exprayer-book- , istence of some strong but suppressed feeling, which seemed to be more like excitement than grief. But, then, we are all at liberty tc show our grief in our own peculiar way. In the other pews round him he reo ognized other faces those of fellow-traveleor others whom he had seen at the station or in the church in the early morning of the day before. Among these there were, of course happy exceptions to the general rula There were those who had found the living where they had looked for the dead, and who, after a few hours ol torturing suspense, had discovered the one they sought, either in the yillage or in some of the neighboring hamlets, and were present on that morning with a chastened joy and gratitude unspeakable. (To be continued.) good-lookin- g hard-feature- d rs Ml knew the man, he cried. traversed the head completely, and must have caused instantaneous mysterious circumstances of your fath- ieath." "Who else could It be? exclaimed Ted. "You yourself have put the motive of robbery out of the question! was the reply. But "Certainly, having disposed of that motive only makes it the more necessary to provide another. And there again you supply it yourself, burst out the other. "You hinted of the possibility of my father having something discreditable in connection with his past life "Not discreditable, interrupted the doctor, only Indiscreet. "Now, proceeded the other, reverse your implication. Apply what you have said of the one to the other, and there you have your solution of the mystery your motive, and whatever else you require. He paused, breathless with the vehemence with which he had pronounced these last words. Well, said the doctor, wagging his head sagely, "I dont deny iL There you have a motive of a sort not a very strong one. But, before you can proceed further with it, you have to establish the important fact as to that other occupant of the carriage. And, when you consider that the individual in question, even if he did travel by that same train and in that same carriage, was actually the recipient of an invitation to your own house, there seems to be something so improbable, so coldblooded about the whole con- I cant realize It, groaned the oth- er. "Who could have done it? unless he was robbed. Dr. Cartwright shook his head. His watch and chain and valuables were taken charge of, like those of the other passengers, and a considerable amount of money was found upon him. Whatever the object, it was not that The thing will be to discover It he had a traveling companion, and who that traveling companion Ted Burritt brought down his hand apon the table, with a force that made that article of furniture shiver. Or, I know the man!" he cried. If I do not know now. I will never rest until I have found out! "Phew! whistled the doctor. Then you know something about the affair? You have your suspicions? "Suspicions! cried the young man; more than suspicions! I see It all If I only knew the mans name. What mans name? asked the doc- tor. What man? was the Impatient reply. Why, the murderer, to be sure. 1 wish you would Just begin at the beginning and tell me all you know about It I will tell you all I know, as well as what I only guess. Two days ago my father received a letter, which appeared to have a peculiar effect upon him. It Is evident to me that he was expecting the letter, and that it was that which made him nervous and fidgety and unlike himself. At breakfast the next morning, to our surprise, he announced his intention of taking a short Journey; giving no other explanation than that he was going as far as Dover, partly on business though we had reason to believe that the business was only an appointment with a friend. "And the friends name? of course he told you? "No," was the answer, "that was Just what he did not do. said the doctor, that "Humph! was rather Well, never mind. Go on! "The night after my father left home, I was awakened suddenly in the middle of the night, by his voice calling me. And I answered him back. The next morning my sister May came to me in trouble about a dream shed had the same night. She dreamt that something dreadful had happened, or was about to happen, to her father. Of course, I made game of ers death? cern that And is not that exactly what It is? A coldblooded, dastardly outrage upon one who never injured a soul, and who was one of the kindest and best of men. Oh, Lord! I cant stand the thought of it. Now Ive started him off again," murmured the doctor, remorsefully. "Why couldnt I have left well alone? Anyhow, I must be going now. So, drawing himself up and squaring his shoulders in his most military style, he remarked, falling back into his ejaculatory manner, "Must be off now. Found the wound in your fathlook for ers head the bullet that made 1L Good-bye- . Can't stop another moment, and he was gone. to-da- CHAPTER X. The Fourth Carriage From the En gins. The next morning, being Sunday, everyone from far and near repaired to the church, which contained witbiD School Children Saved. In but few of the cities of the world are school children examined on entrance or subsequently to determine which are defective with reference to applying the remedy. Examinations of nearly nine hundred pupils in an American school of the better class during the last year showed that 34 12.9 per per cent were cent had .functional heart disorders,, 5.6 per cent had spinal curvature with some vertebral rotation, 41.2 percent more had a symmetry of spine, hips, or shoulders, 14.6 per cent had adenoids or chronically enlarged tonsila In over 10 per cent of the cases letters were sent to parents, recommending that medical attention be given to Examinasome physical condition. tions of 40,000 school children by school physicians in the duchy of showed Germany, 10 that 23 per cent were per cent or more had spinal curvature, and 60 per cent had teeth which needed attention. near-sighte- near-sighte- Protecting School Children. The Minister of Public Instruction in France has taken the lead of all the world in measures for the prevention of consumption in the schools. A new law requires that an examination of every pupil shall be made once in three months, and the hlght, the weight, the chest measure and the general physical condition of every one shall be entered on the pupils report. The schoolrooms receive the same preventive attention. Carpets are prohibited, curtains must be of cloth that may be frequently washed; no dry sweeping is allowed, and dust must be removed by wet cloths; ail school furniture must be often scoured; books are regularly disinfected. and no book that has been used by a consumptive child may be used by another person. Colleagues at Outs. Years ago when Lord Anglesey was lieutenant of Ireland he said onoe of Mr. the Irish secretary of that day: Stanley and I do very well together as companions, but we differ so totally about Ireland that I never mention the Just how they transsubject to him. ected official business remains a |
