Show N d pericles P pemberton cured by jessie reno odlin copyright by shar pub co miss alias cordelia Cordel ln was waa neither tall nor short plunie nor slender simply a wei well I proportioned well weli poised woman da dainty anty in fit dress and manner hera was not a young face and yet the smooth Bli looth fair skin showed no telltale W 11 inkle s the clearing was not large not nol quite ten acres acrea yet lying as it did in tho the midat of the great forest it was a beautiful and restful resift il sight to guest or traveler veler like a rose blos baoming in the wilder wilderness it seemed boomed t to miss all cordella cordelia when she returned from her brief and infrequent visits to tho the little town three thieo miles away teti ten years before with its ills only laughter daughter pericles pythagoras pom pem borton had left ills his illinois homo home loft lifelong friends all and neighbors to try ills his chance with fortune lit in the booming puget sound country at first ills his anticipations seemed likely to be realized Ill IzOd in a short time lie he had acquired wealth and reputation as a prominent pushing capi capitalist lit in a town of mushroom growth and marvelous inar promises As for ills daughter daug liter sho she presided over a pretentious well appointed home having her hearts content of every procurable luxury and every dainty finery of social gayet les flat toiling attention and would be bo lovers site she had also enough and to spare and then well things began to change money aloney lid did not flow in such tint uninterrupted it terru apted streams desirable cornor corner lots lota declined in value with unheard of suddenness stock companies ceased to declare dividends and then one by one ceased to exist at all danks banks failed real estate companies dA disbanded and one enterprise after another sank into hopeless oblivion the population melted away perceptibly whole blocks of stores and office buildings were vacated and the wharves began to assume a forlorn and deserted appearance tho the remnant ot of the residents dismayed bewildered wil dered trying lit in vain to stem the current finally found itself practically stranded and forced to the stupendous realization that the bottom had fallen out of tho the boom when tho the actual truth of the situation was borne in upon pericles P pemberton Pembe iton all his late financial ambitions bit ions all ills his energy all his interest was gone in one breath and lie turned helpless confused defeated to cordella cordelia there seemed but one thing left to do and cordella cordelia determined to do it but she need not have feared opposition from her father lie ile was as clay in her hands passive disinterested so they moved to a little half cleared ranch lit in the skagit valley taking such or of their household goods as seemed necessary converting all else into money this ranch pericles had in fit prosperous days jestingly deeded to his daughter and now it opened out to them a haven of rest lest and refuge after troublous times here pericles found new channels for energy time and strength and tell fell to w work ork with a will having apparently no thought beyond the clearing away of cedar stumps the digging of ditch es and the raising of poultry and potatoes under his hands the clearing improved as if by magic to the past he never referred and had it not been for one instance miss cordella cordelia would have believed that lie he had indeed lost all consciousness of anything beyond the present existence so miss aliss cordella cordelia lived her quiet life managing not only the household but the limited financial affairs wholly unquestioned by her father who grow more dependent and childlike child like agthe as the months went by on this particular evening pericles was sitting deeply engrossed in thought when cordella cordelia her evening tasks completed took down the lamp lighted it and prepared to ta enjoy a newly cut magazine cordella cordelia said the old man at last yes father questioningly it Is a year ago tomorrow to morrow since mr air benton and susie took dinner with us its yes father it was that day cordella coi delta that mr air denton benton recommended to mo me tho the use ue of the quick conquering Compo compound I 1 used it and you know tho the result I 1 am a different man today to day I 1 have been a well man lor for three months you must admit cordelia that I 1 derived great benefit from the use of that valuable compound yes father miss cordella cordelia conquered the smile that rose to her lips as she heard the stereotyped phrases of the patent med medicine ielne testimonial glide from her fathers lips ile he was silent for a moment then rising ho he spoke with inspired decision als lon cordella cordelia I 1 hold it my duty not only to t 0 acknowledge this benefit to alrose who provided pro viled it but to rave my tes 4 tilli almony olly to the lie world that others may profit by in my experience lit in what way father by bending my testimony and my photograph to tho manufacturers that they may place it before the general public in the next pamp pamphlet lilet they lasite lie he spoke slowly and solemnly with the th a air 1 r of f 0 one ie who aho has resolved to do ills his share towards the enlightenment of 0 mankind miss cordella Co idella looked gravely up into his face summer slimmer came once more to the skagit valley mallef and the rose bushes rich in color and fragrance fia grance vied with the ivy and hones suckle in hiding with beauty the quaint little pemberton cottage pericles 11 pemberton Pembe iton had been a happy man for the past month ile he had received a pamphlet from the conquering compound co in which a badly executed woodcut of blin self appeared appealed above his carefully caie fully worded unsolicited testimonial and facsimile autograph with this had como come a letter of thanks and two large bottles of the compound in acknowledge ment of tits his flattering eralso pi also of tife the justly famous remedy indeed all things were looking bright to the old man just drw the fruit trees the vegetables the chickens had never promised so well before there were rumors of valuable mineral finds in the surrounding hills miss cordella cordelia too felt the impress of new hopes and brighter prospects that seemed to permeate the atmosphere eleven years she whispered sometimes 11 years how bow old I 1 must be growing for I 1 was 25 when wo we left home no other place had really been homo home except that little town far east cast of the mountains it was about this time that a man a stranger strang ci lit in seattle had stood in a 4 drug store listening to the conversation about him and mechanically turning the leaves of a patent medicine pamphlet suddenly his attention was arrested by a signature lie he studied it and the accompanying woodcut very carefully then gave a little surprised exclamation what Is it asked a man beside him nothing he ansbe answered red just juit no I 1 14 n 19 V this Is a final triumph for the quick conquering compound ticen an odd name pericles pythagoras pemberton I 1 distinguishing name said the other sure to be only one yes surely only one muttered tho the stranger absently know him jested the other hut but the stranger laughed pocketed the pamphlet and left ali the e store at the hotel he questioned the clerk wheres Wh eros little town up the skagit awfully out of the way going up to prospect where the next boo bonnill nill strike yes I 1 think ill do a little prospecting replied the stranger alth a rather curious smile as he left the office who Is that man inquired a bystander that said the clerk Is arm strong traveling for a big Chic itzo mining syndicate meantime armstrong was soliloquizing qu izing of course its her father ashes probably married long ago hurt hint to look them up tip though I 1 wonder after nil all these years the next lay day lie he was in the little town of receiving from ft a garrulous landlord a full account of pericles Perl clea P 11 pemberton his daughter his ranch and ills his eccentricities later he be met theold the old man mail on the village street accepted his hearty invitation vi to como right out to the ranch and set off upon the three mile walk with what pericles would have called a complication of curious sensations As they reached the opening in tho the woods and e entered n t d the little t 1 0 c clearing lea r ing tabe alst erin beautiful ag again a i n in the c sunset i n se t g glow 1 ow frank armstrong turned to his big companion and said earnestly mr pern pem berton will you do me a favor years ago cordella cordelia and I 1 were lovers and when you yott left home parted in a lovers overs quarrel all these years while we have drifted apart I 1 have never forgotten her never loved any other and it has been the dream of my life to meet her again will you lot let me go 90 to her alone the old man gazed nt at the speaker in awestruck awe struck amazement then his eyes grew dim as lie he placed tits his hand lit in the warm grasp of the other and with a trembling voice said listen she Is playing on the organ y aull find her dut but armstrong was already on tits his way suddenly the low sweet music stopped and cordelia coming at the sound of footsteps to the little rose lose colored porch found her hands hand held in a tender unforgotten clasp and while she listened to the voice of her long ago lover knew that for her happiness was indeed assured and she need no longer dread a loveless lonely future A little later when blissful silence had followed mutual explanations pericles pemberton entered the room gave his paternal ble blessing shing in tender words and added in lighter vein although ills his voice still quavered a little this is a final triumph for the quick conquering compound a wonderful healer of earthly ills from livers to lovers |