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Show street lay la perspectivs before tM window, and along It, out beyond tM confines of the town, them reachd the flat monotony of the dark prair soil. A dog crossed the street, paiM mg midway of the crossing to aeratd of the leadiiq giw bis ear. The front of his atoll was hitched-i- n and an Idle citizen or two paused ne by to exchange a morning greeting. Al THE GIRL AT THE HALFWAY o r HV I SI O K HOI'I.H. HOUSE ninl l. II T Y T II K P K Slum Aultttn fr ( lit- - O V LAIN PiWHIiV S Ytrh OR FOUND OUT By A. L. Harris Author of Minw Own Familiar friend." ale. Cattail r f 1 i i k 4 aA V mp a a v.ffsyfriikl, s e 0 r i 1 I j r 'I H K Stw THE FATAL REQUEST j p y he 111 tic. uneventful day waa begtr ning, as it had begun so many tlm before here in this little, uneventfrf town, where the world waa finished f Il, , 1 I I, g J r I a ilk- I i Quixote, hut be never forgets a friend. Iliilfalo slid Indians, railroads and must at least be a laud of con- CHAPTER V. Continued. Franklin U inked about him at the squat buildings of the little town, at tbs blark loam of the lumiotoiioim and uninviting fields, at the sordid, set and undevefaiping live around him. lie looked also at the while wagons moving with the sun. It seemed to him that somewhere out in the vast laud beyond the Misanurl there beckoned to him a mighty hand, the Index flatter of Mime mighty forte. Imperative. forbidding pause. The letter of Ratterslelgh to hla friend Captain Franklin fell therefore upon noil already well prepared, lie read It attain and again lu Its some what formal diction and Informal was as follows: To Capt. Edw. Franklin, llloonihbury, -i trasts! CHAPTER VI. Edward Franklin, Lawyer. Kdward Franklin bad taken up his law studies in ths office of Judge Bradley, the leading lawyer of the lit v Plage of lilisjuishuiy. where Franklin waa born, and where he had spent most of his life previous to the time of his enlistment In the army. Judge Hradtey was successful, as such nailers go in such communities, anil It was his open boast that be owed bis success to himself and no one else. Thirty-fivyears earlier, a raw 111.: youth from old Vermont, Hollis N. c 1 have the honor to I) rad ley hail walked into the emhiy-oniMy Dear Ned with of liliamihshitry settlement state to you that I am safely arrived and well established at this place, a single law Issik under his arm and He Klllsvllle, and am fully disponed to re- naught hilt down upon his chin. main. 1 must tell you that this la to pleaded his first cause before a judge bo a (treat market fur 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 bis first case, for hla from the far South, and ainre the Ily. antagonist was even more Ignorant than he. As civilization advanced he Is yet unable to transport these Animals as they arrive there Is good defended fewer men for stealing hogs Numbers of them In the country here- and more ror murder and adultery. about, as well as many strange per- Ills practice grew with the growth of sona curiously known as Cowboys or the population of the country about which the same I may him. He was elected county attorney, call s purely sort. These for lucal counsel for the railroad, and tha most part resort at the Cottage judge of the Circuit Court. He was Hotel, and there la, no peace lu the mentioned for gubernatorial honors, and would perhaps have rereived the Town at this present writing. Fur myself I have taken entry party nomination hut for the breaking spun one hundred and sixty Acres out of the civil war. Nut fancying Oort. land, and lire s little way out the personal risks of the army, he from the Town. Here I have my quar- hired a substitute, and tills sealed his ters under tent, following example of polltiral fate, for Illinois at that time all men, for sa yet there are scarce a did not put in power men who sent dozen bouses within fifty Miles. I substitutes to tne war. It was an immemorial rustom In bars chosen this point because it was the furtherent one yet reached by Illootnnhiiry for the youth who had Rati. I have been advised that It la aspirations for a legal career to "road highly desirable to bo In at the be- law In Judge llradley's office. Two ginning In this Country If one la to of his students hail dropped their tk- 1 CHAPTER IX Continued. strange, but tha moment he put thla question the little doctor shifted hla glance, and merely answered, Humph! while he seemed to be looking at nothing In particular. Yon know what I mean?" was the omewhat impatient response. Did my father meet hla death through the shock of the collision or by It waa rather never more to rhange. Franklin Was this, then to be hla lift? a regular tread upM There the stair as there had always U years come at this hour of half pad seven In the morning, rain or shim eutered, tall, portif. judge liradh-smisilli shaven, his silk hat pushd hack upon his brow, as was hla fad-ion- . Franklin turned to mako tM usual morning salutation. Good morning, Ned, said tM judge, affably. "Good morning. Judge, said Frad-I- I I hope you are well. . "Yes. thank you. Nothing ever tM matter with me. How are things cos-Inshut-ilert-- Oh. all right, thank you. This waa the stereotyped the form if the daily greeting between the twa Judge Dradley turned aa usual to desk, hut. catching sight of the letnr still held in Franklin's hand, remarkid carelessly : "Got a letter from your glrlT aald Franklla. so lucky, "No', "From a friend. Silence resulted. Judge Bradley os-nehis desk, took off hla coat aid hung It on a nail, after hla1 gustos, turned over the papers for a momnt and remarked abaentmlndedly, and inure to lie polite than because tka mailer Interested him, Friend, eh? friend, oat "Yes, said Franklin, West"; and both relapsed again Into silence. Franklin once more fell to gaxlng out of the window, but it length turned toward the desk aid pulled over hla chair to a closer spelling distance. aald be, 1 Judge Bradley," shouldn't wonder if I could pans nr examination for the bar." Well, now," aald the judge, "I hope you can. That's nice. Goln to hast out your shingle, eh?" I might. If I got my license. Oh. tlmt's easy, replied the other, It's mostly a matter of form. No trouble almut It not In the leaaL "I am clear In my own mind that I dont know much about law, aald Franklin, and I should not think at going up for examination If that ended my studies In the profession. If 1 were Intending to go into practki here, air, or near by, I ahould art think of applying for admission for it least another year. Dut the fact a I I'm thinking of going away. doin' away? Judge Bnwey straightened up, and his expreiJwn If anything was one of relief. Ilej ad hla own misgivings about this g and mature young man ahold he go Into the practice at the Blas-burbar. It was well enough aiich possibilities to take tkir test In some other locality. Juge Bradley therefore became more ebsr-ful- . Goln away, eh?" be aid. Where to? Out West, said Franklin, repeating the phrase wferh was then upon the lips of all he young men of the country. Out West, eh? said the judge, ith Tht's still greater cheerfulness. right, that's right. That's the phee to go to, where you can get a beft-chance. I came West in my day though It Isn't West now; m that's how I got my start Then's ten chances out there to where thena one here, an' you'll get better paybr what you do. Id advise It. sir I'dtd-vls- tt it; yes. indeed. I think it will be better, aid Franklin calmly. (To he continued.) d r father Your was not killed In the was tha railway accident at all, paralyzing reply,, aa the giver of it till avoided the eye of the questioner. What! shouted the latter, leaping to hla feet. What do you mean? For Heavens sake, explain youraelf and do not talk In riddles! "What I mean la this, was the answer given with great confidence and decision, aa ha once more allowed himself to meet the other man's eye: Your father waa not burnt to death, aa you feared, and he did not perish through the shock of the collision, which you hoped might be the case, as being the more merciful death of the two. Your father waa 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 bis hand across hla forehead Im not dreaming, am I?" Dr. Cartwright shook his head. No, my boy, you're not dreaming, except Inasmuch as life Itself Is a dream. Your father, I repeat, met his desth by foul play that Is putting side the question of sul Suicide! cried the young man, snatching at the word, as It were. "Suicide! My father! Oh, you must be mad! The doctor shook hi 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 "Of course you did," interrupted Dr. and quite right of you, too. Always make game of thla sort of thing whenever you come serosa it. 1 always do myself, on principle. If I didnt, I ahould have half the parish sending fur me whenever they had tha nightmare. At the aama time," he added, in a tune of concession, I admit that It certainly waa a coincidence. Anything mure I can't acknowledge my reputation won't allow It. Yesterday morning, resumed the young man, we received a telegram. Here It is you can see for It aald yourself." Dr. Cartwright brought hla spectacles to bear upon the document. Humph! Ha! '"Am returning by tha 4:20 train. Shall be home to dinner. Friend accompanies me.' He read It through twice before returning it And you say you have no idea what the name of thla friend your father went to meet waa? To my knowledge I have never heard It mentioned. I thought I knew all my father's friends, but this one must have been an entire stranger to me, and my father must have had some reason He stopped abruptly, respect for his dead parent held back the words upon bis tongue. But Dr. Cartwright apparently guessed the remainder of the Cartwright; to-da- y for" sentence. . father must hava had some rei ,on for concealing the fact of hia previous acquaintance with the man he went to meet at Dover? The young man's face flushed. I tell you, no! I wont believe It! I wont even listen to such a supposition for a moment! I tell you but And he there, you never knew him! turned hla bead away. To return to our subject," aald the You Insist on connecting this doctor. same unknown personage with the You mean, your unan-Hclous- ly r The Diet Fad. the diet erase of the kit two or three years may not and den not perform all that It promises br those who listen to the voice of tie medical or other faddist, says the Lta tlon World, but from Its extravagances may come ultimate good, and anotker generation may reap happily where va have sown. The time may come, a doctor beliem, great continental when the science of dieting will ke so iierfccted that we shall not merely lie able, as we do now, to keep people alive much longer, but we shall likewise keep them In a useful conditlaa. Octogenarians will retain their belli ties to the full, senility will be avoided. and If. perhaps, grandfathers aid grandmothers do nut contrive to pro serve their youthful appearance to the end. they will at least, so we ire at 77 is assured, lie as at 17, and thus--, with the advautige of ripe experience, they will help m the work of more youthful brains im temper the tollies of the rising generation. Apropos, clear-braine- A Man's Time to Die, When a man appeared the other 4ir before Justice Riunte, in Chicago, lid asked for protection against som neighbors who had threatened to kill him, the justice refused to grant the request. When asked for hla reason he said that when It came a mion time to die he would die, and not before. He announced himself as fatalist and said belief came from his own experiences. He saya he his passed through seven accidents, three hold-ups- , oue fire, two drownlnga. l$o falls, pueumonla. concussion of tha brain, and all the dangers of aovrril battles of the civil wnr. If all three things won't kill a man, said the Justice, "there is a special Providence looking after him. cart-rope- 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 wouldn't have missed lor 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 thla 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 office of ushering the people Into their places, seemed to be sufficient to show to which portion of the congregation ho belonged. Ted Burritt knew that his father's 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 great-c- at claim to them, for he observed, after a short time, that the same pew into which he bad been ushered also contained two of hie 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 g 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 recs ognized other faces those of or 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 rule There sere those who had found the living where they had looked for the dead, and who, after a few hours of torturing suspense, had discovered the one they sought, either in the village or In some of the neighboring hamlets, and were present on that morning with a chastened joy and gratitude unspeakable. (To be continued.) fellow-traveler- y ey-se- lf, e good-lookin- tom-enura- "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 Regun. not back to their places. They were Relieve me, dear Ned, it Is the begin- forgotten, save once a year, upon Decning of a World. Such chances are oration Day, when Judge Dradley here, I am Mure as do not exist In any made eloquent tribute above their other land, for behind this land la all graves. It was therefore predetermined that the Richer and older Farts, which are but waiting to pour money and men Kdward Frnuklin should go into the hither so soon as the Ry. shall bo office pf Judge Dradley to begin hla Fully eompleted. I have heard of law studies, after he had decided that many men who have made Fortune! the profession of the law was the one since the War. It la truly a rapid likoly to offer him the best career. It waa one of the unvarying rules of Land. I am persuaded, my dear boy, that Judge Rradley's office, and Indeed thla thla la the place for you to come. waa almost the only rule which ho There are an Hundred ways In which Imposed, that the law student within one may earn a Respectable living, hla gates, no matter what hla age or and I find here no Class Distinction. earlier servitude, should each mornIt la 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 la q .lte good as an- papers needing to be executed la other. duplicate. So long as a student did A year from now. aa I am told, these things, he waa welcome as long we shall have 2,000 Persona living ns he eared to stay. Edward Franklin accepted hla seat here, and In five years this will be a City. Conceive the opportunity mean- In Judge Rradley's office without any time. The Cattle bualnesa Is bound to reservations, and he paid hla dally grow, and I am advised that all this foe 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 1 broom. Ardent, ambitious and resoFast In coming out. You are welcome, lute, he fell upon Rlackstone, Chitty my dear Ned, aa I am sure you know, and Kent as though he were asked to to half my blankets and rations dur- carry a redoubt Ho read six, eight, ing your stay here, however long same ten hours a day. until hla head buezed, may be, and I moat cordially Invite and be forgot what he had read. Then you to come out and look over thla at It all over again, with troth set. country, nor do I have the smallest Thus through more than a year he doubt that It will seem to you quite tolled, lashed forward by his own deaa It does to me, and I shall hope that termination. until at length he began we make a Citizen of you. to see some of the beautiful first prinI am but new here as yet myself, ciples of the law. So in his second but am fully dispuied, 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 Tours beside me. and to dies. IJe learned with a shiver how a that Effect I beg to extend you what- promise might legally tie broken, how ever Aid may lie In my Power. a gift ahould be regarded with suspi"Hoping that you may receive thla cion, how a sacred legacy might he communication duly, and make reply set aside. He read these things again to 8ame, and hoping above all things and again, and forced them Into hla that I may soon meet again my Com- brain, so that they might never e forpanion of tha 47th, I beg to subscribe gotten; yet this part of the law he myself, my dear boy, ever your ObdL loved not no much sa Ita grand first ft Affect Friend, principles of truth and justice. "Ratterslelgh. One morning, after Franklin had fin"P. S. Pray ITcrlld your advent by ished his task of sweeping down the a letter ft bring about 4 lbs. or S lbs. rtalrs, he sat him down by the window of your Favourite Tea, as 1 am Short with Rattcrslelgh's letter in his hand; of Same. for this was now the third day since The letter ended with Ratteralelgb's he had received thla letter, and It had beat flourish. Franklin turned It over bsen In his mind more vividly present again and again In hla hand and read thsn the pages of the work on conit more than once as he pondered tracts with which he was then occuupon Its message. "Dear old fellow I pied. It was a bright, fresh morning bo aald; "he's a good deal of a Don In the early spring. A long and hazy post-hast- hard-feature- d fee-face- d t Its walla the materials for such a ftonro ral sermon as. In all lta ancient history. It had never before ares gathered together there. The remain, now all decently Inclosed In coffins, still lay within the precincts of the chancel, where they must remain until after the inquaat on the following day. The church, which was of no great lie, was filled to overflowing. For nut only were there many mourners present, who had come from all parts of the kingdom, hut strangers for miles round, attracted by the morbid curiosity which draws , wherever crowds as with a there le a prevalence of the ghastly element, blocked the aisles, filled the porch, and even occupied the pnlpit traversed the head completely, and mysterious circumstances of your fathmust have caused Instantaneous er's death?" Who else could It be? exclaimed Aeath. You youraelf have put the moI cant realize It, groaned the oth- Ted. er. Who could have done It? unless tive of robbery out of the question! " But ha was robbed. Certainly," was the reply. Dr. Cartwright shook his head. having disposed of that motive only His watch and chain and valuables makes It the more necessary to prowere taken charge of, like those of vide another." the other passengers, and a considerAnd there again you supply It yourable amount of money was found upon self," burst out the other. You hinthim. Whatever the object. It was not ed of the possibility of my father havthat The thing will be to discover ing something discreditable in connec" If he had a traveling companion, and tion with hla past life " who that traveling companion Not discreditable, Interrupted the Ted Burritt brought down his hand doctor, only Indiscreet. apon the table, with a force that made Now," proceeded the other, rehat article of furniture shiver. verse your Implication. Apply what "I know the man! he cried. Or, you have said of the one to the other, If I do not know now, I will never rest and there you have your solution of antll I have found out! the mystery your motive, and whatt "Phew! whistled the doctor. Then ever else you require. affair? yon know something about the He paused, breathless with the veYou have your suspicions?" 4 with which he had prohemence man; cried the young "Suspicions! nounced last words. these "more than suspicions! I see it all said the doctor, wagging his "Well, name. man's the knew If I only head sagely, I don't deny It. There "What mans name? asked the docyou have a motive of a sort not a tor. very strong one. But, before you can rewas the man?" impatient "What proceed further with It, you have to sure. be ply. Why, the murderer, to fact as to that establish the "I wish you would just begin at the other occupantImportant of the carriage. And. know all me tell you beginning and when you consider that the Individual about it." in question, even If he did travel by as I well all tell know, will you "I same train and in that same car Two days ago that as what I only guess. was actually the recipient of rlage, which a apreceived letter, father my an invitation to your own house, there effect a have upon to peculiar peared seems to he something so Improbable, him. It is evident to me that he was so coldblooded about the whole conIt was and that the letter, expecting " cern that nervous him and made that which And la not that exactly what It la? fidgety and unlike himself. At break- A surto our coldblooded, dastardly outrage upon next morning, the fast of one who never Injured a soul, and prise, he announced his Intention who was one of the kindest and best taking a short Journey; giving no oth- of men. was he Oh, Ixrd! I can't stand the gothan that er explanation t nought of it. busiing as far a Dover, partly on Now I've started him off again." ness though we had reason to bemurmured the doctor, remorsefully. waa an bualnesa the only lieve that "Why couldnt I have left well alone? appointment with a friend." And the friends name? of course Anyhow, I must be going now. So. drawing himself up and squarfee told your No." was the answer, that waa ing hla shoulders In hla most military style, he remarked, falling back Into just what be did not da said the doctor, that hia ejaculatory manner, Must bt off "Humph! Well, never mind. Go now. Found the wound In your fathwaa rather look fur er's head on . "The night after my father left the bullet that made It. home. I waa awakened suddenly In the Can't atop another moment, and he middle of the night, by his voice rail- waa gone. ing me. And I answered him back. CHAPTER X. The next morning my sister May came to me in trouble about a dream he'd bad the same night. 8he dreamt Tha Fourth Carriage From tha En gins. that something dreadful had hapThe next morning, being Sunday, happen, to her pened, or waa about to father. Of course, 1 made game of everyone from far and near repaired " ' to the church, which contained within to-da- 8chool 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 tonsils In over 10 per cent of the cases letters were sent to parents, recommending that medical attention be given to some physical condition. Examinations of 40,000 school children by school physicians in the duchy of Germany, showed that 23 per cent were nearsighted, 10 per cent or more had spinal curvature, and 60 per cent had teeth which needed attention. near-sighte- d, 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 pupil's report. The schoolroom receive the tame preventive attention. Carpets ire prohibited, curtains must be of doth that may be frequently washed; io dry sweeping Is allowed, and dust :.mst be removed by wet cloths; all school furniture must be often mured; books are regularly disinfected, and no book that has been lsed by a consumptive child may be used by another person. Good-bye- Colleagues at Outa. Years ago when Lord Anglesey was lieutenant of Ireland ha said once of 'be Irish secretary of that day: Mr. Stanley and I do very well together as ompanlons. but we differ so totally .bout Ireland that I never mention the Just how they trans-cteubject to him. official business remains a d |
