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Show mischief the u ever, and entirely nnsniH dued by the prcserce of the invader at the place of another, and to baM this they are compelled to set up th In THE MISSING MAN By MARY R. P. HATCH Author of The Bank Tragedy Copyright, lava, by CHAPTER XXI. The Test. go tenge aa to be almost painful aucceeded the plalntlft'a word a, and the aummona to admit the defendA stillness ant while the plaintiff passed him on his way to the seclusion of the office. Mr. Hamilton, for such he was, undoubtedly, whether the true or false claimant, was deeply moved, aa waa apparent to all when he stood in the witness-bobefore them all. His face was pallid, hla eyes were gleaming, hla hands were tightly clenched. All glances were riveted upon him with astonishment as he said in a strange tone, not waiting to be questioned at all: "I will go to get it. I will go to get x It. " LfM their gates. "Russ or Turk, Courtlander or absurd story of the twin brother. There la no twin brother, for he died IhlfCrd and them, (hut he seemed familiar with all their past lives, while the other claimant did not. The testimony of these witnesses was very strong, and upon it the plaintiffs counsel relied much for the success of the case. The last witness to be called was a man from Valparaiso, who tesliOed to the fact that Ashley was known to him, and that he recognised the defendant as the man. The plaintiff he had never seen but once before. He staled that he had been engaged In various nefarious undertakings with Ashley, who he knew to have been in Host on at the very date when the altered note was presented at the bank. That since then he had been converted under the auspices of the Salvation Army, and had seen In a newspaper the advertisement- - iuserted by the plaintiff's counsel for Information regarding the suit, and he had answered It In person. and When he left the witness-stan- d the case closed for the plaintiff, there were many among the audience, and among the Jurymen, too, if their faces did not belie their minds, who were more than half persuaded of the claims of the plaintiff. Next day Mr. Ferguson spoke for upwards of an hour In an easy, graceful manner natural to him, and his outline of the case held the enrapt attention of every person In the court room t'lat morning. There was little of labored ugument, but starting with the supposition that his client was suffering a fraudulent attempt at ejection from his own premises, he proceeded to put the matter before the jurymen in this light He said In substance something like the following: "My client, who Is none other than the true Vane Hamilton as you can see for yourself, his looks fully corrob- In Infancy. Ashley was visited next morning In jail by his wife. He denied that sh was his wife, and she did not contradict him until afterward. Then she said that she was hla wife. Ashley got clear on the plea of being Insane, and was sent to the asylum. From there he escaped, waa supposed to have been drowned, worked awhile at a mill, and then came to Grovedaie. Yhere he got employment In the mill here. lie gave his name as Primus Edes. said he was never married, could not write; Indeed, he appeared to be very illiterate. He worked as a common hand at the mill until he chanced to meet Mrs. Hamilton at church and fell violently in love with Twice he said It, and then stood looking at vacancy rather than at the udge. The Judge directed that the counsel for both parties and the Jurymen attend the defendant to his destination, if not too distant, and see the search take place. Meanwhile the court would adjourn until one o'clock. And His Honor went to dinner. The sheriff followed the thirteen, who Hied down the street toward the bank building; no doubt the place to which the defendant was leading them. Tall, erect. Impassive, he passed on as In a dream, never hesitating, never speaking, neither looking to the right nor to the left. Thus be led them to the bank and UP the steps. Pushing open the door, Mr. Morley explained their errand to the cashier. It Is In the vault, the safe, the small drawer, said the defendant, and the cashier successively opened each receptacle except the drawer. "I have no key to that, he said. 1 have never been able to find it. The orating my statement returns after directors told me nothing was ever an absence of many months to his kept In It, because it was not account- home. He has been In the habit of ed a safe receptable, being poorly taking Iris yearly outings In May, as he Is Inclined to bilious difficulties and & Madam, said Werner, with dignity, go to Kernsst-ryou must. The ennear is the lo emy city, .and yc ;r High-ne- s night fall into their hands. "You huve heard what 1 have said! 3un tapped the oaken floor with her font. Rut, madam, let me beseech g U He began to persecute her with attentions, and finally won her Interest by finding her little boy who wandered away to the woods and got lost. Mrs. Hamilton made him sundry presents and professed to think he resembled her husband. Ashley, alias Edes, be--' gan to learn to write, and lenrned astonishingly fast, writing the name Constance over and over again. He purchased a violin and began to play. Ashley was a fine player, as we shall prove, and he was also well educated. Mr. Hamilton could not play at all. Neither was he an ingenious workman. Ashley was. Mrs. Hamilton put on mourning and had a monument made to erect to the memory of her husband. She often opened her wiu-doto listen to ihe strains of the violin played by Primus Edes as she knew him. Then Mr. Hamilton returned with a straightforward story of loss of memory as the reason for his detention from home, and, very honorably, settled up the bank troubles, as fie said he could not absolutely affirm that he had not done what was alleged of him. for he knew nothing of his acts after lie left Grovedaie on the fifteenth of May. Mr. Carter and his children received him with open arms. Not so his wife. She preferred to doubt him. Mr. Hamilton took up his place In the mill and in the community, unchallenged by a soul except his wife. Reports were brought to him o her affection for the man known as Edes. but he paid no attention to them, except 1o call him to the office and warn him against being Been on his premises. In about a week afterwards Edes was shot there by some one unknown probably by Edes himself, to awaken suspicion against Mr. Hamilton. He was 111 for three or four weeks afterwards, and when he was partially recovered he professed to recollect that he was Hamilton Instead of Edes. Mrs. Hamilton professed to believe his statement, or at least did not deny his claims. Proof .would he offend that before his illness she wrote him a letter, calling him her dear husband, and signing herself Calls Lily, as she sometimes did In her letters to Her friends, it being a pet name applied toher fair, stately beauty when a school- Joan turned from her chief captain Impatiently and. walked toward the door of her private apartments. Werner followed his mistress, with his hands a little outstretched and a look of eager entreaty on his face. My lady, he said, thirty years I was the fiu:fol servant of your By father t'n I have served you. the memory of those years, if I have sdlred you faithfully My father taught you little, ir after thirty years you have not learned lo obey. Go lo your post! Werner von Orseln drew himself up and saluted. Then he wheeled about and clanked out without adding a word more. w (To be continued.) fiddle-faddl- e 1 i Barn-Hamilto- : j I knew him. day. Taro witnesses testified that Solomon Marks had been seen by near the mill on the day before the in that town his hair changed from shooting of the plaintiff, and that he light to dark. The prosecution does j appeared to wish to avoid recognition, I not deny that this man, the prisoner. Nexti several citlxens of Grovedaie was the claimant, or thst It was there i were examined, snd they testified thst Mie remarkable change in the color of Vane be Ms hair took place. It would be nse-- 1 they believed the plaintiff to ot them less to do it. They only venture to told had he for Hamilton, i himself . uut In th rl- -. that he ran arrested many instauc-- s Hu-- - i only , Auftor o the sober- ness of the circumstances. What news bring you, good envoys? Wo have brought the most part of the Palace Guard with us live hundred good lances and all hungry-bcl-liefor victuals and all monstrously Besides thirsty In their throats. which. Prince Hugo raises Plassenburg and the Mark, and in ten days he will be on the march for Courtland. God send him speed! I fear me In ten days It will be over In'deod, said Joan. What, does the Muscovite press you so hard? He has thousands to our hundreds, so that he can hem us In on every side. Never fear, cried Boris confidently; "we will hold him in check for yoo till our good Hugo comes lo take him on the flank. Then Joan bado the gates be opened and the horsemen of Plassenburg, strong men on great horses, trampled d In. Then, without resting, she went tc For a moment after the door closed the wool market, which had been upon the men, Joan and Margaret turned into a soldiers hospital. Here stood In silence regarding each other, sho found Theresa von Lynnr, going ..Suddenly Margaret ran Impulsively from bed to bed smoothing pillows, to Joan, clasping her shout the neck. anointing wounded limbs, and assistI know! she said, looking up Into ing the surgeons In the care of those who had been brought bark from the her face. 'With a great leap the blood flew to fatal battlefields of the Alla. Theresa von Lynar rose to meet Joan Joan's neck and brow, then as slowly as beshe entered. Silently the young than her faded away, leaving paler girl- - For my wife. Give it to her, and then fell prone upon the floor. At this moment Tony Osborn came is not so well able to pursue his busiI found It not ness In the spring as in the summer. forward with a key. long ago, he explained, "under the Far from making any mystery of the corner of the safe." matter, he has Invariably told his wife Try It. said Mr. Morley, but the that he went away for his health. On cashier banded It to the defendant, one or two occasions he had other 5 business of a special nature connected who Inserted It In the lock. The Jurymen crowded forward to with the mill which It was believed see what was In the drawer. Nothing, best to keep secret for a time. You all know how that is. and that evidently, but a piece of tissue paper, unless that paper contained the dia- ladles are sometimes apt to mention such matters in their confidences with mond stud. other women, so that they leak out, It did. , A flash, a gleam, and the defendant often to the serious detriment of their thrust It into the hands or Mr. Morley, husbands business. Knowing this, Mr. Hamilton did not always explain Instead of his own counsels. "For my wife. Give it to her, and the full reason of his trips, and his wife chose to make a mystery of then he fell prone on the floor. them. They had nothing to do with Had he fainted? Was It a lit? The doctor was called and pronounc- seeking for a twin brother. That silly has no part in the deed It the last, but he soon revived and was In a short time apparently as well fense. The only other children born as ever. He attended the afternoon to the Hamilton parents were a boy session of court, and was the center and a girl, who died in their Infancy. of curious Interest to all. Indeed, it The confession of Hannah Sargent is was generally admitted that he had of no account, she haring told at least triumphed by leading the Jurymen half a dozen different stories about the straight to the hiding place, though it matter. When Mr. Hamilton was away he could not he denied that the other claimant had Indicated the place Just was taken with a peculiar malady, a as qurely by his words. Strange that species of insanity. He forgot hla both should know what was a secret name, place of realdeuce. everything. except to one of them and to Mrs. Mr. Barnstead, I shall prove by the ev-Hamllton! She seemed daxed by the ilence of his friend Hurd, did not see circumstances, while a hopeless, de- Hamilton on the fifteenth; that It was countethe next Thursday that he witnessed jected look settled over her the meeting at Portland depot. Instead nance. Tony Osborns testimony was taken of Friday, when Mr. Hamilton left In the afternoon, and told against the home. The claimant Is none other defendant, since It was plainly made than the notorious Ashley, who got evident that he had distrusted him cornered at Portland depot that very day, and was arrested by the sheriff from the first. said Mr. Morley, from Goodwill, Harrison county, Ne- "Mr. Osborn, have you any reason for believing braska. 5 You will recollect that Mr. that the claimant is not the true Vane j stead in his testimony could not swear None, sir, except the color of his iht he saw the meeting take place hair. He has stood every test I have , Friday; but Mr. Hurd is ready to to him. He knows all alout flrm, on his oath, that It was nearly a the affairs that took place at the bank j weth later that he heard the account when we were there together he frotn Mr. Barnstead. and that It was teems to be the true Vane Hamilton told to him as If It occurred on Tburs-a-s -- (Copyright, 18!), 1800, by 8. K. Crockett.) moved to smile In spite of .CHAPTER XXIX. Continued. her. A S R; CROCKETT. Fran- conian. Jew proselyte or dweller in Mesopotamia, all Is one to us. So bo they are men, we will tie them about our little fingers ! Why, cried Martha, whence this grand toilet? We knew not tbet you had friends In tte city. And yet they tell mo you have been In Courtland before, Sir Boris ? Martin'. r.rled Anna Pappenhelm, with vast pretence of Indignation, what has gotten Into yon. girl? Can you have forgotten that martial carriage, those limbs Incomparably knit, that readiness of retort and delicate sparkle of Wendlsh Wife which set all the table In a roar, and yet never bring the blush to maidens eheek? For shame, Marthe! 11a! ha! laughed Jorlan suddenly, short and sharp, as If a string had been pulled somewhere. Ilo! ho! thus more sonorously Boris. Anna Pappenhelm caught her skirts In her hand, and spun round on her heel on pretense of looking behind her. Sister, what was that? she cried, looking beneath the settles and up the New Definition. Former Mayor Patrick Collins of Boston told this one as the Irish cab driver had narrated It to him in Dublin. Cabby took a fare out Into the country one night. The gentleman paid him well, and told him to look under the scat. There cabby found a quart bottle of pure IriBh whisky, and he sampled it He also gave some to immediately. the horse, who seemed to like It. Telling the story cabby said: Afther Id been glvln av th baste ony foor or foive dhrlnks he got gay; he did. Th first thing 01 knowed 01 wor In th shafts pullin th keb, an th baBte wor up in th sate lashlnrae wld th whip, makln me pull harrd an dance. Well, what was the result? inquired Mr. Collins. "Ol've niver give th baBte another drop frm that day till this. Yes, but what was the result that night? You were drunk, of course. 01 wor not dhrunk, at all at all. Were you entirely sober? No, 0111 not lie about It. 01 wor not intolrely sober. If neither drunk nor sober, what was your condition? Pitts01 wor cn th defensive burg Dispatch. girl beckoned her to follow, and they went out between long lines of pallets. "What do you know? she faltered, Remember, when all is over I shall and she feared, yet desired to hear. my vow I Joan began, as they keep Marsaid Conrad! love "That you paused. garet, very low. "Joan, I am so glad And I also will koep mine! reso glad! Theresa briefly. sponded Margaret, I am shamed for ever I am Duchess and city Governor her with Is Joan, sin! It whispered only till the invader is driven out, arms about her friend. Joan continued. Then Isle Rngen Is Joan, you will yet be happy. to be mine, and your son shall sit In head. The Duchess shook her the seat of Henry the Lion! It were best for us both that I And what of Prince Conrad?" asked should die that Is what I pray for. Theresa quietly. May heaven avert this thing you Joan was silent for a space, then she know not what you say. answered with her eyes on the ground. And the two women went Into the Prince Conrad shall rule this land attiring room with arms still locked as Is his duty Cardinal, Archbishop, about each others watals. And ad there shall be none lo deny often as their eyes encountered they Prince; so soon him as the power of the Muslingered a little, as if tasting the new covite Is broken. He will he In full common, in had which they knowledge alliance with Hohensteln. He will Then those of Joan of the Sword Hand form a blood bond with Plassenburg. were averted, and she blushed. And when he dies, all that Is his shall belong to the children of Duke j It was night in the city of Courtland. Maurice and his wife Margaret! I and and a time of great fear. Ever shall never marry! anon from the east, where were the God forbid, said Theresa, looking the opposed forces, there 1 camps j,er, that such a woman as you &me 'a sound, hbavy and sonorous, jhoulj die without living! like distant thunder. Whereat the of ' frighted wives of the burghers CHAPTER XXX. ' Courtland said, I wonder what mothers son lies s dying now. Hearken to The Wooing of Boris and Jorlan. the talking of Great Peg, the Mar Jorlan, said Boris, adjusting his grafs cannon! soft under-jerke- n before putting on his ' At the western or Brandenburg gate thou art the greatest body armor, there jras yet greater fear. For the fool In the world! news had spread athwart the city that Hold hard, Boris, answered Jorlan. a great body of horsemen had paused Honor to whom honor thou art In front of It, and were being held In greater by a foot than I! parley by the guard on duty, till the Well, said the long man, let us iAdy Joan, Governor of the city, should not quarrel aluiut the breadth of a be made aware. linger nail. At any rate, we are the ;The Governor of the city, roused greatest fools In the world. There are others, said Jorlan, jerkfrom a rare slumber, leaped on her horse and went clattering with an ing his thumb over his shoulder In escort through the unsleeping streets. the direction of the women's apartLooking out, Joan could see a dark ments. A plague on all women! mass of horsemen, while above them growled of a the little fat man, his rubicund snd forest in the pale starlight glinted shining face lined with unaccustomed spearheads. A plague on all women, discontent. Whence come you, strangers? I say! What can this Theresa von cried Joan. From Plassenburg we are! came Lynar want in the Muscovite camp, that we must promise to convey her back the answer. safe through the fortifications, and 'Who leads yon? 'Captains Boris and Jorlan, officers then put her Into Prince Wasp's hands? of the Princes bodyguard. Think you that for some hatred of 'Let Captains Boris and Jorlan apour Joan you remember that night at proach and deliver their message. Isle Rugen or some purpose of her With whom are we in speech? own (she loves not the Princess Mar- fore. ' t -- garet either), this Theresa would betray the city to the enemy? Tush! Jorlan had lost his temper In that case, and answered crossly. would she have called us In? It were easy enough to find some traitor among these Courtlanders, who, to obtain the favor of Prince Ixmls, would help to bring the Muscovite In." Well, sighed his companion, tig well enough said, my excellent Jorlan, but all this does not advance us an Inch. We have promised, and at eleven o the clock we must go. What hinders, though, that we have a bottle of Opera in Arkansas. "See you had a comic opera here night before last, said the patent churn man, who had just come to town on one of his periodical visits. How was It? I notice the bills promised a great scenic production, snd all Come here! hissed the landlord of the tavern at Polkvllle, Ark. Hooking a forefinger through a buttonhole In his guests raiment, he led the astonished man off from the porch, out across the yard and aronnd behind the smokehouse. Thats what they called It, on paper a scenic production but my wife (she aint anywhere around within hearin) said you know how women Ps-s-s-- And what of Prince .Conrad? cried the unmistakable voice of long Boris. With the Princess Joan of HohenGovernor of the city of Court-lanbest steln, the are, said Joan, firmly. when but kind o skinny ones; wife, Come on, Boris; those Courtland she seen the chorus In tights well, from the way she acted then and what knaves will not shoot us now. Thst Is the voice of Joan of the Sword shes said to me most ever since, sorter surmise that she considered It Hand. . There can be no treachery where she la. San Fran an obscenlc production. cried Joan. Ho, below there! cisco Call. Shine a light on them from the upper sally port" A Great Light. The lantern flashed out, and there, Homeless Holmes Dls here paper I dst soap Is good for moskeeter Immediately below her, Joan beheld says I Boris and Jorlan Minting as of old, bltea. with the simultaneous gesture which Petered Pete Say. I been 1 in all mf 1lf wot dst stuff was good had grown so familiar to her during She was J for. the dan of Tale Rugen. d, that-a-wa- . lashes yet? wide throat of the chimney. a dog barked. Or a gray goose cackled! ;"0r a donkey sung! said Jorlan, who, being Ladies. vastly discomposed, must perforce try to speak with an affectation of being at his ease, you are pleased to be witty." Heaven mend our wit on your Judg- ment! And we are right glad to be your Yet have we been accounted fellows of some humor In onr own country and among men there?" 'Why, then, did you not stay ' i Inquired Marthe pointedly. It was not Boris and. I who could not stay without," retorted Jorlan, somewhat nettled, bidding towards the door of the guard room. ; Well said! cried frank Anna. He had you there, Marthe. Pricked In the white! Faith. Sir Jorlan pinked us both, for Indeed it was we who Intruded Into the gentlemens dressing room. Our excuse is thst we are tirewomen, and would fain practise our office when snd where we can. Our Princess hath been wedded, and needs us but once a week. Noble Wendlsh gentlemen, will not you engage us? (To be continued.) butts. Nothing Doing. kids stopped A couple of dirty-face- d in front of the stand of a vender who sells unique toys snd began looking his wares over. Want something? naked the man. How much is yer rubber balls? asked one boy. Five cents, he said. The boys were . silent Maybe yond like to have this auto? Mid the vender, showing another toy. "Its IB cents." To this the boys did not reply. How about the walking elephant?" asked the man. Ill let you have It for 20 cents. The boys said nothing and the merchant showed them half a dozen other toys, quoting prices on them. Finally he grew Impatient. How mnch money have you got? he nsked. We aint got ro money." came from one hoy. "Well. then, git out." growled the toy vender. And the hoys "got. Kansas City Times. Disappointed In Roosevelt. When President Roosevelt vlnitefi the Maine state fair in Bangor, thrro Rhenish, now? years ago. people came from all the s surrounding towns to get a glimpse Thus In the hall of the was and shake hands with him. of In the Castle of Courtland spoke the two captains of Plassenburg. All the standing In a small crowd just wfore time they were busy with their attlr the President arrived in tin fair r large ing, Boris In especial making great grounds. Behind me was In a very conspinuors dress, woman with a tortoiseshell comb among play his tangled locks. Somewhat more and evidently from the courfry. Ehe spruce was the arraying of our twin was standing with her mouth wide comrades-in-arm- s than we have seen open, waiting. When some one rrled It. Perhaps it was the thought of the out, There he comes!" Mo made a dangerous escort duty upon which they rush by me that nearly knocked me had promised to venture forth that over, but, when she got s glimpse ot him. exclaimed. Good laul! He looks night; perhaps like sny other man," and appeared we come an cried arch In?" just May voice from the doorway. Ah, we have greatly disappointed. caught yon. There we knew It! So The Town Jay Gould Founded. said I to my sister not an hour a gone county, Gouldsboro, Lsckavsnns Women may be vain as peacocks, hut for prinking, dandifying vanity, com- Pa., which was named for the late Jay mend me to a pair of foreign war cap- Gould, who was the founder of the tains. My lords, have yon blacked town, he having operaUd a tannery at your eyelashes yet. touched your eye- that place before he jecame either brows. scented snd waxed those beau- rich or famous, is a deserted villager tiful mustaches? Sister, can you look According to the report of School Suand live?" perintendent Taylor of Lackawanna And to the two soldiers, standing county. Its public school has dwindled stiff at at attention, with their combs to a paltry attendance of fifteen puIn their hands, enter the sisters Anna pils and its tanneries end Mwmllls and Martha Panrenlieim. mors full of have entirely disappeared men-at-arm- that My lords, have you blacked your eye- |
