OCR Text |
Show If fsERIAL L2 STORY CVJ THE LITTLE BROWN JUG I I I ATI ' KILDARE MEREDITH NICHOLSON I Illustrations By RAY WALTERS Oopilght 1803 bjr The Bobbt-MerrtU Companj-. SYNOPSIS. Thomns Ardmoro nn1 Honry Mnlno Qrlswold stumblo upon Intrigue wlion tho governors of North and South Corollna aro reported to liavo quarreled. Qrlswold allies himself with Barbara Osborno, daughter of tho Kovcrnor of South Carolina, Caro-lina, whllo Ardmore espouses tho causo of Jerry Dangcrneld, daughter of tho gov-crnor gov-crnor of North Carolina. Tlieso two ladlos aro trying to fill the shoes of their fathers, fa-thers, while the latter aro missing, noth j states aro In a turmoil over one Apple- ; weight, an outlaw with groat political In fluence. Unaware of each other's posl--f tlon, both Qrlswold and Ardmoro sot out to make tho other prosecute Both havo forces scouting tho border. Qrlswold cap- Stures Applewclght, but Jerry llnds him and takes him to Ardslcy, her own prisoner. pris-oner. Ardmoro arrests a man on his property who says he Is Gov. Osborno. ' Meanwhile nnnthcr man Is arrested as Applowclght by tho South Carolina mllltla. Tho North Carolina militia Is j called Into action. When Col. GlUIngwa- ter, Jerry's fiance, finds that real war Is afoot, he flees. Applewclght Is taken so-i so-i iretly by Ardmoro and lodged In a jail In Bouth Carolina. Returning to Ardslcy, v Ardmore finds that Dllllngs, tho banker, fcnd Foster, treasuror of North Cnrollna, m havo been arrested. Barbara Osborno ar- ; rives at Ardslcy. Dispute as to who has ? the real Apptawelght results In the Iden- 9 Mflcntlon of the man Jailed by Ardmore In y youth Carolina as the outlaw and that J Irlswold's prisoner Is Qov. Dangcrflcld f H North Carolina. It develops that tho H two governors nro on tho most friendly jJ terms, and had rotired together to tho J Wilds of the border, for a rest from the Jj eares of state. CHAPTER XIX. Continued. "No!" cried Jerry. "Wo shall do 1 nothing of tho kind! I met Mr. Ap- plowelght under peculiar circumstances, circum-stances, but I must say that I formed w a high opinion of his chivalry and I jV, beg that wo allow him to tako a Httlo l''Wf' trip somewhoro until tho Woman's ,fl Civic Leaguo of Raleigh and the carp- I lug Massachusetts press havo found .other business, nnd ho can return In peace to his homo." "That," said Qov. Osborno, "meets my approval." Two moro prisoners wero now . brought lu. "Gov. Dangerfleld," continued Ardmore, Ard-more, "hero Is your stato treasuror, who had sought to Injure you by defaulting de-faulting tho state bonds duo to-day, which Is tho first of Juno. And that frowsy person with Mr. Foster Is Secretary Sec-retary Hillings of tho Bronx Loan & Trust Company, who has treated mo at times with tho greatest lnjustlco and condescension. Whether Treasuror Treas-uror Foster has tho money with which to meet those bondB I do not know; out I do know that I havo to day paid them In full through tho Buckhaw Na tional bank of Ralolgh." Col. Daubonspeck leaped to his feet and swung his cap. He proposed throo 1 cheers for Jerry Dangorflold; and three moro for Barbara Osborno; and then tho two governors wero cheered threo times throo; and when tho bungalow had ceased to ring, It was seen that Ardmoro and Grlswold wero In each other's arms. "Surely, by this tlmo," said Mrs. Atchison, "you havo adjusted enough of theso wolghty matters for ono day, and I beg that you will all dlno with us at Ardsloy to-night at eight o'clock, whero my brother and I will endeavor to mark In appropriate fashion tho signing of peaco between your neighboring neigh-boring kingdoms." "For Qov. Osborno and myself I nccopt, madam," replied Gov. Dangorflold, Dangor-flold, "providing tho flowing frock-coats, frock-coats, which are tho vesturo and symbol sym-bol of our respectlvo ofllcos, aro still In the log hou8o on tho Raccoon whero I becamo a prisoner." CHAPTER X. Good-Dy to Jerry Dangerfleld. Wfw Tne noxt mornmB Ardmoro knocked 1 T at Orlswold's door ns early as ho dared, and went in and talked to his friend in their old Intimato fashion. Tho associate professor of admiralty was shaving himself with caro. "You, won't havo any hard feelings about that scarlot fovor business, will you, Grlssy? It was downright solflsh of mo to want to keep tho thing to myself, but I thought it would bo fun to go nhead and carry it through and then show you how well I pulled It off." "Don't ovor rofor to It again, if you lovo mo," spluttorod Grlswold, amiably, amia-bly, as ho washed off the lather. "I, too, lmvfl ruled over a kingdom, and. I hirvo "seen Tilstory In tho making, quorum pars magna ful." "But 1 say, Grl83y, there is such a thing us fato and destiny nnd all that after all; don't you boliovo it?" "Don't I bellovo It! I know it!" thundered Grlswold, reaching for n towol. Ho llftcd'n whito roso from a glass 'of water whero It had spont tho night and regarded It tondorly. "Tho right roso under tho right star, nnd tho thing's dono; tho rose, tho star and tho girl tho combination simply can't bo beat, Ardy." Ardmore seized and wrung his friend's hand for tho twentieth time; but ho wnB preoccupied, and Grlswold, fastening his collar at tho mirror, hummed softly tho couplet: With tho winking eye For my battlo-cry. "Grlssy 1" shouted Ardmore, "sho nover did it!" "Oh bless my soul, what was I saying! Why, of courso sho waBn't tho ono! Not Miss Dangorflold never!" "Well, you llko hor, don't you7" demanded de-manded Ardmoro, petulantly. "Of courso I llko hor, you Idiot! She's wonderful. Sho's " Ho frowned upon tho senrf ho had choson with much 'caro, snapped It to shako tho wrinkles out, humming softly, whllo Ardmoro glared nt him. "Sho's wiso." Grlswold resumed, "with tho wlBdom of laughter accept that, with my compliments. It's not ofton I do so well boforo breakfast And now If you'ro to bo congratulated beforo I go back to tho groves of Academe pray bestir yourself. At this very moment I havo an engagement to walk with a lady boforo breakfast thanks, yos, that's my coat Good-by!" Good-by!" Breakfast was a lingering nffair nt Ardsloy that morning. Tho two governors gov-ernors and tho National Guard officers who had spont tho night In tho houso wero not in the slightest hurry to break up tho party, for such a company, com-pany, they all know, could hardly bo assembled again. Tho governors wero a trlflo nervous as to the attitude of the press, in spito of Collins' efforts to dlctato what history should say of tho affair on tho Raccoon; but boforo thoy left tho tablo tho Ralolgh morning morn-ing papers wero brought In ond it waB clear that tho nowspapor mon wero keeping tholr contract Both governors had decided upon an Inspection of such portions of tholr militia aB wero assembled on tho Raccoon, Rac-coon, and a Joint dress parado was appointed for six o'clock. Ardmoro, anxious to mako ovory ono at homo, saw tho morning paBs without a chanco to speak to Jerry; and when ho was free shortly boforo noon ho was chagrined to And that sho had gono for a ride ovor tho estate es-tate with her father, Gov. Osborno, Barbara and Grlswold. Ho went in pursuit, nnd to his dollght found her presently sitting alono on n log by tho Raccoon, having dismounted, it appeared, to rescuo a fledgling robin whoso cries had led hor away from hor companions. Sho pointed out tho nest and directed him to climb tho tree and restore tho bird. This dono ho sat down besldo her nt a point whero tho Raccoon curved sweoplngly and Bwung off abruptly Into a now courso. "I hopo your inther didu't scold you for anything we did," ho began, meekly. "No; ho took it all pretty well, and promised that if I wouldn't tell mamma what he had been doing about coming down hero with Gov. Osborno Just to sottlo nn old scoro at poker mamma doesn't npprovo of cards, you know thnt ho would mako mo a present of a bettor riding horso than tho ono I now havo, nnd ho might oven consider a trip abroad next Bummer." "Oh, you mustn't go abroad! It's it's so lonesomo abroad!" "How perfectly ridiculous! Has it never occurred to you that I am nevor lonesome, not oven when I'm alono." "Well," said Ardmoro, who saw that ho was headed for a blind, alloy, "I'm glad your father was not displeased with our work. U'b n good thing nil thlB fuss about tho Applowolght peo-plo peo-plo 1b over or I should bo worse than silly. My mind was not intended for bucIi heavy work." "I think you havo n good mind, Mr. Ardmore," said Jerry, with tho air of ono who makes concessions. "You really did well in all theso troubles, and you did much better than I thought you would tho dny I hired you for private secretary. I think I could snfoly recommend you to any governor gover-nor in need of assistance." "You talk as though you wero got-ting got-ting ready to dlschargo mo," said Ardmoro, Ard-moro, plaintively, "and I don't want to lose my Job." "You ought to havo somothlng to do," said Jerry, thoughtfully. "As near as I can mako out you havo nover dono anything but study nbout pirates and collect pornlclous books on tho sinful llfo of Cnpt Kldd. You should havo somo lnrgor aim in llfo than that and T think I know of a, good position that is now open, or will bo as soon as papa has cleared out tho peanut shells wo loft In his desk. I think you would mako an oxcollont adjutant general with full chargo of tho stato mllltla." "But you havo to got rid of Gllllng-water Gllllng-water first," suggested Ardmoro, his heart beating fast. "If you mean that ho has to bo removed re-moved from office, I will toll you now, Mr. Ardmoro, that Rutherford Gllllng- Studied That Trifle of a Hand. water will no longor sign himself ndjutant general of North Carolina. I removed him myself in a general order I wrote yesterday afternoon Just boforo I told papa that you and I could net net as governor any longor, but that ho must resumo tho yoko." "But that must havo boon a mattor of considerable delicacy, Miss Danger-field, Danger-field, when you consider that you aro engaged to marry Mr. Gilllngwator." "Not In tho lenst," said Jerry. "I broko our engagement tho moment I saw that ho camo hero tho othor night all dressed up to eat and not to fight, nnd ho Is now freo to engago himself to that thin blondo nt Golds-boro Golds-boro whom ho thinks so highly Intellectual." Intel-lectual." Jerry hold up her loft hand nnd regarded re-garded its rlngless fingers Judicially, whllo Ardmore, his heart racing hotly against all records, watched hor, and with a particular covotousness his eyes studied that trlflo of a hand. Then with a quick gesturo ho solzed hor hand and raised her gently to her foot. "Jerry I" ho crlod. "From tho moment mo-ment you winked at mo I havo lovod you. I should havo followed you round tho world until I found you. If you can marry a worthless wretch llko me, If oh, Jerry I" Sho gontly freed her hand and stepped to ono aldo, bending her head llko n bird thnt pauses alarmed, oi uncertain of its whereabouts, glancing cautiously up and down the crook. "Mr. Ardmoro," sho said, "you may not bo awaro that when you asked me to bo your wife and that, I tnko It, wns your Intontlon you woro standing stand-ing in South Carollnn, whllo 1 stood with both feet on tho sacred soil oi tho Old North Stato. Under tho circumstances cir-cumstances I "do not think your proposal pro-posal is legal. Morcovor, unless you nro qulto posltlvo which oyo it wa that so far forgot Itself as to wink, 1 do not think tho mattor can go fur thor." Tho slightest suggestion of n smile played about hor lips, but ho was very decpiy troubled, and, seolng this, her oyes grew gravo with klndnoss. "Mr. Ardmoro, If your muscles ol locomotion havo not boon utterly paralyzed, and If you will leavo that particular stato of tho union which, next to Massachusetts, I most deoply nbhor, I will do what ( can In my poor weak way as father says In beginning begin-ning his best speeches to assist you to tho answer." Then for many acous, whon ho had his arms about hor, a kiss, which he had intended for the lipa thnt wero so nenr, somehow failed of Its destination, destina-tion, nnd fell upon whnt seemed to him n rose-leaf gono to Heaven, but which was, In fnct, Jerry Danger field's left oyo. His being tingled with tho most delicious of intoxications, to which tho clnsp of hor arms about his nock added unnecessary though not unwelcomo delight Then she drew back and held him away with her finger-tips for an instant "Mr. Thomas Ardmoro," sho said, with mnddcnlng deliberation, "it might not bo important, but I must toll you In all candor that it was tho othor cyd." THE END. |