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About Heppner gazette. (Heppner, Morrow County, Or.) 1892-1912 | View Entire Issue (April 22, 1909)
The Great Tontine HAWLEY SMART Author f "Brsktn Benda." "Bound to NPin." tUi. CHAPTER V. liOrd IiBkington in at present expert fnelng a rather feverish time of it. Thi beihg one of the last three shareholders left in the "Great Tontine" is the largest peculation he has ever embarked In. In his racing days he had never stood to win so tremendous a stake as this. It meant either fortune or ruin. A few months might see him in possession of eigflit thousand a year, or deprived of tie very comfortable income his dividend from the big lottery afforded him. He went to the Vivacity Theater, and was duly shown luto the manager's sane- turn. "Good morning, Henimingby," he xclaimed as he entered; "I have come Jown to have a chat with you, because you know something about everybody." "Well, I can't expect you to condole with me for being at last out of it. It is too much your interest for that; and I really thought, Viscount, I should have outstayed you. P.ut you have of course had your letter from the directors, inform ing you that my nominee has gone at last. Well, I can't complain ; and I have had my hundred back a good many times out of it." "I want you to tell me something about . my two antagonists." "I can tell you very little about Miss Caiterham. She is a maiden lady living at Kew, and I know nothing further about her beyond the fact that her nomi nee lias been unaccountably missing for the last two years. As for Pegram, he is a lawyer down in North Wales. It was I induced him to take a share in it." "It's a tremendous big stake to be play ing tor, ooservea i.ora liHkington ; "a hundred and sixty thousand pounds. It would be a nuisance to lone this income now. I wonder whether it would be pos' ible to compromise. You know this law yer fellow ; you might sound him on the ubject for me.'' "I'll do that for you with pleasure," replied the manager. "I often see him. I invested a little money in Llanbarlym, and occasionally go down to look after ome house property I have got there. His son, too. Hob Pegram, always gives me a look in when he comes to town. I tell you what. Viscount. I never thought of it before, but the directors are about right to keep the nominees' names a se cret. It's a big pile, and the temptation becomes rather powerful when you find there is nothing but the life of an old man of eighty between you and a hundred and sixty thousand pounds." "What do you mean?" ''Why, that there are plenty of men wouldn't hesitate to choke the life out of the poor old chap if they got a fair chance, and could by so doing make cer tain of landing the lot." "Yes," rejoined the Viscount. "I quite agree with you. The temptation to bring the whole thing to a conclusion in their own favor would be irresistible. The nominees must, at all events, feel easier In their minds that their names are a profound secret." - Lord Lakington walked away from the Vivacity Theater considerably relieved in his mind by thin new idea which had oc curred to him. It was so clearly the best thing to do for both of tbein, and the more he reflected upon it the more con vinced he became that the Welsh lawyer must be quite as keen to come to an ar rangement as himself. It was too horri ble to think of going hack to those days of abject poverty which he experienced before the "Tontine" commenced paying such great interest. lie would have been delighted could he have known that Mr. Pegram is very ready to hear of a com promise; but whether his lordship will be quite as well pleased with the terms of that compromise is somewhat open to question. Old Pegram has made it his business for the last two or three years to pick up all he can about the share holders still left in the lottery. No de tails about their past and prsent lives or ordinary habits are beneath his notice, and he would willingly have ascertained the names of all the nominees had that been possible. Ixrd Lakington, for in stance, would have been astonished had bo been made aware how much old I'e rram knew concerning him. The old Welsh solicitor, too, has ascertained a great deal concerning Miss Caterham. lie had learnt, probably from Hemtning by, that her nominee was missing; and no sooner did he find by the directors' letter that Ilemmingby was no longer a shareholder, than he told his son, with a grin, that it was time to take steps to ecure their share of the inheritance. "You see. Bob," said the old man, "there was nothing to be done till there were only two or three of us left in. I am main glad that this Ilemmingby is out of it. He is a terrible sharp fellow, and I had just as soon that he wasn't play ing against me. Now, the first thing to be done is to find out all about this missing nominee. It is quite clear we can't move a step without that. Now, the best chance, in my opinion, of get ting at it ia for you to call upon Mis Caterham, boldly to introduce the subject of the Tontine' and the missing man. of course not discovering your own ignor ance concerning him. Recollect this: she Is a retired maidn lady aud elderly. As a rule they are talkative. He excessively polite and quiet in manner. I think the odds are. Hob, that she blurts out the name we want before ten minutes are over." "Upon my word, I believe you are rigfct. I suppose I had better call in an assumed name." "Do nothing of the sort. The proba bilities are that a quiet, elderly lady like Miss (.Verbam has never troubled her self to inquire the names of the other competitors." "Well, it shall be as you like," replied Hob Perram; "but I think you are wtmt." CHAPTER VI. Standing off the Brentford road, and In the immediate vicinity of Kew Gar dens, is to be seen a small cottage half smothered in creepers. Flitting about amongst the flowers wjth a pn'r of seis sors, and clipping a blossom here and tihere, is a young lady of some three or four and twenty, whose acquaintance we made many years ago. This is Mary Chichester, whom we lust saw as a child in the Jnrdin des Planted at Avranches, A somewhat tall maiden now, with glossy brown hair and eyes to match, and frank, fair countenance that Intuitively disposes people to like her upon first acquaintance. Two years after Aunt Julia went to assist her niece in her trouble the doctor's fears were realized Mrs. Chichester caught a bad cold, which speedily developed the latent seeds of consumption. Her Aunt Julia promised before she died that she would take care of little Mary, and when she returned to England she brought the child with her, "It seems bard to deprive yon of the little one in the first agony of your sor row, Fred ; but at her age I can take better care of her than you, and In a few years I shall hope to restore her to you as a daughter, able in some wise to be to you what her lost mother was." "It is best so," he replied sadly ; "the child requires that watchful care that only a woman can give, for she is deli cate, and makes me tremble for fear she should have inherited her mother's terri ble complaint ; add to which, I must strive hard to make a living for myself and a home for her in the future, and save, if possible, the pittance that still remains for her. The capital has melted terribly of late," he concluded, with a faint smile. Poor Fred Chichester was not des tined to realize his hopes. He said no word of his intention to Miss Caterham, but he had already made up his mind as to what he would do. Heart-sick and weary of his fruitless endeavors to ob tain employment in England, he had al ready thought as to whether there might not le greater opportunities for him abroad, when suddenly it flashed across him that, for men of his trade, there was plenty of occupation just now on the banks of the Potomac. The great strug gle between the North ami South was at its henght, and he had heard of more than one English officer who had obtained employment in either armv. With the Northern armies especially might an Eng lish soldier, who came out properly ac- I credited from officers high in the service at home, be tolerably sure of a pair of epaulettes. Fred Chichester hurried over to Lon don, made a will, bequeathing all he had left to his little daughter, put a hundred pounds in his pocket, and sailed for New lork, bearing with him letters of intro duction aud recommendation from several of the military chiefs under whom he had served. lie speedily obtained a com mission, distinguished himself upon more than one occasion, and finally fell, some eighteen months afterwards, upon the bloody field of Gettysburg. His faithful henchman had begged so hard to accom pany him that, conscious though he was of the utter incongruity of such a sol- ier of fortune as himself being accom panied by his servant, Chichester had not the heart to refuse him. The North were not very particular about what they en- sted as food for powder in those days. and as the wiry old man did not look within some seven or eight years of his real age, made no difficulty whatever about enrolling him in the same troop as is master. He was by Chichester's side when he fell, find passed scatheless through that field of carnage himself, only to shed bitter, blinding tears as he laid "the master" in the grave. And now the girl's flower-snipping is nterrupted by a voice exclaiming. "Break fast, Mary; come in, child, and pour out the tea." and Miss Caterham appears at the French window. "Coming. Auntie,'' replied the girl as she moved quickly towards the window; "only see what a lovely posy I have managed to gather for you this morning, and the beds, I assure you, bear no trace of having been despoiled." "Thank yon, child," replied Miss Cater ham as she took her seat at the breakfast table. "The rosps are as sweet as those of your cheeks, my dear. By the way, Mary, I have had a letter from Mr. Car buckle this morning. I will read it to "I am, now you mention ft," thought Mr. Prgnatn; "but I was not In the least aware of It before." "Yes; we started from Ilampstoad, where he told us he was living the last time we saw him. He had been a sort of odd man about one of the Inns there, but he had disappeared months before." . "An Irishman, by his name," observed Mr. Pegram quietly. "He will probably return to bis own country. I presume you know where he was born?" "Oh, yes he comes from Mallow in the County of Cork, and of course that was one of the first places in which we sought for him; but we could find no trace whatever of him in those parts. You are aware, Mr. Pegram, bow. large the Interest Is I have in his discovery." "Alive," rejoined Mr. Pegram senten tiously. -Well, certainly." replied Miss Cater ham with a smile, "both for his own sake and mine. Mr. Carbuckle has no doubt put you In possession of all requisite particulars connected with the case." "Excuse me, Miss Caterham," inter rupted Mr. Pegram. "but I should like to gather all the details of this affair from your own lips. Now. will you kind ly answer the questions I am about to put to you?" and Mr. Robert Pegram proceeded to cross-question his hostess in a-manner that did much credit to his professional skill. "Who was your visitor, Auntie?" ex claimed Miss Chichester as she entered the drawing room. "That was Mr. Carbuckle s young man," replied Miss Caterham. "He's not of distinguished appearance, but I fancy he is clever. The questions he asked about poor Terence struck me as shrewd and to the point. He knows now all we can tell him." Miss Caterham had never told her niece anything about her connection with the "Great Tontine," and Mary Chichester had never heard of the big lottery In her life. (To be continued.) SOME LONG-FELT "WANTS. mm HB HAD AN ABSENT PART. you : "Dear Miss Caterham No news as yet of Terence Finnigan. We can hardly ex pect to find him, as he has been missing so long, without considerable trouble.. I have deputed to a young friend of mine who has just joined the noble profession the care of the case. He has cross-examined me as to details in a very prom ising manner, but is anxious to put you and Miss Mary also in the box; so I have given him wour address, and you may expect him to honor you with a visit shortly. With love to Miss Chiches ter, believe me. yours most sincerely, "HENRY CARBUCKLE." "It is very singular." said Miss Cater ham, as she laid aside her spectacles, "but Mr. 'iirbm-kle h-.is quite forgotten to mention, his .oung friend's name. Well, whoever he is. it is extremely kind of him to undertake this business for us." Some two or three hours have elapsed, and the parlor maid enters the room, and, presenting a card to her mistress, says, "The gentleman wishes to know if you will see him." A few moments and Eliza ushered into the room a man somewhat Wow medium height. H advanced quietly, and with a low bow, said, "Miss Caterham, I pre sume." Returning his salute. Miss Caterham first acknowledged her identity and then, glancing at the card in her hand, ob served, "Mr. Robert Pegram. Y'ou come, of course, from Mr. Carbuckle. It Is really very kind of you to have under taken so troublesome a business for me." "The discovery of missing people Is usually a little troublesome, but, as a rule it's a im-re matter of time and money." "I am prepared to spend some money," rejoined Miss Caterham; "but you must lear clearly In mind that I am not a rich woman, and can only spend money in moderation." "You may thoroughly rely upon mr discretion in that respect. Miss Caterham. I will be very careful not to run you into any exorbitant expense," and a close ob server might have discerned a twinkle io Mr. Pegram's eye. "You are aware that we have already had one unsuccessful search for Mr. Ter ruus FinniatA?" Invention Offers Fame and Fortnne to the Clever Man. It Is agreed on all bands that in vention offers one' of the surest roads to fame and fortune, and one of the shortest, too. Now there is no lack of iuveiitfve genius ; there never were so many clever people in the world as there are to-day. but somehow their energies are not always applied hi the right direction, and so they fail. It is just the old story of eyes aud no eyes ; you cannot see what is wanted. There is a plumber laboriously pouring melted lead over a pipe Joint and smoothing it down with a leather pad. Can you not think of a way to join those pipes cold, and to do it quickly and thoroughly? If you can there Is a fortune waiting for you And here is a nice easy little inven tion guaranteed to bring in thou sands: iust a simple and effective means of fastening panes In window frames. Surely it is a slur on the in ventive genius of the age that we should still have to resort to putty in this enlightened 20th century. Have you ever seen a tram driver leaning over with a long crowbar to shift the points at a junction, or a man at the corner with a lever for the same purjKwe? Very clumsy and primitive, don't you think? Devise a plau whereby the driver, by simply pressing a footplate on the car plat form, milit move the point which ever way lie desired, and every tram way company in the country will take up your invention. Tramways "suggest roads. The wealth of a Rothschild Is waiting for the inventor of a satisfactory paving material. At present the rule seems to hold that what is good for the wheels is bad for the hoofs, and vice versa. That Is to say, where the road is smooth and the wheels run easily there is no grip for the hoofs; and where it is rough a vehicle la hard to drag. Then there is the motor to con sider. Propelled by the back wheels, it is bound to skid if the surface bo at all greasy. What is wanted is a smooth, hard, absorbent surface, with at the same time a jferfect grip. If this is too hard for you, try to invent a spike that could be quickly Axed on a horse's shoes by the driver to give grip in time of frost. Then there is a crying need for an envelope that would serve for send- i, I.... . 1. ...... ..1. tltn rw.ff Ing small annu s i ui"u-n mj There is nothing of the kind in exist ence. And an envelope Hint could not be opened without detection would be hailed with wild enthusiasm by lovers and nil those whom circum stances have placed at the mercy of inquisitive landladies. 'I he bottle that cannot be refilled le still wanted. There are several on the market, it is true, but the right ono is yet to come. And how about a boot and glove fastening? Think bow much time you spend in lacing your boots, and how annoying it la when the lace breaks, and you know that you have lost jour morning train in consequence of rhe delay caused. A neat, quick and simple little device is wanted something that would cost little to produce and could be easily replaced when worn out. Invent It; aud you are wealthy for life. A Shelter for Sheep. Sheep to do not require warm quar ters, except for early lambs. In gen eral they are better with little pro tection from cold. The wool is heav ler and of better quality. A stable for other stock Is too warm for sheep and outside feeding is best whenever possible. Therefore, says a writer In Farm, Stock and Home, they should not be housed In the barn. They must be sheltered from cold rains, and muddy fields often make outside feed ing impossible or wasteful. The building shown provides a film pie and cheap shelter for use by the man who is trying to "grow into sheep," and who cannot afford costly buildings. It has a stone foundation, and a floor of earth.. Roof Is covered with prepared roofing. Sides may have cheap drop siding; or cheap boards perhaps from logs cut on the farm and light weight roofing. The wide doors prevent injury to ewes from SHELTEB FOR SHEEP. crowding. Doors will usually be left open, either allowing the sheep to pass in and out at will, or using fire covered gates in the doorways.. In case of early lambs or In severe storms the doors can be closed, and effective ventilation supplied by the open sash covered with heavy muslin This material is being much used for poultry houses, and is good for other farm buildings also. While enough air will pass through for ventilation, the cloth, will largely stop wind and is nearly as warm as glass, especially in still cold. He who has noticed how much warmer a bedroom Is with the windows screened with mosquito netting than with wire will appreciate the effect of the muslin In "eutan gling" the air. Still, the correct way is to use two thicknesses of cloth ; the air space formed being very effective, while not preventing ventilation. Lambing pens are on south side, and can be thrown together when not required for separate use. Par titions are of wire fencing, with gates of same on wood frames. Remainder of building can be divided with some material as seems best, changing when necessary. Feeding racks are movable. No provision is made for storage of grain or roughage. Feeding is so largely "in the open" that It is often best to bring the feeds from the barn as needed. The overhead track will carry food or manure. It would of ten be better to attach the building to the main barn. Gate for Wire Fence. The cut illustrates a method of making a wire fence gate without the Oh! "I saw Jinx with his typewriter In bis arms yesterday." "That blonde thing?" "I aald his typewriter, not his ste nographer; be was taking it to be re paired." Houston Post. Quite So. "I dare cay It Is fitting for the sheath gowns to be regarded as they are." "How do you mean?" "That most women look daggers In thaw." Baltimore American. use of braces. No description is re quired, save, perhaps, that the wire at the top of the posts is twisted tight and held to the posts with staples. How Bees Work. The bee is noted for Its industrious habits, but to show how much work it really does, a naturalist says that to collect a pound of clover honey the bees must deprive 62,000 clover blos soms of their sweetness. To do this the 02,000 flowers must be visited by 3, 750,000 bees, or, in other words, to col lect bis pound of honey one bee must make 3,750,000 trips to and from the hive. As bees are known to fly for miles in their quest of suitable fields of operation, it Is clear that a single ounce of honey represents millions of nlles of travel. Dairy Clcanllnea. Prof. C. E. Eckles says the cow her self Is the chief source of the contam ination to which milk is subject Es pecially Is this true when the cow ia kept under the conditions found in some barns. The cow must, first of all be kept decently clean if it is expected to produce milk suitable for human food. In many cases the difficulty Is to be attributed to the poor arrangement of the barn. Putting the cow In a well-lighted stable, with good floor, a platform the proper length to stand up on, a Rultable gutter and a manger, and It Is possible, at least, to keep the conditions fairly good. Then keep the cow decently clean. Curry her and brush off the udder and adjoining parts of the body with a stiff brush before milking. The strainer can not be depended upon to take out dirt it must be kept out In the first place. Another, source of contamination is improperly cleaned utensils. Prof, Eckles says a single dirty can may con tain more bacteria than there are in hlbltants In the world, and they are ready for business as soon as milk is placed in the can. l ue most proper thing to use in cleaning utensils is a good, strong brush. Nothing else should be em ployed in cleaning pails, cans or cream separators. Mldllemen. Retailers are necessary according to present methods of doing business, and until farmers organize a selling force of their own middlemen will continue to toll the farmers' grist as thoroughly as the. traffic will bear. Peaches may rot c.n the ground in Missouri while selling for 2 cents each in Chicago, but the farmer in Missouri is helpless be cause he lias no representative in the market center. The time will come when farmers will have an agent at each central point to handle farm prod ucts and distribute them either to the consumer or retail grocer. When that time comes farmers will come nearer getting what they work for. It is Just as necessary to sell right as to farm right. Agricultural Optimist. Economical Feed Carrier. In handling dry feed, such as oats, buckwheat, shelled corn, bran and the like, for feeding farm animals and poultry, one wants something lighter and less cumber some than a bas ket, and ' more convenient than a peck measure? A tin pall would answer the pur pose very well were it not that when it gets wet it . will soon rust. The receptacle il lustrated consists FEED BUCKET. f nothing more elaborate than a cheese box. to the outside of which three strips of tough lath or thin board are nailed, as pictured. At the top of the two upright pieces a hole is bored, which, allowing the in sertion of an old bucket ball, makes the carrier complete. Used with rea sonable care, it will endure service for years. Farm and Home. i' 5 j Aecmlt Glad to Start Toward St as Glory a "Carlos, (ho Fiddler." "The Bon of a wenlthy old friend of mine, being stage struck, joined with a 10-20-30 opera company. I mot him loafing and strutting about a hotel In Duluth, Minn.," said the veteran actor to a representative of the New York Telegraph. " 'Come over to the opera house and see the show,' said he. "I went, but I saw no signs of this young man on the stage, nor was his name on the program. Afterward I met him in the lobby of the hotel. " 'I did not recognize any of , the characters as you,' I remarked. 'What part are you playing?' " 'Why, I am playing the part of Carlos, the Fiddler,' said he. " There was no such part.' "'Oh, yes there was. Didn't, yon notice how they talked about him? In the first act, in order to get the chorus off stage, didn't the soubrette put her bands over her eyes, look off Lb 4 E. and say: "Oh, girls, Carlos the Fiddler is going to have a dance on the green ; let us hasten or we wilT miss it?" Then burst into song and skip off? You bet they did. " 'Then again, in the second act, when the bell Is tolled without, don't the prima donna say: "Hark that bell ! That bell can stand an awful lot harking, for who Is pulling the rope but Carlos the Fiddler?" " That is true, young man, but they only talk about you. You do not show yourself on the stage during the whole performance.' " 'I am aware of that, but you must remember I am as yet a raw recruit, still I feel I am on my way to fame and glory, though the path may be strewn with thorns.' "Oh, if the hope and optimism of youth could be with us In our later years," sighed the veteran actor. Prollfln Ducks. The rfrlgin of the Indian runnel ducks is unknown. It is claimed they were introduced into England about thirty years ago. It Is said that they will lay nearly 200 eggs in a year. One breeder gives food comparison with Pekin's average about as follows 'ood need for 100 Pekiu ducks for one month amounts to about 2,250 pounds; food for 100 Indian runner ticks, same period, 1,500 pounds, Time required to reach marketable size is given as ten weeks for each breed named. Time to reach maturl- : Pekins, G to 0 months; Indians, to 5 months. The Pekins are the lrger ducks. ty Stock Breedlnar A Western stock breeder advises farmers to breed up stock rather than buy all pure-breds. He says that to establish a herd of pure-breds costs more money than the average farmer can afford, when the progeny Is to be sold to packers and butchers. Good females of pure-bred beef stock bring high prices, and the farmer would need a considerable number to make a good start But with a pure-bred bull he can In a few years hare a herd of rows that will make It possible to mar ket bterea of high grade. Itllllon Tons of IOnrih Yearly. A billion tons of earth are swept v our rivers into the sea every year an amount of soil equal to a block mr nine iiiiirt? aim more man a tllou- sand feet high, weighing as much as the total yearly tonnage carried by all our railroads and river and lake vessels, and valued at not less than a billion dollars. "This soil waste," i-iiys an authority, "is sapping a re source richer than all others combined s-ivp one, our inland waters." It is mainly due to lack of forests on the s.opes where the rivers rise. Arbor Culture. Poultry Picking-. Millet seed Is said to be an excel lent egg-producing grain. Green food is Just as essential for young chicks as for bens. Dirty quarters mean lice and mites, and lice and mites mean no eggs. System, as in everything else, is re quired to make the poultry business profitable. Unless you want your flock to have the colors of Joseph's coat don't use males of different breeds. A good flock of poultry with access to the fields and orchard will not only come pretty near keeping themselves, but the farmer and his family also. TUat is, if the farmer gets anything of the present prices of poultry and eggs. Fool I woke up last night with a start I dreamed thnt my watch was gone. Drool Well, was It? Fool No, but it was going. An English lecturer on chemistry said, "One drop of poison placed on the tongue of a cat is sufficient to kill the strongest man." 'And does your husband still think you the an angel?" "Oh, yes! At least he seems to think I don't need any new clothes." Piek-Me-Up. Knlcker Wouldn't you like to wak up and find yourself famous? Docker I'd rather be so famous I wouldu t have to wake up. New York Sun. Tom What was that sentence the tiolr repeated so often during the lit any? Laura As near as i couia mates out It was "We are all miserable sing ers." Clara That man who Just passed was an old flame of mine. Kate In deed! What happened between youl Clara Oh, he flared up one day and went out "A fool and bis money are soon parted," quoted the pessimist "Yes," rejoined the optimist, "but It's wortn while being a fool to have the monej to part with." Loafer the First I thought this yet unemployed fund was for charity. Loafer the Second So it Is, Isn't ltl Loafer the First It ain't. It meana work. The Sketch. "I can not tell a He," declared tha eminent magnate. "You don't have to," urged bis eminent counsel. "Just say that your mind is a blank on that sub ject" Louisville Courier-Journal. "What are the names of that young couple next door?" "We won't be able to find out for several weeks. They've Just been married, and he calls her Birdie and she calls him Pettle." Suburbanite (to visitor) Oh, how are you? Come right In. Don't mind the dog. Visitor But won't be bitel Suburbanite That's JuS"t what I wanl to see. I only bought that watch dog this morning. "So you have named your little girl 'Investigation? Yes." "Isn't that a queer name?" "Well, we read everj day of some rich man courting Investi gation and we shall want our daughter to marry well." The Artist's Wife (In a whisper) There's someone knocking. Jack. Shall I open the door? The Artist No; It'i . Jabber's knock. It's a special knock I gave him, so I wouldn't let him In by mistake. Life. "All writers are not impractical, ar they?" "Oh, no. One man will write i Joke and sell It for fifty cents. Anoth or will write a comic opera around it and draw $20,000 in royalties." Louis vllle Courier-Journal. O'Brien Oh. but me daughter's th shmnrt girl. She set two mln flghtln' for her hand. Landers And she mar ried the winner? O'Brien Begorry, no I She married the one she could lick alslest Boston Transcript "Give woman the credit she de serves," the suffragette cried, "and where would man be?" "If she got all the credit she wanted, he'd be In th -poorhouse," sneered a coarse person in the rear of the hall. Stray Stories. "Pa, will you please tell me what financial genius Is?" "A financial ge nius, my child, is a man who can spend money that he has never had, and which the people who think they art getting it will never see." Chicago Record-Herald.