The Stayton mail., May 22, 1908, Image 2

The Firm of j
Girdleslone
b
r
A. C O N A N DOYLE
t W
f W
f f t f f f f W
f W
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C H A P T E R X V I .— (Continued.?
It was Saturday— the third Saturday
• in»* Girdieetone and his ward had dis­
appeared. IMnisdale had fully made up
his mind that, go where he would, Ezra
should not escape hitn this time. On two
vonseeutire Saturdays the young mer­
chant had managed to get away from hitn.
and had been aheeut each time until the
Monday morning. Tom knew, and the
thought was a bitter one. that these days
were spent ill some uuknown retreat in
th" company o f Kate and of her guardian.
This time at least he should not get away
without revealing his destination.
The two young nieu remained in the
office until two o'clock. Then Kzra put
on his hat and overcoat, buttoning it up
close, for the weather was bitterly cold.
Tom at once picked up his wide-a-wake
and followed him out into
Fenohurch
street, so close to his heels that the
swinging door hud not shut ou the one
before the other i>assed through.
Kara
glanced round at him when he heard the
footsteps. There was no longer aiiy pre­
tense of civility between the two. and
w henever their eyes met it was only to ex­
change glances of hatred and defiance.
A hansom was passing down the street,
and Kzra, with a few muttered words to
the driver, sprang in. Fortunately an­
other had just discharged its fare, and
was still waiting by the curb. Tom ran
up to it. "K eep that red cab in sight,”
he said. “ Whatever you do. don't let it
get away from you.”
The driver, who
was a man o f few words, nodded, and
whipped up his horse.
It chanced that this same horse was
eirher a faster or a fresher one than that
which bore the young merchant. The red
cab rattled down Fleet street, then dou­
bled on its tracks, and coming back by
St Paul's plunged into a labyrinth of side
streets from which it eventually emerged
upon the Thames embankment. In spite
o f all its efforts, however, it was unable
to shake off its pursuer. The red cab
journeyed on down the Kmbankment. and
across one o f the bridges. Tom's able
charioteer still keeping only a few yards
behind It. Among the narrow streets on
the Surrey side Kzra's vehicle {Hilled up
a: a public house. Tom waited patiently
outside until be should reapjiear.
In a very few minutes young Girdle-
stone came out agaiu, accompanied by a
tall, burly man, with a bushy red beard,
who was miserably dressed. He was help­
ed into the cab by Kzra. and the pair
drove off together. Tom was more bewil­
dered than ever. Who was this fellow,
and what connection bad he with the mat­
ter on hand? Like a sleuth hound the
pursuing handsom threaded its way
through the torrent of vehicles which pour
down the London streets, never for one
moment losing sight of its quarry. Pres­
ently they wheeled into the Waterloo
road, close to the Waterloo station. The
red cab turned sharp round and rattled
up the incline which leads to the main
line. Tom sprang out, tossed a sovereign
to the driver, and followed on foot at the
top of his speed.
As he ran into the station Kzra Girdle-
stone and the red-bearded stranger were
immediately in front of biin. There was
a great swarm o f people all around, for
as it was Saturday there were special
trains to the country. Tom was afraid
o f losing sight of the two men in the
crowd, so he elbowed his way through as
quickly as he could, and got immediately
behind them— so close that he could have
touche«! them with his hand. They were
approaching the hooking office when Kzrn
glanced round and *»w his rival standing
behind him. l i e whispered something to
his half-drunken companion. The latter
turned, and with an inarticulate cry, like
a wild beast, rushed at the young man.
and seized him by the throat with bis
brawny bands.
It is one thing, however, to catch a
man by the throat, and another to retain
that grip, especially when your antagonist
happens to be an International football
player. T o Tom this red-bearded rough,
who charg»*«! him so furiously, was noth­
ing more than the thousands o f bull-head-
mi forwards who had come upon him like
thunderbolts in the days o f old.
With
the ease begotten by practice he circlml
his assailant with his long muscular arms,
and gave a quick convulsive Jerk in which
every sinew o f his body participated. The
red-bearded mans stumpy legs described a
half-crcle in the air, and he emine down
on the stone pavement with a sounding
crash which shook every particle of breath
from his enormous body.
Tom's fighting blood was all aflame
now. and his grey eyes glittered with Joy
as he made at Kzra. A ll the cautions of
his father and the exhortations of his
mother were cast to the winds as he saw
his enemy standing before him. T o do
him justice Kzra was nothing loth, but
sprang forward to meet him. hitting with
both hands. They were well match«*!,
for both were trained boxers and excep­
tionally powerful men.
Kzra was per­
haps the stronger, but Tom was in better
condition. There was a short, eager rally
— blow and guard and <*ounter so quick
and bard that the eye could hardly follow
I t Then a rush of railway servants and
hjstaudcra tore them asunder. Tom had
a rod flush on his forehead where a blow
had fallen.
Kira was spitting out the
fragments of a broken tooth, and bleeding
piofiisel.v.
Each struggled furiously to
get at the other, with the r«*sult that they
were dragged further a|*art. Kventually
a burly policemnn seized Tom by the col­
lar. ami held him ns in a vice.
“ Where ia he?” Tom cried, craning hie
neck to catch a glimpse of his enemy.
“ H e'll get aawy after all.”
“ t'au't 'rlii that," said the guardian of
the peat's phlegmatically. " A geu'elumn
like you ought to be ashamed
Keep
quiet now ! Would yer then !" This laat
at some specially energetic effort on the
part of the prisoner to recover his free­
dom.
“ They'll get aw ay! 1 know they w ill!"
T«.m cried in des|iair, for b«>(h Kzra and
his companion, who was none other than
Hurt, of African notoriety, had disappear­
ed from his sight.
His fears proved to la* only too well
founded, for when at last he succeeded In
wresting himself from the constable's
clutches he «<ould find no trsce of his ene­
mies. A dozen bystanders gave a dozen
different accounts of their movements. He
rushed from one platform to another over
all the great station. He <*ould have torn
hia hair at the thought o f the way In
which he had allowed them
to
slip
through his fingers. It was fully an hour
before he finally abandon«*! the search,
and acknowledged to himself that he had
been ho«Hlwinked for the third time, and
that a long week would elapse before
he could have auuther chance of solving
the mystery.
He turned at last sadly and reluc-
lantly away from the station and walked
across to W aterloo bridge. It was some
consolatiou, however, that he had had one
fair «-rack at Kzra Girdl«*atone. He glan«'-
<*d down at his knuckles, which were raw
and ble«>diug, with a mixture of satisfa«-
tion and disgust. With a half smile he
put his injured band in his ¡«ocket, and
looking up once more he«-uiue aware tHut
a red-fat'ed gentleman was approaching
him in a highly excited manner.
It could not be said that the red-fat**«!
gentleman walked, neither could it be said
that the red-faced gentleman ran. His
made of progression might ln*st be deacrib-
>-d as a su«*vssion of short and unwieldy
jumps, which, as he was a rather stout
¿«■ntleman, apjx*ared to indicate some very
uigent and pressing tie«*! for hurry. His
face was bathed in perspirution, and his
»»lia r had beixyme flaccid and shapeless
fiom the same cause.
It appeared to
lom, as he gazed at
those rubicund,
though anxious, featuivs, that they should
be well known to him. That glossy hat.
those Kp«s-kless gaiters, and the long frock
coal, surely they could belong to none
other than the gallant M ajor Tobias Clut-
terbuck. late of Her Majesty's llltth of
rhi Line.
As the old sojdier approached Tom he
quickened his {«ace. so that when he even­
tually came up with him he could only
puff anil |>aut and hold out a soiled letter.
“ R ead!” he managed to ejaculate.
Tom opened the letter uad glan«**I his
eye over the «xmtents, with a face which
had turn«*! as pale as the major's was
red. When he finish«*d it he turned with­
out a word and b«*gan to run in the direc­
tion from which he had come, the major
following as quickly as his breath would
permit.
C H A P T E R X V II.
Kate had come out with some vague
idea of making a last struggle for her life
and freedom.
With the courage of de­
spair. she came straight down to the ave­
nue to the sole spot where escape seemed
possible.
“ Good-mornin', missy," cri«*d Stevens,
as she approache«!. “ You don’t look extra
bright this mornin', hut you ain’t as bad
ns your good guardian made me think.
You don't s«*em to feel no diffi«mlty in get-
tin' about.”
“ There is nothing the matter with me,”
the girl answer«*! earnestly. “ I assure
you there is not. My mind is as sound
as yours.”
"T h a t’s what they all says," said the
ex-warder with a chuckle.
"H ut it is so. I cannot stay in that
house longer.
I cannot, Mr. Stevens. I
cannot!
My guanlian will murder ms.
lie means to. I read it in his eye». He
as good as tri«*d this morning. T o «lie
without one word to those I love— with­
out any explanation of what has pnss«*<l
— that would give a sting to ileath.”
“ Well, if this ain’t outragis!” cried
«he one-eyed man, “ p«*rf«*ctly outragis ! Go­
ing to murder you, says you! What's he
a-goin’ to do that for?”
"H e hates me for some reason. I have
never gone against his wishes, save in
one respect, and in that I can never obey
him, for it is a matter in which he has
00 right to command.”
“ Quite s o !” said Stevens, winking his
««ne eye. “ I knows the feeling myself.”
“ Why won't you let me pass?” pleaded
Kate. “ You may have had daughters of
your own. What would you do if they
were treat«*d as I have been? I f I had
money you should have it, but I have
none. Do, «lo let me go ! Perhaps w hen
you are on your last bed of sickness the
memory o f this one good deetl may out­
weigh all the evil that you have done.
Sc«, here is my watch and my chain.
You shall have that if you will let me
through.”
"I«et's see it?” lie opened it and exam­
ined It critically. “ Eighteen carat— It's
only a Geneva though. , What can you ex-
pect for a Geneva?"
“ And you shall have fifty pounds when
1 get back to my friends. I»o let me pass,
good Mr. Stevens, for my guardian may-
return at any moment.”
"See here, missy,” Stevens said solemn­
ly, “ díjoty is dooty, and I wouldn't let
you through that gate. As to this 'ere
watch, if ao be as you would like to write
a line to your friends. I ’ll post it for you
at Bedsworth In exchange for it, though
it be only a Geneva.”
"You good, kind man,” cried Kate, all
excitement and delight. " I have a pencil
In my {»wket. WTiat shall I do for pa- I
per?” She looked eagerly round and spied
a »mull pi«*** which lay among tin* brush-
wood. With a cry of j««y »he picked it
out. It was very coarse and xery dirty,
hut she managed to scruwl a few line»
ui»«n it, describing her situation and ask­
ing for aid. ” 1 will write the address
tip«>n the hack,” she said.
“ When you
get to Hislswurth you must buy an ru
vrlope and ask the poatnffice people to
copy the address on it.”
“ 1 bargained to post it for the Geneva,”
varieties of burr clover and imdlUotua
he said. “ 1 didn't bargain to buy envel-
! t'|.es and copy addresses. Th at’s a tile«
have I nh ' ii fotital growing In a lfalfa
pencil case of yourn. Now I'll make a
fields In various parts «if the State, and
chan job of it if you'll throw that in.”
they have ticen lutroduced solely
Kate handed it over without a murmur.
through Impure alfalfa *«**!. Another
At last a small ray «if light seemed to be
extremely noxious xv«*«»l has made Ita
finding it» way through the darkness
appearance In alfalfa fields lu widely
which had so long surrounded her. Ht«*-
separated parta o f the State. Thla la
vens put the watch and {«eucil ca»e In his
charlock or wlltl muatard.
pocket, ami t«s>k the little scrap o f pajter
on which so much depended.
As Kats
f ' « a l i i v a f l o n u f I’ n t s l « « .
banded it to him ahe saw over his shoul-
U r s t lls s M ethods,
«ler that coming up the lane was a small
Cultivation should eiim ntnie Just aa
Appio tr«*ea are uaually pro|«agnt«»l
Pony carriage, in which sat a buxom lady
Noon as the young plant* begin to ap-
In
the nursery either by budding nr
and a very small page. The sleek little
|N*ar above the ground. The field may
root
grafting
two
year-old
seedlings
brown pony which drew it ambled along
l«e gone over with a light harrow, or,
at a methodical {«ace which showe«| that l arger seething» may Is* taken up and
tN*tt«*r »till, with a w«**«|er. Thla la a
It was entirely maxler of the situation, the root* cut Into a great mimticr «>f
cheap method o f cultivation, altu*e ti
while the whole turnout had an indescrib­ sections five or six Inches long.
able air of comfort and good nature. Poor these the scions of the iluslred vnrl«*- «vide spin*» 1» i*«vered. It 1» nl»o offe«*-
Kate had ls*en so separated fr«>m her kind tles should la* grafted by means of the tlve In hreakltig any crust that may
that the eight of |te«>ple who. If not friend whip and tongue method o f grufttug, have formed, In destroying small w « h *I b
ly, were at least not hoatile t«» her, sent as ahowu In the accompanying Ulus hik I leveling rldg«*s left In planting.
a thrill o f pleasure into her heart. Thera
As s « miii as the row* can I n * seen th*
trillions
This grafting d«s*s not re­
was something wholesome and prosaic,
cultivator
should I n « un «*I.
If
the
too, about this homely <*pii|>age, which quire uny wax, the {«arts lielng simply ground has lM**ome packed the first
was inexpressibly ».«.thins to a mind so held together by binding with twine or
ratti«.
Root grafting of this kind la rultlvntlou may I n * deep anil close to
worn by successive terrors.
the plants.
Huha«*pirut cultivation
“ Here's some one a-«s«min',” cried Ste­ usually done during the winter time,
should
I
n
*
frequent.
The <'omu*rvutloti
vens. “ t'lenr out from here— it's the gov­ and the grafts stored In umlst sand or
ernor's order»."
soli until the ground Is tit for plant- of moisture hy fr«*|uent tillage cannot
"Oh. do let me stay and aay one word Ing them outside In the spring. They I n * too strongly enforced. The ol«l no­
to the lady !’•
should then be planted In nursery rows, tion thnt tlllnge must cense aa soon as
Stevens soiled his gr«>at stick savagely
It
and In two or three years should make the blossom appear» Is wrong.
"Clear o u t!” he cri*sl in a hoarse, augry
trees large enough to transplant to i»*r- should tie «continued ns late In the sea­
voice, and made a step towards her as if
son it* the vim*« will permit. A » the
innn.-tit {».sitIons
he would strike her. She shratflt away
tops begin to aprou<l out and cover the
Top
grnftlug
Is
usually
«lone
by
the
from him, ami then a sudden thought eeiz-
space
between the row* they partially
«»I her, she turned and ran through the cleft methiMl, us shown In the Ulus
slinde
the imi II and thus I«* hn «* ii the loss
tratlous.
In
this
method
the
scions
woods as fast as her feeble strength would
allow. The instant that she was out of are cut we«lKc s I iu | m ‘<I and tilt«*! firmly o f moisture hy evn|M>ratlon.
The cultivator »hould I n * set a » nar­
sight, Stevens very deliberately ami «-are- luto the cleft made In the Block, which
fully tore up the little slip of paper with is usually cut off squarely where the row ns the spuis* between mid k«**p It
which she had entrust«*! him, and *<-at- branches are from one to two Inches covered with a l«**se mulch.
Expert-
tcred the pi«*-es to the wind.
ence
ami
ex|M*rlment*
favor
nearly
lev­
lu diameter, two scions Is-lng plnccd In
Kate llarstnn Med as quickly as she
Excessive hilling In­
cucii stock In this, as lu ull meth«««]» el cultivation.
<*>uld through the wood, stumbling o v e r .
tensifies the Injurious eff«*-ts o f dry
the brambles and crashing through the | uf * r« ft,u ** * r,>ut ‘•«re ,u,,“ t
xv«*ather.
The lN*st cultivator la one
briars, regardless of i«am or scratches or to get the cambium layer, or Inner
hnvlng
a
nunitM*r
of smalt t«*«*th, so that
bark,
o
f
the
st«*-k
ami
»<
loll
In
contact
anything else which <-oul«l stand betxve«-ii
her and the possibility of safety.
Sbe lu at least one aide, for It la at thin It will lenve the soil fine and compara­
scon gained the shed and managed to {»«lilt that union take* {dace, and any tively level.
mount on the top of it by the aid of the
Plfrh
Furk
A f f a r h » f i t •.
barrel. <‘railing tier neck, she <-ould see
In gathi*rlng up fr«*«hly cut grit»» or
the long dusty lane, with the bare, with-
hay, etc., with ii pitchfork a small
ere«l hedges upon either side, and the
quantity adheres t«> the prong* o f the
dreary line of the railway embankment
bcyontl. There was uo p«»iiy carriage iu
fork each time a
sight.
pile 1» lifted
In a
She hardly eij»*-ted that there would
abort
while
the
I n *, for she hnd t a k e n a short cut, and
fork
becomes
the carriage would have to go some dis­
rlogg)*! nnd useless.
tance round. The road along which it
It being n«*N*ssary
was traveling ran at right angles to the
to
remove each par­
one which she was now overlooking, and
ticle by hand.
In
the chances were <*|ual as to whether the
o r d e r t h n t thla
lady would turn round or go straight on.
In the latter case, it would not be poasi-
cleaning m a y I n *
ble for her to attract her attention. Her
done alm««st auto­
heart seemed to stand still with anxiety
matically, a Wla
as she peered over the high wall at the
cousin man has d<*- «. ij u n s orr m a t .
spot where the two roads crossed.
sign#«! the attachment for pitchforks
Presently she heard the rattle of
shown here. A transverse clearer bar
wheels, and the brown pony trotted round
la arrang«*l behiw the tinea o f the fork,
the corner. The carriage drew up at the
guhh-a on each end o f the bar partly
end o f the lane, and the driver s«*emed to
<*n<-lr<-lliig tin* end prongs, permitting
be un«s*rtain how to pro«e«*l. Then she
failure to conn»*ct the cambium layer»
took the reins, and the pony lumber«*! on
the bar to slide fr«*ely on the prongs.
along the road. Kate gave a cry of de­ of stock and acloii la »ure to reitult lu l ‘l\ot«*l on the handle o f the fork Is a
In top gruff
spair, and the last ray of hope died away failure o f , the scions.
Imr which «*>iiiie«-ts with other Imre e x ­
lug, the wounde«! surfai-es should I n *
from her heart.
tending to the cleaning bar and to a
A g<s>d
It chan«**d, however, that the page in covered with grufttug wax.
sleeve which slides on the hnndle. Hy
the carriage wa» just at thnt happy age formula for till» 1»; Four part» o f re»
when the senses are keen and on the lu, two «if beeswax and oue o f tnll«»w, moving the sleeve on the handle the
alert.
lie heard the cry, and glancing by weight, melted together. Top graft­ cleaning bar sll«l**s over the prongs <»f
round he saw through a break in the ing fxhouhl I n * done early lu th«.* spring, the fork, removing anything adhering
to them.
hedge that a lady was lookiug over the »Nffore growth comuiencen.
wall which skirt«*] the lane they had
In nil tht» propagation work great
Poultr? Tip«.
pf.xsed. He n'entiou«*l the fact to his mia-
care
»hould
lie
taken
to
select
scions
Eggs
ne«*l
to be turned in the Incu­
tn-sa.
"Maybe we'd Is-tter go ba«xk,
from tr«**a bearing the very tx*at ty|«e bator. Don’t negl«*ct It.
ma'am,” he said.
“ Maybe we'd better not, John,” said o f the varieties Intended for pro|«a-
Don't ei|M**t prize stock from cheap
the buxom lady. "People can look over gutlon. Nurserymen, hm u rule, are n«»t egg*.
their garden walls without our Interfer­ careful enough In thla r«*sp«*-t and take
Make the nests handy u«*t only to
ing with them, «*an't they?”
scions from any tr«**» so long as It 1»
clean out but to gath«*r the eggs from.
“ Yes, main, hut she was a-hollerio' at o f the d«*alred variety.— II. L. H.
The wet grass la no pla<*e for the
us.”
“ No, John, was she though? Maybe
young chlcka to run util«>ss they nr# *x-
About C ow T e s tin g .
this is a private road and we have no
I ’rof. Fraser o f the Illlrmla Experi­ IM*ct«-«I to die o f orami»#.
right to be on it.”
ment Station say* thnt a complete
A bushel o f grain n year for each
“ She gave a holler as if »««me one was knowl<*lj;e and inaatery o f the dairy
laying
hen la said to he the proper
a-hurtln' of her," said John with decis­
business cannot be a«*cured without amount to count on In estimating the
ion.
t«*»tlng each cow. Many farmers and «•oat of k«*eplng poultry.
“ Then we'll go back,” said the lady,
dairymen
think this testing o f the cows
and turned the pony round.
Fowls like green food ns well as any
Hence it caine about that just as Kate 1» t f » much trouble, and do not want other class o f stock. They need It In
was d«*»«'ending with a sad heart from her to “ fuss" around with It, but If they their business, so It la giswl policy to
post of observation, she was electrified to considered the profits to be realized k«*ep them supplied.
see the brown pony reappear, and come from a herd o f really good cowa as
trotting round the curve of th# lane with compared with one of poor cow*», or
I n (h «i H h fc p F o ld .
a rapifllty which was altogether foreign to even a mixed herd, th«*y would soon nee
There
la that »h«**p with hair In
that quarlniiMNl's usual habits.
Indeed, that It really jw y» to "fuss” around
place o f wool. Get her out o f the fl«**k-
the girl turned so very white at the sight,
with the scales and
Babcock test.
Wool Is what we are after, not hair.
and her face assumed such an expression
Where one cow will give g««Nl return»
of relief and delight, that the lady who
As noon as Jhe ewes have all been
was approaching saw at once that it was for her feed and care there may be ■erved get the ram out/ He will only
no common matter which had caused her another In the stall next to her thnt la
he a nuisance from that time «»n.
not paying her Imard, hut la eating up
to summon them.
It Is a go*wl plan to have a little yard
the
profits
from
the
paying
cow.
But
What is it, my dear?” she cried, pull­
ing up when she came abreast of the how la the owner to know this If he with a trough made on purpose for the
place. Her go««d, kin«l henrt was touched do«*s not t**st them? A (wtlr o f scale*» lambs Just outside the lot where the
already by the pleading expression upon and a tester do not «*»st much, but they sheep are kept.
the girl’s sweet face.
It Isn't much trouble to count th*
pay big profits on the Investment.
Oh, rna«lam,’’ said Kate, in a low,
sheep every day. ftetter do It nnd be
rapid voi«-e. " I am shut up in th«*ae
fired Innpection la Weeded,
sure that all o f them are all right.
grounfls. an«l shall be mur«lered unless
The need o f rigid Inspection o f sgrl-
The hog has the cn*dlf of being the
help «-omes.”
culturnl s«**ls such ns clover and a lfa l­
“ He murdered!” crieil the lady in tht fa has lx*en again brought sharply to farm mortgage ralaer. Hut sheep will
pdny carriage, dropping back in her seat the attention o f the authorities of the <lo It Just us surely If they r e given a
chnnce.
and raising her hands in astonishment.
Texas Agricultural and M«*chanlcal
It is only t«N> true," Kate said, trying
College. I)r. O. M. B b II o f the «lepart-
I l r n i i n l t r O rch ard IV *«*.
to apeak roncisely and clearly so as to
ment
o f botany has repeatedly warned
I f you have an orcbnrd or vineyard
enforce conviction, but feeling a choking
aensation about her throai. as though an farmers and planters against the «Ian- you cannot learn too norm to rei-ognlze
hysterical attack were hnpending. “ My gers o f Introducing highly pernicious the Han Jose scale, coddling worm, eur-
fields culio, mildew nnd black rot. Do n<4
guardian has shut me up here for some weeds Into alfalfa and other
weeks, an«l I firmly believe that he will
never let me out alive. Oh, don’t pray
don t think me mad! I am as sane «•
you are.
(T o be continued.)
! through Impure agricultural setnls. It
1 ha» been pointed out that Russian thla-
tie, dodder, Johnson grass and several
|
procrastinate this knowledge until the
orchard and vineyard are lnjure«l, og
It will be too late