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About Oregon City courier. (Oregon City, Or.) 1902-1919 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 10, 1905)
She was Bitting astern, In a pretty frock of blue and white, and a big hat shading her eyes from the Bim. She was reading a book -while waiting tor the boat to start. The Spray, a small pleasure steamer, tugged at her mooring ropes oft Brighton pier. The Honorable Geoffrey Mannering watched, from the deck of the West Pier, this fragile figure of a girl. There was something more than admiration In his gaze. "I've been caddish enough," he mut tered. "The girl is scarcely more than a stranger to me. The loan of an um brella in a soaking downpour made us acquainted. I should not have presum ed upon such a triviality, but but" he broke off as the siren of the Spray shrieked impatiently "but I fell In love with her upon the spot," he added, "and that's the plain, sweet, madden ing truth." A band commenced to play softly under the bridge of the boat. Verna Moore glanced up at the sound, and Geoffrey turned away swiftly, moving off with long strides. "I must not go; I must not, really, he told himself. Heaven forbid that I should win her heart!" Verna had seen Geoffrey as he tnrnpd Rwav. A elow of color swam into her cheeks, followed by a look of disappointment, Verna Moore was a governess. She had been sent to Brighton to recover from the effects of an illnes3. She had met Geoffrey Mannering there for the first time. "Yes, I'm In love; but, having made the confession to myself, I must forget it, drop this affair like a hot coal," Geoffre" told himself. "It is just mad ness, and Claire coming down to Brighton to-day!" Madness, it was. For the Hon. Geof frey Mannering was engaged to be married to Claire Ashberry, a baro net's daughter, and an heiress. It bad been an early attachment; it had grad ually developed into an engagement, partly because everyone expected that it would, and Society insisted upon it Tet now, Geoffrey remembered certain lshed. Mannering's resolution naa broken down at the last moment. ie would make the trip to Worthing after all. . "Put your hands higher up, Verna. nearer to my neck. We are safe u you keep still. Tha swimmer rose on the crest of a long green swell travelling shoreward. A terrible explosion naa occurrea in the engine room of the Spray. She had sunk in less than fifteen minutes, with her return journey but nan ac complished. There had been no panic, but her two boats were niiea to uw very gunwales wnn muir uumau freight. Six men were venturing to swim to meet tne Doats, pucung on from the shore. GeoCrey Mannering was one of them. He had assured verna of his ability to save her if she would trust herself to him rather than in Hie overladen boats. - Verna keot perfectly still. Her reel traillne in the water cave her a terri fying sensation as of floating upon, in finite depth. The strong frame of the swimmer supporting her moved forward wicn its steadv strokes. How calm he seem ed; how confident! At that moment she loved him mostj yet at mat momem. sha knew that she might never be his. On the return journey to Brighton, Geoffrey had told her all; had mado his confession. He had said: "I love you; loved you from the day that we met. "That is all my defence." There had been a long and dreadful nnnse. while she wrestled with her pain, with her temptation. Then she iad answered: "We must say goodbye. 7e must never meet again. When we land, we must shake hands for the last lime. You could not help loving me -nv more than I could heln loving you Yes, I love you; but this is a barrier which we cannot overcome." And then, almost immediately after wards, the accident had occurred. The soa was very cold; the warm suns of summer had not yet penetrated its chilly bosom. He was becoming stiff 1 ' ' ' it iv V-r U Ira J ft1 jT,, uH all i u i T Y-j "IT WAS NOT GOOD-BYE AFTER ALL!" words which Claire Ashberry once spoke to him. "I have always liked you," she had said, "and am willing to become your wife; yet I must tell you that anoth eryou need not know his name awoke a feeling deeper than liking, and claimed my heart. But there were ob stacles in the way; my parents camo between us, and he went .abroad, prom islng never to see me asain." Again the Spray shrieked for more passengers for her trip to Vorthln-r. She would start in five minutes. Geof frey hesitated. A hand was laid upon his shoulder, and a voice said, speaking in a low tone: "Wlir Munnerine. is it you? Geoffrey turned. Ho wa3 face to fnB with an exceedingly handsome man.' "Mnlvneux VOU!" s "Hush! for heaven's saite!" expostu lated the other, turning rale. "Ah i Ynu are watched as usua.? Still playing vour deep and perilous games.' , .... "Yes, yes. I'm in a bad f x, a tight corner, I must hide for a spell." "What in England? In Brighton? I could understand it in Vienna where we met last six years back. A political spy who steals a secret from the Aus trians might as well be in-Vesuvius as on Austrian soil, and " "No you are wrong I'm wanted In England. Certain papers I obliged tho German Government with. You under stand?" . , Geoffrey drew back, his face flushsd with anger. "What!" he exclaimed, you stooped so low a3 that?" "A fortune was in it." "Vnn traitor!" TnrRo it! Sneak ouietly. 1 belong to no nationality. I serve all who asu me. You know that. Come, hide me somewhere! For old times' sake!" a hell rlnnsred on board ie Spray. Geoffrey snatched at his card cas. scribbling a line. "There." be sail, "go to the Hotel C , give my man that card. He'll -look after you until I rtrtmo " th units. Geoffrey. If ever" The sentence was left unfln- with cold. The girl's weight, wnicn hid fnlt so H-ht at first now pressed him lower and lower .. The sea kept washing over his face. Onward he swam, thou-h drawing now upon mat Ki-rpTirrth which desnair will Kive. At a furlong from the shore he was seen A boat turned his way. Then came a final struggle to keep afloat. He was draped on board with his Duraen when at the point of utter exhaustion. The journey shoreward gave him time to recover strength. With bis own hand3 he lifted Verna into a can. They were driven to Vier lodgings in Old Stcyne. He took her in his arms and gave her one long, passionate kiss. Then, with a repressed sob, he left her. He was never to meet Verna train. She had pointed his way of duty, and he must follow it Geoffrey turned his steps toward hi3 hotel. . It was afternoon. A procession of every conceivable kind of carriage rolled along the King's Road. By the Brunswick lawns, tearing along the front at a mad speed, came a powerful motor car. Tbe driver was a man, and at his siie, closely veiled, sat a lady. Scarcely perceiving the rushing car, Geoffrey crossed in front of it. A loud shout and a furious bellow from a horn made him look up as he dashed for- wc.l. Surelv he knew the driver? And that veiled lady? Something in the poise of her body suggested a name but no, he told himself that he was nan em, nearly dropping with fatigue. Geoffrey staegered into his rooms. His valet met him just in time to save Lim from falling. For at that mo ment his senses left him. and he lost consciousness. It was an hour before the accident which sank the Spray in six fathoms off Brighton beach. Richard Molyneux, ex-army officer, samester, spy, duellist, waited in much perturbation In Geoffrey's private sit tin? room at the Hotel C . Molyneux noticed that the space be tween the portico grounds and the distant sea was patrolled by a gentlemanly-looking fellow. "Aeain!" erowled Molyneux. "I seem unable to give that brute the slip." Through the open window he heard the roar of a motor-car. ' It ceased it drew near to the building. TJp and down paced the fugitive, fuming and fretting. ' . . Suddenly he turned swuuy. ma door was open, and he heara tne voice of Geoffrey's servant: "No, he will not be long, maoam; aud if you will wait ah. I nan ior- gotten." A well-dressed and beautiful flguro entered the room. Seeing Molyneux, she uttered a sry of astonishment. Molyneux, whose leelings never De travpii him. turned to the servant and dismissed him with a couple of words. Then he faced the newcomer; he took lmr hands: he looked lone and ardent ly into her face, wnicn paiea, tnen burned with crimson. "Claire! You here? After an tnese years!" The woman tremDiea. in a monieii'. the deeps of a passion she believed she had sealed forever, broke forth. She clung, almost fainting, to his. broad shoulders. Richard Molyneux It was whom she had loved in the past Ho exercised an extraordinary fascination over Claire Ashberry. "1 came to see Geoffrey," she ex plained hurriedly. "I am staying at Hastings. He expected me at Brigh ton to-day. I came over to tell him that I must defer my visit That is all. And you you what are you do ing here, in this room? Geoffrey's room?" "Tlidn't. Tim know that he waB a. friend of mine?" "A friend to you?" Claire disengag ed herself from those strong arms. "I m.; him two hours back. He nromlsed to hide me." "To hide you?" The voice rang out In alarm. "True enough." Molyneux laughed bitterly. "Come here," said he, drawing her to the win dow. "You see that man an, mere are three of them. Trapped!" Forsetful of everything save his danr-er. Claire Ashberry clung to Moly, ncux's arm. "Who are they,. Richard? Who are those men?" she demanded imperiously. "Police officers. Let me go, dear one, Yes, the old game. State papers; a se cret sold. You a oetter let me go, must escane. - "You must escape; you shall!" cried Claire, wildly. "How?" The thing's impossible. K I had a fast car" You have! There is mine; It is wait ing for me. Come oh, come Quickly! she implored. For an instant Molyneux stood irres- solute; then he said auite calmly "I will. And you?" "I go with you," said Claire steadily, "I shall strike northward into the Dover road, if possible, and quit Eng land to-night," he answered. "Where you go, I go also," said Claire. They ran from the room. The car waited at the rear of the hotel. A minute later they were flying like a gale down the King's Road. "You mean to tell me, Clarkson, se riously, that I have been in bed three days?" "Three days, Bir," answered Geof frey's servant "A queer yarn, this, that you tell me about those two visitors." went on Geoffrey, thoughtfully. "They went off together, you say? Geoffrey broke the seal of the letter which had just ar rived, and which bore a foreign post mark. He sat as if stunned, while his eyes read again and again one passage in the communication: "Call my conduct madness, or by whatever term you will. I cannot fight against fate. I have married Richard Molyneux. We shall live abroad. He has promised me many things. Forgive me, Goeffrey; or if you cannot lorgive, forget me." Geoffrey rose after a long silence. He -turned hi3 stcris toward the Old Rteyne, but he had not covered a hun dred yards before he saw her verna- sitting on a chair on the BrunswiaK lawns. She was looking out to sea. A norgeous sunset had purpled the wa ters of the channel. Geoffrey went up to her, softly, slow ly, so that she did not hear his ap proach. And, leaning over her chair, suddenly, he whispered in her ear: "Verna, it was not good-bye after aUI." Experience of an Old-Timer in the Wilds of Idaho. "In the winter of '07," said an old miner, now in uncle sains survive, at Washington, " I was living in a cabin by niysell in tne mouuuuus ui luuuo, about seven niues nuui xuuuu City, my nearest and only neighbor the posonnsier, au u-ibuuiuu uu bachelor, who kept the toll house be tween Idaho City and tbe udjoining mountain towns. My cabin was about two mues to the East, directly among tne mountains. The snow wmcu uuu been falling at intervals for severa months, lay about 10 feet on a level around my cabin, and my only method of travel was by snow shoes, "i hud mndf mv tri-weokly run to see If tbe stage had brought any let- torn to tim toll house ror me; ana while adjusting my snow shoes, pre paratory to starting back, I heard a bellowing ana pawing. & -luaus steer, which had separated himself from the herd which had lately nasaed toward tbo town, was angrily shaking nis fieaa at me uuuui uv feet distant He had run past the house from the road up the little straight path which Pat had kept nnpn tn his sDrine. and after drink ing and turning around, had become bewildered, the snow being at least eight feet deep on either side of the path. "This was my direct route home.and although, if I had kept on top of the snow, he could not have pursued me, the snlrit of my school-boy days re vived, and I removed my snow shoes and immediately made two little ley snow balls. At right angles with the path to the spring another and a similar path . had been cleared to a cabin about the. same distance from the toll house. As 1 fired the two MADE A DASH FOR THE CABIN balls in rapid succession, striking bim with one iu his ere, and wltn the other on his forehead, the steer again bellowed with rage, and lower fner his read, made a rush for me. Of course I could bnye simply turned and (one in the toll (house, but I thoueht to prolong the excitement. and so made a. dash for the cabin. As I nenred it, I saw with dismay that it was unoccupied and fastened with chain and padlock on the out side. The path ended at the caDin with ten feet of snow piled at my left and in front, the walls as smooth and perpendicular as a bouse. ! "Une thinks quickly at such mo ments, and the ridge pole which usu ally extends from minors' cabins a foot or - more beyond the main build ing on which to hang meat and game proved my salvation. I do not know how high a jump I mado to grasp it, but I am sure that I never equaled it before or since. "As I swung my borfy over the pole the horns of the infuriated animal ripped off the lower part of my out side woollen shirt and while I smiled down serenely from my point of vnntnge, I most devoutly thanked the good Lord that He never falls to keep good watch over drunken men and fools." WEEN LOST IN THE WOODS. HOU A GAINST TIGER. Greater Bravery Shown By the Smaller Animal. The owner of a one-ring circus trav eling through the West this summer found himself in sore straits through the dfeath of a much advertised lion which was the star attraction of the show. With a fertility born of ne cessity he advertised in the nearby papers for a "brave man." A good, strapping Irisnman applied for the position. "My pet lion has just died," Baid the showman, "and "I will give you 55 a day if you will roue yourself in his skin and bo through his tricks. All you have is two performances a day; cash money." The Irishman readily assented to the proposition and beiug of bright wit and intelliRence soon learned al that was required of him. The first afternoon of the show he went through the paces well, .enclosed In a large iron cage and occasionally emitting a roar to starile the guileless countrymen. In the evening the man ager thought be would cap the climax by announcing to the audience that tie would place the lion in the tiger's cage. On hearing this the son of Erin was terrified beyond comprehension. However, with trembling steps he went Into the tiger's cage, but at once crept up into a corner, praying to himself. "Faith, God help me in this terrible trouble," he moaned. "Kape away from me the scratches of the big cat." "G'wan," replied the tiger, "phwat yer Bnaking up there like that, ain't meself too a wearer of the green?" COFFEE If You Have an Axe, You May Not Have a Bad Time. To get lost in the woods Is not an uncommon occurrence, and what to do under the circumstances is so well told by Horace Kephart in "Field and Stream" that readers fond of camping and woodcraft will be interested: "The first thing that one should do when he realizes that he has lost his bearings in a wild country is to stop and Bit down. Don't take one more step until you have recovered your wits so that you can trace on the ground with a stick your probable course since leaving the camp, and mark on it the estimated location of such water courses and other landmarks as you have passed. Then make up your mind that if you must stay out f 11 night, alone in the woods, it is no killing matter, but likely an interesting ad venture. . Having recovered your men tal balance, take note of the lay of the land around you, the direction of its drainage, the character of its vegeta tion, and the hospitalities that it offers to a night-bound traveler, in the way of drinking-water, sound down wood, natural shelter and browse. Then blaze a tree on four sides make big blazes that can be seen from any di rection. Do this even though there be several hours of daylight ahead, and al though you have no present intention of staying here ; for you do know that this spot Is only so many hours irora camp 'by back trail, and that you may have good reuson to return to H. "Now try to get an outlook over the surrounding country. In flat woods this will be difficult. If you can risk climbing a tall tree do so. Select one that you can climb, and having gained your outlook, note the compass direc tion of watercourses and other land marks, manning them on a bit of paper, .for a lost man's momory is treachsrous. The courses of small streams show where the main volley lies. Decide-where to go, take the com pass direction, note how the sun Btrlkes it nnd descend. "Now, as you travel, make bush- marks by making blaaes on trees or breaking a shrub here nnd there along the trail, so you will easily follow your way back should you have to pass tbe night in the woods." Flleht of Balloons. On his recent visit at Ostend, the Shah of Persia had a whole lot of fun when he cut a string holding 100 toy balloons which a woman was offering for Bale. He laughed heartily at her distress, hut later paid her amply lor "lis Joke. Americana Going to Mexico. During the last two years over 1,500 Immigrants from Oklahoma and other parts of the Southwest nave locatea In the single state or lamaunpa Mexico. They have made a settlement known as the Blaylock Colpny, Just west -of Escandon on tbe Gulf I tall wav. and have built churches, school houses and stores, and enjoy tbe fulleat liberty of action. Bo It seems that Americans are crossing the southern boundary as they are the northern one to Canada. DOES HURT M Make the trial yourself leave off " Coffee 10 days and use POST U FOOD COFFEE in its place. That's the only way to find out. Postum is a sure rebuilder and when you cut out the coffee and use Postum instead, you get a taste of .health, for the aches and ails begin to leave. ' sYou may 1 HINK you know, but you dont ' k,until after the trial. Remember II TTiere's a Reason. 99 Set tho llttlo.book, "The Road to' WaltsTllls," In each'pVe, THE RACYCLE SPROCKETS Like No. 2 Grindstone are Hung Between the Bearing Whinh RtnnA villi Turn Easier? The Racycle Rides Further with one-quarter less work niAF.1I CYCLE & OFC. CO. MIDDLETOWN, OHIO. OLDSMOBILES B.R for 1905 W Holiest Workmanship. Lowest Prices. Cars lot Immediate Delivery. Ids Motor Works DETROIT, MICH. Internationa! Harvester Co. GASOLINE ENGINES . . .... T TT r Anmma tTlA farVI ttlA dfllrV. tllO wneneflntppeawiinau i. n.. "j-,ww y - - mill the threshuiK machine, or the busker and shredder can be operated more miu, lue iiiToaiHHg . . T?r-n n,hf tin water to DtimD. 5SMwXdto4orw.te.liU. can do this workat a mmuntaa I. H. C. HORIZONTAL ENGINE I. H. C. gasoline engines are made in the following sizes : 3, 3 and 5 H P., vertical type, stationary; 6, 8, io, ia and 15 II. P., horizontal type, stat ionary; and o, 8, io, 12 and 15 II. P horizontal type, portable. WRITE FOR GASOLINE ENGINE BOOKLET. International Harvester Co. of America Uncormratad) 7 Monroe Street Chicatfo, 111., U. S. A.
