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About The Madras pioneer. (Madras, Crook County, Or.) 1904-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 19, 1911)
! 111 11! ' ' J The Sight of a Young and Attractive Woman Coming Out of a Home for Con firmed Bachelors. PICTURES ' CHAPTER I. I Dust. . In the dull hot dusk of a summer's day a green touring car. swinging out of the East drive, pulled up smartly, trembling, at the edge of the Fifty ninth street car tracks, then more se dately, under the dispassionate but watchful eye of a mounted member of the traffic squad, lurched across the Plaza and merged itself in the press of vehicles south bound on the avenue. Its tonneau held four young men, all more or less disguised In dust, dus ters and goggles; forward, by the side of the grimy and anxious-eyed mechan ic, sat a fifth, in all visible respects the counterpart of his companions. Be neath his mask, and by this I do not mean his goggles, but the mask of modern manner which the worldly wear, he was, and is, different. He was Daniel Maitland, Esquire; for whom no further Introduction should be required, after mention of the fact that he was, and remains, the Identical gentleman of means and position in the social and financial worlds, whose somewhat sober but sincore and whole hearted participation in the wildest of conceivable escapades had earned him the affectionate regard of the younger set, together with the Hobrlquet of "Mad Maitland." His companions of the day, the four in the tonneau, were in that humor of subdued yet vibrant excitement which is apt to attend the conclusion of a long, hard drive over country roads. Maitland, on the other hand (judging him by his preoccupied pose), was al ready weary of, If not bored by, the hare-brained enterprise which, In itiated on the spur of an idle moment and directly due to a thoughtless re mark of his own. had brought him 100 miles (or so) through the heat of a broiling afternoon, accompanied by spirits as ardent and irresponsible as his own, In search of the dubious dis traction afforded by the night side of tho city. As, picking its way with elephantine nicety, the motor car progressed down tho avenuo twilight deepening, arcs upon their bronze columns blossoming suddenly, noiselessly into spheres of opalescent radiance Mr. Maitland coased to respond, ceased oven to give hoed, to tho running Are of chaff (largely personal) which amused, his companions. Listlessly engaged with a cigarette, he lounged upon tho green leather cushions, half closing his eyes, and heartily wished himself free for the evenlug. But bo stood committed to tho hu mor of the majority, and lacked entire Iv tho shadow of an excuse to desert, in addition to which ho was altogether too lazy for the exertion of manu ncturing a He of -ervlooablo to xture. And bo abandoned himself to his fate oven though r8aw wIth wearIful particularity the programme of the coming hours. To begin with, 30 minutes were to be devoted to a bath and dressing In his rooms. This was something not so unpleasant to contemplate. It was the afterwards that repelled him: Dinner at Sherry's, the subsequent tour of roof gardens, the late supper at a club, and then, prolonged far Into the small hours, the session around some green covered table in a close room reeking with the fumes of good tobacco and hot with the fever of gambling. . . . Abstractedly Maitland frowned, tersely summing up: "Beastly!" in an undertone. At this the green car wheeled ab ruptly round a corner below, Thirty fourth street, slid half a block or more east, and came to a palpitating halt. Maitland, looking up, recognized the entrance to his apartments, and sighed with relief for the brief respite from boredom that was to bo his. He rose, negligently shaking off his duster, and stepped down to the sidewalk. Somebody In tho car called a warning after him, and turning for a moment he stood at attention, an eye brow raised quizzically, cigarette drooping from a corner of his mouth, hat pushed- back from his forehead, hands In coat pockets; a tall, slender, sparsely built figure of a man, clothed immaculately in flannels. When at length he was able to make himself heard: "Good enough," he said clearly, though without rasing his voice. "Sherry's in an hour. Right. Now, behave yourselves." ' "Mind you show up on time!" "Never foar," returned Maitland over his shoulder. A witticism was flung back at him from tho retreating car, but spent itself unregarded. Maltland's atten tion was temporarily distracted by the unusual to say the least sight of a young and attractive woman coming out of a home for confirmed bachelors. The apartment house happened to be his own property. A substantial and old-fashioned edifice, situated In the middle of a quiet block, It con tained but flvo roomy and comfortable suites in other words, one to a floor; and those wore without exception ten anted by unmarried men of Malt land's own circle and acquaintance The Janitor, himself a widower and a convinced misogynist, lived alone In the basement. Barring very special and exceptional occasions (as when one of the bachelors felt called upon to give a tea in partial recognition of social obligations), tho foot of woman never crossed Us throshold. In this circumstance, Indeed, was comprised the singular charm tho house had for its occupants. Tho quality which Insured them privacy and a quiet independence rendered them oblivious to Its many minor drawbacks, its lack of many conven- I lenecs and luxuries which have of law grown to bo so commonly regarded ns necessities. It boasted, for instance no garage; no refrigerating systom maddened those dependent upon It; a dissipated electric lighting Bystoni nover went out of nlshts. because it hnd nevor been Installed; no brass- bound hall boy lounged In desuotudi upon tho stoop and took too lutlmnte and porsonal an Interest In tho ten ants' correspondence. Tho Inhabl tants, In brlof, woro froo to come and go according to tho dictates of tholr consciences, unsupervised by neigh borly women folk, unhindered by n parasitic corps of menials not In their personal employ. Wherefore was Maitland astonished and tho more so because of the soason At any other season of tho year he would readily havo accounted for the phenomenon that now fell under his observation, on tho hypothesis thnt th woman was sotnobody's sister or cons In or aunt. But at present that expla nation was untennblo; Mnltland Imp pened to know that not one of tho oth er men was In Now York, barring himself; and his own presence there was a thing entirely unforeseen. Still incredulous, he mentally conned tho list: Dames, who occupied the first flat, was traveling on tho con tinent; Conkling, of tho third, hnd left a fortnight since to join a yachting party on tho Mediterranean; Bannister and Wilkes, of the fourth and fifth floors, respectively, were in Newport and Buenos Aires. "Odd!" concluded Maitland. So It was. She had Just closed the door, one thought; and now stood poised as If in momentary Indecision on the low stoop, glancing toward Fifth avenuo the while she fumbled with a refractory button at tho wrist of a long white kid glove. Blurred though It was by the darkling twilight and a thin veil, her face yet conveyed an Impression of preitiness; an im pression enhanced by careful groom ing. From her hat, a small affair, something green, with a superstruc ture of gray ostrich feathers, to tho Hps of her russet shoes Including a walking skirt and bolero of shimmer ing gray silk she was distinctly "smart" and Interesting. He had keenly observant eyes, had Maitland, for nil his detached pose; you are to understand that he com prehended nil these points In the flick ering of an instant. For the Incident was over in two seconds. In one the lady's hesitation was resolved; in an other she had passed down the steps and swept by Maitland without giving him a glance, without oven the trem bling of nn eyelash. And he had a view of her back as she moved swiftly away toward tho avenue. Perplexed, ho lingered upon tho stoop until she had turned the corndr; after which he let himself in with a latch key, and, dismissing the affair temporarily from his thoughts, or pre tending to do so, ascended the single flight of stairs to his flat. Simultaneously heavy feet were to be heard clumping up tho basement steps; and surmising that the Janitor was coming to light the hall, the young man waited, leaning over the balus ters. His guess proving correct, he called down: "O'Hagan? Is that you?" "Th' saints presarve us! But 'twas yersilf gave me th' sthart, Misther Maitland, sor!" O'Hagan paused in the gloom below, his upturned face quaintly Illuminated by tho llame of p. wax taper in his gaslighter. "I'm dining in town to-night, O'Ha gan, and dropped around to dress. Is anybody else at homo?" "Nivver a wan, sor. Shure, th' house do be quiet's anny tomb " "Then who was that lady, O'Hagan?" "Leddy, sor?" In unbounded amaze ment. "Yes," Impatiently. "A young wom an left tho hous.0 Just as I was com ing in. Who was she?" "Shure an I think ye must be dr'amin', sor. Divvle a female ray spicts to ye! has been In this house for manny an manny th' wake, sor." "But, I tell you" "Belike 'twas somowan Jlst sthopped into tho vesthlbule, mebbe to tie hor shoe, sor, and ye thought " "Oh, very well." Maitland relin quished the inquisition as unprofitable, willing to concede O'Hagan's theory a reasonable one, tho more readily since he himself could by no means havo sworn that tho woman had actually come out through tho door. Such had merely been his impression, honest enough, but founded on circumstan tial evidence. "When you're through, O'Hagan," ho told the Irishman, "you may como and shavo mo and lay out my things, If you will." "Very good, sor. In wan minute." But O'Hagan'ri conception of tho passage of time was a thought vague; his ono minute had lengthened Into ten before ho appeared to wait upon his employer. Now and again, In tho absence of the regular "man," O'Hagan would at tend ono or another of tho tenants In tho capacity of substitute valot; as in tho present Instance, when Maitland, having left his host's roof without troubling oven to notify his body-servant that he would not return that night, called upon tho Janitor to under study tho more trained employe; which O'Hagan could bo counted upon to do very acceptably. Now, with patience unruffled, since hoiwas nothing keen for tho evenlng'B enjoyment, Maitland made profit of tho interval to wandor through his rooms, lighting tho gas hero and there and noting that all was as it should be, as It had boon loft save that every article of furniture and bric-a-brac seemed to bo sadly In want of a thorough dusting. In tho end ho brought up in tho room that served him aB study and lounge tho drawing room of tho flat, aa planned in tho for gotten architect's schonic a lnrgo iind well-lighted apart mont overlooking tho street. Iloro, pausing beneath tho rlmndolior, ho looked about him for a moment, determining thnt, aa else- whoro, all things woro in order out gray with dust. Finding the atmosphere heavy, stale, and oppressive, Maitland mined over to tho windows and throw them open. A gush of warm air. humid and redo lent of the streets, Invaded tho room, together with tho roar of tralllc from Its nonrby arteries. Maitland rented elbows on the sill and loaned out. star ing absently Into tho night; for by now it was quite dark. Without con cern, ho renliaed that ho would be Into at dlnnor. No matter; ho would an willingly miss it altogether. For thu time being lie was absorbed In vain speculations about n unknown woni in whoso solo claim upon Ills consid eration lay In a certain but immaterial ;l:imoiir of mystery. Had she, or had she not, been In the hmis? And. I! tho true answer wtfro in the nlnnnt Ivo, to wlinfund, uoii what errand? Ills oyos focused Insensibly ur- n n void of darkm-ss bet? .-ath him night trade visible by street 'amps; nn.l h found himself suddenly nml nc.irlv onslb1o of the wonder and mystery id tho City; tho City whose secret life ran fluent upon the hot, hard pave ments below, whose voice throbbed, libllnnt, vng'e. strident, inarticulate, upon tho n'wht air: tho City of wlmli ho was a virt onirilly with the girl m gray, whom he had nover befme aim. and In all likelihood was never to ee again, though thp two of thm; wore to work nut their destinies wltlnti tho bounds of Manhattan island. And yet. ... "It would be strange," said .Maitland thoughtfully, "If . . ." Ho kIi.k.U his head, smiling, "'two slmll born,'" quoted Mad Maitland, svnu mentally " 'Two shall bo born tho whole wide world apart ' " A piano organ, having innlleioiislv sneaked up beneath his window, drove him indoors with a crash of metallic molody. As ho dropped the curtains hi eye was arrested by a gleam of white upon his desk a lottor plneod there, doubt less, by O'Hagan In Maltland's ab sence. At the same time, a splHshitig and gurgling of water from the direc tion of the bathroom informed litm that tho Janltor-vatot was even then preparing his bath. But that could wait. Maitland took up the envelope and tore tho flap, remarking the name and address of his lawyer in Its upper left hand corner. Unfolding the Inclosuro, ho read a date a week old, and two lines requesting him to communicate with his legal adviser upon "a matter of pressing moment." "Bother!" said Maitland. "What the dickens" He pulled up short, eyes lighting. "That's so, you know," he argued. "Bannerman will bo dolightcd, and and even business is better than rush ing round town and pretending to en joy yourself when It's hotter than the seven bras3 hinges of hell and you can't think of anything olse. . . . I'll do It!" Ho stopped quickly to the corner oi the room, whero stood the telephono upon a small side table, sat down, and, receiver to ear, gavo central a num ber. In another moment he wan In communication with his attorney's res idence. "Is Mr. Bannerman in? I would llko to" "Why, Mr. Bannerman! How do you do?" "You're looking 100 per cent, bet ter" "Bad, n ad word! Naughty!" "Maitlail, of course." "Been o it of town and just got "you. note." "Your beastly penchant for econ omy. It's not stamped; I presume you sent It r und by hand or tho future president of tho Unltod Stales whom you now employ as ofllco boy. And O'Hagan didn't forward it for that reason." "Important, eh? I'm only In for tho night" "Thon come and dino with me at the Primordial. I'll put the others off " "Good enough. In an hour, then? Good-by." Hangii'g up tho rocciv'or, Maltlorid waited a few moments ore again put ting it to his ear. This timo ho called up Sherry's, asked for the head-waller, and requested that person to be kind enough to make IiIb oxcuses to "Mr. Crossy and party;" ho, Maitland, was dotained upon n matter of moment. but would endeavor to join them at a later hour. Thon, with a satisfied Hinllo, he turned away, with purpose to dispose of Bannerman's noto. 'JBath's ready, sor." O'Hagan's announcement foil upon heedloes ears. Maitland remained mo tloniess boforo tho dosk transfixed with amazomont. "Bath's ready, sor!" imperatively, Maitland roused slightly. "Vory well; in a mlnuto. O'Hagan." Yet for some timo ho did not move. Slowly tho hoavy brows contracted over Intent oyos as ho atrovo to puz zle it out. At longth his Hps moved noiselessly. "Am I awake?" wbb tho question ho put his consciousness. Wondering, ho bont forward nml drew tho tip of ono forofingor across tho black polished wood of tho writing, bed. It loft a dark, heavy lino. And bosldo, cloarly doflnod in tho hoavy layor of dust, was tho silhouette of a hand; a woman's hand, small, delicate, unmistakably feminine of contour. "Well!" declarod Maitland, frankly, "I am damned!" (TO BE CONTINUED.) PRETTY WOMAN IN TROUBLE Bovero Post Office Official Finally Yields to Her Ploadlng and Gives Letter Back. Tho post ofllco ofllclal put on his bo forost mnnnor. "You say you mnllod tho lotter about an hour ago at n window In tho east :orrldor?" ho asked. Tho boautlful woman dnbbod a hand korchlof In hor soulful oyos and nt tho tip of hor classic hobo. "Yob, yce," hIio said. "To whom vaB it nddrcflsod?" She told him. "And now you want to atop that lot tor?" ho wont on, with still moro bo verity. "You want to got It back? Why?" "Bocnuso," said tho woman, with un premeditated frnnknoBB, "I am afraid his wife, who haB Juot nrrlvod in town, will get hold of It." "Oh!" anld tho stern ofllclal. She got tho lottor. EVEN 80. Tho Statistician I toll you, air, fl urea don't Ho. Tho Bank Presldont Maybo not, hi they havo a provoking way of ovndln tho truth when manipulated by o orooked cashier. The Hero's Fate. The hero had returned fromthu wilds of Africa. "For days," ho rotated modoBtly, "I was almost swallowod by crocodiles." Tho horolno's oyoa softoned. "Gracious!" bIio exclaimed sympa thetically, t "And masticated by man-cnting HOIIB." "Oh. Herbort!" "And eaton by cannibals." He pausod for breath. Then wha.. did Bho do? Womanlike. bIio dovourod Mmtwlth a glanco. A Doubt. "I can't figuro out." said Van Duson, "whether from what Knickor told mo about tho cook's answer at tho club, when Jorklns pitched into him about tho birds always being generally cold, whother tho cook gavo him a stinging retort or tho bird, cookod ns ho want ed It." "What did Knickor Bay " naked his friend. "Ho snld, 'When Jorklns carried on that way, I toll you, tho cook handed him a hot ono.' " His New Password. "I want to chango my password,'1 said tho man who had for two yoara rented a safety deposit box. "Vory well." roplied tho man In charge. "What la tho old ono?" "Gladys." , ' . "And what do you wish tho now ono to bo?" "Mabel. Gladys has gono to Reno." Not Room for Both. "Going to leave us, Brothor Good man?" asked ono of tho members of the llttlo Hock. "Yob," Bald tho pastor; "Satan Ib crowding mo. Ho'8 Intorforlng with my work, and I don't Boom to bo Inter fering in tho loast with his; so I am going to movo away and loavo him n solo possession of the town." Can You Blame Hlm7 "It Is said," ho remarked, "that tho proportion of unmarried women In this country grows larger ovory year." "Woll," Bho ropllod, "U'b only nat ural that It should bo bo, seeing that tho proportion of real men grows Binallor In this country ovory year." Then ho got his hat and went homo. A Farje Guess. Flub Whet originated tho Idea thai tho longest way 'round was tho short est way homo?" Dub Somo taxlcab driver, I cup nose. Town Topics. Fencing. Bill I'll ndmlt that prize fighting lb brutal, but did you ovor know fencing to hurt anyone? Jill Why, yes; tho barbod-wlro Mnd, I have. Yonkors Statesman. A Classy Neighborhood. "How do you llko your neighbor hood?" "Flno. Wo'vo tho most lntoroBtlng people you ovor ovorhoard on our party tolophono lino." Feminine Handwriting. 'Ib your wlfo economizing?" "I think bo. Bho now writoa eight Wnrdn nn n nnirn nf lntt of only six." Mil, . - . t urn ifi.Ti ... T"5",hhelotroubrir4"4l uvcr, we tlrmly belM. ..n,? lor will tell you tht in lBf,,v' nf Ar. Bill." V.1.".0 MCHfi;.T " WIN "ft Hot. 1 ""'HI nn.i a v . m.. . --u uivi 4 .. . . I "vl. HIE Httaa.'i CUm fnm ft.-.. . Scratches nm , i cold and w ,"7." yWBI ,, w ivwai imrefi. . condition .11 - st . vvamin, in llh.t. tinnlv ninth. . of nugar of latui t i. Jr.151 i 1 "nt luu' oul wa. When end. fcuw uuuiuon OI & lew droni iuiuh. iDDHn n Infirm .j .vi. .. 'wmmu tu cainr!n. uBwim ui Li in inni ti-.i. ... nnnrrnni m.v i. . , .. .- wvu. The "Country, Churchy., iinnn wnrt ah.h n . Alt.. I . ... " mo ponceau spot rten rud,o forof others of tht hsait-t i Ib Identified with ct nn.j , - -" ' ..iuMiiiouLto, in m huio pagva oi a recnt lint ot uaiotto there appear orfo vuuiiuh yrurimns mat ordain monts are henceforth forblddoh ..... HHW on. 071-up mo mil remear Mtiwicsiuiiu luring tlio tcethln? i-crloj, An Acs Ud Hit Eltevt. Aiunicu uojs ono more Decors ignorance on tho nart of i rmtt uio son 01 a n.'o oncial, u to to hold hla carta when pltjtcj, tlio Munchcncr Post A tm 1 iiusicti in n ciuu traea lose .nf mo yuujij man uraw ta ici . . . ... . . . ... .. 1 uo u mv T v. Yri.t-11 lira CI caueod by the opmtioa Isi what eubsldcd a prominent prerentcd criminal proctetop btindllr tho card shun Into u acroatt tho DaTarlan frontier. Good for Sore fe for over 100 vcars I'ETOT'S I cases, everywhere. All dnijjiij tiowuru uroa., uuumo, . i- . .... Al.ltu Men Were Loony amui vic Old-tlmo cobblestones ana cm mandod a trick, clumsy boot, wi VntiV.o Insthnr WftS COOd StttJ, . . . jut Hni fUiS. ngni enoiiQa. uui u u lend itsoii cuner 10 - going 10 a oik uuu u to- - with a Bcartet satin coat W i . i 1,1- Mitnnt UC3 BCUriUl DUW8 Ull Ul l""r-' - v used to bo Btmost m iw clothes as worn on are noft- trv MURINE EYE REMEDY. for Red. Weak, weary, . ' . ... . ,n.1l.1o Mtlrifl Iirilll.IJIIl UliLLlU wjvi". Bmari-Douim. Hon Murino wv iwmwn rn i nn Murine Eye 7. or- 1 Aft KTfl Murine Eyo Komody Co. Po.lut.on of Our W Pollution of streams iu . . .rt ror rapiaiy gemus w wtii n waves. Things Vn neaCO. pu vwuuw - ,u,n Tl - .. m t hi. ... tha TfirT lui . . . ..1 - A liuur got to get flown w - - so oat humDio pi- . i A-...ttltt!i A VUiUUPu .iv.t fl ,...! In China SOTeu"" """" " . .ln COHCOCW. . V. v fna uw- - lAlldl. WAD -r ... fore performing 1 . UA MHUn Ikl.-" anacotnouo w - of hemp. . . ...... rleiti. Bel ino nr. . , . " ...i... horse n,u" Deawrs so-o T, ' . ihs J . i I. hua nasi uj I ..i. id IUCI1 . ' .... -rtllUlB. neaa in .... h W. t can read IT nnd mulomeat ar BUvughUrojJii--- i .... ... MM"' ' KBICO w- . ,ht ur. ttl raisea v c . j ti, cattle raised oa VUW onun-" ii,.t(ll" noao. ".v..-- tboir UUI IUII . IvfillIU ' lLA .nnMlV US . a S Boudno re8loa nW v oond Artjnjina Th. Mlsslnfl f I. hi ..tr Aa you And BitM boarding ou. t p n difficulty in fln-Jrt Olinvu w .UW- t&le to prof