ZZ2ZZZZZ!
WICKLY'S WOODS
By H. W. TAYLOR
4 j. m'iVi-'U ikT"
CHAPTER VI. (Continued.)
So far then from an ocular inspection
being an essential in a lore affair, the
very opposite is probably true. Along
with the full confession of this fact to
herself, came something like a feeling
f resentment at the whole conduct of
this man Mason.
That he had foolishly permitted him
self to fall in love with her wns so very
lain a cose that everybody had seen it
long ago! It was certainly not her fault!
No, indeed, nobody could say that of
Jier! Not even the long-tongued gossips
of ftnndtown!
True, too, that he had displayed some
magnificent qualities of strong, calm
manhood in the fuee of that awful peril
of the storm. She could not deny that
Khe had no desire to subtract from his
real duserts in the least. Hut then, was
not this, like his new and wide philoso
phy of humanity, a reflection from his
superior offlcerY
lie had told her that his strange new
philosophy was also entertained by Prof.
Iluntley. And this had contributed much
to give it a standing in her estimation.
But had he told her the whole truth?
No, nlie knew he had not. If he had
been frank and honest, he would have
Ha id that he had imbibed these opinions
from Prof. Iluntley. And if so, was not
that splendid display of practical kuowl--dge,
skill and courage the result of
Prof. Huntley's training?
Undoubtedly she had been badly used
by Mr. Mason. He had stood persist
ently between her and the perfect man
that ahe had learned to love so quickly.
He had misrepresented her to him either
directly or by a culpable silence that
through a base jealousy refused to put
her before him iu her proper light.
He was a mean fellow that Mason.
And although her obligation to him must
compel her to a formal recognition of
lilm when they should meet again on
Monday, yet she was resolved to throw
so much coldness into her manner that
he could not fail to see that she was
through with him, and that he was a
very thin article, too!
And when Monday came and went
without him, and without rumor of Hunt
ley, she grew evei more bitter. If this
fellow continued to keep Prof. Huntley
away, she shouldn't even speak to him.
She would bring matters to a crisis by
refusing to acknowledge his first saluta
tion upon his return.
Then when he should demand an1 ex
planation, as she knew he would demand
It Bhe would boldly charge him with his
perfidious conduct in keeping Mr. Hunt
ley away, upon whatever ground he
should choose to put it
From Lizzy herself, the condemnation
of Mason seemed to spread everywhere
to her great surprise and to grow
Ateadily and in an arithmetical ratio all
through the week.
Day after day inqnlry revealed little
things that looked bad for Mason. The
tirst flutter of anxiety as to his fate had
resolved itself on the ascertainment of
Ihe fact that he had taken the train for
the city on that very Saturday evening
after t lie storm.
That anxiety was not at all an evi
dence of any good quality in Mr. Mason,
He himself had said to her, in one of
liiti philosophic moods, that this vast hu
tnan interest in a human life was an in
stinct common to all observed animal life
even cattle ran about wildly and paw
ed tin' earth at the smell of the spilt
blood of one of the herd.
And that, too, although the slain beast
might if alive, be. set upon and gored
by each separate beaHt of the herd, with
the acquiescence, or the perfect indiffer
ence of nil the others.
The insatiable desire to penetrate the
mysteries of all the violent deaths, was
the answer to the universal animal in
stinct of fair play most strongly de
veloped in the Saxon 1 loonier people.
They wce kuowu to have taken sudden
mid terrible vengeance upon the mur
derer of a man confessedly of very little
account to anybody.
Hut he had had a life! And this it
was that had aroused the whole popu
lace to demand who had taken it? So
ihat whin the safety of Mm Mason had
been settled by the train dispatcher at
the little station a mile from the vil
lage, the defense of Mr. Mason withdrew
and joined the prosecution.
CIIA1TKII VII.
As day after day, and even week af
ter week went by without tidings from
Mr. MiiHon he went down to the very
lowest plane In the estimation of all
Saniltown.
"I tell yuh, Kquar, blame if I ever
liked that feller Mason, nohow, purtick
ler," said "Coon" Kedden. as "Coonrod"
Itedden, the wealthiest land owner of
Field comity, was familiarly or more for
mi My called.
The whole Kedden family were visiting
at "Squire" Wickly'a on that Saturday
evening two or three weeks after the
storm and the disappearance.
"He tried his level best to argy me
down at the Board ur Trade wair nuthun
but the oruerricst kine a gamblun.
Iilamefe didu't! That was that same
Sat'dy evenun, Lizzy, at you un him
got cotch in the hur-kun, up en the big
woods, you reckleleck?" turning to look
straight at Miss Wickly, who was now
greatly interested in the loud flow of the
old Hoosier'a "hair-rangue," as he him
self termed it. "By gum! he nuvver
stopped to say good-by ur how-dy-do, but
ha ups un he goes aflyun down to the
Bank. L'u thurreckly he comes aflyun
out, on away he went to the tell-graft
offuj, walkun so fast yuh oould a play'
ed seb-um-np awn his coat-tails, Squar!
Un the next I h-yurn uv Mm, he taken
the train fur Chicago 'thout stoppun to
settle a lot a little bills rouu about h'yur
at I know, ur myself."
There was a great deal more of the
same roaring fire of shrewd, half-humorous
comments and observations upon Mr.
Mason. Lizzy, fully aware that she vio
lated no rule of Sundtown etiquette,
went up stairs to bed in her own little
hot room, when she tired of the "hair
rangue," and was soon blissfully uncon
scious of the weight that began to drag
nt hor hitherto buoyant and merry heart.
It might have been the whistle of the
midnight train that awoke her. She did
not know. There wns no striking of
clocks, and there was not sufficient light
from the wide open south gable window
to enable her to see the hands of her
watch, and so she could- not make out
that it was the reverberating roar of the
train from the distant city that broke her
rest into unequal segments.
Her bed was drawn out iu front of the
open window so that the cool soft ni lit
breeze coming out of the woods and
across the broad river could lave her hot
face in its refreshing eddies and ripples.
Whatever hnd awakened her, she lay
there looking out into the shady street a
little bit dimmed with a summer night's
foir. She was sure then that ahe was
fully awake, and that she saw in the
road, not sixty feet away, Mr. Will Ma
son walking slowly toward the river, and
having his face turned over bis right
shoulder and his head thrown back just
far enough to allow him to fix his eyes
upon that window, that he knew was
the window of her bedroom.
He paBsed on; and she was so anxious
to know more of this lonely walk of his,
because his very presence seemed to as
sure the re-establishment of a sort of
communication with the hero of her
dreams Huntley that she arose and
glided to the side of the window farthest
from the pedestrian.
She had to cross in front of the open
window, and she thought there was some
danger that he might see the glimmer of
her long, white nightdress against the
black background of the dark room.
Sinking down upon her knees and
doubling back till she sat upon her Btnall,
bare feet, and forward till an elbow rest
ed npon the low sill of the window, ahe
looked out and saw him standing with his
face turned directly toward her. Her
heart leaped hard against the soft, pliant
walls of her little chest, and ahe drew
back into the darkness.
In an instant she peeped oat to be
horrified at the spectacle of a gigantic
black figure, half enveloped in the thick
er fog toward the river, and seeming to
undulate threateningly, and to elongate
Id an upward direction, as soma of the
make-believe giants of the circus and
the farce are seen to do.
Then, while she lay there In a frozen
horror of fascinated, wide-eyed gazing,
the hnge specter dimmed and vanished.
How ahe got back to bed, and what
brought her mother running to her room,
she only knew from her.
Mrs. Wickly lay down, taking her
frightened daughter in her arms, as she
was, in the habit of doing yet at times,
and endeavored to reassure her by tell
ing ber that it was simply the climax of
some hideous dream. Her father com
ing in, more deliberately sat by the win
dow and told her that this wbb simply a
phenomenon of the fog an unusual one,
to be sure, in all its details, but clearly
ejcplicnhle upon maxims of physical sci
ence. For instance, the undulatory motion
and the elongation of the specter in a
vertical direction, were visual phenom
ena. The mist concealing the feet of
the man concealed all the ground about
him, and thus left no object within the
rnnge of vision for comparative measure
ments, such us the eye makes automat
ically every instant.
The undulating movement upward was
thfc pulsating or wnvelike advance of the
fog bank toward ber, thus putting the
gradually disappearing body and head at
farther and fnrther distances, as more
and more of the foreground was en
croached upon by the advancing fog
bank. That might all be good physical
science, but she had seen something that
frightened her horribly. And ahe felt
that aome dreadful misfortune was com
ing upon her, she couldu't imagine what.
The bright suulight of the next day
did more to explain away the specter
than all the physical science that all
Sandtown possessed.
All Sandtown, however, got hint of the
story in some unaccountable way, and
told it with much multifarious, ingenlons
and original additions, amendments and
substitutions, so that it got. out that a
"limit" was a walkun the "Overcoat
ltoad" as the strictly ex-urban portion
of the continuation of Main street had
beeu called from a time so remote that
it was lost iu legendary incertitude.
CHAFTEK VIII.
Hight in the middle of the red-hot
month of July the light, loam-mixed sand
of the Overcoat Road was in the shim
mering air all day long, whitening the
dark coats of the sweating horses that
drew all sorts of vehicles along it at
all hours of the day and night, and hid
ing the glossy green of wild hemp and
jimson leaves under a dull veil of gray.
The whilom school boy of Sandtown was
baking bis back of a lurid brown as far
down on his shoulders as the cool, clear
waters of the Wabash would permit.
All at once a vast buzz of wonder
changed into wrath throughout all Sand
town, far up and down the mellow dis
tance of the river, and out upon all the
lanes and "wagon tracks" that were trib
utary to the Overcoat Road.
To those who had not heard the news
by reason of temporary absence, rushed
everybody, to be the first to communicate
the stunning intelligence that the Sand
town Farmera' Bank had closed its doors:
T There was no escapade of a cashier.
Nobody had gone to Canada with the
funda of the bank in his satchel. If any
body had gone, to Canada, it ia safe to
say that Field county, from Sandtown to
Redfoot Pond, and from the Wabash to
the end 01 the Overcoat Road, would
have taken its "weapuns," and have
gone into the Dominion after the culprit,
with no other writ of extradition than a
rope.
No! no! Mister Cashier! Ton may go
from the effete "East" to Canada with
poor people's money in your pocket, with
safety. But by all the Coonrod Reddens
of the Wabash country it won't be
healthy for you to run away from IIoo
sicrdom with that sort of luggage in your
hand.
"I wouldn't k-yur a blame fur what I.
lost myself, fellers, but stop and thenk
uv the people at Imiiit got nothun a-tall
left! Nut the wrap-puns uv thur little
finger, by gum! fn they haint one a
the bunk company at haint plum busted,
nuther! You see we wns all a delun
en wheat to-g-ynther, u:i all nt once the
bottom drnpt plum otitnn nt! Un that
left urse nil flatter'n un flitter. H:it that
haint the wust uv ut, nuther. I see Billy
Biler this ninrnun, un he tells me at all
the bank's klatter'l is hilt by oue a tham
blame railroad companies. Un thur
scheme is to sell uvertheng right slap
dad when they haint a dollar at we kin
git a holt uv, to buy in nothun with, by
gum!"
And now came Billy Biler, M. C, a
fresh, rosy-cheeked young gentleman,
with a great show of laundered linen in
the way of big stiff cuffs, "dog collar,"
white tie, and all ornamented with mas
sive gold sleeve buttons, gold studs and
diamond pin, and all other appointments
on a corresponding scale of magnificence.
The whole Sandtown district gloried
in Billy Biler'a fine raiment, as if it were
the individual property of each and ev
ery voter that "worked" for Billy all day
at the polls on the occasion of each suc
ceeding congressional election.
"Hello. Billy! Har yuh. Billv! When't
yuh git in, Billy? Purty warm, hain't ut,
oinyr M.aicei you sweat, don't ut, Billy I
Gut hot under the collar haint ut, Billy?"
These and hundreds of other formulas
of salutation, together with a disjoint
ing hand shaking, wait upon the popu
lar Billy Biler, and he is at once In the
center of the crowd of people who are
blocking up the Overcoat Road immedi
ately between the Sandtown Farmers'
Bank building and the court house, to
that extent that teams still coming
through the cloud of dust along that pop
ular thoroughfare, as well as teams com
ing np the river road, were obliged to
turn out of the way, which they did very
cheerfully, when It was kuown that Billy
Biler was back from Washington on pur
pose to help bis friends iu this extrem
ity. "Now, boys," said Billy in a loud,
jolly, good-natured voice, and taking off
his shiny silk hat to permit the thorough
mopping of his rosy, smooth, fat face,
"I'm a go-un down with Coonrod, h-yur,
fur dinner, un when we git back we'll go
un see whut these railroad fellers is try
un to steal from yuh. Un if it's too big
fur un to pack off in a hurry, we'll make
them sweat awhile instead of us."
This speech was followed by a gleeful
roar of applauding langhter from the
whole crowd, which, with much inter
change of knowing comments on Billy
Biler's shrewdness and ability to cope
with the very smartest of the railroad
rascals, and their own shrewd foresight
In electing such a Congressman as Billy
Biler broke up in little groups to dis
cuss the situation,
"Billy," said Coonrod Itedden, as the
two drove past Squire Wickly's house
on their way to the big white frame man
sion of the old farmer "right there is
the man un the g'yurl nt's bout the wust
hurt over this bank business uv airry one
uv urse fellers. Weekly's mighty nigh
plum, slap, dah rnvun crazy. Un I low
the g-yurl haint much better. Smartest
and purti-est g-yurl roun h-yur, too!
Blame pity fur uni."
"How much do they lose?" asked Billy
Biler, as he prepared to light a cigar,
without showing any Interest in the men
tal condition of the patients.
"O nut much fur's the 'mount's gut
anytheiig to do with ut. But hits all
ami a little more, meb-by. They was
two nioggiji yuh see, un the g'yurl ud
gut nuff saved to pay urn off. Un when
she went, she foim three uv nm stld a
two! The Squire's tryun to git that for
tune 'at he lows he's heired, and he'd
thode in n third moggiji right plum slap,
dab on top a the yuther two! Un you
see that klvered the Inn' np so deep at
nuther could tech bottom, by gum. The
Ian' haint wuth more'n half uv ut. I'd
a bought it in myself, ef hit ud a ben
anywhnrs nigh worth ut. But shoh!"
and Coonrod Itedden looked down and
kicked the toe of his boot hopelessly
against the arm of the dashboard.
"What did Wickly do with' the money?
He must a gut a thousan ur so, didn't
he?" asked Hilly Biler, chewing the end
of the lighted cigar, and watching Coon
rod Redden out of the corners of his
large whitish eyes.
"O, you can't nuvver tell whut feller
does with money, thataway. Thode ut
a'way, lak as nut. H-yander he goes Into
the house with both weemun follerin
Mm! Shouldn't wonder ef they'd be trou
ble there, Billy! He's mighty nigh plun'
Blap dab crazy, by gum!"
(To be continued.)
Proof lacking.
Mrs. Tblnltimc Noth of my other
husbnnds had more sense than you.
Thlrdrlme You must be mistaken,
my dear. All three of us were foolish
enough to marry yon.'
Broken records often "break" the
betting element.
Ayers
Your doctor will tell you that
thin, pale, weak, nervous chil
dren become strong and well
by taking Ayer's Sarsaparilla.
Small doses, for a few days.
Sarsaparilla
The change is very prompt
and very marked. Ask your
doctor why it is. He has our
formula and will explain.
"When 13 ymnn oM. for many trjnntht no
one thought t eoiild live Wn.Mrof tlnn 1I.nm1.
Hut. in fan wkn. Aier'i StrtapariiUcoin
pleialy rfrnnrr.l m to hulth."
Man. E. BlLKBlMrm, Vineland. N..,
Sl.M ft hot tin.
AM lnt"'V;fn.
J. C. AVER CO..
Lowell. Vn
fori
The Children
tiwrnm
Billousneav.rnnatinatlnn .-.-....
covery. Cure these with Ayer's Pills.
Tho Oldest Living Twins.
Publication of au item from Wash
ington, Pa., regarding twins 81 years
old has brought out the fact that Free
port, Pa., loads by several years. Dr.
Charles B. Gillespie anil his sister,
.Miss Mary ;ill.sp;e, are twins, and
were born In October, 1820, thus being
84 years old. Dr. Gillespie has prac
ticed medicine for nearly half a cen
tury. He was captain of Company F,
Seventy-eighth Pennsylvania regiment,
and served throughout the civil war.
Freeport has been the home of the
twins since the close of the rebellion.
It Is believed they are the oldest liv
ing twins In the United States.
You Can Oct Allen's Foot-Ease FREE.
Write Allen 8. Olmsted, te Boy.N. Y., for a
free sample of Allen's Foot-Kate. It cures
sweating, hot swollen, aching feet. It makes
new or tilth t shoes ey. A certain cure for
corns, lngrowingDaila and bunions. Alldrug
gista sell it. 25c. Don't accept any lubtUtute.
Mar Never Have Heard of It.
After a stormy intervinew with Mr.
Boodelle, the successful contractor and
politician, the indignant caller had
gone away.
"I fully expected to see you slug
him." said the private secretary,
"when he called you a 'persistent vio
lator of the eighth commandment' "
"I suppose I ought to have done it"
said Mr. Boodelle, grinding his teeth,
"but I couldn't recall the eighth cotn
mandmeut to save my life!'' Chicago
Tribune.
A Developed Daisy.
For many years Mr. Burbank worked
upon the daisy, taking the tiny field
daisy, the pest of Eastern farmers, as a
basis ot jiis experiments, and develop
ing it until it is now a splendid blos
som from five to seven inches in diam
eter, with wonderful keeping qualities
after cutting. In the Bame way he has
greatly increased the geranium in size,
and at the same time has made it far
more billiant in color. From William
8. Harwood's "A Wonder-Worker of
Science" in the April Century.
A watch taken to the top of Mont
Blanc will gain 30 seconds in '2i hours.
I'M!
ll
lit
Afcgetable Preparationfor As
similating the Food andBegula
ling the Stomachs and Bowels of
Promotes Digcslion.Cheerfur
ness and Rest .Contains neither
Opium.Morphine norfineraL
NOT NAR C OTIC .
Ctorifwl .tufitr
mwmji mi.
norm
A perfect Remedy for Constipa
tion , Sour Stomach.Diarrhoea
Worms .Convulsions .Feverish
ness and Loss OF SLEEP.
Facsimile Signature of
NEW YORK.
EXACT COPY Of WEABHTH.
1
km
MILLET'S EDLCAT.ON.
Millet, the famous French painter,
was born of peasant folk, frem whom
he had the habit of simple living ai4
a powerful physique. From them, We,
writes the author of "Jeas Fraaeols
Millet and the Barbiaon frk'boel," be
obtained his great tenderness towaid
the people, whom he was destined to
delineate so powerfully.
By working with his folk upon the
farm be bad not only the opportunity
of Incessantly watching the appear
ance of figures in different sorts of
toil, but be obtained as well as actual
knowledge of the farm laborer's rafts.
He learned bow to plow and bow to
sow; he learned all about the pecu
liar nature of all kinds of crops and
every kind of domestic animal; and
he became acquainted with the dis
comfort, with the agony that arises
from continuous bodily exertion, with
all that a farm laborer suffers from
exposure to scorching sun and biting
wind or frost
Millet was happy in his instructors.
His great-uncle, Charles Millet, a
priest, divided his time between la
boring upon the -farm anil giving in
struction to his little nephews and
pieces. At all times this priest im
pressed upon his grand nephew the ne
cessity of being industrious, upright
and courageous; and from him pro
ceeded the impulse of that education
that sent Millet more suitably
equipped for the tusk, that lay befor.;
him than many another artist whose
name has been written large in his
tory. It is said that Vergil's words, "It Is
the hour when the great shadows de
scend upon the plain," first revealed to
the boy the beauty of his own sur
roundings, and first lighted that fire
which, was to be productive of some
of the finest paintings of evening
scenes that the world Is likely ever
to possess.
As to bis Bible nnd Vergil, be read
and reread them, and always in Latin;
and Sensier says, "I have never beard
a more eloquent translator of these
two books." Instead of being an il
literate person, indeed, when he went
to Paris, Millet, "The Wild Man of
the Woods," as be was called by De
laroche's pupils, among whom he
found himself, was already a cultivat
ed man. His edncation bad been far
better than If he bad been an ordinary
member of a bourgeois, or even of a
noble family. Its great characteris
tics were Its thoroughness, its sim
plicity and its refinement the ery
characteristics that make bis owb
works lovable.
Greatest Things Are the Simplest.
The trouble with us is that we look
too high and too far away for our
chances. We forget that the greatest
things are the simplest. In bunting for
roses, we trample the daisies under our
feet We are blind to the chanees and
blessings near us because we are look
ing so far away for them. Every
thing depends upon the power of the
mind to see opportunities. It Is the
eye that can see the chance, the pluck
and determination to lay hold of it and
wring from it every possibility that we
lack, rather than the chance "to make
good." Success Maenzine.
For Infants and Children.
The Kind You Have
Always Bought
1 Bears the
Signature
of
In
Use
For Over
Thirty Years
f
m Jf Mi
AW
tms Manua . aw tomb city.