Lincoln County leader., July 06, 1906, Image 7

for The Term ojjjis Natural Life
By MARCUS CUARKE
CHAPTER XIX. (Continued.l
Well, you gee, that Is the reason why
I am niigry with myself for not loving
you as I ought I want you to like
we minus i like, and to love the books
TI tUn milt.:.. - -1 . 1 . I . .
ms mujii; uuu me pictures ana the
the world I love; and I forget that you
tre a man, you know, and that I am only
a girl; and I forget how nobly you be
haved, Maurice, and how unselfishly you
risked your life for mine. Why, what
is tne matter, dear
He had put her away from him unfl.
flenly, and gone to the window, gazing
across the sloping garden at the bay
below, sleeping in the soft evening light
The schooner which had brought the
witnesses from Tort Arthur lay off the
shore, and the yellow flag nt her mast
fluttered gently In the coo! evening
breeze. The sight of this Pag appeared
to anger him, for, as his eyes fell on
It he uttered an impatiunt exclamation,
and turned round again. Some sudden,
desperate whim enuBed him to exclaim,
"Suppose I had not done all you think,
would you not love me still?"
Her eyes, raised to his face with anx
ious tenderness for the pain she had be
level herself to have inflicted, fell at
tins speech.
"What a question: I don't know. I
appose 4 should; yet but what Is the
use, Maurice, of supposing? I know
you have done it, and that is enough.
How can I say what I might have d ne
If something else had happened? Why,
you might not have loved me."
If there had been for a moment any
sentiment of remorse in his selfish heart,
the hesitation of her answer went far
to dispel it. With the hypocrisy of self
ishness which deceives even itself, he
hid the little head upon his heart with
a sensible glow of virtue,
"God bless you, darling I You are my
friod angel."
The girl sighed. "I will be your good
tngel, dear, if you will let me."
CHAPTER XX.
Hex told Mr. Meekiu, who, the next
flay, diil him the honor to visit him,
that, "under Providence, he owed his
escape from denth t) the kind manner
In which Captain Frere had spoken of
bim."
"I hope your escape will be a warning
to you, my man," sail Mr. Meekln, "and
that you will endeavor to make the rest
of your life an atonement for your early
errors."
"Indeed I will, sir," said John Rex,
who hail taken Mr. Meekln's measure
very accurately, "and It is very kind
of you to condescend to speak so to a
wretch like me. Ah! sir, I wish I had
attended to the gospel's teachings when
I was younger. I might have been saved
from all this."
"You might, indeed, poor man; but the
Divine Mercy is infinite quite Infinite,
and will be extended to all of us to
you as well as to me." (This with the
sir of saying, "What do you think of
that?") "Remember the penitent thief,
Rex the penitent thief."
"Indeed I do, sir."
"I will speak to the authorities about
a change In your dietary scale," return
ed Meekln, patronizingly. "In the
meantime, just collect together In your
mind those particulars of your adven
tures of which you spoke. Such a re
markable history ought not to be lost."
"Thank you kindly, sir. I will, sir.
Ah! I little thought when I occupied
the position of a gentleman, Mr. Meek
ln, that I should be reduced to this.
But it is only just, sir. Good morning,
end heaven bless you, sir!" said Rex,
I with his tongue In his cheek for the
benefit of his yard mates; and bo Mr.
Meekin tripped gracefully away, con
vinced that he was laboring most suc
cessfully In the vlnpynrd, and that the
convict Rex was really a superior per
son. "I will send his narrative to the
bishop," said ha to himself. "It will
amuse him. There most be many strange
histories here, if one could but find them
out"
As the thought passed through his
brain his eye fell upon the "notorious
Dawes," who, while waiting for the
chooner to take him back to Port Ar
thur, had been permitted to amuse him
self by breaking stones.
A fanciful visitor, seeing the irregular
ly rising hammers along the line, might
have likened the shed to the Interior of
tome vast piano, whose notes an unseen
hand was erratically fingering. Rufus
Dawes was seated last of the line. This
was the place nearest the watching con
stable, and was allotted on that account
to the most Ill-favored.
"Well, Dawes," says Mr. Meekln,
measuring with his eye the distance be
tween the prisoner and himself, as one
might measure the chain of some fero
cious dog. "How are you this morning,
Dawes?"
Dawes, scowling In a parenthesis be
tween the cracking of two stones, was
onderstood to say that he was very
well.
"I am afraid, Dawes," says Mr.
Meekin, reproachfully, "that you have
flone yourself no good by your outburst.
In court on Monday. I understand that
public opinion is quite Incensed against
you."
Dawes, slowly arranging one large
fragment of bluestone In a comfortable
basin of smaller fragments, made no
reply.
"I am afraid you lack patience,
Dawes. You do not repent of yonr of
fenses against the law, I fear."
The only answer vouchsafed by the
Ironed man was a savage blow, which
split the atone Into sudden fragments,
' and made the clergyman skip a step
backward.
"You are a hardened ruffian, sir! Do
juu uui near me speak to you 7 I came
to console you, man. I wanted to give
you some good advice!"
"I beg your pardon, sir. Pray go
on."
"I was going to say, my good fellow,
that you have done yourself a great deal
of injury by your Ill-advised accusation
of Captain Frere, and the use you made
of Miss Tickers' name."
A frown, as of pain, contracted the
prisoner's brows, and he seemed with
difficulty to put a restraint upon his
speech. "Is there to be no Inquiry, Mr.
Meekin?" he asked, at length. "What
I stated was the truth. Are they not
going to ask her for her story? They
told me that she was to be asked. Sure
ly they will ask her."
"I am not, perhaps, at liberty," said
Meekin, placidly, unconscious of the ag
ony of despair and rage that made the
voice of the strong man before him
quiver, "to state the intentions of the
authorities, but I can tell you that Miss
Vickors will not be asked anything about
you. You are to go back to Port Ar
thur on the 24th, and to remain there."
A groan burts from Rufus Dawes; a
groan so full of torture that even the
comfortable Meekin was thrilled by It
"Come," says Meekln, "you can't coiu
plnin. You have broken the law, and
you must suffer. Civilized society says
you shn'n't do certain things, and If
you do them you must suffer the penalty
civilized society imposes. You are not
wanting In Intelligence, Dawes, more's
the pity and you can't deny the justice
of that"
Rufus Dawes, as If disdaining to an
swer In words, cast his eyes round the
yard with a glance that seemed to ask,
grimly. If civilized society was progress
ing quite in accordance with justice,
when Its civilization created such places
as thnt stone-walled, carbine-guarded
prison shed, and filled It with such crea
tures as those forty human beasts, doom
ed to spend the best years of their man
hood cracking pebbles In It.
Meditating that night in the solitude
of his cell, he almost wept to think of
the cruel deception that had doubtless
been practiced .on her. "They have told
her that I was dead. In order that she
might lenrn to forget me; but she could
not do that. I have thought of her so
often during these weary years that she
must sometimes have thought of me.
Five years! She must be a woman now.
My little child a woman! Yet she Is
sure to be child-like, sweet and gentle.
How she will grieve when she hears of
my sufferings! Oh! my darling, my darl
ing, you are not dead!" And then, look
ing nastily about him In the darkness,
as though fearful even there of being
seen, he pulled from out his breast a lit
tle packet, 'and felt It lovingly with his
coarse, toil-worn fingers, reverently rais
ing it to his lips, and dreaming over it
with a smile on his face, as though It
were a sacred talisman that should open
to him the doors of freedom.
The usual clanking and hammering
were prevalent upon the stone Jetty at
Port Arthur when the schooner bearing
the returned convict, Rufus Dawes, ran
alongside. He sat with his head bowed
down and his hands clasped about his
knees, disdaining to look until they
roused him.
"Hallo, Dawes!" says Warder Troke,
halting his train of ironed yellow-jackets.
"So you've come back again! Glad to
see yer, Dawes! It seoms an age since
we had the pleasure of your company,
Dawes!" At this pleasantry the train
laughed, so that their irons clanked more
than ever. They found It often Incon
venient not to laugh at Mr. Troke's u
nior. "Step down here, Dawes, and let
me Introduce yer to your hold friends.
They'll be glad to see yer, won't yer,
boys? Why, bless me, Dawes, we thort
we'd lost yer! We thort yer'd given us
the slip altogether, Dawes. They didn't
take care of yer In Ilobart Town, I ex
pect, eh, boys? We'll look after yer
here, Dawes, though. You won't bolt
any more."
"Take care, Mr. Troke," said a warn
ing voice, "you're at it again! Let the
man alone!"
By virtue of an order transmitted
from Ilobart Town, they had begun to
attach the dangerous prisoner to the
last man of the gang, riveting the leg
irons of the pair by means of an extra
link, which could be removed when nec
essary; but Dawes had given no sign of
consciousness. At the sound of the
friendly tones, however, he looked up,
and saw a tall, gaunt man, dressed In a
shabby pepper and salt raiment, and
wearing a black handkerchief knotted
round his throat. He was a stranger to
him.
"I beg your pardon, Mr. North," said
Troke, sinking at once the bully In the
sneak. "I didn't see yer reverence."
"A parson!" thought Dawes, with dis
appointment, and dropped his eyes.
"I know that," returned Mr. North,
coolly. "If you had, you would have
been all butter and honey. Don't you
trouble youself to tell a lie; It's quite
unnecessary. What's your name, my
man?"
Rufus Dawes had Intended to scowl,
but the tone, sharply authoritative, rous
ed his automatic convict second nature;
and he answered, almost despite himself,
"Rufus Dawes."
"Oh," ald Mr. North, eying him with
a curious air of expectation that had
something pitying In It "This Is the
man, I It? I thought he was to go to
the coal mine."
So be Is," said Troke, "but we hain't
a-going to send there for a fortnit, and
In the meantime I'm to work him on the
chain."
"Oh," said Mr. North again. "Lend
me your knife, Troke."
And then, before them all, this curious
parson took a piece of tobacco out of
his ragged pocket and cut off a "chaw"
with Mr. Troke's knife. Rufus Dawes
felt what he had not felt for three days
an interest In something. He stared
at the parson In unaffected astonish
ment Mr. North perhaps mistook the
meaning of his fixed stare, for he held
out the remnant of tobacco to him.
The chain-line vibrated at this, and
bent forward to enjoy the vicarious de
light of seeing another man chew to
bacco. Troke grinned with a silent mirth
that betokened retribution for the favor
ed convict "Here," said Mr. North,
holding out the dainty morsel upon
which so many eyes were fixed. Rufus
Dawes took the tobacco, looked at It
hungrily for an Instant and then to the
astonishment of everybody flung It
away.
From convict mouths went out a re
spectful roar of amazement, and Mr.
Troke's eyes snapped with pride of out
raged Janitorshlp. "You ungrateful
dog!" he cried, raising his stick.
Mr. North put up a hand. "That will
do, Troke," he said; 'I know your re
spect for the cloth. Move the men on
again."
"Get on!" and Dawes felt his newly
riveted chain tug. It was some time
since he had been In a chain gang, and
the sudden Jerk nearly over balanced
him. ne caught at his neighbor, and
looking up, met a pair of black eyes
which gleamed recognition. His neigh
bor was John Rex. Mr. North, watch
ing them, was struck by the resemblance
the two men bore to each other. Their
height, eyes, hair and complexion were
similar. Despite the difference In name,
they might be related. -"They might be
brothers," thought he. "Poor fellows!
I never knew a prisoner refuse tobacco
before." And he looked on the ground
for the despised portion. But In vain.
John Jtex, oppressed by no foolish senti
ment had picked it np and put It In his
mouth.
So Uufus Dawes was relegated to his
old life again, and came back to his
prison with the hatred of his kind, that
his prison had bred In him, Increased a
hundred-fold. It seemed to him that
the sudden awakening had dazed him,
that the flood of light so suddenly let In
upon his slumbering soul had blinded his
eyes, used so long to the sweetly cheat
ing twilight He was at first unable to
apprehend the details of his misery, ne
knew only that his dream-child was alive
and shuddered at him; that the only
thing he loved and trusted hnd betrayed
him; that all hope of justice and mercy
had gone from him forever; that the
beauty had gone from earth, the bright
ness from heaven; and that he was doom
ed still to live. He went about his work,
unheedful of the jests of Troke, ungalled
by his Irons, unmindful of the groans
and laughter about him. His magnificent
muscles saved him from the lash, for
the amiable Troke tried to break him
down in vain. He did not complain, he
did not laugh, he did not weep. His
"mate" Rex tried to converse with him,
but did not succeed. In the midst of one
of Rex's excellent tales Rufus Dawes
would sigh wearily. 'There's something
on that fellow's mind," thought Rex,
prone to watch the signs by which the
soul Is read. "He has some secret which
weighs upon him."
Then Rex came to a conclusion, nis
mate was plotting an escape. He him
self cherished a notion of that kind, as
did Gabbett and Vetch, but by common
distrust no one ever gave utterance to
thoughts of this nature. It would be too
dangerous. "He would be ft good com
rade for a rush," thought Rex, and re
solved more firmly than ever to ally
himself to this dangerous and silent com
panion. One question Dawes had asked which
Rex had been able to answer, "Who is
that North?"
"A chaplain, ne Is only here for a
week or so. There Is a new one com
ing. North goes to Sidney. He Is not
In favor with the bishop."
"Silence there!" cries the overseer.
"Do you want me to report yer?"
Amidst such diversions the days rolled
on, and Rufus Dawes almost longed for
the coal mines. To be sent from the
settlement to the coal mines, and from
the coal mines to the settlement, was to
these unhappy men a "trip."
(To be continued.)
In 1020.
Vl.dtor I suppose there Is a history
connected with that spade?
Museum Attendant There la, sir;
It Is one of our greatest curiosities.
That spade was actually used to dig
with at Panama. Puck.
An Arboreal Observation.
"That supercilious man Is always
talking about his family tree."
"Yes," answered Miss Cayenne, "I
have observed In nature that It Is al
ways the smallest twig that does the
most rustling." Washington Star.
Everybody Seeing tbe Error.
Traveler I hear you have had a
great religious revival In this town?
Westerner Yes-slree. Why, even
the gamblers had to Jlne th' church or
lose their customers. New York Week
ly. Log-to In the Schoolroom.
A Rockland schoolboy's composition
on Whlttlor, handed in the other day,
reached the following conclusion: "He
was never married. He bated slavery."
Rockland (Me.) Star.
As Lon as It's Broad.
A woman Is never happy until she
made her husband confess all; and
then she Is miserable.
'Top, what's an Interrogation
point?" "A little tiling that asks
questions." The Schoolmaster.
Bobble What are his political con
victions? Jobbie Oh, he's liable to
be convicted at any time. Town Top
ics. Kulcker What became of Chauf
feur? Booker He absent-mindedly
crawled under a mule to see why it
didn't go. New York Sun.
Judge Six months. Cos Cob Con
Ah, wot a relief!- Now I kin stop
worrying about where I'm going ter
spend de summer. Puck.
"But why do you live In the city if
you don't like It?" "I have to live
here to make money enough to keep
up my country place." Ex.
Mrs. Kulcker How long will you
be uway this summer? Mrs. Bocker
I don't know. I shall stay $1,000
at the seaside and ?500 at the moun
tains. New York Sun.
Doctor (to pressing creditor) If you
must bring your bill every day, at
least you illicit come with your head
tied um so that people would think
you were a patient! Loudon Tlt-Illts.
A young t!ie-!oghin nnmd Fiddle
Refused to accept his degree;
"For," said lie, " 'tis enough to be Fid
dle, Without being Fiddle D. D."
Puck.
Beuhani I have had my life in
sured for five thousand dollars la your
favor. Mrs. Beuham Well, I'll be
glad to have the money, but I think
you've overestimated your value
Smart Set
"Suy," asked the first messenger
boy, "got any novels to swap?" "I
got 'Snake-foot Dan's Revenge,' " re
plied the other. "Is It a long story?"
"Naw! Ye kin finish it easy In two
messages." Philadelphia Press.
"What Is jour order, sir?" asked
the waiter. "Bring me some frenzied
eggs," said the man with the uapkin
tucked under his chin. And presently
there was a distinctly audible scram
ble In the kitchen.- Chicago Tribune.
At the Hub. A New Yorker was
visiting In Boston. Seeing a parrot in
a cage, he asked: "Does Polly want
a cracker?" "I require no sustenance
from you whatever," replied the Back
Bay bird, with hauteur. Exchange.
"That Mrs. Snaggs is too much of
a arlstycraft fur me to mingle wid."
"How's that?" "She was knocked
down by a pushcart and she had It
put into the paper dat she was lilt by
an automobile." Detroit Free Press.
"Boss," began the beggar, "won't
yer help a poor " "See here!" in
terrupted Goodheart "I gave you
some money last week." "Well, gee
whiz! ain't yer earned any more
since?" Philadelphia Public Ledger.
Mother Willie, you must stop ask
ing your father questions. Don't you
see they annoy him? Wllllt No'm;
It ain't my questions that annoy him.
It's the answers he can't give that
make him mad. Philadelphia Ledger.
"See here," cried the 1I1I collector,
"this bill I've been bringing here so
often is getting worn out, and so Is
my patience!" "Gee whiz, man," re
plied the debtor, "so Is your welcome,
If you only knew It!" Philadelphia
Press.
Miss reechle I want a hammock
that will not break down. Polite clerk
Can't guarantee any of 'em, miss.
Miss Peechie Why, that's strange!
Polite Clerk Not at all. We'd do it if
you were a homely girl, but "
Cleveland Leader.
"I think," he said, "that I am now
just about even with the world."
"Even with the world?" "Even with
the world?" "Yes. I figure that I
have now reached a point where I owe
Just about as many people as I don't
owe." Brooklyn Eagle.
Tramp It Is needless to ask you
the question, madame. You know
what I W'aut. Lady Yes, I know
what you want badly, but I've only
oue bar of soap la the house, and the
servant Is using it. Come again some
other time. Glasgow Times.
He As soon as we are married,
dearest, I will take out au endowment
Insurance policy, so that you may bo
protected. Slit Don't you think you'd
better take out au accident Insurance
policy now, George? You haven't spo.
ken to father yet, you know Phila
delphia Press.
A little boy once told his friend, an
other youngster, that his mother was
accustomed to give him a nickel every
morning so that he should take his
cod-liver oil In peace and quietness.
"Well, what do you do with It?" in
quired the little friend. "Mother puts
It In a money-box until there Is a dol
lar." "And what then?" "Why then
mother buys another bottle of cod-
liver oil with It." The Pathfinder.
ESTIMATED AGE OF THE EARTH.
Scientists Declare This World lias
Ezlnted 100,000,000 Yearn.
The best geological estimates of the
age of our globe are In close agreement
From the time when the record of the
stratified rocks begin to the present
the figures are something over 100,000,
000 years, says the Review of Reviews.
While some of the estimates vary con
siderably both above and below the
period mentioned, the general results
are not materially affected. A genera
tion ago calculations of the earth's
age were, for tbe most part, very much
less than one-half of the figure given.
Dana, for Instance, ' computed the
length of the paleozoic time at about
80,000,000 years; of mesozoic time,
0,000,000 years, nnd of cenozolc time,
3,000,000 years, making In all 48,000,
000 years. Recently, however, there
hag been found beneath the vast pale
ozoic sequence an assemblage of rocks
of enormous extent All geologists are
now agreed in plnclng the time equiv
alent of these pre-Cambrlan elastics as
equal, at least, to the entire time that
has elapsed since the beginning of tho
paleozoic era. Taking into considera
tion this fact, even Dana's estimate Is
doubled and reaches very nearly the
100,000,000 mark.
Biologists tell us that nt the begin
ning of Paleozoic time life In general
was already nine-tenths differentiated.
There must have been a period of time
prior to this during which organic
forms flourished, and during which
Bailments were laid down, that was
very, very long. This early period, pos
sibly, was not ten Unius as long as
from Cambrlnn times to the present,
as the figures cited might suggest, but
It certnlnly was at least two or three
times as long. From all these differ
ent sources one can arrive nt a com
parative scheme. If wo consider the
ratios, we get for Archeozoic time 2.1,
for Proterozolc time 3M, Paleozoic time
2S, Mesozoic time 8, Cenozolc time 3.
and we obtain for the total number of
years something like 1.10,000,000.
A saturated solution of Epsom salts
Is an excellent remedy for burns. Ap
ply as soon ns possible, and keep wet
continually until the pain ceases.
Castor oil and cod-liver oil will not
taste so bad If the child first holds a
few drops of vinegar or lemon Juice lu
Its mouth. The spoon should also bo
dipped In vinegar or lemon Juice bo
fore tbe oil Is put lu. This will not
spoil the effects of the oil.
While hives are usually a disorder of
the warm weather, some persons suffer
from their effects atdlffercnt seasons of
the year. A good lotion which can bo
applied to the affected parts several
times every day Is made of one-quarter
ounce of powdered borax, one-half
ounce spirits of camphor, three ounces
of glycerine.
Offensive breath Is sometimes due to
bad teeth nnd sometimes to dyspepsia.
When tho teeth are decayed, a visit
must be paid to the dentist. When dys
pepsia is the cause, the inhalation of a
few drops of pure ten-beuu from time
to time. It Is a condition which can
be readily cured by a little attention to
the general health, and especially by
avoiding constipation.
The easiest and most effective way
to cure a cold Is not to take or contract
It. How can you do that, do you ask?
This way: Every evening Just before
retiring give yourself n thorough rub
bing from bend to foot, Including the
feet, with a coarso linen towel moder
ately well dampened. It Is a posltlvo
sure preventive and cures colds, catarrh
and, In most cases, of rheumatism nlso.
This assurance Is based on nn experi
ence of five years. Try it faithfully for
six months.
Exercise Is of great Importance In
the treatment of Indigestion. The best
forms of exercise nre those thnt secure
the most general activity of the mus
cular system wth pleasurable exhilara
tion nnd recreation. The best of all ex
ercise Is play of various kinds. Out
door games, such as tennis, golf, hnre
and hounds, skating, walking and so
on are the most beneficial. Exerclso
taken Indoors nnd ns a necessity Is
less advantageous, but Is necessary
where the more stimulating outdoor ex
ercise cannot be taken.
Has galled 2,000,000 Jlllei,
Cnpt. Alexander Simpson, nn English
master mariner, recently completed his
seventy-first voyago from London to
Australia and hack, having been In that
trade for over forty years. Altogether
he has covered 2,000,000 miles without
serious mishap.
Our Idea of a good photograph Is
one that doesn't look much like the
original.