Lincoln County leader., April 10, 1908, Image 3

BY MISADVENTURE
:BY
FRANK-BARRETT
CHAPTER. HI.
After this I aid to Flexmore:
"Why on earth don't you marry Miss
Dalrymple?"
"Do you thnk that she would have
me?" he asked, with a composure that
-showed that the Idea was not unconsld
red. "She Is worthy of a better man
than I am, and I have no wish to mar-
.nr.- . ,
"That Isn't much of a reason. You
have to think of what Is best for your
daughter and Miss Dalrymple. Tour lit
tle one ought to have a mother some one
from whom she will be inseparable when
you are gone; and there's not a soul in
the world better fitted to take the place
of a mother than that girl."
"She must marry Awdrey; that is the
husband for that sweet girl."
"Dr. Awdrey !" I exclaimed in aston
ishment, for I had never thought of him
as a marrying man.
"Yes. He loves her I lnow he does.
Who could see her and know her, and
not love her? . And he is an excellent
fellow. I wish he were a" little lighter
and better looking; but I couldn't wish
him to have a better heart, or a more
lovable disposition. He'sTt fine man,
Tony."
"He won't marry her, for all that. It's
as mueti as ever be can do to keep his
head above water now, and fool as he is
in worldly matters he wouldn't tie a
millstone round his neck."
"Miss . Dalrymple Is not a millstone,"
aid poor old Flexmore, warmly.
"I know that She's a good woman and
would work herself ill to help ber hus
band, or worry herself ill if she couldn't
That is what Awdrey would not have his
wife do, and the only way to prevent It
la to keep single. And single he'll keep."
"No, Keene, no; he must marry Ger
trude. I have thought it all out My
little Laure must have a father as well
aa a mother when I'm gone and I don't
think that is long hence, Tony. I shan't
ee sixty-four." "
I tried to combat this notion, though I
myself was far from thinking it improba
ble; and then to turn the conversation,
I said:
. "Well, to go back to what you have
been thinking out what's your Idea?"
"I wish to put Awdrey in a position to
marry Miss Dalrymple. I know he la
poor, but I am rich. I would leave him
very penny I have on the condition that
be adopts Laure as his daughter."
"I see your notion. There will then be
a second inducement for him to make
Miss Dalrymple his wife In the fact that
the child is Inseparable from her. I think
the idea is an extremely good one, so
good that 1 wish I had thought of it my
self." "-Very well, then ; draw up a will In
accordance with it. Settle everything
upon Awdrey, subject to deduction "for a
few smaller legacies that I will write In.
Let me have the draft of it in a week at
the outside, Tony," he said eagerly.
I' promised to do this, and went home,
turning the matter over in my mind. I
considered it from time to time during
the week, and finding no material objec
tion to the scheme, I put Flexmore's
notion into legal form, with certain mod
ifications, and then took a rough draft
for his inspection.
"Is your master at home?" I asked the
girl who opened the door.
" "Yes, sir ; he's in the library with Mrs.
Yeames and Mr. Yeames."
"Mr. Yeames? what Mr. Yeames?" I
asked the little maid, sharply.
"Mr. Lynn Yeames is his name, I think,
air ; a young gentleman."
"Mrs. Yeames' son. I know him,"
aid I i and then I stood, rubbing my feet
on the mat and wondering what on earth
brought him upon the scene for. No
ood, I felt sure.
Mr. Lynn Yeames was the son of Mrs.
Yeames by her second marriage. This
n ii nnfr mhaIi In hla fnurt. Kufr tli nut
T1 1 U V b U U1S .H1V1 IUB UTtll
was much less to hia advantage. I had
been twice employed by Flexmore on his
account ; once to settle some college debts
which Mrs. Yeames declared she could not
meet, and a second time to stay an action
for breach of promise, threatened by a
townsman's daughter with whom he had
got entangled. Fellows brought up by
foolish women on bad principles ars al
ways either getting out of scrapes or get
ting Into them, and I asked myself which
purpose bad procured his uncle the doubt
ful pleasure of this visit
I shook myself together, and went into
the library with my wits on the alert
Lynn Yeames was at this time about
four-and-twenty and his-looks would have
deceived anyone but a lawyer. A sturdy
-young fellow of average height, but very
thick-set. His skin was very fair, his
eyes very blue, his lips very red ; his hair
was combed down on one side of his fore
head, -and he had a small carroty mus
tache. Most people, I believe, would
have been favorably Impressed with him,
jut I did not like blm.
He had come down, it seemed, to spend
a few days, and he had only been here a
day and was awfully bored already not
a deoent billiard board in the place, and
not a light to be Been after ten-thirty.
He wanted to know if there was any ,
Ashing or shooting, or any mortal thing a
man might do to earn a night's repose.
"There's the piano, Lynn, dear," sug
gested Mrs. Yeames, anxious to show off
W son's accomplishments. '
"Have you heard anything lately from
Kiss Kite?" I asked. This was the name
of the injured young lady at Oxford.
"If you please, do not mention the
name of that horrid, designing, worthless
person," said Mrs. Yeames. 9
"She's worth four hundred pounds
more than she was, madam," said I ; "for
that's what I had to pay to - make her
withdraw her action."
Mrs. Yeames flicked the dust off her
silk gown and looked decidedly uncom
fortable. ""No new scrape, I hope," Mr. Lynn?" I
continued.
"Not exactly. What in the world should
make you suppose there was?" he asked
sheepishly, for it takes very little to up
set the equanimity of these boisterous
young gentlemen. '-
"Why, seeing you here!"
"I want to find some shooting. That's
all I came for." - i
"I can let you have It if you are pre
pared to pay. I have a client who will
let you the shooting over two thousand
acres. Come to my office and I will ar
range it at once." -
I wanted to get him away from there,
for already I scented the purpose with
which be had been brought j and I was
anxious to let him the shooting which was
twenty miles off.
"Oh! you cannot go yet, dear,' Inter
Tn.H Vn. Thuih: "you have not seen
Laure. How is that little darling,
George, dear?"
"Very well, thank yon. She has gone
for a walk with Miss Dalrymple."
"Miss Dalrymple? Who is she? a gov
erness?" asked Lynn.
"Something more than that quite a
friend of the family a most estimable
young lady. She was a professional nurse,
but what do you think? it turns out
she is the niece of the Earl of Dunover !"
This change In- Mrs. Yeames' regard
towards Gertrude was not surprising, con
sidering what a sycophant the widow
was; but nothing could make me believe
that In the past twenty-four hours she
had said not a word about her to Lynn.
"I should like to see the young lady
If she is young," said Lynn.
"Oh, she Is,' I assure you, and excessive
ly charming and pretty," said Mrs.
Yeames; "quite superiah! You really
must see her."
"We'll go to the office and settle about
that shooting," said I, rising.
We left Mrs. Yeames at her cottage,
and went on to my place of business.
Nothing was said about my old friend
Flexmore until we had settled about the
shooting, when Lynn said, as he took up
his stick and deerstalker:
"Poor old nuncky looks precious shaky,
should you? He's sixty-two, you know."
"His life's worth tenyears' purchase,"
said I emphatically.
"Is it though?' Then after a pause
"I suppose he's pretty warm?"
"I would give fifty thousand for his
estate at this moment."
"Who's this Miss Thingumbob the ma
ter was talking about?"
"Miss Dalrymple. She Is a particular
ly sensible young lady," I replied.
"Wouldn't mind marrying the old man
if she had the chance, eh?".
,"I hope not sincerely."
"Oh, you approve of his marrying Miss
Dalrymple, do you?"
"Undoubtedly for ' hia own sake and
the sake of his child- It's the very thing
I have been persuading him to do."
He was not sharp enough to see that
my object was to put him on a wrong
scent, and avert his suspicion from our
actual wish and purpose.
"Well, if it is really to nuncky's Inter
est to marry the girl, I hope he may get
her," said he, giving me his hand; and
we looked straight into each other's face
before saying good-bye. I read In bis
eyes, "But he sha'n't marry her If I can
help it" What he read in mine I can
not say. . -
' Business took me to London, and kept
me there hard at It for a fortnight. I
had scarcely time to think of old Flex
more, but I went straight to him the mo
ment I returned. I found a perceptible
difference In his appearance; he looked a
coup's of years older.
"I am glad to see you, Tony," he said,
holding my hand in his and giving- it" a
trembling shake from time to time. "I
am getting anxious about the will. I
can't last long, I know; and I am very
unsettled in my mind about many things."
"You shall sign the draft and that will
hold good In case of accident while the
copy is being drawn up in form.- We'll
settle that aftes- dinner for I mean to
dine with you, George. There's game
,cooklng; I can smell It"
lea ; we have had a good deal of game
lately. Lynn brings something, nearly ev
ery day."
"What, he came to stay a week, and la
not gone yet?" I cried.
Flexmore shook his bead. "I don't
think he means to go away, either," he
said.
"What does he come here for? "Do you
know, George?" I asked.
"To see Miss Dalrymple, I believe. He
is paying her marked attention."
"I knew It I" I cried. "I saw what he
was after.' : - .
"Do you think he means to marry her?
Is that what you saw?"
"No; but: I saw he had made up his
mind to prevent you marrying her I"
CHAPTER IV. .
' What I had not foreseen was the means
b which Lynn Yeames precluded an offer
.of marriage being made to Miss Dalrynk
pie bj his uncle. I had not thought ol
him making love to her himself; rather I
anticipated b'.t taking some underhaud
measures, in conjunction with his mother,
to prejudice Flexmore against her. "You
have not encouraged your nephew's vis
its, have you, George?" I asked.
"No; at the same time I could not re
fuse to receive him. There is nothing in
his behavior I could take exception to.
Indeed, be has tried his utmost to makt
himself agreeable."
"I don't doubt that for a moment ban,
him I - He can make himself pleasant If
be likes, or unpleasant, either. I war
rant he's clever enough to keep his moth
er out of sight. What effect has he mads
on Miss Dalrymple with his agreeable
ways?" '
"I am afraid she likes him. It Is only
natural she should be brighter and gayer
in his society. I am very dull, and there
are no visitors here none of her own ag
and then Lynn is clever and lively, he
plays nicely, and sings well, too. He Is
very attentive, and she could not be un
gracious." "We must stop It at that. There's m
time to be lost," said I.
"Do you think he Intends to marry
her?"
"Not unless he's sure she has money.
It your money were settled on her, he
would. We will set his mind at rest on
that subject. You must sign your will,
and give me permission to make its pro
visions known to Dr. Awdrey. I wager
that we will soon put Master Lynn's nose
out of joint."
I took care to be on the road about
the time Awdrey was starting on his
rounds, and when he came up in his gig I
asked him to give me a lift as far as
Langly. He had to shift half a dozen
books from the seat beside him to make
place for me. . , .
"What on earth are you carting youi
library about tor'" 1 asked.
"They're only books of reference. Going
along straight roads and up hill I can
give the old pony the reins and do a bit
of work."
"You're burning the candle at both
ends; It's bad enough to sit up half the
night over your books. Families don't
care for bachelor doctors. You ought to
marry J"
"Marry!" exclaimed Awdrey with a
grim laugh ; and then he looked ruefully
into the distance.
' "Yes, marry," I repeated. "There's
Miss Dalrymple; you ought to marry
her."
"What, do you think she likes me?
he asked, with eager quickness.
"I don't know who doesn't like you."
"Oh, in a general way," said he in a
tone of disappointment. "Well, suppos
ing she bad liked me well enough to risk
the chance of poverty, do you think it
would have been fair to take advantage
of her courage, knowing what an unlucky
beggar I am?"
"But you're nots an unlucky beggar,"
said I. "Read that," and I put the draft
of old Flexmore's will into his hand,
open, that he might have no hesitation
in glancing at it.
lie just ran bis eye down the draft
which could be read at a glance, for I
pride myself on writing legibly and bold
ly, and then exclaimed, turning to me in
astonishment :
"Great powers! . Why should Flex
more leave me ail this money?"
"That you may marry the girl you
love, and that his child may have a good
woman as well as a good man to protect
and befriend her."
He dropped his hand, and I folded uft
the draft and slipped it back in my
pocket. When I glanced at him again ha
was staring into the distance, and there
was moisture on the lower lasb of his
eye.
"Too late, too late!" he faltered. If
I had only known this a week ago !"
" "Well, what difference would that have
made? The draft was .made out a fort
night ago."
He shook his head. "Don't you know
that Lynn Yeqmes is in love with ber?"
he asked. "He came to me and in a
frank and loyal manner told me that he
had heard that I was an old friend of
Miss Dalrymple ; he asked me if. I were
more than her friend if I Intended to
make her my wife. I knew what that
meant, and answered that I bad no In
tention to marry her, and that she was
free so far as I was concerned. 'In that
case,', said he, 'I shall make her my wife.'
And we shook hands on this understand
ing. With my hand in his, he asked if
he might consider me his friend, and I
answered heartily, 'Yes ! "
"Confound Lynn Yeames!" I cried, un
able to control my exasperation.
"You must admit that he acted openly
and loyally," said Awdrey. "You arf
deceived In him." -
"Yes," I replied, "for I did not think
he was such a clever rascal as he Is. Aw
drey," I added, after a minute's thought,
"you must forget last week."
"Forget that I renounced all hope ok
making Gertrude my wife! Forget an
understanding made with a man to whom
I gave my hand as a friend ! You don't
know me, Mr. Keene." .
"Oh, yes I do," said I savagely. "Put
me down here. I might as well try to
soften the Lord Chief Justice with a sigh
as convert you from your principles with
reasoning, you obstinate, stiff-backed old
pl)l-monger; Here, give me your, hand,"
I . added, as I got to the ground, and I
tried to hurt him with my grip. "There!
I've done with you ; go on," said I. But
as we parted, I added, speaking to my
self, "But I've not done with Lyna
Yeames yet, drat him !"
(To be continued.)
A Superior Sort.
"No wonder this chicken Is tough,"
growled the city boarder; "here Is a
piece of rubber In It" ' . .
"Wall, that's all right, neighbor,"
drawled the old farmer. "I advertise!
aatorooblle-kined chickens, didn't II"
WANTS BIO ARMY.
Major General Bell Says Unci Sam
Should Have 250,000 Men.
A I'uited States array of 250,000 men.
That is what MaJ. Gen. J. Franklin
Bell, chief of staff, says Uncle Sum
would need If involved In war with
any Orst-class power. "We should not
allow ourselves to nurse a false sense
of security," says this man, who Is In
charge of the United States army, In
his annual report, "or continue to en
tertain the Illusion that a brave, but
untrained, unorganized people can grap
ple successfully with another nation
better trained and organised."
This Is from Gen. Bell's report, in
which be asks the government to con
sider Important facts, recommending an
Increase In the army and the restora
tion of the canteen.
"It is a modest assumption," says
Gen. Bell, "to say that the United
States will, If Involved In war with
any first-class power, require the Im
mediate mobilization of 250,000 men,
to be speedily followed by as many
more, with a possible ultimate addi
tional Increase of four times that num
ber. "One division, 18,00 troops, Is, of
course, not sufficient to meet any need
at a time when Isolation hns become
a thing of the pnst, and we have points
of a possible friction in so many di
rections. That we can first In any
popular outburst ' raise volunteers in
great numtiers may be admitted. We
have the men, the money, etc., but
we will not have the time to convert
these men Into soldiers able to cope
with the trained soldiers of other na
tions. It can be safely relied upon
tha( the remoteness of war largely de
pends upon preparation to meet it Un
less other great nations are wrong
and wasting time and money, they are
giving us an object lesson which
Americans will some time have to
learn by costly and humiliating experi
ence, and which It Is the urgent dutj
of professional soldiers to point out;
namely, that time and training are
both necessary to convert an untrained
volunteer Into a soldier, .whether for
Infantry, cavalry, artillery, engineers'
or signal corps. The last great war
clearly demonstrated that the side
which Is ready and acts promptly gains
. decisive advantage.
"The engineer force as now organ
ized Is insufficient for the needs even
of proper peace training of the army.
During the past two years, on not less
than ten or twelve occasions, actual
necessities for engineer troops have
arisen which could not be met, because
of the relative suiallness of this branch
of the service."
Keports are to the effect thnt the Wis
consin Central Is securing a through route
between Chicago and Winnipeg by the
way of Dulutb.
The management of the Pennsylvania
road has Issued instructions that wher
ever possible business shall be transacted
by train letters Instead of telegraph. The
order Is in the interest of economy and
has resulted in reducing the daily num
ber of messages sent from the Broad
street station, Philadelphia, by nearly
2,000.
On New Year's eve culminated a
unique movement for industrial temper
ance when a pledge of total abstinence
iigned by 25,000 employes of the Northr
western railroad went into effect. It
itarted among the employes after Jt had
been made known that the management
was selecting the drinking men for dhv
nissnl In reducing the force.
The railroad companies doing business
m Missouri have about decided not to con
test the State 2-cent fare law, because
they are now confident that the reduction
jf traffic shown by their figures since the
aw went into effect will satisfy the courts
:hat it is Inequitable and confiscatory. A
Missouri Pacific official said the receipts
liad declined 30 per cent In the last ninety
lays, and a Wabash man said that the
xmhlnad loss to all the roads In passenger
traffic alone was $0,000,000.
OEN. J. P. BELL.
y
IF PAY IS NOT RAISED
Officers Deeply Concerned Over
Future If Men Are Not Given
Adequate Compensation.
MORE INFANTRY IS NEEDED.
Half-Filled Regiments Result of Low
Wages for Work Enlightening;
Article by General Carter.
V
Washington correspondence i
One could not exaggerate If he would
the spirit of actunl hopelessness with
which the officers of the American
army will view the future If Congress
falls at the present session to pass the
bill granting an Increase of pay to the
rank and file. At some of the posts
there are barely enough soldiers to do
guard duty as It ought to be done.
It Is a present condition with which
the army officers' are concerned first,
aud It Is a future condition over whlcbr
they are concerned Becond. The fu
ture condition Is the more serious, be
cause It means that If things go on as
they hove been doing the country and
Its Island possessions will be defense
less. Men who have worn shoulder knots
since the days of the civil war say
In all seriousness that unless the peo
ple bring pressure to bear upon Con
gress to provide adequate pay for the
soldiers the people will And them
selves, as far as the regular army en
ters Into the matter, practically with
out defense, and reduced almost to the
stage of having no seasoned force as
a nucleus of efficiency for untrained
national guardsmen and green volun
teers. Post libraries, recreation rooms,
field athletics, comfortable quarters,
good food, good clothing, free medlcul
attendance and plunge and shower
baths all avail nothing to attract men
to a life which would draw them by
the thousands If a decent allowance
of pay for the service they render In
peace, and always have been willing to
render In war, were added to the in
ducements. Joint encampments of the regulars
and the national guardsmen will be
held next summer. The regulars en
joy camp as well ns garrison service,
though the duties are harder. It Is
the belief of officers of the army that
these encampments, Into whoso mili
tary life the notional state soldiers en
ter, would induce enlistments from
the national guard by the hundreds If
the men knew that their pay would be
commensurato with the work they are
willing to do for their country.
In a recent number of the North
American Itevlew General William H.
Carter, commanding the Department
of the Lakes, has an enlightening arti
cle under the Btrongly suggestive title,
"When Diplomacy Falls." It Is writ
ten by an officer not given to sounding
trumpet alarm notes and who for the
worth of his service wus made a Brig
adier General years before the time
when under the ordinary rule bf pro
motion he would have been entitled to
wear his star.
Army officials believe that If the es
tablishment were enlarged post life
would be for more attractive because
of the greater number of soldiers in
the garrison. If the proposed advance
In pny Is passed by Congress the offi
cers also believe that there will be no
trouble In keeping the ranks filled, and
that re-enlistments will be the rule
rather than the exception, as they are
o-day.
Low Death Rata In Navr.
Much Interesting Information In r
gard to the navy is found In the recent
annual report of Surgeon General Klxey.
With an average strength, Including the
Marine Corps, of about 42,000, both afloat
and ashore, the total number of deaths in
the navy for the year was 241, a ratio of
6.00 per 1,000.
It is natural that a picked class of me
under constant surveillance should maki
a better record than .the heterogeneous
population of a city. But the contrast
between a rate of 5.00 In the navy and a
rate of from 80 to 35, or even higher,
In the cities is a good showing for the
former.
Of these 241 deaths only 144 were
from disease. The remaining 07 were
from Injury, including poisons.
Photos Sent by Wireless.
Pascal Berjonnenu, an Inventor, recent
ly exhibited before the Postmaster Gen
eral at Paris a new telephotography ap
paratus which can be adapted to the
wireless system or to the ordinary tele
graph wire system. He transmitted the
picture of the postmaster without the aid
of wires from one end of the hall to the
other. The Inventor claims that distance
does not interfere with the effectiveness
of his method. Photographs, he says,
can be sent by It between New York and
Paris. "
The mnn who digs artesian wells la
something of bora