.
BY MISADVENTURE
rBY
PRANK BARRETT
CHAPTER VII.
I did not anticipate any serious conse
quences from that evening's amusement.
It seemed to me that Miss Dalrymple was
entirely occupied with the music, and
doubtless no thought of anything else
could have entered her head without be
ing suggested to her. But that was not
the case with Lynn Yeames. He was
carried away by the good looks of Miss
Dalrymple, and perceiving that she was
the best woman of the throng, both in
appearance and family connection, he
magnanimously resolved to sink the con
sideration of her being poor and resolved
to secure her at any price, no matter how
rich he might be by the death of his
uncle.
Somehow or other he proposed to her
that night between the parts, perhaps,
when he led her into the adjoining room
for refreshments, though more probably
the old woman, his mother, shammed
sleep in the broughnm to give her son the
opportunity as they were taking Miss Dal
rymple home.
Two mornings after the concert Dr.
Awdrey called on uie, looking as yellow
as an old title-deed.
"You must go up to Flexmore House
t once." he said, without asking me how
I was, or any other preliminary civility.
'Flexmore is in a critical condition
there's not a moment to spare."
"What does he want me for?" I asked.
"He wants to see you about that fool
of a will you drew op for him. Get into
my trap. I tell you there is no time to
waste."
."Aren't you coming with me?" I asked,
as he put the reins in my hand.
"No ; I have another case to attend. I
can do nothing for Flexmore at present ;
Miss Dalrymple has my Instructions, and
I can rely on her carrying them out,"
I drove over to Flexmore House, sus
pecting mischief. I found my old friend
In bed, but perfectly calm and collected.
Miss Dalrymple was In the room, with
little Laure, who clung to her hand as
though she felt that soon there would be
but that to protect and befriend her.
Flexmore took my hand with a smile
silent greeting that was more touching
than words.
"My dear," he said to Miss Dalrymple,
"you must leave us for a few minutes,
please; we have a little matter of busi
ness to discuss, my old friend and I."
"Well, what is it, George?" I asked,
going to the bedside.
"Tony, you must alter that will or
4raw up another at once. You thought
right to tell Dr. Awdrey of the provis
ion I had made. He refuses to be Laure's
guardian or trustee for her fortune."
"HeAvon't get out of it If you let the
will stand; we shall see "
"But the will must not stand; he has
shown me that. For the child's sake,
for that dear girl Gertrude's sake, it must
be altered. They must not be separated.
The money must be left in trust, and her
guardian and trustee must be my nephew,
Lynn Yeames." .
"Nonsense I As soon as Lynn Yeames
finds he has nothing he will cease to pes
ter Miss Dalrymple ; he'll never marry
her If he gets the money; and then how
is your little Laure to live with her? A
.proof that he doesn't mean to marry her
is that he has been hanging about her for
months, but has carefully refrained from
binding himself to any engagement."
"You are wrong, Keene. He proposed
to her night before last."
This took my breath away, and left
me no ground to stand on.
"And she accepted him?" I gasped, af
ter an interval of silence.
"She did. Yeames told Dr. Awdrey
yesterday morning. He came at once to
ine, and arrived at the-very moment I
was seized with the attack -otherwise I
night not have survived it. He was
with me all night; and this morning,
finding me sufficiently recovered to listen
to argument, he had this out with me. He
lias the highest opinion of Lynn so has'
Miss Dalrymple, or she would certainly
not have accepted him. I myself see no
reason to disbelieve in him. In fact,
It's only you, Tony, who stick out so
obstinately against him; and you, as
every one knows, are a man of strong pre
judices very strong prejudices."
"I a man of strong prejudices?" I gasp
ed. "I, a lawyer, whose business it Is
to weigh both sides of the question and
decide impartially? I, an old man of
the world "
"I don't care what you may be; I know
you are an obstinate, pig-headed old fel
low. But you must let me have my way
I know I am right. No argument will
change me I must have my way."
"Good," said I ; "I'll draw up another
will. It shall be Just as you wish.'
As I left the house I spied Lynn
Yeames coming down the road ; but I had
no patience to speak to bim, and jumping
in the doctor's gig, I drove oil as quickly
as I could. I kept the gig at the door;
and then, going into my office, I fetched
out the draft of the old will and a sheet
of foolscap to write the new one upon.
Just at that moment my housekeeper came
in to say that my lunch was served. I
had an hour's work before me;. it would
take another hour and a half to carry It
over to Flexmore, get his signature, and
return.
Just as I was flnlshlbg, there was a
ring at the bell, and my housekeeper
brought In word that Mr. Lynn Yeames
wished to see me. "Ah, ah I" thought I,
"he wants to pump me again, does he?
All right; so he shall." So I bad the
housekeeper show him Into my office, and
say I would be with him in a minute or
two. I emptied my cup, and rose to join
mjr visitor In the next room.
In that moment It struck me that I had
left the draft of the old will on the
office table beside the sheet of fresh fool
scap. I went on tiptoe to the door and
peeped through the green taffety blind.
Lynn Yeames was standing by the table,
looking round him curiously; I could see
him distinctly, but he could not see me,
by reason of the light from the office win
dow falling on the blind. Quickly he
caught up the draft, and ran his eye down
it
Now this, being only a draft, had neith
er date nor signature, and he must have
jumped at once to the conclusion that it
was the copy of a will I was about to
draw up; and seeing that by this draft all
Flexmpre's money was left to Awdrey, it
must have convinced him that this instru
ment was intended to revoke that will
which I had led him to believe was made
in his favor.
The sheet fell from his hand ; he stoop
ed hastily, picked it up, and replaced it
on the table. I moved a chair, made a
clatter with an empty plate as if I were
jnt risinff from mv lunch, then I opened
the door and entered my office briskly.
Lynn Yeames was seated at some dis
tance from the table, looking pale.
"How do you do, sir?" said I. "You
don't look quite yourself this morning."
"I am upset ; my uncle is in a critical
condition I don't know whether you
know it. I came over to tell you I
thought you ought to know, in case there
was any legal matter to arrange."
"As it happens, there is a very impor
tant matter to arrange. I have" just
come back from Flexmore House you
heard nothjng there? Well of course I
can place confidence in you, Mr.
Yeames?"
"I give you my word of honor that
you may depend upon my secrecy," he
hastened to assure me.
"Good, sir. I trust to your honor.
Your uncle is about to revoke his will."
And I glanced significantly at the papers
on the table. "I assure you," I continued,
"I have done all In my power to persuade
him to the contrary."
"Of course you have, in your own in
terest," said he savagely.
"One must' consider one's own interests
sometimes; and after having had the
management of the estate for so many
years "
"What on earth has Induced him to re
voke it?" he asked, taking very slight
pains to conceal -his chagrin.
"I believe he has been considerably in
fluenced by Dr. Awdrey."
"Dr. Awdrey?" he exclaimed. "What
has he been talking about?"
"Well," said I, still with a good deal
of sham hesitation, "I believe you were
indiscreet enough to inform him that you
had proposed to, , and been accepted by,
Miss Dalrymple."
"To what use has the rascal put that
knowledge?" he asked.
"We must not call Dr. Awdrey a ras
cal, sir," said I. "All of us have our own
interests to look after. And really Dr.
Awdrey's case is plausible enough."
"I don't understandfyou ; what do you
mean?" he asked sharply. ,
"You see it's almost an open secret ; at
any rate the fact has for some time been
known to Dr. Awdrey, that my old friend
Flexmore wished Miss Dalrymple to mar
ry the doctor one of those curious fads
that invalids occasionally take up. I
don't know if you have ever remarked "
"Go on, go on, for goodness' sake !" he
exclaimed, interrupting me impatiently,
"Well, sir, lately it has been obvious
that Flexmore's daughter Laure has form
ed a very strong attachment for Miss Dal
rymple a most extraordinary attach
ment." "Yes, I know all about that. . Go on."
"Well, you see it is obvious that Miss
Dalrymple cannot marry both you and
Dr .Awdrey; while, at the same time, it
is equally evident that were you the
child's guardian, and from any unfore
seen accident you might alter your Inten
tion with regard to matrimony, Miss Dal
rymple could only marry Dr. Awdrey by
separating herself from the child Laure."
"But then I could be trustee to the
child's fortune, and leave her guardian
ship to Miss Dalrymple; couldn't I?"
"Oh, certainly, if there . were time to
persuade your uncle to such an arrange
ment, which," I added, with a profound
sigh, "I fear there is not."
He turned his back upon me and going
to the window, looked out into the thick
grey mist, while I, with two or three little
coughs, seated myself at the table, and be
gan laboriously to draw up the new will,
my spectacles low down on my nose, and
one hand on the old draft, which I fre
quently ocnsulted.
"How long will you be before you take
that thing up to the house to be signed?"
asked Lynn Yeames, who as I lifted my
eyes, I found was regarding me attentive
ly. "Dr. Awdrey wos good enough to lend
me bis gig that no time should be lost ;
and, if all goes well, I shall be at Flex
more's house at half -past two near as
possible.' '
He drew his hat a little lower over his
brows, and quitted my office without a
word. As the door slammed, I laid down
my pen, put my hands on my knees, and
had a good chuckle, for I felt I had
played that game of cross-purposes very
well.
But bow would, it end? That I could
not foresee. That he had gone off with
some definite and immediate purpose I
was convinced. Would be in the next
hour undo himself completely by throwing
off Miss Dalrymple and making his unqls
understand that be had no intention of
marrying her? It would be sharp work ;
but men lose no time when their fortunes
are at stake. "We shall see," said I, re
turning to my work, for which I hoped
there would be no need when I went up
for Flexmore's signature.
C'HAl'i'KK VIII.
It was two o'clock when I got Into
the doctor's gig with the new will. My
house was junt on the outskirts of the
town ; Flexmore's was two or three miles
beyond on the other side of Beagle Woods.
The mist bad been thick all the morn
ing; but it was thicker than ever when
I started, so that I could not see three
yards ahead with my glasses un. How
ever, I knew I could trust to the intelli
gence of the doctor's nag, who took that
road every day in the week, and nights aa
well sometimes ; and with my collar well
up, and my nose well down in a comfort
er, off. I started.
I jogged along pretty comfortably un
til we got into the Beagle Woods; there
the mist seemed to have settled down Into
a solid block, and the big trees that skirt
the road on either side increased the ob
scurity. However, the nag kept on her
ambling trot till presently, smash ! Down
she went, without any kind of warning,
up dashed the seat of the gig, and out I
flew, as though I bad been shot from a
catapult.
I was on my legs in a moment, for my
first thought was of the will I had stuck
under the seat cushion, and I feared the
nag would start up a ndbolt with it. I
could hear her breathing heavily ; she did
not attempt to move. I ran back in that
direction, when bang! over I weut ugaiu,
flat on my nose. I bad felt something
strike against my shins, and as I rose
to my feet once more, I discovered the
cause of both falls a cord was stretched
across the road.
It slackened as I touched It, end the
next moment was whisked out of my
hands. Was this the wanton mischief of
boys, or the sinister design of some one
bent upon plunder?
"My name's Anthony Keene, and you
shall suffer for this, you vagabonds, who
ever you are;" I shouted, as I groped
my way to the gig. I am well known
in Coney ford, and I knew that if they
were boys they would scuttle off on hear
ing my' name. ,
There was no sound of voice or foot
fall only the old nag gasping on the
ground. Then I felt sure it was the work
of a man ; but I .was not fearful of any
further mischief, for the thief must be
foolhardy Indeed to attac kan old law
yer, who Is more likely to get him into
trouble than yield much In the way of
booty. -
Feeling about the poor old horse, I
found that both the shafts were broken,
so there was no thought of going on In
the gig even if the horse's legs were not
broken as well. The will was just where
I had stuck it, under the strap of the
cushion ; I clapped it in my pocket, and,
after a moment's reflection, started on to
walk the remainder of the journey, leav
ing horse and trap in the road to tale
their chances.
A nice walk I had tumbling Into a
ditch on the right, and then into a ditch
on the left, running flat up against a
brick wall, and then pitching on to a pile
of flints by the roadside, all the time In
Buch darkness and Impenetrable fog, that
for all I knew I might have been walking
half the time In a circle. To make mat
ters worse, I found my nose was bleeding
from the fall I got over the cord. It
seemed to me I should never get to my
journey's end. However, after a time It
grew less obscure, which made me think
I must have got clear of the Beagls
Woods, which was a comfort; and short
ly afterwards I heard footsteps approach
ing. "Who's there?" I called when I felt It
was time to speak, lestj I ran into some
thing fresh.
"Sam Martin. Be that you, Muster
Keene?" replied a well-known voice.
"Yes( It is. How far am I from Mr.
Flexmore's house?"
"About half a mile keep straight on
by the paling. Thought it were you, Mr,
Keene, by your little squeaking voice.
Shall I turn back wi' ye?"
"No. Go straight on. I've left the
doctor's trap in the road horse down
see what you can do with it, Sam Mar
tin, and take care no one else comes into
mischief over it."
(To be continued.)
The Riot Act.
What Is commonly meant by "reading
the riot act" Is better known than the
origin of the phrase. The historical
riot act was passed by the British Par
liament in the reign of George I. lh
1714. It enncts that felony Is commit
ted when twelve or more persona un
lawfully, riotously nnd tumultously
assemble together to the disturbance
of the public peace, so to continue to
gether for an hour after being com
manded to disperse by the sheriff or
undersheriff or a justice or the mayor
of the borough.
In the "rending" of the British riot
act, which Is a necessary preliminary
to Its being put Into operation, It Is not
customary to recite the whole of the
statute, which Is rather a long one, but
only the following proclamation, which
It contains: "Our sovereign lord the
king clmrgeth nnd commaudcth all per
sona being assembled Immediately to
disperse themselves and peaceably to
depart to their habitations or to their
lawful business uiwn the pains con
tained In the act made In the first year
of King George for preventing tumults
and riotous assembles. God save the
king l"--Chicago News.
SUN-WOESHIP AMONG THE INDIANS.
hmii ii j hi mm
m :: a.v. sft if KAVVr' . vgs;
in, ,1-..:;a; .A&
INDIAN SUN-WOItSIlIP.
Among the remnant of the Blnekfeet Indians, who once ranged over the
territory of Montana and Wyoming, on the east side of the Itockles and be
tween the Yellowstone and Missouri rivers, and who were one of the most
ferocious tribes that the white race hns encountered on the continent, the
worship of the sun still survives! Among the Blackfeet, as among the more
settled and civilized Incas, sun worship was the central pnrt of their rellgoln.
They believed themselves to be the children of the great luminary, and it
was the custom of mothers to hold up their children to be blessed by the
beams of the rising sun. Our illustration depleting such a scene Is by the
"cowboy artist," Charles M. Russell, and Is reproduced from the Illustrated
London News.
CHABACTEB IN OLD SHOES.
Cobbler Studies as He Pec and
Develops Unique "Olony."
"Ologlsts" have for years been tell
ing people's dispositions by the bumps
on their heads, the lines on their hands,
the contour of their faces, their hand
writing and a dozen or more other
methods. Now a new "ology" has como
Into the field, called "shoeology"; and
by It the cobbler to whom you take your
shoes can tell whether you are "square"
or "crooked," level-headed or rattle
brained, shiftless or painstaking, fickle
minded or stubborn and so on ad infini
tum, says the Columbus Dispatch.
Columbus has one "shoeologlst." 113
Is David Cossady, a cobbler who also
owns a small shoe store. Just as n
man's handwriting or his eyes or the
way he wears his clothing betray some
characteristic part of his nature, so
does the way he wears his shoes out
also tell Its story.
Why it is so, even to a certain ex
tent, Mr. Cassady doesn't pretend to
explain. The shape of the foot has
something to do with the way the shoe
wears out; the way a man walks hns
a great deal more. But why the honest
man walks one way and the dishonest
man walks another, or why the heels of
changeable men are Inclined one way
and the heels of stubborn men Inclined
the other, Is a question yet to be solved.
The man who wears his sole off
across the toe will steal," sold Mr. Cas
sady. "But Just think of the women's
shoes thnt come In here worn out that
way?" said another.
"Well, what of It? Won't women
pilfer little things quicker than a man?
They take little things where a man
wouldn't take the chance, becnuse he
knows the value Isn't enough to riRk
the chance of being caught. Look at
the shoplifters.
"Now, a man who wears his shoes
off evenly across the bottom Is a pretty
level-headed sort of a chap. He doesn't
go off half-cocked'and when he snys n
thing you can pretty generally bank on
It." He thought It over before he said
it.
"But when the shoe wears out on the
outside of the sole look out for that
man. He Isn't a man of his word. Don't
extend any credit to him, because you're
liable not to get paid. He's liable to
be a pretty slippery customer In a
deal."
"How about these shoes?" asked an
other listener as he held up his for In
spection; "I can't tell anything about the
soles, becouse you've Just hnd them
mended. But I can tell by the counter
that you're changeable In your nature.
You're not as steadfast as you should
be. Pull your shoe off," and as It was
handed to him he said: "Now If you'll
look down on that shoe from the top,
or from the hack, you'll see that the
counter Is swung Inward. The man
who breaks his counter down toward
the lnalde of bis foot Is changeable in
. , ,,, - , , rlL. A. :.- -'
his nature. It isn't very marked In this
shoe, so you're not so bad."
"What about the mnn who wears his
heel off on the outside?"
"Every one does that. It doesn't
mean anything In 'shoeology.' But there
are men who wear their shoes out
Bquarely on the back of the heel como
down so hnrd they break the counters
down. All I've seen have belonged to
successful men."
"Is there any difference between the
way fat men and slim men wear out
their shoes?"
"Not that I've noticed. They wear
them about the snnie as other people."
In Self-Defenae.
It Is fortunate that the various theo
ries in regard to the training of tha
young do not make ro very much differ
ence, after all, and that the little in
dividual grows up, somehow, Into tha
man or woman It was Intended to be.
The Washington Star has a story, told
by a well-known Instructor who holds
to the old-fashioned Ideas. He soys.
I place little dependence upon moral
suasion. Good healthy boys under moral
suasion have too easy a time of it
They get out of hand.
There Is a friend of mine who la
rearing a fumlly of six boys with tho
help of moral suasion. The mild little
chap argued the matter the other night
at the club.
"And do you believe," said I, "that
moral suasion Is better than corporal
punishment for big, lusty boys Ilka
yours?"
"Yes," sold my friend.
"And do you mean to say you hav
never whipped your boys?" I osked.
"As true as I sit here," answered my
friend, earnestly, "I have never struck:
one of my . children except in self-defense."
The Brtllah Breed.
British bred animals, whether they
be horses, cattle, sheep or even pigs,
are superior to all others In quality
and stamina. There Is some strange
and admirable power In our soil which
puts a stronger fiber and a more en
during stump of excellence Into the
live stock bred In our Islands than are
found In the same breed or species In
any other part of the world. London
Times.
A Cllr ot Happy Homes.
Dublavln took a walk In tne ceme
tery, where he noticed on the tnmh.
stones, "Good Husband," "Good Wife,"
"Good Son."
"It Is evidently here that the hnnnl.
est homes are found," he reflected.
Nos LolBlrs.
It Wasn't Much.
Dlggs You evidently dont smoke
much. Biggs Wny do you think I don't
Dlggs I Inferred as much from thej
cigar you're smoking now. Illustrated
Bits.
Some politicians have long Anger
and short memories,