Lincoln County leader., June 05, 1908, Image 7

BY MISADVENTURE
:BV
FRANK BARRETT
CHAPTKR XVII. (Continued.)
I felt as If the floor had suddenly sunk
way from under my feet; but I was too
old to let it be seen, and said as calmly
as I could:
"Well, sir, go on. You have not come
here simply to make that statement, I
presume?"
"That's one charge ; but mark me !" he
said, pausing to put his finger to the
side of his fat nose, where he kept it as
he continued : "Mark me ! it isn't the only
one more than one witness to be pro
duced. There's another charge charge
more serious than stretching rope cross
road upsetting you."
"And pray what charge Is that, Mr.
Bax?" I asked with pretended indiffer
ence. "A criminal charge. We reserve it re
spect for Mr. Lynn Yeames' feelings.
Here's the fact we can throw will into
chancery, and ruin Dr. Awdrey, if we
make facta public. Lynn Yeames does
not wish to proceed ; Mrs. Yeames does.
So do I. To meet Lynn's wishes we will
abandon proceedings" once more he laid
his stubby finger on bis stubby nose, "on
condition."
"Toll ptrnlght out whnt yoi Tnn
by that," I said.
"I mean our side abandons proceed
ings written guarantee and all that sort
of thing; you on your side pay over in
terest on money left in trust for Miss
Flexmore. Awdrey professes he has no
right to money give It up, to Lynn, who
has. Loses nothing avoid scandal
oaves reputation. There you are."
"Have you anything more to add to
this proposition?" I asked.
"Nothing except this stay proceedings
for a week time for you to arrange with
Awdrey, and give us decision. One week
from to-day you understand?"
"Perfectly well; there is no necessity
to keep you waiting a week for a decis
ion ; you shall have it at once. On behalf
of my client and myself, I refuse to have
anything more to say to you. Let me say
in conclusion, you pettifogging rascal,"
Mid I, rising and giving free vent to my
anger, "that if you could prove your crim
inal charge against Dr. Awdrey, I am the
last person in the world who would com
pound a felony, but the first who would
take measures to punish the man who did.
Get out of my house I"
He got up on bis little legs, gasping
and stammering, dropped his gloves out
of his hat, got purple in the face in
picking them up, gasped and stammered
again ; but quickly made hie way through
the open door with his small blue eyes in
the corner, for all the world like a pig
bolting past a driver. Mrs. Yeames' de
scription of me or her son's, for I had
no faith in his standing out, had evi
dently been not flattering, and he had
thought to find in me a shuffling scoun
drel of bis own stamp.
CHAPTER XVIII.
This event gave me no little anxiety
at first, but it wore off when I came to
consider it calmly. I could not believe
in the man's statement respecting a crim
inal charge in reserve. It was not likely
he would keep back the stronger induce
ment in leading to a compromise. As for
his witness to prove that Awdrey had
been instrumental to my delay, that was
nothing; be could get as many witnesses
of that kind as he chose at a pound a
head. No; it seemed to me nothing but
a mere attempt at extortion, got up,
probably, by Yeames, his mother and
Bax, who thought, very likely, that I
vhould be rascal enough to stand in with
them.
I flattered myself that I had shown
iJax the folly of his "proceedings," and
that I should neither see nor hear any
more of him or his criminal charges. And
(his belief was strengthened when two
days later Lynn Yeames appeared in
Joneyford, and his mother returned to her
TOttage.
He went the very morning of his ar
rival to Dr. Awdrey, and in the after
noon I saw them going along the High
Street together, Lynn with bis arm linked
hi Awdrey's. They were going towards
the farm to see about some alterations
and Improvements that had occurred to
the doctor in the other's absence. I felt
sure then that the Intimidation scheme
was abandoned.
Nothing occurred for several days; but
in Friday, the 20th of March, Miss Dal
rymple called upon me. She was as pale
as a ghost Her hand trembled in mine.
"Oh, Mr. Keene !' she exclaimed, "what
Is the meaning of these rumors?"
"Sit down, my dear," said I, guessing
what she meant. "Sit down ; now tell me
what It is you have heard."
"They say that Dr. Awdrey prevented
you from arriving at the house in time for
Mr. Flexmore to sign his will. A man
has confessed to being employed by him."
"I have heard nothing about that. Ha,ve
you heard anything else?"
"Oh, yes, yes ! They say that the med
icine he gave me to administer to Mr.
Flexmore was" she hesitated a moment,
and dropping her voice so that It was
scarcely audible, said "poisoned!" ,
I started. This, then, was the criminal
charge Bax had hinted at.
"Who told you this?" I asked, when I
had overcome the first dash of astonish
ment "Mrs. Caseby came to tell me. She
thought that I ought to know."
"I know what is In your mind," said
L "You do not wish Awdrey to know
what yon have tolJ me. Be under no
pprehension; a lawyer knows how to
:eep a secret when it suits him. Leave
he matter In my hands, and by to-morrow
norning you shall have news, of some
'tind good news, I feel pretty sure."
I lost no time in seeing Dr. Awdrey;
on my way to his bouse I settled bow to
act
"Well, Awdrey," said I when we met,
"how is the world using you?"
"Pretty much the same as usual only
more so," he said with a laugh ; and then
in a tone of perplexity be continued : "I
can't quite make It out. I have received
three letters to-day asking for my ac
count, and all three have employed me
only about a month. I suppose it's a po
lite way of telling me that I am not want
ed any more."
"That's it," said I, "and the reason is
that you are accused of throwing me out
of a gig, and poisoning poor old Flex
more." "What !" he exclaimed, knitting his
brows in astonishment.
"It's a fact. The rumor is circulating.
You'll have none but your paupers to
doctor at the end of the week."
"I'm glad of !t," snid b "if th rmt
will listen to such nonsense as that"
"We shall have to take measures to
disprove the "Jiarge, doctor," said I.
"Then don't lose any time about It,"
Raid he. "Poor Nurse Gertrude !" he add
ed tenderly, thinking doubtless of the af
front he had received being offered to
her. Then in a tone of vexation he ask
ed, "How long have you known this,
Keene?"
"Well, I heard something about It more
than a week ago."
"Why didn't you tell me at once?"
"Because I thought it merely a scheme
to extort money. A man named Bax
spoke about it He tells me he is a friend
of the Yeames family."
He went off at ones to find Lynn. And
not long afterwards I caught sight of the
pair In the High street, Lynn with his
arm linked through the doctor's, and a
look on bis face that seemed to bid peo
ple observe that he still believed in Aw
drey's Innocence. While I was looking
after them, a colleague clapped me on the
shoulder, and said in a low voice, nod
ding toward the two:
"Which is the Judas?"
"There can be no doubt about that"
I replied, "unless Judas be too good a
name for Lynn Yeames."
"I am not so sure about that, Keene.
I don't like Awdrey's quiet, long-suffering,
martyiish manner. He's a clever man
ten times cleverer than Yeames clever
enough to make a big venture. If I had
to judge without evidence, I should ac
quit Yeames and hang Awdrey. And I
believe if you could only clear your mind
of prejudice-"
I would not wait to bear more of such
fustian. I had no patience. In due
course I made a formal application for
the post-mortem examination of Flex
more's remains. To my astonishment I
learned that the inquiry had been already
demanded and accorded ; the examination
was to be made at once.
"Lynn assures me, and I believe him,"
said Dr. Awdrey when we next met, "that
be has been opposed to his mother's ac
tion from the very beginning. He could
not with any delicacy tell me of her pro
ceedings. He himself insisted on Bax
quitting his mother's house."
CHAPTER XIX.,
The examination resulted in this :
Whether accidentally or otherwise,
enough of a noxious substance bad found
its way into Flexmore's body to have de
cidedly accelerated his death. The news
spread like a plague ; within twenty-four
hours every one bad it, man, woman end
child, without distinction of rank or sta
tion. Every one went about open-mouthed
to find someone to give the news to. A
dozen persons said to me :
"Have you heard the result of the ex
amination? Dr. Awdrey did hasten Flex
more's end."
"Then why Is he at large?" I asked.
"Why has no warrant for bis arrest been
Issued?"
They could only shrug their shoulders ;
but I could explain the matter to them
Flexmore had not been affected by the
poison at all. The arsenic, was found in
his mouth,, it had not touched the diges
tive apparatus, and for this reason : It
had been administered after the life had
left his body. This was the report made
by the authorized doctors who made the
examination.
Upon this report no one could be ac
cused of any crime legally, nor at the
present juncture could a charge be insti
tuted. That the poison had not been
given In the form of a potion, such as
Miss Dalrymple had been chnrged by Dr.
Awdrey to administer, was clear from the
fact that It was found in the form of a
powder, and must have been dropped in
my oid friend's mouth when his jaw drop
ped after death. Still, it had clearly been
given with a view to prevent any possi
bility of a return to life and It was equal
ly evident to the majority of people that
Awdrey, who knew the contents of the
will to be signed, alone was presumably
desirous of preventing a return to life,
for only a very small minority knew that
Lynn Yeames also had a strong reason for
making death sure at that time.
Now, though there was no evidence to
commit Awdrey, circumstances were suffi
ciently suspicious to enable the Yeames
party to contest the will. But I had still
stronger reasons than that for getting at
the truth of the matter, and fixing the
,'uilt on the guilty. Even the paupers
would refuse to lake medicine from the
hand of a man with such a reputation.
I went to work at once, and determined,
to take no rest until I had secured the
safety of poor Awdrey and Nurse Ger
trude. My clerk was a sharp, aepeoda
ble young fellow.
"Now, Mr. Jones," said I, "I am going
to put you on your mettle."
"Glad of It Mr. Keene," he replied,
eagerly.' "Is it this poisoning case, sir?"
"Yes, it is.' Bax, Yeames' agent says
they can produce the man who threw me
out of the gig, and prove that he was
engaged to do it by Dr. Awdrey. You
must find their witness. In all probabil
ity that trick was unpremeditated. It
was suggested to him by circumstances,
by a chance meeting with the fellow who
stretched that rope. Who might that be?
It was just such a day as a poacher would
like for wiring hares. Yeames had been
doing a good deal of shooting. A poacher
can be more useful than a keeper to a
gentleman on the lookout for game. A
man of that kind was the very one to suit
bis purpose. And a man who would do a
job of that kind could be easily bribed
to swear he was employed by Dr. Aw
drey. That man must be found."
Jones was hardly out of the house be
fore Miss Dalrymple came in.
"What are you going to do for Dr.
Awdrey?" was the first question she
asked.
"I am going to prove his innocence,' I
said.
"Tell me how," she said, in a tone of
entreaty, laying her hand on my arm.
"Let me help. Tell me what I may do
what difficulty there is to overcome, and
trust my intelligence."
"There's one thing you can attempt
at any rate," I said; "the rascal employ
ed by Yeames, Bax, signified that they
had a witness in reserve to prove a crim
inal charge against Awdrey. That means
they have got hold of some one to swear
to his administering the powder. Now
that some one must be of this place. If
you can find out who It is, and let m
know, I may persuade that witness to
stand on the side of truth. Now, I must
go off and see Awdrey."
"Tell him that that I sympathise with
him, Mr. Keene," she said tenderly.
"You may be sure of that," said I,
pressing her hand.
We parted at the door, she going oni
way, I the other.
"Awdrey," said I, when I met him,
"Miss Dalrymple sympathizes with you."
"I am certain she does," he replied.
"Yes; and you may be certain of some
thing else. If we get this affair settled
rightly, you may be the happiest man In
the world, or it will be your own fault"
"What," said he, eagerly, "do you think
her feeling Is deeper than sympathy?"
"I am ure of it, that's morel" I ex
claimed. "Notwithstanding the doubt that bangs
over me the feeling against me?"
"There's no doubt in that generoui
soul," I said; "and as for the feeling
against you, it's just the thing to endear
you to her. Here let's get to work. Now,
you have to tax your memory to the ut
most Your happiness depends as much
upon a clear recollection as anything. 1
must have an account of every minute ol
the day Flexmore died."
Then carefully we went over the event
of that day to the minutest particular,
from the hour of his rising until be went
again to bed. It was a long job, necessi
tating much discussion and verification,
but we stuck at it till it was done, then
we ate and drank and made as merry at
we could. It was no effort to Awdrey ;
I had never seen blm In such high spirits
It was as if ten years of hard work and
disappointment bad been taken off his
shoulders. Only now aud then bis fact
assumed its old gravity, as the thought
perhaps occurred to him that if he failed
to prove his innocence he must slip back
again into the Slough of Despond.
It was past five when I got back tc
my office. To my utter astonishment )
found Miss Dalrymple waiting there foi
me, and with her a woman. Miss Dal
rymple rose and met me with forced enlra,
but I could see that her fuce was flushed
with triumph, and her eyes were spark
ling with excitement.
"I have brought Mrs. Bates to see you,"
said she; "or rather Mrs. Bates asked U
see you. She desires to make a full
communication of all she knows."
I bowed to Mrs. .Bates, who sat rlgldl)
In her chair. She was a middle-aged per
son with a face like a hatchet, and a bod)
like the handle of it. A hard, cold, lon
woman of the scraggy kind, and just duli
enough to think herself sharp.
"I'm glad to see you, Mrs. Bates," said
I turning up the 'lamp. "Why, surely,
have seen you before?"
"I were in Dr. Hawdrey's hemploy,
she replied.
"To be sure. Now I remember you. . St
you have something to tell me, have you?
"I wish to conceal nothink, for I havi
nothink to conceal,' she said.
(To be continued.)
Eatv-Beater.
Obviously, the object of all mechan
ical egg-beaters Is to Jmltate the move
ment of the hand in Leatlng the egg.
So far, no mechan
ical power has been
devised which equals
the band beating.
In these so-called
egg-beaters the pad
dles, Instend of beat
ing the egg, gener
ally revolve In a
circular path, which
stirs, but does not
beat tbe egg.
The nearest ap
proach to hand beat
an egg-beater illus
trated herewith, the Invention of a
Wisconsin man. In this apparatus the
beater does not revolve, but Is operated
back and forth, obtaining both the ef
ficiency of the hand beater and the ra
pidity of the machine beater. It Is
held In one hnnd and operated by the
other, accomplishing the efficient beat
ing of the egg In a very short space of
time.
EGO-BEATES,
fng Is shown In
Buttermilk Ice Cream.
If you have never tnsted ice cream
made of buttermilk there Is n most
agreeable sensntion In store for vou.
To a pint of buttermilk add a pint of
crenm and hnlf n pound of lump .tirnr
which has been rubbed on lemons until
well flavored. After putting this mix
ture into the freezer ndd the Juice of
two lemons, just ns It begins to freeze.
When serving Ice cream In cold
weather it Is nice to pass around a
pitcher of hot chocolate or caramel
sauce, to be poured over It Just ns it
Is eaten. This sauce . Is sometimes
served In tiny cups, into which the
spoonful of ice cream may be dipped
on Its way to the mouth. Ladies'
World.
Cream Pan's.
Mix to a smooth paste one cup floor
and one cup boiling water, then add
hnlf enp butter and place on fire. Cook
one minute, stirring steadily, stand
aside and let cool. When cold break in
three eggs, one at a time, and beat
hard. Drop by large spoonfuls on a
well-greased pan, leaving plenty of
room to spread. Bake twenty-five min
utes In a steady but not too hot oven.
Don't open door for this length of time.
When cold make rich cream for ailing.
I use one large cup sweet milk, half
cup sugar, quarter cup flour, one egg
beaten. Stir over the fire until It thick
ens ami flavor with vanilla. Makes
about eighteen puffs.
A PHESEUT DAY UTOPIA.
Moorea Island, the Happiest aaf
Fairest Spot on Earth.
Hugo I'urton, writing In the O'lfing
Magazine, says that the happiest and
most beautiful spot on earth to-diy la
the Island of Moorea, one of the Society
islands. In the south seas. As a con
trast to Btrenuous American method
this description sounds alluring:
"Whenever you are thlrstv a word
will send a lithe brown body "crum
bling up a tall palm tree .rank, and In
two minutes a green cocoanut !s nndy
for you to quaff the nectar of the
Polynesian gods. It Is worth the trip
down here to eat the native 'vlttals,'
for you get at every meal thins you
never tasted before, and each se m.s bet
ter than Its predecessor; to sv your
dinner of fresh water shrimps, sharks
fins and roasted sea urchins. The ba
nanas you eat there are eleven 'nrle
tles baked, raw, fried, dried ;rov a
few rods back In the valley; ditto tbe
breadfruit, the pineapples and about
everything else on the board, it's nice
to have your morning coffee grown in
the bnck yard. Guavas grow In ;ioh
profusion they are used as pig food,
grated cocoanut is fed to bens, while
sensitive plant Is considered excellent
fodder for cattle.
"For perfection of the human body
the Tahlrian Is unexcelled, If, Indeed,
he Is anywhere equaled. They are a
large race, both men nml women being
noticeably taller and more fully devel
oped thnn Anglo-Saxons. I doubt If
any Society Islander ever went through
n whole day In his life without having
a wreath of flowers ou his head or a
blossom behind his ear. The love of
flowers Is Innate with man, woman and
child. They can't pass through a patch
of woods without emerging with a gar
land. Every gay mood calls for flow
ers on their hats, in their hulr, behind
their ears, and their life Is an almost
unbroken sequence of gay moods.
Scarcely a native on the Island of
Moorea can speak a sentence of Eng
lish, but every one you meet greets yoa
with a courteous smile and the wel
coming word 'Ia-ora-na' (Yorana)."
Old-Fashioned Indian Pudding.
Heat three cups of mlli in a double
boiler and stir Into It by the handful a
half cup of yellow meal, with when
has been mixed a half teaspoonful of
suit. Cook for hnlf an hour, stirring
often. At the end of this time have
ready In a bowl half a cupful of nio
laweg and a tnblespoonful of butter,
well beoten together, stir the milk und
meal into this and ndd a teaspoonful of
mnce, cinnamon and ginger, mixed, and
two eggs whipped light. Beat hard be
fore turning Into n buttered pudding
dlBh. Bake covered In a steady oven
for nearly on hour. Stir well from tho
bottom and then brown on top.
According to Orders.
"How do you do !" exclaimed the let
ter carrier, us he greeted the auction)
eer."
"I do as I am bid," answered tht
auctioneer, with a fiendish grin.
"Much the same here," rejoined th
1. c. "I do as I am directed."
Food that Absorbs Odors.
Flour should not be kept In a store
room or pantry where there Is cooked
foods, as it absorbs odors. Ignorance
of this fact accounts for poor bread -
oftener than an Inferior quality of
flour. Articles of food that are mnde
of gelatine or of milk should always be
kept covered, as both milk and gelatine
are literal scavengers of the air. and
absorb not only odors, but germs. Nei
ther cheese, cabbage, fish nor baked
beans should ever be put into the re
frigerator. They nil leave an odor of
which It Is difficult to rid the refrig
erator, and they also flavor the food.
BINDER FOB BUNDLES.
Savea Time br the Eliminating the
Tylnsj of Knota.
Among recent Inventions is a pocket
holder for quickly tying bundles of
papers and similar articles, invented by
a Louisiana man.
In designing the
holder the Invent
or worked with the
Idea that all knots
must be eliminated
In wrapping tbe
bundle. That he
succeeded is ap
parent on refer
ence to the accom
panying Illustra
tion. The holder
consists of a tin
plate to which Is secured the piece of
rope or twine. The plate Is laid on
tbe center of the bundle and the twine
carried twice around. On the second
turn it Is cnught on a small hook in
the plate and then carried around the
opposite end of the bundle, the end of
the twine being inserted In a V-Bhnped
extension on the plate. In the free end
of the twine are a number of knota
equal distances apart These knots are'
pulled through the plote to firmly bind
the bundle, the peculiar shape of exten
sion preventing them from slipping
through after the twine has been re
leased. The Inventor claims that this
can be manufactured cheuply, render
ing Its use practical.
iunns WITHOUT
! TVINQ.
To Make Salmon Loaf.
Drain all the oil from a large can of
salmon, pick It over carefully and re
move nil bones. Beat ' together four
eggs until light, add a cup of bread
crumbs, a scant cup of rich cream, ond
the juice of one lemon. v Salt to taste
and add a good dash of cayenne pepper.
Mix these Ingredients well together, put
In baking dish, cover the dish nml baks
for thirty minutes In good oven.
The Donl Variety.
"You refuse ine?" snapped the HttH
count twirling his waxed mustache.
"I do!" replied" the sensible heiress
coldly.
"Poor girl !" .
"Yes, I would be a poor girl If I bat
you for a husband."
Tigers are greatly on the Increase b
Burmah, owing to recent legal restrlo,
tlona on the carrying of arms. .
Fodtte Cake.
Two-thirds cup butter, one cup sugar,
one cup sweet milk, third cup chocolate,
melted; half-cup nuts, throe eggs,
whites and yolks beaten separately.
Two and a half cups flour, one heaping
teaspoonful baking powder beaten into
the whipped whites.
OraiiKe lloner.
Mix together the Juice of three or
anges, the grntcd rind of ono, a
small cupful of sugar, a tabli'spoonful
of butter and the beaten yolks of two
eggs. Cook over a slow fire, stirring
constantly, until clear and as thick
" " Rerva cold.
Poetry Defined.
Oeorge P. Morris, the author of
"Woodman, Spare That Tree," was a
general of the New York militia and a
favorite with all who knew him. Mrs.
Sherwood in her reminiscences tells
how another poet associated the general
with a definition of poetry.
Once Fltz-Greene Hulleck, the author
of "Marco Bozzarls." called upon her in
New York In his old age, and she asked
him to define for her what was poetry
and what was prose.
He replied : "When Gen. Morris com
mands his brigade and says, 'Soldiers,
draw your swords! he talks prose.
When he says, 'Soldiers, draw your
willing swords!' he talks poetry."
From the Devil's Note Book.
Death came near to her when sho
was young and beautiful.
"Oh, have mercy !" sho cried. "I am
not prepared to die there It too much
before me."
Death desisted, but returned a few
years later. The woman held forth hr
trembling hands lu supplication :
"Spare me! Have mercy! I am not
prepared to die there is too much be.
hind me!"
Moral There Is no pleasing sorao
people. Smnrt Set.
The Sarcastlo Victim.
The Barber Your hulr Is coining
out on top, sir.
The Crank Good! I knew it was In
me. Now, for goodness sake, don't talk
to it or It will crawl hack again. Phil
adelphla Press,