Lincoln County leader., June 12, 1908, Image 3

""IM MIMMIIMMMII
BY MISADVENTURE
rv
PRANK BARRETT
m CHAPTER XIX. (Continued.)
"Mrs. Bates has received a visit from
Mr. Bax," said Miss Dalrymple, with a
feminine suavity that I could not too
roudh admire ; ."and she was equally can
did and outspoken with him. Were you
notr
"I were, miss. I do not wish to sell
myself, though untold gold were offered.
I am an honest woman, and no one has
ever righteously accused me otherways."
"Surely Mr. Bax has not been attempt
ing to bribe you, ma'am?" I said, in a
tone of indignation. "No one who knows
you would try to tamper with your in
tegrity by suggesting payment for infor
mation. To offer, a recompense a suita
ble recompense for services rendered
would be a different thing, but before
tut, tut, tut!"
I knew the woman. She was one of
those who are continually fancying them
selves suspected; if they find a lost half
penny or a stray stick of sealing wax they
will think it is laid out to "tempt them"
and I will add that women of this kind
are as a rule the most to be suspected.
"I told Mr. Bax why I left Dr. Aw-dre-,
as I have told others," said Mrs.
Bates; "and am not ashamed of owning
to it before the Queen herself. And noth
ing shall make me leave Coneyford, where
I am not ashamed to show my face any
lay in the week."
"Of course he would have been very
elad to get you out of the way, as if you
Trere a criminal?"
"But I were not going. Dr. Awdrey
cannot deny that I gace bLm warning."
"And why did yon give him warning?"
I asked, seeing that the point lay there.
"Because he unrighteously accused me
f meddling with his bottles, which I will
take my oath I never touched. The bot
tles of harsenic layed there marked on
the floor. I will not say that Mr. Bax
is not right in saying that the doctor let
It slip from his guilty band himself, and
wished to put it on to me m case of in
quiries. I know that he axt me over and
over again to stop after I gave warning,
and offered a rise in my celery, sayin' it
must be the cat as knocked the bottle
down. But I see the trap that was laid
for me, and would not stay, which is mer
cy I'm sure or I might now be in the
condemned cell."
She rambled on a long while to the
ame purpose, while I made notes of cer
tain facts, and from time to time exas
perated her to further rambling; but
when she had repeated all her facts half
a dozen times, and I saw. there was do
more to be got out of her, I rose and
mid:
"That is enough for to-day, ma'am;
but I have no doubt you will repeat all
you have aald to-day if you are asked to
do so."
She glorified her own steadfastness and
ense of rectitude, and so went away.
Miss Dalrymple had sunk into a chair,
and met my gaze with a look of dejection.
She was evidently disappointed that I
had not persuaded Mrs. Bates from her
adverse opinion.
"I am afraid my witness will do us
more harm than good. This broken bot
tle adds to the weight of evidence against
Dr. Awdrey."
"My dear girl," said I, taking her hand
between both of mine, "that woman's evi
dence is worth a king's ransom to us.
You have done us an incalculable benefit
n bringing her here."
CHAPTER XX.
I was not astonished the next morning
when my housekeeper brought in Mr.
Itax's card.
"Introduce Mr. Bax at once," said I,
in a voice that he might hear.
Mr. Bax puffed his way into the office
like an unsound locomotive, and I gave
him my hand with a smile. He winked
significantly, and stretched out his legs
when he seated himself, feeling that he
was master of the situation.
"Well," he said, "is your client willing
to hand over the trust money, or going
to fight It?"
"I should not ad rise him to go to law."
"No," he grunted, with a nod. "Very
wise, too."
"A lawsuit, would drain the estate; at
the same time we have the money, and
possession is nine points of the law." (
"The greater reason knock the matter
off at once. You propose compromise, I
suppose, eh? Good job for Awdrey got
a generous man to deal with. Any one
else but Lynn would have the lot. Awdrey
wants a third, or something like that,
eh?"
"Dr. Awdrey wants as much as he can
get reasonably. Hut, before I can sug
gest any compromise on his part, we must
prove his innocence. You understand my
position. I cannot run the risk of being
accused of collusion."
"Prove his innocence how do you pro
pose to do that?"
"I suggest that we hold a meeting In
this office of all the parties concerned,
and Invite the attendance of some well
known person a justice of the peace,
say to give the Inquiry publicity, and
make a thorough examination of the af
fair from beginning to end. I shall try
to prove my client's innocence to the sat
isfaction of the magistrate. If I fall, so
much the worse for us; if I succeed I
hall be very willing to listen to any
terms you may propose."
"And reject 'em," grunted Bax; and
then looking extremely sly, he pursued :
"I'm as deep as you, Keen. Xra oWt
Titch me in a trap. If you get the mag
strate and public opinion on your side,
ou'Il be as saucy as you were the other
lay."
"I shan't be a fool, Mr. Bax. You can
withhold your decision as to the course
vou shall take, until you have made terms
with me; it Is always open to you after
this examination which, as I have shown
vou, is but a proper safeguard of my own
reputation to contest the will, and take
public proceedings. All I demand is a
full examination, and some public recog
nition of Dr. Awdrey's innocence, before
I attempt any pecuniary accommodation
with you."
"We withhold our decision after the ex
amination until terms are made with
you," mused Bax, with his finger on his
nose and bis eye on the ceiling. "Well,
I don't see much objection to the meeting
in that case. But the poison in the man's
nouth how are you going to explain
that?"
"I may be able to prove," said I, after
a show of hesitation, "that Flexmore fear
ed untimely burial, and left instructions
for means to be taken after death to pre
vent resuscitation. I Tf.py be M to pro
duce his written wish to that effect."
"That's a clever notion," exclaimed
Bax, gasping approval. "Was It the
doctor's idea or yours?"
"Oh, let me impress upon you at once,"
said I, "that the doctor pleads not guilty
to everything, and will take no measures
whatever to clear himself from suspicion."
"Well, I'll talk it over with the
Yeameses, and, if they don't object, no
reason why we shouldn't fall in with your
plan."
We shook hands and parted with mu
tual hypocrisy, and I got my hat in order
to seek the magistrate whom I bad fixed
on in my thoughts for the service I need
ed. I went off to the Manor House ta
see Sir Roland Firkin, J. P.
Sir Roknd was one of the best-known
and most popular men in the county ; and
he deserved to be, for he was a thorough
ly kind-hearted and generous old fellow,
willing at all times to render a service
and not top stupid to despise advice. I
laid the case before him, and asked if he
would consent to preside at an informal
inquiry should the Yeames side accept our
proposal of going thoroughly into the
truth of what may be called the Flex
more poisoning case. He gave his prom
ise to attend without hesitation, and ap
proved highly of the course I had taken
for making the Inquiry public, promising
that reparation should be made to Aw
drey on the part of his friends and him
self should it be found that the charge
against him was unjust.
The next day Bax called upon m to
say that Lynn and his mother agreed t
attend the inquiry, and I fixed it for the
following afternoon at three o'clock; for,
as luck would have it, I had received just
half an hour before a telegram from my
clerk, saying that he had found two men
who acknowledged to stretching the rope
and had agreed to tell the whole truth
concerning the affair. The dispatch came
from London, and I reckoned upon these
witnesses arriving by the morning train
which reaches Coneyford at 10:30.
In the evening I went to my frleiids,
and I also called upon Mrs. Bates, bind
ing them all to be In my office at the
hour fixed ; then I went home and spent
the best part of the night in drawing up
the questions to be put, for I determined
that Sir Roland Firkin should be the
chief actor in the inquiry, not only be
cause it would please the old gentleman,
but because the question would wear less
of an ex-parte aspect coming from him.
The next morning I had my office table
pushed up In a corner, and a long dining
table brought in covered with green baize ;
all my ink pots were brought into' requi
sition and a sheet of paper laid before
each chair, and the regulation water bot
tle and tumbler placed at the head of the
table for the president to dip into if the
proceedings grew dry.
One thing vexed me. My clerk did not
arrive with the witnesses by the 10:30
train ; however, a telegram came to say
they would travel by the next down train,
which reaches Coneyford at, 3:15. At 2
p. m. I had lunched and dressed, and was
looking at my watch anxiously. '
CHAPTER XXI.
Dr. Awdrey and Miss Dalrymple were
the first to arrive; they came together
Awdrey with a bright and cheerful smile
on his face, and perfectly calm ; Miss Dal
rymple showing signs of nervousness, but
staunch and true for all that.
Next came Sir Roland Firkin; we had
a private chat id' my dining room, and I
put the list of questions in his hand,
instructing him as tenderly as I could
how to conduct the inquiry. He was
mightily pleased with his own importance.
Then Bax and Mrs. Yeames arrived ;
Mr. Bax puffed and gasped, bowing to one
and then the other with solemnity; Mrs.
Yeames passed to her seat, after a low
obeisance to Sir Roland, without recog
nizing Dr. Awdrey and Miss Dalrymple,
except by drawing down her lips and con
tracting her nostrils as Bhe might in pass
ing an unsavory dust heap.
As the clock struck three Mrs. Bates,
who had been waiting outside, gave a sin
gle bang at the door and was introduced ;
her courtesy to Sir Roland and her rigid
ity In sitting down, together with her air
of conscious virtue, gave her strong re
semblance to Mrs. Yeames for the m
son, perhaps, that thalr tin sprang U
both cases from a narrowness and vul
garity of mind.
Lynn Yeames came in two minutes
later, panting with the haste he had made,
and beaming all over with that frank,
generous smile of his. He looked round
.be room, saw Dr. Awdrey standing beside
Miss Dalrymple, and strode up to him,
uead erect, shoulders back and his hand
out, aa if to say belore us all "I do not
share this common ill opinion of my old
friend."
Dr. Awdrey stood perfectly still, ana
looked straight in Lynn's face without
moving a muscle, letting him stand there
with his extended band untaken. With a
sigh and a shrug ynn dropped his hand
and turned away.
Mr. Bax approached the table, put hU
knuckles on it, and, after bowing to Sir
Roland Firkin, said impressively:
"I was given to understand this was
to be an amicable inquiry. The hostile
attitude of Dr. Awdrey towards my
friend, Mr. Lynn Yeames "
"You overlook the fact, Mr. Bax,'
said I, knuckling the table on the other
side, "that the onus of administering ar
senic to Mr. Flexmore falls upon one of
three people Dr. Awdrey, Mr. Yeames,
and Miss Dalrymple. You cannot expect
Dr. Awdrey, by taking the hand of Mr.
Yeames, to Imply his belief in the guilt of
Miss Dalrymple."
"A very nice distinction, Mr. Keene,'
said Sir Roland, which I think you, Mr.
Yeames, must have overlooked. Now we
will proceed to business." Mr. Bax, Mrs.
Yeames and Lynn sat on the left-band
side of the table; Miss Dalrymple, Dr.
Awdrey and I faced them on the right.
Mrs. Bates sat at a little distance from
the table; a shorthand clerk I had en
gaged for this occasion, Bat at the desk
in the corner.
Sir Roland began with a nice little
speech, of course, which included a well
chosen verse from Shakspeare, and con
cluded with an earnest wish that everyone
might be found perfectly innocent of the
fihrvfetna rhsrife which had Ken brought
forward. He then poured out a glass of
water, took a sip, settled his glasses firm
ly on his nose, and, taking up my sheet
of questions, said :
"Miss Gertrude Dalrymple, you remem
ber the day of Mr. George Flexmore'i
death?"
"Perfectly well,' she replied.
"What hour was it when you first aaw
him that day?"
"About eight o'clock In the morning."
"Was be alone at the time?"
"No; Dr. Awdrey was sitting beside
him. He had been watching at the bed
side all night.'
"How long did you stay in the room?"
"Only a few minutes merely the time
to learn that he was better. I saw that
I had interrupted a conversation, and that
Mr. Flexmore wished to be alone with
Dr. Awdrey."
"How long did that conversation con
tinue after your departure?"
"About half an hour. Bf. Awdrey
then called me back, and gavi me in
structions with regard to the treatment
of Mr. Flexmore and the medicine to be
given."
"Was the medicine in the form of
liquid or a powder?"
"A liquid. It was a sedative draught, I
belieTe."
"What happened after Dr. Awdrey's
departure?"
"Nothing until Mr. Keene arrived. Mr.
Flexmore then asked me to leave the
room, as he bad business to talk over,
and I went downstairs."
"When Mr. Keene left you returned to
the room?"
"Yes."
"Did anyone call soon after?" .
"Yes; Mr. Lynn Yeames almost Im
mediately after. I told him of the serious
condition of Mr. Flexmore."
"Did he ask any questions?"
"He was very anxious to learn wha.
Mr. Keene had been saying to him. I
could give himv no satisfaction on this
point and he went away."
"He was absent some time, and then re
turned?" "Yes; about half-past one. Hs came
into the room and asked me to leave, as
he had something to say to Mr. Flexmore,
I hesitated, for Mr. Flexmore was less
easy, and 1 warned Mr. Yeames that it
would be dangerous to excite him. He
promised to be careful and I withdrew."
"How long were you absent?"
"Only a few minutes. I heard Mr.
Yeames speaking in a high and angry
tone, and I knew that could do Mr. Flex
more no good. Mr. Yeames went out of
the house, slamming the door behind him,
and I found the patient much worse."
"When did you again see Mr. Yeames?"
"About half-past three.'
"In what condition was Mr. Flexmore
then?'
"Dying; he was unconscious when Mr.
Yeames entered the room."
"What followed T'
"Shortly after Mr. Yeames came In
Mr. Flexmore died. When I was sure
of that I left the room, taking Miss Flex
more downstairs.'
"Did Mr. Yeames accompany you?"
"No; he remained in the room. Aftet
a little while he came down with Mr.
Keene; they both enme into the sitting
room where I was with Miss Flexmore."
"How long did Mr. Keene stay with
you?"
"About twenty minutes.'
(To be continued.)
Wrong Chase,
Jimmy What do yo uthlnk of old
Ponce de Leon going into de woods
looking for de fountain of youth?
Petey What a foolish guyl Ha
might hare known dcr wa'nt no soda
water fountains In de woods.
Universal Fad.
Gunner I wonder what will be the
first communication we receive from
Mara? I
Gayer Ob, a souvenir postal, a
count
A HAPPY DRUMMER
II Won the Applauae of the Ecren.
trio Hint von Bnlow.
Hans von Bulow. the famous leadei
and composer, was one of the most ec
centric members of a profession whern
in eccentricity Is common. It Is re
lated that one day, while walking the
streets of Vienna, Bulow came upon a
regimental band on Its way to the cas
tle. Immediately he ran to the mldd'e
of the street and Joined the small boys
about the drummer. Following t"ie
band, he kept bowing to the surprised
aruntmer, applauding him at almost
every beat
'That is rhythm ! Excellent! That's
the way I like to hear It!" be contin
ued to ejaculate, to the surprise of all
and to the great delight of the smalt
boys.
Persona in the street began to reeos-
nlze the famous pianist and Joined the
procession, so that the band had one
of the largest audiences to which it had
ever played.
Bulow listened attentively to the end
of the last piece and then made a deep
now before the drummer and his in
strument. "Thank you," he said. "That was re
freshing!" That puU my nerves in good
condition again !"
It is said that when the drummer
learned who his strange admirer was
he was the proudest man in the regi
mentSt Louis Republic.
PLEA FOB THE IMMIGEANT.
Soft-A Social Worker Says America
Should n Less Indifferent.
Miss Jane Addnuis, the noted soclai
worker of Chicago, has been in the
east delivering addresses In which she
makes a plea for the lmmlgrnut She
dwells upon the loss that America Is
suffering by Indifference to the real
value of the foreign population and its
JANE ADDA MS.
proper assimilation Into the citizenship
of this country. In particular, she de
scribes the lack of a native American
art to our failure to abRorb our Immi
grants thoroughly Into our body po'i
tic. "Twenty-five years of personal con
tact with our foreign colonies and of
grunting 'to fhem the proper facilities
to make of them American citizens as
we are American citizens would bring
results to amaze and surprise us," she
says. "Are we not Indeed foolish In re
fusing to realize it?"
Heat of the Sun.
It has been computed that the tem
perature of the surface of the sun
would be expressed by 18,000 degrees of
Fahrenheit's thermometer, or between
eighty and ninety times the tempera
ture of boiling water. This Is about five
times the highest temperature that man
is able to produce by artificial means.
The light given off from the surface of
the sun Is reckoned as being 5,300 times
more Intense than that of the molten
metal In a Bessemer converter, though
that Is of an almost blinding brilliancy.
If we compare It with oxuvdroiren
flnme, the sun sheds a light equal to 14'J
times the Intensity of the limelight
Children's Favorite Toys.
A hundred and thirty-two schoolboys
of Paris and seventy-two girls were in
vited to descrllK- their preferences In
the way of toys. Among the former
thirty-one voted for a ruilway train,
twenty-three for tin soldiers, ten for
steam engines, nine for building bricks
and eight for toy typewriters and me
chanical horses. Forty girls a solid
majority declared without hesitation
that a doll was superior to any other
Implement of recreation. The super
child seems, happily, a long way off.
Pall Mall Gazette.
Napoleon as a Header.
Napoleon was a render persistent,
omnivorous, Indefutlguhle. By the camp
lire and In his traveling carriage, in
his temporary stuff oDice or his own
bedroom his favorite volumes were ever
kept within easy reach. Render Magazine
'
tlflft
f ffkv
"Did you ever spend any money fool
ishly?" "Sure. I was engaged to a
girl once-myself." Detroit Free Press.
Intelligent Rescuer (to skater whp
has fallen through) Steady, old man,
steady ! Keep cool ! London Bystand
er. "What do you think of the simplified
spelling?" "It would be all right If it
wasn't so hard to learn." Detroit Free
Press.
"They seem to live happily togeth
er." "Yes ; he lets bis wife select his
neckties and his stenographers."
Nashville American.
"They seem to be having a duet In
the next suite." "Yes, the man Is prac
ticing on the comet while his wife
talks." Cleveland Tlain Dealer.
Karr What makes you think that
you are going to succeed In business?
Bngster Because my partner has
$500,000. Somervllle Journal.
"I always try to treat my maid as
if she were a member of the family."
"Gracious, how do you get her to put
up with U?" Clilrtigo nuLOid-II.;luM.
Dolly Pardon me, dear, but you cut
a ridiculous figure on the street yester
day. Polly Oh, forgive me, dear! If
I had seen you I should have spoken.
Cleveland Leader.
Bacon Do you think it Is proper for
a man to say things behind his wife's
back? Egbert Well, If he's trying to
button her dress, how can he help It?
Yonkers Statesman.
She But, Fred, dear, fancy coming
in such shabby clothes when you ore
going to ask pa's consent Fred Ar,
but, dearest, I once hnd a new suit
ruined. The Sketch.
Passenger Boatmun, hadn't we bet
ter bail her out? She's half full of
water. Irish Boatman Och, nlver
mind, Bor. Sure she'll run over when
she's quite full." Punch.
"To what do you attribute your suc
cess In acquiring money?" "Partly to
the success of other men In letting go
of It," replied the great flnnneler.
Philadelphia Public Ledger.
"I've never had any great luck," de
clared the pessimist "Neither have
I," admitted the optimist. "Made my
money by hard work and advertising."
Louisville Courier-Journal.
number Have you got all we want
for Brown's Job? Boy Yes. Plumber
Wot? You 'aven't forgotten nothln'?
Bless my soul, 'ow d'you expect to make
a plumber? The Bystander.
, The Dentist Now, open wide your
mouth and I won't hurt you a bit. The
Patient (after the extraction) Doctor,
I kuow what Ananias did for a living
now. Chlcngo Home Herald.
The Artist So you can't use mv
sketches, then. Would you mind telling
me what you think of them? The Edit
or I can't now, there nre some ladles
In the next room. Leslie's Weekly.
"Justin," said Mrs. Wyss. "Yes," re
plied Mr. Wys. "Will you speak a
kind word to Fldo and make him wag
his tall. He hasn't had one bit of xer
cise nil day." Llpplncott's Magazine.
"How did Hurry enjoy his trli
abroad?" "Very much ; he looks hap
py, and hos gained 115 pounds." "On
hundred and fifteen pounds?" "Yes,
and she's an heiress." Brooklyn Life.
"The malinger always keeps back a
portion of the villain's salary." "Whv
does he do that -.afraid he'd skip?"
"No ; but he always acts his part better
when he's mad." St. Louis Globe-Dem-ocrut.
"You told me this ring was a fire
opal ; an expert fells me It Isn't any
thing of the kind." "My frent, you go
tell dot eggspert lie's a liar mlt my eom
bllments. Dot opal vas In four fires."
Life.
Charming Hostess (to dyspeptic
guest, who hns been refusing dish after
dish) I am so distressed. You've had
no dinner at all! Guest Thiink you
but I have to be very particular about
my food. Punch.
"Is my son getting well grounded 1l
tin' classics?" asked the anxious mil
lionaire. "I would put It even stronger
than that,." replied the private tutor.
"I may say that he Is actually strand
ed on them." Chicago Record-IU-ra Id.
Church What's that piece of cord
tied around your finger for? Gotham
My wife put It there to remind me to
mall a letter. Church And did you
mall It? Gotham No; she forgot to
give It to me! The C'ongrcgatlonallst
"Do you think Wiggins would make
a good husband?" asked the conscien
tious youth. "Why do you ask?" in
quired the girl, In surprise. "Because,
If you think such a fool as Bllgglna
could manage It, I hnve a good mind
to take a chance myself." Washington
Star.