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About The morning Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1899-1930 | View Entire Issue (June 28, 1906)
THURSDAY, JUNE il, 1908. THE MORNING ASTORIAN, ASTORIA, OREGON. The Return to Grace By HENRY LINSLEY DOOUTTLE Crrrlftl, 101, ky llttrf LlMlt; DodlltU F (OH tho past your IMlogg has been kept busy refuting exag gerated stories of hlH mistaken Identity. To liln friend, there tfore, the first true account should ho of deep Interest. In reviewing hid lust evening nt tho expedition ho rememler od having taken ti n fair share of the rike, Tin) Tyrolean Alps, Creation, Hereafter, tho Cliff JW0ller-ho hud Keen them nil, gwft, Imd or Indifferent. TIiiih fur ho hud proemled on hid loose change. And then ho had come to tha Nuval flattie and to tho end of li 1m quarter. Diving Into tiln hip pocket, IiIm Imnd had brought forth not tho expected wallet, hut n paper of chewing tobacco. Too surprised for utterance, ho saun tered back to the now deserted plaxn to taure lil aimuU in silence. An enter- ! euorxD thini tou wonu hr AaiuvBO ! to on IT." gone? $1S, pinned to to Inside ront pocket, waa tho turn total, aside from a few cents. "Oh, well, 1'to seen all I want," be muttered philosophically. "Tomorrow I waa expecting to atart back to New York anyway." New York? Good htm vena, hi ticket had been stolen too! The elngle fart was more than f'.D, to any nothing of a sleeper and meal en route. Tho for mer luxury lie might dispense with, he alowly conceded, hut thirty bourn with out food-pshaw, what wan ho talking about? Ill biilniiea would not even buy him a ticket. llu might havo telegraphed hla fa ther for a loan, but tho latter, always auMplcloim of bunko games, would doubtless cautiously owult a letter of continuation. That meant at leant a forty-eight hour' delay, and ho was due In New York but three days bonce. A new thought Illumined hla groping senses-tho cut rate ticket brokers. They might aupply tho uoed within hla means. Next morning, suit rise la hand, he made a dicker for a through ticket via tho Big Tour, Chesuneake and Ohio route. A dollar and eighteen centa re v nialned. Safely aboard, Kellogg beaved a alglt Of relief, lie had felt nlmoat liko a criminal while showing hla ticket at the gate. "Itomomber your uamo la Charles A. Winter," hnd been tho bro ker'a parting Instruction. The conductor aeemed Interminably long In passing through the car. Near ly every passenger wttH traveling on the return portion of a limited excur sion ticket, which meant a mlnuto'a Insertion to see that the validation and transit HniltH were correct. "Tickets, please!" Kellogg sleepily produced the long, buff Blip. "Charles A. Wluter-um. 19 that your name?" lie nodded. "Well, I should think you would be ashamed to own It." "What!" Kellogg Rat up, electrified. "Isn't my ticket good?" "Oh, yes; It's good enough to got you Into Indianapolis, nil right," assented the other. "I reckon they onn give you a free bed for the night, too, us fnr as that's concerned." . . "Hut I don't understand. What havo t done?" For nnswer tho conductor , fished forth a copy of a Now York "yellow" and begnn turning tho leaves. "Yes, hero It Ih all right enough," ho announced, with satisfaction. "Charles A. Winter wanted for bigamy. Black hair and eyes, very dark complexion, five feet ton. You're It all right. Wife No. 1 offers $500 reward for your re turn, wife No. 2 promises as much, wife No. 3"- Kellogg seized tho paper, to be con fronted by a quarter page picture of his alias. "And do you think I resemblo that scoundrel ?" he demanded. "Why, this account says I'm thlrty-slxl" "Looks are mighty deceiving," grin ned tho other, "and newspaper prints I are never any too good. I've noticed ' these smootn rollers who can aeeive u naif nozon poor, trustful ' women Into believing they're the only one al ways look young and Innocent" "Dut I tell you coy name la Krajsk Kellogg," asserted the frightened pas linger. "Bee, here are tho Initial In Diy hntlmnd and on my suit rose. As my wallet was stolen, I bad to return on a rut rate ticket." "Tbtit'e what they all any." "Take inn through to Cincinnati If you won't believe tire. I've friends there who con establish iy Identity." "Huh! 1 support you know I don't go In that direction and think you can work a smooth game on the next con ductor, No, air; ludlnhnpolls la plenty good enough for such a you." Thenceforth Kellogg was guarded at very station. It vn a most Ignomini ous experience for one who bud never known the force of Mug u suspicious character. At times ho felt utmost guilty of some awful crime, and Jail aturlng him In tho face for at least a night. It was mlddeiilng, Thl was what cttine of relying upon hl own re source. Hut had he exhausted every resource? Iteluctiiutly he recalled a rumor Hint Ml Morton had receutly moved went to Indianapolis. Ills mind wandered buck to that evening thre years ago when she had nh but literally thrown their engagement ring at bis bend. Hhu bad declared that she would uever speak to him again, and she had a most mulish way of keeping her word. It had been so foolish of her to fly at him for merely remonstrating with her over tho attentions of another fellow. No, he concluded hotly to himself, rather than that Ma name should have to stand on tho Indianapolis police rec ords, After u minute's study of the docu ments lu evidence the captain turned bis scrutiny to the prospective prison er. He was a kindly old man, far dif ferent from the officer of Kollogg's Im agination. "Now, let's hour your aide of the case," he said presently. The young man recounted bis trou ble from the (hiding of the substitu tion. He glossed nothing over; he blamed no one but himself. Tcrsonally I bollevo your story." the captain declared at the close of tho narration: "onVlslry I do not dare. But, since I cannot hold you on tho charge of using another man'a ticket, no such alternative charge having been mado. you will be set at liberty if you can Identify yourself to my satisfac tion." This was greater clemency than the other had dared hope, but greater only If he could bring himself to court the ridicule of his former fiancee. Aa the officer's Interest la the case aeemed to warrant the confidence, Kellogg made a clean breast of his status with Miss Morton. "Did you ever bear of a more humiliating predicament V he ap pealed. "You should take your medicine like a man. lt'a part of your punishment," laughed the other. "I am relieved at ft We'll go and hunt her up." "Hbo might refuse to Idontlfy me, and then what?" "She would scarcely want you to apend tho night behind the bars. Even ao, I think I can detect the fact If she knows you." An hour later they bod reached the house, to the growing distrust of the prisoner. Miss Morton waa at home and by good fortune alone. Keeping young Kollogg partly con cealed behind him, the captain lost no Umo In coming to tho point "Here Is a young man whose Identity Is Involved," he began. "Perhaps you can help us out?" quickly producing bis charge. "Why- What If I don't know the man?" she corrected. "Ho would be bold pending proof from the east" The situation was too good for bl atant spoiling. "What la the charge?" she queried further. The otllcer heeded not an appealing little tug at hla coat sleeve. "He has been passing under the name of Charles A. Winter, who la badly want ed by three wives about New York city." "Tho last time I knew anything about him he was a bachelor of the name of Frank Kellogg," she com mented, "and he came from that self same city." "That Is sufficient. Thnnk you for the information. Good evenlug." Turn ing to tho open door, the captain van ished Into the night. For a full mlnuto they stood facing each other In silence. A threo years' breach Is not to be bridged in as many seconds. Kellogg was the first to speak. "Won't you shnke bands, Grace?" he asked, extending bis own. , Miss Mortou laughed a delicious, provoking little laugh. "For getting you out of a scrapo or for the Buko of old times?" was tho counter question as her hand rather doubtfully met his halfway. , "Well, you've conceded one point anyway," Ignoring tho query. "You de clared you'd uever speak to me again." , "While you as emphatically asserted that you'd never give me the chance," she retorted. lie might hare explained that It re quired the police department to drive him to It, but instead he remarked: , "Now that I've returned to Grace, aren't you going to Invite me to alt down and stay a few minutes?" , "Heavens, I wonder If he's looking for a fourth wife already!" she medi tated aloud, gathering up her trailing skirts as if to flee from the room. "Now, that's rubbing it In too hard," srlevcd the othor. miss Morton considered. "Well, I'll tell you what I'll do," she announced, "First of all, we'll go out and alt on the porch, where It's cool. Then If In five minutes you can show me how In the Dame of creation you happened to land here under tho arm of the law and can prove that you haven't been up to any monkey business with those other three wives-why, I'll see." "Flvo minutes' Grace anyway," mur mured he, with a faint attempt ut wit as he followed her out to the vino clud porch, "Well, I find stranded now, I can tell you," rattling Vi cents, bis total assets, "You might go back to the station bouso and demand your Mormon tick et," suggested she, curious to find what course he would pursue without an of fer of asslHtauce. "No, thank you. I might run up against another amateur detective." "Indianapolis Is rut her an expensive place to live lu for any length of time on 62 cents," was her provoking com ment. "I'll set out and walk to Cincinnati," Mvagnly. "I've friend there" hsavjr ac cent on frl-n). "Yes; It Imi't much more than a hun dred mll," he connldcrcd. "When do you start?" "An soon a I can find" "IlecfiUMi If you cure to wait till to morrow I mlsht take you thr In my auto," she concluded!, with honeyed iwitt nn. The northoimt wind had suddenly veered to tha wi-iit. Frank begun sounding to w If port lay shesdor rock. "Then you really aren't provoked with ids for conilns round tonight?" "Of courwi not" port In lht. "It wu all too Ms a )k to see you-the worthy Mr. Krunklln ltvlllKlloss-hauld In by a pollco captain"-ro k ahead. "Why, OM would haw thought I had out a search warrant for breach of promlae, th way you were landed here." "You Ilka to carry a Jok a good way?" "Y; that' why I decldad to taks you to Cincinnati," wa tho ready rejolndor. Nothing wa to lo gained In that direc tion. "Io you know, thoe throe year havo --m-d an awfully long time," he began on a ni-w tack. "Itcar m! Havo you found them o, with thrrii wive for pnti-rtulnmcntT I'vs never hnd uch a dandy time In my life." Itwtchlng out, ho seized her left hand and felt for any idltulo ring. "Hut you're not engaged," he returned as h ji-rkcd uway h-r hand. "Well, what If I'm not?" "Oh, nothing. 1 wn afruld you might be. w-elng It's leap year." "We're even now," he admitted. "I wa bi;l'inliiK to fear you had lost your old time lirllllancy. No; I am not en gaged yet. The Idea of your suppoelng any enguged girl would be sitting hers In the dark entertaining you! Why, It would he Infinitely worm than klulng poor CouHln Tom goodby." "Then he wa your iouln?' asked Kel logg slowly, painfully. lie breathed hard at the recollection of alt he had said be fore, not knowing. "A first coualn about to set out for th Philippine. I'oor boy, ha died there lost year." -fou might have told me." ha grieved, "Too did net give me a chance, "e etdee. I felt too hurt at your circumstan tial Judgment to care to defend myeelf." "Won't you forgive mi now, Grace f As he leaned eagerly toward her the street light lifting; through the honey suckle caught and reflected the diamond that sparkled on hla little finger. "Why didn't you pawn that for a pas sage home?" she queried Irrelevantly, In floating the ring. "When I put It there three years ago I determined that there It should remain until there wo a change of heart some where. I suppoee you would call It plg headedne not to part with It under the preeent conditioner' "No," Ml Morton considered thought folly; "It I sentiment that keeps the world on the move, though it does not pay one' transportation," she added. "Out I don't see where the change of heart was to come In If three wives could not effoct It," "I say, couldn't I pawn It with youT" be suddenly asked. "QractouMl What could I do with it pending tt redemption V "Why, wear it, I suppose," hopefully. "Tou used to know how." he gave way to a perplexing little laugh. "Diamonds are worth more than they were three year ago," be urged. "Do you mean to Insinuate that because I am alder I stand a smaller chance of getting a rlngT" she challenged. "You stand the greatest chance In the world, if only you will forget that evening and let me see It this doesn't lit aa well a ever." "How much do you want to borrow on UT" he procrastinated. "No more trouble, but lifelong Oroce." "Could you reach the city on such a loan, silly boyf "I believe I'd be happy enough to fly right up In tho air and wait for New York to pass under me," asseverated he. "You are uro you would never get mad If I jollied you about those other three Wives T" "Neverl" Bhe laughed mischievously. "And you would never try to get even by asserting that I used my leap year prerogative to win you back 7" she cate chised further. "Never, honor bright." There waa a silence. "Do you romember that evening down on the Jersey sands full moon, just like tonlghtt Couldn't we begin over again from that tlmeT" he pleaded. "The Jersey sands don'tl" she cried. "You will have me orylng in a minute. I'm so homesick for a glimpse of the ocean. The middle states ore all well enough for those who are bora and brought up here, but I oh, take me back with you!" Bhe cried, raining ber ring An ger in token of surrender. What more they may have said was lost to the fragrant air, while at home the pollco captain, student of human nature, sat pondering the romantic pCt'Sfbllltlet of a cut rate ticket. When Ronton Vt'ai Yooiik. A. book published in 1S1T Informs in that the fare by stoiuncr from NYw York to New London. Conn., wsts ?. Including board. Tho distance is j;lve:i as 140 miles and the time twenty-one hours. The same book tolls ns that Boston Is not yet n city, "bee:'. use tin' people fear that the power Invested In corporations would he Injurious tc their liberties." Further on It 1 1 st'ity that "tills town Is the hetubpMsiri.ers of federalism In politics and Uulturiunisi.' IB religion." Placing a freshly wnshoj hnlrtirusl In the sunshine or near t!i? Are to dr soon spoils the color of the bristles. A Wonderful Book of I v . ! 400 Pages I SI Tl.r- rAalkVa-NriOT I AKrrli Thoroughly Illustrated By 265 Actual Photographs taken at the time of the Awful Catastrophe This great book which retails at $1.50 and so much desired by every one is now offered as a premium with The M orning' Asiorian In order to get the Book subscribe for the MORNING ASTORIAN at the regular subscription rate, 65c a month and 50c addditional to cover cost of express age. Old subscribers can get this book by paying the additional charge of 50c. Only a limited number of books will be given away come earlyi and, avoid the rush. 4