THE bSZCSa DAILY" JOURNAL, PORTLAND. SATURDAY EVZ::i:;3. AUGUST 13.
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All EE P. RITOl SjHPR'S
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. OM IONACIO gar out hla text
'Thou fool, this night thveoul
hall be required of thee. He
u fat greaay. yallow-faoed
in Portugal the starving flock were led
- by wall-fed anepnerds. "All the fat onee
; of the earth." Mid tlla psalmist In an
cient Israel, nihU eat and worship.
Scores of teem. haggard face were' lit
- by the shafts of March aunahlna itrnm
Ins through the window of the church
at Camera;, the stained jjas palmed
pale cheeks , with strange colors ; the
little lights twinkling before the shrines
through clouds of floattng Incense shone
on large, hungry eyes In dark corner.
But the fat. In the person of Dom Igna
clo, worshiped with well-llned paunch.
"'- Affonso - Bordlno had knelt dovoutly,
' . Joined loudly In the responses, crossed
- himself " piously and -earnestly. This
was mechanical. During the service hla
, shifty eyes had wandered to hla neigh'
bora to the) tawdry, painted, wooden
v figures of virgin, and saints, decked in
.cheap robes" and flashy Imitation Jew
. els. He had shoveled anaff Into his nos
trlls from a . wisp of dirty paper. . and
had spat noisily at Intervals on the mar
bis floor. But now the text caght his
wandering mind, fie listened enviously
aa the priest told the story of the rich
man whose ground brought forth pi en
teeualy untn he had no room to bestow
his fruits. Dom Ignaelo'e heavy faoe
became animated aa be warmed to bis
sermon.' His dull eyes flashed: he raised
- his arms In dramatic. Impassioned ges
ture. Affonso heard the rich man de
, bating the subject of his weslth's dis
posal; asw him aa he looked at his nar
row barns and the fruits and goods piled
without shelter; listened with Interest
ss he addressed his soul: "Soul, thou
hast much goods laid tip for many years;
take thins ease, eat., drink and be
marry! Affonso envied the rich man.
-Much goods I For many years!"
. But then, startling, tremendous, break-,
lng suddenly upon the solemn stillness
of ths church and upon , the rich
man's self-complacent plans, cams the
voloe ' of God. uttered by his priest:
' Than fool; this night thy soul shall be
required of thee!". It Seemed like a
thunderclap, heard in the silent church.
Affonso gave a littta ; Jump.' , It was
like It. was like sudden death coming
on sins anassolled.- Dom Ignaclo raked
over his own soul for sins too easily
' found. "I will go to confession today,
he mattered. "But hs sympathised with
the rich man. Hs wondered vaguely
whv God's thunder broke In upon ths
summer calm of the man's compls
raiunr: and. while his ' thoughts wan
dered, missed ths priest's application of
the text.' not only to his hearers, but
to their unhappy country, suffering
God's Judgment for their neglect of him
In prosperous ye re.
Affonso knelt to ths altar and went
out. Ths praca ' was bathed In bright
- sunshine. On the sign of - ths poet
house ths-legend Tao vlhho bom" in-
. vlted him to enter. , He took a coin from
, Ms tattered pocket oook his last coin
snd looked at the smug visage of Queen
Maria with a Sigh. . While hs hesitated,
the door of the mayor's house, across the
square, opened. Affonso entered the
cafe of the posthouss and took his seat
in a shady corner oa one aids of ths
. wlds door. '--.
In ths praca a few lean pigs wars root
ing, snd half -starved poultry scurried
hither and thither after specks of corn.
Ths church, ths long, rambling post
bouse, the priest's dwelling, ths yellow
. walls of ths Banta Clara convent, snd
a tew open shops In which all the work,
. as la eastern countries, was carried oa
to full gase of the passerby, formed the
. sides of ths praca.' Narrow, squalid
' lanes of small bouses, painted tn many
colors pale blues and creams, and pinks,
and greens ran Into ths square. Dirty,
brown-skinned children played among
. - the garbage with ths pigs, who shared
' their mud-floored hovels. Wider roads,
one running north, ths other between
. plans trees, south to Miranda, entered
the praca at either end. A wooden cart
with clumsy wheels was being dragged
slowly across the square by a yoke of
;' bony oxen. In the - background, high
": above' the mayor's house, - high shore
ths weather-beaten facade of the
church Itself, towered ths gloomy Serra
. de Louisa,- Its ragged summits piercing
the blue sky, clouds half veiling the
middle heights, the lower slopes covered
. with a carpet of dark evergreens.
. Affonso - Bordlno watched the ' Juts
come across the praca for hla midday
glass and gossip. A long-bodied man,'
the , mayor, with, short legs waddling
- over from his house with a slow, un
gainly gait, like some overgrown beetle
staggering on short hind legs. Affonso
' marked bis fat. long body with resent
ment But he took off his hat and
- bowed low as ths mayor entered. - '
, "Well, Bordlno," gasped the mayor,
' short , breathed snd pompous, as be
, passed to the cork-coated chair await-
lng him.' '
, No offer of a drink from that quarter.
As ths clock strode, Dom Ignaclo and
, two of the mayor's cronies, the fldalgoes
of Camara. came tn talking and laugh
ing. The landlord of the : posthouss
hastened to wait on these, guests. Affonso-sat
alone In his corner, resting
his chin on a lean, brown hand. He
eyed the little group furtively, , and
. stroked the gray stubble of his two
days beard with an ugly rasping sound.
"Aguardiente," said Bordlna gruffly,
aa the landlord came near blm.
He sipped the spirit with a malicious
eye on the gentlefolk drinking good wine
In their corner. The sermon had stirred
bitter memories of prosperous davs;
French drums and bugles, leading alien
armies Into Portugal, had brought pover
ty to Affonso, ss to many others. Once
be had looked forward to speaking to
Ms own soul In some such fashion as ths
rich mas in ths parable. But two of his
beet mules bad been taken by the enemy,
without payment. In the early days of
the struggle.. Another had fallen down
a precipice oa ths 0rra ds Louisa. Its
bleached bones, among the stones of the
'valley, taunted him whenever hs took
-the mountain road. Now two only were
left, and little enough work for even
these.
Rubbing' his hand absently against the
rasping beard, and taking the spirit In
tiny sips, Affonso peered St ths group
with small, malicious eyes. They could
drink their wine; they .could fill out
their trreedr bodies with good fare, ami
KM apart bUa svea fw rig u drink
to ths enemy. Ths Juli was talking In
his gasping, spasmodic way about the
French. Messena had followed Welling
ton to Torrea Vedrea, and was retreat
ing again .from those faatneasea
Spam; retreating with a fierce, ragged,
hungry army, killing and burning and
destroying as It swept through the help
less land. The. mayor and his com'
panlons talked, horror-stricken, of the
atrocities perpetrated In Saatarom and
the neighboring villages, i ;
"Of course, we ars safe," said the
mayor, pompously, confidently. "We
have nothing to fear at Camera. Tb
saints be praised, we ars off ths line
or march of thoss fiends."
A little meager gentleman opposite
him muttered something implying
doubt; ths mayor turned oa him almost
brusquely.'--. .
"There Is no question," hs asserted.
I sm confident of It Look at our posi
tion." He placed hla glass in the center
or tne tame. -"Hers Is Banta rem. and
tnis (moving ths bottle) Is Camara.
With a long finger nail hs scored a line
in the wooden tabls. "There." he said,
triumphantly, "that ie theft- routs. We
are leagues from their road." -
He. raised a plump' hand to brush
away further objection. - v
"All the same," said ths other man.
T shall give a stiver candlestick to flan
Jose thst thev mar nass us bv."
"Ponf r said the Jnla eontsmblidously.
i snait- not, - its caugni uam ignaeio s
dull eye, and added, hastily, I will give
two In gratitude.- But pray that they
may not coma No. - i shall not bother
the saints with whst can never happen.
uamara is as ears as as parts"
Affonso Bordlno rose and went out.
He glanced at ths mayor's fins housi
through ths window of one room as hi
passed;- he could see a pier glass re
flect Ins a snread table; the srllded frame
caught the sunshine like gold. "Solid
. . .
gold," thought Bordlno. His heart wss
bitter. His thin ' fingers turned
over In one ragged pocket ths small
Changs left from his glass of spirits.
He was going toward Miranda that
afternoon, carrying a few skins of wine
with his mules. He went to the stable.
The Journey was scarcely worth ths fsw
small coins It would bring in payment
He harnessed the two sorry beasts.
fastened on the' wine skins, swung his
light body Into the saddle of ths better
mule and set out. The ribs or tne
mules showed through their skins, from
which the hair had worn In places, leav
ing sores snd great bare patches. His
naked feet were thrust tn shoes, to on
of which a hugs rusty spur wss fast
ened. : ' '
Hs left the avenue of planes, behind
and entered a long road, bordered first
with cactus and then with thick woods.
At a bridge a league or so from Camara
hs ' dismounted. Jogging through ths
country a brilliant scheme, still hssy
In detail, bad entered his quick brain.
Hs lav on his back on the broad stons
coping of the bridge, and.-lighting s
thin cigar, puffed blue smoke towsrd
ths blus sky as hs reflected. In the
background of hla thoughts glittered
the gold-framed . mirror In ths great
house on the Praca. His eyes bright
ened with greed and cunning.
Suddenly the clatter of boors reacned
his esrs. Hs sat up on ths edge of ths
bridge, below which a noisy stream ran
over great boulders, between banks cov
ered with fern and drooping trees. It
was the mayor's son on his lltrtlo An-
daluslan cob, riding st breakneck pace
riding, thought Affonso twitn anger,
yet with tho glow of a cheerful secret),
to the spread table In his fsthsr's house.
The muleteer remembered Just tn time
that discovery would Imperil his plana
He whipped his mulss into tns rorest.
and through - ths screen of leaves
watched Manuel de Bllva as ns passed
in a cloud of dust.
it was too earlv yet for Arronso to
return to Camars, and his Intention of
going to Miranda was abandoned. He
lay looking up at the sky as ths sun
marched down ths heavens. ' It was
quite warm. Later tnr ths yesr tns wan
would have been a Dancing piece zor
green and brown llsards; on summer
Journeys Affonso bad often- scared
them out of their inn aiumner ax mis
very place. He chuckled to himself as
hs thought out tne aeiaue 01 nis
scheme. A long draugnt or wine,
squeesed from one of ths skins In his
charge, gave him courage. Only one
cigar was left In his pocket; he had
been Saving it ror nignt. out now ns
stuck it between his teeth and flashed
a light from flint and steel. (It wss an
Indication of his hopes. - ' -"
At last when ths sky was ro, ns
started up and mounted. He rods at a
leisurely pace until hs reached ths s ve
nus of plane trees. Thsn hs dug ths
great Iron spur Into ths flanks of his
mule, thrashed the other furiously with
his whip and goaded tns jaaea oeasia
Into a noisy gallop. It hs killed them
now, what matter. Paster and faster
thev flew, terrified., urged on by blows
and cries snd ths sharp biting of ths
spur. Little groups of peasants wsrs
in the road; women with baskets on
their heads, men driving oxen, men and
boys carrying wins skins. Tho skins
his mules csrrted thumped on the worn
flanks; the wine gurgled and frothed;
one bag let out a littis stream, use
blood, which poured down the hide or
the beast that carried it and left a red
trail on the road for ths dust to drink.
What matter. Pebbles flew beneath the
flying hoofs; the whits dust closed be
hind them like smoke. Men, noys ana
women scattered to left snd right
The French! Ths French!" he yelled.
"The French devils ere coming!"
Where T Where t When 7" Oh, mother
of Ood! Blessed saints!" ' .
The startled cries and Invocations, the
eager, anxious questions roiiowea mm
unanswered. A little throng of fright
ened peasants clustered together with
terror-stricken, bsckward looks, and then
ran after him, stumbling and falling
In their haste to reach ths praca. ,
Hers svenlng bad gathered more peo
ple. Affonso clattered through tb
crowd, shouting bis news hoarsely. At
the house of ths Jul ho flung himself
from ths saddle. He ""tore his hat off,
burst In unannounced, found himself, al
most breathless, in ths room with the
gilded mirror. ' i
Ths maroe was alone.' Ha srlajined no
hastily from a bundia which hs was
fastening with a look of almost guilt
certainly of terror. question was In
big dull eyas, '-.,.,
A TftOOPr.f 31
HIS. HR5 i fun .y"
"Ther are commgr gasped Affonso.
his-heart thumping with excitement and
fear of failure. "Ths French ars com
ing). I saw them in ths road near Mi
randa!" . - : .' -
The mayor's short legs trembled under
ths weight of his long, fat body. He
put one hand on ths tabls for support.
With dry lips hs gasped out oueetlona
Afonso answered.' fearing exposure with
every word. Perhaps he would staff at
ms - poet,-hoping to -make farms for
Camera. - - -, - . -
"There Is no time to save anything!'
cried Affonso. "They ars : within a
league." h . ' ;.'
I am going:- I am going." rained the
Jul. breathlessly. "Manuel!" He
shrieked out hla son's nams. "They ars
hers already. They are within a leagus.
They will be here before we have tlms to
escape. Manuel I Do joa heart"
There Is no time to savs anything. I
tell you," repeated Affonso, rushing out
before Manuel could enter from an up
per room. Tho people, through whom
Bordlno had forced - his way, in ths
square had already spread ths news. His
spirits rose as hs thought how easy his
task had been, and how successful. Men,
J I.' , . " WV I I SSSS I ' II f J,. ' -SwVBBSj-SBBk, . . . ...
Jessie jamcsjOutlaw's Son,BedeemsFamily
st
N MISSOURI a sturdyvoung man Is
redeeming a family name rrora
scarlet disgrace. ' t "",
Jesss James, a son of ths 'noto
rious outlaw, is now a full-fledged law-
year., ' ; - - '
A few days ago be passed a success
ful examination before the , Missouri
ttats board of examiners at an attor-Dey-at-law.
" ..-...-, .
His father broke ths law under many
extenuating - circumstances, some still
plead but Jesse means to uphold ths
dignity of ths law.
In the courts of Missouri, which wers
cheated by .assassination of an oppor
tunity to glvs his father a trial, young
Jeans perhaps hs will always bs called
"young tfesse' is enrolled ss a lawyer
along with the nams of T. T. Crittenden,
ex-governor of Missouri, under whoee
administration his father wss killed
by a former ally In outlawry.- ,
Started as Offics Boy.
Ths nams of Jess James ts enrolled
on this earns record with that of T. T.
Crittenden Jr., who gavs Jssss a posi
tion as offics boy whsn ths lad was II
years old.; '' - '
Jesse jsmes wss nana leap pea as rsw
boys are. : Hla father had been an out
law. He Was left an orphan at years
of age, without money, and with a bad
nams to live down. Soon aftsr ths bur
ial of his father, his mother wsnt to
Kansas Cltv. ' -
She made a living for herself and
her two children by sewing. Jess
went to school until he was It years
old. When hs reached hla twelfth yesr,
ths boy decided thst hs was old enough
to work for his mother. One Sunday
morning he rend ths following advertise
ment tn the want columns of a nsws-
pspert ; ..''--v.
Wanted An office boy by T. T.
Crittenden Jr." ,
Perhaps ths boy knew that this was
the son of ths man whs had caused
efforts to bs mads to capture his father,
which resulted In his fsthsr's being as
sassinated; perhaps hs did not At any
rats he answered the advertisement the
next morning.
Secured' His First Job.
Whsn hs arrived at the Crittenden
office be found that there wers 10 other
boys ahead of htm'. Hs did not turn
away, but mingled wlth them to take
his chance...- , r
Mr. Crittenden, who waa busy at hla
desk mi ibe box entered, finally
Jit a Jssfe . y
women and children were sssembled,
ready 'for flight toward ths mountains;
some empty handed In their terror,, some
carrying hastily packed bundles. Ths
nuns from ths Santa Clara convent hud
dled together like frightened hens. Dom
Ignaeio, mounted on an asa, rmrrshaled
ths people, a good, shepherd to his
flock: in the supreme moment Turning
f his bead,- Affonso saw the mayor's short
legs already gripped saddle; his wifs
rods pillion behind him, clutching . his
brood, long body; - Manuel, had taken a
child on hla horse. -
Ths sight of his wlfs and her mother,
bareheaded. In the frightened, chatter
ing crowd, reminded Affonso of ties, hs
had overlooked. Should he tell them his
secret? Msrla wss beautiful stllL He
and shs shared many memories of
dances. Jaunts to qulntaa in ths moun
tains, glorious festa days, when bands
played and fireworks . flsxlad In broad
daylight before ths church. It would
be something to see her prlds . In . bis
cleverness. - But then, again, ' women
have curious scruples. Hs ran risks by
telling them. .And Maria wss not grow
ing younger. . There were : wrinkles
where dimples had been, gray hairs
turned to ths boys and looked thsm over
carefully. Toung Jesss was ths smallest
of thsm sll and may have been the
youngest.- vi
v He was: clean-cut manly looking
littis fellow, r Hs possessed a steady
eye, a Strong' little nose, a firm chin,
and his boyish mouth bad a tins of elo
quence. The head was leonine, the ualr
straight and combed clsan across his
high forehead. - r.:
' Ths little fellow's profile, his ex
pression, his straight," wiry little body,
all expressed energy, loyalty, keenness,
ambition and pride. There wers othsr
fins boys in' ths lot of tl from which
ths lawyer had to pick, but bs . wss
takrfn with the littlest fellow. - -
- He dismissed the others and called
Jesss to his side. - After a few words
with ths boy hs hired him. Mr. Crit
t ended testifies that the boy was faith
ful to every trust, qutet and well-behaved.
"- - ... g
: A few years later Jesss secured -1
position In a paoking-hous as a clerk.,
Hs wrots a book In defense of his
father. Ths book was published. It
had a big sale. Missouri people, and
especially western Missouri people
those who knew most of ths days, and
deeds and misdeeds of Jesss James
sympathised with ths boy's efforts to
give the real Jesse James to ths publio,
to show wherein much that Is charged
agalnat his father waa the Imagination
of iVO-eent blood-and-thunder writers
who had never put foot on Missouri soli
or been farther west than Buffalo.
When Jesss became 11 ' years of age
he had (TOO In ths bank. And ths 1700
wss in his good friend's bank Swln
ney's bank. Besides Jesss owned a lit
tle eottsgs In which his mother snd sis
ter lived..- V I,1- '- ' ',
Charred With Train Robbery. '
A little Is ter, when Jesse had suc
ceeded tn taking all care from his
mother's shoulders, of giving her: peace
and plenty In hor old age, and In edu
cating his sister, whsn hs had attained
sn honorsd manhood and was receiving
ths compliments of all good cltisens, a
most dramatic train robbery was pulled
off In Jsckson county, near Kansas City.
The men who had made It a point to
loaf aroujid Jesse's cigar stsnd wsrs
suspected by the officials and county
officers, and several of them wers ar
rested. Confessions and alleged confes
sions followed. Jesse was srrested on
a charge of train robbery. His mother
wae prostrated. ' . '
It was'vchargd that Jesss, with ao
mingled with the black. Sometimes her
tongue had a rough edge to It In an
hour- or so ho- would bs master of
wealth enough to buy him the love of
any young and pretty girl in Portugal.
In Spain, In Europe. He - would bs a
great lord. Maria was -well enough in
the mud-floored cabin among ths pigs
ana poultry. - But in . ths palsos ha
meant - to buy 'far from Camata no;
but be would be generous, and glvs them
ths two mules . to rids away on. Tet
svsn s hs dragged them towards the
women, who ran with ahtill clamor of
greeting and questions, towards him,
his Intention changed. He had forgotten
that he would want a beast to carry off
his. wealth. -But they could have the
sorrier mule. '.;;'
' "Tes. yes; ths French are coming. I
saw thsm near Miranda," " hs cried,
mounting the trembling women on the
tired mule. "I wlU stay to ths last I
am not afraid." ,
He gavs ths mule a blow with bis
whip; it hobbled in the rear of the pro
cession, thst .was . already leaving the
square.
. The excited talk, ths sobs of women,
ths clattsr of hoofs, tho nolss of hurry
oompllcea, bad -held up one'of Oeorg
Gould's Missouri Psclflo passenger
trains and robbed the safe in the ex
press car Of something near- f 40,004.
Immediately thoss who had been strong
eat In the condemnation of his father
pronounced him guilty without reading
more than the headlines ovsr ths storlss
in ths nswspapers. "v ' . 7. :
i. Who cams to hts aid
Younr Jesse Acquitted. , , ' ' "
' Ths ex-governor who had sought ths
arrest of his father for alleged crimes
and crimes known, ths ex-governor's
son who had hired him as offics boy and
ths banker friend. Jesse's trial came
up. He was ably prosecuted. Hs was
cleared absolutsly: of the chargs of
train robbery. . ,
A friend of Jesse, visiting Kansas
City one day, asked a companion of the
wsr days:
,. "Has this trial mads ths boy bitter r
"It has- mads him stronger," was ths
reply, . T-r a ' . ;- ,; '
Ths young man was much saddened,
not by the' ehsrge of train robbery
s gainst himself he was clear of that
the publio accepted ' ths verdict of In
nocence - and sympathised with him
but ths failure of his old mother's
health. Soon afterward she died. But
sbs died knowing that hsr boy was an
honest man, and that was a great relief
to him.
In ths recent class of IT law gradu
ates Jesse James stood first His aver
age in alt branches was II per cent
Jesse ts a self-made man. He la 11
years old. Hs is worth f 10,000. Hs is
sn attorney-at-Iaw. Hs made every dol
lar of hla money by honest hard work.
He is married. He has two children.
Hs lives in . his own houss. Hs has
nsvsr tasted whiskey. His friends ars
among ths foremost men sf Missouri.
1 Winning Fish Story. '
The ejiampion fish story ef lsoe conies from
Whlteheiee. Pemwrlviala. ' It kj-'abrnt a
LealKh valley enadnrtnr who booked a ettfUh
which be eon Id sot Isad. He wa alnet to rive
sp la despair when another flebertnea offeree
to wad the street end par the fl.h. To hi
nrprlaa the fisherman f on fid bis Has en ferine
the besfhnle ef s Deer keg. The keg we
nras4 (aher and found To eontals fonr
ponadieatri.il, whir bad grows to large t
paaa throafh tb tmnf bole. Now Ualnel . ,
Mis Ags Agalnat
" antoln Green of Jewell, Vermont. ws re
jected by tire raerottlas-efflese enrlng the
etrll war bereft ef bl adeaneed a. -Mr.
Drees la now 1V year M. and m remarkanlr
sons health, lie' would sot be takes as sr
taaa M rests ef age, . . . .
ing - footsteps. Dom Ignaclo'a strong
voles, urging, chssrlng. beseeching, en
eouraging and calling down on the in
yaders all ths euraes of ths church, dlsd
away. Ths Praca was smpty at Isst
Not a soul waa left tn Camara; not
soul.-savs ths soul to which he waa al
ready muttering tho rich man's promise
With. Intoxicating Joy Affonso found
himself In possession of ths village
Hs entered the -church.. Dom Ignaclo
had taken some of ths sacred relics but
had lsf t the treasure. Hs looked greed
II y at the gems on ths robes snd on ths
gold and silver plate. He rubbed his
hands In an ecstasy of Joy aa he thought
of ths palacs hs would build. Ha would
have-gold mirrors gold sverywhere
and red and green and blue hangings
everywhere, snd musical boxes; like ths
on from . Paris tho clockmaksr has
shown him. s .
Hs harnesifd . his muls to a heavy
wooden cart which would carry him
away with his spoils Then he entered
ths mayor's house. Here In cellsr and
kitchen he found choice wines and food
to nerve him for his long task. Enter
ing ths room In which he had told hla
story hs gaxed around open-mouthed M
Its magnificence, seen now at leisure.
Hastily he seised some glided candle
sticks snd thinking them solid gold car
ried them to the cart He dragged the
mirror from the wall, stamped the glaes
into fragments, tried - to wrench away
the frame. He muat get tools for this.
and leaving it to a more convenient
time, he ascended ths staircase to the
upper rooms. . In the first he entered he
gaaped with wonder: hla eyes narrowed
and glittered with greed. All. wss tn
disorder; drawers wers flung open, piles
of clothes and ornaments littered the
floor and bed. Hers were rich dresses,
fins silk, scarfs, glass bottles stoppered
with gold. Ivory fans, richly carved and
painted brooches, .gems., chains. But
first hs must dress himself for his trav
els." ' He flung off his old ragged clothea,
put silk stockings on bis bare legs, and
donned the mayor's beet garments." i A
great scarf of finest silk, changing tint
with- each movement of the light gavs a
picturesque nnisb to his dress.
it -eyas now growing dark.. He lit a
candle In a (liver scones on tbs wall,
and filled his pockets with trinkets. The
silence . was growing oppressive. : ' Ho
wanted to finish his work hers quickly;
there waa much to da Tearing a cur
tain from ths bed, he poured into it at
haphazard, the richer and gaudier con
tents of -ths chamber. Ths csndls cast
hugs, fitful shadows as hs moved, once
or twice hs started nervously; a little
clock in ths room frightened him Into a
panlo by sudden striking. Hs seised It
In both hands and hurled it savagely
Into ths mingled hesp of wealth and
rubbish. Vagus terror of ths loneliness
and darknese began to make Itself felt
Hs Imagined noises on ths stairs. In the
square. In ths rooms below. - He wss
frightened of everything beyond the rim
of light Affonso began to regret that
he had missed confession. There were
other sins which might hsve C been
washsd out, and so left his soul cleaner
for ' this. Still, hs worked on eagerly.
Hla task in this room wss neatly done.
Hs took ths candle from the sconce, snd
fixed It on ths dressing table tn its own
grease, and then tore the silver sconce
from its socket. As he did an a noise
behind him startled blm. Ite turned
sharply the blood f rose In his veins,
snd his hslr rnss as he saw a strange
man eyeing him. In panic terror he
hurled ths scones at him with all his
fores. There was a shiver of breaking
glass. Hs had broken his own tmsge In
curtained mirror-Mils own. Image, dis
guised in ths garments of the. mayor. -
Bordlno leant by the bed, gasping. . In
mlnuts or . two- self-possession - re
turned. Ths notse had been but the
whirring of ths little clock as it ran
down.' He bent and featened ths bun
WORLD'S GREAT SPRING.
Wonderful , Underground Lake
in
iOregon County, Missouri ; 4
From ths South wst,
Month aftsr month papers and maga
tlnss 'publish glowing accounts of ths
beauty and grandeur of ths lakes of
Swltxerland, ths rivers of Germany or
the glaclsrs of Greenland. . Tourists snd
globs trotters have stood on the Alps,
"gondolated" In Venice or climbed the
Matte rhom, but how .many American
tourists know anything of their natlvs
land outside ths "old school book won
dsrs of Niagara. Tellowstone and To-
semlteT Y'-'V v'' ''''' !!'' l"i ''"'
In Oregon county, Missouri, and Pul
ton county, Arkansas, srs grouped Grand
Gulf, Mammoth Spring and Spring river,
natural curiosities ao . wonderful, ao
beautiful and furnishing so many open
ings for investors ' that wers they hid
tn the forests of Africa, or within the
shsdow of ths mountain peaks of south
ern Europe, artists would haunt them
with their sketch books and, posts would
rave bf their soul-lnsplring beauty.
' Ths Grand Gulf Is ths crowning won
der of the group... Two shallow streams
about ens fourth of a mils distant from
each Othsr, flowing In ths sams direc
tion over an elevated plateau, sudden
ly drop into csnyons 100 1 fset deep
These two canyons form a ' Junotlon
half 'a mils below, where they strike
a mountain lying directly across their
path. This mountain has been tunneled
by the action of the water, and the
natural bridge thua formed la no less a
curionlty snd almoat equal In slss to the
famous Natural , Brtdgs of . Virginia.
Aftsr passing through this mountain
ths unltsd stream strikes snother moun
tain and tunnels It for ssveral hundred
feet, and. then apreada out Into an im
mense underground lake, ths area of
whloh has never been ascertained. Many
parties have snjoyed the tunnel- and pic
nics have 'been held by torchlight on the
margin of the lake, but still It remains
a mystsry. No light can sxlst long over
the. bosom ef the lake snd nothing can
bs heard ssvs ths far-away rumble of
ths waters as thsy rush on.
- This underground lake ts ths reser
voir which supplies Msmmoth Spring,
ths largest spring la ths - world, - with
Its 10,000 cubio feet of wster a mlnuts.
Ths most surprising feature In connec
tion with this extraordinary natural cu
riosity Is ths fact that when these great
canyons srs filled with- water, svsn to
the arch of ths natural bridge, hundreds
of feet deep, the volume, of water In
Mammoth'Spring is not increased.
- Mammoth Bjrrtaa, covers it acres oX
dle. As his thin, brown fingers turned,
over, the treasures his ' spirits - rose.
There wers "much goods" hers; with
icsss aione ns mignt sat ana anna ana
be merry for many days. H. tried to
put sslds ths memory of ths morning's v
text 4hat terrible sentence uttered by -the
voice of Ood: "Thou fooL this
night thy soul" - -What
was thatt Hla heart beat fast
again. - He crept to ths window, look
lng out over ths praca There was a -clatter
of hoofs, coming from the Mi
randa roaa. He stood rrnsen witn nor
ror, though his hand fumbled nervously
at the unshaven chin. Hs atood, fas
cinated, as a score or" so of troopers. '
mets. rode Into ths praca; as a lively
air struck iin: aa ths tramn of unnum
bered Infantry anawered the muelo of
their band. In a second life had, flowed "
daok wunin in empty wana; nut lire
terrible snd msnacing to him. Affonso' s .
limbs trembled;' all strength seemed to
have left him; be watched.' unable to
tear ' himself from his post' Shouts.
curses,- snatches of song, rose above
the ever-growing 'blare of brass and
roll of drum. Guns flashed out-- flreil
at random, in ths dark night Ths men
poured Into the-houses, fierce to steal
and slay and outrage. ; Already,' as by
magic, fire were springing up in ths
sqiisre. Affonso watched everything.
He cams to his senses as the? drsw
near the mayor's house. A little lane .
ran down beside the ' house from ths
praca. Hs might slip-out snd down It .
unobserved.- Shaking In every limb, hs
turned towsrd ths door. - His treasures
wers forgotten, though his pockets still
bulged with stolen goods. Kicking off .'
his shoes, he ran noiselessly. In ths
mayor's silk stockings, down ths stairs
curious figure In the fine. Ill-fitting
clothes. Hs stood shivering .In ths door
way, walcini his chance. At last, with
his' eyes on the enemy, hs rsn -out
Affonso gavs a squeal of terror, as hs
rsn Into some obstacle which his cau
tious glance, Intent only .on ths French,
had missed. . It waa hla own muls, al
ready terrified by ths suddsn noise. Ths
animal dashed off across.; ths praca,
dragging after it ths heavy csrt; sll
syes, turning; towsrd it saw. In the-light '
of ths newly kindled tires, ths man rac
ing for safety.. :
A trooper, with shouts and laughter, -
set his horse at him, striking with his
saber as hs passed. The blow missed.
Affonso rolled In the dust, rose again,'
mads again for ths alley, shrieking, mad ' -
with fear: "Thou fool, this night thy
soul shall be required of thee." God's
voles seemed thundering In - his . eare.
Death was at his heels, catching him
unassolled. At tho mouth of the lane a
squad - of ' infantry stopped - him with r
their- bayonets. -"Don't kill him yet; -
don't kill him," yelled the trooper, amid ,
guf fawg-vof laughter. He : waa forced
back at the-nolnt of weapons. Hs raced '.
across the square. "pricked forward on to
the bayonets of other men. The cav
alry, with shouts of glee, hunted him
1,1 1 0 ....! V.
squsrs wss barred. Stumbling, stsg
gering, shielding his bowed head with .
arms .that dripped- blood,. Affonso rsn.
hither snd thither., screaming until tbs
mountains answered with mocking
echoes.'. He dropped st last In ths cen- ,
ter of ths square, and lay qulvsring, but
silent -V- - " - -
Boms men turned him over with their
feet, and looked at ths glaring eyea .
With shouts snd laughter, like school
boys from their rams, - ths soldiers
poured Into the- house, ransacking, de
stroying, piling up great stscks of fur
niture for their blvouao fires..
As : ths flames lesped and feu, hey -
showed a huddled figure,, now in soiled -finery,
now but a darker patch of shad
ow, in the center of the greet squsre: a
tiny figure, very still, vsry lonely not
unpathetlc. ,'"..:-'-. ;;':': --'-
ground 100 feet deep with crystal water.
Spanned by an Immense steel bridge, .
navigated' by . naphtha : launches and
flowing its OO-OOOcublc feet of water a
mlnuts over a dam of solid masonry 170
feet long snd tl feet high. It pressnts -an
admlrabls picture. . ,.: . i
It Is too beautiful for an attempt, at'
description, and ths spring alona sup
plies watsrpowsr equal to thousands of
horsepower. It seems to holdlta own "
more ssrens than the pyramids and aa
unchangeable as ths decrees of fete."-"
Nothing effects It Its purity remains
undimmed when showers- of spring '
transform mountain streams Into varite.
ble sewers; cloudbursts that drown 'wide 1
valleys snd drouths that drive cattls
to ths distsnt lowlands neither add to .
nor take from its constant nevry-vary-
tng flow, and the keenest blast of old
winter that ever scaled ths Osarks and
rushed as a conqueror down thess sunny
slopes hss never yet been able to cap- '
ture and Imprison In Its Joy fetters a
single wavelet on ths placid bosom Of
this mighty spring. -., , .
Mammoth spring drives ths machinery
of ths Mammoih Spring Roller Mills,
ths largest mill In aril north Arkansas
or south Missouri; ths Mammoth Spring
Cotton Mills and Mammoth Sprtng-Elec-trio
Light company, while unnumbered
volumes of water fall unharnessed into
the valley below, creating Spring river,
the tlneet power stream in America.
The Hudson may be grander, the St
Lawrence mors romsntio or ths lordly -Mississippi
mors majestic, but Spring
rlvsr, for ths. brightness of Its waters," '
ths quiet beauty of Its wooded banks. '
for Its long, deep pools shaded by tower '
tng ellffs, for its rushing rapids snd ".
Its hundred waterfalls, can Justly claim '
attractions unequaled by any stream In "
America or abroad.
The rains of sprlngtjme tielthsr mar -Its
beauty nor add to Ita volume; ths '
droutns of midsummer drink not a drop
of Its waters, and winter, which chalnae
all neighboring streams with Its toy fet-.
tors, imprisons not a . curl pf Spring
river. , '
The giant which saucily -defied ths
deluge, the drouth and the rude buffets
of old winter ts a submissive Slavs n
ths hsnds of progress, and Is now meek
ly learning to turn the laths and threw
the shuttle. r , '
; The Joyous free song of lta waters li'
marred by a falae note with a metelllo t
ring, and ere long thess ahsdy. grass
oarpeted banks, where children plsy an t
ths angler catches ths unsuspecting
baas, will bs llnsd with mills and fac
tories that operate without feae .
coat strike, and the song at the Mr. '
snd, the melody of the waterfall will ''
be replaced by the whir or the snlndla
and the sigh ot the operatives.
I