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About Corvallis gazette. (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909 | View Entire Issue (March 3, 1905)
1 S'OggJyr Pt j CHAPTER XIII. It was the day that I was to visit Clara. I woke with the dawn. For the first time in my life, I took pains with my toilet. I carefully brushed my hair In different ways, trying which was the more becoming. But with all my pains, I cut but a very sorry figure. "Dear me, how spruce you look this morning!" said Martha, as I came down to breakfast. "And quite elated, too!" Before 10 o'clock I was in the neigh borhood of her house. It was too early to go there yet; so I lingered about for a time. How very awkward it was that I had no knowledge of her name! I had quite forgotten to ask it. As the time drew near I began to feel nervous. A church clock struck eleven as I timidly knocked at the door. I was answered by a stout, good tempered looking old lady. "You have a young lady staying here," I began, in a hesitating tone. "Oh, you are the young man that Miss Clara expects, I suppose." Saying which, the old lady deliberately drew a pair" of spectacles out of her pocket, and ad justing them, carefully scrutinized me. My appearance seemed to satisfy her, for she said, iu a more friendly tone, "Walk in, young man; Miss Clara will be with you directly." She showed me into a neat little par lor. Upon the table were several water colored drawings, some finished, some un finished ; also some Berlin wool work. Bouquets of flowers were everywhere; upon the table amidst the work, upon the mantelpiece in two vases, upon a little stand facing the window, and upon the cottage piano that stood in a corner. The air was loaded with their perfume. In a few moments the door opened and Clara came into the room. "You have come, then," she said, with her sweet, melancholy smile. As if aught but death or imprisonment could have kept me away I She painted water-color pictures, and did Berlin wool work for the shops, she told me. She sat down at once and be gan her work, and I waited upon her, washed her brushes, ground her colors, adjusted the blind, and between these little offices I watched her busy fingers; but oftener my eyes were upon her face, graving its every lineament upon my memory. Never have I looked upon an other face so spiritually beautiful. It was one of those heads that the old Ital ian painters loved to give to their An gelsand Madonnas, so prefectly serene, bo utterly free from hilman passions. The fair wavy hair, untrammeled by art; the oval face, neither full, nor thin, but perfectly smooth; the low forehead; the blue eyes; the straight Grecian nose; the small mouth; the swelling, gracefully arched neck ; the skin so delicately wh!te, tinted upon the cheeks with the faintest carnation. Her figure was of about the middle height, exquisitely graceful, yet painfully fragile. She wore a black dress, made high to the neck, with a small, plain white collar. ' We talked very little; she was too busy with her work, and silence was more congenial with our mood. At 3 o'clock Mrs.. Wilson called us to dinner, which we. took in a breakfast parlor below. . The old lady was very chatty and very curious, and' asked me a great number of indirect questions; those I did not care to answer I con trived pretty skillfully to evade, i "You must excuse my questions, sir," she said; "but although Miss Clara Is no relation of mine, and, indeed, I know nothing about her, still I feel as much iuterested in her as though she were my own child; she is so innocent, and knows so little about the world, that it's quite necessary that she should have some one to look after her. Now, you are- the first visitor that she has ever had, and she has lived with me these two years. But, when she came home last night she told me that she had met an old ac quaintance who was coming to see her; that he had come to the city in search of employment, and had no friends nor ac quaintances, and was so dreadfully mis erable that it made her quite unhappy to see him. At first, I set my face against it, but she soon coaxed me over, and I compromised the matter by saying that you should come this once, but that if I did not approve of you, it was to be the first and the last visit. But I must say you seem a very nice, quiet, modest sort of young gentleman. And what kind of employment might you be seeking?" I told her I had been usher at a school, but that at present I was doing copying. I did not say of what kind. The old lady remarked that an usher's was a very genteel sort of employment. Alto gether she seemed very well satisfied with me. In the evening Mrs. Wilson brought her sewing up into the parlor, and pro posed that I should read to them. And so the evening glided on, oh, so rapidly, until I could no longer see in the dark ening twilight, and then we all sat near the window; Mrs. Wilson chatting, I and Clara silent. She gazing into the street, with that absent look so common to her; I watching every motion of her face, as it grew more and more indistinct in the deepening shadows. Lights were brought, z and then we went down to supper, and then it was time to go. "You will come and see me again. won't you?" she said, as she gave me her hand at the gate. - I wanted no pressing, and arranged that I would come again on Monday. She wished me good night, and went in and closed the door, and the day was ended the day whose blissful memories will never fade from my heart That day was the precursor of many like ones, until, in a short time, I could perceive that she looked forward to my coming with expectancy, and that my presence had become a thing almost nee essary to her. She looked for me to hand her the painting materials, to grind the colors, to select her skeins of wool, to sft at her feet and read to her some pleasant .book; while, between the lights, she would sit at the piano and impro vise strange, weird, plaintive melodies. It was a strange communion, ours. In it we lived only in the present moment. We never spoke of a past or of a fu ture, for we wished to be happy; and, to both, the past was hideous, the fu ture ominous. Thus I knew nothing of her past life, nor did I wish to know. Like her, I did not wish the happiness of the present to be marred by one pain ful image. She had lived with Mrs. Wilson above two years, yet even she knew nothing of her life for a single day before she came to her. "I have always had good references before I would take any one into my house," said the old lady, "es pecially young ladies without friends; but she said she could give me none, and she looked so innocent and good that I took a fancy to her upon the spot; and I have never had cause to regret it, for a dearer, purer creature never entered a house, and I feel for her quite as if she was my- own child. But I must say that I do feel curious about her, and often think what a mystery she is. She is so strange at times, and so unlike any other young lady I ever met." With my old reticence, I told Martha no word of Clara. I hugged my secret with selfish tenacity, as something too precious to be shared. She wondered at my unaccounted-for absences, and I think felt hurt that I did not coniide in her. She frequently remarked upon my changed appearance. "I do declare," she used to say, "that I never saw any one so altered for the best as you are. Master Silas! Why, you've got to look quite handsome late ly!" In the meantime I was not idle. Mr. Montgomery brought me more copying to do, and in order that my visits might not interfere with my work, I frequent ly sat up all night writing. My expenses were very small, and even with the little I earned, I contrived to cover them. What more could I desire? I was more than happy, for I was living in an ideal world. CHAPTER XPvV One day Mr. Montgomery invited me to pay a visit to the Royal Corinthian Theater. There had been a time when no proposition could have been so de lightful to me; but since those days I had soared into higher regions of ideal ity than the theater could represent. Nev ertheless. I accepted the invitation, ana one evening I accompanied him and Jo- siah. While I was standing in the side scenes, looking at the play, some stran gers came through a private door that led from the boxes. They were gentle men, dressed in full evening costume. After a casual glance I again gave my attention to the stage. Presently I heard a voice close behind me, whose tones sounded familiar in my ears. Turn ing round, I saw one of the gentlemen talking to an actress. In an instant I recognized Mr. Rodwell. It was a shock, in which, for an instant, I forgot the staee and everything about me. I avert ed my head, and dared not move lest he should recognize me. But I soon began to think how improbable this was that he would do so in such a situation, and with my altered appearance. I screwed up my courage, ana turnea round to leave the spot, when, just as I was brushing past the object of my fears, adverse fortune brought Josiah Cook across my path Hello. Silas, old fellow, how are you enjoying yourself?" he cried, as he pass ed me. ' Instinctively I cast a glance upon Mr. Rodwell. ' I saw him start and look me full in the face. A row of gaslights leaning against the side scene glared full UDon us both. His gaze dwelt upon me for an instant, but he gave no Bign of recognition, and went on talking as be fore. I fondly hoped that he aia not re member me. Quick on the heajs of Josiah followed Mr. Montgomery. He nodded to me and was passing on when, observing Mr. Rodwell. he stopped suddenly, stared at him for a moment, then, clapping his hand upon his- shoulder, cried in a fa miliar tone, How do you do, Mr. Rod- well?" He was dressed as an old man, wore a wig, and was otherwise disguised. The gentleman whom he addressed honored him with a haughty stare. . "It is some time since we have met. and I suppose you do not remember 'the Professor' in this dress V Mr. Rodwell looked disconcerted at this recontre. "I certainly did not remember you, he said, coldly. I did not hear more of what passed be tween them, and should not have heard this had not my passagebeen blocked for a moment by a change of scene. was only too glad to get away from the vicinity as soon as X could make my es cape. All enjoyment was over for that even ing, and I would have chosen rather to have gone home at once ; dm as i baa ac companied my fellow lodgers to the the ater, I thought it would appear strange to leave without them. - o, having ob tained permission, I went into the pit to witness the rest of the performance. did not see anything more of Mr. Rod- well that night, but I could not shake off a feeling of depression, and a pre sentiment that this meeting boded me some ill. - I waited at the stage door until my companions were dressed. But instead of immediately wending their way home ward, they expressed an intention of ad journing to a public house, and insisted upon my accompanying them. I had never been in such a place before, and the noise and smoke quite mazed me, Mr. Montgomery called for supper, and threw down a coin. "Hello!" cried Josiah, staring in blank astonishment; have you been robbing bank?" "No; I have only been ' bleeding friend," was the answer. I soon began to very heartily tiish that I had gone homo by myself. Mr. Montgomery insisted upon drinking; and that, together with the atmosphere I was inhaling, quickly affected my brain. When we reached Rackstraw's build ings they would not permit me to go to my own lodgings. I must go into Mrs. Jennings' and spend half an hour with them. "Yon don't smoke, Silas?" he said to me. "Oh, you should!- It, soothes the brain, it lulls remorse. Tobacco is the modern Lethe; or, at all events, if it does not''ot)literate" oldk memories, it renders you indifferent to them, which is much the same thing. I suppose you have no phantoms to fumigate. . You are still wandering in the happy regions of innocence"- this with a sneer. "I had stray ed very far wide of them long before I was your age. At twenty I was a gay, dashing spark. At three-and-twenty I was forbidden my father's house, thanks to a woman a prayerful woman, too, that was always reading religious books. and never happy out of a chapel; a wom an with a heart of flint. All my sins lie at her door; a wild youth might have been succeeded by a reputable manhood, but for her." While he spoke his face became con vulsed with passion. As the paroxysm increased, the foam bubbled from his mouth, and he launched forth into the most frightful imprecations. "I say, old fellow, don't go on in this awful manner," said Josiah, who, as well as myself, looked rather alarmed at his violence. " 'Pon my life, I can't stand any more of it, and so I told you last time. Come, tell us of some adventures' of your past life that are so jolly amus ing. Silas, here, has never heard any of them. You'd like to hear some. wouldn't you?" he added, winking hard at me. At that moment I should have much preferred to go to bed. but I did not dare to say so; expressing, instead, a great aesire to hear anything Mr. Mont gomery chose to relate. Don't be frightened." he said, winine the perspiration from his face, and growing calm under this judicious flat tery, "I- am not likely to harm you, or anybody else except her.- But when think of all she has made me ro through, and not only me, but Well, if I were to think of that lone. I should go mad in earnest." He went on smoking his nine in si lence for a time, seemingly lost in thought. I wonder if I were to write mv life. if I could get any bookseller to publish it 7 It would indeed be a marvelous story. But I don't believe that half the people would credit it. I could write half a dozen sensation novels without inventing a single incident; but. then. novel readers would cry, 'They are so far-fetched! A man who began life as a gentleman, and who, for a matter of twenty years, has passed through e-.ery pnase or vagabondism, must have some strange stones to tell." Of course he must." said Josiah, again winking at me. "I have often won dered that you have not set about pub lishing your reminiscences, or your auto biography, or something of that sort. But it isn t too late, you know. But come, now, give us one of your regular start lers; we are all attention." (To be continued.) EGYPTIANS BEAT HARVEY. Circulation of the Blood Known to Their Doctors 5,000 Years Aro. The Harveian oration at the Royal College of Physicians, London, was de livered this year by Dr. Richard Caton, F. R. C. P. In the course of his remarks he said that Harvey was almost anticipated 6,000 years ago by the priest-doetors of Egypt in his mo mentous discovery of the circulation of the blood. As far back as 4000 B. C. Egypt had works on medicine and anatomy, and one brilliant genius forgotten nowa days and omitted from the cyclopedla3 I-em-hotep, priest of the sun god Ra, and physician to King Torsothros, .be came so eminent that he was revered as a demigod after death, a temple was built over his tomb, and in his honor hospitals were raised in Mem phis and other cities. Here the priest- physicians treated the sick and em balmed the bodies of men and sacred animals. These were probably, Dr. Caton thinks, the first of mankind to acquire a rudimentary knowledge of the move ment of the blood. Their papyri con tain intelligent references to the heart, the blood vessels and the pulse. Of the heart in particular they knew much, and their writings refer to its enlargement, fatty degeneration, dis placement, palpitation and pericardial effusion. One remarkable passage of ;these old-world inquirers speaks of distension of the heart and shortness of breath as occurring because the blood has stagnated and does not cir culate properly. Not Greece, therefore, but Egypt, long before Galen and Hippocrates, was the motherland of rational medi cine and anatomy. The views of the Greeks on the circulation of the blood were almost, exactly those which the Egyptians had taught many centuries earlier. On one remarkable means of treat ment for incipiient valvular disease of the heart which these long-forgotten Nile doctors taught Dr. Caton laid great stress. It was the method rec ommended at least 4.000 years go to let the heart have as much rest as possible a wise Injunction, said the Harveian orator,' which we may yet practice with advantage. I-em-hotep seems to have . been an all-round genius physician , architect, astron omer, ' alchemist so illustrious that after death he was reputed the son of the supreme deity, Ptah all this and yet nearly lost to fame. 1 Soporific. ' "Yes, I picked up his book last night and I never budged out of my chaii until 4 o'clock this morning." "Goodness! Was it - that interest ing?" j "No, but I didn't wake up until that time." Philadelphia Press. Feminine Way. "Have you read, that new novelev body is talking about?" asked the first dear girl. "Only the last chapter," replied dear girl the second. "I wonder how it be gins." . - - " - -. , ' Emll Manicus, the Nestor of Danish journalists. Is dead at 81. He was expelled from Schleswig in 1864 by the Germans. 5 - ?l mmr-ma There appears to be no end to the may be applied. The very latest thing the imprinting of portraits and other pears, etc., but though the latest, it is merely one of a group of distinct novelties that have recently been evolved and which bring much joy to the lover of the unusual. A few years ago when photographs on buttons were announced by enterprising photographers the announcement carried with it no small amount of interest to the general public and added a new wrinkle for those who would wear their heart or their badge on their outer clothing to revel in, but nbw the "girt who delights to carry a photograph simile of her beloved about with her need not content herself with such comparatively clumsy devices as buttons or brooches as a may actually have the photograph made on her own delicate skin, and there, where there is no danger of losing it, she may retain it as long as she wishes. Still another device that might perchance catch her vagrant fancy is having the photographic print made on her finger nail. But if these nov elties do not entirely satisfy her whims, she can extend the list to almost unthought-of ends. The photographer of the present is as obliging as he is resourceful. He will print the picture on gloves if she wills it so, on her handkerchief if she likes, on cups, saucers, vases; practically anything with a surface on which a film can be spread, whether living or dead or manufac tured matter, may be made to serve the purpose of her wishes and come out of the photographer's hands adorned with the picture she has desired so presented. Photographic printing on fruit, however, is something in a class by itself, though it Is of the same Idea from which all the other novelties have sprung, and is susceptible of being put to many novel uses. Already it has become quite a feature of the banquet boards In London, and at a recent mansion house affair the souvenir was a large red apple at each plate, adorned with a photograph of King Edward. The process by which photographic prints are made on fruit is simple, and the surprise about it is that it was not thought of before. It involves the use of no new principles, and is merely the adaptation" of photography to new materials. It Is simply a mattter of sensitizing the surface of the object on which It Is desired to print All of these novelties in photography had their origin in Paris and are of such recent date that they have only recently begun to make their appear ance in this country. Singularly enough, only the finger nail photographs have been taken up by New York photographers. WORLD'S RICHEST GIRL TO WED. It is announced that Bertha Krupp, the 19-year-old owner of the Krupp gun works at Essen, Germany, is be trothed to Dr. Heck, of Rheodt, Rhen ish, Prussia. Miss Krupp, who is the wealthiest girl in her own right in the world, owns, practically all of the $40,000,000 capital stock of the Krupp gun works, besides other wealth, amounting to $35,000,000 more, which her father left her. She has an an nual income from the Krupp works alone of $2,400,000. She has already given great sums to charity and is planning other philanthropic work for the. benefit of her workmen and the poor. She was expected soon to make her formal debut in Berlin society, un der the special protection of the kaiser, who was a close friend of her father. She was said recently to have express ed ideas in regard to matrimony which her relative -regarded "impossibly romantic." One of the declarations made was that her husband, whoever he be, would have to come and live in the factory town of Essen, as she would never consent to leave the town where she said her life work lay in bettering the condition of the Krupp workingmen and their families. EVOLUTION OF THE FLOWERS. They Become Sophisticated, bnt Lose None of Their Charm. ' It is a far call, indeed, from the wild rose to the American beauty; from the dainty, old-fashioned "pinks" to the Lawson and the enchantress carna tions; from the pretty little china asters of our grandmothers days to the su perb chrysanthemums which rear their magnificent mops as tropnies or the florists' art There are really very few things in use in the world to-day which have not been materially changed by the forces of methodical development Civilized men and women themolves are the best examples of this all-pervading in fluence, comments the" Kansas ' City Star. The beasts of -burden and the creatures which supply the world with animal food are remotely different from what they were In the beginning. The work of breeding and training has added beauty and usefulness to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field, and the same upward tendency is noted in these latter days in the flow ers which gladden life with their love liness and which admonish man per petually of his frailty. Pleasant it is to know what may be called the sophistication of flowers has robbed them of not a whit of their na tive charm. There is, in the sensuous BEBTHA KRUPP. mamtr otooraphtj unique uses to which photography in the photographic novelty line is subjects on the actual surface of apples, frame for them. If she desires she odor of the American beauty, the mag ic to revive In any mind attuned to the heart of nature sweet memories of tan gled vines and wild roses, creeping and blooming along country roads. The scent of a rich and full carnation will call up in a moment tender recollec tions of borders of spicy little pinks tended by loving hands that have been folded for years in dreamless repose. In the regal chrysanthemum is seen the amazing product of brave little as ters which came to embellish the door- yard with the first chill of autumn and after all of the summer blooms had perished. Flowers, thank heaven, are beyond the reach of affectation. They may be rendered, by careful culture, more radiant, more prodigal of beauty and fragrance, more replete with the power to brighten the hour of gladness and to -lend comfort to times -of sadness and affliction, but they can be spoiled or deteriorated never. As long as the world abides flowers will exhale their beneficent fragrance for all, and will never tire of the riot of beauty which they have provided since the morning stars sang together for the delectation of man. Contrasts of City Lire. "Many are the ways of living in a great city," said the treasurer of an uptown club. "That man who went out as you came in is an example. "His business is hunting game. He is employed by this club and several householders to procure game in sea son. "He lives up in the Bronx, and has a large family to support. Notwith standing his success in procuring game, I know that he has not tasted a bite of game Of any sort in years. "On the contrary, his table in the meat line Is decidedly frugal. He told me one day that he had not tasted quail for so long that he would not know what it was if it were served to him, when he was blindfolded. "Well, It's the same old story all over town. A diamond expert in one of the big houses in New York Is ' so poor that he walks home at night a long distance, to save car fare. "A woman who is employed by three families to make the purchases for their tables has six children depend ent upon her earnings. One who is familiar with her life assures me that her little ones are sometimes half fed, although the mother is as generous in supplying their wants as her means will permit" New York Sun. Dropping a Gentle Hint. "James," said Mr. Rakeley, "I be lieve you saw me er saluting the maid." , "Why, yes, sir," replied the butler. "Well, I want you to keep quiet about it Do you understand?' "Yes, sir," said the butler, with out stretched hand; " 'silence is golden,' you know, sir." Philadelphia Press, ' Conditions Reversed. Kidder The proverb, "every dog has its day," doesn't go in Algiers. Easly Why? Kidder For the very good reason that there every dey has bis dog. New York Times. . His Idea. Wife According to the papers dress goods will come much higher this sea son than last Husband Well, I am glad of It I never did approve of those decollete costumes. A penny saved by a miser means a dollar burned by his heirs later on. GROWTH OF CATCH PHRASES. Many Words and Bentenc -in Common Use Had Peculiar Beginning. Nearly -every one has at times been puzzled to account for the origin of words and phrases they hear used in the conversation of those with whom they come in daily contact Some of these are peculiar In their etymology and give no indication of their par entage. The word "hurrah," for in stance, is a token of joy In use for centuries. It is the battle cry of the old Norse vikings as they swept down to burn and murder among the peaceful British. "Tur ale!" was their war cry, which means "Thor aid" an appeal for help to Thor, the god of battles. "It's all humbug!" Perhaps it is. Humbug is the Irish "ulm bog," pro nounced humbug, meaning bogus money. King James II. coined worth less money from his mint at Dublin, his 20-shllling piece being worth 2 pence. The people called it "ulm bog." It was a Roman gentleman of 2,000 years ago who first asked "where the shoe pinches." He had Just divorced his wife and his friends wanted to know what was the matter with the woman. They declared she was good and pretty. . "Now," said the hus band, taking off his shoe, "isn't that a nice shoe? It's a good shoe, eh? A pretty shoe, eh? A new shoe, eh? And none of you can tell where it pinches me." "Before yon can say Jack Robinson" arose from the behavior of one John Robinson, Eso, He was a fool. He was In such a hurry when he called on his friends that he would be off before he had well knocked at the door. "There they go, helter-skelter!" That phrase was coined at the de feat of the Spanish armada. The great fleet of the Spanish invasion was driven by storm and stress of the English attack north to the Hel der river and south to the Skelder river the Scheldt Do you know why a hare is called "Puss"? This is not a riddle, but Just an example of how words get twisted. The ancient Norman knights who came over with William the Conqueror pronounced the word "le puss." The puss he remains to-d.-y. "Go to Halifax." That town was a place of special terror for rogues because of the first rude guillotine invented there by Mannaye for chop ping off felons' heads. Halifax law was that the criminal "should be condemned first and inquired upon after." Coventry had a queer law in old times by which none but free men of the city could practice a trade there. , Strangers were starved out Hence the phrase of shutting a man out of human company "sent to . Coventry." "Spick and span" comes from the "spikes" and "span ners" the hooks and stretchers for stretching cloth new from the loom. To "dun" a man for debt comes from the memory of Joe Dun, bailiff of Lincoln, who was so keen a col lector that his name has ' become a ' proverb. . ."News" is a queer word the initials of north, east, west, south, which ap peared on the earliest .journals as a sign that Information was to be had here from the four quarters of the world. The sign was NEWS, and gave us our word "news." A Fish's Appetite. A singular instance of tenacity in the digestion of fish is reported from Sheffield, Englanad. The fish, which was four feet long, had what appeared to be an abnormally hard liver. But the cutting up process revealed some thing far stranger. The supposed hard liver turned out to be nothing else but a piece of stout netting, over two yards long and fourteen inches wide, which had been pressed into the form of a football. How this great mass of indigestible material came to be swal lowed by the creature is a mystery, and the suggestion that the fish caught in the tolls of a fisherman's net solved the problem of how to escape by de vouring his prison walls is not con sidered scientifically practicable. Unreasonable Woman. His wife asked him to read to her. Taking up the paper, he turned to the woman's page and started with the first article that attracted his atten tion. It was by a distinguished med ical authority on the subject of correct breathing and began: "As means for preventing wrinkles in the face It Is certain that the prac tice of keeping the mouth shut is one of the most positive." "That will do, sir!" she snapped. "I asked to be entertained, not to be in sulted." New York Press. People Who Radiate Cheer. Who can estimate the value of a sunny soul who scatters gladness and good cheer wherever he goes instead of gloom and sadness? Everybody is attracted to these cheerful faces and sunny lives and repelled by the gloomy, the morose and the sad. We envy people who radiate cheer wherever they go and fling out gladness from every pore. Money, houses and lands look contemptible beside such a dis position. Detroit Free Press. , A Broad Hint. - The Barber (lathering customer and gazing out the window) I tell you, air, the man who shaves himself keeps the bread, and butter out of some poor barber's mouth. The Customer (fierce ly) And incidentally the lather ont of Ms own! Puck. . A prayer for those who pass sev enty: ' "That I may never be shipped from one of my children to the home of another, just as a pauper is sent fromtown to town," . V