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About Beaver State herald. (Gresham and Montavilla, Multnomah Co., Or.) 190?-1914 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 27, 1909)
The Main Chance •r Mtrtdith Nicholton COFTKIOBT 1KU T b « B^'iwXIwtaiu. C ompant ------------ CHAPTER XIV. Th# man who admitted Wheaton to the Porter hou*e let him elect between the drawing rtx'm and the library, and he chose the latter instinctively, as lees for mal and more appropriate for an inter view based on his dual social and busi- neae relations with the Porters. Whea ton heard the swish of Evelyn's skirts in the hall with a quickening heartbeat. Her black gown tateneitied her fairnees. he had never seen her in black before, and it gave a new accent to her beauty as she cam* toward him. “It was a great shock to us down tpwn to hear of your father s illnees. He will ed as well as usual yeaterday." “Did you think so? 1 thought he look ed worn when ho earn« home last evening He has been working very hard lately.” Wheaton had never seen her ao grave. He was sincerely sorry for her trouble, and he tried to say so. There was sorne- tlung appealing in her unusual calm; the low tones of her voice were not wasted on him. “Father adced me to send for you this mornirg. but bo bad grown so ill in a few hours that I took the responsibility of not doing it. But oomethiug in par ticular was on hl* m nd, some papers that Mr. Fenton should have. They are in his ‘box at the bank, and I was to give you the key to it. It is something about the Traction Company. You can atteud to this easily?” “Yes. certainly. Mr. Fenton spoke to me about the matter this afternoon. It Is very important snd he w.shed me to report to him as soon as I found ths pa pers. No doubt they are in your father’s box," he said. "He is always very me thodical." He smiled at her r<*aseuring- ly and rose. She did not ask him to stay longer, but went to fetch the key. It was a small, thin bit of steel. “I’ll return the key to-morrow, after I’ve found the paper* Mr. Fenton wants." “Very well. I hope you will have no difficulty. Father evidently wished all the paper* he has concerning the company to be given to Mt Fenton. Now. this prob ably is of no imi»ortance whatever, bur several years ago father gave me some stock in the street railway company. It came about through a little fun-making between us. We were talking of railway passes you know he never accepts any” -—Wheaton blinked— and I told him I’d like to have a pass on something, even if it was only a street car line.” She was smiling in h**r eagerness that be should understand perfectly. “And he said be guessed he could fix that by giving me some stock in the com pany. I remember that he made light of It when I thanked him, and said it wasn’t so Important as it looked. He probably forgot it long ago. I bad forgotten it myself--I never got the pass, either! but I brought th* sto^k down thinking that Mr. Fenton might have use for It.” Sh* went over to the mantel and picked up a paper, while he watched her; and when she put it into his hand be turned it •▼er. It was a certificate for one hun dred shar*«, issued in due form to Evelyn Porter, bat was nor assigned. “It may be important," said Wheaton, regarding the paper thoughtfully. Mr Fenton will know. It couldn’t be used without your name on the bark," he said, indicating the pla^e on the certificate. “Oh, should I sign It?" she asked, in the curious fluttering way in which many women approach the minor derails of business Wheaton hesitated; he did not Imagine that this block of stock could be of importance, and yet the tentative busl Des* association with Miss Porter was sc pleasant that he yielded to a temptation to prolong it. “Yes. you might sign it.“ he said. Evedyn went to her father’s table and Wrote her nam* as Wheaton indicated. “A witness is required and I will sup ply that.” And Wheaton ant down at the table and signed bis nam* beside hem. while she stood opposite him. the tip.< of her finget’ resting on the table. “Evelyn Porter” and "Jarnos When ton.” He bloated the names with Porter’s blotter, Evelyn still standing by him. •lightly mystified as women often ar* by the fact that their signatures have a raids. He felt that there was something Intimate in the fact of th*ir signing themselves together there. He was thrill ed by her beauty. On his way down the slope to the ca?. Wheaton felt In his pocket several times to be sure of the key. There was some thing the last bit uncanny In his po«ses- •lon of It. Yesterday William I'orter would no more have Intrusted the key of till private box to blm than ha would have burned down bia bourn. He read Into hie errand a trust on Porter's part that Included Porter's daughter, too; but ho got little satisfaction from thia He was only the moot convenient messenger available. His spirits rose and fell as ho debated. He went to the side door of the bank and knocked for the watch man to admit him. “Going to work to-night, Mr. Whea ton?" asked the watchman. "There are some papers In Mr. Porter’s box that I must give to Mr. Fenton to night. They are In the old vault.” Thia vault was often opened at night by the bookkeepers and there was no reason why ths cashier should not enter It when he pleased. The watchman turned up the lights so that Wheaton could manipulate the combination, and then swung open the door. Wheaton thanked him and went in. Two keys were necessary to open all of the boxes. one was common to all and was kept by the bank. Wheaton easily found It, and then bo took from hla pocket Porter's key which supplemented the other. Hie pulses beat test as be I ’ felt the lock yield to the thia »trip of •teal. «nd In a moment the box lay apeu (‘•fore hie eyee. He bad flashed on the electric light bulb iu the vault and rwcv<- nlxed inatAnfly Porter** inscription "Traction” on a brown bundle. He then opened hie own box and took out hi« Fraction certificate aivi carried It with Porter’• i*ehe< Into th* director»’ room. He eat playing with the package, which wee teAled In green wax with the plain oval insigniam of the bank. The packet mi larger than he bad expected It to be: ho had no Idea of tb* ainouut of stock It contained; and ho know nothing of the bond*. He felt tempted to open It; but clearly that wao not within hia in •tmetiona. He moot deliver It Intact to Fendun. and he would Jo it Inatantly. He heoitated. though, and drew out the certificate which Evelyn had given him and turned the crisp paper over In hi« hand. E*cb of them owned one hundred sharoo of Traction stock .* ho was not thinking of th!«, but of Evelyn. whor •if nature held hh oyo. It wao an angu lar hand, and «he ran her two namoe to gether with a long «weep of tho pen. His thoughts were given a new direc tion by the noise of a colloquy between tho watchman and acme ««no at the door. Ho heard hl» own name mentioned, and thrusting tho certificate« Into hia pocket, he wont out to learn what was tho mat ter. "Mr. Wheaton.” called tho watchman, who held the door partly closed on «ome one, “Mr. Margrave wish«* to «ee you.” Aa Wheaton walked toward tho watch- , man. Margrave or rode in heavily on the »11« floor of tho bank. CHAPTER XV. "Hello, Wheaton." said Margrave, cheerfully, "I've had a hard time finding you. Let’s go into the directors' room : I want to see you ' fall • druuktn scamp rams Into my yard »«J uiads a row. I waa about to turn him over to the poltra when ba began whimpering and aakl he knew you. Ila wasn't doing any partfeular harm and I gars him a quarter and told him tv get out ; but he wanted to talk lie aald—“ Margrave dropped hla voles and fastened hla eyee on Wheaton "he waa a long- lost broihar of youre. lie waa pretty drunk, but he seemed dear on your fam Uy hlatory, Jim lie aakl he'd done time ones back In llllnola. and got you out of a «crape, lie told me hia name wee Will iam Wheaton, but that ho had lose It In the slxiflle a-Mnewhere and waa known a« Snyder, I started him toward I’orter'e where I knew you wore doing the society act. I hoard afterward that bo found yoo." "And •o you «ent that teamp over there to make a n»w. I didn’t think you would play me a trl<A like that ” “Now. Jinx." Margrave continued mag nanimoualy, “I don't rare about your family evnnectlona. You're all right. You're good enough for me, you under «land, and you're good enough for the Porters. My father was a butcher ami I began Ilfs »weeping out the ahop, and I gueaa everybody knowa It; and If they don't like it, they know what they can do." (To be continued.I POE S AMBIDEXTROUS HOAX Fonnd Writta* I’svem with One Hand • atl a *tory with th« Othae* Many traditions and stories of Ed gar Allan Poe are still current at ths t'ntverlsty of Virginia, at Charlottes ville. where he waa a student, says James Bernard Lyon In ths Home Magalia« Poe was very proud of hts penman- TUB BLACK HAND MORE syateniatlo method tn vrlme, a broader organisation, have been revealed In the Black Baud than police authorities have ever before been ready to bsllev« Th« type of criminal who employs th« Black Hand way«, tn spit« of th« terror he Is enabled to ersat«. Is of • low order Hie Intelligence Is often eeemlngly more bestial than human Th« dtaclpltn« of • large band of workers, the «•creey necessary, and above all. the division of spot!« — thee« call for an understanding and a alnglenraa of purpose that the ordinary Nlclltau and Calabrian rogue does not possess Because of the recent revelations the alarming sug gsatlon has been made that native American criminals, confidence men and cracksmen of superior wit and re aourcafulness have entered the field This would ac count for the organisation dfscoverwl It would explain the apparent stibeervlence to a leading Intelligence and It would satisfy questions the police e«k as to tha ex- tstenca of a central fund ami a working arrangement common to several sections of tha country The AtnerP can criminals would naturally hide thsmwlvea under aliases of Italian names and. too. they would have all arrangements eo that the foreigners and not themselves should suffer tn case of discovery The Black Hand la probably no worse than other forma of blackmail except tn so far that It causes a greater fear among Its victim« and a more general un easlneea among the police The methods u«ed tn the at tempt to break It up have proved of little avail A penalty a* severe as that for kidnaping might tend to worth trvtng Toledo Iliade crush It. ÍX1 MRS THAW'S BOOK THAW, the mother of Harry Thaw, has written and published a book In which she makes a bitter attack upon those whoa» duty It Is to administer jus tlce In tha courts of New York Hhs makes District Attorney Jerome an ea pedal target, declaring that he has gone outalde of his jurisdiction several times to persecute her son The public will hardly ba led to take any different view of ths Thaw case by tha publication of this book than It already entertains. It will, however. )>« disposed toward charity and axeuas the foolish ful- mlnatlon upon tha ground that It Is ths case of a mother Ashling for her eon Money was the greatest curse which ever fell upon th« Thaw family. If the mother had taken a different course when her son was young; If aha had Itmtted tha amouunt of hla spending money, and If she had Insisted that he ba put to work when not In school, ths later years of her Ilf» might not have been clouded with thl« great sorrow Becan»« the Thsw family wit rolling In wealth. It waa considered ridiculous that Harry should ba other than a gentleman of leisure There was never a mor« tragic Illustration of wiwlqg the wind and reaping the whirlwind Today he Is a WBOTE Uta >AML A3 WHUTVM 1 DICA TKD. Th» main bank room was only dimly lighted, but a cluster of .lectric lights burned brilliantly above ths directors' mahogany table, around which were chair« of the Bank of England pattern. "Hav. » »eat, Mr. Margrave," »»Id Wheaton f .rmally. He bad left the door open, but Margrav. closed It carefully. I’orter'e bundle of papers In its manila wrapper lay on the table, and Wheaton eat down clow to It. “What you got there, greenbacks?" asked Margrave. "If you were just leav ing for Canada, don't mi»« ths train on my account." "That isn't funny," said Wheaton, se verely. "Ob. 1 wouldn't be so sensitive," ssid Margrave, throwing open hia overcoat and piecing his hat on tbs table in front of him. "I gu»«s you ain't any belter than «ome of the rest of 'em." "I suppose you didn't come to say that,” said Wheaton. He ran his finger« over the wsx seal on tha packet. He wished that it were back in Porter's box. "We wcr. having a little talk this af ternoon. Jim." began Margrave in a friendly and familiar tone, "about Trac tion matter«, As I remember It, in our last talk. It was understood that If I needed yottr little bunch of Traction shares you’d 1»< me have 'em when the time came, Now our friend Porter'e sick.” continued Margrave, watching Wheaton sharply with bis small, keen eyes. "I don’t know that It's so serious. I was at the hoiiM this evening." "Comforting the daughter, no doubt,1 with a sneer. "Now, Jim, I'm golng to say something to you. The chance» are that I’orter'e going to die. I gness he won't be ahi» to vote hit stock to-mor- row. I suppose you've got It or know where It Is.” He eyed thè bondle on which Wheaton's band at that moment rested nervously. I want thst stock. Jim, and I want you to give It to me to night." “Margrave," said Wheaton, "you must ba craxy, or a fool.” "Thlrgs are going pretty well with you, Jim,” Margrave continued, ’’You have a good position here; when the old man'» out of the way, you can marry the girl and be president of the bank, It* dead easy for a smart fellow like you. It would be too bed for you to spoil such pro«;>eet« right now, when the game Is all In your own bands, by failing to help a friend In trouble. I gave you your first job when you camo here------ ” "I appreciate all that, Mr. Margrave,” Wheaton broke In. "You eaid the word that got me Into tho Clarkeon National, and I hav« never forgotten It.” "Well, I don't went you to forget It. But see her« t as long ao I recommended you and stood by you when you were a ratty little train butcher, I think owe something to ma Oaa nlgM ship. One day, so the etory goes, a i friend entered the room to find Poe i writing busily with both hands. "What are you doing?" asked the i friend. 1 "Writing with both hands," Poe • "Both hands!' exclaimed the friend. "But how on earth can you make any progress In that way?" ' Easy enough. It Is a theory of ' mine that It Is a waste of time not to be able to use both hands at the same time. Both hands and brain may be trained, with care and attention, so that each hand may do Its full «hara of work—each hand being employed on a separate task. It Is not really an affair of the hands at all. In the last analysis, but an afTalr of the Intellect I am training my hands and brain now so that I can do twice as much work aa the ordinary person in a glr- en period of time. At the preaent rno- ment I am wrlting a poem with my right hand; one that I confidently ba> Itevi will startle the world. And with my left hand I am blocking out a wonderful story; a story which should capture thousands of readers. "It will only be a short time before I will be able to take my examina tions In this manner and dispose of two subjects simultaneously. It will save time and will give hands and brain their full duty.” F’Bihorljr Ad Tire. "Dad," said the country youth who had juat graduated from the district school, "I have long cherished a de sire to go on tho stage, and have at last decided, with your permission, "My boy," Interrupted the old gran ger. "all the world's a stage. You hitch the mules to the big red plow and transfer the outfit to the ten acre lot behind the barn, where you can enact the star role tn that beautiful drama entitled, 'Down on the Farm.'" A Good Konndaflon. Mrs. Toungwed—This Is ths first bread I ever mAde. darling. Youngwed—Well, dear, you ought to build up an excellent reputation as a housekeeper on It. Mrs. Youngwed—Why? Youngwed—Bscauss you hav« start ed with an almost Indastructlbl« foun dation. W* learn not at school, but In Ilf«. —Garman. Chester buatled lu with (in air of great Importance Taking off hla hat ha reached up and hung It on Its hook Instead of giving It tbs careless twirl by meana of which It customarily at tained that position. "Say, Dave." he began, "thera's a new kid cornin' today and we bet ter------" "Well. don’t I know It?" Interrupted David. ’Think you're tailin’ me secret?" "Aw, g wan!" exdalmad Chatter, "You never knew a thing alxnit It till I Just told you." "I did, too." retorted David He add ed. chuckling "You kin learn a lot If you git down early enough ” "Well, anyhow," pursued Chester, "Its a good thing for the boss that ha made up hla mind to get tn anoth er helper 1 tell you I wasn't goln' to stand for It much longer. It's a fright, tha way we had to work and mo havin' so much responsibility an' all. Just between me and you I waa figurin' on lookin' for another------ " Cheater's voice died away as the office manager appeared with a red haired boy In tow. "Good morning, boys,” said the manager. "I've brought you un as slatant. This Is------ " Ils turned ín qulrlngly to the red-haired boy "John Fitzgerald, sir," supplied the youth, promptly. "Well, John, hang up your hat and ttie boys will tell you about the work." The manager walked away ''Well, John," b<q<an Cheater, taking possession of the floor with an imi tation of the manager's manner, "I might as well begin to put you wise to ths job. There’s a lot to learn tn this department. We have to ropy all tha letters and Index the letter books and sort out the mall, and an swer the switchboard and run the buzzer <»Hs and chess out on er- rands. I gen'lly run th« switchboard myself becux .Mr. Heklen’a awful par* tlcular 'bout the phone rail*, and I guess David better do nxft»t of tha Indexin' and ropy In’ for awhile and you kin run the errand* and answer buzzers at first, till you get kinder used to th« work.” A whirring of ths switchboard drew Cheater's attention aside for a moment. The new kid thereupon winked an Impudent green eye at David, who reeponded by half-dosing -a round blue orb. "Well," resumed Cheater, turning again to the new kid, “lot ma - oh. rao. Tbey'ro awful particular murderer and d««»rv«a Ufa Imprisonment, If no greater punishment IB ha* ««ca|«ed prleon on the filmay plea of man tai unaoundnaaa He ought to ba thankful, aa had the member« of hl« family, that he ha* mad« «o good an eerapa from the electric chair However, tha family I* turning heavan and earth in an effort to have him proven eane It 1« hardly conceivable that the court« of New York will permit ao great a traveety tn the name of Justice Meanwhlla Mr* Thaw* l»ook will take It« place among the curloaltlea of American literature Ikui Molne* Capital HARD TIMES AND MATRIMONY. IIKHK Is probably not mors than a fra» tloti of I i>er cent of truth In that un pleasant old prov»rb. "When poverty comes In al the door love flies out of the wln- d< w," but It Is not to t>e denied that when poverty la the flrat to take possession, poor love has to alt on the doorstep and watt, All through tha year 190S the Hille god haa t>««n shlver- Ing outside manv hums» where he had every expectation of spending a coxy and perfectly delightful twelve- month And during the year of hard times marriages fell off JO per rent In Manhattan Borough abme nearly to.ooo jteranns are going about In single blessedness or otherwise, as they take It who ought, from the statistician s i-olnt of view, to have been married last year Tbs statistician takes a rold blooded view of It. mere ly marking It d< wn as an Interesting fact to !•» footed up” «Uh other Interesting facts 11» hasn't a word tn say about low's young dream, and hops deferred, and all the furtive tears for which those 10.MO nonexistent marriages are responsible You caa’t make average« of each things aa a young man s disappointment and a nice girl's heartache The r-sulte of hard times are always, first of alt. fewer diamonds Imported end fewer marriages record ed Jewels and matrimony go hand In hand ao Indica tions of a rising or falling In tho barometer of pro« ixrlty New York Time« T WHY CORRUPT THE CLOCKS? I.L the advantages derived from ths Cln- clnnatl "daylight" ordinance, and similar measures proposed e!-»where, could l>e ob tained without making liars of the town clock and all other public and private timepieces Tbs principal advantage sought Is an Increase tn the number of daylight hours available for rgcreatlon In the summer time, when the evenings are long. It la proposed to "knock off" an hour earlier than la now the custom, and eo that thia should not disorganise In dustry by reducing the nuiiiber of working hours In shops and factories It would lie neeeaaary to t*gln work earlier tn the jnornlng But why should the clocks l>a act an hour ahead? Cannot workingmen be made to acquire the habit of early rising (an excellently grvo<| habit In the hot season I without making prevaricators of our clocks?- I'hllioh-lphia llecor«! IÄ1 about bein' rra;>e<-tful to thn henda of deiMsrtmeota 'round hers. too. wo wheu you apeak to mo you'd bat trr just call ms 'air.' “ Cheater ¡uiuacJ reflectively, The new kid, leaning »gattiet a table, crossed bls ktieea. thrust hla hands Into hla pockets and regarded Cheater between partly shut eyelids "Aw, fade away, kid." he remarked, languidly. "Don't you try to work any of your anawsr-the buixer-ttil you get-on-to-the-job games i I In dexsd mors bo-vka and letters than you ever your Ilfs, and I kin run any Switchboard that ever Hn drew oris hand from his |>ock»t and leveled a forefinger at Cheater "Ami, look here,” he said, "you Imttor not corns round rue with any of your fresh talk 'bout rue callin' you 'air,' unless you want to get pasted one tn the lamp I ain't lookin' fer nn scrap, but If they'« goln' to be one It ain't me they'll be carryin' out feet flret when It's all over. Hee!" Ils straightened up In a leisurely mannar, strolled over to the switch board where ('neater sat and gaxe<l calmly down u|>on the enragnd but a;>eechlew« youth. "Now," he obaervad, "if you're through throwtn' boknya nt yerself, an* one o' you kids'll put me wise to where you keep thing« in this little old joint and who belong« to the bug- xera. I'll get to work."—Chicago Dally News. TERRAPIN AND FROO FARM Ichrrne fn Knhf l)rllri'«-l«'i on Loll» loland for Mew Yurie Mnrkrt. There la an Industry out on I.ong Island which la yet In the very earliest stage» of Infancy and about which Its sponsors are exceedingly reticent. It fa the rearing and marketing of terra pin and frogs, strictly according to the rules and regulations laid down by the Secretary of Agriculture No far the names of only three men Interested In the prospective terrapin end frog farm have reached the publt?, but there Is reason to believe that a number of others are considering the why* and wherefores of lending some thing more material than merely tholr moral backing Cuthbert M. I .eve ridge, of Hoston, who Is reputed to be an expert In mat ters appertaining to the domesticating and nurturing of terrapin In the Routh, has succeeded In enlisting (be Interest of two nrooklyn dsntlsta They are Dr. F. 0. Royce, of US Greene avenue, who Is not at all sure that he Is willing to be mentioned In <oa- nectlon with this undertaking, and l>r. Itavld 8 Hklnner, whose home Is at 72, on the same street. Dr. Hklnner would have bean will ing to divulge the details e< the •rhenia, It «rerne«!. had It not !>aen for two < Irrumalanraa The firnt wm that hl« coworker« war« Anxious to keep the matter tn thrm«elv«A for the praarnt, *• Dr Hklnner Indicated hy putt Ing an Index finger to hl* Hl* a* a token that Allan« r had l»e«n enjoined Upon him. Tha other wm a vartaln bArkwardnee* on hl« own account—• New York Run NEW YORK 8 HORSE CARS Ileeelvee Reporta IK« llegell an 'JStfc «n«1 UlKli Slreela I.las. Joeeph lb Mayer. r«c«lv«r of th« !Mh and 29th Streets Crosstown Rail road Company. fll"d '»»terday with the Public Service Cominlaalon the re port of the road for the quarter ended March 31. the Now York Tribune sava Tho report rhowa n deficit for th« three months of 91 27'« and nn operat ing ratio of 2S0 0J |>er cent In other words. It cost two and one half as much Io opernto na 11» earnings worn. Tho road was divorced from the Metropolitan Street Hallway Com l>any'a system over a year ago and placed In tho hands of n separate re ceiver It has In operation three hora* cars, which are run nt fifteen and thirty minutes' headway alternately, The road la 3 2 mile« long, with *ln- gin tmek end turnouts. Grom earning« from operation for the quarter wore 13.174 and operating expense« were 27.019. Income from other sources was 1102 and rentals were |S32 Tho balance sheet 1» amus ing. a« tho onlv Item carried on tha assets elds Is the quarter's deficit of The receiver naya that hr la unablo to present n 'general balance sheet." He adds that no other imaete exist, The figures as to the coat of the road, ha says, are not available. Aa a enmple of high traction finance tho story of the road Is Interesting it received Its charter In 192(1. but wa« sold at foreclosure In 1292. It was turned over to tha Metropolitan with a capital stock of 21,200.000 and a bonded Indebtedness of a like ampiint. Till« mnilo Its espttsMgStlon $«•'»:’. 322 a mile, which would eeem to 1» clo«« to the record for street car lines. In view of those figures the Inability of the road to operate throe cars without a large deficit la significant. Hnraemanahlp In Heaven, Little Kenneth and hla mother worn about to go for a drive. "Who wao God's father?" asked the hoy. "He had no father," replied the mother. "Then," persisted Kenneth, thought fully, "who hitched up tha horse for God'e mother?"— Hucceoa Magas Ina. What baoomaa of a maa't raapactar blUQ after daatM