Eugene weekly guard., October 31, 1907, Image 11

•
CHAPTER I.
nE Grill is the club most difficult of access in die
world. To be placed on its rolls distinguishes the
new member as greatly as though he had received
a vacant Garter or had been caricatured in “Vanitv
Fair.” ,
Men who belong to the Grill Club never men­
tion that fact. If you were to ask one of them
^¡ch clubs he frequents, he will name all save that particular one.
He is afraid if he told you he belonged to the Grill, that it would
iound like boasting.
The Grill Club dates back to the days when Shakespeare’s Thea-
w stood on the present site of the “Times” office. It has a golden
Grill which Charles the Second presented to the Club, and the origi­
nal manuscript of “Tom and Jerry in London,” which was bequeathed
to it by Pierce Egan himself. The members, when they write letters
at the Club, still use sand to blot the ink.
The Grill enjoys the distinction of having blackballed, without
political prejudice, a Prime Minister of each party. At the same sit­
ting at which one of these fell, it elected, on account of his brogue
and hi’ bulls, Quif.er, Q. €'., who was then a penniless barrister.
When Paul Preval, the French artist who came to London by I
royal command to paint a portrait of the Prince of Wales, was made
an honorarv member—only foreigners may be honorary members—
lie said, ns he signed his first wine card, “I would rather see my name
on that, than on a picture in the Louvre.”
At which Quiller remarked, “That is a devil of a compliment, be­
cause the only men who can read their names in the Louvre to-day
hare been dead fifty years.”
On the night after the great fog of 1897 there were five mem­
bers in the Club, four of them busy with supper and one reading in
front of the fireplace. There is only one room to the Club, and one
long table. At the far end of the room the fire of the grill glows red,
and, when the fat falls, blazes into flame, and at the other there is a
broad bow window of diamond panes, which looks down upon the
street. The four men at the table were strangers to each other, but us
they picked at the grilled bones, and sipped their Scotch and soda,
they conversed with such charming animation that a visitor to the
Chib, which does not tolerate visitors, would have counted them as
friends of long acquaintance, certainly not as Englishmen who had
met for the first time, and without the form of an introduction. But
it is the etiquette and tradition of the Grill, that whoever enters it
must speak with whoever lie finds there. It is to enforce this rule
tbit there is but one long table, and whether there are twenty men at
it or two, the waiterg, supporting the rule, will ¡»lace them side by side.
For this reason the four strangers at supper were seated to-
gether, with the candles grouped about them, and the long length of
tue table cutting a white path through the outer gloom.
I
"I repeat,” said the gentleman with the black pearl stud, “that
’ ;f d".rs f >r romantic adventure and deeds of foolish daring have
passed, and that the fault lies with ourselves. Voyages to the pole I
’’nottttp.logue as adventures. That African explorer, young Chet-
1-5. who turned no yesterday after he was supposed to have died in
I Tganda, <\J nothing adventurous. He made maps and explored the
Wees of rivers. He was in constant danger, but the presence of
danger does not constitute adventure. Were that so, the chemist who
itndies high explosives, or who investigates deadly poisons, passes
i through adventures daily. No, ‘adventures are for the adventurous.’
intone no longer ventures. The spirit of it has died of inertia. We
»renown too practical, too just, above all, too sensible. In this room,
instance, members of this Club have, at the sword s point, disputed
the proper scanning of one of Pope's couplets. Over so weighty a
matter as spilled Burgundv on a gentleman's cuff, ten men fought
I*00** this table, each with his rapier in one hand and a candle in tho
pther. All ten were wounded. The question of the spilled Burgundy
p^med but two of them. The eight others engaged because they
pre men of ‘spirit.’ Thev were, indeed, the first gentlemen of the
p- lo-night, were you to spill Burgundy on my cuff, were you even
|kins!’,.t me grossly, these gentlemen would not consider it incumbent
|*r them to kill each other. They would separate us, and to-morrow
prninr; appear as witnesses against us at Bow Street. V e haae here
I «tight, in the persons of Sir Andrew and myself, an illustration of
I
ways have changed.”
men around the table turned and glanced toward the gentle-
p* « front of the fireplace. He was an elderly and somewhat portly
iW5"n- with a kindly, wrinkled countenance, which wore continually
*®>He of almost childish confidence and good-nature. It was a face
illustrated prints had made intimately familiar. He In . 1 a
L Jron* hl™ at ann’s-length, as if to adjust his eyesight, and Lis
p1’ *er' knit with interest.
L Xow’ were this the eighteenth century.” continued the gentle­
rm ’’th the black pearl, “when Sir Andrew left t e € lub to-night I
hate him bound and gagged and thrown ini
L
would not interfere, the passers-by would take
rp ®y hired bullies and ruffian’ would convey him t<
p’here we would guard him until morning. N thing
fy®'except
added reputation
reputation to
to nr
nr self
self as
as a a gentleman
gentleman • . a •> -
Tt added
P^t. »nd possibly an essav in the ‘ ‘ Tatler,
T“iler. ’ with
with stars
| -p ’
,,S sav’ *The Budget ar. 1 the Bar net.’ ”
kt. i Jt
what end, sir I” inquired t
I • »hr s p Andrew, of all persons
Louid ’
r< r
■
CTntk eman with the black pearl rl.n :ed I
T
p
Wuuld prevent Lira speaking in Ue 1
men it’
•t Lim
fur
n.
a” Increase Bill, he added gloomily, “it is a Government meas-
urt, and Sir Andrew speaks for it. And so great is his influence ar.d
Lis f ! ->wing that if he does”—the gentleman laughed rue-
it wi,l g.. through. N..w, had 1 tin* spirit ef our
a..test rs, he exclaimed. "I would bring chloroform from the near­
est ch< cn.at s and drug him in that chair. I would tumble his uncon-
k i tus . >rm into a hansom cab, and hold him prisoner until daylight
I- I li i. I would save the British taxpayer the cost of live more battle­
ships, many millions of pounds.”
I he gentlemen again turned, and surveyed the baronet with
. ’< -hened interest The honorary member of the Grill, whose accent
already had betrayed him as an American, lauglnxl softly.
To look at him now,” he said, “one would not guess he was
deeply concerned with the affairs of state.”
The others nodded silently.
He has n<>t lifted his eyes from that b»x>k since we first entered.”
added tho youngest member. “He surely cannot mean to speak
to-night.”
"Oh, ye’, he will speak,” muttered the one with the black pearl
moodily. "During these last hours of the session the House sits late,
but when the Navv bill comes up un its third reading he will be in his
place—and ho will pass it.”
The fourth member, a stout and florid gentleman of a somewhat
sporting appearance, in a short smoking-jacket and black tie, sight'd
enviously.
“Fancy one of us being as cool as that, if he knew he had to stand
up within an hour nnd rattle off a speech in Parliament. I’d l»e in a
devil of a funk myself. And yet he is as keen over that book he's
reading as though he had nothing before him until bedtime.”
es, see how eager he is,” whispered the youngest member. “He
does not lift his eyes even now when he cuts the pages. It is probably
an Admiralty Report, or some other weighty work of statistics which
bears upon his speech.”
The gentleman with the black pearl laughed moroselv.
“The weighty work in which the eminent statesman is so deeply
engrossed,” he said, “is called ‘The Great Rand Robbery.’ It is a
detective novel, for sale at all bookstalls.”
The American raised his eyebrows in disbelief.
“ ‘The Great Rand Robbery ?’ ” he repeated incredulously. “AVhat
an odd taste!”
“It is not a taste, it is his vice,” returned the gentleman with tho
pearl stud. “It is his one dissipation. He is noted for it. You, as a
■•/ WOULD HAVE HIM BOUND AND GAGGED AND THROWN INTO A
SEDAN UH AIR."
stranger, could hardly be expected to know of this idiosyncrasy. Mr.
Gladstone sought relaxation in the Greek poets, Sir Andrew finds
his in Gaboriau. Since I have been a member of Parliament I have
never seen him in the library without a shilling shocker in his hands.
He brings them even into the sacred precincts of the House, and from
the Government benches reads them concealed inside his hat. Once
started on a tale of murder, robbery, and sudden death, nothing can
tear him from it, not even the call of the division bill, nor of hunger,
nor the prayers of the party Whip. He gave up his country house
because when he journeyed to it in the train he would become so
absorbed in his detective stories that he was invariably carried past
his station.” The member of Parliament twisted his pearl stud nerv­
ously, and bit at the edge of his mustache. “If it only were the first
pages of ‘The Hand Robbery’ that he were reading,” he murmured
bitterly, “instead of the last! With such another book as that, I swear
I could hold him here until morning. There would be no need of
chloroform to keep him from the House.”
The eves of all were fastened upon Sir Andrew, and each saw with
fascination that with his forefinger he was now separating the last two
pages of the book. The member of Parliament struck the table softly
with his open palm.
“I would give a hundred pounds,” he whispered, “if I could place
in his hands at this moment a new story of Sherlock Holmes—a thou­
sand pounds,” he added wildly—“five thousand pounds!”
The American observed the speaker sharply, as though the word­
bore to him some special application, and then at an idea which appar
entlv had but just come to him, smiled in great eml<arr:n-ment.
Sir Andrew ceased reading, but, as though still under the influ
ence of the book, sat looking blankly into the open fire. For a brief
»pace no one moved until the baronet withdrew his eyea and, with h
«udden start of recollection, felt anxiously for Lis watch. He scanned
its face eagerlv, and scrambled to hi’ feet.
Ti c voice of the American in-tantlv broke the silence in a high.
I nervous accent.
“And yet Sherlock Holmes himself,” he cried, “could not decipher
the ravstery which to night baffles the police of London.”
At these unexjH'eted words, which carried in them something of
the tone of a challenge, the gi*utlemen about the table started as sud­
denly H' though the American luid tired a pistol in the air, and Sir
Andrew lialted abruptly and stood obn-rving him with grave surprise.
The gentleman with the black ¡»earl was the first to recover.
“Yes, y< s,” he said »agerlv, throwing Lituself across the table. “A
mystery that baffles the ¡»oliee of London. 1 have heard nothing of it.
Tell us at once, pray do—tell us at once.”
The American flushed uncomfortably and picked uneasily at the
tablecloth.
“No one but the police has heard of it,” he murmured, “and they
only through me. It is a remarkable crime, to which, unfortunate!’, I
am the only person who can I »ear witness. Because I am the only wit­
ness, I am, in spite of my immunity as a diplomat, detaint'd in London
by the authorities of Scotland Yard. Mv name," he said, inclining his
head politely, “is Sears, Lieutenant Ripley Sears of the United States
Navy, Ht present Nav-'l Attache to the Court of Russia. Hail 1 not
been detained to-day by the police 1 would have started this morning
for Petersburg."
The gentleman with the black ¡»earl interrupted with so pro-
asvnco«! an exclamation of excitement and delight that the American
stammered and ceased speaking.
“Do you hear. Sir Andrew <" cried the inemlx'r of Parliament jubi­
lantly. "An American diplomat halted bv our ¡»olice because lie is th-»
only witness of a most remarkable crime—the most remarkable crime,
I believe yon said, sir,” he added, bending eagerly toward the naval
offiei r, “which has ocourred in London in many years.”
The American moved his head in assent and glanced at the two
other metnliers. Thev were looking doubtfully at him, mid the face
of each showed that he was greatly perplexed.
Sir Andrew advanced to within the light of the candles and drew
chair toward him.
“The crime must lx* exceptional indeed,” lie said, “to justify the
police in interfering with a representative of a friendly power. If I
were not forced to leave at once, 1 should take the liberty of asking
you to tell us the details.”
The gentleman with the pearl pushed the chair toward Sir An­
drew, and motioned him to be seated.
“You cannot leave us now,” he exclaimed. "Mr. Sears is just
about to tell us of this remarkable crime.”
He nodded vigorously nt the naval officer and the American,
after first glancing doubtfully toward the servants at the far end of
the room, leaning forward across the table. The others drew their
chairs nearer and l»ent toward him. The baronet glanced irresolutely
at Lis watch, nnd with an exclamation of annoyance snapped down the
lid. “They can wait,” he muttered. He seated himself quickly and
nodded at Lieutenant Sears.
“If you will be so kind as to l»cgin, sir,” lie said impatiently.
“Of course,” said the American, “von understand that I under­
stand that 1 am speaking to gentlemen. The confidences of this (Tub
are inviolate. Until the ¡»olice give tho facts to the public press, I
must consider you mv confederates. You have heard nothing, you
know no one connected with this mystery. Even I must remain anony­
mous.”
The gentlemen seated around him nodded gravely.
“Of course,” th»» baronet assented with eagerness, “of course.
“We will refer to it," said th»* gentleman with the black pearl,
‘The Story of the Naval Attache.’ ”
“I arrived in London two days ago,” said the American, “and I
engaged a room at the Bath Hotel. I know very few people in Lon­
don, and even the members of our embassy were strangers to me. But
in Hong Kong I had lx*come great pals with an officer In your navy,
who has since retired, and who is now living in a small house in Rut­
land Gardens opposite the Knightsbridge Barracks. I telegraphed him
that I was in London, and yesterday morning I received a most hearty
invitation to dine with him the same evening at his house. Ho is a
bachelor, so we dined alone and talked over all our old days on the
Asiatic Station, ami of the changes which had come to us since we l»a<l
last met there. As I was leaving the next morning for my post at
Petersburg, and had many letters to write, I told hitn, about 10
o’clock, that I must get back to the hotel, and he sent out his servant
to call a hansom.
“For the next quarter of an hour, as wo sat talking, we could hear
the cab whistle sounding violently from the doorstep, but apparently
with no result.
“ ‘It cannot be that the cabmen are on strike,’ my friend said, as
he rose and walked to the window.
“He pulled back the curtains and at once called to me.
“ ‘You have never seen a London fog, have you f lie asked. ‘Well,
come here. This is one of the best, or, rather, one of the worst, of
them.’ I joined him at the window, but I could see nothing. Had I
not known that the house looked out upon the street I would have
believed that I was facing a dead wall. I raised the sash and stretched
out mv head, but still I could nee nothing. Even tho light of the street
lamps opposite, and in the upper windows of the barracks, had l»cen
smothered in the yellow mist. The lights of the room in which I stood
penetrated the fog only to the distance of a few inches from my eyes.
“B»'low me the servant was still sounding his whistle, but I could
afford to wait no longer, and told my friend that I would try and find
th»* wav to my hotel on foot. He objected, but the letters I had to
write were for the Navy Department, and, besides, I had always heard
that to l»e out in a Iztndon fog was the most wonderful experience,
and I was curious to investigate one for myself.
“My friend went with me to his front door and laid down a course
for me to follow. I was first to walk straight across the street to the
brick wall of the Knightsbridge Barracks. I was then to feel my way
along the wall until I came to a row of houses set back from the side­
walk. They would bring me to a cross street On the other side of
this street was a row of shops which I was to follow until they joined
the iron railings of Hyde Park. I was to keep to the railings until I
reached the gate* at Hyde Park Corner, where I whs to lay a diagonal
course across Piccaililly, and tack in toward the railings of Green
Park. At the end of these railings, going east, I would find the Wal-
•ingham, and my own hotel.
a
(Continued
Next Week.!
'
Judge Barri» today granted a »li­
vore** to Mr». Lttra Allie Hebert from
Jam»-» Clark Hebert on the ground
of cruel and Inhuman treatment and
personal Indignities, renderlnf life
burdensome, and was siren the sole
rustody of the two little girls. Mattle
and Haxel. C. A. Wlntermeler waa
attorney for the plaintiff.
RECORD
Pacific ttor»e liniment is prepared
eipresily lor (he needs ol honemen and
ranchmen. It Is a powerful and pene­
trating liniment, a remedy lor emergen­
cies. A soothing embrocation lor the
rebel ol pain, and the best liniment lor
sprains and soreness.* Inequaled lor
curing the wounds and Injuries of.
BARBED WIRE and lor healing cutsj
abrasions, sores and bruises
Pacific
Morse Liniment is fully guaranteed.
No other is so good or helpful in so many
ways. If it fails to satisfy, we authorize
all dealers to refund the purchase price.
low caa«< hhui rim c < mt «
’HOYT C hs M i CAU CO
a
Oat.
,-C*
•
aooicLcr
JAMES AGENT
CALVERT
FOR
The Farmers Fire
Relief Association
OF BUTTEVILLE, OREGON
The cheapest and best Insurance
In the state. The association has add­
ed over $500,o00 In risks during the
past year, of which $300,000 Is on
Lane county property. The associa­
tion carr'es $2,300,000 on the best
farm buildings in the valley. Those
whose policies are about to expire,
or those who desire to Insure please
notify me
Write for particular» to
| me at Junction City, Oregon.
• ••••••••«»•••••••
St CONE S HEAVE IHtOI’H
C reatrst known remedy f w heave»
Highlanc, Or., Oct. 31,1902 —
Thi» is to CJrtily that 1 gave my
mare one bottle of “Stone’s Heave
Drops” and cured her ol heaves.
This was last winter and she has
not been a flee ted since— G Wallace
TR.S.C. S TONE, Salem. Oe.
For sale by all druggists.
$1.00
M adame D ean ’ s
FRENCH Qu|n
FEMALE riLLOl
A K«FK, CmTAIM H«-
I.TKF FOM hrFFMMABO
M imtki Ari*»>.
KEHR
IMOWI
TO Fill.
H-tfe! Murv! sp edy! SutlnfMClion Gua^
nnt♦*<•«> t»r Money Refunded. Kent pre-
f<»r f l.io p» r
Wllwndtl ‘tn
on 11
i be |
I t r w I p ii r.-ll.-' < t.
bu’ni 4 I nu. In-'-t on getting the
penult-a«< ept no •ubetltulo. If your
druirxhi »I»«« u < h huvotbem nend vuur
order« to i ue
I UH TEO MEC CAL CO., lol 14» Iticasm, Fl.
SarnAT*raMmammm«
. - U
t-
. gene >’■ 'V. I
Dri.an.»'
Every Woman
U IxHerMUtl and thouM know
Strout th« wonderful
MARVIL Whirling Sprcy
The n*w ««••»•> «yrtamk
ftvn and AurfitHo. ltaal—nai.
«•t Moet Convenient,
llliHMM laoiaaUj
A.b rwr dmaylat fw H.
If ha ran not an ppi y th«
M« lit KI., accept no
other, but wnd «tarn» far
lllnatratad b<M>k- eea»«4 Ttglvaf
full particulars and «ttrartiona In­
vai nabte •-lad la«. M «Kt Kl. « O.,
<« a. »aa»r., aaw iu*». .
17...1>I *-» •- v , - *t
U’ixwlunril. <1nrk<- A Co., I*<>r(la<,*l.
CHIUrltSTLh S PILL^
-( [
\
un: piamovi » iiuam »,
a
I aJ»»-a! A im y*»ur ltrM««l.i t < / a \
«
.!•*•
'n I'I mni
Illrard,-A\
It . J a l G»IJ t
ate-i wtth Bin« Riesin. V/
. »rther liny
’’
u Akt-« sH-4 Hb a-TFS-«
»tn J’liiSP I II I A f r «>
DE CASTROS
The ernt m»il
order LiyUOIt
HOUSE. W«
my the exprm.
Write today (•>»
■ l’n< B 1 >Mtx
OREGON
IMPORTING Gr«*»*
CC.
IW4
Mr««/
Ittifd
ALBANY
A/^4a»ni
<’•
*n,4
** _—--------- *-*
i-ouraasa ■«•«'•trim in all iromhaa, mdn lia« >)••»-
anal.«, matbwwalien, Mr,
bataadl on tèe
fi-vondation that han won «r*at.wt ra»c<MMO fnenwr
<rwnt»«at m«nan>1 a- mea. W« hai« hrtrn ahoryaaoi
pay, eviN-al 4<*rmltort«« h r<1 ria, an Ur .-«rm».f ma-
ja»MÌ»'wuwi.'li»»«t1>»t¥<li