knees beside her and placed my hand above her heart.
Richard Harding Davis.
COPYRIGHT.
1901. BY ROBERT HOWARD
SCHOOL DIRECTORS
HOLD THEIR FIRST
CONVENTION
Toil say you found two visiting cards. How do you know which card
was that of the murdered man ?”
The American, before he answered, waite»l until the chorus of ex
clamations had ceased. Then he continued as though he had uot been
interrupted.
“The instant I read the names upon the cards,” he said, “I ran to
the screen and, kneeling besitle the »lead man, l>egan a search through
bis pex'kets. My hand at once fell upon a card-case, and I found on
all the cards it contained the title of the Earl of Chetnev. His watch
AT-
and cigarette case also bore his name. They evidences, and the fact
TEXKED
of his bronz»sl skin, and that his cheekbones were worn with fever,
convinced me that the dead man was the African explorer, and the
Ctl.I. ISSUED BI t ot XTY HI PER.
boy who had fled past me in the night was Arthur, his younger
IXTEXDXEXT
DILLARD
RE-
brother.
SPONDEI» TO HY HUNDRED OK
“I was so intent upon my search that I had forgotten the servant,
MORE—STATE
Ht'PERINTEN-
and I was still on my knees when I heanl a cry behind me. I turned,
DENT ACKERMAN WAS IX AT
and saw the man gazing down at the body in abject horror.
“Before I could rise, he gave another cry of terror, and, flinging
TI ¿NUANCE
himself into the hall, raced toward the door to »he street. 1 leapt*»!
after him. shouting to him to halt, but before I could reach the hall
( From Saturday's Guard .)
About one hundred directors and
ho ha»l torn open the door, and 1 saw him spring out into the yellow
clerks of the publi- schools of Lan»»
fog. I cleared the steps in a jump ami ran down the garden walk met at the courthouse this forenoon
just as the gate clicked in front of me. I had it open on tho instant, at 10 o’clock and held their first an
nual convention under the new law.
and, following the sound of the man's footsteps, I raced after him The law provides that the school of
ficers shall meet at least once a year
across the open street, lie, also, could hear me, and hq instant! v to
discuss matters pertaining to the
Stopp» *! running, and there was al-oluto silence. He was so near that welfare of the schools and questions
as to the best methods of teaching
1 almost fancied I could hear him panting, and I held mv own breath and conducting the schools. A call
to listen. Hut I eoukl distinguish nothing but tho dripping of the mist for the vonventton had b»n Issued
gy County School Superintendent
about us, ami from tar off the music of tin* Hungarian band, which I Dlllai d and a goodly number respon-
ded.
ha»l heanl when I first lost myself.
The program this morning opened
“All 1 eoukl see v..,s th»* square « f light from th»* door 1 had left by an address on "School Equip
ment," by J. .1. Bryan, of Springfield,
open Ix'himl me. and a lamp in the hall lieyoml it flickering in tin followed l>> "Scho >1 Architecture.”
draught. But even as 1 wateheil it. th»* flam»* of the lamp was blown by Stat»- Superintendent of Public
Instruction .1 II. Ackerman. Pres
violently to and fro, and the door, caught in th»* same current of air, ident P. I.. Campbell, of th»> Univer
of Oregon, spoke on "The Rela
closed slowly. I knew if it shut I could not again enter the house, and sity
tion of the University to the Public
I rushed madly toward it. 1 believe I even shoute»l out, as though it School System." and the meeting ad
journed until 1 o'clock this afternoon
were something human which I eoukl conqtel to obey me, an»l then I
The afternoon session began with
caught my foot against th«* curb ami smashed into the sidewalk. When an address on "School Finances,” by
County School Superintendent W. B.
I rose to my feet 1 was dizzy ami half stunned, and though I thought Dillard. Tills was followed by "Con
solidation of School Districts and
then that I was moving toward the door, I know now* that I probably Union
High Schools." by L. R. Aider
turned directly front it; for, as I gro|>ed about in the night, calling man. city superintendent of Eugene’s
schools. State Superintendent Ack
frantically for the police, my fingers touched nothing but the dripping erman was also on the program In the
his subject being "The
fog, and the iron railings for which I sought seeme»l to have melte«l afternoon,
Relation of the School Board to the
away. For many minutes I beat tho mist with tny arms like one at Teacher.”
All of the addresses were highly
bliml man’s buff, turning sharply in circle«, cursing alou»l at my stu interesting
and instructive, aud a
pidity and crying continually for help. At last a voice answered me number of excellent pointers were
given to the officers of the various
from the fog, and I found myself held in tho circle of a policeman’s schools of the county represented at
the meeting. The convention was
lantern.
an entire success and the idea of
“That is the end of mv adventure. What I havo to tell you now is making It an annual affair has met
with great favor.
what I learned from th«* police.
The girls' glee club of the Eu-
“At the station-house to which tho man guided mo I related what gene high school rendered several
selections during the meeting, to the
you have just heard. I told them that the house they must at ence delight of those In attendance.
timl was set back from tho street within a radius of two hundre«! yards
from the Knightsbridge Barracks, that within fifty yards of it some
one was giving a »lance to tho music of a Hungarian band, and that
the railings before it were as high as a man’s waist ami file»! to a point.
With thut to work upon, twenty men were nt once or»ler«*»l out into
the fog to search for the house, an»! Inspector Lyle himself was dis
A delegation of Riverview farmers
patched to the home of Lor»l Edam, Chetney’« father, with a warrant conferred with the officials of the
proposed electric railway, asking
for Lord Arthur’s arrest. I was thanke»! and dismissed on my own that
the line continue fuurther north
along the river road. The first sur
recognizance.
vey diverged at the Aubrey corner,
“This morning Inspector Lyle called on me, and from him I and It was desired by th;« delegation
that the line continue further north.
learned the police theory of the acene I have just described.
In keeping with the request a line
“Apparently I had wander«*d very far in the fog, for up to noon was run as far north as Clarence
to-day the house had not been found, nor had they Itecn able to arr«»» Koon'“ place, where it diverges
northwest and crosses the south part
Lonl Arthur. He di»l not return to his father’s house last night, and of John Strome’s place. It Is claim
that it is high, safe ground all the
there ia no trace of him; but from what the police knew of the past ed
way and there will be no trouble
lives of the |>eople I found in that lost house, they have evolved a the about the right-of-way. The line
really Injures Mr. Koon's place, but.
ory, and their theory is that the murders were committed by Lord he says they can go right through.
I
Thia survey passes through some of
Arthur.
the best land in the county, and be
“Tho infatuation of his elder brother, Lor»l Chetney, for a Russian sides this. It will tap the rich gar
dens of the river land which will
princess, so Inspector Lyle tells me, is well known to every one. About mean
a cannery at thia place In the
two years ago the Princess Zichy, as she calls herself, ami he were con very near future. Apple orchards
various other fields of fruit line
stantly together, and Chetney informed his friends that they were and
the road almost the entire way and
about to bo married. The woman was notorious in two continents, and will yield a rich revenue tc tlu road.
Died—At his home In Irish Bend.
when I.or»l Edam heard of his son’s infatuation he appealed to the po 'October 31, 1907, Jan.es Martin, age»l
I 85 years, 4 months and 9 days. Ser
lice for her record.
•gam touched the thin slit of a wound. I had no doubt in my mind
’hat this was the Russian princess, and when I lowered the candle
j to her face I was assured that this was so. Her features showed tho
fin»« lines of both the Slav and the Jewess; the eves were black, the
hair blue black and wonderfully heavy, an«l her skin, even in death,
was rich in color. She was a surpassingly beautiful woman.
1 rose and tried to light another candle with the one I held, but I
f ind that my hand was so unsteady that I could not keep the wicks
together. It was my intention to again search for this strange dagger
which had been used to kill both the English boy and the beautiful
BY
«
51 v huger»
RUSSELL.
CHAPTER ’—(Continued.)
“And then, suddenly, as my eye grew more used to the half-light
isw, project«* from behind the screen as though it were streu he ’
¿on« the back of a divan, the hand of a man and the lower part of his
arm- I was as startled as though I had come acrom a footprint on a
desert»*»! island. Evidently the man had been sitting there since L had
«une into the room, even since I had entered the house, and he had
beard the servant knocking upon tho door. Why he had not declared
himself I could not understand, but I supposed that possibly he was a
with no reason to interest himself in the Prine»
other visit
eit. or perhaps, for some reason, he did not wish to be observed. 1
«ukl see nothing of him except his hand, but I had an unpleasant
feeiing that he had l>een peering at me through the carving in the
screen. and that he still was doing so. I moved my feet noisily ,»n the
fArand said tentatively, ‘1 beg vour pardon.’
“There was no reply, and the hand did not stir. Apparently the
nunwa« bent upon ignoring me, but as all I wished was to apologize
my intrusion and to leave the house, I walked up to thp alcove and
peered around it. Inside the screen was a divan piled with cushions.
od on the end of it nearer me tho man was sitting. lie was a young
Englishman with light yellow hair and a deeply bronzed face. He was
seated with his arms stretched out along the back of the divan, and
with his head resting against a cushion. His attitude was one of com
plete ease. But his mouth had fallen open, and bis eyes were set with
id express ion of utter horror. At the first glance I saw that he waa
"I DROPPED ON MY KNEES BESIDE HER AND PLACED MY HAND
<py.te dead.
ABOVE HER HEART.
“For a flash of time I was too startled to act, but in the same flash
Ina convinced that the man had met his death from no accident, that
he had not died through any ordinary failure of the laws of nature.
The expression on his face was much too terrible to be misinterpreted.
It spoke as eloquently as words. It told me that before the end had
come he had watched his death approach and threaten him.
“I was so sure he ha«i been murdered that I instinctively looked on
the floor for the weapon, and, at the same moment, out of concern for
ay own safety, quickly l>ehind me; but the silence of the house con
tinued unbroken.
“I have seen a great number of dead men; I was on the Asiatic
ftotion during the Japanese-Chinese war. I was in Port Arthur after
the massacre. So a dead man, for the single reason that he is dead,
¿ON not repel me, and, though I knew that there was no hope that this
cun was alive, still for decency’s sake, I felt his pulse, and while 1
tapt my ears alert for any sound from the floors above me, I pulled
■open his shirt and placed my hand upon his heart. My fingers
»Untie touched upon the opening of a wound, and as I withdrew
fluun I found them wet with blood. He was in evening dress, and in
4« wide bosom of his shirt I found a narrow slit, so narrow that in
the dim light it was scarcely discernible. The wound was no wider
than the smallest blade of a pocket-knife, but when I stripped the shirt
my from the chest and left it bare I found that the weapon, narrow
18 it was. had been long enough to reach his heart. There is no need
to tell you how I felt as I stood bv the body of this boy, for he was
lardly older than a’bov, or of the thoughts that came into my head. I
bitterly sorrv for this stranger, bitterly indignant at his mur-
and. at the same time, selfishly concerned for my own safety
«nd for the notoriety which I saw was sure to follow. My instinct was
to leave the body where it lay, and to hide myself in the fog, but I
«Iso felt that since a succession of accidents had made me the only wit-
to a crime, mv duty was to make myself a good witness and to
■ist to establish the facts of this murder.
I “That it might possibly be a suicide, and not a murder, did not dis-
fcrb me for a moment. The fact that the weapon had disappeared,
■nd the expression on the boy’s face were enough to convince, at least
•w. that he had had no hand in his own death. I judged it, therefore,
the first importance to discover who was in the house, or, if they
^'1 etcap»>d from it, who had beerf in the house before I entered it. I
hdaeen one man leave it; but all I could tell of him was that he was
1 yonng man, that he was in evening dress, and that he had fled ia
Bch haste that he had not stopped to close the door liehind him.
‘ The Russian servant I had .found apparently asleep, and, unless
^«ted a part with supreme skill, he was a stupid and ignorant boor,
innocent of the murder as myself. There was still the Russian
Pence’s whom he had expecte»! to find, or had pretended to expect to
R- in the same room with the murdered man. I judged that she
now be either upstairs with the servant, or that she had, without
■ knowledge, alreadv fl»il from the house. \\ hen I recalled his
*PP«rently genuine surprise at not finding her in the drawing-room,
Utter supposition seemed the more probable. Nevertheless, I
that it was my duty to make a search, and after a second
look for the weapon among the cushions of the divan, an»l
the floor, I cautiously crossed the ball and entere»l the dining-
*nn.
»
The ■’ingle candle was still flickering in the draught and snowed
the white cloth. The rest of the room was drapedjn shadows. I
the candle; and, lifting it high above my head, moved around
^ttier of the table. Either hiv nerves were on such a stretch that
* *h*k could strain them further, or my mind was inoculated to ,
^***> I°r I did not cry out at what I saw nor retreat from it. Im-
7^17 at my feet was the bodv of a beautiful woman, lying at full
h upon the floor, her arms flung out on either side of her, and her
■t* face anr] shoulders gleaming dully in the unsteady light of the
Around her throat was a great chain of diamonds, and the
F* played upon these and made them flash and blaze in tiny flames.
* the wr>man wrho wore them was dead, and I was so certain as to .
•he had died that without au instant's hesitation I dropped ■ n m_'
princess, but before I could light tho second candle I heard footsteps
descending the stairs, and the Russian servant appeared in the door
way.
“My face was in darkness, or I am sure that at the sight of it he
would have taken alarm, for at that moment I was not sure but that
this man himself was the murderer. His own face was plainly visible
tn me in the light from the hall, and I could see that it wore an ex
pression of dull bewilderment I stepped quickly toward him and took
a firm hold upon his wrist.
“ ‘She is not there,’ he said. ‘The Princess has gone. They have all
gone.’
“ ‘Who have gone?’ I demanded. ‘Who else has been here?’
“‘The two Englishmen,’ he said.
“‘What two Englishmen?’ I demanded. ‘What are theii*names?’
I
“The man now saw by my manner that some question of great
moment hung upon his answer, and ho began to protest that he di<l
not know the names of the visitors and that until that evening he had
never seen them.
“I guessed that it was my tone which frightened him, so I took my
hand off his wrist and spoke less eagerly.
“ ‘How long have they been here ?’ I asked, ‘and when did they
“He pointed behind him toward the drawing-room.
“ ‘One sat there with the Princess,’ he said; ‘the other came after
I hail placed the coffee in the drawing-room. The two Englishmen
talked together and the Princess returned here to the table. She sat
there in that chair, and I brought her cognac and cigarettes. Then I
sat outside upon the bench. It was a feast day, and I had been drink
ing. Pardon, Excellency, but I fell asleep. When I awoke, your Ex
cellency was standing by me, but the Princess and the two English
men hail gone. That is all I know.’
“I believed that the man was telling me the truth. His fright had
passed, and he was now apparently puzzled, but not alarmed.
“ ‘You must remember the names of the Englishmen,’ I urged.
‘Try to think. When you announced them to the Princess what name
did you give ?’
“At this question he exclaimed with pleasure, and, beckoning to
me, ran hurriedly down the hall anfl into the drawing-room. In the
corner furthest from the screen was the piano, and on it was a silver
trav. He picked this up and, smiling with pride at his own intelli
gence, pointed at two cards that lay upon it. I took them up and read
the names engraved upon them.”
The American paused abruptly, and glanced at the faces about
him. “I read the names,” he repeated. He spoke with great reluc
tance.
“ ‘Continue!’ cried the Baronet, sharply.
“I read the names,” said the American with evident distaste, “and
the family name of each was the same. They were the name« of two
brothers. One is well known to you. It is that of the African explorer
of whom this gentleman was just speaking. I mean the Earl of Chet-
nev. The other was the name of his brother, Lord Arthur Chetney.”
The men at the table fell back as though a trapdoor had fallen
open at their feet.
“Lord Chetney ?” they exclaimed in chorus. They glanced at each
other and back to the American with every expression of concern and
disbelief.
“It is impossible!” cried the Baronet. “Why, my dear sir, young
Chetnev only arrived from Africa yesterday. It was so stated in the
evening papers.”
The jaw of the American set in a resolute square, and he pressed
his lips together.
“You an* perfectly right, sir,” he said, “Lord Chetney did arrive in
London veaterday morning, and yesterday night I found his dead
body.”
The vonngest member present was the first to recover. lie seemed
much less concerned over the identity of the murdered man than at
the interruption of the narrative.
‘‘Oh, please Jet him go on!” he fried. “What happened then?
JUNCTION CITY
NEWS OF INTEREST
vices were held at the residence Sat-
i urday and Interment la lite Monroe
cemetery. Deceased came to Ore
gon In 1862, and took up the home
for» »»art of stead which he owned until the time
I Springs, returning op de'r
t, their1"' his death
Two children survive
' this week with si:
- him, John Martin, who resid»-s near
i credit.
A Salem merchant spent several the home place, and Mrs. Charles
of Portland. Mr
days of the past week looking over Cllnglngsmlth.
! real estnt'» here, and will probably Martin la credited with raising and
close a bargain for on- of the best shipping the first wheat raised in
Benton county.
farms In th' valby next week
Mr. and Mrs. J. H. Miller left Sat
Mrs. L Baughman has just receiv
ed a pa’ent on a homestead on which urday evening for Neosho Falls.Kan
in response to a summons an
she ma»'. ■ final proof nearly five v«*ars sas,
nouncing the serious Illness of Mrs
ago.
REG.
Miller's mother. They will be absent
an Indefinite length of time.—Times.
-------------------------- -
..
|
An English Author Wrote:
"No shade, no shine, no fruit, no NOTICE OF MEETING OF
flowers, no leaves—November! Many
BOARD OF EQUALIZATION
Americans would add no freedom
from catarrh, which Is so aggravated
Notice Is hereby given that the
during thia month that It becomes board of equalisation of Lane coun
constantly troublesome.
There Is ty, Oregon, will attend at the court
abundant proof that catarrh la a house In said county, on Monday, the
constitutional disease It Is related to 18th day of November, 1907, and
examine the assessment rolls
scrofula and consumption, being one publicly
_____ ____
of the wasting diseases, flood’s Har- and correct all errors in valuation,
saparilla has shown that what Is cap-1 descrlputlon or qualities of Jand%
able of eradicating scrofula, com lots or other property assessed; and
pletely cures catarrh, and taken In It shall be the duty of persons Inter
time prevents consumption. We can ested to appear at the time and place
not see how any sufferer can put off appointed.
Dated ibis 28th day of October.
taking this medicine. In view of the
widely published record of Its rad 1907.
B. F KEENEY,
ical and permanent cures. It Is un
A ssessor of Lane County. Or.
doubtedly America's greatest medi
cine for .merles'« greatest disease— a IS (lAw
Catarrh.
(Continent! Next Friday.)
NEWS NOTES FROM
PLEASANT HILL
I
(Special Correspondence.)
Pleasant Hill, Nov. 8.—Oroitnd Is
in good condition for plowing since
the rain.
William Lettie and famllv Ins v<*
soon for Portland, near which place
they expert to locate.
W. J. Mulkey has sold a portion of
bls farm here to a resident of Mon
mouth.
Robert Drury and daughters, Nel
lie and Maud, went to Marrola yes
terday for a visit with relatives at
that place.
Richard Liles and family hav°
moved to their new farm purchased
from Duncan Scott, of Eugene, Mrs.
Lilqa was formerly Miss Lucy Mill-
key. and spent most of her glrl-
hood days at Pleasant Hill.
Mrs. Ellen Mitchell la spendlng
several weeks In Eugene r«s*e1vlng
medical treatment for nervous trou
ble.
The Edenvale schoolhouse Is near
ly completed
P. N. P»"l!ev and A. C jtta’xer r“-
t urn nd S*tnd*v from sev» ral days’
hunting on Middle Fork
Some of our young men have join
ed the itnrfnefleld hand and go once
a week to th’t place for nractlce.
Ben Lyon«’ new residence near
the Jasper f»rry Is nroeresslng rap
idly and when finished will be a
credit to that neighborhood.
P. N. Laird and son and O. J Wsr-
hlnton spent the latter part of the
"open season" st or near Kit son
A Sign ill» e>il Prayer.
"May the I .ord help you make
Bucklen's Arnica Salve known to
all." writes J. O. Jenkins, of Chapel
Hill, N. C. "It quickly took the pain
out of a felon for me and cur»-d It In
a wonderfully sh»»rt time." Best on
earth for tores, burn’ and wounds.
25 cents at W. L. Detgno’s drutf
store.
CASTOR IA
For Infanta 'Ad Ciut'-raa.
Till Kind Yer
Bears the
B'faatuie of U
Aiway* 8«$!