ENTIRELY
E
Some Folks Are Like "Tar-Baby,"
So Soft Their Simplicity
Makes Them Dangerous.
By IVOR M. LOWRIE.
(Copyright.)
Ned Thompson looked up from the
ledger upon which ha wait working. A
customer had entered the store.
"How do you do?" The one and
only clerk of the Elite Hardware Em
porium greeted the prospective buyer.
"How can I nerve you?"
"1 want to got a huutlng-knlfo. Some
thing with a good-shed bludo."
"YeB, air."
Ned placed an assortment of such
cutlery before the customer for In
spection. "Here's one that I can especially rec
ommend. It Is of an exceptional qual
ity of steel, finely tampered. The
handle Is well constructed. In fact,
we hud this article manufactured for
our exclusive trade."
The "we" referred to Mr. Thomas
Hadley, solo proprietor of the "em
porium." being situated In Portland,
the gateway to the Maine woods, Mr.
Hadley thought It expedient to carry
a full line of sportsmen's goods, and
had, lndoed, a special huntlng-knlfe of
rare excellence made. It pleased him
greatly, the more bo In view of the
fact of It's having the name of his
business establishment atainped upon
the blade.
"How much?" Inquired the custo
mer. "Three dollarB, and It's good value
for the money."
"I'll take It," was the abrupt re
ply, the purchaser tendering a twenty
dollar note in payment.
"Have you nothing smaller?" asked
Ned.
"No, I really haven't," the man re
plied, whereupon Ned placed the note
in the drawer of the cash register,
handing back the change.
As Ned was wrapping the package,
the man reached into his trousers
pocket and drew forth several notes.
"Why, I have some smaller notes
after all," he exclaimed. "Just let me
have that twenty, and I'll give you the
exact change."
Ned reopened the drawer and hand
ed the man the twenty-dollar note, to
gether with the wrapped knife, receiv
ing In exchange three one-dollar notes.
"Good day, sir." The man hurried
away, and Ned resumed his work upon
the ledger.
Some time later that morning Mr.
Hadley entered.
As was his Infallible custom upon
entering the store, Mr. Hadley un
locked the cash register and balanced
' the cash on hand with the amount on
the printed slip.
"You are seventeen dollars short
were the electrifying words of the pro
prietor.
"What!"
"Seventeen dollars short. I have
counted the cash several times. Here,
you count It."
In a dazed state, Nod staggered to
the cash register. His nervous fingers
verified the other's statement.
"But, I can't fathom It. I gave out
no change. Mr. Lang paid me a twen-
ty-flve-cent piece for the key, and the
stranger, three one-dollar notes for the
knife. At first, he presented a twenty-
dollar note, but later discovered that
he had the exact amount of the pur
chase, so gave me it, and I returned
him his twenty. Oh! I see It now!'
Mr. Hadley sadly shook his head.
: "No, he didn't forget or rather, he
did forget Intentionally. It's an old
game; Neil. I'm rather surprised that
you allowed yourself to be duped by
It."
"I'll repay you," agreed Ned.
"That's not the question just at
present. What we want to do Is to
catch the fellow and jail him."
Mr. Hadley was true to his New
England Idea of justice.
"You would know him If you Baw
him?"
"Yes, sir," assured the still per
turbed Ned. "He's tall dark hair and
mustache heavy eyebrows dark
eyes wore a dark-blue suit and a
derby hat."
"Well, I'll go over to police head
quarters and have them look out for
him. Chances are, though, that he has
lit out for Boston, or else the woods,
by now."
Arriving' at headquarters, he ac
quainted the authorities with the par
ticulars ef the theft, and was de
scending the stone steps to the side
walk, when a policeman rushed up,
almost colliding with him.
Recognizing Mr. Hadley, the officer
called:
. "Don't go. You are the very man
the captain'll want to see. Come on
in," and he hurried Into the building,
Mr. Hadley following closely.
! In the captain's office the policeman
reported:
"A man attempted suicide in Green's
hotel. Lieutenant Scott called the
City hospital ambulance. They've got
him there by now."
"Shoot himself?" queried the cap
tain. "No, stabbed himself with a huatlng
kntfe!" A hunting-knife! Mr. Hadley and
the captain exchanged glances. It was
a striking coincidence.
"And," continued the policeman,
'the knife is from Mr. Hadley'i store!"
I "How do you know it is?" demanded
the "emporium's" proprietor.
"Because it's got 'The Elite Hard
ware Emporium, Portland, Me.,'
.stamped on 'he blade."
"Then lie's the fellow that swindled
my clerk out of seventeen dollars, for
Hint's the first knife of that style we've
sold. Say, U the man tall?"
"Rather."
"(lot dark hair, eyes and mustache?"
"Hud his cyeB closed wbon I saw
him, but he's got dark hair and a dark
mustache."
"Wear a durk-blua suit?"
"Lieutenant Scott took the descrip
tion, so I didn't take particular notice
of the man. He had some sort of a
dark suit on, though."
Mr. Hadley turned to the captain.
"He's the fellow. My clork can Iden
tify him."
"Lieutenant Scott's at the hospital?"
the captain asked.
"Yes, sir," replied the policeman.
Then he added:
'It's a clear cane of attempted buI-
clile. The man left a note Baying that
ho was tired of life and trouble, and
that sort of talk."
"Kindly have your clork go over to
the City hospital at once, Mr. Hadley.
I'll phone over for them to admit him.
In compliance with the captain's re
quest, Mr. Hadley hastened back to
his Btore, and, after explaining matters
to Ned, sent the latter to the hospi
tal. A crowd of curious people thronged
the Bldowalk In front of the building.
Pushing his way through these, Ned
entered and presented himself at the
office. His mission known, he was ta
ken to the ward In which the patient
was-receiving medical attention, being
met at the door by Lieutenant Scott.
"You are the clerk from 'The Elite
Hardware Emporium?' "
"Yes, sir."
"Do you recognize this knife?"
"Yes, sir. I sold it to a gentleman
about nine o'clock this morning."
"Is this the man who bought It?
and Ned was permitted to approach
the cot upon which the still form
rested.
Bending over, .he scrutinized the
man's face.
"He Is not the man!" Ned declared.
"Not the man!" cried the lieuten
ant, who felt that Ned would Identify
the man.
"He resembles the other very much,
the mustache adding materially, but
the man who purchased the knife was
coarser-looking. His features were de
cidedly heavier."
"Then it's not suicide! H'b assas
sination!" ejaculated the lieutenant.
Several days passed and no light
was cast upon the case. A description
of the suspected would-be assassin was
telegraphed to all near-by cities and
towns, and a search of Portland and
the surrounding country Instituted,
during which time the wounded man
vacillated between life and death.
The victim of the stabbing had reg
istered at the hotel as Philip Wingate,
of Chicago. Moaning had attracted
the attention of a guest in an adja
cent room, who immediately informed
the hotel attendants.
Upon entering the room, Wingate
was found lying across the bed, the
knife at his side and the note assert
ing suicide upon the dresser. That
the note had been written by the as
sailant to cover his crime, the police
thoroughly believed although no one
of his description had been seen about
the hotel.
A full week had elapsed when Mr.
Hadley received a phone call from
Captain Shawof police headquarters.
"The authorities of Augusta wire us
that they have a man under arrest
who tallies with the description fur
nished by your clerk. He was caught
passing a counterfeit note," Mr. Had
ley was informed when he reached the
captain's office in response to the
call.
"They will turn him over to us, if
your clerk can positively identify him.
He'll have to go to Augusta to do it,
though."
"All right," assented Mr. Hadley,
"Anything to get the fellow."
That forenoon, Ned Thompson, In
company with Captain Shaw, left by
rail for Augusta, and several hours
later stood confronting the prisoner.
"It's he. Yes, he's the man who
bought the1 knife and did me out of
the money."
The prisoner merely smiled.
"You were altogether too easy," he
declared, "for my own good."
"I don't understand," replied Ned
"Allow me to explain. You didn't
return me the same twenty-dollar note
that I originally gave you."
"Perhaps not. When I come to
think of It, I remember reaching two
from the drawer, one of which I hand
ed you, the other I replaced. But what
difference did that make?"
"What difference?" repeated the
prisoner. "The irony of fate, I sup
pose, but the note you handed me
proved to be counterfeit,, And thanks
to your gullibility, I have been cap
tured."
We shall not dwell upon the details
of the prisoner's conviction, but mere
ly state that, when brought face to
face with his now gradually recover
ing victim, a cousin struck down in a
quarrel over a private matter the
knife employed having, In reality, been
bought for hunting purposes the man
threw himself entirely on the mercy
of the court, and was quickly sen
tenced to serve a number of years in
prison for the crime.
But, Mr. Hadley Is still wondering
who passed the spurious twenty-dollar
note on him, Ned having proved that,
with the exception of the one received
from Wlngate's assailant, he had taken
in no note of that denomination for
several weeks past
Thus, with the matter laid entirely
at his door, the proprietor was very
leniently inclined toward Ned in the
latter's error, which, In reality, proved
to be a boomerang that struck dowa
the criminal
'
1
S S? , "ft . mLSiJ9
r
Cape Palma.3 . Liberia
OUT of Liberia, pale, shrunken,
malaria-stricken, there came
not long ago a young New
Hampshire man who for two
years nas ueeu remuiug m uie
West African republic. In Washington
and in his native New Hampshire hills
he shook off the fever, he took on his
accustomed modicum of flesh and mus
cle and the brilliant sparkle returned
to his eyes. Then, refreshed by his
leave, he returned to the little country
where he is striving to help a proud,
but somewhat primitive people to real
ize their Ideals of a civilized and ma
terially and morally prosperous self
governing nation.
Reed Paige Clark is his name. In
two years be has made that name fa
mous In West Africa. It and the per
sonality behind It are subjects of grave
discussion in the foreign offices of the
great nations of Europe.
On the western coast of Africa to
day there are few men more powerful
than he. More than any one man he is
responsible for the well-being of an in
dependent African nation. For ten
years, and until his going first to Li
beria, he was a committee clerk In the
United States senate, the secretary to
Senator Burnham of New Hampshire.
With this training behind him, he
seized his opportunity to do a really
great work In governing and he is
making good. v
Friends tell him that a prolonged
stay in Monrovia, the capital of Li
beria, lowlylng cn a fever coast, will
mean his death. The climate is one
unusually severe on the European and
the native American. ,
Why He Is There.
To explain just what he is doing In
Liberia It Is necessary to delve a bit
Into the history of the country. It
will be recalled that In 1822 American
and European societies opposed to
slavery and desirous of helping the
black man established Liberia on the
west coast of Africa aB a colony for
freed slaves. July 26, 1847, Liberia was
proclaimed a free and Independent na
tion, established a constitution modeled
on the American constitution and set
up in business among the nations of
the world.
Thither, and from time to time since,
migrated American negroes. These and
their descendants to the total number
of Borne 20,000, are the dominating
population in Liberia, though there is
a total population of some 2,000,000,
made up chiefly of bush people, or sav
ages. Fifty different dialects are
spoken by them. Only a negro can be
come a citizen; only a citizen can own
property, and only a property owner
can exercise the franchise. The 20,000
retain the governing control of the
country. A few descendants of original
natives also have gained citizenship.
Liberia has a coast line of some 350
miles, and its boundaries run back Into
the timbered hills about 200 miles. The
British colony of Sierra Leone and the
French colony of the Ivory coast close
In the country by land, these two form
ing three sides of its boundary, and
the sea its fourth. Germany, too, has
a stake in the country, since the great
er portion of the trade is In German
hands.
In 1909, Liberia sent a commission to
the United States to ask the aid of this
country, always her very good friend,
in straightening out her financial diffi
culties. During the following year an
American commission, headed by Dr.
Roland P. Falkner, went to Liberia and
made a study of conditions. As a re
sult of the commission's recommenda
tion la 1911 an agreement was enter!
&v Y hp t ' J
Into by which New York bankers
loaned to Liberia approximately
700,000 for 40 years. This was enough
to refund all the outstanding foreign
loans to put Liberia on her feet
financially.
It waB provided In the agreement
that a foreign receivership should be
established to collect Liberia's customs
revenue, her head money revenues and
the rubber tax. The receivership was
to consist of an American comptroller,
and British, French and German sub
comptrollers. These four were appointed by the
Llbcrlan government on nomination
by their respective countries. They are
officers of Liberia, not of their own
nation, and are paid out of its receipts.
Mr. Clark, as the American member
of the receivership, Is comptroller of
the Liberian revenues, and this Is the
work upon which he is engaged.
Country Is Rich,
Slender, strong featured, his dark
hair Bhot with gray, Mr. Clark In ap
pearance Is the typical New England,
university man alert, alive, keen, in
telligent. And with it all he has the
mark that lone nulilic service In Wash
lngton puts on Its men the mark o
courteousness, simplicity and frank
ness In demeanor and expression. In
a conversation at the University club
during his stay In Washington Mr,
Clark told something of the country,
Said he:
"Liberia Is extraordinarily rich ii'
natural products, but has been littl.
developed. No less that 22 varieties
of rubber-producing plants grow there.
Rubber production is a staple indus
try, though most of the rubber comes,
from the natural and not the cultU
vated groves. Palm oil and oil-bearing
palm nuts are other large products,
With an unlimited market for pulml
oil, there are great possibilities in thi
Industry.
"The coffee plant Is Indigenous to
Liberia. The elephant coffee berry,
grows there In abundance. It has a
peculiar flavor, the taste for which Is
acquired, but, once acquired, one pre
fers this to all other coffees. The ele
phant berry also Is used in producing
fine blends. Brazil and other coffee-
growing countries obtained their orig
inal stock In many Instances from Li
beria, and still go there for scions for
use in plant breeding.
"The coastal country of Liberia Is
low and, in places, marshy. No harborB
exist, but at Monrovia is a splendid
roadstead. Relatively small sums ex
pended In the construction of break
waters would create an Ideal harbor,
The level country Is well covered by
vegetation.
"Development of the natural re
sources of the country has hardly be
gun. What stands In the way is lack
of transportation. There are no rail
roads, practically no roads. I have
never seen a wheeled vehicle In Li
beria, save small hand trucks In use
In the stores In the towns. I have
never seen a beast of burden In the
country.
"Travel la all on foot and one can go
only 10 or 12 miles a day through the
jungle. All goods are transported by
hand. Consider that it takes a man at
least two days to carry to the sea
coast a load of palm oil or nuts or
rubber, and you can readily see that
the cost of transportation just about
eats up the selling price of the product.
"Nevertheless trade thrives. The ex
tent to which It would reach with
transportation and with Intelligent de
velopment of the natural resources U
almost unbelievable,"
ANSWER WAS TO THE POINT
Old Ldy of 93 Did Not Mines Words
In Reply to Queitlon Propounded
by Her Pastor,
The pastor of a wall-known Boston
church was calling n short while ago
on a dear old lady, one of the "pillars"
of the church to which they both be
longed. Looking upon her sweet,
motherly face, which bore fow tokons
of her ninety-three years of earthly pil
grimage, he was moved to ask her:
'My dear Mrs. Adams, what has been
the chief source of your wonderful
strength and sustenance during all
these years? What do you consider
has been the real basis of your extra
ordinary vigor of mind and body, and
has been to you an unfailing comfort
through Joys and sorrows which must
come to all of God's creatures? Tell
me, that I may pass the Becrot to oth
ers, and, If possible, profit by It my
self."
The good pastor wulted with un-
iiRual eagerness for the old lady's re
ply, which she gave, aftor a moment's
reduction, while her kindly old eyes
were dimmed with tears.
"Victuals," she answered briefly.
Harper's.
Her Carelessness.
They say nature makes no mis
takes, but I doubt It."
"What makes you doubt it?"
"Why did Bhe mit a lid on the eve
nnd forget to put one on the cheBt?"
The Preference.
Mrs. Smith has a husband who pays
her unremitting attontlon when she Is
away."
'I would rather have a husband of
fcash remitting attention."
The Reason.
'Never try to steal a kiss from a fat
girl."
"Why not a fat girl?"
"Because she 1b likely to put up a
btout resistance."
Cause and Effect.
"I think I know one reason of the
patient's hacking cough."
"What is it?"
"He's got such a hatchet-faced
nurse."
An Exception,
'Full of trouble as the world may
be, there is no man living whom no
body loves."
"I don't know about that! How
about the baseball umpire?"
Exhausted His Credit.
"I'm afraid Blobson did not receive
much benefit at the health reBort he
.visited."
"Was the altitude too high?"
"No; the stakes were,"
All Watched.
! "I understand the new arrival, Mrs.
BlowBter, expects to do a great deal of
entertaining."
"The neighbors were entertained
when she moved in."
A Good Reason.
"Call up on the long distance
'phone."
"I can't."
"Why not?"
"I'm too short."
Impossible.
"That baby Is going to take after
'his father."
"No, he Isn't. Ills father-never leaves
anything after ulm for anybody to
take."
SURE.
Bystander (to nalnter who has
fallen from his scaffold, upsetting his
paint) Rather a bad fall, eh?
Painter Yes, but I came down with
flying colore.
In the Conservatory.
Miss Oldgirl I assure you, when I
'heard the story, I was rooted to the
pot.
Miss Pert I lei. A regular century
jplant .
Contradictory.
"People have queer ways of express
ing opinions."
' "For Instance?"
; "They talk of a man'e having loose
ways when be gets tight"
Sew on Own Buttons.
Bacon I see at the Minnesota
School of Agriculture a course of sew
ing for men is to be included In the
curriculum."
Egbert Doesn't this look Ilk a
blow at the nail industry?"
ygT
OFFER
Robert Hilliard Not to Appear in
Motion Pictures.
Actor Put Honeymoon Before Oppor
tunity to Add a Comfortable Sum
to Hit Bank Account A
to Admission Prices.
It Isn't every actor who is finan
cially nbln to refuse signing a con
tract calling for his appearance be
fore the camera, at a salary to be
named by himself, relutes Popular Me
chanics. Hut this was tho recent experience
of Robert Hilliard, tho well-known star
of "The Argylo Case,"
Director Ince aBked Hilliard wheth
er he would consider "The Argylo
Case" nnd "A Fool There Was" be
fore the camera. Any other actor In
the world would have jumped at the
opportunity but not so with our friend
Hilliard. lie explained to Director Ince
that he hud been married but three
weeks previous In Denver, and was
anxious to join his wire in a real
honeymoon. Otherwise, he explained,
tho engagement would huvo been glad
ly accepted, for the work greatly ap
pealed to Hilliard, while the remunera
tion, of course, was beyond reproach.
DESTINED FOR HIGH PLACE
Webster Campbell Already One of the
Leading Actors of the
Photoplays.
Webster Campbell, the good-looking
young actor depicted here, takes '
leads under con
tract with three
of the leading mo
tion, picture com
panies. A gradu
ate of the Univer
sity of 'Michigan
and a thorough
student, Mr.Camp
bell Is one of the
best educated act
ors in motion pic
tures. Before en
tering the picture
game he obtained
considerable expe
rience In the best
school of all
stock companies.
Possessed of good
looks, tempera
ment and ability, Webster Campbell Is
rising fast In his chosen profession.
Price of Moving Pictures.
In Europe moving picture theaters
are charging as much as (1.50 a seat
and it is predicted that the price of
admlBslon to the better class of Amer
ican moving picture shows will be In
creased. It Is to be hoped there will
be no attempt to estublish European
prices here. While It Is true that
moving picture audiences are con
stantly demanding more elaborate pro
ductions, the Initial cost of the pic
ture play Is also the final cost. There
are no actors' salaries to pay and no
continuing expenditures.
The great benefit of the moving pic
ture entertainment has been Its uni
versal appeal an appeal that has not
been measured by tho wealth or pov
erty of its patronB. It would be a
calamity if the time should ever come
when high class moving picture enter
tainments would be beyond the finan
cial means of the humblest of cur cit
izens. What Spain Enjoys. '
Moving pictures aro popular In Mad
rid, but it is Interesting to read In
a consular report that the films In fa
vor are those made up from historical
novels and American war, cowboy, de
tective and Intrigue films. The only
American films in great fuvor are
thoBe showing western scenes, with
cowboys and particularly Indians. The
Spanish children are extremely fend
of Indian scenes. They do not care for
educational films, but they want thrill
ing, the more thrilling the better.
That may be because bull fighting Is
the national pastime of Spain, and the
Indian warfare and cowboy scene
come next to bull fighting.
Ethel Barrymore a Convert.
Only a few years ago there were nu
merous legitimate players who failed
to realize that an occasional appear
ance In films was a good test of their
versatility, and, Incidentally, a good
form of advertisement. Now nearly
all of them have become wiser. One
of the most recent converts Is Ethel
Barrymore, who has forgotten her
conservative spirit and will shortly ap
pear In a film version of one of her re
cent stage successes. Tho title of the
play selected has not yet been an
nounced. Augustus Thomas will di
rect the production.
Didn't Know 8hikespeare.
Little Raymond Hackett, now play
ing In the "movies," who played the
long and difficult role of David In "The
Awakening of Helena Ritchie," was
sitting on Margaret Anglln's lap.
"What do you know about Shake
speare, Raymond?" Miss Anglln
asked.
Raymond thought a minute. "Ir
don't tnow nuffln 'bout 8hakes-beer,"l
he said slowly, "but I have drunk root
beer."
Wlnnlfred Greenwood Recovering.
Wlnnifred Greenwood Is now well on
the road to complete recovery, follow
leg her Injury In an accident nearly,
two weeks ago. 1
b
Vy