Newberg graphic., June 28, 1906, Image 2

Prisoners
and
Captives
By H. B. MERRIMAN
C H A PTE R X l.H C w U t M l )
After dinner Eaaton at last conde­
scended to explanation. Chairs had been
drawn around the Are. While he spoke
the American kept his eyes fixed upon the
firs, and at tinea moved hla limbs nerv
ously. after the manner of one who la
more highly strung than muscular.
“Gentlemen,” he said In hla peculiar,
alow drawl, and an Immediate alienee
followed—“gentlemen, I asked you to
come here to-night for a special purpose,
and not from the warmth of my own
heart. What I am going to tell you can­
not be quite new to some, while to others
I surmise that It will be very new. There
Is a country on the map called the Dark
Continent, but during the last few years
It has come under my notice that Africa
Is as light as the heavenly paths com­
pared to another land nearer to this old
country. I mean Siberia. Now, I am
not going to talk about Siberia, because
there are four men in this room who
know more than I do. In fact, they know
too much. Before I go I will explain
for a spell who we aM are. V om r of ee
are Russians.- Of these four, one has a
wlfs living In the Siberian mines, con­
demned by mistake; a second has a father
living in a convict prison, almost on the
edge of fn Arctic sea; a third has been
there himself. These three undertake
what may be called the desperate part of
our scheme. The fourth Russian is a
gentleman who has the doubtful privilege
of being allowed to live in Petersburg.
Hla task Is difficult and dangerous, but
not desperate. Two of us are English­
men; one has given up the ease and lux­
ury - of the life of a moneyed British
sportsman—has, in fact, become a sailor
for the deliberate purpose of placing his
skQI at our disposal. In addition to that
he has opened his purse in a thoughtless
and generous way. Why he has done
these things I cannot say. In Mr. Tyars*
position I certainly should not have done
so myself. His is the only name I men­
tion, because I have seen the portraits
of him in the illustrated papers, and
there is no disguising who he is. l%e
rust of us have names entirely unknown,
or known only to the wrong people. Some
of the Russian names, besides possessing
this unfortunate notoriety, are quite be­
yond my powers to pronounce. The sec­
ond Englishman is a naval officer, who,
having altered considerable danger with
Mr. T y an on one occasion, may or may
not think fit to throw in his lot with
him again. His decision, while being a
matter of great interest to us, lies en­
tirely in bis own hands. He is as free
when he leaves this room as when we en­
tered it. ^astly comes myself------”
The little face was very wistful, while
the thin lips moved and changed inces­
santly from gayety to a great gravity.
The man's hollow cheeks were singularly
flushed in a patchy, unnatural way.
“I,” be continued, with a little laugh,
“—well. I’m afraid I stay a t home. I
have here a doctor’s certificate allowing
that I would be utterly uaeless In any
but a temperate climate. I am—con­
sumptive.”
« He produced a paper from his pocket
and held it In his hand upon his knee,
not daring to oiler it to any one In par-
ticular. There was a painful alienee.
Ho one reached out his hand for the cer­
tiorate, and no one seemed to bo able to
of something to say. At last the
stout gentleman rose from hla chair with
a grunt.
“I, too, atay at home, gentlemen,” he
—M| breathlessly, “and I have no certifi­
cate.”
He crossed the hearth rug, and, taking
the paper from Easton’s hand, he delib­
erately threw it Into the fire.
“There,” he grunted, “the mischief take
your certificate.”
Then he sat down again, adjusting his
large waistcoat, which had become some­
what rucked up, and attempted to smooth
his crumpled shirt, while the paper burn­
ed slowly on the glowing coals.
“ I only wished,” said Easton, after a
pause, “to explain why I stay at home.
I t Is no good sending second-rate men
out to work like this.”
He paused and looked around. There
was something critical in the atmosphere
of the room, and all the seven men as­
sembled looked at one another in turn.
Long and aearchingly each looked into
the other’s face. If Easton had set down
the rule that second-rate men were of no
avail, he had certainly held close to It.
These were, at all events, first-rate men.
Not talkers, but actors! no blusterers,
but full of courage; determined, ready
and fearless. The slight barrier raised
by tbe speaking of a different tongue, the
thinking of different thoughts, seemed to
have crumbled away, and they were as
brothers.
"Our plans,” said Easton, “are simple.
We fit out a ship to sail in the spring,
ostensibly to attempt the northeast pas­
sage to China. Her real object will be
tbe rescue of a large number of Russian
political exiles and prisoners. The three
p „ —U n. go to Siberia overland. Theirs
Is tbe most dangerous task of of all, the
largest, the most important. The fourth
remains in Petersburg, to keep up com­
munication, to forward money, food, dis­
guises and—arms. Mr. Tyars takes com­
mand of the steamer, which is now almost
ready for sea, and forces his way through
the ice, God willing, to the Tana river.
E asto n stopped speaking. As he re­
turned to his seat, he glanced Inquiringly
toward Oswin Grace, whose eyes had foi
lowed him.
“Of course, gentlemen,” said Grace,
glancing comprehensively around the
group, “I go with Mr. Tyars.”
’Thanks,” muttered Claud Tyars,
shortly.
bril-
plcture
the little
to be talking to
the Court
tbe American minister. Moreover, she
recollected perfectly the form and fea­
tures of Matthew Mark Easton.
The occasion was a vast assembly of
the fashionable, diplomatic, artistic and
literary worlds for the collection of
money and Ideas toward the solution of a
soda! problem. The tickets were a guinea
each; there were choice refreshments at
a stated and ruinous price; soft carpets,
an exhibition of pictures, and the same
of dresses. I believe also that several
gentlemen read papers on the subject un-
der discussion, but that was in the small
room at the end where no one ever went.
Claud Tyars was there, of course.
During, the last month or two he had
been going out so much that one ilmoet
expected to meet him, just as one ex­
pects to meet certain well-known faces
at every assembly. Miss Winter saw
him immediately after noticing Matthew
Mark Easton, and before long he bsgan
to make his way across the room toward
her. Wherever they had met during the
laat few weeks, T y an had invariably
succeeded in
a few words
uith Miss Winter, seeking her out with
equal persistence, whether Helen Grace
were with her or not. If, aa the lady
opined, he was determined to be­
come one of their intimate friends,
he displayed no indecent haste, no
undue eagerness; and in so doing
be was perhaps following the surest
method. He had not hitherto showed the
slightest desire to cross the line which
sejiarntes acquaintances from friendship.
There was a mutual attraction existing
between these two capable, practical peo­
ple, who met to-night as they usually did
with that high-toned nonchalance which
slmoet amounts to indifference. There
was a vacant seat, for a wonder, beside
M'ss Winter, which Tyars promptly ap­
propriated.
“Who,” she asked, after a few conven­
tionalities had been exchanged, “la that
gontlcmnn talking to tbe American min­
ister, and apparently making him laugh,
which is. 1 ahould say, no easy matter T"
“He is generally making sotne one
laugh,” replied Tyars. “His name Is
Easton—Matthew Mark Easton.
The
sort of name that sticks in the wheel-
work of one's memory. A name one does
not forget.”
“Ami,” sdded Miss Winter, lightly, “a
face that one does not forget. Hs inter­
ests me—a little.”
Tyars langhed at the qualification im­
plied by the addition of the last two
word«.
“That is always something,” he said.
“A small mercy. He is one of my great­
est friends—may I introduce him?”
“Certainly,” murmured the lady, with
a little bow of the head, and then she
changed the subject at once.
“Helen,” she said, “is not here to­
night.”
Tyars looked befittingly disappointed.
“She does not always cars to leave tbs
admiral, and be objects to dissipation on
large scale. Is that not ao?” ho sug­
gested.
“Tea. That to the case to-night.”
Hhe wandered a little at his lntlmst#
knowledge of Helen’s thoughts, but said
nothing.
I t was probable that b# heard
this from Oswin, and his singular mem­
ory had retahfed it.
“Mias Grace,” said Tyars, presently,
“hss a strong sense of duty, and is un­
conscious of it. An unconscious sense of
duty is one of the beat of human mo­
tives. At least it seems ao to me.”
Altbough Agnes Winter was bowing
and smiling to an old lady near at hahd,
she ha«l followed him perfectly.
“Well," she answered, “a sense of duty
of any description la not a bad thing
in these time. Indeed,” she added, turn­
ing suddenly toward him, “a motive is
in Itself rather rare. Not many of ns
have motives.”
Her manner implied as plainly as if
she had spoken i t : “Ws are not, all of us,
like you.”
There was something In the expression
of his eyes that recalled suddenly their
first meeting at the precise moment when
he, entering the drawing room, overheard
a remark of hers respecting himself. It
was not an unpleasant expression, but It
led one to feel Instinctively that this man
might under some circumstances be what
is tersely called In France, difficult. It
was merely a suggestion, cloaked beneath
his high-class repose of manner, but she
had known many men of hla class, some
of whom had made a name in their sev­
eral callings, and this same suggestion
of stubbornness bad come beneath her
quick, fleeting notice before. He looked
gravely around the room, as if seeking to
penetrate tbe smiles and vapid affecta­
tion.
“Oh,” hs said placidly. “ I am not ao
anre. There are a good many people who
pride themselves upon steering a clear
coarse. The prevailing motiva to-night
la perhaps a desire to prove a superiority
over one's neighbors, but it is still a mo­
tive.”
Miaa Winter looked at him critically.
“Remember,” she said, warning!/, “that
this la my element. The motives of all
these people are my motive«—their pleas­
ure« my pleasures—their life, my life.”
“Apparently ao,” be replied, ambigu­
ously.
/
“So that,” aha pursued, “I am indicted
of the crime of endeavoring to prova my
superiority over my neighbors."
Ha laughed in an abrupt way.
“No more than my self.”
“T hat Is a mere prevarication,” aha
persisted, gayly. “Tell me, please, in
what particular this coveted superiority
ilea."
“ In a desire to appear mors simlsss
than you are,” he retorted, gravely.
”1 deny that. I plead not guilty,” aha
“I am a person of many motives,
many receivs their Ufa from on«
That one source Is sn earnest
endeavor to pleasa myself in all things,
to crowd aa much pleasure and aa much
ascltaaoent into a lifetime as It will bold.”
“Then,’' be aaid, after a- panes, “yon
are only one of the crowd after all.”
"That la all, Mr. Tyars. Did yon ever
suspect me of being anything else?"
“ I believe I did,” he replied, with a
more direct gmse than to allowed by the
dictates of polite aoclaty.
She returned the gaae with serenity.
“Then please get rid of the Idas,” aha
aaid, significantly.
There was a abort pause, but It was
SOME LOCAL RESULTS OF CELLBRATINO THE FOURTH.
not the silence of people who hive noth­
ing more to sny to each other. It was too
tense, too restless for that.
“Shgll I,” inquired Tyarn, rising sud­
denly, “go and find Easton? I ahould
like you to knqw him.”
T shall be most happy,” she aaid, with
one of her gracious little bows. As hs
moved away she called him back almost
as if aha were loath to let him go, as if
there were something still left unsaid
between them.
“Tell me,” she said in g gayly confi­
dent tone, “before you go, what ta his
specialty. 1 always like to know n stran­
ger's chief characteristic, or, if hs has
no characteristics, his particular hobby—
whether, I mean, he is a botanist or a
yachtsman, n fisherman or n politician.
I t is ao much more convenient, you un­
derstand, to know beforehand upon what
topic one must conceal one’s ignorance.”
“Mias Winter,” he said, deliberately,
“you have not found out my particular
koliby or my chief characteristic yet.”
“Not yet,” ahe admitted.
“I think,’’ he aaid^ ‘that Easton has
no hobbles. His specialty la eloquence.
He could almost persuade a certain »tub-
born quadruped to part with his hind
legs. He was destined by the positive
Osm
department of Providence for an orator,
oe WOO** o v e
bat tbe negative department, with it*
usual discrimination, gave him a weak
cheat, and therefore he ia nothing.”
“Thank you,” ahe said. “Now I know
something of him. I have to conceal
notice
beneath wretched smiles the fact that I
w
e b io c^
know absolutely nothing of American
r fw ew o««
commerce, American politics or oratory.
I wonder,” ahe added, as an afterthought,
“whether there la anything he can per­
suade me into doing?” '
“He might,” suggested Tyars, “per­
suade jcu into the cultivation of a m>
tlve.”
N
Then he turned and left her. Matthew
HEU> V\Mt-C*K**t
Mark Easton saw him approaching, and
I 'N H * TmqN(fl
broke off rather suddenly a waning con­
versation with his minister.
“Easton.” aaid Tyars, “come here. I
want to introduce yon to Mlsa Winter.”
“ Misa Winter,” returned the American;
“ominous name. Who is she?”
"Hhe ia a person of considerable In­
fluence in the Grace household. Do you
unuervtand? It ia in Mias Winter’s pow­
er to deprive us of Oswin Grace, if ehe
cares to exercise that power.”
. j
Easton’s face expressed somewhat lu­
TOOH PO€L VXAh \UffQ6EP O H I a WO WAP W\5 tm im T KRXtHVJt
dicrously a passing consternation.
’llHng these women!” he muttered.
-W illiam sport (P a.) G rit
“Doe# she,” he inquired, “suspect some­
thing?”
“Heard the news?” Tom asked.
“ I think so,” was the reply, “and, T H E 8 T A R - 8 P A N G L E D B A N N E R . to go into when he was cold and wanted
“No. What is It?” answered Willie,
to lie down, and ao his school days were
moreover, she ia a clever woman; ao oa
rly not at all dreary ones.
0 say, can yon* see, by tbs dawn's
forgetting for a moment his trouble over
careiu1
light.
But the happieet time for “tha chums” Nero.
rr» t - enottened.t
What so proudly we hail'd at the twi­
“Ed Bishop’s going with his folks to
was when Willie put hia books away for
light’s last gleaming—
Whose broad stripes and bright stars, the long summer vacation-and ha and the city for the Fourth, an’ ao you’ll have
through tbe clouds of tbe night.
At the ramperts we watched were so gal­ Nero had the whole day together. Even to find tome one else to take bis place ia
when Willie had cut tho kinSHng it was our procession.”
lantly streaming!
And the rocket’s red glare, the bombs burst­ Nero who carried it to the house in a
Willi« gave Nero a quick look. “Oh, I
ing In air.
basket
held
tightly
by
his
sttong
teeth,
wish
you had hands!”
Gave proof through tbs night that our flag
“Who’ll yon get?” asked Tim, after
while Willie carried a bucketful of coal.
was still th ere;
By and by Willie began to tell Nero waiting a moment for Willie to speak.
Leonardo da Vinci, who painted tbe 01 aay, does that star-spangled banner yet
of a great day that waa coming, when all
“ Dunno yet; I’ll hare to think about
very souls of his subjects, might have O'er the wave
land of the free, and the bom* of the boys would have firecrac^ere and Ro­ it first. See here, I’ve got lota of things.
the brave?
found m aterial for hia brush In the
man candles and torpedoes, and there Twice as much aa we have to have.”
trio seated one December day in Law­ On that shore dimly seen through the mlets would be flags flying and banda playing
“ I should say yon have ! Y »u’re lucky.
of tbe deep.
yer Norton’« office—“Old Dan’l Lyle,”
and
everybody
would
have
a
good
time.
All
the other boys say they had a hard
Where the foe'* haughty'host la dread si­
president of tbe village bank, sturdy,
Nero always listened to every word that time to get what they had to. Haw’d
lence reposes.
self-made, s te rn ; another old man, of What Is that which tha breeae, o'er the hia little master aaid, and now and then you manage It?”
towering steep,
“ I earned tbe money, getting coal and
quite different type, mild, inadequate,
Ae.Jt fitfully blow s, bow conceals, bow when Willie would give hia head an extra
hard pat by way of emphasis Nero would kindling,” Willie explained.
unfortu n ate; and tbe wife of the sec­
dltclO M l ?
catches tha gleam of tha morning's bark and aat his tail going harder than
"Weil, yon ought to hare the right to
ond man, a woman whose Madonna-like Now It first
beam,
ever.
'
That
tail
always
wagged
when
give
out the flags. Wa’H all meet here
face and silver h air seemed to harbor a ia full glory reflected now shines oa the
Nero waa pleased. Sometimes Willie’s at 10 sharp,” and Tom sauntered on.
certain radiance. ”
TIs the star-spangled banner; O long may mother would allow tha dog to corns into
When he was gone, Willie began to
Old Henry Dawson was settling with
It wave
the sitting room, bat one d«y the tall talk to Nero again. „
land of the fret, and the home of knocked a handsome vase off of the ta­
his creditors—people wondered if be O'er the
“Now, there it to. I Save firecracker«
tbe brave!
—
ble and broke It, and after thar Nero Jted an’ torpedoes enough for pan aa* a a ,
could pay 60 cents on tbe dollar. Ev­
erybody knew th a t old Henry wan hard­ And where U that hand who so T au n tin g ly to lie down very quietly If h i got into too, an’ you helped me earn Via, carry­
ing kindling, dldn”t yon?
Oh, why
working and honest, but people criti­ That the havoc of war and the battle’s the house.
Two days before the Fourth Willie haven’t yon some hands to can y a flag
confusion
cised his Improvidence, and thought
A home and a country should laava us ao bought hie fireworks; there were five with r
they new In hla easy-going ways the
packages of firecrackers and five of tor­
Willie was excited now, and up jump­
explanation of his sons’ unfortunate ca­ Their bloofl has wash’d out their foul pedoes,
four rockets, four Roman candles, ed Nero, waving hia tail aa hard aa he
footsteps’ pollution.
reers.
No refuge could save the hireling and two wheels and a long piece- of sank. could. Willie looked at him for a minute
■lav*
*
B ut no one ever said one word
Prom the terror of flight, or the gloom of Nero went with Willie to the store to bay and then turned a double someisanlt, and
against “Aunt Milly” Dawson, as every­
them, but he had to wait ouit-ide while came up shouting, “ Hurrah 1 hurrah 1 Yon
the grave;
body in the church called her. Cheer­ And the star-spangled banner la triumph Willie went in, and so aa soon as they shall march with ua. I know 1 can do
doth wave
reached home Willie opened the package I t !”
ful and ready to help others, no mat­ O’er tbe
land of the free, and the home of
tho brave.
ter w hat her own troubles were, un­
selfish, gentle, a “splendid manager” O ! thus be it ever, when freemen
in her own home—in Aunt Milly no one
stand
Between their loved home* and the
saw anything to explain the family
desolation !
stra its or tbe misdeeds of tbe Dawson Blest with victory and peace, may
heav'n-rescued land
boys.
Praise the power that bath made
preserved
ua a nation,
I t was generally hoped—and believed
conquer we must, when our cause
—In Brnsselville th at the home, at I
Is Just,
least, might be saved from the wreck And this be our motto—“In God is
trust
for Aunt Milly, especially as the chief And the
star-spangled banner In triumph
creditor, Old Dan'l Lyle, was a mem­
■hall wave
of tbs free, and tbs
ber of tbe same church and a lifelong O'er the the land
brave.
friend.
—Francis Scott Key.
And, as a fact, tbe close-fisted old
bank president had displayed a lenien­
cy th a t left Dick Norton, the lawyer,
fam iliar with his usual uncompromis­
ing “business” attitude, almost speech­
less with surprise.
B ut now th a t the papers were signed
and everything finished, a tide of reac­
tion set in in tbe mind of the old man
—proud of his own “self-made” career
Willie Perklna was 8 years old and
and prone to judge severely when any­ Nero was only 4, bat when Nero walked
thing resembling Incompetence was on on all fonts he was nearly as tall as
trial.
| Willie, and when he lifted his gteat shag­
“Well, Henry,” he remarked, rising gy dogahip upon his hind legs be could
pompously, "some folks, get out of lay hia forepaws on somebody’s shoul­
things mighty easy.
Now I”—he ders, and that aomefcody waa Willie’s
father.
straightened himself—“have always I Mr. Perkins called Willi* and Nero
paid dollar for d o lla r!”
I “ tbs chums," and it was indeed seldom
To this little th ru st old Henry had that the two were a p a rt except at school
not tbe sp irit to reply.
| times and meal times, and when the sand­
Through the proceeding thus far tbe man bad paid Willis a visit; even at
THEY FORMED IN DOUBLE COLUMN.
woman bad sa t silent—sometimes re­ those times they were not far ap a rt
At last the Fourth came, end at 10
straining her tears with some difficulty. When Willla went to school Nero trot­ and showed Nero everything It <ontalned.
“Now, we’ll fire off a few crackers,” o’clock all the boys except Ed were gath­
But a t this point—aa Dick Norton told ted along by hi« side, and, llko the good
fellow that he waa, when they came to
us afterw ard—“Aunt Milly flared right tbe door and Willie aaid, “Now, old boy, ■aid Willie to Nero, “bat we’ll have to ered in Willie’« yard and Willie waa talk­
save the most of them lilt the Fourth, ing to them.
up!”
I you wait for me right here in tbe yard b’cause ns boys are going to have oar
“Now, boy«,” he was saying, “yon left
"Yes, B rother Lyle,” she aaid, rtatng and be sure not to frighten sny of the crackers an’ torpedoes together. Won’t It to me to put some one In Ed's place,
also, and standing erect herself in gen­ children as they come in. Tetl me good- we have a fine time, marching to the ■n' I have selected some one that yon
tle dignity, "everybody knows that by now and be a good fellow,” Nero would commons, with our drums beating and all know an’ like. He has his share of
But crackers an’ will wave his flag fine. Will
th at's so. B at, Dan’l,”—she fixed him wag his tail very hard, lick the hand that horns blowing and flags flying!
had been patting his heal so lovingly all
with her motherly blue eyes—“I want tha time Willie was talking to him, and there’s one trouble about yon, Nero, an’ yon promise to give him s rousing wel­
that la, yon can’t march with us, b’cause come when he comes, so’« he won’t feel
to know one thing—do you remem t>er then lie doom and watch Ms master dis­ the boys decided that nobody can march hart at being asked to march with ua at
every day to thank God th at you've appear through tha great door of the without , they have ona of oar flags, an’ the last minute?”
been able to pay dollar for dollar?”
school boose.
They all promised, and then while they
there’s Just ten flags an* ten boys. I’m
There was a pregnant alienee. Then
By and by Nero would get tired of ly­ to give out the flags an* if there was any were asking who it was Willis ran Into
a subdued and bumbled Dan'l made re­ ing still sad would go for a walk around boy that waa tick yon could have his the house. A few momenta later be came
ont, and who should come trotting by hia
tbs building. The sly fallow? Ha well place, if yon could only wave a flag.”
ply.
side bat Nero, carrying In his month tho
Nero
dropped
his
head
and
*ked
very
knew
that
tha
janitor’s
w'fa
would
have
“I guess maybe there ia something
handle of a batoret that waa filled with
-to be said on th at side, Aunt Milly,” a little heap of bones hidden off in oas sad. Willis thought it was because Nero firecrackers
and wagging his tall, to which
| corner of the yard for him, and when was so badly disappointed, but perhaps It
be aaid, mildly.
he enjoyed hla feast ha would look up was because the faithful fellow saw that was tied a little flag, pole and a ll!
The boys all gave a great about when
to sea bar watching him from tha base hla friend waa troubled. Aa they aat
If a ton of coal ta placed on tta* ' otsnt
door. Then again that great tell there, Nero looking so sad and Willie they saw Nero, and then 'hey formed in
ground and left there, and another ton would wag as If ha said: “Thank yon so with his elbows resting on his knees and double column and etarted for the com­
ia placed nnder a shed, tbe latter loses much for those nice, meaty bone«." When his chin buried In ate hands, they beard mons, Nero walking by Wlllie’e aide, the
about 26 per cent of It* heating pow­ ! winter came on there waa a large box that ■on* one whistle and, looking up, saw proudest dog that ever wared a Fourth of
Jnly flag.
er, the form er about 47 per c e n t
* s janitor’s wife and Willi« taught him Tom Evans coming toward them.