Main
Chance
M ered ith Nicholson
C H A P T E R X V .— (Continued.)
Wheaton's hand rested again on tha
packet before him ; he had flushed to the
temples, but the color slowly died out of
hia face. It was very still tn the room,
and the watchman could be beard walk­
ing across the tiled lobby outside. A pa­
trol wagon rattled in the atreet with a
great clang of its gong. Wheaton had
moved the brown parcel a little nearer
to the edge of the table; Margrave no­
ticed this and for the first time took a
serious interest In the packet. He was
not hullt for quick evolutions, but ‘ he
made a sudden movement around the ta­
ble toward Wheaton, who was between
him and the door.
“ What you got in that paper, Jim?”
he asked, puffing from bit exertion.
Wheaton did not speak, but he picked
up the parcel and took n step toward 'he
door. Margrave advancing upon him.
Wheaton reached the door, holding the
package under his arm.
•“ Don't touch me; doo’t touch me,” he
said, hoarsely. Margrave still came to­
ward him. Wheaton’s unengaged hand
want nervously to his throat, and he fum­
bled at his tie. The sweat came out on
hia forehead. It was a curious scene, the
tall, dark man in his evening' clothes,
pitiful in his agitation, with hia back
against the door, hugging the bundle
under one arm ; and Margrave, in his
rough business suit,
walking toward
Wheaton, who retreated before him.
”1 want that package, Jim.”
“ Go away ! go away !
Tha aweat
shone on Wheaton’s forehead In great
drops. “ I can’t, I can’t— you know I
can’t !*•
“ Ton cow ard!" mid
Margrave. “ I
want that bundle.” He made a gesture
and Wheaton dodged and shrank away.
Margrave laughed again • a malicious
mirth possessed him. But he grew sud­
denly fierce and his fat fingers closed
about Wheaton’s neck. Wheaton hnddied
against the.door, bolding the brown pack­
et with .-both haada.
“ Drop i t !
Drop I t !” blurted Mar­
grave. He was breathing bard.
A sharp knock at the door against
which they struggled caused Margrave
to spring away. He walked down the
room several paces with an assumption
o f carelessness, and Wheaton, with the
bundle still under his arm, turned the
knob o f the door.
“ Hello, W heaton!" called Fenton,
blinking in the glare of the lights.
“Good evening.” said Wheaton.
“ How’re you, Fenton,” said Margrave,
carelessly, but mopping his forehead with
hia handkerchief.
“ Here are your papers,” said Wheaton,
almoat thrusting hia parcel into the law­
yer’s hands.
“ A ll right,” aald Fenton, looking curi­
ously from one to the other. And then
he glanced at the package, as if absent-
mindedly, and saw that the seal was un­
broken.
> “ Good night, gentlemen,“ he aald. “ Sor­
ry to have disturbed you.”
“ H ow much Traction was In that pack­
age?” asked Margrave, closing the door.
“ I don’t know,” said Wheaton, smooth­
ing his tie. The watchman could be
beard ¿losing the outside door on Fen­
ton.
"N o, I don’ t think you do,” returned
Margrave. “ You’d fixed it pretty well
with Fenton. I f he’d only been a minute
later I ’d have got that bundle. I didn’t
realise at first what yon had there, Jim,
until you kept fingering It .so desperate­
ly. N ow there are those share you own,
J im
I hope we won’t be Interrupted
while you’ re getting them for me.”
Wheaton hesitated.
“ I ’ m going from here to the Gasette
office. You know they do what I tell ’em
over there. They’d like a little story
about the aristocratic Wheaton family of
Ohio. Porter’s girl would like that for
breakfast to-morrow morning.”
Wheaton hung between two Inclina­
tions, one to make terms with Margrave
•nd assure hia friendship at any ha sard,
the other to break with him, let the con­
sequences be what they might.
“ Hurry up,” said Margrave Impatient-
, l y ; “ this la my busy night and I can’t
w ait on you. Dig it u p ”
Wheaton’s hand went alowly to his
pocket. As he drew out his own certifi­
cate with nervous fingers, the certificate
which Evelyn Porter had given him an
bour before fell upon the table.
“ That’s the right color,” said Mar-
grace, snatching tha paper as Wheaton
sprang forward to regain It.
“ Not that 1 not
that I That
Isn’t
m ine!”
Margrave stepped back and swept the
face of the certificate with hie eyes.
“ W e ill I knew you stood next, Jim,”
be said. Insolently, “ hot I didn’t know
Chat you were on such confidential terms
as all tbla And you witnessed the sig­
nature. How sweet and pretty It all is !”
Th e paper exhaled the faint odor e f
satchet, and Margrave lifted it to hia
nostrils with a mockery of delight.
“ I must have that. Hargrave. I will
do anything, but I most have that— You
_______U
- u
______ n
maliciously,
Da applied to Wheaton’s signature with
unnecessary cars.
MI hope this won’ t cause you any In­
convenience with the lady, but you’re un­
doubtedly a fair liar and yon can H i that
all right, particularly” — ylth a chuckle
— “ If the old man cashes in."
Wheaton followed Margrave’s move­
ments as If under a spell that he could
not shake off. Margrave walked toward
the door with an air of nonchalance,
pulftng on his gloves.
“ I haven’t my check-book with see,
Jim, but {'ll settle for your stock and
M m Evelyn's, too, after I get things re­
organised. It ’ ll be worth more money
then. Please give the young lady my
compliments,” with Irritating suavity.
H e stopped, smoothing the backs of his
gloves placidly. "That’s all right, Jim.
ain’ t ItT” be asked, mockingly.
“ I hope you’re satisfied,” said Whea­
ton. weakly.
“ Pm never satisfied," said Margrave,
picking np his hat.
Wheaton wished to make a bargain
with him, to secure his own Immunity;
but he did not know how to accomplish
It. Margrave had threatened him, and he
wished to dull the point o f the threat, but
he was afraid to ask a promise of him.
Wheaton did not follow him to the door,
bnt Margrave seemed in no harry to
leave. The Watchman went forward to
let him oat at the side entrance.
“ I f he’d only been sure the oold man
would have died to-night,” he reflected
as be walked up the atreet, “ he’d have
given me Porter's share«, easy.”
He
went tn his office, entertaining himself
with this pleasant speculation. “ I f Pd
got out of the bank with that package
he'd never dared squeal," be presently
concluded.
C H A P T E R X V I.
John Saxton was a good deal tha worse
for wear as he swung himself from a
sleeper In the Clarkson station and bolt­
ed for a down-town car. Coal mining Js
a dirty baftinat*, and there are limita to
the things that can be crowded Inte a
HOW A “DREADNOUGHT” 18 HA OTTERED INTO SHAPE
long strides, but It did not open as as
grasped the knob. He kicked it sharply,
hut there was still no re«pones from ♦ 'th ­
in.
“ What time is It, Saxton?” he asked
over his shoulder, without abating hia
pounding or knocking.
“ Five minutes of nine.’' ’ Saxtoa was
aware now that something important was
in progress. He did not know Fenton
well, but he knew that he was the attor­
ney for Porter and the Clarkson Nation­
al, and that he was a serious character
who did not beat on doore nnleaa he had
bualneaa on the insM«. Fenton now sailed
out loudly, demanding admission. There
waa a low aound of voices and a sharp
noise of chain being pnehed over an un­
carpeted floor; but the knob which Fen­
ton still held and shook did not tarn.
On the Inaide o f the door Timothy
Margrave and Horton, the president,
Barnes, the secretary, and Perclval, the
treasurer of the Clarkson Traction Com­
pany, were holding the annual meeting
of that corporation, tn conformity with
Its articles o f association, and according
to the duly advertised notice as required
by the statutes In such cate made and
provided. They had, however, antici­
pated the hour slightly; but thia waa not,
Margrave said, an important matter. His
notions of tha proper way of holding
business meetings were baaed on hia long
experience in managing ward primaries.
Horton, the president, called tha maet-
ing to order.
“ Well, hoys,” said Margrave, “ there
ain’t any use waiting on the other fal­
low*. Business is business and we might
as well get through with it. I vote
twenty-five hundred and niuety-aaven
shares of the common stock of this com
pany; you gentlemen haven’ t more than
that,^ave you?” The fact was that the
three officers present owned only one
share each.
“ I move,” said Barnes, “ that we pro
ceed to the election of officers for the
Nisuing year.”
“ And I move,” said Perclval, “ that the
The ratal' W eddle*.
Th e wedding bells w ere ringing on a
moonlight w Intel's n igh t
Th e church was decorated, all w ithin
.
waa gay and bright;
A mother with her baby came and saw
the lights aglow, <
She thought o f how those same belle
chimed fo r her three years ago.
‘T d like to be admitted, sir,” she told
the sexton eld,
“Just fo r the sake o f baby, to protect
him from the cold.”
H e told her that the wedding there was
fo r the rlgb and grand.
And with the eager, w atching crowd,
outside she must stand.
. Chorus—
W hile the wedding belts were ringing;
while the bride and groom w ere
there,
*
Marching down the stale together, a *
the organ pealed an a ir—
T ellin g tales o f fond affection, vo w in g
never more to part.
Just another fatal wedding, Just anoth­
er broken heart.
0 » OF THE STEAM HAMMERS AT PORTSMOUTH (S V G .) DOCKYARD
Th e dockyard at Pourtamouth, England, affords em ployment fo r 1,000
to 8,500 men, who are to be seen stream ing in arm ies tn and out o f thq_
Main, Marlborough and Unicorn gatee when the bell rings fo r them to begin
or leave work, th eir wagea bill totaling $55,000 to $60,000 a week. Th e mod­
ern yard may be said to date from 1543. when It was determined to greatly
enl arge It and Introduce Bteam power. Ia 1864 it waa atill further en­
larged. and now covers between 800 and 400 acres o f ground w ith Its
basins, docks, building slips, factories, storehouses and workshops. Hera
we find draw ing offices, machinery fo r punching, bending, cutting and shap­
ing steel plates, all o f which operations, thanks to the powers Conferred by
steam, hydraulics and electricity, they appear to carry out w ith no m ore
difficulty than If they bad been dealing with butter or plasticine. In the
large smithy, a huge brick building, there are no few er than 180 fires a r­
ranged In a quadrangle.
O f the enormous steam hammers Invented by James Nalsm yth— one o f
which Is shown In the picture at w ork on a big forgin g— there are a full
dozen, one at any rate w eigh in g no less than seven tons. Portsmouth yard
boasts as many as seventeen dry docks o f various sizes and Importance.
One or tw o o f these can take a Dreadnought and seven K in g Edwarde or
Nelsons. Th ere are three large basins, known as the fitting, rig gin g and re­
pairing basins, and the sm aller steam basin. The largest o f those is 1,000
feet in length and the next sm aller 900 feet. Around the basins are nu­
merous shears and cranes fo r liftin g guns, arm or plates, portions o f en­
gines and other heavy m aterial In and out of the ships as they lie along­
side the basin walls. T h ey are worked by hydraulic or steam power, and
the largest pair o f shears is capable o f raising a w eight o f 160 tons. But
we have by no means exhausted the tale o f the various establishments which
have th eir habitat w ithin the long encircling walla o f Portsmouth dock­
yard. Besides the workshops already enumerated there are the rope, mast
and block-making houses, the boat-building sheds, tbs stores o f gun mount­
ings, cables and the lon g rows o f ships’ anchors form ing a perfect
alleyw ay o f (ron. N eith er must the coalyards be overlooked, w ith their
mountains o f black diamonds surrounded b y row s and ro w s .o f cranes and
’'d e rric k s fo r fillin g ships’ bunkers an«) ra ilw a y tru ck s Then there are.th e
fine housee occupied by the commander-ln-chlef and the admiral superintend­
ent, w ith their gardens and the terrace o f houses In which other and lesser
functionaries have their abode. Here, too, la the establishment In which
naval and m arine officers spend months o f study In varous w ar courses,
dealing w ith the higher phases o f naval strategy and tactics, and also the
navigation school and the big fire station containing f ife steam engines,
nine manuals, tw o fire escapes and twenty-five hose reels. -
m s finoebs closed a sour wmcAiu.Vs kec - k .
suit-case. He had been crawling tbrongh
four-foot veins of Kansas coal in the in­
terest of the Naponset Trust Company,
and had been delayed a day longer than
he had expected. He continued to be in
a good deal of a hurry after be reached
hia office, and be kicked aside the mail
which rustled under the door as he open­
ed it, and knelt hastily before the safe
and began rattling the tumblers o f the
combination. He pulled out a long en­
velope and then with more composure
consulted his watch.
It was half-past eight. H e took from
his memorandum calendar the leaf for
tha day; on It he had posted a cutting
from n local newspaper announcing the
annual meeting of the stockholders of the
Clarkson Traction Company. The meet­
ing was to be held, so the notice recited,
between the hours of 9 a. m. and 5 p. m.
of the second Tuesday lof November, at
the general offices of the company in the
city of Clarkson. The Exchange Build­
ing was specified, though the adminis­
trative offices o f the company were on the
other side of town. Before setting forth
Saxton examined hia papers, which were
certificates of stock in the Clarkson Trac­
tion Company. They had been sent to
him by a personal friend in Boston, the
trustee of an estate, with Instruction to
invMtlgate and report. Having received
them )ust as be -was leaving for Kansas,
tber* had been no opportunity for con­
sulting Porter'or Wheaton, his usual ad­
visers in perplexing matters. Traction
stock bad advanced lately, despite news­
paper attacks on the company, an~ he
hoped to sell Ms friend’s shares to ad
vantage.
Saxton had never been In the Ex­
change Building before and be poked
about in tha dark upper floors, uncer­
tainly looking for the rooms described in
the advertisement
Another man, also
psering about In the hall, ran against
him.
“ Beg pardon, but can you tell me— "
“ Good morning. Mr. Saxton, are yen
acquainted in thia rookery?*’
It was
Fenton, who carried a brown parcel un­
der Me a m and appeared annoyed.
“ N e ; but I ’ m learning,” John answer­
ed. " I ’ m looking for tha offices of the
Traction Company. Its light eeeme to be
secretary he instructed to cast the ballot
of the stockholders for Timothy Margrave
for president.’
“ Consent’ exclaimed Barnes, hurried­
ly.
Steps could be heard in the outer hall,
and Margrave looked at hia watch.
“ I move that we adjourn to meet at
my office at two o’clock, to conclude tba
election of officers.” He gathered up hi«
certificates and prepared to leave.
(T o be continued.)
Too
GOOD SHORT
STORIES
W is e to B o H u l l .
H e was an unruly youngster.
A
w riter In the New York Bun says that
he had not been In the car five min­
utes before a ll the women present and
most o f the men were explaining to
anybody who would listen what they
would do w ith the boy If he b elo n g^
to them.
T o the general babel there was one
woman who contributed nothing. She
waa a gentle, gray-halred body, who
remained unruffled by the small tem­
pest raging.
“ I f that child belonged to me,” Bald
the woman beside her, " I ’d make him
mind i f I had
to h alf kill him,
wouldn't y o u r ’
“ I don't know,” said tbs 'quiet wom­
an. ” 1 don’t know what I should db."
"You don't?” exclaimed the positive
woman. * "W e il, I know. But theft,
maybe you are not used to children?
Maybe you never had any o f your
own?*
“ Oh, yes,” said the little woman, ‘1
brought up thirteen. That's why J
don't know what I should do.”
Old Favorites
W hen the Lusitania arrived In New
Y ork from Liverpool a abort tim e ago
a group o f passengers w ere gathered
• a the pier vain ly looking fo r a porter
to cart their trunks over to the ex­
press wagon. Just as they w ere be­
com ing thoroughly discouraged an ex­
ceedingly Jovial and energetic colored
man came bustling up w ith a small
trunk. "H e rs I am. ladles and gentle­
men. Don’t w o rry about yo’ trunks.
L ea ve It a ll to me. Jus* don' w orry.
T il tend to you” — and then, In a final
burst o f confidence— ’’you sho’ eaa
trust ms— I'se an adopted son o f Mr.
Cunard.”
H e W£* tellin g a th rillin g story out
o f his w allet o f ft thousand and one
hair-breadth escapes over In Santiago,
doneberknow, and h it pretty listener
was leaning anxiously toward him,
hanging on his every utterance. “ Th e
w elvee w ere upon us,” be said, “ bel­
low in g and roaring, as I have so often
heard them. W e fled fo r our lives. I
don't deny It; W
every second we
knew th e ravenous pack was gain ing
on u*. A t last they were so near that
w e could feel their muzslea against
our legs— —” " A h !” gasped out the
lady. “ H ow glad you must have been
S im ila r S ym p tom s.
It was the open season fo r baseball they had their muzzles o n !” *
as a man limped Into the police sta­
T o the leader o f a band In Omaha,
tion, w ith a black eye and one arm la. jocu larly spoken .of In that locality
a sling.
as “ the worst In seven different States,"
"Bay, captain,’’ he aald, addressing there once came a man w ith a request
the officer In charge, “ I want proto*' that the band play at a« cousin’s fu­
tion.”
neral. “ Is It a m ilita ry funeral T”
"Oh, you do, eh?” queried the offi­ asked the leader. "N o t at all,” was
cer. "A r e you a m arried man or as the reply. **My cousin w as no m ili­
umpire?”
ta ry man— In fact, hs was never even
Interested In matters m ilitary. N ev­
ertheless. U was his express wish
• o a e « S ystem .
*T m huntlng up all my famous a » that your band should play at hia fu­
neral.” T h e leader was surprised and
eoe toro.”
he asked.
“ I va got your schema sklnned. I'm flattered. “ Is that so?”
huatlng up all m y incastoni who wore “Tee,” responded tha other. “ H e said
ha wanted everybody In Omaha
crooks.”
aorry that ha died."
“ But whyT”
A professional
“ To prove w hst a fine f e l l o « I affi
g
a
r da hia tim e
la splta o f m y handicap.” — C le v e la a i
1 -
let her pass Inside, •
“F o r baby's sake you m ay step In,” the
gray-halred man replied.
“I f any one knows reason w hy this
couple should not wed.
Speak now or hold your peace fo rev er­
more,” the preacher aald.
*1 must object.” the woman said, w ith
voice so meek and mild.
“Th e bridegroom la m y husband, and
thia la our little child.“
"W h at proof have you?” the preacher
asked. “ M y Infant.“ ahe replied.
She raised her babe, then knelt to pray,
the little one had died.
Chorus—
»
The parents o f the bride then took the
outcast by the arm,
"W e ’ll care fo r you through life," they
aald, “you 've saved our child
from harm.”
Th e outcast w ife, the bride and par­
ents quickly drove away,
Th e husband died by bis own hand be­
fore the break o f day.
N o wedding feast was spread that
night, tw o graves w ere made
next day—
One fo r the little baby, and tn one the
father lay.
The story has been often told, by fire­
sides warm and bright.
O f bride and groom, o f outcast, and
the fatal wedding night.
RECORDS OF OLD KASKABICtA
O ld est a n d M oat A a t h e a t le D e e « -
■•eats H e w a t at. Low la U n iv e r s it y .
Th e members o f the Mississippi V a l­
ley H istorical Society visited the 8 L
Louis U niversity en masse recently
and Inspected the. old historic trove,
o f which the university has la tely be­
come the custodian— a set o f docu­
ments concerning the history o f this
vicin ity which are among the oldest
and most authentic records o f the past
In Am erica, the St. Louis Republic
says. Th ey are the Kaakaskla records
In which the first en try Is dated 1695.
They continue, w ith but a few gaps,
down to the present time. Few reo-
ords In the east antedate these and
none in the west. T h ey were Jwgun
in Illin ois, near Peoria, before some
o f the thirteen origin al colonies w ere
planned.
T h e records have been a geld m ine
to historians, fo r years, but their rich­
erous and persistent conversational­ es w ill never be exhausted. John Qu­
ists. • H e has on his desk a small inary Shea came west to aee them
alarm clock. When a visitor o f un­ th irty years ago; Edward G. Mason,
pleasant propensities Is announced this wrote a minute description o f them,
man picks up his clock, sets the alarm which la one o f the publications o f the A
fo r three minutes ahead, and receives Chicago H istorical Society.
his caller. T im e goee by, and than
Prof. C. W . Alvord. president o f the
the clock does Its duty. Th e busy man Mississippi V alley H istorical Associa­
starts as he hears the sound, consults tion, w ro te o f them In a work which
his watch, and then rises w ith a hasty has Just been published by the U nited
apology. “ I'm m ighty sorry we won’t States govern m en t
A t the tim e he
be able to discuss that longer,”
he w rote be could not locate them. T h ey
says, “ bnt I ’ve an Important engage­ were then at F o rt Gage; but the bish­
ment at this hour, and simply must op o f B elleville, In order to better pre­
keep U.”
serve them, has placed them - In the
A couple o f city men were playing archives o f the S t Louis U niversity.
g o lf when they saw an old gentleman Th ey are kept In a great iron, fire­
looking at them w istfu lly. Th ey asked proof, combination safe.
him to join the game, which he did
Th e records are those o f the bap­
w ith alacrity. He was mild In speuch tisms, m arriages and burials o f the
and manner and played well.
But people o f old Kaakaskla, near P eo ria ;
once when he made a foozle he ejacu­ and o f the later Kaakaskla, sixty m iles
lated vehem ently the word "Assouan!*’ down the riv er from St. Louis.
A few momenta later, when he had
• r t d * e B u ild e r 's C a re e r.
made another bad play, he reported:
Anybody standing on the Brooklyn
"A ssouan!“ The fourth time he said
this one o f his new-mads friends bridge and looking northward up the
said; “ I do not want to ba Inquisi­ East R iv e r w ill see three strik in g ex­
tive, hut w ill you tel) me why you amples o f the genius and a b ility o f
say ’Aaouan’ so often?" “ W ell," said Oustavua Llndenthal, who, a m atter
the old gentleman. “ Isn 't that the. big­ o f th irty years ago, waa a mason and
gest dam la the w orld?” H e was a carpenter doing journeyman's w ork In
Philadelphia, the Bookkeeper says.
Presbyterian clergyman.
Th e three examples o f his later do-
velopment 'are the Manhattan bridge,
rrererleatleg l i gene,
Those to whom the mathematical which la nearing completion and to
mind has not been given w ill appre­ about 1,500 fe#t north o f the Brooklyn
ciate the fun an Irishwoman, Mrs. L a bridge; the W illiam sburg bridge, and',
Touche o f Harrlotown, has w ith num­ finally, 't h e enormous Queensborough
bers la “ T h e Letters o f a Noble bridge, that waa opened to traffic re­
cently. But this Is not all. F a r to
Woman.”
“ I do hate sums,” Mrs. L a Touche the north o f these three huge epans
oonfeases to a friend. “ Th ere la no between Manhattan and Lon g Island
greater m istake than to call arith­ there la another creation o f Mr. Lln -
metic an exact science. There are p er­ denthal's brain— the H ell Gate bridge,
mutations and aberrations discernible designed to c a rry the heaviest loads
to minds en tirely noble, lik e m ine; o f any bridge In the world, connect­
subtle variations which ordinary ac­ ing the mainland lines o f the N ew
countants fa ll to discern; hidden lawn York, N ew H aven A H artford Rail-
o f numbers which It requires a mind roaJl w ith the Long Island Railroad,
and thus, by w ay o f the tubes under
like mine to perceive.
“ F o r Instance, i f you add a sum the North R iver, bringing about a
from tbs bottom up,, and then again direct ra il route from New England
from the top down, the result la al­ Into the w e s t
ways d iffe re n t"
It Gently.
Jack— Perhaps you
style of dancing.
don't like my
“Did you wash the f l s h r a woman
Orme (In d istress)— W ell, there ia
asked her new servant "Shura, an* rather too much sameness about I t
phat’s the u t of .waah’a anything
Jack— Er— how may I vary It?
that’s always livsd is the water?”
Orme— Suppose yon tread on m y le ft
asked the g ilt
toot once la a w hile.
,