f ~
Ward of Sleep
Th ie Devil-Stick
_________
Hr Uw Aa.x« w
"The Mrsasrr <* • Honson Cab," Bls.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- J
CHAPTER VI! -(('ontlau'! *
1 »hall explain, and It la luvkjr for
^p.i II.at Mrs lmll.ia *.-«v» ><»■. t”-rnvs
al on to ask ma for an explanation, oth
erwise I should have barn forced, from
a eenea of honor, to hold m> tonxua.
Mra Irallaa fears lhat If Isabella mar
ries anyone but David, her death will
take place."
"Whoae death?
Isabella's or Mra.
Dallaa?"
“The latter. You muat know. Mau
ries." continued the Major, “that Mra
Dallaa. though well born and well
married, is an
extremely
Ignorant
woman. Hhe waa brought up moetly
by IMdo'a grandmother, who waa the
moat accureed old witch In Ba r ba Joe e
Thia old hag Inetllled Into the mind of
Mra Itallaa all ktnda of auperatltlona
In which ehe really bollevea.
When
the grandmother died
Dido became
nurse to laabella. and private witch of
the Dallas household. She la clever—
wonderfully clever—and she baa con
tinued her grandinother'e system of
terrorising both Mrs Dallas and Isa
bella.“
"Yes; I can see that. Unde Jen, and
It la for that reaaon 1 want to marry
laabella, and take her away before her
mind la degraded further by that old
fury.“
"Well, the old fury sees what you
want, my dear lad, and ao she la deter
mined that laabella shall marry David
and not you. To accompllah her alma
she went through some
hocuepo.-us
and discovered that If Isabella marries
you. Mra. Dallas will die."
"And does Mrs Dallaa believe that
rubbish?" asked Maurice. Incredulous
ly-
"Implicitly! I tel! you ehe la Ignor
ant and superstitious.
Come
what
may, she la convinced that your mar
riage with Iaaltella means her
own
death; ao you may rest assured. Mau
rice, that she will never, never accept
you as her son-in-law "
"1 understand." said Maurice, with a
shrug
“It seems hopeless to contest
this decision of a diseased and feeble
mind
I can understand Dido stop
ping my marriage, as she wants to re
tain her sinful Influence over laabella;
1 can understand Mrs. Dallaa. weak
and Silly, being dominated by thia ne
gro Jexebel; but I can't understand
why David Is chosen aa the future
son-in-law. If he marries Isabella, he
will no more put up with Dido that I
should have done."
“Of course not; I can’t explain the
reason," replied Jen. shaking hie head.
"But you know all that I know. Mau
rice; and you can see that It la hope-
lees for you to attempt to marry the
girl"
'Tm not so sure of that." retorted
Maurice; "I love Isabella, and come
what may, I Intend to make her my
wife."
“Hut what about me?" said a voice
outside the open window; "what about
me?" And a moment later iMtvld. In
dusty riding-dress, stepped Into the
room. He looked disturbed and angry,
and his strongly marked face
bore
traces
of agitation
and
haunting
thoughts.
Disturbed by the unexpected
ap
pearance of David, and seeing from
his expression that he was bent upon
making himself disagreeable. Jen has
tily Interposed to prevent a quarrel be
tween the two young men.
"What, David? back again!" he said.
Ignoring the question asked by ftarby.
"Ro you did not Stay to dinner?"
“No," replied
I>avld.
shortly.
"I
didn't!" Its flung himself Into a chair
and resumed In a significant tone.
"Mrs. Hrance didn't ask me. and If she
had. I couldn't have accepted In this
drees.
Besides. I am not the man
whom she delights to honor. Now, If
Maurice had been there. Meg —“
"1‘on’t couple my name with Meg's,"
interrupted Maurice, sharply.
"You
know quite well-------“
"It’s no use your assuming that V>-
socent air. Maurice.
You have not
treated Mag well!"
“1 have! How dare you say such a
thing? Meg knew that I was In love
with Isabella'
“Oh!" said David, with a sneer. "1
overheard you arrange to marry her
Rut you'll never do that while I am
alive, or Mra. iMlias either.
I told
Mrs Itallaa that I loved laabella. and
she said that nothing would give her
greater pleasure than to see us mar
ried"
"You shan’t marry her!’ cried Mau
rice. angrily rising.
"1 shell!" said David, and rose also
"Boys!
Boys!" said Jen. annoyed
at this quarrel, "do not bo so positive
If you are both tn love with the same
woman, let the woman decide."
“Kha has decided!" said
Aylmer,
sharply.
Rhe loves me."
"1 don't care two straws about that."
said David, coldly. "I have not spo
ken to her yet; but all the same I In
tend her to become my wife I give
you fair warning, Maurice, that you
are not to poach upon my preserves."
“Your preserves. Confound your In
solence*
"t’pon my word. I »avid." said Jen.
Seeing that
Maurice
could
hardly
•peak for rage, “you go too far
The
girl loves Maurice and not you; and It
would be much more honorable for you
not to press your suit "
"! don't care two pins for honor. Ma
jor!
I love Isabella. and I Intend to
marry her.
Itut become the wife of
Maurice she never shall. I'd rather see
her married to Ktwald."
“The third Richmnnd who Is In the
held.“ scoffed Maurice
“Well, ho has
*• good a chance as you.
Did«» sup
ports his pretensions
Mrs Itallas Is
your champion. As for me. I have the
love of Isalwlla. so tm afraid of noth
ing."
"Are you not?" said Harby. with a
peculiar smile. “Remember what Et-
weld said about your life In death!"
"I don't believe In that rubbish. Da
vid. and I ahould bo very sorry
to
think you did."
"As to that. I don't care about dis
cussing the point." was ths ready "Our
own beliefs are are own business. Hut
I may say that Etwald Is a dangerous
>n*n, both to you and to me."
"I daresay." said
Maurice, coolly
"The more no. as I believe he has sto
len the devil .stick.“
“What!"
I>wvld made a step for
ward and stared at the wall
His face
was quits pale, and hie hands trem
bled In spite of hie efforts to control
himself.
'"Ths devil-stick gone'" he
said, turning on hie heel. "Both you
and I must l>e careful. Maurice."
CHAPTER VIIL
Ro far the reader may wonder at the
constituent elements of this story. Af
rlcan witchcraft, mysterious strangers
and barbaric women seem to be out of
place when Bel In the sober framework
of a provincial town. Hut romance Is
not dependent upon landscape or on
surroundings for Its occurrence. It Is
to be found everywhere, and very of
ten In the moot unlikely places
Here,
for Instance, l>y some trick of fata, cer
tain people had come together, certain
passions had been aroused, and now
that the drama had been set In motion.
It seemed likely that It would play It
self out to s tragical conclusion.
For a whole w>.-k after the events
already related, nothing new took place
likely to alter the situation.
Maurice
and Ihxvld remained coldly polite, and
very watchful of one another, neither
mentioned the name of Isabella, nor
did the one or the other sea the girl
Mra I Milas took care of lhat. Actin*
no doubt, under the advice of Did *
she kept Isabella within doors and re
fused to allow her to communicate
with Maurice
llut. <>s the other hand,
ehe did not force her to see David,
and leal sila wua thankful for tbs con
sideration
But there was one visitor to The
Wigwam whom Isabella would gladly
have avoided—no lees an
Individual
llutn Dr, Etwald
After the violent
scene with Maurice, the
widow so
overtaxed her Strane
that she be
came III, and the d<
waa s-nt for
Ills mere presence appeared to sooth
Mrs. Dallaa. and he came frequently.
When she could. Isabella absented her
self; but this she was not able to do
on all occasions, and ao she had to
endure his Complimentary
speeches
and the mesmeric quality of his gase.
This last, especially, was a trial to one
of her sensitive organisation, and one
day she felt so uncomfortable that sh-
rr mon st rated with Etwald
"You make mo afraid, doctor." eh«
said. Impetuously. "Your gase la dis
agreeable to me.”
"My dear young lady," replied the
man, blankly, ”1 muat look at you
when I address you."
"Then don't address mot"
"Isabella, do not t«o rude!" cried
Mrs Dallas, who had overheard this
passage of arms; whereupon the girl,
with a defiant glance at her tormentor,
left the room.
'Tm sure I don't know what I'll do
with Isabella.“ sighed Mrs
Dallas;
“She la getting so disobedient."
"Perhaps I can assist you ”
Mra. I »alias looked uneasily at har
medical attendant.
“No." she aald. quietly. "I may per
suade her Into doing what I want."
“Which is to marry Mr. tJavId Har
by." aald Etwald. coolly. "In that case
I can only hope that the young lady
will continue obstinate, as 1 wish to
marry her myself."
"1 know—I know! Rut I don't want
her to marry you, doctor.
Mr. Karby
la ths man for my daughter.
He Is
good-looking and clever and-------"
"And poor!" finished Etwald.
"Well, yea." assented Mrs. Dallas,
"there Is that objection. Rut It la not
much of an obstacle, as laabella has
money. The young couple can live on
three thousand a year."
I»r. Etwald went home with thia sum
running In hla head, and more than
ever he reeolved to marry Isabella. He
was In love with her, and would have
taken her without a penny; ail the
same. If she waa an heiress In a small
wag. It was all the better. Tha doe
ter *ae clever but poor and wtth an
Income like that he could move to the
metropolis and do great things There
Were many » h>mee in Ktwixld'a head,
and certain of these he determined 1»
pul Into execution at once tn order
to secure laat-ella for his wife.
H.-me lime previously Major Jen ha 1
asked Etsrald about the devil-stick,
but only to be Informed that the duc
tor knew nothing of th« missing ar
ticle.
I have not set eyes on It since lhat
night you showed It Io me," declared
EtwalJ. coolly
You refused to sell
It to me, so of course I gave up all
Idea of possessing It.
All the same,"
finish-d he. politely, “I am sorry that
It Is lost."
"la»et!
Htolep. you mean.” growled
J«n. tartly.
That negreas----- “
"Dido*
Well. I admit that such a
l-arbarle treasure would tempt her. the
more particularly aa she knows about
such w Isa rd Instruments
Ask her If
she took It."
“I have done so. and 1 have asked
Mr* Ihxltas also," replied Jen; “but II
Seems that Dido wasn't out of
the
house that night.
Hhe waa III and.
oddly enough. I hear. Etwald, that It
waa you who made her III.”
"Really!" said Etwald. quite oelf-
poaseaaed. “I suppose Mr Aylmer told
>ou so
1 thought aa much.“ ha con
tinued. as Jen nodded
“lie saw mo
calming Didos agitation when I ar
rived to ask Mra
l*allas
tor
her
daughter's hand. This negreaa Is hys
terical. and on that «lay she happened
to be so. I quieter] her, yet Mr. Ayl
mer accuses rne of having caused her
Illness '
"I don't know anythin* about It. Kt-
waldi but truth to tell. Maurice does
not like you'“
"Because I prophesied 111 concerning
him' “
“Oh, that was rubbish.” said Jen.
contemptuously. "You didn't moan IL"
"Didn't I.
Walt and see"’
After which Ktwald bowed hie vis
itor politely to the door of the gloomy
old house which he occupied In Dean-
mlnster. and Jen returned home, quite
baffled aa to what could have become
of the dovU stick
Mauries still held
to hla l.lra lhat Dido had taken the
wand, but Jen's Inquiries proved that
the negresa had not been out of ths
house on ths night In question.
Then It must have boon Battersea"’
said Maurice, decidedly
lie
la a
friend of In «toe and a pensioner of
Isabella's I’ll And out It he stole the
stick for the negresa or for Dr. El-
wald."
• ms easier said than dona, as
Mrs I «alias « , d r.-.i
, .,
to set foot In the house. Hull Maurice
hoped to learn lhe truth
from
the
tramp himself, a hope that proved fu
tile also.
Battersea ha«l gone on one
of hla begging excursions, ami
for
quite a week wua not seen In
the
neighborhood of Ashantee." Then he
suddenly made Ids appearance at the
house. an.i asked to see Maurb e
On
u* 1« -1 Into the hall, t.liu.-r . «..no
out to speak with him. and after a few
words be took the old man Into the
library. Jen. who waa rather curious
to know what Maurice might
learn
from lhe dlerepulabls obi mmp. wall
ed patiently for lhe termination of the
Interview.
As Aylmer did not reap
pear. he Bought the library, and found
lhe young man alone
Where la Battersea?” asked
Jen.
glancing round
"What did hs wlah to
see you about?”
its heard that I a« ie«-d him
of
taking the devil-slick." explained Mau
rice. “and came here to exculpate him
self, He Is quite Innocent. He didn't
lake lhe devil-stick.”
“Then who did?"
"I'll tell you that to-morrow"
"Why not to-night?"
asked
Jet.,
sharply.
"Because I have a suspicion, which
I cannot prove at present. Battersea
gave me a hint, upon which I am de
termined to work.
To-night I may
learn lhe truth’"
"From whom’"
"l»on't ask me. Uncle Jen. ! can't
answer you yet."
“Well, Just as you please, but you
are ns mysterious us Du vid."
"Why, what about David”'
"t *nl> thia, that he tuts gone up to
town without bidding
me good-by,
save In thia short note. I can't under
stand such conduct."
"Nor I." said Maurice, airetching oul
hla hand.
"Mease let me read
the
note. Uncle Jen
I wish to sea precise
ly how It Is worded "
The note which the Major handed
over wai curt to the verge of ru<leneM.
It merely staled that the writer had
gone away for a couple of days on
business, and would be back aa soon
as possible.
Maurice dl«l not wonder
that Jen was annoyed al
receiving
such a missive from one whom ho re
garded In the light of a eon.
'The fact la David has not
been
quits himself since thia trouble about
Isabella." he said, gravely, "and hs
thinks It beat to go away for a time.
You know how he tortures
himself
over trifles."
"Thia love business of
you
two
young men la getting to be anything
but a trifle,” aald Jen. testily. "What
between the lot of you and Etwald,
there seems to be nothing but trou
ble. I wlah you'd marry the gtrl. Mau-
rloe, and have done with It."
(To tie continued.)
Rare
Hirds
Indeed,
CRATER LAKE ROAD ASSURED
PRICE IS «2.200 AN ACRE.
Uncle Sam Approves Plans, and M.ty
Give Substantial Aid.
The Crater Lake road will be
Government approval
of
built.
River Apple Land Sets
High Record Sale.
Hood
Hood
River—The
prediction
the project Oregon
orcharxl land
would sx-ll
has been secured by Will G.
New
that
for
a
better than 12.000 an
acre
recognition appropriation of >5.000
made, Engineer B. F. Heidis sent by
the government to Medford, and the
promise given that 50 par cent of the
work will have been accomplished by
July I of thia year. The Medford Com
mercial club's sul«s« ription of >25,000
for the construction ol 11.e road la well
under way ami there will lie no further
delays.
Mr. Steel has just re tunic« I
from Washington.
He represented the
Medford Commercial club and inter
vened on its behalf with Secretary of
the Interior Ballinger and other gov
ernment officials.
"The government's approval of the
Crater Lake road in effect nullifies the
decree handed down by the Supreme
court last month.” said Mr. Steal.
"I found about lhe halls of the Cap
itol a feeling of resentment that even
so august a body as the Supreme court
should deem the Crater Lake national
park a local affair, any more than that
Yellowstone national park should Iw ao
considered.
"Secretary Ballinger asked me how
much money we would l<c wanting
from the government for the Crater
l.ake project.
I told him we would
need eventually aliout 12,000,000, in
cluding making of trails and various
other improvements.
He assured me
of hia belief that we would get that
much, at the same time stating frank
ly that had it not been for the indom
itable energy and persistence of the
Medford commercial interests nothing
further would ever have la-en done,
following the Suprrme court's unfav
orable decree,
"I received an official communica
tion stating that the United States Ash
commission would place 50,000 rainbow
fry in the Cratrr lake, to add to the
stock of Ash already there.”
Crater lake road, completed, will be
87 miles long.
Engineer Heid’.e will
give his time not only to miking a sur
vey of all roads now planned, l«ut in
making a survey of all roads and trails
to be constructed at any future time.
came sooner than waa
expx-cted hero,
Steal,
thia year
when Rede S. Delano, an Eastern man,
paid 114,400 for six and one half acres
of 8-yvar old trees.
The price per acre is a little better
than S2.200, and reaches a mark SHOO
higher than the beat previous price,
which was obtained a week or two ago,
when ten acres here were sold for >19,-
ooo.
The orchard
was purchased
through B. E. Duncan .1 Co. from Dr.
Stanton Allen, a retired physician,
who came here several years ago and
went into apple growing. The land is
situated on the eaat aide of the valley.
In aildilion to buying the acreage of
bearing orchard, Mr. Delano bought
seven acres of brush land adjoining,
for which he paid >52S an acre.
Thia
is also the record price for unimproved
land at lloxxl River.
Ilia total invest-
rn«-nt for 11
is 118,000
I>r
Allen still hiut 15 acres of txaring or-
« hard which he will retain.
BIO DITCH CHANGES HANDS.
Deal Means Irrigation of Thousands
of Acres of Rich Land.
Baker City
One of
the
im-
nioat
portant Irrigation deals in Eastern Ore
gon was closed when the Eastern
Ore
gon Land cotn[>any, which is controlled
by Balfour. Guthrie X Co., completed
the ileal for the pur-h.ix<- of s ««lie half
interest In the Eldorado ditch.
The
property was bought
through John
Thomsen, formerly owner of the Rcxl
Boy mine, who held an option from the
First National book bf Carroll, Iowa,
owner of the pn>|ierly. The price paid
waa >12,500
State Senator Hart, who conduc-
ted the negotiations for the land com
pany, announced that they would use
the water in irrigating several thous
and acres of land in Malhx-ur county, of
which they have recently s«cur<-d con
trol.
It is also probable that some
water may Iw Sold to ranchers along
the line, aa they have been depending
ELECTRIC LINES FOR LANE.
on the water for some time.
The
w'heat yield of Eastern Oregon will lie
Will Connect Eugene. Springfield, Siu- increased several thousand buahela by
thia deal.
ilaw and M< Kinale Valley.
Eugene Chief Engineer Forncrt, of
the l.ane County Asset company, of
thia city, which announces that It will
but Id a system of electric railways in
thia vicinity, incldudlng a line between
Eugene and Springfield, one U> the
Siualaw an« I perhaps to Co««a hay, also
up the Mi'Kenaie valley, has Iwgun the
work of surveying for the line between
the two cities. The line will extend
east on West Fifteenth street through
the suburb of Fairmount to the city
limits, then turn north to the river,
which will be S|>anncd with a first class
double track steel bridge.
The road
will then make a circle to the north
and east and enter Springfield by way
of its northern limits, passing through
a thickly settled farming community.
F. B Kidder and John Baird, rail
road men of experience, who resigned
positions with the Minneapolis Rapid
Transit
company, of Minoneapulis.
Minn., to promote thia
system of
roatia, are directing operations anti
they claim to have the beat of backing
Engineer Forncrt also resigned aa chief
engineer of the same company to ac
cept thia petition. They promise that
work on the bridge will begin thia sum
mer and that the line will be in opera
tion between the two citira early next
year.
Masons Dedicats Temple April 20.
Rioetiurg The Mas inic temple will
be dedicated with appropriate ceremon
ies April 20. The dedication ceremon
ies will lie conducted by the officers of
the grand lodge of Oregon, Owing tu
the large m<-mt>cnihip of the order in
the alate, it haa made it necessary for
the local l'<lge to limit invitation'«
Between 500 and 800 .Masons and their
wives and member* of the various
Eastern Star lodges are expected to he
present.
Invitations will be rxtended
to every lodge of Masons and Eastern
Star in the county, aa well aa to the
lodges ’if Grants Pass and Eugene.
Gravel Famine Ends at Albany.
Albany Councilman Miller has se
cured permission from United States
Chief Engineer McAdoo to take gravel
from the bed of the river at Albany.
The government had previously forbid
den the taking of gravel from the river
bed, which made it extremely difficult
for local contractors to obtain concrete
building material
"Woman," observed the epigramma
Big Vessel Will Be Built.
tic boarder, "la a puzale without an
Marshfield The
Simpson Lumber
answer."
"Huh!" snorted old Grump!sy. "I company, of North Rend, has announ
never saw a woman without one yet.“ ced that it will build a big new vessel
for carrying lumber from the Simpson
— Boston Transcript.
mills. She will be one of the best
fleet Seat for Envelope.
lumber carriers In the coastwise trade,
When you oral an envelope with the and will have a capacity of 1,000,000
white of an egg It la Impossible to fu»t.
• team It open.
I
R. R. Surveyors Toward Coast.
Eugene People living near the sum
mit of the Cascade mountains report
that a party of Hill railroad surveyors
have crossed the summit of the moon-
tains by way of the McKrnxie pass,
working toward Eugene.
It la Iw-
lirvol that they are making the pre
liminary survey for a railroad to lie
built l»y Hill, connecting the Willam
ette valley and Cooa bay with the Ore
gon Trunk via Eugene.
PORTLAND MARKETS.
Wheat Track prices: Bhiratrm. >1
frtl.02; club, 95c; red Russian, 94c;
valley, >1; 40-fold. 97><u9Kc.
Barley Feed and brewing, >24.!>0(<D
27 ton.
Corn Whole. >34; cracked, >35 ton.
Hay Track prices: Timothy, Wil
lamette valley, >2(W<t21 per ton; East
ern Oregon, >23<«i24; alfalfa, >18.5tM«n
17.50; grain hay, >17<«ilH.
Oats No. I white, >27.50t«l29 ton.
Fresh Fruita Apples, >l«i2.50 per
box; cranberries, >Ho»9 per barrel.
Potatoes Carload buying prices;
Oregon, 50t«i80c per hundred; sw<«ct
potatoes, 3<«> 3>c |wr pound.
Vegetables
Asparagus, 3 m 9 c jwr
l>ound; cabbage. I|r«r2e; rhubarb. 4<«t)
Sc; spinach. >1 per box; sprouts. 9c
per pound; turnips, >1 per sack: ruta
bagas, >lr«i 1.2.5;
carrots,
HliefttSl;
bseta. >l<«t 1.25; parsnips, 5tM(75c.
Onions Oregon, >1.75 par hundred.
Butter City creamery, extras, 33c;
fancy outside creamery, 32M33e per
l*nmd; store, 20c.
Butter fat price«
average Ijr per pnund under regular
butter prices.
Eggs Fresh Oregon ranch, 23 jot 24c
per doxrn.
Pork —Fancy, 13M13)c per pound.
Veal Fancy, 11 |<«i 12|c per pound.
Lam 1st Fancy, 15/q 18e per pound.
Poultry
Hens, !9*<t20e per pound;
broilers. 27<«i28c; ducks,
22V«r23c;
geese. 12|e; turkeys, live, 22'<t25c;
drraaed, 25«i29e; squabs, >5 per doten.
Cattle — Best steers, 8fl.2Sflt8.7S;
fair to good, |5.55orfl; strictly good
cows. >5 5Ooifl; fair to good rows, >5
m .5.25; light calves, >5<«i7; heavy eal-
vea, |4 m A; bulls, >4'<i5.26; stags, >4 -
50*15.50.
Sheep Rest wethers, >8mR.9O; fair
to good, >7*t7.RO; good lambs, >«'<112,
Hogs Top. 111.lOfci ILIA; fair to
good. >10ot II.
Hops
1909 crop, 17*t 19e per pound;
olds, nominal; 1910 contracts, 15c.
Wool - Eastern Oregon. lfl*i20e per
pound;
valley,
20*i22e;
mohair,
choice, 25*r2flc.
Hide« Dry hides, lfl*t !7e pound;
dry kip, 1fl*tl7e; dry calfskin, 18*1)
20e; salted hides, 7>*fflc; salted calf-
akin, 14c; green, le less.