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About Lexington wheatfield. (Lexington, Or.) 1905-19?? | View Entire Issue (Oct. 11, 1906)
Between'Twofires By ANTHONY HOPE "A wise man will make more opportunities than he finds." Francis Bacon. CHAPTER IX. (Continued.) I had nothing left to say. I fell back In my chair, and gazed at the Colonel. At the game moment a sound of rapid wheels struck on my ears. Then I heard the sweet, clear voice I knew so well saying : "I'll just disturb him for a hioment, Mr. Jones. I want him to tear himself from work for a day, and come for a ride." She opened my door, and came swiftly In. On seeing the Colonel she took in the position, and said to that gentleman: "Have you told him?" "I have just done so, Signorina," he re plied. I had not energy enough to greet her; go she also sat down uninvited, and took off her gloves not lazily, like the Colonel, but with an air as though she would, if a man, take off her coat, to meet the crisis more energetically'. At last I said, with conviction : , "He's a wonderful man ! How did you find it out, Colonel?" "Had Johnny Carr to dine," said that worthy. "You don't mean he trusted Johnny?" "Odd, isn't it?" said the Colonel. "With his experience, too. He might' have known Johnny was an idiot. I suppose there was no one else." "He knew," said the Signorina, "any one else in the place would betray him ; he knew Johnny wouldn't if he could ' help it. He underrated your powers, Colonel." "Well," said I, "I can't help it, can I? My directors will lose. The bond holders will lose. But how does it hurt me?" The Colonel and the Signorina both smiled gently. "You do it very well, Martin," said the former, "but it will save time if I state that both Signorina Nugent and myself are possessed of the details regarding the " (the Colonel paused, and strok ed his mustache).. "The second loan," said the Signorina. I was less surprised at this, recollect ing certain conversations. "Ah, and how did you find that out?" I asked. "She told me," said the Colonel, indi cating his fair neighbor. "And may I ask how you found it out, Signorina?" "The President told me," said that lady. "Well, as you both know all about it, it's no good keeping up pretenses. It's very kind of you to come and warn me." "You dear good Mr. Martin," said the Signorina, "our motives are not purely those of friendship." "Why, how does it matter to you?" "Simply this," said she, "the bank and Its excellent manager own most of the debt. The Colonel and I own the rest. If it is repudiated, the bank loses; yes, but the manager and the Colonel and the Signorina Nugent are lost !" "I didn't know this," I said, rather be wildered. "Yes," said the Colonel, "when the first loan was raised I lent him $100,000. We were thick then, and I did it in return for my rank and my seat in the Chamber. Since then I've bought up some more shares." "You got them cheap, I suppose?" said I. "Yes," he replied, "I averaged them at about 73 cents the five-dollar share." "And what do you hold now, nominal?" "Three hundred thousand dollars," said he1, shortly, "I understand your interest in the mat ter. But you, Signorina?" The Signorina appeared a little em barrassed. But at last she broke out : "I don't care if I do tell you. When I decided to stay here I had $50,000. He persuaded me to put it all into his horrid debt. Oh ! wasn't it mean, Mr, Mar tin?" The President had certainly combined business and pleasure in this matter. "Disgraceful !" I remarked. "And if that goes, I am penniless penniless. And there's poor aunt. What " wil she do?" "Never mind your aunt," said the Colo nel, rather rudely. "Well," he went on, "you see we're in the same boat with you, Martin." "Yes ; and we shall soon be in the same deep water," said I. "Not at all," said the Colonel. "Finan cial probity is the backbone of a country Are we to stand by and see Aureataland enter on the shameful path of repudia tion?" "Never!" cried the Signorina, leaping up with sparkling eyes. "Never !" She looked enchanting. But business Is business ; and I said again : "What are you going to do?" "We are going, with your help, Mar tin, to prevent this national disgrace. We are going"- he lowered his voice, useless ly, for the Signorina struck in, in a high merry tone, waving her gloves over her head, with these remarkable words: "Hurrah for the Revolution! Hip ! hip! hurrah !" The Signorina looked like a Goddess of Freedom In high spirits and a Paris bon net. She broke forth into the "Marseil laise." "For mercy's sake, be quiet !" said Me Gregor, in a hoarse whisper. "If they hear you! Stop, I tell you, Christina!" "Kindly unfold your plan, Colonel," I aid. "I am aware that out here you think little of revolutions, but to a new comer they appear to be matters requir ing some management. You see we are mix three." "I have the army with me," said he, grandly. "In the outer office?" asked I, indulg ing in a sneer at the dimensions of the Aureataland forces. "Look here, Martin," he said, scowling, "if you're coming in with us, keep your jokes to yourself." 'Don't quarrel, gentlemen, said the Signorina. "It's a waste of time. Tell him the plan, Colonel." I saw the wisdom of this advice, so I said : "Your pardon, Colonel. But won't this repudiation be popular with the army? If he lets the debt slide, he can pay them." "Exactly," said he. "Hence we must get at them before that aspect of the case strikes them. They are literally starving, and for ten dollars a man they would make Satan himself President. Have you got any money, Martin?" "Yes," said I, "a little." "How much?" "Ten thousand," I replied; "I was keeping it for the interest. "Ah, you won't want it now. "Indeed I shall for the second loan, you know." "Look here, Martin; give me that ten thousand for the troops. Stand in with us, and the day I become President I'll give you back your $300,000. Just look where you stand now. I don t want to be rude, but isn't it a case of " "Some emergency?" said I, thoughtful ly. "Yes, it is. But where do you sup pose you're going to get $300,000, to say nothing of your own shares?" He drew his chair closer to mine, and, leaning forward, said : "He's never spent the money. He s got it somewhere; much the greater part, at least." "Did Carr tell you that?" "He didn't know for certain; but he told me enough to make it almost certain. Besides," he added, "we have other rea sons for suspecting it. Give me the ten thousand. You shall have your loan back, and, if you like, you shall be minister of finance. We practically know the money s there, don't we, Signorina?" She nodded assent. 11 "If we fail?" said I. He drew a neat little revolver from his pocket, placed it for a moment against his ear, and repocketed it. "Most lucidly explained, Colonel," said I. "Will you give me half an hour to think It over?" "Yes," he said. 'You'll excuse me if I stay in the outer office? Of course I trust you, Martin, but in this sort of thing " "All right, I see," said I. "And you, Signorina?" "I'll wait, too," she said. They both rose and went out, and I heard them ir conversation with Jones. I sat still, thinking hard. But scarcely a moment had passed, when I heard the door behind me open. It was the Sig norina. She came in, stood behind my chair, and, leaning over, put her arms round my neck. I looked up, and saw her face full of mischief. '"ihat about the rose, Jack?" she asked. Bewildered with delight, and believing I had won her, I said: "Your soldier till death, Signorina." "Bother death !" said she, saucily. "No body's going to die. We shall win, and then !" "And then," said I, eagerly, "you'll marry me, sweet?" She quietly stooped down and kissed my lips. Then, stroking my hair, she said : "You're a nice boy, Jack." "Christina, you won't marry him?" "Him?" "McGregor," said I. "Jack," said she, whispering now, "I hate him !" "So do I," I answered promptly. "And if it's to win you, I'll upset a dozen presi dents." "Then you'll do it for me? I like to think you'll do it for me, and not for the money." "I don't mind the money coming In," I began. "Mercenary wretch 1" she cried. "I didn't kiss you, did I?" "No," I replied. "You said you would in a minute, when I consented." "Very neat, Jack," she said. But she went and opened the door and called to McGregor, "Mr. Martin sees no objection to the arrangement, and he will come to dinner to-night, as .you suggest, and talk over the details. We're all going to make our fortunes, Mr. Jones, she went on, without waiting for any acceptance of her Implied invitation, "and when we've made ours, we'll think about you and Mrs. Jones." ' I heard Jones make some noise inco herently suggestive of gratification, for he was as bad as any of us about the Sig norina, and then I was left to my reflec tions. These were less somber than the reader would, perhaps, anticipate. True, I was putting my head into a noose ; and if the President's hands ever found their way to the end of the rope, I fancied he would pull it pretty tight. But, again, I was immensely in lo.ve, and equally in debt. To a young man, life without love isn't worth much ; to a man of any age, in my opinion, life without money isn't worth much; it becomes worth still less when he is held to account for money he ought to have. So I cheerfully entered upon my biggest gamble, holding the stake of life well risked. My pleasure In the affair was' only marred by the enforced partnership u MoUregor. There was no help for this, but I knew he wasn't much fonder of me than I of him, and I found myself gently meditating on the friction likely to arise between the new President and his minister of finance, in case our plans succeeded. Still the Signorina hat ed him, and by all signs she loved me. So I lay back in my chair, and recalled my charmer's presence by whistling the hymu of liberty until it was time to go to luuch. CHAPTER X. The morning meeting had been devoted to principles and to the awakening of enthusiasm ; in the evening the conspira tors condescended upon details, and we held a prolonged and anxious conference at the Signorina's. Mrs. Carrlngton was commanded to have a headache after din ner, and retired with it to bed ; and from ten till one we sat and conspired. The result of our deliberations was a pretty plan, of which the main outlines were as follows : This was Tuesday. On Friday night, the Colonel, with twenty determined ruf fians (or resolute patriots) previously hound to him, body and soul, by a dona tion of no less than fifty dollars a man, was to surprise the Golden House, seizo the person of the President and all cash and securities on the premises; no killing if it could be avoided, but on the other hand no shilly-shally. McGregor wanted to put the President out of the way at once, as a precautionary measure, but I strongly opposed this proposal, and, find ing the Signorina was aboslutoly inflex ible on the same side, he yielded. I had a strong desire to be present at this midnight surprise, but another duty called for my presence. There was a gala supper at the barracks that even ing, to commemorate some incident or oth er in the national history, and I was to be present and to reply to the toast of "The Commerce of Aureataland." My task was, at all hazards, to keep this party go ing till the Colonel's job was done, when he would appear at the soldiers' quarters, bribe in hand, and demand their alle giance. Our knowledge of the character of the troops made us regard the result as a certainty, if once the President were a prisoner and the dollars before their eyes. The Colonel and the troops were to surround the officers' messroom, and offer them life and money, or death and destruction. Here again we anticipated their choice with composure. The army was then to be paraded in the Piazza, the town overawed or converted, and, behold, the Revolution was accomplished ! The success of this design entirely de pended on its existence remaining a dead secret from the one man we feared, and on that one man being found alone and unguarded at 12 o'clock on Friday night. If he discovered the plot, we were lost. If he took it into his head to attend the supper, our difficulties would be greatly increased. At this point we turned to the signorina, and I said, briefly: "This appears to be where you come in, Signorina. Permit me to invite you to dine with his excellency on Friday exen ing at 8 precisely." "You mean," she said slowly, "that I am to keep' him at home on Friday?" "Yes," said I. "Is there any difficulty?" "I do not think there Is great difficul ty," she said, "but I don't like it; it looks so treacherous." Of course it did. I didn't like her do ing it myself, but how else was the Pres ident to be secured? "Rather late to think of that, isn't It?" asked McGregor, with a sneer. "A revolution won't run on high emotional wheels." "Think how he jockeyed you about the money," said I, assuming the part of the tempter. "By the way," said McGregor, "it's un derstood the Signorina enters into pos session of the President's country villa, isn't it?" Now my poor Signorina had a longing for that choice little retreat, and between resentment for her lost money and a de sire for the pretty house, she was sore beset. Left to herself, I believe she would have yielded to her better feelings and spoiled the plot. "I'll do it, if you'll swear not to to hurt him," she said. "I've promised already," replied the Colonel, sullenly ; "I won't touch him, un less he brings it on himself. If he tries to kill me, I suppose I needn't bare my breast to the blow?" "No, no," I Interposed; "I have a re gard for his excellency, but we must not let our feetyngs betray us into weakness. He must be taken alive and well, if possible but in the last resort, dead or alive." "Come, that's more like sense," said the Colonel, approvingly. The Signorina sighed, but opposed us no longer. Returning to ways and means, we ar ranged for communication in case of need during the next three days without the necessity of meeting. My position as the center of financial business in Whlttlng ham made this easy.; the passage of bank messengers to and fro would excite little remark, and the messages could easily be so expressed as to reveal nothing to an uninstructed eye. It was further agreed that on the smallest hint of danger reach ing any one of us, the word should at once be passed to the others, and we should rendezvous at the Colonel's "ranch," which lay some seven miles from the town. Thence, in this lamentable case, escape would be more possible. "And now," said the Colonel, "if Mar tin will hand over the dollars, I think that's about all." (To be continued.) The Rent She Needed. "Yes," said Mrs. Popley, "I'm going to take the children away to the coun try for a month or bo." "You'll take your servant girls with you, of course," said Mrs. Nexdore. "Most assuredly not! I need a rest myself," Philadelphia Press. ninoklierry Vlm-unr. Put the blnckberrles Into u atone ves srl and mash them to a pulp. Add cider vinegar enough to cover It well, stand ln the sun twelve hours and nil night In the cellar, stir well occasion ally during this time, strain and put a many fresh berries In the jar as you took out; pour the strained vinegar over them ; wash and set In the suu nil day. To each quart of this juice, allow one pint of water and five nnd one-half pounds of sugar to three pints of the mingled Juice and water. Place over a gentle tire nnd stir until the sugar Is dissolved. Heat slowly to bulling, skim ming off the scum, and as It fairly boils take off the strain. Bottle while warm nnd senl the corks with sealing wax, or beeswax nnd rosin. Gooseberry Mnrinnlitde. Four pounds of gooseberries, four oranges, juice of nil and rind of two four pounds of sugar, two pounds of seeded raisins. Stem gooseberries, squeeze juice of oranges and cook skin of two (or the skin of four if flavor of orange is liked) ln water until ten dor. Drain and scrape out the white part. Put the gooseberries Into a gran ite kettle, heat slowly to boiling and cook twenty minutes (add a little wa ter If necessary to keep from sticking). Then ndd the sugar, orange juice and rind cut fine, and raisins; cook, slowly until thick. Seal while hot. Iianiuia Fritter. . Cut peeled bunaiias Into halves lengthwise, then across, nnd dip In frit ter bntter. Fry in deep hot fat and serve with a lemon snuce. The sauce for fritters should always be clear, and generally no thickening Is used, or else a little arrowroot is taken, which makes transparent thickening. Make a sirup by cooking one cup of sugar with five tablespoons of water for eight minutes, and be sure not to cook It longer, for ten or twelve minutes will make It thread. Add one and one-half tablespoons of lemon juice and a round ing teaspoon of butter. General Debility Day In and day out there is that feeling of woakness that nmlws a burden of Itself. Food does not strengthen, Sleep does not refresh. It Is hard to do, hard to bear, what should be ensy, vitality Is on the ebb, and the whole system suffers. For this condition take Hood's Sarsaparilla It vitalizes the blood and gives vigor and tone to all the organs and functions. In usual liquid form or In cliocolnted tablets known as Sarsatabs. 100 doses $1. Ad verllseinouls. The first newspaper advertisement appeared In Greut Britain 'lr 1012. In Greece advertising was done by public criers. The first printed advertisement In England was got up by tbe celebrat ed printer Cnxton. It announced the completion of a book called 'The 1,'yer of Salisbury." The ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans were the first to use bill posters, Borne of which were found on the walls of buildings In Pompeii. It was not until the eighteenth century that magazine and newspaper adver tising became the recognized medium between manufacturer nnd buyer. Mothers will find Mr-, Wintlow's Soothing Syrup the best remedy touso for their children during the teething period, Curbing Him Itnptare. Ardent Lover Blanche, you are the loveliest "girl in the world! His Intellectual Sweetheart While I realize that such a remark as that Ger r.id, is based on inadequate knowledge, I urn disposed to regard It as indicating the full measure and scope of your acquaint ance with the world thus far, and as such I accept it and hasten to express my grateful appreciation. Father and Son. "Father," said the college man, on his return to the farm, "I believe I'll not remain at homo during vacation period, but seek some secluded glade and rest my weary brain where the woodbine twlneth." "Son," returned the prosaic father, "ye'U stay right here an' git all th' se clooshun 'at's necessary, an' y' c'n rest them ther tired brains uten th' har vest field, where the good twine blnd eth." Toledo Blade. riTO flt. Vitus' fancB nnd Bll Nervous Dlar-ana I 1 1 V permanently cured by Dr. Kllna's Ur-al fcorve ltcsiorer. Bend fur KKI-1K ?2 trial bnttln and treatise. Dr.ll. il.Klltn ,L1. Ml ArchSt.,l'Ulla.,l'a. Scotch Bread. This sort of bread, or, more correct ly speaking, cake, Is rich, and must be kept several days or a week to be at Its best Work one cup of butter and one-half cup of soft light brown sugar together, then knead or mix in one-half pound of bread flour, which will be about two cups. Set ln the Ice box to chill, and roll one-third of an inch thick. Cut ln squares, scatter some caraway seeds over the top and press in lightly, then bake In a slow oven. If s preferred, the caraway seeds can be soattered through the dough, or they may be omitted. Rice and Peas. To take the place of meat there Is nothing more satisfactory than rice and peas. Both are boiled separately and then the two are put together and cooked with a bit of pork, butter and pepper. An entire dinner may be made of curried chicken If It Is served after the West and East Indian mode. A little grated fresh cocoanut, a bit of thinly sliced smoked salmon, gherkins, chutney and picked beet root give a distinct flavor and relish to It and take the place of vegetables and salad. Sponge Layer Cake. Beat the yolks and whites of five eggs separately, stirring Into the yolk a cupful of powdered sugar and a small teacupful of prepared flour. Beat for twenty minutes, then add two tea spoonfuls of lemon juice and the stiff ened whites, stirring these lust ln very lightly. Turn into greased layer-cake tins and bake ln a steady oven. Sponge Cake, One scant cup of sugar, two eggs, whites and yolks beaten separately, one cup of flour sifted with two teaspoon fuls of baking powder; a half cup of boiling water. Beat the yolks for fifteen minutes with the sugar; then add the whites, the flour, and, last of all, the water. Bake in a loaf tin. Spiced Peaches. Peel and slice peaches and weigh them. To five pounds of fruit allow two pounds of granulated suga& and a small cup of vinegar, with two ounces each of whole cloves and broken stick cinnamon. Put over the Are nnd boll until very thick. Put into heated jelly glasses and seal. Grape Pie. Wash and stem ripe, acid grapes. To two cups of the fruit add a cup of granulated sugar, mix well and put Into a pie plate lined with puff paste. Ftt on an upper crust and bake. Serve cold with sugar strewn over the top of the pie. Apple Taffy. Boll together a pound of granulated sugar and a teacupful of cold water until a little dropped Into cold water Is brittle. Wipe each apple, run a skewer through It, dip In the scalding sirup and lor on waxed paper to dry. Necessarily. Dinglebats The oculist charged you $3 tot taking a grain of sand out of youi eye? That's pretty steep, isn't it? Himpsley I thought so, till I looked over his bill. It was for 'removing a foreign substance from the cornea,' and of course that costs more. Unsolicited TetimonlaI. "Stella engaged herself to five or six young men at that summer resort," said the girl with the blue earrings. "I don't think that was right, do you?" "Maybe not," answered the girl with the ready made complexion, "but poor, dear Stella was determined they shouldn't all of them escape her this time." $100 Reward, $100. 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