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About The Columbia register. (Houlton, Columbia County, Or.) 1904-1906 | View Entire Issue (Sept. 22, 1905)
10 let 't-'. M is Heart's Desire By SIR WALTER BCSANT Hi CHAPTER XIV. 0a th next day, Monday, a very tin gular and lnxpllcbl thine happened cay, two eingular thing th full mean ing of which I did not comprehend until accident pat th tolution Into my hand. I left Sidcota at tight, before the morning freehnes wa quite gone frent the air, and followed the road which leada to Wlddlcorube. After Heytree, the road run for the beat part of a mile orer the open down where Mr. Leighan met hia accident. I ooa had the whole of the great flat ridge to myelf aa I left King' Tor and walked briskly eouthward. Half way aloug thia upland plain there itand an upright atone of ray granite, six fwt high. Beside It lies a small flat atone; It 1 called the Gray Wether. Who put It up, and why it was put up, not the oldest inhabitant can tell. What happened wa thia. Between the upright stone and the flat stone the edges of the latter being Irregular, there la, at a certain place, aa aperture or re cess. I carried with me a tick. on which I was leaning. Now, by this kind of chance which we call accident, la chang ing my position I stuck the point of the stick into the aperture a thing of which one would hare been hardty conscious but for an unmistakable clicking which followed, as of coins. The opening, I found, was too small for a man'a hand. The fiat stone was immovable. Perhaps with the stick I could at least feel the coins? Yes, I made them rattle. Now, when I took out the stick again a bit of yellow leather howed for a mo ment just hooked up by the ferule as far as the light penetrated. The eight of the leather inspired me with a faint hope. I reversed the stick and fished with the handle, to nch good purpose that in a rery few moments I bad the leather thong in my fingers and hauled it out The thong tied op the mouth or a mall brown canvas bag. The bag was a modern bank bag. and its treasure wa a collection of twenty coins. Twenty sovereigns in a bag, a modern brown canvas bag. Who could have climbed up Hamil Down in order to hide twenty pound in a little hole like this? I put the gold into the bag, tied it up again, and pnt it into my own pocket. Then I walked on, meditating. While I was thinking, a figure, which I began dimly to perceive through the nebulous veil of thought, was working his way slowly down the hillside opposite by nearly the same way aa I had my aelf picked among the bowlder. II came plodding along with the heavy step and rolling shoulders of on who walks much oter ploughed field and heavy land. He stopped finally. Then he looked around him quickly, as if -to assure him aelf that no one was present to observe him: I wonder he did not see me. Then he stooped down, reached within some cavity and drew out something. It was in a big blue bag. I could plainly see that the blue bag, like my canvas bag, was weather-stained. He laid the bag upon a stone, ahd proceeded to draw out its contents, consisting of a single box. It was a box about two feet long and eighteen inches wide, and two or three inches deep. It was a tin box. What had David got in his box, for the man was David. I might have walked down the hill and asked him that Question, but one was naturally some what ashamed to confess to looking on at what was intended for a profound se cret. David was so anxious to keep the se cret that he actually took off his jacket, wrapped it round the bag, and tied It se curely with string. Then, without look lng about him any more, he 'turned and walked back slowly and deliberately as he had come, carrying the treasure under his arm. As soon as his figure had stir mounted the brow of the hill and bad dis appeared, I got up and sought the biding place. It really was a place into which nobody would think of looking for any thing. The top stone sloped downward over the mouth, so as almost to bide it In this cluster of four great stones no one would have dreamed of finding or of looking for anything. David's hiding place was well chosen. Then I followed, walking slowly, so that I might not catch him up on his way home with his tin box full of queer things from the Southern Seas, I sup posed. In the evening I told George all that had happened, and produced the brown canvas bag. George took the bag, looked at it, opened it, poured out the gold, counted it, held it 11 his hand and weigh ed it; looked at it again, put it into the bag, and laid the bag on the table. "It la weather-stained, old man," he said, "and smells of the mold. I should think it had been there some time." He took it up again and turned it round "Look!" he said, "here are initials; they are nearly faded, but they are certainly initials. I make out an A no, a B; or is ti a D? and an L. Certainly an L B. L. or D. L., which is it?" "Look to me," I said, turning the bag about in th light, "look like B. A.; but It may be D. L." "Will," h cried, "I believe you have really found something important. Six rears ago, when Daniel Leighan fell off his pony, he alway declared that he lost twenty pounds la gold. It was tied up ha alwara ear, la a canru bag. Thl must be his bag and these must be hia Initials. I am quite sure et ltM Very odd, if It la o. Why hould a man steal a bag of money only to put It money and all Into a hoi and then go away and leav it?" Well. I take It that th thief put th bag there meaning to return for It, but forgot where he put It You can t forget th Gray Wether Stone, George. There la only one Gray Wether Stone on Hamil Down, and who la the world would go all op Uamll on purpose to hide a bag of money wheu there are hiding place la every aton wall about th fields?" "Take It to Daniel to-morrow and show It to him, WllL II alway d claree that ho was robbed of thia money a well as of hla bond and securities. Nobody has aver believed him. because It seems unreasonable that a robber ahould take twenty poundand leave fifty. But if it 1 proved that he la right about th money, he may also be right about th bonds." Strange that neither of us thought of connecting David's box with hia uncle e bonds. But thea I did not know that the bonds were la a box; on think of bonds as a roll of paper. "As for Davld'a box." said George, I agree with you. WllL that it 1 beat to say nothing about It Let him keep his secret If it 1 valuable, o much th better. W will keep the thing to ourselves. But as for th caavaa bag. you must certainly tak it to Gratnor to-morrow, and giv Daniel the chance of claiming it" "1 loot a box of paper- but what doea tt matter to you? Did you com her tomqulr about my robbery? I auppos you are glad to hear of it" "Never mind, unci, lou go on an- werlug toy questions; I've got my rea sons. I am going to surprise you, w alt a bit 'Well, then; but what can you know? It waa a tin box secured by a lock and tied round with a leather strap; I car ried It In a blu bt lawyer'a bag hanging around my neck for safety." "What waa In that box, did you say?" "David!" th old man changed color. and became perfectly white, and clutch ed at th arm of bi cnair ana puiiea himself upright moved by the thought 'David! have you heard anything? bar you found anything?" 'Walt a bit; all la good tlma. What wa la that box, did you aay, again?" Taper. I lost with that box paper to th tun of three thousand pound all In coupons!" "It waa a Judgment! Why, my mort gagee wer not so very much mora. Tor thousand pounds! Coma, va you would feel that wouldn't you? Were there ac tually three thousand pound In that box?" "Th man who stole that box might hav presented these coupon on by on, and got them paid a they fell due, with out questions asked that la, be could un til I atopped them. Oh! I could atop them, and I did; but I could never get them paid until I presented thetn through my own banker. David, If you ar re vengeful, you may laugh; for It 1 a blew from which 1 hav never recovered. Thry ay that th paralysla In my legs we caused by falling from the pony, where by I got It aeems, concussion of th brain. But I know better, David. A man Ilk m doe uot get paralysed In th leg by falling on hi head. Twaa th loss of all the money that caused the paralysis. And now I alt here all day long I who used to ride about on my own land all day long! and I try to think, all day and aU night If I could hav left that box anywhere, or glren to any one that bag of twenty sovereigns. Dsvld, tell me 1 will reward you If you tell m anything to my advantage hav you heard something?" CnAPTEIt XV. Had I taken that canva bag to Grat nor early In the morning instead of the evening, many thing might hav turned out differently; among other thing. Da vid extraordinary scheme of revenge might never hav been possible. If I bad told Daniel Leighan th (trang thing I bad witnessed from Hook nor Tor. h must certainly have connected the box taken from Grlmspound with th box of hi own paper. Th scheme wa almost worthy of Da vld'a American pals the gentlemen who had all "don something." Th box, when David had carried it home, proved to be quit full of papers. His own knowledge of their vtlue was slight but be knew very well that signed paper had been hi own destruction, and that th possession of signed paper mad hia unci rich. David called upon hla undo about 11 o'clock In the forenoon. He wa recelv ed with th cordiality generally extended to all needy relation. Mr. Leighan ahuf fled hi paper as a alga that be wa busy and wished the call to b short, nodded hla bead with scant courtesy, and asked his nephew what he cam for. "I'v com, uncle," Dvld began very slowly, spreading himself upon a cbalr nd producing a small brown paper packet "I ve come, uncle" Don t be longer than you can help, David. Get to th subject at one, if you can. Say what you cam to lay, nd then go away and leave m with my own business. It' high time you wer looking after your own. Will George Sidcote give you a Job? I hear you bor rowed a bed yesterday, and a chair and table, and that you hare settled in the cottage my cottage. Very good. I don t mind if you hav It rent free till you get into work, when you'll have to pay your rent like your neighbor. If you bo- gin any more nonsense about robbing you of your land you go out at once. David, at the risk of seeming monot onous, uttered a iorceful wish lor th destruction of hi uncle' cottage. II that la all you came to say, nephew, the sooner yon go the better. And the sooner you clear out of my cot tage and leave the parish, the better, or 1 11 make the place too hot for you "I didn t com to rail at you, uncle. aid David, mora meekly. "If you wouldn't keep on there, I've done; now hold your tongue and listen. I'v got something very serious to say, and it'a about your business, too!" 'Then make haste about It "Six years ago, they tell me, you were robbed, that night when you fell off your pony, after I'd gon away." "It waa the evening of that rery day. "Ah!" David' eye smiled, though his Up did not "we little thought when I used thos word with which w part ed how quick they'd com true. When you lay there on the broad of your back, now, your face white and your eye open, but never seeing so much as the moon In the sky, did you think of your nephew, whose farm you'd robbed, and did you say, 'David, 'tis a Judgment? " "No, I didn't, David." "You felt it all the more, then. Vary well. While you lay there, a they tell me, soma on comes along and rob you. What did you lose, uncle? Wa It your watch and chain and all your money?" "No; my watch and chain wer not taken, and only a llttl of th money. "Uncle, are you sure you ware robbed? Do you think that robber ever leav money behind them? Wa the money taken In note, or waa It In gold?" 'ilt wa all in gold. Fifty pounds tn one bag, twenty pound In th other, and both bag In on pocket Th small bag waa taken and the big bag left But what doea It matter to you?" "You ahall see presently. I am going to aurprlM you, unci. What els did you loe besidea th little bagl" FREE TRAVELING LIBRARIES. CHAlTEIt XVL David nodded hi head slowly. Three thousand pounds," h repeated. It waa three thousand pounds." "I'm not a rich man. David, though you tjhlnk I am Aa for taking your farm If haua't taken It, aomebody else would; for you wer a ruined man. And now, even, if I leav It to you In my UL It would b llttl use, because Mary'a money must com out of It Oh! It waa a hard blow a cruel, hard blow." "Yea," said David. "A a Judgment, It wa a a a wunner. I never heard of a nobler judgment Three thousand pound! and a fall off your pony! and a paralysis! all for robbing m of my land. - Did you ever offer any reward?1 No. What was the good? Would you give any reward?" I would giv I would give ye I would give ten pound to get that box back again." "Ten ponnda for three thousand. Tbat'a a geueroua offer, isn't It?" I'd give fifty ponnd I'd give a hun dred two hundred four hundred, Da vid." He multiplied hia offer by two ev ery time that David shook bl head. "You'd have to come down more hand- torn than four hundred to get back three thousand pound. Well," be rose aa If to go, "that' all I'v got to aay this morning. That will do for to-day. Much more handsome you would hare to come down." "David!" cried hi uncle, eagerly, what do you mean by being more hand- aome? Tell me, David do you know anything?" "Why," said David, "I may know, or I may not know. What did I tell you? Didn't I aay that I might have aomethlng to sell? Weir that's enough for this morning!" He moved toward the door. "David, David, come back! What hav you got to sell?" "That Is my secret" he stood with his hind on the door handle "if you tell a secret what 1 th good of It? "David, top top! Do you know where that box wa taken? Oh! David, put away your hard thought. Remem ber you were ruined already. I didn't ruin you; my heart bled to see your fath er'a ion ruining himself." "Look here, uncle; perhaps the box ex Ists, and perhaps it doesn't Perhaps I have learned where It Is and perhaps I haven't Perhaps I'v got a paper out of the box In my pocket at this minute, and perhaps well, what would you give mo for a paper out of th box, taken out tbla rery morning, none of th other paper having been so much aa touched? What would you give for that, just to show that the others can be laid hold of?" "Oh! give It to me, David," th old man atretched out both band with yearn- lng eyes; "let m look at It Can It be that the box 1 found after all, and safe?" "If it I found, depend upon it that it la aafe, unci. Tak your oath of that The man who' got that box won t let it go in a hurry, particularly when be knows what's inside It Three thousand pounds! and, perhaps, if he knew It, hi own, for th trouble of presenting them at the right place." They've been stopped," Daniel ex plained for the second time. "iou don1 know what that means, perhaps; it means that any on who presents thos paper for payment will find the money stopped, and himself taken up for unlawful pos session of th coupon, David which seven yean, I believe!" (To b continued.) - T 1 Raspberry Tapioca Padding. For a small pudding us ono quart of raspberries, half a cupful of tapi oca, half cupful of augar, half a to- spoonful of aalt, out tablespoonful of lemon Juice, and on cupful and a halt of cold water. Measure the tapioca and turn tt on the molding board. Crush It aa flue aa posalble with th rolling-pin. Now wash It, and aoak It In th cupful and a half of cold water for three hours or longer hotter over night, If titer be time. Put the soaked tapioca lu a double boiler and cook It until It 1 perfectly clear. If It haa been eoaked over night tt will cook In half an hour, but If soaked for only three hour It will require rooking for an hour and a half. Wheu tbo tapioca la clear, add the sugar, salt and lemon; ttiVu take the dish from the fire ami tlr tn the raspberries. Ulnse a bowl with cold water and pour the pudding Into It Set away to ctud. At serving time turn out the pudding on a flat dish and surround It with i whipped cream; or It may be served with plain cream. Economical Cooking. Shall we have to go to the army to learn how to eiHk food chenply? Kv perlmenta are being made by the Com mlsaary Depart incut of our army In what la called fin-less rooking. Food I put over the fire and boiled a few mluutea, then, while still boiling, the kettle la placed inside of a box that la made with double wnll and the space between the walls fllKil with powdered cork, or even with hay. Thl keeps the heat In, as tho walls of Mio refrigerator keep heat out. After one or two hours, meat, beans, rice and other fooda were taken out perfectly cooked, though Rome experience la needed to know Just how long It re quires to cook them well, but there Is little danger of food burning, If left In too long. What a boon one of these flrelesa stove would be to a farmer' Wife with temperature up to 1UU de grcea in tho shade. Slight Be Trne, .. "My dear," aaid old Skinner, "did eter occur to you that all the misers you read about are single men?" "Yea," answered Mrs. S. with ting of sarcasm, "married misers are so common the newspaper evidently consider them unworthy of nottcav To Keep Green Ilean. ' The present system of canning ha made It almost unnecessary for tho housekeeper to study method, slueo It I cheaper to buy, above all, If it can be done In (inutilities at wholesale rate, than to apend time In prepnra tlon. But In remote district where buying I hardly practicable, string bean may be treated In two ways. hey can be cooked thoroughly, but without any aeasonlng, and canned In glosa or tin, being careful to the utmost In admitting no air, aa vegetable are mora (Ulllcult to keep well than fruits, The second method is to put a layer of beans In a deep stone pot ami then a layer of aalt, adding day by day till tho Jar Is full. Cover closely, and when to be used, soak over night like dried beans, in order to remove the salt Roasted DucVllns. Clean the birds thoroughly, put Into each one an onion and npple rut In halves, drcilire with flour, salt and pepper, and roast about twenty min utes, according to size. Baste from time to time with melted butter. Take out the birds when done. Into the pnn In which they were roasted pour a lit- tlo stock, thicken this with browned flour, add a dozen olives chopped and serve as a sauce for the ducklings. By the way, remove from the ducks tho onions and apples, which are to be used for the purpose, only of Imparting little flavor to the birds, and of ab sorbing, If need be, any strong flavor of the ducks. Bohemian Cream, One quart of cream, two tablespoon fuls of augar, one ounce of gelatine, dissolved. Whin half the cream to a stiff froth. Boil- the other hnlf with the sugar. Remove from the fire, add the gelatine, and when cooled a little the beaten yolks of Ave eggs. Boat until It begins to stiffen, then beat In quickly the whipped cream. Pour Into wet molds and set on Ice. Halmon 1'onda. Btlr together ono cupful of minced canned salmon, one cupful of rolled crackers, three eggs, tho yolks and whites first leaten separately, nud ono cup of milk. Whip this mixture steadily for five minutes, then turn into a pudding d!nh and tmke for twenty minutes In a hot oven. Cream lilecnlt. One quart and a half best flour, ono pint sour creahm, two tablespoonfiils white sugar, one scant tenspoonful soda, one-half ten spoonful salt, one scont cup half lard, or fresh butter, mixed soft, knead lightly and boko quickly. .. . s, . Dellclon Fritters. , One quart of water, butter the size of an egg, boil a few moments, stir in flour to make It aa thick as mashed po tatoes, pour this Into a bowl and beat six eggs Into It one at a time, add lalt and nutmeg, then fry In hot lard. , How Farmlrj Communities and VM- laget May Secure Good Reading. The Oregon Library commission ere ated by the lt legislator haa been given a number of traveling libraries which It can loan to library association! in (arming communities and small til lages. Kaeh of thee libraries contains 50 volume of lnteteating and whole some books. It will remain in a com munity (or six months and must than i I returned to the commission, to be exchanged (or auother. To secut tbes libraries th people of the community must first organ la a library association which shall include at least ten tax payers. They must elect a secretary, who may also act as librarian, and who shall b authorised, to act as the agent of the association in dealing with th commission, receiving and returning the libraries, arranging (or Its location and (or loaning the books. The secretaiy and president of the association shall make application for a library on a blank furnished by th commission. The applicant must promise to provide shelves in a suitable place, to circulate the books to all re sivoiislble people In th community (res of charge; to open the library (or cir culation of books at least once a week ; to take good care ol the hooka, being held responsible (or payment (or lost or injured books; to pay transportation charge to and from the olllce of the commission. Libraries will be sent by freight in strong packing boxes. The money (or these libraries baa been given to the commission by people who are particularly Interested in hav ing them In amall place. The first applicant and those which will make the best use ol the librariea will receive them. The number of libraries Is small and the state large. Therefore early application la desirable. While the number of free libraries la at pres ent somewhat limited the commission will make any place a permanent sta tion to receive two libraries a year (or at leant five years, If it will add one traveling library to the state system. Thl means that an investment of (50 will bring $600 worth of books, and that the community will have the use of all the libraries given to the com mission. For further information write to the secretary of the Oregon Library com- mission, at the Capitol, Salem. Re member that this commission waa ere ated by the legislature to aid publio and school libraries and to manage a system of traveling libraries. DIRECT TO ORIENT. New Cable Will 8oon Be Extended to Japan and China. - New York, Sept. 15. Through Amer ican enterprise, the way haa been won to connect the Western continent by di rect submarine telegraphic lines with the empire of Japan. Clarene II. Mackay, president of the Commercial Pacific Cable company, today made the announcement that his company had secured the necessary concessions to en ter Yokohama, Japan, and Shanghai, China. Yesterday the last step in a series of diplomatic negotiations, which were be gun at tiro wish of President Mckinley and which have extended over a period of alwut three years, was taken, when Mr. Takahlra, the Japanese minister to the United States, afllxed his signature to the Japanese agreement with the Commercial Pacific Cable company (or landing rights at Yokohama. An agree ment (or landing rights at Shanghai was signed by China several weeks ago. When these new rabies are com pleted, Mr. Mackay said, their length, added to other cables already laid or about to be built, will form 'part of a system which extends two-thirds of the distance around the globe. The cable connections with both Japan and China will' be made by ex tending the present lines of the com pany, which ran from San Francisco through the stations of Honolulu, Mid way, Guam and Manila. Japan will be reached by laying a cable from Guam in the Pacific ocean direct to Yoko hama. The cab'e to China will be laid from Manila to Shanghai. Cholara Claims Its Toll. Berlin, Sept. 15. The official bulle tin issued today announced that 15 new cases of cholera and four deaths oc curred between noon yesterday and noon today, ui the trean cases one each occurred in the districts of Flatow, Stuhm, Obernik, Czarnikau, WirBits and Bromberg, three in the Marten- werder district, tour in the Graudens dintrict and two in the Schubin district. Four illnesses previously included in the reports of cholera turn out not to be cholera . The totals, therefore, to data are 179 cases and 65 deaths. , Rebels Drive Out English Oil Men. London, Sept. 15. The correspond ent of the Times at Baku says that the English oil companies there have been forced to abandon work owing to threats made by the revolutionaries.