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.