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CHAPTER XV.—(Continued.)
The next evening he discovered that he
had to fill an engagement at the residence
of the senior member of Bose and Com
pany—the same senior member being pop
ular in society, chiefly, by reason of his
handsome daughters, of which fact An-
uette was fully aware.
For a week or two MUx curbed his con
versation when with Annette. He was, it
Is true, always the same jovial young gen
tleman, but the girl missed the soft and
tender words of love that he was wont to
pour into her ear. At times, too, he ap
peared absolutely melancholy, and the
more Annette attempted to rouse him the
more dejected he appeared to become, un
til at last she really did grow quite anx
ious.
This sort of thing could not go on for
ever, but it continued until the last night
of the two weeks allotted to Max by
Mrs. Dupont, when he went to pay. his detour to Rosedale.
customary visit to Annette. 1 Th “
He found her alone.
senger! The man was still running, but
soon gave up the chase—for his hat blew
off, and with it a red wig, followed by
the red beard, which fell off as if by
magic. The man who was left, after the
disappearance of these slight “extras,”
Max easily recognized as his old enemy,
De Watts. De Watts halted, turned
around, and was soon lost to view.
It was impossible for Brett to leave the
train now. Indeed, he could not break his
journey without doing injustice to his env
ployers. So he quietly sought his seat,
and during the balance of that day busied
himself with laying nlia for the future.
■Among these contemplated projects was a
Visit to Rosedale in the near future.
Max completed his business in San
Francisco by the end of two weeks, and
then found that he could spare a couple
of days on his homeward journey for a
Here the poor fellow was attacked by
a terrible At of coughing, to which it was
painful to listen. ■
“Pass that .medicine," ho said, as he
slowly recovered his breath. "Now, Max,
draw up that stool and sit down on it
and then listen while I tell you some
thing.”
Max did ns he was bidden, and Si Bell
proceeded.
“I built tills here cabin after Sarah
Browne was murdered. I was kinder
gone on Sarah, you know, and I felt terri
ble blue over the way she was treated.
First I thought I’d quit the gulch, but
concluded I wouldn’t. But I got away
from the boys some, by.coming up here
One day I was grubbing up the root of a
tree I had cut down, and what should I
And but a little tin box buried about two
feet under the ground. I took it into the
cabin and broke it’open, but only found
a lot of green papers. I ain’t much of a
scholar, as you well know, but I managed
to Agure out yo'rtr name on one of the
papers. So says I to myself, ‘Mnx has
done me a good turn more than once, so
I’ll take care of these far him.’ Lift die
up a -bit, Max. Bight below my head,
under the mattress, you'll And them dock-
erments.”
Max produced the papers, untied the red
tape that was around them,, and, to bis
utmost astonishment, found them to be
twenty-twp one-thousand dollar bonds,
registered in hls'naiae, besides a number
of railroad stock certiAcates—the, whole
aggregating twenty-four thousand Ave
hundred dollars! With them he found n
letter signed “De Watts,” which he com
menced to read. But Silas Interrupted:
“Are they worth anything, Max?”
“Yes, 81, as you shall And out, You
will be well cared for, Si, if there’s grati
tude in my nature.”
“Thanks, my boy—you’re very good—
but—but—I guess it's too late for money
—to—to—help me.”
The sua was sinking behind the Bocky
Mountains on a close, sultry day in Au-
service o? your company and head for
Mexico. And now for the favor I would
ask of you. You remember once promis
ing to dq me a favor? It la this. . Tell
hey—prove to'her—that I did'not die the
disgraceful death that was reported. Try
to raise me a little in her estimation. It
will not hnrrn yon, and the thought of
your good word to come will help me, out
for the rest of my days. So, when I am
dead, tell her, if you will, all that yon
know, and tell her. too, flint I never ceas
ed to regret how I justly forfeited her
lore, esteem and companionship.”
There was a slight pause,' which was
broken by Spencer.
“Edward Hand ford, for Emily’s sake
you will promise all I have asked?”
“I promise—I swear it,” said Hand-
ford.
As their hands unclasped Handford’s
mind wandered off as if to gather up the
threads of the strange web of circum
stances that had culminnted in this In
terview. When he released his thoughts
from their service, Spencer was gone.
When Spencer left the oAice of the
railroad president, he descended to the
street and was soon wending hla way to
ward the depot, happier that be had light
ened his mind of what had lately been a
heavy burden. As ho walked along the
busy thoroughfare he suddenly felt a hand
resting upon his shoulder, and before he
had time to turn about, a familiar voice
whispered in bis ear—“Hnrry Spencer!”
He turned, startled and nlnrmed, and
stood face to face with his old chum, Max
Brett. For an instant the two men gazed
at each other in surprise—Spencer because
he had been recognized, Mnx on account
of the sickly appearance of his friend.
Spencer was tho first to speak.
“Brett,” said he, “under ordinary cir
cumstances I should be glad to see you.
As it is, I must confess I am sorry that
wc have met to-day. Many of my ac
tions and this last speegn of mine demand
explanations, so let us move off to ecAne
Even then the poor fellow was once ; ^ remote ’ placei where we nee d not fear
It was precisely 8 o’clock when he gust. A score or so of the “old timers”
knocked at the door of the Spencers’ of Rosedale were seated upon or lounging
snartments At 10 o’clock he met Mrs. about the “verandah” in front of Oilli-
Dnpont in 'the hallway. His face.beam-! cuddy’s, smoking highly seasoned^ clay
ed, for he was actually laboring under the P Pc*jr cigars. The boys were chiefly
de usion that he was the happiest man' dlscuw.ing the dance that bad been held
.. | In Qlllicuddy’s “Annex” on the previous
“Yon are a wise counsellor,” he said, evening* Rosedale had Ranged consid-
. f ... , erably in ’two years. Where formerly
* y y ’ . I three women held full sway, at leaat three!'
r*FTAPTPR XVI score now divided the honors, and, gs one
„ _ j hi, nrlze.' immediate consequence, dancing had come
m relinSnSh fusion ia the Andy Jackson Gulch,
of Tipmonnl nossesslon for So eager were the miner* for the fun that
the pleaaureofp P presence dances were held even during the heated
pressing business demanded hi. presence ^ ^ Au(u , t
n »Tt I. . wa 4nrld Indeed ” said he to “Did you see how St Beil brightened up
“It . a hara woria. indeed .mQ new him'to dance
hl a foe « toio rtSe .with her?” said Ted Neale, as he slowly,
and prepared o * • . ’ arose from a seat on one of the verandah
•iTJKS-'KSf'iS’3T-8K' S - “» —
?«>• "siTl didn’t. Why should I?” sharply
Ueve the mon y 5 g replied Dud Sterling, who was somewhat
'55S,5£rS1^l8RB?3 «*- - «- »—«*•
o.M. mS‘ Si .f. 2TW5S 8X.
- rsMsirsss ££“
long this man watched Max and noted his nobody.
hut Brett gave not the' Just then Ted eyed n stranger coming
•fightest° heed to bhm The afternoon up the atreet-imdoubte.lly from the sta-
waned and a. the Opening shades of «on on the new railroad some three mile.
thing, rte*'trli > n , Idrc 1 kened tl i e ts 0 Ipecd y n r nd ' <‘A stranger, boys!” he cried. “And he’s
more overtaken by one of his coughing
spells, which left him terribly exhausted,
and when Mnx returned to Gllficuddy'a,
about midnight, lie carried word to the
boya that old Si Beil was no more.
Except for the death of the faithful
Silas, Max felt extremely gratified with
the result of his visit to Rosedale. Ha
waa morally certain that De Watts had
buried the bonds, and the letter which ho
bad found wrapped up with them furnish
ed him with valuable information and evi
dence to be used at soma future occasion.
He returned,, to Chicago, converted hla
bonds into cash, bought and furnished a
pleasant home, and
Well, by a strange coincidence, on a
certain October day, when the New York
papers announced a marriage that had
taken place at Albany, the Chicago dailies
contained n notice as follows:
"Married—At Grace Chnpel, by the
Rev. X. Y. Silver, Max Brett and Annette
Spencer, both of this city.”
pace. Max amused himself by reading —
initials and numbers on the cars, but soon! upon the new arrival, but he wr apper-
grew weary of hi. self-imposed task, as ently, a stranger to them nil. Suddenly,
the train was a long one. A. the caboose! however, Ted Neale rushed forward and
was nearing he again looked out, but this gasped the stranger’. arm, which he
time at the roof of the freight cars instead *hook a. If bad been a pump hand.*.
? f aman within T/ateru to hto' PolKha^d’y^ on?'oir ^vny^lnr
band. The freight train increased it. Then, .till gripping Brett’, hand, he tnnt-
j _h „i r tmmrviintnlv that nar- e d to the assemblage and said: “Goni.e-
ti^ar^r waa^oX part M^ SSt I -»e to Introduce my old friend,
then Brett obtained, to the twilight, a . Colonel Max Brett. A few years ago lie
fairly good view of the trainmans face. I was the^ial corner stone, so to speak.
He gave one lusty shout, but the noise of 'hoold gnlcb. Now, boys, cignrt round
the moving train drowned bis voice, and , ~ 1 “ n me - ... . ,
a minute later the man was far out of • After an Interchange of ctoUWaj, as
• i f I practiced in the far West, Max sllpiied
* nt was hhnl" said Max, in so loud a ;>way. This action was prompted by some
. voice that It attracted the attention of bis i?.(?. rm 5 t . lon : wbl *P ere d in bis ear by Mr,
fellow passfeugers, especially the red-bead- ^
A™ the next regular station the express 1 » was now quite dark but it was
waited several minutes, nnd Max seized an ? Brett .If 1 i hat J’, e
the opportunity to investigate a little. The could thoroughly enjoy a walk. A gentle
man he had seen standing on the roof of mountain breeze was fluttering down the
the freight car was Henry Richards, or. valley, swaying the branches of the great
more properly, Harry Spenchr. Brett * r f, e "’ whlle *•&■«*■«»*# Colorado s
stepped up to the ticket agent and inquir- wild flowers Ailed the air. Max took pro-
*d for the name of the coadnctor of the jl.ely “>e same road which De Watt* nart
tost freight train that bad gone east. t flowed on the night of the murder w aich
“John Silverthorn.” replied the agent. I had. »» unavenged. But he did
“Hm!” muttered Max, “I suppose you’re not 8» all the way that De Watt* had
pretty sure of that? Sorry to trouble traversed, for, when he entered the woods,
you, but who are the brukemen?" be turned off and directed his footstep.
The man with the red hair had followed ‘»ward an old cabin in a Clearing, on the
Max and now moved up close, so as to door of which be gently rapped,
hear all. The agent gave Max a lfst of the In answer to a feeble voice, which bade
nameh, but bis friend’s was not among blm “«.me in, ’ Max opened the door and
them: Max was about to offer some other f “««««• Upon a Hckrty table was a
Suggestion, when tho agent spoke again— ,b11ow uaP^le. buttitoB dimly, and an old
*Ut me see, now; there was another revolver, and .Notched upon a couch was
man.with a common sort of name, but to *
•ave my neck I can’t think of it.” * i wall. Brett picked np the candle and
Here the engineer gave the warning approached the prostrate form, whereat
ring of the bell and the conductor shouted ‘be man turned slowly and recognized his
** "W^°tt r Richardsr’ asked Max. ~ ‘ “Max Brett-at Ia»tr’ shouted the man
“Yea, that’s the imrae—Henry Richards. *» be tried to raise htmMlf into a sitting
^retUn^to^xidtemeut’had forgotten Max t.ktogone of^h.
all about flic train, and so, apparently, bto gtafcp, but don t^get
had the man with the red hair. Without 3rD * *** * , , , „ # w
U»ing another ¥ cond. Max rushed after “Xe». oneofniy baddays Biit when
the frain fol^ed by the other. -
Brett increased his speed and was sue- ‘ *7hto!? ^‘«me to-i,. „ v m
ceofnl to the V M». Something
^^^sssiegmsist 1 ^
the
•tandii
car., w -___ 1T .
4^^^'of*the n othre dltow ££ !a cW «*' afor e to ’ morraw nisl,, • ,,
CHAPTER XVII.
On the Arst day that Edward Handford
sat in his oflice after bis happy vacation,
a messenger annonncea that oao of the
trainmen wished to see the president of
the road. Handford, supposing the man
had some grievance to lay before him,
ordered him to bo admitted. The man en
tered, clad in the neat uniform adopted
by brakemen on the road. Though his
band* were blackened and hardened, they
were small, while, his faco bore trhees of
go'ojl breeding and gentle birth, though Ms
eyes were sunken and hi* cheeks flushed.
Handford recognized him in an Instil nt as
tho hero who averted the catastrophe
which so. nearly overtook the mall train
between Prairie City and Big Creek.
“Ah, you recognize me, Mr. Handford!”
said the man,:a* Handford grasped-him
warmly by the hand. "Then I shall doubt
less secure tho favor I am come to a«k?
I have a story to tell you. I am sick, very
sick, although up till now I have been
able to get around pretty well. The doc
tor* now tell me I must cease working,
aud the next thing, I suppose, I shall have
to cease breathing. Year* of fast living
in the old days and the sadden change to
the hard out-door fife, have doue their
work. I once told you my name was
Henry Richards.' That is a name, how*
evor, which I assumed to avoid recogpl-
tlon. My actual nnme is Spencer—Harry
Spencer, reported dead in San Francisco
a year ago. Ttiat report was-circulated
by.sbme of my, enemieis for, their own pe
cuniary benefit, and I bnvo never thought
It worth while to contradict it nntil now.
Do net be alarmed, Mr. Handford. I am
not a blackmailer, mraml here for effect.
Before I say any more, lot me satisfy you
that I am no impostor. Hero is my watch
chain. If yon opon it you will see Emily’s
picture and a strand of her hair. In this
old pocketbook, too, U a copy of our mar-
raise certificate—which I now destroy.
Furthermore in the package which I
handed yotrsome year* ago, are all of
Emily’s letters to me, and a letter from
me to her, which I wish her to rend—
some day.
“Now, Mr. Handford, I wisli to repeat
I am not here to reopen old sores or to
create fresh mischief. I respect you, and
bear yon no malice. You are, I know,
a brave’man and. I think, t good man.
You won my wife honorably—both of you
believing me to be dead. I am dend, so
cially, and wish to remain so. That brings
me to the atom object of this Interview.
One man,, possibly two, will annoy yon
with threat* to produce mo. Their scheme
will be, of coarse, an attempt to black
mail yon. Fear nothing; Emily and yon
will never again see -m*» - We both love
Emily, Mr. Handford; then let ns swear
titot no word of my dxtofenee Whan ever
cause her a moment’s untwine*#.’’
Tho two men Shook hands, bnt the offi
cial's emotion. preventsd him from otter
ing a word. Spencer continued:
“I blame no one but myself for the past.
I wag a bad fellow the most of my life.
I am merely down on the old pay-roll for
the wages of sin. I still (ova Emily, bnt
the best way jn which I can prove .that
lord 1* by keeping out of her way, which
I shall surely do. Twice.I journeyed to
England just to catch a glimpse .of her
and—we)l, I am glad she jstmarrMd to a
man who will care for hor. I hope she
will be happy; I trust.you will both be,
very happy. To-day I shall leave the
vigorous frame, the mlgronne aspect
of which especially strikes those who
behold her for the first time in these,
her “choir days.” It wa« reported how,
when Frlnee Albert was dying, he
roused himself from a period of wan
dering to turn with Ineffable love to
Ills spouse nud sovereign, saying to her
with a kiss, “Good little wife!” And
when the Prince Consort was actually
passing away, after those twenty-one
yeans of wedded lmppluvss, it was told
how the Queen bent over blm and
whispered, “It Is your little wlfo," at
which last words the nugel of death
stayed bis hand, while once agnlu the
dear eyes opened and the dying lips
smiled. But though tbto be so, no one
who has been honored by near ap
proach to her Majesty, or lms ever tar
ried In her presence, will fall to testify,
to the extreme majesty of her bearing,
mingled always with the most perfect
grace and gentleness. Her voice has,
moreover, always been pleasant and
musical to hear and Is so now. The
liand which holds sceptre of the seas
Is the softest that can be touched; the
eyes, which have grown dim with la
bors of state for Euglaud, and with too
frequent tears, are the kindest that can
be seen.
disturbance.'
I “Very good:,” replied Max, “we will get
into a cab t which wifi soon take us to my
home, where more than one await* your
doming."
; “Not to-day, not to-day,” answered
Spencer, a* he endeavored to overcome his
emotions. “Take me to a place where
we dhnll be absolutely alone.”
So'they turned .Into the’Palmer Home,
where Mnx secured a private parlor, and,
when tho door was closed, Brett said:
“Harry, I have scoured half the world
in ...search for you, though in doing so I
merely continued the good work which
your sister, now my wife,' commenced
years ago. Now that you have material
ized, I think you owo it to all of nz, not to
mention yourself, to stay here and afford
us the opportunity to set you on your
fpet.”
“Yes, Brett, I know. I know that I owe
ao very much that it Is folly to think of
ever paying my debts. Listen. Yon
know how I loft my wife, In disgrace, be
fore we had been married twenty-four
hours. I was already estrangod from her
friends and soma of .my own relative*.
In less than a day I lost Emily's good
will and esteem. Then, for a time, I
lost all personal pride, making bad worse,
until I saw that all hope of a reconcilia
tion was hopeless—at least during John
Snttorthwalte’s lifetime. So I came West
and went to work ns a brakeinnn on the
Great Occidental. Twice I saved enoi;gh
money from my pay to take me over to
England, but my fnther-ln-iaw took good
care that I should not gain access to my
wife. Shortly after my second trip I
managed to do a small fnvor for Mr.
Handford, of the Great Occidental—
though to making a frlcml of that gentle
man I made a bitter enemy of one of the
engineers. The railroad work proving n
lltth> too much for me, I located in Chi-
engo and, ns you know, secured a position
with your Arm. 1 left to the abrupt man
ner, that you doubtless remember, be
cause I wished to evade recognition by
my mother and sister, I returned to my
aid work on the railroad, at jririch I re *
malned until to-day. I know everything
—of my wife’s marriage to Handford and
of your own pleasant relations with my
sister. I am glad yqu are all happy—
though 1 will not attempt to deny that I
envy, oh, more than envy, you all the
glad contentment of your lives. But I
think I have buried some of the selfisbhesi
of bygflne days, for I enn heartily .wish
<for all of you long nnd happy lives. And
why should I be)in that genuine wish ol
mins hy bursting like n deadly bomb Into
these home groups? You know—Hand-
ford knows—the truth. Handford hni
pledged hla word to secrecy; yon do like
wise, brother Max, and, as you love my
sister nnd pity me, let the knowledge ol
my existence remnin buried in the dark
est recesses of your mind. I passed your
iiomo Inst night, nnd, If what I beheld
through tho nncurtnlned window gave me
a sharp twinge of pain, it also filled my
heart with much Joy. There you were
seated In your parlor with your wife by
your side, while mother, snug in tier own
nrmchalr, was sewing. Would it not be
utmost cruelty in me to throw the shndow
of my disgrace upon such a home—to re
open old sores that nre fast healing, or, by
my rude presence, to upset and break
nsunder a union which is right and just,
but which the knowledge of my existence
would render illegal? No, Max, I thank
heaven that, cruelty and wickencs*- are
no longer a part and parcel of my Ufe.
No, I cannot, I will not stay. Good-by—
remember I died to San’Francisco. Good-
by, brother Max, good-by.”
With that, S;iencer left the hotel and
waa soon lost In the busy throng upon ths
street. Brett returned to his office, and
whan be reached home that evening he
found a letter from his unde, John Sat>
terthwnite. , ,
(To be contianed.)
Has Hanged Eighty-eight Men.
George Maledon, of Fort Smith,
Ark., Is the champion hangman of the
country. For twenty years he has been
the official executioner of the United
States Court there, nnd during that
time has executed eighty-eight meu.
Nearly all the criminals hanged by Mai-
edoB were desperadoes from the Indian
Territory. Maledon Is a small man,
who speaks with a strong German ac
cent. He has retired as a hangmjtn
and will work a farm in Kansas.
/ Found Out Hto Mistake.
An Atchison young man, who has
Imagined for years that the girls were
trying to capture him, decided to get
married recently, nnd discovered that
no one would have him.—Atchison •
Globe. '
If there is any one thing that preju
dices us against a woman, It Is to hear
her swear.
MOTHER AND GIRL SLAIN.
Hprrible Doable Crime Charged to
Yonng Man In Chicago.
With a jagged wound In the left
temple and physical evidence that the
had been strangled or smothered, the
almost nude body of Mrs. Annie Bar-
tholln was found Saturday evening be
neath the cellar floor of the house
In which she had lived In Chicago.
Colnoldent with the flndng of the
body, the police redoubled their ef
forts to And the missing son, William
Bartholin, who Is also suspected of
the murder of Miss Minnie Mitchell,
whose body" was found In a vacant lot
three days previously. There Is no
apparent motive for killing ol Mrs.
Bartholin or of Minnie Mitchell, hut
the police are following every possi
ble theory. The one that finds most
favor at present is' that the young
man, being In debt, killed hto mother
In order that her equity In the mort
gaged property might, revert to him.
While this theory will not coyer the
murder of the Mitchell girl In any way.
the police .believe that Bartholin had
the Idea that she either suspected him
of killing hto mother or that she had
taken him to task for telling conflict
ing stories regardng her disappear
ance. Bartholin and bis mother were
not on good terms, although they lived
In the same house; but, beyond * de-
sire to Inherit her property, th«re to
at present no known motive for the
murder. •
Wa are ready to ante; your name oa
our aubaerlption books. You- will no#
miss the small sum necessary to b*
some our customer.
«
A GRACEFUL TRIBUTE
By • Subject to Hio t>overclgn> Qneen
t , f 1 Victoria.
The following graceful tribute to paid
hy $ir Edwin Arnold to Queen V|c-
tpria: ^ ,
The beart'of gold, the wlAdf iron, the
royhf'temper- of ateeL the pride, the
•patriotism and the deep piety of Victo
ria have been enshrined In a small but
't
1
n
DEATH OF SENATOR M’MILLAX.
Heart Disease Cuts short the Life of
Michigan holon.
A dispatch waa received In Wash
ington Sunday announcing the death
of Senator Jameg McMillan, of Michi
gan, at hto summer nome at Manchea-
ter-by-the-Sea, Mass. Death was the
result of heart failure following con
gestion, after an Illness of a very few
hours.
Tho news came as a great shock to
hto friends at the capital, as when tho
senator left Washington shortly after
the adjournment of . congress he. ap
peared to be in good health and looked
forward with much satisfaction to a
quiet and restful summer. For some
years Senator McMillan has made hto
summer home at Manchester-by-tbe-
3ea, having erected a fine cottage
there. ,. , , .
While no information on that point
has been received, the expectation to
that his remains will ho taken to De
troit and be deposited In the family
vault at Elmwood cemetery. The body
of bis son, Captain John H. McMillan.
w^4 served In the'Spanish war, and
,who died several months ago, rests
there. The senator leaves a widow,
three tons and a daughter.