Newspaper Page Text
0 4M
r
t\ 1
! s \j e- A 5 Steel
J
£ N fit 4
,
v I
E3 fiOARTtf
P m j- V. \
__. ^
( J K
—
CHAITKK XII Continued.
There was a <iTK*ry , . Up __
telgri th . .
fclant fcot during Its Mercer g told tha ,
eyes of Beatrice
their owner was not ldlt. plotting, preparing
fehe was thinking, grasped tin
to aot Her quick mind
Situation readily, the situation she had she ha<
•ftttclpated and which com*
’ ' held remedy
prepared to moot. She the
t-gold. in,an loved To befriend In his dire the father extremity, of th< U
she from
have an honored family name gratitud* re
broaoh-would it not win the
Sr pity, the delinquent son, and gratitud*
and pity lo,e?
She had other final resources in re
•erve. She had prep*r«c' P‘“»
pystemati-ally. Ob! eh* ooulcl not f ail
a 8 "Tt,e stern-faced
pecre,i |n e sat the
—U JC, .......* »'•
1 Bhe “topped ' boldly a! rose !he thresh
Old of the room, s„t until she hat
fcached the table and her shadow fell
Across it did lawyer and victim glance
Up, with a vivid start
“ Madam!-—why—■—" began the former
"1 have come to purchase those docu¬
ments."
Ihe , pile or notes .
Her hand pointed almost to touching them.
and securities, lawyer
In profound wpnderaiont the re¬
garded her. With a gasp of hope, sus¬
pense, h veiled dr*ad, fan--. Colonel Marshall stared
at r repeated the
" You hav e 1 - 01110
-
lawyer, vaguely.
" In buy those documents.
“ M hy—I do not understand—by wbal
riftiit." for "
Are they sale.
Her voice rang out fiharply. author¬
"To Colonel .Marshall or his
ized agent, yes, but to a stranger —’’
Beatrice Mercer turned to the be¬
wildered Colonel.
“1 stranger, but a friend, , snr .
am no
balf-whlspered tn his dumfouuded ear
*1 cauie to save you, and then aloud
•Colon.-. Marshal! you authorise mate
irttic r
The half-stunned Colonel could only
nod like an automaton.
"Ten thousand dollars is the amount,
I believe," went on Beatrice, calmly.
•There Is the money. See that it it
right."
She had flush'd a neap of bank-notes
©f large denominations tmfore the law
ver’s night. Stio took up the papers on
”This is the forged $2,Oil) note, 1 l>c
jiovei " sho said, selecting one from th*
ninny papers, Colonel Marshall, 11
shall never trouble you again. dainty "
With two twi ts of her 1 til
supple wrists, she severed the fatal doo
ument in twain.
“Tlieao other papers 1 shall keep foi
tt tiny or two. The amount is correct?’
$Uo d- rnnu let! of tho lawyer. “ Colone'
MuTHhall, you aro free from debt am?
dread ali ho I tru-t wo all know how
to keep a sorrel, 1 would like to speak
a few words to you alone.”
Tho lawyer had witnessed some
strange soones in his professional ea
roer, but th'-’denouement of the presen’
Inexplicable one I* ft hli speechles
C olonel Marshall, like one in u dream
followed the woman who had myste
riously saved him from ruin and dis
honor from the room.
Then, real! lug that he had been
ennvhrd from the brink of a precipice
be reeled to a tub e in the outer oflte<
lor Hupport, and burst into tears.
“Woman angelic deliverer!" he fair!j
Bobbed. "Who sent you here? Yot
have saved to me ail I hold dear or
earth. My tears, my prayers shall b<
yours till my last breath, 1 shall tear!
iny own to reverence for dollar. you. W I hat shall re- 1
pay you dollar can
say. whst can 1 do to acknowledge, ti
repay this stupendous obligation tha’
crushes, stuns, mystifies me?"
"On* single favor."
"Name it—oh! name It."
“ Ask no questions, feel no obligations
I only ask that to-morrow evening a’
dusk you come to tho hotel ami to th*
apartments of Miss Leslie, and bvin,
your son Raymond with you." flash th<
She was gone tike a with
words. The Colonel st*sxl staring aftet
her as if sho were some wraith. His
eves dosed aud he swayed like one in
a (tr eat He hastened after her a min
ute »ter to demand a more lurid ex
I'itt ’ution of her strange intercession ir
h s behalf, but when he rone hot l th*
like tho fairy in the story-books,
-*ne had disappeared had utterly. hastened back tc
Beatrice Mercer
th >tol Her face was flushed, hes
ey* hot* exultant, as she laid asidt
iuT wai ?
* S(i a!! is well," she murmured
contui “Now for the most diflieui'
lot “
1 « she led him
S S iit)5 came, tt
tt !» over an hour in k w
ft we n conversed with him
S A in ttU her plot, Ail her d<
/ .rtied him with her
i) wv;ness, (ihe da a
with the prom if »of nmnifleent rcwwnls
W hat a scheme*** he cjttcttUt
ttn*ni£ *t la-t, “sii'i aM for the love t : ,
tuna whose heart is luned to the gr»N
of that lost, drowned girl. Beatrice, is
the game worth the --andlo?”
“i will have it so!" she cried, wildly.
“Without Raymond Marshall, what U
wealth to me! Vou will help me?”
“To the last!"
“You can give me the medicine to pro¬
duce the effect I desire. You will help
me carry out the imposition?"
“ Yes. Wait till I go to my office. ”
In an hour he returned. Beep ana
subtle must have been the plots of th*
fair and false siren, for, as he handed
her a tiny phial, he said:
"You can rely upon it. When Ray
mond Marshall comes to see you to
morrow, it will be as you desire. Ali
th# jt hja heart taBDOt fall ^ e(
out to the woman who . has . saved .,, hi*
family from penury and disgrace, for, U
all seeming, through the agency of thal
potent drug, you will be a dying woman!'
CHATTER XIII.
A SOJSTLB PLOT.
“All 1 b ready?"
“Everything. My housekeeper, whon
wo can trust, will act as nurse and is It
the next room. I will receive the Mar¬
shalls when they arrive and pave th*
- „
no mistake!"
It was the afternoon of the day succeed
, ng that which had witnessed Beat
rice Mercer’s strange act of generosity.
zS”.;Ottir!£.K but
She was no longer disguised, there
wati a change in her from her ordinary
appearance that was most remarkable.
IIer face looked thin and wretchedly
white, her eyes heavy. As she lay back
on the pillow, her labored breathing and
hectic cheeks seemed to indicate a hot,
burning fever.
A hot, burning fever she had, but
pr0l)ll( . c ,j by artificial means. This
ruthless schemer had paused at nothing
to accomplish her ends. To further her
schemes an assumption of mortal ill¬
ness had been necessary, and het
worthy coadjutor, Dr. Simms, had not
prevaricated when ho told her that the
jontents of tho little phial he ha-1 given
-icr th day previous would bring about
h( , re8u j, H ) 10 (j es i re d
These two had plotted well in unison,
and as he entered the outer room of the
suite he assumed 1hut grave, serious ex¬
pression of face that the average physl
lian wears while attending a patient in
: the last extremity,
I He opened the door with warning
! ttolsolessness as there ezine a tap final
.. A servant stood there, two persons
I it his side.
" U untie man to “f Miss I esfi*
he finifouiioeii; ^ withdrew, an«U"4*
> »• 7
umms ushered hie two visitors Into th*
■ 00 m md pointed to ehafrfl, his serious
manner evidently surprising them.
Colonel Marshall was the one, his son
Raymond (ho other. The former was
ill curiosity and excitement. As to
Raymond, as he sat gazing vacantly at
he floor, his hollow cheeks, haunted
? y P s and dejected bearing generally
x>ld ihui (In- pr-esoni visit had no inter
j wt for him.
“Doctor Simms! ” ejaculated the Colo-
1 10 I. Why! 1 came to see--”
"Miss Leslie?”
’ “Yes,”
, “Miss Leslie is a dying woman, Colo
lel Marshall.
“What!”
With an Incredulous gasp the Colonel
itarti-d to his feet.
"Yew -in- has been ill for some time.
I was summoned yesterday afternoon
l found h»-r levered, almost delirious
oho asked me to receive you.
“Doctor, you amaze rut-! This strange
1 ,ad.y---" “Hasan will
iron even in death. She
ms explained everything to me. Sh*
nsists upon seeing yourself and yout
sou, even in her dangerous condition. 1
;old her that the shock might kill her,
hut she insists."
"Doctor! I am a* a perfect loss tc
understand this lady s remarkable gem
" r »sity in my behalf—the mystery sur
! rounding her -
j "Here are the notes she took yester
lay. Hhe bade me destroy them In you.
- presence.
"Wait! Don’t! I really cannot ac
sept all these favors from a stranger.’
I The Colonel spoke too late. Th*
locuments were blazing on the hearth.
He was a free man! A stranger had
liberated him from all the financial en
.(inglements of the hour.
“Doctor!" he panted, “this mystery if
maddening. Who Is this lady?"
“You will be surprised when vox
know Come: you, too, Mr. Marshall,’
to Raymond. d sleep
lie advanced to the >or of the
ng-room aud tappe lightly. The
Marshall iurse opened stood it. Awed, startled, Col. th*
in the oenter of
ipartment, gazing dubiously at the fig¬
ure lying on the coueh, its face turned
from him.
(yulteos curious and interested forth*
moment. Raymond Marshall looked up
"Miss Leslie has asked me to explain
o vahi why she hns interested herself in
four behalf. M spoke the Doctor, in calm,
mcasurtMi accents. "Her act has been
<>u© in a measure of atonement, of com*
your*familv\"* WrV)nsd0ne * “***”' oi
"Ha!" exclaimed the Colonel with a
siart, "she must be, tbi-u. some relative
M the wretch who robbed me—who en
■mu^ssed me in all Mu* trouble, my
.oruver partner.
“Not at all. Sue simply deceived a
member of your family. She is familial
with ihe troubles of yoOr sob, as well as
> ursolf, un i she desires me to imparl
-'due mournful inform*; en to him
Mr. Marshall, will you kindly read tha
4rt.cle
The Dootor had handed to Raymond
Marshall the newspaper which had firs)
set Beatrice on the (railof Edna Deane,
tt chronicled her death at the snow
scribe laden bridge. So accurately did it de¬
Edna and her attire, that, as
Raymond Marshall perused it, with dis¬
tended eyes and ashen (ace, he could
aot mistake the truth. With a wild crj
he sank to a chair, the paper fluttering
jo the floor.
"Dead! dead!* he walled. “All hope
then, is lost!*
“What may all this hate to do with
she lady here?” began the astounded anc
nystilied Colonel Marshall.
'Much. This ordeal is trying, fatal
M her, but she insists. Nurse, turn up
ihe lamp. Colonel—Mr. Marshall, youi
henefactress, the lady who makes an
itonement for a great t/rong, is-"
“Beatrice Mercer!*
In surprised accents from the Colo
ol’s lips, in a gasp of incredulity from
hose of Raymond Marshall, rang the
tame simultaneously, as the pretended
nvalid turned her wan features toward
-hem.
Dying featwree they 'rare, to all sem
jlance. The) Doctor’s art and her own
left acting earned out the intended
•ffcct “Raymond!’ complaiely.
she fluttered, in a weak,
trailing voice. "Say that you forgive
me. I did wrong in deluding you. I
iron sought to find Edna and restore
her to you after my cruel deception, but
she is dead. A distant relative left me
a fortune. The only restitution I could
make was to aid your father. I am dy¬
ing. The only reward I ask is that you
tako my hand and forgive me for It all.’
Raymond AH Marshall stood flashed like one his in
a dream the past e ver
mind. This woman had, indeed,
wronged him, but still ebe was not ac¬
countable for Edna's death. As he
thought of ail sho had done for his
father, as he fancied he read a noble re¬
morse in her words and deeds, a gener¬
ous impid.se drove him forward.
Ho felt her burning hand twitch in
his own. He did not doubt, after all
the Doctor had said, that sho was a dy¬
ing woman.
“You did me no wrong except to tor¬
ture me with a passing belief in the
faithlessness of the woman I loved,” he
said.
“For loxj of you!” murmured Be¬
atrice, fervently. “Raymond, I can tell
yon now, for I shall soon die. I was not
to blame for ray love, and I had not Ed¬
na’s gentle nature to enduro in silence.
I loved you so hopelessly, yet so
fondly!" Love
His eyes dimmed with tears.
was surely no sin, even when hopeless.
His great heart stirred with honest
pity. “Icandioin now," she said,
peace, I for¬
‘for your eyes tell me that am
given. Raymond, good-by--gr nd-by!"
Her eyes were raining tears. Oh,
ictress deft and subtle! oh, hypocrite
strong and confident! pitting all the is¬
sues of lifp upon the frail cast of a die.
She turned her face to the wall, her
sobs causing the sympathetic Colonel
ro wince -ith honest pity. Raymond
Poked er ri-o ( i f grieved. her
Ta, .. o, 7 yortW af
pier?” 1 e tire olouel, deeply
ected. "» Mi 1 not toll her how grate
•ut I am—how some arrangement must
bo made for the repayment of the
money advanced?"
“She would refu e to consider it,” re¬
sponded tl 0 Doctor. “But—no! I had
better not tnention it.”
“Speak, Doctor!” urged the Colonel,
sagerly. “You were about to make
some »ugg esfioa?"
“Iteonc rrns j-our son. This morning
bis poor ^reature love wailed for him. her heart-sick- She cannot
less over tier
survive th^ nfinltely night, and yet for I that think brief she
s ou id be i iime happy
verbal of if she knew that you——
Forgive m 9, gentlemen, my task is too
lifficultto complete."
“If she mew what?” demanded Ray
nond, yod Botf ly. would wed her.
“If consent to
Say, sir, Jo not start. A dying child’s
wish: you need not gratify it, only she
las left ail her fortune to you.
“1 will never accept til" dissented
.
Raymond indignantly.
“The lew will make you. This poor
firl’s devotion Is pitiable, Give het
pour name, render her dying moments
nappy, It is not much to do, for before
inorning vou will be a widower,”
_ This tho deft
The plot was out. was
ieslgn two clever schemers had planned.
Ihe unsuspecting Raymond Marshall
never dreamed of a new deception.
“Raymond, do it; it will quiet talk
when her will is read, l’oor creature)
her devoflun is indeed pitiable,” spoke
the Colonel.
Raymond Marshall thought of the
woman dead and of all his love for her;
of Ihe woman dying and his pity for hei
forlorn helplessness. murmured,
“What does it matter!” he
dejectedly. "My life is gloom—the fu¬
ture aimless, if that small ceremony
can brignten this dying girl s moments,
Doctor. 1 will marry her!"
The (lever actress on tho couch
thrilled wildly. At last, reward, at last,
success! Herhourof triumph had coxue.
irO B* COXTtSLEal
Segrop* Ask lor Aid.
Vicksburg, Miss.—The leading ne
groes of the city have organized a re
lief committee and addressed an ap¬
peal to the people of the United States
They claim that 13,400 negroes In this
county alone are flood sufferers and
No More Silver For Peru.
T . ima . IVrn.-Tho Peruvian Goveru
ment Uf>« suspended the coinage of sll
vor at the Oovernment mint uml iia?
!ss „ (h1 Jt prohibition against the iuq*or
mk)n „ lvw ,. oUls after . Ut , lrtth of
May next.
........ .
Jerry Simpson says he will block
legislation unless Reed appoints
H committees.
CAPITOL CITY.
Our Washington Correspondent
Regular Weekly Letter.
SOME INTERESTING ITEMS
A Meeting Looking to the Promo
tion of the Shipping Interest.
IMPETUS TO LEVEE BUILDING
(liven By the Recent Disatrous Floods
Democratic Senators Hold a Caucus
Money for Federal Courts. Reivera wD
Live.
Washington, D. C.—A meeting ol
the Senate Committee on Commerce
representatives of the shipping inter¬
ests was hekl Friday in the room ol
The meeting was for the purpose ol
promoting legislation looking to the en
couragement of American shipping,
There was a general exchange of
views . Mr. Griseom presided, and the
meeting was private. Several address¬
es were made, one of the most impor¬
tant being that of C. H. Cramp, tbl
shipbuilder, who declared that until
means were taken to keep in tbe Unit
ed States a part of the $300,000,000 an¬
nually absorbed by foreign shipown¬
ers no good times could come. He sug¬
gested tbe following new classification
for bounties to American shipping:
Not less than 10,000 tons and 22 knots,
$0 per mile; not less than 8.000 tons
and 20 knots, $5 per mile; not less than
6,000 tons and 13 knots, .$4; not less
than 5,000 tons and 1G knots, $3 per
mile. All other iron or steel steamers,
not less than 14 knots, $1.50 per mile,
After a general discussion a committee
was apopinted to consider the question
and to unite, if possible, upon a policy
to recommend to the Government as a
remedy for the existing situation, as
follows: E. C. Bliss, of the Red D line;
H. D. Boothe, AYard line; William P.
Clyde, Clyde Steamship Company;
Charles H. Cramp; F. J. Firth, Vice
President Lake Carriers’ Association;
C. A. Griscom; C. P. Huntington; Gen.
Thomas YV. Hyde, shipbuilder; Charles
H. Keep, Secretary Lake Carriers’ £a
oociation; I). D. C. Mink, President
Asso.-mtio.r; S. S.
Sewell. shipbuild.M’r-Sena t,Ira 'Hamm
and Perkins.
• * *
"Instead of making It probable that
the levee construction along the Mis¬
sissippi will be retarded, it seems cer¬
tain that the work of devastation by
the floods will give an impetus to the
building of levees and the next appro¬
priation made by Congress will be
more liberal than any in the past.
Representative Catchings, in a brief
speech In the House, outlined the plan
which he will urge at the next session.
It contemplates making an adequate
appropriation to insure the earliest pos¬
sible completion of a perfect system
of levees from Cairo south to the Gulf,
that will protect the country against
my flood that may conic. He wants
Congress to decide upon the immediate
con8tructk>n of the elltiri . . systeni and
lo take the matter in hand vigorously
and hasten the control of the river
»nce and for all. It will require an ap
propriation of $10,000,000.
The Democratic Senators held a cau¬
cus after the adjournment of the Sen¬
ate Thursday to consider the question
of the committee vacancies, but decid
ed to postpone action until next Mon
day. This wes decided on the sugges
Mon of Senator Gorman, chairman of
the Caucus Committee, who rei>orted
that tbe Republicans baa been so far
unable to make any progress toward
taking control of the committees, but
had promised to reach a conclusion
within the next two days. Senators
Gray and Ooffery, who are known as
Gold Democrats, were present at the
meeting and participated in the pro¬
ceedings.
The Georgia Monument.
Atlanta, Ga.—The contract with
Venable Brothers for the granite work
on the Georgia State monument to
erected signed on the Chickamauga Saturday and battlcfielj. the work
was up
xvill progress rapidly to a finish.
Venable contract will amount to $10,
000. Tbe bronze contract is with
Gorman Manufacturing Company,
New York, and is for $7,000.
bronze work will consist,of three fig
ses on the pedestal, an artilbTymau.
an infantryman aud a cayalryman,
representing the three branches of
service, of heroic size; and the color
hearer, which is to surmount the
and which will be a conspicuous land
mark for many miles around.
THfrOUGH GEORGIA.
The price of the new code of Geor¬
gia has been fixed at four dollars. This
is the result of a conference between
Governor Atkinson, Judge John L.
Hopkins, representing the codifiers,
and the contracting printers.
* * *
The directors of the Newnan cotton
mill met a day or two ago, declared a
dividend of 7 per cent and paid ofl
§15,000 of bonds, thus leaving a total
bonded indebtedness of $15,000 out¬
standing. The net earnings the past
year represent 13j per cent on the
capital stock.
* * *
A petition will be filed in the supe¬
rior court at Atlanta within the next
few days, asking that the Southern
Mutual Building and Loan association
be taken out of the hands of the re¬
ceiver, and placed in the hands of a
new board of directors to be elected by
the shareholders in the defunct associ¬
ation.
* * *
When times get dull in some of the
rural regions the citizens engage in
the pleasant pastime of laying off new
militia districts, which is followed by
elections for justices of the peace.
Four or five have been laid off during
the present year, and the last is No.
1558, in the county of Decatur, which
has been duly put on the order book.
» * *
Judge Newman lias adjourned the
United States court at Atlanta until
the fourth Monday in May next. He
goes to New Orleans where he will sit
on the bench of the circuit court of
appeals with Judge Pardee. If any
court is held in the summer it will
doubtless be presided over by Judge
Bowman, of the United States court of
Alabama.
* * *
Having made a tour of the sawmill
convict camps of the state, Governor
Atkinson and Judge Turner will now
visit some of the mining camps run by
convict labor in tbe mountain regions
of north Georgia in search of informa¬
tion as to their condition there. They
begin with a visit to the Durham
mines in Walker county.
The chautauqua to be hekl at Cordele
begins May 9th and will be in session
one week. The auditorium, with a
capacity of 3,500, is in course of
construction. Prominent speakers and
lecturers will be present, among them
being Governor Atkinson, General
John B. Gordorq Hain JLJfessa,. Pr.q
fiienn and Betsy Hamil
ion. This is a new feature for Cordele
and the prospects are very flattering
for a successful occasion.
* » *
The Woman's foreign Missionary
Society of the North Georgia confer¬
ence convenes in Athens on the even¬
ing of Apiil 21st, and continues four
days, through Sunday- This is the 18th
annual meeting and is being looked
forward to with much interest and
great results are expected. The peo¬
ple of Athens are making every prep¬
aration possible for the pleasure ol
their visitors, and are endeavoring to
make this the most successful conven¬
tion ever held.
A mass meeting of railway presi¬
dents and managers w-ill be held in
Atlanta April 21st. The conference
will discuss rate affairs, and perhaps traffic
will take up the proposed new- called
agreement. A meeting had been
for April 24th", but there will be a
number of railway officials present 101
the 20th to attend the meeting of the
state railroad commission. It was
thought to he more convenient to bold
the traffic conference on the next day
than to have these- gentlemen return
later in the week, hence the change of
date.
The four indictments against Jack
King, of Rome, have been 110 I prossed.
*pi le on i e r of nolle prosequi was issued
p,y j U( jg e William T. Newman, of the
United States court. King was charg
ed with violating the national banking
laws while holding the position of
president of the Merchants’ National
bank of Rome, He was indicted on
four counts for making loans without
obtaining proper security. King has
made good the loss which the bank
sustained on account of his alleged
misconduct, and the attorneys for the
institution asked that the cases should
be given this direction.
The petition for a receiver for the
property of the Gate City Guard of At
t’ui euus^oxxTof ‘tile hottest legal
h between the ol(1 ^uird and the
. a thaf the city has eTer
All those in any way con
j neo ted with military matters are in
j tereste( ] the fight. It has shaken
tbe m qjtary w-orhl of Atlanta from
e enter to' circumference. The new
g„ ari ] j g now in possession - of the
property in dispute and the members
I of it are determined to retain posses¬
sion of it. They will fight the bill for
receiver for all they are worth and will
i spare no expense to keep the injune
j tion from being gra nted.
j
j The loss by the fire in Knoxville la
$1,600,000; the insurance $600,000.