Newspaper Page Text
jjtiff&'.v 5 ®Wii, gW'TI ffe( Wr I &?'• #*& i* %r,l y« fj$ .j^'% Ml '.V- ib Vh ETA'. '1 A fi asK*» «vft §$T. J?** if* V* ^VVM 1 ^]L fUv^N ^llkl ATEBRIMCBET 'a The Curse of the More- f' lands. BY LEON LEWIS. CHATTER lX^Continutd.) "Are you quite sure all the people who sailed in the yacht with you from Cal cutta are dead?" he asked quietly. ."Quite sure, sir, or they would have turned up during my stay at Cape Town!" "That don't follow Dy any means," de clared Radd. "Any one of the men in the yacht, if saved, may have kept in the background purposely, with the in tention of watching you in secret and seeing what you would dol" The suggestion made Hillington so uncomfortable that he could not help moving uneasily in his chair. "Did only your companions about the yacht know that you were bound for The Elms?" continued Eadd. "No, sir. No one save Colonel Eidley. He of course had conversed with me freely about everything here. He has even spoken to mo about you," and the speaker ventured to smile a little queer ly. "As you have seen by the Colonel's last letter, I have long been his alter ego!" "But are you sure, Mr. Hillington— perfectly sure—that the Colonel is dead." "Absolutely, my friend—absolutely!" "Did you see hi in thrown from the yacht into the water?" "I did. We were thrown overboard at the same moment." Radd started so violently that Hilling ton could not help looking inquiringly at him. "It's (hose rats again," he Said, by way of explaining his sudden excitement. "But let us suppose that the Colonel WAS no more dead on reaching the water than you were! Let us suppose that he reached the shore, as you did! Couldn't he have taken that later Peninsular and Oriental steamer, and been here last Monday, or five days ahead of you?" "Why, certainly,"admitted Hillington, instantly adding: "But I know he's dead! There was no chance for him!" The conviction of the bookkeeper was of that absolute character which points at least to a supposed certainty, and it was evidently as agitating as deep, for he again made use of his salts. The curious gaze Radd had for several minutes been turning upon the guest had now become in itself a curiosity, it was so knowing, so accusative, so very significant! He had dovetailed the fingers of his hand?, and was unconsciously working them in a way which showed that he was \&ry contented—very! "You (old me not long since," he re sumed. "that the Colonel fell just as you were stricken down senseless at his feet." "I—I did?" stammered Hillington, with a start. "Did I say that?" "And now you say you saw him thrown overboard! Here is a manifest discrep ancy. But of course," he added, sueer ijngly, "you can explain it." "I can. My insensibility was very brief." "I should say. so," remarked Radd, still more sneeringly, "for you to h*ve recovered your consciousness between the moment when you were picked up from the deck and that when you were pitched overboard—^very short, indeed." The confidential book-keeper whitened at these words to bis Viry lips, and sat as if stricken with dumbness, his eyes staring as wildly as if he had seen the accusing angel beside him. "I—I don't quite understand you, Mr. Moreland." he ejaculated, at the end of a pause which lasted nearly a minute. "No? Then I shall have to speak still more plainly, in order, as I have suggest ed, that you may tell your story in such a way as to command the belief of my sister-in-law and niece. Unless you can talk to them better than you have talked to me, they'll make you a great deal of trouble." "Of what nature, may I ask?" "Why, they may say that you are the Colonel's robber and assassin!" blurted JEtadd, with the same audacity with jiriiich he had previously talked to Vance* Wyevllle. "You, the confidential" book keeper, who has long known that the Colonel intended to sail to America with a couple of millions, and who converted his fortune into paper money that it migM be easily transported. You, who told the Colonel that a score of the worst villains in Calcutta had taken steerage passage in the£V St, Q. steamer, with the Intention of securing his millions at any cost, even if they had to burn or scuttle the shin. Yoq, who have had every op portunity of conspiring with your fellow clerks or others, and who may be the chief conspirators of all the 'outlaws' and 'pirates' there are in the case, and even have in your hands at this moment the victim's millions." These sentences, rapidly and sternly uttered, had seemed like so many sledge hammer blows upon the head of Agnus Hillington. He sat as if stunned. Once or twice he put his hand implor ingly, as. If to shut off the torrent of ac cusations assailing him, but otherwise he had remained motionless, so completely was he taken aback by the logic and daring of Radd. "Yes, this is what the ladies might say to you," added the crafty accuser, with smiling triumph, as he remarked that Hillington seemed barely alive, "and what they certainly will say if I should become their prompter." The confidential bookkeeper from In dia made no attempt to resent or refute the terrible accusations Radd had heaped upon him. He had broken down completely, as all rascals do when some superior rascal shows them the flaws and inherent weak nesses of their situation. But there was such a significant "if" In the closing words of Radd Moreland that Agnus Hillington would have been a poor fool indeed not to have caught at It as a drowning man catches at a life preserver. "You—yoa don't mean to ruin me!" he faltered, as wild of eye as ghastly of rtien. "Ruin you?" blurted Radd. "For whose benefit, I'd like to know! For Mrs. Moreland's? I hate her as I hate—as— well, I can't give you any equivalent! For the benefit of Colonel Barton Rid ley? Not much, I assure you! The Col onel lias never boen of any more use to me then one of those rats in yonder hall! During all the time he has been in India he has not written mo a line or sent me a dollar. Iywas not at the wedding when his sister married my brother. In fact, I never saw lam!" "No?" returned Hillington, with a flush of intense reliof. "How singular." "Not at all. The fact is, I was on. bad terms with the sister, who rejected an offef of marriage from me long before she met Jessie's father!" "Ah! I remember now!" cried Hilling ton, looking more and more Relieved. "The Colonel gave mo not long ago some idea of these bad relations, or rather this utter absence of all personal associa tion!" "Then there's no occasion for me to gabble on the subject," declared Radd. "The Colonel and his sister have left me to starve all these years, and I'd be a hard boiled fool to care a tinker's single iota for what becomes of them or of their money! If some Thug gets hold of them, so much the better for the Thug, that's all! Their fate is nothing to me—noth ing whatever! Oh! how I hate them!" Radd hastened to produce his bottle of Yquem, with a couple of tumblers, and drank freely, ostensibly to the health of the East Indian, but in reality to the tempering of his intense excitement. "And now, Mr. Hillington," he re sumed, after a pause, "let's get down to bed-rock, as we say in America. Did you write from Cape Town or elsewhere to my sister-in-law about the terrible fate which has overtaken her brother?" "I did not, for several reasons. One was that I was very busy, and another that I hoped from one moment to an other to have better news to send her. Finally, when my worst fears were veri fied, I concluded such bad news could be best told in-person." "That was well reasoned," commented Radd, who thought a great deal for him self whilo not losing a word his new ac quaintance had to say. "But you are not in America merely to report to my relatives that Colonel Ridley is dead?" "No, sir I have left India and the East forever. I am here to remain. But one of the chiof motives of my presenco here remains to bo told." He produced a photograph of Jessie from one of his pockets, fixing an admir ing glance upon it, after affording Radd a glimpse of it, and proceeded somewhat nervously: "The Colonel has often spoken to me of his niece, suggesting that he would liko to see me make a favorable impres sion upon her, as you have seen, in fact, by his latest letter to his sister. Curi ously enough, I have fallen madly in love with Miss Jessie through this 'counter feit- presentment,' which Colonel Ridley was so good as to give me, ^nd I have come here, Mr. Moreland, with an ar dent, all-absorbing hope of being able to make her my wife. She seems to be very beautiful?" "In her way—yes," admitted Radd. "I could give you a curious point or two about her, as also about the old girl her self, but I won't. You'll be wise, Hil lington—very wise—if you seek to make a good impression upon that girl, and a very fortunate fellow indeed if you can win her." "Then I may consider that you are in favor of my proposed wooing?" "Certainly—certainly!" •. ... .. Vs CHAFTKB X. JTOREWABNXD AGAINST HOC. E will now pro ceed in advance of the conspirators to the retreat to which Mrs. More land and Jessie had gone—to Egg Island. It contains a dozen square miles, andjs one of the loveliest gems off the shore of Wisconsin, in the' midst of Lake Michigan. Near its south ern end, at some distance from any other residence, stood a large stone cot tage, which was almost lost in a wilder ness of wood and verdure. Mrs. Moreland had bought the place of the heirs of the original owner and occupant, who had Jeen a misanthrope of the most pronounced type. On the front veranda of this dwelling sat the mother and daughter, eagerly watching a boat that was approaching from the nearest point of the main land. "How slow he Is!" cried Jessie. "I'll run down to -the landing and take the mail from him." She did so, returning in due course., "Five letters," she reported, "and one of them is from Uncle Barton." "Your uncle's first," was all Mrs. More land said, as her daughter dropped into a seat beside her. The letter was quickly opened and read, proving to be the one Colonel Rid ley had sent from India. It had been forwarded from. The Elms, it will be comprehended, by Agnus Hillington and Radd Moreland, after both of these wor thies had read it. "Oh, what good riew'S!"' w'as the moth er's commentary, with streaming eyes, when Jessie bid finished reading the letter. "It must be! Your uncle is near us, and may arrive within an hour. What Joy!" Jessie was too excited to speak. She. could only throw her anna around her mother and weep for very gladness "But read the next letter, Jessie," en joined the mother- handing it to Jessie, as soon as she could master her emo tions. "I do not recognize the hand writing. It must be from some stranger or new correspondent." The letter was quickly opened, and Jessie bestowed a few rapid glances upon it. "Why, it's from that famous Doctor Robinett, who has been so often men tioned in Uncle Barton's letters," she announced. "And the Doctor is In America?" "Yes, mamma. The letter is post marked Waukegan,and dated yesterday." "How singular! Read, read!" Jessie hastened to obey. "Why, Uncle Barton has engaged Dr. Robinett to come to America to treat us." she said, after a few swift glances at the letter. "We are to be his patients. He says he has no doubt, from what Uncle Barton has told bim, that he can cure us." Mrs. Moreland looked too startled to speak, while Jessie herself seemed to hang upon the communication precisely as a condemned prisoner would cling to a reprieve. "And not only has Dr. Robinett come to America," continued Jessie, scanning the letter eagerly, "but he has purchased the Whitcomb property, at Uncle Bar ton's suggestion, and is going to take instant possession, so that ho will be near us," "But what does he say about your uncle?" Jessie's glances ran rapidly on to the conclusion. "He says Uncle Barton may be looked for from one day to another," she then announced. "Ho even adds that uncle should have been here before now." The joy this assurance ga.e Mrs. Moreland could have been read on her features. "You see, now, what a glorious uncle you have got, my dear chil'd," she mur mured. "Not only is he-coming home to spend the remainder of his days with us, but his kindly heart seeks to relieve us of the great shadow under which we wore born. Ho has even a thought for your future, as is indicated by this refer ence to Agnuk Hillington, his book keeper, whose photograph he has in closed. You have not yet given it a glance." The photograph in question now came in for an earnest examination, and such was the impression' it made upon Jessie that she shrank from expressing it, pre ferring to get her mother's opinion bo fore making known her own. "Well, I don't like it," avowed Mrs. Moreland, frankly, with an air of pain and disappointment, in responso to Jes sie's inquiring glance. "How unlike this dark, mask-like countenance is to the sunny, noble face of Vance Wye villo. What do you think about it?" "It certainly seems to represent a strange type of man," replied Jessie. "But we must not condemn him lightly, the more especially as uncle's idea of any sort of relation between the man and mo is entirely out of the question. I'm not at all taken with him. The im pression the photograph makes on me is a disagreeable one. Nodding approvingly, Mrs. Moreland passed a third letter to Jessie, with the remark: "This also seems to bo from a stranger. What can it be?" Jessie hastened to break tho seal and glance at the signature. "Why, it's from Mr. Hillington him self," she announced, with a sudden change of countenance. "He has ar rived! He has been to The Elms to find us gone. He.has bad news for us and will be here by the morning train from Milwaukee." "And nothing about my brother—his friend and employer?" cried Mrs. More land, as the blood receded from her face. "Not a word, mamma—not a word!" The couple stared a few moments at each other, with a vague but terrible sense of evil. "Something is wrong!" then said the mother, with agonized mien. "Why should this man come here alone, or even arrive alone? And why does he speak so vaguely? Why isn't he more explicit? Why not give us some idea of his 'bad news' at once?" "I can only suppose," replied Jessie, turning deathly pale, "that he cannot trust his news to paper—what-he has to reveal is so terrible." "Yes, that's it," cried Mrs. Moreland. "I—I fear the worst. Your uncle must have died on the homeward voyage." "Or been murdered for his money, mamma," faltered Jessie. "Oh, what a frightful mystery." ». As was only too natural, the couple broke down Completely with the flood of fears and anxieties that canie surging over them. .. For several minutes they could neither restrain their grief nor muster their thoughts coherently, and during this time the two letters remaining in ."the mother's lap were forgotten, but at length they caught the eye of Jessie, who seized them with a mien lil^e that with .which a drowning man clutches at any object floating near him. "One of them is evidently from Dr. Robinett," she said, with forced calm ness, glancing at the addresses, "and the other appears to be from Mr. Wyeville. Perhaps we shall soon know the worst." She opened one of the letters, her hands shaking with anxiety, and read a few words with a rapidly swelling eye. "Yes, it is from the Doctor," she an nounced, with a sigh of intense relief. "But what a strange communication! Listen!" And she read as follows: Mrs. Moreland: DEAB MADAM—I beg to add a few words to my communication of this date. A certain Agnus Hillington, who has been several years In the employ of your brother, as con fidential bookkeeper, Is likely to eall upon you within a day or two with some very startling declarations. You will please hear patiently, with your daughter, all this man has to say, but you need not believe a word he says, and you had better be as much on your guard against him as if you knew him to be a knave or madman. To the contrary of anything the said Hillington may tell you. Col. Barton Ridley Is In the best of health and not far distant, but reserves his personal advent for the moment' when he shall have fully Investigated and turned to naught an infamous conspiracy of. which he has been the victim. Begging you, there fore, not to be at all dismayed by the lies of this daring criminal, and promising to see you In person soon, In accordance with your brother's command of recent date, I remain faithfully yours, GEO. BOBHTBTT. The brief silence that followed the reading of this letter was as profound as that of the grave,. "Read that again," then came in a husky whisper from Mrs. Moreland. The daughter complied. "Thank heaven for its mercies!" com mented *Mra. Moreland, with a sigh of relief. "I comprehend it all. My broth er has been in some dreadful peril at the hands of this Hillington. He may even have been robbed of his yacht and his two millions. But he is still alive and well—and near us. He's working ID secret to unearth an 'infamous* conspira cy' and bring a 'daring criminal' to jus tice. He is busy in his own way for the detection and confounding of bis ene mies, but he's safe." She opened her arms to Jessie, who threw herself, sobbing, upon her breast, and for a few minutes they mingled their tears in a joy and relief for which words had no expression. "But here is a postscript I did not read, mamma," at length said Jessie, as her glances came back to the Doctor's letter. "And as is always the case, with postscripts, it has its importance."' The postscript was as follows: "N. B. It will be well to give Mr. Hill ington and his baggage a room at your cottage, and to treat him in such away that he will not suspect that you have received these present advices concern ing him. G. R." "But why this allusion to his baggage, Jessie?" asked Mrs. Moreland. "Oh, it's probably because, as Is the case with so many people, the baggage of Mr. Hillington is the best part of him," answeied Jessie, with an arch smile, which attested how rapidly her usual good spirits were coming back to her. "In any case, we must take good care to follow the Doctor's injunctions." "Of course but what is that other let ter? See what it's." The romaining letter was opened, and Jessie scanncd it hastily until she reached the signature. "It's from Mr. Wyovillo, as I sup posed," she announced. "He writes to. say that Uncle Radd turned up there al most as soon as wo vanished. In fact, he has taken possession of The Elms, effecting an entrance by breaking a glass, and is akmg himself quite at homo there, lvlr. Wyevillo wants to know if the intruder is to be left in un disturbed possession!" N "And that's all, Jessie?" "All of a business nature, mamma. The rest is merely a hope that we are well and enjoying this beautiful weather." •Mrs. Moreland extended her hand for the letter, and read it from beginning to end, sighing profoundly when she had reached the signature. "There is not the least reference to his recent proposal of marriage," she com mented, while the light faded from her eyes and the color from her cheeks, "nor does he so much as express a desire to ever see me again!" "Well, he at least writes you, which is more than I can say of Vance," returned Jessie, with a somber countenance and eyes in which had gathered a flood of tears. "But wliy should either of them write us, after all the care we have taken to thrust them out of our hearts and our lives? Men of that sort are not to be trifled with and they probably accept their dismissal as final." She gave way to the violent grief which had flashed upon her soul, as such grief will come, at even the slightest provocation, and her example seemed contagious. At least Mrs. Moreland could not re frain from following it. The rumble of wheels suddenly fell -upon their hearing, and they had only to turn their heads to see that a two-horse carriage was appiroaching at a furious pace, and that it was occupied by their expected visitor. "Yes, there ho is—this Agnus Hilling ton, baggage and all!" cried Jessie, jvho recognized him from the photograph whitih had been sent her. '"Wh&t'k task it will be to meet him!" "But let us do our duty, as pointed out by Doctor Robinett," returned Mrs. Moreland, as she arose and led the way into the house. "The very life and for tune of my brother may depend upon discretion. The fellow may be as dan gerous as a tiger of his native jungles!" CHAPTER XI. A BAD SITUATION. N a lonely grove on the shore of Egg He was interrupted by footsteps-be hind him, and had only to turn on his heel tb find himself face, to face with Agnes Hillington. "You can't Imagine, Mr. Moreland, how anxious I have been to como to you," exclaimed tho East-Indian abruptly. "There's something wrong, then?" re turned Radd. "Yes, everything." "Didn't the ladies hear what you bad to say, and give you a room, baggage and all?" "Oh, yes." "Then what's the trouble?" "The trouble is they're playing a game, Mr. Moreland repeating some lesson which has been taught them watching and waiting hearing and seeing all they can and saying as little as possible! Oh, they are sharp and critical, as you warned me they would be!" "So that it was really a bore for you to go into the. details of the Cape Town tragedy for their benefit?" queried Radd, with a barely perceptible smile. "A bore? I would about as soon take poison as go through another such cate chism and commentary," and the East Indian sighed profoundly at the recollec tion. "With ail their nods of assent, I saw that they did not believe a word I told them!" "Nevertheless the story seems to me to be the invention of a master mind," de clared Radd, thps treating it as a fable without a shadow of hesitancy, "and I am at a loss to comprehend just where they will pick flaws in it. The mere fact that Colonel Ridley has not turned up here in accordance with his avowed Intentions is a pretty good evi dence that his homeward voyage has been interrupted." "And yet those ladies venture to 'hope for the best till further advices'—their very words!" "What can be the secret of their con duct?" "The secret seems to be that some un derhanded" game is being, played against me." "How? By whom?" "That's a mystery. But I begin to see and feel tna\ some one hostile to me is operating to my detriment and disad vantage." "What proof have you of this?" asked Radd. "Why, the manner in which the mother and daughter received all I had to say about that horrible tragedy at Cape Town." "They didn't faint or shriek?" "They acted precisely as if all I said was an old, old story, which they knew to be false." "Ah! they did?" The tone of Radd was grave, and his glance singularly searching. He looked as if the declaration of the East Indian was a sort of admission which hardlkn ized with some suspicion he had been cherishing. f*o B* comurrrsD.] Wlwn It Waa. Careful Housekeeper—Where is that sheet of stieky fly paper I left on this table? Small Boy—I put it on th' arm-chair in th' parlor. Youll find half of ft on sister an' th' other half on Mr. Hug hard.—Street A bmith's Good News, ACCORDING to the latest official re ports, our Indian population now ag gregates 262,620. "i* CANTON, CANTON, Island sat Radd Moreland, a number of hours later, or just as night was falling. He was as uneasy as a fish out |of water, as could _ave been seen by the ^nanner with which he kept raising himself out of the grass and- bushes, and looking in'tho direction of the More land cottage, which was not far from a mile distant "Can he have fooled me?" he asked, after looking at his watch ty?4ih. "He told me, when he separated at the land ing, that he .would come to me in an hour 'j" 8. G. SATRANGj —DEALER IN— C. STUBBERUD, Canton, Lincoln county, Inept a full line of Mens, Womens and childrens shoes for summer and -winter wear, that sell chea|k. '14 1 Groceries, Provisions, Crockery, Glassware)^ OSTLL AND AEG O\IR» PRICEI MAIN (J Boots and Shoes, 1 if*i J. ANDERSON. P. J. ANDERSON. Wholesale and Retail Furniture, {.six Sewing Machines and Organs. FURNITURE OF ALL KINDS, which we are prepared to fur7 nish at prices lower than the lowest. THE PIONEER JEWELRY STORE. Established 18i9. EL Watebeg, Clocks, Jewelry and Silverware, Fine watch repairing a specialty. All work -V -warranted. |!l'. of Beresford,' will make Tat \is% Jr "tywi 11 DRIED FRUITS^ V"-*" O '*v A J, CM GOODS! VEGETABLES, PUBACC0, ETC. CASTOZT, SOUTH DAKOTA: G3-. O. Bray,. —Proprietor of— THE GATE OTY UVfKYJ Keeps first class outfit of livery tigs of description. One of the best equipped T. L. Torgeson, Beresford, South Dakota, —DEALER IN— Dry (idwls and I(iti«nS, Groceries, Boots and Shoes. Motto "Square dealing." Come in aixd look over. B. Schmidt & Co., Beresford, South Dakota. Dealers in all kinds of Heavy and Shelf ptoves, Tinware Barb wire, Paints, Agricultural Impliments, etc. Give us a call and we will' guarantee you prices. O. T. ELGERSONk* Owns this space.' He handles a large vari-^ ety of farm machinery, mowers, reapers,^ binders, Aultman & Taylor threshers, hullers C| and engins, corn plows, stirrings plows, and all kinds of binding twine, oils and repairs., If you call on him for what you want in the machinery line he will treat you well and% supply your wants according to hoyle.^'^ 0, T: HELGERSON. \t-r $ i* u. Cant *9 "KM ANDERSON BROS. SOUTH DAKOTA. Special Prices To Farmers, -fig On a bill of goods. Oall and see him. M. E. RUDOLPH, Attorney Law. Practice* in aO the Court* of tie State. Notarial and Collection Business gtren em fnl attention. CAKTOK,£ SOUTH DAKOTA. Farmers Trade Specially Inyljftd. I HOTEL MD RESTiUilr 5 '•i1 $388'•' SOUTH DAKOTA Thos. T.^radylilll'^a D. HYMER, PROP?|0FEM§ Board by day or Week. Heals 25eJ "i't r.j. \r WK\ kv?#j 1 barns In thlA state. Sale apd nr boarding department in connection. E. Em* 5th St., "-V4J CAHTOII,S. D.J(J| xtm •s S3 V-.