Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume], November 23, 1899, Image 6

About Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925

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Story of the Wedding Ring.
By BERTHA M. CLAY.
Continued.
“Decidedly," replied Mr. Ford. “lean
act more quickly, more promptly, and
more energetically it I alone.
He went that same day, and the re
sult of his journey was more satis
factory than he had ventured to hope
it would he. He took up his residence
not at the principal hotel —that was
not a likely place to obtain such infor
mation as he sought—but at an old
fashioned inn; and at night, when he
had iuvited the landlord to Join him
over a glass of wine, he cleverly turn
ed the conversation on the subject of
strange and sudden deaths.
Then he heard the whole story—how
■'a certain poor lady that had come to
Ahe town had died without telling her
m*me, or saying to whom she belonged,
■or anything that could throw any light
'ipo%her history.
“She really died in that strange
way?” questioned Mr. Ford, breath
lessly; end the landlord, all uncon
scious of the great interest at stake,
answered, “yes—that was how she
died.”
“And the child,” pursued the law
yer, “what became of the child?”
He could hardly bear the moments of
suspense before the landlord answered
him.
“The Hopes adopted her; and she is
the prettiest girl in the whole country
side. Ismay Hope they called her.”
The lawyer started as the familiar
name fell upon his ear.
“Ismay.” he repeated—“that Is a
strange name*”
“Her mother called her by it before
she died, and she has kept it ever
since.”
“She is beautiful, you say; and what
age may she be?”
'“That I cannot tell —she was quite
young when she married.”
Mr. Ford interrupted him somewhat
•rudely. “When she married—whom did
she marry?’
“Paul Waldron, who is the steward
of Squire Schofield; hut if the matter
Interests you, sir you can see Mrs.
Hope. She is a great friend of my
wife’s and she Is never tired of telling
the story.”
It so happened that on this very
evening Mrs. Hope came to take tea
with the landlord’s wife, and Mr.
Ford although a bachelor hlmseir, un
derstood the fair sex sufficiently to feel
sure that, if a woman was more com
municative at one time than another,
it was during the time spent over a
dish of tea.
. Me asked permission of the landlord
to join the little party—a favor which
was most willingly accorded him, al
though the landlady felt some slight
embarrassment. The landlord smiled
to himself, as though he would have
said. "There Is some deeper motive
here than appears on the surface.”
Mr. Ford was hown into the little
parlor where the tea-drinking was to
take place. He could not help think
ing of the strange aspects of life. Who
would have thought the interests of the
noble house of Carlswood would bring
him to the quiet, humble village inn?
Who would have dreamed that the
fortunes of the only daughter of that
illustrious race were to be discussed
there? He spent the evening in conver
sation: and that was how Mr. Ford
ratne to know the history so well.
CHAPTi... IX.
It seemed almost incredible to Mr.
Ford that such wonderful success
should have attended him. True Lord
Carlawood's daughter was dead, but
his granddaughter was living. The
love lie would not give to Katrine
might, and in a probability would, go
■'o Is.nay; he would he willing to do
tor his grandchild that which pride
and linger would not allow him to do
for his daughter.
Mr. Ford lamented that lsmay was
married- that was the only drawback
to his content: yet much of course,
would depend on (lie man she had mar
ried. The lawyer sighed as he thought
of the great gulf between Squire Scho
field's steward and the proud laird
Carlswood a gulf that it seemed im
possible to bridge. He could form no
Ijujoper estimate until he had seen Is
she was hopeless!) vulgar, it'
HjHpc ;n(. w ,;!i nu .
jHR. then he must leave the matter
ffitlroly to Lord Carlawood's discre
tion—he would not urge him to adopt
her.
He must see her. and then form his
Judgment; it would be more prudent
to see her ns a stranger, and not to
jjive her the least idea of what errand
he had come upon. He had taken a
cup of tea with Mrs. Hope, who im
plicitly believed that he was what he
represented himself to be, a traveling
artist; at the same time she thought
him a very curious gentleman, he
asked so many questions, and he
seemed so deeply Interested in what she
had to say of that unfortunate woman.
He cleverly drew from her a descrip
tion of Isntay's home, and then said he
should like to make a drawing of it.
“Nothing can be easier.” she told
him. “Mrs. Waldron is very amiable
and sweet-tempered: she will be
pleased to give you permission."
Ho went and was .more charmed with
Ismay than he con hi have anticipated;
her wondrous boa ut y. her grace, her
charming manner, all delighted him.
And then, too, she had a son the
lovely laughing boy he had held in his
arms, a child of whom even the proud
Lord Carlswood might be proud. He
was surprised as well as delighted.
She spoke with some refinement,
where was no vulgarity in her accent;
and yet, despite the presence of the
beautiful hoy, he was tempted to wish
again and again that she had not been
married. , ?; .
"What a sensation she would have
created! She would have made one of
the best matches in England; with that
face and figure, she would have created
a perfect furore.”
Still, though he was so marvelously
impressed ly her, he could not tell
how the Master Of Bralyn would re
ceive the news of her marriage. He
decided that he would trust to no let
ter, but would go to Bralyn himself,
and then he could tell Lord Carls
wood all.
There was missing only one link in
the evidence; he wanted to see the
locket and ring. There was no course
open to him save to tell the Vicar what
was his real errand, and he did so un
der promise of secrecy. Then Mr.
Kirdell showed him the locket. Al
though he was prepared for It, still the
sight of Lord Carjswood’s well-known
feature# did startle him —it was the
sure confirmation of all the other evi
dence.
Mr. Ford hastened back to Bralyn.
Lord Carlswood was greatly agitated.
“You say she is beautiful —so like
her mother? What were they thinking
of to let her marry so young? If that
could but be undone! What is her hus
band like?”
"He is a true - son of the people—
handsome, strong, with a fine face
and a manly figure—industrious, and
very clever, they say, at all kinds of
mechanism. His mania In invention.
He is a complete radical in politics,
believing in the rights of the workman,
and is eloquent alter a grand, rugged
fashion of his own —for he makes
speeches, and is looked upon as a lead
er In his own small circle.”
Lord Carlswood held up his hands
vith a gesture of horror.
“Enough!” he cried. “And what do
you say his calling is?”
Mr. Ford looked half puzzled.
“I can hardly tell you," he replied.
“Some people called him the Squire's
steward, others his gamekeeper—to me
he seemed to hold both offices.’
“Does his wife seem warmly attached
to him?” was the next question.
The lawyer smiled.
"1 am a better judge, my lord, of the
merits of a law case than of a lady's
affection. I suppose she loves him.
All wives love their husbands —do they
not?”
“By no means,” was the cynical re
ply. “You say the boy Is healthy and
likely to live?"
“1 am no judge of children either;
but 1 never saw a more beautiful
child. He looked strong and well.”
Then there was a silence for some
minutes; tho old lord seemed en
grossed in thought. His brows were
knit, his lips firmly closed and his
hands tightly clasped. Once a deep
sigli came from him. and then he was
silent again. He raised his eyes at
last, and looked in the lawyer’s face.
By the strangeness of the glance. Mr.
Ford felt sure that some difficult prop
osition was coming.
Lord Carlswood rose from his seat.
He went over to the mantleptece, above
which hung a portrait of Jocelyn, Lord
Carlswood, Who fought so bravely for
the Stuart king. Charles the Second.
He looked long and earnestly at the
pictured face —a dark face, full of noble
resolve, full of fire and valor—and then
he turned slowly and looked at Mr.
Ford again.
“The Carlswoods have fallen very
low during my lifetime,” he said;
"their name is sullied, their honor tar
nished. But I have not fallen so low
as to allow a man of that kind to make
his home here.
“A man of what kind?" asked Mr.
Ford in surprise.
“That low-born ill-bred radical. I
should expect ail the dead and gone
Carlswoods to rise up in wrath against
me if 1 even thought of such a tiling.’’
"Then what do you propose?” asked
the lawyer.
His lordship paused before he re
plied.
“Perhaps my plans may not meet
with your approbation,'' he said, “but
1 may tell you at once that 1 am indif
ferent about that. This is my fixed
resolve, and neither heaven or earth
shall move me from it. 1 will adopt
my daughter’s child—this bright,
beautiful Ismay. 1 will make her a
wealthy heiress. She shall have the
large fortune that was to have been
divided between nty two younger boys.
1 will adopt her son: he shall be my
heir. He shall be l.onl Carlswood of
Hralyn after me. Hut—listen to me
Ford —I do all this solely on condition
that she give up this low-bred husband
of hers and consents never to see hint
again. If site will i\ot agree, the whole
matter must end—she may remain
where she is. and 1 will And another
heir."
There was another long silence, dur
ing which the singing of the birds and
the whispering of the winds amongst
the trees could be plainly heard; and
then Mr. Ford’s voice broke the si
lence.
THE PRINCE OF WALES AT 58.
PHMM[M^jnßK3KHlHiKphf£faS|pßy/*s^nMlMp^^Wy?,
Y\ I!
The 58th birthday of the Prince of
Wales was celebrated Nov. 9. St.
Paul’s, Westminster and other chitnesof
London were pealed, the royal standard
was floated over the public buildings,
salutes were fired at Windsor, Horse
Guards' parade and at the Tower of
London. The Prince celebrated his
birthday at Sandringham, where he
entertained Lord Rosebery and other
distinguished gulsts.
It has been whispered in uninformed
circles that the Queen would surren
der her sceptre to her son, and in many
parts of England the people were pre
pared too shout, “Long live the king!"
The prince of Wales, with all his
faults, is the Idol of the people of Eng
land. He is a liberal—some say demo
crat—and he favors the granting of the
fullest political liberty to the sub
jects of the crown. At the same time
he favors the imperial growth and
consolidation of Great Britain and the
spread of her power and civilization
“It is not right, my lord,” he said,
abruptly. “Such a separation as that
is against all law human and divine —
it is against the customs of men and
the will of Heaven.’
"Nevertheless it must take place. I
will never receive the husband here.”
“Yet you would receive his child.”
“He is of my own race, but his
father is alien to it. He has noble
blood in his veins. His father has
none. He has no claim on me; nor
will l ever acknowledge one.”
“My lord,” said the lawyer, “I will
go still farther. I will speak even more
strongly. What you propose to do is
wicked. Pardon the word; it is simply
wicked, and 1 will have nothing to do
with it.”
“That is at your own option.” re
turned Lord Carlswood, haughtily,
"if you decline to manage my affairs,
there are plenty who will gladly under
take the office. My resolve is made,
and l shall not depart from it. If my
grand-daughter will give up her hus
band, and promise never to see him
again, I will receive her here; if not
wc continue strangers. Nothing will
induce me to change my resolve.”
The two gentlemen were now stand
ing facing each other, each one ex
cited and eager.
“What has the man done, my lord,
that you should seek to tempt from
him a wife he loves? It is not his
fault that she is a Carlswood. He gave
her all he had —his love, his heart, his
name; he has been proud to work for
her; he loves her. Why should you part
them? What has he done? Why should
he suffer?”
”1 have suffered myself.” said the
old lord, tremulously—“every one suf
fers.”
“How would you have felt, my lord
if any one had sought to tempt Lady
Carlswood from you?"
The Master of Rralyn held up his
line white hand with a warning ges
ture.
"You have the privilege of speaking
plainly." he said: “do not abuse it. Do
not institute comparisons; there ean
be none between such a man and my
self. It is absurd to suppose that he
would have sensitive or refined feel
ings. I have no doubt that a goodly
sum of money will make ample amends
to him for the loss of his wife. What
did you say. Mr. Ford?"
‘ I said, may Heaven pardon you my
lord?'
“Thank you." was the sarcastic re-.
turn. “The honor of my name is dearer
to me than anything on earth, besides
how dear, even you could not tell. I
should sully it If 1 offered that man a
homo here."
“You sully It far more by seeking to
part those whom God has joined. My
lord,” continued the lawyer, with pas
sionate eloquence. “I no longer wonder
throughout the world.' - The~ visit**of
| the prince to the United States in 1860
is recalled with undiminished interest
by the older residents of the large
(cities which he included in his tour.
lln the early autumn of that year the
prince reached America on the man
jof-war, Hope, landing at St. John’s,
I Newfoundland. He was accompanied
|by the duke of Newcastle, Lord St.
I Germans, General Prince and General
| Teesdale. There was tremendous en
i thusiasm tnroughout Canada. In
Quebec 60,000 people met him. He laid
corner-stones and was entertained al
most to death. President Buchanan
invited him to visit the United States.
He consented to come as Baron Ren
frew. much to the disgust of the ultra
democratic Americans. He went to
Chicago and shot prairie chickens. He
visited Boston. Philadelphia, Rich
mond and Washington. He took off
his hat beside Washington's tomb and
I planted a chestnut tree there.
at the French Revolution—l shall won
der no more at the revolt of the poor
against the rich—if these be the ways
in which the great men of the world
treat the humbler ones. If you had
two doves—two tender birds—you
would hesitate before you parted them;
but this man, with a man’s soul, keen
to suffer, with a man’s heart, full of
deep affections, you will torture, and
not even own that the torture is pain.”
Lord Carlswood smiled and no great
anger darkened his face.
"I like you none the less Ford, for
your frank speaking; there are few who
dare say so much to nie. My opinion
is still unchanged. I shall receive my
grandchild lsmay aid her son only oil
those conditions. I will leave you to
consider the matter. If you decline
the further management of my affairs
so be it, —if not, I will authorize you to
make all arrangements.”
Left by himself, the lawyer thought
the matter over.
"If 1 refuse, someone else will do
it," he said—“some one who has no in
lluence over him. and w'ho never can.
do anything for their good; I have
some little influence, and will use it
for their benefit. Let him have lsmay
and her son; his heart will soften in
time, and then I shall be able to per
suade him to receive the husband too.”
When, afterwards, laird Carlswood
came for his answer, Mr. Ford said —
“I will undertake the affair, my lord;
out let me tell you first that I do so
under protest. In my opinion the
whole thing is cruel and wicked.”
That same day he returned to Ash
burnham. He tried to comfort himself
by saying that it would all come right
in time: but his heart was heavy with
in him, he did not like his commission.
"1 must see Mrs. Waldron alone,” he
thought; “it will not be fair to her if
1 tell her before her husband. She
must have time to think It over alone.”
Once more at Ashburnham he watch
ed Paul Waldron leave his home, and
then he went to the cottage and asked
for his wife. She was looking more
j beautiful than ever, he thought She
j had been out in the garden tying up
'the roses: the perfume of the crimson
blossoms seined to linger about her,
her face was exquisite in its dainty
bloom. She smiled graciously when
she saw her visitor.
“You have returned to make the
sketch." she said; but there was no
answering smile on his face.
“I have returned,” he replied, “be
cause I want to speak to you, Mrs.
Waldron. I have something most im
portant to say to you. Can you spare
me a little time. now. at once?”
Her beautiful face grew pale with
apprehension.
“It is nothing that need frighten
you." he said. “Some people would per
haps call it good news: I shall leave
you to think of it as you will. I
should like to see you alone,” he con
tinued; and Ismay led the way to the
pretty seat under the elm-tree.
“This is my drawing-room,” she said
with a bright smile; “but I do not
know that I have received a visitor
here before.”
CAN THE BOERS DESTROY THE
SOUTH AFRICAN MINES?
I am asked whether it is possible for
the boers to destroy the gold and dia
mond mines in their country, and In
the event of such destruction of the
mines what the effect on values would
'be. The question of values is one to
be answered by an economist or a fi
nancier. For a century gold has been
quoted at $20.67 an ounce. There is a
great deal more gold in circulation
now than there was eighty or ninetv
years ago, yet the value has not
changed. However, I would prefer not
to pass an opinion on this branch of
the subject. As to the possibilities of
the boers destroying the mines, as they
threaten, I can only say that complete
destruction is not within the scope of
possibility. A portion of either the
gold or diamond mines could be ren
dered inoperative, but not the whole.
The total length of ground occupied
by the gold mines in the Johannesburg
district, for instance, is a number of
miles —thirty or forty perhaps. All me
mines in this territory are not oper
ated of course, but there are at least
enough working mines to preclude the
possibility of the boers putting the en
tire section of country, as it were, out
of commission. The mines are scat
tered over so much ground that It
would be impossible for any number
of men short of a vast army to destroy
all. Such an army no doubt could do
damage to the extent of thousands and
perhaps millions of pounds sterling,
and could incapacitate portions of
j mines for years to come; but even then
I the mines of south Africa will still be
able to continue supplying nearly one
third of the world’s gold product. To
destroy or damage a mine you must
burn it, or flood it, or blow it
up, or render its machinery use
less. These methods of destruction
would be easy in almost any other part
of the mining world, but in south
Africa they would not so easily avail.
For example, pumps, boiler plants, and
engines could be destroyed, yet the
mines in question would not be seri
ously aflood. More fortunate than
other mines the flow of water into
these is slight. Hence, the inflow cf
water would be so small that before it
could amount to a flood new pumps
could be put to work. To fire the south
African mines would be possible only
so far as the shafts are concerned. For
only in the shafts is timber used.
There is little or no timber in the boer
country. What timber there is is pre
cious. The great expense of support
ing the roofs of the excavated parts,
therefore, is overcome by making the
mines self-supporting—that is. by sup
porting the roofs by columns of ore,
instead of a labyrinth of timFers.
Hence, the only way the boers can even
hope to damage the mines is to attempt
to fire the timbered shafts or to destroy
the hoisting machinery. I have al
ready Intimated that because of the
vast area covered the blowing-up pro
cess would only be like the flea biting
the lion. Meanwhile, the mines are
owned and managed principally by
Englishmen, Americans and Germans.
The white men. the skilled laborers
employed by these companies, will be
loyar to their employers and will de
fend their property. The Kaffirs, of
course, could not be depended upon.
At the first sign of the hostile boers’
approach they would scurry off. To
sum up. when the borrs set about de
vising ways and means for carrying
out their intentions of destroying the
greatest gold mines in the world they
will find they are attempting the im
possible.
SOME ROTUND GENIUSES.
Theophile Gautier remarked that
Victor Hugo, in his quality of the sov
ereign prince of French romantic po
etry, should be (if the ordinary opin
ion as to poets were correct) angular,
with light or dark hair, and pink com
plexion. The world and an overcoat
could hardly contain the glory of Vic
tor Hugo’s stomach. He burst his but
ton hand every day, and as for buttons
in front they were snapped off contin
ually. Victor Hugo’s embonpoint was
most richly deserved, for his plate was
a maximum compositum of veal cut
lets. lima beans and oil, roast beef and
tomato sauce, omelets, milk and vine
gar. mustard and cheese, which no
swallowed rapidly and in immense
amounts while drinking coffee.
Rossini had not been able to see his
feet over his abdomen for six years ere
his death. He was a hippopotamus in
trousers. Jules Janin would break
down an lsth century sofa on which
he might happen to sit. The African
ism of Alexandre Dumas’ passions did
not prevent the author of “The Three
Guardsmen" from being very plump.
He ate three beefsteaks where any
other fat man ate one Sainte-Renv
saw his abdomen bulge out under his
goatee. The most fertile of all French
romancers. Balzac, looked more like a
hogshead than a man. Three ordinary
persons stretching hands could not
reach around his waist. Dr. Eugene
Sue. author of the “Mysteries of Paris,"
was greatly grieved when he could no
longer see over his stomach. Theoph’l
Gautier also merited a place among
obese literary gods; Renan, Maupas
sant. Flaubert and Sarcev were also to
be there classed.—Humanitarian.
Admiral Dewey will transfer to his
wife the title to the home given aim
by the American people. Admiral and
Mrs Dewey returned to Washington.
FACTS OUT OF THE ORDINARY.
But Highly Interesting Just the
Same.
The Michigan Central railroad com
pany Is improving and strengthening
its great cantilever bridge across the
Niagara river at Niagara falls, and In
order to get at the facts of the river’s
depth beneath the bridge Assistant
Enginee: W. C. Duncan and F. C. Shen
euan, United States engineer in charge
of the Niagara river and of the late
survey at Buffalo, recently made
soundings from the bridge. Those fa
miliar with the Niagara locality know
that the cantilever bridge is situated
just above the whirlpool rapids, and
that beneath it the current is very
swift. This rapid current made neces
sary the use of unusual methods to as
certain the depth. In the tests referred
to heavy weights were used. These
weights were made of cast iron and
were shaped something like an egg,
supporting a long fin in the rear. This
fin was to keep the sinkers or weights
from twisting when in the rapid cur
rent, and thus breaking the wire. The
wire attached to the weights was of
the finest tempered steel, and although
it was only about an eighth of an inch
in diameter it was warranted to sup
port a weight of 2,400 pounds. One of
the weights used weighed 600 pounds
and the other 150 pounds. They were
lowered from the bridge at midstream,
and, striking bottom, it was ascer
tained that the depth of the water was
seventy-eight feet. The weights were
raised and then lowered again, and
they were lost, making in all four such
weights at the bottom of the river, for
others had been lost in previous test3
in former years. Another weight was
attached to the wire and lowered about
100 feet out from the shore, when it
was found that the depth of water
there is forty-three feet. By means of
such soundings the Michigan Central is
able to make accurate maps of the
river at the point of crossing, and in
this case it is especially valuable be
cause of the fact that the cantilever
bridge abutments are located close to
the water’s edge on both sides of the
stream.
Bacteriology has shown how human
ity may count alike upon friends and
foes among the myriads of bacteria
known to us. Now it has been found
that bacteria serve even as engineers
who can perform stupendous work
when associated in myriads so long as
they are placed under a favorable en
vironment. The disposal of sewage by
purely bacterial agencies, which under
suitable conditions convert an offen
sive material into simpler and innocu
ous materials, is perhaps the best case
in point. But the disintegrating action
of bacteria, though perhaps an indirect
one, must, according to recent obser
vations, be reckoned with as a source
of mischief. At first sight it would
seem hardly possible for bacteria to be
concerned in the breaking down of a
stone wall, yet this is the ease, accord
ing io observations made in studying
the cause of the decay of cement. The
gradual disintegration of the cement
mortar used in water-supply reservoirs
is one of the serious troubles met with
by water engineers, and a trouble
which so far they have not been able
to avoid with any measure of practical
success. Hitherto this action was sup
posed to be the result of the solvent
property of carbonic acid and other
mineral substances commonly present
in a water supply. The cement grad
ually disintegrates and becomes a kind
of mud. which slowly detaches itself.
But now it has been found this strange
process is due to the action of none
other than that bacterium known as
the nitrifying organism. An examina
tion of the mud shows it to be teem
ing with these organisms.
Emperor William of Germany will
have a stable for his horses which will
cost $2,000,000. It will be the finest in
the world. Its length along the Spree
river will be three “short blocks” in
New York. It will have room for 270
horses, room for 300 vehicles and two
great tanbark riding rings. The sta
bles will be two stories high, with el
evators and inclined planes. The car
riage room, of equal height, has a bal
cony for visitors at the level of the
second story. It will take three vears
to build the stable and it will be nner
than that of any other reigning mon
arch. If the czar of Russia wanted to
surpass his dear brother William, he
would only need to spend a quarter
of his income for one year—sl2,ooo,ooo
—to do it.
By counting the number of seconds
in the interval between lightning and
thunder it is possible to figure approx
imately how far from the observer is
the scene of the storm. Sound travels
1,200 feet a second, so multiply the
number of seconds by 1,200, which will
give the distance in feet from the point
wher the lightning flashed. For ex
ample. if ten seconds have elapsed, the
distance away will be 12,000 feet, or a
little over two miles. It might be
added that, as light and lightning
travel so much faster than sound, if
one survives after hearing the crashing
peal he can be sure he is safe. Re
membrance of this will dissipate fear.
Thunder can be heard a relatively
short distance only. Strone cannon
ading can be heard as far off as sev
enty-five miles, while thunder Is us
ually not farther aw r ay than twelve
or fifteen miles. In only exceptional
instances does the interval between
thunder and lightning amount to 100
seconds, so that the extreme distance
at which thunder can be heard may be
put down as about twenty-one miles.
"Trailing gowns should never be
worn on the street, my dear; they are
intended for women who ride in car
riages.”
“Well. Jack, you know very well
that It isn’t my fault that I haven’t a
carriage.”