The Adair County news. [volume], November 05, 1913, Page 2, Image 2

About The Adair County news. [volume] (Columbia, Ky.) 1897-1987

Image provided by: University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY

                
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THE MIRROR .
A Story For Allhallow Eve
By ADELAIDE BURNHAM
Edward Dix was a sportsman from
.the crown of his head to the tip of his
great toe. One October evening, when
he had been hunting In the woods all
day, he came to a little lake nestling
among the hills, its surface covered
,with fallen leaves of every color from
the lightest yellow hue to the deepest
crimson. And looking down a valley
he saw a landscape that filled him with
delight
"What a place for a summer cot
tage!" he exclaimed. "Some day I'm
going to build one here."
And he did. Now, I'm going to tell
you how he came to carry out what
flvas but a thought
Looking to his right, he saw the deep
red of a brick chimney against brown
limbs of trees. He knew that where
there was a chimney there must be
a house and started to go and make
an Investigation. He came upon a
.very pretty cottage, with a broad piaz
za around it a Queen Anne roof and
dainty windows.
"And I'm jinged if I don't build a
match to that" he added to his first
assertion.
There was not a living thing In or
near the cottage, and it was evident
that it was Intended only for summer
use. Mr. Dix went up on the piazza
and looked into the living room
tli' i window. The apartment
. ....ed cottage furniture, but the
iriiief attraction was a large fireplace.
"I've a good mind to sleep there to
night," he said to himself and tried the
window to see if it were securely lock
ed. It was, but Mr. Dix hunted for a
place of ingress as energetically as he
had hunted for game and found one by
getting on the piazza roof a window
not well secured. Going downstairs,
he opened a door from the inside, ad
mitting him to the wood house, and In
a few minutes had a fire blazing on the
hearth. Then he settled himself down
In an easy chair before It and, look
ing at his reflection in a mirror on the
mantel opposite him, he remarked:
"Tour comfort is only equaled by
your assurance."
And straightway he fell asleep.
Now. It happened that this was
Halloween, and a party of girls were
coming to spend it at this very cot
tage. Flora Stebblns, a daughter of
the owner, was the hostess, and the
others were her guests. Mr. Dix went
to sleep about dark, which comes early
at the last of October, and the young
Tadios arrived about S o'clock.
"My goodness gracious!" exclaimed
Miss Stebblns "There's some kind of
a light Inside. It looks as if there
were a fire on the hearth. Walt a min
ute till I reconnoiter." She went to a
window and saw the slumbering Mr.
Dix sitting before a fire that was still
blazing merrily. She beckoned to the
others. They came and saw the same
sight
"Girls," said Flora, "there is the best
chance to celebrate Allhallow eve 1
ever heard ot Let one of us go in
stealthily, make just enough sound to
waken him so that he'll see her reflec
tion in the mirror on the mantel and
get away before he can catch her."
The idea was eagerly caught upon,
and Flora was urged to play the part.
The others returned to the vehicle that
had brought them and waited for the
play to be over and her to join them
in a retreat
Mr. Dix was awakened by the fall
ing of some article behind him and.
opening his eyes, saw a girl's face re
flected in a mirror before him. But
only for an instant If he had been
wide awake he would doubtless have
arisen from his chair immediately anil
made an investigation. As it was. he
delayed just long enough to allow the
conspirators to make good their es
cape. He did not even hear the sound
of wheels, for the carriage had gone
far enough to prevent that Flora get
ting into It near the gate.
When Mr. Dix got fairly around he
did what he would have been expected
to do. He went to the hall and out
through the front door. He encoun
tered nothing, and all he heard was a
instant sound of laughter, but so dis
tant that he was not sure whether It
was or was not laughter. He was
very much puzzled.
Mr. Dix had a job of hunting on his
bands far different from following up
game. He was a methodical chap and
began by learning to whom the cottage
belonged. Then he went to the winter
residence of its owner ostensibly to
peddle books. He could not be driven
away until he had caught sight of
Flora Stebblns, whom he at once recog
nized as the reality of the image he
had seen In the mirror on Allhallow
r& She recognized him, but pretend
ed ignorance of him.
"You are my fate," he said. "I saw
four face In a mirror on what I have
since learned was Allhallow eve. It
will be useless for you to attempt to
escape the husband that"
"Nonsense!" she exclaimed, blushing
. very red. "It was you who saw my face
tin the glass, not I who saw yours. All
'hallow eve does not count for men."
But it did count for then and there,
or rather on Allhallow eve, commenced
n courtship which ended, if it ended at
all, with marriage. And when It be
came evident that the Dix family need
eaa summer cottage of their own Ed
ward Dix built an exact replica of the
fne owned by his father-in-law. But
one article of furniture that was In
the latter has been removed to the
former the looking glass In which Mr.
Dix's fate was revealed to him.
FOR THE CHILDREN
About Queer Birds.
One of the most singular of birds
is the chanting hawk. The sexes pair
for life. During incubation the male
turns musician and sings by day and
night Each strain occupies about a
minute, when he pauses for a time,
then begins again. He is so absorbed
while singing that he may be ap
proached, though at other times ex
ceedingly shy.
Levaillant having killed a male bird,
the female searched for him on all
sides, uttering piteous cries. In an
other case, having killed a female, .the
husband mounted to the tops of the
trees and poured out a mingled strain
of lamentation ifnd defiance.
The crowned eagle of Brazil is said
to be the only bird that ventures to
dine on skunks. It devours the arnui
dillos, breaking their shells by carry
ing them high in the air and letting
them fall upon the earth.
When flying, the buffoon eagle has
the appearance of a bird with the tail
cut off. Its name is given from its
habit of tubling like a buffoon in the
air.
The condor has been known to soar
to an elevation almost six times great
er than that at which the clouds are
ordinarily suspended over our heads.
A Fox Tragedy.
On one of the large estates in Hing
ham, England, a few weeks ago a fox
was found to be destroying poultry.
The time of the raids and their bold
ness were proof enough that the fox
must be a female with young. Poison
ed meat was prepared for her, and at
once the raids ceased. A few days
later one of the workmen of the estate
came upon the den of a fox, at the
mouth of which lay dead a whole litter
of young ones. They had been poison
ed. The mother had not eaten the doc
tored food herself, but had carried it
home to her family. They must have
died in the burrow, for it was evident
from the signs that she had dragged
them out into the fresh air to revive
them and deposited them gently on the
sand by the hole. Then in her perplex
ity she had brought various tidbits of
mouse and bird and rabbit and placed
at their noses to tempt them to wake
up out of their strange sleep and eat
as hungry children ought to eat. Who
knows how long she watched beside
the still forms and what her emotions
were? She must have left the neigh
borhood soon after, however, for no
one has seen her since about the es
tateAtlantic Monthly.
A Plant's Drink.
When we cut flowers we put them
in water to keep them fresh. Like
human beings, they can exist for long
periods on water alone, as the liquid
forms a considerable portion of their
bulk. The drinking capabilities of
plants vary a great deal, and at a re
cent scientific exhibition held at Sur
biton, England, some ingenious de
vices were shown to register the dif
ferent actions of plant life. The ap
paratus consists of a twin glass tube
with a coiled formation at the base.
The flower is placed through a cork
into the water in the upper end of
the branch tube, and the lower end,
which is inserted in a vessel filled
with water, is lifted out and replaced,
thus allowing an air bubble to enter
the tube. As the plant drinks the wa
ter the bubble is forced along the
coiled glass tube as fresh water enters
behind it, and the amount taken by
the flower is, of course, the quantity
behind the air globe.
Conundrums.
What is it that we often tell others
to do and cannot do ourselves? Stop
a minute.
What contains more feet in winter
than in summer? An ice skating rink.
Why is an egg like a colt? Because
it isn't fit for use until it is broken.
What part of a fish is like the end
of a book? The fin-is.
Why does(a puss purr? For an ob
vious pur-pose.
When is a wall like a fish? When
it is scaled.
What is the difference between a
dollar bill and a silver half dollar?
Fifty cents, you boob.
What is the best thing to do in a
hurry? Nothing.
What is a put up job? Wall paper.
The Lone Fisherman.
This is a variation of the donkey
party. A square of muslin upon which
is drawn or pasted a fisherman with
rod and line in hand is fastened against
the wall at one side of the room.
A fish made of crape paper, with a
pin stuck through Its gills, is given to
each player, and one by one they are
blindfolded and told to attach the fish
to the hook on the fisherman's line.
The one who comes nearest to doing
this receives a prize.
Word Puzzle.
A word of four letters signifies some
thing made of glass. With seven dif
ferent Initials in succession, make a
weather indicator, a country road, trou
ble, something used by the lame, part
of a lion, a temple, an Inhabitant of
E European country.
Answer. Pane, vane, lane, bane,
cane1, mane, fane, Dane.
The Rabbit
There was a little rabbit sprig,
Which, being little, was not big.
He always -walked upon his feet
And never lasted when he eat
When from a place he ran away
i He never at that place did stay,
,' And when he ran, as I am told,
-- He ne'er stood still for young or old.
v
Transporting a
Fortune
By MILLARD MALTBIE
How I found the celebrated Impera
tor diamond does not pertain especial
ly to this story, but where I found it
is important, for my effort to get it
away from the region where it had
Iain ever since a lump of pure carbon
was crystallized and became a gem as
big as a walnut is what I am going to
tell you about. When I was a young
ster I ran away from home and a few
weeks later found myself in the prov
ince of Minas Geraes, in Brazil, where
the diamond mines are. I worked in
the mines for five years and couldn't
very well do that without learning
something about diamonds.
One Sunday I was out on a tramp
and, stopping to rest, noticed near me
a stone that it struck me looked like a
diamond in the rough. I took it up to
examine it and found it exactly like
the uncut stones I had dug up for the
diamond company, only I had never
seen one half the size. I was a good
deal upset for if the thing was a dia
mond I was rich.
But, as I have said, it was the get
ting away with It that I'm going to tell
about It was a diamond, sure enough,
and one of the big ones of the world.
While I was looking at it Jim Stivers
came up, and I was fool enough to let
him see it. He knew right off that it
was worth the biggest part of a mil
lion dollars, and a stone like that is
a great temptation for any one. He
congratulated me on my find and be
gan at once to plot to get it from me.
Jim had more sense than I in this.
He didn't tell any one about my hav
ing it except three men whom he used
to get It away from me. He knew I
would go to Rio with It, and his plan
was to have me waylaid and the stone
captured.
Of course I didn't know just what
he would do, but I did know that once
I got out of the region of law and or
derin other words, off by myself
somebody would try for my property
I concluded to endeavor to fool who
ever suspected I had it with me by
playing a part The plan I adopted
was this: I found a countryman who
was going down with a load of wood
and told him I would go with him. He
said he was agreeable, and 1 slept the
night before we started near his
wagon, which was already loaded.
During the night I took one of the
logs one that I would recognize easily
and, boring a big hole in it under a
piece of loose bark, put my diamond in
It Then, plugging up the hole, I let
down the bark, first putting a little
glue between it and the wood to hold
it in place. Then I threw the log back
on to the load.
We started early In the morning, and
I, not wishing to be identified with the
woodman, at times kept in his rpur
and at times in advance of him. At
though I hadn't told any one I was
going on the trip. I found the road
picketed. I passed a man who looked
at me searchingly. and it wasn't lonu
before, hearing footsteps behind me, I
turned and saw him coming with two
others. They caught up with me. and
one of them, who knew me by sit;ht.
said. "That's the man." and. address
ing me, added:
"Young feller, the diamond company
has missed a valuable uncut stone
and. having been informed that it is in
your possession, has sent us to de
mand it of you Please hand it out."
"I haven't any diamond," 'I replied.
"I'm as poor as poverty and don't know
where I shall get a bite to eat"
They didn't waste any words, but
two of them held tue while the third
went through my pockets, my bair.
my beard indeed, every part of me
Then lie took off my clothes. leaving
me stark naked, and ex.aruined every
seam, every Inch of cloth, even hold
ing them up and looking through them
to tue light
"I reckon he has either sent it on
ahead or left it behind to come later,'
uid the man who had done the search
iug All would have gone well had
not the woodcutter's wagon come
lumbering down the road and he bad
to ask me in a familiar way what my
appearing in my birthday clothes
meant The men pricked up their ears
at this and asked him if he knew me.
and he told them that we were fellow
travelers.
He got a thorough searching for his
pains, the men thinking that he was
carrying the gem for me. Then the
examined the horses, the harness, the
wagon, looking even Into the hubs of
the wheels. One of them suggested
that what they were looking for might
be between the logs of wood, and
they threw every log off on to the road,
carefully watching for the diamond
between them.
But It was of no use. The stone was
not to be found.
They didn't like to give it up: but.
believing that I had conveyed the
treasure by some other method, they
finally concluded to do so. They had
instructions from Stivers not to hurt
me. If they could get the diamond
! they were to do so. but they were not
to commit murder or make a case
against those implicated in the at
tempted robbery. So I was allowed
to proceed.
When we reached Rio I took the log
in which I had hidden the diamond off
the load, paid the woodman for it and.
putting it on my shoulder, went away
with It
I sailed for Amsterdam, that I might
get my stone cut, and when it was in
proper condition sold' It for $650,000 to
a Hanoverian prince.
His Blunder
By GREGORY GIBSON
Woolcott during the summer met
Miss Martlndale and did a lot of spoon
ing, with the usual result However,
the affair was not brought to a finish,
and Woolcott was obliged to take a
thousand mile trip for the purpose of
making a proposition. He was pre
paring to do so when the lady wrote
him' that she would be at M. short
ly and would be happy to receive him
there. Since M. was some 900 miles
nearer than her residence, Woolcott
concluded to see her there instead.
Miss Martindale wrote that she
would be at the Cliffs, meaning that
she would visit a family of that name.
Woolcott took this to mean that she
would stop at a hotel. On alighting at
the station he asked a man who was
in a hurry where he could find the
Cliffs. The man pointed to a hand
some house on a hill near by. He
found the baggage agent and, pointing
to the house, told him to send his
trunk there; then he set off to walk the
distance. On arriving he opened the
front door, entered a spacious hallway
and saw a gentleman reading a news
paper before an open fireplace.
"The Cliffs, I believe?" said Woolcott
The gentleman looked up at him
over a pair of glasses, somewhat sur
prised, and replied in the affirmative.
"Are you the landlord?" asked Wool
cott A twinkle came into the gentleman's
eye, and he replied that he was the
proprietor.
"I would like a room in your house
for a few days," continued the travel
er. "Have you a young lady staying
with you of the name of Martindale?"
A light seemed to break in upon the
gentleman's brain. "Miss Florence
Martindale? Certainly. She arrived
a few days ago. But she's out in an
auto just now. She will not return till
late tonight Be seated and I'll call a
servant to show you to a room."
Howard Cliff, banker, entertaining a
few friends at his country residence,
had sent them off in his car, remaining
at home himself. He went himself for
the butler, instead of ringing for him,
to tell him to show a gentleman to his
room who supposed he was in a ho
tel and who was not to be told he was
In a private house. Then Mr. Cliff re
turned to the guest, followed by the
butler, who took him upstairs. While
Woolcott was making a toilet his bag
gage arrived and was sent up to him.
When he came downstairs he found
Mr. Cliff in the library.
"We have very few guests at pres
ent," said the supposed landlord. "You
see, ours is a summer house, and we
shall close up for the winter within a
few days or a week. It depends upon
how long 1 can keep those who are
now with me. You will have to dine
alone, for all have gone on the auto
party."
"I don't like that." said Woolcott.
"If you are alone may we not dine
together?"
"Certainly."
"What wine have you?"
Mr. Cliff mentioned several kinds of
wine, and his guest selected cham
pagne He asked for u wine card, but
the host told him it was nniiece.sary
Woolcott regaled his host with one bot
tle and called for another. The dinner
was delightfully served, and altogether
Woolcott found the landlord a very
agreeable companion Judging by the
number of foreign places he was ta
miliar with. Woolcott thought that he
must have kept hotels all ovei the
world. Mr. Cliff suggested that, since
the auto party would not return till
late, perhaps Woolcott would not sit
up for them. Since the latter did not
relish a meeting with the lady to whom
he had come to propose before others
he said he thought he wou'd go to bed
When he went down to urea'.iast in
the morning he met a genial party,
every one of whom had been coached
with regard to his reception Mis'.
Martindale had been horrified at the
blunder he had made. She had ex
pected him to stop at a hotel and rail
upon her at her friend's. But Mr "Jill
pleaded with her to permit her trieud
to remain in ignorance of the situation
temporarily and continue to be enter
tained by the Cliff family
Miss Martindale advanced with a
smile, not unmingled with embarrass
ment, but refrained from mentioning
the mistake. All sat down together to
breakfast, and Woolcott thought what
a charming place It would be for him to
make his proposal.
He had ample opportunity, for the
members of the family kept out of the
couple's way, having some suspicion of
the young man's errand. During, the
afternoon the two took a long walk
and when they came back Woolcoti
looked very proud" of himself. At din
ner he remarked to Mrs. Cliff that he
had never before stepped at so charm
Ing a hotel.
"Hotel!" exclaimed the lady, feign
ing surprise. j v
"Mr. Woolcott," said the host "1 have
to thank you for making a mistake in
taking my house for a hotel. Had you
not done so I should not have had the
pleasure of entertaining you."
Woolcott saw by the looks of those
present, especially his fiancee, that he
had blundered, but both host and host
ess came to the rescue, and It was not
long before he was feeling quite at-J
home and laughing with the rest over
his mistake. But it is not to be ex
pected of a man who has won the girl
he wants that he will mind a little'
Special
All Persons Who Are Behind
One Year on our Subscrip
tion Books
Will have to Come off, Under
the Law, if not Paid at once
The Government
Not carry
Mail for Parties who Owe
More than one Year
The Louisville
And
Adair County News
One Year Each
For S3.00
This offer will hold good for only a short
time. If you want to keep posted in poli
tics and current events, subscribe now.
Come, bring or send jour subscriptions to
this office.
Value of the Wireless.
To wireless telegraphy more
than 500 passengers on the ill
fated Volturno owe their lives.
The call "S. 0. S." sentoutfrom
that burning vessel was answer
ed by 11 trans-Atlantic steam
ships which hastened to the
szene of the disaster, and did re
markable rescue work under ad
verse weather conditions. Had
the Volturno not been equipped
with wireless it is probable that
not one of these ship3 would have
raached her in time to save one
of the 657 souls aboard her.
Wireless telegraphy has before
been the agency through which
lives and property have been
saved, yet its usefulness is not
confined wholly to such emergen
cies. In a large measure it is
the complement of the search
light, with which all ocean steam
ers are now equipped. The
I searchlight lights the path of the
swiftly moving steamship and
V
warns nearby craft of its pres
Notice
Papers in the
Daily Herald
the
S5S
ence. The wireless reaches out
beyond the rays of the search
light, keeping the vessel in touch
with scores of other ship3 in the
same ocean pathway, and with
land stations, so that a vessel is
always in communication not on
ly with other vessels, but with
the shore. A recent experiment
with the wireless has shown that
it is capable of transmitting mes
sages from continent to conti
nent. The ultimate possililities of the
wireless have not been reaceed.
The invention is still in its infan
cy. New experiments are con
stantly being made with remark
able results. The time will prob
ably come when the movements
of all ocean-going steamers will
be fully directed from land, just
as railroad trains are dispatched
from some central point. When
this time comes there will be
practically no danger from collis
ion, and accidents will be re
duced to explosion, fire and oth
er extraordinary causes. The ul
timate value of the wireless is
really inestimable. The Grit.
nil
V
thing like that
gli.
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