Ceredo advance. [volume], December 24, 1913, Image 6

About Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939

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A. STORY OF THE
FREEING OF CUBA/
Layrrence Perry
oX #Ti_M__** -T» '
Pf —s
Illustration* ty
. , - , EIIitwotrthY^urw^
Anfltor of *RmMarrt(lie,*r"“IVlnff or Qurnffcur^etc. ) ✓—f '■»)
V > ' .._V. - /Y }i
copi R'oht. a.cm'civjiu* t* co i«» - corvvichtiu rm ctr*tiTfait,'W|/
SYNOPSIS.
X.teutenant FToitun Is rlrtacM from his
Emimnnd In the navy at the outs*-’ of the
punish-American war nd as sne<l to
nportant secret service duty. While <lln
lmc at a WashlriKton hotel he detects n
wolter In the act of robbing a beautiful
ToutiK lady. She thanks bin. for his serv
ice and nives her name as Mss I -a Toaaa.
* i trlot i i • ■ • e ta her at
a ball. A sik'ret service man warns Hol
ton that the clrl Is a sto. Scnor I^n
Tossu chides his daughter for her failure
to set ure Important Information from
lolton. Slie leaves for her hotr/ Ir
Mml Hi I ton Is ord • ’ to f illow Het
|e> n bn pa train. Miss
I ’ . ■ • -s a Cuba
and expresses doubt regarding the
Tceritv of the Cuffed States. Holton Is
dt-rod to reii^«a In Tampa to guard the
p transp
CHAPTER V.—Continued.
pagrjfled. ami Holton, with a
Uaug/n, strolled over to the
■■ s k
is this man Rodriguez who
peremptory messages to guests
hotel?” he Inquired
curious duffer,” was the reply,
tich as get out, and very exclusive.
He very seldom comes out of h\s room.
Did he send for you?”
“Yes. he did me the honor. By the
way. I wish you’d have my Junk taken
from my room and put abroad the
Gnat; will you?”
"Certainly, sir.” Having given the
order. Holton paid his bill, and was
about to go down to his boat when a
npgro tapped him on the arm.
Holton turned suddenly, his nose al
most colliding with a note which the
man held out almost at arm's length.
“This for me?" he asked.
“Ya-as, suh.”
Holton took it, broke open the enve
lope, and glanced hastily over the
contents. Then, with a frown, he
turned to a boy.
' 'Say. youngster." he commanded,
“take me right up to Mr. Rodriguez’s
room, will you?”
On reaching the third floor, the boy
led the way down the hall, stopping
before a door at the end of the corri
dor.
Mere it is. sir."
"All right.” > Holton gave the lad a
coin and rattled his knuckles against
the panel.
The door was opened by an intelli
gent-appearing Cuban, who conducted
the caller Into a luxuriously furnished
reception-room and asked him to sit
down. Soon a door opened and a tall,
sallow man. handsome in a languid
Lati^ way, confronted him.
"Ah, Senor Holton. You honor me,"
he murmured.
"Then you are Mr. Rodriguez?”
asked Holton abruptly.
"Yes. yes.” responded the man. who
was clad In a well-made suit of crash
with a crimson sash about his waist.
“I repeat. I am flattered at your visit.”
“I am glad of that.” Holton re
joined stiffly; ”but I come in response
to a note stating that matters of in
terest to a Mlss La Tossa were press
ing. \\ ill you do me the kindness to
enljghten me as to the manner In
& <3
A Ne^ro Tapped Him on the Arm.
which my a< <, aintance with Miss f^a
Tonga »M« r< > you?"
'J hf Spaniard bowed "You are di
rect- like all Americans," ho said
"Well, be it bo.”
He took from a tablo a bottle of
▼er% rar* i« lo Oloroto, and poured
a little In a ,;lan* n<> pushed It
toward Holton.
I drink, he said, smilingly bril
liantly, to Mibb Ln Toasa. and may
•he have a ra<»»t comfort* ile trip on
the flnat.”
Holton left his gla«s pojMd
"What on earth are you talking
aboutl he cried.
"MiBB La Tossa, os you know,” the
Spaniard said, "is in Tampa."
“Ye*. I know that," said Holton.
"She came down on my train."
"It le nqt good for her to be here."
"The climate?” queried Holton, die
Ingenuously,
"No. not tha cllinnts," was the rc
ply, so sharp and so spirited, so much
in contrast to Rodriguez's previous
manner of speech that the naval offi
cer started. "Not the climate. She
is engaged in activities here that your
government regards as most perni
cious."
\ cs, and your own government?”
came back Holton.
My government,” Rcdiiguez mulled
genially, ‘hej.penB to be your govern
So saying, ho handed Holton a pa
per which, as the officer read it, con
vinced him beyond question or cavil
that Senor Rodriguez was none other
than an attache of the I'nited States
State Department, whose name was
anathema to every Spaniurd or loyal
Cuban.
He was, in sooth, none other than
Ramon del Rey, a spy, with headquar
ters in Washington, who, although a
naturalized American, had done more
effective, if unobtrusive, work for
Cuba Libre than most other Cuban
patriots rolled into one.
Holton rose and, with a smile of
: genuine pleasure, thrust out his hand.
[' "I have heard of you'" ho said; "and
I'm glad to know you.”
“Thank you. 1, too. have heard of
you. But to business. Miss La Tossa
must not stay here, and yet her re
moval must be brought about quietly,
for various reasons. It is best that
Miss La Tossa be transported at once
to Cuba on the Gnat, very quietly and
unostentatiously, where agents of mine
will meet her and conduct her to her
estate in the province of Santiago.
Once there, I promise you she’ll not
leave in a hurry. Your orders will
come to you from Washington within a
very few hours. In the meantime I
suggest you have everything ready.”
"I see—and Miss 1-a Tossa?”
‘.Miss I^a Tossa will be escorted
aboard the Gnat at seven o’clock pre
cisely, and now 1 bid you good day
and thank you.”
"Thank you,” and Holton left, won
dering if the man realized all he was
thanking him for.
He lost no time in making his way
to the Gnat, where he astonished
Conroy and Howard by summoning
them to the cabin
"Is there any way,” he said, “in
which this room can be made more
comfortable for a young lady?"
Neither of the two men spoke, re
| gard;ng Holton with open-mouthed as
tonishment.
“It’s this way," smiled Holton, "the
j Gnat’s been ordered to take a young
j Cuban woman over to Cuba, and—and
I want her to bo comfortable.”
The faces of the two men radiated
! curiosity, but Holton said nothing fur
I flier to enlighten them.
Promptly at seven o'clock that
| evening a closed carriage drove rap
idly (low i) the long wharf and stopped
abreast the gangway leading to the
| Gnat. The door was flung open, and
! del Hey and an American, their arms
j linked through those of Miss La Tossa.
j descended and without a word walked
I down the plank aifil a board the tor
pedo boat.
Holton met them by the conning
tov.f r and lifted his cap.
"How do you do. Miss La Tosea?”
1 he said, smilifig in greeting.
She flashed a vague look at him, and
| lowered her eyes without speaking.
Del Hey bowed in a courtly man
j ner to the girl. “I trust you will have
a pb-asant voyage, and I beg to apol
ogize for my seeming rudeness."
'1 be captive deigned no reply, and
; turned her back as the two men re
traced their steps up the gangway,
j A few minutes later the diminutive
; warship was churning her way out
I through the bay.
Holton turned to the girl. who stood
disconsolately, viewing the receding
shore.
“I am sorry, Miss l,a Tossa, but you
will recognize, of course, that I am
doing nothing but obeying orders,
which are to Hoe t.hfit you are very
comfortable and agreeably enter
tained until you re ach Cuba "
She evidently had determined not
to talk to her raptor, but changed her
I rnind with womanlike suddenness.
"! shall thank you If | am com*
j fortable, hu* I shtill thank you still
J more If you give over any Idea of
entertaining me. You may be sure
' that the ],.gs i s> e of you the |>< tt< r I
j shall be pleased ”
If you will follow* rne Miss 1m
Tossa,” he said, with sudden stiffen*
ing of manner, "I'll show you your
! cabin.”
fhe dttrk c:\rnn rolling across the
sea. It. was ;i wonderful night, a n'ght
J spangled with constellations and undu
lating black velvet wat rs, which
picked up the little torpedo craft hold
I !ng h»T high and then sending tier
f.l'dlnf fib ntly down long in'lit.r .-, at
'he lioitom of which slit) Ri-emrd to
I nestle a moment before her screw
kicked her uf another quivering hill.
fi°me fln.e later the lights of cmft
I "I’^h had be n following astern o* he
l *»r»at began to creep dox-r and e|o , r
aboard, and dark cloud* of smoke; bil
lowing from three squat funnel*, f.
I .» d o«t the uortheasterr horizon.
Holton saw the vessel, too, and eas
ily recognized her as a torpedo boat
destroyer. His only doubt was as to
her nationality.
This was speedily settled, for sud
denly Ardois lights began to blink
from the bridge. Interpreting which
Holton learned that the destroyer
Hainbridge wished to speak to the
Gnat.
In a few minutes the Hainbridge
swished up and the sharp voice of
Lieutenant-Commander Jameson sound
ed from the bridge.
"On board the Gnat!”
"Aye, Aye!” yelled Horton.
There followed a silence which last
ed until tho destroyer slid her high,
sharp bow and conienl forward deck
alongside the little torpedo boat.
Jameson jumped aboard and after re
turning Holton's saluto he said for
mally:
"1 have orders to take a Miss La
Tossa from the Gnat and land her
at—well, never mind where.”
“Very good, sir. Any orders for
me?"
"Yes, here they are.” Jameson took
‘*1 Am Quite Happy at My Change of
Prisons.”
an envelope from his overcoat-pocket
and handed it to Holton. “Now, then.
I'll take the girl.”
But the girl, in fact, did not wait
to be taken. She stepped forward
most gracefully, and addressing Jame
son, said:
"I am ready; I ant quite happy at
my change of prisons and my shift of
jailers.”
“Ha, ha!" laughed tho prosaic
Janmson. nudging Holton in the ribs,
and offering his arm to the girl who
walked up a small ladder to the deck
of the destroyer without so much as
! a glance at Holton.
With a blast of her siren tho Bain
j bridge shot on her way to Cuba, while
the Gnat made a long sweep and
turned upon her course.
While this maneuver was in prog
ress Holton, still flushing with vexa
; tion. ripped open the envelope and
read the latest phase of what he had
coine to regard r.s a game of battle
dore and shuttlecock.
Shorn of technical verbiage, the or
ders which were signed by Hie new
assistant secretary, Allen, instructed
Holton to lose h mself and the (Jnat
among the small Isolated keys of the
coast until such rime as the transports
j were gathered at Port Tampa, when
he was then to guard them from night
attacks which might come sneaking
in under cover of the darkness from
, seaward.
CHAPTER VI.
Action Indeed,
Holton s orders were to keep himself
nml the Gnat hidden, and this he did
bo effectually that to all intents and
purposes ho might just as well have
gone down with his little craft and ,
crew in Nicholas Channel.
At length, when hu had begun tc
think he was immured for life in Lb If |
blazing little byway, came the welcome
orders to proceed to Fort Tampa,
there to carry out instructions already
in his possession, namely, the protec
! tion of transports from attack by wa
ter. With light hearts the three men
got their craft under way, ran up the !
bay. and in good time drew In under
the counter of a steamship, lying near
the end of the long slip.
It was as though a magician's wand i
had been waved over the port. Along
the slip lay transport after transport
nearly a score of them, the black
smoke of others draping the horizon
In long, grimy clouds. Freight trains
were rumbling dp and down the tracks,
and officers of various departments of
the army, their shirts open at the
throat, dusty, sweaty, hot, hurried
everywhere.
"It surely looks like business,'’ chuc
kled Holton as he slipped on his uni
form coat over a marine’s drab shirt
and prepared to visit the hotel.
Life at the hotel was made more
brilliant by the arrival of Shafter and .
his stafT, but Holton, who had had all !
the brilliancy and inactivity he want- |
ed, found himself praying fervently for
orders that would send him out as
officer on one of the vessels of Ad
niiral Sampson's North Atlantic
Squadron. Hut no such orders came,
and Holton had just about attuned his ;
mind to a wenry grind to last at least
several months longer, when some
thing occurred to change very materi
ally (lie attitude of the government in I
regard to the movement, of the troopr
as Tampa.
in snore. Admiral sarapson caolea
that after a mysterious voyage across
the Atlantic ocean and ('aribbeun sea,
Admiral Cervera and his squadron
of battleships and cruisers were bot
tled up in Santiago. He could not at
tack them because of tho forts and
mines, and he requested that troops
be sent at once to co-operate with the
navy from the land side.
It was then that the Secretary ol
War wired General Shafter to proceed
forthwith to Cuba.
Plat-cars laden with General Ran
dolph’s artillery, rumbled down the
slip, and the guns were hoisted intc '
yawning ports in tho sides of the trans- j
ports; provisions, supplies of all sorts \
bore them company, and no one doubt !
ed any longer that at last the armj
had received its bid to the field of bat
tie.
A new strain was put upon Holton
for now, if at any time, attempts at the !
destruction of the transports would be j
made, there* being no secrecy what !
ever as to the intentions of the Unitec (
States government. Then arrived th*
day when the boys in blue came it
from Lakeland, and, w ith ch< era anc
shouts, marched aboard the long line
of transports, from whose funnel*
clouds of smoke were belching.
Holton’s crew* bad been augmented I
by four extra seamen, sent to him fron
Key West, and each night they stood
guard with him on various parts of the
dock, rillcs in their hands and navj j
Colts strapped about their waists.
Toward midnight most of the noise 1
the shouting of orders, the rattling ol
tackle, the tramp of feet, died away
Holton gave Conroy tho wheel, am,
walked along the deck, speaking tc j
each of the men as he passed.
"Keep a sharp lookout. Challengf
anything that looks suspicious, and i
shoot without hesitation if there’s no J
reply."
(TO Bp: CONTINt’KD.)
Explained.
I don’t understand Smith, He says
things are awfully dull in his business
and yet he has just bought a new* au
tomobile ‘ Well, you see, sharpening
knives is hlr. profession."
MAIL CLERK UTTERS PROTEST
Wail Should Appeal to Those Who
Have Habit of Pinning Their
Written Sheets Together.
'If people mum slick pins Into their
I left r®, \ wish they would cover up
j thr !*>ints so that they wouldn't push
1 through," Raid a mail clerk whose
bauds were disfigured by tiny nerafeh
I eg i must get about a hundred digs
I •» day from pins that systematic folks
I use to hold their correspondence to
gether I never could make out. any
how, whj ho many tetters need to he
( flni.-hed off ujth a nln
' Of course, i understand that about
half of tbonf* written by women have
( a postscript Ir *he shape of camples of
Mrfss Roods or newspaper cuttings
which perhaps require a pin or two tc
ho!*l them in place, but even that habb
cannot account for the large niimtnx
of letters that come through the post
otTlce with a pin f licking out of on«
corner,
"I have come to the conclusion tlm
many writers so mall their inunuscrl^
with malicious Intent. It may not be
us fellows In the postofllce ugains!
whom they hold a grudge, hot we are
the ones that usually gut 'ho benefit
of those pins.”
A Likely Result.
Where aro you going tc, pass yon
vacation ?”
Nowhere, now that tha pass cyulet :
has goae out.”
“WHY i EMIGRATED"
THE NOTES OF A PROMINENT
JOURNALIST WHO MADE A
TRIP THROUGH WESTERN
CANADA.
A prominent journalist from Chi
cago, some time ago, made a Journey
through Canada obtaining a thorough
knowledge of the land and people and
of the • boundless possibilities’’ that
Canada, the virgin land, affords. In
an American Sunday newspaper be
published after his return the interest
ing account which we print as fol
lows. He writes:
Why did you emigrate from the
I^jiited States?" I asked a funner in
Western Canada.
"I believe that for a poor man West
ern Canada is the most favorable !
land," was the reply, "and I have now ;
found that It Is the Paradise of the
Poor."
The farmer, a pioneer of the west,
had five years earlier left Iowa for
Canada to secure a new home there.
After traversing the country for some J
time, he started his home on the open
prairie and with steady industry de
voted himself to the working of the
virgin soil. Now he Is the well-to-do
owner of that endless sea of waving
wheat ears that goes on for miles be
fore my eyes. His strong, sunburned
figure finds the best background in his
farm itself, which is the outcome of
his ceaseless activity—a pretty two
storied dwelling house, a large clean
stable, in tho midst of a hamlet of
barns, sheds and outbuildings, a use
ful garden overflowing with products;
horses, cattle, sheep and swine on the
rich pastures, and around to the hori
zon wheat, golden wheat.
"In Iowa?" the farmer continued, "I '
farme d on rented land, for at the price
of $100 per acre I did not possess j
money enough to buy. I might farm. ;
I might farm as I could, more than the j
living for myself and family, I could |
Not attain. Sometimes the harvest !
turned out good, sometimes bad, but !
■vhe grand total was a bitter combat to !
keep want from the door. It was im- j
possible to lay by for bad times and
In spite of all trouble and work an old ;
age free of care was not to be 1
thought of. My death would have
brought bitter poverty to my wife and
children.
"I decided to break-up and go to j
Canada, where at leant I could fight I
out the struggle for existence on iny j
own land. I started out with a mule 1
team, all my earthly possessions were !
*n the prairie-schooner with my wife ■
-/nd children. Then I took up a home- :
T!end of ICO acres to which 1 added |
by purchase gradually; now as a
whole 1 count about 3,000 acres as my !
own. The whole property is free of
debt. I do not owe a cent to anyone. ;
7 bought my land for $2$ 10 per acre,
xow I would not give it up for $50."
"Do you mean to say that you paid
*or the whole land in the five years?”
I interrupted.
"In a much shorter time,” replied
the farmer. "The land paid for itself,
some already by tin* first harvest, and
at longest in ? years each field had
brought in its purchase price. If you
doubt that land in Western Canada
pays for itself within 3 years you can
easily convince yourself of the truth
of my assertion. Ix-t us assume that
a farmer buys a farm of 160 A. at $15
per A. for $2,400. Farm machines, i
seed, ploughs, mowing and threshing
might bring up the outlay to about ,
$10 per acre. If the farmer sows the
ICO A. for 3 years in succession with
wheat and harvests 20 bus. per acre,
then the product of an A. at the aver
age price of 75c per bu. is exactly $15 '
per acre. If you deduct the $10 out
lay, you will retain a clear return of
$5.00. For ICO A. the annual excess
amounts to $S0O, consequently the
farm has afb*r the third harvest
brought in the purchase price of I
$2,400.
“Sometimes—and not rarely—the j
land pays for itself by the first harvest
of 35 bus. of wheat bring in more them I
the purchase price of $15 per acre.
As in Home years I harvested more
than 35 bus., you can reckon for your
self how quickly I paid for my farm.” 1
“Would you not prefer your own 1
farm in Iowa?” I asked.
' No," replied the farmer, “never I
will I go back. In general very few j
American settlers return to the old
home. In Iowa a 160 A. farm eosts
$100 per A, $16,000; In Western Can
ada $1.6, only $".400. For the same
money that you require to buy a 160 J
A farm In Iowa, you can buy here In
Western Canada a farm of 1,000 acres.
I have money enough to buy a farm In
Iowa, If I wished. Hut there my year
ly Income would be a small one, ,
whereas here I work for a gr*>at gain.
There I would only be a small farmer,
here I am a large landed proprietor.”
In a corner of the farmyard I had
during our conversation noticed a
mound of earth overgrown with
grasses and wild flowers. To niy in
quiry as to what It was, I received th*
reply; “That is the- ruin of the wooden
shack covered with sods, which I call
ed my borne when I eettltd hf re five
years ago.”
1 gathered a wild aster from tho
ruin and flung It Into the air. In a pur
plish glitbring line the wind drove the
flower towards tho fine, modern-equip
ped farmhouse. What a contrast be
tween the lowly earthy hut of yester
day and charming palace of today!
This contrast says enough of tho un
bounded possibilities, which this new
land offers to the w illing worker. How
the poor emigrant on tne open prairie,
through energy and activity, within 5
years worked his way up to being a
well-to-do farmer and esteemed citi
zen! More, tho farmer did not re
quire to say. Why did he emigrate?
W MY? Why I saw’ the answer with
my own eyes.''- Advertisement
/ I
) *
BOSINESS MU NOFISSHIUU. CUDS
P. H. NAPIER
Attorney-at-Law
WAYNE, W. VA.
Will practice in Wayne and adjoining
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J. R. GIESKE
ARCHITECT
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OFFICE AT HOARD BRICH.
J C. GEIGER, M.d!
Practice Limited to
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SAMUEL J. WRIGHT,
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DEALER IN
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Fire and Life Insurance
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