THE STARKVILLE NEWS.
VOLUME 11.
A Girl Two Fools
By HATTIE PRESTON RIDER
(Copyright, 1903, by Daily Story IbjU. Cos.)
WHATEVER is troubling you,
Elsie, you have given me tho
right to know it, and 1 shall assume
the right to straighten it out for
you,” he said.
Miss Lester, the stenographer, sat
up, with a long, quivering sigh.
“It is nothing that anybody can
help me about,” she said, drearily.
“Least of all you, Mr. Grant, kind as
you are.” Her blue eyes were till
ing again.
Distressed at her tears. Grant sat
down beside her.
“This is nonsense, Elsie!” Ten
derness vibrated in his deep voice.
“You speak as if something serious
were the matter, and yet you would
have me stand by like a graven
image, not lifting a finger. Darling,”
softly, “you say 3011 love me, and
you accept my little gifts for my
love's sake; yet you shut me from
your heart like that!”
She moved one hand a little way
toward him on the desk. He look it
eagerly.
”1 did not mean that I could not
tell you,” she said, flushing sweetly
and warmly. “Only that you could
not help me. My mother has been
very ill and my brother has lost his
position earing for her. They have
written me for help, although I had
sent them nearly all my last month’s
salary.” Her lashes drooped. But
Grant leaned back with a huge sigh
of relief.
“How much would it require to
tide them well over till your brother
is on his feet again?” he asked.
She hid her face in her hands.
“About two hundred dollars,” she
answered in a smothered voice.
Grant got up with alacrity and
went over to his desk. A pen
scratched. Then he came back and
laid the magic bit of blue paper on
her desk. He took her hands from
her face and held them.
“I have fixed it, Elsie,” he told her
with ill-concenled satisfaction in his
voice.
She glanced down at the cheek,
looked at him shyly and rose, the
flush on her cheeks deepening.
“You may go and attend to tills
matter now.” he said, with an effort
at self-control. “Bayley can help me
out for the rest of the day.”
He went to the door, opened it,
and after a short parley walked
away with the visitor. Miss Lester
folded the check carefully in her
purse. Then she went lightly out
and closed the door.
Nolan got up from behind the big
safe where he had been kneeling,
completely hidden from view by' the
great iron door. On his clean-cut,
boyish face was the look of one who
has received his death blow*. He had
not dreamed that his entrance a
quarter of an hour before was un
noticed by the other two, but the
role of eavesdropper thus unex
pectedly thrust upon him was the
least of his dismay.
Opening a side door he went back
to his desk. The woman he loved
and the employer in whose honor he
had trusted!
The day dragged, a nightmare of
misery. An hour before closing
Grant came and laid a sealed note
on Nolan’s desk.
“You pass Miss Lester’s boarding
place on your way home, do you not,
Nolan?” he said. “Would you be kind
enough to hand her this? She was
too ill to work this morning and 1
have arranged to give her to-mor
row also.”
Nolan drew his day’s first free
breath. It sounded like a reprieve
almost to his surcharged heart. And
yet —
“Certainly,” he answered without
looking up. He put the missive in his
inner pocket. Grant w'ent back into
his private office.
Half an hour later Grant left. At
the hour for closing Nolan rose and,
taking a handful of letters from his
pocket, sorted them over carefully
and placed part of them in his desk.
Among the remaining ones Grant’s
note lay uppermost and Nolan saw
that his nervous fingers in handling
had broken its imperfect seal, so
that it lay open in his hand.
The hot blood mounted to his fore
head and then receded. Jealous mis
ery makes short work, sometimes, of
a man’s fine sense of honor. It
wrought in Nolan that hour, the
deed his sane self would have re
jected with scorn. Deliberately he
took out the note and unfolded it.
The words ran together in letters of
fire:
“Dearest little girl—
“l shall call for you with a car
riage this evening at eight.”
“Devotedly yours,
“G.”
Nolan refolded and re.sea led the
letter ami put it back in his pocket,
lie locked the office and passed out
to the street like a statue gifted
with locomotion. With bent head
and contracted brows he went, pass
ing without a glance the liou.se
where Elsie Lester lived. Fever be
gan to burn in his veins where, half
an hour ago. the blood had seemed
ice. It flushed his face and set his
eyes aflame as he hurried up the
long flight to his room and flung
himself in a chair by the window.
He sat there motionless for an hour
staring out through the gathering
dusk.
“I will do it! There is yet time! It
is a coward who fears a weapon! If
he stands out —well! It is better to
send one soul to hell alone than wait
till it drags another with it!”
He got up, white and haggard, and,
going across the room to his trunk,
knelt down and opened it. Nervous
searching brought out something small
and shining. He turned to the light,
with shaking fingers, and examined
it carefully, cocking and uncocking
it softly. Someone tapped at his door.
“Lady in the parlor to sec you, sir,
said the maid's voice.
Like a flash, the thought came to
him, unreasonably, he told himself,
that it might be Elsie. He thrust the
pistol hastily into his pocket, and went
down, trembling in every limb.
A little figure in brown got up from
the divan, and ran to meet him. Nolan
leaned back against the door post, sick
with revulsion of feeling. It was Like
a burst of morning air. after a night
spent in a fever-tainted room.
“Doris!” he ejaculated.
She stopped short, with half-extend
ed hand.
“Did you know that it was 1? she
said, with laughing pretense of injured
feeling. “1 supposed you would guess
directly. And I came to ask a special
favor.”
Some semblance of their normal ex
pression w as crepingback into Nolan s
bloodshot eyes.
“You know you have only to name it,
Doris,” he said, reaching out for her
hesitant hand. “When did you come?
1 did not know you were in town.”
“Of course not. Burt. You know I
always told you the sixth sense was
lacking in your make-up.” (How tact
fully blind to his perturbation the
clear brown eyes were! ) “Aunty came
in to shop, but our main errand was
to see the art exhibit,*’ Doris contin
ued. “She went back at three, with
a terrific headache, however, insisting
1 should stay, as it was my last oppor
tunity, and get you to take me. this
evening. So I have come, forlorn and
unehaperoned, to prefer my request;
that is, if you have no other engage
ment,”
Nolan, winced, and his face grew hot.
Tie thought of that shiningthing in his
hip pocket, and wondered why.on this,
of all nights, she had come. Well, he
must go with her. that was all, and
trust to fate for the outcome, Gratit s
note to Elsie burned above his heart
like a living coal. There would yet be
opportunity.
WHAT GRANDMA KNOWS.
Did you ever know the spot
Where the mint is to be got.
Where the pennyroyal grows?
Grandma knows.
Did you know that goldenrod,
Crown of August, bane of sod.
Just to cure the fever grows?
Grandma knows.
Did you know, when April rain
Brings hepaticas again.
They’re a hidden cure for pain?
Grandma knows.
Smartweed, catnip, boneset. sage,
Plantain, mullein —I’ll engage,
Cures for every ache and age
Grandma knows.
Why do children’s faces brighten?
Why do tired hearts seem to lighten
When she comes? Well, I suppose
Grandma knows.
—Phila Butler Bowman, in Good
Housekeeping.
Modesty or Slisme, Which.
* J. Pierpont Morgan says he is ready
to pay SSOO for the smashing of any
camera containing a snap shot of him.
Oli, exclaims the Chicago Record-Her
ald, how that man does hate his face!
Mexico and Dias.
Diaz 5s nearly 73, and has begun to
feel the weight of his years. It will be
a sorry day for Mexico, says the Chi
cago Tribune, when he lets go.
STARKVILLE, MISS., FRIDAY, MAY 29, 1903.
They were early at the art roofs,
A quiet group here and there, an artist
or two, heavy-haired and thin-faced,
discussed with a friend the hanging
or treatment of some favorite study.
Doris and he were cousins several
times removed, and tacit sweethearts
ever since the mud-pie era of their
joint lives. Always, he remembered,
there had been that about her; she
knew when to talk to him, and when
to be silent. In his eyes, to-night, the
quality took the form of an angelic at
tribute. Until the coming of Elsie Les
ter into his life, he had thought her
the sweetest thing the world held.
They made their way slowly down
the long room, Doris making notes,
ocasionally, in a little black book. At
one side, a deep door opened into a
smaller compartment.
“Let us go in,” Nolan said.
They sat down on one of the semi
circular seats in the middle of the room.
Back of it, and dividing it from its
duplicate, which faced the other way,
was a bank of tall palms. The room
was deserted.
Doris was making lengthy notes on
a small picture opposite, with the black
book on her knee, when the electric
lights, exercising their inalienable pre
rogative, flickered and went out, ex
cept the tiniest glimmer.
Still in the dusk, soft garments
swished across the floor, and tw o wom
en seated themselves back of the shad
owing palms. They chattered softly
for a few minutes. Presently there
was an exclamation of surprise and ad
miration from one of them; then El
sie Lester’s voice answered, sweet and
vibrating, but with an unfamiliar ring
in it that went through Nolan like the
anguish of the rack.
“Pretty! Well. I should say so! And
it cost a fine sum! I only got it to-day.
Such an outrageous fib as T had to tell,
to get the money, about a sick mother,
and debts, and that. But it went, all
right.”
There w as a ripple of mocking la ligh
ter. echoed by a less musical but sym
pathetic one; a few words Nolan's
strained senses did not catch. Then
Elsie’s voice, again.
“Nonsense! They’re only a pair of
lovers, spooning in the dark. I don't be
lieve they even know we are here.”
A moment of silence ensued; then
Elsie '■aid
“Mac is late to-night. Perhaps he's
sulky; I won’t let him come to the
house, lest my golden goose find it out,
Mac h ates to play second fiddle. Won't
he fume, when he sees my bracelet!”
The words had scarcely left her lips,
when the lights flashed up dazziingly.
They revealed a man just entering the
doorway. He was cheaply and show
ily dressed, and all over his handsome
face was written the roue. Nolan's
dazed eyes had taken in so much, when
Elsie rose. She went smiling to meet
the intruder, and he tucked her arm,
with its blazing circlet, w ithin his own.
Turning, they left the room.
Doris’ gaze had followed them. She
withdrew it to meet Nolan’s. Her
cheeks were scarlet.
“But, oh! Burt!” she breathed,
hadn’t she a perfect face! I wish, with
all niy soul, sometimes, that I were
beautiful!”
“Thank God, you’re not. little worn
ay. I” he burst forth, impulsively.
“There!” —breaking suddenly into the
wholesome laughter that has saved
countless reasons to their thrones,
“isn’t that a compliment the like of
which you never received before in all
your days?”
The Caddie** Contempt.
Here is another golf story which a
very indignant but somewhat erratic
player has. sent. He was busily; em
ployed in endeavoring to get round the
course while his caddie kept close to
him all the time. At each bad stroke
the caddie made a muttered but per
fectly audible ejaculation of contempt.
“Confound your impudence,” exclaimed
the irritated player at last as he
plowed up a ton of earth, “if you say
anything more I’ll just hit you over the
head.” “All right, sir,” said the cad
die, calmly, showing him the bag of
clubs, “but are you sure you know the
right club to use for that purpose?”
Klondike Output.
The output of the Klondike mines
for this year will be $15,000,000, as
against $12,000,000 last year, which
goes to show, says the Chicago Inter
Ocean, that the confidence of those
who have dared the Alaskan winters
since the boom began has been justi
fied.
Anxiety for n Inventor.
Prof. Alexander Graham Bell thinks
he has solved the air ship problem.
It is to be hoped, however, says tho
Chicago Record-Herald, that Prof.
Bell will get some cheap man to make
the first trip. ‘•- -
The War Against Consumption
By OR. FLORENCE O. DONOHUE.
President of Syracuse Academy of Medicine. Formerly President ol the New \ ork State Board
of Health and Chairman of State Tuberculosis Commission.
fssasssa^^^—l Exercise in the open air and sunlight are the
best preventives of consumption. Continental coun
tries are expending vast sums of money in fitting up
open-air hospitals, where patients can be kept under
King Edward has received a donation of
£2,000,000 to aid in arresting the spread of tuber
culosis. With this fund he plans to construct hos
< pitals where science and nature wiU wage war
J against the disease.
There is no drug or chemical known that influences the disease in the
least. Before pathology was as well understood as it is now cod
liver oil and like remedies were given to build up the tissues. With
the increased knowledge of pathology these medicines have disap
peared from use. Not long since, creosote was held in high favor
because of its well known antiseptic and germicide properties. This
drug was used in the Bronipton Chest hospital, in London, and fa
vorable reports were given out in regard to its use. A proportion
of incipient cases it would seem to arrest, temporarily at least. The
difficulty is that enough cannot be taken into the system to destroy
all the bacilli. It soon troubles the digestion, and has other dis
agreeable effects, so that it has fallen into disfavor.
The consensus of medical opinion throughout the civilized world
is that those persons prone to take on the disease, or those who have
the inherited disposition, or already are affected and in the incipient
state, CAN BE CURED. But only by exercise in the open air, sun
light and nutritious food.
This treatment is curative, in that it strengthens the constitu
tion. A strong, healthy body is necessary to fight the disease and
eliminate the germs.
SCHOOL AND CHURCH.
But 2U, per cent, of the people of
Bulgaria are Moslems.
The university at Four a Bay, Sierra
Leone, is said to be the smallest in
the world. It has five professors, but
less than 20 students.
The railroad companies of this coun
try gave last year for the support of
the 107 railway departments of the
Young Men’s Christian association
$740,000.
The position of professor of forest
ry has been created at tile University
of Michigan, and Filibert Roth, of the
bureau of forestry of the United States
agricultural department has been ap
pointed to the professorship.
The Bible is now widely read in In
dia. At Singapore it is stated the Brit
ish and Foreign Bible society will sell
the Scriptures in over 75 languages
and dialects. The Bible has also
translated into 66 of the languages
and dialects of Africa.
It is significant of the degree of cul
ture to be found among Japan’s men
of affairs that at a recent banquet at
the British legation in Tokio no less
than 30 Japanese graduates and for
mer students at Oxford and Cambridge
universities were present.
The Presbyterian church of Chey
enne. Wyo., has bought a Gospel wag
on'for the use of the pastor at large
and the Sunday school missionary of
the state, that they may penetrate into
the interior of the country. The mem
bership of the church has .doubled in
2 y 2 years.
Among the questions recently sent
out by a school examiner, says Chris
tian Work, was the following example
in arithmetic: “If one horse can run
a mile in one minute and 50 seconds,
and another in two minutes, how far
would the first horse be ahead in a
match race of two miles?” A scholar
returned the question with this at
tached: “I will have nothing to do
witlr horse-racing.”
_ ;
Science Guards Antiquity.
In consequence of the construction
of the great Assouan dam on the Nile,
600 miles above Cairo, the famous
temples on the island of Philae are
partially submerged when the reser
voir is full of water. But the civilised
world would not willingly see these
magnificent relics of antiquity de
stroyed, and accordingly an elaborate
cystem of underpinning the buildings
was adopted. Some of the colonnades
and temples were found to be resting
on fractured stone beams, broken by
subsidence of the soil.' Heavy steed
girders, inclosed with rubble masohry
and mortar, which protect them from
corrosion, were placed under the
broken foundations,, and the masopry
was carried down to'bed rock beneath.
The work was done in the face of con
siderable danger, but without
dent,— Youth’s Companion.
NUMBER 12.
HUMOROUS.
Jealousy. “Yes.” said the actor,
“Starr, the tragedian, is mad, hope
lessly mad.” “Overstudy?” asked the
Crittiek. “No, it was his understudy
that made him mad. He made a bigger
hit in the part than Starr.” —Philadel-
phia Press.
Miss Dora (to Maj. Putter, who is
playing- an important match, and has
just lost his ball) —“Oh. major, do come
and take your horrid ball away from
my little dog. He won’t let me touch
it, and I know he must be ruining his
teeth !”—Punch.
' The Way of It. —“I would like to find
out how many idle men there are in
town.” “Well, just start some labor
ers to digging a sewer.” “But they
won’t be idle.” “No; but every idle
man in town will stand around and
watch them.” —Philadelphia Record.
Sure Sign of Foolishness. Miss
Withers —“I presume Mr. Flipp made
his usual weekly call on you last
night?” Miss Callow —“Yes, and I
must say that he made a fool of him
self.” Miss Withers “Proposed to
you, eh?” —Richmond Dispatch.
Visitor —“You say you call your
horses Biscay and Bengal. Aren’t
those decidedly unusual names for
horses?” Fanner —“Ef the joggrafies
hain’t changed sence I got my school
in’, them’s mighty good names fer a
pair o’ big bays.”- —Baltimore Ameri
can,
Accommodating. —“May I ask you
for the loan of a dollar?” “Certainly.”
(After a pause) —-“Well, where is it?”
“Where is what?” “Why, the dollar.”
“Blessed if I know. Wish I did —I’d
divide with you. Haven’t got an ex
tra cigar in your clothes, have you?”—
Kansas City Journal.
Honest Bat Tactful.
In a little New Hampshire town
there is a fruit store the presiding
genius of which has a gift of tactful
and politic speech which would grace
a court.
“Have you any good oranges this
morning?” asked a customer. “Ar
these juicy?”
“Well, ma’am, as to that I couldn’t
say certainly,” replied the little wom
an, with an engaging smile. “They’re
juicer than some, I know, butt I make
no doubt they’ll bear a little squeez
ing before you have the best of them.”
“And these apples,” said the cus- a
tomer, “now are these sweet, Mrs.
Molloy?”
, “Well, now. when you’re speaking
of those apples, ma’am,” said the pro
prietress of the store, with another dis
arming smile, “they’re what I should
call just enough sweet to be a pleasant,
tart, ma’am.” —Youth’s Companion.
Where Turtle Eggs Are Eaten.
Turtle eggs are highly prized in
countries where they are abundant,
and though once commonly eaten in
America,. are now seldom offered*—
Nature-