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SERIAL STORY The Women’s Candidate By BYRON WILLIAMS j Ootnlikt 10U. We*t*rn Newspaper Union 8YNOP8I8. In a spirit of fun Mayor Bedight, a summer visitor. Is chased through the woods by ten laughing girls, one or whom be catches and kisses. The girls form themselves Into a court and sentence him to do the bidding of one of their number •ach day for ten days. A legislative measure opposing woman suffrage, which dropped from the mayor’s pocket. Is used to compel him to obey the mandates of the girls. His first day of service Is with May Andrews, who takes him Ashing. They are threatened by the sheriff with arrest. Miss Vlnlng sees what she con siders a clandestine meeting between one of the girls and the mayor. The next day he goes driving with Mabel Arney. They meet with an accident, are arrested and locked up, but escape. The mayor returns to the hotel, finds the sheriff waiting for him, and takes refuge In the room of Bess Winters He plans to get possession of the Incriminating bill. With Harriet Brooks the mayor goes to inves tigate an Indian mound They are caught In a thunder storm. Returning late, he has rather a stormy Interview with “Judge” Vlnlng, who seeks to And out who returned to the hotel with him. CHAPTER IX. When Mias Jackie Vlnlng went to her room after her unsatisfactory at tempt io wring from Bedight the name of the unconventional young woman who walked with him In the moon light, she was angry. And it is pos sible that, knowing his feelings to ward her she was angrier still because with this Influence she could not se cure the confession she sought. It is likewise true that she felt In her heart that Bedight was right in protecting the name of the girl and should be eulogised rather than scourged for it —and yet, when a man has almost told a woman he loves her, she has a right to expect that he will do almost anything quasi-reasonable that she asks of him. Failing to handle him augurs complications for the future. And most of us are alike In this, that we love to appear melodramatic to ourselves, doing all sorts of drastic things that, slept over, we undo, say ing things that we Inflate with self at the time being and stick a pin Into later when our ardor has cooled. In this mood Jackie Vining seated her self at a small writing desk In her room and Indited the following letter to the chairman of the woman's clubs in Bedlght's district: “Squirrel Inn, Wls. "My Dear Madam: The campaign In your district is about to open. Among the candidates is one Walter Bedight, who is running for the legislature. He will endeavor to secure the women's votes of the district. While running a race near Squirrel Inn he dropped from his pocket the inclosed bill, which he expects to Introduce, if elect ed. “I feel It my duty to apprise you of the real character of the man and trust that you will act accordingly. "Sincerely, “(Miss) JACKIE VINING " Placing the letter and the bill In a long envelope, she laid the package on her dresser and retired. But with the cool touch of the linen and the luxury of full repose, Jackie's heart smote her. "Well, anyhow," she mused, as she dropped off to Bleep, “I’ll hold the let ter a few days longer.” To be In the toils of a state's attor ney is bad enough In any event; but if the aforesaid attorney is a woman, oh, most unfortunate is the man! Thursday was Mayor Bedlght’s day of attendanoe upon Margaret Farns worth, who prosecuted the case against him on the morning of his ar rival. She entered the arena after an earnest conference with "Judge’’ Vining, who seemed unusually dis trait and worried. "Mr. Bedight," began the lady attor ney, in a professional tone, "I want to get some balsam for a pillow this morning. Do you know' the tree when you see it?” “Yes—I’ve been In the North Woods on many a vacation and am familiar with the flora and fauna of the coun try. I am at your service," responded the mnyor. They set out on foot along a path way that led Into the wood. Once in side the forest It wound In a trail liko that the calf made, through spruce and hemlock, poplar and maple, with now and then a white birch adding a touch of vivid contrast to the green. The girl, an enthusiast, was wnlking ahead and babbling of the nature pic tures along the way. # Suddenly Bedight felt something hit him in the back, as though a pel let thrown from close range. He turned Inquiringly, From a clump of brush along the trail a woman's hand waved at him and a white paper flut tered to the pnth. Turning, the mayor retraced Ills steps. The messenger crouched low and Bedight. having se er. r-<!‘ ilii' most age, touched his fin gers to his lips and wafted her a salu tation, chaste and replete with appre ciation. And then from ahead came the sur prised call, of Miss Farnsworth. "Hurry!" cautioned a voioe from be hind the clump of greenery. "Coming,” cried Bedight, turning and forging ahead through the wood. A pair of pheasants arose with drumming whirr from beside the path. "There!” exclaimed the mayor, ac cepting the birds as the foundation fpr a clever ruse, “you’ve frightened them away.” "Oh, why didn’t you tell me?" re proached the girl, getting a fleeting glance of the brown beauties as they floated off through the trees. Bedight, with the note clutched In his hand, made reasonable apologies for his thoughtlessness and the girl, unsuspecting, led on, chattering de lightedly. It was a day of days to be In the wood and youth Is ever buoyant and gay. Plainly the girl was In tune with the mood of the time and the place, and like the beatitudes about her, sought to be congenial and natural. The man felt himself pleased with her, for he, too, loved the soli tude and the harmonies of the forest. Presently she sighted a scarlet tan ager and ran ahead. Bedight, waiting for the opportunity, unfolded the slip of paper. In a woman’s handwriting this warning was written: "BE CAREFUL. SHE IS TRYING TO TRAP YOU.” Bedight smiled and tucked the note In his pocket. Miss Farnsworth was sitting upon a fallen monarch of the wood when he caught up with her. In her hands she held a lichen that had taken her fancy. Of the party at Mine Host's hotel, no girl was prettier than Mar garet Farnsworth and few as Intellec tual. Vivacity and spirit predominat ed and as Bedight looked at her he did not belittle her ability to make things Interesting for him. She sprang to her feet as he drew near, and ran after a big brown but terfly. Bedight sat down on the log and waited. Suddenly he heard a scream, the voice of a woman In pain. Miss Farnsworth sat upon the ground holding her ankle In both hands. Her lips were tightly drawn and her face gave evidence of pain. "What Is It?” questioned Bedight, apprehensively, going up to her and taking hold of her arm. "Help me to stand," she directed, gripping his arm. He raised her. She let her foot touch the ground, winced and toppled toward him. “There’s a wood chopper’s cabin Just ahead,” she groaned. "Could— could you carry me there?” blushing. For answer he picked her up in his arms. She threw her arms about his neck and clung to him, her hair brushing his cheek. In sight of the hut she whispered: "Walt! Let me down a minute.” She stood leaning against him. her full, ripe Ups teasingly near. For a moment as he looked Into her fath omless eyes, Bedight felt the weak ness of man for woman coming over him. To combat It, he moved farther away, supporting her at arm’s length. "It would be well to leave me at the cottage and go back for help. Look inside, please, while I lean against this birch,” she directed. “There’s probably a burglar in the woodbox or a man under the bed," he said laughingly, as he started toward the cottage. The mayor stood for a moment upon the threshold and then entered. As his form disappeared within, there appeared around the corner of the cabin a man—the game warden of Lakeville. In a twinkling he had slammed shut the door and thrown a great bar across It from without. “There, dam ye; I told ye I’d git ye!" ho bellowed with radiant pom posity. Bedight turned angrily as the door closed and realized too late that the warning given along the trail had not safeguarded him. He was a prisoner. Peering through the dirty window pane, an aperture not large enough to permit the passing of a man's body. Molly McConnell. he saw Miss Farnsworth leavo the tree against which she hnd been lean ing and walk leisurely toward the hotel. With the realization that the girl had deliberately led him into the hands of the enemy, he gritted his teeth and then, at the thought that perhaps Jackie Vlnlng had planned this coup de main, Bedight felt a queer sinking of certain hopes that heretofore had buoyed up a heart yearning to take high hurdles. No— a woman may keep a man in hot wa ter on general principles of lov4, but to throw him In Sail la treachery, and when a woman reaches that point she ia like the woman scorned—a perfect fury. The room In which Bedight found himself was big and rough like some of the words the mayor said before his sense of the ludicrous returned. Then, In full possession of the humor of the situation, sat down on the side of the bunk and grinned, A man can grin when the joke is on him, but he seldom becomes boisterous under the circumstances unless he Is In pub lic, where It is always good taste to prove his good fellowship by blatant laughter. That the game warden had gone for help there was no doubt. Remember ing the slap which Bedight had ad ministered on the day of their first meeting, that worthy did not desire to take further chanoes. “But If Miss Vinlng planned the trap, why did not the warden bring enough help with him to arrest me?” This was the question the mayor asked himself—and gave it up. He had no way of knowing that the war den had sent word to the sheriff to be on hand—but that functionary was at the moment marooned on an Island five miles from the village with ample food sent by a kind provldenoe in the light of the moon, but with no boat by which he might navigate the Inter vening waters. An hour passed, during which time Bedight had satisfied himself that wood choppers’ cabins In general and this one In particular were built with the express purpose of being better Jails than those possessed by the or dinary hamlet In the north country. He was securely confined—and he was In to stay until some one chose to liberate him. A voice from without suddenly gave Miss Farnsworth Sat Holding Her Ankle In Both Hands. him hope. 4t was a voice he knew well—the voice of Jackie Vlnlng. “Mr. Bedight,” queried the voice, “are you there —inaide the cabin?” “No, Miss Conspirator,’’ replied the mayor, vindictively, “I’m up on the roof playing solitaire.” "Will you tell m$ which of the girls was with you last night?” de manded Miss Vlnlng. "If so, I will let you out.” “Oh, I like It In here,” replied the mayor, enthusiastically. "It’s a nice, quiet place, no hooks to bait, no mound builders to excavate, no run away horses to catch, no balsam to pick, nothing to do but relax and think of the perfidy of one’s fellows— feminine gender." “I’m glad you like It,” responded the "Judge," with a wholesome flavor In her voice, "and I’m sorry to advise you that the warden and reinforce ments are about due. Wouldn’t It be wiser to help me protect a thought less girl and go free than to be con trary and go to Jail?" "1 like the jail at Lakeville even bet ter than this,” responded the prisoner affably. "It is light and airy and has easy exits In ca**e of fire or ennui.” “Very well,” she replied, “repent at leisure.” The mayor listened. She was go lng away. “Miss Vlr.lng,’’ she cried. “Yes, Mr. Bedight.” "You know very well you would de spise me If I told you what you are asking. I am firm In my resolve not to appear In this light. You may as well go now, for 1 shall not answer your question.” He watched her lithe form as she walked rapidly away, her head erect, her shoulders back, every Inch a splendid woman. Scarcely hud she disappeared when Bedight heard the bar thrown buck, and a voice whispered cautiously: "Walter! Walter! The door is un barred. Walt until I get away!” From his dingy window Bedight saw another feminine form saunter leisurely up the trail—and this one, too, was slim and fair to look upon, a woman that any good man might well doslre to win. (TO BE CONTINUED.) Filibuster. "What did George say when you re fused him?’’ "He wildly declared he would go right down to one of thoso Central American states, start an up rising and horrify the world. Then he rushed from the house.” “Did the name of the Central American state sound like rathskeller?" "I'm not sure.” "Well, there’s where he went. And ho start ed the uprising by breaking two mir rors. tipping over tho bar and floor ing tho proprietor with a Louis XIV. table leg Whereupon tho waiter hor rified the world by picking him up and dropping him on a passing ash cart.’' —Cleveland Plain Dealer. WESTERN MINING NEWS IN BRIEF Western Newspaper Union News Service. trend of metal values. Silver $ 0.60% Lead 4.25 Spelter 5.30 Copper 15.62 Colorado. According to a Washington dispatch more than $1,000,000, collected In cor poration taxes, must be surrendered by the treasury as a result of the Su preme Court’s decision that a corpor ation leasing Its property and deriving its only income from that lease Is not "doing business" within the meaning of the law and is not taxable. Production of the Mary McKinney mine for the month of April was six ty cars, which is about double the out put made the previous month. In ad dition the lessees shiped about fifteen cars of ore which settled at better than an ounce. Most of the leasers’ ore came from the Howard shaft which is on Gold hill in the Cripple Creek district. All of the property of the Red Oak Mining & Milling Company, situate 3 on Democrat mountain, near George town, has been sold by trustee In bank ruptcy, Fermor J. Spencer, to Frank N. Carroll of Denver, representative of the bondholders, for $5,000. The sale was made to clear off an indebted edness of $22,000 that had been stand ing for several years. There is gold ore at Platora and it Is rich and found in quantity. The veins are true fissures and there are ' many of them. Such is the informa tion brought to Cripple Creek by Frank Gunn, former alderman. He has been In the Platora section about a month making an investigation and has found things there good, at least such as will make a gold excitement. A winze, sunk four feet into the bot tom of the drift of the Miser mine at Jasper revealed the widening out of the high-grade streak, which assayed $32,000 gold to the ton, Into nine of these streaks within three feet. The high-grade vein seemed to divide it self at the bottom of the drift into sev eral portions, each from two to three inches wide, and as rich as the orig inal high-grade streak. That a fine body of oil has been struck near Deßeque by the Grand River Gas and Oil Company was ad mitted by Charles Lang, president of the company and a business man of Gleenwood Springs. The oil was found at a depth of 1,440 feet, the drill be ing stopped when eight feet into the •end. The extent of the flow has not yet been determined, but it is known that the workmen with the bucket used for bailing during drilling pulled up twenty barrels one night since the strike. New Mexico. Harry Moberg made a rich ore strike in his tunnel which runs thirty six ounces of gold. It is situated up in the Pioneer canon. The Oldham brothers are commenc ing to work on the Golden Treasure mine at Placer creek. They struck $l2O ore in the drifts from the shaft last fall. The Memphis mine people at Red River are at work opening up this property and putting up a big mill. They also have a large body of gold and silver ore which runs from S4O to $l2O per ton. The mill of the Cora Bell mine at Red River, which is owned by H. L. Pratt, is now' in full operation treating large bodies of gold ore. It is rum ored that Mr. Clark, the assayer and mill man for Mr. Pratt, has offered him SSOO per ton to ship it and pay ail expenses. Every indication seems to point to the fact that oil in abundant quanti ties and of the most valuable quality has been struck in or near Farmington and that part of New Mexico is des tined to be a busy commercial center. Wyoming. Claims to more thun 5,000 acres of supposed oil lands in the western part of Hot Springs county have been re corded in the county clerk’s ofifee at Thermopolls In the names of New York people. The intention of the lo cators la not known locally. A net profit of $133,502.9G for the month of April is shown In the report of the Mid-West Oil Company, Issued by President Oliver H. Shoup, who has just returned to Colorado Springs from a visit to Casper, where the com pany Is erecting Its second refinery. This is an increase over the net prof its of any previous month and indi cates that the profits for the present year will aggregate close to $1,500,000, even if the new refinery is not put into operation before the end of the year. However, the company expects to have the new plant In working or der early in the fall. Arizona. The Tom Reed mine in Mohave county produced $150,000 in gold bul lion last month. The Calumet and Arizona Mining Company declared their regular quar terly dividend of $1.25 per share. The Shattuck Arizona Copper Com pany Is continuing shipments to the C. & A. smelter nt Douglas at the rate of 250 tons per day. The average copper contents of this ore has been HYj to 10 per cent coper, with very satlsfue tory silver and gold values. ELEPHANTS THAT WORK . ROBABLY no business In the | world is more absolutely de pendent on the services of an animal than Is the teak indus try on those of the elephant. p In Java, it Is true, the timber, being smaller and the conditions different, hand labor and implements are em ployed, and in parts even of Burma and Siam the country is sufficiently flat to permit the carting by buffaloes being used as a method of extraction. But these parts are comparatively few and far between, and the obstacles in the way of introducing heavy plants into a country deficient in good roads, bridges or facilities for transport must be at once apparent, writes a corre spondent of the London Times. Even without these obstacles it Is doubtful whether teak, being so scattered as it is, could ever be profitably worked up and down steep hillsides by ma chinery, while it is as certain as any thing can be that no machinery could ever devised to perform the part played by elephants in the water. Apart from the enormous bodily strength w'hlch enables it to drag, an elephant can, with its forehead, trunk or tusks, push and roll enormous logs about as if they w’ere playthings, nor does it mind working in water five feet, and even more, in depth. Asiatic Differs From African. The Asiatic elephant, which belongs to an entirely different species from the African and resembles the latter hardly more closely than the buffalo does the ox. is. like the teak tree, con fined mainly to India, Farther India and the Malay peninsula. Wild herds are still found in Burma and Slam, where they are carefully protected, a special license being required to shoot them in the former country and the law forbidding their destruction ex cept in cases of necessity, or for self* defenes in the latter. Every few years the Siamese government holds “keddah” operations or catches at Ayuthla, and by their agency the do mesticated are recruited from the free herds. That apart from its work, the condi tions under which the elephant is to live in captivity should as closely as possible resemble those of Its wild state will naturally be the owner’s first care. It is a purely herbivorous animal, and thrives well on the ordi nary jungle plants and creepers, the juicy “kalng" grass, young bamboo shoots and wild plantain being among its favorite foods. In Slam, It Is hardly ever stall fed. as it Is in India; In the neighborhood of a town or vil lage. when It has to be tied up. food must, of course, be brought to It. But. as a general rule, the animal is sim ply turned out Int othe jungle to find Its food for Itself, the forefeet being hobbled to prevent Its straying too far. Among its primary requisites are shade and abundance of water. Given these and good grazing, an elephant has a fair chance of keeping its con dition throughout the seven months which constitute its working season The latter begins; as already stated, in June. From that time onward, the animal’s daily and weekly routine Is something as follows: Directly it is daylight the rider leaves hla camp, goes out to track his charge, which, despite his hobbled condition, will often succeed In straying a distance of several miles; bathes him all over in the creek —this Is one of the most important of the mahout’s duties —and brings him to the scene of the day’s work. Operations begin at seven a. in., or .a little before, and go on till il, by which time the power of the sun generally renders It Imprudent to continue further. For It must bo re membered that the elephant is natur ally a nocturnal animal and extremely liable to sunstroke. On the comple tion of their day’s work the animals are brought to camp, divested of their gear, hobbled and turned out Into the lungle. Toward evening the riders pay them another visit to make sure ‘hat their charges have not slipped their hobbles, as they occasionally manage to do, or been walked off by % gang of thieves, who till lately in fested some parts of Slam, and even now are not unknown. The elephants are Inspected by the foreman In charge of the camp bathed and left PICKING UP A LOAD to browse In peace until the follow ing morning. After five days’ work they receive two days’ complete rest, or three days If the spell has been an arduous one. In January, or early February, they are removed to ever green forests, where they will, even during the ensuing hot months, be able to find abundant food and water, and. being called upon to do no work whatever, they soon become fat and ready for a new season’s labors. Work 18 Heavy. The foregoing account of the ele phant’s working program makes its lot appear a remarkably easy one. An average of four or five hours a day for five days of the week, complete rest on the other two. and during five months of the year no work at all — at first sight the elephant seems to be in clover. It must, however, be borne in mind, first, that the work it per forms is the heaviest done by any ani mal In the world; secondly, as already stated, that it is a nocturnal animal, unaccustomed in its wild state even to travel, much less to work, in the heat of the day. Easy as its hour* may sound, experience shows that they cannot be safely increased. For, if the elephant is the most powerful animal In the w-orld. it is also one of the most delicate. Not only is It terri bly liable to surra and anthrax, dis eases prevalent among all the cattle of the country, but heart failure and exhaustion are also common, while ac cidents, such as snake bites, are often fatal. Owners naturally do not care to risk unnecessary exposure to the sun to the already lengthy list of causes which produce death, causes from which, despite all their precau tions, the teak companies of Siam must reckon annually to lose between five and ten per cent, of their stock. The Increasing scarcity, and conse quently Increasing value, of elephants is Indeed already a matter of grave concern to all interested In the teak business. Whereas ten or fifteen years ago a good “tusker” might be purchased for 2,000 rupees, three times that sum Is now sometimes de manded, while cows and “hlnes” —l. tuskless males —vary, in price from 3,000 to 5.000 rupees. These prices speak for themselves and need no comment. Great Care Taken of Calves. The majority of the elephants now working timber have been caught in the wild state and tamed. But the ani mals also breed fairly well in cap tivity, and, needless to say. great care is taken of the calves. From the age of four to six they are usually placed with a native trainer, who accustoms them to dragging small logs or carry ing light loads. The animal is. as a rule, kept for transport purposes till between Its fifteenth or twentieth year, by which time it Is beginning to attain something like its full growth and strength. From this time onward, should it be docile and tractable, 11 will become a regular worker Ele phants vary, of course, l" their dlspo sltions as much as any other race ol animals; some seem to be incurable savage and vicious. Such cases are. however, exceptional, and are proba bly due as a rule more to mistakes ol treatment than to Innate tendencies. Should It succeed In evading the nn merous causes of death to which It li liable, an elephant will bo able tc work up to its Oftleth or sixtieth year after which !c gradually begins to de cline. Tba natural term of Its life cannot b * actly determined. Great Generosity. She Blghed. “I saw »he loveliest lace curtains today,” she murmured “1 did want them bo budly.” Sh« sighed again. “But 1 knew you wish ed to economize, dear," she concluded, "so 1 didn't get them.” And yet a third time did she High The he spoke "That’s too bad, my dear!” he said, generously "Anythin/; which adds to your happiness and brings gladness to fyour eyes; any thing which brightens your domestic cares and gilds the lowering clouds; anything which borders with sweet tlowers the thorny pnths of duty and appeals to your aesthetic nature you are welcome to. my angel—lf It doesn't cost more than a quarter **