The new era., June 06, 1907, Image 7

About The new era. (Walden, Colo.) 1906-19??

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SERIAL STORY
The Mystery
OF
Carney = Croft
By
JOSEPH BROWN COOKE
(Copyright. 1907. by Story-i’ren* Corporation.)
CHAPTER IX.
Two Ghosts.
As he spoke MacArdel reached for
his cigar case and my eye followed
his hand to the table beside which we
both stood and where I nad seen him
lay it only a moment before.
• It had vanished as completely as if
the earth had swallowed it up.
Instinctively I sprang back and
closed the door with a bang, while
MacArdel was going through his pock
ets in a bewildered sort of away that
was ludicrous to witness.
“The thing’s gone!” said MacArdel,
aB he finished his search. “I wouldn’t
have taken an even hundred for it!”
“These mysterious occurrences are
usually explained in a very simple
manner, when all is said and done.”
I observed, dryly. “Doubtless we’ll
have no trouble in finding out what
became of it.”
“Oh. dry up!” said MacArdel, im
politely, as was his wont.
“The door was only open about six
Inches,” I continued. “Nobody could
have come in.”
"Or gone out,” said MacArdel.
“Well," I went on, “it’s shut now.
“Suppose we have a look about.”
Without any apparent reason we
searched the room high and low for
the missing cigar case, peering into
vases and jars, moving furniture about
and disturbing things generally until
the place looked like a curio shop in
the middle of housekeeping.
Finally we gave up in disgust, and.
suddenly struck with the ridiculous
ness of our own performances, sal
downi in the chairs that we had for
merly occupied by the side of the
table.
The cigar case was lying under the
lamp where MacArdel had first laid
it down.
There was nothing to say. and so
we said nothing. At length. MacArdel
picked it up, examined it carefully, put
it in his pocket and muttered: “Let’s
®et out of here. Ware, I want some
fresh air.”
"Once outside the house, he contin
ued: “That’s the most remarkable oc
currence I ever heard of. Ghosts don't
walk by day, so it couldn't have been
spooks, but how on earth do you ex
plain it?”
"I don’t explain It,” I replied. “It’s
just like the note on the bed.”
"Oh. hang the note on the bed!”
cried MacArdel. “This happened right
under our eyes and noses!”
“Well, what if it did.” I persisted
“It isn't any more mysterious, and
we've got to get to the bottom of the
whole business before we can let Miss
Carney come back. No vacation for us.
my boy. We must stay here and find
out what's going on.”
We walked all around the house, in
vestigating every nook and corner of
Its walls and shaking the cellar win
dows and other subterranean openings
to assure ourselves that they were se
curely fastened. Not finding anything
of interest on the outside we returned
again to the interior and beginning at
the top, inspected every square inch
of space until we reached the base
ment and were ready to descend to
the cellar. I had discovered two can
dles, which we lighted for this explor
ation, and I confess that my hand
traveled instinctively to the revolver
In my hip pocket as we started down
the stairs.
cellar, however, disclosed noth
wl of importance, though we examined
It thoroughly. As we were about to
ascend. I noticed the pile of empty
whisky bottles, and, after finding that
there were exactly two dozen of them,
had not . a doubt that they were the
Dues Mr. Carney had ordered and emp
tied during his short stay at Carney-
Croft three years before.
In brief, there was nothing to indi
cate that the house had been disturbed
fu any way since it was closed by Miss
Carney, and we strolled slowly along
the road to Hoskins’ for our luncheon,
completely baffled at every point.
“Don't you keep a watchman here?"
asked MacArdel at length.
“I wanted to," I replied. “But the
Carneys didn’t think it necessary.”
That night we sat on the veranda,
discussing the happenings of th* day,
while the full moon shone coldly in
the zenith and the river splashed fret
fully against its banks back of the
trees.
The town clock in the distant vil
lage had just struck the hour of mid
night and I was beginning to yawn
openly after my long day of excite
ment and exertion, when MacArdel
said laughingly:
“Now’s the time to trot out your
ghosts, Ware. The clock just struck
12, you know.”
As he spoke I grasped his ario and
pointed to the path leading tt» the
river. Two filmy white figures, one
larger than the other, were wafted
plong under the trees, as If they were
part of the air Itself, and from them
IctAe an odor, so faint and yet so over
powering in 1U fetid oppressiveness
that T could scarcely draw my breath.
For an instant MacArdel sat as one
petrified, and then, with a muttered
cry. he sprang over the rail and fol
lowed the fleeting thing* into the
blackness of the overhanging trees.
I was after him in a bound. Run
ning with all our speed, we saw the
creatures, whatever they were, sail
majestically beforo us as on wings of
air until they reached the river, where,
in the full glare of the moonlight,
they vanished suddenly under our very
eyes.
When I overtook MacArdel he was
leaning heavily against a tree trunk,
gasping for breath.
"Ware!” he said, as soon as he
could speak. “That odor was the smell
of the grave. There’s nothing else like
it, I tell you, man! I was a coroner
for too many years and have opened
too many coffins not to know it.”
He sank to the ground from sheer
exhaustion.
A moment later I heard a crackling
in the underbrush not far away and.
with a shout, I dashed into the bushes,
followed by MacArdel. Suddenly there
was a glimpse of white through the
leaves, and, with a warning cry, I drew
my revolver and fired twice with care
ful aim. The object in white fell to the
ground, and we were upon it in an in
stant, while the continued crackling of
branches showed that some one was
escaping at the top of his speed.
The white object was a bundle of
towels and odd pieces of bed linen and
the articles were permeated by the
same indescribable odor that we had
noticed as we pursued the fleeting
creatures in white down the path to
the river.
MacArdel poked the parcel open with
a stick and spread the pieces about in
the moonlight as it filtered in through
the branches overhead, making bright \
r
They Were Wafted Along as If Part of the Air Itself.
patches here and there under the
trees. Whether because of his startled
remark that this was the smell the
grave, or perhaps on account of the
nervous strain to which 1 had just
been subjected, I was forced to view
this operation from a respectful dis
tance and was glad when the investi
gation was completed.
Leaving the rags, for such they
were, strewn about as MacArdel had
scattered them, we returned in silence
to the house and reseated outselves
on the veranda.
“Mac,” I said abruptly, a moment
later, “do you know that we left this
place standing wide open and that
some one may be inside by this time?”
"Not much danger of that,” said
MacArdel slowly. “Whoever was
around here is as far away by this
time as he can possibly get. Make no
mistake about It. Ware, thdse pieces
of cloth down there have been around
a corpse!”
I shuddered in spite of myself, and
we slept in the same room that night,
with the doors and windows bolted,
and a revolver under each of our pil
lows.
CHAPTER X.
Courtship and Business.
We breakfasted at Hoskins'. As we
were rising from the table, MacArdel
said: ‘Tve got a trunk up at the sta
tion. I suppose I can get somebody
around here to take it down to the
house.”
“There’s an old fellow here 'who
drives what he calls an 'express.’ " I
replied. ”1 expect he’ll attend to it
for you."
llosklns was standing by the door
as we left the room and I asked him
where we could find the stage driver,
but his reply was far from encourag
ing.
“Yo can’t find him at all,” he said.
“He didn't git in till nigh mornin', an’
he’s abed yet. His wagon’s aout teh
th' barn, an’ ef ye want teh hitch up
yerselve3 an’ git th’ trunk ye’re wel
come to, fur all I can see. I'd send
one o’ my boys fur it ef I could, but
they're all workin’ to-day, an’ I can’t
git hold o’ one nohow.”
We decided that we were quite
equal to this task, and, proceeding to
the stable, undertook to “hitch up” on
our own account.
MacArdel did the driving, and I sat
on the seat behind him in all the glory
of an escorted guest. As we turned
the corner into the road that led to
the station, a sudden gust of wind
wafted into my face the same inde
scribable odor that had offended ray
nostrils the night before and I called
him to stop.
"Mac!” I said, “there’s something
wrong here! I can get that confounded
smell again!”
He pulled up his horse with a jerk
and, springing to the ground, began,
with me, to peer under the seats of
the vehicle. A moment later he ex
tracted from a pile of blankets and
laprobes, a bundle of white cloths
similar in appearance to those we had
discovered on the previous night, and
exhaling the same odor.
“Put them back!” I exclaimed sud
denly, “and cover them up again, too!
After we get the trunk we can take
them to tho house and see what they
are.”
“Great idea!” muttered MacArdel,
“only I was on the point of suggesting
it myself. Get in here with me. The
air’s better up front.”
I clambered into the seat by Ills side
and we proceeded on our way to the
station.
“Who Is It that owns this turnout?’’
asked MacArdel. “Do you know any
thing about him?”
“Nothing more than that he makes
regular trips to and from the trains,”
1 replied. “Runs a sort of local express,
you know, between the station and
Hoskins’ hotel. Carries the mail and
passengers, if there are any.”
I “Did you ever see him and talk to
him?” continued MacArdel.
“Oh, yes!” I said. “He was the first
to tell me about the ghosts at Carney
Croft; all that story of the Bruct
woman’s prophecy that the place
would be haunted, you know.”
“Humph!” said MacArdel. thought
fully. "And where’s the Bruce womat
now?”
"She lievs on the place yet,” I re
plied. “Miss Carney gives her the use
of a little house and about 20 acres
of land rent free, and some man about
here works the property on shares foi
her. It’s that hilly land about a mile
east of the house, where the big elm
is. You remember, I told you the
new golf links would take in that tree
and the land around it.”
Our return trip from the railway
station took us post Hoskins’ again,
and that individual was sunning him
self in front of the house as we drove j
up.
"By the way, Hoskins,” said Mac ]
Ardel, stopping his horse and beckon- j
Ing the man toward him, “what’s the
name of the fe’low that owns this out
fit?”
“Jenks,” said Hoskins, briefly.
“Sam Jenks, th’ lazy cuss.”
“When is he going to marry the 1
widow?” asked MacArdel, in a most
matter-of-fact way.
"That’s jest, it!" replied Hoskins In
obvious disgust. "You tell me an’ I’ll
tell you. Goodness knows: he’s be’n
a-sparkin’ her long enough; eversence
baout a month after her boy got kill
ed. S’pose lie felt kinder sorry fer
her at first, an’ then, after a time, he
began teh git mushy over it. I wish
tell goodness he’d either marry her or
leave her alone! What with his gal
livantin’ all over the country with her
every week or ten days, an’ not gittin’
his host in th’ stable till nigh onto
daylight, there’s no dependin’ on him
teh meet th’ trains or do anything
else, fur that matter! Here he is now,
abed an’ asleep, an’ ef it hadn’t bet
fur you gents a-drivin’ up teh th’
deepo’, we wouldn’t ha’ got no mail
till night. In all probability.” i
With this remark he fished out two
mail bags which the station master |
must have tossed into the back of
tho wagon ns we were driving away.
CTO UK CONTINUED.)
NEWS OF THE WEEK
Host Important Happenings cf tbs
Past Seven Days.
Intfrenllnj; Item* Gathered from AIJ
parln t>t the World Condenaed
Into Small Spnoe for the
Bcorflt of Oar Readers*
Personal
W. C. Perry, president of the Cen
tral Coal and Coke company and
president of the Southwestern Inter
state Coal Operators’ Association,
died on a stiect car at Kansas City.
Heart desease is supposed to have
been the cause.
Mrs. William McKinley, widow of
the late president, died at her home
In Canton, O. She had been as in
valid for many years but her death
was caused by a stroke of paralysis.
King Carlos has conferred the title
of baron on A. Patterson, manager
in Portugal of the buslnes* of the
Standard Oil company.
Theodore Tilton, of the famous
Beecher-Tllton scandal In Plymouth
church, Brooklyn, more than a quar
ter of a century ago, died recently in
Paris where lie had lived the life
of a recluse since that event.
Hugh C. Quingley, who at one time
was a business partner of President
McKinley’s, died of apoplexy at
Cleveland, O.
Clarence Maitland, sent to the fed
eral penitentiary at Leavenworth,
Kan., from Alaska to serve a seven
year sentence lot burglary, starved
himself to death.
Frank H. Butler, who was charged
with the murder of the Marvin boy at
Dovei, Del., has been released from
custody, for want of sufficient evi
dence against him.
A. E. Stilwell and a party of 90
capitalists who took a trip over the
lines of the Orient railroad in Mexico,
have returned.
Judge Thomas Ryan, of Kansas,
assistant secretary of the interior, has
had a relapse and is again confined
to his home in Washington.
B. 11. Fulton, of Marysville, has
been elected grand commander of the
Kansas Knights Templar.
Frederick A. Burnham, indicted for
grand larceny and forgery, lias ten
dered his resignation as president of
the Mutual Reserve Life Insurance
society.
Mrs. Bridget Hannon died recently
in St. Louis aged 101 years.
The president and family have re
turned to Washington after a week’s
outinj ut tlfeir country seat in Vir
ginia.
Mrs. McKinley, widow of the late
president, suffered a stroke of
apoplexy at her home in Canton, 0.,
recently. No hope was entertained
for her recovery.
D. R. Anthony, of Leavenworth
was formally elected as representa
tive in congress from the First Kan
sas district to succeed Charles Curtis.
He had no opposition.
Dr. Maurice F. Egan, of the Catho
lic university at Washington, has ac
cepted the post of minister to Den
mark.
Miscellaneous.
The Baptists of the North and
South have beeu reunited after a sep
aration lasting more than 50 years.
John A. O’Keefe, one of the best
known railroad contractors in the
west, died recently in Omaha, Neb.
A severe wind and rain storm re
cently visited the town of Davy,
Neb., causing two deaths and a great
amount of damage to property.
Nineteen men have beeu sentenced
to death charged with complicity in
the recent attempt to assassinate
President Cabrera, of Guatemala.
The San Francisco grand jury hae
returned indictments against Patrick
Calhoun, president of the United Rail
roads company, Thornwell Mullally.
two attorneys for the company and
Mayor Schmitz on charges of bribery.
Lieut. Gov. Sherman, of Illinois has
declined the appointment as a mem
ber of the Spanish treaty claims
commission and Harry K. Daugherty,
of Pennsylvania, has been named to
| fill the position.
N. 11. Loomis, referee in the
i Devlin case in Topeka, has issued
an order instructing the trustees to
i sell the property of the estate
situated in Illinois.
Five workmen were killed and
a dozen others seriously injured at
1 the Armour packing plant in Chi
cago by the explosion of an am
| inonia tank.
Northwest Texas was visited by a
storm of wind and rain which assumed
the proportions of tornado in places
doing damage to buildings and crops.
Five hundred officials attended a
dinner tendered to Secretary Cortel
you at tlie Hotel Astor in New
York recently.
Proceedings have been brought be
fore the Interstate Commerce Com
mission to compel a reduction in the
fare charged by the Pullman company
for sleeping car accommodations.
Two heat prostrations were re
ported in St. Louis recently.
The Kansas grand lodge of Py
thians at Wichita elected Sam Gar
rett of Leavenworth, grand chancel*
i lor and chose Independence as the
next meeting place.
| The fifth international Sunday !
school convention, recently in ses- <
sion at Rome, has adjourned. <
The Michigan senate has passed
a resolution demanding the re-elec
tion of President Koosevelt to a sec
ond elective term.
Six millionaires and Mayor Schcflltx
gave ball in the sum of $910,000 in
Judge Dunn’s court in San Francis
co in one day.
The supreme court of the United
States has sustained the Interstate
Commerce Commission in an order
that the railroads shall not increase
the freight rates on southern lumber
two cents per hundred.
Several pieces of fine marble which
were to be used in the McKinley
mausoleum at Canton, Ohio, were
recently destroyed by fire in Buffalo,
N. Y.
One man was killed and 22 persons
injured in a wreck on the Southern
Pacific railroad near l.os Angeles,
Cal., the wreck was caused by un
known parties loosening the rails on
a trestle, which spread under the
weight of the engine precipitating the
curs into a ravine.
A rebellion has broken out and all
the civil and military officers assas
sinated at Wongkong. China.
There has been filed in the United
States supreme court on behalf of
Kansas, a motion for a rehearing of
the Kansas-Colorado suit over the
use of the water from the Arkansas
riber.
A copppr bronze equestrian statute
of Gen. John B. Gordon was recently
unveiled at Atlanta, Ga.,
Tlie San Francisco grand jury re
burned indictment against six mil
lionaires in one day on charges of
bribery as well as bringing addition
a indictments against Abraham Ruef
and Mayor Schmitz.
Gov. Iloch, of Kansas, in his Mem
orial day proclamation, calls atten
tion to the law passed by the last
session of the legislature which makes
it a misdemeanor to carry on any
ball game, horse race or other sport
ing event on that day.
Fight or ten persous perished in
n fire that consumed a lodging house
at San Jose, Cal.
Reports from Tokio state that, the
Japanese are again excited over al
leged attacks made upon Japanese
restaurants in San Francisco.
'i’he French Minister, at Tangier,
reports that the Sultan's representa
tive has promised to accede to all the
French demands.
A police census just completed gives
the population of the District of Col
umbia as .'129,591, of whom 9G.158 are
negroes.
There Is a serious lack of farm
hands In tlie Northwest, according to
reports received by the Great North
ern railroad. Farmers are offering
$25 and $lO a month for helo.
Six men alleged to be the leaders
of the mob that lynched a negro at
Sterrett. I. T., March 31, have been ar
rested by United States marshals and
held on a charge of murder.
At Claxton, Ga., two negroes wel’e
lynched, one white man and two ne
groes were killed and seven other per
sons were injured as the result of an
attempt to capture a negro who had
criminally assaulted a white woman.
Five white men were killed and
four fatally injured in an explosion of
molten metal in a blast furnace at
Pittsburg, Pa.
Ten indictments have been re
turned against President lleggeman,
of the Metropolitan Life Insurance
company by the New York grand
jury on a charge of forgery aud per
jury.
Parties presumed to be strikers
short circuted the trolley wire on
some of the San Francisco car lines
and caused an explosion in the power
house which burned out the switch
board putting out of commission all
lines north of Market street.
A. T. Pigg, charged with bribing a
juror in Topeka, was recently re
turned from California to stand trial.
The court of appeals of Kentucky
has handed down a decision declaring
the last city election in Louisville
void and ordering a new election in
November next. The governor Is
given power to fill the vacant offices.
Tim live stock commission men at
the various packing centers are re
senting a recent order of the pack
ers regarding inspection of cows and
heifers. Resolutions have been
adopted to refuse to sell under the
proposed rule; and shippers were
notified to hold cows and heifers on
the farm for the present.
A bulletin issued by the census
bureau places the consumption of
wood pulp in the United States in
190 G at 3.G4G.G93 cords as compaied
with 3,193,123 cords in 1905.
Commissioner H. A. Anthony, who
took the testimony in the ouster suit
of the state of Missouri against the Ite
i public, Standard and Waters-Fierce
Oil companies, has filed his report
witih the supreme court of the state,
lie sustains every allegation of At
torney General Hadley’s petition and
recommends that the companies be
ousted from the state.
Foreign diplomats have complained
to the state department at Washing
ton that they are annoyed by local
officials in Maryland who seek to
enforce the laws regarding fast rld
i ing in automobiles.
The Red Cross announces that no
more conlributioAs are neede 1 for the
famine sufferers in China, the
famine having been broken by the
! spring crops.
The National Association of Manu
facturers have gone on record as fav
oriug a revision of the tariff at the
earliest opportunity.
SAHARA GROWING DRYER.
French Observer Says the Oases Art
Shrinking and Will Disappear.
C. F. Gautier, a French explorer, Is
Authority for the statement that the
Sahara Is continuously becoming drier
to such an extent that the oases are
perceptibly drying up and will disap
pear altogether in a relatively short
time. Ho quotes historic records and
physical signs to show that springs
were at one time moro plentiful* than
now, and that the extent of the
patches where vegetation flourishes
were much greater even 50 to 100
years ago.
As the climate of the region has un
dergone no change in perhaps thou
sands of years, he believes that tho
disappearance of the water must be
due to purely mechanical causes. He
considers that it is due to tho con
tinual advance of the groat sand
masses to the north, thus forming an
impenetrable barrier against the wa
tershed of the Atlas mountains. —N. 1L
Sun.
To improve tlie general health, take
Garfield Tea daily for a time; it purifies
the blood, eradicates rheumatism and
many chronio ailments and keeps the
hcalih good. Garfield Tea is made of
herbs; it is guaranteed under the Pure
Food and Drugs Law. Gartield Tea Co.*
Brooklyn, N. Y.
Nothing Doing.
‘T’ve worked for the party faithfully
for the past 20 years,” began the of
fice-seeker, "and I can say with truth
that I never once asked for any of
fice —” "Glorious record!" put in the
party leader. "I wouldn’t think of
urging you to break it. Ke*p it up."
PALE, WEAK PEOPLE
MADE STRONG AND ENERGETIC
BY DR. WILLIAMS' PINK PILLS.
General Breakdown Caused by Defi
cient Blood Quickly Corrected by
This Tonic Remedy.
A feeling of general weakness, poor
appetito, loss of breath after tho slight
est "exercise ami broken sleep aro souio
of tho symptoms of general debility.
You may think that they have no relation
to each other and that you will worry
along, hoping all the time to feel better
soon. This is a mistake, for every ono
of the symptoms is caused by bad blood,
which must bo made puro and new
before health will bo restored again. A
tonic treatment is necessary and for this
purj>oso there is no better remedy than
Dr. Williams' Pink Pills.
Mr. J. G. Havey, of 95 Atlllow St.,
Chelsea, Mass., says: “I was sick for a
number of years from general debility
aud indigestion. I was never freo from
stomach trouble ami my nerves woro so
shattered that tho least excitement un
fitted me for any serious work. My
sleep was restless on account of terrible
; pains in the small of my back. Those
pains would sometimes Inst, for a month
i or two. My sight grew weak, there seom
; ing to boa blur constantly before my
eyes. I couldn’t concentrate my min.l
on my work, and the attempt to do so
completely exhausted me.
“I was finally forced to give up a
position I had held for twenty-eight
years. After trying several medicines
without help, I real of Dr. Williams*
Pink Pills and gave them a trial. They
male me feel so much better aud so
much stronger that I started in business
for myself hero in Chelsea I have
nover had a return of my former sick
ness and eheerfully recommend Dr. Wil
liams’ Pink Pills *as an excellent nerve
and blood tonic.”
Dr. Williams’ Pink Pill# have long
been reeognized as an excellent tonio
remedy in cases of indigestion aud gen
eral debility, where the stomach and
other organs of the body are weakened
and disordered simply through lack of
proper nourishment. They have also
been esj)eeially successful in curing
nmcmia, rheumatism, after-effects of the
grip aud fevers.
A pamphlet on “ Diseases of tho
Blood ” aud a copy of our diet book will
be sent freo on request to anyone inter
ested.
Dr. Williams’ Pink Pills nro sold by
all druggists, or sent, postpaid, on receipt
of price, 50 cents ])er box, six boxes for
0, by tlie Dr. Williams Medicine
Company, Schenectady, N. Y.
FOOT =EASE
For Hot, Tired, Aching,
Swollen Feet.
SHAKE \ \
INTO YOUR
SHOES ||f :
Allen’s Foot-Ease, a powder. It cures
painful, smuniug, uervous loot and in- !;
growing nails, and instantly takes tin*
sling out of corns and bunions. It’s tho
greatest comfort discovery of the age.
Makes tight or now shoos easy. A certain
euro for sweating, callous aud hot, tired,
aching feet, ttn.ooo testimonials. 'I rv it
to-doij. Sold by all Druggists a> d Shoe
stores, 25c. Doit't accept a *"hstilute. Trial
package FREE. Address,
1I!o ;. N s \ ■
Genuine beam above signature.
TO CURE ECZEMA.
The one Infallible method by which
Eczemu can bo quickly and permanently
cured is by the use of likiskki.i/s Oint-
VRNT. For halfacontury this great remedy
hue been the means of curing skin discuses
of every nature. Eryslpolns, Tetter, Ulcers,
Pimples, King worm, Blotchy Hkin, Erup
tions, Hough Hkln, Salt ftheum. Scald
Head—all yield as readily to tho marvelous
curative virtues of llkiskkli.’s Oi.ntmknt
as the dread disease—Eczema. Heforo apply-
Ing the ointment, bathe the affected parts,
flslng II RISK KI.T.’S M KUICI N A I. SOA I*.
II KISKF.T.I/S BI.OOI> AN I> Lt VIII 1*11.14 tone
up the liver and rloanse the blood. Oint
ment, 60 cents a box • Soap, 26 cents a cake;
Fills. 2'» cents a bottle—at all druggists.
Send f-w Interesting book of testimonials to
Jon on, Ilor.i.owA v A Co., 631 Com marcs
Htrec,. Philadelphia, Pa.