SERIAL
SRORY
The Mystery
Carney = Croft
By
JOSEPH BROWN COOKE
(Copyright, 1W7. by Story-Pre»« Corporation.)
CHAPTER X.—Continued.
“We thought it was he and Mrs.
Bruce that we saw last night,” said
MacArdel, pleasantly. “We were out
enjoying the moonlight when they
drove down the road.”
"Didn’t see nuthin' else, did ye?”
asked Hoskins, in a confidential tone.
“Why, no!” laughed MacArdel.
Why do you ask?”
“Wal,” said Hoskins, drawing near
er and speaking seriously. "Jenks says
th’ ghosts wuz abaout agin’ an' they
went past him. daown th' road jest as
he wuz a-turnin’ into th’ pike. His boss
give a jump as they went scootin' by,
an’it threw him agin th’ dash an' cut
his hand some. He called me up teh
git him a rag teh tie uraound it an’ he
looked scared enough to ha' seen 20
ghosts.” |
“Was his hand badly hurt?” I asked, j
•Nuthin’ teh speak of,” said Hos
kins. “Jest a little nick along the !
side like he'd gouged a piece aouten j
it.”
“See here. Hoskins!” said MacArdel
sharply. “We didn’t see any ghosts
last night, and all your friend Jenks
could have seen was ourselves, in our ;
shirt-sleeves, "walking back of the
hedge by the river,road. You reme.1i
ber how his horse jumped and ran.
don't you. Ware?”
“Certainly,” I replied, obediently. {
“We wondered what the trouble was, (
at the time.”
"Now, then, Hoskins,” continued
MacArdel. looking at his watch and
speaking rapidly. “Don't let Jenks hear
a word about this business, lie don't
know that I had a trunk at the station,
and, if we can get back here before
he wakes up, he needn't even know
that we’ve had his wagon.”
"No fear of his wakin' up fur a good
bit yet,” grinned Hoskins. "He wuz so
scared when he got in that he liked
teh ha’ finished a pint o' whisky ’fore
I could stop him.”
"So much the better” said MacAr
den, gathering up the reins. "Now. re
member what 1 say. and keep this
business to yourself. We'll have some
fun with him before he gets through!” |
We drove as rapidly as the tired
boast could carry us. until wo reached
the gate leading Into the stable
grounds, when MacArdel pulled up
suddenly and said:
"Let's dump the trunk in here. We
can carry it up to the house after we ,
get this horse and wagon back where
they belong. No one will touch it
here.”
As soon as the trunk was on the !
ground by the side of the roadway.
MacArdel dragged out the parcel from
Tinder the blankets and, opening it on
the grass, began to examine the pieces
minutely.
After a moment he straightened up
and exclaimed:
"it's just as I thought. It's the same
stuff that we found last night, and
the scoundrel went back and got ’em
all after we had gone to bed.”
CHAPTER XL
The Ghosts Captured.
Replacing the parcel under the
blankets in as nearly as possible the
same condition and position as when j
we found it, we drove rapidly back to |
Hoskins’ stable and were successful
ia safely housing the horse and wag
on before Jenks put in his appear
ance.
“Now," said MacArdel, "all we have
to do is to tip oil' that man at the sta
tion, and we can keep Jenks in the !
dark until we are ready to bring him I
up with a round turn.”
We walked the short half mile to
the railway and found no difficulty
In bribing the fellow to silence con
cerning the trunk, laying stress on
the alleged joke that we purposed
practicing on the driver of the “ex
press.”
"You see," said MacArdel, as we
strolled leisurely along the grassy
roadside “the whole business is plain
enough now. This Bruce woman start
ed a ghost story when she first came
here purely in a spirit of idle gabble
and to impress the wondering natives
with the knowledge of the homes of
the nobility in England. Then, when
her boy was killed, she tried to make
trouble by again circulating these
yarns and frightening the men off the
place."
“Well,” I replied, “she ought to be
satisfied now, at any rate. Miss Car
ney gave her a good bit of money in
at lump sum, and provided her with a
comfortable house and a generous plot
of land around it. I don't see what
more she wants or what she hopes to
gain, and, to tell the truth, I'm about
as much in the dark as 1 was at
first.”
“Well, It’s plain enough!" continued
MacArdel. “You gave her the money
In a lump sum, you say, so she has
ccihirg more to expect ic that dbec
tlon. You’d hove done better if you
had given her an annuity instead, and
kept the control of her funds in your
awn hands.”
"We do, la,A ttay." 1 returned. "We
give her tkt uso of the house and
land, you know.*'
"That's where the whole trouble
lies now!" exclaimed MacArdel. “Don't
you see. Ware, she and this fellow.
Jenks, are going to be married. She’s
got a good house and farm on the
estate, and. just as they are about to
settle down for better or for worse,
you come along with a scheme to
oust her, bag and baggage, and turn
her place into golf links."
"What of it?” I replied. “We are
going to provide for her elsewhere
and she will be better off than she
is now.”
"You know that, but she doesn't."
continued MacArdel. “and there may
be other reasons why she does not
want to move. This seems to be a
pretty prosperous community, and ap
parently no one about her is espe
cially anxious to have the house
open.”
"No reason why they should want It
open.” I said. "Practically all the serv
ants are brought from the city and al
j most nothing is purchased in the vil
! lage, so the natives don’t derive any
| material benefit from the place.”
| "But they may when it's closed up.”
. MacArdel insisted. "There’s fruit and
! nuts and game and grass and timber
and other things that can be picked up
and never missed from one year's end
| to another when the house is unoccu
-1 pied and no watchman or caretaker is
j about. I tell you. Ware, these people
I don't want the Carneys to come back. ;
! and they are playing this ghost game j
i for all there is in it to frighten them
! away."
"They’ll have a fine time doing it,”
| : said. "Miss Carney isn't afraid of
I anything under the sun. and even if
1 she returns before we ar« sble to
! make out a case against them, she’ll
' stay here and fight it out to the
l ,ast ”
“What's That Got to Do with It?”
"Hope she likes to do housework," I
said MacArdel.”
"What's that got to do with it?" I ;
snapped.
"Well.” he returned, grinning. !
“she'll have to live here without serv
ants until you get this business clear- I
! ed up. She may be satisfied that there j
is nothing supernatural about these
j midnight visitations, but she won’t
get a servant to stay on the place
while there’s any hocus-pocus going
on."
We were on our way back from the
I railway station, and, coming to the
j brow of the hill, we could look down
across the valley and see the grim
gray walls of the Carney mansion
through the occasional openings in the
foliage as it waved in the gentle morn
ing breeze. To one side, and less than
a mile away, was the Widow Bruce's
cottage, and I pointed it out again to
MacArdel.
"Let's go over there,” ho said, brief
ly. "I want to see her."
We tramped across the fields and
over the fences of stone and brush,
soiling our boots, tearing our clothing,
and decorating ourselves with a gen
erously distributed collection of burrs,
which clung to our garments with a
tenacity wonderful tp believe.
A sharp knock at the cottage door
was answered by a pleasant-faced,
motherly appearing woman of about
45, who spoke with a marked English
accent. MacArdel took the initiative
and introduced us without delay.
"This is Mr. Ware,” he said, "the at
torney of the Carney estate, and I am
his friend, Dr. MacArdel.”
The widow bobbed up and down like
a duck in a puddle and invited us into
the house with a great show of cere
mony.
“No, thank you,” said MacArdel.
"We won't come in. We've just been
taking a morning stroll over the hills
and we stopped to ask if you could do
some washing for us. You know we've
been stopping over al the house.for a
couple of days and the sheets and
things are so musty that we thought
, wo hwi better have some of them
washed and aired out. We
along to-night again, but if you could
get some of the things back to us to
morrow we wish you would."
Mrs. Bruce was quite willing to do
us this favor, and MacArdel told her
to call for the things at six that
evening, explaining that we would
not return to the house until that
hour.
As we left the cottage and wan
dered on down the hill, MacArdel
said:
"She don’t look half bad, after all.
I confess I expected to see a very
different sort of woman.”
A moment later he muttered as if to
himself: "We’ll get the story out
of her, though, or I’ll miss my guess,"
beyond which sage remark he became
absolutely uncommunicative on the
entire subject.
We kept our word about returning
to the place before evening, and, after
lunching at Hoskins' and taking a row
on the river in the afternoon, we ar
rived at the house a little after five
to await, the appearance of Mrs.
Bruce. MacArdel had been far from
talkative for some time, when sudden
ly he said:
“Ware, go back to the village right
away! Send two or three meaningless
telegrams to your office within an hour
or so. Tell it around that unless you
receive a reply before ten o’clock we
will both have to return to town on
the midnight train. I’ll stay here and
attend to the widow when she
j comes.”
j "Of course I won’t get any reply if
my messages are meaningless,” I ex
! claimed, in amazement. “What on
earth are you driving at?”
"Never mind about that,” said Mar
! ArdeL “Just do as I tell you and bo
mighty careful to so word your mes
sage that no one cau r.mko any sense
out of them, but be sure to send them
to your own office. Then they’ll look
l like cipher dispatches. Now. when ten
j o’clock comes and no answer, get hold
J of this fellow Jenks and make him
; drive up here along with you to get
! our things. He may pretend he's
afraid, but he’ll come willingly
i enough, especially if you offer to pay
; him well.”
1 did as I was told, and shortly after
ten o'clock, Jenks and l drove up to
the house and found MacArdel wait
ing for us on the veranda.
"Iloilo. Ware!" ho called out, cheer
ily. "Didn’t you get that message from
town?”
"No.” I responded shortly. “I wired
them three times myself, but I could
n't get any reply."
“S’pose we’ll have to get started to
night, then." said MacArdel. "The
trunk is all ready. Will your horse
stand, Jenks?”
| "Will ef some one holds him,” said
j Jenks. sullenly.
"All right," said MacArdel, ignoring
the fellow's surly manner. "Get hold
of his head, Ware, and Jenks and I
will fetch the trunk."
The man clambered down from his
seat, slowly and unwillingly, and as
he did so the moonlight fell on his in
jured hand and illuminated the crude
ly applied bandage.
"Why, what's this, man?” exclaimed
MacArdel, with interest. "Have you
hurt yourself?”
"Nothin’ but a scratch,” replied
Jenks, gruffly. "Got dragged agin a
nail in th’ barn last night.”
"Let me look at it,” said MacArdel.
‘Tin a doctor, you know,” and he
reached for the injured member and
grasped It firmly at the wrist. Aa In
stant later Jenks went spinning
through the air with MacArdel astride
of his chest, holdiug him firmly to the
ground.
"Wonderful what an hour a day at
the gymnasium will do for a follow,”
said MacArdel, when he had regained
his breath. "There's a bit of rope there
on the step Ware. Give it here aud
help me tie him. He's wriggling life* the
devil.”
(TO BB CONTINUED.>
AROUND THE CIRCLE
HOW THE PRACTICE OF HOME
TRADE HELPS EVERYBODY.
THE RESULT OF ADVERTISING
An Increased Use of Printers’ Ink In
ths Local Paper Brought Pros
perity to the Entire Com
munity.
•'You’ll have to stay over Sunday,
Mary, so I can have a chance for a
visit with you. Can’t possibly get the
, time through the week. Business too
lively.”
"Things must be getting better
with you, John. Last time I was here
you seemed to have lots of time to
spare. Said business had gone tp tho
dogs, or rather to the mail-order
houses. What made the change?”
“Well, to tell the truth, Mary, I just
wakened up one day and thought I
would give them fellows in the city a
little of their own medicine. I got
unto the fact that they were killing
me by feeding the people around here
on printer's ink in the way of adver
tising, and while I knew most of
what they said was lies the people
didn’t know it, and I started in to
Bhow them what I could do. Not at
The local merchant who must bear the burden of local taxation is en
titled to the assistance of every resident of the community. When you send
your dollars to the mail-order houses of the city you but add to the load hs
must carry. Keep your dollars at home.
ying, you know, but at selling good
foods as cheap as the city fellow's
lid, and lots of times a little cheaper.
"I went to the local paper and pret
;y near scared the editor to death by
jrdering a half page of each issue for
fix months. Then I set about seeing
what I had to sell that the people
would want. I really didn’t know
what was in that store until I started
:o look it over. Some of the things
aad been there so long I had forgot
ten about them. I hauled them out
ind put a bargain sale price on them,
told the people about them in tfie
lext week's Record, and gave the
prices, and say. I just couldn’t get
them things wrapped up fast enough.
Ever since then I've just been buying
ind selling, buying and selling.
Seems like nothing stays in the store.
Have hired two more clerks, and
they’re everlastingly telling me we’re
1 Dut of this, that or the other thing. I
found that telling the people what
you’ve got and w’hat you are willing
to sell them for pays. I've paid off
that mortgage that's been hanging
over us for the last ten years, and
gave SIOO to the new church building
besides, and it's advertising that
did It.
"You’ll stay over Sunday, w’on’t
you? I've got to get to the store
1 now.”
"Jones ordered a new delivery
wagon this morning, Jane. Said
• since the folks around here had
started to trade at home and quit
sending so much money to the mail
order houses he simply had to have It.
You can have what I make on that
wagon to get that new dress with that
you've been wanting. Wish you’d
buy it of Jones though for he always
trades with me.”
“Yes, sir, I figure I’m ahead a little
more than the freight on that buggy,
besides getting a better buggy than
you got. I Intended to send away for
mine, too, like you did, but I saw
Brown's advertisement telling the
kind of a buggy he had and the price,
and I concluded I’d look at it first.
He’s making better prices than the
catalogue fellows, and he’s paying the
freight besides. I figure that I saved
just about enough on that buggy to
pay the doctor's bill for Molly’s sick
ness, and then, besides, Brown or
dered his hay of me, and he's paying
a good price for it, too.”
"Now. my dear, you may engage
Miss Herman to give Princess music
lessens for the wave of prosperity In
the community has struck the mlnis-
Ing they voted me a raise In salary fbr
the coming year. In a talk made by
Brother Jones he explained that this
was possible because the people were
keeping their money at home rather
than sending it to the catalogue houses
of the cities. Brother Frank (the post
master) explained that the money or
der business of his office had dropped
to almost nothing within the past six
months. He said that less than a year
ago he was handling more than SI,OOO
each month in the shape of money or
ders, and that now the total is not one
fourth of that. I understand that they
will also increase the school teacher’s
salary next term.”
"A 12-page paper this week, I see
Anything special doing?”
"Not at all. That’s to be the regular
size of the Record in the future. The
increase in business warrants it. The
campaign of advertising being conduct
ed by the merchants forced me to in
crease the size or encroach upon my
reading matter columns, and so I in
creased. Then, too, my subscription
list is growing. People who never took
the paper before say they want It now
if for nothing more than to keep post
ed on the prices the merchants are
quoting. Business in the Record office
is booming all around. I have had to
advertise for two more job printers,
and have just ordered a new printing
press. By the way, is that horse you
offered me some time ago still on the
market? If so you can bring him
around. 1 want him for a birthday
present for my wife.”
WRIGHT A. PATTERSON.
TEN GOOD REASONS.
Read Them and Patronize the Mer
chants of This Town.
Here are ten good reasons for trad
ing with your home business people,
as given by an exchange.
Because: You examine your pur
chase and are assured of satisfaction
before investing your money.
Because: Your home merchant is
always ready and willing to make
right any error or any defective arti
cle purchased of him.
Because: When you are sick or for
any reason it is necessary for you to
ask for credit, you can go to the local
merchant. Could you ask it of a mail
order house?
Because: If a merchant is willing
to extend you credit you should give
him the benefit of your cash trade.
Because: Your home merchant pays
local taxes and exerts every effort to
build and bettor your market, thus in
creasing both the value of city and
country property.
Because: The mail order merchant
docs not lighten your taxes or in any
way hold the value of your property.
Because: The mall order merchant
does nothing for the benefit of mar
kets or real estate values.
Because: If your town is good
enough to live in it is good enough to
spend money in.—Gov. Folk of Mis
souri.
Because: The best citizens in your
community patronize home industry.
Why not be one of the best citizens?
Because: If you give your home
merchant an opportunity to compete,
by bringing your order to him in the
quantities you buy out of town, he will
demonstrate that, quality considered,
he will save you money.
Search for Old Cannon.
A tradition still survives in Luzern©
county, Pa., that when Gen. John
Sullivan marched through that region
in 1779 on his expedition against the
Indian confederacy of central New
York, he burled some superfluous
brass cannon along the Wilkes-Barre
mountain. To search for these revolu
tionary relics a number of the best
known citizens of Ashley have formed
themselves into an historical society.
One recent Sunday the members
scoured the mountain in the vicinity
of Laurel Run, but could And no relics
except a few Indian arrow points.
Fatal Admission.
"What other qualifications have you
Cor the place?” asked the merchant, gn
"Well,” began the applicant, “mjr
friends tell me I have a contented dt»>
position, and ”
"You won’t do,” replied the mer
chant. "We want a man with a dis
contented disposition; one that will
hustle."—The Catholic Standard and
Times.
Men who whistle at their work sel
dom work any better than they whis
tle.
Our ancestors, the Saxons, dyed
their hair blue, green or orange, ac
cording to taste.
It has been computed that there are
$2,000,000,000 In gold and jewels at
the bottom of the sea on the route be
tween England and India.
Information In regard to several ex
cellent weekly newspapers that are for
sale can be obtained by writing to the
Western Newspaper Union, Denver.
Denver Directory
j
HAYWOOD TROUT FLIES—Ask your deal
er. Guna, Athletic Supplies, Tackle. T»s
Whitney Sporting Goods Co.. 505 17th St.«
Opp. Denver Club.
CUSHMAN GASOLINE EN6INE U S* -
any. Particulars from H. Toogood, 181-y
Arapahoe St.
IHE DENVER PAINT AND VARNISH CO
Tho Aomo Quality Line. 1520 Blake St.,
Denver.
THE INDEPENDENT GLASS COMPANY
Plate and Window Glass, 1520 Blake Kt.,
Denver.
RON I I nnV Dealers In all kinds of rncr-
DUn I. LUUn chandise. Mammoth catalog
mailed free. Corner 16lh and Blake, Denver^
PAMtDUS J. H. WILSON STOCK SADDLES
Auk your dealer for them. Take no other.
AMERICAN HOUSE nS?
Best $2 a duy hotel In the West. America!
plan. t
Brown palace hotel ksssbh
European Plan. 51.50 and Upward.
CTQWC REPAIRS of every known make.
l** * of stove, furnace or ranee. Geo. A.
Pullen. 13J1 Lawrence. Denver. Phono 725.
ALFALFASEED§?:«
WE ARE HEADQUARTERS FOR SEED.
The Harteldew Seed Go.. Denver. Uolo.
THE CO LOR ADO SADDLERYCO.
Factory 1801-1) Market 81. , Denver.
Harness In every style Saddles of every de
scription. Ask your dealer for "tho Smooth
est Line In the West.”
OXFORD HOTEL
nrilWrn block from Union Depot.
Hr PI urn Fire-proof. Modern. Euro
ftJLllVh.ll penn Plan. Popular Prices,
HfH.A.&K.Shirts
Dost Maile—Take No Other.
Made in Howe. Allen A- ICuull factory. Don
ver. If your d-nler don't n-11 them, write us,
SCHOLARSHIP FREE
For Summer Tern In tho Pinna Do part meat
to nuypne sending iim tho names aud uddrenses of teu
persons wishing to attend the
COLORADO CONSERVATOR*
axil K. Colfax nr U||C|P Denver,
Avenue V i 111 UO I Colorado
Fine Home Capitol 1111] for Student*
Violin, Voice, l’iiino, Cello, Organ, Drama
e. t:. BURLINGAME A lU,
ASSAY OFFICE * ND LABORATORY
Established in Colorado,lB66. Samples by mail ov
express will receive prompt and careful attention
Sold & Sllrer Bullion r *Wv , B!Eh , AIS? ,<
Concentration Tests — 100
J 736-1738 Lawrence St.. Denver. Cola*
BOOH or FIFTY
“OLD FAVORITE SONGS”
Words and music sent FREE oi\ re
ceipt of your name and address with
name of one or more persons thinking
ef buying a Plano, Organ or Talking
Machine.
THE KNIGIIT-LOCKE PIANO CO.,
813-521 Sixteenth St., Denver. Cola,
PIANOS AND ORGANS
Rend your name with
thin for lint Ann
bargains In
■ organ*. Plano* from
IlfflWwW *75 up. Organs from
Milg BiaM 115 to 125 up. Player
■AQnI Piano*, can tx- pluyrd
l>y ti 3o upx .
Instruments sold oM
easy terms su!^
■ buyer. Victor talking'
■ machines sold
■ ean y
I All Write for catalog of
different Instru-
WlinHi THE KNTGRT
CAMPBELL MUSIC
«£&£ COMPANY.
1025-31
Denver. Colo.
["join the navy
which enllsta for four years young men of
Sood charactar and sound Physical con-
Itlon between the ages of 17 and 25 as
apprentice seamen; opportunities for ad
vancement*, pay 116 to 170 a month. Elec
tricians. machinists, blacksmiths, copper
smiths, yeomen (clerks), carpenters, ship
fitters firemen, musicians, cooks, etc., en
listed In special ratings with suitable pay.
hospital apprentices 18 to 28 years Re
llrement oh thr.«-fourth. n«y and allow
.nc.fl nt ter «0 year,’ .crvlc.; applicant;
b« American cltl.en.: 05 worth nt
cloth In. free In recruit.- Upon dl.char,.
travel allowance 4 cent, per mile to place
l 5 .nll.tm.nt. Bonn, four month, n.y
and It 34 per month tnnrenso In nay
SSon r.-enflatmenl within tour month,
o! dl.charye; 45 per montli lncrrn.o on
?eennd enlf.tm.nt. 13 per month Iner.an
each succeed In a enll.tment. whether Her-
S'VnaVy Hltr«t r rWVNO RTATtONtt:
Loom 2, rioneer Bulldlnr lywnver. Onto.
BmS 53. Bank Bid,.. Colo. Bn«»..
Home Made Goods
Manufactured nt our shop, in South
Denver by ourselves.
The Plattner Stacker
The Denver Mower
The Plattner Push Rake
The above specialties manufactured
under our own patents.
The Plattner Harrow, the P‘ r at tner
Farm Truck and ull kinds of Wooden
T *WUh the above goods we have met
with remarkable success during the
East several years, and we think It wm
r to your Interest to ask us for lllus
trated circulars and detail.
THE PLATTNER IMPLEMENT CO.,
MU-IMS IStk St. Draw'. Ool *®f