The new era., August 29, 1907, Image 3

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

Image provided by: History Colorado

                
SERIAL
STORY
The Mystery
of
Carney = Croft
By
JOSEPH BROWN COOKE
(Copyright, 1807. br Story-Prate Corporation.)
CHAPTER XXlV.—Continued.
I puzzled long and deeply over these
words, for they brought a new and
hitherto unsuspected person into the
case. Whom did the widow mean by
“she?” It could not have been Miss
Weston, who was too ill to leave her
bed, and, after considerable thought,
was forced to believe, as the only
T>ossible explanation, that the pronoun
referred to one of the servants in the
house. This, to my mind, added ma
terially to the gravity of the affair, for
if unknown members of the domestic
stafT were concerned in the matter
there was no telling how far the con
spiracy might reach nor to what pur
pose it was carried on.
1 had become so accustomed to mys
terious happenings of this sort, and
my head was so filled with visions of
Miss Carney, and with the words 1
was now determined to say to her,
that no impression could have been
made on my mind by anything short
of a most startling phenomenon.
As I have said, the message was
evidently intended for Jenks and was
from the widow, who, it seemed equal
ly clear, either was or had been in the
subterranean passage holding con
verse with its loathsome inhabitants.
From my window I could see that
there were no lights in her cottage,
and I was on the point of venturing
forth again and, from a safe distance,
watching the pit until she emerged
and started for home, when a realiza
tion of my physical exhaustion took
hold of me and I adopted the wiser
plan of remaining in my room.
The night was far from restful, and
at the first glimpse of daylight I
dressed and returned to the manhole.
There was a light fall of snow on the
ground and I was not surprised to see
that someone had climbed out of the
shaft and gone across the lawn toward
the Bruce house, but the lid of the
manhole was securely fastened down
as before.
assure myself that it was locked, 1
found, at the sides, two openings in
the grating larger than the others and,
slipping my revolver easily back and
forth through one of these, I was no
longer at a loss to understand how it
had appeared so mysteriously the
night before.
It was quite evident that it had been
passed up through the opening and
turned until it lay flat on the grating,
the person below doubtless mistaking
me for Jenks and misconstruing my
efforts to raise the lid into a signal
from the stage driver that he had ar
rived and was awaiting orders. That
1 did not understand this simple
maneuver from the first and appre
ciate the situation at a glance was
because pt my highly excited nervous,
state and my subsequent encounter
with Jenks himself.
On my return to the house I found
the following telegram which had Just
arrived:
“Wire received. Will not await let
ter. Sure to arrive on time.
•CARNEY.”
This message was dated New York
and, apparently, had been transmitted
thence from the cable over the local
•wire to Carney-Croft. It must have
‘been in response to my dispatch of
:the previous day and served to set
my mind at rest as to the where
abouts and purposes of John Carney,
had been troubling me in an in-
way for some time past.
The only thing now left for me to do
seemed to be to remain virtually pas
sive until he arrived, keeping a sharp
watch on things, but taking no posi
tive steps in his absence unless un
foreseen circumstances arose to call
for immediate action. My chief desire
'was to see Miss Carney and make
•clear to her my feelings, but this
: seemed to be out of the question, as
she remained consantly with Miss
IWeston and no longer came to any
jneals or showed herself about the
thouse.
The country was fast taking on the
mantle of white under which it was to
.sleep for so many long weeks, and it
was with a comfortable shiver that I
centered the library, just before lunch
eon, and strode up to the fire to warm
my hands and toast my shins and
back successively.
I found Miss Weston’s physician
.Similarly engaged and asked him so
licitously concerning his patient.
His face clouded and I even thought
I saw a tear in the corner of his eye,
for, like all doctors with the right kind
of stuff in them, familiarity with hu
man suffering had only warmed his
heart and softened his nature.
“I had hoped,” he continued, "that
.young Carney’s return would have a
.'good effect on her, but when we told
iher of the message that came this
morning she only drew the sheets over
(her face and broke down completely.
: There is something more to this. Mr.
[Ware, than the mere absence of her
fjeetheart, but what it is I cannot
en imagine.” »
"Then you know nothing of the mys
| tery of Carney-Croft?” I asked cau
tiously, closing the door and speaking
I in a lown tone.
“The mystery of Carney-Croft!” he
exclaimed in bewildered surprise and
then his face relaxed and he smiled
pleasantly as he said: "Oh! you mean
the ghost stories that were told about
here after Mr. Carney died?”
"Well,” I returned, “ghosts or some
thing of the sort were really seen
about the place, were they not?”
His smile broadened as he replied:
"Oh, yes, some of the boys did rig
themselves up in sheets and play
spook for a time, until I took a hand
in it myself and drove them out. I
was going to send you word about it,
but I found it was only a lot of boyish
pranks, and that they hadn’t done any
harm beyond getting into the old tun
nel by the river, and, of course, that
didn’t amount to anything.”
"The old tunnel!” I exclaimed in
well-feigned surprise. “Is tljere a tun
nel by the river?”
"You never heard of it, of course,”
he went on, "and I fancy nearly every
one has forgotten it by this time.
When Mr. Carney began to build here
he located his house some 200 yards
farther down the hill toward the wa
ter. He had a plan of running a little
tunnel from the cellar to the river so
that ashes and other refuse from the
house could be taken out that way and
not clutter up the lawns or be seen
from the windows.
"Just as this work was partially
completed the old dam, some two
miles up the stream, was demolished
and a new one built about a mile be
low. This raised the water level un
til the far end of his tunnel was com
pletely submerged and so he gave up
the scheme entirely and began a new
cellar quite a distance back from the
first. The partly finished tunnel and
the excavation for the original cellar
were covered over and had practically
been forgotten by everybody except the
boys, who used to dive down and swim
Into the hole in the summer.
"Then, aB I say, they got the idea of
playing ghost and would run down the
hill in the moonlight with nothing on
but a sheet or a piece of old fish net
"We Cannot Hope to Save Her.”
which waved out far out behind them.
When they got to the edge of the bank
they would emit some sort of a ghost
ly yell and dive down out of sight.
Finally, when all the young girls in
the neighborhood began to get hys
terics, I discovered what was going on
and put a stop to it by giving two or
three of the ringleaders a sound
thrashing and installing a family of
beavers in the tunnel who vigorously
attacked all future intruders.”
The doctor laughed heartily as he
finished his little tale and concluded
by saying:
“There have been occasional rumors
of ghost since then, I know, but I
fancy that is the biggest mystery Car
ney-Croft ever had.”
“Doctor,” I returned seriously, "there
is a far greater mystery than that go
ing on here this very minute. Tl.ut
tunnel is again occupied, by whom I
do not know, but the man or men who
are down there are in league with that
Bruce woman who lives in the new
cottage, and with Jenks, the stage
driver. Moreover, these people are
connected in some inexplicable way
with Miss Weston, and the Bruce
woman, who seems to be the head and
front of the whole thing, has written
letters to Miss Weston, and even to
me, most of which contain vague ref
erences to Miss Carney and threats
that —’’
"The Bruce woman written to you!”
exclaimed the doctor. "Why, my dear
sir, It is Impossible! I have known
the woman for a dozen years and she
cannot read a word or write a letter!”
At that moment he was summoned
hurriedly to Miss Weston’s room and
I was handed a telegram from Mac
i Ardel which read’
/
"Keep away from that hole and da
nothing till you get my letter. Your
life may depend on it. Wire U you
wish me to come.”
The messenger was waiting and,
with no thought of the letter to which
he referred, but only to hasten the
time when some one would be with
me to whom I could talk, I replied
with the single word, "Come.”
CHAPTER XXV.
A Drive in the Storm.
A moment later the doctor returned
hurriedly to the library for his medi
cine case and said:
"I wish we could get consultation
here in the country,” he continued,
measuring out some powders with a
critical air and depositing them on
bits of paper which he had cut for the
purpose. “Most of the deaths in this
part of the world are from‘accident or
old age, and a. man with a large city
practice an 4 extensive hospital expe
rience migta£ possibly suggest some
means of prolonging her life for a
time. We cannot hope to save her,
but I wish we could keep her till Car
ney comes.”
"I have telegraphed my friend Mac-
Ardel to come and help me solve the
mystery of the place,” I ventured cau
tiously, not wishing to hurt his pro
fessional pride. "You know he was
with me here last summer and we had
a number of very peculiar experiences
then, so he knows a good deal about
it already, and I thought we could
work together to advantage. Perhaps
he could be of service to you at the
same time.”
"The very man!” exclaimed the doc
tor. "I know him well by reputation.
When will he arrive?”
“If my wire is delivered promptly he
can get here on the midnight train,” I
replied. "I know he will start at once,
for I sent for him at his own sugges
tion, in response to a letter from me
telling him of the tunnel affair, and I
think he has some very definite the
ories on the subject.
"Just the thing!” cried the doctor,
picking up the powders and hurrying
toward the door. "Let me know the
minute he sets foot in the house. I
shall be here all night.*’
As he left the room I strove to col
lect my scattered thoughts and deter
mine the present aspect of the situa
tion., If the widow could not write,
who, in heaven’s name, did send the
notes? It did not appear probable that
the doctor was wrong in what he had
said, and, moreover, the statement
served to explain the merriment of
Jenks when 1 had accused her directly
of being the author of the letters.
Still, she had assumed all responsi
bility for them, which was tantamount
to writing them as far as their prac
tical features were concerned, and I
finally decided that if they were not
her own work they must have been
written at her dictation, which really
amounted to the same thing.
1 spent the afternoon in the library,
hoping that I might see Miss Carney
and at least offer her my sympathy in
her present trouble, even if I said no
more at this time, but she did not
come down stairs during the entire
day. and at dinner she sent me word
by Mrs. Randolph that Dr. Mac Ardel
would be very welcome, not only be
cause I had asked him to come, but for
himself as well, and in the hope that
he might be of benefit to Miss Weston.
The storm had increased steadily all
day but. in spite of its fury and the
drifts that were piling up and block
ing the roads at every point. I an
nounced my determination to go with
the sleigh to meet MacArdel.
(TO BE CONTINUED.)
A Splendid Prospect.
“Do you see any great # wture for
Panama?”
"Certainly. Look at the great ex
cursion resort it has already become.’’
—Washington Star.
NOTES FROM MEADOWBROOK FARM
By Willim Pitt
Get the young fowls to roosting
early.
The nest boxes should be cleaned
out occasionally.
Have you put that box of salt in
the pasture yet?
Cows, hogs and poultry are a win
ning combination.
Cut Ssjie and green grass for the
yard-kept cn^-^ens.
Alum in the drinking water
vent throat diseases.
Change In diet will often increase
the laying capacity of hens.
Take good care of the cow, and she
, will take good care of you.
Give the turkeys a good range If
you would have .them thrifty.
Too cold water is apt to give your
horse colic. Take the chill off.
The number of farms without a
1 vegetable garden is growing less.
! The laying hens need lime. Without
It you will get soft-shelled eggs.
Lard to which has been added a lit
tle kerosene is good for scaly legs.
Cleanliness Is of vital importance in
preserving the health of the farm ani
mals.
The cross dog is not a fit associate
of the respectable members of the
dairy herd.
Sulphate of iron sprayed on wild
mustard plants will kill without in
jury to grain.
Put the badly-run-down farm into
dairying, and you can bring it back
into condition again.
While wood silos are all right, they
are not fire-proof, and hence make
the farm insurance more.
Rotation of crops is too little prac
ticed in most sections of the country.
Are you practicing it?
Supplement the pasturage which is
dry now with some green feed if you
would keep up the milk flow.
The successful farmer Is the farmer
who makes the farm pay, whether the
work is done scientifically or not.
No cow can do her best which is
driven to and from the pasture with
a yelping, snapping dog at her heels.
To obtain best results corn and
other grain crops must be alternated
with clover, timothy or other small
grasses.
It Is easier to prevent disease
among your live stock than to cure
it after careless methods have brought
on the attack.
Some breeders to force moulting in
their flocks feed light for two or three
weeks and then give as much as the
hens will eat.
The best weight for the bacon hog
langes from 160 to 220 pounds while
the lard hog should weigh from 300
to 400 pounds.
In the early stages the balky horse
Is made by the balky driver. A high
strung, nervous horse is easily ruined
by bad driving.
Any suggestion in this item for you?
A five-acre grove of English walnuts
at Fullerton, Cal., has been sold for
$5,500, $l,lOO per acre.
It is easy to plant an orchard, and
It is easy to neglect it after it is
planted. But don’t do it if you are
to hope for thrifty, fruit-bearing trees.
Remember, a pinch of salt in the
mash for the chickens is good for
them. It is a mistake to think that
salt in small quantities is hurtful to
chickens.
Says one successful farmer: "I have
found the longer I stay with my corn
in July the more I have in ray cribs
in October.” Work corn often, but
work it shallow.
One-half of the value of alfalfa hay
may be lost if it is not properly pro
tected when cut. Hay caps are almost
indispensable. Cut the plant when
coming into bloom.
The beautiful cow is not the one
which the artist puts upon his canvas
but the one which the dairyman en
ters on nis tally sheet and which
shows a goodly margin of profit
Where alfalfa Is sown alone It la I
best to let it go undipped the first [
season. But where this plan is fol- ;
lowed it should be sown thick so
as not to give the weeds a ghost of
a show.
A new Missouri law provides for
the protection of the names of farms,
a registration fee of one dollar entit
ling the farmer registering the name
to the exclusive right to use of such
name in that county.
During the moulting season keep
the flock well fed so as to provide for
the extra demand made upon them in
the growing of a new coat of feathers.
In this way you will bring your poul
try through strong for fall and win
ter laying.
One has but to look over the reports
of horse sales to appreciate the fact
that the demand for the best horses,
draft or carriage, 1b strong with
prices high. It will pay you to raise
a few if you can get the right kind of
a sire for your mares.
John Ruskln, as he wandered
through the fruitful fields discovered
the secret of true happiness. He says:
“Two watch the corn grow or the
blossoms set; to draw hard breath
over the plowshare or spade, to read
to think, to love, to pray—these are
things which make men happy.”
myrrh one pound and
powdered tsium two pounds mixed and
given in teaspoonful doses three times
a day is recommended for mild cases
of canker sore mouth In pigs. In
more severe cases tincture of iron In
double the amount of water may be
used to swab the mouth twice daily.
Through the efforts of cow testing
associations in Denmark, the average
producing value of cows in some of
the associations has gone up from
sl3 to S6O each. This is a remark
able gain. It was brought about by
first knowing what the cows were do
ing and then weeding out the unprofit
able ones.
With threshing machines having
more to do in the grain sections each
year, and help scarcer, the grain
threshing season lengthens, so that it
is late fall before some of the grain
can be attended to. For this reason
the grain should be carefully stacked
so that it will stand as long as neces
' sary without wetting and spoiling a
portion of the grain.
After all the discouragements of the
early spring, it has been a splendid
growing season, and fine crops in
most sections are going to be the
portion of the farmer. Let us give
| thanks. And also let us resolve that
next time the combination of weath
er seems unfavorable we will be less
pessimistic and more hopeful as to
the ultimate outcome of the season.
The Maryland experiment station
suggests the feasibility of planting
cow peas between the rows of sweet
corn at the last working. If one of
the largo late varieties of cow
peas, like Wonderful, be planted be
tween the rows of early sweet corn,
at the last working, the pea vines are
just in condition to make their best
growth after the corn matures, and
generally make a very fine growth
before trost.
Good times would seem to increase
the number of rented farms. The
Wisconsin State University has just
been investigating and finds that in
the last decade the rented farms in
the state have increased from 12,159
to 22,996. However, in considering
these 11,000 additional rented farms,
it must be remembered that there was
an increase of 35,473 in the number of
farms of the state, so the increase in
percentage of rental is not so great
as the decade’s statistics of rental
would suggest.
Eight points to remember concern
ing the advantage of thinning fruit
which you can lay by in store against
next season’s need: Preserves the
vitality of the tree. Encourages more
regular crop bearing. Lessens loss
occasioned by rot and other fungus
diseases. Produces larger fruit.
Fruit ripens more uniformly. The
better quality of fruit makes it more
salable at better prices. Preserves
the shape of the tree and prevents
breaking of branches by overloading.
In thinking of hogs one does not
commonly think that they have
nerves, and that they are often as
sensitive to treatment as other ani
mals of the farm, but such is the case.
Sows especially are of a nervous tem
perament oftentimes, and should not
be used for breeding purposes. It is
better to select sows that have steady
temperaments, for such only are like
ly to properly mother their pigs. Also
if their progeny are to be used for
breeding purposes, the offspring of
the nervous sows are not to be de
sired.
Alfalfa is said to bo superior to
clover on clay soils as a rotation
crop. In an experiment conducted
some years ago at the Wyoming ex
periment station it was found that
the increase in yield in various crops
by reason of alfalfa having previous
ly occupied-the land was as follows:
Wheat, 718 pounds per acre; oats,
1,219 pounds; potatoes, 1,738 pounds.
This is a pretty good increase and
shows plainly the high fertilizing
value of alfalfa roots. The possibil
ities of alfalfa in making meat, milk
and wool and in the consequent en
richment of the land aro appreciated
by few people.
In the September Century.
An Interesting pictorial feature of
• the September Century will be four
pages reproduced from pictures by G.
W. Peters of excavations for railroad
terminals in New York City; showing
a bird’s-eye view of the excavation for
the new Pennsylvania railway station,
a section of the same at Thirty-third
street looking east, a view in the exca
vation for the new station of the New
York Central, and the sinking of the
foundations of the terminals of the
Hudson river tunnel at Fulton and
Church streets.
Denver Direetory
A $4O Saddle for
x s2Bco.d.
For a short time only
we offer this saddle.
cinches.
Inch
stirrup
leather - covered stlr
rups. warranted In ev-
I B I ery respect, and equal
I I to saddles sold for $4O
I I tverywhere. Catalogue
rlWl ThJ
1 W I Saddle SHarneiiC*
f| A f 1413-1419 Urlmer St..
Denver. Colo.
THE INDEPENDENT GLASS COMPANY
I’lats and Window Glass, 1520 Blalca Ht..
Denvor.
THE DENVER PAINT AND VARNISH CO.
The Acme Quality Line. 1520 Blake St..
Denver.
BfiM I I flntf Dealers In all kinds of mor-
DUn li LUUk chandlse. Mammoth catalog
mailed free. Corner 16th and Blake. Denver.
FAMOUS J. H. WILSON STOCK SADDLES
Aak your dealer for them. Take no other.
QTAI/C REPAIRS of every known make
w I w w t of stove, furnace or range. Geo. A.
Pollen. 1131 Lawrence. Denver. Fhone 7tS.
DENVER COM. 114 V iMfl GRAIN on com-
CO. Wholesale Jig I MRU On Aln mission.
A. WESTMAN, Proprietor. 1535 Nineteenth Street.
BROWN PALACE HOTEL JWSi?
European Plan. SI.AO and Upward.
AMERICAN HOUSE Union Depot.
Best $2 a day hotel In the West. American
plan. _____
Cl nPICT Floral designs for lodges and
rLUniwl funerals, cut Rowers packed and
shipped on short notice. Thurston H. U. Smith,
Telephone Main 8386, 2981 Lawrence St.
THE COLORADO
TENT AND AWNING CO.
BLANKETS, COMFORTS
Largest canvas goods house In the West.
Writs for Illustrated catalog.
ROBT. S. GUTSHALL. Prest.
1440 Lawrence St. Denver. Colo.
BOOK OF FIFTY
"OLD FAVORITE SONGS’’
Words and music sent FREE on re
ceipt of your name and address with
name of one or more persons thinking
of buying a Piano. Organ or Talking
Machine.
THE KNIGHT-LOCKE PIANO CO,
i BIS-G2l Sixteenth St.. Denver. Colo.
MATCHLESS
D. H. BALDWIN & CO.,
Manufacturers of the W orld'* Greatest
Pianos
Five factories. Five separate makes of pianos.
Capital $1,300.000.00. Uuv from the manufacturers,
the deolors do. Address 1626 California St., Denver.
PIANOS AND ORGANS
Send your name with
this nd. for lint of fine
bargains In pianos and
organs. Plano* from
$75 up. Organs from
$l5 to $25 up. Plover
Pianos, can be played
by anyone. $450 up.
Instruments sold on
easy x?rnr« to suit
buyer. Victor talking
machines sold at fac
tory prices on easy
Write for catalog of
our different Instru
ments.
THE KXVGVTT
CAMriBF.f.I. MUSIC
COMPANY.
1025-81 California St..
Denver. Colo.
A NEW TRIUMPH IN DIP MAKING
DOUBLE STRENGTH, LOW COST,
LESS FREIGHT
ArtS<bNCENTRATED^i|
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Contains no tar oils. Infallible in curative
effect. No injury to sheep or wool. Requires
no addition besides water. No sediment. No
stirring. Mixes with cold water whether haid,
brackish, alkali or salty.
ITS USE PERMITTED in all OFFICIAL DIPPINGS
CURES MANGE and LICE ON CATTLE OR HOGS
MUCH CHEAPER THAN TOBACCO AND CRUDE
LIQUID DIPS
NO DEARER THAN LIME AND SULPHUR
1 gal. makes 120 gals, for Scab, official strength
or 200 gals, for ticks, lice, etc.
1 gal. Can 1.75, 5 gal. Can 8.50, 50 gal. brl. 75.00
OF ALL •OCNTI.
WILLM. COOPER A NEPHEWS
177 Illinois St.. Chicago
Order of your local merchant or
L. A. TVutklns Merc*. Co., Denver,
Distributing Agents.
HOWARD E. BURTON,
Specimen prices: Gold, silver, lead, $1;
fold, silver. 7f»c: gold, 50c: zinc or copper.
1. Cyanble tests. Mailing envelopes and
full price list sent on application. Control
and umpire work solicited. I.cutl vllle, Colo.
Reference. Carbonate Nntlonal Hank.
ui AAITCn YOUNG MEN
VvANItU FORTHENAVY
Go TO SKA—Young men from 17 to 35 years of
age; wages $lB to $7O tier month. Recruits will be
assigned to a U. S. Naval Vessel and Apprentice
Seamen to Nuval Training Motion. Special Training
given at Artificer, Electrical. Yeoman and Hospital
Training Schools for men enlisting lu those branches.
RECRUITING STATION. ROOM *2. PIONEER
BLDG., 16th and Larimer Sta., Denver. Colorado