The Morgan County press., November 02, 1917, Image 2

About The Morgan County press. (Wartburg, Tenn.) 1916-1926

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SHEEP'S
CLOTHING
By LOUIS JOSEPH VANCE
THl LONE WOLF." THE MASS MWL1
lie
tssyrlifct fcy
Lsah JoMpk Vaaca
CHAPTER XIII. Continued,
"Peter is hedging about referring; to
. the fact that: Craven -put up a very
prompt protest when. -you ..told me ' to
take the necklace Into the sunlight and
satisfy myself."
"Yes." Peter admitted gloomily.
"Is the evidence complete enough?"
Mrs. Beggarstaff questioned gently.
"We didn't want to tell you this. Betty.
For my own part. I'd rather you had
consDlred with Tad to smuggle-r-"
"Don't I" pleaded the unhappy worn-
an. Bending forward, elbows on knees,
she stared somberly at the carpet. "But
how," she asked after a moment, "do
you account for that perfect counter
feit r
"Simply," Quoin replied, "after that
affair of Thursday night, on my own
responsibility I sent a wireless to Paris,
to Cottier's, In Betty's name. The an
swer came through Friday night, say
ing that the original owner had sold a
paste duplicate to a dealer In articles
de Paris, which he in turn had sold to
a chance customer definite descrip
tion unavailable the same day that
the real necklace was taken from Cot
tier's by your agent."
"It seems Incredible.' Of all men
Tad Craven!"
"You forget how little we know of
him," the Dowager Dragon put In.
"Know of him?" Betty protested,
looking up. "Why, everybody knows
Tad Craven ! Go out among our friends
and try to find one who believes he
would do anything dishonest."
"And still, I insist, you forget how
little we know of him. Hark back into
your memory, my dear. How long have
we known him? Twelve or fifteen years
at most. How did he come to know
us? Through introductions to a few
clubs, Indorsed by Lord Sves3en iwho
was later drummed out of town for
'card cheating, and never came back;
But Tad Craven stuck, tie aian i cneac,
and he was amusing, and as long as he
was personable, agreeable and seemed
to have money nobody bothered about
his pedfgree.V
"I've been looking Craven up," Quoin
supplemented. "Listen!" He began to
read from a tiny memorandum book:
"Came to New York in '93 with a Brit
ish musical comedy company. His wife,
Letty Craven, fell ill during the run of
the piece and died In a public hospital
of quick consumption. After that Cra
ven got a job with some show which
perished on the road. When he turned
up again he was training with a gang
of professional sharpers with whom he
played a few turns on the transatlantic
ferry route as capper. But he dropped
that before he became known to the
police. Later he was running with a
gay Lord Evesden ; but shook him as
soon' as he felt solid in New York and
those ugly whispers began to go round
about Evesden's play. The rest
mainly circumstantial damnation."
Quoin put away his notebook and be
gan to tick off his points on his fingers,
"It may not have escaped you that
there've been some pretty stiff burglar
ies among our friends in the last twelve
years or so. They weren't frequent;
but they were all big hauls, and every
one was well planned and culminated
In a clean getaway. And It so happens,
when one comes to look Into it, that
Craven was especially thick with all
the people victimized. The biggest coup
was the theft of the. Joachim collec
tion, worth several hundred thousand
dollars. Now Lydia Craven, when she
came aboard the Alsatia, was wearing
a cameo from the Joachim collection
which she said her father had given
her on her fifteenth birthday.- Discreet
pumping on the part of Mrs. Beggar
staff has shown that date to bare fallen
Just three months after Joachim was
robbed. Incidentally, the cameo disap
peared as soon as Lydia and Craven
met on board. There's a sinister thread
runulng all through the history of
Tbaddeus Craven.
His voice trailed off Into silence.
Mrs. Merrllees was eying him steadily.
Too never got all that Information
together since morning? Mrs. Beggar
staff prompted. . -
"No." Quoin admitted. "I've had
ray eye oo Craven for some time."
"Why?" the old woman demanded
bluntly. "What made you first suspect
olmr
"Well." replied Quoin, "he never
rang true to me; and when it began to
be rumored that be was a candidate
for Betty's'hand I felt sure be wasnt"
worthy of- her, and made op my mind
to be sure before forbidding the
fUM."
After a paae Betty looked tip defi
antly, "it does inake me oat a bit of
an Idiot, doesn't It?"
"Nonsense 1 We were air taken In,"
Peter protested. "Look how I've al
ways stuck up for Tad I But there's
one thing I want to say: He may be
a rotter, and all that sort of tnlng;
hut that girl of his is as straight and
fine a proposition "
"Do hush. Peter I We all know
you're in love with her. But what Is
i all this to me?" Betty protested with a
(break In . her voice. "I hope you're
right, Peter, and I hope If you are you
may be happy. But what about me?
To you. all old friends, I can talk
iibout this terrible thing. But what
about the outsiders? My name linked
with that of a common criminal's oh,
: I am ashamed, ashamed !"
Unknown to' her, the Dowager Drag'
on was nodding vigorously to Quoin.
This last rose awkwardly, and spoke
with a hesitation uncommon In him.
'If you'll leave It to me, Betty," be
suggested almost timidly, "I think 1
can arrange matters with Craven and
recover your necklace tonight, quite
without publicity. 'And" he glanced
at his watch "It's a quarter of eleven.
If I'm to do anything, I have no time
to lose."
is
CHAPTER XIV.
True to her Instinct for the dramatic
moment, when the telephone interrupt
ed Mrs. Beggarstaff answered with no
apparent emotion and nothing more
than a noncommittal "Yes?" followed
at a brief Interval by "Yes, If you
please, at once." Then, hanging up the
receiver, she set herself artfully to de
lay Mrs. Merrllees. "This is all very
well." she announced with complacent
determination; "but I want to know
what real evidence you have got
against Craven."
"Nothing," Quoin admitted, "beyond
circumstantial evidence, which, how
ever well grounded, wouldn't hold to
gether a minute under the analysis of
any able-bodied criminal lawyer.
"No actual proof?"
"Not a whit. You may be sure Cra
ven never took an active hand In any
of these affairs: merely engineered
them with his Inside Information and
superior Intelligence. Be sure, too,
that whenever a Job was pulled off he
was always conspicuously somewhere
else."
"Then what do you propose doing?"
"Why Betty permitting scare him
silly and run him out of town. I don't
think we want more than that aside
from the necklace.",
"That .. will content me," Mrs. Merrl
lees Affirmed.
Here a knock fell on the door, and
the Dowager Dragon, for all her pro
tested Infirmity, rose with the spryness
of youth.
"No, don't go yet. It's only some
thing I've been expecting. And I want
one word more with you about the
girl Lydia. Whatever you do, under
stand, I won't have her run out of
town, or annoyed, or frightened, or
Ill-treated In any way."
With this she disappeared down' the
hallway. Followed a sound of voices
murmuring.
Quoin and Mrs. Merrllees lingered in
doubt and silence, the gaze of each
seeking the other's ; while, to one side,
by these two forgotten, Peter Traft
waited, watching, some little sadness
and envy in his heart.
Not that he grudged Quoin the guer
don of a lifetime's unselfish devotion;
but .he felt quite justified In envying
them the happiness that was to be
theirs. If he could ever hope to see
Lydia Craven look up into his face as
Betty Merrllees was just then looking
up at Quoin
Betty, in a melting humor and a
gown representing the finest flower of
the Rue de la Pali, to Peter's fancy
cut a figure that filled your eye. And
In such matters Peter esteemed him
self a distinguished, amateur.
But once Lydia Craven had entered
the drawing room Peter no longer
cared to look at Betty. A fellow's got
only a certain limited amount of eye
sight, after all, and it's no good wast
ing it on anything he isn't really crazy
about.
In the .severity of her street dress
the girl's figure had a gradousness that
even Betty's couldn't shadow. And
Lydia's face, set against the darkness
of one of those trim little hats which
in those days were just beginning to
oust the art-nouveau-coal-hod enormi
ties Lydia's ruddy hair, the transpar
ent pallor of her brow, the fine glow
in cheeks fresh from the rainy night.
her dark and animated eyes brighten
ing with surprise and hnlf-Omld pleas
ure taken altogether Peter thought
Lydia's fairness was to Betty's as sun j
to candlelight ,
But with delight apprehension was
mixed in his mind. There were still
some phases of life Peter hadn't fath
omed; for one, the antagonism within
the sexes within the sex, rather; for
It was the attitudes often adopted
toward one another by the most ami
able and delightful of women that per
plexed his understanding.
Now. with real provocation on her
side, what would be Betty's attitude
armed. Constraint was absent from
their meeting: they went at once to
each other's arms.
"It's so good to find you here, Betty.
Oh, good evening, Mr. Quoin Mr.
Traft, good evening. The best part Is,
I thought yon were stopping here, and
was in despair when I found you
weren't."
"It's dear of you ; but "
"I was so anxious to give you this I"
As she spoke the puzzle box left Lyd
ia's keeping finally and for all time.
Betty Merrllees uttered a low cry.
"This?" 6he questioned In a strange
voice. "What?"
"Must I say?" Lydia laughed. "I
don't believe you really want me to"
"Not my necklace I" the woman
gasped.
"There I I didn't tell did I, Mrs.
Beggarstaff?"
"No, dear child ; but we knew all the
time."
Incontinently ' Lydia was over
whelmed by a very unexpected, uncalled-for,
motherly and protracted
embrace; which, while It didn't lack
affection, served as well the most dip
lomatic purpose of preventing the girl
from noticing Betty's half -hysterical
attempts to open the puzzle box and
that the Dowager Dragon was making
significant faces at Quoin over her
shoulder.
"Permit me, Betty," Quoin suggest
ed. "I think I know the trick"
In another breath the box was open.
the necklace in Its owner's hands.
"Merely my foolish delight to see
you again so soon, my dear." A hand
patted affectionately one of Lydia's
flushed cheeks as, released, breathless,
and wondering, she stepped back to
readjust her hat.
"You're awfully good to me, Mrs.
Beggarstaff. But I can't stop a minute.
I've another errand to run for father-
he's very, busy tonight "
"Another errand I" Betty Merrllees
parroted out of a mind perhaps par
donably confused.
".Yes I sha'n't be long. Father
asked me to bring that to you; but
promised to call for me within an hour.
So I was to attend to the other errand
first, and wait here with you for blm.
But my taxlcab broke down and "
"Craven coming here?" Betty inter
rupted Incredulously,, but checked sud
denly at a. look from Quoin.
"As soon as he can get away," Lydia
affirmed. "I mean, of course, wher
ever you're really stopping "
The Plaza."
"That's Just across the way, isn't It?
It's odd of him to make such a mis
take. He said the Margrave distinctly.
But I'll ask for you at the Plaza. In
half an hour, if you don't mind."
"Mind I On the contrary," Mrs. Mer
rllees said pleasantly, "I'll be delight
ed. Tad, too. That will be fun
rather! We'll have supper together1
all of us."
And so good night for thirty min
utes," Lydia laughed. "I must hurry."
"Walt a minute," Peter put In. "fin
off too, you know, and going your way.
"How do you know you are 1 Lydia
demanded, smiling back from the doorway.
"Because that's the way I'm going."
"But I don't want yon now, Mr.
Traft though I shall hope to see you
again In half an hour. Good-by."
The hall-door closed, leaving Peter
as dasned as Betty juerruees was
thunderstruck, as Quoin was thought
ful, as the smile of the Dowager Drag
on was satiric.
There was a little pause.
"What," Peter demanded, "what do
you know about that?" -
"After her, you loon," Quoin snapped,
waking up with a start "If Craven
told her to 'go somewhere else first
be sure he never meant her to bring
that necklace here. Don't you seer
"Ass!" Peter groaned, smiting his
forehead. "Why didn't I think?" Selz
Ing hat and coat, he threw open
the door even as the elevator gate
clanged.
The car had dropped from sight be
fore he reached the shaft Planting a
thumb on the push-button, he educed
only a thin, persistent grumble from
the annunciator belL steadily dimin
ishing In volume as the car continued
wilfully to descend.
Infuriated, the young man-commit
ted the soul of the elevator attendant
to the nethermost depths of damnation
and. turning to the stairway, plunged
down the flights In breakneck haste,
three steps at a time.
Across the lobby be sped as one
hounded by furies, and gained the car
riage entrance barely In time to see
taxlcab pulling away from the curb.
Peter gave chase, affording midnight
wayfarers the diverting spectacle of a
beautifully arrayed young man coat
tails flat to the wind and rain, top coat
streaming wildly from one arm, the
other brandishing the dernier crl In
toppers in mad, mute pursuit of a
self-contained taxlcab proceeding stol
idly about its business.
Happily for Peter, Its business In
volved observance of traffic regula
tions ; and when It paused to give pre
cedence to a Fifty-ninth street cross-
ttown car Peter caught up If some
thing more rudely than he had thought
to. Unable to check quickly on the
greasy asphalt he skidded against the
What the'' com minted the ebauf-
fear suspiciously.
But at the same time Peter jerked
the door open, apd a crawly, sinking
sensation deserted his midst : the fare
was Lydia, after all I
She greeted this breathless appari
tion with an inarticulate cry.
"You forgot something." Peter
gasped In response, climbing in.
"What?"
"Me!" he declared settling Into the
place by her side : then thrust his head
out of the door and panted, "It's all
right, driver. Cut along and don't go
too fast slippery pavements "
"But, Mr. Traft" , Lydia expostu
lated.
Peter shut the door with a bang, and
the car, with an unobstructed way,
picked up wary heels and stole on up
Fifth avenue.
fTO BE CONTINUED.)
MIGHTX5ET-TW0 EXTRA HOURS
Advocates of Daylight Saving Could
Do It by Setting Alarms Ahead
as Well as Clocks.
One good thing about compensations
is that they are always ready to change
to suit circumstances. That is, of
of course, what compensations are for.
We have, therefore, no sooner made up
our minds that we shall have to stay
at home with our back-yard gardens
this summer than we are confronted
by the suggestion that our clocks may
be set ahead In order to give us an ex
tra hour In the garden every evening,
says a writer In the Indianapolis News.
It is easy enough to understand that
an hour In the garden every evening Is
worth many a day at a summer resort
There Is, to be sure, the difficulty of
getting up an hour earlier every morn
ing, but it would not really seem an
hour earlier. Most of us do not like
getting up In the morning, no matter
what time it is, and an hour or so
makes no noticeable difference at that
time of day. As far as all that Is con
cerned there may be some difference
of opinion as to whether the clocks
should be set ahead In order to give
us that hour In the evening or whether
the alarms on our clocks should be set
ahead In order to give us the extra
hour In the morning. It looks on. the
face of It as though It might be pos
sible to get two extra hours out of our
days. . .
A GUARANTEED REMEDY FOR
ASTIHIU'A
. Tow aoiir win asnnmw by yonr erarrtat
wlthont any Question If this remedy does not bensSI
Srsry cuoofAstbma, DroBohUU As thma. Hay
Tr or Difficult Breathing-. No BtHd Int
Violent U attack of obstinate the mm
H D3. R. SCKIFFrJlSM'S
MST.ir.1AD0
la either form (Clcmrette, Pipe Mixture or Powder)
ElltWely fires INSTANT UBLUr in every ease
a hu permanently eared thousands who baa been
considered Incurable, after haTlog tried ererr other
means of relief In vain. Sufferers are afforded an
opportunity of availing tniniselvee of this "Money
Back" guarantee offer as through purchasing from
their own regular Druggist, they are sure their
?oney will be refunded by him If the remedy falls,
on will be the sole Judge as to whether yon are
beneOted and will get your money back if won are
not. We do not know of any fairer nropoaiUoa
which we oould make.
R. Schlffmann Co., Proprietors, SI. Paul. Wna,
Plants Arm Themselves.
Many plants protect themselves from
their enemies by the use of spikes or
prickles, and venom, Just f as certain
animals do. Of those using the first-
named device, to make themselves
"armed to. the teeth" the bramble, the
gorse, and the holly are familiar In
stances. Among those which protect
themselves with venom as reptiles do
are the deadly nightshade, or bella
donna, and the nux vomica. Less de
structively inclined are those plants
which are simply protected by, their
disagreeable taste. The common but
tercup, which Is one of these, Is gen
erally shunned by horses and cattle.
A plant which, like the skunk, is pro
tected by a disagreeable smell Is the
figworm. Only that hardy and Insensi
tive animal, the goat, will touch It
A Question.
"My cousin who lives In Kansas City
never drinks, smokes or wildcats
around at night," boasted old Riley
Rezzldew, who was just back from a
visit to the Big Burg. "He never
plays a game of chance, never goes to
a burlesque. show, and "
ITT- - 1 i. l .AM I i A. S V, A
xie uou uey ; luieirupieu ouxt
Blurt. "Then what difference does It
make to him where he lives?" Kans.
1
sas City Star.
FOR SKIN TROUBLES
That Itch, Burn, Torture and Disfig
ure Use Cutlcura Trial Free.
The Soap to cleanse and purify, the
Ointment to soothe and heal. They
usually afford immediate relief in Itch
ing, burning eczemas, pimples, dandruff
and most baby skin troubles. They
also tend to prevent little skin trou
bles becoming great if used dally.
Free sample each by mail with Book.
Address postcard, Cutlcura, Dept L,
Boston. Sold everywhere. Adv.
Their Opinion.
"What do Jobbs' friends think of
his running for office?"
'They think It Is a standing joke."
Many a man at the age of fifty
Wishes he was half as smart as he
thought he was at the age of twenty-
one. .
Sore Eyes. Blood-Shot Eye, Watery Eyes.
Btlcky Eyes, all healed promptly with night
ly applications of Roman Eye Balsam. Adv.
wway ooa
toward this rival beauty J
Ills solicitude was wasted. Cither t door with a crash.
he underestimated the generosity of "Hold bardr be Deggea between
Betty, or Lydia's Ingenuousness dls- breath. "Give me s chancer
Bleeding Useful at Times.
For ages one of the customs of
Chinese physicians has been 'to thrust
fine needles Into the body to let oat
pains and various maladies and it ap
pears that bleeding in this way is
often really useful. " After long b
servation tn China Dr. James Cantlle
reports himself so much Impressed
with the results that he has adopted
the procedure himself for certain
cases. Needling seems to lessen the
tension in the inflamed part and to re
lieve neuralgic and rheumatic pains,
swelling and stiffness from sprains and
fractures, and especially the Indefinite
hip pains usually called sciatica.
Freshet Preceding Drought
"There seemed to be general rejoic
ing over prohibition in Crimson
Gulch."
"Yes," replied Broncho Bob? "the
boys looked forward to It with great
enthusiasm. They figured that there'd
be a tremendous amount of liquor that
the saloons-would have to give away
Just before they closed."
Value of Lightning.'
Bacon It has been estimated by a
Berlin scientist that the commercial
value of the electricity In a flash of
lightning lasting one thousandth of t
second is 29 cents.
Egbert And yet I guess If It struck
you there'd be considerably mors Id t
for the doctor.
Fooling the Motorii
Tho mornrifir lirid lost hi
.. - " . -- w v
country road. Hailing the' nrst pedes
trian he overtook, he askrttjjewey
to Blankvllle., ... "'t-
"I don't know as T" can explain it
very clearly," replied the pedestrian,
"but If you'll take me in your car I'll
point It out to you as we go along."
"Good," said the motorist. "Jump
in."
"First off," directed the pedestrian,
as he took his seat In the car, "you
drive straight ahead the way you
were going for about two miles."
When the two miles had been trav
ersed, he continued: "Now,. If you'll let
me out here I can show you the rest of
the way without going along. Just
turn around and go back three miles
and there you are."
"Why didn't you tell me that In the
first place Instead of taking me two
miles in the wrong direction?" demand
ed the motorist.
"I didn't want to hurt your feelings
right away by telling you you were go
ing in the wrong direction." replied
the other, "and, besides, I live here."
Climbed the Fence.
A stock speculator Just back from
his vacation says that while in the
country he narrowly escaped being cor
nered in a very lively bull movement
Boston Transcript.
Her Retort.
"When Lear took his daughter t
task for her treatment.of him, she at
swered him with a popular saying."
"What was it?"
"She said: Then go, father, and fart
worse.
Cuckoo Calls and Wedding Rings.
For a girl tn dream of hearing the
cuckoo Is said to be a means whereby
she may ascertain how many years
will elapse before she will wear a wed
ding ring. The number of years will
answer to the number of times Us
bird Is beard caiilaf la her dream
For Cigarette Smoker.
Enough matches to light all its con
tents are attached to a recently In
vented cigarette box.
Forgive your enemies but If yon
have no enemies forgive a few friends.
Keep Yourself Fit
You can't afford to be laid up with
da
. . ... . j -.
ore. acbinc kidneys in tnese aavs ox
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makes weak kidneys worse. If you feel
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back, sharp pains, dizzy spells, head
aches and disordered kidney action, use
Doan's Kidney Pills. It may save aa
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