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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Exeter Advocate, 1915-10-28, Page 6Pocket to see this new type. There are also Safety and Regular Types. Illustrated boot:let seat on request. Avoid substitutes. Sold By Your Local Dealer E.Watsrman Carranans. Limited. mor+tz at •M> The Green Sea By CHARLES EDMONLS WALK Author of "The Silver Blade," "The Paternoster Ruby" "The Time Lock," etc. CHAPTER X. I was given no time to wonder at Struber's revelation. Almost as lie poke a sound of hurrying footsteps in the ball directed my attention to the outer door. I made haste to open it, and was not surprised to see the chief of police himself, and with him a uniformed policeman and tHwo men whom I rightly took to be plain- clothes men. An were frankly eager and curious. Even their dull and jad- ed professional interest was quicken- ed, I daresay, by the outre end of Steve Willets, murderer, train -robber, burglar, escaped convict, and the devil only knows what else. From a long, satisfying survey of the still figure by the safe they presently turned to a more businesslike and purposeful examination of the inner office and the door opening from it into the hall through which the entry had been Made, all the while listening with close . attention while Struber re- counted his and my experiences. Then the chief asked a question or two and turned to regard me cluinoieelly. •.Looks as though you and Heinle would have to split the reward," said. he. "It's Steve all right." At my uncontrollable expression and gesture of repugnance he laughed and added: "Oh, you don't have to take it. Betide won't kick." • "It's all hi;," I assured him. At this juncture Coroner Harris ar- rived; and as Struber had foretold, this phase of the proceedings was un- important. Harris was an earnest young chap, manifestly ignorant of the ring, without knowledge of whose history the mark in the dead man's palm bore no significance for him, and no question was asked that reveal- ed an inclination to draw Miss Fox into the affair. The inquest which I attended the next afternoon .— Monday -- brought nothing further to light, determined nothing that was not obvious to every- body; though by that time, the sensa- tional aspects of the affair having been duly aired by the local press, a gaping mob was in attendance, The newspapers on Monday, by the way, intuitively hit upon the one feature of the matter that I was de- sirous of keeping secret—for the pre- sent, at any rate—which was the story of Charley Yen's death and my ownership of the ring. Trust a news- paper chap not to forget a thing of that sort! An avid horde of reporters cornered me Sunday evening at my club, and there was no wriggling out of that corner. Thus it was that the inquest showed how Willets's death was in the nature of merited retribu- tion overtaking the evildoer when least expected. Struber bared his yellow teeth at me in a knowing grin when Coroner Harris accepted this interpretation and let it go at that without trying to dig deeper. And Monday's papers also brought t . = another phase, one that the police had discussed before leaving my office Sunday, to -wit: the circumstance of Willets's disguise. Had he, ever since his escape from San Quentin, been liv- ing in one or another of the state's larger Chinese colonies, going and coming at will under the very noses of the police, who were so energetical- ly hunting for him? The details of importance as bearing upon something of vital moment that happened later. If such were the case, certain de- tails of interest were suggested. Wil - lets must have possessed not only an intimate knowledge of the language and an extraordinary ability to act the role, but also he must have had their friendship ane good will to an astonishing degree. Or else he was greatly feared by them. In appear- ance and physique he was not unfitted for the part without the necessity of much make-up, being naturally of a' swarthy complexion, yet not an an- dersized man by any means. As was expected, however, in- quiries pursued in Chinatown were fruitless, ' In all colonies of that na- tionality of any considerable size there is at least one man, sometimes two or more in open warfare with one another, who exercises literally the power of life and death over his par- ticular "following of compatriots; and by means of a perfect though under- ground system of espionage he keeps well informed of . all that . happens within his bailiwick; nothing escapes him. At this time one Lao Wing Fu en- joyed the distinction of'being the. autocrat of Chinatown. He was a wealthy, intelligent,< highly , educated member of the race, possessing a com- mand of English and a knowledge of its literary traditions that might have r ieied many an American born' citi- ten making more pretensions in the same respect It was a matter of policy with him to keep on good terms with the police. Between them there upon the box containing the ring. The two boxes being exactly dupli- cates, this one could very well be made to serve my purpose, but unless I wanted to twist the truth, not with- out stirring up a lot of unlicensed speculation that would involve Miss Fox, which. was not a part of my pur- pose this morning. The detail could be dispensed with; 1could do with- out the box; and the one containing the ring I buried once more under the bale of old papers where I had con- cealed it the day before. I had not removed my bat, and now I went into the outer office and pans. ed by Miss Fax's desk, .where she was arranging .a bouquet of hyacinths in the Japanese vase. Their sweet odor filled the room, a fragrant incense to her loveliness. I"How would you like to take a walk this morning?" I asked. Sheflashed a look up at rue from beneath her long lashes. 1 "ll iminess or pleasure?" she return- ed lightly. a "Why," I replied, "if I. am obliged e to go alone it will be purely business not of a particularly pleasant sort e▪ , either. If you accompany me the oc- Basion will be all pleasure, yet the business will be attended to, too. Un- tangle that if you can." "After that," she said demurely, "I could hardly refuse." She bestowed upon the hyacinths a parting pat which produced the final miracle of perfect arrangement, got her hat and jacket, and turned to her desk once more to gather up notebook • and �pencils.' d h +` I Id h was a tacit working agreement which undoubtedly was advantageous to both sides, though the police were well aware that Lae Wing Fu observ- ed his part with a true Oriental sense of obligation. The police also were not blind to the fact that sometimes they were iistrurnents of the crafty Chinaman's revenge, or of punish- ment; but if a criininai were deliver- ed into their power with the evidence • ou wont need tem, to er. She stood a moment hesitating. "Oh," doubtfully, "then it really is to be a holiday jaunt" 'Does that possibility chill your eagerness to go?" I complained, for I was sensitive to all her moods. A tinge of color stole to her cheeks, and shlowered her gaze, "Na," she said softly. Instead of the notebook and pencils she took up her gloves, and by put- t t em on } mattered Lao Wing Ftds motives? .' occasion with her approval and to re - It was also a part of his policy cognize in it a certain degree of for never to accept or share in a mono- mality. Together we callied forth to tory: reward, the police being allowed the accomplishment of an errand that; to appropriate the whole; so it is not had now been shorn of its every dis- remare:able that he should have en- agreeable feature. joyed a definite degree of ixr.munity. Then suddenly I was struck all of and protection. a heap. I must have sworn. aloud, On he whole the understanding for Miss Fox turned to size with a look was perhaps benefiekil to the public of chocked disapproval. It occurred weal. because the Chinese are a se- to me that the lovely girl beside me cretitie, diminish. race, difficult for the had heard nothing of yesterday's Caucasian mind to understand. and tragedy; the shock the news would be Lao Wing Fu was shrewd end cit- to her, and that it had fallen upon ' eunaspect, modest and retiring, never me to impart it, filled me with dis- in any way crnbarniresing the powers may. that be by presuming upon their in- All along it had been so impossible dulgence. to associate her, even in the remotest When. therefore, this bland, impar- manner, with the notorious bandit, sire Celestial disclaimed all knowl- that until this moment the thought edge of Steve Willets's masquerade, had never entered my head that the Struber knew it was useless to press latest victim of the green jade seal. his inquiries further in this direction. was—her father, Her father ---dying "\Vhy he should cover that cold- , so wretchedly! Gracious Heaven, how blooded crook," Struber remarked to dreadful! me a day or two later, "sure gets my; I stole a glance at her. The color tract.. The trait leads right across was still vivid in her cheeks, notwith- Alameda Street to Chinatown and ' standing the reproof and surprise in then goes straight up in the air. The the fine eyes, they sparkled with ani - Chink bulls on our force ain't worth motion: clearly, just now she was a seagull tamale when the big glass-' not thinking of her wretched 'father crash says stand mum, and the differ- at all. Her spirits were high,she ent kinds of ways they don't savvy glowed with life and pleased anticipa- the ins and outs of this thin" is sure tion of what the morning's adventure interesting to listen to. Seem ' though might bring forth. I trembled before that we've got Willetts safely planted , her beauty; the charm that radiated it don't make any particular differ- from her enveloped me like a glori- once. You can take it from me—a fled mist—and at the same time my white man togged like Steve was heart sank. can't walk a block in L. A. without : She turned to me abruptly. "Oh, every Chink in town knowing it by Mr. Ferris! Isn't it good just to' be night. I don't care how good an :icor ; alive on a morning like this!" he might be." g No wonder I had sworn, Imagine Struber had a pretty clear idea of me having to crush her with sorrow what Kipling meant by "West is,and shame and melancholy! West, and East is East." We had not walked far until I stop - So much for Lao Wing Fu. He ped in perplexity. She glanced at commands our attention, because we me and must have detected the trouble are to meet him upon an intimate in my face, for she asked quickly: footing by and by. ; "What's the matter ?" I have gone ahead of my story . I tried to smile—and I wanted to somewhat to dispose of the foregoing weep. "If you don't mind, I believe factors. It will be recalled that I I'd rather ride than walk this lovely was• to meet Detective Struber at the morning," I said. Citrus Exchange Bank at ten o'clockl She was at a loss to account for my Monday morning. I was at my office strange humors, but I could not tell considerably before nine, and both her here upon the street; and as for Stub and Miss Fox were ahead of ane. my office, it was the last place in the Stub, I have somehow gathered the world wherein to break the intelli- idea, was uniformly on hand at gence. Fine mornings are so com- eight o'clock. i mon in Los Angeles that we who be "There was a brace of Chinks here l long here, alas! grow indifferent to to see you," he informed me as soon ; them; but I was determined she should as I entered. "They didn't wait Iong." have all the encouragement and sup - "What did they want?" I asked. 1, port that this perfect day could give. had little traffic with the Chinese pop-' So I signalled a taxi, which she en- ulation, and I couldn't imagine why I tered without question or demur. 1 had been favored with such a call." There is no need of enlarging a "Dunno. Told 'em when you ought; painful episode. Miss Fox had not to be here and they sat down. I went yet seen the morning papers. And I downstairs a minute; when I got back had to tell her the whole story. She they'd beat it." ! was shocked, of course, inexpressibly I turned inquiringly to Miss Fox. shocked; her. feelings were torn and She shook her head. "They had come'bruised and lacerated until I felt like and gone before I arrived," said she.' a brute. As soon as she had steadied Dismissing the matter from my' a bit she said to me: mind as being of no consequence, I: "It would be foolish to pretend that passed on into the inner room to get I have any feeling of grief, as if a the wrapping which had been around , loved one were gone, for I haven't— the diamond parcel, and also the ivory not a bit. It's the awful horror of it box which bad contained the diamond. ! the idea that that man—my father The former I found without difficulty I —should have been what he was and in the drawer where I had placed it. ' should have come to such an. end; It was my conviction that the small the thought of what T will have to box had been with it; but it was not lookback to as long as I live. While there now. I rapidly rummaged through the remaining drawers, but he was alive there was a hope—a pos- sibility :that his heart would be soft - 'without bringing to light the missing ened; that he would try to redeem the box. ! past as far as could be done by Puzzled, I leaned back in my swivel- ing a better, cleaner life, even if it chair and tried to remember where I must be lived in prison. .But to be had put the thing—in this particular blotted out as he was—" drawer, I was positive. I recalled i A shudder convulsed her; words fail - wrapping the diamond in the tissue-; ed her. I took her hand in mine and paper the preceding Monday; I re-:' tried with all my might to conjure called my hesitation over entrusting up an assuasive word; but there was it to my office safe, and next my final little enough, in all conscience, that determination to carry the gem home ` one might offer by •way of comforting with me and to place the Sade ring in her. Her distress wrung my heart; its box in the safe instead. All this she knew that, and I fondly hoped I had done, and then I closed and that thereby her burden of woe was in locked the safe door, an operation a measure lightened. broken in upon by Miss Fox's cry of . "Believe me," I said, gently patting alarm upon reading the account of the little gloved hand, "it is all for the Steve Willets's escape. , best; try to look at it in that'way. He After a while I had returned to my will soon be forgotten, and your sense desk, and it was then I put' the wrap- must tell you that that is for the best ping -paper in the drawer. Had I done too. You and he had nothing in corn - likewise with the little box? In the mon; your lives were far apart;y the back of my head I believed that I had, very nature of your own honest,use- but would not have swornsto it; the ful'mode of life, will train you to for - momentary diversion caused by Miss get. I know. The law of compensa Fox's' agitationdimmed my recollec- tion works alike in all things. The tion of the occasion. ` load willbe lessened for you." Once again I went through all my "God knows I want to forget," she desk drawers, and this time I came said bitterly. The Virtue of the Natural Leaf is perfectly preserved in the sealed B 104 packet Young tender leaves only, grown with utmost care and with flavour as the prime object, are used to produce,the famous Salads blends. top, anleaderCorp,Streetand aaddressedsuppose Iiut to my surprise she objected to this proposal. "I would rather not," she said with some embarrassment. "I would rather be" ---she paused and the color rushed to her cheeks --"I prefer to go on just us though nothing I had happened," she finished shyly. of, "It is best." My heart leaped. I jerked out my watch. To the chauffeur; "Turn north," I curtly directed. "We'll just about have time to get back by way ofSunset Boulevard." And we swung round into Vermont Avenue. I gazed at the girl beside me until she turned her troubled eyes to mine. 41 bent down to her.. "Did you mean," I asked breathless- ly, "that you would rather be with me?" No trace of her momentary shy- ness and confusion remained. "Yes," she said, (To be continued.) COWFIGHTS IN SWITZERLAND. Last Remnants of a Custom That Is' Rapidly Disappearing. i Much has been written about the !bloody bullfights in Spain and south ern France, but the cowfights of Can- ' ton Wallis, or VaIlais, as the French Swiss calI it, in Switzerland, although quainter and more interesting,—be- sides being far more humane, --have already been heard of beyond the bor- ders of the tiny state. The favorite arena is the grazing ground of Fitton, near Sitten, or Siou. The time is the beginning of July, when the cattle go to the upper Al- pine pastures; and there are some- times 250 cows in the procession. The winner, known as the "Queen," marches during the whole year at the head of the line, and the herd to which she belongs has throughout the sea- son an undisputed right to the richest and sweetest grass. e The little Walliser cow of the Erin - ger valley is a dark brown or black animal, of an excitable temperament, with sharp pointed horns and gleam- ing eyes. She climbs like a goat, and well knows how to find her way over the steep and rocky pastures of Wal- lis, which are often seven or eight thousand feet above 'sea level. To excite the cow to the utmost, the herdsman frequently gives her during the fortnight before the battle a daily ration -of • bread steeped in wine; but a regulation that is strictly enforced.forbids the owner to inter- fere during the fight either by word or deed. The journey up the mountain side is usually over about eleven o'clock in the morning, and before noon all the cows are assembled on the battlefield, where the 'pastor of the neighboring village pronounces a blessing , over them. The field is then cleared and the arena marked off. ' Each owner fastens on the horns of his cows a sort of thimb`!e with an open top, and to prevent serious acci- dents he files off to the level 'of the metal the sharp points that protrude. The peasant girls, in picturesque dresses and four -cornered,, broad -rib- boned hats, group themselves in the background, and the crowd of excited male spectators -a certain number of. tourists are always found among them—forms into a hale circle. The cows, lowing and tearing up the earth with their horns, run to the. middle of the;ring. ' They regard on another with threatening looks, an apparently measure the strength and weakness of their antagonists.', They paw the ground, and finally rush upon one another, thrusting vigorously 'with their horns. One by. one the weaker and less eager fighters with- draw humiliated from the strife, and the number of . competitors is soon re- duced to about thirty. "'fi g htin consists chieflyin con- Theb g missions of,head and : horns—not in efforts to inflict wounds on the vol-' ixerable parts of the body. The coo queror presses forward; the vyorstecl cow sinks on its knees, rises again, Replanting the Woodlet- "determined by the cups in the teeth Special effort should be made to ! At four years, the horse has his per. secure the reproduction of the trees'manent front teeth. At Ave, there removed from the farm woodlot dirt are deep black cavities in the centres ing the cutting season just passed, In ; of all Iowa nippers. At s€.t, these many eases sprouts are counted on cavities disappear in the two centre for this reproduction and for certain; lower nippers. Two more lose their ! purposes such as fuel, posts, and a cavities for each year to the eighth, shelter, they can be relied upon to and then the two centre upper nip - furnish the desired material, When Pers lose their cavities, and each year this second crop is cut in its turn, two more, until at the'age of ten the however, the old stumps have last I teeth are all smooth or retain only a most, if not all of their vitality and small black speck. After the age of unless some vigorous seedlings have 3 ten the length of•the teeth and tushes grown up in the meantime, the value must be judged—even then the age l of the woodlot is greatly impaired, can be determined only approxi. Since it requires many years to build i mately. up a woodlot which has been allowed to run out, it is a wise plan to insure Souring and Cover Crops, the production of some good healthy Never turn the clover or other crop seeding trees each year by planting under without first thoroughlycud species in the openings created by i ting up with a disc harrow, as the dthe winters cutting material led n a ese- During early life the sprouts, be- i riousately interferespoughewe ithe capillary cause of the advantage of a previous- action of the moisture in the soil, The Jy established root system, will out-' effects of turning under strip the little seedlings and mayde-to . ng u al in a layer are ,what is sometimes called souring the ' prise them of the requisite amount of !soil with green manuring crops. Dou- light for good growth. Therefore, in ' Isle disc the cover crop two or three the first thinning or cutting of the f times with a sharp dise harrow before sprouts some special .consideration ;+. ploughing; plough well by taking a should be shown the young seedlings.:; narrow furrow and edging rather than The method of planting the seeds inverting the furrow; then double disc ' will depend upon the species used. the land again rather deeply, and no Walnut, hickory and :all of the oaks' injurious effect will result, however can be planted about two inches " large the growth may be. deep in a hole made with a dibble or 1 spud. The smaller seeds such as red s Profits on the Farm. and white elm, maple and ash may You will not be likely to have a bal- be planted by removing the coarser ante on the right side of your farm litter front a small spot and putting ledger if such a scene as this may be on a few seeds, covering them very found on your farm. After a farmer lightly with fine soil and a little lit- has paid his good, money for farm terI' equipment it is 'wasteful to leave it n many cases it is better to raise out to take the weather wherever it or buy seedlings of the species having was last used. The winter months is small seeds and transplant them in not a bad time to construct sheds and the desired Iocati--- The age _ shelves for the equipment. There Age of horses. should be a place for everything on the farm and everything should be of a horse is most easily kept in its place when not in use. rapidly yields ground, and finally, with backward springs, giyes up its place in the combat, and is driven out of the arena. - Even insignificant wounds are unusual, and a veterinary is seldom present. The interest centres in the queen of the previous year. Foaming at the mouth, her hide shining with perspir- ation, she bellows forth defiance, and seeks fresh encounters. Several cows come near, apparently accepting her challenge, hesitate a moment, and then draw back. The culmination of the excitement is, naturally, the strife between two queens; the struggle of a former vic- tor for the restoration of her rights, or the dethroning of the last year's queen by a new champion. To the student of animal psychol- ogy these cow -fights offer a, curious problem. The cow is the emblem of stolidity and stupidity; yet in the cow -fights of Canton Wallis the cow appears as an exceedingly spirited and ambitious. animal. She remem- bers the battle of the preceding year. She feels the joy of victory and the shame of defeat. She gauges her own strength, and accepts or refuses a challenge according to the dictates of her judgment. She knows that to-' day it concerns her to strive for the I Pa victory, although all the rest of the year her owner will energetically re- press any belligerent inclinations on her part. She has an obscure appre- hension of the fact that the assem- bled spectators expect something from her. She comprehends the rules of the game. The cow -fights in Wallis are among the last remnants of the original and picturesque folk customs that are ra- pidly disappearing, and will probably soon be discontinued and forgotten. Just So. "I saw a professor of magic remove thirty yards of ribbon, fourteen 'plumes and seven buckles from a hat" "Enough material to trim it nice- ly," commented the party of the feminine part, A Wise Kid. "Johnny, do you know that your mother has been looking for you?" asked the neighbor next door, "Sure I do," replied Johnny; "that's the reason she can't find me!" Miss Gossip—"Mrs. Fewyears tells me she, wasn't 16 when she was mar- ried." Miss Telltale -"Well, I should say she wasn't. She was 29." --®VOL! Can Have A PFT Complexion anostte Heti, 50c, 75c $1.00, $150 WRINKLE CIIASER SKIN FOOD IJSIT has solved the problem of beauty. Its use is bring- ing back the' freshness and bloom of youth, and driving, away, wherever used consistently, the wrinkles of worry and age. 'Used for centuries by the famous beauties of the East. Guaranteed free from hair growth. Your druggist has it. SEE YOUR DRIYGGIST`TO-DAY. UST' MANUFACTURING COMPANY, Limiter- 476 Roncdsvalles Avenue, Toronto.