6 THE CROWN UNWON. "Whoso endureth to the end," So long ago, the word wits spoken; Hearts fail. uml bowed heads earthward bend, * Yet who shall say the pledge is broken? Jjrave eyes may read the promise still, Though writ in lines of pain and loss, The path lies onward up the hill. Though every milestone be a cross. Long time ago my soul and I Converse and counsel held together, When clear and bright youth's morning sky Flushed rosy in the summer weather; "Soul," said X. "many a pathway fair, Waiting thy choice, before thee lies; Think long, choose well, then proudly dare Thine utmost might to win the prize." And so we looked, my soul and I. And many a fair, false Joy refusing. Beheld at last, serene and high, The crown of her supremest choosing, And on it fixed our steadfast gaze. While the bright, joyous wizard, Hope, Through all those bounteous summer , days, Drew one delicious horoscope. But summer hours fade fast away, And the dear crown, above my winning, Here in the twilight of my day- Gleams far as in my bright beginning; And now Hope's eyes are dim and sad. And Doubt und Grief walk close beside; AnTl many a joy that erst 1 had In this long toil has drooped and died. And yet I know my soul's true good Lies still, lies ever, there before me; I could not turn me if I would, Though clouds and darkness gather o'er me. And though I fall and though I die Far from my goal, my crown unwon, No meaner star can tempt the eye That once has known the steadfast sun. So on I press up that steep slope. Behind whose brow that sun is setting; I walk with Faith, and not with Hope, Despairing not and not forgutting; But, when the last brief breath is sped I shall not grieve if this man write: "He strove—he failed—and he is dead, True always to his highest light." —Barton Gray, in Atlanta Constitution. mmmwn cap I Scoundrels cp Co. 112 ByCOULSON KERNAHAN Author ol "Captain Shannon," "A Book ol j Strange Sins," "A Dead Man's Diary," Etc. I Copyright, 1899, by Herbert S. Stone & Co. CHAPTER XIX. FISTS AND FINGER-NAILS AND HOB NAIL BOOTS. Hubbock was quite right in observ ing that Number Two liad had a "bad attack." The poor man's face was patched like an old coat, he wore a green shade over one eye, and was sit ting up painfully in bed and as stiffly as a sawdust doll. "How are you, Number Seven?" he said with a feeble smile. "Excuse my not getting up to receive you. I have to move an arm or a leg all of a piece like a pump-handle, and even then I wince and sometimes squeal aloud with pain. How do I look, do you think?" "Like a stuffed Guy Fawkes on a barrow," would have been my answer had I felt called upon lo adhere to the truth. As it was,l answered cheerful ly that hOll are at liberty to go. Which is it to be —stay or go?" Under the circumstances I felt that it had better be "go,"and said so. "Quit* so," he assented curtly. "The social attractions of Heath cotfage are r.ot, I am aware, great, especially when the host is laid on his back. To-day week, then, we shall have the honor of welcoming you again. If yon will come down by the same afternoon train, Hubbock will meet you with the trap. The time and route by which the other two are coming have been arranged. 1 wish you speedy recovery from your hurts. Good-day!" "I wish you ihe same," I said, and so we parted. CHAPTER*" XX. THE MUSICAL BOX THAT PLAYED TWO VilliV DIFFERENT TUNES. Number Two was sufficiently recov ered to preside at the reassembling of the syndicate. After greetings had been exchanged and inquiries had been made in regard to his health, he came to the point without further delay. "Our newly-#iected councillor, Mr. Hubbock, who celebrated his advent to the council by successfully accom plishing the carrying off of the money which had been sent from Germany to furnish sinews of war for the dock strike, is apparently not content with that exploit, but is burning to distinr guish himself still further in the serv ice of the council. He has communi cated to me a project which I have PRIDE THEMSELVES ON BEING BO HEMIANS. promised him to put briefly before you. It is, as you know, most necessary that we should impress our numerous sub scribers in this country and in America with our activity. Unless we keep our selves well before them and before the public, subscriptions will assuredly fall off. Nothing has been done for some lima in the way of striking a blow at the monarchy or at the aris tocracy, or at any of the other figure heads which we set up before our own particular public—just as a showman sets up the ever-familiar figure of Aunt Sally at. country fairs —in order that the public in question may dump down money for shying at it. The pub lic dearly loves some sort of Aunt Sally to shy at, and in a general way the Aunt Sallies are not very much the worse. But a wise showman who wishes to keep the coin coming in, humors his public, and takes care that every now and then one of the many cudgels that are thrown shall catch the old lady full in the face, and per haps bash her features as well as break the pipe in her mouth. That makes the throwers feel that, they are getting something for the money, and it keeps the coin coining in. "Well, we've had two tries at the popular 'Aunt Sallies' lately, and each time we have missed. The first time was when we tried to blow up that best-hated man In England, Lord Cran thorpe, and the second was the failure of our jubilee programme for hoisting the queen and the royal family sky high. It wasn't our fault that we failed. We know now, though we didn't then, that our failures were due to treachery, and if any proof were need ed that it was so, it is, I think, to be found in the fact that the very first enterprise we undertake,*after we have rid ourselves of the traitor, turns out a complete success. If that female Judas who pulled the linch-pin out of our plans for the blowing up of Lord Cranthorpe's place and for celebrat ing the jubilee 011 quite another way than her majesty intended, had liee» CAMERON COUNTY PRKJiS, THURSD^V v MARCR lj, 1904 a member of this council when we planned to lay hands upon the £5,000 that was sent to the strikers by Ger many—if she had been a member of the council and in our secrets, the money would not be in our pockets to-day." Number Two paused for breath, and a murmur of unmistakable approval and applause hummed through the room. "Well, my friends," he went on, "Hubbock has devised a plan for re trieving the failure at Lord Cran thorpe's and the failure at the jubilee. Here it is. "Some years ago Hubbock was chef at the Ishmael club. Have any of you ever been there? No? Then the Ish mael clul), you must understand, is a coterie of travelers, actors, artists, authors, journalists, musicians and so on, who pride themselves on being Bo hemians. They are popularly supposed to be in revolt against conventionality of every sort, and in suburban and provincial society a member of the Ishmael club is looked upon as a dread ful upsetter of the order of things and as one who stands for all that is 'ad vanced' in thought and ntannera and morals. "As a matter of fact the members of the Ishmael club—'Brother ishmael ites,' as they call themselves—are just as sober and solvent a set of respect able, law-abiding, custom-following taxpayers and citizens as you will find outside the precincts of the clubs of actual fogeydom. It is true that the original members who founded the Ishmael club some 50 years ago were a Bohemian harum-scarum lot, but the club as it now stands is simply living on its past tradition and reputation. The present members do their best to delude themselves and the public into the belief that they are a dare-devil crew, and they take their club and themselves so seriously that I verily believe most of them are persuaded that no four walls in the world con tain such a gathering of sad dogs as is to be seen in the dining-room of the Ishmael 011 their 'house dinner' night. They stick their heads, like so many ostriches, into the sands of the past, and refuse to see that the old order changeth and that the members of the Ishmael are Ishmaelites no longer. All that, however, doesn't concern us. If they like to play at Tom and Jerry, they are quite welcome to do it, and if they can make believe so well as t* persuade themselves that they are the original and only Toms and Jerries, why, let 'em in Heaven's name, and be* hanged to 'em. Our interest in them doesn't hinge on that; but there is one custom of theirs that has been handed 011 from what Mr. Hubbock calls 'time immoral' which does concern us and which I must describe to you. "One of their rules —a very excellent one—is that of 'no long speeches.' Ten minutes is the maximum of time which is allowed to any man, guest or mem ber, prime minister or. paragrapher, and to keep this golden rule inviolate the original Ishmaelites initiated a cus tom which is still religiously followed. At every meeting of the club there is placed on the table in front of the chairman a little metal cube about the size of a pint-pot. When any one rises to speak, the chairman presses a spring at the top of the cube which sets an inside piece of mechanism in motion. This piece of mechanism is timed to run for exactly ten minutes, and if by that time the speaker has not finished and the chairman has not reversed the action, a bell strikes, at the sound of which the speaker, whoever he may be, must sit down. It is a rule that might with advantage be introduced into other institutions. To b« interrupted or called to order by a member of one's audience—even by one's chairman —is not pleasant. But no one, no matter how touchy, can accept a pull up fipm an irre sponsible piece of dead mechanism other than good-liumoredly. "But what has all this to do with us, you say. Well, I'm coming to it. The loth of next month is to be a field day with the Ishmaelites, and they have succeeded in nobbling the prince of Wales as their guest. And who do you think is to be the chair man? A gentleman who has been honored with a considerable amount of attention from the syndicate al ready—no less a personage than our friend Lord Cranthorpe. Gentlemen, wouldn't it be tempting Providence, who has, so to speak, delivered these two men into our hands, to let slip such an opportunity of retrieving the failure which attended our previous attempt on the life of Lord Cranthorpe and the royal family? The idea is not mine, but our excellent friend Hub bock's: but I am bound to confess that if he succeeds, as he believes he can, in effecting the assassination of the prince and of Lord Cranthorpe at one stroke, he will have struck a blow at the powers that be, the powers with wWch we are at enmity, that would immeasurably encourage the anarchist spirit which it is so much to our inter est to foster, and that will bring in the subscriptions as nothing else we have attempted lately has done." "How is it to be managed?" I asked; "and who's to do It?" "Hubbock offers to take the sole r bock's honesty, I beg yar don. honor. Bat he Is anxious still further to prove his zeal by striking what I am bound to confess seems to me a peculiarly daring and deadly blow at royalty and at tho aristocracy. We who constitute this council are paid to wage a war against the upper classes and the capitalists, and if Hubbock succeeds, I think it will go far to sat isfy our clients and subscribers that we are giving them something for their money." "Yes! yes!" interposed Councillor Number Six rather testily, being an noyed, perhaps, at the reference which had been made to him. "It seems to me there's too much ±aw about these meetings. You don't need to explain nil these things to us over and over again as if we were a pack of school boys. Ever since we lost our old chief, you jump at any chance of lecturing us, same as some old women do who want to hear their own voices. Wo all know that to blow up the prince of Wales and the other aristocratic per isher, Lord Cranthorpe, along Willi him will set business moving in tho subscription line and we don't want to be told it all over again at every council meeting. The show ain't a prayer-meeting. The point is, can tho things be done? If so, how?" Number Two took the interruption in better part than I had expected. "Very well, my friend," he said, good-humoredly, "I don't want to in flict too many details upon you, I'm sure. Only as we all share the re sponsibility as well as the profits, it seemed only right to me that council lors shall be fully acquainted with what was being done in their name. When you know beforehand how th« thing is to be done, you will be able to judge the better whether Hubbock has acquitted himself capably and is deserving of further confidence and trust. I'm very sorry if I have over burdened you with detail. Shall I spare you all the details of Hubbock's scheme? in that case we can merely empower him to act and let the de tails make themselves known by re sults." I did not at all approve the turn that things had taken, it was only because I had been apprised beforehand of the conspirators' line of action that I had on more than one occasion been suc cessful in frustrating their projects. But if secrecy were maintained in re gard to their proposed operations, the game would be up as far I was con cerned, for unless 1 knew what, move they were about to make, I should not know how togo to work to checkmate them. [To Be Conttnued.l What Ilex* Sniil. "What's that?" said the old gentle man as he entered while the eldest daughter was saying things confiden tially to her mother. "Bess was just telling me that the young man that visited the Broketons last summer has written her and that he sent love and kisses." "He did, did he? The impudent pup py. Write him and squelch him «.t once or you're no daughter of mine. Let him know, so there is no possible chance of a misunderstanding, thnt you have the utmost resentment for such conduct, and if he ever comes here again I'll kick him oat of the house." "Well, did you attend to that mat ter, Bess?" asked the old gentleman at breakfast next morning. "Yes." "Good. What did you e&y?" "I told him very distinctly that if hi didn't know any better than to seed such things in a letter, instead of bringing them in person, I would have to forego the pleasure of his acquaint ance." For the next five minutes the family were under a conviction that Jhe head of the household had burst a blcoii ves sel. —Stray Stories. Didn't Want to Worry God. There is a young boy in a near-by city aged eight, and named Todd. He is wholly human, and he has a careful and religious mother who strives con stantly to bring him within speaking distance of her ideal of what a boy should be. To this end he is admon ished to pray every night that he be a better boy. One night recently he climbed into bed without saying his prayers. His mother asked him if he had forgotten to say them, and he an swered that he had not forgotten, but that he did not intend to pray that night. His mother inquired the rea son for his determination. Todd, from his comfortable pillow, made an swer: "Well, mother," said he, "I'll get up and say my old prayers if you want me to, but I don't want to do it a bit. Here I've been asking and ask ing God to make me a good boy and I think I've done it enough. God will attend to it when he gets 'round to it, and I don't think it's nice for me to make a nuisance of myself. I've pretty near worried the life out of him about it already."—Chicago Chronicle. Wisdom's Whispers. A man usually magnifies the impor tance of what he does. When a woman takes up physical culture there is a suspicion that she is older than she pretends. Women find a sentiment in flowers which is unknown to men. Men regard wrinkles on the face with little in the way of horror. Some women show the upstart in their composition without an effort. Because a man dislikes to be called old it is not convincing evidence of vanity. Tho woman who continually com plains wonders why hard lines appear on her face. When a man is popular the dangei of a fall is greatest. Woman's wit appeals to a man's sense of humor for its rarity. Many men's reputations have been made by a blind venture —Philadelphia Bulletin. New Excuse. In til? Portland municipal court recent ly a woman got to the limit of excuses by eaying that an apparent drunkenness was in reality only a ilesyerate attempt on her part to break in a pair of new shoes and nt the same time to walk on ice. .ludgp Hill smiled but gave her 30 days.—Bangor N"' "> BEAUTIFUL SKIN, loft White Ilanila n nil l,nxn riant llair Produced by Cut I corn. Son p. Millions of Women I "so Cuticura Soap, assisted by Cuticura Ointment, the great skin cure, for preserving, purifying and beautifying the ekin, for cleansing the scalp of crusts, scales- and dandruff, and the stopping of falling hair, for softening, whitening and soothing red, rough and sore hands, for baby rashes, itching* ; id chiifings, for annoying irritations and ul cerative weaknesses, and many antiseptic purposes which readily suggest themselves, as well as for all the purposes of the toilet, bath and nursery. In the Bight Place. "How's the new organist?" asked ene of the parishioners. "Oh, lie tints beautifully," replied the soprano of the church quartet.—Chicago Post. Mnrnvlitn Hurley and Spclti, two great cereals, makes growing and fattening hogs and cattle possible in Dak.. Mont., Ida., Colo., yes everywhere, and add to above Saber's Billion Dollar Grass, .Tposinte, which produces 80 tons of green fodder per acre, Salzer's Earliest Cane, fSr'zer's 60 Day Oats and a hundred of other rare farm seeds that they offer, JUST CUT THIS OUT AND RETURN IT with 10c in stamps to the John A. Salzer Seed Co., La Crosse, Wis., and get their big catalog and lots of farm sjed sam ples. |K. L.] Club Wag—"Well, good night, admiral." Warrior—"There's a stupid joke. 'Ad miral!' Can't you see my spurs?" Wag— "Oh, I thought they were your twin screws." —Punch. Teonliite unil Million Dollar Graft*. The two greatest fodder plants on earth, or.e good for 11 tons hay and the other 80 tons green fodder per acre. Grows everywhere, so does Victoria Rape, yield ing fjO,OOU lbs. sheep and swine food per «.cre. L K.L.J JUST SEND 10c IN" STAMPS TO THE Joli.n A. Salzer Seed Co., La Crosse, Wis., and receive in return their big Catalog arid lots of farm seed samples. Jf we did but know how little some peo ple etijoy the great tilings they possess there would not be much envy in the world.—Young. S(oi>h tlit Cough ami works i>ff the cold. Laxative Bromo Quinine Tablets. Price -o cents Where there is much pretension, much has been borrowed; nature never pre tends.—Las atur. Piso's Cure for Consumption is an infalli ble medicine for coughs and colds. —X. W. Samuel, Ocean Grove, N. «J.« Feb. 17, 1000. Hypocrisy is thenecessary burden of vil lainy.—Johnson. ———-• June Tint Butter Color makes top of the market butter. It is easier to endure failure than to bear success.—Chicago Tribune. It Cures Colds, Coughs, Soro Throat, Croup, Influ enza, Whooping Cough, Bronchitis and Asthma. A certain cure for Consumption in first stages, and a sure relief in advanced stages. Use at once. You will see the excellent effect after taking tho first dose. Sold by dealers everywhare. Large bottles 'is cents and 50 cents. W. L. DOUGLAS •3.= & $ 3 SHOES E" W. JJ. Douglas shoes have by their s* excellent style, 112: easy-fitting, un a p. £jjM superior wearing gj--u qualities, achieved JaSfl the largest sale of mSJ-V any shoes iu the S&n They aro just as good as those t hat cost you JC difference is tho price. Look for name and ColtHkin, which conceded lu l>e the finest Patent leather yet, produced. Fast Co or Eyelets used. Shorts bjrniail.2sr.exl ra. Write for Catalog, W.L.l)ou?l:in, Brockton, Jlsss. RATES] IN EFFECT ON THE NORTHERN PACIFIC An easy matter for those looking toward the Northwest for future ® homes or farms, togo there and investigate the country. During March and April, 1904, the Northern Pacific will sell ONE WAY SECOND CLASS COLONIST TICKETS ■ Daily to points on its own lines west of the North Dakota-Montana line, and on connecting lines, at very low rates. 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