2
fThe Man on T
the Box J
By HAROLD MacGRATH \
Author of " The Grey Cloak," "The
Puppet Crowu."
* ■
Copyright, 1904, The Bobba-Uerrill Company.
CHAPTER IV.—CONTINUED.
She stepped back, wondering
whether to scream or run.
"Hi, Jack! I say, you old henpecked,
where are you?"
The dining-room door slid back and
a tall, studious-looking gentleman,
rather plain than otherwise, stood on
the threshold.
"Jane, what is all this — Why, nob,
you scalawag!"—and in a moment they
were pumping hands at a great rate.
The little maid leaned weakly against
the balustrade.
"Kit. Kit! I say. Kit, come and see
who's here!" cried John.
An extraordinarily pretty little
woman, whose pallor any woman
would have understood, but no man
on earth, and who was dressed in a
charming pink negligee morning
gown, hurried into the hall.
"Why, it's Bob!" She flung her
arms around the* prodigal and kissed
him heartily, held him away at arm's
length, and hugged and kissed him
again. I'm not sure that Mr. Robert
didn't like it.
Suddenly there was a swish of
starched skirts on the stairs, and the
most beautiful woman in all the world
(and I am always ready to back this
statement with abundant proofs!)
rushed down and literally threw her
self into Mr. Robert's eager, out
stretched arm 3.
"Nancy!"
"Bob! Bob! you wicked boy! You
almost break our hearts. Not a line in
two months! —How could you!— You
might have been dead and we not know
it!"—and she cried on his shoulder.
"Come now, Nancy; nonsense!
You'll start the color running out of
this tie of mine!" But for all his jest
ing tone, Mr- Robert felt an embarrass
ing lump wriggle up and down in hi 3
throat.
"Had your breakfast?" asked the
humane and practical brother.
"Yep. But I shouldn't mind another
cup of coffee."
And thereupon he was hustled into
the dining-room and pushed into the
best chair. How the dear women
fussed over him, pressed this upon him
and that; fondled and caressed him,
just as if the beggar was worth all
this trouble and love and affection.
"Hang it, girls, it's worth being an
outlaw to come to this,"he cried. He
reached over and patted Nancy on the
cheek, and pressed the young wife's
hand, and smiled pleasantly at his
brother. "Jack, you lucky pup, you!"
"Two years," murmured Nancy;
"and we haven't bad a glimpse of you
In two long yoars."
"Only in photograph," said the
homeless one. putting three lumps
of sugar in his coffee because he was
so happy he didn't know what he was
about.
"And you have turned 28," said Kit,
counting on her fingers.
"That makes you 24, Nan," Jack
laughed.
"And much I care!" replied Nancy,
shaking head defiantly. I've a
sneaking idea that she was thinking
of me when she made this declaration.
For if l didn't care, why should she?
"A handsome, stunning girl like you,
Nan, ought to he getting married," ob
served the prodigal. "What's the mat
ter with all these dukes and lords and
princes, anyhow?"
An embarrassed smile ran around
the table, but Mr. Robert missed it
by several inches.
Jack threw a cigar across the ta
•ble. "Now," said he, "where the
deuce did you come from?"
"Indirectly from Ari/.ona, which is
a synonym once removed for war."
Jack looked at his plate and laughed;
but Mrs. Jack wanted to know what
Bob meant by that.
"It's a word used instead of war,
as applied by the late Oen. Sherman,"
Jack replied. "And I am surprised
that a brother-in-law of yours should
so far forget himself as to hint It
even."
"By the way, Jack," said my hero,
lighting the cigar and blowing the
first. puff toward the ceiling, his face
admirably set with nonchalance, "do
you know of n family named Annes
ley—Col. Annesley?" I knew It would
take only a certain length of time for
this question to arrive.
"Col. Annesley? Why, yes. He was
In the war department until a year
ago A fine strategist; knows every in
and out of the roast defenses, and Is
something of an inventor; lots of
money, too. Tall, handsome old fel
low 112"
That's the mm. A war volunteer?"
"No, a regular. Crippled his guu
flngers in B <>me petty Indian war, and
wa.-i transferred to the department lie
wis a widower. If my recollection of
Mm Is correct; and had t lovely
daughter,"
"Ah!" There was treat satisfac
tion evident in thi- syllable. "Do you
l%ii»-v where the colonel Is now?"
"Not Ihe faint.Mt Idea lie lived
somewhere In Virginia. But he's b en
on the travel for several ye-irs. ' i
Hulwrt stirred his roffee and took a
M "»itful and dropped ihu spoon
1 i tuii»t lu*« putin a quart ot
sugar. n you spare mo nnother |
cup?"
"Annesley?" Nancy's face bright- ;
ened. "Col. Annesley? Why, I know 1
Hetty Annesley. She wns my room- j
mate at Smith one year. She was in
my graduating class. I'll show you [
her picture later. She was the dear- J
est girl! How she loved horses! Rut
why are you so Interested?"—slyly.
"Iran across them coming home."
"Then you met Betty! Isn't she just
the loveliest girl you ever saw?"
"I'm for her, one and indivisible. But
hang my luck, I never came within a
mile of an introduction."
"What? You, and on shipboard
where she couldn't get away?" John
threw up his hands as a sign that this
information had overcome him.
"Even the captain shied when I
approached him," said Robert, gloom
ily.
"I begin to see," said the brother.
"See what?"
"Have a match; your cigar has gone
out."
Robert relighted his cigar and puffed
like a threshing-machine ei gine.
John leaned toward Nancy. "Shall I
tell him, Naiv?"
Nancy blushed. "I suppose he'll
have to know sooner or later."
"Know what?" asked the third per
son singular.
"Your charming sister Is about to
bring you a brother-in-law."
"What?" You could have heard this
across the street.
"Yes, Bobby dear. And don't look
so hurt. You don't want me to be
come an old maid, do you?"
"When did it. happen?"—helplessly.
How the thought of his sister's mar
rying horrifies a brother! I believe I
can tell you why. Every brother
knows that no man Is good enough for
a good woman. "When did it hap
pen?" Mr. Robert repeated, with a
look at his brother, which said that
he should be held responsible.
"Last week."
Robert took in a long breath, as one
does who expects to receive a blow of
some sort which can not be warded
off, and asked: "Who is it?" Nancy
married? What was the world coming
to, anyhow?
"Charlie Henderson," —timidly.
Then Robert, who had been expect
ing nothing less than an English duke,
let loose the flaming lons of his
righteous wrath.
"Chuck Henderson?—that duffer?"
(Oh, Mr. Robert, Mr. Robert; and af
ter all I've done for you!)
"He's not a duffer!" remonstrated
NaiTcy, with a flare in her mild eyes.
(How I wish I might bave seen her
as she defended me!) "He's the dear
est fellow in the world, and I love him
with all my heart!" (How do you like
that, Mr. Robert? Bravo, Nancy! I
may be a duffer, true enough, but I
rather object to Its being called out
from the housetops.) And Nancy
added: "I want you to understand
distinctly, Robert, that in my selection
of a husband you arfc not to be con
sulted."
This was moving him around some.
"Hold on, Nan! Drat it, don't look
like that! I meant nothing, dearie;
only I'm a heap surprised. Chuck is a
good fellow, I'll admit; but I've been
dreaming of your marrying a prince
or an ambassador and Henderson
comes like a jolt. Besides. Chuck
w ill never be anything but a first-rate
politician. You'll have to get used
to cheap cigars and four-ply whisky.
When is it going to happen?"
"In June. I have always loved him,
Bob. And he wants you to be his best
man."
Robert appeared a bit mollified at
this knowledge. "But what shall I do
after that?" he wailed. "You're the
only person I can order about, and
now you're going the other side of
the range."
"Bob, why don't you get married
yourself?" asked Mrs. Warburton.
With your looks you won't have to so
far nor begging for a wife."
"There's the rub, sister mine by law
and the admirable foresight of my only
brother. What am I good for but. or
dering rookies about? I've no business
head. And it's my belief that an army
man ought never to wed."
"Marry, my boy, and I'll see what
can be done for you in (he diplomatic
way. The new administration will
doubtless be republican, and my influ
ence will have some weight,"—and
John smiled affectionately across the
table. He loved this gay lad opposite,
loved "'him for his own self and be
cause he could always see the mother's
eyes and lips. "You have reached
the age of discretion. You are now
traveled and a fairly good linguist.
You've an income of $1,500 and to this
I may be able to add a berth worth
$2,000 or $:i,000. Find the girl, lad:
find the girl."
"Honestly, I'll think It over, Jack."
"Bob, there's a ball at the British
embassy to-night. You must go with
us."
"Impossible!" said Itobert. "Re
member my leg."
"That will not matter," said Mrs.
John; "you need not dance."
"What, not dance? I should die of
intermittent fever. And If I did dance,
my bg might give out."
"You can ride a horse all right,"
said John, in the way of argument.
"I <an do that easily with my knees
ll'it I can't dance with my knees. No, j
I shall stay at home. | couldn't stand 1
It to see all those famous Ix'autles.
and with me posinu as a wall llower "
"But what will you do here all
alone?"
IMay with the kid, smol e and read;
make mysi If at home You Htill smoke
ibat Louisiana, Jack?"
"Yes," dubiously.
"So Now. don't let me Interfere with
your plan, ror to night I haven't be. n
in a home In so bin, that It Mill take
more than one night for the novelty
to wear off lle.-ildes, that nur-e of
yours. Kit, Is i.Mid to look at. ' a bit
of the rogue in his eye.
CAMERON COUNTY PRESS, THURSDAY, MAY 24, 1906.
I "Bob!"—from both women.
"I promise not to look at her; I
I promise."
"Well, I must hn nIT," snld John.
| "I'm late now. I've a do/,en plans for
i coast defenses togo over with an in
j ventor of a new carriage-gun. Will
; you go with me. while I put you up
at the Metropolitan, or will you take
a shopping trip with the women?"
"I'll take the shopping trip. It will
be a sensation. Have you any horses?"
"Six."
"Six! You are a lucky pup: a hand
some wife, a bouncing boy, and six
horses! Where's the stable?"
"In the rear. I keep only two stable
men; one to take care of the horses
and one to act as groom. I'm off. I've
a cracking good hunter, if you'd like
a leg up. We'll all ride to Chevy Chase
Sunday. By-by, till lunch."
Mr. Robert immediately betook him
self to the stables, where he soon be
came intimately acquainted with the
English groom. He fussed about the
harness-room, deplored the lack of a
McClelland saddle, admired the En
glish curbs, and complimented the
men on the cleanliness of the stables.
The men exchanged sly smiles at first,
but these smiles soon turned into grins
of admiration. Here was a man who
knew a horse from his oiled hoofs to
his curried forelock.
"This fellow ought to jump well,"
he said, patting the sleek neck of the
hunter.
"He does that, sir," replied the
groom. "He has never taken less than
a red ribbon. Only one horse beat him
at the bars last winter in New York.
Tt was Mr. Warburton's fault that he
did not take first prize. He rode him
in the park the day before the contest
and the animal caught cold, sir."
And then it was that this hero of
mine conceived his great (not to say
young and salad) idea. It appealed to
him as being so rich an idea that the
stables rang with his laughter.
"Sir?" politely inquired the groom.
''l'm not laughing at your statement,
my good fellow; rather at an idea
which just occurred to me. In fact,
I believe that I shall need your as
sistance."
"In what way, sir?"
"Come with me."
The groom followed Warburton into
the yard. A conversation began in
low tones.
"It's as much as my place is worth,
sir. I couldn't do it, sir," declared the
groom, shaking his head negatively.
"I'll guarantee that you will not suf
fer in the least. My brother will not
discharge you. He likes a joke as well
as I do. You are not handed S2O every
day for a simple thing like this."
"Very well, sir. I dare say that no
harm will come of it. But I am an inch
or two shorter than you."
"We'll tide that over."
"I am at your orders, sir." But
the groom returned to the stables,
shaking his head dubiously. He was
not thoroughly convinced.
During the morning ride down-town
the two women were vastly puzzled
over their brother's frequent and in
explicable peals of laughter.
"For mercy's sake, what do you see
that is so funny!" asked Nancy.
"I'm thinking, my dears; only think
ing."
"Tell tis, (hat we may laugh too.
I'll wager that you are up to some
mischief. Master Robert. Please
tell," Nancy urged.
"Later, later; at present you would
fail to appreciate the joke. In fact,
you might make it miscarry; and that
wouldn't do at all. Have a little pa
tience. It's a good joke, and you'll
be in it when the time comes."
And nothing more could they worm
out of him.
CHAPTER V.
THE PLOT THICKENS.
At dinner that night I met my hero
face to face for the first time in eight
years ai>d for all his calling me a
duffer (I learned of this only recent
ly), he was mighty glad to see me,
slapped me on the back and threw his
j
".NO IiALL FOR ME."
arm across my * boulder. And why 1
shouldn't lie have been glad? \W
had been boys together, played hooky
many a school-time afternoon, gone i
over the same fUliing grounds, plunged j
Into the name swimming-holes, and
smoked our first
of my father's barn; and it Is thej
recollection of such things that ;
cements all the more strong!) frit nd
ship |n man and man. Wo tit
e'lllcd a thousand episodes and es
capade*, the licking* we got, und tlo
IbHny. tin* ethers got in our stead,
the |n-e(iy school teacher whom we
swore to wed when we grew up. No
body e|-e bail a chance to i;ei a word
In edgewise. Hut Nanejr laughed aloud
at time*, she had been a wltnemi t.i
m 'ti> of long a-o pranks.
bat' >oii are nut Koing to ihe
bull? I it, ed, that be
I wore only a dinner-coat and a pair of
morocco slippers,
i "No ball for inc. Just us noon as
1 you people hie forth, off comes this
' b'lled shirt, and I shall prol>al>ly inean-
J dcr around the house in my new silk
pajamas. I shall read a little from
| llomer —Jack, let me ha\e the key
|to that locked case; I've an Idea that
| there must be some robust old, merry
old tales hidden there—and smoke a
few pipes."
"But you are not going to have
Mrs. Warburton and your sister to
come home without escort?" I expos
tulated.
"Where the deuce are you two men
going?" Robert asked, surprised. Some
how, I seemed to catch a joyful rather
than a sorrowful note in his tones.
"An important conference at mid
night, and heaven only knows how
long It may last," said Jack. "I wish
you would go along, Bob."
"He can't go now, anyhow," said the
pretty little wife. "He has got to stay
now, whether lie will or no. William
will see to it that we women get home
all right,"—and she busied herself
with the salad dishes.
"Goto the ball, you beauties, dance
and revel to your heart's content;
your brother Robert will manage to
pass away the evening. Don't forget
the key to that private case, Jack," —
as the women left the table to put
the finishing touches to their toilets.
"Here you are," said Jack.' "But
mind, you must put those books back
just as you found them, and lock the
case. They are rare editions."
"With the accent on the rare, no
doubt."
"I am a student, pure and simple,"
said Jack, lowering his eyes.
"I wouldn't swear to those adjec
tives," returned the scalawag. "If I
remember, you had the reputation of
being a high-jinks man in your class
at Princeton."
ITo Be Continued ]
THE DARWINIAN THEORY.
lOseiiiiillflotl In (lie Kplnoilr He
luted of n Man and u
Monkey.
Miss Agnes Mahony, a missionary to
Liberia, was visiting Philadelphia with
two African slave girls that she had
bought for? 15 apiece. Miss Mahony's
pictures of Liberia were sombre. She
relieved the gloom of her narrative
with an anecdote of an African coast
pilot.
"This pilot," said Miss Mahony. "was
once bringing a ship northward. The
captain, toward sunset, bade him go
below and help himself to a glass of
cold tea.
"After taking the tea, the pilot pro
ceeded to munch a biscuit.
"Now, the captain owned a large
monkey, and this creature sat drowsing
in a dark corner of the gloomy cabin.
The pilot said:
" 'A gusty day, sir,' and the monkey
shrugged its shoulders.
"The pilot with affable gruffness
went on:
" 'The south light is away on the
port bow now, sir.'
"There was no answer.
"But the pilot was persistent. He
continued:
" 'We'll be over the bar, sir, in an
hour.'
"Failing to get a reply even to this
pleasant information, the pilot went
up on deck again, and, taking his place
beside the captain on the bridge, said:
" 'What a quiet chap your father is.' "
GOOD THING AT BAD TIME.
Wi»e and True Sajinu tluit Was
tttercd nllli l)l»i>l<-ai*iiitf
Effect.
Mme. Bouguereau, the widow of the
noted French painter, was Miss Eliza
beth Gardner, of Exeter, N. H.,
"Mme. Bouguereau," said an artist,
"has a fund of New England anec
dotes, which she repeats with a droll
humor. •
"I heard her in her studio one day,
describing an aged woman of Exeter.
This woman was always saying wiae,
true things at the wrong time. Her
grandson got married, and a little
while after the wedding she made the
excellent remark:
"'I am glad Herbert had the sense
to marry a settled old maid. Young
gals is hlghtty-tighty, the widders is
overrulin' and domineerin". But old
maids is generally thankful and willin'
to please.'
"And the aged dame crocheted away
comfortably, with the consciousness of
having said a good thing; but the look
on the face of Herbert's new wife, as
I she fixed the old lady with her glit
tering eye, was suggestive of anything
but meekness."
Only IliniMt'lf to Illume. 9
A literary man who spent last sum
mer at Kiverdale, N. V., was annoyed
by a suburban fish peddler with a
raucous voice and a tin horn, who
passed the house frequently. Finally
one Saturday morning he remarked:
"That fellow has been by here every
day this week. Such persistency In
crime ought to be rewarded. I am go
lug to buy a fish of him," which ac
cordingly he did. Prepared for dinner
the fish was found to be unfit for food.
When the peddler ap|*earcd in the
afternoon the summer resident went
out and hailed him
"See bet '," lie cried with some
v.nrintb. "tb.it ti.sh wasn't eatable. It
wan 100 old."
"Well, dat wa'n't my fault, boss," j
replied the fish duller indignantly. "I
ii\>- oil two chance , evei \ das this
v,. to bin d it (l«h, ai.i If you »u;i
er lobster enough tow i t till It wis
tcj)li*4 I dou'i see how yi « can blaiin
We." - I'UiUii Iphu I'UlilK Ledger. '
Alpine Climbers.
* According to HU.UHMCH of Alpine ac
cidents, during im.r, the number of
English who havi lost their lives by
tool hardiness on the Alps Is surpassed
by several other nations. The total
nrmber of accidents were 165, ol
which no lewer than <>s were fatal, and
of thfse the greater number of acci
dents happened to Swiss and German
! climbers.
Distinguished Precedent.
Police Magistrate—This is not. the
j first time you have been before me,
1 but you have given a different name
I from the one you gave me the other
I time.
Vagrant—Dat's all right, y'r honor,
j W'en de wind changes its direction it
j changes its name, don't it?—Shicago
| Tribune.
Still Offenders.
The original "chauffeurs" were dis
guised robbers who, toward the end of
the eighteenth century, operated in
the French rural districts. They got
; the title from a practice they had of
j roasting the soles of their victims' feet
| at a fire to force the revelation of hid
] den treasure.
Great Events.
! "These are most eventful times,"
] said one citizen.
"I should say so," answered the
j other. "One day Washington wins a
' game from Philadelphia and the next
j there is an earthquake."—Washing
! ton Star.
Tender Title.
The Marquis of Granam, who was
j persuaded recently by h.s fiancee, Lady
Mary Hamilton, Britain's greatest
| heiress, to run for parliament, failing
of election, though the lady cam
paigned vigorously for him, is now
known as "Mary's Little Lamb."
National Lawmakers.
The name of the lawmaking power
in the United States is the congress,
in France the assembly, in Germany
the reichstag, in Holland the states
general, in Spain the cortes, in Greece
the boule, and in Denmark the landst
thing.
Maryland Skeletons.
Gigantic skeletons of prehistoric In
dians nearly eight feet tall have beep
discovered along the baiiks of the
Choptank river, Maryland, by the em
ployes of the Maryland Academy of
Science.
Mexico Oil Lands.
It is announced that the Mexican
states of Tabasco and Chiapas con
tain more than 5,000,000 acres of oil
lands. But Standard Oil saw them first
and owns more than 2,000,000 acres al
ready.—New Orleans Times-Democrat.
Maybe Plays the Organ.
The Indiana preacher who fears that
there will not be enough men m
heaven to sing bass in the choir prob
ably thinks he has a fine tenor voice
himself.
Nothing to Fuss Over.
All is quiet in Santo Domingo again.
Since the last president skipped out
with all that there was in the treas
ury, there is really nothing on the
island to make a fuss over.
Better Fit, Perhaps.
Girl—My uncle eats with his knife.
Boy—My uncle's rich enough to eat
with a fire shovel if he wants to. De
troit Free Press.
True Love.
When a boy is willing to trade his
pocketknife for i> red apple to give to
his teacher—that is love.—Chicago
Daily News.
Small Chunk.
It is stated that if all the gold in
the world were melted into ingots it
might be contained in a room 23 leel
square and 16 feet high.
!£hah Waking Up.
The shah of Persia has decided to
found at Teheran a school of fine arts
and an industrial school.
King Defies Augury.
King Alfonso defies augury. He
will be married on a Fridav.
G.SCHMIDT'S, 1 —
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American Plan %'l 00 per day.
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EVERY WOMAN
§mu.J'Jfa Sometimes needs a reliable
jkW Y monthly regulating medicine.
Xfl JL " DR. PEAL'S
PENNYROYAL piLLS,
Are prompt, safe and certain In reßult. The genu
ine (Dr. Peal's) never disappoint. 81.00 per Un\
Bold by R. O. Dodson, druggist _-j
For Bill Heads,
Letter Heads,
Fine Commercial
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Kinds,
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