6
!The Man on j
the Box J
By HAROLD MacGRATH \
Author of " The Grey Cloak," "The
Puppet Crown." t
Ccpyrifiht, 2904, The Bobbs-Merrill Company.
CHAPTER IX.— CONTINUED.
She brushed her cheeks with the pop
pies, and for a brief second the flowers
threw a most beautiful color over her
face and neck.
"What was your object in climbing
on the box of my carriage and run
ning away with it?"
Quick as a flash of light he con
ceived his answer. "Madam, it was a
jest between nte and some maids." He
had almost said serving-maids, but the
thought of Nancy checked his libel.
"Between you and some maids?" —
faintly contemptuous. "Explain, for I
helieve an explanation is due me."
His gaze was forced to rove again.
"Well, Madam, it is truly embarrass
ing. Two maids were to enter a car
riage and 1 was to drive them away
from the embassy and once I had them
In the carriage I thought it would be
an admirable chance to play them a
trick."
"Pray since when have serving
maids been allowed exit from the main
hall of the British embassy?"
Mr. Robert was positive that the
shadow of a sarcastic smile rested for
a moment on her lips. But it was in
stantly hidden under the poppies.
"That is something of which I have
no intimate knowledge. A groom is
not supposed to turn his head on the
box unless spoken to. You will readi
ly understand that, Madam. 1 made a
mistake in the number. Mine wa» 71,
and I answered number 17. I was con
fused.
"I dare say. Seventy-one," she mused.
"It will be easy to verify this, to find
out whose carriage that was."
Mr. Robert recognized his mistake,
but he saw no way to rectify it. She
stood silently gazing over his shoulder,
into the fields beyond.
"Perhaps you can explain to me that
remarkable episode at the carriage
door? I should be pleased to hear
your explanation."
It had come, —the very thing he had
dreaded had come. He had hoped thai
she would ignore it. "Madam, I can
see that you have sent for me out of
curiosity only. If 1 offered any disre
spect to you last night, I pray you to
forgive me. For, on my word of honor,
it was innocently done." He bowed,
and placed his hand on the knob of the
door.
"Have a little patience. I prefer my
self to forget that disagreeable inci
dent." The truth is, "on my word of
honor." coming from a groom, sounded
strange in her pars; and she wanted
to learn more about this fellow. "Mr
Osborne what were you before you be
came a groom?"
"I"have not always been a groom, it
Is true. Madam. My past I prefer to
"JS YOUR NAME OSBORNE?"
leave in obscurity. There is nothing
in that past, however, of which I need
be ashamed;" —and unconsciously his
figure become more erect.
"Is your nafne Osborne?"
"No, Madam, it is not. For my
family's sake, I have tried to forget
my own name." (I'll wager the rascal
never felt a qualm in the region of his
conscience.)
It was the truth which was not
truth that won his battle.
"You were doubtless discharged last
night?"
"I did lot return to ascertain, mad
am, I merely sent for my belongings.*'
"You have recommendations?"—
presently.
"I have no recommendations what
ever, Madam. If you employ me, it
must be done on your own responsi
bility and trusl in human nature. I
can only say, Madam, that 1 am honest,
that. I am willing, that I possess a
thorough knowledge of horse-flesh."
"It is very unusual," she said,
searching him to the very heart with
her deep blue eyes. "For all I know
you may be the greatest rascal, or you
may be the honestest man, in the
world." His smile was so frank and
engaging that she was forced to smile
herself. But she thought of some
thing, anil flow nod. "If you have told
me the truth, so much the better; for
I can easily verify all you have told
me. I will give you a week's trial.
After all," —indifferently—"what I
desire is a capable servant. You will
have to put up with a good deal. There
are days when 1 am not at all amiable,
and on these days I do not like to find
a speck of dust on the metals or a
blanket that has not been thoroughly
brushed. As for the animals, they
must always shine like satin. Thifr
last is unconditional. Besides all this
our force of servants is small. Do you
know anything about serving?"
"Very little." What was coming
now?
"The chef will coach you. I enter
tain some, and there will be times
when you will be called upon to wait
on the table. Come with me and I will
show you the horses. We have only
five, but my father takes great pride in
them. They are all thoroughbreds."
"Like their mistress," was Warbur
ton's mental supplementary.
"Father hasn't ridden for years,
however. The groom I discharged thi3
morning was capable enough on the
box, but he was worse than useless to
me in my morning rides. I ride from
nine till eleven, even Sundays some
times. Remain here till I return."
As she disappeared Warburton drew
in an exceedingly long breath and re
leased it slqwly. Heavens, what an
ordeal! He drew the back of his hand
across his forehead and found it moist
Not a word about the fine: he must
broach it and thank her. Ah, to ride
with her every morning, to adjust her
stirrup, to obey every command to
which she might give voice, to feel
her small boot repulse his palm as
she mounted; Heaven could hold noth
ing greater than this. And how easily a
woman may be imposed upon! De
cidedly, Mr. Robert was violently in
love.
When she returned there was a sun.
bonnet on her head, and she had pin
ned the poppies on her breast. (Why?
I couldn't tell you, unless when all
is said and done, be he king or valet,
a man is always a man; and if per
chance he is blessed with good looks,
a little more than a man. You will
understand that in this instance I am
trying to view things through a wom
an's eyes.) With a nod she bade him
precede her and they went out toward
the stables. She noted the flat back,
the square shoulders, the easy, graceful
swing of the legs.
"Have you been a soldier?" she
asked suddenly.
He wheeled. His astonishment could
not be disguised quickly enough to
escape her vigilant eyes. Once more
he had recourse to the truth.
"Yes, Madam. It was as a trooper
that I learned horsemanship."
"What regiment?"
"I prefer not to say,"—quietly.
"I do not like mysteries,"—briefly.
"Madam, you have only to dismiss
me, to permit me to thank you for pay
ing my fine and to reimburse you at the
earliest opportunity."
She closed her lips tightly. No one
but herself knew what had been on the
verge of passing across them.
"Let us proceed to the stables," was
ail she said. "If you prove yourself
a capable horseman, that is all I de
sire."
The stable-boy slid back the door
and t lie two entered. Warburton
glanced quickly about; all was neat
ness. There was light and ventilation,
too, and the box-stalls were roomy.
The girl stopped before a handsome
bay mare which whinnied when it saw
her. She laid her cheek against the
animals nose and talked that soft jar
gon so embarrassing toman and so in
telligible to babies and pet animals.
Lucky horse! he thought! but his
face expressed nothing.
"This is Jane, my own horse, and
there are few living things I love so
well. Remember this. She is a thorough
bred, a first class hunter; and I havt.
done more than five feet on her at
home."
She moved on, Warburton following
soberly and thoughtfully. There was a
good deal to think of just now. The
more he saw of this girl, the less he
understood her purpose in hiring him.
She couldn't possibly know anything
about him, who or what he was. With
his beard gone he defied her to recog
nize in him the man who traveled
across the Atlantic with her. A high
bred woman, such as she was, would
scarcely harbor any kind of feelings
toward a man who had acted as he
was acting. If any man had kissed
Nancy the way he had kissed her, he
would have broken every bone in his
body or hired some one. to do it. And
she had paid his fine at the police-sta
tion and had hired him on probation!
Truly he was in the woods and there
wasn't a sign of blazed trail. (It
will be seen that my hero hadn't had
much experience with women. She
knew nothing of him whatever. She
was simply curious and brave enough
to attempt to have this curiosity grati
fied. Of course, I do not venture to say
that, had he been coarse in appear
ance, she would have had anything to
do with him.)
"This is Dick, my father's horse," —
nodding toward a sorrel, large and
well set-up. "He will be your mount.
The animal in the next stall is Pirate."
Pirate was the handsomest black
gelding Warburton had ever laid eyes
on.
"What a beauty!" he exclaimed en
thusistaically, forgetting that grooms
should be utterly without enhusiasm.
He reached out his hand to pat the
black nose, when a warning cry re
strained him. Pirate's ears lay flat.
"Take care! He is a bad-tempered
animal. No one rides him and we
keep him only to exhibit at the shows.
Only half a dozen have ridden hirn
with any success. He won't take a
curb in his mouth and he always ruus
CAMERON COUNTY PRESS, THURSDAY, JUNE 21, 1906.
away. It takes a very strong man to
hold him in. I really don't believe
that he's vicious, only terribly mis
chievous, like a bullying boj."
"I should like to ride him."
The girl looked at her new groom in
a manner which expressed frank as
tonishment. Was he in earnest, or
was it mere bravado? An idea came
! to her. a mischievous idea.
"If you can sit on Pirate's back for
; ten minutes there will not be any ques-
I tiou of probation. I promise to engage
j you on the spot, recommendation or 110
1 recommendation." Would he back
, down?
"Where are the saddles Madam?"
he asked calmly, though his blood
j moved faster.
"On the pegs behind you."—beeom
-1 ing interested. "L)o you really intend
to ride him?"
"With your permission."
"I warn you that the risk you are
running is great."
"I am not afraid of Pirate, Madam,'*
in a tone which implied that lie was
not afraid of any horse living. The
spirit of antagonism rose up in him,
that spirit of antagonism of the human
against the animal, that eternal ambi
tion of the one to master the other.
And besides, I'm not sure that James
didn't want to show off before the girl
—another very human trait in man
kind. For my part; I wouldn't give
yesterday's rose for a man who
wouldn't show off once in a while,
"when his best girl is around and look
ing on.
"On your head be it, then" —a sud
den nervousness seizing her. Yet she
was as eager to witness the encounter
as he was to court it. "William!" she
called. The stable-boy entered, setting
aside his broom. "This is James, the
new groom. Help him to saddle
Pirate."
"Saddle Pirate, Miss Annesley!"
cried the boy, his mouth open and his
eyes wide.
"You see?" said the girl to War
burton.
"Take down that saddle with the
hooded stirrups," said Warburton,
briefly. He would ride Pirate now,
even if Pirate had been sired in Beel
zebub's stables. He carefully inspected
the saddle, the stirrup-straps and the
girth. "Very good, indeed. Buckles
on saddles are always a hidden menace
and a constant danger. Now, bring
out Pirate, William."
William brought out the horse, who
snorted when he saw the saddle on the
floor and the curb on Warburton's
arm.
"There hasn't been anybody on his
back for a year, sir, not since last
winter. He's likely to give you trou
ble," said the boy. "You can't put
that curb 011 him, sir: he won't stand
for it a moment. Miss Annesley, hadn't
you better step outside? He may
start to kicking. . That heavy
English snatile is the best thing I
know of. Try that. sir. And don't let
him get his head down, or he'll do you.
Whoa!" as Pirate suddenly took it into
his head to leave the barn without
any one's permission.
The girl sprang lightly into one of
the empty stalls and waited. She was
greatly excited, and the color in her
cheeks was not borrowed from the pop
ies. She saw the new groom take
Pirate by the forelock, and, quicker
than words can tell, Mr. Pirate was an
grily champing tfie cold bit. He reared.
Warburton caught him by the nose and
the neek. Pirate came down, trembling
with rage.
"Here boy; catch him here," cried
Warburton. William knew his busi
ness, and he grasped the bridle close
under Pirate's jaws. "That's it. Now
hold him."
Warburton picked up the saddle and
threw it over Pirate's glossy back.
Pirate waltzed from side to side and
shook his head wickedly. But the man
that was to mount him knew all these
signs. Swiftly he gathered up the end
of the belly-band strap and ran it
through the iron ring. In and out he
threaded it, drawing it tighter and
tighter. He leaped into the saddle and
adjusted the stirrups, then dismounted.
"I'll take him now, William," said
James smiling.
"All right, sir," said William, glad
enough to be relieved of all further re
sponsibility.
James led Pirate into the small court
and waited for Miss Annesley, who ap
peared in the doorway presently.
"James, I regret that I urged you to
ride him. You will be hurt," she said.
Her worry was plainly visible on her
face.
James smiled his pleasantest and
touched his hat.
"Very well, then; I have warned
you. If he bolts, head him for a tree.
That's the only way to stop him."
James shortened the bridle-rein to
the required length, took a firm grip on
Pirate's mane, and vaulted into the
saddle. Pirate stood perfectly still.
He shook his head. James talked to
him and patted his sleek neck, and
touched him gently with his heel. Then
things livened up a bit. Pirate waltzed,
reared and plunged and started to do
the pas seul on the flower-beds. Then
he immediately changed his mind. He
decided to re-enter the stables.
"Don't let him get his head down!"
yelled William, nimbly jumping over
a bed of poppies and taking his position
beside his mistress.
"The gates, William! The gates!"
cried the girl, excitedly. "Only one is
open. lie will not be able to get
through."
William scampered down the drive
way and swung back the iron barrier.
None too soon! Like a black shadow,
Piiate Hashed by, his rider's new der
by rolling in the dust.
'1 he girl stood in the doorway, her
hands pressed against her heart. She
was as white as the clouds that sailed
overhead.
CHAPTER X.
PI It ATE.
On the opposite side of th? road
there was a stone wall about live feet
in height: beyond this was a broad,
rolling field and farther on a barbwire
fence and a boggy stream which
oozed its way down toward the Poto
mac. Far away across the valley the
wooded hills were dying and withering
and thinning, with splashes of yel
low and red. A flock of bi'dr. speckled
the fleecy October clouds, and a mild
breeze sent the grasses shivering.
Toward the wall Pirate directed hi 3
course. Warburton threw back his
full weight. The effort had little or
no effect on Pirate's mouth. His rider
remembered about the tree, but the
nearest was many yards away. Over
the wall they went and down the
field. Pirate tried to get his head
down but he received a check. Score
one for the man. Warburton, his
legs stiffened in the stirrups, his hand 3
| well down, his breath coming in gasps,
j wondered where they would finally
j land. He began to use his knees and
Pirate felt the pressure. He didn't
like it at all. Oddly enough, Warbur
ton's leg did not bother him as he ex
pected it would, and this gave him
confidence. On, on; the dull pounding
I of Pirate's feet, the flying sod, the
! wind in his face: and when he saw
| the barb-wire fence, fear entered into
him. An inch too low, a stumble and
serious injuries might result. He must
break Pirate's gait.
He began to saw cow-boy fashion.
Pirate grew indignant: he was being
hurt. His speed slackened none, how
ever; he was determined to make
that fence if it was the last thing he
| ever did. He'd like to sec any man
stop him. He took the deadly fence as
with the wings of a bird. But he found
that the man was still on his back.
He couldn't understand It. He grew
worried. And then he struck the red
brown muck bordering the stream.
The muck flew, but at every bound
Pirate sank deeper, and the knees of
his rider were beginning to tell. War
burton, full of rage, yet not unreason
able rage, quickly saw his chance. Once
more lie threw back his weight; this
time to the left. Pirate's head came
stubbornly around; his gait was
broken, he was floundering in the
stream. Now Warburton used his
heels savagely. He shortened the reins
and whacked Mr. Pirate soundly
across the ears. Pirate plunged and
reared, and after devious evolutions,
reached solid ground. This time his
head was high in the air, and, try as
he would, be could not lower his neck
a solitary inch,
[To Be Continued.]
He Had
Squire Lord, of local fame in Efling
ham, N. H., 50 years ago, had accum
ulated, by all sorts of methods, a for
tune for the times and place. Keeping
the country store, being pratically
the "bank" of those parts, and in
creasing wealth beyond expenditures
had nourished an ambition to live in a
place larger and with more social op
portunities than the little village af
forded. So he packed up one autumn,
took a house in Portland, which was
the town o' the world to country peo
ple then, and with his family started
into cut a dash.
To his chagrin, he found he was one
of many in that place, and not a
scrape or bow was coming his way.
Christmas saw him back, bag and bag
gage in Effingham, and that evening
in his store, to the inquiry of one of
the village loafers, "VVhy'd ye come
back, squire, fore you'd calculated?"
he replied:
"I've had enough of that place. Yer
see, I'd rather be king among hogs
than a hog among kings."—Boston
Herald
An Oxford Mnii.
Sir Charles Kirkpatrick of the visit
ing English football team was drink
ing milk with his luncheon in a Phil
adelphia hotel.
"Milk is a good drink," a visitor
said.
"Yes." agreed the other, "and when
ever I take it I think of curate in Sur
rey, near my Crawley place.
"This curate had a small salary and
a fine lot of cows. He decided, there
fore, to open a dairy. So he rigged lip
a little shop and bought a wagon, and
on his sign liis name appeared. 'John
Vincent, M. A.' He was an Oxford
man. you see, and proud of his degree.
"But one morning he overheard two
farm hands talking before the shop.
" 'What does the"M. A." mean 011
that there sign?' said the first.
" 'Milk 'Awker, o'course,' the other
answered."
The IliNliop'fl £I,OOO.
The bishop of London tells the fol
lowing story: "I was sitting in my
room one morning very busy, when
I was told that a lady wanted to see
me. I was very busy and almost said
at first, 'Oh, I'm too busy to see any
one this morning.' But I thought, and
said, 'No, I have made a rule never
(o refuse to see anybody, in case it
is somebody in trouble.' So I said,
'Let. the lady come upstairs.' She
came, and the first thing she said to
me was this: 'I was going to ask yo*4 !
whether you can find a use in your i
work for £1,000?' I said, 'lt is the |
very thing I have been wondering all |
the morning how to get.' I showed I
her exactly what 1 was going to spend i
her £I,OOO 011. and the whole schemo |
was carried out."—London Standard. |
Sinter I.lkeil 111 in.
"Have you any reason to believe '
that, your sister likes me, Willie?" |
"Course she does: Just yesterday I j
heard her say, 'Nobody could help |
likin' the dear old easy mark.' I
Cleveland Plaindealer. I
Sometimes—not always —fiie dis-
Renting opinion seems much stronger
than the opinion that makes the deci
sion.
"Whistling for half an hour after
meals," says a well known woman
whistler, "is the best possible aid to
digestion."
Whai has become of the old-fash
ioned boy who believed that if a turtle
got hold of his toe it would not lei go
until Sunday?
The wheat crop of the Punjab for
this year has broken all records, be
ing 500,000 tons in excess of the pre
vious best crop.
The jokers are already shooting par
agraphs at San Francisco; but none of
those who are left in the Golden Gate
city laughs at them.
The lawyers are said to be still in
business in San Francisco, though
there doesn't appear to be much left
there togo to law about.
Freiherr von Hohenstauffen, of the
Reichstag, has introduced a bill pro
hibting beer drinking at German uni
versities. And with that name at
that!
A Milwaukee man obtained a divorce
because his wife drank a gallon of
whisky a day. Most persons will be
surprised to learn that anything exoej.-t
beer is drank in that city.
Gen. Jiminez having enlisted six
men and a brigadier general, is only
waiting contributions for the purchase
of another mule when the invasion of
Santo Domingo will be undertaken.
They do say that the hello girls or.
the line between the White House
and the senate are quite willing 10
have the helloiess system put in.
Otherwise they want thick ear pads.
A Harvard i*ofessor says that 30
per cent, of those who try to enter
the university fail in English. Har
vard ought to try the young men on
carpenter work, typewriting and cook
ery. Our school systems are spending
a great deal of money on manual
training and "fads."
There have been only two great
Chinatowns in the big cities of the
Caucasian world. These were the Chi
natown of New York, where 00,000 Ce
lestials live, and the Chinatown of
San Francisco, with a smaller num
ber. They were two sights which most
excited the interest of foreign visitors
to those cities.
Says a recent news item in an Eng
lish newspaper: "A Mrs. Howling, c'
Penge, dreamed that she saw her lit
tle girl washed up on Hastings beach
and the body taken away on a tar
pauljn. Two days later the child was
knocked down by a pantechnicon and
Its wheels passed over her. By
standers brought a tarpaulin, upon
which the child was taken to the
Beckenhani cottage hospital."
A quain ceremony is witnessed in
parts of Normandy twice a year. It.
is the "blessing of the beasts." The
cows, asses, and a few thoroughbred
horses which are raised in that part
of France are brought together in
front of the church, whence issues 11
procession of gaily-dressed peasants
to the sound of a chant sung by the
priest and people. Then the pastor
sprinkles a few drops of water on the
head of each animal.
Illuminated post cards are still pop
ular and acceptable, too, when they
have something good besides the pic
ture. A Cincinnatian received a da— .y
specimen a few days ago. It carried
that wonderfully popular toast, "There
is so much th;\t is bad in the best of
us ami so much good in the worst of
us, that it hardly behooves any of us
to talk bad about the rest of us."
Some of our publishers might beuei
their issues of postals by using fine
selections from gootj literature.
Old Khedive Ismail's expensive com
pliment to the then Empress Eugenie,
"0 years ago—the construction of a
fine carriage road from Cairo to the
pyramids and the Sphinx of Gizeh, so
that she might drive instead of riding
011 a donkey—has been copied by the
present khedival government for the
princess of Wales. For her a carriage
road has been built from Bcdrasheen
to the pyramids and ruins at Sak
kara. This road, like the one made for
the empress of the French, will be
serviceable to ordinary tourists hence
forth.
G.SCHMIDT'S/ —
HEADQUARTERS FOR
FRESH BREADi
|| popular -su
1 # "
*->jK2*, . - - confect ,onery
Daily Delivery. Allordersgiven prompt and
skillful attention.
§WHEN IN DOUBT, TRY Tkeyharoftood thetewofye^
A I 111.1 l«l 13 ft! v 112 atf\ 9 F 112 /cases of Nervous Piseases, such
w. mf srf*s|iV/L^d RJ Debility, Dizziness, Sleepless
£PAlU J Bes ' Varicocele, Auophy.ftc.
1 irVt? Tir /^/ * r - . nThey clctr the brain, strength®*
nuniin « the circulation, m.io dl K «tloa
perfect, and imuart a bealt&y
vigor to tne whole being. All drains and losses are checked fiermanrnfty. Unless patients
are properlv cured, their condition ofteu worries their. Into Insanity. Consumption cr Death.
Mailed scaled, Price $i per bo*; 6 boxes, with Iron-ctad legal
money, fjoo. Scud lor free boot. Address. I £AL ULDICINft CO., €l«Vftita4L fc
Wm Mlo bj ft. 0. DotUftt, Dxugg'st, Kmyortam, Pi.
THE
Windsor
Hotel
Between 12th and 13th St*., on Filbert St.
Philadelphia, Pa.
Three minutes WALK from the Reading
Terminal.
Fife minute* WALK from the Penn'a R.
R. Depot.
European Plan SI .OO per day and upwards.
American Plan |2.<»o per day.
FRANK M. 9CHF.IBLEY. Manager. g
S The Place to Buy Cheap j
P J. F. PARSONS' >
Send model, sketch or photo of invention for < *
free report on patentability. For /rre book, < 1
I madam Dean's!
I A Rare, certain relief for Suppressed I
■ Menstruation. Never known to full. Hafc! ■
■ Sure! Speedy! Satisfaction Guaranteed I
■ or money Refunded. Sent prepaid for ■
■ SI.OO per box. Will send tliemon trlsd, to I
■ be paid for when relieved. Samples Free. B
g UNITED MCDICALCO., Bo» H, ÜBUIIH. H, g
Sold la Emporium by L. iTaggart am' R.O,
Dodson.
LADIES
DR. LaFRItICO'S COMPOUND.
Safe, speedy recrulator: 25 ernts. Druggists or malt
Bookiei free. 2JK. LAFRAXCO, Philadelphia, Pa.
B »F RNM A OBro PTRTIMMD If JOQ BI«
SPILES Suppository
■ D. Matt TbnnpiM, tr.pt.
■ Oitde4 Bcboolt, BUUITUI*, N. 0.. vrttw » •• i «%q I»j
■ thay '♦ all TOW alalaa for tbaai." Dr. 8 11. Davora,
■ Rock. w. V*., writes : " Thaj G IT# universal gatla-
P fSetfoa." lit. H. D. McQlll, Ciarkiborg, Tenn., wrlUa:
■ "ID a praotlct of 33 J«ara, I har# fouad no ramadr u
■ «qu.l jraun." Pwra, bO CSN-ra. flawplea Fraa. Bold
ffii DY L * NCABTr a ' PA
Sold In Emyorlun by l>|Tm>rl uiLO
Dodaott.
a>S> EVERY WOMAM
Sometimes needs a reliable
JtW *5 monthly regulating medicine.
A DR. PEAL'S
PENNYROYAL piLLS,
Are prompt, safe and certain In result. Tho gentfc
tne (Dr. Peal's) never disappoint. SI.OO per bos\
Sold by 11. C- Dodson, druggist. j
For Bill Heads,
Letter Heads,
i ]
Fine Commercial
Job Work of All
Kinds,
Get Our Figures.