6
The Man on
the Box
W By HAROLD MacGRATH \
J AutUorof "The Grey Cloak," "The
Puppet Crowu."
COJI> right, 1904, The Uobbs-MerriM Company.
CHAPTER XIX.—CONTINUED.
"Come back to the army, lad; the
east is no place for a man of your
kidney. Scrape bp a commission and
I'll see to it that you get back into the
regiment. Life is real out in the great
west. People smile too much here;
they don't laugh often enough. Smiles
have a hundred meanings, laughter but
one. Smiles are the hidden places for
lies, and sneers, and mockeries, and
scandals. Come back to the west; we
all want you, the service and I. When
I saw you this afternoon I knew you
instantly, only I was worried as to
what devilment you were up to. Win
this girl, if you can; she's worth any
kind of a struggle, God bless her! Win
her and bring her out west, too."
Warburton wrung the hand in his
till the old fellow signified that his
fingers were beginning to aclie.
"Do you suppose she suspects any
thing?" ventured Warburton.
"No. She may be a trifle puzzled,
though. 1 saw her watching your
hands at the table. She has eyes and
can readily see that such hands as
yours were never made to carry soup
plates. For the life of me, I had a time
of it, swallowing mv laughter. I longed
for a vacant lot to yell in. It would
have been a positive relief. The fop
of Troop A peddling soup! Oh, I shall
have to tell the boys. You used more
pipe-clay than any other man in the
regiment. Don't scowl. Never mind;
you've had your joke; I must have
mine. Don't let that Russian fellow
get the inside track. Keep her on
American soil. I like him and I don't
like him; and for all your tomfoolery
and mischief, there is good stuff in
you—stuff that any woman might be
proud of. If you hadn't adopted this
disguise. I could have helped you out
a bit by cracking up some of your ex
ploits. Well, they will be inquiring for
me. Good night and good luck. If
you should need me, a note will find
me at the Army and Navy club." And
the genial old warrior, bhaking with
silent laughter, went back to the house.
- Warburton remained standing. He
was lost in a dream. All at once he
pressed the rose to his lips and kissed
It shamelessly, kissed it uncountable
times. Two or three leaves, not wfth
standing this violent treatment, flut
tered to the floor. He picked them up;
any one of those velvet leaves might
have been the recipient of her kisses,
the rosary of love. He was in love,
such a love that comes but once to any
taan, not passing, uncertain, but last
ing. He knew that it was useless. He
had digged with his own hands the
abyss between himself and this girl.
But there was a 3ecret gladness; to
love was something. (For my part, I
believe that the glory lies, not in be
ing loved, but in loving.)
I do not know how long he stood
there, but it must have been at least
ten minutes. Then the door opened
and Monsieur Pierre lurched or'rolled
(I can't explain or describe the
method of his entrance) into the room,
his face red with anger, and a million
thousand thunders on the tip of his
Gallic tongue.
"So! You haf leaf me to clear ze
table, eh? Not by a damn! I, clear zee
table ' I * I t'inl; not. 1 cook, nozzing
else. To zee dining-room, or I haf
you discharge'!"
"All right, Peter, old boy!" cried
Warburton, the gloom lifting from his
face. This Pierre was a very funny
fellow.
"Petaire! You haf the insolence
to call me Petaire? Why, I haf you
keeked out in zee morning, lackey!"
"Cook!"—mockingly.
Pierre was literally dumfounded.
Such disrespect he had never before
witnessed. It was frightful. He opened
his mouth to issue a volley of French
oaths, .when Zhames's hand stopped
him.
"Look here, Peter, you broil your par
tridges and flavor your soups, but keep
out of the stables, or, in your own
words. I keel you or keek you out.
You tell the scullery maid to clear off
the table. I'm off duty for the rest of
the night. Now, then, allons! Marche!"
And M'sieu Zhames gently but
firmly and steadily pushed the scandal
ized Pierre out of the room and closed
toe door in his face. I shan't repeat
what Pierre said, much less what he
thought.
Let me read a thought from the
mind of each of my principals, the
final thought before retiring that night.
Karloff (on leaving Mrs. Chad wick):
dishonor against dishonor; so it must
be. I can not live without that girl.
Mrs. Chadwick: (when Karloff had
gone:) He has lost, but I have won.
Annesley. So one step leads to
another, and the labyrinth of dishonor
has no end.
The Colonel: What the deuce will
love put next into the young mind?
Pierre (to Celeste): I haf heem dis
charge!
Celeste (to Pierre). He ees handsome!
Warburton (sighing i:i the dolorosa):
jljyv I love hnr!
j Tte Cirl (staniJryg before her mir
ror and smiling happily): Oh Mister
Butler! Why?
CHAPTER XX.
THE EPISODE OF THE STOVEPIPE.
In the morning Monsieur Pierre
faithfully reported to his mistress the
groom's extraordinary insolence and
impudence of the night before. The
girl struggled with and conquered her
desire to laugh; for monsieur was
somewhat grotesque in his rage.
"Frightful. Mademoiselle, most
frightful! He call me Petaire most dis
rrrespectful way, and eject me from
zee stables. I can not call heem out.
he eez a groom and knows nozzing uf
zee amende honorable."
Mademoiselle summoned M'sieu
Zhames. She desired to make the
comedy complete in all its phases.
"James, whenever you are called up
on to act in the capacity of butler,
you must clear the table after the
guests leave it. This is imperative. I
do not wish the scullery girl to handle
the porcelain save in the tubs. Do
you understand?"
"Yes, Miss. There were no orders to
that effect last night, however." He
was angry.
Monsieur Pierre puffed up like the
lady-frog in Aesop's fables.
"And listen, Pierre," she said, col
lapsing the bubble of the chef's con
ceit, "you must give no orders to
James. I will do that. I do not wish
any tale-bearing or quarreling among
my servants. I insist upon this. Ob
serve me carefully, Pierre, and you,
James."
James did observe her carefully, so
carefully, indeed, that her gaze was
forced to wander to the humiliated
countenance of Monsieur Pier.^.
"James, you must not look at me like
that. There is something in your eyes;
I can't explain what it is, but it some
how lacks the respect due me." This
command was spoken coldly and
sharply.
"Respect?" He drew a step back.
"I disrespectful to you. Miss Annesley?
Oh, you wrong me. There can not be
any one more respectful to you than I
am." The sincerity of his tones could
not be denied. In fact, he was almost
too sincere.
"Nevertheless, I wish you to regard
what I have said. Mow, you two shake
hands."
The groom and the chef shook hands.
I am ashamed to say that James
squeezed Monsieur Pierre's flabby hand
out of active service for several hours
that followed. Beads of agony sparkled
on Monsieur Pierre's expansive brow
as he turned to enter the kitchen.
"Shall we ride to-day, Miss?" he
asked, inwardly amused.
"No, I shall not ride this morning,"
calmly.
James bowed meekly under the re
buke. What did he care? Did he not
possess a rose which had known the
pressure o£ her lips hT '.varin, red
lips?
"You may go," she said.
James went. James whistled on the
way too.
Would that it had been my good for
tune to have witnessed the episode of
that afternoon! My jehu, when he
hears it related these days, smiles a
sickly grin. I do not believe that he
ever laughed heartily over it. At three
o'clock, while Warburton was reading
the morning paper, interested especial
ly in the army news of the day, he
heard Pierre's voice wailing.
"What's the fat fool want now?"
James grumbled to William.
"Oh, he's always yelling for help.
They've coddled him so long in the
family that he acts like a ten-year
old kid. I stole a kiss from Celeste
one day, and I will be shot if he didn't
start to blubber."
"You stole a kiss, eh?" said James
admiringly.
"Only just for the sport of making
him crazy, that was all." But Wil
liam's red visage belied his indifferent
tone. "You'd better go and see what
he wants. My hands are all harness
grease."
Warburton concluded to follow Wil
liam's advice. He flung down his paper
and strode out. to the rear porch, where
he saw Pierre gesticulating wildly.
"What's the matter? What do you
want?" —churlishly.
"Frightful! Zee stove-pipe ees vat
you call bust!"
James laughed.
"I can not rrreach eet. I can not
cook till eet ees fix'. You are tall
eh ?"—affably.
"All right.; I'll help you fix it."
Grumbling, James went into the
kitchen, mounted a chair, and began
banging away at the pipe, very much
after the fashion of Bunner's "Cul
pepper Ferguson." The pipe acted pig
gish. James grew determined. One
end slipped in and then the other
slipped out, half a dozen times. James
lost patience and became angry; and in
his anger he overreached himself. The
chair slid back. He tried to balance
himself and, in the mad effort to main
tain a perpendicular position, made a
frantic clutch at the pipe. Ruin and
devastation! "Down came the pipe, and
with it a peck of greasy soot..
Monsieur Pierre yelled with terror
and despair. The pies on the rear end
of the stove were lost for ever. Made
moiselle Celeste screamed with
laughter, whether at the sight of the
pies or M'sieu Zhames, is more than
I can say.
James rose to his feet, the cuss
words of a corporal rumbled behind
his lips. He sent an energetic kick
toward Pierre, who succeeded in elud
ing it.
Pierre's eyes were full of tears. What
a kitchen! Soot, soot, everywhere, on
the floor, on the tables, on the walls,
in the air!
"Zee pipe!" he burst forth; "zee
pipe! You haf zee house full of gas!"
James, blinking and sneezing, boil
CAMERON COUNTY PRESS, THURSDAY, AUGUST 30, 1906.
ing with rage and chagrin, remounted
the chair and finally succeeded in
joining the two lengths. Nothing hap
pened this time. Hut the door to the
forward rooms opened, and Miss Au
nesley looked in upon the scene.
"Merciful heavens!" she gasped,
"what has happened?"
"Zee stove-pipe bust, Mees," ex
plained Pierre.
The girl gave Warburton one look,
balled her handkerchief against her
mouth, and fled. This didn't add to his
amiability. lie left the kitchen in a
downright savage mood. He had ap
peared before her positively ridicu
lous, laughable. A woman never can
love a man, nor entertain tender re
gard for him at whom she has laughed
And the girl had laughed, and doubt
less was still laughing. (However, 1
do not offer his opinion as infallible.)
He stood in the roadway, looking
around for some inanimate thing upon
which he might vent his anger, when
the sound of hoofs coming toward him
distrai-ted him. He glanced over his
shoulder . . . and his knees all
but gave way under him. Caught! The
rider was none other than his sister
Nancy! It was all over now for a
certainty. He knew it; he had about
one minute to live. She was too near,
so he dared not fly. Then a briliant
inspiration came to him. He quickly
passed his hand over his face. The
disguise was complete.
"James!" Miss Annesley was stand
ing on the veranda. "Take charge of
the horse. Nancy, dear, I am so glad
to see you!"
.Tames was anything but glad.
"Betty, good gracious, whatever is
the matter with this fellow? Has he
the black plague? Ugh!" She slid from
the saddie unaided.
James stolidly took the reins.
"The kitchen stove-pipe fell down,"
Betty replied, "and James stood in the
immediate vicinity of it."
The two girls laughed joyously, but
James did not even smile. He had
half a notion to kiss Nancy, as he
had planned to do that memorable
night of the ball at the British em
bassy. But even as the notion came,
to him, Nancy had climbed up the
steps and was out of harm's way.
"James," said Miss Annesley, "go
and wash your face at once."
"Yes, Miss."
At the sound of his voice Nancy
turned swiftly; but the groom had pre
sented his back and was leading the
horse to the stables.
Nancy would never tell me the sub
stance of her conversation with Miss
Annesley that afternoon, but I am
conceited enough to believe that a
certain absent gentleman was the main
topic. When she left, it was William
who led out the horse. He explained
that James was still engaged with soap
and water and pumice-stone. Miss
Annesley's laugh rang out heartily,
and Nancy could not help joining her.
"And have you heard from that
younger brother of yours?" Betty
asked, as her friend settled herself in
the saddle.
"Not a line, Betty, not a line; and
I had set my heart on your meeting
him. I do not know where he is, or
when he will be back."
"Perhaps he is in quest of adven
tures."
"He is in Canada, hunting caribou."
"You don't tell me!"
"What a handsome girl you are, Bet
ty!"—admiringly.
"What a handsome girl you are,
Nancy!" mimicked the girl on the va
randa. "If your brother is only half
as handsome, I do not know whatever
will become of this heart of mine when
we finally meet." She smiled and drol
ly placed her hands on her heart.
"Don't look so disappointed, Nan; per
haps we may meet. I have an idea
that he will prove interesting and en
tertaining;"—and she laughed again.
"Whoa, Dandy! What are you laugh
ing at?" demanded Nancy.
"I was thinking of James and his
soap, water and pumice-stone. That
was all, dear. Saturday afternoon,
then, we shall ride to the club and
have tea. Good-by, and remember me
to the baby."
"Good-by!"—and Nancy cantered
away.
What a blissful thing the lack of
prescience is, sometimes!
When James had scraped the soot
from his face and neck and hands
and had sudsed it from his hair, James
observed, with some concern, that
Pirate was coughing at a great rate.
His fierce run against the wind the day
before had given him a cold. So
James hunted for the veterinarian.
"Where do you keep your books
here?" he asked William. "Pirate's
got a cold."
"In the house library. You just go
in and get it. We always do that at
home. \ou'll find it on the lower
shelf, to the right as you enter the
door."
It was half after four when James
having taken a final look at his hands
and nails, proceeded to follow Wil
liam's instructions. He found no one
about. Outside the kitchen the lower
part of the house was deserted. To
reach the library he had to pass
through the music-room.
The first thing that caught his at
tention was a movable drawing-board,
on which lay an uncompleted drawing.
At one side a glass into which were
thrust numerous pens and brushes.
Near this lay a small ball of crumpled
cambric, such as women insist upon
carrying in their street-car purses, a
delicate, dainty, useless thing. So sh«
drew pictures, too, he thought. Was
there anything this beautiful creature
could not do? Everything seemed
to suggest her presence. An indefin
able feminine perfume still lingered on
the air, speaking eloquently of her.
Curiosity compelled him to step
forward and examine her work. He
approached with all th<» stealth of ■
gentlemanly burglar. He expected to
hee some trees and hills and niajhap
a brook, or some cows standing in a
stream or some children picking
dasies. He had a sister and was rea
sonably familiar with the kind of sub
jects chosen by the lady-amateur.
A fortification plan!
He bent close to i'. Here was the
sea, here was the land, here the num
ber of soldiers, cannon, rounds of am
munition, resources in the matter of
procuring aid, the telegraph, the rail
ways, everything was here on this pale,
waxen cloth, everything but a name.
He stared at it, bewildered. He couldn't
understand what a plan of this sort
was doing outside the war department.
Instantly he became a soldier; he
forgot that he was masquerading as a
groom; he forgot everything but this
mute thing staring up into his face.
Underneath, on a little shelf, lie saw
a slack of worn envelopes. He looked
at them. Hough drafts of plans.
Governor's Island! Fortress Monroe!
What did it mean? What could it
mean? He searched and found
plans, plans, plans of harbors,
plans of coast defenses, plans of
ships building, plans of full naval
and military strength; everything,
everything! He straightened. How
his breath pained him! . . And
all this was the handiwork of
the woman he loved! Good God, what
was going on in this house? What
right had such things as these to be In
a private home? For what purpose
had they been drawn? So accurately
reproduced? For what purpose?
Oh, whatever the purpose was, she
was Innocent; upon this conviction he
would willingly stake his soul. In
nocent, innocent! ticked the clock
over the mantel. Yes, she was inno
cent. Else how could she laugh in
that light-hearted fashion? How could
her eyes shine so bright and merry? .
Karloff, Annesley! Karloff the
Russian, Annesley the American; the
one a secret agent of his country, the
other a former trusted official! No,
no! He could not entertain so base
a thought against the father of the
girl he loved. Had he not admired his
clean record, his personal bravery, his
fearless honesty? And yet, that ab
sent-mindedness, this care-worn
countenance, these must mean some
thing. The purpose, to find out the
purpose of these plans!
He took the handkerchief and hid
it in his breast, and quietly stole
away ... A handkerchief, a rose,
and a kiss; yes, that was all that
would ever be his.
Pirate nearly coughed his head off
that night; but, it being William's
night off, nobody paid any paricular
attention to that justly indignant ani
mal.
[To Re Continued.]
Suri- to »!«•.
Nora was a good girl, but dearly
loved to wheedle the "missis" out of
an extra half-day off once in a while.
One morning Nora, busily engaged
with the week's washing, asked:
"Could I get off Sunday, mum, togo to
my brother's funeral, mum?" Says
the "missis": "Why, Nora, this is only
Monday. You don't mean to tell me
that they are keeping your brother's
body a whole week?"
"Oh, no, mum; he isn't dead yet,
but the funeral will be next Sunday."
"I3ut, my good girl, how can any
doctor say today that a man will be
dead in a week from now? Many a
person given up for dead has lived to
a good old age."
"The doctor has nothing to do with
it mum; my brother is sentenced to
be hanged on Friday next."—Boston
Herald.
Only One.
The following incident occurred
during the administration of Gov.
Robie of Maine. It has been the cus
tom of the governor and council to
visit the Indians once in two years.
On one occasion, during a visit to the
Passamaquoddy tribe, situated 25 miles
above Calais on the St. Croix waters,
after everything had been arranged
satisfactorily to the tribe the governor
sent for the chief spokesman of the
Indians, known as "Lying Joe," and
asked where he could find a trusty
Indian to look after a certain matter.
The Indian, with all the dignity he
could summon, straightened himself
up, and, after a momtfnt's hesitation,
replied: "Gubner, don't, you trust a
d d Injun but me."—Chicago Inter-
Ocean.
Kill I I'p.
When the ladies were picking up the
dishes Sfter a Sunday school picnic
given to the children of the poor quar
ter several slices of cake were found
which they did not wish to carry home.
One said to a small latl who was al
ready asthmatic from gorging. "Here,
boy, won't you have another piece of
cake?"
"Well," he replied, taking it rather
listlessly, "I guess I can still chaw,
but I can't swaller."—Lippincott's.
CorPi'PtliiK a Fnl»e Hoport.
Archie —"Miss Tartun, I have a bono
to pick with you. I am told that you
said I fell in love with every pretty
girl I met."
Miss —Tartun—"Some Malicious per
son has been lying to you. Mr. Feather
top. I said you fancied that every
pretty girl you met was in love with
you."—Chicago Tribune.
Mntlifinatlcii.
Teacher—What are the princtpal
parts of mathematics?
Johnny—Addition, subtraction, mul
tiplication, division and restitutioa,-"
N. V. bun.
Balcom & Lloyd. 1
I
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is too well known to sell any p
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EjEssxssssassxssssjsssssrsssjj
LOOK ELSEWHERE BUT DON'T FORGET !J
M these prices and facts at i
111 LaBAR S|| 1
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the largest line of Car- .ggeggggai ; * t
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fl town. Also a big line . ' |SK=£~£ffl M
1 4 of samples. N
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Lace Curtains that can- if
II Xre fo"he h p C rlce any " CONfORTABif LODGING II
i|j Art Squares and of fine books in a choice library
M
Rugs of all sizes and select the Ideal pattern of Globe- M
|4 kind, from the cheap- Wernicke "Elastic" Bookcase. £4
£4 est to the best. Furnished with bevel French ' M
jj| plate or leaded glass doors.
14 Dining Chairs, r »» sale o* j
14 a ? ld GEO - 1 LaBA R» $4
jfejj rilgll Lliairs. Sole Agent for Cameron County. jfcji
E- A large and elegant I———
line of Tufted and
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jj
Nf3o Bedroom Suits, ffOT S4O SYdeboard, quar- COfi £2
solid oak at 4)/j tcred cak 4)JU **
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solid oak at 4)ZI tered oak 4}/0
$25 Bed room Suits, Of! $22 Sideboard, quar- (TIP fc4
solid oak at <4>zU tered oak, 4>lb
14 A large line of Dressers from I Chiffoniers of all kinds and fell
M $8 up. I a 1 prices. fc j
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The finest line of Sewing Machines on the market, ft*
|| the "DOMESTIC" and "ELDRIDGE.' All drop- £2
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