6 The Mystery OF m Carney-Croft By JOSEPH BROWN COOKE (Copyright, HWT, by Slory-I'ress Corporation.) CHAPTER lll.—Continued. The poor fellow's distress was so great that, a moment later, as I stood by his side at the door, I could not resist laying my hand on his shouldei and saying gently: "Why don't you brace up, Mr. Car ney? It isn't too late by any means. Just think of all that life has to offer you. You are a man of great wealth, the head of one of the best known families in the country, and every thing that heart could wish for lies be fore you. Think it over, old man, think it over! Think of your sister, and —and —Miss Weston, and yourself, Carney; yourself, above all else, and leave the confounded stuff alone!" As I uttered the last words he re colled from me as if I had been the plague and muttered hoarsely, "My Ood, Ware, you don't think 1 am 'drunk, do you?" Before I could reply he had hurried through the door, down the stairs and into the street. CHAPTER IV. Little Bobbs. I followed him as rapidly as possi ble, hoping to overtake him and, at least, persuade him to return to my office until his excitement had cooled somewhat, but I reached the street, only in time to see him turn the cor ner and mingle with the bustling crowd. At the same instant a little man, not over five feet in height., and dressed in coarse drab, Norfolk jacket and tightly fitting trousers, turned in hur riedly from the opposite direction and collided with mo with some violence. "Beg pardon, sir," he panted, recov ering himself with an effort and pull ing oft his cap respectfully. "Beg pardon, sir. I'm looking for Mr. Ware's offices, sir. Mr. Frederick Ware, sir. Is this the place, sir?" and he placed his hand on his chest and gasped noisily in his endeavor to catch his 'breath. "Mr. Ware's office is upstairs," I re plied. "and I am Mr. Ware. Who are you?" "Thank ye. sir," he said gratefully, an expression of relief lighting up his face. "I'm Bobbs, sir. Little Bobbs, they calls ine, sir." Still holding his cap in his hand he pulled his forelock and bowed with the grace of an east side dancing master. "Very well, Bobbs," I said, com pletely puzzled. "Now' what do you want?" "Why, I want Mr. Carney, of course, sir," he replied. "I'm his man, you know, sir, and he told me to meet him here in half an hour." "So you are Mr. Carney's servant, eh?" I queried. He nodded respectfully and touched his forelock again. "Well," I continued, "Mr. Carney has gone and you won't be able to overtake him, so there is no use in your trying. Moreover, I want to see you myself in the office for a few minutes." He followed me upstairs and sat down gingerly on the edge of a chair, twirling his cap between his hands and twiddling his thumbs nervously. I watched him for a moment in slience and then, an idea striking me, I un locked the small cupboard in my desk, took out a bottle and a glass and, plac ing them before him, said s .licitously: "You are completely exhausted, Bobbs; better take a little of this." His face was perfectly frank and honest as he said, politely. "Thank ye kindly, sir, but I never touch it. I'll be all right, in a minute, sir." I returned tl»» bottle and glass to their places, fully satisfied with the suit of my little experiment and con vinced that the fellow had spoken the truth and could be relied upon in every way. "How long have you been in Mr. Carney's employ?" I asked, as I turned the key in the lock. "Three years, come next autumn," he replied promptly. "And did you never drink anything in your life, Bobbs?" I continued, for I was working out a definite line of questions. "Well, sir," he rejoined, rather un comfortably I thought, "I can't say as I've always been teetotal, sir, an' I used to take a drop now and then and again, sir. But since Mr. Carney got this way, sir, I gave it up entirely. It wouldn't do for me to be drinkin' now, you know, sir." "No, it wouldn't," I said emphatical ly. "You are quite right, Bobbs, and you are a faithful fellow to give it up as you have." "Thank ye, sir," said Bobbs. "How long has Mr. Carney been in this condition?" I asked. Bobbs looked at me in an unde cided fashion for a moment and then blurted out, "Why, I don't know, sir, as I ought to be talkin' of his affairs eo much, sir. It don't seem to mo as it's quite right, sir." I appreciated the fellow's devotion *ll rt loyalty to his mastar's interests and hastened to reassure him. "It's all right, Bobbs," I said. "You ma/ talk to me perfectly freely for I understand everything. You know, .Mr. Carney himself was here for some time this morning." Bobbs looked relieved and proceed ed without further diffidence. "Why, 1 should say, sir, it's goin' on about two years now. Ye know, he had some trouble or other on his mind when he went away, sir, an' it seemed to prey on him more an' more all the time. After a while he began gettin' in with those people, which I suppose was a relief to him and kept his thoughts off the other thing. At first it was only occasionally when he got to feelin' specially downhearted, but it wasn't long before he was with 'em all the time, sir. I begged and begged him to keep away from 'em, for you know as well as I do, sir, that only one thing could come of it, but he wouldn't listen to me and things kept goin' from bad to worse. "At the beginning he kept up his in terest in the business pretty well, but finally he lost all track of that, and then it wasn't many months before he couldn't attend to it whether he want ed to or not. That was the time 1 quit drinkin', sir, for 1 saw that he needed every minute of my time, day and ' night, or at least that he might need it. "His neglectin' the business as he did wasn't any harm, you know, sir, for it's so well managed that it could almost run itself, but I did wish that he had worked off his bad ft lin's in the office, 'stead of the way he did. My heart aches for him all the time, sir," continued the faithful fellow, brushing away a tear with his knuckle, "but he got so obstinate that nobody could do a thing with him an', anyway, I could have managed him myself if anyone living could." "You think there is no chance for him now, Bobbs?" I Inquired anx iously. "Not one in a million, sir," answered Bobbs, sadly. "He's too far gone now, sir. He was takin' the cure for a time an' we began to have some hopes of him, but it wasn't any use, an' the first thing we knew he was as bad as ever." "1 wonder he came back at all," I remarked. "I shouldn't have thought he would have felt inclined to." "I didn't think he'd come, myself." said Bobbs, "but he insisted upon it, and, as I told you a minute ago, there's no changing him now when he once gets an idea in his head, so we packed up and came. He said he had some matters to attend to with you that he must see about at once, sir." "Yes," i replied, "he arranged cer tain affairs with me this morning." "Well," said Bobbs, "I'm glad that's done, for it will be a great load off his mind." "Where do you suppose he has gone now?" 'i asked. "He left here very hurriedly and I wonder if he will get into trouble." My calmness of mind was due to the fact that, under the circumstances, I should not have cared if he had broken his neck. "Oh! he'll get back to the hotel, sir," returned Bobbs conlidently. "He told me to get the tickets for to-night and a few other things he needed and then meet him here, or at the hotel if ho had left here. You know he is going home to-night, sir." "Yes," I said, "but he tolls me he does not expect to stay there long. Do you know what his plans are?" "I haven't the slightest idea, sir," said Bobbs. "He never teDs anyone what he is going to do, and he's in such a bad way now that I fancy he's as likely togo one way as another, sir. But I'll stick to him, sir; you may be sure of that. I must be going now for ho may need me. You know, sir, he's not always as bad as you've seen him to-day. It's only, at times, sir, that he gets like this." "1 should hope so," I returned. "Ajid 4 CAMERON COUNTY PRESS, THURSDAY, MAY 9, 1907. yon think he will reach the hotel safely?" "No doubt about that, sir," said Dobbs. "If he has any trouble or should get—er—dizzy or anything, he'll take a cab, sir. The way he can keep his head is wonderful, sir." He had risen togo as I asked my last question. "Bobbs," I said, earnestly, "I want you to tell me something. What, in heaven's name, does Mr. Carney drink, to keep nhJi in this condition?" "What does he drink, sir?" exclaim ed Bobbs in a half frightened tone and viewing me with evident and sudden suspicion. "Why, I thought you know, sir! I thought you knew!" and before 1 could stop him, he, like his master, had rushed out of the office into the street. CHAPTER V. A Question of Guessing. Some men are so stupid at times that one wonders how they get on in life at all, and after a few mo ments of ridiculously profound thought, I was quite ready to consign myself to this class. liere was a man, obviously a slave to a habit which was slowly but surely eating his very life away, who virtually admitted his shortcomings in the plainest of Eng lish, and yet who rushed from my presence in horror and disgust when I attempted to persuade him to leave in toxicants alone! Here was his serv ant, an honest, trustworthy fellow, who not only admitted his master's failings but gave many details of his unfortunate downfall, and yet who re garded me with suspicion and dread when I ventured to ask him a most natural question! And here was a fool of a lawyer who could not see through a millstone with a hole in it! I reached for the telephone and call ed up MacArdel. "Hello, Mac!" I said. "Busy to night?" "Nothing special," he replied, laeon ieally. "What's up?" "Dine with me at the club at seven, will you?" I asked. "I want you tc tell me something." "All right," said MacArdel. "Seven sharp, and I'll order the dinner. Good by," and he hung up his receiver with a snap. I did not resent McArdel's abrupt ness, for I knew lie had a room full of people waiting to see him and the fact that he was to order the dinner was enough to make a man forgive any thing short of an unpardonable sin. MacArdel was late, of course. He was born half an hour after he was expected and his time-table through life has always been that much be hind to a second; so I called for the things and made the cocktails myself. I cannot order a dinner as MacArdel can, but 1 can construct a cocktail that would make the nectar of the gods tasi-» like Bloomsbury coffee. The dinner was as good as the cock tail and we went to the roof for our coffee and cigars. MacArdel tipped back in his chair and rested his heels on the broad cop ing, for we were sitting in a secluded corner, back of a pillar, and the only light we had came from the restless city far below us, sparkling and glit tering like the reflection of a Sep tember sky at midnight. An occasion al glimmer of moonlight broke through the lieecy, scudding clouds, so that, from time to time, we caught glimpses of each other as we lazily puffed our cigars. It was a dreary night and a dreamy place and 1 dreaded to bring up the disagreeable topic that we had met to discuss. So we sipped our coffee and smoked out our cigars almost obli /ious of each other's presence. Hut when the fresh cigars were lighted, MacArdel yawned impolitely, as was his habit when wo were alone, and said briefly: "Well, what is it?" (TO BE CONTINUED.) TO RETAIN POSITIONS ABERNATHY AND PORTER WILL CONTINUE A3 MARSHALS. President Pleased With Recerds of Noted Wolf Catcher and of Cow boy—How Former Secured His Job. Guthrie, Ok. —The good records as wolf catcher and cowboy that first se cured for John R. Abernathy and Gros venor A. Porter their positions as United States marshals have proved sufficient to retain for thorn these po sitions after statehood. lioth men came into these positions untried, but both have had clean records, and while recently in Washington they were both assured by President Roose velt that they would be reappointed, JOHN R. ABERNATHY. (Wolf Hunter Who Will Retain Job as Federal Marshal.) Abernathy for the western or Oklaho ma district for the new state, and Por ter for the eastern or Indian territory district. it was while on a lobo wolf hunting trip in the "big pasture" in southwest ern Oklahoma that President Roose velt first met John Abernathy. The hunting trip had been engineered by Colonel Cecil Lyon of Texas and at the suggestion of President Roosevelt that some good man be procured to seocosceoscoscososoGccoceec TO MAKE NEW DASH FOR POLE. Commander Peary Gets Three Years' Leave of Absence. New York.—The application of Rob ert E. Peary, U. S. N., for leave of ab sence of three years, which has been approved by the secretary of the navy, has uncovered the fact that Command er Peary definitely purposes to make another attempt this summer to reach the north pole. The three years' leave of absence during which he made his famous journey to the farthest north ever reached by man—B7 degrees 6 minutes —expired on Sunday, April 10, and the new leave begins at once. Preparations for another dash to ward the pole have been well under way all winter, but Commander Peary and his associates of the Peary Arctic club have been keeping secret their action, as it was felt that it would be a breach of courtesy, if not of discip line, for the naval officer to announce his voyage until his superiors made it possible by their approval. The order granting the leave of absence stipulates that the time is to be de voted to arctic exploration. Funds necessary for the next trip to the pole have not been obtained in adequate quantity, but it is stated that there Is no uneasiness as to that. Morris K. Jessup and another well known man of wealth, who caused his connection with the enterprise to be kept secret, furnished practically ail of the $150,000 for the purchase of the Roosevelt and the fitting out of the expedition. rsocosocosccccccosccocoeodc WOMAN ELECTED PEACE JUDGE. Mrs. McCulloch First Female Magis trate in Illinois. Chicago.—Mrs. Catherine Waugh McCulloch has the distinction of be ing the' first woman justice of the peace in Illinois, having been elected CATHERINE WAUGH McCULLOCH. (Woman Elected Justice of Peace at Evansion, III.) to that office by the voters of Evans ton. "Squire" McCulloch is the mother of several children and is a noted worker in the cause of woman's suffrage. She also has a husband and look after the details of the trip Col onel Lyon recommended "a hunter by the name of Abernathy living down in Oklahoma, who with his hands could catch the lobo alive." This description pleased the presi dent and instructions were given to secure Abernathy's services for the occasion. This was done and Mr. Abernathy arranged the details for the hunt in the - "pasture." To the president's delight Mr. Abernathy per formed the feat of catching a lobo wolf alive with his bare hands. The week's hunts in the "pasture" were very successful, the president was highly pleased and as a result Mr. Abernathy was later appointed United States marshal for Oklahoma, a position that pays an annual salary of $5,000. Following the appointment of Aber nathy as marshal the facts of his ex ploits as a hunter and trapper were published widely, not only in the United States, but even in England, France and Germany. "Grove" Porter, a youth attending the St. Paul military school at Garden City, L. 1., caught the cowboy fever as a result of the tales of adventure that drifted back to civilization in connection with the cowboy experi ences of Theodore Roosevelt, at that time in the West. The disease proved incurable as far as Porter was concerned and he went to Cheyenne, Wyo., a tenderfoot and at a time, too, when it took nerve for a tenderfoot to remain in that lo cality. Porter was born about 36 years ago, in Frederick county, Maryland, and when ten years old was placed by his parents in the St. Paul military school, from which he ran away to become a cowboy. "Grove" Porter, although but a youngster, had the nerve, however, and he stayed in Wyoming. He se cured employment immediately and rode the range for six years. The climax was reached when Por ter was appointed deputy marshal and served during the hottest period ever known in that state_. This, too, was the first work as a peace officer for Porter, although not long afterward he was commissioned a deputy sheriff in Laramie county, and he had four years more of strenuous life as an of ficer. OCCOC«CCGO«©SG