6 The Mystery OF Carney-Croft By JOSEPH BROWN COOKE (Copyright, 190T, by Story-l'resa Corporation) CHAPTER V.—Continued. I told him of my experiences in the morning, taking care not to omit a single detail of what 1 had observed in iny interview with either Carney or Bobbs. When I had finished he re marked, with equal brevity: "Well, what of it?" That's the way with MacArdel! He can be, and usually is, the most exasperating fellow that ever lived. "What of it!" I exclaimed. "There's a deuced lot of it, I tell you! I want to t nd out what this fellow is doing and get him to leave it alone. If you had ever seen his sister and could under stand, as I do, the desolateness of her position, you'd be as anxious as I am to reform him." "Woman in the case, of course," murmured MacArdel softly, taking a deep puff of smoke which he held in his mouth for a moment and then 'blew out slowly in a long thin cloud. This is one of the most insulting things that a man can do, and MacAr del knows it perfectly well. I was in clined to knock him down, but I think too much of him for that, so I merely said: "No. Mae, don't be a fool, but try to listen to reason, if you can!" "Impossible when you're talking," he observed softly. I ignored this and continued: "My only interest in Miss Carney is that of lawyer to client and I'm not in love with her or thinking of marrying her. In the first place, I've only seen her once or twice in my life, and in the next, the difference in our financial po sitions, to speak of nothing else, is quite enough to put out of the ques tion any such idea on my part." "Cat-look-king," said MacArdel, be tween puffs. "I suppose you mean by that to in fer that a dog may look at a queen!" I replied testily, "but I tell you, man, it's all nonsense—utter nonsense." "Looks bad, though!" said MacAr del. " 'specially when a fellow com pares himself to a dog, and the lady to a queen," and he touched the bell on the little table between us." "What's that for?" I asked. "I've got plenty of cigars here in my pocket." "Yellow chatreuse," he replied. "I think you need it." "Now, seriously, Mac!" I resumed. "What do you think of this man Car ney's virtual denial of any excesses?" "Lie," said MacArdel. "Well," I went on, "what do you think of the servant's behavior in practically admitting the whole busi ness and then turning about as lie did at the last moment?" " 'Nother lie," he replied. Then you think they are a pair of prescious scoundrels?" I asked. "No; damned scoundrels," he said slowly. "I think they are unless the matter can be explained in another way. But I'm not at all sure of it. That's merely the way things look now." "Mac," I said, "you don't know as much as I do." j "That," he replied, "is the most un kind thing you ever said to me. I know things, my boy, that your philos ophy never dreamed of. I have been trying to think, while you have been talking, and, in spite of you, I have thought to some purpose. "In the first place, as I said a min ute ago, I think the man is an ordi nary drunkard and that this servant of his is in league with him to keep the facts from you and his family. Now, 1 only think this because it is the most plausible explanation that of fers; I am not sure of it by any means, and I want that distinctly un derstood. "In the second place, you don't know anything about it at all, and yet, in your monumental assurance, you have settled the whole thing with the ex ception of one detail, and you have come to me, as a physician, to supply you with that necessary link in your chain of evidence. You think he is the victim of some drug habit and you want me to tell you, from his symp toms, what drug he is using. Isn't that so?" and he blew out another of those insulting streamers of smoke. I was forced to admit sheepishly that he was right, and my good opinion of myself faded away like the smoke of our cigars. "Well," he continued, "the symp toms he presents could not be caused by opium, nor by cocaine, nor by hash eesh. Whisky is the mostly likely thing of all, and you have nothing but a couple of vague expressions of aston ishment from him and his servant to make you search for any other solu tion of the problem. "There is, however, one other thing that might be at the bottom of it all, but he could not get it here, and it would be pretty hard for him to get it nnywhere. Moreover, I am not at all eure myself about it, and would have fo look it up before I would ven ture to say anything definite on the subject." "WTiat Is It?" I asked Impatiently. "Never mind what it is, for the pres ent," he replied. "If I am wrong in my surmise you can safely put it down to whisky, and if 1 am right, you are no better off, though perhaps no worse. Now, I am not going to say anything more about it to-night." "But in the meantime what ani I to do with him?" I persisted. "1 may see him again or be asked for advice concerning him at any time, you know." "Leave him to Bobbs, Ware; leave him entirely to Bobbs and let him go his own way as ho will," said Mac- Ardel earnestly. "If it's whisky, the sooner he drinks himself to death the better, and if it's the only other thing it can be, Bobbs is a veritable God send to him and to all of you, too. Whatever you do, leave him alone yourself, for you can't do him any good and you may get into a lot of trouble if you bother with him. Let's go down and play a game of bil liards." CHAPTER VI. An Anonymous Letter. The first lot of bills that I paid for the Carney establishment contained one for two dozen bottles of Scotch whisky which had been ordered by Mr. Carney and shipped by express to Carney-Croft on the day that he and Bobbs were in my office. I made no mention of this item to Miss Car ney when I was going over the ac counts with her, but paid it on the chance that it was correct. In this I was not mistaken, for, although I never saw John Carney again except for an instant, I did see the identical 24 bottles, empty, of course, in the cellar at Carney-Croft. It was more than three years after the death of the old gentleman and the stable boy, and I had gone back to the place to arrange for its opening after 4 Waited for Bed-Time. it had been closed for the greater part of that time. John Carney had remained at Car ney-Cioft only long enough to have a short visit with his sister and put to rights his own personal effects, and then; accompanied by Bobbs he had departed for a tour of the world or goodness knows where. 1 heard from either him or Bobbs at varying inter vals, and 011 strictly business matters, and the only way 1 had of addressing him was through a banking house in London which was kept fairly well in formed as to his whereabouts. Miss Weston's health improved suf ficiently to permit her traveling, and she continued to reside with Miss Car ney, who took a furnished apartment in town, as her brother awl I had ad vised her to do. Later t **3y traveled considerably abroad, and «r«fllly settled down for a protracted stay at a little village on the Mediterranean coast, in the hope of benefiting the health of Miss Weston, who, as I afterward learned, was suffering from consump tion. As 1 have said, more than three years had passed when I received a most un expected communication from Miss Carney saying that she had decided to return home at once, bringing Miss Weston with her. She asked me to hitVe -Carney-Croft made ready for oc cupancy with as little delay as pos sible. 1 had had no vacation that summer, and it occurred to me that, instead of attending to the matter at long range, I would go down myself for a week or two and give it my personal at tention. I arrived on a day that was almost a counterpart of the one that saw my first visit to Carney-Croft, and at the station, I was received with scant show of welcome by the man who had taken me down in his trap before and entertained me on my return jour ney with anecdotes of old Mr. Carney and a tale of ghosts. "Want teh go daown teh th' place, I s'pose," he grumbled. We rode along in silence until we CAMERON COUNTY PRESS, THURSDAY, MAY 16, 1907. reached the gates, when, as t was un locking them with a key from the big bunch that 1 had brought with me, he unbent enough to say: "Don't look much like it uster, here!" He was quite right. The grass stood knee high on the lawns, the road beds and paths were choked with weeds, and the asphalted walks, lead ing from the front, and sides of the mansion, and winding gracefully down under the trees to Ihe river, were blanketed under the leaves and other accumulations of three long years. The man waited until I had unlock ed the front door, which in ward with the fitful creaking of dis use, and then asked: "D' ye want me teh wait?" "Oh, no!" I replied. "Not at all." "All right," he returned, clucking to his horse, "I'll tell Iloskins tell save a room fur ye, an' it hain't much of a walk frum here, anyhaow." "Hold on!" 1 shouted, as he was turning the corner. "Don't do any thing of the sort! I'm going to sleep here to-night, if I can find any lights and manage to turn on the water. I don't want to sleep at Iloskins' un less I have to, but I'll be over there for breakfast in the morning. His expression of amazement was wonderful to behold, as he pulled his horse down 011 its haunches to hear me through. Then, with a grin, he chuckled: "Wal, it's gol dammed little sleepln' ye'll do, I'll warrant!" and he drove on up the road." 1 wandered over the house, raising windows and opening shutters to let in the light and air and then, making a frugal lunch of some things I had purchased on the train for this pur pose, I lighted a cigar and. drawing a chair out on the veranda, I watched the sunset far away over the river and waited for bed-time. I had no doubt that my rustic friend's astonishment at my determin ation to sleep in the house was found- Ed upon the twaddle over ghosts that was begun in the village three years before, and I rather welcomed this idea, for 1 felt that the more preva lent it became the less likelihood would there be of undesirable prowl ers about the place. The room I chose for the night was the one I had occupied on the occa sion of my former visit and, after mak ing up my bed in true bachelor fash ion, with bedding which I had no trou ble in finding, I locked the house se curely and slept the sleep of the just. 1 awoke suddenly, startled no doubt by a ray of sunlight gleaming fairly in my face, and, finding the day so far advanced, I sprang out of bed thor oughly refreshed by my sleep and ex hilarated by the crisp morning air that was blowing in through the win dow. As I threw back the sheet some thing fell to the floor; picking it up, I found a small, square envelope ad dressed in a cramped and totally unfa miliar hand: Frederick Ware, Esq., Carney-Croft. I tore it open, and my astonish ment at its discovery was increased ten fold by its contents. The note read: As you love Florence Carney and hope to make her your wife, keep her away from this place at any cost. I read it over and over again until the letters fairly danced before my eyes, and then I suddenly awoke to the importance of finding, if possible, how it had been placed in my bed. The window was open, to bo surer, and had been open all night, but it was too far from the ground to have been reached without a ladder, and a later inspection of the ground be neath showed conclusively that no lad der had been placed under it. More over, the little tendrils of ivy that waved in the breeze all around the sash were absolutely uninjured, which could not have been the case if an entrance to the room had been effect ed in this way. cro BE CONTINUED.) £in HOLDER FOR UNRULY EWES. Device Which Will Prove Convenient at Lambing Time. We have a plan for making a handy farm device for the holding of unruly ewes during lambing time, which we think will bo of interest to others, writes a correspondent of Prairie Far mer. This holder is used by us for hold ing stubborn ewes. We had a cou ple of very stubborn ewes last winter which would not own their lambs. We wanted to save the lambs, as they were very fine ones and we resorted to holding the ewes, but as this took considerable of our time we devised a holder which holds a sheep far more securely than two men can by hand. We can place a ewe securely in this holder and go about, doing other chores and the lambs will take care l Rack for Nervous Ewes. of themselves. This holder might be very valuable to any farmer who has stubborn ewes. We would especially recommend its use in small flocks. We saved all of our lambs last win ter, which was quite a task, as they were born early in the winter when the weather was quite cold. We found that by using the holder we were born early in the winter when less work. We make sheep holders of old fence boards, which did very well, as we find this material plenty strong, but when the lambs tried to suck they let us know that our device was not com plete. We therefore resorted to iron rods, as shown in the cut and marked K and L. These are made adjustable for different sizes of sheep as shown in the cut by three rings which rep resent the holes which %vere bored through the corner posts. We used the axles of an old chil dren's playing wagon. These axles answered the purpose very nicely as they were just the right length. We then sawed two boards 34 inches long, marked BB in the cut. These were nailed to the inside of the corner posts. Then we attached a board across the front end with a portion marked C in the cut, sawed off so as to give plenty of room for the sheep's throat, enough to hold any of our sheep. In starting the construction we began with two boards, E and F, abo;it 22 inches long, to which we nailed the bottom boards, which are 34 inches long. We made four posts of fence boards 26 inches long, which we attached to the bottom or floor, one on each corner, as shown in the cut. These posts being marked A in the sketch. We then proceeded with our work and attached three boards at ends on bottom, one in front and two In the rear. These we thought would make the ewe stand in proper posi tion. We next attached an old hinge to a board for the rear end of the holder, which we then fastened to the hold er by one nail through the bottom nail hole in the hinge which allows the board or end gate to drop down out of the way. This is quite a conveni ence, as it is out of the way and is not liable to be broken off by a sheep running against it. This board is marked D in the cut. This door is fastened shut by a small hook which goes over the nail in the end of the door. We then found that we must, strap our sheep iu (he holder to make them secure. So we nailed straps to the boards B B, two straps togo over the sheep's back and two straps togo un der the sheep's belly. These straps as shown in the sketch, are marked O N. They can be made adjustable by putting any number of holes in the straps which may be found necessary for the size of the sheep which the holder is to accommodate. Four dif ferent straps are used for this pur pose, one end being securely nailed to the board on the one side and the other end being slipped over a nail, which makes it a very convenient fastening. For making the iron rods stay in place we fastened a wooden button, as it is called, which holds the rods In their place. We then inclosed the front end by nailing boards on slant ingly. This makes the holder much more rigid than it would be were the boards nailed on straight across; the boards form a very good brace in this way. Carrots for Horses. An addition of five or six pounds of carrots to the daily food ration of or dinary work horses will always be a benefit. They should be sliced longi tudinally so that they will not stick in the animal's throat and choke him From all the American tests it ap pears fair to say that there is no marked advantage in grinding grain for healthy horses that have good teeth. SEEDING COMMENCED IN WESTERN CANADA. The Prospects for a Large Acreage to Be -own in Wheat. St. Paul, April 24, 1907.—Word has been received at the office of the Canadian Government in St. Paul that seeding has commenced at various points throuKf nut Manitoba, Saskatch ewan and Alberta. The heavy snowfall during the past winter has left, the ground in splendid shape for successful seeding opera tions. The fine weather of the past few days has taken much of the frost out of the ground and during next week there will scarcely be a district in which the seeder is not being oper ated. The most optimistic conditions exist and in all districts the farmers are busy getting things in shape. There will be a very large acreage sown in spring wheat, oatd and barley. At many points throughout the three provinces the newcomers are busy un loading their stock and effects, work ing night and day in order to get on their farms and become active agen cies in the effort to make the year 1907 the banner year in grain produc ing in Western Canada. As compared with districts many hundred miles further south than this, it will be seen that Western Canada ranks amongst the first in the line of seeding opera tions for the present year. It is safe to say that farmers who get in their crop before the 20th or 24th of May, will receive magnificent returns. A number of those coming in this spring, who had not their land prepared last fall, will break up enough land to get in a crop of oats and barley and prob ably some flax. This, together with the vegetables they will plant, will give them ample food for- themselves and stock during the coming summer and winter. These early seeding oper ations are not confined to one district, but are spread over a country 900 miles long by 400 miles in width. The agents of the Canadian Govern ment, located at different points throughout the United States, are busy giving information regarding the many new districts that are being made available for settlers. I„ow rail way rates, information and literature are given on application to the agent, whoso name appears in advertisement elsewhere in 1 his paper. WHERE WOMAN IS SUPERIOR. Vegetarian Springs a Few Facts on Astonished Companions. "Since the first of the year," he said, "I haven't had a smoke, and I haven't taken a drink." Kverybody looked at him with amazement, respect and awe. How strong-willed he must be, they said; how ascetic, how spiritual! It was tre mendous. "And yet," said a pale vegetarian, "all women, or at least 99 per cent, of them, maintain this wonderful absti nence their whole life long. Why don't you praise them for it?" With his medicated handkerchief he brushed the sneer from his lips. "We men," he said, "beside women are hogs. We call our women silly; we won't give them the vote; but the average woman lives on a higher plane than the average man. She thinks of nobler things than money grubbing, drink, tobacco, food. "Did you ever hear your wife growl about the cooking? Did you ever hear of a woman epicure? No; woman is above the hoglike pleasures of the table. She is above such a tobacco and whisky seance as is now going on here." ! The vegetarian put on his cap of medicated flannel, and, despite the warmth of the night, drew the flannel eartabs over his ears. "Give woman her due,"he ended. "She is a finer-flbered, a more temper ate, a more spiritual creature than coarse, gross, hog-like man." —Cincin- nati Enauirer. All Distractions Barred. "Now that Grindle has made his pile he has joined the church." "Wonder why he didn't join be fore?" "He didn't want anything to inter fere with his business." FRIENDS HELP St. Paul Park Incident. "After drinking coffee for breakfast I always felt languid and dull, having no ambition to get to my morning duties. Then in about an hour or so a weak, nervous derangement of the heart and stomach would come over me with such force I would frequently have to lie down. "At other times I had severe head aches; stomach finally became affect ed and digestion so impaired that I had serious chronic dyspepsia and con stipation. A lady, for many years State President of the W. C. T. U., told me she had been greatly bene fited by quitting coffee and using Postum Food Coffee; sho was trou bled for years with asthma. She said it was no cross to quit coffee when she found she could have as delicious an article as Postum. "Another lady, who had boen trou bled with chronic dyspepsia for years, found immediate relief on ceasing cof fee apd beginning Postum twice a day. She was wholly cured. Still another friend told me that Postum Food Cof fee was a Godsend to her, her heart trouble having been relieved after leaving off coffee and taking Postum. "So many such cases came to my notice that I concluded coffee was the cause of my trouble and I quit and took up Postum. I am more than pleased to say that my days of trou ble have disappeared. I am well and happy." "There's a Reason." Read "The Road to Wellville," in pkgs. G:ir field Tea, Nature's Remedy, brings relic I from many ailments; il -vcivomca constipation, regulates the liver and kid neys, purities the blood and clcnrs the complexion. It is made of Herbs, and i* absolutely I'ure. "Our Best Society." Governess (In Smart Set farrt ly)— | Why, how loving you children are! i Such affection between brother and sister is delightful to see. Clive —Yes'ni. We're playin' grown i Hps. I'm the husband an' Barbara she's | the maid. —Puck. FAMILY'S SKIN TROUBLES. Eczema, Heat Rash, and Scalp Affec tions Afflict Different Members, But Cuticura Cures Them. "My wife had eczema for five or six years. It was cm her face and would come and go. We thought we would give the Cuticura Remedies a trial. We did so and she has never had a sign of eczema for four years. I myself used i Cuticura Soap and Cuticura Ointment some time ago for falling hair. I now have a very heavy head of hair. We used Cuticura Remedies for our baby, who was nearly bald when young. She has very nice hair now. She is very fleshy, and we had so much trouble with heat that we would bathe her with Cuticura Soap and then apply Cuticura Ointment, it would dry the heat up so much quicker than any thing else. Mr. H. B. Springfnire, 323 So. Capitol Street, lowa City, la., July 16, 1905, and Sept. 16, 1906." The velocipede was Invented by Drais in 1817. SICK 1 ■ ■ - —Positively cui-ed by PA DTTDO these Little Pills. vnlll LSiW TUcy also relieve Dla ggsOTj tress from Dyspepsia, Ia ©BMTTLE I digestion and Too Hearty Kg R\or gj Eating. A perfect rein . IV Ln edy for Dizziness, Nausea. m PILLS. I Drowsiness, Dad Taste { IkS mm la the Mouth, Coated ICH&MMKSI Tcmcpie, pain in t&o side, | |, i""— 11 " ' 1 TORPID LIVER. They ! regulate too Bowels. Purely Vegetable. SMALL PiLL. SMALL DOSE, SMALL PRICE. PADTCDQI Genuine Must Bear | Fac-Simile Signature TPllls. I™* [REFUSE SUBSTITUTES. 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STEVENS & CO., MO Kth St.. Wash il»Kton, 1). t\ Urancheß at < hlrnu'o, <"U vt land and Detroit. EBTAULIHIIKI> IHA4. NO PATENT. NO FEE FOR OUR SERVICES IF YOU ARE RUPTURED Why not have it cured 112 Send at once. by let ter or postal, your address with particulars, and without co«t to you, we will mail trial naekaxo that will give you Immediate relief from tho effect of cumbersome and daiiKeroim imnNcai and our free book <>n "Cause, Care anil Cum of Rupture," which must convince you that you can be entirely cured it small cost. HEKNIA HEALER CO., A-439 W. 8, ERIE, PA. BUY ONLY GUARANTEED GOODS! rnilT7fO Horse antl Ca,lle Powder rill I I / N Superior POULTRY FOOD I UU IL U CERTAIN WORM POWDER are each guaranteed and bear Aerial No. 217 U. 8. Dept. of Agriculture. Kllieiency, reliability and purity I'-mr en'.abliHbed. Sold by dealer* every where. If Interested wilte THE I'AVIIJ fi, FOUTZCO., MXin , Baltimore,
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