6 The Mystery OF Carney-Croft By JOSEPH BROWN COOKE ear to think of those awful days he fipcnt here after my father's death, and I am so glad that poor Annie did not see him then as I did. He knew that he was not fit for her to see and I must say that he showed him self to me only enough to enable us to arrange our business affairs. He seemed to understand the degrada tion of his position, and although I have never written to him in all these years, my heart warms to him now and I want to overlook it, but I cannot, oh I cannot, Mr. Ware." "Would you like me to write to him myself?" I asked. "I could hardly ex plain matters in a telegram, and while I never know exactly where he is I have reason to believe that he is in the neighborhood of London or Paris. A letter to his bankers would reach him within a week or ten days and he could be here in a little more than a fortnight." "You know best," she murmured, resting her head on her hand and wip ing her eyes slowly. "You know best and must act according to your own judgment. It seems to me that we ought to send for him, if only for Annie's sake, but I leave it all to you." Her feelings overwhelmed her again, but as soon as she could calm herself, she went on: "Perhaps I have been wrong myself in not trying to help him and make him see the posi tion in which he has placed himself, but when he was here I could not bring myself to do it." I remembered Miss Weston's impas sioned statement that no one connect ed with the mysterious happenings at Carney-Croft hud done any wrong or was in any way responsible for the present inexplicable condition of things, and, while I could not see how John Carney could have any possible Connection with the affair I grasped the frail straw offered by this sug gestion and, in my anxiety to calm Miss Carney, I made the most of it that I could. "I know nothing of your brother's life while he was away," I began, "and, while, of course, I do not count him blameless, I can assure you that you have nothing to regret on your part. You know things of this kiud begin slowly and insidious ly and —" "Oh, no!" she interrupted, vehe mently, "it was a cowardly. way to act, at best, and, as I first under stood it, it was worse than cowardly. You can imagine my feelings when I thought it was all for a mere lover's quarrel and then—then, when I knew the whole story, I could not bring myself to view it in a much better light, although, of course, my sympa thies all went out to him. It was not the act of such a man as I had always thought Jack to be. I had looked up to him and respected him all my life and it almost broke my heart —it almost broke my heart. You wouldn't do such a thing, Mr. Ware, I know, and even if you try to hide your real opinion of him, I understand too well what it is— and he is my brother —my only brother!" She sobbed convulsively for some minutes, while I stood like a fool by her side, keeping down, as best I could, the words that were uppermost in my heart and then, suddenly, she arose and said, abruptly: "I have kept you too long, I fear, but this was troubling me so that I simply had to tell it to some one. I think you had better write to my brother at once and R will have to rest with him whether he comes or not. Good night." I followed her with my eyes as she entered the house and walked slowly up the stairs. CHAPTER XIX. A Trail Discovered. Another sleepless night followed, "but long before the morning broke I . had formed an opinion of myself and my conduct that was in no way flatter ing to either. To be sure, I had been sincere in every thought and act, and when, at times, I had felt and be- tleved that Miss Carney loved me, I toad soon argued myself into an oppo site way of thinking on the ground, as I have said before, that her feel ings toward me were influenced and magnified by her present anxiety and distress. Now, however, after consid ering the matter through the long hours of the night until my brain fairly reeled and 1 was sick at heart at the thought of my brutal behavior, I was at last able to see things in a right light. Miss Carney had given mo every evidence of her regard that she could give and still preserve her dig ninty and womanliness. She had doubtless realized the difficulties of my position, and she had taken into account that her brother's absence served as an added reason for niy silence, and so she had met me more than half way and yet I had remained silent. She had even permitted me to kiss her hand, and then, on the first occa sion that offered, she had given me an opportunity to say the words that I owed to her if she would preserve her self-respect and not consider that 1 had trifled with her in a most cruel and unmanly way. And still I had remained silent, in an egotis tical belief that my attitude was chiv alrous and commendable when, in fact, it was only Quixotic and brutal ly unkind. Now, she could only think that I did not love her, for surely she could not conceive that a sane man would have acted the part I did on the ver anda unless he regarded her almost with indifference. 1 rose and paced the floor until my head throbbed, hating myself and try ing to smother my emotions until the morning came and I could goto her and beg her forgiveness. As the day began to dawn a cold gray light spread itself over the fields, I stood Spell-Bound with Fear. showing the hoar-frost on the grass and bringing clearly into view many distant objects which stood out sharp ly in the qrisp autumn air. I glanced from my window and saw what appeared to be two people walk ing slowly down the hillside in the direction of the Bruce cottage. A hasty scrutiny through my field glasses confirmed my suspicion and it seemed that one figure, that of a man, carried au implement like a spade or shovel, while the other was evidently a woman of about the wid ow's size and general appearance. I dressed rapidly, and, slipping out of the house, made, my way as quick ly as I could to the point where I had seen them passing, feeling sure that I would have no difficulty in following their trail through the frost covered grass. It was all I had expected, and I walked rapidly up the hill, retracing the path they had made, and, occa sionally leaving the trail where it led too directly through the open, and slinking along in the shadow of the hedges until I could again take it up with safety. About half way up the incline I turned and looked down toward the Bruce cottage, from the chimney of which a black column of smoke was pouring and whose windows were brightly lighted as if something of importance was going on within. As I looked, and I had taken the precaution to bring my binoculars with me, a man emerged from the house and I had no difficulty in mak ing him out to bo Jenks, the stage driver. He was followed in a mo ment by Mrs. Bruce and the two stood for some time in earnest con versation, after which the man strode rapidly down the road and the woman reentered the house. It had seemed to me that the widow and Jenks were quarreling, for, dur ing their talk, he had gesticulated violently and shown every evidence of extreme earnestness, if not of actual anger: but they must have come to CAMERON COUNTY PRESS, THUR&DAY, AUGUST i, 1907. some sort of an agqennent at last, for he waved his hand pleasantly as he left her and she returned his sal utation by throwing him a kisa as coyly as a schoolgirl. The first tiling the woman did after entering the house was to extinguish the lights, 110 longer necessary, as the rays of the sun began to touch the hill tops, and I was just lowering my glass when I caught a fleeting glimpse of another man, darting around the cor ner of the building and disappearing behind the woodpile. I watched in vain for him to show himself again, but he did not, and finally, I turned and followed the trail once more, mak ing all possible haste, lest I should lose it when the frost disappeared. The foot prints led me up on the hill and around to the side away from the house and, at length, be came lost in a grove of hemlocks un der which there was 110 tell-tale frost. For a time it seemed that my ef forts were to prove of no avail, and that 1 might as well return home, but the more I thought of the mat ter the more I was convinced that these people had been out for no good purpose, and that it was my duty to learn, if possible, what mis chief they had been contriving at this early hour and where they had been. In fact, I suddenly realized that I had not taken a proper interest in tine mysterious happenings at Carney- Croft and that while it had seemed quite enough to bring them to a stand still, as far as outward appearances were concerned, they were, in reality, of far too great importance to let pass so easily. Miss Weston's connection with the affair gave a new aspect to it, of course, and while I was bound by my word to respect her secret there was nothing in my promise to her to pre vent me from using every legitimate means to find out all that I could on my own account and make use of such knowledge as I might ac quire in any way that would best serve my purposes without reacting on her. I wandered about, more or less aim lessly, in the grove until, as I was on the point of leaving in chagrin, I again discovered the tracks in the frost lead ing across a little open space from an other and denser grove near by. I plunged at once into this and had no trouble in directing my steps through the underbrush, which was broken and bent in many places and showed plainly the course taken by the man and woman but a short time be fore. After going on in this way for some little distance I suddenly found my self in a small clearing under the branches of the overtowering trees, and saw, to my horror, an oblong space of newly turned earth which bore every resemblance In size and general appearance to a grave. For several minutes I stood spell bound with fear and dread and then, summoning up all my courage and with a cold sweat standing out on my body, I began to dig down in the soft brown earth, using a stick that was lying near by, and even my hands, to remove the stones and larger clumps of soil. About a foot below the surface I came upon a bundle wrapped in cloths of the same kind la every way as those found by MacArdal and myself on the night when we first saw the ghosts and Bhot at Jenks. I could bear no more for the mo ment, and quaking visibly. I rose from the ground and leaned against a tree for support. Then, for the first time, I saw that there were many other little mounds surrounding the one I had opened and —but I had reached the limit of my endurance, and, with pallid face, I dashed mad ly down the hill toward Carney- Croft (TO BB CONTINUED.* Her Pointed Retort. When the old lady put her head out of the window and inquired of the young railway porter what the train was stopping for the young man thought he would have a little fun at the old lady's expense. "Engine was out late last night, ma'am,' he remarked with a smila, "so she's got a thirst on her this morning; they're giving 'or a drop o' wine." "Ah! It's water," said the old lady. "If you'll wait a minutte, ma'am,' he grinned, "I'll Inquire whether they're givin' her port wine." "Never mind,' came the answer, "don't you trouble, young man. I thought perhaps by the way we've been getting along she was run on sloe gin!'—London Tit-Bits. LIFE INSURANCE ACTIVITY. The New York Life's Business Nearly Up to the Legal Limit. The New York Life Insurance Com pany announces that its new paid business during the half year just end ed was over seventy million dollars. As the new law allows no life com pany to write over one hundred and fifty millions per year, it would ap pear that this company is working nearly up to the limit. The New York Life gained such headway be fore the law was passed and suffered so little, comparatively, from the Arm strong investigation, that the question with its management has been how to keep business down to the limit, rath er than how to reach it. No other company is writing nearly as much as the law allows. The New York Life has evidently become a pre ferred company. The company's payments to policy holders during the six months end ing June 30 were $21,360,761. It is interesting to note that this amount was almost equally divided between payments under policies maturing by death and payments made to living policy holders. Thus, while death claims were $11,180,626, the amount paid for matured endowments, annu ities, trust fund installments, for pur chased policies and for dividends was $10,480,135. Modern life insurance, as practiced by the best companies, em braces a wide field, and covers many contingencies. It is money saved for the aged, as well as money provided for the families of those who die pre maturely. Modesty of True Greatness. Abou Ben Adhem had just found out that his name led all the rest. "Still," he observed, with a modesty as rare as it was charming, "the sea son is young yet. I've made a few lucky hits, it's true, but just as likely as not I shall be at the bottom of the percentage column In batting before the season ends." Smilingly accept ing the bouquet of cut flowers sent to him by an admirer in the grandstand, he steepped up to the plate, struck out, dodged a lemon thrown at him by a disgusted bleacherite, and went and took his seat on the bench. Bobby's Viewpoint. The theater was brilliant with col ored lights and overflowing with a gay commencement throng. The stage was crowded with a class of 200 boys and their teachers. Among the graduates was John, the big brother of little Bobby, who was surveying the scene with bulging eyes. He snuggled up to his father and in a stage whisper asked: "Papa, isn't it nice that so many people came to John's commence ment?" Not Comfortable. "I'm going off into the mountains tliis summer and get close to the heart of nature," said the dreamy girl. "I once went off into the mountains to get close to the heart of nature," said the matter-of-fact man."l sought the woods and lay down close to her throbbing bosom. But I found she was full of red bugs and other penetrating Insects. So T arose and gloomily sought the artificial city." MEAT OR CEREALS. A Question of Interest to All Care ful Persons. Arguments on food are interesting. Many persons adopt a vegetarian diet on the ground that they do not like to feel that life has been taken to feed them, nor do they fancy the thought of eating dead meat. On the other hand, too great con sumption of partly cooked, starchy oat£ and wheat or white bread, pastry, etc., produces serious bowel troubles, because the bowel digestive organs (where starch is digested), are over taxed and the food ferments, produc ing gas, and microbes generate in the decayed food, frequently bringing on peritonitis and appendicitis. Starchy food Is absolutely essential to the human body. Its best form is shown in the food "Grape-Nuts," where the starch is changed into a form of sugar during the process of its manu facture. In this way, the required food is presented to the system in a pre-digested form and is Immediately made into blood and tissue, without taxing the digestive organs. A remarkable result In nourishment is obtained; the person using Grape- Nuts gains quickly in physical and mental strength. Why in mental? Hecause the food contains delicate particles of Phosphate of Potash ob tained from the grains, and this unites with the albumen of all food and the combination is what nature uses to re build worn out cells In the brain. This is a scientific fact that can fce easily proven by ten day's use ol Grape-Nuts. "There's a Reason." Head, "The Road to Wellvllle," in L'kga. HANDY WAGON TOOL BOX. Keep the Implements Handy Which May Be Needed for Breakdown. At this season of the year the farmers are getting busy in the fields and where a breakdown occurs, espe cially 'if the farms are large, a great deal of time is lost ingoing for re pairs. There are always apt to be un foreseen accidents which are more or less costly, and a simple device of this sort may prove helpful to many of our readers. Those who are working on the roads or are doing any amount of hauling, as well as farmers working in the Held, should provide themselves with a set of tools which would come The Wagon Tool Box. Into play in case of an accident. By experience we have found that acci dents generally happen in the worst possible place, where it is difficult to help ourselves. Sometimes the losing of a nut or bolt may be the means of (browing out a half day's work, ren dering it impossible to continue until the damage has been repaired. While a great many of our farmers may think it is unnecessary and that it is always best to have everything snug and shipshape before going to the field or setting out on a journey, accidents will happen, no matter how much care is taken. A wagon box such as Is described here, says The Farmer, will frequent ly come into use and be the means of saving a considerable outlay that would otherwise be necessary for re pairs. This box can be made about 18 inches long and 16 inches wide and five or six inches deep. It should be provided with several compartments for nuts and bolts of various sizes. It is large enough to contain such things as an extra hame strap, wrench, some staples, bolts, nuts, screws, screw driver, hammer, cold chisel, wood chisel, punch, pincers, hoofknife, cop per rivets, some open links, hatchet, a few wrought nails and such other things as experience may prove to be convenient to have. The shape of the box is shown in the illustration. The middle of the top is nailed fast, while on each side is a hinged lid, fastened with a hasp and staple for a lock, if necessary. This box can be suspended from the guide pole directly beneath the center of the wagon box by two strong leather straps with buckles. Such a box would not be in the way and would be easily accessible if any thing was wanted. SCIENCE AND FARMING. The Wisdom of Making Nature Fight i the Insect Foes. Scientists are now realizing that the abundance of insect pests which the farmer of to-day has to battle with is due largely, if not entirely, to the up setting of nature's laws. Before man placed the woods and prairies under cultivation, excessive increase of any insect species was perhaps unknown, or, at most, very rare. Nature has always provided forces which operate against each other, as it were, and with insects, as with other creatures, a balance between the numbers of different species has been maintained. Modern methods of farming have often decreased the natural enemies of injurious insects, says Coleman's Rural World, and in other cases have afforded conditions favoring the rapid multiplication of insects not formerly present in dangerous numbers. The practical entomologist of to day, while not discounting the value of poisons and sprays as implements of war against the six-footed host, recognizes that really satisfactory control is to be brought about by a partial or total restoration of the con ditions under which nature formerly prevented the different species from becoming too numerous. The ento mologist accordingly studies parasitic enemies and diseases which destroy the injurious insects, and oftentimes he is enabled to encourage the para sites to such* an extent that they largely or entirely control the injuri ous forms. The Middle Man. A New York report says that a great butter trust has been formed, backed by a capital of $30,000,000. The projectors declare that they are going to eliminate the middle man in the selling of butter, and that they propose to get control of practically all the butter made in the country. This butter is all to be reworked to a single grade. It will probably prove to be but one mode of the many fruit less attempts to get rid of that very necessary worker, the middleman. Un der the present financial arrange ments for doing business, the middle man is a necessity. The Berry Bushes. Don't let the berry bushes grow all over the garden. Confine them to rows and chop off the head of evcrj plant that comes up out ol place. A FRANK STATEMENT. From a Prominent Fraternal Man ol Rolla, Missouri. Justice of the Peace A. M. Light, of Rolla, Mo., Major, Uniformed Hank, t Knights of Pythias, Third HaLtalion, Second Regiment, Missouri Brigade, Bays: "I ai:i pleased to endorse ilie usa of Doan's Kidney Pills, a medicine of great merit. Hav ing had personal ex v\perience with many kidney medicines, I am In a position to know whereof I speak, and am pleased tc add my endorsement and to recommend their use." Sold by all dealers. 50 cents a box. Foster-Mllburn Co., Buffalo, N. Y. His Finger Imprints. Of Count Julius Andrassy, whos® monument was recently unveiled at Buda-Pesth, the Neue Presse gives the following incident: Count Andras sy had a habit of smoothing with his hand his richly oiled hair. One day an important document had passed .he Austrian council of ministers, in the contents of which Count Andras sy was interested. Shortly afterward the Austrian president of the minis try said to one of the ministers: "Count Andrassy has read the latest document." "How do you know?" "I find on It the imprint of Count Ad drassy's fingers," responded the presV dent with a laugh. Unkind Advice, Two Irishmen were eating theif lunch, when one asked the other: "Pat, an'what be you thinking about?" Pat replied: "Shure, Mike, I was a thinklng how I would be getting me { clothes over me wings when I would get to heaven." "You %voukl better be thinking how you would be getting your hat over your horns when you get to the other place," answered Mike. —Ally Sloper. Quite the Contrary. "Borus, I haven't had time yet to read that last novel of yours. How did it end —happily?" "No, Naggus; it ended tragically. The total sales were 17 copies." SAvraRS 112 EXCELSIOR BRAND Oiled Clothing and Slickers [ Our Fireman's Coat if a dandy; suited also for general use. Don't accept any waterproof coat frntna dealeruuless it bears our trade mark sliowa below. "SAWYERS" are best. ///// s If your dealer does not ' carry the "SAWYER" / Oiled Clothes and Sliclc ; ers write us for catalog // and prices. XTjJ / A/\ H. M. SAWYER S SCX, "" c * MBWaoE ' "a*l - CAPUDI!\3E I 8 ETC 11 removes the cause, soothes the nerves and relieves the aches and COLDS m GRIPPE Hf S headaches and neuralgia also. No bad effects. 10c, 25c and 50c bottles. (I«lQUit>.) black) is ap- Better than enamel. Dries quicker, -wears longer. A Positive ii&!^iLy?^til CUREFO'R BAL>*^ CATARRH Ely's Cream Balm it quickly absorbed. Give, Relief at Once. 60c. c\X^ Blr Bros.. 60 Warren St.. II I Bfij i* " CuritOe. U.KuLUt>oiikut>. HJL'fk*;b I. ASCHOaISp leges of Liberal Arts. Normal. Preparatory. K»K»nuerlng % Law. Com merce, Music. Finj» Arts, Oratory, Prtarroaey, V.B, Military Dop't. Students from HI statos. 37 successful r,. ft s. Courses thorough. Kxponstui low. Catalog. OHIO NOHTHERN UNIVERSITY. - Ada. Ohio. ECZEMA, PIMPLES AND SORES of every ilesrrlptton vanish as by magic under the map. vrloun neaMng Influence of Ktlm lloi Nulve. For ever* jay ucctilonts auch as burns. cuts, etc.. It has no e«jual. -ou«i for a box today. By mall Sse. 11 A HXT ( U.i fcewburgh, • Thompson's Eye Water