6 STORY CyJ [ESCAPADE MARITAL ROMANCE I Cyrus Townsend Brady ILLUSTRATIONS BY I ■ RAY WALTERS (Copyright, IVOH, by W. O. Chapman.) SYNOPSIS. The Escapade opens, not in I lie ro mance preceding the marriage of Kllen Slocum, it Puritan miss. anil Lord Car rington of England, but in their life after settling in England. Tlic scene in placed, just following the revolution, in Carring ton castle in England. The Carringtons. ftfler a house party, engaged in a family tilt, caused by jealousy. Lady Carring ton agreed to cut cards with Kurd Strath- Kate, whose attentions to Ellen had be come a sore point with Carrington. The loss of SIOO,OOO failed to perturb her, ami her husband then cut for Ills wife's 1. O. < and lii.s honor, Carrlngton winning. Additional attentions of Lord Carrington to Lady Cecily and Lord Strathgate to l.ady Carrington compelled tin; latter to vow that she would leave the castle. Preparing to llee. I.ady Carrington and her chum Deborah, an American girl, met Lord Strathgate at two a. m., lie agreeing to see them safely away, lie attempted to take her to his castle, but she left him stunned in the road when the carriage met with an accident. She ami Debbie then struck out for Ports mouth, where she intended to sail for America. Hearing news of Ellen's flight. Lords Carrington and Seton set out In pursuit. Seton rented a fast vessel and started in pursuit. Strathgate, bleeding from fall, dashed onto Portsmouth, for which Carrington, Ellen and Seton were also headed by different routes. Strath gate arrived in Portsmouth in advance of the others, finding that Ellen's ship had sailed before her. Strathgate and Carrington each hired a small yacht to pursue the wrong vessel, upon which •aeh supposed Ellen had sailed. CHAPTER Xll.—Continued. "What are you going to do?" asked Deborah again. "Use these on them," answered Ellen. "You would not murder?" "Peace, child. I have no bullets. These are but blank cartridges. Per haps I can frighten them." "Frighten Lord Strathgate!" laughed Deborah. "Don't try. It will only make him more angry, and —" But Ellen stood up in the boat, balancing herself lightly in spite of the pitching, pointed her pistol at the other boat now not more than hall a mile away, and pulled the trig ger. There was a tremendous report, for Eilen hail putin an extra large tbarge in default of a bullet. Someone in the boat astern stood up and waved his hat. Ellen let him have the other pistol. Of course, there was sound and noth ing more. But the concussion, the noise and the smoke relieved her feel ings. Deborah cowered down in the boat, released the tiller, let go the sheet and stopped her ears with her fingers. Ellen dropped her pistols and by the quickest kind of work, seized the tiller and sheet and got the boat under control before she broached to. It was a narrow escape, however, and convinced Lady Carrington that she could not indulge in any more sham battling. She watched the other boat carefully as her own gathered way once more but could detect no evidence that her firing had in the least intimidated (hose who were coming so recklessly after her. Promising Deborah that she would not fire them again, she got the young woman to take the helm once more while she reloaded her pistols. She would have given anything for a couple of good honest leaden bullets. If she had even had a jeweled ring, she would have pounded it into shape and rammed it down the barrel, but she had divested herself of all her jewels except her wedding ring and she could not make up her mind to blow that away in the present emer gency. Still the pistols were heavily charged and at closo quarters there would be an unpleasant dose of pow der tor anyone who tried to molest her. The other boat was coming up hand over hand now. In half an hour she would be alongside. Ellen swept the harbor ahead of her and was sur prised to see—she had no! noticed it in the interest excited by the chase— coming down under full sail a large ship, an American merchantman evi dently. She jumped to the conclusion that it must be the New Eagle. If she could intercept that ship and get aboard of her, her troubles would be over. Provided the ship were willing to heave to or to chock her way, the boarding of her would be an easy mat ter, and Ellen was sailing on such a course that the interception of her would not bo difficult, if it were not for this boat close astern of her. Far ther ahead Ellen also marked follow ing hard on the great ship two boats like her own and the one pursuing. They were, like the merchantman, beating down the harbor and it seemed to Ellen's eyes that they were also chasing after the merchant ship. She was more and more convinced as she studied it, that it could be none other than the New Eagle. With sal vation staring her in the face, Ellen feared that she would lie unable to escape her nearest pursuer. She looked back and could have scraamed aloud. "Ellen," said Deborah, who had given no thought to what was before her but who had been staring at the other boat, "I don't believe that's the earl of Strathgate." "Who is it then?" asked Ellen who was thinking hard and desperately as to what were best to be done. "It's —I'm sure it's—" "Who, Lord Carrington?" "Nay," answered Deborah with a little simper. "Sir Charles Seton." "Impossible." cried Ellen brusquely. "llow would he be there?" "*Tis he, I'm sure. 1 recognize him." "You have keen eyes," said Ellen looking back. "I always supposed that mine were good." "You might recognize him if it were Lord Carrington," said Deborah patly. "Do you mean to imply that I—that you—" Ellen gave it up as hopeless. "I don't care who it is. Look ahead. Turn your eyes from that young red coat. See yon ship! That will be the New Eagle. See how white her can vas! And, yes"—as the ship swung around on another tack and gave them a view of her broadside —"there's the American flag. That means safety lor us—freedom, if we can shake off this pestilent pursuer in our wake." "But I don't want to shake him off!" cried Debbie. "You must. Would you fall into his arms? 'Tis most unmaidenly," an swered Ellen. "I don't care," cried Debbie, begin ning to whimper. "I guess you can stop crying," an swered Ellen, contemptuously, "for we have no more chance of escaping from that boat than we have of getting aboard yonder ship." Ellen's face gloomed as she spoke. To be foiled after all she had gone through by Sir Charles Seton, whose pursuit of her, after all, was simply for this mawkish, whimpering Debo rah, whom for the first time in her life she hated, was more than she could bear. Site came to a sudden res olution. "I'll run the boat ashore and es cape through the woods rather than be caught by thejp." She swung the tiller over, hauled alt the sheet and in a moment the boat was running toward the island. "What are you going to do?" asked Deborah again? In those days a long shoal, of which Ellen knew nothing, jutted out into the roads. She did not throw her boat deliberately on the shore, but ran along it looking for some suitable place to land. Seton's lugger, of course, followed her motions. They were both under the lee of the island, which broke the force of the breeze somewhat, but Ellen's vessel, being the smaller, got tho worst of it and felt the wind less. Seton's boat was rapidly overhauling the other. In five minutes it would be alongside. Ellen swung the helm over and desperately headed straight for the shore. "Stop! stop, Lady Carrington!"cried Seton, who was now in plain view. "I mean you no harm. Mistress Debo rah, can't you—?" "I can't do anything," cried Debo rah, traitorously. "She won't let me." "If you run down my boat," an swered Ellen, handling her pistols, "I swear I'll use these weapons." "There are no bullets in them," cried Deborah. "Don't be afraid." Ellen turned on her like a young tigress. She could have struck her witli her pistol. Sir Charles only laughed. He was in high glee. "I wouldn't care if there were a thousand bullets in them. I intend to have you out of that boat, Mistress Debbie, and —" There was a sudden scream from Mistress Debbie. The boat in which she sailed met with a sudden check. The little cutter grated upon the edge of the shoal. Ellen sprang to the helm, forgetful of everything else but the present peril. Her boat go ing at a rapid rate had taken ground. She hoped that the touch had been so light that the boat would not be stopped and wrecked. Indeed, she flung herself violently to starboard and the sudden shock swung the boat off the shoal. There was a scraping of sand beneath the keel and the little shallop slid on. Sir Charles was close aboard. Not being a sailor, lie had not noticed, and in tho excitement of the chase, Sir Charles offering reward upon reward to the fishermen if they overhauled the other boat, these men forgot the peril, if, indeed, they knew it. For coming down at full speed and draw ing half again as much water as Ellen's cutter, they ran hard and fast upon the shoal. Ellen had counted upon their doing this very thing. She looked back with eyes of experience, and saw exactly CAMERON COUNTY PRESS, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 1908. their position. Indeed, tliey had bare ly escaped lipping a mast out of the lugger. They were rocking their boat furiously and making every effort to get off, but they had gone on fair and square, the tide was on ebb, and Ellen concluded they were fixed for some time. She rose in the stern sheets and laughed gleefully. She put her boat about and ran down to pass in easy hail of Sir Charles and his men. "Good-by," she called, laughing with mockery that stung him, "before an hour we shall be aboard yon ship I am sorry that you were baiked. A stern chase is a long chase, Sir Charles, as you will find upon the sea." Poor Sir Charles had little to say for himself. He felt very much cha grined and bitterly disappointed. "Gooy-by, Sir Charles," called Debo rah, sadly. " 'Tis not my doing, and —" "Mistress Deborah," answered Sir Charles, plucking up heart, "you have not seen the end of me. I shall lind some means of following you wherever you go." "There, Debbie," said Ellen, "heart up. You did your best to betray me, but I forgive you since we've got free. 1 told you Sir Charles would follow you and he'll find you all the sweet er for his mad chase. w for yon ship." And Ellen laid a course which would in half an hour intercept the oncoming merchantman. CHAPTER XIII. An Impromptu Affair on the High Seas. It was hardly possible at first, even for so practiced and acute an eye as Carrington's, to determine whether ha or Strathgate had the better boat. In the first place, the two cutters were continually on opposite courses, split ting tacks, the wind blowing straight into the harbor, and it was not until they bad passed and repassed each other several limes that (Harrington became convinced that he was gain ing on his antagonist. The gain, how ever, was a slight one. The differ ence in the rate of sailing between the two boats was not very great. Both of them sailed faster than the Plying Star in the air then prevail ing, When the big ship got out into the channel she would probably run away from the two fishing boats with out difficulty. The wind being as it was necessitated a hard beat out, and again this gave the smaller vessels an advantage, for they could hold on where the great ship was compelled to tack for fear of shoal water. And with every tack they gained distance. Carrington studied the sea intently and concluded that if the wind did not shift and it did not come to blow hard er than it was, there was every pros pect that both boats would overhaul the ship. Whether he could beat Strathgate at that game, however, in the time at his disposal was a ques tion. At any rate there was nothing to do but hold on. Master Haight had viewed Carrington's usurpation of the helm with some misgiving at first, but his distrust soon gave place to admiration, for never was a small boat better handled than by the young naval officer. If Carrington had been sailing the cutter in a race for a stake of £IO,OOO, he could not have watched her more carefully or handled her more skillfully. He made everything tell. That worthy fisherman, Cooper, who was sailing Strathgate's boat, albeit he did very well, was a mere tyro com pared to Carrington. Indeed, Carring ton felt as if he were sailing his boat for love, honor, happiness, revenge, all the passions that can engross a heart and move a soul. Strathgate was no sailor, but after an hour's rapid sailing even he could see that eventually Car rington would overhaul him. He spoke of this to Cooper, wringing a reluctant admission of the truth of his conclusions from the sailor, but the latter promised to put him along side the merchant ship at least be fore Carrington ran him down. (TO EE CONTINUED.) MAN WAS TAKING NO CHANCES. Elaborate Precautions to Forestall tha Festive Germ. A man whose poor hearing obliges him to use a speaking tube met an other man who certainly deserves to be set down as the champion foe to germs. The meeting took place in the street. The deaf man signified his de sire for conversation on a certain sub ject. The enemy to germs listened to the question put to him, then surveyed his end of the speaking tube dubious ly. Before attempting to answer l\e took the deaf man by the arm and piloted him into a drug store, where he called for a liquid disinfectant in which he proceeded to immerse a por tion of the tube. "These things are worse than tele phones to spread disease," he com plained. "I don't know who talked into this last. I'm not going to take any chances." The owner of the first aid to hear ing looked on in consternation that was half anger, but as he was very anxious to secure an answer to his question he did not protest against the sterilization of the tube. A Golden Rule. In reflections on the absent, go no farther than you would go if they were present. "I resolve," says Bishop Beveridge, "never to speak of a man's virtues before his face, nor of his faults behind his back." A golden rule, the observation of which would at one stroke banish from the earth flattery and defamation. Cold. It's a mighty cold day when a wom an can't make it hot for a man..—De troit Free Press TO THE BELLE OF MONDAY. Wring out, wild Belle, with swish and swash. With cloud of steam and rub-a-dubs. With squeak of wringer, creak of tubs— Wring out, wild Belle, the weekly wash. Wring out the old, wring out the new: Wring lightly, Belie, and have a care— That sheet Is tearing. Let it tear; 'Tis thus we tell the false from true. Wring out that shirt-waist home-de signed ; It ne'er shall vex my spirit more. I'll send it to the heathen poor To help re-dress some womankind. Wring out that slowly fading frock Of ancient form and last year's sleeves; That shirt quite a la mode of Steve's, And Maud's newfangled fancy stock. Wring out odd shapes of every size— The ever-narrowing under vest, The worn-out socks, and all the rest— Wring out, wild Belle, to the wild skiest —Alice E. Allen, In Judge. WHY, CERTAINLY. Harold—Who was that. homely looking chap I saw you with yesterday, Percy? Percy—Look out, now Harold; that was my twin brother. Harold —Pardon me, old chap; I ought to have known.—Chicago Jour nal. Served Him Right. There was a man in our town Who took passage in a boat With half a dozen other folks For a summer evening's float. Now, this man above mentioned Was drowned that very night; He was the chap who rocked the boat- So it served liini mighty right. —Chicago Daily News. The Tramp's Excuse. "You say you are looking tot work?" said the man at his gate. "Yes, sir," replied the seedy-looking traveler. "Well, didn't you see that sign down the road, 'Fifty Men Wanted?'" "Yes, I saw it." "Well, where are you going then?" "Oh, I'm going to see if I can get the other 49!"—Yonkers Statesman. The Simple Truth. "That advertisement of yours was a fake," protested the disgusted guest. "How so?" demanded the proprietor of the mountain hotel. "Well, it said 'trout areralways to be caught here,' and I haven't seen a man who has caught a single one." "Well, then, they're still 'to be caught,' aren't they?"—Half-Holiday. A Promise. "I hope you are not going to sulk in your tent?" 'No, sir," answered Senator Sorg hum. "No sulking in a tent for me. I shall take care to provide myself witu a four-story house and an income to run it before I undertake to do any sulking."—Washingtin Star. The Start. "My daughter is going to be an actress. She's beginning at the bot tom of the ladder and is going to work up." "Did she join a chorus?" "No, she hasn't got that far yet. She's just got her job as a hotel wait ress." —Detroit Free Press. Johnnie Knew. "Don't cry, Johnnie," said the mother; "you know it hurts your fa ther more than it does you to have to whip you." "Yes, ma'am," sobbed Johnnie; "that's what I'm cryin' for. I hate to see pop hurt!" —Yonkers Statesman. Complicated. He —They say Mrs. Ilichbody is a pretty complex individual. Have you found her so? She —Well, both she and her money talk at the same time and so it's pret ty hard to understand her! —Half- Holiday. A Hard Job. "What makes Mrs. Brown look so terribly haggard? She sepnis all worn out." "She is, poor thing. Her husband's been at home sick for two days."— Detroit Free Press. Possibilities of the Game. "Does it require much physical courage to play baseball?" asked the English visitor. "That depends," answered Miss Cay enne, "on how big a man the umpire happens to be."—Washington Star. In Need of Cutting. Jack Oldboy—lt's cruel of you to snub me. I'm a good sort, If I'm a rough diamond. Miss Stoneleigli—That's the reason you need cutting.—Half-Holiday. imKHiumu PRUNING OF CANE FRUITS. Break Off the Tips of the Nevi Growths. Each year blackben ,s a .nd rasp berries produce new canes. When tha now growth baa attained a height oi IS to 20 inches for black and red raspberries and two feet for black berries, I break oft the top of each cane. No shears or other pruning device is required. The work can be done with the thumb and finger, as the new growth snaps off easily. It is especially important that the shoots be nipped when they reach the height mentioned, instead of being cut back to that height after growing be yond it. A long cane with all the laterals near the top is likely to lop over near ly, or quite, to the ground when laden , Pruning Shears for Berry Bush. with fruit unless It is given some ar tificial support. If the shoots are nipped at the proper time they will develop into strong, stocky canes, well supplied with strong laterals, and holding up the fruit without support. I stop the young growths of goose berries and currants at a height of 15 to 18 inches. The new canes are not all produced at the same time, and some do not develop as rapidly as others, thus making several trips nec essary before all of the new wood is pinched. After harvesting the fruit I cut and burn old blackberry, raspberry, cur rant and gooseberry canes, and from raspberry and blackberry plants -I re move all wood older than the present season's growth, and also new canes that are weak and crowding. Leave six or eight canes per plant of red raspberries and blackberries, but few er canes (about four) of black rasp berries, since these naturally make more branches. Prom gooseberries and currants I remove all canes over three years old and allow a new shoot to take the place of each old cane removed. After pruning a bush consists of six to ten canes of all ages, from one to four years, and there is approximately an equal number of canes of each age. In addition, continues the writer in Farm and Home, to cutting out old canes and superfluous young shoots, the young wood on the old canes that are left, is thinned out and shortened to eight to twelve inches. For cutting out of canes I use a pair of two-hand pruning shears, which are shown in the sketch. The handles of the shears are about 3V6 feet long, and the hook is used for pulling old canes out of the row. BUD DEVELOPMENT. Results of Observations of Various Va rieties of Fruit Trees. The age at which a bud begins to de velop its floral organs is governed somewhat by the variety, species and condition of the tree. Tabulations have been made upon several sorts by which it is found that the peach, plum and cherry usually require from three to four months, while in the case of the apple and pear great variations in age occur. Some buds form floral or gans the first year, while many wait until the second and even third sea sons after formation before they blos som. When the spurs are densely shaded they sometimes never develop. This semi-dormant condition of the buds, awaiting until a favorable sea son conies before developing is very interesting to us, since it gives a plausible explanation for certain trees producing alternating crops of fruit, first a large one and then a small one. A large number of fruit buds are formed and developed during the season the tree bears a light crop of fruit or when it can supply plenty of plant food, while during the season of heavy crop it is impossible for the tree to properly feed the fruit buds and hence a light crop is sure to follow. On this basis apple trees may be readily grouped into two classes— these that possess the characteristics of forming annual flower buds and those that require more than one year to develop. FRUIT FACTS. it pays to raise good fruit. Cultivation among bush fruits should not be continued later than about the middle of this month. The longest keeping fruits are the most profitable, except in locations where all marketing facilities are of the best. Continue to cultivate the strawberry bed. Keep out all weeds and cut off all surplus runners. The caro given the patch now determines next sea son's crop. It may be wise to carry over three year-old strawberry plants under some conditions—but the rule does not fol low with hens. Better make pie of the old birds when Ihey fail. The development of the fruit-growing inteiests must continue, for the de mand is ever on the increase, and much land still remains that will pro duce fruit betttr titan anything elf» IMPORTANCE OF POTATO. Not Only Valuable as Food But Hai Manufacturing Value as Well. The potato is one of the most im portant food products of the civilized world. With a history dating back but little more than 300 years, it shows in iliat brief time a record of develop nieut uncqualed by any other agricul tural plant. Originally a nalive of the mountainous tropic and sub-tropic regions ol' America, it was taken to Europe by the Spaniards early in the sixteenth century, and while it did not become popularized there so rapidly as here, it has during the last cen tury become a staple and almost in dispensable food with most European peoples. Nor is it important alone as a food necessity, for during the past 50 years vast developments have been made, especially in France and Germany, in Ihe manufacture from the potato of starch for technical and commercial purposes and in the production of al cohol for light, power and fuel. In deed in some European states the na tional policy is to encourage the man ufacture of commercial alcohol from such sources as these in order that these countries may escape to some extent the importation of petroleum upon which a good many of them now depend for light and power purposes, it might be interesting in this con nection to note that in 1905 Germany devoted 50 per cent, of her potato crop to this purpose. That is to say, 700,- »00,000 bushels of potatoes, more than twice as many as were produced on the whole continent of North Amer ica, were used by these people in 1905 for the production of commercial starch and alcohol. Potato growing takes rank right among the big agricultural industries af the present day. Pound for pound the civilized races, consume more po tatoes each year than they consume of any other agricultural product whatsoever. —H. B. Smith, at Ontario Institute. GENERAL UTILITY FARM CRANE. Will Prove Especially Useful During Butchering Time. A convenient crane for butchering hogs or beeves or loading or unload ing heavy articles on or from a wag on, may be made in the manner shown in the accompanying illustration. A is a sill 4xt>, 4'/2 feet long. Band B are two pieces of 3x4, 10 feet long which are mortised into A to form a triangle. C is another piece of 3x4, 10 feet long which is placed at a right angle from BB and bolted between them at the acute angle. D and D are two pieces of 2x4, 10 feet long running from A at the base of B B to C to form braces. A windlass, E, is attached to BB by means of iron or steel stirrups at the desired height, on which to wind the rope F, which is atUiched to the outer A Home-Made Lifting Crane. ?nd of C, then passes through a mova ble pulley G and stationary pulley H, ind thence to the windlass E. I, may be an old cultivator wheel or slock to fit over a rod secured at the junction of C and B B to form a pivot, ind to which guy ropes are attached. 1 is a block sunk in the ground to ivlilch the frame is bolted forming a pivot at the base so that the crane 2an make a circle. Posts may be set, says Prairie Farmer, or trees used to fasten guy