Casper Daily Tribune Newspaper, January 13, 1917, Page 8

oe oa 4 Mail Route + By H. M. EGBERT ‘on WS UPS OO’ (Copyright, 1916, by W. G. Chapman.) It was seventeen miles by dog sled to Esquimaux Harbor, and Alphonse had pire »f time to cover it. He an- ticipated no difficulty, and in any event none could exist. He was the mail carrier, and it is an axiom of the serv- ice that the mails have to go through. But Alphonse had another cause for looking forward to his arrival at Esquimaux. There lived Nanette, his sweetheart, who had pledged herself to become engaged to him as soon as he secured the contract. And he had secured it, and was on his way to present the visible proof in the shape of his own presence. He knew how Ditterly his rival, Jean Petit, had resented his winning the girl's love. had been half drunk ever since Alphonse secured the mail contract, and Alphonse learned all along the road of the threats that he had made against him. ‘ Alphonse was not thinking of them. Nor was he thinking of Jean Petit. All his thoughts were concentrated upon Nanette as the dogs swung over the hill into the miles of stunted birch | Jean wood that line the trail to within | seven miles of the terminus, As he did so a figure leaped out from among the undergrowth of the preceding year, tall sticks of aborted trees and tangled brier roots, and seized him by the arms, Alphonse rec ognized Jean, mad with drink, mad to the point of murder. He knew that Alphonse halted the dogs, stepped out, and went back. He saw Jean eying him. Jean did not move. Al- phonse stooped dowr and picked up the sack—it was only a little one. “Jean, you acted foolishly,” said Al- phonse. Jean rose to his feet and came to- ward him, looking uncertainly about him. “I am sorry, Alphonse,” he mut- tered. ‘Alphonse stretched out his hand. Jean Petit made a lunge, and the hid- den knife went into Alphonse’s breast below the heart. Alphonse staggered and mail bag on top of him. The blood gushed from the wound. Faintly he heard Jean shouting triumphantly; he saw the crazed man lean over him— and then Jean was striding away upon his snowshoes as fast as he could go. When he was out of eight Alphonse staggered to his feet and carried the blood-drenched mailbag to the sleigh. He collapsed inside it, but not before he had ordered the dogs to “mush.” The dogs started, and now even the thought of Nanette had gone from Al- phonse’s mind. One instinct remained -to get the malls through. Half faint- ing, Alphonse braced his body in the na propping up the mail- bags lest they should fall. The dogs went on at a gallop, but, | finding that their master’s hand no longer stayed them, they went more | slowly. At the foot of the next hill stopped. Alphonse oper his | eyes, to see Jean before him again. j All the drink had gone out of Jean Petit. Realizing whet he had done, he | had run béfore the sleigh through the “Alphonse !" he shouted, “let me look at your wound!" Alphonse groaned. “If you kill me, Jean Petit, wait until the mall reaches Esquimaux,” he said. “Nobody will be about in this cold. It will be easy to finish me after the mails are in the village, and to escap “I did not mean to wound you, Al- phonse,” sobbed Jean, “I was mad be- of Nanette. Let me the wound.” He stepped Into the sleigh and tore open Alphonse’s sheepskin coat Al- though the wound had bled profusely, it was only a flesh one. The rib had fell, the sleigh, row birch woods, cause see turned the point of the knife, and a| small artery, which had been ‘ed, had stopped bleeding alre Jean bound up the wound and fastened Al- | phonse’s coat about him. The sleigh went on. Alphonse began to revive. Naturally strong, the loss of blood had not seriously hurt him; it was rather his fear for the mails that had weakened him, He began to un- derstand now what Jean was doing. At intervals Jean would halt the dogs and come to him, “You are getting stronger, Alphonse,” | he would sa ourage. In an hour you shall s anette again.” } ‘Jeun,” said Alphonse, when the ter- minus was in sight over the hill, “leave me now. I can get the mails | in.” i Jean shook his head. “I must repay To and Fro They Staggered. fe was no match for him in physical strength. Alphonse was wiry, but Jean was built like a stunted giant. The dogs seized the opportunity to come to a standstill, The leaders promptly coiled themselves up in the snow, while the two men struggled in the sleigh. Jean hurled Alphonse into the snow and, before he could arise, flung him- self upon him a “So—you are going to Esquimaux, and you think you will Nanette there!” he sneered. Alphonse said nothing, because this was hardly a time to talk. He wished he could get at his knife, but it was in his belt and the leather sheath had shifted around to the back. “Iam going to kill you,” said Jean Petit. “I am going to kill you, and no- body will know who did it. Your bones will have been picked white by the wolves long before the carrier passes here on his way from Esquim- aux.” Alphonse still said nothing, but he could see murder in Jean's eyes and smell his whisky-laden breath, “After a few months I shall ask Nanette to marry me,” continued Jean. “She loved me before you came, and she will love me again.” He whipped the knife out of his belt, but Alphonse, who had been watching for that movement, himself at him, and the two men wres- tled in the deep snow. To and fro they staggered, Jean was much stronger than Alphonse, but the two were fighting for one man's life, and that man’s desperation lent him new strength. to shake off his assailant and leap into the sled. see flung | knew you did not mean it, Jean, be you,” he answered. “ self up to the polic “You did not know what you were doing, Jean.” “In truth I did not,” answered Jean flercely. “I was mad with rage be cause of Nanette. Does she really love you, Alphonse?” You shall hear her say it,” replied I shall give my- The sleigh rolled on, the dogs burst: ing into shrill barks of Joy as they ree- ognized the end of tt little station beside the gulf looked very lonely in the half-light of short January afternoon. As the barks of the dogs were heard the inhabitants rushed out into the Street. The sieigh came to a stand- still in front of the little store owned by Nanett father, which was the post office, Alphonse staggered to his feet just as Nanette came into the street. In “& moment the girl’s arms were about | his neck “Alphonse !" she sobbed with Joy, “I love thee! I love the Jenn Petit heard her words, as Al | phonse had promised him. He groun¢ | his teeth. It was almost more than | he could bear. For a moment he fought desperately with his evil na- | ture, which prompted him to thrust | his knife again into Alphonse’s side. | But the good triumphed as Nanette | turned toward him, She took his hand | and there were tears In her eyes, “I always hoped for this; I prayed for this,” she cried, “Eh?” stammered Jean Petit. “I was afraid that you would meet on the road, and that you would fight,” said the girl. “It was told to me that you had threatened Alphonse. But I ir Journey. The the | cause you were always very gentle with me. And I want you to be my brother, Jean.” The tears in her eyes were reflect- ed in the man’s. “You do not under- stand!" he cried wildly. “You do not Finally Alphonse managed | know how we met and came here.” “I understand that you have come in together as friends,” she answered. “Mush!” he shouted to the leaders, | Then she realized that Alphonse was and as they rose he saw, out of the| standing weakly against corner of his eye, Jean rushing toward him again. But the sleigh started off, and Jean was left behind. the fugitive, with his fleet dogs. He could not catch | Alphonse. the sled. “You are ill!” she cried. “There is blood on your coat!” “It is all right, Nanette,” answered “I was thrown from the Al-| sled and cut my body upon a plece of phonse turned and saw Jean sitting by | flint In the road. Jean was passing, the roadside, looking at him. Then to his horror Alphonse real- lzed that one of the sacks of mall had and he picked’ me up and carried me to the sleigh.” And he went into the post office with fallen out of the sled. He saw it|an effort of will that forbade any dis- lying by the side of the trall. He] play of weakness. Nanette turned knew that it was safe enough, for Jean | to Jean, Petit, though he was willing to take “How can I thank you?" she cried. the chances of murder, would not dare | “It was like you, Jean—it was just to touch the mail. But the loss ‘of it | like you,” Meant the loss of Alphonse’s position. And Jean knew that the remorse in Besides, there was the matter of duty | his heart could only be wiped out by and Nanette, many years of patient love, | from the mosquito THE CASPER DAILY TRIBUNE Happenings in the Metropolis New York Firemen Doing Their Own Cobblin a EW YORK.—That the members of the New York fire department are a versatile set of men and can readily turn their hands to many things other than fighting fires has been demonstrated on a number of occasions, but perhaps one of the most recent diver- sions since the high cost of living, one that tends to reduce considerably thelr expenses, is the repairing of thelr own boots. st every engine and truck h in the department has a few ibers in the company able to do a lit cobbling. At the headquarters of hook and ladder company No. 40, One Hundred and Twenty-fourth street and Hancock place, are three firemen who are expert in resoling rubber urded or damaged fire hose. Small it almost any junk shop for a few boots. The scres are made from sections of such hose can be picked u cents. A sound plec of the sole desired is selected, cut open and flattened out. It is then roughened and the surface of the sole of the boot also is made rough, in order that t cement which is then applied, will ad- here more firmly. For this purpose regular rasp is used. When the cemere is set the sole Is shaped and trimmed The firemen cobblers also make 1) rubber is dissolved in a bottle cont weeks before being ready for use. “This work is not difficult to do.” sald one of the firemen, who was busily engaged in soling a pair of boots, “after you once get the knack. You see, all that is necessary is a plece of old hose, a rasp, a sharp knife and a bottle of cement, At this moment an alarm rang the firemen cobblers dropped their to eir own cement. ning naphtha. A lump of natural It must stand about two ud with the first stroke of the gong sand in an Instant were on the sliding pole, and a second later were at their places on the autotruck as It dashed out. There Isn’t Much Square About Times Square O BEGIN with, they call it Tim: infested day and night by taxic fal) to see much square about it. A It’s a triangle. Aside from being noted square, but owing to the fact that it is b und hat-check bandits a lot of people a matter of fact, it isn't square at all. for the Hotel Astor and the Times Sane building, it is famous as having been you the scene of the Rosenthal shooting FOUR BITS and the headquarters of the = second Street Country club. The Forty-Second Street Countr club ts largely composed of actors, and its other members haven't any money either. They are the kind of actors who speak of the “Rialto,” but whos: theater of operations is Broadway sidewalk and who are regarded with Forty deep suspicion by bartenders and the custodians of the freelunch counters. | iren’( actors are promoters, promoting a sidewalk loan having | Those who en developed to a high state of et! acy by these members, Many of those persons who frequent the square and Its side become victims of an affliction characterized by the diagnosticians of the detective burenu as the immes,” ulso known scientifically to the bacteriolo- gists of the district attorney's office ag the “Lemmes”—“Gimme” this and “Lemme” that. Times square ts also the habitat of the New York Rocky Mountain sheep, which leaps thirstily from bar to bar, only to conclude the performance at the bar of the night court later on. The night court is largely maintained for the benefit of the denizens of the Tenderloin who cannot bear to remain behind bars for any length of time. They only feel at home when draped gracefully in front of the ma- hogany kind. Fishing for Daphnias Is Hoboken’s Newest Sport ISHING for daphnins has become oue of the popular outdoor sports as well as one of the established industgles of Hoboken. From miles around the fishermen and fishermaids gather in the “mile-square city” every Sunday morning to skim with their fine meshed nets the pools where the daph- nias abound. The daphnia pools are situated in the filled-in ground on the extreme western boundary of the Jersey town at the foot of the slope which sep: rates Hoboken from Jersey Cit Heights. Hovering about the of these pools on certain days of the week may be found the agile repre- sentative of a New York department store which has undertaken to supply | the ever-growing d. nia fisherman is e: 1nd for daphnrias, The chief requisite for a good daph- ht so keen as to enable him to distinguish his catch rvae, for the daphnia is a minute form of shellfish, which erred to as still-weter fleas, The single daphnia when full grown Is often as large as the hend of a pin, and is compe 1, so the encyclo- pedia says, chiefly of animal protoplasm. It gathers in clusters on the surface of the pools S sometimes re Although the daphnia cannot be found on the menu of any restaurant, it constitutes the chief article of diet for certain types of tropical fishes | which are being bred extensively in home aquariums in this country. It was less than a decade ago that the fad of raising these little alien fishes was introduced here, but in that time it has attained a nation-wide popularity that seriously threatened the reign of the ordinary goldfish as the king of pis- catorial pets in the American home, and that, mind you, in spite of the unpronounceable names given to some of the little finny creatures, as, for instance, Girardinus gupp) Platypecelia, Xiphophorus helleri, Danio rerio, Girardinus reticulata and Phalloptycus januarius, Kissing Bees in the Grand Central Station HERE is more kissing at the Grand Central station at certain times of the year than there is probably in any other place on earth. About 30,000 girls participate, and there is every variety of osculation, from the one-minute brand to the sisterly kind. The times of the year are when the college stu- dents and the girls in the private schools are returning from their holl- day vacations and meet in the station. Then, radiant, enthusiastic, bubbling femininity meets and smacks. There are a few cold-blooded maidens from Boston who sniff at the dsculatory art and give frigid pecks as token of their joy at seeing their friends again; but the warm-hearted ones make the station resound likey popping of champagne corks and utter a chorus of “You darling thing. I'm so glad to see you again,” and “Oh, you dear, it’s so sweet to sce you once more.” Occasionally some Yale students will arrive in the station in the midst of the kissing bee, and they will groan audibly. They stand around with their eyes g’ued to the many cupid bows which are bestowing kisses so extravagantly and wonder despairingly why women are so wasteful. The girls look at.them out of corners of their eyes and go on kissing harder than ever. The ordinary passengers watch the performance almost stunned, but the girls pay no more attention to them than if they were so many pests. It is thet» Cissine day, and they don’t care who knows it. streets | The spectacles presented by the Russian Ballet were revelations of gor- geous color. Audiences were en. thralled by them, responding to the fascination of the most marvelous management of color that has ever in- spired them to enthusiasm. It is for students of the times to determine how great an influence these spec- tacles have had on fashions. We see | this Influence reflected now and know | shores | | a field. that it will reappear in the spring, for it has given women “the courage of ~wlor,” as Rostand expresses it. The legends of the ballets make a | imitless playground for the imagina- tions of those who must enjoy so rich In “Scheherazade,” the scene a sultan’s harem. It ying that here is chance producing and elabofating oriental spiendor, “Le Carnaval” betray by its name how great the variety it in- cludes, and “Cleopatra” the wonders of old Egypt. In “Thamar” and “Sadko” imagina- tive designing reaches the zenith of its marvels. In “Sadko” there is nothing either to guide or to hamper the fancy of the costume, The scene is laid at the bottom of the sea in the realm of the ruler of the ocean, where the for- tunes of Sadko, a roving musician, have landed him. The stage is peopled is se for re- s revives goes without | {| with groups representing swaying sea- | weed, corals, sea flowers, fishes and |other inhabitants of the deep, clear waters, The costuming is a revelation of re | Sourcefulne ss and of beauty that lures | the mind Into unexplored paths, Why |not take the corals or anything else jon land or sea as inspirations and make life a continual round of im | personations? In the accompanying picture “The Bird” of the Russian Bal- | let leads us to ponder the prodigality }of nature in clothing the feathered tribe. Color and more color is the be | quest of the ballet. Novelty in Handles. Cherries are always more or less popular on umbrella handles, and one of the new umbrellas fairly bristles with them. Bright red cherries on stems are carried along the full length of the handle. It is the branch of a cherry tree and unusually well laden with fruit. Borders of Braid. On some of the new suits for autamn there is little trimming, though broad silk braid is occasionally employed as 4 border for skirt and coat. Belts are ubiquitous, though on many models the belt appears back and front. The Gorgeous Hat of Midwinter Midwinter make its exit from fashion’s stage. It has made a splendid performance and will be bowed out amid many plaudits for its brilliant triumphs, for it has grown more and more rich and bean- millinery is about to tiful as the season advanced to its climax. Already demi-season hats of atin are making their appearance, in- tended to tide over the time between winter and spring. But we shall not turn our backs on the gorgeous hats of midwinter without casting “one longing, Mngering look behind.” A look will be rewarded with such inspiring headwear as is pictured in the group of hats above, and any one of them is fascinating enough to make one bless the winter season. At the center of the group a hat of heavy blue silk lace is made over a wire frame and lined with silver gauze. The Nattier blue of the lace looks par- ticularly well with moleskin, and the hat has a top crown of this fur, There are medallions in the pattern of the lace, about the side crown, and every other one is covered with a medallion of fur. At the left a hat of satin is covered with a delicate net and lace of gold. Th lace extends beyond the ribbon In the brim. There are three clusters of metallic roses and foliage about the crown, and this model would be quite as much af home among palms and flowers as it is against a background of snow and ice. The third hat is of black chantilly lace and kolinsky fur. The brim-edg® is bound with fur and there is a nat 4 row band of it about the crown. A® odd star-shaped ornament, ‘covered with jet beads, is applied to the top crown and its points are extended into ornaments that lie flat against the side crown, Two jet balls rest on the brim at the right side. The hat is @ reserved and quiet design made sult ciently brilliant to hold its own In ga¥ company, by the jet ornaments. e. Cluny Lace From China. Cluny lace, the most widely service able, durable and practical of hand