The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, February 17, 1901, Page 11

THE RUNDAY CALL., 11 STEALNGS THE® VEFD < el 7 J H‘ /" 3 of Ban Francisco great triumpk in her h mahogany et &2 < & N S : DS % ENS— = this frail girl took up the rontest in strife over € the ressons wk o st where it h mpled by g = i dered. The coward r's ft of the s s triumph y.. She spent all deeds s p er cer the recor a the evidence, and It was gcod fortune more than chance ¥ when she realized the mass of from - er. E contest against the » t s of ‘her father. e e T £ ad been squeezed out of his hold- » rich Bélla D ine by Leon - end some of his cronles. This - tather's lla was one of the leading spirits ik, perseverance and indomitable en- who contested the rights of Miss Banning Leonora Jackson, an American Gir/ Viohnist Who Carried Germany by Storm, Is Soon to Play in San Francisco. S7® CHARMING American violinist who has coaxed European ears to » listen to her and European hands to applaud her Is on our musical programme for the near future. Leonora Jackson is yet scarcely out of her teens, Yet since she made her debut in Berlin with the Philharmonic Orchestra in October of 159 she has carried off honors that those twice and thrice her age have often coveted in vain. She appeared at court in Germany and soon afterward captured the big Mendelssohn prize. Not one of her succegses is as proud a memory to her as that crowning her appearance at a Leipzic Gewandhaus con- cert on the Washington’s birthday of 1899, She was the first American violin- ist who had ever been engaged as soloist for one of those symphony concerts, al- though they are 125 years old. They are barb-wired with tradition and precedent; see then what it means for an American girl to hLave worked her way In. All the Germen citles have open arms for her now, as, llkewise has Paris. No wonder our own country has a warm wel- come ready for her. Personally she is girlish, unaffected and healthy. She is fond of exercise, for she belleves that it glves health and that Rer art cannot go on without the aid of her health. “Dumbbells every morning” Is her favorite prescription for success. She is rosy, alert, vigorous. “If one must look half-starved in order to be artistic, then don't call me artistic,” she says, ——————— In 1800 there were 803 postoffices in the United States and 1575 miles of postal In 189 there were 75,000 postoffices % miles of postal routes. N 2 s DIRECTION OF HER HIDING PLACE.. .. - - . recover them herself. to the timber claims. Flores was the first to open up the rich ledge of the Bella Donna, but he needed capital to develop the mine with modern machinery. He went to Valladolla, showed him the pros- pects in sight and offered him a share, providing he would furnish the necessary rapital to equip the mine with machinery. * Valladolla jumped at the chance, put up .the money and in a year had the finances of the mine in such a shape that Flores was compelled to sell out to him for a song. Flores swallowed the bitter pill, but he vowed revenge. So when Jessie Banning reopened the case in the courts tor possession of the great mahogany for- 2sts Flores went to her, told her what he knew and offered to help her all he could. His was invaluable assistance, for rot >nly had he heard Valladolla recount some of the inside workings of ‘‘the ring” .to grab the forests but his own fight with Valladolla had taught him the latter's methods. The key to Jessie Banning's proof was the Valdes deeds, for they completed the gap, showing the unbroken title to tha forest lands from the original grantees down through several generations to her mother. It was well known that these important papers had not been destroyed by the robbers, but were In existence, be<" cause they also conveyed certaln rights and privileges which were being used by “the ring.” It was the plan of the latter to wear out the Banning heirs and then produce the Valdes deeds. Jessie Ban- ning was the only one who stood between them and success, and they didn't see how a girl like her could possibly defeat them in the affair a bundle of pa- g to be the original Valdes Very early pers purp A ONE: CARELESSLY THREW THE L.IGHT OF HIS LANTERN IN THE deeds were offered to her at a faney figure. The arch-conspirators had figured that she would snap at these forgeries and use them for the purposes of winning the suft. Of course at the proper moment they were prepared to step in and dra- matically prove the deeds to be gross for- geries, Fortunately, Flores got wind of the matter and warned Miss Banning in time. But the trick, though it falled in execution, produced one momentous re- sult. It revealed the headquarters of the plotters, and by a rare chance showed that the bona-fide Valdes deeds were In the same place. But how to get them? Jessle Banning knew that her father's secrets had been sold out time and again to the other side, and she was afraid to trust anybody with the Important task of recovering the deeds. Whoever got them for her might turn and offer to re- sell them to the other side for ready cash. In this dilemma she decided to try and There was, only one way. Court processes were useless in trying to reach her enemies. She must do as they did when they took them from her father.. ‘Her cousin was a daring lad of 17, and she pitched on the plan of disgulsing her- self in a sult of his clothes and taking him with her on the adventure. She had selected a ralny night for the feat and found everything clear in her recon- noissance of the house where Flores re- ported “the ring” had met. Then fortune played a strange prank In the proceed- ings, which both helped and hurt her. It chanced that a burglary was being com- mitted that same night In a residence al- most directly opposite. The servants ‘were awakened, gavé the alarm and a tusillade of pistol shots rang out on the midnight air. Of course all the household- ers In the neighborhood were awakened by the racket and ran forth to learn the cause of all the confusion. The servants in the bouse where “the ring’ met were among the number. Jessie Hanning nearly collapsed in the uproar, thinking for a moment she was the cause of it. She was paralyzed with fright, but only for an instant. The next the qulck-wit- téd girl realized that the uproar was a golden opportunity offered to.take ad- vantage of the desertion of the servants; then she fell apon the desk containing the Valdes deeds stolen from her father's house. ‘With them safe in her pocket she made 2 a judbllant riysh for the broken window, forgetting for the moment that the gar- dens in that locality were being scoured by the householders, seeking the burglars who had fled from the alarmed house across the way. Unfortunately for her she was observed as she dropped lghtly from the window and a vigilant servant fired a pistol at her. ‘The ball grazed her side, inflicsing a flesh wound. She feit the warm blood. but felt also that even if she was serfously hurt she must make every endeavor to get the Valdes deeds into safe concealment before she was cap- tured. So she plunked headlong into the darkness, followed by the shouts of those in close pursuit. Suddenly, in her mad flight, she stum- ‘bled and werit sprawling headlong Into the water. It was shallow with a stons bot- tom, but she dared not move lest she should get beyond her depth, and so she lav full length with her head just above the surface. Her pursuers were -closa upon her. She could hear them calling to one another and beating' the bushes in thelr fruitless search. Lanterns began to bob about in the darkness; she lay still. fearing to move lest she should disclose her hiding place. Two of her' pursuers met near the water; one carelessly threw the light of h#& lantern In {ts direction, evidently with a view simply to disclose its location, and told his companion to be careful ahd not stumble into “the fish pond.” Time and again her pursuers paseed the pond, but they never thought of seeking her there. However, they were so persistent in their hunt and daybreak was 5o near that she knew it was only a question of little time when she shouid be discovered and dragged to prison and that would be the last of the Valdes deeds and her long fight for her rignts and jus- tice. 82 Then came a figure drifting specter-lika through the darkness in her direction and softly whistling “You'll Remember Me," from the “Bohemian Girl.” Jesste Ban- ning could not withhold an* exelamation of delight. It was Flores’ favorite air and she had often heard him softly whistliag it to himself in that self-same way. ‘“Flores, Senor Flores,” she called soft The shadow and the whistling suddenly stopped. “Senor Flores,” she repeated, and the figuré advanced cautiously to- ward the fish pond. “Where are you, senorita?” he whis- pered in a low. guarded volce. Jessier DANNING = N PERUVIAN ¢:¢:)-s‘l‘ufl§E7',r — <A = “Here In the fish pona.” e brave. - I think we can trick them yet,” he responded. sh! here comes one of them; lie low.” And as a man came up with a lante: Flores turned and pretended to search the bushes. Any signs of the robber?” asked Flores “Not yet, but hé Is somewhere In this square. Of that we are certain and the place is safely surrounded. It Is only a question of a little time and search. Senor Valladolla reports that his house was also robbed and he and his servants have also joined the hunt. We will get the villains, sure. I am going for more lanterns.” And he hurried away into the darkness. When he was well out of hearing Flores picked up a bench on the walk beside ths fish pond and shoved it out into the water toward the submerged girl. ‘“Rest behind that,” he sald. “It may help protect you from any light they flash on the water. T'll go and draw off the searchers to the other end of the square and bring horses to this end. Then we'll make a dash for it. Keep your courage up.” 4 Flores had been gone only a little while when she heard shouts: “There he !s! “Help, help, surround himi™ “This way with the lights, all of you:; we've got him, we've got him!" Then from all directions she saw the lanterns and dark figures go bobbing toward the locality of the shouts. The cries and excitement Increased. She arose out of the water feeling that it was too xood a chance of escape to miss and that maybe she had better run and not wait for Flores. Fortunately, he ran up breathlessly while she was hesitating, grabbed her hand and dragged her away to the far- ther corner of the square. She was shiv- ering and almost numb with cold and he had to half carry her. But they reached the horses, belonging to some of the pursuers, that Flores that tled there in readiness, and in a few minutes they were galloping away. And that was the way Jessie Banning recovered the stolen Valdes deeds. Ths Cuzco court has already given judgment in her favor. It is authoritatively whis- pered that within a month she will marry Georges Flores. Her San Francisco friends are anglously awaiting thelr ar- rival here on the wedding journey.