The Seattle Star Newspaper, December 24, 1920, Page 7

aged That He Should’ ose as Person of Caste Above Them ing dack into the « ot me” OR. C. pve doctor and 9 Ave, Deputy Prosecutor ¢ said today he had discov “prince” accorft entertainer 25 years ago Barbary Coust, the old vice dis et of San Francisco, He played Banjo, Claypoo! said, masterfully Tasa than three years ago Pondex Wee living in Oakland, according , but loft there hastily white woman F 4 @eleide in his apartment, The % h was Mrs, Mary Millson, one y “patients,” it [x sald. She shot thru the head with a re reer alleged ot Pondexter, g lan | \ was an on D cD SHORTLY REFORE INCE CAME TO SEATTLE is tragedy occurred, police records show, on Noyem- 1, 1918, some time before the of India” showed up in Seat and opened his sanitarium here “@ivine healing of ills and wicked pool says he is collecting these facts to be presented at the | Of Pondexter here for the al- frauding of the parents of Ng Auburn girls whom the te” was giving his unconven. treatments Said two real Hindus had called prosecutor's office and had of- | themselves as witnesses for the to prove Pondexter’s alleged to Hindu royalty a sham. ‘ seemed very much put out.” Claypool, “that an tmpostor, as by indignantly declared Pondexter 3 d pose as a person of caste pve them, They said he is no more than any other descendant of A p black race, and certainly peer of royal blood. BANJO TO WOMEN ler, we are informed, fre- used his knowledge of the ito good advantage. He often fed before women and told them | Was certain his prayers would be On leaying the house, if he to observe a banjo or other instrument in the home, he Yook at it and sa: , here's an instrument that never hakin my hands and knew ‘how to play, but I a few days ago that I might power to play it, We'll aee r haa been answered.” would then take the instru- fumble it clumsily for a mo “then suddenly begin playing 4 some pretty little alr to flee the ladies and assure them of inwplration,’ then leave, oa ~ * ¥ ¥ » said gince Pondexter’s ar- patients and former pa- mof the “prince” had turned up, Rg to offer what testimony they aid the state's case, be trouble with most of them the deputy prosecutor, “that Merely ga Pondexter money them 4 treatment, which of not an offense on ny part. ple of unbelievable that Rg good sense would fal! Uke that.” UOVAKS LEARN AN NAMES NOW 7 Doubt as to Nation- ality Before Revolt SLAVA, Czecho-Slovakta, 23.—-Thousands of peasants in r now, for the first time, ‘know their own name and the me of the place where they live. intil the revolution these people f Were in doubt as to their natfon- y, Some still are. Peason; It was treasén in kia under Hungurian rule to The schools and teach- all Hungarian, A child ‘ing Slovak, out of school geen reading a Slovak book, ished. A third offense meant were & Slovak schoolboy raid his was Vitazoslav (Victor) he was i “You are a Magyar, and your is Gyoz. D SCHOOL LAW, ON PAPER ONLY Hungarian government in the rest of the wafld that ion system was most up Didn't it compel children to school till they were 15, ¢ age in Austria was only e law existed on paper—and only. it before the revolution for @ railroad ticket for, say, va. The station agent (a ¢% then, like all’ officials) ily answered that there was no place. Unless he used the Mag: name Poscony the peasant got no Ii this was the Budapest bureau idea of “Magyarizing” a “sub- race.’ it it has proved to be all hate’s lost. Whea Austria Hungaria over the Slovaks welcomed reunion with Moravians and Bo ins into the Czechoflovak re ic, Thousands of Slovaks who em 4 to America are now returning ‘AKIA WRESTLING WITH SCHOOL PROBLEMS Blovakia {¢ wrestling hard with school problems. She is quad ling her schools, universities and nica} institutes. And instead of her former oppressors, the , Austrians and Germans, Me is giving these people more pols in their own language, Dr, Stephanek, the minister of tion, said to me: _]'t is to our one million Slovaks Shave lived in America that we auch of our active desire for and freer education, the very bout of democracy.” [he surveyed the field with disse. had commit: | Claypoot | | wheels and atreet | make itself heard and felt; and the An O. Henry Story (Copyright & Co; pudlished by ape rangement with the Wheeler dicate, Ina) Tt was with Whistling Dick of the boxcar, for Article Ordinances, authorized (perhaps un constitutionally) arrest on suspicion, and he Was familiar of old with this ordinance . before climbing out, all the ar Syn much caution slid back the care of a good general He saw no change since his last visit to this big, almegiving, long suffering elty of the South, the co! weather paradise of the tramps. Th levee where his freight-car stood was pimpled with dark bulks of merechan The breexe reeked with the remembered, sickening smell of the old tarpaulins that covered bales and barrels, The dun ri slipped wei lalong among the shipping with an olly gurgle, Par down toward Chal mette he could see the great bend in the stream, outlined by the row rie lights Across the river Algiers lay, a long, irregular blot made darker by the dawn which Ughtened the sky beyond. An indue trious tug oF two, coming for some early sailing ship, gave a few appall ing toots, that seemed to be the six nal for breaking day, ghe Italian luggers were creeping nearer their landing, laden with early vegetables and shellfish. A vague roar, subter ranean in quality, from the dray cars, began to forryboats, the Mary Anns of water craft, stirred sullenly to their menial morning tasks Whistling Dick's red head popped suddenly back into the A sight too imposing and magnificent for his gaze had been added to the scene, A vast, incomparable policeman round ed a pile of rice sacks and stood within twenty yards ofthe car, The dally miracle of the dawn, now being performed above Algiers, received the flattering attention of this spect: | men of municipal official splendor He gazed with unbiased dignity at the faintly glowing colors until, at last, he turned to them his broad) back, as if convineed that legal in terference waa not needed, and the) wunrise might proceed unchecked. So he turned his face to the rice bakX and drawing a flat flask from an in side pocket, he placed it to his lips and regarded the firmament Whistling Dick. professional tramp, a halffriendly acquaint ance with this officer. They had met several times before on the levee at night, for the officer, himself a lover of music, had been attracted by the exquisite whistling of the) shiftiess vagabond Still, he did pot care, under the present circumstan cen, to renew the acquaintance. ‘There is a difference between meet ing a policeman upon a lonely wharf and whistling a few operauc airs with him, and being caught by him crawling out of a freight car. So Pick waited, aa even a New Orleans policeman must move on some time pertiaps it is a retributive law of nature—and before long “Big Frits” majestically disappeared between the trains of cars Whistling Dick waited as long as his judgment advised, and then, slid swiftly to the ground. Assuming far as possible the air of an honest laborer who seeks his dally toil, he moved acros® the network of railway lines, with the Intention of making his way by quiet Glrod street to a certain bench in Lafayette Square, where, according to appointment, he hoped to rejoin a pal known as “Siek,” this adventurous pilgrim having preceded him by one day In a cattleear into which a loone slat had enticed hin. As Whistling Dick picked his way where night still lingered among the big, reeking, musty warehouses, he gave way to the habit that had won for him his title. Subdued, yet clear, with each note as true and liquid as & bobolink’s, his whistie tinkled about the dim, cold mountains of bric® like drops of rain falling into a hidden pool, He followed an air, but it swam mistily Into a swirling current of improvisation. You could cull out the trill of mountain brooks, the stac- eato of green rushes shivering above chilly lagoons, the pipe of sleepy birda Rounding a corner, the whistler collided with a mountain of blue and brass. “So,” observed the mountain calm- ly, “you are already pack. Und dere vit not pe frost before two veeks yet! Und you haf forgotten how to vistle, Dere was @ vaise note in dot last bar.” “Whatcher know about {tT «id Whistling Dick, with tentative famil- larity; “you wit yer little Gherman band nixcumrous chunes. Watcher know about music? Pick yer ears, and listen agin. Here's de way I whistled it—ee?” He puckered his Ups, but the big policeman held up his hahd. “Shtop,” he said, “und learn der right way. Und learn also dot a roll. ing strtone can't vistle for a cent.” Big Fritz’s heavy moystache round ed into a circle, and from its depths came a sound deep and mellow as that from a flute, He repeated a few bare of the air the tramp bad been whistling. The rendition was cold, but correct, and he emphasized the note he had taken exception to. “Dot p is p natural, und not p viat Py der vay, you petter pe glad I meet you. Von hour later, und I vould half to put in a gage to vistle mit der chail pirds. Der orders are to bull all der puma after sunrise.” “To which?” “To bull der pums-—everybody mit out fisible means. Dirty days i# der pri or fifteen tollars.” “In dat straight, or a game you givin’ me?” “It's der pest tip you efer had, I gif it to you pecause I pelief you are not #0 bad as der rest. Und pecause you gan visl ‘Der Wreischuta' bezzer dan I myself gan. Don't run against apy more bolicemans aroundt der corners, but go away from town 4 few tays, Goot-pye.” So Madame Orleans had at last grown weary of the strange and ruffled brood that came yearly to nestle beneath her charitable pin lone. After the big policeman had depart ed, Whistling Dick stood for an tr. resolute minute, feeling all th ut raged indignation of a. delinquert tenant who is ordered to vacate his premises, He had pictured to him self a day of dreamful cise when he should have joined his pal; a day of jounging on the wharf, munching the bananas and cocoanuts scattered in unloading the frult steamers; and then 4 feast along the freelunch counters from which the easy going Whistling Dick’s Christmas Stocking 1920, by Doubleday, Page | owners were too good-natured or too | ‘Merry to drive him away, and rward a pipe tp one of the little ry parks and a anoose in some dy corner of the wharf, But was a stern order to exile, and that he knew must be obeyed. with @ wary of generous 80 ye open for the gleam bram buttons, he began his re t toward @ rural refuge. A few days in the country need not nboow disastrous Beyond the of a slight nip of frost there Was no formidable evil to be looked for. However, it was with a deprossed spirit that Whistling Dick passed the old French market on his route down the river, For safety’s sake he still presented to the world his portrayal of the part of the worthy artisan on his way to labor A stallkeeper in the market, unde: colved, hailed him the generic name of his ilk, and “Jack” halted, jtaken by surprise. The vendor, melt sarily prove possibility ed by this proof of his own acute neas, bestowed a foot of Frankfurter and @ half a loaf, and thus the prob lem of breakfast was solved. When the streets, from topograph: ioal reasons, began to shun th bank the exile mounted to the the levee, and on its well-tr path pursued his way, The sub eye regarded him with pletor spirit of the city’s heartless He missed the seclusion of the ed town aud the safety he ways find in the multitude. At Chalmette, six miles upon his desultory way, there suddenly men | aced him @ vast and bewildering in dustry, A new port was being estab Uahed; the dock was being built campreages were going up; picks and shovel and barrows struck at him like serpents from every side. An arrogant foreman bore down him, estimating his muscles with the eye of a recruiting sergeant. Brown men and black men all about him were toiling away. He fied in ter ror. By noon he had reached the coun try of the plantations, the great, aad, silent levels bordering the mighty | river. He overlooked fields of sugar cane fo Vast that thelr farthest lim. its méited into the aky, The mugs making season was well advanced, and the cutters were at work; the wagons creaked drearily after them; the negro teamaters inspired the mules to greater speed with mellow }and sonorous impreeations, Dark- green groves, blu god by the blue of distance, showed where the planta | Yon houses stood, The tall chimneys of the sugar mills caught the eye miles distant, lke nea. At a certain potnt Whistling Dick's unerring noge caught the scent of frying fish, Like a pointer to a quail, he made his way down the levee side straight to the camp of a eredulous and ancient fisherman, whom he charmed with song and story, so that he dined like an admiral, and then like & philosopher annihilated the worst three hours of the day by « nap under the trees. When he awoke and again contin wed his hegira, a frosty sparkle In the air had succeeded the drowsy warmth of the day. and as this por nt of a chilly night translated it self to the brain of Sir Peregrine, he lengthened his stride and bethought him of shelter, He traveled a road that faithfully followed the convolu: tions of the levee, running along its base, but whither he knew not Bushes afid rank grass crowded it to the wheel ruts, and out of this am- Dbuseade the pests of the lowlands swarmed after him, humming a k: vicious soprano. And as the night grew nearer, altho colder, the whine of the mosquitoes became a greedy petulant snarl that shut out all other wounds. To his right, against the heavens, he saw a green light mov. ing, and, accompanying it, the mast» and funnels of a big incoming steamer, moving a# Upon @ screen at a magic lantern show. And there were mysterious marshes at his left. out of which came queer gurgling cries and a choked croaking. The river p of edict rowd uid al | warble to offset these melancholy ine fluences, and it in likely that gever before, since Pan himself jiaged tt on bis reeds, had auch sounds been heard in those depressing solitudes. A distant clatter in the rear quick: ly developed into the mwift beat of horses’ hoofs, and Whistling Dick stepped aside Into the dew-wet grass to clear the track. ‘Turning his head, he saw approaching &@ fine team of stylish grays drawing a double sur rey. A stout man with a white mustache occuped the front seat, giving all his attention to the rigid lines in his hands. Behind him sat a placid, middieaged lady and « briliantlooking girl hardly arrived at young ladyhood, The lap-robe had slipped partly from the knees of the gentleman driving, and Whistling Dick mw two stout canvas bags be tween his feet—bags such as, while loafing in cities, he had seen warily transferred between expreas wagons and the bank doors. The remaining epace in the vehicle was filled with parcels of various sizes and shapes. An the surrey swept even with the sidetracked tramp, the brighteyed girl, seized by some merry, madcap impulse, leaned out toward him with & sweet, dazzling srile, and cried, “Merry Christ-masf! in a shrill, plaintive treble. Such a thing had not often hap. pened to Whistling Dick, and he felt hapdicapped in devising the correct response. But lacking time for re- flection, he let his instinct decide, and snatching off his battered derby, he rapidly extended it at arm's length, and threw it back with a con- tinuous motion, and shouted a loud, but ceremonious, “Ah, there!” after the flying surrey. The sudden movement of the girl had caused one of the parcels to be- come unwrapped, and something limp and black fell from it into the road. The tramp picked it up, and found it to be a new black silk stock ing, long and fine and slender. crunched crisply, and yet with a luxurious doftness, between bis fin gers “Ther bloomin’ little skeexicks!’ said Whistling Dick, with a broad erin bisecting his freckled ‘face, “Wot yer think of dat, now! Merry Chris-my Sounded like a cuckoo clock, dat's what she did Dem guys is swells, too, bet yer life, an’ der old ‘un stacks dem sacks of dough down under his trotters like dey was common as dried apples, Been shoppin’ fer Chrismus, and de kid's lost one of her new socks w'ot she was goin’ to hold up Santy wid. De bloomin’ little skeezicks! Wit’ her individuals reflected the stern | ¢ upon | lighthouses at | t4 THE SEATTLE STAR - Wwrot a ‘Hello, Jack dons wwell as Witt easy as a blowout In Chris must yer Same as to room It? aw | Av'noo, and €ineinnati.” Whistling Dick folded the stocking {oarefully, and stuffed it into his | Cink! way | pocket It nearly two hours when he came upon signs of habita tion, The buildings of an extensive plantation were brought into view by a turn tnt 4. He easily select ed the planter’s retidence in a large square building with two wings with Numerous rood-sized, — well-lighted windows, and broad verandas run ning around its full extent, It was #t upon @ smooth lawn, which was faintly Ht by the far-reaching jof the lamps within, A nob jourrounded it, and old-f walks and fences. The quarters of the hands and the mill buildings were situated at a distance in the rear The read was now enclosed on each side by a fence, and presently, lan Whintling Dick drew n the was later grove hioned arer houses, he suddenly stopped and miffed the alr | “If dere ain't a hobo stew cookin’ j somewhere io din immediate jeinet,” he sald to himself, jhas quit tellin’ de trut’™ Without hesitation he to windward. Te fourm! him in an ap ntly dinused lot | where plies of old bricks were stack jed. and rejected, decaying lumber jin @ corner he mw the faint Jot 4 fire that had become litue }than a bed of living coals, and | thought he could see some dim man forme sitting or lying about He drew nearer, and by the light s little blaze that suddenly flare he saw plainly the fat figure ‘ed man in an old brown ew and cap Dat man, sald himaelf softly, “i Loston Masry high «er He whistled one or two bare of ras Ume melody, and the alr was im mediately taken up, and then quickly ended with a peculiar run. | whistler confident! fire man loud pre climbed the nee welt glow " he Whistling Dic & dead ringer Vl try him wit j de up & | the looked | wheere a axthmat the wel Mr unexpected but addition to our circle Whistling Dick, a friend mine, for whom I fully v walter will lay another cover at Jones. Mr. W. D. will join us at sup \r during which function he Jenlighten us in regard to the ciroum jstancewy that give us the p' re of | bin company," | “Chewin’ de stuffin’ out ‘n de di tionary, as usual, Boston,” said | Whietiing Dick tanka all de |wame for ¢ aahum, I guemm I [finds meself here about de sume way as yous guys. A cop gimme de tip jdis mornin’. You'se workin’ on dis farm?” “A guest.” mid Boston sternly |“shouldn'’t never insult his entertain until he's filled up wid grub. n't g00d business sense, Work in’}—but I will restrain myself, W five—me, Deaf Pete, Blinky and Indiana Tom—got put on to thir scheme of Noo Orleans to work visit | ing gentlemen upon her dirty streets, jand we hit the road last evening, | Just the tender hues of twilight had flopped down upon the daisies and things. Blinky, pass the empty oyrtercan at your left to the empty | gentleman at your right.” | For the next ten minutes the gang | come in wil o jof roadsters paid their undivided at-| | tention to the supper. In an o five-gafion kerosene ean they had cooked a atew of potatoes, meat, and jonions, which they partook of from jamaller cana they had found scat |tored about the vacart lot. | Whistling Dick had known Boston Marry of old, and knew him to be Jone of the shrewdest and most suc jeessful of his brotherhood. He look ed like & prosperous stock rover or & solid merchant from some country | village. He was stout and hale, with ja ruddy, always smoothly shaven jface, Hiv clothes were strong and whistling vagrant atruck up a marry |"eat, And he gave special attention | to his decentappearing shoes ing the past fen jquired a wtation for working a larger number of successfully man |aged confidence gamen than any of | his acquaintances, and he had not ja day's work to be counted agunst jhim. It wae rumored among his aw sociates that he had saved a con siderable amount of money. The four other men were fair specimens of the slinking, iliclad, nolsome |wenus who carried their labels of “suspicious” in plam view, After the bottom of the large can |had been scraped, and pipes lit at Dur years he had ac | the coals, two of the men called Hos | ton aside and spake with him lowly and mysteriously, He nodded de cisively, and then said aloud to / Whistling Dick | “Listen, sonny, to some plain talky-talk, We five are on a lay. I've guaranteed you to be square, land you're to come in-gn the profits |equal with the boys, and you've got to help. Two hundred hands on this plantation are expecting to be paid | & week's wages tomorrow morning Tomorrow's Christmas, and they jwant to lay off, Says the boaw: ‘Work from 6 to 9 in the morning to | | wet a tradn load of sugar off, and I'll) |pay every man eash down for the | week and a day extra.’ They say: |"Hooray for the boss! It goes.’ He drives to Noo Orleans today, and fetches back the cold dollars. Two thousand and seventy four fifty is the amount. I got the figures from a man who talks too much, who got ‘em from the bookkeeper. The b of this plantation thinks he's going to pay this wealth to the hands. He's got it down wrong; he's going to pay it to us. It's going to stay in the lelnure class, where it belongs. Now, half of this haul goes to me, and the other half the rest of you may dl- vide. Why the difference? I repre sent the brains. It's my scheme. | Here's the way we're going to set It | There's wome company at supper in the house, but they'll leave about 9 |'They've just happened in for an hour or #0. If they don't go pretty soon, we'll work the scheme any |how. We want all night to get away good with the dollars, They're heavy About 9 o'clock Deaf Pete and Blinky" go down the road about a | quarter beyond the house, and set fire to a big cane-field there that the cutters haven't touched yet. The wind's just right to have it roaring in two minutes, ‘The alarm’! be given, and every man Jack about the place will be down there in ten min- utes, fighting fire. ‘That'll leave the money sacks and the women alone in the house for us to handle, You've ss rays | me nose | The first | hes. The | there's ud Jheard cane burn? Well ighty few wor oan soreeoh enough to be heard above its crack ling.’ ‘The thing’s dead safe, The only danger is in being eaught be fore we wet far enough away | with the money, Now, if you | "Boato: interrupted Whistling | Diek, rising to his feet, "ks for de grub your fellers has given me, but I be nlovin’ on now." What do n > rising “Ww you can count me outer dis deal You oughter know that, I'm on de bum all right enough, but dat other ting don't go wit’ me, Burk lary ln no good, I'M say good night and many Uankes fer—" Whistling Dick had moved awny « \tow stops as he spoke, byt he stop | ped very wuddenty, Boston had cov lered him with a short revolver of roomy caliber Take your seat,” said the tramp leader, “I'd feel mighty proud of | myself if I let you go and spoil the | ame You'll sttek right in this camp until we finish the Job. end of that brick pile is your | You go two inches beyond that |’ have to shoot, Better take easy, now” | “It's my way of doin’” maid Whistling Dick, “Kasy goes. You can depress de muzzle of dat twelve Incher, and run ‘em back on de trucks, | remains, as de newspapers ‘in yer midst.’ } suid Woston, lowering it , as the other returned and | took his seat aguin on a #rojecting plank in a pile of timber, ‘Don't try to leave; that's all, I wouldn't mine this chance even ff I had to an old acquaintance to make 1 don’t want to hurt anybody but this thousand dollars ing to get will fix me for fair I'm going to drop the r d, and start saloon in @ little town I know I'm tired of being kicked | around.” Boston Marry took from his pocket & cheap silver wateh, and held it near the fire. “It's a quarter to nine,” he said ete, you and Blinky start. down the road past the house, and fire the eane in a dosen places. Then jutrike for the levee, and come back on it instead of the road, won't meet anybody, By the time you get back the men will all be striking out for the fire, and we'll break for the house and collar the dollars, Everybody coughed up what matches he's got." The two surly tramps made a col, lection of all the matches in the party, Whistling Dick ntributing | his quota with propitiatory alacrity and then they departed in the dim starlight In the direction of the road. Of the three remaining vagrants, |two, Gogelens and Indiana Tom, re jolined lazily upon Convenient lumber and reguried Whistling Dick with undisguixed disfavor. Boston, ob- serving that the dimenting recurtt wan dispowed to remain peaceably, relaxed a little of his vigilanc: | Whistling Dick arone presently and |strolied leisurely up and down, keeping carefully within terri | tory assigned him. Yin planter chap,” he said, paus lpg before Boston Harry, “wo't makes yer tink he's got da tin In de house wit’ ‘im? “I'm advined of the facta In the cane,” said Borton. “He drove to Noo | Orleans and got ft, 1 mayl, today Want to change your mind now and come In? “Naw, I was Just askin’, Wot kind Y team did de boss drive? “Pair of grays.” “Double surrey? op.” “Women folks along?” “Wife and kid, Say, what morn- ing paper are you trying to pump news for™ “1 was just conversin' te pan de time away. I guess dat team passed me in de road dis evenin’. Dat's all.” you me anked Bow and it nhoot it Ko into his pockets and continued his |ourtailed beat up and down by the |fire, he felt the silk stocking he |had picked up in the road. “Ther bloomin’ litle skeesicks,” he muttered, with a grin. An he -walked up and down he could #6, through a sort of natural opening or lane among the trees, the planter’s residence, some 75 yards distant. The side of the house toward him exhibited spacioys, well- lighted winddwn through which a |noft radiance streamed, {Muminating |the broad veranda and some extent of the lawn beneath. | “What's that you Boston, sharply. “Oh, nuttin’ "t all," sald Whistling Dick, lounging carelessly, and kick- |ing meditatively at a little stone on the ground. \ “Just as easy,” continued the war. | bling vagrant softly to himwelf, “an’ | sociable an’ mwell an’ sasy, wit’ her |'Merry Chriemus’ Wot d'yer t'ink now!" sald?” asked eee | Dinner, twe he jing served in the | tion dining-room The dining+oom « an fs ap purtenanees spoke of an old revime that was here continued rather than | suggested to the memory, The plate was rich to the extent that ite age and quaintness alone saved it from being showy; there were interesting names signed in the corners of the pictures on the walls; the viands were of the kind that bring a shine into the eyes of gourmets, The |wervice was swift, silent, lavish, as jin the days when the waiters were |assets like the plate. ‘The names by which the planter’s family and their | visitors addressed one another were | historic in the annals of two nations, rheir manners and conversation had |that most difficult kind of ease—the |kind that still preserves punctilio. The planter himself seemed to be the dynamo that generated the larger portion of the gaiety and wit. The younger ones at the board found it more than difficult to turn back on him his guns of raillery and banter. It is true, the young men attempted to storm his works repeatedly, inelt ed by the hope of gaining the appro bation of their fair companions; but even when they sped a wellaimed shaft, the planter forced them to feel |defeat by the tremendous discomfit ing thunder of the laughter with |which he secompanied his retorts At the head of the table, serene, matronly, benevolent, reigned the mistress of the house, placing here and there the right smile, the right word, the encouraging glance, ‘The talk of the party was too desu! tory, too evanescent to follow, but at last they came to the subject of the tramp nuisance, one that had of late vexed the plantations for many miles around, ‘The planter seized the occa- late, was be- incade planta Go| you} Aa Whistling Dick put his hands | sion to direct hin good-natured fire of raillery at the mistrem using her of encournging the plague. “They #warm up and down the river every winter,” he said hey overrun New Orleans, ch the eur plus, which is generally the worst part. And, a day or two ago Madame New Orleans covering th without brushing reat rows of the | themselves on the banquetten, to the polles, ‘Catch ‘em all | police catch a dozen or two, and the |remaining three or four thousand loverflow up and down the and madame there” ally with the carving-knife at her “ds them. hey won't work; they defy my overseers, and they oy friends with my dog~; and mad ame, feed them before my & and intimidate me when I would inter fere, Tell us, please, how many to day did you thus t{neite to future lax news and depredation’” , I think,” said madame, with « reflectivé amile “but you know two of thom offered to for you heard them yourself.” The planter’s disc rang out again “Yes, at their own trades And one was an artificial flower make and the other a « Oh, t were looking for work! Not @ h would they to lift to labor yof any other kind.” “And another one,” soft-hearted mistress, “used quite good language, It was really ex traordinary for one of hin clags, And he carried a watch, And had lived in ton. I don't believe they are all bad, They have always seemed to me to rath lack development 1 always look upon them as children | with whom wisdorn has remained at & standstill while whiskers have con- tinued to grow, We passed one this evening an we were driving home |who had a face as good as it was incompet He was whistling the intermexzo from ‘Cavalleria’ and blowing the spirit of Mascagni him self into 1.” - A brighteyed young girl who sat at the left of the mistress leaned over, and said tn a confidential un dertone: “1 wonder, mamma, if that tramp we pasnod the road found my stocking, and do you think he will hang it up tonight? Now I can hang up but one. Do you know why I wanted a new pair of silk stockings when I have plenty? Well, old Aunt Judy says, if you hang up two that hav will 10 one with good things, and Monsieur Pambe will place in the other payment for all the words you have spoken—-good or bad—on the day before Christmas. That's why I've been unusually nice and polite to every one today, Monsieur Pambe, you know, is a witch gentleman; be and we ¢ her skirts agadnat vagabondy sunning anys work, ncerting laugh continued the on | The words of the young girl were interrupted by a startling thing | Like the wrath of some burned-out shooting star, a black streak came crashing thru the window pane and) |upon the table, where it shivered |into fragments a dozen pieces of crystal and china ware, and then | glanced between the heads of the guests to the wall, igprinting there jin a deep, found indentation, at j which, today, the visitor to Belle meade marvels as he gazes upon it land listens to this tale an it is told. The woman screamed in many keys, and the men sprang to their feet, and would have laid their hands upon their swords had not the ver- ities of chronology forbidden, ‘The planter was the first to act; he sprang to the intruding missile, and held it up do view, “By Supiter! he eried. “A meteoric shower of hosiery! Has communica jtion at Ikst been established with | Mare?” “I should my—ehem!)—Venus,” ventured a young gentleman visitor, looking hopefully for approbation | toward the unresponsive young lady visito The plantgr held at arm's length the unceremonions visitor—a long dangling black stocking, “It's load 64," he announced. As be spoke he reversed the stock ing, holding It by the toe, and down from it dropped a roundish stone, wrapped about by a piece of yellow. ish paper, “Now for the first Inter stellar message of the century!” he cried; and nodding to the company, who had crowded about him, he ad Justed his glames with provoking de liberation, and examined it closely When he finished, he had changed from the jolly host to the practical, decisive man of business, He tm mediately struck a bell, and said to the silent-footed mulatto man who responded. “Go and tell Mr. Wesley to get Reeves and Maurice and about ten stout hands they can rely upon, and come to the hall door at once. Tell him to have the men arm them- selves, and bring plenty of ropes and plough ‘lines, Tell him to hurry.” And then he read aloud from the paper these words: To the Gent of de House: Dere is five tuff hoboes xcept me self in the vaken lot near de road war de old brick piles ia, Dey got me stuck up wid a gun see and I taken dis means of communication, 2 of der lads is gone down to set fire to de cain field below de hous and when yous fellera goes to turn de hoes on it de bole gang is goin’ to rob de house of de money yoo gotto pay off wit say git a move on ye say de kid dropt die sock in der rode tel her merry cristous de same as she told me, Ketch de bums down de rode first and den sen a relefe core to get me out of soke yours truly, Whistlen Dipk. There was some quiet, but rapid, maneuvering at Beelemeade in the ensuing half hour, which ended in five disgusted and sullen tramps be ing captured, and locked securely in an outhouse pending the coming of the morning and retribution, For another result, the visiting young gentlemen had secured the unquall fied worship of the visiting young ladies by their distinguished and herole conduct, Por still another, be hold Whistling Dick, the hero, seated at the planter's table, feasting upon viands his experience had never be: fore included, and waited upon by admiring femininity in shapes of such beauty and “sweliness” that even his ever-full mouth could scarcely prevent him from whistling Ho was made to disclose in detail his adventure with the evil gang of Boston Harry, and how he cunning: ly wrote the note and wrapped it around the stone and placed tt tn the toe of the stocking, and, watch- suddenly din | t she can't go shopping | und the | never been worn, Santa Claus| Humor, Pathos, Romance but suddenly he stopped and ith his head turned sidewlse, Natening From the path along there burst forth a jubilant, stirring, buoyant, thrilling whistle, loud and keen and clear a the cleanest notes of the plecolo, The soaring sound rippled and trilled 1 arpegrioed as must be paid; for had he not # " of wild birds do not; but it them from a imminent free grace that, in a way, lon and maybe a greater calamity? the smal! brown bird He axeured Whistling Dick that he| something familiar, ight consider himself a char | what he could not tell on the honor of Pellermeade; th @| it the position muited to his powers would| birds know; but @ great waste of lav be found for him at once, and hinted) '*h, unmeaning things that art had jthat the way would be heartily/added and arranged, besldps, and smoothed for him to rise to as high | that were quite puzzling and strange; places of dmolument and trus as the | 4d the little brown bird sat with his plantation affofded | head on one side until the sound died But now, they said, he must be|@way In the distance, weary, and the imm thing to| The little bird did not knaw that the | consider was rest and sleep. So the | part of that strange warbling that he |mistreas spoke to a servant, and| Understood was just what kept the | Whistling Dick was conducted to a| Warbler without his breakfast; but he |room in the wing of the house oceu- | knew very well that the part he aid | pled by the servants, To this room, | ot understand did not concern him, jin @ few minutes, was brought a | he gave a little flutter of his wings jportable tin bathtub, filled with|@nd swooped down like a brown bulk |water, which was placed on let upon a big, ft worm that was wriggling along the levee path. |of oiled cloth upon the floc th vag t was left to pesibe ATS |Moose Lodge Plans Membership Drive night Ky the Nght of a candle he ex amined the room. A bed, with the covers neatly turned back, revealed “nowy pillows and sheets. “A worn Preparing for the erection of @ jbut clean, red carpet covered the | $150,000 temple, the Seattle Moose There was a dresser with a|lodse will begin a campaign for 300 |new members January 1. Life mem to those who obtain 26 new members, besides a number of cash prizes, are being offered. holes sent it atlently, with a wonderful centrifugal momentum, |1tke @ comet, at one of the bie Nght ed windows of the dining room, | The planter vowed that the wan derer should wander no more; that hin was a goodness and an honesty |that should be rewarded, and that sbt of gratitude had been made that | Jing hin chance. the levee doubtless bird call, or reveilie, that all pans the | beveled mirror, a washetand with a | | Mowered bow! and pitcher; the two | ber#hips jor three chairs were softly uphol- | jstered. A little table held books, floor papers, and a day-old cluster of roses ae For Christmas—“Biue Moon”-—the happy beverage—all dealers. —Ad@v. ToCure aCold in One Day Grove’s Laxative | Bromo ~w Quinine tablets , Be sure its Bromo 10 in @ jar. There wore towels on a yack and Goa tn 0 white diem | Judge Gay Leaves Whistling Dick set his candie on a under the table. After satisfying An estate of $57,264.96, of which what we must suppose to have been | $25,000 ts in real estate, $7,500 in his curiosity by a sober scrutiny, he |*tocks and the balance in personal it upon the floor, near the wall, as|*0n R. Gay, former judge of the far as possible from the unused bath. |*uperior court, according to the ine tub, Taking his coat fora pillow, he|ventory filed in superior court the carpet. =e , When on Christmas morying, the| Chemists are working to develop = irst streaks of dawn broke above! tashieas powder which will make the awoke, and reached instinctively igh for hia hat. ‘Then he remembered | “t "Bt that the skirts of Fortune had swept vious, and he went to the window and rained Jt, to let the fresh breath | | Proposals will be received by the a ce Bs & siy seth c of Supplies and Accoun! f the morning cool his brow and Hureau, of, Supplies ane saute x good tuck within his brain. }ig2t, for delivering padioe eat An he stood there, certain dread |#teel, pneumatic holsts, and |traveling cranes to the Nav, and ominous sounds pierced the fear Apply fox pees onais to the Supp! “Bieler, avy The foree of plantation workers, | fard. Puget Sound. Wash. of to the r to complete tie shortened task | 84 Mt EL MOROWAN. Peymenee allotted to them, were all astir. The |General of the Navy. the earth, and the poor, tattered and forever disguised Prince in search of his fortune held tight to the window. trembled Already from the bosom of the mill came the thunder of: roiling bar- there was @ great rattling of chains as the mules were harried with stim- ulant imprecations to their places by “dummy” engine, with a train of flat cars in tow, stewed and fumed on the plantation tap of the narrow- ing, hallooing stream of workers were dimly seen in the half dark ness loading the train with the & poem; an epio—nay, a tragedy— with work, the curse of the world, for its theme. the sweat broke out upon Whistling Dick's faee. He thrust his head out of the window and looked down, +Fif of the house, be could make out that & border of flowers grew, and by that token he overhung a bed of soft ' Softly as a burglar goes, he ckun- bered out upon the ail, lowered him- welf until he hung by his hands alone, seeme’ to be about upon this side of the house, He dodged low, and skim med swiftly across the yard to the vault this, for a terror urged him such as lifts the gazelle over the thorn bush when the lion pursues. A on the roadside, a clutching, slippery rush up the grassy side of the levee to the footpath at the summit, and— ‘The east was blushing and bright- ening. The wind, himeelf a vagrant rover, saluted his brother upon the gave cry. A rabbit skipped along the path before him, free to turn to the right or to the left, as his mood | and certainly no one could tell the ul- timate abiding place of its waters. A small, ruffed, brown-breasted dee eee ee throate, tender rite OSE BY Tamee GEWERaTions, piping in praise of the dew Which | were ree s008urr es wormERB0oS ams Ray, reen entices foolish worms from their Bassman. Rece.sros Co, bert.se anasta oo We extend Christmas Greetings Christmas Spirit of Good Will throughout every day of the New chair and placed his hat carefully $57,264.96 Estate removed his coat, felted it, and laid |property, was left by the late Wil- stretched himself huxustously upon | Thureday afternoon. the marshes, Whistling Dick | discharge of artilléry nonobservable him into their folds dn the night pre. | fix the yet dream-like memory of his|@*Jntii 10 o'clock a. m. Janu ‘Yard, ful hollow of his ear. is ‘to the, Supp AMUEL M Poynesier mighty din of the ogre Labor shook sill even in the enchanted castle, and rels of sugar, and (prison-like sounds) thé wagon-tongues. A little vicious gauge railroad, and a toiling, hurry- weekly output of sugar. Here was The December aly was frosty, but teon feet below him, against the wall earth. and then dropped safely. No one low fence, It was an easy matter to crash thru the dew-drenched weeds he wag free! cheek. Some wild geese, high above, should send him, ‘The river slid past, bird, sitting upon a dogwood sapling, Co Our Friends To continue the our carnest desire. To merit your confi. dence as expressed by your generous patron- ¢ of the year now, losing is our ambition,