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WATCHMAN, Xst*bll h d April, 2S6C uBe Just and Fear not-Let all the Ends thou Aims't at, be thy Country's, thy God's and Truth's." THE TK X SOCTHKON, Kttebltehed jone. is*6 4S>toe i ^ SUMTER. S. C., WEDNESDAY, MARCH 15.1899. New Series-Yol. XVIII. No. 33 WATCHMAN, Xst*bll h d April, 2S6C uBe Just and Fear not-Let all the Ends thou Aims't at, be thy Country's, thy God's and Truth's." THE TK X SOCTHKON, Kttebltehed jone. is*6 4S>toe i ^ SUMTER. S. C., WEDNESDAY, MARCH 15.1899. New Series-Yol. XVIII. No. 33 Good ilea vene, there must 'be "burglars in the honsel He hastily pot on some clothes and then cast a boot for a weapon. There was nothing better than a poker, and with this in his hand he made his way down the staircase. At each step he.stopped and listened, but there was absolute silence, and be began to think be bad been mistaken. He waited at the bottom of the stairs for further indications. He must baye been there fully five minutes before he caught a sound, but at last he was cer tain, some one was moving about in the dining room. Grasping his weapon ' firmly, he opened the door. The room was dimly lighted by the rays of a dark lantern, and at the far end Brett saw a man busily engaged with the silver on the sideboard. There were a couple of open bags on the table, and in them and around them he saw a quantity of the household plate. The man bad bis back toward him and did not hear his entrance, and Brett was close upon him before a creaking board betrayed him. The thief turned round instantly and laced him. Brett knew him in a moment, despite his disguise. It was the mau: he was looking for, the man the had seen coming from Keighley Grates* xooms, the man who had tried to rifle the body of Lady Florence Mos tyn, the man whom he suspected had abducted Mabel At last he was face to face with the scoundrel. He had him in his power. 'With fierce exultation he raised his weapon. ''Hands up, you blackguard,1' cried he, "or TU brain you!" The man's hands mechanically went up aloft "Now, Dr. Fitzgerald," said Brett, "we meet again" He never finished the sentence, for there was a stealthy step behind him and a terrible Wow on the bead with a life preserver, and he fell senseless and without a cry. ^'Thanks, old chap, " said Fitzgerald, dropping his arms with a sigh of relief. "Whoever would nave expected that donkey turning up nere?" "Cursefaim!''hissed Gates between his teeth. "He and I are quits now. But look sharp. Stow away what swag we have and close up. We must be off. Others may have heard us. I'll go and listen." Leaving Fitzgerald to collect the booty and without bestowing a thought on the inanimate body on the floor, Gates opened the door sof tly and went, out in the hall. In an instant he saw that the house hold ha4 taken alarm. There was whis pering, the opening of doors, and he csught the eight of a figure on the stairs. Without even giving a signal of aiarm to Fitzgerald, Gates ran to the, front door. It was the work of an instant to i -open it and in another he was flying down the steps into the street. Here his With exultation he raised his weapon. ill luck followed him, for he ran straight into the arms of a policeman who was passing. . His wonderful fertility of resource now stood him in good stead. "Quick, officer!" he said. "Don't lose a moment Murder and robbery I' ' and he dashed up the steps, almost dragging the policeman after him #Go on first," said Gates encour agingly, when they stood in the pas sage. "I daren't" The policeman drew his truncheon and moved forward. A manservant was hesitating at the bottom of the stairs and higher upa group of affrighted wo ' tren were huddled together. At that moment the door of the din ing room opened and Fitzgerald appear ed. He had heard noises and become alarmed, particularly so as Gates had not returned. In one hand he carried a bag and in the other he held a life pre server. The policeman turned on his lantern straight into his face, blinding him for the moment and in the next he leveled him on the floor with his truncheon and then flung himself on top of him. Fitzgerald struggled hard, for he was still game, but the of oer and the footman managed to hold him down and finally banden ff him. '"Here," said the policeman when this had been accomplished, detaching his whistle, "you go to the front and blow this." The servant did so, and in a few min utes a couple more policemen were in the house. Dr. Fitzgerald, despite his eloquent protests, was now further secured, and the officers proceeded to make investi gations. The gas was lighted, and the first object that met their eyes was the apparently lifeless body of Captain Brett Blood was streaming profusely from an ugly wonnd in his head." -'There's been murder here," o ! one of the men, bending over him. 1 for a doctor-quick. There's one at far end of the street Look slippery he'll bleed to death, if he isn't deac ready." The footman ran off for the do and the others busied themselves < Brett. They tried to stop the flo\ blood with bandages, and loosened clothes ronnd his neck. Then they cc only wait for the arrival of the doc He soon made his appearance 2 after a rapid examination, he shook head. It was a bad case, he said, if hopeless. ".Well, I'm blest!" said the 2 who had first come on the scene, ; bright idea struck him. "I'll bet cove I met on the doorstep who g me the information was the other on Fitzgerald pricked up his ears. "What was he like, officer?" The policeman paused reflectively "He zan out of the house in dickens of a hurry and nearly kneel me over, and then he hauled me in most as quick, so I hadn't time to tice him particular. But he was a she ian sum, and had a beard*-ginge] shoctldsay." Fitzgerald's eyes almost started fr their sockets, "And yon say this man gave you 1 information, officer?" "That he did. 'There's murder a robbery going on in tbis house,' said, and I followed bim in, and tba suppose he slipped away, as I havel seen bim since. He was a pretty sm* cove, that one was, if it was your p Is be shortish and ginger?" Fitzgerald did not reply. He seem overwhelmed by the news, but at J be muttered between bis clinched tee! "AU right, Mr. Keighley Gates, once saved your life and tonight may you saved mine,; so we're quits so fi but you afterward rounded on a p and, by the God above us, you, sh; swing for it 1" CHAPTER XIX LADY STJQSENCE MOSTYN'S DIAEY. When the door closed behind h captors and shut-out of sight Lady Fie en ce Moetyn's stepbrother, Mat fainted. When she recovered con sci ot ness, it was only to lie, numbly wo dering where she was, too weak ai sick at heart to realize the horror of ti situation--too dazed to suffer moe She passed a restless night, and it w in the early hours of the morning b fore nature asserted herself and she fe into a deep sleep. She awoke clearly and acutely li vii in tbe present, with a sharp consciou ness that was agony. There was x gradual piecing together of events, bi there came the sudden, vivid recolle tion of all that bad happened on ti Previous dav. Her thoughts were interrupted by tl entrance of Sally with a meal. The ol bag vouchsafed no remark as she place it on the table, but at once departed and the door was instantly locked b bind ber. Mabel forced herself to eat Then she investigated the resources < her prison. The window was boarded up over th lower ball, and the upper portion show ed that it was barred behind. Thai was a small fireplace with a narroi masterpiece adorned with gaudy oma menta. There were two chairs wit tumbled antimacassars, the very .sigh of which made her shudder, recallhij ss they did the struggle of the prevjou day. The only other furniture in tb room were the horsehair sofa on whicl the bad spent the night and atable oov ered-with a dirty red cloth. A pile o boxes and an empty hamper were push ed into one corner of this cheerios apartment. Mabel observed ail this ml notary. Finally she pulled up a chai to the window and peered over tbe to] of the shutter into tbe narrow bael street beyond. A drizzling rain was falling, ame there were few passersby. She won dered what ber fate would be if ahi treated their attention. Would tbe} some (0 hex rescue? She had almost de cided to take thia desperate step whee tbe door opened and Fitzgerald entered ''Come down from there," be said harshly, "and don't try that trick os again, please, or I'll board the lot np." Then be added in bis usual manner: "Lady very beautiful-must not excite envy and admiration of neighbors. Un terstand?" He stood gloating over ber discom fiture for a few seconds and then left the room. For a moment Mabel lost heart Could she ever escape if she were so closely watched? With a weary sigh she left the window, and ber eye fell on the boxes and hamper. The latter was empty. So ehe lifted it down and tried to open the box underneath, but it proved unyielding. The lower one teemed to be fastened by a padlock, but she soon found that, though the key bad been turned, the loop had not been forced far enough down to catch the bolt She opened it easily and turned Tver the contents-old newspapers, jurions, roughly drawn plans, a bunch of skeleton keys buried under odds and suds of all descriptions, and a few books. She glanced over the latter, hop ing they might help her through the ireary hours, but they were not attract ive. They were chiefly racing calen dars and guidebooks. A prettily bound volume at length oaught ber eye. It had a lock to it, which had been wrenched loose. She opened it with curiosity, and an exclamation of sur prise burst from her. It was a diary, and on the fly leaf, written in a clear girlish handwriting, was the name of Florence Mostyn ! Mabel's heart beat with intense ex citement, and her hands trembled so j that she could hardly hold the book. At last she opened the diary of the ill fated ' girl. The first entry was on her eight eenth birthday, but Mabel glanced through it rapidly, turning the pages with feverish haste, till her eye caught Mr. Durant's name. Then she read *v ! ery word. Here are some of the entries: "1888, Oct. 26.-There was cuite a orowd of men at Lady Morton's last night, and among them was Mr. ri Durant, the new owner of Abbingl He is one of those wild men of the v, who have been to all sorts of impoES places and seen all sorts of wende things. Bnt papa says that, unlike r travelers' tales, Mr. Durant's are j worth listening to, and that is I praise for him. For myself I am particularly taken with him, but i is nothing. I rarely am impressed people at first sight. Mr. Durant I fair to be popular. He keeps good ho and rides straight. That may accc for it. "Nov. 29.-I observed Mr. Dui more particularly today, perhaps cause he appeared to notice me e less than usual, if that were possi Of course, he is always polite, hui probably does not consider me wc more attention than is demanded by dinary courtesy. He has clear, penet ing gray eyes and a firm chin ; heavy black mustache completely hi his mouth, but I can imagine it ti ! clever and capable. I suppose his f< head does recede a little too much. "Dea 6.-Mr. Durant dined here night There was a crowd of peo] but he was the most interesting of tb al!, and because I was his host's dau ter I suppose he felt obliged to be ten ti ve. We had a Jong talk together the drawing room-in fact, he scare over left roy side. "Dec ll.-The hounds met at Bro worth park today, and we killed Leigh ter ton ; the best run this seas Mr. Durant gave me a splendid le He rides well and already knows ev inch of the county. "Deo. 17.-I need not complain ag) of Mr. Durant's lack of interest. He delighted with my hospital scheme e has offered to help me. "Dec. 19.-We dined at the Tow tonight. "Dinners there are genera tedious ordeals, but tonight was difl ent Mr. Durant took me in. Perhf that accounts for it. "1889, Jan. 7.-The Cottage hospi scheme works splendidly. Mr. Dnran help is wonderful assistance and by t spring we hope it will be ready for t first patients. "Jan. 15.-It is a week since I ha written anything in my diary. I ha seen Mr. Durant every day since. ] was at the meet at Houndscrof t, and J were in at the death at Don kirk. Th he was at the Hoskins' dance, and to me in at Lord Launton's dinner. ] was among the audience at the hospil concert, and on Sunday he was church. Yesterday he walked with i from the other end of the village. I h; been tc see old Hanks when I met hil He was riding, hut he dismounted SJ walked with me to the south lodge, am afraid he would be very miserabl walking all that distance in riding bool "Jan. 22.-Today I have refused Lei Winter again for the, third time. Wi cannot he take 'No' for an answer? wonder if Mr. Durant ever cared enou| for any one to propose three times? "Jan. 27.-Today the most wonde ful thing has happened-Arthur Durai has asked me to be his wife! I cs hardly realize it yet Only when I clo my eyes and again see his gazing int mine I can hear his words, almo whispered *n their intensity. 'Ito you, ' he said. 'I worship you. I hat loved you from the moment I saw yoe 1 avoided you because I felt I was n< worthy to touch the ground on whio you walked. But surely my love he raised me so that I dare plead with yo to let me try to teach you to love me little.' I could not find words, and h thought I did. not care. His voice ws full of pain as he released my hand 'Forgive me my presumption. I am nc worthy of you. I have been roughene by my life, by hardship and travel. Fen give me for daring to tell my love, bo I could not keep silent any longer. ' Hi face was white and set, but still I ha no words. I held out my hands to him and none were needed. I am happy wi Idly happy. He loves me, and, oh, love him sol Tomorrow Arthur see papa-in deference to my wishes, h says, for he is stre it is useless. Iknov pa| is proud, out he can have no tani to find with him. Still, I am nervous and Arthur is certain it is useless. "Jan. 28.-Arthur had an interview with papa this morning. I met him ii the archery ground afterward. It wa as he feared-papa would not hear hin to the end and forbade him to speak ti me on the subject. He eilen oed him in stantly and dismissed him with con tempt Arthur vows that nothing sha! separate us and begs me to fly wi tl him. He says that we will be m arri ec by special license in London ; that w< shall go abroad and stay there til: papa's wrath has cooled. Then we cai come home/and all will be well again. Arthur little knows papa's implacable nature. He is colder than ice, knows nc yielding, and will never pardon. f ? never forgave Bobext, and never will forgive him, though his faults, pooi boy, were small enough. No, I could not run away. It would not be right "Jan. 29.-Today papa sent for me to the library and showed me a letter from Aunt Amelia. She wrote that, owing to her recent bad health-she has never known a day's illness in her life-her doctor orders her to go to Mentone for two months. She will be pleased if Florence will accompany her, in which case she must be in London on Friday. I know this is papa's doing. I told him candidly that I did not wish to go and would not accept the invita tion. He said icily: 'You will go. Flor ence. You will join your aunt, as she wishes, on Friday. ' I was determined be should not frighten me, and an swered with a calmness that equaled lis : 'No, papa. You know I do not like Aunt Amelia, and nothing will make me spend two months with her. I will not go.' His only answer was to open the door and say, with stinging polite ness: 'I have accepted the invitation for yon. You will make arrangements to 30m 'your aunt on Friday. You leave by the 11:17 train.' I meet Arthur at the coppice at 4 o'clock. Yesterday his persuasion nearly overcame me. To ay he shall not call me obdurate and cold. Poor Arthur ! How sad he looked when . he thought his pleading vain ! He little knows how my heart is on fire with iove orh m. " "Wednesday Night,Jan. 30.- Arthur was waiting at the coppice and again poured ont the passionate entreaty that I wonld fly with him. I told him about Mentone. Then he held my hand in a clasp that hurt me and breathed hard ; the words seemed wrung from h.im: 'My darling, listen I You will go to London on Friday, but I will meet you there, and we will be married afc once.* Then I was sobbing in his arms, and he was comforting me. "Jan. 81.-Tomorrow I am to become Arthur's wife. What joy that should mean to me! And yet my heart is heavy. I ought not to take this step. It is the first thing I have ever done un derhand-and yet-and yet-I love him -I love him, and all the world is as nothing to me against my love for him. [ Had papa shown me the slightest affec tion I could not have left him in this way, but I have never known what it was to be loved by him. How can I re-, ject the true love of the man I worship? Tomorrow, Arthur, I shall be yours yours forever! "Feb. 8.-We have been married a week today and are now staying at a little Bedfordshire village, but Arthur has been most of the time at Ab ning han to show himself there and allay any suspicion. There is a great scandal in the county over my disappearance, The first entry was on her eighteenth birth' day. but his remaining on the spot has re moved all suspicion from his shoulders. "Feb. ll.-lam lonely and restless It must be because Arthur is away again. I wish this vague unrest, this undefined something, did not creep in so often. This presentiment of evil haunts me. Why can I not rest and be absolutely content, as I was at first? "Feb. 15.-My nerves are all wrong. I am always dreading some frightful calamity. I will shake this feeling off and ask Arthur when we shall go abroad, as we talked of doing. "Feb. 16.-Arthur says he cannot leave England just now-that his funds are low and that he has some specula tions on hand which will demand his whole attention for the time being, but we will go when all is settled again. "Feb. 22.-Yesterday afternoon Ar thur went to town. He returns by the mail tonight. I have been horribly rest less and cannot sleep I will put on my blue gown-it is his favorite-and wait np for him. I have never done it before. He will be pleased." TO BE CONTINUED. Good sewing machines from $10 np at Sandie's. If yonjare after comfort in sewing yci will get it, if yon buy the "White " Husbands For All His Girls. "The aataber of mala infanta bora yearly exceed* that of female by one to four per cent., the proportion varying slightly from year to year," rites Professor P. R. MeAoaNy of "The American Girl's Chinees of Marriage," io tbe Marsh Ladies' Home Journal. "The mishaps of boyhood, however, reduce the umber of boys to some extent, bot not so math as to make tbe adult females outnumber the males For every American women, therefore, there ought to be a husband io posse if not io esse, aod tbe fact that there ts a large percentage of unmarried adult women ia the country, aod a greater proportionate number io jBooie sections tbao in others, is attributable to causes wbiob bava disturbed tbe balance of population. Io all new oo no tr iee-aod compared with Europe the United States is a new oe un tr;-there is a larger proportion of males than of females. Tbe aggregate popu lation of the United States, so far as tbe latest figures show, is 62.622,250 of which 32,067,880 are males and 30,554,370 are females. Thoa the preponderance of males over females would seem to make it comparatively easy for the. American giri to eecore a husband, bat io certain sectioos thia is evidently oot the ease, else tbe proportion of adult unmarried woms-n would not be so large. If men would remain io the oeigbborboods where they were boro the proportion of meo and womeo would be nearly equal ail over the country, bot meo find work bard to get io the older and more populous oemmooitiea, aod go to the newer States. The yoong womeo are left behind, sod the yooog meo, after settling io their new homes, forget the companions of their youth, aod oootraet alliances amoog their oew friends io the West, benoe some of the Eastern States show a surplus of females. Successful Physicians. We heartily recommend Dr. Hathaway A Co, of 224 B Broad S , Atlanta, Ga., aa being per fectly reliable and remarkably successful in tho treatment of chronic diseases of men and women. They cure when others fail. Our readers if in need of medical help should certainly write these eminent doctors and you will receive a free and expert opinion of your case by J t)turn ma? without coat. Breaks all Records. A New Yorker Stands Two Thousand Volts of Electricity. New York, March 7.-Joseph Hampel, an employe of the Lexington avenue cable power boase, while work ing at his switchboard, received aod survived an electric shock of about 2,000 volts. The man's body was burned black from head to foot ; every stitch of olothiog was toro from bim, and he fell senseless through a bole instantaneously burned in the floor by tbe current Hampel is expected to live. The doctors who attended bim say there is no case on record of a man withstanding a similar shook. . The accident was caused through Hampel trying to tighten a loose screw cn the switchboard and in some way creating a circu t. The enormous power of th shook may be judged from the fact that until the circuits were readjusted all the oars on the road were brought to a standstill. The colony of Fitzgerald, in Irwin county, is in a flourishing condition, as shown by President Fitzgerald, of the colony company His report shows that tbe company baa a margin cf $109,451 above all debts after toe stock is retired It it is stated to be the purpose of Mr. Fitzgerald, so far as he cab influence the affaira of the company in future, to employ ail the surplus assets in founding charitable institutions for patriotic societies and in building churches, libraries and schools. The enterprize waa well conceived and ably managed. Mr. Fitzgerald baa erected for himself an enduring monument ; and one of the best that a man could bave. Georgia i s prond of bis city, and hopes there will be other8 of his kind to come into the State and duplicate bis suc cess -Columbia Record. Admiral Cervera's Watch. A Kansas volunteer, Lieutenant W. A. Bettie, now has io bis posses sion tbe Spanish Admiral Cervera'e watch and chain. He obtained then from the pilot, Jose Baca, who guided the admiral's flagship ont of Santiago harbor on that fateful morn i ing of last Joly 3 When Admiral Cerrera bad called for a pilot to volunteer for tins baz ardons task, Baca was tbs only one to respond The admiral, praised Mm for bia bravery and, taking off bia own watch and chain, bad given them to the pilot on the spot In the disastrous sen fight that followed the pilot Baca *aS wounded. He managed to swim' ashore and made bis way to the American lines: He there met Lieutenant Bettie and bad offered bim tbe watch for money enough to take bim borne to Barce lona. The watch is diamond jeweled and has the Coat of arms of tbe ad* m i ral's family on tbe outside of the case and on the inside tbe name "Pascal Cervera " * - THE ONLY INST ANCE. Washington, March 7.- It wat stated po lively at tbs war department to-day that there bad been oo news of troubto with any of the Eighth immune regi ment at Atlanta. The regiment las one of those slated for metter sot some time ago aod wat fora at ry mastered ont last eight. The department has bear* notbieg from them, stace and some irri tation waa vinoed at rcquiriea whether or cot the soldier bad engaged in riot ing or other dis tar ban cen. lt was said at the war department that it bas be come the eastern te start reports of tnt ; sort in connection with each colored regiment mastered ont from southern points, aed that the denial of snob rumors has become a borden to the department. NO EXCEPTION AFTER ALL Chattanooga, Tenn., March 7-The Eighth United States immunes, color ed, commanded by Col Higgins, wa mustered out of the service to-day. Two citizens were se rio eel y wounded by sh ot 8 from the trato as the soldiers were leaving the city. About 500 of the discharged men, many of whom were under the influence of iionor, wenn home hy the Nashville, Chattanooga and St Louis road, and as they were leaving the yards in the city a number of men who bad in some 'way secured revolvers began to discharge them into the air and into sheds and vacant h00868. A soldier standing on the rear platform shot at W. W. Hardies, car inspector of the Nashville road, the bullet striking him in the right leg aod infliotiog % painful; though not serious wound. A general fusillade followed. Andrew Leotard, a country man, who was standing near the track,, was shot io (he face and seriously wounded. An effort will be made to stop the train at Bridgeport to secure the arrest of the riotous soldiers. Paris, March 8 -Io the chamber of deputies to-day the debate on tbe army budget led to the usual references to th ' necessity for preparedness against Ger many aod to comparison of the two armies, but members of the house, while complaining of the budget, which aggregates 875,000,000 francos, ad- ? mitted the impossibility of retrenching, io the faoe of the necessity of meeting Germany's increases by corresponding: additions.