University of South Carolina Libraries
a CONQUEST tj By BOOTH T 11 Author of "Cherry," "M I COPYRIGHT, 1005. BY i. ? $ I (Continued from last week.) ?*I>t at "table, when fie was utJUJiny grimly laconic, though now and tben be would bear blin joking heavily with Sam Warden in tbe yard, or, with -evidently humorous intent, groaning at Mamie over Eugene's health; but it ; bad not escaped Ariel that he was on i bis part watchful of herself and upoD bis guard. He did not answer her question, and It seemed to her as 6he continued steadily to meet his hot eyes that he was trying to hold himself under some measure of control, and a vain effort ft proved. Too go back to tnj house!" he burst eet, shouting hoarsely. "Too get back there! Yon stay there!" "No," she said, moving between him and the door. "Mamie and I are going for a drive." Too go back to my boose!" He followed ber, waving ao arm fiercely at bar. "Don't you come around here trying to ran over me! Yon talk about your *affalrs!* All you've got on eartb to tblo two for a nickel old ehack over poor bead and a bushel backet of distillery stock that you can sell by the pound for old paper T' He threw tbe words In her face, the bull bass voice ooamed and cracked with falsetto. "Old paper, old rags, old Iron, bottles, old ?to(bee! You talk about your affairs! Who are you? Rothschild? You haven't pot any affairs!" Not a look, not a word, not a motion Of his escaped ber In all the fury of OOUnd and gesture In which he seemed fairly to envelop himself. Least of all Si halrtvKr ><U fho nnlvMHnff my V4 4M? .-V m I <rf Jaw and temple, the tumultuous agitation of his bands?evade her watchtlfae? "When did you find this out?" she aaid very quickly. "After you became administrator*" He struck the bade of the chair she had vacated a vicious blow with bla Open band. "No, you spendthrift! All Pare was to your grandfather when Rburled him was a basketful of dis7 stock, I Jell you! Old paper! ; Can't you hear me? Old paper, old rags"? Too have sent me the same Income," she lifted her voice to interrupt. "You have made the same quarterly MTments since bis death that you made before. If you knew, why did I 700 do that?" He had been shouting at her with the (rthtlc and incredulous exasjjeration of Intolerant man utterly unused to Apposition, bis face empurpled, bis fore- : bead dripping and his bands ruthlessly pounding the back of the chair, but this straight question stripped blm suddenly of gesture and left him standing Ubp and still before her, pale splotches beflimln$ to show on his hot checks. * fit you knew, wly ?l<f you do It?" | She repeated. "You wrote me that my . income was from dividends, and I knew and thought nothing about It, but j If the stock which came to me was , worthless how could tt pay dividends?" MIt did not," he answered huskily. That distillery stock, I tell you, Isn't : worth the matches to burn it" "But there has been no difference j in my income," she persisted steadily. "Why? Can you explain that to me?" "Yes: I can," he replied. And it temed to her that be spoke with a pallid and bitter desperation, use a i man driven to the wall. "I can If you think you want to know." T do." "I sent it" "Do you mean from your own"? "I mean It was my own money." 8he had not taken her eyes from his, which met hers stralghtly and angrily, tad at this she leaned forward, gating it him with profound scrutiny. "Why did you send It?" she asked. "Charity," he answered after palpable hesitation. Her eyes widened, and she leaned j back against the lintel of the door, j atarlng at him Incredulously. "Char- j she echoed In a whisper. Perhaps he mistook her amazement at bis performance for dl6may caused by the sense of her own position, for tp she seemed to weaken before him the strength of bis own habit of dominance came back to him. "Charity, madam!" he broke out, shouting intolerably. "Charity, d'ye hear? I was a friend of the man that made the money yon and your grandfather squandered; I was a iriend of Jonas Tabor, I say! That's why I was willing to support you for a year and over rather than let a niece of his suffer." " 'Suffer!' " she cried. " 'Support!' You sent me a hundred thousand francs!" The white splotches which had mottled Martin Pike's face disappeared as If they had been suddenly splashed with hot red. "You go back to my house," he said. "What I sent yo.u only shows the extent of my"? "Effrontery!" The word rang through the whole house, so loudly and clearly did 6he strike it?rang in his ears till It stung like a castigation. It was ominous. portentous of justice and of disaster. There was more than doubt of ^???? ? 6 the Judge continued bis walk /\ down Main street be wished / \ profoundly that the butterfly, i Ik wbicb exhibited no annoyance, bad been of greater balk and more approachable, and It waa the evil fortune of Joe's mongrel to encounter him in the sinister bum or of such a wish unfulfilled. Respectability dwelt at Bearer Beach under tbe care of Mr. Bbeeban until his master should return, and Sbeehan was kind, but the small dog found tbe world lonely and time long without Joe. He had grown more and more restless, and at last, this hot morning, having managed to evade the eye of all concerned in his keeping, made off unobtrusively, partly by swimming, and, reaching the road, oantered into town, his ears erect with akxlety. Bent upon reaching the familiar office, he passed tfce grocery, from tbe doorway of which the pimply cheeked clerk had thrown a bad potato at him a month before. Tbe same clerk bad just laid down the Tocsin as Respectability went by, and. Inspired to great deeds in behalf of justice and bis native city, be rushed to tbe door, lavishly seized this time a perfectly good potato and burled It with a result which ecstasized him, fo^U took the mongrel fairly aside the Mod, which It matched In size. The luckless Respectability's purpose to reach Joe's stairway bad been entirely definite, but upon this violence be forgot it momentarily. It Is not easy to keep things In mind when one is violently smitten on mouth, nose, cbeek, eye and ear by a missile large enough to strike them simultaneously. Yelping and half blinded, be deflected to cross Main street. Judge Pike had elected to cross In tbe opposite direction, and the two met in the middle of tbe street. The encounter was miraculously fit ted to the Judge's need. Here wan no butterfly, but a solid body, light withal, a wet, muddy and dusty yellow dog eminently klekable. The man was heavily built about the legs, and the rigor of what he aid may nave been iddltionally inspired by his recognition of the mongrel as Joe Louden's. The impact of his toe upon the little runner's side was momentous, and the latter rose Into the air. The judge hopped, as one hops who, unshod in the night, discovers an unexpected chair. Let us be reconciled to his pain and not reproach the gods with it, for two of his unintending adversary's ribs were cracked. The dog, thus again deflected, retraced his tracks, shrieking distractedly and, by one of those Ironical twists which Karma reserves for the tails of the fated, dived for blind safety Into the store commanded by the ecstatic and Inimical clerk. There were shouts; the sleepy square beginning to wake up; the bench loafers 'strolled to the street; the aged men stirred and rose from their chairs; faces appeared In the open windows of offices; sales ladles and gentlemen came to the doorways of the trading places, so that when Respectability emerged from the emcprv he had a notable audience for the scene he enacted with a brass dinner bell tied to his tail. Another potato, flung by the pimpled, uproarious, prodigal clerk, added to the impetus of his flight. A shower of pebbles from the hands of exhilarated boys dented the soft asphalt about him. The hideous clamor of the pursuing bell increased as be turned the next corner, running distractedly. The dead town had come to life, and its inhabitants gladly risked the dangerous heat in the Interest of sport, whereby it was a merry chase the little dog led around the block. For thus some destructive instinct drove him. He could not stop with the unappeasable ' Q Klo Viivola ond tho Iicrrvi uau^iug at uid uw.o u4jU vuv Increasing crowd yelling In pursuit, but he turned to the left at each corner and thu9 came back to pass Joe's stairway again, unable to pause there or ; anywhere, unable to do anything except to continue his hapless flight, poor meteor. t Round the block be went once more, and still no chance at that empty stairway, where perhaps, he thought, there might be succor aud safety. Blood was i upon his side where Martin Pike's boot had crashed, foam and blood hung upon his jaws and lolling tongue. He ran desperately, keeping to the middle of the street, and, not howling, set himself despairingly to outstrip the '<f CANAAN ARKINGTON, lonsieur Beaucaire,** Etc. HARPER t* BROTHERS ^ i?ii i LTrn In if?'there was conviction. He fell back from this word, and when be again advanced Ariel bad left the house. She had turned the next corner before he came out of the gate, and. as he passed his own home on his way downtown he saw her white dress mingling with his daughter's near the horse block beside the firs, where the two. with their arms about each other, stood waiting for Sam Warden and the open summer carriage. Judge Pike walked on. the white splotches reappearing like a pale rash upon his face. A yellow butterfly zigzagged before him. knee high, across the sidewalk. He raised bis foot and half kicked at it ' CHAPTER XIX. I terror, me mon. disdaining toe sun I enperbly. pursued as closely as It could, 1 throwing bricks and rocks at him. I striking at him with clubs aud sticks. Happy Fear, playing "tic-tac-Toe." right j hand against left, in his cell, heard the , 1 uproar, made out something of what I was happening and. though unaware that it was a friend whose life was J sought, discovered a similarity to his J own case and prayed to his dim gods j j that the quarry might get away. "Mad dog!" they yelled. "Mad dog!" And there were some who cried. "Joe ; Louden'* dog!" that being equally as exciting and explanatory. Three tiuies round, and still the litI tie fugitive maintained a lead. A gray helmeted policeman, a big fellow, had I joined the pursuit. He had children at home who might be playing in the street, and the thought of what might happen to them if the mad dog 6hould head that way resolved him to be cool and steady. He was falling behind, so he stopped on the corner, trusting that Respectability wonld come round again. He was right, and the flying brownish thing streaked along Main street passing the beloved stairway for the fourth : time. The Dollceman lifted hia re volver, fired twice, missed once, but caught him with a second shot in a forepaw, clipping off a fifth toe, one of the small claws that grow above the foot and are always In trouble. This did not stop him, but the policeman, afraid to risk another shot because of the crowd, waited for him to come again, and many others, seeing the hopeless circuit the mongrel followed, did likewise, armed with bricks and clubs. Among them was the pimply clerk, who bad been Inspired to commandeer a pitchfork from a hardware store. When the fifth round came Respectability's race was run. He turned into Main street at a broken speed, limping, parched, voiceless, flecked with blood and foam, snapping feebly at the showering rocks, but still indomitably a little ahead of the hunt There was no yelp left In him?he was too thoroughly winded for that ?but In his brilliant and despairing eyes sbone the agony of a cry loader than the tongue of a dog could utter?"O master, O all the god I know, where are yen In my mortal need 7" Now indeed be bad a gantlet to run, for the street was lined with those who awaited him, while the pursuit grew closer behind. A number of the hardiest stood squarely in his path, and be hesitated for a second, which gave the opportunity for a surer aim. and many missiles struck him. "Let him have it now, officer," said Eugene Bantry, standing with Judge Pike at the policeman's elbow. "There's your chance." But before the revolver could be discharged Respectability had begun to run again, hobbling on three legs and dodging feebly. A heavy stone struck him on the shoulder, and he turned across the street, making for the .National House corner, where the Joyful clerk brandished his pitchfork. Qolng slowly, be almost touched the pimply one as be passed, and the clerk, already rehearsing In his mind the honors which should follow the brave stroke, raised the tines above the little dog's head for the coup de grace. They did not descend, and the daring youth failed of fame as the laurel almost embraced his brows. A hickory walkingstick was thrust between his legs, and he, expecting to strike, received a blow upon the temple sufficient for his "Joe Louden I" called the veteran in a loud voice. present undoing and bedazzleir ent He went ovef backward, and the p tchfork (not the thing to bold poised, on high when one is knocked down) fell with the force be had Intended for Respectability upon his own shin. A train had pulled into the staJon, and a tired, travel worn young man, ? el/VAfVAii *TTO 1 l/A/1 T?Q r\_ uesitruuiug 11ULU a OKX|A;t , namiu ><?|/ idly up the street to learn the occasion of what appeared to be ^riot. When be was close enough to understand its nature he dropped bis bag and came on at top speed, shouting loudly to the battered mongrel, who tried with his remaining strength to leap toward fcim through a cordon of kicking legs, while Eugene Bantry again called to the policeman to Are. "If he does, d?n you, I'll kill hlra!" Joe saw the revolver raised, and then, Eugene being In his way, he ran lull tilt into his stepbrother with all his force, sending him to earth, and went on literally over him as he lay prone upon the asphalt, that being the shortest way to Respectability. The next instant the mongrel was in his master's arms and weakly licking his hands. But it was Eskew Arp who tad saved the little doe. for it .wa8_bis st!c? wB!flh EM tflflieid Qe'eJefk and bis band which had struck him down. 1 All hie bodily strength had departed in that effort, but he staggered out Into the street toward Joe. "Joe Louden.'" called the veteran In a loud voice. "Joe Louden!" and suddenly reeled. The colonel and Squire Ruokalew were making their way toward him, but Joe. holding the dog to his breast with one arm, threw the other about Eskew. "it s a town?li s a town ?tne oia follow flung himself free from the supporting arm?"It's a town you couldn't even trust a yellow dog to!" He sank back upon Joe's shoulder, speechless. An open carriage had driven through the crowd, the colored i driver urged by two ladies upon the back seat, and Martin Tike saw it stop by the group in the middle of the street where Joe stood, the wounded dog held to his breast by one arm, the old man, white and half fainting, supported by the other. Martin Pike saw this and more. He saw Ariel Tabor and his own daughter leaning from the carriage, the arms of both pityingly extended to Joe Louden and his two burdens, while the stunned and silly crowd stood rouud them staring, clouds of dust settling down upon themthrough the hot air. CHAPTER XX. NOW, In that blazing noon Canaan looked upon a strange night?an open carriage whirling through Main street behind two galloping bays, upon the back seat a ghostly white old man with closed eyes, supported by two pale ladles, his head upon the shoulder of the taller, while beside tbe driver a young man whose coat and hands were bloody, worked over the hnrts of an Injured dog. Sam Warden's whip sang acroes the horses; lather gathered on their flanks, and Ariel's voice steadily urged on tbe pace, "Quicker, Sam, If you can." For there was little breath left In the body of Eskew Arp. Mamie, .almost aa white as the old man, was silent, but she had not beakthted In her daring now that she had Deen taugnt to aare. bus ata not come to be Ariel'* friend and bonnet follower for nothing, and It wm Mamie who bad cried to Joe to lift Eskew Into tbe carriage. "Ton most come, too," abe said. "We will need you." And so It came to pass that under tbe eyes of Canaan Joe Louden rode In Judge Plke'a carriage at the bidding of < Judge Plke'a daughter. Toward Ariel's own bouae they aped ( with the stricken octogenarian, for be was "alone In tbe world" and she ] would not take him to tbe cottage where be bad lived for many years by himself, a bleak little house, a derelict , of tbe "early days" left stranded far , down In tbe town between a woolen mill and tbe water works. The workmen were beginning their dinners under tbe big trees, but as Sam Warden drew In tbe lathered horses at tbe gate tbey set down their tin buckets hastily I and ran to help Joe lift tbe old man j out Carefully tbey bore him Into tbe house and laid him upon a bed In one of tbe finished rooms. He did not < speak or move, and tbe workmen uncovered their beads as tbey went out but Joe knew that tbey were mistaken. "It's all right Mr. Arp," he said, as Ariel knelt by tbe bed with water and ; restoratives. "It's all right Don't you worry." ?*" 1l?o Atl/i I laea cue reictau a ujn htiu.ikv, uu, though his eyes remained closed, Joe saw that Eskew understood, for he gasped feebly, "Pos-i-tlve-ly?no?free ?seats!" To Mrs. Louden, sewing at an opstairs window, the sight of her stepson descending from Judge Pike's carriage was sufficiently startling, but when shei saw Mamie Pike take Respectability from his master's arms and carry him tenderly Indoors, while Joe and Ariel occupied themselves with Mr. Arp, the good lady sprang to her feet as If she had been stung, regardlessly sending her workbasket and Its contents scattering over the floor and ran down the stairs three steps at a time. At the front door she met her husband, entering for his dinner, and she leaped at him. Had he seen? What was it? What bad happened? Mr. Louden rubbed his chin beard, Indulging himself In a pause which was like to prove fatal to his companion, finally vouctisaflng the Information that the doctor's buggy was Just turning the corner. Eskew Arp had suffered a "stroke," It was said, and, in Louden's opinion, was a mighty sick man. His spouse replied In no uncertain terms that she had seen quite that much for herself, urging him to continue, which he did with a deliberation that caused her to recall her wedding day with a gust of passionate self reproach. presently be managed to Interrupt, reminding her that her dining room windows commanded as comprehensive a view of the next bouse as did the front steps, and after a time her housewifely duty so far prevailed over her Indignation at the njan's unwholesome stolidity that she followed him down the hall to preside over the meal, not however, to partake largely of It herself. Mr. Louden had no information of Eugene's mishap, nor had Mrs. Louden any suspicion that all was not well with the young man, and, hearing him enter the front door, she called to him that bis dinner was waiting. Engene, however, made no reply and went upstairs to his own apartment without coming into the dining room. A small crowd, neighboring children, servants and negroes, had gathered about Ariel's gate, and Mrs. Louden watched the worklngmen disperse this assembly, gather up their tools and depart. Then Mamie came out of the house and, bowing sadly to three old men who were entering the gate as she left It, stepped into her carriage and drove away. The newcomers, Colonel Flitcroft, Squire Buckalew and Peter Bradbury, glanced at the doctor's bugtContinued on page 7.) V J Weak Women StiNgM, 1 To weak and ailing women. there i? at least one jj L* H ' Hsdl L way to help. But With that way. two treatments, ( flkjll TJi. 7jL F wW Tk must be combined. One it local, ore is constitu- WlmJr rf Uf *11 RCftn tion&l but both are important, both eeeential. . ^ '' ^BTwT^ h " ?ll Mi$H$ Dr. Shoop's Night Cure is the Local. T U r Y* ^ & XL/A aI II a 99 Dr. Shoop's Restorative. the Constitutional. Int ^rr^r OT Hwt The former?Dr. Shoop 's Night Cure?iea topial great mucous membrane suppository remedy, while Dr. _ m ' , Shoop's Restorative is wholly an internal treat- RE vTvO Ta TFlTVi m ment. The Restorative reaches throughout the rod area fine results in 30 day a. It act* entire system, seeking the repair of all nerve, powerfully andquickly. Cures when others fail, all tissue, and all blood ailments. Young men can regain their lost manhood, and The Night Cure . as its name implies, does It* 0ld men may recover their youthful vigor by work while you sleep. It soothes sore and inflaro- using BE VIVO. It quickly and quietly reed mucous surfaces, heals local weaknesses and moves Nervousness. Lost Vitality. Sexual discharges, while the Restorative, eases nervous Weakness such as Lost Power, Failing Memory, excitement, gives renewed vigor and ambition, wasting Diseases, and effects of self-abuse or builds up wasted tissues, bringing about renewed excess and indiscretion, which unfits one for strength, vigor, and energy. Take Dr. Bhoops gtudy. business or marriage It not only cure* Restorative?Tablets or Liquid?as a general tonic by starting at the seat of disease, but is a great to the system. For positive local help, use as well nerve tonic and blood builder, bringing . back the pLnk glow to pale cheek* and reWX^_ Cil- ? ? - - 9 storing the re af youth. It wards oft apa I If* t U f* rillll G preaching disease. Insist on having BE\'IV6, * * JL V# AlVVM no other. It can be carried in vest pocket. By _ _ _ . ? mail, $1.00 per package, or six for $6.00. We mT _*1 _ J, give free advice and counsel to all who wish it, IwlDIlT m. with guarantee. Circulars free. Address A ^ boYAL MEDICINE CO., Marine BU?^ Chics*, III n r cphtt For sale in Kingstree, S C. By U. U abuil. J D c Soott, druggist. CmU'j lit Cm Pta i AN IDEAL RESORT FOR YOUNG AND OLD. Everything New and Up-to-date. CIGARS, CANDY, AND SODA WATER. Hahn's Ice Cream served fresh daily. PROPRIETOR Kingstree Bottling Works. 5i6-o7 x ? y "A dollar saved ' is a dollar made" j There is no better way to save your dollars than by dealing with - J. L. Stuceky, the old reliable live-stock man. I have a splendid line of Hits. Wins nl Hn;s,*i :hat in view of the hard times am offering at 10 per cent 9 ibove cost. 9 A nice bunch of HORSES and MULES always on hand 9 it prices to suit. S J. L St uckey, ukecity,s. c. 1 I SPRING IS HERE! 1 $ g and you want to freshen up your home in keeping with the season. * j* Ji See my new lines of ? % ed Room Suits, Felt Mattresses, Hammocks, ? ? Runs and Matte and Refrioerators. ? I! UMW HUU IUWI....W 4$ 3 3 ? . J* I keep constantly on hand a com. *? <i plete line of : : : : ^ | COFFINS and CASKETS ? 4? and ^am prepared to render my J J* services day and night. ? i I j. J. STACKLE Y7" I 49 THE FFRMTfRE WAN. * KINGSTREE, - - S. C. * f)S969S369S9SSe9S96SS969S? 8 Water f Residen"s S ? AND j s,ore a ? i :~u+ B Ho,els 8 <? I ^ Public buildings JL jj ^Perfect dieting. | g Gasoline Engine for any purpose, jjj '