Seven Keys
, TO
EARL] DERR BIGGERS
"Youre bit the null on tho head," re?
plied Mr. Peter* admiringly. "She's
quirk. She's like lightning. She won't
(Ire ins sny time If she can help It.
Thst's why I'd like to fctvo n wonder
fal speech all ready?something that
would hold her sjadlbound und tongue
tied until I finished. It would take s
literary cIumsIc to do that"
"What you want." laughed Mngee,
'is a *|>eech with tho punch."
"Exactly," agreed Mr. I'etors. "1
guess 1 won't go over to Brooklyn the
minute 1 bit New York. I guess I'll
study the lights along tho big street
snd brush elbows with the world a bit
before 1 reveal myself to her. Maybe
If I took lu a few shows?but don't
think I wou't go to her. My mind is
made op. And 1 guess she'll be glud
to see me too, lu her way. 1 got to
Ix It with Int. though, to como back
to my postcard trade in the summers.
I wonder what she'll any to that. May?
be she coukl stay at the Inn under an
assumed us tue while I was her mit lug
up at the shack."
Be laugh I softly.
Then Mr alsgee went forward Into
the smoking car. I/mg rows of red
plush seats, unoccupied anvo for the
mayor sod Mai, greeted his eye. lie
ttretled to where they sat, about half?
way down the car, and lighted an after
Week fast cigar.
Max slouched In the unresponsive
company of a cigarette on one side of
tag ear; across tho aisle the mayor of
Reuton leaned heavily ubove a card
table placed between two scats, lie
was playing solitaire.
Magee looked on. only half interest?
ed. Theo suddenly his Interest grew.
He watched the mayor build lu two
piles; be saw that the deck from which
Le built waa thick A weird suspicion
shot across bis mind.
"Tell me." he oaked, "Is this the ud
game of solitaire?"
tly what I wus golug to ask."
i voice. Magee looked up. Ken
' id come In and stood now above
? a Ills tired eyes were upon It.
lasciuaced; his lips twitched strangely
??Tea," answered tho mayor, "this la
the admiral's game. You'd hardly ex
pect me to know it, would you? 1
don't hung out at the swell clubs
where the admiral does. They won't
have me there. Hut once I took the
admiral on n public service hoard with
me-one time when 1 wanted a lot of
dignity and no bra Ina pretty had?and
he sort of come back by tenchlug me
his game In the long dull hours when
we had nothing to do but serve the
pnbllr The thing gets a hold on you.
somehow Let's see?now the apodo?
now the heart**
Kendrlck leaned closer. His breath
came with a noisy quickness that
brought tbe fact of his broathlug in?
sistently to Mil gee's mind.
"I never knew how it was played."
ha said.
Something told Mr. Magee that he
outcht to rise and drug Kendrlck away
frtm that table. Why? He did not
know, still. It ought to be done. Hut
tan look in Kendrlck's eyes showed
dearly that tho provcrblu! wild horses
could not do It then.
"Tell do how It's played." went on
Kendrlck. trying to bo calm.
"You must be getting old," replied
the mayor. "Tho admiral told me the
young men at his club never took any
Interest In bis gume. 'SollL,.i^o., he
says to me. 'la un old man's trade.'
It's a great game. Mr. Kendrlck."
"A grant game," repeated Kendrlck.
"Yea, It's s grout gnmo." His tono
waa dull. "1 want to know how It's
played." be auld again.
?The all of clubs." reflected the
mayor, throwing dowu uuothcr curd.
"t>ay. she's line now. Then* ain't
much to It. You n*o two dsjsjkn, exact?
ly erlke, ahuftle em together -tho eight
?f hearts, the Jack of-say. that's
great! You lay th curds dowu here
Just ss they come, like this"?
He paused. 11 la huge hand held a
giddy pnateboard. A troubled |, <>k
waa on hi* fnce. Then ho smiled hap
pfly und went on lu triumph.
, "And then you build, Mr. Kendrlck,"
he auld. "tho reds und the blacks. Yoti
build the blseka on tho left mid the
fed* on the right l>o you get me?
Then nay. what's the matter?"
Tor Kcndrbk had swayed und al
moat fallen on tho admiral's game
fh# game that had once sent u man to
bell.
"Oo on!" he said, bracing "N'oth
Ing's tho mutter Go on! Hulld. dnsh
ft build!"
The mayor looked nt him n mom ant
In surprise, then continues]
"Now the kins;." lie muttered, "now
tb* uce We're on the Imme scratch,
going strong There. It's llnMied. It's
conn* out right. A great game, 1 tell
you "
Professor ftolton pushed open the
smoker door uud sat down.
Cargan leaned br Kendrlck's fever
yellowed face was Nfefl a bronze Mam
Ilm ores were Mercery ou the tab.? ana
the two decks of curds that lay there.
??And when you've llnlshed," he point?
ed. "When you've finished"?
Mr. (nrgan picked up the deck on
the left.
"All black," he snld, "when the game
conies out right."
"And the other?" Kendrick perHlsted
softly. He pointed to the remaining
deck. A Itrrlhlu smile of understand
"Red. What else oould it be? All red."
Ing drew bis thin lips taut "And the
other, Mr. Cargan?"
"Red." replied Cargan. "What else
could it be? All red."
Ue picked it up and shuffled through
it to prove hid point Kendrick turned
like a drunken man and staggered back
down the aisle. Mngee rose and nur
-led ?fter him. At the door ho turned,
and tbo look on his face caused Magee
to shudder.
(To be Continued.)
TEXAN COTTON LEGISLATION.
state Senate Agrees to Substitute
Wurehouse Hill.
Austin. Texas, Sept. 5.?Legislation
intended to facilitate the market Inn
of the present cotton crop in Texas
was advanced toward enactment to?
day, when the State senate agreed to
substitute the emergency warehouse
hill already passed by the house for
measures pending in the upper branch
of the SSeOOabty, Adjournment was
lohest before the Ml] was called for Its
third reading and passage.
As adopted by the bOOOS the bill
Sfoetdea tot Mate supervision of pii
fatS OWned warehouses, making re?
ceipts more readily negotiable and an
amendment added l?y the senate tixes
the maximum amount of interest to
he charged on money advanced on
warehouse receipts to 10 per cent.
AMERICA nUBM TO LEGISLATE.
liar Harbor, Maine, Sept. 4.?De?
claring that President Wilson und the
Democratic congress hat. kept all
plattorm promises, Secretary of the
Navy Daniels in a campaign speech
hen- tonight added that the president
had set America free to legislate
without fear.
"Greater than the tariff law itself,
greater than the currency itself,
?fOStOf than all the needed construc?
tive legislation of the record making
administration," said Mr. Daniels.
looms up thus faet: Thut the people
may legislate Without any longer
fearing that our business Is going to
he checked or our prosperity de?
stroyed. The right to enact such
laws as they conceive is best for them
at last has heen restored to them.
"Under Wilson, the Idealu of Jef
tersons' first inaugural have been
realised Uuotnoss nu looser stran?
gles government, privilege no lesser
holds it up on the highway and rifles
its pockets."
Letrl and llryss in I'lnaD.
AH of I he players in the tennis
tourney have been eliminated except
l.?\i and Bryan, who will play oft
(heir final msteh for the championship
next week on lac T, m. C? a. court.
The defeat of Moses by J.e\i on Friday
Iafternoon havlns let! the latter in to
phi) for the championship.
The match between Moses and Levl
on Friday was well played, but both
wen- loci eautions In their strokes lo
put up a l.I exhibition Of tennis.
Uevl won In atralshl set*, "*-'<;
?i-4.
The eoneokitlon matehes arc being
played off now, and will probably be
'completed next week.
Marriage Meeu e ItecOCtL
A license to marry was granted 1 his
morn Ins to Mr, Jessie Kmlth of Shihdi
and Miss Ncalte l.i .. u: of i*oluil|bla.
with I he urrlvsl or the athletic In?
StrOCtOt at the y. ?\ a. and the
. omlng of fall, baakel ball has lieen
taken up at the y. M ? C, A. nftllll' and
lea ma are practising every nlshi
Phone 104, or write the Cltlseni
11 mi nee Agency for cotton or any
othei kind ol insurance -ail Amerl
[can companies, ,\dvt?
FARMERS*
UNION NEWS
Practical Thought* for Practical
Farmen*.
(Conducted by K. W. Dabbs, Pres?
ident 8. 0? Farmers Union.)
Sumo Kamlom Thoughts.
The county union Is to meet at
Sumter court house next Saturday in
special session to hear reports from
sehool district canvassers and from
tile national union. I regret that I
will not be able to be present on ac?
count of being appointed to go to
Washington as the advance guard of
a big national committee to press up?
on congress the need of immediate
aid from the government.
e e e
1 accepted this mission in the hope
thut I may yet secuta? such govern?
ment control of acreage as will be
fair to everybody that is in the cot?
ton growing business, ami as will .also
protect the government in its pur?
chase of cotton, or advance upon cot?
ton. I do not mean that we should
not do all we can to secure pledges
to reduce acreage. We can not af?
ford to let up on tins, but I wish to see
these pledges made effective by law.
ess
The best tiling 1 have seen since I
left home is the move that is well un?
der way in Georgia to have every one
who can do go purchase a bale or
more, according to hid or her re?
sources at 10c par pound from farm?
ers who are so situated that they must
sell. And to hold this cotton off the
market for one year. This can be
made to take 4 million bales, and will
be a strong argument for securing
frow tho government the purchase of
I million bales more or the advance of
10 or 15 dollars per bait on that
much direct to the farmers.
We ought then not have any trou?
ble to sell for 10 cents and maybe
II 1-2 cents the remaining I or 7
million bales <>f this crop. If we could
secure legislation that would cut out
the crop entirely next year 1 believe
we COUld sell right away half this crop
at I t cents, and next year we could
sell the balance at it; to 20 cents. But
if we can not secure such drastic
legislation WC should strive to reduce
the acreage to 15 million acres in the
entire country that not more than 5
million bales be added to this crop lor
the two years' supply. This would
mean that the government would be
absolutely safe at 10c per pound.
ana
Unless something that will be ef?
fective to really reduce acreage is
done 1 think getting the government
to lend money on cotton, or to buy cot?
ton is not an "irrcdesccnt dream."
ana
Among tho matters we have under
OOnatderatlon, mutual insurance of the
cotton we will hold under either the
direct purchase plan or under any
loan system, is a most important one.
if we today were carrying our own in?
surance or if we had the money in
South Carolina that we have invested
for us outside the State to make good
our losses from lire and death, we
could retire so many hales of our cot?
ton that it woidd be no trouble to
handle the balance.
a' n a
I trust our next mooting will take
this matter up in earnest. I am writ?
ing to ask Commissioner McMaster to
meet with the county union next Sat?
urday and discuss this matter with
our people. Maybe sometime our
people will see the Importance of do?
ing something. I have letters from i
the Tanners' Mutual Fire Insurance
Company of York County and ami
writing that they send a man to our
meeting next Saturday. Proper insur?
ance Ig a vital part of any loan sys?
tem or any purchase and holding sys?
tem. And should be secured at the
lowest possible safe rate.
* >{: $
One of my canvassers for holding
cotton and reducing acreage found j
the small tanners toward Pudding
Swamp resolved not to Bell, and their
tobacco has enabled TTiem to lie in?
dependent about selling. Hope all the
districts in the county will be able to
report at the Suturduy meeting.
B. W. D.
The Meeting of the National 1 nion.
For three days the union was in
session it K*orl Worth. Toxus, The
dele-gates cuiiie from every state south
oi tiir Potomac nml Ohio livers und
west of the Mississippi, Including Illi?
nois There being bo many from
State that <b? not grow cotton, and
therefore cannot upprcelalc our con?
ditions, it was not unexpected that
man. Ihlii'-'H would Im? discussed be?
side cotton und Its .salo.
* * *
The union hI.i for rniled tflatcv
I trcttsur.i aid III I his rmcrgeney and
? ? ni 1 big committee In Washington
In sect . ?? assistance from congress. It
rejected i'\ overwhelming inabilities
ever) proposition which I made to se?
cure legislative, control oi next year's
irrraffe. \\v farmers are prune to cry
out against lawyers for saying "uncon?
stitutional" about measures; we may
propose but I find fanners are just as
loud in their call on the constitution
as anybody when they think it would
trench on some uf their supposed
rights.
* * *
They Anally agreed to call on all the
farmers, merchants, and hankers to
work for a reduction of cotton acre?
age, but 1 fear it was not as hearty
as it should have been, and that there
were some mutual reservation. it
seems hard to make some people see
thai the powers of the government
are limited in money matters, but
they are quick to say that the powers
Of government arc limited when it
comes to restraining them from doing
as they please.
a e a
They are constantly harping on the
privileges of the national banks, in
fact all banks, but they never think
in saving anything about how those
banks arc regulated by law and in?
spected to sec that they comply with
the law. The farmer wants all the
privileges of the bank, but Immediate?
ly resents any legislative regulation of
his business or government inspection
to see that he complies with the re?
quirements of safe farming.
a e a
It is because-1 believe that govern?
mental aid carries with it govern?
mental regulation and inspection that
1 acepted the appointment to go to
Washington on Thursday as a member
of the National Union's committee to
secure the former. We are face to
face with such disaster that no pow?
er short of the national government
can give us adequate aid, but we must
not demand that aid unles we arc
willing to so regulate our yield as to
make it safe for the government to
assist us.
ana
From all that I heard and read in
the papers of the west, tl have not
seen a home paper in ten days,) 1
think that we should have national
legislative action for uniform and
equitable reduction of acreage. Un?
less it is done in that way govern?
mental aid will greatly embarrass the
administration, and will lose to the
Democratic party some districts in tin
North. Besides that will he the only
way to compel Texas and some of the
other States "to be fair" with us. It
is all very well to secure the
pledges we can but we should not let
up on the idea that we should have
legislation to prevent the men who
will not join with us from nullifying
our pledges.
a a a
I could not begin to give an idea
of the scope of the discussions ot
farm ami governmental policies, lor
whenever there was no discussion of
cotton on the floor of the convention.
I was engaged in wrestling with the
committees on legislation and tie
price of cotton. I met some fine men.
men of broad views, and open winds,
and some that were narrow and ex?
treme. B. W. D.
Mi: KCl IA XT FLEET HILL.
?????? i
tarries Amendments by Naval Com
mlttoc and Agreed to by Wilson.
Washington, Sept. 5.?The admin?
istration bill providing for the creation
of $10,000,004) corporation controlled
by government to purchase merchant j
steamers for the relief of America!, 1
commerce halted by the European war \
was reported to the house today, car- j
rylng amendments proposed by th<
naval committee and agreed to by thel
president. These would make thel
company's fleet available for naval
auxiliary use, and also provide that
present naval auxiliaries be employed
by the company if needed.
Chairman Alexander, of the mer?
chant marine committee, who report?
ed the bill, said he did not know
when it would be called up for con?
sideration.
MEXICANS CONSIDER ELECTION.
Washington, Sept. t?.?Administra?
tion officials expressed satisfaction to?
day over reports from Mexico City
that a general convention of govern?
ors, military chiefs and delegates had
been called for October l to arrange
a programme for a constitutional
olect Ion.
The only dark spot on the Mexican
horizon Is the attitude of Hen. 55a pa tu
Official reports s.ty he refuses to nice!
'airanza unless the latter goes south
to Xapata territory, /.a pa la also said
Ik- would llislsl on the plan of Vyutla.
ihi? effeel that lie should become
Provisional President, bid was willing
i,i ulutrc the executive power equallj
with Carransu. Tin latter has de
ehired the proposal absurd.
Kfforts of fie- American government
t.. bring /.a pa tit and furrnmui into
hnrmoti) continue, but the outlook is
..,1,1 in he discouraging.
??llielals bet e arc confident, howcx
.,. i hal if the i 'arran/.a and Villa fa<
Hi,a agree and mainlaln n strong cen?
tral aovernmeiit, the Zapahi problem
will be disposed of without difficulty,
.?is there would be thousands of Const!
tutlonallsl troops avliable for an ex?
pedition to the south.
PK KS I DK NT SIGNS NAVIGATION
ORDER.
Final stop Taken in Opening Amer?
ican Registry to Foreign ship-.
-
Waehington? Bept. I.?The Unal
step in opening American regiatry to
foreign-built merchant craft was
taken at the White llouae tonight
when President Wilson signed an ?'x-:
ccutlvc oi?i? r suspending from opera?
tion sections of the navigation laws,
as authorised by the new registry bill.
These require1 American watch ofliccrs
on American ships and that Inspec
linn and measurement for registry
??-hull Ik' made liy olhciala.
Several American companies arhlcli
o| ?ernte M of foreign register
steamers Iuive signllied their Inten?
tion <>i" Hying th< <\incrtean nag hern
after. Their ships nun ber more than
SQO,
Floren Jap Ship* to Retire.
Tu n Tslng, Sept. 7.?The Herman
forts at Tslnn Tao o|iened a heavy fire
upon the Japanese warships In the
harbor today, forcing them to with?
draw, i *
v..
Robert
Moo IT,
E. l a v
Make Your Ice Cream and Ices
At Home.
If you want better ice cream, sherbets and ices make them
in your home. But be careful in selecting your flavors. A poor
Vanilla will give a rank, insipid taste to the finest cream.
Bee Brand Flavoring Extracts are made 60 % better than
Nationa I ure Fook Laws require and are endorsed by leading
Hospitals, Domestic Science Schools and National Publication*,
rut up m 25c sizes which most grocers carry.
If ere Arc A Few
liaula. Bradford Brot**, Brun*nit's fasti Uro., Carolina Grocery Co..
Clark, H?cker *v liuhman Levy ,v Moves, J. B. Moore, C. C.
.1. C. Phillip* V. II. PhcJns, W. II INlle ?V Son. M. .1. Saiulcrs. J.
lor.
Young Man,time tells.
the ta!e. Start a Bank j'
account now, while i\
yoie are able"
0 6
DU-14
If You can open a Bank account in this
[progressive Bank with One dollar.
If When you receive your bank book show?
ing your record of deposits?your hand will
clasp one of the best friends you have ever
made. You make your own friends but we
will help you make a Bank account, which
is a friend, always ready at your call and
to it you are under no obligation.
4 Per Csnt Interest Paid on Savings.
I2? BANK OF SUMTER
ESTABLISHED 1889
??????????????????^
$6.50
Jackson
$8.50
Round
vale i J*_ [TAMPA
FLORIDA
From Sumter, S.
|?KOI*ORTIOXATti I \Ki:s I ROM ollll.ti IVUNTS IN N. C.
VA., \M> S. i .
- - VIA THE
Atlantic Coast Line
Till: KTAXOAItl) RAIMtOAII <>l Till, sol Til.
Tk'kcts \\ ill Is* SoM lor all Train*
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22nd.
l.iiniie-ii ictiiriiliig, In rvncli original startin; ivmt ueg Later
Mlilnighl i?f TavvHv, Sept, MU. I'll l.
i in1 Schedule*, Reservation* mal Inforaauibm, Apply to o. v.
I'luyer, Tickri Agent Sunder.**. r? or
W J CRAIG, T. C. WHITE,
Pass. Traf. Mgr. Gen. Pass. Agt.
WILMINGTON, N. C.
????????????????????????????^