Newspapers / The Charlotte Observer (Charlotte, … / Feb. 16, 1912, edition 1 / Page 10
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THE CHARLOTTE NEWS, FEBRUARY 16, 1912 JO Cli w t Si kT FORTUNE HUNTER Novelized by Louis Joseph Vance From the Play of the Same Name by WINCHELL SMITH Copyright. 1910. feyWlnch.il Snith and Lev Jwph Vance CIl AFTER T. nr ""IIE text morning I wmt cut for a waiK. i imgerea a. lauuirui ontside Sam Graham's old and much neglected dreg store. thinking of the change that had come over it since the death of Margaret Graham. Betty's mother, for. despite tta out of the way location, the shop h?d not always beeu unprofitable. While Margaret lived (my heart still ached with the memory of her name) Sam's business had prospered. She had been one of those women who can rise to any emergency in the interest of ber loved ones. The tirst to realize Sam's improvidence and lack of execu tive ability, she tad taken held of the business with a Arm hand and made it pay while she lived. : During Margaret's regime, as I say. the shop tad thrived. Sam had few ill wishers In ItadviKe. The trade came Lis way. Then Betty was born, and Margaret died. " Most of this I have on hearsay. I left Eadvilie shortly after their mar rLige and cid not return until some months after Margaret's burial. By that time the shop hnd begun to show eigr of neglect. Its stock was ded icated, its trade likewise. Sam was struggling with his inventions more fiercely than ever seeking fcrgetful jiess, I always tbourht. The business was al'owed to take care of itself. He had always a serene faith in his to porrows. Now. the little shop had been far dis tanced by the competition of Sothern ic.Lee. It was twenty years behind the times, as the saying is. Small, darksome, dreary and dingy, it served chiefly as a living rco-;i for Sam. his clnu.irLter and his cronies as well as for his workshop. Fie had a bench and a ramshackle lathe in one corner, where yon might be sure to find him fatilely pottering at almost any hour, tie owned the little building or that portion of it which it were a farce to term the equity above the 'mortgage and Betty kept house for him in three rooms above the store. ' I pushed the door open and entered. He looked up with his never failing smile of welcome and a wave o his hand. : 'TTowdy. Flotrer! Come In. Well, well. I'm glad to see yon. Sit down. I think that chair there by the stove wiil hold together under vou." "vbat are you doing. San I asked. "Fixin' up the sody fountain. Meant to get it workin last month. Homer, but somehow I kind of for got." He rubbed away briskly at the sin gle faucet which protruded above the counter, lathering it briskly with a metal polish that jmelled to heaven. "Do much sody trade. Sam;' He paused, passing his worn old fingers reflectively across a chin ,r-li,;y ?;.A 8 Alt GRAHAM. fnowy with a stubble of neglected beard. "No." he allowed thoughtfully, "not so much as we used to now that Bothern& Lee 've got this newfan gled, notion of puttin ice cream In a nickel glass , of sody. Most of the oung folks go there now. but still I et a call now and then, and every little bit helps." He rubbed on fe rociously for a moment- "Course I'd lo more, likely, if I carried a bigger Ine of flavors." "How many do yon carry?" "One." be admitted with a sigh, "ts lilly While I filled my pipe he continued lo rub very industriously. "Why don't yon get more?" He flashed me one of his pale, genial taalles. "I'm thinkin' of It. Homer, soon's I get some money In-next reek. mebbe. There's a man In N' $"ork that mebbe can be interested In one of my inventions, Roland Bar nette says. Mebbe he'd be willin'-to put a little money in It, Roland says, and of course If he docs I'll be able to stock up considerable." I sighed covertly for him. He nibbed, humming a tuneless rhythm to himself. t . , -f . ""Roland's goia to write to him about It." "What Invention T I mnteiU incredu lous. Sana put down his bottle of polish and came round tbe counter, beaming. Nothing pleases htm bttr than an op portunity to exhibit woo one of his Innumerable models. "I'll show you. Homer," be volunteered cheerfully, shuffling over to his workbench. He y -V . t I'm seow Tor. homeb.' rasped a match over its surface and applied the tame to a small gas brack et fixed to the wail. A strong rush of gas extinguished the match, and he turned the flow half off before trying again. This time the vapor caught and settled to a steady brilliant Game as white as and much softer than acetylene. "There!" he said in triumph. "What d'ye think of that. HomerT -Why." I said. "I didn't know you had an acetylene plant." "No more have I. Homer." "But what is that, then?" I demand ed. "It's my invention." he returned proudly. "I've been workin' on it tvr years. ITomer. and only got it goin yestiddy. It's goin" to be a great thinu I tell you." "But what is it. Sam?" "It's gas from crude petroleur.i. Homer. See!" he continued. Indicat ing a tank beneath the bench which seemed to .be connected with tl-. bracket by a very simple system of piping, broken by a smaller, cylindrical tank. "Ye put the oil In there just crude as it comes out of the wells. Homer. It don't need refinin. and It runs through this and down here to this, where it's vaporized much the same's they vaporize gasoline for an tymobile engines, ye know and then It Just naturally flows up to the brack et, and there ye are." "It's wonderful, Sam," said I, won dering if it really were. . "And the best part of It Is the econ omy. Homer. ' A gallon will run one Jet six weeks, day in and out. And simple to Install. I tell ye" "Have you got it patented yet?" "Yes. siree! Took out patents just as soon as it struck me how simple it 'ud be more than two years ago. Only, of course. It took time to work it out Just right, specially -when I bad to top now and then 'cause I needed money for materials. But it's all right now. Homer; it's all right now." "And you say Roland Barnette's writ ing to some one in New York about "Yes; he promised he would. I ex plained it to Roland, and he seemed real int'rested. He's kind, very kind." I was inclined to doubt this and would probably have said something to that effect had not a shadow cross ing the window brought me to my feet in consternation. But before I could do more than rise Colonel Bohun had flung open the door and stamped In. He stopped short at sight of me, mis guided by his nearsighted eyes, and singled me out with a threatening wave of his heavy stick. "Well, sir," he snarled, "I've come for my answer. Have you sense enough in your addled pate to under stand that, man? I've come for my answer!" "And may have it vrhatever it may be. for all of me," I told him. His face flushed a deeper red. "Oh, it's only you. is it. LIttlejohn? I took you for that fool Graham in Ahis dirty dark hole. Where is her I looked to Graham, and he followed the direction of my gaze to the work bench, where Sam stood with his back to It, his worn hands folded quietly before him. He seemed a little whiter than usual, I thought, and perhaps it was only my fancy that made him ap-, rear to tremble ever so slightly, for he was Quite calm and self possessed so much so that I realized for the first time there was another man in Rad vllle besides myself who did not fear eld Colonel Bohun. "I'm here, colonel." he said quietly: "What is it you wish?" The colonel swung on him. shaking with passion. But he held his tongue until he had mastered himself some what, a feat of self restraint on his part over which I marvel to this day. "You know well, Graham," he said presently. "You got my letter-the let tef ? xvrot& you a week ago?" "Yes," said Sam. with a start of com prehension. "Yes. I got if "Then why the devil, man, don't yon answer it?" Ram's apologetic smile sweetened his face. "Why," he said haltingly. "I'm nre I meant no offense; but, yon see, Tery bu8v man. I forgof It." The devil yon forgot itl D'ye ex pect me to believe that, man?" m afraid you'll have to." Bohun was speechless for a moment. 'J stricken uuuiu u. a o:;aU.j. &-4UfC oi fury." But again he calmed'hlmself. , "Very well; I'll swallow that inso lence for the present" "It wasn't meant as such. I assure" "Don't Interrupt met D'you hear? I've come for my answer. Yes. I've come down to that. Graham. If you can't accord me the- common courtesy cf a written reply I've come to hear it from your mouth." Sam nodded thoughtfully. "Mebbe." he said, "you forget you have failed to accord me the common courtesy of any sort of communication whatever for twenty years. Colonel Bohun. 13ven when my wife, your daughter, died yon Ignored my message asking you to her funeral." "Be silent!" screamed the colonel. Do you think I'm here to bandy words with you. fool? I demand my answer." ' "And as for that.' continued Snm as evenly as if he had not been Inter rupted, "your proposition was so pre posterous that it could have come ly from you and deserved no answer. But since you want It formally, sir, tt'a no." For a moment I feared Bohun would have a stroke. The back of the chair I bad Just vacated and his stick n lone supported him through that dumb, terrible transport lie shook so violently that I looked momentarily to see the chair break beneath him. There was Insanity In his eyes. When finally he was able to articulate It was In broken gasps. "I don't believe It." he stammered. "It's a lie! I don't believe It. It's madness. The girl wouldn't be so rand." "What is It, father?" I don't know which of us three was the most startled by that simple ques tion In Betty Graham's voice. Sam. at all events, showed the least sur prise. The old colonel wheeled to ward the back of the store, his Jaw dropping and his eyes protruding as though he were confronted with a ghost as. In a way. he was. Even I had been struck by that strange, heartrending similarity to her moth er's tone, and even I trembled a little to hear that voice, as It seemed, from beyond the grave. Betty stood at the foot of the stair case. Alarmed by the noise of thei colonel's raging, she had stolen dowD unheard by any of us. And In thai moment I realized as never befors that the girl had more of her mother BHK HAD STOLEN DOWN T2THJEABD. In ber than lay in that marvelous re production of Margaret Graham's voice. As she waited there one de tected In her pose something of her mother's quiet dignity, in her eyes more than a little of Margaret's trag edy. Of Margaret's beauty I saw scant trace, I own. but in those days my eyes were blinded by the signs of overwork and insufficient nourish ment that marred her young features, by the hopeless dowdines of her gar ments. Abruptly she moved swiftly to her father's side and slipped her hand into his. "What is it father?" she repeat ed, eying Colonel Bohun coldly. "Why, Betty," he said, tremulous "why. Betty, your . grandfather here has been kind enough to offer to take you and educate you and make a lady of you. and and we were just talking it over, dear Just talking it over." "Do yon mean that?' she flung at Bohun, He straightened up and held himself well In hand. "Is it the first you baye heard of It?" - "Yes." She looked inquiringly at her father. "Why didn't you tell, her?" Bohun persisted harshly. ."Were you afraid?" "No." Sam shook his head slowly. "I wasn't afraid, but it was unneces sary You see,. Betty, Colonel Bohun Is willing to do all this for you on sev eral conditions. You must leave me and never see me again. You mustn't even recognize me should we meet upon the street: You must change your name to Bohun and never permit yourself to be known as . Betty Gra ham. Then you must" "Never mind, daddy, dear," said the girl. : "That is enough. I know now. 1 understand .why you never told me. It'a impossible. Colonel Bohun knew " '.-4 . v i ............ a.' v . COSILY dy .hay A FANCY GIRLISH FROCK. s UCH a Imole eirHsh frock as Made with low neck and short sleeves it is adapted to dancing parties and the like; made with high neck and with or without under-aleeves, it is suited to graduation and occasion of the kind. It can be " j 308 Semi-Princesse Dress for Misses and Small Women, 14, 16 and 18 years. mailed to any address by the Fashion of ten cents. No ;..r;. Name , Address. . . . . .-. .."..I.., that when he mailt lue offer, or course. He made it simply to harass you, daddy. . It's his revenge." "And ' that's your- answer, miss?" snapped the colonel, livid with wrath, "I would not." she told him slowly, "accept a favor from you, sir, if I were starving." Bohun drew himself up. "Then starve." he told her and walked out of the shop. CONTINUED TOMORROW. DOC WHITE SOLVES A STANDING PUZZLE Doc White, the left-hand pitcher of the Chicago White Sox, has a convinc ing answer for the everlasting ques tion. "Why can't a left-hand batter successfully hit a southpaw twirler?" White's answer to the query was, "It's the simplest thing in the world. The majority of pitchers in the big leagues are right-handed, are they not? When you were a kid and play ed in lots the majority of pitchers then were right-handed, were they not? . "Admitting that, isn't it reasonable to assume that a ball player from his earliest days to the time he gets into the big league hits against right-hand-pitchers twice as often as he does against southpaws?" "Well, that's the answer and that's all there is to it." "If the big leagues should decide to carry half a dozen left-hand pitchers and only one or two right-handers, you would find all these fellows who can not hit left-handed pitchers would soon be able to solve the port-side shoots." "Take Ty Cobb, for Instance." says White, T used to like to pitch against him when he first broke into the Amer ican league. He was the easiest kind of a proposition for me. But now well, I can't fool him any more, and no other left-hander can; I don't care who he is. "It is claimed that Vean Greeg, the Cleveland southpaw, was the only man who could serve ud something Ty couldn't hit last season. This may be true, but you can gamble that if Gregg stays in the American league very long Cobb will be able to get him." N. Y. World. Tap an Underground River. men drilling 6,550 feet from the portal in the Marsh all unearthed what they believe to be an uuucigiuuua river. Alter nnng sev eral dynamite blasts in the tunnel, workmen started to clear away rock J - 1 u.uu earm loosened by the shots.' A SUddTI niVl rf itrafoK fillasl V.Q tunnel to a depth of four feet, sweep in sr orp cars hofnTO i onir. -,-r. " " - 1 L CLIAJ. LUlUlUg DVT V eral of them completely over. All the workmen escaped. It is said this is the first occurrence of . Its kind ever iwiuu m uoiorado. ..r - Leungs we Biiouia eitner forget to remember, or remem ber to foreet. it-1 , . - - ALKS KiArrron this one is charming for many occasion limue irom any pretty girlish ma terial that m thin enough to be made full eucceMfully, and it can be trim med with the same, with ( contrasting material or with frills of lace. In the illustration it i made of messaline while the trimming is Dlisse a chiffon headed with roee bud banding. Chii fon or crfipe meteorc with gathered frills of shadow lace would be charming or the dress coulq be made entirely ol chiffon or net with the frills of the same. When made as shown in the back view, it be comes adapted to simple materials, and yoke and under sleeves can be of net or lace. The dress consists of blouse and skirt. The blouse is made all in one piece and can be finished either with or with out a lining. The skirt is straight and finished with hem and tucks. If a high neck frock with lining is de sired, the lining can be faced to form a yoke and under sleeves can be inserted in its arm holes. For the high neck frock without lining, the under sleeves can ( be omitted and the yoke can be joined to the neck edge. For the 16 year size will be required 5 yards of ma terial 27, sH yards 36' or 44 inches wide with I yards 44 inches wide for the plaited frills, Vi yards of band ing. The pattern, No. 7308, is cut in sizes for misses of 14, 16 and 18 years of age, and will be Department of this paper, on receipt Size .. . . . . . . . . Cry "Next!" to Gov. Wilson. Trenton, N. J., Feb. 16. Every razor maker in the United States seems to have read that Gov. Wilson, while shaving with an old-fashioned razor, cut his lip last week. When he returned to Trenton from his trip to Kentucky and Chicago, in his mail were six safety razors, a writ- 1 ten guarantee with each that each J one was better than any other razor, and that none of the rabors was so ill-bred as to cut the lip of a man who has so much use for an uninjur ed lip as the New Jersey executive. Every mail is bringing more razors. They range from the cheapest to the most expensive, and some of the boxes bear Gov. Wilson's name in gold let ters. It was suggested that as the gover- ' nor has so many razors now he should send one to eacn 01 tne other irppl- rants for the democratic nomination for president, first removing the safe ty guard. Clothes may not make the man, but the lack of them would, to say the least, be embarrassing. INDIAN KILLED ON TRACK. Near Rochelle, 111., an Indian went to sleep on a railroad track and was killed by the fast . express. He paid for -his carelessness with his life. Oft en it's that way when people neglect coughs and colds. Don't risk your life when prompt use of Dr. King's New Discovery t will cure them and so pre vent a dangerous tnroat or lung trou ble. "It completely cured me, in a short time, of a terrible cough that followed a severe attack of Grip. writes J. R.. Watts, Floydada, Tex., "and I regained 15 pounds in weight that I had lost." Quick, safe, reliable and guaranteed. 50c and $1.00. Trial bottle free at W. L. Hand & Co, CASTOR I A For Infants and Children. The Kind You Have Always Bought Bears the Signature of Auto 1 ires REPAIRED,. VUJUCANIZED RECOVERED Inner Tubes .YutanTzed. We guarantee they will never Iak where wa rulcanize them. First puncture ........ 60 cents. Second puncturo . 25 cents. - Third puncture ........ 25 cents. All sizes new tires carried In stock. Realy Mfg Co 1 M . Tryea at. We'll - -V o o Probl em SykJ T-v mm trri :s That's what's worrying you, isn't It? You want a home and don't sea your way clear to get it. Well, sir, then you're the fellow that wants this store, for the things your home will want are all here; the prices your pocketbook will stand are here and the payments each week or month that your pay-envelope will easily meet will quickly be arranged. Coming In, aren't you? W'e are ready for you. - . We are making some special low prices this week on Upholstered Furniture for your Library or Parlor. The largest stock this side of Balti more to select from. Our prices and goods are of the Parker-Gardner stan dard which is the best. Park Comru.p2y For Rent 1 brick store on Graham St. Ex , tension. 1 seven-room house on South A. St. ' 1 six-room house on East Liberty .St j 1 six-room house on East Stone wall St. 1 five-room house on West 12th St with all modern conven iences. . , CMcNelis No. 23 East 4th St, 'Phons No. 60J, Solve Your For Gv&raivteed IJorvol stored Fumilvire CHICAOO-.NEWYDRK ner THE SELWYN HOTEL EUROPEAN Only fire-proof hotel In Char lotte; supplied entirely with wa ter from its own deep well. CAFE OPEN A-, NIGHT. Water analyzed J ily 6, 1911, by Director State Laboratory of Hygiene ana pronounced pur. Pure Water tvom our Arteslaa Well, 303 1-2 feet deep, for sale. 6c gallon at Hotel lOo gallon in 5-galloa 'ota. 1ellvered In Charlotte or at R. B. Station. feDGAR B. MOORE, Proprietor. A Delighted Purchaser of one of w onitor Radiator tells us 1 am heating seven rooms, with the amount of coal I u7 dinarily consume in one grate' ( en times the space heated on tna same coal consumption.) . He is Just one or the many pleasea users of this wonderful stove, that are doing likewise. THE FIVE. RADIATING FRNT FLUES Is what docs the work. No oth er stove has them. Let us show you. J. N. McCausland & Company "THE 8TOVE MEN 221 South Tryou Street You I m7
The Charlotte Observer (Charlotte, N.C.)
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Feb. 16, 1912, edition 1
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