THE COMMONWEALTH, SCOTLAND NECK, N. C.
The Hollow
J. E. Woolard Transfer Com'y
Cars for Hire, Cars Repaired
PHONES
Residence No. 45. Office No. 63
Polite Attentien Qnick Service
of Her Hand
e Barr McCutohenn
COY?CfZ92 BY CORC GAM AtCl7CMrOr : COfr?Cf92 BY 0OD),A7ID & COAfPAfY
SYNOPSIS.
Challis Wrandall is found murdered In
a road house near New York. Mrs. Wran
dall Is summoned from the city and iden
tifies ihe body. A young woman who ac
companied Wrandall to the inn and sub
sequently disappeared, is suspected.
Mrs. Wrandall starts back for New York
in an auto during a blinding snow storm.
On the way she meets a young woman in
the road who proves to be the woman
who killed Wrandall. Feeling that the
girl had done her a service in ridding her
of the man who though she loved him
doply, had caused her great sorrow.
Mrs. Wrandall determines to shield her
uni takes her to her own home. Mrs.
Wrandall hears the story of Hetty Cas
tleton's life, except that portion that re
lates to Wrandall. This and the story of
the tragedy she forbids the girl ever to
tell. She offers Hetty a home, friendship
and security from peril on account of the
tragedy. Sara Wrandall and Hetty re
turn to New York after an absence of a
vear in Kurope. Leslie Wrandall. brother
of Challis. becomes greatly interested in
Sara sees in Leslie s infatuation
"Enough!"
"You wrong me vilely! You must
let me "
"I have an excellent memory, and
it serves me well."
Hetty suddenly threw- herself upon
the couch and buried her face in her
arms. Great sobs shook her slender-'
frame.
Sara stood over her and watched for
a long time with pitiless eyes. Then
a queer, uneasy, wondering light be
gan to develop in those dark, ominous
eyes. She leaned forward the better
to listen to the choked, inarticulate
words that were pouring from the
girl's lips. At last, moved by some
power she could not have accounted
for, she knelt beside the quivering
body, and laid her hand, almost tim-
Hetty. hara sees in iesue s iniaiuuiion orousiv unon th tHH's shnulrtpr
Dossibilitv for revenge on the Wrandalls usiy, upon ine gin S snouiaer.
and reparation for the wrongs she suf
fered at the hands of Challis Wrandall by
marrying his murderess into the family.
Leslie, in company with his friend Bran
don Booth, an artist, visits Sara at her
country place. Leslie confesses to Sara
that he is madlv in love with Hetty. Sara
arrai.ges with Booth to paint a picture of
Hettv. Booth has a haunting feeling that
he has seen Hetty before. Looking
through a portfolio of pictures by an un
known Knglish artist he finds one of
Hettv. He speaks to her about it. Hetty
declares it must be a picture of Hetty
tilvrn. an English actress, who resembles
her verv miioh. Much to his chagrin
I-slie is refused by Hetty. Booth and
Hettv confess thair love for each other,
but the latter declares that she can never
marrv as there is an insurmountable bar
rier in the wav. Hetty admits to Sara
that she loves Booth. Sara declares that
Hettv must marry Ieslie, who must be
made to pay his brother's debt to the
girl. Hettv again attempts to tell the
real storv of the tragedy and Sara threat
ens to strangle her If she says a word.
CHAPTER XII. Continued.
"Not now. Not since I have found
you out The thing I have feared all
along has come to pass. I am relieved,
now that you show me just where I
trulv stand. But. I asked: what of
you?"
"The world is more likely to applaud
than to curse me, Hetty. It likes a
new sensation. My change of heart
will appear quite natural."
"Are you sure that the world will
applaud your real design? You hate
the Wrandalls. Will they be charitable
toward you when the truth is given
out? Will Leslie applaud you? Listen,
please: I am trying to save you from
yourself, Sara. You will fail in every
thing you have hoped for. You will
be more accursed than I. The world
will pity me, it may even forgive me
It will listen to my story, which is
more than you will do, and it will be
lieve me. Ah, I am not afraid now.
At first I was in terror. I had no hope
to escape. All that is past. Today I
am ready to take my chances with the
big, generous world. Men will try me,
and men are not made of stone and
steel. They punish but they do not
avenge when they sit in jury boxes.
They are not women! Good God, Sara
is there a man living today who could
have planned this thing you have cher
ished all these moniiiS? Not one! And
all men will curse you for it, even
though they send me to prison or to
the chair. But they will not con
demn me. They will hear my story
and they will set rae free. And then,
what of you?"
Sara stood perfectly rigid, regarding
this earnest reasoner with growing
wonder.
"My dear," she said, "you would bet
ter be thinking of yourself, not of me."
"Why, when I tell my story, the
world will hate you, Sara Wrandall.
You have helped me, you have been
good to me, no matter what sinister
motive you may have had in doing so
It is my turn to help you."
"To help me!" cried Sara, aston
ished in spite of herself.
les. lo save you from execra
tion and even worse."
"There is no moral wrong in mar
riage with Leslie Wrandall," said
Sara, returning to her own project.
"No moral wrong!" cried Hetty,
aghast. "No, I suppose not," she went
cn, a moment later. "It is something
much deeper, much blacker than moral
wrong. There is no word for it. And
if I marry him, what then? Wherein
lies your triumph? You can't mean
that God in heaven! You would not
go to them with the truth when it was
too late for him to to cast me off!"
"I am no such fool as that. The
secret would be forever safe in that
event. My triumph, as you call it,
we will not discuss."
"How you must hate me, to be will
ing to do such an infamous thing to
me! "
"I do not hate you, Hetty."
"In heaven's name, what do you call
It?"
"Justification. Listen to me now
I am paying this for your good sense
to seize and appreciate. Would it be
riht in me to allow you to marry any
other man, knowing all that I know?
There is but one man you can in just
ii ". marry: the one who can repair the
wrck that his own blood created. Not
Hrandon Booth, nor any man save Les
lie Wrandall.'-He is the man who must
tay."
"I do not intend to marry," said
Hfitty.
"But Leslie will marry some one,
and I intend that it shall be you. He
fhall marry the ex-chorus girl, the
artist's model, the the prostitute!
Wait! Don't fly at me like that!
Don't assume that look of virtuous
horror! Let me say what I have to
say. This much of your story shall
they know, and no more. They will be
roud of you!"
Hetty's eyes were blazing. "You use
that name you call me that and yet
you have kissed me, caressed me
lnved rae!" she cried hoarse with pas
sion.
"He will ask you tonight for the
second time. You will accept him
That is all."
tou must take back what you
nave just said to me of me Sara
wrandall. You must unsay it! You
fust beg my pardon for that!"
' I draw no line between mistress
nd prostitute."
"But I "
Hetty Hetty, if I have wronged
you in in thinking that of you I
I " she began brokenly. Then she lift
ed her eyes, and the harsh light tried
to steal back into them. "No, no!
What am I saying? What a fool I
am to give way "
"You have wronged me terribly,
terribly!" came in smothered tones
from the cushions. "I did not dream
you thought that of me."
"What was I to think?"
Hetty lifted her head and cried out:
You would not let me speak! You
refused to hear my story. You have
been thinking this of me all along,
holding it against me, damning me
with it, and I have been closer to you
than My God, what manner of
woman are you?"
Sara seized her hands and held them
in a fierce, tense grip. Her eyes were
glowing with a strange fire.
Tell me tell me now, on your soul,
Hetty were you were you "
"No! No! On my soul, no!"
"Look into my eyes!"
The girl's eyes did not falter. She
met the dark, penetrating gaze of the
other and, though dimmed by tears,
her blue eyes were steadfast and reso
lute. Sara seemed to be searching the
very soul of her, the soul that laid
itself bare, denuded of every vestige
of guile.
I I think I believe you," came
slowly from the lips of the searcher.
"You are looking the truth. I can see it.
Hetty, I I don't understand myself.
Is is so bo overwhelming, so tre
mendous. It is so incredible. Am I
really believing you? Is it possible
that I have been wrong in '
"Let me tell you everything," cried
the girl, suddenly throwing her arms
about her.
"Not now! Wait! Give me time to
tnmK. uo away now. i want to be
alone." She arose and pushed the girl
toward the door. Her eyes were fixed
on her in a wondering, puzzled sort
of way, and she "was shaking her head
as if trying to discredit the new emo
tion that had come to displace the one
created ages ago.
Slowly Hetty Castleton retreated
toward the door. With her hand on
the knob, she paused
"After what has happened, Sara, you
must not expect me to stay with you
any longer. I cannot. You may give
me up to the law, but
Some one was tapping gently at the
door.
"Shall I see who it is?" asked the
girl, after a long period of silence.
"Yes."
It was Murray. "Mr. Leslie has re
turned, Miss Castleton, and asks if
he may see you at once. He says it
is very important.
"Tell him I will be down in a few
minutes, Murray.
After the door closed, she waited
until the footman's steps died away
on the stairs
"I shall say no to him, Sara, and I
shall say to him that you will tell him
'Tell Me Tell Me, Now on
Soul, Hetty"
Your
why I cannot be his wife. Do you
understand? . Are you listening to me?"
Sara turned away without a word
or look of response.
Hetty quietly opened the door and
went out.
CHAPTER XIII.
The Second Encounter.
Eooth trudged rapidly homeward
after leaving Hetty at the lodge. He
was throbbing all over with the love
of her. The thrill of conquest was in
his blood. She had raised a mysteri
ous barrier; all the more zest to the
inevitable victory that would be his.
He would delight in overcoming ob
stacles the bigger the better for his
heart was valiant and the prize no
smaller than those which the ancient
knights went out to battle for in the
lists of love.
It was enough for the present to
know that she loved him.
What if she were Hetty Glynn?
What if she had been an artist's
model? The look he had had into the
eyes was all-convincing. She was wor
thy of the noblest love.
After luncheon served with some
exasperation by Patrick an hour and a
half later than usual he smoked his
pipe on the porch and stared reminis
cently at the shifting clouds above the
tree tops.
He did not see the Wrandall motor
at his garden gate until a lusty voice
brought him down from the clouds into
the range of earthly sounds. Then
he dashed out to the gate, bareheaded
and coatless, forgetting that he had
been sitting in the obscurity of trailing
vines and purple blossoms the while
he thought of her.
Leslie was sitting on the wide seat
between his mother and sister.
"Glad to see you back, old man,"
said Booth, reaching in to shake hands
with him. "Day early, aren't you?
Good afternoon, Mrs. Wrandall. Won't
you come In?"
He looked at Vivian as he gave the
invitation.
"No, thanks," she replied. "Won't
you come to dinner this evening?"
He hesitated. "I'm not quite sure
whether I can, Vivian. I've got a half
way sort of "
"Oh, do, old chap," cut in Leslie,
more as a command than an entreaty.
"Sorry I can't be there myself, but
you'll fare quite as well without me
I m dining at Sara's. Wants my pri
vate ear about one thing and another
see what I mean?"
We shall expect you, Brandon,
said Mrs. Wrandall, fixing him with
her lorgnette.
"I'll come, thank you," said he.
He felt disgustingly transparent un
der that inquisitive glass.
Wrandall stepped out of the car.
I'll stop off for a chat with Brandy,
mother."
"Shall I send the car back, dear?"
"Never mind. I'll walk down."
The two men turned in at the gate
as the car sped away.
Well," said Booth, "it's good to see
you. Fat!" He called through a base
ment window. "Come up and take the
gentleman's order."
"No drink for me, Brandy. I've been
in the temperance state of Maine for
two weeks; One week more of it and
I'd have been completely pickled,
shall always remember Maine."
Booth sat down on the porch rail
hooked his toes in the supports and
proceeded to fill his pipe. Then he
struck a match and applied it, Leslie
watching him with moody eyes.
"How do you like the portrait, old
man r he inquired between punctu
ating puffs.
"It's bully. Sargent never did any
thing finer. Ripping."
"I owe it all to you, Les."
"To me?"
"You induced her to sit to me."
"So I did," said Leslie sourly. "I
was Mr. Fix-it sure enough." He al
lowed a short interval to elapse be
fore taking the plunge. "I suppose,
old chap, if I should happen to need
your valuable services as best man
in the near future, you'd not disap
point me?"
Booth eyed him quizzically. "I trust
you're not throwing yourself away,
Les," he said drily. "I mean to say,
on some one well, some one not
quite up to the mark."
Leslie regarded him with some se
verity. "Of course not, old chap.
What the devil put that into your
head?"
"I thought that possibly you'd been
making a chump of yourself up in
the Maine woods."
"Piffle! Don't be an ass. What's
the sense pretending you don't know
who she is?"
"I suppose it's Hetty Castleton,"
said Booth, puffing away at his pipe.
"WTho else?"
"Think she'll have you, old man?"
asked Booth, after a moment.
"I don't know," replied the other,
a bit dashed. "You might wish me
luck, though."
Booth knocked the burnt tobacco
from the bowl of his pipe. A serious
line appeared between his eyes. He
was a fair-minded fellow, without
guile, without a single treacherous
instinct.
"I can't wish you luck, Les," he
said slowly. "You see I'm I'm in
love with her myself."
"The devil!" Leslie sat bolt up
right and glared at him. "I might
have known! And and is she in
love with you?"
"My dear fellow, you reveal con
siderable lack of tact in asking that
question."
What I want to know is this, ex
claimed Wrandall, very pale but very
hot: "is she going to marry you?"
Booth smiled. "I'll be perfectly
frank with you. She says she won't
Leslie gulped. "So you've asked
her?"
"Obviously."
"And she said she wouldn't? She
refused you? Turned you down?" His
little mustache shot up at the ends
and a joyous, triumphant laugh broke
from his lips. "Oh, this is rich! Ha
ha! Turned you down, eh? Poor old
Brandy! You're my best friend, and
dammit I'm sorry. I mean to say,'
he went on in some embarrassment,
"I'm sorry for you. Of course, you
can hardly expect me to er "
"Certainly not," accepted. Booth
amiably. "I quite understand."
"Then, since she's refused you, you
might wish me better luck."
"That would mean giving up hope.'
"Hope?" exclaimed Leslie quickly.
"You don't mean to say you'll annoy
her with your "
"No, I shall not annoy her," replied
his friend, shaking his head.
"Well, I should hope not," said
Leslie with a scowl. "Turned you
down, eh? 'Pon my soul!" He ap
peared to be relishing the idea of it.
"Sorry, old chap, but I suppose you
understand just what that means
Booth's lips hardened for an in
stant, then relaxed into a queer, al
most pitying smile.
"And you want me to be your best
man?" he said reflectively.
Leslie arose. His chest seemed to
swell a little; assuredly he was breath
ing much easier. He assumed an
air of compassion.
"I shan't Insist, old fellow, if you
feel you'd rather not er See what
I mean?" It then occurred to him to
utter a word or two of kindly advice.
I shouldnt go on moping if I were
you. Brandy. 'Pon my soul, I shouldn't.
Take it like a man. I know it hurts.
but Poah! What's the use aggra
vating the pain by butting against a
stone wall?"
His companion looked out over the
tree tops, his hands in his trousers
pockets, and it must be confessed
I'm blowed If I consider it an honor
to be refused by any woman. I "
"Mr. Wrandall!" she cried, fixing
him with her flashing, indignant eyes.
"You are forgetting yourself." She
was standing very straight and slim
and imperious before him.
He quailed. "I I beg your pardon.
I I "
"There is nothing more to be said,"
she went on icily. "Goodby."
"Would you mind telling me wheth
er there is anyone else?" he asked, as
he turned toward the door.
"Do you really feel that you have
the right to ask that question, Mr.
Wrandall?"
He wet his Hps with his tongue.
Then, there is some one!" he cried.
that his manner was not that of one rapping the table with his knuckles
wno is oppressed by despair. He didn't realize till afterward how
I think I'm taking It like a man, vigorously he rapped. "Some con
founded English nobody, I suppose."
She smiled, not unkindly. "There
Is no English nobody, if that answers
your question."
"Then, will you be kind enough to
offer a reason for not giving me a
fair chance in a clear field? I think
it's due "
"Can't you see how you are dis
tressing me? Must I again go through
that horrid scene in the garden?
Can't you take a plain no for an an
swer?" "Good Lord!" he gasped, and in
those two words he revealed the com
plete overturning of a lifelong esti
mate of himself. It seemed to take
more than his breath away.
"Goodby," she said with finality.
He stared at the door through which
she disappeared, his hopes, his con
ceit, his self-regard trailing after her
with shameless disloyalty to the
standards he had set for them, and
then, with a rather ghastly smile of
self-commiseration on his lips, he
Leslie Sat Bolt Upright and Glared at slipped out of the house, jiemped into
Him. ine motor car, ana gave a brief but
explicit command to the chauffeur.
Les," he said. "I only hope you'll who lost no time in assisting his mas
take it as nicely if she says nay to ter to turn tail in ignominious flight.
yu-" Hetty was gloomily but resolutely
An uneasy look leaped into Leslie's employed in laying out certain of her
face. He seemed noticeably less cor- personal belongings, preparatory to
pulent about the chest. He wondered packing them for departure, when
if Booth knew anything about his Sara entered her room,
initial venture. A question rose to They regarded each other steadily,
his Hps, but he thought quickly and questioningly for a short space of
held it back. Instead, he glanced at time.
his watch. "Leslie has just called up to ask
"I must be off. See you tomorrow, 'what the devil' I meant by letting
I hope." him make a fool of himself," said
"So long," said Booth, stopping at Sara, with a peculiar little twisted
the top of the steps while his visitor smile on her lips,
skipped down to the gate with a Hetty offered no comment, but after
nimbleness that suggested the forma- a moment gravely and rather wistfully
tion of a sudden resolve. called attention to her present occu-
Leslie did not waste time in part- pation by a significant flaunt of her
ing inanities he strode off briskly in hand and a saddened smile.
the direction of home, but not without "I see," said Sara, without emotion,
a furtive glance out of the tail of his "H yu choose to go, Hetty, I shall
eye as he disappeared beyond the not oppose you.
hedgerow at the end of Booth's gar
den. That gentleman was standing
where he had left him, and was filling
his pipe once more.
The day was warm, and Leslie was
in a dripping perspiration when he
reached home. He did not enter the
house but made his way direct to the
garage.
Get out the car at once, Brown,"
was his order.
Three minutes later he was being
driven over the lower road toward
Southlook, taking good care to avoid
Booth's place by the matter of a mile
or more. He was in a fever of hope
and eagerness. It was very plain to
him why she had refused Booth. The
iron was hot. He didn't intend to
lose any time in striking.
And now we know why he came
again to Sara's in the middle of a
blazing afternoon, instead of waiting
until the more seductive shades of
night had fallen, when the moon sat
serene in the seat of the Mighty.
He didn't have to wait long for Het
ty. Up to the instant of her appear
ance in the door, he had reveled in
the thought that the way was now
paved with roses. But with her en
trance, he felt his confidence and
courage slipping. Perhaps that may
explain the abruptness with which he
proceeded to go about the business
in hand.
"I couldn't wait till tonight." he ex
plained as she came slowly across
the room toward him. She was half
way to him before he awoke to the
fact that he was standing perfectly
still. Then he started forward, some
how Impelled to meet her at least
half-way. "You'll forgive me, Hetty,
if I have disturbed you."
"I was not lying down, Mr. Wran
dall." she said quietly. There was
'My position here is a false one,
Sara. I prefer to go."
"This morning I should have held
a sword over your head."
"It is very difficult for me to realize
all that has happened."
"You are free to depart. You are
kfree in every sense of the word. Your
future rests with yourself, my dear."
"It hurts me more than I can tell
to feel that you have been hating me
all these months."
"It hurts me now."
Hetty walked to the window and
looked out.
"What are your plans?" Sara in
quired, after an interval.
"I shall seek employment and wait
for you to act."
"I? You mean?"
"I shall not run away, Sara. Nor do
I intend to reveal myself to the au
thorities. I am not morally guilty of
crime. A year ago I feared the con
sequences of my deed, but I have
learned much since then. I was a
stranger in a new world. In England
we have been led to believe that you
lynch women here as readily as you
lynch men. I now know better than
that. From you alone I learned my
greatest lesson. You revealed to me
the true meaning of human kindness.
You shielded me who should not
Even now I believe that your first
impulse was a tender one. I shall
not forget it, Sara. You will live to
regret the baser thought that came
later on. I have loved you yes, al
most as a good dog loves his master.
It is not for me to tell the story of
that night and all these months to
the world. I would not be betraying
myself, but you. You would be called
upon to explain, not I. And you would
be the one to suffer. When you met
me on the road that night I was on
my way back to the inn to give my
self into custody. You have made it
impossible for me to do so now. My
lips are sealed. It rests with you,
Sara."
Sara joined her in the broad win
dow. There was a strangely exalted
look in her face. A gilded birdcage
hung suspended in the casement. With
out a word, she threw open the win
dow screen. The gay little canary in
the gilded cage cocked his head and
watched her with alert eyes. Then
she reached up and gently removed
the cage from its fastenings. Putting
it down upon the window sill, she
opened the tiny door. The bird hopped
about his prison in a state of great
excitement.
Hetty looked on, fascinated.
At last a yellow streak shot out
through the open door and an instant
later resolved itself into the bobbing,
fluttering dicky-bird that had lived
in a cage all its life without an hour
of freedom. For a few seconds it
circled over the tree tops and then
alighted on one of the branches. One
might well have imagined that he
could hear Its tiny heart beating with
terror. Its wings were half-raised and
fluttering, its head jerking from Bide
to side in wild perturbation. Taking
courage, Master Dicky hopped timo
rously to a nearby twig, and then ven
tured a flight to a tree top nearer the
window casement. Perched in its top
most branches he cheeped shrilly, as
if there was fear in his little breast.
In silence the two women in the
window watched the agitated move
ments of the bird. The same thought
was in the mind of each, the same
question, the same intense wish.
A brown thrush sped through tHe
air, close by the timid canary. LiKe
a flash it dropped to the twigs lower
down, its wings palpitating in violent
alarm.
"Dicky!" called Sara Wrandall, and
then cheeped between her teeth.
A moment later Dicky was fluttering
about the eaves; his circles grew
smaller, his winging less rhythmical,'
till at -last with a nervous little flutter
he perched on the top of the window
shutter, so near that they might have
reached to him with their hands. He
sat there-with his head cocked to one
side.
"Dicky!" called Sara again. This
time she held out her finger. For some
time he regarded it with indifference
not to say disfavor. Then he took one
more flight, but much shorter than the
first, bringing up again at the shutter-
top. A second later he hopped down
and his little talons gripped Sara's
finger with an earnestness that left
no room for doubt.
She lowered her hand until it was
even with the open door of the gilded
cage. He shot inside with a whir that
suggested a scramble. With his wings
folded, he sat on his little trapeze
and cheeped. She closed and fastened
the door, and then turned to Hetty.
"My symbol," she said softly.
There were tears in Hetty's eyes,
(TO BE CONTINUED.)
E
PUBLIC DINNER A NUISANCE?
New York Newspaper Says It Is, Both
on Account of Poor Food and
Poor Speakers.
It has long beer the agreeable habit
of friendly organizations, from the
Sons of St. Patrick to the New Eng
land society, the Ohio, the Southern
and others, to give occasional dinners
nothing ominous in the words, but he at which they may refresh their spir-
experienced a sudden sensation ' of its with the familiar dialect which is
cold. "Won't you sit down? Or would grateful in the ears long unused to it,
you rather go out to the terrace?" and by reminding each other of what
"It's much more comfortable here, a good place the old home was, and
if you don't mind. I I suppose you is remarks the New York Evening
know what it is I want to say to you.
You"
"Yes," she interrupted wearily;
"and knowing as much, Mr. Wrandall,
Sun. But the old custom has long
since become a bore beyond descrip
tion because of the inordinate atten
tion required of the diners to a long
it would not be fair of me to let array of speakers, none of whom has
you go on." anything in particular to say, and at
"Not fair?" he said, In honest amaze- the same, time because of the very
ment. "But, my dear, I " indifferent quality of the dinner pro-
'Pipflcp Mr Wrandall." she ex- vided. It is no doubt true that the
claimed, with a nleading little smile great majority of persons who go to
tw wmilrl have touched the heart of these dinners do not know or care
ish anomaly to tfegin with; nobody
but the hotelkeepers, who charge
enough to pay for a much more tempt
ing dinner than they serve, feels any
tenderness for it.
Insurance !
Fire ! Life !
Accident!
Automobile !
We represent the big
gest companies in the
United States, and the
oldest in the world.
Hill & Shields.
A. B. Hill. J. E. Shields.
Scotland Neck, N- C
Frail Fish
My!
flJGood prices paid
for country produce,
eggs and chickens.
flIGood prices paid
for old brass and
rubber of all kinds.
I All kinds of hydes
and skins bought at
the highest prices.
E. A. ALLSBROOK
The Fish Nan.
anyone but Leslie. "Please don't go
on. It is quite as impossible now as
it was before. I have not changed."
He could only say, mechanically:
"You haven't?"
"No. I am sorry if you
thought that I might come to "
what they eat, and therefore gobble
the usually very indifferent food set
before them and wait, helplessly, for
"the speakers." Their own indiffer
ence is much to blame for the general
have stodginess. It is encouraging, or
course, to observe that the disgust
"Think, for heaven's sake, think with such silliness as this has finally
what you are doing!" he cried, feeling resuitea in an
for the edge of the table with a sup- do away entirely with the public din-port-seeking
hand. "I-I had Sara's ner. The private dinner, of course,
word that you were not-" chosen carefully and served to a
"Unfortunately Sara cannot speak small and congenial company, is one
for me in a matter of this kind. Thank of the most honorable and sacred so-
vou for the honor you would" rial rites in the civilized world; men
"Honor be hanged!" he blurted out. and women will always stand up to
t t t td AafnA anA maintain it. But the
rS5i"JS2Tli with m.. dg;;;rmrchtoe.m.de dinner U . foo.-l..U Con.UuUM.
Pie, the National Dish.
Three years ago a pie-eating con
test was held for the championship
of New Jersey, relates the London
Chronicle. In the United States pie
is a national dish, and the variety
with which the competitors had to
struggle consisted of a layer of
pastry a quarter of an inch thick,
spread with canned fruit, the average
weight being half a pound. Accord
ing to the report of a local journal,
"amid enthusiasm, thirty-five young
men, trained to the minute, entered
the contest for the championship.
The state record of twenty-six pies in
half an hour fell during the battle.
Walter Tappin of Tilsomfield, N. J.,
was the winner. He managed to put
himself on the outside of twenty
seven pies in the allotted time. For
this he received the "championship
belt." It should have been an elastic
one.
Georgia Invasion.
"It's been the dream of the old
man's life to see WasCton," said
the Blllville matron, "an' now he's
a-goin' thar, an I'm a-goin' with him.
'I won't be unknown thar,' he says,
'fer I've been a member of six Georgia
legislatures, an' any one of 'em could
beat congress a-raisin of the place
whar Satan lives at an a-doin' of
nuthin!' But what we want to see
most Is the place whar they make
the money, an' find out how come an'
why we don't git our share of it.
NEW TRAIN
TO
Augusta and Atlanta.
Commencing May 3rd the Atlantia
Coast Line will inaugurate through
6leeping car service between Wil
mington, Florence, Sumter, Augus
ta and Atlanta, in connection with
the Georgia Railroad.
Following is the schedule from
Scotland Neck in connection with
the new service:
Lv. Scotland Neck 10:02 a. m.
Ar. Florence 7:35 p. m.
Lv. Florence 8:00 p. m.
Ar. Sumter 9:20 p. m.
Ar. Orangeburg 10:35 p. m.
Ar. Augusta 1:40 a. m.
Ar. Atlanta 6:00-a. m.
Passengers may remain in sleeping
cars until 7:00 a. m.
Returning the train leaves Atlan
lanta 8:00 p. m., Central time; and
arrives Florence 9:00 a. m., and
Scotland Neck 7:28 p. m., Eastern
time.
Sleeping cars are operated be
tween Wtldon, Rocky Monnt and
Florence, in connection with the
above service.
Connections are made in the Union
depot Atlanta with the Dixie Flyer,
leaving there at 8:00 a. m., which is
a solid train to Chicago, carrying
sleeping, dining and observrtion
cais; alto through sleeping cars to
St. Leu and with the South At
lantic Limited, leaving at 7:12 a. m.,
a solid train to Cincinnati, carrying
sleeping and dining cars; also
through sleeping cars to Louisville
and Indianapolis.
Connections are also made in At
lanta with the Atlanta & West Point
R. R. fyr Montgomery, Mobile, New
Orleans and the Southwest: with the
Southern Ry. for Birmingham, Mem
phis and the West and with other
diverging lines for points in South
Georgia, etc.
For reservations, tickets and
schedules to any Western destina-,
tion by this new and attractive route
by old and reliable lines, apply to
Epp L. Brown, Ticket Agent of th
ATLANTIC COAST LINE.
Standard Railroad f the 8outh.
J soul of her through those pure blue