•vSH
•YNOP3IS.
Ths scene at ths opening of the story Is
laid In the library of an old worn-out
southern plantation, known as the Bar
ony. The place la to be sold, and Its
history arid that of the owners, the
Wuintards. Is the subject of discussion by
Jonathan Crenshaw, a business man, a
stranger known as Bladen, and Bob
Yancy, a farmer, when Hannibal Wayne
Hssard, a mysterious child of the old
southern family, makes his appearance.
Yancy tells bow .he adopted the boy. Na
thaniel Ferris buys the Barony, but the
Qulntards deny toy knowledge of the
boy. Yancy to keep Hannibal. Captain
Muraell, a friend or the (julntards, ap
pears and asks questions about the Bar
ony. Trouble at Scratch Hill, when Han
nibal Is kidnaped by Dave Blount. Cap
tain Murrell's agent. Yancy overtakes
Blount, gives him a thrashing and secures
•he boy. Yancy appears before Squire
Balaam, and Is discharged with costs for
the ptalnttfT. Betty Malroy, a friend of
the Ferrlses, has an encounter with Cap
lain Murrell, who forces his attentions on
her, and Is rescued by Bruce Carrlngton.
Betty sets out for her Tennessee home.
Carrlngton takes the same stage. Yancy
and Hannibal disappear, with Murrell on
their trail. Hannibal arrives at the home
of Judge Slocum Price. The Judge recog
nises In the boy, the grandson of an old
time friend. Murrell arrives at Judge's
home. Cavendish family on raft rescue
Yancy, who Is apparently dead. Price
breaks Jail. Betty and Carrlngton arrive
at Belle Plain. Hannibal's rifle discloses
some startling things to the Judge. Han
nibal and Betty meet again. Murrell ar
rives In Belle Plain. Is playing for big
stakes. Yancy awakes from long dream
less sleep on board he raft. Judge Price
-makes startling discoveries In looking up
land titles. Chacles Norton, a young
planter, who assists the Judge, is mys
teriously assaulted. Norton Informs Car
rlngton that Betty has promised to marry
him. Norton Is mysteriously shot More
light on Murrell's plot. He plans upris
ing of negroes. Judge Price, with Hanni
bal, visits Betty, and she keeps the boy
as a companion. In a stroll Betty takes
with Hannibal they meet Bees Hicks.
daughter of the overseer, who warns
Betty of dancer and counsels her to
leave Belle Plain at onca. Batty, terri
fied. acts on Beaa' advlea. and on their
way their carriage It stopped by Sloason.
tha tavern keeper, and a confederate, and
Betty and Hannibal are made prisoner*.
The pair are taken to Hicks' cabin. In an
almost Inaccessible spot, and thara Mur
rall visits Betty and reveala his part In
tha plot and his object Betty spurna
hla proffered lova and the Interview Is
ended by the arrival of Ware, terrified
at possible outcome of the crime. Judge
Price, hearing of the abduction, plana ac
tion. The Judge takes charge of the
situation, and search for the missing ones
la Instituted. Carrlngton visits the Judge
and allies are discovered. Judge Price
visits Colonel Fentress, where he meets
Yancy and Cavendish Becoming enraged.
Price dashes a glass of whisky Into the
colonel's face ana a duel la arranged. Mur
rell Is arrested for negro stealing and his
bubble bursts. The Judge and Mahaffy
discuss the coming duel. Carrlngton
makes frantic search for Betty and the
boy. Carrlngton finds Betty and Hanni
bal, and a fierce gun light follows. Yancy
appears and assists In the reacue. Bruce
Carrlngton and Betty come to an under
atandlng. The Judge receives an Import
ant letter.
CHAPTER XXXl.—(Continued.)
At last he decided to go back to
the Judge; and a moment later was
hurrying down the lane In the direc
tion of the highroad, but, Jaded a* he
was by the effort he had already put
for that day, the walk to Kalelgh
made tremendous demands on him,
and It was midnight when he entered
the little town.
It cannot be said that he was alto
gether surprised when he found their
cottage dark and apparently desert
ed. He had half expected this. En
tering, and not stopping to secure a
candle, he groped his way upstairs to
tbe room on the second floor which
he and the Judge shared.
"Price!" he called, but this gained
him no response, and he cursed soft
ly under his breath.
He hastily descended to the kitch
en, lighted a candle, and stepped into
the adjoining room. On the table was
a neat pile of papers, and topping the
pile was the president's letter, Ue
ing burdened by no false scruples,
and thinking It might afford some
clue to the judge's whereabouts, Ma
haffy took it up and read It. Having
mastered Its contents he Instantly
glanced fn the direction of the City
Tavern, but it was wrapped In dark
ness.
"Price Is drunk somewhere," waa
his definite conclusion. "But he'll be
at Boggs' the first thing In the morn
ing—most likely so far gone he can
hardly stand!"
The letter, with Its striking news,
made little or no Impression on him
Just then; it merely furnished the
clue he had sought. *Tbe judge was
off somewhere marketing his pros
pects
After a time Mahaffy went up
stairs, and, without removing his
clothes, threw himself on the bed. He
was worn down to the point of ex
haustion, yet he could not sleep,
though the deep sUence warned him
/ that day was not far off. What if —
but he would not let the thought
shape Itself in his mind. He had wit
nessed the Judge's Bklll with the pis
tol, and he had even a certain Irra
tional faith In that gentleman'a des
tiny. He prayed God that Fentress
might die quickly and with
the Judge's bullet through his brain.
Over and over in savage supplication
he muttered his prayer that Kentreas
might die. '
Mahaffy watched for the coming or
the dawn, but before the darkness
lifted he had risen from the bed and
gone downstairs, where he made him
self a cup of wretched coffee. Then
be blew out his candle and watched
the gray light apread. He was im
patient now to be off, and fully an
hour before the sun, set out for
PRODIGAL
M JUDGE
{By V\UG!tAT! KILTER.
u luusnprwrs BYDLMELVIU
I ' Th« Platol Slipped From Hit Fingers.
Boggs', a tall, gaunt figure In the
shadowy uncertainty of that October
morning. He was the first to reach
the'place of meeting, but he had
scarcely entered the meadow when
Fentress rode up, attended by Tom
Ware. They dismounted, and the
colonel lifted his hat. Mahaffy bare
ly acknowledged the salute; he was
Jin no mood for courtesies that meant
nothing. Ware was clearly of the
same mind.
There was an awkward pause, then
Fentress and Ware spoke together In
a low tone. The planter's speech was
broken and hoarse, and hla heavy,
blood-shot eyes were the eyes of a
haunted man; this was all a part of
Fentress' scheme to face the world,
and Ware still believed that the tires
Hicks had kindled had served hla des
perate need.
When the first long shadows stole
out from the edge of the woods Ken
treßS turned to MahafTy, whose glance
was directed toward the distant cor
ner of the Held, where be knew hla
friend must first appear
"Why are we waiting, air?" he de
manded, his tone cold and formal.
"Something has occurred to detain
Price," answered Mahaffy.
The colonel and Ware exchanged
looks. Again they spoke together,
while Mahaffy watched the road. Ten
minutes slipped by In this manner,
dhd once more Fentress addressed
Mahaffy.
"Do you know what could have de
tained him?'' be inquired, the ghost
of a smile curling his thin lips.
"I don't," said Mahaffy, and relapsed
into a moody and anxious silence. He
held dueling In very proper abhor
rence, and only his feeling of Intense
but never-declared loyalty to hla
friend had brought him there.
Another Interval of waiting suc
ceeded.
"I have about reached the end of
my patience; I shall wait just ten
minutes longer," said Fentress, and
drew out his watch.
"Something has happened—" began
Mahaffy.
"I have kept my engagement; he
should have kept his," Fentress con
tinued. addressing Ware. "I am sor
ry to have brought you here for noth
ing, Tom."
"Watt!" said Mahaffy, planting him
self squarely before Fentress.
"I consider this comic episode at
an end," and Fentress pocketed his
watch.
"Scarcely!" rejoined MahafTy. His
long arm shot out and the open palm
of his hand descended on the col
onel's face. "I am here tor my
friend," he said grimly.
The colonel's face paled and col
ored by turns.
"Have you a weapon?" he asked,
when he could command his voice.
Mahaffy exhibited the pistol he bad
carried to Belle Plain the day be
fore.
"Step off the ground, Tom." Fen
tress spoke quietly. When Ware had
done as requested, the colonel spoke
agait.. "You are my witness that l
was the victim of an unprovoked at
tack."
Mr. Ware accepted this statement
with equanimity, not to say lndlller
ence.
"Are you ready?" he asked; he
glanced at Maliarty, who by a Blight
Inclination of the bead slgnltted that
he was. "I reckon you're a green
hand at this sort of thing?" comment
ed Tom evilly.
"Yes," said Mahaffy tersely.
"Well, listen: I shall count, one,
two, three; at the word three you will
Hre. Now take your positions."
Mahaffy and the colonel stood fac
ing each other, a distance ol twelve
paces separating them. Mahaffy was
pale but dogged; he eyed Fentress
unflinchingly. Quick on the word Ken
tress fired, an Instant later Mahaffy's
pistol exploded; apparently neither
bul'et had taken effect, the two men
maintained the rigid attitude they had
assumed; then MahafTy was seen to
turn on his heels, next his arm drop
ped to his side and the pistol slipped
from his Angers, a look of astonish
ment passed over his face and left It
vacant and staring while his right
hand stole up toward his heart; be
raised It slowly, with difficulty, as
though it were held down by some In
visible weight.
A hush spread across the Held. It
wa3 like one of nature's invisible
transitions. Along the edge of the
woods the song of birds was stricken
Into silence. Ware, heavy-eyed—Ken
tress, his lips twisted by a tortured
smile, watched Mahaffy as he panted
for breath, with his hand clenched
against his breast. That dead, oppres
sive silence lasted but a moment;
from out of It came a cry that smote
ou the wounded man's eara and
reached his consciousness.
"It's Price —" he gasped, his words
bathed in blood, and he pitched for
ward on his face.
Ware and Fentress bad heard the
cry, too, and running to their horses
threw themselves Into the saddle and
galloped off. The judge inldv.ay of
the meadow roared out a furious pro
test, but the mounted men turned In
to the highroad and vanished from
sight, and the judge's shaking legs
bore him swiftly in the direction of
the gaunt figure on the ground.
Mahaffy struggled to rise, for he
was hearing his friend's «volce now,
the voice of utter anguish, calling his
name At last painlul effort brought
him to his knees. He saw the judge,
clothed principally In a gaily colored
bed-quilt, hatless and shoeless, his
face sodden and bleary from tola
night's debauch. Mahaffy stood erect
and staggered toward him, his hand
over his wound, his features drawn
and livid, then with a cry be dropped
at his friend's feet.
"Solomon! Solomon!" And the
judge knelt beside him.
"It's all right, Price; 1 kept your
appointment," whispered Mahaffy; a
bloody spume was gathering on hla
Hps, and he stared up at his friend
with glaaay eyea.
In verjr shame Hhe judge hid hla
face in his hands, while sobs shook
him.
"Solomon—Solomon, why did you
do this?" he cried miserably.
The harsh lines on the dying man'a
face erased themselves.
"You're the only friend I've known
In twenty years of loneliness, Price.
I've loved you like a brother," he
panted, with a pause between each
word.
Again the judge burled his tace In
his hands.
"I know it, Solomon —1 know it!"
he moaned wretchedly.
"Price, you are still a man to be
reckoned with. There's the boy; take
your place Tor his sake and keep It —■
you can."
"1 will—by God, I will!" gasped the
judge. "You hear me? You hear me,
Solomon? Oy God's good help, 1 will!"
"You have the president's letter —
I aaw it— " Raid MahafTy in a whisper.
"Yes!" cried the Judge. "Solomon,
the world Is changing ior us!"
"For me most ot ail," murmured
MahafTy, and there was a bleak In
stant when the Judge's ashen counte
nance held the full pathos of age and
failure. "Remember your oath, Price,"
gasped the dying man. A moment of
silence succeeded. MahafTy's eyes
closed, then the heavy lids slid back.
He looked up at the Judge while the
harsh lines of his sour old face soft
ened wonderfully. "Kiss me, Price,"
he whispered, and as the Judge bent
to touch him on the brow, the soft
ened lines fixed themselves In death,
while on his lips lingered a smile thai
was neither bitter nor sneering,
CHAPTER XXXII.
The Judge's Grandson.
In that bare upper room they had
shared, the Judge, crushed and bro
ken, watched beside the bed on which
the dead man lay; unconscious ol the
flight of time he sat with his head
bowed in his hands, having scarcely
altered his position since he begged
those who carried MahafTy up the
narrow stairs to leave him alone with
his Iriend
He was living over the past. lie
recalled his first meeting with Ma
hafTy in the stuffy cabin of the small
river packet from which they had
later gone ashore at Pleasantvllle; he
thanked God that It hud been given
him to see beneath Solomon's forbid
ding exterior and into that stwved
heart! He reviewed each phase of
the almost Insensible growth of their
intimacy; he remembered MahafTy's
flue true loyalty at the time of his ar
rest —he thought of Damon ana
Pythias—MahafTy had reached the
heights of a sublime devotion; be
could only feel ennobled that he hat
inspired it.
At last the dusk of twilight lr !
vuded the room. He lighted the can- |
dies on the chlmneyplece, then he Te- !
sutiied his neat and his former attl- j
'.tide. Suddenly he became aware of 1
a small hand that was resting on his
arm and glanced up; Hannibal had
stolen quietly into the room. The
boy pointed to the still figure on the |
bed. I
"Judge, what makes Mr. MahafTy lie
so pilet—ls he dead?" he asked In a
whisper.
Yes, dear lad," began the Judge In
a shaking voice, as he drew Hannibal
toward him, "your friend and mine is
dead —we have lost him." He lifted J
the boy Into his lap, and Hannibal
pressed a fear-Btalned face against
the Judge's shoulder. "How did you
get here?" the judge questioned gent- ;
iy
"Uncle Hob fetched me," said Han
nibal. "He's down-stairs, but be
didn't tell me Mr. Mahal'y was dead." ,
"We have sustained u great lose, j
Hannibal, and we mußt never forget
the moral grandeur of the man. Some
day, when you are older, and I can j
bring myself to speak of It, I will tell |
you of hla last moment*." The Judge's j
voice broke, a thick g«-b rose choking- j
ly In his throat. "Pc*T Solomon! A
man of sdeh tfendfcr foiling that he hla j
it from the world, for his was a rare
nature which only revealed Itself to j
the chosen few he honored with his
love," The Judge lapsed Into a mo j
mentary brooding silence, in which j
his great arms drew the boy closet* j
against his heart. "Dear lad, since I
left you at Belle Plain a very aston- j
ishlng knowledge has come to me. ;
It was the Hand of Providence —I see j
it now —that first brought us togeth- !
er. You muat not call me Judge any j
more; I am your grandfather—your |
mother was my daughter."
(TO BE CONTINUED.)
Dress for an Earthquake.
An old lady was staying at a hotei
at Nice at the time of *.he earthquake.
"My dear," she waa wont to say, "1
was simlpy tumbled out of bed anC
the ceiling cracked I threw on a futr
cloak and unconscloualy pulled on on«
long black suede glove, and wbeu I
got down to the hall and found all
tbe other guests—my dear, 1 waa ttw
beat dressed vomaa there!"
THE VOTERS MAT
SCRATCH TICKET
AND STILL VOTE FOR BENATOR
—THU3 THE COMMITTEE HAS
DECIDED..
HOLD A PROLONGED MEETING
But He Must Not Vote For Any Can
didate on Any Other Party Ticket —
There Waa Much Dlfcuaslon During
the Session.
Raleigh.—By a vote of 31 to 0. the
l state Democratic executive committee
j agreed upon the McLean resolution.,
| It took three hurs and a half to
| reach a conclusion that would receive
a majority vote In favor of definite
j action upon this proposition. Per
haps a score of measures were pre-
I sented many of them very similar in
| nature. The debates upon none of
I them reached a disagreeable point
and the committee was almost willing
to agree half a dozen times.
The committee wan called together
i by Chairman Charles A. Webb, who
asked that Commissioner of Labor
and Printing M. L. Shipman to
i the secretary. The call for this meeting
was read and the proceedings of the
last committee meeting rehearsed.
! The committee then went to work.
Ex-Congressman Hackett address
ing the chair, Bald that he wished to
have the "so-called Hackett resolu
; tlon" Btrlcken out. But the commit
tee merely laughed and the roll was
called. It showed that there were
; present In person and by proxy forty
! nine members of the committee.
Chairman Webb then stated the
I reasons for the second calling of the
I committee. He Bald that a majority
! of the committee had asked the modl
| flcatlon of the "so-called Hackett res
olution."
"If any of you doubt that the Demo
crats of North Carolina understand
[ what the resolution Is, Just oall at
the headquarters of the state execU
| tlve committee and 1 will show you
I four or five hundred letters and tele-
I grams on this subject, which express
I the belief that the former action was
| too draßtlc."
Mr. Webb then told how delicate
! has been hlB position. "With all of
1 the disagreements of-the opposition,
! with all of the circumstances favor
j able to ÜB, I do not believe any chair
i man ever had to decide so many dif
! ferent questions or to hear so many
complaints. It does not look good for
I the future. I beg you to be governed
solely by the thought of your party's
good and to calmly.
Politics In Moore County.
The county Democratic candidates
spoke to a fair-sized crowd in the
Thomasville Opera House. For about
two hours they discussed the Issues
of the campaign and pleaded the
j cause of Democracy. With the can
didates was ('apt. S. E. Williams of
Lexington, who made an appeal for
party, prophesying a Democratic vic
tory all over the country. The coun
| ty political situation is beginning to
get bot around about Thomasville.
Albemarle Fair Closes.
The Albemarle Aflrlccultural Pair
closed with a spectacular flight by J.
B. McCally, of Harrisburg, Pa., in a
Curtis aeroplane. The weather was
j ideal and ho soon arose to an alti
\ tude of six thousand feet, circullng
thirty making many spectacular gy
rations among which he made a dip
of flfty-five hundred feet, righting his
machine within five hundred feet of
the ground and rising again to a
great attitude.
Csnditlons In North Carolina Good.
Royal E. Cabell, Commissioner of
Internal Revenue, has just returned
from a trip through the West and is
| preparing his annual report for Con
gress. His collections for the year,
he said, will run five million dollars
, ahead of any previous year. Con
-1 dltions in North Carolina, so far as
his work is concerned, were never
better, tho commissioner said.
Reverse Action of Commissioners.
i By a vote of ten to seven, th£
j board of county supervisors revers
-1 ed the action of the county comis
sioners in accepting the resignation
j at County Highway Engineer W. L.
! Spoon, when a motion to retain him
j until the epd of the term of the pres- j
I ent board expires was carried. The
j matter was discussed for two hours,
1 being a result of the recent Hanes
j Spoon controversy; Mr. Spoon alleg
! Ing antagonism on the part of Mr.
| Hanes, while Mr. Hanes alleged that
i Mr. Spoon was lslng time from work.
' Report on Harnett County Schools.
Prof. J. D. Ezzel, county superin-
I tendent of public instruction, has
| Just gotten out a report of the con
-1 dltlon df the public schools of Har
| nett. This is rather a history and
comparative statement of the condition
of the educational affairs of the
county now and 10 years ago. The
report shows in part; that there are
two high schools, one at Angler and
one at Lllllngton, two graded schools
at Duke and Dunn and that the
; value of school property Is worth $56,-
j 545 more now than in 1902.
NORTH CARi
OLIN
Thla State Gets Over Million Out of
Thirteen—Moat of Thla Goes to
Rivera and Harbora.
Raleigh|—A special from Washing
ton states that thirteen million and
five thousand dollars 1b appropriated
specifically to be used In the' south
ern states by the appropriation bllla
of the last Congress. This fact has
been determined by a professional sta
tistician here who computed the ap
propriations for each state and each
group of states. Many of the great
appropriation bills such as army and
navy are for general expenditure.
North Carolina was the only South
ern state participating in the Indian
appropriation bill. Thirty-eight thou
sand dollars was appropriated for the
support and maintenance of an Indian
school at Cherokee, N. C.
The total apropriation for North
Carolina, as determined by the statis
tician's investigation, is $1,196,000,
consisting of, besides the Indian ap
propriation, $790,600 for rivers and
harbors Improvement; $362,500 for
improvement of public buildings, and
$6,300 for fisheries.
The total appropriation for Tennes
see is $733,700, consisting of $677,500
for rivers and harbor* improvement;
$52,000 for improvement of public
buildings, and $4,200 for fisheries.
The total for the Southern cities
are as follows:
Rivers and harbors $9,327,000
Indian 38,000
Sundry civil 2,743,000
Improving public buildings 1,538,723
Fisheries 41,300
Forestry 40,210
Governor Grants Two Pardona.
Two pardons were given by Oov
ernor Kltchln, following the revocation
of the Walter Hobbs clemency of a
year ago. In giving Hobbs back to the
roads it is explained that the officers
might have had him long ago, but for
the wording of the conditional par
don, whicch left the matter pretty well
with the recorder. The first time
Hobbs was arrested, he was acquitted
and the next time the recorder found
him guilty. Governor Kitchin under
stood that to settle the matter and
not until It was brought to his atten
tion did he take action.
The last two pardons were Issued
conditionally also and Gov. Kltchin
gives these reasons: "On the recom
mendation of the recorder, who lm :
posed this sentence the chief of police,
the prosecuting wltnesrf, who was pris
oner's wife, and many citizens, I par
don the prisoner, John Pharr, on con
ditlon that he remain law-abiding and
of good behavior." On the recom
mendation of the jude, solicitor, pri
vate prosecutors, the then sheriff of
the county and many citizens, 1 par
don prisoner Lester McAuley who Is
said to have been thirteen years old
when he was convicted, on condition
that he remain law-abiding and of
good behavior."
Two Bull Mooae Men Removed.
The state board of elections In ses
sion at Raleigh removed two mem
bers of county boards and named suc
cessors, this being the board's final
preparation for the approaching elec
tion. Both removals were because
members first named have turned
Bull Moose, one having been a Repub
lican and the other a Democrat. M.
M. Kiker of Anson, appointed as Re
publican, was removed and M. John
Burr, Republican, appointed to suc
ceed him. In Montgomery county, H.
I'. Montgomery, appointed as a Dem
ocrat, was removed find Richard A
Bruton, Democrat, appointed in his
stead.
Freight Rate* in North~ Carolina.
The Seaboard Air Line, for itself
and the Maxton, Alma & Southbound
Railroad petitioned the Interstate com
merce commission for relief from the
fourth section of the interstate com
merce act and for permission to es
tablish commodity rates from Row
land, Ohalendor and Brady. The peti
tion was granted until the entire mat
ter of the fourth section can be passed
upon. The Norfolk Southern was giv
en permission to establifh rates on
peanuts in sacks or barrels from
Farmville, Greenville, Ooldsboro, Ktn
ston, Newbern, Wilson, Plymouth and
Washington to Brunswick/ Ga„ and
Jacksonville, I'la.
To Be Tried For Murder of Husband.
On the representation of Solicitor
R, R. Reynolds, Judge Foushee issued
an order that Mrs. Neta White Harri
son be brought back to Asbeville
from the insane hospital and stand
trial for the alleged murder of her
husband about a year ago. It is charg
ed that she walked Into the room
where her huspand was sleeping, and
shot him. She was adjudged insane
and sent to the state hospital for the
insane at Raleigh. Solicitor Reynolds
says that she has now been pronounc
ed same, and will try her for murder.
Granville Fair Succcess.
For a third ttme the Granville Conn
ty Fair has scored a big success. Every
visitor expressed admiration for the
more than creditable exhibits and sur
prise at the constant and rapid growth
shown from year to year. The ad
dresses by Hon. Lee S. Overman and
Mr. S. B. Heigis were both listened to
by large crowds and the earnest faces
of the farmers who eagerly drank In
the practical suggestions and informa
tion given by these two excellent
speakers expressed better than words
their appreciation.
ARE
S SHi