Evening Republican, Volume 16, Number 137, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 June 1912 — Page 2

Belinda’s Way

By CLARISSA MACKIE

(Copyright, 1912, by Associated Literary Press.) At bis first meeting with Belinda Howe, Jock Owen determined that the charming girl should become his wife. On and after their tenth meeting he resolved to aßk her the all-important .-question that must precede an engagement, but his courage was not equal to his desire. •TO ask her tomorrow,” was always his desperate promise when his courage failed, and many tomorrows had become todays and yesterdays, and still the question was unasked, yet he almost knew, without being conceited about the matter, that Belinda cared and that her affirmative answer would be forthcoming when he asked her. Time and again he had gathered his courage and on each occasion his tongue had clove to the roof of bis mouth when Belinda’s brown eyes had shyly dropped before the love light . in his. Occasionally he raged at himself for -his stupidity. “If she only knew what a consummate ass 1 am she wouldn’t have anything to do with me," be groaned one day. Perhaps Belinda knew —or guessed the state of affairs! ‘Til ask her tomorrow —sure!” he said one evening after he had returned from a dinner party where he had taken Belinda in to dinner, and sat beside her In ecstatic wonder at his great good luck. Tomorrow came and with It a note from Belinda saying that they were all going down to Sea Sands that day for the week-end and she hoped Mr. Owen would be sure to accept her mother’s Invitation to accompany > them. Mrs. Howe’s Invitation came in the same mall and Jack accepted it delightedly. Then he made hurried preparations for the journey because he' wanted to be Bure and catch the same train that Belinda was going on. He went to the station and engaged a seat, trusting to his customary good fortune to find it placed next to Bellnda’s chair. It was next to Belinda's seat, but on the other side of Belinda sat a new man—a foolishly grinning idiot with his hair parted In the middle and a dimple In his chin. This was Jack's summary of the masculine charms of Mr. Harry Brompton. Belinda was interested in Mr. Brampton, so deeply Interested that she only spared an occasional smile for Jack, who sulked openly and determined to aSk her the fatal question that very night —if he got a chance. When they reached Sea Sands and the Howe’s motor vehicles were filled with the expected guests it was found that Mr. Brompton was seated beside Belinda in one car while Jack Owen was squeezed between Mrs. Howe and her private secretary, a little pale black-eyed being who shivered with end gaities, of which she would only snatch an occasional glimpse. “I’ll show him!" sputtered Jack fiercely as he noted the devoted attitude of Mr. Brompton’s by no means ill-looking' bead. —————■. It was an added irritation to find that Mr. Brompton was to occupy the pleasant room which Jack Owen had always occupied on his frequent visits at Sea Sands. The room now appointed to Jack was pleasanter than the other, but Jealousy is fed by little things, like this and Mr. Owen became positively unhappy over the matter. V By the time Jack was ready for dinner the situation looked very bleak He was positive that Mr. Brompton had been a dark horse in the race for Belinda’s heart and hand and he was sure that gentleman had won out. and that the engagement would be announced tonight. He hoped it would not be announced at the dinner table —he was positive that he would be unable to control his-features. Yet It looked ominous enough. As he tallied the guests who would be there he realized that they consisted of old and intimate friends of the Howe family. Harry Brompton was the only stranger to him. He wondered vaguely if any of these friends were related to Mr. Brompton or was the prospective bridegroom an orphan like himself? He went down to dinner in a mood of black despair. 1 **n—r boy!’’ murmured Mrs. Howe, as be stopped for a word with her. “We are so delighted about little Beftada!” - “Then it is decided?” be asked in a hollow voice. She looked at him In a puzzled way. “You mean about announcing It tonight?” He nodded grimly. He could not speak. “Oh. yes—of course you do not mind?” ** | Jack’s face hardened. Of coarse they had thrust the knife In. but they

to William. Belinda baa hurried tw so, only notified us this morning and insisted on its being announced tonight” “That’s ail right—don’t mind me.” faltered poor Jack and strolled over to William, who was Belinda’s father. “Keep up your courage, old boy!" whispered Mr. Howe. “Brace up—lt can’t happen but once, you know!” *1 won’t give any one a chance to let It happen to me again!” growled Jack fiercely, but William Howe was happily hard of hearing, and at this moment dashed away, for dinner was announced “Mighty kind of ’em to be so carefui of my feelings," thought Jack as he tried to quell a murderous thrill at sight of Harry Brampton's carefully parted curly hair. Belinda came in then—a wonderfully radiant Belinda In pale pink satin veiled with white lace and with pearls about her throat. She included Jack in her swift survey of the room, and he saw that a rosy wave of color stained her cheeks from brow to chin and left her pale. His own heart did not leap In response to her passing glance as it had been wont to do. It felt quite cold and still. It did not throb even when he found that he was to take Belinda in to dinner. His face was like a white mask as be gave her bis arm and led her to-her Beat. To his relief Belinda did not talk much to him. She seemed absorbed in conversation with Harry Brompton on her other hand, while Jack was not obliged to talk, for a lady beside him chattered foolishly from course to course until dessert was reached. An unusual silence came upon the company as Belinda’s father slowly arose holding his wine glass. “Friends," be smiled upon them, “may I ask you to drink to the health happiness of one who is very dear to me —my daughter, Belinda, and her future husband, Mr. Jack Owen." “It Is a joke!" gasped poor Jack as the company merrily drank to their health and happiness. “There must be a limit to —" Nobody beard his voice save Belinda, whose hand sought his and pressed it significantly. “I’ll explain afterwards. Jack!” she said hurriedly. “You must respond to the toast.” “It’s true, then?" he asked dazedly. —“Of course —stupid!’’ - Afterwards they commented on the brilliant speech of Jack Owen. “Didn’t know It was in him to be ao funny!” commented one. “Enough to Inake any one hllarioua to win a girl like Belinda Howe!” retorted another. , “Who is this young Brompton r* “Oh, 1 don’t know —some friend from the west who Inflicted himself upon them this morning and had to be invited down.” After dinner Jack Owen found himself mysteriously spirited away to the alcove in the library. Belinda was beside him, very pale, very quiet Sounds from the company In the distant drawing room came faintly to them. “Oh, Jack, do you mind?” asked Belinda after a long silence. '“Mind?” he asked, still dazed at the strangeness of -the whole thing, and suspecting a.trick of some sort “Mind being engaged to me?" she faltered. “Mind being engaged to you?” he repeated. “Why, Belinda, darling, it’s what I’ve been trying to accomplish ever since I met you!” His arms were around her now, and his lips were pressed against her wonderful hair. “I didn’t understand, you see." g \ *T kfiew you wanted to, only you were so diffident- —oh, indeed, sir, you are recovering rapidly—and it was the only way. You know this is leap year!”

Moon Blindness.

A naval correspondent has written from Port of Spain, Trinidad, stating that in his travels he had come across many cases of moon blindness, caused by men sleeping with the moon shining upon them, such cases occurring principally In the tropics and the Mediterranean. Strange to say, adds the Trinidad correspondent, men so affected can see in daylight, but cannot do so when dusk sets In. Mr. Elgie further quotes from a communication made by a New Zealand correspondent to a weekly scientific journal. This - correspondent was, many years_ago. the Liverpool ship Langdale, an East India trader. Once when the ship was between St. Helena and the line some of the crew slept on deck fully exposed to the glare of the brilliant moon. When they awoke, three qf them were quite moon blind. They had to be led abont at night, and ropes put into their hands.

Dividends From Smuggling.

Italian custom house officials have just discovered a large contraband “company,” with headquarters in Milan and Lucerne, which regularly payß dividends secretly and whose field of operations extends across a large tract of the Swiss-Italian frontier, from the shores of Lake Magglore up to Lugano. Over 1,000 persons are Involved in the operations, and there have been many, arrests recently, though a number of those implicated have escaped from Italy by crossing the frontier into Switzerland, where of conrse they cannot be arrested. The contraband goods consisted chiefly of saccharine, sugar and Swiss watches, which were smuggled across the frontier in trucks with the connivance of several railway employes. - • ' T . There is in friendship something of all relatipna, and something above them all. It is the golden thread that ties the hearts of all the world.—John

FREAKE SHIPS OF NAVY

OLD MONITOS WAITING FOR AUCTIONEER

■V Then the Monitor Bteamed ta--IAI to Hampton roads half a ■fat century ago and played f J “Delilah" to the Merrimac’s “Samson” an important era In the life of the confederacy, also in oaval architecture, was marked. The .United States began building more monitore -with -feverish -haste. Wooden sloops, cruisers, corvettes and frigates were hurried into the discard. A navy wasn’t the real thing unless it had a lot of queer looking ironclad vessels resembling "the cheese box on a raft.” Naval historians say that the building of the Monitor was an illustration of the adage, “Necessity is the mother of invention.” The United States was threatened by an unconquerable iron coated foe. A new style of fighting craft was needed. Ericsson heard and interpreted Mother Necessity’s call. The Monitor was the result, says the Kansas City Star. All well and good! But Erickson’s success caused a score of embryo naval designers to ~ strain, their eyesight and hearing searching for another Mother Necessity. Navy departments, admiralty offices and shipbuilding firms were besieged by architects. Specifications for all sorts of odd appearing war vessels were produced. Most of these met a prosaic death in the waste paper basket; many got as far as the experimental strfge; some were actually built and launched and once or twice the Beagling military establishments of the world have been given hair raising scares. Two Notable Marine Freaks. The Katahdin and the Vesuvius were the names selected by the United States for two of its more noted sea freaks. Both were radical departures from accepted naval construction. Both were expected to revolutionize naval warfare. And both failed. Rear Admiral Daniel Ammen was responsible for the Katahdin. .He lived and died believing that he had given to his country its most valuable weapon of defense. Admiral Ammen was a studious sort of a chap. He was interested in his profession. He knew how seamen had fought and how ships had been built since the days of Phoenlcla. Particularly he liked the methods used by the valiant sea fighters of Rome. He was impressed with their naval architecture, the sharp ramming beaks on solidly built craft. Why, the admiral probably reasoned to himself, could not this ram .be used lp modern warfare? He began a quiet search for Mme. Necessity. He took the ram Idea of the Romans, the armor plated Idea of his own day and the compact machinery plan of Ericsson and began work. He rolled and hammered and welded these three ideas together and produced the Katahdin. “It won’t work. It is impractical,” said the navy department officials. Then Admiral Ammen smiled and began to explain his theory again. Ammen coaxed, exhorted, demanded and besought. Also he persisted. The navy- department said go ahead. The Katahdin was built. The ram looked like a cross between a great lake whaleback grain boat and a water logged cigar of monster proportions whenit was launched in 1889. Then for four years the Katahdin was put through all the trials naval officers could devise. The boat did everything its inventor claimed. The government paid $930,000 for the Katahdin and then waited for an enemy to humiliate. In 1898 Spain balanced a husky chip on its shoulder. Uncle Sam promptly slapped It Here was the Katahdin’s opportunity. Along about- March, 1898, things looked pretty dark .for the United States navy. Spain’s fighting ships still had considerable standing. Great things were expected from the Katahdin. “We have in our nary,” one enthusiast declared, “one boat which alone could fight the whole much vaunted Spanish fleet.” He meant the Katahdin. But the Katahdin was a failure. It was designed to chase an enemy Into a corner and then puncture a hole in the side of the hostile ship with the 400.00 Q ton blow the Katahdin ram could deliver. Of course the enemy would fight back; hut the conical armored deck of the Katahdin was made to shed shells like a duck sheds water. It took only a few days to learn j

that the Katahdin couldn’t steam fast enough to ram a rowboat and, most any old popgun could punch holes In Its armor before it got under way. In addition the ram was not seaworthy. Vesuvius Terror of the Navy. So the skipper of the Katahdin brought his boat back to Washington navy yard and the Junk pile. The ram became a curiosity of naval construction instead of a revolutionizer of naval warfare. Quite recently the Katahdin met a prosaic end by acting as a target for a new style of naval artillery. The Vesuvius came nearer fame. It was launched In 1886. The SpanishAmerican war also heralded its death. The Vesuvius was a dynamite cruiser. its weapons were three bronze tubes projecting amidships and forward. From these tubes dynamite shells containing 250 pounds of guncotton were hurled by compressed air. It expected that a few of these monster charges would destroy a whole continent. And they might have had the Vesuvius been able to fire accurately. The tubes were immovable and the only way to aim was to point the ship at the target and then regulate the air pressure. In the language of one naval expert, “Sometimes we hit the island of Cuba.” The Vesuvius saw real war service in 1898. It has the Katahdin’s record beaten. The Vesuvius would sneak close in to shore at night near Santiago and fire a few dynamite shells. They made a frightful noise when they exploded and won the sobriquet of "the earthquake maker” for the ship, hut nothing more.To quote a naval officer: “The Vesuvius was turned out to be the terror of the seas and became the terror of the American navy.” —--——- Officers were afraid the dynamite magazines would explode In a heavy sea.

CLING TO THEIR PRIVILEGES

Ambassadors Enjoy Many Rights That Have Been Accorded Them for Centuries, pretty must the same to the average man, but there is a very great difference between the two, inasmuch as an ambassador possesses many privileges abroad that do not pertain to a mere minister. -■ Perhaps the most curious privilege of an ambassador, who is accredited to the ruler of a country and not merely to the government thereof, as is a minister, is that the ambassador may when dismissed turn his back to the sovereign to whose court he has been assigned. described the mode of procedure is as follows: When the audience Is at an end the ambassador waits to he dismissed by the sovereign. When dismissed'the ambassador bows, retires three paces, bows again, turns on his heels and walks to the folding doors. But when the reigning sovereign is a woman a more polite method is employed. To turn his back would be to resign a privilege; therefore the ambassador retires sideways. He keeps one eye on the soverign and with the other he endeavors to find the door. By this unique means he contrives to show all politeness to the sovereign and at the same time retain his ambassadorial privilege in retiring. Another privilege of an ambassador is that of being ushered into the royal presence through folding doors, both of which must be flung wide for him. None save an ambassador can claim this privilege, the greatest-favor in this respect that can bq shown any non-ambassadorial representative consisting in the opening to him of one door only. There Is one privilege of the ambassador, a privilege that sometimes occasions great inconvenience to the ruler, which c&mists of his right to demand admission to the sovereign by dfcy or by night.

“Tantalize the Flowers.”

Coming hdme the other day In a rush of excitement, Dora rushed to her mother and said: “Oh. mamma, guess what we are going to do?" •1 don’t' know, dear, but I hope it is nothing dreadful.” , "We’re going to study botany, ana next Saturday we are going out to the woods to tantalize the flowers.”

Tales of GOTHAM and other CITIES

Millionaires Held Prisoners an Hour

NEW YORK.—For nearly an hour the other day J. P. Morgan Jr. and Robert Bacon, *former ambassador to France, were held prisoners on the thirty-first fiber of the Bankers’ Trust building. It was nearly luncheon time when Mr. Morgan and Mr. Bacon fumed and fussed in the elaborate suite on the thirty-first floor of the Bankers’ Trust building which has been set aside for J. P Morgan Sr. for holding secret conferences. Mr. Morgan went up to the thirtyfirst floor for a conference with Mr. Bacon. First they took an express elevator to the twenty-ninth floor. An auxiliary runs up to the private suite, but it ,waß broken, so the two men walkeg up. They then turned the knob of the doorwhich leads to the suite, slammed It and proceeded to get dowu_to business. The conference did not last long and at Its eoncluslon Mr. Morgan went to the door.

Rebel and Federal Meet After Battle

KANSAS CITY.—A message telling how Tracy Richardson, a Kansas City boy, met the Mexican federal soldier who fired the bullet that wounded him at the battle of Villa Lopez, was received the other day from Addison Hughes, a correspondent with the rebel army of General Orozco. The dispatch, whleh is dated from Jiminez, Chihuahua, Mexico, reads as follows: This morning a wounded federal was laid on an adjoining cot. The federal prisoner was moaning. Richardson awoke, peered through the dim candle light and said In Spanish: “Hello, are you badly hurt?” “Pretty badly,” answered the man. “Federal or rebel?” queried Richardson. “Federal,” replied the other. “And you?” "Rebel,” said Richardson. ‘Tve A bullet through my body from a federal gun. I wish I had the man here who topped me over.” “What were you doing when yon fell?” “Working a machine gun.” “By the adobe house to the right of the church?” queried the federal. “That was the position. How did you know?” Richardson asked. “How did I know,” the federal asked. “Well, I gudss I’m the hombre who got you. After I located you,

Two Utah Girls Hold Up a Stag Car

SALT LAKE CITY. —Two unmarried young women, masked and hfavily aimed, robbed -the stag car on the Shriners’ special train at 2 o’clock the ether morning a few minutes after the train pulled out at Salt Lake City. Several shots from revolvers were fired at each entrance to the car and fifteen badly frightened men on the inside began a mad scramble to find their revolvers and to conceal their purses. Their revolvers, however, had been taken from the car While they were uptown celebrating. As the men matje a dash, to get ont of the car they were met at the doors with threats and a liberal display of revolvers. - : , “We are not looking for money. We are looking for bachelors,” the two women explained.

Cyclone a “Scenic Railway” for Horse

QT. LOUIS.—As tihe shock caused by ij the appalling loss of life from toe recent cyclone In southern Illinois disappears, people are beginning to remember the strange things it did. As the twister swept on its course about a half a mile from Dale it playfully picked- up a dwelling belonging to Isaac Harwood pud set it down beside the foundation, performing the l|g£t so neatly that it did not.stop-toe family dock or Jar vases, off of shelves. t > : A horse belonging to a farmer named' Erby, .living near Dale, was tracked for some distance by the pieces where Its feet occasionally hit toe ground. It finally was found .flattened against a tree, and partly wrapped around it The cyclone to and around Wllllsvllle was more destructive than at Dale and equally toeakish. Approach ing the town it bounced over toe ground like a ball, tearing hole* in UOT*of tZ Unm where Ui« lt~ of

There was no knob on the inside. A steel bar ran In from the outside knob, but it was so short that it couldn’t be turned. When Mr. Morgan saw the gazed blankly at Mr. Bacon Bacon gazed blankly at Mr. Morgan. “Jailed!” exclaimed Mr. Bacon. ' Mr. Morgan fished a penknife from his pocket and tried to loosen the screw which held the steel bar. Bo broke the blade of the knife. "There ought to be some way out of this,” the financier said, after ho had worked at the bar until the perspiration stood on his brow. Then he looked about and discovered an automatic fire alarm.- ; The breaking* of a glass cover-on the alarm ought to have brought firemen, but the alarm was not in working order, and the glass was broken to no purpose. After they had waited and waited, with no signs of firemen, they set to work at the door again. _ Mr. Bacon used his pocket knife this time and, after much laborious effort, managed to loosen the screw and shove the steel bar out of Its groove. - Then the handle of the knife was inserted into the groove and it opened the door. Mr. Morgan will probably take a fire axe with him when he again holds a conference in the private suite. v

some one of the rebels got me twfovonce through the head and once through the stomach. It’s all off with me.” ‘ “I’m practically well,” said Richardson. ‘Tm sorry, old man. I’m sorry.** He reached over and grasped the federal’s hand. "Brace up and get well." Then he lay back and went to sleep. When Richardson awakened the sun was up. He turobd toward thf federal and greeted him: “Buenos dias.” There was-no reply. The federal was dead. N Richardson, who, with a machine gun, had held a dangerous position, single-handed, against the federal* at Villa Rose, was found after the battle, crawling toward the town, a bullet hole in his chest. He has been called the hero of Jimlnez. Richardson Is 23 years old.. Hit father, the late A. R. Richardson, was a well-known contractor in Kansas City. His mother now Is living In Lamar, Mo.

Dr. L. A. Corwin of Goffs, Kan., and A. L, Swearingen of Kansas City, Kan, the only two bachelors on the ear,' pleaded. “Save ns, men. It’s leap year and we are in Utah, too.” "Come with us," the two train robbers demanded. The two* bachelor* were led to the. observation ear, where several of the unmarried young women were assembled. Dr. J. F. Hereford, the official auctioneer, mounted a box. He placed, his hands on Doctor Corwin’s shoulder. “This is to be a bargain day In bachelors, young women,” Doctor Hereford explained. "This handsome noble-has a kiss as sweet as the perfume of any orange blossom. I guarantee he can weather the storm of the roughest marital sea as he crossed successfuly the hot sands of the desert to the mystic shrine. It’s true he never paid grocery bills and probably never win. How much an X bid?” . To the disappointment of the two bachelors, there was not a bid. The two bachelors, ■ heart-broken and dejected, were placed in seclusion od the train.

David Thompson, James Thompson and Mrs. Rhoda Haskins were lost it ripped up about a dozen housee and then rose and passed over several blocks before It touched again. The escape of ten families from death in their demolished houses was marvelous. They were carried tolw with the flying timbers and rolled over and over in the wreckage. Some were -found clasped in each other’s arms several hundred feet from where their homes had stood. « The path of toe cyclone was about 300 yards wide. Those who saw the approach of the c funnel-shaped , cloud in time were able to save themselves by running to one side' or the .other pattt.