Evening Republican, Volume 18, Number 46, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 February 1914 — Page 3

THE UNLUCKY ROOM

By EDNA R. PATTERSON.

Mrs. Tillings, landlady, looked at the girlish figure before her with a certain softening of her thin, practical features. Then, her glance traveled vaguely' around the neat little room; and after she had needlessly adjusted the pincushion and straightened a chair next to the bureau, she looked at her prospective lodger again, and cleared her throat. “I think I ought to tell you,” she began, as if with reluctance. “You seem to like this room, and there’s nothing the matter with It as far as I can see—but it’s an unlucky room.” The young stranger’s brown eyes ppened wonderingly. “Why, what do you mean? Unlucky—in what way?" “Well, It’s this way. I wouldn’t bother-telling you at all if you were a man, or older, or—or —now, It isn’t spooks or anything like that, but hard luck seems to go with the room, and I guess it’s got on my nerves. First, there was Mrs. Taylor whose husband | died on -his way from the Philippines. Then a medical student took the room.

and he got hit by an auto truck and was sent home crippled. And a cousin of Mr. Tillings came in, and he lost the position he’d held for twenty years—lost it the very next week — and the next party was a crook, and we had the police here and had a terrible tipie.” The girl’s big eyes met those of the narrator unflinchingly. “I can’t see what the room had to do with any of those misfortunes,” she-remarked politely. • “No-o, of course not; but I begun to feel queer about it. And when you came along—and—” ‘ls that all? I think you haven’t told me all.” The young girl challenged her companion with a gentle but direct glance. Mrs. killings laughed shortly. “My dear —how wise you are! No, It isn’t quite all. The last lodger was a young girl like yourself, only more delicate and dispirited-looking when she came here. But she was very young and stlone —and she was very uDlucky.” The color was mounting in the cheeks of Belle Doan, and her eyes glistened. “A girl like me —young and alone,” she repeated, softly. “Who was she? And what became of her?” “She was an artist from up-state, and she couldn't make a success of it, and she lost hope—and she killed herself,” , “Oh!” The girl’s hands clasped together tightly, and her bright face contorted with horror. “Here, In this room?” she gasped. “Oh, the poor thing!”

“No. not here. She was found In the park. And she had always said she had no near relatives, and I couldn't And any addresses among her things, so I sold her bits of jewelry* and gave her a decent burial. Hut it was a shock, I tell you.” Belle sat thinking. "Weil, I’m not an artist, and I have plenty of relatives and some money and a cheerful disposition,” she said, finally. “I like this room better than any I’ve seen, and I like you, Mrs. Tillings. So I’ll stay, and risk the influence oi tne hoodoo.” Belle sent foi* her trunk and took possession of the unlucky room. Mrs. Tillings would not h%ye referred to its past tenants again, but her new lodger seemed to be interested in her unfortunate The landlady knew fittle, after all, for the young artist had been of a quiet, uncommunicative disposition, but the element of mystery made the affair even more absorbing. There was a small photograph for Belle to see-r-a pale, wistful face with smoky masses of hair and haunting eyes, the face of ona who had known unspoken longings and unfulfilled desires. “She was never bright and happy like you,” said Mrs. Tillings. “Some folks are born for misery.” • ‘‘Bright and happy,” reflected Belle, alone, in her room later.. “I thought I was —but —I’m not so sure!” She leaned her chin on her hands and stared out into the busy street. “I thought I was doing a fine thing when I came away to live my own independent life, but somehow things haven’t seemed as gay as I expected. If they all hadn’t bothered me so much

About Bliss Thatcher —if he hadn’t been eo persistent—l wouldn’t have run away. As if matrimony was the only carder for a girl—the only thing she could hope to attain. Pooh!:’ Belle’s thoughts often ran backward after that, and she became restleßß and dissatisfied. She bfegan to dread her hours of solitude. M I don’t know what ails me.” she thought, one rainy afternoon. "I can’t put my mind on reading or sewing any more. People bore me, and I’m as tired of the town’s pleasures as if 1 was a jaded old woman. I guess the hoodoo of this room is at work. I was never so wretched in my life!” She recalled her last hour with Bliss Thatcher: the quarrel that had terminated their long friendship. She had not heard from him or of him since her flight to the city. It seemed strange to her that Bliss could be so obstinate after his faithful service to her. Perhaps he had found consolation in another girl’s society—May Williams, for instance, *ho had always aimed her soft coquetries in his direction. Belle writhed in spirit at the idea. “But I won’t go back,” she vowed fiercely. ‘‘lf Bliss cares, let him make the first dign.”

As the season vote on Mrs. ’Fillings’ new lodger showed indications of drooping. The roses dimmed in her cheeks and her laughter was less ready. She spent much time away from home, and appeared in many changes of fashionable finery, but her moods were uncertain, and she seemed often low-spirited. ‘ Mrs. Tillings observed the change with increasing concern. “Why, she’s getting as peaked and mournful as that other poor girl,” she, considered“l wonder what’s the matter.’.’ The matter was entirely simple. Belle Doan had not appreciated the blessings of her previous years until now. Her high spirits and flashing temper had cut her adrift from the man who, once insignificant in her sight, now/• loomed tormpntingly important and desirable. Her sole consolation was that Bliss Thatcher was of the faithful kind ants would ■wait for her. Fate might them together some day. But time passed, and the girl’s distress and unhappiness grew. She refused invitations arid avoided her new friends. She: even sought employment to keep her mind occupied. “I think I’ll go away,” she decided one day. “I never imagined life could seem so dreary.”

She sighed and began to pack her trunk. As she emptied a drawer of the dressing table, a folded paper cafhe into ‘view. Curiously Belle began to read the written pages, her eyes dilating and her breath coming quickly as,she proceeded. / “Oh!” she quavered. “That other girl—the artist —she wrote this and left it here so it’s a copy of a letter. It was her secret, and I have read it!”

“I have found life hard and 1 bitter.” the message ran, “but I know now I could have stood it all if you had not failed me, Arthur. I thought you would wait for me —that your love would last forever. But while I have been dreaming those dreams that could never come true, you have found some one else to take my place in your heart. It does not seem fair — I know I am to blame. I am alone in my defeat, but, Arthur, I want you to know tliat I loved you better than I knew, and that ashamed and repentant, I was coming back to you to ask your forgiveness. My poor little talents were never worth the sacrifice I made and now, with the light of your love gone when I need It most, life stretches out before me so black and so empty that I am afraid—”

Tears were streaming down Belle’s cheeks as she bent about the unfinished message. Had it ever been sent? Was this the reason of the final tragedy? Thinking of the girl who had desired—too late —to reclaim a scorned love, and of the man who had grown impatient waiting, Belle was plunged into sudden panic. What if Bliss Thatcher had forgotten her? What if she were already too late? Oh, what would her life be without love —Bliss Thatcher's love? Broken and repentant in spirit now that her heart had been revealed to her, she wrote a hasty but tender note to the man she had disdained. Two days later, a rosy, smiling young creature danced into Mrs. Tillings’ presence.

“Oh, Mrs. Tillings,” cried Belle Doan, “I’m going to leave you—l'm going back home! I’ve been waiting for good news and it just came. I can’t tell you everything—” her face grew grave and her voice softened — “it’s my secret —and another's; but something has happened that I shall be grdteful for all my life. And it happened while I was living in your unlucky room! ” “Really—how strange!” exclaimed the landlady. "Well, it’s time the spell was broken, and I’m glad you’re the one who’s done it, my dear.” (Copyright, 1914. by the McClure Newspaper Syndicate.)

London’s Hotels.

London’s hotels, of which are upwards of 500, are called upon to find accommodation for between 26,000 and 30,000 visitors nightly. Some of these London hotels are wonderful places. Twenty of them represent a capital of £8,000,000 sterling. Some possess over 1,000 bedrooms, and as many as 8,000 gueßts have been known to sleep in a score of these palaces. Oftentimes the table silver at a famous hotel represents a value of £IOO,OOO and a great deal disappears annually into the pockets of “souvenir-hunters.” There is hardly a trade or profession but what has its own particular hotel in London. The origin of the modern Metropolitan hotel was that years ago an enterprising servant who left a West-end mansion to start a boardinghouse developed it by stages into an hotel which afterwards became one of the biggest in London, and enabled him to retire to the country a rich man.—London Tit-Bits.

Activities of Women.

.Ten thousand women engaged In the manufacture of children’s garments in New York have issued a strike ultimatum.

Allowing for losses in slack season, thrfce-quarters of the women workers in New York city receive less than S4OO a year. Miss Christie Holm-berg has been elected clerk id Santa Barbara, Cal„ by an overwhelming majority over her male opponent. The New York Housekeepers* league has engaged several women to act as inspectors in their crusade against cold storage food. '. The extensive Allen Dyeing Works in Philadelphia is conducted by Miss Katherine R. Alien, daughter of the founder of the business. Mrs. Clara 8. Butler of Cleveland, 0., has invented and patented a device which eliminates the harsh metallic sounds in a phonograph.

THE EVENING REPUBLICAN, RENSSELAER, INP.

Three hundred candidates were admitted to the order of the Mystic Shrine at Nile Temple, Manila, P. 1., the other day, and among those who took part in the ceremonial were 230 nobles from all parts of the United States. These men, with members of their families, are making the greatest pilgrimage in the history of the order. They sailed from Seattle December 30 on the Great Northern steamship Minnesota, and on their way home they will stop at several Oriental ports.

KILL PRAIRIE DOGS

Slaughter Four Hundred Thousand of the Rodents.

Biological Survey of Department of Agriculture Destroys Animals in Western Reserves to Preserve the Forage.

Washington.—The biological survey of the department of agriculture has destroyed about 400,000 prairie dogs in the Cochetopa and Pike National forests of Colorado and the Tusayan and Coconino forests of Arizona. It is estimated that the amount of forage that the rodents feed upon would be sufficient for about 15,500 sheep or about 1,800 head of cattle, which would be valued at about $150,000. This was done at a cost to the department of about $,12,000, In view of the fact that Amerlcah and English furriers secure better skins from Siberia for five cents apiece, no market for the hides of the prairie dogs has been found. The glove makers state that the skins are rather small to be worked up economically. Last year the biological survey used 35,000 pounds of oats, 4,000 pounds of carbon bisulphid, and about 1,800 ounces of strychnin in the Cochetopa forest in the work of dog destruction. The local oats were of very fine quality, and it was found that the heavy oats that weigh about forty pounds to the bushel were very much more economical than the lighter oats. The dogs shuck the light oats so readily that they escape the poison which is in the form of a coating : but the heavier oats are more difficult to shuck.

The agents of the survey prepare the poison, which is mixed with strychnin with a starch mucilage of about the consistency used in starching linen, and by applying this to the oats, each kernel receives a fine film of poison starch. Many rodents which carry the grain in their pouches are poisoned by absorbing the poison from the 'pouches; without swallowing any of the grain. This is the case with the California ground squirrel. Agents have hundreds and hundreds of dead squirrels with their cheek pouches full and no grain in their stomachs.

PREDICT BIG MUTTON FAMINE

Wool Growers Told Scarcity in Next Five Years Wilt Become Very Acute. Salt Lake 1 City, Utah. —A mutton famine was predicted here by J. E Poole, editor of the Chicago Livestock World, in an address before the National Wool Growers’ association, meeting in annual session. During the next five years, he said, the scarcity would become acute. Mr. Poole said that for the last five years the west bad been marketing ewe lambs in the same reckless manner as it sent heifer calves to the butcher, from 1900 to 1910. Good authorities. he said, estimate that 80 per cent, of the ewe flocks of the west are over aged and that a bad winter would scatter their carcasses over the ranges, thus precipitating a mutton scarcity that in any event cannot long be delayed. “One short lamb crop." said Mr. |*oole. "would put both lamb and mutton 1n the same'-category as lobster and terrapin.” :- y ~ . Charles A. Butler of Chicago, in an address on the legal relations of sheep shippers and railroads, declared that all the live stock contracts hp bad ' seen carried .provisions contrary to the federal laws.

SHIP THAT CARRIED SHRINERS TO MANILA

LEADS GOULDS INTO FOLD

Lady Decies Takes Initiative In Placing Her Family in the Ranka —” of the “400.”

New York. —Lady Decies, once Vivien Gould, granddaughter of Jay Gould, the first of the great American speculators, has proved to New York now that she and her family are firmly established In American society. Jay Gould himself, though one 6t the very richest men of his time, never got closer than the front doorstep of the “Four Hundred" of bis day. His

Lady Decies.

granddaughter was the chief attraction in a society tableau held at the home of Mrs. Reginald de Koven. who has long been in society. The Gould family has struggled ever since the death of the founder of the house to get a place in society. The marriage of Miss Gould, daughter of George J. Gould, eldest son of the old speculator, has brought about a realization of that ambition.

GREAT WISDOM OF MENELIK

His Ancestor, King Solomon, Seems to Have Inspired His Judgments. ' London. The Negtis Menelik’s death at last having been officially established, after so many false reports, many anecdotes about this picturesque character are appearing. Ope of them is in the Times, and is reminiscent of King Solomon/Menelik’s reputed ancestor. In Abyssinia the Mosaic law of an eye for an eye holds good in default of blood-money. Two men were gathering plums, one in the tree shaking the branches and the other below collecting the fruit. A branch broke, and the climber|fell on the gatherer and broke his neck, himself escaping with Injuries from which he eventually recovered. The family of the dead man sued the survivor for the bloodmoney, some $l2O. He bad no money and refused to pay. whereupon the plaintiffs demanded his life. The case worked its way up to the supreme tribunal of Menelik himself, by which time bitter feeling had been engendered, and the claimants now refused to accept blood-money, even If offered, and demanded their full right-

TELLS OF FUTURE RELIGION

It Will Be Based on Science, Declares Camille Flammarlon, Noted French Savant

London. —An article on “The Religion of the Future” by Camille Flammarion in the current number of the Occult Review Is Attracting a good deal of attention. As far back as 1861 M. Flammarlon became a member of the Paris Society for the Study of Spiritualism, and for many years past he has kept in touch with most of the psychic phenomena observed throughout the world. His forecast of the religion of the future is that It will be “scientific and will be founded on a knowledge of psychical facts.” —He says:

“This religion of science will have one great advantage over all that has gone before it —unity. Today a Jew or a Protestant cannot believe in the miracles of Lourdes, a Musselman hates the dog of a Christian, a Buddhist cannot accept the dogmas of the western world. ' —.- “No one of these divisions will exist in a religion founded on the general scientific solution of psychical problems.” t

TEASING MADDENS A CONVICT

Angered Man Fractures Skull of One of His Tormentors With Hatchet.

Ossining, N. Y.—Maddened by the teasing of other convicts in Sing Sing Michael Sullivan attacked Peter Lagatuta, his nearest tormentor, with a hatchet. He fractured the man’s skull. The assault took place In the, shipping department. There were eighteen or twenty prisoners in the room at the time. Sullivan, who is twentynine years old. was sentenced from New York county on May 13 last to from ten to twenty years for manslaughter. Lagatuta, who is twentyseven years old, was sentenced for burglary to from two years and six months to five years. Sullivan has been considered weak or Simple minded and the prisoners have enjoyed teasing him.

Yale Students Stop Drinking. . New Haven. —Many Yale students have signed a pledge to refrain from drinking, gambling and to shun im-, moral theatrical performances.

“Very well,” said Menelik. “You have the right to claim this man's life; but the law also says that the murderer shall be killed in the same manner as his victim. Therefore, let one of you climb that tree” —pointing to a huge sycamore fig—“and fall from its branches on the culprit.” None of the plaintiffs would take the risk, and the innocent homicide escaped. True greatness of spirit was shown by the Negus when, many years ago. a favorite and trusted Dejazmatch revolted. He was a chief of influence and power, whose suppression Involved considerable trouble and anxiety. but he waß eventually captured and brought in chains before the Ne ; gus. .Menelik asked him why he had rebelled, and he replied: “To make myself Negus.” “Ah!” said Menelik, “do you think it is such an easy or pleasant thing to be king of kings? Go back to yotrr country and learn wisdom.”

Leaves Fortune to Dog.

Denver, Colo.—" Daisy,” a fox terrier. Is the chief legatee in the will of Christina J. Evans, who left an estate worth $75,000. -

AND WARDS’

HEROIC SPIRIT IS DISPLAYED

Members of the Thirteenth Massachusetts Had to Be Forced Back In Noted Fight at Gettysburg.

George H, Ivehman, employed as an electrician at the Charlestown nayy yard, was a sturdy young man of twenty-one years, 50 years ago. Although he had seen hard service as a private in Company E, Thirteenth Massachusetts infantry, Mr. Lehman weighed 180 pounds when he went Into the battle of Gettysburg. Mr. Lehman had the advantage of knpwledge of how to take care of himself, and, as he says, he never failed to get enough to eat. - ' L On the night of June 30 we were at Emmetsburg, camped at Marsh creek, 14 miles from Gettysburg,” said Mr. Lehman. “About 8 a. m. on July 1 we got orders to start for Gettysburg at double quick. We covered the 14 miles at a dog-trot and it was the roughest road I ever traveled, up and down hill, with dust up to our ankles. “My recollection Is that we reached the line of battle at Gettysburg about noon. The Twelfth Massachusetts had been Ahead- of us and they had been through some hard fighting before we arrived. They had lost many of their men and when we Jined up in the position they had been holding the ablebodied men of the Twfelftb staid with 08.

“It was hot work from the first minute. The rebelß were coming up the road in column of fours just as fast as they could come. There seemed to be a swarm of rebels stretching out farther than we could see. “The boys all knew that there were fully five of the Johnnies to every one of us, but that made our boys fight harder. We were firing }ust as fast as we could reload and aim,' and our men were falling fast. ‘The rebels aimed at the men nearest the colors, so the men who were about the colors were hit first. Our company was stationed to the left of ohr colors and as rapidly as the men near the colors were hit we moved up. Our color bearer, brave Charlie Morris, was killed. Our regimental monument at Gettysburg, by the way, is a soldier in full uniform, and the flgur3 was modeled after Morris. “So many of the cofor company had been killed and wounded that our company, the next one to the colors, had moved 5 up to the position abont the regimental flag. I was close to the colors when a bullet struck my left leg. It was only a flesh wound and I kept on fighting. . “About 2:30 or 3 p. m. I was wounded again, and this - time the ball shattered a bone In the right leg. Thatput me out of action aiyi I was ordered to the rear to the field hospital. I had been able to bandage my right leg with a towel and stop the flow of blood and I could just barely walk. “Before I was hit and was ordered to the rear I knew that we would have to retreat. But the boys did not want to retreat. When it waft impossible to hold the position longer and the officers ordered thqm to retreat the boys had to be driven back before they would stir. In all my experience 1 never saw such heroic spirit as the men of the First corps showed that first day at Gettysburg. “As soon as Stuart’s cavalry rode away I told Kelly to run up the road and intercept Buford’s cavalry, and tell the general which way the rebels had gone. He did so and pretty soon we heard the Union cavalry in pursuit, attacking Stuart’s rear.” ' Mr. Lehman on returning to Massachusetts applied for a commission-in the Fifty-ninth Massachusetts infantry, but the examihing surgeon declared that his wound made further " service impossible. >

Monument to Hazen's Brigade.

James P. Waldron, Rector, Ark., belonged to the 3ixth Kentucky and was wounded at Shiloh and again at Stone rivfer. On the field of Stone river is a monument to the old Hazen brigade, composed of the Ninth Indiana, Fortyfirst Ohio, Sixth Kentucky and One Hundred and Tenth Illinois. There tlley fought back, the enemy when both wings were driven back, and Hazen’s men stood like a stone wall. Altogether they were in 28 battles and skirmishes. H« has ’seen but one of his old comrades since the muster-out, and would like to hear from any that are alive.

Simple Enough.

; “Here’s an odd news note: A New -- Jersey trust company saved $75,009 last year by abolishing Its legal department.” , “That is odd. I wonder how it came to decide to do it?” “Simple enough. It decided to obey the law.”

En Encounter With Thrift

“What did the proprietor of the swine say when he found you feeding on their husks?" “What he said,” replied the prodigal son, “was this.: *> 'Hey! Come out of there. Those hueks are worth money these days!’ ”

Dull.

“Old Mr. Doppel doesn't seem to have a sense of humor ‘ “I’m afraid not Ha could talk * about cold storage eggs aU day and not indulge iii' any sort of pleasac-.ry.” i .