Hammond Times, Volume 2, Number 39, Hammond, Lake County, 2 August 1907 — Page 3

Friday, 'August 2, 1907.

THE LAKE COUNTY TIMES. 3

toiHfflpii say : f PL AERa

(Continued.)

"Dunno." answered the fellow next him, flipping his quirt uneasily; "but I reckon as how it's her as squealed, an'

wed better be gittmg in ter nev our share o- the fun." The "chief," with an oath of disgust, dashed forward and his band surged after. Just below them, and scarcely 0 feet away, a half score of roughly clad, heavily bearded men were clustered in the center of the trail, two of their number lifting the unconscious form of a fainting woman upon a horse. "Cervera's gang, by gosh!" panted the leading savage. "How did they git yere?" "You bet! She's up agin the real thing," ejaculated a voice beside him. "Let's ride 'em off the earth! Whoop!" With wild yells to awaken fresh courage the whole band plunged headlong down the sharp decline, striking the surprised "road agents" with a force and suddenness which sent half of them sprawling. Revolvers flashed, oaths and shouts rang out fiercely, men clinched each other, striking savage blows. Lumley grasped the leader of the other party by the hair, and endeavored to beat him over the head with his revolver butt. Even as he uplifted his hand to strike the man's beard fell off and the two fierce combatants paused as though thunderstruck. "Hold on yere, boy!" yelled Lumley. "This yere !s some blame joke. These fellers is Bill McNeil's gang." "By thunder! if it ain't Pete Eumley," ejaculated the other. "Whut did ye hit me fer, yo long-legged minin' jackass?" The explanation was never uttered. Out from the surrounding gloom of underbrush a hatless, disheveled individual on foot suddenly dashed Into the center of that hesitating ring of Horsemen. With skillful twist of hit foot he sent a dismounted road agent spinning over backward and managed to wrench a revolver from his hand. There was a blaze of red flame, a cloud of smoke, six sharp reports, and a wild stampede of frantic horsemen. Then Rev. Howard Wynkeop flung

the empty gun disdainfully down into the dirt, stepped directly across the motionless outstretched body, and knelt humbly beside a slender, whiterobed figure lying close against the fringe of bushes. Tenderly he lifted the fair head to his throbbing bosom and gazed directly down iato the white, unconscious face. Even as he looked her eyes unclosed, her body trembling within his arms. "Have no fear," he implored, reading terror in the expression of her face. "Miss Spencer Phoebe it is only I, Mr. Wynkoop. "Oh, Howard Mr. Wynkoop it is all so strange, so bewildering; my nerves are so shattered! But it has taught me a great, great lesson. How could I have ever been so blind? I thought Mr. Moffat and Mr. McNeil were such heroes, and yet now in this hour of desperate peril it was you who flew gallantly to my rescue! It is you who are the true western knight!" And Mr. Wynkoop gazed down into those grateful eyes and modestly confessed it true.

CHAPTER XXV. The Parting Hour. To Lieut. Brant these proved days of bitterness. He had called twice upon Hampton, both times finding the wounded man propped up in bed, very affable, properly grateful for services rendered, yet avoidrng all reference to the one disturbing element between them. Once he had accidentally met Naida, but their brief conversation left him more deeply mystified than ever, and later she seemed to avoid him altogether. One day he deemed her but an idle coquette; the next, a warmhearted woman, doing her duty bravely. Yet through it all her power over him never slackened. 4 The end of this nervous Btraln came in the form of an urgent dispatch recalling N troop t Fort Abraham Lincoln by forced marches. The commander felt ho doubt as to the full meaning of this message, and the soldier in him made prompt and joyful response. Brant had learned of the consolidation of the hostile savages.

incited by Sitting Bull, Into the fastness of the Big Horn range; he was aware that Gen. Cook was already advancing northward from the Nebraska line. Now he realized that he was to be a part of this chosen fighting force and his heart responded to the summons as to a bugle call in battle.

Instantly the little camp was astir, ;

the men feeling the enthusiasm of their officers. With preparations well In hand. Bract's thoughts veered once j again toward Naida. He rode down to the Herndon house with grave face and sober thought. He recalled long j the plainly furnished room into which ; Mrs. Herndon ushered him to await ; the girl's appearance the formal look : of the old-fashioned hair-cloth furni- ; ture, the prim striped paper on the ; walls, the green shades at the win- ; dows, the clean rag carpet on the floor, j The very stiffness chilled him, left him ill at ease. Then he heard the j rustle of Naida's skirt and turned to . meet her. She was pale from her i weeks of nursing, and agitated for fear ! of what this unexpected call might ' portend. Yet to his thought she ap-1

peared calm, her manner restrained. Nor could anything be kinder than her first greeting, the frankly extended hand, the words expressive of wel

come. ! "Mr. Wynkoop informed me a few j minutes ago that you had at last re- j ceived your orders for the north," she i said, her lips slightly trembling. "I wondered if you would leave without a word of farewell." He bowed low. "I do not understand how you could doubt, for I have shown my deep interest in you even from the first. If I have lately seemed to avoid you, it has only been because I believed you wished it so." There was an embarrassing pause, as though neither knew how to get through the interview. "No doubt you are rejoiced to be sent on active service again," she said, at last. "Yes, both as a soldier and as a man, Miss Naida. I am glad to get into the field again with my regiment, to do my duty under the flag, and I

am equally rejoiced to have something occur which will tend to divert my thoughts. I had not intended to say anything of this kind, but now that I am with you I simply cannot restrain the words. This past month has been, I believe, the hardest I have ever been compelled to live through. You simply mystify me so that I alternately hope and despair. Your methods are cruel." "Mine?" and she gazed at him with parted lips. "Lieut. Brant, what can you mean? What is it I have done?" "It may have been only play to you and so easily forgotten," he went on, bitterly. "But that is a dangerous game, very certain to hurt some one. Miss Naida, your face, your eyes, even your lips almost continually tell me one thing; your words another. I know not which to trust. I never

meet you except to go away bailed j and bewildered." j "You wish to know the truth?" j "Ay, and for all time! Are you j false or true? Coquette or woman? j Do you simply play with hearts for j Idle amusement or is there some true ; purpose ruling your actions?" j She looked directly at him, her i hands clasped, her breath almost sobbing between the parted lips. At first she could not speak. "Oh, you : hurt me so," she faltered at last. "I did not suppose you could ever think ; that. I I did not mean It; oh. truly ; I did not mean It! You forget how young I am; how very little I know of the world and its ways. Perhaps I have not even realized how deeply in earnest you were, have deceived my-: self into believing you were merely amusing yourself with me. Why, indeed, should I thick otherwise?" "I love you," he said, with simple honesty. "I seek you for my wife." . She started at these frankly spoken words, her hands partially concealing ! her face, her form trembling. "Oh, I j

v.ish you hadn't said that! It is not

because I doubt you any longer; not that I fail to appreciate all you offer me. But it is so hard to appear ungrateful, to give nothing In return for so vast a gift."

"Then it is true that you do not i love me?" I The blood flamed suddenly up into S her face, but there was no lowering of j

the eyes, no shrinking back. She was too honest to play the coward before him. "I shall not attempt to deceive you," she said, with a slow impressiveness instantly carrying conviction. "This has already progressed so far that I now owe you complete frankness. Donald Brant, now and always, living or dead, married or single, wherever

life may take us, I shall love you." Their eyes were meeting, but she held up her hand to restrain him from I the one step forward. j

"No, no; I have confessed the truth; I have opened freely to you the great secret of my heart. With it you must be content to leave me. There is nothing more that I can give you, absolutely nothing. I can never be your wife; I hope, for your sake and mine, that we never meet again." Brant stood like a statue, his face grown white. He did not in the least doubt her full meaning of renunciation. "You will, at least, tell me why?" It was all that would come to his dry lips. She sank back upon the sofa as though the strength had suddenly deserted her body, her eyes shaded by an uplifted hand. "I cannot tell you. I have no words, no courage. You will learn some day from others, and be thankful that I loved you well enough to resist temptation. But the reason cannot come to you from my lips." He leaned forward, half kneeling at

. . . . . I

her feet, ana sue permmea m.im to clasp her hands within both his own. "Tell me, at least, this is it some one else? Is it Hampton?" She smiled at him through a mist of tears, a smile the sad sweetness of which he would never forget. "In the sense you mean, no. No living man stands between us, not even Bob Hampton." ' Does he know why this cannot be?" "He does know, but I doubt if he will ever reveal his knowledge; certainly not to you. He has not told me all. even in the hour when he thought

himself dying. I am convinced of that. It is not because he dislikes you, Lieut. Brant, but because he knew his partial revealment of the truth was a duty he owed us both." "You leave me so completely in the dark," he said; "13 there no possibility that this mysterious obstacle can ever be removed?" "None. It is beyond earthly power there lies between us the shadow of a dead man." He stared at her as If doubting her sanity. "A dead man! Not Gillis?" "No, it is not Gillis. I have told you this much so that you might com

prehend how Impossible it is lor us to change our fate. It is irrevocably fixed. Please do not question me any more. I cannot bear it!" Brant rose to his feet and stood looking down upon her bowed head, her slender figure shaken by sobs,. "Naida, as you have asked it, I will go; but I go better, stronger, because I have heard your lips say you love me. I am going now, my sweetheart, but If I live I shall come again. I know nothing of what you mean about a dead man being between us, but I shall know when I come back, for, dead or alive, no man shall remain between me and the girl I love." "This this is different," she sobbed.

"different; it is beyond your power." "I shall never believe so until I have faced it for myself, nor will I even say good-by, for, under God, I am coming back to you." He turned slowly and walked away. As his hand touched the latch of the

door he paused and looked longingly back. "Naida." She glanced up at him. "You kissed me once; will you again?" She rose silently and crossed over to him, her hands held out, her eyes uplifted to his own. Neither spoke as he drew her gently to him and their lips met. "Say it once more, sweetheart?" "Donald, I love you." A moment they stood thus face to face, reading the great lesson of eternity within the depths of each other's eyes. Then slowly, gently, she released herself from the clasp of his strong arms. (To be continued.)

ag ii

; : it

i i

KAUFMANN fi WOLF. HAMMOND

ill

With every purchase of $1.00 and up, in every Dep't, Grocery excepted

T t t

By Barnie Young's and

Concert Band Evening

Afternoon

ri pat

iiiyc

For Your Oil Painting.

9 I

t t

FREE !

First Rrize ; $20.00 Gas Rang: Second Prize; $7.50 On Lamp Third Prize; 1 Block Lamp and ( mantles Given FRCG to the first ones guessing NEAREST to the number of Cubic Feet ot Gas consumed from August 3rd to 17th by the VVELSBACH GAS LAMP

Now being demonstrated in our window. Blanks for the office.

guessing FREE, at

South Shore Gas & Electric Co. 145 South Hohman Street, Phone 10 HAMMOND.

fir

Great Bargains

for 3 Days

n. Sat. and Ion.

Aue. 2. 3 and 5

Minas

Hammond's Progressive Department Store

Our Coupons are worth 5 per cent. Save them

Every Department

has something special to offer Read Every Item. Money saved is money earned We Can Save You Money,

DRUGS Peruna 69c Pinkham's Vegetable CQp Compound Qui; Duffy's Malt 76c 1 lb. Box of Soda 1 Co Phosphate I Uu Colgate's Dental Povder12c 50c Bottle Horlick's OCo Malted Milk. UUb 25c bottle Chamberlain's Colic Cure 16c 50c bottle of Derma 37C 25c box Sandalwood Soap 17c 25c box White Almond i "! Soap I b Pure Ilydrox Water, gal10c 2 large bunches of Punk fl

for i Uu Oil of Citronella, oz. 5c 1.00 bottle of Swamp "M n Root-- - I I b HOUSE FURNISHINGS Wooden Clothes Pins doz lc Mrs. Pott's nickel plated QQo Sad Irons Oub 2 qt. Granite Dipper 9c Buggy Whips, assorted 1 fjp reg. 15c and 25c val. I Ub Glass Lemon Extractor best made 9c Galvanized Wash Tubs KQri size 2, 75c value Uub Ice Chest, $7.50 value.. 4.95 Refrigerator S.50 C "7E value, at Ua U Gasoline Stove, 2 burner

regular 2.50 value 1.75

CLOTHING Mens' Suits $S and $10 value, special 7.00

Mens' 18.00 and 20.00 suits, special

16.00

Young Mens' 9.50 and 10.00 suits, special. ..8.00 Boys' two-piece suits, Q Cft 4.50 and 5.00 values U.UU Men's work suits, small sizes, 1.98

Men's work pants, 1.50 value

Boys' 50c and 75c wash suits, special 39c

Boys' wash pants special this sale

1.19

19c

GENTS' FURNISHINGS Minas' special carpenter apron 35c value 19c Men's 50c black sateen QQf shirts, special 00b Men's 50c black summer underwear 39c Men's summer underwear black, cream and blue Jb Men's two-piece bathing suits 75c Men's and Boys' bow ties j j Men's work hats, odd sizes 25c Men's light colored 1 Qri shirts, odds and ends 1 ub Boys' black sateen, and fancy waists 21c

DRY GOODS One lot of Belts, all sizes, worth up to 50c, special at 19c A beautiful line of white fans, from 25c up to 2.50 One lot Silk Waisting, consisitng of fancy plaid and checks, regular 75c value, 69c One lot Persian Ribbon, 4 and 5 inches wide, special for this sale only per yard 22c A lot of Corset Girdles, special this sale at 23c A nice line of Lawns worth 15c and ISc special for this sale at 12'2C

UNDERWEAR DEP'T A large line of fine gauze vests, worth 10c, special 8c or 4 for 3Cc Another lot of vests, worth 15c, special each 12c A regular 25c Summer Drawers, special at 19c

HOSIERY DEP'T A regular 15c ladies Hose, special per pair 12 2C Ladies' Hose, fast black, all sizes, per pair 9c Children's Hose, all sizes, fast black, regular 15c value, 9c

DRY GOODS SPECIALS

Silk Mull Waistings, regular 29c and 35c value, at per yard 23o Fancy Valenciennes Lace, regular 10c values at 8c Large assortment of cream and white overlace, regular 65c and 85c value at 48c

- EXTRA SPECIAL for Saturday Only. 10 yards Brown Muslin, one yard wide for 69c

CHINA and GLASSWARE DEP'T Dinner Sets, 56 piece set, light weight, body decorated In pink roses all gold lined, 6.00 value 4,43 100 Piece Dinner Set, pure white body, neat decoration. 8.00 value at 5.98 St. Dennis Cup and Saucec. per set of six 39c Crystal Glass, Water sets, heavy colonial glass, special at 58c

LADIES' DEP'T Ladies' Black Panama Skirts, special at 4.98 to 13.00 Ladies' Black Voile Skirts, special at 7.39 to 12.50 Ladles' Black Silk Skirts, special at 7.93 to 9.98 Ladles' Fancy Skirts, in blue, grey and brown special at 3.50 to TT.7.48

PETTICOAT SPECIAL Extra full silk petticoat, all colors and sizes, special at 3.98 to 12.00 Striped and Plain Gingham Petticoats, special at 45c to 69c Misses White Petticoat, embroidery trimmed special 89c

CURTAINS AND DRAPERY DEP'T Fiench Cable Net Curtain, in old renaissance effects, 54 inches wide, regular 4.00 values at 2.98 Nottingham Lace Curtains, conventional border, 54 inches wide. 1.50 value at 98c Handsome Tapestry Drapes, In two toned effects, regulation widths, 3.00 value at 1.98

SHOES

All Ladies' 3.50 oxfords cut to 3.00 Boys' 2.00 pat. colt 1 ft Q blucher shoes I iQy Children's oxfords in vici kid, with patent tips, 1.50 values ; 1.19, Boys' brown tennis ox- QQrt fords , 50c values 0 U b All Men's 3.50 oxfords special this sale 315 Baby Moccasins all colors Qp 25c value ub SPECIAL ShinoLa outfit, brush, dauber and box of polish. 1 Qf One to a customer I U b

RUGS AND MATTING 10 ft. 6 in. by 9 ft. Empress Brussel Rugs, regular 15.00 value 8.95 12 ft. by 9 ft. Smith Axminster Rugs, regular O "JC 26.50 value I U. I J China Matting regular 15c value, per yd lOc Japanese cotton-warp 1 Qn matting reg. 30c val. I UU Scotch linoleums, 2 yds. wide, regular 60c val. 39c

GROCERIES

Fancy Mixed Cakes, 3 lbs. 25c

Tanglefoot Fly Paper 4 sheets for

2 gal. Fancy Table Syrup 15c

3 lbs. Lump Starch for

10c

i pt. Jelly Tumbler, doz. 15c

Extra Fancy American 1 C Full Cream Cheese I 0b Country Eggs, per doz. 16c

Fancy Prunes 5 lbs. for

24c

MILLINERY Ladies' Sailor Hats, to be sold during this sale at onehalf of regular price. Beautiful Flowers, reduced to 11c and 25c

Trimmed Hats must all go at

1.98

Your choice, remember, for the small sum of

1.98

(