The Syracuse and Lake Wawasee Journal, Volume 14, Number 18, Syracuse, Kosciusko County, 1 September 1921 — Page 3

«. DiMi™s Camilla. jj !<ENyoN /s COPY FBI G'HT THE 3QBBS-MERRILL COMPANY

CHAPTER I. An Aunt Errant. Never had life seemed more fair and smiling than at the moment when Aunt Jane’s letter descended upon me like a bolt from the blue. The fact is, I was taking a vacation fritm Aunt Jane. Being an orphan, 1 was supposed to be under Aunt Jane’s, wing, but this was the merest polite fiction, and I am sure that no hen with one chicken worries about It more than I did about Aunt Jtjne. I had spent the last three years, since Aunt Susan died and left Aunt Jane with all the money and no one to look after but me, in snatching her from the brink of disaster. Her most recent and narrow escape was from a velvettongued person of h'alf her years who turned out to be a convict on parole. She had her handbag packed for the elopement when I confronted her with this unpleasant fact. When she came to she was bitter Instead of grateful, , and went about for weeks presenting a spectacle of blighted affections which was too much for the most selfapproving conscience. So it ended with my packing her off to New York, where I wrote to her frequently and kindly, urging her not to mind me but to stay as long as she liked. Meanwhile I came up to the ranch for a long holiday with Bess and the baby, a holiday which had already stretched itself out to Thanksgiving, and threatened to last until Christmas. As to Aunt Jane, my state of mind was fatuously calm. She was staying with cousins, who live in a suburb and are frightfully respectable. 1 was sure they numbered no convicts among their acquaintance, or inheed any one from whom Aunt Jane was likely to require rescuing. And if it came to a retired missionary I was perfectly willing. But the cousins and their respectability are of the passive order, whereas to manage Aunt Jane demands aggressive and continuous action. Hence the bolt from the blue above alluded to. I w’as swinging tranquilly in the hammock, I remember, when Bess brought my letters and then hurried away because the baby had fallen downstairs. Unwarned by the slightest premonitory thrill, I kept Aunt Jane’s letter till the last and skimmed through all the others. At last I came to Aunt Jane. I ripped open the envelope and drew out the letter —a fat one, but then Aunt Jane’s letters are always fat. Nevertheless, as I spread out the close-filled pages I felt a mild wonder. Writing so large, so black, so staggering, so madly underlined, must indicate something above even Aunt Jane’s usual emotional level. Perhaps In sober truth there was a missionary— i Twenty minutes later I staggered Into Bess’ room. "Hush 1” she said. "Don’t wake the baby!’’ “Baby or no baby,” I whispered sav- ■ agely, “I’ve got to have a time-table. I leave for the city tonight to catch the first steamer for Panama!” Later, while the baby slumbered and I packed, I explained. This was difficult; not that Bess is as a general tiling obtuse, but because the picture of Aunt Jane embarking for some wild, lone isle of the Pacific as the head of a treasure-seeking expedition was enough to shake the strongest Intellect. And yet, amid the welter of ink and eloquence which filled those fateful pages, there was the cold hard fact ; confronting you. Aunt Jane was going to look for buried treasure, in company with one Violet HlgglesbyBrowne, whom she sprung on you without the slightest explanation, as though alluding to the queen of Sheba or the Siamese twins. By beginning at the end and reading backward— Aunt Jane’s letters are usually most Intelligible that way—you managed to piece together some explanation of this Miss Higglesby-Browne and her place in the scheme of things. It w’as through Miss Browne, whom she had met at a lecture upon Soul-Develop-ment, that Aunt Jane had come to realize her claims as an Individual tyjon the Cosmos, also to discover that she was by nature a woman of affairs with a talent for directing large enterprises, although adverse influences had hitherto kept her from recognizing her powers. There was a dark significance in these “adverse influences,” though whether they meant me or the family lawyer I was not sure. Miss Higglesby-Browne, however, had assisted Aunt Jane to find herself, and as a consequence Aunt Jane, for the comparatively trifling outlay needful to finance the Harding-Browne ex pedltlon, would shortly be the riche by one-fourth of a vast treasure c Spanish doub'loons. The knowledge of this hoard was Miss HigglesbyBrowne’s alone. It had been revealed to her by a dying sailor in a London hospital, whither she had gone on a mission of kindness—you gathered that Miss Browne was precisely the sort to take advantage when people were helpless and unable to fly from her. Why the dying sailor chose to make Miss Browne the repository of his secret, I don’t know —this still remains for me the unsolved mystery. But when the_saHor closed bls eyes

the secret and "the map—of course there was a map—had become Miss Higgles!) y-Browne’s. Miss Browne now had clear before her the road to fortune, but unfortunately it led across the sea and quite out of the route of steamer travel. Capital in excess of Miss Browne’s resources was required. London prov-. ing cold before its great opportunity, Miss Browne had shaken off its dust and come to New York, where a mysteriously potent influence had guided her to Aunt Jane. Through Miss Browne’s great organizing abilities, not to speak of those newly brought to light in Aunt Jane, a party of stanch comrades had been assembled, a steamer engaged to meet them at Panama, and it was ho, for the island in the blue Pacific main! With this lyrical outburst Aunt Jane concluded the body of her letter. A simrfl cramped postscript informed me that it was against Miss H.-B.’s wishes that she revealed their plans to. anyone, but that she did want to hear from me before they sailed from Panama, where a letter might reach her if I was proinpt. “And of course,” I explained to Bess as I hurled things into my bags, “if a letter can reach her so can I. At least I must take the chance of it What those people are up to I don’t know—probably they mean to hold her for ransom and murder her outright if it is not forthcoming. Or perhaps some of them will marry her and share the spoils with Miss Higglesby-Browne. Oil rs LL FO®’ Ah fr “I Must Get to Panama in Time to Save Her.” ' Anyway, I must get to Panama in time to save her.” “Or you might go along to the island,” suggested Bess. ■ I paused to glare at her. “Bess! And let them murder me, too?” “Or marry you—” cooed Bess. One month lately was climbing out of a lumbering hack before the Tivoli hotel, which rises square and white and imposing on the low green height above the old Spanish city of Panama. In spite of the melting tropical heat there was a chill fear at my heart, the fear that Aunt Jane and her band of treasure-seekers had already departed on their quest I crossed the broad gallery and plunged into the cool dimness of the lobby in the wake of the bellboys who, discerning a helpless prey, had swooped masse upon my bags. Jane Harding?” repeated the clerk, and at the cool negation of his tone my heart gave a sickening downward swoop. “Miss Jane Harding and party have left the hotel!” “For —the island?” I gasped. He raised his eyebrows. “Can’t say, I’m surf.” He gave me an ap- ‘ praising stare. Perhaps the woe in my face touched him, for he descended from the eminence of the hotel clerk where he dwelt apart sufficiently to add, “Is it important that you should see her?” “I am her niece. I have come all the way from San Francisco expecting to join her here.” The clerk meditated, his shrewd eyes piercing*the very secrets of my soul. “She knew nothing about it,” I hastened to add. “I intended it for a surprise.” This candor helped my cause. “Well,” he said, “that explains her not leaving any word. As you are her niece, I suppose it will do no harm to tell you that Miss Harding and her party embarked this morning on the freighter Rufus Smith, and I think it very likely that the steamer has not left port. If you like I will send a man to the water-front with you and you may be able to go on board and have a talk with your aunt.” Did I thank him? I have often wondered when I waked up in the night I have a vision of myself dashing out of the hotel, and then the hack that brought me is bearing me away. Bellboys hurled my bags in after me, and I threw them largess recklessly. Madly we clattered overj

cobbled "ways, Put on the smooth waters of the roadstead lay ships great and small, ships with stripped masts and smokeless funnels, others with faint gray spirals wreathing upward from their stacks. Was one of these the Rufus Smith, anil would I reach her —or him—before the thin gray feather became a thick black plume? I thought of my aunt at the mercy of these unknown adventurers with whom she had set forth, helpless as a. little fat pigeon among hawks, and I felt, desperately, that I must reach her. must save her from them and bring her safe back to shore. How I was to do this at the eleventh hour, plus about fifty-seven minutes, as at present. I hadn’t .considered. But experience had taught me that once In my clutches Aunt Jane would offer about as much resistance as a slightly molted war doll. She gets so soft that you are almost afraid to touch her for fear of leaving dents. So to get there, get there, get there, was the one praver of mv soul. I I got there, in a boat hastily commandeered by the hotel clerk’s deputy. We brought up under the side of the little steamer, and the wide surprised face of a Swedish deckhand stared down at u£. “Lot me aboard! I must come aboard.” I cried. ’ j Other faces appeared, then a rope- j •adder. Somehow I was mounting it —a dizzy feat’to which only the tu- I mult of my emotions made me indif- ■ ferent. Bare brawny arms of sailors 1 clutched at me and drew me to the deck. There at once I was the center of a circle of speechless and astonished persons, all men but one. “Well?” demanjcd a large breezy voice. “What’s 11liXtmetn? What do you want aboard - ' I looked up at a red-tweed man In a large straw hat. I\ “I want my aunt.” I explained. “Your aunt?” he roared. “Why the devil should you think I’ve got your aunt?” “You have got her,” I replied with firmness. “I don’t see her, but she’s here somewhere.” The captain of the Rufus Smith sfcook two large red fists above his head. “Another lunatic!" he shouted. “I’d as soon have a white horse and a minister aboard as go to sea in a floating bedlam!” As the captain’s angry thunder died away came the small, anxious voice of Aunt Jane. “What’s the matter? Oh. please tell me what’s the matter!” she was saying as she edged her way into the group. Her eyes, round pale, blinking a little in the tropical glare, roved over the circle until they lit on me. Right where she stood Aunt Jane petrified. Her poor little chin dropped until it disappeared altogether in the folds of her plump neck, and she remained speechless, stricken, immobile, as a wax figure in an exhibition. “Aunt Jane,” I said, “you must come right back to shore with me.” I spoke calmly, for unless you are perfectly calm with Aunt Jane you fluster her. She replied only by a slight gobbling in her throat, but the other woman spoke in a loud voice, addressed not to me but to the universe in general., “The Young Person is mad!” It was an unmistakably British Intonation. This, then, was Miss Violet Higgles-by-Browne. 1 saw a grim, bony, stocky shape, in a companion costume to mjr aunt’s. Around the edges of her cork helmet her short iron-gray hair visibly bristled. She had a massive head, and a seamed and rugged countenance which did its best to live down the humiliation of a ridiculous little nose with no bridge. But what riveted my eyes was the deadly glare with which hers were turned on me. I saw that not only was she as certain of my identity as though she had. guided me from my first tottering steps, but that in a flash she had grasped my motives, , alms and purposes, and meant once • for all to face, out-general and defeat me with great slaughter. So she announced to the company with deliberation: “The Young Person is mad!” . * It nettled me extremely. “Mad!” I flung back at her. “Because I wish to save my poor aunt from such a situation as this? It would be charitable to infer madness ii) those who have led her into it!” When I reviewed this speech afterwardj realized that it was under

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LAKE WAWASEE AND SYRACUSE JOURNAL

the circumstances, the Best calculated to win me friends. “Jane!” said Miss Higglesby-Browne in deep and awful tones, “the time has come to prove your strength!” Aunt Jane proved it by uttering a shrill yelp; and clutching her hair with a reckless disregard of its having originally been that of a total stranger. So severe were her shrieks and struggles that it was with difficulty that she was borne below in the arms of two strong men. 1 had seen Aunt Jane in hysterics before—she bad them that time about the convict. I was not frightened, but I hurried after her —neck and ne-k with Miss Browne. It was fifteen minutes before Aunt Jane came to, and then she would only moan. I bathed her head, and held her hand, and did all the regulation things under the baleful eye of Miss Browne, who steadfastly refused to go away, but sat glaring like a gorgon who sees her prey to be snatched from her. i In rhe midst of my ministrations I awoke suddenly to a rhythmic heave and throb which pervaded the ship. Dropping Aunt Jane’s hand I rushed <•>< deck. There lay 'he various pieces of my baggage, .and in the distance the boat with the two brown rowers was skipping , shoreward over the rlpj pies. As for the Rufus Smith, she ' was uniler way, and heading out of 1 the roadstead for the open sea. ; I dashed aft to the captain, who i stood issuing orders in the voice of.an aggrieved fog-horn. “Captain!” I cried, “wait; turn around! You must put my aunt and me ashore!" He whirled on me., showing a crimson aiigry face. “Turn around, is It, turn around?” he shouted. “Do you suppose I can loaf about the harbor here a-waitin’ on your aunt’s fits? You come aboard without me askin'. Now you can go along with the rest. This here ship lias got her course set for Frisco, pi-kin’ up Leeward island <>n the way. and anybody that ain’t gain’ in that direction is welcome to jump overboard.” That is how I happened to go to Leeward island. WHO AND WHE’dE Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Deeter spent Tuesday at Warsaw and. Winona lake. Mr. and Mrs. Tillman Hire visited with in Huntington over Sunday. Mr. and Mrs. Wm Baker of j Goshen called on Mrs. Baker s i sister, Mrs. Geo. Zerbe. Several members of the United Brethren are planning on attending the conference at Winona next week. Mr. and Mrs. H. D. Parker and ■ four young ladies from the lake , called at the Geo. Baj3@F home | Sunday afternoon. Mr. and Mrs. Walter Rex and daughter Mildred of Avilla spent, Sunday here with Mrs. Rex’s par-1 ents, Mr. and Mrs. Dan Warbel. | The Brower reunion nas been announced for Labor Day, Sept. 5, and will be held at Blosser park two miles south of Goshen., Mr. and Mrs. Oscar Masters and little children and Mr. and Mrs. Frank Younce visited with Mr. and Mrs. Verd Shaffer near Millersburg Sunday. We started out to say something about the weather this | week. But then, oh you know 1 how it is, we just can not seem | to think of anything to say when it is so hot. Mr. and Mrs. Homer Davis, now of Logansport, drove over to their home in Syracuse Saturday. They were accompanied by Mrs. Leon Carr. The ladies remained ’ ft r the week, but Mr. Davis re- ■ turned to his work.

A. A, Rasor of Warsaw spent Tuesday hi Syracuse on business. Tillman Hire is improving his ’ Main street residence with the l addition of a sun parlor. Jesse Darr and James Isbell, I who are employed at Mishawaka, spent “the leek end here with their families. Miss Kathleen Riddle has returned home from Silver City, New Mexico, where she attended the school for the summer. The tenth annual Strieby re ; union was held last Thursday at Oakwood park. Mr. Dolan gave a talk that was much appreciated. Mr. and Mrs. Frank Younce went to Goshen last week to see their new granddaughter. Ruby Maxine, born to Mr. and Mrs. Verr Younce of that place. Miss Mary Miles will leave this week end for East Chicago, where she will on Monday morning take up another year as instructor of Art in the public Schools. Many persons are ill at Warsaw with a malady called “summer flu” by physicians. Head infections, ear and throat abscesses and all the variations of a winter ccld are the Symptoms. Chas. Parsons and family arrived Saturday evening from their automobile trip of several weeks that took them to several points in Minnesota. . They report an enjoyable journey. Mr. and Mrs. Donovan Strock went to Fort Wayne Sunday to visit the former’s sister, Mrs. L. A. Schwan, and to bring home their daughter Eileen, who has been visiting there for a week. Mr. and Mrs Harold Slabaugh and daughter Margaret of Goshj en are spending the week here Ivisiiing at the home of his brother, Court Slabaugh—at such times as the fish are not biting. Miss Grace Harding of Washi ington, D. C., and Miss Grace I Knepp of Ligonier who is taking I a vacation before starting to school, are here visiting a few days- with Mr. and Mrs. George Phebus. Mrs. A. M. Shaw of Seattle, • Wash., is here visiting a few days J at the home of her sister, Mrs. j George Phebus. Mrs. Shaw and i Mr. and Mrs. Phebus drove to j Ligonier Monday afternoon to visit friends. j Mrs. Joe Smeltzer was called ! to South Bend on account of the ! sickness of her granddaughter, Charlotte Richards, who was I threatened with infantile parai lysis. Mrs. Smeltzer returned 1 here Monday and reports that ■ the child is all right now. Mr. and Mrs. B. F. Hoopingarner left today for Chicago where -they .will tomorrow attend the graduation exercises so their son, Eugene, who is receiving his law degree from Chicago university. Mr. Hoopingarner received his arts degree from Indiana university. Miss Virginia Cleveland came Saturday from Valpariso to spend the week end here with her parents, Mr. and Mrs. 0. L. Cleveland. She is attending teachers’ institute this week at Plymouth and on Monday will begin teaching at Bourbon, her former home. ROGERS COMFORTABLE [GLASS E S Comfortabe to the eyes and comfortable to the nose—withal, artistic in appearance. There you have Kogers Comfortable Glasses, worn by thousands. Let Us Prove It. For appointment see Robert E. Pletcher Phone 75 Syracuse, Ind. SPFLD. FT- WAYNE OFFICE LIMA ILL 205 WEST WAYNE ST. OHIO CENTRAL BUILDING

Miss Maude Wright of Bourbon visited here last week at the 0. L. Cleveland home. John Slabaugh of Cromwell ■ spent yesterday here with his I son, Court Slabaugh and family. Mrs. Joe Bailey and son Gerard spent Friday with Mrs. George Bailey. They were on their way to Detroit. Rev. 0. Teachout and his son and daughter of Delphi, N. J., called at the home of Frank Younce Monday. Mrs. Otis C. Butt entertained a circle of the M. E. Ladies Aid society of Ligonier yesterday at her home in Lake street. The annual convention of the Northern Indiana Editorial association will be held this year a 4 - Fort Wayne on September 16 and 17. A. Gather and J. L. Lieber paid fines of sl9 35 and $lO reapectively in justice of peace for fishing without a license. A new record was established at the New Paris sale on Tuesday of last week when 256 hogs were sold in one hour and thirtysix minutes. Miss Marjorie Shaffer spent last week with her grandparents. Mr. and Mrs Frank Younce here, and is this week with her sister. Mrs. Nellie Masters. The annual reunion of the lagles family, whose partenage xtends to the early days of Noble county, was held at Morrison’s Island at Lake Wawasee on Tuesday of last week. Mr. and Mrs. Warren Eagles attended there. Mr. and Mrs. Lewis A. Neff and son Quinter left Monday morning for Hendricks county where they attended the reunion of the Neff family yesterday. They made the trip of 160 miles by automobile, expecting to return to Syracuse Saturday. Roy Ferguson who with Mrs. Ferguson is spending their vacation at Lake Wawasee, caught a five-pound bass Tuesday and in a few minutes 30 boats appeared on the scene loaded with fishermen. Roy does not claim to be an expert angler.—(Ligonier Banner. Mrs. Reuben Davis is spending

g ECONOMY s — ■■■■..—_ O Those who are economizing are making it a rule Dg O to come to our store for the things they need for QI Q the home. Our stock is composed of essential articles L-J that "are offered reasonably. —M .□ . - „ I .□ . □ Hosiery Bargains We carry a complete line of hosiery. We now 7 have a Q • big lot of mercerized hose for girls, misses and women, Q | I seconds which we are offering at 20c a pair. : □ Dress Goods • Dress Ginghams, good quality, light and dark patterns, [J in 27- and 33-inch widths. Q Percales in popular, shades and patterns, good quality, 1 satisfaction in each piece. f ' D m Trimming 0 Q Threads, crochet cottons, ribbons, buttons, laces. Leather Goods Fine line" of women’s and children’s leather purses q pi and bags, ranging in price from 15c to $5.00. r=j Postcards ‘ . C' O Photo postcard views of all points around Lake Wa- C O wasee and Syracuse. Variety ■ E Tin dippers, chair bottoms, screw drivers, hand £ brushes, pot lids, clothes line ropes, funnels, frying Q pans, towel rollers, tin ware, granite ware, wash £ boards, brooms, toilet paper, etc, etc. Dishes O Several different beautiful patterns in dinner sets, LJ customers are building up their sets a few pieces at □ a time - E B Variety Store p 3 Syracuse, / « Indiana 3 ' D * a 1

a week visiting at Garrett and other places. Roy Darr is here spending a few aays with his mother, Mrs. Amanda Darr. Dan Mishler and family spent Thursday until Monday in Steuben county and in Michigan visiting. Mr. and Mrs. Dan Mishler attended the funeral of Mr. Mishler’s uncle, Emanuel Miller, at North Webster Monday. One person died and thirteen others were seriously poisoned Tuesday at Michigan City from eating fungi in mistake for mushrooms. An appreciative audience en-joyed-the Rev. Haboush travelog ■nd motion picture entertainment at the Methodist church - Tuesday evening. o ,EWS ITEMS FROM OUR SURROUNDINGS (4'iMicluili'il from r;u r “ One) Sunday school superintendent, David Holtzinger; assistant, Willis Blue; secretary, Miss Edith Chiddister; treasurer, John Darr. Dr. Paul of the U. B. church in Ligonier and his son Carter this community. Mrs. F. B. A. Hearn of Goshen is visiting with Mrs. Ed Fisher for a few weeks. Leonard Rex and family of Milford and Walter Rex and family of Avilla spent Saturday night and Sunday with their parents, Mr and Mrs Henry Rex. William and Isaac Zilman of Kalamazoo, Mich., were Sunday guests at the Ed Fisher home, and Mr. and Mrs. John Baker were Sunday guests of Mr. and Mrs. Levi Pearman. Ivan Ott and family spent Supday in Millersburg. Mr. and Mrs. Al Hushaw spent Sunday in Huntington. Mr. and Mrs. John Good spent Sunday at Winona. The Loncor reunion was held at of Guy Ldncor. Sixty-three were presen and a very pleasant .day was spent. Mr. and Mrs. Saylor Darr and Mr. and Mrs. Bird Darr of Goshen spent Sunday with friends in