Vinita Daily Chieftain. (Vinita, Okla.), Vol. 9, No. 251, Ed. 1 Saturday, August 31, 1907 Page: 3 of 8
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- i
1 A Disfigured
X
Face
$ "
f By WILLIAM WALLACE COOK
(Copyright by Joseph B. Bowles.)
"We Lis college claims called him
Apollo quite as often as peerless
Pierre for not only was lie a hand-
some fellow but he seemed a perfect
paragon of noble manhood excelling
alike in athletic exercises in his
studies and in a disposition which
made him the prime favorite of class-
mates as well as tutors. I can give
you no truer picture of Mr. Merrivale
my dear" coz for to go into details
would exhaust all the good adjectives
in Webster's Unabridged. All I can
say is you will like him for you
cannot help it."
Lenore looked at Ralph a little de-
fiantly. "So far as his beauty is concerned
Ralph Bronson whether I like him or
not that will weigh little one way or
the other. In my estimation a man's
fortune is not necessarily a hand-
some face."
Ralph interruputed her with a laugh.
"Oh well Miss Lenox it counts for
a great deal. I can bear witness to
that for I have been cut out any num-
ber of limes by handsomer fellows.
But you will have a chance to form
your own estimate of Pierre as he
has notified me of his intention to ac-
cept an invitation which I tendered
him some lime ago and make me a
visit."
"Indeed!" The blue eyes of Miss
Lenox opened wide with surprise.
"And when will your paragon appear
at the manor?"
"Very soon; in fact I expect him
any day now. He writes from New
Orleans and tells me that he is just
recovering from a severe injury and
feels that a few weeks in my jolly so-
ciety will do him a world of good so
that I can look for him any moment.
You must prepare for a quick surren-
der to his charms Lenore."
"I shall prepare for nothing of the
sort cousin Ralph. You sfcall see into
what a rare piece of marble I can
metempsychose my heart."
"Perhaps; but I warn you!"
"And I thank you for it but it is
unnecessary."
Although she had told her cousin
his warning was unnecessary Le-
nore's curoaity was strong to see his
peerless friend. Visitors at the
manor house were very few and she
looked forward to the arrival of their
guest as an event in the monotonous
round of her life. Ralph had so ex-
patiated upon his friend's personal
appearance that if she found not a
god surely her disappointment would
be woeful.
Seated upon a ledge or rock which
had been torn from the mountain
side above her in some great cataclys-
mic upheaval of the past ages she
held a novel listlessly and marveled
if seeing him in all his peerless
glory she should succumb to his
charms what then? She laughed.
Such an idea was absurd.
Hearing a step behind her she
sprang up in alarm.
"Pardon me if I have frightened
vou" said a stranger bowing grace-
fully "but 1 am looking for a gentle-
man by the name of Bronson Ralph
Bronson; does he reside near here?"
So this was peerless Pierre! i tt-
had a magnificent form a clear sweet
voice and as he raised his cap a
mass of vellow 'curls were visible; but
his face! although regular in form
with large fine eyes a sensstive nose
and refined mouth his right cheek
was disfigured by a terrible scar.
Miss Leno caught these little details
of his appearance in the brief mo-
ment he wafc speaking.
"You are half a mile from the road"
she answered pointing in its direc-
tion; "the house is only a short dis-
tance north aftei you reach that. 1
am Mr. Bronson's cousin and live at
the manor house. 1 was just about
ready to return and if you like 1 will
show you the way?"
"ThanK you; you are very kind. So
this is Miss Lenox? Many a time
have I heard Ralph eulogize his
cousin." He stooped picked up the
novel which she had dropped in her
alarm and banded it to her with a
pretty gesture. "In fact I think all of
Ralph's college friends were more or
less acquainted with Miss Lenox."
From this point the conversation
lapsed into various subjects. Lenore
becoming deeply interested in their
talk found themselves approaching the
manor house all too soon. Ralph saw
them coming and hastened down the
waik to meet them. At the first
glimpse of his friend Pierre Merrivale
became strangely silent and a pained
expression settled about his brows.
"Why old fellow this U quite a sur-
prise" said Ralph as he drew near
and caught his friend's hand: then
looking into his face he started and
a sharp cry of astonishment escaped
him. "Great heavens Pierre! what
terrible"
Mr. Merrivale turned his head away
sadly and his friend recollected him-
self. "Forgive me forgive me old chap;
but you know yoc "
"Yes 1 know Ralph. I have not
always been this way but" with a
sigh "misfortunes come to us all."
It' was in this manner that Pierre
Merrivale came to visit them. He
was bright in conversation and agree-
able in manner but was neither gay
nor careles-s. If handsome looks im-
jcl men to become coxcombs and
Lotharios Lenore thought it Tery
tsir to understand how veeiless
Pierre had fallen from foppery. That
dreadful scar would impress upon him
with terrible power the fact that he
was made of a common clay with
other men. As she came to converse
with him more and more and to know
him better she was perfectly read?
to believe that Pierre had never set
himself above common men because
of his peerless person. And as their
companionship lengthened with the
long summer months her pity grew
into an attachment which she could
hardly persuade herself to believe. In
truth her heart which she had steeled
to resist the charms of the perfect
Pierre had surrendered first to pity
and then to love at the sight of that
noble but disfigured face.
More than once Pierre was at the
point of telling how madly he loved
her but in a trice he thought of the
scar that disfigured his face. What
woman could love a man with that
hideous mark? No he would not tell
her. She should never know that his
heart had been wheedled away by a
miserable feeling of pity.
The last day of Pierre Merrl vale's
visit at Bronson Manor had arrived.
Apparently it was not hard to bid
Lenore adieu. There was a clasp of
the hand and a conventional "God
speed you" but behind these formal-
ities lurked a feeling so passionate on
the part of both that one relenting
glance from Pierre would have
opened the floodgates of their mutual
happiness. Yet this glance for which
Lenore would have given almost her
very life was not vouchsafed for stub-
Seated Upon a Ledge of Rock.
born pride had quite enthralled the
bosom of Pierre Merrivale.
Lenore Lenox saw them enter the
carriage and vanish down the road
among the trees. She felt that the
light had forever gone out of her
life and that the future existence
would be miserable to her.
The day wore . on. The afternoon
came and just as the sun was setting
Lenore heard the sound of advancing
wheels. Her cousin was returning.
He could tell her something of
Pierre! The thought electrified her
and she jumped to a window that
commanded a view of the road. It
was not a carriage that was approach-
ing but a heavy wagon with two or
three men. One of them was in the
back part of the vehicle and merciful
heavens! whose head was that he
held upon his knee? Who was that
stretched out in the wagon-box so
still and death-like? It was Pierre
Merrivale!
Suddenly she heard a step on the
stair; it approached drew near and
paused before her door. Then some
one entered. A second later and a
strong arm was thrown around her
and a voice tremulous with emotion
came to her ears. It was Ralph.
"Oh my poor Lenore is it not ter-
rible?" "He is not dead?" she cried clutch-
ing his arm with her white nervous
hands; "oh. Ralph tell me tell me h
is not dead!"
"No no he is not dead. God knows
he is too noble to die. You must bt
calm. Leiore."
She gave way to her feelings but
gradually grew more calm.
"How did It. happen Ralph?"
"He nearly sacrificed his life to
save another."
"How brave how noble he is!" said
Lenore. when she learned the story.
Pierre Merrivale had a long fight
In the illness thus imposed upon him.
He had come to visit the Bransons to
recover from a similar disaster one
which left the red scar upon his face.
In that battle he had faced the flames
to rescue a child. Ralph told Lenore
of this in the long hours when they
watched at Pierre's bedside. Ralph
told her. too that Pierre had made
him solemnly promise never to reveal
the secret of that scar to any living
persons. And he had not; but now.
in the face of this last deed of hero-
ism he must needs recount to his
cousin the story of that scar which
had humiliated his friend.
"I love him now" declared Lenore
with flashing eyes "better than ever
if such were possible.'
And when Pierre Merrivale opened
his eyes and came out of the lethargy
in which he had been encompassed so
long he understood the loving eyes
that bent above hfm. and Lenore.
heeding the Inclination of his hand
bent down. Their lips met in one
passionate kiss
A WET TORPEDO
Dy CHESTER
r(pyrUht. hy lmtly
The charged rails and oil-soaked
ties threw up quivering rays of heat
o meet the down-beating flumes of
he sun. It seemed to John Halns
ihat the two forces met and fought
at. the height of his head. Perspira-
tion : (reamed out of every pore of his
race and his eyeballs burned. He
-shifted the kit of trackwalker's tools
from one weary shoulder to the other
and glanced with a sigh to the cool
shade of the tropical Arkansas woods
to right and left. Though not a
breath of air wa stirring on the track
gentle breezes swayed the branches
of the oaks and poplars and rustled
the leaves of the hazelnut hushes.
Across a stile that climbed the barbed-
wire right-of-way fence sleepy cattle
lay in the shade and gazed on the
weary Hains with placid contempt.
Hains looked up and down the track.
He had walked steadily for 17 minutes
without rest and nature begun to re-
bel. No man was in sight lie would
But Number 4 was about due at this
point and it was an even chance that
the road master would be riding with
the engineer. If so he would have a
sharp weather eye out for trackwalk-
ers. With a gentle Arkansas oath
Halns trudged onward.
As if to reWard his virtue ten
steps farther on and half concealed in
the weeds that grew up disobediently
along the right of way he saw a veloc-
ipede. Hains started and joyous re-
solve lighted up his features. The
speeder belonged to the bridge watch-
man whost shanty he had passed 20
telegraph poles back. What was to
hinder him from using the machine?
He would ride the remaining two
miles of his track and replace the
speeder on his way back. With the
joy of the suddenly rescued he
whipped out his switch key and re-
moved the lock from the wheel.
The rails clicked off pleasantly un-
der the sweep of the man's powerful
arms and a grateful wind fanned his
hot forehead. Four miles to the rear
he could see the smoke of Number
four's engine rising lazily on the air.
"Takin' water at Olney" he said
aloud. "Reckon I cau make it to the
cut 'fore she gets here."
He mounted and sped along swiftly
keeping a practiced eye out for loose
bolls and low joints. He pulled out
onto the long curve of trestle 29
which crosses Black lake. Suddenly
an object on the rail at the end of the
bridge caught his eye. He grasped the
brake and bore down hard. But it
was too late to stop. As the wheel of
the speeder crossed the object there
was the deafening report of a torpedo.
A man jumped into the track in front
of Halns.
"What In h are you doin' here?"
be demanded furiously.
"What's wrong with the track?"
asked Halns quickly reaching into his
pocket for another torpedo to place on
the rail.
"That's the ticket" said the other
in a relieved tons. "I didn't have an-
other torpedo and we was very de-
sirous to have the engineer stop. Now
take off your automobile and step
this way" and to give his words
weight he pointed a gun into Halns'
startled eyes. The latter slowly
obeyed as he glanced ruefully at the
. rpedo he had placed on the track.
"Hurry up you loggerhead! Don't
thiuk you're tramping ties. The train's
' comln' now and we're due down the
track about a hundred yards. Besides
we've got to decide Whether to make
you chief o' the tribe or feed you to
the fishes in Black lake." Hains
looked at hira with hanging jaw as he
lifted the speeder off the rails.
"Hold on!" commanded the other
suddenly. "On second thought I
reckon I'll ask you to carry me down
on your machine. All aboard!" he re-
marked facetiously as he took his
seat behind the reluctant Hains. They
made the better speed by reason of
the gun Hains felt pressed against the
small of his back.
At the cut four other men stepped
out from the underbrush and waited
for them.
"Who set off the torpedo?" asked
one who seemed to be leader.
"Oh this pal o' mine did It acci-
dently' answered Hains' captor. "But
he furnished another one In consider-
ation of enjoyin' the benefits o' the
gang. What'll we do with him Jim?"
The leader eyed Hains curiously.
"Gimme a gun and let me in on
this" demanded the captive eagerly.
This raised a general laugh. But
the leader called the men aside to a
whispered consultation. Judgment
.passed Hains was furnished with-a
gun. He prided It none the less that
it was filled with exploded shells.
"How mneh do you think we will
make fellows?" he asked naively.
"Oh about five thousand apiece
sonny." answered the man who had
brought Halns into camp. "Lucky
thing you had that torpedo with you
though or the devil wouldn't stop that
engineer. He goes through here like
a bat out o' h ."
At mention of the torpedo Halns'
jaw fell.
"Good Lordamighty !" he gasped
"That torpedo's wet! I put down the
wrong one. That's one of 'em as fell
In the water keg yisteddy."
"What!" came an enraged roar from
the five.
"I didn't mean to do it. gentlemen.
but I took it outen the wrong wicket.
See it's just like this un" aud h
BARNET'
Story I'ub. Co)
showed them another from which ha
shook droits of water.
Pandemonium broke loose. Halns
knew something of the art of profan-
ity himself but under the combined In-
vectives of the five his hair seemed
to raise on end and curl up as do
weeds in a prairie fire. The rails were
singing with the approach of the train.
"Have you got a good one you d
blockhead?" shouted the leader.
"There's one in my coat on the
speeder" chattered the trackwalker
with quaking chin.
"Then git on .your bloody speeder
and ride like h till you put it on the
rail. And look here" he threatened
"if you go past the spot this end o"
the trestle we've got fifty bullets
you'll have to dodge."
"I ll not r-r-ride pa-past sir" stut-
tered Hains as he tugged at his
speeder. Ten hands grasped the ma-
chine and slammed if upon the rails.
Halns was thrown with equal gentle-
ness onto his seat and shoved off at
breakneck speed. The gang followed
to the point of the curve and their
curses exhausted waited grimly. The
leader gave one last warning In the
shape of a bullet whose soft whir
Hains could hear two feet from his
head. The trackwalker pulled des-
perately as he heard the scream of
Number four's whistle above the clat-
ter of the velocipede. He could see
the torpedo now. Warning shots came
from behind. He ducked his head.
The machine seemed to skip and
jump threatening with every pull of
the toll-hardened hands to leap from
the rails. Nearer nearer now on the
trestle.
The noise of the speeder was
drowned by the voice of the mighty
express. As the car Entered on the
dangerous curve of the bridge a volley
of bullets sang over the track. Halns
threw up his hands. But mingled with
the shots he heard the sweeter sound
of the exploded torpedo. The balance
wheel of the speeder rose with the
force of the explosion the car left
the track and man and machine shot
o" the trestle into the waters of Black
lake twenty feet below. No. 4 round-
ed Into view and passed the spot as
the eddies were widening out into
quivering sun-kissed circles.
When the roar of the passenger
train had melted to a distant mur-
mer five disgruntled figures rode up
to the bank of the lake. They took
some satisfaction in seeing the eddies
slowly dying over the spot where had
disappeared the body of "snipe."
"We got him anyway" growled the
leader disconsolately. With a part-
ing Imprecation they rode away.
As the tramping of the robbers'
horses was lost in the silence of Ar-
kansas' woods a human head ap-
peared from under the huge leaf of a
water lily that grew in Black lake. A
tall lank and much bedraggled body
followed it and clambored out upon a
log. The man loked ruefully at the
middle of the lake.
"An' they say it's 85 feet deep! I
hope to jeminy nobody saw me swipe
that speeder."
TO KEEP GRAVES GREEN.
The Latest Municipal Scheme to Be
Tried in Vienna.
Having bought out the principal
funeral companies in Vienna and as-
sumed the responsibility for carrying
on the undertaking business of the
whole city the municipality has de-
cided to go a step further writes a
Vienna correspondent of the Pall Mall
Gazette by introducing a system of
burial insurance covering not only
the cost of the funeral and of the
grave but also when desired the erec-
tion of a suitable monument In addi-
tion. All this is to be carried out through
the medium of Emperor Francis Jo-
seph Jubilee Life Insurance company
fgi institution which forms yet an-
other department to the city's munici-
pal activity. The insurance cover-
ing funerals and graves will be divid-
ed into ten classes the monthly
premiums In which will range from
40 hellers (4d.) to nine kronen ("s.
fid.)
The insured 'must be between the
ages of 18 and 50. in good health and
not engaged in any dangerous occu-
pation. In the event of death occur-
ring within six months from the date
of insurance the policy will be void
and the premiums paid will be re-
turned. Separate Insurances must be
effected for monuments the premiums
for which will range from one kronen
(lOd. to 16 kronen (13s. 4d.) a month.
And finally by payment of a capital
sum the company will agree to keep
graves in order and to decorate and
Illuminate them on the feast of All
Souls in every year so long as the
cemetery Is in existence.
This latest venture in thf. field of
municipal enterprise is interesting for
the various burial societies already
formed In the city. And It also prom-
ises to he interesting for the monu-
mental masons. As the city now owns
extensive stone quarries. It Is thought
not unlikely that Its next step will
be to engage In the business of manu-
facturing and erecting funeral monu-
ment. That personal remarks are seldom
j in good taste?
ji ' rm
-v. : ' i
1-1- '-V1
Mr. William A. TUOConl will answer
question and kIvh aiUIre I'UKIO OK
t'OST on all Hijtijei'tx pertainlnK to the
mibject of UulMtnK tor the rentier of thiH
piipi-r. On iii'iDUiit of liia wlile cvpi-
rienee lis Kultor Au'lior ami Maniifa.fi
turer he in without ttonht the highest
authority oil all therm Hiihleets. Aililrettii
till tncpilrles to William A. Kailforii No.
!I4 Fifth Ave. ChleiiKO. HI. anil only
enclose two-rent uluiup for reply.
A little four-room eottage Just big
enough for two to start housekeeping
in la shown In this plHn. The widest
part is Ii0 feet and the extreme length
Is 42 but this don't mean that the
souse Is .'!0 by 42 feet lit size. It Is
a good deal smaller than Ihut but
the bhape makes It look much larger
than it really is and the shape also
makes It easy to provide plenty of
light sunshine and air. You never
appreciate sunlight In a house at Its
true value until you have lived In a
city flat In partial darkness where you
only get a breath of fresh air occa-
sionally when the wind is In the
right direction and this happens in
some city blocks only at tare Inter-
vals. My business keeps me confined
pretty close to the city so that. I have
an unusual opportunity to see a good
deal of the seumy side of life. When
I do tuke a trip out to some of the
smaller cUles where Interesting little
houses are In course of const ruction 1
realize the difference and envy peo-
pie who can spend most of their
time in the bright sunshine and
brealhe fresh air that Is not contam-
inated with smoke and disagreeable
odors emanating from decaying gar-
bage and other offensive stuff.
I have for years preached the gos-
pel of home lite. I love to see young
folks pair off and settle down to
make little homes for themselves. It
.1 !
fhr r i
of: 2
Is the right way to get the greatest
possible enjoyment out of life. There
Is quite a difference usually In the
amount of money that can be made In
a small place In comparison With the
same person's Income after he has
become established In a large city
but It is eusier for young folks in
a small place to get a home of their
own than It is in the city. It Is easy
to prove this by statistics. A ten-
dollar bill don't look m large after
you have paid the claims of the city
grocery man the market man and all
the other hands that are outstretched
for dividends. Things are not always
what they seem and the extra pay oi
a man who moves from a small place
fl.OOR PLAN
to a large one usually is unsatisfac-
tory. My experience Is that those in
smaller towns and villages who set
about to have a comfortable home of
their own are In comparatively better
circumstances In middle life than oth-
er young folks who move away to bet-
ter themselves.
Here is a little house that looks
well both Inside and out. It Is a
very easy house to take care of and is
not likely to need repairs a house
that will prove very satisfactory when
its cost Is considered. Houses like
this have been built complete for $900
but owing to the advance In cost of
building and labor during the last
five years It Is better to add another
hundred or two to tbe estimate. How-
ever $1000 or $1200 for such a house
la very cheep and it is within the
means of any young man who pos-
sesses ordinary health. If his wife
will help him a little there Is no good
Hi - i
n v" I
I i
T i o ; '
BICAKt
Home
Editor
reason why he should not have it pui
for in 'a few yearn' time.
There Is u great advantage In a li
lug ropirt like this because you ca
have opposite windows and venlilatio
from both directions besides an oppoi
tnnky to get a bit of sunlight twic
a day. '.It require sunlight to brlgh1
en up a home and too many Hvin
rooms are built In such a way as t
shut Out 'the direct rays of the sun.
This room Is large enough to b
comfortable in winter'' with a goo
beating sto in the far corner froi
the kitchen.' You cannot very we
have a heating stove in a small room
it makes the air too stuffy but In
room as big ire this you cau haveclrct
latlon enough to keep the atmospber
In nood condition.
There Is plenty of roof surface oi
this little house to provide soft watei
which is another luxury belonging !
life In small places that Is unknown Ii
the city. A good cistern with a filte
that works right Is a great satiafai
tion. Of course it is often neglectec
and Ihe water becomes rank smelling
but ibis Is not the fault of the ch
tern; It Is the fault or the man wlv
has It In charge. You cannot neglec
a intern and have nice water bu
you can have good clean soft rail
wiier with very Utile trouble if yo'
go about it right.
When I stay over night at a farn
house and have rain water to wasl
In It teinlnds me of my boyhood day;
when we had things comfortable a
the old home. It was a great con
trust from the alkali solution that
am now obliged to use about 350 day t
in the year.
The woman who does her own wash
Ing and likes to have her honsehoh
f J
linen look-just right appreciates soft
water more than any one else. There!
are many luxuries to be had In the
country that should be appreciated
more than they ate. The trouble is we
are all looking for something more ex
citing or Interesting and the most of
us do not find what we go after.
Astonished Western Visitor.
A New York letter quotes a western
visitor as aaylng: "I've had some
queer experiences in Wall street but
listen to this: Recently I had been ai
the office of a certain banker twice
between noon and two o'clock and he
had been at my office once. It was a
day full of Important work for us
of considerable anxiety for me. At
:i:15 I called again but the banker
was closeted with two men and could
not he disturbed. A few minutes later
another man arrived and was shown
into the Inner office. Muffled sounds
of earnest convei sation could be heard f
with an occasional note of added em-
phasis. Finally the visitors trooped
out mysteriously. 'Well' Smith' 1
said 'whom are you stealing a march
on this time? Millions in It I sup
pose.' 'No' he replied. 'Been organ-
izing a church choir.' And so he had '
Deciding Baby's Future.
Sarah is an old maid and explains
It thus: "When I was born the nurse
hastily wrapped me in one of my
mother's petticoats which settled my
fate. Had she by accident picked
one of my father's night shirts or any
other garment of his and wrapped me
In that I should have had all the
boys courting me and might have
married the best in the land. Now
with a boy baby the nurse Is quite
reverse. Should the nurse wrap
in his mother's petticoat or nigh
or any other garment of hers hv will
have all the girls after him when he
grows up; and should she wrap him in
something of his father's he will be a
crusty old bachelor. This has never
been known to fail."
Small Economy Big Saving.
M. Calllaux minister of finance;
who introduced the much opposed in-
come tax bill has just devised an
other means of reducing the national
debt. He has discovered that govern
ment officials invariably use double
sheets of paper for correspondence
and has calculated that if half sheets
were used the national finances would
benefit by 10.000.000 francs ($2000-
000) annually. He has therefore sent
a circular to his colleagues in lh!
cabinet appealing to them to give or-
ders to all their subordinates to usk
half sheets only.
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Hull, E. E. Vinita Daily Chieftain. (Vinita, Okla.), Vol. 9, No. 251, Ed. 1 Saturday, August 31, 1907, newspaper, August 31, 1907; Vinita, Okla.. (https://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc774216/m1/3/: accessed April 24, 2024), The Gateway to Oklahoma History, https://gateway.okhistory.org; crediting Oklahoma Historical Society.