El Paso Daily Herald. (El Paso, Tex.), Vol. 20TH YEAR, No. 147, Ed. 1 Saturday, June 23, 1900 Page: 9 of 12
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EL PASO DAILT HKRALTX
EL PASO TEXAS. SATURDAY JUN 23 1900.
PAGLS 9 AND 12.
PART TWO.
COP''.Mt igyS. tS
PREFACE.
! "It seems to me" said a philosopher
once ' that there are no entirely good men
in the world and none con; plot ely bad.
Single out your best man and you will
find that ho "lacks perfect ion in some part
of him and examine your woi.-t and you
will see that ho has at least one redeeming
quality. "
In this book tho men mostly verge to-
ward bad but some are better than others.
Because they are merely human they uct
according to their lights. You may meet
others like them any day if you go out and
about and most of them give extremely
good dinners. Till they are found out you
consider them amusing. Afterward being
tetter than they you naturally set them
down as moat pernicious scoundrels and
hake hands with yourselt and write to
your tailor and order more noticeable phy-
lacteries on tho nest new suit. This is
called "keeping up a healthy moral tone"
and does a great deal of good in tho world.
TnE Author.
Scalloway Shotland Islands 1S94.
CHAPTER I.
THE ANTECEDENTS OF PATRICK CAMBEL.
"Ho has" said Fairfax "a genial in-
solence of manner which seems rather
taking with some people. But I confess I
shouldn't have thought him the man you
Would have cared to see twice Amy."
"Y'on'ro prejudiced obviously and I've
a good liiiiid to say maliciously prejudic-
ed. I i'.:;t l iiow how much you saw of
him bcc-"-T I can't be invited to a Wan-
derers' club dinner. You don't know how
much I saw of him because you missed
some distant train and didn't come here
to the ball last night. But I'll tell you. I
aw all I could. He's perfectly and en-
tirely charming He's been everywhere
- -'one everything and he isn't a bit blase."
"I heard" said Fairfax ' that Mrs.
Shelf was trotting him round last night
as the great traveler. Is he of the adver-
tising variety of globe trotter? Did he sit
in a sido room and hold a small audience
spellbound with a selection from his ad-
ventures?" Miss Rivers shrugged her shoulders.
"Not he but you know what Mrs. Shelf
la when she gets any show person at one
of her functions. He had to stand it for
awhile because she held on to him as
though he might have been her fan. But
he escaped as soon as he decently could by
saying he wanted to dance. He asked me
to give him the fourth waltz. I did it out
of sheer pity because I saw Mrs. Shelf's
thumbscrews were making him writhe."
"Shows how little a man may know
about the girl he's engaged to. Now I had
always imagined that having tho pick of
the men you invariably wrote down the
best dancers and nevor saddled yourself
with a stranger who was a very possible
duffer."
Amy Rivers laughed. "That's general-
izing. But it was different last night be-
cause I am so to speak a member of the
household here. A ward counts as a sort
of niece doesn't she or between that and
an adopted daughter? But anyhow it was
out of sheer pity for Mr. Cambel in the
first instance and it was with distinct
qualms that I let him take me down to
dunce. I quite intended after half a round
to say the room was too crowded and go
and sit somewhere. That is to say I made
up my mind to do this when lie nsked me.
"However when I dropped my Angers
on his arm to go down stairs I had my
doubts. You know after two seasons one
gets instinctively to know by the first
touch how a man will dance. And when
he put his arm around me and we moved
to the music I felt like going on forever.
Waltzing is bard just now because it's in
transition state between two styles but
bis dancing was something to dream
boat. We started off with the newest
Quick waltz. Hamilton it was just love-
ly. He was so perfect that just for experi-
ment I altered my step by degrees you
Know. Automatically without anything
being seen he changed too and we were
"You goose" said she.
daning the old slow glide before I knew.
And bis steering was perfect. In that
whirling teeming tangled mob he never
bumped me once. I gave him two more
legal waltzes and cut another couple in his
favor."
"Which makes five In all" said Fairfax
rather 6tiffly.
Amy Rivers took his hand and patted
it. "Don't be cross dear. You know
how I love a good dance and one doesn't
meet a partner like Air. Cambel every day.
I suppose he's done his waltzing in Vien-
na and Paris and Yorkshire and New Or-
leans as well as here in London and by
averaging them all up he can't help but be
good."
"Is it from going to those places that
Mm. Shelf called him the great traveler?"
"Of course not. Hamilton how stupid
you are about him! Why he's rummaged
about in every back corner of the world
so they say."
"So they say yes. Teheran to Timbuk-
tu. But what does he say himself about
his wanderings beyond the tram lines?
Shuffles mostly doesn't he? And who's
- ' '"i AufMOA
met him anywhere? Not a 60ul who will
come forward to speak. I tell you Amy
there's something uncanny about this Pat-
rick Cambel. Ho turns up here periodic-
ally in London after some vaguo exploring
trip to a place which isn't mapped and
you can never pir. him to tell exactly where
he's been. Ho comes witli money spends
It en prince and then goes off again nom-
inally perhaps to tho Gobi desert and re-
turns with another cargo."
"How romantic!" sai.t Miss Rivers.
"Yes. isn't it?" said her fiance dryly.
"If ho'd lived a century earlier one would
have said he'd got a sound business con-
nection as a pirate somewhere West In-
dies way. As this year is 1893 and that
explanation's barred one simply has to
accept him as an uncomfortable mystery."
"Hamilton how abfurd you are! Wher-
ever did all this rigmarole come from?"
"From the club and London gossiping
places generally. I suppose we ought to
be indebted to Cambel for providing us
something to talk about."
"But tell me if his antecedents are so
queer how is it ho goes about so much
here? He's apparently asked everywhere
at least so M rs. Shelf says and he knows
everybody who's worth knowing."
Fairfax laughed. Why does London
society take up with an ex-bushranger
from Australia or a glorified advertising
cowboy from the wild wild west? Simply
because loudon society is extremely paro-
chial and gets desperately bored with its
own little self undiluted. Now Cambel
has undoubtedly wandered about outside
tho parish and occasionally he lets drop
hints which makes one guess he's seen
some queerish rough and tumbles in
places- where polite society doesn't go
and in fact preserves a good humored ret-
icence about most of his doings. This
makes people thoughtful and speculative.
If a Chinese extradition warrant was to
turn up tomorrow to arrest him for stick-
ing up a two button mandarin beyond the
great wall nobody would be a bit surpris-
ed or if he were to tell the city this after-
noon that he'd a concession for a silver
mine in Paraquay which he wished to dis-
pose of at reasonable rates we'd tako it
with pleased equanimity. Now you
know Amy there's a fearful joy in enter-
taining a man of that stamp."
"Especially when he's as entirely fas-
cinating as Mr. Cambel can be when he
chooses. And such a waltzer! But you
speak as if he were a savage from some
back settlement come into decent society
for the first time. He isn't that in the
least. He's a gentleman distinctly."
."My dear girl I never meant to suggest
that lie was not. There's no particular se-
cret about his raising. He comes of a
good west county family was an Eton
boy and played in their eleven went
through Cambridge and afterward found
a berth in the diplomatic service. Then
by way of variety he got engaged to bo
married to a girl who jilted him on the
strength of which he began to run wild.
He started on six months' leave for a trip
into Tibet but ho staid beyond tho lim-
its of the postal system for two years and
a half and when he got back to England
the diplomatic corps found that they could
get on very well without him. So he con-
tinued his rambles. He doesn't seem able
to settle down."
"That's because he can't forget the girl
who threw him over" exclaimed Miss
Rivers. "How awfully romanticl I won-
der who she was. Sbo couldn't have been
anybody nice or she wouldn't have done
it because he's a regular dear. And fancy
his remembering her all this time. I just
love him for it."
"Some fellows" remarked Fairfax ju
diciously "would get jealous if the girl
they were going to marry talked about an-
other man this way."
Miss Rivers reassured him first practi-
cally and then in word. "You goose " said
she "if I cared for him in that way don't
you see I shouldn't have spoken about
him to you at all?"
Fairfax did not answer directly. He
kissed her thoughtfully and after awhile
he said: "I'm not superstitious dear as a
general thing. Work in a shipping office
tends to make one painfully matter of fact.
But for all that I wish this fellow Cambel
would cither marry the queen or get
crushed up In a cab accident or have him-
self safely fastened down out of harm's
way somewhere. I've got a foreboding
Amy that he's going to do a bad turn
either to you or to me which means both
of us. I know it's absurd but I can't get
rid of it."
"How creepy!" 6aid Amy Rivers. "But
what nonsenso Hamilton!"
CHAPTER II.
A FOKTUXE FOR THE PAiR.
Mr. Theodore Shelf's carriage and pair
drew up at his house in Park lane and
Mr. Theodore Shelf went up the steps and
entered the door which a manservant
opened for him. He was a stout middle
aged man with a clean shaven face and a
short frock coat of black broadcloth. He
allowed himself to be eased of his hat and
umbrella and then passed through the
gorgeous hall to the rosewood billiard room
at the back. There he found his guest
Mr. Patrick Cambel in shirtsleeves prac-
ticing push cannons by himself.
"What alone Mr. Cambel!-"
"Why yes. I diu have a hundred up
with your niece earlier on but some one
same for her."
"Niece? Oh. Amy you mean Miss
Rivers. Ah my dear sir from the love
we have for her in this household and tho
way we treat hor.yon naturally fancy she is
a blood relation. It is a graceful compli-
ment for you to pay Mr. Cambel but it
is my duty to correct you. Miss Rivers
is legally only my w rd."
"Ward oh! See that? Red hard against
the cushion and white being over the bot-
tom pocket. Neat cannon wasn't it con-
sidering the long time since I've handled
a cue?"
"The only child of my late partner.
You know the firm still stands as Marma-
duke Rivers & Shelf. We call ourselves on
the billheads 'Agents to the Oceanic
Steam Transport company' though of
course we really own the whole line. You
see our flag sir. in every sea."
"I know. Nagasaki to Buenos Ayres;
gin and gr spel on the west coast; coals
and cotton at New Orleans."
"And we do not send our 6teamers for
tho business of trade alone Mr. Cambel.
We pick our captains and officers with an
eye to a holier purpose. We trust that they
spread a Christian influence in all their
ports cf call. "
"Yes I saw them at work once at Axim
on a tramp you sent down there. They
were taking Krooboys on board. The
skippc r received tiiem on one of the bridge
deck ladders with a knucklo duster and
kicked 'em along. Tho t hief stood by with
a monkey wrench and baptized 'em with
that as they passed down the lower deck
aft. They mentioned ct the lime that this
process had a rarely christianizing influ-
ence. Prevented the boys from being up-
pish. Showed 'em what the white man
could do when ho spread hiniseli taught
'em humility in fact I say there's n
pull toward this bottom pocket. People
have been sitting on the table."
"Mr. Cambel Mr. Cambel you are
I snaking a very serious accusation against
one of my ships companies.
'Accusation? It Never a bit of it. The
fellows only acted according to their
! lights. That's tho only way sailormen
know of getting Krooboys to work audit
i was a ease of getting them to work or hav-
ing the natural sack from you. And so as
they didn't know another method they
fell back on knuckle duster and monkey
wrench. I'll play you 50 up."
! Mr. Shelf put up a large white hand.
j "No no 1 don't play billiards myself. So
many young men have been ruined by tho
pursuit that I refrain from it by way of
setting any example. But my friends
i who visit hero arc not so scrupulous and
I have the ta'.ilo-for them."
"Rea-utiful!" said Cambel. Ho might
have been referring to his own billiard
shot or to Mr. Shelf's improving senti-
ment. "Yon see Mr. Cambel from my posi-
tion so many people look up to me that
it is nothing short of my bounden duty to
dpprive myself of certain things and be so
far as possible a humble model for them
to form themselves by. Long before a
constituency sent me to parliament I de-
voted my best energies to christianizing
the lower classes and I hopo not without
success. If appreciation is any criterion
I may say that I was elected president of
no less than 12 improvement societies. It
took me much timo and thought to attend
to them. Yet I wish I could have given
more."
"That pocket does pull. There's a regu-
lar tram lino toward it. H'm! Mighty
good work of yours. But doesn't it sour
on you sometimes? Don't you want a day
off occasionally? A run down to Monte
Carlo for instance?'
"Monte Carlo! You horrify me Mr.
Cambel. You are my guest and I cannot
speak strongly but this is a very poor jest
of yours. "
' "Well perhaps you know best about
that place. Monte Carlo Is risky at the
best of time for some folks because you're
bound to meet crowds of people you know
and if they aren't on the razzle dazzle too
and pinned to diplomatic silence through
their own iniquities some of them are apt
to split when they get home again. But
I don't know why you should bo horrified
seeing that we are entre quatre yeux here
and not on one of your pious example
platforms. You know you've been In a
far hotter shop than Monte Carlo Watch
me pocket that red. Ah rouge perd Bar-
celona to wit. If you remember you were
staying at the Quatro Naciones and at
! nirhts you used to cross tho Iibambla
I and"
i "My God how did you know all this?"
"Do you remember objecting to take a
. sheaf of obviously spurious notes and
: there was a row and somebody whipped
out n knife and somebody else floored tho
; knifeman with a chair?"
"Yes no."
j "After which you very sensibly bolted.
( Well senor I had only just that moment
come in but I saw you were a fellow is-
j lander and that's why I handled the
! chair. Yon don't remember me and I
! didn't know your name but I recognized
; you the moment your wife introduced us
; here because I never forget a face."
"You're mistaken. I never was in such
a place in my life sir. Think of the po-
sition I occupy. Why the thing's absurd. "
"Now my good sir don't play Peter
here. I'm not going to givo you away. No
fear. Why should I? It would probably
j ruin you and I should stand self convict-
I ed of having been in the lowest and most
desperate gambling hell in Europe with-
out being made a sixpence richer by the
transaction. Only you didn't know me.
uiiu j mi m v M. t tun v f 11 j y vi aui
I fancied it would be handier if we were
open about one another's little ways at
once before we went on any further. Who
knows but what we might stand in at
some profitable business together? Oh see
that! Bad fluke and an eight shot."
Mr. Theodore Shelf stood before the fire-
place and drew a handkerchief across his
forehead with trembling lingers.
"What business did you refer to?" he
asked at length.
"None whatever. I'm not a business
man. I mako discoveries and don't know
how to use them. You're a business man
and may be able to see where the money
profit comes in. If you can why then
we'll share the plunder. If you can't
we're neither of us worse off than before."
"But this is vague. What 6ort of dis-
coveries? Have you found a mine?"
"No sir in the present instance a chan-
nel." "A channel? I don't tako you."
'A deep water channel leading up to a
coast and in beyond it where everybody
else supposes there is nothing but shallow
water. Tho government charts put down
the place as partly unsurvcyed but all im-
possible for navigation. The upgrowth of
coral they say is turning part of tho sea
into dry laud. In a large measure this is
true' but at one point which I have dis-
covered a river comes down from the in-
terior and the scour of this river has cut
a deep narrow channel out through the
reefs to the deep sea water beyond."
"In confidence could you tell me where
this place is?"
'.'In confidence I'll tell you it is on the
west coast of Florida on the Mexican
gulf coast. Tho interior of southern Flor-
ida is called tho Everglades. It's partly
lake pnrtly swamp built up of many
groves saw grass cypress trees and water
tenanted by snakes alligators wild beasts
and a few Seminole Indians. Only one ex-
pedition of whites lias been across it or
rather only one exepdition known to his-
tory. But I've been Ihcre right into tho
heart of the Everglades in fact I'vo just
come from there and I netted 1000 out
of the trip."
;...?' im:..:U Shelf.
Never mind exactly how. That's part-
7 anot lu r man'd business. Shall we say
ihc ntiur man uave mo a commission
there and I carried it out and got duly
paid? Anyway that's sufficient explana-
tion. But what about this channel I've
found. If one gives it to tho chart people
they'll simply say thank you and publish
your name in one number of a professional
magazine which nobody reads. I don't
hanker after fame of that kind. I've tho
sordid taste to much prefer dollars."
Shelf strode forward and seized Cambel
by tho arm. "If your channel and your
everglades will answer a purposo 1 want
there's half amillion of English sovereigns
to be made out of it."
"Five hundred thousand pounds!
Phew!"
"Hush! There's somebody coming. But
it's to bo had if you arc not afraid of a
little risk."
"I fear nothing on this earth" said
Cambel "when it's to my interest not to
! fear. Moreover though I'm not a saint
my standard of morality is probably a
shade higher than yotus. I don't mind
doing some t:orts of dirty things but there
are shades in dirtiness a?:d at sou-c tints
I draw the Hue. it's unngcrous to er
have tho tips of tb.e.se cues glued on so
badly. They fly oil' and hit people."
The billiard room door had opened and
Amy Rivers had enme in with Fairfax
at her heels whence Cambel's digression.
The matter had not been put in so many
words but he felt suro that the commis-
sion of a great robbery hnd been proposed
to him and ho had more than half a mind
to drive his knuckles into Theodore Shelf's
lying hypocritical face there and then on
the spot.
I CHAPTER III.
i i:EQVir:r.MENTS of ;.ir. shelf.
' Mr. Theodore Shelf wanted to drag
Cambel off there and then to his own busi-
ness room on the first floor to discuss
further this groat project which he had in
his head but Cambel thought fit to re-
main where he was. Mr. Shelf nodded
significantly toward the newcomers as
much as to hint that a third person with
them would be distinctly an inconvenient
third. Cambel turned to them cue in
hand and proposed a game of snooker.
"That's precisely what we came up for"
said Amy Rivers promptly. "Hamilton
get out tho balls. Mr. Cambel will you
put the billiard balls away so that they
don't get mixed?"
They played and talked merrily. Their
conversation turned on the wretched show
at the recent Academy which they agreed
was a disgrace to a civilized country and
Cambel made himself interesting over the
art of painting in Paris mural facial and
on canvas. When he chose ho could be
very interesting this man London had
nicknamed the great traveler and he
generally chose not being ill natured.
Mr. Theodore Shelf left the billiard
room with a feeling beneath his waistcoat
much akin to seasickness. First of all
that plain spoken Patrick Cambel had not
overpolitely hinted that he was a canting
hypocrite and had showed cause for ar-
riving at this conclusion. This was true
but that didn't make U any the more di-
gestive. And secondly he himself in a
moment of excitement had let drop to this
same pernicious Cambel (who after all
was a comparative stranger) a proposal to
make the um of i'.'iOO.OOO at one coup.
True he had not mentioned the means
but Cambel bad at once concluded it was
to be gained by robbery and he Theodore
Shelf had not denied tho impeachment.
Consequently Mr. Shelf went direct to
his own room locked the door and forti
fied his nerves with a liberal two fingers"
of brandy. Then ho munched a coffee
bean iu deference to the blue ribbon on
his coat lapel replaced the cognac bottle
in the inner drawer of his inner safe and
eat down to think.
If only he had understood Cambel and
better still knew whether he might trust
him! There was a fortune to bo had. Yes
a fortune. And it was wanted badly. The
great firm of Marmaduke Rivers & Shelf
which called itself "Agents to the Oceanic
Steam Transport company" but which
really ran tho line of steamers which trad-
ed under tho flag might work prosperous
to the outer eye and might still rear its
head haughtily among the first shipping
firms of London port. But the man who
bragged aloud that he owned it all from
offices to engine oil knew otherwise. He
had mortgages out in every direction
mortgages so cunningly hidden that only
he himself wa3 aware of their vast total.
He knew that the firm was rotten lock
stock and barrel. He knew that through
any one of 20 channels a breakup might
come any day and following on the heels
of that a smash which would be none the
pleasanter because from its size and devas-
tating effects it would live down into his-
tory. He Theodore Shelf would assuredly
not bo in England to face it. Since his
commercial barometer had reached
"stormy" and still showed signs of steady
descent he had been transmittingcarefully
modulated doles to certain South Ameri-
can banks and had even gone so far as to
purchase under a noni d'escroc a pic-
turesquely situated hacienda on the upper
waters of the Rio Paraguay.
There in caso tho cyclone broke the ex-
tradition treaties would ceaso from trou-
bling and the weary swindler would be
at well fed rest.
But Mr. Theodore Shelf had no lust for
this tropical retirement. He liked the
powers of his present pinnacle in the city
and he loved the halo which ho wore
among the improving young men. And
moreover that howl of execration from
every class of society which would make
up his pajan of defeat was an opera which
he very naturally shrunk from sitting
through.
As ho thought of these things ho hugged
closer to him tho wire haired fox terrier
which sat upon his lap.
"George old friend" said Mr. Shelf
"if things do go wrong I beliovo you're
the only thing living in England which
won't turn against inc."
George slid out a red tongue and licked
tho angle of Mr. Shelf's square chin.
Then ho retired within himself again and
looked sulky. The door had opened and
Mrs. Shelf stood on the mat. There was a
profound mutual dislike between George
and Mrs. Theodore Shelf.
"You alone Theodore? I thought Mr.
Cambel was here. However so much the
better. I have wanted to speak with you
all the morning. Do turn that nasty dog
away."
George was not evicted as Mr. Shelf in-
quired curtly what his wife was pleased to
want. She seldom invaded this business
room of his and when she did it was for
a purpose which he was beginning to abhor.
She came to the point at once by hand-
ing him a letter which was mostly in cop-
per plato. He read It through with brief
sour comment.
"H'm! Bank! Your private account
overdrawn. That's tho third time this
year Laura. Warning seems to be no use.
You are determined to know what ruin
tastes like. "
"Ruin pshaw! You don't put mo off
with that silly tale. To begin with I don't
believe it for an instant and even if it
tvero truo I'd rather bo ruined than re-
trench. You and I can afford to be candid
between ourselves Theodore. You know
perfectly well that we have gained our po-
sition in society purely and solely by pur
chase.
"To my cost I do know it. But having
paid your entrance fee at least eight times
over I think you might be content with
an ordinary subscription. That ball last
night for instance"
"Was n cessary. And I couldn't afford
to do tho tbiu otherwiso than gorgeous-
ly." "Gorgeously! Do you think I'm Croesus
Laura U pay for gearing one room with
red roses and another room with pink and
another room with. Marshal Niels for fcols
to flit iu during one short night? This
morning's paper informs me that those
flowers camo l.y special express from Nice
and cost 500. "'
"And yet you twit me with extrava-
gance! All tho papers have got in that
paragraph as I took care they should and
everybody will read it. Yet tho flowers
only cost a paltry 300 so that in credit I
am 200 to the good because I have clear-
ly given the ball of tho season. Theodore
you are shortsighted. You aro a fool to
your own profit. By myself I shall make
you a baronet this year and if you had
only worked in your own interests half as
hard as I have done you could have gone
into the house of lords.
"Titles" said Shelf grimly "for peo-
ple of our stamp are only given for direct
cash outlay in almshouses or picture gal-
leries or political clubs. Beforo they aro
bestowed a crown censor satisfies himself
that one's financial position is broad and
absolutely sound. There are reasons con-
nected with those matters which block you
further and further from being 'milady'
every da'."
Mrs. Shelf shrugged her shoulders in ut-
ter unbelief. "Y'our preaching tendencies
cover you like a second skin Theodore.
It seems as if you never drop the conven-
ticle and the pleasure of pointing a moral
at one. Believe me it isn't a paying spec-
ulation this cant of yours. At the most
they will only give you a trumpery knight-
hood for it. But go your own way and
I'll go mine you shall be made in spite of
yourself. "
Mrs. Shelf noticed that at this point her
husband's eyes were beginning to glow
with dull fury. Sho ot.'ected to scenes
and dropping the subject 'reverted once
mora to her present needs
i "However let us drop this wrangle and
come to business. I wish you to see to
; that impertinent circular from the bank
j I have several checks out and unpresentcd.
j 1 absolutely must draw others today for
! trifles which will add up to about a thou-
' sand. You must see that they are honored.
; It is all your own fault this trumpery
i worry about nothings. You should not try
! to screw mo down to such a niggardly
allowance."
j Shelf stood up and the dog on his lap
leaped hurriedly to the ground growling.
"Woman" he said passionately "if you
won't believe me if you will go on in this
mad extravagance you will soon learn for
yourself that I am not lying perhaps
very soon perhaps tomorrow. When a
: shameful bankruptcy does come then you
can play your hand as you please. I shall
not bo here to hinder you any longer.
Where I shall go to how I shall lead my
! new life who will be my partner are
; matters which you will be allowed no
She drew ticrsclf up and stnred him with
a look of forced contempt.
fingers in. So long as things last here I
shall observe all the conventionalities and
if you appreciate those you will find it
wise to reconsider your present ways. I
tell you candidly that if the firm does go
down not only England but half the
world will ring with its transactions.
Marmaduke Rivers & Shelf" he went
on with scowling fu.'y "were honest
prosperous tradesmen once before their
ways were fouled to find money for your
cursed ambition."
There was a new look on the clean
shaven face which she had never seen be-
foro and an evil glint in the eyes which
scared her. Irresolutely she moved toward
the door and put her fingers upon the han-
dle. Then she drew herself up and stared
him up and down with a look of forced
contempt. "You will be good enough"
6ho said coldly "to attend to the business
which brought me here. I am going now
to draw the checks I spoke about."
Shelf looked at her very curiously.
"Go" he said "and do as you please.
You aro a determined woman and because
I am determined myself I admire your
strength of will; but for all that I think
I shall murder you before I leave Eng-
land." Mrs. Shelf laughed derisively but with
pale lips and then she opened the door.
The dog advanced toward her slowly stiff
legged muttering.
"What line heroics!" she said. "But
thanks for seeing after my balance. It is
a written thing that I must have that
money."
She passed through the door closing it
gently behind her and Shelf returned to
his armchair. "Goorgo" he said as the
fox terrier stood up against his knee "if
that woman were only struck dead today
-
there are 2000 famines" in England who
would rejoice madly if tney only Knew
one-tenth part of what I know. Poor bog-
gars they have trusted me to the bilt and
she makes me behavo to them like a devil.
Yes little dog she makes me whether I
wish it or not. For this t.l limes I more
than hate her.
"At timeswhen I clog this f; rc-i'n am-
bition of hers she must almost hale i:i".
Yet I know something about women :.nd
I believe that nearly always she loves me.
It's a curious mixture isn't it George?
But it isn't a comfortable one. D'you
know my small animal I wish very much
just now an earthquake or a revolution or
something like that would occur to shuffle
matters up. Then if I got killed I should
be spared a great deal of worry and if I
didn't why I've got largo hands and I be-
lieve I could grab enough in the general
scramble to suit even her.
"As it is however with neither earth
quake nor revolution probable I'm a des-
perate man ready to tako any desperate
chance of commercial salvation."
CHAPTER IV.
BIMETALLISM
tt was hitein tho evening when Patrick
Cambel again fuuud himself cn tete-a-tete
With his host. There had been i;eople
in to dinner at the house in Park lane
! Tin; thes:.- linrl nrmrv nncl Mrs. Shelf nnd
Amy Rivers followed them to part :cs else-
where. Mrs. Shelf hal wished to carry
Cambel also in her train brat that person
staid behind by a request which ho ooold
not very well refuse. " You will favor mo
very much by remaining here for tho Test
of the evening Mr. Cambel" Shelf had
said in his pompous way. "I havo matters
of the greatest moment I wish to discuss
! with you."
"I hardly knew how to begin" Shelf
confessed uneasily when they were alone.
I "Then let me make a suggestion" said
1 Cambel with a laugh. "Come to the
j point at once. Let's have the plot without
j any introductory chapters. You've told
me yqu'vo got a scheme on hand for turn-
ing my discovery into currency and you've
raliicr hinted ic'sa dirty scheme. Theonly
question is hov& dirty. Thanks to pressure
of circumstances I'm not an overparticu-
lar person. But on points I'm very
squcumis.li or in other words I draw tho
line somewhere. Unless I'm very vastly
mistaken your plan will involve ono in
downright knavery which is a thing all
sensible men avoid if possible. Now in
my ignorance I fancied the find might 1 j
turned to account without climbing down
to that."
"Oh" said Shelf eagerly ''then yo-.i
had a scheme in your head before you cui.u
to me?"
Tho other shrugged his shoulders e.u.1
lit a cigar.
"Just a dim outline nothing nior.
You see the interior of the Everglades is
absolutely untouched by the white man's
weapons. It was vaguely supposed to Lj
one vast lake with oases of slime an 1
mangroves. The lake was reported as too
shallow for boats and abounding with
fevers agues and mosquitoes. Consequent-
ly it remained unexplored and on the end
of the Florida peninsula today no wbit-
man barring myself and one or two eth-
ers has ever got farther than five or eight
miles in from the coast.
"Now as I've told you I was lucky
enough to hit upon a fine deep ship chan-
nel going in as far as the center line and
I don 't know how far behind inside. Thero
Is good fertile country a healthy climate
and the best game preserve on this earth.
For the first comers that interior will be
just a sportsman's paradise.
"My idea is twowise. First sell the
cream off tho sport. Some men will give
anything for shooting and in this caso
there will also be the glamour of being
pioneers. Each one will start determined
to write a book of his opinions and doings
when he gets back. By chartering a steam-
er and treating them well on board they
would have sporting do luxe. One ought
to get quite live and twenty chaps at 500
guineas apiece.
"That gives the first crop. For tho sec-
ond buy up an enormous tract of the
land which can be got for half nothing
say 10 or 15 cents an acre boom it and
resell it in lots to Jugginses. They'll fancy
they'll grow oranges as all Englishmen
do who try Florida. Perhaps they may
grow 'em who knows if they keep off
whisky and put in work? But that won't
be the promoter's concern. They don't
advertise that the land will produce
oranges. They only guarantee that it
would if it was given a chance and that's
all correct.
"Perhaps this is rough on the Jug-
ginses but as they crowd the British is-
lands in droves and are always on the
lookout for some one to shear them I
don't see why an Everglades company
shouldn't have their fleeces as well as any-
body else. They're mostly wasters and
wouldn't do any good anywhere and it's
a patriotic deed to cart them over our
boundary ditch away from local mischief.
Besides even if the worst comes to the
worst and the orange industry of Florida
still refuses to make headway the would
be growers needn't starve. Nor need they
even do what they'll probably hate more
and that's work. There's always sweet
potatoes and mullet and tobacco to be got
and if that diet doesn't cloy a man can
have it there for mighty little exertion.
"Come now. That's the pemmican of
the plan. What do you think of it0"
"Much capital would be needed."
Cambel shrugged his shoulders. "Some
naturally or I shouldn't have come to you.
If I'd seem any way to pouching all the
plunder single handed you may bet your
little life Mr. Theodore Shelf I shouldn't
bave invited you into partnership."
"Returns too would be very slow."
"Not necessarily. Float the company
and then turn it over to another company
for cash down."
"Moreover when the er the young
men you spoke about found that the or-
ange groves did not produce at once in
paying quantities they would write home
and their parents would denounce mo in
the jrucers as a swindler."
Continued next Satuiday.)
A Restful Old Arc.
"Isn't yotsr grandfather's clock go-
ing Miss renelope?"
"No indeed. I'd be ashamed to make
an old clock like that work." Chicago
Record.
"Alia remember iinaget tnere are two
things I mi-st insist upon truthfulness
and obedience J"
"Yes mum. And when you tell me to
tell the ladies you're out when you're In
Which shall it be mum?" Tit-Bits.
C
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Slater, H. D. El Paso Daily Herald. (El Paso, Tex.), Vol. 20TH YEAR, No. 147, Ed. 1 Saturday, June 23, 1900, newspaper, June 23, 1900; El Paso, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth297450/m1/9/: accessed July 12, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; .