CAPE MAY CITY. WEDNESDAY MORNING, AUGUST 4, 1S97.

STOCKTON HOTEL THE FINEST SEASIDE HOTEL IN THE WORLD

SEASON 1897

MODERN IMPROVEMENTS

APPOINTMENTS STRICTLY FIRSJ CLASS DIRECTLY FACING THE O^EAM BEAUTIFUL LAWNS." RATES, $3 AND $5 PER DAY SPECIAL TERMS BY THE WEEK

Corner rooms and suites with parlors and baths extra,

certs mornings 10 to 12.

Hops evenings, 8.30 toio.30. Dogs not taken or

allowed on the premises.

HORACE M. CAKE.

ANNEX May.

I HAVI: TAKIjN THE

TATHAM COTTAGE

IK CONNECTION,WITH

MARINE VILLA ANNEX, u« rvady,lo,icc Ivt my (uimrr patiLiu.

HALLENBECK.

PRICES CENTS

, fcomuiuml Hr. Finchley loox a aeat on tne top « a barrel, and bU manner awnred Alee, who stood behind the ootmtor. that the old gentleman bad something eeriooa hia mind. "I may aay," Mr. Finchley went on after a time, "that acme of ue old waa thinkiu about puttin in another •tore here. Joe Higgina was a good i In hia way, bnl be ain't run things actly to my idee, tir the idee of k others, and we cal'lated to pnt in a r here, just to amartin things np a But what I com to aay v yon be goin to take bolt and run things emart way, eo's to do credit to 1. you know, why I, for one. would be agin a new store, and I reckon nobody el>e would do anything if I barked out.'' He pauaei, glanced at Alec, and observed that the young man was looking at him in attoniabment. I reckon you know more about a store than about, mowin," said Jonathan, dropping his eyes and chuckling to himaelf. 1 ' I ain't nothin against yon on that account." he went another pause, but without looking np at Alec. The young man felt that he mast say something, thongh Jonathan Finchley naked on as if be were in no hurry. "It would kill the business if another store were started." Alec said at last. "Eiactly,” remarked Jonathan. puffing with vigor. “I think the more might be managed so that it would satis!r all na lec went on. "Itend." said Jonathan briefli "And if T stay here I shall Lj all I n to make it u success." "I bev an idee yon end do it." "I haven't any idea what Mrs. Higgins and—and—'Lisbeth would do if I "dn't atuy.” he ulsonaid. Jonathan winked at tl 'Lisbeth and said he reckoned they'd have a hard time of it without him. yon be bashful, young m Yon jtut go in. and I'll bet 2U dollar bills on yon all tbe way oronnd.' He roae from bis neat,. . sawdust from the Mat of his I let them down for comfort, knocked the ashes out of hia pipe and said: "Got any eornmeol?" Jonathan Finchley had never bought corn meal at tbe store before, and a little meditation showed Alec the fall meaning of this l. «t significant inquiry. Alec said they had, and Jonathan took ig. which he helped S ' the back of his light on. He climbed np to the seat, said a brusque "Good day!” and drove away. Alec stood on the veranda stejis till be was out of sight, and then returned to tbe store is a stale of the greatest excitement. Going straight to the back dour be said: " 'Lisbeth, what do yon suppose? Jonathan Finchley has been here and bought a bag af-moaL ” "I've beard that he and some other were going to Mart a new store," site said. "Yea,''said Alec, "he came in to tell me be iuieoUed to back out, and be wouldn't be started.” If Jonathan Finchley was going to aland by them, that meant the town would be cm their *ld& Both Alec and 'Lisbeth had had some doubts as to whether they would be cuuidered old enough for such urespousiblejssit. Alec had more confidence than 'Lisbeth by far, for she knew the way of country village publics, who have very decided ideas on matters w ithin their own control. and this obviously was cue. But if Jocuthan Finchley waa for them the beta would have to come around. Tbe next question was bow tbe finance! stood. If Mr. Higgins bad left capital, it would be hard work to reck tbe store as A lac wished to da Bnt he dithuot think of any such possibility as this, or if he did think of it he brushed it quickly away. Matters must be looked into as soon as possible in order that they might makea Iicgimimg of the new regime at once. He wanted to send an advertisement to the Pavotuau Uaxette fur a servant girl, but 'Liabeth refused to allow that till matters were settled and they knew where they

od.

"Perhaps there won't be any money to pay the girl." she said, bnt Alec said: "Then we'll make some.” Ldabeth smiled and said they'd see. She kept steadily at bar work, and Alec wandered what she was thinking. He be formulating eome

should have

way.

In his delight at the idea he had ennceircsl he wanted to write to her at once ami ask bur if sho would come. Bnt he dec hi si to valt until things were more aetthsi in lolatiuu to tbe financial standing of the store. 'Lisbeth refused to take any step whatever until the books were examined and they knew just where they Mood. Alec was impatient with her and •redded her a little, but she remained

stolidly obstinate.

In hia mind ho laid out hiscareor. He would work bard in the store this winter and get the trade that now went to neighboring towns andrillagea. With the money saved bo would improve the tavern and provide suitable accommodations fur summer boarders. Perhaps some time a great hotel might stand on

tbe snot of this old store.

uei Tge came over tne next evening and reported the results of his visit to Pavoma. Ho said it would take several weeks for the probate court to move, and : he brought forms for 'Lisbeth and Mrs. | Higgins to sign, petitioning for the appointment of himself as executor. He thought there would bo no trouble, bowcrer^and be advised that Mr. Higgina’ books and pnpen be thoroughly examined at once, and after that the busibe carried on as seemed host, withoutwaiting fur legal formalities. Whatever was dune could be legalised after'Lisbeth agreed that an immediate examination of the condition of affaire the first great thing, for she wantlo know just bow much or little uv there was. If there waa little, •be didu'i want to waste any of it by spending it at first as if it were mnch, and if there w as more than they expected it wi-uld be a relief to her mind at

least to know it.

Tlie next morning George Marston came over early, and Alec shut the front door, piuntpg np a half sheet of note pawitb the words written: "Closed for examination.' Open 12 to l.” The opening of an hour was fur tbe mail. 'Lint':b decided to serve the family with cold mmis and give her whole attention to this business. All tbe books of the store wore spread out on the id 'Ltioeih brought the little tin trunk that held Mr. Higglin' meat private pai>-rs The old deal dink he .m. which Was built upon the end of the counter next the post office boxes, emptied of its contents, a most miscellaneous mass of |>apers, and Ux-n tbe work of sorting, calculating and reckoning np went on busily. They found a deed of some bind in Dakota that might might not lie valuable, bnt it proved for nearly as mnch ms 'here was a deed of the lot ir the .vmvteri-wjiere the owner now lay buried, and that was all the real estate possess. There was a record of $100 deposited in a savings bank the name of 'Lisbeth, which he had evidently pi or hied for the emergency of hia death. Then there waa the store banners. Mi. Higgins laid kept a small Lank account, and there seemed to be a little over $100 now on deposit, but nearly the whole of it was owing, to the wboirsaie deal, rs fromSvhom ho bought his stock. Th. ru was a mass of liad debts owing from the country people for oi a.count, but George cry few collections could uurter's rent of $40 waa overdue, and the only provision fur its payment seemed to be the deposit in the savings bank. KvidrntJy all that was the family was the depleted . stuck of tbe st.strand the good will of tbe bnsiueea, which might together be 'k.sied at $:tbU peruajw. Bnt half , at sum ought to be spent at unco to t the business in good shaje. The accounts showed that it had paid $700 to $1,000 a year net profit. They did not finish the examination till late that night, bnl for some hours the approximate outcome was apparent. ! About It o'clock George Marston. after ; whl»;» ring to Alec that he was willing ' advance $1011 if 'Lisbeth would ao- | ccpt it, went home on foot with scarcely any other goodby. Alec was diaap- ] pointed, fix- he fancied he saw all hia dreams fading. Certainly hia plans wonld have to be readjusted. 'Lisbeth simply stolid, and said it was about > what the expected. After George was gone she left tbe store, and Alec shut up the blinds and locked the outer door. | When he came into the dining room, she took np a small oil lamp and said she was going to bed. 'Lisbeth had told Mrs. Higgins tbe result and she bad already gone, muttering to herself that Joe never was a good manager. The next morning after breakfast Ales decided that the first thing that ought to be dune was to circulate a petition ad- : dressed to the postmaster general, asking fur the appointment of 'Lisbeth aa pustmistrews. Ho told 'Lisbeth what ho I was going to do and asked her lo look ; after the More while be took it around : to various influential persons. The first man he went to was Jonathan Finchley, who grumbled at being asked to sign a putiuon against his own politi- " But 'Lisbeth is strictly nonpartisan,

said Alec.

"I suppose we'll bare to aay ao,” he answered. "If my ouuadcoce rebukes

Jue for the act. I’ll aay that. ” all the members of Mr.

minuter hau come to argue with him, and some of the deacons loo. The ladles of the Women’• Temperanoo alliance bod visited him more than ouoe, ami collectively and individually scolded him for hours together. But it was hia custom to bring out a glass of cider or a bottle of beer and offer it all around, of course to be indignantly refused, and then to drink it himself in their liras-

a nxxxcixL i.\ vxanuATiox x:

i x rmn-

George Marston started for Pavoma by the stage that afternoon and would not return till the day after the next. In the meantime Alec would have to wait in patience, but be kept thinking over that

visit of Jonathan Finchley and the pur- _ dmaeof the bag of meal so strangely Birins' pLlitiol party signed readily significant. enough, and a number of the opposite CHAPTER XIX J*"? ,dgm ' d Finchley had.

n ben all the names were secured, be would send it with a letter to the senator who knew Mr. Higgins personally and gut his appointment before, and

appointment wonld be a

tainty. Urn

troubled him to think that such a good ^ girl should lead such a confined life, and "uZ HigglM amd'xtsMh too. at the hsnds of her modier . deputation at ladiej. But would her mother let her go? Or - - - — - —

would she come without her mother's

What penally had been visited

beta of thg Woman's Temperance Alliance. It was notorious that Joe Higgins had always kept s stock of cider and

““V T “' 1 , rf "‘■.oh be whisky and tmer. though it w« -n™, sull recalled with peculiar pleasure. He lh . t.. He said it was for eUr bad kept tbe dollar bill as s sort of re- JSSSS. DUiTmxcfoer «s. o« membxanoe of bei. and now he was In- sumud by the townspeople. There bad think be had hurt her faalinsa been much talk about the matt^ Tbe

icork of Baiting, oalculaUng and reckoning up wenf on busfli/. delivering as he did to a long and

i humorous argument in favor of a Ieoh olio drinks. So they went away in despair and disgust. Of course they might have summoned the law against him, bnt be had shown all of them too many gener-

ous favors fur them lo do that.

But now the ladies had their chsryw They knocked at the front door of tbe tavern, and Mrs. Higgins received them. She gave them a cordial welcome, but was somewhat overcome with dismay when the six filed in. She showed them into tbe parlor, and they took chairs about the room in prim diguity. Mrs. Higgins was oteroome, and remained silent. Miss Mary Ferguson, a maiden lady of 00, who devoted herwlf to managing town affairs as much as she was permilted, was spokesman, and began: "Mis' Higgins, we come to exprern our deep sympathy tor your loss. He had his good qualities, and waa a gen’roua hearted man. Nobody ever said he wan'L Wo hope you bear np under the grief as well as cohid be expected. ” "Yes, Joe was a good man, and as kind to bis family as there ever was, ” replied Mrs. Higgins, melting in tears. "Bnt be had hia oburtcomio'a," said Mils Ferguson promptly aa soon as ahe

saw the tears.

"Weall hute, "assented Mrs. Higgins, checking her tears, for she perceived that they were coming to the heart of

the mystery.

“And one of them," went on the good lady, “waa feedin the devil in hia own lair. "Y'ou can't deny. Mis' Higgins, that he did that moat scandalous." "I won't hear nothin agin Joe," protested his spouse, weeping afresh. "Y’ou can’t deny that he made drunkards." went on Mis* Ferguson, a little

maliciously.

"You know. Mis' Higgins, we did everything we coo Id to stop him, and he wouldn't Mop a bit," pnt in a very fat matron at her right "He drank a glass of cider right in my face one time and I sh'ld think you'd beau Ybamed of it you wouldn't know what to da Yon was always a chnrrhgoln woman, even after yon merried him. " Mrs. Higgins was now wecpingpoplonsly, and tbe visitors remained grimly silent As Miss Ferguson waa about to break it by some farther remark, 'Lisbuth pushed open the door and stared at them all in amazement She had come m quite aocidsctally and had not known before of their pretence. She looked sweepmgly about tbo room and saw tbe stern features of Miss Ferguson and the

tears of her mother.

"What have you been saying to mother ?" ahe demanded a trifie fiercely. "Oh, don't say anything rash,” protested Mrs Higgins. "They've been aoyour father after he's dead and "We didn't come to say nothin about Joe Higgins that you didn't know yoaxself already," put in Mia. Fairley, who waa a tender hearted little woman. "We only wanted to say we expected vom, ya a church member and belli a woman, to * stop the inimtqy that we couldn't make him Mop. Joe Higgins won't no church member and that made a difference. ” But 'Lisbeth was roused. She wouldn't be forced to do anything by anybody, and she declared that if she was as good as her father she guessed she'd be good enough for anybody. As a matter of fact 'Lisbeth detested the liquor nelling as mnch as any of her visitors did, and possibly more, and bad determined from the first to do away with tbe small stock that remained. Hbs had even contemplated that very day taking it all out into the back ^rd and pouring it out on the ground. But aha wouldn't be forced to do anything. The contest was fierce and long, sad was finally ended, by 'Lisbeth bursting violently into tears and rushing out of tbo room. The strain upon her mind of the last few days hid been too heavy. When Alec came home soon after, he found the vial tors taking a frigid leave of Mrs. Higgins He went into the More as they came out the tavern door, and not finding 'Lisbeth went to the kitchen in eoaiTli of b$r. He found her sitting at the kitchen labia, her bead reating ou her outstretched asms, and she was

sobbing. Ho went to he and resting his hand on

asked anxiously:

"What's the matter'r" "Go way," said 'Lisbeth brokenly, and he took a step back. She raised her neon ana wipea sway tne tears, and at last controlling herself by a great effort told him what had happened. Since he knew her own views and previous intentions at could not help smiling The moment be smiled she perceived her iuoonaistoDcy, and smiled faintly too. Bat she immediately roue as if to dismiss the subject, opened the oven door and closed it with a alans, and set to work

"You're all t

d up, and you o