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TMDERjfEB;
Trapped on the Trail.
A Thrilling Romance ol the
Silver Hills.
By MORRIS ROWING,
Author of “la the Shadow of the Scaffold,’’
“Joella,” “Cripple of Loudon,’’
Etc., Etc.
[Trout the Chicago Ledger.]
CHAPTER Vlll—Continued
The blow that Fa le Grey received was a
stunning one, and it required several min
utes for him ton iver h - sen s; the mo*
ment h - did so b - Bpran • to the opes win
dow and glared out mto the street that was
fast being slm lowed in the gloom of ap
proaching n ght.
Men ware seen moving hither and thither,
but the form of his ass .inter was not to be
Keen. Wallis Wager had escaped.
Of course son. thing of a commotion was
creited among the miners and loafers in
the card-room.
Engle Grey was the coolest one in the
room. He real:-/, and that the young man
who had delivered such a quick, shat]) blow
b id made good his es ape. and that for tho
present it would be us less, not to say fool
ish, to fellow. He mi . lit he the head of a
gang of outlaws who would delight to lead
th“ dete t.ve iuto a trap.
“V.'a . par.!, you got a good one that
time, mid one of the nun os, with a grin
on his homely face that served to aggravate
the detective nut a little.
“\Yho did it?"
*Why didn't ye slug him?”
Various were the remarks and sugges
tions made by those v.ho seemed suddenly
to take ;i deep interest in the interesting af
fair that had ne t taken t * ice.
Brine a stranger in the place Eagle Grey
d.d j.ot deem it host to give hit confidence
to any of these men, who, he readily con
ceived, might be in league with his as
saulter.
Secreting his pistol, the detective left the
room as soon ns ho could conveniently ex
tricate himself, and went to tho elerk’s
desk, where lie made inquiries regarding
Wallis Wager.
“No such man stops here.”
“Do you know him?”
“Never heard of the chap till you men
tioned liis name, friend.”
This was sufficient.
Eagle Groy went up to his room, to which
ho was shown by a lad in the employ of the
house. Tho room was small and dingy, but
it was good enough for tho detective’s pur
pose. iio had n t come to the silver hills
expecting to live in clover.
Ho paced his room after the boy’s de
parture with an angry disgust manifest on
his face.
“Fool, fool!”
This so. mod to ho tho iin rut of his mut
terings for some time.
The loss oi: his grip trouoieu mm deep
ly. Ho now believed that Wallis Wager
was nt the bottom if the theft, and that he
was member of tho gang which counted
Burden Bruno among its members.
“I have two men to hunt instead of one,”
he muttered. “I will make it a point to
secure the assassin of Samuel Fredon first.
1 urn known as a detect ,w now, and must
don a disguise. Ah' Wallis Wager, you’ve
tackled a bigger tiger than you imagine.
I'll hunt you to your doom if it costs me
ray life. I swear it, and Eagle Grey never
utters a meaningless oath.”
Tap—tap—tap.
“Come in," cried tho detective.
It proved to bo the office boy, who held
in his hand a letter.
“Tho gent said I was to give it to you nt
once. ”
The moment Grey accepted tho letter,
the boy dartd away. Tearing open tho
envelope tho detective was soon in posses
sion of ils contents.
Mu. Thompson: I take it upon mvself to ask
you lo call at my house this even mg. A poor
young man from York State is sick (homesick,
I believe,) at my house, and the face of a u
Eastern man w mid do him good. Something
must bo done or the poor lei ow will die. The
young gentleman’s namo is Porter, and ho
came from Yonkers, where !io knew a man by
the name of Jerry Thompson, and ho thought
perhaps you might have heard of the gemlo
xnav'j too. I learned that you came on to
night’s stage fr >m a friend whos.iw y ur name
on tho Silver Mine register. Fegg.ng your par
don for trespassing on your'good' nature,
which is done only to please the whim of a sick
man, I sign myself, yours to command,
Rev. Eli binker.
It was a most singular epistle, indeed. Of
course the suspicions nature of the detect
ive did not swallow the letter wholly. It
might, however, be genuine. No place of
residence was given. Perhaps tho resi
dence of Reverend Sinker was so well
known ho had forgotten to mention it in
the letter.
After duo consideration, Grey went bo
low. Supper being ready, ho partook of
this ero making inquiries regarding tho
author of his singular 1 tter.
“Eli Sinker, said the clerk when ques
tioned. "1 know only one man by that
name in Silvcrsaud. and that’s tho Baptist
preacher who lives over on Joy Creek, half
a mile from here.”
Grey had purposely made no mention of
the man’s calling.
“He is a minister then. What is his
standing in soeie* v'. J ’
“Well,” and tho clerk laughed, “he is like
all preachers, wears a long face and exhorts
all the people to lice from the wrath to
come. I suppose he is a good man as the
world goes.”
“Any one sick at his house?”
“I don't know that. ”
“I do though,” said a voice, and a tall
man, with the air of a geatlemau who had
seen better days, stepped, to the side of the
detective. “There’s a young fellow sick at
the preacher's, and likely to die.”
“His name?”
“I never heard it.”
“Do you know where he is from?”
“The preacher?
“No. the sick young man."
“l’rom York State, I heard someone
say. ”
Eagle Grey walked from the desk and
stood for some moments in a thoughtful
attitude, lie was debating serious y“about
answering the letter in verson.
Ho had known a family of Porter’s in
Yonkers, and one of the sons had gone
V> est. Ad as it not natural that this sick
man should be tho on ? Not a soul in
iSilversand knew that Eagle Grey was in
the western “city,” and i. would be impos
sible for this preacher to have learned his
name from any source save from that stated
in the iett.r.
“I will call at the parsonage,” said De
tective Grey to himself; after due delibera
tion. “I don t propose to leave a poor
homesick boy in the lurch if I know my
self. if one of the Porters is here in Sil
versand, he may give me reformat] n that
wii’. prove of vast importance in n:y hunt
for two of the vilest cri iuais in the West.”
Thus masoning, the w.iy detective in
qu red the way to Rev. Eli Sinker's resi
dence. and early in the evening set out to
v. He place.
.> is night was dor.-:, save for innumera
ble stars tint studded the heavens.
The parson's residence stood just outside
the mountain city, on the banks of a rush
ing mount..in stream. Grey gained the
bridge span mg the stream. ' lie paused a
moment to look a; the rushing waters be
low.
While gazing thus a step struck the
bridge.
Turning to look back Detective Grey saw
* and rk form spring a toss the bridge.
Quick as a flesh the direct.ve drew hi;
pistoi. He was not quick nongh, however,
and a stunning blow sent him to the bridge
senseless.
THE MONROE ADVERTISER: FORSYTH, GA., TUESDAY, MARCH 1. ISST. —EIGHT PAGES.
A sta'wart form bent and lifted th* fallen
Selective. lor one instant he poised his
victim ere sending him to the rocky depths
sixty feet below.
CHAPTER IX.
A BEATS GrEi-’S FLIGHT
Lucius Sway no had come in*o possession
of the letter that Iva Lad received from
Wallis Wager.
The reading of that letter sent a cold
chill to his heart He wm not long in
placing the missive in the Land of his
wife, who, when she read it, paled and
trembled.
“What in tho world can it mea
“It means that while this man calling
himself Waliis Wager lives we are tread
ing on a valcano,” answered the inn
keeper.
“Where can hs hare learned so much?"
“From the old man we to-dav,
perhaps, ’ returned Swayne. “I did at one
time imagine that he might be that boy whe
was gone at the time we secured Iva; you
know that we only have the word of a pur
chasable villain that Robert Ranger is dead. ”
“And von believe Waliis is Robert
Cnoger under au assumed name”. If so,
we are undone, we are undone. And the
woman stood with clasped hands looking
:he very picture of despair.
"You remember it was a likeness to
Tbornrift that startled me?"
“Yes.”
“Well, of course, it is nowise certain that
Rob Ranger would tesemble his uncle, bu!
it was said that old Thornrift and his dead
si *er were counterparts, and it might b
that Robert would resemble hi3 mother’s
brother; but of late I have come to another
conclusion.”
“Well?”
“If this Wallis Wager is Ranger, he cer
tainly would have no desire to rid the worid
of his uncle's friend whom we buried to
iay.
“Reasoning in this way I have arrived nt
tho conclusion that Wallis Wager is a
e.' ver young villain who, gaining the con
fidence of old Wandel, learned from him
tho who’e story of the past, and that Iva is
an heiress, has plotted to win a fortune.”
“But how about the resemblance?”
“A mere accidtnt that will help the young
scalawag in bis plans. He wdl bring Iva
to believe as ho does, proceed to crush us
with tko knowledge that he gained from
Wandel. and ”
“ Mercy—don't!”
“ I am only drawing a picture of what will
happen unless we nip it in the bud.”
It must be nipped then,” answered
Mrs. Swayne, with a show of firmness that
p eased the innkeeper.
“That's like your old self,” cried Swayne.
“I shall look to you to help to carry out the
plus I have formed since this letter came
iuto my hand. ”
“What are they?”
“First, the securing of Iva beyond chance
of escape. ”
“Yes?”
“She and Jerry must at once be united in
marriage—that makes us safe so far as the
fortune is concerned. After that Wallis
Wager must be followed, captured, and
hanged for the murder of Samuel Fre
don. That will he legitimate, since the
young scoundrel did perpetrate the mur
der. ”
“Ye. ”
“Thero was a detective at the house to
day, and he looked at the dead and heard
my story; he will be on the track of this
Wager, and between us ail I think it will
bo an easy matter to corral the fellow.”
“The little man who came on the stage
was a detective?”
“Yes.”
“What brought him to tho Silver Hills?’’
“I cannot tell you that. There’s enough
happening every day to draw man-trackers
to this country. We must secure Iva be
yond escape, and then I will turn my face
toward Silversand, where the assassin is in
hiding.”
“This seems all right,” returned Susan
Swayne musingly; “but I am afraid wo have
aot seen the worst of our troubles. Iva
won’t agree to any arrangement such as you
have planned. She’s an obstinate girl and
will make trouble.”
Til work her,” growled the innkeeper,
Like many others, however, these people
were counting chickens too soon.
It so happened that this worthy couple
had a listener, one who was likely to profit
by what she heard.
Iva had missed her letter, and was hurry
ing from her room to look for it when she
heard tho murmur of voices coming from
her aunt’s room. Having her suspicions
fully aroused, the girl did not hesitate to
listen at the door, and eagerly she drank in
the words uttered by the two plotters—
words that revealed her aunt and uncle in
their true light, and caused her to feel
loathing where once she had tried to feel
respect—love had ever been out of the
question.
“They have my letter, and they would
compel mo to wed Sour Jerry. I will not
be a tool or plaything in their hands, ” mur
mured Iva, her cheeks flushing, her bosom
heaving with the excess of indignant emo
tion.
One moment she was ready to burst in
on the innkeeper and his wife and demand
Ihe letter, but second thou.ht counseled
prudence, and the irl did not risk ruining
all by such a course.
Instead, she stole from tho door and
passed oat into tjie sunshine. She passed
down toward a clump of trees that grew
but a little distance from Bog Tavern. In
the shadow of the trees she found a seat,
and there counseled with her own heart as
to the best method of procedure. She had
teamed enough within the past four-and
twenty hours to satisfy her that the people
with whom she had passed all the remem
ber. and years of her existence were bad,
wicked persons, and perhapi in no way
related to her. Was it her duty, then, to
remain and suffer at the bauds of these
people?
“Never!”
Iva uttered the one word aloud, and
start and to her feet with clenched hands and
heaving bosom.
“Iva, why this emotion?”
The girl started as though stung by a ser
pent. A shadow had fallen athwart the nar
row strip of sunshine at her feet, and she
turned to look into the face of Jerry
Swayne.
Iva met his look with a scornful gleam of
the eye, and turned on her heel to depart.
His hand fell on her shoulder, however, and
detained her.
“Not yet, my pretty,” he growled in the
tone of an injured tiger: “I wish a little
talk ’long of you, miss.”
Iva sank under the touch of his hand,
and was once more seated. She did rot
fear him, but her dislike was fast assuru
i-ej 3 d
fellow who called himself her cousin.
“Well?" she uttered, and this was the
only comment she made, waiting with
drooping eyelids for the man t-o speak.
“I want to talk to you on a most imj err
ant subject,” said Jerry, in as gentle a tone
as he was capable of assuming.
He paused. As Iva said nothing he
went on.
“ You know what dad's calkeriated on ever
sense vou'n me was bov and gal together.
Iva?”
This was treading on forbidden ground,
rod Iva felt her heart beating rapidly, while
her cheeks showed rising color. She
crushed down the angry sensation with an
effort, and forced herself to listen.
“I’ve been thi kin’ it s about time vou’n
me hitched teams. Iva, or, more properly
speaking, got married. What do yon think
about it, pretty?”
“Yon know what I think about it, sir. ”
“Eh?”
“I would sooner many a Chinaman than
yon, Jerry Swayne. Weh -ve nothing in
common, and lam vet a child. When I
marry. if I ever do, I hope to secure a man"
Now the aroused girl spoke in a manner
that was far from prudent. i-ih? had not
yet learned the art of self-ccntrol. in fact
she Led never attempted the learning, and
her blunt expression of h.r thoughts
roused ihe ire o’ the sour son of ihe
tavern-keeper.
See here, I won’t stand no nonsense, no
fooling about this, h grated, with a flash
of wrath in his somber eves. “Iva set mv
h<--art on makin’ you Mr=. Swayne. Jr., and
I mean to do it, no matrer what you say or
think. Dad alius said it, and he" ’
He is an old nuisance,” comp eted Iva,
angered at the presumption of the man, at
the same time she came to her feet .and
attempted to leave the- spot His hand de
tained her, however, and a sullen rage
blazed in his eyes as he growled at h-i
with:
“Aou she cat' I’ll tame you before you’re
ten days older, or know tlie reason why. ’
Jerry Swayne was not a diplomat, and he
could no hide his fe-e'ings than con’d
Iva The girl saw the evil in his nature
blazing in his eyes, and she was, in conse
quence, all the more decided in h.-r and s
like.
"Release me-, sir,” Iva demanded, as the
thick fingers of the innkeeper’s cn im
bedded themselves in her arm.
"No, I wont,” and he shook her furiously,
and emitted from between his grating teeth
an imprecation.
“Teen I’ll make you.”
She bent her dark face, and, with tli6
sud ieuness of lightning, set two rows of
pearly teeth deep iuto the fleshy part of the
man’s thumb.
With a mad cry of pain Jerry jerked h's
hand aWay, tho bio and starting from th?
wound and trickling down into his palm.
With a defiant cry Iva broke from the
spot, and sped with tho swiftness of a
frightened fawn from the woods.
Jerry Swayne gazed after her w: ih a hide
ous expression of countenance. He watched
her as she bounded swift'y up the incline,
and. und.r different circumstances, could
uot have but admired tho graceful move
ments of the willowy figure. Now, how
ever. be was beside liimself with pain and
r.ige.
“Go, you little wretch!” ho hissed, shak
ing his bleeding hand at the fleeing girl.
“I’ll make you shed tears of blood for this:
yes I triii."
Tho look that accompanied the wolds
was blood-curd ir.g,
Once more Iva made her way to her room:
h r re she at once went to work packing a
bundle of -u table clothing and a few
trinkets that she cared to preserve,
The voice of her stunt co.u-ed her to hide
her work, and then she went about her
household duties as though nothing had
happened out of the ordinary run of events.
The east-bound stage came and went,
and night shadows once more whelmed the
earth.
“I will ride over to Silversand to-night,”
said the innkeeper to his wife late in the
evening.
“What is this for?”
“I wish to see how affairs look in that
quarter,” returned Swayne. “I will leave
you and Jerry to look after affairs here until
I return."
Susan Swayne made no comment, She
always obeyed her husband, and, like a
i dutiful wife, believed that what he advised
| was for the best always.
Au astoui hment was in store for the inn
j keeper.
As he stepped into the road, lantern in
j hand, tho sound of hoofs in swift move
j ment fell upon his c-ar. He held his lantern
j aloof just as a milk-white horse swept down
I the road toward the west.
Tho glimpse of a face, tho flirt of a dross,
I and then horse and rider were lost in tho
! distance.
For some moments Lucius .Swayne stood
staring after the horse and rider.
“My gracious! that animal looks ever so
much like Flirt, the little white mare,”
ejaculated Swayne finally.
Thought of horse-tliieves hastened his
steps to the stab’e. Soo nhe stood looking
Into Flirt’s stall.
His worst fears were realized.
The white mare was gone!
Flirt, the little white mare, was the pride
ef the Bog Tavern stable.
At once the innkeeper rushed back to
the house to communicate the news to wife
rnd son.
“The white mare gone?” cried Jerry in
astonishment. Then he rushed to tho
stable to satisfy himself.
Lucius Swayne li id seen a face that veg-a
aot unfamiliar to him wh.aa the horse aucT
rider went by. After c mmunicating the
lews to wife aud son ho sought Iva.
He did not find her.
She was not in her room, aud had not re
tired, since the bed was undisturbed. At
incs the tavern-keeper jumped at a con
clusion—it iras Ivaon the white mare.
He understood the situation now. The
girl had gone to join the maa who had
written the letter—Wallis Wager.
“By heaven! she shall not succeed. I will
ivertake her beforo she goes far,” and
Lucius Swayne rushed out to the stable
once more.
[To be Contmued.l
When to Shoot.
There was a Greenfield farmer in the
city yesterday to find out just when the
statutes would justify him in shooting
at a tramp. Said he :
“I went to the barn the other morn
ing to take care of the stock, and three
big tramps came down off the hay-mow,
held me up for §3 and kicked me before
they walked off because I didn’t have
more. I got my shotgun, but on reflec
tion I didn’t shoot.”
“ 1 see.”
“ The other night a big tramp walked
in on us and demanded food and a bed.
I got down my gun, but as I didn’t
know the law I didn't shoot.”
“Yes.”
“T’other day my wife was coming
from a neighbor’s and a tramp met her
and kissed her smack on the mouth. I
beard her yell and got down my gun,
but I didn’t remember the statute be
fore he got away. Xow, then, there
ought to be a line drawn somewhere.”
“ Yes, there is ”
“ YVhen caul legally pepper a pro
fessional tramp with bird-shot?”
“'d ell, if you order him off your farm
and he won t go and you fear an assault
aim at his legs and pull the trigger.”
“ And the law’ will buck me;”
“Y'es ”
“Gosh ail fish hooks! but what a fool
Ive been! V*hv, I was licked regularly
every two weeks all summer on my own
farm by tramps, and every one of them
got away with a hull hide! That’s the
law, ch? Theu here gees fur a dollar’s
wuth of powder and shot!’ Bet: o t
Free Press.
Amateur Theatrical?.
The man or woman who once suc
cumbs to the appetite for amateur the
atricals becomes a menace to society.
The bite of the tarantula, which forces
the victim to dance madly until death
stops his agitated legs, is not so terrible
as the virus of amateur theatricals, which
forces the wretched stage struck person
to spout and strut and imitate stave
actions until he finds himself in the
divorce court or lunatic asylum. It is
an easy step from “recitations” to the
amateur stage and then onward The
young woman who recites inevitably
becomes stage struck, and in the end
may be found prowling about the house
at night with a candle" in her hand as
Lady Macbeth, to the terror of the
household. The young man who spouts
“Hamiet- is almost nlwavs lured awav
to sot*? quiet spot and gently murdered
by the neighbors. All sc outers Iccome
pestilential sooner or later: vet the un
happy ending of their career does not
deter others from following in their
footsteps. Chairs of elocution in the
schools should be prohibited on the
same theory that saloons are prohibited
in Maine.
f ROMAN'S WORLD.
VS ANT LITERATURE FOR
FEMININE READERS.
A New Portia.
Portia, who defended, how-
not her lover, but h r own father,
Us appeared at Montpelier. A farmer
lijpftg near that town had been tried and
condemned for breach of tr :st. lie made
an appeal, which was granted, and on
the day a pointed for its hearing he
walked into court accompanied by his
daughter, a tall, go >d-l oking, and in
telligent young woman about 2t> years
the surprise of the Judges the
young woman opened her father’s eas: in
a .masterly manner, argued the defence
with the skill of a practical lawyer, and
finally gained for her client a verdict of
acquittal. The improvised legal prac
titioner in petticoats then" walked
triumphantly out of co rt, hanging on
theoarm of the venerable agriculturist,
her father. —London Uk>bt.
Fire-Proof Dresses.
This is how to make your dress file
proof. Chemicals galore have been used
from time to time to reader fabrics in
i !*le. but one of the most effica
cious ami least expensive is tungstate of
soda, which may be most conveniently
applied by mixing it with th ■ starch for
dressing. Add one part of the tungstate
to three parts of good dry starch, and
u c e the starch in t...u t rdinary wav. For
fabri.s which do not require starching
dissolve one pound of tungstate of soda
in two gallons of water, weil saturate the
fabric in the solution, and let it dry. It
will not change the mo t delicate colors
nor affect tne quality of the fabric in any
way, and ironing will not in the least in
terfere with the efficacy of the p ocess.
Muslins or silks si treated may be held
in the : anie of a candle or gas without
catching fire, so that, although the por
tion in contact with the flame by con
tinuance may be charred or ' even
destroyed, there is no danger of spread
ing the'eombustion.
Another Occupation for Women.
Still another occupation suggested it
self to a young person by the fact that
often when the lamps of a house were
trimmed by the maid they s . oked or
otherwise misbehaved, but when one of
the Indie; of the house attended to them
their flattie was clear aud bright, and still
more by the fact that often their care was
the last part of the day’s work, and then
the late trimming endangered the house.
Since lamps have become fashionable,
and so often replace gas with their steady
light, the matter of their trimming ac
quired some weight ; and thinking the
matter over, our young person decided
to offer her services in the sole matter of
lamp trimming, and now, armed with her
implements, she goes from house to house
cleaning and tilling the lamp*, straining
the old oil, and setting it aside for furni
ture polish when too thick for burning
well, attending to wicks, rubbing up
burners, and cleaning chimneys, leaving
everything about th m in desirable trim
for tho night, and then going on to the
next, willing to do the work with scien
tific neatness for the sake cf a small
weekly stipend, in view of the number
of stipends, so many housekeepers having
shown themselves delighted to have
lamps that burn ikks those of the wise
f id of all the soiling
not^oeguT
courtship until their relatives have
haggled and bargained, and settled all
the preliminaries. Then the young man
is introduced to the young woman, and
they are told to fall in love with each
other.
The following story, told by an Eng
lish lady manned to an Italian noble
man, was narrated to her by a mother
who hud several marriageable daugh
ters.
An elderly suitor, Signor D—, called
upon her one ciav to consult about woo
ing her daughters, for though he intend
ed to marry only one, liis suit was
addre sed to them all.
“I am constrained by circumstances
to take a wife, ” he began.
“I am sorry to hear, sign u', that you
are constrained to take such a step; but,
though it is against your will, I have no
doubt you can find a suitable person,’
answered the mother, not seeing at what
he was driving.
“Your family are all so well brought
up, signora; the young ladies are so verv
charming; and b ing constrained by
circum tances to take a wife”—
“Constrained!”exclaimed the mother,
indignantly, now discerning his mean
ing
“I do not mean, sig ora, that it
would be any hard hip; on the contrary,
if one of your charming young ladies
would look favorably upon me”—
“But which, signor—to which do you
allude?”
“Whichever you bke, signora. lam
indilferent on that point, and will leave
the choice to you, feeiing convinced
that I should be perfectly happy with
anyone of your dau._ht.-rs.” — Youth's
Companion.
The Smart Girl.
There was once a tailor who had a
beautiful daughter; all the young men
from far and near came to visit her be
cause of her beauty. Two rivals sought
her one day, and aid:
“It is on your account that we have
come hither.”
“ h hat do you want of ma?” she re
plied, smiling.
“YYe love you,” returned the two
young men. “and each o us wishes to
marry you.”
The maiden, being well brought up,
called her father, who listened to the
two lovers, and then said:
“It is late. g > home now, but come
again tomorrow: aud you shall then
know which of you may have my
daughter.”
At daybreak the next morning, the
two young men returned. “Here we
are. th y cried to the tailor: “remem
ber what y a pro vised yesterday.”
“AA ait a little,’ he replied; “I am go
ing to town to buy a piece of cloth: when
I return home with it, you shall leern
what I e pc-ct from it.”
AA hen the tailor relume ! from town,
he called his daughter, and on h r -r ap
pearance, he .-aid to the young men:
“My children, theic are two of you,
and I have but ooe da _hter. To whom
shall I give her; AVliom must I refuse?
Behold this piece- of cloth; I will cut
from it two suds of clothes exactly
alike: each one of you must sew one of
them: he who tini-h.-s his task first shall
have my daughter.'
La h ofth: rivals took his task, an l
prepared to set about it: the father
called his daughter, and said to her:
“. ere is the thread make it ready for
the two workers.”
The maiden obeyed h r father, and
taking the bind e u. thread, seated her
self near the young men.
But she was as clever as she was beau
tiful; though her father did not know
which of the two she loved, nor the
young men themselves, she knew well
enough. The tailor went away, th*
maiden prepared the thread, the young
men took their needles and b gan to
I sew. To the one she' loved the beauty
gave short needlefuls, but to the other
she did not love she gave long needle
fuls. They sewed and sewed, in eager
haste - at il o'clock the work w.is uot
half done, but at 3 the young man who
had short needlefuls had completed his
task, while the other had yet much to do.
When the tailor returned the con
queror brought to him the completed
suit, while his rival -till sat sewing.
“My children," said the father, “i did
not wish to favo - oue m re than an
other. that was why I divided the cloth
into two equal parts, and told you: Tie
who finishes his task lirst shall have my
daughter.' Rid you understand me?”
“r ather,”replied the two young men,
••we understood you. and accepted the
test; what must be, must.”
The tailor had reasoned thU3: “He
who finishes first will ! e the most skill
ful wo kman. and consequently better
able to support a wife,” but he never
imagined that his daughter would give
long needlefuls to the man she did not
wish to marry. Cleverness carried the
dav, and the maiden really chose her
own husband. tyring.if’d Republican.
Fashion Notes.
S : lver is much used as a decoration foi
evening dro-ses.
Bisque color with any of the new
shades of green is very stylish.
Lower skirts of plaid velvet and plain
plush have met with much favor.
Thr bustle does not diminish in size,
as was predicted, but is worn larger than
ever.
Fine mull tics with a filling of point
d’esprit la e make becoming neck
wear.
Hoods and cap bonnets of jersey cloth
for little girls are comfortable and pic
turesque.
Black tulle, although stylish, is less so
than last year, but with silver it has very
stylish effects.
Small plaids and tartans in dark rich
coloring seem still to be the favorite
styles for little girls.
A long drapery of soft silk is worn as
trimming and overdress with cashmere
costumes for the house.
Mauve, so long a neglected color, is
once more fashionable. It is especially
favored for house toilets.
An English oddity is tho use of jet
passementerie on cloth costumes, particu
larly those of a green color.
Boas should be tied on the side and
front o er one shoulder.. A bow of
ribbon makes the prettiest fastening.
Bead work is b coming a popular
kind of fancy work, but t > be correct
it should be done with care and taste.
Plain velvet skirts in the new shade of
plomb, with draperies of vigogne of tho
same shade, are much favored lor street
wear.
The best and most economical black
silk is a fine twilled texture. It will not
pull in the waist seams, and gives a pret
ty lustre.
What are known as Swiss belts are
generally worn by young ladies with full
blouse waists, a style very becoming to
slender figures.
Double finished cloths with a dark
color on the outside and a bright one for
the lining make very stylish wraps and
clo >ks for children.
erases the hoods whichia-e worn
"TWfrrne long Russian redingote arc made
separate from the wrap, and maybe worn
or not, as may be desired.
1 oft gray camel’s hair is a favorite ma
terial for diessy house wear, and striped
wool in gay col rs, or velvet or plush,
are generally chosen as accessories.
Plaited colored satin is sometimes
worn iu dress bodies, in place of collars
and cuffs of linen. Only an edge is
shown, and the pleating is very close.
Black and white are fashionable com
bined in some dressy h its and bonnets.
The white is usually in the form o' feath
ers, ribbon or lace; the black in velvet,
plush, lace and jet.
It is the fancy of the hour that nothing
should be worn about the throat in the
evening. Sometimes a string of pearls or
jeweled necklet may be seen, but it is
quite the exception, the neck as a rule
being unadorned.
1 utire costum s of white or black lace,
over satin slips of pa'c oi gay colors, are
as fashionable as ever. Some of the new
designs in Bouncings and net3 are ex
quisite, and lace will no doubt retain its
popularity for a long time to come.
Roods, either pointed or round, are
tho invariable accompaniment of the
newest English cloth jackets. They are
lined with plush or satin of a darker rather
than a contrasting shade, although an
exception is made in the case of the lin
ing being of striped satin.
A Cure for Consumption.
A novel method of treating patients
suffering from phthisis is described in
the Medical It: or '. It was devised by
a French physician, Dr. Bergeon, of
Lyons, who has been applying it for two
years to cases of chronic pulmonary and
throat di-ease. The results are said to
be remarkable. In acute general
phthisis there has been an arrest of the
progress of the disease and a cure in a
lew months. In advanced consumption
marked improvement ot symptoms is
rapidly secured, night-sweats ceasing
and tne cough becoming less hai
rasiing. Two hundred cases have been
treated with singular success by Dr. Ber
geon in Lyons, where the climate is un
favorable for consumptives. His method
has been introduced in the hospitals
there and in Paris, and the medical au
thorities are favorably impressed with it.
Tne treatment cous'sts of daily in
jections by enema of medicated gases.
Carbonic acid gas when introduced into
the system bv this method is found to be
harmless and painle-s. sulphuretted hy
drogen is mingled with ir, the entire
structure of the lungs is permeated by
the medicated gas and remarkable
curative effects are observed, dhe car
bonic acid gas is practically inert when
taken up by the veins of the intestines,
but the sulphurous gas reaches every
particle of diseased tbsu in tire lungs
and throat, and is eliminated from the
system in the process of expiration. The
volume of gas used is very large. At the
outset a single litre is introduced, but
the quantity is rapidly increased to
ten or twelve litres for each in ection.
The results of this new system of
treating consumj t on are so well vou hed
for that we commend the subject to the
critical examination of melical circles
in this country. Consumption is the
chief scourge of the Atlantic seaboard.
Any departure in therapeutics so radical
as this French method deserves to be
thoroughly invesi gated and adequately
tested n American hospitals. Dr. Ber
geon is not a sciolist, but a reputable
physician of large practice an l good
standing. If hi- method be as effective
and successful as he asserts, it merits
general attention from the profession in
the United States.— New York Tribune.
BUDGET OF FUN.
HUMOROUS SKETCHES FROM
VARIOUS SOURCES.
l*u 11 in £ His* Talents to Use—He
Wasn’t Reassured —NoSigns of
Sweetness —He Had For
gotten Something, Ete.
“Well, you do paint beautiful, beau
tiful,” said old Mrs. Greengrass to young
Chlomindy, the artist, who is staying at
her house while on a sketching tour.
“Thanks, madam; thanks, - ’ says the
grateful Chlomindy.
“Well, you do. I don - know but I'll
have you paint up our farm wagon while
you're here and let it go on your board.
1 b'leeve you could do it first rate. We’d
want something real fancy; red and yel
ler an’—
Chlomindy had fled. —Detroit Free
Press.
He Wasn't Reassured.
“Will you always love me, George,
even after we have been wedded many
years?”
‘Of course I will. And will you watch
over me and look after me in time-* of
illness—will you still be my guardian
augel?”
“Why, of course, you silly boy. I will
watch over your goings out aud comings
in every day, and if I can't look after
you enough I'll call ou dear mamma to
help me.”
The engagement is now off. —Merchant
Traveler.
No Sign of Sweetness.
“There is a young man in the parlor
wishes to see you, mis*,” remarked the
hall door attendant at a down-town resi
dence.
“Did ho bring anything with him—
any box or parcel?”
“Only a cane, miss.”
“Did his coat-tail rattle when he
walked, as if there was a package of
candy iu the pocket? - ’
“Nothing o; the sort, miss.”
“Then tell him I've gone to visit a
sick friend and won't bo home for a
week,” replied the fair girl, falling back
into a horizontal position, and resuming
her perusal of “Truth Stranger than
fiction; or, The Liar Unmasked.”—
Clinton Bugle.
He had Forgotten Something.
A man sat suddenly down ou Wood
ward avenue yesterday. lie didn’t
mean to sit down; he didn’t want to sit
down, but he sat down all the same. A
man who was sweeping a doorway near
by strol ed over, broom in hand.
“Did you fall down?”
“Ded gast it, no; of course I didn’t.
I’ve been hero ever since the Sieur de la
Mothe Cadillac first set footon the bank
of this river.”
A passer-by paused and said:
“1 m sorry 1 wasn’t here to catch you.
Why didn’t you wait till I came up?”
Another man, who carried a live
chicken by the legs, put in his contribu
tion :
Why didn’t you wear rubbers? If I
went round without anything over my
shoes I'd be on my back half the time. ’
Just then a maugy-looking individual
came out of Atwater street, and, after a
look at the fallen citizen, asked, with
great contempt:
“Why don’t the fool get up?”
“Just wait, my friend,” said the sub
ject of hii question, as he struggled to
his feet. “You have done me a great
serviced and I want to lhahk you. All
these other gentleman have asked me
questions and made suggestions, but you
are the first one to strike at the root of
my doubt. I’ve been sitting there for
more than a minute wondering what Id
forgotten, and you have reminded me of
it. The shock evidently confused my
ideas. Good day, gentlemen,” and he
resumed his journey with great dignity.
—Detroit Free Press.
Culinary Skill.
M. Le Blanc, if his story i.s accepted,
was once chief cook to a Parisian noble
man. Now he keeps a West Side board
ing house. For days before Christmas
he treated his guests to mouth-watering
descriptions of “ze tnagnitique dinna r
on ze Chriseraas da in La Belle France. - ’
A few days before Chri-tmas he became
very mysterious and intimated ’hat those
fortunate mortals who sat at his board
should also have a “magnifi juedinnair.”
Accordingly anticipations ran hi ,h.
The day at last arrived. His promises
were fulfilled. The table was spread
with an embarrassment of good things.
One dish was especially a favorite, and
that it was so seemed to give monsieur
great delight. It seemed a species of
game, was delicately flavored, but no one
knew exactly what it was.
“Oh, monsieur, do tell us what this
delicious meat is,” siid pretty Miss IL,
the star boarder, when the dish was de
molished.
“/at, madam, zat eis ze grand tri
ompli of ze art. Only ze I renchman
mek ze delicious deesli—zat ees ze—vat
you call ze owel—ze pet owel.”
“Owl!” exclaimed a chorus of voices,
and a dozen wry faces were made.
“Oh, monsieur, how could you have
the heart to kill the poor thing?'’ chirped
tho star boarder.
“It ees you zat mek ze cruel accusa
tione, madam. Ino keel him—he dio.”
Chicago News.
He Ate Soup.
Apropos of soup, an old veteran of the
New York press, George Canfield, used
to tell of a comical adventure which be
fell him in Paris. Georga had labored
long and industriously at the ship news
desk. He resided in the “Burg,” as
they used to call the eastern district of
Brooklyn, and had worked himself up
from the case, where he “set the ships,”
until he became editor-in chief if the
department. He knew enough of French
to glean the exchanges for French ves
sels and French marine ports and o’her
terms, but otherwise his knowledge of
the language was greatly restricted, ile
had saved a good deal of money, and
when, at iengrh, he was given a generous
holiday, he decided to spend it in Paris.
His first dinner in France was eaten at
one of the big hotels in the capital. His
wife was wit a him. They consulted the
bi 1 of fare, and George pointed with his
finger to the first rt in. The waiter
bowed, went off and soon returned with
a copious supply of soup for two. It
was palatable, and George did full jus
tice to it Consulting the bill of fare
once more, he pointed to the second
item, somewhat to the surprise of the
garcon. But he nodded his head em
phatically and ejaculated “our" two or
three times. The cbnqu red waiter
brought him two more plates of soup.
George had to preteui now that he was
very fond of soup, so he ate it with
g. eat relish, although it had a very filling
effe t. When it was all disposed of he
took up the ! ill, and firmly convinced
that he would surely strike something
solid by going down two or three items
on the list, h put his finger on the
fourth or fifth line and pantomimed his
desire to be served with what it repre
sented. The waiter gave a little start,
but rushed off to obey and b ought back
yet two more dishes of soup. Georgo ac
cepted his fate with a calm dignity. He
wasn’t going to let the waiter know that
he wasn't getting just what he wanted,
and he put himself outside the liquid
with a good deal of effort aud pretended
! gusto.
“Well, Jennie,” he said, as ho took up
the card once more “I think we havo
! had enough soup to get along without
| the roast. Suppose we skip down to the
dessert. ’
: Bound to make no mistake this time
ho pointed to the last item. The waiter
! looked surprised. But George insisted.
! The polite garcon surrendered again,
with a little shrug of the shoulders, and
brought the requ red article.
“And what do you thing it was;”
n-ked George, when he told the story.
“Blame me if it wasn’t a bunch of
tooth picks.” —Brooklyn Citizen.
Setting n Gey-or to Work.
A California letter to the St.
Globe-Democrat, says: I learned of a cu
rious circumstance while at the Upper
Geyser Basin iu the Yellowstone Valley,
which is not generally known to the
public, and which is unquestionably
true. Many of the geysers are inactive
others metcly bubble and steam without
erupting, while others again spout with
clock-like regularity. I held the watch
on Old Faithful again and again, but
this beautiful geyser, true to its name,
sent up a magnificent stream nearly 200
feet high e* ery fifty-five minutes. Not
onco was there a failure or the slightest
variation in the time. I saw it in the
moonlight, and no spectacle on earth
can compare with this sublime spec
tacle.
The Castle geyser also treated me to
a rare exhibit on, but I was informed by
the proprietor of tho hotel that the
“Splendid,” one of the finest geysers in
tho basin, and which once had a record
almo-t as good as Old Faithful, had com
pletely failed, and had lain dormant for
nearly six months. Is rolled over to
the Splendid and saw a man busily at
work dropping bars of soap into the
e rater.
“What in the world are you doing that
for?’’ I in piired, totally unable to re
strain my cilrio *ity.
“Just wait and see,” replied the
stranger.
Re kept steadily at work, dropping
bar after bar down the yellow-coated
throat, until the monster began to rum
ble and splutter, and finally behaved iu
a very boisterous manner. Eleven,
twelve, thirteen, and as the fourteenth
bar was swallowed up, away went the
Splendid 150 feet into the air, asmag
n fieent and as grand as I had ever seen
him.
“There,” exclaimed the experimental
stranger; “I reckon I've made as big a
discovery as cither of those scientific
cusses. Wiggins or Proctor, ever did iu
their lives.”
It was an odd way of setting geysers
to work, and no doubt strictly original
with the gentleman whom I saw try
ing it-
Skirmishing on Snow-Shoes.
Modern militarj* art in reducing pipe
clay and the lock-step to their true sub
ordinate degree of importance does not
scruple to borrow auxiliary appliances
for its soriour purposes from any quar
ter. Thus we find pigeons, which for
ages have been trained as message car
riers for amusement, now forming a part
of tho military establishments of such
nations as Great Britain, Germany, and
France, and to some degree of Italy,
Spain and Russia. Homing lofts train
these military messengers, whose u*cs in
carrying des atchcs L orn a beleaguere l
garrison or an expeditionary force in dis
tress can be imagined Again, we find
dogs trained in the barrack yards of some
German garrisons for the purpo-'c of ac
companying sentinels, re-enforcing their
watchfulness with superior senses. Bal
loons have long been rescued from mere
purposes of pleasure to perforin military
work in reconnoisance , and there is a
corp of aero ants in more than one Euro
pean service. In Austria, bicycles and
tricycles have been formally adopted in
tho military establishment, and during
the last practice manoeuvres scouts
mounted on them outrode cavalry. It
is not surprising, therefore, to find
ad led to this list of appliances the
snow-shoe, G’anadian m'iitia employing
it in skirmish drill on the snow.
The two purpose * for which the snow
shoe would seem particularly service
able are, first, that of scouting in win
ter, when it may he extremely desirablo
to push out reconnoisances toward au
emmy’seamp, not along the regular
roads which he himself may patrol, but
across the snow covered fields where he
susp cts no approach: and secondly, in
atta king hostile Indian **, who 'can
nearly always be better overcome at that
season than at any other. This last fact
is so well established that General Crook
in one of his annual reports refers to it
as the result of ai r,o*t uniform experi
ence. The Canadians have th ir Indian
fighting to do occasiona ly as well as our
own troops audit w uld not he surprising
to find the snow-shoe utilized in actual
frontier operations as well as for drill.
Cumbersome as it may look, it i.s re
markably light for wear or carrying.—
Ha rper V Week ly.
A Triumph of French Cookery.
Many wonderful stories have been told
about the perfection to which the culi
nary art has a tuir.ei among our neigh
bors across the channel, but the follow
ing, which we have every reason to be
lieve has never before appeared in
print, is worthy a place in the collection.
It was related to the writer by a gentle
man who had it Horn the lips of one of
the chief actors in the story.
During the Crimean war an English
officer high in rank a altered one quiet
afternoon to the French lines, and ac
cepted an invitation to dine with some
oracers of the allied army. T,e repast
consisted of several courses, each one in
the opinion of the English officer being
more tempting and delicious than the
last. On leaving he asked as a favor if
he might be informed of what dishes he
had partaken, and particularly the two
last ones.
The cook was sent for, and was cm
barrassed when told of the Englishman's
request. On being pressed he replied,
with some hesitation that the last two
dishes were compounded of fragments of
meat and poultry which had been dis
carded as offal by the English cook-*,and
which were collected day by day at the
rear of the English otticcrs' tents.—
English Paper.
Facts A out Frost.
Calculations made from tables pre
pared during last winter show that
ninety-nine men out of every hundred
reach out wildly toward the invisible
boundaries of atmospheric spa e, and be
have generally like beings bereft of rea
son when they feel the-pavement slip
ping from under them: whereas the
same number of women out of a possible
hundred, when placed in a like trying
position, come down gracefully, like a
pillow thrown from an attic, and smile
sweetly till they bave ari=en and dis
appeared around a corner. — Chicago
Tribune.