Newspaper Page Text
Sundown.
BY SHALER G. HILLYER, Jb.
Author of the Prize Story Marable Family in the
Savannah News.
(Copy right reserved.)
CHAPTER Y.
MIDNIGHT AT SUNDOWN.
The room that I was to occupy was on the first
fl >or, and diagonally across the hall from the
parlor. I noticed, after entering it, and I had
been left alone by the servant, a door one side
of the fire-place which, I supposed opened into
the yard; on examination, however, I found that
it opened into a sm 11 room, nsed probably in
former years, I thought, as I glanced around it,
as a conserv atorv. I did not enter this small
apartment, but closed its door immediately after
opening it.
The room that I was in was carpeted, and
otherwise comf irtably furnished. The furniture
was old, and like that in the parlor, was of costly
material, that spoke of better days. Ou the
mantel were a couple of antique vases filled
with sprigs of holly. Between the vases were
arranged several pieces of statuary, among which
I recognized the well-known bust of Henry Clay
The walls of the room were hang with paintings.
Among them were a couple of portraits that
had an ancient look about them. They were
lifesiz\ and were dressed in the fashion of a
hundred years ago. And then, close by these,
I noticed a smaller portrait. It had a look of
in terror at i‘s presence. Suddenly it too ceased,
followed immediately by a low, mocking, un
earthly langb. Looking towards the corner of
the room from whence this elfish langh pro
ceeded, I saw an apparition which would have
startled me had it not so quickly followed the
horrible noisi just described. It was the head
of a man that I saw, a bead that had on it a
skull cap, and whose fac9 was covered with a
long shaggy beard. As his mocking tones fell
upon my ear, my dread of the snake vanished,
or they revealed to me that the startling sound
had been produced by the strange looking be
ing gazing at me from a corner of the room.
Instinctively and with a quick motion, I raised
the band that was armed with the derringer. As
I did so the apparition vanished. My fi.-st
thought had beeD that the man wis within the
room, but on his disappearing I discovered that,
he had been looking at m«, I know not how
long, through a sma'l window in the apart
ment. As quickly as I could I went out, and
raD aronnd to that side of tho room in which
the window was, but could see no one. I made
some further search in tba‘ portion of the
premises. It. proving fruitless I returned to my
room taking the precaution to secure, as well as
'I did not expect to see yon at the breakfast
table; we have mot just as I expected we would.
You will have many difficulties Miss Kite; they,
will arise every day, almost every hour, but you
will be equal to them all. I am sure you will.
Now tell me where you found Dandie this morn
ing T
‘Confined in an out-house, which is sometimes
looked at night, but more often left open. But
why do you ask ?'
I then told to her briefly, as I had to her moth
er and brother, the events of the past night.
When I concluded, I drew from my vest pocket
the derringer already spoken of, and from my
valise a small box of cartridges:
‘Mss Kite,’I said, ex'ending them towards
her, ‘take this pivtol. You must carry it with
you wherever yon go. Mike a little holster for
it in your belt, where it will be ready to your
hand, and, what is better whc-r i it can be seen.
U ;e half of these cartridges, within the next few
days, in learning how to shoot it. I doubt not
you will soon handle it with ease, and be able to
protect yourself, if necessary. Keep also your
faithful Dandie by yon at all times, and be care
ful that he is not again locked up at night.’
Her face revealed that she was both surprised
I could, both the outer and inner doors of the 1 and perplexed by my act and accompanying ad
conservatory.
I went back to bed, but it was a long time
before I could go to sleep. Oace, just after I
had lain dowD, I thought I heard the wheezing
cough of the croupy dog at the store; and I still
heard, at intervals, the whining, and growling,
and scratching of that other dog in the yard,
but the sounds gradually ceased, until I heard
them no more. Then followed a s illness that
was oppressive. I would close my eyes, and
resolutely endeavor to banish thought, but all
my wooings of slumber were vain. My thoughts
would recur to the ocourrances of the night, to
The moon was shining across my couch, and
on the opposite wall presently it illuminated the
picture of the child hanging there. It wis
some relief from my glofemy thoughts to turn
my eyes upon that fresh young face, and try to
trace its fair lineaments, and to catch the light
of its almost loving eyes. While gazing upon
it I recalled with pleasure the appearance of its
original, when she came so opportunely to my
as-istanoe the evening before. I saw heragainas
she sat opposite to me in the parlor, when, look
ing into earnest eyes, I saw a new light
picture of Kate Goldie, doDe when she was only
four or five years of ege. The fair face of the
child with its sunny ringlets, and innocent
brown eyes, was the last thing I saw ere I closed
my eyes in sleep that night.
But if I dreamed of the picture, or of its
original, or of anything else, I have forgotten it.
I suppose I bad been asleep about two hours
when I was awakened, as I thought, by some
noise in the room. I raised myself on my elbow
and looked around through the apartment, dimly
lighted by the moon just rising; at the same
time listening intently. I could see nothing to j into them, the light of a high r<rs lve. ‘And then
excite alarm but while listening with strained , I beard again the plaintive melody of her voice
attention, 1 heard as if from a great distance, ' as she sang to me; and listening to it my excited
the wheezing cough of a dog. I could also hear j nerves became calm, and I could rest at last,
a sound which came apparently from the yard; But just then turning my now languid eyes
it was the alternate whining and growling of from the picture to tho door of the conservatory,
another dog. Asiund like the scratching of T -
his paws against a door, which acc ompanied the
whining and growling, made me think that he
was confined s'mewhere in the ja-d.
While listening to these stands, I was able to
identify the first as the same made by the white,
shaggy dog I had pass'd at the store; the second
I supposed to mad< by the grey-hound Dandie,
but under what circumstances I could not then
conjecture, exccept that he was confined. There
then come a moment when neither the distant
cough of the one, nor the whiningand growling
of the other, was beard. In that moment I was
startled to hear what I at once recogniz d as the
breathing of a human being. It was so distinct
and close at hand that I was sure some one was
in the room. I kept still, considering what to
do, and trying, but vainly, to locate the intruder.
I felt convinced that th9 person in the room was
aware of my knowledge of his presence, and
was walchiDg me. I noticed now—it had escaped
my notice when first awakened—that the door
of the little room stood open; I was sure that it
was closed when I went to bed, I lay listening,
to the irregular breathing of my skulking visitor
until I grew nervous. I had removed my pislol
from the pocket of my vest to my valise, which
sat on the ii >or on one s : de of the fire-place. It
was unlocked, and on opening it, the pistol
would be within my grasp. Having become
nervous, as 1 said, listening to the suppressed
respirations of the man concealed in my apart
ment, I concluded I would feel easier if the
derringer were transfered from the valise to my
hand.
With a quick movement I threw off the cover
ing, leaped from the bed, and sprang towards
my valise. I had hardly touched the floor, how
ever, when I was siez-d about the ankles by two
strong arms, my feet were suddenly lifted high
into the air, and I was thrown headlong upon
the floor. I was so stunned by the fa’l that I
conld not rise immediately. When I did regain
my feet, my assailant had made good his escape.
I proceeded at once to light a candle, that I
might ascertain what my untimely visitor had
been about.
From the voices which I now heard in another
part of the house, I was aware that the noise
occasioned by my fall had awakened the family.
I did not wish the ladies to be alarmed, so, when
a servant came from them to inquire what the
matter was, I sent them word that I had had a
•*11, the circumstances of which 1 would narrate
them in the morning. On the servants retiring,
I bal proceeded at once to inspect the room.
I found my papers for collection scattered
over the table aDd floor. Without st pping to
see if any of them were missing, I looked for
my watch, which I had left in the pocket of my
vest. It was not there. It was a gold watch,
which had once belonged to my mother, but
which, in her life time, she had given to me. I
prized it highly, in fact would not have parted
with it for many times its value in money; I was
therefore, deeply chagrined at the discovery of
its loss. I then descried my pocket book lying
open on the floor. Picking it up I found it
rifl -d of its contents. Fortunately I had made
no collections, so my loss in money was slight,
not more than fiflem dollars.
Having ascertained this much, I proceeded to
I was startled, so startled that I could not
move, to see the frightful dwarf that had robbed
me, and then had the effrontery to gaz» at me
through the window. I lay still -because I
could not do otherwise—ar.d watched him. He
advanced straight towards the picture of the
child, and as he went, a low buzzing, biasing
nois i proceeded from his mouth, that sent a
sudden cold sensation darting and twisting
through every fibre of my body. On coming
beneath the picture he tried to grasp it with his
big, rough hands. Not being able to reach it he
placed a chair beneath it on which he mounted,
and was j ist about to seize it with his defacing
hands, when, with a great effort, I broke the
strange power which had bound me, andstirted
up.
As I did so the vision vanished. The picture
was undisturbed, there was no chair beneath it,
and the door of the little room was closed. I
knew then, much to my relief that I had been
sleeping, and had been thns rudely awakened
by a dream. I settled back upon my pillow,
a.nd,sqon (ell. into a deep, .untroubled i- in mb e_r.
CHAPTER VI.
Sunhise at Sundown
Wh r n I awoke the next morning, the light of
the rising sun was streaming through the part
ly opened blinds of the window across my bed,
Without loss of time I arose, fiat I might put
my kind hostess to no inconvenience by delay
ing breakfast. Ordinarily, I felt sure there
would have been no need to have hurried my
toilet, but I had some reason for supposing that
on that morning breakfast would be ready earl
ier than it had been in a long time before. The
resnlt proved that I had not hurried myself need
lessly, for I w .3 no sooner dressed than I was
summoned to the breakfast table.
Here I found Mrs. Goldie and George; Kite
I was informed, had gone off some time before
on horseback, and had not yet returned.
During the meal 1 recounted to Mrs. Goldie
and her son the events of the preceding night.
Mrs. Goldie showed not only surprise, but alurm
on heaving these details, George wondered
where Dandie was, to whom, it seemed, they
trusted much iD guarding the place. Then,
when I told of the grow’ing, whining and
scratching noises I had heard, and which ap
peared to be made by some dog near at hand,
G <orge was swore that Dandie had been shut up
in an outhouse, one in which he often slept at
night, and that he, being aware of the presence
of a stranger on the pr mists, had, by these
noises, shown his desire to be released.
‘But how was it that he was thus confined ?’ I
asked.
‘That has happened quite frequently,’ George
answered; ‘there are articles kept in the house
of some value, and it ought to be locked up ev
ery night, I suppose, but it is not—only when
some one passes by and thinks of it.’
This point being thus explained, we next dis
cussed the identity of the bold intruder. But
here we were wholly at s^a. No person such as
I described either lived in the neighborhood, or
had been seen in it, a 5 far as my auditors knew.
I began to realize the fact, and with not very
complacent feelings, that the robbery had been
successfully executed, and that I must face, with
vice, nevertheless she took the pistol, quietly
saying as she did so:
‘I will try to do as you say. ’
•You have just entered,’ Miss Kite,’ I contin
ued, taking her hand preparatory to saying good
bye, ‘into a road that is new to you; as I have
said before, it is besit with many difficulties,
and some dangers, but it leads to independence!
G md-bye.’
She spoke only the word good-bye, but her
earnest eyes as they looked into mine, and the
heightened color in her cheeks, said more They
expressed the thanks—though I was not con
scious of deserving any—that her lips did not
speak; they showed too, that the enthusiasm of
her nature had been aroused. Assured of this
I could not but hope for the best, for the aim of
the enthusiast is al ways possible.
A half hour later, I was sitting in my buggy
in front of Archie Yocum’s house, patiently
waiting the arrival of that individual, who ha-)
been 6 nt for from the fi Id. Presently I saw
him approaching He came on witn has’e, and
with a puzzled look in his honest face, so sel
dom was it that he was thus called from his
work. His clothes were of course material, and
cut without any regard to fasniou; his features,
too, were homely, but were those of an honest
man. I noticed, when he came near, that he
was cross-eyed.
I got out of the bnggy to meet him, and intro
duce myself. Then, first declining his inviti-
tion to enter the house, I proceeded to make
known the obj c‘ of mv visit. This I did in a
straightforward manner, as if I knew myself to
be talking to a friend of the G >ldie family. I
spoke unreservedly of Mrs. Goldie's condition,
of the urgent necessity for some one to look af
ter her farming interest, who would watch it
closely and thoughtfully, and that Miss Kite
had undertaken to do this.
‘And now, Mr. Yocum,’ I said in conclusion,
‘this is really a great undertaking for the young
lady. Her neighbors will pronounce it unwise,
and predict that she will abandon it in a week.
But I know her better; she will persevere in it.
And knowing the difficulties that she must con
tend with, and how often she will be puzzled to
know what to do, because she is wholly ignor
ant of the work, I thought I would ride over and
ask you, in whom she has great confidenoe, to
help h-r by your advice, whenever the opportu
nity occurs.’
‘Why, bless me! sir, but wont I be the glad
dest in the world to do it; not that I think my
advice worth much,’ he answered, in an out
spoken, cheery way, looking me straight in the
face with one ^ :_'shile the other seemed in
tently fixed on ini tieaooTmy horse' A id 111*
not wait for her td come to me first, but I’ll ride
over there this very day—if ye think it bast now
—just to see what she is about.’
•It will be well,’ I answered. ‘It will make
her feel easier to know that she has a friend near
at hand, to whom she can go in an emergency.
She is a fine rider; and, hereafter, when she is
puzzled about anything, it will take but a few
minutes to look you up.’
‘Jus’so! he answered, ‘and I'm sure I'll be
proud to help in aay wa: I can, Mis; Katie, who
is the bonniest lass in all this country, sir. But
as for friends near at hand—why, she will not
lack for them. Tliere is one, living some near
er to her than I do, brother Swetwell
Confound Brother Sw6twell!’ I exclaimed,
looking into the open face of old Archie Yocum,
and listening to his homely but sincere speech,
I gladly recognized the spirit of Him who taught
his followers to defraud no man. And I could
not but reflect how little cause he had to envy
the glib tongue of his false brother, which could
so accurately imitate the forms and fervency of
devotion. I am grieved at all times, to look up
on a hypocrite, for of such a one there is no
hope. In this case I rejoiced, not that Swet-
well was a hypocrite, but that I knew what he
was After a moment's silence, in which I in
dulged some such reflections as these, I siid:
‘The truth is, Mr. Y ocum, ‘Miss Kate is deter
mined to have no other counsellor in farm ma
ters than yourself. She ha; confidence in your
judgment. You know what to plant, when to
plant it, and how to cultivate it. You know, too,
which lands should lie fallow, which should be
reclaimed, and how reclaimed. You know how
fences are to be repaired, and where they should
run. It is about such matters as these that she
will need your advice, and I know thatyou will
cheerfully give it.’
He answered me in his own cheery, out-spok
en way that nothing would give him more pleas
ure. After which, bidding him goo 1-bye, I
turned my horse’s head in the direction of Sun
down, for I had business with the qnaint-look-
ing proprietor of its single mercantile establish
ment.
(TO BE CONTINUED.)
A PARIS TR AGEDY
The Blonde and Brunette.
The telegraph lightning throws a flish on the
most dramatic scandal which Paris has beheld
from the gay balconies and private loges from
which the aristocracy looks on the stage of so
ciety, where the swells themselves may alter
nately be audience and players.
The Marquise de Varbaray has suicided, and
her noble husband, in the prologue, gives the
moral of a tragedy of passions, cards, wine, wo
men and murder.
Fifteen years ago two young girls, whose
beiuty was as remarkable as the contrast be- | whicVhas become hard and dry, separate them
tween the tawny splendor of one arnd the jumi- ftnf} replant in f r3S h earth; and then I begin to
water freely every day, pouring ou hot water,
Household Departm3nt
Field, Garden and Fireside.
Bee Culture in Peiif ction. —Tie mos.
perfect system of bee culture is prac ised m
N -w Y irk S‘ate. Mr. Hetherington, of Cherry
Valley, is the maker of the mos' approved
hive. It resembles a miniature two-story house.
The first story is the brood chamber, and the
“ supply honey ” is stored on some large square
frames placed side by side in the chamber. The
queen of the hive usually occupies four or five
of the middle frames. The secon 1 s ory of the
hive is divided fro u the brood chamber by a
pine floor, with six holes to admit the bees.
T vlove square frames, each side of a frame being
about an inch and one-half wide and five inches
long, are p'aced over the brood chamber. The
frames, when placed side by side, resemble Har-
bison’s sec'ional box, except that they not fas
ten d together. A strip of tin or paper is laid
bs-tweenthe frames This is to prevent the bees
from uniting the comb in one frame to the comb
adj fining. The insect; seem to understand the
idea of the inventor, for they build one cimb in-
each frame, perfectly square in form and not en
croaching the slightest degree on the c *<mbs of
honey to the right an l left of it. When all the
Lames are filled thoy are remov id from the
hive. A pane of glass is placed on each side of
the oomb, a paper cap is s afed over both ends
of the frame and tho honey is ready to ship to
E urope. Twelve frames or box is of honey are
packed in a crate, and the average weight of a
crate of honey is twenty-five ponnds.
Calla Lilies in Winter.—A lady writes-
‘As soon as my Calla has finished b'oim*
ing in the spring or winter, I cat all the top
away even with the soil in which it^ is
growing; then turn the box over on the side;
against a wall or fence, so that no rain eau get to
it. The roots remain thns all summer. Tais is
to give them a good long rest, that the plant may
bloom more freelv the next season. The first of
September, I take the roots up from the soil,
nous brilliancy of the other, astonished the
loungers of the Boulevards and caused what the
gay Frencbmtn calls an eblnissement
but being careful not to let it touch the young
sta’ks and leaves which soon appear’ la a short
The Blonde and the Brune, Bohemians and leaves are large, and" of a rich, dark
all the rage in the lurid glare of the deni sreen jjow ^ e0 p it where it will receive the
monde. . .. „ I warm rays of the sunshine, putting it in the hot-
Atnadine and Francoise were the sjnonyms of | bons0 before frost. By the mi bile of winter it
two elements of sinister beauty, which strangely j - 8 bean tif u i with its white flowers and unfold
ing buds.
combined the animal and the aesthetic qualities
with which the amorons poets of all times love
to inv 3t their heroines. Alter a midnight orgie,
the murder of a rich lover sent both the beau
ties to prison for two years, from which one em
erged a penitent, the other a fiend.
Amadine was etherealized into a blonde
angel, Francoise was intensified into a beauti
ful tigress, smooth, velvety and insinuating,
but hiding he.-fell claws beneath the satin-cast
To Make a Hanging Basket.—Nothing is
easier or prettier; any simple form will an-
sVYerCut out of the pasteboard and cover with
moss, which can be done with a little thick flour
paste’, suspend them by cords, and fill with
drooping evergreens; the common garden run
ning m”rtle is very suitable, as it droops so
gracefully. Then mingle with the green, im-
ioned sheaths, like Cleopatra describes herself | inortellas, berries, gr s as, or the fluffy down of
in her dream. The beautiful blonde, Amadine, \ tbe wild clematis; you have no idea how hand-
met a noble marquis two years afterwards, and SO me such baskets look, and they have t le ad-
at the very first sight he fell in love with her as ; V an<a ;e of being adapted to all sorts of posi-
she appeared in the character of a demure gov- tions; they look well suspended from an arch-
eraess. When she appeared in the salons of ; W ay, or the chandelier, or the centre of the ceil-
Paris 'ashious the plus grand monde did not re- j n g. If you choose, you c m make them flat at
cognizi the street-walKing beauty of a few years j the back, and hang them direc’ly against the
previous, and, with the marvelous tact of a wo- ! wall. Sometimes they need not be covered with
man and a coquette, she acquired the elegance , moss at all, but made just si as to support a
which can only come with blue blood, accord- ( pretty bunch ot greenery, and be concealed by
ing to the autocratic idiocy of fashion. Her j it; in that case the more trailing things you
noble husband was madly in love with her, and j have the better.’
highly proud of her,but he had been a libertine, j -—- -
and one night he met a lady of the demi monde Imitation Coral —Take small branches of
so superbly beautiful that, like a romantic Par- af>m0 g jj rn b; pull off the bark and dry them,
isian, he ijas captured by what they call in | together $ pound of red sealing wax, and
their tongue ‘bcaule du diabie ’ ‘Hi-Twriie missed j OQ0 oz beeswilY; dip in th - branches and
him from his place for many nights, and, with | tnrn be f ore a gentle fire until smooth and per-
the quick intuition of a lady who had studied 1 f ec *iy covered.
Plum Pudding —Take the crumbs
all the branches of coquetry, she suspected that
she had a rival, and the suspicion became con
viction when s ie detected that her husband
had taken a diamond necklace which was a
wedding gift.
To find a victorious rival is short work for
the female curiosity, sharpened by revenge and
jealousy, and at the end of two weeks, by the
aid of a thread of soandal, Amadine, M irquise
de Varbaray, surprised her noble husband in
the plaie of all others where a husband should
not bav > been. The beautiful blonde had been
etherealiz d by prison, suffering, remorse, hun-
love, and last, and holiest of all
ger, marriage, -— ,
with more energy perhaps, than the case de- ^formers 0 f female depravity, by maternity;
but when she perceived the inconstancy of the
gather up my scattered papers. Having doae the best grace I could, the loss of my much
this, and looked through t iem, I was surprised to?! priz'd watch,
find one of them missing -the note of Mr£,| To
Goldie. I searched again for the missing papef
but it could not be found. I was sure that I
brought this note with me, for I remembered
having seen it on several occasions since leavig'
Cuthbert. I was very strange, I thought, that
this one alone of all my papers should h
been taken. What was the meaning of ift i
asked myself, and who was the bold perpethwir
of this robbery? Tired of asking this *Hn
question, I at length, opened my valiese to put
mv papers where they would be more secure
than in the breast pocket of my coat. Having
done this, I took out my derringer, determined
to keep it within reach for the remainder of that
night at least.
My attention was now directed to the con
tinued whining and growling of the dog in the
yard, and to the sound like the scratching of bis
paws upon the floor I had before noticed. These
sounds indicating, I thought, increased uneasi
ness on the part of the dog. I took up the candle
and went into the small apartment for the pur
pose of examining it, and perhaps, that part of
the premises adjacent to it.
I advanced to tho middle of the room, and
held the lighted candle above my head. ’ The
outer door was open. As I started towards it,
there came somewhere from the darkness a hiss’-
ing, whirring sound that frozi the blood in my
veins, and made me stand in my tracks with the
rigidity of a marble statue. He who has once
heard the sharp whizzing of the rattlesnake can
never forget it, and it was that sound filling
the room, curdled my blood, and made me
afraid to move a hair’s breadth. While it con
tinued all other sounds ceased; the whining
dog in the yard, I duobted not, was erouohing
calm Mrs. Goldie’s fears, I told her that
forewarned was forearmed; that George must
keep his gun loaled, and where he could al
ways put his bands on it; and furthermore, he
must see to it every night that Dandie was not
shut up in that outhouse.
The evidences of decay on every side were
now much more clearly visible than on the eve
ning before. The palings around the front
yard were dingy with age, while many of them
were missing; the missing ones being replaced
by rough strips of board, without regard to fit
ness. There was an orchard across the road in
front, or rather what was left of one. Out of
several hnndred trees that once fliurishe l there
only a few stood entire, and these, I had no
doubt, from long neglec 1 , had ceased to be fruit
ful. The trees in the grove had been long neg
lected, while the rail fences and outhouses seem
ed ready to fall to the groun l for want of re
pairs. There was a solitary cow, lean and hun
gry looking, standing on the sunny side o c the
carriage house,the sole representative, doubtless
sentative, doubtless, of a once large and fruit
ful herd.
J ust as I made these observations, which oc
cupied me but a few moments, Miss Kate ap
peared upon tho scene. She wa; on horseback,
and accompanied by Dandie. Looking upon
her as she came towards me; upon her graceful
form, and into her young, fresh face, more beau
tiful for the earnest look it wore, how changed
the Bcece became ! There might be desolation
near at hand and wide spread, but it came not
nigh her: rather did the sense of it vanish at her
approaoh.
After our morning salutation had passed I
said:
mauded.
•■Why. how, what is this ?’ he stammered out,
while his eyes zigz '.gged across me. ‘What has
Brother Sw tveil been doing? I thought he
was a good friend of their’n, and had been kind
er looking after their business?’
‘Much good his looking afeer has done them,’
I rej lined. ‘But Miss K ite will not seek ad
vice from Stephen Swetwell; all that she gets
from him will be thrust upon hor.’
For some reason I had formed a vuy unfavor
able opinion of this man whom I had never seen
and of whom I had learned very little. A little
reflection made me think that perhaps I had
spoken bas‘ily, and had judged the man harsh
ly; that he was, after all, a friend to Mrs. Gol
die and her family, and had been trying to serve
them. These thoughts made me ashamed of
my words, yet I would not unsay them. After
a short pause, I askel:
‘What do you know of Mr. Swetwell? Have
you ever had any transactions with him ?’
■What do I know of him ?’ he said, his tones
indicating surprise at my question ; ‘why, aint
he one of the main stays of our church down
there at Sundown ? Wlio is ready with a word
both in tne church and the Sunday-school, as
Brother Swetwell? And as for prayin’, sir, it
would do you good to hear him ?’
I had my doubts about that, but I let him go
on.
‘Have I had any transactions with him ? Let
me see—yes sir, some two or three in times past.
I bought a mule from him occ:; a large, fine-
looking mule he was. Brother Swetwell
said that he was perfectly sound, and wonld
work anywhere, so I took him without trial.
The next morning I noticed that he refused to
eat, and when I led him from the stall he began
to stagger about. I knew what was the matter,
and went to work on him, but I could not save
him. In twenty-four hours he was dead.’
‘Y m said, I believe, that you have had two or
three transactions with him? said I seeing that
he stopped.
‘Yds, yes, I had my cotton ginned a*, his gin-
house once. It was before I had mine built. I
made tin bales that year, so I calculated, bat I
got only s von He muat have let somebody
steal the cotton from the gin house.’
‘Of course. What else?’
‘N othing else in that line that I think of. Bat,
sir, Brother Swetwell is a go-a head sort of a
man; he is a whole team, sir, that’s what he is.
If anything is to be done, he is the man to do it.
Yes, and Bio.her Swetwell subscribes lib’rally
to the preacher. Last year, sir, he headed the
list with fifty dollars.’ And the honest old man
spoke it as if he thought it quite a oreditable
thing to head a church list with fifty dol.ars.
‘Yes sir, fi'ty dollars.' he repeated. ‘O lly last
week I was talkin'to one of our stewards about it,
and he was tollin’ me that Brother Swetwell had
paid only two dollars and fifty cents so far, bat
—he does pray so beautiful, sir!'
I could have laughed a little wicked langh of
exultation at the Bimple narration of the unsus
pectingold man, but I did not wish to affront
him. The opinion, then, that I had formed of
Swetwell was eorrect. He was a hypoorite. In
lord whom she loved, the father of her child,
the old devil came back, and she stood in the
dark, vainly peering after the face of her rival,
and longing fir a dagger like a modern Clytem-
nestra.
Her husband had a beautiful collection of
arms in his noble old ancestral mansion in the
Faubourg St. Germain, and among the rare spe
cimens of murderous weapons was a long, beau
tiful dagger, keen as a gleam ot lightning,
which a Crusader had captured from a Turk.
At midnight a pale shadow stole into the
house of Amadino’s rival, and at two o clock
that beauty returned from a debauch after the
opera, having left the marquis at the door.
She retired and rang for her maid, and the
pale shadow of a woman answered the sum
mons.
‘Si you are here,’ said the dark beauty, angry
at having waited a moment
‘Yes, lam here,’ said the Marquise de Var
baray.
‘I thought it was my maid,’ gasped the now
frightened woman.
•It is your executioner,’ said a familiar voioe,
and the companions in shame of former years
recognized each other.
Taey had been bosom friends, united by that
companionship in the fight against a cruel
world, and accomplices in crime, cell-mates in
prison, but they fronted each other now as ri
vals.
The wild and frantic shrieks that appalled the
quiet night called a crowd, who broke open the
door, and there found the blonde and brune
both dead, the murderess and the suicide, and
the keen Turkish dagger was the first thing to
tell them that one of the women was the coun
tess de Va rbaray .—Capital.
The Pi-luce Imperial.
In 18G6, when Napoleon III. was in his glory,
he united with the Empress m makink a will—
sue leaving to him, in case of her death, her Wednesday i a9 t the long separated couple were
modest fortune, and he leaving to the Empress . joined in the bonds of wedlock. Captain
..ii nn.lnr the lmnression “• j . . . , , • , 1
Small
from a six cent loaf, two ounces ot butter, half
a pound of chopped raisins half a c ip of brown
sugar, a little finely cut orange and lemon can
died peel, a lemon grated, a cup of good milk,
three eggs, and a half a pound of Z mtec irrauts
e'eaned dry. Mix well, and boil for two hours;
it is eaten with sauce. It is good baked.
Hungary Water.—To make this favorite per
fume, take of fresh rosemary in blossom four
pounds, fresh sage in blossom six ounces, gin
ger in s’iees, two ounces; cut up fine and mix;
add rec'ified spirits twelve pounds, and common
water two pints Let it distil by a gentle heat.
It is an excellent stimulating liaiment, and is
taken in small quantities internally sometimes,
as a gentle restorative and stimulant.
English Plum Pudding.—Oae bowlful suet, two
bowlfuls bread crumbs, one bowlful raisins,
measured after having b'en chopped fine aDd
seeded; half a bowlful of citron, cut in small
pieces-.’aix eggs, two 1 irge wine-glassfuls brandy,
two nutmegs; boil four hours and s-rve with
wine sane i. It is better to boil two hours on one
day, and the remaining time the day on which it
is to be eaten.
Ten million dozen eggs have been received in
the Cincinnati market during the year.
Divorced and Married Again.
Captain Jack Kirs’iaw, ot G mzales county,
Texas, was united in marriage last week to Mrs.
S Fisher, of Dallas county. Tairty year3 ago,
Jack Kershaw, then a steamboat clerk, married
a beantifui young woman of twenty, and some
ten years his junior. Their temperaments were
incompatible, and after two years of married
life they were divoroed, Mrs. Kirshaw going to
her father’s home in Tennessee, with her infant
daughter. Three years later she became Mrs.
Fisher, and accompanied her husband to Texas,
who located in Dallas oounty. The war called
Mr. Fisher to the front, and in the war at Mans
field, Louisiana, he was killed. Kirshaw, con
tinuing in the steamboat business, became a
popular captain on the lower Miss : ssippi, amass
ed a competency, and married M;ss E nma Al
exander, a reigning belle of Memphis. Trouble
fell upon him in his second marriage, and he
was made a widower. Miss Kershaw the issue
ot his first marriage, wa3 married. O i her re
moval to St. Louis all communication with Mrs.
Fisher coased except through her son-in-law.
Eight months ago Mrs. F.sher receive 1 a letter
from her first husband, the purport of whicn
can be s irmised by subsequent events. Ou
all his worldly goods, under the impression
that he was bequeathing the throne of France to
his son. A little contretemps at Sedanchanged
the aspect of affairs. Wnen Napoleon died, in
1873, he had not male a new will, and Eugenie
therefore came into pcs session of an annual in
come of 450 000 francs, or about $00 000. Tiie
young Princ > had an income $8000 in his own
right, which he inherited from Prince Baccio-
ohi. In order that the young Priuce may make
an advantageous marriage, Eugenie, like a good
mother, has conveyed to him property sufficient
to give a yearly income of $60,000, and now it is
expected that half the reigning families in Eu
rope will be setting their traps to catch this
eligible son-in-law.
‘When a man’s chin whiskers turn gray before
the hair on bis head does, it sh jws which part
of him has done the most work,’ observes a
philosophical exihahger
K'rshaw is sixty-five, and his bride fifty-one.
T ie above particulars ar« obtained from a per
sonal friend of Captain K urshaw, who vouches
for their truthfulness.
Pace to Faee With Disease.
How often it happens that although we have wit
nessed the ravages of disease in the case of others,
we disregard his warning signals in our own. It is
only when we find him face to face with ns that we
really perceive how grim he is. Then, perchance,
when it is too late, medicinal aid is sought. His
avant courier, his forerunner, is physical weak
ness. Fortify the system, and you are armed
against him. The finest tonic for this purpose is
Hostetter’s Stomach Bitters, which renders diges
tion easy and complete, nourishes the system, im
proves the appetite, gives strength, yielding sleep,
counteracts billlousnoss, and keeps the bowels in
first rate order. Leanness and unnatural wanness
and sallowness of the face, are obviated by it, and
so genial and benefleient are its affects that not
only is the body invigorated and regulated r
use, but despondency banish from the mind.