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‘ BLACK SHEEP. BY HARRY ROCKWGOD. Z "How Hhuipar thnn a ho:j> writ's tooth To have a thanklesb child !” quoted Mrs. Deacon Washburn, in we»It, tremulous tones. Hurry, ‘‘her eldest born,” stood be fore her, tall, dark, with blazing eyes and firmly-compressed lips. He raised one strong, brown hand with an Impatient gesture. ‘‘So you are ready to take sides with father against; me!” he exclaimed, his voice full of suppressed pfessloti. Mrs. Washburn sighed. “Oh, dear! What can 1 say to you?” tiho cried, appealingly. ‘‘You can say that you believe I am a Hcape-graee, if tills is what you have* in your mind. Of course there is no blame anywhere except with me. •Toe and Charlie are saints, because they haven’t spirit enough to draw lines for themselves, nor resolution to follow them In tin* face of opposition. 1 merely requested father to let. nip study for a profession, and lie tired up on it, and said that his trade had brought half a dozen children Up from infancy, feeding and clothing them, and that his trade was good enough for ids boys. Bn 111 As though I had no right to look above a ear- rl.'ige-innkor'n shop because I was born in one.” Harry spoke with Intense bitterness. Wheeling nbmptly, lie would have loft the house at once. But a slender form stood In the doorway, and two deep blue eyes met ids In a glnnee which was full of mingled sympathy and ap prehension. ‘‘What Is the matter, Harry?" ques tioned tin* girl, n ring of anxiety in her sweet tones. “Another flare-up!” was the senten tious response. Then, in a lower tone: “I’m going away, l*et. I’ve borne tills 11 fo as long as I can.” Petronllla Wnync-the orphan child of a distant, kinsman of Mrs. Wash burn—renohed both bands upward, and placed them upon Hurry's shoul ders, which were almost as high as she could reach. “Please don't goo she said, plead ingly. A rift of white crossed her cheeks. But her words did not cailSO llioyoung .man to waver In his purpose. , “Do not remonstrate, Pot. I’ve thought It nil over, and made up my mlmi what Is best. I haven't been a dutiful son nt home—I have brought disgrace upon my fntlior'8 name. Tie said so this very morning, lie said, too, that; 1 was till black sheep of bis flock—because of those boyish pranks of mine, I suppose. I hate to go, though, with you blaming me.” His manly voice showed signs of breaking, and ho turned away his face to hide the signs of emotion which ho could not keep buck. “I do not blame you, Harry. Fcr- linps It Is best for you to go, only—It will be very lonely for me. That Is all.” Thu girl spoke quito bravely. Harry dared not trust himself to speak again. Bending quietly, he kl83cd the quiver ing, upturned lips of Petronllla, leav ing one of Ids own tear-drops upon •heir cheek. Then he pushed almost rudely past her, n.ud strode out into the gray, misty morning. i’et watched 1dm out of sight. Then «he saw Deacon Washburn, tall and grim, coming up the pnrh. “Harry has gone, Uncle Joseph,” she sakl, ns tho umn ascended the stops. “Woll, he’ll have a chance to try llghtln’ Ills battle alone—that’s all I’ve got to say,” was tho hasty response. Then ho added, pulling viciously at his grizzled benrd: “lie’ll come back in a week, like, enough, and own thnt he’s l’arnt a lesson!” But Harry did not “coma back in a week,” uor in a. month. A year passed With no tidings from the black sheep. Then there was a steamboat disaster on one oil the great rivers, arid among itlie list of the killed Deacon Washburn read the name o£ his son. There was deep isorrow at tho cottage after that, aufl jgloom settled upon the hearts of Its ;inmntos. Six years passed. Beacon Washburn’s younger sons, Joe and Olmrlle, married, and sottlod down to a humdrum existence within, half a mile of their father’s roof-tree. But Petronllla Wayne remnntod with her benefactors. Mrs. Washburn bad become too feeble and tremulous to attend to the household duties, mul the brunt of them descended upon Pet's strong, young shoulders. So, she went on with the simple routine of housework, a trifle wan and Bad- eyed after the news of Harry’s death. One day a new misfortune came to them. The deacon’s carriage-shop, With nil It contained, was burned, mul while attempting to extinguish the flames, tho deacon himself was se verely injured. There was a clianco for Ills life, tho doctor said, but his physical labors could never be re sumed. Misfortunes never come singly. Be fore Mr. Washburn was nble to leave the house, a former resident of tho •town pat In nn appearance, declaring thnt tho Washburn cottage, ami the valuable cultivated grouud belonging to tlio estate, were held by a spuri ous title; in other words, that Deacon Washburn did not own them at all. This was a startling discovery to the unfortunate man. The claimant of the estate brought proofs which only a Ioug and expensive suit could set aside. “Horry to turn you from your home, which you have paid f( fairly en ough,” Hu i<l Mr. Hoskins, blandly. “But It Isn’t my fault that the person who gave you I he title to this prop erty had no right to do so. Indeed, you were in fault for not learning the Irresponsibility of the parly when you made tho-purchase. I shall not force you to move away until you have suffl* clontly recovered to do so. I am a kind man at heart, you see, Mr. Wash burn.” ' Then “kind-hearted” Hoskins smirked and bowed, and left the cot tage. The deacon was balf-crazcd by the situation. lie could not alTord to carry on an expensive legal suit, with the probability of being defeated in the end. Charlie and .Toe were in no situation to assist him; and Mrs. Washburn was more weak and tremulous than ever before. There seemed to be no alternative. They must give up their home and go—wbltlierV A week dragged away. Then a letter came to Deacon Wash burn, written In a scrawly business band. It wuh a pithy aiTalr, and us follows: “I read In a newspaper that one Al bert Hoskins disputed the legality of Joseph Washburn's title to the home and laud which the latter was sup- IKised to own. Knowing Mr. Hoskins to bo an unscrupulous villain, I will come to Ocntrovlllo, and legally op pose bis claims, In your bclmlf. Respectfully, etc., “Lansing, Attornoy-nt-Law.” A sort of Joy choked the voice of Petronllla ns she read tho singular let ter aloud to Mr. Washburn. “But who Is this Lansing? Another fraud, it Is likely,” exclaimed the old man, not daring to believe a turn in his fortunes to bo possible. “Perhaps not, Uncle Joe; we mustn’t give up in that way, for I do not be lieve God lias forgotton us,” exclaimed Pet, stroking the silver-gray looks of her benefactor. “That’s so, child. At any rate, this Lansing can’t do any worse by us than Hoskins will, ana we might as well accept Ills aid, if ho has any to oiler.” So It was settled. Within a week a civil suit In tlio courts began, which Deacon Wash burn was not nble to attend. But ho learned Mint Lansing, the lawyer who hnfl volunteered aid, was a brilliant young man, and thnt Al bert Hoskins dured not push Ills claims after tlio attorney Imd presented the other side of tlio case. The claimant seemed to stand great ly in fear of his opponent, ami a ru mor was circulated that Ilosklus was guilty of uumei’ous crooked transac tions, of which the young lawyer threatened to convict him. So, after a single day’s trial, tho case was decided, and Deacon Wash- bum’s title to bis liurd-earned pos sessions pronounced genuine. Early in the evening after tho trial a knock sounded upon the door of the Washburn cottage.' Pet answered the* summons, fling ing the door open wido. A tall, dark-benrded stranger crossed the threshold, and a pair of handsome eyes looked down upon Potronilln. She uttered a little gasp, her cheeks flushing slightly, and then becoming ns white as death. “It is—Harry 1” she : managed to nr- V.culnte. “Yes, Pet. So you had not quito for gotten the face of the black slicop?” returned bis deep, musical tones. “Forgotten you!” terminating her ex clamation Willi a little scream of Joy. Then adding, In a bewildered sort of way:.- :-'fr$0$ ‘ m v - : \{\i “But I supposed you were dead, and wo bad been mourning for you all these years. Is It really, truly, our Harry?” The young man laughed softly. “No, I did not perish In the groat disaster.' upon the Hudson, though it was by almost a miracle that I es caped. The report of my dentil was contradicted afterward, ami lmd I not supposed that you read it I should have written to you. I Hawaii nccouut of father’s misfortunes in a news paper, and thought it about time for the 'block sheep’ to return and redeem his reputation. : Ho I wroto to father signing ns Lansing. And I trust that I shall receive a welcome this time. I have been very homesick for a long, long time, for l wanted to see mother, father, the boys and you, little Pet That was ail lie said to her then. With a Joyous light slilulng from her eyes she led him Into the cozy sltttng- room. Very gently they broke tho news to Mr. and Mrs. Washburn. It was luird for them to realize that this handsome, bearded stranger could be tlielr Harry, who had left them six or seven years ago. And when they fully comprehended the glorious trufh, and that it was their brave, tnleutcd Harry, who had come to them In their need and saved their home from the spoiler, they ovlneed tlielr joy In a way that left no doubt of a perfect reconciliation in tlje heart of the young man. Harry’s visit to the old home-nook was a protracted one. Ami when he went back to tho city it was with a promise to return nt frequent inter vals. Ills success In bin chosen profession was a brilliant one, and many were the generous presents which he sent homo to Ills parents, who had grown to idolize him. He found hioro than two worshipers nt the old Washburn Cottage. Upon his next visit to said to shy petite Petronilln: “Why did you not marry some one, as well ns Charlie and .loo?” “Because I couldn’t bear to think of being happy with you gone,” she an swered. Very gently he clasped her In his linns, and asked, With Ills brown benrd close to her face: “Can you think of being happy, now that I have returned? Remember, I am the one ’black sheep’ of the flock!” He received her answer then. But It was not until their wedding day that tho world knew how well alio loved Deacon Washburn's “black sheep.”—Saturday Night. TRAMPING IN FINE RAIMENT. I>Hnln« on Kin flold- Hviulod Cane, Ho Told of III* IInrd-U|i Condition. A tramp, attired in silk tile and Prince Albert coat, set East Twenty- seventh street agog with conjecture the other day. Spotless linen, a clean shaven face and u glib tongue added to the make-up of the beggar. . Many thought him to bo an estray from tlio ranks of the Cook County Marching club of Chicago, which cut such a dash here during the Bryan notifica tion meeting. Early In the morning ho nppenred nt the kitchen door of the home of Fred O. Ball, Ash and Twenty-seventh streets. He trembled ns lie spoke of the hardship that Ill-luck had forced upon him. lie leaned on a gold-bead ed enne as lie told Mr. Ball of Ills hunger. “This In my first visit to any mail’s back door, my friend,” lie snld in a tone of pathos. “This Is the first tlmb I ever begged In my life, and I’ll give you this my last nickel, for a bite of breakfast” lie held out a nickel’ to the man whom he sought to be bis good Samaritan, but Mr. Ball refused it. Mr. Bull led lilm into the kitchen, and soon the handsome beggar was mak ing uwny with a bowl of oatmeal and offering profuse thanks between spoon fuls. He lmd tlio tone of a polished mail, and when lie had finished a good meal ho arose to go. Turning to Mr. Ball, ho said: “My youiig friend, you will yet hear from this act of kindness. I am a music teacher by profession and have tuuglit in some of tho best conservatories In the country. Mis fortune overtook me and I confess that right now I am holding tlio short cud. But I’ll pull out yet and will remember you.” Tears trickled down the follow’s faco ns lie left his benefactor and wended Ills way toward the railroad yards.— Indianapolis Press. QUAINT AND CURI U \ If all tho mountains in the world wore leveled, tho average height of and land would rise nearly 250 feet. Tho old Chinese idea of fortifying was to lnoludo as great nn area as possible within n more or less impos ing wall. Thus Nanking has 27 miles of city wall. A submarine boat, to be propelled by cable traction, lias been designed by a French Inventor, for crossing the English channel. It will accommo date about 250 passengers, and will make tho journey in about an hour. An Inventor 1ms lilt upon a method of putting stono soles on boots and shoes. He mixes a waterproof glue with a suitable quantity of clean quartz sand and spreads It over the leather solo used as a foundation. These quartz soles are said to bo very flexible and to give the foot a firm hold even on the most slippery sur face. In a-large rookery of flying foxes on tho island of Tongntatu near Nulsa- lofn, the .bats, about 8000 In number, AGRICULTURAL CHINA. ITS VARIETIES OF CRAIN AND FRUIT WOULD BE VALUABLE HERE. Skilful Ilunbr id tin* World <n Culture—IIo “China can teach the world some great lessons In agriculture,” said Mr. F. V. Covllle, chief botanist of the de partment of agriculture, to a New York Post correspondent. “For example, we know that there are certain cerenls cultivated oil the headwaters of tho Yangtse river, at an elevation of 18,- 000 feet nbovo the level of the sea; they grow wheat there in some places at an altitude of 12,000 feet, whereas In this country very little can be raised at an elevation of 8000 feet, and that Is In Arizona, where it is very warm. But the real test of tho ability of the Chi nese is this direction Ls afforded by a comparison of cereal elovatlons with the timber line. They raise wheat within 1500 feet of the timber line on the plateau of Turkestan, while in Ar izona our timber Hue Is 4500 feet above tlio wheat belt. “A timber lino furnishes a very defi nite basis of climatic measurement tlio world over, just ns the sea does for the measurement of altitude. One thousand feet below the timber line Is Arizona would mean substantially the same climatic conditions ns 1000 feet below the timber lino In New Eng land, nml so when we say that the Chi nese raise wheat within 1500 feet of that line, wo mean that they have de veloped a strain which Is far more re sisting of cold and drought than any thing we have In Europe or North America. Their civilization is so much older than ours that tho gradual de velopment of these strains lias been brought about, and we could to advan tage bring some of them Into use here. Wo have now a representative of tho department in the upper Yangtse, where lie went for the purpose of gath ering specimens for Introduction here. Nothing lias been heard of lilm for some time, and not a little nnexlcty is felt In Ills behalf. “Besides tlio wheat and other cereals, China Is said to luivo considerable ad vantage over us in orange culture. The Yangtse valley produces a delicious orange, according to reports wo have received, in districts where the trees are subjected to a temperature 20 de grees below the freezing point That prirt of China on tlio borderland of the great Turkestan plateau Is also tho homo of tho peach, and it was from southwestern Asia that tho modern world secured this valuable fruit. They have varieties tliero now quite dlfferrint from any that grow In this country— not necesHurlly better, for the develop ment has been along different lines in the two hemispheres. Only n little while ago n pencil was introduced from China Into Florida, known as tho Pccnto, which Is slinped like a tomato —very short from stem to pit It lias a short, stout stone, nml its flavor Ls delicious. It does not seem to be a good shipping poach, and for that rea son seldom gets to the northern market. Neither Is It especially ndapted for canning, where the Chief requirement ls a certain firmness. The sugar used in canning takes tho place of many natural defects in flavor and sweetness which tho fruit may have. So the can ning factories do not noed a peach of the type of tho Peeuto, and thus far its use has been confined to the local markets. There are other varieties from Chinn, however, which may be better ndapted to the commercial needs of this country, and upon that subject our agent In the Yangtse was probably working when tho reecut dis turbances broke out. “It was from this plateau of Asia, extending through Turkestan, by which China is bounded on the west, thnt we obtained tlio Turkestan al falfa, ono of the best of our forage plants. We found it growing there in condition of gr^nt dryness and great cold, and when the plant was sub. jeeted to the same conditions In our far western states It proved most nc- occupy tl.0 tops o 14 large trees in j c )t nWe. Its introduction l.as meant -0.0 ends tot the'Village The rookery ; s tcut „ ort lnvard and •X Wm V' upward among &e mountain slopes of the Village, Who poim.ued tue natural- ( thQ nlfaUa cuUur0i a nfl alfalfa Is the 1st to tako away only three specimens. ■ t forage crop ot tho Vest It was understood that they had been „ Frora ttl | B „(.gion, tee, )ias come gnarded by the people from time Ira- | m whltel , mus i aili; i 0Ui which Is now memorial. j successfully In the west, and m. _ , , ... ........ only awaits for Its general iutroduc- There are. several trees and plants ( j n tl]c cnst SO me Improvement In n the world whose berries .Juice or ^o S t shipping. This we have bark are as good to wash with as real ,,*7. .. . I., Ttwii.it, o„.i decided to leave to the ingenuity of soap. In the West Indian islands and In South America grows a tree whose fruit makes nn excellent lather and is used for washing clothes. The bark of a tree which grows in Peru, and of another which grows iu the Malay islands, yields a fine soap. The com mon sonpwort, which Is indigenous to England, Is so full of saponlne that simply rubbing the leaves together in water produces a soapy lather. An object of great interest to con tinental Europe Is a walking mountain in Card, France, which is moving toward the river of the same name, at the rate of 15 feetf a day. In its advance It has destroyed the ma chinery and pits of the Grande Combo colliery, and has also destroyed nearly a mile of the Alais railway. New channels are being prepared for the Gard and Gnrdon rivers, which are sure to be choked up when the land slide comes. Six hundred persons have been obliged to leave their homes at Grande Combe. The lower strata of the mountain, which rises sheer from the valley, are grit and green mart, and both have given way owing to the infilterntlon of rain. the west. This melon grows as large ns a watermelon, Is edible in the months of December, January, and February, and is ns.sweet and deli cate in flavor ns any muskmelon that can be bought in the Washington markets today. I gave one last win ter to a member of Congress who was getting up a dinner for some of Ids associates, and, ns he afterwards told me, It produced a sensation. He declared that if those melons could lie brought Into the New York market in good condition in midwinter people would pay any price for them. Ju v *t ut present the transportation problem is a little difficult They grow in tlio deep, hot valleys of Utah to the best advantage, and when subjected to the long journey seem to loose their firm ness. I have no doubt, however, but that this will be corrected, and that the muskmelon will be one of the reg ular winter fruits of the future.” Convenient for tho Ant. Ants can stand extremes of heat and cold. Forty-eight hours’ exposure to frost will not kill them, and one sort has been observed to build Its nest in clduks In a blacksmith’s forge. VICTIM OF SIMIAN JEALOUSY. Talentml Monkoy l»l«*l Mcoaiifo Shunned by HIm Knviotw Fallow*. All that Borax, the little pink-eyed monkey, wanted of bis fellows In the Lincoln purl; zoo was kind treatment, and when they turned their backs on him nud Ignored the Inoffensive crea ture altogether he got sick and sulked In tho darkest comer of the cage, The keepers had never witnessed such a strange manifestation of feeling akin to human among the animals and did net worry about Borax. The ostracism Imposed on him by his erstwhile com panions inndo Borax sick, and he re fused nourishment. Sunday morning the little animal died, and his long- tailed playmates of two weeks ago, un forgiving even In the faco of death, refused to show, the slightest sign of sorrow when ho was carried away and burled. The circumstances of Borax's death were not known to the thousands who visited tho animal reservation. They found tho monkeys in new cages, and when something was said about a de- mlso In tho colony they attributed It to an accident upon moving. There was one less simian to be bribed into a clever acrobatic feat with a handful of peanuts, but the demand was not lessened through the abscnco of the dead animal. Borax was tho cleverest performer of all the monkeys, and Ills skill led to his fate. Ho handicapped his fel lows by his previous training, for lio came from a circus where he got a bun if he rode a spirited greyhound Rround the track without losing his seat and a whipping if Ills performance did not suit tho trainer. Borax’s life at the Lincoln park zoo had promise of happy days. Tho first Sunday he performed he got as many peanuts as nil the rest of the monkeys combined, but Borax was not selfish and attempt ed to divide his spoils. The simian’s generosity was regarded as^ an attempt to lord It over the rest and lie was not thanked. After a month’s stay at Lincoln park Borax apparently wished he had never loft the circus, though the bun was frequently stale and the beating a se vere one. There he was on good terms with the greyhound mid the savage bull terrier that wouldn't treat any other member of the outfit with the least show of civility. Bornxdldlilsbest to furnish amusement to the crowd, but would not accept the rewords. Af ter dark his cage companions would appropriate their despised comrade's emoluments though they mado unkind remarks about him. You can’t tell me that the pink-eyed fellow didn’t die of grief,” said one of the keepers yesterday. “It was a plain case of getting shut out In the cold. IIo wanted to in* the ‘good fol low’ with the crowd, but they wouldn’t stand for It. It Is just like men, any how. If they see a chap succeeding they begin talking bad about him. Bo rax wasn’t accustomed to that sort of thing, and It broke him all up. I could see he could not live through It. Ho didn’t see any chanco of getting back to the circus or another job, so ho went back In the cage and starved himself to death. That monkey was more sentimental than many a human being.”—Chicago Chronicle. HER PRECIOUS LITTLE PURSE. Strongs Farming. Not all the farming In the world Is carried on In the country. Some branch es of the farmer’s work are pursued In cities, and even in their crowded parts. A writer In Cassell’s Saturday Journal ,1s responsible for the state ment that tho fattening of pigs is not Incompatible with life In a densely populated quarter, and cites a case In point. * A man who kept a small grocer's shop in the heart of a city was for years very successful as a fnttener of pigs. Under his shop was a cellar, the front door and window of which were hoarded up. Access to It could be ob tained only at the back. This cellar was always occupied by two pigs, although not always by the same ones. The owner would smuggle his young charges Into the cellar by night, bed them down with the straw from hlB egg cases, and feed them on the bread and potatoes and vegetables that the youngsters of tho neighbor hood bought him in exchange for a handful or two of candy. , &o little did it cost him to feed Ills charges that ho is said to have grown rich on his profits. The same butcher bought one pair after another of these city-fattened pigs. A still more unlikely place In which to look for pigs is a back bedroom, but even this shelter is not unheard-of one to’ the writer. These particular pigs were well trained. They not only lived up-stalrs, but they walked down. Tlielr owner knew, that washing them helped to put on weight, so he used to take them into the small, back yard for a tubbing, and taught them to walk up-stairs and down. He would never have been found ont If some of bis neighbors had not complained of him. Not much gold did fcho disburse, Yet well she spoilt ouch golden minute. Hhe hud a precious little purse And there was precious little in it. That was before she stinted but. • She meant to shop; her means were ample— When she got back thnt purse was stout. For it was stuffed with many a sam ple. —Chicago Record. HUMOROUS. “Fa, why do they call it ‘cold cash’?” “Because people have a habit of freez ing to It, I guess.” “My wife,” boasted the happy young Benedict, “is an open book to me.” “Mine, too,” declared the old married man. “I can’t shut her up.” Amicus—So you have another baby at your house. What is he like? Eminent Critic—Well, he is not very interesting, but he Is mighty convinc ing. “Didn’t tho quiet in the country be come monotonous to you?” “Quiet? We had lo turn out about seven times every night nud chase cows off the porch.” “I, wonder why they don’t name one of tho new ships tho Mayflower?” “What for?” “Why, so that future generations can say their ancestors came over on it” “Little Jim, how can you rush around and play so hard In hot weath er?” “Aw, uia, ’taint hot at all; me an’ Tommy Tibbs has bln a-playln’ camp-out in a blizzard.” The meanest man up to date is Suirtklns. He sold Jones a half In terest In a cow, and then refused to divide the milk, maintaining that Jones owned the front end. Nodd—Aro you going to take your servants with you camping out? Todd —If I can got them to. I want to get even with them for all the dlscbm- forts they have caused me. She—Of course, you have heard of the theory that Bacon wrote Shakes peare’s play? Cholly—Aw—yes—aw— the Idea is that Shakespeare was Ba con’s nom do plume, Is it not? “Now,” sold tho new reporter, handing In his copy, “what shall I write about?” “I think,” said tho editor, after glancing at the stuff, you had better right about face, march!” Miss Johnson—Did he take It hard when yo* refused him? Miss Jack- ’son—Yo’ bet ho took it hard! He started a row an’ I hit him wif a flat-iron, a stovd-Ufter an' a rollin’-pin. “You’ve given up swimming, haven’t you?” “Yes. I don't mean to culti vate a talent thnt will put me in a position some time whero the drown ing fellow who can’t swim will be sure to drag me under.” “Pa, why do they formally notify a mnn that he Is nominated for presid ent?” “Well, mainly, I think, so that he can't get up after he fails to he elected In November and vow he wasn’t In politics at all.” She (after discharging the new servant)—I wonder why they call tho place where these girls come from an “intelligence office?” There doesn’t seem to b any there. He—There must be some there, for none ever comes out of it. Stox—Do you believe in women hav ing the same rights as men? Sluggs— Yes, I do. There was ono stood in front of where I sat in a car today and tramped, all over my feet, and if she'd been a man I would have hit her one, sure. “You told me to come and begin work today,” said the new boy. “Ob, yes,” replied the druggist, “you may begin by catching flies and putting them on these sheets of ’Sure Catch Flypaper,’ we’re displaying In tho window.” “Well that’s* great” “What’s great?” “Our Chinese laundryman lias put his prices up on account of the war in Chinn.” "How’s that?” “Why, he says he has to be paid for the time lie waists telling people wlmt he thinks of it” "The hostess Is a lovely woman and she gave us a fine dinner. But why did she seem In such a nervous hurry? Really, It was the swiftest feed I ever sat down to.” “Then you didn’t know her before she married Blxby?” “No.” “She used to be a waitress in a quick service daily lunch.” r --J Observing the manager of the drug department, the woman accosted him. in a spirit of badinage. “I kg re klepto mania,” sLe said. “What would you advise mo to take?” “The elevator, by all means’.” said the manager wit tily. “And not something just as good?” exclaimed the woman affect ing great surprise. Too Many Boos. The honey-producing Industry of Evansville, Ind., has reached such magnitude that the city council Is con sidering nn ordinance declaring the bees a nuisance and requiring the own ers of hlyes to move them outside the city limits. It Is said that 75 persons have colonies of bees in the city and tho bees produce $10,000 worth of hon ey a year. A woman Is never so mad as she is ; when she sees a hat that is terribly cheap, right after some smooth man has talked her around to buy an en cyclopedia. Where Women Are Never ImprUoned. Austria is the one country in the world which never puts a woman In iprlson. Instead of giving a female criminal so many months In jail she is sent, no mattor how terrible is her record, to one or other of the convents devoted for the purpose and kept there during the time for which she is sen tenced. The convent is not a mere pris on in disguise, for its courtyard stands open all day long, the only bar to egress being a nun who acts as portress, just as in other convents. France’* FortrcuMCM, Franco lias on tlio German frontier ' throe first-class fortresses—Belfort, Verdun and Briancon; on the Belgian , frontier, Lille, Dunhiarli, Arras and : Dounz; on tho Italian, Lyon, Grenohlo and Besancon, and on the Atlantic coast, Bochefort, Lorient and Brest. .