Newspaper Page Text
In the chamber, reft and bar*.
When the soul may BOt veep.
Come* tealing in the nurse, Derisir,
And <>iug it off to aleeji.
An Awkward Mistake
By Helen Forrest Graves.
iijti, 1 "“’imx'i X(t A(i !■* I) to be married,
\zy 'S Cousin Abigail? la it really
true?"
SZJ I .It tic Dorothy Wiillttec
fit?. * ooke(l up ln > < the sober
* face of her forty-year-old
spinster relative with delighted expec
tation and maiden curiosity. Mlhk Abi
gail Peiidasset laughed rather awk
wardly,
"Well, I atippoae it muHt be, Dotty,
becauae, you aee, here is the dlanioml
ring on the forefinger of my left hand,
and there arc? the dressmakers hard to
work In the little hack parlor. If It
wasn't for those two things I might
think the whole affair moonshine."
“And does he love you. Cousin Abi
gail, very, very much?”
“lie says so?”
“Oh!" sighed Dorothy, "it must he
so nice to have a real lover all of one's
own!"
“Have you one, Dolly?”
Dorothy colored rudiantly, and her
eyes Involuntarily fell.
“I—l don't know, Cousin Abigail."
"Then I’d make it my business to
find out if I were you,” said Miss Pon
dnsset, rather tartly. “Don't let any
of the fellows play fast add loose sHth
you. Dotty. I didn’t.”
“But, Abigail, you are so different”
"Different? I'm a woman. I suppose,
and unite as liable to he made a fool
of as any oilier of my sex. We’re all
fools. Dotty, to a certain extent. And
now mind wlmt I say to you, uml don’t
stand any flirting.”
“But yon haven't told me bis name
yet. Cousin Abigail,” interposed Dor
othy, evidently rather anxious to
change the subject. "Is It Squire Peck
ham?"
"Squire I'cckham? No. indeed; what
nonsense is the child talking? It is
Captain Summerson,”
“Captain Summerson!"
"Yes; Isn’t It a pretty name?” said
Miss Abigail, with more of maidenly
consciousness than Dorothy had ever
before seen her exhibit. “He’s as
handsome as u picture, too; is In the
regular army, and, to say the truth, a
few years younger than I am. He'll be
here this evening, and you shall he in
troduced, Dotty. You’ll like him—ev
erybody likes him."
Dorothy Wallace sat with downcast
eyes, and a round pink spot on each
cheek, while Miss Abigail. I lie frost
work of her reserve now fairly broken
through, chatted on and told her nil
the incidents, pnst and present, of her
engagement to this Adonis of tile reg
ular army.
“Now I said to him, the very night
he proposed,” wound up Miss Abigail,
"that I had the prettiest little cousin
In the world, whom I should write to
at once, to come and lie my bridesmaid.
So here you are. Dotty, ami you must
come In and ace the pink silk I have
selected for your bridesmaid's dross."
"Did you toll him my name?"
, "Yes, of oour*e. Why?"
“Oh. it's sneli a funny, old fas’!
loned liniiio," laughed Dorothy, rather
constrainedly, "Come, let's go and
look at tile silk!”
Captain Alfred Summerson called as
usual that night. He was a tall, hand
some, sentimental young fellow, tell
good years the junior of ills bride-elect,
with no end of poetical quotations on
Ills lips, and the most seductive way
imaginable of lowering his voice to a
whisper when lie on me near a pretty
woman. He was dressed In a suit of
dove-color, which was unusually be
coming to ills dark, rich beauty, and
was formally introduced to Miss Pen
dassot’s cousin.
"You needn't color up so. Potty!" said
Miss Abigail, laughing; "Alfred won't
oat you up!”
"Is It necessary for my fair tluneee to
go ball for n.v harmless disposition.
Miss Wallace?” sighed the captain, in
his most honeyed tones.
Dorothy did not answer. She only
slltched on at her work with increased
diligence.
The day* went by. the wedding day
at the old IVndasset manor house drew
nearer and nearer. Miss Abigail was,
to use her own expression, more forci
ble than eloquent, "over head and ears"
In the manifold preparations for the
coming event. I.ittle Dorothy Wallace
helped her with steal enough for half a
doien. and nobody. In the hurry of llte
occasion, noticed how pale and thin
the child was getting.
' Mercy upon ns!" said Miss Abigail,
with a little sigli, “I shall be glad when
it Is all over!"
"So shall I!" echoed Dorothy, almost
lnauuibly.
It was Just a week before the day
appointed for the wedding, a balmy
September twilight, ami Captain Sum
merson, later than usual, arrived on his
usual visit.
"Is your mistress at home?" he asked
of Hester Brya. the head factotum.
'Miss Abby Is to hum." jerked out
Hester, who, besides heartily disliking
tlie captain, was too republican a New
Englander to recognise any created
female as tier “mistress."
"Where is she?”
"In the settlo’ roong "
"And Miss 1 birot by?"
•She's In the little south room, where
the plants is.”
“Very well, my good woman, that
TWO NURSES.
But in some watch, ere night be dead,
Another takes her place;
At dawn, above the soul's dim bed,
Hope bends her beaming face.
—Agnes Lee, in Dippincott's.
will do; you needn't bring lights at
present," said the captain, gayly tiptoe
ing off, down tile broad, matted pas
sage.
“flood woman, indeed,” muttered
Hester, turning her head; “I ain’t his
good woman, and Pm thankful to
Providence there ain’t no chance of my
ever being. I do bilove Miss Abigail
.left her common sense behind her when
she promised to marry him. But
there's no fool like an old fool,” and
Hester descended into the kitchen,
treading somewhat of her resentment
under her quick, emphatic footsteps ns
she came.
And tile captain, instead of proceed
ing at once, as a ll;ge lord should have
done to the sitting room w'hcre he had
been told that his intended bride await
ed him, turned down another corridor
Hint led to a pretty little south room,
Its glased walls checkered with the
Indistinct shades of foliage from the
vines outside.
Starlight and twilight together dis
closed only a solitary llgtiro sitting
there. The captain stole toward It.
“Dotty, my darling."
A slight stnrt, that was ail the an
swer he received.
“Dotty, love, why are you so silent?”
He half knelt lteulde her, taking pos
session of the hand that tiling listlessly
by her side. "Now. 1 know you are
angry with me, but Is it my fault?
You should pity me rather, for being
tied for life to a cankered old maid,
with nothing to sweeten the bitter dose
but the money bags she represents.
What else can I do? You do not know
you never can know-how wretchedly
I am fettereil by those confounded
debts which must lie paid. I nm a
drowning man, and Abigail Pcmlassct
Is file straw that I cling to. I know,
ns well as you do. that she is old, ugly
and unattractive, hut she Is ruy fate.
I cannot avoid her. Dear Dotty, you
have refused to allow me one single
chance to speak to you since wo have
met, lmt I have not forgotten the de
lightful days at bum Branch, and
never shall. I love you now as dearly
as I did then. I shall always love
you, and you only, Dotty. There is no
reason why you shouldn’t spend half
your time at Peudasset House Manor,
Dotty, If you play your cards well.
We may be very happy yet. and—hush,
who the deuce Is that?"
The sound of approaching footsteps
broke In upon the lete-a-teke- and the
next moment Captain Summerson
found himself alone.
His visit that evening was unusually
pleasant. Miss Abigail was in the
highest spirits, nml even Dorothy, Wal
lace was a trifle more sprightly than
tier ordinary mood. Captain Summer
soil stayed late and. after lie was
gone, Abigail wont into her cousin's
room.
"Dotty," says she. “I’ve found out a
tiling or two!”
Dorothy looked tip,
"What are they, Abigail?"
"One's that you used to know rap
tain Suminerson at Long ltmnclt."
"It is quite true," said Dorothy,
calmly.
"Why didn't you tell me before?”
“What was the use? He chose to
meet me as a stranger- why should 1
rake up the past?"
"Yet you eared for him once'."
“Once—hut not now.”
"Are you quite sure?"
"Vos, quite."
“I am glad of that. Dotty Wallace,"
said Miss Abigail. In a voice that
trembled slightly, as she reached out to
clasp the other’s hand iu hers. "Yes.
I'm heartily glad because, if you have
trampled the thing called love under
your feet, I can do the same, and 1
will.”
“Abigail, what do you mean?"
The bride-elect laughed hoarsely.
"Only that the captain made a little
mistake to-night. 1 was sitting by my
self in the south room, and he mistook
our Identity- lie thought he was talking
to you. A ‘cankered old maid' that
was the polite epithet he applied to the
woman lie has pledged himself to
marry within the week; and he went
on to vow that he always had loved
you. and always should, although he
couldn't make you his wife!”
And Miss Abigail proceeded to un
bosom herself of the whole story, Dor
othy listening, pale, quiet and silent.
"And what shall you do. Cousin Abi
gail?" she asked, when dually the
spinster came to a full stop.
"Do? What did you do when you
discovered that the man was a villain?
Cast him off, to be sure."
"And break your heart?”
"My heart isn't made of suoli brittle
materials, fortunately," said Miss Abi
gail. with a grim smile. "We will
both see him to-morrow. Dotty, and
we'll send him about his business with
as little delay as possible."
When Captain Alfred Suminerson
called the next day. he was ushered
into the presence of Miss Pendasset
and her cousin, sitting together in the
south room.
"Well, captain." said his promised
bride, composedly "which Is it?"
"Which is what?" demanded the
somewhat puzzled son of Mars.
“The one yon made love to in t*re
last night? Ah, yon don’t quite oom-
I
prebend. You thought it was Dorothy
W r ailace, hut it was I. Beware of love
in the twilight, captain; it makes an
awkward tangle, sometimes. In this
case It lias opened my eyes to the fact
that you are a villain. Dorothy, I be
lieve, knew it long before, and neither
of 11s cares to have the pleasure of your
acquaintance any longer. Hood morn
ing. captain.”
“Gpod morning, captain,” sweetly
echoed Dorothy, with a malicious
sparkle In her eyes.
"But, ladles," began the bewildered
young man.
Miss Pend asset rang the bell vio
lently.
“Hester, show the captain to the
door. If he should ever call again,
you needn’t admit him.
And thus sneaked the valiant Cap
tain Alfred Summerson out of the
substantial old manor bouse, which he
had hoped so soon to call his own.
Nor was honest Hester's chuckle, as
she bolted the door behind him, the
least of all bis mortifications.
“I guess, my dear,” shrewdly ob
served Miss Pendassot. ‘it will lie
some time before he makes love again
to two at a time.”—New York Weekly.
HIGH COLLARS CAUSE HEADACHE
Moreover, They Are ISad For One'*
Verre, Thin Men Hey*.
“You inay not know it, old fellow, but
there is a very Intimate connection be
tween the high collar and the head
ache,” said an observant man, “and I
have proved my faith in the statement
by refusing to wear collars of the
high sort. It is a bad business, iny
boy. High collars choke up the vein*
and arteries and Interfere to some ex
tent with the circulation of the blood
in the neck and bead. Do not under
stand me to be knocking any particular
brand of high collars. So far as the
appearance of ttie high collar is con
cerned, I confess that I like it.
‘‘ln my own ease It has been a great
blessing In at least one way, for fel
lows with long necks, you know, do no't
look so well when you harness them up
In low collars. My neck is long, long
as a crane’s, and the high collar has
kept me from leaving too much of It
exposed. Why, I've go so much neck
that when I first began to wear low col
lars I was almost ashamed to venture*
out into the street. I felt like I was
but half dressed, and the feeling was
not so far wrong at that, for the low
collar does leave a good part of my
anatomy open and above board, as It
were. But this fact docs not bother
me now. I simply don't care at all.
Exposed neck Is a whole lot better than
headaches, and you know, old chappy,
I was speaking of headaches just now.
That's what I wanted to tell you about.
The high collar docs something more
than interfere with one's circulation.
It scratches and irritates the skin,
keeps one chin st an unreasonable, un
comfortable and unnatural angle, and
causes one to acquire a nervous frigid
ity sort of habit.
"When you meet your friend who is
In the habit of wearing a high collar
pay particular attention to the way he
moves nml holds his head. It Isn't at
nil natural. It is ail due to the high
collar. Mark you. there are high col
lars. and high collars. Some of them
approach rationalism In neck dress.
Others are about ns far from It as it
Is possible to get without engulfing the
whole head. But, of course, every fel
low to his own liking in those matters.
I wear low collars because they are
comfortable, and because I believe the
high collar is a producer of headaches
and a bad tiling for one's nerves gen
erally."—Dallas News,
A Nervy Hold-l'p.
Alexander Krlckson was the braves,
man 1 ever saw. lie was a small man.
He arrested criminals and desperadoes
without even a pocket knife :n his
hand. The conselouanes of someone
hurting hint was entirely foreign to
his nature. As an officer he carried a
pistol, not ns an Inthnldator. but ns an
“executioner.”
Within my time in Texas (and I am
not an old man, either! two stage
coaches containing about twenty-three
passengers were stopped and all the
valuables of the passengers taken by
one man. The robber made them all
stand in a row and “hand over." The
route was only traveled by one coach,
but on account of the large number of
passengers an additional coach was put
on that day. The robber stopped the
first eoiuh and made the passengers
get out. When the passengers til the
first coach were lined up the second
coach made Its appearance. He made
them get out and then told them he
didn't expect two coaches. That was
nerve. A .lew Insisted on retaining
enough of his money to get his dinner
The robber took all and then gave bitr
back fifty cents, and the Jew got into
an argument with him as to tho
amount being sufficient to get a meal
That was cheek. The robber went of*
with all the money of the twonty-thre*
passengers, ard yet there were many
brave men in that enravnn. but discre
tion was the better part of valor. A
shot from one of the twenty-three
would have caused the robher to shoot,
and several would have been killed.
That’s the way they looked at it. A
Thompson, Erickson or Woodlief would
not have hesitate*!. Discretion was tin
last thing any of them would have
thought of. it never would have oc
curred to them that somebody was go
ing to be hurt.—Correspondence iu For
est and Stream.
The Cycle Crops.
TJnch man in the Russian cyelis*
corps carries a certain amount of lug
gage on his bicycle, consisting of a cup
per driuking cup and cooking vessel,
a small canteen and the same amoun
of ammunition as an ordinary infan
trymnn. The cavalry carry leather or
skin sacks, which, inflated, serve at
floats for both man and horse when
crossing rivers.
$7,500 Cash Contest
THE ATLANTA CONSTITUTION’S
Great New Offer Upon Receipts of Cotton at All
United States Ports From September Ist, 1903,
to May Ist, 1904, Both Inclusive.
Contest Opened Jan. 18th, 1904. Closes April 20th, 1904,
DIVISION OF PRIZES.
For the exact, or the nearest to the exact, estimate of the total number of Bales
of Cotton received at all United States ports from September Ist, 1903, to May
Ist, I 904, both inclusive S 2.600.00
For the next nearest estimate. - 1,000.00
For the next nearest estimate 600.00
For the B next nearest estimate, #23.00 each 125.00
For the lO next nearest estimates, 12.50 each 125.00
For tho 20 next nearest estimates, 10,00 each 200.00
For the BO next nearest estimates, 8.00 each 260.00
Forthe lOOnext nearest estimates, 3.00 each 300.00
$ 5,000.00
Additional Offers for Best Estimates
Made Durins Different Periods
of the Contest.
For convenience the time of the con
test is divided into estimates received
by The Constitution during four pe
riods —the first period covering from
the beginning of contest to February fc>
10, 1904; second period, from Febru
ary 10 to March 1, 1904; third period.
March 1 to 20; fourth period, March
20 to April 20, 1904. We will give
the best estimate received during
each period (in addition to whatever
other prize it may take, or if it tako
no prize at all), the sum of $125.00.
Tho four prizes thus offered at
1128.00 each amount to $ 500.00
Conditions of Sending Estimates in This Port Receipts Contest.
Subject to the usual conditions, as stated regularly in The Constitution each week, the contest
is now on. Attention is called to the following summary of conditions;
1. Send SI.OO for The Weekly Conetitution one year and with it ONE ESTIMATE in the contest.
2. Rend 50 cents for Tho Sunny South one year and with it ONE ESTIMATE in the contest.
3. Send $1.25 for The Weekly Constitution and Sunny South both one year, and send TWO ES
TIMATES in the contest—that is, one estimate for The Constitution and another for The Sunny South.
4. Send 50 cents for ONE ESTIMATE alone in the contest IF YOU DO NOT WANT A SUB
SCRIPTION. Such a remittance merely pays for the privilege of sending tho estimate. If you wish to
make a number of estimates on this basis, you may send THREE ESTIMATES FOR EVERY SI.OO for
warded at the same time estimates are sent. If as many as ten estimates are received at the same time
without subscriptions, the sender may forward them with only s3.oo—this splendid discount being of
fered for only ten estimates in one order. A postal card receipt will be sent for ALL ESTIMATES RE
CEIVED WITHOUT SUBSCRIPTIONS. Where subscriptions are ordered. THE ARRIVAL OF THE PA
PER ITSELF IS AN ACKNOWLEDGMENT THAT YOUR ESTIMATE HAS BEEN RECEIVED AND IS
CAREFULLY RECORDED
5. The money and the subscription and the estimate mur,t come in tho name envelope every time.
The estimate, the money and the subscription go together. THIS RULE TS POSITIVE.
Secretary Hester’s Figures Covering: the Period of the Contest.
total port receipts. BALES IN COTTOM CROP.
from i.t I' l l.t \t.r finp'n:v,> This 1. miT-’ly ,- TOUT intwmt‘>n and i.
M .F.onu f following *. TU* period covered by this ~t tin- ui >■•■. .ifthi. |>rrfnl conUMt. Itl
COITUS StXSUN. content. give-. .r, additional aid to an intelli
gent CKliaiAlc.
1807-98 8,333.902 11,199,094
1898- 7.993.48' .11.274.940
1899- - 6.843,134 10,383 4L2
1900- 0,340,312 0,426,416
1901- 7,218,179 10.030,080
1902- 7,378 627 10,727,539
The figures above are certified by Secretory Henry U. Hester, of the New Orleans Cotton Exchange, who will
furnish the official figure* to decide this contest. cj
Address All Orders to THE ATLANTA CONSTITUTION, Atlanta, Ca.
The strength of two horses equals
that of fifteen men.
The cinematograph is being put to
novel us*' by l’aris surgeons in teach
ing students bow to perform various
surgical operations.
Ileruu-ticnUy scaled glass coffins are
coming in vogue iu French cities. It
is asserted that a body buried In a
glass coffin becomes mummified in
about thirty years.
(treat Britain Is to hare a habitual
criminal law resembling those of acme
of our States. The plan now under
consideration is that of an industrial
penal settlement for the special benefit
of such "habltuals." where special ef
forts would be made to reform them.
Its band and Its wonderful intelli
gence give the monkey advantage over
all other lower animals. It cannot well
endure cold and temperate climates
and tills fact, it is suggested, has pre
vented the close association with ui.hu
tlmt would hare made the monkey the
most useful of domestic animals.
Anew invention for transmitting
souud under water has been tested by
the Metropolitan Steamship Company
and the captains report that they hare
heen able, invariably, to locate accu
rately the Boston lightship, upon which
a submerged bel! was being rung, when
approaching at full speed at a distance
of three miles and upward.
The AH*shUcsi nf Ahc-sce.
Children who are inattentive, diso
bedient and altogether disagreeable
with their mother will almost change
their character when their father
comes in from his business, not nec
essarily that they lore him better than
they do their mother, but beenuse he
is fresh and new and interesting: a
delightful person because he is a nov
elty, „
Avery rich woman said once that
she visited her children in the nursery
once a day. Whatever the presaur.- or
her engagements, the hours from 5 to
? were kept sacred t the children. To
TWO GRAND CONSOLATION OFFERS.
First—For distribution among
those estimates (not taking any of
the above 188 prizes) coming within
500 bales either way of the exact
figures $ 1,000.00
Second —For distribution among
those estimates (not taking any of
the above 188 prizes and not shar
ing the first consolation offer) com
ing within 1,000 bales cither way
of the exact figures 1,000 OO
Crand Total 37,600 OO
Incase of a tie on any prize estimate the
money will beoqually divided.
her children she is, and always will
be. a sort of goddess, a wonderful be
ing. who never scolds nor spanks, but
reads to them and plays mid talk* with
them, then flits away, to return for the
same dear programme to-morrow, und
to-morrow, and all the days. She is
an advent to them, a eonstaut joy.
When two people with personalities
of their own spend nil the time togeth
er, is it any wonder if each loses some
thing of the delight that ought to come
from the companionship? It is better
for some women to try systematically
to escape from their children once in
a while, both for the children's sake
and the mother's. Children are pleased
to see the mother when they meet af
ter a parting, and all enjoy each oth
er's society much better for the part
ing.
Does ail this sound heretical? Weil,
it is worth while to observe when one
has the opportunity, and see if "Judg
ment in absence” is not an excellent
thing.—Chicago Journal.
Fortune in 1 nan*wer**<l Letter.
The recent death of lord Raw on.
Disraeli's secretary and the executor
of his estate, brought to light the fol
lowing explanation of bow Mrs.
Itrydges Wlliyams came to leave her
; fortune to Lord Beaconsfield: "Dizzy
; received one morning a letter from
Mrs. Wlliyams—whom he did not know
—in which she said that she had read
his novels with much interest, and
would like to make his acquaintance.
She also asked a question which ren
dered it necessary for him to answer
the letter. Unfortunately, the letter
was left in his greatcoat pocket, anil
Dizzy did not wear the coat until sev
eral months after, when he happened
! to be in the south of England, and in
j the very town in which Mrs. Wlliyams
| lived. Coming across the letter In such
j circumstances it occurred to him to
j call upon her. ami Mrs. Willy ams was
i go flattered at. as she thought, his rar
| rying the letter so long about him.
j and then calling, that she decided on
j leaving him her fortune! That shows
I how wise it is not to answer letters,”
added Lord Raw ton.
The Dairy tuple Coree.
In reference to the supposed curse
pronounced on the descendants of the
first Earl of Stair, unhappily, notorious
for his connection with the massacre of
Glencoe, a Scottish correspondent in
forms os that the actual words of the
original curse are still extant, In the
words (and terrifying words they arei
of a Gaelic poem written by Jean Mac
donald. the sole survivor of a Urge
family that perished in the massacre, j
The last three lines run thus: “May ]
fear and terror haunt their pillows!
May their wives ever prove barren.
And my thousand curses attend them"' I
A startling comment on this maledic
tion is that the second, third, fourth,
sixth, seventh and eighth Earls of
Stair all died without issue—a circum
stance probably unique in the auuals.
of the peerage. The family of tli<‘ 7]
first (the Glencoe) earl became entirely |'
extinct in 1840, and the succession J
passed to the desendnnt* o* his nexr
brother. Sir James Dairy tuple, from
whom came down, of course, the much
respected peer just licensed.— London
Daily Chronicle.
I'rinrt- Cntild.
Prince .Tor,ah Kuhlo Kalaniaaole. the
delegate to Congress from Hawaii. Is
known in official circles as Minister
Kuhlo, but is usually refcrrel to by
his nickname. Prince Cupid, acquired
while at school in San Francisco.
There are now 28,411 Indian pupil* r
In government schools. j
To apply for a position when yon*
are out of work by telephone is one
of the latest manifestations of the
universal convenience of long-distance!
talking, onsetves the Boston Tran-> ,
script. No need now to advise the ins i
pecunious young man to borrow twen j
ty-flve dollars —of somebody else —foi f
anew suit, hat and gloves in ©rdt:
;hat he may give out the imgiressiei
of not being poor. The man at the
’phone will listen only to the qwaiitj
of his utterance and will not be sf
fected by the color of the tie tb
youth has on. The net saving, there
fore, of getting a Job over the wire, }
supposing that the young man has to 1
call up fifty different business men, is
twenty dollars —a tidy little sum to
ward staving off the assignment-of
wages man Great is modern economy.
Maude—What proof have 1 that you
care for me?
Jamie—Didn't I climb three moun
tains in one day last summer Just to .
be near you?