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LIFE’S TRODDEN PATH —OR— WEB, * WE rite F4TAL CHAPTER VII . jkkuton IN tub closet.” a lati' hour of nigbt when Ljford reached the spot where w i8 to meet him. He stood iM ol the grove. A soft ,1 softly through the head. He did not wait long—f°r the form of a appro ich.d the oak w th ,,coping boughs.” It obeyed ructions and he knew it H * WEAVE. 'b -T- 'K^F"=F, ^ 1 If I move Hinge over was jr s of the night were keep* ch 0 ver the slumbering world, many eyes, flaming with L fire, seemed to peer into fv hearts .of these men. i Halford held in one hand a ktitern and there was strapped L shoulder a strong leatl ern [nub swung down by bia side. [ his waist, a well worn belt, Lj by a short coat, held two Us and a small loaded club, til had taken tire precaution .using himself the best lie The night was dark, but not |lly so. The two men, after a Llnsptred conversation, moved sly out of the grave and stood public road, looking up aud Land listening intently. A venue opened up from the |de of ihe road, and at its ter- on a whi’e lenoe stood out. Lectral array of ghastly seutl- 1 now proceeded up this ave- |a large doable gate, which Ireuiuspecllv opened, aud en closed behind them. Here, , lines of a stately building but before them. lurd moved • on and Randall until they reached the steps Iveranda. After a brief pause Uber investigation the two bed and circled round the house, Lite directions. They met mi |th a window in the rear of the Not a light could be seen I listened ami all was still, lord opened the leatherd bag Ircw th refrom a ueculiarly, bed little instrument, which he luieriouglv, in unfastening the I blinds. After an unsuccess* lempt, however, to raise the Luther instrument was brought With this, Halford’s skill bd removed the glass while he »ie precaution to drop the old I that held it, into bis bag [so. He then located the lock I sash. The glass he removed |near it, he now reached his roiigli, and the sash was obe- hjs will, Again they look- I listened, but there was . not a |U> deter them in their nela- pideitakingg. two men now landed safelv | ruom—it was Mr. Coyne’s Halford threw a gleaming |rom the lantern, and locating 1 door, raised it, and descend- jiiuit stairway down into the The light was again thrown |d Randall, approaching the |f tnd of this musty apartment, p*l a brick from its massive I Re then threw his weight a knob, pushing it with all [Higtli he could command, when h'y the tumbles of a lock olick- I die holt that had secured this [door, a frame of iron inlaid j> r| ek and cement, yielded to Toiler's ruthless hand and jhack. A small iron crowbar, lusted, lay at his feet, with this l^d the door. It creaked and 1 on its rusty hinges, as though ling posture, immediately under the stringer of the steps. The suspense was terrible and portentous. I lie crickets chirp sounded like the wild, mad threats of a mob but Halford was more accustomed to was a funeral gravity about tin- af* mm mu, h difficulties and being of a fair that suggested the lust sad rites ua,fc * eB, > daring spirit proposed that they meet the danger boldly. For, said he, “If we have beeu discovered we will have to fight our way through sooner or later and at all hazards Rut I think it was that youngster who dropped in the room for ome- thing having just oome in from town, and us lie had no light he saw noth ing. He has now, probably, gone to bed.” This solution was a great relief to Randall, but be thought it prudent to remain a while longer, minutes seemed like hours—they waited, listened, and finally, Halford think ing it a waste of time to continue, peremptorily ordered his criminal vassal to arise and follow after him as he moved up the steps. Halford held his pistol in his hand as he cautiously ascended, and reach ing the top step threw the gleam of the lantern across the room. The sudden glare, as it happened, went full into the face of the oat. “Jimp- sy” sprang from the chair with such force that it was thrown to the floor and he shot out of the room as if he had been disenarged from the mouth of a gun. Edward had 1 oaken himself in his room and was deeply absorbed read ing “Lalla Rookh,” when he heard the noise below. He raised upstart- led and advanced to the door, but on opening it, be met bis favorite cat. ‘•Jimpsy” straightened out* stretched his body aud legs complacently, arch ed his back and begun to pur de murely. “Dont be so noisy, Jimpsy,” said Edward. “You almost frightened me. How am I to know whether it is you or burglars in the house.” Halford, however, observed the eat and as there was uo time to lose the trap was door hastily letdown. The burglars crept to the window where they had entered. Randall was in an excitable haste to get away. So, with out the loss of a moments lime, he swung down from the window sill and started off m a run, but Halford was out, loo, and brought him to a slop. “Hold on!” whispered Halford, “we are safe, but wait a minute That glass is to go back, sash must be let down and blinds closed. Randall’s impatience was misery but llalford was and expert. With a facility that was incredible the sacred room was left without a trace or sign of sacrilege. Out in the orchard, some distance in the rear of the house, two dark figures moved along, swiftly, from the premises which their unhallowed hands had dispoiled. TO BB CONTINUED over the grave. Halford came up and threw the gleaming light into its vaulted space. Randall fell back in dumb horror, while his companion stood motion less, with his head inclined forward, staring as<though some magic power had fixed him to the spot. There, in a sitting posture, supported by the angles of the wall, was the grue some skeleton of a man. In the rear-right-hand corner of the vault was a small iron safe, supposed to contain treasure. Its bright, nickel plated disc stood out in relief from the japanned door, like the fierce eye of a cyclop. Halford entered, and taking a drill from his tool bag, begun to bore in ti the steel harries. After working hard for sometime l.e succeeded in makiug an opening and now placing dynamite in the aperture and adjust ing a fuse he withdrew, closing the vault door behind him. A muffled report told that the safe had been blowu open, and again prizing open the door he allowed the smoke and fumes to escape, when he re-entered, guided by the light of the lantern. R tndall stood off at some distance, ii the dark, and knowing that he obeyed no impulse of his owu he felt strangely bewildered. A chillness, which he had never known before, came creeping over him. He tried to stand still and planting his feet firmly on the ground folded his arras over his breast in a vice like grip. Halford secured the treasure, and Mr. Coyne’s hoarded gold was now in adept hands that could scatter it to the four corners of the earth. Halford withdrew from;the vault aud called to Randall in a low whis per. Then the huge door was .dosed and locked, the brick replaced. All signs, that could have indicated depredation, were removed. The light of the lantern was shut off aud these two gentlemen prepar ed to escape. They directed their steps back to the short stairway and had reached the lower step when, quite unexpectedly, a key turned in the look of the library door. Fright ened at the probability of detection and apprehending the dreadful crime which Halford had determined on in the event of discovery, Randall com pletely lost all control of himself The suspense became unendurable, and bolding a loaded revoler in bis hand, lie raised it slowly, placed the muzzle to his temple and in au in stant, a flash, a report, and he would have fallen lifeless to the hard ground if Halford had not, at that moment, touched his arm and whispered to him that he thought the person, who ever it may have been, had left the room, It was foitunate for Edward that he did not discover them. He bad just returned from the village where he had spent the evening, visiting Miss Nellie Newell, and bad enter ed the library for a volume of “Moore’s Poems” which he had left on a table, near door, sometime dur ing the day. Not desiring to disturb his mother and sister he had tip toed along down the hali-way and secur ing the book, proceeded to ascend the stairs to his room on the second floor. He left the library The Albany Herald says that when congress meets it will reduce the sur plus all right enough by spending it. On June 28, 1776, says the Patri otic Review, a force of less than 100 Carolinians, under command of Moultrie, protected by the rude for tification on Sullivan’s Island in Charleston harbor, made of the trunks of the palmetto, repulsed the attack- of a British fleet under com mand of Sir Peter Parker, and when the state of South Carolina was or ganized, the state sesl, which was first us3d in May, 1777, was made to door | commemorate this victory. A palm ajar, however, and now “Jimpsy,” J tree, growing erect on the seashore, the large Maltese cat, knowing that j represents tbe strength <M the fort, its presence was forbidden in that | while at its base an oak tree, torn sacred apartment, but led by its way- f ro m the ground and deprived of its 1 a »•« * „ . i ll- .La D«Wiali ward disobedient nature, deliberate- r lj- marched in and fettled down in a to ^ ‘ksturbed after all these j chair near the trap door, for a nap. of silence. Aside from an] q^e tw0 m en remained quiet, “ fr »U and vermin | lo th«ir various holes branches, recalls, the British fleet, built of oak timber, overcome by the palmetto. , For Sris-class job work, call at the scampering awa ,tlng further developments, hav- soles there lnir concealed themselves, m a sq is.- Searcu Lg la n a "Uniformity" Ftgt.1 "The atiemp to prejudice the people of Georgia against tne stale school commissioner will fail,” Slid a prom inent school official in the arcade last night. “An increasingly large num ber of people "are aware tint the commissioner has been the object of much political persecution ever since he announced himself opposed to slate uniformnity of text books. He was threatened last year with los- of his office if lie did not withdraw hia opposition to this measure. Back of all this war on the commiasioner are two or ihree text book companies, and about a dozen secret * agents of ihese concerns. These companies and their aides are spreading abroad many misrepresentation* about the commissioner. They are endeavors ing in every way possible to drag in to their schemes some good men who are expeoted to be the catspaws to rake oertain chestnuts out of tbe fire —but their plaus are doomed to fuil. At the proper lime the people will be made acquainted with all the facts and the whole scheme will be expos- sed.” “Do yon think there was a pre meditated soherao to injure the com missioner?” I asked. “Undoubtedly there was, and there is still such a scheme. Borne of the schemers were in couference here in Atlanta last Saturday. They eame from several suctions of the statu-at whose expense those who know Ihe purpose of tbe war ou the commis sioner are at no loss to understand. There is little doubt that the trial of the commissioner for libel will reveal to the public the true origin of this political persecution, and make prom inent the names of publishers aud others that have not yet been heard of. The plot to prevent the comm i siouer’s re-eleotion is one of the most iuieiestiug ever eoncouted iu Geor gia, and it will certaiuly arouse the indignation of all iair-minded peo ple.” The Bavarian Postmaster General has just concluded the installation of a system of wireless telegraphy be tween tbe meteorological observato ry on top of Lugspitze, and the pos tal station, Elbsee, at it* base. IIco- tofore during the winter months the meteorologist has been practically isolate from Lite rest of tbe world; as the roads use irapassrble and the tele phone system has not been saliafac tory, owing to the liability of the cables to become damaged. Tins station, on the highest peak in Ger many, has an altitude of 9,870 feet. Many difficulties were encountered in carrying out the installation, oue being the lack of powerful electric generators at either end. Fortunately it was found )>o-sibl6 to carry areial Iran-misiou between the two points with a battery of dry cells. Tbe deflections of the waves due to the nature of the slope, which it was feared would seriously itilerfeie with the signalling, have not proved im portant.’ The whole installation is said to havo satisfied' all require ments, and has been declared work able by the Bavarian postmaster geueral, wiio, according to the Lon don Electrical Engineer, is now turn ing his attention to a proposal to connect the observatory with Par tenkircben, a place about three times as far away as Ribsee, at the base of tbe peak. TOT CAUSE* NIGHT ALARM "Oue ni ht my brother's baby was taken with Croup,” writes Mrs. J, C. Snider, of Crittenden, Ky., "it seemed it would strangle before we could get d'Jctor, so we gave it Dr. King's New Discovery, which gave quick relief aud permanently cured it, We always keep it in tbe house to protect our children from Croup and Whooping Cough. It cuffed me of a chronic bronchial trouble that no other remedy would relieve.” IiifcUible for Coughs, Colds, Throat and Lum troubles. 50c and 91.00. Trial botefn bee at K. L. Hicks. A POSTAL AN INCIDENT Of REVOLUTIONARY DAYS IN CONNECTICUT. A Letter From the Frost That Caase •ad W«ul sail Came Avals ta Stay. The First llnral Free Delivery Is Mansfield Tows, The arrlvnl of the^first batch of let ters after the establishment of rural free delivery In MnnaOeld, Conn., re called to an aged Indy of that town a postal Incident remembered in her family for 120 years. “My mother al ways cried when she told tbe story,” ■be sold. When my mother was a little girl, the narrator went on. to have one’s let ters regularly brought and banded In at th* door would have seemed a miracle of privilege, and to get them without pnyiug postage would have been another. Mails were so slow and uncertain that the safe arrival of an expected letter by any means was an event lu a country family, with the postofflee mil.'- away. Sometimes the .delivery was helped along by volunteer carriers—a farmer going home from the grist mill. ,a housewife returning from market town with her - bin gains of lamp oil. West India molne-e., am' green tea, or even a. passing peddler with bis load of tin- wure and corn brooms. In the old war time th*r army bud |K>st riders, but they were few aud far between. My gruudl'iiiher was a soldier of tbe Itevo.lut!on. uml grandmother kept the home tire burning here, aud provided for their tltn *■ children ns well ns she could white tie was at the front. AU summer sire bail heard no word of him, and when one uutuniu day a uiuu lu a military cloak rode to the door on a white horse l.er heart beat quick. “Does llntii Fuller live here?" he says, holding u thick letter In his hand. “Yes. I ant Ituth fuller,” and grand mother readied eagerly for the letter, for she saw the nddress In her hua< baud's handwriting. “The postage Is 2 Hbllilu’8.” Grandmother's eouutouuuce fell, fot* there wasn't so much money Id the house. “Guess you don’t know me.” remark ed the mail, opeulng Ids cape and lip ping hack his cocked hat. hut still hold ing the letter, She knew hint thou—an enemy capable of a mean revenge. “Ah, yes. you remember Tom Turner and bow iir qsketl you to marry him atui you give him 'No. I thankee.' and took John Fuller. 1 wasn't good Enough io marry ye. lull I'm good enough now to bring ye letters from the limn that did. nml I'm good enough to charge ye a steep price for gain' out o’ tuy wny. Bo hand over your 2 sliillln's and tali* your letter." The poor wopinn told him she had uo money. To lie held up In this lien riles* and insulting wny was it bitter hurt to her. Her grief watt deeper than her resentment, hut she was too proud to let the cruel fellow *»' her weep. "I will get you a good dinner." she said, "and feed you-- horse and give you a pain or idee long slocking;!." It was u humiliation to plead with Tom Turner, l.ut she eon Id do no less. “Money or notUm'," he says, and he put the letter In bis pocket and rod* awny. Grandmother went Into tbe bouse and sat down and ei'led. and her chil dren. clinging about her, cried too. During her long mouths of waiting, at odd hours she Imd spun and woven doth and sewed garments a-.rs knitted woolen stockings' for John's winter comfort, trusting to find some wny to ■end them to him. Now the messenger had come and gone who could at least have carried word, and he hail refused even to give Iter her husband's letter. “Mo, God knows wlmt the had man did,” sobiied out* of. the little ones. “He knows wlmt nice tilings you’ve made for pa. anil he'll send a good man next time.” Tbe lathy's thought relieved the moth er's despair, nml the three lonely hearts prayed and waited anxiously for thf “next time." ami. sure enough, before winter eunte they saw the sutne white horse galloping toward ihe house. '“He's brought the li'tter Imck!" they all cried out together, for they ladleved tbe rid er to be the snute mao. Grandmother rushed from the door with all her children. The horseman held out the name letter, and as he gravely put It Into hrr bands she glanced up to his f.-ice and screamed for Jcy. “John! It Is you!” It did not take her husband long' to tell the rest of the story 'lout Turner had returned to headquarters, and one night, made talkative by an extra ra tion of rum. he hail brngget) bow. he “got even" with au old sweetheart who Jilted him. His exploit reached the ears of tils commaidlng officer, who took assy hi* commission and put my grand rather In his place, Tbe new post rider bafl brought bla own letter to bis wife. It was the first rural free delivery In ; Mansfield •: town.— Youth* Companion. \ V ■ * v It la easy enough to smllewhon you tread upon rose leaven, but.try It wlieii each step leaves blood prints upon th* thorns. Some «f tbft Uo*. In you? Cac* mi. Jwwwrt!