Democratic Sentinel, Volume 20, Number 51, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 25 December 1896 — Page 5

LOVE AND MONEY

CHAPTER X.

"Miss Rooden wants to see me?” said <3aptain Wynyard doubtfully, as Angela’s maid delivered her message the next morning. “Are you quite sure that there is no mistake?” 1 “Quite sure, sir,” replied Jane. “Miss Rooden told me to see you before you ■went out, and ask if she cotfid see you." A few minutes later Angela, in all the grace of her girlish beauty, entered the room. The Captain was a stranger to fear, but he winced before the reproachful eyes of this young girl. “You want to see me, Angela?” he said, somewhat nervously. “Yes,” she replied, gravely. “I will not detain you long. Captain Wynyard,” she began, in a clear, low Voice, “you are my mother’s husband, and I do not wish to say anything that is disrespectful, but I cannot endure to see my mother suffer as she does without doing something to help her. > “My dear Angela,” he said, with just a trace of annoyance in his manner, “your Interest in me is most charming. I am grateful to you. But. do you not think it would be better that these little matters should be discussed between your mother and myself?” “No, I do not,” she replied; and her courage in speaking compelled him to listen. “My mother is not strong, and she is so sensitive that what would not affect another woman is keen pain to her. Do you know,” she continued, indignantly, “that’my mother is so changed, so ill, so miserable, that her very life is in danger?” Could she be mistaken? Was it a flash of light that she saw in hjs eyes, an expression of relief that she noted in his face, a something that came quickly and went quickly, and was rather gladness than pain? A pang went to her heart as she noticed it. “You know,” continued Angela, “why It is unpleasant for my mother to remain in Brighton; and I wish to say that I have persuaded her to return with me to Rood.” “Just as you will,” he said, carelessly. “There,” remarked Angela, “my mother will not be made miserable. She will not have obtruded on her notice every hour of the day that which makes her most unhappy. I shall take her away.” It was well for her that she could not Bee the look of hatred which followed her.’ 3 It was well that she could not read the evil thoughts of the man who had so completely ruined her mother’s life. Captain Wynyard tried to laugh at what had passed—to sneer at it; but the grave, noble face of the young girl rose before him; the pure, reproachful eyes would not leave him. Shortly afterward he went to his wife’s room, and said, loud enough for the maids to hear: “So, Laura, Angela has persuaded you to return to Rood. lam sorry that Brighton does not suit you.” Lady Laura made no answer; nor were the maids deceived by the regretful words of the Captain. “I am sorry that I cannot run down with you myself,” he continued; “but your decision has been so sudden, and I have so many engagements, I cannot leave just at present.” Still no remark fell from his wife. Her thoughts had flown back to the pier and the u two figures she had seen passing to and fro in the dusk of the evening. “Good-by, Laura,” he said, drawing nearer to her. “Good-by,” she returned, coldly. “Have you anything to say to supplement your daughter’s most dutiful -address to me?” he asked. “I have nothing to say,” she replied. He was surprised at the change which had come over his wife, and half sighed as he left the room. At noon Lady Laura Wynyard and Angela left the Grand Hotel for Rood, and the Captain was left to his own devices. He‘did not feel quite so happy as he had expected, notwithstanding the greater freedom he now enjoyed. Every one seemed to think his wife’s sudden departure rather strange, and people looked curiously at him when he spoke of Brighton not suiting her. “It is Angela’s fault,” the Captain said to himself. “Laura would not have gone but for her; she would never have had the courage to concoct such a scheme.” And he hated his wife’s fair young daughter with a hate that was to lead him—whither?

CHAPTER XI. Captain Wynyard did not find it all sunshine at Brighton. Lady Kinloch, roused t® indignation by the fact that he had allowed the ladies of his family to travel without an escort to Rood, while he remained idly at the seaside, gave orders to her servant to say that she was not at home when he called; and from that time she kept a closer watch on Gladys. So one fine morning at the end of October the gates of Rood opened to admit the man who was now practically its master. “I did not write or telegraph to you that I was coming,” he said to his pale, startled wife; “I thought my arrival would he a. pleasant surprise for you.” “It is indeed a surprise,” she responded, coldly; but she did not add that it was * pleasant one. To Angela the Captain’s return meant every kind of annoyance. He had been passively indifferent to her before, now he was actively antagonistic. He lost no opportunity of annoying and irritating her, and his favorite method of attack was to speak lightly or sneeringly of the father she had loved so devotedly. He never lost an opportunity of wounding the heart ofithe girl whose chief fault in his eyes was the great love she bore her mother. “You call this place an abbey, Laura,” said the Captain, laughingly, one morning. “It is really a hermitage. Pray let us have some visitors down.” “You can invite whom you will,” returned Lady Laura. “I wish to heaven I could!” he cried, impetuously; and she knew weH of whom he was thinking. “Give me carte blanche, Laura,” he went on, “and you shall have

the gayest party ever gathered within these walla” Her mind went back for a minuts to the noble men and fair women who had lived under the roof of Rood, and the smile that curved her lips was one of unutterable contempt. The Captain, in nowise daunted by this, became only more eager in respect of his plan. They jrere a happy and noisy party; music, laughter and singing hardly ceas-. ed resounding within the old walls. The guests seemed scarcely ever to be at rest. Every hour of the day brought some new amusement, some new occupation, and the Captain thoroughly enjoyed bustle and movement. Lady Laura, howeveh, felt that she should be thankful when it was over and quiet once more secured. So the rest of October passed. The Captain contrived always to have the Abbey full of visitors; but he ,did not again propose to invite Lady Kinloch and Gladys Rane. The state of affairs at Rood Abbey.did not quite escape the notice of the guests assembled there. It was a matter of comment that the handsome Captain, so chivalrous, so devoted .to other women, was most neglectful of his wife. One morning the Captain and Sir Hal Marham stood on the terrace, smoking and talking after their usual fashion. “What a grand old place this is,” observed‘Sir Hal. “What a fine thing for you to step into it! You were close to the water's edge at the time, were you not?” “Yes; I could not have held my ground another month,” replied the Captain. “What would you have done if she refused you?” asked Sir Hal. “I knew that she would not refuse me,” said his friend. “I was pretty sure of success.” z “But .what,” persisted Sir Hal, “should you have done if she had said ‘No.’ ” “I must have left the country,” the Captain replied. “Then at least you owe her some gratitude,” said Sir Hal. “I suppose so,” responded his companion, carelessly. Then, after a few seconds, Sir Hal asked, abruptly: “What became of that beautiful girl we met in London—Miss Rane?” The Captain's dark face flushed. “She is in Paris again, with Lady Kinlock,” he replied. “You were very fond of her, Vance?” said his friend. “She was the one love of my life!” “That is hardly fair to the woman you have married.” “It makes but little difference,” was the Captain’s comment. “You have certainly been a most fortunate man,” remarked Sir Hal. “I should consider that I was If the estate were wholly mine and without incumbrance," said the Captain. “I have heard people speak of the late Sir Charles Rooden’s will,” continued Sir Hal. “Rather an extraordinary one, was it not?” “A very foolish one, some people think," replied the Captain. “He left the whole of his estate and fortune, without any restriction, to his widow, and after her decease it was to go to her daughter." “Then, if Lady Laura died, you would be a poor man again, Vance?” “I should indeed, unless ” But he did not finish the sentence. . “Unless what?” asked Sir Hal. “Unless her daughter died also,” replied the Captain. “And what then?” asked his friend. “Why, then—but remember, Hal, it is a most unlikely thing to happen—the whole of the property would come to me!” ' Sir Hal gave a prolonged whistle, while the Captain looked at him with serene unconsciousness. “Only those two lives between you and a vast fortune?” he said, musingly. “That is all,” responded the Captain; “but those two lives are good ones.” “I do not know,” said Sir Hal, gravely. “Angela seems strong, certainly; but Lady Laura looks very delicate. Ido not think hers will be a long life.” Then, as if suddenly making a discovery, Sir Hal added: “But, Vance, if anything happened to your wife, you would be worse off than you were.before your marriage. You would be a dependent on Angela’s bounty.” “That I should never be,” said the Captain. , “Vance,” observed his friend, “you must change your tactics. This will never do. You must turn over another leaf; you must take more care of Lady Laura. What a misfortune it would be for you if she were to die! Suppose she fell ill to-morrow and died in a few days, where would you be?” The Captain looked up with a startled face. The prospect of such a sudden change in his circumstances had never occurred to him. “You are altogether on the wrong road,” continued his friend. “Instead of making your wife miserable, as I see you do, instead of.crushing her gnd making her heart ache,, you should be all that if kind and loving. Make ber happy, if you would prolong her life and enjoy the benefit of her wealth.” “There is reason in what you say, Hal,” agreed the Captain, “but there are limits to human patience.” “Never mind human' patience,” rejoined Sir Hal. “Patience has nothing to do with it. Think of what you have at stake. If your wife dies you will be left a comparatively poor man—and, to my thinking, she looks more likely to die than to live. Think of what you are doing before it is too late.” And those very unpleasant words sounded in the Captain’s ears all day.

CHAPTER XII. “If your wife dies you will be left a comparatively poor man.” No matter what other sounds came to the Captain’s ears, those words were paramount. A poor man! He had run through two fortunes, he had no expectations of money from other source, and his tastes were more luxurious and extravagant than ever. He could not live on a small income; and he felt that he deserved blame for not having been kinder to his wife and more careful of her. It was a grave mistake on his part, he admitted to himself. But his thoughts wandered to other contingencies. If Angela died, and his fragile, delicate wife followed her, then the

position of affairs would be quite differ* ent. He would be free, and the property would be his. Free! At the very word his heart beat with a quickened pulsation. He knew what he should do with his freedom. He should go straight to Gladys Rane and ask her to be his wife. He closed his eyes as tbcyjgh the better to realise the possibility of such a thing. Master of a splendid estate, and free to marry Gladys! As the days passed, as they grew darker and colder, so his demeanor seemed to change with them. He grew grave, stern and cold, the bantering words, the light jests, the brilliant smiles, the cheerful, genial manner all vanished. The master of Rood Abbey went about with a. gloomy face, absorbed in thought, for the shadow of a great crime was over him. One morning, when Captain Wynyard came down to breakfast, he found his newspaper lying untouched on the table. He unfolded it, and almost the first thing he mw was a paragraph headed, “Fatal! Accident at Newton Mere.” It related, how a young lady, out skating with some friends at Newton Mere, had met with a sad end. She had been told which part' of the mere was safe, and where it would 1 be dangerous for her to go. She had evi-j dently mistaken the directions, for she went to that part of the mere where the alder trees bent over the ice, against which she had been especially warned. Either she had mistaken the locality or the directions, for she tried to cross the mere, and so to get to the alder trees. The thin ice at once gave way, and, before the unfortunate young lady could be rescued, she was dead. Some impulse made the Captain fold up the paper and take it to his study, lest any one else should read' the account, and it should become the subject of comment.' He read it over and over again with everincreasing'interest. Then, when he had read and re-read until he knew the whole paragraph by heart, he destroyed the newspaper, lest any part of the story should be seen. The visitors at the Abbey wondered on that day what had become of the Cap-'! tain. Instead of going out in the morning, as usual, to skate, he remained in his study. The next morning he seemed* more like himself. It was not often that he addressed Angela voluntarily, but he did so during breakfast. “You like skating, Angela?” he saidj interrogatively. “Yes; it is my favorite amusement in winter. I enjoy it even more than dancing. t I like the sensation of seeming to fly through the frosty air.” “There will not be many of us this afternoon," he said; “the Delaneys cannot come. We shall hardly number enough to have a quadrille on the ice.” “I do not care for quadrilles,” she said.| “I like a long, straight sheet of ice and a swift run." “Then you shall go to Hetfield Pool,” he decided. “There is a straight run of quite a half mile, and it is completely frozen.” * “Is it safe?” asked Lady Laura, lovingly regarding the sweet face of her daughter. “Safer than our lakes and ponds are, and of greater extent,” he replied. “The ice is quite thick. We will go there today.” But, when the time for starting came, there were but four in the party—the Captain and,Miss Rooden, with young Squire Ardenand Lady Bell Norton, who< were staying at the house. “We are going to Hetfield Pool to-day,” said the Captain. “We will drive there, then we shall have more time on the ice.” (To be continued.)

THE PALACE AT XANADU.

A Bit from Marcp Polo that Inspired a Famous Poem. And when you have ridden three days from the city last mentioned, between northeast and north, you come to a city; called Chandu, which was built by thel Kaan now reigning. There is at this' place a very fine marble palace, the 1 rooms of wijlch are all gilt, and painted with figures of men and beasts and l birds, and with a variety of trees and flowers, all executed with such exquisite art that you regard them with delight and astonishment. Round this palace a wall Is built, Inclosing a compass of sixteen miles, and inside the park there are fountains and rivers and brooks, and beautiful meadows, with all kinds of wild animals (excluding such as are of ferocious nature), which the Emperor has procured and placed there to supply food for his gerfalcons and hawks, which he keeps ■here in mew. Of these there are more! than 200 gerfalcons alone, without reckoning the other hawks. The Kaan himself goes every' week to see his birds sitting in mew, and sometimes he rides through the park with a leopard be-' hind him on his horse’s croup; and then if he sees any animal that takes his fancy, he slips his leopard at it, and the' game when taken is made over to feed' the hawks in mew. This he does for diversion. Moreover, at a spot in the park where there is a charming wood, he has an-i other palace built of cane, of which I must give you a description. It Is gilt all over, and most elaborately finished inside. It Is stayed on gilt and lackered columns, on each side of which Is a dragon all gilt, the tail of which Is. attached to the column whilst the head supports the architrave, and the claws likewise are stretched out right and left to support the architrave. The roof, like the rest, is formed of canes, covered with a varnish so strong and excellent that no amount of rain will rot them. These canes are a good 'three palms in girth, and from ten to fifteen paces in length. They are cut across at each knot, and then the pieces are split so as to form from each two hollow tiles, and with these the house is roofed; only, every such tile of cane has to be nailed down to prevent the wind from lifting it. In short, the whole palace Jte built of these canes, which serve also for a great variety of other useful purposes. The construction of the palace is so devised that It can be taken down and put up again with great celerity; and it can all be taken to pieces and removed whithersoever the Emperor may command. When erected, it Is brqced against mishaps from the wind by more than 200 cords of silk.— St Nicholas.

A Good One on the Preacher.

They tell a good story of a recent revival meeting In one of the rural districts of Whitefield County, Ga. In the middle of the services the preacher said: “Will Brother Smith please lead in prayer?” Seven men arose and began praying at once. This embarrassed the preacher and he said hurriedly: “I mean Brother John Smith.” At this announcement one sat down and five more got up and began praying. The preacher saw his mistake, but said noth* lug and let the eleven men pray It out among themselves.

SWORDFISH AGAINST WHALE.

A FIERCE BATTLE BETWEEN TWO MONSTERS OF THE DEEP. The Whale Whipped by Its Fiery Antago* ni»L...Something About the Swordfish of the Pacific Oce an. The passengers on the Mttle steamer that makes daily trips between San Pedro Harbor, near Los Angeles, Cal., and Santa Cataline Island, some thirty miles out In the Pacific Ocean, were excited the other day by a terrible battle between two sea monsters. A N. Y. Times correspondent says that the spectacle from the deck of the steamer, alxnrt a mile away from the scene of the combat, was a small mountain of mist tossing in the air, at the base of which a huge black tail churned the water like the blades of a screw propeller. The monster, a very large-sized whale, turned this way and that, all the time lashing its black tail with fury and beating the water so that the sound came like elaps of thunder to every one on board the Catalina Island steamer. The whale suddenly turned and spouting a powerful stream of water and blood some twenty feet in the air, lashed the water with several powerful flops of the tail, and sank beneath the surface of the ocean. The little steamer made for the scene of the battle with all speed, and every one of the passengers was terribly excited at the scene, but when the boat reached the spot where the great whale was last seen nothing but foaming water, reddened with blood, marked the locality. There were several oldtime sailors on board tihe steamer, and they all agreed that a battle unto death between a swordfish and a female whale had been fought before their eyes. The swordfish bad the advantage of the great sea mammal, and was thrusting its only weapon of attack and defense— the long, sharp and pointed sword—into the vulnerable sides of the unwieldy whale. The great mammal could but thrash its tail about in impotent rage, until at last a vital spot was readied by the attacking swordfish, and the whale was vanquished. A dozen or more old men who sit about the docks and the Custom Houses at San Pedro, after a long career in the whaling fields of the Pacific Ocean, say that the battle between the whale and the swordfish was not uncommon. Several of the old tars say they have witnessed just as good fights between similar combatants, and besides, that in nearly every case the swordfish is the attacking party. Many men who have been on whaling voyages have found wounds in the carcasses of Whales that were undoubtedly left there by an angry swordfish. It is seldom, however, that a swordfish is able to stab the whale to death.

The swordfish is utterly without fear, and will, like a buffalo or rhinoceros, charge anything that offends it, often doing an amount of execution hardly to be believed did not the evidence exist. Combats between swordfish are most Interesting, and may be compared to a duel between two expert swordsmen. Such a contest was observed off the long pier that extends out into the ocean at Santa Monica, near Los Angeles. Some fishermen noticed two big fish leaping out of the water and dashing along the surface. Soon it was seen that they were swordfish. The season was When the fish were usually ferocious. They had made several rushes, and when observed were at close quarters, striking each other powerful side blows like cavalrymen. This was unsatisfactory, and finally they separated and darted at each other like arrows, the water hissing as their sharp dorsal fins cut through it.. They evidently struck head on, one missing, while the sword of the other struck just below the eye and plowed a'deep furrow in the fish, partly disabling it so that it turned and attempted to escape. P-ut its adversary also turned, and with a rush drove its sword completely through the body of its foe and held it fast, only wrenching its weapon loose when its enemy stopped swimming. This one lunge finished the battle, and the victor left the field. The vanquished, floating on the surface, was picked up by the fishermen. The wounds in the dead fish were examined by several hundred people in Los Angeles and Santa Monica. They gave ample evidence of the extraordinary ferocity of a thrust by a swordfish. The force with which a swordfish strikes has been variously estimated, but that it is equal to that which drives a twenty-four pound shot from a howitzer will be believed easily after viewing the result. In the waters of California three kinds of swordfish can be seen—Xiphlus gladius, Tetrapturus albldus, and Hlstophorus. The fish engaged in the battle described were of the kind first named. It is the ordinary swordfish, found on both sides of the Atlantic, in appearance trim and shipshape—a veritable privateer. It is a piratical cousin of the mackerel.

The striking feature is the sword, which is a continuation of the upper jaw into a sharp bony sword. The jaws are toothless, the lower one belng hard or bony. The eyes are large and prominent, the tall sickle-shaped and powerful, and the whole appearance of the fish denotes speed’and activity. Jt attains a length of from five to nine feet, and when working at full speed can pierce a wooded hull sheathed with copper. One of the most remarkable cases on record is that of the ship Dreadnaught. One day at sea the crew felt a sudden shock, and soon after that the ship sprang a leak and was obliged to put into port. It was found when she was dry-docked that a large swordfish had struck her. The sword had penetrated the copper, then the thick oak hull, passing through the thick pine sheathing, and finally entering the head of a barrel. The sword was broken off short, partly plugging the wound.

The ship Wanderer was struck in the South Atlantic in the same way, and the pumps had to be manned. When she was docked the terrible sword was found. The United States government has recently collected testimony relating to such cases, and it makes a most interesting showing. Hundreds of instances have been brought to light where swordfishes have struck vessels with disastrous results, one case cited

being the sinking of the sloop Red Hot, which was employed around New-Bed-ford by the United States Fish Company. The swordfish, undoubtedly enraged at the presence of what it considered an enemy, dashed at the vessel and sank it

THE KAFFIR DOCTOR.

Queer Method* and Remedies ®f Natal Medicine Men. In Natal, native physicians are divided into two classes—medicine and herbalists. The former, known to their fellows as “Izinyanga zo ,kwe lapa,” are especially proficient jh the healing art; while the latter, rejoicing in the name of “Izinyanga zemeti,” effect their cures through the medium of herbs with medicinal proprieties, of which there are over 100 species in the colony known to the natives. One of the most frequent eases with which a native doctor has to deal is snake bite, and for this there are at least a dozen herbal antidotes, the chief of which is the root of the aster asper, a small plant somewhat like the daisy, with lilaccolored flowers. It has been used with success by hunters on their dogs when snake-bitten, but the secret of the Infallible remedy for thedeadllestsnakebite is said to died with Cetewayo, who had a gray powder which never failed to euro. Herbs for cattle diseases are plentiful, but so far none of them has stemmed the onslaughts of rinderpest. The isl-nwnzi is a favorite remedy’ for “red-water” in cattle, and is also employed as an eye salve, and to its milky sap the late Sir Theophilus Shepstone was indebted for the preservation of valuable horse which had got some of the blinding of the euphorbia into - hie eye. The most popular plant, however, is the u-mondl, whose aromatic roofs act as a very wholesome tonic. It is on the point of extinction in the colony, and a large price Is now paid for its roots. When called in, the doctor receives a fee known as “ulugxa,” varying from three shillings to a half guinea, according to his standing. Should a cure result a further fee is claimable, but failure to cure is unrewarded by payment beyond the call fee. Every doctor has to take out a license to practice from the magistrate or'administrator of native law in the district, which must be favorably Indorsed by the chief of his or her (for lady doctors have existed from time immemorial among the Kaffirs) kraal. For this license a payment of £3 Is made, and the holder is immediately removed from the list of practicing physicians If so rash as to sell, or profess to possess love philtres or charms to soothe the savafje breast. And in the code of native law male and female diviners and other quacks, such ns rain or lightning doctors, are expressly forbidden to practice the black art. Though practically extinct in the colony, the profession of dream doctor was in full swing in Zululand prior to the dethronement of Cetewayo, and they pretended to detect and “smell out” any one guilty of malpractices—a convenient method of doing away with awkward relatives and opponents. Chaka himself assumed the office of dream doctor, and in pursuit of his profession (?) on one occasion brutally murdered no fewer than 400 women, for mere lust of blood. His last words were in keeping with his assumed role of a diviner, for, as he expired at the hands of Dlflgaan’s assegais, he exclaimed: “You think you will rule this country when I am gone; but I see the white man coming and he will be your master.”

A BIG ICE MINE.

It it In Virginia, and It Thought to Be a Relic of the Ice Age. One of the greatest curiosities in the United States, or in the world, perimps, is the wonderful ledge of ice which exists, even in the midst of the hottest summer, in Scott County, Virginia. This natural lee-nouse ■* situated on the north side of Stone mountain and about six miles from the mouth of a small stream known os Stoney Creek. The marvel is said to have been known to at least one of the earlier settlers, a Mr. Dunridge, who.lt Is alleged, discovered it while deer hunting away back in 1830. Owing to to the fact that the land on which it was situated could not be bought, Mr. Dunridge positively refused to tell of the wherabouts of the ice ledge, and only visited the place when it was absolutely necessary to obtain a supply to be used in case of sickness. The old man died many years ago, and from that time until 1803 the location of Dunridge’# ice mine was unknown, the old gentlemen having never even taken his own family into the secret. In the last year mentioned, however, a party of herb diggers visited the unfrequented region contiguous to Stone Mountain and were fortunate enough to re-discover the lost ice mine. During two or three months in the middle of summer the Ice Is only protected, from the sun’s rays by a thick growth of moss. The formation of the ice layer is similar to that of a coal vein, being thin in some places and thicker in others, the average being about four feet. Persons of scientific attainments who have visited the place for the purpose of studying the wonder say it has the appearance of having been there since the time of the ice age, which the geologists talk so much about. Another plausible theory is that somewhere beneath the bed is situated a great natural laboratory, where other ice is constantly formed and expelled, and that the process of freezing is now constantly going on. Whatever view is taken of it it is one of the greatest natural wonders the state affords.

First Floors Healthy.

A Hungarian professor has been giving his attention to the degrees ot health enjoyed by the various classes of lodger# and gives the palm to the first and second floors. The cellars are the least wholesome for a dwellingplace; then the third floors, and then the ground floors. The tenants of the first and second floors live longest. The advantages of the pure air of the upper stories are overbalanced by the exertion of climbing the stairs. It would appear that a fifth or sixth floor with a lift would be, from a sanitary as from a practical point of view, nearest heaven.

BREAKING UP A NUISANCE.

A Circus Manager Ends' the PlayecbOut Call for a Doctor. “Your story about vailing for a doctor in the circus,” said a retired showman, “reminds me of the way we broke up a nuisance In a good-sized Pennsylvania town. I was on the road with a farce-comedy company, and we put in two weeks at rhe town in question, there being a big military encampment there and a county fair to boot. We drew good houses all through the engagement, and were booked for an early return. I don’t think we had been there more than one night before the doctor ntiisance began. There would come a hurried messenger from the box office to the stage manager with a request that he ask if Dr. Bolus, or whatever his name happened to be, was in the house, and if he was, to send him to the office at once. Of course the stage manager couldn’t very well refuse, end general attention was directed to the medical man, much to his satisfaction. We soon found out that the doctors who were so much in demand were very small medical fry, and there wasn’t a doubt that they hail had themselves called for in order to secure the consequent notoriety. Well, we stood It for a few nights, and then an idea occurred to me. I took a walk up the mafn street until I came to a certain sign hanging over the stairway. I went up to the office Indicated and had a brief conversation with its inmate, ending it by handing him a reserved seat tickets. “That evening Immediately after ttlie first act and before any messenger from the bog office had a chance to arrive, 1 stepped out in front of the curtain and hold up my hand. Then in my gravest tones 1 asked: " ‘ls Dr. Chizzlold in the house?’' “Immediately a very tall colored man, with a bushy white head and huge silver mounted spectacles, arose in the audience and said: “ ‘Here 1 Is, sah? “The audience tittered, but I kept my gravity. “ ‘You are wanted nt the box office at once, doctor, in n case which requires your immediate professional attention.’ "As the nged medieus ducked to me and hobbled from the room, the audience broke into a wild roar. “Perhaps you will understand the cause of their merriment when I add that the old man was a corn doctor, and probably the best-known eccentric character in town. "Well, there was no more doctors called from that stage during our engagement.”—Cleveland Plain-Dealer.

Singular Death.

Earl Blackwood, the twelve-year-old adopted son of Clarence Blackwood, who occupies a farm about four miles from Blackwood, Pa„ came to ills death in a singular manner recently, says the (Philadelphia Ledger. He was accidentally hanged w<hlle- playing in bls father's barn. Mr. and Mrs. Blackwood took the boy to an entertainment in Philadelphia on Thursday night, and what he saw there a Pltears to have made a deep impression on his mind, as ho talked about it a great deal the next day, and it is thought that he came to his death while trying to repeat some of the circus feats tilint he had witnessed. Before he went into the barn he told his 'mother he would be buck In a short time and help her to perform some household duties. Home time afterwards a boy living in the neighborhood went into the barn and was horrified by the sight .of young Blackwood suspended at the end of a rope which was fastened to a beam overhead. He raised an alarm, and the body was cut down immediately, but ail attempts at resuscitation were unavailing. The rope from which the boy was suspended was a plough line, with n loop at each end. He had evidently fastened one end of the rope to the beam overhead, and then passing hit* head through the loop at the other end had strangled himself.

Cost of Paris Exhibitions.

The exhibition of 1807, with a total area of 176,000 square yards, cost $4,500,000; in 1878 the expenditure amounted to $10,000,000, of which fB,360,000 went for the exhibition properly so-called, and its 290,000 square yards of covered space; $1,700,000 wae expended on the 17,300 square yards of tihe Trocade.ro Palace, and the rest was absorbed by Ihe gardens, the aquariums, tlhe cascades, etc. In 1880 the estimate showed a total anticipated expenditure of $8,500,000, and, what Is very Interesting and curious, the actual outlay fell short of rhe estimate,* since only $8,000,000 were spent on tile exhibition, leaving a balance available for t*o maintenance of the palaces on the Champ de Mars, which will now, in part, at least, have to be demolished. In 1000 it is intended to spend $18,000,000, but of this oneflftti will be devoted to the construction of the new palaces that will remain in the Champs Elysees as permanent . monuments. There is an enormous increase in the scale of Wie 1900 exhibition, as compared to that of 1889, since ft is intended to spend twice as much money upon it as was devoted to its predecessor.

The Earth’s Momentum.

The opinion is expressed by a writer in Cassler’s Magazine that no true engineer will believe that, with so many sources of natural energy around us, the progress of mankind and the work of the engineer will cease with the exhaustion of the coal fields. The very earth we live on 1s whirling around like a huge flywheel, and, if only some way could be found for utilizing its vast momentum, we could draw upon it for ages tor all the power needed, without appreciably affecting the speed of its revolution or the length of our day. Hie flow of the time is accompanied by a vast expenditure of power iu overcoming frictional resistance, in the grinding of shingle into sand, and in the transport of sandbanks from place to place; evjen the flow of water through the sluices of locks involves a loss of energy, as does the working of a tide mill, which latter is a way of using, as the others are of destroying, the earth’s momentum. In 1895 only 179,611 bushels of Amenlean corn were sold to Mexico.

THE JOKERS’ BUDGET.

JESTS) AND YARNS OF THE FUNNY MEN OF THE PRESS. Signs An Artless Suggestion All the Charm Cone—Hie Chronic Condition It Has Lasting Qualities. SIGNS. Clara: Sadie must have been talking about me. Maude: Why so? “When 1 met her she kissed me twice.” . RATIIBR DOUBT .'UI“I understand that you are to marry Miss Bloomer.-*’' “I wish she un lerstood so. too.” ms chronio condition. He —Well, I must be off. She —Yes, a little. I noticed that the first time 1 met you. IT WAS VERY STRIKING. “Very striking sermon, wasn't it?" “Why, y-e-s—he pounded the pulpit a good deal." “PULLING HIS I KG." "Why do they say a man’s leg has been pulled a ter lie has spent inonev un a girl ?” • Because he is short afterwards.” NOT A MUSICAL NOTE Smith You told me your friend sang like a bird. 1 thin < he lias a horribly hoarse voice. How can you say it is like a bird’s.' Jones-Well, the J>ir I I meant was a crow. UNFORTUNATE SUGGESTION. “Say, Hargreaves, you have an awful cold. Are you taking anything?” “Certainly. Thank you. Where is the nearest bar," ANALYTICAL. “Pat," said Tommy to the gardener, “what is nothing ?” “There ain’t any such thing as nothin’,” replied Pal, “bec.i’se whin ye find nothin* and come to look at it there ain't nothin’ there. ” A MEANS SUGGESTED. “I will have revenge on ray husband I” ahrleked the woman. “Allow me. madam,” said a stranger with a sympathetic gleam in bis eye, "to show you tills book on the art of making Shirts. ’’ THE GENESIS OF A NAME. “Why, ’ asked the daughter with the dreamy ores,” “why do they call it the honeymoon, mamma.'” “Because," njiswered the mother with the drawn lines about her mouth, “because it is a sort of sweet lunacy, 1 suppose." WAS SATISFIED. “It must be such pleasure to sing as you do. Does your husband sing, too ?” “Well, John -John wants to sing awfully—and he doo*." A POPULAR REMEDY. He. —I think Dr. Jenkins will very soon have a large practice. She.— Why? Ho —Ho ha* just had a case in which ho prescribed millinery tor hysteria. IT HAS LASTING QUALITIES. “There’s one thing about a tailor’s bill that 1 admire.” “Wltat’s that?” “Ito enduranc}. I know of one that has been running for five years, and isn’t thinking of stopping.” NOT REPAID YET. Gazzam That ton dollars you borrowed of mo a couple of mouths ago is very religious now. Jaysmith. Jaysmlth: I’ll give you that ten next week. Gazzam; but tell me how it is religious. Gazzam-. It keeps Lank

INTBKBSI'KD ABVICB, “Pardon me.” said the new boarder, after Hie other* had left the table, "but I’m not up in table etl piettc, an I don't know just how oninjet should be eaten.” "Very sparingly, sir, very sparingly, at this time of ye.tr,” answers I the thrifty land! udy.” AN AHTI.BBS BUOQBSTION. Bright Miss (patronizingly); “So, Johnny, they’ve put you in knee-breeches ? How do yon like them/" Johnny: • ‘Firit class. They’re ever so much nicer than frocki. Why don’t you bavo some ?” ALL TUB Oil AKM GONS, Little Dot: awfully nice!’’ Mam na (reprovingly):—"You should not say you ’love' ctke; say ‘like.’ Do not say’awfully say’very.’ Do not say nice ' say ’goo I.’ An I. by the war, the word ’just’ shoal I be omitted, a’so Hie ’ ‘O.’ Now, my dear, repeat the sentence correctly." Little Dot;—"I like cake; it's very good." Mamma: "That's better.” Little Dot (with an air of disgust): "Sounds ns if I was trihiu’ about bread."

Grant's Belief in the Restorative Power of Sleep.

Before eleven o’clock the general-in-chief remarked to the staff: “We shall have a busy day to-morrow, and I think we hud better get all the #leep we can to-night. 1 am a confirmed believer in the rentorative qualities ot sleep, and always like to get at least seven hours of it, though I have often been compelled to put up with much less.” "It is said,” remarked Washburn, ‘that Napoleon often indulged in only four hours of sleep and still preserved all the vigor of his mental faculties.’’ "Well, 1, for one, never believed those stories,” the general replied. "If the truth be known, 1 have no doubt it would be found that he made up for his short sleep at night by taking naps during the day.”—Century.

The Deadly Stamp.

One of the newest diseases is the postage stamp tongue. The credit of discovering it is due to English physicians. It appeal’s that the mucilage itself Is injurious, and that, further, it is au excellent cultivating medium for germs of the worst character. In the ailment called postage stamp tongtie the laitter is sore and covered with red spots. A bad sore throat is likely to follow if great care is not taken. Apart from the specific disease of the tongue, any contagious disease may be acquired through the medium of the mucilage. Never lick a postage stamp with' your tongue, say the physicians. It shows a great lack of cleanliness and hygienic knowledge. In 1890 the exports of Mexico were $68,000,000; in 1895 they were $90,000,000.