Greencastle Herald, Greencastle, Putnam County, 2 January 1922 — Page 2

1

!

fACE 2.

THE GREEhOmE HERALD

i

MONDAYf i ANUARY 2, 1*22

Ihe HERALD

u S*cocd Clmtr sail niattw, «* •>« t;r-*»i>cisU* led, poRtoOc*.

— , i *»»■*•• j Arnold Proprltt»i i M.*UASNFI» KVKKY AFTERNOON | V«.2o«i Sunday at 17 and 19 S. Jack-'

M.n Snoot, Grooncaatia, lad.

TELEPHONK 6i < arda of Thaaisa

E>»ra* »f Thaoka aro charroadlo at

• r»u of 60v oack.

Obltnarico. ait otutaaraa aro cliargoablo at tba rot* of SI for aacri obir ary. AddlEon*: chargo of 6c * lino to tr.ado fot at oootry.

SCIENCE AND OLD SHOES. If the itiver. igtInri> in 'lie field r>t ••i railed •■••in.liikl psychology eoiiliutie their h«k I he w orld oet-u item- he iti iRUoraiice of any iii<lir!<l. uai's real cliaracier. (Dciilenlally * freai many innnaeut men may appear (o ha<e Irahlt* which they never Tegarded a» evidence of a eritBltra! nature. Thla will t>« merely ibo p< ualiy of pregreaa in adem-e. In 'ho end H will oe iinpo-rRible for tba pnlliy it esiape, ami the temporary »a«e> ft<-e of a few of 'hw Innocent nee.l not c:#iint In i he gr. ii'ir tr;.rch of progreas. i-a e the New York S .: . A German ileivcr in (his popular field haa pent tralcd deeper : Lan any of hia colleaKUva. His uhlilt. to lay bare fb« ei-senco of a man's character Is not limited to l.'.a knowledge of the deep significance lying In ;he way he may wear hit hat. lie in aOie to analy?* hia nature merely from the study of his o-ld Rhoes. Tb« accuracy of thhi uiethad of indticttoii may be jnderstood from the r«aults in certain c*r.-^. If Hie e^car of a i>alr of .shoes nficr two uiontha ehot s equal use of the heel tiud Hole In both slices, they cnclomul the feet, of a conscleritlon* and energetic business man or a fali.lif«il ofiirrial. If w«?<tr is greater on the outer edge of the sole and ht\i], the wearer was fickle and fond •f adventures of the heart, or he was tlrrlrig ruid headstrong. Weak-*ete-s and indecision are the qualities J of the man who first wears out the Inner edr*» of his shoes, and modesty 1* the predominating trait of the wom.in who treats her footgear in the aante way. It la important to be careful about one’s /-hor-s when the tiitninal investigators are around.

RATS ON SHIPBOARD There is a practical ie.-son in the •iperlorient made by the thlp'n c-.ck, . which, after ioring several pot fs yin*, to i ue fern.-ions em-my below turueri a baif-eiarved tiger cat into the hold, and after a iittie •aw the ute errearu upon tieck anil teap into the *ok folio* cd by the too tealtHts cattcr. Hau on shipboard are too tong., a proposition for un.viMur but a lynx or > ataraonnt to haudle. Would it not he worth _ wbile to develop the poBhioihties of the wild felines of the American eonHueal and make shcia lustify their •aislelc fc? Thu mitrifitro ra*. fiercer than the landlubber, docs an amount of mischief thsa tv.ir.anii more vigorous ef. for;s a.nii agents to e.xtirps.te' him than have yet be«‘u essayed. He de- ■ iniatca cargoes ami larrles destruction Into new landt. He has invaded sad eoiuzuored the world from his Central Asian home since 1728. Ho t* ’liti propagatcr of the deadly bu- ; kon.c plnc-ic. and t special campaign has been organized agenst him In the [KH ts of India. An unclean, uncanny creature, with a la’.ent ferocity and a dirquieung, capacity for 'collective action. It would be well if the most indomitable of the smaller wild felines could be turned loose In his floating lairs. "Whatever happened, the result would bo titan’s gain.

“OFF-STAGE-CHARACTERS. Haywrights do some smart work when they build up characters that are impressed on the audience, though they do not appear. It is a scheme that eaves salaries and railroad fares, V5 ihi- ofT-stage'' characters are al*'5» welcome to producers. “In ,. ^ ^ F>>'e Shillings,’* where the » U .m^I* iiow r!4,Mn i? ob h ls Sifl is ^man. th. ciubarrcssed swam is .“ .t' 5 ' V vudisao* wb*« the is w«\\. Wibul the bcC; ; U 1 ev r 17 on0H fortunate dX ” nKure ,°' lh « wee on Oie “ * f “• PORrs. though hTv^ . h ® “ eve ; r f*« end to end. VMalaate> *he far,.-* WORK FOR CAWYER8. If the icg.-i] profeneiqn wt,.o, . ita entire attention to th^^'.' 0 ’* •itnplifjring procedure and v,uut» ° formnlit.’ovi md qaiddltlev. reAwy' 1 ’' irialM to tf.e aole purpose of brln*^ out tbe fao-s and applying the iaw,v x (night l>e found that our present :nw cbioory is not so wofully inadequate •o th« tank of keeping up with the work presented.

’’O-iso-oh. such liars. Such awful, ft-ightful. terrible, hideous, daz/l’na unholy iia - us men arel” ’Teas a telephone girl tlaeulaiing it a telephone airl in one of the main hotel lobbies. The indictment »;s *-•> overwhelming that she tva* aakeil to eluvidate. VVhcreui on she deftly picked her buck of guni from one of the umtsc-ii switch pog>. inse*:e»| it I loo the waitj ir.g oil ft e and prattled right Oh, the outrageous lies thet phoue to their wives to excuse their m>; being hotnp as they ought to be!'’ -aid she. looking however, not quite so horrified as ungbi have been expe- fed. “and their deliberate, callotut. i old-bloodetl. foxy way of lying, loo

oo-oh!”

Itetsiled counts of this allegation were called for. ’’Oh, said the telephone girl. “to i ought to hear 'em, t hut’s all. Two of Vm ihat came In here about 7 o'clock last evening were -samples sumitlcs o' the limit.. They were men around thirty, and both <rf them were what men folks call happy-soused. They strolled in here, arm in arm, sort of h at :ug on each other. They wen n’t so happy-soused that they had 'o.-t their foxinesa. though; men never become so far gone ss to lose their cagyness. in my opinion. “’Well, wbatcha going to hand her, matey?’ the lean man asked the lat

one.

4 * * * * * " ‘Search uic.' said the fat one, ;lushing back his hat and scratching '.is head. ’Ootta pull some new stuff. She's jerry to nil of the old comedy.' ’■’Old boyho'fvtl pal of yours Just breezed In from Minneapolis and you've got to take him around?’ sug'gestod the lean man, grinning. “ ’Aw, naw. iicTthin’ like that.’ said the let one disgustedly. ’That's an almanac A. D. 18.17 number. Nix. tlotta sitring something new and

neat.’

’’’Man that you’ve got a big deal on with breezed along and dragged vou off to dinner?' suggested the lean one again. '"Say, tin those lumpy ones.’ wheezed the fat man. T've tried to ease her that one fifty times and never got it over yet.’ ’’’Gotta run over to Baltimore to lit, up a hurry business gag?' '“Nothin’ resembling it.’ ■' 'Friend of yours took you over to Atmcostia to look at a bangolow

site?’

‘“Tried that ioet summer and got the boots.’ “'Man Interested In model tenements kept you downtown to show you u lot of model tenement blue

prints?'

‘“Say, how- old d ye think my wife is -'bout si*? She'd wajut to see the blue prints, believe me.' ‘“Your boss look you out in his new motor car and the machine broke down in Bladensburg. and you'll be borne as soon ae repairs are made?' '“Fliv, too.' " Went to the hospital to see an old side-kicker that’s dying of—er - hiusomald's knee or something?’ " 'Not a chance.’ •“Fellow bet you you couldn't walk to Great Falls and baek, and yon took

him up?’

•' 'Million to one shot.’ " 'Man in your office took siok from eating soft shell crabs at lunch and you had to take him to his home over near Laurel, Md.?’ " "Shat likewise Is a flimz.’ “Then the lean one grinned in a puzzled sort of way and looked around kind of hopeless!:’. " ’Gee,’ he said to the fat one, you’ve slipped hoi' most of the repertoire, haven’t you, pal?’ ’“’Fraid 1 have,’ replied the fat man gloomily. 'But say. if we're going to that doll burlesque show, It’s time to eat, and I’ve gotta pass her M«ne old thing. Let's see,’ and he pushed his hat up from one side and scratched above his ear. *G9sh, I've got it! I’U blame it all on you, see? ni tell her that your wife’s out of town and that when I met you on my way home you were pickled up to the necktie, and that 1 had, of course, to Udte care of j-ou, and—’ • ••••• “Tee that. Ice that!’ said the lean one, grabbing his fat frlenl by the coat lapel. 'Put that In storage before you pull it and get me in Dauber than I am already. Why, you big lummox, doesn’t your spouse hate me enough already without your piling up this new stuff? How d'ye know but abac my wife has spent the hull afternoon with your wife, anyhow? Don't you know that the minute you tell her (hat we re together, why, your wife'll call up my wife, and they'll get to comparing notes, and they’ll both swear it’s a frame-up and all that? Say, cut out. these Bwana Tumbo g<i-every-body-ln-Gersnan * hunches of yours, won t you ?’ •' 'Oh. I meant for you to blame It on me too. when you 'phoned your wife,’ explained the tut man. ’but 1 guess I've got a shrimpy number, at that. Say. bow'd it do for us just to tell ’em that were soused and lha? well ho horn* next Thursday u week .f the ’iny isn't cloudy, and let it go

it that?’

New I know you're bugs,’ said un one. ‘Lct'a go hang a little * tv v o n ourselves r.nd think ir. over. »’<.sv they trudf ed :trrn in arm

*• I vtipT'se* they er.ilefl by »e* serfling any kind of v>o:c. to their wive“The Way tlsoec two did fas over what they called ‘the old slulf.' the e*o ■-»* they'd .f*d so often b< fore' Do you wore*" tha, telephone iritis have got to b« shown before they'll consent to I is s a to the tinkle of their own wedding beli»? “But tiie men who cotue here to «ind 'phone ttcusex to their wives! don’t mind the telephone »,:rl at all. They take it for granted that the telephone girl is need to ail toat stiiff -which, of course she rea'ly it and so they aren't a pnntcte shy about discussing jus: vvba. lies (hey're going to trv to Si up lot their v-jv-es. Why, srere of 'hem evun y k m* to s iggeat a io».v excuse! “Onir s couple of evenings ago I Lad ;* case like that. He was n careless looking middle-aged man. aim oe j was twisting his mustache and looking I rea! reflictiw a- e saentered toward me here. He gave me the number he wanted aud then ue leaned over no’ leeringly or fiirilly at all. understnnd. but just in a r olcLD tvod busincssllkt way- and he said: ”'Got anything new in the Kjiiare-it-ar-home line?' “Of course. I knew perfectly we!) "hat he meani but I wnun't going U> admit it. But my refueinfc to admit it didn't < ark him any. “'A thing that there's a great, « ry ing need for.' he. paid to me in a tcflectlve tone, 'is a sor: o f “Everyday Hook of Lies.'’ A little brochure The that would save tired people like myself. for example, :i lot of trouble. For instance. If there were such a book on file here at the present moment I'd be spared not a little irking thought. I'd just turn over to the section of the book devoted to the particular kind of tie that 1 desire at present to employ, and there It would be. as pat as a fellow's strictly original toast that be gets out of a "Book of Toasts.” I’m going to suggest the building of such a book to some writing fellows of my acquaintance. It could be called “The Handy Liar” or “Oue Thousand Pat Lies” or “Lies For Every Occasion,” or something equally descriptive and | satisfying, in the meantime, hang it , aJ). I wonder what I'm going to—' and the rest of it dribbled off into a sort of mumble. 1 was too busy with other oxcusers a minute or so later to listen to what kind of an excuse he was giving his wife over the 'phone; but 111 bet it was an ingenious oue. “That's the worst of it, by the way—the wheedling, deceitful way ! the men who invent these deliberate yarns tell them to their wives over the 'phone. 1 can't help but overhear , a good deal of that stuff on the line, and sometimes I feel as if I could jump up and shake the men who are felling their wives those shocking, j bamboozling stories that I’ve heard | them make up In talk with each othej ! only a minute or so before. I “ 'Well,’ a man will say to his companion, T71 see If I can uncoil that one on her,’ and he gives me the num1 ber and goes Into the booth. Presently I hear him making hie little | opening talk. “’Doll heart,’ the horrid ruffian says to her in a sort of languishing tonf, 'is that you? B'jinke, but it's i nice to hear your dear little voice honey bug! Say, little wan, there wasn't a chance on earth for me to make the dinner thing at home this evening,' and then he plunges In nsu unreels the dreadful story be bus made up. Tt sure did make me aore,' he goes on then, 'to be kept downtown | like that. I'd tt million times rather be mooching around the little nest with my blubbsywobbsy, end you know It. but—’ and then be goes on with a lot more like that, perhaps J winking all the time at his grinning comptinion standing outside the bootn. and it certainly is enough to give anybody what they call the biggest kind of a line on men and their

ways.

“Not of course, 1 am glad to say. that these men get away with their ’phoned excuses every time, or anything like every time. As a matter of fact, 1 should say that they don't put their yarns over more then about fn three times, and I notice that the men who succeed in making their stories stick are usually the youngish sort of men, who look tis if they're not long married. “The thing, by the way. that gets all of these 'phone excusers ts a little intimation from the wife that, she's j going out herself. That’s the one number they can't stand. It stampedes them every time when witie at the other end of the line says in a sort of careless tone that she doesn’t mind how long they stay out, because she’s going out with a little party herself. It gets 'em every time, and they never fall to become sober and Horni ber and gloomy.jawed right sway and 1 to beat It up to their homes as fast tu> ! they can travel.”—C. L. C„ to the Washington Star.

GC

0

The Mail

Agent’s Slory

Five years ago 1 war *..-t> >"dii>*:emo! agent on the Gres- Southern Railway. I um» the term "Givat Southern" advisedly, since I hare r.o intention of locaiitig my story, an! if vou look on yo tr railway maps fo: (ti« name of auv of the towns mcHtione-: Herein, your quest will. uo>b;!esr. be a vain one. hlleil was the age.ut. and 1 :o ten under hL orders. \\c ran only on me night express. One foggy night, as wo slacked up for wa’er at llotvley starion, Axteil saul to me: "1 shai: hare to give you the charge to night. Gregory. 1 atp off fo Peihaui. Little engagement, you know.” "He laughed, and so did I, for his sweetheart lived at Pelbam. and from the unusual redundancy of Ax:eli's n* ktie 1 tiad little uiftt-uihy in concluding that lie was going to vi. il Kato Vernon. And as t had my own •irur Helen on board the train thefi, traveling to Fair-bridge under my escort, of course I had a fellow feeling w-’b \xtcll, and was quite ready to accommodate him. it was just falling dusk, and proac ised to be a dark night. There was a cold mist in the air, and an cast wind growled sullenly through the pine woodlands lying back of Rowley

station.

"I wi«h you joy of your ride, this nasty night," said 1. as be moved off, and pocketing the key of the mail car. which be gave me wi.h the remark. ”1 left the car unlocked with Joe to stand gu. rd. You’d bertc-r hurry

up.”

He sprang to the piatfortn, for tin train was already getting under headway. As we were moving off. Hark* i. the telegrapher at Rowley station, ciune hurry ing out with a slip of jiaper in his hand. “Hello, Gregory,” said he breathlessly, “be good enough to give tbL to .Johnstone. Telegram just came down from Derby Junction. Impoi-

ta.at! ”

I caught the last words without b-*

ing th*- speaker, for we were leaving

Rowley behind In the gloom. i thrurt the paper into my pocket

and buried off to relieve Joe, a sleepy

headed fellow, who act*Hl as braki

man. stoker, lamp-lighter, porter, or whatever he might be required for. I wanted to put the mall car under lock and key the first thing, »mi 1 felt a little vexed with Axtell for his carelessness in leaving It unlocked; but for that l could have spent a cozy ten minutes by the side of Helen j before it was time to change the mail

a! Burkesville.

It whs not like Axtell to be careless, but he was so deep in love with dashing Kate Vernon that at times his

bead was not quite level.

I found Joe. an I expected l should, fast asleep, and snoring almost as loud as the puffing of tiie locomotive I sent him about bis business and entered the car to see If all w as right, pulling the door to after me. I heard It lock ns it closed, for It had a springlock—one of the nevll's own inventions. Never mind. I said to myself— I had the key and v> ae safe enough. I opened the bags of papers and letters, sorted out the parcels for

The b* ’’-rope 'ending fo the engineer’s box inn thro gv, the allic of the ina-l *ar aurt wa* tu>; uccosslbls from lie , <imp..*:meat in which I then was. "Well.” t ssd, dtsconnoiatel.' enougli, afier reviewing the sltuattoa. “there is nothing to do but grin tiu.

hear it.”

Suddenly 1 bethought tti.vself of the It'egj-aru for the conductor. Strain.’* that l had hi Iikir forgo:ten if! I unfolded It with a cold shudder of apprehension. There »*re only a fev. words, and the import of these were dread eto ;r!i. With a sw imming brain and half blinded sight I rend the I w o at-meni ** : ' Slow the Haiti at Derby Juliet loo. Aider Run Bridge is down.” A cold shudder ebook me from bead to foot. I leaned againrt the aide of the car lor support; while, like lightning, thought ws-* busy it calciiiatm* what would tie the result. We were running ai a great me of speed. It would be difficult to bring the train lo a halt suddenly, and here was I Hie only person on board who knew of ibe danger which threatened — shut op frn this rlk- car helpless and powerless to give the alarm. I < limbed to the window and boked out. It was dark as Erebus, but 1 managed to make out the lights of Stratford whizzing past, and 1 knew w*- were forty-flie in lies from Derby

Junction.

Aliicr Run was half a mile or so beyond Derby a ueep. rooky-bot;omed gulch, through which ran a noisy stream, aud this stream at present was quite a formidatile river. I had spoken fo Axtell about the extraordinary height of the water when we passed tiie night before. The bridge was a narrow pi!«*. single track, and full twenty-five feet from the water. 1 ran all this o' or In my mind, and knew that if we pJunged into that stony gulch, running at our presenrate of speed, there would be very few of us left to tel) tbe tale.

I drew a long breath.

“What i ould I do? Nothing with-

in my jiower was Joft undone. 1 shouted from the tittle window until my i voice failed from very exhaustion; I thundered against the doors until my hands were bruised and bleeding, and the settee—the one instrument 1 had i to work with -lay in fragineniH at my ' feet. And all this time we were dashing forward to our fate. To my excited imagination it seemed as if our apeed was swiftly increasing we no

I longer touched the earth—w-e (lew!

| And Helen! my poor darling! A

great throb of agony swelled in r throat ana almost suffocated me thought of her. AJl-unconseious Impending doom—sitting quietly blue eyes heavy with tears a: neglect—going on to ber fate* Suddenly a tboright struck tr - I was desperate enough to t thing. 1 felt I should go mao

couia not act.

I might warn the engineer—warn the train -save the lives of those on board—though in all probability 1

should lose my own.

I tbvught of Helen and of the aismal shades of Alder Run. and did not

hesitate a moment.

1 would fire the car* 1 be ftaiues would be seen—they would stop the train, and I would pray to G*>d that 1 might retain my life until 1 could tell them the jeopardy we had been In—the danger which lay Just ahead! Without a scruple 1 tore open tne mail bag containing the newspapers and piled them uff In a corner of the car. I laid everything combustible at my command on the pile aud applied th* match. It blazed up bravely, and so excited was 1 that 1 usneed in front of the fire I had kindled like

Burkesvflle and placed them in their ' a madman. The car became insufferapproprinte bag. We merely left th- I :il| !y hot; I whs obliged to put my mail at Burkesvilie—It woe throw n oil | head out of the window to breathe, without stopping—generally the train j and my clothes—thank Heaven, they

Nehemiah

Noggins’ Charity

1

•bf’t . | ■ i; I

made no very perceptible slackening there. And us we were a little hr hind time that night, of course thenwould be no lessening of the speed.

were woolen—were beginning to crisp and shrivel in the intense heat. Already my face was blistered, and It. seemed as if every drop of moisture

and I must tie ready to throw off , in my body sru* dried up.

the bag promptly. I took up the baq and applied the key to the door of the car. Good heavens! It was in no respect like the key which fitted tha' j complicated lock. I looked at it more ' carefully and saw that it was nothing | but a common trunk key. Axtell had !

Fell Out the Window.

An Intoxicated young man. very much battered up, went Into a hotel about midnight and asked the clerk for Room 23. “Can’t give you that one,” replied the clerk. ’Tt's token. “Who’s got it?" asked the tnioxicued one. "A man named .Tones.” “What Jones?” "Mr A. B. Jones bfis Room 23.” The battered up youm,’ man smiled. ' 'Zat’s me. I fell out ze win

qow.’——Denver 'kiat.

l‘lie

1 'It,. ,

iirilr.

The Highest Wave. The average height of waves is only twenty fuel, says the navy hydrographic olilca Of course rhr- investlgation didn’t InTude th»- pr' .iib Eton wave.— North Airert .,n.

I

made a fearful mistake. 1 was a prisoner! and the worst of It was, there could he no escape for me until the train reached Fair bridge. No one but Axtell and myself ever came near the mail car. And here we were, rushing along at the rate of forty miles an hour, with a noise like the thunder of Niagara, and l felt, without making any attempt et realizing the fact, that all the voice in my lungs would never penetrate beyond the walls of that atrongly built

car.

Like lightning we whizzed past BurkesviBe. Through the narrow slit which answered for a window I saw the station-master in the attitude of expectancy gazing after us. but we were miles fc«ay, probably, before th* disappointed man got lilt, mouth elos* it from the gape of anticipation with 'ihkh he regarded the train. T was angry, and must confess that I swore m little, though as there was no ot present to bear r.ic. it did not cr<*a’« any g:--at seusr, ,lon. My chief < .t.iste of chagrin t:,y ja the 'a-t tha: 1 could Du; reach .Teir-n, and tha. sb*- would doubtless b* very nr.nh butt, .it'd perh.p - angry, at whi .* 1 » mii.’ut .'.ittik savored o? neglect 1 *■ ’ u'nlii,e car du.c,u. 1 t>a». t'T*\1 .^.iit,R. them with a sen**-. t>r l might as well have attempte-I (o bn us thr waiis of the Baatilt Tmn were three luggage vans b-. »«• nad Hie {rplnt:. an,, . 0 e- »>. ,! . 1 .j*- - r,.‘ - or, .»t-l»it- e,.

And still that fire gained bo slowly! Would it never burst through Hie roof of the car? We were nearly at Derby; already, by the hollow roar, I knew that we had run through Darrell's Cut- only a mile from Derby! Minutes seemed hours, and my 1m-

j patience became so unbearable that 1 seized a keroseni- lump and flung It Into the midst of the t'.ajues! The car rocked as if In the breath of a whirlwind. I was hurled violently against the door, and a long spire of lurid flame shot through the roof and seemed to wrap the whole fabric in Its fiery embrace. And simultaneously 1 heard the sharp whistle of the locomotive to "down brakes,’’ and 1 knew that my signal had been seen. The apec-d slackened; a few moments more and the train was at a standstill and the roar of Alder Run could be distinctly heard. We were within fifteen rods of de-

stniction!

1 had Juat strength enough left to put the telegram In the hand of the first man who approached me, and then fainted dead away. I was very badly burned, and the physicians say that only Helen’s faithful nursing saved my life. As tt waa, I got scarred and disfigured. but Helen bravely sticks to It that I am handsomer than ever in her eyes; and. truth to tell. 1 cart more for her Judgement than for that of every other woman In the world! The owners ware pleaded to "on aider my conduct heroic and raised my italary, so that Helen and 1 were married os soon na 1 was able to be about; but I have in my black lock* more than one thread of white which appeared t!ic T »> that night the bridge at Aider Run »»« down—HERO STRONG. i

NebMUiah Nuggins cavt his eatery eyes over his store, preparatory to shutting up. going home sod sneaking Into hi* bachelor quarte's. It was a fine array that Is > >' vevec. rodfish. U<c* of na'l* of various a»soitmenl. bools utid shoes o* every s!*e and style, hank* of flax, old kv the pities that sobbed and sighed along the hillside back of it* store: violins without bridges, needles m boles mixed with thtinbler. sealing »az. envelopes and babies sucking bottles, old hut*, caps, bonnets with plumes and without, face-powders plows, harrows, takes, shaving-soap, raxors, fruit-can*, coil* of rubber hose, cycle tires, monkey wrenches, gum rubbers, fieh-poles. books, hues postage stamps, jar.- of peppermint candy. and many other thing* too numerous to mention. “Tea per cent, less than cost! No wonuer I have to pinch, and scrimp, and half starve." But he did not figure that all this was hi*, his to own. to sell, to give away. His and it never < <>*: him a cent for the whole entire outfit of the store. To-day lie sold u harrow. Boys grown u:> to manhood Lad carved their names upon the bandies. Dally, year after year—In season of course that harrow h:td be*'n dragged out upon tnc low porch, h had been beaten by the rains of years, rn.i was dusty with the touch of time; It had been nibbled by the mice, gnawed by the rata and abused in general. Today he sold it. How Lis tender, susceptible heart quivered as he saw Hie md. familiar thing tuHsed into a farmer's wagon! Ah! anti how quickly he hurried back Into his little den, yanked dow n his slab-desk from the wait, reached for a certain book and examined it closely. It had been nil well and faithfully kept, the old stock by his father who had slept for twenty years under th* pine-needles of summer and the crystalline crusts of winter. And Nehemiah sighed as he laid In* in. yellow finger upon a line. He ivered from head lo foot, and a ■ r isized from his watery eye. Sold for fifteen per cent, less than st 1 No wonder times are bad. men • poor—and I have to save, pinch, urve and look out to make both end* vet.” Carefully replacing the old book in s place, be next lifts his poor desk i its place on the wall, fastens it «-re wirh a button, and, rising, be aves the den. The store will be closed in two minutes; all is well within. The codfish will not nibble at C * hook*, the fly suckled sticks of licot» . w 1 uc .: : with the pari* green, the ' (hewing will not absorb the fulmin- • leg gun cap#, the razors will not shave the whiskers off Hie moth-eaten yarn mittens, the needles in the showcase will not prick the toy gas baJloons the monkey wrenches will not chew the lump* of gum--so a.!l is w*-)t for Nehemiah Muggins to close up, go home and to his bed. Bur he didn't close up and he didn't

fro.

"Nehemiah!" He started as he stood there with his hand upon the latch. Ho started, not hryvnipp of fright, for he had lived too long among the ghosts of old things to be frightened. No; it was not fright that startled him. It was because the voice was a familiar one; because it was the voice of one long since dead and gone, and laid away under the pines in the burial-ground upon the hillside hack of the store. Down the narrow rtairs clambered a figure; he could not see it. but he could hear 1L It came in sight Yes; Hie same old face with the sharp line* about the eyes, and the pucker of the. lips. The spare, bent figure walked to the end of the counter, with that same limp of twenty yeans ago. Ft leaned one arm upon tiie show-case, filled with the countless odds and ends of a store's stock of notions; the hand drummed upon the glass us nervously as of old, and the sound of rattling of the finger nails came to Nehemiah’s ears as plainly as of yesterday, though he had not heard It for years and years. The other hand fumbled with the stiff stock encircling the long, lean neck, with its little line of flabby skin teaching from chin to Adam’s apple. How familiar the old chap looked! nor. a speck more of dust upon his shiny coat, not a hair more gray in the fringe about the high, narrow forehead; the eyes were as bright and keen as ever, and when the thin lips opened the voice was just the same, sharp, clear, dfetinct: •'Nehemiah son, are you glad to see me ba k again after my long journey?” A shudder passed over the other perhaps no man in all the world had ever been asked such a question before. Was he g;.i<l to see bis fathe: come back, who had been keeping in the graveyard for twenty years? Furiosity was stronger than tear, and the son answered: “I am glad to tree you, tho .gh 1 a ever expected to meet yo.. a gal 'Yes. thvt's tt ueni. ve are never expected to come b.iv.; but tv«* jo eouie hack, -oiue;iaic- Uiougi. w< do no always rt ***a. our:-h i Many :i guuit be x-in you lit>e maue, -jn. »*'iii; 1* 1 ail*# !. your fatiin, was a - . i • cl'iu.- -tt --rv.it you Of co * '.vi I ni\ wbri i*. ■•>; Hist

u-oulil spoil our plans. You tier, dreamed, son. did you, that sj.iti’ Uxd plans, eli?" “No; can’t ..*> that I eveu ga\ tf such ft subject thought." “Vi ’-ll, we do plan things: w *. ,,, not have any work to do. you know you |>"or, earih-boniid creMti.ie-, i-i,^ Red »nh Hie r.tlaht of mortality, the work;,but we p'au Just the same \Y* gather about toixitistoiie* in H time of night to arrange our plans tou-e have pises concerning wa, peai*. biisine-s. love, ambition, anu _ some, 1 smb sorry to say. hate c.iLuin* plan*. Just Hie same as when th*u were on earth and aliv*-. Nehemiah 1 bate come back after staying aw a.* from yon for twenty year*, to te.l yoot it great weakness that txais in yo tr Harare." “Wen, ad\t<* from such s judi. io lean as trtu were once “And now remember, son. J a-n pose*koii of the siuiie strong points tha bad such telling eflot t when 1 hud th - establishment in charge” • 1 await your advice." uttered NV bciii!*!- as he (trow nearer. And Hen’ h*. »ht* wiiat he had failed to observe at :* distance; at a distance, the figm*- of hi*> falticr possessed the dcnsit. of mortality; now, as be craws nta; - • tr, be sees that the faie. form. limb, bstids ,r *' semi-transparent, and tha; uhj.-i'ty back, aod beyond, and be m a th. - how through the person of h>^ father like things through a veil or thin smoke. And It -com* very strange startling aud groteaque to note a rat-trap hanging from » peg rigdt through th*. spirit's fa.-e; and B sec us m strange, uncanny and li* wiidoring to se* fishhook*, fiddl-. 1 - bridges and other notions appearing Hiroiig hi* laUier’G hands spread uu the sbe: -cii; e. Dut ghosts wiil bghoBts, so why bother about it or question 1'? What he wants to kno>v Is. what Is this particular weakness made mention of by iris father? “Net', rninh, did you ever give a»a> anything in ;tli your liff?" "He, ie, he’” cackled the son. a* the rldi ilo ts io< u came to him. “No' Why ; i ltd 1. This is all mine; pah for, and to s*.-!l again. 1 give away anvtbins-? Surely. I'd not be my fatl er's own son if 1 should give away any tiling.” “Ah!’ sigh-d tiie spirit—and 4. nickel-plan : 'vutcu shone through hi; very nmutii a» he opened his lip* ‘"rim* vas ui> weakness, Nehemiah my we.ihn-.-v I was close-fisted grinding tlqlir. c rue!, mean, sordid, was railed a clever man at making . bargain; 1 never cheated a single human being out of a penny; yes, a Yen successful business man was 1. Bui I never rave’anything away. I neve; added one cent to heap the poo store of iharit.y; no loaves and tislicv ere dispensed by these hands to rc - Ile.e the hunger and still the &v - peals of distress. I owned what 1 liaci; all was paid for : all whs for salaiid fo be turned into money. I cannot rest now. my -on; I did not think 1 was lioiiig a wise thing when 1 stooc ] tit your elbow and prompted you to drive good and close bargains—« way* in your favor. I have changed my mine. Nehemiah. son, prosperouman that you are, I want you to help me out of my troubles. I want you to show Home degree of charity toward humanity. Turn not a deaf ear toward the pleading of want, look not with cold, cruel, pitiless unconcern upon woe; be ready to give some of your wealth to the poor and need' Ketnemb* r!” Nehemiah Imd closed his eyes when his father li -gan; it was a 'habit of hi.for with chined eyes he was belte: able to omiirebend. draw conclusion-, solve knotty points, and thua make things dear. "Well, arc you through, father." No answer greeted him. He opened his eyes. The figure had disappeareii but out cri tb- gloom beyond came tli« one word; "Remembci'” He shook Mniself together, pulled his hat over his brow, locked the door nnd uttAti.d on down the moon light»Hl htreot toward his bacbeloi quart era. What hts dreams wore It doca not mattir. only that they wen not unpleasant, for before retiring hi resolved to turn over a page in hi* life-book, wipe off the old slate and begin with a clean score in the morn

ing.

Early the nut morning Nehemiah almost startled a littl" girl out of he; wits when he handed her an orang' and said, kindly; "Oranges are very good for littl*I girls; here is your tea and changi and here ir, a box of cough-drops fo your grandma.” And tbe ehlld ran home with h' treasures os rapidly as her little leg-eo-ild take her. | All day long Nehemiah astonished | the good peop.e by giving thingii 1 aw.ty; am in the evening he dropp<*< in at the church parlor, where the parson's donation was held, and he deposited a check for fifty dollars, to help on the goed cause; and the fol lowing day he loaded a wagon with provisions and sent a roan to dlstrt hu e i; a long the poor people of tiie place. And so he continued to give things away and do good; and the uid stock in the store began to as- - me a new hxik. and trade became s * large that he hired clerks, and wa# obliged to liuild a big block. So Nehemiah Noggins, once so “liov aujj gilnriing. became a men <> ( < t.e >ty x man of high respect aud honor in the c<* umurity. \iKl the *pi:;t o* )ti« father never cs’.m i ti'! ogy.lu tu rcuntmi him of «• «- .1 - !•;. S. M ELLER ' Tb* «i .. u * **ttli r iO! ®t !i*BK ’> < .. j- r-.ji l-ij. ;-atisawaj’ *.*y* ' - rio-'Ues of ,pu.. i’.ivdv ne.

i