Ligonier Banner., Volume 32, Number 36, Ligonier, Noble County, 9 December 1897 — Page 3

e, = . ! I = A CLEW BY WIRE i : Or, An Interrupted Current. - § =BY HOWARDM. YOST. & : Copyright, 1896, by J. B. Lippincott Co., | = CHAPTER VIIL—CONTINUED. . When we arrived at the cross roads; ¥lorence insisted on riding her horse the rest of the way to her home.. - , - A thought oécurred to me after I had assisted her to remount. Ilaid my hand on the bridle to restrain her going. : - “Do you mind if I ask you a question?” I inquired. T : “Assuredly not.” : “Then tell me, do you see much pf ~ Horace Jgckson? Has he a;ked you to marry him?” . - : “Yes; he has'asked me to marry him,” she replied, droeping her head. “Indeed, there is a compact between us about it.” o ; , “Oh!” s S £ T fi 3 “Yes. Now, please do not be foolish . and feel badly over it. But I have promised ‘Mr. Jackson that-I will marry him "if the robbery can be traced to you, and ‘the stolen property, or a portion of it, be found in your possession.” = - “Good heavens! Why did you give him that promise?” : - “Well, he bothered me so, lately, that I-gave him the promise to get rid of "him. His part of the compact is not to ‘mention the subjeet again until yon are 'shown to be the robber. 'So you see how absolutely safe I'am in this.” ; “Does Jackson believe I am guilty?” Y asked.: . ; . P

~ “No, he does not. Inhisinmostheart he {loes not. And he used to affirm ‘his belief in your innocence until—” She hesitated here, and seemed reluctant to proceed. I waited in anxiety, and she finally went on—*“until lately he, for some reason, has changed his opinion. ‘At least so he says. And it made.me angry when he told me that he had. Then it was I gave him the promise.”

“Tlow long is it since yon discovered that he had changed?” " | “About six weeks ago. I have not seen him since. He and his father had a terrible quarrel that day, and he has not been here since then.” . “What reason did he give for now befieving I was the |guilty party?” I d@sked. . ! ‘ i =

| “Oh, he mumbled something about discoveries recently made which would throw newlight on the case.” Florence gazed earnestly into my face, and she must have noticed the troubled expression upon it. For she leaned toward me and with great earn< cstness exclaimed: . “Nelson, oh, tell me, you had nothing to do. with it, did you?” 4 e

“Florence!”

“Forgive me; I know you are honest and true.” She laid her hand upon fnine. “I will not wrong you by the least doubt. But Jackson seemed so confident. There is no way by which a seeming -proof of the robhery could be shown against you, is there?” ~ - “Good heavens, how could there be 27 I exclaimed. “Oh, I see it all,” I went on bitterly. = “Jackson has become wealthy, ‘and is trying to ingratiate himself.with your father and wundermine my; reputation with you and so finally’igéin your hand.” :.. : :

Florende listened to.my incoherent outburst with an amused smile. -

" “Do you like Jackson at all? Is he agreeable to you?” I asked, in jealousy. The smile died from her face and her eyes flashed with an angry fire.

“Like him? No, indeed; I'detest the man. I hate him.” Thisoutburstmade me happy, and Ilaughed merrily. : “It is not kind of you to compel me to show temper,” she said. “Bu} remember, sir, you provoked me toit. Itisnot only for mgself alone that I dislike him, but it seems to me that he is the cause of the change that has come over my father lately. ‘Ever since that quarrel father has been so different.”

“In what respect?” I asked, sympathetically. - ‘ - : “He seems terribly worried -and anxious.” - ; =

“It is probably business care. There are very few men directing great enterprises who have not times of worry and anxiety, who have not financial storms and the fear of wreck to face,” I added, consolingly. “And as for the quarrel with Jackson, that was probably no more than a difference of opinion regarding business methods. Jackson fold me once he had businesg relations with your father, and that is what ‘makes me almost fearful that he will gain you afterall.” = | ... -

“But I have promised you; what more can you ask? I would not marry Mr. Jackson even if I had never met you,” Florence said, with & decided shHake of her head. = Sl - ’

“Unless it was proved I robbed the bank,” I suggested. , L “No, not e%én’ then. I’d rather die.”

~ “Oh, my darling love!” I burst out, “I must be first in your heart or nothing—first o¥uothing!™ &~ -~ = - “What a foolish fellow you . are! You make me feel quite hurt at your implied doubt of me.” : : She urged her horse forward a few steps, then turned her face toward me.

“Rest easy about that,” with the true light in her eyes. “You are first, dear one—first now, first always.” I made a spring for the bridle, but, withta merry laugh, she gave her horse the whip and eluded me. e ‘I watched the dear form rising and | falling like a bird along the road, then ' climbed into the buggy and slowly drove home. - L. : : CHAPTER IX. ‘ ' '_After suppet I'lit a cigar and walked up and down in front of the house. ‘During the meal Mrs. Snyder had kept | up an incessant chatter concerning the . mysteries ‘about my house. I did not * hear half her words, but nevertheless there was an elemént so foreign to my - thoughts in the few sentences I caught that I was glad to escape her. : : - The evening shadows were settling - over the valley, gnd the moon was rising in splendor, @ @ © : . Leisurely I tramped to and fro, giving up my thoughts undisturbed to the - pleasant realization of new-found happiness and to anticipations of future ;joy in the constant companionship of _my sweetheart. . . /"rhuiw finished, T repaired to my

from the same chair the evening before, a tall, white specter had confronted me. This recollection coming to me suddenly in the midst of happy thoughts caused me to glance somewhat nervously toward the closed window_ opposite. : I could see-a faint image of myself S\vgying to and fro in unison with the motion of the rrocking-chair in which I was seated. - T Directly underneath was the cellar, whosesolid walls,defying investigation of the interior, had so impressed the old nurse Sarah with an unreasonable fear. Even Sonntag, who, from his vocation, was aecustomed to hold himself well in hand against ‘surprise, had. exhibited. profound amazement when informed of the circumstance. It was irritating to have thoughts concerning the mysteries which seemed to abound: in thé old homestead come crowding up and play at cross-purposes with the happy state that the meeting with- Florence had induced. . The mysteries had seemed trivial in the daytime, had been wholly forgotten in FBlorence’s society, but now that I was'again alone and the night coming: on, the thought of the cellar came back to me tinged with a shadow of fear. And the voice, the unearthly voice—what was:it? = |- R :

Atfirstlhad felt a hope that the vague account given by Mrs. Snyder might have something of truth in it. The unraveling of a chain of events which seemed. to border on the supernatural would be a new experience to me, and therefore furnish a diversion'in the quiet, uneventful life I expected tolead in Nelsonville. : : ) But . now I needed no such diversion to ledad my thoughts away from the robbery and its blighting effect upon my life and honor. I did not regard that affair any longer as the one great barrier which stood between me and Happiness, although' the desire for ex?ulpation was keener thanever. =~ &

- I was sure of Florence’s love and trust, but I -could not wish her sweet self linked forever to one over whose life a cloud of suspicion hung. Her love was an inspiration, an incentive; under its influence I hoped to accomplish results which even the vast resources of the bank had failed in. -

To devote all my thought, all the energy I possessed, to this-one end was now my purpose. That small mysterious events were arising with their attendant irritations, threatening to divide the resources of my mind and body which I desired concentrated to one end, filled me with impatience. ' . Then, too, the certainty that Horace Jackéon seemed to feel that Florence would be compelled to fulfill her promise, weighed heavily mupon me. Why. had Jackson changed his opinion regarding my innocence? What developments had arisen which would throw new-light on the case, and make an innocent man bear the consequences of a erime he knew nothing of ? !

Just before retiring it occurred tome that the lights of Mr. Morley’s house might be seen from the attic window. It seemed as though sleep would be sweeter after a glimpse of those lights, some of which were casting radiance over Florence's loved form..

I left my roomr and quietly ascended the stairs.” Arrived at theatric, I grouped my way to the small window ‘through which I had gazed that morning. ‘I stood for a few' minutes contemplating the lights of the Morley residence on the hill opposite. . A Dbrisk breeze was piping down the valley. Through cracks and crevices it crept into the old attic with soft wailing and moaning. There was homesickness in the mournful tones, -and a sadness, as though the spirits of the.departed were sighing for a return to old familiar scenes. :

‘What was there about my old place that_produced such a depressing effect upon my spirits? The happiest moments of life have a slight shadow to them, as though to warn us_ that all joy is fleeting. Perhaps it ‘was only this shadow which’ caused the undefinable feeling of insegurity. But there was a quality; also, which_breathed of events to come of dire import. I seemed like the mariner on a dark sea, conscious of breakers ahead, and knowing not which way to steer. Even my dreams in the restless stumber of the past night seemed premonitions. | : ¢ ‘ That vagne forebodings s_hf)uld come when my mind was filled with thoughts of the beloved one who had given me her heart, was most strange. I could not shake off the d epressicfn. The darkness of the attic deepened it. ; I was about to retrace my steps to the stairway, when sounds reached my. ear which caused me to pause and listen -—a’ series of raps, alternating with a rasping noise, but so feeble and indistinet that I was unable to form an opinion of the cause. Alll could detérmine was_that' they seemed to come from above. ; : ;

A loose shingle or piece of timber, rattling in the wind, would have made a dull, heavy sound, while the gentle raps I heard had a clear, mellow ring, like that produced by the vibrations of a tuning fork.: S After lighting all the matches I had with me and making as thorough an examination of the roof as the brief flickering lights would allow, I groped toward the stairs." - ey

Probably half the distance to the landing was passed when upon my ear fell the voice, the unearthly voice, the weird tones of which I had first heard in my room downstairs. : It could not possibly be heard up in the attic, when speaking‘in my «hamber. So then it must have the faculty of being able to change from one apartment to another just as the whim seized it. . Like the voice which had sounded downstairs, the tones were intermittent; in the present instance they alternated with the rappings. i After standing motionless, with hearing strained to the utmost, T noticed that at no time did the voice and the rappings sound together. ' The few detached swords I distinguished had no possible reference to myself; nevertheless the voice seemed to follow me. I was unwilling to attribute the sounds to supernatural causes, for I was not a believer in the supernatural. It might be that the parties who had walled up the cellar found somé of their plans, whatever they may have been, upset by my advent, and had taken this way to frighten me and cause my departure. = . . On second thought the idea did not appear tenable, For If the purpose was

. Was there only one voice which in some way sounded both in my rcom and in.the attic, or were there various voices all over the place, each independent of the other? o ' :

I hastened downstairs, but when 1 reached my room noe-sounds were heard there. ; 3

While in my bedroom, I had no way of knowing if the voice in the attic was still sounding. ‘ ; The remainder of the evening I spent in rushing from my room to the attic and back again, and quietly stealing through the vacant rooms, in the hope of laying hold of some explanation of the strange voice. I did hear it again in the attic, but there was no sound in my room, though I.had immediately hastened there. . !

Finally I gave up the quest for the time, and, thoroughly fatigued, undressed and went to bed. :

My head had hardly touched the pillow when the report of a pistol reached my ear. The sound was muffled, as though coming from "a distant apartment. Indeed, it seemed to come from underneath, .as had the sound of the slamming door; but yet not directly be-neath;-.it would undoubtedly have sounded much plainer had the shooting taken place in the walled-up cellar below my room. . i There was no answering shot, and no more unaccountable noises, though I hearkened intently. -

All through the night T lay vainly trying to find repose, but sleep -would not come. I was resiolved to leave no stone unturned to unravel these mysteries. For the events, trivial as they seemed and as they proébably would prove when explained, were certainly irritating, and threatened wholly to destroy the rest and peace I had expected to find in Nelsonville. .

It was exasperating that, besides being burdened with a load of guilt which rightfully belonged on other shoulders, I should also be subjected to petty annoyances which promised to make my stay in Nelsonville/anything but peacéful. True, I was my own master. I could leave the old house on the morrow:. But to be utterly routed and driven from the field by a few harmless though inexplicable happenings was contrary to "y nature. Then, too. Tiorence; how could I leave the place, now that I had found my love abiding here? o ;

When the first rosy tints of dawn showed in the east, slumber closed my weary eyes. 7

As on the previous- morning, Mrs. Snyder was compelled to arouse me for breakfast. On the present occasion she announced rather testily that the morning meal had been waiting for over an Lour. _ . . 3

I could not resist the desire to begin investigations immediately, and therefore after hastily dressing I walked all around the house, keeping at such distance frdm it that every part of the roof could be seen.

There was a line of wire running along the side of the road, which, as I afterward ascertained, belonged to a telephone circuit embracing half a dozen towns and ‘villages in the vicinity. This wire crossed the roof of the house, but was not fastened to it inany way, swinging at least three feet clear of the ridge-pole. Within a few inches of thé wire was a section of lightning rod. The air was still, and.the wire hung motionless. On the preyious night a strong breeze had been blowi’ngf?as I remembered from the mournful cadences it produced up in the attic. > *

Here was one mystery which could be very reasonably explained. The wind had swung the wire, eausing it to strike against -the perpendicular portion : of the lightning rod, thereby causing the series of gentle vibratory raps I had heard.

Satisfied that the other mysterious events would also’ give up their secrets upon investigation, I went to breakfast. Mrs. Snyder was not nearly so talkative as'during former meals. Indeed, she appeared rather glum. The reason of the old widow’s taciturn manner was soon explained. After pouring my coffee, she watched me in silence for'some itme. But silence was not the widow’s forte, and, as I was busy with my own speculations, she was compelled to begin. . “I guess you ton’t like my cookin’,” she said. . .« : .

“Indeed I do; the procf lies in the quantity I find room for. You are an excellent cook.” A

The old woman’s face relaxed somewhat under my praise. ( *Vell, bud you ton’t come rite avay when id is retty,” she continued, “und I tought maybe you not like de cookin).’, e 3

“I beg your pardon, Mrs. Snyder. I did oversleep.; I'll be more punctual in future.” - ;

"~ “So you schleep ofer yourself? Vhat .for?” she inquired. * : “Oh, I was up rather late the even‘ing before,” I remarked, indifferently, for I knew questions relating to the strange things which had come under her observation were trembling on her lips. - “You remember our discovery of the walled-up cellar?” I continued, Mr Sonntag’s suggestion rega¥ding the wisdom of secrecy coming to mind. She nodded, and her old eyes brightened expectantly. “It is advisable to keep the matter a secret,” I continued. “You have not mentioned it to anyone, have you?” “Aech, no.” : : “Then please do not, for the present.” She promised compliance with my request. ; As the cellar was the next mystery I detegmined to turn my attention fo, I went home immediately after finishing my breakfast, harnessed the horse in the buggy, and drove off toward Sarah’s house. ~ e 147 If I had the necessary tools it would not be a difficult matter to cut the floor of my bedroom. o . [TO BE CONTINUED.] ' : Gentlemen in Court. : At an assize court the late Justice | Maule was engaged in passing sentence on a prisoner, when one of the officers of the court annoyed him by crossing the gangway beneath him with papers for members of the bar. “Don’t you know,” cried the judge, severely addressing the official culprit, “that you ought never to pass between two gentlemen when one of them is ,adfiteg sing the other?” Having thus 2 ieeat Bin 1, the Judge proceeded to_pass sentence of seven years' pena’ SR R a Rk s S LOe e SR gR i SRa GGI e

THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.

International Lesson for Decembew 12, 1897—Paul’s Last Words—2 Timothy 4:1-8, 16-18. [Arranged’ from Peloubet’s Notes.] GOLDEN TEXT.—I have fdught ‘a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the fajth.—2 Tim. 4:7. uTHIS SECTION includes the whole Epise. : | DATE of writing.! The Second Epistle to Timothy was written about A. D. 66, not long before the martyrdom of Paul. et Rome, ; : i ° EXPLANATORY, The Circumstances.—At the close of the Acts we left Paulin prison at Rome, but in hisiown hiréd house. Soon after that he was released. So far as can be learned, he went on with his missionary work for three or four years, and tlhen was arrested and brought again to Rome. He- was now probably in the dark, foul, lower dungeon of the Mamertine prison which even now it makes one shudder to enter, even with a light and guide.

I. Motives for 'Faithfulness.—V. 1. “I charge thee:” This is my dying request, the charge I laywupon you. *“Before God,” the Father, “and the Lord Jesus Christ,” whose servant he' is, and whom he delights to hohor and proclaim. *“Who shall judge the quick,” those living at the time of the judgment, “and the deéad,” those who have fallen asleep before “His appearing” to judge the world, and to enter upon His completed kingdom. : 11. The Teacher’s Work.—V. 2.. (1) “Preach,” proclaim as a herald. Make known the gobdd news. This is what he charged Timothy to do by all the motives enforced in verse. 1.. “The word:” The -truths p"f the. Gospel of Christ, who is the Word of God. ' (2) “Be instant,” give attention to, apply yourself to, be earnest, pressing. “In season, out of season,” at the regular appointed times, and whenever an opportunity comes in any form, or at any time. ’ '

" (3) “Reprove:” Thesame word that is used in John 1648, when Jesus says that the spirit shall'reprove, R. V. conviet, convince, the '\yorld of sin.; It means the ‘‘showing one his fault” or error, so that he may forsake it. (4) “Rebuke:” : There" are - times when only the severe, sharp rebuke will penetrate the soul and awaken men to duty. : : ; (5) “Exhort:” Awaken courage, arouse, strengthen good purposes. All this is to be done with *“long suffering,” patience, for the process of making men goeod is slow and discouraging, ‘“and doctriné,” teaching, line upon line, precept upon precept. 111. Opposition, and How to Meet it. —Vs. 3-5. There is need of the above charge because opposition’ will arise. 3. “Will not endure sound,” healthful, good for the soul, “doctrine,” teaching. The teacher of sound doctrine will become unpopular. “But after their own lusts,” their evil desires. They will want to sin, and hence avill reject those who teach holiness, and will “heap” up, load themselves with, adding one kind to another, “teachers” who will teach according to their lusts,the things that please, not the things that are healthful and true. “Having,” that is, the scholars having “itching ears,” itching for some novelty, for some pleasing things, as children want the medicine that tastes good, not-that which cures. 4. “Turn away:” It is the eternal punishment of him who departs from the apostolic: witnesses that, he loses himself in the whirlpool of manifold errors. Whoever will not listen to what is true, but only to what is pleasant, will at last abandon himself to silly, fantastic chimeras; @ ,

IV. Paul’s Good Fight of Faith./—Vs. 6, 7. 6. “For;” because my .work is done, let my mantle fall on you. You take up the work I must leave. “I am now ready to be offered,” as a sacrifice to the cause. He knew that at any hour the sword of Nero might end his life by a martyr’s death. | - 7. “I have fought a good fight:” The fight against sin and wrong within and without, the fight against error, against all that would overthrow the Gospel. “I have finished my course:” As a Christian athlete in the games, he had run the race, and reached the goal he sought. He had not fallen or faltered ift the race, but had “kept the faith” he had received in spite of all hindrances and enemies. i ;

- V. The Crown .of Victory—V. 8. “Henceforth there is laid up for me'a crown:” Having compared his labors to the exertions of the combatants at the games, he represents his rewand under the idea of a crown, because that was the reward bestowed on the victors in these combats. “Crown of righteousness:” The crown awarded to righteousness. VI. Light im Darkness.—Vs. 16-18. 16. “No man stood with me:” He notes in verses 10-15 some of his experiences. 17. *““The Lord stood with me:” This special presence was at the first answer, verse 16, and God enabled him to preach the Gospel to the court at Rome, as he had before to that of Festus and Agrippa, and thus compelled “all the Gentiles to hear.” |

18. *“And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work:” Fighting and fears within, without. The sword of Nero could not prevent Paul’s real deliverance, for the Lord “will preserve me unto His heavenly kingdem.” In cither way he was delivered from the lion, and there would be to the Lord _“glory for ever and ever.”

SOME SHORT PERSONALITIES.

The queen of Roumania has received the honorary degree of doctor of philosophy from the University of Buda-Pesth by permission of Emperor Francis Joseph. ' |

Mr. Septimus Winner, the composer of the popular song, “Listen to the Mocking Bird” (written in 1855), celeprated his golden wedding November 25. i L |

The prince of Wales has inherited from his mother the faculty of really interesting himself, not feigning interest, in whatever is brought before his notice. It is said by those intimate with the queen that she never allows herself to look bored. Whoever may be introduced to her has her vpry best attention for the time being. | Verdi visits frequently the home for aged musicians who were connepted in any way with the stage, now building in Milan. To this home Verdi proposes to devote the greater part of his fortune.” The building will cost over $lOO,OOO. There will be ropm far about 100 persons. By his will-a yearly income of about $4,000 will be left to the PR

A DEFICIT PRODUCER.

The Reopublican Tariff Depleting tho i TAreasury. g

' Thé Dingley high tariff law is proving a failire as a revenue producer. Out of the mouths of its authors and champions is the operation of the act condemned. Said Representative Dingley in the house on March 24: = | f*Our. problem i 3 to provide adequate revenue from duties on imports to carry on the government.” o

' In discussing the measure in the senate on May 26, Senator Aldrich, of Rhode Island, who. had charge of the bill in the uppeér body, said:

| “The adoption of a reverrue bill which should fail in- this purpose (of producing revenue), which should create an additional deficiency in the immediate future, which would require a further issue of bonds to meet current expenditures, would certainly be fatal to the hopes of future success of any political party responsible for such legislation.” o x :

- The excuse for the calling of a special session of congress for the revision of the tariff was the necessity for increased revenue. The real purpose of such legislation was the furnishing of protection to special interests® As usual in such cases the latter object was accomplished at the expense of the former, as.the figures clearly. show. The statement of government receipts and expenditures for November shows a deficit for the.month of $lB,572,109. . The deficit for the fiscal year up to the present time stands at $46,581,120. The deficit by months since the beginning of the present fiscal year is as follows: : : Y S oo Slralelelorste sl lere el S 11, 010, 040 AUBUSE . vviavcessooncoscacocareoseis. 14,604,432 SO DEETHDET oo ccansfalicocsceacnhscocases 0,480,118 IOeLabRY i . ciilaiseecssinesrsbeseses 2,810,093 INOVEMDET .iscaatoresvaonansesscnes.. :.8,672,109 ¢+ The Dingley law became a law July e 4. . The deficits for the last four fiscal years, ended June 30, have ‘been as follows: L . T 894 Lo ili i i pemaßamnsiosdessiniasiassess 300,808,267 LR ee s os a s sai na'oa slelo/siols 0 ole mlaio s N A ZIOKIO S 808 (. ciitarncsennareacatoenpaseanetness 0000040 R L I e Sataie aie selae e M ol oo (s eeleWL 55 002, 2Ok For the current fiscal year the deficit, /which for the five months already ex'pired amounts to over $46,000,000, promises to be larger than for any of the years given in the foregoing table, unless there shall be radical, and, judging from the present outlook, unexpected changes in the relation of receipts to expenditures. ' For the fiscal years from June 30 up. to the close of the third week .in November the:revenues, expenditures and deficits for the years given were as follows: ' . Expendi- s Revenues. tures. ' Deficit. 1895 .........$131,108,437 3152,378,1§5 $20,969,728 1896 ......... 122,575,647 161,906,957 39,331,410 1897 ......... 123,275,777 168,145,280 44,869,503 For the periods from July 24, the date of passage of the Dingley law, to the close of the third week in' November, the comparative deficits are as follows: AR eiaa Sy s aessaeasaesian s RO, £, 208 189 2ennoponoaiosasoasanncsanssenseasees 26,254,441 1897 Loiieiiiieerernenseasesnaneaneeenss 34,170739 However it may be figured the comparisons are unfavorable to the Dingley law as a revenue producer. Possibly the future may bring improvement, but the natural fear must be that the rates of the Dingley law are so nearly prohibitive as to prove destructive of revenue producing qualities sufficient to meet-the needs of the government.— Chicago Record (Ind.). S -

POSSIBLE PROFITS. The Proposed Gold McKinley’for the ¢ ‘Paris Fair. It would be interesting to know the names of the western millionaires who are to provide the capital for the solid gold statue of William McKinley that is to be exhibited at the Paris world’s fair in 1900. The report is that $1,050,000 of gold-is to be employed in making the statue, which is to be of heroic design and seven feet tall.’’ This is a foot and an inch or two higher than the president, but in order for the statue to be heroic, it must exaggerate the proportions of the subject. Presumably the gculptor or the molder or the goldsl‘;nith or whatever variety of artist is to be intrusted with the work will beinstructed to bring out in bold relief those features of the Canton major which aresupposed to give him a strong resemblance to Napoleon. If this wasneglected one of the chief charms of the statue would be lacking. While we are about it.we must show the Europeans that they have not a monopoly of the Napoleon business, ; \ )

Those patriotic millionaires who are to provide the capital for the undertakng expect to lose nothing. They may reasonably expect to make good interest on their investment. ‘

In fact, looked at from any standpoint, it will be impossible for them to lose a cent, unless somebody steals the statue or their idol gets smashed in the meantime. The $1,050,000 of gold put into the work will be worth as much when the show is over, and a good deal more, if properly handled. llf cut into small slices and sold as souvenirs of a great achievement, a great event and a great man, each would bring a great deal more than its weight in gold, provided the president is as great a man when the slicing operation begins as he is now, in the cves of the thrifty patriots who have obtained his tanction to their scheme.

But on this point they wonld better have a care. TFame is a wonderfully evanescent thing, and before 1900 gets here William McKinley's fameandglory may have vanished into thin air. He hasg difficulties ahead of him that seem to make this highly probable. Maybe, the promoters of the scheme will wait a year or two.to see what happens to him.—St. Louis Republic. -

——We have already, in the Dingley bill, exhausted our powers for the industrial injury of continental Europe. If Europe retaliates upon us we have no further power of retaliating upon Europe. What we shall have is the sweet consciousness that, even if we can no longer market our surplus crops abroad, and even if we have reduced our revenue from imports so that we niust resort to new schemes of taxation to meet current expenses, we have pttained in the Dingley tariff the ~most complete scheme of proteetion and commercial nonintercourse ever exhibited outside of China.—N. Y. Times.

-——The democrats are pledged by their national platform of last year to bring the trusts under control. Therepublican nationdl conventien, under the domination of Mark Hanna, ignored the subject, but the republican leaders in congress know well that the masses of their party share the feelings of the democrats on this subject, and that they would never forgive the defeat of anti-trust legislation. These leaders are in a distressing position.~N. ¥.

FOR YOUNG: PEOPLE.

A HERO.

“I wish I could be a hero,” -~ A-little boy said to me; . ¢ And when I grow up, a hero . I really mean to be. I.mean to be brave,” he told me, While his face was all aglow; “I'll do something grand and noble That all the world shall know.”

My little unfledged hero, -~ : - : I've something to say to you; In the time when you're sorely tempted, To your own self be true. . = = . Do right, and let no one lead you ) Jlnto the ways of wrong, ; And you’ll be as true a hero ) 3 As ever roused poet’s song. - to

Be kind to the poor and needy 1 * You’ll meet with in the way; Your life be a light to lead them To loftier heights, I.pray. o Be steadfast, and work in patience, In all things do your best; | ) Be:a man, my little fellow, s = And you will be all therest..” —Eben E. Rexford, in Golden Days.

) FELL WITH A ROAR. ' Sawing Down a Giant Pine Tree in the Minnesota Forest. W. S: Harwocd contrihutes “The Story of a Pine Board” to the.St. Nicholas, tracing the wood frem the f.avlf of the seed in the forest mold.through all the processes of lumbering until it emerges from the mill a finjshed board. Mr. Harwood says: s . + I bad my eye on a grand old pire standing a little away from any of his tellows, a- monarch in the forest. It must have been 140 feet, perhaps more, from the topmost point in its glossy green coronal down to the dead goldenrod.in the snow at its base.. It was about three feet in diameter at the ground, so tall, so strong, so straight, a noble tree indeed, in very truth a king of the forest. It was the result of the life whichi dwelt in tihe tiny black, ‘winged seed which was lost to view more than a century and a half before. -

While T'was admiring the_ splendid proportions of the tree, three men came toward me. One‘was a bright-eyed fellow, short of stature and swarthy of skin; looking like one.of the Chippewa Indians whose home this forest had been nobody knows how many centuries. He looked the tree. ovéer sharply, stepping 1o this side and to that,

S oW - [ \] \}? Ll *F A\ ! | 2 Ll e 1 R - v !‘9/// fi - 3 v. A \ i z’//'//l//(x | AT e %Z}/& : ik \"A {}l [//Z A //////f 2 yfizfifl T[% \ ;"»q‘y'” ;i‘\ \\\3\" Q‘\:. IR IR 7 ) i I 't« o /l//&“ 4\ . { \ \ S ,‘: ‘/"/ y ] \ /...‘% ‘ J 0./ [’f /[ ’/ 4-,/ > “ ‘a'&:"’ //" ’ (.‘.‘ . ‘):/ / e} - -, fl , ; Z - \r o\, ~1 G oK, Z//, ,L/ W . SAWING DOWN A TREE. eyed it critically from various points of view, and then with a small, sharp ax cut a keen gash in the trunk about a foot above the top of the dead goldenrod in the snow. He was an undercutter, a man whose business it is to cut into the tree on the side on which it should fall, so that it may not be broken in the fall, or lodge in the crotch of another tree. The cut on the side of the tree is the guide for th? sawyers. ‘

The other' men, bearing a big saw, began cutting down the pine, sawing steadily and powerfully through the iragrant yellowish-white trunk. Now and then the under-cutter would step up to them and see how they were progressing. When their saw- had passed tli:e heart of the pine he placeda small, bright steel wedge in the path of the saw, and drove it in. “Look out, there, now!”:came the call of the under-cutter as he looked in my direction. ' L I made a ‘quick scramble‘through the. deep snow, nearly tumbling over a hidden log, and grabbing my camera as I went. I had no intention of staying in the immediate vicinity, for I had scen trees like this fall before, and I knew it was a risky thing to stand hardby. The best-directed tree will sometimes veer a little in its fall, and woe to the one who stands below-it. Many an experienced woodsman has been killed. in just such a place; many a one has been caught and pinioned, perhaps to escape with only broken legs or ribs. In a second more the noble pine came crashing down through the branches of the other trees, falling upon the frozen ' earth with a noise which drowned all the other noises of the forest—a [roar .which echoed Aanlg' reechoed thyough the long, dim aisles of the forest like the booming of some mighty cannonade. i S

Neat Little Trick for Boys.

An’ apparent mechanical impossibility may be accomplished by simple means, using a copper cent, and a cork with a common cambric needle ‘as accessories. Announce that you will drive a small needle through a coin, and few will be ready to accept your statement, yet it is very simple and anyone can do it.. Take a copper coin, place it upon two small blocks of wood, leaving.a very narrow open space between the blocks. ‘Now, having selected a good, sound cork, force -the needle- fhrough it until the point just appears at the other end. Break off the portion of the head of the needle showing above the top of the cork. Place the cork upon the i coin and strike it a fair, smart blow | with a hammer. The needle. will be ‘ driven entirely through the penny bya single blow.—Harry Kellar, in Home Journal. v Ferdo il

Tallest of Trees. . In New South Wales, Vietoria and Tasmania grows a species of gum tree —Eucalyptus amygdalina is its scientific name—which, Sir F. von Mueller says, probably represents “the tallest of all trees of the globe.” The loftiest specimen of this tree yet meastired towers to the height of 471 feet. A, prostrate tree, measured in Victoria, was 420 feet long, and the distance from the roots to the lowest branch was 295 feet, At that point the trunk was four feet in diameter, and 360 feet from the butt the diameter was still three feet. The wood of this tree is hard and of %fi]ga!t&y, it grows quickly,_ and yieids a great quantity of volatile oil

_ . ANIMALS IN WARFARE. The Use of Elephants, Rhinoeercses, .- Camels and Sharks., : .. The armor worn by war elephants during the'time of the old Mogul empire was often magnificent, being a mass of steel,-iron and silver. To the long, white tusks, which were covered with chains, \_ve'f'efl'as]hed sharp swords or-sabers, forming an armament welk calculated to demoralize an opposing force. The sultan Mamood equipped his elephants with “bastions which were filled with men armed with crossbows and spears.: To-the tusks of the animals poisored daggers were attached. This sultan bad a band of rhinoceroses in his -army which were supposed to be used in demoralizing a foe, though the danger of their playing havoc with their own forees was equally great. ; - The cheetah was formerly employed in the east as an adjunct of war, bands ©of them being released and trained to bound along and tear down the enemy as they are now known to kill the fleet‘est antelope. i . The French and English, in their campaigns in Africa and Asia, have em-~ ployed camels, and thé French service to-day possesses.a camel corps, small guns being mounted on their backs. One company was served with Gatling guns of light caliber. The Arabs have long employed the camel in war, a corps of tbese -animals mounted with native sharpshooters,~with theirlong gunsand the gay colors of their robes, presenting an attractive-appearance. Even-the ostrich has been suggested as'.a ywar animal. It was found that they can carry their riders and develop marvelous speed, but they are very uncertain, and quite as liable to turn and retreat at the wrong time as to advance, so that the ostrich corps exists in theory more than in practice. : .. The value of the horse and mule in all army operations can hardly be estimated. Mules have ‘been mounted with small:‘cannon or rapid-firing guns in an emergency, but the eccentric charactep of the animal renders the service more than wnecertain. : . - - -During “the war between the north and the south a huge shark was uninite‘ntionally drawn into-the service. At one time there were nearly 2,000 pris- ’ oners in the Dry Tortugas prison, which was surrounded by a ditch about 100 feet wide and half a mile long. Prisoners often attempted to escape by lowering themselves into it, and in’several instances were drowned. One day a live shark.was placed in the moat by a naturalist- for experimental purposes, and while it was perfectly harmless, the shark effectually put a stop to thefattempts at-escape, and was Known as the sentinel or the provost narshal of the prisoners,who never wearied watchthe huge: animal as it swam up and' down, with its head and tail canted viciously out of the water.—Cincinnati Commercial Tribune. :

i BICYCLE CURIOSITY. Queer Wheel' Put Together by =aYoungster in Australia. “A curious bicycle, en route from Hamilton- to Warrnambool, was in-’ spected by a number of interested persons at the train the other night,” saysthe correspondent of a Victoria (Aus--tralia) paper. “It is of the old style, the front wheel about three feet eight inches - high, being made solid from boards of an old washing machine, and the hind wheel is from a small wheelbarrow.. Both wheels are most ingeniously tired with bark, with a strip of linoleam over all. The backbone and hind fork is a gum bough in its natural stage, bent with great accuracy to the-: RN ey : vy "\'\“ l\ji/ \ \:\\l i :\; R\ i.x‘: \ \\ \‘. y ‘//. X [ l“‘ ‘\ ,;'\" "/ Wl 2 % e Nl g ~——= o\ | “\,\ I T e e ° 'DRIVING THE CATTLE HOME. requisite position. The front fork iss another gum bough in its natural state, except that the parts forming the fork. are bent together, so as to be parallel.. This works through an old wheel box. from a light cart, whith is fixed in thethick part of the first branch, which fcrms the backbone, and an iron rod: passing through near the top serves as. handles, 'and the pedals are ingenious. adaptations of some old iron utensils. The maker is a lad 0f14.”

. CARE -OF THE HANDS. Some Excellent Hints for Boys as A .. ‘Well ‘as Girls. . Did: you ever see-a boy who could:get his skin real clean, especially, his hands? He rubs hard enough, and'displays enough energy along that line, but what a mess he makes of it; poor boy! My heart goes out to him, e isso full of play, and entirely too:busy to ‘wash. ¢lean, and hence his mather has to look out for him. A dearlittle browneyed lad'said tome: ““Youalways write -all -your nice receipts for girls. Why don’t you write some for bays?’—so I ‘will gratify him by telling him just ‘-what the girls do to keep white, cleam ‘hands.. i3I The first step:is to have-clean hands. For this use tepid water, and substitute oatmeal for soap; dry thoroughly and -apply vaseline or cold eream, if they are tender or chapped; sleep in loose old ‘gloves, next’morning use rain water, warm, and ivory or any puré white soap, and lather them well, using a nail ‘brush, and if there are any stans or discoloring, from mending your bieyele and other traps, use pumice stone for rubbing off such: stains. Keep these ‘three things on your wash stand, and ‘do not be too manly to care for your ‘hands ‘as your mother. or sister wishes you to. The most gallant, chivalrous men I ever knew were reared tenderly and made to use the same preparations for chapped hands and faces that their sisters did. They made brave soldiers, and ‘grew up to be neat and orderly. s SRt ss e A OPEnERINN, ;& e Fg; ¢ eAR e R