THE BRAVEST LOVER. Bow bravest that brave lover is XVho loves all thlnics beneath th eun, Then finds all women tn Jun one. And finds nil fortunes In one kiss! How wisely born, how more thnn wipe, How wisely learned must be that soul Who loves all earth, all paradise, All peoples, plaees, pole to pole, Yet in one kiss ineliules the whole! Joaquin Miller, tn Smart Bet 5 H Vengeance Is Mine. MUM "So that Is your final answer, May?" The girl bit h under Hp and an swered with effort. "I'm afraid you must take It as that." Alfred Melrose shifted uneasily from one foot to the other. He had bent the whole energies of a strong and Teso lute nature to win May Greaves for his wife, and had failed. Nothing he had said seemed to affect her. But there was one trump card still unplayed. "Are you aware," he asked, "of your father's last wish?" "No." Fear came into her face. "I thought not, or you wouldn't well, you would think twice before living me that answer." "I'm sure father could say nothing. He always wished me to be perfectly free In that way." "When he was strong ane". well naturally. But when a man is laid side and near death he is apt to think differently. There, May, I'll not beat about the bush any longer. I've a letter here which he wrote me a few days before he died. You cam see for yourself what it says." He took a letter from a leather wal let and smoothed it out "Read!" he said, plating it in her bands. 6he followed as through a haze what was written. Her father deplored his approaching death, leaving a mother less girl to face the butiets cf a cruel world. It referred to the comparative ly small inheritance she would have, for Greaves had not been an over-successful man, and expressed the wish that Melrose, as his lawyer, should Wind up his affairs. Finally, it com mended May to Melrose's care, con cluding: "If by any chance, my dear Melrose, her heart is turned in your direction, I am sure that somehow the glad news would come to me, and a great feeling of thankfulness that all was well with her would flood my soul." Melrose watched the girl closely as he read. When she came to the last words she put her handkerchief to her eyes. He stood silent until her emo tion was past "Well, May?" he asked softly. She handed him back the letter, with an unexpected show of decision. "No, Mr. Melrose, I cannot marry you." "May, why not?" The words burst from his heart "Because I don't love you." "Is love the only motive for which a woman marries? It is the best mo tive I know, but there are others. I have love enough for both. I love you With my whole being. Do you doubt It?" "No," she answered sadly. "Think of your position here. An unmarried girl living alone in this rough country, where men think so little of women why, the position would be unbearable to you. Let me take care of you, May. Let me be both husband and father to you!" "Please don't talk like that you hurt me. Don't you see It cannot be?" "1 can't see. There is no one tlse, "A " '"There is someone else." Melrose staggered back, as if from a Blow. "Who?" he demanded. "I cannot tell. Now, please go." And Melrose picked up his hat and went back to the office to try to drown memory in work. It was a half holiday, and his partner, Leslie Han on, and the staff were gone; but Mel Tose drew out his papers and sought to forget himself, but with small suc cess. The sting of May's refusal, the bitterness of his disappointment, en tered into everything. That evening Melrose walked Eround to his partner's house to discuss final details respecting a pending case. He was shown into a sitting room, and told that Hanson, whose hobby was photography, and who was develop ing some films, would join him in a few minutes. Melrose went up to examine a new writing table that had lately been added to the room. Melrose started. On the blotting pad was a note, addressed to Hanson, in May's handwriting. Taking one quick glance toward the door, he turned it ever. The envelope was open. Honor suggested that he should leave it alone, but Melrose yielded to baser mo tives. Quickly he drew the inclosure from the envelope. On the half sheet of note paper within May had written: "I am troubled about something that has happened today. Can you come to see me tonight? I will look for you at t o'clock." With nervous fingers and guilty glances at the door Melrose replaced the note. . Then Leslie Hanson was the other man! "Well, good evening, gentlemen." "Good night, Melrose. Mind you go straight home!" A general laugh from the company present followed the remark. With a keen retort Melrose passed out into the night He had prophesied to himself, from certain signs, that It would be a wild ut dirty night and his prophecy was coming true. Rain lashed in his race, he had to turn up his coat collar to keep it out Every now and then, etrong man as he was, he found it rit ficult to make headway against the wind. The night was favorable In every way for the execution of the de sign in his mind. Melrose went to his house, but, in stead of going inside, walked around to a toolhouso situated in the rear. Here, by the light of matches, he dis covered an axe. Hiding the axe un der his overcoat, he passed out along the road. The wind appeared to be increasing. Half a mile from his house a river, springing up amid the moun tains, began to run parallel with the road. The waters were in flood, and when their voice blended with the voice of the gale he could not hear a sound above them. It seemed as If all the powers were summoned to as sist him. He looked for and found a gap In the hedge lining the road. A narrow, stony tracjf, along which he passed, led in about twenty yards to a slight wooden bridge, spanning a surging torrent. Two people could not have walked abreast across the bridge. The planks were worn and shook beneath the feet of any one passing over them. Feeling with practicable hands, Mel rose selected the place where the boards were most rotten. Slipping the axe from under his coat, and holding his own body in a position of security, he raised the axe above his head and hacked at the frail timbers. In a few minutes he had the two boards form ing the apex of the bridge and the supports below all but severed. He stepped back and struck a match to see the face of his watch. The wind, of course, blew it out almost be fore it was alight, and he smiled at his folly. But he knew the time near enough. Leslie Hanson would soon be crossing the bridge to keep his ap pointment with May Greaves. Di rectly he set foot on those treacher ous planks they would yield under him and he wowld be pitched Into the torrent beneath on to Jagged rocks, with edges like knives, which it barely concealed. Mauled, senseless if not even actually dead the foam ing torrent would bear him over the rapids, to meet with certain death, and to lie in a nameless grave. It was a hundred chances to ene that the body would never be found. Even if it were, there could be no suspicion of foul play. In a short time, his rival gene, Melrose would win May Greaves for his bride. He looked about for a hiding place. Piled on the bank a yard or so away was a small stack of timber, evidently intended to be im mediately used in the reconstruction of the bridge. Melrose smiled grimly to himself as he hid behind it. He crouched down and waited. No sense of repugnance came to him. "All's fair in love and war." Hu man life was cheap in these parts. Hanson would not be miBsed. With his partner dead, and the entire profits of the business coming to Melrose, he and May would be well ofl. An instant's lull In the fierce gale, as if it were momentarily tired, but the torrent roamed as persisteitly as ever. It must be almost time for Han son to be here. Suddenly Melrose's trained eyes, accustomed to the dark ness, discerned a moving form on the opposite bank. Some one wag walk ing along the path that ended at the other opening of the bridge. Watch ing attentively, he made out a woman In a white dress. Could it be May come down to meet the man she loved. Immediately all his senses were on the alert. This was an undreamed-of possibility. What had possessed the girl to come out on this wild niyht? What if she attempted to cross the bridge? On, on, still nearer she came. Mel rose watched every step with growing anxiety; for a while he seemed gifted with supernatural eyesight. She reached the bridge and stopped. Ah! it was all right. She would not come any farther. He breathed again. Then she started to cross the bridge. Melrose jumped up, crying out, wav ing his arms all to no avail. Her face was held downward breathing the gale; she neither saw nor heard him. He forgot everything but that he must save the girl he loved from imminent death. A step or two brought him to the bridge. On he went heedlessly to the weakened planks, anxious only to push her back. Suddenly she felt a plank quiver be neath her feet She turned and fled, Melrose's near presence quite unknown to her. She had barely reached firm ground when the centre of the bridge gave. If she heard Melrose's scream as he fell with It, she may have thought it the mere trick of the wind. Next moment she was lying on the bank in a dead faint "Where am I?" "In your own home.". "I don't remember." "There is no occasion to remember. Lie still and rest." . Five minutes later May opened her eyes, with the light of recognition in them to fall upon Leslie Hanson sit ting beside her. "I recollect now. I saw the bridge fall. I only just got back in time." "Tell me, May! What were you doing there this wild night?' "I was Bitting here waiting quietly for you when a most horrible feeling came over me that you were in peril. I would not sit still. Something Im pelled me to the river. And there I saw the bridge fall. Thank God, Les lie, you were not there at the time." "I must have arrived there a few minutes afterwards. TJere seemed something curious; then I saw that the central part was gone. I went around to the other bridge and cross ed. When I got there I found the ser vant la alarm at your absence. Bhe an .,.n to the water's ugs and t ina you." "It was a wonderful escape for both of us. Oh, how can I thank you suf ficiently for taking such care of me?" "By letting me take care of you al ways, May." She spoke softly, giving him her hand. "I asked you here tonight, Leslie, to give you that permission." Herbert Jamieson In Chicago Tribune. MORALS OF THE NEWLY RICH. The Test of Character Which Sud den Wealth Affords. It was Doctor Johnson's opinion that "ladies of quality" make better wives and mothers than women of a lower class. Perhaps he did not In tend this opinion to be taken too se riously; he was talking to .BoBwell and Mrs. Trale, both of whom, it may be suspected, he was fond of "draw ing out." Of course, human nature ought to rise with Its opportunities, and so it does up to a certain point Its finest attributes are not usually possibly never brought out in the burden and stress of the struggle for life. On the other hand, sudden wealth and the leisure that accom panies it are tests of character few persons endure. A long line of well bred ancestors must moan something, despite the occasional baseness of some descendant, and in every com munity there are families whose his toty is a just source of pride. Sucn families, composing the real aristoc ucj, whether titled or untitled, whether in a monarchy or a democ racy, are at least incapable of bla tant vulgarity. This vice is peculiarly that of the newly rich, who see in the ability to spend money freely the hall mark of their superiority, and who, puffed up by the suddenty of their elevation, despise the criticisms of their fellowmen. Such a class con stitute truly a dangerous class. Ilitre has been more than onn ex ample, of late, to show the low social and moral ideals they cherish. Not the least conspicuous is the divorce case of a Pittsburg millionaire. Ordi narily the private affairs even of mil lionaires are not proper matters for public comment. But this has beet so flagrant an Illustration of the utter disregard of decency which men of his stamp show, so cynical a defiance of morality and good feeling, that there is no Invasion of the right to privacy in calling attention to It The man in question havlag risen from poverty to riches, practically de serted the wife of his youth and com pelled her to sue for a divorce. There was no charge he could bring against her; he was simply tired of her; he wanted more "freedom;" domestic re straint of any kind had become irk some to him. Doubtless there are many husbands in whom all the glow of sentiment has faded, who are weary of the res angustae doml; but for them this easy repudiation of re sponsibility is not possible; they, cannot buy their wives off by settling large sums upon them and go their way rejoicing. It is fortunate for the stability of society that Impulse is thus limited by opportunity. The sister of this man said in court that he was not fit to have charge of his own son, and added that no wealthy New York man Is fit to have such charge. This, of course, Is a rank exaggeration. There are plenty of men of wealth in New York who are good fathers and husbands and whose conduct is dictated by a high sense of duty. Nothing is more fu tile than to Indict any one class. But the blatant vulgarity or worso which so often characterizes what Is called "our best society" though not infre quently it is only a shoddy imitation of the best certainly suggests pessi mistic conclusions as to the stand ard of virtue and honor which pre vails in the class conspicuous for lavish display and reckless expendi ture. In every age and nation the newly rich have been accused of more than their share of Immorality, and so persistent a charge can hardly be baseless. But what is perhaps worse, in a way, than any specific vice is the callous and brutal disregard of ordinary decent feeling these persons manifest. The Pittsburg millionaire celebrated his "freedom" by giving an ostentatious dinner to . his ac quaintances; it is well to call them that, for such men seldom have real friends. There may be hope for the worst sinner while the sense of shame abides in him. If that be dead, what .is there to redeem him? Providence Journal. World's Military Expenditures, According to 'a British Parlimentary paper, the wold's normal annual mili tary expenditures are as follows: Russia $185,000,000 Germany 157,000,000 Great Britian 153,000,000 Fiance 133,000,000 United States 112,000,000 India 98,000,000 Austria 84,000.000 Italy 55,000,000 Japan 21,000,000 Besides India's $98,000,000, other colonies of Great Britain expend $16, 000,000 a year for local purposes. The German total does not include Its $25, 000,000 a year for colonial military expenses and the French total also excludes $18,000,000 a year for the army serving abroad. The British Empire leads with Its home and co lonial total of $271,000,000. Including $137,000,000 a year for pensions, the United States comes next with $249, 000,000. San Jose, Cal., recently celebrated the 60th anniversary of the raising of the American flag in the limits of the present city. New York City. The coat that suggests Empire lines is a very gen eral and well deserved favorite, for while that style is not always desir able when pushed to an extreme, it makes exceedingly attractive outer garments and Is highly to he com mended. This one shows certain modifications that render it adapted to modern needs and is suited to a great variety of materials. As illus trated it is made of black taffeta, the yoke and cuffs being embroidered with black silk, while the little vest Is of black and white material, but plain material can be used through out, the yoke can be trimmed in any way that may be liked or it can be of heavy lace over silk while the skirt portion is of silk only, in fact can be treated In any way that the in dividual may like. The ribbons that are threaded in and out of slashes, cut and finished for the purpose, make an exceedingly attractive feat ure but are not obligatory as any other form of closing that may be preferred can be employed without changing the essential characteris tics of the coat. The coat is made with the yoke, the front edges of which are faced to give the vest effect, and with the fronts and backs of the full portions. The lower edge of the yoke is fin ished with a band of the material stitched with beldin-g silk. The sleeves are of moderate size, closely shirred at the shoulders, and finished with roll-over cuffs that are by far the most becoming of any known. The quantity of material required for the medium size is eight yards twenty-seven, five and three-fourth yards forty-four or five and one-half yards fifty-two inches wide for full length; six and one-halt yards twen ty-seven, .four and seven-eight yards forty-four or four and one-half yards fifty-two Inches wide for three-quarter length with one-halt yard any width for the vest, two yards of band ing and three and one-halt yards of ribbon to make as illustrated. Handsome Corset Cover. -One corset cover in a very hand some trousseau has its entire front hand embroidered. Pumps Not Popular. Pumpa are not, however, so unre servedly popular as they were last season, women having found that they were not so comfortable for gen eral wear as might be desired. , Semi-Precious Stones. Coral has had a great vogue and all of the semi-precious stones, such as topaz, amethyst, etc., have been pressed into service and have been imitated with considerable success in buckles of good design though of cheap materials. Golden Chain Bracelet. The latest thing in Jewelry is a golden chain bracelet, having an in visible continuous spring running through the centre, which can be worn either as a bracelet on the wrist, or higher up the arm, to keep the gloves in place. Autumn Colors. Autumn dresses will be built of very thin cloth and their colors wHl be the new greens, the new blues, the new reds and the new tans. They say that green, which has had such a phenomenal Success, will be seen this fall In leaf green, goose berry green and prairie green.' It will also be noticed in emerald, grass, geranium and deep leaf green. While speaking of the new fall col ors one must not forget the leather shades, which are always much liked. There is tan which is the most pop ular shade of leather ever invented, and there is a pale suede leather. .Misses' Skirt. The skirt that Is plaited or tucked In various ways is constantly growing In favor and may fairly he said to be the most fashionable at the pres ent time. This one is designed for young girls and is treated after a quite novel manner while it can be worn either with or without the smoothly fitted girdle. In the illus tration it is made of plaid mohair' stitched with beffllng silk but is ap propriate for all skirting materials, washable ones as well as those oi cotton and silk, while it can be fin- ished at the lower edge in a varietj of ways. It the applied folds illus trated are not liked banding of an; sort can be substituted or the hem can be stitched with belding silk. The skirt is cut in seven gores and Is laid in plaits at front, back and sides, these plaits forming groupi that are turned toward the centrei and being stitched flat for a portion of their length. The girdle is cut is four sections which allow of perfect fit. The quantity of material required for the sixteen year size is seven and three-fourth yards twenty-seven, foui and one-half yards forty-four or three and three-fourth yards fifty two inches wide. A DANGEROUS PRACTICE. Burning Off Paint Makes Insurance Void. It seems that considerable danger to property exists in the practice of burning off old paint before re-palnt-lng. The question has long been a subject of debate In the technical journals, and now house-holders and the newspapers have begun to discuss it. Those of us who, with trembling, have watched the painters tlow a fiery blast from their lamps against our houses, and have looked sadly at the site of our painting bill because of the time wasted on this prelimin ary work, are Interested in the in vestigation, by the Greenfield (Mass.) Oasette and Courier, which gives considerable space to the reasons for the practice, questions Its necessity! and suggests ways to prevent the risk of burning down one's house In order to get the old paint off. It says: "There Is a good deal of discussion among house-holders as to the desir ability in painting houses, of burning off the old paint, a practice that hai grown very common of late in Greenfield and elsewhere. Insurance men are strongly opposed to this method. It makes void Insurance policies for fires caused in this man ner. Several houses In Greenfield have gotten afire as the result ot thlsj method, and in some places houses have burned as a result "It is undoubtedly true that when, a house has been painted over and1 over again there comes to be an ac cumulation of paint in bunches. If new paint Is put on top. ot these ac cumulations it Is almost sure to blls-i ler. 10 ourn u on is tne quickest method of getting rid of this oil paint." I The Gazette and Courier quote! certain old patrons to the effect thai HoniimiiiRTinnq nr nmnr m-a iinnapoo Bary. These old-timers lay the blame partly on the painter who falls to brush his paint in well, partly on the custom ot painting in damp weather or not allowing sufficient time tor drying between coats, and partly to the use of adulterated paints instead of old-fashioned linseed oil and pure whllf lead. The paper says: "Many of, the older house-holders say that It care is taken at all these points, It is absolutely unnecessary to have paint burned off. They ad vise that people who have houses painted should buy their own materi als, and to have them put on by the day, so as to be sure to get good lead 'and oil. Ot course the burning oft of paint greatly increases the cost of the Job." The trouble house-holders every where have with paint is pretty well Bummed up by our contemporary, and the causes are about the same every where. By far the most frequent cause of the necessity for the danger ous practice of burning old paint Is the use ot poor material. The oil should be pure linseed and the white lead should be real white lead. The latter Is more often tampered with than the oil. Earthy substances, and pulverized rock and quartz, are fre quently used as cheapeners, to the great detriment of the paint. Painters rarely adulterate white lead themselves and they very seldom use ready prepared paints the most frequent causes of paint trouble. But they do often buy adulterated white lead because the property owner in sists on a low price and the painter has to economize somewhere. The suggestion is therefore a good one that the property owner Investigate the subject a little, find out the name of some reliable brand of white lead, and see that the keg is marked with that brand. The linseed oil is more difficult to be sure of, as it is usually sold In bulk when the quantity Is small; but .reliable makers of linseed oil can be learned on inquiry and, if your dealer is reliable, you will get what yon want. Pure white lead and linseed oil are bo necessary to good paint that th little trouble necessary to get them well repays the house owner in dol lars and cents saved. Rubber Neck. An artist named H. Costa, known as "The Man with the Revolving Head," has been examined at a meet ing of the German Medical Society at Prague. He turned his head around naturally as far as the shoulder, and then twisted it farther with his hands until he looked idirectly backward, with his chin above the line of the spine. Butter a Luxury. Butter consumption of Vera Cruz is small, reports Consul Canada, because. of the high retail price. American butter sells for CO cents a pound can,' the homemade article at 50 cents, and Spanish butter at 40 cents. Svcral butter compounds are also sold, be-' ing put up in five-pound cans and mostly used for cooking purposes. Piles of Concrete. A new concrete pile Is made by wire fabric having longitudinal ro attached at Intervals. The fabric then rolled up in a machine and the pile laid aside to harden. It also con tains any desired number of vert,'"' rods. One of the rods is a hollow tube and the pile is sunk by water jet pro cess. New Coal Discovery. A new coal discovery at Cape Bre ton is reported by Consul General Hol loway. A 200-foot bore hole shows a seven-foot vein under an area of possibly 60 square miles. Develop ment is In progress. ' ' Horte Breeding In Japan. Horse breeding in Japan is being fostered by the government. $375,000 having been voted for establishing a central bureau and a number of stud farms In various parts of Japan.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers