SEVERN'S TEMPTATION.
Arthur Severn raised his hca from
the book which he hod boon poring over
the greater part of the afternoon aurt
gazed despondently at the dingy walls
of the room. Finally he rose, and, go
ing to the window, peered out through
the. cracked and grimy paues of glass,
now utreuked with the rain which was
driving violently from the east. From
early morning the rain had beon falling
incessantly, and a darkness began to
close around the village the wind blew
more violently than evor and the rain
fell in heavier torrents. A large brown
patch appeared on the ceiling above and
the water began to drip down and form
little puddles on the uncarpeted floor.
It was a melancholy day, and Severn
felt that H accorded well with his own
. evil fortune. He occupied the only
habitable room in a lurge, old, tumble
' down house that stood off at one side of
the village near the river and had been
ailing to decay for years.
Severn was striving to make his way
through college, and when the landlord's
gent suggested his taking a room in the
"old Holloway house" at a much lower
figure than he could obtain lodging for
elsewhere, he felt constrained on ac
count of his poverty to accept the offer.
His parents' were poor, and, moreover,
verse to his taking a college courso, so
that he was unable to receive any aid
'from them. For sometime post he bad
' found himself inextricably involved in
'financial embarrassment, and he had of
ten been on the point of giving up the
' whole thing, but the letters which came
from Mary Eldridge, full of encourage
ment and loving sympathy, always in
duced him to take a brighter view of the
oircumBtanoes.
He had met Mary at the academy at
Melville and a mutual admiration for
each other's scholarly attainments had
been the. first step in the formation of
friendship that ripened into love.
Mary had gono to 'Welloslcy to com
plete her education and Severn was in
his sophmore yeur at college. Miss
Eldridge came of wealthy parents and
hod always been surrounded with the
comforts of a woll ordered home. Sev
ern knew that her unselfish deposition
would exact no conditions to their en
gagement, but he was fully deormined
never to let her share his lot until ho
had completed hia education and so
cured a competent income.
During the lost year a series of mis
fortunes had overtaken him. A friend,
to whom he had loaned the money with
which he expected to meet the bulk of
his expenses, suddenly died, tearing his
debts wholly unliquidated. Severn
himself had undergone a severe illness
during the Fall, and to satisfy his nu
merous obligations he secured a few hun
dred dollars from Mr. Holloway, who
was always ready to make loans at usur
ous interest but remorseless in exact
ing his claims. Finally he began to re
ceive letters from home urging him to
return to the farm. " Unless he could
ll&ve some aid they would lose the old
place," his mother wrote.
11 amy called nun nome he would go,
but he felt that if he did his prospects
were gone An idea struck him. If he
could induce Mr. Holloway to give him
time on his loan and trust him for his
rent until he could get to earning some
thing, he would send the money home
which he had been accumulating for
the payment of his debt. He went to
see Mr. Holloway, but the response was
bo chilly that he felt almost guilty of
some heinous crime.
"It is not business," said Mr. Hollo
. way, "not business. Would like to
' oblige you, but must have some
method."
A dunning letter from the agent, fol
lowing conspicuously close upon his
visit to Mr. Holloway, filled his soul
with bitterness. The way out of his
difficulties seemed as dark as the day
on which we find him brooding over his
evil fortune in the "old Holloway
house." The water fell in torrents and
the river is the rear was so swollen by
the rain that it had overflowed its banks
3 V Al. 1 .
una was wanning me xounaauon stones
of the shaky old structure. The room
was chilly and wet, but he built no fire,
. and though darkness came on early he
hardly observed the change, but sat
pondering over the hopeless outlook
without even the ghostly light from the
earns in the rickety stove to reveal the
outlines of the room. The wind con
tinned to rise and the rain to fall faster,
until the old shell quivered and quaked,
but Severn paid no attention. His soul
was shaken by storm also. There was
as much darkness within as without.
He knew his own disposition too well to
attempt to study until he could quiet
his nerves, bo he sat in the darkness un
til long after midnight listening to the
howling wind and the roar of the swol
len river.
1 Suddenly there came a crash; there
was heavy fall of plastering, and for
minute Severn thonght that the old
house was about to give way. To have
its walls fall upen him he knew would
be almost certain death, but with a !
tim -' i i i I I I
uorui ui uituiwuueiT pieaeura jib nopea
for a moment that it might happen.
The old building creaked and strained,
but there came a lull is the storm, and
it finally settled back t its normal con
dition. Severn lighted the lamp to see if his
books had been damaged and to investi
gate the injury to the reom. A large
patch of plaMtering had fallen from the
Mall and ky scattered over the floor.
After the investigation he felt calmer
and went to Vied for the night.
The next morning, contrary to his
usual neatness, he left the broom in its
corner and the reom continued to pro
sent a very dilapidated appearance. In
the afternoon aftr returning from class
he seated himself in his chair and gazed
listlessly at the heap of rubbish on the
floor. Stooping forward he took up a
bit of broken plastering and slowly
picked it to pieces, thinking of Mary
and wondering if the days would ever
brighten.
He had been pursuing this aimless oc
cupation for nomo time, when suddenly
he observed that tiie fiioo of the piece
which he held iu his hand was less dis
colored than that which surrounded the
edfia of the broken patch. Ito drew his
chair closer to the wall, and in examin
ing found t hat a hole had once beeaniado
through the lathing about a foot square.
The pieces had afterward been splieod
and a new coat ef plantering overlaid.
His curiosity was now excited to know
tho object of the opening, and so he
brought a hammer from a chcRt and
proceeded to draw the nails. After re
moving the pioces he reached iu and be
gan to explore. There was nothing to
be found, however, so ho washed his
hands and began to clear away the de
bris. Aa ho was about to replace the
pioces of lath he thought he saw a
string hanging down into the cavity,
lie reached his hand again into the
opening, took hold of tho filament and
pulled, Imt it promptly broke. He ex
amined the fibers and discovered that it
was an old pieco of silk cord, now ex
tremely rotten and discolored. He be
came more curious and resolved to trace
the mystery to its source. He reached
his hand into the cavity as far as he
could, following the cord. Again he
pulled, and this time it resitted and he
felt something at the other end move
slightly. He gave stronger pull, but
the cord broke, this time at the point of
attachment.
lie improvised a hook by driving a
nail into the end of a piece of board,
and with this succeeded in drawing
something toward him. Finally he was
able to reach the object He drew it in
front of the opening, and with both
hands lifted an old mahogany box out
upon the floor. For some time he sat
Etaring at it in curious suspense.
"Well, you are a queer fish in queer
waters," snid Severn to himself with
suppressed excitement. "I guess you
must have lost your bearings or you
would never have been swallowed by
this shark of a wall. I'll find out what's
inside of you at any rate," and taking
up a hammer he struck the old lock a
heavy blow. Ho etrnck it again and
again, but finally it broke and the lid
flew open.
Severn drew back in astonishment
and wonder, for his eyes rested upon a
large leathern bag and beside it were
two bars of gold. With trembling hands
he loosened the strings of the sack and
opened it, to find it full of gold coins.
There were several compartments in
the chest In one he found a sparkling
row of rings, and as he hold them
up to the light he saw by their brilliancy
that they were diamonds of rare value.
Ho found some papers that purported I
possession of a large amount of English 1
property in one Cyrus Holloway, great- I
grandfather of his present landlord. !
There was an inventory of the contents !
of the box and the amount counted up i
jnio me nunureas oi thousands.
He was overwhelmed by the discov
ery and sat down to collect his thoughts.
He remembered now of having once
heard that Mr. Holloway had come of
wealthy ancestry, but that during the
revolutionary war the largest part of
the property had been lost and that
the fortune of the present Mr. Hollo
way was mostly of his own acquisition.
There could be no doubt that the box
belonged by right to his landlord, but
the temptation was terrible. There
was no chance of discovery if he kept it
himself, and besides it could add no
material happiness to the legitimate
owner, for he already had sufficiency.'
To Severn it represented all the corn
forte of life. He could pay all his
debts, free his father's farm from the
mortgage, complete his education and
afterward provide a bom for Mary.
The perspiration stood in beads on his
forehead as he struggled against the
tempter. Finally he arose and with
compressed lips donned his hat, and
locking the door behind him he turned
his steps toward Mr. Holloway'a.
"Of course it's mine, every cent of
it" said Mr. Holloway, when an hour
later he stood before the opened box.
His eyes gleamed with satisfaction as he
beheld the contents. He tucked the !
box under his ooat and left the house,
with an admonition to Severn to keep
quiet for a few weeks.
Severn felt intensely relieved. "I
have been saved from worse fate than
poverty," he thought as he sat down to
his book.
That evening Mr. Holloway's agent
called to announce that Severn would
be allowed time on his loan, and that he
might have a much better room in one
of his new houses, with unlimited time
for the payment of rent
Severn was overjoyed; he sent the
money to his mother, moved into hit
new quarters and afterward, by myster- ,
ious good luck, secured lucrative work, I
by means oi wnicn he completed his
course in college very comfortably. On
the day of graduation Mr. Holloway
met him at the door of the church, and,
after grunting congratulation, invited
him to 011 the salt morning at his
oilico.
At the appointed time he was on
hand. "I need an honest man to at
tend to my business, and if you wish to
take the position I offor you will be able
to pay what you ewe me," said Mr.
Holloway.
A year later Severn went away for
few weeks and when he returned Mary 1
came with him. Mr. Holloway proved ,
a good friend in his way, and when he
died a goodly share ef the proceeds of
the old chest panned ae a legacy te Mi,
Artuur bevern. Ubicago Hews, j
The Queen f Denmark is partici- '
lorly clever ia millinery, talent whick '
has been inherited ay her three daugh
ters the Empreas ef Russia, the Prin
cess of Widen aua the Duchess of Cum
berland. ,
Colonel Thomas . Bom, of the Seventy-seventh
Pennsylvania Volunteers,
who is said to have designed the Libky
Prison Tunnel, by which 609 prisoners
escaped, is now an ofiloer in the regular
service.
ntn coins.
Jtlrlhoitt of l)ctrlln Kollownl lh
t'ntlril Klntu Tniimr.
"Here's the way we test coins in the
TivMMiry," Ami tiie expert quickly
poised the dollar piece liorir.inlully oil
tlif top of 1 1 in forefinger. ImMiiii; tho
tlimiiii a quni ter of nil incii nwny from
it mid gave it n brink tup with mother
coin. A clear, silvery ring s nitnlcil out
"UinkI, but here j listen j" unit le re
prated the operation with nnotlier coin
lliHt riivo out a (lull, lieary clink Hint
cessed nlmost us soon as It begun. "Typo
Metal mid lead; molileil, too. 'j'lmt is
n wretched counterfeit. " "Hwtlo you
ti ll tli.it it us molded?" lie held the
two coins so tlinttlie liltl struck on llieir
Ciles. "JiiKt compare the rending, will
you, or milling. n most people cull it.
In tliis Kentiin coin this is very clear nnd
elirtrp cut ( Irj tlit counterfeit it is Coaroo
uinl uliill. I'liut is liecunsn molded in
Stea l of ltefn.i( stamped in cold metal,
like the Govwntiieiit coins. " "Why do
tiie c-Minierfeiters not use the snine cold
proi-exs?'1 "It costs too iiiiicli uinl innke3
tixi iimcii noise. With a iimM, you see,
n counterfeiter can carry on lib work in
a garret, and if n policeman comes iu ho
ran sIit the whole outfit out of the win
dow. Hut it lakes great po er to run a
die. Still minx- liigh-flying counterfeiters
do uso tliein. and their work is usually
harder to delect, though it is never so
perfect us Hint of llie Government Mint."
"What is the surest tent for the coun
terfeit coiu for popular usef" "The
looks of the rending, as I was telling you
the milling, by the way. Is on the face
of the coin, and not on the edge, as
must people think. That's the surest
mid easiest thing, but of course other
teHls luive to be used, especially for
weight ami thlcki ess. A little scale for
weight nnd measure is the handiest thing
to settle that. Then, for plated coin ft
drop of acid pquii ted on the edge w hero
the platiuir wtMm moot will chew up tho
base metal in a hurry." " What acid do
you line?" "For trold coin a mixture of
61 run,; nitric acid GJ ilrams, muriatic acid
1" drops, and water 5 ilrams, is used ; for
silver, 84 tr.iin of nitrate of silver nnd
Z ) drops of nitric acid, w ith one oiinc' of
water. One drop is sufficient. If tho
coiu is heavily plated we scrape it a little
before putting on the acid. " Spring
field Republican.
American and Foreign School.
President Eliot of Harvard University
lins been severely criticised for some com
ments he made on the public schools of
this country before an educational meet
ing in H.irlforJ, Coun. He said: "We
are all m rotig in supposing that we have
tho best school system in the world.
There is not a country iu the North of
Europe which has not a better system.
The immigrants who come to our shores
from abroad will be found to have a far
belter school training in what are de
nominated the common branches than
the average of the rural population of
this country. In democratic schools we
close the gate to the scholar iu all the in
teresting studies after the age of thir
teen." Oue of the men displeased -with these
statements is Commissioner of Education
Strauss, of New York city. He pro
nounced President Eliot's utterances as
not ouly "extraordinary, but preposter
ous." He claims that "the average of
our school children between eight an!
twelve years old are better, brighter,
often know more nnd learn with greater
facility, than the German children of the
same age, whose school system is the best
in Europe. Even in music our boys are
away ahead of the foreigners. The pu
pils in Europe are given the merest idea
of arithmetic and such branches, wliilj
they ore filled with a knowledge of tho
ancient languages. Other critics have
also dissented decidedly from President
Eliot's position.
The views of the President of Harvard
Univorsity may be somewhat radical,
and they may have been stated in rather
plain mannered language. But it w ill
not do to dismiss them too curtly, It ia
probable that they have more foundation
in fact than many people auBpect. The
American public school system has been
lauded to the skies. It has been de
scribed as the foundation stone and the
chief glory of the republic. A genera
tion ago it probably deserved all that
was aaid of it It was then for ahead
Of any European school system, with
the possible exception of the German.
But within the post thirty years It is a
question whether the public school sys
tem of this country has kept step with
the advauce of the people in other re
spects. -Philadelphia Press.
"The Editor's Eaajr Chair."
Editor We can't use your poems now.
Poet Why should you always de
light in Bitting on me in preference to
others? .
Editor When I sit on a poet, of course
I prefer a Spring poet. Smith, Gray &
Co'i Monthly.
Mat T11 Bald,
"I dida't see you iu church last Sun
day, Mr. Spiraea," said the dominie.
"No; I slept at home last Sunday
morning," replied Mr. Spiffles, Brook
lyn Life.
Correct.
Leader of Vigilante Come, bow, over
to this tree and put your head into thia
noose.
Horse-Thief (deflnntly) I'll be hanged
if 1 dot-Brooklyn Life.
Jail the falt.
Cubbag (meeting Lejjer on the Mon
treal train) You are going to Canada
for a rest, I suppose?
Lejjwr No ; to avoid arrest.
Poverty ia uncomfortable, but in niae
times out of ten the best thing that can
happen te a young snnn is to be tosied
overboard and compelled to sink or
wiiM for himself.
According to the cmmus office we art
II wnrtli fl ,001 apiM'0. Rome unrtna
otmliln people nr culling on Uncle Snm
to settle up bow and call it square. Boa-
luu Glolx.
' 'Ailing women, hear my story I"
"I was about dead with womb
trouble when I bepan to take
Zydia E. Pinkham's Vcgetabh Compound.
" I did not know what rest was
foT months. I was so dizzy and
faint at times I thoucrht I was
dvinr. Oh! how my back did
ache I and I was so cross and
irritable I
" I nm to-day a living w itness of
the wonderful and almost miracu
lous effects of Mrs. I'inkham's
Vegetable Compound. Relief
came with it at once. My appe
tite came back. I slept at night
I nm now as well as I ever was.
" If you wish for health, have
faith in Mrs. Pinkham's treatment
and medicine." Mrs. Jennie
Arthur, Taylor, Texas.
From the uterus and womb spring
nearly all of the troubles of women.
Thousands of
women write us to
use their names in
telling others how
they have been
cured by the Com
pound.
All dniMirti Mil It, Of ftnt ,
bf mall, In Amu of 11)1 or
LrfMtnRM, on rtetlpl of V 1 .
w.rnl ArtdrM l onnfl- VwmSjt Mf.
dn, I. tin B. 11". r
BAM Mm.iriL Co., I.1NH. JGAmsb.Kifmn
UtrrtlU,lte.
wmm
Winter comes; You must have COAL.
fflhwe jim seen how we ua3oal it fa ymit
2TO DUST,
Just as &ood (Coal .'and jjist
as cheap as any on the market.
Tty our "Goal. and. you will use aa otaer.
Rooms No. 2 and 3, LOCKARDS' BUILDING.
BLOOMSBURG, PA.
RELIABLE CLOTHING AAfD
Comes to the front with the
LARGEST ASSORT
AND
MAKING AND FITTING
' .'.OF THE.-.
IBetf, ftfte fewest and Most Stylish, lowest ica
Price ; and to prove $atifac&o3) is
our I2iidcaror
The best value for Money is to buy your
Clothing, Hats, Shirts, Neckwear, Trunks and
Valises of
Corner ofj Main' and Centre Streets, BLOOMSBURG, PA.
UNEXCELLED OLOTSJOm MABB
Largest Clothing and
J. R. Smith & Co.
UM1TKI).
MILTON, Pa.,
DEALERS IS
PIANO
By the following well-known makers ;
Chickcring,
XCnnbe,
"Weber,
Hallct & Davis.
Can also furnish any of the
cheaper makes at manufact
urers' prices. Do not buy a
piano before getting our prices.
. .v. t
Catalogue and Price Lists
On application.
Hat House in Columbia
THOMAS' GOUUEY
mimm d
( Plans and Estimates on all
kinds of buildings. Repairing
and carpenter work prcrrmtlv
attended to. '
t Ds&ler in Builder's Sppliss.
Inside Hardwood finishes .
specialty.
Persons of limited means who
desire to build can pay part and
secure balance by mortgage
PATENTS.
Cavpnts nnd Trade Marks olilalnoo, nnd i
I'ntoiit bubliifss conducted lor Miidkkatk
Miiml ninHl ilmu ltn. n. nht. . .
tlon. We advliw If pntentHhle r ,,, MJ,
clinrRe. Our fee not due till put. -tit I, ',,T7
A hook,"llowto01ii,,in Piilents ' T.'
ences to actual client In your Mule, county 6r
C. A. SNOW A CO,. Washington, li. r
(Opposite U. S. 1'aU'nl Ollloe.)
3
TTX.
and Montour Counties
OI K OFFICII 18 OPPOHITK T11K f.
KNT OFFICE. Wo litive no milMitfni ,i
bUHlnoM direct, hnnrp can triitmni l pin,., 1 1',"
nrHH in Ionh time and at U'ss Cost tlmn n, . '
Uintprmni HiiHiiiiiL'lon. v
IT HOUSE