— messi THE OLD, OLD STORY. They call it the old, old story, but to me 80 sweetly new, it told by you Its music soothes the troubling of the heart that quicker beats, dear voice soft repeats! They call it the old, old story, but in ali this world to-day, There is nothing that can lighten can drive the gloom away Like the throbs of pure contentment that come when it is told like the thrills of joy that tingle when the buds of love unfold ! that They call it the old, old story, filled with memory 's golden glow, Reflecting back the brightness of a happy long ago telling of it yet, And, erowned with sweetheart's kisses, joyful hears—to ne'er forget ! —{EpwWARD N. Woob, in Atlanta Consti- tution. THE HONEST BURGLAR BY H. C. DODGE. I am in the burgling business, and I maintain that it can be conducted a8 honestly as any other. Perhaps I am mistaken, but I certainly raised it to a much higher level than it was when first I selected that means of livelihood. My motto, ‘‘Honesty isthe East Policy—See,”’ is neatly engraved on all my professional tools and my title of “The Honest Barglar,”’ will go on my tombstone in due time, and when my strictly honorable exploits can be safely mentioned with pride by my relatives and friends. I always made a point of geeking a foeman worthy of my steal. Never do I enter a house no matter what in- ducements contents may offer— which has not the very latest scien- tific burglar i Ordinary locks and bolts 1 positively refuse to attack and car and windows of. 1 its ts irotections, elessly left open doors I disdain to n : 4 those A ake use leave ¢ t high- g 1COUr. professic toned and i aging to one’s self-respect. Now that I have introduced honest sel ell a story. ap who had made his 18 table and so or my milli ed & mansion with ¢ trical burglar alarms Known Every door and low protected 80 the slichtest touch fii the wires were set would jangle 1 8 way I despise had ere didi the finest “ we was oun; Wine berless bells and tur gas all over the house in illumination. melodious display tale = tempti its of ed witl to lept in plain sigh dining-room. All these imposing preparation expensive and for tl a n addition to all there stairea iverware were en on si 1 wires : L VV ng con 1 main battery r the safe in 8, ¢ er ght, troublesome f{ owner gave to me a glorious de a looking forward to attacking them with a small boy's Fourth of July enthusiasm. At last the battle night came, and with it Mr. William Mummer, my active partner in the business. Mr. Mummer was highly respected in ti Like rever stooped to conquer, and was equally noted for his gentlemanly ways and sturdy honesty. Only once in his busy life was he ever taken in and done for, and I couldn't blame him a bit, either. You see he was making a profes- gional call on a rich bachelor, and while putting things away in the handsome room he was painfully sur- prised by the sudden arrival of his host with some gentleman friends. Not willing to seem intrusive, Mr. Mummer quietly slipped under toe bed to await an opportunity for de- parting pleasantly. From his snug retreat Mr. Mum- mer beheld six well-polished boots spread themselves comfortably on the Turkish rug, evidently in shape to il 1¢ profession, myself, he to catch the train for home. Soon the jolly gentlemen lighted cigars and commenced telling funny stories, ending each with a chorus of hearty laughter. etiquette of not mixing in where he wasn't wanted, kept a becoming silence until a funnier story than usual was told, ngonizing struggle to choke his un- which the gentlemen shame- tremendous ** haw-haw-haw !”’ frightened fully. mer had ample time afterward to en- joy the joke while taking a little va- cation from business in the State Laundry. But he soon recovered my respect for his sterling qualities by a trick he played when cornered in a fash- fonable boarding house one might. While the landlady was ringing the big bell and the alarmed boarders were searching for him with guns, Mummer entered a deserted room and promptly went to bed with his boots on. There, with the blanket tucked tightly under his handsome chin, he lay yelling as loud as the loudest and grandly ordering the bold warriors with guns from his room when they rushed in to see if he was being murdered. "Twas lucky his bed belonged to a terror-stricken maiden lady who had t refuge eo henwise Mr. Mummer might not have been so smart, I he got out of 5 Apna daylight and took his swag, too, . and consequently his fame was un- diminished by that episode. { Now that I have introduced Mr. | William Mummer, Esq., I will go on with my story. "T'was a black midnightin adreary | November. The sky was {and a lively wind was banging shut- | ters and moaning through the swuy- | deserted country road. With wvalises containing articles used in our trade, and smoking pipes with stoppers on to hide their glow, wet and soggy ground till old Fort Electricity, as we dubbed the object | of our attack, loomed up before us. We knew the place 3ill and myself had managed to se- | cure work there when the house was being remodeled. Through a side { hedge and across a large lawn from tree to tree we cautiously advanced, pausing frequently to observe and listen. Not asound, save the uncanny shriek of a sereech owl, and the blustering, chilly wind soughing among the ever- greens and creaking the bare treetops, i fell on our eager ears. { Thanks to the supposed superior protection of electricity, dogs were | not hand to interfere with our i pleasure—though had there been we {had a patent way of winning their friendship. When we got close to the house we made a circuit around it, and finding everything safe and comfortable, we prepared for business. of attempting ‘a arded door or win- dow, or even cutting a hele through the clapboards into the parlor, as we might have done to avoid the our plan was to through unprotected roof. Taking from bar an arrow, with l fishir line attached, 1 (which had | neatly shot on TT | Instead gu wires enter F111 en my cane eling) and i the | and over tl clear of windowsor In a few minut it told me that arrow on ‘tother Then I tied on but strong enough 1 men, and Next i high-power pulley block, « t rope for $ : 3 11d ascent, an re the signal to hau A i i a he to hang t Bill ¥ fastened n ary signaled away. greased 1 which was the flexible away again and make fast Se Bill did so and, joining me, So0n ioft we got ready I went senior partner ‘ourse, being the on and cern 8 wooden 1 away on the end aon cross-piece i $ less rope at ne pound pull i i f lifting four), ana easily raised myself to where broad enves ol ping roof. In a jiffy F143 é upon the &l Partner act y Circus were, the bolt was forced Electricity was taken, with its gar. rison blissfully dreaming of the safety afforded by the latest burglaralarms, Softly ereeping down scuttle ladder we gained the garret floor and there, by the cheery light of our dark lanterns, we the fie donned our working suits consisting of long white night. gown and caps, and which, 1 am proud to say ,3I invented for occ: the present. Being an honest burgl onsidered it square tor w asions like ar, I never ¢ wedlessly star. tle n sleeping person. T cially suffer from nervous shock and fright and either faint dead away scream so loudly that it isannoying say the least. The men are apt to waxon humor or seared to death, and in both cases are generally beyond reach of argument. But in our handsome ruffled night- gowns and caps we fearlessly glide in and out of bedrooms, make half- awake men turn over on their pil- lows 80 we can get their watches or pistols with no more than a sleepy grunt at being disturbed, and even get in bed beside them if there's dan- ger of actual discovery. You see our boldness and appear- ance naturally causes them to take us for members of | treat us accordingly. This surely is much than burning sulphur matches under | their noses or blinding their eyes with he ladies espe- if to out of them a pointed revolver blaff or a billy erack on a defenseless bald | head. and I guess you'll fully agree with me. Well, Bill and I, like two white- robed Santa Clauses, came down- | stairs and went straight to our work, { Bill taking the rooms on one side of the dimly-lighted hall, and I the others. Here let me say that snoring, tener, becomes in our business a most melodious and soothing sound. Like Sancho Panza, I bless the man who invented sleep, and tnrice bless the woman, perhaps, who invented the sweeter snore, though I never do it myself, not baving time at night like other folks. Breathing these blessings, 1 en- tered the main room, where the old general of the fort lay snoring for all o was worth, First I tackled his trousers and got his well-stuffed wallet, then picked up a young jewelry store from the bureau, then fished for his watch under his pillow. But the old snorer lay on it hard so it wouldn't ceme. Bhoving him gently the shoulder 1 whispered ftaen Ti Half opening his eyes, erough to see my white robe, he gave the usual grunt and obeyed. In a moment his interrupted snore became louder than { before, and the ticker was mine. | To the next room I went and as | easily helped myself. The third room, which was | guest chamber, I visited with success, and then, not the the for the first floor, I sneaked out in to find Bill and skip out good the way he had come, darkness visible, and shortly 1 3ill's noble ghostlike from a room and, without looking in my direction, walk toward end of the hall, In one instant I noise him and, touehing his pered : Bill: git!" The form turned around-—but it wasn't Bill. The mother-in- law of the establishment stood fore me, burning me with Ere I could hide my surprised face and mode tly do the same—she got on racket grabbed saw the less] arm, it's tir ‘ome, ne fierce be- her eyes. } tigress with and like whiskers shriecked : “robbers! , till she made me tired. frown Hn my both and thieves! hands and * ete f $ i : 4 ' ay elt so queer in all my life and screams alarm bells flashed the part of Luckily I h pistol or At t white whole lower the brilliant. 3 ¥i g wa owe ., fit bour 2. %:.3 . A'slide down the IV WAS secured, ond to lose, Hastils Means oj wi FAW 6 our efforts were Deg GOWS and we {OW guns were the wis ig shouts from witho he house was n We must % x 9 down? £1 jum J says I come on Bill ski monk nn ed to the roc a I after him. he leaped into t heard the branches break. but no sickening thud on the ground, as I feared. Giving him time to get out of my way, I followed, and also held on the bending boughs. In a both of us reached the grass, and be- fore we could start to run a dozen ex- cited men with pitehforks and guns were around us, the light from the windows showing us to advantage. But luckily we had forgot to re- move our nightgowns, ‘Quick now!" cried Bill, with wonderful presence of mind. ‘‘Save our folks in the house. The robbers are murdering | them. They chased us out the win- dows. Smash in the front door and save their lives. Don’t you hear them seream?’’ { Off rushed our captors and with i axes they broke the door and entered | to the rescue, Bill and ! dropping our robes de i nuit, took the opposite direction, | gained the road, and laughed all the way home, {Detroit Free Press. Ws o——-———— _ Fast Freight Run, ey. he blackness and 1 trice What is claimed to have been the fastest long-distance freight-run ever | made in this country was made from Memphis to Kansas City by a special train loaded with bananas on June 18, the speed averaging 40.4 miles an hour for the 484 miles, and reaching a maximum of 64 miles an hour, which was kept up for six miles, — [Chicago Herald. Air- Tight Corks. _ Oorks may be made air and water tight by keeping them for five min- utes under melted paraffine; they must be kept down with a wire screen, These corks have a perfectly smooth surface and may be introdue- ed and drawn out easily, and seal perfectly. —{New York Advertiser. London has 271 public parks, taining 17,576 acres of ground. Some Fhe Easiest and Quickest Way of Ac~ quiring That Accomplishment, If at the seaside many a girl who was neverin the salt water before can quickly nequire this most grace ful and servicable accomplishment by a very simple method. A comfortable flannel bathing suit and a strong-armed brother or other well are the for this practical swims chief equipments Wade the until it is brother your body his into winter under Hine and to put one arm ibout the waist place ther hand under 3 Then lift your feet off the bottom and lie in the water without Have never a bit 1 supported ; ar water your chin, ing ari: you Aro out of your ushe in feel eel l from be: TREES AS HISTORIANS, sons of a Century Ago. It has been found that transi i} rings of 80 ‘a he re tell than has usually hat they years that the tree J. Keuchler, of Texas, nade experiments and which seem to show that trees carry in their trunks record of the weather conditions that interesting been indicate mat y 1 Several trees, each more than "130 years old, were felled and the order and relative width of the rings of growth in their trunks were found to agree exactly. This fact showed that all the trees had experienced the same stimula- tion in certain years and the same retardation in other years. Assume ing that the most rrpid growth had occurred in wet years, and the least rapid in dry years, it was concluded that of the 134 years covered by the life of the trees 60 had been very wet, 6 extremely wet, 17 average as to the supply of moisture, 19 dry, 8 very dry and 6 extremely dry. But when the records of rainfall, running back as far as 1840, were consulted, it was found that they did not ail agree with the record of the trees. Still it could not be denied that the rings in the trunks told a true story of the weather influences which had affected the trees in suce cessive years. The conclusion was therefore reached that the record of the rings contained more than a mere index of the annual rainfall; that it showed what the character of the seasons had been as to sunshine, tempera- ture, evaporation, regularity or irreg- ularity of the supply of moisture, and the like ; in short, that the trees contained, indelibly imprinted in their trunks, more ar 100 years of nature's history, a history which we might competely decipher if we could but look upon the face of nature a tree's point of view.—{Now | | MEN OF THE PRESS. to Miss It--That Destroyed the Charm, Etc., Ete. WITH GLITTERING BUCCESS, Fog (tess per " What's tl ly)—For Heaven's wat baby howling for i Mrs. Popper—1 just spanked him A CHANCE TO MISS IT. Amy--1t isn’t always safe to judge appearances. Maud-—~No, fell ' Fi really enlly with own dear: the WwW may [Town Topics. i THAT DESTROYED THE CHARM. Mrs. Nagleigh has suffered a blow. Bhe has lost her hearing Austen-—That iv to } flerence pie doesn’t make any her. She hasn't lost her tongue Haverly—It makes all the differ- ce in the world, She can’t hear *RECAUTION. She (whisperis ope you haven't lost t #0 absentminded, d Gear — Eh? Oh g nervously Now, ie — YOU Ure conlid upon thi s Linn dir omets : :1 ‘You ought to be ashamed to talk that way. You'll be saying you don believe ghosts next. News, i (300d iia SEASON ABLE. He yeard the And peeps And then he eried § what's the sos iRsing on 2 the sly, wagh the door, n accents high, in RK f fey #3 a 353 § wre?’ we! Detroit Free Press, say, sister *INS PHOTOGRAPHY. CGoorge,”’ she said, he entered the parlor, Yes." ‘I am studying photography.” “How nice! And have you taken le asked as he sat as “Oh, no! 1 have only gotten as far as high lights and——"’ She got up and turned down the “Low light !""=[Syracuse Post. PROVOKING. Miss Pretty face—Have you noticed that horrid man across the way? So well dressed, too. ‘No: has he been staring at us?’’ “Mercy, no; he hasn't glanced this way once.''=-{Chicago Inter Ocean, YE SYMPATHETIC FRIEND. George=Jack, old boy, I'm so glad I ran across you. Never needed your friendship more. I'm in love with the belle of the season, and I prom- fsed her a sail to-day, but I had a run of bad luek last night, and haven't a cent left. Jack=Too bad. “Yes. you know; but it’s such a pity thata charming creature like that should be disappointed. You have a little money to spare, haven't you?’ “Oh, plenty. Make yourself easy, my dear boy. Bhe shan't be disup- pointed, 1'1l take her myself.’ {New fork Weekly. HIS DELICATE REPROOP, “1 don't care !’’ exclaimed the pre« historic woman, “‘ifit is on erooked.”’ A shadow of pain flitted across the face of the prehistoric man, “Dearest,” he pleaded; ‘‘say not #0. Thou knowest not-'’ He gazed anxiously into her eyes. ‘ewbut it may be the imprint of thy form that the archmologist will find upon the insensate rock.” With a new realization of the re- sponsibilities of existence she turned again to her mirror. {Puck . THE Tit TO FISD IN “America has no standing se ay, § believe.” suid the foreigner. “It is clear you haven't tpent cl! this great country,’’ replied the native. (Truth. FALLS OFF, “Migs Btrecter is learning to ride a yele,”’ ‘How is she sueceeding?”’ Oy {Lif . y ’ . ’y i, she doesn tL get on very w ell. JAC, TRU} Fond Mamma 1:4 wr “1 1 nim, my enna Up-to-Dats Ah i 4 vi $4 ve y him! empty word toward him. Daughter—Love mamma esceribe Have I not 113% i i Be { Book? LEQU EST. the evening, the first who » discoverer of give it yr 3 ‘4 yards of to be the been in vet to wl.—{ New York men me that surrepti two. Det AN EXCUSE. the r—What reason have you for to marry the girl Son—1 love her, Father—That's ne excuse, '—{Tru y reason; it's an 3 f1t} Mil. CALLED DOWN, “I love you—I—a college boy !’ 3 } With rosy flush and dimple, = Answereq ii} A fresh-man pure and simple !”’ le ! -{ Puck. HOT. The eye of a little Washington Miss was attracted by the sparkle of the dew at early morning. “Mamma,” she said “It’s hotter’'n I thought it was.”’ “What do you mean?’ ‘Look here. The grass is all per- gpiration.” —{ Washington Star. Care of Children's Teeth. Mr. R. D. Pedley, F. R. C. 8. L. D. 8., "dental surgeon to the Evelina | Hospital for Sick Children, South- wark, has presented to the London County Council a report on the re. | sults of his examination of 661 boys at the Industrial School, Feltham, Middlesex. He states that more than three-fourths of them had decayed | teeth. In the case of children, who { during the growth of the body, had | not merely to maintain nutrition, it | is surely, he says, a matter of urgen- cy that all the organs of digestion should be kept in a state of fune- | tional integrity, and if, as seems to | be the case, diseases of the digestive | tract are increasing, itis evident that any departure from the normal den tition places the child and the future adult at a disadvantage. Instead of { waiting until a child suffers pain, {and thus directs attention to a dee | eayed tooth, it is far better for both patient and operator that the earliest appearance of caries should be noted and the progress prevented by a regulated system of inspection and prompt treatment. Under such cir cumstances dental disease and the necessity for painful operations pe. come reduced to a minimum, and at the same time the function of masti- cation is retained in accordance with what is now recognized as the most beneficial practice. Five hundred and thirty-eight boys have am Ham 1.544 sound Sesth, Al sthich are permanent tee uiri filling. Th poiate the way wo Clearly that he has no hesitation in ing his SpimcH | tag i qualified 4 den. al surgeon should be appoin to the school. He also suggests that a should be prov a