EXCELSIOR. M'F'G CO. Great Closing Out Sale or j AT ASD BELOW COST THE ESTIRK STOCK MUST HE SOLD RE OARDIJSS OF COST TO (JI IT HL'SISESS. Big Bargains in, Suits ! FOR MEX FROM 8.60 IF WARDS. BOV'S ASD YOUTH'S SUITS ALMOST O IVES AVAY.. CHILDRESS CLOTH ISO WAV DO US. OY RCOATS FROM $O.OO VIZARDS, A LI. WOOL MESS FASTS FROM $2 .V) ll'- WARDS. HIS STOCK OF CLOTH IXU MIST FoSITI VELU Ll'. I - SO7.Z) REGARDLESS OF COST. _ V TAKE NOTICE, Every $.OO invested in purchases nt our Store will he entitled to n CHANCE 7CKKT to win either of the two handsome GIFTS to lie drawn by tb lucky numbers which ONE AND ALL have the same chance to pssess. Ist. Prize. One fandsome IJedstcad, poplar wood, beautifully finished; Double Enclosed Wash Stand: Teapoy Table; one beautiful French Dresser German Nate Glass 17x30; three ('ane Seat Chairs; one Cane Sat Hocking Chair; one Towel Rack. (Tup of Dresser, Wfch Stand, Tea poy Sunt, imitation Teuncssec Marble.) 2d Prize. Of beautijul BrumeU covered Walnut Frame I/ounpe. A KEYSTONE CLOTHING HOUSE, M|l lied, Flag. Ileilefontr, I*a. fjZC'HLER it' CO., (I roeer*, Itnch lIOIIHC It/ork, lit LLR/oute, I'd. 1 NEW GOODS —FOR THE— SPRING and SUMMER TRADE!! We have endeavored 'JO get the very best of every thing in our line, and now have some really CIfOICF GOODS. J FIFE CREAM CHEESE, Extra Large FRENCH PRUNES, Mf * SELEC T O YSTERS, S H EAT POTA TOM, WfkoE RIPE CRANBERRIES, PRL'NELLES, IMPERIAL FIGS, BRIGHT NEW LEMONS, FLORIDA ORANGES, Princess Papor-ShcH Almond*. Evaporated RRIEI) PEACH EN A FULL LINE OF CHOICE CANNED FRUITS. PRESERVED PEARS, PEACH FN, PLC MS and PR UNELLES. PLAIN CANDIES, FINE CONFECTIONERY, —AND— GOODIES of all Sorts and Kinds JMTWe invite the people of Centre county to call and inspect our NICE GOODS, which cannot fail to please. 'F SECHLEU & CO. Doll l ion*. Wo may uv*r uka hark ngniu. Pt>r though In lh gulat atanlng Von irmy give na til* klm of |eaci, Vet it tuighl ha That never for ma Tha |•am of tha Utmti ahould <**•*•. How many go forth In lha morning Tiiat navor i • iu lOM k at night! And hoarte hava hrokaU F.r hrh WOMU npoken. That aorruw can ua rr •! right. W> hate careful thoughfa for thoatranger And auiilea for tha guaat; Hut oft for " our own " Tim hlttar ton*, Though *o |o* our own " lha haal. Ah' li|ai with rail to Cape Town. Two-third* of the terrible journey , had now been accomplished, yet there ; were utill some two hundred and fifty : | in ilea of travel over sun heat plain and , arid desert before us, with the mercury 102 degrees, in such shade alone as our tilted c mvcyancc afforded—for, in truth i there was no other , Our eyes w.-re hlurrel and blinded r by the ci useless glare of tin- sun, whose [ rays beat down on the sandy d.-*ert -. from the unclouded skv, which was n | brass before u*. iur I iodic* were sore and bruised by tho unceasing jar and jolt of our rudely -hung vehicles. We were parched with tliir*t, which the lukewarm water along the route utterly failed to slake ; an -thrown tOfOthOT. If Ne.l and myself were {.erhap* n ; little more pronouneod m general di* , agree able lie** than tin- oihrr* we con I sidered, indee.l, that we had ample pro j vocation therefor. For thirteen month* we had been toiling and )eking, extended , the precious gem toward me in his open pakn, as we sat at our rude table, in our ranva covered cabin. I do not answer for tho scope of my partner.s vision of course, but in theuncut bril. liant a* in the magician's stones, I my self saw hut one object—a sweet, wist fill face framed in a wreath ofdark hair, ! within the depths of whose soft eyes • was a look as of patient waiting for the . return of him who had gone to seek ( hi* fortune in the far away diamond fields. "Home'.'" was Ned's interrogative query, raising his own eyes, which had bent upon the gem r with a sort offer away look, to meet my own suddenly upturned gore. "Home 'l echoed, with joyous em phasis. Hut hardly had the word escaped my 1 Hps when a tall form dashed through the door, lunl, upsetting Hie candle by a sudden How, seized the diamond from Ned's stiil outstretched hand, and was off in the darkness—the whole event having taken place in far le* time than 1 have occupied in telling it. Of course we gave the alarm as quirk ljr a* we could regain our scattered idea* : but, though half the male pop ulation of Hloetnfontcin turned outfit was to no purpose, , The robber and hi* booty bad disaj> peared, without the slightest clew. Ho it was that being in local parlance "down on bur luck, "Ned and mys. If disgusted and dlscouiaged, had aold our Halm to couple of newcomer* for ibont £3OO, and with those composing I oqr coach party, had Ink ctt pMWg", as I have *nld, for Web ] .ingle u in tending to return home even though with heavy lioarl* and ligh" pocket*. Besides the small, spectacled man wiio had represented himself us a son of colporteur for a religious society at Cape Town, our fullow-piuwcnger* con posed two diamond brokers, togetliei witli a young and very boastful fellow, who called himself McArthur. The latter had been very successful, and it was with feelings of envy we heard him relate the result of two weeks' work in a deserted claim, where, as he inform ed us with many profane asseverations, he hail struck a ''pocket," from which he had taken stones, whose vulue he de clared was at least £I,oi the subject of road agents, some ' recent depredations of these gentry having been graphically narrated by the proprietor of the station we bud just "They wouldn't play any of their • game* on me," replied M.-Arthur, torn h ! ing the buttsof bis revolver* in a rig nili- ml manner at In- spoke. 1 | The pale blue eye* of the little man, ' who bore the not uncommon name of Smith twinkled never to slightly be bind bis -neetiich-* at the remark, but > ! he groaned diimally and shook hi | head. 1 "My dear ir." he exclaimed in dep ri at ing tones, ••you surely would not ' commit the awful crime of murder, even U> prevent the loss of the filthy lucre which you—hem ! •claim to have acquired through jour own honett ef , fort." "Claim to have acquired? What the deuce do you mean by that ?" I>lu- let ed McArtbur. a- N I and my ■■•lf glan ' ed at the little man in tome surprise, for it enu'd t<> strike us simultaneous ly that there was a orl of unconscious significance in Mr. Smith's tone*. Yet it wa, perhaps, a mistake, as w < 11 •as the fancy that Mi Arthur's bron/ed he e rhaiigi d color never so little, even j as the other spoke. Mr. Smith shrank ba< k into hi cor ner as though terrified at the other's threatening manner. | "Indeed, I meant nothing at all. my j e searched with the calmness of despair We bad about A hundred and fifty sovereign* between us, and a bill of ex change on a bank in f ape Town, which the tall roblier took from us, while his companion, with cocked hat and pre sen ted rifle, did the intimidating. Me- Arlhur alternately raved and swore, a* he was relieved of his belt. The little man wrung his hands and raised bis voice in meek supplication, while his specta cled eyes were fixed, •* though in a sort of fascination, upon the ruffian who held the presented rifle. Now, then, gig lamps, what haveyo* got about you7" was thejoonequery. And little Mr. Smith piteous))' en treated that the mimic of the loaded M rifle l>e turned asido from his lill'rjgbU-d face. "It mif/Jtt go off," he said,.in tretnu loua tones* "and it make* nitf *o nervous to have a deadly w capon pohited at fftc. th. please, take it asfay f l 1 With a hoarse laugh the road agent tossed his rifle inte the hollow of his 1 arm k ' 1 "Ail r!, n•* lilfllntan! ' 1.-. rJ*.', , carelessly, Uo ahead, iltli.'' * I • 4 i Jv * 1 This to his companion who approach ed Kniith for the pur|ose of searching •dm. I hen there wa* a transformation ♦eerie, indeed. The small man straight cried up like lightning and with a quickness that seemed almost incredi ble, shoving his hands in the side pock ets of hi* linen coat, he drew them out with a cocked revolver in each. Crack ! and the shorter ruffian stag gerod and fell, shot through the heart, (.'rack ! and bis astonished companion, with a yell of mingled pain and rage, ♦prang for hi* rifle, which lay beside liim on the ground ; but he was too late. Before his fingers closed upon its shining barrel he tumbled forword to the earth with a ball through his brain. The whole affair as over in ten sec onds., Mr. Smith repocketed bis pis tols, und taking off bis spectacles re garded our astonished fuees witlvs ben evolent smile. "I lead I y weapons come bandy some times. after all, gentlemen," he remark ed. And I noticed a curious change in he voice and manner. So, too, did McAr tbur, who stood for u moment looking at hiin with seeming perplexity in the midst of hi* evident stupefaction. Meanwhile, Neil, who was of a prac- ! tir-al turn, legan taking from 1 1* i capacious pocket* of the taller of the two outlaws the valuables and inotiev of which our little compuny bad been : df [toiled, at the eager suggestion of the two diamond-brokers, who bad been literally paralysed with terror during - the entire scene through wh.- h we had I a**c*l, both of them having bcenrelii •. i ed of large amount*. iif course they insisted ii|ton r< --is ing tin ir own property first. Then came our*. And. at the same time, from a hit of vsa-b leather iti the same p( '. "I see that tin* i* the stone • that you had *toh-n fn>ni you in (amp - iffis dnv- since. 1 bad glimps of it the j morning Mr. Oirord here " nodding at j \ ed—"na showing it to .larvd-a, lh<' broker, on the corner of Krall street, j i I should know it among a thousand M Arthur, who, with hi* recovered ■ , revolvers, which he had buckled oil. had assumed lii* usual air of braggadocio. was beard to ex proa* considerable dis 1 i satisfaction. "One diamond i* like another!" he . grow led. Anil lii ilea via' thai under the cir jruni.tmc the whole had a sort ot ; common interest in thi* one. In which 1 the brokers gave ready o*-ent. "I'd like to see any one try to take j i l!" a;d Nod, with a < ngerou gl";int in 1 i liia eye*. And little Mr. Smith, nodding appro i ingly. removed from the dead man's body the money-belt of which Mr. Mc Arthur had been deprived. But instead of handing it to that ; gentleman, he buckled it about his own j waist, with an agreeable smile, "What the duce dons tl.ia mean 7' j yelled McArthur, who*eface wa* purple with rage, when, no Icm to bis own than to our own astonishment, hi* arms were pinioned by the little colporteur, who seemed to have the strength oftwo ordinary men. And in another in'tant his wrists were adorned with a pair of shining steel handcuffs. "It's no use kicking, William," i|iiietly remarked his captor, removing a faded flaxen wig from his own head and ex|K>siiig to view a short crop of stubby block hair. "I diden't mean to have pulled you till we got to Wellington but this little affair lias, so to speak, precipitated matters a littlo." And after we were all again en rout, having left word at the next station as to the di>|>osition of the outlaivs' lodic*, tho |i*eiido Mr. Smith informed u* th*t the scowling prisoner on the seat oppo site, who wa kept in bond* by theaight of a cooked revolver in the captor'* bands, was one William Hardy, with a dozen ali"e, whom he—lVnnison Hunt, the then beat known detective in hngland—bad followed from Liver pool to tho verv heart of South Afric ft , a reward of £l.t**i having been offered for hi* apprehension a* principal ut x great London bank robbery, [ ,'jHut I never thought I should l>e the mean* of helping you two gent* foyour lost properly," said Mr. Smith, with his eii*tomary. placid smile, as, after tho wearisome journey, we alighted in front of the Bigger't He treat at Wellington,-), with dust bergrimed faoes and i limb;, four d*y* later. , And, to hi* credit be it said, tho dc- , teetive would not accept a penny of I recompense from either of Us. i 'fl ii excitement of the little scrim- i in*|M WM MMii, HA iltMvllit - I hands at porting. j I I - An Ant's Brain. Well may l>rwin speak of ih<- i,rir> of an ant a one of the moat wonderful particles of matter in the world Wo ■re apt to think that it ia impoaaibUr (or o minute piece of matter to po* *•** the n*ce*#ary complexity for thedi* charge of uch elaborate function*. Tho microicope will doubtless ahow aouie detail* in the ant'* brain, hut there fall hopelesaly abort of revealing the refine meot which the ant'a brain muat real. 1y have. 'J'he microscope ia not ade 'piate to ahow ut the texture of matter. It b:* been one of the greatest diacov eries of modern time* to enable u to form aome numerical estimate of tho exquisite delicacy of the fabric which we know i inert matter. Water, or air, or iron may be divided and aubdi vided, but Iheproceaa cannot be carried On indefinitely. There ia a well defined limit. We are even able to make aomo approximation to the number of mole culen in a given ma<> of matter. Sir W. Thornpaon baa eatimated that tb© number of atom* in a cubic inch of air i* to be expreaed by the figure 3, 10l lowed by no )*■** than twenty cipher*. I be brain of the ant boubileaa contain* more ntoma than an equal volume of air; but even if we suppose then} to bo the same, and if we take the aire of an ant'a brain to be a little globe one thou sandth of an inch in diameter, wo arte able to form some eatimate of the num ber of atorna it must contain. Tho j number ia to be expressed by writing' : down ft, and following it by eleven cipher*. We can imagine these atora grr uped in ao rnaoy variou* ways toab even the complexity of the ant'a brain maybe intelligible wnrn • have it> many unit to deal with. An il'ustra tion will perhaps make the argument clearer. Take million and a half of little black ttrurka, put them in acer tain order, and we have a wondrous reult I'siain's "Iteacent of Man." Thi* book COrinsN of about 1 'AW.OOO jeltera, placed one after the other in * certain order. Whatever be the c<-,rn plfxity of the ant'a brain, it ia still hard to believe that it couid not be full}' ue scribed in tuO.'Mi volumes, each a* large a* l>arwin' work. Yet the number ©' molecule# in an ant'a brain is at leaat 400, Ola) tim< is great a* the number o) i letter* in the memorable volume r queation. When roal-g.ia eacaj"** from pipes in a bona* its presence in the air i* quick ly detected by its peculiar odor, but when the leak ia underground and the gi filter* into basement and cellars through the toil all odor may licloat. The air of closed house* may thu< be t come dangerously charged with this product while the fact remain* uriu 1 jiected by the inmatca of the dwelling*, ca*ea have occurred, and I'rof. Pettendofer. in a recent popular lecture* at I'erliu, expressed the belief that they may be much more frequent thaj ade to stupefaction. f lio* el by ex tream and fatal effect* aa the carbonic oxide inrreaaea. On the occurrence ®( symptom* of gas poisoning—such a* headache—Prof. Pettenkofer re com , mend* the opening of window*, and if the symptom* reappear on dosing tho windows be think* that an escape ri ga* near the house may well be ua j pected. Water Witchea are highly regarded lin the far Weal. toe man in particnln hat the reputation in Colorado, of he | ing a trust worthy diviner, and he alwaya in request. T>y trade he U a well j digger, but to thi* commonplace seen pation he has added the profession of water finder. And he ia not exclu I *ively employed by willy people, but by practical men of business. Thus he i designating for a railroad company all the wells along the new line which they are constructing. The instrument of divination is a forked twig, by prefer ence a mulberry. The Chinaman in hew York rarely ue their real names in business. Wad* I.ee means "united profit," Yee Lee, "essy profit," and ao on. They carry on their correspondence at home in their assumed name*, and thus produce an impression of business prosperity far beyond the possibilities .of .a side street laundry. An Albsny firm have utilised tin ssrapt. They make wrought jplstw dovtails for store legs, an'd till!. qp from six to eight tons of aersp* every month for thi* purpose. The article* made are small piece 1 of tin of peculiar eha;* which are need by stove wembor* tw in*. 1 a t2^ bottoms.