30
little carnages and our manifold incon
veniences. Andras Normaine began to feel
like a reteran actor. Ho bad proved an
acceptable French villain in tlie play, and an
agreeable French gentleman in bis intercourse
with the rest of the party. The route thus far
trai ersed bad earned him already across two of
the great Amencan States, and, if be finished
his engagement of four months, be would have
traveled a distance of 20 times round and round
our comparatively small France. But ho bad
learned reallv little about this vast land. All
that he had seen Of it was from car windows, in
hotels and In theaters not such viens as to
inform him particularly of the people and their
manner. I was asked to write this novelette
out of, or at least starting from, what I had
learned of the United States during my pro
fessional visits there. But no more than An
dras had 1 been enabled to see Americans In
their honiep, about their business, or under any
conditions save those pertaining to a theatrical
journey. Occasionall and by chance I gained
exact views on a few subjects, and it was l an
accident that Andras, too. leceived a lesson
from and about the American girl.
Internal disturbances now and then agitated
Miss Delwarc's companj. and one of these re
sulted iu the sudden departure of the soubrette.
She quit after a quarrel with the stage mana-
er, who was sustained on bis side by JIis
lelware, and next morning she took a train
from Cincinnati toward New York, instead of
petting "all aboard" with the others for Louis
ville. There was a bast hunt for a substitute,
and one was found in the voung and pretty
person of Jessie Gordon. Although she was
bafel within the style of a lady, her dress be
ing neither showy or expensive, and her man
ner of speech thoe of good education, there
was about her a dash and vim indicative at
least of high spirit She was to appear in the
play on the ensuing evening. Although her
role was not long, it required hard study dur
ingthe daj's journey she iirsimemorlzed the
language, anu then rehearsed the action with
those actors and actresses concerned with her
in the scenes It happened that Andras was
more than am body ele coupled with her in
dialoguc,andbj themiddlcottbeafternoonthey
had speeded along into an acquaintance aoout
as rapidlv as the train had moved. V hen her
arduous taK was done.and she was pronounced
h tho stare manager fit to ait the
part, she took a weary chair beside that in
which Andras sat. aud they began to chat
about otnir things. He wa a born and bred
Frenchman, with French ideas of feminine
propriety, and of course he was imbued with
the French notion that an unmarried girl is
reprehensible if -he stirs away from her on n
home without a trustworthj chaperone. The
factthatJessieG rdon bad no buch overseer
Impressed him, although he did not himself
realize it. with a belief that he had here made
the acquaintance of the typical America! girl
the Fuchsia Leech of ".Moths." Ihae piaed
the heroine in the French dramatic version of
that storv, aud we have alwajs had the role of
the American girl played boldly, even brazenly,
with no compliment to the daughters of our
Bister Republic acro-s the ocean. Andras was
excusably misled, therefore, in the case of
Jessie. He did not quite conceal his admiring
scrui.ro v of her f ace, now that there was time
una opportunity font. Her jet black hair,
her olive complexion, ana her large dark eye
indicated a i-outbern origin, while her attire
betokened no plenty ot means, but the was
certainly beautiful, although her beauty did
not strike one at the first glance, and Andras
did not fully perceive it until he now observed
her more closelv.
'Pardon me." he said, in English, with his
Inevitable French accent, "but have jou long
been an actress?"
Would jou find it easier to speak your own
language? ' she said in excellent French, not
exactlj Parisian, but m no respect ungrammat
icaL nor lacking in fluency.
"Thank you." he responded, also in French;
'that will enable us to be couhdential, for none
of tLese persons about us can understand."
"I onlj thought jou could converse with
more f acilitj "
'And sa things to you as safely as though
we were secluded."
She gazed at him with her eyes opened wid
er, and her color a little heightened, but with
out a tremor of nerves, or a quaver of voice as
ehe said "You will sy nothing to me, Sir.
2 onnaine, which I shouldn't as Jief evert body
would bear, or. if jou do. I shall take care that
you have no opportunitj to repeat the
offense."
That was certainly blunt enough to be char
acteristic of a Fuchsia Leech, and it was quite
unlike the speech of a high bred Parisian; but
it gave no invitation to further f ainiliantj, ana
it informed the French gentleman straight
uway that he was Lot to be presumptuous.
"I am ashamed of myseli. Miss Gordon," he
humbly said. "I must have forgotten that jou
had come out of your ho den character in the
plaj, and was again your lad) like self."
The girl scrutinized his face for signs of in
sincerity, but found none, and was ery much
inclined to accept his apologj for the"honest
one that it was. Their com ersation proceeded
until it led to her telling of nerself.
"I am something like a countrywoman of
jours," she remarked, "at least. 1 am of
French birth. You know, or don't j ou? that
New Orleans is considerably a French city. A
goodly portion of its population is Creole,
which means residents ot foreign descent
practically, people of French extraction, who
Epeak French as often as English, and would
leel abont as much at home in Pans as in New
York. I am a Creole. Mj parents were wealthy
before the War of the Rebellion, but
were impoverished by that long conflict, and
n ere poor when I was born. Tbey managed to
give me a good education, but nothing more,
except their good love, and so, being compelled
to work for a living. I went on the stage. I
Shall never be a Rachel, but do fairly with
Boubrctte roles, ard 1 get enough paj to be
able to send money borne occasional!. But I
bad been left in Cincinnati by the breaking up
of a traveling company, and was spending my
last dollars when this chance engagement
came to me. So I am here with strange com
panions, but " and here she raised her ej es
fearlessly, it not defiantly, to those of the
Frenchman "but entirely ablo to take care of
myself."
The acquaintance which began tnns frankly,
and with a clear understanding, progressed
rapidly through the various phases of good
fellowship as Andras and Jessie traveled.
There is necessarily a great deal of familiar in
tercourse between all the members of a company
journeying day by day m the same car. but
these two, incited by congeniality, and aided
by their exclusive ue of the French language,
were coupled to such an extent that the others
gradually came to regard them as sweethearts.
A fact that seemed to discredit this theorj,
however, was that Andras, who had begun
with a familianty of manner, became more and
more perceptibly polite and deferential. That
did not accord with the usage of actors and
actresses in love, and when, at the end of a
month, it was seen that visible constraint had
Crown up bctw een the two, the common con
clusion w as that tbey bad quarreled. In truth,
Andras had fallen in love with this Franco
American girl. Her piquancy had first inter
ested him; then her singular blend of French and
Amencan traits had charmed him; and the end
of it was that he desired above all things to
marry her. As bis respect for ber had been ac
quired, it had tended to make him more distant
and lormaL for he could not rid himself entire)
of the French feeling that a maiden, if circum
spect, should not be so accessible as this one.
when he took it into account that she was an
actress, and, therefore, freed from the rigid
rules of good soc.ctv. heasked himself if he was
willing to be her husband. Then on second
thought, in this direction, it would occur to him
that he was only an actor, and, therefore, on a
social level with her. Upon her part she dis
cerned, with womanly intuition, the growth of
his affection until it became a mastenng pas
sion, and under its influence her brusque, pert
Americanisms softened into the gentlest of
graces and the most considerate demeanor
toward him.
One afternoon, as the car was speeding along
over the miles of a prairie level, and the pano
ramic view through the wide windows had he
come fatiguing from sameness, Andras sn ung
around suddenly on bis revolving chair, so that
he faced Jessie.
"Whom shall I ask," he said "for permission
to address you with a proposal of marriage?"
If the immediate suddenness of the question
had not been preceded, in the absence of a
spoken a owal of love, by a quite clear revela
tion of it througn other mean-, the girl might
have been mute with astonishment. But the
onl) surprise that she felt was the brevity of
the declaration, along with its recognition of
the French usage of speaking first to parents
or guardians before addressing the girl one
loves. She was silent lor a moment.
"That jou are without legal or f amdy pro
tector here, Jessie." he resumed, "is my excuse
for asking you whose permission I may seek."
A flash of roguery was emitted by the sou
brette's bright eyes, and a smile parted her lips,
as she said: "Well in the absence of any suit
able party, you might ask mine."
"And I do ask it," he impulsively exclaimed.
'I ask you if you love me?
The answer came in a low and senous tone,
and with all coquetry gone. It was, "Yes."
"Will jou marry me?"
"Yes.r
Thus ended the Frenchman's study of a
Franco-American girl.
CHAP1ER HI.
THE PLATERS' REAL CHARACTERS.
Helen Delware's Comedy Company went
long paying its way. The public awarded
tnedals to it in the form of big, round Ameri
can silver dollars, and so tne artistic and finan
cial result was fairly satisfactory to the ambi
tious woman. She was absorbed in her pro
fessional aspirations, and delighted with the
considerable degree of favor which she won.
Bo interested was she in being an actress that
she all but forgot she was a wife, and it was
not hard, under the circumstances, to keep her
traveling companions unaware that John
"Warduff and she were husband and wife. Al
though her head was thus turned bv stage tn
urnvhs, ber heart remained dormantly devoted
in arduff. While he was eclipsed in her esti
mation by the Importance of her dramatic un
dertaking, and she bestowed neither tbougbt
nir affection upon him, she was not disloyal to
him in any act. Even such qualities praise
could not have been properly bestowed upon
him, however, tor his habit of gambling pos
sessed him very detrimentally, Bu earliest
quest in everv city was of a faro bank, there
to plav witfi variations of good and bad
luck, but in tho aggregate to be beaten, of
course, by the professional gamblers. Spurred
desperately on by the hope of recouping his
loses, and particularly by a vain anxiety to re
cover enough money to take up the note with
the forged indorsement, he became reckless in
stead of cautious and notinfrequentlv steadied
his nerves and sustained bis courage with
alcoholic stimulants. His wire saw some of
these vagaries of conduct, and regretted them;
shoven expostulated with him on several occa
sions, but was toomuch elated with the upward
tendency of her own chosen career to grieve
much over his downward course.
That arch conspirator. Wilton Ortlev,
watched the progress of affairs keenly. He
encouraged the wife's professional ambition,
exaggerated her artistic success whenever he
talked with her on the subject, and in every
way sought to wed her more closely to her
stage career. On tho other hand, he abetted
the husband in his gambling, permitted him to
appropriate and lose every dollar that could
De spared from the treasury, and missed
no chance to increase his consumptionot intoxi
cants. At length he decided that the time had
come to estrange the husband and wife, pre
paratory to an utter separation of them. The
long railroad rides made private conversations
feasible, if patiently waited for, although tne
company were most of the time together in
their one car. It was not long after Ortley
deemed it time to make a revelation to Helen
Delware that he found himself alone at one end
of the car b her side. He first led up to a dis
cussion of the finances, his office of manager
making this an ordinary thing to do.
'You sa that we have something of a sur
plus." Miss Delware remarked; "yet you are
asking me fora draft on m banker to meet a
dehcit. How is that, Mr. Ortley?"
t. ,a tnf itn'p tr mla n frnnt pvnlanatiou.
'herepliei "Itistrue that wo have taken in
more money tnan we nave paia out uuuuk uui
tour, and there should he a surplus in my hands,
of a few hundred dollars."
"A satisfactory showing. I should say, con
sidering that this is my second season only."
"But there is a deficit, because your husband
is constantly drawing monev."
"Yes, I know. It is for our personal ex
penses "
"For some of his personal expenses, which
are hardlv legitimate, permit me to say. I don't
like to turn informer, but duty compels me.
John Warduff has become an inveterate gam
bler and an irreclaimable debauchee. He
pesters me for money he even demands it
and I have accepted until I will no longer take
the responsibility of enabling him to squander
your earnings."
"You surprise me. I knew that John was a
spendthrift, but I didn't imagine that he was a
hopeless gamester or a drunkard. Perhaps I
have neglected him. Surely a wife should be
intimate enough with her husband to discover
bis bad habits Make out a detailed statement
of our finances so that 1 may know bow we
stand.and, as to John's misdoings leave me to
reform them."
Ortley was disappomted by this forgiving
spirit. He had noted her carelessness to her
husband, aud bad imagined that it sprang from
outright dislike. He had expected that she
would be angry and resentful, and he could not'
Dear to aDanaon tne line oi argument wnicu uo
had marked out for this occasion.
"You deserve a more appreciative partner.
Miss Delware." he insinuatingly said. "If I
were y our husband, I should find my pleasures
altogether In your tnumphs I should be too
happy in j our presence to wish to stay away
from it mv admiration of you as an actress
would increase immeasurably my love of you
as a woman."
I have already said that this man had been
an actor, and there was skillful declamation in
his 'Utterance, notwithstanding that huskiness
of voice which had rocapaciated him tor acting.
He intended to convey the idea to the woman
that he was in love with her without actually
sajing so, and he accomplisned his purpose:
bnt again he was astonished by the manner in
which his overture was received. He had
thought that this was a frivolous creature who
would at least permit him to tempt ber.
"Your criticism of my husband is imperti
nent." she said "If you please, we will not
discuss Ins dements or my merits."
"It is in order to consider your merits. Is it
not?" he proceeded, turning adroitly from
business. "As jour manager, I have a right to
say to you that you are an admirable actress,
and that jou ought not to be defrauded out of
the monej you- earn. If I have disclosed to
vou the affection you have inspired, it was
indiscieet. but I will take nothing back. I de
mand your friendship on the score of mj de
votion to jour best interests!"
"You are very kind," and she seemed nearly
as much amused as she was annoyed. "Do you
know that ou have a singular way of showing
your friendship? '
"Possibly" he answered with tranquil ludac
itv; "but it is a sensible way. after all. We are
sufficient!) well acquainted, jou and I, fer me
not to feign an attachment that I do not feel.
I don't pride myself on my disinterestedness,
and I view life as it really is. I am John War
duffs comrade, but not his friend, in the senti
mental sense of the word. Friendship is based
only upon a unity of interests. Now. it mat
ters very little to me whether this gentleman
turns out badlj or not; but it does matter a
great deal to me that you are obliged to bear
thepenalty ot bis folly."
"Then you and I must hive common inter
ests, as you espouse my cause so warmly," and
she gave him a searching glance.
"Unquestionabl)," he responded, with a sim
ulation of fervor. "I confess it. I have
dreamed of jour finding out your husband to
be worthless! of your being rid of him, of your
taking me into his place."
Here again the old actor's appreciation of a
dramatic climax led him into a mistaken pol
icy. In a plaj such a situition as he had placed
himself in might win over the woman, but in
real life be found that no such result was
achieved.
"Don't dare to say another word like those,"
he commanded. "You have insulted me.
Don't do it again."
"Very well," he retorted angrily. "Be con
tent with a rascal for a husband if you will,"
"You shall not malign him."
"O, I don't misrepresent him. He is not onlv
a rascal, but a criminal. He is a forcer. I
earn in my pocket the proof of his guilt.'-
"The proof? Let me see it."
He took out the note, read its face to her,
and then, turning it over, pointed to her name
on the back. "Dip you write that?"
Once again he was disappointed. The woman
did not promptly disavow the genuineness or
the indorsement. She hesitated a moment,
and then quietly said: "Of course I know it. It
is mj signature. I wrote it."
Ortley stared at her in blank amazement
Then his face flushed with bad temper, and he
said. "1 ou are unreasonably, ridiculously soft
ana yielding. I tell you that Warduff is un
worthy of j our regard."
"Then I will win him back. I have been
neglectful of John. 1 confess it."
"He will hardly be so ready to confess his
dereliction I have only told jou that he is a
gambler and a drunkard that he is a forger.
A wife maj overlook those things, though she
is a fool to do it, but she will not excuse him
for falling in love with another woman. Yes;
that is what he has done. Have you been so
blind as not to see his fondness for Jessie Gor
don? It has been clear to everybody else."
"Is it so? Then 1 must win him back. I have
found myself too complaisant tow ard this hand
some Frenchman. But I know to a certainty
that I am innocent of any serious transfer ot
my love. There is no real alienation. I have
indulged m no more than a passing whim of
fancy. 8oIhaen'tan right to believe that
John is untrue to me. It is a fault of stage
folks, jou know, to be unconventional, but we
are not so scandalous as outsiders believe. I
am obliged toyou for your warning, Mr. Ortley.
1 shall now take pains to let my husband know
that I love him."
She turned from him and gazed out at the
window, thus pointedly disimssmg him; and ho
sa.d not a word, but expressed his rage by
means of a portentous scowl behind her back,
before retreating to the further end of the car.
Ortley joined Warduff there, and, being
keyed up to do something malicious, he said to
lnin in a tone of confidential sincenty: "War
duff. my dear fellow, I have got to tell you
something and 1 don't want to. Andras Nor
maine is paying court to j our wife. Now, he
doesn't know that she is Mrs. Warduff, and,
tliercfoie, isn't to blame for falling in love
with her, perhaps. But I have made up my
mind that you should know of it."
"Don't you think I can safely leave my wife
to behave herself?" Warduff asked, somewhat
testily. "Whj do jou come tale-hearing to
me?'
"This is what a mutual fnend always gets for
interfering between husband and wife. They
will both turn on him. You are quick to do it,
and I suppose sne would be. But I have done
the right thing iu putting jou ou your guard,
and there let the matter drop."
Thecjesof both men turned instinctively
toward the woman of w hom they were speak
ing. She still sat looking out through the car
window. Then she turned, saw Andras Nor
mame and beckoned him to her. He took the
chair beside her, and spoke to her. She turned
to him attentively, and they joined in a conver
sation which, it was plain for those out of hear
ing to sec, waB exceedingly engrossing to both.
Warduff and Ortley missed not one of their
gestures, nor any of the changing expressions
upon their faces, but tbey were too distant to
hear a word of the dialogue, which was as fol
lows: "Americans are apt to be blunt of speech,"
she said. "I am going to indulge in that Yan
kee trait. Has it struck jou that I have paid
particular attention to jou 7"
The Frenchman was taken aback by this un
expected question, but he answered with little
hesitation: "You have been very kind very
considerate."
"What I mean is. have I flirted with vou ?
Havel made you think that I was fond of
you ?"
"You have not, madam. 1 am not so pre
sumptuous or so vain as to misconstrue your
attention. Why do you ask?"
"Because something has led me to think that
I may have been indiscreet. Your answer re
assures me, and I thank you. One other ques
tion, if you will favor me with a reply. Have
you observed that any gentleman in this com
pany is paying especial attention to Miss Gor
don?" His visible start and flush did not escape her.
He said: "Then you have seen, madam, that
I am devoted to ber?"
"You are devoted to her?" she rather eagerly
exclaimed, glad to haTe thus stumbled upon a
state of things that tended to clear her hus
band." T frankly avow it I am in love with Miss
Gordon, and I have told her so. It is admirable
in you. as the chief of this party, to take a
kindly interest in the yonng lady's welfare. I
assure you that my love is honest and true, and
that if J bad thought of you as in any sense her
chaperone, I should have asked your consent
before proposing marriage to her '
Helen was not inclined to precipitancy in
giving to her husband a clean acquittal, and
she quietlv asked: "Mr. Normaine, have you
won her affection? Have you had no rival? Is
there no other man in our party with whom she
has been at all a favorite?"
"No. none. I am ot a jealous disposition. So
are all Frenchmen. I think. I have watched
closely whenever any of the gentlemen has so
much as chatted with her. She positively has
no preference'among them. I am sure of that
She loves me alone."
"But somebody else might bo fond of her,
without any reciprocation on her part"
"But it isn't so. None of the gentlemen has
wooed her at alL"
The earnest manner of the Frenchman, his
cautiously low tones, accompanied by a de
meanor of intense feeling, were discerned by
the two watchers at tho other end of the car.
Warduff no longer doubted Ortlcy's assertion
that Andras was making love to Helen; and
even Ortley himelf felt bound to believe that
his lying had a good basis in truth.
The scoundrel," Warduff muttered under his
breath.
"But he doesn't know she is your wife, re
member," Ortley suggested.
Meanwhile the other pair had no suspicion
that they were beirg misconceived. 1 am de
lighted with what you tell me," Helen said.
"1 hen you approvo of the match that we
have made for ourselves," Andras asked. "You
will do what you can to countenance outmar
riage?" "Indeed I will gladly very gladly."
The impulsive Frenchman seized her hand
and kissed it In France that woula have been
nothing but a polite expression of gratitude.
But in America it is not a custom, as I need not
tell jou. You do not classify or graduate the
meanings of your kisses as w e do. We range all
the way from the hand kissing of mere affabili
ty to the mouth kissing of passionate ardor.
You are crude, let me assure you, my dear
Yankees, in this respect
Warduff was wildly jealous at the sight He
glared savagely at Andras, who, in happy igno
rance of bis blunder, quitted the side of Helen,
and sauntered into the lavatory of the car. He
was no more tnan out of sightrom the other
tounsts before Warduff was by bis side.
"You're a scoundrel," Warduff exclaimed,
reckless with rage. ,
"What do you mean, sir?" was Andras' per
plexed, yet dignifiedly resentful retort
Without explanation, or another word of
any sort Warduff doubled his fist and struck
the Frenchman a blow in the face.
From what I understand of American usage,
and if Andras had been an American, whatever
fighting was to result from this onset would
have occurred then and there. Blow would
bat e been returned for blow. Possibly pistols
would have been drawn, and a life taken or
lost on the spot But Andras was a well bred
Parisian, and fisticuff was not a thing to which
he could be incited. lam not setting this dif
ference forth as a thing favorable to my coun
trymen, but merely stating it as a fact bearing
upon the occurrences in that lailroad car.
Andras drew himself up, pale as a specter
with anger, but as calm as death.
"If you were in France, sir." he said, "a duel
would be inevitable. If you are not a coward,
as well as a bully, you will accommodate me by
following the usage of my country."
Don't aoubt it for an instant'" Warduff
grimly rejoined. "We shall fight a duel."
CHAPTER IV.
THE DUEL.
When John Warduff and Andras Normaine
returned to the car proper, they separated as
far as tne limits of the vehicle would permit
The Frenchman was the more successful of the
two in maintaining outward composure, but the
Amencan was fairly self possessed, too. and
nobody but themselves and Wilton Ortley
guessed that they had fallen into an alterca
tion. That schemer saw at a glance that some
thing violent had occurred, and he was not
greatly surprised when Warduff, taking him
aside, told him that a blow bad been struck.
"What is to come of it?" he asked.
"Death may come of it," was the prompt
answer: and when the other smiled sarcastical
ly, he continued: "The fellow has challenged
me to a duel. He taunted me with cowardice
with being afraid to fight in a French fashion.
That is usually with fencing swords, isn't it?
Tho antagonists scratch each other a little, or
perhaps puncture the skin, aud that is all it
amounts to. lwi'l show him how Americans
fight duels. We have crossed the line into
Louisiana, haven't we? Well, we are in a
State where duels used to be common, anyhow,
and we shall have one. Itmustbe vfithpistols."
The rapid utterance of the angrv man was so
vehement and his face showed such a sup
pression of emotion, that Ortley did not for an
instant doubt the deadliness ol his intention.
He simply asked when and where the meeting
would take place.
"I don't stand on any French ceremony," was
the quick response. "I leave all the arrange
ments to you. You may act for both of us if
be is willing. All I want is to fire at him, and
that soon."
Ortle was not loath to bring about the duel,
if only it might be done without Involving him
in a breakago of the law, and a murderous
hope arose in him that waruua might De
killed, leaving a valuablound attractive widow.
He lost no time in conferring with the other
party to the proposed duel He began by
speaking to Andras of a settlement of the diffi
culty, but he found the Frenchman unwilling
to go half w ay, or any distance at all to receive
an apology.
"Ihe man struck me," ho said, "and nothing
but an humble apology or a hostile meeting
will satisfy my seuse ot honor."
"I am sorrv to bavo to say that Mr. Warduff
refuses absolutely to apologize. Not only that
but he is eager to give you satisfaction. You
are the challenger? Then it is for him to
choo-e the w capons and place. He has already
decided that he will not light with blades "
The Frenchman lifted his brows at this, for
he had supposed that a bout with foils a pair
of which were in use in the car by male mem
bers of the company for exercise would be tlje
upshot He had an average degree of bravery,
however, and his education had been such as
to make any avoidauce of a fatal issue repul
sive. "What weapons does heprefer?" he inquired.
"Pistols," said Ortlej.
"The time and place? Shall I refer a fnend
to you?"
"Is there a man in the company in whom you
have any more confidence than in me?"
"Tbey are not intimate with me."
"I doubt if any one of them would have any
thing to do with a duel. Nor do I like to. But
if you are bent on fighting. I am willing to see
to it that fairness is maintained."
"You propose to act for both him and me?"
"Not unless you desire it But I tell you that
dueling, even in this Southern State, is out of
vogue, and that if you are to fight without sub
sequently suffering a penalty of the law the
affair must be quietly managed."
"Very well, sir. 1 am unused to your Ameri
can customs. But pray be second to us both,
if that is better. Make whatever arrange
ments you please, and you will find me
obedient"
Ortley feigned reluctance, but permitted
himself to be persuaded. He said that be
would devise apian of some feasible sort, and
let the antagonists know of it without delay.
"By the way, Mr. Ortley," Normaine said,
"why was it that Mr. Warduff struck me? A
blow is a blow, and that Is sufficient justifica
tion for a duel; but I am curious to know whv
he attacked me. Was it that I had kissed the
hand of Miss Delaware?"
"O, that was a French salutation, and moant
nothing."
"But wc are in America? and I fancied that
he took offense at it I remember, too, to have
frequently seen indications of intimacy be
tween him aud the lady."
Here Ortley might have explained m a dozen
words that Miss Delaware was Mrs. Warduff,
and thus brought about a peaceful outcome ot
the fracas. But he could not bear to spoil tho
chance of having Woodruff removed by an
other hand than his own. He would not havo
contemplated the commission of murder him
self, but be was willing to let another man
take the life which seemed to stand in the way
of his schemes. So he said: "You are wrong.
Tbey are nothing to each other, further than
his being proprietor of the enterprise in which
she was the chief artist It was not your po
liteness to her that angered him."
"Then what is it?'
"The lady in the case is Jessie Gordon. In
passing you, he overheard jou say that you had
won Miss Gordon's love. Did jou know that
he cherished a fondness for Jessie, himself? A
fondness amounting to passion, I judge, by tbo
violence of his jealousy.1'
"It is a lie. I will not Relieve that she is de
ceiving me. She is nothing to him "
"I only have his word for it. For myself I
had never seen or heard anything pointing that
way. But when I asked him why ho had struck
you, he declared that you were meddling with
what belonged to him."
"With what belonged to him?"
"Yes; his way of putting it was that his pro
prietorship of the show included Jessie by
rights."
Normaine now had a new motive. The
offense baa been up to this point a blow in the
face quite enough to make him demand gen
tlemanly satisfaction; but now he was lea to
believe that the honor of his affianced wife was
assailed. Never doubting that Ortley told the
truth, he felt a far deeper animosity than be
fore toward the man who bad struck him, and
felt willing cnongh that pistols should be used
instead ot foils. Ortley read the stern deter
mination in bis lace, ana yet leic inclined to
still further enrage him.
"I should be glad if you were to use foils,"
he remarked; "hut I fear that Warduff can't be
made to consent He said: Tell the French
man that we are not In France, but in Louisi
ana, where even the boys are men when it
comes to fighting, and .where men are never
childish.'"
"Let it be pistols," was the calm response.
Fifteen ruinates later Ortley brought the foes
together, away from the ladies and the rest of
the company, in the smoking car of the train.
"I want to dissuade you gentlemen from this
duel," be began. "Let us settle the matter
amicably."
THE: PITTSBUEG DISPATCH.
"It is impossible." said Warduff. ,
"Quite impossible," echoed Normaine.
"You are agreed, then, that I shall act as sec
ond to both?"
They nodded assent .
"Then, if there must be a fight Jet it be man
aged as 1 shall explain. We must not get into
trouble with the law. The duel roust not be
recognizable as such. 1 have thought it over,
and devised a plan thatwill answer the purpose
beyond a doubt The new play which we are
preparing to produce has a duel scene, you re
member. Well, we havo a rehearsal of that
episode In our car. There will be an accident
One of the pistols used will prove to be loaded
with a bullet as well as powder, to our great
"Only' one pistol with a bnllet in it?" ex
claimed Warduff.
"Is that according to American custom?" tho
other antagonist inquired.
"It would not do to havo two bullets fired."
persisted Ortloy. "That would reveal the affair
as a duel. I will load two single barreled
pistols, which I have in my trunk, one with a
perfect cartridge, the other with a cartridgo
from which I shall remove the bullet 1 will
lay the two weapons under a handkerchief and
you will draw at random. Neither will know
which has the bullet That will bo fairtobotn,
will subject you to equal risk and will put your
bravery to an equal test."
"Agreed," said Warduff.
"And it is satisfactory to me," said Nor-
"An hour from now." Ortley continued, "we
will stop at a station for dinner. The company
will go into the restaurant for their meal. I
will remain in the car, load the pistols as I have
indicated, and wait a few minutes for you to
quit the dinner and report there. Thus we
shall have the car to ourselves."
The train reached the restaurant station, and
tho theatrical company joined the other pas
sengers in taking possession of the tables. No
more than fit o minutes elapsed," however, be
fore Normaine and Warauff left their scarcely
tasted food and returned to the private parlor
car. There they found Ortley with two pistols
in his hands.
"You are still determined to fight?" ho asked.
Getting an affirmative bow from each, he con
tinued: "Ibave loaded these pistols, as I ex
plained, with a bullet in ono and a harmless
charge in the other. 1 will lay them on the
floor underneath my iandkerchief," and he
did so.
Up to this point ho had not thought of any
thing else than guing to each combatant a fair
chance, but suddenly the desire flashed into
his brain to make sure that the bullet should
be fired at Warduff. Why not do it? His
hands were still on tne pistols underneath the
overspread handkerchief, and he knew that it
was in his right hand that the bullet-loaded
pistol was held. Was it not likely that each
man would take tho weapon nearest to him?
Thus hastily considering, he took care to leave
the deadly pistol nearest the edge of the hand
kerchief toward Normaine. Thus depositing
them, he withdrew his bands.
"They are ready for you, gentlemen."
As he had expected, they took tho nearest
weapons, and ho knew to a certainty that the
dangerous one wis possessed by the French
man. "You will stand at the very furthest ends of
the car. with your backs toward each other. I
will count one, two, three. When I say three
you are to turn and fire at will. Does that suit
you?"
Again they silently nodded their assent
They took their positions as directed.
"One," Ortley began. After a pause, he
called, "Two."
Thti door close to Normaine was thrown
open, and Helen Delware entered. She heard
the w ords uttered by Ortley, and instantly sur
mised the truth. She caught the pistol from
Normame's hand.
"This is a duel," she exclaimed.
"Only a mimic one." Ortle) said; "we are re
hearsing the duel scene of our new play."
But the woman was not to he deceived. The
aspect of the three men was far too grave ano
determined to let her believe that they were
merely rehearsing a mock light. Besides, why
should her husband, not an actor, be taking a
role? Ortley's plan might have deceived the
officers of the law and the general public, but
not any actual spectator of the occurrence.
She suffered Ortley to take the pistol from her,
but she ran through the car to Warduff.
"Mv husband." she cried, "what does this
mean? Are jouflght.ngwlth thisman because
you are jealous of him? Upon my soul you
have no cause for that l love you."
And jou deny your love for that man?" and
he pointed toward the Frenchman.
"There is none to deny. There never has
been. How could you think so? He is engaged
to marry Jessie Gordon."
"That is true," Normaine said. "It is only
Miss Gordon whom I love, or who lo es me."
Ortley realized that his scheme had demol
ished itself, and. anxious now only to conceal
his own craft in the matter, he soothingly
said: ' There is a misunderstanding, it seems
Miss Delware has announced, what none of
you know, that she is Miss Warduff; and it
seems that you, Mr. Normaine, are to become
the husband of Miss Gordon. All the jealousy
seems to be unfounded. Mr. Warduff will
apologize for his blow, no doubt"
"Readily," Warduff exclaimed, extending
his hand, which Normaine accepted. "I was
told by this man, Ortley, that you were paying
court to my wife. That was my provocation
let it be my excuse."
"1 will do so," replied the Frenchman: "and
I accept your apology. But you," and he
tnrned savagely upon Ortlet, "ion have lied
to me. You told me that Mr. Warduff had
maligned my fiancee."
"Which I reallv never did." said Warduff.
"Then. Ortle), it is between you and me that,
tbe duel must be fought."
He took from Warduff the pistol for which
that gentleman now had no further use. and
strode to the further end of tbe car, taking his
place in readiness for an exchange of shots
with his new adversary. Ortley knew that he
himself held the pistol containing a bullet and
therefore was not averse to becoming a duelist,
since it could be done with safety to himself
But at this juncture his assurance was sudden
ly and unexpectedly displaced by peril.
"Neither of you know which is the loaded
weapon," said Warduff, who was now ready to
suspect Ortley of any possible trickery; "but it
was you, Ortley, who arranged them for us to
draw from under tbe handkerchief. It wouli
not look well if you were to flro without a new
drawing of the pistols. Let me take them."
He took the weapons from the hands of the
two men, spread his handkerchief over them
as had been done before, and bade them draw.
Ortley was too cowardly to shrink from tbe
ordeal. It takes bravery, sometimes, to ac
knowledge oneself a scoundrel, and he was a
murderous one. He turned pale, but firmly
withdrew one of the pistols, as did Normaine,
and both stood at the ends of the car, ready for
Warduff to give the word.
As for Helen, she dashed out in quest of aid
to stop the duel. But before she had time to
give an alarm the two pistol shots were heard,
and tbe car was immediately filled by excited
people. They taw Ortley l)lng wounded on the
floor. He had fallen by his own trickery, and
it was no more punishment than he well de
served, for the wound was serious, without
being fatal. He was left behind, when the corn
pan) resumed their tourney, to regain his
health in a hospital, but never, of course, to re
sume the business management of Helen Del
ware. When asked by the local officials for an
explanation of the occurrence, ho agreed with
the other two men in declaring that it was an
accident happening during a rehearsal of a
duel sccno in a pla.
THE END.
CONVERSING BY TELEGRAPH.
An Operntor Says His Instrument Sounds
Like a Voico to Him.
New York Tribune. ;
"Do I hear the clink of my instrument?"
said a telegraph operator when asked what
was the sensation of receiving a message
and writing it out at the same time. "Well,
I suppose I do, else I could not make the
message, but the sound docs not make a
noticeable impression on my ear. In fact, I
am never conscious of the fact that there is a
click. I do not associate the actual dot or
dash with a letter. To me it is a letter it
self. So when I am 'receiving it is pre
cisely the same as if someone was talking to
me. Most of the messages come along so
rapidly, you know, that they make a run
ning conversation. It is not precisely as it
you were talking to ine here, bu rather as
if vou sat in one corner of a room and spoke
to me. This is so true that when a question
is asked an operator fancies that he hears
the rising of the voice at the end of the sen
tence. This prevents one from being over
come by the terrible monotony of the
thing, ior I often get interested in the mes
sages. -
"When I am receiving a graphic newspa
per account of any incident I feel as if some
one was telling it to me. Perhaps it is
more real to me than to one who reads it
afterward."
Revenge.
Lumbermau (in chancery) Kick him
once 'r twice 'fore you swat him. Bill, t
kinder even up. A bee's stung me four
times while he's held rue here. Puck.
J.?6-
If".
SUNDAY, .SEPTEMBER
EI-QUEMS IN EXILE.
The Pretly Eugenie Who Once Ruled
the World of Taste and Fashion.
HER MADNESS FOR PURCHASING.
Great luxury ?nd Extravagance of the
Queen of Portugal.
EX-QUEEN ISABELLA'SLITTLE COUET
I WRITTEN TOR THE DISPATCH. 2
I saw her for a moment pass through the
corridors of a London hotel she leaned
heavily upon the arm of her companion, ' a
young girl, and also supported herself with
her ebony walking stick. She wore an an
tique pin at her throat set with many black
and colored pearls, diamonds in her ears,
and was dressed in the deepest crape. Her
lace was very sad and worn, although an at
tempt had been made to conceal the ravages
of time and tears with an artificial bloom.
There was still much majesty left in her
glance and bearing, but she passed through
the halls unrecognized, as she was traveling
incognito. Her only companion was a
young girl. She had come in hurriedly
from the street in terror of a thunder-storm,
which was gathering, of which I afterward
learned she has great fear. All disturb
ances of nature excite her very mush, as she
was born during an earthquake, her mother
being obliged to take refuge from the falling
houses under a tree.
Few know that Napoleon the Third pro
posed to three German princesses and was
refused, before he offered himself to the
beautiful Spaniard. The last was the Prin
cess Adelaide, niece of Queen Victoria, who
had something to do with the refusal, the
young girl being inclined to accept. Mile,
de Montijo had been a sensation at Vienna,
where her wonderful beauty, her grace, her
superb riding and her wit, had brought her
many offers of marriage from the Austrian
noblemen. Hers was the beauty of perfect
health; her walk had an Andalnsian spring
in it. her complexion was perfect: and her
expression brilliant and animated. "When
she came to Paris Napoleon was not yet
crowned. He saw her first
AX A GRAND BALL,
where she sat quite apart and alone. "Who
is that beautiful girl?" he exclaimed. "That
is Mile, de Montijo, the Spanish beauty
who has just made such a sensation at
Vienna." He dispatched one of his officers
to request for him permission to dance with
her. She received the officer, and when he
had told his errand, replied "Tell him
that I cannot dance with a Napoleon who is
not an Emperor." The reply fascinated
Napoleon aud he eagerly sought her ac
quaintance. He was then paying court to
the German princesses, and on receiving
tbe final relusal, said: "I will marry one
who will shame them all with her beauty,"
and issued a proclamation to bis people
asking leave to marry the woman he loved.
This bit of clever sensationalism, of course,
aroused great enthusiasm.
For many years Eugenie rnled the world
in matters of taste and fashion. "When she
left the Tuileries her wardrobes were sights
to behold, for in her flight she could take
but little. There were dresses of all styles,
materials and colors, enough to have cos
tumed an army of beautiful women. Most
ot them had been worn only once.many not
at all. Hats and bonnets by the hundreds,
mantles, fans, laces, boots, and also semi
precious articles in gold aud silver, parasols,
opera glasses, card cases, etc., many of them
blazing with her monogram in diamonds.
There were packages ol lace trimmed under
clothes, dozens ot which had never been
opened. A madness for more buying seems
to have seized her when she entered a shop,
for she ordered right and left everything
beautifnl that caught her fancy and then
forgot what she had bought. The clothes-
'presses were crammed with such purchases.
-L'arasols with handles of gold, studded with
turquoises, boots with ruby buttons, piles
ot the little jeweled bon-bon boxes she used
to scatter bo lreely even small things like
pins, needles and scissors in quantities that
she could not have had the slightest use for.
ONLY ONE SUCCESSOR
The only queen ot to-day who can match
this in luxury and extravagance is the
Queen of Portugal, who spends money in
tbe same reckless manner and buys by tbe
wholesale. She does not wait to examine
and make ber selections before purchasing.
She buys all the styles of the day direct
from Paris, giving orders for the leading
houses to send anything that is new and
beautiful, wears what pleases her, and casts
aside tbe rest. She has good taste, aud when
one of these collections of-dresses, mantles,
hats, gloves, Doots, laces, etc., arrives lrom
Pans, she makes a long study of each article,
trying on many times, studying the combin
ation with the lines ot her figure, the color
of her hair, until she gets a harmony per
fect in all its details. She is generons and
loves to make costly and eccentric gifts, but
in that way no one has surpassed the charm
ing idea ot the Queen of Holland. On her
husband's recent birthday she presented
him with an enormous bouquet of flowers,
ot the kind used on benefit nights at opera in
Italy, so heavy that it required several serv
ing men to "carry it. As it was bronght
close to the throne the old king stooped for
ward to examine it, when amidst the flowers
the head of his little infant daughter popped
out, to the surprise of the monarch and the
amusement of the whole court.
Eugenie's lather had been a devoted fol
lower of Napoleon I., and her mother a
brilliant society woman. "Washington
Irving was entertained at her home in
Spain when Eugeuie was a little girl; later
the EmDress of the French loved to gather
all the greatest artists in Paris at her after
noon tea parties, which were delightful.
Napoleon often used to disgrace her by
the openness of his intrigues, and wounded
by these affairs she several times attempted
to leave his court and his throne. One of
her retaliations was very amusing. The
Countess Castiglione was then the lavorite
of the hour. The Emperor had openly in
vited her to a royal supper. Eugenie had
her hairdresser make for her poodle a head
dress exactly like the one customarily worn
bv the Countess. "When the Emperor and
his favorite were walking arm in arm and
examining the pictures in the room, the
doors opened and in ran the poodle in rib
bons and jewels an exact counterpart of the
Countess, who retired furious with rage.
hen she reached the door of her chamber
she was faced by a placard printed in large
letters: "The Hoyal Poodle."
AN EXILES' COUET.
Paris has always been a favorite resort for
les rois en exile, and there are many who
hold their little courts and are more or less
worthy of distinction. It was always a
great privation to the ex-Empress that she
was obliged to seek protection from the
rather frigid English, though they have
been most kind to her in her grief. King
Milan, of Servia, has renounced his throne
that he might join this colony. Unlike the
reigning royalties, who are gradually dis
pensing with form and ceremony, the ex
iled queens are very particular to keep up
every iorm of state that belongs to their
rank, as this outward observance is the only
thing they have to mark it. Their coronet
is everywhere, and "Your Koyal Highness"
is insisted upon in addressing them. The
ex-Queen of Naples held a very quiet
but remarkable court, but her rela
tive, ex-Queen Isabella of Spain, is the
roost interesting and notorious of all royal
refugees who make Paris their home. She
was driven from the throne by the Spanish
people, but is very wealthy, lor during the
stormy times which preceded her birth, her
mother made good provision for her by se
creting great sums of money and even by re
placing some of the crown jewels with glass,
ft is on tbe income of these hidden treasures
that Isabella keeps up her little court and
covers her immense bulk with the gorgeous
costumes she is noted for. She has grown
enormously fat; her drawing room is bung
with crimson brocade; she receives on a J
15, J1889Z
platform in a gilt chair like athrone. and
her guests are permitted to kiss her hand
and bend tbe knee before her.
How different is the position of onr ex
rulers. "When ex-President Haves attended
the funeral of President Garfield no one
took tbe slightest notice of him, except one
policeman who cried, "Keep off that grass.'
A TRUE FRIEND.
Napoleon III. was very much admired by
Queen Victoria, who has always been great
ly moved, by manly beauty. "When he
visited her court his equality of position
permitted the young Queen a greater free
dom than she had ever been allowedwith
any man, and she delighted in his conversa
tion, his-brilliancy and his knowledge of the
world. She admired the Empress and en
vied her savoir faire, and since her widow
hood and sorrow she has been a very warm
friend to her.
"When the Empress was enjoying her
splendid youth in Vienna she heard a great
singer sing a new German song that much
affected her. It was the "Good Night, Fare
well," now so widely known, but then just
published. She sent for him and asked him
to teach it to her. She had a beautiful mezzo
voice, and it became the favorite in her
repertoire. Years passed, and when she
visited England in '55 with the Emperor the
same singer sang at a State concert in Buck
ingham Palace and sang the same song. She
had not looked at her programme, but when
the familiar tones came to her ears, she burst
into tears.
As I saw her bent and trembling, draped
in black and leaning on a staff, I tbougbt of
all her sorrows, and I, too, burst into tears
in the hotel corridor and murmured, "Good
Night, Farewell." Olive "Weston.'
THE CHIVALROUS KNIGHTS.
They Were Beyond Question by Far tbo
Worst rills in the Box.
Blackwood's Magazine.! V
The chivalrous knights who came over
with the Conqueror, the nobles who fought
Neville's (Cross, and Crecy, and Agincourt,
were, for the most part, the merciless
tyrants of their serfs and dependents. Sor
rid rapacity kept pace with reckless profu
sion, and in the arbitrary exercise of their
feudal rights they shrank trom no form of
oppressive cruelty. Their brutalities would
have disgraced a Jonathan Wild, and their
crimes would seem scandalous in the New
gate calendar.
To do them justice, they were as hard on
their equals as on their inferiors, though
from a point of perhaps egotistical punc
tilio, they spared their equals the dishonor
of actual torture. The captive had neither
comfort nor mercy to expect till he paid his
ransom, or was rescued by his friends.
"What stories of slow misery in the very
shadow of death might be told by tbe dun-'
geon that may still be seen beneath the
foundation ot such castles as Warkworth or
Kenilworthl There the well-nurtured
knight, like Damian de Lacy in ."The Be
trothed," shackled and ironed, although
there was no possibility of escape, wus
doomed to solitary seclusion on the coarsest
and scantiest food. Fettered in the damp
and the darkness among loathsome creep
ing things, he drew breath with difficulty,
in the foulest air; and it was fortunate ior
him that, like the cold-blooded toads, which
were his fellow-prisoners, undeveloped sen
sibilities saved him from insanity. The only
access to those loathsome oubliettes was, as
at Warkworth, throngh the trap-door open
ing in tbe roof.
What must have been the tone of mind
of the chivalrous lord of the castle who
woula feast and carouse in the banquet hall
above stairs with such horrors and such
suffering beneath his feetl But what be
tween hard fighting, free feasting, and deep
drinking, the nobles of the middle ages
seem to have kept conscience at arm's
length, as they had become absolutely in
different to the suffering of their fellow
creatures. There were rare exceptions to
prove the rule. Some princes and wealthy
nobles were piously. inclined and munifi
cent. They gave liberally in theirjlifetimes
and made magnificent ecclestiastical foun
dations. SINCERE BUT SEVEEE.
A Iiiltlo Girl Embarrasses Visitors by Re
pealing Her mother's Orders.
Boston Courier.:
A couple of ladies who were recently call
ing in Brookline were ushered into the
parlor upon the floor of which lay a rug
with a middle of solid crimson. After they
had crossed this brilliant expanse, they
were horrified by .the discovery that every
footstep they had taken was clearly printed
in dust upon the otherwise stainless surface
of the rug.
As they sat guiltily regarding the soiled
rug, the small daughter of the hostess came
in to the room, and the minute she entered
her eyes fell upon the footprints.
"Oh, just see there, wtat you've done,"
she cried. "You just see what my mamma
will do to you; she had that rug all cleaned
nice this "morning ior company to-nicht.
She told me she'd send me to bed without
ice cream if I stepped on it."
This was all delivered in a tone of voice
which left no room of doubt of its sincerity,
and the callers "vere divided between a
sense of their guilt and an inclination to
laugh at the manner in which it was brought
home to them. Fortunately for their peace
of mind their hostess entered at that mo
ment and explained that the rug was one
which showed every trace of dnst, and that
she found it necessary to take a strong
measures to keep it free from the track of
her children's feet, but that it was not an
offense to step on it for which she could not
forgive her friends.
FISH IN HAUNESS.
Hitched to a Sail Boat They Fall It at a
Rapid Rate.
ChlcaioHer&ld.':
Sam Parker was relating some stories
about trained fish a few days ago, and
told of a men who owned a yacht with
which he could beat anything in the whole
neighborhood. It was a surprise, too, to
other owners, for their boats were better
fitted for last sailing. They found out the
reason of it in time, and, the ingenuity of
the trick amazed them.
"This man had a lot of trained fish," said
Mr. Parker, "and he h.id a little harness
for them. After- harnessing the fish he
would hitch them to the boat, and he would
have a piece of bait hanging from the bow
sprit just out'of reach of the fish. They,
of course, made strenuous efforts to reach
the bait, but though they could not do so
they succeeded in pulling the boat along at
such speed that she beat her competi
tors in all races."
Tho Homo Circle Enough.
Bessie Bintbayr (seriously) What you
need, Bertie, is a friend who will candidly
point out to you your occasional follies,
and
Bertie Fresbleigh Oh, stop that, BessI
Don't you suppose I've got some brothers
and sisters at home 1 Puck.
f
SPORTSMEN'S SPOIES;
How Many of the Feathered and
Furred Trophies Are Preserved.
THE SHOP OF A TAXIDERMIST.
What It Costs to Have Birds and Beasts
Properly Mounted.
CURIOUS MEMENTOES OP THE CHASE
rwsmis ran Tint dispatch.
I found out all about it in the queerest
place yon.ever saw a little low shop, dark,
dusty, beetle-ljrowed on one of the old, old
streets close to the big bridge. 'The pro
prietor is English, with the richest cockney
accent. Like Cassius, he wears a lean and.
hungry look, and at. the outset was as close
as wax in fact, seemed to have revived the
Know Nothing party for my especial benefit.
Finding at last from my questions that I did
know a hawk'from, a heronshaw nay, even
one hawk from another, he grew as bland as
& May morning, and Jet me look my fill at
his queer wares. There are birds, beasts,
reptiles and fish, not to mention their skins,
teeth, claws, and so on. My cockpey friend
is a taxidermist, who either buys outriglit
the sportsman's spoil, or else for a consider
atioD, puts it in such shape for him as admits
of its being kept for future reference. The
sellers, for the most part, are liunters pure
and simple, who follow it for profit, with no
pretense of sport.- Now and then an ama
teur turns flock and feather into money, but
in general, the man who can afford to go
hnnting is abundantly able to keep all tbe
game he can kill.
DEE3SED ASU MOUNTED BEASTS.
Some sorts, though, bring a pretty penny.
A tiger skin in the raw is worth S150.
dressed and mounted as a rug it is worth
$100. A jaguar's skin costa raw abont $30,
and is worth 580 when ready for my lady's
parlor or boudoir. Baw black bear skins
cost $20 and bring $40. Cinnamon are (10
higher in each state, Buffalo robes un
dressed are no longer in the market, nor
likely ever again will be until the enter
prising Kansan, who is breeding "sealskin
buffalo"by crossing with black polled Angus
cattle, shall have bis new "varmint" upon a
thousand hills. Indian dressed buffalo robes
are $75 to $100 each; deer robes, $3 to $15.
A panther skin fetches a fancy price, as it is
only once in a great while one comes to
market A good specimen, witE teeth and
claws attached, would come near a tiger skin
in value, thouch, -said my guide, philosopher
and friend, "Hit the teeth do be lacking ha
man, or so, wy, hi jest sock in one from some
bother hanimil hi 'ave hiu stock." That is
not the limit of his power either. He con
fided to me, that a most realistic gorilla bang,
horrible and seven feet high, who stood
grinning at the door, was "Ha fancy piece
made up to see what hi could do."
THE FEATHERED TEIBE.
A group of fox-bats, with outspread wings
hovered over hiB gorrillaship price $10
each, and frightful enough for a nightmare
of Inferno. Back of them poised a bald
eagle, four times as big, bufworth only $10
more though I cannot suspect his English
owner of a purpose to bear the national bird.
A gray eagle, he tells me, is worth $15,
which is likewise the price of the great
snowy and big barn owls'. A pert wild tur
key and gorgeous peacock with tail at full
spread, are 25 each; a whits swan $15. The
bigcondorof theAnde', with his nakedhead
and cruel hooked beak is so horrible that I
will not stay to hear his price. Just behind
him stands "on order" a great snowy flam
ingo from South America, 3 feet tall, as
slender aB a reed, and mighty pretty in his
pink and white coat. He is worth all of
$50, but not purchasable for thrice the sum,
as he is the first fruit of his owner's gun in
that far wild land. Close at band are some
"Paradise birds, never known to alight"
but securely on metal fixtures, the poets to
the. contrary notwithstanding. Next come
specimens of the African trochn, 40,000 of"
whose two long, light, beautiful tail feathers
were pulled out to make the cloak of the
Hottentot King. It must have been mar
velously lovely. The bird is ordinary
enough about the size of a big woodpecker
with a dull coat faintly touched with color,
but the tail feathers that stand six inches
below the rest, are of the softest, most de
licious, indescribable green, with yellow and
blue lights and are as fairy-like in texture
as thistle down.
SOME VEBX PBETTT BIEDS.
TheiJ there are cases of South American
humming birds that show all over jewel
tints: other cases of butterflies, red birds,
orioles, canaries, a group that shows; a song
thrush, a robin, a blue jay, two sparrows
and a quail which the proprietor explains
is "the day's shootin' " of oneof his patrons
who chooses thus to demonstrate for all time
his murderous instinct and lack of true
I sportsmanship. Small birds are staffed and
moumeu &iniy iui uvu .". -. 6wr
the price falls to BO cents. Teal and wood
duck cost $2 to $3, canvas back and geese,
$3 to $5. Fish and chicken hawks run from
$5 to $10, the smaller owls. $1 to $5, qnail,
partridge and prairie chicken about the
same; pheasant and guinea fowl from $3
to $7.
Alligators are away below par. Big 12
foot fellows fetch but f20 to $30. Alligator
teeth are likewise a drug on the market.
Shark's teeth fetch 25 cents to $1, and the
saw fish's weapon $1 50. Coral branches
sell according to beauty and the owner's
necessity from 50 cents to as many dollars,
and sea shells from tropic seas from 10 cents
to $1 50. In horns and heads trade is par
ticularly lively. The Queen Anne-er
thinks nothing furnishes like some antlers
in his hall. So elk horns in the raw are
worth $35, mounted $50. An elk head,
ready to go on the wall, $75 to $100. A fine
pair of red deer horns are worth $8. The
head mounted, $10 to $12. Black tail deer
head mounted, $12 to $15. Buffalo head
mounted, $123. Moose head mounted, about
the same. A Bocky Mountain sheen's head
is worth $20, a fox skin $5 unmounted, a
stuffed fox $12.
SOME CHEAP SPECIMENS.
The rare white porcupine costs only $10,
a jacket rabbit $5 and a pert squirrel eating
his nut just $3. It is 50 cents cheaper to
kill him yourself stuffing is worth $2 50.
Much the most of my friend's business
comes from gentlemen sportshien who wish
thus to immortalize their various finds and
kills. He stuffs and mounts a deer for $40,
a bear lor $50. For a moose his charge is
$100, and he adds that he has "done sev
eral" for a Brooklyn man who is "consider
able of a moose hunter." For elk the tariff
i3 $150. A horse costs $200, "and not
wanted at that, don't ye see, the proportions
is that troublesome."
Fortunately for the stuffer few dead horses
are worth so much. It is only once in a
way he has to wrestle with one. After the
worrr of flesh and fowl.it is a positive
lnxury to him to handle fish. Even so big
a one as a tarpon be will mount you com
plete on a panel for your dining room wall
ior the modest sum of $25. Salmon are $10
to $25; according to size, trout and bass, $5
to $10. As to his processes, he kept a golden
silence. I don't blame him, though, in tbe
least, I might have been a possible rival,
seeking out the secrets of the craft.
Saiiors and wayfaring men bring many
queer creatures, too. Tbey sail into New
York bay from pretty well all over the
world and sell fora song the flotsam of their
far voyages. Ship runners and "wharf
rats" get the most of it, from whom it passes
on to more reputable tradesmen. The cruise
men get some, the junk dealers a share.
Whatever wears
FUB AND FEATHERS
passes on to my friend of the dark shop and
his congeners. Hunters, guides, trapper
and tourists all do their part. The result is
the most grotesquely peopled shop In all tba
big city.
Once stuffed and mounted a beast is
reasonably immortal and certain to come
back to its creator whenever it gets out of
kelter. " A long', lithe leopard, looking fear-
-?" - - iri -.irivjr-
f ally gannt. was. ee fer ew , iHe i
day of say visit. It -fed mm4 "at Mm(
hands and feet of tbe yeag ies ef tts
house. A big, barly 1mh ra is area
worse case. Children bad wera Utfc
hair off his lordly bek tltdisg over aad
down it, and hacked his big owe whk their
blunt knives, till the taxhferaaift iavery
P'ty flung over him the battered tiger (Ua
with which he was to be reelotlwd. A
meek deer stood on three legs by tee wall,
a melancholy monument to moving day
horrors. Altogether it wa Mm saeat efams
'fF 5iSc! rTe found MBeelcasw oat of
Aladdin'i palace. M. 0. Williams.
THE FIRESIDE SPHIM
ACollecflfflofliaailoalM ft
Bobs CracHni.
Ad&rmcommunlcatlonifor thU dtpartmm r
to E. B. Chadbourn. Zewiiton, Maine.
733 WILLIE TOLD THE THAmma.
5
734 THE TEMPERANCE SCHOOLMASTER.
, tCopjrlght, 1899, by E. B. Chsdlxmrn. J
A schoolmaster once whose name was Mo-
Dunce,
With a hobby for temperance preaching;
Thought that alcohol was a curse to all.
And its evil effects far-reaching;
He went once to seek a family meek.
The pillar and prop of his collece.
Whom he interviewed, witn the object good
Of Increasing his quota of knowledge.
Their various views were very diffuse
Some looked upon beer as a blessing;
While with reason as sound some argued they
found
The effects of indulgence distressing;
The first could not tnink what there was in
drink
For temnerance talkers to scoff at
He thought it no sin to be seen in gin.
When it yielded a handsome profit.
The next could not fail to see that ale
Was an evil of man's own choosing;
He was twice In it and fain to admit
The effect was a little confusing.
This statement a third thouent aulte absurd.
And thought too much ale made a drunkard;
Yet never In it. he'd ne'er have been-fit
The trials of life to have conquered. w
To a fourth It appeared as a mocker weird t& '
jviaae mm ieaa me lire or a urusoe
He who never would flinch, when sober, a"
inch
From anguish. In wine would do so.
The fifth wouldn't like his episode strike
A blow at the temperance movement:
Had been twice in beer in his brief career,
And saw a. aecided Improvement.
Then another who went on amusement bent
To a ball in tbe greatest elatl6n.
With the wine at the feast made himself a
beast
As f onl as in all creation.
There came one at last with experience vast
In those orgies that end in a fracas
In concoctions and drinbs that would puzzle a
Sphinx
A thorough disciple of Bacchus.
Yet cider made him a scoffer grim.
And the wine that is quaffed by the wealthy
Made him lachrymose, while tbe ale that flows
In foam from the tap made him healthy.
Up the pedagogue jumped, from the table he
luumpea
For, pedantic, be often was spnnky
'To water I'll stick through thin and throusb
thick. .
Though scoffers declare me a flunky."
Wk. Wilson.
735 reversed rhomboid.
Across 1. A country seat. 2, Hunters. 3.
To correct by punishment. 4. To lessen. 5.
More Abrupt, ft, Evening parties. 7. To fall.
Down I. A letter. 2. In the same manner.
3. A French money of account. 4. The fore
part of the leg. 5. (Geom.) Aright line uniting-the
extremities of tho arc of a circle, a.,
(Ano, Pros.) Afoot or two syllaolcs, thB-BrstA-longand
the second short 7. A special prirt-T
lege or immunity. 8. Moves with celerity. 9.
(Bot.) A genus, of plants with compound flow- '
ers. 10. To b'edge, shut, or fence In Frov.
Eng.). 11. The sea-eagle, or asprey. 13. A
Roman weight of 12 ounces. 13. A letter.
Uax. Aivtjo.
736 CHARADE.
O, fair and sweet as a morn in Jnne
Was my lore as she tripped thro' tho meadow.
The first was playing at hide and seek,
And she now was in sunshine, now shadow.
Her bands o'erflowed with beautiful 'twas,
But not one was so fair as the holder.
Surpassing fair she seemed in my eyes,
And I longed in my arms to enfold her.
Bnt I was an awkward and bashful boy.
And I feared she might think I was silly.
I felt like a coarse and overgrown whole
Placed beside a fair, delicate lily.
737 THE COMBINATION LOCK.
The four annular spaces in the accompanyinz
diagram are supposed to revolve Independently
about their common center. If tne lour rings
be brought to the proper relative positions, the
letters will form a quotation from a well-Known
quotation of Longfellow's. The quotation be
gins with tbe capital L in tbe inner circle, and
reads from the center out, all around tbe disk,
a blank space occurring after the end ot each
word. J. H. Fezahdie.
738 ANAGRAM.
Ton climbed the rocky mountain side
Beneath tbe scorc'iing sun.
And wearily and hungrily
Came home when day was done.
And when you showed the day's results
At home. I'm almost sure
Your "Grandpa tho' 't your heap" of views
Was very, very poor. Ethyl.
739 OBLIQTTE RECTANGLE.
1. A letter. 2. Belonging to a female. 3.
One who hires. 4. Draws. 5. A vlliflsr. a.
Told. 7. Subslfles. 8. Women whose husbands
are dead. 9. Propriety of behavior, la A
thong. 1L A small draught. 12. A letter.
Frank.
740 riddle.
Around, around, around,
Above I'm ever found:
Before, behind, across,
I'm never at a loss:
Within, without, above,
I'm constant in my love;
Beside, beyond, between,
I'm felt, but never seen;
Into, out of, under,
I aid the giant thunder;
Sooner, later, ever.
You can kill me never;
Master of life: don't donbt me
No man exists without me!
W. E. ElwwobtH.
ANSWERS.
728 Pickle her-ring.
727 Band-box.
723 Magog, Agog, Gog, O J, G. Cre-m-ation,
me-a-n, g-old thine, Sl-o-n, si c-n, gaol (jail.)
729-Starlight.
730 Mash, ash.
731
WiiiBHOAsnorxJS
Argil LivEitorS
T A TJ T O C H B O N E
EttiAiioS
R E PTJ I.S E
Hovsli
o rb
A
TaR
SaioH
Anno iiO
Beiohena u
RlS TRIBTTIO
ANATHRStATIZXD
Wabjcuhkabtidnxib
732-Cora.