flffF E S? THE PITTSBURG DISPATCH, SUNDAY, OCTOBER 26; 1390 IS pgSPTgpr?pp?w3ra t : ... 1 W' She looked at him for a second; then low ered her eyes. ' "Vincent," she said slowly, "you don't know what vou ask. And I have wished that you would understand, without my having to speak. I have wished that you would understand and go away and make oar friendship a memory, something to think over in after years. For how can I tell you cleariy without seeming cruel and ungrateful to one who has through my whole lite been kindness and goodness to me? no! no!" She withdrew her hand; she turned away from him altogether. ".Maisrie," said he, "I don't want you to sav auytning, except that you love me and will be uiv wile." "Your vi'e, Vincent your witel" she exclaimed, in a piteous sort of way. "How can ynu ask anyone to be your wile who has led Hie li"e that I have led? Can you not j.UCEs Vincent without my having to speak?" He was astounded but not alarmed; never had his faith in her flinched for a single instant. "The lie you have led?" said he, rather breathlessly; "Way a a beautiful life an idvllic fife constant travel and always treated with sneh kindness and care and affection an ideal Hie why, who would not envy you?" She was sobbing with her head averted. "Don't, Vincent, don't! I cannot I will not tell von," she said, in a kind of despair. "What is the use? But it is you who have made me think it is vou who have shown me clearly what I have been. 1 I was young I was only a child; my graud'athcr was everything to me; whatever lie did was right. And now 1 have become a woman since I knew you I can see myself and 1 know that never, never can I be your wile." '"Maisrie!"' But she paid no heed. She was strangely excited. She rose to her feet; and for a moment he thought he saw a look of her grandlatber in her face. "And yet even in my degradation my degradation," she said, repealing the words with cruel emphasis, "I have some pride. I know what your friends think of me, or I can guess. Perhaps they are right. Per haps the stories you spoke ot were all to be believed. That is neither here nor there, now. But, at least, they need not be atraid that I am coming to them as a suppliant. 1 will not bring shame upon them; they have nothing to fear from me." He regarded her with astonishment, and with something of reproach also; these proud tones did not sound like Maisrie's voice. And all of a sudden she changed. "Why, Vincent, why," she said, "should vou put vnurself in opposition to yonr friends? Why give up all the splendid future that is before you? Why disappoint ail the hopes that have been formed of you ?" "If need were, for the sake of your love, 3Iahrie," he said. 'My love".'" she said. "But you have that, "Vincent and and you shall have that always!" And here she burst into a passionate fit of weeping; and in vain he tried to soothe her. JCav, she would not have him speak. "Let this be the last," she said, through her bitter sobs. ""Only only, Vincent, don't go away with any doubt i.bout that in your minu. 1 love you! l shall love you always! I will give my li e to thinking ol yon when you are iar ton occupied ever to think of liie. Will you believe me, Vin cent! Will you believe, always, that I loved you that I loved you too v.ell to do what you ask to become a drag on yon and a shame." The tears were running down her cheeks, but she kept her eyes filed bravely and niteously on him. as she uttered her wild, incoherent sentences. "My dearest my flearet in all the world will ynu remember will you believe that always? AVill you say to yourself. 'Wherever Maisrie is at this moment, she lows me she is thinking oi Toe. Promise me, Vincent, thai you will never doubt that! IC you need not put it into word'; your heart tells me that it is true. And now, Vincent, kiss me! kiss me, Vincent! and theu goodby!" She held up her face. He kissed her lips, that were salt with the sea foam. The tan S Ses of her wind-blown hair touched his eaek 1 d thrilled him. He did nnt speak for a moment. He was overawed. This pure confession of a maiden soul had something sacred about it; how could he reply with commonplace phrases alout his friends and the luture? And yet, here was Mairie on the point of departure; she only waited for a word of goodby; and her eyes, that were now filled with a strange sadness and hopelessness, no longer re garded him. The farewell had been spoken oa her side. "And you think I will let ynu go, after what you have just coniessed?" he said to her and his calm and restrained demeanor was a sort of answer to her trembling vehe mence and her despair. "You give me the proudest possession a man may have on this earth; and I am to stand idly by, and let it be taken awav from me. Is that a likely thing?" He took her hand, and put her back into the sheltered corner. "Sit down there, Maisrie, out of the wind. I want to talk to jou. I was a fool when I mentioned ihose stories the other day; I could have cut my tongue out the next "mo ment. Aud, indeed. I thought you took no notice. Why should you take any notice? Insensate trash! And who escapes such things? and who is so childish as to heed them? Then, again, I remember your say ing that I knew nothing about your grand father or yoursel.'. Do you think that is so? Do jou think I have been all this time con stantly in your society watching you, studying you yes, and studying you with the anxiety that goes with love; for, ot course, you want the one you love to be per fect. Do you imagine, after all this, that I do not know you and understand you? Degradation! very well, accept that degra dation; I welcome all the degradation ihat is likely to be associated with you. If I were to wash my hands in thatsort or degra dation I think they would come out a little winter. I know you to be as pure and noble as the purest aud noblest woman alive; and what do I care about vour vour circum stances?" "Don't, Vincent! don't be kiud to me, Vincent," she said, piteously. "It will be all the harder to think of when when we are separated and lar awav from each other." "Yes, but we are not going to separate," said he. "Your grandfather has Jclt you to decide for yourself, and surely after what you have said to me this morning, surely I have tne right to decide for you. We are not going to separate, Maisrie except for a few days. Wuen 1 am up in London I mean to look round and sec what disposi tions cau be made with regard to the future. Yesterday 1 explained to your grandfather how I was situatea; I need not bother you with these things at present. Of course, I could get plenty of money if I wished on my expectations, as the saying is, but I don't like that kind of periormauce. Oh, I assure you, I am going to be very prudent and circumspect, and I am ready to turn my hand to anything. Then, in another direction, Maisrie, you might give me a hint, he weut on with much cheerfulness, but watching her to see how she would take it. "What pjrt of London do you think you would like best to live in? It we could get a small house with a garden up some wheie about Campden Hill that would be pleasant, and, of course, there must be a library lor your grandfather, for we should want the privacy of the morning room for ourselves." She shook her head. "Dreams, Vincent, dreams!" she mur mured. "But sometimes dreams come true." said be, for he was not to be daunted. "And you will see how much dream-work there will be about it when I get things put into trim in Loudon. iCow I'm not going to keep your here any longer, Maisrie: or I fancy there is some rain coming across; and vou u.ssu't be caught. I will go iu and say goodby to your grandfather, if I may; and the next you will hear of me will be when I send you some news from town. In the meantime, hearts up, Maisriel surely the granddaughter of your grandfather should show courage!" When, that afternoon, Vin Harris arrived in Loudon, he did not go to his temporary lodgings (what charm had thesluminy little street iu Mayfair for him now?) but to Grosvenor Place, where he shut himself up in his own room, and manaired to get on somehow with that detested lecture. And next day he went down to Meudover; and next evening he made his appearance before the Meudover Liberal Association; and there were the customary votes of thanks to wiud up the proceedings. There was nothing in all this worthy of note: what was oi importance happened after, when the President o." the associa tion, whn had occupied the chair iu the absence of Lord Musselburgh, accom panied Vincent home to the Ited Liou. This Mr. Simnfons was a solicitor, and a great political power in Mendover; so, when lie hinted that the Bed Lion had a certain l.;.. nf tn-f Iknt ,40 fnmniie nil .iv0l-ttlf country and, indeed, was powerful enoughj to draw manv a hunt dinner to this hostelry by its own -influence alone be sure that Master Vin was not long in havinga de canter o the wine placed in the private par lor he had engaged. Mr. Simmons, who was a sharp, shrewd-looking little man, with a pale lace and intensely-black hair and short-cropped whiskers, suggested a cigar, and took the largest he could find in his host's case. Then he proceeded toniake hinielf important and happT with his toes on the fender and his shoulders softly cush ioned in an easy chair. "Yes," said "he, complacently, when the cigar was going well, "I think I cau pre dict sntne good fortune for you, and that without having my hand crossed with a shilling. Ihope'I am breaking no confi dence; we lawyers are supposed to be as mum as a priest arter conlessional; but of course what is said between gentlemen will go no further lhau the four walls of this room " "I think you may trust me for that," Vin cent said. "Verv well, then," continued Mr. Sim mons, with an air of bland importance, ''I will say this at least that in January you may fa'rly expect to be offered a very pretty Sew Year's present." "Pli, really," said Vinceut,without being much impressed; he fancied the Liberal As scciatioa were perhaps going to pass a vote o thanks possibly inscribed on vellum with the names of all the officials writ large. "A very pretty present; the representation of Mendover." But at tfiis he pricked up his ears; and Mr. Simmons smiled. "Mr. .Richard Gosford is my client, as I think you know," the black-a-viced little lawyer went on, "but what I am telling you docs not come direct from him to me. I need notiparticularize my source of information. But from what I can gather I am almost certain that he means to resigu at the end ot the year he did talk of waiting for the next geuera! election, as Lord Musselburgh must have told yon, hut his imaginary troubles have grown on him; and as far as I can see there will be nothing for you but to slip easily and quietly into his shoes next Jauuarv. A very pretty Hew Year's present!" "But of course there will be a contest!" Vincent exclaimed. "Not a bit," Mr. Simmons made answer, regarding the blue curls of smoke from the cigar. "The snuggest little seat in En gland. Everybody knows you are Lord Musselburgh's nominee; and Lord Mussel burgh iias Dromised to do everything for our public park that Mr. Gosford ought to have done when he presented the cround. See? Xo bribery ou yonr part. Simple as day light We'll run y.m in as if you were an infant on a wheelbarrow." "It's very kind of yon, I'm sure," said Vincent. "Is there anything you would recommend me to do ?" "Yes; I would recommend you to go and call on old Gosford to-morrow, belore you leave lor town." "Wouldn't that look rather ike undue haste in seizing a dead's niau's effects?" Vincent ventured to ask. "A dead man?" said Mr. Simmons, help ing himself to another glass of port "He is neither dead nor djing, any more than you or I. And that's what you've got to remember to-morrow, when you go to see hiiu. .For goodness' sake, don't tell him he's looking well as you've got to sav to most iuvalids. Tell him he's looking very poorly. Be setiously coucerned. Then he'il be off to bed again aud de lighted. For what he suffers troni is simply incurable laziness aud nervous timid ity; and so long as he can hide himself un der the blankets, and read books, he's hapny." "But what excuse am I to make for call ing on him?" Vincent asked again. "Oh," said Mr. Simmons, carelessly, "one public character visiting another. You were here delivering a lecture; and of course you called on the sitting member You won't want any exense if you will tell him he should take extraordinary care of himself in this changeable weather." "And should 1 say anything about the seal?" Vincent asked lurther. "1 must leave that toyour own discretion, llather ticklish. Perhaps better say noth ing unless he introduces the subject; then you can talk about the overcrowdlug o the House, and the late hours, and the nervous wear and tear ot London. But you needn't suggest to him, in set terms, that as be is re tiring iron) business he might as well leave you the good will; perhaps that would be a little too outspoken." And yet it was with no undue elation that Vincent contemplated this possibility of his being allowed to slip so quietly and easily into Parliament; his first thought was how would it aflect hi relations with Maisrie Bethune? For indeed, at this time, turn where he might, it was Maisrie, and always Maisrie, that he encountered. As luck would have it, a day or two after Yin's return to town, Mr. Ogdeu came to dine at Grosvenor Place. It was a man's dinner a dinner or political extremists and faddists; but so far from Master Vincent re tiring to his own room and his books, as he sometimes did, he joined the party, and even stipulated for a place near the great elec tioneerer and wire-pulier of the North, Fur ther than that, he made himself most agree able to Mr. Ogdeu; was most meek and hum ble aud good humored (lor to what depths of hypocrisy will not a young man descend when he is madly in love?), and seemed to swallow whoiesale the long-rcsomiding list ofrelornis re orms administrative, reforms electoral, reforms fiscal, re onus social and political. For all the while he was saying within himself: "My -dear sir, perhaps what you say is quite true; and we're all go ing headlong to the devil with the caucus for drag. And I could wish you to have a few more h's; still many excellent men have lived and died without them. The main point is this it one might dare to ask is your private secretaryship stilT open; and, II so, what salnry would ynu propose to give?" But, of course, he could not quite ask those questions at his own father's din ner table; besides, he was in no hurry; he wanted a few more days to look round. The guests of the evening did not go up to the drawing room; they remained in the dining room, smoking, until it was time for them to leave; then Harland Harris and his. son found themselves alone together. Now the relations between father and son bad been very considerably strained since the morning on which the former had brought his allegations against old George Bethune and his granddaughter; but on this occa sion Vincent was iu a particularly amiable and generous mood. He was pleased with himself for having paid court to Mr. Ogden; he looked forward with some natural grati fication to this early chance of getting into Parliament; and. again, what was the use of attaching any importance to these pre posterous charges? So he lit another cigarette, stretched out his legs before the fire andtold his father but with certain reservations, for on one or two points he was pledged to silence what had happened down at Mendover. "I am heartily glad to hear it," said the communist capitalist, with a certain cold severity! tone. "I am glad to hear that you begin to realize what are the serious in terests of Hie. You are a very fortunate young man. It you are returned for Mendover, it will be by a concurience of circumstances such as could not easily have been anticipated. At the same time I think it might be judicious if you went down again and hinted to Mr. what did you say? Simmons? Mr. Simmons that in the event of everything turning out well, there would be no need to wait for Lord Mussel burgh's contribution toward the completion o! the public park. Whit .Lord Mussel burgh is going to gain by that passe ray comprehension excpt, perhaps, -some further local popularity; and why should-a Scotch peer desire to be thought well of by n lot.of English chawbacoos. and small shop keepers? I cau hardly suppose that he made such a promise in order to secure your election; that, indeed, would be a wild freak of e'enerosity so wild as to be incredible. However," continued Mr. Harris, in his pendantic and sententious" manner, "it is unnecessary to seek for motives. We do not need to be indebted to him. I consider that it is of the greatest importance that you should eutei Parliament at an early age; and I am wllliug to pay. "Meudover ought to be a secure seat, if it is kept warm. Promise them what you like I will see to the rest. There are other things besides a park, if they lire er to keep Lord Mussel burgh to his promise; a free library for ex ample if they have one already, another one; a clubhouse for the football club a pavilion tor the cricketers a refreshment tent for the tennis ground a baud to play on the summer evenings a number of thing of that kind that you could discover from your lrieud the solicitor." Vincent could have laughed had he dared. Here he was invited to play the Dart of a great local magnate, plutocrat and benefactor; and it was less than half an hour ago that he had been anxiously won dering whether 200 a year or 250 a year would be the probable salary of Mr. pgdeu's private secretary. Harland Harris went on: "It is so rarely that such an opportunity occurs in England at least that one must not be niggardly iu welcoming it. Simmons did vou say Simmons? is clearly of im portance; if you make him your agent in these negotiations, that will be enough for him he will look after himself. And he will keep you sate; the elected member may cheat a horse, whereas as a 'Candidate he daren't look over the hedge. And once you are embarked on a career of public useful ness " "Bribery, do you mean?" said Vincent, meekly. "I refer to the House of Commons; once j-ou have your career open to you, you will be able to" show whether the training you have undergone has been the right one, or whether the ordinary scholastic methods mixed up with monkish traditions .vou Id have been preferable. At all events you have seen the world. You have seen men, and their interests, and occupations, not a parcel of grown-up schoolboys playing games." "I suppose." said Vincent, in a musing kind ol" way, "if all this were to happen it would be rather a nice thing to become a member of Parliament. Though I don't understand why that should be considered the only serious interest of life. It seems to me there are other interests of far greater importance to any humau being affecting him lar more nearly, and with far more re moter consequences " Harland Harris glauced at his sou quickly and even nervously. "Yes, j es," said he, with a certain hurried impatience, "that may be; we wiil not dis cuss abstract propositions. What is of practical and immediate concern is that now yon have got the opening into public life for which every ambitious man must pine, it is for yoursel i' to show what you will do with the opportunity." And therewithal he bade Vincent good night. Nor did the young mati notice how instantly aud apprehensively his father had deprecated the introduction and discussion of a certain subject. Not that Vincent would have advanced fiom the region of theory. He had no wish to bring forward Maisrie once more to have her character and antecedents animadverted upon, either bv his lather or by any one else. A day or two passed; he was still making discreet inquiries as to how a young man, witn some little knowledge ot the world, and a trifle of capital at his back, but with no specific pro'esaioual training, could best set to work to earn a moderate income lor himsel'; and also he was sounding one or two editors lor whom he had done some casual work as to whether employment of a more permanent kind might be procurable. Moreover, he had ordered the .little brooch for Maisrie a tiny white dove this was, in mother-of-pearl, on a transverc narrow band of rabies; and besides that he had picked up a few things with which to make her room a little prettier, when she would re turn to town. Some of the latter, indeed, which wcie'fit for immediate installation, he had already sent home; and one afternoon he'thought he might as well go up and see what Mrs. Hobson had done with them. It was the landlady's husband who opened the door; and even as he ushered the man up to the parlor, he had begun his story, which was so breathless and discon nected and inclined to tears that Vincent in stantly suspected gin. "Lor bless ye, sir, weev bin in such a sad quandary, to be sure, and right glad I am to see you, sir, with them things a coniin 'ome, and you was so particular about not a word to be said, and there was the missis, a augin of 'em up, and the beautilul counter pane, all spread out so neat and tidy, 'why,' says she, 'the Queen on the throne she aiut got uothin more splendid, which he is the most generous young gcnclmau, and jest as good as he's ansome' beggin' your pardon, sir, for women will talk, and then in the middle of it hall, here comes the old genel man as we were not expecting of im, sir ah, sir, a great man, a wouder'ul man, sir, in sorrowful sikkumstancc. and the young lady, too, and hall to he settled up reglar oh, heverythink, sir like a genelman " "What the mischief are you talking abont," said Vincent, in his bewilderment. "Do you mean to say that Mr. Bethune and Mi Bethune have been in London?" "Yesterday, sir, yesterday, more's the nity. sir. to give up their rooms lor good and hall, for never again shall we 'ev sich lodgers in this poor otise." "Look hers," sain Vincent, impatiently for this rigmarole threatened at any moment ,to dissinate itself in luaudlfug weeping, "will you answer me one question: am I to understand that Mr. Bctiumn and his granddaughter are not coining back here?" "Indeed, no, sir, more's the pity, sir, it was a honor to this poor ouse, and hevery think paid up like a genelman, though many'a the time I was say-in to the missis as she needn't be so ard " "'iire have they gone, then?" the youuger man demanded peremptorily." "Lir bless ye, sir, it took me all ot a sud den they didn't say nothin about that, sir and I was upset, sir " Vincent glanced at his watch; 4:05 was the time. "Oh, I see," he said, with a fine careless ness (for there were wild and alarming sus picious darting through his brain?) "They'ie going to remain in Brighton, 1 dare say. Well, good-by, Hobsori! About those bits of things I sent up you keep them for yourself tell Mrs. Hobson I make her a present of them you needn't say any thing about them to anybody." He left the house. He quickly crossed the street, and went up to his own roo'ni; the table there was a blank he had almost ex pected as much. Then he went out again, hailed a hansom, drove down "to Victoria station and caught the 4:30 tram to Brighton. When he reached the lodging house in German Place, he hardly dared knock; he sqemed to know already "what was meant by this hurried and stealthy departure. His worst foars were immediately confirmed. Mr. Bethune Miss Bethune had left the previous morning. And did no one know whrtner they had gone? No one. And there was no message no letter for any one who. might call? There was no message no letter. The young man turned away. It was rain ing; he did not seem to care, " Out there in the dark was the solitary light at-the end of the pier; why, how many days bad gone by since she had said to him. with tears run ning down her cheeks "Vincent, I love youl I love you! you are my dearest in all the world! remember that always!" And what was this that she had done? for that it was of her doing he had no manner of doubt. Enough: his heart, that had many a time been moved to pitv by her solitari ness, her-friendlessness, had no more pity now. 3?ride rose in its place pride, and reproach and scorn. There was but tne one indignant cry ringing in his ears "JTalse love false love and traitress!" To It Continued Next Sunday. ART OF THE BORGIAS. Poisons That Destroy Life , -Quickly and Painlessly. Most TOE DEADLY CIIAKCOAL FUMES On Which tho Dread Messenger RId.es X ftiftly and Unheralded. THE ACTION 0P HYUROCIAXIC ACID rwniTTES Tps ins dispatch. 3 The art of poisoning 18 one of the most fascinating subjects to which the pen has ever been applied. Itecognizing this I have prevailed upon a medical friend, now pre paring a work upon this subject, to allow me to publish the appended symposium of letters which he has itceived from some of the most eminent chemists in this couutry in answer to the following questions, which he had propounded to them: First What poison do you consider the most painless? Second What one do you deem the most rapid iu lis action? , Third What one is the most difficult of de tection afjer death? Fourth Do' ou think that poisoning is a lost art? That if. had tho ancients, or the Borgias, or any other persons in other ages, poisons of -which wc have no knowledge and which were superior to any of ours in painlessness, rapidity of action or difficulty of detection? The answer of Dr. Francis W. Blake, A. M., M. D., Professor or Chemistry and Toxicology in the Columbus Medical Col lege, Columbus, O., w;ho is one of the best known aud most eminent authorities in the West on all that pertains to poisons, is a fitting introduction to the series of opinions. His. letter is as lollows: Frank Feen. Romance and Reality. 33 S. Fourth Street, Columbus, 0.,i October 2, 1890. J Dear Doctor There is nothing in the L whole field of romance and reality that affords wider scope to the imagination of the play or story weaver, as he sits at his loom, than the old yet ever new incident of murder by poison, for there is no other which can be presented in so many ways or so readily portrayed in impossible lights with so strong a semblance of probability. We are all familiar with the heroine who places a small vial to her lips and iustantly drops back dead, aud the jealous lover who presents his mistress with a lovely bouquet,, one inhalation of whose fragrance stretches her a corpse at his feet. And yet these hackneyed incidents of fiction are not so im possible as may at first appear to skeptical minds. Prussic acid of mil strength known to chemists asthe officinal or 100 per cent hydrocyanic acid will act with almost lightning-like rapidity, and the great ehemist, Shiel, the discoverer of that beautilul shade of color known as Shiel's gree.i, is said to have dropped dead instantly irom inhaling the fumes of a few drops of such acid. Bnt it is not only the sudden, rapidly-acting poisons that have received the attention o. the novelist and playwright. Slow poi soning is a theme that has o ten stood them in good stead. Who that has read it can ever forget Dickens' clever short story of the Kev. Julius Slinkton, of the victims he de stroyed by slow poison, and how he was fin ally unmasked? Answering your questions: a irst i tnink the oxides oi carbon the most uniformly painless, though the dioxide cannot be strictly classed with poisons. Sfcuud Hydrocyanic acid acts more rapidly than any poison with which I am acquainted. Third The poisons most difficult of de tection are lonnd among the vegetable and animal alkaloids. Fourth Poisoning as an art is less per fect now than formerly, but the scientific acumen of the present would clear up much that in the days ot the Borgias seemed mys terious and marvelous. Very sincerely yours, Fkajjcis W. Blake. Etery l'olson Can lie Detected. Dr. William H. Greene, demonstrator of chemistry of the University of Pennsylvania aud one of the most scholarly chemists of our time, sends the following interesting letter: . Dear Doctor In reply to your ques- tions, I would, say: Ifirst, the most painless poison is probably morphia or some simi lar narcotic. Second, hydrocyanic or prussic acid is the most rapidly fatal of all poisons in its action. Third, chemical and physio logical tests may now be applied with such certainty to detect poison in, food and drink and in the human body after death that if scientific examination and judicial inquest be possible the administration of almost any poison is attended with the risk of pos sible detection. The poisons which would beSmost likely to escape detection would be those most closely resembling the ptomaines of poisonous lungi. 1 do not believe, however, that there exists a poison or that one can exist that could not he positively identified after death either by the lesions produced in the organs affected, or by the extraction from the corpse of the victim of the poison itself, aud by the study oi its properties. I do not think that the peopleof auy otlier use could have taught us anything in this matter. The crimes of the Borgias were well known at the time of their perpetra tion, aud the Borgias were well-known to he poisoners, but their power protected them. Except under conditions that would now be only of very rare almost impossible oc currence, such murders by poison could not be perpetrated. A Borjia would must in evitably be detected, exposed and punished at the present day. Very sincerely yours, William'H. Greene, 201 North Thirty-Sixth Street, Phil adelphia. Pittsburg's Borgia a Monomaniac Dr. William Simon, M. D., Ph. D. ably fills the chair of Professor of Chemistry and Toxicology in the College of Physicians and Surgeons, Baltimore. Md., and has con tributed largely to the literature of those important studies. He differs slightly from Dr. Greene with regard to the most painless poison as will be seen below. Dear Doctor It hasolten transpired in the annais of crime that poisoning has been found to have become a positive monomania and that the successful poisons of one, hav ing escaped detection, at once becomes eager to make his victims mauy, even though he have npother motive tor destroying them. A notable instance was one Mrs. Grinder, a respectable woman of the middle-class, who was hanged iu Pittsburg, Pa., aquirlerofn century ago, after she hail success ully poisoned many of her neighbors who had been her best and most intimate friends. This was a cause celebre, and attracted general atteution throughout this country and Europe at the time. Answering your question submitted to me I beg to say: First Carbon monox ide is in my oniniou the mos1 painless ot all poisons, as lo.tlie best of my knowledge there are no cases on record showing any suffering whatever on the part of the,dying from the effects of this gas and Hiad nuder my observation one case in which a man had been rendered senseless lrom the effects of this gas lor hours, and on being restored told me that he had not felt anything but what he felt cverv niirht in . jug to sleep. Morphia might rank nexttol carbon monoxide in painlessness, though this would depend largely upon the indi vidual and the dose administered. Second Hydrocyanic acid in a pure state is generally looked upon as the most rapid in Jts action, and I know of no poison that will act more quickly. Nicotine in a pure state also has caused death in a few seconds. Third I would say that coniine isproba bly the most difficult poison to detec't after death. It is an alkaloid ol conium or hem lock, of which it is the active principle. Conium maculatum is the botanical name of hemlock, which is'an umbelliferous plant, that is a native of Europe and has been naturalized in the United States. Hemlock, or conium is believed to be the narcotic used by the Athenians to destroy the lite of con demned individuals, and by which Socrates and Phocion died. There are a number of other alkaloids that arc, perhaps, as diffi cult to detect. Fourth I do not think that the .ncients knew of auy poisons or had'any with which we are not acquainted now. The cases sometimes mentioned in which a poison was tn be given at a certain time, with a view to its producing death a day, or several days, later, have never been substantiated wbeu looked into by scientists. In times gone by it was very much easier to mystify people than it is to-day, and tn this fact alone is to be attributed the belief of many that the art of poisoning is, to some extent, 'a lost one. Yours very truly, William "Simon. Baltimore, Md. Poisoners of tho Past. Dr. John J. Beese is generally recognized as one of the highest living authorities on all that pertains to medical jurisprudence and toxicology. For many years past he has been professor of those sciences in the University of Pennsylvania located in Philadelphia. He agrees with the authori ties above quoted on the first questions. Eliminating answers to them his letter is as follows: Dear Doctor "Is poisoning a lost art?" Well, I do certainly think that the art and facility of administering poisons with secrecy, subtlety and without pain, was formerly practiced to a greater extent than at present. In the time of the Borgias and the de Brenvilliers. as we read, there were "professed poisoners;" but in our time the knowledge of poisons is much more widely diffused, and has consequently lost much of its mystery. As regards the natnre of these secret poisons, I think the general opinion at present is, that arsenic, morpljine conium and a few others were probably the articles employed in small and repeated doses. I cannot believe that they produced their fatal effects '"without pain," or with out any overt symptoms; but no doubt these were generally mistaken (as at pres- bul; lor disease. Very respectfully yours, John J. Keese. University of Pennsylvania. Amyl Nitrite Tavored. Dr. Henry Leffmann, the well-known analytical chemist and expert, who so ably fills the post of pathological chemist to the hospital of the Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia, presents the claims of amyl nitrite as a painless, rapidly-acting poison, as will be seen below: Dear DciCTpn Amyl nitrite would rank verv bighas a painles), rapid poison. From its highly volatile nature it .would also be difficult to detect. Hydrocyanic acid and chloroform are also rapid and painless. Some of the rarer vegetable poisons are very difficult to detect. I do not think the ancients had any high development of the art of poisoning. There may be some lost arts. Those of coloring glass and tem pering copper are sometimes mentioned, but I am not inclined to think thatiii toxicology there was much headway until modern times. Truly yours, Henry Leffmann, T15 Walnut street, Philadelphia. Cyaniile of Potassium. Dr. P. B..Wilson, professor of chemistry, toxicology and microscopy in the Baltimore University, of Baltimore, Md., thus pre sents the claims of potassium cyanide as the most rapid and painless poison: Dear Doctor Observation has con vinced me that potassium cyanide is the most painless poison on account of its in stantaneous action. It is quicker than the ordinary hydrocyanic acid of medicine, though the latter, in its most concentrated lorm, would be as quick. Hydrocyanic acid would be the most diffi cult to detect, because it decomposes so rapidly. Conium and some of the other rarer alkaloids would also be difficult to detect, but fortunately lew of these are available for criminal use. Yours truly, P. B. Wilson. Baltimore, Md. Poisoning Not a Lost Art. Dr. John H. Long, S. C. D., is widely known as the Professor of Chemistry in the Chicago Medicil College aud the Medical Department of the Northwestern University of that city. He sends the following letter: De'ar Doctor I suppose the prepara tions of opium must be looked upon as the most painless poisons, while the soluble cyanides and hydrocyanic acid are as speedy as any. I can not say which is the most difficult poison to detect. There are certainly sev eral which, in most cases, would escape detection by chemical means. Poisoning is probably not a "lost art," although increasing knowledge makes it less olten success ul. Yours respectfully, J." H. LONG. Chicago Medical College. Poisoning Hypodennically. Dr. John M, Maisch, Professor of Materia Medica in the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy, writes as follows: Dear Doctor Poisons administered hypodermically are, as a mle, difficult to detect organic more so thau mineral. So far as I know the poison lived by the Bor gias has never been ascertained. Very truiy yours. . " John M. Maisch. Philadelphia College of Phar macy. Tlio Atchison lVomaii's Bread. Kansas City Times. J An Atchison woman is getting a good deal of advertising because she succeeded in making a two-pound loaf of biead out of a pound of Hour. If all the Atchison women make their bread as heavy as that it is no wonder that the men are so dyspeptic that they are always quarreling about some thing. A Chance for Promotion. Jewelers' Weekly. Office Manager Johnny, if you don't get a move on you I'll kick you through the skylight. Office Boy Kick away. This is the first chance to rise I've seen since I came here. Backwoods Farmer (who has just finished the sign) I kinder like the idee, some how'r other. It has'r religiousfeeling' rnn uin' through it, an' at the same time means business t Life. . PANTING FOE BREATH At an Altitude of Fifteen Thousand Feet Above Sea Level. - HIGHEST PiAlLKOAD IN THE WORLD Stalking for .Gnanacos Among the Snowy Peaks of the Andes. CROSSING THE DESEUT OP 1SLAI rCORJlESrOSDKNCE Or TUE DISPATCII.1 Mollendo, Peru, September 21. From LakeTiticaca to the sea is3railway journey of 325 miles, all in Pern, over the Andes aud across a desert. Starting at au elevation of 12,000 feet, the road rises by gradual ascent to the extraordinary altitndeof 14,065 feef, the highest that wheels tnrned by steam have ever attained. This Puno and Mollendo Bailway was built for the Peruvian Government about 14 years ago by Mr. Henry Meiggs; and it cost more than 15,000,000 for the 325 miles, or the enormous average of .5135,000 per milel Though it has few tunnels no railway in the world can show so much excavating or such massive embankments. Thee is another Peruvian railroad, called the Oroya, also built by Meiggs, leading from Lima up to the mines of Cerrodel Pasco and thence pro jected to the head waters ol the Amazon, designed to connect with that great fluvial highway and thus make transit to the At lantic shorter and cheaper than by the old routes which, at some points, will be even higher thau this one. management of the road. While Mr. John Thotndyke, late of Bos ton, was manager of the Puno and Mollendo road, its affairs were conducted strictly on the American plan; but since this railway, in common with all others in Peru, now comes under the celebrated "Grace-Don-oughmore contract," the leaders being the well-known banker and ex-Mayor of New York City and Lord Donoughmore, of Lon don, backed by plenty of English and United States capita, its business is man aged by an odd but politic mixture of meth ods, notably North American, South Amer ican. Peruvian and English. Its present Superintendent, Mr. Victor Hugo MacCord, formerly from San Fran cisco, is a typical Westerner, combining the most cordial courtesy with great busi ness energy. He has experienced some strange ' 'ups and downs" in his connection with this railroad, which serve as a sample of what most foreigners may expect who have the boldness to engage in business in many portions of this revolution-ridden con tinent. Coming here first as a telegraph operator, Mr. MacCord soon worked his way up to the superintendence of the road. A DOSE OF PRISON LIFE. Then came on the war between Peru and Chili, and it happened one day, by some ac cident wholly unforeseen, that anengineon its way to Mollendo was seized and "run in" by the Chilians, wbo'seem to have made it a point during that short but sanguinary struggle to steal everything they could lay hands on, even to locomotives under lull steam! Though in no way to blame lor the occurrence, Mr. MacCord was held directiy responsible oy tne local authorities ot Are quipa, that city, which has always been the headquarters of, the railway management, being then under military rule. He was at once arrested and without a hearing oi any sort imprisoned in a Erloomv dungeon of the quirte! which had not so much as a chair or bed, nothing but the bare, damp walls. Neither food nor water was supplied to him and his repeated de mands for a trial or at least the chance to make a statement in his own behalf were answered by counter-demands for a large amount of 'money. The latter not being forthcoming, he was lefl out one night with out a moment's warning, ostensibly to be shot, aud told to prepare for instant death. ALL FOR A RANSOM. Probably it was not intended to kill him, merely to terrify him into enriching the im pecunious local Jefe Politico. Failing in this, after he had been placed in position and the soldiers had raised their nlles to file, knowing that nothing could be gained by his death and possibly something might be wrung out of him if he were allowed to live, the bal -drunken officer remanded him back to prison. Friends brought him food and finally raised the sum of S10.000 for his le leasc, which they paid over to the Jerte, who certainly had no right to it beyond that of temporary military power, and the illegally imprisoned gentleman was set at liberty. A few monthsagoMr. MacCord was again made superintendent of this same road to the sat isfaction of all concerned; and affairs are now going as smoothly as anything' can be expected to in Peru. A few miles from Crucero Alto is Vin cocaya, the very loltiest village in all the world, unless 'it may be some of those in Central Asia, 14.3G0 feet above the sea.. This Andean village is purely a creation of the railroad and boasts of the adjuncts of a relay aud repairing station. THE BREATH COMES HARD. Long before we arrive at Vincocaya, com ing from either end of the line, nearly every body is sufferingfrom sirroche, in greater dr ies degree. Strange to say, frequent pass ing over the same heights does not exempt one from the distressing complaint, and the strongest aud healthiest seem N to be mure prostrated by it than the sickly.AVlth the exception of one of our immediate party, a consumptive yiuug Chilian, traveling to prolong bis span of life, whose sunken chest heaves piinlully in the effort of respiration, and whose pale face has taUefl onji ghastly grayish blue. A jolly Englishman from Arequipa, who weighs nearly 300 pounds, aud says he was never ill iu his life except when passing over this road, has turned the color of a boiled lobster, and, gasping with suffocation, holds his head with both liaiuij, declaring that it is about to burst. The remedies commonly made use of are braudv and bromide of potassi, asaited by various smelling salts and the odor of raw onions. The natives believe so implicitly in the latter preventive that not one of them will travel in the higher altitudes without a generous supply, which he cuts aud sniffs at leisure, though it be strong enough to draw tears irom tho eyes of a graven image. When mules and horses are prostrated with sirroche, the usual cure is to stuff slices of raw onions up the creature's nostrils. TROM WINTER TO 'SUMMER. The traveler ou this railway is constantly reminded of that celebrated paiuting called "The Heart of the Andes," and realizes that he has found the very spot. It is al ways bitterly cold ou the mount lin tops, ..,? ...liun t Vinnoeav.i. wn iiiek our wav from the car toj the Hotel Enipresa for luncheon, iu a driving storm of sleet and snow we console ourselves rith the knowl edge' that a lew hours more will bring us down into a region of perpetual summer time to the ever-bloonijng roses and so t, warm sunshine of old Arequipa, the Inca "Place of Best." In some parts of Peru, Bolivia and Chili, guanacos are as common as goats in Switz erland. The animal's body is somewhat of the greyhound build, being very narrow in the? loins but deep in the chest It is covered with long hair, exceedingly solt and fine, pale yellow, shading to white under neath. Combined with the strength and enduranca of the llama, it has all the char acteristics of the North American deer, being as graceful and as fleet- ooted, and its fl.ch ; mneh like that of the antelope. Their skmslikc that of the vacuna, com mand a high price in Europe, where they are iu "rcat demand lor carriage robes, cloak liclng, etc. In their wild state, the animals roam in flocks, and one of the herd always stauds on guard. If danger threat ens be gives the alarm by stamping hu feet, and stvift indeed must the pursuer bo who can overtake them. IT'S EXCITING SPORT. Every hunter who can afford It-keep -a pack of dogs trained especially for this chase. The men "stalk" the game with greatest care, and sometimes grtjnearenougli for a shot with their rifles; but it nltener happens that the timid creatures decline so close an acquaintance with their natural enemy, man. If a gu.maco is found grazing singly ou the plain, the chince of getting him is very small; but when the herd is pur- sued, each animal tries to crowd himself into the center for greater safety, thus con siderably retarding their speed by the con fusion that ensues. It is amusing to note bow well the dogs understand this trick, and while crazy to pursue a flock, they look with indifference upon the solitary guanaco or vicuna. What is known as a "bezoar stone" is occasionally fouud in the stomach of one of these animals, and to possess it is consid ered the greatest kind of good fortune, its magical virtues exempting the lucky indi vidual whn utrries it in his pocket from must of the ills to which flesh is heir. Alpaca and vicuna wool closely resemble one another, both being very fine and valu able. Large quantities ol it are exported to England, and a little goes to the United States. The coarser wool of the llama is from six to eight inches lung, and a single fleece often weigh as much as 12 pounds; but it is seldom sheared, the animal being most valuable as a beast of burden in alti tudes where horses and mules are useless. THE LONGEST AQUEDUCT. Along the side of the track, for a distance of more than 35 miles, runs an 8-mch iron pipe, for the purpose ol" supplying water to Mnllendo and the intervening stations, there being none near the coast. " Coming from springs in the mountains near Arequipa, 7,000 feet above the sea and extending to the Pacific, it is the longest aqueduct in the world, and is capable of discharging 430,000 gallons of water during every 21 hours. From Arequipa to the ocean is 107 miles, and most of the route lies across the hot and lifeless desert of Islay. After descending the shoreward range of the Andes, the train zig-zags raoidly down the barren foothills to the great desert, which it crosses with a directness in marked contrast to its tortuous course among the heights. In its narrowest place the desert is about 60 miles across, aud before the day of the railroad the journey had to be made on donkey back. Theu it was customary to cross it in the night to avoid the heat and glare of the san. RIDING inE DESERT. I can never forget the aspect of the conn try with the glare of the sun upon it one vast waste of sands and stones, hills bare of all but cactus, measureless stretches of sand that look like the shore of the sea from which the waves have receded. There are no trees, nor even bushes, except in those infrequent spots where fertility has been produced by irrigation; and wherever the tanks that are placed at regular intervals to supply the locomotives with water, led from the iong aqueduct, have leaked or dripped into the ankle-deep dust, grass grows lux uriantly, indicating what the result might be, even in this desert, under a judicious system of irrigation. There are mauy peculiar mounds of sand, white as snow, all blown into semi-circular shapes like huge crescent moons, showing the direction and force of ihe prevailing winds. But for most oi the distance not a living thing is to be seen, except at the lew stations, where bedraggled women, dusty as their surroundings, come on board irith peaches to sell tolerably lair-looking fruit, but hard as the rocky hills and tasteless as the sand3 in which they grew. Fannie B. Ward. GOT THE WE0HG COWS. A Big Shepherd Doc; Ont for a Frolic Gets a Good Tronnclng. Hetr York San. 3 Passengers who were waiting for a New Jersey Central Kailroad train at the Perth Amboy depot on Thursday saw two cows in a field opposite the deput get the belter of a large shepherd dog iu a fight that the dog started. Ot the dozen cows in the field one strayed away from the. herd and stood near the fence along the railroad track. The dog ran up the bank and barked in heriace until she turned and ran. The dog tallowed, snapping at her heels, and she stopped suddenly, and. turning on the dog, tried to hook hiiu. The dog dodged, and then jumped and caught her by the ear. Tne cow shook him loose, and again tried to book him, hut the dog got another grip on her ear. The fight was continued lor five minutes, and the rest of the herd watched it, switching their tails aud mov ing their ears hack and forth. Finally, one of them started toward the combatants. She walked unconcernedly enough until within a few feet of them, and then, suddenly lowering her head, she rushed at the dog, caught him on her horos, and tossed bim over the fence on the track. He gave one or two ki-yi's, and scudded down the- track with his tail between his legs. The two cows looked after him a mo ment and then joined the herd. How lie Was Heard. I'hiladelphfa Timcs.l "Why wasn't I heard more in Congress?" rejoined the member contemptuously: "Do you read the papers?" "Certainly I do." "Well, then, did you never notice in the reports of speeches 'Laughter,' 'Applause on the Republican side,' and such things? I took a leading part in them every time." HO LOVER OF CHESTNUTS. Ltre.l We heard a mechanic say lhat he would not be without Salvation Oil.' Kills pain. 25c. fv-- A ' ' V &. t Off g ROCKS ONJHRTBACK. Conservatism is a Train-Wrecker of l!ic Very Worst Type. PROGRESS IS THE COMMUNITY, In the School and JJven In the Church Often Ditched by It. ETIL 0P ETLKSAIj RETROSPECTION iWRnrmr ros the DisrATCii.3 It is strange, but no more strange than true, that wherever aud whenever energetic and progressive men seek: to advance public interests there can always be found others who are just as induitrionsly employed in trying to block the wheels and wreck the train. Iu the history of most cities and communities there has been an epoch when things appeared 10 reach a climax. Against the desire of a few men who tried to go ahead there were those who rolled the rocks of opposition on the track and whistled "down brakes." Why notrun over the obstrnctionistand go ahead anyhow? That is a very natural question. I read recently of a train heing brought to a standstill by a large colony of caterpillars getting on the track. They were so numerous and produced such an eC fect that the tngins whecl3 could not grip the rails so as to make any headway. Be fore the train could move the track bad to be cleared, and in the clearing thousands of caterpillars were slain. Now, there is, for a wonder, no society for the preventiou of cruelty to caterpillars, so they could be killed with impunity with the shovels and brooms of the grave'l train. Rut this system oinnotbo brought iut play in dealing with human impediiicnta. You have to wait till tuuv uiu a natural death, and somehow or other this species of humanity exhibits amoststn penduuus pertinacity in. clinging to life. Yonr energetic business man entering npon hu career is sometimes handicapped and held in check by influences indicated, and the friction kills him. :Not so the kicker." He lives on and on. A wrinkle here and there as the year3 come and go. hut he still lives, growling and grumbling; anil wouilcrni; what the world is coining to. He has graveled and saved a few dollars, and finally he does pass in nis checks. Then, as a rule, unless he 1'as sown too much of the seed of imposition in the minds of the rising generatinu there is growth in the direc tion of progress. Ono Town's Experience. Many years ago, possibly 59, a machinist arrived in this country from England, and settled in the city of Trenton. X. J. As he approached that town, which was then an old-fashioned place.with the flavor of Kevo lutionary days still upon it, he got into conversation with a native. Asked what his mission was, he said he had engaged as a machinist in a new concern just formed or forming. The citizen was terriblyalarmed. He considcrid that such a dirty business would just rum the city, with its smoke and its noise. People who" owned land tried to keep back the" tide of enterprise that was seeking its level on the banks of the dear old Delaware. This class of obstructionist was very numerous. The idea of the pure sunlight of heaven being soiled, with smoke, and the air filled with sulphurous lames! They wauted none of it. For a few ye irs this spirit had its effect, and there were numerous long funeral pro cessions and many grand rhetorical eulogies pronounced before it was killed. Within tho writer's memory, however, the city of Trenton has grown from a large village to a city whuso manufacturing industries are pu-sibly more diversified than any other oa ihis continent. It was a hard thing to kill the opposition. When street cars were first spoken of a great many people rose up in arms and denounced thuse "to urged the'inatter. Now thev toneh almost every important strret. All this was maua possible by a few small manufacturing inter ests being alluwcd. under protest, to locate within the sacred limits of thocld Itevolulion ary burg. This is one illustration of many that might be instanced. Happvthe place where losylsm li notable by its rarity. I don't know whether rittsbnrg ever was afflicted in this way or not. If she was she seems to have cotton over it, and is now m the full light of better days. Jr Fog ism in the School Hoards. Row, this same principle of opposition to the onward march of endeavor is not con fined to communities as a whole, but is felt everywhere. At one time I served on the Board oi Education in a town in New York State. Oue member of ihe board, which 'with two or three exceptions wa3 a wooden affair anyhow, thought the boys and girls were "gittin' too much eddikation." When he was a lad that didn't "lam em retterick and fissiology, nor any o' that kind a trnck. They lurnt spcllin' and readin' and rethniatik." Hu didn't believe in spending tho people's money in "gografy. and all that kind a nonsense." Visiting this same schuol one day thi3 samo man watched a pupil doing an example In algebra. "What aro ynu doing: my lad?" he inquired. "Algebra." was the reply. Wbv them's not alphabet., them's figgers." The I'riucipal tried to keep the school from laughing, but it was n use. Then thu member of tne briard'thnuglit the discipline was not up to the mark. In order to make the schools anything like efticicne this man, with two or three others had t be squelched. A propo sition to ventilate the buildings in accordance with modern scientific methods met with a howl of opposition from tucie men, and they had to be circumvented by strategy. -- Old 1'a.shions lit Church. I once served a church in New Jersey that had been run iu a rut for many-years. At the services all the men would sit on one side and all the women on the other. Such was the hold the foolish custom had npon the people that it took a year to break it up. Von liloltke or Grant never had a tougher job in the line of strategic or diplomatic ork than J had in this matter. It was old foeywn iu the concrete. In another church w.is a deacon who had. for a quarter of a century, always offered the first prajer at the weekly meeting. He would watch till the pastor was through his lecture, and down upon his marrow hones he would go, and would hold on for from 21) to 30 minute'. Finally the hut feather fell on the camel's back, and I nkcu someone elw to open tho meeting. It wa a hold stroke, and came near bursting up the whole orgamzition. Nov.. I don't object to ancient things, so long as they are of somo utility, but I do abominate that kind of conservatism which dwells In the catacombs of eternal re'ropectlon. Mid never look-, into the bright and plowing fuiure, full of possibilities that the imagination of man is utterly incapable to comprehend or conceive. Onward is ihe watenword of ihe age. The human race cannot progress too rapidly. There is a divinity shapes oar end-. Let us cling to one round of the ladder of progress until wa can reach another, but when wo do reach it. leave hold of the lower one. Bur. luv spaco is exhausted. . Tiik Coustey Paksos. How Severe Colds are Broken Up in Mon tana. From the Virginia City, Slont., Jladlsonlan.j When we find a medicine we know to pos sess genuine merit, we consider it a duty, and we tike pleasure in telling; the public what it Is. Such a medicine we found Chamberlain's Cough Eemedy last winter, when la grippa was prevailing. We are satisfied that we warded off several at tacks that were' threatening by the use of this sy run, and we have since relieved, in a few hours, severe colds, and in the course of two or three days entirely broken them up by its use, as have several of our friends to whom we have recommended it. It is all that it is represented to be by the manufacturers., If you have a cough and want to stop it Chamberlain's Cough Eemedy will do the work. For sale by E. G. Stucky, 1701 and 2401 Penn ave.; JE. G. Stucky & Co., cor. Wylie ave. and Fnlton St.; .Mark ell Bros., cor. Penn iind Frankstown aves.; Carl Hartwig, 4016 Butler 3t.; John C. Smith, cor. Pern ave. and Main St., and Ja. L. McConnel Ss Co., 455 Fi th nve., Pittsburg; and in Allegheny by E. E. Heck, 72 and 194 Fed eral it; Thos. Ji. Morris, cor. Hanover and Preble aver.; A, J. Kaercher, 59 Fed eral st.-Chas. L. Walthcr, 64 Chestnut t., W. S. Beach, 676 Fifth ave., and Spohn & MurpbyJ No. 2 Carson at, 6. 6. waa . .,.- i- t , , jL-'. -i ..- " ') l - ' - a j-j$ 'FfJk lH' U i Vji',4A' V ' '"a. Wi 'j-' r.Kiis&a .. : ' J iitiwariwt i Titt if' iTl1 BKSMKUtBKSmSKUKlUBtmKSKKBKMHKmKIBKKIKSi' kiiiMBiiaMBBWWMMlWMWMBpiP!.t;BMMMMiiBMWMMfflMW m