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THE PITTSBURG" DISPATCH, TUESDAY, DECEMBER f$T, 71892.
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We on this side of the Atlantic are feel
ing the rage in Paris for Russian gowns and
Russian toques, and the latter, I can prom
ise, will be quite sure to pleaie those whose
tastes run to gaudy and altogether startling
effects. The Russian toque is very becom
ing to a dark-haired and dark-eyed woman.
It has a cloth crown decorated in gold and
green embroidery, the brim being of astra
cban. A stylish bonnet in blue velvet, hav
inz a crown ornament with graduated rows
of applique, is shown in the illustration.
Xhe velvet is puffed high both at the
back and in front, and there is a tuft of
?
A Slue Velvet Bonnet
pale blue ostrich tips in front, the strings
being ot pale blue satin ribbon.
The tiny theater bonnets this year are of
the most dainty and delicate build, little
more than headdresses, but full ot stvle and
expression. Possibly I should say they are
style producers, rather than stylish in and
of themselves, for we should bear in mind
that the philosophy of dress and personal
adornment is merely to accentuate and
bring out these qualities and to disguise
and cover up defects. A lace capote set off
with bows of yellow and light blue satin
makes a very pretty hat for evening wear.
So, too, does the black tulle directoire
;
cSfert. -"
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A PROFESSIONAL OBLIGATION.
When Abel Burgess, attorney, of Aber
deen, reviwed bis career, which he fre
. quently did by way of recreation, he in
creased in self-esteem an unnecessary
pain. Prom being a farmer's lad, a rough,
blasphemous, hard-drinking trainhand, a
stupid but ambitious student, he had forced
his way, through diligence and pertinacity,
to an honored place iu the ranks ot the bar
of the State. One thief only did Abel love
more than himself, and that was his pro
fession. He loved it as his parent; he
loved it as bis child; he loved it with the
gladness of one who has assiduously wooed
and won.
Incidentally he bad married a poor girl
from the neighboring metropolis, of whom
he knew little except that she was very
beautiful and had supported herself and
her widowed mother as a copyist. Inci
dentally there had been births and deaths,
joys and sorrows, within bis environment,
but none of these bad turned his feet from
the path nor his eyes from the goal of his
calling.
Had he ever considered the matter he
would have concluded that he was devoted
to his young wile; for whatever belonged
to him acquired a certain sanctity from the
possession. She had a fine home, servants,
equipages and pin money. What more
could she crave? Had he known that gos
ei ps said he disregarded her, hewould have
replied that she certainly seemed to thrive
under the neglect
Themis is a jealous mistress, but she
never had cause ot quarrel with Abel. He
worked except when he slept; and he slept
very little. He had collected a vast law
library with more latitude than discrimina
tion; and when he was not busied with his
cases he was1 reading, annotating, and di
gesting the precious volumes. But such
moments of play were scant and irregular,
for he had a large practice and attended to
it. Whatever his defects as a man, and he
was no sod, Abel Burgess was an acute,
painstaking and thorough lawyer, who,
when once retained, was as loyal, tenacious
and indomitable as a bulldog in nis client's
interests. Bulldogs are not handsome, nor
gentle, nor lovable, but those who need
their services must accept their character
istics. One afternoon Abel Burgess sat at his
desk in his library. Before him were the
latest volumes of reports from Patagonia
and Greenland, and a commonplace book in
which he was gleefully entering citations.
There was a sharp rap, and instantaneously
a little, old man rushed Into the room,
slamming the door behind him.
"Squire Burgess!" he gasped; '"Squire
Burgess, take this case for me and here's
$1,000 slap down as a retainer. Oh, dear
51,000."
An exceedingly nervous little, old man
he was, with' tremulous fingers and features
that twitched so that the spectacles astride
bis nose vibrated like flashlights. -
"Sit down," roared the counselor, as if
addressing one at the bounds of the conn
try, "sit down, you fool, and stop
driveling about money. First let me find
out wnetner you have a case. Bit down, I
say." '
The little, old man glanced toward the
door as if desperately anxious to escape,
but his limbs were so shaken by fear and
excitement that they compelled him to
obey.
"Ton know me," he faltered, "my name
is Oscar Q. Battin."
Yes, Abel Burgess knew him as the rich
est, meanest man in Aberdeen, one who had
saved and scrimped and starved all his life,
occasionally enriching a public charity, but
grinding bis gentle wife Into the grave, and
harrying his only son unto desperation.
Oh, yes, he knew him, as one familiar with
litigation in Aberdeen county must needs
know Oscar Q. Battin. , Yet, as a bulldog I
may disdain to worry a cur, so the-lawyer, '
shape, with orange roses encircling the
crown, and with orange velvet strings.
Flobette.
Evening Gowns In Paris.
Just at present evening. dresses are engag
ing the especial attention of the modistes.
A gown recently completed for a bud who
will make her debut within a few weeks is
a most charming confection, and, in its way,
is an ideal evening gown for a very young
lady. The material of the body of the dress
is white bengaline, cut low bat filled in at
the neck with accordion plaited crepe de
chine. The long sleeves are of the same
diaphanous material as is used at the neck,
and are gathered in at the waist in bands of
silver passementerie. Over the close-fitting
bengaline skirt is one of accordion-plaited
crepe de chine. Silver passementerie is
used on the bodice and at the foot of the
skirt.
Speaking of a white gown, a very beauti
ful dinner dress of white moire, vaguely
striped, which is in the hands of the mod
iste, that belongs to a leading Chicago so
ciety woman, is well worth describing. It
is said to be an exact reproduction of a din
ner dress worn by Mile. Berthe Cerny, of
the Gymnase Theater in Paris. If this is
so Mile. Cerny certainly has a very beauti
ful dress. Th'e vague stripes are in Dale
rose and blue in raiubow fashion. The waist
is draped fichu style in pink and orange
surah crossed back and front under a corse
let belt of pale green velvet Around the
waist is an outline ot black plumes. The
enormous tillent velvet sleeves are encircled
at the elbow with plumes. These sleeves
have the seam open Irom the epaulet to the
elbow to disDlay the arm. About the foot
of the demi-train skirt is a band of fluffy
black ostrich plumes.
Hints for Table Decorations.
The clever Parisian has discovered a new
method of perpetuating the scent of flowers
at a dinner table. A novelty has appeared
in the shape of small squares of biscuit
china (a tender cream color) and the in
ventor has found the means of impregnating
them permanently with the perfume re
quired. One one side flowers are painted.
The other contains the menu of the dinner.
One is placed by the side of each guest,
and thus violet, rose, or any other flower
dinners can be given with less trouble than
before.
Perhaps some of my readers who live in
town and cannot lead'ily command terns or
other plants, have not tried the following
simple and very inexpensive substitute for
them. It consists of cutting off in thin
slices the heads or crowns ot half a dozen
carrots and placing them in as many saucers
or tinv vases, crown upwards, ana neanv
covering them with water. After a week
or so they will begin to sprout, and delicate
irouds will continue to unfold and grow
during the winter months. Beetroot crowns
also succeed in this way, and form a pretty
contrast to the lighter green of the carrot.
Fads for the Fashionable.
Sctdi gloves are still first favorites for
evening wear, though kid is now more worn
In the street. Lavender with black points
give away to pale tan, with either black
points or narrow lines of pale red stitching.
Black velvet dresses are in style both for
old and young. They are to be enriched by
borders or brown and black fur and a belt,
collars and cuffs embroidered in jet and
gold. A bonnet or toque may be trimmed
with the same combination.
Ik Paris the new skirts are stiffened
around the bottom with steel. This seems
to be the natural precursor of the crinoline;
but tboush skirts are very much fuller, and
occasionally stiffened with horsehair to
make them stand out, it is very doubtful
whether hoops will ever really be the fash
Ion again.
The sweeping changes in the shape of win
ter bats and bonnets have brought about a
new style of wearing the hair, termed "tne
bun" a very descriptive name for the big
round knot of hair which is soon to be the
fashion. It is worn low, though not so low
as the Langtry knot, and demands a larger
amount of buir than the majority of women
possess.
perceiving the agitation of bis visitor, be
came, after his sort, gracious.
"Certainly," he replied. "Everyone in
Aberdeen knows Oscar Q. Battin. I think
I had the pleasure of cross-examining you
once in Griffin versus The City." Here
Abel smiled grimly, while a spasm shook
his auditor. "Ah! a famous case. What a
rascal that old oh, I beg pardon, of course.
Come, come, sir. Take time and compose
yourself; meanwhile I'll go on with my
work," and be swung about in his chair,
and in an instant was absorbed with colonial
proceedings thousands of miles away.
"Ahem!" at last coughed the client
"Now then?" said the attorney, briskly.
"Where shall I begin?"
"At the beginning."
"It was five years ago that I made my
will It was the last piece of work that
Kobert Marston Marston & Wilson, you
know, of the metropolis did for me, and
only a few months before he died. He was
one of the witnesses, and his partner, who
died last summer, was the other. This will
was the result of the carefully-considered
plans of my later years. My son Oscar has
been a constant course of sorrow to me. In
every way he has disappointed my hopes;
in every way be has disgraced me.
"Sooner than bave him inherit my
wealth I .would make a bonfire of it Since
be arrived at manhood I have given him an
ample allowance, ample for any one whose
hours were not all idleness. Well, in this
will I bequeathed an annuity of like amount
to him and nothing more. 'The scoundrel!
I should have left him a shilling to buy a
rope! All my estate, both real and per
sonal, I divided between my deceased
daughter's child aud at least a score of char
itable institutions. As well you know, a
will of such nature was a very' bulky docu
ment" Here Mr. Battin paused, wiped
his brow, and groaned, .
"Well?".
"I wrapped it in heavy parchment, tied
it with red tape, aud placed it in a box at
the Asbestos Safety Deposit Company. I
bave also a large compartment there in
which I keep my securities; but in this one
I have kept a few papers of a private na
ture." "Where did you keep its key?"
"On this chain ring with the others. See,
here it is."
"And left them occasionally on your desk
or hanging from a lock, I suppose? Go
on."
"The day before yesterday I opened this
box to consult a memorandum. In moving
the contents I noticed something strange
about the package containing my will. It
was very light I examined it narrowly;
it seemed the same as I had left it I un
tied the string, and then I noticed another
strange thing, which belongs to the second
part of my business here. I removed the
wrapper and what do you think? Oh,
dear! Oh, dear! There was the same kind
of paper, the same indorsement, the same
signatures I would swear io them all, mv
own especially but the instrument con
sisted only of two pages, and apparently in
the band of old Mr. Marston. Here it is.
"It gives everything to my son Oscar,
revoking all other wills and constituting
him as sole executor. It's a cheat, a fraud.
a forgery! I am not crazy! I never made
such a will! I would cut ofi my hand first
I am a poor old man, aud they are plotting
my death." Here Mr. Battin groaned and
sobbed feebly.
"What did you do?"
"I I was stunned, and so frightened. I
went to the manager and told him every
thing. I asked him whether anyone had
been at my box. He said, 'No one except
your son Oscar.' Ob, dear."
"Exactly. Who had taken an impres
sion of your key, of course. Well, what
next?"
"I sat in the front office in more of a
tremble than I am now, and sent the mes
senger to bring Oscar."
"That was foolish."
"Yes, but I was so seared, and I wanted
V ,. .Y-Wi.
A CHRISTMAS TOAST
In Honor of the Grand Master of the
Knights Templar
DRAWS OUT A NEAT'RESPONSB.
The Aims and Eopes of Templarlsm Elo
quently Presented.
90,000 BENT HUGH M'CURDY GREETING
Detboit,"Mich., Dec. 26. Hugh Mc
Curdy, Grand Master Of the Knights Tem
plar of the United States, has issued the
following Christmas greeting in response to
a toast in his honor, which was joined in by
members of that order at meetings to be
held all over the country to-day:
CoimuNA, Alien., Doc. 23.
To All Knights Templar of Oar Obedience:
pitEErrHO Acknowledging with profound
Gratitude the high honor which you tender
me by meeting m your asylums this day at
noon and joining In this Christmas toast:
"To our Grand Master, Hugh McCurdy.
From ocean to ocean and from the srulf to
the lakes 90,000 Templars send merry Christ-'
mas greetings."
In response to thin sentiment I can only
offer you the promptings of a heart over
flowing with gratitude and good will to all
malice toward none, mellowed and sancti
fied by dlvlno Inspiration or this hallowed
season of the year, heart coes out to heart
and redolent joy of sweetest fragrance fills
every memory.
I would not presume fitly to respond to
greetings from "90,000 Templars from ocean
to ocean from gulf to lakes," were it notTor
the truth that Temnlarlsm's magic word is
that llctle monosyllable one. In this word
what restful music we find. Of Its charm
all are conscious. There Is no word in the
language more- powerful: it is the first ele
ment of thought, it holds the first place in
human life. It Is the beginning and the end
of all things. The best words and deeds of
men have been spoken and done in its
spirit. Iu this spirit, Sir Knights, your Greet
ings come, In this spirit are they received.
Nogreeting is more In harmony with all that
Templarism embodies than a Cniiatmas
greeting with its inspiring memories of tne
angel's son? of "Peace on earth, good will
to men." Only so lar as Templurlsm works
for this end has it claim to tno homage of
men. The world cares very little for eleva
tion of sentiment In creatine, in sermon, or
In song, unless it sees it manifested in some
Jiroof". It is not, then, 90.000 Templars send
ng Chrtsihias greetings to which I am In
vited to respond; but the Templar unity
which in the ever blessed spirit of this glad
season, greets all Templars and which all
Templars greet.
The spirit of Cbriatmastldo is the spirit of
Oneness. The spirit of the Son of Man who
joined man and his God with a sense or
companionship. Words, names, conditions,
creeds divide men. These all become mean
ingless in the .presence of tue greetings'of
Cbristmastide. How the walls of partition
fall at the sound of this word "One" tho
word of the century the watchword of our
dayj a word which men may safely trust
and safely follow, wherever it may lead,
whomsoever it may Include. It la the
mission or Templarlsm as it Is the mission
of Christmas to conciliate all antagonisms,
all dividing and separating influences to
make more sacred the claims of the father
hood of God and the brotherhood of man.
Templarism is in this world and we are
Templars to seek and to save that nlilch is
common to all men. Human needs, human
love, human sorrow in these all men are
one.
Templarlsm is in the world to-day
"The banner of the cioss to bear,
And its strength with human weakness
share."
Here, like,
"The star flower of the Virgin Child,
Sown by some wandering Frank, to tell to
Men the story of the Savior's birth."
And, as,
Prom nature's face that simple flower
The lines in sin and sadness swept.
And Magian pile and Paynlm bower
In peace like that of Eden slept."
So Templarlsm grows In all its truer, bet
ter self to ease the bm den or the'world. Its
true life, like the life of its leader, the Star
Flower Of Bethlehem, is a. narnntiinl nm.
whose music is the gladness of the world, I
to confront him with a witness, so that
he
couldn t face me down, and
"And the messenger returned, having de
livered the summons, but Oscar didn't show
up, and you haven't seen him since, and are
not likely to.
"There is no 'on.' Thai is all and more
than enough. I am terrified to death! There
is some plot, and this villain will surely
kill me. It's a wonder that I am still alive.
My will is gone. Under this false one, or
my intestacy, he would inherit, and he
knows it, and "
"I think you have been in imminent
danger," said Abel Burgess, gravely. "But
calm yourself Oscar is no tool. He has
fled; and he appreciates that you will do at
once what you now desire to do, I presume,
protect yourself and your propertv."
"That's it, that's it. Pixit s'o thatjn
any event, whether I'm alive or dead, Ibat
rascal shan't have a picayune!"
"Whom did vou name as executor in
your will?"
"My agent, James Mason, who manages
all my affairs."
"Hum! An honest man. You trust him,
implicitly?"
"Implicitly. If he could only act as ex
ecutor now, I would live and die content"
"That is just what I was about to suggest
to you. Make a deed of trust conveying
everything to him to manage as he now
does during your life, and at your death to
divide as therein specified. Such a deed is
irrevocable, and by removing the tempta
tion removes all peril of violence.
"That's just what I want, just what I
want," exclaimed the old man, rubbing his
bands together gleefully. "I will send my
papers and instructions to you before night-
iaiL x nave got you now, ob, mine
enemy!"
"Is there anvthing further?"
"Indeed, yes, something that I care even H
more about My son has fled. He will be
sufficiently pnuisbed by poverty. He will
starve, henill die, he will rot in a ditch.
I foresee it, I believe ,it But he had an
accomplice. He had neither the brains nor
skill to originate and carry out such a
scheme. That accomplice must be detected.
I will spend half my fortune to apprehend
him. And then, oh, then; he shall feel the
weight of the law, I promise you. He shall
sutler as I have suffered. You must take
charge of this for me. You have been
Prosecuting Attorney. You are wise and
cunning, and" ,
"Tut-tut How do you know it's a 'he'?
Who have been your son'syassociates?"
"I know little of his habits except that
they are bad. James Mason told me this
morning that he had lately been seen in the
metropolis in company with a very pretty
young woman. The huzzy!"
"Aha! What did I suspect Cherchez
lafemme." (The attorney anglicized the
vowels and gave "lemme" two syllables,
but be comprehended the phrase notwith
standing.) .
"That reminds me," began Mr. Battin.
"That reminds you of the second strange
thing which you noticed when ypu made
your discovery."
"Exactly. How auicklv von take me!
As I untied the string a long, fine hair
twined around mv finder a woman's hair.1
"Ahair that may hold the sword of Damo
cles! Tell me in whose handwriting was the
body ot your will?"
"I don't know; but I would recognize it.
I often admired it, Jt was so firm, elegant
and legible. Some clerk's of Marston &
Wilson, I presume. Why do you ask?"
"That will do, Mr. Battin. I won't detain
you any longer. The sooner you send your
papers to me the better. Call at this hour
to-morrow and the deed will be read v for
execution. As for the other matter, I will
think it over. Good-day. sir." And the
lawyer.swung around in bis chair and be
came absorbed in bis books.
The following day the deed of trust was
duly executed, and old Mr. Battin breathed
easier. Perhaps this freedom from dread
gave strength to his desire for vengeance,
ior,it became the impulse of bis life. Day
after day he haunted the lawyer's office
with inquiries and suggestions, and Abel
Burgess soon found that it was unnecessary
lor him to carry the memorandum "the
matter of Battin" from one page to another
of his diary. Indeed, without this penis-
because an echo or that first Christmas song
of a true brotherhood "peace on earth, good
will to men."
And, Sir Knights, on this the gladdost day
of all tho year, assembled in your asylums,
and standing in magio circle around our
shrines, we pledge eaoh to the other and to
all Sir Knights throughout the world, a more
unswerving faith in the principles and prac
tices of our magnanimous brotherhood. Let
us sing with one voice and-will:
"Behold the drink of Gods;
They drink and lot in heart and brain
A new glad life began:
The grey of hair grew young again,
The sick man laughed away his pain,
The cripple leaped and ran.
Drink mortals what the Gods have given.
To bring the skies more near,
Andlift men up to Heaven."
And may the one spirit of Christmas tlda
and true knighthood upon us and all man
kind "Drop Its still de ws of quietness,
Till all our strivings cease;
Take Horn our souls the strain and stress.
And let our ordeied lives confess
The beauty of its peace."
Sir Knights, you will now participate In
the toast which I otter. Christmas: The
birthday of Him who is the embodiment of
all Templars' hopes. The lnsnirer of that
spirit wnicn mates an ivniguts lempiar one,
whosoever disposed around the globe.
Hugh McCuboy,
Grand Master
WIIfiOH'S BIO DEAL.
He and Several Pennsylvanlans Secure
15,000 Acres of Coal Land.
PABKEE3BURO, Dec. 26. Special Ex
Congressman Ben Wilson, of Clarksburg,
has about completed another gigantic coal
deal with several TJnlontown men. It is
said that they have secured the mining
right of 15J00O acres of the best land in this
State. This is Mr. Wilson's second trans
action within the past year.
In Trouble Over False Paper.
Buklington, Vx, Dec. 26. W. A,
Brown, son of James Brown, a prominent
business man of Chicago, has been arrested
in Vergennes,,for forging a 5400 check on
an Oakhill, III., bank. He attempted to
pass the check at Middlebury. Failing to
secure bail in 51,500 Brown was lodged in
jail at Middlebury. .
Farkeribnrg In Luck.
PAEKEESBtTEO, Dec. 26. Special The
project, that has been discussed for some
time, looking toward the erection of a
female reform school in this State appears
to be assuming a tangible form. The insti
tution will be called the "Girls' Industrial
Home," and will be modeled after the
"Boys' School," at Pruntytown.
An Old Woman Murdered.
Parkebsbubg, Dec. 26. Special A
report reached here to-night that an aged
woman was murdered at Cairo yesterday
afternoon. Cairo is not a telegraph station,
and no further particulars could be learned.
It is said that the body was left nncared for
for several hours.
Maitt prominent citizens and officials reo
omtnend Dr. Bull's Cough Syrup.
CHRISTMAS DAY.
Gallery Open All Day.
One dozen cabinets and a large crayon for
$S only. Hendricks & Co.'s photograph gal
lery. No. 68 Federal street, Allegheny. Cab
inets $L Ho extia charge for family gronps.
2,000 Children Made Happy.
H. E. Bower, the poDUlar grocer of the
Northsido, yesterday distributed to the
children at his place of business, 271 Bobin
son street, 2,000 boxes of candy with the
help of a Santa Claua.
nil RnTtrnt la a linatlA an4 Hah.a ..
praise for bis kindness to the little folks.
BBAI. ESTATE S4VINQSBANK, UJI,
401 Smlthfleld Street, Cor. Fourth Avenue.
Capital, 100,000. Surplus, $81,000.
pepoBits of $1 and upward reoeivedand
interest allowed at i per cent. m
tence on the part .of his client, it would
have been unnecessary, for, as the problem
grew more difficult, the more determined
did he became to solve it
Such was the nature of the man, such the
foundation of his success, until his obliga
tion was fulfilled he was a slave, bound
hand and foot by the golden links of the re
tainer which he had accepted.
One evening Abel Burgess set hard at
work at his desk. Before him were the
notes of private inquiries which his agents
had made, a goodly number, but under the
winnowing ot his acumen there was an
abundance of chaff and but little grain.
The faots seemed about as follows: Young
Oscaf Battin'had lived the life of an idle,
dissolute man ot the world, frequenting
clubs, cafes and greenrooms, and in these
resorts well-known and liked for good na
ture and liberality. But all reports con
curred that for the pastyear.be had aban
doned his ordinary pursuits and avocations.
His acquaintances joked about a mysteri
ous attachment, and said that Oscar hurl
ieen caught and struDg. There had been
glimpses of him driving and dining in the
metropolis; but these glimpses told nothiug
of his companion, who had been persistent
and succeeded in her incognita Some, in
deed, asserted that she was young and
pretty, but these were" evidently moved
more by reasoning than by knowledge. As
for thefirm of Marston & Wilson, the in
formation was even more scant Thev had
been highly respectable, old-fashioned
practitioners, devoted to the passive rather
than the active side of the law. Both were
now dead, and a fire bad swept away the
building containing their office and with it
their books and papers.
Their confidential clerk, who bad served
them for many years, was incapacitated and
away from town, seeking health in a dist
ant sanitarium. One agent, how ever, had
found a young man who bad served as office
Doy lortbe attorneys about the time of the
matting of the Battin will, but his memory
was more acnte of acts ot truaucv than of
duty. He did recall, though, and this was
the most significant fact gleaned, that old
Jin Marston gave the engrossing of all im
portant papers to a young woman whose
style was acceptable to him. Being closely
questioned, he further stated that she al
ways came to the office in the company of
an elderly female in black, and that her ap
pearance was "fly."
"Oho!" chuckled Abel Burgess, as he ex
hausted the memoranda, "my first impres
sions were correct Cherchez la femme."
This, then, was the manner of his deduc
tions and conclusions: Of the persons who
could have been cognizant of the purport
of Oscar Q. Battin's will two were dead,
and they the ones most likely to preserve
Its secrecy. Their old clerk, whose career
was an assurance against suspicion, was an
Invalid occupied by the hopeless pursuit
of health. The office boy had been too
young and giddy to merit the slightest con
sideration. Who therefore remained? The
copyist, familiar with the handwriting of
her employer and skilled in the use of the
pen.
As from a mountain, the trained percep
tions of the lawysr grasped every detail of
the history; the meetiug of Oscar and this
young woman; their mutual infatuation;
their desire for wealth that thevmltrht neck
pleasure together throughout the wide
world; her revelation of the contents of the
will and his despair; her suggestion that
she cold imitate, could forge, and his ac
quiescence; and the unfolding of a plot
whose last scene might have been mur
der! "If Ionlveonld get a specimen of her
natural handwriting and identify it,"
mused the lawyer. But would this be suf
ficient? Yes; should old Mr. Battin recog
nize it as that of the body of his will, then,
the person being known and her active par
ticipation proved, how quickly could a
thousand little circumstances be woven into
the meshes of the law.
"But how can I get it? " ernmbled AbeL
"Confound those old drones! Had thev
been in active practice thev might be fifty
papers ia her hand on file in this very
office!"
Had he ever had a case with Marston &
Wilson? No, be had scarcely known
them. And yet there was sometping' con-
A MINNEAPOLIS FAILURE.
Corser Co., Beat Estate Dealers, Fall
for a 81,000,000.
Mutkeapolis, Dec. 2a The failure of
the old real estate firm of E. S. Corser &
Co. is announced to-day. The liabilities
will reach a million dollars, but it is
thought the assets will more than cover all
obligations. The cause of the failure was
not real estate and speculation but specula
tion in wheat. E. S. Corser, the head of
the firm, has a large farm in the Bed Biver
Valley and raises grain, and in 'connection
with handling his own product has gone ex
tensively Into speculation. It is said upon
reliable' authority that he has lost $250,000
in wheat during the last few days.
The firm consists of E. S. Corser, Lester
R Elwood, Walter E. Badger, and Austin
L. Belknap. It is impossible to arrive at
the true state of affairs until a statement is
made tor the creditors. The real estate,
Mr. Corser thinks, is worth 51,000,000
and the amount available for unsecured
creditors will largely depend upon the man
agement of the estate by the assignee. No
assignee has as yeU been appointed. Corser
Ss Co., were managers of the New York
Lite building. The firm always stood high
in this city and could readily have secured
abundant assistance, it they had been
willing to accept it. E. a Corser was
president of the Beala Estate Board and has
just declined re-election.
Time scatters our locts and turns them gray.
Are yon too young to Bear these marks of age?
men use ranter's iiair isais&m.
Dewitt's Little Early Blsers. Nog,riplng
no pain, no nausea: easy pill to take.
tfftpPsfRQ
ON15 KNJOYS
Both the method and results when
Sjrup of Figs is taken; it is pleasant
and refreshing to the taste, and acts
geuuy yei promptly on tne Jiidneys,
Liver and Bowels, cleanses the sys
tem effectually, dispels colds, head
aches and fevers and cures habitual
constipation, Syrup of Figs is the
only remedy, of its kind ever pro
duced, pleasing to the taste and ac
ceptable to the stomach, prompt in
its action and truly beneficial in its
effects, prepared only from the most
healthy and agreeable substances, its
many excellent qualities commend it
to all and have made it the most
popular remedy known.
Syrup of Figs is for sale in BOc
and $1 bottles by all leading drug
gists. Any reliable druggist wm
may not have it on hand will pro
cure it promptly for any one who
wishes to try it. Do not accept any
substitute.
CALIFORNIA FIG SYRUP CO.
SAN FRANCISCO. CAU
10UISV1UE, KY.- HEW YORK, tt.Y.
temptuous associated with their name.
What was it? Stay: had there not been
some years ago of course. What a dolt
he was not to have remembered. They had
intervened in the great partition suit of
"Jackson vs. Jackson," and had filed a
laborious brief, taking such an untenable
position that he had kept it out ot curiosity.
Where were those papers? Well, search
would reveal them.
"And then," murmured Abel Burgess, as
he hastened to the storeroom, ''it I have
the brief and you copied it, and old Battin
recognizes the handwriting, look out for
yoorself, my dear young lady, whoever you
may be."
Abel Burgess bore the package to his
desk and turned over the contents. Ibere,
at the bottom, was that which he sought.
He opened it and scanned page after page.
He placed it in a compartment of his desk.
He rebound the bundle and bore it to its re
ceptacle. What afflicted Abel Burgess on
his return' from the storeroom? Such a
strong, vigorous man, why did he walk so
feebly?
Such a cool, self-contained man, whv did
he tear the memoranda into shreds and be
strew the floor? Such a resolute, arrogant
man, why did he turn low the lights and
sink lumplishlv into his chair and moan as
if without hope? Surely, for one whose
entire delight lay in the law, such surround
ings should be felicitous! ,
Did he blame himself during the dreary
vigil of that uight? Did he realize that
love, even when merely a selfish sense of
ownership, can not be contemned with im
punity? 4.I1, the bitterness of ashes! ah,
the emptiness of regret! Why is the past
the only dead that, returns, and always to
upbraiding?
It was early the next morning that Oscar
Q. Battin made his customary call on his
lawyer. Be found him calm, reserved and
subdued, far different from the blatant, ag
gressive m.in who had received his business
so cavalierly.
"Oh, I am so anxious," exclaimed the old
man at first sight. "I dreamed last night
that you had discovered something, and
I've been wild with anticipation ever
since."
"After all," said Abel Burgess solemnly,
"irhat can you gain by continuing this in
quiry? Nothing, save annoyance and scan
dal. Your son has disappeared. Your af
fairs are satisfactorily arranged. Come, let
the matter drop, and I will return your re
tainer to you." There was pleading in his
tones.as be spoke.
"How dare you make such a suggestion?"
cried Mr. Battin passionately. "Not to
save my immortal soul would I do so. Ah,
you have made a discovery, and it affects
your interests in some wise. Ob, you law
yers, you are all alike. Each one has bis
price. But have a care, I "
"Gently, sir, gently," said the attorney
as he reached the brief from his desk. "Look
at that Did you ever see the handwriting
before?"
One glance, and Oscar Q. Battin, in his
fierce excitement, sprang to his feet, poised
as if about to spring.
"Of course I have," he shouted. , '"Tis
the same as the body of my will. Tell me
at once who wrote it"
"A young woman who was a copyist em
oyed by Bobert Marston."
'Her name, her name, that I niav drag
ploye
her through the mire of shame. Oh, the
huzzy, the bar "
"'Hush, she is now my wife." iVno York
Times. 1
Help yourself to get rid of that cough or
cold, or any asthmatic- or throat trouble by
usinu Dr. . Jayue's Expectorant
Give Yonr Boys a UsoTu! Present
Printing presses and outfits $1 75, $3 50, J,
(7 SO, $10 to JL Send 5o for catalogue.
W. A. 11UHT1XO,
20 Fifth avenue, corner Market street
No Christmas and New Teat's table should
be without a bottle of Angostura Bitters,
tho world renowned appetizer of exquisite
fluvor. Beware of counterfeits.
Perfect action nnd perreot health result
rom tho use of Do Witt's Little Early Hiss r s.
A perfect little pill. Very small: .very sura
-t, .c .-,. A A&amJj&faj.
HEW ADVERTISEMENTS.
THE
TINGS
THE OLD YEAR.
As a fitting climax to our previous efforts
we now offer you the choice of. any $22,' $20
or $18 suit or overcoat in our stock for
OUR
1
PARTING SHOT.
Look to your interests and take advantage of our $14.50 sale of Suits
or Overcoats.
Every purchase made in our ESTABLISHMENT
if not perfectly satisfactory can be returned and the
money will be cheerfully refunded-
4-PLY LINEN, 2100 FINE,
COLLARS 7 CENTS. CUFFS II CENTS.
Smithfield, Corner Diamond Street
BRASS FRONT.
HAIL ORDERS RECEIVE PROMPT ATTENTION.
AH0HO THE DIAMOND DIGOEE3.
How tne Famous Gems Are Sought in tne
Fields Bordering on the Vaal.
Jeweler's Circular.:
I have just had a few days among the
river diamond diggers, near Hebron, on the
Vaal. The work here is carried on by in
dividual diggers, each man leasing his
claim and working it himself with the aid
of a few native laborers. They are a motley
crowd, these diggers, and representative of
every nationality. It's a hard ana pre
carious existence.
Diamonds are few and far between, but
when found, nevertheless, they are gener
ally of first-class quality and realize high
prices. The diggers .are mostly men of
very small means. Their tools and wash
ing gear are about all they have, and they
consequently live very poorly. Meal of
rough quality is often the only food that
passes their lips from one month's end to
another. This they usually get on credit
from some storekeeper, who furnishes them
with the bare necessaries of lite on the off
chance of their finds. Most of the diggers,
ot course, have a find some time or other,
though there are strange instances of ill
luck following the quest of diamonds year
after year.
I had a conversation with one old man
who had been at this sort of work for 19
years, and I am afraid to say how long it is
since he has had a turn of luck. He had
lived nearly all this time on meal, and there
he was toiling away at 'about the hardest
work man can undertake, vet seemed will
ing to go on to the end. This labor, bow
ever, though heavy, has a -wonderful fascin
ation for those who once take it up. A very
fine itone had been found a'few days before
my arrival. It was valued between 700
and 800. Toward the end ot last month
two brothers had a marvelous run of luck.
They found stones to the value of over 4,
000 in a very short space of time.
BBICKMAKIKG IB ASIA.
Some of the Uncivilized Tribes Are aioro
Skillful Than the Whites.
Youth's Companion.
We should bardly expect to learn much
about the arts of civilized life from the
tribes of Central Asia, and yet, according
to M. EdQuard Blanc, some of the inhabi
tants of Western Mongolia know how to
make better brick thau we can make. They
use the same material as we do, and singu
larly enough the thing that gives superior
ity to their process of brickmaklng is one
ot the most ponerful agents of Western
civilization, steam.
When tiie bricks have been baked for
three days the opening of the oven is closed
with felt, whicli is kept wet, so that the
bricks, still intensely heated, are enveloped
in steam. This process causes a remark
able change in the character of the bricks.
Prom red thtiy turn gray, and at the same
time they acquire a remarkable degree ot
toughness and hardness. Although porous
they give out a sound when struck like that
of clink-stone, and they resist the effects of
the weather much better than do the bricks
of Europe and America.
Necessity, as usual, was the mother of
invention in this case, for the climate in
which these ingenious. Mongols live is
subject to great extremes of temperature,
which have a disastrous effect upon bricks
made by the ordinary process.
CULTIVATION OF POTATOES.
A French Scientific Agriculturist's Be
markablo Experiments,
rwnrrres ron Tnr msrATCH.1
A remarkable series ot experiments made
by ji French scientific agriculturist in the
cultivation of potatoes has given astonish
ing results. In oue instance he obtained a
yield of no less than 42 tons of tubers per
acre. He selected the best "and soundest
- .. -ttirflteiiJtel --tf-r.fri
TO
1
&
de26-l-Tn
seed potatoes, ploughed the land very
deeply and manured it heavily.
He also steeped the potatoes for 2i hours
in a solution made by dissolving six pounds
of saltpetre and six pounds of sulphate of
ammonia in 25 gallons of water; then he
allowed them to drain and stand for 2i
hours for their buds to swell before plant
ing them. ,
SCALING THE FAMOUS MATTEEH0S5.
How Three Persons Had ti-GIve Up Their
Lives in the Attempt.
"I was one of a party of six," said Dr.
Welworth, of Oberlin College. O., in the
St. Louis Globe Democrat, "that left the vil
lage of Hartzberg, in Switzerland, one
August morning a feir years ago, to attempt
to scale the rocky heights of the Matter
horn. That feat has been accomplished since
by several Alpine climbers, and yet it is
still a rare occurrence. Someday I hope to
accomplish my desire, and look down from
its snow-capped peaks.
"We secured two guides, and having
ascended the firrt easy slopes, we came to
where the guides advised the use of tha
chain system that is, of taking a long rope
and knotting it about the waist of each per
son, aDout 20 feet apart. Then if one should
slip or fall he could not roll away, for the
others could assist him. We tied ourselves
together and resumed the ascent Soon we
were high into the regions of cold winds,
and steadily tearing the clouds, that cap
the mountain's peak. Several times one or
another of the men fell, and each time hal
regained his position with the aid of the
rope. All at once a great cry came from
below; the last three of my companions
had slipped and fallen, and their combined
weight threatened to drag us all over the
cliff. I staggered under the load, as did the
recond guide, who was close behind me, the
elder guide having taken the lead.
"The situation was precarious: We were
all slipping from our positions. The lead
ing guide at last lost his grip, and called
down from above to cut the rope. I did
not understand until the guide below me
drew a knile and severed the rope between
himself and our last three companions.
They rolled away over the precipice and
were no doubt crushed below. This freed
us of a great weight, and we all regained
our feet Then we decided to retreat. The
guide seemed not to regret his action very
much. He said it was simply a choice of
three or eight deaths, and he prefered
three. It was an awful occurrence, but
illustrated to me the lawless, ethicless char
acter of necessity and self-preservation."
AH IHTfBZSlIHG FIBD.
Bones of a Mammoth Animal Discovered
While Digging a Well.
Los Angeles Times,
E. K. Green, who is putting down a well
for a laundry company on Winston street,
below Main, made an inteiesting find yes
terday forenoon in the course of his work.
At a depth of 45 feet below the surface ha
encountered, embedded in the gravel, a
hard substance in his digging, which, upon
examination, proved to be portions of the
skeleton of rome mammoth animal, buried,
perhaps, hundreds of, years ago. The sub
stance was badly decayed, and readily
crumbled in the hands under pressure.
One of the largest pieces secured intact
was the ball of a joint, which measured
some 12 inches in diameter and several
times that number in circumference. Smal
ler portions of bones, supposed to be pieces
of ribs and tutks, were also unearthed.
Judging from the parts found the animal
must have been at least 20 feet In length.
TRe composition of the bones leaves no
doubt but what the remains were not those
of a whale, but cf some of the mammoths
of former centuries, 'so often found trace of
under ground.
IS' 1550 "Brown's Bronchial Troches" were in
troduced, and their success u a care for colds,
cough-, uthms, and bronchitis has been unpar
alleled. T
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