1Z
p. F. SCHWEIER,
THE 001BT1TUT10I THE TJUOI-HB TUB H7010HCEIT 07 THE L1WS.
Editor and Proprietor.
T0L. XL.
MIFFLINTOWN, JUNIATA COUNTY. PENNA.. WEDNESDAY. FEHRUARY 3, ISS6.
NO. G.
An Answer.
U the Rat" n.,d for7." W7
Jjtttfflng nd kis-'inc, and coohne and
.ffthe heart- nd light to the eye;
"Wag 1,111 tumbUn nJ lortn
faTcrowing and
crooning and smll-
F'jrdimp-.inB and pretty beguiling
And petting,
iad saiMen sweet antic,
For rrviufi
And trying
To Kite us all frantic;
U, wuble and care that can never be paid
pjrUps Cii may be what the Baby is made
fbr!
r-Ut i the Baby made for?" Well,
Jing the bouse with aceptre lm-
j Mks time gay. and our playUg
"ting famine and sleeoing;
For rnixins "P smtlins with weeping;
And vet with such total surrender
Of oir heart to bis whims and Ills
kis the small rod while it schools
Hg: and weak, to be cberised and
t$W may be what the Baby is made
for!
"What is the TUbv made for?' Dear,
Smeum9 I think as a lewn solely
lo ns who are helpless as Babv here.
Aad worthier and poor, that God loves us
wholly, ,
he' we have naught to commend us
tan what His mercy doth lend as;
Powerless, weak, and forsaken,
Until His love doth awaken!
Safely his arms doth enfold ns;
Like "unto babes He doth hold as;
Sheltered, beloved and protected,
Pieasautly led and directed,
To show that our feeble endeavor
Is helped by His coodness forever,
With tenderness deeper than ever we prayed
be what the Baby is
code fur.
i TWELFTH-SIGHT ADVEXTCBE.
It was a Utter night in December
when Charley and I traveled down to
Yorkshire; but we forgot all the dis
comforts of the journey when we reach
id Doverscourt Manor and received
warm welcome from Amv and her
unhand, from whom we had received
an invitation to spend Christmas there
My sister was the picture of happi
ness; ber face told such a tale of con
tent that it was quite unnecessary to
evstion her on the subject.
The chief staircase went up from the
ball, and oined on to a corridor wbicn
fcnnched off in two directions and led
in the nrincical bed-rooms. Some of
chambers were reached by extra
Bale flights of stairs, wnich were rather
perplexing until one Knew one a way
stoat the bouse.
One morning my brother-in-law sug
rested that we should explore the west
wins, the abode of the family ghost
ISe rooms there were small, low-pitch-
si, fcnd almost bare of furniture, it
wH them stood a laree old-fashione4 j
tartrobe filled with treasures in tii
wy of dresses and dress-materials.
There were satins and rich brocade
and beautiful old lace. The dresses
hid formed the trousseau of the family
jhost whose story we asked the old
housekeeper to tell.
Tbe legend was as follows; A niece
of the head of the house at the time of
Cromwell's triumph was engaged to a
rovaliit of high degree, but the dam
Kl loved a Koundhead officer, with
wtomshe would have eloped but for
their want of funds. One day the girl
discovered a secret which her uncle be
lieved was carefully guarded. This
wa that the King was in hiding in a
ecret chamber in Doverscourt Manor.
Tbe girl knew how high a price was
let npon the head of the fugitive, and
conceived the idea of obtaining the
money for her lover by betraying the
king into his hands. She made all her
plans, and on the appointed night let
her lover in at the door of the cellar
opening from "the wilderness." To
feiber they went to the secret chamber.
Tbe girl unlocked the door, and the
Inmate of the room turned round in
Untlyupon his intruders, revealing
the face of the master of. the house.
Be hid been warned that treachery was
afoot, and had quietly removed his
roya! guest to a place of safety, and
hlnisflf occupied the secret room in
order to discover tbe traitor. In his
rage at his niece's base Ingratitude he
turned her out of doors. The next day
t as found in the grounds, stabbed
by the ruthless hand of her pretended
lover in his fury at the failure of the
wicked scheme. The miserable girl
arrayed an on the night ot her crime,
in a wh:te dress and veil, and carrying
a lamp and a bunch of Keys, was said to
haunt the western wing and staircase.
So firmly did the servants believe iu
the apparition that none of them ever
?proached that wing after dark.
That wln'.er was very severe, and
to gentlemen spent much of their
tone in skating. In the meantime Amy
I were very happy together, find
fcg full and pleasant occupation in pre
Wnr.g a Christmas-tree for Christmas
Eye for the henelit of the servants and
Jiagera. We also accomplished won-
in the way of warm garments,
he.ped by old nurse and Amy's maid
ith her sewing-machine. We worked
Jy hard, but were amply rewarded
lor our exertions when the evening
fcoe, and we saw the general delight
Onsed by our presents.
The hall was prettily decorated, and
yaod I donned gorgeous array,
re that this would be considered a
Pt compliment, and would give
afure to those who had few oppor
JJiiitiescf seeing handsome dresses,
"The tree" vas followed by a dance in
jj hall and a capital supper. Among
servants I noticed particularly one
no had not been long at Doverscourt,
"bere she filled the postof under-house-I
never could jay why my at
tion was specially attracted to her,
oeyond the fict of her appearing
wmewhat sicklv. there was nothing
uceable about her. Afterwards I re-
"oered how persistently she bad
W at Amy, who was a lovely pic-
m sappuire velvet and diamonds.
'nu times I caught the inn's eyes
oen she had been gazing at her mis-
tj1s'ana the idea crossed my mind
she was fascinated by the gleam
"we diamonds, the like of which she
" Drohw , r
w e spent Christmas day very quietly
an ntt0 cnurch in the morning,
Ikl. my Dad one gest at "inner.
i -tciauii, wno, naving miaacu
Jrjw church, had called to inquire
J "w' Ue was a childless widower
-""consequently lonely, so it was not
. ncult matter to persuade him to
four party. That was our first in
subsequently proved, we were mutual
ly attracted.
Christmas passed, and the New Year
came. There was to be a fancr ball at :
the county-town on Twelfth-Night to '
which Willie and Charley were going,
the one as Faust, the other as Mephis
tophe'es. We dined earlier than usual, in order
to give the men time for their long
drive. After dinner. Amy and I set
tled ourselves in the library, which we
preferred to tbe large drawing-room
when we were alone. When Willie
apiared in his dress as Faust, I went
to see how Charley was getting on
for punctuality was not oue of his vir
tues; and my brother-in-ltw was apt to
get impatient if he was kept waiting.
I knocked at Charley's door; and
when he called out "Come in!" I en
tered; but I started back in horror at
his disguise.
"Oli, Charley," I cried, "what a hor
rible dress!"
"Yes. Isn't it fine?" he laughed.
"I wish you had not chosen that,
dear," I said. "I do hope Amy will not
see you. or any of tbe servants."
"I will take care of that, so don't
worry yourself. Bab. I will dwadle
about until Kenrick goes 'on the ram
page,' and then run straight out to tbe
carriage. This cloak covers me well,
and I'll take my head in my pocket."
Charley did as he promised. Wait
ing, after the carriage came round,
until Willie began to call to him to
hurry, he came flying down-stairs, and.
calling out "Good night. Amy!" was
in the carriage before his companion.
My brother-in-law was always con
siderate for his dependants, had decid
ed that he and Charley would sleep in
the town, so as to avoid having the
coachman out again that night in the
Intense cold. A small portmanteau
conveying their morning-dress was put
into tbe carriage. In this the fancy
attire would be brought back, so that I
had no longer any fears of Charley's
hideous garb being seen by the houe
hold.
We did not stay down-stairs long
after the men left. Amy, who had
been ailing all day, became so nervous
as the evening progressed that nurse
Iersuaded her to go up stairs and get
to bed early. Then nurse and I sat
over the lire chatting quietly, until
Amy's calm breathing toll that she
was bleep. We tad been talking of
"the days tliat are no more," and the
time had pissed so quickly that we
were both astonished to hear the clock
strike twelve. Nurse rose then, and
went away to her own room. I was go
ing to sleep with Amy, and had un
dressed, but was wrapped in a warm
dressing-gown which had been a Christ
mas present from Amy and Willie. I
lingered over the fire after nurse l 'ft,
lost in thought, and forgetting tbe
flight of time.
I was aroused from my dreams by
the sound of wheels in the 8tabl
yard; but, before I had time to wonder
what it meant; the door op-ned quiet
ly, and my brother-in-law came Into
the room.
"Why. Willie." i'whiffiered, "what
"does tins tujaa?. ' " . - --
! was nervous atxit Amy; ano
looked so pale to-night that I could
not make up my mind to stay away,"
he answered. "The bail was a stupid
affair, and m an hour both Charley and
I had had enough of it; so we slipped
out and weut back to the hotel. In the
barn parlor we came acros Giles, who
asKed if I would not prefer to driv
back, as it was not much past eleven.
I was glad enough to act upon his suge
gestion; and si here we are!"
"And where is Charley?" I askeJ.
"In his room, I believe. Good night
Karbara."
-Good night," I replied and theu I
went in search of Charley.
I found him in his room smoking a
pipe before going to bed. He still wore
his fancv-dress. which looked more re
pulsive than before. He greeted me
with
"Well, it all went right, you see. Ni
one saw me."
"That's well," I returned. "But do
take the horrid tilings off and lock
them up safely."
"All right; I'll take care. I shall
never wear them again. There were
several dresses like mine in the ball
room, and I came to the conclusion that
I did not like it when I saw it upon
others."
When I reached my own chamber, I
found the nre nearly out and the room
quite cold, and it made me shiver.
Even after I was covered up in bed I
could not get warm, and my chest was
so oppressed that I could hardly breathe
I got up and coaxel my Are to burn up
again, and put on some wood, which
soon blazed up merrily. But the warmth
fM i,t t.i criva me the hoped for relief
so I determined to sally forth in quest
of mustard and linseed, both of which
I knew I should find in Amy's store-
closet, which was on tne Dea-room now
and the keys of which she had handed
over to me. But I hunted in vain for
the keys nowhere couia i unu lueui
so I concluded tnai 1 uau iciu
in Amy's room. By rousemg the house
keeper I could get her dupneauj Key,
but I was loathe to do that; sd I decid
ed that 1 would go down stairs and
look in the kitchen ior wnat i
But unit I put a smaii setue wuiv,u
was Kepi in my nwm uu -
should need boiling water for the pol
tice I intended to make. Then, draw
ing over my boots a pair of soft knitted
boots to render my footsteps inaudible.
I started on my expedition, pwou.u6
along the corridor and down the back
staircase. I crept aJong as quietly as
possible, anxious not to disturb Amy,
who was a very us"" rTi
was a turn in the staircase about half
way down; and when 1 passed that I
mrr.ri.vl to see a bright light
under the pantry door. 5up-
that. MirEDSIU mo
was
EfanTnot faring lo be seen by him
n my dishabile, I drew back-just m
time-tor the pantry door opened, and
out came Jane, the uuder-housemaid
She left the door open, and went on
,h utM.. To my horror and
dismay I saw in the pantry two strange
pmDtvine the
men Dusiij "jr-"j,-v " ' -
Dlate-chest.
Jane, I Mew out my
light, and well was it I did so, for one
of the men turnaround suddenly, and
I thought looked at me. Fear lent me
wms I turned and sped noiselessly up
S' There was a door at the top of
Sirce, which I shut and locked
Then I flew to Charley's room. Fore
most in my mind was the thought that
Amv must not hearof the alarm; tbere
&reyno help could be obtained Jrom
wm I had only Charley to look to.
Sow thankful I felt that they had no
ucw iua" been proposed!
w nen i w
"i from below be-
KnS Charley's door All
wal sE sou was clear I was not fol-lowed.
Charley was sitting as I left him, still
in his fancy-dress. He started up
when I entered, exclaiming
"Good heavens, Bab, what's the
matter? Yon look like a ghost!"
1 told him quickly of my discovery,
and asked if I should wake Markham,
who slept at the top ot the house.
"No," replied Charley, "let me go
and reconnoitre I shall soon see
whether it is necessary to call the men
The fewer people about, the less fear
there will be of disturbing Amy."
"But," I remonstrated "what can
you do alone? There may be several
men hidden In those cellars."
"I expect you saw all there are." he
resjKmded. "Of course that house
maid knew that Kenrick and I were to
be away to-night and arranged her
plans accordingly."
"How could Jane be so wicked," I
cried, "and Amy so kind to her and
the other servants? I noticed how she
stared at Amy on Christmas Eve; no
doubt she was wondering bow she could
get hold of her diamonds. There's one
comfort she is sure to know about tbe
ghost so will be afraid to come up the
western staircase; and I have locked
the other door."
When I spoke of the ghost, Charley
cried
"Splendid idea! Have you courage to
help me, Bab? If so, I think we shall
contrive to give the gentry a scare, and
so save the plate."
It took us but a very few minutes to
arrange our plans. I was to take my
place on tbe staircase leading to the
western wing, so that I could glide
backward or forwards as seemed most
desirable. A sheet off Charley's bed
wrapped round my head and shoulders
made, with my dressing-gown, a suf
ficiently ghostly attire, and my fright
had made mv face white enough for
any visitant from the world of spirits
Charley in the meantime would etep
down the servants' staircase and recon
noitre. "But your dress, Charley," I said;
"will it take vou long to change it?"
"Bother the dress!" he answered. I
can't stop for that. If the sight of me
frightens the fellows, so mucn .me oei
ter; it may save trouMe. I do not fancy
thev will meddle with me when they
catch sight of me."
We glided quietly along the corridor
shutting a door behind us which separ
ated Amy's bed-room, dressing-room,
and boudoir from the rest of the house.
I settled myself at an angle of tbe stairs
where by bending forward a littb, I
could open the door at the foot of the
sta.rcase so as to get the pantry door
iu view. It was shut agaia now, but I
coul 1 hear the chink of silver as well
as the men's voices. Before I had
been long at my post, the door was
opened again, and a man came out
carrying a large bundle, which he took
along the passage to the cellar and left
there. He did not shut the door on
his return, and by bending forward a
little I could see the peruaious jane
and three men all busily engaged.
I'resentlv I heard one man ask
"Are you sure every odb is gone to
bed. Jennv? It was an awful sell thos
titer were safelv oat of the way.
' Oh, yesl" replied Jane. -The mas
ter aBd Mr. Fortescue went straight
up stairs, and then Miss Fortescue went
to bed."
Then another man's voice said
"1 watched the coachman away, so
all's ricrht outside."
There was silence for a few seconds.
and then the same voice said
"I'm uncommon hungry, but I sup
pose the work must be done before sup-
I hope you have got a good feed
iier.
for us Jtnnv. and lots of tizz.
"It will be the worse for Jenny If
she hasn't got lots of fizz, and dry fizz
too; I'm not going to dnuk any nasty
sweet stuff." said a voice I had not
yet heard. "What have you got
Jenny?"
"Cold sirloin of beef, turkey and
tongue, Stilton cheese, and mince
pies.' the girl answered, in a sulky
tone.
'Hurrah!" cried one of the men.
"Hold your tongue, you fool!" said
the voice that had threatened Jenny.
"Do you want to bring the butler down
on us?"
"There's no fear of Matkham,' Jen
ny assured them. "I mixed a glass of
grog for him at supper-time; I shouldn't
wonder it he overslept, nimseii io-u-row
morning."
"Trust jenny!" ona of the men re
marked.
Just then I heard a chuckle which I
knew was Charley smothering a laugh.
The sense of his nearness comforted
me, and my courage rose to the occa
sion. The thought of how much was
at stake, that perhaps Amy's life as
well as my own and Charley's depend
ed on my coolness, gave me a strong
control over my feeling, and I felt
ready for any emergency. Could I have
forscen what was coming, I think my
courage would have failed.
Oje by one, when packed,the bundles
were taken away and deposited in the
cellar, no doubt the intention was to
ail tha hontv at once. I could
1CU1UTO www J ,
tell that hitherto the outer door bad
not been opened naa it, oeeu a uuui,
cold air would have reached me in my
hiding-place so thus far the plate was
safe. Presently some one said
"That's about an; ana a jony uaui
is for one night's work."
"Wait a bit," broke in a savage voice
"Now then, Jenny ,about them di'monds
I ain't a going without them."
My heart stood still with terror; for
the diamonds were in Amy's dressing
room. Breathlessly I waited for the
answer. Jane spoke in a deprecating
voice now,
"Oh, Tom dear, leave them Tor to
night! I promise to get tiiem for you
"Come, come, my lady, none of your
larks! Them di'monds I came for, and
them di'monds I'll have if I swing for
it! And I'm not going to leave you
here to split on me. So just come along
and show me where they be.
"I'm so afraid we'll be caught!" re
monstrated Jane. "If you go up stairs,
some one may hear us!"
Her remonstrances were useless, for
the man exclaimed furiously
"Gammon! You come along, or m
m I wa?in an agony. 1 knew Charley
would not let the man get np the stairs
without a fight, and I thought-What
should I do If he were kiUed or even
hU"Very weH," Jane agreed, then added
at TO .if aiinfvMA vr11 have lust a drop of
champagne first. It the best what
-rit rfnr Christmas. Mark-
ham called me to hold the candle, bo I
.kant ViA mit It."
The -pop" of corks told that Jane's
suggestion had been favorably received.
i!7mnmntthii idea came tome to
try to get to Charley while the men
k with their champagne, I at
ncio tuj -
once acted upon the idea. Summoning
all my courage, I put my lamp dowa
on t he topmost stair, where it would be
hidden by the turn, and, clipping out
through a very small aperture for I
was afraid the door might creeK u
opened widely I got safely to where
Charley stood. He had not heard me
move, and lie started when be saw me.
What a splendid gbo3t you make.
Bab! You really half scared me!" he
said.
Oh, Charley," I whispered anxious
ly, "did you hear what tbe wretches
said about the diamonds? What oan
we do? Do let me call Markhara."
"It's no good now, dear It s too
late. Never fear though. They shall
not pass me, even if they try, which I
doubt if they will when they see me.
At any rate, I can defend myself :ook
fceie;" and he drew a pistol from some
part of his clothing.
Oh, Charley, don't Kill mem pray
don't"
"Not I. dear. Even if 1 Ore, I shall
take care only to disable them. Don't
stay if you are frightened, iet. You
cau easily get away now. Hark how
merry those fellows arer as Dursis or
smothered laugbtev came from the
pantry.
As if I would leave him to face the
danger alone! But that was Charley all
over. He never thought of himself.
"Of course I shall not leave you,
Charley," I answered.
"Very well; then go bacK to your
post. You will judge what is the
nroper time to show yourself."
I obeyed, and had only just reached
my hiding place when the pantry door
was once more opened, and out came a
most ruffianly-looking man, followed by
Jane. She looked back to say
"Put out the gas; we don't want it
now, and it will be safer."
The man was a step or two In ad vance
of Jane beyond the door of my staircase
What attracted her attention will never
be known, but she glanced at the stalr
c.ise of the western wing, and through
the partially opened door caught sight
of me, as 1 stood with a faint light
shining upon me from the lamp which
was oa the stairs behind me in the place
where I put it when I went to Charley.
With a smothered shriek she staggered
back against the walL Her companion
turned upon ber with a savage oath.
"Come on there," he growled, "or
it will be worse for you! What are you
stopping for?"
"It's the ghost!" she moaned.
"Ghost? Gammon! Ghost or no ghost
you'll take me to Ond them di'monds.
Come, look alive!"
An J, roughly seizing her arm, he be
gan to drag her to the other staircase,
without looking in my direction But
somehow lust then the keys I held in
conformity with my ghostly character
jingled, probably because l was tremui
ing with cold and fright combined. The
sound arrested the man's attention.
Dropping Jane's arm, he turned towards
tbe western staircase, and at the same
moment the other two came to the pan
try door which faced me.
With the courage born of despair, I
ra tlMIno Anmrn tha, atalma with-
came gliding down tha stalrcat
woollen boota. Tot one second ths
men glared at me as though paralysed,
wbile Jane, in a hoarse voice, said
"It's the ghost of tne wesi wingi
"I hain't afraid ef ghosts!" i
Jane's tyrant, with a terrible oath.
"Dead men tell no tales," he added
signiDcantly; and there was murder in
his face.
I felt as if I should die; but a sound
from the other staircase caused all eyes
to turn towards it as I reached the
bottom stair. There was a yell of hor-
ror. and, dropping everything uiej
carried, away the men flew, helter
skelter, with Charley after them in full
Away they went, through one cellar
into the other, which opened into "the
wilderness." A rush of cold air told
me that one at any rate, had reached
tbe door. Jane, apparently paralysed
by fear, could not get away so fast as
the men. With a piteous cry, "Tom,
help me!" she seized the coat of the
man who had been so Tough to her.
But the ruffian shook her off, and she
fell to the ground with a wild scream
as Charley rushed past her. Then came
tbe report of a pistol, followed by a
groan, as the last man disappeared in
tbe darkness outside.
I had joined Charley in the cellar by
this time.
"I've wlneed one of the wretches,"
he said, "so I dare say he will be caught
But I don't care much how It is, as the
booty Is saved. We have got this wo
man too. I dare say she will turn
Queen's evidence, I must get these
t?s off thev are so hot."
As he spoke ne siung ot pan, ol un
a M m 1 1 -
hideous disguise, appearing in a cool
costume of shirt sleeves. Then he
looked about for some rope, saying he
would tie the woman's arms and legs
lest she should escape.
The wretched creature lay as sue ten
neither speaking nor moving. I thought
she was probably too irigntenea to
speak which was hardly to be wondered
at. She must by this time have dis
covered that we were flesh and blood;
but she was in an awkward position
Charley found some rope, and uouna
Jane's wrists and ankles. She made
no resistance, but kept quite siuu
"Don't leave her here, Charley," I
urged; "it is so fearfully cold. She will
be safe in the kitchen."
"All right; I don't wish to be cruel,
though she does not deserve any mercy,"
be said; and he lifted ber and carried
her along the passaze to the kitchen.
There we fjund the gas alight, and
there was a blazing fire, with kettles
singing merrily. On tbe table were
preparations for a sumptuous repast.
"Well," ejaculated Charley, "if ever
I heard of anything so cool as this!
How balked the fellows must feel, hav
ing lost their supper!"
At this idea we laughed merrily. But
our laughter died away when we glanc
ed at Jane's face. She was positively
ghastly, with a livid look I had never
seen before, and evidently insensible.
,4Good heaven's Charley cried, as
he looked first at me, and then at Jane,
whom he had laid upon the hearth-rug
in-front of tbe fire.
"What is it, Charley? Tell me!" I
urged.
"I think she's dead!" he said hus
k'ly. 'Oh, Charleyl" I waited a moment,
then asked. "Did you shoot her?"
"No, no; I did not fire till I had
passed her. I hit one of tbe men in the
leg, but that was all"
"She has fainted then," I said more
cheerfully. "I'll soon bring her round;"
and I stooped to look at ber more closely.
"I think I'll fetch Patterson," re
marked Charley in a hoarse voice. "Bat
1 mast call Markham; you must not bi
left alone."
"Do," I said; "and ask nurse to
come. She will know what to do."
An awful fear possessed me. Jane
was stone-cold, and I could not feel her
heart beat. I suppose the fear was
written on my fac. for Charley cried
"These beastly togs I wish I had
never set eyes on them! If I've fright
ened that poor wretch to death, I shall
never forgive myself!"
"We acted for the best," I said;"and
we must not lose time now. Go quickly
and call nurse and Markham."
Nurse soon came to me, and relieved
my fears slightly by saying that she
thought Jane had only fainted. More
quickly than I could have believed pos
sible Charley returned with Doctor
Patterson, who knelt down beside Jane
felt her pulse, and then listened to ber
heart. I watched anxiously the ex
pression of his face, which was so grave
that my fears returned In full force;
and Charley looked the picture of mis
ery. At length.to our inexpressible relief
Jane showed faint signs of returning
consciousness. The doctor called for
brandy, and, filling a teaspoon, put it
between the white lips. How Intent
ly we watched meanwhile, and how
thankful we felt when the brandy was
Swallowed!
' Presently Jace heaved a deep sigh,
then another, then opened her eye-s.
She looked at me with a dazel expres
sion, and tried to speak: but the doctor
checked ber. He continued to give her
small doses of stimulant at short inter
vals, until a little color came back to
the poor creature's lips; and then he
said she must be carried np stairs, and
put to bed in a warm room, but not
allowed to exert herself in the least, or tbe coffin was raised once more and
to speak. carried by titled lieges of the realm to
' I was alone in the kitchen after they the entrance of the stairs leading down
carried Jane away, for Markham was to the vaults.
busily employed iu his pantry unpack-1 Here the most striking part of the
tng the various bundles left behind by melancholy pageant occurred. No one
the burglars in their hurried flight. ' descended the stairs to the vault except
Just as the doctor and Charley return- the colli n bearers, the prior of the m
ed, Markham came in to say that noth nastery, the minister of grace and j us
ing was missing; the whole of the mat- tice, and the lord chamberlain. Tbe
sive silver that had been in tbe family coffin was placed on a table in a great
it about two hundred years had been chamber or vault of black marble con
backed up to be carried away, but noth- taining the deceased rulers of Spain,
Big was taken or Injured. I Inquired who sleep in huge marble tombs dispo
anxiously about Jane's condition. sed all round. It must have been a
"Do you think she will get well?" I thrilling moment for some at least of
asked. I those assisting when the lord chamlier-
? "I cannot say yet," the doctor au- J lain, unlocking the coiPn, which wan
swered kindly. "I fancy from certain covered with cloth of gold, raised the
symptoms that tbe heart is diseased, 1 glass covering from the dead king, and,
and she has had a terrible shock. turning to his companions, demanded
f When I grew calm enough to speak 1
and listen, we talked over the events of
the night. Charley had given tho his-,
tnry of what had happened to Doctor ,
tatterson as they walked back together
U Doverscourt. He praised me for
A hat he called my "wonderful bravery."
L "1 cannot think how you managed it
Miss Fortescue. Most women would
have screamed the house dowa." J
l was really too frightened to
(bream," I said. "Besidos, I thought
directly of the injury any alarm might
do mv sister." '
; "It is well you did. A fright might
;iave co?t her her life," was the doc-'
jms response. "It would be well to
kiD the facts from her altogether at
J r, 'it,
; ' . " ' .
Dtesent Do you think .it could be
v, yev" : rut. acvant
ire ail so fond of their mistress 'Jut I
am sure they will be silent if they un- j
derstaad why it is necessary; and my ,
brother-in-law will not tell her anything
i If we warn him." ;
a wm uu mat, suiu uio uwuu. f
So we decided tbat all that Amy nioodhouni in Texas.
ihould hear was tbe fact of Jane's ill-
ness, which had necessitated the send- yerT gang of convicts in the State,
ing for a doctor, w o had ordered her ng,d0 and ontuide of the walls, is pro
to be placed in a warm n.om and caie- Tjjyi with three or more trained
fully nursed. This would account foi hounds, sometimes bloodhonnde, but
her presence in nurse's r icin. more ordinarily common deerhounds.
Before he left the houe Doctor Pat-. for lhey ,M trained tnucn better than
tison went up to see Jane again. Norse tue blooded stock. It is simply snrpris
came down stairs with him, and to her mR to see how perfectly these brutes
care the doctor commended me, order- J are tnune(j how well they nnder
iug me to bed at once. I was glad ! ,Un;. thoiP bnainesa. The hounds of
enough to obey, for I felt very ilL The
old housekeeir was with Jane, so
nurse was at liberty to attend to me.
When the servants were about, I bad
them all in my room, and told them
what had haj-pened. They were all
loud in their pnntlaes of secrecy
which promises were faithfully kept.
We did not tell them of Jme's partici
pation in the burglary, as Mirkham bad
prorcised not to ltray her for we did
not wish to blacken the character of a
poor creature who to all appearance
vason her death-bed.
On the day following the burglary a
man was found in the pine-wood by
one of tbe gamekeepers. He had s
pistol-shot wound in his leg which pre
vented his escape, and h-j was identified
by Charley as the man shot by him:
and at the trial which ensued I iden
tified him as the man so determined to
possess himself of my sister's diamonds.
He was Jane's brother many years
older than herself and from all ac
counts he had always treated her most
brutally. The other two men were
caught eventually. All were proved to
be members of a notorious gang whe
were "wanted" by the police for sun
dry other misdeeds. They were ten
tenctd to long terms of penal servitude.
Bad as these men were, they were not
utterly wicked, for they all kept silence
about Jane, whom Willie forgave at
Amy's request when she heard what
had happened.
t Of course Charley and I had to ap
pear on the trial; and I was
frreutlv
complimented for my bravery. Every;
one imagined tnat guilty conscience anu
superstition combined caused me to be
mistaken for a ehost. The men them
selves were firmly convinced that they
had been put to flight by visitants from
another world.
Poor Jane was quite overwhelmed
when told that her master and mis-
tress Intended to forgive her and re-
tain her In their service. After long
and anxious consultation, this course
was determined npon. We all agreed
that if sent away, she would probably
go to the bad; whereas, if they kept her
it would give her a chance of ret. iving
her character. She made a full con-
fession. and showed such evident con-
trition that we had hopes of her refor
mation, which hones were not disap
pointed. She is now in my service and
is a faithfnl and valued servant.
Shortly after the events I have related
I had a great surprise. Doctor Patter
son asked me to be his wife. As soon
as he spoke, I knew that be was the
one man in the world to me, so I was
in no doubt as to my answer. The one
drawback to mv perfect happiness was
the thought of Charley's loneliness
without me. But, before my wedding
day came, this was removed, Charley
had decided npon accepting a junior
partnership with Doctor I'atterson
when qualified to do so. In due time
be passed, and my brother was for a
neriod an inmate of my house. Then
he fell caDtive to the charms or a verj
sweet girl, a cousin of Willie Kesrick's
anil iiefran to think of setting up hous-
keeping on his own account.
Kiches do not mean happiness.
THE FT'XEKAIi OF A KING.
Oroiiionio Attending the Burial
of Alfonso SH
Arrived at the Escurial, the spsclal
solemnities of the occasion took place.
As the funeral car approached, the door
of the monastery was closed. The lor l
chamberla'n knocked three times. A
voice inside demanded
accoding to the :
prescript, "Who wishes to enter?" The
lord chamberlain replied, "King Alfon
so, the Twelftiu" At this answer the
portals were slowly opened and the prior
of the monastery app?ared. Tbe body
was then borne into the church and
placed on a raised bier before the grand
altar. Then the minister of justice, re
moving the lid. said, "Huntsmen of
Espinosa, is this the body which you re
selved on tho death of King Alfonso?''
"Thesarie," responded the chief hunts
man. "Do you swear to it?" "Yes,
we swear it," This assurance having
been added to the testimony already
given with independent formalities by
the king's physicians, confe-sor and
minister, the lid of the coffin was let
down, not, however, as yet for the last
time, and the bier was covered with the
four cloaks of the noble orders of Span
ish chivalry. A thousaud tapers light
ed the chapdk anltnte, and had, it is
easy to imagine, a splendid effect in as
sociation with the vast and sombre,
though richly decorated, interior of the
ancient pile, and the crowds of sorrow
ing friends and subjects moving silently
about the wreathed pall. A mass was
said and the "Miserere' sung, and then
silence and attention. Then kneeling
down, he shouted three times in tbe
monarch's ear, "Senor, senor, senor."
Tbe monarch answered not; the "right
ear," soon to be filled with du-st,"
heard onlv the sounds of another world.
But the last appeal addressed to him iu
this fashion must have had, for those
standing at the entrance to the vault,
an awful seeming of response, for it is
said the echo of the triple summons was
caught by them and seemed a cry of
despair, as it no doubt was a wail of
anguish, for it came from the lips of the
Duke of Sexto, King Aironso's favorite
companion. The sovereign lying dumb,
the duke rose, and following the ritual,
said: "His maiestv does not answer.
. Then it is true the king is-dead." - The
! conclusion as framed appears somewhat
;mm, bat ;its par; ot im programme.
Locking tbe coffin once more and for
the last time, the lord chamberlain
broke up his wand of office and flung
the pieces at the foot of the table
whereon tbe coffin lay.
the HnnUivUle penitentiary are kept
ont,ida the orison walls at what ia
known as the State farm.
"And these are the brutes we read so
much about?" I remarked to the snper
intendent. "Ye; they are the famous blood
hounds that is as mnou bloodhounds
as yon will find in Texas. They are
simply deer or fox hounds, trained to
hunt men."
"Do you keep them shut np all the
time?"
"Tee; we do that to make them fierce
and to keep them away from tho con
victs. They wonld make it lively for
the boys it they bad their freedom."
"Is there much difficult in training
bloodhounds?"
"We do not consider it diffionlt, but
on the contrary, I believe the guard
consider it sport. It will only require
a few momenta to show how it is done."
A convict or "trusty" was sent down
through a large field with instructions
to climb the fence and make a detour
throufrh tne timber of a couple of miles
coming out in just the oppoeito direc
tion from where he started, and return
ing to the farm throngh a small stream,
which he was compelled to wade. It
required some twenty minutes for him
to make the trip, and when he was seen
to emerge from the other side, and it
was certain he could get back in safety,
the honnds were turned loose. They
were shosrn the trail, and they started
over neius, mrougu maraies, u
sneed of deer. In tbe meantime the
"trusty" had returned, and was direc
ted to cilmb a tree some 300 yards dis
tant from where we were standing. He
did not require a second bidding, for
the yelp of the honnds could already be
heard in the distance. Boon they p-
PM " weeugo u
prau8 "r h" fenoe without stopping,
The trail was not lost for an instant
When the small stream was reached
they crossed it with a bound, and Ins
tew momenta more they were under the
tree, yolplng at the convirt, who sat la
the branches looking down at the brutes,
sad smiling at the fact that this was s
training run and not a reality.
j An old Scotchman saw a railway
train for the first time, and was natu
rally greatly surprised. On being asked
what he thought it was he replied, ''I
just think it's the de'il running away
with a row of houses !"
Mistress, to applicant : "Yes, I
want a nice French maid. The last
one I had I kept only a short time be
cause shecouldn't understand Lngiisn."
French maid : "Sure ye'll have no
thrubble of that kind wid me mum. Oi
not only understand English, but Oi
spake it too 1"
"A wocld-be poet" writes "Be
lieving that I possess a faculty for
rhvming. I am ambitious to be a poet
As I have heard a great deal about po-:
etic license. I am anxious
I am anxious to know
w hether or not it Is necessary for me to
taM one of these licenses ; and, if
jj where shall I apply for oce ?"
APES FISHING FOK CRABS.
A Java Species That Sacrifice
Comfort to its Palate.
"They Lave on the coast of Java a
peculiar long-tailed ape, and a sand crab
that grows to extraordinary siw and
possesses great strength in its claws,"
said a gentleman who lived in Java
years ago. Tbe apes are particularly
fond of the crabs, which are very shy
and wonderfully quicx la their move
ments. They live in deep holes in the
sand, but spend much of their time oa
the outside of their holes, where they
run and hop about. They range iu size
from that of a silver dollar to that of
our edible crabs. Their claws are not.
lire, but have a grip that i3 vise like.
The apes make daily raids on the haunts
of the crabs, and occasionally succeed,
by c.-eep'.ng stealthily to wl,ain a few
feet of a group of them, in spring
ing upon them and capturing one before ,
they have scampered to their holes
Usually, howevrr, the craloareso wary
that while tho ape is still in the air du
ring his spring toward them, they have
separated and disappeared into the
ground. The ape, rinding himself too .
slow to m?ke a capture, then resorts to !
a bit ot strategy to secure a dinner.
His mode of final capture Inflicts upon
him a (King of physical suffering which
is freqnently more than he can bear,
but his love for the crab as a morsel of 1
la ojl atmnT tfiflf ha npvpr ll(kait:ttj4
to accept the personal discomfort which I
its capture involves, and usually bears
it with a stoicism which might inspire ,
admiration if it were not for Its comical
side.
"When the ape finds that he is foiled
iu his effort to capture a crab by spring
ing at a group, he backs himself up to a
hole into which one has disappeared.
Sitting down le thrusts hislong tail into
the hole. The crab to punish such un
wonted intrusion, seizes the end of the
tail m Us strong claws the moment it
approaches near enough. Anyono wno ,
may have been so fortunate as to bide !
himself in the bushes unobserved by the j inhabitant of lce.and is a master of
ape making a raid, will have a hard i I-atm.
time to restrain his laughter when the A Georgia train cut off the heads
critical moment of contact between the of a drunken man's boota and left him
crab's claw and the ape's tail is reached, unharmed.
There is a loot of comical suspense on The German Empire has twenty
the ape's face is he thrusts his tail down two State-supported laboratories of par
thehole. Wt en the crab closes on the thology.
tail the expression of susense departs. I c0vington, Ky., is having a row
I ne ape gives an involuntary start, anu
then settles back on his haiincl.es,
while he closes his teeth together with
a determined air, and eventually spring
ing forward, out comes the tail from
the hole with the crab dandling to it.
Instantly the ape switches bis tail f jr-
ward and brings the crab to the ground :
.;U k-.f n ..... n it arwl A-iilood it
KILU A 1 1 1 1 IT! ll.ai 31UU3 lb IIUU 1 . ,
soon picking out the meat and proceed
ing with bis meat.
"One day I was watching a large ape
fishing in this way for crabs. The apes
are as shy as the creatures they hunt so
persistently, and the least sound from
U will (aii titan Mamnornir
VliP U1U3U WU (Utu 4KIU truivutt
away. Tia spc I i-s watching made
a dismal failure of Lis attempt to spring
on a crab, and at once proceeded to fish
one out of a hole. He selected a hole
Into which I had seen a very large crab
disappear, and I anticipated fun. Tbe
ape's tail had gone its full length into
the bole before bis face indicated that
the crab had made tbe connection. Sud
denly he gave a utart and a yell. He
bent his body nearly double, and slapped
his hands on his knees and wagged his
head, with his teeth closed tight and his
Hps drawn down, while on his face was
a look of agony and despair doubly iu- !
tensiued. He made several attempts to
withdraw his tail, but fell back each
time and howled as the crab drew it
tauL Tears actually ran down the lu
dicrous face of the suffering ape, and
when he clapped both hands to his fore
head and swayed his body to and fro,
like a little old man tortured by the
toothache, howling dismally the while.
I could no longer restrain myself and
yelled with laughter. This frightened
the ape, and he gave a quick spring for-
ward. Out came the cr.ib, and away
went the ape. The crab hung to the
tail, and as far I could see maintained its
hold, in spite cf the way it was lashed
and trailed as tbe ape flew over tho
ground yelling at every jump. He dis -
appeared in the thick brush, but how
he divested himself of the crab I never
knew."
"
A Thing of the Vast.
to drop its grip. With a stone the ape There is a steady stream of emigra
s Hashes the shell of the crab, and is turn from Northern and Middle Georgia
Forty students of the Baltimore
The wild horse of the plains and : College of Physicians and Surgeons are
Rocky mountains is pretty much a thing said to be affected with measles, adi
of tbe past. Nevertheless, a few isola-' sease that is reported prevalent In that
ted herds are said to be occasionally ' city.
found. A Montana writer says, in sub- j El Mahdi, the False Prophet of
stance, of these isolated bands, tbat, ' Soudan, it is stated, was apprenticed.
with tbe wild horses a stallion is at the
head, and is !the leader of every herd.
having such full control over them that
Sand of 1 orses fast or so we 1 as V
band or horses so rast or well as a
stallion can. All in the band are so
thoroughlj afraid otl him . thej "P
bunch and their apeed U g, aged by his
low. scarcely above the ground. lie
advances quickly on the hindernr.k-i
ones, giving them a sharp bite on the
rump, thereby giving them to under
stand that they must keep up. Should
one turn out he follows him, much after
the fashion of a shepherd's dog, and
runs him back. Until his band are out
of sight in the mountains he keeps this
up. Here they scatter in all directions, oi uramiy a year ior euca iuuauiuuu.
in ravines, canons and inaccessible The stage that runs between Jacks
places, so that when the rider arrives at boro' and Weatherford, Tex., has been
the place he last saw them he is morti- so regularly robbed of late that It is
tied to find his own horse almost ex- getting to be a matter of surprise when
hausted and the herd so scattered that
he must give up in disgust.
Save Yopr Scraps of I.inen.
Never throw away a scrap of linen.
Let this be graven upon the heart of
every woman. Every scrap of linen that
has served its purpose should b5 care
fully washed and ironed and laid away
m a proper receptacle for home or hos
pital use. Old handkerchiefs, table
napkins, table cloths, sheets, towe'.3 and
pillow cases should be placed in their
respective places, so that when wanted
thev may be easilv found. Desnise no
niece of linen however small. The linen
r - . n 1
part of frayed cuffs or collars may be
detached and put away for future need.
"Ain"t you almost boiled?" inquired
a little girl of a gentleman visiting her
father and mother. No, little oue, I
can't say that I am. Why do you ask,
Daisy?" "Oh, because I heard mam
ma say your wife always kept you in
hot water !"
Some inventive Londoner has mads
electricity cheaper than gas.
NEWS IN BRIEF.
There are 3.C00 Americans resident
in Paris.
i Japanese cats have short tails, like
tbe Manx.
London's population numbers near
ly 5,000,000.
Paris has named one of Its streets
Gustave Dore.
Virginia has nine colored men in
her Legislature.
The city of Boston has licensed 2,
753 liquor saloons.
Kentucky's corn crop this year ia
73.000,000 bushels.
Cactus paper is becoming a leading
Mexican manufacture.
Mexican oranges are being import
ed largely into Texas,
i The Alabama river continues in
good navigable condition.
. Oysters sell at thirty cents a hun
dred in Pascagoula, Miss.
Matches cost over f27,OO0,0OO an
nually in the United States.
Tunis and Milan have special
schools for deformed children.
A ton of gold goes into people's
teeth annually in this country.
A man living near l'entou, Texas,
has over 100 nephews and nieces.
Coal mining on the Continent is
more scientlilc than it is m England.
The Methodists are raising f 100,000
to build a college at Lampasas, Texas.
The State of Pueblo, Mexico, hat
been invaded by great clouds of locusts.
I There is a very handsome opera
, house in Malta, with a very fine orches
. tra.
I Such a rickety structure is the cap
; itol of Nevada that it has to be held up
, by props.
A railroad has been begun to the
jl0P,r Pke s I eak. reet above
I Qsvi. aval
' sea-level.
It is asserted that every adult male
w;th her street Commissioner about her
dirty streets.
There is Ice eight inches thick on
the Hudson between Coxsackie and
I A Newfoundland dog stopped a
runaway norse the other day at Ues
Moines, Iowa.
to North Alabama.
People in Florida continue to gather
and eat luscious watermelons, with the
thermometer at 80 to 90.
Locomotive whistles have been pre
sented by the New Haven Board of
!lf1,K n -,K1.
'- vuw. mvm
I Deaths by accident in the streets of
London are increasing, and hackney
drivers are chiefly to blame.
From all portions of Kentucky
couies the report that the growing wheat
crop is looking unusually well.
Some 50,000 acres of land have been
discovered to have been fraudently en
tered in Uraldo county, Texas.
Uonds worth J74UO, stolen from the
Woodbury Bank last June, have Leeu
found in an old Bridgeport stone wall.
St, J-ouis has streets dirty enough
to arouse the protests of the newspapers.
What a singular city St. Louis must
be'
Tbe ''first old man" in the Irving
company have never left the boards of
his Loudon theatre for forty years until
he came here.
The Burmese capita', Mandalay, is
aid to be infested by hordes of small
black pigs, which aro protected by the
government as scavengers.
j The latest freak of female Euiopeur;
i circus riders is to hold a living python
outstretched In their hands as they
, swing round the sawdust,
A female beggar, who has traveled
! over the State of Texas with a child
1 and a monkey, has collected $0000, and
. will go into business at Sau Antonio,
j The Iter drinkers of Natchez,
J Miss., are said to consume 500 kegs of
. liter a month, or 6,000 kegs per annum.
And it is quite a temperate community
too.
i in his boyhood, to a boatman, but ran
away and attended a free school at
; Khartoum.
A th SuPerior Court JuJ
, that crunching peanuts
- W13 finabie conVmpt of
c a;ld imposed a fin6 lhereforpon
u;
Julius von Payer, the Austrian ex
plorer of the North Pole, has appeared
as a painter. A large canvas by him
shows the last survivors of Franklin's
expedition In "Starvation Cove."
Belgians spend nearly $100,000,000
in drink annually, and not only far out
strip the Germans with their 225 quarts
f beer per caput, but consume 42 quarts
;t goes through without that incident.
An English inn-keeper, who allow
ed a leg of pork to be rallied for in his
house and was arrested for allowing
gambling, pleaded general custom ai
his defence, and the magistrate recog
nized the defence as valid.
A knife blade was found sewed in
the sleeve of a coat left by Ah Lee, who
was executed at Oroville recently. He
had been made to change his clotues
and room or he would probably have
committed suicide.
The ebony tree is white; only Its
heart ia black, like Aaron's in Titus
Andronicus. Its circumference reaches
15 feet.
T-
Unclaimed deposits to tbe amount
or 109,000,000 have been reported by
eight of Connecticut's savings banks,
of which there are yet 45 to be heard
from. The average amount due each
depositor by these figures is $97.97.
A war on ticket speculators is being
inaugurated by theatre goers in New
York city, where it is proposed to or
ganize on pledges not to buy tickets
from the "scalpers,' or patronize a
nU:e of amusement tbat tolerates them.
taction to each other, and. as was
mmw.M.ivy,r
1 1 l"fj lf