VOL.* xxxv
HUSELTONS
YOUR SPRING
FOOTWEAR.
Wil' play no small part in adding distinctive e!e>,'ai:cfc to your new gown,
stylish costumes, the choicest of new spring, hats and al' e'se counts for
naught in absenc: of correct and perfect futing footwear. There's much
in our shoe store to enlist the interest cf every Woman, Man or Child who
appreciate faultless slices.
WE SET THE PACE IN STYLES.
ir»— i Our hisses and Chiidren's Di
j I« full of everything that's good
■..pi ?
V j L'-V.s> 7} I heels, size-. II I .', to 2, i . >to S2.<«•
• Chih'rt- Till ■ ■ !;. 1 S ; J'eel
'•!. »• . < or 'lUV.on, •' a- to 1. ,
K\ v I O^ l, Late Spring Shoes For
Woman.
/V. M ' : "
, v J are po~t;- !on the swagger "vi -.. Kv .ry
" —shoe shows the master touch of well
stndied, artistic individual sty'", ill
I ) fashionaMe styles in !r>c_• and button, 1:1
• Nc.vu Tan Qhnec Fnr Rftvs Black. Tan or Chocol.v %:ci Kid, made
New ian snoes ror ooyb. with al{ Kid
, tops. Kid or patent leather tip?, all
We are showing every new shape and Slzes an ,l widths,
color that's good in Kojs at
(1 50, and 5t2.r0. Voutlis at leS° price. !
—OUR LITTLK KKGEXT SHOES—
reduced copy ens f^g W Spriilfl SilOfcS ill Tan
of the kind his bigger brother wears, I s»
same swell styles and shapes at 9oc, sl, fii'ld B'aCk.
■ind $1.25.
Style and Price are The Strong ;
Points of This Store. and Ruts; I Calf. Viei Kid with silk
wstingor leather toi>s at |i.jo,
A regular 50, fyoo and *4.00 quality *2.50 f.voo and *4 00. The dressy me-n
in these shoes at
Our line at 85c, |i.oo, fi.25 and $1.50 111 Black at |I.(JO, *1.25, #1.50, .2 ,
cannot be matched in Butler. *2.50 and -TVOO.
Men's H;av» Shoes, Oil Grain, Ki|>, Flesh Split. Kangiroo, Calf, I.ace
Hals, Breed more, Congress at 75c, SI.OO, 31.25 and T i .50.
B. C. HUSFLTON,
(Sutler's Shot! House. Opposite Hotel Lowry.
\ HE IS A WISE HAN
# =»
f —^WHO SKCL'KES HIS CLOTH INO FROM -
t i \
# *
t j
| J. 5. YOUNG, i
f THE MERCHANT TAILOK,
j 4
A Tlie style, 111 ami '.'eiicrit! iti tki- 0 1
# a
j Uj> ol Ins suits \ j
iTELL their own S J
Spring STYLES
Tiii« of •I.i' I<i fur Sprin.-. iw»«»»f a kind f«.
( 1 /l ir i\ tile lat
\ 11 r K \ /'\ \V
Pi/ fat l\ I/J u
».4 [/ v\ >•' ' 1 I •«'!"! r'/rViu iiiai ' r
' ! Mp Mi G. F. KECK,
jj \ ;j I jjlll MERCHANT TAILOR, 142 North
1 Main St., Butler, Pa.
3285. MAIN ST- 328 S. MAIN ST j
MILLINERY
Most complete stpek, finest goods, 'newest styles and lowest
prices in Millinery. Notions and perfutnes-
THE H. H. CORSET A SPECIALTY.
SEE OUR NEW SPRING HATS.
Mary Rockenstein.
Pape sros,
J EWEUGRS
We Will Save You Money On
C Diamonds, Watches Clocks,!
3 Silverware, 1847 Rodger Bros.
S Plateware and Sterling Silver^
(Goods. (
Our Repair Department takes i:i all kind, of Watch s. Clocks
and Jewelry, etc
122 S. Main St.
Old gold and silver taken tl.r . imc as t a ,li.
I
House Cleaning
Time is h. re and the Wa I* against Bugs, Moths etc., i on We have pu pared
■ Bu' Kilter for of th ■■■ ts, let us suggest that if this tx
mixetl with the past«-before paj '-ring the i . '.;dt v ill b' \ i - f ictory. \% «- an
also headquarters for Moth Ralls, l:iscct powder, Ilellibore rt
LIE DICK & (j! IU )l 11VI A.N
mw-ium
109 NORTH MAIN ST. 151'TLHR.
r I% § •| ! | i" O ( > I' a" | r |~p
Bu „ub,w >•"■" J[ J_ JLly IJ i JL Ji— J 3L. )L "V V k 1 -1- ii—«
Ea??y to Take
auy to Operate
Are features j. •••uliar tj Hood's r \ r j. Small tn
! size, tasteless vflicient, A* rr man
Hood's
: said: '• You nt rer know j i » « ■
> have taken a 1 ill til! It i - 1 _ S 1
ilia
, . a ff sm w
• TbeonlypiUJ ot.ikev '.tli Hood's Sar- >parilla.
This Is Your Opportunity.
On receipt cf ten cents, cash or stamps,
a ■nnou i p w " mailedol the
most popular C;.t .r.ii and Hay Fevtr Cure
Ely's Cr. an: ]<f. . sufficient to demon
strate t;.. }. n rit.i of the remedy.
! ELY BUOTHF.ES,
06 V.'arrcu St , New York City.
1 Kev. Jobn P.eid, Jr , cf Or. Nt Falls, Mont.,
recommended Ely's Cream Baku to me. I
ran emphasize bin 6tat< ment, "It i* a posi
tive cure for catarrh if used as directed.
Itev. Francis W. Poole, Pastor Central Pros.
i Cliurcb, Eclcna Mont.
Fly's Cretii- Balm :- the acknowledged
I cure for catarrh and contains no m'-rc'.iy
, nor any injurious drug. Price, 50 c~ats.
VICTOHV
ANav ; crowns cur efforts to
secure the hardsome§t and
most correct tiling i:i Men's
Dress at all season's of the
year.
There's a fresh, bright
I
sparkle of style about our
spring patterns, the kind
? that has snap and art in it.
We cilcr to the economical
mm because our clothes
give a dollar of service for
every dollar paid.
I,et us show you the kind of
a suit wc make for
$25.
MAKER OF
MEN'S LOTH ES
Pearson B. Nace's
j Livery Feed and Sale Stable
j Rear of
i
j Wick House, Butler, Pertn'a.
I Th© Im--i of horses and first class rip al
- \v;iy- on hand aii'l for !»If»-.
I (tentliffcoioinodatiwiJi ii* town f<»i pcrma
f ii. m boarding and transient trado. Spccl*
I al ran? tftiarant«*< <l.
Stable Room For 65 Horses.
Acood class of liorv s. both drivers awl
draft horses always on utnd and r < »i sale
under a full ffuai ait''• : and liors*** !>• »i«lit
upon proper notiflralion l»y
FEARSON B. NACE.
Telephone. No. 2111.
L. C. WICK,
DKAI,KR IN
Rough *' Worked Lumber
OF AT,I. KINDS.
Doors, Sash, Winds, Mouldings, j
Shinyle.s and Lnfcli
Always in Stock.
Ilimh. hur AND PLASTER
Office opposite I*. & W.* Depot.
BUTLER, PA.
j<~ D. L. CLEELANO. >
£ Jeweler and Optician, > j
Butler, Pa. y
C. SELIGMAN & SON
JAILORS.
No. 416 W. Jefferson St.,
Butler, Pa.
A llih-of lat« >i. I*\»nlicii
and Domestic Millings
al ways in sl«>«*k.
Fit. >lyi«; and Work
manship if II a rant col
to salisfaction.
PRICES REASONABLE.
iflU/ IS THE TIME TO HAVE
I llUn Your Clotliir\*4
CLEANED or DYED
If you want good and reliable
cleaning or dyeing done, there is
just one place «n town where you
can get it, and tliat is at
THE Wl Dl! HiiS
• -I*s (JeiiLOP avtiiiuo,
M,.Wc do fine work in out
loor Photographs. This is the
time of year to have a picture ol
your house. Give us a trial.
Agent for the .Jamestown slidi'iir
Fiiirui Co. —New York.
E. FISHER SON,
-- I
GIL MEAL "ruoun-Knn^
sow vi ry I'iictip. j
; • • [ioriM < »ws, Hiuwp, Hoffii. i'on 1 - |
*'\<\ It It, st i I-IIX I h and j)r<'«iii'*tl\«
to iintiiri N. An y< f« • <iirix it-' * Ji«a{»« si
f< «-<l lu t In* marki i
LINSEED OIL : <
aredonbtf il qaaltty ttrxKl ' I 1
very l>:nj. Willi f V >.m li. ul.-u. ' 1
I'or puri- 1.11. ■• • I nil in in, , i ;i„,j W |,ll«-
Iwd, f'.r •Thompson's," or addn
DKUinfacturcr. THoMI'soJI ,Vo., is w t
Diamond strort ny, |": t . .
M. A. BBRKIMER,
Funeral Director. f
307 S. Main St., LJutler. j L
; | ANncied og j
. Joiin ifce Baptist
r ~*. i
e-y wara SHes |
3fr*d"iU Hi Hi i^T'^W 1 * lH"n|)fes#
COPYRIGHTED BY THE C. f>. A.
AL- rtIGHTE PtSERVSC.
0 !
I- j [con rIK I ED. ]
XV r
• I MISS ZENITH CONFESSES.
. I The father and lover returned tc
j I Mlnersvale in company and togethei
" ! went to Captain Zenith'.-
" hopeful that Miss Stella-had returned.
1 Although :heir hopes were not strong
I their disappointment was deep when
3 I their f'ars wore confirmed.
r Miu Lets <r. was there and in a
■ stpte of great distress.
- Miss Zenith, too, was in a stats
bordering upon distraction, for, by a
dispatch received from Captain Zen
ith they had Rained that Miss Stella
was not with the adjutant
When the returning travelers enter
n ed tbf house Captain Zenith asked:
"Have you heard anything from
1 her?"
, "Not a word. Am soon as your tele
gram was received we started parties
: out to search; but nothing new has
b*en learned, though the country is
filled with searchers."
Captain Zenith sat in silence for
1 t: -tny minute hi:> face full of pain.
- Tfc" grief and fatigues of the past few
days left his features scarce recogniz
-1 ble, even to his own family. As he
sat there in silence with unmoving
eyes. Mollle gazed on him with a now
horror, for she thought that he was
dead. Suddenly h« sprang up and
seized her:
"Mollie! Whore is your sister? Is
r she living or is she dead?"
Miss Zenith was frightened. She fal
tered, almost fainted. and but for the
grnsp of her father she would have fall
en; but she recovered herself sufficient
ly to say:
"Oh. my God! I wish I knew! 1
wish I knew!"
"Don't He to ipe, girl! You know! If
she iB living, whers is she? If she is
dead, where Is the body? Why is shs
concealed If she is living? Is she held
by force? Or is she —is —is she dis
graced?" As he finished the question
he released Miss Z-nlth and sat down
with his face in hi 3 hands.
"My God! Oh, my God! Pa! Why
do you say this to roe?"
"Because you know what has becoms
i of your sister! You sec us all in dis
tress, you witness our despair and con
tinue to torture us as you may be tor
turing that, poor child! But you shall
tell me at once! Where Is Stella?"
Again he sprang up and laid violent
hold of Misß Zenith.
"I do not know."
"Girl! Do you tempt rue to use vio
lence' Where is your sister?"
"Captain Zenith, will you permit me
to ask Miss Zenith a few questions?
I Ml«h Zenith," the adjutant interposed,
"will you kindly answer me a few im
portant questions touching this terri
ble matter?"
"Willingly, gladly, truthfully; what
ever I can answer at all."
"Why did you tell me that Miss Stel
i la had gone to New York?"
"To mislead you and prevent you
' from meeting her If I could. I knew
: that by some means Miss Letson would
I detain her at least one day and I hoped
' to be able by some means to keep you
apart after that "
"Why did you induce your father to
follow me to New York?"
"I did not know that you had gone to
New York. I supposed you to be at
i Scrairton with your soldiers; when Pa
! left home it was only to go to Scran
| ton; 1 did not know that he would go
|to New York I induced him to go to
; Scranton because I believed Stella to
jbe there with you. I knew that in try
' ing to walk home she was doing her
i utmost to faith with you; I did
! not doubt that she had telegraphed to
! you her failure to get hoQpe by the
train and her determination to walk;
that after leaving here you received
her message; I believed that having
received her message you met her ar.4
induced her to go away with you and
get married. That Is the whole truth!
God knows that that is all. I wish thai,'
I knew more."
XVil.
AN UNSOLVED MYSTERY.
The entire population of Minersvale
and the surrounding country and adja
cent towns was aroused.
Thousands of men tramped over the
. hllli In every direction, for miles.
Cordons of searchers were systemat-
I Rally moved forward and baek, sweep
ing like a living broom across every
j hill, through every hollow, over every
. plateau and valley.
Not a cluster of busaes, not a hollow
stump, not a stream or pool, w:<li or
shaft, not a barn or empty structure
or any outbuilding was, for miles
around, left unexplored.
During iho day the hills were peo
pled more thickly than wore the pleas
ant parks of a populous city on a fair
lay. All night the hills were red with
flres and aflnme with glaring torches.
Day and night, night and day, the
search went on and the same ground
was covered repeatedly; but not a trace
wad discolored, not a clue was found.
Hope died within the hearts of the
searchers and their numbers began to
decrease. Some were worn out physi
cally; some retired because of their
conviction that further search wjuld
be futile.
Same alleged thst the younj? lady
had disappeared from reasons of her
own. Home did not doubt that the ad
jutant had her s.'fely carried ofl Some
had no doubt that she had eloped with
on'* of tho adjutant's rivals. Some
concluded that she had been captured
by brigands who In due timo would
rlemand a ransom. Many did not
loubt that she had murdered anc
he body securely bVUien.
1 hen came rumors from many ills*
-ant places that the young lady had
l»oen discovered at each. Sometimei
iXio was rejtorted to be on the stage;
sometimes site «u a Milliner; khm
lines a waiter in a dining room; some
;lin" a clerk; sometime* a saleswomac
md onco sho was in a lunatic asylum
Many or th<se rumors were very ex
pliUt. 'lhoy burdened the telegrapt
wires and occupied much space in pr>-.a
reports. Many newspapers published
unrecognizable pictures of Miss Stella |
beside the picture* of the discovered'
and sometimes there really was a re
semblance, which wan usually found
be due to the kill of tho engraver or
the artist.
Ail these rumors were Investigated
for each really in plred a hope. Many
people have b< "ino suddenly < raz< c j
and It would not do to let any hope gc
by ungrasped.
Whin the volunte.-r searchers aban- I
doned hope and retired from the search I
the adjutant begged for a detachment i
of cavalry with which to renew the j
search and a detachment waa detailed |
under his command for that purpose i
and again, in a careful and systematic
manner he 'aired the whole country,
but with no new results.
When, In the regular course of their i
nuu h they . nil.- to the abode of John
the Bap i >t, tli. y fcund hi:-
BUTLER, P.A., THURSDAY, MAY 3, IHi).S
door WITH a her of water jiiai •
hroueht fr. .1 thr> adjacent spring, and
the 1 '.nt said:
"Have /ou sfH-n or beard anythlne of
thr y ;i!g lady who is lost among the
hills.'
"Yo»i seek the virgin? The time is
nt hand! 'Prepare ye the way of the
Eorri: make his path straight;' 'I in
deed. baptize you with water, but one
' cometh after me who is mightier than
I, the lat' het of whose shoe I am not
worthy to loose. He will baptize you
with the Holy Ghost'"
"L)o you soe all these people? They
are looking for a young lady who is
lost. Old man, pull your wits together
and trv to if you have seen
bor "
"Yes, Yes; the virgin! Ye seek tht |
virgin, but your time is yet! The
I tiuie is ripe! Theie bo some standing i
j here wliich .--hall not taste death til)
; they see the Sou of Man c ,ining 111 hi*
glory; for he shall come in the clouds |
' of heaven and a!l his holy angel- with j
him! Ye scribes aad pharisees, hypo- |
| 1 rites! Oh ye generation of vipers! |
' Who hath warned you to flee from the
wrath to come?"
"It*ls useless! He would not remem- j
; her, if he had seen her an hour ago." :
Tii-' thick walled hut with its stone |
roof and mailed door was left to its
insane proprietor and the sear'-hers 1
went onward over the luds, anxiously :
1 coutiauing _ hop°';t«s search.
For a full week the adjutant and his j
detu hnient went fruitlessly up and 1
down among the hills, scanning their j
summits and scouring their bases. !
Then the troops were ordered back to j
camp and the search for the lost Stella
Zenith was ended and her disappear- j
ance was added to the great catalogue
of unsolvable mysteries.
XVIII.
I TOM COYNE AIAKES A TRADE
Tom Coyne was a Free-born Ameri
can lioy. His parents lived next door
to the Zeniths and naturally enough
Tom lived there aiso. Quite as natur
ally the young ladies of the Zenith
household entertained decided
opinions concerning the aveiage Free
born American Boy; and the concensus
of opinion among the Misses Zenith
was antagonistic to tiie Free-born
American Boy and they sometimes ex
pressed their respective opinion to Tom
pel tonally in language as vigorous,
emphatic and unmistakable as custom
permits the Free-born American Mai
den to make use of. Indeed, there is
no doubt that they sometime atreti h> d
the permission of custom to its utmost
limits and ceased to stretch that per
mission with some reluctance, feeling
that justice had not heen done in the
case; perhaps even feeling that jus
tice is unfair and tyrranieal
when she forbids young ladies to em
ploy all of the resources of language
concerning the Free-born American
Boy!
Some days after the search for Miss
Stella was abandoned Tom Coyne en
tered the parental parlor where his
mother was chatting with a neighbor.
His tneiu was that of a conquerer of
nations who fully appreciated his own
importance to histonans.
"Now, that's what I call a bargain!"
he said, displaying a flint-lock musket
of the oldest pattern extant. The
stock was clumsy, the barrel of amaz
ing length, and the calibre gr«at
enough to carry a peach. But It was a
gun and that satisfied Tom. For its
oddities, its deformities, he cured
nothing; his boyish ambition bail been
to own a gun; this was u gun; he
owned this gun; therefore he was hap
py.
' Tom! Where in the world did you
get that?" h's mother asked in a dis
couraging tone that was lost on Tom
"It's mine."
"Where did you get it?"
"Traded for It."
"What did you trade for it?"
"Brownie."
"Oh, Tom! You poor foolish hoy!
That old gun is not worth fifty cents
and the calf is worth five or six dol
lars! Your father will make you undc
that trade."
•You tell him to not? I'd rathei
have this gun 'n a whole drove ol
calves! X il won't eal nuthin n it
won't cost nuthin' 'n It will kill rab
bith like gosh! We can eat rabbits 'n
I'll see that it kills plenty of 'em. you
bet! 'N I'll have more fun with this
gun in a nour than I could ever iiavfl
with Brownie! A feller can play with
a gun an enjoy life but no feller with
good sense can play with a calf 'n have
fun!"
"I'm sorry to disappoint you. my boy
hut >t is a foolish trade."
"Well, mayn't I koep It to-day?"
"You may keep it till your faihei
comer-i ht me ant! then be may do us h<
pleases."
" 'N yj~ inako him let me keep it
Ma; anyway I'll go huntin' now; l'v<
got powder n shot."
He stuffed his pockets full of ede
newspapers for wadding and proceeded
to load the piece. The gun was so lohf
that he had to thrust the butt severa
fei-t to the rear befoi the muzzle wa.
lowered wllhln hla reach so that he
could pour into It the tremendous
charge of (vowder thai he held In hie
palm. Having deposited the powder in ,
the barrel be stood the piece erect and
rattled the butt on the floor to settle
the charge Into the chamber. Finding (
that he could not, owing to the altitude
of the muzzle, keep the gun perpendic
ular while he drove the wadding homo,
he mounted an upholstered chair and
started a roll of paper down the long
bore. Then a new difficulty was en- j
countered; the rammer could not be
drawn without inclining the gun, the ]
length of the gun added to the length
or the rammer exceeding the height of
the celling; and Tom had an idea that
the powder must lie kept level In the
chamber or something would happen!
Therefore the gun tunil not bo inclined
until the wadding WHD packed upon the
powder. Climbing down from the chair
he went to the porch and stood the gun
on the ground, HO that there was only
a cloud for the rammer to penetrate.
Having rammed the wad home with
a vigorous and willing arm Tom sent
a handful of shot rattling down upon
it and after the leaden pellets he sent
another section of newspaper. Throw
ing the gun across his left arm he pro
ceeded to prime it by pouring powder
Into the pan which he uncovered for
thai purpose. Captain Zenith w'a* sit
ting on his own porch reading tho
Soranton Republican and Tom's prim
ing movement brought him into range
and he cried:
"Tom! Don't point that thing thin
way!"
"Beg your pardon, Captain, 1 didn't
notice any one!" and the gun was
shifted with the muzzle toward the
parlor window, brim-lug the sports
man'K mother into range.
"What are you going to shoot, Tom?'
'captain Zenith inquired "rebels, de
serters or a provost marshal?"
"Rabbits! 'n you bet I'll kill a drove
of "''tn! 1 know where they're thicker
'n hens teeth!"
'if you kill for market you may
bring me two brace."
"How much 'll you give?"
"Market price."
"All tight, J don't know how much
that is, but I'll find out 'f you don't
know. 'N say, Captain Zenith, I've
just traded Brownie for thlH gun 'n Ma
says "t i'ap won't lemme keep It. Won't
you tell Pnp 't he oughtta lemme keep
lt? " ,
"Yes, ioui, I'll talk It over with him
and help you if 1 can."
"Thank you Captain. You're n brick
if yor girls is sassy. I tell you them
glrlti of yours Is terrors 'n 1 don't see
how you get along llvin' In the sume
hou°e with 'em. It's bad enough llvin'
next door. Carrie isn't so bad, but 1
wish a bushel that Mollie was a boy
for about a nour! I'd enj«y the occa
sion by tilviu' her * mighty good ll<;k-
in' to last her for life an' rcak, her re
spect boys as long us she h>es. Now
i Stell was different! She'd give a feller
lits for tricks, <ut she'd treat him nice,
too; 'n she'd help a feller over a feme
f she did scold Lim for dim 'in'. I al
ways liked her n I always liked you,
too. Captain, 'n I'm awful sorry Stel'.'s
lost."
"Thank you, Tom. ' the Captain an
swered with tears in his eyes, and in
tones that 'old of an aching hear .
Tom proudly shouldered his artillery
and took up hi.- march of happiness to
the seene of anticipated conquest and
glorious slaughter.
XIX
THE PROPHET AND i'HE VIRGIN.
"I am the voice of one crying out in .
•he wilderness, saying, 'Prepare ye the
way of the Lord: make his path
I Rtraight.' "
Th< words at fi: st apparently aw »y.
' away, miles away, then < lose at band,
: arou-ed the fainting girl and she open- !
ed her eyes and s&w the Prophet
; standing ovei her.
I From childhood the Prophet .had
been Miss Stella's familiar terr r. Now, j
when she v..is weak, exhatibtfd, crip- j
; pled and helplesr. the sigh: of him,
there was more torrtfyirg than would
i have ' eer. a sight of the spectre In tin- 1
' clad bones and she fainted s.Kaln.
"The time is ripe! Father! Thou hast j
! revealed unto me the Virgin! His :
; chosen one whom all creatures and
men and angels shall hallow! The
virgin whom He hath blessed."
Once more she heard that deep voice j
and awoke to find herself clasped in
the strong bare arms of the Prophet as |
he bore her toward the ironclad door |
of tb<> stone hut Her terror was now 1
so great that instead of depriving her 1
of her consciousness as before, it 1
roused all her faculties to their high
est. She made an effort to release
herself but he was unconscious of her
purpose and clung to her with tender
care. She continued her struggles as
she said:
"You aro the good Prophet, John the
Baptist, are you not?"
"He hatli revealed it unto thee. Thou
art the Inspired Mother; no man hath
revealed it unto thee. I am that
Prophet; but no man is good; God is
gcot."
"Please take me home?"
"God hath prepared for thee a habi
tation for the nativity of His Son; 'For
as the lightning cometh out of the east
*nd shineth even unto the west, so also
shall the coming of the Son of Man be.'
Once was He born In a manger as it is
recorded in the sacred books of his
chosen apostles; now shall he be born f
in a cave as it is erroneously written
that he was aforetime."
"Oh, take me home; please take me
home? lam hurt and lam lost."
"Who can understand the deep mys
teries of God, save them to whom He
hath revealed them? He hath chosen j
thee from among all thy sex aud now '
art thou revealed unto me whom He I
hath preserved, commanding me to !
minister unto thee that His name may 1
be glorified."
"I must treat him as a crazy man, '
she said mentally; then, aloud: "Since
It Is God's will that you should minis
ter to me, bring me to the water and
then hasten to town aud bring some
one skilled in surgery for 1 am badly
hurt."
"Blessed among women and forever
to be revered among men art thou,
since thou art the .second Mother of tho
Son. Surely it is His will that I shall
minister unto thue."
She now felt asauied luat lie meant
her no harm; that he regarded her as
gacred and himself us her servant, but
his answer raised a foar that be con
ildererl hliswelf her only servant, and
.hat he would allow no one but himself
:o serve her. Therefore she romained
lilent. revolving what was expedient
*nd what was possible as he bore her
tvltpln his hut.
Ho carried her through two dark
chambers, into a third where he laid
her upon a bed of bay, spread upon
rough boards that were supported by
unhewn posts.
This chamber was long, wide and
very irregulur in form; so low that the
Prophet could not quite stand erect
In It. Thore were three stools —old
chairs without backs, given to the
Prophet by the people; a large pitcher, ,
a few cheap dishes of odd sets, a wash
basin; two lamps, one of an old fash
ion, being a triangular Iron pan filled j
with melted fats in which floated a bit J
of cotton cloth, one end hanging over (
the edge of the pan and burning. This
lump stood upon a small broken stand
which was arranged and draped us an j
altar with curtains of old cotton prints •
and an open liible was upon tho altar ,
beside tho burning lamp.
By the dim light upon the altar Miss ,
Stella was able to see that the apart- ,
ment was only a chamber In the drift ,
of a coal mine and she concluded that j
the hut had been built at the eutranc# j
to an old mine that the drift might be .
thus utilized for habitation. 1
Having deposited his burden upon ,
the bed the Prophet approached the til- j
U.r where he knelt and prayed, fervent- j
ly praising Jehovah for his goodness t
and mercy anil long-suffering. Ho ear- (
nestly petitioned for the speedy re- j
demptlon of the world from sin aud t
death and the elect from suffering. (
While the Prophet prayed Mi.-;a Stel- j
la reflected that die must depend upon ,
him for relief and release. She real- t
izod that to control him she must liu-
mor his hallucination with which she (
had been familiar since long before she
was ablo to comprehend It. Although
her suffering was excruciating her own
overpowering individuality and the
wonderful strength of will and umaz
ing self command that sin possessed
enobled hor to see the lighter side of e
ber unfortunate position and she ut- v
tercd her reflections to her own ear: ii
"I certainly was not born for tho 1
stage; 1 know that; but before this a
limited and partial audience I must v
venture to assumu the role of the New
Virgin and I may do so with reasona
bly anticipation of success; but I shall "
not demand ao encore."
When the Prophet arose she said to
him: *
"In the hollow of His hand hath the '
father sheltered thee since the first ad j''
v. Nt of the Son that thou uhouldst her- ,l
aid the second coining of that Son and
prepare Ills way."
"I am the voice of one crying in the |
wilderness, saying: 'Prepare ye the '
way of tho I.orci; rnako Ills path , 11
straight."
"For me thou hut>t inarched long and > "
to-day, through grwat tribulation and j il
suffering have 1 been guided to thoo j w
that thy soul may rejoice and that thou ;
shouldst minister unto me as thou
wouldst minister unto the Son, and j
that thy mission might at length be !"
accomplishd." j "
"No mortal hath revealed it unto V 1
thee. Men scoff ut the prophet of tho j H '
Hon who coni"th unto his own. In oth ■ "
er times ho cam»> unt/i his own and Ills 1
own received him not. They itoned i
his prophets of old and in tlnr.se latter
days they have derided his messenger w
whom We hath sent before his face a.- OI
the voice of one crying In the wilder- .
nesn, saying, 'Prepare ye the way of the ,a
Lord; make His path straight.' "
"1 suffer much. Bring water that I i "
may lave my limb which uu accident 1,1
hath Injured. Oh, hasten, hasten, 1
suffer!" J
"Behold, oh Mother of the Sou, I am . w
thy servant slid only thine tili He be j 11
come, when I will be His servant flr.-,I Wl
and In being ills -servant 1 shull be al. - bl
thine, l.et m*- therefore hoar thy com
mauds that 1 may obey; only, till lit *
be come, I may not leave thee." ! '
"Bring water."
The Prophet produced the great j• M
pitcher which was full of water and at ' u
her blddiug Blowly poured the cooling i a "
element uyo'i her tortured limb. Her w!
relief w.,? ureas am. wh i thr pitch'?!
was en;;>t> she sent him to refill It. Cp-
This 1 is wrei. . fron. it;; p.ace
:.nd the i iu is . m re than I can
bear. Do you tt. icrsian£ surgery?"
Her pair, au.i her auxiety v. t re sc
great that she torgi t to maintain her
sacred forms of speech, but the Proph
et did not notice the fact.
"The Father will give me knowledge i
as I require."
"You mui-t carefully exert th> great ;
strength He hju- eiv-»n you as 1 direct.
Tak» hold upon this foot thus," and
.-lie fixed his hands upon the heei and ,
over the instep. ' ur.d pull upon it with
:i 11 your power, straight away, till it is
replaced. Mind me net if I should cry
out or faint: for I know not if I shall ;
be abl" to endure it."
Even f.s thou wilt, shall it be: for
the Father hath --nt thr-e to me for j
i are as thou shalt require."
She placed her uninjured foot lirm'.y •
, .gainst the foot-board of "he br-rt and ,
; laid hold upon the head-rail with ;
i both hands. Then, nerving herself for
the agony, bade him pull. His ;
j touch was torture to her, yet he was I
i tender and reverent and pulled as she i
| had instructed liim; steadily, firmly, :
! straight. When the strain was felt she
screamed, but maintained her position. |
Perspiration gashed from every pore
; and when the Joint snapped into place
i she fainted.
When she revived the Prophet was
kneeling in prayer at the altar. She ;
bade him bring water and with great j
, difficulty she sat. up in her place and :
! bathed the swollen member Then she
said:
"Bring bandages that I may bind it '
, up."
"There are none here. I will pray to
j the Father and he will provide."
I Again he knelt at the altar and i
, prayed. This time as a confiding child !
asks a simple gift from an indulgent
parent, he asked for linen wherewith
to make bandagea as the Chosen Virgin
might have need.
While the Prophet prayed Miss Stel
la tore from one oi her muslin skirts as
much material as she required and
made bandages with which shv tightly
bound the injured limb.
Having concluded his prajer the
Pri ph<u ra'.urned to her. Seeing that
3he wus already provided with th€
bandages he evinced no surpriso what
ever and said in tke most matter-of
fact manner:
"'Ask ye and ye shall receive;' 'no
good thing will h* inthhold from them
' that ask him.' Why do the sons of
I men refuse to learn that they should
ask for what they want and want only
I that which is good?"
i Miss St--lla emptied the remainder ol
! the water upon the bandages and asked
the Prophet to tiring moro which he
did at once without remonstrance or
reluctance When that was all used
I she sent him again. This time he was
S gone long anu she feared that he had
| forgotten her and his errand and had
I perhaps gone away for one of his fre
i <iuent evangellitlng trips.
I Her spirits fell; the gloom of the
j place acted upon her mind. A great
tear of —she kuew not what —some-
thing intangible but tainule overcame
her.
The air ol the subterraneous cell sti
lled her; the place became an awful
impenetrable prison in the in
accessible bosom of the earth;
why did not the Prophet return?
Could lie have forgotten the Virgin?
Had he wandered away to preach
among the people as he otten did?
Oh, the horror, the awful horror of
the place! She could not endure it;
she must escape! Sho got up to go out
but she had not the strength to stand
up and she fell to the floor. Feebiy
she crawled back upon the bed. She
cried aloud for help. She was sure
that hours hud paused since the Proph
et's departure! She would be left there
to perish alone under the earth out of
the sigh* of men! Forever out of the
sight of men!
An awful agony of terror was upon
her; the horror was greater than she
could bear; her reason abdicated to
terror; her mind became chaos; deliri
um directed her imagination.
She was no longer alone She saw
about her a multitude of living terrors 1
in distorted forms; hideous dwarfs,
horrible giants grinning clownish j
guoiues, impish plgmiee, ferocious
hobgoblins. Inhuman creatures In
human forms, with heads of
hawks and owls and ugly birds of '
prey, whose hands and feet were 'al- '
ous, and whose talons and beaks
pinched and pierced and tore her limb! !
The ivliolu cave wa.-, tilled with re- 1
pulalve reptiles and dangerous beasts.
They hustled and fought each other for
space and opportunity to attack her.
They clung to the walls and bung from '
the low roof. She was burled in
writhing, wriggling llzzards; bats 1
whirred and swooped and ducked about s
in every direction and some burrowed 1
lu her hair. Hissing serpents crawled
and coiled on every side, lurked among
her garments, and with arched necks
thrust up through coiled and writhing 1
bodies, darted glistening tongues at 5
her from between sparkling eyes In
dark corners; while rats with beady *
eyes and blistering feet scampered over 1
her quivering budy and a thousand '
spiders, as big as prattling babes, with
clapped hands formed a circle .<ll about '
her and danced, danced, danced, up and {
down, all moving at once, up and j *
down, up and down, all moving alike *
and all ready to bite her limb when j 8
the snapping turtles would let go of It. i '
| r
XX. «
ONE DAY IS AS A THOUSAND J
YEARS.
The Prophet returned with his pitch- J u
er full to dripping, of sparkling spring , v
water, en crying it with as much care as
if each drop was a pearl of great price, a
to lose which would be an offense
against that Son for whose coming he
waited in confidence.
Entering the chamlisr of the Sacred
Virgin, he tound Miss Stella lying up
on Lhe ground, craved from pain and .
rem. °
He placed the pitcher upon a stool, .
tenderly took Into his arms the pre- j
clous chin i,c delivered to his keeping
by that deity lie served so soulfully,
and laid her upon tin- bod. Taking '
Ixith of her fevered, restless hands In
his own h> Murmured: .
" 'He restoreth my soul; He lead
•tti mo inti the paths of righteousness n
[or Mis name's sake. Yea, though I j
walk through the valley of the shadow ( ]
»f death I will 4««str no evil, for Thou ji
irt with lie l'liy rodnudTliy htaff they fl
with me; Thy rod and Thy staff they |,
•omfort me Surely goodness and mor- j (
y hull follow me all the days of my f,
lf< : and I will dwell in the house of JJ
he Lord forever For In the time of ri
rouble He shall hide me iu ills pa- w
rilion; in the secret of Mis tabernacle v
ihall He hide ui" ll>- shall set me upon , w
i rock. Let no', your heurt be trou
led;ye believe In God, believe also lu n
ne." | ai
There was soothing in his voice, his j,]
cords, his touch; or perhaps It was o>
<nly in the tact of human presence; I
L rid she was calmed. She began to ,
alk upon subjects familiar to her.
>ometiim s it was to her sisters; some- |
lines to 801 l Morton; most of all, to
he adjutant. j sl
Afier a time the Prophet released her | v '
lands and repaired to the altar before ri
vhich he o frequently prayed, and
gain communed in his simple, reliant
my with that Father whose will ruled
ils soul, whose benilicence and love he el
ratefully and devoutly acknowledged; i SI
those favor and protection for the , I,J
Mrgln he besought in fervent words.
Surely the prayer was heard by the I
iupreme Protector! When the suppli- i
ant arose the water caught his sight | L "
nd he remembered the purpose for 1
L'hlcli It was desired. He took tho K'
; . her and poured the fresh pur?
co;ng contents upon the bound limb
fth delirious sufferer until tho band
.'ges v. ers thoroughly saturated; and
from that hour he kept them so. day
*nd r.icht t.iiiingly caring for her with
u patient tenderness born of that love
which is deeper and greater than the
love of youth and maiden, because it
a love of sacred duty and a rever
ential deference to the will of Him in
v hum v as axed the faith of the loving
j servant.
T'.iat .-ervice was the purest religion.
v.as the willing. Joyful obedience of
the trustful discipla who regarded the
lufiarer us i'.ie On» Chosen, the one
-i.ken out from among all His crea
iu.es, to give to the sons of earth that
I Son whose first com.ng had opened tc
ill the gates of eternal life and whose
ond coming was to purify the earth,
| :"ree the world from sin and emanci
[ pate men froui temptation,
j The devout nurs* never forsook tht
, jiresence of his charge, save in her
set vice; to bring frush water, to get
he- a drink: to minister to her; or to
kneel at the altar whereon stood tho
ever-burning lacip. and appeal to the
i Father In her beha f.
Day after day, night after night, her
tev. r and her delirium continued and
■ neither the patient nor the nurse know
vi.ght uf tho flight af time or the mul
tiplication of Jays.
One afternoon -ie awoke from a
sleep and sr.w thf> Prophet kneeling
at the altar. Remembering that he
had gone after wa;-»r and how fright
ened she had bGen toy his long absence,
I she thought that s!ts had fallen asleep
; and that he had returned while she
f slept. She asked:
"Did you got the water?"
The Prophet arctio and approached
her, und she, wondering why her voice j
, 9ounded so Strang:, continued:
"Please let me **ave the water? I i
1 must bathe my limb."
She made an effort to sit up but i
could not rise.
"What is the matter with me? I am i
bo weak! I feel lirribly tired, yet 1 j
have been asleep ought to feel i
rested! How sti inge my voiue
sounds."
" I am the voice nf one crying in the
wilderness, saying, 'Prepare ye the
way of the Lord; make His path
straight'"
"Please help me tv> sit up?"
He gently assisted her and she add
ed:
"Thank you! Won't you please take
the pitcher and pour water on those
naiidages till 1 tell jou to stop? 1 must
keep them wet or this hurt may be
come serious. But it does not pain me
now; before I went to sleep the pain
was fearful."
She examined the injured limb and
was utterly bowildored. The inflamma
tion was gone and there was not even
a trace of soreness.
She sat in silence, her mind fixed
upon her wonderful recovery.
Motionless and silent, with the water
pitcher extended toward her, stood the
faithful Prophet, unnoticed, for she
was endeavoring to collect the frag
mentary recollectioua of many days of
anguish, many nlgnts of norrors. many
hours of fright and fear and pain and
torture. And yet sise could not realize
that she had slept beyond a few hours!
Still, if she had sl«jit but a night and
during that sleep lest had been bro
ken by so many disturbing dreams,
how was It that her limb had so sud
denly healed? Why had she grown so
weak? She saw her hands and in
wonder held them to the light. They
wnro wasted and thin and looked al
most like the withered hands of an old
woman! She was frightened and
thought of Rip Van Winkle's sleep of
twenty years and with terror at her
heart cried:
"What day is this? What month?
What year? How long have I been
here?"
"Now is the accepted time; behold
now is the day of salvution!"
"How long have I been here? A day?
How many years?"
" 'One day is with the Lord as a
thousand years and a thousand years
as one day. He etteemeth every day
alike.'"
"No, no, not twenty years! I have
not slept twenty years? Out you look
older! I look older! I wonder If I am
very old? I have been sick —oh, I won
der how long! It must be a terribly
long time since I came here!"
She fell back and drew a coil of her
long, iihining black hair before her
face, half fearful that she was now an
old woman whose had grown
white through the bleaching of years.
She felt was years, more years
than she could guess, since she left
Burton!
Tears flowed from her closed eyes.
Over her stood the Prophet still si
lently extending the water toward her. ,
When her tears ceased and her heavy,
regular respirations told him that she (
slept again he put aside the vessel and
resumed his devotions before the altar.
All through the night sho slept and '
when the morning broke upon the 1
world without, she awoke so much re- 1
freshed that she was able to rise to a
sitting posture.
Almost immediately the Prophet
cauie In and offered her food which she '
ate without knowing what it wa* or
from whence it came. I
Having eaten, she begged the Prophet ,
to assist her to the door that she might (
once again see the bright light of day f
und once more breathe the pure air of .
the hills. Without answer he went out
and she heard him remove the fasten
ings of the ironclad door. Then he
returned and gathered her In his artn3 .
as tenderly as a young mother gathers
her first born from its cradle, and bore '
her to the outside where he placed her 1
upon a stool, with her back resting '
against one of the great stones of the I
wall.
leaving her there he silent;y went t
again into his but. t
[TO UK OOIITINt'ED.I
t
A Honeymoon At A I'urinhoiiM.
It is no longer fashionable for the r
bridal couples to go'to large cities or .
on a trip to Europe for their wedding "
Journey. The sentimental period must
be spent In some country place, a way
side inn or in some quiet old town. A '
couple who desired to go to a country ''
place near by advertised in a paper )
that is distributed well over the State f:
for Just what they would like in the n
way of an ideal resort for their honey- ,\
roeon Mot more than a week or ton
inys after the advertisement appeared 4I
hey receivod a dozen or more answers.
Previous to tho wedding the husbaud
fo-be visited several of those whose
etters rend 'he m«**t invitingly and se
eded the placo he llk«d tho best. The
'our weeks they spent there were more
like a story book than a reality. Tin .
rooms were large and airy, the table
,vas exquisite in lta cleanliness and the •'
,!ands that were sjirond before them "
vein deliriously tempting. A horse
ind carriage were at their disposal,
In river not more than a mile away, ,
nid scenery and loitfltig ai>ots were so
limit iful that a new one could be found
nrerjr dajr. •
Tho Aire »r Athletic*.
"How our opinions change!" said
he bright woman. "It used to be ion- JI
Idered eminently proper to be the it
i. tlm of consumption, but now w»
uu from It a* if 11 were the plague." q
Miock Intel? I'ror I Icitl.
" Mir s Wigglcsworth thinks she'a
liglble to the Order of the Crown. Is
h' : sure she can trace her lineage
■icli to line of the English sovereigns." '1
'How far has she got?"
'She told me yesterday she had
;: uck a bur sinister." a
• I guess that's right. 1 knew her
roar grandfather tin a bartender." f c
No. IS
CLIMATt IS NOT CHANGING.
Whj itf Oldest Inlinbliant'a Stories
Arc :\<>t Alnu> a Correct.
A corre-j omlev.t in Xortlifield, Mass.,
desires our opinion on the question:
*'\\ ere tiie winters of 50 or 75 years ago
much colder or were the snowfalls
deeper than nt present?" The opinion
is widely held that the winters were
colder and the snowfalls deeper, but I
can find nothing to warrant the belief
CM* ;it that in the first part of the cen
tury a much larger percentage of the
population li\ed i;i the hill townslnthe
Interior, which are much colder than
the valley or the coast towns."
On tiie general question as to appre
ciable changes in climate the editor's
opinion is that there has l>een no such
change In any respect whatever so far
as meteorology proper is concerned.
If we divide our records of the weather
recorded In Xorth America since the
days of Columbus into two periods,
M/.. before and after the year ISOO, we
shall find that every peculiarity, such
as remarkable storms, winds, rains,
floods, frosts, etc., recorded in the cur
rent century, can be matched by a cor
responding remarkable event before
the year 1 s uu. The popular impressions
alluded to by our correspondent result
almost entirely from the imperfection#
of our records and especially of our ,
memories. There is a large class of per- 5
sons whose habits of thought are so
I crude that when they experience any,
very remarkable weather they jump to
i the conclusion that the climate has
changed, forgetting that they them
selves have had such a limited person
al experience that they are not fair
! judges of the weather over the whole
i country or of the ciimate of a century,
i Our correspondent seems to suggest
I that a certain change In the habits of
i the people, such as the removal from
j the interior to the coast, or from forests
j to prairies, or from country to city, or
| vice versa, will partly account for wide
spread errors in respect to the climate.
The suggestion is excellent, but tho
editor would be Inclined to interpret
the phenomenon somewhat differently.
Tiie general movement of the popula
tion in the past century has been from
the Atlantic states westward, and from
the country to the city, or quite oppo
site to the movements suggested by our
correspondent. In fact, we find no real
agreement in the so-called popular tra
ditions with regard to the weather. We
have met with quite ns many persons
who think the winters are more severe
as with those who think the winters are
less severe than formerly. Every
thing seems to depend upon how and
where the "oldest inhabitant" lived
when he was a boy, as compared with
his present condition. The average cli
mate of Xew England, so far as the
weather is concerned, has not apprecia
bly changed since the days when her
oldest forest trees were young sap
lings.—Monthly Weather Review.
A MOTHER-BIRD'S LOVE.
How a I'IKCOII t'nt Her Way to He*
Imprisoned I'UUDK One.
In the animal kingdom there are
many strong examples of mother love,
and the birds are particularly noted for
displaying it. A remarkable instanco
of this maternal instinct was recently,
noticed near Elwood, Ind. A mother
pigeon whose young one had mysteri
ously disappeared searched unceasing
ly fur weeks for the little one, and one
day last December she was seen flying
violently against the side of a frame
building in the city.
Each t : me she came In contact with
the house she chipped off u small bit
of wood with her bill. For nearly two
days the old bird kept this practice
up, often during that time falling ex
hausted from the repeated shocks and
the fatigue. In the ufternoon of the
second day she had pecked u hole in the
wall, the wood of which was old and
soft from the weather. This hole wa»
large enough to admit a man's head,
and through this the mother bird went
and came.
Every time she entered she carried
grain or steeds or grass. Some curious
people investigated the hole while she
was absent, and there they found the
little lost pigeon, just below the hole,
wedged in between the weatherboards.
For two days more the bird continued
to bring the little one food, and would
stay fluttering near the hole, chirrup
ing and trying to cheer the little pris
oner up. Many times It entered and
Beemed to be trying to extricate its
v.iung one, but it could not succeed In
doing so, try as it would. The prisoner
had flown into the building, which was
empty, and managed to get between
the weather boarding, near the top of
the inside. Falling a considerable dis
tance, It lodged in tin- narrow space,
which did not permit it to useit»wing«
in rising again. Its plaints had reached
the mother anil she, not being able to
reach it from the inshle, had cut
through from without. An admiring
man thrust Ms hand through the hole
and brought out the fluttering young
tiling, to the great delight of the anx
ious mamma bird. —Chicago Chronicle.
I'nnnlu); lllejele* In France.
One curious feature of cycling In
France is the use made of the govern
ment pawnshops by cyclists as store-
during the off season. As soon
as the season draws to an end there
Is a regular rush to the pawnshop. As
I lie wheels are carefully stored, if
lhe precaution be taken of well oiling
th:'ni before they are turned over to
the state, 110 harm can possibly come
to them. As regards the cost, the bi
cyclist is a ')ig gainer, as for from 30
to 4<> cents he can store the bicycle for
four months, without taking Into ac
count the feeling of security. The
itote is responsible for the safe keeping
5f the wheel. If any proofs were want
ed that ft is not necessity that causes
'his rush at the end of the season, it
pmld lie found in the statement that so
,':ir the Mont dc Piete lias only had one
machine left on lis hands, and then It
,vos of such a hopelessly old-fashioned
naUc that It did not bring In as much
is had bet n loaned on it.—-Golden Days.
Can dona.
Bertha —Do you lielieve in love at
first sight?
Edith —I believe there are jwrsons one
Is more likely to love before she lias
had time to get acquainted with them
lhan afterwards. — BosLcn Transcript.
I>I«l n't Flnlah Her Work.
Mrs. Bllkins The new girl broke
four plates to-day.
Mr. Ililkin* —Did she assign any rea
i'ui for uot breaking the entire set?—
Jhio State Journal.
Tiie lllullt Man.
"I know the man has started tie lm
iresision that I'm an idiot, and I'm go
ng to kill him," roared Chappie.
"Don't. Suicide Is so vulgur," said
?yn!ous. Harlem Life.
r«u»c and ICffcct.
She Mrs. Boozeford says her heart
s full to-night,
lie- I suppose her husband Is, too,
hen. Yonkcrs Statesman.
A Petty Sla.
Gerald -l>o you think that suicide is
, sin?
(ieraldine—Well, I think it would
orglven iu your case.— > T . Y. Truth.