WHAT THE CHILDREN SAY. When, In the dusk ct ccralng, I com 10 where I see Three little face at the window looking down ut me. Anil luar the ahout cf "I'npa." and the sound of st-unijit-rliic feet. And flnj niywlf rUoiicr ere 1 can beat retreat; The roliUrs seise my j tirreU and search my pcrkets through. And l'i-ar mo to their castle spite uf all that I can do. There the quern cf these banditti gently chlile their hotst'roiis i:W. And ask liow many kisses It wlil take to rarsuin me. Oh. Is there any pleasure In all the luy dny Tliafs quite u HWeet as listening then to what the children suy? Itclrn think a hundred kisses are enotisn to ransom me. If I'll change them nil for pennies hrltht u sonn as I am free: While Henry claims that "I'apa Is more valuable than that;" And the rascal confiscates my overcoat nnd hut. Hut tender-hearted Josephine makes terms for my release: "We'll h t you po, dear papa, for Just one kiss nplece." When I've paid my ransom duly, this val iant rohher hand Ksi er.s me to the. tahle, with a (runrd on either hand. There for a Mcsaed hour I fling my cares a a y And crow ynunper as I listen to what the children say. Fr.T.i ivy prison In the study t detect them st a II r k l.y. 'Till thi y think they're out of hearing: then with shouts away they 11 y. All ntioiit the house they frolU now below, now overhead, tattle rliance I'll have f.-r study 'till they're s:i'i;:ly tucked In lied. Hut at last there comes a silence, and I tip toe out to see Three 1 ttle kiiIht faces clustered ut their me? Iter's knee. Their prayer. "I lcase Merit dear papa," never falls to put to n ut Kvrry skeptical opinion or philosophical di tt'.t. Win n the V rrid lonhs rol nr.d cheerless, and heaven seems faraway, Just si. p, n.y friend, and listen lo what the children say. Thomas t It iney, In Chicago Standard. ViViVtVwViVVViVVViViViiVViViiVtVVm 1TIIE MILLER'S GEESE, i; BY KART SOMMERVTLIE IX d : jS riARTHA B. BANKS. : 5! 1 1 M I It IMS Stir rf,'!fi ', V.'. " fff$" FA1K and sweet were the flowers In the morning sunshine, but no fairer nor sweeter than w as Kliznbeth herself, as Kite come down the walk in front of her grandfather'! eottnge, in ber pret ty print froek nnd with the roses in her cheeks, which in some sly manner had sprung up there long before nuy of their rivals had thought of blooming in the garden. Dow n in the heart of Pennsylvania, in the first quarter of the present cen lury lived Klir.abeth with her grand father and her grandmother, in the small house near the woods on the bank of a brawling t'reek.' not far from the Village of rSellefonte, lying under the shadow of Enid Kaglo in6iintaih.fV'The name of Mcllcfontc had been giver, to tbe town by Elizabeth's grandmother, in honor of the magnificent spring bright, cool, fresh, sparkling and never f ailing--that bubbled tip on the edge of the village. On the opposite thorc of the creek i... .ud the old mill, with its whizzing, hurrying wheels, grinding away day by day in order to supply the good peo ple of the tow n with their daily bread, and li.-;rd by was the humble home of ll.e miller. Davit Crew, where he and bis wi.'e lived by themselves, with only a flock of get se for company. It was a wild, lonely spot, but 1'lizaheth's Quaker cousins were ovi r in the Tow n, within walking distance, and Klizr. belli seldom sighed for other c mpnninns. Indeed, her grandmother thought that she was almost too fund of wandering round in the sole society of her own feelings iitid fancies, atid that of the tltinib creatures nbnttt her. for a young maid who was of n mind to bet time a thrift), able housewife, and she did her bt t to hire the girl's thoughts and foot fte s into more practical, domestic paths. Hut. in Fiile of her love of out i f door iife and Iter affection fur nearly all living things. Kllnbrth filt no great respect for the lively geese of the miller. "They arc but noisy birds," she would fa;. : "alwrns Hulking rmv! and mak m:r a f'lss about n thin'-. There is old T:. l v now. in ing to look as w ise asan aul, and yet 1 venture tu believe tliat sl'.e lias not a si-gie idea it: her bend." "I.:l.e some sidy that 1 have see!:," '.he t'ra :,d fa: : it would teas'nply ;i v. "w i'.Ii tl.c:r ' n.pty litlle pates in ::';, and liny thi :i.:-cl'-s hardly where thev tire or wh.'it they (ire the l it war "'hen w I'tild I'liViet h iilndi nnd hanir ! or giddy little hi ad. for well s lie knew that . was sotnetlifes tvrc given to !rc:'t!i' 'htm n I'l.i'.r: but her grand .fa:!nr wotdd the, kit 1 1 within him- eir. a: d releMiiv'.y pat the glowing t-bi i k of his gr:ir'i!:i!i'!'' '' for it must lie acht.'iv. lodged tl.::! ! o v. rs i f private nio- iot thai she v :"' t! e e'cevct giri tl hi' critiTily. ever t'.r u-It he 'Mil liken twit horw'th bein;' i l.irls i'itm u deal 1;!T t:i t 'e f" ose tin I. ad ri'.tip. w lo s taster 1 !,:t:i lo r di;-;.i: . fiti 1 1' t- v peoial fiof i i' . IK :ii tl" gt! t'den ;:; t e. tiiou'.t old I'.fi. the 1:.:lh i-iirried l.;:ti n tttsry a i'i iMittr.try. (.r:itidf;:tl:i r ; now J. .tt'.-l o;i an cNle-i ; g-:. fdfat her i- .aring to inl hi rse tliat ;:t t lctititl 1 he mil Jlcu were :i m:. to li.iok ..ftcr t' e n.eti wlf.i v. el e nt wi' i'U on the new cam.!, if w hit h grandfather was the Mirvni:' t w: ti t wo days' jour ney to this point of o'l.e.crvation and nark ti'-ahi. so rnnidnmlhcr nt.d '2i!:i licth. :.nd Woolly, the sttutll black maid, wot. Id be left to themselves for the fight. .Hut they had no thought of danger. They had never been Bioleited In their nook in the shilter of 1he for est, iitid women tiud young loll: were bravo nnd daring iu those pioneer times. "Sow, r,flnflfatLer,,, aid Klizabeth, klcsinp Lcr grwiflfatier cood b, "be' arc to brio; me a bono j bunch of crab apple blossoms, aa well at tbe hank of yarn of which I apoke to you, and if you stop at John's bouse tell his wife that I should be pleased to have tbe pattern of tbe pelisse that Sarah Olake lent her. And, ob. grandfather, your next trip will be to Philadelphia, and you arc to take me with you. are you nut? And then 1 shall see something f the world of which I have beard so much and know so little. And tbe money to convey me on my journey is even now in the house with the rest that you brought home lately, is it not. dear grandfather?" "Yes. chatterbox." returned the gtat ither. jocosely, pinching the dimpled chin so near at hand; "but see to it that your brains go not wool-gathering, and let it slip through your lin gers ere you cau put it to use." With a litlle laugh, us Klizabeth drew herself up in dignified protest against his insinuation, the grandfather waved farew ell to his w ife in the doorw ay, nnd jumping upon bis saddle the active old man rode away, muttering to himself: "A hank of blossoms, a yarn pelisse and a pattern of crab-apples." l'crhaps the good grandfather was slightly absent minded himself on some occasions. Kli.abcth stood gazing after the horse nnd its rider until they vanished round the curve in the road by the great oak tree. Then she turned nnd glanced across the strenni toward the mill. The miller was leaning out of the upper half jf the mill door, his arms resting on (he lower half. "The top of the morning to yon. Miss i:ii.abelh."hecalled out. "Do you know I've found the nest of the old goose I've been hunting so long? It was in he crotch of a w illow nt the lower end the dam. Step over and take a look at it." Kli.abcth wns about to trip lightly across the bridge that led to the mill, when she was hailed by a voice from the kitchen, reminding her that life is not all play, even on a merry .May mum-inp- "Klizabeth! Klizaheth!" cried the grandmother, "there is a large ironing to do, and we are late at setting about it. Come, little idler, to your task." "Hut it's such a lovely day!" sighed the girl, slowly entering the room, nnd easting many a longing glance back ward, silently wishing that she were a bird or a leaf that could let the rain do its w ashing and leave the smoothing process to the wind and tbe sunshine. "Hut if I am diligent this morning, grandmother, I suppose that I may go into town this afternoon to see Mary Anne." "Yes. yes. child; but now we must make baste, or else noon will be here before we have finished nil that we have on hand," responded the grandmother, laying generous batches of dough into the bread baskets to rise and make ready for baking. When the clock struck 12 the last piece of snowy linen was bung up to air on. the lineistretched across the kitchen, and when tbe traces of the midday meal were cleared away Elizabeth tied on her sunonnet and started for tbe village. Of course she bod to pause for a moment at tbe spring, for she could never pass it by unheeded; but a little later she wns with ber cousins in an old garden, sleepy with sunshine and ira grant with blossoms. What with gossiping over Klizaheth's coming flight from the home nest and the relating of stories by Mary Anne from a delightfully fascinating book that she had come across but which her mother had withdrawn from her ere she had fathomed half of its fasci nations the afternoon skipped by all too quickly. Klizabeth suddenly realized the late ness of the hour, nnd hastened away, but it wns grow ing dark as she pressed into the shude of the pine w oods beyond the spring, nnd she was considerably startled when she observed in the path ahead of her the figure of an unknown man, who, when he hrard the approach ing footsteps, dodged behind the trunk of a tree, as though fearful of discov ery. "Dear me," thought Klizabeth. "who is that? It must be a beggar or a tramp, unless it is a king or n lord in disguise. Anyway, it's best to avoid him. There, he has turned off to the right, so I'll hurry along as fast ns 1 ran." In another moment she saw her grandmother coining to meet her. Kliz nbeth threw ber arms round the old lady's neck in an ecstasy of joy and relief, nnd confided the story of her vision and her fright. (Jrnndmothrr looked u little worried. "I nlini.st wish 1hut you had brought Williutn home with you to spend the night," she said, ns she latched the gar den gate behind herself and Klizabeth. "WoolK says that there ir, a fo. prowl ing round, also. You must shut up the t hicl-.i't:s w ith more than usual caution. David w ent nwry for the afternoon, too, nnd w ill not be back until late this even ing. Do you run over, Klizabeth, und see that the geese are in tbe pen near the house. Jest they be in peril, and drop a word to bis wif poor lame Su san, to charge David to keep his ear open fur unydue who may be abroad to liight. However, 1 think that we have really little to fear. The stranger was -rub-ably a traveler, going tlirouu the rm.ntry on foot." Klizabeth flew nway to her grand mother's bidding; but. while securing I he fowls from surprise, she fell to wondering about the man that she bat) encountered, and 1o weaving romances in her customary fashion, and not once did she recall to memory the orders about the miller's geese. The moon was climbing t lie skies when she went i:p stairs to go tobed. cud when she walked to the window for a parting glimpse of Ihe world without she fancied that she beheld a man slink across the road nnd hide himself in the w oods beyond. "Jt's just nervousness thut makes me Imagine thut I find strange things fvcrywhere now," she assured herself, to stifle a little rpastn of alarm, and, ..l ... el , . . .. . at. i (I I'.e 111. lie illy tu III Ml .11.; b her w imliiw. "Uho' there?" iu uio.ed. (iiuietnig tout . "Il is I." replied k i ; uolher.it a wlin-per. "I lie. no to sound o' whistling, and I sto.t i in re lo pee. out on this side ol the house and hri'i is a man walking up ami now n the mail lie is trying, perhaps, to lino out il there is a man uliout. or else wishes fo signal to some accomplice. 'l ucre, do you hear him?" K Italic th was al the Aimlnw in a trice, and she could plainly discern a tall figure creeping stealthily in through tbe gate. "Oh. why was 1 so foolish as to stay here without a man!" said grand mother, catching her breath. "We can not protect ourselves, nud there is one bhuttcr in the parlor that is not closed, because the white rose bush has gruwu in so far thut it holds it open. There, be is at the other window now. and will soon make an attempt at the one behind the rose bush." tirandmother had In ber hand n small ralico bag, which she tucked beneath the mattress of the bed, and then she begau to push some of the heavy, old fashioned mahogany furniture ngninst the door of the room. "Woolly is safe enough in her corner in the attic." said grandmother, "but we must have something that the rascal is after. I will fling up the window, and we must scream for help. David must have returned by this time, and may hap he will bear us nnd come to our rescue. You spoke to Susan of this matter, did you not. Klizabeth?" Kliznbeth flushed scurlel. nnd let her head fall upon her breast, like a rose bending on its stalk. "1 did truly forget to do so. grand mother." she faltered. "Then your heedlessness may have cost you your trip." replied the grand mother, more severely than was her wont, "and It may b we shall lose our lives. The villain may intend to murder us, for all thnt we can tell." finished the poor lady, in desperation. "Hut now for as loud a shout ns wc can raise." "Help! help!" Tbe words rang out upon the night air. but the creek went babbling on Its noisy course, with no consideration for the frightened, de fenseless beings who wefe endeavoring to drown its clatter with their own. The robber shrank back from the house at sound of the outcry, but as no re sponse came to the appeal he returned the more boldly to the attack. Again arose the cries, louder and more be seeching than before. The intruder bad found tbe unfastened shutter, nnd had made his way through the window into the parlor. Oh, would no aid come! All nt once, from across the water, came an answer. It wns tbe shrill scream of the miller's geese. Klizabeth thought that she could recognize Tap py's peculiar note above the other shrieks. Something was awake. Some thing bad heard the supplications of the besieged, even were it only a flock of stupid geese. Again grandmother and Elizabeth shouted, atul again came the squawk, squawk, iu reply. The in vader had evidently not failed to note the clamor in the distance, for his foot falls could no longer be heard on the floor below. Oh, would David be aroused? Yes, there was a halloo from thp op posite shore, and once more the voices at the window pleaded forsuceor. Then there was the ii-port of n shot. The man in the parlor of the disturbed household had bis ears on tbealert. He waited for no parley or plunder. He scuttled across the room, jumped from the open window, ami tore off for the woods. An instant later David came flying up to the house, with bis gun over his shoulder, and there were ex planations, thanks and congratulations then. David bad found Tnppy alone by his doorstep when he reached home that night, and he had hunted tip the other geese and locked them into the pen uudcr..his bedroom window. Soon nfterward he had fallen into a heavy slumber, from which he had been awak ened by the cackling of bis geese. Thinking that a fox was among them, he had gone out to attend to him with a little pow der and shot; and then, catch ing the sounds of distress from the other sides of the creek, he had tbe sat isfaction of chasing away a more wily and more wicked old fox from more val uable prey. The miller stayed on guard between the two houses for the remainder of the night, but there was no further annoy ! once, and the follow ing evening grand j father was again with his family, lis : tening to a thrillingnccount of the mid night adventure. , "Tbe scamp must have had sume sus picion of tbe extra money in the house." , said grandfather, shrewdly shaking his I head. "Hut, heydey, lass, so the geese I were ahead of you for once!" I Klizabeth gave her grandfather a buy. i nrch little glance from under her eye lashes. "The geese had more wit than I I thought," she said, "nnd I will neverde ' pise them again." Leslie's Monthly. : Gave Himself Aivay. I Judge You might os well own up I that you stolethat double-barreled shot- gutv from the colonel here, j Sam Johnsiug I was jesssodespcrit. I boss, dat I tuck de gtiti bckase I wanted 1 to shoot mvse'f. j "Hut instead of committing suicide I you went and isold the gun for two dob 1 hirs." j "Dat's so, boss, but I had tcr sell I gun tcr buy cat ridges w id de money. Can t shoot niyse f w idout catridgep." . . j i oriu. TUum 1'anslDK Hloruia. Friend Is your honeymoon over? Xuwed Oh, yes. We're alony i f i !:e ilmoon now X. Y. Journal. iBaaltlag. iti'.l Collector I hare presented ihie lull to your buxband lima and again al Iiik ait'.ice. and be ia always too busy to ut tend to it- I have also called here with it 15 times, but you bave always put me off Mis De Kicb - What? You have called .it this bouse with thai petty bill l. tunes? Such frequent calling with one bill is an insult, sir. Regonet N. V WeltIy. t.ol the Wrona lt. Cci igiti drummer had a customer whoV name was l.egg. The Inlter failed in business, and the drummer, who lia in-licit to he on hand ut the lime, teli-gnipheil his firm: "l.i'Ca Ims broke." The linn placed the w rong construc tion on the telegram nnd replied: "Sorry See a physician, and keep sober." At Ian lu Constitution. Their Alntnnl Affection. He hnd a castle crand. ancestral Her acres are Ivith hrond and trims He loves the very ground she walks on. And she adores the site of him -Plck-Me-L'p. Bishop (iullem Yes, it is a good work, nnd 1 trust you believe In main taining foreign missions. "Indeed, 1 do. Why, papa seea Mr. Mc Kinlev every day about one." Harlem Life. A Itevlslon. "To err la human, to forulve divine," That may be nice enough to say; But to err and then blame It on Somebody elsa la the common way. Chicago News. In the Cold Pnrt Clnsn. Professor In the sentence: "A poet was mistaken for another man nnd shot," what iu the subject? Toet." "How would you make tbe sentence paradoxical?" "Served him right." "But that is not a paradox." "Well, it's dead right." N. Y. Truth. Proof. The Senior Member By George! Clarkson, you seem to think you're the boss here! . r Clarkson Not at all. sir. Tbe Senior Member Well, why do vou talk so blamed stupid, then? N. Y. Truth. So Possible imager. "What do you consider the most ab solute certain way to distinguish toad- I stools from mushrooms?" j "Cook them, get some other man to eat them, and then watch the symp j toms." Chicago Tribune. An A Id to Quietude. Mr. O'llara Maggie, pfwhat do yez wear ycr gloves for pfwhin ye are playing the planner? Mrs, O'llara 'Sh! the baby'a shlap ing, an' Oi don't want to make so much noise. Judge. The niRnrrr naif. "I cannot understand," said the bach elor clerk, "why a man's wife is called the 'better half.' " "You would," said tbe married clerk, "if you had to divide your salary with one." Cincinnati 1-nqiiirer. l!c Hnd .Vine. "A child in the house." said the Thoughtful Chap, "is n joy forever." "Yes."remnrked the Nonsensical Guy, somewhat sadly, "and 1 know people . who are overjoyed." Cincinnati Com mercial-Tribune. First Principles. Zerega Do you know. I once saw a colored ghost? Plaza Nonsense! How could you tell it wns a colored ghost? Zcrega It was chasing nfter a chicken. Urookly n Kagle. ! ProaresKlwn. Father When I was a boy, children hnd some respect for the advice of their ! parents. i Son Y'es; but in thoFe days the chil I dren didn't know any more than their parents did. X. Y. Truth. A ( ullmar Hint. j Crimsoubeak Do dogs ever get wor- i ried, do you suppese? j Yeast Why. certainly! I saw one I yesterday in :i slew. 1 "What, was it. a rabbit stew?" Yon- ! kers Statesman. I liially Clever. j lliifgn It in mid that Dame Fortune knocks once nt every man's door. I Ja'pn tjucss it win her daughter, ' Mia-Fortune, who culled on u:o. (,'hica 1 go Xewa. Knew It Wan a Woinna I Knp;rs Who was It snid that every il Slu'v jclinllimc... . i...t. nm.... lady murine. ; time they needed u new nngc Home woman died? JapffH I don't know the ladyV ntrnie. 1 Chicago Journal. In I lie Police Court. Mrs. Yeast Nave you a filmul ut court? Mrs. Crinihonbeak No; but I believe my hiihbnrjd ia there a pood deal. Vonkcrs Stiitemnnn. 1 So Jlltmlc. IXner -Is the landlady's daughter Ktudyluguiufclc? Boarder She's only learning: to jilay tbe piano. Up-lo-Date. i THE: I.AIIV AMI TUB TIGEIl. THE N. K. FAIRSANK COMPANY, 8U Louis, New York, Boston, Philadelphia. Chicago, are intended for children, ladies and all who prefer a medicine disguised as con fectionery. They may now be had (put up in Tin Boxes, seventy-two in a box), price, twenty-five cents or five boxes for one dollar. Any druggist will get them if you insist, and they obtained by remitting the price to The Ripans Chemical SPRUCE ST-'-' DON'T SACRIflOE . . . Future Coiiuort for present the Sewing lacliino with an established repntati that guarantees von long I tOrSeud for our beautiful iialf-touo 4-Fi jigs! tu- til iii ram m m rim sVMTX.1I M M WT mjf 1 V Ir)surar)ce. ISNYDEW'S OLD. AND RISLIAHLIS i Insurance Agency, ! SELIHSGEOVE, SNYDER COUNTY, U i Elmer 757". zvyca.x JXcxlU SucccBHor to the Into ! The Pui'-Hxcellcr.cn of llelinblo InHurnnce is wpreHcntciJ in 2UilTt !ir)(?iHtof MlRn,nnl CotnimnicB. from which to ui.ikc. a nelMtit j WlANTS : liottnr Hif World over. AnW ( t " sank, t..TIO!. , 4,tj'llA'. I ' pTTTT i ' I7T1J1.' .!, ....! ! Jv.ft,,.,! 7i't rinelii.lmir fnriMim USHO!; ?'',., '1 I 1 111 ll V " i Hnrtloril, of Ilurlfonl, Conn., (oldefit Anmr.can ' Phritiix. liar! ford, CouiiiK nta), Now German American. Now T.Tn.'M .il mil T,if run. (V rw A(H 'T IW.Y'l'Kinrdnvpt h' 1 .inliilit v Aci ulont Iiih. Co. hiibHcnuou tJiipital 01 ifl) Fire, Lifo and Accident rinkn ancopted ut llio lowol,t.l10,h',o!P, tiliwl bv a strict rcrnrd tn mutual safety. All just claim8, v j i natisfactorily fitljustpd. Information in Nation to fill cinhhr u an.c promptly fiirninhwl ELME1J W. SJJYDU, . Oliicoon Corner Water and I'ino Streets. bciiB " Insist on the Gefiuine The best Washing Powder made. Best for all clean ing, does the work quickly, cheaply and thoroughly. Largest package greatest economy. CANDY CATHARTIC cURE CONSTIPATION' ALL DRUGGISTS TABULES may always be cm mm seeming Economy, but I1 and satisfactory service u I I I i1 m An iW. mi niv I lftW Vi .aruv' i 3 iB::n. TOR rIts beautiful tiguved w work, durable construe tion, fine mechani cal adjustment, coupled with the Finest Pet of' Attachments, makes it Ue Most Desirable Wine in Hal FRANK S. RIEGK MlDDLEM'KCH, catalocue. I Ml for tray befor ttioiis, Loi ."Si teiihi """lorl William II. Simw ?! New M, Conn. York, York, York. p'20V'' AnHlirnilCO ComOl iltloll. ii' iSl FT 11 W cured pre bio today tu pevern u. nr. i Hbada bmidet It long i they di Itned to i peked m wioon l Vwtrdm path A tch did t Med to W itseli months was r Id bard aent, bo sign id." S.S. is Contai Rhenmat diseasi no effe the oi pvanteed fsh or oth fi by all il Pk on B!c Piled fre ffic Compi N'u go; Alton; HMlc Hull! HUNS Clonal bua te Prompt ai u- cnous; nrom a da 95.0