I Ifl's Magnum
Opus.
Hi LULU JOHNSON
j |
I'oiml' \lel- pulled the «le >M 111 paper
from ft • ly p•« i tier eiiri i.ik» ami add
ed It to the pll* In the « ire be«l<ot li»
Hide h lie cBHKhI lip 111 HH f>W
pniri * nail reread thci.i « th n glow of
pride, for he hnetl th.it nl ln«t lie had
written n Mori of iasli and blood In
stead of the mildly Innncnoti* romance*
that luiJ added t» hi* lank account,
bnl not to hi* fame
Ever since that night m\ month* be
fore. when he had come back to hi*
darkened home to find the note on the
dresser of his room notifying him thai
Acne* had gone nwn.v with the man
lie had considered hi* best friend, he
I i! I ///i'l £ iwfcj* :-!
OMf 13
• \ ifojl
j- ... - 'j"** - -*•'s
(fit
eci
AT LAST ONf.T THE BUCEmt) HUKETS
REMAINED.
hail worked with feverish energy upon
the novel.
He had taken little Elsie and had
crossed the continent with her that she
should be far removed from all who
might allude to her mother.
As they sat in the car, the child lost
in wonder at the constantly shifting
scene, he had planned the story, and
once he had made his new home he
had set to work.
All the bitterness of his heart he had
written into the book. It was the
plain tale of his own experience, told
with the simple directness of one who
feels deeply, except that into the last
chapter he had written an ending such
as he wished that she might suffer.
Almost gloatingly he drew the picture
of remorse and shame that followed
the desertion, and uo\V reading it over
he shuddered at the evil picture his
own fierce desire had conjured up.
For years he had sought a theme
that should lend him to his great ac
complishment. Agnes, too, had sought
to help him, but their lines had fallen
in the pleasant places, and he wrote
things that were salable, but not great.
Then she had left him for Tredgar, a
man who had done things, and his In
spiration had come, lie knew that he
bail done well, that this book would
bring him fame and opportunity, and
he smiled as lie gathered the sheets to
gether and prepared them for mailing,
lie had kept in touch with his east
ern connections, and Blauvelt, the pub
lisher, had asked for the first reading.
He was bent over the desk writing
the address when there came the pat
ter of bare feet across the uncarpeted
floor, and he looked up from his work.
"What is it, daughter?" he asked as
he took the little nightgowned figure
in his lap.
"I was lonesome," explained Elsie.
"You didn't come to kiss me good night
like yott saitf you would, daddy. 1
waited and waited and waited. Then
I just had to come. Is you most done,
daddy?"
"All done, dear," he said, with an af
fectionate pat on the package at his
elbow. "I was so interested that I
even forgot my little Elsie."
"And It's going to make you a great
big man?" she demanded. "It's going
to make you famous and happy, dad
dy?"
"Famous and happy," he repeated.
"It's my great work, dear."
"I'm so glad," she whispered con
tentedly. patting the pale cheek, wast
ed to thinness by his sorrow and ab
sorption in his work. "Some day when
I get a big girl, n great big girl. I'll
nrnl J»;ll all the other irirls tlml
iny iiniiuy wrote tnat great HOOK, anu
they'll all be mad because their papas
can't write books like my papa can."
Poindexter shivered and drew the
little form closer to him. Not once in
ail these months had ho thought of
that result. lie had worked steadily
with one purpose—of holding tills wo
man who had been his wife up to
shame. lie had given no thought to
the child. Not once had he realized
that there would come a day when
she would read with understanding
the story of her mother's disgrace,
lie had let her think that Agnes was
dead. Simple statement suflieed the
childish mind, but t lie day would come
when perhaps tin' curtain might be
drawn aside. Some old friend from
the east might seek him out and unwit
tingly betray his secret to the girl, and
she would read with horror the story
of her mother's f:i!l painted in words
of bitterness su i as only wounded
pride and dead li ve eun conjure. She
would see her mother's soul in all its
nakedness, and his would be the hand
that had thrown aside the garments
of time and charity.
"Are you sleepy, daddy?" Toindexter
roused himself.
"Not a bit," he declared, "What
makes you think that, daughter?"
"You are so still," she explained,
"and you don't talk."
"Daddv'f |g little tired," he explaln
f
""S' lyou a good night story?'
""*■ Idrled her head enntentAi«-
|i|e ... ! :ft fi-Ttfle Inn. ,t, ami lit.
<il*M •lofle* were g' • • tl* mo
fnent* 111 Hii child'* life There wo***
lime- when *he e •• fill fiboitf the
Imtw leu «he Interrupt hi* wrlH-ig
bill when l« I'M- i n • i ltd *he lit
i itrled » In hi* >n i rte hi* rich
voice rectlnl > elfd t ■ "<* of ifintil* nnd
fnlrle* nt'd . or -lie hid him f«r
her *erj on* ami tin* confetti *\Hh
the *H««flflee
A* lie * Hen red iite rlltnnk hi* vole*
irre\t Mift, and «li nt ln*l the end
runte he <* sited for the ifiinl applnitse
of "That wn* |ovo|> dnddi " ln«loiid
•oft lip* brushed hi* cli ek and th*
tired child - rink off to slee;».
Tenderb In two ■ her to Iter tied and
luck' I he 1 in a* (jcutlv a* a woman
tlilsht hate done Itevoretlth he pres*
ed hi* ll| * ncaln*t the rosv month and
tiptoed from the rmun
The library "teemed cold nnd eheer
les* when he returned The child's
visit had hut emphasised hi* lonoll
lie**, nnd he *nt blankly at the tnble
on which lay the package with Its ml
dre** bill half completed.
lie swung hi* chair about that he
might not see it; but. though he had
turned hi* back upon It, the script
still danced In-fore his mental vision,
lie could still see the uncompleted
tall of the "y" he hail been writing
when Elsie hail come in and the Ink
blotch In the corner where the pen had
rolled against it. A dozen times he
half turned to complete the address,
nnd as often there came to his mem
ory the words of bis dnnchter.
Some day she would read the book
with a clear vision, and perhaps she
woul I understand. There Is always
sono one to disillusion with awkward
speech. Perhaps she might never know
how to life the story was. Then
ag'ilu s. •>-!> chance remark might bear
In upon her the truth.
Acmes by b«r notion had forfeited
nil righ' to bis fortienrance. but there
was -ti 1 hi duty toward his child. It
seemed like murder to destroy this
masterpiece, and yet
He went over every Incident of his
life since his marriage. She had mar
ried him. ambitions for his future,
and he, utterly content, had been hap
py In his moderate success save for
those moments when her urirings spur
red his ambition. One purpose in writ
ing this very book was to show her.
when it was too late, that lie could ac
complish those successes for which she
hail long d: that he could write as bril
liantly us the man for whom she had
left him.
The east glowed with the first Mush
of the dawn when nt last he rose from
the chair and threw aside the curtains
to let in the morning light and the
fresh air.
Slowly he crossed the room to the
empty fireplace and laid the package
in the grate. A tiny tongue of flame
crept along the wrapper, biting deeper
as it grew. At last only the blackened
sheets remained, and he turned away.
"For Elsie's sake," he whispered and
added, with a sitni, "and for Agnes'
too. God pity lier." nis magnum
opus wa? found not in accomplish
ment, but in renunciation.
THE WEASEL
His Ferocity Unbounded and His
Courage Invincible.
The weasel is the most bloodthirsty
of ail our native carnivors. His feroc
ity is unbounded, his courage invinci
ble. lie is one of the few British wild
animals from whom man lias to fear
attack.
If you meet a group of weasels you
ill do well »i>t to interfere with
them, lor those who have done so have
occasionally suffered for their temer
ity, .llis dwarfish size rather accentu
ates than diminishes the detestation in
which he is held, for there is some
thing uncanny in the idea of so much
relentlcssness and cruelty being com
pressed inio so small a frame.
The rabbit, who will light a fierce
and bitter battle with one of his own
kind, is paralyzed with fear at the
mere sight of this puny foe, wiioin lie
could probably pulverize could be
brace his heart to the attempt. Squeal
ing with fear, he hops stupidly about
until the little vampire springs upon
his neck and buries his l'angs in an
artery.
Then the victim either sinks to the
ground and submits to his fate or, slid
denly acquiring the use of his muscles,
be speeds aimlessly along, the weasel
clinging to liis neck till his work is
done. There are few more pitiful
sounds in nature than the panic strick
en cry of a rabbit when he tinds that
he is lielug stalked by a weasel.—Lon
don Answers.
Avisry cn an Ucian Lu:c..
To have : i. aviary In the home is
the latcs fad oi' the leaders of fiisli
ion. says :! • New York Press. Those
women who are especially fond of
canaries n.ny be pleased to know that
3.00(» of these pretty birds have lately
been shipped to the I'uited States from
England. A special apartment has
been built for them close to the engine
room on ouo of the big liners, and they
are under the <a re of an experienced
attendant. Between now anil the end
nf the year no fewer than Uo.OOO birds
will be brought to New York. Many
women In Washington have Introduced
aviaries in their homes since that of
Baroness Hi : l nailer became popu
lar, and owners may capture
some of l!. e arriving birds and make
them "at home" in diplomatic circles.
Prize CheE.t.n..'c White House.
C. K. Sober of l.ev. h burg, I'n.. who
has a celebrated paragon chestnut
grove near Sliamokin, Pa., recently
ser.i a eomploiiontary case of chestnuts
to President Roosevelt, says the Phil
adelphia Pr >ss. Sober planted a lot of
young trees along a mountain side sev
eral years ago as an experiment. Many
thousands of trees are bearing chest
nuts this year, and he expects to gath
er a crop of 2.000 bushels.
One Comfort.
They were weeping for the head of
the house, whose automobile had gone
over the bank.
"Anyway," said the widow, drying
her tears for the moment, "his death
was in the height of fashion."—St.
Louis Post-Dispatch.
Her Little Pleasures.
Husband—l wish you would stop this
everlasting picking flaws In your neigh
bors. Wife —%'hat's Just like you! You
never want ran to have the least pleas
tire!— Liverpool Mercury.
v>he Miracle 0/
| flic Pelargonium.
! : . mIN A WHO,HI H'iNMIN
ll 1 I>lti il. s ".. tn M M.l iinnlHhiini tj
IIWWOOWWOIHHMI HWIHI TtXi il
\\ « .1. ill tin lit"l !'• k'i 'l* • little
c«*lem bred Muriel. with |»'liir«i>nl
llin* nt her s|e.n|ei and I* n
ttHlirn writer We had wmwti'ful
throiiah MM- Inner grove. where the
inmt 1111eliiiH'imri h* are the llbiitt,
Clonernl Khenimn. Jtimt«>, »li«> fi«tera
hihl other* We liml fevcliil nl the
contrast* lietween tree* !!'»• feel high
nmt tin* 'Tonln cup* nnij other n•*«•!
«prin»r flower* ni*tll:iß nl their fw»t
Then wo linat tr<ihr.>UL*h tln* gate*
Into the oilier forest it ml were *ltlitig
■ t the river * edge ill the end of the
"THIS MIKACLE OF THE PKLAROONIt M!"
swinging bridge. The rest of the par
ty stayed away. We were to have this
little good by hour apart.
"The Giant is ii."> feet in circum
ference, 300 high and is esti
mated to lie 3,000 years old," chanted
Muriel in the words of the guide. "Or
was it 5,000 V Three thousand or o.OOO?
Oh, dear! Must 1 always refer to ray
notebook? Can 1 tell nothing with
out always referring to my notebook?"
she demanded wildly.
I took the notebook from her.
"Your lips were not made for facts,
dry as dust. They were made for"—
1 liad intended to say for poetry and
.romance. I truly liad: hut. chancing to
look at those lips, so red, so daintily
curved, so wondrouslv alluring, 1 said
"kisses," and I proved my assertion.
No man could have helped it.
Of course she was very angry. 1
suppose I would not have had her oth
erwise, but she did not spring to her
feet and run from me.
"I will not apologize, for you know 1
want you so, Muriel," I pleaded.
She regarded me scornfully.
"As I have told you before, I will not
mate with a dreamer. Why do you not
go into the world and do some mighty
work? Everybody"—
"•Everybody works but father?'" 1
interrupted politely.
Even with my heart sore I could nev
er help laughing at Muriel and her tine
talk of workers little dainty wisp of
n creature, born to be worshiped and
oared for, but taking so serious a view
of life!
"Would you have me a hodcarrier.'"
I asked. "As it is. I dream, and my
dream makes a book, and the book
brings some dollars, and the dollars
make several things possible If I
were a hodcarrier it would mean sim
ply dollars, though perhaps fewer of
them. So the result is approximately
the same, and you have no idea bow
much pleasanter It Is to dream than
to carry bricks."
"Yon are a trifler." she declared.
"You ought to write a book which will
make the world better."
"I am quite sure iny books never hurt
anybody's morals <»• manners." I in
sisted gently.
"Only a negative virtue," she re
sponded. "The man 1 marry must be
positive. lie must look"
She hesitated, gazing down at her
T.mlv Washburn«. tlpwoiy. whii-li s'.u l
nan taken ipuii ner nett.
"llow 7" I asked, with some Interest.
"I don't deny that I should be will
ing that lie should look like you." slici
admitted, a fine color coming into her
cheeks "If only you would do some
thing in make the world better!"
My mood had changed. I would
plead no longer with this child. My
mind went to the packet of letters I
counted as among my treasures. They
had come from different parts of the
country after my lirst book had been
launched. According to these, my mis
sion was not a failure—my book,
though a simple one, had made better
at least a part of the world, but 1
would not tell Muriel this.l would not
try to influence her In the least. I
arose and held out my hand. In the
distance the train was whistling.
"One thing remember, dear child," I
said gravely, "and that Is that love
blazes its own paths and cuts Its own
channels. If it IK? written that you are
for me you will marry me in good
time. I.ove brooks no interference in
his realm."
Her cheeks stormed into color as I
helped her to her feet.
"I>o you see this I.ady Washington?"
she demanded, holding the pelargoni
um before me. "See, 1 lay it in the
hollow of this little big tree. There Is
dirt in the hollow, and the pelargonl
rtin may grow. Coming again, I may
dnd that It has taken root. So may I
- • DM ,t* ,* Aft («-.
•Ihtc i»* IN I
VHftfl WeWt l»«c|i Ih I tie i it) with
her »-i || t ii'c« of phMi i.lfiropi. and |
Milr ( l |ri m< *t«i t" (Iron IN :ml lIM
In «r)|i-, but I f"1Wl Ilia! divmnlnit
had btxwh In Hp n wearj tn«V when
the IrmlcmM «nn of ttwfn nil
tva* a forbidden •ww*. tor I hart
faith In Ini "Hit braio Ntnnnl of liiif'i
Niiirlj iii. ii li.nl t ■•»»»• IvlniT I
\ Ihit«-tI f!n I' I tin jrt»*r* ni'iilii I
went Nlniii 1 .ml I<hiU 9n ( \ <»«tlinr> « iiy
in llii' rlii'r %»In ■ ■ I liml ii id gondii)-
to mi <1 ii-niii ni ili mi" \ fiirlnim
utorm had wrough! mitnr havnr Ihpir,
T« n or three nf ilii- li'»-rr had
fallen nnil ilf • winging l«rl«1ir»- hml
lioi'ii Iwlnlrd nml broken and llirow i
ill mil DM* IIIIIIK. Willie tin- swollen rlvor
raged angrily In 11.
At Iwnt I turned n«n) from my sail
reiro~|H-.llon M> eyes caught n
glimpse nf blue In iii** illstmifp. ntiil
somehow I thought of Muriel's dress
in It looked on Hint other ilny w lion
ihr had nut lieen kind. Hut Just then I
win joined lij tin* itniih', ivho *m
i|iilli' n friend of mini' III* hml discov
ered n new plant nml was naturally
quite enthusiastic over Ii mi I went
Into iho Inner to view the ill*
coven After I hml left lllm I still
hail n linlf hour before train 1 lino, mi
I Weill limit to the broken bridge.
Again were my eye* caught by the
glimpse of blue, ami I saw that n wo
mail was kneeling liefore one of the
little bis trees.
" 'Each to her onk the bashful dryads
shrink,*" I niunnureil. "If oaks eonlil
have dryads, why not redwoods?" 1
asked myself. Hut when she turneil
her head nml looked ill uie I started to
wurd her.
"Muriel:" I ■ rleil. yet still half ne
llcviiig that II wan a iciiutlful vision.
lint sin- sprang to her feet, lier white
face going pink ami her tear wet eyes
holding a sweetness 1 had never seen
there liefore. She pointed toward the
hollow of the tree.
"Look, Vrmand, the miracle of the
pelargonium!"
There, in ; • little sifting of dirt,
grew the Lady Washington, not very
stuv'dll.v. but still It had rooted and
was alive. Iler words came back to
me:
"'1 might !"-i ve this flower here and,
coming again, liml thai it had taken
root. So might 1 iH'i-oine your wife.
The one is as possible as the other!*"
I held out my arms. She hesitated,
and her color deepened.
"Don't think me bold. Armand. I
didn't come seeking yon. My mother
Is not well, and I eame with her. I
came"—
"You came liccnuae the love god sent
you. sweetheart." I finished for her
"Now. come the rest of the way to the
arms which may never let you go
again."
Shy in her love, pulsing with life,
glowing with happiness, she came to
me. My dream ratne true.
"The east and the west are met to
gether." 1 said. "Now I think 1 oan
write the book which will make the
world better."
"Iton't ln'jriii it just yet." she whis
pered. with her soft cheek against
mine. "Let the world wait till you
have loved me awhile."
TYBURN TREE.
Lord Ferrers' Tragic Journey to the
Famous Old Gallows.
I'ark lane was Tyburn lane, and it
seems as if the gallows—described in
an old document as movable—at one
time stood at its east corner. It was
there the ferocious I.ord Ferrers was
hung in 1700 for murdering his serv
ant. Horace Wu! pole's words paint
the picture well: "lie shamed heroes,
lie bore the solemnity of a pompous
and tedious procession of above twe
hours from the Tower to Tyburn with
as much tranquillity as if he were only
going to his own burial, not to his owr
execution." And when one of the
dragoons of the procession was thrown
from iiis hor Lord Ferrers expressed
much concern and said, "1 hope there
will lie no death today but mine."
On went the procession, with a mob
S&out it snilielent to make its progress
slow and laborious. Small wonder that
the age of Thackeray, Willi Thack
eray's help, set up its scaffolds within
four high walls. Asking for drink,
I.ord Ferrers was refused, for, said the
sheriff, late regulations enjoined 111 ill
not to let prisoners drink while pass
ing from the place of imprisonment to
that of oM'i'uiion. great indecencies
having been eouimitteil by the drunk
enness of the criminals in the hour ol
execution. "And though," said he. "my
lord. I might think myself excusable
In overlooking this order out of regard
to your lordship's rank, yet there is an
other reason, which, I am sure, will
weigh with you your lordship is sen
sible of the greatness of the crowd;
wo must draw up at some tavern: the
confluence would lie so great that it
would delay the expedition which
your lordship seems so much to de
sire." Rut decency so often paraded
by those who outrage it—ended with
the murderer's death. "The execution
it's fought for the rope, and the one
who lost it cried -the greatest tragedy,
to his thinking, of tho day!"— London
Sketch.
Cut 0.7 With a Shilling.
"Here," ai I a lawyer, taking down a
calf bound book, "hi the will from
which originated the famous phrase,
'Cut oft' with a shilling."
"It is the will of Stephen Godfrey.
He died in Lambeth in lTOti. Now, I'll
read you the paragraph in Godfrey's
will that gave the world the phrase.
A nasty paragraph il is too:
" 'Whereas, it was my misfortune to
be made very uneasy by Elizabeth God
frey, my wife, for many years, from
our marriage, by her turbulent beha
vior, for she was not content with de
spising my admonitions, but she con
trived every method to make me un
happy; she was so perverse in her na
ture that she would not lie reclaimed,
but seemed only to be born to be a
plague to me. The strength of Samson,
the knowledge of Homer, the prudence
of Augustus, the cuuning of I'yrrhus,
the patience of Job, the subtlety of
Hannibal and the watchfulness of
Ilomogenes could not have been suffi
cient to subdue her, for no skill or
force in the world could make her
good, and as we have lived separate
and apart from each other eight years,
and she having perverted her son to
leave and totally abandon me—there
fore I give her one shilling only.'"
112" _ 1.1U1.-1
Locating
Mrs. Poricr.
... Hi « Aft Wit MAMS
'i 11l • M in
"l»o yon liiiHM " inM porter, with iho
Sir of n pelwho liiiiko* II geetil ill*
emery. "I tlillik I ought to get mar
Hod"
I'or i moment |-:dn Klrtiy's heart
Ptoptied ln'fttltiK, bill Porti* continued
Itl lil« cum placid lone*:
"You , I nm pro!t> comforliihly
fixed now icnl It I* high time I looked
nboiii in, | think I shall take n vnoii
Hon nml no to I tie nioitntiilii- I ought
to liml ionic olio up there who ■ hould
mill nie w.-ll enough to lie Mr- I'nrter.
And «o I won't be around again. I
leave tomorrow night."
lie rove lieavlh to bin feet, and Lda
sprang to got bin hat, forcing to her
bps Hie smile tlmt masked but poorly
the quivering of hor month. For three
vents she ban loved John Porter For
nearly that length of time she had
thought also that he loved her
"Goodliy and good hick," she said as
he passed through the door. "You will
let me know when your quest has sue
res led, won't jiiuV"
"To be sure." lie agreed, "Take care
of yourself and don't get sick."
He patted the slender hand that still
lay within his own and turneil to'the
stairs Kda watched hint past the next
landing and then stepped into the
apartment thai had been her home
ever sin- e she hnd been forced to be
come a wage earner
It was a tiny enough place, four
small rooms opening off a hall the size
of a s.iap box. Inn It was neat and
homelike, and port' r loveil to spend
112 iii
L i &
I
THEN i AMI: TBI: TJ 1.1501,' AM.
his evenings there when other distrac
tions did not oiler. He was always
certain of iinding l'.ila home and as
regularly in good humor, lie could
not know at what cost she recruited at
times her flagging energy that In might
not see how hard the struggle was for
her.
Now* the cheery place seemed dark
anil lonesome, and, with a sobbing cry,
she threw herself upon the sofa and
gave vent to the grief within her soul.
John Porter had never been a demon
strative man. but she had not dreamed
that his calls were merely because he
liked to spend a restful evening in her
homelike apartment.
Now lie had gone in search of a wife,
and she should lead her life alone.
Long ago the time for making new
friends had passed.
Somehow during the next two weeks
she managed to keep up hr work
while always the dull ache was in lier
heart and the soft color faded from
her cheeks and tlie slender hands be
came .-Hire slender Porter had not
written. *te never was much of a
hand at letter writing, and she did not
even know where lie had gone. Then
came the telegram that seemed to
wring her heart afresh.
"Have discovered her." it rail. "Will
lie home this evening and will call to
tell you about it."
So his quest had been successful.
Eda signed the book and stood staring
after the departing messenger, wonder
ing what impulse had led her to tip
the lad a quarter for bringing her bad
news Womanlike, she seldom tipped,
bat some impulse had led her to give
the boy the money, and even in the
first new access of her grief she had
wondered at her liberality
Late in the afternoon Kda roused
herself to:■ ake the little flat presenta
ble. It would probably be the last
time that Porter would ever come. She
could not ivooi*m calls, from nn eueai?-
cd man. She wanted lilui to remetnoer
tile place at its best.
It was a very inviting room that
Porter entered that evening. The Mor
ris chair was drawn close to tin win
dow, and his ash tray was beside it oa
the taboret. The shaded lamp sent
out a soft glow that did not suggest
heat, as did the gas. and Eda In her
daintiest gown sat by the other win
ilow. Porter looked about him with
pleasure.
"This seems like home." he sighed,
"only I want a bigger place, this is so
tiny. It's different from a hotel room
even at a hotel where you are sup
posed to get the best. They can't make
the rooms seem homelike."
"Where did you go?" she asked.
"All over." he replied, with a laugh.
"Surely you did not expect to find
your ideal on the porch of the first
place you registered," she suggested.
"What Is worth having is worth look
ing for."
"Hou't 1 know'/" he admitted. "The
trouble is that you don'Uhave to look
hard enough sometimes. Then you are
apt not to see it. I went to Glenvllle
tirst. They have the athletic girl there.
There was a golf tournament on, and
every girl was walking about with a
lot of sticks. Some of them were for
hitting the ball, and the rest they
called men. though they were mostly
pretty poor apologies."
"The better chance for you," here
•| ih.t.fc br- 'Hd ftlr.itli . "that |
>.< Mild cnlslmro. fieri neWj of mim
leer iIH 1 Hit.. |* m.l there bit ln|a of
II em iilm.iil ii* tm.ni <n.ri* of •oinwef
flrts n« thorn are ifirl*"
"And nil ii hlu.l did Jon •etc!
•he aaked .|ii Iv
I went iio,ii Ihei lo 111.1k.' Park,"
h>- i»eiii im, iKiioriiiß ln»r quint lon.
"i bell' tin* mi tt'tlf there It wan
nn»ll> h.life'.tick ildlim Ibe women
i*on - rniln i more mtra.ilin, Imt I
rti.ln I Ilk.- ilii'in, nml I hli .ml for the
Beanh.it*>,"
"And there you found a ineriunld?"
Iler .o|«i> win Unlit, bill »he grlp|ieil
the nriii* of Iter chair nervoiialy. she
n auie.l lo bear lb." «.>r*t al once Khr
nani.il (.. g.-i n over iiilh I lien ahe
.'oill.l cnuKratlilalo Mm, and lie would
go iiu 111 nii.l leu ve her a lon*'
"Mhe'a not a merimild." he
"Somehow | never did I mer
ma Ids The,\ nro rather i . compnn
lon*, nnd. Ik'liik part Wall, tliey are apt
to!*• col.l bl.Mwle.l erenlures I illd not
Hn.l her ..II the shore I found lier up
In 1111 own room one night."
"lu your room? Not ii chnmtier
inaldT" cried Kda lu horror
I'orier laughed. There waa a Iwiylsh
ring lo ilie laugh that she hail never
heard In-fore.
"She is m.t a chambermaid." he as
sureil gravely. waa all alone. It
was..no ..f those hot nights that come
Into in tin- season. I could not sloop,
so I lighted a cigar and sat by the win
dow watching the sea."
"Moonlight and solitude are danger
ous," she reminded,
"Not always," be demurred. "I got
to thinking over all the girls I had
seen. There wore girls till the way
from sixteen to sixty girls to suit
every taste but mine. Then I got to
thinking of how cool and pleasant it
must li' in those rooms of jours.
Somehow you always manage to keep
them cool and shady. Then 1 looked
about the room 1 was silting in and
1 got homesick for this."
"Or a home of your own like it," she
corrected.
"That's it," ho explained. "A home
of my own like It instead of my bach
elor apartments. Then all of n sudden
I realized a great truth, and 1 found
out what 1 wanted."
He waited for her query, but Kda
w as lo jking out across the green of the
back yards, gler in Ing with a touch of
silver in the moonlight. She did not
turn her head as he rose and came to
ward her chair.
"1 realized that it mas you 1 had
wanted all along." he said. "Xonu of
them was like you, and so none suit
ed. We had been friends for so long
that I did not realize how 1 loved you
until I got away from you ami missed
you.
"I'm only a .stupid, blundering man,
Kda. lam more stupid oven than most
men. I have no right to expect that
after all these years you will forgive
my donsoness, but don't you think that
you can learn to love mo, dear?"
"I knew that it was tight to give
that boy the money." she murmured,
i'orier puzzled at the words, but she
drew his head down against her cheek,
ami lu- <!i i not care. 11,- had found
Mrs. Porter, and that was all suJHciont.
SELECTING A HUSEAND.
Capture Him While He Is Still Young,
Oos,le and Piastic.
Because it is the di;i,v of every wo
man to marry some man it by no
means follows that she is deprived of
tho privilege of making acute discrim
ination Hn the contrary, to fulfill
her mission as completely as possible
-lie should exorcise the greatest care in
selecting a mate. Time was when she
Vi,l no say in the matter, and in some
countries she has little or none today,
but in ibis happily civilized land she
still possesses and will undoubtedly
hold for till lime the right tirst to
'boose and then ensnare. It is a no-
Me prerogative -one, in our judgment,
lliat should be appreciated and cher
ished above all others. And yet, as we
have observed, it should be exorcised
wilh caution. I,et nothing be loft to
chance, as Plato would have had it
when he decreed that pairing should
be done by lot While not ovoruice. be
at least particular in order that t
one chosen ma) feci honored by tlit.
distinction conferred upon him and so
be tho more readily induced to show-
Ins undying gratefulness.
Much that was thought and written
years ago on how to choose a wife was
good enough for the time, but the re
cent reversal of the relative attitudes
of seeker ami sought renders it value
less. Nevertheless, despite the fact
that in considering tlfe points to be
hooded and the precautions to be ob
served by womankind we tinil our
selves in a fallow field, certain gen
oral principles may be regarded as es
tablished. It is best, for example, to
capture a husband while ho is still
young, docile and plastic. Preferably
also he should be iu love. lie may
then bo trained after the manner best
calculated to serve tho convenience ol
her for whom thenceforth lie must
and should toil.—George Harvey in
North American Iteview.
How She Chose Him.
"Lady," said a Scotch maid to her
mistress, "I maun tell ye 1 aui to leave
your service and be marritt."
•Is not this very sudden, Mary?" in
quired the lady. "Who is the person
you expect to marry?"
"It Is .lolin Scott, mistress."
"Hut you have known him for a short
time, llow can you trust a stranger?"
persisted the woman, reluctant to part
with a good maid.
"Yes, 'tis true, but he's ken himsel'
mouy years, and he says he's all
right, and 1 believe he is. for I asked
him. 'Did ho ken the Ten Command
ments?' and he gave them, ivery one.
I asked htm did he say the Shorter
Cathechlsm, and he had it, iv word.
Then 1 told him to grip his hands
quick and hard, and then, lady, I saw
he was a strong man, and I'm goin' to
gie him my hand." Dundee Adver
tiser.
No More Deadlocks.
Old Lawyer—Yes, sir; I'm in favor
of women jurors. If we had women to
fix up the verdicts there would he no
more disagreements or deadlocks.
Young Attorney—How do you figure
that out?
Old Lawyer—All that would be nec
essary to get a quick verdict would be
to send a newspaper to the jury room
containing a bargain advertisement
good for that day only.—Chicago News.
"PARf/>NT."
11 % t P<- r9t PtrntjNa
t.at.BW St »*» Won)
I . .1 1.1 If MM ll|.-Or»-
•I- t (HI IN-HIM 1,, mi 1,. I mil tha
prim Ip i < that govfrti our
tloti 'I |IP(* N «1i«. prim Ifttt* 111 |*ar-
II ill ir «111. I, riutiii\ . ..mld.rod, V ivo«
II« a ;.*o«w| ileitl of In ■» lit llf Inatam"®
tinder < oiiH)ilr<rn(li>n
In in) 1 Timer .if Rugiiah i:t\inol
•l'V I : |||| fillllti «I||||»|. rn|.■« of «c
--••fnfiinlli.ii. flu l<< I If. n* fid town:
"When ill.- !• nmh .112 n «nr.| I* nug
NI L 'l'll HI . MI: .TIL- vow.i I HP!
t.» lie shortened Mi 111. ni'i . iilnnl *lre»»
fnllllii.' 11111 Ml II " Sill I| ;lilKm.'Utalio9
111 illle t.i 11).' ffirni:lt I.»|i ..f m lifrlvatlv*.
\ti oti«y example In seen In the ca«i
of cniif. i.ri.ii.intiif.l with n long "o."
for If «.• f..mi n derivative lij adding
tln* Miili\ I." ill.. result i« ( .inlc, wiili
n short "o."
There IK H general principle that af
fect* Ihi» ti In.lf language iiml wta up
n si;iii.lniil lnil.li My wny of Illustra
tion, compare Idlf nilli bilious, rrlmo
with criminal. brake nml bracken, din*
nnd dinner, tnltif nml mliifml, nml MIL
col llf r nml perhaps nl least nrvoAl;
inor.' A remarkable Instance is seen
In <'oll)f. which Is moreli ii now pro
nunciation ol coal.v. Certain dog* %
were muv culled coaly dogs tio-aus*
of thi'ir con I black markings An cs
tonal.Hl of thf same prim iple may IM»
mini.' iii comparing tho dissyllabic
forms si• 111 and cogent with ilio allied
trysyllnbles agitato ami cogitate.
Whfn otKf siuli ii principle lias be
come general It Is obvious that n word
like pn itch lit will l«- Influenced by th«
very largo numlifi' of disenables thai
have the former vowel short, nml this
Is why the truly normal pronunciation
of the w or.l rosi-mbles the "a" In Fagot
I do not certainly know the origin o
that nnmo, hut 1 • -uppo • it is merely
the diminutive of pau ■. in which th«
"a" is shortened as a mailer of course
simply 111 I ai. !• the din.unlive "et" has
been added.
The pronunciation primer has of
ten been «ii cursed, ami many are they
who think that they clinch the matter
liy, saving thit the"i" In the Latin
primus* Is long, for that proves noth
ing at all as regards modern Kngllsh.
ami liaise v. ho have studied our pe
culiar ways wilh the closest attention
are well aware that the normal way
Is. after all. to pronounce it us if it
were spelleo primmer. We do not
therefore spcl! it with a double "m," lie
cause that is nut our system. Wo write
tonic nnd conic and mimic in order to
show their connection with toue and
cone and lV.ime, nnd we trust that the
unfortunate reader, after he lias thus
had the etymology explained to him,
will provide the pronunciation for him
self. Such a word as pageant may be
usefully compared wilh magic and
tropic and agitate. I.ondon Academy.
STAGE FRIGHT.
Actors Have Been Known to Die From
the Malady.
Perhaps the , terrible malady
which can attack the actor in the.
»ourse of his perl" ri :ncc in the pe
ullar disease Km a as stage fright
Through il • evil clVcets strong men and
women have been known to faint,
break down nnd do many other queei
things, and there are ev. a on record
several can s of people who have died
through this horrible seizure.
Some years ago a young novice wh#
was to appear for the tirst time ar
rived at the theater very white and
shaky. Brandy.being given him, h«.
appeared slightly better, bu' no goonei
had he set his foot on t) stage than
he clapped his hand to his heart, with
a low cry. and fell down dead. The
overwhelming sensation induced bj
stage flight had attacked his heart,
and his theatrical career ended thill
even at its lieglnning.
(Julie as ghlistlj was the case of thft
young amaicur actress who, strangely
enough, had never experienced stage
fright when playing with her fellow,
amateur- but who was seized with the
attack on making her tirst professional
appearand She went through tlie
scene aided by the prompter, her eyet
glazed, her hands rigid. and when the
exit came it proved her exit from life's
stage as well as the mimic boards, foi
she staggered to her dressing room and
fell into a comatose state, from which
she never recovered.
Perhaps, however, the most peculiai
instance of all was that of the veteran
performer * had gone through thirty
years of stage work without experleno
Ing tli! ninl.vly. one night, however,
lie conliiled to a follow player that «
ijulte unaccountable nervousness hinl_
suddenly taken hold of him and that lie
did not think he could ever not again.
ITis comrade laughed at the
and urged hini togo on. as usual, bu
his astonishment may well be conceiv 4
oil when the poor old player .vent on
the stage and.after making several
vain "tVorts to speak, fell back and ex
pired. The doctor who made the post
mortem examination stated that death
was due lo failure of the heart's action,
evidently Induced by the presence ol
an attack of stage ftight.—t'earson'i
Weekly.
IBil III!
A Reliable
TO SHOP
Tor all kind of Tin Roofing,
Spouting and Csneral
Job Work.
Stoves, Heaters. Ranges,
Furnaces. «to.
PRICES TUB LOWEST!
QUALITY TUB BEST!
JOHN HIXSON
SO. lit E. FRONT ST.