ERR eRe “Of course CAPE OF GOOD HOPE, Cabo Tormentoso the sailors called it first, Ard Stormy Cape all mariners shall find it evermore. The passion of the hurricane on rocks Is nursed, Veering winds of huge desire that thwart the plunging bark, Pale witch-fires glisten on the wave and beacon from the shore, And shipwrecked voices gramarye accurst. Cape of Good Hope! Te seek it far across e waters dar But Capo kg the sailors named it its fron bid beware of By this wild cape the mzrizers go to thelr spicerie, Weather- Ly asted Tor nery aming eye Behind Map tuss hg sullen leagues of mon- ster-haunted sea; Before them. oh, before them lift the breathing groves of mace, Nard and clove and cinnamon, where fra- grance never dles, Where amber balsam drips from the flame- shaped incense tree. with dreaming, Cape of Good Hope! year in, year out, the reckless sallor rac Throw Fico upon your Se mrests for a aft of spicerie. ia Lee Bates in The Century. { oH bh ¢ 4 © Ho Handkerchief Flirtation, <3 Ey ERMINIE C. STRAY. She never meant to do wrong. She was always modest, unassuming and ladylike. She never flirted in her life. She was too much of a woman, and was shocked at the thought of coquet- ry, or flirtation of any kind. .Every- one knew her to be upright, honest and pure. Everyone, even to Vane Stanley, who for a whole year ad- mired her in secret and afar off, be- cause he could never approach her or have a moment alone with her, for Madam Clarence and her two unmar- ried daughters were always on the qui- vive to hear what Mr. Stanley had to say to their pretty cousin, who had neither money nor home, ard nothing in the world but her virtue, and beauty, and her accomplishments. Mr. Stanley was fully aware of all these facts, and admired while he secretly feared her. Women as clever as Lucy Dean did not often marry commonplace men, but he meant to marry her, and he meant to make Miss Dean love him, too. But it was uphill work, with madam and her. two daughters forever watching, and Mr. Stanley was put to his wits’ end for a remedy. It struck him one evening, while paying them his accustomed visit, that he would employ the language of thé handkerchief, knowing full well that Lucy would not«notice it even if she understood it, but as constant drop: ping wills wear away a stcne, so he hoped to wear away her, prejudices. He began that very evening by telling her with the aid of the kandkerchief that he loved her, but Miss Dean never noticed him. ; This went on for two weeks, Mr. Stanley making frantic efforts to se- cure her attention, and Miss Dean re- maining in sublime indifference, until, in very desperation, after telling her with his handkerchief that she was cruel, asking her to wait for him, and numberless other idiotic performances, he seized the opportunity to whisper, when they were for a moment alone: “Do you understand the language of the handkerchief, Miss Dean?” “No,” she replied, quietly. “And would not employ it did, I presume?” “l don’t think I would.” Then Madam Clarence came bustl- ing up to the young couple, sitting go near them that further conversa- tion was for that time suspended, and Mr. Stanley departed without another word to Miss Dean. In a few days she received through the mail a mysterious package con- taining full descriptions for the hand- kerchief flirtation. She tossed it in- dignantly aside, her cheeks burning at the very thought of stooping to that, and wondering what Vane Stanley tock her for. A little later, however, she picked it up and read it over, and before his next call had made herself familiar with its language, never intending to use it, but merely out of curiosity to know what Vane Stanley would do next. She was becoming interested in that gentleman and his novel way of com- municating with her, although she felt as though she should despise herself if she “ever answered back. “He ‘must’ have -a poor opinion of me,’! she: thought, -“to think that I would? iat : But Vane Stanley did not have a poor opinion of her. He only thought she might engage in a handkerchief flirtation with him with perfect pro- priety. It wouldn't be like flirting with other men, of course. He gave her many little signs that she understood at o.ce, and though her cheeks burned scarlet, yet she never replied. She had said she never would flirt, and would not this be flirt- ing? DBesides—ah, just Heaven!—she was beginning to love him too well to flirt with him. . It went on like this for a year—for a whole year—and Mr. Stanley's assid- wity never failed. Madam Clarence be- gan to hint of the probability of a wedding before long, for Mr. Stanley always had so much to say to Laura. it was Laura. Lily was quite too young, and as for Lucy Dean —well, nobody would ever marry her; she was to much like an old maid, and although she knew secretly. that.Vane Stanley admired Lucy immensely, yet she took good care that she should never have a more intimate acquain- tance, but throw Laura and Lily con- stantly in his way, and kept the quiet orphan in the background. It was a clear, lovely June day. Mr. Stanley dropped in, firm in his resolve this time that Miss Dean should an- swer him and give him an opportunity to speak with her alone. He had grown desperately in love with her, and meant to tell her so. But if he told any of the Clarence ladies that he wished to see Miss Dean, the an- swer was always: “Miss ‘Dean is en- gaged, and will see no ore,” or “Lucy is not at home.” if you The ladies were all in the parlor, even Lucy Dean, who looked as fresh and fair as a rose, although she blushed slightly when Mr. Stanley came in. After a few commonplace remarks, he took’ out ‘his hamdkerchief, and looking directly at Lucy, folded it, as much. as to say: “I wish to speak with you.” There was such a magnetic influence in the look that he gave her, saying plainer than words: “I will not be re- fused,” that almost before she knew | it, and for the first time in her life, Lucy replied by tossing her handker- chief over her shoulder, which signi- fied: “Follow me,” and going out into .the rose garden, she waited with downcast eves and blushing cheeks. Would he’follow her? Did he really want to speak to her, or did he do it to see if she would reply, and was he, even now laughing in his sleeve to think what a fool she was? She turned suddenly, determined to flee to her own room, and never again. But Mr. Stanley frustrated that plan:by suddenly coming forward, and taking both of her hands, said: “You have pitied me at last, Lucy.” “What did you want?’ she asked abruptly. “Come with me, and I will tell you,” and he drew her arm within his, just as Madam Clarence came up to them, her eyes literally snapping fire, but her face wreathed in smiles, as she | said: [> “ron you think thi specimen of the ciimbi Mr. Stanley?” “Yes, it is very beautiful,” he said, quietly, determined for once not to be thwarted. He continued: “Come, Lucy, 1 believe you promised to walk with me.” 3 She shrank and started back. She knew full well what Madam Clarence would say when she returned, and she dreaded the terrible ire of that lady. But Vane Stanley was determined, and drew her on, not at all prepared to be followed by Madam Clarence, who took Lucy’s other arm, saying: “If it will be no intrusion, I "would like to go along, too, for 1 dearly love to walk.” ‘We need not say that that walk was necessarily short, and that they came back to the parlor again anything but satisfied. But the minds of two, at least, were made up, and from that time the handkerchief flirtation .pro- gressed rapidly. The signs were, how- ever, not so covert but that Laura and Lily Clarence both discovered them, and duly reported them to mam- ma, who soothed them with the re- mark: “Leave it to me. I'll atend to Lucy.” She came into Lucy’s room an hour later, with flaming cheeks and flashing eyes. “You wicked, shameless hussy, I will ruin your character in Vane Stanley's eyes, or I am not Madam Clarence!” * For an hour she poured forth her vituperative language, until Lucy cried piteously for her to stop. She had no thought, this bright, fascinat- ing madam, that Mr. Stanley heard every word, and resolved to marry Lucy at once. She went out, giving her niece a parting salute, but in a low voice that reached only the girl's ears: “Vane Stanley only laughs at you. Laura and Lily both say he laughs at you.” The words rang in her ears for hours. Vane Stanley laughed at her! They changed her from a sweet, tremb- ling girl to a bitter, proud woman. She would indulge in one more handkerchief flirtation, and let Vane Stanley know that she was rot to be laughed at. The next time they met she an- swered his signal of “Wait for me” with one equally as effective. Unmind- ful of Clarence eyes, they continued: “1 love you,” he signed. “We will be friends,” was her re- ply by dropping her handkerchief. She led- him on pitilessly and cruel- ly, because of those words: “He laughs at you,” until he again signified his love. She drew hers through her hand scornfully, which means: “I hate you.” He was surprised, but thought it only a joke, and continued: “You are cruel.” " “I am sorry,” was the reply. Again: “Wait for me.” “I am engaged,” she replied, by wind- ing her handkerchief around her fore- finger, and “I hate you, again;” then, deliberately ‘putting it in her pocket, left the room. Her handkerchief flirtation had fair- ly commenced and ended. She went up to her room, thinking, “He shall never laugh at me’ again.” He did not come for weeks. Madam Clarence sent for him at last, and the two so curiously estranged met again. They bowed as the distant of acquaintances—coldly. proudly, serene- is is a lovely ng white rose, Ty “t+ most .him off adroitly, see him. A ly, as though nothing had ever passea between them, and it was so for weeks after, Mr. Stanley coming because he could not help it, and Miss Dean meet- ing him because she couldn’t avoid it, and Madam Clarence weatching both and thinking how little they had to fear from Lucy now. They met often at concerts, parties and social gather- ings, looking at each other with en- vious eves, but never venturing to ad- dress one or the other with other than the merest commonplaces. Thus an- other year passed,” and Lucy Dean, knowing that she could never love an- other man as she loved Vane Stanley, prepared to give him up; because he met her now simply. as a: friend or acquaintance, it was more exasperat: ing: than coolness could - have been: Rumor said, too, that® Laura Clarence would. soon be his wife. Indeed, she seemed to be his choice, for sre was with her continually at various places of amusement, and Lucy’s heart: sank with a kind of dread when- she thought how soon the hour would come that would make it sinful for her to think of him as other than a friend. She went down to thé parlor that night, and thinking herself alone and unseen, began mechanically using her handkerchief in various signs. She was not alone, however, for Laura and Lily came in immediately, followed by Mr. Stanley and szveral, other friends, who soon went out upon the croquet lawn, bearing Lucy with them. The game was at its height, Miss Dean, almost unconsciously, dropped her handkerchief. Mr. Stan- ley picked it up and handed it to her, whispering: ; “Will you be nothing but a-friend?” She did not reply, but watching him furtively saw his sign of “I love you” again. This time she did not throw but answered with the same, turning to carnation red as s.e did so. Two minutes later he was by her side again, upon pretense of sending her ball through an arch, but really to say: “Tell me the truth, once and foreyer, Lucy; do you love me or hate me?” a do not hate you.” “Then you love me, and you» will be my wife?” *Yes.” The game was up; the handkerchief flirtation ended, and two hearts were made happy at last, much to the dis- gust. of © Madam Clarence - and her daughters.—New York Weekly. QUAINT AND CURIOUS. Oklahoma now has the greatest broom-corn producing district in the country, and will produce more this vear than Kansas and Illinois combin- ed. It is estimated that the crop will amount to about 25,000 tons. The British government committee cn public accounts has submitted the report of the expenses of King Ed- ward's coronation to parliament. They amounted to $2,000,600, instead of $600,000, as it was said it would. China has a tree which produces oil, and two American firms now have houses in China which are exporting the oil. The business has proved so successful that about one hundred thousand trees have been transplant- ed from China to California, and are now growing well. Lord Curzon’s writing was so bad at Oxford that when he wrote to a rela- tive and to a friend with whom he was wont to be candid about that re- lative’s shortcomings and put the let- ter in the wrong envelope, no harm resulted. His kinsman couldn’t read the letter, but surmised it must be a request for money and sent a check at once. Probably no ruler of modern times has a throne of such barbaric splendor as the Shah of Persia. It is said tn be shaped like a bed, nine feet in length by four in height, and is high enough to require three steps to enter. The body, steps and legs (which re semble elephant’s trunks) are heavily lacquered in gold and incrusted with jewels, says The Upholsterer. On the gold embroidered rug rests a gold chair, behind which rises a sunburst of diamonds with a jeweled bird on either side. Miss Clara Webb, a young woman of Portland, Ore., has just made the ascent of Mt. Hood ‘alone. She was camping with a party just below the snow line, and one day decided to at- tempt the climb to the peak. She started on the impulse of the moment, took no food with her, and was nearly exhausted when she reached the crest. After resting for a short time, she be- gan the descent, and made the peril- ous trip in safety. The danger of her feat can be understood when it is considered that the mountain is over eleven thousand feet high. Aids to His Memory. A lawyer in a western city once went to another part of the country on business. On arriving at his destina- tion he found he had forgotten the name cf the firm he had come to see and had left all enlightening memo- randa in his desk. After wasting valuable time in use- less efforts to remember, he tele- graphed home to his partner for the necessary information. He got it, and more. “Your business is with Smith & Jones,” his partner's message ran. “Your name is Brown.’ azine, '—Sunday Mag- Very Similar. “The Jap is great at an ambuscade,” Said tke coalman, Mr. Slaite. “Much like the scales you use in your trade,” Said his friend; “he lies in wait.” —Philadelphia Public Ledger. - Oompa FEUNTE Anything to ~ Simuse the Public ¢ HE booksellers of London have been uttering some business- like heresies anent free libraries. Sober Englishmen, de- void of enthusiasm, ate asking themselves and their neigh- bors Wliéther the free library is an unqualified blessing, or an unmitigated nuisance. In view of the fact that eighteen hiindred and fifty-nine novels were published in England last year, they might be pardoned for doubting the advisa- bility of learning to read. The curious thing about the dispute (to American ears at least) is the emphasis lain. by the disputants upon the tax-payer’s point of view. In our nobler land no weak consideration for the tax-payer enters into anybody’s mind. It is startling to read in'an English newspaper a narrow- minded paragraph like the following: : “Tea and coffee are good things in their way—at least as good as the av- erage novel—but the tax-payers are not required to furnish free tea and coffee rooms. Yet it would be quite as just .to establish free tea and coffee rooms at the expense. of tax-payers as to establish free libraries for the use of un- washed loungers and novel- -Treading boys, How comes if, we wonder, that we ‘have not established the free tea and coffee rooms long ago? this suggestion, and offered to provide the teapots and coffee-urns (marked with his name and appropriate inscriptions), on condition that the tax-payers should keep them always full? Some gentle stimulant is needed to keep the weary novel-readers awake. There are those who assert that the ‘overcrowding of our great cities is due, in some measure, to our intelligent efforts to provide entertainment for | the public—games for kindergarten babies, clubs for girls and boys; libraries for young men and women, concerts, fireworks and parades. By contrast with ! all these joys, bucolic life ‘must seem terribly bald and bare. To depend upon one’s own energies and resources may be wholesome, but it is far from enliv- ening. No wonder that ‘Rome was the Disses of all big cities, when she gave her shows free!—Lifa, fren ; > Avoid Mannerisms Crefifirete Reapers we By Beatrice Fairfax. O habits are more easily acquired than little peculiarities of manner and ncne that are more irritating to one’s friends and acquaintances. A girl wi ho would otherwise be very charming can quite spoil herself by a habit of drawing in her lips or screw- ing up her eyes. : * One. woman whom I know nearly drives her family distracted ‘by her habit of hesitating for choice of a word when describing anything. A JAPANESE FABLE. ~ How a Retainer Imitated the Example of His Master. : From “Japan of To-Day,” by James "A. B. Scherer (J.B. Lippincott Co., _ Philadelphia), we take this charming i example of Japanese humor: Why has not some philanthropic citizen awakened to Once upon a time—so runs the story, which I quote from memory—a certain bald retainer called upon his lord and master, to have a long talk about vari- ous matters pertaining to the manage- ment of the large estate. It was win- ter, and when the noble lord came in, be saw to it that a liberal supply of glowing charcoal embers sent forth their grateful heat from a brazier set between them on the floor. Thus they sat flat upon the mats and talked, the retainer mow and then uttering ex- clamations of ‘astonishment at the: wisdom of his sage employer, who was known far and wide far his sound sense and unfailing presence of mind. latter ‘quality received fresh and con- vincing illustration. For the charcoal, snappy and saucy in the frosty air,” suddenly sent a glowing ember ‘Jeap- ing into the very lap of the stately lord, full upon his handsome apron of brocaded silk. The bald retainer flew all to pieces in his helpless anxiety to relieve the situation—gazing wildly around for some implement to remove the red-hot coal, and sputtering like a sperm-whale in his excitement. But { meanwhile, the master, with a icalm i bald head of the ret ey | Another friend; a man, uses one gesture so often in telling a story that | vou find yourself watching for it so intently that you frequently lose, the! point of the story. Many people, telling a story. very regrettable. Exaggeration of expression is a habit that is easily formed and hard; to break. I know this to my cost, for 1 daily fight against it. It comes from the idea that in order to impress people you must en- large facts and numbers. At first it takes very well, but after a while they cease to believe what you say or at least place but small importance on your utterances, It is so easy to become a slave to little habits and so very hard to break away from them. Never, if you can help it, form any habit unless it is such a virtuous one that to be without it would be a grave error. We may become the slaves even of good habits. There is nothing ‘that needs always to be done long as the right principle is adhered to. The man who does the same thing in the same way every in and year out, becomes the slave of routine. does ‘it and unhappy when he does not. Diversity goes a long way ‘toward contentment. Try to make each day a little different from the day before and go at your work in a different spirit. Of course all work must be dore in a certain prescribed manner in order to be well done, but there will be many little ways in which variety may be attained. Make up your mind that you will not be conquered by the habit of doing things in the same way. Conquer habit; don’t let habit conquer you.—New York Journal. quite unconsciously, form the habit of grimacing when It comes from their earnestness in their subject, but it is in the same way as day, year He is unhappy when he 2 0 2 4 2 £3 Scolf\rsrtortmen floes & Russia’s Plight An Empire of Graft in High Places—Burst- 2 ing of the Bubble of its Terrible Greatness. Coz G ov By John Foster Carr. REAT fear of Russia has hung over the world for more than a quarter of a century, but today, after a nine months’ war with Japan, its dreaded power has become almost a laughing-stock. Russia has great size joined with great weakness. Some of the causes of its lethargy are incurable. Others are due to a backward civilization. The roads are mere military routes. The postoffice handles one piece of mail for fifteen that pass through our own. For every two miles of telegraph in Rus- sia, we have five; and for each mile of her telephone wires, we have fifty-three. : Russian industry tells the same stery. For each inhabitant, Russia invests in industrial enterprise four dollars; the United States, cone hundred and twen- ty-five. Our factories out-number hers twenty-three to one. The value of her cotton spinnings is but two-thirds of ours. She manufactures somewhat more than half as much tebacco; and only in sugar does she surpass us. Ignorance leads misery by the hand. Three-fourths of the children never see the inside of a-schoolroom. ©f those who go to school, few are taught more than their alphabet, the catechism. and the elements of arithmetic. In Russia proper, ninety-four people out of every hundred cannot write their names, or spell out easy words. Technical education is even more neglected; and, for every 11,000 people, there is but a single physician The bureaucracy and the merchants in collusion have built up a perfectly organized system of graft. It is openly recognized, treated with tolerance, even thought of with respect. Not only do admirals buying coal in foreign ports pro- cure receipts for much larger sums than they. have paid, pocketing the differ- ence and dividing it with their under-officers, but no contract is let at home whieh does not allow a liberal margin for a “rake-off.” In this way, Russia has paid for her railroads two and a half times the amount which the Minister of Finance estimates as their value—and by American standards, his estimate is 50 percent higher than the necessary cost. It is said that fully 75 percent of the large Red Cross Fund which was subscribed at home and abroad has been stolen. The magnificently equipped hospital train which the Czarina sent to the Bast was looted Between St. Petersburg and Moscow. Not a thing of value was léft in it. ; To sum up; Russia stands at a great crisis in an evil plight: Its aristoe- racy is rotten and tyrannous; its people sodden in ignorance, without moral sense, dull and brutish; its priestcraft often degraded, extortionate, and sen- sual: its land of natural resource wasted and consumed; its imperial line, counting human souls and bodies as bullion for its coming; and its Czar, a grotesque weakling.—World’'s Work. | He looked from side remark to the effect that it was of no consequence whatever, bad quietly in- serted his hand beneath his silken apron, and, with the skilful ‘‘cBuck” of 4 boy playing marbles, had shot the saucy fireball back into: its proper place before it had even scorched the precious silk. When the excited re- tainer at length compreliended what had happened, he sat back upon his haunches speechless with admiration, unable to do anything but utter am oc- casional “Narubodo!” of rapt amaze- ment over such marvelous presence of mind. He had learned a iésson=ever hereafter would he strive to emulate the matchless wisdom of his'lord. Meanwhile, the lord sat talking as though nothing had happened, t0 his faithful, if somewhat abstracted, ser- vitor, whose thoughts were now fixed on -loftier themes. than ‘tenantry and rents. Would that he might have op- ‘portunity to imitate .the wisdom of his master! As luck would have it, the opp yortunity was «not long delayed. For the malicious charcoal. once more Pon its fiery * spleen, ‘a living, coal leaping this time Siri it for .whereit lay a 3 and glowed with wrath.! It was now the master's turn to berome excited. to side for some implement of relief; he clapped his : hands wildly to summon the maid— and exclaimed: “Why, ‘man, that coal will’ burn straight through into your stupid brain!’ ! But the retainer sat perfectly cool and ‘collected, an expression of calm and elevated superioriiy upon his suf- fering ‘brow. “Never mind,” he murmured; “it ‘Is at no consequence whatever,”’—and, mindful of his lord's example, reached up and chucked himself under the chin} -~ All He Asked. , “I have a favor to ask you.” As he spoke, the visitor looked ap- pealingly at the agent of the automo- bile house, who scauned his face gloss : 1y. “Unless 1 am gr aby mistaken, sir,” he observed, ‘you are the gentleman to whom we sold a second-hand auto i two weeks ago.” The other man smiled a pathetie smile. “I am that unhappy man, sir,” he observed. “And your favor?’ “Is this. In order to make that machine go, I found I had to put in a new chain; this necessitated new front and rear sprockets, which meant new bearings. Then I put in a new fly-wheel, new gears, new ball bear- ings, new carbureter, new tanks, new circulating sySiem, including gear pump and radiators; alsec new back and front, new tires and new inner tubes. And now, my dear sir, having gotten the old thing so I can worry it back and forth twice a day to and from the station, I want to know if you would have any objection to sup plying me with two feet of one- -inch rubber hose pipe at the regular dis- count to the trade.”—Tom Masson.’ How the Parson Got His Oinner. A clergyman who always spends a part of his summer preaching in small country churches mear his home city was relating one of his experiences of i last summer. “I went cut to preach in a tiny tewn about twenty miles from here which does not boast a hotel or anything ap- proaching it,” he said. “I conducted the Sunday morning service, and'at its conclusion waited for the usual invi- tation to dinner. . For some reason no one extended such an invitation. I was ravenously hungry and in des- peration approached a prosperous lcok- ing farmer. “Brother,” said I “won't you come bome to dinner with me? “He beamed with pleasure. certainly,’ he said. live? “‘About tw enty miles from here,’ T answered. “He looked at me stupidly for a min- ute and then the point of my invita- tion dawned upon him. With a hearty Juugh he grasped my hand and” ‘said: * ‘Parson, let’s go over to my house. It's a heap nearer than your'n. Ye New York Press. ‘Why, “Where do you The wells of farms visited in sum- mer by city folks are nov: regarded as ' perhaps the chief source of typhoid { fever { fever, The while they talkedy this the flat - was so . stretch over tl round from al and wa under t imagin: it in a stars, clieeker * Poot said, ©) and fir you.” And |! tated © Ifuther not ex Would the ‘bet the sa other Time a doorste SNOWY in the « him, a packag But He did must n a resul began away. be “Mothe and pu The . father himsel and co Mother the oc brough 5 had to pain tl pelied a flan that sl too bai and o1 1.8 hel the be: tree; li not th looked ying, mothel the bes knelt « »Den hands “Por have Neighl you.” his father ure Sf that t . they 1 Christ 14 a mothel fiend. “Yor hurry The away. on Ch preser