e. Cherchez By O. (Copyright by Alnslee I OBDIN8, reporter Tor the I R ncayuno, ana uumars, or 1 L'Abelllo the old French R tinmanntuMi that hoO buzzed for nearly a cen tury were good friends, well proven by years of ups and downs together. They wero seated where they had a habit of meet ing In the little, Creole haunted cafe of Madame Tlbault, In Dumalne street. If you know the place, you will experience a thrill of pleasure In recalling It to mind. It Is small and dark, with six little pollBhed tables, at which you may sit and drink the best coffee In Now OrleanB, and con coctions of absinthe equal to Saze rac'fl best. Madame Tlbault, fat and Indulgent, presides at the desk, and takes your money. Nlcolletto and Memo, madame's nelces, In charming bib aprons, bring the desirable bev erages. Dumars, with true Creole luxury, was sipping his absinthe, with half closed eyes, In a swirl of cigarette smoke. Robblns was looking over the morning Pic, detecting, as young re porters will, the gross blunders in the make-up, and the envious blue penciling his own stuff had received. This item, in the advertising columns, caught his eye, and with an exclama tion of sudden interest he read it aloud to his friend: "PUBLIC AUCTION At 8 o'clock this afternoon there wllPbo sold to too highest bidder all the common property of the Little Sisters of Sa maria, at the homo of the Sisterhood, in Bonhommo street. The sale will dispose of the building, ground and the complete furnishings of the house and chapel, without reserve." This notice stirred the two friends to a reminiscent talk concerning an eplsodo In their Journalistic career that had occurrod about two years before. They recalled the Incidents, went over the old theories, and dis cussed it anew, from the different perspective time had brought. , There wore no other customers in the cafe. Madame's fine ear had caught the lino of their talk, and she came over to their table for had it not been her lost money her van ished twenty thousand dollars that had set the whole matter going? The threo took up the long-abandoned mystery, threshing over the old, dry chaff of it. It was In the chapel of this houso of the Little Sisters of Samaria that Robbing and Dumars had stood during that eager, fruitless news search of theirs, and looked upon the gilded Btatue of' the Virgin. "Thass so, boys," said madams, summing up. "Thass ver' wicked man, M'sleur Morln. Everybody shall be cert' he steal those money I plazo In hia hand for keep safe. Yes. He's boun' spend that money, somehow." Madame turned a broad and compre hensive smile upon Dumars. "I ond stand you, M'sleur Dumars, those day you come ask me fo' tell ev'ything I know 'bout M'sleur Morln. Ah! yes, I know most time when those men lose money you say, 'Cherchez la femme' there is somowhere the wo man. But not for M'sleur Morln. No, boys. Before he shall die, he is like one saint. You might's well, M'sleur Dumars, go try find those money In those statue of Virgin Mary that M'sleur Morin present at those p'tite soeurs, as try find one femme." At Madame Tlbault's last words, Hobbles started slightly and cast a keen, sidelong glance at Dumars. The Creole sat, unmoved, dreamily watching the spirals of his cigarette smoke. It was then 9 o'clock In the morn ing, and, a few minutes later, the two friends separated, going different ways to their day's duties. And now follows the brief story of Madame Tlbault's vanished thousands. New Orleans will readily recall to mind the circumstances attendant upon the death of Mr. Gaspard Morln, In that city. Mr. Morln was an ar tistic goldsmith and jeweler, In the old French quarter, and a man held In the highest esteem. He belonged to one ol the oldest French families, and was of some distinction bb an antiquary and historian. He was a bachelor, about fifty years of age. He lived In quiet comfort, at one of those rare old hostelrles In Itoyal street. He was found in his rooms one morning, dead from unknown causes. When his affairs came to be looked into, it was found that he was prac tically insolvent, his stock of goods and personal property barely but nearly enough to free him from cen sure covering his liabilities. Fol lowing, camo the disclosure that he had been intrusted with the sum of twenty thousand dollars by a former servant In the Morln family, one Ma dame Tlbault, which she had received as a legacy from relatives In France. The most searching scrutiny by friends and the legal authorities failed to reveal the disposition of the money. It had vanished, and left no trace. Some weeks before his death, Mr, Morln had drawn the entire amount, In gold coin, from the bank where It had been placed while he looked about (be told Madame Tl bault) fo ? Mrfe Investment. There fore, Mr. Morln's memory seemed loomed to bear the cloud of dishon La Femme HENRY Magaxlno Co.) esty, while Madame was, of course, disconsolate. Then It was that Robblns and Du mars, repreesntlng their respective journals, began one of tnoso pertina cious private investigations which, of late years, the press has adopted as a means to glory and the satisfaction of public curiosity. "Cherchez la femme," said Dumars. "That's the ticket!" agreed Rob- bins. "All roads lead to the eternal feminine. Wo will find the woman." They exhausted tho knowledge of the Btaff of Mr. Morln's hotel, from tho bell-boy down to the xproprletor. They gently, but inflexibly, pumped the family of the deceased as far as his cousins twice removed. They art fully sounded the employes of the late Jeweler, and dogged his custom ers for Information concerning his habits. Llko bloodhounds, they traced every step of the supposed defaulter, as nearly as might be.xfor years along the limited and monotonous paths he had trodden. At the end of their labors, Mr. Morln stood, an Immaculate man. Not one weakness that might be served up as a criminal tendency, not one deviation from the path of recti tude, not even a 'hint of a predilection for the opposite sex, was found to bo placed to his debit. His life had been as regular and austere as a monk's; his habits, simple and uncon cealed. Generous, , charitable, and a model In propriety, was the verdict of all who knew him. "What nowT" asked Robblns, finger ing his empty notebook. "Cherchez la femme. Bald Dumars, lighting a cigarette. "Try Lady Boll airs." This piece of femininity was the racetrack favorite of the season. Be ing feminine, she was erratic In her gaits, and there were a few heavy losers about town who had believed she could be true. The reporters ap plied for information. Mr. Morin? Certainly not. He was never been a spectator at the. races. Not that kind of a man. Surprised the gentlemen should ask. "Shall we throw it up?" suggested Robblns, "and let tho puzzle depart ment have a try?" "Cherchez la femme," hummed Du mars, reaching for a match. "Try tho Little Sisters of What-d'you-call-'em." It had developed, during the inves tigation, that Mr. Morln had held this benevolent order In particular favor. He had contributed liberally toward Its support, and had chosen its chapel as his favorite place of private wor ship. It was said that he went there daily to make his devotions at the altar. Indeed, toward the last of his life his whole mind seemed to have fixed Itself upon religious matters, perhaps to the detriment of his world ly affairs. Thither went Robblns and Dumars, and were admitted through the nar row doorway in tho blank stone wall that frowned upon Bonhomme street. An old woman was sweeping the chapel. She told them that Sister Feliclte, the head of the order, was then at prayer at the altar in the al cove. In a few moments she would emerge. Heavy, black curtains screened tho alcove. They waited. Soon the curtains were disturbed, and Sister Fellcito came forth. She waB tall, tragic, bony and plain-featured, dreBsed In the black gown and severe bonnet of the sisterhood. Robblns, a good rough-and-tumble reporter, but lacking the delicate touch, began to speak. They represented the press. The lady had, no doubt, heard of the Morln affair. It was necessary, in Justice to that gentleman's memory, to probe the mystery of the lost money. It was known that he had eomo often to this chapel. Any in formation, now, concerning Mr. Morln's habits, tastes, the friends he had, and so on, "would be of value ingoing him posthumous Justice. Sister Feliclte had heard. What- Lew she knew would be willingly told, but it was very little. Monsieur Morln had been a good friend to the order, sometimes contributing as much as a hundred dollars. The sis terhood was an independent one, de pending entirely upon private contri butions for the iReans to carry on its charitable work. Mr. Morin bad presented the chapel with sHver can dlesticks and an altar cloth. He came every day to worship In the chapel, sometimes remaining for an hour. He was a devout Catholic, consecrated to holiness. Yes, and also In the al cove was a statue of the Virgin that he had, himself, modeled, cast, and presented to the order. Oh, it was cruel to cast a doubt upon so good a man! Robblns was also profoundly grieved at tho Imputation. But, until It was found what Mr, Morln had done with Madame Tlbault's money, he feared the tongue of slander would not bo stilled. Sometimes in fact, very often In affairs of this kind there was er aa the saying goes or a lady In the case. In absolute confidence, now If perhaps Sister Fellclte's largo eyes regard ed him solemnly. "There was one woman," she said, slowly, "to whom he bowed to whom he gave his heart." Robblns fumbled rapturously for his pencil. "Behold the woman!" said Sister Feliclte, suddenly, In deep tones. She reached a long arm and swept aside tho curtain of tho alcove. In there was a shrine, lit to a glow of soft color by the light pouring through a stained glass window. Within a deep niche In the bare stone wall stood an imago of the Virgin Mary, tho color of pure gold. Dumars, a conventional Catholic, succumbed to tho dramatic in the act. He knelt for an Instant upon the stono flags, and made tho sign of the cross. The somowhat abashed Rob blns, murmuring an indistinct apolo gy, backed awkwardly away. Sister Fellcito drow back the curtain, and tho reporters departed. On the narrow stono sidewalk of Bonhomme street, Robblns turned to Dumars, with unworthy sarcasm. "Well, what next? Churchy law fern?" "Absinthe," said Dumars. With the i history of the missing money thuB' partially related, some conjecturo may b'o formed of the sudden idea that Madame Tlbault's words seemed to have suggested to Robblns' brain. Was it so wild a surmise that the religious fanatic had offered up his wealth or, rather, Madame Tlbault's in the shape of a material symbol of his consuming devotion? Stranger things have been dono in tho name of worship. Was it not possible that tho lost thousands wero molded into that lustrous image? That the gold smith had formed It of the pure and precious metal, and set it thoro, through some hopo of a perhaps dls- "Is This a ordered brain to propitiate the saints, and pave the way to his own selfish glory? That afternoon, at five minutes to threo, Robblns entered the chapel door of the Little Sisters of Samaria. He saw, in tho dim light, a crowd of perhaps a hundred people gathered to attend tho sale. Most of them were members of various religious or ders, priests and churchmen, come to purchase the paraphernalia of the chapel, lest they fall Into desecrating hands. Others were business men and agents come to bid upon the real ty. A clerical-looking brother had volunteered to wield the hammer, bringing to the office of auctioneer the anomaly of choice diction and dig nity of manner. A few of the minor articles were sold, and then two assistants brought forward the image of the Virgin. Robblns started the bidding at ten dollars. A stout man, In an ecclesias tical garb, went to fifteen. A voice from another part of the crowd raised to twenty. The three bid alternately, raising by bids of five, until the offer was fifty dollars. Then the stout man dropped out, and Robblns, as a sort of coup de main, went to a hundred. "Ono hundred and fifty," said the other voice. "Two" hundred," bid Robblns, boldly. "Two-fifty," called his competitor, promptly. Tho reporter hesitated for the space of a lightning flash, estimating how much he could borrow from the boys in the office, and screw from the business manager from his next month's salary. "Three hundred," he offered. "Three-fifty," "spoke up the other, In a louder voice a voice that sent Robblns diving suddenly through the crowd In its direction, to catch Du mars, its owner, ferociously by tho collar. N "You unconverted idiot!" hissed Robblns, close to his ear "pool!" "Agreed!" said Dumars, coolly. "I couldn't raise three hundred and fifty dollars with a search warrant, but I can stand half, Whatyou come bid ding against me for?" "I thought I was the only fool in the crowd," explained Robblns. No one else bidding, the statuo was knocked down to ' tho syndicate at their last offer. Dumars rematned with the prize, while Robblns hurried forth to wring from tho resources and credit of both the price. He soon returned with the money, and tho two musketeers loaded their precious package Into a carriage and drove with it to Dumars' room, in old Char tres street,, nearby. They lugged it, covered with a cloth, up the stairs, and deposited it on a table. A hun dred pounds It weighed, If an ounce, and at that estimate, according to their calculation, if their daring theory was correct, It stood there, worth twenty thousand golden dol lars. Robblns removed the covering, and opened hlB pocketknlfe. "Sacre!" muttered Dumars, shudder ing. "It is the Mother of Christ. What would you do?" "Shut up, Judas!" said Robblns, coldly. "It's too late for you to bo saved now. With a firm hand, he chipped a slice from the shoulder of the Image. The cut showed a dull, grayish metal, with a thing coating of gold leaf. "Lead!" announced Robblns, hurling his knife to the floor "gilded!" "To the devil with it!" said Dumars, forgetting his scruples. "I must have a drink." Together they walked moodily to the cafe of Madame Tlbault, two squares away. It seemed that madame's mind hod been stirred that day to fresh recollec- Grimm's Fairy Tale, or Should I Consult tlons of the past services of the two young men in her behalf. "You musn' sit by thoso table," she Interposed, as they were about to drop into their accustomed seats. "Thass so, boys. But, no. I mek you come at this room, like my tres bons amis. Yes. I goln' mek for you myself ono ani sette and one cafe royale ver' fine. Ah! I lak treat my fen' nlzo. Yes. Plls come In this way." Madame led them Into the little back room, Into which she sometimes In vited the especially favored'of her cus tomers. In two comfortable arm chairs, by a big window that opened upon tho courtyard, she placed them, with a low table between. Bustling hospitably about, sho began to pre pare the promised refreshments. It was the first time the reporters had been honored with admission to the sacred precinct's. The room was In dusky twilight, flecked with gleams of the polished, fine woods and bur nished glass and metal that the Cre oles love. From the little courtyard a tiny fountain sent in an insinuat ing sound of trickling waters, to which a banana plant by the window kept time with its tremulous leaves. RobblnB, an investigator by nature, sent a curious glance roving about the room. From somo barbaric ancestor. madame had inherited a penchant for the crude in decoration. The walls were adorned with cheap lithographs florid libels upon nature, addressed to the taste of the bour geoise birthday cards, garnish news paper supplements and specimens of art-advertising calculated to reduce the optlo nerve to stunned submis sion, A patch of something unintelli gible in the midst of the more candid display puzzled Robblns and he rose and took a step nearer, to Interrogate it at closer range. Then ho leaned weakly against tho wall, and called out: "Madame Tlbault! O, madame! Since when oh! since when have you been In the habit of papering your walls with five thousand dollar United States four per cent gold bond? Toll me is this n Grimm's fair tale, or should I consult an ocu list?" At his words, Madame Tlbault and Dumars approached. "H'what you say?" said, madame, cheerily, "H'what you, say, M'Bleur Robbin?' Bon? Ahl those ntze U'l peezos papier I One tnm I think those Wat you call calendalr, wlz ll'l day of mont' below. But, no. Thoso wall Is broke in thoso plazo, M'sleur Rob bin,' and I plazo those U'l peezes pa pier to conceal zo crack. I did think tho couleur harm'nlzo so well with the wall papier. Where I get them from? Ah, yes, I remom' ver' well. One day M'sleur Morin, ho come at my houze thass 'bout one mont' before he shall die thass 'long 'bout tam he promise fo' Invest' thoso money fo' me. M-steur Morln, ho leave thoze ll'l peczes papier In those tablo, and say ver' much 'bout money thass hard for me to ond-stan. Mais I never see thoso money again. Thass ver wicked man. M'sleur Mo rin. H'what you call thoso peezes pa pier, M'sleur Robbin' bon?" Robblns explained. "There's your twenty thousand dol lars, with coupons attached," he said, running his thumb around the edge of the four bonds. "Better get an ex pert to peel them off for you. Mister Morln was all right. I'm going out to get my ears trimmed. He dragged Dumars by the arm Into the outer room. Madame was scream ing for Nlcolette and Meme to come observo tho fortune returned to her by M'sleur Morin, that best of men, that saint in glory. "Marsy," said Robblns, "I'm going nn Oculist?" on a Jamboree. For three days the es teemed Pic will have to get along without my valuable services. I ad vise you to Join me. Now, that green stuff you drink 1b no good. It stimu lates thought. What we want to do is to forget to remember. I'll introduce you to the only lady In this case that Is guaranteed to produce the desired results. Her name Is Belle of Ken tucky, twelve-year-old Bourbon. In quarts. How does the Idea strike you?" "Allans!" said Dumars. "Cherchez la femme." ELECTRIC LIGHTS ON FARMS Morning Chores Are Done In Kansas by the Aid of Electricity An Up-to-Date Sod House. Within ten years electricity will light a majority of the farm homes and country schools and churches of Kansls, it Is predicted. Farm homes lighted with electricity are now num bered by hundreds. With the general use of the traso line engine this has been made pos sible. Electric light and power com panies in several of the cities are also making plans by which they can sup ply farmers with current from their trunk lines. A notable case of this sort 1b found at Manhattan, where the power for electric generation is furnished by a dam on the Big Blue river, four miles from the city. The current generated Is used for electric lighting and street car pur poses in tho city of Manhattan, and farmers living near the trunk line are using It in their residences, barns and feed lots. In the early morning hours, when the farmers feed and care for their stock' and do the milking, elec tric lights are found to be very useful In a rich farming community ten miles north of Atchison tho farmers have decided to have an electrlo light plant of their own. They will build a Diuuii yuwer uuubu woero current wu ue Kcneraieu ana iram wmon it wu fnmtllpn will nhnra In Ma mnnm. tern of lighting. n i 1 1 i . . .. . i . . -1. 1 i ,, . fv-.i . i i in u u.uviuimk aicuLLiu ill: 1 1 xui uicu uuiiicst uaiuo UliU UUiry 1 i . . . buildings. II . 1- . 1 -1. I I I , . light from tho Atchison plant. A 1. il .l ..U.J 1. fnrmBra nlnnf. 4-rin fnut n nrn nnnnn. lng their homes with this trunk line. v.. 1 - "II. 1. 1 1. . MIIJ U U ...... 1 . 1 1 . 1 t 1 I 1 1 1 11.1 it . i i i.i- i .,.. . iiitukDu n,tu cic.ui.ikj KGueiumu a gasoline engine on tho place. The early pioneer way of living and . i i . . WU 1UUUC1U DJDlUili U1U UICUUCU UU Ull i e i .m . i , i houso built a ouartcr of a centurv urn dato home In which he has installed erate electricity for lighting. nnt.nn . .villi ll.ut. . . ....... 1 1 . warmth and comfort In winter, but he la emovinK electric imniH in mat nnm has been lighted by electricity. In the natural gas regions of south cheaper than gas. Now York Sun. IN THE MATTER OF DREAMS Affttr 3Umm Anilunt lHt..aH.nl nU turn That They Must Never Be Related. 1U IUU UUUDO 1U WUIUU A WUH LUUUUfl Should not bo told at tho hrenkfnnl Hons which I desired particularly to share. Tho table was a larse nnp seating threo generations, and I gained the Idea It was on account of the prophetic character of the dreams nf o rnrtnfn frrnat.anrtt Vi i Ya ntnhl T ITTiniV hot for rt rnr WTa nrora f rlA ucu iaj luii uui in t;tiiiH nHnaiiNH nrpnin u I uiui t-i I L11C HlkM 111 IV lllln nrft nm finer (ha InnnmmiinliaMn taught not to portray a luminary on vuurua, dif u 1,111111 uiudl uu liluliul. iiu bUV UUIICilL Li UU DLUl V Lllflll Llltl L J. .If X A . A II .1 thrllllnp- rlrnnm Ta If ! ii. 1 11111 1 rm lunni 1 inn nr n fifinm romn may neither be shared nor re-acted vv uui. nuun . uul til, Litu iiiei a wui uh "i arearat," you may see your auditor anenuon dissolve neuner at nis wu sun. consider how deeply dreams color the ilnvn A? nfnM T nn.n4. 0 .... 1 l ureums we commune wiin me aeaa love stranerers. marrv our prmmlpn n J 1 i. .11 0. 1. . UUVQUIUIGO Ul ill 1LH IlltifiL JlJltIItill and dearest will lend us their ears. XJU HO Ilicl ClJ 11CUU IliUIH HI L I H1UK liiul niHKOivinir nrrRTiTinTi iinrii rna riii "ftlrninhnA nnf ? Cv mitet nm nil I m nrnwA In o enrt rf navAViAlnoHinl Imnrv imkuuu 1 ui id 11, ao 1 uui luuniieu l Vi In V flint n -v m nUInn . I but. u,a no uiudl UlU ttiuitu, BU WU Uluo J l a n it-r 1 View," in Scrlbner's, Killed Limit of Deer on One Shot. In TVflnhl f n n nf loa of f Virn TTnriAi Dn nltiDiiln man wcrii anntaoafiil All lng their Uconses as the result of Y d tl 1111101111111 lU.tllllCI . 1 1 M HIIHI nreu an one. me nnu nnBRinir rnrnup ilh Doav ana Killing inn mnar flnimn also. T1...1 T 1 n 1 1 ... 1 . i . 1 . 1 . . V.lll. A V. . r 1. 1 1 n 1 . 1 1 1 .1 . . 11 l i .1 . 1 It expired as soon as released, schools at Crystal Falls, is the thlrq man who bagged two deer with on shot. One of his trophies was a deac itru iiii'ii 11 11 11 1 1 1 11. 1 1 1 1 1 iiii' w 1 1 1 f their antlers had become lnterlnr-VAri and one of tho combatants was rieari Professor Hill shot the llvine- nnlmnl St. Louts Globe-Democrat. Rather Qood to Have Around. .i' n 1 1 1 ii .1 1. a vmianriMa V n n . wumau wuu iiouL a. uuwaer dox. a com V.1 J 11. UHU 1. wWkblD Ui ViUlUb WAVU1 on ner ansa, among me typewriter sup- n 1 ( n o n n il pniTTiln it Inlr wfaa nn nU.. Iv IY.1II1 . l. - . . . 1. . 1 t n Cl vv, . v vi 1. 1111 1 mum ,ucuiUl JUL aoM (tin Knlrni-'n i1n..n V. " - ' - H ' . VI . U1V11 11 11 V- uuvo uuu muir own way in mat ouice ior nve years; Dut when, with the lira 1. iiboziok 01 mo steam pipes cones stucit into giue o inK ana mucilage bottles every tlmo they happened to be corked up and the young woman came to the rescue by simply smear ing some of her cold cream over every cork so It would stand In the bottle for a month without sticking, the men said maybe a woman who knew prac tical little hints like that wasn't cuch a bad person to have around attei ell.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers