I HE DEAD CLOWN,
By two and two the dumb clods dunching
L . fall, , , ,. ;
I The planished spades are plied and plied
R above; , ,
ft. The ly contemptuom crows a meekly
U dove,
itugubriolis in the willow 'gainst the wall.
But one thing hurts; I'd honed (as I re
k call), , ,
I 'At "Dust to du8t" my pretty perfumed
t' - love
f Might not think shame to soil her tiny
' glove;
But, as or that, I do not care at all.
Not much, that is; and now I must be sure
To try and sleep, aim not to mum ni nrr
Wlin InvpH mi in tlm wnHtrill niahts of
V nl.l.
,1 have it now, my hard-won sinecure.
But somehow Life, 1 ilcem. is cheerfuller,
v And though I'm happy here, the ground
K- is cnld.
-James E. Richardson, in The Reader.
.1
f "I am supposed to meet him to
night," she said.
T "And what will happen then?" he
ashed, with amusement in his eyes.
i She shrugged her shoulders,
r "Father will keep an eye on me
and see that he takes me In to sup
per. He will point us out to every
one and make me feel horribly un
comfortable." She threw her head
back In annoyance. "The sense of
'duty about it all Is so odious," she
added.
I "I can quite understand It," he
said sympathetically, and then amuse
ment crept into his eyes again as he
remarked: "And what will you do?"
She clasped her hands about her
knees and looked out between the
curtains that protected the alcove in
Which they were sitting from the hall.
Through them she could see Into the
ballroom, where a gay waltz was in
riotous progress. Everybody seemed
careless and happy there. There was
no one condemned as she had been.
If there had been no binding in the
arrangement, it might all have been
bo different, she might have felt even
her curiosity awakened to such a
pitch that it would certainly have
been Interesting. But to be com
pelled by circumstances she who,
until the calamity had come to her
father's financial affairs, bad been
accustomed to every wish being grati
fied to be compelled to marry a
man, whom she had only heard of
from very vague and indefinite
ounces, merely because it was a fam
ily understanding it was quite a
different matter. Its advantages were
those which, at her age, she could not
realize at their full value. That she
,would be left penniless, it she did not
comply with the agreement, was al
most incomprehensible to her. The
fluty of supporting herself had never
fallen to her lot, and now when it
came to self-interest almost self
preservation she felt the irkeome
&ess of its being thrust upon her
shoulders.
iR'And lastly to make it all harder
tmiCyrll Foster had been staying
(with them for the Easter holidays,
and for the ball, which, for the last
few days, she had learned to look
upon as a fatality. She had never
heard of him before as a friend Of her
lather's. It would have mad,e very,
little difference it she had, for he had
ajready won a higher place In her es
calation than any" man had ever occu
pied before,
Tin a moment of regret, as she
IpSked at his face, she had told him
all about the doom that was hanging
over her, and, unlike other men,
Whose sympathies would have Jarred
upon her, he had tried to laugh It
fato forgetfulness.
"It hasn't come to the point yet,"
be said, "and people are given mo
ments like these to enjoy themselves
In."
As she sat with her hands clasped
over her knees, she thought over his
Question. What would she dot She
scarcely knew. It was really unkind
of him to ask her.
f- "Oh, I should be a fool If I didn't
marry him," she said. She may have
hoped to make him Jealous, and he
may have seen the effort, for he
leaned forward and looked into her
face.
' "Ton will marry him if he comes?"
he said.
"I suppose so," she said, as Indif-
lerently as she could.
I He took out his watch.
f "Is he the only man who xould
make " he hesitated, fearlnc to
hurt her feelings, "who could make
you happy and comfortable?" .
"Happy?" She laughed a little
In disgust, at the word being applied
to such a case. "It's the old, old
story of his land being next to ours,
ana the combination would keep
lather well off for the rest of his
life," she said. "Horribly sordid,
isn i it; ' she added.
1 He looked at his watch critically.
out sam pjtning.
"You don't help me In the least,"
he said. "Why don't you suggest
something?"
I "I thought that you'd made up
your mind?" he said, smiling.
1 She sighed petulantly, thinking he
might have known that she did not
' mean it - ,,
I "What time is he supposed to
come?" he aBked after a pause.
"Oh, no special time," she replied.
"Most men turn up late and I don't
appose bis anxiety is so very great."
"Are yon fond of making-, bar-,
. calns?" he ttsked it seemed a little
Irrelevantly... "Host women are."
"How do you. mean.?"., she asked
looking at him in surprise.
-. He took up her program, where it
A BARGAIN
- OF LOVE.
Bl AUSTIN MA1TLAND.
was hanging from her fan. and toyed
with the pencil attached to it. "Well,"
he said, "I've got a proposition to
make to you."
She felt almost an exaggerated cu
riosity about what he was going to
say- .... .. .
"What is it?" she asked.
He held his watch out In front of
him, so that both of them could see it.
"It's now a quarter to 11," he said.
She nodded.
"The possibilities are that he will
come any time between this and 12;
there's not a train nftor that, is
mere:
"No," she replied.
"Now, I make this suggestion," he
said, still holding the watch In front
of him, "In all earnestness, not think
ing that I am helping you out of a
difficulty, and probably only throw
ing you Into another one, but be
cause" he took her hand "because
I love you, Connie and It Is a bar
gain. Now, the man who proposes a
bargain is always the one who Is go
ing to gain by it, and I shall gain
everything."
She was leaning back in the wick
er chair, and her breath was coming
faster with each word that he said.
"What do you propose?" she
asked, almost In a whisper.
"When the hand gets round to
there," he said, pointing with his
finger to the face of the watch, "what
hour will it be?"
"A quarter to 12," she replied,
wondering.
"Just an hour from now?" :jfjy
She nodded and smiled sadly.
"Well, if when that hour is over,
and he has not come then, will you
marry me Instead?"
"I said that he might come at any
time till 12," she said, smiling la
spite of herself.
"I know you did, and that quarter
of an hour is my Interest on the bar
gain. I am quite fair with you. I
offer you all the happiness of my
love against the comfort that you
will gain with his money not that
you will be a pauper with me. And
the advantage that I have over him
lies In that quarter of an hour. Will
you consent?"
She looked at him questloningly.
"What do you think you will gain
It he does not come?" she asked.
"All the happiness in life," he an
swered. "Are you sure that you are think
ing only of me?"
"No nearly all for myself. You
will think of yourself when you give
me the answer.'.'
' "Then I will consent," she said,
"and" she placed her hand In his
"I hope that he will not come!"
It was twenty minutes to 12, and
she felt her heart beating with each
stroke of the clock that stood in the
hall. He bad not come yet, and all
her newly found love was yearning
that he might not come at all, or be
late In coming.
t She was sitting In the Bame alcove.
but with another partner, whose con
versation she could barely pay atten
tion to. And then in one moment all
life seemed suspended in her body a
cold chill penetrated her very bones.
The bell at the front door had pealed
acrosB the muBlc that was throbbing
In the ballroom. It could be no one
but he at such an hour. She watched
the door narrowly, In the fear of anx
iety, as the butler went to open it.
There was a rush of cold air, and she
shivered partly it seemed with an
ticipation. Then she turned away as a figure
that she dared not look at came into
the warmth of the hall.
"Aren't you well?" her partner
asked, and'almost before she could
answer him she heard her father's
voice speaking and she turned her
face away.
"I'll go and get you some tea,"
her. partner said antlously, and be
fore she could tell him not to mind
about it he had left her. Still she
did not look round until she heard
her father say as he reached the al
cove and stood outside the curtain,
"God bless you, my boy." And then
the shadow of a familiar figure fell on
her eyes.
It was Cyril Poster.
"Then It wasn't he?" she cried, a
new happiness In her voice.
"Yes, It was," he said, "but ha
knew that under another name only
could he hope to' make you love him.
Let's call the bargain settled." New
York Weekly.
Relics of Marie Antoinette.
. A most interesting presentation
has been made to the town of Paris
by a certain Mme. Blavet. It con
sists of the furniture which was used
by the royal family during its impris
onment in the' Temple. Among the
Items are included the bed of the
Princess- Elizabeth, the' quilt which
was used by Marie Antoinette and a
box of toys of the little Dauphin.
Chairs, tables and books are also in
cluded, and finally the locksmith's in
struments with which the unhappy
King passed his time while awaiting
execution. The entire collection will
be lodged In the Musee Carnavalet.
Dundee Advertiser.
Second Choice.
There is a Washington lad who, it
would appear, assents to the old prop
osition that it is well to have mora
than one string to one's bow.
The boy was being catechised one
day by a well meaning visitor to the
house. -
"Well, Harry," said the lady,
"don't you think you have a chance
to be Prestdentot the United States?"
"Oh, I - don't - know," answered
Harry, carelessly. "Maybe I'll try
for it after I get too old to be a
pitcher." Philadelphia Ledger.
William T. Stead'i latest hobby Is
the bacteriological regeneration of
barren land in England.
New York City. Such an attrac
tive blouse waist as this one is sure
to find its welcome from any normal
minded girl, for pretty clothes are as
essential to youthful happiness as la
the sunshine. In this Instance plaid
taffeta la trimmed with velvet bands
and combined with a chemisette of
simple all-over lace, but the blouse
can be utilized for a great many mv
terlals and in a number of ways.
It Is Just as appropriate for the en
tire dresses as it Is for the separate
waist and It can be made from almost
any seasonable material. Crepe de
Chine, loulslne and taffeta are favor
ite silks for the separate blouse, but
for entire dresses the plaid taffetas,
veilings, cashmeres and light colored
broadcloths all are being used, while
the model is adapted to each and all.
The tucks are arranged after a most
becoming manner and the little
chemisette always gives an air of ex
quisite daintiness. It could be of
lace, of tucked silk or of lingerie ma
terial as liked. Again,- the sleeves
can be either long or In three-quarter
length so that the model seems
to fulfill a great many requirements.
The collar can be made with the new
points back of the ears or straight as
may be found more becoming.
The blouse Is made with the
smoothly fitted lining and Itself con
sists of front and backs. The chemi
sette is faced onto the lining and its
edges are - concealed by the shaped
trimming band. The long sleeves
are gathered Into deep cuffs, the
three-quarter ones into bands.
The quantity of material required
for tbe sixteen year size is three and
five-eighth yards twenty-one or twenty-four,
three yards twenty-seven or
one and three-quarter, yards forty
four Inches wide with one-halt yard
of all-over lace and one-halt yard of
silk or velvet for tbe trimming.
Gray and Black Coat.
The note of harmony between a
gray eklrt and black coat is struck In
tbe gray braid trimmings of the
coat
Fancy Collar, Jabot and Bows.
All sorts of pretty and dainty neck
wear Is being worn Just no and
there Is always a demand for fregh
designs. Here Is an altogether at
tractive stock and very charming Ja
bot and two bows, any or all of which
can be utilized both for personal use
and for gifts. In the Illustration the
Jabot with bowlsmadeot filet net with
trimming of Valenciennes lace while
one separate bow Is made of linen
lawn daintily embroidered by hand
and the other Is made of Bheer, fine
French cotton lawn with trimming
of laco insertion and medallions. The
stock collar Is cut after the newer
style, which la higher at the back
than at tbe front, and as Illustrated
Is mado of the coarse mesh filet net
overlaid with soutache In a simple
design mid with folds of blue ellk at
top and bottom. All the pretty
trifles, however, can be varied almost
indefinitely. For the Jaltot net, fine
lawn, chiffon and all-over lace all are
appropriate while the bows can be
made of almoBt any pretty, dainty
material, and the stock allows ample
opportunity for the exercise of In
dividual taste and ingenuity. The
middle portion could be made of a
heavy applique or of embroidered
bands of braid or of a dozen other
things that would easily suggest
themselves.
Tho Inhnt xnnalata nf lust One tleC9
laid In pleats on Indicated lines. The
bows are made in one piece eacn witn
little cross over portions and tha
stock consists of the foundation over
which the net and the silk are
arranged on Indicated lines.
Tho quantity of material required
for the jabot Is one-halt yard of ma
terial eighteen or twenty-one inches
wide with one and five-eighth yards
of Insertion and two and one-halt
yards of edging; for either bow one
eighth yard eighteen or twenty-one
Inches wide with three-eighth yard
of insertion and three-quarter yard
of edging for the square bow; for the
collar one-eighth yard any width with
one-halt yard ot silk for the folds.
There are vests that end at the
waist line, and others above It
Food For roultrf.
An experienced poultryman says,
three parts of ground sunflower seed
and one pnrt cracked corn Is a fine
mixture for fattening poultry. Where
only a smnl quantity Is grown the
best results are obtained by throw
ing tho heads to tho poultry and let
them have the exorcise of picking out
the seeds. Farmers' Home Journal.
Grow FornRO and Feed It. " K
One of the greatest helps, then, to
the farmer In cheapening tho cost of
his crop Is the production of forage
of high feeding value and the feeding
it to cntt'n, thus adding the cattlo to
his sources ot income, and from their
manure spread broadcast on his land
Increasing the humus content and
furnishing; a valuable plant food.
Progressive Farmer.
Kick the Ttnrn Door.
One writer advises his readers not
to kick the cow when they get mad,
but to go and kick the barn door. A
farmer may be considered Insane who
Would kick tbe barn door, but there
Is about as much sense and a great
deal more benefit to the cow in bo
doing than to give the cow a Bound
thrashing for something she cannot
reason out. Florida Agriculturist.
To Mcamiro nn Acre.
To measure an acre, tie a ring at
each end of a rope, tho distance being
Blxty-slx feet between them; tie a
piece of colored cloth exactly In tha
middle of this. One acre of ground
will be four times the length and
two and a half times the width, or
the equal of sixteen rods one way and
ten rods the other, making the full
acre 160 square rods. Keep the rope
dry so it will not stretch. A rod Is
sixteen and a half lineal feet. An
acre Is 4840 square yards, or 43,660
square feet. American Cultivator. .
Tho Farm Ilorsn.
I find It Is cheaper in the long run
to keep the farm horses in a healthy,
thriving condition. Neglect sooner
or later Is apt to bring on heavy cost.
Poorly ventilated and damp stables
are liable to bring on coughs and
colds and other diseases.
Regularity in feeding Is more im
portant than I used to think It was.
If horses are disappointed by failure
to feed them at the proper time they
become uneasy and do not thrive so
well, while irregular feeding with
different kinds of food Is more liable
to bring on colic and Indigestion.
The food should be regulated ac
cording to the work done. A great
deal of food is wasted through the
winter by overfeeding and careless
feeding. J. C. C, in the American
Cultivator.
, Money In Good Management.
By having good pasture as many
months in the year as possible, one
will be able to carry his dairy cows
through the -twelvemonth at small
cost, and they will supply fertilizer to
Improve the plowed part of the farm.
Supposing that one-half or one-third
of the farm was used for cultivated
crops with such management, It
would be possible to make that one
half or one-third yield as much net
profit as all the farm under the sys
tem of farming that is all too common
now, and the direct profit from the
pasture or dairy would remain as so
much extra profit. That good man
agement would materially aid in the
paramount problem of fewer acres
and more bales, bushels or tons per
acre, with more net profit got more
certainly. Progressive Farmer. .
Rats.
My experience quite agrees with
the remedy of H. C. B., which you
published recently. For readers who
have not complete files this seems
worth repeating. It is a radical and
absolutely clean cure, as follows: In
a dwelling the rat holes will be found
In the cellar against the foundation
wall, and be sure to find all the holes
and pour into and around each one a
good supply of pine tar, not coal tar.
In forty-eight hours there will not
be a single rat In the house, and they
can be kept out by replenishing the
tar when It becomes hard. A two
quart can ot tar will keep the house
clear, for a twelvemonth. The writer,
many years since, drove out and kept
out of his house a great body of rats
for all the years he lived in that house
after he learned how. A. J. P., In
the Country Gentleman.
Farm Tools Lost.
Many farm tools are lost because
the farmer has no definite place to
keep them and could not find them
when wanted. Tb?se lost tools often
come to light in course of time unless
spoiled by rust a.id neglect. Many
an implement has to be replaced in
a year or two which would have
lasted a long time if given proper
care. Besides the injury to the tools
it is probable that most farmers
waste more time searching for tools
that are wanted for use than would
amount to the damage done to tools
by neglect. It Is not difficult to get
into the habit of keeping each tool
and Implement in a convenient place
and returning It to that place after
use. It Is much easier to walk a con
siderable distance toone known place
than it Is to go here and there in the
attempt to locate a tool that has no
place in - particular for storage.
American Cultivator. -
Tcrc Food For Animals.
George B. McCabe, solicitor of the
Department of Agriculture, remarks
that the national pure 100a iaw is ror
the benefit of beasts as well as hu
man beings. The following example
Is cited: Suppose a farmer living In
Indiana, near Chicago, should haul
his hay into the Illinois metropolis
for marketing. Suppose, also, tha
this farmer claims his hay to be tim
othy. If he sella It under this claim
and the purchaser discovers that the
hay contains red top the farmer is lia
ble to prosecution under the pure?
food law. Quite proper. Likewise;
presumably, the faithful horse who
at the dinner hour finds shoe pegs
served,, when the menu calls for oats,'
will have quite r.s good a ground ot 1
complaint under the law as the un- 7
Buspectlng housewife upon whom the
unscrupulous peddler foists nutmegs
mado ot basswood. In this war on
the sale of fraudulent foods let no
guilty man escape. Rochester Demo
crat and Chronicle. -
Fork Rnlsing. 1
JU DIIIU Uf 11113 ICY. CBDCllllCU Clt,
mcnts Involved In profitable pork pro A
.1 . I .. t,n. nn1.w1A nnnA mtnllftf In V '
the breeding stock, as the pure-bred
sire Is the farmer's best friend in all
live Btock breeding, although some
do not reallzo this fact and think that'
a common-bred sire will do as well,'
The pure-bred sire 1b prepotent and
will have a uniform class of offspring,'
possessing quality, while the other!
will Impress or Intensify upon his off
spring lack of quality or perfection
and the difference in the price ot the
two will not Justify the results.
Provide range, an abundance ot
grass and succulent feed, a well bal
anced ration, regularly fed, also char
coal, ashes and salt and an abund
ance of pure water. If not blessed
with natural shade In the summer
provide it. Have dry, clean, com fort-
able pens, with abundance of sun
light, stock kept free from vermin,'
good troughs and clean feeding floors,
and success Invariably will be the re
ward. R. E. Roberts, Corliss, Wis. ;
Crimson Clover. i
Can It be sown In summer In grow
ing corn, to plow under tbe follow
ing spring, without Injuring the corn?i
J. B. A., Logansport, Ind. Answer:)
Yes. Sow ten pounds of seed per
acre Immediately preceding the last
cultivation. If that Is done with an
Implement with eight or ten moder
ate sized teeth, similar to a spring
tooth cultivator, It will be better than
If tho last cultivation Is given by an
Implement having fewer and larger,
teeth. Ordinarily, clover seeds sink
Into the ground and grow without
being covered, but at the season when
It Is proposed to bow It the ground
may be dry, and heavy rains may not
supply sufficient moisture; therefore
It 1b best either to harrow or cuki
vate in tbe seed, although success
frequently comes by sowing imme
diately after the cultivator when
heavy rains quickly follow the sow
ing. It will not injure the corn ti
any appreciable extent. We are In
clined to believe that the shade the
clover furnishes Is a compensation tor,
the moisture and plant food which'
the roots take from the soli. Fre
quently this crimson clover Is killed
during late winter and spring, but
this need not discourage you from
sowing it, since the quantity of nitro
gen and other plant food which It will
gather or set free for the use of fol
lowing plants Is very large, although'
there may be no clover In May to
plow under. If it lives through'
the winter nicely, so much the bet
ter. The seed may be sown from
horseback, the horse being muzzled
If the corn is tall. Country Gentle
man. ... .,
::.:,'v
Chicks Dying in the Shell.
It Is nearly time for those who.
have Incubators to begin to put th
to work. The papers and Incubator
catalogues are full of reports ot won
derful success with Incubators, and
there must be good results as a ru4
or people would not buy them, but
we seldom hear of the failures. Mrs;
Gomperts, writing to the Florida
Poultry Journal, gives a bit of her
experience as follows:
My experience with incubation
may be ot benefit to some one. I
would be glad if some one else would
try it and make a report through our
paper, in order that notes on results
might be compared, perhaps profit
ably for all of us.
I can't remember Just how many.
Infertile eggs I had fifteen, I think.
They were eggs I ordered, and I was
afraid I would get them too hot, so I
run the Incubator rather low.
I have noticed that when-I run the
Incubator a little high that Is, a lit
tle past the mark and had plenty of i
moisture I got better hatches.
Every fertile egg, except three,
hatched one time, and every one ex
cept five at another time. These wefe
my best and they were hatched when
it was warm and I kept the tempera-
. 1.11. -
line up ua uigu tt a uuieu.
I take time In turning and coollntj
eggs. I leave them out and theiT
leave the door open, unless it is cold.i
until I trim and fill the lamp. Then J
I bring the temperature up slowly,
but surely. l
Now, I do not mean that I run the 1
temperature as much as one-half de- I
gree higher than tbe directions, out
full up to a hair's breadth past the
mark which Is given in the instruc
tion book with your machine. I firm
ly believe that low heat Is one cause
of egg weakness. I always turn the
eggs twice daily from the day tney
are laid until the day before they are
hatched. p
if