fOLITT® FAVORITES jj
THE FACE ACAINST THE PANE.
THOMAS BAILEY ALDRICH.
Mabel, little Mabel,
j With face against the pane.
Looks out across the nignt
And sees the Beacon Light
i A-trembling in the rain.
She hears the sea-birds screech,
And the breakers on the beach
Making moan, making moan.
'And the wind about the eaves
Of the cottage sobs and grieves;
I And the willow-tree is blown
To and fro, to and fro.
Till it seems like some old crone
Standing out there all alone
With her woe,
Wringing as she stands,
Her gaunt and palsied hands!
j While Mabel, timid Mabel,
, With face against the pane,
Looks out across the nignt.
And sees the Beacon Light,
I A-trembling in the rain.
Set the table, maiden Mabel,
And make the cabin warm;
(Your little fisher-lover
Is out there in the storm,
And your father—you are weeping!
O Mabel, timid Mabel,
' Go spread the supper table.
And set the tea a-steeping.
Your lover's heart is brave,
His boat is staunch and tight;
And your father knows the perilous reef
That makes the water white.
But Mabel, darling Mabel,
With face against the pane,
Looks out across the nignt
, At the Beacon in the rain.
The heavens are veined with flreft
And the thunder how it rolls!
In the lulling of the storm
The solemn church-bell tolls
1 For lost souls!
But no sexton sounds the knell
In that belfry old and high;
Unseen fingers sway the bell
As the wind goes tearing, by;
How it tolls for the souls
| A PIANO THAT LAUGHED. |
<j| BY CLAUDIA MAY FERRIN.
-y 0 one could piny upon It—that
is, 110 one whose nerves
I were very sensitive or whose
(J - horrors of the uncanny or the
Inexplicable were in the ascendancy.
A maguificeilt piece of workmanship
It was, to be sure, famous since its
completion for its sweet tone and its
wide compass of expression. Yet it
Stood there in Mr. Brlggs's parlor ready
to indulge in mocking laughter at who
soever should dare to seek its music.
The laughter in itself was sufficient
to unnerve even the most courageous
scoffer at the possibilities of gliostdom.
It was a harsh, grating "Ha, ha, ha!"—
such as a merrymaking bedlam will
give vent to, and w'ith as little occa
sion for utterance. The longer any
one played the louder the laughter be
came, until even the boldest would
clasp his hands to his cars and arise
in nervous haste. Another strange
thiug was that it did not begin until
the performer touched the note G, con
tinuing until he ceased playing,
Whether that note was sounded again
or not. It stopped as soon as the
last echo died away, which caused
more than one to gaze back at the
instrument in sliame-faced confusion.
"What shall we do with it?" said
Mrs. Briggs, helplessly, after a final
effort to play upon it without heeding
Its ridicule.
"Sell it," replied her husband,
promptly.
"No, no, no!" she said. "Father
made me promise upon my knees that
I'd never part with it. Besides, who'd
want it? I must have a piano that I
can play upon, for I cannot live with
out music."
"Well, then, I'll send an expert to
examine it—what say you?"
"Send him, of course. But what
good can he do? The laughter was
not heard until after father died, and
you know that the letter G was his
Initial—G of Gottlieb."
"It is a strange coincidence, to be
sure. But G may also stand for
Gretna," said the practical Mr. Briggs.
"Let's see what the piano-maker will
will discover before we worry further.
Then if he cannot remedy the trouble
I'll get you a new one."
The next day the expert came, taking
apart the beautiful instrument and
minutely inspecting every detail in its
make-up. To their dismay he discov
ered nothing out of the ordinary, in
forming them instead that it was the
best-made instrument he bad ever ex
amined. Ills efforts proved a failure,
obviously; l'or as soon as he had put !
it together again it stood ready to emit
that blood-curdling laughter in the
face of any and every performer.
The instrument was made in Ger
many by the father of the cultured
Mrs. Briggs. Gottlieb Yandofen had
been one of the leading manufacturers
of pianos in Berlin, also owning large
manufacturing interests in Paris mill
London. He was reputed as fabulous
ly wealthy, yet at iiis death the entire
bulk of his fortune did not exceed
$3,000,000 in American money. This
was to be divided equally betweeh his
daughter, Mrs. Briggs, and liis son,
Karl Yandofen. A sense of disappoint
ment was experienced by the former,
though she tried to persuade herself
that she had known so little about
her father's business affairs that per
haps she had overestimated ids finan
cial worth.
The son was absent in Australia and
Its neighboring islands when the father
was attacked with his final Illness,
falling to receive the letter bearing
the news of his approaching demise.
Three months previously lie had gone
thither, led by ills roving disposition
and tlie desire to see that part of the
world. Tile two had had a lengthy
conversation previous to Karl's depar
ture. but Gretna hnu not learned the
purport of it, neither did sho let it con
Of the sailors on the sea!
pity them, God pity them,
Wherever they may be!
God pity wives and sweethearts
Wuo wait and wait in vain!
And pity little Mabel.
With face against the pane.
A boom! the Lighthouse gun!
(How its echo rolls and rolls!)
'Tis to warn the home-bound ships
Off the shoals!
See! a rocket cleaves the skv
From the fort; —a shaft of light!
See! it fades, and fading leaves
Golden furrows on the night!
What makes Mabel's cheek so pale?
What makes Mabel's lips so white?
Did she see the helpless sail,
That, tossing here and there,
Like a feather in the air.
Went down and out of sight?
Dywn, down, and out of sight!
Oh. watch no more, no more,
With face against the pane;
You cannot see the men that drown
By the Beacon in the rain!
From the shoal of richest rubies
Breaks the morning clear and cold;
And the angel on the village spire,
Frost-touched, is bright as gold,
Four ancient fishermen,
In the pleasant autumn air,
Come toiling up the sands,
With something in their hands-
Two bodies stark and white,
Ah, so ghastly in the light,
With the sea-weed in their hair!
O ancient fishermen,
Go to yonder cot!
You'll find a little child,
With face against the pane,
Who looks toward the beach,
And looking, sees it not,
She will never watch again!
Never watch and weep at night!
For those pretty, saintly eves
Look bevond tHe stormy skies.
And tney see the Beacon light.
cern her very much. She knew that
her father and brother were upon the
best of terms.
Two months after Gottlieb Yando
fen's death Lis daughter Gretna was
married to Augustus Briggs, au Ameri
can professor who had gone to Ger
many to study the language. This
seemingly hasty marriage was but in
accordance with the father's request,
for he knew that his daughter's inter
ests would he safe in the hands of
that gentleman. As soon as the busi
ness could be adjusted, the happy pair
sailed for America, expecting Karl
to reappear upon the scene at any
day to take charge of affairs there at
Berlin.
But he did not come, and. unknown
to them, was anxiously awaiting word
from the beloved Fatherland. Finally,
he wrote his sister a letter of inquiry
as to her silence, which reached her a
few days after her arrival In America.
Three months more passed, and at the
time of the final struggle with the mys
terious piano Mrs. Briggs was daily
expecting another missive from her
wandering brother.
The letter failed to come, hut the
brother arrived in its stead. Sun
burned, weary and heartily satisfied
to refrain thereafter from bis long,
aimless journeys,. ho appeared at her
door one morning, to be welcomed as
none but a sister can welcome.
Explanations over, ho began to
glance casually about the room, and
Immediately his eyes fell upon the
new piano.
"What's this for?" ho queried.
"Where's father's piano?"
"It's haunted," replied Mrs. Briggs,
with subdued voice.
"Haunted? Tut, tut!" And without
further comment he seated himself at
the familiar old instrument at the op
posite side of the room. Eagerly he
struck the central note E, then list
ened intently. Next the note F, and
listened ngain. Lastly the note G:
and as the laughter began its weird
reverberations ho turned to his sister
with a smile of triumph.
"Haunted, is it?" he cried, exult
antly. "No, no, Gretna. That's just
what I was hoping for. Come, sit
down, and I'll tell you all about it."
Leading her to a divan near by, he
seated himself beside her, and began
to explain carefully the hitherto un
fathomable mystery!
"When I was about to leave on this
last trip, you remember, father called
me to him and we had a long conver
sation. That morning he told me for
the first time the exact amount of his
fortune- —about 910,000,000 in American
money—and gave me a working knowl
edge of his three establishments. He
had long been thinking of selling his
interest in the factories at Paris and
London, but was not yet ready to close
negotiations. Whenever he did so, that
would necessitate the handling of large
sums of money, and he was then at
a loss to know just which city—
whether London, Paris, or Berlin—
In deposit the bulk of his fortune in.
He expressed the fear if such should
be the case he knew that you could
not manage affairs, as you had never
handled money except to spend it. I
read his thoughts and offered to give
up my trip, but he would not consent
to that. Instead, lie exacted a promise
from me that when I should return
I ills time I would remain at home and
devote myself to business.
"Well, when ho had explained every
thing so thoroughly (hat I knew Just
what was depending upon mo. lie then
(old tne that lie was afraid to leave his
foriune all hi one lianl:. and that he
Intended to divide It Into two sums.
The smaller amount he would leave in
the hank with which our family has
always done business; Iho other—and
now comes the great secret of the
piano.
"Toil know as well as I that father
did every hit of the work on this in
strument except, perhaps, the carving.
He spared neither pains nor expense
in building it, for it was to be a family
treasure so long as an atom of It
remained. Well, that morning he took
me to it and removed a part of the
case, showing me that the rear of the
musical framework was double, with
space enough between the boards to
admit one's hand. In that space is a
peculiar bit of mechanism of father's
own devising, which he termed a iaugh
ing-jack. It can be connected with the
musical apparatus by means of a very
slender wire, which Is brought around
past the sounding board in such away
that 110 one can find it unless lie knows
beforehand just where to look for it.
"To show me how it worked he at
tached the wire to the liammershank
of a string near the centre of the in
strument, and struck that note with his
finger. At once the laughter began,
just as It will do now. He played a
strain or two and the thing kept laugh
ing as long as the piano continued to
sound. This amused me so that I
laughed In earnest. He feared that
you might hear us, so he released the
hammefshank from the secret wire.
"He then told me that he was think
ing seriously of depositing Ills money
in a bank in a foreign country, so that
the lawyers and sharpers would not
be so apt to discover it and perhaps
purloin part of it in case I should not
be at home. He mentioned England
and France, because of his factories
being at the capital of each country,
the suggestion, whereupon
he explained that if he deposited his
money in England, at London, he
would attach the laughing-jack to the
note E, by which I should know that a
letter of introduction to the cashier of
the Bank of England was secreted in
this recess at the back of the piano.
If lie left the money in Paris ho would
attach the wire to the note F, mean
ing France; if in our home city, to the
note G, signifying Germany. Of
course when lie gave me these instruc
tions he took it for granted that I
would get word immediately if he
should die ere I returned, so that you
would not need to be alarmed by the
laughing-jack's merriment. He said
further that if he should die so sud
denly that he could not attend to this
matter, then I must look for the letter
in the secret recess In his desk at
home, with which you also are fami
liar. I searched for it there as soon as
I reached home, but finding nothing, I
concluded that you had either taken it
or that it was in the piano."
"I found nothing of importance," re
turned the sister. "There was no letter
there, at any rate—nothing but some
old bills and about fifty marks in
money."
"Then I'll inspect the piano."
With that Karl Yaudofen arose and
moved the instrument to a lighter part
of the room. In a very few moments
he had taken away a portion of the
casing, and his first act was to show
his sister the thread-like wire attached
to the base of one of the hammer
slianks, the prime cause of all that
hideous laughter. With a small stool
which he had brought for the purpose
he unwound the wire, whereupon he
struck the middle G note of the key
board to prove to her that the en
chantment was gone.
Ho next save his attention to the
double back of the instrument, dis
closing the unusual bit of space to
■which ho had alluded, with Its queer
piece of mechanism within—the laugh
ing-,lack. Near the latter was a care
fully sealed envelope, addressed to
Karl In scrawling hand and lettered in
faultless German—the father's special
legacy to his son and daughter.
With trembling hand Karl opened It,
to find therein the following message,
also in German:
"My Dear Son—The money awaits
you. as I promised—all In twenty-mark
pieces. Present this letter to the cash
ier of our national bank, whereupon
he will produce an exact duplicate of
it and will give you the key to a box
in the safety vault. Take the money
and divide it equally between yourself
and Gretna: but first give the cashier
100 marks as a reward for his fidelity,
although I have already paid him a
handsome sum. Sell our interests in
Paris and London, and live in the old
home, remembering the blissful days
when your mother lived and we were
an unbroken family. Awaiting death's
call, GOTTLIEB VANDOFEN."
Thus the magnificent piano delivered
its message, which touched a tender
spot in the heart of each recipient.
Nothing was left them but to obey,
with Karl as the principal actor in
the drama.
A few months later the wishes ex
pressed in the letter were all fulfilled
save one. And Karl had taken the in
itial step toward its consummation,
having begun to pay attention to a
buxom little lass In Berlin with a view
to installing her finally as mistress of
the Ynndofen mansion.—New York
A Mnltli>llcatinn-Addition Table.
The following table was worked out
by a Harvard professor. It is interest
ing to look at, but one Is thankful that
it is not included among the multipli
cation tables:
1 time 'J plus 2 equals 11
12 times 1) plus 1! equals 111
12.1 times t) plus 4 equals 1111
1224 times t) plus 5 equals 11111
12345 times t) plus (i equals 111111
123450 timeso plus7 equals 1111111
1234587 times 0 plus S equals 11 i i 1 11
12345G7S times 9 plus 0 equals 111111111
1 time S plus 1 equals 9
12 times 8 plus 2 equals 9S
123 times S plus 3 equals 987.
1231 times S plus 4 equals Cifid
12345 times S plus 5 equals DS7GS
123450 times S plus ti equals 987034
1234587 times 8 plus 7 equals 957C348
123-13078 times 8 pins S equals 38785432
12313UiSU times 8p1u53qua15987034321
—Success.
TWENTY MILLIONS PAID ->
FOR AUTOMOBILES IN 1902
•j-H'
£~ K CURIO3ITIES OF THE INDUSTRY IN AMERICA-BOOMS IN * +
I UNEXPECTED PLACE3—THE DEMAND FOR GASOLENE MOTOR I
•I- VEHIOLES-2000 AGENTS AND DEALERS SELL THEM. -I
*.—{• "h "f 4-+
.}. —j. _
IT is usually stated that there are
about 300 automobile manufactur
ers actually engaged in building
complete vehicles in the United
States and about 2000 manufacturers
who, in addition to their other busi
ness, make comiioiient parts and ac
cessories for automobiles. A great
many of the latter have found it un
profitable to cater to the automobile
trade, however, because the require
ments change with lightning rapidity,
the shapes of parts are intricate and
the orders received are rarely of suffi
cient magnitude to warrant special
efforts.
Summing up everything, the total
output of automobiles for the lirst
eight months of 1002 may be placed
at about 10,000 and their value at some
what more than $20,000,000. This
takes no cognizance of the automobiles
which have been imported from Eu
rope.
Beginning with the East and count
ing only manufacturers who have
reached or exceeded ten automobiles,
we find in the State of Massachusetts
eleven builders of steam vehicles with
nn output of 770 machines sold at
$717,500. One of these builders makes
only heavy steam trucks, worth about
S3OOO apiece, but has not yet built
very many.
In the same State, in which the
stenm automobile was originated so far
as the most common American type is
concerned, there are eight manufac
turers of gasolene vehicles whose out
put was 705 machines, sold at about
$747,500. More than one-half of this
number were made by one firm, which
made its debut at the first Madison
Square Garden show in 1000.
Massachusetts has never been favor
able to electromobilcs, and the few
makers who built electric carriages in
previous years have apparently given
it up. A few may have been built
here and there to order, but none for
the market.
Connecticut occupies a peculiar posi
tion. One highly capitalized concern,
with manufacturing facilities which
should be sufficient for turning out
1500 automobiles per annum at least,
had no model corresponding to the pop
ular demand at the beginning of the
year.
It sold its left-over stock at reduced
prices, and made up, of new vehicles,
prolinbly not more than one hundred.
Of these some fifteen or twenty were
gasolene vehicles and the rest electric
carriages.
Another large concern, capable of
producing 4000 or 5000 steam vehicles,
also found itself on the wrong side of
the market, and limited its output to
somewhere in the neighborhood of 2000
machines, while devoting much of its
energy to the designing of new models.
Two much smaller concerns rested on
the! roars and produced practically
nothing.
In the district adjacent to Now York
City, including parts of New Jersey,
only seven manufacturers have made
gasolene vehicles. One of these seven
firms has failed. The production
amounts to about 403 automobiles and
their selling value to SOBO,OOO.
Here also It is a new firm which has
done most of the business, turning out
about 300 gasolene phaetons at a mod
erate price. Heavy delivery wagons
(gasolene motors) foot up a value of
about SIOO,OOO at nn average of S3OOO
each.
In the same district electric trucks
and delivery wagons have been pro
luccd by one firm, aggregating $300,000
in value and 200 in number, and an
other firm has made from twenty-five
to thirty electric delivery wagons of a
lighter type, valued at $30,000. Still
another firm has made about 100 elec
tric vehicles, some of them delivery
wagons, but mostly runabouts, sold
at $130,000.
A dozen large trucks operated on the
system of combining a gasolene motor
with electric transmission of the power
and an auxiliary storage battery, com
plete the rouud-up of actual manufac
ture of electric automobiles in New
York City and its vicinity, but a great
deal of experimenting is going on
which Is likely to lead to results in
1003.
Three steam vehicle manufacturers
have turned out in excess of 1100
pleasure carriages, many of them of
largo size and some of them intended
for slago lines. Their value comes
comparatively high, reaching a total
of $1,322,000.
Other parts of New York State, es
pecially Buffalo, Rochester ami Syra
cuse, are represented In the industry
as follows: Si:: makers have produced
245 pas vehicles worth $213,750; live
ethers have made 2SO steam pleasure
vehicles selling for $277,500. and a few
electric runabouts, probably not more
than fifteen in all, have been produced
by two of these firms, who give some
attention to all forms of power.
Until recently the State of Pennsyl
vania had one manufacturer of steam
carriages whose output reached 100
vehicles. This firm went under, but
a successor has taken over the plant.
Aside from tills resurrected concern
the State has only one devotee of steam
now, as against four makers of gaso
lene carriages who have produced
about seven hundred and twenty-five
machines at a valuation of $1,038,500.
Cleveland is one of the undisputed
automobile centres. There have been
made 1300 steam vehicles of a con
struction type which was unknown in
rnis country two years ago and which
it-presents a distinct Improvement In
some respects over its nearest proto-
type in the French Industry.
Here is also situated the largest
American factory of gasolene vehicles
made to sell for more than SIOOO
apiece, and probably 1000 of these
automobiles have been made in 1902,
aggregating a valuation of close to sl,-
800,000. Of small electric enrringes be
tween 300 and 400 have been turned
out by one concern.
The total production of gasolene
vehicles in Cleveland reaches abort
1320, made by five manufacturers, and
its value is estimated as high as $2,-
379,000. With the steam and electric
vehicles the total runs up to $4.-179,000.
In other cities of Ohio, such as To
ledo, Wan-en and.Clyde, there have
been produced and sold from 700 to
750 gasolene vehicles, mostly of me
dium power and dimensions, valued
at $1,110,000 ; 500 steam carriages, all
of the water-tube boiler system and
worth about $500,000.
The State of Ohio thus reaches an
output of five and one-half million
dollars' worth of automobiles, and in
the prices obtained ranks higher than
any other territory.
Three factories in Indiana have pro
duced at least 050 electric carriages,
mostly runabouts, valued at $037,500,
and one of these concerns which has
only recently entered the automobile
business, lias about 500 more vehicles
coming through. The two older firms
are also very active at present.
Steam vehicles are not made for the
market in Indiana, but the State has
produced about 225 'gasolene vehicles
which have been sold for $350,000 or
more.
The Industrial ten-strilep of the year
has tieen recorded by the State of
Michigan. Somebody's intellect must
have grasped tlie peculiarly American
requirements of automobiles, for the
product of gasolene runabouts In this
State jumped from about 1000 in 1001
to more than 5000 this year, and their
valuation from SOOO,OOO to $3,500,000.
Tlie automobile industry in Chicago
and its vicinity Is given over to the
explosive motor system exclusively,
with the exception of one company,
which has produced 100 electric deliv
ery wagons, mostly intended for use
by the company's financial backers in
their other business.
Another firm, which built electric
runabouts in 1001, now builds gasolene
runabouts. The total production of
gasolene vehicles (Including factories
at Kenosha, Milwaukee and Peoria),
amounts to 430 valued at $303,000.
Tlie city of St. Louis lias produced,
perhaps, 100 gasolene vehicles, worth
on an average of SIBOO apiece, making
$1 SO. OOO in value.
California has made great efforts to
secure factories, hut so far haR only
two, making in all perhaps thirty-live
automobiles.
By looking into the facts and figures
for each of tlie eighty-six manufac
turing concerns which have been con
sidered above, it is found that fifty
firms made 10.040 gnsolone automo
biles which sold for $10,431,250. This
would make an average price of slight
ly above SIOOO apiece, but if the one
firm which turned out nearly one-lialf
of the total number at a much lower
price is left out of the figuring, there
remain 5010 gasolene vehicles costing
$7,181,250 or an average of about
SI4OO.
Similarly it is seen that twenty
seven manufacturers of steam ve
hicles produced 6180 carriages, valued
at $0,525,500; again an average of
slightly more than SIOOO.
Thirteen makers of electric vehicles
produced 1833 trucks and carriages,
sold for $2,202,500, the trucks bringing
the average up to between SI2OO and
SI3OO a vehicle.
Several of the manufacturers make
all three types of automobiles and this
accounts for the discrepancy between
the ninety firms noted in' this sum
mary nnd the eighty-six firms actually
existing.
More than 2000 a .ents and dealers
in automobiles are doing business
throughout the United States. On a
total turnover of $200,00;', they should
■earn $2,000,000 In profits and commis
sions on the basis of a ten per cent,
advance. This would make an average
of only SIOOO to each of them.—New
York Sun.
Skinning Prnii.
The lapidary was skinning a pearl.
He had on gloves of a \ery delicate
I sort of kid, and the glasses that he
wore had lenses ol' such great magni
fying power that his eyes, through
them, looked as liig as saucers. "]
wear gloves," he said, "because the
hands perspire freely in this work, and
perspiration lias often been known to
| discolor pearls. This stone was Injured
I by the accidental dropping on it of
| some acid. The disaster discolored it,
I you see. With this very delicate little
tool I am removing its outer skiu, and
if I find that the acid has filtered
through and discolored the Inner skin
also I may remove that as well. A
pearl, you see. Is composed of concen
tric layers, or skins, and you can, if
you are a clever workman, peel it down
and down until it disappears. That
operation, indeed, is often done by the
apprentices of the lapidary trade. They
work on spoiled, worthless pearls, and
the experience is very good for them.
It teaches them a great deal about
the pearl's auatomy, and it gives a
wonderful cunning to their hands. The
pearl is the only precious stone that
can be skinned. To skin it is often the
only way to restore its milky color."
—Philadelphia Record.
BEAUTY'S WAYS.
One Chlcnco Tonne Person Followed All
the Holes.
"Why, how you look!" exclaimed
the book-keeper as slie met the
stenographer. "Have you been sick?"
sick?"
"No," answered the stenographer,
humbly, "I have just been beautify
ing."
The book-keeper looked impolitely
surprised, and the stenographer con
tinued: "The beauty pages of the
magazines have always fascinated me
and I read them until I was convinced
that there was no reason why I should
not be beautiful."
The bookkeeper stared.
"So I followed the prescribed rules
for business girls. I shivered through
a cold bath each morning, took an
hour to put on my clothes, and then
had a hearty breakfast, consisting of
a peach and two grapes, eaten very
slowly. The directions hinted at tak
ing time during oflice hours to brush,
one's hair and put on fresh powdery,
but I did not attempt that, as my em-r
ployer does not read the beauty notes.
It was also recommended that the.
noon hour be divided equally between
lunch and a nap, hut it was 15 min- >
ute3' rush from the office to the near
est rest room, so I had to shorten the
lunch and the nap. The nieal3 did
not strike me as particularly strength
ening, but the beauty writers said
that if one would persist in the diet
one's friends would be astonished at
the change"
"I am," said tho bookkeeper.
"The directions further said that
when a business girl reached home at
night she should take off her tailor
made and put on something light and
fluffy and forget that she is a work
ing girl. I fluffed. Then I ate din
ner so slowly that by the time I had
finished avoiding the pie and rich pud
ding I was ready to begin again with,
the soup course. Then I took a long
walk to reduco the size of my hips.
At 5.30 I began getting ready for bed."
"Horrors!" shuddered the book-'"
keeper.
"I brushed my clothes, laid out
fresh linen, did the physical-culture
act for 20 or 30 minutes, took a hot
bath, brushed my hair 15 minutes and
gave It a tonic, rubbed my neck with
a fattening oil, manicured my nails,
said my prayers and tried to get eight
hours' sleep. Of course, during the
training I had to refuse all invitations,
but I comforted myself with the
thought that the other girls would be
jealous of my beauty."
The bookkeeper smiled.
"The more I walked the fatter I
got. Today I read another article in
tl.e same magazine and no doubt by
the same beauty specialist, which said
that walking developed the hips, the
fattening oil darkened the skin and
while fruit breakfasts might do very .
well for ladles of leisure, working gh'iia
nodeed hot steaks. So my whole sum- '
mer has been wasted."—Chicago
News.
Tho Fmperor and the Dueliftts.
The Germans cannot get rid of the
idea that it is "honorable" to bear un
sightly scars on their faces telling of
duels fought. Their emperor recog
nizes the absurdity of this and fre
quently tries to put a stop to the prac
tice, having issued an order on one
occasion directing the punishment of
any officer dueling without his con
sent.
Not long afterward, consent was
asked by an officer of high rank, and
graciously granted on condition that
his Majesty should be notified of the
time and placo of the meeting.
When tho duelists arrived on the
ground they found the emperor there
before them, and seated near a nevlyv
erected gibbet. The challenger asked j
tile meaning of this, and was aston
ished when the emperor replied:
"It moans, sir, that I Intend to wit
ness your battle until one of you has
killed the other, and then I will hang
the survivor for murder!" —Chicago
Journal.
Ptinlalnnenta.
There are still great. local variations
as to the punishment inflicted for triv
ial offences. For England and Wales
the proportion dealt with whose of
fence was considered to be of a trivial
character during 1800 was 4.62 per
cent, and the proportion convicted
summarily and released, either on
their own recognizances or on finding
sureties, was 1.115 percent of the total
number of persons tried summarily.
But in some police districts, sucli as
Gloucestershire, those discharged,
without conviction exceeded 10 per-v
cent of the persons prosecuted, while
in other districts, such as Bristol,
the proportion of persons released on
recognizances was nearly as great. On
tile other hand, there are several dls
tiicts, including such large boroughs
as Burnley and Hartlepool, in which
those powers have not been exorcised
at all, and others in which their use
has been a very rare occurrence.—
The Justice of the Peace.
It Didn't I.ook nmniilike.
Lord Shaftesbury used to tell this
story: He had looked In at a poor
dwelling and had been shocked to see
it so very dirty. If, he thought, the
piace were once made clean, perhaps
ihe occupants would try to keep it so.
The work was executed, ceiling and
walls being left a spotless white.
About a week afterward I.ord Shaftes
bury was passing, and wa3 amazed
to see the walls blacker than they had!
been before. He expressed his sur
prise, and the tenant, a good-humored
liisliman, explained the matter thus:
"Shure, we're very much obliged for
your lordship's kindness, hut the place
had such a cowld look we thought we'd
just ask the sweep to come in and
give it a few warrum touches."—Lon
don Daily News.