1 MRS. JONES' BOARDERS. j
A. MAITLAND.
MjU-. T is just fourteen years this
IsJ month since my poor, dear
I Anthony died, and left me,
as the poet says, "to climb
[s)] [H] life's rugged steep alone."
By Anthony I mean Sir.
Jones, of course; and if your name,
good reader, happens to be Jones, let
me say he was no relation of yours;
nor yet of the Jones round the cor
ner; nor of the Jones at the foot of tho
hill, whose wife has Just had twins
for the third time, and nil living; but
another Jones altogether.
Now, I just mention this by the way,
and not with any intention of giving
an account of iny dead husband's an
tecedents; for, if there is one thing
1 dislike above another, it is tracing
back one's pedigree.
Not but what I think Sir. Jones
might have Ind an alderman, or even
a judge, among his great uncles or
great-great-grandfathers; but I mar
ried him for what he was, nnd not for
what any of his relations wore. And
I hope that none of my friends who
are "living on the reputation qf their
deceased relatives" will think that I
am hinting at them; for I am not.
As I said before, it Is Just fourteen
years since I was left n widow with
one child, a girl of eight. We had laid
three beneath the willows, over the
hill; so you may be sure I clung to this
one with fourfold affection.
When the funeral was over (it was
quite a respectable funeral; there were
twenty-nine carriages, besides two men
on horseback), Deacon Wilson was
called in to look over my husband's
papers. Mr. Jones had asked him to do
this before he died, and as I knew the
deacon to be an honest nnd trust
worthy man, I was sure they would be
safe in his hands, nnd that ho would do
the right thing by me and my father
less child.
After all debts were paid, there re
mained just 5100. Of course, the house
nnd lot were my own; I had the deed,
and saw it registered myself; but 5100
was a very small sum, nnd my heart
sank when the deacon handed it to
me with the remark:
"I've done the best I could, Mrs.
Jones, but I'm afraid it won't go far.
My wife and I were talking of you
last night, and we 'bought It would not
be a bad plan for you to start a small
grocery. The village Is growing, nnd
this new factory will bring-a good deal
of trade here. Then there are my own
hands at the mill; I think I could send
a little your way through them. If this
partition were taken down, you would
have plenty of room for tho shop, with
your kitchen back of it, which would
be real handy." I thanked him for his
advice and promised to think It over.
The partition pulled down! Well,
well, and my beautiful little parlor
turned into a filthy grocery! The pretty
green carpet and the niee cane-seated
chairs, that did not look a bit the worse
for ten years' wear, put up, perhaps,
under the auctioneer's hammer! No,
no, not this; anything but this; at least,
not yet! What would poor, dear An
thony have thought of pulling the
house to pieces; the house that he had
taken such a pride In, too? I looked
over at his big arm-chair, almost ex
pecting to see him frown indignantly
at the very Jhought of 6uch a thing;
But, iher'6 it stood lu Its old place,
and h wps empty.
C.Tlmn I thought o? Hetty's rosy
cheeks, and of the money in my hand.
llow long would it last? Even with
the strictest economy, one year would
make a big hole In It These things
passed rapidly through my mind, and It
became evident that something would
have to be done, and that very soon.
The deacon's proposition came up
again, and I thought ol Tomkins little
grocery with its atmosphere of smoke
Jnd its carpet of tobacco Juice; with
its daily loafers and Its evening
loungers; with its unceasing clatter of
cowhide, and its great guffaws.
"No, no!" I said aloud; "It can never
be!" For. to use the words of Charles
Lamb, "the more I thought of it, the
less I thought of it."
Weeks passed by nnd I laid come to
no decision about my plans for the
future, when one day Mrs. Porter, a
neighbor, who had proven "a friend,
Indeed" many a time, suggested that
it would lie a good thing for me to take
In a few boarders; I would not feel
so lonesome like, she said—with a deli
cacy that I could not but admire.
Now, strange to say, I had not
thought of Hiis before, and the Idea
rather pleased me, as I prided myself
on my housekeeping, nnd had plenty
of room to accommodate three or four
persons—the house being a two-story
frame; so I set about furnishing the
two np-stairs rooms, which had never
been used, and at the end of three
months alter my dear Anthony's death,
I was ready for my first 1 murder.
I had said nothing to Deacon Wilson
of my Intentions, but somehow bis
folks got wind of It, and lie called one
day to testify Ills approval of the step
which I was about to take, nnd kindly
offered mo his two apprentices to start
with.
"Jane nnd Liza were going hack to
school for a spell," he said, "and Mrs.
Wilson had too much to see after
alone."
They were not exactly the kind of
boarders I wonld have chosen—great
rough-liewn lads, with battered hats
and greasy Jackets—hut then the
pocket-book In the middle bureau
drawer was growing thlnDer and
lighter every day; nnd Hetty, precious
Hetty! For myself, 1 conbl have borne
and suffered a great deal, hut pride
and prejudice gave wny before n moth
er's love.
Mrs. Wilson enme over herself with
the boys, "just to see them home," she
said, hut in reality to bargain about
the price of their hoard. She was a
hard-faced woman, whose keen, gray
eyes seemed to look into your very
soul. That kind of woman who fre
quents cheap sales and auction marts,
ever ready to buy up odds and ends
so long as they can be had cheap.
"Three dollars a week Is far too much
for boys—they are but hoys," she said.
"Why, you can get board at the hotels
In the city for that, with waiters and
bell-boys thrown in;" and she looked
around, disparagingly, I thought, at
my little dining room with its rag car
pet and plain furniture. Tlie tears
started to my eyes at her words, or
rather at her looks—for I always was
a fool that way; but she didn't see
them, I took care of that, for the pie
In the oven was just done, and I ex
cused myself a moment to attend to
it.
"Well, let It lie two dollars nnd n half
a week, as you say, for a month nt
least, until I see how we get on." I
said; so it was settled at that, and the
up-stairs hack room was soon occupied
with my first hoarders. They were
good lads enough, that is to say, they
had no bad habits beyond eating with
their knives and going to sleop occa
sionally without undressing, and I
think I could have broken them of
these faults in time; but bless you, I
couldn't feed them and save myself! It
may be I began wrong with them, that
my table was "too well appointed," as
Mrs. Wilson said, -..•lien I gave up my
charge at the month's end; but that
there was something wrong some
where, I was ready to admit.
For three weeks a framed placard,
bearing the ominous word, "Boarding,"
hung forth in my front parlor window
without attracting any notice, nnd I
began to fear that It would have to ho
the grocery, after all, when, strange
enough, I had three applicants in one
day.
The first was Becky Raymond, a
teacher In the village school, whoso
father had died the week before, and
whose mother was giving up house
keeping nnd going to live with her
married daughter in Chicago. Becky
was to have the back room to herself
and pay 51 a week. This arrangement
was agreeable to both of us, for we had
been long acquainted, and I was glad
to have such an excellent person in the
house with me.
The next was a strange lady from
some place I had never heard of be
fore—a hook agent she called herself—
but I didn't like her looks n hit. How
ever, I couldn't afford to be particular;
as she offered to pay her hoard two
weeks in advance If I could let her
have a room to herself. So my two
up-stairs rooms were taken at last.
Late nt night a gentleman called,
who had been recommended to me by
a , naming a prominent resi
dent. He expected to be In the neigh
borhood for some time, buying up
horses for the army) and would like a
room to himself, If possible.
"It never rains but it pours," I said
to Becky, when I went to consult her
about the rooms. Neither of the new
comers would he likely to stay with mo
long, so she was quite willing to share
ply room for the present, and gave up
the olio jjkg wjs promised to the
strange gentleman. j -
The two strangers seemed to got ac
quainted remarkably soon. 'lndeed,
one would have thought they had
known each other all their lives, and
in less than a week they drove out
together and took long walks in the
evening. I did not like their goings
on nt all, for tlioy were not like young
folks that one would make some al
lowance for. Ho was between forty
and fifty, and she, well, she was the
kind whose age one can never tell, hut
no chicken, judging from her ways.
I began to think there was something
wrong between them, and would have
given anything to get rid of them after
the first week. I never knew what
they really did, as they came and went
nt all hours, and sometimes together;
but they paid their bill, and I could
make no charge against them for any
thing, except their mysterious connec
tions.
One night, after they had been six
weeks witli me, I was awakened by n
strange noise, as of something bump
ing and scraping against tho outside
of the house; and as I listened with
boating heart Becky grasped my arm
and said:
"What's that!" in a frightened voice.
At the same time Iletty sat up in
her criti and began to whimper.
"Hush!" I said, rather sharply, for
I wanted to listen that I might find
out where the noise really enmo from,
■ hut she wouldn't hush until I took her
1 In beside me, and then all was quiet
, again; but there was no moro sleep for
any of us that night,
i In tho morning tho up-stairs boarders |
i came down to breakfast as usual; she
• with her hair frizzled and her face
i powdered, and lie drawing his goatee
• out to the nicest possible taper between
t his long, lean fingers.
Wo agreed that nothing should he
> said about the strange noise until we
. had examined the premises; but, on
r exnminntion, no clue could be found,
everything was In Its usual place, and
f no sign of burglars anywhere,
t Tho next night we went to bed early,
3 as our loug waking made us drowsy.
1 Neither of us spoke nliout what was
i uppermost in our minds, as wo were
1 undressing, for fear of frightening net
s ty, for she was very nervous, and fear
-3 ful of ghosts, so we were all soon
3 asleep.
Both Becky and I awoke about the
same time, with a strange feeling of
l suffocation. Day was just breaking,
• and Becky rose and staggered to the
window, which she succeeded In open-
In# after a great effort. The fresh air
seemed to revive her, and she came to
me, staring with her hlg eyes- and
said:
"What is it, and what is this?'" as
she drew a handkerchief from under
my chin.
"I tell you we've been chloroformed!
There are murderers in the house, and
I'm off for the police!"
I jumped out of bed and ran to the
crib, but the child was sleeping sound
ly, and breathing regularly.
In less time than it takes to tell it,
Becky was dressed and away for help,
and I locked my door until I heard her
return with some one, who proved to
be the police, sure enough.
There was no doubt chloroform had
been administered to both of us, for we
were not then free from its effects. I
had not noticed before that my bureau
drawers had been opened and ran
sacked, and. oh! terrible to And that my
precious all was gone! Two hundred
and fifty dollars and twenty-five cents,
—every cent I had in the world, be
sides my dear Anthony's watch, and
some valuable jewels of Becky's. It
was too, too bad, and we followed the
officer of the law up-stairs to rouse
our boarders, and tell them of our
loss. Imagine our surprise, if you can,
when we found that the birds hnd
flown. The beds hnd never been slept
in, but there were the trunks in their
usual places, and they were not empty,
as we were assured by their weight.
These will be somethiug to fall back
upon to cover my loss, I thought, as
well as to help pay for their last two
weeks' board, for we all believed they
had committed the robbery, and I
knew their clothing was worth some
thing.
When I had legal permission to open
the trunks they were found to be filled
with blocks stolen from the sawmill
close by, and this accounted for the
humping sound we heard the night
before the thieves left. They hnd pro
cured a box and one filled it from be
low, while the other drew it up and
in at the window; while their clothing
was, no doubt, removed in the same
mysterious way, and secreted some
where until an opportunity offered for
procuring the means of escape. It
turned out shortly after that they had
passed a number of bogus bills in the
neighborhood, and that they were con
nected with a gang of counterfeiters.
I was' very chary about taking in
strangers after this sad experience,
and I may say that I have been very
fortunate, on the whole, since then,
with just one exception.
A few years ago, a gentleman who
hnd been living in the South, brought
his wife here by the doctor's advice.
She had been raised not far from this,
and it was thought her native air
would be of some benefit; but the poor
thing seemed dying from some un
known cnuse, and pined away day by
day. I tended her as if she had been
my own sister, and she died in my
nrms at last. Poor, poor thing! They
said her disease was not consumption,
but when she was laid out, her arms
were no thicker than a three months'
old baby's. Her husband took her
death real hard; and ho was such a
nice man, such a feeling man, and so
thoughtful; he reminded me of An
thony so much.
lie stayed on after his wife died, as
if he hated to go away without her.
lie was so kind to Hetty, too; every
thing that would save her trouble he
was ready to do. And for me! well, I
hate to think of it now, but It did
seem as if Anthony had come back
again, and the old feeling of having
some one to depend pn grew on me
unawares. I daresay it was foolish of
me to think he had taken a fancy to
me as I had to him. I see it all, now
that my eyes are fairly open; but dear,
dear, it was hard to bring myself to
believe the truth.
There was to bo a grand concert, a
Saeugerfest, they called it, In the city,
about twenty miles away, and Mr. Hu
bert (he was a German by birth) would
have Hetty go with him and hear the
fine music. I did not like to refuse
him anything, but was a little disap
pointed that he did not ask me, seeing
I was so fond of music. I never had a
thought of mistrusting him with tlie
child (for she seemed but a child to
me, though nearly twenty-two) any
more than If he had been her own
father. You may judge, then, of iny
astonishment when next day's mail
brought me a note from him, stating
that they were married.
Married! My Hetty and Silas Hu
bert! I couldn't believe it; It seemed
Impossible just then? but, as I thought
over it for days and days, I wondered
how I was so blind as not to see that
it was her all the time, and not me.
Foolish woman that I was—ln love at
forty-three! Yes, I must confess it;
but I pray you, don't think hard of
me, for it was all because he was so
like Anthony.
Silas Hubert, took my daughter to
his Southern home, and I have jnst
had a letter from them, advising me
to give up housekeeping and make my
home with then in t'.ie land of the
magnolias. But, nay, they shall novcr
know what I have told you; for I
could keep my secret nowhere so well
as here, looking out at the white stone
over the hill, beneath whicli lies all
that Is mortal of my poor, dear An
thony.—Wnverley Magazine.
A lloon to HoiifiewlvR.
A brooralcss housewife has become
a possibility. A Yankee has invented a
machine which sweeps and dusts a
room by suction from an air pump in
the basement. All that is necessary Is
to pass a hose nozzle over the parpets
and furniture. The suction through it
carries the dust particles to the cellar,
none of them being thrown into the air
of the apartment.
The Lair,
Possession is nine parts of the law;
dispossession is ten points.
COMPOTE OF TEACHES.
I Toast as many pieces of bread as
there are persons to serve; cut into
rounds with a biscuit cutter; put
peaches over the fire after peeling and
cutting in halves, until .smoking hot;
butter the bread and quickly put a half
peach on each piece; rub one table
spoon of cornstarch in a little cold
water; add it to the boiling syrup with
one-third cup of sugar, two tablespoon
fuls of lemon juice; pour this over a
beaten egg; add one teaspoon of butter
and pour this carefully over the com
pote.
PICKLED PEARS.
Pare the fruit, leaving the stems, but
cutting out the blossom end. Boil a
few at a time in vinegar and water
until tender, but not quite done. Re
move to a plate and let cool. Make
a syrup as for any sweet pickle, using
cinnamon for only spice. Take two
cups of vinegar to four cups of sugar
for a good proportion for the syrup.
Put the pears in this syrup and boil
gently for two or three hours. They
should be very tender, clear and retain
their shape. Seal in jars same as
canned fiuit These will keep for
years.
CHERRY WATER ICE.
Weigh the fruit and sugar; allow a
pound and a half of loaf sugar to each
pound of fruit, half a pint of Water
and the white of one egg. Stone the
cherries before weighing; place then
in a preserving kettle on the back
of tlie range, letting them stand until
the juice starts freely, but do not boil.
When ready turn into a jelly bag and
press thoroughly. Combine the sugar,
water and whites of eggs, let these
boil, slimming occasionally until rich
and transparent. Remove from the
fire, ndd the juice, pack in a freezer
and treat the same as Ice cream.
MUTTON CUTLETS.
Put an ounce of clarified beef drip
ping into a stewpnn, and Cover the
bottom of the pan with a layer of
sliced onion, carrot and celery. Re
move tlie fat from six or eight neck
of-mutton cutlets, but do not trim
them, und place them on the vege
tables; cover them with a piece of
buttered paper before putting on tlie
lid of the pan, and let them cook very
slowly for an hour, taking care that
they do not become at all brown. ' On
taking the cutlets from the pan place
them 011 a flat dish and let them get
cold, then trim them very neatly and
scrape tlie bones. Cover the cutlets
evenly with some potted ham, then
flour them and dip them into beaten
egg and cover them with fine white
breadcrumbs. When the crumbs have
hardened fry the cutlets in plenty of
boiling fat until they are a pale golden
brown; dry them in an oven on soft
paper, and disli them up on a support
of mashed potato arranged down tlie
middle of a hot dish and surround
them with some thick tomato sance.
[Hoy S E
HINTSjr?' *
Brass finger bowls are much liked
and give a bright appearance to the
table. , , v . .
Always break or twist (never cut) the
green top off a pLueapplo which is not
for immediate use, as it absorbs the
juice and flavor of a ripe fruit.
Never wash a knife with which a
raw onion has been cut in warm or hot
water, as tlie heat sets the flavor of
the onion; always wash well In cold
water.
The brass woodbox when no longer
needed in its intended capacity, is
frequently dedicated to tlie service of
magazines and papers, making a most
convenient receptacle.
To clean a decanter fill half full of
hot water and add a couple of spoon
fuls of rice; let stand for a while, then
shake vigorously; a little ammonia in
the water is also a great help.
To the chafing dish outfit has been
added an egg poacher and skimmer.
These are nickel plated with long
ebony handles and have fancy perfora
tions. They are very effective and
fill a long-felt want.
The reod-bound jar is the newest
plant or ilower holder. It is of heavy
glazed potter}-, showing a rich green
background relieved by blue and white,
or pink and white floral designs. Over
this is a coarse lattice of brown reeds.
Among the novelties seen in the
shops are some very dainty little salt
spoons of crystal, and when one re
members how quickly tlie salt dis
colors those of silver and gold, one
sees the advantage of thqso glass
trifles.
Kitchen utensils which have become
liurucd and blnckened may be easily
cleaned by putting in the clothes boiler
and boiling with potash anil a bit of
some washing powder. When they
have boiled for a little while (fifteen
or twenty minutes) they can be taken
out and washed in clear water, when
they will be found to bo bright and
fresh.
Once every week the ice box should
be thoroughly washed with hot suds,
in which a little ammonia has been
throw", and the slats dried in the
open sunshine; the door should be
left open till the entire interior is per
fectly dry, then a small plate, with
a iittle potash, should be kept in the
ice box till the next cleaning, when
It should be thrown out and some fresh
put in its place.
tr Va. Pc PLUCK AND
OF ADVENTURE.
SAVED BY AN ALBATROSS.
£ C ~l\ /T l> rot ' ler and I have
\ /I both fallen into the sea
I\/ | while painting figure
heads," said able sea
man John Siniteh, of the British ship
Melbourne.
"My brother Henry was saved by an
albatross, while I, who am not a good
swimmer, was saved by the main
brace.
"Off the rocks at the pitch of the
Horn, aboard the German ship Pampa,
bound from Hamburg for Iquique and
Valparaiso, my brother sat on a foot
rope painting the figurehead. There
was a staging out for pots and brushes
on the weather side.
"The ship was making about two
knots when the foot rope broke and
Henry found himself being shoved
aside by the ship. He was a good
swimmer, and held himself steady in
tlie water, singing out, as the ship
passed him. 'Man overboard!'
"As the ship dropped him astern a
large albatross made a swoop and a
swipe at him. Henry ducked his head
and caught the legs of the bird with
both hands.
"Once he had got the albatross right,
she could not hit him with either beak
or legs.
"A strange thing happened then.
As the bird, which had a spread of
about sixteen feet, held him up and
struggled, the companions of the al
batross swooped down and pecked at
her. stupidly taking their mate for
their game.
"Captain Pratzmr.nn and the mate of
the Pampa soon had a boat over and
rescued my brother, who would not let
go of the albatross.
"The bird was taken aboard, and my
mother, at 2S Holstein strasse, Stettin,
now lias tlie head mounted.
"As for iny own experience, I was
hos-un of the British bark Edith Mary
homeward bound from Coatzacoalcos
for Queenstown for orders. Off Cape
Florida, in the 8 to 12 watch, while
the rest of the watch were chipping
rust, I was told to paint the figure-'
head.
"I fastened pot and brushes to the
guys of the jibboom in order to make
myself comfortable, at the same time
steadying the pot on the hobstay. The
ship was making five knots.
"The foot rope carried nwny and I
found myself in the water to my eyes.
I saw the ship coming over me and
shoved my foot against the forefoot,
shouting 'Man overboard!'
"The mate happened to be painting
screens on tlie starboard side of the
topgallant fo'c'sle. He shouted to put
the helm down. The main braces had
been taken in at eight bells, but tlie
mate ran aft and threw overboard the
Black of the main brace.
"By the rush of the ship and the
eddies I was whirled around in the
water like a propeller. As I was turn
ing round I caught hold of tlie main
brace, but I was too weak to climb
aboard. My shipmates hauled me in."
—New York World.
HEROES OF THE ENGINE-ROOM.
Nobody who has not been to sea
can imagine all tlie things that can
happen to a ship's machinery nor prop
erly estimate the cleverness and in
genuity used up in repairs. The youth
who leaves his shop full of wonderful
and costly machines has another com
plete education waiting for him at sen
in the wonderful things that can' be
accomplished in time with a plain,
ordinary hammer and chisel, a rather
worn-out file, and a great deal of in
genuity. I should like to have been
aboard that steamer disabled in the
Red Sea, where they took a boat davit,
straightened it out in a rivet forge,
made a new boiler feed-pump piston
rod out of it, and went on again—or,
better still, on the ship that lost a
propeller and the end of her tail-shaft
off the west coast of Africa—to replace
which they were obliged to move her
cargo, pump her forward compart
ments full to sink her bow and raise
her stern out of the water, drag the
broken shaft, several tons In weight,
out through the long alley (too low
and cramped to stand up in), plug up
the hole behind it, drag in the spare
shaft and couple it up and lower the
new propeller down over the stern—
all while she kicked and wallowed in a
heavy sea—and finally had to lower the
chief engineer over after the propeller,
where he sat tied to a flimsy staging
making all fast and secure while the
vessel jounced him up and down in
the sea till he bled at the nose and
ears, and the crew kept the sharks
at bay with pistols and boat-hooks
to prevent them from eating him up
before he finished the job. That was
n seventy-two hours in which the
young and aspiring engineer might
learn a host of valuable and Interesting
things!— From "Below the Water-
Line," by Benjamin Brooks, in Scrib
ner's Magazine.
A MAN-EATING STALLION.
A fearful beast is a bad horse. One
really has more chance against a tiger.
Geronimo stood seventeen hands high,
and weiglted over sixteen hundred
pounds. When he reared ou his hind
legs and came for you screaming, his
teeth snapping like bear traps, his
black mane flying, a man seemed a
puny antagonist indeed. One blow
from those front hoofs and your
troubles were over. Once down, he'd
trample, bite and kick you until your
own mother would hesitate to claim
the pile of rags and jelly he left. He
had served two men so already; noth
ing but his matchless beauty saved his
life.
Nowhere coulrl one And a better exam
ple of demoniacal beauty than when ho
tore around his corral in a tantrum, as
lithe nnd graceful as a black panther.
His inane stood on end; Ids eyes and
nostrils looked to be bursting through
the silken gloom of his coflh His
swiftness was something incredible.
He caught and horribly killed Jim
Baxter's hound before it could get
out of tiie corral—and a bear hound is
a pretty agile animal.
We fed and watered Geronimo with a)
pitchfork, and in terror then, for his
slyness and cunning were on a par
with his other pleasant peculiarities.
(Hie of the poor devils he killed entered
tiie stable all unsuspecting. Geronimo f
had broken his chains, and stood close
against the wall of his stall in the
darkness, waiting. The man came
within reach. Suddenly a black mass
of flesh flashed in the air above him,
coming down with all four hoofs and
—and that's enough of 'that story.—
MeClure's.
A STONE WALL OF BAMBOO.
Surroundings have much to do with
the display of intrepidity. Men do
things in company that they would not
do alone. No requirement of active
military service demands such faithful
and courageous performance of full
duty as guard and outpost work in the
field. It is not play to stand night
watch in a typhoon, as many oi' our
men in tiie Philippines have had to do.
There is plenty of time to think at 4
such work. The quality of mind which v
plays such an important part in cour
age has full scope. Men who could
meet every test in daylight and dry
weather are liable to be overstrained
under such circumstances.
Fancied security will sometimes
serve as well as though it were real.
There was a little expedition from
San Fernando, nortli of Manila, against
the town of Porae which the Filipinos
were holding. Two correspondents ac
companied it. Both represented Chi
cago papers, and both had been under
fire all that they thought was neces
sary to establish their status as war
correspondents. There had been three
of them, but Tom stayed in town and
let Dick and Harry go to the front. It
happened that the fight did not begin
where it had been expected, and the
two newspaper men found themselves /
in a very awkward position. Bullets !
were einging around in what they
were sure was very close proximity to
their heads. While they were looking
for a good safe place they ran across
what looked like a stone wall, and
promptly got down behind it. When
they had recovered their breath,
Harry said to Dick:
"A stone wall is a great thing in ai
strange land. Dick."
Dick responded with what was In
tended to be an eloquent apostrophe
to the wall. "O glorious stone wall!"
he began. "Preserver of life!" he con
tinued, waving his hand toward the
wall. "Protector of the——" his hand
touched the wall, and he leaped up as
if he had been shot. "Upon my eoul,
Harry," lie shouted, "it's bamboo!"
That night they called at headquar
ters in town and learned how the fight ~
came out.—Everybody's Magazine. L
A BRAVE MAN.
Charles Derdouskl, an Illinois Central
switchman, on Saturday turned a
switch, signalled an engine to back
down some heavily loaded cars to
wards others, and ran ahead of Ihein
to make the coupling.
As he ran he caught his foot in a
frog, while the cars slowly approached.
He knelt down to unfasten his shoe,
and the cars drew nearer. Those on
the engine, it seems, could not see or
hear him, but some instinct told the
engineer thnt something was wrong,
for he put on the brakes. But it Was
too late.
As the cars came down upon him,
Derdouskl rose nud faced his dcutk.
He gave no cry antl made no struggle,
for he saw it was useless. He stood
there, his foot fast in the frog, and
the wheels went over him.
The whole tragedy was over in less
time than it takes to tell it. But it '
gave to those Who saw it, as it gives to
those who read it understandingly, a
memorable example of how a brave
dies.
lie made no useless outcry or strug
gle. He stood upright and looked
tiis fate in the face and went down
before it where it found him.
Charles Derdouski was a brave man.
He died as became the quality of ills
manhood, on his feet, face to foe, si
lently.—Chicago Inter Ocean.
DARING JUMrS OF A DRAGOON.
At Tattersall's, in Paris, in a com
petition of riding horses before a jury
composed of members of the eques
trian society L'Etrler, Lieutenant Voi
der, of the Twenty-second Dragoons,
performed n record feat.
This officer, who weighs 10G kilo
grammes (21!.' l pounds) jumped his horse
Harplste over a bar I metre and DO \
centimetres (0 feet 5.1G Inches) high. 1
He then placed Elsie, a mare, measur
ing 1 metro and GO centimetres (5 feet
and 2.0 inches) high, in front of a hedge
and cleared both in a single jump on
Harpiste.
Itis greatest tour do force was, how
ever, when he appeared in the arena
witli Ills horse Navlre and without any
bridle made the animal go through all
the phases of the "haute eeole."
IMPRISONED BY SINGLE ,TAS JF.T.
William Rozlu crnwled into a saw
mill boiler, at Roulette, Pa„ to make
repairs. He was alone in the mill. A
natural gas Jot at the head of the boiler
was accidentally turned on full head,
and the flnme cut off Rozie's only es
cape, while the heat from the tiny \.
flame flowed into the boiler and was J
rapidly suffocating the imprisoned
man. Rozie's yells and pounding were
heard by his son, who rescued him,
barely conscious.
An islainj on the Russian coast at
Cape Ruszklj Saworot recently left its
moorings and drifted northward. The
Government had to send a steamer to
rescue the inhabitants.