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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Exeter Advocate, 1894-12-27, Page 2A Woman's Crime.
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(O0SeriNtrEh.)
'That wun'e take keg. Of eours
didn't follow in the wake of that grand
a•aseal Very log, without diseovering
/that someon s else was up to the same
dodge, and I wasted a little time trying
%to figure OUt who it could. ba. Then 1
ernad.e up my mind that, 1 had better let
alradwardies go, and 'haunt' the house
•Taliere the two women seoppe 1, for a
while. Ton see I knew that Bradwardine
lati seen the girl Lenore Arinyn, and I
Meyer had, no more than Neil there. So
iltook it for granted that thie was the
ight party, and hung around the house
kali the night. Well, it isn't a pardon-
• lady large house, and before I struck out
for these quarters I had sati-fied myself
that the girl was not in it She had lett
iby some rear entrance. Having settled
thls in my mind., I had exp1or3d a little,
and feand that there was a sorb of alley
or court leading through to the next
street. Well, I came here and met Neil,
about three &deck this morniuge and
after a brief consultation and a couple of
hears' sleep, I went back to my post, said
romained there until noon, or a little
after, when thii young lima carie along
.aad welered me to 'pull off.' As you
:have Wei. I had witnessed the visit of
Braiwardine to the house, which I learn -
.ed belonged to a certain Mrs. Harris, bal-
let mietress ; and I had also setlefied my-
self that the girl was not in that house
then.." Here he leaned back in his chair
and looked across at Ncil. "Now, old.
=an, furnish the wind-up. Why did you
<All me of this afternoon? and who leeks
after Bradwardine while we consult?" he
said.
"Pll tell you in a very few words,"
said Neil, soberly. "Just after you, Bob,
.had left this morning, I, as the widow.
O'Neil, received. a note from j tson B ad-
wardine, asking me to meet him without
Ian at a cterain resteurant near theriver,
at twelve °Idea sharp; he 'needed my
help in a delieete matter' he said. Well,
met him promptly, andthe tall lady in
black, Mr. Ferrars, was none other than
your bumble servant. Mr. Bradwardine
there unfolded to me a grand scheme, or
the outlines of on3 ; he will have posses-
sion of this girl to -morrow, and I am to
assist him in taking eare of her. This is
why I called you off, Bob, and. this is
why I say that Jason Bradwardine may
be trusted to look after himself, for a lit
tis while."
For a long. time they sat in silence, and.
then Francis Ferrara, who had been
thinking busily, looked up.
"You expect then, to have this girl,
virtually, in your power, by to -morrow
o,t this hour?" he asked of Bethurst.
"Yes.•'
"Ind—shall you arrest her immediate-
ly b"
"That," said Neil, "is what we must
disease."
• "You tell me that the strongest evi-
dence against her is eireu.mstantial, Mr.
Bathurst. D3 you believe ia her guilt?"
"That is a hard qaestion to answer;
the thing that tells most against her, in
my estimation, is the fact of her scanning
away from me. when I went to the Asy-
lum, and—she 'Must, have had a strong
motive for remaining cone.saled before
she wouli go to that ballet mistress for
protection "
"True," said Fcrrars, gloomily. "If
yea arrest her, then my search is ended.;
if she were proved ever so innocent, upon
trial, it would never do to take back to
-that proud nobleman an heiress who had
been tried for her life."
"True en o 'agh," broke in great•hearted
Rob Jeeelyn. "By heavens, the girl has
been terribly wronged.; every one of us,
.11 we had a sistm who had been so shame-
fully corere3d into marrying a man she
o despised., would have walked up and shot
the fellow • in broad day -light, and been
applauded for doing it. There's only one
thing I can't understand; if th.o girl had
the courage to denounce him so openly.
why did sh.e not kill him on the spot, if
/she wantel his life?"
4'That is an argument that has mere
than once oeaurred to in%," said Neil.
S30 hew you look upon this matter, Fer-
vors, and it's the right thing, too. If
this girl is innocent, then by publicly
arresting her we will do her an irrepar-
able wrong, and will make your mission
worse than f ruitless. This ease against
h:r looks very dark. But—I have ut
an my hands a obis, a very slight
one, bat enough to indicate the possibil-
ity of a different elbstar to this affair; a
elimar that would utterly shatter the
evidence ag ‘inst this /moused one. Now,
it will not do to let the girl escape again,
and—I want to see through Bra,dward-
ine's game. I heve something to tell you
now that I think will startle you both a
little. I want you to join with me in
working out this basiness ; there is more
than work enough•for us all, and it will
require ear combined wit to carry it to a
sue eesefal termination. What say you,
s?aall we combine ourselves for the
work?'
"Yes," said Ferrara, promptly, extend-
ing his hand.
said Jocelyn, "Count on us,
and. I lakieve this is about the firsb de-
tective's leagtie ever instituted."
"Then listen," said Nett Bathurst. "I
seta ping to leave this business in the
hands of you two, and—Pm going to take
a journey."
"To take a journey?" said Ferrars and
-.Jocelyn in the same breath. "Mow?"
"Yes, now; at least as semi as I have
entailed my engagement with Bradward-
in.e. We must kaow his game loow or
stiever ; and here is another reason why
we should let him fancy the girl in his
eiewar—I think he means 'foul gay.
Now, then, Mr. Ferrars, it is always ne-
cossory bo have a place where people,
who are working together, yet apart, as
we must, can meet at times with perfect
;freedom. Rob has a key to tb ese rooms,
you taust have another; and listen while
iX tell you. why I must leave the city."
They drew nearer each other and listen -
ea, with faees expressive of wonthr, in-
seredulity and horror to a etartaing die -
closure from the lips of Neil Bathurst.
Oltaterrett irraVI.—The Tett Teaoteet'a eletaWS.
jam Bradwarditietor seheme had been,
to all appearances, a eonaplete sneeaes.
Leneres Arrayn and Mrs.. Harris had tak-
en iip their abode under the roof of thet
sister mentioned by Senor Castro, and
all was going Ennootlely. The, jeans° oe-
earoled by these fear was eitdited in a
lonely querter of the town, at the very
foOt of a street that Meth Harris keevr,
bore anything but an enviable reputa-
tion.; but meoh of this lady's life had
been passed in gaestiouable localities;
and, as they were not to remain, there
long, it wee hardly worthwhile to trouble
Lenore by rep ating "legends of the
street"; besides, Senor Castro being a
eti anger, coal, of course, know nothing
of this. So klre. Harris gave herself no
trouble about the street. The house was
eartabily an improvement, in the matter
of comfort and eleg ince, upon her own,
and. she need take no thought for to -more
row.
This house, as We have said, stood, at
the fooe of the street, and very near the
river. It was a large house with some
pretensions to elegance, and Mr. Brad-
wardine had takeu it ready faraished•
The first great step was tak, n; Lenore
A.rx:nyn was in his house; bat Mr. Brad-
wardine was b. coming impatient.
On the morning of the second day Mrs.
O'Neil left the house to visit that quarter
of the city where the woman, who had
been rescued from Braclwardine's clutch-
es, had been seen by him, She was to
remain there all day. Mr. Bradwardine
fancied that he knew the exaob block that
the woman had found refuge in, and
Mrs. O'Neil must make a thorough smirch
before she returned.
Before Mrs. O'Neil departed upon. this
missiou, she did a queer thing, if any
one had been by to see it. Bat be chose
her time with a view to solitude, so no
one knew that she made a eareful ex-
arainaeion of all the looks and boles up=
all of the doore from that opening upon
the street straight up to the rooms over
looking the river that had. beea assigned
to Lenore Artnem. It is hardly to be sup-
posed that NErs. O'Neil feared that burg
tars would visit that house in broad day-
light; bat whatever she feared or
thought, she certainly exandued the fas
tenin bes.
Shehad not beengone half an hour
when "Senor Castro" begged for a few
words with Mrs. Harris, He had just
received a m sage from two young ladies
living in the suburbs, he told her; they
wore very eager to go to Cuba with his
company; now, he could make room for
one or two more, if they wore prepossess-
ing ; but he disliked. very much to be
obliged to interview so many applicants,
and --another thing, these ladies had been
recommended by a friend whom he real-
ly did not wish to offend. Would Mrs.
Harris help him out of the difficulty? If
she w uld go and see these ladies he
could rely upon her judgment; if she en-
gaged. them, he would know they would
satisfy; and if she declined to engage
them, his friend could hardly be offended
with him.
In short, Mrs. Hanis was flattered into
a very complacent mood, and the remark
that she must go in good syle and, as
her trunks had not come—Mrs. Harris
had excused the one valise that held all
she possessed of wardrobe, by saying that
she had. sent her tranks on ahead by an
expressman, and by fidgeting, whenever
she thought of it, because her "trunks
did. not come." .No one believed in the
trunks, of course, not even Lenore; but
when Senor Castro remarked that, as'her
trunks had net yet wine, she must draw
on him to procure whatever she needed;
only he would wish her to go right away;
she could go straight down town, procure
what she required, then take a carriage
and drive straight oat to see these ladies
—her last scruple was overcome.
In a very short time, with a little roll
of bills in her pocket, and exultation in
her heart, Mrs. Harris was speeding to-
ward the State street dry goods marts.,
and Lenore Armyn was alone with her
enemy.
Mrs. Harris, of course, had acquainted
her with the interview that had trans-
pired between herself and the "Senor,"
but she had. not stated that Mrs. O'Neil
had gone out some time before; in fact,
and to do her justice, she hardly thought
of it. And Lenore was quite unaware
that she was alone with "the Cuban," as
she called Bradwardine. Not that this
knowledge would have disturbed her par-
ticularly; she was, as we know, no cow-
ard, and she had. no suspicion that the
"Cuban" was other than he seemed.
Ste was sitting before a comfortable
fire, holding a book in her hand, but let-
ting her thoughts wander far from the
pages, when a tap sounded on her door,
a,nd without turning her head, she bade
the knocker enter; no one came in her
room save Mrs. Harris and the "Senor's"
sister; probably this was the sister.
The visitor entmed promptly, closing
and locking the door, as he die so. At
the sound of the key turning in the lock,
the girl turned her head. It was Senor
Castro who had entered., looking the door
behind him ; and he now seated himself
opposite Lenore, and directly between
her and the windows facing the street.
There was no fear in the girl's heart, only
indignation, as she arose to her feet, say-
ing sternly .
"Senor Castro. you have locked that
door and taken the key; be good enough
t3 replace it immediately, and to leave
my l'oem."
The man laughed scornfully, "I am.
not Senor Castro," he said., "that is only
a pleasant fiction. Don't trouble your-
self to be dramatic, keep that for the
stage of the Havana theater—when you
geb there."
Lenore sat sullenly down in her chair.
It was all over, she thought; she had been
trapped, and now she was to be arrested
for Clarence Arteveldt's murder. Well,
sh.e veould show no cowardly fear. She
had done her best to eecape and had fail-
ed; after all, what matter, since she must
be either eaptured or hunted. She felt
strong with the courage of desperation ;
she stared at her ceptor so calmly, so
persistently, that he began to wonder at
her coolness.
" VVell !" he said, finally, "you seem
restarted."
No answer.; she took up her book with
perfect outward coolness. It was the
man's turn to stare, "Miss Voss," he
cried, "do you maize your situation?"
"Senor Castro," she retorted, scornful-
ly, "I think I do."
'What! You know that your life is
in my hands ?"
"Not at all," replied she, "only my
liberty"
"Your liberty! Ha, ! hat So you think
I intend to make you a prisoner, Unde-
ceive yourself; I am no jailer."
"Then I suppoeve you are worse."
"Whatever I am, we must cease par-
leying. Do you know how long you have
to live?"
Lenore began to Suspect that she was
in the presence of a inaniae. What could
his words mean else?
"No," she said, simply to gain time;
"do yon?"
"Yea. You are to give me some infor-
mation, then—'you may die in any way
you choose."
"-"Yoe. are ereeediogly kind," she said,
Estill to gain titne., "As a rule, murderers
spring upon their vietime in the stark,
take them unprepared. Why do you de-
viate freta thie,rale?"
"Because, 1 want to prepare yogi you
helve gat to aus,,ver some qussbions first"
he replied, grimly.
Lenore new felt sure that the man was
itisame ; cr else, he might be playing a
part; psrhaps, after all, he was seeking
to draw from h T a confeesion. She be-
gau to feel almost angry; this -man had
entrapped her, and now was he trifling
• with tier, seeking to test her courage ?
• Lenore lied ceurage ; courage that
Would ha -So deem credit te a strong man.
She now resolved to settle for herself the
doubt, to know whether the was dealing
with a deteecive or a lunatic.
"Have the goedness to drop histrion-
ics, on your part," she said. "If you
are an imposter, and nob Senor Castro?,
what is your motive for asssuming this
part?"
"1 have told, my motive was—to get
you in my power."
" Well ! and what then 2"
"And then—to put you out of my
"Oat of your way ?''—the lunatic
theory began to gain ground again.
"Yes," rising impatiently. , "Como,
you have asked questions enough. Are
you prepared to tell me what I w nt to
know 7',
How cold and bad and teruel he lo ked.
But, he di 1 not look as she imagined a
lunatic might. If he were not an officer
of justice, ani not insane, what then
could h,e be? A sudden thought &Idled
upon her, and iato her heart came the
first throb of actual fear.
"Who are yonP" she cried suddenly,
"and wh .t do you want to know?"
He approached a step nearer.
"No ma ter who I am," he said; "
want to know who has charge of your
mother's papers and totters. I want you
to write that person, instructing him to
mit them all in my keeping."
Lenore Arrayn drew a long, loug,
shuddering breath, and for a moment her
face was corpse like in its pallor. Step
by step she ree oiled from him, moving
bask ward, until the we'l stopped her bur-
ther retreat; then she breathed almost
in a whisp r.
" Ah ! I know you. now.
" What ! you know me 1 leaf Ily
think it."
" Yes !" she cried, with sudden, un-x-
peeted fierceness; "I know you. Blind!
blind that I have be n, not to reengnize
your evil face ; again and again it has
been pictured to me ; again and again I
have been warned, implored, to fear, to
dread, to shun you. Oh! I know you,"
her voice rising, her form growing firm
and erect, and her fierce wrath driving
fear out of her heart once more. "You
traitor!, you liar! you poisoner of my
mother'whole life! I know you, Jason
Bradwardine, and I hate you! I hate
you, I hate you.
The villian stood astounded at her
fierce energy, and before he could frame
a reply, she went on.
"It is you who has caged me like a
rat in a trap, you, against whom I have
been so often warned; and I have been
so blindly self -reliant, so certain' that
you were the least among the things I
had to fear. Man, do you know .what
you have done? You have murdered
my mother, as surely as if you had used
the knife or poisoned bowl, and novv I
wish I could kill you. Ah !" lifting her
face, and throwing up her arms as if
invoking a curse upon hica--" for the
first time I know what it is to feel like a
murderess. If a wish could kill, you
would. be dead at my feet."
With a low, blood -curdling laugh, he
moved again toward her, and she now
saw that he held in his hand a glittering
pistol.
• Yoa have not softonel my heart to-
ward you, he said, mockingly. "11
you have one raving, tell what I want
to know."
No answer; her eyes were roving
ssviftly about the room.
" You need not try that," he went on;
" Idea% intend to shoot you, unless you
make it necessary; but, if you make any
noise or try any tricks, I am ready for
you. Who has you mother's papers ?"
"Do you think I will tell you ?" she
retorted, with blazing oyes. "1 am
quite at your mercy, Jason Bradwardiae;
if you have made up your mind to kill
me, you are wasting time,"
" Will yon give me an • order to take
charge of your mother's papers ?"
• "No 1 When I ani dad ray motherts
papers will be returned to her relatives,
and then they will know what you are.
English justice will set aside an entail
that would enrich such a villia,n as you,
• Jason Bradwardine. My mother's papers
are safe from your hands."
The man uttered a fearful oath.
" CurEe you!" he cried. "What do you
know of these things? Your mother's
papers can't hurt me. I have a different
reason for wanting them."
" Well ! you can take my lifte. but you
can't have my mother's papers," she re-
plied, scornf idly.
" But if I spare your life 2"
" B ! As if I would trust you.
"Will you give me teem papers?"
"Will you take my parole of honor,
and suffar me to go from this; oolace and
want at a
deliver to yoa the pap ors you
place I shall appoint, ?"
" by Satan, I will not!"
"1 thought so. Well, you. can't trust
my honor, Mr. Bradwardine ; I can't
settled."
fe is set -
trust yoars. That question is
your last chance for li
tled with it."
" My life ie net s ) very dear to me,"
y such
o herstlf,
she murmured ; "but to die ba
hand; better the hangman."
The words were spoken half t
but he caught their meaning.
•You are ready to die?" he asked.
g at hien.
Yes," without even gla.nein
"I am ready."
•
Jason Bradwar line hesitate). He had
expected to frightiad from Lenore what
h3 so much clewed. to Nesse s, certain
papers that, if they came intq the hands
of Sir 'Hillary Massitirr, would damage
his cause materially. But he had com.
mewed Wrong. He had meant to kill
her in the end, and had thought that
the mere mention of possible death would
draw frotn the girl the information he
desdeed. He had not eounted upon two
things gfiret, the courage and ehrewness
of the girl : and second, her knowledge
of him, and cone ming the part he had
played in her mother's life. He regret-
ted now that he had not sprang upon the
girl and buried a knife in her heart when
she was unconscious of his presence. But
he must kill her now, the necessity for
her death hadiesierldenly beeorne doebled.
Letore was still standing against the
wall, and he, with pistol cocked and held
it/ readiness in one hand, carte still near-
er her, arid will the other hand he slowly
drew from his breast a glittering knife.
Involuntarily she shrank back, end then
forcing her voice to ado/nese! /she ex-
tended her hand toward the ktife,
" Give it te nie," she sail "1 had
ratherours, , die by my own hand time 1W
y
How tile black eyes glittered as he drew
back his hand.
"1 told you I vvoeld let you choose,"
he cried, with a sardodie smile. " Yon
may die by your own hand, but not by
the knife, I c in give you velem "
Even then, face to face with death, she
would Rinser at hi4 eowardiee, 'Oh, !"
she said, yon are afrad to put a knife in
the hands of a weak girl. You poor eow-
era."
He muttered scene fearful oaths Once
more, and then said savagely, "Once for
all, will you have the poisou or be stab
Give inc the poison," she said. "1
will 'not die by the hand of a coward."
He to. ole from his pocket a tiny phial,
and tossed it toward her, saying:
"There, then. It is prussee sold."
It fell to the carpet jest at leer feet.
She stooped. quickly and picked it up,
theu turned to him triumphantly.
"Now, hear me," she cried ; •‘ all your
life long your nights will be haunted by
my dead face. All your life will become
a burden to you because of this day's
work. If ever yet a spirit came back to
earth, I will come back to you, and make
your life too horrible to be bort e, I
mean it! And you might have escaped
all this, you :night have delivered me up
to justices, fez' know that I stand Eternised
of murder; you might have placed me in
the felon's eell—perhaps on the scaffold —
and have censoled yourself with the
thought that you had done your duty;
but now—now, my blooclis on your heed,
as is my mother's also.
The first words of this speech had
caused Bractwardiae to wince and shudder.
He was superstitious, as all cowards are;
but the last words brought to his lips a
derisive smile.
You mistake," he said. "If a man
commits naurder in this country he is
proven insane. But a young and beauti
fat -woman like you—bah! the judge
would shed tears over you, and yuu
would be brought out as an aetrees, and
all the world run to admire. I would
not deliver you up to American justice if
your ' y
uicroiuto
iev
wdevet, fold murde
w
"My' erie e was only this,f3 she
liftiug the phial at the same moment,
" th have been wronged, and to have fled
from the man that wronged me. See !
This is my last moment on earth. I have
said my last werds to you. All the days
of your life you shall remember this& ed;
and rune nber this, too, I have not once
asked for mercy at your hand; I despite
you too•utterly. You can cause my death,
not my humiliation."
She withdrew her eyes from his face
and turned them skyward.
"And now, God of Heaven, and all the
white sou'ed angels, hear me (with my
last breath) swear, that no drop of Clar
enea Arteveldt's 'blood reddens my hand,
that I am innocent, and may God forgive
me for what I are about to: do."
She bowed her head and lif bed the phial
to her lips.
CHAPTER XX RVII—BAPPLED.
A crash, a blow, a bound, and the sound
of shivering glass. Then everything was
changed.
Lenore Arrayn stood. with startled
eyes, gazing dawn on the deadly phial
that lay crushe 1 to atoms at her feet,
while the sickening, pungent perfume of
its spinel contents pervaded the room.
Jason Bradwardine, still grasping the
glittering k ai re , lay measuring his length
in the furthest corner, an/ midway be-
tween the two, with flashing eyes'and
her right hand coolly aiming a pistol at
the breast of the prostrate vinian, stood
—the widow O'Neil. The door steod
wide open and one glance showed the
lock hanging broken and loose. It had
been filei through so skilfully that one
push would force it from its fastmings,
and yet no eye could have detected the
work.
"Lie there, you dog !" said the widow
O'Neil, in a voice that made the villian
stare, and that caused Lenore to utter an
exclamation of astonishment. "Don't
a tempt t move, or by heaven's I'll put a
ball through vein" then, without once
taking her eye from the prostrate man,
she said to Lenore, "Madame, yonder
lies the pistol that I caused this cur to
drop. Can you pick it up and put it out
of his reach ?"
Mechanically Lenore obeyed. She
could not yet fully realize the change that
bad come about; a moment before face
to face with death; now—was she not to
d ie after 11?aShe moved. as far away
from the prostrat 3, would-be assassin as
she could, holding :the pistol in her
hand.
Jasen Bradwardine raised himself on
an elbow, and glanced like a basilisk at
this unexpeoted and unwelcome appari-
tion.
"Who the foul fiend are yen ?" he
fairly gasped, when the truth loreed it.
self to be recognised, and be felt that
this was the person he had believed to be
a bone fide widow and his ally.
"1 am one who has been on your track
longer than you can guess, Jason Brad-
wardine. I know you beteer than you
know yourself. You will fiud I am net
the sort of woman you can trifle with,"
said the widow,. in a very manly voice.
"So this lady is in your way, is she?
Well, I will take her out of yottr way,
and. to give you a chance 1 .a• reflection I
will mak) sure that you don't leave these
premises. No, don't move; I have not
much patience —and just drop that knife
from, your hand. What, you won't?
Coroe here, Miss Arinyn."
Lenore came forward promptly. • She
bad quite recovered her presence of mind
by this time.
"Can you shoot?" asked this strange
woman, with the man's voice.
"Yes," said Lenore promptly.
my hand is steady, see." She held out a
firm little hand, on which the widow met
an admiring glance. •
"Step over t: that table, please; there!
Now cock Mr, Bradwardine's pistol—it's
a nice little weapon—now then, aim it
squarest his temple. I am going to take
that knife from bim, and bind him hand
and foot. If he offers to resist, shoot him
instantly.
• "1 will," said Lenore, firmly then ail
a mocking light crone to her oyes, "Mi.
Bradwardine, don't tempt Inc, I want
you to die."
Jason Bradwardtne groaned and cursed;
he dared not struggle, he feared that
shining weapon, now that it was in Le-
nore Armyn's hand, more, far more, than
he had feared the one abnel at his heart
by the false widow. He fully believed
that she wEtntat but a hint at reSiStane.,
to spo (1 a ball to his brain.
The widow threw off her shawl, drew a
coil of stout cord from her pocket, and
then bent down over the prostrat3 man.
(etatlitUala NeXT Yeast.)
WHOI4gel014111
woh modem ideas, All Food Should
lle Mode Healthful,
The baker la the rook upon which so
many • domestio herpes are wreeked.
Every oonselentious housewife prefers to
make hor own cake, breed and pastries,
and the process and preparations, as well
as the ingredients, require experimental
knowledge and oritical test. Yet, it is
well worth any wornan's while to solve
for herself a problem upon whieh the
health and harmony of her household
depend.
Another departure is an imported pre-
paration from which may be made a de-
liciously flavored blano mange or custard
without eggs, which are not always pro-
curable even were they palatable to per-
sons of plethoric tendencies.
A. chapter might also be written on the
processes by which milk and. cream are
preserved sweet and pure, and the infor-
matiori would be of practical benefit to
honest seekers after the best and purest
method of furnishing the staff of life in
the family circle.
• Christmas Charity.
"Good will toward men", is the all-per-
vading sentiment of Ohristmasticle, it is
the time to bury unkind thoughts and
petteejealousies. It is the season for lov-
ing deeds and kind. remembrances, a day
of general amnesty, a time to forgive and
forget, and with a mantle of Ohristlike
oharity to cover bhe foibles and frailties
of our fellows',
The sentiment of common brotherhood
should predominate. It is a sentiment
that does not lessen thei tender ties of kin-
ship, bat broadens and ennobles its pos-
sessor. The man who Oonfinos his Christ-
mas ehrtrities to his own family circle
misses the palest and holiest pleasures of
the day.
The custom of grvmg Christmas pros-
. .
ents is said to ha-ve originated in the ori-
ental practice of bearing gifts on all pil-
grimages and visits. Thus the wise men
of the east laid gifts at the feet of the in-
fant Christ. With us the custom has, or
should have, a higher and nobler signifi-
cance.
Thee act of charity' i3V 1iti teetircloiliai of
friendship and esteem should he epeirely
spontaneous. To bestow gifts With the
hope df return or reward, or to propitiate
friendship or interest, is to masquerade
selfishness in the guise of generosity. .
The oriental idea of charity was recip-
rocal, to exchange benefits for favors ex-
pected. Christ inaugurated a nobler sys-
tem, the principle of brotherly love—
"Peace on earth, good will toward men."
Effeete of Coffee.
Coffee as a medicine in many forms of
disease is recognized as of great -value. It
is also most Irritating to some persons,
and gives rise to symptoms of a grave
character. An instance is given by an
eminent French medical man of a family
who became possessed of a most astonish-
ing tendency to quarrel. There were
quite a number of persons in the house-
hold and several servants wore em-
ployed.. So frequent and serions did the
outbreaks become that a physician was
consulted. Fortunately he was a scien-
tist as well as a doctor, and on finding no
physical provocation for such a state of
affairs, began looking for other reasons,
He ascertained that the lower part of the
dwelling was used as a coffee warehouse.
The volatile essence of the coffee had
penetrated every portion of the living
apartments, and the inmates had become
so thoroughly saturated with it that their
nervous systems were entirely demora-
lized. Hypochondria, hysteria and
angry demonstrations amounting to posi-
tive fury were the order of the day. The
family were sent away to the seashore,
and after remaining away some weeks re-
turned to town and took up n.ew apart-
ments. After a few months all traces of
the malady disappeared.
Can You Wash Your Fano?
Do you know how to wash your faces?
Of course you think you do. You have
taken that for granted ever since the re-
mote, gratifying day when your nurse or
your mother decided that you were "a
big enough girl !" to get ready for break-
fast alone. But do you really know how
to wash your face so that. you will have
a skin as soft as a rose leaf and colored
like a mixture of cream aud roses ? This
is the proper way:
Use tepid water. Avoid very hot water,
except on the rarest occasions. Hot water
relaxes the muscles, softens the themes
• and gives one wriukles, flabbiness and
other unpleasant facial blemishes. The
only time it should be used is when you
feel that your face is set in hard, harsh
lines whichwill never relax. Filtered
water or rain water should be used in
large quantities. The face should be
covered with a lather made of good soap
rubbed well with the hand or a flannel
washrag and rinsed in clear, tepid water
until every suggestion of soap has been
removed. The face should be dried
gently with a soft towel. 'Violent fric-
tion is fatal to smoothness of skin. If the
face is inclined to be dry or harsh rub
into it a little cucumber cream; allow it
to remain on for a few minutes. Wipe it
gently off with a soft cloth. Having done
this, a woraan may rest happy in the
thought that she has done her best to
wash the face properly.
CATS' EYES.
Chinaman Said to be Able to Tell Thne
by Looking Into Them.
It is a common opinion that eats are
able to see in the dark. That is an error.
No animal eau see in absolute darkness.
Some little light there must bo; but cats
are able to see with a very, very little.
:Everybody must have noticed the slit-
like form of the pupil of a cat's eyo.
• If the animal be placed in broad sun-
shine or strong artificial light, the pupil
contracts to a mere line thereby exclud-
ing excess of light, which would other-
wise be painful. If the animal, however,
be removed to a situation comparatively
dark, there the pupil opens to its full
size, and tho slit-like aspect of lb ceases.
It is the point in the comparative anat-
omy of eats worthy of remark, that the
slit-like pupil does not tixist in the logger
species of the tribe. The lynx has it, but
no cat -like animal of rnueh larger dimen-
sirens.
I have seen it stated that the pupil of a
cat's eye is so perceptive of variations in
the intensity0 of light--contraests and
expands so regularly—that a Chinaman
will tell you what the time is or there-
abouts, hot by looking at the watch or
clock, as we would, do, but by looking
into the eye of a cat.
• M f the idght wa
raneb upset by the dart
fort tietially ettendect ou
keep his eyes open, and this
his observations ; "It made ni
why women wore uot as peatieula
their personal appearance in private ,
public," he said. "After seeing whet
saw in the confusion of the accident that
night, malty of them would be more par -
touter /lad better prepared for =argon -
Mos. Melly rushed from the sleepiagaear
in the untidiest and most unbecoming of
flannel dressing omens, bootless and
slipperless, while wise women looked quits
smart in their neat peignoirs, lace -cover-
ed heads and dainty worsted slippers. It
reminded me forcibly of the great earth-
quake in the Riviera, where .E saw Rue -
shin princesses rushing about the court-
yard, minus their wigs, teeth and figares.
looking terribly washed out; also a stoat
English ciewager duehess in a sealskin
dolman, whielj concealed only a portion
of her bare 10Wer limbs. On that occa-
sion, be it said to the credit of the United
States, the Arneriean women seemed beet
prepared for the emergency."
Rain's Bora Blasts.
GroWth in grace is never promoted by
watching' for faults in others.
The road to heaven seems bac
eembstko. become
steeper every time we lo
When you can't find anything else to
do for Goct try to make a child happy.
To love amenemy is the most import-
ant service a Christian can. render Christ.
People who make crooked paths never
get in earnest about following Christ.
The closer the competition, the more
God is needed for a business partner.
When unselfish love is asking for a
place in your heart, 'God is knooking at
the ,cloor.
The only thing a Christian ean do for
an enemy that a worldling cannot do, is
to love him.
Every time a bad man throws mud at a
good man he hits himself in the face.
' It takes more courage to endure than it
does to9ae It
4 11
• • • often told without §:tying it
Winkle by p4thing the rotten apples in the
bottom of the neeket,
You can generally tell what a man
thinks of God by the way he talks abut
his neighbors.
If you let -the devil go home to dinner
with you, you will have to take him for a
regular boarder.
The man who has on the whole armour
of God never ex -presses any doubts as to
the reality of the devil.
One trouble with the church is that
there are too many babes in it from five
to six feet high.
A mistake is apt to attract more Eaten-
tient° us than a virtue.
There are souls in this world that have
the gift of finding joy everywhere.
e The real happiness of life cannot be
bought with money, and the poor may
have it as well as the rich.
Man and wife are like a pair of scissors
so long as they are together, but they be-
eome daggers as, soon as they are dis-
united.
There iso a care for trifles which pro-
ceeds from a love of conscience and is
most holy and a care for trifles which
comes of idleness and frivolity and is
must base.,
Stub Ends of Thought.
God does Satan undoes.
Charity makes the whole world kin.
A baby's smile makes the whole world
grin.
Sunshine is worth more than. iteweight
inIgVoolracten and clocks • can't always be
taken at their face value.
Laugh and the world laughs with ye,u;.-
weep and the world laughs at you.
Scarcb.
Whether or no the powerful search
lights used as safeguards in coast defence
and on board ship Etre of much practical
service against attacks from torpedo boats
is still an open question... Tests recently
carried on by the government show that
a good torpedo boat oarefully managed
can approach to within 800 yards of the
projector before being sighted, althougk
she may be directly hi the beam of light.
This distance is the maximum torpedo
range, and, as guns cannot be trained
instantly under the most favorable con-
ditions, a boat would have time to Make
great progress, and perhaps inflict fatal
damage, before she could be fired at. The
German Government is having its boats
painted bluish gray, as the color seems to
be least visible by electric light.
URGER WATER MOTOR, from one-eighth,
AA. to twenty horsepower. Comparativeteste
have demonstrated this water motor to be .the
most economical agent known for generating
power from a system of waterworks furnishing it
pressure of 80 pounds and upwards. In writmg
for information state the water pressure you pro-
pose to use and the class of work to be done, and
we will be plPased to furnish all information re-
garding the size motor and the pipes floc:watery to
drive any kind of machinery,
TORONTO TYPE FOUNDRY,
• Toronto and Winnipeg
wiagintio Moitolto from (Matadi E
.112 Petrer up to gleren florae Peal*: Wrilit
ar Meow, Stating' power required, Voltage et
Orarrent *0 be deed, and Whether suppliiid
Szteet ear line or ether:else, aa •
:TORONTO TYPE rOuNDRT,
Toronto end 'greenflies,
A.".man who was recently iti exPtegg
Be Prepared for Accidents.
Steel FigUreri Failed Printing' end A0_,
A 17111°111(AVICI NIIM1133117:RoMNATu1110
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