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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Exeter Advocate, 1896-12-31, Page 3A Dark ffiht's Work. By Paul Ingelow. (CONTINvitD. ) Lastly,the impression on the plate reviv- ed all the past regarding his strange adventures at Hawthorne villa with a rush that overpowered him. First wonder, then speculation, then a dawning, tbrillingtriumph illumined his eyes. His companion, startled to silence and curiosity by his strange pose, studied the varying expression of Le Britta's intelligent face with a questioning look. But Dr. Richard Milton's companion was too engrossed in his penetrating survey ,of the little glass plate to note extraneous occurrences or distracting influences. "Wonderful!" he gasped at last, and his quick eyes sought out every line and shadow on the negative. "Providential!" he whispered to him- self, almost reverently, a moment later. Yes, truly wonderful, truly providential was the manifestation of the moment. For the plate bore a representation of half the table where he had placed his camera the `day of his interview with Gideon Vernon, the dead master of Hawthorne villa. It did something more—it revealed a pile of books, the medicine ease of the recluse, and, propped up across it care- lessly, the last valid will and testament of the uncle of missing Gladys Vernon. "Yes, there it was, line for line, word for word, signatures of witnesses, seals, all! Plain as day, accurate as the original instrument itself, the glass plate bore the chronicle of the precious document that baffled all the evil schemes and pretences of wicked Ralph Durand, that had been written with tincture of iodine, and, fading out as the schemer had planned, had later presented only a blank, worthless sheet of paper, leaving the plotter master of the situation, and censor of innocent, imperiled Gladys Vernon's life: What did it mean, how came that! picture in the camera? Of a surety, Jam Le Britta bad not touched slide, button or shutter since the hour that he tool; the' picture of pretty Gladys in the rain -I sparkling arbor, where the evil, sinister face of Ralph Dimand had appeared, except to prepare that same picture in a dark room -with his ruby lamp at the i Vernon mansion. His keen memory, however, careful of , details, stored well with mental history , of tho near past, supplied the missing: link of augury and conjecture. He had placed his camera on the table) in the sick room, after showing the invalid, Gideon Vernon, the picture that had revealed to the latter the identity ! of a dreaded enemy. There it had remained during their long interview. He recalled the signing of the will, he remembered how Gideon Vernon had spread it out for the ink to dry ere he folded it up and delivered it into the, keeping of Gladys Vernon, and he reinembered,too, how Gladys, anxious and agitated over all her uncle's excitement. g v ; had nervously handled the camera, , clicking it unconsciously, until he had laughingly warned her that "it was loaded!" She must, then, have tenoned the button at that moment of careless fumbling with the apparatus. By a strange caprice of circumstances, the will lay just within focus of the Metre"! in meet. Click! snap! the faithful little monitor of photography had done its duty, swiftly and completely. The will bad been photographed! The camera lied been undisturbed nntil Le Britta's arrival home. The energetic Maud had lost no time in carrying out his instructions to develop the pictures it contained. This one had been among them, and here he had come home with a heavy heart for the com- plications surrounding poor, fugitive Gladys Vernon, while in his possession he unwittingly carried a formidable weapon against the man who had scored a mighty triumph as the king of knaves and prince of plotters. Well might a thrilling gladness suc- ceed to marveling wonder! As Jera Le Britta realized all that his discovery I meant, he forgot that he had come home to attend to business duties, to rest and work ere be again saw the friends of , Gladys Vernon. He was no longer the'. photographer, the friend, the father, the husband, the employer—every chivalrous and generous instinct in his nature' aroused, lie was the champion of lovely distress, the rival of plotting cruelty, the shrewd, energetic detective deeply inter -I ested in a complicated case, and eager and anxious to wield the new-found power that flashed over his mind like a vivid light, gleaming amid the darkness and gloom of a cheerless, hopeless night. "I have found the clue!" He sprang to his feet waving the glass plate dramatically. Dr. Richard Milton arose simultane- ously. Ho stared in wonder at his friend. "I don't know whether bromide is strong enough," he remarked. "Eh!" exclaimed Le Britta, with a start, aroused to the reality of his sur- roundings. "What are you talking about?" "I say that bromide Magnet be strong enough." "For what?" queried Le Bria, blankly. "For your nerves. You are either bidding good -by to your senses, or pre- paring for your debut on the dramatic stage. I say, Jera, old . friend! what's the matter with you, anyway? For fully ten minutes you have sat staring at that bit of glass, and rolling your eyes, and muttering. and frowning, and smiling. Allow me to feel your pulse." "Oh, I see" smiled Lo Britta. "Par- don, doctor, but I have been shocked, stunned, amazed. If you were in my place"— ';Dut me there, then," interrupted the doctor, keenly. "Eh! how?" "By telling me what is on your mind." "Good! I should have done so soon, anyway. Yes, your advice will help me. Sit down. I want to tell you a story," Rapidly succinctly, Jera Le Britta de- tailed every event of his experience since that mysterious day when he had first met the Vernons. Wonder -eyed, interested,' excited, the sympathetic, impressionable doctor lis- tened. Such a narrative had never greeted his ears before. Unconsciously an orator and an actor the accompany- ing gestures of Le Bette, the.dramatic intonation of a man deeply concerned in the case under discussion, rendered the recital as emotional and effective as a thrilling scene in a drama acted out upon the mimic stage. When his friend came to the discovery ai the hour,, the doctor .could ,scarcely. contain himself for excitement. "Jera!" he cried. "It seems incredible. And you call youifself a photographer? Why, man you'd make your fortune as a detective!" "If my efforts can baffle that scoundrel, Ralph Durand, and restore to poor ,Gladys Vernon her wronged lover, Sydney Vance, I shall be content to be considered what you like," responded Le Britta, seri- ously. "Now then, you have heard the story.„ "And I have listened to every word of it with the deepest interest and wonder.' "Then weigh them carefully." "I have done so." "And your advice?". Doctor Milton shook his head slowly but resolutely. "I advise you?" he .mnrwnred, depre- catingly. "No, no, old trio t,i! A man who can do what you have done in this case, needs no adviser, your duty is plain." "You mean?" "To go straight back to Hawthorne villa." "With the plate?" "With the plate, that proves all you can swear to about the will. Why! with such formidable evidence, what court in Christendom would doubt that Gideon Vernon intendsd to dispossess that Dur- and of his power as guardian?" "But is the photograph of a will valid —is its evidence irrefutable?" "I hardly know: Suffice it, that it would baffle Durand. Produced in court, with your story, it would place Durand under such deep suspicion, as the person who juggled with the original docu- ment, that he would either be divested of his fraudulently -obtained authority, or placed under the strict surveillance of justice. Le Britta, we need you here. The town needs you. A hihan like you, with your genial, encouraging ways, brisk, business facilities. and rapid, turn- ing over of capital, is no unimportant element in its commercial economy. Your blends miss you, you belong to us, and to your family, but that poor girl, Gladys, needs a champion. At one stroke, ^you may be able to frighten Durand away: Go back to Hawthorne villa, I say, complete your chivalrous record, by a last good deed. I needn't tell you that. A man of your kind heart and noble im- pulses could not rest if you thought any sacrifice would benefit the persecuted and orphaned. Go! I feel sanguine you have seined the problem of that innocent young gin's lil'o, in the discovery of the photoeraph of the last will and testament of tlideon Vernon.'' Jere Le Britta assumed a serious, de- termined expression. Ho was wearied. He longed for the rest, the comfort, the contentment of home, but duty seemed to point the way back the via dolorosa ha had come. He regarded the pile of orders and un- finished pictures on a table near by with a sigh, he thought of the discomforts of a journey with no pleasing anticipations. "I will go,"he said, simply. "I will see what power lies in this precious little glass negative to pave the way to justice, and right a great wrong. CHAP'T1eR XIII.—GOOD-BY! Jera Le Britta went to a cabinet as he expressed his new determination, and proceeded to secure the glasi negative safely. That little article of furniture had every requisite ready at hand to pack photographs and their concomitants for preservation or transmission through the malls, and he soon had the'precious plate provided with safe coverings, secure from risk of mar or breakage, and encased iii a neat envelope. The operation, methodical and neat, was characteristic of the man. He was careful in small things. That was the key -note of his success.. "A time and a place for everything," was his motto, and, excited and anxious as he was, ho made sure of the safety 'of the negative, transferred it to his pocket, and closed the cabinet. It contained an elegant line of station- ery, cards, envelopes and the like, all bearing his name in script, a bold, striking signature, formed in a soft shade of red embossed letters. The material of the stationery, too, was of the finest grade. The cards were bought to wear and look well—no ragged edges, no split filaments. The outer envelopes for holding photographs were of rice or linen paper, giving a tone and finish to every- thing that left his establishment. He announced to Miss Mend his intention of leaving home at once again to be gone for several days. The dainty artiste made a wry grimace of mock despair. Her deft, &plicate fingers never shirked work, but she knew how weighty were the responsibil- ities of the business, how harmonious and smooth were its operations with the firm, self-reliant, guiding hand of her employer to rule and navigate. "I am sorry, but I imagine you can get through with the orders while I am gone," spoi:e Le Britta, kindly. "I will try," murmured Maud, "and do my best." "You always do that, Maud. We must deliver all orders on time." "But which first? There are some photographs for that man who brought his whole family here. You remember— the laborer with, eleven children, a mother-in-law and four nephews. His can wait, can they not? I can have them ready on time, only he is anxious to have them before time." "Try and accommodate him, Maud." "But ho ordered a cheaper grade of pictures." "Never mind; they may be 'cheaper' in price, and he may not be able to•pay as well as a millionaire. All the more reason for doing him a good piece of work. We will make him happy by giving him a group that will speak with life, We do no `cheap' work here. I make the honest fellow a present of half the pictures, Na picture, for rich or poor, must be slighted. All must be of even artistic+ grade. He complimented our skill and reputation by coming to us. Even if he is not a profitable customer, let us delight in doing a little charity work, and yet make him feel that he is not receiving such. He is anxious for his pictures; finish them first of all.." Le Bette had touched upon a point that was almost a hobby with him— cheap pictures. He never made such. He had seen too many photographs of an inferior quality, to wish to emulate hie mediocre competitors.- Cheap work, he well knew, meant harried work; hurried for the deluded sitter, hurried for the artist, thereby disturbing his delicate equilibrium of touch, and degrading high artistic possibilities. Proper care was always .a necessary adjunct to proper adjustment -of focus, There ,Must be no. neglect - in posing and lighting, no inferior chemicals empl`oyed,.. no rude, retoi'iohing, no careless printing. Arte educates, refnes, cultivates and develops the •mind, and careful adherence, to •its' dictates infuses capacity, ability, faith fulness. Those who desire. the • best results in art must expect. to offer reason able compensation for its exercise: • Le Britta realized on this. He formulated his ideas on this basis.. He refused as an artist of capability, intelligence and skill, with large capital invested and with a proud reputation to sustain, to meet the competition of the obscure 'itinerant with nothing of these, and make "cheap" pictures. In 'the photo- graphic art, invention and discovery had reduced the cost of production until all could enjoy the best results at a moderate price, and when he did make happy some honest wage-earner with small cher, es, it was avoluatery charity of his ge tete us heart. There were mournful faces at the pretty home when Le Bette eanounced rue urgency of au imhnediat.' ti• pa.'ture, but the soft, gentle glance of his true and loving wife to whole he told ttll his eventful story, satisfied him more than ever that he was on the straight path of duty. G "o, dear Jera," she urged, earnestly. "Always doing good, over forgetting self! Poor girl! Do not lose any time in trying to restore her to her friends, in bringing to time that horrible Durand; and. Jena if you should find her, tell the poor child that she shall have a welcome here always How my heart pities her iu her orphaned loneliness and peril l Oh, Jere! when I think of how happy we are, safe, comfortable, surrounded by friends, I lung to give the poor innocent dove a home among us." "Papa s'aut do!" announced the baby of the family, doughtily striving to. lock a door against his father's depart- ure. Oh, dear! more waiting and watch- ing," pouted the eldest, a bright -faced girl of eight. "Papa, it's real moan of you." But a royal "trot horse to market" for number one, and the .promise of a present for domineering number two, enabled Le Britta to escape with hair uncrumpled, followed by the serious, loving "Heaven speed you!" from the lips of the most beautiful of all the beau- tiful women he had ever met. His little hand -bag packed with a few necessaries for a two day's journey, Le Britta stopped on his way at the office of his friend, Doctor Milton. "Well, all ready?" queried the disciple of Esculapius. "Yes. I shall take the train in half an hour." ''And return?'•" "To -morrow, I hope." "What is your plan?' "I hardly know yet. I shall see Mr. Vernon's lawyer and present my evi- dence, and be guided by his advice. There's a knock at time door, doctor." Doctor Milton opened the door at the summons. A bare-footed, excited urchin stood there, his great goggle -eyes rolling —breathless incoherent "Don -tort Come at once' Milton. "Cmuo where?" demanded Doctor "To the grog .store. Man run away and wagon got hurt—no, I mean wagon ran away and man got hurt. Sent for you right off !" "I'll be there in a minute. I must bid you good -day, Jera." Doctor Milton caught 1t tP his surgicalica I case and put on his hat. Le Britta accom- panied him to the street. "Some case of trifling injury—man stunned or ankle sprained, I suppose," spoke the doctor. Le Britta went his way. If he had only known! but we never know in this busy, changing, fateful world of ours. If he had only known. the barefooted urchin was a messenger of fate. For, had .Tera Le Britta accompanied Dr. Richard Milton to his new patient, the course of many lives would have been affected then and there, Destiny plays strange caprices in the plot and counterplot of our lives, and the man just injured by a runaway, was fated to ho an important element in the mystery and mysteries surrounding the fugitive Gladys Vernon. All unconscious of this, however, thinking only of the clue he possessed and the duty imperative of the hour, Jera Le Britta went his way. CHAPTER XIV. --ONLY A TRAMP. Dr. Richard Milton, when he left his friend Le Bette, proceeded rapidly in the direction of the "grog" store. His kind, sympathetic face grew more serious as he realized that his services might soon be enlisted in a matter of life or death. Clean-shaven, the contour of his face resembling some of those profiles one sees on c&1 Roman coins, a plhysiogno- iheist would have ascribed a remarkably even temperament to this young man. Not that he lacked fire, only the pro- fession he had undertaken was cue the deep seriousness of' which he fully realized. Long companionship with Le Britta had fostered the naturally noble sentiments of his mind, and lie had developed into a kind, just and honor- able man. There was a crowd around the door of the drug store, excited men, women and children were jostling one another and striving to peer in through the windows, while the proprietor of the establish- ment held the door shut and ordered the people away. "Here comes the doctor!" was the simultaneous announcement of half -a - dozen voices, and room was made for Doctor Milton to reach the door. Inside, lying upon the marble -tiled floor, his head supported by a cushion, lay a man, motiouless and bleeding. A glance told Doctor Milton that he belonged to that genus known as tramp. His frowsy head of hair, unkempt beard, worn out shoes, dusty, travel stained and tattered attire evidenced the fact that Doctor Milton would have to add another charity -patient to the long list. "Hurt pretty badly, doctor, I guess," whispered the druggist. "How did it occur?" queried the doc- tor, mechanically, kneeling by the side of his patient. "Runaway horse and wagon. Caught him on the dead run, and knocked him -twenty feet, I should think." Doctor Milton felt the pulse of the insensible man; he lifted one eyelid with his thu nub and forefinger; he pressed the tips of his fingers until the blood showed under the nails. Then he shook his head slowly. '"No temporary treatment here," he murmured, convincedly. "The man's insensibility is not the result of a nervous shock. Something' more serious, I fear. Let us see as to his injuries." There was a slight scalp -wound, but beside it was an immense protuberance. As the doctor lifted the man's arm, however, he started despite himself. From elbow to wrist, onearm had the flesh scraped off as clean as 3f a knife bad shaved it. For all the world it resembled a spring sapling, with a section of the fresh green bark peeled clear to the white wooden core. (TO BE CONTINUED,) eleemeaemistete Spinal Disease and Hemorrhage of the Kidneys Cured. Carried from His Chair to His Bed for Eighteen Months. Mr. F. A. Gendron, lumber measurer, well known in this city and at Hull, and who has suffered for the last two years from a painful malady reputed to be incur- able, has recovered in a marvellous manner during the past month. Many celebrated doctors had treated the patient, and one after another had abandoned the case in despair. Mr. Gendron suffered from a ter- rible malady of the kidneys which had. brought on locomotor ataxia—really a soft- ening of the spinal marrow. Lying helpless upon a bed of sickness, his case seemed to be really incurable. Indeed, those who looked upon him in that state believed him to be at the end of his life, and it was with difficulty that they could believe their eyes yesterday when they saw him walking around to our office. To what is to be at- tributed this cure? Mr. Gendron states it himself in the following affidavit, deposed and sworn before a notary. --Lc Canada., Ottawa, September 20, 1895. OTTAWA, September 20, 1895. I declare solemnly that, after ,having suffered mom than two years from compli- cated malady of the kidneys, which i educed me to the most complete helplessness. I was cured perfectly by using Dr. Ryckman's new remedy called "Kootenay Cure." I recommend this medicine to the attention t on of all, especially of those who are suffering from diseases of the kidneys. F. A. Gentecom . SS p 1111•du fi ill itiniPITA 1 dtiu���lnr►uul� BRIGHT'S DISEASE. RHEUMATISM • MONTREAL, August 12, 1896. OTrews, August 7th, :1885. My wife, Mrs. Thomas Bird, suffered for I cannot find words to express my grata. a long tune with kidney trouble, which tude for the services Kootenay Cure has finally became so aggravated and painful done me. I had been treated by the best that she was compelled to enter the hos- physicians in Ottawa for Rheumatism, but pital. Her case was pronounced by the they told me that my ease was so corneal - physicians who examined her to be Bright's cated, my trouble having originated from Disease of time Kidneys, and after a long La Grippe, that any relief they could give course of treatment she was discharged would only be temporary, Jest at this from the hospital as incurable and informed time I heard of Kootenay Cure. I had that she had only a few years to live. While very little hope of relief at first, the Rheu- making arrangements for sending her to matism having settled in my muscles and England I was persuaded to give her your almost destroyed my nerves. However, I medicine, Kootenay Cure. After taking the determined to try once more and began to medicine for a time, she began to improve take the medicine, and in my case, physi- and has since continued to do so. At the cally speaking, old things have passed present writing both she and I are satisfied away and all things have become new. I that she is cared, and that Kootenay has can go anywhere, unaided. My nerves are been the means of saving her life. She as strong as ever they were in my life and now has a good appetite, sleeps well, has a no change in the atmosphere has any effect good color and her kidneys are working on me now. I cannot thank you enough, with regularity. No one who knew her ter- but write this so that some other sufferer table condition last winter could realize may read it and seek relief. You can refer to -day that she is the seine person, such a any person to me at my residence, 139 remarkable change has taken place. Wish- Albert Street, Ottawa, and I shall be only ing you continued success with your won- too happy to give them any information derail medicine, I remain, in my power. Yours gratefully, Yours gratefully, TSiomhes II. BIRD, MBS. TnoaxAs A. PIeni, Porter, Queen's Hotel. 193 Albert St., Ottawa. If not obtainable of your dealer will be forwarded, charges r g prepaid, on receipt of price, $1.50 per bottle, by addressing S. S. Ryckman Medi- cine Co., Hamilton, Ont. Send for "Chart Book," mailed free. HITT'S HANGING STORY. The Lady Came to See the Fun and Did Not Want to Miss It. Representative Hitt tells a good hang- ing story. It happened when his father was sheriff of au Illinois county. There bad been a murder, and in due coarse of time the guilty man was to adorn the waiting scaffold. Great pressure had been brought to bear to induce the governor to commute the man's sentence. That official had made up his mind to exercise executive clemency, but fore -seeing a splendid opportunity to address a large concourse of his constitnents in time in- terest of his re-election, he concluded to go to the scene of the hanging, make a speeoh while the preparations were going on, and at the last moment stop the exe- cution. An enormous crowd of spectators was gathered on the fateful day and while the poor wretch was being made • ready for the drop the governor mounted a platform and began his harangue. Some one not knowing what was in the gov- ernor's mind began to circulate a peti- tion in the crowd praying that the criminal be reprieved.' Many signed it and in passng it from hand to hand it came to a gawky country beau, who had been married that day and bad brought his wife to the hanging to see the fun. Be pondered deeply over the question whether to sign it or not, when the bride decided his course by breaking in:— "Don't sign that 'ar paper, Reuben. We've come all the way to see the hang - in', and of you put yer name down we wont see it." Writing on Skins. The home of vellum as a material of writing was Asia. Herodotus tells us (v. 58) that the Ionians used skins to write on because they could not get papyrus. Similarly Eumenes II, King of Per- gamunl, when the jealous Alexandriaus would not supply papyrus for his new library, did the best he could with the vellum of his country, and so much im- proved it that it obtained the new name of Charter Pegamena from his capital, and thence carried down to us the appel- lation of "parchment." From its super- ior durability parchment was used, though, as it appears, sparingly, in Italy. On the contrary, besides the Importation of manufactured papyrus, the latter wee also made or remade at Rome as, for example, the Charta Fanniana so named from the workshops of a certain Fannius. To judge from the remains that have reached us, in the early centuries after Christ papyrus must have been by far the obief material for writing used over all the Roman Empire except in the ex- treme east, till the building of Constan- tinople. Shortly before that event arose the celebrated library of Pamphilne, at Caersarea, i,n which, as St. Jerome re- lates, the later manuscripts at least were of vellum, and a process went on for many years of copying from papyrus to vellum. Then we read of Constantine ordering from Eusebins, of Caesarea, fifty manuscripts for his new capital, containing the New Testament, for which he instructed his Governors of the neighboring provinces to supply that eminent but shifty man with tae beet antelope akins. Vellum manuscripts, so far as we know, continued to be few and rare to the eighth centUry. By that time the capture of Alexandria by the Mo• hammedane in 688 A. D. had produced a diminution in the supply of papyrus. Nevertheless, the latter material was used till the middle of the tenth century, when it Is calculated that the manufao- tare of it in Egypt ceased. By this time the cursive writing on vellum was in full swing. Not a few of such manu- scripts have survived in the archives of Revenue; homilies of Avitus, sermons and epistles of St Augastii e, works of Hilary, "Antiquities" of ;Mambos and various other writings are to be found among them. "In France papyrus was In common use in the sixth century." Besides this, cursive writing did not first appear in the tenth century perfect and complete, as has been popularly • im gined, but dates back, we do not know how long, before the Christian era. Novel Wedding Ceremony. The novel spectacle of a man and woman dressed in a bridal costume rid- ing on yoked bicycles up to a clergyman and going through the forms of marriage was witnessed by an audience of over 600 curious people in the gymnasium of Temple College Sunday evening. Mr. and Mrs. George W. Robb, active members of Grace Baptist church, whose happy wedded life is of eighteen years' standing, were the central figures in the act, and they took their wedding vows anew before their pastor, Rev. Russell H. Conwell. The central part of the floor was roped off, and as Mr. Conwell took a position at one end of the enclosed space a door at the opposite cud swung open and a pair of daintily -attired little flower -bear- ers rode forth on coupled wheels. After making a few turns around the arena, they were joined by five sets of brides- maids and ushers, and finally by the bride end groom, all similarly mounted. The attending couples were Louis Klein and Miss Marian Neisser, Frank Barto and Miss Ada Tracey, Charles Briggs end Miss Ola Rummell, Frederick Wis- hart and Miss Olive Logan, Llelwellyn Propert and Mrs. Frederick Wishart. The flower -bearers were Master Harrison Barons and Miss Edna Wimer. Pink cycling sults, with leggings and jaunty caps to match, added to the charms of the fair maids. Their escorts wore knickerbockers and bad pink carn- ations on their coats. The bride and groom wore white costumes and rode on white machines, she carrying a big bunch of ohrysanthemums and he display- ing a big bunch of red acrd blue on the lapel of his coat. Slowly they circled about and then lined up in front of the minister, dis- mounted, and the pledges of eighteen years before wererenewed.—Philadelphia Record. The Oil Stove. Clean your oil stove every day' when you fill it. Allow no dirt or oil to aeon - simulate on the stove. Don't cut the wick, but rub off the charred part with a rag; carefully remove thread of wick with scissors. Don't turn the flame below the dome; it runs best at medium height. Always use the best oil and wick. To extinguish, turn it low before blowing out the flame, See that your stove le filled each nay before lighting. What a Sorge Can Draw. A modern engineering work states that a horse can draw on the worst earthen road three times as much as he eau carry on his beck; on a good maoadamized road, nine times as mach; on a plank road well laid and in good order, twenty five times as much; on a smooth stone pavement, thirty-three times as much, and on a steel railroad, fifty-four times as ranch as he can carry. Too Slack She—I have loved you all along, He—Have you? 1 didn't know it. Just think of the gas we have wastedl-Truth. SEVERAL WEATHER SIGNS. Hoar frost is a sign of rain. Cold autumn, a short winter. If rats and mice be restless, rain. Trees grow dark before a storm. It will surely rain if moles cast up hills. The more snow the healthier the sea- son. Bearded frost is a forerunner of snow. A clear autumn brings a windy winter. Expect fair weather from one night's ice. A green Christmas makes a white Easter. A rain in February indicates a frost in May. Rain is frequently augured by bearded frost. If it rains after twelve at noon it will rain next day. If it rains before sunrise expect a fain afternoon. A green Christmas makes a full church• yard. Three white frosts will bring a storm every time. Rain long foretold, long past; short notice, soon past. If gnats are plentiful in spring expect a fine autumn. A rainbow in the morning is the shep- herd's warning. When. wrens are seen in winter expect a fine autumn. If October is warm the following Feb. ruary will be cold. Much rant in October indicates much wind in December. If a cock crows more than usual and earlier expect rain. If it rains when the sun shines it will rain the next day. Nests of hornets hung near the ground mean cold weather. \i7hen the rain comes from the west it will not continue long, If cats clean their bodies and wash theta faces expect rain. Early frosts are usually followed by a long, hard winter. Fluttering bats and flying beetles fore. cast fine weather. Heavy white frost is a sign that warm- er weather is coming. Black frost is a forerunner of a spell oil dry, cold weather. Look out for cold weather if the woods pecker disappears in the fall. If birds in the autumn grow tame the whiter will be too cold for game. Expect cold and bard times if squirrels lay in great supplies of nuts. When wild ducks fly to the south it is a sign that winter is coming. Scarcity of squirrels in autumn indi. cates the approach of a cold winter. The first three days in January indicate that of the coming three months. No falling stars on a bright evening mean a continuance of bright weather. If ice will bear a man before Christmas it will not bear a mouse afterward. Look out for rain if sea birds fly toward land and land birds fly toward sea. • Against Her Will, Mother—If that young man kissed yott against your will, why didn't you call mei Daughter-He—he held me so tightly in his arms I couldn't call. "Why didn't you call after be let you got„ "Oh, there wasn't anything to call foil then." -Good News.