HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Exeter Advocate, 1897-3-11, Page 6damp, gruesome cellar of the isolated
A Baric Niu,hts work. foafilneilituteffooenesatuntoamoattiseedr Potent element
r , But what air, jolting ,and time had
By Paul Ingelow.
(CONTINUED.)
, When Meredith placed his supposedly
dead <Sheave upon the cold, olayey floor
• of the cella; he dropped him directly
' across a pool of water.
Hannted witli dread for the results of
, his terrible deed, and frightened by '
' phantoms conjured by his craven mind'
' in that &tile cellar -way, the misoreant cause of beautiful, persecuted. Gladys
Then lie took out a revolver. Ap-
• allowed Le Britta to slip roughly to theNear bee. I have held him a close
. floor, and fled precipitately. Arranging mentally the case as it
VernonVernon.
prisouer. The day of! the neurdee he
I* the It, ti • • hi
hand, he unlooked is door. me. . We mete 1 overpowered
With a slight splash, the photographer's stood, the photographer realized that here Pursued
"Come out!" he ordered. . haul dipped into a depression in the soft was a new diverging path in the case to MID. Slues then, io eve place or another,
There was no answer. . earth, filled with watermite cooling follow, which might bring about great he has been myca.ptive. I want hon
• He threw the door wide open. liquid laved the base a his brain, and results. reeseeea. 1 dare not leave him alone,
"Conte out, I say!" he repeated, loud- lapped cheek and brow. The footsteps of the two men retreated,
Ly "only, 1 eau armed, and will shoot if There was a deep -drawn sigh, a spas- and the light from the lariterndieap-
you attempt to escape from this room, . mow., 43
uutter of the nerves and then a
.
, peare
Darand! Follewing up one branch of
the ease, he had. accidentally stumbled
across another, and both doveteiled.
These non had spoken Durand's nano;
more than that, they referred to some
mysteeious ltliSSIOn for a•hieh he had
engaged, them—a midnight task, a sin-
ister errand well in accordance with the
usual evil methods of procedure of the
villain who hold the key to all the mys-
teries and counterplots that had grown
from Le Britta's championship of the
the thought of that pure beautiful girl
in
wedded to a coarse, brutal ville, who,
by thus wrecking her fair, young life;
would silence her lips against him, would
enforce the sacrifice under threat of doom
and death tor her lover, Sydney ! YAMS
41110 day that occurs," went on the
bold plotter, "I pay you 011011. five hund-
red dollars.",
"And how oan we help you?"
both the men in an eager breath.
"The young num Values"—
"He is here?"
asked
The revolver went clanging to the like a man chained but gradually cons- Le Britta started cautiously after eV BE CON rINUED.)
for tear of escape. I dare not trust him
in this district, longer, for fear of disoov-
ery. To -night you are to remove him."
Hello!"
! ing back to life from a dense swoon, the them. At first, his progrese was dizzy -
floor Aghast, the plotter stood, rooted ' photographer opened his eyes. headed and. uncertain, bub once in the
td the spat, in dismay and horror. open air, his senses revived.
"They are going toward the river,"
a roetrate form—Le Britta wall and from sashless apertures, the
lias Greater 'Vital Tenacity, bat Cannot
Stand Drink So Well.
Of the 14 reputed centenarians who
died during the past year no fewer than
11 were women, says The Illustrated
London News. Out of the 188 person;
who were declared as over 90 years of
age at death 108 were women. The
yawl, broad and long, and rather superior longevity of the female sex is a
unwiddly for those waters, There was a well established face To some extent it
cuddy at the bow, and as 7 II Britta sew depends, of course, on their more shelter -
the men nearing the spot, and felt ed method of living, but by no means
sanguine that they would make their exclusively, as the wetness. of the labor -
prospective voyage on that craft he big classes show a great vital tenacity as
decided on a rash exploit. well as those who have an easy time of
To aecompay them 'unsuspected, would it in the world. The vital power of girls
be to tram) them surely to the lair where is displayed in babyhood, for though
they had announced they were to meet about 101 boys are born to every 100
Durand. girls the females have more than over -
The photographer aoted quickly. He taken the deficiency before the end of the
sprang into the yawl and crowded first year. In other words, the belief of
through the little deer leading into the the old nurses that "boys are harder to
dark and letv-ceilluged caddy. rear than girls" is a true one.
It was close and damp but he slid not For the first time another point in
mind those trifling discomforts, although vital statistics as between the sexes has
he hoped no necessity would arise for recently been. investigated. This is the
the two voyagers to explore his hiding- relative periods of sickness in life. It is
place. only lately that there have been any fe-
They stepped aboard, at onoe took up male friendly societies, and. hence the
the cora and devoted all their energies statistics as to the days of illness among
to smoking and rowing, scarcely uttering women have been largely conjectural.
a word until they neared a high !sluff, But it these figures are to be received as
about liVa miles down the stream. reliable women have more days of non -
The yawl grounded on the pebbly fatal sickness in the year on an average
shore, the men seetued it, sprang ent, than men at all periods of life, except be -
and one of them, with a glance at his man 30 and 60.
watch, remarked:—
"Just in time, Midnight. Come. It's unearthed s bayvaery
private coma:Atte appoint -
curious fact has been
only a few steps now." ed by the leading life assurance societies.
Those few stops .Tera Le Britta fol The subject of their inquiries was the
lowed with anxious eagerness. mortality of persons engaged in the
They led the men to an old building liquor trades. It is well established that
that resembled a residenue, only that it the publicans are at the lowest point in
was in a state of considerable &ear. the list of dangerous trades. This, you
The men went around to its side door. understand, is not teetotal talk, but fact,
One of thou tapped loudly. It was and it is curious, because publicans
c1101101. be drunkards. .A. man who is not
opLeneel3d.ritta, shrinking to the shelter of a sober, as that term in generally received,
bush, saw thein enter, but could not soon loses his license. But the new fact
mak.e out the man who had admitted
them. revealed by the assurance societies' com-
mittee is yet snore inexplicable. It is that
In a few minutes, however, a light the women who aye engaged. on their
showed through the chinks in the blinds. own amount in the sale of drink are not
' APPromMing them, Le Brim heard nearly so injuriously affected by it as the
the sound. of voices, and detected the mem As any excess of iodulgenee in
odor of cigar smoke, so 11t3 knew that alcohol is undonbtedly far more injuri-
the wiudows beyona were missing or ous to the female organization than to
the nude, it can only be concluded that
raild. Cain:inn 4IY pressed an eye to n the svonaen who take the responsibility of
break in oue ot the ehutters. a license on themselves are endowed with
His soul areas iit arms, defiance and greater self control and moral strength
energy aS he looked. than their compeers of the other SOX.
For he had fouud the missing marplot Women submitted to the temptation of
of the drama begun at Hawthorne villa, the tame in their capacity of wives, how -
and transferred to this lonely house by
the ri versid e. Barmaids
Destiny had led him, strangely but by their
surely, on the trail of the man he most
wished to see of all men in the world.
Ralph Durand was before him!
.A.oross the stone iloor of the vault lay Here and them through breaks in the WOMAN OUTLIVES MAN.
The :sir -tight compartment had. della faint light of the nsght permeated the reflected Britta. "They .have a boat,
its deadly work Its victim lay motion- place. oould feel the chill, the ds - and they meditate about an hoar's row.
: comfort; he could discern that he Was in How shall I keep trace of them?"
less
Meredith at last, stooped over and some uolarnillar spot. and yet the last He out across a thicket. Keeping
turned the face of tie prostrate mark 1 hideous battle for life against the in slig.htly ahead of them, and never leaving
toward. the light Its pallor terrifesd visible forces of nature in thatponderous a safe shelter to reveal higneelf to them,
He examined the heart No pulsation iron vault was so strongly present in The boat to which ono of the two men
there. "Mercy!" he gasped, tottering his mind that, with a shock and a groan, had referrc'd lay moored. thel.e. It was a
like a drunken man. "I have killed he descends eyes again, believing him -
him. It is—murder!" self still to be a prisoner in the home of
His face was the color of ashes, his the plotter, Meredith.
nerveless hands began to tremble. These are the strange, uncanny lours
'What should lo do? Here was etime. of existence, these moments when a per -
Here was peril. He shuddered as the ' son finds himself face to face with the
gruesome shadows about hire seemed to ; untried, the unknown, the dim, the
frame the somber outlines of a prison vague, the mysterious. It is thou that
cell, the felou's dock, the scaffoldthe senses recoil alarmed; it is then that
Than fright, deadly fear, impelled him ! the soul, forced alone to battle with
to sudden, frantic: avtion. ! what the mind cannot grasp and 0010 -
He dasbed from the room, out into prebend, is revealed ill its strong inteu-
the yard, into tIse stables. He hitched ' sity, and man knows that the essence of
up a fast horse to a dose buggy. Then immortality within him has a vivid
back be sped to the vault apartment. existence and is a strong reality.
His victim lay as he had left him. He So Le Britta, at that moment still
seized him io his arms, bore him down I thinking that the strong iron walls of
a dark corridor, out into the garden, the vault enclosed him, that he was yet
through the stable, and, plaoing the a doomed prisouer of villainy, awakening
limp forir in the bottom of the buggy to a last final gasp of ebbing vitality,
covered it with a bore -blanket. • saw the world fade, forgot momentarily
In five rabautes he was traversing an ! its eares and its pleasures alike, and
unfrequented road leading to the sub- faced the inevitable, dreamily yet tan-
urbs. In half an hour ha was in the gibly.
open country. All the <god, all the bad his • life had
Once he halted the horse on a rustic knowu Ilaeheel acmes him mentally, The
bridge, and seemed about to liftthe body shuddering fear of death was rubbed of
of his victim and destroy all trace of its sting. What was a sharp pain, a
his ciente by casting it over the rail to choking moan, a last throe of the over -
the raging stream below. wrought nerves? But the soul!
The approach of a pedestrian sent him In that moment there mime to Le
speeding on, however. For miles he Britta what comes to every good man
traveled a cheerless highway. when the flnal anon:gent dawns, be it
Finally he made out a dismantled slow La. sudden, announced by lingering
structure standing haek from the road. illness or speedily as a lightning's flush
It was a place fami.iar to him, a rest- —pato; rare, calm, ineffable peace
deuce some years einee devastated by fire. And joy! It was hard to leave a busy,
"Just the place!" he ejaculated. "No bustling, happy life, with all its brisk,
one goes there. I'll hide the body in the enticing changes; it was hard to leave
°eller. It will never be discovered." loved ones, to close human eyes on a
He entered the house staggering human world, radiant with beauty,
under his burden lie reappeared bearing flower, bird -song and sunshine; but the
the blanketaglaneing apprehensively back glamor of a glimpse lute the portals of
ever and anon, and hurrying on the another life - a sudden, certain, compre-
jaded steed once aseein in the vehiele, hension of the heaven that lay beyond
"That disposas f om" he muttered tie borderland, enwrapt soul and sense
"1 did not mean to kill him. He brought in a deliritun of Joe.
1111 ou himself No tese will ever know Here was the Promised Land—here was
What a dolt! I forest to look up the the pledge old cis the world, and saored.
vault Should a burelar enter the louse as ouly the word of divinity eau be, that
and find his way to that room he might death hat no sting, and the grave was
beggar me" robbed of victory, and life, real, final
Utterly heartless Darius Meredith grew life, was veuvicsafed to the mats who had
almost cheerful as he neared home again, tried to do hie duty because he loved
A dangerous enemy had been removed humanicy Lei 1.1. than his own safety1
from ale path. Ties low-souled scoun- Le Britta eighed. So near to the eeem-
drel actually congratulated himself on ing portals of deeth, so blest by radiant
his dark night's wora. He entered, the pictures of the future, so full of faith
house and hastenal to the apar meet that those he loved woulct be cared fur
where. Jera Le Britta had battle fate by divine mercy, he seemed. to knock at
and had been defeatI. the gates of heaven, and long to be let
The lamp still earned on the table. in upon the clawless" lipids of paradise.
The vault door wags still open. e Geld -by, old. world! 1 haVe tried to
Entering the vault hagedith examined do right."
its in1erinr. A hot murmur, a last settling back to
All safe!" he muttered "and the dissolution, and then—
A leash, discordant whistle, sharp,
Ho :might to make sure of it by pull- shrill. nerve -disturbing.
ing open a drawer and gaziug into it. et plowed the solenin silence like the
An awful cry eseeped his lips as he note of a bird of prey in a garden of
did so. love cinese.
—Empty—gone" he gasped. "Robbed. Rudely shocked, vividly disturbed,
The ineney"— Jens Le Britta opened his eyes and
Wet not there. Re reeled. into the glariog. Int) the darkness and gloom,
outer room. Almott fainting he felt a listened intently.
cold breath of air revive his tottering
sensibilities.
CHAP TER XXXV1II. —A NEW TRAIL
With 3 wild cry he observed that a
witatow was open. Back to life in a flash, back to reality,
And then the truth paralyzed mind to the earth -earthy, but with an experi-
and heart; as it ilaeleed acmes,' him with emcee that would impress his mind till
the intensley of a liehtning shock. his dying day, the startled Jere Le Britta
Darius; Ida absence, some one had was roughly summoned.
opened a window ant entering the apart- With clearer sentet on. the alert-, he
latent had. stolen the treasured packagecould readily discern now that ice was
There could be no doubt of it and the not in the vault at Meredith's house.
plotter'e heart see si still as lo asked No, there was a damp cellar -way, and
himself the question— scone one was approaching, the whistle
litid this mysterious person as well announced it, the reflection of the rays
witneseed the crime. that proven, would of a lentern in some compartment near
send him to the gallosvs? by plainly in,dieated it.
To a man who had given up his life
-----
as lostah
CHAP TER XXX VII. , —THE BORDER- world, tnd ad bidden farewell to thehe revulsion of an unexpected
LAND. reoall to earthly existence acted as a
There is no agent of death more potent decided shock.
and yet tig egmeive in its effects than that Each moment the photographer's senses
whiela induees die:solution by means of cleared. A thought of duty at hand.
suffocatinn. Tasks uncompleted flashed aoross his
In drowninmand tl e results of smother- mind, and he took up the armor anew
Ing gases, no trace of violence exists. of perseverance and faith without a mur
There is a, certain pathless fading into mar.
insensibility, and cs euemension of the Meredith!. What a villain — what
natural forces of the fraraethat is marked depths of evil in his cruel nature! The
and alarming, even before death arrives. stolen treasure! Why, as never before,
The shock to the system clogs the eir- the issues of fate trembled in a perilous,
culation, deadens the brain, chokes the uncertain balance,
lungs. It is intense, and often, even "This is some cellar, the collar of the
where the victim has not absolutely house where Meredith lives," eoet'itated
reached the danger pointthere seems to Le Britta. "Scarcely, for it looks dis-
be an absolute cessation of vitality. used and dismantled. Where then?"
The superficial examination of his vie- That mysterious whistle was repeated,
tim made by Meredith after discovering and around a corner of a stone partition
Le Britta's insensibility in the vault, the rays of the lantern again glinted
tended to satisfy him that the photog- across the slimy, damp foundations.
• raphor was dead. He could detect no There was something sinister in that
pulse or respiration, white the bloodless whistle'and a thought of Meredith
lips and leaden eyelid% added a ghastly caused. Le Britta to hesitate as the ixa-
aspect to the face of his decoyed guest. pulse came to my out.
During that long sieve into the coun- De was glad that he °beaked it, for
try, Le Beitta, did not betoken one sign just then, as if in response to the first
of returning eouselousness, and when whistle, a second one echoed, and then a
be was lifted from tl e buggy and carried gruff voice exclaimed:—
into the old dismant ed building, he lay "Alal you've come at last, have you?"
as inert a burden as ever in the arms of "Yes, on time, ain't I?"
his seaming assassin. There was the click of a sedtoh-ease
jera Le 33ritta was not dead, however. and the reply:— e
That erance-like conne that semblance of "Scarcely. The appointment was for
dissolution was but the lingering deaden- midnight, and it barely lacks an hour
Ing effect of the blighted, mephitio at- of it."
mosphere of the dose t•ault. "Well, ain't that time enough?"
Five minutes 100118 condom:Ostia that "If we hurry."
sealed safe would kart° resulted fatally, "Come on, then."
but as it was the preeipitation of the "I've got a boat."
muederous schemer saved the photograp- "Then we can row to the Point."
her's life, for the quick rush to the "Yes. Durand must have some mighty
open air relieved thepoison-charged eater- Mysterious scheme on band to go
Les, and the lingering inertia Of body through all this secrecy and trouble."
and mind was simply the deadening
alter-egeots of the suffocation.
Not to, muscle, however, had Le Britta
imoved during that eventful ride, not a
;ousel° rotated as he was ceased ihte themoment by struggling to his feet. tion more than that he Shuddered at
. —
CHAPTER XXXIX.—PLOTTERS
IN COUNCIL.
At a glance, Jere Le Britta disoerned
that the three men hgtd met for an ins-
portaut consultation, and he prepared to
listen to some enlightening revelations.
They seereed to be the only occupants
of the building, and Le Britta was
apparently safe from discovery, for a
time at least.
"What's the row, ,governor?" asked one
of Durand's tato vieitors. "that we have
to come nere at this unusual hour."
"Work's the row," replied Durand.
sharply --"work well paid for, so you
needn't grumble."
"We don't, on that score, but"—
"I eenerally act for the best," pursued
the plotter. "You have had a remarkabis
easy time during the past week."
"Yes, watching tbe house where the
girl is with the old woman so she don't
by any mischance escape is no great
labor," laughed one of the men.
"And she is safe?"
"She's there watched closely, and,
between you and I, governor, too (gushed
and despondent to think of running
away."
"Good I" commented Durand, e that
suits ine; I fancy she realizee that to
disobey me would involve her lover in
serious trouble. :Now, then, boys, you
understand enough of this affair to
realize that this seine lover of hers,
young Vance, it no friend of mine."
"We can surmise it, governor."
"It is in my power to send him to the
gallows. On the other hand, onoe free,he
might accuse me in turn of the murder
of old Gideon Vernon. Re is a disturbing
element in my calculations, and the oely
one.. I have laid my plans for the fate/ e,
and I don't want them disturbed, so"—
"You want to get rid of the young man
in question," slyly insinuated one of
Durand's companions.
"I must. While he is living and a
prisoner, he is a menace to the girl. By
threatening him, I keep her in my
power. .A11 this however may lead to
troublesome complications further on, so
I have resolved on one grand final move."
"What is it, governor?"
"Money was my primal object in
fighting for my position a's guardian to
Gladys Vernon. To my disappointment
when I became legally appointed aXe011-
tor of the Vernon estates I found them
heavily mortgaged and the proceeds bad
vanished. 1 imagine, I suspect that the
giri or some of her friends know where
this mortgage money is and are keeping
it in hiding until she becomes of age.
However even abandoning the hope of
ever handling that ready cash I find I
can realize as mucia more by a bold move."
"How's that?' •
"Sell the property at a sacrifice."
"Can you do it?"
"With the girl's consent."
"Not Without it?" •
"Scarcely. So I have resolved to
"Durand P' gasped Le Britta. marry her, and end the complication
That name acted upon him like a stemraarily.'?
shook. He at up abruptly; he surprised To marry Gladys Vernon! The listen
away all the lingering weakness of the ing photographer thrilled • at the revela-
ever, do not come out so well.
also are affected unfavorably
occupation.
FOLLOWING SUIT.
One springtime day. a gentle maid
A -down the garden pathway strayed
That wound the shady orchard through,
And, thinking 01 11(1. eyes of blue
And tender glances; sweet clod true,
I followed suit. Pray, wouldn't you?
A saucy broeze that chanced to stray
Along that fragrant garden way
Swept heel: her wavy, golden hair,
Surprised to see -a maid so fair,
And sighed for love such charms to VieW.
I followed suit. Pray, wouldn't you?
A ray from out the sunlit sky
Espied the maid as she passed by:
And rained his kisses, soft and warm,
On bair mai nook and snowy arm
And cheek of apple blossoms hue.
I followed suit. Pray, wouldn't you?
—Chips.
TI -IE,- PINK SHEEP.
To judge from the laughter which
a lady when I assure you that I have
never been. th Switzerland and that I
have never used the name of Cambrat,
and you will permit me to pass out."
"That is not my intention. You are
in error when you say I saw the woman
only once through a keyhole, for the
lady with the surgical scissors sat op-
posite to me botb the day before and
the morning atter passing her night in
the unusual operation I have described.
Nor hovel the least intention of letting
you leave this room until you restore
to Mrs. Yates the money you have
stolen from her.".
At these words madame completely
changed her tone, and replied, in a low
voice:
"Certainly the name of sheep, which
your protege, Mrs. Yates, so aptly be-
stowed upon you -for you must have
heard her if you tuiderstand English -
is most applicable. You must be a silly
came from that end of the luncheon ta-
sheep indeed if you think that, grant-
ing I had stolen the purse, I should be
afraid of risking my liberty -to say
nothing of the money -when you have
no evidence whatever to connect me
with the theft."
"As to your risking your liberty, you
can be easy upon that score. I am not
your judge, nor do I take upon myself
the task of bringing the dishonest to
punishment, but there is a countrywom-
an of ray own. in great distress through
your act She is a foolish woman no
doubt, and her remarks about me were
not complimentary, but that is no rea-
sou why I should not help her out oi
the difficulty into which you have
brought her. "
"Ah," said madame, raising her eye-
brows, "how stupid I am not to see
your hope to get your share of the mon-
ey ; but thou with that face how could
I ever read. your true character? Let nu
tell you, however, you, too, are a pmx
physiognomist if you think I will give
you anything."
"We shall see. I do not can to waste
further time in explanation, and I give
you two minutes to hand over the mon-
y,13 So saying, he pulled out his watch.
"And I tell you at once you can call
up the hotel keeper and do your worst,
and you will thenlearn that it may be
a dangerous business to make a charge
without a tittle of evidence to support
it."
The Pink Sheep looked at her steadily
for a moment. "I think you are not
French in spite of your good accent. I
may be wrong, but I should take you
for an Italitm. Still, I assume you know
something of the French. law. In an-
other minute I shall ring the bell and
tell the servant to ask a gentleman from
the bureau of police -who must be here
by this time, for I sent for him imme-
diately after (liuner-to come up stairs.
I will say to him: 'Here is a lady whom
I have found in my room. All 1 ,know
of her is that in Switzerland she passed
under the name of Combrat; in London
she calls herself the Marquise de Mon-
tereart and at this hotel she inscribes
herself as Mme. Canibroux.' You prob-
ably know that you will be amsted and
detained until inquiries can be made.
Your luggage will be searched, and no
doubt your interesting case of instru-
ments will be found." •
Maclaine had turned very pale. She
lifted the skirt of her dress, and, finding
a concealed pocket, she drew forth a
handful of gold, which she handed to
her antagonist.
He took the money and counted it
slowly..
"There are only 13 sovereigns here,"
he said, "and I want 12 more."
"But how do I know that you will
not denounce me when you have them?"
"For that I give you the word of a
pink sheep -an animal that isnot given
to lying. Nay, more, I promise that I
will not return the money to Mrs. Yates
before 9 o'clock tomorrow morning, so
that you may be miles away from Bou-
logne before she knows that the sus-
picions she already entertains are well
founded. In case she should be vindic-
tive and anxious to have you punished,
there is time for a woman of your re-
sources to disappear."
Reluctantly madame produced. the
remaining sovereigns. As she passed to
the door, which was now opened fax
her, she said, "I don't 'suppose you are
going to be fool enough to give the
raonoy to that empty headed Mrs.
Yates; but, in my case, I rely on your
proraise not to do so before 9 o'clock to-
morrow."
The Pink Sheep made no answer.
That night madame contrived to pick
a quarrel with Mrs. Yates. She left the
hotel, saying that she would not pass
another hour under the same roof with*
her, and declaring that she would take'
the night boat to London.
The next morning, when Mrs. Yates
was at breakfast with the Kibble Whites,
a small, heavy packet was brought to
her by one of the chambermaids. She
opened 11 and found a rouleau of 25 soy -
'reigns, with the following note:
MAoAnn—You were right. Your traveling
tampanion is a swindler. Before she left I
forced her to return your money, which I
now inclose. If it is any consolation to you,
you naay rest assured that she will perpetrate
fresh thefts, and so inevitably fall hate 'the
hands of the police. In sending you your anon.
ey I take the liberty of offering you a little
advice, which you will accept or not, as you
think fit:
First.—Below you will find particulars as to
your route to Brindisi, wibh times of trains,
information where to get your meals, eta I
advise you to start this day. If you follow
these directions, you will not need tic rely
upon chance companions.
Second.—Never believe an advertisement
without' corroborative evidence.
Third.—Judge less hastily. Had you done
so, you and your husband might have been
saved many an Unhappy hour.
Fourth.—Take for granted when traveling
that every one understands all modern lan-
guages, and if you wish to make personal re-
works do so In 'a lower tone. Some people
44),glat resent such thing gs more than yours
Naithfully, Tnx PINS Binone.
--St. Paul's.
ble, the party sitting there were enjoy-
ing themselves. Some of the other peo-
ple in the room wished they could have
heard the mirth provoking remarks,
and yet there was no great display of
wit. Mr. and Mrs. Kibble White were
in high spirits, Inc it was the second
day of their holiday, and they were pre-
pared to laugh at anything. Mrs. Yates,
with madame, had arrived in Boulogne
only on the previous day, but she had a
knack of making personal remarks
about the other visitors at the hotel
that had quickly established a sort of
intimaeybetween her and her neighbors
at table.
They were discussing a man of five
and thirty who sat rather near them.
"I think he's English," said Mr.
Kibble White.
"Impossible!" 'remarked madame.
"Be is too stolid, too unintelligent to
belong to your great nation. He is a
German."
"No, be can't understand English,"
said Mrs. Yates, "for I am sure he
must have heard our conversation, and
his face has never changed."
"I hope he doesn't understand it, fax
you have been rather rough on him.
Let us listen to his accent when he
speaks to the waiter," suggested Mr.
Kibble White.
"No need," cried Mrs. Yates. "10111)
sure he. can only say 'Baal' Don't you
see he is not a man, but just It great
pink sheep?"
The party laughed, and the stranger
was nicknamed the Pink Sheep from
that moment.
At the table Whet° that evening the
laughter was almost entirely subdued.
Airs. Yates and madame soon, adjourned
to the drawing room, whence they were
followed by the Kibble Whites and by
the Pink Sheep, who ensconced himself
behinl a book.
"Yon have no doubt noticed that MTS.
Yates is somewhat depressed," said
inadame, "Mal I am not surprised at
that, fax she had her pocket picked and
lost more than R25."
The Nibble Whites expressed their
deep sympathy, and after describing the
rammer in which the loss had occurred
while she stood watching the arrival of
tho English boat Mrs. Yates grow com-
municative and told of her great disap-
pointment. It was impossible to con-
tinue her journey. She was on her way
to Brindisi to meet her husband, who
was coming home from India seriously
ill. Her anxiety to meet him was great-
er, for she had parted from him in au-
ger, caused by jealousy. She had. just
learned her suspicion had been entirely
unfounded,
And now she would go no farther,
for, acting on madame's advice, she had
taken a ticket only as fax as Paris, and,
bolug very badly off, she could not
afford to borrow the necessary money,
evea had there been time to do so.
"Why didn't you let her take a
through ticket, madame?" asked Mrs.
Ribble White.
"Indeed I wish I had, for now she
could have gone on, but I feared the
people, in London would cheat her, and,
since 1 know the manager of a tourist
agency in Paris, I felt she was sure to
be properly treated if she took her tick-
ets from him."
"You are oversuspicious, madame,"
said Mrs. Yates. "Last night, -when we
Went to the casino, you wanted me to
give you xxiy watoh and jewelry to take
care of, and yet, you see, no one at-
tempted to take them." •
"And you are perhaps too confiding,
Mrs. Yates. You see, if you had given
me yonr money to keep for you, you
would not have lost
"1 am not so sure of that," said
1VIrs. Kibbler White, looking hard at the
last speaker.
"What do you mean by that remark?"
asked madame indignantly.
"I mean that I do not see why the
money should have been safer in your
keeping than in Mrs. Yates."
There was an uncomfortable silence.
Madame rose and went out. As soon as
she had left the 'room Mrs. Kibble
White asked:
"Do you know her very well? I don't
like her eyes at all. I should not trust
her. Who is she?"
"Oh, I think she is all right. She is
the Marquise de Monterea,u."
"Then why has she put her name in
the visitors' book as Mme. Camboux?"
"She said she liked to travel incog-
nita, because if people knew her they
would charge her more than at hotels.
"She does not look like an aristocrat,
her dress is so untidy. And have you
not noticed the high, water mark on her
neck?"
"Oh, these foreigners have such odd
characters!"
"I ihould say, by the look of her, she
had none," said Mrs. Kibble White.
Then Mrs. Yates explained how she
had answered an advertisement in The
Morning Post, in which a foreign lady
of rank asked another lady to join her
in a journey to Naples. She told how
madame had pronaised to give references
to two or threerwell known members
of the Thiglish aristocracy, but they
wereall out a town.
"I think y,ou were lucky not to have
New Weman In Africa.
The new W011111/111a11 suddenly appeared
amoug the native tribes of Africa, where
the black bellee have disaarded. earrings
and. breechelothe and donned bicycle
bloomers, snueh to the astonishment of
the swarthy warriors. • The negro women
on the outskirts of the forest, where they
come into close contact with European
civilization, have gone crazy over the
bicycle.
Hitherto 11 11:1.5 been. 11 compaeatieely
easy matter for the young black men to
satisfy the cravings of their sweethearts
for articles of personal adornment, as the
styles never changed and theamount of
clothing the women were in the habit of
wearing was extremely liznited. Now,
however, the latter not only want a
complete bicycle outfit, but an up to date
machine as well, with a cyclometer,
lamp, kit of tools and all the other at-
tachments.
At first the native swains of Natal
bought for their sweethearts the old, hig,h
wheeled hicyelta which were discarded by
the European inarket. These Inc a time
satisfied the aspirations of the native
African belles. They quickly learned,
however, that wheels of this pattern were
out of date and. that the safety with in-
flated tires wes the proper thing.
One of these ladies of color in Natal
recently posed for a, photograph against
a background of gum trees and buffalo
grass, with a native kraal in the distance.
She wore 0 check. suite consisting of a
norfolk jack.et with a belt and bloomers
that fitted close about the hips. Her only
undergarment appeared to consist of a
woolen chemise. On her head an alpine
hat was jauntily sea So up to date was
this African maid that she disdained bi-
cycle stockinet's and wore the short socks
coining half way to the knee that are the
latest thing among the fair bicyclors of
Paris.—Detrolt News.
CO tin() 72 Favors.
It is an interesting study to note the
different uses to which the so called New
York society girl puts her catillon favors.
One girl always has something ready
when she hears the little YOiee in the
early morning say through the crack of
the door: "Sister, got anything for me?
What did you get last night?" Another
girl saves them all from year to year.
She Mine out in society last winter, and
one entire side of her bedroom is covered
With every conceivable favor, even to an
enormous Japanese spider, tied. by the
neele. with a narrow ribbon. This year
she has had a week made to hang her
new ones on. The effect is very bright
and pretty in her room. Th,en we hear of
still another kind of girl:--
This girl rips up alsnost all her favors
and mates good, practised use of nearly
every one. She her s'aranaer hats
with the artificial flowers and ribbons,
makes collars and belts of some of them,
uses the feasts mid gives some away as
presents. In fact, she asserts that going
to a dance is areal; economy. The nicest
one of all the girls who is lucky .enough
to get favors is the one who, without,
telling any one or tatting any one ire,
will divide with some other girl at the
dance who has not had such a good
time aS herself and in that way will
help to send her home happy cmcl con- given her your ,jewelry last night, or made me pay full fare every trip."-
tented.--Hazgaer's Bazarprobably you would have lost that as Detroit Free Press.
He Takes the Prize. •
"You're mistaken in saying that
Tightly is the meanest man in the
state." •
"No, I'm not. He hired me for a
year as aponductor on that electric rail-
road of his at starvation wages and then