HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Exeter Advocate, 1897-3-18, Page 611 d Rr:..1ts L WThe two luso jumped into the seat.
rr I The
from them by only the thin
iboard partition, Jere ,Le Britta tried. to
�i a
!
13y Paul Ingelow.
(corm.z. nD,)
L .Where to?"
"Somewhere among the mining towns.
Surely, you have cronies, friends who
:know of lonely naves, isolated huts, this
or that out-of-the-way spot where he will
be safe?"
"1 reokon we can find such a place."
"'I trust you to do it. You are to take
litharge of him, but watch him closely."
"Wever fear I"
"If he esoapes, you lose the reward I
have promised you. I leave him in your
keeping. Then I shall propose marriage
to the girl."
"Will she consent?"
"Dare she refuse?"
"Why?"
"I tell you, the menace I hold against
Vance terrorizes her completely, I may
have to promise Vance his liberty—I
may have to ask you to cause him to
disappear mysteriously.''
The villain paused and glanced signi-
ficantly at the two men. Both, murder-
oue wretches that they were, sordid, con-
scienceless, the yellow glow of gold
obliterated the Lurid stain of blood. for
'them, were the reoompense only large
and speedy.
"Once I wed Gladys Vernon," con-
tinued Durand, "I am sure of a fortune.
'"hen, a new scene of life, a foreign or
a distant land, and let her friends and
my foes discover what they will! come."
"Where?" queried one of the men, and
all three of the conspirators arose to
their feet.
Durand did not reply, but led the way
from the room.
The interested and excited watcher at
the window drew into the shadow of
some shrubbery.
The trio came out into the garden,
!Durand in the lead; they traversed its
length, and disappeared in a stable.
Le Britta got around to the building,
.end watched, keenly.
In a few minutes a horse, attached to
a oovered wagon, was driven out.
This vehicle was formed of boards that
inclosed all the back of the driver's seat
completely, and was only accessible by
two doors which opened at the rear.'
These were now open, but Le Britta,
peering past the corner of the stable_
could see that they were provided with a
heavy iron staple, padlock and chain, for
looking them securely.
Further than that, he could make out
the outlines of some human being lying
on the bottom of the wagon.
One of the men approached the wagon
and seized the doors, to close and lock
them.
Just at that moment, however, Dur-
and spoke:—
"Here, Tom, Bill! I've gota bottle in
the stable. Perhaps you'd. like a sup
before you start."
The man at the wagon doors aban-
doned his task at once, and he and his
companion disappeared with Durand into
the stable.
"They have a man in that wagon—
Vance!" ejaculated Le Britta, excitedly.
What should he do? Scarcely give
battle to three armed. foes, and he was
hardly tit for a run of miles after that
spirited steed,
He glanced at the stable. At its rear
end, he could see the three conspirators
by the light of a lantern drinking from
a bottle.
They were not looking toward the
wagon, and his opportunity seemed now
or never.
Springing forward the venturesome Le
Britta decided on a daring exploit to
ascertain the identity of the prisoner in
the vehicle and rescue hien if possible.
CHAPTER Y.L.—PISCAPE.
Le Britta reached the wagon in a single
bound.
Whatever was to be done must be exe-
cuted quickly; he realized that fully.
Peering into the close wagon -box he
could make out plainly a human form
lying prostrate upon a heap of old grain
bags.
He ventured the utterance of a name—.
a surmise as to the identity of the occu-
pant of that dark wagon -box.
"Vance—Sydney Vance!" he gasped
softly but with startling distinctness.
+ There was a rustle, a snuffled ejacula-
tion.
"Eh! who is it?"
"A friend. You are Sydney Vance?"
, aye,.
"I thought so, listen! we have not a
moment to spare. I am Gladys Vernon's
friend. I came to rescue you."
"But those men?"
"'Are momentarily out of sight. I
will drag you out."
' Le Britta seized the man's feet. He
ioalculated on dragging him to the
ground, and then, tied as he was, bodily
oarry him to some near retreat.
"No! no!" dissented the captive, pant-
' Ugly. "I am bouwd."
"I know that."
"Hand and foot."
"Still"—
"You aro tugging in vain. Yon can-
not drag me out."
It did indeed, seem as if the task was
impossible—as if some obstacle offered a
sturdy resistance to all Le Britta's efforts.
"What is the matter?" queried the
photographer, with an apprehensive
glance toward the stable,
"I am also secured to a ring in the
1 ,side of the wagon."
Le Britta uttered a concerned cry, but
1 he was not yet'daunted,
i He clambered througb the bank of the
vehicle, and groped in his pockets for a
knife to sever the ropes ensuring the cap-
tive,
"Too late!" gasped the latter, suddenly.
"Eh! what now?"
"Those these me
nl„
Lo Britta uttered a dismayed ejaoula
tion.
At just that moment Durand and his
two accomplices came out from the stable.
There was no time to spring to the
ground and run for cover. He doubted
even if his retreat was a safe one, as he
shrunk back in the darkest corner of the
wagon -box.
"You understand, Tom,” spoke Dur-
and.
"Perfectly," replied theman addressed,
wiping his lips.
His companion advanced to the rear of
the vehiole and closed the doors with a
crash, enveloping the startled Le Britta
in oomplete darkness.
"No danger of is getting away now!"
laughed the rea
aSn- r " ""
ca rely,,spoke Durand, You
ba've your instruotions. Don't lose sight
of the primmer& Auld obey orders"
realize' the strange situation into which
this rashness had precipitated him.
His position was oue of undoubted
peril. He was weak, unarmed, practic-
ally at the ineroy of two desperate foes,
shut in to a prison -place from which
escape would be difficult.
The vehicle started up. Le Britta sank
to the bottom of the wagon, He groped
about until he established the position
In which his oompanion in captivity
lay. Then placing his lips close to his
ears, he began a hurried, undertone con-
versation.
"Who are you?" queried the prisoner,
in a wondering tone.
Le Britta explained sufficient to force
the conviction that he was a friend.
He had found his pooket knife now,
and be set straightway about, relieving
Vance of 'his bonds.
A few deft strokes severed the ropes
securing hands and feet. He untied the
strong cords running to an iron ring
sunk in the side of the wagon.
"You are free," whispered the photog-
rapher. "Now for liberty!"
"But how?"
"Wait!"
The jolting of the wagon and the
grinding of the wheels masked Le
Britta's movements about the interior of
the vehiole. He felt at the sides of the
partition, behind the driver's seat, at the
bottom, top and at the locked doors at
the rear.
"We are tightly shut in," he an-
nounced, coming back to Vance.
"Then let us wait until they reaoh
their destination." And then."
"They will unlock the doors. We will
spring out suddenly upon them, over-
come them."
"You forgot—they are armed."
"But we shall take them at a dis-
advantage," persisted Vance,
"And they may also halt amid friends
as desperate and murderous as them-
selves."
"I never thought of that."
"No," spoke Le Britta, thoughtfully,
"our only hope of escaping their clutches
safely, is to find some way of leaving
the vehicle unperceived by them before
they reach their destination."
"But, how?"
That was, indeed, a serious question,
and Le Britta reflected deeply.
Their combined efforts, vigorously
persisted in, might eventually enable
them to burst open the rear doors, but
the noise would disturb and warn their
jailers, would lead to an investigation,
and certainly end in recapture.
"Let us make a united rush for the
doors," murmured Vance.
"They are strongly locked."
"But we may burst them open at a
single contact."
"And warn those men, even if we
succeed."
"Then it is fight or flight," returned
Vance grimly. "Caine. Ready."
"Stop!"
The desperate venture about to culmin-
ate, the voice of Le Britta sounded a
peremptory halt,
"What is it?" queried his companion,
impatiently.
"I have discovered something."
"What?"
"A new possible means of escape. Give
me time. Yes. I am positive."
Le Bride was feeling along the roof of
the wagon -box.
His hand reached up; he had discov-
ered a slight break in the sealed top.
One board, about a foot wide, had
given slightly under his touch, and as
he pressed it, he found that it was loose
from the roar end clear to the center of
the wagon.
It swayed upward about six inches,
then some new resistence prevented fur-
ther progress.
"I see what the matter is," he mur-
mured.
"What?" queried the eager Vance.
"The top has a covering of water-
proof. Wait. I can slit it."
By extending his knife past the loose
board, the photographer was enabled to
cut the outside covering.
Pushing now on the board, it gave
nearly a foot, and through the opening
the stars were plainly visible.
The center nail, however, held it
firmly so that it would spring back into
plaoe once the pressure of his hand was
removed.
"If I bold it, can you creep through?"
he queried of his companion.
"Yes, readily; but you?"
"I will try to follow."
"Good. I am ready,"
Le Britta gave some quick whispered
directions to his companion.
He then pushed the board up as far as
he could and Vance, grasping the boards
at the side, began to scramble through
the aperture.
It was a tight squeeze and fraught
with considerable peril.
Too much pressure on the board might
pull the center nail loose, and although
the hood over the driver's seat concealed
them from the two men, once the board
broke loose, the shock and crash would
alarm them.
The board shot back with the force of
a lever on Le Britta's fingers, as he saw
Vance reach the 'top, scramble over it,
and drop to the road from the rear of
the vehicle.
He was elated at the success of his
experiment. He theorized that Vance
would follow after the wagon until he
had effected his own escape, when he
would rejoin him.
Resting a moment or two, Le Britta
started to escape as his companion had
done.
A sigh of dismay escaped his lips, as he
lifted himself to the aperture.
For just then he made a distressing
discovery.
It was easy to get out with some one
to hold the board up for the escaping
person, but unaided, Le Britta vainly
strove to force head and shoulders
through the opening.
The board, taut as a steel trap, would
not give sufficiently.
With a concerned face, the photogra-
pher dropped back to the bottom of the
wagon -box
He was fairly iu a trap of his own
making -he had sacrificed his own
safety for thatof Vance, and his escape
now depended solely on outside assist-
ance. - -
CHAPTER XLI.—IN PERIL.
The wagon had. commenced. .to go
slower, and the anxious Le Britta could
estimate that they had proceeded at
least five miles, and were probably near-
ing 'their destination..
He saw at a glance his mistake, in
directing Vance to make haste in leaving
the wagon -top once free ofthe aperture,
for.. had he, remained only a moment to
hold up theloose plank while. Le Britta
Drawled through, both would, now be
speeding away to liberty.
Where was Vance? Surely, he would
not leave his rescuer in peril, coward-
like, abandon him to his fate!
No; a slight jangle at the rear doors
told that some oue was fumbling with
the look. Then the doors creaked and
strained, but they remained intact, and
Le Britta knew that his friend mustbe
following the wagon under the Dover of
the darkness and gloom of the night,
No further ovidenoe of the proximity
of his late companion in captivity was
forthcoming for nearly half an hour.
Thon, in a manner most original and
startling, Sydney Vance announced his
fealty to his rescuer and his desperate
resolve to reach and aid him, even at
thecost of discovery, and an uneganl
conflict with the two knaves on the
wagon -seat, who, all unconscious of what
bad so far occurred, smoked placidly
and indulged in occas!onal conversation.
Of a sudden, something landed against
the two looked doors of the vehicle with
a force that split ono of the panels clear
in twain,
Pieces of rock and splintered wood
were showered about the astonished Le
Britta as that crash resounded, and the
horse started up affrighted.
Instantly, too, Lo Britta saw out into
the road through the broken door, and
discerned also that the rent thus made in
the thin wood could be enlarged to an
aperture of escape very speedily, were
time only afforded.
"Whoa!"
The imperious command rang out, the
lines were jerked, the horse shrank to its
haunches, and there was a hurried com-
motion on the front seat.
"What was that?"
"A crash!"
"It struck the wagon?"
"Jump down and see."
Abandoning the seat, both men sprang
to the roadway, and ran around to the
rear of the vehicle.
"Tom, look here."
"Mercy! what does this mean?"
Ralph Durand's fellow -plotters viewed
the rent In the wagon -door agape.
"He's tried to break out!" cried one.
"No, don't you see? The damage has
been done from the outside."
"But how?"
"A rock. See! the jagged ends of this
board?"
"Maybe he's escaped?"
"What! tied hand and foot?"
"But"—
"I'll look and see."
One of the men drew forth a match
and ignited it. •
Extending it through the rent, be
peered into the darksome void beyond.
"Great goodness! it's"—
Tbe sentence was not concluded, for as,
wonder-oyed, incredulous, the startled
eyes of the plotter took iu the outlines
of the form in the wagon, that form
sprang forward.
Puff! a quick breath blew out the
match.
Recoiling, the man seemed too over-
come to speak.
"Tom I" he gasped.
"Well?"
"He ain't there!"
"What!"
"No.—he's gone."
"Gone? why—I hear him moving
about."
"Yes, but it ain't our man!"
"Nonsense!"
"It's another, and he ain't bound."
"Ridiculous!"
¢"Look and see!"
The other flared a second match: A
sudden cry announced his surprise, but
he was quicker to act than the other,
""Treachery! trickery!" he cried.
"It ain't our man?"
"No."
"It's another"—
"Back!" yelled the man. "He may be
armed."
ale, himself, drew a revolver. Excited,
dubious, ho extended it toward the
wagon.
.At that moment, from some bushes
lining the road, though unperceived by
the two startled men a human hand
was raised.
A rock struck the hand of the man
' clutching the weapon.
If fell from bis nerveless grasp, but as
it did so, one' chamber exploded with a
startling report.
The horse, affrighted, sprang forward.
The sudden jerk sent the anxious Le
Britta at on his back. Ere he could
again struggle to his feet, he realized
that he was the victim of a runaway.
CHAPTER XLIL—A STRANGE
COMPLICATION.
"Whoa! whoa!" yelled the two men,
in unison, but their cries and their
springs after the flying horse and vehicle
were fruitless to stay a terrified runaway.
It seemed to Le Britta that the wagon
was going at the rate of a fast express
train. He was knocked from side to side
of the vehicle, which tipped, jolted and
jarred as if threatening every moment to
come to a halt, a wreck.
He made one frantic effort to reach the
hole in the door made by the rock,
enlarge it, spring through it.
With the wagon dashing along at
breakneck pace, however, he could en-
force no systematic plan of operations, and
he saw at a glance out upon the starlit
road, that a fall there would be perilous
in the extreme.
Even in the uncertain light of the
night he could make out the winding
road. A curve had shut out friend and
foes alike. No houses or lights were
visible, and the road seemed to be
inclining steeply.
With added momentum, steed and
vehicle now dashed forward. A thunder-
ing noise caused Le Britta to look out.
The wild runaway had reached a
planked bridge. Half -way across it there
came a shock that jarred every nerve of
Le Britta's systam. '
There was a crash, a stumble, a loud
neigh of • terror, and then the horse
dashed away a tin, fleet as the wind,
but no longer encumbered with the
wagon.
That, with its human captive, had, it
seemed, struck a post in the railing of
the bridge. It crashed, it toppled. There
was a tearing sealed, and over and over
it went, ripping the bridge guard from
plane and carrying it with it in a mad.
dive for the surface of the turbulent
stream fully twenty feet below.
Splash!
A confused sense' of peril flashed upon
Le Britta's senses,
Then, as he lay a huddled heap in one,
corner of the box, two disooveries
thrilled his soul vaguely -the current of
the river was carrying' the disnxantled
vehiole down 'stream, and the box was
filling with water1
It seemed to eddy whirl and totter, and
gain additional: velocity each moment.
It careened, upset, a choking' hood of.
waters rose breast high., and then a
second crash half -stunned, the imperiled
captive.
That orash announced liberty, however,
if nothing else, for striking soine rock in
avid stream, the battered wagon -box
51415 clear in twain.
Exhausted; weak and half -blinded, Le
Britta managed to swine to shore. `there
upon the shingly beach be lay, one hour
or ten, he knew not which, for insen-
sibility instantly supervened.
The first gray tints of dawn were
streaking the eastern liorizou as he again
staggered to bis feet.
His senses swam still, and his brain
seemed benumbed. Without coherency or
motive, he wandered from the spot.
Broad daylight found him nearing a
collection of huts marking some pour
industrial center. Into one that was
deserted he staggered.
It seemed complete luxury torest
again, It seemed as if the tired senses
demanded inertia, forgetfulness.
(T0 BE CONTINUED.)
A Penni iar Fish.
Lying limp and shiny on a fishmon-
ger's slab, or dry and sandy in the Dutch
fishwives' baskets, the turbot is perhaps
the least interesting of fish. When swim-
ming in an artificial sea or lying on the
sandy bottom it is the most attractive of
all the denizens of this mock ocean, and
whether at rest or in motion has au air of
vigilance, vivacity and intelligence
greater than that of any of the normallys
shaped fish This is in part due to his
habits and in part to the expression of
the flat fish's eye. This, which is sunk
and invisible in the dead fish. is raised
on a kind of turret in the living turbot,
or sole, and set there in a half -revolving
apparatus, working almost as independ-
ently as the "ball and socket" eyes of
the chameleon. There is this difference,
however, in the eye of the lizard and of
the fish—the iris of the chameleon is a
mere pin-hole at the top of the eyeball,
which is thus absolutely without expres-
sion. The turbot's or "butt's," eyes are
black and gold and intensely bright, with
none of the fixed, staring, stupid appear-
ances of ordinary fishes' eyes. It lies upon
the sand and jerks its oyes independently
into position to survey any part of the
ground surface and the water above or
that on either side at any angle.
If it had light rays to project from its
eyes instead of to receive, the effect
would be precisely that made by the
sudden shifting of the jointed apparatus
wittob, casts She gb ctrl_ light trona a war-
ship at any angle on the sea, sky or hori-
zon. The tprbots, though ready, graceful
swimmers, moving in wave like undula-
tions across the water, or dashing off like
a flash when so disposed, usually lie per-
fectly still upon the bottom. They do
not, like the dabs and flounders, cover
themselves with sand, for they neimic the
Dolor of the ground with such absolute
fidelity that except for the shining eyes
it is almost impossible to distinguish
them. It would appear that volition plays
some part in this subtle conformity to
environment, for one turbot, which is
blind, has changed a tint too light and
not all in harmony with that of the sand.
fie Was Chief of the Snobs.
Sir John Brown, the cutlery manufac-
turer of Sheffield, owed his title to a
visit to that city by the Prince of Wales
while Sir John was Mayor of Sheffield.
That he is a snob of snobs the following
story proves: On the occasion of his visit
the prince leaned his head against a wall
in the billiard -room in his host's house,
leaving a stain on the delioate paper.
This stain Sir John had covered with
glass and surrounded by a gold frame,
planing an inscription below whioh re-
lated that the stain was made by the
head of England's future King.—Boston
Globe
He Convinced Thein.
Some time ago a number of choice
spirits were enjoying a little supper in a
certain northern town.
When the cloth had been removed and
the usual toasts honored, some one sug-
gested a song. The efforts of the first
gentleman who volunteered to oblige the
company met with such a hearty recep-
tion that others were induced to sing.
In the end it was discovered that every
onehad contributed to the evening's en-
joyment with the exception of the medi-
cal gentleman who occupied the vice -
chair.
"Come, come, Dr. X—," said the
chairman, "we cannot allow you to es-
cape."
The doctor protested that he could not
sing.
"As a matter of fact," he explained,
"my 'voice is altogether unmusical, and
resembles the sound caused by the act of
rubbing a brick along the panels of a
door."
The company laughed and attributed
this to the doctor's modesty. Good sing-
ers, he was reminded always needed a
lot of pressing.
"Very well, gentlemen," said the doc-
tor, rising to his feet; "if you can stand
it I will sing."
Long'before he had finished his audi-
ence was uneasy. The unwilling singer
had faithfully described his voice.
There was a painful silence as the doc-
tor sat down, broken at length by the
voice of a braw Scot at the far end of the
table.
"Man," he exclaimed, "your singin's
no up to much, but your veracity's just
awful! Ye're richt aboot that brick!"
Preliminary Work.
Marjorie is five years old, with sharp
eyes for seeing whatever goes on and a
bright way of describing it afterward in
her somewhat limited vocabulary. The
other day her father was taken 111 sud-
denly and a strange doctor was called in.
It chanced that the medical man had an
impediment in his speech, and the mo-
ment Marjorie heard him' talk she was
all attention, for it was the first time she
had ever met with a person who, stutter -
the departure of the
ed. Afterp doctor
Mr oriswho had thought it all outi
a n
her own mind, made even her sick father
laugh by saying:—
"That
aying:"That doctor couldn't remember the
words he was going to say, so he talked
a little while before he said them."
His,Question.
Della Ware—Do you believe in the
Biblical admonition of giving a kiss for
a blow,' Mr. Westside?
Westside—Woll—or--that depends, Miss
Ware, How hard are you going to strike
me? --Buffalo Times.
A novelty in a cape is made of black
velvet lined with ivory and pale bine
brocade. The neck finish is made of
loops* of black velvet ribbon so closely
set that they touch eaoh other at the
outer ends, forming a cape of loops,. Up
around the neck stand other loops, mak-
ing a ruche. -New Bork Ledger.
UTILIZING THE SWEET PEA.
£Prettyhedge—Fragrant Window Screen.
Sweet Pea Fountain.
Everybody may not know that an at-
tractive as well as effective hedge may
be obtained with sweet peas in a shorter
time than with most other plants. A
florist in The Ladies' Home Journal cites
as an example a hedge 90 feet long used
to separate the clothes drying space from
the more attractive grounds. Abundant
support was furnished in an arrange-
ment of cedar poles and telegraph wire,
the former being planted as a tripod at
each end of the rows, with the wire at-
tached at the foot of the outside poles
and where the poles crossed. The wires
were drawn tight and supported at reg-
ular distances for the. vines to attach
themselves, fine linen twine being car-
ried from wire to wire and soon covered,
so that at a little distance the vines
SWEET PEA WINDOW SCREEN.
seemed to stand alone. The poles of the
tripods rose some distance above their
crossings, and these were soon decorated
with the bells of the morning glory, so
similar in its variety of colorings to that
of the sweet pea.
The sweet pea is also suggested for a
screen against the ugliness visible from
many back windows.
Given a long, narrow box for this
purpose, with a simple trellis work of
ordinary wire or twine, well pulverized
and enriched earth, with a small addi-
tion of sand and a moderate amount of
sunshine—sweet pea vines being easily
scorched—and a pretty window, a fra-
grant room, and plenty of blossoms for
cutting may be confidently counted on,
says the authority quoted, and' an ac-
companying illustration verifies the
statement. Following are additional
notes gleaned from the same source:
A peculiarity of sweet peas is that
the higher they are trained the more
profusely they will bloom, and if all
fading blossoms are removed before they
can go to seed a constant succession of
bloom is secured. A pretty garden de-
vice is a sweet pea fountain, which is
produced by planting a tall upright post
firmly in the ground and attaching the
skeleton of an umbrella to it at the top.
The vines planted at its base will climb
and droop from the edge of the umbrella,
the unfolding blossoms and sprays dis-
posing themselves in such fashion that
the idea of a floral fountain is easily
suggested.
As a winter plant the sweet pea is not,
so satisfactory as one could wish. It has
been sometimes tried in a hanging bas-
ket and coaxed into moderate bloom
amid winter snows, but it does not take
kindly to such conditions.
A Trio of Injurious Insects.
At the forty-second annual meeting
of the Western New York Horticultural
society three insects injurious to nursery
stock received attention: First, the
peach tree borer, for which' no pre-
ventive is known. The only remedy so
far discovered is to dig the borers out in
June or July. ,Second, woolly aphis, or
plant lice. The remedy for this is kero-
sene emulsion used on the limbs and
kerosene oil on the roots. Third,.. the
San Jose scale. This disease is present
in New York, Delaware, Maryland and
Ohio, also on Long Island. Whale oil
soap, two pounds to a gallon of water,
will kill all it covers, but some are cer-
tain to be missed, and Mr. Willard and
others urged the necessity of the utmost
care and watchfulness for this pest.
In Your Planting.
Bear in mind that all large, quick
growing plants such as oannas, castor
bean plants, caladiulns, mesas, large
leaved solanums, etc., require generous
doses of manure—in fact, you can hard-
ly overdo it. Gardening says common
sense will tell you that any plant that
reaches the size and robustness that any
of the above will in one season if well
grown must have a well filled store-
house of nutritious food to draw upon.
Fruit Notes.
The Newport o t muskmelon is described
P
as the highest flavored, most luscious
green fleshecd variety grown, and 're-
markably early.
The Timbroll strawberry is a fine late
pistillate variety.
Lovett's, Best blackberry is generally
hardy and bears a profusion of large
berries that ripen early in the season.
Anemone Whirlwind, a semidoubie
form of the white Japan anemone,con•
tines to grow in favor,
Clothilde Souport is recommended by
eastern florists as one of .the best roser,.
for bedding.
A popular crimson varietyfox forcing
@
is the Meteor rose.
Tho Golden Gate rose is a free bloomer.
The Greenville apple is a promising
sort produced from seed of the •fall.
Maiden Blush.
HOW TO ROAST BEEF.
temperature of the Oven—A Prime Pot
Boast. '
When beef is to be roasted, it should
be placed in a very hot oven at first, so
that the surface will be quickly brown-
ed, thus making a coating by which the
juices of the meat will all be retained.
The temperature of the oven should then
be lowered and the moat cooked slowly
and be frequently basted, unless it is in
a covered pan. Tlie time allowed for
roasting a large piece of beef is usually
12 minutes for every pound and 12 min-
utes for the pan, writes a contributor to
the New York Sun, and authority for
the following:
To prepare a piece of beef for roasting
do not wash it, but wipe it off with a
damp cloth. Place it in a baking pan,
rub some beef drippings over the top
and dredge the top and sides with flour.
Put in the pan a couple of spoonfuls of
drippings. Water should not be added if
you wisb the roast to be a nice brown,
and do not add the salt and pepper to
the pan until after the surface of the
meat has been well browned. Remember
that after the first 20 minutes roast beef
requires a moderate oven and baste the
meat frequently with its own drippings
from the pan. If there is danger of the
gravy growing too brown or cooking
away, a little beef stock may be added
to the pan, and frequently a gill of cook-
ing wine is added to the pan in the last
20 minutes of cooking, giving the gravy
a delicious flavor.
When the roast is sufficiently cooked,
remove it to a heated platter and make
the gravy. First turn oil the top grease
from the liquid in the pan, and if there
is not sufficient liquid left add a little
stock. Lightly dredge the pan with flour
and stir over a hot fire. Season with a
spoonful of some sauce and more salt
and pepper, if needed. ' Strain into a
heated gravy boat and serve.
For a pot roast get a short, thick
piece of the cross rib of the beef and
lard it with little strips of clear, fat
pork. Put the pot in which the meat is
to be cooked over the fire, and when it
becomes hot put in the beef and brown
it, turning the meat until every side is
browned. Add half a dozen little onions,
2 tablespoonfuls of tomatoes, a bay leaf,
a little chopped parsley, 3 cloves, a doz-
en whole black peppers, 2 garlic buds
and a cup of stock. Place the pot where
the meat will just steam and the liquid
simmer for three hours, keeping the pot
closely covered. One hour before serving
add 2 carrots,, sliced thin, and another
cup of stock, if it is needed. Remove
the meat when done to a heated platter
and season the sauce with salt and pep-
per and a teaspoonful of woreestershire
sauce and rub it through a coarse sieve.
Pour the sauce around the meat.
Dressing the hair.
The medley of modes in hairdressing
is proof that women at least make au
attempt to suit their coiffures to their
heads. In the New York Sun are illus-
trated some of the present modes in
coiffures. From this source it is learned
FASHIONABLE COIFFURES.
that a pretty fashion for those who find
it becoming is to wave the hair slightly
all around and arrange a soft, twisted
knot directly at the back, a little above
the nape of the neck, and fasten it with
a fancy pin. The mystery of fashionable
hairdressing is solved at the hairdress-
er's, where there are all sorts of valu-
able aids in the form of frisettes to give
the desired pompadour effects and help
out the full puff at the sides so much in
vogue. These cushions, with additional
puffs and fancy combs. and, for evening
dress, other ornamental decorations, add
to the size of the head, but that seems
to be the one object fashion has in view
this season. The pompadour effect is the
style for evening dress, and the knot,
which is arranged on the crown of the
head, must not tower any higher than
the front, the extra height being given
by the feathers, aigrets and bows. The
Marie Antoinette coiffure, arranged
with a large bowknot at the back, is
charming for some women, and little
bowknots of gold or silver set with
fancy stones are suitable ornaments.
Mercury wings in spangled gauze or set
with precious stones are very effective.
A dainty decoration worn by young
ladies is a narrow wreath of some fine
flower around the back hair and fasten-
ed at the top with an upright bow of
white satin ribbon. The fashion of wav-
ing the hair all around seems to have
come to stay, but it must be done in the
large, soft waves, not the close, crinkled
oneS of last season.
Silverware and Art Goods.
Silver fruit dishes with solid centers
and pierced borders represent a favorite
style.
Glass tea caddies, elaborately cut,
with silver tops, present a change in
this direction.
Silver wirework forms the latest edi-
tion of photograph holders.
Among modern table requisites are
silver sardine trays and sardine forks.
Candles and shades and candelabra
are included in dinner table decorations..
Silver toys for collectors are out in
new designs and are notable for fine
'workmanship.
Receptacles for cold cream come in
out glass and are of low, round form.
The covers are " ornate affairs in gold or
silver: -Jewelers' Circular.