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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Brussels Post, 1900-10-25, Page 61 THE MYSTERIOUS CRI1IE ON TII� S.S. . �EPTU V E 1 011APTER 7SIII,--Contintied, "Cherohee la femme," replied Vase 'mile, with a sardonic smile. On melee; heart almost stood still. She turned very pale; but, with a great effort, managed to preserve her composure. So this was this reason of his coldness Lo her ; be was in love with another woman, and had merely arpus0sl himself with her on the voy- age, With ber, Carmelo Ootoner I The thought was madness -and she clenched her hands, while the bot blood, flushed her oheeke rose -red. "S don't believe It," she said, hoarse- ly''I can prove my words to true," answered Vassalla, suavely; "if you come with me to the Italian Exhibi- tion, you will see them there." "How do you knew 9' the asked, rais- ing her heavy eyes to bis. "Tbat is a secret, my cousin; will you come?" ' No.,, "Think' it over; I will call again thio afternoon," and Vassalla left the house humming a tune. Be knew Ronald would be at the Ex- hibition that afternoon, as he had met dt:.ine in the morning casually, and Monteith lad mentioned that he was going to take a lady to the Italian Exhibition, so the wily Maltese deter- mined to turn the incident to his own benefit, and, if possible, rouse Car - melees jealousy -that once done, she would marry him, if only out of pique. Be knew her too well to doubt that dm would come, and he proved a true prophet, for when ho called at the Laugh= at three o'clock, he found her waiting for him, dressed to go out. Be, however, was too wise to make any comment, and, stepping into a hansom, they drove to the Strand, and went by the Underground Railway to the Exhibition. Ronald) was there, as as had pro- mised to escort Mrs, Taunton, for the "Not at all, it's merely a woman's. inatinet 4 come, tell ane, do you love her 9" "Yes," he answered, sadly, "too well: " "Nonsense," said Mss. Taunton, rapidly, "no woman clan be loved too well." "No, I agree with you there -if 0110 is worthy of it." "And 1s this lady not worthy 4" "I don't know." "How mysterious you are -it is cruel of me to keep you trying to solve the riddle of my brother's deatb, when you ought to be making love to thatyoung lady." "That is just it," said Ronald, with a groan; "1f your brother bad not been killed, I would not leave doubted her." "What do you moan?" asked Mrs. Taunton, breathlessly. "Who is she?" "Miss Cotoner." "What! The sister of my brother's wife 9" "I don't know," he said, dreamily. "You don't know -you don't know?" she said, with a, quick, indrawn breath; "what parrot -cry is this -did she come from Malta 4" "Yea." "Then she must be ivbat I have said." Ronald sighed. "I can't toll till I hear from Malta." "Does she know anything about my brother's death?" "Good God! no," he answered, quick- ly ; "how could she 9" "I don't know," she answered, be- tween, her clenched teeth ; "but there is more in this than I understand." "You don't think I am playing you false?" he said, sharply. "No," she replied, in a kinder tone ; "I don't think that -you have been so kind." "i intend to find out who killed your brother, and punish him or her," be said, slowly; "and though I love Miss poor little lady was so grieved and Cotoner more than my lite, till 1 dis- horror-struck over her brother's death cover this' mystery, I will not speak that she never let Ronald alone a one word of love to her." moment, but was always urging him "You promise me?" to go on with the ease. It was in vain, "I promise," and he took her he: said, they would have to wait till band. the letter came from Malta before They were silent for a moment, and they could make a fresh move. Mrs. theu passed out of the garden togeth- Mrs. Taunton was fiercely impatient, er, both absorbed in their own and had accompanied the Australian thoughts. not so much with the object of seeing' The woman's: "Will this love pre - the .Exhibition as of discussing the vent him doing justice to my brother's case with him. They wandered about, memory 9" in deep conversation, not heeding, in i The man's: "Is Carmela aware that the least, the crowds of people around I know her relationship to Mrs, Ver - them. While thus engaged, Ronald ; soboyle 4" did not see Miss Cotoner, who was standing; by the Marchese, looking at CHAPTER XIV. him, with a sad expression on ber Dear Sir: I have now been bere a face. week, and, in accordance with your in - "You see, I was right," whispered structions, have lost no time in inves- the Marchese, 1 tigating the case entrusted to me; but "I see," said Carmelo, in a tone oft the results, I regret to say, are far suppressed emotion; "but the lady from satisfactory. On my arrival at may be only a friend." Valetta, I took up my quarters at the "011, yes, a dear friend," he answer- Hotel d'Angleterre, in the Strada Sta. ed with a awaking laugh.; "why, I ;Lucia, made inquiries as to the where - tell you, be i0 never away from her." abouts of Mrs. Verschoyle, and after "Who is she?" asked Carmelo. some considerable difficulty, found "I do not know," answered Vassalla, that she was staying at a boarding- wbo knew perfectly well, but was not house in the Strada Cristoforo, going to reveal his knowledge, "they On learning this, I thought my best are always together," ;plan would be to take up my abode In et this moment Ronald raised his the same house, as I could then eyes and saw Carmelo.. A sudden ex- I learn with more precision the move - meats arose to his lips, and he meats of Mrs. Verschoyle. To this made a movement as if about to step lend I went to the Strada Cristoforo, forward, when suddenly he drew back, and Pound the boarding-house to be a and raising his bat with a bow, took i very oomfortuble one, kept by a tat his companion's arm and disappeared . widow, whose name is Signora Briffa. in the crowd. This action seemed to :1 secured very pleasant apartments, confirm Carmela's suspicions, and with, and took possession of them next day, a stifled sob she turned away, the much to my satisfaction and that of Marchese following in silent triumph. the Signora. "Who was that lady 9" asked Mrs, At the table d'hote I met the rest Taunton, when they were some des '•of the lodgers, who are a queer-look- Taunton, away. ling lot, mostly Italians, with a "A lady I know," he answered, (sprinkling of English people. Among evasively. I the latter is a Mrs. Dexter, the widow "And love?" ofa colonel in the Italian army, who schoyle, and she agreed to let me see 'Why do you think so?" Ihas been staying in Valetta for the' her diary, in !order that I might "That is, if you return love for lovelastfifteen years for her health, and secure anything that could be detri- -1 saw it in her face." being a garrulous old person, much mental to her enemy's character., "Impossible I" given to gossip, knows everything and everyone, Labe in tall, rather tin, with •ebare eeaturea-scanty, gray hair, and oo d,grayeyed. In foot, ho gave, the s ion of being a g 0, Ino m1Hl o a b g decidedly unpleasant weep, a pre- sentiment which turned out to be true on my further acquaintance with her, She confesses to the age of thirtyfive, : though I shrewdly eus- poet forty-five), or even more would be near the mark. She has ane quality, however, which is of great service to me -she hates Mrs, Versahoyle with all the intense hatred of a narrow minded woman. Her reasons are two- fold, First, Mrs, Versahoyle is very handsome; Mrs. Dexter is net. Second- ly, Mrs. Versehoyle is rich, whereas Mra. Dexter is pool'. Given these rea- sons, can 3'm0 wonder at the malignity of her feelings .towards Mrs, Ver- sehoyle'" Aa to the latter, she is very beautiful -]l apeak as an Unenthusias- tic man -tall, dark skinned, with clearly out features, and magnificent, blaolr eyes, she impressed me at once with an overwhelming sense of a strong personality. Looking at her 101 repose, she is a fine picture, but ones hear her talk, and the charm is gone. Yes, her voice is very coarse, and sounds discordantly; in addition to which, she is insufferably proud - another cause of Mrs. Dexter's dislike -and has a very violent temper. She of course, did not deign to speak to me -a mere English tourist -such, of oourse, is my chitraoter - but gave all hell attention to Lord Francis Bur- lington, a young nobleman who hovers round her like a moth round a candle. T hope he will net singe his lordly wings. Seeing me, _ seated in the drawing - room all alone, Mrs. Dexter came and sat beside me, apparently out of good nature for one so forsaken, but in real- ity to learn all my history, and gratify her love of curiosity. I told hen my history - that is, I invented a fictitious story, which proved that I ought to have been a novelist. 14 return for my confidence, she told mo all about the inmates of Lhe house, more espeoially of Mrs. Verschoyle, thinking, I've no doubt, that a skilfully colored story might injure the lady in my estima- tion. I heard all about the divorce case, but as you are already acquaint- ed with the facts, there is no need, on my part, for repetition, so I may as wall tell you the story of Mrs. Ver- sclnoyle's life from the time sha set- tled in Valetta after the divorce. In the first place, she has an In- come from the late Mr. 'Verschoyle, and not oaring to take a house, lived at first in lodgings; but such was the violence of her temper that she was turned out of one place after another till she found a haven of rest at Signora Briffa's, as that lady does not regard temper eto long ae the money is paid regularly. Airs. Ver- schoyle has a sister called Carmelo, who is at present in England, whither she went, on ,board the "Neptune." IL appears she was in England before, but came out to Malta to live with her sister. They quarrelled, however, and Carmela, in a rage, left Mrs. Ver- sahoyle and went to London ,as you know, in the same boat as you did. The Marchese Vassalla, who is her cousin, also went with her, though he has always been,, and is still, good friends with Mrs. Verschoyle, and I shrewdly suspect, from hints convey ed by Mrs. Dexter, that the lady in question is in lova with him. Hevng thus got a general outline of the life of Mrs. Versohoyle, I questioned Mrs. Dexter in detail, and here I was even more fortunate than before, as I found this excellent person kept a diary, which she agreed to slaw to me. You will wonder , et my being honored with such confidence after so short an acquaintance, but the fact is Mrs, Dexter disoovered-with a wo- man's instinat-that my mission was inimical Lo the interests, of Mrs. Ver - The I ung Crow Old Boners Their rim When youth shows infirmity, when old age creeps in before its time,when the days that should be Lhe best of manhood and womanhood are burden- ed with aches, pain and weakness, we know that the nervous system is wear- ing out end that there is Imminent danger of nervous prostration, para. lysis, locomotor ataxia or insanity, $ow we admire the old in years- eirowned with silvered hair, yet erect In stature, faculties retained with vi- gor necessary to the declining years --cheerful, bright, grand old age. How lamentable is youthful infirmity, middle-aged enfeeblement, parting of the ways too soon, told by restlessness, starting up violently during sleep, morning languor, tired, fagged, worn- out; trembling limbs, worried brain, Mind aimless and depressed. Whatever the indirect cause, the condition is lack of Nerve Force -nerve waste has not been repaired. It won't repair itself. Dr. A. W. Chase's Nerve Food furnishes in condensed pill form the nerve nutriment which repairs nerve waste. There rests the secret of the wonderful cores nada by this great nerve -building medicine. Mr. A. T. P. Lalame, railway agent at ClerencevilIs, Que., writes: For twelve years I have bean run down with nervous debility. I suffered much, and consulted doctors and used medicines in vain. Same menthe ago I heard of Dr. Chase's Nerve Food, used two boxes, and my health improved so rapidly that I ordered twelve more. I con say frankly that this treat- ment has no equal In the medical world. While using Dr, Chase's Nerve Food I could feel my system being built up until now I am stronpa and healthy. I cannot recommend it too highly for weak, nervous people," Drs Chase% Nerve F Oda Is prepared in condensed pill form and on every box is found thee) por- trait and signaturd of Dr. A. W. Chase. Protest on having the genuine, , its, a box, at all dealers or Edmanson Bates & Co. Taranto. I might as well mention that Mrs. Dexter, being quite alone in the world, and having very little money, agreed to accept a sum of money as a bribe, w', as she put 11, a loan -loan or bribe, the fact remains the same -she took Lt. She likewise promised to observe profound secrecy, so, haying thus secured her allegiance, I went to my own room and perused the pages of her diary, taking notes as I went along. The notes are as follows, but I am afraid they are of small value, as they seem -to my mind -to lead to nothing; Extracts from the Diary of Mrs. Dexter. April 211th. -Another quarrel! I knew it would lead to this. I wonder Carmelo pests up with the insolence of her sister. No wonder Mr. Ver- sohoy1e divorced her; no one could live wit,h such a bad-tempered woman. She says she divorced him, but, of course, I know Lhe truth, though she doesn't think so. She put me in mired of that horrid Major Penton's wife at Simba -the same bald way about her. I asked Carmelo where Mr. Ver- schoyle was, and she Bald she did not. know. 09 course oho did not, but I do; he's in Australia. Signore Briffa told me that Oarmata was in lave with Mr. Verschoyle herself, but bo pre - furred her slater. No wontlor they, clea1rel, s...- -Mrs. V oh 1 ' • ea- ting let. M ors o ata of y x ting her oap at Lord ltreeels, and 1 oein she very well le trying to marry him, He's a fool, 'know, bort not quite so toilet) as to make ber hie wife, in feet I think ho rather inolinhs to her easter. I bailee() Mrs, Ver- salaele sees this, -aed it makes her none the more friendly towards Par - Mole. I wonder bmw It will end? May 10th,-Su:ah a lot has happen- ed lately, Lard Franols is gone, and Mrs. Verschoyle is furious. I am very glad, as she has missed her ohanoe of a oaronet, I believe he pro- posed to Carmelo, and went away in a rage because she refused hum, IIe has left for Constantinople in his yacht, and Mrs. Versohoyle would have given her ears 'to hays gone also -the bold thing! The enmity be- tween the sisters still continues, and I .verily believe Airs, Verschoyle would kill Carmola with pleasure if she could do so with safety. I overheard a curi- ous conversation between them, and I wonder what It means. T was sit- ting in the drawing -ream, halt hid- den by the oua'taims, when the sisters entered the room and began to quar- rel as usual -a most delightful pair. I despise listeners, but I could not study hIs appearanoo very carefully, help myself, so had to overhear theseeking to judge whether he has any eanvsrsatian-unwillingly, of course; ill intent. The attitude of these men it will be best for me to put it inn or women, for both are employed, is divrmatie form. quite unaffected, and except to the Mrs. Verschoyle; You know you trained eye gives no indication of their loved him! (T wonder whom she business, the policy being everywhere means?) to make the proeautious taken for the Carmelo; Yes, I did, but it was °oily safetyhigh the fancy of a girl; when he married of 6 persoouges as unob trusive as possible O you I did not care a bit about him, (I Often the palace les see now, they are talking of Mrs. Ver- j detectives are at the same time acting as gardeners or hostders, stableboys schoyle's husband;) but he was a good or scuLlery women. husband to you, and you might have' It very seldom happens that a mem- made avis life happy, ber of a royal family takes three steps Mrs. Verschoyle; He betrayed me alone outside .his private apartments, for another woman. 'seen when doing the sights incognito. Carmelo; Only after you made his Whether gr not he knows et, at the life so unendurable that he had to mbment there are always at least Leave you. 1 two members of the secret police in Mrs. Verschoyle lake his close though unseen attendance on part? I believe you arers in love with loaf, in a cab or on bicycles. They hum still. ' never leave their charge long out of Carmelo.; I am not, and you know , reach, Even at Sandringham, the Li. Here, Mrs. Verschoyle burst tato a I quiet little country place of the torrent of such abusive language, Prince and Prinoess of Wales, if the that, as a gentlewoman and a Chris -Princess goes out into a field to pick Lion, I had to interfere. Carmelo, left wild flowers or rambles round the the room and after Mrs. Versahoyie's home farm to ase how the Alderneys anger had expended insole, she re are getting on, she. is always closely lapsed into sulky silence. t followed by the • police. More often June 6th. Such a delightful man 1 than not she prob."1y believes ber- is staying here -Marchese Matteo' self quite unattended except for the Vassalla-he is a cousin of the sister, ! mold of honor who goes with her for and is waiting the arrival of the P.1 company. She does not know. that and O. "Neptune" to go on to Eng -I the two mem dressed like farmhands land. I have manna discovery; he or stableboys whom she. sees now and is is love with Carmelo, and Mrs. I then a little way off are first-class detectives armed and ready to shield Verschoyle is in love with him, How I her from any harm that might strange? Carmelo. always seems to . stand in the way of her sister, and threaten. that does not mend the breach be '. Young princes and even middle-aged tween them. They went out together ; kimgs sometimes amuse themselves in - and came back quarrelling -I suppose aognito in rather undignified ways, about the Marchese -and Carmelo' Vowing off all the outward pomp said she was going, to England in the of their position and passing as ordinary pleasure -loving citizens: In this case the absence of all sigus of PROTECTION OF ROYALTY LR one PLO BY ' Es >; x�n VARIED RISGUIS Pl SECRET POLICE. flew .fe]]]tes Are Guarded -In Their kalitces -. 1011110 '1'raveiloig incognito - week, Passing, Through Breeds, Beery royal palms isx Europe has its apeoial private po1100, wblo, in 0010 guise or another are always on the lookout for suspicious p01soiis, In the ease 09 pwlaom in the centre of big cities these officers are very num- erous. Al Lha gates there az'e, of course uniformed policemen and mili- tary guards who make no attempt to oonosal their funotion. Bat these are not irttended for use bel'f so much as for oenamont. Hundreds of peo- ple go every day iso and out of the gates .on all emits of business. The police or military guards are not the judges of the honesty of such visitors. It Ls w,h,en the stranger has passed the gates that the real surveillance be- gins. In Paris, Berlin, and St. Peters- burg, for 'example, among the gate- keepers of the rulers' palace there are expert deteatbyes; asd on a sign from these, one oa' two members, of the secret police move up quietly to keep watch on the now comer. They "Neptune." June 18th. -The "Neptune" has ar- rived, and Carmelo., has secured her royalty would seem to unsure their passage. She is going to Sir Mark { safety. But the police know very Trevor in England, and will be escort-; well that that very feeling of seou- ed by her cousin, Vassalla. Ishould {rity might prove the sour0e of tbeir not wonder if they were engaged by greatest danger. Any Anarchist the time they leach London. Gar- might get to kuow of the royal weak- mela and her sister made up their I nese and arrange his plans according - quarrel, and went out together, ' ly. So it is just in t(he)se oases that then Carmelo name back alune, almost the surveillance is most elaborately crying, and shut herself in her room. t careful. The chief of the private Mrs. Verschoyle's a minx; pater on ' agents installed permanently in the that lady came back in a fearful rage. Palace tells two or three of the men I fancy she must have spoken to some most conversant wthh the pitfalls of one who differed from her; she tried the city to follow the royal personage to see Carmelo, but that young lady 1 wtherever he may go. very properly refused to be further If he eaters a cafe and sits at insulted, so Dirs. Verschoyle shut , a little table to see life the distin- berself up in her room. Carmela guiahed-looking man who orders a went away without saying good -by to' drink at the next little table is a her, and Mrs. Versohoyle refused to policeman and the street vendor who come tro dinner. After dinner, I went stands monotonously crying an album up to her room, and knocked at the of views or a new ley on the ourb- door; it was still locked, and I could stone alas an eye on his Highness all obtain no answer from her, so I went' the time. to bed early, having a headache. l On the occasions of a monarch visit - June 14th -Next morning Mrs. Ver-; lag a foreign nation. the country sehoyle was not at breakfast, and, wt'ioh receives the distinguished guest sent down word she had a headache;' always works in conjun0tion welsh bis no wonder, with the way she lets her personal attendants. The assassina- vi.olent temper run away with her. • tion of a foreign ruler within the I saw her later La the day, and asked borders of another nation is feared her why she did not answer when I as the waret possible catastrophe by knocked on the previous night. She' the odfioials of the, country he honors said she was asleep and did not hear with his presence. Inevitably the protecting agents get to know much about their wards which the latter would rather keep private. But it seldom happens that damaging stories become public pro- perty through any indiscreet talk on. the part of these officials, Men and women employed ]n this delicate and confidential branch of service aro persc1ft of exceptional skill and gen- erally of incorruptible fidelity. Many of them, especially on the Continent of Europe, can speak five or six lan- guages with fluency. They have to be able to play to perfection any role their varied assignments may require. They aro exeeedtxigly well paid, draw- ing the salaries of successor] profes- sional men, and when they are retired after faitbtul service it is custaanary to continue their eateries. Of, course, bhe very slightest indiscretion brings down the cleverest rebuke, If they are found to have deliberately blabbed anything they have learned through the oxereiss el thair o.Itioe they are me. I did not speak to her again. She has lost both her lovers and her easter, and I'm not sorry. To Be OonLinued. MEAT fol Needed le Produce n nearly ltaee er I'enple. - Peasants of Massie live matuly up- on thin vegetable soup, sauenkraut, rye bread and oil. The Scotch High- lander, whose courage and hardihood are proverbial, seldom touches meat, living mainly upon oatmeal, vege- tables and buttermilk. Among the most motive and vital people of the world are the Irish peasants, whose diet ooneists almostentirely of pota- toes and butternuLik, The farmers of Corsica live all winter upon dried fruit, mainly dates, and polenta, chestnut, meal. During the .Middle Aiges the Moore used to provision their fortified clues with chestnuts and olive oil. irretrievably disgraaod, and In items ootolerles summarily punished Cor violation of their professlenai oath, 7,lholr work is rendered exceptionally arduous by the oonaten', atratn upon oho nerves that it lmposee. Thee, have to bo always on the watch. The mo- ment In which they relax their atten, Hon may be the very moment of a fatal attaok. And, of (aurae, the mere Caot of a oriaminei's oven get- ting near enough to a royal person to make an attempt upon ,his life means the professional extinction of the sweet service man) On tee oocusioat of a state oeromony with the passage af some royal par - teenage there are °Sten sudden out- breaks of trouble in the crowd, You will see two men suddenly some to blows;. both will probably be arrest- ed by an ordinary, uniformed police- man. That often means that a Sec- ret Service man in disguise auspeeta some individual whom he has observed peeked to with the bulk of the people. He has passed the word to another Secret Service main near by, and one of them has deliberately peeked a quarrel with the suspected man, Per- haps knocking off his bat or jostling him rudely. In this way without Lee- treying their mission they prooure the elimination of an individual whom, without positive proof, they suspect of criminal Intentions. And despite al these precautions the world, within a very brief, period, has had to depolre the assasemation of the Empress of Austria, closely sur- rounded by proteotors though she was the murder of King Humbert, and the attempts to kill] tlhe Prince of Wales Ring Ferdinand of Bulgaria and the Shah of Persia. VALUE OF BIRDS. The eaonomi °value of birds to man lies in the service they render in pre- venting the undue increase of in- sects, in devouring small rodents, in destroying the seed of harmful plants, and in acting as scavengers Based upon reliable statistics; lead- ing entomologists estimate that in- sects cause an annual loss of at least Tillf CZAR'S EMPIRE, taw The 11'1'eteiieil 4:andu1en of 1Me etesellln r 1,01"naL The Ituesien village oansists of flora Heinen to forty log cabins, each twef, ty-five to thirty feet square and about (seem') feet bi4;+h to the square, Tbey are heated by a large brick stove, about six feet square, in the cheater of the heut, and on three sides of the stave there are wood benchecs, about three feet from the floor. On these the Russian sleeps. and under this bed," pr bench, the pig sleeps and the hens roost. The only other turns- tore, is a table, about three teat squarer and a plank on the aide of the hot to sit upon, In one oormr you will see the store of onions and potatoes, and overhead are sheep and ealfslcins being dried and prepared ready to make the winter coat.' In one of theee huts, three, four or five families huddle together. The vile lagers work the land together, plow- ing, sowing, tilling and reaping and mowing In a body, and they divide the produce, not equally. Tbelr (looks graze in one lot, and eere attended by herders, usually a couple of boys ,and girls. They Lave plots of ground for oabbages and potatoes, and soma villages have a few fruit trees -ap- ples, pears, plums and cherries, The oral's they raise in this district are hay, rye, the staple food of the pea- sant, barley, millet and oats, flax, beano and peas. There Is either a windmill, or a horse mill in most vil- lages to grind the rye. The weals of the peasant's work lies in attending to his cattle, and land, (tutting his wood for fuel and cart- ing any surplus he may bays to the nearest town to sell, so that he may be able to buy any of the iron tools he requires, such as plow, spade, ax, saw or etew pot of iron, the only cook- ing utensil moat of them have. In ad- dition, he may buy a little tea, sugar, tobacco, gin or some salted herrings, a piece of gaudy cotton print for a Sunday dress for bis wife, or a print bandkerohief for her head. These are About all the things the peasant ,�26D du6,666 to the agricultural inter- wnebecofor' that he does not produce himself. They spin and weave by hand eats every year, exclusio of the the'is own wool and flax, and make damage done to ornamentnl shrub their own olothing out of the cloth, Their feet they cover with strips of the home-made cloth, and they make sandals from birch bark. He is thought bery, shade and forest trees. In the air swallows and swifts course ever in pursuit of insects, which constitute their sole food. When they retire the night hawks, and whippoorwills take a rich peasant who can afford a pair up the ohase, catching moths and 0th- of leather boots for Sundays and laoIi- days. Iles winter ()oat consists of er nocturnal insects, which would es cape day -flying birds. The wood- lions cured ox tanned skins of sheep peckers, nutaohes and creepers attend co: calf, and his dress in winter con - to the tree trunks and lambs, examine sista of a skirt, a wont of skin, a pair ing carefully each inch of bark for of homespun trousers, rags for his insects' eggs and larvae, or excavate feet and a skin cap. They make their ing for the ants and borers they hear awn wooden carte and sledges. Some at work within. On the ground the of them have iron hoops on their cart hunk Is continued by the thrushes, wheels, and that is all the iron on sparrows and other birds who feed them; many days not even that. The upon the innumerable forme of terres- whole of the fool is wood, and the trial insects. artificial light is furnished by a pine The stomach of a yellow -billed etick or spill, lit and stuck, in a orev- ouokoo shot at 6 o'clock in the morn- bee of the but, when burnt out lobe ing contained the partially digested replaced by another. remains dt 48 tent-caterpillars..E. H. They seldom get nieat, and their Forbush, ornithologist of the Massa- food is mostly rye bread, cabbage, and ohueetts State Board of Agriculture, onion and potato soup, fat bacon and states deal: the stomachs of four millet porridge and skimmed milk. chickadees oontained 1,028 eggs of the The butter they make they sell in the cankerworm, The stomachs of four i)owne. Few of than can read or write other birds of the name species con- and few of them can tell the time from a watch or clock. Many villages have no clock or watch at all. The people are about in the same stage of civilization tbat the English attain- ed in the seventeenth century, al- tained about 600 eggs and 105 female mottle of the cankerworm. The aver- age number af eggs found in 20 of these moths was 185, and as it is es- timated that a chickadee can eat 90 female cankerworms a day during the though, of course, they a"e rapidly 1'e 27 days when these moths crawl up ing transformed by means of the rail- treee, it follows that in this period lyes. Another thirty years will eorn- eaoh chlokedee would destroy more Pletely change the whole tenor of than 198,000 egge of this noxious in- their lives, and the ohauge will in- sect. Prof. Forbes, direotor of the Il- arenas ]heir wants, and In Ibis way linois State Laboratory of Natural find markets to absorb the goods History, found a 175 larvae of tibio which: their own mills and workshops -a fly which in the larval stage feeds Produce. 09 course, there is no open - on the roots of grass -in the stomach infor foreign textile goods, because of a single robin, and the intestines the luotertty tariffs are too heavy. g, contained probably as many more. Dr. If these tariffs were abolished the A. R. Fisher, assistant ornithologist Russian mills would get their maohin- of the United States Department of era for 25 per sent, lees money, and Agriculture, baa found that 90 per this is no little item wihdu the inter - cent. of the food of the red -shouldered est on money ranges from 8 to 12 per hawk, commonly called " thicken Dent• hawk" or " hon hawk," consists of in- jurious ma'nmel s and insects, while 200 castings of the barn owl contain- ed the skulls of 450 small mammals, no less than 225 of these being skulls of the destructive field 01 meadow mouse. The carnivorous birds reap a crop of seeds, wbioh, it left to ger- minute, would cause a heavy loss to agricultural interests. Dr, G.F.. Gnu- mer, a Yucatan, says that the kill- ing of immense numbers of herons and a thea' littoral birds in Yucatan has been followed by an increase in human mortality among the inhabit- ants et the coast, a direct result of the destruction of the birds that for- merly aesisted in keeping the bombes and bayous free from decaying animal matter. The feathers of each and all of these little -appreciated al- lies cif the agriculturist are used on women's hairs, as well as tbose of more gorgeous plumage. QUITE A TROUBLE. I d -d -didn't knave thht nu0reury and alcohol w -w -would nalx, said young De Shivers, as he rode to the city from Wilkinsbnrg in nn open ear, Well, will it? asked MT. Honrewood, The thermometer has t -t -taken drop too mem-much. REFLECTIONS OF A BACHELOR, A woman's political opinions are generally as uncomfortable as but- tons on pajamas. A man tries to make a woman love him; a woman tries to make u man make her love him. It is easiest for a widow to get married again because a widow never bas any conscience When a woman is in love with a man she always has a longing to see bin on a horse, leading a division of a big parade. The wisest man in the world pro- bably couldn't bald a baby so that some woman wouldn't tell him how 1t ,ought to he done, MIGHT BITU THE ANGELS, A foul' -year-old girl, .whose dog bad died, said to her Sunday school;teaohe er; "I guess the angels worn afraid when they saw hint conning up the walk. he's cross to slraugers." Annette -What Is an artistic) tail- or, anyway? Reginald -An artistic tenor, my dear alLild, Is a tailor that makes correct clothes that no artist would pal''at5