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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Brussels Post, 1897-7-23, Page 22 A DEAD RECKONING. CHAPTER XL No one spoke for a moment 01' tw0 after Margery had blurted out Icer news. Then for the second time 1 ar- ovsky said: "mere is still one way of escape open to you." " And that is ?"— said Gerald again. "For me to personate you.' "0•monsieur!" cried Clara, a flash of hope leaping suddenly into her eyes, "Karovsky, are you mad?" "Pardon, I think not; but one can Never be quite sure, Listen 1 These men who axe coming to arrest you are strangers to you, or rather you are a stranger to them ; they have never set eyes on you before. 1 will answer to your name ; I will go with them, and before they have time to discover their mistake, you will be far away." " And the consequences to yourself?" "' A few hours' detention—nothing more. Your English police know me not." Then be added with a shrug: "At St. Petersburg or Berlin, mai foi, it might be somewhat different." " T arovsky, your offer is a noble one, and the risk to yourself might be great- er than you seem to think. In any case, I cannot accept it." "Gerald, for my sake 1" implored his • wife. "As I said before, I am tired of this life of perpetual bide -and -seek. Let it end; I am ready to face the worst." No, no 1 Would you court a feicn's doom, you whose innocence will one day be proved to the world 1" "• Vous avez raison, madame," said the ssian. Then placing bis hands on rald's shoulders, be said, " Go, Brooke friend; hide yourself elsewhere for little time, and leave me to face these etoodhounds " Picot, who bad been listening and welching in the background, now came b(,ldly forward. It was enough for the kind-hearted mountebank to know that his friends were in trouble, "I have une petite cbambre en haut," he said to Gerald. "Come with me, monsieur, and I will bide you." "Yes, yes; go, dearest; with Mon- sieur Picot," urged his wife, her beau- tiful eyes charged with anguished en- treaty. "Foe your sake, let it be as you wish," answered Gerald sadly. (At this juncture there came a loud knocking at some door below stairs. " Venez, monsieur—vite, vite 1" said Picot. rerald hastily kissed his wife, grip- pe l the Russian's hand for a moment, et 1 then followed the mountebank: ' It will not be wise to keep our o,,:nds waiting." said ] arovsky. Then turning to IVLiss Primby: "Madame. will you oblige me by taking cbarge of these trifles fora little while?" With tbat he handed her a card -case, a pock- etbook stuffed with papers, and a bunch of keys. " They will be mighty clever if they get them out of here," muttered !Liss Primby, as the articles disappeared in the capacious depths of some hidden pockets. The knocking was repeated in loud- er and more imperative terms than be- fore. " Let the door be opened," said Ear- ': zinngg --sky to Margery'; then he addressed` chair, or in one leads minute you are few wards hurriedly in a low tone I a dead man." Crofton, with a smile like (.bat of some half -cowed wild animal, did as he was bidden. Gerald stepped quickly forward and laid a hand on Picot's arm. "What would you do?" he asked. 'Shoot bin like the dog be is, if he move but one finger. 11 he move not, —tie him up—gag him—and leave him here till you, monsieur, have time to gel away." Then addressing himself to Margery, but without taking his eyes far an ]n - stint off Crofton, he said: " My good Margot, in my room up -stairs you will find one piece of rope. Bring him here. Dep echez-vous—quick." Margery needed no second bidding. Then the mountebank said to Ger- Margery with a chuckle us the sound of the retreating footsteps died away. "flow noble, how magnanimous of Monsleur Karovsky 1" exolaitned Miss Primby. "I shall never think ill of the Russians again." "Now, is the oppoetunity for Gerald to getaway," said Clara. " The police may discover their mistake at any mo- ment." Hee band was on the door, when suddenly there was a sound. which caused all three to start and stare at each other with eyes full of terror. It was the sound of unfamiliar footsteps ascending the statins. Mrs. Brooke shrank back as the door opened and George Crofton entered the room. You!" she gasped. "Even so," he answered es be glanc- ed round the roam. "It is long since we met Last." Not since the day you crushed my husband's portrait under your heel." As I have now crushed your hus- band himself." What do you mean?" " Clara Brooke, the hour of my re- venge has struck. You slighted me once, but now my turn has come. It was through my efforts that your husband was tracked to this place. It was I who gave infoa'matiou to the police. Never could there be a sweeter re- venge than mine," " Can such wickedness exist enema - ten by Heaven 1" After that first glance round, he had never taken his eyes from •Clare's blaneded face. lie spoke with a vane - mous intensity which lent to every word an added sting. " Don't 1 just wish I was a. man, in- stead of a great hulking good-for-noth- ing girl 1" muttered Margery, half to Miss Primby and half to herself, as she defiantly rolled up the sleeves of her cotton gown. For a little space, the two stood gaz- ing at each other in silence. Clara's heart beat painfully, but her eyes blazed into his full of scorn and defiance. Then she said: "GeorgeCrof- ton, believe me or not, but my husband is as innocent of the crime laid to his charge as 1 am. 11; is not ho who is a murderer, but you who are one after this night's w'oak—in heart, if not in deed." A sneering laugh broke from his lips. i was quite prepared sto hear thatrimarole," he said. It was only to be expected that you should swear to his innocence. It is possible you may believe in it—wives will be]ieve anything." Bat Ctaea's ears, of late, ever on the alert bad heard a certain sound. With a low cry she sprang to the door ; but before she could reach it, it was open- ed from without, and Gerald, accom- panied by Picot, appeared on the thresh- old. Crofton fell hack as if he bad seen a ?sae from the tomb. ' By wha.t fi- end's trick have I been fooled?" he cried. " There stands the villain who be- trayed you," exclaimed the young wife, pointing to Crofton with outstretched finger. He 1 illy cousin! .impossible." "It may not be too late yet," ex- claimed Crofton as he sprang to one of the windows and tore aside the curtain, But next instant, with a bound like that of a tiger, Picot had flung himself on him and had gripped his neck as in a vice with both his sinewy hands. The other was no metals in point of strength for the mountebank; and be- fore he knew what had happened he found himself on his back on the floor, half choked with Picot kneeling on his chest and regarding him with a sar- donic grin. Clara, with natural impulse, had clung to her fhusband's arm. Miss Primby and Margery were too startled to utter a word. Picot's hand went to some inner pock- et and drew from it a small revolver ; then rising to his feet, he said to Crof- ton: " Oblige me by standing up, mon- sieur, and by tat a seat in that TEE BRUSSELS ed the means foe communication iu case of an enforced separation. lAt the end of a few minutes Margery returned carrying a folded paper,whiclz she gave to Picot, at the ammo time whispering a few hurried words in his ear. ihemountebank nodded unit smil- ed and hireed the tips of his fingers, Then the girl went back and the two men were left alone. But presently both of them heard the footsteps of more persons than ono descending the stairs. Picot listened intently till the sound bad died away, and then proceed- ed to light a cigarette. 01 Crofton, sit- ting therebound and gagged, he took not the slightest apparent notice. A quarter of an hour passed thus, and with the exception of a footfall now and then in the court below no sound broke the silence. ,At the end of that time, Picot's cigarette being fin- ished, he rose, pushed back his chair, clapped his hat on his head, and after a last examination of his prisoner's bonds, he marched out of the room without a word, and so down stairs and out of the house, first shutting behind him the door which divided the upper rooms from the ground floor. Left Moue, George Crofton began at, once to struggle desperately to free himself, but all lo no purpose. After a little time, however, he discovered that the chair in which he was bound moved on casters, and this discovery put an idea into his head such as would not have entered it under other circum- seanees. The room was lighted by a lamp on a low table, and to this Labia hn managed by degrees to slide his chair. along the floor. Then setting his teeth hard, and stretching his arms to the fullest extent his bonds would al- low of his doing. he held his wrists over the flame of the lamp, and kept them there unflinchingly till the out- ermost coil of the ligature %vetch bound theta was burnt through. When once his hands were at liberty, very few min- utes sufficed to make him a free man. My revenge is yet to come, Ger- ald Brooke," he said aloud as he paused at the door n.nd took a last glance round. ' It is but delayed for a little while, and every day's delay will serve but to make it sweeter at the last." e• Mfrs. Brooke. The door at the foot of the stairs, sr rich Margery in her alarm had taken tee precaution to fasten, bad apparent- ly been originally put there with the view of more effectually separating the upper part of the house from the low- er, probably at a time when the do- micile was divided between two fam- ilies. This door Margerynow unbolt- ed without a word: and without a word after flashing a bull's-eye n her face, a sergeant of police and two men push- ed past her and tramped heavily up- stairs. err. Gerald Brooke, commonly known by the name of Stewart?" said the sergeant interrogatively as he ad- vanced into the room, while his two old: "fou const not stop(tare any took up positions close to the longer, monsieur; the police may come back at any moment." Yes—come, come," urged Clara. " Another minute and it may be too late." Geoc•ge, I did eat deserve this at Mee hands," said Gerald with grave sadness to his cousin. The only ans- wer was a scowl and an execration mut- tered between his teeth, moor. The Russian turned—he had been in the cot of lightning a cigarette at the firsplace. " Who are you, sir, and by what right do you intrude into this apextmentV" he demanded haughtily. The sergeant went a step or bus nearer and laying a hand on his shoul- der, said: "Gerald Brooke, you are charged on a warrent with the wilfulmurden of the Baron Otto von Rolan - berg on the 28th of June last at Beau- lieu, near King's Harold, and you will "have to consider yourself as my pris- oner." The Russian dropped hiscigarette. "There is some strange mistake," he said. I never either saw or spoke to the Baron von Rosenberg on the 28th of last June. "All right, sir; you can explain about 1 sat somewhere else; but I should ad- s ea you to say as little as possible est how." One of the men had advanced into the ism, and now drew tba officer's oaten - mon, "1 say, sergeant, he whispered, "the gent don't seem to answer much to the printed description, does he?" "Idiot l" whispered back the other; "as if a man couldn't (lye his hair and make his beard and moustache grow oily shape he liked 1 Besides, we knew beforehand that be was disguised., and this is the room where we were told we should find him," When the sergeant turned again, Clara was standing before learovsky, With a hand resting on each of his shoulders, "You see," whispered the sergeant to his subordinate, " We were told bis wife was living here 'tvi(h him, as well as an elderly lady—the aunt, Ile's the gent we want and no mistake," I shall only be away for a little while, cars min,y said Xerovsky, as he drew Clara to him. I''or a moment her bead rested against his shoulder, then his lips lightly touched ben fore- head. She turned from him, and sinking • on a couch, buried her face In her ods. • a•,nyWovkdrewhimself up to his full htWoe-sky sir, I am at your set - eel e," be said is the sergeant. l t, moment later and the three wo- men were left alone, ",They be clevey tuns, they eel" said Gerald, his wife and lttiss Primby re- tired into the farther room and closed the folding -doors. Margery was bake by this time, carrying a small coil of rope. "Good child, Now hold ibis so," said Picot, as he placed the revolver in Mnr- gery's hand, and stationed her about a couple of ,yards from Crofton. " IC you See that man stir from .his chair, press your finger agaiest this leetle thing, and—pouf—he will never stir again. Hold bins steady—so. You have no fear—he]n?" , Why, o' course not," laughed Mar- gery. IL would do lee good to shoot the likes o' hire."' With a dexterity hent seemed es if it might have been derived from long practice, Picot now proceeded to bind Crofton securely ie his chair. ' You scoundrel 1 you shall suffer for this," muttered Lhe latter between his teeth, " A la tonne bears, monsieur," re- sponded the mountebank airily. 'Peen perceiving a corner of a handkerchled protruding from his pocket, he drew it forth, and tearing it narrow strip otf it, he proceeded to firmly bind the oth- er's wrists; then making a bandage of the remainder, he covered his mouth with it and tied it in a double knot at the hack of his neck. " Ah, hal that. do the ?.rick," be laughed, ' Ilow found you yourself? Very comfortal le—hero?" Margery, who had watched the oper- ation with great glee, now gavebask the revolver and retired to the inner room. Picot sat down a little wary from his prisoner, but, for the present took no further notice of hint. ]Ie had heard a footatepp en the steers a .minute or two previottsl , and rightly judged it was Gerald already gone. Froin the iir:st rday of taking up n their abode at No. 7 ymtn's Buildings, had prepared Clara and her ]iusbnnd h , themselves for an emergency like the present one. They were elvn•ys ready for immediate [light, and heti arrange. POST. JULY 23, 1$97 contemptuous laugh. Tea 1 tea 1 my 1 i O U NCO FOLKS. friend, you teak like a child." They were staudiug face to floe; and for a few moments they stared at mob other without speaking; but the aloes resolute light that shone out of Staph"s eyes cowed, for a time at least, the fit- ful, dangerous gleam flickering redly in her husband's bloodshot orbs, as though it were a reflection from some Topbet below. (George Crofton turned away, and crossing to the sideboard, panned ]z]me self out a quantity GC brandy. 'You would be a fool, Steele to leave leo as you talk of doing, were it only for one flung," he Bald dryly. Iiia scentedto have quite ropoverecl his equanimity, and ryas choosing a cigar as he spoke. IC it pleases me to be a fool, why not?" against my wall" demanded Steph,with "Has it ever occuared to you that any morning the newspapers may tell us that my tousle, Gerald Brooke, has been captured? Every day, that is the first news I look for." "All, bah 1 3'ou meek yourself. Your cousin will never be arrested now; he has gut safe away to some foreign coun- try long ago." "You have no ground for saying that. Any hoar may bring the tidings of bis capture, and then--- But you know already what the remelt of his eonvic- tion would be to you and me. Beech - ley Towers and six thousand a year— nothing less." You deceive yourself." resumed Steelz. "You. are stalling for what will never Happen. Nine months have Ipassed sines the murder, and the crime s half forgotten. You let Gerald Brooke slip through your fingers once: but you will never have the chance of doing so again.—Let uls come back to realities, to the things we, can touch. Dreams never had any charms for me." He ~cart ]welt to the fireplace with his cigar, and took up u position on the hearth -rug. "As you say—let us stick to realities; it may perhaps be the wisest," ha went on. What, then, would you think, what would you say, if I were to tell year us a fact that in less than six weeks from to -day I shall be in possession rot ten thousand pounds?" i should think and say that it was not a fact, but a dream, a—what do you call it?—ti "And yet it is not it dream, bat a sober solid fact, as a very short time �t Lll prove," She raised her brows; evidently, she was incredulous. "You made sure that you would win two thousand !pounds at Doncaster, whereas you contrived to lose five trundled, You were just as certain that you would win' -- "What I am referring to 11015' has nothing to do with horseracing," he broke in impatiently.—".Listen 1" he added; and with that lee planted himself astride a chair and confronted her, resting his arms on the back of it and puffing occasionally at his cigar as he talked."I am about to tell you something which it was my intention not to have spoken about till later on ; but it matters little whether you are told now or a month hence." He mov- ed his chair nearer to her, and when he next spoke it tiros in a lower voice; The young Earl, of L' eaminten, who is enormously rich, is to be married on the 27th of next month. On the 14th of April one of the partners in a cer- tain well-known firm of London jew- ellers, accompanied by an assistant, will start for the Earl's seat in the north carrying with him jewelry of the value of over, •twenty thousand pounds, for the purpose of enabling his lordship to select certain, presents for his bride. That box of jewelry will never reach its destination." Stephanie was staring at him with wide-open eyes. "You would not--" she exclaimed, and then she paused. "Yes, I would, and will," he answered with a sinister smile. "I and certain friends of mine have planned to make that box our ow11. The whole scheme is cwt and dried; all the arrangements to connection with the journey are known to us; and so carefully have oun abanged since the dates of her grand- . CH:,IPTEB. XII. We are back once more at Linden Villa. 11 is a Minch evening, and the clock has just struck nine. George Crof- ton is smokin ga cigar, and gazing fix- edly into the firs, seeing pictures in the glowing embers which are anything but pleasant ones, if one may judge by the lowering expression of his face. He looks haggard and careworn, and is no longer so fastidious with regard to bis personal appearance as he used to be. :Dissipation has set its unmistakable seal upon him ; he has the air of amen who is going slowly but surely down- hill. His wife is amusing hsrself•somewhat listlessly at the piano. There is a slightly worn look about her eyes, and the line of bee lips looks thinner and more )pard set than it is wont to do. Married life bad not brought Stephanie the happiness, or even the content, she had looked forward to, The awakening had come soon, and had not been a pleasant one. Not long had it taken her to discover that she had mated herself with an inveterate gambler, if not with something worse. So long as plump young pigeons were to be had for the Plucking, matters had gone on swim- mingly at Linden Villa. There had been no lack of money, and Stephanie had never cared to inquire too curiously how it had been come by. But after a time Crofton's wonderful luck at cards began to be commented upon; people began to be shy of playing at the same table with him; pigeons were warned to avoid hien; and when, one unfortunate evening, he was deteoted cheating at the club, and unmasked by a member cleverer in that particular line than himself, bis career in that sphere of life come to an end forever. But his ambition had not been satis- fied with the comparatively small gains of the card -table; he bad bet heavily on the St. Leger and other races, and had been unfortunate in all. So far he had been able to meet his racinglla- beities, but the doing so had exhausted the whole of his avaoilable resources, and matters at Linden Villa had now come to a pass that might almost be termed desperate. Stephanie brou"'ht her roulades to an and with a gram crash; then turning half round she said m her clear metallic tones: Have you anything to talk about, mon ange? Have yon nothing to say to me ?" Her husband's back was to- wards her, as he sat brooding sullenly in front of the fire. "It is not often that you stay at home of an evening, and when you do --shut! 1 might as well be alone." He shrugged his shoulders. " What would you have me talk about? Our debts—our difficulties—our "-- Why not?" she broke in quickly. "If you talked about them a little often- er, it might be all the better. You seem neither to know nor care anything about them. You are out from morn- ing till night. It is I who have to pro- mise, to cajole, to lie, first to one per- son and then to another who come here demanding .money when I have none to give them. Oh, it is a charm- ing life—mine 1 N'importe. It will end itself in a little while." " What do you mean? What new trick are you hatching naw?" he demanded. it .is no(.bing no`s—it has been in my head for a tong time. Shall 1 tell You what it Lse Why not?" The fin- gers of one hand were still resting on the !pian. She struck a note or (.WO carelessly, and then went on speaking as quietly as though she wee's mention- ing some trifling detail of every day lite. "One ovenmg, cbori, when you coma bane you will not find me; I shall lie gone. This life soils en no longer. 1 will change it all. 1 will go back to the life 1 used to love so well. I have had a lector. Signor Vontelli is t 13russols; he prays to me to return to him. 1 shall go. "ion and I, my friend can no longer live together, It will be better for both that we should part," Again her fingers struck a note or two carelessly. THE CROSS GIRL. There are some people . who seem to have been born with a cross in their nature, and to same extent 11 is their misfortune rather than their fault that they make disagreeable companions. Still, there is such a thing as grumb- ling becoming a habit, and there are some girls 1 have known who persist i'n making themselves disagreeable, and who seem to like to be always setting their friends' teeth on edge, 1 The sour girl is the sort of whom it is said "she bas risen off her wrcngl side" She is always rising off her "wrong side" simply because she bee no right side. She bas got into tee hab- it of always locdkiug at the dark side of things, and she shuts her heart against the sunlight of love. If she harbors a loofa thought or dens a good action she is almost ashamed of it, and when she laughs there is just atoueb of bitterness in it, as if she would ra- ther not have given way to such friv- olity. There is only ono chance for the sour girl, and that is for her to meet a bright young fellow while she is still young and before her character is fully formed. Tender the brigbtness of his laugh and the warmth of his love she may thaw her frozen soul and be- come a good, sweet, loving woman. If the sour girl only knew rt, she is her own worst enemy. It is wonderful what one can do to throw off gloom and c.hronlo depression if one only tries. To du so, one must give up thinking too much of one's self and try to take an interest in the happiness of others. To be spur is to be selfish, and to be sst- fish is to lose all the best and highest gifts of life. Crofton was roused at last. Ile start- ed to his feet with an imprecation and faced Iris wife. " What confounded stuff and nonsense you ase talking, Steph, he exclaimed. As if I believed award of it 1" "Do I ever say that I will do a thing when I do notintend doing itt" she quietly asked. In bis own mind he wee obliged to confess that she did not. "We have made a mistake, you and I, and have found it out Ln time," she resum- ed. " We can be friends, always friends —why not? But you will go your way and 1 mine; that is all." The cold indifference of her tone and manner stung hint to the gelato Eve denies, she Was minded to cast him off as itexelessly as she would an old glove, The sullen fixe i.a his heart blazed up in a moment. rte loved this woman af- ter a fashion of bis own, and ryas In nowise inclined In let her go, 'What you say Is utter nonsense. I would have you remember that you are my wife, and that I can claim you as such anywhere and everywhere." And do you imagine that if Iwere twenty time a wife 1: should allow you dr any other man to claim me es such not blessed with a strong body,she aboukd di o everything to improve t. As fax as pure air is °unearned tete people u1'img in the country have ao- oses to it at all times, if they will only avail t;ihaunselves of the blessing. "Out -door exercise every day "should be the girls' motto, and nothing but sickness should prevent it. Torose who )lave studied physiology know how the blood flows to the lenge, in a dark, im- pure sttreain, and sheen it comes out rt is a brilliant rod fell of life and pow- er. It is the oxygen bteatthed into the lungs that makes the change, and the poisonous carbonic acid gas Naloh, the blood bas gathered on 'lts journey. through the system is exhaeed. It is easily understood why pure, sweet air is an necessity. No one can live with- out an abundance of it, and remain in perfect health. wh it, taken in lngbreabs if they acre to be kept seronlx and free from disease. " Plenty of ptee"e ale and out -door exercise" is always the physi- cian's advice to the sufferer with weak lungs and poor blood. Another thieg in the ease of the body is pepper Lomb at proper times. Over- eating vereating and. undereating are equally bad. The gill whsle home is in the country is not tempted as her pity cou- sin to spend her money on candy and indigestible sweetmeats. A little of it at tames, if pure, is not to be forbid- den, but ale excess of rich foods and concootions, which were never meant for man's stomach, will leave its bad efefcts upon the system. Eating at all hours and at all times, is a bad prac- tice and the stomach will at some Lime rebel, in failing to do its work prop- erly, and indigestion will be the re- sult. It is a characteristic of the hu- man race to want what is not for the best, s,nd where food is concerned, this taa.it is most conspiouous. Wells -cook- ed, 'Wholesome food—well-made breads. Plenty of fruit and vegetables and not so much greasy meats would do much towaad general good health, if acces- sible at all tis to work—why, even the laziest wants it at times. Work hurts no one it the strength is not overtaxed. The bands and mind, must be kept employ- ed, but never, unless absolutely com- pelled to, should a gicrl, or woman eith- er, for that matter, sacrifice her health to work. Lifting dreavy tubs, moving great pieces of furniture, and otherwise straining every nerve and muscle has been the cause at many a woman's broken health. There are many things which the been can do, and tf there is one within call in suoh an emergency his aid should he summoned. He may not be extremely pleased with the le- vitation, but he can do that work bet- ter than a svomnm, at any rate. A HOUSEKEEPER'S ASSISTANT. Many a girl has a special talent for or likes housework better than teach- ing or clerking; but when obliged to earn her living, does not engage in it on account of the social position of a hired girl. And many a woman with a large family would gladly pay an as- sistant who would be of equal social Position, and treat her like a member of the family, to do the many things that she could not or would not ask the girl in the kitcben to do. Let me tell you of a position a friend of mime occupied before she wits mar- ried. She had tried clerking andteeeh- ing, but she did not like either very NMI, She heard of a position with a minister's wife, who bada large family and could not at the same Lima take care of the family and de justice to her duties as minister'swife, who want- ed a young girl to stay with her, bele with the lighter housework (there be- ing a strong girl in the kitollen to do the hard work), with the children, en- tertein visitors (of which there were always many), when she was busy or absent, and do a thousand and one things that a growa up daughter would do. For this she received eight dollars per month, her board, washing„ had a cozy room to herself, and was treated like a member of the family. She took charge of the mending, saw that the children were ready for school in the moraigg, put the finishing touches to the breakfast table, and in many ways lightened Ms's. Smith's burden. And she was greatly missed in• the household when she left it for one of her own. u SAIiTH IS BEAUTY. It is fortmnate for the girl of to- day that the standard of beauty bee plans been worked out, that it is next mothers and even those of hes moth - to impossible that we should fail." er. The pale, languid beauty of half a century ago would be looked upon in pity to -day. IA, physician's care would be recommended for her. The modern girl would not think of eating and drinking poisons (in mioroscopio qauntities, be it understood) to talks the glow of health from her cheeks. She does not want to fa nt at the sight of a mouse mor call for smelling salts on the slightest provocations. True en- ough, women are in a certain sense, " the clinging vine," to which they have been likened, but the woman of to- day does not cane to be a burdensome dependence on father or husband. She rather strives to be a fit companion for that superior being—man--by striving to attain that true beauty, health, strength, and enarnd•ness of litnab and muscle—the ideal type of the old Greeks who fully realised the relation between beauty and a healthy physique. Our girl of to -day admires small feet and a beautiful figure as much as her mother or grandmother did, bit rho • shoes wisely refrains from wearing pinch, or tight clothing which would restrict perfect breathing erect injure her body. Besides it has become a re- cognized fact that exercise is as ne- eessar3' to maintain her good health as tit is her brother's. For that rea- son She swims and rides and indulges in out -door games with an abandon and Leedom ilia. would cause her priori an- cestors, were they here, to cry against the endangering o1 health, and like- wise morals. But as that cannot happen she may safely keep on her way, mien - leg dealiy 110W 14021.1113E, new sia•engih, better complexion, and—better temper, w8nich is not the least item. The human Wall is a vete' compii- cated struc tura. With all its individual parts—all for different purposes, and yet not capable of winking independ- eptly of each other, It is a strange thing, with the careless attention be- stowed by some on their bodies, that there is stet more disease and ill health than exists, Those who recognize that pure ale' one bathing ars almost: as es- mitial to good bea•lth ae the food eat- en, show it in their glowing, thank:: and bright eves. The bleed es con- stantly throwing off impurities through the pores of the stain, and if they are clogged up with foreign matter what: becomes of the Dolmens which should escape? :they are, of ccurse, absorb- ed into the body again and cause dis- orders which aro certainly preventable. Anyone who stops to think will ser- s'einly understand that lack of frequent 1i:.thing is a 1nelnaee, to bodily health which is positively criminal..t.lre crea- tor bas furnisher)wat.er in plenty, and it wax meant. or 1185, yf one has good health she is responsible for it; and if "'And you, George Crofton, my hus- band, have sunk to this—that you would became a common robber, a thief, a voltear 1" His face darkened ominously, and the gash in his lip looked as large again as it usually did. "What would you have?" he asked with .a snarl. " My cursed ill -luck has driven me to it. I cannot starve, neither will L" For a little while neither spoke. "1 didn't think you would take my news like this, Staph;' he said pres- ently. "Think of theize l How is. it possible for a mast fixed as I am to resist trying to make it his awn? One half comes to me because the plan is mine, but of course 1 can't work with- out confederates. My share will be worth ten thousand at the very least; and then, hey presto for the New World and a fresh start in life with a clean slate I—What say you, Staph ?" At present, I say nothing more than I have said already," she answered coldly. f must have tame to think." ,(To Be Continued.) AN ILLUSION EXPLAINED. A (:lever Ottegllbrinllt" Tel IS 110\l' Ile 01.1(11115 h Most, Puzzling Menet!. Illusions are always interesting, and particularly so when they are not nn- derslood until the clever man or wo- wan who conceives them explains them, " Modems magicians," says the Strand, "are very chary of giving away their. secrets, but Mr. Devant has so many strings La his professional bow that he won't MISS this one; possibly, indeed, the show may be the more popular here- after. Viewed from the auditorium,the thing is very effective, Mr. Devant sim- ulates grief and suddenly feels the power to bring before him the spirit of bas absent 'wife, Aucl so the vision floats before him, graceful, transpar- ent, mysterious. And this is bow it's donee— "' The one:- The principle,' says 1VIr. Devant, 'is simply reflection. The stage is entirely (severed with a huge sheet of very clear plate glass, awl, as the audionoo see everything through this, they don't suspect ]Le presence, Mlss Marion Mel- ville, who enacts the part of the spir- it, is placed on a black velvet couch, beneath the stage and a little m front of it—in fact, where the orchestra esu - ally sit. 'Tile conch eels be readily mov- edinto any position by mechanical means. A powerful electric. light is cast upon the reclining figure of the lady, and the lights behind the plata glass are slightly lowered," A ghostly reflection is at once vie- ible, and, tat course, bit, Devant is seen through it, OUR AUTOCRAT. judge (to prtsnpm')—You have smash- sd several of Ibis man's ribs. Scoreber (sulkily)—Serve bin right, I broke the rims of my Wheel riding over him, A MONSTER STEEL CASTING. The Silent Frame or the Steamship 1lceanlc the Biggest Ever Slade. There pias just been made at Bel- fast, Ireland, a steel casting willch weighed in the original tarty -ono tons. It is the cast steel stern frame of the steamer Oceanic, now under construc- tion by Harland & Wolff, at Belfast. Its rough weight was, as stated, forty- one tons, and it weigbsd thirty-five tons after being completely machined ready for erection. Nothing like this has ever before been accomplished. Those who are familiar, with the stern frame of a modern steamship can understand what a tre- mendous task bas been successfully. completed. The steel casting of the Oceanic is 35 feet in height by 21 feet 3 inches over the keel piece. The post section—ilmt is, the stern post—is 21 by 3.1 inches be size. Attached to this stern frame axe what are known as the after brackets. These are also cast in one piece, weigh fifty-five tans when finished fo r erection. The height of the flanged part of, each bracket is 26 feet and the width from centre to cen- tre o Mee bosses or side supports 23 feet, the bosses themselves betng 4 feet 3 inches in diameter by 5 flet 7 inches deep. The forward brackets, which lie entirely, inside the plating of the ship will weigh thirty toms when erected. From this it may be imagined that the Oceaaio must bo a large vessel, and in fact it is alit open secret that the builders intend that she shall be the most comfortable boat that crosses the Atlantic, ' This is the first time in the history of steamship befitting that the steal Gracia of a vessel has been cast all tn. one piece. It mu be imagined, there- fore, wlbxst keen delight it was to the ship builders when the outing process proved successful. If the Oceanic is all that her architects hope .for her, she will certainly be a model in every way. SOME OLD NEWSPAPERS. 1'erlodleahs !,carat ilniuell More Thou n Celt 11,1'y Ago In England nate l+nonan .Three years ago the 'Morning Adver- tiser of ,London celebrated the hun- dredth Year of its existence. e. T hnZorn- ing Advertiser was started In 1701 by a society of ,'London licensed victuallers, its primary objet t being to raise aimed for "tele relief of their decayed and die - Linseed brethren and their families," and each member pledged himself to take the ?'paper, This arrangement made the paper more than self support- ing from its birth. At the time of the celebration three years ago a compu- tation showed that there were at that time no fewer than seventy-nine news - Simpers in Great .Britain which badpass- ed the century line. One of the oldest in ,London was the Post, establisher. in 1772, more than twlonty years before the Advertiser, which boasts of being the oldest daily paper in that city. The Times first made its appearance in 1786, the Standard in 1827, the NOW's in 1846, and the 'telegraph in 1856. ;though ]England has a larger' num- her of hundred -years -old papers than any other Europeen euountry, it has fewer very old papers than the Repubiio of France. The Gazette of Paris wee established in 1032 and the 1Vloniteun and Journal des Debate in 1780, dur- ing the ]french Revolution, or rather, at the beginning of. it UVEBe1DOJNG IT.. 'Undertaker (to assistant)—Politeness is commendable, but eveaz a good thialg can be nve7do(15 James. There are times when a courtesy is better om- itted than given. O�ssislant—;When sir? ifJndrsrtalter--]n suciti cases, for in- stance, as teat; of Mrs, Leftover, who eine en just now to pay cher bill for her third httabnnd's funeral. You were polite 111 meting her to call again, but a trifle cverzealotls, James—just a trifid