HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Brussels Post, 1895-1-11, Page 2r TI3, ,IIJLING TALE 0] EMMIA1 IiI?l,
CkiAPTER SXt.
Swat= un*98 octan U T.
" Ob it's you i we again,is it ?" said \13as
hich might w
i?
JeJerrold, in a bond Of mai? brother, as
have been borrowed from her
Stratton and Guest were shown up into
her pretty little Browing room, where she
a ready to preside aver her chips tea
se r y
tray with its quaint Sovrea tent and Sau-
cers and Weal gilt apostle spoons, while
a tall stand was on her left iia bronze
kettle humming and whispering, and
uttering apleaeant coo now and then, as
it felt the warm kisses of the spirit lamp.
Stratton's brow eoutracted sad alook
of resentment darted froth his eyes a h
stopped short, but Guest laughed and said
airily :
"Yes; lb ie your humble servants once
again."
Well, and what do you want?"
"Hear that, Stratton ? " Bald Guest. "A
lady sends you her cards, 'At home Thurs.
day, four to six ; ' we go to the expense of
new lavender kids—no, come what may, I
will be truthful, mine are only freshly
oleaned—and new hate—no, tenth shall
prevail ! a gloss over from the hatter'e
iron—drag ourselves all this way west to
topay our devnire—to drink tee, out of
tmmUlea; and ant otiose of butter thinly
sprinkled with bread crumbs, and the lady
t
Gaye, ` What do you wan. '
"Of Bourse I do. There, sit dawr, both
otyou, mid, Malcolm Stratton, don't pet
on that wink sd,melodramatic frown; it doea
not become you. You're a prir of impoe-
tors.. Think I'm blind.? You don't come
here to oall arm a poor old woman like—
Qulok, Percy, my dear boy , Blow it out;
we shall have the room in a blaze."
"No, no, be tool," said Guest, and he
made for the spirit kettle, whose lamp had
become overheated, and was Bonding up
quite a volume of flame. Ent Stratton was
nearer, and taking out his handkerchief, he
turned it into a pad, dabbed it on the lamp
and the light was smothered.
"0h, dear me 1" sighed Mies Jerrold fn
tones full of relief, "now, that was very
clever. 1 do like presence of mind. Sugar,
Mr. Stratton?"
Be bowed stiffly.
"Haven't burned yourself, have you, my
dear?"
Oh, no ; my glove protected my hand,"
said Stratton, looking at the acid, formal,
handsotne old body; half amuned, half
pleased, by the maternal "my dear."
"Ah, now you're smiling at me," she
sad quickly. "Sugar, Percy?"
"A good deal, please, to take the taste
of your harsh words ont of my mouth."
"There then—two lumps. I know you
take sugar, Maledm Stratton, and
cream. Well, my date, I'm obliged to
speak out; for you really are a pair of
impostors,and I cannot have my house made
a meeting place for would-be lovers. There
—there—there, Mr. Stratton, don't pray
turn like that, and look as it you were
going to rush away. Mine is a very dell•
cote position, and I know my brother will
be taking me to task some day about all
this. Now, do take my advice ; and give
it all up --Percy Guent, if you break
that cup I'll never forgive you. It cannot
be matched.'
" Would you advise ue to go and try our
fortunes in Australia, Miss Jerrold ?" said
Guest quietly, as he replaced the tiny cup
in the middle of its saucer, after nearly
sending it ou the carpet.
" No, l would not, yon stupid boy,
There, I don't mean you at all. I dare say
Edie will be silly enough to let you wheedle
her into matrimony some day—a goose."
Guoet touched his breast.
"You? No," said the lady sharply,
"Edie. But you two are nobodies. 1 was
thinking about. Mr. Stratton, here. Now,
don't you think, my dear, you had better
give it all up?"
She held out her hand with a look of
' gentle sympathy to him, and he oaught it
and kissed it
"Do you think I evercould?" he•said,
in a low voice, while Guest began to die -
play great interest in the pointing of the
teeoup.
"No, I euppoeo not," said Mies Jerrold,
with a sigh. 'It's very sad, you Bee, poor
girl, she's going through a curious morbid
phase whim has completely changed her.
All that time alai had her ideas that It was
her duty to wait and Buffer; and I do
honestly believe that if that man had be•
hayed himself, been released on a ticket of
-ticket of—what do they call those
Dolton, Percy?"
. Leave," eaid the young barrister
gravely.
"Yes; of course—she would have con-
sidered it her duty to go to him if he had
Dome to claim her ; and then died of misery
ead despair in a month."
,"Had we not better change the conker.
elation, Miss. Jerrold?" said Stratton quiet-
ly.
" Yes, of coarse. Pm. a very stupid old
woman, I suppose ; but Myra does worry
me a great deal. Ono moment and I've
done, arid I suppose things must take their
course. But all this treating herself at a
widow—there—there—I have
e.asupp000r 1 need not tell you they
done. 1 suppose
are Doming here today?"
"I did hope to see Mise--"
"Hush 1 Don't call her that, my dear..
It must be Mrs, Barton, or she will eon.
sider herself insulted. Altshe a a strange
girl, Mr. Stratton, but we can't help liking
her all the -same, can We?
She held out her hand to him with a
pleasant smile and a nod ; and Guest caw
his friends eyes brighten, and then noted
his passionate, eager look, as there was e.
ring and a'kncok.
But the ladies who came up were strong.
era; aid it was not unitl quite the last that
Myra and her oouscn arrived, the fernier in
bleak, and with a calm, resigned look
hor pilo face, withal grown ver . y
houghtful and dreamy during the six
menthe which had elapsed since that morn-
ing at breakfast, when the mows Mine of
Jame'. Dale's trestle end,
And note her eposeofiened ae she greeted
Stratton, mot she eat tacking to him fri'a
ijutottabduted wao, till the gentlementook
r leave, and made their way booit to
Benellers Inc.
the
Jdnrdty a word wasupokon tilly avera
in Stratton's room, where Guest threw Ilia
hat and umbrella down impatiently
walked straight to the deer ou the left
spirit etand and a siphon from another
oholf, while, dreamy looking and thought.
fel, Stratton sat back in an easyoliair
watching his friends free and easy, quite
at home ways, but thinking the while of
pie eheut ue, end only wetkmeie could open
that door,"
Guest hesitated a moment or two.
"Stop 1" he said, "Hie friend, Mr.
Brebtieon, is in the next ohembers, perhaps,
I'll go and 000."
"Goma, Rebecca," paid the admiral
soornfnlly we have no business here."
He held out his artn,but hie eteter thrust
it away,
"Yes; we have busineee here," she said,
"elf, as Mr, Gueeb suopeots, some aooidont
has befallen Maloolm Stratton, would yen
care to meet Myra, without having been
there ?"
She whispered Oda to her brother while
Guest had gone to Brottison's door, at
which he knocked sharply.
The admiral turned fiercely upon his
aleter, bub she did not ehriuk,
" You know it's right," she said, "Be
reasonable, idark. Malcolm Stratton could
not have ineulbed us all like thit."
"I can't make him hear," said Guest,
after a second, sharp summons at I3rettieou'e
door. "I must fetch up a carpenter and
matte him force open thit door.
"You have no right to proceed to euoh
violent meesuree, 14r. Guest."
" Then I shall assume the right, 'dr. I
believe that my friend lies behind that
door wounded or murdered for the sake of
the money he had ready for his wedding
trip, and do you think 1 am going to stand
on punctilio at a time like this ?"
Mies Jerrold looked very white and faint
ae she said quietly :
" He is quite right, Mark."
"Get workmen, then, in Heaven's name,
sir, or the polite."
Guest took a step toward the stairs but
turned again. "I don't liketheexpose,
air," he said sharply. "There might be
reasons why I should repent going."
"But you must have the door openedat
once," cried Sir Mark, now once more
as
if Guest's manner w
ro u
excited
as
growing ,
contagious.
Guest drew his hand over the door in
search of a hold to try and drag it toward
him, ending by thrusting it in by the letter
slit and giving ita vigorous shake.
He withdrew it, shaking his head, and
paused, for steps were heard. But they
passed the doorway at the bottom of she
building and died away, while, as he list-
ened, all seemed to be silent upstairs and
down.
"We must have a carpenter." he cried
aloud; and, once more planing his ear to
the letter alit, he Beamed, and then came
away to where Sir Mark stood.
" I'm certain I heard breathing within
there," ho whispered. "Someone is listen-
ing, and I'm sure there is something
wrong ; but I don't like to leave you here
alone, Sir Mark."
"Why ?e
"In ease some scoundrel ebould make a
sudden rush out and escape.'
"Fetch a policeman," said Sir Mark
sturdily. "Lot him try it while yon are
gone."
At that moment, Guest uttered an eager
cry, and thrust hie hand into hie pooket.
I'd forgotten that," he said, in answer
to Mies Jerrold's inquiring look ; " and I
don't know now that at will fit."
Myra,
" Might have. troubled yourself to got
the glosses," eaid Guest ill-humor'edly, as
lie fetched a couple of tall, green Venice
oupo from a cabinet, poured out some.
whisky, frothed it up from the siphon, and
drank,
That'd better," he said, with a sigh of
satlsfaotfon, " Aren't you going to have
one ?"
" Presently."
" presently ? Bah 1. It's always pre,
sently with you.I'm tired of presently.
"
Edie would eay Yee, directly, and lcould
get Aunt Jerrold to coax the old man
round 1f he wanted coaxing. But it's
always the same. Look here ; If you don't
keen your cigars somewhere else, and not
on a shelf over that damp bath, I won't
Emit() 'elm. Hardly ever got 'ern to light.
Here," he continued, bhenetmg a cigar and
a matchbox into Strattoda bands, "do
smoke and talk, you give a fellow the
blues with your dismal looks."
"I'm very sorry, old fellow," said Strut•
ton, lighting the cigar. "I am not dismal.
I feel very happy and contented."
Then- you're easily satisfied,' cried
Guest.
" Yes; because 1 hope and believe Motif
I am patient, my time will come."
" Not it lb's too bad of Myra."
"No; I would nob have her change " said
,
d long
,..traiton lreamii . "It is a -bar and
probation, but I can wait, and I love her
all the more dearly for her true womanly
behavior, There, hold your tongue, you
miserable selfish reviler of one whom in
your hearb you look up to as a patternof
womanhood. The joy would be almost
greater than I could bear if she said 'Yes';
but sae is right, and I will patiently wait,
for some day the time will come.'
" There you go again. Presently."' It's
all very well for you with your oaten wor-
ship of your ideal woman, and your high
falutin talk about womanhood, etuetera
but I love my little Edie in a noh-aestbe
tio, Christianlike, manly way ; and We
maddening to be always kept off by the
little thing with, 'leo, not till 1 see poor
Myra happy. Then, perhaps, you may
begin to talk.' Perhaps and presently
make poor food for a fellow like me."
Stratton smiled at him gravely,
"That's right—laugh at me. Tell you
what, Mal, you're a poor lover, Why
don't you eek her plump and plain?"
Stratton made no reply but sat bank
smoking, apd his friend said no more for
a time. At last, quietly
"Not ouch a bad cigar after all, Mal."
Stratton did not reply for a few moments.
Then, in a low voice, fall of emotion :
Percy, lad, you meet bear with me; it is
all too deep for words. If we could change
places you would do ea I do. Speak to her?
pray to her? Have I not done all this till
now when her eyes gaze in mine with their
gentle, pleading palm, and say to me—
Bear with •ate; be patient. If you love me,
give me time till all these sorrows of the
past have grown blurred and faint with
distance.' Guest, old fellow, she gives me
no hope. There is no verbal promise, but
there is a something in her gentle, compel•
eionate look which says to me—'Wait; if
ever I Gam forget the past—if ever I marry
a man—it will ho you, "
There was a deep silence in the room, and
faintly heard same the roar of, the great
city street.
Stratton was the first to break the sil-
ence by saying softly to himself:
"Yea; waitt the time will come,"
Again the silence was broken, this time
by a ntrange hurrying. rustling sound
behind the wainscot, followed by a dull
thud.
What's thab?" said Guest sharply.
"That? 011, only the rats. There are
plenty in this old house."
"Ugh 1 Brutes."
"They only have rune behind the panel-
ing. They never tome tato the rooms."
There was another silence before Guest
spoke.
" Mal, old chap," he said, "I'm a miser-
able, impatient beast. You are quite right;
Pru in my ordinary senses once more. Edie
speaks just as you do, and she's as wise a
little thing as ever stepped. We must wait,
old man ; we must wait.
Malcolm Stratton waited till one even-
ing, when fortune favored him for the mo-
ment once again. It was by accident he
found Myra alone. He had heard the tones
of the piano ae he went up to the drawing
room in Bourne Square, and his heart had
begun to beat wildly and then its pulsation
grew to throbs and bounds, as he went in,
to find her alone and playing softly in the
half light.
She did not cease, but her Eggers strayed
on over the keys, and once more as his arm
rested upon the piono, the chords thrilled
through his very being; and when, without
a word, his hands were outstretched to take
her to hie breast, she eank upon it with a
sigh of relief. At that momenteteps were
heard upon the landing, and lldie and Mies
Jerrold entered the room dressed to go to
some oonoert, Sir Mark following directly
after, from the dining room with Gueet.
Myra did not shrink from Stratton till
all had seen what had taken place. Then,
gravely crossing to her father, ehe laid her
hands together upon his breast, while he
waited for her to speak.
The words came at lest:
"Father, dear, Malcolm has asked me
to be his wife,"
Sir Murk drew her tightly to him, and.
held out, his hand to Stratton. '
"Soon, dear very soon, but it must bo
very quiet, and not from here."
"Anything, my darling, to coo you
happy once again.'
Tho butler just then brought in a lamp,
and they could see the love light beaming
from her eyes,
CHAPTER XXiI.
AT 01111$I7.11NT 000a.
Even as Percy fluent ;rushed at hie
friend's door to bring one foot against the
look with all his might, he felt the futility
of the proceeding. For he knew how solid
the old oak outer panels had hem made;
but he did not pause, and 0e his foot etruok
asainet it there was a dull sound—nothing,
more.
Guest drew basic again, Mily impressed
by the hopelessness of his proceedings, for
the outer door opened inward him, and the
o6eot of hie next thrust wao only to drive
11 against the jamb,
14e was recoiling again, with hie muscles
gtiiverinf,, from the violence of hie etl'orts,
i and
when Mule Jerrold caught his arm,
of
mad (w POD.
"WO, and then went book to fetch out the + g
Ira fireplace, cnoneb ty wont in,
set "Mr. Guest," olio said 5rm1y, "thie is
turned with a cignt' box, which h naso, You ill brio a crowd of to
1
that there was' good reason for my
ohfld being Moe more matposed to a
gruel public theme that meet matte
her the byword of 000iety, I ask you
for an explanation, and in this eureedly
Q901 way you say you have none to offer.
You are net 111• you have not, iia we fared
aeon attaoked for your mon0y, for there it
lies mo the table, There io nothing wrong,
then, with you, and—good GodI whab5
thie ?"
He started away in horror, for the hand
be had in hie anger shifted to Sbratton'e
shoulder wao wet, and, as he held it out,
Mies Jerrold uttered a faint cry, for it woe
red with blood; and, released from the
fierce grasp which had hold him up, Stratton
swayed forward, reeled, and feel with a
Grath on to tae carpet.
"He's hurt. Wounded," cried Guest,
dropping on one knee by hie friend's side,
but oniy bo start up and dash into the ad.
jJoining room, to tame bank directly with
basin, sponge, nod water.
"D.—n l" raged the admiral, "what a
brutal temper I have. Poor lad 1 poor lad!
Fetch a dootor, Guest. No. That's right,
sponge his temples, 'Boma, Good girl.
Don'b fetch a dootor yet, Guest. ,1 oma
bit of a quack, Let me see."
He. went behind the prostr;.te. man, who
lay perfectly insensible, and kept on balk-
ing hurriedly as hetotk out a pponkoife and
and used it freely to get at the injury int
the shoulder:
Why didn't he speak? . 'You were
right, then, Guest. Some scoundrel has
been here. Curse hirn I we'll have hint
hung. To be sure -a bullet gone right
through here—no; regularly plowed hie
flesh. Thank Heaven ;'not a dangerous
wound. 1 tan bandage it. But too much
for a bridegroom. Poor lad I peer lad 1"
He tore up hie own handkerchief and
made a pad of hie sister's, but these were
not enough. Look here, Rebecca," he said;
"you'd better go and leave ue."
' Nonsense 1" said the lady sternly. "Go
on with your work, and then a doctor must
be fetched."
"Very well, bheu, if yon will stay.
There, don't try to revive him yet. Let's
finish. Guest, my lad, bake that -knife and
slit one of the sheets in the next room ;
then tear off a bandage four inches wide
andas long as you can. Let's stop the
bleeding, and he won't hurt."
A11 was done as he ordered, and the
bandage roughly fixed, Stratton perfectly
insensible the while.
"'Bente, my dear -Guest, my lad," said
the admiral huskily. "Never felt so sorry
in my life." Then, taking Stratton's hand
between both hie own, he said, in a low
voice, "I beg your pardon, my lad, humbl'y."
"I don't like this •long insensibility,
Mark," said Mies Jerrold
"No ; it's too long. Hae he any rum or
brandy in the place?"
He had taken out his latchkey ,on the
chance of that which fitted the lock of one
get of chambers fitting that of another,
and, thrusting it into the keyhole, he was
in the oat of turning it when, as if someone
bad been listening to every word and aot,
a bolt was suddenly shot back, and the
door thrown open against Guest's sheet.
He started back in astoniehmeht; for there,
in the dark opening, stood Malcolm Strat-
ton, his face of a steely Ballow, a strange
look in his eyes, and ageneral aspect of his
have suddenly turned 'ten yeare older,
startling all present.
"What do yon want?" be said harshly.
The question was so Budden that Guest
was.ettlnned Into muteness, but the admiral
stepped forward fiercely.
"You—you despicable sooundrel I" he
roared ; and as Stratton stoped buck the
old man followed him quit ly into the
room, and caught him by the throat.
"Mark 1 Nlark I cried Miss Jerrold, tol-
lowing to seize her brother's arm, while
Guest, relieved beyond measure at finding
lois friend in the flesh, instead of hie mur-
derer, hurriedly entered and closed the
outer door.
"Stand aside, woman 1" cried tho
admiral, fiercely wrestling himself fret
•in ungooernable rage on seeing the
man who had caused the morning's trouble
standing there unharmed. The taut of
Stratton being uninjured and making so
insulting a demand half maddened him,
and, seizi,tg his collar, he was bearing him
back, when Guest interposed, and eepar
ated them.
Ibis will do no good, Sir Mark," he
aired. "For everybody's sake, sir, be
calm."
"Calm I" roared the old Bailor furiously.
"Yes, Mark, calm," whispered his sister,
clinging to him firmly. " Is it the act of
athin officer acid a gentleman to behave like
s?"
" You don't know—you cannot feel as I
do," he raged.
"For Myra's sake," whispered Mise
Jerrold quiukl5 ; and the old man made an
effort and calmedown.
"Let him explain then. Let him say
what it means. A public insult. To be
degraded like this. And after what is
past."
Meauwhile Sbratlon was looking wildly
about him. Thesweat stood in g'eat
drops upon hie haggard face, and he trem-
bled vialently, though it was apparent to
his friend that he was fighting hard to be
composed.
Guest turned to Sir Mark.
"'Thank yea, air," he said. "There
must, as I have eaid, be good reasons. for
poor Stratton'e aobione. Pray be patient
with him, You see, err—you gee, Miss
,ierrold, he is ill and suffering. Now,Strat-
too, for Heaven's sake, speak out You
mint explain. Toll Sir Mark what it ie."
"Take them away," said Stratton in a
hoarao whisper ;!'take them away."
"'Yes, yea, but say something. What is
it—some andden attaolc ?" Come,man,
ydouon't look at m0 in that ghastly way ; are
ill 7".
No—no. 1 don't know," faltered
Stratton.
"Thea you must have some explanation
to melte."
o. None. None. Go I"
"Mark—my dear brother," whispered
Mies Jerrold.
Fatah and blood can't stand it, girl,
he panted, with the veins in hie temples
purple ; and snatching himself away, he
thrust Geest aside and once mote seized
Stratton—this time by tho arms.
"Now, err," he said hoarsely, "I know
1 ought to leave you in contempt for your
eureed ehilly•shallying, puaillemimoue eon.
duot, but with my poor child's ngndrad
post' before me, 1 can't shave 05.0 polished
gentletnan should,"
Stratton glared at him in silence, with
the pallor ino{'eaeiug,and Ms Moe aesumtng
a hluish•gray'lugo.,
"I came More believing—no, trying
to believe—thht you had been taken all
"Yes,"'said Guest eagerly, and be hue,
ried-to the door of the bath oloset, and
turned the handle, but it was looked.
"How tiresome 1" he muttered. "Here,'I
know."
He dropped quickly on one knee by his
friend, and thrust a hand into has coat
pocket for his bunch of keys; when hie
,hand oume in contact with something,which
he drew out with an ejaculation, and look-
ed
ooked up at Sir Mark.
" A pistol!" said the latter, and they
stared in each other's eyee,juet as Stratton
began to shows edges of recovery.
' Why has he a pistol?" whiepered Mies
Jerrold • and her brother's whole manner
changed. '
" I was thinking that you ought to have
fetched the polite at once, my lad," he
toad ; " but Ma ae well you did not. There
are things men like hushed up,"
"I—I—don't knowwhatyon mean," fal-
tered Miss Jerrold, while Guest slowly
laid the weapon on the table, looking
ghastly pale, and feeling a. sensation of hears
sickness and deepair.
"Plain enough," said the admiral coldly.
"There is cometh ng more, thoughbehiad.
Do you know what?" he oiled sternly, as
he..fixed Guest with his eyes.
" Oa my honor, no, Sir Mark."
"It does not matter to ue."
"1 ut it does, Mark," cried Mass Jerrold
piteously ; " and I am confused. What
does it all mean?"
" Heaven and the man himself alone
know."
"But, Mark, dear; I cannot understand."
"Not with this before you plainly
stamped," said. the admiral bitterly. "Some
old trouble—a lady, I suppose—men are all
alike—there was an expose imminent, I
expect, and he sought a way out of it—the
onward'a way, and wee too great a our to
take aim atraigh-a"
alley all looked down in horror at Strat-
ton, where he lay, to 'Bee that he was now
sensible to their worde, and, glaring wildly
from face to 0oe.
(To 1111 coNTINU&D )
The Hand of Time.
Mother—"Why, my dear, what's the
matter l"
Daughter (tearfully)—"I—I am losing
my be
'Nonsense 1"
" Oh, it's true. I wont to Bargain & Co.'s
Litt pce gs, nthe clrk who waited
to mrie beganoodto
aloodk tiree
d before or
been
there an hour—boo, hoo, hoo 1"
tT N uARY 11, 1810
EXCITING SITUATION.
How tt'traveller in .India Wats Nearly
gam "sewn by 0 Herd or Elephants.
A traveller iu India, who had in one day
shot tiger and an elephant, was much
oxoitod, shortly after his last "kill,"at
being told by hie guide th0b a largo Nord of
elephants wan sweeping that way, and
would• inevitably run them down. Had
the ground been open, the man could easily
have got off in time. Ae it was they wore
fairly pounded. In front of them lay a
mass of think brushwood, mingled with
oreepere and twisting plants ; at their right
the ground seemed still more antpracticable,
and at their loft the approaehin ale
intents.
The only thing for us to do, Abdullah
"IE FIDLD OF LABOR,
ITEMS OF INTEREST TO WORKING-
MEN IN ALL INDiJSTRIES,
.Paragraplte Prepared for the i'erualtl t
People Who float Produce—Wpm
0
Workingmen Arc Doing lee All retie
or the WWor0d.
The silk weevers of Lyons, Feanoa, ;are
'OD strike againeb a redaction 'of wages.
The Kingston Vohit..e Oompeny is, now
It full blast, and before Feb. 1there will
be fifty men working,
Darin- ^ the past year it estimated that
Ed lieb trade unions have given to strikers
in Scotland 550,000.
said, was to turn back and climb a tall The Minors' oonvention,beldatOslifernla
was attended by over 1,000 delegates;
banian•breo we had )eft behind us, A'number of new unions have been or.
There was not a moment to lose.. He
was a few pates in. fronb of one, and had
already begun to climb, when my left foot
and right arm were entangled at the same
moment in one of those eable•like creepers
to be found in Indian jungles.
I had got my right leg over a prostrate
tree, but I could not move further without
help, and Abdullah, thinking me close
behind him, had gone round the tree, and
was out of sight. To try out would, hay
brought the elephants on us the more
quickly.
For some minutes I lay, or rather sat,
there, expecting every instant to be crushed
to death, and unable to move hand or foot.
Nearer.and titterer the elephants came,
until at. last I could feel the wind caused by
the Moving of their great bodies through
the air. The earth seemed to shake under
their tread
eat burstall over and
A cold sweat it a1 ot v ra m,
I could feel that f wao ghastly pale. My
lips were parched; my Heart seemed to
stand still. To be bound and helpless, with
a cruel death before one, it very dillerent
from meeting death face to face, and fight•
ing for dear life. My double-barrelled•tffle
was on my left hand, but I could not use it.
Had I been bound with ropes to the stake, I
could not have been more effectually hinder-
ed from helping myself..
The last thing I' can recolleeb was hear.
ing an elephant crash through the under•
wood wathiu a few feet of me. I must Hien.
have fainted.. When I came to myself I
was loose from the oreepere, and Abdhallah
was by my aide.
There was not an elephant to be seen or
heard. They had swerved aside just before
reaching me, and lied trumpeting into the
jungle. The reason was not far - to Beek.
They had stented the tiger I had shot that
morning, and had burned frantioally aside
fromtheir dead MOMS',"
Wise in Her Generation.
Dearest Delia—" Why do you always
hong the.. mistletoe on the chandelier inthe
middle of the room?"
Sweetest Susan—"It isn't noeeseary to
hang it in the dark oornees, my dear," '
Accomplishments.
The girls who menet, ging or play
Should not repine or aigh ;
That le to say, provide l they
Are not induced to try.
The Patal Test.
Voloe at the net 1 of the atsirs—Goo
have you been drinking ?
George—No'm 1
Voioe—Say chrysanthemum.
George (silent for a moment)—I'm
drunksh, m' dear 1
ae
A queer law exists in some of the country
distriote of Japan. In cam of a robbery, all
the sttepeeted persons are arrested. iThe
male populotiel' then decide by ballot
which is the guilty individual. The 00 -
fortunate fellow who gets the most votes
is "elected," and gnus to prison. If there
is a tie vote, both of the suspects are
imprisoned.
A Manchester, England, man carries on
hie portion a complete pickpocket Werth els,
tem. Removal of 118 watch, pie orother
jewelry, causes the ringing of a bell. The
eloctrle plantwoiglto twontytwo tenets,
Tippler, found drunk in the streets of
At,. Petersburg are shamed Hitt u settee of
decency by seeing their names displayed
ou potato in the loading thoroughfaroe.
}
_
GEMS OF' GREAT VALUE.
ganized it the'east in oonneotlon' with the
American Railway Union.
Mr. John Borne, M. P., of Lngland, the
labor leader, has received an invitation to.
visit Winnipeg from the labor bodies of
that oily.
The diamond nutters of Ainetordam have
gone on etrike and are parading the enema
which are crowded with strikers and their
sympathieors.
It ie alleged that Secretary John W.
Hayes, of tho Knights of Labor, et the
Diose of General Assembly, stated that the
Order had 300,000 members in good
ing.
The Hamilton Trades and Labor ('Duna
ubliaetand-
meet
Burin t
a
e
g g h to
coming yes
tomo
e inters c
promote
seoit
be wor ir.
go
kla
_seas
g
aver -
of America
'L'lower, of
gipping im•
a in Sing
We May NM be Able to See Them, But the
Next Beat ThIllg le la Bead or Them.
We are of ten regaled with stories of fabu-
lous prices paid for gems—pearls or dia.
monde. A neoklape owned by Baroness
Gustave de Rothschild, made of rows, is
valued at $2001,000. Another, owned by
Baroness Adolphe de Rothschild, is even
valtied at a higher figure. The Empress
of Russia has a necklace also valued at
e0,000 rubles. One belonging to the Grand
Duohesa Marie'h0o six rows of pearls, and
is eaid to have cost 5180,000. Mlle. Doane,
a sister of M. Theirs, has a necklace of
several rows, which has teken her 30 years
o collect, and has cost her upwards of
'75,000. Tho Empress of Austria possesses
some of the most beautiful blank pearls it is
possible to find; her casket and that of the
Czarina of Russia are, in fast, the most,
famous in the world for pearla of this color.
Mme• Leonide Leblanc sold her necklace'
of pearla a year or two ago for nearly
5200,000, but in consequence of certain
matters which were whiepered about at the
time she bought it back. The stones grad.
ostein size, and are exceedingly beautiful
in shape and lustre.
The !mount of Muscat poaseseos a pearl
weighing12 _carats, through which you
can see daylight. It is worth about$1.65,•
0 0. The one owned by Princess Yousou-
poff is unique for beauty. It was sold by
Georgibus of Calais in 1620 to Philip IV.
of Spain tor 80, 000 ducats. !:.s present
value is about $130,000. The present Pope
on his accession, became the owner
for the time being of a pearl, left -by ono of
his predecessors upon the throne of the
Doan, whioh cannot be of less value than
0,000. The Empress Frederick has a
klace compoeed of 32 pearls, the total
ue of which has been estimated at 6175,
. Her another, Queen Victoria, has a
klaoe of pink pearls worth 580,000.
has decided to hold several,
ra
1
in
ah
ally.
The Granite Cutters' Union
have prevailed upon Govern°
New York,. to (esus an order at
mediately all tutting of grantt
Sing prison.
RAILROAD BUILDING IN 11394.
,0 Steady Decline for. Six Tears ha .the
Number or Mlles Constructed.
The figures of railroad .building in the
United States for 1894 aro ab hand, and
they do not make a very good showing.
Tho total is lose than 2,000, against, 7,421
in188e, 0,570 1n 1890, 4,282 in 1891, 4,187
in 1892, and 2,035 in, 1893. In foot, for the
last six years there has been a steady and
marked decline each year in the ancone t o
of railroad building in the United States
not only with reference to the total mileage,
but also compared with the preceding: year.
At than head of the States and Territories
in respect to railroad building this year is
Arizona, followed in the order named by
Illinois, Pennsylvania, Michigan, end
Maine, New York has a total of only
forty intim, while Maine has 0year's record.
of 111, which is exceptionally highfor a
State wibh a total railroadmileage of only
1,400 miles. The Maine woods, however,
are yet to bo developed and the Arizona
flatlands are, though for a different reason,
still a fair field for prospectors and civil
engineers. In the older States of the Union
railroad building is praotically itt stand.
stilt, New York's slender record of forty
miles being matched by four miles in Mas.
eaohnoetts, seven' miles In Now Hampshire,
five miles in Virginia, three milds in Nortl
Carolina, and three miles in 1Lansas, a
State which used to be the moss inviting
field for railroad heildere and hoe now a
mileage of blue thousand' milee. Tht
During the present month tit
of the Knights of Labor are
their twenty-fifth anniversary
twenty-five years since the first
established in Philadelphia..
The one 'thousand women ci
who went out on etrike notice t
ago in the city of Mexieo ag
introduction of cigarette moo
still out and fighting 50 win.
The United States ()ongrest
asked at its next session Lo peh
Gaited States load the world in respect ti
railroads, having 60,000 more oiling of tract
ban all the countries of Europe oombined
hut at the preemie rate of progress th,,
United States inay mit be nislo to hold la
lead. One reason for the relative (allins,.
oil of road building In the United States i
found in the trolley linen. Another reason,
urse, is the hard times.
members
elebrabing
it being
local was
;sneakers
o weeks
inet the
hies are
1w111 be
lava for .
the better protection of eeame4t, It 'ne
claimed that even China takes b "ter are
of her seamen than does Uncle Salt.
Hebrew bakers of Brooklyn won a rtrike
for better copditione in short order, 21 out.
of 25 bosses signing the Beale for an Increase
in wages averaging 25 per cent., "rodeo.
tion in hours from 16 to 18 a day toill,and
no more boarding with bosons.
A vote of rho ratepayers was tattle at,
Chatham recently to decide whetbet the
town should purchase the plant of the Chat-
ham Waterworks Company. The result has
as follows :—For the purchaeo of the plant,
83; against 553. The by-law was tans
defeated by 490 votes.
In the event of the rules being accepted
the old Central Labor Union will adjourn'
sine die on Jan. 6 next,and the now organ-
ization will come into power. The name of '.
the'body will be the CentralOrganizatian,
and its sessions will be secret, newspaper
men being excluded.
Rev. Jenkin Lloyd Jones :—" I look
upon the organization 'of laborers as the
morning star of the new day, the latest) and
finest product of social evolution. Let them,
fled each other out, diaeuss their common
interests, discover their mutual obligations,
study together the perplexing riddle of
life, Let them combine. Help them com-
bibe. Let those who perhaps through no
superior merit of their own have some van-
tage ground guide them in their combine-
tfone."
President Debs of bite A.R.U. in address
ng a mooting of workman recently, said t
" I lost the rospeat of many of my fellow
citizens, who formed their opinion from the
newspapers, but I kept my own." " The
Pullman employes had become a part of the.
rolling stook, with no escape save through
the beak door of suicide," " Injunctions'
have become so populaathat they may be
issued against anything but breathing."
During the past six weeks he has received
invitations to Bpeak from 6,000 places,
According to the Labor Gazette for Nov
ember, 1894,' five new distributive co-
operative societies wore registered inGreat
Britain. Reports with regard to trade..
during the quarter ending in September,
compared with the corresponding quarter
of 1593, have been received with regard to
65 Associations of Consumers (distributive
societies), with 120,137 members. They
show quarterly sales amounting to 61780,400
a deareaeo of T13,450,or 17per cent, com-
pared with the corresponding period of
1893. The falling off is mainly attributable
to the Scottish sooiet100 in oho districts
affected by the recent coal dispute. Tho
English societies making .returns show a
net increase"ia sales of 1:0,553, or 1.4 per
sent, A further analysis of the figure
shows that '.1 the 80 Eugilah soanetiee.
milking rot erre 27 with a membership of
121,113 and g1r,.rturly.sales amounting to
£176,258, ehewe an Mariam of 118,995;
while Mute with a memberahip of 0,0,003
and eales to the video of 1304,620, show a
decrease Of1512,4,19.
Rebuilding au Ancient Aqueduct.
Itis announced that the Tui ]fish Minister
of Public Works bus decided to reconstruct
the aqueduct whioh supplied Joruealem
with water in ,the time of King -Solomon.
Thio will neoeesitato the building of a tunnel
0750 motors long, and when completed it
watt furnish the Holy City with a daily sup..
ply of 250(1 cubit meters of water, of which
1(100 will be distributed to tho peer gratui'
,000ly. The work is estimated to entail an
. xpotttlituro of 2,000,000 franca,
Eighteen vetturosone tourists lost their
11100 In the Alps this semen.
Ora Olark,,aged twelve, of St. J oho,
Mioh., thought ha kouw how to keep e.
tow from reoutogiaway, He attained
rope to the annuals lioear, and the o the
and ho tied around his waist. 'iTo cot
darted off,dragglog the boy aeinat va Hapobstructions, end amusing fat,1 injuries,