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Home My WebLink AboutThe 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,