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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Brussels Post, 1895-3-8, Page 2UNDLRACLOUD =mango TALE tF EtUMAN Lux OIIAPTBR XXXV, A $0001010 INQIa0TION. The next day wan a beey one for Good, $o had to attend court, and in the after. neon he stole a visit to lviiseJerold, where, by "the merest ()Mum," he found h"die, who waa also there by "the merest ohenoe," but they had a long whet about their invalids, as they termed them, and then Guest spoke of his ideas respecting Brodie() u. "And you sit here talking to me?" she said. "Why, you Ought to be having the place eearohed," "You think so, too?" "Of course, and without lose of time. Why, Percy, he may have known all about Malcolm Stratton's trouble, and now the chance hoe gone forever," "Steady, steady i" said Guest, smiling at the girl's Impetuosity. " Don't let your imagination run away with you. 1b'a rather bad sometimes." He loft almost directly, and was half disposed to go straight to the police station nearest the inn ; but it occurred to him that he had stirred Stratton a good deal on the previous night, and that if he could get his friend's interest full upon this matter it would be a good thing: " 1 dare nay it will all turn out to be nothing -mere imagination," he thought ; but, even if it is, it may do something to get the poor fellow out of this morbid state. After all, Brettieon may be there.' Bue Guest felt so little upon the matter tbat be did not hurry to his friend's rooms till after dinner, and, to his aurpriee, found that ha was either not in or obatinotely determined not to be interrupted, for there was no reply to his knocking. " I'll get him to let me have a latchkey," ho thought, "for he is not fit to be left alone." On the chance of Stratton being there he went o0 to Benchers' Inn, and, to• his aurprise and aatiefaotion, he saw a light in the room. After a few minutes his knock waa re• ;mended to, and he was admitted. "You have Dome again, then," said Stratton reproachfully. "Of course," replied Guest, and he snatched at the idea again about Brettieon. "Look here," he said, "I have made up my mind that the proper thing to do is to have that room entered. Brettieon has been away months, and' it ought to be done. "But you have no authority," said Stratton uneasily. "You have, as his nearest friend and neighbor." " Ne, no, no," said Stratton uneasily, " I tell you it's right," said Guest. " We'il go to the station quietly, give notice, and a couple o: men will come, and bring a locksmith or carpenter to open the door." , Impoaeible 1 The publicity ; it would be horrible." " 1f we found the old fellow Tying dead there, yes. But he may not be." "No, he may not be, ao it cannot be done," said Stratton with an unwonted animation which made Guest the more eager. But it can. " I say no," said Stratton angrily. " But I say yes." " You have no right, no business what- ever, to interfere in the matter. I will not have Ivi'r. Brettison'aplace broken open and his Silage distirbed. It shall not be done." " Bravo," thought Guest ; "a little more argument of thie sort would bring him round." And full of determination, right er wrong, to persevere he said dis- tinctly : "Look here, Stratton, have you any special reason for refusing to listen to my words ?" "I -I -a mason?" cried Stratton looking startled. "None whatever." "Oh 1 You seemed eo stubborn." "The natural feeling of a scientific man against intruders meddling with his study." "Vir. Brettieon made no objection to your breaking in upon him when he was dangerously ill and would have died with- out your help." Stratton was silenced for the moment,but he broke out directly with "But I am sure he has not been back." "How can you be, away as you have been to long ?" " I should have heard him or seen him. He would have come in to me." "Look here, Stratton," said Guest at last, " if you oppose my wishes go strongly I shall think that you have some speeial reason for it." Stratton's eyes contracted a little as he looked fixedly at his friend. " I shall not oppose you, then," he said, atter moistening his lips, es if speaking was an effort. " Rave the plane examined" " I will," cried Guest eagerly. " Come on with me to the pollee station, and let's give information." Stratton shrank back in his seat, " No, no. Speak to the people at the lodge; the men aan open the door." " No; I am not going to have the matter spread abroad. And I do not accept the responsibility, No hesitation now ; come on." Stratton 0008 ao weakened by ill health and nervous shook that, in spite of himaelf, he felt compelled to yield, and ten minutea later they were in the cold, formal station, where he felt as if in a dream, held there against his will, and listening While Guest told the impactor on duty hie auepioioaa as if they were those of his neighbor Stratton, who, of course, wen eat aura, only uneasy, and desirous of quietly learning whether, by any possibility, there was aomethiag wrong. "We'll 0000 see to that, sir," said the inspector quietly, and sending a :nonage by a constable, a sergeant was called into the office, the matter explained tohim,and, after a sharp gloom at the two etrangera,he proposed to call and get ,iolsneonto come with them,aa he would be home from work and they could piok hint up on the way. The inspector expressed hie appoval, and then. said: "I' hope, gentlemen, you will and it 18 ell a mistake, for your friend's stake,, .Good evening." *aeon as they were outside the ser, genet turned to them,. " Aft you want to make Dg fuse, gentle, men, and would like the matter kept quiet suppose you both go on? I'lloin you in ten minutes with eny Ivan. People may notice it, if we all go together." Guest nodded, and they separated. Then a cab wescalled, and "Stratton's ohambere. once more reaohed. Here the letter grew strangely molted, and began tri protest spinet the proceed. lugs. " Look here," said Guest warmly, " if T had bad any doubt about its being right 1 Should goon now." . "" Why ?" cried Stratton wonderingly, " Because the oxoitemet of agother'a trouble or suffering is rousing you up, old fellow, and making you seem something like what you were of old, Stratton naught him by the arm, and woe about to insist upon the plan being given up, when there was a abarp rap et the door, and Guest caught up candle and matches and led the way Baton to the land- ing, followed by Stratton, who looked as if he were in a dream, The sergeant was outside with a man of the regular carpenter class, with a bag swung over his shoulder by a hammer pass. ed through the handles. "Here we are,gentlemen,"said the police officer. Candle . Shan't want it, air ; I have a lantern, and it will be handier. You wish it all to be done quietly, you say, but I'm afraid our friend here will make a little noise with his tools. People down - stake will hear.". "They are only offices below," said Guest. "Upataira, then?" "No one there in the evening." "That's right then, sir. Which is the door ?' At a word from Guest, Stratton moved aoroae the landing and turned down the passage in whioh.6rettison a doorway stood, moving etill in the same dreamy fashion, as hie friend's will forced him to act, and as they reached the doorway the sergeant turned on his lantern, so that the light played about the keyhole. " Now,Jem," he said, "have a look at it. What do you gay ? The man slouched up, and the shadow of his head, with its closely fitting cap, glided; about on the door, as he turned' from side to aide to get a good look at the little opening, "Light more this way,matey," hegrowl- ed,in an ill-used tone. "That'll do. Steady, pleaae. I don't want to look at the'iuges." "There you are, then, W ell, is it a pink? or a eawout ?" "Pick," said the man, swinging hie bag down on to the Boor and opening it by drawing out the hammer. There wee a faint jinkle as the bag was opened, and its owner looked up in a protecting way. "Can't work if you make a Jacky Lan- tern game of it, matey. I want to see." The light of the wan directed into the bag, revealing a stock, a box of centre bits, akeyholeaaw, and a couple of bunches of attenuated keys, some of which were merely a steel wire turned at right angles at the end. "Nice, respectable looking character this, gentlemen," said the sergeant dryly. "Supposed to be an honest man; but if a 'tea' got hold of him with a hag like that he'd have to say a great deal before anyone would believe him. That one do, my lad ?" "No, too big,"said the workman huskily, and he began to whistle softly us he coolly selected another hooklike skeleton key from hie bunch ; while Guest stood watching the pair with a strange feeling of oervouenese increasing upon him, caused partly by the weird aspeac of the acene, with all in dark- ness save the round patch of light on the olddrab•painted oaken door, in which glow the Bngere of the workman ware busily engaged, ae if they were part of some goblin performance, and were quite distinct from any body to which they should have belong- anHe began wondering, too, whether there really was any cause for the.r operations- whether poor old Brettfson really did lie dead in the dusty room beyond the double doors which held them at bay -duet to dust, the mortal frame of the gentle old naturalist slowly decaying into the atoms by which lie waa surrounded; and whether it wae not something like sacrilege to inter- fere with ao peaceful a repose. And all the time the little steel pick was probing about among the wards of the lock with a ourioue olioking sound, above which Guest could hear the intermittent, harsh breathing of his friend, who watched the illuminated door with a stern, fixed gaze, The second pick was after a time with. drawn. "No good Y" said the sergeant, "Not a bit," growled the man, and he held hie bunch of keys up to the glean of the bull's eye lantern. "Don't worry, old chap," said the ser- geant. Then, turning to Guest: "Look a nice, reapectablelot, we do, sir," he said. 'If one of your neighbors wan to see us he'd be slipping off to fetch all the polios he could find, to see what we were about." "Wish you'd hold that there light still," growled hie follower, "Who's to find a piok with your bobbing it about like that ?". "All right. Don't get shirty, my lad ;" and then, ae a freeh pick was selected, and the mao began operating again,the sergeant placed his hand beside hie mouth, after directing the light full on the keyhole, and whispered to Guest : "I m afraid you're right, sir," "What do you mean?" "What you thought, air. There's dome. body lying in there, sure as eure, or my mate bore wouldn't turn like he has," "Oh nonsense!" whispered Guest uneadi. ly"No, sir ; it's right enough. He's like a good dog ; hoe a kind of feeling when there"; something wrong." '"There you go again," growled the opera. tor, "Keyhole slot on tho ceiling, mate, nor yet on the door." "Oh, all right." "But it eine all right. I've got only two hands, or 1'd hold the bleated bull's-eye myself." "There you are, then : will that dot" "Do ? Why, of course, it will," growled the fellow. "I don't oak much. If you can't hold a lantern, lot one of the gentle. men." "Somebhing'a rusty," said the sergeant, "No, it sant that," said the man, taking the remark liberally. "Look'a'ily.enough, but it's gush a rum un -sort of a double trouble back -fall. I don't know whet people are about, !avoiding such stupid leeks, Tetent; they'eall 'em, olid what for 1 Outyy to glee a men more trouble. Alt !cells eau be opened, if you give your mind to it, whether you'vcrgot a Ivey or pe. We ouiy a ease of eatiehcle That's get him 1 he. Paid exultapuly, ape a thrill !Fan through Guest, "No, le Plot ; that bleeped tumbler's gone down again. But, as I woe's saying,: he ooneinug tse he resumed bis operations, "a men who ,unows bis bosineee con opt% look sooner or later, so wily Pint they all made pimple and ha' done with ib 1" "If talking would pick a look"," said the aergeantjaoularly,"that one would have down open by DOW," "And it chucking the light of a belle• eye averywheres but how a man wants it would ha done ib, we should ha' been inside. ten 'Montag ago. Like to have a try your.. eelf,��,;psrduer ?" ""Nei, no ; go on," said the eergeantstern. ly ; and the map sighed and selected a freak pick, one So slight and email that it seemed to be too fragile for the purpose, an it ffeahed in the light) while being inserted, Then ensued a few minutea of clicking and scratching before there came a faint oliok, and a sigh of satietaotion from the workman. "'There you are 1" he eatd, as he drew the door toward him, the paint crooking where ft had stuck, and a faint creak owning from one hinge, while there floated out to. ward them a puff of dense, thick air: eug- neativo of an ancient earoophague and the dust of ages and decay. Then there was a oherp,eoampering noise, and, as Stratton stood peering forward into the dark room, where a feint halo of light spread like a nimbus about the head of a portrait on the further wall, the workman said, half nervously, half as if to keep up Me courage "Rate 1" CHAPTER XXXVO. A 9EABOR HMI VIE II0000R. The Sound come on the instant ea its cause passed through Some hole in the paneling,andStratton uttered a low gasping sigh, and caught hold of Gueet'a arm with 'a grip that felt ae if it was the grasp of a skeleton. " Are you feint ?" whispered the young barrieter. "Let me take you bank to your room," If the gentleman feels queer; air, he'd better not go on with it,'said thesergeant, also in a low voice, as xi impressed by the place. "'Heisn't used to it.; we are,' "Yes," said the workman. "Not our first case, eh, pardner?" But even he spoke below hia breath. "No, I'll stay," said Stratton more firmly. "S have been ill, offiuer, and it has left me weak." "Then don't try it, sir. You Pan leave it to us." "Go on," said Stratton, after drawing a long, gasping breath ; " I am quite right now." " Spoken like an Englishman, sir," said the eergeant. "Party's likeness, gents? " he said, as the light, shown full on the oil. painting across the room; the face of the gray, benevolent.looking man seeming to gaze at them reproachfully. "Yes, my old friend's portrait," said Stratton, with a sigh. "Better let me go first, sir," said the sergeant, pressing before Stratton, who was about to enter, but he was too late. Stratton took a step forward, caught hie foot against something, and nearly fell headlong into the room. "Mind my tools, please," growled theworkman, stooping to pick up his bag, which had lain in the darkness of the open. ing; and then all etepped cautiously into the well furniahed room, which was, in almost every reaped, a repetition of Stratton's, only reversed, and a good deal encumbered with large, open oases full of bulky folios, containing aeries of pressed end dried plants. These hid a great deal of the paneling and carving, save on the right, where, on either side of the beautiful old fireplace, were two low doors, formerly the entrances to the passages wbioh oon• fleeted the room with Stratton's when they were part of a suite. Away to the left was another dcor, matching those by the fireplace -that lead- ing into the botanist's bed -chamber ; and wherever a apace was left on the paneling, there wan a portrait, in an old tarnished gilt frame, of some encoder, eaoh-dimly seen though it wae-ae the sergeant made the light play round the walls -bearing a striking reeemblanee to .that wbioh faced them. " Looks as if he was watohing us," said the workman huskily ; and he placed -a piece of tobacoo in his mouth, making Guest start as he closed the braes box from whish he had extracted it with a loud snap. " Yea," said the sergeant, in a whisper, as if to himself, and he made the fight of hie bull's-eye ,play from easy -chair to conch, and then all about the floor; " I always wondered how they managed them eyes. Everything looked in order, with one exception. The thick Turkey oarpet and heavy rug were exactly as they had been laid ; the fireplace showed the coal, wood, and paper neatly laid ; and the chairs were all duly ranged in their places ; but the sergeants light rested upon the table -a heavy oblong affair, with four massive careen Legs -apart of whose top wae bare, for the thick green cloth cover, with bullion braiding at the border, had been half dragged off, and lay, in folds from the top to floor, only kept from gliding right off by the heavy lamp, and looking as if it had been hardily dragged down to cover some thing by the table, or caught by someone's foot when passing hastily to the door. The sergeant made his light play on the dark folds for a few moments, and then jerked it away. "Do you gentlemen mean to atop ?" he said, speaking now a little more rapidly, There was no reply and the mac dapped forward to the table, raised one oor0er of the cloth quickly, and then swung it right up and steadily lowered it again, while Guest uttered a sigh of relief, for there was nothing visible but the heavy legs of the table. "Enough to deceive any man," said the sergeant, who then stopped and listened, walked back, and softly closed both doors. "May as well be private, gentleman," he said. "Eh 7" This last to the workman, who had mut. tend something in a low voice. "I says I could ha' swore he wan there." "So could 1, Jemmy," replied the serge- ant, as he made the light play around the room again,an let t red upon t d a f r a p he cham- ber -door. "There is nothing, you see," said Stratton, rather quickly. "Haven't done yet, sir," replied the sergeant. Then, in a 100 voice to Guest,- "I'm pretty well used to this sorb o'thing, sir, but 'pen my soul I feel as if I should like to burn that round. It's just as if it was watching rrie. There, let's get 10 over." The man had, in epite of his Meg accustomed to scenes of horror, seemed as if it were necessary bo string himself ups He had gene to the table finally to lift the cover, and that had used up a certain amount of nerve feree. 1Te wee forced be make a.(Mlt eu nattire for further supply. Re strode tiereee to Ahs chamber -door, throw it °pan, and walked In, the others 10,0004 and standing jest ;Heide, aa he made the light pier, round a well'furntehejl bedroom where everYthfng wae ex4etig in its place-e•the hod Made, dreaaing table' lb pperieet Order, and a couple of eupboarde dlePlaying neehlag within but euadry clothes hanging from peg.. "Arn't in hero," said the sergeant, alter a final look round, "Been Ito struggle-'- no sign of anyone having been, took ill. Don't like 000 thing, Jem,' he added, "Well, "t Said the man, "if you mean, pushier, blit everything looks too tidy, and 49 if thingshad beep etrelghtened up all but the tabic.kivor, theta just what was a -thinking: "Right," fetid the eergeant ; "that wee the one thing forgotten or left in the hurry." • "Oh, no," said Guest quickly. 01 see we have raised a falae alarm." "May be, sir," said the sergeant firmly, "but Pin not satisfied yet. Let's go beak in the other room, please. I want 49 know what bhat table•oover means. Hallo 1 What's thin he said sharply, as he atooped down and picked np apiece of composition candle, gnawed 'nearly all away, "Where's bhe candlestick ?" "Here," said Guest, pointing to where a lit:le old.fashioned candlestick lay by a stead aontalning folios of driedpfante. "Well, sir, thee wae knocked down," said the sergeant, "We are wasting 'time,"' said Stratton firmly, "Sae if that look is uninjured, my man, so that the door will close,' "Stop a bit, sir, ploaes," said the serge. ant ; "we haven't done yet." He stepped at once to the paneled door on the left of the fireplace, turned the handle, threw it opened, and matte his light: play in the Tong, deep, narrow closet, one side of which waa filled from floor to ceiling by a reek laden with books of preened plants. "Cooke as if it had once been a passage," said the. sergeant, "oak panels right over the ceiling. Well, nobody there," he eon- tinusd, as he beaked out and closed the door. "That will do," said Stratton, speaking more firmly now. "My friend and I made a mistake. We are much obliged for all you have done, and--" "Not quite done, sir," said the sergeant grimly ' and he crossed to the other side of the.fireplaee, took hold of the handle of bhe eloped up door, left to make both sides matoh, and tried to turn it,but it was fast. Stratton turned ghastly,, but he was in the shade. "No cupboard there," said Guest ;harp. ly. The sergeant turned quickly, and his Light flashed across the faces of the two friends. He saw Stratton's wild look, and he tapped on the panel. "No cupboard, sir? Sounds hollow, too," Guest naught eight of hie friend's face at the same moment, and hL pulses leaped ; a confused mist of m ,•ries flooded his brain, and something man him keep sil- ence, though, had be been asked, he could not have explained why. "I should say there is a cupboard here," continued the sergeant, turning back to examine it. "Fastened up, but been a cupboard like the other, of course." Guest glanced at Stratton again in the gloom, but he could see nothing now, with the light averted, only hear hie heavy breathing, which was fainly stertorous, as if from exertion, "Let me sae, gentlemen, you live in the next chambers?" Stratton was silent, while Guest met the officer's eye, and involuntarily answered : "Yes." "Do they bank on to there?" "Yee ; part of the old suite," said Guest, answering, as it were, against hie will. "I'll trouble you to take me in there for a moment, pleaee," said the man decisively. Stratton drew a deep breath, and with- out a word led the way out into the pass- age and round to his own door. (T0 BE CONTINUED.) HORSES FASCINATED BY FIRE. The Animate Seized With n Strange Mad- ness When he Peril. The panic that is inspired in the minds of horses by a phenomenon eo strange as fire can be understood only by those who have witnessed a fire in a large stable where numbers of horses are kept The scene that ensues is one of the moat frightful that eau he conceived. The horses are reamed from the burning build. ing with the utmost difficulty and only with the moat serious peril to the lives and limbs of the emotion. The animals go mad with fright, rear, kick and dash from Bide to aide so wildly as to make an at. tempt at rescue as perilous as an advance ona hostile battery. When rescued they will often break away from those who hold them and charge bank at full speed into the burning building, there to perteh in the flames. They resist every attempt to take them out. They have been known to tear their rescuers with their teeth, to throw them to the ground and trample on them, to kick out their brain,. As the fury of the flames increases so does the panio of the un. fortunate animate. They eaream out in their agony as the fire reaches their bodies, yet will they not for all that seek safety in the open air. They are crazed with fear, and yet remain to be burned to death when a ten seconds' run would carry them to liberty. but they never make the run,and as a rule, are burned alive in their stella, where alone they seem to fanny they can find security. There is but one way to get them out, and that is to blind them with some convenient cover, such as a coat or a blanket, and thus, unable to see the demean Wend them, trembling in every limb. ap- parently ready to fall to the earth with fear, they may be led out. But the cover input not Ise too quickly removed from their oyes; in fact, it should not be taken off until the animals are out of eight of the burning building, otherwise they will break away from the persona leading them, and,ln spite of the etouteat efforts at restraint, will dash back to pariah in the flames. More Information. Tommy -Paw, what does the paper moan by saying that 0man hoe a dna sense of justice ? Mr. Ftgg-Ib generally means that he is the kind of a man who will devote all his time to getting even when some one injures him. Charles Brander, of Baltimore, who wag married recently, was teased by his fel. low.workman in a furniture factory when be returned to work. Ile loot control' of his temper, and leaped from a fourth.story window to the ground, breaking both his lege. TNN PUBLJO A.00OUNTSI ONTARIO'S EXPENDITiIRE FOR V XRAR IN DETAIL. Wile Mange In tee Aru0unte .ePen$-A etalanee Shown fly the Statement - terse POpesits,Matle-an enteeeseing V'o$utne, The Prgylnoisl public a000ente were leld on the table of the Aesembly on Tueaday afternoon, The Leading legume are outs lined below 1-- AEQEII"ra, The receipts for the year were as foln Balnce from public aoequnta 1894. •,,...,,4 75,018 68 CONSOLIDATED REVENUE FUND. From Dominion of Canada Subsidy .,.,•„ -, ,.,.x.,,$1,118,872 80 Special grant 80,000 00 Interest on capital held and debts due by the Dominion to Ontarfe 310,020 96 Interest on inveatmente . 52,701 97 From Crown Lands Department : Crown laude $ 39,086 27 Grammar School lends 1,845 20 Railway lands 950 73 Rent 12,040 09 Woods and toreate 980,497 40 Mieoellaneoua 1,083 88 Refunds . •. ..... 2,179 47 Licensee 277,330 14 Law stamps 84,097 50 Algoma taxes 2,108 62 Education Department 48,696 57 Casual revenue 232,094 64 Sale of lands ab Toronto Asylum 6,000, 00 Public lnetitutions: Toronto Lunatio Asylum$ 37,223 76 Mimico Lunatic Asylum 2,103 63 London Lunatio Asylum, 10,589 83 Hamilton Lunatic Asylum, 9,890 83 Kingston Lunatic; ' Asylum,3,860 20 Oriflia Lunatic Asylum 2,787 06 Reformatory for Females Reformatory for Boye Deaf and Dumb Institution.,. Institution for the Blind OPEN AMOUNTS. 3,221 89. 585 65 105 65 7 03 Crown Londe Department: Clergy lands $ 4,675 05 Common Soh000llands 14,594 81 Publics works and buildings, re capital account: Mercer estate $ 40 00 Brewers' licensee 54,020 88 Drainage work, rent uhargea 12,987 18 Drainage debentures 40,661 44 Drainage debentures, tile753,171 00 Total reoeipte 3,453,162 69 Amount withdrawn from special deposits 1,959,876 00 Total' $5,488,054 37 EXPENDITOIeE POR TM YEAR. The expenditure for the year wae as followa :- Consolidated revenue fund: Civil government $ 240,474 10 Legislation 142,362 22 Administration of justice418,746 63 Education 884,559 80 Public institutions, mainten- ance 756,983 92 Immigration 8,140 94 Agriculture ... 181,064 71 Hoepitale and charities. .... 182,692 51 Repairs and maintenances, public buildings Locks, dame, etc Colonization roads Surveys, inspections, etc, Charges on Crown lands Refunds on Crown lands Education.......... Miscellaneous OPEN ACCOUNTS Asylum for Insane, Toronto. Asylum for Insane, .Mimioo., Asylum for Insane, London.. Asylum for Insane, Hamilton Asylum for Insane, Kingston. Asylum for insane, Orillis.. Asylum for Inaane, Brook. ville Reformatory for Boys, Pene- tauguiahene Reformatory for Females, To- ronto Central Prison Deaf and Dumb Institute... Blind. Institute Agricultural College Western Dairy Sohooi Normal School, Toronto... , Normal Sohool,Ottawa.... Sohool of Practical Science, Oegoode Hall Government House. New Parliament Buildings. , District of Algoma District of Thunder Bay District of Rainy River District of Muskoka Dietriot of Earry Sound District of Nipiaeing Look -up, Mattawa.......,., Lockup, North Bay Look -up, Sudbury Mieoelianeoue Brock's monument Muekoka Lake worke Muekoka River worke Gull and Burnt River works Maganetawan River works •, Sougog River worke......, Miasieeippi River works, High Falls darn, etc Refunds re land improve men fund Refunds re municipalities; Fund (seldom? pensions)... Aid to railways Annuities Land improvement, epeoial. Drainage debentures, mun- ioipa . Drainage debentures, bile,., Stationery account, excuses of purohaaee over diatribe. oin , 71,548 00 10,771 46 116,879 78 231 60 111,158 35 11,454 39 1,508 01 204,849 88 9,511 31 17,174 29 11,213 83 15,435 12 29,177 31 7,057 59 204,772 01 4,347 58 3,577 11 25,330 24 10,244 30 3,224 91 12,189 07 500 00 343 03 9,675 83 11,436 75 3,4"12 11 2,593 96 I3,208 93 40 25 161 50 77 43 258 53 74 80 7,040 45 153 46 123 05 679 30 3,18209 2,096 22 1,960 13 631 82 718 21 1,853 32 7,097 51 6,041 26 1,244 80 147,515 24 74,200 00 562 17 19,051 77 25,800 0 3,166 4$ Total expenditure 3,842,505 23 Special deposits, eto..,..,., 1,376,970 85 Balance 268,578 29 BANx BALANCES, The current bafamea of the Province stand as follows :- Bank of Commerce .9 224,786 77 Central Bank Dominion Bank Federal Bauk Bank of Hamilton imperial Bank Ontario Bank 98 120 30 73 61 15,017 75 4,660 68 3941 70 Standard Bank . .. .......... 18,802 04 Traders' Bank 8,412 04 Total 208,816 77 Against this amount must bo placed the following overdrawn acoounte iiank of Montreal, , „,$ 142 63 Coneolidated:Bank „ , ,:, 95 95 Leming a balance of ,..,,.,,, 208,578 29 9550140 98000979, The following are the special depoafte see, Bank of Commerce,...,. ,, 9120,000 00 Imperlal Beak , 060,000 00 Standard Bank, 50,000 09 Ontario Bank., . , 43,096 85 Tonere' Bank.. , 25,900 00 'Onion Bank.,,, ,,,, 25,009 00 'Bank of Hamilton.,;.,,,,,.,. 25,009 90 ISYEOTME,NT A0009N'r. The following is the lnveetment account for 1894 Amount of epeoial•deposit, 31st December, 1893 , 9925,000 00 Speoiel deposits in 1894. Bank of Commerce 150,000 00 • Ontario Bank , 326,970 85 Standard Bank 200,000 00 Imperial Bank , 325,000 90 Bank of Hamilton 204,00000 Trader's Bank 109,000 00 Union Bank • 75,09009 Lees amounts withdrawn to meet entreat expenditure,eta.; Bank of Commerce 9375,000 Ontario Bank 48476 Standard Bank 225,000 Imperial Bank 375,000 Bank of Hamilton,., .. .. . 2.0,000 Traders' Bank 125,000 !Union Bank 125,000 The total epeofal deposits thus are $2,. 301,970 85, and the amounts thus with. drawn $1,959,875, leaving a balance of $342,095 85. To thus must be added in- terest-bearing securities held by the Province on Mat December, 1894, exclu- sive of trust funda in the hands of the Dominion Government, as follows :-- Drainage loans $143,567 66 Drainage debentures,213,054 97 Tile drainage debentures.-. „ 122,800 15 Mortgage on Asylum lauds' sold,..,... 3,000 00 Dundee and Waterloo. 1,801 00 Which bringe up the whole inveatmente to $826,318 63. INTEREST ACCOUNT. The interest account of the Province shows a revenue of 8382,812 93, hs compared with $379,896 59 last year. Of We 9310,- 020 96 oame from the Dominion Govern• ment on captial held and debts dno the Province by the Dominion. The sum of 933,384 48 was realized as interest on the vario'te bank deposits, while $19149 45 Dame from drainage debentures and loans, and one or two smell items, swelling the total by a few hundred dollars. B000(2I00 REVENUE. The receipts of this branch were 948,- 696 57, as compared with $47,840 78 a year ago. Fees from Toronto Normal, Model and Kindergarten students and pupils were 511,121, and from the Ot- tawa school $5,945. Examinatian •feee and appeale netted 524,168 23 ;feeefrom School of Pedagogy students, $1,53520, and from School of Science students $4,318. • LAST YEAR'S FIGURES. Thi, year's expenditures, on the whole, are very oloae•to those of laet year. In oivil government there is a decrease of $1,- 147 53 ; in legislation there is an iucrease of $3,437 40 ; in the administration of justice, an inoreaee of $38,094 31 ; in edu. cation, an increase of $22,039 11 ; in main- tenance of public inatibutione, a decrease of $21,855 16 ; in immigration, an increase of $908 88 ; in agriculture, an increase of 511,48138; in hoapitale and charities, an increase of $17,796.27 ; in repairs and main- tenance of public buildings, a decrease of $9,261 29 in colonization roads, an increane of $4,713 48, and in charges on Crown lands, an increase of $13,94 655. A MUSCULAR WONDER, A Man Who Can Control HU Whole Anatomy. M. de Quatrefages, the French naturalist, reports the scientific examination of one of he most remarkable human curiosities or monstrosities ever known. The person in question is Simeon Aigutre, who lives in one of the Franoh provincial towns, and who has control over hie body to such a remarkable degree that reports concerning his doings were all discredited up to the time of the Quatrefages investigation. It was found, as had been reported, that Ai g uire was not only an adept in the arta o the oontortioniat,but that be could, through his peculiar system of muscles and nerves, instantly cause his Beeh to appear as if ie had been transformed into solid stone. When in this peculiar condition his flesh could be atruok with a cane or with a metal' instrument, whereupon it would give off a ringing sound as though the blowa had fallen on a marble statue, Assuming e different attitude he would throw his in- testines forward and appear ae one hideous- ly deformed', and the next moment he could draw them up into the thorax and appear as a living skeleton. His statue, pose and contortions were wonderful indeed, but what most astonish- ed the investigators wae Ai uire's ability to control the oirculation of his blood. This he did to the satisfaction of all present by first stopping all circulation on one side of hie body and then on the other. This he effected by muscular contraction. ANTITOXINE NOT NEW. Inoonlatlon by Polson Dates as Far Rack_. as MI:hrldatse, King orr'ontns, There is nobhfng new under the sun. Inoculation with antitoxin°, it appears according to a learned and ingenious nor. respondent of a Munich medical journal, lo by no means new, nor even modern, having been employed- by no less a person than Mithridates, King of Pontus. The authority for title statement fit the Roman naturalist Pliny, who relates that this monareb, for reasons known to himaelf, waa afraid of being poisoned, and therefore made himself proof egainetall smell attempts by gradually aoom:toming himself to all known poisons, producing the state known from him ae mithridatism, -He wag ae• °aatomed to make use of an antidote culled mithridatioum, whose principal ingredient was the blood of the Pontio dunk, this creature having been chosen because it had the reputation of living on ,poison. Here, therefore, we have the case of the blood of an itnmttne animal being heed to make another animal immune, An Innuendo. Polly --lone retiree froth office a poor man. Tix-Hs must' have been very closely watched.