HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Brussels Post, 1892-10-14, Page 2THE BRUSSELS POST,
OCT, 14, 1892,
BEYOND RECALL.
,—Published by 8peolal arrangement tree advaneesheets ot Chambers'dour'nal.
CHAPTER III. my feet, the policeman ha'.1tseizedme eytoo
AN E8CAIE, A 0Aa"rCItE AND RELEASE• eollar, and wan grinding is kittekle into
rho nape of my neck.
Stupefied with Bleep, bewildered by the „We've got one on 'em anyhow," said he
sudden alarm, I did nothing. Ilebe did
worse. She blew out the lights upon the
ohimneypieoe. They had betrayed us, To
extinguish them was the instinctive impulse
of one who feared further discovery.
4. Look oat there 1" Dried the man from
'below. " They've put out the lights in the
next room to you, me"
I Doors were opened hastily in the eorri-
dor; the short, imperative orders of lea's
voices were mingled with the terrified sup-
plinations of women's shriller tones.
The door handle was tried; then oxine a
sharp rap, and a man °alle'i—
"Mies Thane: Hiss thane I"
My wife, clinging to my arm, gasped in
reply, her voice scarcely audible—
': What is it?"
"Mks Thane ! Mies Thane 1" again, and
then another voice, " Hobe? Hebei" And
with that there was n violent thrust at the
Door that made the panels crack.
I stood like one paralysed ; a vague inn.
soio'8ness that diacovery was inevitable
seemed to numb my faculties. B.gt Hebe,
more quick.wittel--as women ever are
su time of danger—ran to the door, and
steadying her voice cried—
" What is it, papa 1
"Open your door, Burglars are in the
house. A light has been seen in here."
" One moment, she answered, and then
turning to me, in a quick whisper she im-
plored me to hide.
What was the nee of that? Their motive
in entering the room wee to search, Would
the father leave any corner of his daughter's
room unexamined? At that moment there
was a diversion.
Hallo, there! cried the voice outside;
then in a higher key, "This way, Davis—
here they are 1"
Then there folluwed a confusion of sounds
—the smashing of glass in the conservatory
—a scuffle—sharp blows—muttered impre.
-melons—the quick approach of steps upon
the gravelled path—a howl of pain—theta
another crush of glass—and cries of "He's
MTV' "Stop him :" " Over the Jewel"
"After him 1" mingled together, and the
slannning back of the conservatory door—
feet pattering over the grass and clattering
down the path. Then the comparative
silence, broken only by the distant oali of
men to mon in a dhsbant part of the
grounds.
My senses camp back to me, and with
them decision and energy.
" Now is my time to escape," I whispered
to Hebe.
I slipped to the window, drew aside the
blind, and as swiftly and silently as I might
lifted the sash. Outside it looked thicker
and darker than ever. I could seenothing,
but 1 knew that the verandah was not more
than a yard below the windowsill.
"Kit Kit, what are you going to do?"
whispered my wife in terror, hearing the
movement of the sash, and coming to my
side,
" It's all right. I east slip clow a from the
verandah easily enough," I answered.
Bang 1 bang! at the door again, and old
Thanes voice calling impatiently to his
daughter to open.
"Shut the window after mo," I said,
hurriedly; slipping out and dropping my
feet down no to the iron verandah. " Open
the door, and occupy your father's attention
—but take oft that dress first."
The window closed, my poor wife mur-
muring a prayer for me • and now with a
view to dropping from the verandah at the
further end, where T knew there was a
flower bed on which my fail would be more
noiseless than on the gravelled terrace, I
began to ereop along, crouching down and
groping upou the wall for anything that
might give me a hold, for I felt the sloping
iron, wet and greasy with the fog, treacher-
ously slipping under my India -rubbers. I
:got hold of a window still. My eyes wore
•again growing used to the fog, and I could
now sea the edge of the verandah, which at
, 'first had been invisible to me. Whose
window was this? Was there a light in the
room, and any danger of discovery here? I
looked up. Good God 1 just above me was
a man leaningupon the very sill I had my
hand on, camly regarding ate. He must
have seen sae slip by the window from the
meet room, and must have heard me speak
to Hebe, Without doubt. it was that Major
Oleveden of whom she had spoken. He
must have concluded that I was Miss
Thane's lover, for like a gallant gentleman
he made= attempt to raise an alarm, know-
ing it would expose Hebe; but without a
word Buffered me to pass on close before his
eyes.
I crept on a few yards and got hold of the
next window sill ; then another window was
thrown up—one in my wife's room, The
major was still where I had seen him. I
heard hint say calmly—
"You have found nothing In Miss Thane's
room, I hope?"
A voice from beyond replied, and it was
Hehe'e father—
"No. Hebe had left her light burning.
On hearing the policeman's whistle she
sprang up in alarm and upset the candle-
stick. That accounts for what was seen
from outside. You have seen nothing ?"
" Nothing," answered the major ; then
he added, in the same tranquil tone, to warn
Inc and save my wife, I believe, " There's
a light moving across the lawn ; the police
are coming back."
"I'11 go and see if they've caught the
rascals,' said Mr. Thane ; ""there's Mete
.hope of tihe.% though. It •
seems they've
cleared all the silver from the dining -room;
so Horhoak tells me."
I ornpt on more carefully than ever,
reckoning that I eoold not be above a dozen
feet or so from the end of the verandah, but
I kept my eye across Ile lawn where I could
seethe light from a bullse, a sweeping the
ehetbbery and gradually drawing near. when I am talc en before the mh istrata;
The verandah sloped at an angle which g
d advance difficult in the e:arome there will be less likelihood :hon of my
ma e
' being id ntffie•1 th of '
a as e a bird when T eon
C a
fn a tone of truimplh. "" Let's have a look at
you."
Then having thrust his bullseye full in my
face, he added—
" Alt, I thought I [should) see you again,
my joker? You're tits young fellow' spot.
Lad po Richmond HIll."
A distant whistle and the faint sound of
voices calling in another part of the grounds
cut short further comment.
" Hallo, they've got another of them up
there,"cried he ; "here, sir, you must take
ebarge of this fellow while I run to my
:nate."
Old Thane,who had grappled on to my arm
with a vigorous show of courage while there
was little likelihood of my escaping from the
eonetable'e firm grip, now showed the white
feather.
" Don't go away, constable—don't leave
the alone with this desperate scoundrel,"
he cried ; " I'm not equal to it. I ean't be
responsible for him."
" Very sorry, sir, but you'll have to be.
I calls upon you in the Queens name,
There's my mate's whistle again. It a my
duty to leave him in your eustody, in the
Queen's name, He's sale enough now.
Catch hold on him here, sir, and Hold on
tight."
With neat dexterity he had fished out a
pair of 'landaufia from his pocket and
closed them es ith a snap upon shy wrists, and
now leaving mein the old gentleman'shands
ho bolted off to jolt the other constable,
I might have easily wrenched myself hem
the feeble hands that now held me. Ho
was old and corpulent, and the tone of
terror in which ho called upon hes servants
to come to his assistance showed that a
mere menace on my part would suffice to
make him release ahe. But.what chance of
escape had I with my hands fettered ?
should be retaken for a certainty by the
police and the men from rho house who
were securing the woods by which I must
pass to got away ; and the attempt at
evasion would confirm the belief that I was
one of the gang that had broken into the
house. Perhaps 1t did not occur to me at
the time, for I was bewildered by the rapid
course of events ; I have but a vague re-
membrance of my own sensations.
Mr, Thane, grasping my collar with both
hands, continued to °all for help, and curse
the servants in between for having left the
house. Presently l caught sight of a tall,
spare, figure in the doorway of the hall,
standing out against the light within.
" That yon, Cleveden ?" cried Mr. Thane,
in a tone of profound satisfaction, "Come
here and help me, there's a good follow.
That confounded oous'sable's left me in
charge of this burglar, and all the servants
are out of the way, of course. It's a shame-
ful thing to leave a rutlan of this sort on my
bands. And, look here, you know I have
only got my slippers on. I shall got an-
other attack of rheumatic -goat to -morrow,
as sure as fate. What on earth are we to
do with the fellow ? It's as much as I eau
do to )hold him with both hands, and I've
nothing on my back but this sleevy dress-
ing gown. Peet web through. This will
be the death of me."
The major had come to my side,
"Leave him to me, he said, touching
my arm coolly. " Ia that tool house open?"
Yes. All, capital idea, Clap him up
there. There's a strong bolt outside, and
no means of escape from within."
""Get me' the lamp, will yon ?"
" Certainly." Mr. Thane went off with
alacrity, and, returning with the lamp, now
offered to show the way to the tool )house,
despite the damp.
" I can manage very well by myself. I
505 00r visitor is handcuffed. Go in and
see after Miss Thane. I an afraid the
fright, has upset her. A couple of the
maids aro in there, but they seem all to
have lost their wits. Pray go."
The old gentleman seemed mightily
pleased to have so good an excuse for get-
ting out of this duty ; he, however, warned
the major to be careful with has, as I was a
terrlbly rough customer to deal with. The
light froin the lamp lit up the major's face,
and I saw the ends of his long monetaehe
go tip, and something like a smile crease his
thin cheeks as he looked sidelong as me.
I went quietly enough into the tool house.
The major set down the lamp on a chaff
nutter, closed the door, and having flaked
the dust off a billet of wool with his (hand.
kerchief seated himself and pulled out a
cigar case. I sank down on a faggot beside
the chaff cutter and dropped my head. The
major struck a lightand puffed at his cigar;
Acre was no other sound. I found him re.
garding me curiously, Isis brows creased bo•
getlher.
It has acme to this," said I to ml self,
"" I shall be sent to gaol for a burglar.
There's nu way nub of it but by lottingall
the world know that a woman laid all her
faith in my love and honor, and that 1 had
not enough of either to keep her secret and
save her from disgrace. No, I won't do
that. I'll go to gaol. A little more degrade.
tion will not make much difference to my
SIAM 1 shall come out no worse off than i
go m. I'll go away than—to America or
New Zealand. It's part of my folly that I
didn't go months ago. Hebe shall not hear
of ins till I'm in a position to claim fuer as
any wife. i oast get en there, putting my
pride in my pocket and working steadily;
and I trill get 0n. Ay, this is a proper
trine for making good resolutions? If I
heel plucked up a bit of courage at
first, instead of letting myself aloft into
torpor and despair, I should have spar-
ed Hobe an age of misery and got en the
way to better things ; and I'll menti though.
please and, when I'm free again. I wiil
lighten her burden if I ono, and make up
some clay for the unhappiness I have brought
upon her now. I will give a false name
es scally where the facade of the house
Offered no hold to the hand. Suddenly my reaurne my own, Per papa I may got off
foot slipped on the greasy surface, For a
moment I thought I should pitch headlong
down to the terrace, Vi ith a violent effort
I regained my footing, tab nob without eon-
siderable noise, Mr. Thane coming on to
the terrace at that Instant was just in time
to hear the squeaking of my Melia -rubbers
en the wrb iron, and the thump with which
lame down on my hands and knees.
"Police I" ho called; "there's one of
them up here on the veranda 1"
t" We'll have him, sir,"answered the mon,
I heard the thud, thud, thud of his feet, and
saw the ray of hie lantern ewitlgingfrom
Aldo to side as he ran across the lawn,
Where was no tire° for reflection. I threw
Myself on. my cheat, and the next moment I
slid over the eel, a netnews clattering to the
grottnd with aer tt of getter that broke
away from the vera"tall oclge under my Wu" then
Wight. BeforeI could recover the use of
with a couple of years, seeing that I'm a
" first offender." Anyhow, my punishment
will bo less than hors. Was ever woman
so punished for marrying a man Tho
wages of folly aro harder than those of sin,
Death igen oast' escape ; to live and suflar.
is the greater penalty, Poor wife I What
are these fetters compared with here—fob.
tared for life to a thing like me? Hearts
don't break, or surely hers could not beet
on lovingly when the man she has regarded
as a hero sluice to thesupiso brutal lod she
found me tonight, Will she remember me
as she last saw me—indi fl'orene to her caress,
yet ra eorously jealaas of those who valued
bar sweetness more --only musing to tor•
rnent her gentle Bpi rib with Mimed° and re.
preach when my senses wore dulled with
ovor•feeding? No, sec will remember me by
Smalling bettor, Oh, if 1 worn free now 1
Tbe,hlevlie; Was 1,101c, (leo devil a en'nt wotehl
The devil grew wolf, the devil a saint was
he:
No ; heeler go to gaol, Yet it's hard—s
young fellow of twenty—to go and herd
with felons, If motion' were living now to
800 me thus. I'nh glad she is dead. I never
thought to arty that."
The polished steel of the handcuffs shim-
mered before my eyes 1 I think it Was that
turned my memorises bank to the old home,
I fancied I saw in the shining bend of the
fetters a conch of the river where as a lad I
used to sib with my rod by a gap in the reeds,
through which one saw the flat meadow on
the other side all red with sorrel. Then my
thoughts wandered to the long, low work.
shop behind our cottage, where I worked
beside my father at the bench, tusking those
famous oak presses for which he was fsnoue
all theoountry round. What a fine old fel-
low he was, my father 1 His work reflected
his character—solid, and honest, and true,
If I had been content to stick to the
old Draft as he did, I might have
become a man Like him. But would
Hobe have loved and married me ? No.
Slue was carried away with admiration for
my genius. Genius 1 1 never had M. Just
euougb shrill as a carver of toys to pass in
thee out-of-the-way place, and to make the
simple folks wonder. I recalled the day
that old Mr. Northcote, the rector, brnuglst
Hebe to look at a panel I had carved. I
had never seen her close before that time.
She Beamed altogether beyond my world.
The rector made some commonplace remark
about application and talent bringing one
fame ; and Hebe said, looking at me with
gloving enthusiasm, "011, yea ; you will be
great one of these days." And this is what
1 had sunk to 1 I could not dwell on these
memories any longer. My brain swam with
remorse and regret, and the knowledge thab
all was over, and nothing left tome of these
glorious hopes. I shook myself to get freo
of these maddening reflections. .A tear had
run down my cheek ; I brushed it away
with my joined hands, mud Looked up at the
major.
He may have beau wondering whether
this inert, spiritless, moody wretch in a
frayed jacket, and corduroys shining at
the knees with, the rubbing of the bench
and mess of an upholsterer's workshop,
could really be the accepted lover of
Hebe Thane. For such. a thug as me
had she sacrificed so touch and run the risk
of a degrading discovery ? Ho met any yea,
and continued to regard the with the same
look of a puzzled inquiry. Perhaps he sought
to road through my eyes 501110 bettor explan-
attain of Helm infatuation than he could
find elsewhere. Ho gave it up ab length, as
a thing past apprehension, raising his eye-
brows as he looked at the ash of his cigar,
and expelled a thin stream of smoke from
his lips, with a return of that cynical smile
T
had before seen on his face. Who can ac-
count for taste in women, he might have
been saying to himself ?
We sat there, face to fano, for five—
ten minutes—I kuow not how long—in such
silence tlsateveu the drawing of his cigar was
audible. Suddenly he took the weed from his
lips and turned his head, listening. We both
heard a cautious step on the gravel outside.
The latch was carefully raised. He rose,
laying his hand on one of the tools piled in
the earner near him, regarding the door
with the ealtn self-possessed look of a
brave soldier, and drawing the smoke per.
haps a little quicker than before.
Hebe 1" I exclaimed, springing to my
feet, as I caught sight of the pale face at
the opening door.
The major threw down his cigar and step.
ped forward quickly—
"Miss Thane!"
"Oh, Major Cleveden 1" cried she, in a
broken voice, hardly audible for emotion ;
" do let me speak to you."
"Certainly," said the major; and le pass-
ed out, closing the door after him, and shut-
ting off from my straining gaze the sight of
that pale, terrified face ; those large, deep
eyes that looked beyond him to mein un-
speakable anxiety and tenderness,.
I konw now whir she was there She had
learnt from her father where I was confined
and who guarded me, and the secret she
could not oonfide to him'she had come bare
to dtsalose to the major—the friend whom
she " could trust with her life"—in the be-
lief that foriher sake he would save me from
disgrace. At thee time I could only surmise
her purpose; but the belief iu her heroic
generosity kindled a flame of gratitude from
the spark of good feeling that still rested at
the bottom of my heart,
I was not left long in doubt as to the
major's reply to Hebe's appeal. He re-
entered the tool.house with a quick, sharp
step.
Your wife has told me all," ho said in a
low tone. " Her happiness depends on your
getting away. Do you think you oat
escape? "
" I will escape," I repeated, vehemently.
"God knows she has suffered enough by
loving me too well ; but she shall sager no
snore. I will not be retaken alive if I eau
get the use of my hands,"
These words seemed to have a peculiar force
for him. His fingers were upon my hand.
calfs, feeling for the spring that closed them.
Ho parsed an instant, looking in hay face
with his piercing eyes to read the extent of
my meaning.
" Well," he said, " I would do the sane
for her, and since you are not guilty of that
for which these fetters have been put upon
you, I shall remove theta, and take the re-
sponsibility upon myself."
These words had but a simple meaning for
me then; but inreoalling them I perceive
their deeper significance.
As he spoke he found the spring and re.
leased any hands.
" Ono moment," said he ; and, going out
by the open door, he looked to the right
and left, listening intently. Theo he cane
bank—
"The coast is clear. You know the pinta
better then I do ; but I muse warn you time
Ulla prat entrance is guarded, Uod speed
you("
CHAPTER IV.
A COMPANION IN Apy'Eli.ITY,
The fog had thickened or the :noon had
enuk;certainly it was more obscure now
than it had been hitherto, But I knew rho
position of the tool•honse well, and that by
]seeping the path Meng the eh ubbory I should
come ultimately thhrougih the garden to the
padetook and so into the apilhny, But,
thee, what wee I to do? Without doubt
the gap in the palings throngs, which I hacl
entered would be guarded, and the ep•
proanhea to it would be dangerous, My
chance lay in feeling my way to the palings
at seine point between the wall and gap,
13ut low ootila1 mood in crossing the wood
Without attraoting attention by the snapping
bristles under hey foot. At every atop
advanced I risked a oonetabte 0' ors of the
many servants who wore scouring the pnlaoo,
The advantage afforded by the darlrness
W08 pretty evenly balanced by the dispel.
vantages. The path was purilotts, yet I
dared Pmt leave it, for anpngst the garden
bade I ,night wander round and round ill a
circle until broad daylight. 'Phare was
nothing for a guide but, the gravel path,
Heavily any goloshes made toy footsteps in:
audible. I kept on with my hands out-
stretched, ready at tiro slightest touch to
spring back. Now and thou my toe strik-
ing against, the box edging of the walk
warned me that I wee ,going from the
straight line ; but I had no outer guide,
:Phe ,larkuess seemed impenetrable, Never-
theless, when 1 had, as 1 thought, made a
couple of hundred yards from any attain
pAnt, I detorted a little glimmer of light on
the ground at a little dietanoe from any foot
of it touched no edging. 1 stopped, won-
dering what it could be. Not a glowworm
surely. I stooped down and bent forward ;
then I perceived clearly a chink of 110,
such aa might he seen through the (11•
closed door of a dark lantern. Had a
constable set it down that he might
advance with loss risk of discovery, It
seemed unlikely ; yet I could not other-
wise account for ire being there. A lanborn
it was assuredly, A bold notion struck me.
I know that it is more difficult to discern a
man 11'110 flashosa light in your face than if
n t m all f took u the
he onrrIed n light t I I p
lantern and advanced boldly with it, Insight
find my way to the palings quickly enough ;
I might see danger before enc and elsewhere
ay flashing it around mo from time to time.
No one would suspect a man carrying an
open lantern of being an escaping burglar.
If I encountered any one I could in a mo.
inane dark clown the light and belt, and be
no worse off' than if we had run against each
other in the dark, I determined to possess
myself of the lantern and hazard it, at any
rate. I set my foot over the edge and lean•
od forward to take it; yet not without pre•
caution, for it might be that tho lantern
had been cunningly laid there ass bait,
and that as I stooped to take it the crafty
trapper might pounce upon me.
As I took up elle lantern rho door swung
open, and the light flashed full upon the
beak wall against which it was sob, revealing
the strands of n cord ladder and the whole
mystery of the light being there. It was
by this ladder that the burglars had gat
over the wall. They had set down the lan-
tern as a guide to discover it when they re-
turned from the house with their plunder'.
In their (light they had lost themselves, and
had been unable to find ib again in the
darkness.
I closed the lantern instantly, and thrust
it deep amongst the foliage on the ground.
I had no need of that now; a better and
surer means of escape heel been provident -
dully offered, There was not a moment to
spare. The flash of the lamp !night have
been seen. I fancied I heard a movement
at no great distance. Impelled by fear 1
grasped the ropes high up, without waiting
to get my foot in the stirrups, and began to
pull myself up hand over hand, but not
without noise. Some leaves yet lumg on the
fruib-tree trained against the wall ; the
leaves rustled and the twigs cracked under
me. I felt the top of the wall against my
knuckles, as it bowline certain that my
fears were realised. A voice below whisper-
ed, loudly •
—
" Is that you, Hooky?"
I got my hands on the wall and
abandoning the rope, scrambled up. There
I paused an instant. The possibili-
ty of being followed by the elan who
called to " Hookey "presented itself ; I
resolved to pull up the ladder, and so take
away the means of pursuit. But as I gob
hold of the rope I felt it olntched below.
With a sharp wrench I dragged it free.
" What are you at, Hooky?" with a
curse, muttered tho voice below; then
"Blbne, you're nob going to act dirty to a
pal? By G--, if yon don't drop it down
to me, 511 blaze at you, if I bring the whole
lot down O11 the and swing for it 1"
I was not afraid of being hit, but I did
fear someone on the other aide of that wall
being brought to the spot by the report of
a pistol before I got clear oft. The man be-
low was obviously a burglar, and, after all,
I had nothing to tearfrom him. I dropped
the ladder.
I slipped down the outer side of the wall
to some length, and then let go. There was
a ditch below ; my feet slipped upon the
side, and I went in i1 to my knees in water.
Before I had pulled myself Dae, the burglar
came down with a splash beside me. We
rubbed against one another. Ho laid hands
on Inc savagely.
"I'm a good mind to drown you in this
cussed ditch t" he growled. " What d'ye
mean by going for to bring up the rope
when I called to you, Hooky?"
"I'm not Hooky," said I.
"What 5" he pulled out the lantern ho
had slipped in his pocket, and opening it
upon my face muttered, " blime, no more
you ain't:"
" Let go, and shut up hat thing, ' said I ;
"there's acre to bo someone along this path.
We've made noise enough to draw them on
us, dropping in this ditch."
" Bight you are," said lee, shutting the
lantern and slipping it back iu his pocket.
"De you know any way outer thio without
goin' thatpath ?"
" Yes—if I can manage to find it through
this fog."
"Have a try at it, any way, mate. You're
a good sort. Don't hear me no grudge
fsu betel' a bit hard on you," he added, as
wo struck out bo ebl,ee from the path. "1
toll you, square, I thought you was Hooky."
There was grass under our feet ; I knew
that if we could only keep a tolerably
straight line, wo must conte in tern to the
galas of Richmond hark. Before long the
rising ground convinced me that we had
not gone far astray. •
My companion kept close to my side, and
for some rano kept silent, but as we ad-
vanced, and he grew more confident of es-
cape, he became garrulous and com,nuni-
cabive.
"This is the blimiost ren job I was ever
on," said he. "Never knowed of a Drib
being cracked by two lots at one time be.
fore. I sorter made a straight shot at it
when we carne across them boots outside
the green'us, but Hooky he would have it
wash b nothin' else but es gardener left 'ant
there accidental. I was for burnin' of it up
on them grounds, but Hooky ho would go
on, 'cause 110'd gob the straightest tip from
the butler this afternoon as there was a
dinner on, and the housekeeper what looks
after the shiney was a bed with the mclli.
' grubs. We've been hanging about the,
crib ever since Monday week, weettnfor a
bit of a fog and a likely chance, and then,
blithe, for to think that you should step fen
fuse, Yon ain't got no mate, aro yeti?'
r rNo.
tane
"Sdhe' in with the servants, hey?
Whet we call the sneaking line --no offence,
matey. Ps'ory one must have a beginning,
and I don't know no bettor way than
etandin' in with the servants—though it
ain't respectable according to Hooky. But
than, he le so confounded proud. I thought
you was him— I slid, upon my word—and I
Wasn't much undeceived by you phillin' ftp
of the rope, for 1 haven't got any faith in
Ilooky, and if it served him to do a phi a
dirty action, he'd act dirty0000rclit'. Lath
have abrentho, matey."
The grass was slippery, the hill steep,
the ground tangled with brambles, I was
not avorse from reading awhile, I said
nothing, but my oompahion was a elaerm
villain, and continued to speak of Ilooky's
faults and hhilinga at mine length, blaming
hie want of caution, foresight, and attention
to friendly advice, which had resulted in
their nearly getting ewght, anal spoiling at
good game after wasting a week in proper,
in g Copley it.
"Never mind ; Ilooky alit': out of the
wood yet, 1 know ; and may be,'for all Itis
cleverness and npperhandeduess and say
lakemenls, he'll get up for this job, H1110?
whob's that? There, while did I tell you 1
That's the peelers, D yo hear?"
I did beer a faint whistle in the dietanoe,
and as we stood holding our breath another
whistle answered. Tlheis came a moment's
silence, followed by the flaeeraok of a pistol
shot.
"That's Hooky l" said my companion.
"'Hors done it, there's a stiff un to enamor
for nowt Good-bye, 1looky—I den': stay
in the same ring with you after tide, I'm
off to Birmingham, as an honest workman
out of collar, this blessed day. Coming on,
mctey. We're a little trowarm hero.'
(To an OuNTINDoso.)
Curious Slips of the 'longue.
Tha tongue is namely in other ways that
that pointed out 1n1 such vigorous terms by
James the Apostle. It seems to sonletinlea
take the bit in its teeth, if so mixed a met.
aphor may bo permitted, and to run away.
from the directing mind, with results that
hardly ever fail to cause no less coufuaion
to the speaker than amusement to the hear-
er. The incident of the gentleman who, in
cordially inviting some friends to hoar his
pastor preach, said to these, "You may oc-
oupow any pie," is perhaps already familiar.
Equally brighter provoking was the trans-
position made by a friend of mine who had
undertaken to recite Bret Harte's "Heath.
on chinee," and surprise') troth himself and
his audience by the statement that.
'• For ways that aro cleric
Andfor tricks that aro vain
The heathen peau Is ehinollar,"
Itis probablybecause they more frequent,
ly appear before the public as speakers than
any ocher class of mon that clergymen are
the (heroes of the majority of stories told as
to slips of the tongue. The Rev. bit'.
A --has this to toll of the Rev. Mr. 13--:
Brother l3.—is tail and gaunt of figure sold
pale and serious of countenance. Unca, in
bringing a meeting of spocial solemnity to
a close, he caused many a smile by saying,
impressively, "Now let ns pronounce the
Doxology, and I will sing the benediction,"
Then, as if realizing that something had
gone wrong, he drew himself up, end look-
ing if possible, more solemn still, added,
" No ; I mean I will sing the benediction'
and wo will pronounce the Doxology." The
quiet( wit of a hearer, who at once started
Praise God from whom all blessings flow"
in stentorian tones, rescued the others from
disgracing themselves by an outburst of
laughter. After 111e meeting had dispersed,
said Brother B --to Brother A--, "Now
you know, I saw that thing coming wrohhg
end first, but for the life of Ina I could not
turn it round."
Here are some more amusing stories of a
similar chnractsr 1 11 was but a very in-
significant change of a letter, but it spoiled
what was intended to be an eloquent de-
nunciation against idolatry, when the
preacher cried, with impassioned earnest-
ness, " Bow not thine eye to a needle," )hav-
ing meant to say, " Bow not thy knee to
au idol." In the same way, the young
clergyman with the correct Oxford pro-
nenciatioa, in giving out the hymn "Con-
quering Kings,' merely stumbled over the
first vowel ; but being unable to save him-
self, was hurried over the precipice, and
startled his conggregabion with the an-
nouncement, " The concluding hymn will
Kingnoring Congs, ' Kinquermg Conga.'"
After that experience he was in a position
to fully sympathize with his brother clergy.
man who, in place of saying " Behold the
fig -tree how it withereth away," asked his
bewi'dered audience to " Behold the whig-
tree how it fitheretls away."
In similar ease did the proache' find him-
self who, describing conscience, and desir-
ing to get Ma lislenera to recognize the
promptings of its inward Voice its the half.
formed wishes of the mid, appealed to
them whether there was one present who
some time or another " had not felt within
him the effect of a half -warmed fish."
Be Grateful.
It is quite a severe draft upon one's goad
nature to give some people a helping hand,
because they appear so ungrateful. Dr. C.
L. Babb in the Herald and Pr•esbyfer relates
bleat he heard a good man recently say this:
"I have no heart to )help that poor family
any inore. They deem to take all that I do as
a matter of muse. They never thank me
heartily and they aro always begging for
more, asking me to give them what they
might get for themselves if they were not
so lazy and shiftless. 0, it is hard to be
benevolent when our beneficiaries are so un-
grateful 1" This has been the experience of
many other& How many times we have
voluntarily aided another, expecting that
he would express appreciation of our en.
deavors, but not a word came from him,
How keenly wo telt curls treatment I We
thought that perhaps he was forgetful and
would not dose again. So we macle another
effort to favor him, end we were right glad
when we succeeded. What we did for him
resulted very beneficially in hie favor. We
expected that he would either by word of
mouth or by a peraunal note signify his am
preolation and gratitude, but he 111d nob.
Then wo came near resolving that we would
help him he more. 11 was too hard work,
Now, itis always far better for the receiver
of favors to not oily feel grateful, but to
somehow express it. The grateful person is
meals more likely to re'reive additional
favors than is the ungrateful one, for the
giver is encouraged to repeat hie gifts. And
does not God like to be thanked for his
mercies ? Does lie not give mese freely to
those who feel most grateful? "Bless the
Lord, 0 my soul I"
.A. Lottery for the Congo Fro State.
The fallowing paragraph appears in the
leader column of the Paris Liberte, and is
copied into some of the evening papers :—
" Here is anotlhar ealaIniby threatening the
Congo Free State, It will be remembered
that in order to obtain mousey Ring Leopold
started a kind of lottery, called the Congo
Lottery, with a capital of 180 millions in
1,500,000 thane of 100f, reimbursable at
per, and growing ab the rate of 5f a year,
with an average of six annual drawings for
88 years. Two issues, malting in all 320,000
sharps, wore realised. An attempts was even
made, but it was hnhattccosaf u1, to have paper
taken up in the Paris market, where they
worn admitted est the oii'ieial quotation under
the specious pretext that Franco had a right
of pro.enption onthe Congo. Now, aBrims.
els butter, al, h. Bosse), bas just made
known that, to issmoem the rate of capital.
i biois, and to demean the prodnot of the
185510 to be capitalised in view of reimburse-
ment, the Administration of the Congo
State made use of funds in Argon Line,13eazil•
len, and (bitten values, 1a, which first
gave a big revenue, but iv;lich einem have
fallen from 30 to 00 per mist."
WAYS OF MISERS,
How Nom,, of 'MOMhoard 'SYenhh—EOr-
tunes I.alne,l by Niggardliness.
Ocnasirnally Been have become miserly
from good motives ; as did an Italian physl•
cion, who denied himself the eionanienueoeS-
saries of Iifo, and w:wu died, mourned by
tone lintel Itis will was read, when it was
learned that heloft his on bite fere 1121 to h0 ex•
petaled hs bringing weber from the mountain
La his native village. So, also, when Beth.
lehem hospital was built nn Ease ]end miser
gave a donation of 1100. When the aolleo•
for called for Lho amount, he was found
ecolding a servant for Ubrowinf' away a
c sed at both
match which had not been but o
ends. Misers are not confined to one class
of the ootmnunity, but have been, at lease,
as common to the higher ranks as 10 the
lower, John Churchill, first duke of Marl.
borough, watt the greatest soldier in Europe.
Yet, when: he was an old man, in order to
save sixpence from carriage biro, he
would walk from the public rooms in
Bath to his hotel in all kinds of weather.
Ho died worth, 11,000,000, which reverted
to his bitterest enemy, hie grandam), Lord
Travers.
Sir Harvey 'Elwes of Stoke, in Suffolk,
next to hoarding money, found his prfnoi•
pal pleasure in netting partridges. Ho and
his household, consisting of one man and
two maids, lived upon these. In cold or
wet weather Sir Harvey would walk up and
down his hall to save fire. His clothes cost
him nothing, for ha ransacked old chests
and wardrobes and wore these of his ances-
tors, When he died the only tear shed was
by his servant, to whom he left a farm ;
value, 150 per annum. The whole of his
property was left to his nephew, John
alaggort, who thus inherited real and. -per -
Banal estate valued at 1250,000, on condi-
tion that he would assume the name and
arms of Nieves. Of this man, who is better
known ass John Elwes the miser, the fol-
lowing story is told : His nephew, ^olonol
Timms, visited him at March"un, and, after
retiring to rest, found himself wet through.
Finding that the rain was dripping through
the ceiing, he moved the bed. He had not
late long before the same inconvenience
again occurred: Again he arose, and again
the rain canto down. After pushing the
bed quite round the roan, he found a corner
where the ceiling was better secured, and
slept until morning. When he mat his uncle
at breakfast he told him what bad happen.
ed. "Aye, aye," said i'lr. Elwes, "I don't
mind it myself, but to those who do, that's
a nice corner in the rain." Air. and Miss
Denser were reputed the uhoeb notorious
misers of the eighteenth oentu.ry. The
mance in which this couple were found,
after death, to have disposed of their wealth
was even more strange than could have been
their methods of acquiring it. The total
value was 120,000 which was thus disposed
of; Two thousand five hundred pounds was
found undoradnnghi11; 1500 in an old coat
nailed to the manger in the stable ; 1000 in
notes were hidden away in an old teapot ;
the chimney yielded 19,000, stowed in nine-
teen separate crevices. Several jugs tilled
with coin were secreted in the stable loft.
Res. Mr. Jones of Blewbnry, with a nest
egg of 1200 and a stipend amounting to 150
per annum, left at death the sum of 110,-
000. He had been rector of his parish for
forty years, and during all that time only
one person had been known to sit at his
festal table. No fire was ever lighted in
his house, nor was a servant kept. In
winter he would visit his parishioners, to
keep himself from starving of cold, rather
than light a fire at the rectory. As like
affects like, so it is with misers ; and gold
will go whore gold is. This is strikingly
illustrated by the act of a celebrated Greek,
one Dichosus Dichoonns, n descendant of
the Byzantine emperors. This man, by tate
exercise of extreme niggardliness, managed
to amass tate sum of 110,000—an immense
fortune in those days. Then came the ques-
tion, to whom should he leave it. Ono day
a distant relative sent him a letter written
upon a square inch of paper ; this was suf.
ficiente In the fibneas of things the pared.
mouious correspondent became the mtsor'e
heir.
Ib has sometimes happened that persona
little deserving, and even rulers, have reap.
ed the harvests which misers have painfully
sown. The life of Vandillo is a proof of
this. The man lived upon bread and milk,
with the addition of a small glass of sour
wine on Saturdays. At his death he left
1500,000 to the king of Franoe. Audley,
the commonwealth miser, saved /400,000,
all of which reverted to the government. A
merchant died at Ispahan in the earlier
part of this century, who had for many
years denied himself and his son every sup.
pore except a crust of coarse bread. On a
certain occasion he was overtempted to buy
a piece of cheese, but, reproaching himself
with extravagance, he put the cheese into
a bo;;tle and contented himself, and obliged
the boy to do the same, with rubbing the
crust against the bottle, enjoying the cheese
in imagination, One clay, returning home
later than usual, the merchant found pus
son eating his crust, which he constantly
rubbed against the door. "What are you
about, you fool?" was hisexclamateon. "It
is dinner time, father. You have the key,
so, as I could not open the door, I was rub.
Bing my bread against it, lie I could not get
to the bottle," "Cannot you go without
cheese one day, you luxurious little rascal?
Yon ll Haver be rich, And the angry
miser kicked the poor boy for not having
been able to deny himself the ideal gratifi.
cation.—[Cassell's Saturday Journal.
TO SEE YOURSELF TALK.
The Latest Phatogtoldite Novelty.
An announcement was made some weeks
age that a Frenchman had succeeded in
taking instantaneous photographs of the
lips of a speaker, and in recombining them
in a hind of ;extrepe, so as to produce the
original movement, and enable a deaf mute
to underattsntl what Was said.
It Is now stated that the itsvontor has
improved on the prooese, and brought out
a now appa'atue for combining the images,
the device being termed the honoscope,
The ohasges of the lips it speaking aro so
rapid that fifteen photographs a emend are
required to give a good result. The whole
head and bast of the speaker aro reproduced
in the photograph so es to get the benefit of
the expression.
In the phonosoopoa the positives are ar-
ranged around too periphery of a disc,
which is vapidly turned by a handle. A
mound disc having a single window in it
opposite the plates is also rotated by the
same handle, but at a mutt higher rate of
speed than the other. A -beam of onnlight
illuminates the plates from behind, and the
observer looking into the apparatus sees
them pias his eye, one after the other in
such rapid succession as to produce rho effect
of a single imago endowed with animation.
To produce this result is is noamusary that at
Meet ten or twelve meet pias the retina in
a aeoond.
The tomb thing in silk petticoats is
starlet with a stitching either in black or
white.