Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Brussels Post, 1893-11-17, Page 22 IT THE MIDST OF ALARMS DOBT. 11.418, IN " r IVPINCOTT's MAGAZINE." CHAPTER VL The blessed privilege of skipping ,s, the reader of a story, one of those liberb worth fighting for. tVithout it,who won be brave enough to bogus a book? 11'i it, even the dullest volume nay be ma passably iutereating. Rt mutt have o onrrod to the obeervann reader that this world might be made brighter and better if authors would only leave out what must be skipped. This the successful author wilt not do, for he bhinke highly of himself, and if the unsuccessful author did it it would not Matter, for he le not read. The reader of this story has, of oourte. come to no portion that invites skipping, She—or he—had read faithfully up to these very words. This most happy state of things has been brought about first by the intelligence of the reader and aeoondly by the conscientiousness of the writer. The mutual co-operation so oharmiegly eon, tinned thus far encourages the writer to ask a favor of the reader, The story now enters a period that Mr. Yates would de. dribs as stirring. To compere small things with great, its course might be likened to that of the noble river near which its scene ' is situated. The Niagara Rows placidly along for miles and then suddenly pluuges down a succession of turbulent rapids to the final catastrophe. If the writer were a novella t, instead of a simple reporter of cer- tain events, there would be no need of ask- ing the indulgence of the reader. If the writer were dealing with creatures of his own imagination,inotead of with fixed facts, these creatures could be made to do this or that as best suited his purposes, Such, however, W T ib not the page • and the exciting x r d - events that mush be narrated claim prece- dence over the placid happenings which, with a little help from the reader's imaging• tion, may be taken as read. The reader is therefore to know that four written chap. tars which should have intervened between this and the one preceding have been saori- Aced, But a few lines aro necessary to show the state of things et the end of the fourth vanished chapter. When people are thrown together,especially when people are young, the mutual relationship existing be- tween them rarely remains stationary. It drifts towards like or dialike,and oaths have been known where it progressed into love or hatred, Stillson Remmark and Margaret Howard became, at least, very firm friends. Each of them would have been ready to admit this much. In the chapters which, by an un- fortunate combination of oirountstanoes,are lost to the world, ib would hays been seen stow theee two bad at least a good foun- dation on which to build up an acquaint- ance in the foot that Margaret's brother was a student in the university of which the professor was a wnrthy member. They bad also a subject of difference which, if it leads not to heated argument but is sober- ly diseased, lends itself even more to the building of frieudahtp than subjects of revetment. Margaret held that it was wrong in the nmvereity to close its doors to wom- en. Renmark had hitherto given the sub- ject but little thought, yet he developed an opinion contrary to that of Margaret and was too honest a man or too little of a diplomatist to conceal it. On one occasion Yates had bean present, and he threw him- 8elf with the energy that distinguished him, into the womanside of the question, cordially agreeing with Margaret, citing instances and holding those who were agarose the admission of women up to ridi- mile, taunting them with fear of feminine competition. Margaret became silent as thechampion of her cause waxed the mors 'eloquent; but whether she liked. Richard Y etas the batter for his championship,who that is not versed in the ways of women can say? As the hope of winning her re• gard was the sole basis of rates's uncom- promising views on the subject, it is likely that he was successful, for his experiences with the sex were large and varied. Mar• garet was certainly attracted towards Ren - mark, whose deep soholarship even his ex. c0ssive self -depreciation could not entirely :conceal, and he in turn had natural- ly a school -master's enthuafasm over .a pupil who so earnestly desired ad• vancemeut in knowledge. Had Ise de• scribed his feelings to Yates, who was 'an expert in many matters, he would per. haps have learned that he teas in love; but Hallmark was a reticent man'not much given either to introspection or to being lavish with hie confidences. Aa to Margaret, who can plummet the depth of a young girl's regard until alto herself gives some indica. tion? All that a reporter has to record is that she wars kinder to Yates than she had been at the beginning. dies Kitty Bartlett probably weld not have. denied that she had a elucere liking for the conceited young man front New York. Remnark fel/into time error of think. ing Miss Kitty a frivolous young person, whereat she was merely a girl who had an inexhaustible fund of high apirits and one who took a most deplorable pleasure in shocking a serious man. Even Yates made a slight mistake regarding her on one ocea- afon, when they were having an evening a walk together, with that freedom from s chaperonage which is the birthright of every American girl, whether shebelongs to a farm -house or to the palace of a million- aire. In describing the incident afterwards to a Renmark (for Yates had nothing of his 1 ootnrade's reserve in these matters) he n arid,— e "She Mit a diagram of her four fingers on b my cheek that felt like one of those raised W maps of Switzerland. I have before now 1 Felt the tap of a lady's fan in admonition, n but never in my life ha ✓e I met a gentle aeproof that felt so much like a censure from the now of our friend Tom Sayers." Renmark said, with some severity, that he hoped Yates would not forget that he was, in a measure, a guest of his neighbors. " Oh, that's all right," said Yates, " If 8 atm have any spare sympathy to bestow, 1:1 seep it for me, My neighbors are amply title and more than willing to take care of themselves," h And now as to Richard Yates himself, e )lie would imagine that here at least a an onsaientioua relater of ovate world have Y n easy task, Ala 1 such le far from being la he fact, The oasts of Yates wag by all vi dda the most complex and bewildering of he fear, He was deeply and truly in love Pith both of the girls. Inataneea of this a ;IIid are not so rare na a young man Lewly engaged to an innocent girl tv rtes to make her believe. Cases are been known where a chance mooting sa Nth cue girl and not with another has m settled Who was to be a yourman's Dom. n1 anion during a long life. Yates felt that in m multitude of conned there is wisdom, ho ndmado 110 secret of his perplexity to his f lend. Ile complaind sometimes that he of little help towards the &station of the problem, but generally he was quite oonton to sit under the trees with Ronmark and to , weigh the different advantages of each of its the girls, He eometinteu appealed to hie Id friend at a Ulan with a mathematical turn of mind, th u , poasaeafug an education that ox• tie tended far fab" could seotions and al ebrnlo t, , formulae to balance up the lists and give hint a caudtd and atattatiaal otinion as to which of the two bo should favor with serious proposals, When those appeals for help were coldly received, he aooused his friend of lack of sympathy with hie dilemma, said that he was a soulless man, and that if he hada heart it bad become incrusted with the useless debris of a higher education, and swore to confide in him no more. He would search for a fried, ho said, who had something humanabout hint, The search for the sympathetio friend, bow. ever, seemed to be unsuccessful, for Yates always returned to Remnark, to have aslhe remarked, ice -weber dashed upon his At plex-burning passion. It was a lovely afternoon in the latter part of May, 1866, and Yates was swinging idly in the hammock, with his hands clasped under his head, gazing dreamily up at the patohes of blue sky seen through the green branches of the trees overhead, while his industrious friend was unromantically peel. ing potatoes near the door of the tent, " The human heart, Renny," acid the man in the hammock, reflectively, " is e. remarkable organ, when you come to think of it, Ipresume from your laok of interest that you haven't given the subject nU1oh study, perhaps in a physiologioal way. At the present =meet ib is to me the only theme worthy of a man's entire attention. Perhaps that is the result of spring, as the P e, poet says; but anyhow it presents new aspects to me each hour. Now, I have made this important disoovery, that the girl I am with last seems to me the most desirable. That is contrary to the observ- ation of philosophers of bygone clays. Absence makes the heart grow fonder, they say. I don't find it so: Presence is what playa the very deuce with me. Now, how do you account for it, Stilly ?" The professor did not attempt to account for it, but silently attended to the business in band. Yates withdrew his eyes from the sky and fixed them ou the professor, waiting for the answer that did not come, "Mr. Renmark," he drawled at lash, "I am convinced that your treatment of the potato is a mistake. I think potatoes should not be peeled the day before and left to soak in cold water until next day's din- ner. Of coarse I admire the industry that gets work all over before its results are called for. Nothing is more annoying than work left untouched until the last moment and then hurriedly done, •Stili,virtue may be carried to excess, and a man may be too previous. " Well, I am quite willing to relit gulch the work ince your hands. You may per- haps remember that for two days I here been doing your share as well as my own."' ""Oh, I am not complaining about that at all," said the hammock, magnanimously "You are acquiring practice( knowledge Ronny, that will be of more use to you than all the learning taught at the schools. My only desire is that your odusatiou should be as complete as possible ; and to this end I am willing to subordinate my own yearn. ing desire for scullery -work, I should suggest that instead of going to the trouble of entirely removing the covering of the potato in that laborious way you should merely peel a belt around the greatest oir• cumfereoce of the potato. Then, rather than cook them in the slow and soggy manner that seems to delight you, yott should boil them quickly, with some salt planed in the water, The remaining coat would then curl outward, and the resulting potato woald be white and dry and mealy, instead of being in the condition of a web sponge.," "The beauty of a precept, Yates, is the illustrating of it. If you are not satisfied with my way of boiling potatoes, give me a practical objeot•lesson," The man in the hammock sighed ro• preach fully. "Of eourae au unimaginative person like you, Renmark, cannot realize the cruelty of suggesting that a man as deeply in love as I amu should demean himself by attend. ing to the prosaic details of household affairs. I am doubt y fn low e, and much m ore, therefore as that old bore Euclid used to say, is your suggestion unkind and uncalled for," " All right : then don't criticise." "Yes, there is a certain sweet reasonable• ass in your curt suggestion. A man who is unable or unwilling to work in the vine- yard should not find fault with the piokers. And now, Benny, for the hundredth time of asking, add to the many obligations already conferred, and tell me, like the good fellow you are, what you would do if you were its my plane, To which of those two charming bat totally unlike girls would you give the preferen0e 2" " Damn 1" said the profaner, quietly. " hello, Benny 1" cried Yates raising his head. "Have you out your finger? I hattld have warned you about using too harp a knife." But the profeaeor had not out his finger. His use of the word given above is not to be defended ; still, 00 it was spoken by him, it eemed to lose all relationehip with swear. ng. He said it quietly, mildly, and in a ertain sense innocently. Ere was astonish. d at himself for using it, bub there had Den moments during the past few days hen the ordinary expletives used in the earned volumes of higher mathematics did of fit the occasion. Before anything more could bo said, there was a shout from the roadway near them. " Is Richard Yates there ?" hailed the volae. "Yes. Who wants him 7" cried Yates, ',ringing out of the hammock. "I do,"said a young fellow on horseback. e throw himself off a tired horse, tied the I to a sapling, —which judging by the orae's condition, was an entirely uuneoes• ary operation,—jumped over the rail fonoe, d approached through the trees: The ming men saw Doming towards them a tall din the uniform of the telegraph -nen, oe. "I'm Yates, What is it"?" "Well,"said the last, "I've bad a hunt nd a half for yon. Here's a telegram," "Hew in the world did you find out here I was? Nobody has my addross," "That's just the trouble, 11 Would have veld somebody in New York a pile of oney if you load loft your address. No an ought to go to the woods without leave g his address at a telegraph -office, any. w." The young man looked at rho world rem a telegraph point of view Poaple were good or bad according to the trouble fel the ave a y g telegraphic messenger. Yates 18 TEB BBUSS)LS POST took the yellow envelope addressed in load• pencil, b 1 inn without !than o et t t til it repented g his ,fugaVioi:t p "Bet how cu earth did you find ane 2" ""Vl'oll,itwasn't easy," acid the boy. "My latae is about dome out, I'm from Buffalo, They telegraphed from Nov York that wo were to spare no expense; and we haven't, There aro seven other fellows soo01iug the country on horseback with depilates of that despatch, and some more have gone along the lake shore on the American side, Say, no othee messenger has been here be, fore me, has he?" asked the boy with touch of anxiety in Itis voice, "No; you are the first." "I'm glad of that. I've been 'most all over Canada. I et on your trail about two hours ago, and the folks at the farm. house down below said you ware up here; 1's there any answer?" Yates tore open the envelope. The de•- epatult was long, and he reedit wibb a deep ening frown, It was to this effect : "Fenians crossing into Canada at/3011%1o. You are near the spot ; get there quick as possible. Five of our men leave for Buffalo bo -night. General O'Neill is• in command of Fenian army. He tvi11 give you every fertility when you tell him who yon are. When 8ve arrive they will report to you. Place one or two with Canadian troops. Got one to hold the telegraph•wire, and send over all the stuff the wire will carry. Draw on us for melt you need ; and don't spare expense." When Yates finished the reading of this he broke forth into a Line of language that astonished Remark and drew forth the en- vious admiration of the Buffalo telegraph. boy. eavens and earth and the lower reg- ions ! I'm hero ou my vacation. I'm not going to jump into work for all the papers in New York. Why couldn't those fools of Fontana stay at home ? The idiots don't know when they're well off The rentals be hanged 1" g Guest that's h s twist the will y be," aid the telegraph•boy. " Any answer, sir 2" "No. Tell 'sum you couldn't find mo." "" Don't expect the boy to tell a lie," said the professor, speaking for the first time. "Oh, I don't mind a lie," exclaimed the boy, "but not that one. No, air. I've had too much trouble finding you, I'm nob going to pretend I'm no gond. I started out for to find you, and I have. But I'll tell any other lie you like, Mr. Yates, if it will oblige you." Yates recognized in the boy the same om• ulous desire to outstrip kis fellolvs that had influenced bimeelf when he 80(00 a young reporter, and he at once admitted theinjns- tice of attempting'to deprive him of the fruits of its enterprise. "rlo," he said, "that won't do. Il o; you have found me, and you're a young fellow who will be president of the Telegraph Company Tome day, or perhaps bold the less important office of the United States Presidency, Who knows? Have you a telegraph -blank 7" Of course," said the boy, fishing out a bundle from the leathern wallet by his side. Yates took the paper and flung himself down under the tree, "Here's a pencil," said the messenger. "A newspaperman is never without a pencil, thank you,". repliecl Yates taking one out from his inside pocket. "Now, Renmark, I'm not going to toll a lie on this occasion," continued Yates. '"I think the truth is better on all oc- casions." "Right you are. So here goes for the solid truth." Yates as he lay on the ground wrote rap- idly on the telegraph blank. Suddenly he looked up and said tothe professor, "Say, Renmark, are you a doctor ?" " Of laws," replied his friend. "Oh, that will do just ea Well." And he finished his writing. "How is this?" 11e cried, holding the paper at arm's length. "doeox A. Biew.exTON, Managing Editor Argus, New York. "I'm fiat on my back. Haven't done a hand's turn for a week- Aar under the constant care, night and day, of ono of the most eminent doctors in Canada, who even prepares my food for rue Since I left New York trouble of the heart hos complicated matters, and at present babies the doctor. Consultations daily. It is impossible for me to More from here until present compli- cations have yielded to treatment. "Binmore would be a good man to take theme in my absence." " YATES." " There," said %rates, with a tone of sat- isfaction, when he had finished bhe reading. "What do you think of that." The professor frowned, but did not an. swer. The boy, who pertly saw through it, but not quite, grinued, and said, "Is it true 2" " 0f course it's true 1" cried Yates, Indig• nant at the unjust suspicion. " It is a great deal more true than you have any idea of. Ask the doctor there if it isn't true. Nov, my boy will you give fa this when you gob back to the offee? Tell ten tin rami it through to New York. I wculd mark it 'rush,' only that never does any good and always makes the operator mad." The boy took the paper and put it in his wallet. "It's to be paid for at the other end," continued Yates. "Oh, that's all ri$hb" answered the mos. Banger, with a certain condesoenaion, as if he ware giving oredib on behalf of the som- pony. "Well, so long," he added. "I hope you'll soon be better Mr. Yatest" Yates sprang to his feet with a laugh and followed him to the fence. "Now, youngster, you are up to snuff, I o(0n hoe that. `they'll perhaps 500311011 you when you get bank. Whet will you say 7" " Oh, I'll tell em whata hard job I had to find you, and lob 'em know nobody else could 'a' done it, and I'll say you're a pretty sink man. I won't tell 'em you gave me a dollar." "Right you are, rioting 1 you'll get along. Here's five dollen, all in one hill, If you meet any other messengers, take them back with you. There's no use of their wasting valuable time in this little nook ,,f the Woods," The bey stuffed the bill into his voat•poo- ket as careloeslyi'aa if it represented omits instead of dollars, mounted his tired horse, and waved his baud in farewell to the newspaper -man. Yates turned and walked slowly back to rho tent. He threw himself once more 1010 the hammook. As ho expect• ed, the profesecr was more taciturn than ever, and although he had been prepared for silence, the silence irritated him. He felt ill used at having so unsympathetic a companion. " Look here, Renmark, why don't you say something 7" "Theta is nothing to Bay," "" Oh, yes, there is. You don't approve of Ino, do you 2" " I don't suppose it mattes any difference Whetherl &permed or not," Oh, yea, it door, A man linos to have the approval of even the humblest of his low•oreatures, Say, what will you take coals to approve of me 2 People talk of the tortures 01 conscience, but you areal uncomfortable t Ilan the n o tort ast•irou science any man ever had. One's (11011 stiletto 000 pan ileal with, but a ooneoie in the P[7ereol1 of another Iran is heyoud 01 eoltro. Now 1b is lire thus. I ant lo for stoat and 1101. I have earned ho and I think I am justifies h1—" "Now, Mr, Yates, please spare me cheep philosophy 00 the question, I tired of it." " And of me tot, I eupposo ?" "" Well, yes, Whose—if you want know," Yates sprang out to the hammock. the first time aurae the encounter with Ba lett on the road, Renmark saw that he t thoroughly angry, The reporter stood wi olinalned hat and !lashing eye, 1lesitati The other, his heavy brows drawn dow while not in an aggressive attitude, tv plainly ready for an abtaolr. Yates ao eluded to speak and nob strike. This w not because he was afraid, for he wee n a coward. The reporter realized that had forced the conversation, and remenbs ed he had invited Renmark to a000mpal Mtn. Aithbngh this recollection had stay nils hand, it had no effect on hue tongue, "I believe," he said, slowly, that would do you good for once to hear straight, square, unbiassed opinion of you self. You have ussociatedso long with pupil to whom your word is law, that it may teresb you to know what a man of thawed thinks of you. A lots years of eohoolma tering is enough to spoil a Gladstone. No I think, of all the--" The sentence was interrupted by a or from the fence : " Say, do you gentlemen know where fellow named Yates lives ?" The reporter's hand dropped to his side A look of disomy came over his face, an his truculent manner changed with a and denness that forced a smile even to the star lips of Renmark. Yates backed toward the hammock lik a man who W had received an unex e oto P blow. " I day, Ronny," be wailed, "It's an other of those cursed telograph.moasongers. Go, like a good follow, and sign for the de s abch. Sign it ' Dr, Renmark, for R. Yates.' That will give it a sort of official medical -bulletin look. I with I had thought; of that when the other boy was here. Tell trim I'm Lying down." He flung himself into the hammook, and Renmark, after a mo. ment's hesitation, walked towards the boy ab the fence, who had repeated his question in a louder voice. In a short time he re- turned with the yellow envelope, which he tossed to the man in the haunnoek. Yates seized it savagely, tore it into a score of pieces, and scattered the fluttering bits around him on the ground. The professor stood there for a few moments in silence. "Perhaps," he said at last, " you'll be good enough to go on with your remarks." " I was merely going to say," answered Yates, wearily, "that you are a mighty good fellow, Ronny. People who camp out always have rows. This is our first; suppose we let it be bhe last, Camping out is some- thing like married life, I guess, and requires some forbearance on all sides, That philos- ophy may be cheap, but I think it is aeon - rate, 1 ant really very worried about this newspaper badness, I ought, of course, to fling myself into the chasms like that Roman soldier bub, hang it, I've been fling- ing myself into chasms for fifteen years, and what good has it done 2 There's always a crisis in a daily newspaper office. I want them to understand in the Argus office that I am on my vacation. They will be more apt to understand from the telegram that your on your death- bed." Yates Iaughed. "That's so," he said; "but you dee, Ronny, we New•Y orkers live in such an atmosphere of exaggerabion, and if I did not put it strongly it WORidn'b have any effect. You've got to give a big dose to a man who has been taking poison all his life, They will take off ninety per cent. from any abatement I make, anyhow, so you see I have to pile it up pretty high be- fore the remaining ten per cent. amounts to anything." The conversation wag interupbed by the crackling of the dry twiga behind them, and Yates, who had been keeping his eye nem, ously on the fenoe, turned around. Young Bartlett pushed Ms way through the under- brush. His face was red ; he had evidently been running. "Two telegrams for you, Mr. Yeats," be panted. "The fellows that brought 'em said they were important : so I ran outwith them myself, for fear they wouldn't find you. Ono of tltem's from Port Colborne, the other's from Buffalo. Telegrams Were rare on the farm, and young Bartlett locked on the receipt of one as an event in a man's life. Ho was astonish- ed to see Yates re0eive the double event with a listlessness that he could not help thinking was merely assumed for effect, Yates held out hie hand, and did not tear them up at oboe, out of consideration for the feel- inga of the young man who had had a race to deliver them, "Here's twu books they wanted you to sigh. They're tired out, and mother's giv- ing theta something to eat." "Professor, you sign for me, won't you ?" said Yates. Bartlett lingered a moment hoping that he would hear something of the contents of the important messages 1 but Yates did nob even tear open the envelopes, although he thanked the young man heartily for bring. ing them. "Stuck-up cuss!" muttered young Barb• lett to himself as he shoved the signed hooka into his pookot and pushed his way through the underbrush again. Yates slowly and methodically tore the envelopes and their contents into little pieces and scattered them as before. "Begins to look litre autumn," he said, "with the yellow leaves drawing the ground." (T0 nE ortead ren.) ore nom. on• nae tea ere 111, Ws Twenty -live Iran's 01' lixell tae hdven- amn Nestlin inISquietandprettydellbetween two parallel ranges of putty sloping hills that overlook a wide expanse of sea, lies to the once busy mining village of Thoi'bnrn, N.8., though of recent }rear's it presents a For sonewhat shabby and antiquated appear. rt• &nae, The town Is divided into two dm res tions, rho northern and the southern, In th the former reside the I>usinoss mon and ng, local manager of the coal o0tnpauy. Tllo n, dwellings of the southern section, Where the as miners doelloile, worm erected by the som- a• pay, and oone!et of long rove of toy and as badly ventilated houses, eoarooly affording ob suffiesent door•room to admit a person of he portly stature, The town has no railway r. communication. There are no places of 1y amusement, Life is a round of monotony, ed At the north end of the tenni is the union store, With a broad and a aotous platform it in front, where men and boys, after a day a of weary toil in the dusky niino,aesemble to r. talk and smoke, s, Some days ago this quiet village wee in• thrown into a ferment of excitement by a d romantic oaourrenoe. After a quarter of a e• century a husband returned to time woman tv, he had deaorted, to find that in his absence she had become the wife of another, and y I that she spurned the prodigal. A WEALTHY FARMER. AFI ER MANY YEARS, AflS, A Neva Scotia Sailer Returns t0 Find Ris Wlee Married Again. a The woman is a daughter of Patrick Power, who for a time represented in Par. eb liament the adjoining county of Antigonish. • Mr. Power was a merchant of Antigonish, n who, through untiring industry and bust, ueas integrity, rose to a position of wealth e and influence. At her father's death d his daughter Annie name into possession of some property e and a considerable r P P ids able or ' - of o y portion money. Sitea was a and d ba ' tgay e uttfnl girl, on whom fortune Boomed to smile. • For few was life more promising. Meu of wealth and position sought her hand in marriage, but were rejected. She formed an early. attachment for a seafaring man named Habaldb, and, despite entreaties of friends and relatives, wedded him. Ha. baldt is of Dutch clamant, was born ab Marie Joseph, Halifax County, and was second ofoer of a coasting vessel. Beyond a handeomo face and robust body, he pos- sessed few personal abere:miens. For two years after their union they lived happily together, but the love he formerly professed gradually grewpolder. Habaldt fell a vietim to intemperance ; his conduct beoame harsh and tyrannical ; he would extort money under various pre- tences, to recklessly squander it with dis- solute companions. When be had succeed• ed in wresting the last dollar from his unfortunate victim. he forsook her, leaving her to provide for herself and helpless babe as best she could. For twelty•five long years he was not heard from, MORE MISFORTUNE, Shortly after he left her house and all its contents were destroyed by fire. Thus be- trayed and robbed of the means of gubsis• hence by a faithless husband, she was thrown on an unsympathetic world. She left her native town of Thorburn ; went to Halifax and secured employment in a pri• vale family, where to melanin herself and child she endured the druigcry fuoident to life in a Halifax kitchen. Five years after Habaldt's desertion occurred the great August gale, which strewed the sea with wreckage. The ship in which Halbadt was known to sail was lost and all the orew gWere supposed to have fonud a watery rave, Satisfied that her husband was no more, the woman was again free to marry. She made the acquaintance of T. Butler, a workingman, nearly thirty yesrs her senior and they were married. Butler is a brother of the late James Butler, one of the wsathi. est merchants in Halifax, and for many years president of the Legislative Council here. Five years ago they removed to Thorburn, where they atilt reside. But now the aupposed•to•be•dead Habaldt returns 1 He was not received with open arms by the womml he bad deserted. She upbraided him for his miseonduet. Not. withstanding his promise to restore the money he robbed her of, elle obdurately re. fused to recognize him as her lawful has band, and bade him begone, and drove him. from her humble house. To reconnb Habaldt's wanderings and the many vioissitudes of those twenty-five years would exhaust a volume. He thus himself tells the story, which sounds something like a sailor's "yarn," but he stoutly asserts it's alt true IIIS STORY, "I was born in HalifaxCosuty," he told the newspaper correspondent, "and was bred at sea. My life has been an eventful one. 1 have had many singular adventures and hairbreadth escapes. When 16 years old, I went as a hand on board a fisherman and was wreoired'off the Salvador coast, Then I shipped on an American schooner engaged in oodfishingon the Newfoundland banks, By this time I was an experienced seaman. " I returned to Nova Scotia and married Mies Anna Power. Soon aftoe that I began to think of a long voyage, and finally took a berth on an Lagilslt vessel bound for Liverpool. We had good mea titer and made a quick ppostage, Then he went to Malta, 'When orf the coact of Sicily a storm arose and our vessel was struck by lightning and took fire, which, at last was put under oon• brol. Next I chipped on an American brig for New York. Oa the New England coast we encountered the great August gide. The vessel was driven ashore and went to pieces Two of us, by clinging to a broken spar, reached the shore. The other s were all drowned in the surf, f1 I then decided to give up the ea and try my luck ashore," I worked a while in Boston and New York, and saved enough money to pay my fare to California, where I went into gold mining. t rarely thought of my wife home in Nova Scotia. PROSPERED AT MINIM. "In a short time I was able to purchase a claim which turned out to be very rich, I sold out for $20,0000, Then I took stook in a hydraulic, mining company. This en• terpriea failed, and I lost $16,000 by the investment. With the remaining 95000 I purchased a claim, but did not work it long when I discovered the mine was 'salted,' Disgusted with mining, I wont to San Fran- oisco, and embarked On a vessel bound Pot Now Zealand• After twelve days at sea we encountered a terrible gale. We were driven out of ottr reckoning, and could do nothing but scud bolero the storm, On the third Clay we found oarsslvee doge to land, to winos We were rapidly drifting, when within half a mile of the shore the vessel struck on the sands, The sea broke over her with each force that every moment we expeoled her to go to Ideate Our only hope nOW was the boats: Ono The Parcelling Out of Africa. The more or lesspa0ifi000nquest of Africa is being pushed forward with ardour by bhe various European Powers. At the present moment the parcelling out of the Dark Con. tinent is almost finished. France exercises peopled domination over 777,163,000 hectares, while ,Engle d possesses666,381,0001h efbgros and 40,433,500 subjects. Then come the old conquerors—Portugal, master of 217,8371' 000 hoabares, with 5,416,000 inhabitants; Spain, 55,300,00015sotaroe, with only 457,. 000 inhabitants, The loteet Donors, Italy and Germany, possess, the former 155,918,- 000 heetares, with 6,300,000 inhabitants; the latter, 212,888 hectares, with 5,867,000 inhabitalta, As to the commercial more. meat, it is apeofolly important in Northern Africa, The imports reach a total of 1.,312 • 000,000f, 269 millions in Algeria, 234 mil• lions in Egypt, and 215 millions at the Cape; the exportsatnount to 1,275,610,0003 of which 3.47 miliione fignre for Egypt, 278 millions for the Cape, and 222 millions for Algeria, 411(1 Britleh have $500,000,000 titivated in UJnited State rallroade• NOVEK6NR 17, 1303 was tunnelled, containing all the crew. Soon it wee swamped, I Was hurled toward the shore by a mighty wave and thrown 135011 the beach, the only survivor of all on board, Further down tllo beach I found the boat with one oar, Toward evening the wind abated. Next morning the sea was calm, exespt a heavy 00 8)1. The veered bad not gone to pieces, AFRAID TO EAT. (' The Island I believed bo be inhabited, with no food, except strange looking fruit, which I feared was poisonous, In the dig. tenets was another island. Ou the following day I launched the boat and started for the wreck. Beaching her, I satisfied my hun- ger, In the cabin I found the eaptaiu's rifle end spyglass, which I put in the boat, I rigged a Bait in the boat, and took a pair of oars, supply of provisions and water and returned to the chore. Looking toward time other island I sate what seemed to be naked savages upon it. The terror of pan- nibaliam made me quit the island and take the chances of the soa, About half way be- tween the island and the wreok I saw a dozen canoes manned by savages. In a moment they were in hot pursuit and rapid. ly gaining on me, Suddenly a shower of arrows came from the nearest boat. They, fell short. Luokily a brisk breeze sprang up, and I was soon beyond reach of their arrows. Baffled in their attempt to over. take me, they turned their attention to the wreak. I omuld see the savages "lumber- ing over the rail of the deck, Four days later I was picked up by a Frenoh trading vessel and at last was carried to Marseilles whore I took a vessel bound for Baltimore, OUT WEST A(1AIN. "Subsequently I went• oat Wed again, and began work in the silver misses. Bab the recent crash name, and this spring I returned to the East. In Halifax I enquired for my wife of twenty-five years ago, and was told that she and our son were living 111 ' Chorburn Piotnu county, and Lh' that my wife was ag a1 n married. d. Idiscredited the story. I was anxious to goo my 1>oy, who, reboil I left home, was an infant in his mother's grins, So I mustered up courage and went to Thorhuru. To may sorrow, I found that she had really married again, and that my wife would have none of me now, her first and living husband. Perhaps I deserve my fate." Habaldt's erstwhile wife is comfortably off. She persists in the refusal to have anything to do with her wandering first husband, who twenty-five years before de. sorted her. ONTARIO'S GOLD MINES. A. ,Mining titan Says We De Not Appreciate Them, Mr. J.K. Owen, of the firm of Fraser R; Ohalmers,Cllioago,is in Toronto. Mr. Owen, who is a Canadian by birth, has been inti- mately connected with the mining business for nearly forty years, during which time he has visited the gold districts of Mexico, South Africa, and the various States. This fa, however, his first visit to Canada, he having just completed the erection of a 20. stamp mill at the Ophir ntine,situated near the Brace mines, in tine Algoma district. He gave a most interesting description of the property. The vein of gold -bearing 9110110 has a width of about sixteen feet, and the mill tests so far made give an average result of about 81,0 per ton of free millinggold, in addition to the sulphurites, which go about 8100. The work done on the property during the last year has dis• closed a large body of PAY ORE, and the character of the load as a true fis- sure vela has been proved. The company's mode of operation is by running the ore through the stamps and over the mill, and then through Fruevanner concentrators, by which means the refractory constituents in the ore are saved, The hill has been in operation about two weeks, working forty tons per day, and the owners intendoperat• Mg the works to their full extent front now on. Mr. Owen says that in all his mining experience he has never seen a mineral prospect equal to this property. While there are many larger veins, he has never mot a lead of such magnitude giving anything like such good assay results. He compared it with the Homestake mine fu the Black hills, Dakota, which is also a large body of free.millingg ore, and which, though averag- ing only $4.50 per ton in gold, has paid its owners millions of dollars in dividends, Mr. Owen cannot understand the apathy which seems to exist in Canada regarding TILE MINERAL RESOURCES of the country. He says that a district that contains a mine auoh as the Ophir must also contain many other valuable min. eral properties, and that if the Ophir were in the United States the results attained from its development would flood the ad- joining district with prospectors and in- vestors, while here be has found not only a lack of interest, but even an almost entire ignorance of the existence of such a property. The Ophir mine was floated in Chicago and Duluth last year. The principal promoters were Americans, and the bulk; of the stook is in American hands, though several small blocks are held in Toronto. kir. Owen cannot understand why Canadians should stave permitted auoh a property to pass them by, or why the properties in the same district are loft undeveloped. American mining mon do not know of the mineral WEALTH OF 011I5 PROVINCE, and such properties as the Ophir will al- ways find ready capital for their develop- ment in the States if Canadians refuse to take that up. Perhaps one reason for the inactivity in mining operations in this prom ince, he says, is on account of there being no reduction works of any grind to handle the output, if there were any to handle. But that argument works bout ways. Col, W.R, Wallace, who was the godfather of the mining town of Wallaoo, Idaho, is sup. erintendentof the Ophir, and to his energy and ability is largely duo the theorem which has attended the development of time prop. arty, Mr. Owen will be in town for some days, and expects to make arrangemonte for plan. ing machinery on several other gold prop - mates in this province. lie says that from what he has seen during his trip large developments aro bound to take place as soon as time character of our mineral define booms generally known. Norway men cannot vote unless they have been vacbinated, In Turkey the first press oopy of a news, paper is reed by an agent of the censor, so that Turkish tournalient is carried on ander greabineoneeniencos. The paper is Often much delayed by the failure of the inspect. ing official to arrive at the time set for going to press. If there is any edible in the paper that is likely to be displeasing to the head'e of the govermmont the form int wallets it 10 made up must be taken out and changed. All the spots must be filled too, for it is not allowed that blanks shall indf. ode where a condemned article Was taken oat.