Exeter Advocate, 1901-10-31, Page 7•arkrz-aaaritirj:wiaL,,ry,
—111111 1
,
I had just bidden my wife good-
night—my little Spanieh wife—and 'I
had heard her footsteps' retreating
up the stairs of what she called
"our strange English, home."
had won her in Spain, and had wed-
ded her against her father's, adehe's.
In fact, she had eloped with mc.
and we had hastened to England,
where I led her to the altar.
She was very beautiful even for
a, Spanish senorita, and had broken
*many a' don's heart before I won her
real affection ond brought, her to my
little estate in England. She had
all the hot, impulsive nature of her
. country, and the romance of ' the
"runaway match" suited her, and
for a year we had." been perfectly
halMta
She loved me with an ardour and
passion seldom or never met with
, in an English wife, and I reciprocat-
ed the feeling in a real if not so
demonstrative 'a manner. If there'
was a little cloud to mar the glor-
ious sunshine of our lives it was
the dread she had of a Spaniard•by
the ria.nie of Don Carlos, who had
been the accepted suitor for her
band. He was rich, and had been
Promised her hand by her father, and
It was the continual pressure that
he brought opon her to onarry
hiin—
whom She hated—that had -induced
her to fly with me.
Sometimes she would tell me of
. him, her frame shaking with le&
and her dark eyes flashing with
hate, and what ha would do when
lic learned of her marriage. "He lira]
go mad," she said, "and 'search all
over the world for you."
I assured her that the English law
Ivould protect me, and that she need
have no fear on my account, but
every now and then the fear would
return, and she would pray me teebe
always on my guard. She described
his features to Me, and told me, in
her impulsive Spanish manner, ,if
ever I met him to shoot him at
once.. him," she would say,
setting her little white teeth, "be-
fore he has a chance to kill You."
After a Year had gene by I, began
to. hear less of Don Carlos,, and hop-
ed that 1 should soon hear of him
no more. But I .did not then fully
understand the true nature of a dis-
appointed and baulked Spaniard ;
did not kaow with what tenacity
Ito pursues the object of his hate and
the bloodthirsty ,manner in which
he delights to take -his revenge. As
it was, I never thought of him save
when ontr wife enentioned this name,
and never dreamed that I should
ever. See him, much lessunder. the
terrible dircumstances that ai7e here
related.
On tlie night that I referred to at
first I heard my wife Close the door.
Then I lit a cigar and was SOOD lost
again in the oovel I was reading.
- should think -that I had been sitting
_thus for about half an hour when
•ifichienly the 'French windows which
looked on to a hale lawn in front
of the house opened, and I saw a
man standing in front of me "with
, a revolver in each hand.
I recognized him at once : the high
cheek -bones, the black, glittering
eyes, and the dark waxed mous-
'taches told me at once that this
• Was the man whom inte wife dreaded
so much—the Spaniard, Don Carlos..
"Directly I saw him I read murder in
his eyes. Without him telling- me so
1 knew, that if I moved he would
tire. -
Presently he spoke in fairly good
English.
''Listeal,'' Said he, ''and if you
move so muth as an inch you are a
dead man. I loved a maiden once,
the prettiest maiden, in Spain.- She
did not then -love me, but she would
have done-scil Her father had given
her to me, and she was looked upon
as my future wife by everyone who
knew us...Then an Englishman came
'and- stole her, w,on her by, his dying
tongue'; took her away with him and
, married her. When I -learnt of it „I
toOk an path to -find and murder
him: kill him as he had my, hopes. 1
have found hirn. Yoo are the moo
and 1 ioteod to.have iny revenge."
-
I was cool • at the cononencement
of this, discourse a' but as he weht
on and pictured any little Anton-
etta the wife of that V3Ilain;'' nay
blood boiled, -and I answered that"
I would die with tho-,consciousness
that 1 had rescued a woman' from
a fate .worse than death. I told him
that Antonetta hated the mention of
his name. . •
Whilst he was still coyering me
with his revolvers he made'a inOtiOn
to a ccinfederatea 'A man came for-
( ward, and before 1 could clearly dis-
tt cern his intention struck me -a vio-
lent blow on the head, and I remem-
bered no ,more.,,
When I came to myself 'and etillect-
• , ,
ed my thoughts 1 found .rnYselt lying
•on the floor of a good-sized room.
HOT long I had been, unconsciou5. or
in What part: of the world.f. was I
,could, not say, but 1 could See at a
,glance that I ,waet oot. in a roe*, , in,
MY own house. was , not'hound,
either hand font, , Find after a few-
'ineMerits I'sat; np andlooked,areund
'
The room was About ,14 , feet
silo are and, the walls , appeared to be;
made of some hard black Wood,
ebony' I think; and, were quite smooth
, 'arid nmPoperod,
in vain I hioked around for',a,d,Oor
but there, was not even a, erease ap-
parent in those smooth, black walls. ,
For o, time T. sat thus And ,eollocted
rny scattered thoughts : rny head
was throbbing and my pulse "beating 00011
at a runaway speed. - , • , ab6"
The, first thing that my thoughts 11.°1c.
flew to Tvits Myin IloAnte,netta.,
lured to death ? The'room was not
dtrk and I looked round to see
fnom whence the light proceeded, and
diecovered that it came feoin several
slits in the coiling about 2 feet in
loogth and a eoPPic Or inches, ,
I then rose to mu y feet aniookeo
round the room for • SOIT10 loophole
of eecape, but 3 might as well, have
tried to "escape from a jewel safe,
Then I felt drowsiness creeping oved
,rne, again, and I lay doWn and slept.
It WaS a troubled, broken sleep, in-
terrupted by rude dreams and alarms
When I awoke...I thoub,dit that 0. the
room seemed darker and 1 ireagined
that night was coming on. It was
not by any means dark, but the
light cerCainly seemed less than when
had one to sleep. I lay in a kiod
of semi -stupor for some LIMO, My
Mind iniSL Wandering to my wife and
then to my mother ad my old
home.,
After a time I felt cramped and
rose to a sitting posture and, look-
ing round, 1 thought that the room
appeared smaller than when I had
first looked round it ; the black
walls appeared to be closer; and,
glancing- up at the slit% in the ceil-
ing, I saw that they were not so
long ; they were partly covered by
the walls.
Then I noticed with a-wful horror
that net only were the walls closing
in upon me, but in the centre of the
room Was ah opening like a small
well, which seenied to be getting
larger as the room was decreasing
in, size. In a flash the awful truth
was,upon me the walls would close
in towards the hole and I should be
gradually forced inch by inch to an
awful death, doWn ,into that un-
known depth.
When I discovered this r was like
,madman ; I cursed and, prayed in
the same breath and. rushed mund
the room shrieking and tearing at
the ebony walls, and finally fell' to
the floor exhausted, and lay within
a few feet of that yawning black
hOle.
• The I crawled on my hand and
knees towards it and looked down,
but saw nothing but inky darkness.
I discovered that the hole was now
nearly as large as it would get. Two
of thetcentre slabs of the stone floor
had been made to recede, leaviog a
yawning abyss , about 6 feet dia-
meter, and, these slabs had now re-
ceded their -limit,. but the walls were
still moving slowly, very slowly to-
wards the centre pit. '
I resigned myself as calmly as
could to my awful fate. What was
it td be, 1 tvondered—death by
drowning ? Was it' water at the
'bottom of this pit, or should I be
dashed to pieces on some huge boul-
ders ,or impaled upon some iron
spikes ? I had read of all these
stories of the Inquisition, and won-
dered which was to be my fate.
With the idea of ascertaining if it
were water I took off my gold
watch (I should not require it again)
and dropPed it down the black hole
and listened. It seemed some sec-
onds before I heard ft crash on „to
some hard substance below. It was
not water -1 had prayed that it
might have been.
,'After 1 -had dropped my watch I
noticed that the inside of the hole
was bricked mitts, ordinary red
bricks, butts° Closely built that to
get a foothold would be impossible;
thy case seemed absolutely hopeless.
Then thoughts of,my wife came over
me. I pidtured her weeping and
searching for me in Vain. Heavens !
was there no means of ,escape from
these pitiless, closing walls ?
Theu a strange thought suggested
itself to nae, only to be put aside
as, impossible, but a drowning man
clutches at a traw, and ,1 determin-
ed to try it. It was, to reraove with
my penknife the mortar of four
bricks --two in which to put my
feet and two for my hands ; and to
wait thus clinging to the inside of
the well until the walla had again
retreated.
Then Don Carlos, thinking I was
dead at- the bottom of the „hole,
might relax' his vigilance, --and I
might ,perchance escape._ It was, a
wild hope and desperatnin the, ex-*
trenne, -but' it, was better. than ,dying
without Making an effort to save mf
life. The room was now ()nisi about
1:0 Teet square, and I had, I' reckon-
ed, abut four hours to do my work,,.
which .would 'give •mo, if I 'were Suc-
cessful in .removing . the bricks,' about
fifteen minutes' td rest myself before.
getting into the black. hole. '
I layilowp flat and commenced in
a wild frenzy -at a brick as far, dOwn
as I eould-reaeh. -The inortar was
terribly hard;' Vitt bit by bit": chip -
ed it out until in less than an hour
I had removed the first brick, -and
away it wentcrashing lown to the
bottom of the hole. Then'. I coin-
Menced on another about a foot to
the right of the ' one I had already
removed. Oh 1 the torture of 'work-
ing inthat,:pesture. The • blood
rushe5t• to ony head and‘'the'veina
stood out on my forehead like whip-
cord. But, 1 thought of Antonettaa
Itad home, and I'went at ,it with the
frenzy of daspairt The 'rooln was
now almost, dark. The slits in the
ceiling had almost' disappeared ; but
I managed . to l'eMOVO second
brick just as the last glimmer of
3ight, disappeared, and now ,T was
'left :in total. , darkness. t.
The horror of my sitoation, , was
now greatly',"increased. ;I, could ,not
see now howquiekly,the., walls were
hearing the centre. .so I ovorked
away, al, the •othet two 'bricks Alice a .
nia,chnan,, for. I thought that every
moment 1 should -feel the, wall be-
hind. inc pushing me • to my awful
doom. Oho the awfid horror of that
terrible light against time in the
darkness ! I had long been unable
to do my work lyiog down, for the
y walls only Mit a space of
t two feet all round the inky
Oalso to slifier fOi° having roari-ied Main
)110 2 Poor little girl, how she er 811
:wool d wol•i.y 01 1113' 01)501100 ; an(I new
1,h'e 1,11ougliteller )lni)eranost in lier
ad worn away almost the entire
of
my knife
nd ilhtheY molested her ? Was she blade 'l,atlere
ed. a. brick re -
Mind,: that .1 shotild get i nto thc ,and
lian.d:,.; of Don, Carlo's, was fulfilled at ',',1,ig1it
lest. Bet what wa..; the end to bel?
A WILS evidently not to be, Starved to Ping'
death, for by my side was a plate ' Ai,
Of bread and ineat, and some water 111(1 1
in 0, glass.. doWn
'11ien [ rememberedh
the orrors of lily wy
the 'Inquisition. IVes I to be ,
to be removed,. Near -
(1 nearer came the walls, and I
had only 0 feet of space
1 LO Sit find finish my work,
I,he knock 1(01110(1 10 1)8LAS
as • ever, the, perspira,tion run-
off, my fevered broW and drop -
on: the stone' neer,
'last the, brick was loosered,
1, moment hiter welt t (10 8117
the well. paused" to ' Wipe
,pt [ORO 11114 rest' a, few :intim tes:
an 0,11i11 then:Tilt flashed pooh
'inc. When the walls receded would
notthe tone slabs again cover the
well And )fly only chance of escaPc
be cut off ? It was reasonable to
SOPPOSe SO, for the same machiner
that was driving the walls toward
tho centre was Most hkcly respon-
sible for the opening of the pit's
mouth.,
I was in despair and 'abandoned all
hope, and made up, my mind to end
it all by springing 'into the yetvning
hole. Then again I remembered that
this 'slabs had reached their limit
before the walls had reached to with -
111 0 couple of yards,of the pit, so I
concluded that they would recede to
that limit before the hole began to
close. This did not,stake so long to
think as ,to write, ,aild before I had
properly reasoned it out I felt the
hard wall touching UV back- Still I
did not get into the Pit, as if kllOY
ahould require all my strength to
hold on. until I could climb out when
the walls had again receded.
At last the moment arrived when
1 esoold no,,longer sit on the small
and ever -decreasing ledge, • and
trembl,ingly I got into the mouth of
the pit, hanging on to the top until
I got my feet into the holes I had
made for them.
I am riot a coward, but I confess
that I was frighteriode-terribly
frightened—as 1 onset feeling about
with ToY feet for those holes. -POI'
Some MillULOS I kept my hands on
ctohled,edpgietileefsstiwiealPlist,butl
touched soon
nmy the
finger-tips, and I had to loose thy
hold and, clutch the back of Abe
bricks from, which I had reinoved
the others. I had scrapeceout some
of the mortar behind the brieks un-
der the two ithad removed, so that
thieafforded a hoia,,
Then commenced that terrible
struggle of endurance, the horrors of
which almost drove me mad. It
could not have been many minutes
before the walls began to recede,
but to me it seemed hours. . Every
few. seconds I would put, up one of
my' hand's to feel the walls. They
came to'the extreme edge of the pit
and seemed to stay there for some
time.
At last, when I put up my hand I
could not feel the walls, and I knew
that they were really receding. They'
went back much more rapidly than
they had closed in, so much so„ in
fact, that in a few minutes the light
was again streaming in through the
slits in the ceiling. elf had just got
my hands ootthe ledge to lift 'myself
from my perilous position when
became suddenly aware of a great
flood of light coming in from a space'
like it door in 0110 Of the walls.
Thinking that someene, was enter-
ing, I hastily got back into my for-
mer position so as to be free from
observation. Then I heard foot -
'steps on the, stone floor, but could
see nothing, as the person - had en-
tered the side of the room corres-
ponding -to the side of the pit. to
which aS clinging.
Then I heard aloud burst, of laugh-
ter, which I' at once recognized., as
proceeding from that villain, Don
Carlos.. Then he mormured- to him-
self in Spanish something , that I
could not understand. but L knew
that he was/gloating oa-er my sup-
,
posed fate.
Presently he stepped to the edge of
the pit,tand 1 knew tha,t I should be
discovered, but rather than undergo -
fresh tortures, I deterakined to re-
lease my hold and drop down the
well. Then like a lightning flash
came another thought, and almost
as quick I acted on it. He had just
reached the mouth of the pit, and
before he had time to discover me,
I loosed one hand, and' with a
strength born 01 020(10055 I clutched
one of his legs.
To 'my dying day I shall 'remem-
ber the cry he, gave as he went
crashing down to the awful doom he
had prepared for me. The with a
feeling -of horror at what I had done
I got out of the ebony room nod out
of the house of horrors unmolested.
I found myself in 'Spain, as I had
partly supposed, and I lost no -time
in getting back to 'England.
I fokmd iny wife ' terribly 'upset at
raY: prolonged absen6,ea She had
quite given up all hope of ever see-
ing inc again, -but .when I told her
of the fate ,oI Don .Carlo a.glad
light carrie ditto her eyes.. She ,knew
that we: Could' 'now rest atz peace.—
London Tit -Bits.
+-
MORE THAN ONE SOFT SPOT.
"You niust not touch the fop of
the baby's head," said a xnother to
her four-year-old. "She has a, soft
spot there that, is a-ery tender."
The youngster gazed at -it curious-
ly for a moment and then asked:—
. —")o all babies have .soft. spots
IIDTEL WORLD OF LONE N
GREAT PALACES 01' THE PAST
AND PRESENT.
Pioneers of the Improved Loncl
Hotel.—Their Origin and
Growth.
011
Twenty-Ji-ve years ago London had
probably the worst hotels of any of
the great capitals of the world, says
the London Daily Mail. To -day it
has some of tbe best,. The hotel
habit has become a fashionable
craze. People now live in hotels
during the seasoa instead of taking
town houses. Those who still have
London mansions on their hands
patronize the hotels for meals. Not
content with dining out, your smart
woman of to -day must have her
afternoon tea at Cl.oriclge's, , her
lunch at the Carlton, and some ultra -
smart people have been trying even
to create a craze for going out for
breakfast.
, The twenty leading hotels of Lon-
don represent atcapital of something
like seven naillions sterling. During
a busy month they accommodate
about 8,400 guests every night, and
find employment for 4,500 servants.
The' Gordon hotels represent an in-
yeetinent of three and a half mil-
lions, and secured a. profit last year
of L156,000. The Cecil is run on a
scale greater tban the whole govern-
ment of more " than 'One South Am-
erican state. e
• THE OLD AND THE
The pioneers of the improVed Lon-
don hotel undoubtedly, were the Gor-
don Company, and their great houses
the Grand, , the :Victoria, and the
Metropole, were revelations to Lon-
don: .But in recent years they have
had very keen rivalry. The Savoy
brought luxury to the, Thames Em-
bankment. The Frederick Syndicate
have fought them on their oWn
.ground by building monster palaces
io various parts of the country,
palaces which count their rooms al-
most by the thousand, .and the
ground they occupy by the acre.
Then in 1896 came that triumph of
barbaric splendour, the Cecil, with
its acconaraodation for 750 people.
Not satisfied with this, the Cecil is
now busy adding a couple of hun-
dred more bedrooms. Railway betels
have been growing greater and great-
er, the leaders of 'them being the
Midland Grand with 400 bedrooms,
&and the Great Eastern with 450.
'Then Claridge's was transformed,
with suites 'for 480 visitors, and the
Carlton came to the fore with ac-
commodation for about 300 guests.
The Carlton is considered, and righte
ly the last word in hotel luxury. Its
manager, 111. Ritz, isstethe„gepius of
the European hotel *brit!: '
The hotel world of London of
course has its romances, Some, of
the biggest establishments have been
created by "theii. proprietors out of
little or nothing. In one case the
secretary of a temperance society'
opened a tiny house: -This became
tso crowded that he had to take a
second. House was added to house,
servants were onultiplied, accommo-
dation improved, arid, if one wishes
to see the ' outcome he need only go
to Smith's big hotel in S,outhanip-
ton lam. In another ease a butler
started' a boarding house in the
West End. His boarding house be-
came a hotel. To -day it stands in
the front rank of the big London
palaces, and, its owner is 'a great
country gentleman, a justice of the
peace, "a member of Parliament., and
the owrreo of fine estates.
HAVE A' TARIFF NOW.
In thenniodern hotel prices have
gone down., alongside the improve-
ment of accorrunodation. The old,
uncertain` period when you never
knew -what you were going to pay
unless you bargained and chaffered
with the hotel clerk before hand, has
now passed away. In the up-to.date
hotel you can -test every charge by
the tariff, and even the price of your
bedroom' is usually :recordedon, your
room ticket or marked -on the walls
of your roona There.la a printed
scale for'everything. Wines are still'
ridicutouSly high. and we have , yet
to 'find, the liotelkeeper who regards
fruit as anything- but a pernicious
luxury. for -which you. arnist pay
heavy extras. Even in the newest -es-
tablishments you may have ao dozen
solid dishes for your breakfast if yeu
please without additional charge,
but if yeti desire a cherry, a banana,
or an aPP4, you will otoy end it
put down in yoile bill. In the, up-to-
date houses to -day the genera/ prices
run—For single bedrooin, from fla;
suite of rooms, from 25s; break -
:1st, Os 6d; Inneh, 3s 6d; dinner,
o 10a 64. You should be able to
Pay yoor.way in a good hotelfor
feom six guineas to den guineas a
week. '
Within the past few years the
faahion, has very materially increas-
ed of living altogether in hotels.
Residential hotels mainly for per-.
mane4- guests, are gradually being
established 'omen.* us. Queen Anne's
Isfansions by St Jlines' Park, was
the first and is still the greatest of
these., Every reader. of ,l/fra, Lynn
Linton's biography will,remember
her, g.reatfid sigh of 'relief, when ". ahe
thiewdoff the burden of housekeeping
and took yesidence ..111 'one of these
mansions.. St. Ermin's has ' recently
come to the fete. With new • inig
provements .it has accommodation
for 1,200:guests, and finds ilstaccona-
modation too small. But besides
these a large number of permanent
guests are living in the-higgeO hotals:
AND CHARACTER' .OF THEIR
OWN.
It is strange now, in spite of ex-
terior resemblances, eaCh great ho -
lad has a distinct, character^ of its
OWn. The man who has Money t0.
spend and who wishes to make a
show with it, naturally goes to the
Cecil. The clifieter man seeksthe
Savoy. None but the fashionable
would Penetrate Claridge's., And
you should be at least a Senator or
foreign prince if you wish' to stay
at Brown's. If you are 0 hasty
bosiness man you go to the Midland
Grand or, Charing -cross, ,11 you arc
a cosmopolitan and study your pod
sena], coinfOrt you will probably go
to De Keyser's on the Ernbankinente
•
"Did papa have.a soft spot on the
top, of his head when he was a ba-
by'?"
"Yes," replied tlie lisother, with a
sigh, "and he has got it yet."
And the telcl ;man, who had heard
the conversation from an adjoining
rooin, said:—
"Yes, indeed lie has, my dear boy,
or lie would be a single boy to -clay."
----
11 S1l'AIIT
ANSWER.
At a dinnerparty- a certai* officer
in the ,Dragoon Guards- had been
placed 'with his,' back to the fire,,
which : happened to be big.' and hot.,
Having' stood the heat "for a good
time the officer could atlast bear it
no longer; and asked „for a lire -
screen. His • host, '11 pontoons old
squire, who thought everything be-
longing to him absolutely perfect,
got exceedingly arigry at tho fire be-
ing found fault with, and immediate-
ly said, "A British soldier ,should al-
ways' be able to stand any fire,"
'"Not in the back, sit'," was the offi-
cer's witty rejoinder,
Papa Crumley—`1, judge a inan by
the company lie keeps!' Mr, Suitor
---"Yes, sir; I llope yoU wili bear in
mind that I've 1)0011 keeping com-
pany with your dauehter for over
two yea's.'',
Vi01011i, de8LI1S .1,111011111 LO 23 per
1,000 in the Cnited 'Kingdom, 38in
Switzerland, but only 1.0 in Spain.
Deaths by violence iiiclude all acei-
dente 1 tleatha its well as murders
anti s'uicicles.
Uolonial5 and Americans ,have a
fondness for the Gordon hotels., The
Frederick hotels the Russell and the
Great Central have hardly yet had
time to obtain peculiar stomp.
Some very old hetels'in West Lon-
don, untouched by Moderu invasion,
still retain their aristocratic connec-
tion. It may be truly said of them
that they provide the least accom.-
moda,tion for the most, money. They
are sniall, rainsbankle, without any
up-to,date conveniences. Their ser-
vants are of the most old-fashioned
cut, their furniture is usually 'slrabby
and out of date, while their prices
often enough exceed these of the
best known resorts. Yet their pa-
trons are tbe very best People. Ohl -
fashioned conotry families, who
would vegard even Claridge's Nvith
disdain, go to these places like sheen
They know the landlord and look on
him as 0 kind of family retalmr..
A married couple with an income
of from L800 to £1,000 a year caO
,secure luxuries , and 'accommodation
in a hotel which would be impossible
elsewhere. But they have no hoxnee
However long you remain in a hotel
you can never put your feet on your
own mantleo lock yOur 'door, and
feel that, you'nrc in your own castle;
where the world cannot penetrate.
NICKNAMES ENGLAND,
NEARLY ALL . THE NOBILITY
REJOICE IN THEM.
The King Mina—elf and the Royal
Family Do Not Es-
cape.
I have been nalieh struck lately by
how very much nicknameare in-
creasing in every rank of life, fro10.
the very highest downward, writes ,a
correspondent. The -fact is that.few
popular people escape them, The
King himself among his own par-
ticular set is generally alluded to as
the "Mastest" .the Duke of Cam-
bridge on account of his connection
with the royal parks is known as
"George; the Ranger," while the
Princess Charles of Denmark is al-
ways called "Harry" by the fainily.
The Duke of Athol has been dubbed
"All Scotland.''! The Duke of Marl-
borough's nickname is "Sonny," the
Duke of Portland's "jumbo." The
Duke of Manchester i's known ever,y-
where as "Kim," the Duke of New-
castle as "Linnie," which is an ab-
lweviation of his second title, Lord
Lincoln. The late Dukes of Welling-
ton was known as "Spurgeon," pro-
bably on account ef his immense
size. Prince Soltykoff, the well-
known raeing man, is generally
known at Newmarket as "Solly."
Prince Victor Dhuleep Singh is
known as "Tulip." Lord London-
derry • will 'probably be known al-
ways as "C," a nickname given him
when he was Lord Castlereatk, Lord,,
Cholizondeley, the hereditary "
G,REAT CHAMBERLAIN
of England, is familiarly known as
this, too, because of his
second ' title of Rocksavege.
Lord Coventry is know u as "Co-
vey," his nephew, Lord Lurgall, as
"Billy," Lord Cowley is known as
"Toby," Lord Spencer as ''llecl
Earl" on account of his tawny
beard„ LoodtWarwick is affectionate-
ly called ."Brookie;" .Lord Yar-
mouth the'`Elloater," a name his
father, Lord, 'Hertford, earned when
he was in the ' Foot Guards. Major
Lawson and Captain Greville Ches-
ter Of the Scots Guards are known
lts "Bobb e" And ' 'Squeak," that
well-known sportsman, Captain Ma-
chell, as "11 Capitano ;" Schomberg
McDonell, brother of Lord Antrim,
the well-known private secretary of
Lord Salisbury, rejoices in the nick-
name of -Pom;" Colonel Byron, for-
merly aide-de-camp to Lord 'Rob-
-erts, is known as the -Strong Man;"
George Faber, an exceedingly good
looking man, is known as "Beautiful
George;" Cecil Rhodeis aptly nam-
ed, "Colossus;" Henry Stoner, one of
the King's 'gentlemen in waiting, is
so good looking that he is known. as
"The '„Apollo;". Captain Seymour..
Fortescue, another of . the King's
equerries; is styled "Commodore.'
LORD KITCHENER
is briefly alluded to as "K. of K.,''
Captain Milligan. a brother of the
great cricketer, is called "Canary,"
because he is so fair ; Humphrey
Stuart, among -his Most intimate
friends, is called ."Flizmpty litanpty'',
Alfred Rothschild will always be
known as " yr.•A.;'' Lord Buchan,
who is small and a very we'll dressed
dandy, is known as 'T. A.," or
"Pocket Adonis'," C,olonel .Needham,
brother of Lord Iiiimore, is '„'Dot;"
Mrs. Langtry's husband, Huge de
Bathe, As "Suggie;" Lord Charles
Montague, son of the 'Duchess of
Devonshire., for acme reason or
other is canal "The Snake:" Cyril
Maude is known as ''Spirrel,'' Chas
Wyndhani is ''The Landlord,".. but
the number, of these is legion.
The ladies, too, receive nicknames,
for instance, Jady Winiborne is call-
ed `'Donsitina.'' on account of her
low church toodencies. 1,ady Flo
.Stuart OS! 'TallVerina,; her, great
friend, Mrs. Ilawfa
or "Florcuz,a," Mrs.' George'
Koppel has several ,,micknames, per -
baps the. best knoWn being ,"Kepplaa
ria." Lady Howe received the riaine
'of '!The ,Joker,” Miss Bulkely, who
is such a great, favorite with every-
body is called Two -Year -Old.''
Lady Do Grey and Lady Gosford are
known as ''The Sentinels!'
are a gre,„at many others, but not to
mention any more, suffice it to
it is iremarkablo se 010113'
nicknathes are so 110001111)1 110011 tary,
THE KING AND •IITS UNIFORMS.
King Edward must have the right
to Wear more unifOrins than tiny
other crowned head: in addition to
the field -marshal's uniforms of the
British Army, he can wear, the four
different uniforms of the Gtiards, and
that -of the 10th .IIussars. iTe is 011
English Admiral, and also a general
hi the Prussian Arthy, and, colonel of
German Dragoons and of 0„(lerinaii
Regiment. , The King iS ,colonel of
no fewer than twenty-two different
regithents' in the British Ailey.
THEIR TACTICS ARE SAID TO
BE .ANCIENT.
French Leaders Show Decided
Talent For Handling Large
Bodies of Troops.
'rile correspondent of 'the London
Daily Chronicle who attended the
'French military nuinoeuvres at It-'
thel says that the French leaders
have showo a decided talent for
handling 1 large masses of troops,—
when out of sight of the eneiny---and
on the energy of, tlieseAroops they
have naiide claims which, [10WeVer,
willingly responded. to by violin
would'- have caused considerable
grumbliog in the ranks of British
battalions in time of Peace at
least, if not in war. 'French nianoeu-
vres are conducted 111 a xnannor 011-
tirely different froin .those of Alder-
.
shot or Salisbury Plain. There the
men have their barracks or their
camp, where they have almost every
comfort, and return to their quarters
after a, few hours' easy fighting.
French soldiers, ore the other imnd,
after a hard day's marching and
fighting, which often begins as early,
as 3 a.m„ and generally ends about
noon, or even later, have to march
long and
aviRE8OME DISTANCES
before 'reaching the respective vil-
lages where they are to be billeted
for, the night. The billeting arrange-
ments appear to be perfect. The
mayor . of the .village or canton gets
notice that so many men 'will want
sleeping accommodation on a par-
tieular night, "and lie must be ready
with it to the minute. There 16 no
doubt about it, the French army pos-
sesses in a high degree the virture of
mobility and adaptability,. and it is,
very 'dttlictilt to put one's'finger any-
wh.ere ou the weak point ofits or-
ganieation and`e'quipment.
General Drugere's organization
could scarcely be better, but. here
eulogy from the English point- of
view cannot well go further. For
the tactics of 1110 French army are
still little more than the -tactics of
thirty years ago; to go no further
back. The French continue to fight
their mimic battle as if there had
never been such a thing as a Doer
war ; and. , they franlOy adimit that ,
they have never given it their se-
rious attention from the point of
view of comparative militarism. In
fact, they deny that itS'Iessons have
any practical value for, them -what-
ever. 7 -he 'French army is still as
gaudy 111 color—still as conspicuous
a target—as it was the last time it
went under the fire of Europe.
DO NOT. TAKE COVER,
On Sunday' and Monday, at the
battles around Rethel, had there
been bullets in the guns of the ext-
erns; scarcely one -of the cheering
stormers would hava been left up- .
right. The men are not taught to
take cover, except in accidental dips
of the ground, and the6):,adVIA,Ilee
across the open in the most leisurely
and even dignified fashion, exposed
to infantry and artillery fire. I have
noloseen a single rush forward and,
a flop down as they- do it at Alder-
shot. It was no unusual sight to see
companies blazing away at each
other separated sometimes by less
than 200 yards. The whole field was
marked by ineptitudca of this kind,
which astonished men who' had been
in South Africa. How the Boers
would like to have- the French for
'allAesnelonry the f a iltrY fire, delivered
mostlYfas independent, not volley
firing, there was scarcely one man in
ten who troubled himself to take aim
but each one simply blazed aWay 118
if lie wanted to get the show over as
soon as possible, and none of the
officers iseemed to care dt bit about
this sham fight negligence, which
might become a fatal' habit in real
war. There was also seen the cur.:,
lOUS spectacle of one company taking ,
another prisoner.' On the whole, all
these tactics were intensely surpris-
ing It may be doubted whether. the
French' army is not still weakest
where it ought to be strongest.
"
COMRADES.
Touching Story, of Two English .•
Officers,
A touching story of two friends is
told by William Beatty -Kingston la
his "Journalist's`alottings." They
were two officers in the English many
who quarreled about some trifle, and
alahough they had been the closest
of comrades, became, in consequence,
entirely estranged. The fact at their
separation was extreraely bitter to
both of them, and one Chriatinas
day one of them received Irbil' the
other a card bowing a dove, with an
olive -branch.
The ',recipient kept the message by
him foo a twelvemonth, and an the
following Christmas sent it badk to
his fellow officer, who in turn iaitl it
aside for a year, and theit despatch-
ed it on the next anniversary.
Through three successive decades
at each, Christmas -tide, the M1110
-MeSSenger WaS regularly sent in
token of continuod' friendship, until a
year came when it was forgotten
cause the present posseE,sor was too
harassed by fleaatial losses to re-
member it. Tri the course of the
Christmas week, however, his wife
came upon, the card, and 80(11 11 off
to her husband a friend with a news-
paper cutting referring tie her Irus-
bond'S , bankruptcy. /rho r?turning
post brought her a. letter; eoclostng
a thousend pounds, and explaioing
that the sender had, just came int'o
'fortune, and that in return for this
trifling stain intended for his 00
friend's rescuehe should 15.eap Lha
Christmas ca rd as his niost pre -
dons poaseseion,
e-----+-----
Magistrate—t`You say, troll are in-
nocent, Ilow clo yomexplain the fact
that you were found neOr the acene
of the robbery with the stolen pro-
perty in your hands?" Prisoner—
'Tho11, WIMVS 11117,Z1in' 111e, boo,
yer w o ip.''
Lir
ondor2 hee f11)0 acees of docks,
011)001 548 (zeros.