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The Brussels Post, 1908-4-9, Page 7+1;(4 t+ E+:f+ ÷):(+) +3 +3 +v+gi+#+3 + E+K +3 +1rf+3:l+3 F3 +lei+):( �?2 A House of »yStCry OR, THE GIRL N BLUE 4 4 +) +f£+3 4 14.A+K4+ff+3C(+):(+0 ..+? +3i+#+?f+:aa1 +: +nE4V+A•irgi CHAPTER 111.-(C. nlinimd, straight as an arrow. For fully a quar- t at last fouled the enl'anee to •the ter of an hour I walked on without •at(jolnferg roan, but the door was meeting a emit. The only noise that closed. f tried the handle. 11 wits 1.1'01{0 the quiet was are dismal howl k.c•in•d, c'f a clog, and now and then the distant Thio sudden check to my invesiiga- hons caused nen to pause. Thnl a W0 mart had bon first struck clown by a et/validly blow apponreel evident., but of her tdently I had no knowledge. The lend agonized sbrtek \vhiell had immolated from that inner room was, 1 felt convinced, that of the Lender, sweet -voiced woman who had admin- • istered to my wants. It seemed, now that 1 recollected, as though she had been s''aleil rut the piano when the fatal blew was struck. The scream and the cessnlien of the mush, had occurred sunuuaroeusly. Yet so confused had Min the soune',s 01 the 1 exlt'anrdinn ry tragedy Ilur1 1 •strn ci perplexed, utterly at a loss how to are. The theory impressed itself upon me that 4 woman was rrsponslhle for both •criaas. 'There was no disguising the fact that It was a %/onion who had stood pentng none me, who had noise- kssly tested me to ascertain whether Yes I ;mull distinguish ol,jec(s about me, and who had afterwards lett the house. Al?,c. >blin-1 wss had, no doubt, saved my y f '�; Before leaving .she heel for some un - e known reason kicked the col nunicat F tog door rind lateen the key, Mit upon the air, after she had gone, there ling- •cr.i l the suhlle fragrance of peau d' t?spagne, the )same perfume used he the women w'hos'e cool palm Ind smile my brow. Nevertheless, 11 seemed impossible stat. a woman could illus (-minaa double crime so swiftly and with such. force as to drive a knife to the heart ofa man and fling him back l:pon me—ail in silence, tvilhou't the utterance of one single word. 11 seemed ,nb.olutely Incredible.. With niy eyes only a void of blackness, this mystery was bewildering, end renth s " ered the more tantalizing by •nty inabil- ity to gaze about me. I had been prt- sent at the enactment of -a terrible (tame, but had not witnessed It, and could not, (hoverer°, recognize either culprit or victims. Again 1 leached Lhe great handsome . room, in order to rivet all its details upon my memory. 1 had three long windows opening down to the floor. which showed That it was situated in the back of the house, otherwise they must have opened upon the street. In one corner was a redestal, whereon stood a marble bust 01 a dancing we- e man, Ince those I had seen in Ilse sculp- Ier's 'at Pisa before the days of my darkness. There were tables, Leo, with glass tops wherein, I supposed, 'were curies and bric-a-brae, and before the great fireplace was stretched a tiger - skin, with the putts preserved. While groping there, however, my hand tame into contact with something which I found was a narrow, these- cdgecl knife, so shn.rp that I cut my •finger while feeling U. It had a cross. tilt, and the blade vas thin and tri- angular, tapering to a point. The shape y f knew to bo Italian, one of Ruse Floe - /I enllne stilettos used long ego in the Middle Ages, n wound from w111.011 w'as . • almost certain to be fatal. The Italians have long ergo brought the use of the knife to a fine art, and even to -day; reorders by slabbing are the most 18101 ioccuerenees reported in their newspa- pers. The blade of this antique wee.. leen. was about nine inches long, and Lite handle velvet -covered and bound with wire, probably either gold or sil- ver. Trio point was sharp as a needle. My first Impulse was to lake posses- n:on et it; but, 011 relleciten, I saw that it I did se grave suspicion might pos- sibly full upon ane. 1 might even be ctia'g-d with the murder,especially es I had already In ney pocket the. demi man's stud and pencil -case. Thls thought caused ma le threw down the eliletto, and, continuing my search, i et length found the door tvhlch gates egress to the place. I opened it end stood in the hall le listen. There was no sound, The still- ness of the night remained quite un- broken, and I believed myself alone will the dead. 13y coughing, the echo e of my voice showed that the hall and ' staircase were wide and spactous. Then -ft struck ane that 1 had no stick, with- cut ithcut which I fena'erl to walk; but, grop- ing abnnt, i (bund an umbrella stand, arn:d hook therefrom a stout 111000, the Annelle of wltich seemed smooth -worn by long usage.. 1 What was 3113' best course? Should 4r Y go fortis secretly, return home ,and await the discovery of elle terrible of fair, welch would no doubt be fully re - ,ported . In those evening newspapers ' which revel in crime? 0r should II g'0, sout and Inform lite first Constable I met, The later, I saw, was my duty, t4se and even though i had no desire to mix thyself up in such a mysterious and isensational altair, I resolved to go at (once and state all that 1 hoard. 'Whethert street i 11 e s c t door ryas Situated to right or lett I know not, but trying y the right, first, 1 found that the door was at that end of the hall. Opening 11. I passed out, and having closed it again nolselcssly event down the five 1 wide stops tato the deserted street, Thera were iron railings in Mont of the house, and before tete door was it o big 'stone petite°. My hands told be Loth these details, I hutted to the lett and atter Welk• t rt e n ,.'o little ! g sat:* t distance crossed' a road and kept v a p tong 0bad WIt1Cli, ellhough it Mil not appear t0 he a Mein tlloriellgltfard, seemed to run starlet) and lore near of Trains. Sudcten- l;e 1 found myself 1n quite a labyrinth of crooked streets, and after. several turns emerged int) what I presumed to hW ens. of the great arteries of London, 1 stood listening. 'Tire air was fresh, and it secure to me that dawn was eereoding, Aterrr 1 could hear the mea- sured, heavy tread of a pollee conelable, ,end hurried in his direction, As .1 did O' I put out my stick and it slrucic some iron railings. A few minutes later, In hot haste, I overhok the man of heavy tread, one addressing him, said:— "Tell lee, pease, are you a canslebier' "Well, 1 believe 1 syn," answered a rough voice, pleasantly withal, "But tun's you Hee?" "No, unfortunately I can't," I replied. "Whom am I?" "Ones"do the ifusermi." "Tho British Museum?" I inquired In surprise. "No. The South Kensington. Where do you want to go?" "I want you Le 001110 with ale," I scud, "With you. What's up?" "I'r'e been roesent at a terrible trag- edy," i blurted Solite;' "Two people ,have been murdered.' "Two people?" excln'imed the voice, rpalelely interested. 'Where?' "In—in a crouse,' 1 faltered, for nal unl'il that Instant did the appalling Muth occur to ate. 1 had wandered away from the place, and lead no idea of its outward appearance, or in what road it was situatedl "Well, double murders don't often lake place In the street, sonny. But—" and the vo'oe hesitated, ."Why, there's bleed on your clotting, i seen Tell me all about it. Where's the house?" "I confess That I've been foolishly stupid, for I've left it, and I could,never find my way back again. I'm blind, you see, and I've no idea of Its exterior 0 p pets ranee•" At any rale you've Steen near enough to the affair to get yourself in a pretty mess," the lough voice saki, somewhat suspiciously. "Surely you have some idea of where the affair took place?" The situation was certainly the most .0001010 in which any 011411 could be placed, for with only one thought In Iny mind, namely to rats) the alm'm, I lead gond forth from the house of mystery and failed to mark it. This negligence of mine might, I reflected, result in the :affair being hushed up for ever, London is big place in which W search for the scene of a murder mem which my oyes had never gazed, and the details of which I only knew ty my sense Of touch, Flow ]Many 'thousands of houses there ere in the West and, each with 11s snholet black- ened pertco end little piece of aa'Ga ra(ung. "No," i responded to the omcer's in. quiry. "I was so lent upon giving in- formation that I forgot 10 place any mark upon the house by which to know It again." "well, I've 'card a goad nanny funny stories while I've been on night -duty in these eighteen years, but your yarn is shout the rummest of the sol," In said bluntly. "I only know Ihn$ the house is a large ono, very well flrrnihhcd, end has a port:0o and railings 1n IIronl—R double Masse, with 11a11 In the centre, end rooms on either side." "That don't '011) Cts very much, son- ny," the role° observed. "What's the gond o' running after me with a yarn eke leis if you e'mi't hike me to the spot? To judge from the state of emu. clothes, 'though, you've been to sense serape oe nnothet', If your Coat wnS n01 covered with bleed es 1t 1s, 1'i be inclined (o put yeti down as a chap with a icrnw loos," "Pro not demented, (.lel) yeti," i erre)] warmly. "There's a terrible crone been committed, and I have sought your as- sistance." "And I'd go and have a leek rat the premises with you, If you could only telt me where `they are. But as ,you can't—well, what are 100 to de, soapy?" CHAPTER IV. "Peke me :at once to the police-st4t- tion," i said finely. "I must mance a Stattenenl to your Inspector on duty.' "Net much ,good is. et, if yeti can't tell us where the affairlook placer' queried 1110 oral, impertinently. It th my duty to nota the report, 00(11 elle duty of the pollee act invests• gate it," 1 answered, annoyed, for it seemed as though be doubted me. "That's a laity out onyour hand," he remarked, "Hoty did you get it? "1 cut myself by accident with the knife." "What knife?" "Tho knife, With which the =Werewore tenon if Led." "And what wore you doing with it?" inquired 110'ecnstable, utterly regard- less of the strict police regulation which forbids an officer to put any such 11105' (ions, "1 Pound it," I ;Meltod, "Whore?" "On the floor of the 0'1411, while 1 teas searehieg about." The man grunted dubiously. 1 was well aware et the susltflien Which meet tall upon me, for I knew here wets blood upon my Melees and 10 response, I told hlnh 11'aw, in ero00- hag a read, 1 had been k11oc•lsod down rind rendered Insensible by a cab, and how, an regaining conscluu'sness, 1 had found myself under the care ot some nom)a unknown. Ise gave vent let a short harsh laugh, 0.0 though discrediting my siatemenis, "You don't 1.elievc 111e," i blurted forth hsetity. "Take 010 Let your inspector. Wo muse nese 0 Ilia"," "Well, yeti 1ni'w,' ,bservr'd the man, "your story, you'll admit, 1s a very ex- traordinary one, You isny that a ter- rible effete ]las happened In It hone° somewhere about here, yet veer eun't direct us to (t. The whole story 1s so curious that 11n afrrrld you'll have a dimcully In persuading anybody to be- hove you." "If you dont, somebody else. will," I snapped, "come, lake me 10 the police• sig lie n," Thus ordered, the neral rather mime natty thole my arm, and crossing the wide motet -road, we (re0ersed t1 min- ter of short crroked thoroughfares • "You don't teem m very gaud walker, miter," the oansteble observed, plies. onlly, "I see a cab In tiro distance. Wetted you like to lake it?'' "Yes. Coll it," 1 said, for 1 fell very weal) and int after my terrible nlghts adventure. A few minutes Eater we .Were sitting tegelher in the transom, drirn•ing. to- wards the r.tldress he had given, namely, College glare Pekes Station. On the way 1 explained to hien the \vltoie, oI the tacks as tar as 1 could recollect then. Ile letenocl attentive,y to my curious narrative until I had concluded, Ilton sa!d:— "NVell, sir, it's certainly a most my- sterious affair, and the only fear f have is that everybody will look upon it with disbelief. I know what i should .lo if I were a gentleman in your place.' "What weal you doe' "Well, I should keep my knowledge to myself, say ,nothing about it, anti leave the revelation of the volute to chance." "I am compelled le make .a report 0f it, because I w'as present re the trag- edy," said. ' hal,' y, I s d. "11is my duly', , In the interests of justice.' "Of course, that's all very well. I quite agree that your duty as a citizen 1,0 to make a statement to ,111y inspec- tor, but if 1 may be permitted to say s 1 private opinion is I al t7 , rc- o. my Ph p sorve a discreet silence is better than making a font of one's self." "You re certainly Octet -spoken," I said, smiling. "Olt, well, you'll excuse enc, sir," the man said, halt apologetically. "I mean no offence, you know. 1 only tell yeti how I myself would act. Now, if you email give amy real-inIormntion of v:,lue to the detectives, there would be some reason for making the statement, bol as you can't, well ycull only give your- 0eif no end .of bother for nothing.' "But surely, nam, you don't think that with the knowledge of this terrible affair in my mind Ien going le .preserve silence and allow the assassin to es- cape, do you?" "Well, It seom's Mat the asslrssin has escaped already, In any ease," the man laughed, "You take it from neo that they were a cute bol ie that hoose, who- ever they were. The Neondte Is That they didn't kill you," An exactly similar thought had cross - e'1 my mind. The drive seemed a long one, but at length the 'deb stopped, and we alighted. I heard the conveyance here and go off, as together we ascended the steps of the station. One thing struck be es curious, namely, that the air wee filled with a strong odor of turpentine. "The station is a long way from your bent," I remarked. "Yes. A fairish way, brit we're used to it, and cion', notice the distance." "And this is College PI:ace—Is 11?" "Yes," he responded, conducting me down a long ,passage, The length of the cora•ldor surprised me, 'and i hu- morously remarked:— "You're not going to put me In the Delis, I hope?" "Scarcely," he laughed. ".Bet 11 we did the darkness wouldn't trouble you very much, I fear, Blindness must be an awful affliction." Ile had scarcely uttered these words ere we ascended a couple of steps 'and entered what seemed to be a spacious place, the charge -mom of the .police station. There was the sound of heavy tramp- ing over bare boards, and. suddenly a leather gruff vele() Inquired:— Well, four-slx-eight? \Vhat is 11." "Gentleman, si.r—w'anls to report a tragedy. (eels blind, sir." "Bring him a cent," said the inspec- tor's voice, authoritatively. (To be continued,). THE GAMII. ltltss Gushleglon—And so you were born in the country? How you must have enjoyed the game of hiding in the ban when you /mare a boy. Mr. Phsrmersem—\Veil, no, I cannot say I enjoyed it very much. You see, my father eel the hiding, and all 1 diel w'as to jump and yell. E3IG CONTRACT, "11 Smithers undertakes to pull my enes,'i..said a fellow at a street corner, "he'll have his hands full." The crowd 100100(1 .at the man's oars and smiled. Some people can evert see the silver' lintng to a cloud of adversity—if it is hovering over others: "Did Yo u hear about snao? n \ Y, vot happened to hint?" "lie had his appendix taken away last Saturday." "Vet a fool; vy didn't he have it in his Wife's name?" Something That Should he Illibbed i 1. --Whenever pain 10 felt in the limbs or back, lake Df. Thomas' Eelectrfc Cut; pour a lithe in the hand, and ap- plying 11, to lir, surface beneath which he men lies, rub briskly, If the fleet pp010011on sloes not effort °aper, which s not usually the case, keep etibbin.g, the 011 WIlLgeedually penetrate to the a fleeted part and relief pili come, (hat any story possessed a district air a of Improbability, 1 "Who injured vette head like trat7'r T ho oohed, IN THE FURTHEST NORTH IMPRESSIONS OI A Me SPENT AMONG LSUIYMAUIC. Book by ifnud flasmussen, Mike is Unique as the Stay of a Primitive Repute, Kant Rrlhmrlssen, whose 101111r ryas eu 1.6qu40a11 w eine of Denisie 00:cm- land, whose father was a Dam) and Who 'has lived must of his 27 years in his native land, has written a Mole on his Cif: fee a year La the lusts of the Suu'h Sound natives, the moat north- ern people of the wurlrl, The 1) ole has t'e'en translated from Danish int) Get- man and is atlraoling much Mt neon because it has great 11- rury merle, and as the story of a primitive people: it )s unique. Ile had rare nevanlages for writing such a narrative. be''ause'he is all Mu - rated nien. trained as net rttnologist end partly of the sane bleed as 'the tribe that opened their dors and hearts to ]rim, Ito went among them ai a brother, they awakened his sympeltiy nntl effe-li•in. and their idiom (titters set little from les own that ee was 0010 et them from the day they first saw hem: They told iter everything, rind when he left them tor Denmark )1.b w'r le 111 first book that has over NMI devoletl Wholly to these natives. 'Th. (1111011 Mitten is mitit:e,l "Nene Mensohell' and it has boon 1'.tlblisl:c.l in Bern, Switzer- land, Tim purpose herr• is simply to give rt few incidents of Ilaanmasen;s life among Mom people and s"neo of hie inlpece- sions of them, He was ih-ir connate in the merrymakiugs with whk•Ii they brighten THE SUNLESS WINTER, and 11e 50111011 thein in the hunts fat' Mar, walrus, reindeer and se'a's, and ht the spring killing of the birds. which they reek away fn' winter use Tlicy liked him and wished him 10 lira with them always. 'Th:y would Le ]sappy, if only he would 0101,0y one of Um native girls and setae down. So one winter evening when the but was crowded with people old Srcrkrark arose impressively and /node a little speech: "Are not our maidens good enough roc you?' he said. "See, there are le. igaiteo r'k and Anlinik. lstgaitso-k has the longer hair if That will please you, and she has a brand new fox skin. "Now, we must let you that 11 does not do for a young, unmarried man to be travelling around our country. You will ruin our good opinion of you and make yourself a laughing stock, Thera is only one young ibachelor among' us and he Is a babbling idiot. (1115 is a fact. Ile has been mentioned by explorers.) "Among all tongs a mon should pos- sess, the chief is a. wife. The first thing he' gets is a woman, and next come his dogs and then 0 canoe, and last, and most difficult to get, is a gun. "You have all these things except a wife. \Vho will keep your things in order and your but warm and go along le help you when you (ravel? The wife always goes with her men on his jour- neys If Iiasaibie, and It not, be borrows somebody else's wife." Bnsnnrssen does not inform us whet 'aspen° he made to this eppeal. Old Smitten* is known as the greatest bear hunter among his people, but he did not shine on this occasion as A MATI1I\IONIAL AGENT. The people said he must tell Rasmussen the story of some of his big stunting exploits, but ho long refused. "When I go out with my dogs after a bear," he said, "11 is not long before Itis meat is in the 0coking port This is all 1 have to say.' One day, however, he yielded t\ per - session and Rasmussen heard the [hist and last story he would te)1. "Il was on a winter night and very cold," lie Bald, "and i knew that bears would he watching x00111111 the holes Lt the ice where the seals coma up to breathe, I went out with my clogs and soon ;I dimly sate a bear through tee twilight. "I gev° chase end my d-ngs were over- hauling him when the disappeared with - In a cave In the ice. When 1 came up I sent the leader of my dog team Into the nee, for a bear in this way may ellen be driven out Iron his retreat without. Injury to he dog. But in a moment 1 heard a cry and my dog elaggel'ett out and died al my toot. "I said to myself that 1 was going to get that mar. 1 could not us0 hey s)star in the small envie and. s) 1 put my knife between my teeth and event in 00 my hands and knees. It was very dark and Imould see nothing, but I could horst' the breathing of tite bear. I hugged the ground and matte no noise as, 1 crept forward, incl. by inch. "At last I felt the animal's warm Meath 10 my face. sty bade was long and I drew back and made a mighty lunge. At the sane time a terrible blew P11 on my body end F lost my senses. "i do not know bow long I lay there tr the cave, but +teflon I came to rely self my dist thought was of my dead dog. Then 1 felt around, thinking I had killed the hea',, but he was not Jn i:he cavo, I ryas very .sore, but managed to crawl outside, and a few rods away 1, saw my Lear sitting on the too and heard his moans and knew he was !n trotthlo, 1 GRASPED AMY SPEAR and erep't toward him and onto near enough to see that his breast rues cov- ered with blood end that 1 had driven my knife straight through its snout lend it tens still in the wound, "My right nem Ives not hurt, and I get up on my feet end drove'11y spear ihrxough Otis h0nrt, • !tis 1110 custom in Danis11 Wast Gime- hind, . llasnwssen lyes' ret , for where leo the young natlee women to gethee aro111(1 a newcomer and he1p 11hn oft with his overtelolhing. IIe forgot that dour d miatiye i Me Seriph , i s might not be aeglize teed with this act of eout'ooy and hospitality gad when Ile lust molted 1f1t+ I XGI1LSIOR LITE INSURANCE CO. 1007 a l' 051 emus Year. The annual Stateriment of The Excel- s nr Lite Minoan)° Company tamed re, rntly, inlientes rt year of increased 1 u.seeres, J'he total Weenie was $427,- 100, 'Teal tee Cxccls:Air 1111 Ir.suralefe ("s.nyr^try L; preeeeineully a reilicyltolte ors Company, urns be jy it'n;l flvun oho fool that for tine.: Fl1ePe0isive mei/quell. "eel periols it hes paid very .eittlstuc- iory profits to its puhryholleee, and further its reacted and prevent position Li unexcelled as regards liven features of the leisiuese whe•h poliey poi lees• are particularly inlernar:l Ire rcnrily.- Inleresl earnings the high sit in Canada ---economy in management—nn uns paralleled low death rate, The popularity of the "ilxcelsior fife" Wray be judged from the fret that new Melte/Intel applied for during the year rnrennled in $2,711,Ot0, The tralal anenuul of insurance now in tome reaches almost eleven and enc -half rail- lt+let del!am. 'the assets of flee Cour. pm1y amount kr $1.41.1 30. It has a Reserve Fund largely hr exerts of Gov- rnment regim rcmenk. Although it lens been only eighteen yeas, in ex- istence The Rxeelsic r Lite Is one of the bang Canadian (Sompalies, ifs success ds hide:alive of shrewd and eapabl0 management. fin its Board of Directors ern 1e Le (110,1 the mines, of gentlemen 'rlistingut tend tai their Integrity [incl business capncily, I1 is lag`1y owing fo thee executive ability that the excel. aior Lite occupies the ]sigh position "irat. it d0e4 amongst hh.ura. r e earn - panus. Any one thinking of Insuring thele llvos mind do well to have fSe Excels':,r figure 00 the pespieitien. Fnitecd information may bet 4.h1,.1103 on n.pplicalien bet the Head Gotha In To- r.a11n. The (1 m puny went fine,( active emcees in every place where it is not h )pewee I.d. teem On his sledge he Pe"1 out hie feet 1.1 a young, w01n111 esf•eatng time she w0uel pull off its I ar,ls. Ste t (110pped e,• , blushed, her eyes. end b1l h,, 1, .tut m u1.1 no 11a0:3 to pert,rel the expound sirriee. "What Is your lime?" Ile asked the girl. "The p:e0ple there will tell you ply nano' she answered, and her gaze wander;d off over the ace while all the nien and women laughed. A woman came to the girl end toll her Ln do what Ilse stranger asked leer and then s10 pulled off his boots. HIe says he tuns impressed with her mod- e=ty. The woman said to him: "'Phis is my daughter. Don't you think she is beautiful?" Rasmussen says that these. Polar Es- gninlnttx erre always waging se hard a fight with nature 11101 they think very 111110 of anything except the eract(08I side of life. They carelessly live their lives ss long as meat is plentiful. They do net count the days nor reckon time. But the boys from the time they can talk play at hunting and the ambition cf their lives is lel 1-ocome good hunters. A'. the iborght of the men is the hunt, the collection Of pleat. Their mental horizon doe; not embrace much be- yond their emission as food providers. "What are you thinking of?" he ask. ed an lssquhnaus who seemed to be buried in thought. THE MAN LAUGHED AT THE IDEEA. "11 is only white men,' he said, "who trouble themselves n'ruch with think- ing. We think only about sour food sup- ply rind whether it will ln.st through 1110 winter. If we have meat enougu, then thinking is unnecessary." One day Rasmussen said to an un- usually intelligent native who ]tad been cut on the scan ice with Peary: "What did you think was the purpose of all your hard work out on the ice floe? What slid you think when all the land Indrd from view and you saw nothing around you excepting the grinding sea ice?" "Think?' replied the man, "I didn't neon to plink. It was tete part of Peary to Ito the thinking." Rasmussen tells the story of the im- migration of a number of the more western Esquimaux about haif a century ago to the Greenland coast, where some cf them spent the rest of lltetr lives with the new found friends. They 'brought blessings also to the Smlih Soiled natives, for they laughs (hent to make snow flues with a long covered epee ia-1 and at entrmlce from helot', slaking them mach warmer; also to sheet with the ,bow and arrow, to spear fish and t0 make kaiaks or canoes, so Hint. their hunting was eo longer con- fined to tine land or Ilse edge of the Ice, He got lire story from the last survivor 1 the hnnl'gralnts. Rut the time cants, one spring morn- ing, when Um young man, with his dogs and sledge, was to start south on Ms journey of hundreds of miles to h's old home.. An old woman. in whose shut ire had eaten often during lite dark winter came to him, "You arc going home, Are you glad to leave us?" ""Oh no; but I think I had ibetar have o chan.' Vaavge, listen lo the last words to you t'1 an old woman. You ere like the king duck. \Vhen the bright spring /merles the land he comer to 115,45 you 11e comes from a lend that is far away, a land we do not 11100', You came to rise like the king duck In rho spring, and now you are going bade to your land and your family, hark! Your dogs are howling. Do 110E wait any longer for I know you are eager to be 011:' TEST YOUR SEED. If you buy seed of the seed lean, de- mand a guarunlen from him of its qua lily; then test the seed yourself, and find out it ho is telling you the truth Reliable seedsmen will guarantee their sends, and If they do net do s0, don' lily. Also don't grumble et the price of guaranteed seed. Ono of the simplest and hest methods of testing the germinating power of seed, Js as follows: S00111,0 a piece of blotting paper, or flannel cloth, mots• len and fold together, atter placing a counted number, say 1011, of the seed between the folds. Prat the blotter or cloth on a plate, and cover with an- other inverted plate, and place) la e warm 100111. From 10 l0 28 or 30 days should be alikwod for the test, depend. Mg upon the kind of seed. The gerntin- rled seed should be counted and re. reeved from day to day and at tete end of the lest the percentage of good seed may easily be em puled. Seed may be tested h1 sea, but the germinalions aro likely to be from 10 to 15 per cent. low- elow- erthan by the foregoing plan. The Meth or blotter plan is simple, and can be carried on during the Cold wea- ther, anandbefnre the busy season opens. As to the germinating peewee of good scud, it should net be lower than 75 or bur [NT[NTcent., for the leading grain moos. i'Le United Slates Department. of Agri - merino places the standard of germin- ali,n for clean seed, harvested and pre- served under favol',Lle c•an,litiOns, and not over ono year old, for a number of vegetables and gralns, as follows: Means, OD per cent.; Lee's, 1i2 plants from 100 seed balls; cabbage. 00 per carrels, 80; caubifloovcr, 80; eel - 'my, 60; corn, (Gull and eirgar) 87; cu. - curried, 87; lettuce 85; music notion, 57; onion, 80; parsley, ,t; rnrst lip, 70; peas, 03; pumpkin, 87; radish, Leo;' spinech, -, 50; squos'87; tomatoes, 85; turnips, :10, and water melons, 87 per cent. These figures are based upon results secured in a sun testing apparatus, where the cend111cns of moisture and temperature colliecolliebe controlled. Under ordinary methods the percentage obtained night 1101 run as high, but would run suffi- ciently near it to give a good idea of the vitality of the seers. Testing your sped is advisable, whe- ther you buy your seed or grow it your - .self. Unless the germinating power of the seed Ls knotvn, 11 is Impossible to tell how much seed to sow to the acre. It one Is compelled, because of a bad crop, to tall back upon seed that is over a year old, the testing process is necessary. Sente recent French tests have shown that two year roll carrot seed gives less leafy plants, and more highly colored roots than fresh seed. With pumpkins, squashes, melons and gherkins, seed two and three years old. proved most .satisfactory: In a general way-, there- fore, 11 may be staled prat while fresh seed gives the best results, there are some exceptions, more particularly in the case et vegetables. Generally speak- ing, it may be staled that fresh seed should be used, when it is desired to produce a plant with a strong leaf growthcidseed., while for plants which it is desired sln0uid stead 0r fruit well, lite eahbage, melon, cucumber, etc., it Is preferable to use two or three years • TREATMENT FOR SMUT. The only way that smut can be era- dicated, or lessened, in the grain crop, is to treat the seed before sowing. The two treatments most generally in use for this purpose are the formalin and bluestone methods, The Termer is gra- dually replacing the latter method. For smut in oats put four ounces of formalin into 12 gallons of water. Put the oath to a pile and sprinkle the liquid over them, turning the grain so that all am well wetted; let the oats Ito for a short time, and then spread out to dry. This quantity oI fluid should be sufficient for treating £6 bushels ot seed. This treatment is simple and very effec- tive. Care should be taken to sec that ell the grain is thoroughly moistened by the solution, and that the seed is wall dried afterwards. Some recent tests made by Prot Shutt, of the Central Experimental Farm, would Indicate that the formalin -or. f emaldehyde solution,. should not ba prepared until just before it is to be used. If the solution is made and ex- posed to the ale for several days the Water in the solution evaporates nnueh more quickly than the formaldehyde, thus leaving it stronger than intended, and mere liable to injure the grain. Another treatment, lewd° the hive - stone, is the hot water treatment, But this is more difficult to manage, en- tails more labor, and is hardly as of- teetifa as the others. The farmalln treatment is now consiee_red the simp- lest, 1 and Host reliable, end. can be. handled by any fainter with little diffi- culty. Where smut i,,s bad, no seed 3110u1d be sown without being treated, and, to be en the safe side, all seeds should be so treated. ALAS1 Ito event t0 the doctor, To down a cough, but (Excuse the poor rhyme) Ile was trade to cough up, Co A New Orleans woman was thin. a� ego • nourishment from her food, 41'410 She took Seotz",s' Emuta on:1, Result: She gained a pouiid a d1st tri wei�lh '..:`i�4�1, "" far.•. .,: ell, bltt3CotaTSr bee, ANb 51.00 0t '"a Because she did not extract sufficient cmaoo-ao4biztootmeo90,0.04 YOi1Ndl FOLKS ocsoceaeetecogeoceseeo A MAGIC GARDEN. Gertrude and Fannia played- On ono side of the fence, and Jessie and Attest on tiro other side. It was a picket fence, and so tiley,couid.(0o1 through 1t and talk to emit h other 1)elw'ee0 the pickets. Jessie and Alice badi set of paper dolls that cams from the otty. They P01'e beautiful dolls, with dresses and. flats which could be taken off and put Ort. One dress made the doll loop like au .English girt holding a flag, and another eke an Irish girl, and the Irish girl had the cunningest fat ,pig under her arra, Then there was a dress tied turned the same doll into an Indian, and still another which made her a Dutch girl with tvoojlen shoes, end a basket on' her arm, Ger- trude and Fanttie's dolls were Cut from magazines, and their dresses term nems the girls had nude from Issue -paper, and gold Mee which the grocer had When off a raisin -box and given them. Gertrude and Fume) lilted their dolts very much, and they had lots of fun malting clothes for them, but they thought they never had seep any quite Se nice as Jessie and Alice's, They nil played happily together, but Ger- trude and Fannie longest for something that should be as wonderful tis the dolls. "they alwaye dare nicer things than We do," mild (extrude Ono day. "Yes," answered Fannie. "And they have such a smart kitten! Jesse said that this morning, when they would not let it In, It climbed up on the out: side of the screen deer and opened the lep with its paw, and squeezed liar -,ugh, end then climbed down on the insides That was pretty :more I think, but our Puff can sit up on her hind legs end Leg, and there are not many cats that wilt do that." "Ne, indeed!" answ'r-red Gertrude. "But i wish,' she added, 'treat eo'could have something that would just make thorn open their eyes," and site made Mr own :e big us she said it that Fan- nie was almost started. "I justwish we could astonish them." They were not jealous or cross over the matter, but they did love to surprise people. It was not long after this that Ger- trude and Fannie received a tetter from n cousin tvho lived several miles away. "I have been having such fun," sho wnotel, "surprising people with magic flowers." Gertiudc and Fannie put their heads very close together at this, t0 read what followed, and then they clapped their Pearls, "Just the thing!" exclaimed Gertrude. "Now we will have something' to show Jessie and Alice, and won't they wen. - der about its" So they set out to gather a buncli cf the valets which were to he found growing in abundance in a marehy, ileld which they knew well, About an hour later they ran out to the picket fence and called to JessIe and eelice: " Woutdn I you tike a bunch of vio- lets?" asked Gertrude, handing a few through the. Fence. "Why, yes," answered Jessie, in a somewhat surprised lone; and then she stopped in greater surprise, for the blossoms which Gertrude handed her were a beautiful shade of green. "Why,' she exclaimed, "I never saw green violets before! Where dud you get them?" "011, out in the field," answered Fan- nie, annie, quite as if green violets were a matter of remise. "Why! whys" ejaculated Jessie, with her . eyes opened wide enough to suit even Gertrude; and that Was all she seemed able to say. "They are magic violets," Gertrude answered, in a superlur sort of tone; and before Jessie and Alice could asst any more questions they had turned and rim back to the house, In the af- ternoon they appeared at the fence. again and called, and this time Fannie gave ,lessee and Alice each a cluster or lilac blossoms, and each cluster was shaded from the usual purple near the stem to a delicate green at the ftp, while Gertrude gave them each a spray, of yellow Inks -of -the -valley. "We have started a magic garden,' mild Fannie, in answer' to the questions and exclamations of wonder. "Please do tell es about 111" coaxed Alice. But Gertrude only answered, "Oh, that is a secrete' The girls sh0w'ed their msgle blossoms in the house, too, and their Aunt Edith thought the lilacs so beautiful and so wonderful that she asked for a hunch' to wear. "Islet it nice," sake Gertrude. with an emphatic shake of her head.. "to have something teat Jessio and Alteo' wonder about." On the other side of the fence Jessie and Alexi .\vera lancing .earnestly. And then they called to Gertrude and Fan- nie. "W'e'll let ;you keep aur paper dolls all day if yearn tell us about. your lnagle garden," they said. Gertrude and Fannie lOolcod at eaei. I/ther:> eyes a 11)01/1111, and Ellen' they; turned, and answered, "All right. The Paper dolts wore b(ougltl, and as they were handed lblaugti the fence, Gertrude said, We last dip rte tilos• soros ten ammonia. You men see the color change, Our cousin wrote alSout it, and Ivo thought it wonthe such fun., Da almost bolero they 131 t t0 th i. d fln,h h ed Jessie std Alice were runs dreg to\varil the hotso, to start a magic garden of their own Youth's Companlon, UdICtP1S011,ED, "Marla," said Mr, Ouiglcy, entering. his horn° in 501116 0x011.em4nt, "1 want you 14 promise mo not .to look at the poets for the next lire nienlhsl" Wtrit tar? wonderingly asked Airs, ui le � 1I Y ave st .en. nominated f t t1 Ju h .,n 0 or,ft public office," Imo tattered "and 1 don't want you do 1lnel out what khltl of al 111411 1 re1117