The Brussels Post, 1893-9-15, Page 2THE BRUSSELS POST.
SEPTEMBER S, 1893
HIS INDIAN BRIDE.
A ROMANCE O1' THE CANADIAN N(>ItTTf \\' ENT,
CHAPTER, III,
one tie '01I0 adman,
It wag It beautiful day,—which Inas so
smolt in fever of Mrs. Frank Armour in re.
latfon to her husband's people. General
Armour and his wife had come down from
Loudon by the latest train possible, that
their suspenee at Liverpool might be short.
They said little to each other, but when
they did speak It was of things very differ.
eat from the skeleton which they
t:maested
to put into the fancily oupbeardpreeently.
Each was trying to --pard the other, It w..s
very touching. They naturally looked upon
the matter in its most unl 1e:vieing light,
because an Indian uvea an Indian, and this
unknown savage from Fort Charles was in
violent contrast to such desirable sleuths
ae Lady Agnes .11artling. Not that the
Armours were •realuue of mere money and
title, but the thing itself was altogether a
propos, 0e Mrs. Armour had more natively
then correctly
• put it. The general, whose
knowledge ofcharacter and circumstances
of lite was considerable, had worked out
the thing with much accuracy. Ile had
declared to Richard, in their quiet talk
upon the subject, that Frank must have
been anythinz but sober when he 411 it,
He had previously called it a policy of re-
taliation t so that now he was very near the
truth. \Vhen they arrived et the dock at
Liverpool, the Aphrodite was just staking
into the harbor.
"Egad," said General Armour to himself,
"Sebastopol was easier than this ; fon' fight.
fug I know, and being peppered I knew,
by Jews, Greeks, intidels, and heretics ; but
to take a savage to my arms ane do for her
what her godfathers and godmothers never
did, is worse than the dovil'e dated at
Delhi."
What Mrs Armour, who was not quite so
defintte as her husband, though t, it would be
hard to tell ; but probably grief for, and
indignation at, her eon, were uppermost in
her mind. She had quite determined upon
her course. None could better carry that
high neutral look of sacial superiority than
ehe.
Please heaven, she said to herself, no one
should see that Iter equanimity was shaken.
They bad brought one servant with
tinem, who had been gravely and yet
conventionally Informed that his young
roaster's wife, an Indian chuetaiuess, was
expected. There are few family troubles
but find their way to servants' hall with an
uncon,fertable speed; for, whether or not
atone wa10 have ears, certainly men -ser•
vents and maidservants have eyes that
serve fur ears and ears that do more than
their bounden duty. Emitter, the footman,
knew his business. When informed of the
coming of Mistress Francis Armour, the
Indian chieftaiuese, his face was absolutely
expressionless, his "Yes air," was as Inc.
elm/lice as usual. On the dock he was
marble—indifferent. It hen the psssengers
began to land, he showed no excitement,
He was decorously alert. When the crucial
moment cane, bo was imperturbable.
.Boulter was an excellent servant. So said
Edward Lambert to himself after the event;
so, likewise, said liIt's. Townley to herself
when the thing was over ; so declared Gen.
eral Armour many a time after, and once
very emphatically, just before Ire raised
Boulter's wages.
As the boat neared Liverpool, Lambert
and Mrs. Townley had grown very nervous.
The truth regarding the Indian wife had
become known among the passengers, and.
moat were very Ouriona,—a0m1 fn a well.
bred, fashion, some intrusively, vulgarly.
Mackenzie, Lali'e eompaniou, like Boulter,
was expressionless in face. She hail her
duty to do, paid for liberally, and she would
do it. Lali might have had a more present.
able and dignified attendant, but not one
more worthy, It was noticeable that the
captain of tee ship and all the officers had
been markedly courteous to Mrs Armour
throughout the voyage, but, to their credit,
not ostentatiously so. When the vessel
was brought to anchor and the passengers
were being put upon the tender, the cap-
tain came and made his respectful adieus,
as though Lali were a lady of title in her
own right, and not an Indian girl married
to aman acting under the influence of bran•
dy and males. General Armour and hire.
Armour were always grateful to Edward
Lambert and Mrs.Townley for the part they
played in this desperate little comedy.
They stood still and watchful as the
passengers Dame ashore one by one.
They saw that they were the centre of
unusual interest, but General Armour
was used to bearing himself with a grim
kind of indifference in public, and Itis wife
was calm, and so somewhat disappointed
those who probably expected the old officer
and his wite to be distressed. Frank Ar-
mour's solicitor was also there, but, with
good taste, he held aloof. The two needed
all their courage, however, whet they sale
a figure in buckskin and blanket step upon
the deck, attended by a very ordinary,
austere, and shabbily -dressed Scotswoman
But immediately behind them were Edward
Lambert anti Mrs, Townley, and these, with
their simple tact, naturalness, and freedom
from any sort of embarrassment, anted as
foils, and relieved the situation,
General Armour advanced, hat in hand,
el You are my sac's wife,' he said court•
eously to this being in a) lanhet,
She looked up and shook her head slight-
ly, for ehe did not quite understaud ; but
she recognized his likeness to her ]husband,
and presently she smiled up musingly.
Mackenzie repeated to her what General
Armour had said. She nodded now, atlash
of pleasure lighting up her face, and she slid
out her beautilal hand to him. The general
took it and pressed it mechanically, his
lips twitching slightly. Ile pressed it far
harder than Ile meant, for his feelings were
atltension. title winded slightly, and in-
voluntarily thrust out her °diet hand, as if
to relieve his pressure. As site did so the
blanket fell away from her head and ghoul.
dere. Lambert, with excellent intuition,
caught it, and threw it aorosa his arm.
fi.`hen, quiokly, land without fembarraes•
stent, he and Mrs, Townley greeted General
Armour, who returned the greetings grave,
lyi but in a singular confidential tone, which
showed his gratitude. Thou the raised file
hat again to Lali, and said, "Conn and let
me introduce you --to your husband's moth.
er."
The falling book of that blanket had saved
the situation, for when the girl stood with.
out it in her buckskin garments there was
dignity in her bearing which carried off the
bizarre event, There was timidity indher
.face, at.1 yet a itl,,.1 of pride too, though
tis was only a savage The case, oven
at'thiacritioal moment, did net seem quite
hopeless, When they cane to Mrs Armour, pT
!Ali shrank away timidly from the look in a
the mother's eyes, and, shivering slightly, u
looked nem' for her blanket. But Lain. s
bort bed deftly passed it on to the footman,
the eye of the piddle were on her, but that
!a i10111101 here trot there—the dill itl, and
kissed her on the cheek, Then they moved
wetly to a closed carriage.
And that was the second ant in Frank
Armour's comedy of orrer..
CHAPTER IV,
IN Tile 1.10112 or xue raatiay.
The journey from Liverpool to Greyhopo
was passed In eaulparative silence. The
Armours lied nt compartment to thetneelves,
and they made the Indutn girl as comfort•
able aopossible, without he! f•consedousne00,
without any artificial pulitenoss. So far
what they bed done ens a matter of duty,
sot of will; but they had done their duty
naturally all their lives, and it was antiwar
to them now. They bad no pOtsonel feel
Inge toward the girl oto way or another, as
yet. It was trying to them that people
stared into the compartment at different
'stations, It presently dawned upon Gen-
eral Armour that it might also be tryi aft to
their charge. Neither he nor his wife had
taken into account the possibility of the girl
staving feelings to be hurt. But he had
noticed Lali shrink visibly and flush slightly
when seine one stared harder than usual ;
ani this troubled hint, It opened up a
possibility. He began indefinitely to see
that they were not the only factors in the
equation Ile was probably a little vexed.
that he had not seen it before ; for he mail-
ed to be a just man. He wee wont to quote
with more or less austerity—chiefly the re.
salt of his professional life—this :
Fortustice, all place a temple, sold all season
emitter.
And, Iran of war as he was, ho had an othe
saying which was nnleh in his moat h ; and
he lived up to it with considerable sin-
ccrity:
Still In thy ri„ht baud entry gentle peed,
To afleuce envlon- 1 ,5011 s.
He whispered to itis wife. It would have
been hard to tell from her look what she
thought of the matter, but presently ego
changed seats with her husbaucl, that he
might, by holding his newspaper at a ter.
tain angle, shield the girl from ietrusivo
gazers.
At every station the sane scene was en-
acted. And inquisitive people must have
been surprised to see ho,o' monotonousty
ordinary was the manner of the three white
people in the notn•attnent. Suttee fly, at
a station near London, General Armour gave
*start, and used a strong expression under
his breath. Gloaming at the "Marriage "
column, he saw a notice to the effect that
on a certain day of a certain month,Franeis
Gilbert, the son of General Joseph Armour,
C. 13., of Greyhope, Hertfordshire, and
Cavendish Square, was married to Lali, the
daughter of Eya-of-the-t\Ioon, chief of the
Bloods, at her father's lodge nn the Saskat-
chewan Valley. This had been inserted by
Frank Armour's solicitor, according to his
instructions, on the day that the Aphrodite
was due at Liverpool. General Armour did
not at first intend to shot, this to his wife,
but on second thought be did, because he
knew she would eventually come to know
of it, and also because she saw that o m
thing had moved him. She silently reach.
ed out her hand for the paper. He handed
it to her, pointing to the notice.
Sirs. Armour was unhappy, but her self-
possersion was admirable, and she said
nothing. Sho turned her face to the window
and sat for e long time looking out. She
did not turn to the others, for her eyes were
full of tears, and she did not dare to wipe
them away, nor yet to let them be seep.
She let them dry there. She was thinking
of her son, her favorite son for whom she
had bean so ambitious, and for whom, so far
as she weld, and retain her self-respect,
she had dolioately intrigued, that he might
happily and befittingly marry. She knew
that in the matter of his engagement she
had not done what Wes just for him, but
how could she have guessed that this would
be the result? She also was sure t hatwhen the
first flush of hie anger and disappointment
has passed, and he came- to view this thing
with cooler mind, he would repent deeply
—tor a whole lifetime. She was convinced
that be had not married unlit savage for
anything which could make marriage en.
durable. Under the weight of the thought
she was likely to forget that the young
alien wife might have Lost terribly in the
event also.
The arrival at Euston and the departure
from St, Paucas were rather painful all
round, for, though there was no waiting at
either place, the appearance of an Indian
girl in native costume ens unoommon
enough, even in cosmopolitan London, to
draw much attention. Besides, the pls.
cards of the evening papers Were blazoned
with such announcements as this:
" A Ren I enra2 Gnat,
\lAltttlen INTO
AN isv0Lisfl 00eNxr I'A:vrLr."
spite of the indignant little effort at with.
drawal. "Site alight be able to give them
all points is dignity and that kind of thing,
mid pay Master Frank back in his own corn
I do not tee, after all, that he is the
martyr,,,
].ttnthert's vole° got softer, for he still
held Urs, Townloy'e finger—the footmen
not havin1 the matter in his aye,—end then
lie spoke still more seriously on sentimental
affairs of his 01111, in which he evidently
(toped she would take some interest, In.
deed, it is hard to tell hots far the ease
Ilti¢hG pane been pushed, if she bad 'lot
suddenly looked a little forbidding and
petiole,. For even people of no notable
height, with soft features, dant-brawn eyes,
and a delightful little laugh, may appear
tether me t1 .,t times. Lambert did not
(mite unda:+ttnd why she should take til
attitude. 11 he had been as peen tcgardin
)1,:, own Realist of the atfecti,ns as in th
ease c11'rnucis Armour and his India
bride, be had known that every' woman ]md
in het mind the 050551ou when she should
and when ehe 011on1d not be wooed ; and
nothing disappeinte her more that a de-
elaratioe at a time which is not her time,
If it does not fall out as she wishes i
retrospect, a dear thing to a woman; 1s
spoiled. Many a mat has bed Dot to the
right.aboat because lie hos ventured Itis
proposal at the wrong time. What would
have occurred to Lambert it is bard to tell ;
but he saw that something was wrong, and
stopped in time.
When General Armour and his party
reached Greyhopo it was late in the even-
ing. The girl seemed tired and confused
by the events of the day, and slides she was
directed indifferently, limply, Bob when
they entered the gates of Greyhope and
travelled np the long avenue of limes, sh
looked round her somewhat eagerly, ant
drew a long sigh, maybe of relief or plea
sure. She presently stretched mut a hand
almost eerees10gly to the thick trees and the
grass, and said aloud, " Oh, the beautiful
trees and the long grass 1" There was a
whirr of birds' wings among the breathes,
and then, presently, there rose from a dia.
triers the sweet gargling whistle of the nigh.
finale. Asmile as of reminiscence orosaed
her face. Then she said as if to herself, " It
is the same. I shell not die. I hear the
birds' wings, and ono is singing. It IS
pleasant to sleep in the long grass when the
nights are summer, and to hang your cradle
in the trees."
She had asked for her own blanket, re.
fusing a rug, when they loft St, Albans,aud
it had beeu given to her. She drew it about
her now with a feeling of comfort, and seem-
ed to lose the horrible sense of strateeness
whichhadalmost eonvuleedherwhenshe was
put into the carriage at the railway station.
Her reserve had hidden much of what she
really felt ; bat the drive through the limes
had shown General Armour and his wife
that they had to do with a nature having
capacities for seusltive feeling; which, itis
sometimes thought, is only the prerogative
of certain well-bred civilizations.
But it was impossible that they should.
yet, or for many a day, feel may sense of
kinship with this aboriginal girl. Presently
the carriage drew up to the door-way,which
was Instantly open to them. A broad belt
of light streamed out upon the stone steps.
Inc back in the hall stood Marion, one hand
upon the balustrade of the staircase, the
other tightly held at her side, as if to
nerve herself for the meeting. The
eyes of the Indian girl pierced the light,
and, as if by a strange tnstlnct, found those
of Marion, even before she left the carriage,
Lali felt vaguely that here was her possible
enemy. As she stepped out of the carriage,
General Armour's hand under her elbow to
assist hor, she drew her blanket something
more closely about her, and so proceeded
up the steps. The composure of the servants
was, in the oircnmstances, remarkable, 11,
needed to have been, for the courage die.
played by Lali'a two new guerdians during
the day almost faltered at the threshold of
their own home, Any sign of surprise or
amusement on the part of the domestics
would have given llueun some painful mo.
menta subsequently. But all was perfeotly
decorous. Marion still stood motionless,
almost dazed. The group advanced into the
hall, and there paused, as if waiting for
her.
At that moment Richard came out of the
study at her right hand, took her arm, and
said, quietly, " Come along, Marion ; lel us
be as brave as our father and mother."
She gave a hard little gasp and seemed to
awake as from a dream. She quickly glid-
ed forward ahead of him, kissed her mothee
and father almost abruptly, then turned to
the young wife with a scrutinizing eye.
"Marvin," said her father, "this is your
sister," Marion stood hesitating, confused.
"Marion, dear," repeated her mother,
ceremoniously, "thio is your brother's wife.
—Lail, this is your husband's sister, Mar-
ion."
Mackenzie tranelated the words swiftly
to the girl, and her eyes flashed wide. There
in a low voice she said in English, " Yes,
Marion. How I"
Itis probable that neither Marion nor
any one present knew quite the meaning of
How, save Rinhard, and he could not sup•
press a smile, it sounded so absurd and ab•
rigmal. 13111 at this exclamation Marion
nee more cane to herself. She could not
ossibly go eo far as her mother did at tile
cloak, and kiss this savage, but with anther
widen grasp of the innd, she said, a little
tysterically,—dor her brain Ives going round
Lite a ,'heel,—" 1Vo•won't you lot me take
English as they courteously -drew her to-
wards' the stemmata, " Oh, my brother
Richard, How 1"
But the first s'rain and 0110penee worn
now over for the family, and it is probable
that never had they felt such relief as when
they sat down behind closed dada in their
own roosts for a short respite, while Rim
Lhdian girl Was closeted alone with 31005.
knnzie and a trusted maid in what she cell-
ed her wigwam,
(Tin rm CONTINCIED.
The 0r055.11oad^ Ghost.
Miss Sar'y Amt stationed herself under a
loW.sprondmg cedar near the road -side, mid
Pare crawled slowly and cantiouoly near
her, crouching behind a pile of loose stones,
s Tillie they waited while the moon rose
g higher, and the mvsteriou0dooking shad.
011% falling over the graves shifted their
position and na011nned now shapes. A
ghostly wind sprang tap in some black 1101.
low of the Weems, swept Over t110 bttry'iog-
ground, rattled 1110 tottering ollurelt doors,
and passed sighing)), away'. Elio supersti-
tious negro (mouthed lower in his hiding -
piece to (neap° the spirits of the night,
It was a gruesome spot for a lovers'
tryst, but, John Geissan, not feeling afraid
of "ratan, beast or devil," could not conceive
of cowardice in others, in Clem least of all.
Clenm:walked down the road, singing soft-
ly to herself to keep np her courage, her
eyes straying In unwilling taeolnation to-
ward the graveyard. Secretly she wished
that her lover had selected some more
cheerful spot for the meeting, but the
then lit of seeing him moved her to hasten
on, rt 2160 the moment 3liss Bary Ann had
been impatiently waiting for, and enveloped
( in the shoot lvitlt only an opening left for
her oyes to behold and enjoy the girl's
. terror, site slowly rose and stepped out from
under the cedar. At the same instant Dave
made his appearonoo in the full sheen of
moonlight, and Clem had a pair of ghosts
to contemplate. Tho boy had allowed his
imagination full play in his make -cup, and
the effect was truly marvellous. Naturally
blank as the ace of spades, he had adorned
ni0 face with broad chalk rings. A whit,
scull cap with horns attached, on his Road,
and a long shapeless white covering over his
body, gave hint a truly satanlo appearance.
It teas altogether too much for Clem. For
a moment she stood as though transfixed in
the red dust of the roa•l, then, catching a
glimpse of her lover hastening from the
church steps to meet her, she uttered a
shriek of mingled joy and terror, and fled
straight to his arms. Then it was Miss
fiery Axe's tarn to sec the other ghost, and
at first she simply stared with unbelieving
eyes at it. Had the thing risen out of the
solid earth, or materialized from the empty
air? She felt her hair rising stiffly, her
blood seemed to be congealing in her veins.
Her Itnees shook, her heart became as water.
It was retribution. Satan himself had
come for her. She who had scoffed at
ghosts, flouted the cowardly terrors of
others, boasting of her own iron nerve, felt
amply punished in that moment. Elated
with his success, Dave uttered a sepulchral
groan and advanced a pace toward her.
With a stream that startled the bats and
the owls, and raised a hundred echoes, she
stumbled over a grave and fled up the road
home, trailing her ghostly draperies after
her.—(Matt Crim, in September Lippin•
(ott's.
0
Some one had telegraphed particulars— p
distnrted pertioulars—of it from Liverpool, s
and all the evening sheets hail their portion 1
of extravagance and sensation. General 1
Armour became a little more erect and
austere as he caughtsight of these placards,
and firs, Armour groaned inwardly; but
their faces were unsoratoblo, and they
quietly conducted their charge, shines her
blau1et, to the train which was to take
thein to St. Albano, an 1 were soon ivheeling
homeward.
At Easton they farted with Lambert and It
Mrs. Townley, who quite simply and eon.
1en1ionally bade good•by to them and their
Indian daughter-indaw. Lalihadgrown to a
like Mrs, Townley, and when they parted
she spoke a few words quickly in her own
tongue, and then immediately was confused, 1
because she remembered that she could not s
be understood. But presently she said in -
halting Engtieh that the face of her white
friend was good, and she hoped that she t
would come one time and sit beside her in
her wigwam, for she would be sad till her h
husband travelled to her,
Mrs, Townley Made some polite reply in til
simple English, pressed the girl's hand
sympathetically, and hurried away. Before a
she parted from Mr. .Lambert, however,
she said, with a pretty touch of cynicism "1 °
think I see Marion Armour 1leteuingto her
sieter-in-law issue invitations to her wig. h
wain. Iannafraid I should be rather de, v
pressed myself if I had to be sisterly to a
wigwam lady."
"But I say, Mrs, Townley," rejoined a
Lambert, seriously, as he loitered at the le
steps of her carriage, "I shouldn't be our.
feed If my lady Wigwam—a rather apt a
urn striking title, by the way --turned out
otter than We think. Sho winded herself
tppiugly without ilio blanket, and T never
aw a mere beautiful hand in my life -but
your blanket?" and forthwith laid hold of
It Ivitlt tremulous politeness.
The question sounded, for the instant, so
10211000ns to Richard that in spite of the
distressing situation, he had to choke back
a laugh, Tears afterwardg, if he wished
for any momentary revenge upon Marion
and he had a leen sense of wordy retail -
bleu), he simply said " Wo.won't you let
to take your blanket?"
Of °nurse the Indian girl did not nnder-
tand, but she submitted to the removal of.
this uncommon mantle, and stood forth a
ass trying sight to Marion's eyes ;
or, as we said before, her buckskin costume
et off softy rho good outlines of her form.
The Indian gill's oyes wandered from
Vlarlot to Richard. They wandered from
anxiety, doubt, and a bitter kind of reserve,
e cordiality, sympathy, and a grave kind
1 humor, Instantly the girl know that she
ad in eccentric Richard Armour a frenk
riend. Unlike aa he wee to his brother,
ere was still in their eyes 1115sam5 friend -
nese and humanity. That is, it was the
ams look that ]'rash oarriod when he first
ams to her father's lodge.
Richard held out his hand with a cordial
ttle laugh, and said "Ah, 011, very glad,
cry glad I .lust in time for supper. Come
along, How is Frani., ehh? how is Frank ?
sat 00 ; Nat So ; pleasant journey, I sup.
one I" He shook her hand wnrtnly three
r four times and, as he held it, placed his
ft hand over 11 and patted itpetriarohally
s wee his o,010m with all the children and
blithe old ladies tint he 1rn01v.
" Richard ," earl his mother, in a studious-
ly neutral voice, "you might sae about the
wins.'
Thee Richard appeared to r50over lltu•
If, and dui as he 'senna requested, lint not
1'resentiy Mo'e. Armed took bath the girl's 0
htndooin'here (perhai0 site did it beaten% 0
no he a,l:lerl, as ini.s gegen at that moment s
nail Ixs brother's wife had said to hien in
fowl on hero, ani held Item tightly, in, n
The Financial Situation of the United
States.
Deplorable as is the financial situation in
the United States, it is stilt more deplorable
to note that for purely partizan purposes
the organs of the 'Republican party, soured
at their defeat, are doing all that lies in
their power to intensify the situation, in
the hopes of makiup political capital. They
also desire to intimidate the party in power
from changing the iniquitous McKinley bill
and instituting tariff reform, but their efforts
are futile and will in the end react against
the interests of their own party and policy,
So far the sound business concerns of the
country have not been more than temperer.
ily affected, and at the present moment
there are signs that the worst of the trouble
hes been passed, and the should net be sur.
prised if within a very short time matters
would right themselves, permitting the
country to enter upon a new era of prosper-
ity. White fortunes are being lost it
must be re.nembered that they are also
being gained, and that the bears' are now
reaping agolden harvest. The Engineering
and Mining Journal, an eminently conserva-
tive and reliable guide, has this to say of
the situation. ' The ' bears' who are
accumulating vast fortunes on Wall Street
are naturally giving the widest circulation
in their power to every opinion and rumor
that will depress the price of stooks.
They and the head politicians who
are using these unworthy and shameful
means to: gain personal profit, are
really very few in number, and could
effect nothing without the help of the
countless honest but inconsiderate people
who innocently lend themselves to circulate
their disturbing stories, and who often de.
stray oocfidenoe in attempting to demon-
strate their superior wiedom by repeating
the gloomy forebodings which these selfish
'bears' are instilling into them. It is true
that in some ' trust' bubbles, liko sugar re.
fineries, breweries, lead trusts, gas trusts,
inflated railroad combinations, cnanufttotnr•
ing combinations, and the like, where the
men who built up profitable indnetrics on
the solid foundation of experieuoe, elfin and
economy, have turned them over ab inflated
vahnotions to inexperienced, uu0killfel and
extravagant representatives of boost' tom-
pnni50, there 15 now going on a enteral and
wholesome, though too sudden, expulsion
of the' water' or the 'gas,' with 00rre-
spooding loss to the simple investors, But
it is equally true that the general business
of the country, andmors particularly rho
mining business, has nob been inflated in
recent years, and has been conducted on
the whole with prudence and honesty, c.f.
fording no ground for the present collapse
in values and In oonfldence."
Anticipating Th'ngs.
The youth approached the father With
more or less trepidation.
"5o," said the old gentleman, after the
ode had been stated, ' you want to marry
illy daughter ?"
""Not any more titan she wants to marry
me, he replied, heldgiog,
"She hasn't said anything to ane about it,"
" No because she's afraid to."
"Aren't you afraid., sir, more than site
is 7" said the father, sternly.
The youth braoed np.
"Well, porhapo Ian," he said, " but as
the head of our family, I've got to face it
and sot the pegs," and the old than smiled
and gave his 00550111.
I'ledgihngone'e health was formerly done
by the man sitting next the drinker stand.
ing up beside hits with a drawn sword, In
order that nn one should Blah him while his
hands were holding the enp,
BABY SWALLOWED BY A SNAKE,
Terrible Anguish of the Mother.
Romantic Career or a White Mal Ill the
OrUtore Aelh,,
A few years at',na young American named
Graham fonnd hie way to the Wait .Intoe,
He staid for a time in fort of Spain, rho
pretty capital 0t the tropical talent of
frinidnd, where he was often told of the
wonders and beauties of savage life in the
Delta of the Orinoco. His adventurous
spirit was fired with the ilea of going thele;
so he fitted. himself out with a boat and full
hunting equipments, and in a few days was
far np the Vagres oruuth on his way to an
Indian ranch near llajnt. lie easily made
friotu!e with the Gnaalmm Indians, quickly
picking up their language and adopting all
their custntns. 1:xposnre to sunshine and
storm onhbrnw•ned his akin and almost hid
ever difference between him and his
sax -
age friends,
iends, He seas a0tit•c and etrong,nnd
equally at home on lend or water; and be-
ing a good shot with tine gun, very soon be.
mune export with the bow as well, and wee
consequently most successful in the chase.
Being of a daring and playful honor, and
somewhat of a naturelist,large snakes seem-
ed have a fascination for him; nor would
he ever kill one, On the contrary, nmey a
time did be startle the Indians by fetching
home a large anaconda alive and suddenly
letting it loose among them. The liberat-
edserpent would of course rapidly glide off
to his watery house, leaving the Indians
laughing after their fright and loving Gra•
Kann all the 01005 for his boyish sportive.
110
As is ny years before a Spanish refugee had
lived with the tribe, nnarrie,l one of its
daughters and left an only girl, fairer of skin
than her companions and remarkable for
her beauty, Her large dark eyes were
constantly observing Graham, for site
looked upon him as somewhat akin to
herself. In Indian fashion she asked
hint to make her his wife, and accord.
ingly when the dry season 0am0 he and his
semi -Indian bride set out in a canoe to
build themselves a ranch at Isla Venada
neer the Bona del Tigre. Here at a sequest.
ered nook of the watery forest looking out
on the river they sot up their airy G uarauno
home, reared on posts tar above the men•
acing floods, and hither would they come
from the village every year, to px09 the dry
Season hunting and fishing in tine v101011y,
Generally they wont out together, but some.
eines the young wife wottldremain at home
to attend to the wotlt about the rend, dry
ing the fish of the previous bay's capture
upon the prostrate trunk of a large tree that
lay not far from their dwelling half sub.
merged in the river,
TRU n,1nr.
When the second dry season sante around
they had a baby passenger to tante down
with them in the canoe, and the little one
grew to be a fine, lively boy of 3 years, with
auburn curls and dark eyes, who already
aimed at handling the paddle and the bow,
and under his father's guidance even essay-
ed to swim.
Several times, when down at Isla Venada,
Graham had seen a monster anaconda of
unusual length and thickness. Sometimes
the giant serpent would be notteod swim.
ming across the channel near by, with his
head raised slightly above the surface, leav-
i0g behind him a long ripple, temporarily
marking his sinuous course. He had often
bold the wondering Indians of this huge
reptile and averred that it could not be less
than 30 feet in length. Occasionally buoy-
ed up union the surface by the air with
which it inflated itself it would float lazily
by, and at teeth times appeared unusually
large.
One evening when Chichima, the wife,
went out to fetch in the drying fisb, she
found, to her surprise, lying coiled upon the
same tree trunk, tho great snake, engaged
in swallowing at his leisure a full-grown
wild duck whloh he probably snatched from
the water as it swam past. The woman,
like one used to such thInge, in wltotr natural
timidity is dulled by familiarity with the
terrible and the dangerous, approached fear-
lessly, threatening flim with the upraised
canoe -paddle, in order to compel the intrud-
er to vacate the spot where her fish was
drying. At eight of hor, he angrily drew
himself up, and with glistening eyes and
quivering tongue greeted her with aloud hiss,
but as she still drew nearer, he lowere•l his
head and slowly glided oil' iota the water.
For some time after this he was not seen
again,
A few weeks snbseque ntly it happened
that some lnd:ass from up -river came down
from the village for a few days' hunting
with Graham. Success followed bhent
everywhere. The skins of two jaguars and
three tapirs were drying at the brannh and
Chichima had plenty to do in attending to
the curing of an unusally largo quantity of
fish. One day the hunters had gone away
at daybreak, while she remained at home
with the child, occupied as lies been Men.
Molted. 'Towards evening she placed her
little son in the dugout, paddled out to the
fallen tree to fetch in the fish from which
the slanting rays of the setting ants had al-
ready departed, Some of the pieces she
look by simply reaching out her hand, but
the greater part was placed so high, that
she had to get out and climb up on the
trunk, retailing at intervals to plaoo en
armful in the 0anoe. The ohi1d was sitting
at one end playing with a live tortoise, a
common phaytlnttt1', with Indian children.
While she stepped together another arm-
ful she never mitten' that the 001000 with
its ocoupet had drifted down a little, and
was now by the thicker or root end of the
trunk en which silo stood, where there was
a great cavity hollowed out by age and de-
cay. This den wits a suitable lurking place
for the great serpent, being neatly hidden
by the thick foliage of the trailing vino
that bung down before its litre a screen,
from the branohos of the loftly limes above,
0010 TRA0IODY.
A sudden cry from behind her caused her
to turn her head. The canoe was empty.
Her child was poste, But whither? At
first she thought he had fallen overboard ;
but he was not in the water, which was
oalm and unruffled, flowing on as peacefully
and as glassy as ever. Up and clown the
strewn She looiterd ba; he was nowhere to
bo seem, With a wild uncertain fear she
scanned the trees around her. Then shy
thought of alligators and could hoar her osam
heart beating as she stood there desolate in
the offence of the solitude. Two or throe
• times she called his name, hot never en an.
swer eame bank. Only a white egret start-
ed at her voice and winged its noiseless
way across the water, Meanwhile the
shades of evening began to close in with all
the quickness poottliar to the topics and the
empty canoe drifted away and disappeared.
Grief and bewilderment had paralyzed her,
5luddenly a shout, load and prolonged,
rung out, awakening the eohoes of forest
and river, It was Graham returning with
the hunters. Mini sprang to her feet and
answered by a heartrending cry. In a few
1110m0nte the Celled Were aleti side, and ill
broken voice site told .thein of the loos of
hor only boy, To them, as to her the thing
appeared mod mysterious, They hurried
to the ranch and mine beak with torches
of wild beeswax, by the flickering light of
0011101) they examined boneetli the branches
dipping in the stream all about. The
drifjtleg oanoc was recovered, lint nothing
was 155121ed of tin whereabouts of the
miseingahlld, With heavy hearts they ro.
turned to the ranch, but no eye svgs ceased
beneath the palnh•leaf roof through all that
anxious night. In and ont in the moonlight
flitted the bets and the vampires, the great
owls lemled in the trees ulnae by, the silent
stream stowed darkly on in its peaceful
course, hilt the sobbing grief, of Chichima
teas wakeful through it 011,
.h Lime gone.
When the first rays of the morning eon
Intro; over forest and water Graben was
again afloat, eager t0 pros0uute the search,
but only to find himself agalt unsuccessful,
However, before returui"g to the rand, he
passed up to the spot where his child hall
been lost. A sight awaited him. Upon the
provtrato tree trunk the great ana000da,
which he had so often seen, lay coiled in the
morning Dun. His head was stretched out
in front, In size he seemed there monstrous
than ever before, for the middle of his body
was swollen out, apparently distended by a
recent meal. At once it flashed upon Graham
that the anaconda might possibly be the
criminal. Without moving his position he
called to those at tine ranch, and soon they,
with the sorrowing mother also, were at
his side in two canoes. The same thought
at sight of the enormous reptile immediate-
ly oacurrerl to there all. One of the Indians
got into the dugout with Graham, who sat
n the bow with his machete, ready to shop
the head off the monster. The Indian sit•
ting behind wonted the paddle so gently.
that Graham's canon hardly seemed to move,
This was necessary in order not to alarm
the snake. \leanwhile the other two little
crafts with their watchful occupants lay
out in the stream in the silence of breathless
anxiety. 13y 91011 degrees Graham clrew
oloser and olosor until at last he was within
striking distance, when down came the
machete, and the severed head of the de•
capitated anaconda flew upward and alight.
ed in the boat behind the slayer. There it
lay in the bottom among fish spears and
turtle shells, the wide jaws opening and
shutting, and the blaok•fotked tongue
quiveringly protruding as in life. For a few
moments the headless body writhed vigor•
misty on the fallen tree, while the tail lash-
ed itself tightly around a projecting limb.
By a rope made fast to it, it was quickly
towed to the ranch, cut open and the dead
body of the hapless child found, whole and
unbroken in the capacious atomaoh,
Ile Delta with its Indian life is at first
charming in its wildness and ellipticity,
but it soon palls on one used to more in
more civilized surroundings. So it was with.
Graham. Bidding good -by to his Guarauno
friends he and his semi -Indian wife made
their way to the high lands of Paris, over
against Trinidad, where, with several little
Grahams, they now possess a small but
flourishing cacao estete in the mountains
between Guiria and Cumana.
The Seven Wonders of Oozes,.
A Chinese paper describes the seven won
dere which Corea, like unto other Oriental
countries, possesses, and which played a
conspicuous role in antiquity, The Ceram
" wonders " consist, filet, of a hot mineral
s ring near IUot Shantao, which fs capable
of curing sickness and diseases of all sorts.
The second wonder is the two wells, one nt
each end of the peninsula, which have the
peculiar characteristic that when one Is full
the other is empty. The water of the one
is intensely bitter, that of the other has a
pleasant and sweet taste. The third wonder
is a cold oave from which there issues cons•
tautly an ioe•cold wind, with such force that
a strong man is unable to stand up against
it. A pine forest which cannot be eradicat-
ed constitutes the fourth wonder. No
matter what injury may be done to theroote,
the young trees spring up again like the
phanix from its ashes. The most remark•
able, however, is the fifth wonder—the
famous hovering stone which standsl or
rather appears to stand, in front of a palace
erected to its honor. Thio is a massive rect-
angular block, tree on all sides. Two men
standing, one at each end, oan draw a cord
underneath the stone, from side to side,
without eneounteriug any obstacle. ' The
Meth wonder is a hot stone which has been
lying from time immemorial on the summit
of a hill and evolving a glowing heat. The -
seventh Corean wonder is a sweating Bud-
dha. This is guarded in a great temple, in
whose court, for thirty yards on all aides,
tot a single blade of grass grows. No tree,
u: flower will flourish on the soared spot,
td even wild creatures are careful not to
prtfaue it.
--rr etas
A Probable Omuta of Baldness.
It has often been noticed that premature
baldness is a great deal more prevalent
among sten than women, and the following
extract from a Paris paper would seem to
imply that is because men resort to barber
shops to prevent shaving and occasional
hair cutting, while woolen rarely submit
their looks to a professional dresser
"When the young men of the Arondisse-
meet went last week to draw lots for
military service, the author i ties were aghast
nt the number of lads who presented them-
selves, cook one balder than the other. An
enquiry was opened, and the men were
questioned as to how this state of things
cane about. It was found that they fre-
quented
reeruented the same barber shop, and that
this wonderful fall of hair was due to their
having been cheesed by a barber who did
not keep his scissors and brushes sufficient-
ly Olean, By the orders of the Prefect of
the Seine Dr. Lenceroattx made a complete
study of the snbjeot, and has just presented
a roport to the Department Council of.
Hygiene, front which it appears that Oonta-
gioss affections for the scalp are very easily
propagated by the use of dirty brushes, and
above all the use of "clippers" that are -
employed to out the hair very close. These
"clippers" are so difficult to clean that
their us° must always be attended with
risk."
It may be reasonably supposed that the
frequeney with which so many men submit
their hair to be drowsed in a barbsr'e shop,
the daily or every other day shave, may
fully account for the discrepancy ill the
oonditions respeotiug baldness which is
oltera0terlstio of the sexes.
Her Reason.
Ile—"If you love ane as you say you do,
why don't you marry mo?"
Sho--"Booause, dear, 1 want to love you
always."
A Brooklyn woman the other day emu-
neainorl in the police 00ur1 of that oily that: .
her husband only gave her from his weekly
wages 311 out of the Sle lie received,
It 9551115 ratter add to read in the hard-
ware market report that caddy is dull,
1.
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