5HS!!HSSSBSMSC!!rrs,.T- ,. ,M5fc(mc i -m r1 y Peculiar To Itself In what it is and what it docs con taining the best blood-purifying, alterative and tonio substances and effecting tho most radical and per manent cures of all humors and all eruptions, relieving weak, tired, languid feelings, and building up the wholo system is true only of Hood's Sarsaparilla No other medicine acts like it; no other mcdlcino has done so much real, substantial good, no other medicine has restored health and strength at so little cost. "I wh troubled with scrofuU and exma near loilnr taj ejeslcht. For four months I could not see to do anything. After taking two bottles of Itood's Sarsaparilla I could see to walk, and Then I had taken eight bottles 1 tould see as well as svr." Sum A. ILubs ton, Withers, N. 0. Hood's Sarsapnrllla promises to cure and kseps the promise. Alton Mortal. Think for a moment of tho narrow A in Its of our knowledge! Sixteen hun dred millions of feathcrlcss bipeds, more or less, nro picking up a living, eating and drinking, marrying and giv ing In marriage, on this pretty plane! of ours; of what Infinitesimal propor tion can you really unveil tho sccrcti and gaugo tho virtues and tho happi ness How many people do you know Intimately enough (o say whether their lot Is, on tho whole, cnvlnblo or the ro verso? Every human being Is n for eign kingdom to every other. Wo make t short excursion Into their minds; we touch at a port hero and there; and we lay glibly that wo know them Intlmnto ly. We know not bow ninny dark cor ners nro carefully hidden away from til strangors, and what vast provlncoi have novcr been reached In our most daring travels. How, then, can we udgo ono another? Hucli utter Ignor anco of our neighbor's thoughts and motives should mako us wondroui charitable. A Heart Story. Folsom, 8. Dak. In these, days when so many sudden deaths aro re ported from Heart Failure and various forms of Heart Disease, it will bo good news to many to learn that tliero is a novor falling romody for cvory form of Heart Trouble. Mrs. II. D. Hyde, of this plnco, was troubled for yearn with u pain in hor heart which distressed her a great deal; Bho had tried many remedies but had not succeeded in finding anything that would help her until at last alio began treatment of Dodd's Kidnoy Pills und this vory soon relieved her and alio has not had a singlo pain or nny distrust In tho region of tho heart since. She gays: "I cannot say too much in praise of Dodd's Kidnoy I'II'h. They are tho groatcst heart inodlclno I linvo ever used, I was troubled for over throe years with a oovoro pain in my heart, which cntiroly disappeared after short trcatmont of Dodd's Kidnoy Pills." Latest Rtootrloal Novelty. Down near Atlantic City, N. J., there has been In successful operation for Hovcral months nn experimental trolley road minus the trolley, Moro astonishment still thoro Is no third rail or storage battery to bo soon on this unlquo bit of road. Without any apparent means of obtaining tho all Important electric current, motor cars will draw a 200,000-pound load on this road. Of course, tho sccrot of It nil lies In tho application of a now sys tem. Every sixteen foot a point of connection is established midway be tween the raits whoro a metal button projects abovo a box through which passes the powerful current carried along wires In a subway, A person might step on this button and ono of the rails at tho same tlnio and not receive a shock, but, as tho car passes over, a powerful magnet underneath attracts tho button and In raising It establishes tho circuit which supplies tho motor with enough of tho essential fluid to propel tho car along tho six teen feot of track to another point of contact Tho saving of expenses In Installation and maintenance over that of tho old systems, the freedom from overhead wires which so seri ously Interfere with tho lighting of tires In tho cities, and tho Immunity from fatal shockH which It insures aro factors which will no doubt bring about Us ranld ndoutlon. ConlllutltiK Kvlilnneo. The Widow I wonder why Minerva wn called the goddcus of wisdom? The Hncht'lor 1'roliubly because she wasn't foolish enoiiKh to marry, The Widow-Nicn why was Solomon, who had a thousand wives, called tho wisest mail? EZsraKViI:iaft.-l I For Rheumatism j W Nsmralsjta Sprain J ft IfUmfcaaJo Bruise) ji Z BacKach Sorensn S X Sciatica StMVnaaa I Z UMthsoUretubWrteudt ft ! St Jacobs Oil! i VritMN Me. svsad fOe, A H Beat Cutis Ijtub, Tmu Uoul Um iM Bssl ISIM- Sold by SnfUU. Pf Jfecience Sjjfcveiiition Gravel will shrink eight per cent; gravel and sand, nine per cent; clay and clay earths, ten per cent; loam and light sandy earths, twelve per cent These figures are useful In making estimates for such work. Among the Innumerable experi ments with liquid air two are particu larly curious. A ball of India rubber Immersed In It becomes as brittle as glass, but a ball of lead, In the samo circumstances, acquires elasticity, and will rebound tike rubber. French statistics show that a total of 238,703 horse-power from tho falls of the Alps Is now used for generating electricity. The electric power servos tho following: Aluminum works, 22,. 630 horse-power, other metallurgical factories 20,485; chlorate of potassium works, 0,000; calcium carbldo works, 1OM00; sodium chlorate works, 18, COO; transmission of power nnd light ing, 38,727; various Industries, 10,080. It Is reported from Johannesburg that a new and unexpected source of wealth has been discovered In tho ter ritory of the late Boer republic. Near tho eastern border of the Transvaal, on tho edge of the lofty South African plateau, threo valuable lodes of tin oro havo been found, and the deposits aro apparently so cxtenslvo that predic tions aro heard that tho new colony may provo to bo as rich In tin and copper as It Is already known to be In gold. The human body changes Its tern peraturo very slightly under any con ditions of heat or cold, but a Russian naturalist finds that the body tempera turo of Insects Is practically that of tho atmosphere. It usually rises moro slowly than the air, though more rap idly when the nlr Is very moist When tho Insect begins to move, the temper aturo rises rapidly, and may reach about 38 degrees 0. (102.2 degrees F.) Ilolow 0.5 degrees 0. Insects remain motionless, and tho wings are not moved until the tempcraturo reaches about 12 degrees 0. The latost now form of dirigible bal loon, Invented by L. J. Andersen, of London, has two elongated gas-bags of tho samo shape and size placed sldo by side, like tho two hulls of a cata maran boat Tho car Is suspendod beneath, being equally supported by both balloons, nnd tho dilvlug pro peller Is placed behind their rear ends, and half-way bctwoen them. In ipe rlmcntlng with a model having bal loons seven feet long, tho Inventor finds that this form of ntr-shlp pos sesses advantages In steering nnd In maintaining a straight courso. Ho Is constructing a full-sized apparatus with balloons 70 foot long, to bo driven by a DO-horse-powcr elcctrlct motor. After forty years of agitation, led by Liverpool merchants, tho llritlsh government has Just sanctioned the uso of a weight of fifty pounds In placo of tho standard "hundredweight" (112 pounds), and "half-hundred-weight" (fifty-six pounds). Tho re form was demanded because the Jm menso quantities of cotton, corn, to bacco nnd other American products landed at Liverpool were calculated by tho sellers In pounds, whllo tho buyers wero compelled to reckon In "hundred weights," which did not represent the number of pounds that tho name Im plies. It Is claimed that the rofonn will sava n great amount of tlmo nnd labor and prevent many errors. It Is nlsa regarded as an entering wedgo for tho Introduction of the decimal system In Englnnd. QUEER U8E3 FOR CEILINGS. Men Hoto Kmployeil Them ns Bnbatl tutce for SavliiK Hanks. Some time since n Liverpool gentle man dlod, as It was thought, Intostnte. No will could bo found, nnd tho next of kin had already entered Into pos session whon tho decorators, In whoso hands the doccascd's old house had been placed for renovation, enmo across tho long-sought-for document, pasted on tho library colling, whoro It had been hlddon from view by a layer of p.ipor, which had boon placed thoro by the eccentric testator hlmsolf, llio celebrated lleau Immunol, dur ing tint tlrst years of his cxllo, whllo yot his faino ns a dandy was pre eminent, had tho celling of his bed room covered with mirrors, so thnt oven whllo nt rest ho could study elo pnnce nnd nssumo a graceful poso. For such a purposo n glass celling Is, how titer, not unliiuo, and tho notorious duchess of Cleveland had such anoth er constructed to grntlfy hor vanity. For u far different reason did a cor tuln Yorkshire gentleman of tho last coutiiry, mentioned by Mrs. Gnskcll In hor "Lifo of Charlotte Ilroutc," havo bib celling paneled with mirrors. Ar dently dovoted to tho sport of cock fighting, ho continued to tho Inst to enjoy his favorlto pastlmo, and even when on his deathbed his room was the scene of many nn exciting fight, which, lying on his back, he saw re flected In the glass overhead, Anothor Invalid whose tastes were certainly more aesthetic was a gentle man who died lately at Munich. Con fined for many mouths to his bed, he gratified his love for art by having his celling papered and covered with his most treasured pictures, which he In his younger days bud acquired. These were changed from tlmo to tlmo for others In his collection, which In their turn were contemplated with delight by the crippled connoisseur as he lay Btretchcd on his couch of pain. During a police case heard a year back at Tottenham the prosecutrix told the magistrate that she had taken the prisoner lu out of charity and had per mitted her to remain. This the pris oner denied, saying that she paid 2s Cd a week. "You only paid 2s," re torted the other, "and that Is marked ou the celling." This novel Idea of converting a celling Into a rent book evoked a roar of laughter In court An eccentric llrlghtou pedagogue was wont to use the celling of his schoolroom oa a blackboard. It was covered with a caslug of blackened and polished wood on which the doml-' nle, by tueaus of a long, chalk-pointed , rod, used to draw geometrical Mgwei and diagrams while discoursing on tin subtleties of Euclid. This unusual pro ceeding was but the practical applL cation of a quaint theory of his thai the elevation of the pupils' eyes In duced sharpness of Intellect Much annoyed at the barefaced man Dei1 In which the photos of his friendi i and acquaintances that wars scattered In profusion about his rooms, were ap propriated by his many visitors, a gen tleman well known In Parisian society I hit upon the ingenious device of hav- I inir thm nfllTAfl fn ti taMntrm nt till flat. Three large rooms are thus deco rated, and that callers, should they desire, may obtain a clear view of the portraits, opera glasses of special con struction are supplied. When In 1803 Mile. Forrester gave a danco nt her house In Paris the celling of the ballroom was so constructed that at given Intervals It discharged upon the dancers a fine rain of white ropp, cherry blossom, Jockey club and othT scents. This pleasing surprise was likowlse prepared for his guests by a wealthy Hussion nobleman, who, however, heightened the effect by hav ing the celling exquisitely painted with the flowers whoso essences descended upon those beneath. London Tit-Bits. HOW ZOOS GET WILD ANIMALS. Halt Used by Recruiting Agent and Travelers. Getting recruits for tho zoological parks Is not by any means tbo easiest thing in the world, though tho author! ties themselves do not bear much ol tho trouble In this connection. The work Is mainly dono by travelers and natives of countries from which the wild beasts come, from whom the vari ous zoological soclotles of the world buy, except when tho purchases are made from professional wild-beast dealers. Some of the latter employ regular re cruiting agents, whom they send out whenover they receive orders which they cannot cxecuto with stock they have In hand. If the park authorltlei order an African Hon of a doaler and tho dealer has not a sultablo beast on hand recruiting lions In Africa bcglm nt once and continues until a good specimen lias been obtained. Tho different methods by which the various wild animals are captured In their natlvo stato are Interesting. Llona aro generally caught by being tempted to thrust their heads through nooses of strong cords composed of twisted hides. Pieces of meat are used for bait but frequently tho hunters have many days of hard chasing boforo the lion can bo persuaded to try tbo noose. Whon ho docs tho cords aro pulled quickly around his throat, stifling him, nnd other stout cords are then bound around bU legs. Restoratives are then administered to rovlvo tho animal, whoso efforts to frco himself from the nooso havo brought on oxhaustlon, and ho Is carried away and put In a special ly constructed cage for shipment Tigers aro more savago than lions and can rarely be captured when full grown. Recruiting Is accordingly car ried on among the cubs, tho parent tigers being killed and tho young, left without protectors, being easily caught. Tho cubs readily accustom themselves to captivity. Perhaps tho most difficult of all wild animals to capture Is tho giraffe, says tho Now York Times. In addition to being very rare, giraffes are exceeding ly timid nnd nro very swift-footed. Thoro Is no special way to capturo a giraffe, as almost every way has been tried, and all havo been almost equally unsuccessful. Tho mothod which has occasionally resulted In a capture Is by using a long cord, at each end of which Is a round weight This cord Is thrown by tho hunter In such n manner ns to wind around tho animal's logs, olthcr bringing It to tho ground or rendering it lncapablo of escaping beforo It Is mndo n prisoner. Most of tho giraffes In captivity havo been caught by chanco when young. A llouso IMviiteii. Most persons havo had the expert enco of walking with a friend out of step and trying to shift Just nt tho moment when tho friend also makes tho attempt This is an Instance of thwarted harmony much like thnt which appears In a story, told by V. C, of nn elderly couplo. They wero child lesB, and lnd nevor been united by tho bond of other lives linked with their own. So they wero always In a etnto of well-bred disagreement On tho subject of meals they dis agreed thoroughly, and each usually suggested a dish for tho Sunday dinner which tho other did not npprovo. One Snturday tho mnn camo homo from market with n basket. "You needn't worry about to-morrow's dinner nny more, Maria. I've got It." "And so hnvo I, George. You wero so undecided " "Undecided? I told you want I wanted." "Well, I mean you didn't decide ns I did. So I bought a goose." "Why, so have I. I told you I'd like a gooso." "Well, now we are agreed for once, auywny." "Yes, and I suppose we'll have cold gooso and stewed gooso for the next two weeks." They relapsod Into their usual si lenco. Sunday forenoon the wife asked, "Do you waut a little quince In the apple sauce with your goose?" "Your goose, you mean." "No ,1 don't It seemed so absurd to have two geese lu the bouse that I sent mine to Aunt Jane." "What I I sent mine to Uncle Joe!" Dressed fbr a konjr Walk. Mrs. Malaprop I walked twenty Ave miles yesterday. Mr. Parlorinop Did you wear a ped omoter? Miss Malaprop Oh, no,, Indeed Just a short skirt Harvard Lampoon. Temporary Opinion. The Fiancee The Idea of his think ing that he Is unworthy of me. The Contldanto Yes, but you need n't argue the matter with blm. He'll discover bis error In time. Brooklyn Life. Soiuo womon have so much powder on them that kissing them must taste like the first bite In a biscuit THE OTW AOJC POKTL.ADTD, TORY OF THE MUFF. Otice It Color Betokened the Sank el the Wearer. "Do yon know that the color of a muff once betokened the rank of the wsarerr said a furrier to a Philadel phia Record man as he stroked a beau tiful sealskin muff. "In the days of Charles IX. no lady could have worn this fur, for black was decreed by the King- to be the badge of the common people and the court followers were restricted to the colors. "Muffs have gone through more styles than It would seem possible to Invent fpr such a simple article of con venience. It has been long and nar row, like a sheaf, and, again, large and round. At the beginning of last century the test of slzo was to try the muff In a flour barrel. If it went In without much trouble then that muff was too small to be really fashionable. At the present day almost anything is proper, but those enormous cylinders would certainly draw much attention. One of tho most curious styles was that of Louis XIV., called tho 'chlous mauchons,' because they were made to convey little dogs In. "Tho muff when first Introduced was tho exclusive property of tho nobility and originated In Venice. Theso muffs wero very smnll nnd consisted of a single piece of velvet, brocade or silk, lined with fur nnd tho openings fas tened with rich Jewels. Such arrange ments came In during tho early part of tho seventeenth century, but In the provlous century the ladles frequently carried a plcco of rich fur, which they used cither ns a muff or n neck piece. "The muff reached Its highest point In the reign of Louis XV., when tho productions wero exquisite. Then fashion declared for a cloth muff Instead- of fur, nnd the furriers made a great uproar. They, petitioned tho Pope to excommunicate tho wearer of a cloth muff, but to no purpose. Finally some Ingenious merchant bribed the headsman to carry a cloth muff on execution day. The women shrank from such association and the fur won tho day. Wo now assoclnto tho muff only with cold weather, but in the old days it was a regular part of woman's dress and was carried lu all weather. As lato as 1830 a muff and n straw bonnet were not deemed Incongruous." Savage Athletes. In this ago of athletics one might think that no people ever showed so much Interest In feats of muscular might and skill ns those who have per fected football; but modern games, nnd oven the games of tho Greeks at Olym pic, may have been moro than match ed by tho sports of peoples who aro now held in little esteem. A writer on tbo Canary Islands gives an account of their athletic training which makes oven tho college giants of to-dny seem wcuk and effeminate, Tho Canary Islands wero subjected by Spain about the tlmo Columbus dis covered America. Tho conquest was due solely to tho superiority of Euro pean weapons, nnd not to better skill and prowess. Tho natlvo soldiers wero trained nthlotcs, developed under a system which held athletic sports nn Important business, like military drill. Spanish chronicles have left us ac counts of tho sports of tbo Islanders. From babyhood they wero trained to bo brisk In self-defense. An soon as they could toddle tho children wero pelted with mud balls, thnt they might learn how to protect themselves. When they wero boys stones nnd woodon darts were substituted for the bits of clay. In this rough school they acquired tbo rudiments of warfare which on- nblcd them, during their wars with tho Spaniards, to cntch In their hands tue arrows shot from their enemies' i cross-bows, After tho conquest of tho Canaries a natlvo of tho Islands was seen at Sovlllo who, for a shilling, lot a man ' throw nt him as many stones as ho ..... . pleased from n distance of eight paces, Without moving his left foot ho avoid cd every stone, Another natlvo used to defy nny ono to hurl nn orango nt him with so creat rapidity that ho could not catch It Ttireo men tried this, each with a dozen orangos, and tbo Islander caught every orange. As a further test, ho hit his antagonists with each of the oranges, Fishhook Cautiis. Many a traveler in desert lands, when lu danger of dying from thirst has been saved by the plant ?wttorumtoA the wner or fishhook cactus, says he co;o tel of ,, , k, nB Now iork Commercial. During tho ,nm, nd t0 1 10 6eo , moist season It stores up a large qunn- sho ,,m, ve(1 c , or , e l tlty of water for tho subsequent ilry'ln ,, ,,., fnr fnvi,i. ..i.,! one when all the ground Is parched with heat nnd only channels tilled with stones murk tho courso of former rlvu- tal::?l!lZtZrZlt, for tho safety of Its precious liquid that it is no easy task to obtain It Tho exterior skin Is moro Impenetra ble than the toughest leather, and, be sides, It Is protected with long, wiry spines curved Into books at the end, yot so strong nnd springy that If a large rock bo thrown against them they remain uninjured. If the spines be burned off one may. by long and .,n... - .,f i,,,.h ., ,i...i wiu. a stout knife; otherwise nothing i",,8"6"!? ,at T" " 'm dl,d but an axe will enable them to get nt u"'Tell lTrtJ . "h 'V1: the interior of this well-armored plant I JLll ? !if Y?V?' "? When the top 1. removed and , ho.' j1", JVr f . "7 't low made by scooping out, some of the'The" p"e "r "' heMcou'd soft inner part It Immediately fill, with "7J.?m J" ,'he water, cool and refreshing, though a 1"t."'n?h" ZJ Ut "" blistering sun may have been beating . pl?nJnB V16 rea8 upon the tough skin above It all day. . n! "! ved, "', house where The water, when first obtained, ha. a " , whitish or smoky tint, but when set tled Is as clear as crystal, Doing- Ills nest, "nave you ever made any effort to An vaiii- allrhw tnfin finv crond?' W JVM. .V..VT- - 0..v, , "Certainly," answered Senator 8or.luo ue BU0 u" s mrougn wiiu ghum. "It Is a well-known fact thatblm' moucy widely distributed can accom-1 Arter ,ne had om,s te "h wen to pllsh but little. In order to exert Its her r00 Tue frock ,hB nad chosen to full force and achieve great works It wear w" ,'ln' on thft bed u WM a must be concentrated." "Well?" "I have been doing my best to con centrate as much of It as possible." Washington Star. A Query Answered. Laura We have no infallible for mula for removing a double chin. Con sult some man who says he cau shave himself In the dark. Baltimore News. rtB OREGON. THAT OLD SWEETHEART OF MINE. I have seen a wondrous picture of "that old sweetheart of mine," Of the girl whoso soul is fairer than the world's most sacred shrine; And the long months seemed as nothing, for I beard her softly sigh, And onco more I was her lover in the happy days gone by. And I stood there gazing on her as a soul from outer space Gazes through the gates of heaven on an angel's deathless face; All the world around forgotten; all the past a mystic dream; With the old love burning In me and its passion all supreme. Every nerve within my being seemed a harp string tuned to love. Trembling with the music learned from Israel above, As I stood there In the silence with her fair face closo to mine. And my tired spirit longing for the days that were divine. Slowly fared the ship of evening out Into the sea of night; Slowly Into darkness faded all save mem'ry's holy light; And the dream of life was ended. But tho stars of raetn'ry" shlno Through the soul's wide-open windows on "that old sweetheart of mine." THE CONSEQUENCE. SftWV5!Q5!C f HE doctor looked Into tho wom an's bravo eyes and slowly pro nounced her sentence. "The operation must take place with in n few days or " "Or what?" "It may bo too Into to operate at all." "And I will got through it safely?" "I hope so." "You aro not sure. You think there Is n risk?" "Thoro Is always a risk In every operation," ho answered evasively. "Tell me the truth, doctor; I can bear It" Tho old man looked Into the desper ate eyes and put his hand gently on the woman's shoulder. "You are a brave woman. I will tell you tho truth. This operation will be a very serious ono In fact, thoro Is only n chance thnt you will survlvo it. But there Is a chance, nnd for tho snke of It you must not lose heart" "Couldn't I wait till next month Just for n few weeks longer? It surely would not mnko any dlffcrcnco if It was postponed till then." "My child," the doctor answered, "If we postponed It for a fow weoks, for even one week, you will loso your ono chnnce of recovery. Besides, you will suffer such agony that your llfo wifl bo unbearable. Lot mo advlso you, and mako up your mind to go through It Immediately." "Immediately?" "Within the next few days. You must go Into tho hospital to-morrow to be prepurcd for It" Then ho explained the arrangements ho would mako for her, and after lis tening lu a dazed, half-stupid fashion, Elizabeth said "good-by" to him, und wearily wont out In tho cold nnd dark ness of tho December cvonlng. Sho drove nlono In a hansom with tears running down her wblto cheeks, and hor heart rebelling at tho cruel bund of Fate that had so unsparingly dealt her this blow. Had sho deserved It? Was this trial sont to her because sho had set ono mail upon a pedestal and worshiped him to tho exclusion of tho whole world? Or was it because she, llko a fool, had thrust away with laughing eyes the happiness that had been held out to her, and the gods had guessed It was only a freak, and were punishing her becauso she insolently played with the best thing they had to give? Six months ago, when David Mooro had started to tell her how doar BU0 wns to him, she had stopped him w,tn n lough, and hud warned him that It would bo wiser to wait till ho re turned from abroad beforo ho decided '.!. -l. ! ...... . H1,u B" "" lU0 on,f woman in tuo world." Sho did not know why she ua(l dono 15 wn'i wIien "er heart was .craving for his love, she had coquetted and warded him off. But right deep down sho knew that It was for his own Bakei ,0 K'vo Win a fair chanco of see- ' oluer younger, moro ueautirui women, beforo she let blm tell hor that sbo was tho best of all I'll bo back In six months, Eliza beth," ho said, holding her hands, tight- ly, and looking into tho sweet gray eyes. "I'll como straight to you. You will listen to mo then; you will then believe thnt I am In earnest." And so ho left her, A ml tints tliA alv nittit iaa. ,. . 80 (,(l Wft8 for ns .j,', plense him. And now, when tho tlmo ,,.,, ,... , ,, ,, ,M . ...... ' ". she ,.. gather up her strength and send him away without a word of love, without a sign of regret It was becauso tbo pain bad waged so fiercely through tho night thnt she determined to go to a doctor to beg for something to give her relief, for the time at least. Sho bad gone, and had1!,lnd berentence pronounced, Although he had not actually said so. down the lamps under their red shades and told the maid to put more coal on the Are. She decided to postpone her preparations of her Illness until after her visitor had gone. She would only I havo time now to prepare herself for - - .... soft blue silk, and was very simply made. Quickly .he put It back Into the wardrobe and took down one that was Just sufficiently old-fashioned to ba dowdy, "Molly said I look twenty in blue a,nd thirty-live In black," she whis pered, as she laid It on the bed. Then she unfastened her hair. She remembered some one saying, "To part balr la the catr eltfctr makes a woman look much older or much younger than sho actually Is. I think, Elizabeth, that It makes you look much older." Taking up the comb, sho care fully made a parting down tho center of her head and twisted her hair into a tight knob at tho back. The reflection that tho mirror sent back to her made her shudder. Then she put on tho dowdy block frock. Ugh! she did look plain and old and commonplace. No man could make lovo to n woman who looked llko that And of all men, not David Moore, for sho knew so well that ho liked a worn nn to bo good to look nt Having finished her strange toilet she went down to her sitting room, nnd waited. Fifteen minutes later her vis itor camo. Elizabeth saw him start nnd the sur prised look in his eyes as she held out her hand to him and asked coolly how he had enjoyed his trip. "Are you 111, Elizabeth?" he said, quickly, without answering her, nnd looking anxiously nt tho face that had changed nlmost boyond recognition since ho last saw It "No, no! Why should I be ill?" "You look so whlto nnd " "Old," she finished. "Well, I am six months older you must remomber slnco you went nwny, and I am not tho typo of woman who wears well." "Is anything tho matter? Aro you In trouble?" "What should thoro bo to tronblo me? I never do anything but havo a good time. I lovo excitement nnd all that sort of thing." Tho man looked ns if he was not euro he had heard nrlght "No," Elizabeth continued. "I am not really different, but you have been accustomed to fresh young faces late ly, nnd so poor ralno seems old and withered In comparison. But please don't waste the tlmo in discussing my appearance Tell mo how you enjoyed your visit" "Fairly; but I was so anxious to get back to London to see you again thnt I did not think much nbout It You know wby I wished to be here by the IDtlt, Elizabeth?" She looked as though she was trying to remember. "Darling," ho went on, coming closo to her, "you havo not' forgotten thnt you said you would listen to mo when I returned. You know, without nny words, thnt you aro tho dearest wom an In the world to roe, and that I wish you for my wife." "Your wlfo!" she echoed, with a sneering laugh. 'Thank you, no. I must decllno the honor." "Elizabeth!" and his face went white ae be held her hands tightly, "what do you mean?" "Just that" sho said. "I decline the honor." "Then," nnd he dropped her hands and turned nwny, "I had better go. I was a conceited fool. Forglvo me. My lovo for you has carried me too far." Even In tho half-lit room, Eliza beth's fa co looked strangely white as she put her hand to her sldo and lean ed back In tho cushions. But sho laughed again. "Ah, It does not matter. You will forgot It as readily as I will. And per haps, after all, It was my own fault. But you must always allow for a worn nn chnnglng her affections. It Is a woman's way, you know." "No, I did not know," coldly. "Why not? She may vary her frocks why not her affections?" "For heaven's sake, don't talk llko that You might be a heartless flirt by your tone." "I hardly think I m that for your sex does uot Interest mo sufficiently. But I am a woman of the world, and not a silly, lovesick girl." "I nover Imagined you to be a silly, love-sick girl, any more than I thought of you as a 'woman of the world,' as you put It. Perhaps It will amuse you to hear that I was foolish enough to think you were well, altogether dif ferent" "Yes, It Is rather absurd," she an swered, driving her nails into her left band as she stood up and held out her right one to him. "Goodby. There Is no need to extend this Interview. Be sides, I am busy to-night. You will excuse me." He took her hand and held It tight ly, as he looked Into the tired gray eyes. "Elizabeth, Elizabeth," he whisper ed, "what does It all mean? Have you nothing kind to say to me?" "Yes; forget me as soon as you can. And you will lose your beauty sleep If you don't go quickly." He dropped her hand and went out of the house. Her acting had been a success, too much of a success, for not only bad he gone away with the Idea that she was Indifferent to him, but she had forced Uim to despise her for her lev ity. Yet, after all, It was better thus; it would be less difficult for him to cast her out of his heart She certainly did look plain. Yet her appearance had not made any differ ence to hlta. Ahl that look of concern la his ayes when ba asked he IX she was 111. Wby couldn't sho have told him? It would have been so sweet to have had his loving sympathy! And if her operation was to bo bb se rious, and the result as fatal, as she feared, was there uot some way In which she might before It wa. too late, wipe out the false Impression she had made to-night? She could not bear the thought that he would think bitterly of her afterward. Surely it would be some comfort to him to know the truth then. Yes, he must bo told. She would write n. letter and confess all. If she lived, it must be destroyed; if she died, it must be delivered. "I have sent you away from me," she wrote, "audam now breaking my heart becauso I will never look Into your face again. David, to-night I acted a part to you. I forced myself to be cold and false. I made myself n fright to prevent you telling me of your love. I knew that if you did so I would not havo tho strength to re sist you. I did not want you to guces that I enrcd. I wanted you to think mo a heartless flirt to despise me anything, rather than you should re gret or have a heart-ache. "To-day my doctor told me thnt I must go under the knife within the next few days. Ho said that there was a slight chance, but In my heart I know that If I do live, I will bo a weak, sickly woman. But I don't be lieve there Is a chance, so I waut to tell yon how dear you are to mo be fore it Is too late. I love you as only a woman can love a man who represents everything thnt Is good and strong nnd truo to her, For nearly two years I havo waited to hear you say what you said to-night Six months ago I pre vented you because I was not quite sure; I thought it would be wiser for you to wait until you returned. I could not realize that tho glory of your love should be showered on me. I thought It fair for you to see other women beforo you offered your life to me. "David, I want you to understand how desperately bard It was to refuso to listen to you to-night It was tho greatest sacrifice I have ever made In my life, and I prayed for strength to do It My whole being revolted at tho part I set myself to play, although I folt It was best for you now and af terward. Can you forgive me, Da vid?" She then rang for her maid, nnd, af ter explaining about whnt was to hap pen to her, she gave her the letter and said what she wished her to do with It No surgeon can ever bo quite certain to what length a disease has spread until ho starts to use the knife, and oftentimes he finds It moro or less se rious than he anticipated. So It was that when Dr. Sanders commenced to operate on Elzabeth Trent he was agreeably surprised to find thnt, Instead of her enso being most complicated, It was merely an ordinary one. "Sho will bo all right now, nurse," tho great surgeon said after tho opera tion. "Fortunately, It has not been so serious ns wo fenred. It Is a decidedly Interesting ense, and she will pull through splendidly with careful nurs ing." It wss two weeks later when Eliza beth asked her mnld If sho had de stroyed tho letter she had given to her tho ovo of the operation. "Destroy it, Miss Elizabeth?" tho woman answered. "I though you said to post it if you lived. "Oh, Harmonl You surely have not sent thnt letter?" "Yes, Miss Ellznbctb, I have. I thought you wanted mo to destroy It if anything happened to you, and to post it If you got safely through tho operation. I waited until last night to mako suro that you did not have a re lapse, then I thought it was time." Before Elizabeth could answor, a nurso camo In with a florist's box In her hand and a bright smile on her face. "This is for you, Miss Trent" sho said. "Shall I unfasten it?" Elizabeth cried out In Joyous sur prise nt the wealth of beautiful flow ers with which the box waB filled. But her eyes went beyond them to n letter thnt lay partly hidden in their leaves. "It Is from David." she whispered softly, as Bho gazed at the dear, fa miliar handwriting. As she opened It with quick, trembling fingers, tho nurso nnd Harmon quietly went out of tho room. "My darling," Elizabeth rend, "I have Just received your letter. Only hnlf an hour before, I met Mansfield, nnd ho told mo of your Illness. I thought he must be mistaken, but ha snld bis wife had been to seo you nt tho hospital yesterday. My first Im pulse was to go and beg them to lot me seo you. but I remembered that you would not caro to havo mo. Feel ing deadly miserable, I went back to my rooms, and thero found your letter waiting for me. Oh, Elizabeth! It seems too wonderful to bo truo thnt you should love me like that Why, my dear, you were never moro lovnblo in my eyes than you were that night You looked 111 and tired, nnd I longed to hove the right to take caro of you and shield you from all nnnoyances. When I remember 'the hard things I said I feel that It will take all my life to endeavor to wipe them out. Elizabeth, almost as soon as you read thla I will be with you. And then my atonement will commence." Black and White. Against His Convictions. A respectable-looking man of middle age applied one uight for free lodg ings at one of the police stations In Chicago. "I have tramped all over this town," be said, "looking for work, and can't find any." "I understand they are short of heln at tue stock-yards," said the desk ser geant "You might get a Job there mi a lew weens, anynow." "At the stock-yards!" exclaimed the other, In a voice trembling with indhr nation "I wouldn't work there for todeSr l were "UrT,a "Why not?" "Because, sir, Tm a vegetarian.- Fragrance of White Plowera. Plants with white blossoms have a larger proportion of fragrant flowers than any other. wers) .,fL,ma,!l Wno can,t U,k 1 WW talk should be muzzled. ywiWf y.is uim srrryy'ggm'W'js ""waw.mi.n.jM j-- . MrtMfe.!. .