ymrtmt.m mz&AMrt
lulie Wells Smilh.,
It vu.b during a Dapirosch engage
ment in Chicago that I happened to go
to the theatre one' evening. I was
alone, as my wife had not ben going
out since the death of a relative. The
audience was a music-loving one, and
during the third act as I strolled into
. the foyer I found it quite deserted, a
most unusual occurrence.
' Wagner grows noisy to an uncultl
vatea ear atter listening an nour or
so, and the strains that cama through
the heavy, closed doors were more
agreeable to mine. I was about to re
turn to my seat, however, when I no
ticed a remarkably handsome woman
emerge from the curtained door that
led into the lower boxes.
She was unusually beautiful, of that
flashing combination of dark eyes and
golden hair that is so rare.
. She was fashionably dressed, and
under her opera cloak I saw the glim
mer of jewels. I expected her to 'sweqp
out to her carriage, instead of which
she stopped in front of me and be
gan to look anxiously toward the out
side door. Then she stepped back
into the curtain, but almost imniedi
ately returned, and began to pace up
and down more anxiously than before,
She was evidently looking for some'
one whose delay caused unusual alarm.
Once I thought she started toward
me as if she was going to speak. I
thought I noticed this movement again
when I involuntarily approached her.
"Can I be of any service to you,
madam?" I asked in a most defer
ential tone, which her bearing seemed
to demand.
She paused doubtfully a half sec
ond, then graciously explained:
Her father had left her at the
" theatre, expecting to return immedi
ately; he had failed to do so and she
was extremely alarmed on his ac
count, and was also embarrassed at
finding herself alone in a strange city
at midnight. In fact there was noth
ing else for me to do but, to offer to
see her home. It was all arranged in
a few seconds, and under the charm
of a woman who was of no ordinary
type. She gave the directions to the
driver. I had ordered a carriage and
after about an hour's drive we stopped
in a part of the city that was not al
together familiar to me, though I
could see by the street lamps that it,
woman that was leading me on. She
had thrown aside her opera cloak and
reclined on a divan, her golden hair
gleaming against the crimson drapery,
her dark eyes holding two points of
fire in their expanded pupils, like some
Eastern enchantress under whose spell
I was completely enthralled. I felt
my .blood course through my veins
with a sense of exhilaration I had nev
er before experienced. I could have
knelt at her feet She seemed a crea
ture to be worshipped, who could In
turn wield an influence strangely
powerful. I thought of the historical
women of fascination who have led
men to do awful deeds. She seemed
to recall the pictures in my mind's
eye of such women, as she reclined
there her eyes flashing darker under I
the masses of hair that surrounded
her fair face like a crown of gold. I
gazed at her in a dazed steadfastness.
Involuntarily I raised my glass; it was
filled. Again: The third time as I
would have guided it to my Hps it fell
from my trembling fingers and shiv
ered at my feet! '
I staggered and fell senseless!
.
When I awoke to consciousness I
found myself- at my own front door.
From the numb conditions of my limbs
I knew I had been there at least an
hour. I fumbled at the door with my
latch key; my fingers were all thumbs.
At last, however, it was opened. I
thanked my lucky star that my wife
was fast asleep; and I succeeded in
getting to bed without disturbing her.
Of course I could not go to sleep.
The effects of the drugging had passed
off I knew now I had been drugged,
for what damnable purpose I could
not cinjecture, no more than I could
account for the other mysterious
events of this most remarkable even
ing I had ever experienced leaving
me 1n a most nervous state. If it had
been a case of robbery the mystery
would have been cleared up to my
mind immediately; but the fact that
a handsome diamond that I wore on
my small finger was not missing, and
also quite a large amount of money
that I happened to have had in my
pocket was still there made it more
inexplicable. The more I tried to un
ravel it; the more unfathomable the
whole affair became. It was a deeply
I f w "V'V."' V. V '
lit; 'ir f1 . - -r n
f y H "s ' tft
f "8t' ,''''"'i v., T r.l,,M,ii.,..., . . . f ,..IMfi
and at the same time determined to
investigate the diabolical agencies at
work to destroy the happiness of my
home and family.
I told the driver to follow my wife's
cab, and at the end of its destination
to -stop about a square behind. He
followed these instructions and after
a long, noisy ride over the rough
cobbles, halted abruptly and opened
the cab door for me to alight. I
paid him and dismissed the cab, and as
I saw my wife's dress disappear in
a doorway down about the middle of
the next square, made for that di
rection. My heart gave a bound as I hur
ried up the steps to the door I had
seen her enter. By some lucky chance
it was unlatched, and I walked into
the house. Great Heavens! The same
rich hangings, the divan with its crim
son drapery, the paintings all re
vealed themselves iitthe glare of broad
daylight. I heard the- murmur of
voices somewhere in the house and
paused to catch the direction of the
sound. I could not seem to make out.
Every minute was as an hour. I stood
in breathless expectation a while long
er, then' passed noiselessly over the.
veivetrcarpet into the adjoining room.
A heavy portiere at the rear led into
still another, and from thence the
Voices proceeded. I recognized my
wife's in the most excited tone. I
glided closer to the curtain and dis
tinctly heard these words:
"What you have already told me I
cannot help believe and while I would
know more, I am afraid Oh! J
can not! not now "
"Madam " some one interrupted
in the unmistakable voice of my even
ing's enchantress, "I am simply about
to present my impression of your
husband as he appears to me in that
astral personality which, he is most
probably unconscious of possessing."
There was a deathlike stillness for a
few minutes; suddenly broken by my
wife's voice in the most agitated tone
accompanied with a low sobbing:
"Oh my God! I cannot look! It Is
my husband and yet so strangely dif
ferent!" I could hold back no longer;
I drew aside the curtain and through
the folding doors which were opened
wide enough for the purpose, passed
In. I found myself in total darkness.
There were a few seconds of suspense
and then at first indistinctly, then
clearer and clearer out of the dark
ness a face appeared; finally stand
ing in startling bas-relief against a
fiery nimbus that surrounded it. In
the wide open staring eyes, the com
pressed lips and sunken cheeks, T rec
ognized my own phylognomyl
"Sylvia!"
It was my wife's name I had ut
tered before I was conscious what I
had done. There was a distinct scream
from each woman; one of them fell!
I groped my way in the darkness and
found it was my wife. I picked her up
In my arms and got out of the room
and house I know not how. I have a
vague memory of hailing a cab and
placing my wife in it and then driv
ing home. All. that night she was too
ill to move; but the next morning she
had recovered enough for me to report
at police head-quarters.
The detective to whom I told my
story smiled.
"You have been in the hands of a
couple of notorious adventurers," he
explained, "for whose arrest the au
thorities of some large cities in this
country and abroad are on the alert.
The woman is a clairvoyant, and pro
fesses to make a specialty of the sci
ence of double personality; practicing
this humbuggery by the desperate
means you describe by which she. has
leathered a large clientele in this city.
The experiment in your case is one
of the most daring. The apparition of
your face is a reproduction of a photo
graph taken in your a;;cnseless state
that evening in their house, for which
purpose yon were decoyed there and
drugged. This by a clever stereopti
con effect was used to present the
startling revelation of your second
personality for your.wife's benefit, who
happens to be a patron of theirs, and
for whom the trick was contrived.
They were arrested las night."
the winter birds ars fond of both nuts
and suet. No on need ever waste old
or rancid nuts. The birds will be
glad to get them.
Another Illinois correspondent says
"Last fall I hung a blrdfood shelf at
our south window and early each morn
ing put cracked nuts, suet and bird
seed on it. Several tufted titmice
visited it the first morning. In a day
or two snow-birds and chickadees came
In flocks. White-breasted nuthatches,
downy and hairy woodpeckers, a white
crowned sparrow and a red bellied
woodpecker were constant visitors all
winter, often coming several times
day. A mocking bird came until the
middle of December, making in all
nine kinds of birds. These birds all
enjoyed the fresh fat pork I nailed to
a nearby tree."
of
Won Boyal lied Cross,
The coveted Royal Red Cross
England has been conferred upon Mrs.
Violet Clay, as an expression of merit
for her services during and after the
terrible Indian earthquake which recent
ly occured at Dharmsal4. Mrs. Clay is
MRS. VIOLET CLAY.
the youngest daughter of Sir Henry
.Nightingale and the wife of Major C. 11.
Clay of the 7th Gurkha Ritlos, who was
seriously injured, during the earthquake
while saving the life of his little son.
FEEDING TUB BIRDIES.
THE GLASS FELL FROM MY TREMBLING FINGERS;
was a fashionable if somewhat remote
neighborhood. . k "
My companion had been too much
agitated to engage in conversation dur
ing the drive, except to wonder over
her father's unaccountable delay.
When the carriage stopped she hast
ened to the steps of a stately resi
dence in the middle of the square. . A
man in livery opened the door. .
"Is my father in?" she asked In a
tone in which I noticed some of the
agitation had subsided.
"Ah! Hortense my dear, forgive me!
I fell asleep and completely forgot
vnu? How did you get home?"
This voice came from within and
was followed by an elderly man of
foreign appearance who came forward
and extended his hand affectionately to
his daughter as she answered by ex
plaining my presence. I turned to go,
hut with lavish expressions of grati
tude usual to a foreigner, he fairly
dragged me into the house.
The outside appearance would hard
ly have suggested the magnificent
apartments in which I found myself.
Rich hangings, rare works of art and
a general luxuriousness implied the
itiofit cultivated taste. While the
rlniizhter swept into an adjoining
broueht refreshments with
her own hand, the father engaged me
in conversation on the topics of the
day, upon which he showed more mm
ni-Hinorir Intpllteence.
I refused anything but a glass of
wine which she poured from a decanter
tunrVmanRhit) a rich cordial
UL , . .... . . ... 1
rather filling one also ior ner idu.c.
and another for herself. They were
delightful conversationalists. I De
came unusually talkative myself. The
conversation drifted into personal ex
periences. I related one I had never
repeated to mortal ears before.
I do not know whether it was the
wine or the adorable smile of the
laid plot of which I was the victim,
though for what purpose I could at
tribute not the slightest motive.
For days I could think of nothing
else. I said nothing to my wife about
it. While I could justify my actions
in the affair to my own mind, I was
not quite sure I could do so to hers.
In fact my wife had been in an ex
tremely nervous condition for a long
time, and of late I noticed she had be
come more depressed than .ever.
I do not know what raised the sus
picion in my mind, but I took a sud
den fancy that my wife's late depres
sion was in some way connected with
my mysterious adventure. A ques
tion she asked me completely con
firmed this suspicion and filled me
with added alarm.
It was a question relating to an ex
perience of my past life, of which I
had never spoken except in the pres--ence
of the father and daughter the
night of my strange visit and through
which source I felt sure she could only
gain a possible knowledge of the same.
I determined at all hazards to investi
gate at least what connection my wife
could have in the chain of mystery
that was surrounding me.
An opportunity offered itself the
very next day. I happened to be in
Marshall FIpM's (reat store doing
some purchasing for myself, when I
spied my wife coming out of one of
the doors leading upon the main street
as I was about to pass out of another.
I started to attract her attention when
I noticed her signal for a cab. This
circumstance aroused my suspicion, as
it was an unusual thing for my wife
to do. I immediately hailed another
and followed her. I could not help
feeling guilty In this new role of all
our marripd life, as spy upon my wife's
actions. Not that I suspected her of
anything wrong at the time. I was
following her more, as a protector,
Made Friends by Hanging Fat Meat
Out for Them in Winter.
Bird Lore, in its notes on winter
feeding of wild birds gives a number
of methods for such feeding that may
be easily employed by any kindly per
son with the greatest satisfaction. At
this time of year birds, like domestic
fowls, appreciate fat food. Soup bones,
after they have served their purpose
in the kettle, may be hung in a tree
or elsewhere so that cats may not get
at the feathered visitors. Here the
birds will pick away every bit of meat
and gristle. Suet may be put in the
trees this way or the carcass of a
fowl, and blue jays, nuthatches, wood
peckers and chicadees, not to mention
the English sparrows, will visit this
luncheon with delight.
A correspondent writing from Jack
sonville, 111., says: "Ever since I be
gan bird study, six years ago, I have
kept a winter bird table; and it has
been a never-failing source of pleasure
ana instruction to me as we a
help to my bird guests during ti. ad
weather. We have an acre of ground
around our home, and fine trees, but
there are streets on all but the north
side, so I chose that side for the bird
table, as it is the most sheltered and
at the same time affords us the best
chance to -watch the birds from the
house. I bep;an by tying lumps of suet
up in small trees near the windows
and very soon my guests began to
arrive. Later I devised a plan for
bringing the suet eaters within closer
range. I fastened a rough stick, two
or three 1i"''ps in diameter, to the
window shutters, across the window a
little below the middle sash and upon
this stick I tied my lump of suet.
"From that time we have had the
pleasure all winter long of watching
our bird rieivi at their luncheon
while sitting at our own dining table.
I also fastened a wooden tray to the
sill into which we put cracked nuts
and chopped suet. The most constant
visitors were the rhWcadpps and wood
peckers; then blueiays, titmice, show-
birds and ?'"tp.hp. with once In a
while a onrfUnat. Of thpe the chlk
adeps and downy woodpeckers are the
tamest. WTien the spring migrants
return we find black-birds and cat
birds patronizing the suet Almost all
The Adorable litll.
The famous Adelina Pattl, always
young, despite her years, first appeared
in 1S59, at the New York. Academy ol
Music. She was brought forward under
the direction of her kinsman and mas
ter, Maurice Strakosch, in the title role
of "Luci di Lammermoor." She was
then only 16 years old, but had already
learned to mauageher voice, a l'lute-liUe
flexible soprano, with extraordinary
skill and taste, and cupame critics at
once recognized in the debutante one
of those rare singers who appear at
long Intervals on the musical horizon
to revive not only the hopes of man
agers, but the enthusiasm of the public.
This prediction had quick fulfilment.
Atter a snort initial' engagement" m
Philadelphia, Mile. Pattl, piloted by
Strakosch, embarked on ft concert tour
which, ended at NeW Orleans, whence
she sailed for London where she may
be said to have fairly begun a career,
which, like her art, must remain jong
unique in jyrio annals. Thereafter fur
upward of 40 years, she held first place,
and during the greater part of that
time, she was not only a sweeter, but
a betfer siuger tlian any other woman
in the world. Her name lends a gold
en ending to any record of the parly
days of opera in America.
Try "Opportunity"
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portunities awaiting energy and ambition in theut leycloppd agri
cultural regions of the West, the industrial and connflcrcial sections
of the East, in the Northwest, the Southwest, on the Coast and
everywhere, earnestly espousing honest effort, courageously and
fearlessly exposing fraud and dishonesty.
Carefully edited, beautifully illustrated, artistically printed
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woman, old or young, , filled from cover to cover with delightfully
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Will you be our representative ? We will pay you a commission
that will make you money, and besides will offer fine prizes for
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Write for full particulars and 10 copies of Opportunity free, which you can
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for the next ten copies and 25 cents to keep. When vou see how easy it is to
sell them, you will want to be our regular agent.
Now. if you are a hustling boy or girl and mean business, and are anxious
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write at once. We want only one agent in a town, so the first comer gets the
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Adulterated Dresses.
Public attention is being directed
to the wholesale manner in which the
materials that keep us warm during
the day, and the blankets which cover
us at night, are adulterated.
The silk dress of the lady of a hun
dred years ago rustled as she moved,
on account of the genuineness of the
fabric; now it rustles with 36 per cent
of salts of tin used to commercialize it.
The lady of the period in her silk dress
is, indeed, a sort of "woman in armor."
Epsom salts,, instead of being used
or medicinal purposes, as formerly, are
now employed, it would appear, for
loading flannel. The so-called table
liiicn of today is not pure linen, such
as delighted the hearts of the house
wives of olden times but is made
largely of cotton, filled with china
clay and starch. So, too, collars are
often of cotton merely faced with liueu.
In a word, nearly every kind of fabric
sold, is adulterated in' some form or
other, and the public, In blissful ignor
ance of the truth, finding how poorly
the things wear, lays the blame upon
the laundryman, the dyer or the
cleaner, instead of upon the real cul
prit, the manufacturer.
It Is believed that there is some dan
ger of the skin being attacked by
disease as a result of the really poison
ous substances which are set free by
the action of perspiration upon the me
tallic compounds contained in appar
ently Innocent wearing apparel.
A Gid Willi Each Ticket.
George Adams, the manager of the
Crystal Theatre of Denver, is operating
his play-house upon unique lines. For
some time he has given away souvenirs
to all bis patrons, some of them of
considerable value. He has now stocked
a large store with about everything
that Is needed in housekeeping, and is
issuing a trading stamp or coupon with
every ticket1 to the theater. The value
of each coupon is ten cents and these
trading coupons can he exchanged at
the store for articles ranging from, ten
cnts to twenty-five dollars.
Mr. Adams has Just imported a car
load of dishes from Germany, and he
states that he has, during the winter,
already given away, to Crystal Theater
goers, more than three car. loads of
articles.
45c DISH PAN SAVED
Br tTilnjp 8t . John'B TI n Wti der and
i Match. Don't pay th tlimmith 1.1
cnta every time you hare a little
IphIc In your pann, kt'ttlws, pot,
rtc, Mend It yourtlf In half a
mi not, wet JuOoUhx mend far M
ftit. it-" mrhd. Hearty for ItiHtant
ue. Men u Mil holm, from th
iw m a um mi ni to i- i nun in
iffamirfw. Ortett bfiwh"ld corivpiiU-mevnr Invented.
W rife frt-nnr T'T r Jnhn'i I In Mfiidir, Wi-ff prt-
E. N. COKNEAU &
LHyt. 49 JUTtr ttrwt,
CO.,
MlialNEKY LESSONS IKKK
IN YOURiOWN HOME
A wonderful oiler of interest
to evury woiuuu
A course of rtudy and nroctloeat
homo w tilcb begins ut the rminilaiion
611(1 tolls you flvwrythinar atmiit mil
ntsry, what to make and now to make
It. Very Binipleaadoaaily understood
by every woman.
, Write at one for free particulars
and tuition oilor. It will be Rent bv
return mail free. Addrwei Dept. S,
NEW YORK & PARIS SCHOOL OF MILLINERY
zuu Broadway new ur&
FREE
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name, aridrpsB. Wo Bend yon free boautiful 8-oolored
illustrated circular wiowinffKHn.iarjroE, inmnnRuitH "
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YOU CAN HAVE ONE
As we are going to give away
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word, and thin la an boneBC,
etrnltfhtrorwaid offer, made by
an upriirht business firm who
alwaj i do exactly astlivy agree,
All we ank le that you do a few
mfnutra work for its. It Is so very
enr that you will beaurpriBed.
This HuiMUonie KllleHnota
toy air rlile, but ! a genuine
Bicei, unit) ortrrei, minium ruie,
tlmt Is Btrong, aocurnte and aJ9
and carries a calibre loiijj or.
shortcartrlrle. If you want a tine
: little hunting rlllo, jmt write and
! a.nk ob for particular. Theyaro
'. free nd you will surely nay it'ntlio.
bent offer you ever saw or heard of.
BE SURE and WRITE AT ONCE
before the 6,oiiO rlllen aroall gone,
as the boys are taking them fast.
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Peoples Popular Monthly,
SAO Manhattan Building,
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i HI,
1000 PHIZES BRIGHT PEOPLE
WW352..W
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fttatesT If to, we hue a surprise for you. We sro
w away lOOO prices as 1 luted below
extra prize to t-boae wLo Mod in
bluUOiUt.
HtR ARE THE PRIZES
first, fso.oo m gold , becond, fas.oo liv goldi
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Firth. HeamiFM uoiira uoia
Match; Hcvenlh, Hilm Tea Mt; Uia-hth
KOtll'IH, f 10.00 IV GOLD)
Kt with a romtna Lllartnnd; flxth, Btiiitllul l.ullfi'
iwa "ii"utn Buvenvara Bit: mnip.
nth. Cnnr.rt Accordion! Next SIM), eadi a lira iubcni
lion; Next 400, reproduction ol a fx mom Picture; Nct IK, eaca a year auMcnpuon.
tK'aiitlfm pair Lara CurUina; Tenth
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An wit want tm in ut.rl n inr mnftrw whn vnil armwer this adver
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other vrii for sending us subsanptlous. true in
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e gi
trdrd
i iwui mH will ht strar
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3 their owu groups aim
wtuch doea not appear
tne fix correal
as it lODean.
iione and found, the
exactly as many times
so that the name tne
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known In every homo In trie country. Try nI Win, It yop make the aU
Status and send the solutions at onci, who knows but what you will get a blsr or
jour effirt? Anyway, we do not want ywu to seod any money with your letter, and a
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OUE
flaw faililona, about cnoalm and the houMinoKl. mnu on wun, m
TerytMij(r Uiat ao Amorlcao woman nta. II now clrcmaie, in nnii .
coma Iwroea. W wl to looraaaa irt circulation to a million "d aiWrrtMng low
in tLa mow of u. ui blaua at onoa. mm aoon aa ma wnw mw r
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annul triii arason wi wall naxa una
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PRE 88 PUSLIHINO CO Deo. J, Aidln 6t BotoW, M
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