BARBARA.
..ffi there any mail, Eben ?"
And leaning over the little wicket gate,
dark locks falling about her in
)f, careless tresses, Barbara looked
K ullT down the shady Btreet and thon
the tossing elms, where the busy
!IP,i were chattering. And sad to relate,
frown of discontent crept over Bar
? 1; low white brow.
taX there were no letters for the
Tlitons, ' said Eben, in rather a sav
1 mood. "I made especial inquiries
f!T0U " and Eben's lip trembled a little
1 bi vice 8Iten0(1 wonderfully for
wm "I suppose you are anxious to get
iav from the old place, Miss Barbara ?"
Vvi I am," said Miss Leighton
ltaf ... l - - itT
WllV, Wltn an imperial air. j. am
of it all. I honld be glad to go
.nvwhere away from here"
Eben made no reply. He looked down
tt the tangled curls, the soft, wistful
brown eyes, the dimpled hands clasped
Zt the mesh of honeysuckles then
r over the tops of the snowy balsams
toward tbe great world where Barbara's
i war. He was thinking with one
ruel pang which gripped his heart at
mnment of what life would be at the
without Barbara. He had tried of
jte to live without connecting her in
:L way with his days and nights, his
duties, bis hardships and his joys, but
he made sorry work of it. It gave Eben
frHit to know how much everything
eighteen celluloid buttons by Theo, who
ran after him to suggest chocolate cara
mels in case the letter failed.
It was a sort of satisfaction to him that
the letter did fail. But it hurt him to
see Barbaras disappointment. He had
remembered Theo's womanish little
errands, and he still held the rose, which
he laid now on Barbara's clasped hands.
For all she had grown to hate the old
place, she loved its old-fashioned, big
fluffy rosos as fondly as when a child.
and Eben had braided a long garland of
them for her out of the finest and best.
She caressed the roso and tucked it in
among the curling locks, where it nestled
just against her cheek. Eben flushed
and paled as he remembered how ho had
laid his heart in the heart of that rose.
"lhe letter will be sure to be here to
morrow, he said, gently. "I am going
down the first thing in the morning. The
young ladies around Larborough are not
to be without a gallant this season. A
handsome young man from New York
has come down to stay some weeks in the
neighborhood. I met him with Dr.
Ormsby in the gig."
Eben was not slow to note that this bit
of news awakened a faint show of interest
in Barbara.
"What was he like?" said Barbara,
blushing a littlo. "I trust he is an ac
quisition. Did ho look like a gentle
man?" Yes, he looked like one Eben was
compelled to admit that he did, and had
slender, soft white hands, which Eben
you, liar Dora.
I have.
I cannot suffer more than
A Hl-RRim IUXSER.
Oh, soe hero, 1 Blmn't be horn
to dmnor to-dv, there's a lot to do at
tue omce, and i n f t come home."
This speech o.n,., from my liege lord,
Charley, as ho pl (Tod his howl in at the
front door, after he had startod to his
I hen shall I tell you aomntliinc?"
and she hid her faoe in the nillnw it
put out nia hand and touched her head
caressingly.
"1 have been very willful nn.i l.iin.l
and very unhappy. ben. I wonlil ImvA
given my life to save yours, as von rave business.
yours for me." "All right,
uui. uaroara; oh, Uarbara, my darl
ing; l gave mine because I loved you
better than life, than heaven. I would
ratner naveuied than live to lose
forever."
"But you will not lose me." Her arms
stole tenderly around him and she laid
her oheek against his. "I owe my life
iu juu nuu ii is yours.
iiabara, think what you are saying. I
shall be mad enonch n tln'nt iimt
care for me!" t,?i,. i i t
uni i .. .. I uvt' wv uu It II 11 iri'HIl
awn i, my love, you aro all the world But up stairs thr ,r -ri trnnVa
Popped out again, and I
elf:
I won't have any
will have a pood
said T.
lhe head ;
added to myse.
"Aiiguty glad of it.
dinner to get. and T
day to work up stair."
So I cleared away the breakfast, tidied
up tho rooms, and aftor that took myself
up stairs.
We had not been Itwitincr linnui vnrv
long, and I made it a ruin not fn W.
things become soiled by using, but to
to me. Cannot you see that this is so?"
"My own!"
With one great effort aud a spasm of
his old strength Eben pressod her to his
neart.
and boxes that needed renovating; some
oi uie summer ciothinir was to be nocked
away and the wiutor wear got out and
mauo ready for use.
1 tiod a handkerchief ovor mv haaA
And you never meant to marry Ney?" to keep out tho dust, pulled trunks aud
T a... fx.. . 1 T 1 .- 1 1 1 I . . .i 1
j. ntu unniu x uiuy wenut to mane you I ooxos
jeWndcd on this proud, spoiled beauty, Uad not.
vbose dream now was to get away irom Day8 aftor tu;8 Eben( in an agony of
ncb aB he the common ioms arounu jeaious anguish, was compelled to accord
Larborougn. the stranger a great many other ad-
iinrlmra at eighteen had a great lOnff- I vantnrTAfi anil noinmnliolimonta TT
icg for the gay world of which she had r0lle well, was a good shot, talk'ep flu
.,1 in summer evenings when sitting PT,t!v aW.iio,l nrwaniiW nmi,...f.i
nnder tbe musky vines in the farm-house WOmen, and was Miss Leighton's most
porcb, or when lying amid the cowslips ardent admirer.
n the meadow, where, under a growing Eben foresaw all this, and vet once
weigui oi , iiu v"vu wnen tneir mingiod voices noated out to
brown hands in the capacity of help to his little den, he brought down a ham
Widow Leighton. Lben was as mar wrafli fall v
mneh part and parcel of the place as the nail Morning and night he saddled
crnmbling headstones in the little grave- and brought round horses for Barbara
wrd on the hill, where all the dead aml Mr. Key, and went away to his work
in the hot fields, while they were canter
ing down th 3 shady roads, and Mrs.
Leighton and Theo were beating eggs in
the buttery and getting up rare dishes
for tea. lhe letter had come from Now
Haven and Barbara had answered briefly
that she could not go until some time
later. She had never looked so animated
and beautiful as now. She rarely saw
Eben, sending him her requests by her
out of tho closot. and set to work.
1 was in the verv mi.lst of it when T
heard footsteps at the front door, and
airecuyit opened.
Tl ii i v i . . .
aii wus vnnney, i Know, for he hod a
latch-key and was accustomed to let him
self in. 1 lumpod to mv foot.
Chorley. and not a sicn of dinner?" T
eXClaimnd. "Hn ani.l lui irniil.lti't nnm.i
ino rntper nay io uii lour Threat. What can have broucht him?"
I fin.- i . ....
iuo auiiuii oi voices, as i stood listen
jealous," said Babara, with her old sau-ciness.
"I shall mend now fast enough but not
until you have promised toabido bv what
1 sav, my darling."
"I promise solemnly."
"Then we shall bo married to-morrow."
The soason for suicides will soon be
around. Readers of the newspapers, of
course, know that since lost season for
shuffling off we have had a suicide hero
and there, but they didn't come together
in a bunch like they occur along about
tms season of the year.
In view of the close approach of the
1.1 l - i ' ' i . .
ZXiKft T" ? '.'Yes, Charley, but you saidyou were
D U,DU.U(S nc( coming homo, oud
last week, not to interview him, but to Lvthinir for mvaelf.-
mg, assured mo of what Cbnrlov hiul
brought. Visitors, and I in such a
plight.
Charley came runninor un-stairs with
ins iaeo in a glow.
Why. why. little woman, what a all
this? f couldn't find you anywhere
uown-Btoirs.
Isn't it dinner tinio?"
WMons were lying. No one ever
dreamed of his going away; although his
merits were acknowledged, and it was
flbeerfully admitted that the boy had
miwn into a strong, handsome man,
ritb shrewd capacities as a financiered
turn for machinery. A great many at
the village had dropped into the habit of
addressing him lately as Mr. uexiord,
and Eben's muscles commanded respect,
He bad a little snuccery in the barn he
called bis workshop, where, at odd hours
on rainy days, he tinkered with lathes
and Diillcvs and edged tools. When his
farm work had been tidiod up and the
ows hod been milked and turned into
the green woodlands again, Eben shut
himself up m his workshop and pottered
over bis numerous inventions and
thought of what great possibilities might
hare been his if ho had been born somo
thine better than Mr. Leighton's farm
hand. He realized sensibly that there
were atilJ possibilities for him out yon
der beyond the dark line of elms and
firs which he could see from his study
window. But his benefactor hod died
and left all the tangled threads of his
affairs for young Hexford to nnravcl.and
lie could not have deserted Mrs. jjcigh
ton and tbe girls Barbara and Theo. It
would not havo been right or manly,
Things were going straight now, how'
ever, tbe farm was in a prosperous con
dition, and even an indifferent man
ager could have kept the wheols moving
which Lben had fixed in their places,
Bat Eben remained on the farm while
the seasons waxed and waned, and the
girls were growing into fine, tall young
women with restless yearnings for a
busier life than was to be had at Lar
borough
He bad expected that a girl so pretty
as Barbara wuiild be sometime leaving so
dull a place, but he nevertheless felt a
wild, savage pain at his heart, when he
learned that a letter had been sent to a
distant aunt to see if she would not look
after Barbara when she enjoyed the ad
vastagos of a finishing school for young
ladies. Tbe longest summer days would
iaue into short summer nights, and by
and-by, when the first yellow leaves
would be drotiDinor into nools and hoi
lows, Barbara would away perhaps for-
ver.
Eben was too much of a man to sigh,
ana too muscular to do without his sup
per, but he fell into tho habit of taking
jons walks alone, or of sitting under the
honeysuckles on the porch, where he
ould see the moon rise and where ho
could boar the young ladies singing
piamtive songs, accompanied by the
tracked strains of the old harpsichord in
uie uest room.
He had just plucked the first
'P'e of May, and, twirling it
wonghtfully in his fingers as he strolled
down tho garden path to his workshop,
hen be heard tho breezy flutter of a
uMin roue and a light footfall behind
him on the gravel walk. His hand
dropped to his side. It was Theo who
e rapidly after him swinging a white
-uu-oonnet uy one string
liieo was a saucy, petulant, provoking
voting person of sixteen, whose pranks
sister, and Eben went on at his inven- pie, answered
offer him some suiwostions.
He stated that his heart went out in
sympathy to the unfortunates whom the
fates have docreed shall oiler themselves
soon on the suicidal altar. "This," said
he, "is tho reason why I wanted to have
a chat with a reporter." After quite a
train of other apologetic remarks for
taking up the scribe's important mo
ments. the doctor questioned him
whether he had ever triod to saw his own
neck opon, The scribe not being able to
recall ev
I didn't want
Well I I wasn't. But who do you
.i . ,
tuinK i met?
I don't know, I'm sure."
It was Linton and his wife. They
were on their way to the hotel, but of
course 1 won Id n t allow that. I mst
urouRUt em homo with mo to dinner.
I havo no doubt there was a spice of
irony in the tono in which I answered,
calmy:
Yes, I see you did. Well I hope
also remembered to stop at the
tions feeling as if every blow of his chisel
drove out a piece of his heart's core.
And, although he would have scorned
the idea, Eben hod grown wonderfully
haggard and pale with great dark circles
under his eyes sinco Dr. Ormsby had in
troduced Edgar Ney to the Leightons.
He took little pride in the knowledge
that he was the better man of the two,
but he did know that he could crush Ney
with one hand into a limp, shapeless
mass, ftud ho wondered sometimes why
he did not. One day he was seized with
a ht of trembling, fie was pruning a
pear tree when he looked up and Barbara
stood before him, iu her habit, switching
at the mottled butterflies that fluttered
on the hollyhocks, and around Eben's
brown hands.
"How pale and ill you look. Eben." It
was tho least she could say, and it was
the truth. Eben's heart beat madly for
a moment and then went on slowly.
I am not one to get ill, Miss Burbara;
I am not browned so much as usual, perhaps."
His "Miss Barbara sounded oddly,
and his looks belied his words. She
looked down at tbe ground and said
norvously:
"I hope you will not argue with mo
this morning, Eben, but I've set my
heart on riding the colt, Tarn 0 'Shunter,
to the falls. I am not in the least
afraid."
"But I am," said Ebnor, calmly. "I
cannot permit you to risk your life with
that vicious colt."
"Mr. Ney will take care of his vicious-
ncss, isarbara answered, a triilo inso
lently.
"Mr. Ney may ride O'Shantcr and wel
come, but 1 cannot consent for you to.
"Then I must do it without your con
sent. Be so kind as to have the colt
around in a quarter of an hour."
rer having cross-cuttod his thrap- U0? iS. leK,mbe'ed. to stoP.ftt
wered in the negative. butcher s, and send m something
for
"W ell," resumed the doctor, pathcti
cally, "You have heard of many a poor
follow who has. Many have succeeded,
and many others have made a botch job
oi ii. i nave never tried to sever my own
i...i t'... i ii-i a i.
, luuyilic, UUD i VI! UUl'U cituuu io sow w
ii ... ii ... .
geuier uie windpipes of a good many
others since I've been in the saw-bones
business, and I've often remarked, and
I 'spose you've done the same, that the
majority of folks who 'stick' themselves
need some instructions before attempt
ing it. They ought to visit the slauirh
ter houses, for instance, and watch the
butchers opening pigs' throats, or else it
wouldnt hurt them to procure the
'stiff of a pauper from the Foor Board
and carve the meat off his neck and see
how a fellow's constructed around thoro,
Throat-cutting is like most other things;
mere s a ngnt and wrong way of doing
it, and people who take that dodge of
putting on the angel plumage usually
get noia oi tue wrong way. ion seo
when a person goes to run tho sharp
edge of a knife across his throat it is the
natural thing for him to throw up his
chin, thus stretching his neck, and the
muscles and ligaments and nerves (here
the informant used a lot of jaw-breakers,
which we have left out through respect
for our readers) are so put together tiiero
that the stretching adds agony to the
pain. The blade only gets in far enough
to give the papers a sensation, and then
the poor fellow usually profors to bear
the ills he has than fly to others that he
kuowsnot of. If a man must cut his
throat let him borrow a sharp razor from
the nearest German barber or colored
man, if he isn't rich enough to own one
himself, and slit open his anterior jugu
lar. He can't miss it if ho cuts any sort
of a respectable gash on either side of
the windpipe. A fellow can shuffle, sure
pop, every time if he follows these direc
them to ent."
"Well, I declare, little woman. I for
got; tne imtciicr. uut 1 dare say yon
can scare up something. Uulv hurry
for they've only an hour or so to spare
lliey re on again this evening.
1 Knew it was no use to say to a
man, " hy duln t you send me word?
It wouldn't teach him to send it noxt
time. So 1 only said:
Well, go down aud entertain them
and I'll come as soon as I can cbango my
dress.
Charley obeyed, and I hurriodly
dressed, not in tho oleasautost mood.
lliey were old friends of Charley i
and I had looked forward to meeting
them with pleasure, but 1 know Mrs.
Liston was quoted as tho very pattern of
all pattern housekeepers, never Hurried
or put out by anything.
I knew, too, that she had means and
servants at her command, while I had
neither, and dreaded to receive her in
such a manner, more than I could tell,
many a suffering sister will readily
comprehend.
V hat with my hasty dressing, I know
my cheeks wcro Hushed, and my hair
tumbled. But it was too late to wait, so
I ran down, and stood lire during the
introductions as well as I could, quite
conscious that instead of appearing my
best I was appearing my worst, as even
Charley could see
As soon as possiblo 1 excused myself,
saying, by way of apology, that I was not
expecting Charloy, and must prepare
dinner in hasto,
"Bray, don't put yourself to any trou
ble " said Mrs. Liston, politely
'It is no trouble at all. I as politely
replied, feeling as I went to tho kitchen,
that that small speech was at least a Mb,
aroma which reached my nostrils, that,
uiuiiku luieruoio, ii was not nearly as
good as usual, for in my haste I had
made it too weak.
I was specially mortified at this, ' as
prided myself on my good coffee.
i will not apologize," I thought
iruuuijr. i
But my prido foil the next instant,
when Charley, having tasted his, inade a
queer face, and thon tasted again.
"Why, Lizzie, what ails your coffeo?"
he askod.
Tears of mortification rushed into mv
eyes, but Liston said, kindly:
"Tut, tut, there aro worso things than
weak things in this big world."
Of courso, as I had no servant, I was
obliged to remove tho plates and bring on
the desert myself.
This, at least, was nico. But when I
went into the pantry I barely suppressed
a scream of horror.
Mrs. Dean's big gray cat had iumuod
into the window and was contentedly
urn iii'iiing my ciiko.
With frantio haste I dashed hor off,
and roscuod what was left.
Onlv six thin liirln aliinu. Tlmv
looked so forlorn in that big basket
that I would not put them on it in that
way.
I consigned them to a small glass dish
and, without a word of apology, put
inem upon tno table; ror my blood was
up now, and I vowed I would apologize
no moro.
Tho apples wero nico, and we fluished
on them as well as wo could.
For my sako, Charloy tried to appear
very gay, but 1 saw he was more deeply
mortified, aud I did not pity him half as
mncii as l might.
I think I as quite excusable when
said to him after that dreadful dinner
was ovor and our guests were gono.
"Charley, if you ever bring company
again without letting mo know first, I'll
novor forgive you. And I'll ordor dinnor
from tho nearest restaurant, and loav
you the bill to pav."
But that stupid Charley "can' see why
ii need worry me.
He Wanted to Trade.
Somo days sinco, a farmer's wuijon
containing father, mother, son, and
two or throo neighbors, drovo up to
u oodward avenue stationer a and
tho son went in and bought tho puz
zlo known ns "15." Evon before tho
wagon drovo off tho old man hud tho
cover off tho box and was working
nway like nn ongino to boIvo tho
thing. Yesterday tho son roturnod
with the box in his pocket. Ho hud
a black eye and un awful loncsomo
look, and when ho camo to bo waited
on ho said:
"You know you sold mo this puz-
zlo tho other any r
"Yes, I gucBS wo did."
"Well, wo hadn't got a milo out o'
town Toro dud and a neighbor pulled
hair over it. W hilo 1 wan doing up
tho chores dud and mam called each
other choats. After supper wo had a
regular throo cornor tight, and tho
old man got his thumb unjointod and
wont to bod. Mum and I sot up unti
sho hit mo with a stick of wood, and
then I went to bod. Sho sot up alono
till she got mad und drovo tho cat
out of doors and upsot Iho lamp. Do
you hear?"
Yes."
Well, next morning I caught dud
cheating, aud wo had u little shindy
Thon ho caught mam cheating, and
tbey had a shindy, lben tho over
seer ot highways cumo alone and
worked ut it hulf a day, and ho and
I got into a row and ho blacked tny
eyo. We took it to a bam raising and
tho crowd hud au awful fight. Wo
took it to a dance and both fiddlers
wore almost killed. It has boon
kicked ovor tho houso, flung down
tho well und jumped on in tho
middle of tho road, and now I camo
iu to see if 1 couldn't swap it for
A Relic of Columbus.
for I was almost at my wit's end to know something elso. I guess itB a sort of
Eben finished his pear tree and went ti?n,s' V". "e shouldn't hoist the chin up
.. . . l w it a iliiniT it "
into the shod to wash his hands of blood. " . .
aaa wliiuis had often tried Ebon s tem
per sorely having him stop the harvest
"St o saddle llulof, her pony, or meddle
'th bis tools and upset his newest in
vention. But Theo's eyes wero such a
Jovel? blue i.nd her smile so bewitching
Eben had not the heart to scold, be
des be had humored her in all her wil
"uness himself, and there was the faint
' resemblance to Barbara in the brow
j dimpled chin which tied him hand
and foot.
"Ob.
W'oveting the rose and stretching out her
r'up little hand. "Is it for me?"
H" said Eben rather gruffly. "I've
". an eye on this bud for some time. I
Botice.1 W t,i tv,i :
e condition. You will have a cluster
A tllOm liu .! f
(t, aj uwy uiicr wajiuiiuw .
you old stingy, 1 suppose you
He had cut himself to the bone. Bar
bara and Ney sat on the porch reading
from tho "I'rincess, when the horses
appeared. The colt shcried and reared
when Barbara sprang lightly in her sad
dle. An admirable horsewoman, she
held her own finely, and Eben stood as if
rooted to the ground until a turn in the
road hid them from sight, then like a
deer he set off down a footway toward
where tho railway crossed the road as
with horror he romembered -that
the morning express would come
down in ten minutes. Tho rider
had stontied by the wav to nermit Mr.
Ney to dismount and gather the first car
dinals for Barbara. As they trotted
sharply down the road, the roar of the
train was heard just beyond the curve.
Maddenod with terror the wild, young
horse Barbara rode reared, plunged and
sprang away from the other horse and
darted down the cut toward the train.
With a hoarse shout to "sit firm" Eben
rushed out from the copse and flung
himself under his hoofs. He caught the
bit in his hands and pulled the colt on
his haunches, and then a violent kick
made him drop like a log. Some wood-
choppers came to the rescue, and as they
luted .Barbara on the tram thundered bv.
Eben was picked up for dead, and even
Mr. Ney declared he was a "brave fel
low."
In an agony of grief and remorse Bar
bara hung near him all those tedious
days, when Eben's mind wandered and
he muttered troubled, incoherent sen
tences, in which, poor fellow, he told all
his hopes and fears. He was now indeed
ininKing tue pnysicians idea may
assist some poor creature "who struts
and frets his weary hour upon the
stage, and wishes to make his bow, to
shuffle, the writer subjects it respect
luny to tne consideration of tho public
Pittsburg Leader.
French Heels.
ln t mind running down to the mail for haggard and ghostly pale, with an ugly
i lorgot what Barbara asked mo to car in his left temple, and hi;
scolding from
Bab crossed in
see
na 1 shall tret a
Jamma, who can't havo
-"Tilling, you know." .
,. I shall have to bo down and
anson about the wagon gear anyway to
,ind 1 can i8t M wel1 BtoP at he
-effiee. Is it the letter from from
Haven?" And Eben verj thought-
"a'j bit Off thn loovo. ,.f tl.a rr -n,l
jjjgled them with hia itrong white
. it Vft a M V. TT..A
y t-benwM charged to bring op new
el nl wme Dink aewiniz-silk and
w
his bands lay
weak and nerveless on the coverlet. The
first moment of sanity and consciousness
which came made him sigh and wish that
he had remained oblivions to life and its
miseries, it was Uarbara who leaned on
him with her great brown eyes filled with
tears.
"Oh, Eben; how can yon bear to look
at me? Y'ou can never forgive me!"
"Yon would not say that if yon knew
what is in my heart."
"Can you not tell me, Eben? I am so
wretched."
"Iam lorry for that; I must not tell
I saw a tall, stately and elegant lady
on ner way down uroauway. ttiio was
dressed faultlessly, judging by tho
standard of present fashions, and was
an object of interest and scrutiny as she
moved through the feminine crowd. She
looked as unconscious as anybody whose
heart was bounding with the knowledge
that her clothes were being admired.
Her gait was easy, even and graceful,
until, all of a sudden, she stopped, and
in a flash grew two inches shorter. This
shortening of her stature startled me.
She rocked for a few seconds Like a ship
in a snort sea, and then righted herself,
rose to her former height, and passed on.
What could it mean ? I hail not been
1 r i . .1 i .
iieceiveu as 10 xne lessening oi her
length, for her dress, now as before,
cleared the sidewalk on which it rested
during her brief dwarfugo. Determined
to solve the mystery, I followed hor un
til precisely the some thing haptwnod
again; and that time I saw tho simple
cause of tho astonishing effect. Fash
ionable shoes are now made with higher
heels than ever, and tbe heels of the
shoes are placed so forward that the
heols of the wearer project rearward. In
fact, these French heels, as they are
called, are now pnt as near the middle of
the foot as possible and not destroy the
center of gravity. To walk on them is
difficult, and without practice is as dan
gerous as skating to a novice, but the
ladies learn after a while to manage
them very well. In the case of this par
ticular Lady, however, the heels were so
near the counterpoising sjwt that she
was about evenly balanced on them, and
no exercise of skill could save her from
occasionally tipping back on them. They
did not overturn ber, but it let her own
real heels down on the ground, while
her toes pointed skyward, and her
stature was shortened by just the height
of the French heels. A. Y. Lttte
what to do,
A happy thought struck mo,
Oysters!
A regular dinner was not to be thought
of, but most people wore very fond of
oysters. I knew Charley was, and 1
could prepare them well.
They wero to be had opposite, aid I
was not long in getting them either.
I bethought myself of half a cake
which I luckily had. That nicely sliced,
in my silver cuke basket, would answer
for dessert, with some apples, winch 1
bought with the oysters.
Iteally, I should not do so badly for
an impromptu occasion.
My spirits rose as I set tho table, adorn
ing it with a cluster of fresh chrysan
themums, and with what glass and silver
I possessed, so that it looked very neat
and pretty.
That, at least, Mrs. Liston could not
find any fault with, even if sho were dis
posed to do so.
, Charley had said hurry, and hurry I
UHl. An speeuuy as iioshiuiu i una
everything ready on the tablo and the
dessert arranged on a shelf by the open
pantry window, so that I could put it on
at once.
Tired, flushed, nervous, and doing my
best not to look cross, I went to tho par
lor, where they were chatting gayly, and
announced dinner.
Then that awkward Charley must
put his foot into it, man-fashion, by
saying:
"My little wife is a famous cook. I
hojie you have a good appetite."
Indeed 1 have.- Iraveling always
makes me hungry," replied Mr. Liston,
rising.
I made some laughing reply, and led
tbe way to my little dinner.
"Ah, oysters! my favorites, said Mr.
Liston.
I was glad to hear that, but my heart
sank when Mrs. Liston declined to take
any, saying she never ate them.
"I am sorry," I said, flushing. "But
I will poach you a couple of eggs."
By no means, said she, pleasantly.
"I shall do very well with one of these
rolls and a cup of coffee."
And when I insisted, she was obliged
to say that she never ate eggs.
I was at a loss what to propose then.
so I ceased to press the matter. Mean-
hile I had poured the coffee.
I handed the cups, but I knew by the
dundy-raisor anyhow, und I guess, if
you don t coro very much, 1 II let
you tuko it back and I'll tako a
telephone in its nluco. Detroit I ret
Press.
Natural Conhkouence. A colorod
man pleaded his own caso with marked
success in Dallas, Texus, a week ago. Ho
was accused of a crime as grave as mur
der, and had been convicted. The judge
denied the motion for a new trial, aud
asked tbe customary question, "Have
you anything to say why sontence should
not be pronounced.' The prisoner re
sponded that ho knew nothing ho could
say would influence the court, as ill tbe
forms of law had been observed, but ho
would like to say a few words to his col
orod friends. Ho started off slowly and
deliberately, reviewing the testimony,
showing tho inconsistencies of witnesses'
statements, and thon, carried away with
tbe idea of the wrong dono him, ho burst
forth in a strain of eloquence seldom
heard. When he sat down the judge
said: "Ham, I thought yon guilty; I do
not believe so now, and will set aside the
judgment overruling yonr motion for a
new trial, and give you another chance."
Tbe county attorney dismissed tho case
and the prisoner walked out of the court
room a free man. Ho was a "common
field hand," the local paper said, "and
uneducated."
A Gooi Letter. The best of all
letters is that which conveys the most
information in the fewest possible words.
A luck of spontaneity destroys the charm
of a letter. Ladies have two favorite
epistolary manias in their ordinary
correspondence, namely, writing across
lines and indulging in postcripts, to say
nothing of their most universal practice
of underlining words this is a confes
sion of weakness. Among celebrated
letters is a brief one which occurs to ns,
while we write, from the pen of the
Italian poet, Politian, to a friend. "I
had a great grief, and I have a great joy
because you were sick, and because
you have recovered." How brief and
Low significant! This letter stands as a
model to all letter-writem.
Tho Moniteur of Martinique prints
an interesting story about the find,
ing of an anchor belong to the ship
upon which Christopher Columbus
sailed on his third voyage of discov
ery to tho Now World. On the
night of August 1, 1198, says tho
Moniteur, tho small fleet hud como to
an anchor at tbo southwestern ex.
tremity of the Island of Trinidad, to
which tho navigator hud given tho
namo of Arenas Point. Washington
Irving relates that Columbus, who
was a very poor sleeper, suddenly
hoard a frightful noise, apparently
coming from the south, liushing on
deck, ho saw rolling toward him a
wave as hugo as a mountain, which
threatened to submergo tho fleet.
All hands thought, their lust hour
had come; but the only dunmgo sus
tained was the loss of ono of the an
chors of tho Admiral's ship. Tho
big wavo was caused by the sudden
swelling of one of tho rivers that
empty their waters into the Gulf of
Turin, tho existence of which was
unknown to tbo discoverer. Tho in
cident is mentioned in tho narrative
ofthevoyago bequeathed to us by
Kcrdinando, Columbus son. This
historical anchor has been found, af
tor all these centuries, by Senor
Agostino, tho owner of Arenas l'oint.
It weighs 1100 pounds, and is of de
cidedly primitivo form. Senor Agos
tino found it whilo making Borne ex
cavations in his garden. This garden,
upon careful examination, appears to
occupy tho prociso spot whero rodo
tho ships of tho great marinor in
1498. Tho finder ut thst took his
trensuro trovo for u l'liuuiician an
chor, but upon attentive examination
he found the ditto of 1497 on tho
stock.
Hotel Mysteries.
"Why is it,," askod the man with the
Bamplo case, "that at tho average hotel,
the shortest man is always sot down at
tho cud of the tablo where thore is noth
ing, and whore he can reach nothing
elso?"
"And why," askod the sail possonaror.
is tbo waiter always fluttering over some
deliberate, fussy old gormand, who is
going to stop ovor throe days anyhow,
when you havo only fifteen minutes, and
then have to run for your train?" ,
"And why, askod tho tall, thin pass
enger, "is the black pepper cruet always
in the castor on tho next table?"
"And why is it empty when yon got
it?" askod tl ne cross passenger.
"And why," askod the fat passongor,
"do two young marriod people who sit
opposite you always stop eating and
gazo ot vou with such Pitiful renroach-
fulness evory time you look at thorn?"
"And why, askod the brakoman com
ing in to light the lumps, "doesn't tho
hash shave?"
"And why." suddenly said the woman
who talks bass, "don't tho men ever talk
sonso?
Tho poacoful silenco camo drifting into
the car, noiselessly as a Fundy fog, until
the car was full of it. And those ques
tions are unanswered conundrums evon
unto this day, especially the last ono.
liunington llavaktye.
Doos and the Weatheb. Dogs are I
not without their weather lore. Thus,
when thev eat crass it is a sign of rain:
if tboy roll on tbe ground and scratch, or
bocomo drowsy and stupid, a chango in
tbo weather may be expected. As, in
deed, in the case of a cat, most of their
turnings and twistings are supposed to
be prognostications of something. There
are unmorons othor ltoms of folk-loro
oonnoctod with tho dog to which we only
incidentally allude. Thus in Ireland it
is considered unlucky to meet a barking
dog early in the morning, and on tho
othor hand, just as fortunate for one to
enter a house early in tho day. Tboy
are commonly said to possess a wonder
ful instinct for discerning character.
generally avoiding ill-temporod persons,
and making friends with any stranger
who happens to be of a kind and cheer
ful disposition. The life of a dog is
sometimes said to be bound up with that
of his master or mistress. When either
dies the other cannot live. It is curious
that this faithful companion of man
should havo become a term of reproach.
and bo used by most of our old writers.
Thus we find various phrases such as
'dog-bolt, ' "dog s faco," "dog s Ioaebr
'dog-trick," etc., all of which wero
intended to convey the idea of contempt.
In days gono by it was a common prac
tice in tho country houso for tbo dog to
turn tho spit at the kitchon fire, a cus
tom which is described by Dr. Cains,
itinder of tho col lego at Cambridge
which bears his name.
Cheat Telescopes. In Europe one of
the strongest rofracting telescopes in tho
world is ono recently constructed in
England, having an object glass 25
inches in diameter. If used when the
air is puro it bears a power of 3,000 on
tbe moon; in other words, the moon
seen through it apicars as it would wero
J.lHXl times nearer to ns, or at a dis
tance of 80 miles instead of 240,000. At
the l'ulkowa Observatory, in Itussia, tbe
telescope has 15 inchos aperture this
being the famous instrument used by
Ktruve. The largest reflecting teloscope
in the world is one constructed by Lord -Kosso
at Louth, Ireland. Its mirror is
six feet iu diameter, and weighs four
tons. Tho tube at the bottom of which
it is placed is fifty-two feet long aud
seven feet across. It is computed that
when this instrument is used 250,000
times as much light from a heavenly
body is collected as reaches the naked
eye. At Malta, Lassel'a instrument has
an aperture of four feet. There is also a
huge telescope in Australia, at Mel
bourne, and another at Cordova, in the
Argentine Republic, the latter having an
aperture of iy, feet. At the Imperial
Observatory, I'aris, tbe telescope is of
inches aperture, and at Munich 11
inches. There are also scores of other
telescopes of less aperture in Europe,
yet of no small service in the great field
of investigation to which they are de-
Trying to do business without adver-1 voted. I Troy Times.
Using is like winking at a person in tb
dark. You may know what you are do-1 The days are growing longer, but tbejr
ing, but nobody else does. 1 don't show that way on a note.