iiiiraitiii
a ctorv of American Frontier
A 1 Life.
BjOipu CHARLES KIH8, O.aA,
-.r'TVCooasfsAtaiioatsr," "Vem
, 4etiil IM Of J B LlpplnooU Company
ItaJeiplit. and published by special arraoK
Jruuj-b Americas fnm AmocUuIus.
CHAPTER L
T WAS nearly midnight, and
still the gay party lingered on
the veranda. There liad been
I fortnight of "getting settled" at the
Mw post, preceded by a month of march
lug that had brought the battalion from
distant service to this strange Texan sta
tion. The new comers had been hospita
bly welcomed by the officers of the little
prrison of infantry, and now, in recog
nition of their many courtesies, the field
officer commanding the arriving troops
had been entertaining the resident olil
oen and ladies at dinner. The colonel
vat s host in himself, but preferred not
lo draw too heavily on his reserves of
anecdote and small talk, so he had called
in two of his subalterns to assist in the
pleasant duty of being attentive to the
infantry Indies, and just now, at 11:43 p.
Hi., he was wondering if Lieut Perry
had not too literally construed his in
functions, for that young gentleman
was devoting Minn-lf to Mrs. Belknap in
I manner so murked us to make the cap
tain, her lawful lord and master, mani
festly uneasy.
lire, Bclknnp, however, seemed to en
Joy the situation immensely. She was
i pretty woman at most times, as even
her rivals admitted. She was a beauti
ful woman nl all times, was the verdict
of the officers of the regiment when they
happened to 8eak of the matter among
themselves She was dark, with lus
trous eyes and sweeping lashes, with
coral lips and much luxuriance of tress,
and a way of glancing sideways from
under her heavily fringed eyelids that
the younger and more impressionable
oien found tuite irresistible when ac
corded the rare luxury of a tete-a-tete.
Belknap wns a big and boisterous man;
Mrs. Belknap waa small in stature, and
soft very soft of voice. Belknap was
either brusquely repellent or oppressively
cordial in manner; Mrs. Belknap was
either gently and exasperatingly indif
ferent to those whom she did not care to
attract, or caressingly sweet to those
whose attentions she desired.
In their own regiment the young offi
cers soon found that unless they wished
to be involved in an unpleasantness with
Belknap it was best to be only very mod
erately devoted to his pretty wife, and
those to whom an unpleasantness with
the big captain might have had no ter
rors of consequence were deterred by
(lie fact that Mrs. Belknap's devotee
among the "youngsters" had invariably
become an object of coldness and aver
lion to the other dames and damsels of
the garrison. Very short lived, there
fore, had been the little flirtations that
prang up from time to time in those
frontier posts wherein Capt and Mrs.
Belknap were among the chief orna
ments of society; but now matters
Kerned to be taking other shape. From
Hie very day that handsome Ned Perry
dismounted In front of Belknap's quar
ters and with his soldiery salute reported
lo the then commanding officer that CoL
Brainard and bis battalion of cavalry
ould arrive In the course of two or
three hours, Mrs. Belknap had evinced a
contentment in his society and assumed
in air of quasi-proprietorship that served
to annoy her garrison sisters more than
h'ttla For the time being all the cav
alrymen were bachelors, eirlier by ac
tual rank or "by brevet," aa none of the
Jies of the th accompanied the bat
talion on its march, and none were ex
pected until the stations of the regiment
in its new department had been definite
ly settled. The post surgeon, too, was
living a life of single blessedness aa the
arly spring wore on, for his good wife
tad betaken herself, with the children,
to the distant east aa soon aa the disap
pearance of the winter's snows rendered
"aging over the bard prairie roads a
natter of no great danger or discomfort
It was the doctor himself who, seated
an easy chair at the end of the ve
mda, first cane,i the coiner, attention
to Perry's devotioual attitude at Mrs.
Belknap's side. Site waa reclining in a
hammock, one little, slippered foot occa
sionally touching the floor and impart
fog a gentle, swinging motion to the
"fair, and making a soothing ewish
isb of skirts along the matting under
Math. Her jeweled hands looked very
lender and fragile and white as they
8'eanied in the soft light that shone
from the open windows of the parlor.
Vy were busied In straightening out
" kinks in the gold cord of his forage
jP and in rearranging a little silken
aid and tassel that waa fastened in a
elunuy, man like fashion to one of the
buttons at the side; he, seated in a camp
j-wir, was bending forward so that his
handsome, shapely head waa only a
higher than hers, and the two
so dark and rich in coloring, his
10 'air and massive and strong came
ttb' too close together for the equa
nimity of Capt Belknap, who had es
yed to Like a hand at whist in the par
lor. 0" or two of the ladle, also," were
jwnt observers of the scene silent as to
a scene because, being in conversation
J Oietime with brother officers of Lieut
errT. they were uncertain as yet how
nnientaon his growing flirtation might
received That their eyes should oo
Midly w ander towards the hammock
lllfn 8lancB witn sympathetic sig
'Bcance at those of some fair ally and
wttmate was natural enough. But w ben
hecame presently apparent that Mrs
.. knap was actually unfastening the
silken braid that bad hung on Ned
'T's cap ever since the dsy of his ar-J-U
the while, too, looking shyly
"P ia bisjs aa her. fingers worked,
hen It was seen that ...v.. ...
hil',fr:Ml" buttndlln. half
; " " "" nanueo It to him; when
he was seen to ton It carelessly-even
contemptuously., ,, t)cn
down ower. as though gazing into her
haded eyes. Mrs Lawrence could stand
It no longer
"Mr Oralmm." said she, "Isn't your
friend. Mr Perry, something of a flirt?"
"VI,o?-Nedr asked Mr. Graham, in
eu icignea amaze and with sudden
glance towards the object of his Inquiry.
How on earth should 1 know anvthing
about It? Of course you do not seek ex
pert testimony in asking ma Ue tries, 1
supone. to adapt himself to circum
stances. But why do you ask?"
, "Because I see that he has been Induc
ing Mrs Vlknap to take off that little
tassel on the button of his cap Ue has
worn it when off duty ever since he
came; and we supposed it was something
he cherished; I know she did."
Graham broke forth in a peal of merry
laughter, but gave no further reply, for
just then the colonel and the doctor left
their chairs, and, sauntering over to the
hammock, brought mighty relief to Bel
knap at the whist table and vexation of
spirit to his pretty wife. The flirtation
was broken at a most Interesting point,
and Perry, rising suddenly, came over
and joined Mrs. Lawrence,
If she expected to see him piqued or
annoyed at the Interruption and some
what perturbed in manner, she was
greatly mistaken. Nothing could have
been more sunshiny and jovial than the
greeting he gat e her. A laughing apol
ogy to Graham for spoiling his tete-a-tete
was accomplished In a moment, and
theu down by her side he sat and plunged
Into a merry description of his experi
ences at dinner, where he had been
placed next to the chaplain's wife on the
i one hand, and she had been properly ae-
grieved at his attentions to Mrs. Belknap
on the other.
I "You must remember that Mrs. Wells
Is a very strict Presbyterian, Mr. Perry;
and, for that matter, none of us have
seen a dinner such as the colonel gave us
this evening for ever and ever so long.
I We are quite unused to the ways of
I PI VI 1 i 7!l t illll ' n'haniaa pni. tin !..,. A
- ... niiMviMjim iia.g jus, WUIUV
from the east and long leave. Perhaps
it ia the fashion to be all devotion to
one's next door neighbor at dinner."
"Not if she be as repellent and vener
able as Mrs. Wells, I assure you. Why,
I thought she would have been glad to
leave the table when, after having re
fused sherry and Pontet-Canet for up
wards of an hour, her glass was filled
with champagne when she happened to
be looking the other way."
"It is the first dinner of the kind she
has ever seen here, Mr. Perry, and I
don't suppose either Mr. or Mrs. Wells
has been up so late before in years, lie
would have enjoyed staying and watch
ing whist, but she carried him off almost
as soon as we left the table. Our society
has been very dull, you know only otr
selves at the post all this last year, and
nobody outside of it"
"One would suppose that with all this
magnificent cattle range there would be
some congenial people ranching near
you Are there none at all?"
"Absolutely nonet There are some
ranches down in the Washita country,
but only one fine one near us; and that
might as well be on the other aide of tin
Atlantic. No one from there evei
comes here; and Dr. Quin is the only
living soul in the garrison who ever gol
within the walls of that ranch. What
he saw there he positively refuses to tell
despite all our entreaty."
"You don't tell me there's a ranch
with a mystery here near Rossiterr ex
claimed Mr. Perry, with sudden interest
"Why, I do, indeed! Ia it possible
you have been here two whole weeki
and haven't heard of Dunraven Ranch?
"I've heard there was such a thing; 1
saw it from a distance when out hunting
the other day. But what's the mystery
what's the matter with it?"
"That's what we all want to know
and cannot find out New, there Is ai
exploit worthy your energy and beal
efforts, Mr. Perry. There ia a big
wealthy, well stocked ranch, the finest
homestead buildings, we are told, in al
this part of Texas. They say it is beau
tifully furnished that it has a fim
library, a grand piano, all manner ol
things indicative of culture and refine
ment among its occupants but the own
er only comes around once or twice I
year, and is an iceberg of an English
man. All the people about the rand
are English, too, and the most repellent,
boorish, discourteous lot of men you evei
saw. When the Eldventh were hen
they did everything they could to bt
civil to them, but not an invitation
would they accept, not one would thej
extend; and so from that day to thii
none of the officers have had any inter
course with the people at the ranch, and
the soldiers know very little more. One
or twice a year some very ordinary look
ing men arrive who are said to be very
distinguished eople-in England; bui
they remain only a little while, and g
away as suddenly as they came,"
And you have never seen any
them?"
"Never, except at a distance, Hoi
has any one of the officers, except Dr.
"And you have never heard anythinj
about the inmates and why they keei
up this policy of exclusivenessT
We have heard all manner of thingi
-some of them wildly romantic, somi
mysteriously tragic, and all of them
probably, absurd. At all events, Cap!
Lawrence has told me he did not wish
rue to repeat what I had heard, or to be
concerned in any way with the stories
afloat; so you must ask somebody else.
Try the doctor. To change the subject
Mr Perry, I see you have lost that mys
terious little silken braid and tassel you
wore on your cap button. I fancied
there waa some romance attached to it
and now it is gone."
Perry laughed, his blue eyes twinkling
with fun: "If I wi" I" 7" hw,M?
where I got that tassel, will you tell me
what you have beard about Dunraven
Ranch?'
"I cannot, unless Capt Uwrence
withdraws his prohibition. Perhaps he
will, though, for I ihink1itwMOn f
cause he was tired of bearing ali our
conjectures and theories."
- Well will you tell me if I can Induce
the captain to say be has no objectionT
'TwM tomorrow-lf you will tell me
about the tassel to-night"
-Is it a positive promise? You sriD Vd
me to-morrow all you have heard about
Dunraven Ranch if I will tell you to
night all 1 know about the tastelT
"Yes a promise." ..-,
-Very well then. Yon are a witness
to the compact Graham, how for my
confession II have worn ttalj u-el-
teV our MrtiM bail
Unit hi lo say. it has been fastened to
thai hutton ever since the ball until to
night, but I've been mighty careful not
fl wear that cap on any kind of duly.
"And yet you let Mr Belknap take ii
off to-nlghtf"
"Why shouldn't I? There was no
sentiment whatever attached to it I
haven't the fuintest Idea whose it was.
and only tied it there for the fun of the
thing and to make Graham, here, ak
questions."
"Mr. Perry!" gasped Mrs. Lawrence.
And do you mean that Mrs. Belknap
knows that you told her what you have
jut told me?"
" Well, no," laughed Perry "I fancy
Mrs Belknap thinks as you thought
that It was a gaged'amour. Hallo! look
it that light away out there across the
prairie. What can that be?"
Mrs. Lawrence rose suddenly to hei
feel and gazed southeastward in the di
vet ion in which Hie young officer point
id. It was a lovely, starlit night. A
ofl wind was blowing gently from the
south and bearing with it the fragrance
if spring blossoms and far away flower
Is. Others, too, hud arisen, attracted
liy Perry's sudden exclamation. Mrs
Belknap turned languidly in her ham
mock and glanced over her pretty white
houlder The colonel followed her eyes
with his and gave a start of surprise.
The doctor turned alowly and composed
ly and looked silently towards the glis
tening object, and then uHn the officers
of the cavalry there fell sudden astonish
ment.
"What on earth coild that have lieen?"
sked the colonel "It gleamed like the
head light of a locomotive, a way down
there in the valley of the Monee. flion
audilenly went out."
"Be silent a moment and watch,'
whispered Mrs Lawrence to Perry
You will see it again, and watch the
doctor."
Surely enough, even as they were all
looking aUuil nnd commenting on the
strange apparition, it suddenly gtarod
forth a second time, shining full and lus
trous as an unclouded planet, yet miles
away lieyond and above the fringe of
cotton woods that wound southeastward
with the little stream Full half a min
ute it shone, and then, abruptly as be
fore, was hidden from sight
Perry was about starting forward to
join the colonel whun a little hand was
laid upon his arm.
"Wait; once more you'll see It," she
whispered "Then take me in to Capt.
Lawrence Do you see that the doctoi
is Icavin .-?"
Without saying a word to any one, the
post surgeon had very quietly withdrawn
from the group on the veranda. He
cffiild not well leave by the front gnte
without attracting attention; but he
it rolled leisurely into the hall, took up
a book that lay on the table, and passed
through the group of officers seated
smoking and chatting there, entered the
sitting room on the south side of the
hull tho side opposite the parlor where
the whist game was In progress and
there he was lost to sight
A tlitrd (hue Die Drfghl light bunt
upon the view of the gazers. A third
time, sharply and suddenly, It disap
peared. Then for a moment all was
silence and watchfulness; but it came no
more.
Perry looked questlonlngly In his com
panion's f.ue. She had turned a little
white, and he felt sure that she was
shivering.
'Are you cold?" he asked her, gently
"No not that; but I hate mysteries
after what I've heard, and we haven't
seen that light in ever so long. Come
hero to the corner one moment" And
she led him around to the other fl 'nk of
the big wooden, barrack like residence of
the commanding officer.
"Look up there," she said, pointing to
a dark window under the peaked dormer
roof of the large cottage to the south
'That is the doctor's house,"
In a few seconds a taint gleam seemed
to creep through the sluts. Then the
slats themselves were thrown wide open
a white shade was lowered, and, with
the rays behind it growing brighter ev
ery instant, a broad while light shone
forth over the roof or tlie veranda. An
other moment and footsteps were heard
along the doctor's porch, footsteps thai
presently approached them along the
grass.
'Come," she said, plucking at bis
sleeve, "come away; It is the doctor."
"For what reason? he answered.
"That would seem like hiding. No, Mrs
Lawrence, let us stay until he comes."
But the doctor passed them with brief
and courteous salutation; 8oke of the
beauty of the night and the balm of the
summery air. ami went in again by the
main dxr to the colonel's quarters
Then IVrry turned to his partner.
Well. Mrs. Lawrence, what does it all
mean? Is this utrt of what you tiad to
tell meT
"Don't ask me now. I I did not want
to see what we have seen, but I had
heard queer stories and could not believe
fltAni TlllfA HIM in to Caul Lawrence.
please. And. Mr Perry, you won't speak
of this to any one. will you? Indeed, if I
had known. 1 would not have come out
here for the world, but 1 didn't believe
it, even when she went away and took
the children. "
"Who went away?"
"Mrs Ouin-the doctor's wife. And
she was such a sweet woman, and so de
voted to him."
"Well, pardon me. Mrs. Lawrence, I
don't see through this thing al all Do
you mean lliiil the doctor has anything
to do w ith the mystery?"
She bowed her head as they turned
back to the house- "1 must not tell you
any more to-uiht You will twsure to
hear something of it all. here Every
body on Ibe piazza saw the lights, and
all who were here before you came knew
what they meant."
"What were they?"
"Signals, of some kind, from Dunraven
Ranch."
CHAPTER IL
k. or, nrnnV h.t
K.nXV?-.vSS' veille and morning
tjtf A"" stables about as
ff 4 fV bemetitly as was pos
StfL I i sible U a young fel
low who was la other
respects thoroughly In love with his pro
fession, 1 fairer tveot tk.aarifaa
cavalry officer, when once hs'gof in sad
dle and settled down to business, one
would hardly ask to find. Tall, alliletio,
slender of build, with frank, laughing
blue eyes, curly, close cropped, light
brown hair, and a twirling mustache
that waaasourceof inexpressible delight
to Its owner and of soma envy to hia
brother aubalterns, Mr. Perry was prob
ably the best looking of the young offi
cers who marched with the battalion to
this far away station on the borders of
the Llano Estacada He had been ten
years in service, counting the four hs
spent as a cadet had just won his silver
bar as the junior first lieutenant of the
regiment, was full to the brim of health,
energy, animal spirits and fun, and, bar
ring a few duns and debts in his earlier
experiences, had never known a heavier
care in the world than the transient
and ephemeral anxiety as to whether hs
would be called up for recitation on a
subject he had not so much as looked at,
pr "blved" absent from a roll call he had
lazily slept through.
TO nK COKTIM'KD.1
MR. BIXBY'S PATENT.
It Was a tlooil Thin. Hut Nrnlnl a F
luiiruvniruU.
"By Jove! I've an Idea!" said Mr.
Illxhy gleefully, while at the dinner
table the other day. "Now here we've
spent half our time while at the table
passing things to each other and it's all
nonsense. 1 know just how it can all
be done away with and I'll have the
thing patented before a month and
make a mint of money out of It I'm go
ing to put in all my spare time on It and
I'll soon show you a modol of ono of the
cleverest Inventions of the ago."
Mrs. Ilixhy did not say any thing.
She wa accustomed to outbursts of this
kind on tho part of Mr. Hlxby, who was
freqnently seized with a mania for In
venting and patenting something, and ,
as he had always recovered without '
mortgaging the house or Injuring any of
the family, sho hoped all would end .
well this time.
Three days later, after he had worked ,
UlURb ui wiu uiKiib ut-iuru, UO UBMIU w
Mrs. Bixby with his latest "clever In
vention." o
"You see, my dear, what It la," he
said calmly as he gave It a whirl. "It's
a revolving dining-room table, to do,
away with this eternal passing of things j
to each other. hrin you see any thing
out of reach that you want, all you have
to do Is to give the tablo a gentlo little
whirl, and there you havo tho dish you
want right in front of you, Now what
do you think of that, my dear? Don't
you think our fortuno la made, eh? o
"Itmlght worlc, Elijah," repllod Mrs.
Bixby calmly, "if you could make sev
eral little Improvements."
"t hat improvements?" snapped out i
Bixby. j
"Well, tell mo, please, where yout
own plate would be when the dish you
wanted had boon whirled around In
front of you'.'"
"Why, I I It "
"And where would the rest of our
plates 1)0?"
"Woll, I never thought of that I
I "
"I suppose, my dear, there might bo
some sort of a Bignal given by which all
the others could grab their plates and
bold on to them when the table was
about to be whirlod, or wo might"
"Take care, Harriot Amanda Blby;
don't yon go too far now I" a
"Or we might why, Elijah, what do
you mean by throwing a valuable patent
like that Into the Are?"
"What do I mean, woman? You'll
know what I mean whon you're loft a
despised grass widow with six young
ones to look out for! And that la ust
what will happen, ai sure as shool If
you open your mouth again! Laugh nowl
Giggle! Titter! Tee-hee somo more,
can't you? Darn a woman, anyhow!"
Time. .
THE CARDINAL FOILED.
How On or Klrhftlleu's IntrnuVd Victims
Wu Accidentally ftavril.
Dumont the proprietor of a small fac
tory In Paris, one day received a polite
Invitation to take supper with Cardinal
Richelieu at his country residence. Du
mont was somewhat aurprlsed, as he had
no acquaintance with the Cardinal; how
ever, he made his preparations for the
trip, and mounting hia mule one after
noon he started for the Cardinal's villa,
Dumont had scarcely loft Paris when
a tremendous storm overtook blm, and
he was obliged to seek shelter in a tav
ern. He was warming himself by the
fire when a second traveler, who had
been overtaken by the rain, entered.
'While the two strangers were drying
their clothes by the flro, they entered
into conversation with each other, dur
ing the progress of which Dumont men
tioned his proposed visit to the Cardinal.
"Have you ever said any thing to
awaken the enmity of the Cardinal?"
asked the stranger of Dumont
"Not that I know of. Well, now I
come to think of it, I believe that I did
say something about the death of tho
Duke de Montmorencl."
"And your name Is Dumont?"
"Certainly, that's my name."
"You seem to be an honest man,
Monsieur Dumont, so let me give you
some advice. Don't ' go to Cardinal
Richelieu's. Yon are mistaken in his
object of inviting you to supper. He is
going to have you bung."
'That is not possible!"
"I know belter, for I am the man who
Is expected to hang you."
Dumont recoiled with horror.
"Who are you?" he asked.
"I am the public executioner. I have
received an order to come to bis country
bouse to hang you. Overtaken by the
storm, like yourself, I sought shelter In
this inn. Your honest face Impressed
me, and I determined to save you. The
Cardinal frequently calls on me to do
things I abhor, and I am about to give
up my position. You had better take
my advice, return to Paris as soon as
possible, and get out of the country If
you can. I hope you will remember
that I have done you a good servloe,
and the least indiscretion on your part
may cause my ruin."
Dumont thanked the executioner,
mounted his mule and returned to Paris
aa fast as he could travel. He then
went to a friend to whom he intrusted
his secret By the liberal use of money
he obtained a forged passport and
finally reached England In disguise,
where he lived until after the death of
the Cardinal, which occurred two years
later. From the German,
For an all around mean man a resi
dent of Allapaba, Ga., certainly tsJaes
the cake. A few months ago bis wife, a
most estimable lady, died, snd, after
disposing of all other matters satisfac
torily, he took a trunkful of her cloth
ing out on the street and auctioneered It
off piece by piece to the Street loungers
and to women ho were willing to get
bargains under such circumstances.
DR. TALMAGE'S MOTHER.
The famous I rosrlicr's llotulirul I'ra
I'lirtrslt of Her Heath.
I never write or speak to woman but
my mind wanders off lo one model -the
aged one, who twenty-four year ago we
put away for the resurrection.
About eighty years ago, and Just lie
fore their msrrlugu day, my father and
mother stood up in tho old meeting
house at Somervillo, X. J and took
upon them the vows of the Christian.
Through a long life of vicissitude my
mother lived harmlessly and usefully,
and came to her end in peace. No rhiid
of wsnt overcame to her door and win
turned away empty. No one la sorrow
cam ii to her hut was comforted. No one
askitl her the way to bo saved hut sho
pointed him to tho cross. When the
angel of life came to a neighbor's dwell
ing sho was there lo rejoice at the start
ing of another immortal spirit When
tho angel of death came to that dwell
ing sho was there to robo tho departed
(or the l.urlal.
We had often heard her, when lending
family prayers in tho absence of my
father, say; "O Lord, I ask not for my
children wealth or honor, hut I do ask
that they may all lie tho subjects of Thy
comforting grace!" Herelevenchildren
brought into tho kingdom of liod, sho
had hut ono mora wish, and thut was
that she might see her long-absent mis
sionary son, and when the ship from
China anchored In New York harbor,
and tho long uboent ono passed over the
threshold of his paternal borne, she said:
"Now, laird, lettost thou Thy servant
depart in peace, for my eyes have seen
Thy salvation."
Tho prayer was soon answered!
It was an autumnal day when we
gathered from afar, and found only the
house from which the soul had fled
forever. Kho looked very natural, tho
hands very much as when they wero
employed In kindness for the children
Whatever else wn forget wo never for
ire t tho look of mother's hands. As we
sto.Ml by the casket we could not help '
but say: "IWhii t she look beautiful?
It was a cloudless day when, with heavy
hearts, we carried her out to tho last
resting-place, Tho withered leaves
crumbled under hoof and wheel as we
passed, and tho sun ahono on the Karl
tan river until It looked like fire: but
more calm and beautiful and radiant!
was the setting sun of that aged pil
grim's life. No more toll, no mora
Wars, no more skness, no more death.
Dear mother! Beautiful mother!
" Rwort Is the ilunilwr lienoalh the sod,
While the pure spirit rests with (loci."
With such a mother as an examplo. Is
it strange that 1 should always havo
cherished tho most exalted estimate of
woman and womankind? Ladles' Homo
Journal.
ANTIQUITY OF DROLLS.
An KiquUlle tittle linage furred lu Oak
Found lu a Koman Collin.
Tho other day I went Into a store on
State street whore toys constitute tho
bulk of tho stock. Tho man at tho doll
department, although he had boon sell
ing dolls until I fancied bo looked baby
Isii "twonty-flvo years In this busi
ness," ho suld had not wearied of it "I
do not know whon the world was with
out dolls," ho remarked. "I have not
had time to look It up, but as far as my
opportunity has permitted I havo dis
covered that every nation on earth hud
dolls. Tho demand for them now ia as
great as when I first went into tho busi
ness." A day or two later, curiously enough,
1 found all article lu ono of tho maga
zines containing an account of the
opening of a coftln in Rome. It had
been discovered In excavating. The
collln was marble. How many hundred
years ainon it was burled? Tho name
of the dead was deciphered and from tho
formation of tho letters Biid the bas-rn-lief
on tho lid It was concluded that the
woman for It was a woman lived at
tho beginning of the third century after
Christ She was not one of tho nobility,
and the name on tho sarcophagus
showed that her fumlly was (ireek.
The Burgeon who took out the skeleton
snd arranged It gives the opinion that
the woman was about seventeen years
of age at bor death. Whun the coffin
was opened a box was discovered, in
which wero a number of toilet articles
still in a state of preservation; a couplo
of linn combs; a small disk of polished
stool; a small silver box, prolubly for
oosmntlcs; a hairpin, six Inches long,
made of throo pieces of amlier. A re
markable discovery was the preserva
tion of myrtlo leaves a wreath with a
silvor clasp that had fallen from the
bead. There was no truoe of tho feat
ures, of oourso, but tho tooth wero
fine and regular. A ring an engage
ment ring (?) with a man's name en
graved thereon, was found near the
skeleton hand. On each side of tho
bead were gold ear-rings, with drops of
pearls. Mlnglod in a heap with the
vertvbrte of the neck and backbone
thore wore a gold necklace, woven as a
ohaln, with thirty-seven pendants of
groon jasper, and a large brooch, with
an intaglio in amethyst representing
the fight of a griffin and a door. Near
tho left shoulder was lying an exquisite
little doll carved in oak.
This, if there was nothing else, would
establish the antiquity of the doll. Chl
oago Tribune.
And lie Probably Did.
ImpeciAlous Dude I'd like to put
this gold-headod cane In soak.
Pawnbroker (examining it and hand
ing It back) In that case I guess you'll
have to keep on carrying one end of It
in your mouth, my friend. Chicago
Tribune.
Unite a lllrierence,
"American girls come cheaper tbn
Circassian maidens.''
"What do you mean?"
"Why, the Sultan of Turkey buys Clr
cassians, but we often read of American
girls being presented to (Jueen Vic
toria. " N. Y. Sun.
No Hotter Evidence roMlble.
Mrs. Blllus John, you don't seem
very grateful for that box of cigars I
jsve you for a birthday present
Mr. liillus (in anguish of soul) Not
(rateful, Maria? Thunder! Ain't I amok
ng them? Chicago Tribune.
Harmonious InliarmoulouneM,
no Dr. Pulpit surpassed himself to
dsy. Grand ideas and beautifully clothed
beautifully clothed!
She (aroused from profound medita
tion) What did you aay, dear? Oh,
yes, to be sure. Dr. Pulpit's clothes.
He does dress well elegantly. But was
juat thinking what a dowdy bis wife
looked. Really, she's a disgrace to the
church. Texas Sittings.
It Did Hot Apply.
Attorney Your Honor, my client Is a
sufferer from that most distressing mal
ady, kleptomania.
Magistrate O, nonsense, lie Is
poor man, and stole a ham. Yenowlne'a
Ksws. .
MISCELLANEOUS.
A iipw post otlieo in Virginia has
boon named Poverty.
A Milllln I Pa. I woman threw some
medicine in the tire, and un explosion
.ook place which carried the stove out
of doors.
A man shot sixteen times ut a spar
row and finally killed It, but one cow, a
log and two cuts went along with the
sparrow.
When you wunt to compliment s
woman on the miccitnin slilo of thirty,
speii k of onie one a little older than she
Is as a "girl." Soineriille Journal.
As Peter Itaur, of PotUvllle, waa
opening a large oyster a strange t1b
f1lpHd out. It hud eaten pitrt of tho
oyster, It bud the bead of a eatlNh.
A Newark, Ohio, woman bought a
lot of Christmas gifts for her husband
and children, and hid them away so
carefully that she Is now unable lo find
them.
A grocer in Wheeling, W. Va., after
a three days' search for his favorite pug
dog, found the animal In a back room of
the store, under uu inverted half-huslnd
measure.
"Cigarettes for ladles' smoking" uro
sold in London, provided with specially
prepared mouthpieces. They aro per
fumed with musk and violet, nnd the)
are enjoying a very extensive sale.
A tearful widow at Charleston W
Va., obtained an order for four dollars
worth of groceries from tho poor com
missloncrs. Next day tho provision
wero spread as Uu' refreshments ut bet
wedi.lng huniUot.
A physiologist In Franco bus lieen
observing the working of Hies in flying
and has arrived at the conclusion that
tho wings of a fly make about S.'tu heats,
a second, and that such a fly can travel
at tho rule of U.'Jhu feet a minute.
Tho school ma'ms of St. Paul not
long ago were Instructed to glvo oc
casional Instruction In plain and fancy
sewing to the girls under their churge,
and the horrible fact came out that few,
If any of tho teachers, could do any kind
of sewing w hatever.
A watch made In France during tho
reign of Louis XV., Is owned In New
York, and still keeps good time. It was
mado by hand, nnd Is Inclosed In a fit
karat fine case, which Is ornamented In
Louis XV. style, with sixteen corners.
The works aro no thicker than a silver
dollar.
A Washington County (Kan.) man
named Steers mortgaged "four white
steers to a loan company. Tho fores
closure proceedings developed tho fact
thut the man mortgaged hia four chil
dren. The loan company bad Steers
arrested, as one of thcchildrcu wasa girl.
In parts of Brooklyn tho excellent
custom bus I n alopted of placing on
street lumps tho number of tho houses
nearest to which they stand. This is a
groat convenience to peoplo who aro
searching for a certain number in the
dark of tho evening, slnco tho general
methods of displaying houso numbers
aro far from satisfactory. Tho idea is
not new, having been adopted In New
York at least ten years ago.
Who says a dog has not Intelligence?
A Gardiner (Mo.) lady sot a dish of soup
out in her yard tho other day to cool.
Tho dish was very hot, but had a handle.
Tho houso dog soon eamo along to the
dish, lured by the fascinating fragrance,
contemplated tho contents long enough
to find thut It was his favorite soup,
then tuklng the handle between his
teeth, he hacked off several rods very
carefully, pulling the dish after him to
a placo which ho considered both cooler
and moro sequestered. He waited for
tho broth to cool, devoured It with in
finale relish, then dragged tho dish back
to tho spot whuro ho found It llungur
Commercial.
Recently tho dentists of St. Louis
havo begun to employ young women as
office assistunts. Probably a doicn are
thus employed. They aro paid from $)
to 910 a week. Among other things, it
is their duty to assist In bracing tlie
norves of patients. Ono of them says:
"If the patient Is a woman I frequently
stand by her sldo and hold her hand
sympathetically. Somo people may
laugh at this, but It's an lmiiienso help
to tho person In tho chair. Once or
twice when a very norvoua man was
being operated on I have taken his band,
and it really braced bis norvo wonder
fully." A young poet, not averse to letting
Strangers know that he was a poet, was
one day In tho country with a party of
friends. Stopping for some milk at an
humble farm-house, they suw an old
lady weaving a rag-carpet on an old
fashioned loom In a small out-building.
Several of tho party had never before
seen a rag-carpet woven, among the
number tho young poet. After watch
ing tho process for several inifutes, ho
said, In a putronlzini tone: "That looks
simple, but I daro say, grandmother, I
could write a poem easier than I could
weave a yard of that carpet." "Like
enough," replied tho aged weaver,
simply, with no intention of placing the
young man in an embarrassing position
before hiM friends, "like enough, sir;
for, after all, It takes somo brains to do
this." Youth's Companion.
FORCE IN SILENCE.
How John Itaiidolpli llrfenlcd Csniulxdl,
the Hrnlcli Loulilun.
In palntlnir tho (treat picture ot the
sacrifice of Iphigonia the artist it is
said, exhausted the emotions of grief
and honor in the faces of tho bystanders.
"He has left nothing unsaid. How
can he depict her father's sorrow'?"
asked anxiously his friends who wore
watching tho development ot the
picture. He threw a mantle over Aga
memnon's face. Tho blank silence was
more effective than any pictured woo.
One of the most extraordinary effects
produced by absolute silence is recorded
in tho reports of a convention in which
the foremost men of Virginia took part.
John Randolph had a measure to carry
In which he looked for tho opposition of
Alexander Campbell, afterward foundci
of a largo sect a man then noted for his
scholarship and power in debate.
Randolph had never seen the Scotch
logician, but he bad beard enough ot
him to make him and his partisans un
easy. When, therefore, the gaunt
stranger first rose to speak in the con
vention, Randolph looked at him with
such an air of alarm as to attract the
whole attention of the convention, and
as be glanced around seemed to be ssk
liff tot sympathy In his coming defeat
lie then composed himself to listen la
rapt attention.
Campbell, aware of this by-play, hesi
tated and lost the thread of bis argu
ment Randolph's face by turns as he
listened expressed weariness, indiffer
ence and finally unspeakable contempt
Ue leaned back and yawned. Campbell
sat down hastily. He bad lost the
whole force of his speech. Not a word
had been spoken, but he was defeated.
Youtt's Companion.
THE FOOT'S ANATOMY.
Why It Should He Couriered In the Se.
lectins ol Nlioe.
A skillful anatomist says that if we
worn shoos day and night our feet
would become permanently and hope
lessly diseased, but the airing and
chat) ire they get while we sleep keep
them In tolerable condition.
"The human foot is merely a hand
modified for a base of structure to sup
port the Ixxly." It is longer and thicker
and narrower than tho hand. Its solid
parts are firmer that tho corresponding
parts of the hand; the movable parts
less movable than those of tho hand.
The foot has two arches; ono from
front to rear ooinpNod of eight bones,
and another from sldo to sldo
couiNised of four. These arches, on ac
count of the cartilages interposed
between tho segments that compose
them, are flexible and give elasticity to
the step and gracefulness to tho gait
The largest bono In tho long arch of
the fisii is the heel bono, and to this is
attached tho largest tendon In tho body.
In this tendon the three muscles which
.'om pose the calf of tho leg and which
ire of tho greatest value to us in the
ict of walking unite.
The more nearly tho shoo approaches
the form of tho foot the easier it will be
to walk In. High heels aro nothing but
in Injury, not to tho foot alone, but to
he whole lsidy. They flex tho three
mimics In tho calf ot tho leg that give
Tec mess of tho body, throw tho weight
if the body on to tho ball of tho foot
brow tho knees forward, and put the
a hole mechanism out of poise. This is
veil undersUMsl by lovers of fluid sports
nd athletics, whoso shoes have hardly
iny heels at all.
Tho earliest form of foot cover was
.he simple sandal, secured to tho foot by
hongs, and often by a button, coming
s'tween tho first and second toes. The
naterlal used for shoes and sandals Is
various, eh icily tho skins of animals.
iVoodcn shoes aro much worn in Europe,
md are liecomlnir common In this coun
try. Tho Japanese wear sandals ot
tiraw, and South Americans, in some
localities, sandals of plaited hemp. The
arly t! reeks went barefoot, or wore sim
ple sandals; tho Romans wore buskins,
dmllar to the moccasins ot tho American
Indians.
The skillful shoemaker or shoo-flttor
diould understand tho anatomy of tho
foot as well as tho art of making shoes,
and ho should bo able to fit each shoo to
tho foot that Is to wear It but probably
not ono shoemaker In a million ever dis
sected a human foot with a view to
learning how s'lties should be made.
Wo never think of working with our
hands when they aro gloved, and all we
ask of a glove Is that It neatly lit tho
hand when at rest But wo never think
of walking any distance In unshod foot
and what wo want of shoes Is not cover-
ing only, but aid in locomotion. Many
a shoo Is comfortable enough whon one
Is sitting still that becomes excruola ting
when ono walks In It Room is not given
for the play of tho various muscles of
the foot, tho arches aro pressed out of
shape, tho circulation Is obstructed, and
the exercise of walking, which should
ho delightful, U'comes intolerable, and
tho guit which should bo graceful and
cosy lH'comes limping and awkward.
Judging from tho number ot mis
sbax'd feet one sees when traveling on
tho horse-cars and crossing the ferries,
where tho feet ot wayfurers aro exposed
to view thorn is a great deal of suffering
that Is not much talked about and la
probably considered Incurable. But It
might all or neurly all havo been pro
vented but for lll-llttlng shoes. And a
great deal of this suffering might bo es
caped If misshapen foot wero provided
with shoes fitted to them and conformed
to tbulr present nuceasitios. N. Y. Advocate.
WIT AND WISDOM.
(lentus is the Infinite art ot tuklng
pains, I'aiiyle.
Many a man knows a dollar by sight
who does not know Its value.
When a keen ear meets a cutting re
mark It Is natural that a sharp encoun
ter should ensue.
Everyman knows how mean he is
himself, but Is not absolutely sure about
his neighbor; hence his fondness for
gossip.
Wn have no right to be a cause of
disturbance by living In that part ot our
nature which tends to Interfere with the
happiness or welfaro of our fellow-men.
If everybody believed everything
that bo heard about everybody else,
how much better every man would
think himself than every one of his
nelghlMirs!- Puck.
With us, law Is nothing unless close
behind it stands a warm, living public.
opinion. Let that dlo or grow Indiffer
ent, and tho statutes are waste paper,
lucking all executive force. Rural Now
Yorker.
A slight divergence at the outstart
curries the arrow far out of the way at
the end. just as a false step in starting
gives life a result that is disastrously
wide of the mark. To begin well is to
begin trim, and with a sure aim.
No enjoyment however Inconsider
able, is tioiiflnod to tLe present moment
A mun Is tho happier for llfo from hav
ing mado once an agreeable tour, or liv
ed for any length of time with pleasant
peoplo, or enjoyed any considerable In.
lerval of Innocent pleasnre. Sidney
Smith.
To men addicted to delights, busi
ness Is an Interruption; to such as are
oold to delights, business Is an enter,
talnmcnt For which reason It was said
to one who commended a dull man for
his application, "No thanks to him; If he
had no business he would have nothing
to do."- Stel.
The touch of the lightning on the
top of the mountain Is only an Instant
long, yet It may rend the rocks, and do
face tho cliff and leave fissures that cen
turies can not fill up. Let no man say
that he Is debarred from usefulness by
the shortness of his touch with the
world. Tho Central West
Under no circumstances should the
expenses exceed the Income. It Is al
ways more profitable to pay "spot cash"
than to contract a debt which should
not be done unless It Is absolutely una
voidable. Never should an Indebted
ness be Incurred in anticipation of an
expected gain. Expectations are not
realizations; the debt Is certain and
must be met, but the gain well, "there
Is msny a slip."
It is the petty details ot life that
prove tiresome and wear ns out, rather
than the larger. It Is the little affairs
that worry and work mischief in the
nervous system. Lives of simplicity
will secure the most freedom from these
details, with consequent ease of mind
that Is conducive to health and long life.
I "Keeping up with the times" is what
' makes a good many ot the detail ot
these modern days. ,