A Dead Past By MRS. LOVCTT CAMERON J? CHAPTER XII.-Contlnued.) Later on, tho little party of excursion Iita found a suitable spot for their pic nic beneath the smooth, mossy trunk of a giant beech tree, upon tho breezy slope of the hill behind tho gardens. Hero the nurse unpacked the luncheon basket they -had brought and Master Roland Talbot's mouth was shut by a largo help lug of veal pie, while tho pfcodle lay with his nose upon his mistress's lap and was regaled with titbits from her plate. Felicia leaned her back against the tree and did the honors of the repast The nurse having discreetly retreated out of earshot with her own portion of the viands, the ladles proceeded to discuss what they had seen and heard. "You may depend upon It that picture Is somehow connected with Brian Des mond's life," said Mrs. Talbot decidedly. "Did you uotlce how mysterious the old woman was about her? I wonder if she was some governess in the family, and what has become of her." "Since Mr. Desmond has married some one else, I don't see that it matters much," said Felicia indifferently. "I shall never forget that face, it was a peculiar type of benuty. Has Brian Desmond been wearing the willow for . her ever since, I wonder?" Felicia stifled a yawn; she was at a loss to understand the keenness with which her friend pursued the subject of Mr. Desmond's antecedents. ."Look!" she exclaimed, glad to find something to ohange the conversation, "did I not tell you there had been a man in that room. Behold, without a doubt the late occupier of Mr. Des mond's study! Good gracious, he Is tak ing off his hat and coming straight to us!" A gentleman was in fact walking slow ly up the slope among the beech trees toward them. He was young and de cidedly good looking; he had pleasant grey eyes and an agreeable smile, and his manner, when he took off his hat and addressed them, was perfectly self possesged and devoid of awkwardness. "I must really apologize that you should have been driven out into the woods for your luncheon, ladies. I can not think what Mrs. Succurdcn was about not to ask you to remain In the house." "Oh, we are quite comfortable here, thanks," answered Gertrude smilingly; her whole face brightened at once. She did not know .who was addressing her, but she saw that he was well-looking and a gentleman. He bad sufficient as surance to address himself to her with out knowing her and his very audacity pleased her. "We must introduce our selves. I am Mrs. Talbot, a grass widow, If you choose to call me so. This is my son and heir, this my angel of a poodle, and this is my friend, Miss Grantley." Felicia bowed coldly, she looked grace ful and summer-like in her white dress and wide shady hat, leaning against the smooth, mossy beech trunk. The stran ger looked at her curiously, but she dropped her eyes upon her plate and would take, no .notice of him. He did not venture to speak to her. "We are nothing but common vulgar tourists," continued Gertrude laughing ly, "come over from Smackton in an open fly for an outing, but I am a great friend of Mr. Desmond's, and now sit down here and share our lunch -If you will, but please introduce yourself first; tell us who you are and where you live. "My name is' Edgar Koikes, at your service. I, too, am a great friend of Mr.. Desmond's, and I live here," answered the stranger laughingly. But he did not accept Mrs. Talbot's Invitation to sit down .and partake of her lunch; he stood leaning upon his stick and looking down upon her, but glancing sometimes covert ly at the young lady, who was eating her luncheon in cold silence. "Do you live hero at Kepplngton Hall?" inquired Mrs. Talbot, with some surprise. "Yes, certainly." "Oh, then it was his paper upon the floor," she exclaimed, turning to Felicia, "and his pen that was wet!" "And his smell of smoke," Interpolated Miss Grantley quietly. It was the first thing she had said. "All, you are observant, Mrs. Talbot!" replied Mr. Itaikes. "I certainly did beat a most hasty retreat out of the study when I beard the approach of ladles' skirts." ''Has Mr. Desmond lent you the house?" "Exactly, he has given me the use of It for a time," ho answered with a slight flush. He might have told her that he was paid a hundred and fifty .pounds a year for doing so, but he was not mind ed to make such confidences to her. "What on earth do you do here?" said Mrs. Talbot. "Are you all alone; what do you do with yourself?" "I shoot a little, aud I fish a little," said the young man. He might have added that he got himself generally into mischief, but this he also wisely re frained from paying. "It must be very dull; you had better come over and see us at Smackton, we are at the hotel." And then she got up to go. The open fly appeared on the Bcene on the road below them. Roland's nurse packed up the luncheon basket, and Mr. Raises walked down with the two ladies to the road, and assisted them most politely Into their vehicle, lifting In the child and tho poodle, and shutting the rickety door of the fly with as fine an air as if it had been a spring ha rouchc. Then he stood aside and took off his hat to them, with tho roost de lightful flourish and a bow which a duko might havo envied. "What a truly charming young man I exclaimed Mrs. Talbot rapturously. "I really have no patience with you, Gertrude. What do we know about this man? I cannot understand your rushing at a stranger like that, asking i him to como and see us, too. ' r AUr. when you are my age you will understand the advisability of leav Ing no stone of life unturned upon your road. We r. Very dull at tocktoL aud a 'man's a man for th.t.' If he Its will auauM "i lt away it will do us no harm." Mr. Ralkcs did como onco, and once only. Ho called upon the two ladies at the hotel the following Sunday. Dur ing thei visit ho flirted outrageously with Mrs. Talbot and glanced askanco nt Fe licia's somewhat cross face nn nhn snf liv reading tho paper, wishing that she woum not iook so coldly and Indifferently at him; but she would not speak to him, 80 ho Was fain to addreiu hlmuolf onttrn. ly to her friend. After that Sunday they saw him no more, for Mr. Talbot, unexpectedly, came back from Scotland sooner than hn In. tended, and tho .llttlo party at Smackton was in consequence broken up; tho two friends said good-by to tho Yorkshiro watering place, Felicia paid tho last bill, and they packed up their boxes and mi grated southwnrd together. CHAPTER XIII. It was September when Kitten was mnrrled in Frierly village church. It is May when Mr. and Mrs. Brian Des mond tako up their abode in tho newly decorated town houso in Lowndes square. All these months tho happy pair have spent abroad. Kitten has learned and seen more than she had ever dreamed of in her whole life before. Sho has been taken to- Paris and Vienna, and to Rome. She has Been dressed by Parisian dress makers and presented at foreign courts; sho has become self-possessed and con versational; she has learned to talk glib ly about the old masters, and to under stand the difference between modern and antique bric-a-brac; she is qulto a con noisseur in old laces, and already pos sesses a valuable collection of her own, of Venetian and Genoese point, and she has gained that undefinable something, that charm of manner, that grace of lan guage, that trick of good society in which she was possibly somewhat lacking In the old childish days when she sat up aloft in the cherry tree and studied Pope's "Essay on Man" with the all devout worship of her earnest young soul. But all this time has she been happy? Has Brian indeed taught her that love and joy are one, and that happiness can be caught and embraced and tightly held captive between the clinging arms of answering affection?. At first she believed that it was so. To be with him daily, to share his life, to sun herself forever in his smile and in the glances of his eyes, was sufficient for hor for a time. As her love grew and increased in depth and intensity, so did the blindness of her self-devotion render her at first unconscious of all save the delight of her own adoration. But as the days and weeks went by, she began vaguely to feel a faint chill of disappointment. Sometimes the ardor of her love seemed even in her own eyes to meet with but an inadequate response. Once or twice it happened that she pour ed out her thoughts and her fancies, and that he hardly understood her. At times he was abstracted and thoughtful, and If she rallied him upon his gravity he would rouse himself with an effort smile upon her, stroke her hair, kiss her pout ing lips and tell her lightly that he was thinking of "business." Then, one day, there came an awaken ing. It was a wet afternoon. They were at Dresden, and were slowly wandering homeward to England. They had ex hausted the picture galleries and the "green vaults," had listened to the organ In the church till they were tired of it. and wandered about the narrow streets and hung over the bridge across the Elbe until they knew them all by heart, It was their last afternoon, and it was raining heavily. Brian got sick of the dreary grandeur of the hotel sitting room, and clothing himself in a long waterproof coat, went off by himself for a walk. Presently, from sheer idleness, she be gan touching the trifles upon her hus band's table his silver cigarette case, his writing case, tho little collection of silver topped bottles and Ivory toilet Im plements. She fingered them with loving tenderness, as things which, for their owner's sake, wero dear to her. His dressing bag stood wide open upon a chair, and just inside it was a small square morocco case. Kitten felt a vague wonderment that she had never before noticed this article. She took It up and turned it about curiously. Apparently it was locked, but presently, quite acci dentally, her finger touched upon a snrintr. and tho case flew open suddenly. It was lined with faded satin. Kitten's heart began to beat with a strange and Hlrkenine sensation, for what was the meaning of these things which lay Inside? a crumpled white glove, a bunch of lMd violets, a tiny lace bordered cam brie handkerchief with the faint odor of perfume still lingeriug about it,, an oval locket, WHICH, Willi a wiiu amazement, aha found to contain a soft thick curl of dark brown hair, and then, beneath everything else, a folded letter, yellow and faded, with written words that wero pale with time and blotted with tears, creased and crumpled out of all original shape and smoothness. Half mad with a something terrible which seemed to Hfl nil nhoke her. Brian's wjfo read the opening words in tho dim, faded ink that had been dry tor years. -mj uurj Ing," Is what she saw then no more, for there came a heavy footstep behind her, a rough hand that snatched the pa per from hers, and a hoarse, angry .voice that spoke her name. "iTnw iinr voui'i said Brian, In a voico of suppressed fury. He pushed her back, snatched tho case ana us ntimv Imiirlloil thorn all back and sanp- ped tho spring of tho box, and thrust it back into tho dressing bag. Then he turned around to his wife again. Never had Kitten seen that look of black rrige before upon tho face she loved so well, Slier cowered' and shrank before him, with white, drawn features anu norror stlcken eyes that widened Into terror as they met him. But she was brave, too, and she knew that as his wife she had a right to Ifnnaf "I am sorry," she said, "sorry to have onnnvpfl vou. It was by acciueni ma opened It But since I have doas so l&ee I bays taow things, ran rnmat explain to me tho meaning of what I have seen. To whom did they belong? Who is this other woman, whoso hair, whose glovo and handkerchief, whoso let ter you keep so religiously? Who is she?" But he gavo her no answ6r; ho had turned nway from her and was locking up his bag. Sho watched him In silence, and with an agony which Increased at every moment When ho had put away the dressing bag ho went out of tho room, through her bedroom and Into the sitting room beyond. Ho leaned against the window, taking up a newspaper and making believe to read it Kitten ltau followed him. She stood at a llttlo dis tance from him, whlto as doath, with her great, sad eyes fixed upon him. Ilia face was very dark and bitter. She could not sco tho expression of his down cast eyes, but she saw that tho hands that hold tho paper shook slightly, and that ho bit his lip under his dark mus tache, as though struggling with some strong and painful emotion within himself. Thon the wlfo went and laid hor soft, fair head upon her husband's arm, rub bing her check gently against his coat sleeve, and clinging to him cdaxingly with those small, frail hands he had so often kissed. "Brian," sho said softly, "I know I am only a child to you, aud I have scon enough of tho world lately to understand that I cannot bo tho first whom you have loved. But am I not your wifo, aud why should there bo any secret botween us? Tell mo who this woman was, and if you loved her onco, and I will speak of It no more. "It will bo better that you should speak of It no more," he answered hoarsely. "But that is no answer to my ques- tionu," she said, looking up wistfully into his face. "There can bo no answer to It," ho answered shortly, and then added, with a little gesturo of affection, resting his hand against her head; "I will forgivo you for your indiscretion, Kitten, but do not speak of this affair again." "Not after this onco, Brian, but I am your wife. I havo a right to know your past The happiness of our whole lives depends upon this. Answer mo but this one question." "My dear llttlo girl; men do not like to be cross-questioned." "Does that mean that you refuse to tell me who thoso things belonged to?" "Exactly, if you like to word It so. I refuse to tell you." He flung down his paper upon the table, and looked at her angrily, almost defiantly. "And now," he said lightly, "the rain is over. Put on your things and let us go out" After that, Kitten knew that she did not possess her husband's heart. All the sweet illusions, all the dear dreams of love and happiness, withered up and dwindled away into emptiness and deso lation. She understood, with that shrewdness which had always been a part of her nature, that had Brian ceas ed to love this other woman, of whom he treasured up those faded mementoes so tenderly and religiously, he would have spoken of her freely and openly, and would havo told her something, even if not all the story of his past But his blind anger, his overpowering emo tion, and his obstinate refusal to answer her questionings taught her too surely that her husband's love for this other woman was not a dead thing of the post but a living, breathing reality. (To be "continued.) Ncvr Fcnco VonU WltA nltl.Hitm fill inn. its purpose forvso long that It Is nbout time it was Improved. It has always seemed nnturni that In erecting a fcnco post n holo should first bo dug in una ground and tho end of tho post insert ed in the hole, tho remaining: space be ing Ullcd up again. A California man thinks this method antique nnu cum bcrgomo nnd lina invented an exceed Ingly simple plan, which entirely elim inates this procedure. By the uso of Ills method tho Initial digging of tho holo Is entirely unnecessary. The bot tom of this post Is spiral In shape, ALL PERVA8IVE ETHER. Holds the Universe Together and Is the Universe Itself. Certainly, though no sane person doubts tho existence of the ether, wo are sorely troubled when we are ni most forced to give It properties In compatible with one nnother. This you will sea when I enumerate all the fnnprinnH which this utterly mystwri ous entity discharges. It conveys the force of gravitation. It has the power of vibrating from side to side, and theso vibrations, according as they aro fast or slow, have the most varied results upon us. They all travel along at the same speed, which Is that of Unlit 180.000 miles a second but the waves may oscillate from side to side as they go, either two or three times n minute (or less), or even n million times a minute (or more). When the waves are very slow we call them electric waves. When they are a little tWor we call them Hertlznn waves. and telegraph across oceans with them. When a little faster we call them Blondlot rays n new discovery which almost needs an article to It self. A llttlo faster, they aro called linat ravs. or radiant heat A little faster, they are called red light, then yellow, and so on to violet. Then tlioy become invisible again, ns they were before, and wo call them ultraviolet light Then, a llttlo faster, wo call thera Becquerel rays, nnd the fastest we know yet we call Roentgen rays. I have missed out more than I have named, and there are many gaps yet to fill, but you will agree with me that tho entity whose vibrations cause electricity, heat, light, and Roentgen rays, besides conveying tho forco of crnvitatlon. must be n very remark able substance. And, more than that, it is snnnosed that all pondcrablo mat tnr Is ronllv mnde out of the other. By pondcrablo matter wo mean matter Which is subject to gravitation and therefore has weight. The other itself. which conveys tho gravitation, is con reived of as being without weight Tr comes to this, then, that In tho ether modern science recognizes tlw most profound of all Its problems, ex cunt that of consciousness. By grnvl tatlon It makes tho unlverso one, by Its movements It makes tho unlverso nllrn. nnd it is the stuff of which tho material universe is made, Harper's Magazine. Tiro win ir Him On. Miss WllHns What would you do If I attempted to run away ana leave you hero In the parlor alone Mr. Blowboy Why, I er would try to catch and now you. Miss Willing Well, get ready thu I'm going to attempt it. scnEWED into the onopyp. Blmilar to an auger, being partly In serted In the ground, is turned round nnd round until sunk sufficiently deep. To moro easily accomplish tills a dum my post, with a double-handed lever, which first bores the hole in Uie ground, can be used. Tho post shown which first bores the hole in the In the Illustration Is made of two parti, tho top being separated from tho base. Along oue side of tho top portion Is a vertical row of prongs, to which an cqunl number of wires can be attached by clamping the prongs. A Oood HtnmVVentllator. Tho Idea some men linvo of vontlIat Inn- olnhlns Ih to tllt'OW OPCII a WllldOW directly back of an animal and lot tho wind blow In; other men open a win dow about an Inch and Keep it opoii ton minutes. Neither plan is vontlla- tion. Animals stabled In wnrrri build ings catch cold readily, so umt nav- na made tho Btnblo conuortauie lor tho animals, tho next thing to do is to provldo for a supply of air, but In such n manner that it will not blow OVOr tho animals. If ono has box stalls for tho horses a window at somo distance from them will Biinnlv needed ventila tion. If tho stalls aro not so arranged then Romo opening should no mauo m tho barn if necessary so that tho nlr may enter readily yet not blow direct ly on tho animals. If there Is no other wnv of eottlnir ventilation man through tho windows at the renr of tho animals then put an attachment to each window to shed tho air; a board eight or ten Inches wide nailed on a slant over tho opening that In mado when tho window Blldes to ono side will reflect tho wind, so to Hpeak, nnd It will not strike the nntmnls directly. Surely a mnn of bright wits will find somo way of giving his nnlmnis venti lation without lniurv to them If the way suggested does not suit him. Front Illticu Comix. If tho troublo is seen beforo tho frost lias thawed out, put tho bird In a room thnt will wnrm up slowly, lot ting tho clrcultlon begin slowly. Avoid n place wiicro the bird can got Into the direct sunlight or a room that is much above tho freezing point Even tho holding of dry snow against tho comb will help remove more slowly tho frost of tho parts. Having restored tho cir culation, or noticing the bird after It has thawed out, apply twlco a day an ointment of vaseline, six tablespoon- fulB; glycerin, two tnlilespoonfuls; tur pentine, ono teaspoonful. This will help start into a henlthy condition tho blood circulation of comb and wattles nnd nt the Bamo time reduce tho swell Ing. Dr. Sanborn In Reliable Poultry Remedies. Stacking Alfalfa. Throughout tho western half of tho United States alfalfa hay Is commonly stored in stacks in the field. Alfalfa stacks will not shed water as readily as stacks of grass hay. In tho arid re gions there Is llttlo danger from rains during the season of storage, but In humid climates It Is necessary to storo the hay in barns or else cover the stacks with largo tarpaulins, or thoy may bo topped with grass. Otherwise the percentage of wnste Is very large, In any case there Is likely to be somo wnste, for which renson the stacks aro made large, thus reducing tho propor tionate amount of waste. In tho al falfa regions of the West tho stacks are as high as the hay can be handled easily and may bo 200 feet or more In length. The size of the stacks Is then limited chiefly by the convenience In bringing tho bay from tho surround ing held. Cheap I'otato Pit. Select slight elevation for position. Dig pit 10 feet long, 5 feet wldo and 2 feet deep. Get three 0-Inch pole?, 10 feet long; put two, ono above tho other, at back of pit Get sixteen 4 foot poles, 0 Inches in diameter, aud twenty 7-foot poles, 0 Inches In diam eter, for roof. Mnko framo for door 2 feet wide aud 5 feet high; set In cen ter of front. Put your 4-foot poles, eight on each side, nail through door frame and set two stakes each end to hold poles In position, one above an- Kind of Covrn to Keep. I havo no particular choice as to the kind of cows to keep. This Is a good deal like a man getting a wife it de pends largely on the kind ho profors, If you arc going to keep cows exclu sively for butter, tho Jersey, Guernsey and Ilolstcln are desirable breeds. If you arc going to tako Into consldcra tion tho value of a calf, which seems qulto necessary in our State, tho milk ing strain of the Shorthorn meets the requirements as well as any. Tho only rcllablo test for a cow is the amount of butter sho produces If sho docs not produce 225 pounds of butter fat per year sho Is not a desirable cow to keep. In building up n herd t Is qulto necessary to select sires from tho best milking strain. G. L. McKay, Iowa. I'OTATO PIT. other. Then put your other 10-foot polo on top, resting center on door framo. Notch all 7-foot poles so as to fit each end on front and back; then sot up so bh to form roof. Nail any old plank on ends, Bank up earth all around and on top. Nail old bags on door to keep frost out Guaranteed to keep potatoes well through tho coldest weather. Will hold 100 bushels. Henry Kirk. What Attracts the Hec. A study of the habits of bees Indi cates that flowers having bright colors possess much greater attraction for bees than dull colored flower. Noc- tar docs not scorn to attract boos un less In tho bright colored flowers, and It was found posslblo to attract bees quite successfully by means of art! flcial flowers, Thoy do not seem to be attracted much by perfume, but bright color and perfume together ex i stelae strong attraction. Vine far Ilarneaa, ISte. In winter months Is the time to re pair harness. The cut shows a very handy tool to hold your straps whlln you sew. Tako two hardwood ataves about 2!j feet long, bore n -lnch hole, 10 Inches from top end, through both the staves, then put In a bolt -luch thick and 5 Indies long, and a nut with short handle on. Old colled spring slipped on the Inside, between tho two stave, mako it to open Itself. Lower ends could bo hinged together with pleco of leather. F. B. Thor. Teed Homes I, run When Jdle. In nn cxclingo Andrew Htcnson son slbly says; Tho horso not only rcqulros less reed when Idle than when at work but Is actually injured If tho ration not reduced on days of idleness. Somo feeders of high standing reduco tho reeu of their work horses on Sunday and holidays, in tho belief that even ono cioys reeding of a working rntlon wniio tho horso Is nt rest Is Injurious It is now tho belief of all who havo thoroughly studied tho Biibject that hiio norses aro fed too heavily 'as rulo. But no fixed ration can bo named, slnco tho food requirements Individual horses differ so widely Closo observation will onablo tho food cr to adopt tho quantity to tho nocds or cacu animal. Jllnck Knot. Look carefully on tho cherry trees ior uny signs or black knot. It will bo an advnntago to cut away tho branch or limb and burn it if any In dlcatlons of tho disease aro found.. It comes from spores, nnd onco It gets in an orchard scorns to hold Us own Trees that wero fronted last fall should bo sprayed early, following wuu spraying sovoral times thoreaftor. I'OHltrr IMeUlntra. Tho smaller tho poultry quarters the cieanor tuey must bo kept The best broods will not be profit- auie it tuey are mismanaged. Are you giving your poultry tie at A it i . leuuou you give me other stock er just allowing it to shift for Itself I M L I I, i 1200-EnghinTlInl Abated their propeS,' ham. ho inn,i. 'M 1B02 Golumhim 1C10 Simnlnrds under Cortfl tKOh or. m . . , ,-; 'fe irtTta aimon, poet, d!ei nrrlve.1 at tho fU&aLl vi negro nM f rica. 37R5 Many killed la an r Lisbon, PortUML 1702 Pcaco miner. .ij , i.t... i. .:: """ ",u uuuveca Knsli iTrtr ... fcjitiitiu dcl wpnr iniA 1771 Klmf nAu'ihin.. . i. in Albany. N. Y u. 4 ' nay i,iuerty flag raised on urove. uonton. 177-1 Declnratioa of rlghti 1; iho uen. Montgomery cipta at St Johns. Cantik 1770 British abandon Cromi pj n&i Washington timed H nuurcss iu we armr, 1788 Deborah Godfrey, tii ueon uie mother r n: children, died at SttpiJ land. 1703 Louis Joseph Philip, Mt icans, uencauea. i 1812 French defeat Rossiins J near wiazma. 1813 Neutrality of Switztrlaai claimed. 1818 First steamboat on &t 1 iJuunlo. 1825 Albany, N. Y celebrate! of Krlo canal 1847 Mcldcnaaohn, the fia clan, died. 1853 First I'reahyterian CMm organized la baa tnxi Russians defeated Tub tcnitza. 1801 Seizure of Confederate loners on the ateimer T;l 1807 Stars and Stripes nli Alaska. 1884 G rover Cleveland elected dent of the United SUts 1893 Annrchlata threw b tcr at Barcelona, Voorheea rti passed by Home of Res' HrM United Statea i nasseil Chinese excloiioi I Free silver inen Urn a from Washington. -ICO.l AUvnniW III. of Itoflild JWVaiiiii , Lieut Dreyfus oi imi army arrested on cnerje son. 1808 Uuasla mobilized fleet at I thur. lflOl LI Hung Chang died. 1002 Fireworks explosion la 1 Square, New lort tnni Pitnnmn declares its ln3i rvinmii n l'snaou' ed by the United Stat.j Innd act went mw llooserelt elect dont of the I'iubj lan Baltic fleet It" " . , ,hi nl iet j rernnps -i" (lcninuy om ui . ..nl.l la nut Of H sho Is completed, what i tM" ,BC;.r yet, throf ? channels, make football i . A fVAMlft. ovoninu Pr' i-- w,a What wo ' '-"- H Insurance coropsww - would III. a rr Yet tho Cnrncg.0 of tl.o list of H president wu ..i Maybe It Is tb Mi John W. Gat" ,u J3J mobile overlap , place for holdlM m And(lt nil B"V ilanl ner K?ven by Jo""" i it springi ,g .tin riw" Senator Burton ! rers to those after all it i mX v dlctmont of, 1 The fam P - alffiJH nnce president floe " w J tnnrrv t 10 linuv good thing. .,c0CtbtM As another arM 'Jfafi to resell our W ffiH tion, Japan w" - pollMCIIR