to THP NPW
V'l'i M. ft IL4 A 1 Y T
NOW, Mai
Mr. Peel
in lils clii
TV t OW, Mary, I have spoken!"
el threw himself back
chair us if tliat settled
the matter once for all.
"I heard you, dear," sweetly respond
ed Mi's. I'eel; "and now, listen to me.
I have accepted Herr Schmidt's offer,
Bnd he will enter the adjoining house
as tenant to-morrow."
"Not if I know It, madam!" shouted
riilneas, Jumping from his chair and
bringing his list down on the table.
"Io you think I nm going to linve Ithyd
cottage turned Into a menagerie, and
my garden into a howling wilderness?
The house may remain tenantless for
ever, but Herr Schmidt and his mon
strosities shall not enter there."
"Herr Schmidt, my dear, is merely a
naturalist."
"I know It!" stormed Phlneas. "I've
heard of these plaguey naturalists be
fore. I've no desire to come downstairs
some flue morning to find a ring-tailed
monkey sitting on the window sill, net
Ing as referee while the kangaroos and
crocodiles play leap-frog over the flower
beds. No, madam! No naturalists for
I'll I liens I'eel!"
Pretty Mrs. I'eel never allowed her
temper to get the better of her. She
laughed softly at her husband's fears,
and did not alter her determination In
the least.
"Has It slipped your memory, Phln
eas," she asked, "that Rhyd cottage is
a portion of my property? If I choose
to let It to a naturalist even though he
be n foreigner I am perfectly Justified
In doing so."
This was true enough, and riilneas
calmed down.
"Herr Schmidt's collection of 'mon
strosities,' as you call it," went on Mrs.
I'eel, "probably contains nothing more
dangerous than a death's head moth in
a bottle. Anyhow, I have uo Intention
to disappoint him."
, "lint 1 "
"You will treat him with the respect
lue from one gentleman to another,
Phlneas," broke in Mrs. Peel. "And
now, dear, we'll dismiss the subject."
Phlneas Peel was though at times
he doubted It a lucky fellow. He had
carried off a young and handsome worn
nn from a host of suitors.
' Why Mary Marsden had chosen to be
stow her hand nud fortune on such a
plain, everyday sort of fellow as the di
minutive Phlneas Peel was always a
mystery to her acquaintances. The
wedding was au accomplished fact be
fore her relatives had recovered from
the shock caused by the announcement
of her engagements
Mary appeared to be happy enough,
too. Phlneas, taken as a whole, was
not a bad sort of fellow. He was Jeal
ous, that was true, but his wife came
to regard that as au extra proof of his
devotion.
Had the proposed tenant of Rhyd cot
tage been an aged, decrepit, broken
down old man, Phlneas would have
stretched out the right hand of fellow
ship. Uut alas! Mcrr Schmidt was
young and handsome far too hand
some, Phlneas thought.
"Very well, Mary," said Phlneas, tak
ing his li.it from I lie peg and making
for the door, "you have overruled me as
usual, and must be prepared for the
consequences, lu Uss than a week we
shall have the house and garden over
run with every conceivable variety of
reptile from the beastly lizard to the
boa constrictor."
And millions stalked Indignantly
forth with the merry laughter of Ills
wife rlnglug In his ears.
A month or more had passed, and so
far the fears of Phlneas proved to be
groundless. Herr Schmidt's "monstros
ities" had been kept well within bounds,
slid as yet Mr. Peel had not seen so
much as a strange caterpillar In his
garden, which never looked better.
However, he was not happy. He had
taken an aversion to the new tenant
from the first, and would never be sat
lstlcd until he had got rid of him.
"Confound the fellow," muttered
Phlneas oue evening, as he sat on au
upturned bucket behind the peastlcks.
"he's prowling about ou the other side
of the hedge again. Hope he won't
catch sight of me, for I'm about tired
of his oily tongue and eternal smile.
Hullo! what tho deuce Is the meaning
of this?"
Down the garden path tripped Mrs.
feel. The naturalist was evidently ex
pecting her, oud greeted her with a
smile that almost brought tears Into the
eyes of the furious Phlneas.
"Good efevlug," be said. "You vos
Joost a leetle late!"
It was soon evident that this was not
the first chat indulged In over the boun
dary hedge. Though Phlneas stralued
TP1MANT
1 1
his ears, he could not catch the drift of
the conversation. Like a Hash he re
membered that Mary had often of late
taken a stroll In the garden at dusk.
Was this the explanation?
Phlneas had been glaring at the cou
ple from behind the peastlcks for ten
minutes or so, when he saw his wife
take a rosebud from his favorite tree
and hand It over the hedge with a
charming smile to the delighted Herr
Schmidt. Then, with a pleasant "good
niirlit!" tr. Peel tripped lightly into
the house.
"You villain!" hissed riilneas, sav
agely, jumping from his sent and shak
ing his list after the retreating figure
lu the next garden, "I'll pay you for
this."
The rage of Mr. Peel was something
to be remembered. Nothing but blood,
he vowed, would obliterate his wrongs.
Hut he would smile and smile and mur
der wlille he smiled. Seizing a peastick
he tragically burled It in the lienrt of
an unoffending cabbage, nnd played
havoc with a stately row of sunflowers.
Half au hour later Mary saw him
take down an old-fashioned duck gun
from the hook lu the hall.
"There's a German vulture In the
neighborhood," he volunteered, Impres
sively, "and I'm going to bag him at the
first opportunity."
However, as nothing short of an
earthquake would have Induced the old
gun to gooff lu uuy circumstance and
Phincas had made assurances doubly
sure by dropping lu the shot first and
powder .afterward the "vulture" In
question was not likely to be seriously
damaged, aud Mary contented herself
with expressing a hope that her hus
band would not hurt himself.
On the following evening Phlneas
took up his old position in the garden,
with murder In his heart. Herr Schmidt,
however, did not put in au appearance.
After watting some time, Phlneas re
entered the house and reared his duck
gun up lu the hall lu a conspicuous po
sition. He had almost decided to run up to
town nud consult his brother John, the
detective, with a view to having the
movements of Herr Schmidt watched,
when he was startled by the click of
the letter box.
A scrap of paper lay on the mat.
ricking it up, Phlneas glanced at it,
turned deadly pale, then hurried Into
the garden. Scribbled In lead pencil
on dirty paper was the following:
"Peel has discovered everything. We
have not a moment to lose nnd must
clear out to-night. The front door Is
unsafe. WIU meet you at the buck
10:110 shnrp."
There was no signature.
"Good gracious!" ejaculated Phlneas,
nfter reading the note for the third
time. "I'd no idea matters had gone
so far. Oil, yes, Mr. Schmidt," he add
ed grimly, "I'll meet you at 10:30
sharp."
It was about 10:4"), and raining heav
ily. Phlneas Peel, seated on a well
overlooking the back of Hhyd cottage,
witli his duck gnu laid across his knees,
was beginning to feel uncomfortable.
"The note said 10:.'t0," he muttered.
"It must be after that time now. What's
that?"
Phlneas had caught the sound of
heavy feet moving cautiously over the
gravel. He grasjHHl his gun nnd peered
into the gloom, but could distinguish
nothing.
Suddenly he heard voices, evidently
at the front of the house. He was about
to quit his position under the lmpres-
slou that Herr Schmidt was leaving by
the frout door nfter all, when one of
the back windows was cautiously rais
ed and the lithe form of the naturalist
dropped lightly to the grouud.
Creeping along the side of the wall on
which Phiueas lay, he presented an ex
rollout mark. Mr. Peel, however, could
not bring himself to shoot a tuau dowu
lu cold blood. He would give him a
chance.
"Stop, you scoundrel!" he shouted
The effect ' of the chnllenge was
scarcely what Phlneas had anticipated
Herr Schmidt darted forward aud seiz
ed the barrel of the gun.
He was much the stronger of the two,
and Phlneas was pulled from the wall
in a twinkling. Lying on the broad of
his back ou the gravel, lu a half-dazed
condition, he saw the tall form of
Schmidt standing over him with the
gun raised.
"Keep your tongue still, you fool," he
hissed, "or 1 11 brain you. Now, quick,
help me over the wall."
Phlneas hesitated, but the threaten
lug attitude of the other induced him
to rise. However, he had uo Intention
of giving In,
Obeying his Instructions, he caught
hold of Schmidt's foot to give him "a
leg up." Before the naturalist could
grip the top of the wall, however, Phln
eas saw his opportunity.
Bracing himself for the effort, he ex.
erted all his strength aud pulled
Schmidt bodily from the wall. He fell
flat on his face, and before he could re
cover himself Phlneas Jumped ou his
back and seized him around the throat,
emitting a yell that would have done in.
finite credit to a Sioux Indian.
The next moment Phlneas was drag
ged off from behind aud found himself
In the clutches of a burly member of
the police force.
Four or five others seized Schmidt,
who struggled In vain to free himself.
"What am 1 arivsted for?" gasped
Phlneas. "There's your man."
Phlneas would no doubt have been
led oft with the other prisoner but for
the timely arrival on the scene of the
last pereou in the world he had expect
ed to see his brother John!
"Here, what on earth is the moaning
of all this?" he demanded when, as the
result of John Peel's Interference, he
found himself free.
John staved behind a minute or two
to rxDlalu that Herr Schmidt, the "nat
uralist," aud Edward Harper the no
torious forger, who had detieu uew
Scotland yard for the past six weeks-
were one uud the same.
"It was a smart dodge of Harpers,
said John Peel, "nnd he might have got
rlenr nwnv but for that clever wife of
yours, Phlneas. Mary suspected the
man from the first and supplied nm
from time to time with valuable Infor
mation. It Is to her entirely that tho
credit of the capture is due. Tell her
I'll call around and thank her myself to
morrow. By-thc-bye, the gang of which
he Is the head, got wind of our inten
tions, aud a man was dispatched with
a warning. Harper doesn't appear to
have received it."
Then Phlneas began to understand
things a little more clearly.
"I snoDose this will be It." he re
marked, producing tho note and hand-
lug It to his brother. "You see, the mes
senger left It nt the wrong door, and I
er I thought I might as well see the
fun."
For some little time after Phlneas
was of the opinion that he had made a
fool of himself. Lately, however, ho
has taken a different view of the mat
ter, and Is never tired of relating how
ho literally "dropped on" Harper, the
forger, nllas Schmidt, the naturalist,
next door. Cassoll's Saturday Journal.
Disposal of Sewage in Birmingham.
One of the worst features under the
old management was the disposal of
the sewage. By way of remedy two sys
tems have found adoption. Under one
the Health Committee collects the offal
of houses, and either destroys it or
turns It Into fertilizers. This Is more
offensive and less successful than It
might be made, but is apparently n ne
cessity until the pan system has been
abandoned. A sewage farm of nearly
1,300 acres has been developed several
miles from the city, some 400 feet lower
In elevation. The sewage, first mixed
with lime to prevent too rapid decom
position nnd to assist lu the precipita
tion of the solid matter, Is passed
through a series of deioslting tanks,
during which process the mud Is re
moved. The remainder Is dug into the
land, one-third of which Is dealt with
each year, the effluent being discharged
In a harmless state into the river Tame.
Upon the other two-thirds are grown
early vegetables, and grain nnd hay
for cows kept for milk and market.
The net annual cost to the city Is about
f24,000.-Ceutury.
Tho Chinese Are Sell-Helpful.
The percentage of foreigners In our
hospitals, asylums and penal Institu
tions Is overwhelming. But the Chin
ese make little call upon us for tihllnn.
thropy, and that only for medical help.
Little uy little tnese people are coming
to see the superiority of our medical
treatment, and In cases of severe sick
ness they will sometimes turn to our
hospitals for help. Hut they ask no nth.
er aid from us. If a Chinaman needs
any monetary assistance, his country
men help him without burdening our
public philanthropies. It Is not uncom
mon for the men of one clan, or friends
from different clans, to band together
to establish a loan fuud. pverv m.m
giving so much toward It week by week.
mis is loaned to needy men, without
security or interest; and when repaid
It is loaned again, aud thus many a
man Is carried through a sickness or
sot up In business, aud outsiders are
none the wiser. Century.
Joan of Arc's Devotion to the King.
For her king, who had so cowardly
abandoued her. she retained a passion
ate worship. He was the personifica
tion of France; he was her banner. Oue
day during the trial Guillaume Ever
ard accused the Klug of France of
heresy, whereat, trembling with indig
nation, Joan cried out "By my faith,
sire, with all reverence due to you, I
dare say and swear, under peril of mv
life, that he is the most Christian of ail
Christians, he who best loves the law
and the church; he is not what you
say." In such a crv w f..i n,... ' i...
uttered all her heroic soul. Century.
Every mau makes a failure of his love
affairs.
RAM'S HORN BLASTS.
Warning Note Calllna tlis Wicked to
Repentance.
O cyei can se
like those of the
soul.
God's mercy can
no more wear out
than his love.
If our belief Is
wrong, our eternity,
will be wrong.
Every successful
Christian life must
be a life of faith.
Growth In grace
Is often helped by
having the grace to say no.
As soon as thought finds a body It be
gins trying to move the world.
If some people would laugh more,
their doctor bills would bo less.
When a young Hon Is hungry, how
much better off Is he than a wolf?
Persecuting a good man Is the devil's
way of showing that he hates God.
The wages of slu is death, uo matter
how promptly we pay our pew rent.
When praise Is going up, showers of
Ulussing are sure to be coming down.
Considering what God has done will
soon lead us to rejoice In what lie will
do.
There Is only here and there a man
who praises God half as much as he
should.
When we have a keen eye for the
faults of others, we are apt to be blind
to our own.
A right state of heart cannot be main
tained without keeping a close watch
on the tongue.
As to Children un;l Dogs.
Washington Irvlug has often been ac
cused of saying that little dogs and
children were Influential members of
French society. It Is quite true that In
the United States I never noticed that
close and sentimental Intimacy be
tween human beings and quadrupeds
so frequently seen In France. Ameri
can life Is so active, so desperately
crowded, either usefully or socially,
that perhaps It does not permit the loss
of time Inevitably brought about by
friendly Intercourse with a dog. As
for children, I believe that their Impor
tance Is equally great In all countries;
but It asserts Itself In a more noisy man
ner In America than anywhere else.
Everything Is sacrificed to them, for
they represent the future, which Is all
that counts In a country whose past Is
very 6hort, and whose present Is a pe
riod of high-pressure development. Yet
no one must suppose that, before pre
senting an apology for French children,
I intend to malign American children,
as certain travelers have taken the lib
erty of doing very thoughtlessly, al
though they had met them only on
steamships, cars, or at hotels, enJoylDg
a holiday with that buoyancy which Is
the characteristic mark of the whole
race. I have known some who were
very well brought up, even from our
point of view, and among those who
were not I have admired precocious
sense, vivacity of mind, quiet determi
nation, and capacity for self-government,
qualities which I should wish for
all ours. Century.
Ice by a New Machine.
There has of late been a laree derrnimi
for lee machines of small caDaeltv no.
daily adapted for use In villages, or In
large estawisnments at a distance from
tne town supply. A new form of Buch
a machine Is eomrtructed to make 10
cwt of Ice In 24 hours. It Is worked on
the ammonia absorption xvelo.n. nmi
operated by steam. It consists of two
steel cylindrical ammonia heaters, la
closed In steel casings, and containing
colls of iron pipes. These cylinders are
charged with a solution of ammonia,
one charge being enough for twelvo
months' working. The niach;i:e Is sup.
plied with steam by a two Uerpe power
boiler, at a pressure of 45 pounds, the
average cost of fuel being al-out five
cents an hour. The machine can also
be arranged to work In combination
with a gas-fired boiler, and with super
heated steam. By the addition of an
tgltator the machine will produee what
Is known as crystalline Ice, wnlle the
generating portion of tlie plant can be
adapted for cooling and refrigerating
purposes of all kinds. An the machine
has no moving parts there Is a mini
mum of wear and tear, and uo fouuda
Hons are required.
The easiest men for the women to
capture are those who have exagger
ated Ideas of honor.
Roasting Schillings Best
tea in San Francisco costs
more than roasting other tea
in China or Japan, but it
makes tea better.
You don't have to pay
the difference, though. It
comes out of our profits.
We make money in giv
ing up profits. Queer!
A Schilling h Cnmpui
tTQOKTO . gg
The man whose nature 'tis to 8jcll
Can always find a rra.,n.
Midst frost he says that ,,,'nl', to0 ,, .
While warmth is out of seJ
TTu "To ,1.1
iiujuiuig want n? tA
your happiness complete, n,y
She-"YeS; about fourreeu yaTl
silkatipOayard'-YonkersS,
im-. ooriy-j ins 'ere wnll'll fall dow
of ye don't fix It; th' cracks are enor
mous. Landlord-All right, m haT,
It papered at ouce.-Atlanta Coustltn.
' , I"""!. "1 BUMS 8l
means she has passed the age Whe
she may expect anv." in.iu
Journal.
Mamuia-"Johnny, I f,.nr you wen
not at school yesterday." Johnny
"ll'm! I'll bet the teacher told you. A
woman never can keep a secrot."-Bo&
ton Transcript.
Miriam "Don't you think niy new
hat Is a poem, Ned?" Ned (critically)
"From the height, dear, I should com.
pnre It Instead to a short story!"
Spare Moments.
.uauei nas a lot of sense." "Ho
does she show It?" "She never per
mits herself to appear morn Intelli
gent than the man who is talking to
her." Chicago Record.
Well-meaning man has seldom said
The thing precisely that lie ousht;
He slights her dainty limne-made bread
And suavely flutters what she bought
Washington Stnr.
Crawford "How Is it that the Janl
tor of a flat Is such an autocrat';" Grim
shaw "I suppose it's because wher
ever he goes he generally gets In on the
ground floor." Judge.
"I feel," said the clock that had
ceased to tick, "like the victim of a
bicycle collision." "How Is that?"
nsked the watch. "Kun down."-Phll-adelphla
North American.
Mrs. Troubles "When we were flrst
married, Harry, you never uttered a
complaint." Mr. T. "When we were
first married, Jane, I had cash enough
to employ a cook." I'ittsburg Chronicle-Telegraph.
First Suburbanite "That new cook
I got yesterday was uneasy all the
way out from town." Second Suburb
anite "What was the matter?" First
Suburbanite "I forgot to buy her a re
turn ticket." -Judge.
Dobson "Did old Money Bags take
It good-naturedly when you asked him
for the hand of his daughter?" Hob
eon "Good-naturedly? Oh, yes; he
said 'Ha, ha, ha!' "New York Com
mercial Advertiser.
Wheel and the world wheels with you;
Walk and you walk alone;
'Ware lest a scorcher shall come up be
hind And knock you as cold as a stone.
Chicago Record.
I am a plain man," said BloiiRhly.
"and I believe In being practical. I
love you, and I want you to be my
wife." "Well," replied the fair one,
"how much are you worth ?" Phila
delphia North-American.
Mrs. Mimins Coorce. are you sura
you locked up the house carefully?
Mlmms-By Jove, I cau't renierairer
about the front door. Mrs. Mlmnw
Never mind the front door. How about
the coal bin? Cleveland Plain Dealer.
"Going to do anything Interesting
this Thanksgiving, Bagsby?"
I've persuaded my wife not to Invito
all our relatives to dinner, just to see
if some of them won't have originality
enough to invite us." Chicago Record.
Papa Blunt I like to argue with
that young Tomllus. Sweetest Susan
-I hope you find him logical, pap
"Why, my child?" "Because I think
he's the logical candidate for your son-in-law,
papa." Cleveland Tlain Deal
er. Freshly Well, I captured a first
prize at the horse show yesterday.
Sagely Didn't know you had any ani
mals entered. Freshly-I hadn't. but
I proposed to Miss Cash and was ac
cepted. New York Commercial Ad
vertiser. Marie I suppose that your friend,
the count, has become greatly attach
ed here In New Y'ork during h!s stay
Nlnims No, he hasn't been as yet, al
thong' all his trunks have, his land
lord tells me. New Y'ork Evening
Tnnrntil '
He-I thought you said your love for
me was as strong as Iron and as true
as steel; pray, how do you account Kr
your numerous flirtations? Shefle"
you see, the Irou and steel works luv
shut down for the present. I'P w
Date.
rinywrlter-What do you think of
my uew work? Critique-Great show,
old fellow. Funniest thing 1 evt'r
saw. l'laywrlter-Good heavens, limn
It's a tragedy! Critique-Yes; I know
It is. New York ComuieivI.il Advertiser.
3